Welcome to Travelers' Tales

The Power of a Good Story

We are all outsiders when we travel. Whether we go abroad or roam about our own country, we often enter territory so unfamiliar that our frames of reference become sorely inadequate. We need advice not just to avoid offense and danger, but to make our experiences richer, deeper, and more fun.
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Editors' Choice Stories

Antarctica Concerto

by Cecilia Worth

There's something more than wilderness at the bottom of the earth.

Except for the gangway’s frenzied chunk-chunk against the flank of the anchored ship, the Antarctic blizzard furies around us in eerie silence. The captain of our converted ice-breaker has sought shelter in the flooded caldera of Deception Island, an ancient volcano north of the Antarctic Peninsula. Despite this safer anchorage, the Polar Star rolls and heaves in the five-foot swells.

Feeling for the gangway’s ice-skimmed steps with clumsy, insulated boots, I inch my way downward. Below, a zodiac bucks at the end of its frozen tether. Other photographers and naturalists, waiting their turn to go ashore, press against the deck railing above me, faces shielded from the stinging snow by Darth-Vador facemasks.

For a split second the base of the gangway comes level with the zodiac. Gloved hands grip my wrists. One, two...THREE, and I land like a diving sea bird among six other passengers hunched against the gale. The outboard guns us forward. Almost immediately the storm envelops us. We can see nothing but a tight circle of black water inches from our backsides.

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Crazy Diamond

by Adrian Cole

One day he found himself in Texas.

I couldn’t really ever tell you why I left home. I’d come up with some superficial reasons, of course, but just so that we could avoid an awkward and unhelpful silence. The deeper truth probably lies somewhere in the inherited murkiness of the human psyche, a monkey’s inclination to wander, always, one has to assume, looking for larger bananas, taller trees, and perhaps a place of fewer predators.

Soon after I had arrived in Texas I read the book Bruce Chatwin wrote shortly before succumbing to AIDS: What Am I Doing Here? It did not necessarily answer that particular question for me, nor did it really help me in figuring out the reasons for my perambulations. But it did at least allow me to ask that question of myself, which before I had perceived but never really articulated: What the hell am I doing here? The particular question obviously had existential undertones which were exaggerated by the author’s untimely death, and seemed to refer both to a geographical place and to the human condition itself—the ultimate existential query. Chatwin’s question, presented as the title to a collection of serious travel essays, cast a cloud of shadowy doubt over the whole enterprise of being a stranger, what it means to be away from our family, and to some extent from ourselves, and I found that useful.

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Greek Hospitality

by Rozalia-Maria Tellenbach

It was generous then, as it is now.

Greece was burning. In August 2007, 175 fires erupted simultaneously from the Ionian Sea in the west, Ioannina in the north and the Peloponnese in the south. Fed by gale force winds, walls of flame descended on houses and villages. The land of sun and light, dreams, hopes and illusions, was going up in smoke. On the 9th of September, Theodorous N. Ikonomou, the President of the Greek Forest Owners Association, reported that “for four days repeatedly over 200 fires occurred per 24 hours. Over 150 arson mechanisms were collected in the aftermath of the fires. 75 human lives lost, including five fire-fighters. There was relatively little damage to ancient monuments but considerably more to Byzantine churches and other treasured buildings.”

Greece was burning; I was outraged. The fires burned through my decades and awakened youthful memories; youthful passion; youthful love.

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Cefalo

by Eliot Stein

Traditions come and go, like the tides.

There exists an inherent sorrow in the Italian culture—the kind that drives you towards theatrical hand motions, delicate flicks of the tongue, and designer fashion instead of prescription drugs. It is grief channeled in its most artistic form. Were it not for Italians’ emotional fragility, there would have been no Renaissance, opera, or Versace.

You pick up on these things when you’re half-naked and stranded at sea. Somewhere during the 40-minute ferry ride between Venice and Burano our vaporetto sputtered to a float. Marco, our captain, is busy slashing his hands to conduct an orchestrated overture in Venetian curses, turning to blame any inanimate objects he can find for his luck; the sky, his dead cell phone, the steering wheel, the sky again. He interrupts this opus just long enough to mention that he forgot to add gas before we left. As he peels off his shirt and reclines against the life preservers, he says all we can do now is wait for help, and work on our tans.

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The Worst Motorcycle in Laos

by Christopher Tharp

It was the ride of his life.

