December 2007 Archives

I'm all for trying new foods when I travel.

Octupus, lamb, alligator, turtle soup... I think sampling local foods is one of the best ways to learn about the culture of the place you're visiting.

But I draw the line at guinea pig.

The picture above is one I snapped in a small town in the Ecuadorian Andes in July 2002. We saw them grilling on the sidewalk in front of restaurants. I suppose it's a way to entice customers.

Not me.

I never had one of the squeaky creatures as a pet growing up, but I visited my college roommate once when she had two guinea pigs and I will never forget the squeaking they made all night long. I can't eat that.

Pigs squeak and squeal too, you say. Cows moo. Chickens crow.
I know, I know, I know.

But it horrified me to read this USA Today story about how guinea pig is all the rage in restaurants in Lima, Peru.

Good thing I'm going to Buenos Aires and not Lima this winter.

At least there they only eat regular pigs and cow.

Vegetarians everywhere, I beg you, pray for me!

What's the strangest food you've eaten while traveling? Post a comment and share.

As we count down the final days till 2008, I thought it would be appropriate to post a link to this USA Today story that rounds up the weird and wacky in the world of travel during 2007.

Remember the girl asked to leave a Southwest flight because she was dressed to provocatively?

What about the mom who dumped the contents of her toddler's sippy cup onto the floor of Reagan National Airport in DC after a discussion with TSA officials?

Then there are the ones you might not have heard about, such as the cat who snuck into his owner's luggage and traveled 900 miles before being detected (still alive, thank goodness).

If any of you readers ever have a crazy travel experience, make sure you shoot me an e-mail and tell me the story so your trials and triumphs don't go to waste!

Yesterday, I went on a journey of a different sort. A trip to organization land. It's a place I don't feel like I visit often enough, yet from what others tell me, I stop by more than most.

It started while browsing at Target with a friend during yesterday's day-after-Christmas sales. (I know, browsing at Target never leads to anything more than an empty wallet and a full shopping cart of things you didn't know you needed.)

Anyway, I found some super-cool plastic storage boxes that snap together. I thought they'd be perfect to hold some of my smaller gift-wrapping supplies. Then I got an ornament storage box. I figured it was about time I did something other than wrap them in newspaper and stuff them into bags when the original boxes disappeared.

Back home, inspired by my new organizational tools, I tackled the after-Christmas mess of gift tags, bows, half-empty reams of wrapping paper and miscellaneous cards and clutter.

When I was done, I got that strange feeling of peace that comes over me whenever I put things in order. I know, I know, I'm a freak. It's just that I don't function well in the midst of mess. For me, it makes stressful moments even more so and creates unnecessary hassles.

I know, it's true, life is messy. You can't always put things into neat boxes and store them away until you feel like thinking about them again. But it's almost a new year -- time to clear away the cobwebs and prepare for fresh starts. So hopefully you can relate to my organizational urges.

Now, if I could just get the energy to tackle my filing cabinet, or my closet, or....

From left, Buster and Violet Harrell, Wilda Bosserman and Jack Whitcomb, all of Springettsbury Township, pose for a photo in front of Ayers Rock during a 16-day November trip through Australia. They ended their trip by visiting the Syndey Opea House.

Their travel tip: If you want to have dinner in the outback or see kangaroos in the wild, make sure to check ahead of time whether that will be possible where you plan to travel.

I keep reading about how more people are traveling with their pets. Apparently, the hospitality industry is doing more to welcome owners and their pets. (Think complimentary bones, treats, puppy beds.)

I live with a cat. Kharma, like most cats I know, likes to do what she wants when she wants to do it. So, bottom line is that travel is out. She'd rather hold down the fort at home, sitting in the bay window to watch the traffic below, the birds, and keep an eye on the firehouse across the street. As long as someone fills her food dish and the tabletop fountain she drinks from, visits and brushes her daily, she'd rather be in a familiar setting.

I'm curious, do you take your pet along when you travel? If so, what problems or welcome surprises have you come across? If not, how do you make sure your sweetie doesn't suffer in your absence?

The four people who died in the fire on Kings Mill Road in York over the weekend were from the state of Oaxaca, Mexico.

Two years ago, I was fortunate enough to spend some time in the city of Oaxaca, which is in that state, not far from San Jose del Progreso, where the York family is from.

Because I like to try local foods wherever I travel, here is a picture of "quesillo," a stringy, white cheese that I ate with Saltine crackers many days for lunch while I was there. And below is an example of the "tamales" that many Mexicans prepare at the holidays.

Unfortunately, a Lancaster hotel made it onto TripAdvisor's 2006 list of the Top 10 dirtiest hotels in the country.

I kind of question the accuracy of the list because I've stayed in some nasty places. But then again, they weren't in this country...

I'm talking bathrooms so tiny the shower sprayed out of the room, nasty bugs, don't-want-to-know stains, etc.

What was the worst hotel experience you had? Post a comment and alert your fellow travelers!

Check out this new Web site, where you can help end world hunger and test your English vocabulary while you procrastinate from whatever you're supposed to be doing on your computer. (In my case, writing a story for the Living section of this fine newspaper.)

The Web site, which launched in early October, donates 20 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program each time you match a word with its correct definition. The rice is paid for by advertisers on the site.

In five minutes of playing, I reached vocab level 42 and donated 300 grains of rice. Now, I've never counted grains of rice on my plate, but I'm thinking that might make for a couple of mouthfuls.

How's that for some productive procrastination?

(Note: This whole productive procrastination thing is something I really succeed at... look for a future post on this enlightening subject... I may have found the key that millions of people and companies have been awaiting... maybe I should write a book about it and it will be such a revolutionary idea that I'll become a millionaire and... well, back to the subject at hand).

Mort Kousen of Springettsbury Township snapped this photo last fall while driving on a winding mountain road in Utah.

The sign was at the end of a ravine, and -- as is obvious from the photo -- got plowed over by someone who failed to heed its warning.

Quick survey: How many of you would like to visit all seven continents during your lifetime?

I'll raise my hand.

Antarctica will likely be the last though, because of time and expense. Plus, the idea of tromping around on sheets of ice and having to wear layers 24-7 doesn't much appeal to this warm-weather girl. Heck, I have enough trouble wearing scratchy sweaters, suffocating turtlenecks and bulky coats during Mid Atlantic winters. How would I ever deal with Antarctic cold -- even during their summer?

The penguins might be cute though...

Anyway, the point of this post is that tourism to the seventh continent is on the rise and that brings dangers for both visitors and the continent itself. We all know what happens when popular tourist spots aren't protected the way they should be. It's not a happy picture. Check out this story about a cruise ship that nearly sank on its way to Antarctica .

I don't know about you, but when my time comes, I'd rather it not happen slowly by hypothermia in sub-zero waters.

Yesterday, I had high tea.

A friend's mother recently opened a tea room in an old Victorian house in East Berlin, so a group of us went to check it out. I like tea, but honestly, I'm more of a coffee person. And I was a little nervous about the whole prim-and-proper, tea-time experience.

Could I sit still for two hours as they slowly served course after course? Did I have the proper table manners for such a formal occasion?

Or, would I drip honey all over everything (I did) and have to get up and wander around every half hour or so because I was antsy from sitting (I did) and leave hungry after a series of petite courses? (I didn't -- quite the opposite, actually)