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Link: start: Home Link: prev: IT Blog: January 2010 Link: next: IT Blog: March 2010 National Geographic.com Subscriptions | Shop | Newsletters Animals | News | Environment | Games | Green Guide | History | Kids | Maps | Music | Photography | Science | Travel | Video [IMG] IFrame: adFrame_ngmLeader Sorry, your browser does not support iframes. Magazine Current Issue April Table of Contents _____________________ [ ] * HOME * PLACES * PHOTOGRAPHY * BLOG * COLUMNS * NATIONAL PARKS * SPECIALS * DRIVES * QUIZ * GEOTOURISM * INDEX * SUBSCRIBE Intelligent Travel IT Blog: February 2010 Archives Olympic Blog: Inside the Pavilions By IT Blog on February 26, 2010 5:10 PM | Comments (0) Taylor Kennedy gives us a local's perspective on the Olympic Games in Vancouver. Street Hockey in Vancouver Outside the Olympic events themselves, some of the best times being had in Vancouver over the past two weeks are in the cultural pavilions and and country houses where visitors can gather around and either party (Swiss House), show off their country's ski gear (Italian House) or share their cultural heritage. Though I've found the lines are long at almost all of them, my favorites were the Right To Play house and the Four Host First Nations houses. The Right To Play house offers prizes and games, and has a tremendous playroom where little children can run around and get rid of excess energy. Despite not having heard of them until this Olympics, and I was impressed by the work this group is doing with Olympic athletes to promote sport and play to enhance child development in disadvantaged areas worldwide. Out on Granville Street, they had a street hockey game going on for some of the bigger kids; always a popular move in hockey-crazy Canada. Continue reading Olympic Blog: Inside the Pavilions. Bus2Antarctica: Antarctic Peninsula By IT Blog on February 26, 2010 2:30 PM | Comments (4) Andrew Evans explores the Antarctic Peninsula. AEwater.jpgI think weather is the only thing that really matters in Antarctica--weather and luck. And I think most every Antarctic explorer would agree with me. Scott had a turn of bad weather--he and his team perished. Shackleton had a good wind that carried him all the way to South Georgia safe and sound. Captain Cook thought it was too cold and made his way back to Tahiti. Right from the start, I've had good luck and good weather. Getting to Antarctica was smooth sailing and now that I'm here, it's been generally clear and beautiful. I expect it to change because the weather changes every five seconds down here. In the last 48 hours I've been rained upon, snowed upon, sleeted upon and blown upon, but the point is, the weather has not limited us in any way. In fact, the good weather has opened up all kinds of great opportunities. In Antarctica, Lindblad does not force a set itinerary--only a set destination. I am glad for this, as our good fortune and clear weather allowed us to make double distance and enjoy our first landing on Margeurite Bay--well south of the Antarctic Circle and right on the continent itself. I am happy to know that I have left my footprints (rather, boot prints) in the soil of the seventh continent. To experience a place that so few ever get to is a most remarkable feeling, especially when it's all so beautiful. Continue reading Bus2Antarctica: Antarctic Peninsula. A Taste of Germany in Paraguay By IT Blog on February 26, 2010 11:30 AM | Comments (3) Alex Robertson Textor writes to us from Paraguay, where he found German bakery that hits the spot. P1050651.JPGThere are Germans all across South America, but somehow the Germans of Paraguay seem to have a particularly robust presence. This impression may have something to do with the varied routes of German immigration into the country. Two streams have received the most attention: the Mennonites, clustered in prim Chaco settlements, who provide the country with much of its dairy products, and a number of reasonably well-documented and quite unsavory characters who arrived in the wake of the Second World War. Germans are by no means the only minority of note in Paraguay. There are significant numbers of Koreans, Japanese, and Taiwanese as well, not to mention noteworthy tallies of Brazilians of various ethnicity in the country's east. According to John Gimlette's At the Tomb of the Inflatable Pig--a fantastically colorful introduction to Paraguay--there are about 100,000 Paraguayans of at least partial German background. An American expat suggested to me that even today a steady trickle of Germans turn up in Paraguay to set up businesses or otherwise invest. Continue reading A Taste of Germany in Paraguay. Olympics Blog: Curling and Fireworks By IT Blog on February 25, 2010 4:00 PM | Comments (2) Taylor Kennedy, who works with National Geographic Image Sales in Vancouver, offers a local's perspective on the Games. For more Olympic blogs, click here. Fireworks.jpgThe sleeper hit of the games appears to be the curling events. It also appears that no one knows the rules to this Scottish game--and that is part of the fun of it. While watching the sport, I've had several conversations that started spontaneously with the line: "So, do you know what is going on here?" It always was with someone who had never really watched it before but has become a brand new fan. Seeing curling live makes you realize it's one giant party. The noise of the crowds has been as high at this sport as it's been in some of the more traditionally popular sports--everyone is rowdy and raucous and cheering on their team. I personally think a lot of the popularity of curling has to do with how easy it is to joke about it, and the reputation the sport has given itself. Nevertheless everyone is talking about it--and as they say in the PR world, there is never bad press, just press. It really is a highly-skilled sport, albeit a very subtle one, so it doesn't seem to be that hard to play...but the finesse is fun to watch. The another unexpectedly popular aspect of the games, and one of the highlights in my opinion, is the nightly fireworks shows on the water. At 10:45 p.m. every evening, they kindly send up a warning shot to get everyone's attention, then start the real show a few minutes later. Interspersed in the fireworks is an excellent water show where they project highlights from the various sporting events onto a mist screen like a movie theater for a few minutes, then resume the light show. It's pretty amazing. I have to admit that I am a sucker for fireworks, and since my cousin Pete lives in a spot with an awesome view they are a priority and a fun way to end each night. Photo: Taylor Kennedy Bus2Antarctica Video: Andrew's Arrival By IT Blog on February 25, 2010 2:00 PM | Comments (1) Andrew Evans reflects on his six weeks of haphazard bus-filled travels, and the wonder of actually setting foot on Antarctica. Smiling AndrewYou've all been