The Inside Track Travel

Whenever I travel, I enjoy visiting stores. I don’t particularly enjoy the shopping, I just enjoy the architecture, the history and the decoration of stores around the world. I enjoy window shopping in England – looking at stores with windows that are picturesque – windows comprising many small, interconnected-framed panes found in towns all over the Cotswolds and Cornwall. The most famous of this genre of “Ye Olde Shoppes” is in London – Dickens’ Curiosity Shop (1668).

Some of the world’s top museums were “Green” centuries before that movement. Moreover, some storefronts are so artistic they look as if they belong in museums. And in many major museums, they are: Paris’ Museum Carnavalet preserves ancient storefronts as does New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, York’s Castle Museum etc.

Great antique pharmacies are a store type that has survived in cities all over Europe and the USA, including Beaune, Bruges, Dubrovnik, New Orleans, Rome, Salzburg, Strasbourg, Wurzberg and Williamsburg (Virginia).

Another category of elegant, beautiful and historic store is the upscale food emporium. The two most elegant in the world are the Elyseev stores in Russia. St. Petersburg’s Elyseev store on Nevsky Prospect showcases a stunning Art Nouveau interior and exterior. The Moscow Elyseev store is in an 18th-century building with an even more dramatic Art Nouveau interior.

My favorite Art Deco market is Riga’s enclosed market – which used to be a zeppelin hanger. Riga Airport has stores representative from that city’s downtown establishments. Emihls Gustvas chocolate store at Riga Airport is where I had my best hot, thick dark- chocolate drink, which enticed me to duplicate that experience at their downtown store.

Markets that sell many different products under one roof are found in exotic locations such as the Khan El Khalili Bazaar (Cairo). I always visit the Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar, which has some great values for those who wear leather above the ankles. There are also great bazaars in the “old city” of Jerusalem, Damascus and Aleppo. (Hopefully in the near future, you will be able to visit them on the same trip.)

And let’s not forget antique markets, flea markets, night (food) markets in Taipei, Beijing (and other Asian cities) and the unique floating markets of Thailand.

The worlds’ most famous stores hangout on “Main Street” – which the Brits call “High Street.” There’s London’s Bond Street and Knightsbridge Road; Rome’s Via Condotti; Milan’s Via Montenapoleone; Paris’ Rue Faubourg St. Honore; St. Petersburg’s (Russia) Nevsky Prospect; New York’s Fifth Avenue; Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive etc.

The first half of the 19th century saw the introduction of the shopping arcade. Among the most famous: London’s Burlington Arcade, Paris’s Galerie Vivienne, Brussels’ St. Hubert, St. Petersburg (Russia) Passage, Prague’s Lucerna Galleria (designed by Vaclav Havel’s grandfather), Naples’ Galleria Umberto, Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the many arcades in Cardiff (Wales), etc. These were not created to replace main shopping streets – but merely to link them. That’s where they differ from shopping malls.

Shopping streets are usually more historic and tourist friendly than enclosed shopping malls. (Unless you’re in a very humid environment such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Manila.)

The newest trend in store for stores is the most “Green” application – recycling buildings that had a previous purpose and adapting them to store design – such as railroad stations in St. Louis, Providence, New York’s (Grand Central Station), Washington (Union Station), St. Petersburg (Warsaw Station). And this trend also goes the opposite way: A branch of Paris’ Printemps Department Store became a Holiday Inn. And a New Orleans department store became a Ritz Carlton.

Department store cafeterias are a great way to sightsee the store and they’re reasonably priced. Many department store cafeterias offer unique, spectacular views. Galeries Lafayette’s cafeteria gives a rare bird’s-eye view of the Paris Opera’s rear silhouette. Samaritane’s summer terrace gives you more choices of Paris views than food choices.

Urban downtown department stores define Christmas. Paris’ Printemps and Galeries Lafayette not only decorate their store windows and giant inner, covered Art Nouveau courtyards, they also splashily and electronically light up their facades. My first view of Harrod’s was at Christmas. I loved the lit electric lights emphasizing its ornate Victorian architectural detail. When I returned the next summer, I then realized that it’s lit up every night! What a treat without even buying anything.

Save on a summer getaway

CHICAGO - Temperatures are rising, the school year is ending and vacations are on the brain.

