Journeys Near and Far

Morocco Therapy: An Antidote to the Economic Crisis

Find out what ails you!

Do you suffer from Acute Furiosis?  Miserableitis?  What about Severe Gloomalgia?

If you do, don't worry!  The Moroccan National Tourism Office has just launched a new site called Morocco Therapy, and it's sure to offer you the solution to your problems. 

I read about this clever new website in the June issue of the UK's Real Travel Magazine.  In the hopes of helping travelers beat the credit crunch, Morocco Therapy is offering bargain trips to Morocco, especially geared for UK Travelers. 

I wanted to share this with you because Morocco is one of my favorite destinations, and the site is fun and entertaining. 

You begin by taking a five-question test to determine which "illness" you suffer from -- but don't worry - it's easy.  You'll be laughing before you reach the end.  Then the site will offer some "cures" for what ails you.

According to Real Travel Magazine, Morocco Therapy will offer an array of good deals for budget-strapped consumers.  They are planning to feature more than 30 UK tour operators, as well as extra touches that add vacation value such as free spa treatments and complimentary transfers from hotels.

[Tip:  Real Travel Magazine, by the way, is fabulous.  If you live outside the UK you can subscribe to the digital version to avoid high postage costs.]

Photo:  The Drâa River Valley, Morocco

The Writers' Museum, Edinburgh

If you Love the Written Word, don't Pass up this Museum

In Edinburgh, Scotland, just off the Lawnmarket in Makars' Court, you'll find an overlooked gem that most people miss:  The Writers' Museum.   It's taken me five trips to Edinburgh before I included it in my itinerary, and I highly recommend that you don't wait that long!

Having followed the Robert Burns Trail from Ayrshire to Dumfries and visited Abbotsford, the home of Sir Walter Scott, I was looking forward to learning more about  these writers as well as seeing the museum's extensive Stevenson collection.

The Building

Celebrating the lives and works of three of Scotland's best known writers - Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), Sir Walter Scott (1771 - 1832) and  Robert Louis Stevenson(1850 - 1894), the museum, located in historic Lady Stair"s House in a close of the same name, was built in 1622 for prominent Edinburgh merchant Sir William Grey.  The building is a beautiful example of 17th century architecture, and a fitting setting for collections that evoke Scotland's rich literary past.

The Collections

Inside, you'll find treasure galore:  Manuscripts, portraits and memorabilia such as the writing desk from Burns' house in Dumfries, a rocking horse Scott used as a boy, and the fishing rod, Meerschaum pipe and riding boots world traveler Stevenson wore while living in Samoa.  I especially enjoyed seeing the printing press on which Scott's Waverley novels were printed.

The museum also houses small temporary exhibitions to honor the work of other Scottish writers. 

The museum (entrance is free, by the way) has a nice little shop, where my boyfriend Finlay, who has been kind enough to guide me all over Scotland, picked up a copy of Stevenson's Merry Men and Other Stories to prepare for a future production.

Have you been to The Writers' Museum in Edinburgh?  What did you think?  Can you recommend similar museums anywhere else?

Note:

Edinburgh's rich literary history was  recognized  in October, 2004, when the city was awarded as UNESCO's first International City of Literature.  A well-deserved honor!

If you've read this far, you may also be interested in two other Edinburgh literary activities:  The Edinburgh Book Lovers Tour and the Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour.  Lonely Planet says the latter is one of the best known Edinburgh Walking Tours, so I suppose that will be next on my list!

Also, if you like Robert Burns, follow the Ayrshirebard on Twitter, who tweets "Daily lines of poetry and words of wisdom from the ploughman's poet."  

Postcrossing Brings Back the Art of Postcard Exchange

Postcard Nuts -- Take Heed!  You'll want to check this out...

I'm one of those people who have always loved to write letters.  I enjoy stuffing them in colorful envelopes which I affix with fancy postage  stamps. 

As a teenager, writing letters to a group of international penpals I found through IPF was a great way to learn about the world, a hobby encouraged by my parents who were kind enough to foot the postage bill.   

And until recently, it's been impossible for me to go on a trip without sending a slew of postcards home to my friends.  