It was a 100cc Chinese make – a glorified scooter, actually – the type of four speed bike that is ubiquitous throughout Southeast Asia. The horn was burned out, along with the electric starter and both turning signals. The tires were bald. Neither the speedometer nor the gas gauge functioned. The silver-dollar sized mirrors looked as if they had been ripped from makeup compacts and attached to the bike with safety pins, spinning freely on their mounts like reflective whirly-gigs. The black paint job was ancient and covered in deep scratches. The hand brake didn’t work at all, and the foot brake felt as if it was attached with a worn out rubber band. Despite its many flaws, the bike held one advantage over the only other motorcycle to be had in town that day: It started.

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Gods Who Smell Like Goats

by Mary Patrice Erdmans

She joins the river of souls that is the Way of St. James.

Ulrich, a robust 52-year-old pilgrim dressed in a red flannel shirt, told me, “I want to walk through the world without leaving footprints. It's hard work to be silent."

Sitting alone inside the walls of the convent of Santa Clara in Carrion de los Condes, Spain, I stretch out my legs under the early summer sun, relax my back into the warmth of the bricks, and listen through the silence to the twelve chimes. A fresh-faced nun in full black habit pokes her head out the door. I lean my head against the wall, close my eyes, sigh.

Ulrich the pilgrim started walking to Spain from his home in Austria. Paul started out from France. Others came from Scotland, Holland, Brazil, North Carolina, and the Czech Republic to walk the Camino de Santiago de Campostella (the Way of St. James). The Camino, which became known in the 12th century, is a key Christian pilgrimage to the believed burial place of the apostle Saint James (Santiago) on the Iberian Peninsula. His bones were happened upon centuries earlier by a shepherd following a field (campo) of stars (estrellas).

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New Books

rpA Rotten Person Travels the Caribbean

"P.J. O'Rourke and Paul Theroux in a blender."
—Luis Alberto Urrea, author of The Devil's Highway

From Nevis to Havana, Antigua to Grenada, and everywhere in between, be the gecko on the wall in Gary Buslik's strange and hilarious love affair with the Caribbean, and, occasionally, his wife. Each chapter of A Rotten Person Travels the Caribbean recounts another island-hopping, culture-clashing crisis that pits the homesick author against falling coconuts, singing Rastas, topless beaches, cricket, steel drum bands, and even the French. Screamingly funny and often poignant, Gary Buslik plies the Caribbean with shark eye and barracuda wit. Read a sample chapter here, or a Q&A with the author, or even find out why he's so rotten.

"Fast-paced, quick-witted, and dangerously irreverent."
—Elliott Hester, author of Plane Insanity


penny"I thought I knew it all until I read this book—a must-read for every traveler." —Randy Petersen, editor and publisher, Inside Flyer

In The Penny Pincher's Passport to Luxury Travel (3rd edition), world travel expert Joel L. Widzer reveals his method for traveling in the lap of luxury without breaking the bank. Joel’s techniques are simple, proven, and available to even the infrequent traveler. Let Joel show you how to fly first class on a regular basis, stay at the world’s finest hotels at a fraction of the cost, avoid long waits at check-in and security, make tipping pay huge dividends, be the customer luxury companies want back again and again, and much more. Fulfill your travel dreams now! Read Chapter One here.


best2008The Best Travel Writing 2008 is the fifth volume in the annual Travelers' Tales series launched in 2004 to celebrate the world's best travel writing—from Nobel Prize winners to emerging new writers. These 29 stories cover the globe, from discovering a piece of the past in Beirut to probing the layers of Flamenco in Spain to submitting to psychic surgery in the Philippines. The points of view and perspectives are global, and themes encompass high adventure, spiritual growth, romance, hilarity and misadventure, service to humanity, and encounters with exotic cuisine. Read the Introduction by Sara Wheeler, the Publisher's Preface by James O'Reilly, and a sample chapter, "Philomen and Baucis" by Pamela Cordell Avis.


bwtw2008The Best Women’s Travel Writing 2008 is the fourth collection in our annual series guaranteed to inspire women to take their first trip—or to continue exploring the world with wit, soul, and verve, as so many adventurous women do each and every day. These 35 stories cover the globe, from kayaking a wild river in Patagonia, learning to drive a tuk-tuk in Thailand to finding Eros in Venice. The perspectives are global and themes encompass spiritual growth, high adventure, romance, and encounters with exotic cuisine. Read Lucy McCauley's Editor's Preface and the Introduction by Linda Ellerbee, or a sample chapter.


