http://www.triporati.com/blog Cleared for Takeoff Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:09:42 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The powerful earthquake that struck near Concepcion Feb. 27 will affect Chile for years. While much of the country's tourist infrastructure was undamaged and tourism officials are urging travelers not to cancel their plans to visit, the impact on Chile's citizens could last a long time. The New York Times reported ... http://www.triporati.com/blog/2010/03/10/chiles-road-back/ The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics are coming to a close and I must say I have an Olympic sized hangover. I have stayed up way too late, too many nights, watching even preliminary runs and way too much commentary. The 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics was also a Canadian affair. It was the ... http://www.triporati.com/blog/2010/02/26/canadas-other-olympic-winter-wonderland/ It's that time again: Ash Wednesday is on the horizon, the season of Lent is calling for sacrifice, and Rio's Carnival celebration is in full swing. Hundreds of thousands of spectators come to watch the dancers strut their stuff and take part in the world's sexiest party, but most of ... http://www.triporati.com/blog/2010/02/15/parading-in-rios-carnival/ My grandparents golfed, cruised and often traveled in tour groups. They would bring things home for me from their travels, such as a Norwegian sweater, a Scottish blanket (I still use it after all these years) and a turquoise ring from a Native America Reservation they loved to visit in ... http://www.triporati.com/blog/2010/02/12/grandma-and-grandpa-are-extreme-sports-enthusiasts/ Images from Haiti are heartbreaking. Such disasters, with their mind-boggling destruction — earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, wars — are difficult to witness, even on television. So much suffering from Mother Nature and the hand of man. The day before the tragic earthquake in Haiti I was reading a heart warming story in ... http://www.triporati.com/blog/2010/01/22/the-balkan-hope-train/ Every year around this time the New York Times (and other publications) publish lists of their favorite destinations for the new year. Often places on the list are obvious, often not, and sometimes there are real surprises. On the Times's list this year I'd put Copenhagen, Shanghai, and Costa Rica in ... http://www.triporati.com/blog/2010/01/19/top-31-places-for-2010/ Spud Hilton reported in the San Francisco Chronicle the other day a new spin on the top 10 lists we always see at this time of year. Not the best beaches or golf courses or hot cities for the new year, but the Developing World's 10 Best Ethical Destinations. The list ... http://www.triporati.com/blog/2010/01/05/a-new-top-10-list-ethical-destinations/ Global Warming was the topic in Copenhagen last week, but in Sweden, the buzz is all about construction of the 20th annual ice hotel. The little Lapland village of Jukkasjärvi, 200 km north of the Arctic Circle, is the site of this ephemeral art project and ultimate boutique hotel experience. ... http://www.triporati.com/blog/2009/12/23/bedding-down-in-swedens-ice-hotel/ Every year around this time we hear railing against the commercialization of Christmas, and the exhortations to shop and buy and give do get tiring, but they're nothing new. In fact, they've been around a long time, since the Middle Ages, as the many Christmas markets across Europe attest. The oldest, ... http://www.triporati.com/blog/2009/12/22/the-spirit-of-the-season-at-european-christmas-markets/ “What’s up dude iguana," my two-year-old cheekily said to one of the many iguanas roaming the ancient Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza on a visit to Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula a few years ago. The archaeological site is one of the new Seven Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage site. We were shocked ... http://www.triporati.com/blog/2009/12/08/cheeky-chichen-itza/