(First of Four Articles)

Some stories seem too bizarre to believe but this did happen to me. It was 1999. We were working as missionaries in the Philippines. Before I begin, I need to give you some basic background information.

We developed a livelihood program which helped impoverished churches support their pastors in extremely depressed communities. One of the products we trained the people to make was handmade paper from banana plant fibers.  Over the years the program became quite large and we had some beautiful products and the program achieved its goals.

To process these tough abaca fibers (a type of banana plant) into pulp, it requires several operations and one of them is cooking. We began small and cooked them over a wood fire in a small pot for three days. As the project began to grow, we needed a larger pot and that eventually led to a point where we needed to get serious about cooking large amounts of fibers. The best solution was a steam system and that meant a boiler.

A boiler. I knew nothing about boilers except that they are big, hot, expensive and they are found in Canada where they have 11 months of snow and one month of bad sledding.  But this California boy was “boiler-challenged.”  Where would one find a boiler in the Philippines? This is not exactly a country where central heat is a priority. We only had two seasons there, hot-humid and hot-wet.  A boiler right?!? Good luck finding that one! Did you ever have one of those things in your life that you felt silly asking God about? I was sure he was going to laugh.  So, I prayed, “Uh, God, this is Ed in the Philippines again. I know I am always asking for dumb stuff but I think I may have outdone myself this time. We need a boiler.”  Then I ducked.

This story gets crazy.  The associate missionary who was working with us at the time attended a small barrio church near us.  A Filipino banker was pastoring that church.  I have no idea how the subject came up but our associate mentioned to the pastor/banker that we were looking for a boiler.  I imagine he just said something like, “Brother Vern, I noticed that you need Bibles and windows in the building and your new Sunday school rooms are taking shape.  By the way, do you know where I can find a boiler?”  OK, I don’t know how the subject came up but it seems that the least likely person in the world to ask about a boiler is a pastor in a depressed area.  So, what did Vern say?  Are you ready for this?  He calmly looked at my associate and remarked, “I have a boiler and I could give it to you.”  I told you this story is going to get bizarre.

It gets better. It turns out that pastor Vern was not just a banker and a pastor, but he was also an entrepreneur. About ten years earlier he was approached by a Korean businessman who had a plan for an exciting new product that was going to sweep Korea and he needed a Filipino business partner to run the production side. It was much cheaper to set up a factory in the Philippines. The product was “liquid goat.”  No, that is not a typo.  Liquid goat!  The Korean wanted to use high-pressure steam to vaporize goats and turn them into this cool carbonated soft drink.  I still have trouble visualizing not just the process but the product. Can you imagine having some friends over on a hot summer afternoon for a barbeque and yanking some cool ones out of the ref, “Who wants a goat?”   Visualizing was not coming easy for me on this one but cultures are different.

From what I was able to understand the liquid goat industry didn’t exactly take off.  I could say, “Duh” at this point but that would not be kind so let me just say, “That is really too baaaaaaaad.”  Here is what happened. The two partners in goat proceeded to build a large building and then the Korean partner imported a huge stainless steel steam system with a boiler, large steam vessels, spinners and the other usual goat-vaporizing components.  It arrived from South Korea and they installed it and began the operation.

They bought a herd of goats and tossed them in into the big shiny stainless tanks and turned up the heat.  I know what you want to ask but don’t.  All I know is that the goats went into the tanks.  After the cooking, spinning, removing goat slop and filtering they then carbonated the stuff.  (Makes your mouth water, doesn’t it?)  Then the anticipated moment arrived.  They completed the first liquid goat soft drink.  Yep, they wiped the Manila sweat off their faces, sat down, looked at each other with hearts racing in anticipation, and then had the ultimate satisfaction of being the first to pop the lid and down the goat.  Then they just stared at each other.  And they stared. Was it satisfaction and the joy of accomplishment?  No, it was the realization that liquid goat was not very good.  Actually, it was horrible.  OK, now I can say it.  Duuuuuh!  Vern asked his new partner if he had ever had liquid goat before and the partner said, “No, it just seemed like it would work!”  They stared some more.

Since we can’t begin to imagine what goes through a person’s mind when they have their first frosty goat and when you experience the death of a vision in such a burst of blunt realization and heartburn, we will just the leave the rest of the story to your imagination and get on to the final part.

The Korean went home the next day. Let me say that one more time. The Korean boarded a plane in the morning, went home, and was never heard from again.  He vanished, disappeared, no phone calls, nada.  Vern, from what I can tell, was sad and happy at the same time. He was sad the business failed and he was happy the business failed.  I guess he didn’t want to be known as the man who cooked and carbonated goats.  So, he locked up the giant, glistening goat-liquefying facility, and got on with his life.

Ten years passed, and then one day he put his property up for sale. He found a buyer but they did not want the goat factory. (I can’t imagine why.)  I would have said, “Nice property Vern, but what really sold me was that great goat liquefaction factory.  Wow, how can I pass that up?”  But that is just me, the buyer wanted it gone.  What could Vern do with all that equipment?  Should he run an ad that said, “For sale, liquid goat factory?” It had been ten years since he had heard from his partner and now the place is sold and he has to move everything out in a few weeks.  So, at that very moment, with no idea how to find a way to get rid of all that equipment, this American missionary says to him, “Do you know where we can get a boiler?”

Two days later we toured the deserted food factory and saw not just a large boiler but large stainless cooking vessels and piping and motors and pumps and spinners and and and  and . . . We just stood there amazed with our mouths open and with perspiration dripping from our faces.  I am sure glad he didn’t offer us a goat.  The bottom line is that Vern visited our paper-making facility and loved the ministry.  He then donated the entire steam system to us.  And then, just as quickly as Vern had come into our lives, he died in a car accident two weeks later. I can’t help but smile when I think of the hug God gave Vern for his last generous act before he died. God has a way of rewarding his kids and I am so glad for Vern’s sake that he laid up treasure for himself in heaven and he didn’t delay in doing it.

Once again, my imagination takes me to a conversation, this time between Vern and God.  “Vern, well done. You have been a good and faithful servant. But I have one question for you.  What were you thinking?  — Liquid Goat?”

Almost overnight we had this incredible steam system and absolutely no idea how to install it or operate it. So, I prayed, “Hi God, it’s Ed again from the Philippines. Remember a few weeks ago when I asked for a boiler and then I ducked?  Well, as you know, we now have a complete steam system worth a gazillion dollars at our facility and I just wanted to thank you.  But if I can add a small addendum to the request we could sure use someone to help us set it up and show us how to use it.”   I ducked again.

Before we went to the mission field I did what many thought was a foolish thing.  I quit my secure job with the San Diego Fire Department and packed up my wife and five children and headed off to a Bible school in Canada.  While there for three years I studied the Bible and waited on God for directions. I also worked as a summer staff to help feed my family and in doing so I got to know many of the behind-the-scenes workers who kept the Bible school running. One of those people I met was a steam engineer who ran their two-story boiler that kept our classrooms warm when the temps dropped to 40 below zero.  Yes, 40 below.  That was fun.  Art was one of several steam engineers who worked there.  Now move ahead 20 years. I am standing in Manila looking at the large steam system we had just acquired and praying for help on what to do next.  Art came back to mind after all those years and I sent off an e-mail to the school and had no idea if he would remember one of the thousands of students and we had only briefly met. I had no idea if he still worked there.  I got an e-mail back from Art.  “Yes” and “yes” were the answers.

After a few more e-mails Art decided to use his vacation to come over and help us.  His church even helped with expenses and so Art, who had never left Canada, came to the Philippines.  It was his first out-of-country experience and what a treat it was to have him join us. He set up safety equipment, rebuilt parts and modified others, tested it all and hooked it up and then he trained us.  And he only mentioned the odd odor it had a few times. When Art left we had a fully functioning steam system and we were not afraid to use it. It worked flawlessly over the years and helped us cook tons of banana fibers and has helped keep impoverished churches alive.

One day in glory, I envision Vern, Art and myself sitting down together in heaven and having a nice cold goat together and laughing. I think we will all agree that the entire experience was unforgoatable!

PS: since that time, many years later, I came across an actual product of South Korea called Black Goat Tonic.  From what I have read the tonic is derived from a four-month-old goat that is boiled for 22 hours. The liquid is then filtered to remove the fats and sold in small bottles.

If you think drinking a carbonated liquid goat is weird, stay tuned.  The next three articles deal with food, but not just any food.  These will be the strangest, oddest and most fascinating things people eat around the world.

Dedication: I would like to dedicate this article to a special lady, Lucinda Tamayo, the wife of Vern.  When he died suddenly in 1999, she continued working with the poor in her church and today she is part of the leadership team of a vibrant Filipino church, the church Vern started.

The post The Frosty Goat: Strange Things People Eat appeared first on Traveling Archive.

John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist,
and he ate locusts and wild honey. (Mark 1:6)

California is sometimes called the Granola State, the land of fruits, nuts, and flakes. I am from California, native-born. I guess I could just stop this chapter right now and you would understand why strange things gravitate to me.