emeA dizzying amount of media coverage bombards us from the Middle East, yet little filters through about the experiences of ordinary people. Encounters with the Middle East tells their stories through interactions with 30 writers who go beyond the usual reporting to reveal the simple and poignant ways that life goes on. These writers’ experiences with the people and places of the region remind us that the Middle East is blessed with astounding cultural and historical treasures, and offer moving glimpses of lives unfolding behind the headlines. Read the Introduction by New York Times Best-Selling author Bruce Feiler and the Editors' Preface.


awwaWay back in the ’90s, readers and critics alike loved the stories of women travelers in A Woman’s World, which won a Lowell Thomas Gold Medal for Best Travel Book. Twelve years later, best-selling author and editor Marybeth Bond continues to champion women’s travel in A Woman’s World Again with thirty-three remarkable journeys ranging from the middle of nowhere to middle America. Whether they are exploring identity in Ireland, sharing tea with a carpet seller in Turkey, or apprenticing with the silversmiths of Niger, these women will inspire you to create your own adventures.


antWhat is it like to live and work in the coldest, harshest climate on Earth? The stories in Antarctica: Life on the Ice reveal the challenges and rewards of exploring this otherworldly continent. Through a rich range of wise and funny essays, twenty writers introduce us to a wild cast of characters, share intimate details of daily life on the Ice, take us into a fantastic landscape, and capture the spirit of a fascinating, forbidding land. Read editor Susan Fox Rogers's Introduction, or a sample chapter, In This Dream by Joe Mastroianni.


vire"These writers have wonderful stories to tell...the book demonstrates the power of place in inspiring imaginations and nurturing creative souls."
—Maureen Wheeler, Lonely Planet Publications
Venturing in Ireland is filled with true stories that transport the reader to the southwest region of the Emerald Isle where a dynamic young society thrives, pubs are filled with lively folk music, and modern and traditional culture coexist in a land where ancient stone tombs predate the Pyramids. Explore aspects of life in Ireland from luxuriant gardens to local stout breweries, from castles and ancient ruins to whale watching in the Celtic Sea. Join these writers as they plunge into Irish culture.


moresandWe giggled all the way to the beach reading Jen Leo’s women’s travel/humor anthology Sand in My Bra, nearly laughed our britches off perusing Whose Panties Are These?, cracked up over The Thong Also Rises, and enjoyed even more hilarity when What Color is Your Jockstrap? transformed the “Leo trio” into a coed quartet. Fans feared that this fabulously funny “Empire of the Underwear” series might come to an end right then and there, but no way Jose! Jen along with fellow travel writer and misadventure enthusiast, Julia Weiler, just couldn't resist all those requests to keep the comedy coming. So slip on your sarong, slap on some sin-block, and get ready for the funniest beach read this season with More Sand in My Bra: Funny Women Write from the Road, Again!


bwtw2007The Best Women’s Travel Writing 2007 is the third collection in our annual series guaranteed to inspire women to take their first trip—or to continue exploring the world with wit, soul, and verve, as so many adventurous women do each and every day. These 32 stories cover the globe, from wandering the Sinai desert with small children to learning to salsa in Cuba to climbing a volcano in Ecuador. The perspectives are global and themes encompass spiritual growth, high adventure, romance, and encounters with exotic cuisine. Read Lucy McCauley's Introduction, and a sample chapter.


100placesSeeking the tranquility of a Buddhist meditation center? The raucousness of a rumba club? 100 Places Every Woman Should Go by Stephanie Elizondo Griest will not only inspire but compel you to hit the road—in a group, with a friend, or solo. Divided into sections such as “Powerful Women and Their Places in History,” “Places of Indulgence,” and “Places of Adventure,” this guidebook includes contact information, resources, and recommended reading. Its “Ten Tips For Wandering Women” features safety advice and pointers on how to stop departing airplanes and avoid getting tossed off Trans-Siberian trains. Read the Introduction by Holly Morris and the Preface by Stephanie Elizondo Griest.


best2007“Travelers’ Tales books luxuriate in that complicated, beautiful, shadowy place where the best stories begin, and the most compelling characters roam free.” —ForeWord Magazine

The Best Travel Writing 2007 is the fourth volume in the annual series Travelers' Tales launched in 2004 to celebrate the world's best travel writing—from Nobel Prize winners to emerging writers. These 29 stories cover the globe, from probing the depths of a culture in Jerusalem to becoming a sex slave in Zambia to riding the rails in India. The points of view and perspectives are global, and themes encompass high adventure, spiritual growth, romance, hilarity and misadventure, service to humanity, and encounters with exotic cuisine. Read the Introduction by Tony Wheeler, and the Publisher's Preface by James O'Reilly.