If you and your family want to go away for more than a few days, renting a beach house or lakeside cabin can cost about half as much as a hotel stay. That means more cash to spend having fun.

Rentals are being reserved at a faster clip than just a year ago, but it's not too late to plan this summer's family getaway.

"There's plenty of time," says Maria Kirk, the owner of ShoreSummerRentals.com, a company that matches the owners of 1,400 properties in seven Eastern states with renters.

"If they're really picky, they need to get started now," she says. "If they want a deal, they may want to wait because there's always going to be something available. It may not be their dream place, but there's always going to be something available."

Here are some tips on finding an inexpensive summer rental.

Be flexible on location: As it gets closer to your vacation date, you may have to make some compromises if you want to get a deal, says Alexis de Belly, vice president of U.S. brands for Homeaway, which lists about 400,000 rental properties around the globe.

"If you can book at the beginning or end of the season, typically you'll find more availability at better prices," he says.

Meanwhile, consider putting a few miles between your rental and your vacation activities. Opting for a rental a few miles away from the hottest spots can cut costs.

"If you look a little further away from the main attraction, the prices go down quite dramatically," he says.

If week still too pricey, then days: Thanks to the recession, homeowners who once rented properties only for full weeks are increasingly willing to book shorter stays, even just even a couple days. The reason? Money for a four-day rental is better than none at all if the alternative is leaving the property vacant. But renter beware: Not everyone will be receptive to an offer for a partial-week rental.

Negotiate: Just as some property owners are more willing to rent for less than a week, many are negotiating on prices or are offering deals. A listing on Homeway.com for a two-bedroom, two-bath condo in the Florida Keys offers $500 off a summer rental, which typically costs $1,650 a week. A three-bedroom condo in Myrtle Beach, S.C. offers golf discounts at nearby courses.


Several coastal rentals in California are going for half price. And, for those seeking a little extra in a vacation, weeklong stays at a four-bedroom waterfront home in Southampton, N.Y., through July were 30 percent off this week: just $4,900.

But more modest offers — a free bottle of champagne, say — are most common.

"It doesn't hurt to ask," says Kirk.

Dial for help: There are scores of private companies that can help you connect with rentals, and many local tourism boards Web sites will show or link to what's available in a community.

But old-fashioned telephone research sometimes can get you into the ideal property, says Jon Jarosh, a spokesman for the Door County Visitor Bureau in Wisconsin, a popular vacation spot. Workers in the county's information center know their community and can explain what properties might work best based on a vacationer's needs.

Keep checking: The direct-rental business is still growing, which means more properties become available every month. It's also worth checking for last-minute cancellations.

"I think there's a perception that if you didn't have your reservations (in advance) it was really hard to find a place up here," Jarosh says. "But there's now more inventory available now than there was 10 or 15 years ago."

Source from: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

All clear at Seattle airport after bomb scare

SEATAC, Wash. - A bomb scare at the Seattle-Tacoma airport interrupted operations for about two hours before a squad detonated a smoking bag and determined it contained a battery charger and electronics.

The incident Thursday morning forced the evacuation of several hundred passengers and delayed four flights.

Port of Seattle spokeswoman Terri-Ann Betancourt says a bomb squad gave the all-clear about 7:30 a.m.

The Transportation Security Administration says the bag was smoking in the Delta Air Lines checked baggage room. Spokesman Greg Soule says the area was evacuated out of an abundance of caution.

Two American Airlines flights and two Delta flights were delayed. Those passengers and others in the concourse were evacuated to other parts of the airport.

Demonstrations in Greece

Greek authorities have confirmed that there were three fatalities at a bank in central Athens on 5 May during demonstrations.

We advise British nationals to continue to exercise extreme caution around public demonstrations and protests in major urban centres in Greece.

Visitors should expect regular strikes and demonstrations throughout Greece during May. Strikes and demonstrations are sometimes called at short notice and can cause disruption to public transport in and out of the country, including air travel.

Review: The Pucić Palace, Dubrovnik

Overlooking a cobblestone square in the heart of Dubrovnik's old town, this luxury boutique hotel could be the perfect base to explore Croatia's stunning historic city. Coralie Modschiedler finds out.