I was diagnosed with Acute Leukemia in 2001 and given two months to live (It is 2018 now so I must have done better than expected).  Shortly after I formally announced that I was dying my mailbox was flooded. Well-meaning friends and strangers started sending letters to me with all kinds of sincere advice about what I should eat and do to cure my cancer.  If you ever get sick, like big time, let me give you a piece of counsel. Leave the country, get off Facebook, change your email, sell your dog so you can’t be tracked down. You will be inundated with promised cures that range from interesting to downright off-the-wall looney bin. One definition of a fanatic is a person that you can’t change his mind and he won’t change the subject.  Welcome to the world of health foods, alternative medicine, and strange things crawling out from under the rocks.

Numerous phone calls, e-mails, and letters passionately presented conflicting advice. It drove me into my own personal investigation of the mysterious world of alternative medicine and health foods. It is a world where you don’t just stop and smell the flowers; you eat them. These promised cures are a trip to the Twilight Zone of medicine. But like I said, I’m from California. I took the plunge.

If you are one of the millions who follow some form of alternative medicine or love health foods I want you to know that this is not making fun of you or being disrespectful of your sincere beliefs. If eating rock slime does it for you then keep on slurping.  I just want to point out that the number of promised cures are almost endless and can be very confusing to novices like myself. Frankly, it was overwhelming to enter this complicated world which offered everything from derivatives from rainforest insects to exotic grass extracts. After reading my other stories you may have noticed that I do find humor in things. So just read and enjoy and realize that no personal offense is intended. If you do find yourself getting a bit miffed, the old blood pressure raising and an urge to send off a quick email may I recommend some alternative medicine.  Just lie down on an herbal tea pillow in a Feng Shui environment with lotus leaves on your forehead and go to the happy place in your mind. There, don’t you feel better now?  So, if the temptation comes to grab your AK-47 and blow away this missionary just repeat the mantra “Happy place, peace, happy place, peace.” I hope we get through this story.

You have no doubt heard the familiar phrase of the desperate, “Any port in a storm!”  My blood was a mess after Chemotherapy.  My immune system experienced a complete factory shutdown.  There is not much to lose when you have two months to live.  Many of us reason that there must be a natural cure for disease rather than have poisons pumped through our veins. It just seems logical. So, I started listening to the voices. So many voices.

Promises, Promises, Promises

It soon entered the land of Mondo Bizarro. Here is just a sampling of the things that cure cancer that were promised to me.  One e-mail pleaded with me to grow and harvest a certain type of Oriental mushroom which grows best under a kitchen sink. This one sounded good because I liked mushrooms. But what would our plumber think?

A very large supplement company soon sent out what must have been a general alert to their entire sales force to contact me. I can’t count the number of folks who told me their natural supplements cure AIDS and every other known disease. Then there was this wonder oil, a deep-sea shark liver extract guaranteed to do the job. It made me wonder why the secret of health was in a shark that lives in deep ocean bunkers where most of the world has no access to the critters?  What about the people of Mongolia, Sudan, Tibet, and many others that have never seen a shark? Was I the only one asking this question?  I was starting to get a lot of red lights.

One fellow was sure his vegetable juice extract could cure anything and he said he was only sharing it with me because he knew we were in a Christian ministry and had very little funds. His concern was to help save my life and it would only take a small amount of the heavenly elixir. He assured me that his motive was simply my health and had nothing to do with the multilevel marketing plan that came with the product.  I told him how grateful I was that he would be helping the ministry by donating that small amount to save my life. He never called again. One lady called who had read my e-mails that were forwarded by a friend. She told me that I had made a big mistake going with the medical profession. If we had only used a particular type of Middle Eastern grass extract I would be fully recovered from Leukemia but now I had ruined my chances by allowing doctors to mess my body up.  I was very weak and thanked her for her loving concern.

It seemed like the doors of the asylum had flung open and the inmates were finding my hospital room. So, I did some research. I did have access to the web and when I could I examined everything from Aardvark kidney powder to Zebra hoof oil. I read tons of claims and read testimonial after testimonial from all over the world. I read and I read. I remember hearing about a man who read about the dangers of obesity so much that he finally gave up reading. Well, I almost gave up reading.

I am amazed anyone is still sick or even dies any more. Do you realize we have access to supplements and pills and programs that will cure AIDS, Alzheimer’s, cancers, heart disease, strokes and bad breath in our dogs?  All we have to do is attack bee colonies and eat their pollen and our hair will not fall out. We can strip fish of their cartilage and never have osteoporosis. Grazing on Egyptian barley grass will stop high blood pressure and there are enough herbal teas in China to heal our memories and qualify each of us for the Mensa Society.   Of course, our faces will break out and look like a purple waffle but at least cancer will be gone.

One supplement I found actually contained coral mixed with manganese, selenium, boron, and vanadium.  We might as well raise the Titanic and then eat it. You sure wouldn’t want to go through an airport metal detector after taking one of those pills. There are algae advertised all over that is claimed to reverse the polarity of your body. Wow. I didn’t know my battery was in backward.  And on and on it goes, everything from coffee enemas to magnet therapy to crystals and pyramids.  Everyone offers a secret cure, a miracle method.

Bark, Bark, Bark

One Herbologist states that research has found that the bark collected from the Columbian Pau D’arco tree inhibits the growth of a strain of parasite that causes malaria in rodents.  He is very serious. He recommends ingestion of the root. I believe him and if I ever suspect the rats in my house have malaria you can bet I will buy a truckload.

My wife and I were in South Korea once and wandered through the huge and fascinating natural food section in the basement of the famous Lotte Hotel.  I found myself staring at bins and bins of bark and dirt for sale. Incredible claims of healing were posted over each bin. I was blown away at the prices of the magic compost. Some tree barks cost hundreds of dollars per ounce. A very distinguished Korean man standing near me must have noticed my YOU-HAVE–TO-BE-KIDDING look and asked if I knew about the healing qualities of one of the bins. I said, “Uh, no.”  Without even a pause he reached into a bin and stuffed some bark in my mouth and told me to chew it. I chewed. I looked around to see if anyone was looking. This was expensive stuff. It tasted like moldy tree bark. It was a moldy tree bark. If I ran that business it would come in Vanilla and Raspberry.  The man then smiled and walked out the door leaving me with a mouthful of expensive potting soil. He didn’t work there. Talk about feeling stupid. I walked outside to a trash can. Blah, Blah, Ptooo.  Yuck. I could taste that junk all night long. Pla, Pla Pla.  Even the next morning my teeth were black. Blaaayaagh (which is Korean for Braaaahagaaa). In my country, you go to Nurseryland to buy pots and seedlings not to treat malaria in your rats and eat lunch.

Since we lived in the Philippines for many years there is a well-known Filipino delicacy that also has specific claims.  It is called a balut and is affectionately known as Filipino Viagra.  This food claims to help with male potency problems.  It is a fertile duck egg that is just ready to hatch when it is boiled.  They mostly come from one region of the country just outside Manila called Pateros. The still hot eggs are then sold by vendors on bicycles who travel through subdivisions and housing centers calling out “Baluuuuut,   Baaaaaluut!”   These familiar sounds are normally heard around 8 PM each night.   So, you are wondering if we have eaten balut.  Yes, but it was primarily so we could say “yes” when we were constantly asked if we eat balut.  As Americans, it made us more Filipino.  But we didn’t eat too many.  We already had five children and we didn’t want to take any chances.

Alternative Medicines. It’s a Jungle Out There.

Leukemia treatment for me was a very traditional clinical approach. Doctors put tubes in my chest and poured gallons of herbicide into my veins like a plumber floods pipes with Drano. Then they watched me die and come back and die and come back and die and come back. Exciting isn’t it? Well, it was for them. But that is how it works. For seven months it was the same pattern.  Three weeks of controlled poisoning followed by a very brief week of getting out of the hospital and eating tacos. That is the chemotherapy way.  I did recover in the end I wonder if it was the tacos all along that cured me.

So, after seven months of living in the poison control center, as I called it, I was given a clean bill of health and discharged. By then, I had decided on a specific natural foods path that I wanted to try and I was ready to get started.  But first I had to eat some fish tacos.  There, now I was ready to start.

The next story will tell of that adventure.  Agent Orange is coming.

The post The Confusing World of Health Foods appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Happy Black History Month from the Staff at TravelingBoy

We have designated 2018 to think of those who suffer from great sorry and misfortune. Here are some of our favorite charities.

Traveling Boy’s Fyllis Hockman Wins Silver Excellence in Travel Journalism

The North American Travel Journalists Association’s (NATJA) Travel Media Awards Competition winners were announced February 5, 2018. The Media Awards are given to publications, travel journalists, and photographers whose work was published in print and online media.

Ms. Hockman took the highly-coveted silver for her stunning blog in Traveling Boy, “Exploring Venice: Lost and Found. And Special Finds. Repeat.” in the Byline Travel Column category, where there were over a 1000 entries in the contest.

