TravelPort: February 2007

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Qantas maintenance

It takes a college degree to fly a plane but only a high school diploma to fix one: a reassurance for those of us who fly routinely in their jobs.
After every flight, Qantas pilots fill out a form, called a "gripe sheet,"which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft. The mechanics correct the problems; document their repairs on the form, and then pilots review the gripe sheets before the next flight.
Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humor. Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by Qantas. Pilots (marked with a P) and the Solutions Recorded (marked with an S) By Maintenance
Engineers.

By the way, Qantas is the only major airline that has never had an
accident.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.

P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.

P: Something loose in cockpit.
S: Something tightened in cockpit.

P: Dead bugs on windshield.
S: Live bugs on back-order.

P: Auto pilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.

P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
S: Evidence removed.

P: DME volume unbelievab ly loud.
S: DME volume set to more believable level.

P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
S: That's what they're for.

P: IFF inoperative.
S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.

P: Suspected crack in windshield.
S: Suspect you're right.

P: Number 3 engine missing.
S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.

P: Aircraft handles funny.
S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.

P: Target radar hums.
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.

P: Mouse in cockpit.
S: Cat installed.

P: Noise coming from under instrument panel . Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Around the world in 4 minutes

If you've ever had the desire to travel, but don't have all the money saved yet, you'll want to watch this awesome video, "Where the hell is Matt?," for inspiration.

It's based on the travels of a video game developer who created a Web site so his friends and family could keep up with his many adventures around the world.

The site became so popular during and after his long trip, a candy manufacturer paid for a second trip around the world last year, this time a six-month excursion encompassing 39 countries on all seven continents.

We hope you'll enjoy watching this short trip around the world from your desktop, then be inspired to take a trip of your own to some beautiful place close by or far away.

Monday, February 26, 2007

How to go geocaching

Geocaching is an increasingly popular, inclusive, fun and healthy pastime for individuals of all ages. It is also great for groups like families, friends, classes and youth groups working as teams. The core of the sport consists of using a handheld GPS receiver unit to guide you to a destination, where a hidden container (or "cache") is stored. Once found, you log your visit in an included logbook, and optionally trade one of the many contained "goodies" for one of your own. This article will guide you through the basics of the sport. On your mark, get set, go!

Steps

Acquire a GPS receiver either by purchasing, renting or borrowing one.
Create an account with one of the caching sites listed below. Membership is free, although some sites offer "premium" member status that will allow access to additional features. There are caches on several different sites, so explore them and decide which you prefer.
Use the search feature on the website to find a list of caches near you.
Choose a cache which interests you. Record any details or hints on a notepad or by printing the page out.
Create a waypoint in your GPS unit for the cache, using the latitude and longitude coordinates from the cache's webpage.
Bring a small item for trading at the cache. It should be something you are willing to give away, but might be of some interest or value to another person.
Use your GPS unit's "navigate" feature (or equivalent) to produce an arrow on the screen pointing you to the waypoint you have just created.
Using the arrow as a guide, make your way towards the cache.
Once you find the cache, take note of how it has been hidden. You will need to replace it in an identical fashion.
Open the cache and browse the trinkets and goodies within it. Consider if you would like to take anything in exchange for the cache item you have brought along with you. You should always trade something of equal or greater value to keep the sport fair and honest. You are not required to make a trade if you do not wish to. Alternatively, you can help "restock" a poorly filled cache by leaving your item and taking nothing.
Find the logbook within the cache. Make a new entry in the book noting the date, time, your caching site username, and a line or two about your journey. Also log what you traded by including what you took and what you left, even if it was nothing.
Close the cache back up securely and hide it in the exact same place and manner in which you found it.
Return home and log back into your chosen caching website. Find your chosen cache once again and use the "Log Your Visit" feature (or equivilant) to record that you found the cache. Include the same kinds of details that you wrote in the cache logbook.

Things You'll Need

A Global Positioning System Receiver, also known as a GPSr or simply a GPS unit
A computer with Internet access
A printer for your computer, or simply note paper, to record details of the geocache from the caching site
Cache items for trading
A working pen or pencil for signing the log book or solving puzzles, in case there isn't one in the cache
Flashlight
Proper wear for outdoor conditions
Insect repellent
Sunscreen

Tips

GPS receivers are are sold at your nearest outdoors/hiking/trail shop, home hardware store, electronics store, or department store. You may also wish to check eBay, or the forums on caching sites, for used units. Expect to pay $100-150 for an adequate unit, and expect extra cost for features such as increased position accuracy, easier controls, larger screen, etc. The most popular brands are Garmin and Magellan.
Be aware of the different variations on the traditional geocache. They offer a variety of experiences depending on what you are in the mood for:

Multi-caches promise to send you to more than one waypoint prior to you finding the final cache location.
Microcaches indicate smaller containers, often only large enough for a small log sheet (bring your own pencil). They are often found in places where a larger cache container would be impractical
Puzzle caches may require you to solve a puzzle of some kind to obtain the coordinates for the cache.
Virtual caches have no container at all, but require you to find some information at the location, or take a picture to prove you found it. These are popular in sensitive environmental areas.
Locationless caches, which are more like a "scavenger hunt", challenge you to find an object or landmark that could be anywhere, and take a picture to prove you found it. (No longer allowed to be listed on geocaching.com.)
Moving caches begin with the original coordinates of a real location, but when found are moved to another location. The new coordinates are sent to the cache owner and changes are made to the cache page accordingly. (No longer allowed to be listed on geocaching.com.)