very patient readers. Thank you. I've been waiting a long time, too. It's taken me six weeks to get to Antarctica and I've found out that the closer I get, the less patient I feel. When I woke up that morning--on the day that I was supposed to arrive in Antarctica, I ran to my cabin window and looked out. There it was before me--just a few minutes away--and it was real. To spend a lifetime reading about a place, watching documentaries, flipping through National Geographic photo spreads, and fingering the final page of the atlas--and then to actually see it with your own human eyes--well, it's a truly remarkable sensation. Beyond my window and across the water I finally saw it in real life: a cold coastline of grey rock, with a mighty glacier upon it, snowy mountains above and as promised--so many penguins scattered about. I bundled up to head outside, reliving the ritual of Midwestern winters from my childhood--tucking in, pulling on, and strapping down until you move like an astronaut and smell nothing but the stale fabric of coats and scarves. Click through for a video and more photos from Andrew's arrival. Continue reading Bus2Antarctica Video: Andrew's Arrival. How I Caught Myself Fly Fishing By IT Blog on February 25, 2010 12:30 PM | Comments (0) Lisa TE Sonne ventured to New Mexico, where she never expected to find herself hooked on fly fishing. IMG_4450.jpgTrout fishing has seduced less susceptible people than me. I had no life ambition to be hooked on hooks, but how many times do you get a chance to go out with an author and fourth-generation expert fly fisherman? And do it the day after he was coaching Tommy Lee Jones on the right angles for angling? And do it in a hidden area nicknamed the "holy waters" of Northern New Mexico? I donned waders and listened to Van Beacham (aka the Solitary Angler) in the sub-freezing crispy air of a late fall morning as he shared a major insider's tip. After his thousands of hours of experience, the secret is: "less is more." Apparently you don't need to have the perfect tennis forehand or a baseball pitcher's arm to arc the line out. It seems an almost exquisite economy of motion is more effective. And like most things in life, "timing is all." Even practicing on an open patch in the forest was getting to me. Something about the sound, the line catching a little light, the humbleness of screwing up, and that little warmth within when you got it close to right. Van found a good pocket for me in the stream, and we could actually see some brown trout. They seemed to respect him, but when he went upstream to help another student, I think this one fish actually mocked me. It's hard to say since they don't have the most expressive faces. Maybe it was the way it got closer to me and my unconscious exuberance went from focusing on "less" to wanting "more," which resulted in my line getting caught on some weedy, willowy-looking tall growth behind me. Continue reading How I Caught Myself Fly Fishing. Bus2Antarctica: Crossing the Antarctic Circle By IT Blog on February 24, 2010 3:00 PM | Comments (2) For Andrew Evans, passing over the Antarctic Circle was akin to crossing a sacred finish line. Crossing the Antarctic CircleI've crossed a lot of lines on this journey--state lines, borderlines, the equator, both tropics (Cancer and Capricorn), along with the many ticket lines that stood between me and my ultimate southern goal. Out of all these lines the most meaningful and most triumphant for me was the night that I drifted across the Antarctic Circle. By definition, the Antarctic Circle is the line on Earth beyond which the sun does not shine in the austral winter solstice. We officially measure it as 66 DEG 33' South. While the Antarctic Treaty politically defines "Antarctica" as all territories below 60 DEG South, my personal definition was marked by the Antarctic Circle. The bridge announced that we would be crossing sometime in the middle of the night and that we were welcome to visit the bridge for the occasion. At dinner that night, my fellow passengers all talked about being awake for the moment with champagne glasses in hand, ready to celebrate. I quietly head to bed and set my alarm for past midnight. My body did not want to wake up--did not want to get out of a warm, soft bed and walk up three flights of stairs to the bridge. But my mind insisted--here was the moment--a travel sight that while invisible to mortal eyes, still held such great weight and meaning for me. Continue reading Bus2Antarctica: Crossing the Antarctic Circle. Bus2Antarctica: My First Iceberg By IT Blog on February 23, 2010 5:30 PM | Comments (2) Andrew Evans encounters his first iceberg on his way to Antarctica (while wearing a penguin shirt, naturally). Andrew's First IcebergJust like the very first Antarctic explorers (Ross, Wilkes, and Captain Cook), my first sign that I was getting warmer (i.e. getting closer) showed up in the form of this giant ice cube that bobbed in the sea ahead of our boat. Of course I was delighted. Icebergs are amazing objects to see up close--each is so unique in shape, color, movement and sound (yes, they make noise!). My first iceberg had 20 little penguins on it who, when they saw us, ran up and over to the other side. Continue reading Bus2Antarctica: My First Iceberg. Olympic Blog: Spontaneous Inukshuks By IT Blog on February 23, 2010 4:50 PM | Comments (0) National Geographic had more than one correspondent at the Vancouver Games this year. Taylor Kennedy works for National Geographic Images Sales out of Vancouver, and gives us a local's perspective. Spontaneous InukshuksI wasn't expecting everyone to be having so much fun on the streets at the Olympics. I've only ever watched the Olympics on TV--which means listening to medal counts, backstories on the Olympians, hearing about how much the athletes have struggled to get there, etc., etc. In person, the Games are a totally different scene. Everyone is walking around happy and excited to be there to witness these athletes at their sport...and spontaneously building things too, apparently. The Pacific Ocean waterfront is just outside BC Place, where the hockey games and opening and closing ceremonies are held. Among the rocks that line that sheltered bay there are now hundreds of inukshuks (the symbol of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games) that have been constructed by passing fans. Someone started with one, and now there are tons of them all over the place poking up into the sky. They range in size from pretty big stones built by big burly dudes in hockey jerseys to little ones built out of pebbles by kids, and the chant repeated by them all is "Oh! Careful! Don't knock that one over!" as they carefully step between the constructions already there. Continue reading Olympic Blog: Spontaneous Inukshuks. Following the Great Bike Ride By IT Blog on February 23, 2010 1:00 PM | Comments (0) greatbikeride.jpgTalk about taking