The Pucić Palace's setting is glorious. This 5-star, stone-walled boutique hotel is housed in an 18th-century noble's house in the heart of Dubrovnik's historic old town. It's minutes from the city's famed medieval walls, as well as all the sights and nightlife.

As I walk in through the side street's discreet entrance, the reception area could easily be mistaken for an ambassador's office, with its venerable table, Renaissance style and detailed beamed ceiling.

The period quirks continue with the original stone arches over the antique marble staircase, promising to make my stay truly majestic. I already feel like a princess.

Room 12, ‘Sebastijan Slade', is named after a famous Croatian writer. The hotel's other 18 rooms and suites are also named after famous artists, from painters to musicians. My room key, although it looks like a manor's key, is actually equipped with an electronic sensor (very James Bond like, not too 18th century).

Stepping into the sumptuous bedroom, I can't help the grin on my face: exposed wooden beams, high-ceilings, antique furniture, paintings from local artists and dark-oak wood floorings covered by hand-woven rugs are a world away from the five-hour bus ride from Split I endured in the afternoon. Brocade curtains and views over the buzzing square complete the picture. The décor is elegant and relaxing and there's a cocoon feel about it.

The bathroom is equally impressive, with its Romanesque mosaic tiles and 1920s-style porcelain and copper bath. There's also a separate ‘rainforest' shower. Complementary Bvlgari amenities, plush robes and cotton slippers are calling for an indulgent bath. The view from the bathroom window is over the busy side street where nuns, locals and tourists alike come and go. From here, you can also see some of Dubrovnik's famous red-tiled roofs and nearby mountains. After a glorious bath, I fall asleep in no time.

After the best night's sleep in days, there's nothing more stylish than waking up to the sound of church bells. No cars, no pollution and glorious sunshine just remind me I'm on holiday in Croatia. As I pull the blue-velvet curtains wide open, the spectacle below is enchanting. A fruit and vegetable market has taken over the square and its white and red umbrellas create an unforgettable colourful scene.

Breakfast is served in the hotel's dining room overlooking the square. There's an extensive choice of bread, pastries, cereals, fruits and eggs (Benedict, scrambled, or however you like), with a smartly dressed waiter serving you at your table. The coffee is very good, as one can expect from anywhere in Croatia.

Now it's time to explore this amazing city. The entrance to the walls surrounding the old town are just minutes away from the hotel, and after getting some useful advice from the reception staff about key sights and a restaurant for lunch, we set off on foot and start our 2km (1.2-mile) walk around the medieval walls. The view from here is jaw-dropping. Red-tiled roofs, azure Adriatic waters, cobblestone streets, baroque churches and myriad fortresses create a wonderful, magical scene. I want to live here.

In summer, staying at The Pucić Palace also gives you free access to a beach club just outside the town's gate (5-minute walk). Other facilities include the Café Royal restaurant, serving a range of tasty international and Croatian dishes (like cheese and truffle ravioli and fresh fish), a wine bar next door and 24-hour room service.

I have fallen in love with this city and I will be returning. Staying at The Pucić Palace was the right decision as it's the perfect spot from which to explore Dubrovnik's old town and relax for a romantic weekend in truly majestic style.

Las Vegas, NV

Shimmering from the desert haze of Nevada like a latter-day El Dorado, Las Vegas is the most dynamic, spectacular city on earth. At the start of the twentieth century, it didn't even exist; now it's home to two million people, and boasts nineteen of the world's twenty-five largest hotels, whose flamboyant, no-expense-spared casinos lure in thirty-seven million tourists each year. Las Vegas has been stockpiling superlatives since the 1950s, but never rests on its laurels for a moment. Many first-time visitors expect the city to be kitsch, but the casino owners are far too canny to be sentimental.

Las Vegas has been stockpiling superlatives since the 1950s, but never rests on its laurels for a moment. Many first-time visitors expect the city to be kitsch, but the casino owners are far too canny to be sentimental. Yes, there are a few Elvis impersonators around, but what characterizes the city far more is its endless quest for novelty. Long before they lose their sparkle, yesterday's showpieces are blasted into rubble, to make way for ever more extravagant replacements. A few years ago, when the fashion was for fantasy, Arthurian castles and Egyptian pyramids mushroomed along the legendary Strip; next came a craze for constructing entire replica cities, like New York, Paris, Monte Carlo, and Venice; and the current trend is for high-end properties that attempt to straddle the line between screaming ostentation and "elegant" sophistication.