When selecting a caching item to bring along for trading, consider that things like marbles, bouncy balls, key chains and batteries are popular trading items for geocaches. If you have a local "dollar store", these items are often perfect. Also, cultural items that cannot be bought easily help enrich the sport and make cache finds more interesting for others (ex: commemoritive pins, patches, crafts, etc.)
The arrow on your GPS can deceive and frustrate you due to a number of main factors:

A GPS can only deduce the direction you are facing by tracking your position over a period of time. Once you stop moving, it can no longer do this. Therefore, take into account that the arrow will most likely be wrong once you are stopped. Take a half-dozen steps to adjust the arrow accordingly.
Your current position is as calculated by the GPS is not exact. In short, anything that blocks your view of the sky will reduce the accuracy of your position. Learn how to display your GPS unit's accuracy so that you can factor it into your search. The accuracy of your position can vary widely due to any number of factors, including:

Tree cover
Power lines
Mountains
Other people
Number of satellites above the horizon at the time of day in your part of the world. Trimble offers a free downloadable tool that allows you to plan when the most satellites are in the sky in your part of the world.
Large, flat objects that may cause a satellite signal to reflect off of it, like a large building.
A common mistake by novices and young cachers is to "bee-line" for the cache, ignoring whatever obstacles may lay ahead. Geocaching teaches us the value of planning ones strategy and route. Use your eyes and ears and knowledge of the area to stay on roads, trails, and footpaths for as long as possible, even if this means you may be heading away from the cache for a brief period of time. Even experienced cachers find themselves traveling many miles only to find themselves on the wrong side of a ravine or river.

When your GPS unit guides you to within approximately 10 meters of the cache, you will have to rely less on your GPS and instead rely more and more on your notes and deduction skills. Look around and ask yourself, "Where would *I* hide a cache?" Remember to look up and down, caches can be on the ground or hanging within reach on a tree.
It is possible to triangulate the position of the cache. From 100 feet away, follow the arrow on your GPS towards the cache. Repeat twice walking from a different directions. Where these three paths meet, hopefully one point, should be the cache location. This technique usually gets you within a step or two of the actual cache so if it is hidden well you know where to concentrate your search. If you choose to hide a cache, you should use this technique to get the best coordinates for your cache.
When you return the cache to it's hiding place, remember that the cache must survive wind, rain, temperature and humidity variances, and in some parts of the world, ice, snow, freezing, and thawing. Ensure that it is closed securely and hidden appropriately. Take note of any problems with the cache's condition so that you can report it to the cache owner later (ie: if it is wet inside, has a hole in it, will not close properly, etc.)
Since geocaching often sends hundreds of people to the same place in the wilderness, the cumulative impact on the environment can be significant. Minimize impact by sticking to trails for as long as possible, and follow Cache In Trash Out, or CITO. Cache In, Trash Out simply means that you pick up garbage on the way out to keep geocaching's impact on the environment positive. Often, you will find an official CITO bag inside of a cache, but you should bring along your own plastic bag as well.
Consider using software programs designed to help a geocacher manage a list of found and unfound caches, find cache locations with street-level and topographical maps, fly-over a target cache location, and record field notes and log entries to later upload to a geocaching website. Most GPS receivers allow geocachers to load a list of caches into a receiver using a data cable and a good software program.
Be sure to log your visit to the cache on the caching website. This may seem like unnecessary administrative work after the fact, but it helps the cache owner keep track of the condition of the cache by monitoring when it was last found, as well as gives you credit for your find. It only takes a minute, and when you start racking up double-digits in finds, you may wish you had logged each and every one.

Entering Coordinates

Be sure to double check the entry of coordinates into your GPS unit. A typo can send you hunting in the wrong direction. Many GPSs offer a link cable to your PC so that you can download the waypoint directly to your GPS unit.
The same position on Earth can be expressed in many very different ways. The two things that affect this are:

Map Datum: Various world surveys, map systems, and world-shape mathematics express the same position as very different expressions. Geocaching uses the popular WGS84 datum, so ensure that your GPS is configured accordingly. For example purposes, the following locations are all the same point on Earth expressed in only three of the many available datums:

WGS84: Used by the NAVSTAR GPS System
NAD83: Almost equivalent to the WGS84 Map Datum, but used on newer topographical maps
NAD27, or for the continental US, NAD27CONUS, used on older USGS topographical maps

Coordinate Format: For WGS84, the same coordinate can be expressed in slightly different formats. Ensure that your GPS uses the same format that your geocaching website does. It is helpful to think of this in the same way you might express how much change is in your pocket (ie: one might say that they have $1.35, or 1 dollar, 3 dimes, and 1 nickel). For example, the same position on earth can be expressed as:

N 44.659234deg, W 63.326711deg - this is in "degrees" or DD.DDDDDD format since it only contains one number (degrees) each for latitude and longitude
N 44deg 39.55404', W 63deg 19.60266' - this is in "degrees, minutes" or DD MM.MMMMM format since it contains degrees and minutes (')
N 44deg 39' 33", W 63deg 19' 36" - this is in "degrees, minutes, seconds" or DD MM SS format since it contains degrees, minutes ('), and seconds (")

Trackable Items

Some popular items found in caches are "trackable" items, such as "Travel Bugs (R)", "Traveler Tags" or geocoins. A tracking number on the item is used to log the trackable items journey from cache to cache on a website.

A Travel Bug is a metal tag engraved with a unique tracking number and trackable on geocaching.com
Traveler Tags can be any item with a tracking number written on it. They can be tracked at travelertags.com
Many Geocoins are also trackable.

Many Trackable items have a particular mission or theme that the owner who created and released the trackable item wishes it to accomplish. For example to be transported across the country to reach another geocacher in another region.
If you take a trackable item, it is your responsibility to help it to accomplish its goal or move it to another cache.

Terms and Expressions

Common acronyms for logbooks and your online log:

TNLN - Took Nothing, Left Nothing
TFTH - Thanks For The Hike
TFTC - Thanks for the Cache
SL - Signed Logbook.

