A Wedding Abroad
October 26, 2008 | Written by Bianca Jordan
“Destination wedding” has always sounded extravagant to me and I never seriously thought I would have one myself. Yet, here I am, a happily engaged gal, in the midst of planning her wedding in a small Italian mountain town called Roccascalegna. My fiancé Keith and I chose to marry abroad for several reasons: it’s romantic, the setting is beautiful and unique, it’s a wonderful opportunity to integrate ourselves... [Read more]
Road Trip Travel Enters the Space Age, part 3
October 24, 2008 | Written by Steve Smith & Christine Johnson
I returned last week from my driving adventure and the experience of navigating by man-made stars through Tuscany. Let me tell you, this region is in a league all its own during the harvest season. The seasonal local foods and festivals, the wine, and particularly the weather are superb.
If you’re contemplating doing this but have read about how difficult Italian drivers can be, let me tell you this is just bad... [Read more]
Budget Botswana
October 23, 2008 | Written by Sarit Reizin
Given the cost of reaching Botswana’s tourist attractions, I’ve been
watching my budget closer than usual, though I still didn’t think it
would have come to dumpster-diving. Well, I was wrong – I did end up
at the city dump. Contemplating alternative access options to the next
and last of Botswana’s overpriced national parks, I and my teammates
were driving through... [Read more]
Faces of Egypt
October 22, 2008 | Written by Steve Smith & Christine Johnson
Wise, wrinkled, weathered faces, and innocent, young faces. Faces of stone. Faces of flesh. Faces of deep compassion.
My perception of Egypt comes mostly from the Hollywood images of Pharaohs and fellaheen, images of kings and commoners that are much too simplistic. After all, it was Egypt that bequeathed the fundamental civilizing influence of knowledge, passed down by the Greeks and Romans that lifted Europe... [Read more]
The Rain in Costa Rica
October 22, 2008 | Written by Devin Galaudet
The rain came down in torrents that I want to describe as mythical, but I will just call it buckets. Lightning flashed and for a few moments the jungle wildlife hushed under the will of Mother Nature.
I was again stranded in the rain in Costa Rica, this time on horseback. “Chocolate,” my trusty steed spoke no English so all my “Giddyups” and “Would you freaking move” fell upon... [Read more]
Back to the Kalahari Desert
October 21, 2008 | Written by Sarit Reizin
I’m back to the Kalahari Desert, now in Botswana, trying to remind
myself that my feelings about authoritarian governments and regimes
are not to be confused with my feelings about Africa. Travel is harder
here. The National parks are expensive to access, and bush-camping is
dangerous – too many elephants walking around. I try not to get too
annoyed with the armed men who stop the car... [Read more]
More Dancing with the Stars in Puerto Rico (video podcast)
October 21, 2008 | Written by Devin Galaudet
In more of my visit with the folks a Puerto Rica Tourism, I now took the opportunity to interview salsa pro, Jo Quiñones. She helps explain a little about salsa and Puerto Rican culture while exhibiting some fancy footwork with Dancing with the Stars, season six winner, Mark Ballas (he won with partner Kristi Yamaguchi).
And yes, I still feel like a klutz.
As with all of our videos Quicktime 7.0 or better... [Read more]
Dancing with the Stars in Puerto Rico (video podcast)
October 18, 2008 | Written by Devin Galaudet
It’s been a few months since I was last in Puerto Rico, and, for me, maybe the surprise destination for the year. It is definitely one of my favorite places in 2008. In this video segment I chat with Mari Jo of Puerto Rico Tourism. Not only does she offer some great advice for trying some of the highlights in Puerto Rico, but also invites visitors to Los Angeles to come to the Glendale Galleria (this weekend Oct.... [Read more]
Chameleon Africa
October 17, 2008 | Written by Sarit Reizin
Africa is a chameleon. I am only a day’s drive away from Etosha - my most recent never-ending fountain of wildlife, and it’s like I’ve landed on a different planet with its own magnificent and diverse population of birds and antelopes. Reminding me of my South American darling, the jabiru, saddlebill storks rummage through the reeds with their incredibly colorful bills, spread their enormous sail-like... [Read more]
Costa Rica and the 2008 Geotourism Challenge
October 15, 2008 | Written by ITKT Media Partner
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, October 14, 2008 – National Geographic, in partnership with Ashoka’s Changemakers, recently recognized Costa Rican eco-adventure company, Rios Tropicales, as one of the three winners of its 2008 Geotourism Challenge. Rios Tropicales was selected for its commitment to protecting the rainforest in collaboration with local communities, tourists, and conservation organizations in Costa Rica. The... [Read more]
