Blogs

Percy Sledge: Alive in Africa!

Posted Sat, 2006-01-07 17:06 by Nayeli
There is a certain type of bond that forms between strangers who have endured a traumatic incident in each other's company. This incident could be just about anything, providing it puts enough strain on the individuals' nerves. A natural disaster, a sweeping social movement, the untimely loss of a well loved public figure, even the failure of a modern appliance can bring people together in an unlikely fashion. Regardless of their differences in all other aspects of life, an affinity will forever remain between the groups of people who found out together that John Lennon died, found themselves trapped in an elevator during the northeastern poweroutage in the summer of 2003, or attended a recent concert in St. Louis, Senegal given by a man named Percy Sledge.

The Aggregators are Coming

Posted Fri, 2006-01-06 09:04 by virtualDavis
Ed Hewitt over at The Independent Traveler wrote a great feature, "The Aggregators are Coming" that examines and compares travel industry comparison shopping sites. Although he opens by conceding that there still isn't a perfect comparison shopping site that covers all of the vendors currently vying for market share, he claims:"a few sites have emerged as the go-to leaders in the biz, which appears to be going by the name travel 'aggregators:' Sidestep, Kayak, Mobissimo, Qixo, and Yahoo's new FareChase."

Adventures in Travel Expo 2005 - 2006

Posted Fri, 2006-01-06 03:30 by virtualDavis
Time for the New York City Adventures in Travel Expo 2005 - 2006. Have you made plans to be there? With only a week to go, I've purchased my ticket for the Friday trade conference, and I'm planning on attending the Saturday expo as well. All of the exhibitors you'd hope to meet will be there, and the adventure travel seminars will delivered by top industry folks. Check out the list! The sponsors for this annual event include some of the biggest and heaviest hitters, and attendees will even have the opportunity to win amazing trips and prizes. Here are some of the hottest offers:

e-Margaux Zeitgeist: Froogle Travel Supplies

Posted Thu, 2006-01-05 11:50 by virtualDavis
Time for another peek at the how the wacky, wonderful world of Googling effects e-Margaux.com. You may remember previous e-Margaux Zeitgeist postings such as the Great White Sharks posting or the Fly Away with Us posting, but now it's time to pursue a slightly different lead: Froogle.

Relief Riders International: Eye Surgery Camps

Posted Wed, 2006-01-04 04:45 by Margaux
Relief Riders International (RRI), the award-winning humanitarian based adventure travel company, announces its new "Give the Gift of Sight" campaign. Beginning in 2006, RRI will expedite free cataract eye surgery camps, as part of its on-going medical care efforts in Rajasthan, India.

Heavenly vs. Squaw

Posted Tue, 2006-01-03 10:39 by virtualDavis
Erik Olsen over at Heavenly vs. Squaw reflected on the Tahoe ski scene today, comparing it to when he worked there after graduating from college:
"Squaw was kind of run down, but it was still probably the best place to ski in Tahoe. Heavenly, I'm sorry to say, was a joke. But it seems things have changed and both areas have gotten or are getting a serious face lift. Squaw's backers are the same dudes who are now running Winter Park and Whistler Blackcomb The Intrawest ski conglomerate. Heavenly is run by the gargantuan Vail corporation. So the question in this article is: which is better? Now you can make all the improvements you like, add new lifts, bigger hotels and a latte bar, but I have to say I think the overall terrain at Squaw beats Heavenly handily. Still, I haven’t been to Heavenly in a long while, so I really can’t say for sure. But I do have to say that if price is any indication, I fall firmly on the Squaw side of things. An adult ticket this year at heavenly runs $73 in peak season, while you can shred the wicked bowls of Squaw for $65. So there you have it. I’m sticking with Squaw."
I've never been to Heavenly or Squaw Valley, but I suppose I've fallen victim to the conventional wisdom among skiers, that Heavenly is a Vail-type resort focused on making the family happy while draining your pocket book. Squaw, on the other hand has long been known to me as the West Coast home of extreme skiers and boarders.

Independence Air to Shut Down

Posted Mon, 2006-01-02 13:50 by virtualDavis
"The financial pressures in the industry have prevailed. We have run out of time." So states the Letter to Customers posted on Independence Air's website, www.flyi.com. Today the low-fare carrier which had filed for bankruptcy protection in November announced that its financial woes have forced it to cease operations effective Thursday, December 5, 2006. Despite widespread consumer support for its low fares, Independence Air only operated for a little over 18 months.

Tips on Packing for Your Next Trip

Posted Mon, 2006-01-02 03:47 by Margaux
So you are going on vacation, and you have all of your travel plans confirmed -- flight times, hotel check-in and check-out times, pamphlets and brochures on sightseeing excursions, and the travelers checks and passport have been tucked away in a safe place. What about packing, asks AP9 SimpleEscapes, a travel discount membership program offered by Adaptive Marketing LLC? You now have to try and fit a week or two's worth of clothing, personal care items, and accessories into a suitcase -- all while making every effort to stay within your baggage and weight limits as directed by the airline. Have no fear. AP9 SimpleEscapes is here to offer you a few packing tips that are sure to ease the stress of packing so you can relax and enjoy your time

Senegal: Why Teach?

Posted Sun, 2006-01-01 08:13 by Nayeli
My decision to trek to another continent and commit two months to volunteer teaching was a surprise to nearly everyone, including myself. Being prone to sporadic forays into the unknown, it wasn't the distance but the occupation that was unexpected. Numerous former classmates can attest to the never ending grudge I held against the entire teaching profession during my high school years. I had a habit of creating a living hell for teachers who refused to see my point of view at the end of discussions or failed to give me points on exams when I felt that points were due. You could say I had a little bit of a problem accepting the wrath of authority. I often tried unsuccesfully to make my instructors earn my respect, instead of the other way around.

Chef Humi Chen with Extra Chile

Posted Wed, 2005-11-30 07:33 by virtualDavis
Thought some of our readers would enjoy these clips. The first one comes from my online chat with our Travel Editor, Nana Chen, while we were getting the new edition of e-Marginalia ready to publish. And the second one is an excerpt from an email she sent to me (in New York City) afterward. Two good, too good exchanges to let slip into obscurity! The back story, in so far as one may be needed, is that Nana was shooting some images (in Taipei) to accompany her brother's (in Los Angeles) "Thailand's Tom Yum Kung" story which appears in the current edition.
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