Muggle - a non-geocaching person which may endanger the cache if they learn about it. You want to make sure that when you bring the cache out into the open, there is nobody around to see you. In addition, re-hide it the same way you found it.

Warnings

Never leave without reading the entire cache description. It often contains specific warnings about terrain, any possible hazards or unsafe areas, and legal issues about which private land to avoid.
Check the weather forecast before you go and pay special attention to the UV index, wind speed & direction, chances of precipitation, and the forecasted low temperature. Dress and plan appropriately with clothing and sunscreen. The most common mistakes by outdoor novices are:

Wearing Jeans: Jeans are strongly discouraged as it "wicks" moisture from the pant legs, takes forever to dry, and does not keep you warm.
Many people underestimate on how muddy (or at least wet) their feet are going to get, so wear a good pair of outdoor hiking boots. A pair of extra socks doesn't take up much space and can go a long way in case your feet get wet.
Planning for the cold and rain: Remember to protect your extremities first in colder conditions (i.e.: your feet by wearing wool or fleece socks, your hands by bringing a pair of good gloves or mitts, your ears and head by bringing an warm toque). Dressing in layers is best so that you can plan for changing conditions.
Planning for the sun and UV: Even if it isn't sunny out, UV rays are burning your skin. Geocaching is a lot of fun, so 30 minutes of exposure to the sun can feel like 5, so wear a hat and apply sunscreen.

Bring a flashlight regardless of the time of day you are going geocaching. If you are lost in the woods beyond daylight hours, a flashlight will make finding your way (as well as being found) a lot easier.
Bring lots of extra batteries for your GPS, flashlight, and anything else you might be relying on to help you. The small cost is worth preventing getting lost. NiMH rechargable batteries are a cost effective and environmentally friendly option.
You may choose to bring a compass. It not only helps you find the cache by using magnetic bearings, but if your GPS ceases functioning, you will have a backup method to find your way out of the woods.
Learn how to use all the features of the GPS unit properly before venturing out. Many GPS units have a "bread crumb" or "track back" feature which will allow you to retrace your footsteps if you become lost. Familiarize yourself with this feature before venturing out, as it may save your life. In fact, it is a good idea to take your GPS unit's manual with you, just in case you get lost and need to know how to access a certain feature.
Before you leave to go geocaching, tell somebody where you're going and when you expect to be back. It may be helpful to leave a copy of the cache details with them. In case you get lost, this individual will have specific coordinates to help in a search effort.
Once you are forced to leave an area you are familiar with and venture into the woods, create another waypoint. If worse comes to worst and you get disoriented or lost, you can always navigate back to this waypoint.
Make sure to focus on your surrounding area more than your GPS unit. Only periodic checks of your instrumentation are necessary. It is far more important to stay safe and watch where you are going.
Avoid leaving food or potentially harmful items in caches. Broadly, these contain anything that could attract animals (i.e.: food) as well as anything that is not considered child-friendly (i.e.: knives, alcohol, tobacco, weapons, pornography, drugs, etc.). If you see some of these items in a cache, you may remove it, and report it to the cache owner when you return home to log your visit.
It is your responsibility to obey local laws. There is more than one approach to a cache. For example, NO caching site can give you the right to trespass through private land. If you suspect that your course may lead you through somebody's backyard, find an alternate route.
In this era of heightened security you need to consider the environment when you plan your cache placement. For example you should not hide containers near areas or buildings that may be considered terrorist targets. If you cause an unintended bomb scare you could face fines, criminal charges, or will be required to pay restitution for public expenses.

External Links

In the interest of fairness to all websites and participants, Please set aside your personal interests and keep the following lists in Alphabetical order!

Alphabetical List of Caching Sites

Earthcache.org (Educational/Environmental Virtual caches)
Geocaching.com (Traditional caches, multi-stage caches)
Geocaching.no (Geocaching in Norway)
GPSGames.org (Geocaching & several other GPS games)
Letterboxing.org (LbNA - Caching the Old Fashion way!)
Movingcache.com (Moving caches)
Navicache.com (Traditional caches)
Opencaching.de (Germany)
TerraCaching.com (Traditional, multi-stage, Virtual & Locationless caches, with a Rating & Point System)

Alphabetical List of Caching Related Sites

Adventures in Geocaching: Software Review
Buxley's Geocaching Waypoint (Multi-Site compilation)
Cache in Trash Out Web site
Cacheopedia Geocaching Wiki
Garmin GPS Units
GeoLex - Geocaching Terminology
history of geocaching (by GPS Games)
history of geocaching (by Geocaching.com)
Keenpeople Geocaching Stats
Magellan GPS Units
REI's expert advice page on geocaching
TravelerTags.com
Wikipedia entry for geocaching

Sunday, February 25, 2007

In the hall of Baby Jesuses

The first time I was in Paris, I went to the Louvre and like a million other tourists before me I headed straight for the Mona Lisa.

Since the famous French museum houses one of the most extensive art collections in the world, I'll admit that making a beeline for a painting I'd already seen on countless refrigerator magnets and coffee mugs was a wholly unimaginative act. In tourist terms, hurrying through hallways of miscellaneous masterpieces to seek out the Mona Lisa was kind of like picking one harried celebrity from a crowd of a thousand interesting people and bugging her with questions I could have answered by reading a gossip magazine.

Apparently aware of this compulsion for artistic celebrity-worship, Louvre officials had plastered the gallery walls with signs directing impatient tourists to the Mona Lisa, and I soon fell into step with crowds of Japanese, European and North American tourists eager for a glimpse of Da Vinci's famous portrait.

Anyone who's been to the Louvre, of course, will know that I was setting myself up for an anticlimax. The Mona Lisa was there all right — looking exactly like she was supposed to look — yet this was somehow disappointing. Standing there, staring at her familiar, coy smile, it occurred to me that I had no good reason for wanting to see her so badly in the first place.