a spin on your bike. Vin Cox's ride is taking him around the world, in an attempt to break the record for circumnavigating the globe by bicycle. The 34-year-old Brit started his Great Bike Ride on Sunday, February 7 in London. About two weeks later, he's now in Libya and well on his 18,172-mile journey. The last world circumnavigation record was broken in December 2009 by Julian Sayarer, who completed his trip in 165 days, averaging 109 miles a day. Cox is aiming for less than 150 days. Although there are no rules preventing support along the way, he'll continue in the style of his predecessors and forgo it--meaning he'll usually ride alone, carry his own baggage, often camp road-side, and rely on himself and the kindness of strangers to solve problems. The only set of rules that he's bound by are: starting and finishing in the same place, traveling at least 18,000 miles, and not backtracking. Continue reading Following the Great Bike Ride. Bus2Antarctica: At Sea By IT Blog on February 23, 2010 11:30 AM | Comments (0) After traveling through the Americas by bus, Andrew Evans boarded the MV National Geographic Explorer and set sail for Antarctica. On Board the National Geographic ExplorerRoute to Antarctica MapWaiting a lifetime for your dream to come true one day--well, that's hard. Waiting one whole day for that lifelong dream to come true is harder still. And yet, that is what must be done for the mere act of traveling to Antarctica is a waiting game. Crossing the great distance of cold water is exactly what defines the last continent as such a remote destination. Honestly, I was looking forward to a day of downtime so that I could rest from my cross-continental bus ride. Little did I know that a Lindblad Expedition is not about rest--it's about learning. My first day on the ship felt like my first day at college. For one, there were so many new people to meet--140 fellow passengers, each of them fascinating. Each meal offered a new hour of conversation and inspiration. I quickly discovered that each of my fellow travelers is a true traveler. No matter that I just bussed 10,000 miles across 14 countries. Every person on this ship had a story to match: adventures in the Himalayas, rare birds seen in rare jungles, or restaurant recommendations in countries condemned by U.S. State Department warnings. Continue reading Bus2Antarctica: At Sea. Olympic Blog: Crowd Antics By IT Blog on February 22, 2010 2:30 PM | Comments (2) Barbara Ferry, the director of National Geographic Libraries and Information Services, is in Vancouver with her family to watch the Olympic Games, and offers a glimpse of the international antics on the sidelines. Mustacheoed FansMost outdoor Olympic venues have two levels of tickets - "A" level for assigned seating and "B" level for standing-room areas. The latter ticket holders arrive very early for the best spots - my family showed up three hours before women's luge on February 15 and we nailed the prime spot in front of the Vancouver 2010 sign on the track, hundreds of feet closer than the more pricey seats in the stands. At other venues I've seen ticket holders in the stands join the fun on the ground, either for a better or sunnier (warmer) view. Aside from being closer to the action, being on the ground means you are in the center of roving bands of nationalist party-goers, all seemingly trying to out-do each other with costumes, noisemakers, signs, and flags. In a class by themselves are the Canadians, who make up the vast majority of ticket holders at most events. They are the quietest of the national groups until their athletes are on course--then they turn on sheer power of their numbers with bells and flag waving that can drown out any other national group. Only the Netherlands came close at speed skating on February 15, with their de rigeur orange hats and shirts and enthusiastic cheering--they were clearly organized for the events with block seating and organized cheers. The Americans showed up by the dozens with large red cowboy hats at Lindsey Vonn's now-famous Olympic gold downhill run on February 17. Some had matching Vonn jackets, Vonn flags, and Vonn posters. The American flag was worn everywhere at the downhill race--one gentleman without a shirt donned it as a cape to ward off the freezing weather. The Swiss arrived with, appropriately, the largest cow bells I have ever seen--more than a foot long and wide, their gong was more akin to a deep drum than a bell. Continue reading Olympic Blog: Crowd Antics. Bus2Antarctica: Upgrade in Ushuaia By IT Blog on February 22, 2010 12:25 PM | Comments (2) National Geographic Traveler contributing editor Andrew Evans traveled for over 45 days, taking buses from Washington D.C. through the Americas with one mission in mind: Getting on board the boat that would take him to Antarctica. Here, he describes the bliss of actually climbing onto the deck of the MV National Geographic Explorer. Boarding the boatThe world's southernmost bus station is merely a roadside curb next to a gas station. I arrived there on a drizzly morning with just one day to spare--I just stepped off the bus and looked across the road at the open water ahead. Next stop, Antarctica, I thought. This was the end of the road--not just my road but everyone's road, for the world stops suddenly in Ushuaia. There is no beyond this beyond for buses or cars or any other land transportation. My next bus would need to be of the floating kind. Ushuaia marks the grand finale of Argentina--some say "the end of the world" (even my hotel was called "the guesthouse at the end of the world.") It's an odd yet likable little town hunkered along the slopes of Tierra del Fuego's grand mountains and the coldwater shores of the Beagle Channel. Ushuaia itself is part Colorado ski town, part Norwegian fishing village. The influx of high-end tourism has spruced up the main streets down by the harbor into a line-up of cheerful shops, posh restaurants, bars, and outfitters whose half-dressed mannequins made me feel cold. Best of all, Antarctica is in the air. All around I saw signs for all things Antarctic: the "Antarctica" youth hostel, last-minute cruises (a steal at $3,995!), clothing stores catering to Antarctic travelers, Antarctic artwork framed and ready to be shipped back to living rooms across the world. I felt the double thrill of having made it all the way to Ushuaia by bus and the anticipation of boarding my next transport, the MV National Geographic Explorer. Continue reading Bus2Antarctica: Upgrade in Ushuaia. The Top Family Travel Websites By IT Blog on February 22, 2010 10:00 AM | Comments (24) Last year, Rainer Jenss traveled around the world with his wife and two sons, and blogged about his experience here on Intelligent Travel. This year, he's back with a new column that focuses on traveling with kids. Signpost.JPGThis could be the toughest blog I've had to write yet. It's Presidents Week and most kids