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Foodie Challenge Featured Winner: A Chinese Lunch

Rachael Dunlap — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:00:00 +0000

br /span class=”mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image”a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/rachelcotterill/3094136042/” target=”blank”img alt=”3094136042_f9a9f037e8.jpg” src=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/3094136042_f9a9f037e8.jpg” class=”mt-image-center” style=”margin: 0pt auto 20px; text-align: center; display: block;” height=”337″ width=”450″ //a/spana href=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/2008/12/introducing-the-foodie-challen.html” target=”blank”Foodie Challenge/a time!br /br /Today’s winning photo was taken in China, where
bRachel Cotterill/b traveled for a href=”http://rachelcotterill.blogspot.com/search/label/honeymoon”her honeymoon/a.
(The
newlyweds rode the Trans-Mongolian Railway and traveled through China,
eventually ending up in Beijing. Sounds like an awesome trip!) On one
excursion, Rachel was able to share a meal with some fellow travelers
and snapped this photo. br /br /Rachel tells the story behind the photo after the break…
bAbout the photo:/bbr /br /”We went on a coach tour to the Great Wall of
China and the Ming Tombs. The tour had ‘lunch included’ on the tickets. We thought we might end up with a sandwich, but actually we stopped at a massive jade shop
(obviously they hoped we would buy souvenirs!) which had this
canteen upstairs with big round tables.br /br /”We sat down, a bunch of the
Chinese tourists in our group were ushered to join us, and then they brought us ten
courses and everyone tucked in. And believe me, you have to be quick
with your chopsticks to get a look in!! The Chinese tourists at the
table were very friendly and found it highly amusing that we wanted to
take a photo of the meal, which, to them, was just a free lunch.”br /br /Stayed tuned for more stories and photos from our a href=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/admin/mt-search.cgi?tag=Foodie%20Challengeamp;blog_id=74amp;IncludeBlogs=74″Foodie Challenge Winners/a!br /br /iPhoto via a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/rachelcotterill/” target=”blank”Rachel Cotterill/a’s photostream on a href=”http://www.flickr.com/” target=”blank”flickr/a. See more of Rachel’s food photos a href=”http://rachelcotterill.blogspot.com/2008/12/restaurants-of-world.html”here/a./ibr /
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Greyhound Stimulates Us

Ashley Thompson — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:00:00 +0000

span class=”mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image”a href=”http://www.greyhound.com/HOME/Default.aspx”img alt=”greyhound.jpg” src=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/greyhound-thumb-200×59.jpg” class=”mt-image-right” style=”margin: 0pt 0pt 20px 20px; float: right;” height=”59″ width=”200″ //a/spanWell, sort of. Earlier this month American bus operator a href=”http://www.greyhound.com/HOME/Default.aspx”Greyhound/a introduced its own a href=”http://www.greyhound.com/HOME/en/NewsRoom/ViewRelease.aspx?PressID=349″Travel Stimulus Package/a. The discount deals include, according to its site:br /br /ullibFriends and Family Companion Fare:/b Up to three companions can travel at 50 percent off with the purchase of one adult standard walk-up fare. A three day advance purchase is required.br /br / /lilibDeeply Discounted Advance Purchase Fare:/b Ten day advance purchase fares are 75 percent off adult standard walk-up fare. Two hundred fifty tickets are available for purchase daily. br /br //lilibExpanded E-Fare:/b E-Fares are priced at a 20 percent discount off the adult standard walk-up fare. br /br //lilibHoliday Bounce-Back Coupon:/b For all tickets sold in terminals during the holiday period (Dec. 15 - Jan. 5), a coupon will automatically print that will offer customers a 20 percent discount for their next trip during the redemption period (Jan. 6 - March 31). /li/ulThe deals might not be as great as a href=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/2008/11/comparing-the-cheap-buses-rd.html”BoltBus or MegaBus/a (where you can get one-way tickets for as little as $1), but if Greyhound is the only bus you can take, then the bus operator provides some rather stimulating options.br /br /iImage: a href=”http://www.greyhound.com/HOME/Default.aspx”Greyhound.com/a/ibr / br /