Moreover, once I'd left the Mona Lisa gallery and moved on to other parts of the Louvre, I discovered just how ignorant I was in the ways of art history. Surrounded by thousands of vaguely familiar-looking paintings and sculptures, I realized I had no clue as to how I could meaningfully approach the rest of the museum.

Fortunately, before I could fall into touristic despair, I was saved by the Baby Jesus.

I don't mean that I had a spiritual epiphany in the Louvre. Rather, having noted the abundance of Madonna-and-Child paintings in the museum's halls, I resolved to explore the Louvre by seeking out every Baby Jesus in the building.

Silly as this may sound, it was a fascinating way to ponder the idiosyncrasies of world-class art. Each Baby Jesus in the Louvre, it seemed, had his own, distinct preoccupations and personality. Botticelli's Baby Jesus, for example, looked like he was about to vomit after having eaten most of an apple; Giovanni Bolfraffio's Baby Jesus looked stoned. Ambrosius Benson's Baby Jesus resembled his mother — girlish with crimped hair and a fistful of grapes — while Barend van Orley's chubby Baby Jesus looked like a miniature version of NFL analyst John Madden. Francesco Gessi's pale, goth-like Baby Jesus was passed out in Mary's lap, looking haggard and middle-aged. Lorenzo di Credi's Baby Jesus had jowls, his hair in a Mohawk as he gave a blessing to Saint Julien. Mariotto Albertinelli's Baby Jesus coolly flashed a peace sign at Saint Jerome.

Eight places every woman should go to

Author Stephanie Elizondo Griest hit the literary scene in 2004 with her critically acclaimed coming-of-age travel memoir, Around the Bloc: My Life in Moscow, Beijing, and Havana. Her newest book, 100 Places Every Woman Should Go, is a fresh and insightful look at destinations for the female journey.

Here are eight of her favorite picks for women wanderers:

1. For inspiration and enlightenment: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Goddesses reign supreme in Hawaii, and the most venerated is Pele, who presides over the volcanoes. Legend has it she secretly envies Poliahu, goddess of the snow, and the two quarrel often — especially over menfolk. Poliahu usually wins, causing Pele to erupt in fury, and Poliahu gets stuck cleaning the mess with her ice afterward. (Indeed, traces of lava have been found seeping through glacial ice caps at various epochs in Hawaiian geological history.) Even when Pele triumphs, she soon tires of her lovers and sends them racing down the mountain, trailed by her hot, molten lava. To see her in action, head to the Big Island. Lounge upon the white-sand beaches at Kona Coast and the black-sand beaches at Puna district, then soak in thermal pools set in lava rock at Ahalanui Beach Park. Pele dwells in the Halema'uma'u Crater Overlook of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Devotees leave her offerings of flowers, gin, and ohelo berries. Then pay homage to Poliahu atop Mauna Kea, the world's tallest mountain (when measured base to peak). Linger til sunset to see why Hawaiians consider their homeland to be Earth's connecting point to the universe.

2. For indulgence: Lingerie shopping in Paris

Every woman should have at least one fabulous piece of lingerie tucked inside her drawers — even if there's no one around to show it to. Slipping on a chiffon babydoll and dimming the lights is, after all, the best way to turn a lonely TV dinner into a romantic dinner-for-one. To spice up your collection, fly to Paris, where they claim to have invented it. Herminie Cadolle went down in fashion history for "freeing" women by slicing the stifling corset in two in 1889, thus creating the world's first bra. Even today, her Parisian boutiques — currently run by her great-great-granddaughter — remain among the finest places to buy one. Cadolle specialties include Victorian corsets, bodices, and a broad collection of hand-sewn brassieres, but to truly indulge, make an appointment for a satiny, made-to-measure something at 255 rue Saint-Honoré (Metro: Concorde or Tuilleries). For her ready-to-wear collection, visit 4 rue Cambon.

3. For purification and beautification: The banyas of Moscow and St. Petersburg

The Russian banya is a Slavic Eden: a steamy, womb-like place that will tack years onto your life. According to folklore, these baths are haunted by mischievous spirits that bewitch clothing worn inside, so strip down all the way. (Most of the baths are gender-segregated.) Rinse off in the shower and enter the steam room, where scores of women will be massaging salt into each other's pores, swapping beauty secrets, and gossiping. Grab a branch of birch leaves and slap it against your body. Roast. When the heat becomes unbearable, proceed to the pool room and jump in immediately. (Some are kept as frigid as 42 degrees; stick a toe in first and you'll lose your nerve.) Get out before hypothermia kicks in and return to the steam room. Repeat as many times as possible: your skin will glow afterward! In Moscow, visit Krasnopresnensky on Stolyarny Pereulok 7, near the Ulitsa 1905 Goda Metro. In St. Petersburg, try Mitninskaya Banya at Ulitsa Mitninskaya 17/19 near the Metro Ploshad' Vosstaniya.

4. To celebrate powerful women and their places in history: Frida Kahlo's Mexico

Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is one of history's grand divas. A tequila-slamming, dirty joke-telling smoker, she hobbled about her bohemian barrio in lavish indigenous dress and threw dinner parties for the likes of Leon Trotsky, poet Pablo Neruda, Nelson Rockefeller, and her on-again, off-again husband, muralist Diego Rivera. Half a century after her death, her work fetches more money than any other female artist's (Madonna is said to be an avid collector), and she was the first Latina ever featured on a U. S. postage stamp. Visiting her cobalt blue home in Coyoacan is like stepping inside one of her fantastical paintings. The walls are awash with color and mosaics; a Day of the Dead altar yields pastries, flowers, candles, and papier mâché skeletons; the courtyard blooms with tropical flowers and cactus. Her personal effects are displayed throughout the house, including her pre-Hispanic jewelry, sketchbook diaries, love letters, artwork, and corset-like body cast. (Stricken with polio as a child, she shattered her spine in a bus accident at age eighteen.) Frida t-shirts, computer mousepads, and coffee cups are sold in the gift shop, and you can sip a café con leche in the tranquil café. La Casa Azul is located on Londres 247 and accessible by the Coyoacan Viveros Metro Station in Mexico City.