Norwegian Named Value Airline of the Year by Air Transport World

Norwegian, the World’s Best Low-Cost Long-Haul Airline and Airline of the Year 2017, was named on Feb. 12 the Value the Airline of the Year’ by Air Transport World, the leading monthly magazine for the airline industry, and will receive the award at the ATW Airline Industry Achievement Awards on March 28.

Can’t Be Topped: Neapolitan-Style Pizza Making Wins UNESCO Heritage Status

Courtesy Amy Held, NPR

When a UNESCO World Heritage Site comes to mind, perhaps it has the natural splendor of the Great Barrier Reef or the imposing mastery of the Pyramids of Giza. Now one may look no further than the humble pizza for world heritage status. No, not the frozen kind, the old-school kind baked in a wood-fired oven. Recently, Pizzaiuolo, the art of Neopolitan pizza-making, was added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. UNESCO says the designation is meant to safeguard and raise awareness about forms of cultural heritage — often passed down from generation to generation — before they die out.

Seven Seas Mariner Drydock to Complete Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ $125 Million Fleetwide Refurbishment Program

First all-suite, all-balcony ship to return to Alaskan waters more resplendent than ever and offers three-category upgrade for travelers

Regent Seven Seas Cruises, the most inclusive luxury experience, confirmed details for the upcoming bow-to-stern refurbishment of Seven Seas Mariner, the world’s first all-suite, all-balcony cruise ship. After a 20-day drydock in April 2018 at Chantier Naval de Marseille, Seven Seas Mariner will re-emerge with dramatic new culinary experiences, elegant new suite designs, and completely renewed modern guest spaces. After her drydock refurbishment, Seven Seas Mariner will immediately reposition to the Pacific Northwest to take travelers on a fully immersive, luxury Alaska experience.

Flights To These Cities Are About To Get Cheap In February

Courtesy Thrillist

Every year, February feels like the dumps. Maybe it’s the realization that our New Year’s resolutions didn’t even make it to Wild Card Weekend.

2018’s Best Frequent Flyer Programs

With U.S. airlines expected to carry more than 600 million passengers on domestic flights this year and credit card debt levels exploding, we can expect airfare savings to be increasingly important in the months ahead.

France and Germany Top New Sustainable Tourism Index by The Economist Intelligence Unit

TSA says old driver’s licenses OK for air travel until 2020

Transportation Security Administration spokesman Mike England announced that driver’s licenses from all states will be acceptable identification for domestic US air travel until Oct. 1, 2020. Airport signs had previously warned that licenses from some states would no longer be acceptable as of Jan. 22, 2018.

JetBlue’s ‘All You Can Jet’ Pass Is Back

Courtesy Cynthia Drescher

How many free flights can you fit into one year?

Buy one flight, get a full year of flights for free. It sounds crazy, but it’s true for the next two weeks, as JetBlue awards travelers who book even one ticket on their website with a chance to win one of three ‘All You Can Jet’ passes for 2018. Dubbed “AYCJ” for short, the pass allows for unlimited travel from February 1, 2018 through January 31, 2019. Hopefully winners are bursting with wanderlust, as these AYCJ passes will be valid for flights to the more than 100 cities on JetBlue’s route map, including international destinations like Mexico City, Grand Cayman, Bermuda, St. Lucia, and Cartagena, Colombia.

Countries That Require Visas for Americans

The State Department’s Office of American Citizens Services and Crisis Management (ACS) administers the Consular Information Program, which informs the public of conditions abroad that may affect their safety and security. Country Specific Information, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings are vital parts of this program.

12 Things You Should Never Do in an Airport Security Line

Courtesy Neil Gladstone

If you’ve ever wondered whether airport agents perform a necessary function, take a look at the TSA Instagram account. You’ll find a stupefying collection of objects confiscated from passengers, including axes, crossbows, and handguns (and that’s just in the last few days). Acting foolishly, though, can get you delayed from a flight or even detained. To help explain what you shouldn’t do in an airport security line, we tapped Lewis Sage-Passant, a former British infantry officer who is trained in intelligence and has worked in security and crisis management for several corporations, including Goldman-Sachs. These days, he runs How Safe Is My Trip, a company that creates advisory reports for people going to risky destinations.

Top 25 Most Interesting Webcams

Selected from hundreds of nominees by a panel of EarthCam producers, EarthCam announces the most unique and compelling webcams of the year.

8 Weird Things You’re Allowed to Bring on Planes

Courtesy Stefanie Waldek

Many travelers know the drill when it comes to packing your carry-on bag for a flight. Make sure your bag fits the size and weight requirements. Check to see if you’re allowed to bring a personal item in addition to a full-sized carry-on. No liquids greater than 3.4 ounces, no firearms, no large sharp objects. There are seemingly endless banned items, but if you read the fine print, there’s actually a whole range of odd things that you’re actually allowed to fly with. Here, we name eight such items.

1. Falcons
2. Antlers
3. Christmas Trees
4. Pies and Cakes
5. Cremated Remains
6. Camp Stoves
7. Parachutes
8. Bowling Balls

Together in Spirit – The Best Friends Animal Society

At the core of Best Friends Animal Society’s work is the dream that one day animals will no longer be killed in America’s shelters.

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Can We All Get Along: 2018 Winter Olympics

The 2018 Olympic Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea open February 9 and close on February 25, while the Paralympic Games open March 8 and close on March 18. There has been much concern about North Korea’s presence at the games, but attendees should not feel alarmed for security has been considerably heightened. North Korea’s participation has been hailed as a diplomatic breakthrough that could herald peace on the Korean Peninsula. For the first time, athletes from the North and South will march together under a unified Korea flag at the opening ceremony, and the two nations will also enter a joint women’s ice hockey team.

Can We All Get Along

The Olympics bring the world’s best athletes to one stage to compete for their countries. The events and the reasons for the Olympics are much different now than when the ancient Greek Olympics were first recorded in 776 B.C. at Mount Olympia in Greece.

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Reinventing Travel: FlixBus Celebrates Five Years of Booming Business

Five years ago, inspired by the deregulation of the German bus market, the first FlixBus hit the road with a goal of providing green and smart mobility for everyone to experience the world. Today, over 100 million people have travelled across Europe with FlixBus, disrupting the traditional view of long-distance travel and supporting the shared mobility trend.

The success of FlixBus spans multiple demographics, with 60 percent of users being females who choose the green buses as their preferred mode of shared mobility due to the safety, comfort and price point. Thirty-three percent of FlixBus customers are between 18 and 25 years old.

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Austrian Wine Walking Tour

Herzerl Tours’ Austrian Wine Walking Tour has been nominated by InfoHub.com as their Unordinary Trip of the Month. InfoHub is the #1 travel portal on the Internet specialized in the out-of-ordinary, special interest adventures. The tour is a great opportunity to feel the taste of the genuine Austrian wine culture. Herzerl Tours is offering our guests a special prize!

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Volunteer Vacations with Projects Abroad

Choosing a volunteer vacation abroad is an increasingly popular option among people looking to do meaningful work during their vacation or career break. You can spend as little as 1 week volunteering in over 30 different countries around the world with Projects Abroad. By spending your vacation as a volunteer with Projects Abroad, you are joining a community of fellow volunteers and local people in developing countries – working hard, traveling, and having a good time while contributing to long-term impact.

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Active Gourmet Holidays: Exceptional Travel Experiences

Unique French Cooking Vacation at Marouatte Castle in Southwest France

Active Gourmet Holidays brings its clients a culinary vacation that is set in a 14^th century fortified castle in Périgord Vert, France. Chateau Marouatte is a stunning castle steeped in history and now fully restored as an amazing family home.

Perched on a hill in the Green Périgord, Marouatte enjoys spectacular panoramic views over the surrounding countryside. This majestic environment is the perfect setting for creativity, inspiration and relaxation and has been a songwriting retreat for invited musicians and songwriters for over 20 years. Creating a culinary retreat was a natural next step.

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Ways to Save in 2018

Eight tips to help keep your travel expenses nominal and your wallet fat this year.

Courtesy Lucas Peterson, New York Times

Last year may have been a disappointing Dumpster fire in countless ways, but it was a great year for travel deals — saving money has never been easier or more accessible to more people. Looking forward to 2018, there’s no reason to think it should be any different. Here are eight tips to help keep your travel expenses nominal and your wallet fat.

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10 of the World’s Craziest Landings

Courtesy Ashley Rossi

These 10 airports have some of the craziest landings in the world. Fretful flyers, you’ve been warned.

Flying can be a nerve-racking experience for fretful travelers; however, landings at these 10 airports are sure to frighten even the most frequent flyers. From an airport at the edge of a cliff to sandy beach landings, here are the world’s craziest runways — consider yourself warned.