across the U.S. have school recess. And while many American families have hit the road for a winter holiday, whether it be to the warm south for a reprieve from the cold and snow, spending a week at a ski resort, or even visiting Vancouver for the Olympics, well-laid plans are being fulfilled for those who planned ahead. But in the Jenss household, we're home this week on a self-imposed "staycation." Rather than wallowing in self-pity that we didn't travel somewhere during this week's winter break, I humored my wanderlust by researching some options for the next time the boys have time off from school. In the past, we've taken advantage of spring breaks to visit relatives in North Carolina, San Diego, and Florida. More recently, it's become somewhat of a tradition for us to go to Jekyll Island, Georgia for an Easter almost guaranteed to include blooming azaleas and our first beach jaunts of the year. Always willing to consider new options, I wanted to see what I could find using the web. Typically, I favor word-of-mouth or recommendations from friends, but this gave me a good chance to explore what kind of information is available on family travel and how useful it really is. So after some extensive clicking, here's what I found: Travel With Kids (from About.com): From the site that gives you guidance on everything from the best digital cameras under $100 to what everyone should know about global warming, the folks at About.com give you a pretty comprehensive overview of what you need to know when traveling with kids, including family vacation ideas, but it seems that most of their information comes from sponsored links, which always makes me take pause. Family Vacation Critic: I became a member of this site which sends out frequent news alerts on developments in family travel. This extension of the successful CruiseCritic.com is still in its Beta stage, so the information library is still developing. It's easily one of the more polished and professional looking sites, but it also comes across as very commercial, especially biased towards Disney World and Orlando. The Family Travel Files: This site certainly has a ton of content and some valuable information, especially if you know what you're looking for. If you don't or you're just after some ideas or advice, things get a lot more difficult to disseminate. Continue reading The Top Family Travel Websites. Bus2Antarctica: Scared Strait By IT Blog on February 20, 2010 4:00 PM | Comments (1) Nobody said getting to Antarctica by bus would be easy, but even Andrew Evans didn't think he'd feel this close to death as he crossed the Strait of Magellan. Andrew at the Strait of MagellanI almost died on my last bus. I think it was the "almost" that was so terrifying. Never mind my crossing of militarized Colombia or dodging falling boulders in the Andes and dealing with various misadventures on my way down the globe. Turns out, it was the very last leg of my journey that proved the most hazardous. My very last bus on the bus ride to Antarctica was a double-decker that catered largely to tourists who aim to reach "the end of the earth" and enjoy the rugged outdoors of Tierra del Fuego. I found only two Argentinean bus companies that run the route to Ushuaia, and the soonest ticket I could get was on February 9th, with Marga. By road distance alone, the drive should only take about six hours. However the road from Rio Gallegos to Ushuaia is fraught with obstacles that include two international borders (Argentina to Chile and then Chile back into Argentina), the notorious Strait of Magellan, and the slippery mountain passes and high winds of Tierra del Fuego. When I asked the bus driver how long it took to get to Ushuaia, he grumbled robotically (as if asked this ten thousand times per day), "eight to twelve hours." He was entirely wrong, because it took us twenty-four hours. Continue reading Bus2Antarctica: Scared Strait. Olympic Blog: No Event? No Problem! By IT Blog on February 19, 2010 3:30 PM | Comments (0) Yes, you may be in Vancouver for the Olympics, but that doesn't mean you can't soak up all the city has to offer in your downtime (and with the weather conditions they've been having, there's been plenty of downtime). Barbara Ferry, the director of National Geographic Libraries and Information Services, shares some of the spots she's visited with her family when they aren't watching the athletes do their stuff. GondolaIf you want to escape the crowds on busy Olympic streets, hop in a taxi or take Vancouver's excellent bus system and to the University of British Columbia's Museum of Anthropology. During our visit on February 13, there were barely any visitors in sight. The museum's guards agreed that the lack of attendance that morning was due to the revelry the night before during and after the Opening Ceremonies. But since we were still on East Coast time, my family had no trouble getting to the museum by 10 a.m. The low attendance certainly had nothing to do with the museum's excellent Pacific Northwest and global native collections. Aside from the expansive space with towering totem poles and ceremonial bowls large enough to hold food for an entire village, the museum boasts a $55 million (Canadian) renovation to put more of its collections on display. Each artifact in the renovated space is linked to a visual description in central computer kiosks. With these kiosks the collections came to life--and I found my computer-spoiled 10 and 14-year-old kids running back and forth to identify masks, weapons, and other artifacts around the room (watch a video of how they work here). Finally, a museum we could all enjoy! Continue reading Olympic Blog: No Event? No Problem!. Bus2Antarctica Video: Windy City By IT Blog on February 19, 2010 2:00 PM | Comments (2) While waiting for his last bus to Ushuaia, Andrew Evans spent three days in the windy city of Rio Gallegos. [EMBED] Watch out Chicago. You've got competition. After three days in Rio Gallegos, I can vouch that its reputation for high and constant winds holds merit. For so many travelers, Rio Gallegos marks the end of the road. In all the bus stations I passed through in Argentina, "Rio Gallegos" sounded so distant and remote and when I finally boarded the bus, other passengers reacted that I was going to the very end of the line. This industrial city of some 120,000 lies at the very bottom of Argentina--just a twenty-minute drive from the Chilean border. I arrived at the Rio Gallegos bus station early on a Sunday morning--after a long and steady ride all the way across Argentina. Strangers and fellow travelers counseled me strongly against staying in the city. "It's not interesting," said one German backpacker. "Really boring," added another Frenchman. But for me, the denigrated destination is a place just begging to be explored. The road had led me to Rio Gallegos and so here I would stay. Continue reading Bus2Antarctica Video: Windy