While the city has cleaned up its act since the early days of Mob domination, it certainly hasn't become a family destination. Neither is Vegas as cheap as it used to be. It's still possible to find good, inexpensive rooms, and the all-you-care-to-eat buffets offer great value, but the casino owners have finally discovered that high-rollers happy to lose hundreds of dollars per night don't mind paying premium prices to eat at top-quality restaurants, while the latest developments are charging room rates of more like $300 than $30 per night.

Although Las Vegas is an unmissable destination, it's one that palls for most visitors after a couple of (hectic) days. If you've come solely to gamble, there's not much to say beyond the fact that all the casinos are free, and open 24 hours per day, with acres of floor space packed with ways to lose money: million-dollar slots, video poker, blackjack, craps, roulette wheels, and much, much more.

‘It was terrifying’

“It’s easy to take amazing pictures there, it’s so beautiful,” said Boise, Idaho’s Kelli Geselle, whose photo of Iceberg Lake, in Montana’s Glacier National Park was this week’s top-rated It’s A Snap! Image.

In 2008, Geselle and a few of her fellow seasonal workers from the Izzak Walton Inn, enjoyed some time off to take a hike on a clear August day.

“It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in sight. On the way up, we came across a mama and baby grizzly bear digging for roots, they were only about 75 feet away — It was pretty amazing. We started clapping, singing — doing what you’re supposed to do ... it was terrifying.”

Geselle, a 25-year-old student finishing her bachelor’s degree in English and writing at the College of Western Idaho, recommends heading to the Swiss-style Many Glacier Hotel for a relaxing paddleboat ride on Swiftcurrent Lake or a great hike to one of the many glaciers ( … while they last).

A must-do for visitors? Geselle says make sure you stop in at The Izzak Walton Inn (located right in between East and West Glacier) to enjoy their famous huckleberry cobbler.

Privacy Policy

I respect your privacy and I am committed to safeguarding your privacy while online at my site alltravelist.blogspot.com. At .blogspot.com, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us. This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by alltravelist.blogspot.com and how it is used.

Log Files
Like many other Web sites, alltravelist.blogspot.com makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol ( IP ) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider ( ISP ), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user’s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.

E-mail Subscription
If a user wishes to subscribe to my posts via e-mail (powered by Feedburner), I ask for contact information such as name and email address. Out of respect for my users’ privacy, a way to opt-out of these communications is provided.

Cookies and Web Beacons
A cookie is a piece of data stored on the user’s computer tied to information about the user. My site use cookies for tracking visitors’ activity. Some of our advertising partners may use cookies and web beacons on our site. Our advertising partners include Google Adsense. Please check their websites for respective privacy policies.

These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on alltravelist.blogspot.com send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.

I use outside ad companies to display ads on my site. These ads may contain cookies and are collected by the ad companies, and I do not have no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.

You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. alltravelist.blogspot.com's privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.

If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browsers' respective websites.

Links
This Web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that I am not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. I encourage my users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every Web site that collects personally identifiable information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this Web site.

Contact Information
If you require any more information or have any questions about our privacy policy, please feel free to contact us by email at adibponaan@gmail.com.

Last Update
This Privacy Policy was last updated on September 7, 2009.

Get Europe Airline Tickets and Head to the Lake District!

I recently decided it was time to take a well-earned break from my job and go on an overseas holiday. At my Brooklyn travel agency, I found out about cheap Europe airline tickets and got an amazingly good deal on a flight to London. I hired a car and took off to the Lake District, a beautiful part of North-West England.

The best part of the trip was becoming more connected to some of the great figures in 18th and 19th century English literature. I visited all the towns where William Wordsworth lived – Hawkshead, Grasmere and Rydal Mount – and read his poems, including “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,” over and over.

Another highlight was visiting Beatrix Potter’s residence at Hill Top farm, which was the inspiration for her Peter Rabbit books. Seeing her lovely house and charming cottage garden filled with flowers, herbs, fruits, and vegetables was like going back in time. It was so adorable!

As well as taking literary excursions, I spent plenty of time just wandering around the lakes, admiring the rolling green hills, and breathing in the fresh air. I love the Lake District, and can’t wait to return!