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Caribbean Hot Spots and Travel Trends for 2018

Courtesy Gay Nagle Myers

Who is going where this winter? And which destinations are trending? Steve Lassman, vice president of villa product and agency relations for Villas of Distinction, ticked off 2018’s five most sought after villa-vacation destinations, two of which — Turks and Caicos and Jamaica — are in the Caribbean.

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12 Ways to Have a Luxury Vacation for Less

Luxury travel usually means expensive travel. But you can take upscale vacations without breaking the bank. Here are some outside-the-box ways to get almost as much…for a lot less.

By Karen Tina Harrison

Choose Emerging over Established Destinations

It’s very hard to economize in a super-expensive destination. So my advice is: to save money, don’t go there. Think different. Go to a place that delivers a lot of what you love about your fantasy destination, but at real-life tabs.

Here are some ideas

How to Fight Jet Lag

Being outside during daylight, exercising early and avoiding caffeine, alcohol or nicotine before bedtime can help lessen the effects of jet lag after returning home across time zones. Complete recovery can take multiple days.

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8 Neck Pillows That Won’t Embarrass You on the Plane

Courtesy Shannon McMahon

Some of the best neck pillows are also the most packable. Skip clunky, over-engineered travel pillows with these simple-yet-effective options.

Unimpressed by some of the newest travel pillows to hit the market? Many are virtually unpackable or outright embarrassing, with armrest-mounted stands or bulky padding that makes them quite the spectacle. Luckily, over-engineered travel pillows aren’t the only way to sleep on the plane; some of the best neck pillows are also the most packable. Here are eight simple-yet-effective options that won’t embarrass you or take up unnecessary space, making them some of the best neck pillows out there.

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Being on the ground in over 180 countries means you get the full story.

The post Catch Up With the Latest Traveling Boy News appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Traveling Boy’s Fyllis Hockman Wins Gold for Excellence in Travel Journalism

The North American Travel Journalists Association’s (NATJA) Travel Media Awards Competition winners were announced February 5, 2018.The Media Awards Competition are given to publications, travel journalists, and photographers whose work was published in print and online media.

Ms. Hockman took the highly-coveted silver for her stunning blog in Traveling Boy, Exploring Venice: Lost and Found. And Special Finds. Repeat. in the Byline Travel Column category, where there were over a 1000 entries in the contest.

A Washington, D.C.-based travel writer, Ms. Hockman’s articles have regularly appeared in Traveling Boy as well as in Creators News Syndicate, the New York Post, Memphis Commercial Appeal, Providence Journal, Halifax Herald, Boston Herald, Gazette Newspapers, Asbury Park Press, New Hampshire Sunday News, Buffalo News and many other publications. She is the author of AAA Guidebook: A Photo Journey to Washington, D.C. and co-author of the Pelican Guide to Maryland.

The North American Travel Journalists Association has grown to be  one of the most highly recognized organizations in the travel industry. The NATJA Awards Competition honors the “best of the best” from travel media (writers, photographers, broadcast journalists, bloggers, app developers, travel websites) and travel promotion submitted by print and online travel magazines, in-flight magazines, public relations agencies, convention & visitors bureaus and destination marketing organizations (CVBs/DMOs) from the United States, Canada, Mexico and internationally.

All competitors who are Grand Prize winners, Gold, Silver, Bronze winners receive a winner seal that can be used for promotional purposes online or on collateral materials. Media Grand Prize and Gold Prize winners also receive physical prizes for their efforts to domestic and international destinations.

Can We All Get Along: 2018 Winter Olympics

The 2018 Olympic Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea open February 9 and close on February 25, while the Paralympic Games open March 8 and close on March 18. There has been much concern about North Korea’s presence at the games, but attendees should not feel alarmed for security has been considerably heightened. North Korea’s participation has been hailed as a diplomatic breakthrough that could herald peace on the Korean Peninsula. For the first time, athletes from the North and South will march together under a unified Korea flag at the opening ceremony, and the two nations will also enter a joint women’s ice hockey team.

Can We All Get Along

The Olympics bring the world’s best athletes to one stage to compete for their countries. The events and the reasons for the Olympics are much different now than when the ancient Greek Olympics were first recorded in 776 B.C. at Mount Olympia in Greece.

Power in ancient Greece was centered around the city-state – such as Athens, Sparta, Boeotia, Thessaly –  in the 8th century BC, with population centers organized into a self-contained political entities. The city-states often lived in close proximity to each other, which created competition among them for vital resources, often times leading to war. The Greek city-states all had the same basic culture, honored the same gods and spoke the same language. Leaders of the various states tried to eliminate or minimize the constant warfare among themselves. Since most Greeks were considered highly competitive, the leaders decided to institute a series of competitive sporting events, designed to not only encourage themselves to stop making war but to also honor their gods.

The Olympic Truce

An Olympic Truce (in ancient Greek, “ekecheiria,” which has been interpreted as “holding of hands” or “laying down of arms”) was announced before and during each of the Olympic festivals, to allow athletes and attendees to travel safely to Olympia. An inscription describing the truce was written on a bronze discus which was displayed at Olympia. During the truce, wars were suspended, armies were prohibited from threatening the Games, and legal disputes and the carrying out of death penalties were forbidden. Hellenic culture and the games spread while the primacy of Olympia persisted. The Olympic Games lasted twelve centuries before being outlawed by the Christian Roman Emperor Theodosius in 394 AD, due to the worshipping of pagan gods.

On April 6, 1896, the Olympic Games were are reborn in Athens 1,500 years after being banned by Roman Emperor Theodosius I. At the opening of the Athens Games, King Georgios I of Greece and a crowd of 60,000 spectators welcomed athletes from 13 nations to the international competition.

Norwegian Named Value Airline of the Year by Air Transport World

Norwegian, the World’s Best Low-Cost Long-Haul Airline and Airline of the Year 2017, was named on Feb. 12 the Value the Airline of the Year’ by Air Transport World, the leading monthly magazine for the airline industry, and will receive the award at the ATW Airline Industry Achievement Awards on March 28.

The global panel of judges were highly impressed with Norwegian’s achievements and entrepreneurial spirit. Norwegian has truly shaken up the all-important transatlantic market, introducing quality service at low prices, and demonstrating that long-haul can be done at low cost.

The ATW Airline Industry Achievement Awards recognize excellence across a broad range of airline operations and are widely considered the most coveted in the aviation industry. The 44th ATW Awards will be presented on March 27, 2018 in Dublin, Ireland.

During 2017, the world’s fastest-growing airline launched 25 new routes out of the United States. Upcoming launches from the U.S. include: New York/Newark to Paris (February 28); Chicago to London (March 25); Austin to London (Mach 27); Denver to Paris (April 9); Oakland/San Francisco to Paris (April 10); Boston to Paris (May 2); New York/JFK to Amsterdam (May 7); Los Angeles to Milan (June 18); Los Angeles to Madrid (July 16); and New York/JFK to Madrid (July 18).

Travelers are able to purchase tickets on Norwegian’s website, which also includes a low fare calendar that displays the lowest available fares to all of Norwegian’s destinations.

Austrian Wine Walking Tour

Herzerl Tours’ Austrian Wine Walking Tour has been nominated by InfoHub.com as their Unordinary Trip of the Month. InfoHub is the #1 travel portal on the Internet specialized in the out-of-ordinary, special interest adventures. The tour is a great opportunity to feel the taste of the genuine Austrian wine culture. Herzerl Tours is offering our guests a special prize!

Any who book a tour with Herzerl Tours before March 10, 2018 may be eligible for a special prize from InfoHub’s sister-company GPSmyCity – publisher of travel apps for Apple and Android. The GPSmyCity app features offline city maps, self-guided walking tours and travel articles for 1,000 cities worldwide, using which you can turn your mobile into a personal tour guide. A lucky winner, chosen at random, will get a one-year full membership of the GPSmyCity app including access to ALL the GPSmyCity content – over 6,500 self-guided city walks and travel articles — to the total value of over $8,000!!!

And Here’s Some Austrian Wine You Can Expect To Experience…

Austria’s Grüner Veltliner has suddenly become the hottest white wine on everybody’s list. Until recently, wines made from Grüner Veltliner, the most widely planted grape in Austria, enjoyed but faint praise. New vintages were served by the pitcherful in Austria’s vinous equivalents to brew pubs called “Heuriger.” Abroad grüners were known as pleasant quaffing wines best drunk young. Today, though, suddenly, grüner veltliner – pronounced approximately GROON-er FELT-lihnur and known in some circles as GrüVe – is the wine of the hour from Sidney to San Francisco. It inhabits vast sections of wine lists at bench mark restaurants, is beloved by chefs, and gets idolized by savvy sommeliers for its seemingly limit-less food friendliness (it goes with everything from oysters to osso buco).

Austria’s Blaufränkisch Unlike the regions west of Vienna where white grapes rule, reds dominate the Burgenland (in the east of Austria hard on the border of Hungary): Blaufränkisch as well as Zweigelt, St; Laurent and others. But Blaufränkisch is the best and most distinctive grape for the region, capable of producing racy, exciting wines of finesse and grace, especially when grown on limestone and slate.(quoting from my favorite wine guru Eric Asimov in the NYT). Blaufränkisch, a grape that is little known outside its home territory Austria is hopefully making the same “Siegeszug” victory march as the Grüner Veltliner.