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Aloha Obama

Janelle Nanos — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:00:00 +0000

span class=”mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image”a href=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/aloha-mr-president.jpg”img alt=”aloha-mr-president.jpg” src=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/aloha-mr-president-thumb-500×344.jpg” class=”mt-image-center” style=”margin: 0pt auto 20px; text-align: center; display: block;” height=”344″ width=”500″ //a/spanLate last night, President-elect Barack Obama a href=”http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/04/AR2009010401151.html?hpid=topnews”officially arrived in Washington/a. He and his family are a href=”http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/1/2/16119/83761/travel/Barack+Obama28Temporary%29+New+Nabe”staying/a at the a href=”http://www.hayadams.com/”Hay-Adams Hotel/a for the time being before moving into the White House, in order to get the first daughters settled and started in school. Several papers have reported that the Obamas are anticipating their transition to Washington with a mix of excitement and nerves, so we at iTraveler/i decided to do our best to help them get settled in D.C.br /br /The Obama family spent a portion of their Christmas vacation in Hawaii, and, as the iWashington Post/i a href=”http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/01/AR2009010102035.html”reported this weekend/a, much of Obama’s character is influenced by his Hawaiian upbringing. So Associate Editor bAmy Alipio/b dug up the a href=”http://traveler.nationalgeographic.com/guide/dc/hawaii-text”best ways to find a little aloha in Washington/a. From grabbing a plate lunch at a href=”http://www.makakoaenterprises.com/”Makakoa Enterprises/a to taking a hula class at the a href=”http://www.joyofmotion.org/”Joy of Motion/a dance studio, we’ve got a list of eateries, events, and opportunities that will help them make them feel at home.br /br /For more tips on making the most of Washington D.C., be sure to check out our a href=”http://traveler.nationalgeographic.com/guide/dc”travel guide/a to the District’s best offerings for the inauguration.nbsp; br /br /iPhoto: Timothy Schenck/Istockphoto.com/ibr /

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Daily Travel Photo - Suwon, South Korea

Gary — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 09:40:29 +0000

World Heritage Site #23: Hwaseong Fortress

From the World Heritage inscription:

When the Choson emperor Chongjo moved his father’s tomb to Suwon at the end of the 18th century, he surrounded it with strong defensive works, laid out according to the precepts of an influential military architect of the period, who brought together the latest developments in the field from both East and West. The massive walls, extending for nearly 6 km, still survive; they are pierced by four gates and equipped with bastions, artillery towers and other features.

This photo will take some explanation…

Suwon is about an hour ride by commuter train from Seoul. When I arrived in Suwon I walked to the castle, getting lost on the way in the cold weather. When I got to the castle I just walked up the first stairs I found along the wall of the castle.

When I got to the top I saw a bunch of guys standing around in traditional dress. I figured that because it was an historical site, they must be doing some re-enactment for school kids or something.

When I get to the top of the hill, I find a ton of people, cameras, lights and big cranes. They were shooting a movie! Me, some dopy white guy with a camera, comes over the top of the hill where no one was stations, because they didn’t think anyone would be walking around the part of the grounds. Had I been there a minute or two sooner, I would have walked right into the middle of their shot.

I stuck around for about an hour watching everyone do their thing. I had never been on a movie set before, so I found that much more interesting than the historical relics around me. The director looked like a Korean hippie. I have photos of him and the lead actor, but I have no idea who they are.

Being the only white guy on the set, and having a camera, I was asked if I was from Hollywood. I said no, and was told I had to stop taking photos. I should have lied and just said I worked with Tom Cruise or Steven Spielberg or something.