The movie-goer's travel guide

Traveler Buzz shows you how to plan that film-inspired vacation.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Solar-powered cooling hat

This safari-grade helmet may not look cool but it uses the sun to power a miniature fan that keeps you cool. The Solar-Powered Cooling hat has four compact solar panels on top. If you want to use the hat at night or on a cloudy day, no problem, the fan has battery backup power at a flip of the switch. Price:$49.95

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Podcast: Las Vegas

Las Vegas—love it or hate it. This popular desert playground built around massive casino hotels is unlike any place on earth—an utterly artificial magnet for fun-seekers, and growing fast. Mobster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel and the Rat Pack were the first to leave a major stamp on the Nevada city. Now it's families, high-rollers, and mega-watt names that seek a piece of the glitzy action. Las Vegas is an exhilarating assault on the senses, and tailor made for those seeking a good time. Spend a little or spend a lot, Vegas is there for the taking.

Monday, February 19, 2007

Tadoba: Tiger hunt

The silhouetted deer is so massive and still that it seems almost sculptural in the thinning dark. Even when our car draws level with the full-grown sambar, it does not flinch or flee. Its curiosity matches our awe, and I have time to observe that the flaring three-pointed antlers end in white tips. And to think: This is my ‘tiger moment’, the highlight of my trip to Tadoba.

It’s fair to say that most visitors to the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve consider time spent here without a glimpse of the beast as time wasted. Forest officials frequently remind guests that they "can’t guarantee a tiger" because their policies don’t allow staged sightings. But people frequently stop each other to ask, "Tiger mila, sir?" They crane their heads out of car windows to scrutinise the roads for pugmarks. I am somewhat bemused by this endemic hankering after the animal. I’m happy just to be here, grinding along dirt roads that cut through endless teak trees and bamboo. I marvel at ‘ghost trees’ whose white bark and bare, flailing branches appear almost eerie in certain lights. The encounter with the sambar leaves me slack-jawed.

When the deer finally darts into the bamboo thicket, we continue driving in near silence to the core forest. The day feels too young, the air too bitterly cold, for conversation. Then we arrive at Pandharpauni, one of nine viewpoints in Tadoba. Its extensive meadow came up when a tribal village of the same name was relocated in 1972; the abandoned fields turned into grassland. Climbing an iron watchtower, we immediately begin to appreciate the diverse wildlife drawn to its various microhabitats. Spotted deer and peacocks feed in the sun-bleached grass, which turns tawny as the sun rises. Egrets speckle the tops of trees, and wild boar root in the swampy edges of the lake.

The gilded meadow and placid animals seem to defy the fact that Tadoba is a jungle that has been part of Project Tiger for a decade. I think to myself that a tiger or leopard appearance would merely be a bonus after this view. But a companion bemoans our lack of luck. "We should probably have brought some Tiger biscuits," he wisecracks, then mocks his own sense of humour. "Now you see how desperate I am."

It ought to be easy to see wild cats in Tadoba, a national park since 1955 that has approximately 40 tigers and 25 leopards. But it is winter, and the trees—mohua, ain, jamun—are at their verdant best. The undergrowth of bamboo is as riotous as it is green. The wild grass rises six to eight feet high. Waterfalls, rock pools and streams emerge everywhere, so that the waterholes that attract big cats in the summer lie forsaken.

After Pandharpauni, we visit the other ‘points’ of this reserve forest. They vary widely in topography and wildlife, but each has a waterhole of some sort, natural or man-made, where animals congregate in the dry season. Dhauna, where we spot a crested hawk eagle and crested serpent eagle, is no more than a dirt road flanked on either side by a steep vegetated cliff and the Bhanuskhindi river. The birds start to call out to each other to proclaim their territories, and their cries sound, oxymoronically, like melodious shrieks.

At Jamunbodi, an elevated grassland descending sharply to a pool ringed by trees, we see a wild bison almost totally obscured by soaring grass and a wild boar skulking among the trees. At Panchdhara, a small clearing, we spend two hours up in a rickety watchtower, watching black-faced langurs scale jamun trees and pond herons fish in a rivulet. A sambar appears but sees our guide and dashes back with a tinny cry of alarm.

As we drive from viewpoint to viewpoint, we see groups of men and women along the roadsides, hacking grasses and low branches with axe and sickle. They are local villagers, hired to make ‘firelines’ or open swathes of land that serve to stanch forest fires and to provide a front from which to launch fire-fighting operations. Tadoba’s tendu and mohua trees—used to make beedis and liquor respectively—are often the cause of forest fires. Locals are said to start the fires because it encourages new growth of tendu leaves, and because the mohua flowers are easier to see and pick from the ashes on the forest floor.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Eat like a local: Melbourne

The vibrant city of Melbourne, Australia, is rich in cultural life and good food. Here we highlight a handful of memorable eateries.