Five-Hour Photo
October 13, 2008 | Written by Sarit Reizin
She lay in wait and so did I. How famished she must have been, if only
watching her hunt I’ve become so hungry I’ve risked getting out of the
car, fetching my gasoline camping stove, and cooking up a hearty meal
right there in the back seat of my double-cab truck. What torture it
must have been, to see the springbok inch towards her hiding place
near a waterhole, and keep her tired... [Read more]
When Staying in the Rain Forest 101
October 9, 2008 | Written by Devin Galaudet
There is a romantic notion when considering staying in the rain forests, communing with nature, frolicking in the foliage, sweet and charming animals that purr and pose for your camera. It is all so simple and charming, just like out of a Disney movie. In fact, when I first saw the room I would be staying in I thought, as I looked out an untouched, unvarnished jungle reality, This is a place to make a baby. To create life... [Read more]
About One Little Himba
October 8, 2008 | Written by Devin Galaudet
“Ask her what her favorite thing to do is,” I said. Jaco asked, and
the little fifteen year-old Himba replied that it was cooking. She
looked so precious, healthy, happy, but then also so alien to me. She
was naked from the waist up, except for a few strings of beads and a
thick collar on her neck indicating she was still unwed. At 16 she
would already be too old for marriage, so... [Read more]
Whistling in the Dark, Lost in Costa Rica
October 8, 2008 | Written by Devin Galaudet
How did I get here, I walked down a lonely, rainy hill toward my room — a place so far removed from anything that I could be scarcely be missed if I were to be swallowed by the night. I whistled the whole way to my room. I also wondered, how did I get so far from civilization?
First I left San Jose, Costa Rica, on one of those 20-seat, puddle jumpers with propellors. Then, I landed in Drake’s Bay before... [Read more]
A Striking Chord in Ubud, Indonesia
October 6, 2008 | Written by Maddy Couch
A curious interest in traditional Bali and a passion for learning about world music led me to the tranquil town of Ubud. With Ubud’s pleasant climate due to its location just before the mountainous regions, and its welcoming locals, I felt a warmth for this place the moment I stepped foot into the town. A centre point for Balinese culture, music, arts and crafts, all of which offer inspiration to travelers from all... [Read more]
Far Flung Costa Rica
October 5, 2008 | Written by Devin Galaudet
It started with a flight out of San Jose, Costa Rica in the morning. The hour long 20-seat puddle jump landed in Drake Bay on a crusty and humid runway before landing in Golfito. Then it was a 20-minute, high-speed boat ride to Puerto Jiminez and another fifteen minutes from the dock to the hotel agent and then an unpaved jeep ride to an eco-lodge in the middle of nowhere, Costa Rica.
In the morning, I was greeted... [Read more]
Road Trip Travel Enters the Space Age, part 2
October 3, 2008 | Written by Steve Smith & Christine Johnson
Should I be excited that I’m living the freedom of navigating by car through the hill towns of Tuscany and Umbria, or frightened by this summer’s astronomical gas prices and what it can do to my pocketbook?
Months ago, much like a progeny of Zeus, I mused about this upcoming road trip and the relevancy of this type of travel. I asked, “Will gas prices continue to skyrocket as they have this summer?”... [Read more]
The Real Africa
October 3, 2008 | Written by Sarit Reizin
It finally feels like I am in real Africa. Not a white person in sight and many prospects for the elusive desert elephants that should be lurking around this region. A few kilometers north of Twyfelfontein (Doubtful Spring) we found a Damara village and asked where we could find the elephants everybody was so afraid of.
“Stella can take you” said a girl from the village, “She’ll be back from... [Read more]
From One of Our Writers
October 2, 2008 | Written by ITKT Media Partner
Bradley Fink has been one of our talented writers and here is a release on his first collections of stories. How exciting! We, at ITKT, wish Brad much success and maybe even a Pulitzer.
devin
Editor ITKT
A new book has been published and released, Sketches of a Young Man Wandering & Other Stories, by Bradley Fink. It is an exceptional first book by a young American writer. It hasn’t hit the... [Read more]
Catching a Break in El Salvador
October 1, 2008 | Written by Allison Neves
Known as one of the world’s surfing Meccas, La Libertad is a small, uncrowded village located on the Pacific Ocean approximately 30 minutes west of El Salvador’s capital San Salvador. I was in the country last May visiting family when my husband and I had the opportunity to stay at a cool, new beachside hotel. We are always looking for interesting accommodations off the beaten track and, being avid travellers, we are... [Read more]
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