To this day I have no idea what the name of the movie was. If anyone can help me figure it out, I’d love to track down the movie and watch it. The shooting of the movie took place in Early/mid December of 2007. I have images of the director and lead actor if that can help.

SE Asia Contest Is Over!!

Thanks to everyone who entered. I’ll be drawing names on December 25 and announcing the winners on the site. I should be getting the prizes out soon after. I will be notifying the winners via email to get addresses.

I will running another contest when I’m in the Middle East (UAE, Oman, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Israel), so stay tuned to this space!

Originally posted on Everything-Everywhere.com. Follow me as I travel around the world.

Las Vegas hotel visionary does it again with Encore

blaha — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 08:50:00 +0000

By E.C. Gladstone

Headlines may tell you that Las Vegas is suffering in the economic downturn, but don’t let that give the impression that things are less lavish. Many Las Vegas hotels have gone ahead with planned fixes and remodels — and the Mirage has even debuted a new $22-million volcano. But no one’s making as big a splash as Las Vegas visionary Steve Wynn with his new Encore property.

A slightly scaled down "boutique" sister to the Wynn resort ("only" 2000 rooms!), Encore echoes the Wynn spirit — and dedication to excellence at every turn — while presenting a unique personality. Asian inspiration is everywhere in Encore, but don’t think you’ll be walking into a Chinese restaurant. Instead, a firey red dominates, balanced by sexy whites and technicolor butterflies, making Encore not quite feminine, not quite childlike, definitively neither Eastern nor Western, but certainly far from the clubby casinos of old.

The entire property is built around a 2.2 acre pool deck (half of which is devoted to "European" adult bathing, with dark cabanas and a center bar/gaming area) bringing in natural light during the day and romantic vistas at night. Details border on the obsessive, with handblown Murano glass chandeliers in the casino, lush exotic horticulture, and notable antique pieces studded throughout. And the high-limit casino is on the top floor, with stunning views.

All suites
With elevators placed incredibly close to check in, Encore gets pluses for ergonomics: Standard 750-square-foot suites feel minimalist but comfortable, with a full wall mirrors in the bedrooms, revolving 42" plasma TVs, floor-to-ceiling windows, bedside remote controls for lighting, draperies and even the do-not-disturb light, and, of course, a spare-no-expense bathroom.

Restaurants
Though nothing here threatens to eclipse the Wynn’s greatest hits — including Alex, Bartolotta, Boulud and Wing Lei — all of the restaurants are intriguing while more intimate: Chef Marc Poidevin’s transformational French-American room Switch; ex-Patina chef Theo Schoenegger’s alto-Italiano Sinatra; Chef Mark LoRusso’s vibrant, booth-free Botero Steak (yes, those are real Botero sculptures and paintings); and Pan-Asian Wazuzu. Even the casino-side lounges are absolutely elegant.

Retail
Encore Esplanade’s 12 stores are mostly unique to the property, such as Ensemble where you can find everything from designer denim to vintage couture. The Esplanade also includes a Chanel concept store, the first-ever Rock & Republic shop, and a Hermes boutique (coming mid-January).

Entertainment
Looking to attract a well-heeled younger crowd, one of the property’s centerpieces is a gargantuan indoor-outdoor nightclub appropriately called XS, a 4,000-capacity expanded version of Wynn’s Tryst, with several semi-circular tiers of tables overlooking a huge dance floor open to the pool deck. Cinematic would be the only accurate descriptive; hopefully the crowd and DJs will live up to it.

Vegas installation Danny Gans is also bringing a new show to the Encore theater in February — and property insiders say contracts are being negotiated with other top name acts for special bookings.

Spa
Arguably the strongest element of the property, Encore’s expansive Spa floor is a truly breathtaking mid-century fantasy, including a salon (featuring Shu Uemura products), fitness center, juice bar and retail. One of the most posh treatment and wellness spaces I’ve experienced — not just on the Strip, but anywhere — any visit to Encore would be incomplete without experiencing it.