Cicciolina

The tiny dining room and no-reservations policy mean that people arrive early, around 6 p.m., and stand three deep at the back bar waiting for a table. Seasonal items like white asparagus and Moreton Bay bugs (Australian crustaceans similar to rock lobsters) cycle on and off the specials blackboard, but it's the pastas, risottos and perfectly grilled steaks that the trattoria's loyal customers crave. 130 Acland St., St. Kilda, 011-61/3-9525-3333, entrées from $11

The Botanical

Early-risers flock to "the Bot" -- across the street from the Royal Botanic Gardens -- for a "brekky" of poached eggs on wood-oven-baked black pudding, or pancakes with lemon curd and passion fruit. Sunlight pours into the loft-like space, reflecting off the foliage-motif drawings that grace the whitewashed walls. 169 Domain Rd., S. Yarra, 011-61/3-9820-7888, entrées from $9

Agapi

The no-frills Greek taverna with tin ceilings and exposed-brick walls has been family run since 1969. Though the second generation of owners -- brothers Peter and Arthur Vorilas -- were born Down Under, their menu features authentic Hellenic dishes like gyros -- the lamb is rubbed with oregano, salt and paprika and served in a pita alongside onion and crushed tomato. 262 Swan St., Richmond, 011-61/3-9428-8337, entrées from $14

Travel sites crackdown on fake reviews

Travel sites such as Expedia and PriceLine.com have started closely examining user reviews to ensure that the entries are authentic, Reuters reports.

Sites have begun monitoring each submission with fraud experts and are verifying that users have actually stayed at the hotel about which they submit a review. Yet, even as travel sites add measures to more closely monitor user submissions, dishonest reviews slip through.

New York celebrates taxi centennial

If the image of a New York City taxi is any one thing, it's yellow — as splashy as a warning sign and as single-minded as a crayon.

But an estimated 30,000 New Yorkers are about to put personal stamps on its archetypal cabs by painting bold floral decals, destined to be plastered on taxis from September through December. The stickers are marks of a metropolitan milestone — the centennial of the city's metered vehicles for hire — and measures of an expanding definition of public art.

Supporters envision the project, called Garden in Transit, as kaleidoscopic artwork on a massive civic canvas, with the general public as artist. Organizers recently set up a studio in a historic hotel ballroom and are inviting anyone interested in painting to go to the project's Web site, http://www.gardenintransit.org.
"The city will look more vibrant, and this just sets New York apart from all the other cities that have transportation that's so bland," Evelisse Viamontee, 13, said after painting a panel — in sky blue, teal and lavender — at the studio on a recent morning.

City Taxi & Limousine Commissioner Matthew Daus called it "just a great way to marry art and history."

Read more.

Friday, February 16, 2007

Slideshow: India

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Zoos hawk animal sex tours

Valentine’s Day is the time of year when zoos around the nation seek to woo a new adult audience with risque tours that couple champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries and candlelight dining with impressive facts about how animals do the wild thing.

Credit for the concept goes to Jane Tollini, a former penguin keeper at the San Francisco Zoo. Tollini conceived the idea two decades ago while watching her penguins' courtship ritual, which culminates in what she describes as "bowling pins making love."

"The keepers get there early and we see things that other people don't see," Tollini said. "And I went, 'My God, that's fascinating.' You know the old Peter Sellers line, 'I like to watch?' You kind of go, 'Oh my, my, my. How big? How many? How far?' It was unbelievable."

She set the ritual to Johnny Mathis — the makeout tunes of her generation — pitched it to her bosses and a new zoo tradition was born. The idea soon spread to other zoos.

San Francisco calls it "Woo at the Zoo." New York City's Central Park Zoo calls it "Jungle Love." Zoo marketing folks in Boise, Idaho named the tour "Wild Love at the Zoo."

"Sex sells. No matter what," Tollini said. "I wish I had a nickel for everybody that has copied me. But not every city is as liberal as San Francisco and can get away with what I do."

Even in San Francisco, zoo sex tours are mostly all talk and no action. Animals do it when they please, or, in some cases, when their human keepers deem it appropriate.

Tour guides in Tampa warned of possible manatee make-out sessions. But the giant mammals were content to munch on vegetation while the tour group ate a candlelight dinner in front of the zoo's massive aquarium windows.

"Manatees are not particular," said Rachel Nelson, the zoo's director of public relations. "We have only males right now and they don't seem to care."

Despite the blunt talk on the tour, many in the Saturday crowd in Tampa were coy about their reasons for attending.

"I really like the zoo and I thought it was a nice thing to do with my boyfriend for Valentine's Day," Chandler said.

Her most memorable statistic: "whales have like 10-foot-long whatevers."

Standing ankle-deep in swamp mud, couples have wed in an unusual Valentines Day' ceremony on this western Philippine island, that marked their commitment to the environment.

The 100 barefoot couples, dressed in white, stood in the swamp facing the sea and exchanged vows in a ceremony officiated by the city mayor.

"You will be an example of true love not just to your partner but to the environment," Mayor Edward Hagedorn said in a short speech after marrying the mostly poor couples from Palawan island's capital of Puerto Princesa.

The official ceremony was free of charge for the couples in exchange for planting mangrove saplings in the swamp and helping further to protect their island.

This strange combination of environmentalism, romance and aid to the poor has become an annual event in Puerto Princesa which has been pushing an image of cleanliness and ecological activism to attract tourists to Palawan.

For seventy-two year old farmer Protacio de Ocampo, the free ceremony was a chance to make official his relationship with 67-year-old partner Teofela Apolinario.

The pair have been together since 1958 but de Ocampo has been too embarrassed to approach officials to arrange a traditional wedding because he is illiterate and could not sign the marriage license.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

World's tallest city

With over 7,500 high-rise buildings, Hong Kong is officially the world's "tallest" city, surpassing even New York. In fact, the average Hong Kong resident spends at least two days per year in an elevator! Get to know some of the most spectacular skyscrapers that you may not have seen before.