Terri Gold: Still Points in a Turning World

Photo © Terri Gold-All Rights Reserved
Terri Gold's artistic creativity and energy were patently obvious during my Tribes of South Rajasthan & Kutch Photo~Expedition™ , as she moved from one photo shoot in a village to the next photographing with her two cameras; one "normal" like those used by the rest of us, and the second professionally modified to shoot infrared.

She is an award-winning photographer and artist based in New York City, and built an impressive reputation for her rituals, rites of passage, festivals, celebrations and portraits from all over the world.

Her infrared photographs of Rajasthan and Gujarat as an audio slideshow have now been added to her ongoing personal project “Still Points in a Turning World” which focuses on Asia’s vanishing tribal heritage.

With her acknowledged expertise in infrared photography and its intricate post-processing, Terri provides personalized hands-on tutorship to photographers who are interested in the craft. So visit her website, and email her to learn this exciting photographic technique that is growing in popularity.

A previous post on Terri's photography is here.

Stephen JB Kelly: Qi Lihe

Photo © Stephen JB Kelly-All Rights Reserved
Stephen JB Kelly is an English photographer, currently based in Hong Kong. He obtained a diploma in Photography from the London College of Communication, which was followed by a degree in Documentary Photography from the University of Wales, Newport.

Aside from winning a number of awards for his photography, Stephen has been published in various magazines including The Independent Magazine, The Observer Magazine, D La Repubblica delle Donne, IL Magazine and The FADER Magazine.

One of his portfolios is of Qi Lihe, on the outskirts of Lanzhou which is the most destitute area of this heavily polluted industrial city in northwest China. During the recent years, there has been an influx of migrant Hui and Dongxiang Muslim minorities into these urban centers. The main cause of the influx is the desertification of their land, forcing these farmers and families to seek a better existence in Lanzhou.

The Hui’s ancestors were Silk Road traders, largely of Arab and Persian descent, who first came to China in the 7th Century. The Dongxiang are closely related to the Mongolians and as an independent ethnic group they arose through contact with Central Asians who converted them to Sunni Islam in the 13th century.

Bali: Island of Odalan Photo~Expedition™

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved
Setting up of the Bali: Island of Odalan Photo-Expedition™ has been completed for a while, and the participants will shortly have to advise me their flight schedules. Time flies!!

The photo~expedition is especially structured for established photographers interested in documentary photography, ethno-photography and multimedia, and for those ready to create visual projects from their inventory of photographs, and learn how to control story length, intent, pace, use of music and ambient sound, narration, field recordings and interviews.

As in 2007, the base for this year's photo-expedition is a small Balinese-owned boutique hotel amidst a working rice-paddy in the art center town of Ubud.

Matjaž Krivic: Mali (& Baaba Maal!)

Here's another post on Matjaž Krivic's work. This time, it's Mali that he shares with us in this lovely audio-slideshow-movie (he calls it multivision...not a bad name.).

Matjaž just returned from an overland road trip from Slovenia to Nepal via Senegal (Dakar to Katmandu), which took him 13 months of living and photographing out of a 4x4 Nissan Patrol.

For 20 years, he globe-trotted the world capturing the personality and grandeur of indigenous people and places, and found the time to be awarded many prizes, and recognized in various venues and exhibitions. He traveled in Yemen, Mali, Tibet, North and West Africa, Iran, Mongolia, China, Nepal and India.

The spectacular music accompanying the slideshow is Dunya Salam ("world of peace") by the legendary Senegalese singer Baaba Maal. An excellent choice!

So choose full screen, turn up the volume of your speakers and enjoy the show!

Turkish Yogurt War: Image Rights

Photo Courtesy The BBC
The BBC reported that an elderly Greek discovered that his image was being used to sell Turkish yogurt in Sweden, and considered not only a personal affront, but a breach of his right to keep his image and likeness from being commercially exploited without permission or contractual compensation.

Minas Karatzoglou claims that his likeness was used without his permission by Lindahl's Dairy of Jonkoping in southern Sweden, and has commenced legal action against the company for compensation for the amount of $9 million.