Insider Tip: Check out the Wynn Diamond, a 231-carat pear-shaped stone on a Cartier necklace, at the Wynn & Co. jewelers. That’s some rock.

Related Orbitz resources

First Thoughts on Dubai

Gary — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:53:05 +0000

Dubai Skyline from my hotel room

Other than higher than normal amounts of turbulence, my flight from Bangkok was pretty uneventful. I few on Etihad Airlines, the official airlines of the UAE. I had never heard of it before until I booked the flight. It was good flight. The flight attendants had a very unique uniform which is probably the most elegant I’ve ever seen on flight attendants. It was a light white scarf which had half of it tucked under their 60’s pillbox like hat.

I flew into Abu Dhabi not Dubai, so I had to take a bus between the cities. The road between Abu Dhabi was the best road I’ve been on since my trip started. 10 lanes, good condition, and new construction everywhere along the road. New construction is a theme which will pop up again.

Here are my first impressions of Dubai and the UAE:

The city it reminds me most of is Las Vegas. A brand new city in the desert. Not as glitzy as Vegas, however. More like a cross between Vegas and an office park on the edge of town.
Everything here is under construction. The city has a very unfinished feel to it. Even buildings not under construction will have sand where there you think there ought to be landscaping.
The buildings here are not just buildings. Every high rise building seems to have some flair to it that would make it the architectural high point in a smaller city.
Outside of immigration and customs officials at the airport, every person I’ve had contact with has been either Indian or Filipino. I walked down the street and I would have thought I was in India. Saw a game a sandlot cricket, which I don’t think is really a popular Arab sport.
There is a giant firewall that filters all the internet traffic in the UAE. Flickr is blocked from Dubai. I tried to use Hotspot Shield as a VPN to stream video from Hulu.com, and it was blocked.
I get two contradictory impressions of Dubai: 1) This is a giant construction bubble which will all collapse because so much money is being spent on useless projects. 2) Dubai is wisely investing in non-oil related industries and positioning itself for a day when they will not have to rely on oil, and making itself the leading economic center of the Middle East. I think both of them may be true.
I have read that 25% of all the construction cranes in the world are in Dubai. I don’t know if that’s true, but there are a lot of them. Throw in Abu Dhabi, and I might believe it. Looking out the window where I’m writing this I counted 25 cranes. Construction has to be the biggest industry in the UAE.

I’m sure I’ll have more to say in the upcoming days as I explore the area more. So put it mildly, there is probably no place quite like Dubai on Earth.

SE Asia Contest Is Over!!

I will running another contest when I’m in the Middle East (UAE, Oman, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Israel), so stay tuned to this space!

Originally posted on Everything-Everywhere.com. Follow me as I travel around the world.

SE Asia Contest Winners

Gary — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 08:58:33 +0000

I’ve put all the entries into Random.org and pulled out the five winners of the SE Asia contest. I’ll probably end up sending the items from Dubai rather than Bangkok, but they will be sent out in a few days. The winners are:

Donald Raleigh, Minnesota
Jon Tanner, Illinois
Sherry Young, Texas
Himawan Sutanto, Indonesia
Jeremy Huggins, Illinois

I’m going to be running another contest while I’m in the Middle East with similar rules and prizes. If you are subscribed to my RSS feed, you don’t have to do anything.

If you want to participate in the new contest, just sign up to my RSS feed or get updates via email. When I start the new contest, I’ll announce it on the site.

SE Asia Contest Is Over!!

I will running another contest when I’m in the Middle East (UAE, Oman, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Israel), so stay tuned to this space!

Originally posted on Everything-Everywhere.com. Follow me as I travel around the world.