But things have changed.  During a recent trip to Scotland, I bought dozens of postcards and airmail stamps, yet when the morning came to fly home I'd realized I hadn't sent them. 

"Finlay," I told my boyfriend as we put my bags in the taxi.  "I've got to write these when we get to the airport." 

That didn't work out so well. 

As the minutes ticked by I grew desperate.  "Finlay," I said as I was about to the board the plane, "Could I write these at home and mail them to you so you can send them for me from Scotland?" 

That was when I knew I'd lost something.  Somehow,  for me, in the midst of email, Twitter and Facebook, the art of  letter (and postcard) writing had gone the way of the fountain pen.  

Which is why Sean McLachlan's Gadling post, Postcards from Strangers, peaked my interest.  It's all about Postcrossing, a project that allows anyone to receive postcards from random places throughout the globe. 

The idea is that if you send a postcard, you will receive one back from a Postcrosser somewhere else in the world.  Imagine opening your mailbox and finding a surprise postcard from someone far away in a country you've never heard of.   Suddenly, you'll look forward to getting the mail again. 

The project was started in 2005 by Paulo Magalhães, who was inspired by his love of receiving mail.  Postcrossing reached it's first million exchanged postcards in April of 2008 and has reached the milestone of two million postcards received earlier this year. 

How does it work?  It's easy.  You just sign up (it's free), fill out a short profile and then request an address.  You send a postcard, and when it's received, the person on the other end will register the card.  You can have up to five cards "traveling" at a time.  And the bonus:  you could make some great friends from around the world.

If you're time strapped, writing a postcard is a little bit quicker than writing a letter.  And who doesn't love to receive "real" mail?

I've signed up.  I'm hoping that writing a few postcards now and then will get me back in the letter-writing habit.  If you love postcards and receiving mail I implore you to sign up as well. 

Let's bring back a lost art!

Sites for Solo Travelers

Avoid the Dreaded Single Supplement

It's not fair, right? 

You've finally saved up enough money to take that dream trip to New Zealand, but, because you're traveling alone, the tour company tacks on an $895 single supplement.  Ouch!

True, tour companies and cruise lines need to make a profit, and having one person stay in a double room only earns the company half as much as two people. 

But why pay extra when you don't have to?

Some tour companies offer to match you with a roommate, which can be a big money saver.  This can work out well or not, depending on who you end up with and how your personalities mesh.   But maybe you don't want to take that risk.

Good News for Solo Travelers

Recently, to entice travelers who are feeling the pinch from the economic slowdown,  some companies have not only lowered their tour prices but completely waived the single supplement fee.   For example:

• Overseas Adventure Travel is offering a lot of trips with no single supplements at all.  You can save as much as $1,795 on their Australia & New Zealand:  Adventure Down Under trip .
• Tauck Tours has carried over their Single Traveler program into 2009, waiving or reducing single supplements on 22 itineraries. 

Take a Self-Guided Walk Around London

Two books show you how

I've written about London guided walking tours before; they provide a fun and educational opportunity to explore London's quirky, historical or just plain fascinating neighborhoods with a group and a knowledgeable guide. 

But what if you want to explore these neighborhoods at your own pace?  Maybe stop in a pub for a drink along the way, or visit an intriguing shop? 

Well, no worries -- I've just found two books written to help you explore London's neighborhoods on your own.  Each provides enough entertaining information about the areas you'll walk through that you won't feel like you're missing out by not having a guide.

The following two books highlight a variety of self-guided walking tours in the city and surrounding areas that you can do on your own.

The first book, On Foot Guides' London Walks written by Celia Woolfrey, claims to be the only London walking guide with aerial view mapping.  The mapping, created from specially commissioned photographs taken from a helicopter flying at 1,500 feet, really helps show you the way as you read the directions.

There are 15 walks in this guide.  An introduction explains why London's a great place to explore on foot, and offers information on shopping, transportation, sightseeing tours, etc.  

There are also sections on how to link some of the walks together, and lists of which walks are best taken at various times of the week or year.  Take Covent Garden, for example.  "The atmosphere is more relaxed on the weekend," Woolfrey says, "when there's almost continuous street theater and people come here just to have fun."  