City. China's Wild Wall By IT Blog on February 19, 2010 1:00 PM | Comments (1) Writer Shelley Seale explores a section of China's Great Wall that is rarely visited by tourists. Wild Wall.JPGI was hiking slowly through the fall foliage in the woods surrounding the Shuiguan Mountains, about an hour outside Beijing. Vivid orange and yellow leaves swayed on the breeze in the branches around me as I picked my way carefully along the rocky path. My footsteps were the only sound I could hear. Suddenly, there it was. Emerging through the trees was a rocky wall just in front of me. I peered up at the top of it, thirty feet above my head. Following the path as it veered off to the left and up a steep rise, I found myself standing upon a crumbling, original section of the Great Wall of China. Boulders and smaller stones were scattered wherever they had come loose from the wall, resting where they lay for who knows how many years. Grass and weeds sprouted up from the remaining rocks that made up the top of the wall. This part of the Wall had not been repaired since the day it was constructed over a thousand years ago. This piece of ancient, undisturbed history that lay beneath my feet undulated across the mountains in front of me. There was no one else in sight. I was at a private, untouched part of the Great Wall, on the grounds of the Commune Kempinski resort. A few minutes later my small group of traveling companions caught up with me, and we walked along the wall in silence, marveling at our incredible experience of leaving the well-worn tourist trail behind. A short while later, as the sun began to set, we popped open a bottle of champagne to toast the end of a two-week trip. Continue reading China's Wild Wall. Olympic Blog: A Sea of Blue By IT Blog on February 18, 2010 4:00 PM | Comments (3) Barbara Ferry, the director of National Geographic Libraries and Information Services, is in Vancouver with her family to watch the Olympic Games, and spoke with some of the volunteers on hand helping to make the games happen. BlueHands.jpgEverywhere you go in Vancouver you'll find hundreds of volunteers in light blue jackets who are directing ticket holders, clearing out snow, or getting the venues ready for competition. And despite the rainy, miserable conditions, I have yet to meet one who is not kind, helpful, and patient with the many questions from Olympic visitors. Many volunteers are from Canada - 95 percent according to CNN.com - others are from the U.S. and around the world. One morning at 6:45 a.m. when we were riding a bus between Whistler and Creekside, about a dozen volunteers - one from as far away as Germany - climbed on board as we traveled the route. Some volunteers are retired, but most of the ones I spoke to had agreed to work for free for at least 14 days, taking personal vacation time in order to have the privilege of wearing the blue jackets and colorful backpacks. Volunteering does allow for a great view of the competition: Charles Cullinane of Boston, Massachusetts skis the slopes every day "painting" the blue lines for the racers before they arrive (he also touches them up between runs). On his back is six gallons of food coloring and a hose. It's "like you are spraying your lawn," said Cullinane. "It can get heavy," he added. After the Olympic racer passes, you'll see these line painters behind other skiers smoothing out the course. Cullinane flipped open his hands and showed us how his gloves used in painting the ski slopes had been dyed blue to match his jacket. He seemed as proud of them as he would have been if he'd won a medal. Photo: Barbara Ferry Olympic Blog: Don't Fence Me In! By IT Blog on February 17, 2010 4:30 PM | Comments (1) Barbara Ferry, the director of National Geographic Libraries and Information Services, is in Vancouver with her family to watch the Olympic Games. She shares her frustration about being fenced out of the Olympic torch. Cauldron.JPGHow can something be so very impressive but also so disappointing? The Vancouver Olympic Cauldron falls in that unlikely category. My family and thousands of others lined up outside Canada Place on Vancouver's waterfront in the pouring rain for a glimpse of the famous flame, only to find it unceremoniously locked behind a chain link fence--there was no way to get a clear view with your camera without pushing the lens through a gap in the links. The location of the cauldron was kept under wraps until it was revealed Friday night during the Opening Ceremonies. Even our taxi driver got the location wrong--sending us off through swarming crowds in the wrong direction. Because no one official--even the heavy security--could give a reason why it was locked up, speculation among the crowd ran rampant. One women was convinced that the Olympic Committee was concerned about protesters "putting the flame out." Thankfully, after admitting that they "underestimate[d] the degree to which people would want to get close to it," organizers of the Vancouver Games have said they will announce plans today to move the fence and provide visitors greater access to the torch. Want to see how the torch looks now? Check out some videos after the jump. Continue reading Olympic Blog: Don't Fence Me In!. Bus2Antarctica: Argentina Pizzeria By IT Blog on February 17, 2010 12:30 PM | Comments (0) We continue with our blog recaps of Andrew Evans' journey to Antarctica. In today's dispatch, Andrew challenges you not to salivate after watching this video. [EMBED] Travel makes me hungry. After a month of riding buses I've learned to pack light and eat light while en route. But after 30 or 40 hours on the road, I'm ready for a square meal. Upon arriving in Argentina's second city of Cordoba, I found the smells on the street too tempting to pass up and headed out in search of lunch. What was it about this city? Food was everywhere--good food. As I walked along each block, I found myself increasingly indecisive about where I would stop. There were Parisian-like cafes, swanky bakeries, quaint pizzerias, and roomy diners where men in white shirts dished out oversized lomitos (huge sandwiches heaped with steak, ham, cheese, fried eggs, melted butter and a pile of hot fries). I had a lot of options too chose from so I went with the lomito for lunch and then went hunting for pizza that night. My cousin who used to live in Argentina had sent me a message insisting that I try the local Fugazza pizza. And so I did. Continue reading Bus2Antarctica: Argentina Pizzeria. Samaritans of the West Bank By IT Blog on February 17, 2010 10:30 AM | Comments (1) Writer Sabina Lohr is back from Israel, where she visited a little-known village in the West Bank. samaritans.jpgAtop a rocky mountain in Israel's northern West Bank, a little village sits with silent streets, its sole inhabitants members of a minuscule ethnicity possessing ancient and well-known roots. Only 750 Samaritans remain in the world today - all of them in Israel