Respectful foreigners are welcome to participate in these private, solemn celebrations, and many find their own meanings in these rituals. Barbara Robertson certainly did, as she writes about her otherworldly Day of the Dead experience in Los Muertos, a story published in The Best Women’s Travel Writing 2008.

Can 2500 Aussies be wrong? It’s all a matter of opinion in a survey asking what Australians consider the least appealing Australian city to visit on a holiday. The web site totaltravel.com asked users to pick their least favorite and the answers are surprising. Canberra, the capital, came in first (well, last, as in, least favorite), which isn’t too big a surprise, but Sydney came in second. In other words, one of Australia’s premier cities is the second least favorite place for Australians to visit.

At the bottom of the heap, or the most appealing city for Australians, is Perth, followed by Hobart, Brisbane, and Melbourne.

Here’s how the vote for least favorite city lined up: Canberra (33%), Sydney (14%), Darwin and Adelaide (13%), Brisbane and Melbourne (8%), Hobart (6%) and Perth (5%).

Of course all of the cities have their defenders, as noted by the comments on a news.com.au story about the survey results. Leading the defenders is the Australian Capital Tourism agency, which notes that Canberra consistently receives an 80% rating in overall visitor satisfaction.

It all depends on what you like. Me, I’ll take Melbourne for culture and restaurants, Adelaide for outdoor activities, and Darwin for access to Aboriginal culture and the tropical wilds.

Traveler rates its destinations according to half a dozen criteria: 1) environmental and ecological quality; 2) social and cultural integrity; 3) condition of historic buildings and archaeological sites; 4) aesthetic appeal; 5) quality of tourism management; and 6) outlook for the future. By all these standards, Mendoza ranks high.

For more details on Mendoza and vicinity, please go to Southern Cone Travel.

Feeding and hydrating the growing legions of unemployed and frugal foodies has not only altered the hours of business but transformed restaurants’ repertoires. Some high end places are expanding meal service and creating cheaper menus to attract cost conscious diners. With more time on our hands, we may want to take a break from the economic woes of our time, turn off the tube, unplug and get out and partake of some frugal breakfasts or pre Happy Hour libations. Certainly for visitors to the Big Apple, the city that never sleeps, making it even easier to find what you crave whenever you crave it is good news.

Have you noticed this trend in your neck of the woods?

I took a deep breath, gazed at the horizon, looked down once more, then dove toward that memory. Down, down, arms reaching, chin tucked, feet pointed, down to the sea, slicing without impact into that lapis pool, cool silk caressing my skin. Down, down, into that radiant mystical sapphire that dazzles like a sunrise, like a shooting star, like a full moon glimpsed through autumn trees. Down into that blue that is so blue it feels like it’s reaching into the cosmos.

My favorite moments on the seven-day gulet trip were diving off the bow, swimming in that jewel-colored water, floating on my back looking into the blue sky, then rolling over and gazing into the depths that threw back an even bluer reflection. I never tired of it no matter how much the salt stung my eyes, and I gladly returned every day.

Paddling a kayak also provided a way to immerse myself in the seascape, feeling the paddle pulling the water as I propelled forward, exploring the shoreline out to the ends of the harbors and beyond. My moments of deepest tranquility—except for one moment of lying on deck looking up the main mast as the sails captured the wind—took place in the kayak.

These were the two activities I was loath to leave behind, so on our last day at sea I made sure to do both, swimming early and late in the day, diving off the bowsprit each time, then paddling slowly along the shore as the sun began to settle, giving up only when I knew it was time to move on, back to Bodrum, back to Istanbul and San Francisco and my life off the boat.

With the final paddle strokes I took solace in the knowledge that I would be back, as certain as the dolphins leap in the sea, the bathing beauties come to Cleopatra’s Island to show off their stuff, and the Turkish people welcome visitors with open arms.

That’s partly because, against all odds, the U.S. dollar is actually strengthening against the currencies of Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay, and there are other favorable signals as well. When I was last in Chile in April, the peso was at roughly 430 per dollar, and the 2000-peso banknote illustrated above was worth about US$4.65; on Friday, with the peso at 617 per dollar, that same banknote was only worth US$3.24. As in the stock market, there have been some fluctuations, but the bottom line is that the dollar is worth 30 percent more than in April.

To continue reading this post, please go to Southern Cone Travel.

“I ran the 100 yard dash in the Pythian Games. I came in last, of course. Even though the echoes of other runners were only in my imagination, I wouldn’t want to take away any of their glory. (I’m also realistic about my foot speed :-))

“But what a thrill it was to race down the track where the Pythian Games were held nearly 2500 years ago in Delphi, and for 500 odd years after that. (The marble seats are more recent - a mere 1800 years, put in during the reign of Hadrian as part of the Roman restoration of the temple precinct. The Romans also shortened the track from the Greek stadium length of about 187 meters to about 181. So my hundred yard dash left me far short of the finish!)”

Tim visited other ancient sites during his wanderings around Greece, including Mycenae, Epidaurus, the Palamidi Fortress in Nafplio, and sites in Athens. His photo essays on all of them will take you back in time.

There is nothing better than a sunny summer day, sitting out in a British Pub Garden and enjoying the scenery, conversation and vittles. I still love a Ploughman’s lunch and have been known to swipe sips of my husband’s Guinness when he’s not looking.  So, it was with great sadness that I read “Hoist One Last Glass- Can Britain still be Britain without its pubs? “ The article in this week’s Newsweek Magazine tells the sorry tale of how the cost of doing business, the economy, modern culture and globalization, among other culprits, have been a death sentence for the Public Houses in Britain.

Apparently five close a day, and gone are the family-owned town pubs one used to find in every hamlet. Sure, “gastro-pubs” with fancy menus are popping up, but the traditional center of the community, the meeting place and scene of many peak life experiences for the locals and visitors alike, is losing its luster and centralness  so vital to the British culture.  Pints are pushing the equivalent of six-dollars and folks would just rather play a video game and order in a pizza.  Even the move to go smokeless is seen as contributing to the decline of the Public House. For travelers to the British Isles this is also a tragedy, on a par with doing away with the double-decker buses or high tea.

Prince Charles even has a campaign called Pub is the Hub, an attempt to save the local pub scene by helping rural pubs diversify their businesses. Some establishments offer post office services or grocery stores and other amenities to supplement their income. Let’s hope the tide changes and the venerable family-owned establishments enjoy a renaissance. In these tough economic times we all need a local bar, tavern or pub to commiserate, drown our sorrows and gain strength from our common cultural roots.