Seven Seas Mariner Drydock to Complete Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ $125 Million Fleetwide Refurbishment Program

First all-suite, all-balcony ship to return to Alaskan waters more resplendent than ever and offers three-category upgrade for travelers

Regent Seven Seas Cruises, the most inclusive luxury experience, confirmed details for the upcoming bow-to-stern refurbishment of Seven Seas Mariner, the world’s first all-suite, all-balcony cruise ship. After a 20-day drydock in April 2018 at Chantier Naval de Marseille, Seven Seas Mariner will re-emerge with dramatic new culinary experiences, elegant new suite designs, and completely renewed modern guest spaces. After her drydock refurbishment, Seven Seas Mariner will immediately reposition to the Pacific Northwest to take travelers on a fully immersive, luxury Alaska experience.

“We are delighted to relaunch the refurbished Seven Seas Mariner for what will be an unforgettable 2018 Alaska season,” said Jason Montague, president and chief executive officer of Regent Seven Seas Cruises. “Seven Seas Mariner will have been elevated to the highest standards of elegance, and guests will enjoy the highly personalized service delivered by every member of Seven Seas Mariner’s exceptional staff and crew. Once Seven Seas Mariner completes her refurbishment, Regent’s fleet will definitively be the most luxurious at sea.”

To celebrate Seven Seas Mariner’s refurbishment milestone, Regent Seven Seas Cruises is offering a three-category upgrade aboard the ship’s 10- and 11-night, 2018 Alaska itineraries for any new bookings made before March 31, 2018. Guests booking a Deluxe Veranda Suite will be upgraded to a Concierge Suite, and receive Concierge-level amenities, such as a free one-night, pre-cruise hotel package. Travel agents also receive a $250 gift card for every new booking on eligible voyages, departing May 6, June 20 and 30, August 22, September 2 and 12, 2018, or a $100 gift card for any new seven-night 2018 Alaska voyage booking.

The refurbished Seven Seas Mariner will sail the Last Frontier on 15 unforgettable seven, 10- and 11-night itineraries, which alternate departures from Vancouver and Seward. With an average of 44 free and unlimited shore excursions included as part of the cruise fare, a most-inclusive, luxury Alaska experience aboard Seven Seas Mariner delivers the best value for an adventure in the Great Land.

Renewed Modern Spaces

Seven Seas Mariner’s pool deck will receive the most comprehensive redesign, with a new open layout and teak flooring throughout. The centerpiece is a new mosaic-tiled pool, featuring a broad ledge for lounging in shallow water. Guests can enjoy expanded lunch selections, including steaks, chops, salmon, chicken and sausage, offered a la minute from new infrared barbeque grills and new buffet bars at the Pool Grill.

The ship’s atrium, corridors and guest spaces will all receive new carpeting, art, furniture and décor. Guests will take comfort in the latest luxury styles in the reception area, Coffee Connection, Card Room, boutiques, and the Casino, all completely revamped from the steel up. A handsome, remodeled Library will exude comfort with dark-wood bookshelves contrasted against cream fugorating and restorative rituals for Seven Seas Mariner guests, the shipboard Canyon Ranch SpaClub will receive a soothing new design, featuring pebble-stone tiles and light-wood accents in the treatment rooms. The adjoining fitness and aerobics center also will see new state-of-the-art machines and equipment to help guests maintain healthier, active regimens while at sea.

Elegant New Accommodations

Seven Sernishings, crowned by a glistening copper-adorned chandelier. A vibrant cobalt-and-silver color scheme will complete the country club ambiance in the Connoisseur Club cigar lounge. Additionally, the flooring on the Deck 6 Promenade will be replaced with new teak.

Offering an expansive menu of invias Mariner guests will be ensconced in new elegantly appointed suites, featuring décor such as the Regent Elite Slumber bed with plush, padded leather headboard, and enjoy incomparable views of the mesmerizing sea and passing landscape from their private balcony or sitting area, furnished with a stylish sofa, accent table and new artwork. All suites feature walk-in closets and oversized, marble-accented bathrooms with L’Occitane amenities.

New and Dramatic Regent Dining Experiences

New gourmet culinary experiences also will delight Seven Seas Mariner guests. The flagship restaurant Compass Rose will deliver a new sophisticated ambiance, with added dramatic flair created by grand crystal chandeliers, recessed ceiling lights, sleek, leather chairs ringing intimate tables, and plush cobalt blue drapes accenting the restaurant’s oversized windows. Compass Rose guests will savor the recently introduced menu, which provides seemingly endless, customizable combinations, making it the largest specialty restaurant at sea.

Regent’s new Chartreuse specialty restaurant also will be installed during the ship’s refurbishment and debut a delectable modern French menu. Already a guest favorite and first introduced aboard Seven Seas Explorer, Chartreuse’s menu of innovative French fare will be complemented with new furnishings, china, flooring and décor elements that together evoke memories of a fine Parisian restaurant. Additionally, longtime favorite Prime 7 classic steakhouse will be reimagined with a new ultra-stylish design, featuring a vibrant blue and tan color scheme.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises is the world’s most inclusive luxury experience with a four-ship fleet that visits more than 450 destinations around the world. Seven Seas Mariner’s 2018 drydock refurbishment will conclude Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ $125 million refurbishment program to elevate the elegance of the whole fleet to the standard set by Seven Seas Explorer. In early 2020, Regent will perfect luxury with the launch of Seven Seas Splendor. The cruise line’s fares include all-suite accommodations, round-trip business-class air on intercontinental flights from U.S. and Canada, the largest collection of free, unlimited shore excursions, unlimited internet access, highly personalized service, exquisite cuisine, fine wines and spirits, prepaid gratuities, ground transfers and one-night, pre-cruise hotel package for guests staying in Concierge-level suites and higher. For more information about the world’s most inclusive luxury experience, or to make a reservation, please contact a professional travel agent, visit the Regent Seven Seas Cruises website, or call 1-844-4REGENT (1-844-473-4368). For the latest news, please visit the Regent Seven Seas Cruises News page; like the line’s Facebook page; and follow @RegentCruises on Twitter.

Reinventing Travel: FlixBus Celebrates Five Years of Booming Business

Five years ago, inspired by the deregulation of the German bus market, the first FlixBus hit the road with a goal of providing green and smart mobility for everyone to experience the world. Today, over 100 million people have travelled across Europe with FlixBus, disrupting the traditional view of long-distance travel and supporting the shared mobility trend.

The success of FlixBus spans multiple demographics, with 60 percent of users being females who choose the green buses as their preferred mode of shared mobility due to the safety, comfort and price point. Thirty-three percent of FlixBus customers are between 18 and 25 years old.

From German Startup to European Mobility Leader

FlixBus was founded in Germany by three young entrepreneurs, Jochen Engert, Daniel Krauss and André Schwämmlein, who had the vision of developing a completely new means of travel that was a blend of tech-startup, e-commerce and traditional transportation. Based on this vision, the company was launched with a unique business model in which FlixBus manages the technology, ticketing, customer service, network planning, marketing and sales, while its local SME partners are responsible for the daily operation of buses.

FlixBus currently operates with 250 bus partners throughout Europe, many of which are small, family-run businesses. This cooperation has spurred job creation by adding 7,000 drivers across Europe.

FlixForward in 2018 

FlixBus will continue to expand in 2018, both via markets and product offerings. By the end of the year, the bright green buses that are now a common sight throughout Europe will hit the roads in the United States, providing an alternative travel option to Americans. Within Europe, FlixBus will continue to add destinations and even more connectivity within its already extensive network.

Much of the FlixBus success can be attributed to digitalization and product innovations, which will also continue to improve, including the FlixBus App, mobile ticketing, free onboard WiFi, seat reservations and real-time GPS Live Tracking. These technological advancements, along with the comfort, reliability and reasonable prices associated with the FlixBus brand, have made bus travel attractive to wider demographic.

Above all, although FlixBus passengers have already travelled to the moon and back 22 times carbon-neutrally, they continue to support the most efficient and climate-friendly means of travel every time they board. FlixBuses are demonstrably efficient in terms of fuel consumption, emitting an extremely low level of greenhouse gases. Three-fourths of FlixBus users reach their bus stop via foot, bicycle or public transportation; customers can also choose to offset the CO2 emissions with a small addition to their ticket price.

“For the last five years, FlixBus has been changing the way people travel in Europe,” said André Schwämmlein, FlixBus co-founder and Managing Director. “Over the next five years, we plan to offer the FlixBus green experience to more and more people, all over the world.”