and half of them here, in the town of Kiryat Luza on Mount Gerizim. Not many outsiders visit this Samaritan village, so I feel fortunate to be part of a small group that has made arrangements to stop by. At the Samaritan Museum, a prominent building on the town's main street, we meet the museum's keeper, a priest named Husney Kohen. From him we learn about Samaritan history as well as life in the present day. The Samaritans of the West Bank are related by blood to the other half of their group, who live geographically just several hours away but politically a world apart in the town of Holon, near Tel Aviv. Prominent figures in certain Bible stories, the Samaritans of yesteryear numbered over a million. By 1917, due in part to war and members moving away from their roots, their population dwindled to just 146. Today, with their numbers not much increased from almost a century ago, and with more males than females, Samaritans are actively trying to find wives who will fit well into their community. Their primary means of searching? The Internet. Because of their small number, a new bride will impact not just her spouse but the entire village. They screen their potential mates very carefully. Greatly impacted also by the regions in which they live, Samaritans seek to fit in peacefully, in part by speaking the local language. As West Bank Samaritans live amongst Palestinians, they speak Arabic in their daily lives, Kohen explains. The Samaritans of Holon, on the other hand, speak Hebrew, the language of Israel. On their Saturday Sabbath, though, all Samaritans speak only their own language - ancient Hebrew. Due to their location, West Bank Samaritans also keep themselves neutral politically. And, unlike other residents of Israel and the West Bank, they are allowed to possess three passports - Israeli, Palestinian and, according to Kohen, Jordanian. The home of today's West Bank Samaritans has always been a critical piece of land, a crossroads, Kohen says. Positioned as it is within the complex political structure of Israel, the land and its people likely always will be an important part of the Middle East. Photo: Sabina Lohr Bus2Antarctica Video: Andrew Arrives in Antarctica By IT Blog on February 16, 2010 4:45 PM | Comments (3) [EMBED] If you've been following along with the Bus2Antarctica project, both at Andrew's Twitter feed @Bus2Antarctica, and here on the blog, you know we're just a few steps behind him in his travels, as he's been sending us dispatches and amazing video feeds from his journey when he gets the time and Internet access to file. But we had to drop out of sequence when we got this video from the National Geographic Explorer/Lindblad crew this morning. After 45 days of nonstop travel, Andrew set foot on the seventh continent on February 14. Look at the smile on that face (and that beard!). Congratulations Andrew! And stay tuned for more videos, photos, and blog items filling in the details from the rest of the journey (delicious pizza and a harrowing passage still await). We've loving having you along for the ride, and as Andrew says, it's only just beginning. [Did you miss the bus? Catch up on the full blog series here.] Olympic Blog: Essential Equipment By IT Blog on February 16, 2010 4:05 PM | Comments (0) Barbara Ferry, the director of National Geographic Libraries and Information Services, is in Vancouver with her family to watch the Olympic Games. She learned that while the athletes are assuredly bringing their high-tech gear, it turns out that the spectators have special equipment of their own. Pinsellers.jpgEvery Olympics has its essential equipment--items that everyone seems to have--or wants to get. I've heard that in the past pins were the thing, and I see some kids adorned but I rarely caught sight of any being exchanged. The exception was two ladies who had set up a make-shift display of dozens of pins from the United States and Russia near Canada Place -- sort of a mini-detente. One nice Canadian also handed me a Robson Square pin when I inquired about directions. For the Vancouver Olympics the it item is a pair of bright red mittens which are adorned with the Olympic Rings and Canadian maple leaf. They are everywhere, and were worn by the thousands at the indoor women's hockey game on Sunday night (Canada vs. Slovakia, and Canada trounced the poor opposing team 18-0.) The mittens are a true Canadian item-created by Canadian Olympics Committee with proceeds benefitting Canadian athletes. I had expected to pick up a pair at Olympic stores or at a street vendor - the latter of which are noticeably lacking in Vancouver, which meant I had to hunt them down. Canadians told me they were available at "mall" stores not easily accessible to tourists without a car. I'd also heard also they are at the Vancouver airport (missed that opportunity) and in Whistler. The adult mittens were sold out online and are now being marked up 50-100% on sites like eBay. Finally, I tracked them down at the Hudson's Bay Company store on Granville Street. Just picked up ten pairs for family! Continue reading Olympic Blog: Essential Equipment. Mardi Gras Moments: Mardi Gras Morning By IT Blog on February 16, 2010 9:00 AM | Comments (0) Staffers Krista Rossow and Susanne Hackett are in New Orleans with writer Andrew Nelson this week. Below they check in with us bright and early on Mardi Gras morning. mardigraskrista.jpgIt's Mardi Gras in New Orleans this morning and the city is awaking to clear skies and King Cake, the iconic, high-sugar carb cake that fuels the merriment of sinners and saints. Especially the Saints, whose Drew Brees ruled as king of Bacchus on Sunday before massive crowds. Stay posted for more images of Mardi Gras day in New Orleans and follow the merriment on WWOZ FM on the web. Photo: Krista Rossow Bus2Antarctica: Argentina Long Haul By IT Blog on February 15, 2010 2:30 PM | Comments (0) Andrew Evans recounts his race to reach Ushuaia before his boat left for Antarctica. LaQuiaca.JPGOne country, five buses, seven days. Argentina is a huge country. I suppose I was aware of that fact beforehand--subconsciously--but traveling the entire length of the country in person really drives the point home. Pun intended, I guess. I entered into Argentina at La Quiaca, a tiny border town across the river from Bolivia's much bigger city of Villazon. The "Welcome to Argentina" sign over the bridge brought me false comfort: I had arrived in my last country--I was almost there! But then I walked onward and saw the first Argentine road sign announcing: Ushuaia 5,121 km. I had to double check on my calculator but quickly confirmed that equals 3,200 miles, one-third of the total distance of my overland journey. Ack! Argentina's northernmost road sign only announces its southernmost destination, Ushuaia. Just like in Texas, Argentina's welcome sign functions as a boasting device, rubbing it into newcomers: "Welcome to our country which is