The book also suggests which walks are best for kids.

Each walk in London Walks has:

• A description of the area
• Aerial maps
• Where the walk starts and ends
• Photos
• Directions and a description of what you're looking at
• Boxed text with tips on where to eat and drink in the neighborhood

The series also offers New York Walks and Paris Walks.

Painted Metaphors: Pottery and Politics of the Ancient Maya

A New Exhibit Opens at Penn Museum

A new traveling exhibition opens today at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology:  Painted Metaphors:  Pottery and Politics of the Ancient Maya. 

I had the opportunity to preview this exhibit last Monday and I really loved it -- I have a long-standing interest in the ancient Maya, their glyphs and drawings, so this collection, scheduled to be on display until January 31, 2010, intrigued me. 

Focusing on ordinary people and their daily lives, the exhibit showcases the famous Chama painted pottery excavated nearly a century ago by the University of  Pennsylvania. 

Newly reinterpreted in light of recent research in the field, the pottery, which forms the centerpiece of the Painted Metaphors exhibit, yields new clues to understanding the everyday life -- and changing politics -- of the ancient Maya of Guatemala 1,300 years ago.

The almost two dozen recently conserved Maya painted vessels come from Chama, a Maya village in the highlands far from the more sophisticated lowland centers of Maya culture.  Discovered by Penn Museum archaeologist Robert Burkitt, this vibrant painted pottery is unlike anything else the region ever produced.

Why is that, I wondered?  Exhibition Curator Dr. Elin Danien, Research Associate at the Penn Museum, suggests these are "painted metaphors", or pictorial narratives, reflecting the sudden introduction of people and ideas from the Maya lowlands.  Interesting.

Visiting Phoenix? See Chihuly: The Nature of Glass

A stunning exhibit of renowned artist Dale Chihuly's unique glass works 

Chihuly reacquaints us with the experience of life --  Richard K. Nilsen, The Arizona Republic

Have you ever wondered how fast a saguaro cactus grows?   Or which plant is thought to be the oldest living plant in the world?  Well, one of the best places to get answers to these questions and to get a feel of the Sonoran Desert is at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona.

The Desert Botanical Garden is one of my favorite places, so when I flew to Phoenix last week to visit my sister, I was excited to learn that the Garden was hosting an exhibit by one of my favorite artists -- Dale Chihuly. 

Since my sister had to work the first day I was there, I drove to the garden with my friend Kathy, who had flown in from Las Vegas that morning.  We were thrilled to see not only one of the world's most diverse collections of succulent plants, but Dale Chihuly's innovative, vibrant glass sculptures as well.

Chihuly:  The Nature of Glass is a must-see exhibit if you are in the Phoenix area.  Featuring new and unique works of glass placed artfully among the Garden's 50,000 plants, this is Chihuly's first installation entirely within a desert garden environment. 

Chihuly's spectacular work is recognizable for it's grand scale and brilliant colors, and can be found in more than 200 museums worldwide.  You can see his creations in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, London's Victoria and Albert Museum and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. 

The Desert Botanical Garden itself sits on some 145 acres, nestled amid the Papago Park buttes.  I'm always surprised at how spread out Phoenix is; it took us about 40minutes to get there from my sister's home in Ahwatukee.

Traveling to the Yucatán? Here's Help for Planning Your Trip

Planning a Trip can be Almost as Fun as Going There

As a heavy March snow falls outside my window, I'm writing an article for an AAA magazine about Playa del Carmen, Mexico. 

And all the while I'm imagining Playa's warm, balmy breezes, the aqua hues of the ocean and the warmth of the sun falling on my shoulders as I walk around in capris and tank tops. 

Planning a trip (or writing about one) can be almost as fun as going there.  But sometimes it's a little hard to know where to find the best information.

To help you plan a trip to the Yucatán, I'd like to share some of the great resources I found while organizing my trip to the Riviera Maya.   Have fun with your research!