Begin Photo Tour

Oxford: Where to stay, what to do

A walk down the long sweep of The High, one of the most striking streets in England; a mug of cider in one of the old student pubs; the sound of May Day dawn when choristers sing in Latin from Magdalen Tower; students in traditional gowns whizzing past on rickety bikes; towers and spires rising majestically; nude swimming at Parson's Pleasure; the roar of a cannon launching the bumping races; a tiny, dusty bookstall where you can pick up a valuable first edition -- all that is Oxford, home of one of the greatest universities in the world.

Where to Stay

Where to Eat

What to Do

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Chinese spend big on Valentine's Day

Once considered a symbol of the decadent West, Valentine's Day is becoming big business in newly affluent China.

Nowhere more so than in Shanghai, China's showcase city for the economic reforms of the last three decades, a financial hub which is once more rediscovering its glory pre-World War II days when it was known as the Paris of the East.

This Valentine's Day, Shanghai banker Richard Fan will be buying his wife a 40,000 yuan ($5,146) Cartier wrist watch.

"I think it's a better gift than some 10,000 or 20,000 yuan ($1,300-$2,600) meal," said Fan, 37.

"A gift you can use daily looks much more concrete," he added blithely.

The watch's price tag is 12 times more than the average Chinese farmer earns in a year.

Among Valentine's Day gift ideas on offer in Shanghai is a $1,000 wine-and-dine package that includes limousine transfers, personal butlers and candle-lit dinners at private concerts.

"People who earn more in Shanghai require something different for their special days," said Joan Pan, a manager at the JW Marriott Hotel, situated on the city's fashionable Nanjing Road, home to outlets of Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Chanel.

This year for Valentine's Day, the hotel is offering a 28,888 yuan ($3,700) package, including an overnight stay in either its Chairman's Suite or the Presidential Suite.

Expensive? Not nearly as much as one hotel which last year offered a Valentine package for a staggering 188,888 yuan ($24,000). The night included a romantic cruise on a luxury yacht along the waters of the Huangpu River.

Even some in the industry were shocked by that extravagance.

"It attracted attention for sure, but I'm not sure it gave people a positive impression," said one Shanghai-based hotel manager, who declined to be identified.

Street cleaner, Xiao Hu, earns about 800 yuan ($103) a month, a sum barely enough to cover the cost of a Valentine's Day dinner at an exclusive Shanghai restaurant.

She, like a majority of Chinese left behind by the economic boom that has brought wealth to a lucky few, is too busy struggling to make ends meet to celebrate a Western love festival.

"The Valentine's Day thing has little to do with me. I'm only concerned that if there are crowds of people they will strew the street with cigarette butts, paper cups and other rubbish," said the 28-year-old.

For many Shanghainese, the most romantic part of the city is the historic Bund waterfront and its art deco buildings.

A $2,580 dinner for two?

5 tips on dealing with beggars

Handing out money solves few problems. Who, after all, do you give to? Everyone? Only the worst looking cases? And how much? And how often? My travel experiences have taught me a few principles to help navigate this sadly common and difficult situation (via Yahoo):

1) Spend some time in the community before you give to beggars

A few days of immersion in the local culture give you a better sense for which beggars are and are not truly needy — it will also give you a sense for the spending power of the local currency.

Moreover, a little cultural familiarity will allow you to see how locals react to beggars: when they give money, and how much they choose to give. Most of the world's spiritual traditions have time-honored practices for helping the needy, and following these local religious protocols is often the most culturally appropriate way to give money. In less religious societies, such as those in Western Europe, state funds are often available for the homeless and indigent, theoretically eliminating the need for hunger-based beggary.

Donations to local charities and NGOs are another solution for helping the needy in a given community — though you should research aid organizations carefully, since many such agencies are notorious for siphoning money into bloated administrative overhead.

2) Practice skepticism

Practice proper discernment when you chose to give. This in mind, try and donate to those who truly need it (physical deformities are usually a reliable indicator of need), and try to avoid putting money into the hands of hustlers. Any able-bodied beggar who is too aggressive, charming, accusatory, persistent, melodramatic, or (in non-Anglophone countries) good at English is probably working a scam, trying to raise drug money, or avoiding legitimate work.

Children who beg are always a tough call, since it's natural to feel sympathy for them. I almost never give to child beggars, however, because child beggary is so often tied to organized crime and familial exploitation. Moreover, even if a given kid is begging independently of opportunistic adults, I find it best not to reinforce this behavior at such a young age. Some travelers suggest giving pens or other educational supplies to child beggars, but I find this strategy a tad credulous. Better to give school supplies (or money) to an actual school or aid agency in a developing country than to presume these items will go to good use at random.

3) Don't be afraid to say no

It's better to give out of conviction than guilt, so don't give if you truly don't want to. Some travelers I know even have a policy of never giving to beggars at all (reasoning that their donation stands to create as many problems as it solves), and this is as legitimate a way as any to deal with the situation. Beggars realize that what they're doing is a numbers game, and that not everyone who walks past is going to give them money.

4) You're not saving the day

Giving money to a person on the street may make that person's day a little better, but rarely will it do much to actually change his or her life. Individual travelers are rarely more than a fleeting presence in the lives of beggars, so keep things in perspective, remain humble, and don't condemn those travelers who choose not to give.

5) Be courteous

It is perfectly normal protocol to ignore beggars in a given situation (they're used to it), but don't lecture them on how they should live their life or spend their money. In other words, remember the essential humanity of the needy as you travel, and don't presume the presence of beggars is somehow an affront to your vacation. After all, as a traveler you are a mere guest in a faraway place, and they have just as much right as you to hang out at a given landmark, a public square, or tourist attraction.