THIS BIG!" 3,200 miles is a helluva long way. For some perspective--the drive from New York City to Los Angeles, California is 2,462 miles. I had to do all that and 800 miles more--in a week. As I trundled into La Quiaca's maze of a bus station, I was feeling some real pressure--if I made a mistake, took the wrong bus, or chose the wrong route, my whole journey would be screwed up. Luckily I was in Argentina, which is a land of buses. I had a lot of options to choose from--dozens of bus companies that linked to nearly everywhere in the country. Argentina may be huge but it also has more road infrastructure than any other Latin American country. That gave me comfort. I had several options and listened to the various bus company representatives sell me their route--many counseled that I go straight to Buenos Aires. It was out of my way by a long shot but everyone said that it was the major bus hub and I would be able to get a direct bus all the way south. Others said the best way was to follow the mountains--to go to Mendoza and Bariloche and then continue on to the wondrous icy beauty of El Calafate. All options were tempting--Argentina's attractions are all too numerous and too grandiose--and yet my mission was Antarctica. After staring at the map for thirty minutes, I chose south. I would just keep taking buses due south until I got to my goal. I love Buenos Aires (love, love) but it was out of my way. I dream of seeing Mendoza someday, but I think I've had my quota of buses in mountains. Instead, I bought a ticket to the first largest city south, San Salvador de Jujuy. IMG_4249.JPGDescending from high-altitude Bolivia into the desert hills of Argentina's Jujuy region was incredibly scenic. Very drab rocky landscapes suddenly turned into colorful sandstone swirls, pink rock formations, twisting mountain streams and noble saguaro-like cacti that thrive in the dryness. I honestly felt like I was driving through southern Arizona--and it was HOT. How hot? My phone claimed the temperature was 48DEG C. That's 118DEG F and I'm really not lying--it was that hot. Yes it was dry heat, but it was still uncomfortable and burned my skin even through a bus window. By the time we reached Jujuy's capital of San Salvador, I was a sweaty, red, grimy mess. I immediately bought my next bus ticket--due south on an overnight bus to the city of Cordoba. Then I went to find a shower. Traveling in Argentina was such a relief because everything was suddenly so easy. I found that on buses, all things were possible--ask for any itinerary and almost every time, your will is done. Need a hotel room for four hours until your next bus so you can take a shower and a nap? There's one right around the corner for just a few dollars an hour. Need Internet, need to recharge? No problem. Everything was so easy to find, except food. I quickly learned that Argentines have very fixed mealtimes: dinner doesn't begin until well after 8 PM and no respectable restaurant is open until that time. I grabbed some street food, got all cleaned up and repacked, then headed back to the San Salvador bus station. There I boarded a bus that for me, wins the award for best bus on my entire journey: a first-class, double-decker Flecha bus. The ride to Cordoba was smooth and uneventful--I slept all through the night and awoke as we pulled into the airport-sized bus station of Argentina's second biggest city. I knew I wanted to see Cordoba but I also have learned not to delay buying my next bus ticket. And so I head straight down into a row of over 50 bus station counters trying to purchase my next ticket south. What I found was discouraging--nearly every company was booked full for days. This was the first week of February--the height of summer vacation, equivalent to the first week in August in the States. Families were all traveling across the country and space was tight. After much wrangling I bought a single ticket for a 24-hour bus to Trelew that left the next day--the last space available for a week. I rested up in Cordoba, enjoyed the city a great deal and was back at the bus station the following morning ready for the long haul. Continue reading Bus2Antarctica: Argentina Long Haul. Before Lent, Fatten Up with Semlor in Sweden By IT Blog on February 15, 2010 10:30 AM | Comments (8) Travel writer and photographer, Lola Akinmade introduces IT readers to one of Sweden's most decadent seasonal pastries. Akinmade_Semlor3.jpgFrom January through March, during the dark dreary months of winter, they line bakery shelves all around Stockholm like glowing bulbous orbs, oozing with sinfully decadent almond paste fillings, luring window shoppers in with sweet wafting smells of cardamom to come take a tempting bite...right in time for the Christian holy observance of Lent. Designed to literally fatten you up in preparation for 40 long days and nights of fasting, semla (plural - semlor) are oval shaped wheat buns filled to overflowing with almond paste and fully whipped cream. Widely consumed all across Scandinavia and in the Baltic states of Latvia and Estonia, semla became popular in Sweden as early as 1541 and its name is derived from the Latin word semilia which refers to semolina or fine wheat flour used to make the dessert. It was originally eaten only on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, but nowadays as fewer Swedes observe the religious season of fasting and prayer, locals start downing semlors pretty much right after New Year's up until Easter with each person consuming an average of five semlor per year. The semla's peculiar look comes from the fact that its top is sliced off and its innards are scooped out to stuff in gooey almond paste and whipped cream. The sliced-off top is then replaced as a lid and finished off with a generous dusting of powdered sugar. In 1771, King Adolf Frederick of Sweden was reported to have died after following a hefty dinner with 14 servings of semla, his favorite dessert, so this pastry's alluring effect should be taken seriously. While dozens of cafes and konditoris peppering the city carry their own variation of semlor, be sure to stop by legendary Vete-Katten located on Kungsgatan in Stockholm for their award-winning semlor, also available in gluten-free and lactose-free versions. Bus2Antarctica: Uyuni Salt Flats By IT Blog on February 13, 2010 10:30 AM | Comments (1) Andrew Evans explores Bolivia's vast salt flats. IMG_0281.JPGI can't think of a worse torture than coming to Bolivia for the first time and then having to rush across the country in under a week. It's like taking a kid to Disney World for the first time and then telling him he has 10 minutes before it closes forever. Bolivia's sights and culture were both brilliant and constant and yet much of my time was spent arranging buses, overcoming altitude sickness, and avoiding the pitfalls of rainy season . . . which is exactly why I was so happy to discover that my path to Antarctica