kitchen“A vicarious delight for the virtual tourist, as well as an inspiration for the most seasoned culinary voyager.” —Mollie Katzen, author of Moosewood Cookbook

From the casual cook to the seasoned traveler to the serious gourmand, The World Is a Kitchen inspires readers to experience food in a new way, exploring new lands, new cultures, and new cuisines. Chefs, travel writers, and dedicated foodies transport readers into kitchens around the world, revealing the diverse traditions of other countries through their cuisine. Explore the gastronomic side of travel, trying the hard-won and treasured recipes as you go along.


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Daily Dose of 365 Travel

Book Cheap Flights

News & Opinion

Middle East Encounters TeleWebcast
Encounters with the Middle East editors Nesreen Khashan and Jim Bowman, contributors Waleed al-Shamma', Michael McGhee, Erika Smith, and host Cheryl McLaughlin had a stimulating and insightful discussion about the Middle East on a telewebcast, "Understanding the Middle East: Its People, Culture, and the Region" on March 20. You can still hear the discussion online at www.blogtalkradio.com/virtualauthortourslive.

Second Annual Solas Awards Winners
Winners of the Second Annual Solas Awards for Best Travel Story of the Year were announced February 29, 2008 by the editors of Travelers’ Tales. Grand Prize winner Joel Carillet collected $1,000 for his poignant story about human connection in Bangkok in “Red Lights and a Rose.” Cameron McPherson Smith won the silver award and $750 for “Ghost on Ice,” his powerful tale of braving the winter alone on Alaska's North Slope. Pamela Cordell Avis took the bronze and $500 for her story "Philomen and Baucis," a lovely and lyrical account of her move from Los Angeles to rural France. Read these stories on the Great Stories page.

More than 300 entries in 21 categories kept the judges busy. This year the work entered in the competition was superb, but as usual not every story that deserved an award received one. Here's the complete list of winners. Winning stories will be posted on BestTravelWriting.com and many will appear in future Travelers’ Tales books. Here’s a list of stories deserving honorable mention. Deadline for the Third Annual Solas Awards is September 21, 2008. The competition is year-round, however, so submit your stories any time.

Writers' Workshop Sailing off the Coast of Turkey
TT Executive Editor Larry Habegger will be leading a seven-day writers' workshop on the personal travel narrative aboard a traditional 82-foot gulet (a Turkish yacht) September 20-27, 2008. On this seven-day intensive workshop sailing on the Aegean Sea you’ll learn the ins and outs of crafting a superb story and how to bring your work to print, whether it’s a short essay or a book-length memoir. Larry will help you develop powerful stories with simple tools and plot the course to successful publication. For information about sailing along the ancient shores of Turkey with Larry, contact trip organizer Robin Sparks at robin@robinsparks.com. A full description of the workshop and sailing journey is here and here.

Peace Corps Reform?
TT contributor Robert L. Strauss spent five years as the Peace Corps' country director for Cameroon. Now living in Madagascar, he has some things to say about today's Peace Corps in this opinion piece in the New York Times.

Stephanie E. Griest Wins Awards
TT's Stephanie Elizondo Griest, author of 100 Places Every Woman Should Go, is on a roll. She won runner-up honors for a Series in the 2007 North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA) Awards for her participation in "Women Traveling Alone" on World Hum. She also won the 2007 Richard J. Margolis Award as "an intrepid journalist who seamlessly weaves reportage and memoir." According to the announcement for Stephanie's award, "the Richard J. Margolis Award is given annually to a promising nonfiction writer whose work combines warmth, humor, wisdom and concern with social justice. The award was established in honor of Richard J. Margolis, a journalist, essayist and poet who gave eloquent voice to the hardships of the rural poor, migrant farm workers, the elderly, Native Americans and others who are seldom heard. The 2007 award is accompanied by a $5,000 honorarium and a one-month residency at Blue Mountain Center (Blue Mountain, New York), the award's sponsor." Yay, Stephanie!

TT Wins NATJA Award
On the heels of winning a bronze Lowell Thomas award from the SATW Foundation, The Best Travel Writing 2007 edited by James O'Reilly, Larry Habegger, and Sean O'Reilly took runner-up honors for Best Travel Book in the 2007 North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA) Awards.