Finding Cayman Culture

Janelle Nanos — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 13:00:00 +0000

span class=”mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image”a href=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/DSCN2088.jpg”img alt=”Seven Mile Beach.jpg” src=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/DSCN2088-thumb-500×375.jpg” class=”mt-image-center” style=”margin: 0pt auto 20px; text-align: center; display: block;” height=”375″ width=”500″ //a/spanI’m recently back from a pre-Christmas trip to Grand Cayman, which was a lovely respite from the D.C. cold (we were on the a href=”http://www.miamiherald.com/business/press-releases/airlines/story/811678.html”first direct flight/a from Washington to George Town), and a nice getaway before the stress of the holiday season. It was my first visit to the island, and despite the locals’ complaints about the “Christmas winds” I found the island’s beaches just dandy, thanks. Even a tiny tan is enough for now.br /br /Admittedly, I didn’t know much about the history of Grand Cayman before I left, and even after digging through some books I came up a bit short. So I was glad to uncover several places on the island off the main drag along Seven Mile Beach (with its many rum shops and tourist traps), which offered up a bit of authentic Cayman culture. Here are a few highlights: br /br /span class=”mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image”a href=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/DSCI0136.JPG”img alt=”Making Rope.JPG” src=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/DSCI0136-thumb-200×150.jpg” class=”mt-image-left” style=”margin: 0pt 20px 20px 0pt; float: left;” height=”150″ width=”200″ //a/spanFor the past five years, painter and entrepreneur bChris Christian/b has been inviting travelers to get closer to Cayman culture with a href=”http://www.getaway.ky/traditional.htm”bCayman Traditional Arts/b/a, a series of demonstrations, workshops, and events which highlight the island’s history. Christian, a Cayman native, explains that grew up on the island “learning about George Washington,” but not about his own past. Since returning home from college, he’s worked to promote the island’s food, games, and crafts to both its residents and its visitors, and to “create a sustainable lifestyle for its artists.” He began by creating an artist collective, which works with local craftspeople to harvest and prepare the fronds from the silver palm, the island’s national tree, for use in traditional baskets and ropes. As the project has grown, he recently acquired and restored a traditional “wattle and daub” house built in 1917, where I visited him, and where he currently hosts groups from the Ritz-Carlton, among other properties.br /br /The site itself is in the West Bay, and I got a mini-tour of the activities that he offers there. Christian explained how the thatch from the silver palm is twisted into strands, and then braided together with a rope machine. I then took a spin, so to speak, on the machine, and made a length by twisting the three spindles together simultaneously. Even my mini-tour made for a fantastic morning: I sampled fritters from the fish fry stand and learned to make paintbrushes from palm fronds. Christian takes his programs into schools and churches, helping to teach the island’s children about their history, and he also hosts art programs and exhibitions of their artwork in hotels throughout the island. Our visit was the highlight of my trip, and I encourage anyone to reach out to Christian to plan a visit if you’re heading to Grand Cayman. br /
span class=”mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image”a href=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/DSCN2081.jpg”img alt=”Pedro St James.jpg” src=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/DSCN2081-thumb-200×150.jpg” class=”mt-image-right” style=”margin: 0pt 0pt 20px 20px; float: right;” height=”150″ width=”200″ //a/spanba href=”http://www.pedrostjames.ky/html/great_house.html”Pedro St. James/a/b is the island’s Philadelphia and Gettysburg rolled into one; albeit in the form of a single building. The “Castle,” as its known to the locals, has 18-inch-thick stone walls and was built in 1780, and was originally owned by an Englishman who had a plantation on the property. In the 1830s it was the site where the island established its parlimentary government and announced the proclamation which freed the slaves. In ensuing years, fires and hurricanes destroyed the home, and it changed hands many times, at one point serving as a popular tourist attraction as a pirate’s “castle.” Thankfully, the building was bought and named a National Historic Site by the Cayman government in 1991, and a $8 million restoration rebuilt it to its original grandeur. Today you can take in an interactive show about the island’s history, then walk along the castle’s wide porches, feeling the breezes off the Caribbean. Some of the guides at the site are ancestors of the original owners, and are more than happy to share stories from the past (and show you the 19th Century recliner, ipictured/i). br /br /span class=”mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image”a href=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/DSCN2077-thumb-200×266.jpg”img alt=”Thumbnail image for Vivine’s Kitchen.jpg” src=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/assets_c/2008/12/DSCN2077-thumb-200×266-thumb-150×199.jpg” class=”mt-image-left” style=”margin: 0pt 20px 20px 0pt; float: left;” height=”199″ width=”150″ //a/spanOne of the most highly recommended spots during our trip turned out to be very close to our hotel. ba href=”http://www.caymangoodtaste.com/restaurants_detail.asp?restaurantID=87″Vivine’s Kitchen/a/b is actually a house, and the food is served on plastic tables that overlook the Carribbean from a concrete terrace. Order from behind the half door that looks into the kitchen itself and no matter what’s on the menu, you won’t be disappointed. We sampled the a href=”http://www.theworldwidegourmet.com/recipes/mahi-mahi-dorado-cayman-style/”mahi-mahi Cayman style/a (a sauce that includes onions, tomatoes, and peppers) and curried chicken, both of which were served with rice and beans and sweet plantains (and were fantastic). The conch stew, turtle soup, and fried fish all come highly recommended as well. Located on the East End of the island, it’s an oasis along the only road, and it only takes cash. But as a great, and cheap, local bite on an island known for catering to those partaking in its offshore banking, it was a delightful find. br /br /iPhotos: Janelle Nanos/ibr /
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Taos Ski Valley adds snowboarding, new runs