happened to pass right through the Uyuni. Uyuni is home to the largest salt flats in the world-- 25 times larger than the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. Formed by a gigantic, dried out prehistoric lake, the salt flats offer the odd sensation of standing on a blank piece of paper. It's that wide-open feeling of nothingness that attracts thousands of tourists from around the world, me included. Continue reading Bus2Antarctica: Uyuni Salt Flats. Today's Pic: Terra Cotta Snowman By IT Blog on February 12, 2010 5:00 PM | Comments (1) tcsnow.jpgSay it ain't snow! Washingtonians have been going snow-crazy this past week, but one family was inspired by National Geographic's Terra Cotta Warriors exhibit and created this sculpture in their front yard. Says photographer Dana Marshall, "During the major February 5, 2010, snowstorm, the Marshall family of Fredericksburg, Virginia, family joined hands on a whim to create a Terra Cotta snowman. They visited the National Geographic exhibit in January." The Marshalls sent this photo of their snow creation to National Geographic magazine's Your Shot, where photo editor Susan Welchman liked it so much she included it in her Daily Dozen gallery this week. There's still time to see the real 2,000-year-old Terra Cotta Warriors in DC. They'll be on display at the National Geographic Museum through March 31. Click here for ticket info. Photo: Dana Marshall One Step Closer to a Good Shot By IT Blog on February 12, 2010 4:00 PM | Comments (4) Last year, Rainer Jenss traveled around the world with his wife and two sons, and blogged about his experience here on Intelligent Travel. This year, he's back with a new column that focuses on traveling with kids. DSCF4018.JPGI challenge you to name the brand of the golf clubs Arnold Palmer once used or tell me what kind of guitar Eric Clapton plays. Does it really matter, you might wonder? I ask because I've noticed that when people first see some of the striking photographs my sons have taken at just nine and 12 years old, they immediately inquire as to what type of camera they were taken with, as though this is the primary reason for the impressive results. Although a quality camera certainly helps make the technical aspects of photography easier - thus improving the likelihood of a decent shot - it's the person behind the lens who ultimately produces the image. As National Geographic photographer Michael Melford once told me, "A great instrument does not play itself. You have to develop the skills and practice a lot in order to make beautiful music. Even the world's most expensive violin will sound like crap if you don't know how to play it." So that's the first and most basic lesson I urge you to share with your kids: don't worry about the camera so much - just tell them to put the setting on 'Automatic' and look for good pictures. Having said that, here's some advice for the parents: don't discourage them from being too playful about pointing the lens in some unusual directions. During the early stages of our year-long trip, I noticed Tyler frequently aiming his camera at anything but the main attraction of where we were. This often included the sun, at which point I finally demanded he stop goofing off. But when I witnessed some of the results, I suspected he might be on to something. It soon became apparent that although there were lots of "throw-aways," some of his best shots were no accident (the beauty of digital is that wasted photos don't cost you anything). Better yet, he seemed to really enjoy looking at his subject matter from a different perspective, which is something that's hard to teach. Remember, composition doesn't need to be realistic or make sense to be successful. Continue reading One Step Closer to a Good Shot. Bus2Antarctica: The Rainy Season By IT Blog on February 11, 2010 4:30 PM | Comments (4) Andrew Evans discovers the real meaning of "rainy season" as he travels through Bolivia. IMG_0248.JPGIf there's one thing I've learned on this trip, it's to never trust a bus. On a bus, you never know what's going to happen. In fact, I've started to expect at least one thing to happen: cows, falling boulders, traffic jams, religious processions, military roadblocks--all sorts of things get in the way of buses. In Bolivia, that thing turned out to be water. I was aware that I was traveling in the tropical rainy season--I was not aware how much this affects the roads. After leaving La Paz, all the roads became unpaved and quite muddy, despite traveling through some very dry areas. I remember distinctly when, after nearly 12 hours of riding through the night, our bus driver stopped, revved the engine and did a Dukes of Hazzard move across the raging flood of brown water that bisected the road. We all cheered him and thought our driver was the coolest (although later, when I retrieved my soaking backpack from the compartment underneath the bus, not so cool). Continue reading Bus2Antarctica: The Rainy Season. Bus2Antarctica: The High Life By IT Blog on February 11, 2010 10:30 AM | Comments (2) Andrew Evans gets a taste of Bolivian remedies. IMG_0219.JPGAltitude sickness feels really weird. I'd read about before but always thought it was for the extreme travelers--climbers on Mount Everest or adventurous balloonists pushing the limits of the stratosphere. I didn't expect to get it on the bus. To be clear, I have made this entire journey without a single guidebook. This might sound strange coming from somebody who writes guidebooks himself but when you're traveling on the open road, the last thing you want is for someone else to tell you what to think about a place. Thus I traveled across Bolivia without a clue about soroche. Luckily, my new friends on the bus warned me of the ill effects altitude sickness can bring and began plying me with cups of hot coca tea to lessen the blow. Yes, coca tea is made from the same coca leaves from which the drug cocaine is extracted and let me tell you--after my bout with soroche, I'm definitely a believer. The road I rode in and out of La Paz was over 13,500 feet and I stayed close to that height (and higher) for several days. Until recently, the highest mountain I had ever climbed was around 10,000 feet. After several hours at that height I still felt absolutely normal and congratulated myself for my strong stamina and superman ability to not fall victim to a "made-up illness" like everyone else on the bus. That self-assured feeling lasted until another feeling came to replace it--an uneasy feeling of dizziness, shortness of breath, dry mouth and lips, an airy headache and general malaise like no other general malaise. Upon arriving at my hotel, I had to lie down and wait as I had no energy--only fatigue. Continue reading Bus2Antarctica: The High Life. Bus2Antarctica: What's in My Pack By IT Blog on February 10, 2010 4:30 PM | Comments (4) pack.jpg How do you pack for a 10-week bus trip across two