LIVE FROM ANTARCTICA TeleWebcast
Editor Susan Fox Rogers and contributors to Antarctica: Life on the Ice appeared in a TeleWebcast in December as part of the Susan Fox Rogers book tour. Listeners put their questions about this fascinating, forbidden place to writer and editor Susan Fox Rogers, researcher Katy Jensen, former representative from the National Science Foundation Guy Guthridge, penguinologist David Ainley, and IT expert Karen Joyce who joined in LIVE FROM ANTARCTICA. To listen to the archive, click here http://www.SusanFoxRogersBookTour.com.

Antarctica on World Hum
The sinking of the cruise ship M.S. Explorer when it hit an ice floe in Antarctic waters Nov. 23 was all over the news. Susan Fox Rogers, editor of TT's Antarctica: Life on the Ice, got some ink of her own. See her interview and advice about other books on the frozen continent on World Hum.

TT Wins Lowell Thomas Awards
Two TT books won honors in the prestigious Lowell Thomas Awards sponsored by the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation. 100 Places Every Woman Should Go by Stephanie Elizondo Griest took the Gold Award for Best Travel Book of the Year. The Best Travel Writing 2007 edited by James O'Reilly, Larry Habegger, and Sean O'Reilly took the Bronze in the same category. Read what the judges said about these two fine books.

Antarctica Comes to North America
Just out from TT: Antarctica: Life on the Ice reveals what it's like to live and work in the coldest, harshest climate on Earth. Read editor Susan Fox Rogers's Introduction, or a sample chapter, In This Dream by Joe Mastroianni.

These other TT books have been getting lots of attention in recent months. More Sand in My Bra is the hilarious sequel to the Jennifer Leo series of travel humor titles, this time coedited by Julia Weiler. 100 Places Every Woman Should Go by Stephanie Elizondo Griest describes the world's best places for women and includes practical information about getting there. Check out the web site dedicated to the book to tell us about your own favorite places: PlacesforWomen.com. The Best Travel Writing 2007 is the fourth volume in our annual series of Best Travel Writing and, like its predecessors, is packed with powerful, evocative stories about travel and the world. The Best Women's Travel Writing 2007 is the third volume in this annual series dedicated to women's travel. Read the Introduction and the Preface to 100 Places Every Woman Should Go, and go to the web site dedicated to the book to tell us about your favorite places: PlacesforWomen.com. Read the Introduction and Publisher's Preface to The Best Travel Writing 2007. Read Lucy McCauley's Introduction and a sample chapter in The Best Women's Travel Writing 2007.

Write a Story, Win $1,000!
Travelers' Tales has created the Solas Awards for Best Travel Story of the Year, a competition to celebrate great travel writing. Enter your stories to compete in 21 categories ranging from adventure to humor, from destination to memoir, and everything in between. The grand prize category has cash awards of $1,000, $750, and $500; all other category winners receive a certificate and a copy of the most recent edition of The Best Travel Writing or The Best Women's Travel Writing. Plus, winners may be published in Travelers' Tales books. Visit BestTravelWriting.com for details.

Podcast: Travelers' Tales and New Media
TT Publisher James O'Reilly and Executive Editor Larry Habegger discuss the impact of "new media" on travel publishing with Stephen Marra of ApplauseCast and travel writer and tech consultant Ken Matusow. The conversation ranges from TT's beginnings to the company's plans for the future. Listen in with this link, or click on the button at the end of this sentence that says "podomatic."

Get a Personal Travel Web Site from TT
TT has teamed up with My Trip Journal to offer you a place to share your travels. Here you can create an online trip journal for friends and family where you can post your itinerary, photos, and tales of your journey. See samples from other travelers, and check it out for your next trip. Go to Travelers' Tales Trip Journals.

Travelers Tales on the Radio
"Travelers Tales from Around the World," a series of vignettes produced by TT publisher James O'Reilly and executive editor Larry Habegger in conjunction with Icicle Networks, ran on Sirius Radio and is now available here. Tune in.

Promoting Our Contributors
Check out the latest contributors that we've added to our Recommended Links list. With each book, our TT community is growing and we want to do whatever we can to promote the other books, personal projects, and careers of our authors. If you are a contributor to one of our books and want to have your web site added to our list of links, send an email with your URL to webeditor@travelerstales.com.

Travel Meditations for 2006
365 Travel — Inspirations for every day of the year.