Marilyn Terrell — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 12:11:22 +0000

Taos Ski Valley is no longer just a ski vacation destination. For the first time, the New Mexico mountain is open to snowboarders for the full season.

Riders can take advantage of the Out to Launch Terrain Park — now doubled in size — with custom rails, boxes and hits in addition to the existing airs and quarter pipe.

Also new this season, a Burton Learn to Ride Center, offering world-class snowboarding instruction for children and adults — both in private and group lessons.

Taos visitors looking for a new challenge on their ski vacation can try the new expert run. North American is a double black-diamond rated glade with 1,400 feet of vertical. (The resort plans a second new double black-diamond run for the 2009-2010 season.) Novices have their own new space: The Burrough is a 400-foot long beginners area with a moving carpet. Taos Ski Valley plans to expand it to a full hill next season.

Visitors with an eco-tourism mindset may appreciate Taos’ environmental efforts. This year 100 percent of the resort’s electricity will come from wind power. And Taos Ski Valley is continuing its SkiGreen program, which allows visitors to purchase a $2 tag to offset carbon produced from approximately 150 miles of travel.

Related Orbitz resources:

"Te amo, Cristina"

Marilyn Terrell — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 10:45:38 +0000

span class=”mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image”a href=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/TeAmoCristina.jpg”img alt=”TeAmoCristina.jpg” src=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/assets_c/2008/12/TeAmoCristina-thumb-500×375.jpg” class=”mt-image-center” style=”margin: 0pt auto 20px; text-align: center; display: block;” height=”375″ width=”500″ //a/spanEvery one of these sticky notes attached to a building on a street in Antigua, Guatemala is inscribed with the message, “Te amo, Cristina.”nbsp; This photo took Honorable Mention in the Places category of the recently ended a href=”http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/photo-contest/2008-winners?startgallery=1″National Geographic International Photo Contest/a. You can check out the winners, honorable mentions, and other outstanding entries in each of three categories: a href=”http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/photo-contest/2008-places”Places,/a a href=”http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/photo-contest/2008-people”People,/a and a href=”http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/photo-contest/2008-nature”Nature/a. There’s also a gallery of the Viewers’ Choice winners and honorable mentions.nbsp; The images are available as desktop a href=”http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/photo-contest/wallpaper”wallpaper/a and online a href=”http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/photo-contest/places-puzzles”jigsaw puzzles/a as well.nbsp; br /

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