Can’t Be Topped: Neapolitan-Style Pizza Making Wins UNESCO Heritage Status

Courtesy Amy Held, NPR

When a UNESCO World Heritage Site comes to mind, perhaps it has the natural splendor of the Great Barrier Reef or the imposing mastery of the Pyramids of Giza. Now one may look no further than the humble pizza for world heritage status. No, not the frozen kind, the old-school kind baked in a wood-fired oven. Recently, Pizzaiuolo, the art of Neopolitan pizza-making, was added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. UNESCO says the designation is meant to safeguard and raise awareness about forms of cultural heritage — often passed down from generation to generation — before they die out.

Pizzaiuolo is more than a slice of sustenance, it is a form of artistry with a deep history baked right in. Pizzaiulo “fosters social gatherings and intergenerational exchange” and the “Pizzaiuoli (pizza-makers) are a living link for the communities concerned,” says UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).

The practice of pizzaiuolo consists of a few stages: first the dough (water, flour, salt and yeast) must be kneaded by fist for at least 15 minutes, then allowed to rest and rise for 12 hours. Next balls or panetti are formed and left to rest some more. Then the dough is stretched and beaten into a circle. Finally the toppings are added, and the pizza is placed in the oven and rotated with a pizza shovel to ensure uniform baking. Two minutes is all it takes.

The Naples-based Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (True Neapolitan Pizza) will only issue its trademark to restaurants that follow even more stringent guidelines. But the result should be a pizza for the senses with “the flavor of well-baked bread. The slightly acidic flavor of the densely enriched tomatoes, mixed with the characteristic aroma of the oregano, garlic or basil ensures that the pizza, as it comes out from the oven, delivers its characteristic aroma.”

Pepperoni and pineapple lovers are out of luck. The association says only two kinds of pie are authentic: marinara pizza with tomato, oil, oregano and garlic and margarita pizza with the addition of cheese and basil.

Pizzaiuoli can take it to the next level by stretching and tossing the pie in a doughy display of acrobatics at international competitions.

Neapolitan pizza has a thin crust. The edge of the crust, when baked, grows larger. It looks like a bicycle tire.

When news of the UNESCO recognition broke in Naples, pizza-makers handed out free slices on the street to celebrate, according to the BBC. Two million people had reportedly signed a petition supporting the piazzaiulo application.

“After 250 years of waiting, pizza is humanity’s heritage, its intangible heritage,” Neopolitan pizza maker Enzo Coccia told the BBC.

The post 2018 Winter Olympics, Austrian Tour and the 7 Seas Mariner appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Courtesy Ed Hewitt, SmarterTravel

Considering a trip to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea? I recommend you go for it. Not only will you be watching the best athletes in the world at their absolute peaks, but you will also find yourself in the middle of a global event with people from all over the world, and with the eyes of the world watching. These factors come together to make the Olympics a very special experience.

Those concerned with security should be heartened by recent news that North Korea has agreed to send athletes to the Winter Olympics this year. The Olympic Winter Games open on February 9 and close on February 25, while the Paralympic Games open March 8 and close on March 18.

How to Get to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang

Most international travelers will fly into Seoul’s Incheon Airport. To accommodate these folks, a high-speed railway was built to link the capital to the main Olympic venues in about 90 minutes. Fares from Los Angeles to Incheon are only about $800 at present with a stop in Hong Kong, and I saw a nonstop from New York JFK for $987—not bad at all to go halfway around the world.

If you are still researching airfares, other gateway options include airports in Yangyang and Wonju.

U.S. citizens do not need a visa, just a valid passport. For citizens of other countries, check with your government for complete information.

Related: 10 Most Intriguing Places to Visit in 2018

Pyeongchang 2018 Venues

There are three main venues for the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

Pyeongchang Mountain Cluster will be home to the biathlon, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, sliding sports (bobsled, luge, skeleton), the snow park (freestyle skiing and snowboarding), and the Jeongseon and Yongpyong Alpine Centers (alpine skiing).

Gangneung Coastal Cluster will host hockey, curling, figure skating, and speed skating.

Olympic Plaza and Stadium will host non-competition activities, including many medal ceremonies. Events will also be broadcast on big screens here throughout the Games. The non-competition venues are worth a visit if you want to get a sense of the pure spectacle surrounding the Winter Olympics, as this is where a lot of it happens. The big Olympic plazas feature cultural events, exhibits, performances, and corporate installations with all kinds of stuff going on.

See the list and maps here.

Getting Around the Winter Olympics

At present, the official site notes that personal transportation will be restricted in many areas of the host city and around the venues, but has yet to post specifics, noting only that “more information will be available in January 2018.”

However, the site very clearly states that “cars and other means of transportation by individuals will not be allowed to access around each venue,” and overall, unless you have some reliable information that drop-offs are possible, I recommend taking this seriously. At the Rio Games I was in a taxi for a solid 45 minutes simply trying to find a place where Games security would let me get out of the car and walk to the main press center.

At present it appears that there will be a park-and-ride approach to transportation overall; to get to these depots, public transportation or taxis will probably be your best bet. Taxis cost 2800 won as a base rate ($2.60 USD at present), then another 200 won (19 cents) for every 152 meters, which comes to about two dollars per mile.

Even when using official transport, you should also expect to do (and leave time for) some walking, particularly at outdoor venues. You might get off a bus in a remote parking area, walk to the security area, and then walk farther to the ticketing area. Even after you are inside the venue, you might have to hoof it to a good spot.

Additionally, some outdoor venues have no official “seating” per se; at the Rio mountain biking venue, for example, you could climb all around the area to see different features of the course, escape crowds, and find interesting viewpoints.

Accessible seating is available in several venues; you can find more information at the very bottom of this page.

Related: Get Prices for Pyeongchang Hotels

Winter Olympics Tickets

At press time, tickets were available for almost all sports at some point during the two-week run. While this isn’t great news for the organizers, who place sales at about 64 percent of their goal at present, it is good news if you plan to attend.

For U.S. customers, all ticket sales are handled by CoSport. In other countries, see this guide to authorized ticket resellers by region and country.

Once the Games start, you can purchase tickets directly at the venues, as well as at the Olympic Stadium and other similar locations.

Security

Security at any Olympic Games can be pretty strict, and given recent international events it is a fair assumption that the 2018 Games will be at least as if not more stringent than ever. Here are a few rules of thumb that will help.

Don’t assume you can bring a bag into a venue; official policies on things like this can be very much in flux once the Olympics get underway, so I recommend going without if at all possible.

Even if you can bring a bag, bag searches are invariably the biggest time drain you will encounter when attending an event.

Scan for the “best” line as you approach the venue; you can sometimes save yourself some time by choosing well.

You will sometimes see formidable security at venue shops as well; be prepared.

Related: 8 Reasons to Celebrate a Layover at South Korea’s Incheon Airport

Sightseeing Around Pyeongchang

One of the best ways to do some sightseeing without “missing” the Olympics is simply to purchase tickets to the more remote venues, then take in some sights while you are there. At many Olympics, outlying venues are located in areas featuring excellent natural features and/or “regular” communities, and just by going you can experience the host country more intimately than you might think.

Otherwise, international travelers who fly into Seoul will choose to spend a few days at the beginning or end of their trip in the capital. Some other recommended attractions:

The DMZ, or Demilitarized Zone. Oddly enough, this narrow band of land between South and North Korea is a formidable tourist attraction, and not just because of its geopolitical importance. Largely untouched by humans for some time, it has also become a model of biodiversity. The DMZ is about six hours from Pyeongchang, although it is probably easier to get there from Seoul.

The Woljeongsa Temple and Pyeongchang Hyanggyo, a restored Confucian school, are among the most popular local attractions.

For more see Pyeongchang2018.com and Pc.Go.kr.

Mobile Apps

The 2018 Olympics mobile app is available on iOS and Android, and although I have found Olympics apps not always to be perfect, overall I recommend them strongly, as they do tend to be solid on the basics (locations, event times, results, etc.).

Notably, I have also used the official app to get help from locals; particularly when you do not know the language, you can show them the app to get directions, direct a taxi driver, find bus stops, make sure you are getting on the right bus, and other simple but critical tasks.

Related: South Korea Travel Guide: What to Do in South Korea

More Tips and Information for the Winter Olympics

Check on ticket availability before you make extensive plans; everything else you will probably be able to figure out, but a sold-out event is a serious roadblock. Tickets will likely end up on StubHub and the like, but that is a risky approach.

Don’t be afraid to go see sports you would not typically care about. Some of my most memorable experiences attending and working at the past five summer Games have been while watching sports about which I knew little and thought I wasn’t interested in.

If you are planning to purchase souvenirs or gifts for folks back home, you may want to do so early in your trip, as the best items tend to sell out fairly quickly. This is especially the case if you want something specific to your favorite sport.

Make some time to visit the main Olympic Plaza and Stadium; it is sheer (and sometimes cheesy) spectacle, but it’s all part of the fun.

Every venue and activity I have ever seen at the Games has been very family-friendly, so you should feel comfortable bringing the kids. Security lines and transport tend to be the main challenges for youngsters, so come prepared (my son bagged some really unique Pokemon Go characters in Rio).

