World Travel Links

"sales of condoms have fallen 25%, most probably because a packet of Durex costs twice as much as it used to"

"in a place like Dubai, you have a 24-hour-long line of trucks waiting to dispose of the waste from those buildings"

the giant catfish may not be so important in itself, but the fisheries are vital in Cambodia and Vietnam

the High Commission won't provide any information about the status of appeals/applications, so I've heard nothing since I got notification of its receipt on December 17th

"Long ludicrously expensive, London has become much more affordable for visitors from abroad, if not for its residents"

"the incongruous delight of strolling through a leafy glade three stories above the roaring traffic's boom is made more piquant by the omnipresence of buildings crowded close to both sides of the walkway"

"a Chinese government plan calls for the relocation of 65,000 Uighur households, about 220,000 people, whose families have lived in the Old City for centuries"

"Once every 50 years or so the region's bamboo flowers, producing a fruit. The fruit attracts hordes of rats, which feed on its seeds."

"it's kindergarten cryptography. Anyone with any security experience would be embarrassed to put his name to the design"

not only are they shutting down the red light district, but they're getting rid of the cafes and pubs as well

"I have to admit that I'm not used to being mugged on the subway by feral English professors and forced to proof-read dictionary entries"

"Morocco is one of the few majority-Muslim countries in the world where non-Muslims are consistently not allowed into mosques."

"600 cars got stuck there. Hunger and lack of the fuel followed, according to the witnesses. One woman gave a born to a child right in the public bus she was riding."

"It had fed right through Mark's sock. Twenty minutes later he felt another on the same ankle. Fantastic! It's always best to have 2. One for dissections and one for DNA work."

"the founders of Rough Guides and Lonely Planet are troubled that they have helped spread a casual attitude towards air travel that could trigger devastating climate change"

"Whether it is at the oil complexes or in the shopping malls, locals remain on the outside looking in."

"There should be in every party a clothes brush, mosquito-netting, strings, compass, song-book, guide-book, and maps, which should be company property."

"Nothing during the week. Nothing with meals. And then comes Friday night. ... Alko is the state alcohol monopoly administered by the Ministry for Social Affairs and Health."

"Traveling on a containership is not better than sex, though it does last longer. It is an experience you will never forget."

"Sago Palm is far more productive than rice, producing 100-200 kg per palm, enough to feed a family of 4-5 for a month"

"no stoplights, no police, no danger to hit some cage or some dog... a last day of Pompei sort of place"