Books & Maps

I've always found Lonely Planet's guidebooks to be useful and their Cancún, Cozumel & the Yucatán is no exception.  In addition to the usual sections on history, maps, culture, food and drink and environment, there are some beautiful full-color pages in the front loaded with photographs and tips from the author, Greg Benchwick, on such topics as snorkeling and diving the reefs and cenotes, exploring the area's natural wonders, tips for foodies, active adventures on land and sea, and how the past and present intermingle.  Definitely pick up a copy of this book.

I had no idea National Geographic made adventure maps until recently when I was given a copy of their Northern Yucatán Peninsula Adventure Map.  I didn't have it with me on my trip but I wish I had.  One side has a map of the Northern Yucatán Peninsula with detailed city insets of Cancún and Mérida; the other side has information -- plus maps -- of the Yucatán's most important archaeological sites.   And it's made of waterproof-tear-resistant material so you won't have to worry about ripping it or getting it wet.  Great map!

Elizabeth Harper of SealedWithLove.com, who winters in Playa del Carmen says, "Check CancunMap.com for fabulous maps with tons of useful information, updated as regularly as possible."   

I followed Harper's advice and was impressed...  these travel map/guides to Cancún, Playa del Carmen, the Riviera Maya and more look excellent.  They've also got a Mayan Adventure map that looks awesome -- I'm going to have to get one!  The maps were created by Perry and Laura McFarlin who have been traveling the Yucatan for over 20 years. 

Cruising During Difficult Times

There Has Never Been A Cheaper Time to Cruise...

Earlier this month at the New York Times Travel Show, I attended a talk given by Arthur and Pauline Frommer about the best bargains for the year ahead.   

While it might be difficult for many of us to come up with travel funds right now, the overall message this father and daughter team gave in their talk was positive. 

"The travel industry's loss is your gain," Pauline Frommer said.  "There has never been a cheaper time to travel.  There's also never been a cheaper time to cruise." 

Pauline explained that there will be thirty new ships by 2012, a response to the steady growth the industry has been experiencing. 

What does this mean for the cruise-goer?  Well, many more cabins to fill could translate to great discounts for the traveler.  It's also good for solo travelers, as a variety of cruise lines are waiving single supplements.  If you're a solo cruiser, take a look at this Cruise Critic article, Bad Economy Good for Solo Travelers? 

So how do you get these cruise deals?  Pauline suggests you use cruise specialists who can pass on the special deals cruise lines give them.  Some of her favorites:

• Cruise Compete
• Vacations to Go
• White Travel
• Leisure Link
• Ahoy Cruises and Tours 

Another cruise tip:  Pauline suggests you use your willpower.  "It's common to spend 25% of the cost of the cruise onboard," she says.  "Avoid buying drinks and special meals."

She also advises that you skip the cruise line's expensive shore excursions in favor of either doing it yourself, or using one of the many new shore excursion companies that have cropped up recently such as Shore Trips  and Port Compass.

"And use Theme Cruise Finder if you'd like to take an intelligent, stimulating cruise with like-minded people," she adds.

Photo courtesy of Freefoto.com, photographer Ian Britton.

 

 

Explore 3 New Social Networking Sites

Make Friends While You Plan Your Trips

No one knows if they'll become the next MySpace, but these three social networking sites I read about in the February, 2009 issue of  Budget Travel magazine sound interesting. 

So even though my little black book is overflowing with email addresses of all the friends I've met on my journeys, I couldn't stop myself from checking out something new.  Here's the scoop on some lesser known places where you can make friends while planning your trips:

GeckoGo

GeckoGo is a collaborative travel planning resource for independent travelers.  Begun by a group of friends who quit their cushy day jobs, moved to a new country and worked full time without pay for 12 plus months straight, Geckogo has grown into quite a large travel community.    On this site you can:

• Get travel tips
• Get answers to your questions
• Contribute to the community
• Get recognition by earning points for sharing what you know

The site has a nice forum and I like their destination pages, where you'll find detailed maps and information on the area you are interested in and its attractions.  Just remember, though,  that, like Wikipedia, anybody can update this information so you might want to check another source or two to make sure the information is correct.

I like the site's blog, GeckoGoneBlogging, and even if you do nothing else, I recommend you pay it a visit.  It has some nice interviews, such as with Christina Heyniger of Off the Radar and Polar Explorer Børge Ousland.