Best and worst US airports for on-time

Best for on-time arrivals:

Cincinnati — 83.14 percent of the time

Salt Lake City — 82.82 percent of the time

Phoenix — 80.27 percent of the time

Worst for on-time arrivals:

Newark — 62.56 percent of the time

New York LaGuardia — 64.16 percent of the time

Chicago O'Hare — 68.23 percent of the time

Best for on-time departures:

Salt Lake City — 85.68 percent of the time

Cincinnati — 84.48 percent of the time

San Diego — 82.42 percent of the time

Worst for on-time departures:

Chicago O'Hare — 68.84 percent of the time

Atlanta — 71.61 percent of the time

Newark — 71.87 percent of the time

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Romanian count invites you to his manor

Meet Count Tibor Kalnoky, a dashing 40-year-old entrepreneur and son of Transylvania descended from a noble family which settled in these misty lands in the 13th century and lived there until communism forced the family to flee.

Kalnoky's manor, which opened in 2001, lies deep in southern Transylvania, an area where myth and reality are loosely entwined. But you'll hardly hear a word here about Dracula, the Romanian warlord Vlad the Impaler or Bram Stoker's novels.

Instead Kalnoky lures guests with the old world of Transylvanian customs.

Many visitors come from Britain and the United States to feast on tasty fare of pork or chicken stew, mashed potato tinged pink by paprika pepper, home-baked cakes served by women dressed in traditional old Hungarian costume.

Dinner is washed down with red Romanian wine and guests are warmed by a roaring log fire in the wine cellar before snuggling into decades-old goose eiderdowns in rooms decorated faithfully in the style of the Szeklers — the ethnic Hungarian minority to which Kalnoky belongs.

Take a hike in the hills and you may come across bears and wolves. Bird lovers can look out for eagles, black storks and woodpeckers. You can also travel in a horse and cart for a mountain picnic, cycle to nearby Transylvanian towns or and visit the Kalnoky family hunting lodge. Just north of Miclosoara, there is the cave where the legendary Pied Piper lured the children of Hamelin.

When visitors return to the manor at sundown for dinner they are serenaded by Szekler music in the soft green drawing room, with antique furniture and dark wooden floors. It's low-key and relaxing.

The British journalist Malcolm Muggeridge once prophesied that the last Englishman would doubtless be an Indian. Long after the sun set on the Empire, long after the sahibs had packed their colonial bags and headed home, he reckoned, the natives would cling to Raj remembrances and perpetuate ‘the English way’.

Preparing for a tour of colonial-era bungalows and estates in Kumaon which today serve as hotels or guesthouses, I quivered with Anglo-anticipation. I dreamt of places called Flowermead or Oak Lodge and repasts of porridge and scones and pudding and pie; and I learnt, by invoking the Hobson-Jobson linguistic code, to say "There was a banker" when I wanted doors shut...

And, sure enough, I stayed in a red-roofed, English-style stone cottage with ivy creepers clinging to the walls; and I had generous doses of porridge and pudding—and single malts. So much so that, at the end of it all, I began to feel a good bit like that last Englishman. For there are quite a few Raj-era estates and bungalows in Kumaon that, having been restored and renovated, offer today’s traveller a bit of colonial history—and a great deal of comfort. Here are five for the road.

THE COTTAGE, Jeolikot. Just past Kathgodam on the road to Nainital is Jeolikot, a cosy little town as enchanting as its name suggests. And just off the highway, tucked away in an eight-acre orchard and a garden of floral delights, is The Cottage. A part of what used to be the Vergomount Estate in the 19th century, it was acquired in 1994 by the graceful Ms Bhuvan Kumari, who renovated her "dream house" in her own image, so to speak, and offers high-end home-style accommodation. It recommends itself as a luxurious launchpad for those heading further up the Kumaon hills—or as a weekend getaway in itself.

The Cottage is a symbol of the aesthetic amalgamation of quintessential English characteristics—red, sloping roof; ivy creepers on exposed stone walls; a profusion of bright-red poinsettias; sheesham wood floors with herringbone patterns —and distinctively native elements—exquisitely carved, antique Kumaoni wooden doors and window frames retrieved from demolished houses; a brass bell slung at the front door. The five rooms, and much of The Cottage itself, are at various levels; the height of the beds is designed to afford the most spectacular view, which in turn is framed by the window.

But more than any of these, what distinguishes The Cottage is the at-home atmosphere it exudes: the quietly efficient service staff have directions to treat guests like family—not immediate family, with whom one might take liberties, but like in-laws in a traditional home, with respectful hospitality.

Mellowed by an exquisite Continental dinner, we sat around the fireplace, watched the twinkling lights of nearby Nainital and delighted in the antics of Aao and Jao, the two resident jet-black kittens...

THE RAMGARH BUNGALOWS The next morning, we headed for Ramgarh, about 35km from Jeolikot. The twin bungalows at Ramgarh—the Old Bungalow (built in 1830) and the Writers’ Bungalow (1860)—served as a colonial outpost after the British occupied Kumaon in 1815. Officers involved in surveying, administering and developing the area were housed in these bungalows.

Today the bungalows, leased out to Neemrana Hotels, are bordered by a line of chestnut trees which catch the afternoon light just so. We sat on the sun-drenched lawns and wolfed down a late lunch. Perhaps it was the banana-chocolate dessert, perhaps I’m just slothful, but the next few hours, initially allocated for a walk along one of the many trails, were spent in lambent dullness, staring in amazement at blue, blue skies. At night, a thunderstorm broke; in the English room, I fell asleep to the crackle of a fire and the comforting warmth of two quilts and a hot water bottle.

Miami: Where to stay, what to do

Flash, a bounty of tanned skin and music where the Cuban roots are never far away: Hmm, sounds like South Beach, that hot southern tip of Miami Beach, Fla., where the party never ends and where the crowd ranges from hipsters holding court at the Raleigh Hotel pool to young families taking a leisurely bike ride along the beach promenade.

This Florida hot spot still attracts the tanned, the sexy and the fabulous. But a serious food crowd is now here as well.

Where to Stay

Where to Eat

What to Do