Don’t Forget the Paralympic Games

Although the Paralympic Games are smaller and get less attention, the events are equally as compelling, and in some cases extraordinarily so. Additionally, crowds are often much smaller, the overall cost lower, and the hassle factor greatly reduced. Further, if you waited until now to plan a trip, you have an extra month to make it all happen, as the Paralympics don’t start until March 8. To learn more, see the official Paralympics site for Pyeongchang.

Active Gourmet Holidays: Exceptional Travel Experiences

Unique French Cooking Vacation at Marouatte Castle in Southwest France

Active Gourmet Holidays brings its clients a culinary vacation that is set in a 14^th century fortified castle in Périgord Vert, France. Chateau Marouatte is a stunning castle steeped in history and now fully restored as an amazing family home.

Perched on a hill in the Green Périgord, Marouatte enjoys spectacular panoramic views over the surrounding countryside. This majestic environment is the perfect setting for creativity, inspiration and relaxation and has been a songwriting retreat for invited musicians and songwriters for over 20 years. Creating a culinary retreat was a natural next step.

The fall event will take place November 5-11, 2018, and is designed to take advantage of the seasonal produce the region is best known for: foie gras, fatted ducks, truffles, walnuts, wild mushrooms and chestnuts. In your cooking classes, you will learn traditional recipes such as walnut cake, emblematic hearty soups, the famous sauce Périgueux, confit de canard, and foie gras, to name a few. Classes will also offer inventive, somewhat lighter fare like salad Périgourdine, local trout with walnuts and wild mushrooms, duck magret, chestnut and chocolate cake. In between the cooking workshops and market visits, there will be shopping trips to local boutiques and antique stores, and visits to medieval villages and castles.

Your host for the week is Miles Copeland, owner of Marouatte and well known in the music business as the founder of IRS Records (REM, Go Gos, Fine Young Cannibals, etc.), long-time manager of the Police, Sting, the Bangles, and many others. Miles’ father was a founding member of the CIA, and his mother was a respected prehistorian, which resulted in an early upbringing in Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon. Growing up visiting crusader castles and ancient sites fostered in Miles an appreciation for history and the past. His home, and your home for the week, is decorated in medieval style with antiques, stained glass, tapestries, even suits of armor, yet with modern amenities and a homey ambiance.

Your chef for the week is Anne de Ravel. Anne was an independent writer, producer, and cookbook author in New York specializing in lifestyle, culinary trends and cooking. She was a creative editor for the New York Times, Entertaining Magazine, and a producer for the Food Network. Upon returning to her native France, she created Saveur Languedoc, oeno-culinary programs that bring people together to discover Languedoc, its culinary heritage and wines. In addition, she was the original chef at the Chateau Les Carrasses in Quarante (34), where she received many accolades. When not running Saveur Languedoc, Anne travels extensively through France in search of the best ingredients and recipes. Périgord is one of her favorite destinations.

Price is $3,800 per person and includes accommodations in the castle, cooking instruction, meals and wine, as well as excursions with guides and transfers. Price is $3,000 per person for those not participating in the cooking classes. Airfare is additional. Limited to 10 cooking participants.

For more information, please contact Jo-Ann Gaidosz, Specialty Travel Consultant, via e-mail at

in**@ac*******************.com











or by phone at 1.203.732.0771. Please visit Active Gourmet Holidays’ website here.

Active Gourmet Holidays has been offering the finest in culinary travel since 2002, with programs now in France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, Portugal and Peru. Owner Jo-Ann Gaidosz offers a savory array of sophisticated food and wine tours that are often paired with culinary instruction, hiking, biking and yoga. Each vacation package is unique, but most include vineyard tours with wine tastings and wine education; visits to food markets and local food producers; dinners at Michelin-rated restaurants; cooking lessons from talented chefs; and excursions to local villages and renowned points of interest.

California based clients Andrew and Elena Allison booked their third trip with Active Gourmet because of their consistent quality experiences. In speaking about their most recent trip, they said that “…the elegant accommodations, remarkable service, and excursions made this a memorable trip.”

Active Gourmet is a proud member of the Connecticut Better Business Bureau, IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals), the Slow Food Movement and ICTA (International Culinary Tourism Association) and has been awarded several Better Business Bureau awards including the Business Consumer Education Award and Best in Website Marketing Award.

France and Germany Top New Sustainable Tourism Index by The Economist Intelligence Unit

• Strong policies supporting sustainability in the tourism industry help European countries take the top three spots in inaugural Sustainable Tourism Index covering ten countries across the world
• Developing countries fall well short in policy implementation, though they are showing greater awareness of sustainable tourism goals
• China and India, index leaders in travel and tourism industry growth, are poised to make a huge impact on sustainability if they can complement their robust tourism sectors with comprehensive environmental- and cultural-protection policies
• Japan leads the socio-cultural sustainability category of the index, but ranks at the bottom for economic sustainability, which gauges the economic importance of tourism to a country

The index, sponsored by HNA, is the first of its kind to compare countries on their commitment to develop and promote sustainable practices in tourism. The findings were released in white paper The Sustainable Tourism Index: enhancing the global travel environment, featuring interviews with 11 global experts in the field. It finds that while sustainable practices are taking hold around the world, fragmentation reigns even in high-scoring countries, with implementation and monitoring split between different government bodies. In no country, say experts interviewed for the study, is sustainable tourism policy sufficiently integrated between national, local and regional levels.

The index measures performance across five categories: political and regulatory environment, environmental sustainability, socio-economic sustainability, economic sustainability, and travel and tourism industry. One of the main findings of the index is that the effective pursuit of sustainable tourism requires a high degree of coordination between the business and public sector, as well as civil society and individual tourists themselves. Where policies are lagging, companies may be stepping in to fill the void, although the small and medium-sized enterprises which comprise the lion’s share of the tourism industry worldwide still struggle to meet sustainability goals.

The Sustainable Tourism Index: overall results (scores out of 100)

Compared to their emerging-world rivals, rich nations have done more at the national level to foster this trend. France and Germany, for example, tie for first place in the clarity and robustness of their milestones and action plans around sustainable tourism, while France and the UK tie for first on the rigour of their tourism laws. Nevertheless, there are a number of areas where less developed countries are putting building blocks in place that could positively contribute to sustainable tourism in future. Indonesia, for example, ties for first on the comprehensiveness of its sustainable tourism policy, while Brazil trails only Germany when it comes to the share of national territory (terrestrial and marine) that is under protection. China, meanwhile, is the standout leader on growth in the overall tourism industry — a domain which, while not related to sustainability, indicates where efforts should be directed in order to make the biggest impact on sustainability on a global scale.

Michael Gold, the editor in charge of research programme, said: “Progress in sustainable tourism is ongoing in the emerging world, and will hopefully continue apace. While the strong performance of developed nations is encouraging, as developing countries grow in prominence as tourism destinations, they will take on a greater role in driving sustainability in this field, worldwide.”

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Happy Valentines from the Staff at TravelingBoy

We have designated 2018 to think of those who suffer from great sorry and misfortune. Here are some of our favorite charities.

Flights To These Cities Are About To Get Cheap In February

Courtesy Thrillist

Every year, February feels like the dumps. Maybe it’s the realization that our New Year’s resolutions didn’t even make it to Wild Card Weekend.

Winter Olympics 2018: Here’s What Travelers Need to Know

Courtesy Ed Hewitt, SmarterTravel

Considering a trip to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea? I recommend you go for it. Not only will you be watching the best athletes in the world at their absolute peaks, but you will also find yourself in the middle of a global event with people from all over the world, and with the eyes of the world watching. These factors come together to make the Olympics a very special experience.

Those concerned with security should be heartened by recent news that North Korea has agreed to send athletes to the Winter Olympics this year. The Olympic Winter Games open on February 9 and close on February 25, while the Paralympic Games open March 8 and close on March 18.

Ways to Save in 2018

Eight tips to help keep your travel expenses nominal and your wallet fat this year.

Courtesy Lucas Peterson, New York Times

Last year may have been a disappointing Dumpster fire in countless ways, but it was a great year for travel deals — saving money has never been easier or more accessible to more people. Looking forward to 2018, there’s no reason to think it should be any different. Here are eight tips to help keep your travel expenses nominal and your wallet fat.

Flight Deal: $69 on Wow Air to Iceland

It’s been noted in the past that not every $69 flight is worth it. Sometimes, they actually end up more expensive than if you had booked with a more traditional airline. But today, one of the few opportunities to get a real deal is back: Wow Air is offering $69 one-way flights to Iceland. That means round-trip fares as low as $200—nearly 50 percent off the usual cost.

Make Your New Year Resolutions – Travel-utions

Make 2018 the year you resolve to travel with the World Nomads New Year Travelutions (sorry, we know it’s lame)

Courtesy Phil Sylvester, World Nomads

Travel will make your 2018 one to remember if you follow these New Year travel resolutions.