On a prima facie basis, this appears to be a simple matter of some photographer not having the requisite model release...however there's more to that than meets the eye, because Karatzoglou is an ardent Greek nationalist who harbors deep-seated rancor against Turkey for its occupation of Greece. His grandfather and great grandfather took part in the War of Independence, which began in 1821, which ended centuries of Ottoman rule, and led to the formation of the modern Hellenic state.

In fact, Karatzoglou wears a panoply of 19th Century flintlock pistols and a curved dagger, which he claims have killed Turks.

The Swedish company claims that it bought the photograph of the mustachioed Karatzoglou from a Spanish photo agency, and that it has all the appropriate rights it needs to use this picture commercially.

I wouldn't like to be in the photographer's (or the head of the yogurt manufacturer's) shoes if he had to travel to Greece. These flintlock pistols seem to be in good working order.

I've posted my thoughts and recommendations on model releases in a 2008 post titled POV: Model Releases.

VII Magazine

Photo © Ashley Gilbertson-All Rights Reserved
The announcement that the VII Photo Agency launched VII The Magazine has already been reported and blogged about for a few days already. The magazine is a syndicated online publication with photo stories and interviews with VII photographers.

The beta version of VII The Magazine is presented in the Herald Scotland newspaper, and in Lens Culture.

The first issue of the magazine features multimedia slideshows of projects by several VII photographers, as well as interviews with Jessica Dimmock and Ashley Gilbertson about their projects featured on the site.

I was particularly interested in Ashley Gilbertson's interview, and struck by one of his statements:

"If you show me one more picture of a soldier kicking in a door, I'm going to blow my head off."

I sense Ashley speaks for, not only war photographers, but for many of the sentient public who's been subjected to repetitive and unimaginative visual (and intellectual) presentations of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and who's had (if they're anything like me) enough of the same stereotypical coverage which passes for cutting edge reporting in our media. I call it the stagnation of war photography...the same scenes over and over, perhaps from different angles...and with no back story. In fact, if I didn't read the captions beneath these images, I wouldn't be able to tell if it was in Iraq or in Afghanistan...or whether they'd been made yesterday or a year ago. Stagnation.

Ashley's powerful and poignant photo essay The Shrine Down The Hall, which shows some of the empty bedrooms of the over 5000 U.S. military personnel killed in the wars of Iraq and Afghanistan, rammed home the horrors of war much more effectively than seeing (and hearing) yet another photo essay by a gung-ho war photographer following US soldiers in an Afghani village, rounding up "Taliban" members (or whatever the caption writer decides they are), covering their heads with potato sacks while pointing guns at terrified women.

We need to see more work like Ashley Gilbertson's and much less of the kicking of Afghan or Iraqi doors....please.

The Travel Photographer's Motion

I set up The Travel Photographer's Motion as a parallel portal (using the F8 Graph Paper Press theme) for my audio slideshows, which are originally produced in the SoundSlides format, and subsequently converted to mp4s, then uploaded to Vimeo. I have no real preference between Vimeo or YouTube, and I'll eventually have these mp4s uploaded on both.

The current line-up consists of Baneshwar: Pind Daan (the annual rite of remembrance for Rajasthan tribals), White Shadows (my favorite! The sad life of the widows of Vrindavan), Debates at the Sangha (Buddhist debates in a Bhutanese monastery...much more animated than those in our Senate), Gnawa (the rhythmic Sufis of Morocco), The Street Chinese Opera (intense musical cacophony in NYC's Chinatown) and Cham! (the tsechus of Bhutan).

More of my audio-slideshows converted to mp4s are in the works.

Both Vimeo and YouTube’s have adopted the HTML5 video element (although the former is restricted and the latter is in beta), which permits most browsers (not Firefox, I think) to bypass the Flash plug-in and use video native to the browser’s player. That will prove useful for such movies to be seen on the iPad.

George Steinmetz: Aerial Views

The New Yorker magazine's online edition is featuring a video in which George Steinmetz discusses his career and techniques with Lauren Collins, who had traveled with him to Algeria.

George Steinmetz is a photographer known for his explorations of remote deserts, obscure cultures, and mysteries of science and technology. He is regular contributor to National Geographic and GEO Magazines, and explored subjects ranging from the remotest stretches of Arabia’s Empty Quarter to the unknown tree people of Irian Jaya. He has won numerous awards for photography during his 25-year career,including two first prizes in science and technology from World Press Photo. He has also won awards and citations from Pictures of the Year, Overseas Press Club and Life Magazine's Alfred Eisenstadt Awards.