I Resolve to Get In Shape

There’s nothing like a big challenge on the horizon – say, a Patagonia trek, or a cycling trip through Vietnam, or even two weeks of wearing mostly a bathing suit – to inspire you to hit the gym or go on some training hikes or rides. As part of your trip preparation, make sure to purchase travel insurance for your journey, because injuries and accidents can happen to even the fittest individual.

TSA says old driver’s licenses OK for air travel until 2020

Transportation Security Administration spokesman Mike England announced that driver’s licenses from all states will be acceptable identification for domestic US air travel until Oct. 1, 2020. Airport signs had previously warned that licenses from some states would no longer be acceptable as of Jan. 22, 2018.

The World’s Top 6 Snowiest Cities

Can You Name The 10 Busiest Airports in the USA

Courtesy  Melanie Renzulli

The United States has some of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, so it stands to reason that the country’s airports are some of the globe’s busiest. In this quick guide, we rank the USA’s busiest airports. For quieter and crowd-free travel alternatives, we’ve also listed nearby airports when available.

Video Will Make Up 75 Percent of Mobile Traffic in Five Years

That’s up from just over half of all traffic now.

JetBlue’s ‘All You Can Jet’ Pass Is Back

Courtesy Cynthia Drescher

How many free flights can you fit into one year?

Buy one flight, get a full year of flights for free. It sounds crazy, but it’s true for the next two weeks, as JetBlue awards travelers who book even one ticket on their website with a chance to win one of three ‘All You Can Jet’ passes for 2018. Dubbed “AYCJ” for short, the pass allows for unlimited travel from February 1, 2018 through January 31, 2019. Hopefully winners are bursting with wanderlust, as these AYCJ passes will be valid for flights to the more than 100 cities on JetBlue’s route map, including international destinations like Mexico City, Grand Cayman, Bermuda, St. Lucia, and Cartagena, Colombia.

Cycling Through Cinema Sites in Europe On Freewheel Holidays’ Bike Vacations

The late actress Anita Eckberg showcsed Rome’s allure while splashing in the Trevi Fountain in the 1960 film La Dolce Vita. Scores of movies today have cemented plots in locales that, like the fountain, intersect with planned vacation itineraries offered by leading tour operators.

One trend-setting company, Freewheel Holidays, specializing in self-guided bicycle vacations throughout Europe, offers the chance to visit cinema locations on several of its 2018 itineraries. Included in program rates are lodging with breakfasts, detailed route notes, point-to-point luggage transfers and complimentary bike rentals.

Movie buffs or anyone with a love of history and adventure will enjoy these bike tours:

Dublin Makes National Geographic Travel “Best Of The World” List

Ireland’s capital city Dublin has been named as one of the 21 best cities in the world by National Geographic Traveler magazine. The list is an annual selection of “must-see” destination for the year ahead, and Dublin has made a claim for one of the finest cities in the world.

Countries That Require Visas for Americans

The State Department’s Office of American Citizens Services and Crisis Management (ACS) administers the Consular Information Program, which informs the public of conditions abroad that may affect their safety and security. Country Specific Information, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings are vital parts of this program.

How to Fight Jet Lag

Being outside during daylight, exercising early and avoiding caffeine, alcohol or nicotine before bedtime can help lessen the effects of jet lag after returning home across time zones. Complete recovery can take multiple days.

Top 25 Most Interesting Webcams

Selected from hundreds of nominees by a panel of EarthCam producers, EarthCam announces the most unique and compelling webcams of the year.

Together in Spirit – The Best Friends Animal Society

At the core of Best Friends Animal Society’s work is the dream that one day animals will no longer be killed in America’s shelters.

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France and Germany Top New Sustainable Tourism Index by The Economist Intelligence Unit

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Volunteer Vacations with Projects Abroad

Choosing a volunteer vacation abroad is an increasingly popular option among people looking to do meaningful work during their vacation or career break. You can spend as little as 1 week volunteering in over 30 different countries around the world with Projects Abroad. By spending your vacation as a volunteer with Projects Abroad, you are joining a community of fellow volunteers and local people in developing countries – working hard, traveling, and having a good time while contributing to long-term impact.

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Active Gourmet Holidays: Exceptional Travel Experiences

Unique French Cooking Vacation at Marouatte Castle in Southwest France

Active Gourmet Holidays brings its clients a culinary vacation that is set in a 14^th century fortified castle in Périgord Vert, France. Chateau Marouatte is a stunning castle steeped in history and now fully restored as an amazing family home.

Perched on a hill in the Green Périgord, Marouatte enjoys spectacular panoramic views over the surrounding countryside. This majestic environment is the perfect setting for creativity, inspiration and relaxation and has been a songwriting retreat for invited musicians and songwriters for over 20 years. Creating a culinary retreat was a natural next step.

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Canada Forever: The Ultimate Canada Holiday for Every Month

Courtesy Heather Greenwood Davis, SmarterTravel

Canada offers travelers endless inspiration, and experiences you’ll find nowhere else on earth. Every month, there’s a best place to choose for a Canada holiday—and dozens of reasons to book a Canada trip.

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2018’s Best Frequent Flyer Programs

With U.S. airlines expected to carry more than 600 million passengers on domestic flights this year and credit card debt levels exploding, we can expect airfare savings to be increasingly important in the months ahead.

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10 of the World’s Craziest Landings

Courtesy Ashley Rossi

These 10 airports have some of the craziest landings in the world. Fretful flyers, you’ve been warned.

Flying can be a nerve-racking experience for fretful travelers; however, landings at these 10 airports are sure to frighten even the most frequent flyers. From an airport at the edge of a cliff to sandy beach landings, here are the world’s craziest runways — consider yourself warned.

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Amazing New Year Deals: Kenya w/ Air, Alaska, and Cruise Cuba from $549!

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Travel Weekly Honors Winners of 2017 Awards

Travel Weekly just unveiled the winners of the 15th annual Readers Choice Awards during a black-tie gala dinner at the Conrad New York. The winners, in 77 categories ranging from hotels to tours to airlines to GDSs to cruise lines, represent the best of the best in travel.

See the entire list of Readers Choice Awards finalists

Caribbean Hot Spots and Travel Trends for 2018

Courtesy Gay Nagle Myers

Who is going where this winter? And which destinations are trending? Steve Lassman, vice president of villa product and agency relations for Villas of Distinction, ticked off 2018’s five most sought after villa-vacation destinations, two of which — Turks and Caicos and Jamaica — are in the Caribbean.

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12 Ways to Have a Luxury Vacation for Less

Luxury travel usually means expensive travel. But you can take upscale vacations without breaking the bank. Here are some outside-the-box ways to get almost as much…for a lot less.

By Karen Tina Harrison

Choose Emerging over Established Destinations

It’s very hard to economize in a super-expensive destination. So my advice is: to save money, don’t go there.

Think different. Go to a place that delivers a lot of what you love about your fantasy destination, but at real-life tabs.

Here are some ideas

12 Things You Should Never Do in an Airport Security Line

Courtesy Neil Gladstone

If you’ve ever wondered whether airport agents perform a necessary function, take a look at the TSA Instagram account. You’ll find a stupefying collection of objects confiscated from passengers, including axes, crossbows, and handguns (and that’s just in the last few days). Acting foolishly, though, can get you delayed from a flight or even detained. To help explain what you shouldn’t do in an airport security line, we tapped Lewis Sage-Passant, a former British infantry officer who is trained in intelligence and has worked in security and crisis management for several corporations, including Goldman-Sachs. These days, he runs How Safe Is My Trip, a company that creates advisory reports for people going to risky destinations.

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8 Weird Things You’re Allowed to Bring on Planes

Courtesy Stefanie Waldek

Many travelers know the drill when it comes to packing your carry-on bag for a flight. Make sure your bag fits the size and weight requirements. Check to see if you’re allowed to bring a personal item in addition to a full-sized carry-on. No liquids greater than 3.4 ounces, no firearms, no large sharp objects. There are seemingly endless banned items, but if you read the fine print, there’s actually a whole range of odd things that you’re actually allowed to fly with. Here, we name eight such items.

1. Falcons
2. Antlers
3. Christmas Trees
4. Pies and Cakes
5. Cremated Remains
6. Camp Stoves
7. Parachutes
8. Bowling Balls

8 Neck Pillows That Won’t Embarrass You on the Plane

Courtesy Shannon McMahon

Some of the best neck pillows are also the most packable. Skip clunky, over-engineered travel pillows with these simple-yet-effective options.

Unimpressed by some of the newest travel pillows to hit the market? Many are virtually unpackable or outright embarrassing, with armrest-mounted stands or bulky padding that makes them quite the spectacle. Luckily, over-engineered travel pillows aren’t the only way to sleep on the plane; some of the best neck pillows are also the most packable. Here are eight simple-yet-effective options that won’t embarrass you or take up unnecessary space, making them some of the best neck pillows out there.

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Being on the ground in over 180 countries means you get the full story.

The Best Place to Find Cheap Flights

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