Once you're done with watching the interview in the video above, take a look at Steinmetz's website. You'll be rewarded with large gorgeous photographs of the remote areas he explored, both from the air and on land.

I think his aerial photographs are more accessible and intimate than those by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, because he photographs from a motorized paraglider at heights of 100-500 feet above ground, rather than a small airplane.

Passport Tips for the New Traveller

If you’re new at looking for a cheap flight to Isreal, or are shopping for Europe airline tickets for the first time, you should probably get started on the passport process. For new travelers, the process can be a little overwhelming. You passport is the key to a successful departure and return. Here are a few tips from the State Department website for traveling abroad with your passport:

•  Register so the State Department can better assist you in an emergency:  Register your travel plans  with the State Department through a free online service at https://travelregistration.state.gov.  This will help us contact you if there is a family emergency in the U.S., or if there is a crisis where you are traveling.  In accordance with the Privacy Act, information on your welfare and whereabouts will not be released to others without your express authorization.

•  Sign passport, and fill in the emergency information:  Make sure you have a signed, valid passport, and a visa, if required, and fill in the emergency information page of your passport.

•  Leave copies of itinerary and passport data page:  Leave copies of your itinerary, passport data page and visas with family or friends, so you can be contacted in case of an emergency.

•  Check your overseas medical insurance coverage:  Ask your medical insurance company if your policy applies overseas, and if it covers emergency expenses such as medical evacuation.  If it does not, consider supplemental insurance.

•  Familiarize yourself with local conditions and laws:   While in a foreign country, you are subject to its laws.  The State Department web site has useful safety and other information about the countries you will visit.

•  Take precautions to avoid being a target of crime:  To avoid being a target of crime, do not wear conspicuous clothing or jewelry and do not carry excessive amounts of money.  Also, do not leave unattended luggage in public areas and do not accept packages from strangers.

•  Contact us in an emergency: Consular personnel at U.S. Embassies and Consulates abroad and in the U.S. are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to provide emergency assistance to U.S. citizens.  Contact information for U.S. Embassies and Consulates appears on the Bureau of Consular Affairs website.

My Work: Ocotlán Matron

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved
During my Oaxaca Mini Photo-Expedition™ a few weeks ago, we drove to Ocotlán de Morelos which is located 30-40 kilometers from Oaxaca, and photographed at its weekly market. I found it much more photogenic than those in Oaxaca proper such as the Abastos and Benito Juarez markets; perhaps more authentic is a better description.

Notwithstanding, the Zapotecs are not fond of being photographed, and I had to be somewhat circumspect when photographing in such an environment. One of the photographs that almost works is the one of the Ocotlán matron above. The wall colors are great, the blue basket matches her frock, and her expression is phenomenal...but her posture is not quite as I would have liked it.

As I slowly moved to the right to adjust my framing after this photograph was made, she saw me and ran inside the store.

Ah well...perhaps another time I'll be luckier.

Francesco Lastrucci: Kashgar

Photo © Francesco Lastrucci-All Rights Reserved
Here's the work of Francesco Lastrucci, an Italian freelance photographer who specializes in editorial stories. He's currently based between Italy, New York and Hong Kong from where he works on projects involving Europe, Latin America and East Asia.

From Francesco's diverse editorial stories, including a story of the ubiquitous areca nut and betel leaf chewing in Taiwan (as indeed it is in many other Asian countries), and its marketing by beautiful young women, I chose his excellent work on Kashgar, the capital city of the Uyghur.

The Uyghur live in modern Xinjiang, the westernmost province of China, but the name Xinjiang is considered offensive by many Uyghur who prefer to use Uyghurstan or Eastern Turkestan. Kashgar is an oasis city with approximately 350,000 inhabitants, and its old city has been deemed overcrowded and unsafe for its residents, and will have at least 85% of its structures demolished. Demolitions have already begun, with many of its former denizens forced to move.

Kashgar’s old city has been called “the best-preserved example of a traditional Islamic city to be found anywhere in Central Asia, but it is now being razed by the Chinese government which plans to replace the old buildings with new.