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Newsletter |
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e-Marginalia :: San Francisco, Squaw Valley and Ludovic Hubler
Issue #19, February 15, 2006
http://www.e-marginalia.com
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IN THIS ISSUE:
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WELCOME e-MARGONAUTS :: San Francisco, Squaw Valley and Ludovic
Hubler
FEATURE e-MARGONAUT :: Ludovic Hubler Interview
FEATURE TRAVEL DEALS :: Save on Hotels, Car Rentals & More
e-MARGAUX LITE :: Quotations, Anecdotes and Humor
TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST :: January 15 - February 15
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WELCOME e-MARGONAUTS :: San Francisco, Squaw Valley and Ludovic
Hubler
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Welcome back, e-Margonauts. I'm writing to you from the spectacular
Four Seasons Resort, Punta Mita which is located about thirty
miles from Puerto Vallarta, México. But that story for next time.
I will give you a sneak preview in
Meandering
Margaux over the next ten days while I'm here, but right now
I want to tell you about the California trip I've just finished,
and then I'll let you know who won the most recent e-Marginalia
Freestyle Open. Also, a new inspirational traveler interview and
another transporting installment from
Carson Christiano.
If you've been following the
blog
you've been able to follow the action in play-by-play format with
plenty of photos and audio commentary, but if you missed out, please
review the first half of February in
Meandering
Margaux. There's even a "debut" audio critique from my designer
wife who takes on the
W San Francisco.
We headed off to the "friendly coast" to attend the wedding reception
of on one of my wife's best friends who's living in Truckee, California.
Of course, we couldn't resist the opportunity to pack up our ski
gear and build in some extra time to discover
Squaw
Valley, and we also included in a few days to catch up with
friends who call the Bay Area home.
We departed New York on February 3 on Continental and arrived
at SFO to discover that Continental had misplaced one of our ski
boot bags. Good work, folks! Filing a complaint, answering questions
and completing forms resulted in a thirty minute delay before heading
off to Hertz to pick up an embarrassingly gas guzzling SUV to haul
us, our gear, and a friend-with-baby-and-baby-stuff off to the northern
California mountains. But first, off San Francisco's Embarcadero
Waterfront to check into the new, very cool
Hotel Vitale before joining a friend for a late lunch at the
Hog Island
Oyster Company's oyster bar in the recently renovated Ferry
Building. Then back to the Vitale for lengthy "welcome to California"
massages that set the tone for the next week and a half: physical,
friendly and totally relaxed.
What a trip! There's too much to pack into the newsletter, but
I encourage you to check out
Meandering
Margaux between February 3 and 13 for some of these highlights:
In short, this was one memorable trip packed with experiences
that can inform you’re your own traveling choices. Enjoy what you
read, see and hear, and email me with any suggestions that you think
we should add.
Now, the news you've been waiting for, the winners of the recently
ended e-Marginalia Freestyle Open. As you know, there were excellent
travel stories in this most recent contest. Thanks for reading them
and passing them along to your friends. The three contest winners
are:
Congratulations, Christina, Nancy and Louie! Email me right away
to confirm your physical mailing addresses so I can send you your
rewards. And for everyone else who submitted a travel story and
didn't win (or considered submitting but chickened out), now's the
time to whip up something new and send it in. Cook up a quirky and
engaging dish of travel experience with a spicy sauce of good storytelling
and we just might choose your work to educate and entertain travelers
all around the world. What could be better than that? Well, winning
of course!
Two other important items before I send this out and head off
to play in the surf. First of all, we've got an inspiring interview
with a French hitchhiker who's wandering around the world without
spending a single penny on transportation.
Ludovic Hubler is an unusual traveler to say the least, and
his amazing story (wrapped up in an enchanting cloak of charm and
good luck) has drawn the attention of the media everywhere he goes.
Find out why when you read our exclusive
interview with Ludovic Hubler and you just might find yourself
out on the highway with a backpack and an extended thumb.
And last but not least, we have another "must read" report called
"In Search of Siam" from
Carson Christiano who's living and teaching in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
This young woman's gifted storytelling ability (not to mention her
excellent photography) will oblige you to instantly forward her
story to everyone on your email list. And then you'll probably spend
a day or two daydreaming about how you too can pull off a similar
adventure. Our advice? Stop dreaming and do it!
Okay, the
sun and waves are calling. Thanks for reading the newsletter,
and remember to keep us posted on all that's good and exciting in
the world of immersion travel.
George Davis
Editor, e-Marginalia.com
george AT e-marginalia DOT com
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FEATURE e-MARGONAUT :: Ludovic Hubler
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On January 1, 2003
Ludovic Hubler
stuck out his thumb in Strasbourg, France, and he's been hitchhiking
around the world ever since. He intends to tour the continents without
spending a single penny on transportation, and after more than three
years he's remarkably close to achieving his goal. Born in Bar-le-Duc
(Lorraine, France) and raised in Strasbourg, where he graduated
in June 2002 from IECS with a Master of Science in Management degree,
the 28 year old adventurer...
Read the Ludovic Hubler Interview
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FEATURE RESORTS :: e-Margaux's current resort recommendations
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Save up to $300* on Motorhome Insurance
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LUGGAGE & TRAVEL BAGS :: Update your travel gear at bargain prices
=============================================================
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CAMPING :: Up to the moment camping savings
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Best Prices of the Year on RV Covers from Camping World
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SKIING :: Discover the best deals at the top powder destinations
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The Season's BEST OFFERS at the Coolest Ski Resorts from VacationOutlet.com
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e-MARGAUX LITE :: Quotations, Anecdotes and Humour
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"Before I left on my trip I'd purged many of my possessions. But
clearly I hadn't got rid of enough. My spirits sank as I sifted
through the boxes. Rather than providing comfort or reminding me
of good times, the books, board games, clothing, and bric-a-brac
felt burdensome, like hundreds of little anchors that moored me
to a place I no longer wanted to be.""
-
Mike Pugh
"What gives value to travel is fear.""
-
Albert Camus
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TRAVEL NEWS DIGEST :: January 15 - February 15
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Storm Disrupts Travel Across Northeast
Thousands of travelers were stranded after Sunday's fierce snowstorm
canceled...
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/3654216.html
Etihad Airways' Guests Offered Executive Coach Travel
Coral Zone guests offered a unique check-in service in Dubai, which
enables them to check in all baggage up to 24 hours before departure,
and then travel to Abu...
http://www.ameinfo.com/77639.html
Travel Snarled as East Faces Snow Warning
Traffic moves through the snow flurries in New York's Times Square
as weather forecasts call for snow and blizzard conditions throughout
the metropolitan area...
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1607941
Prominent Speakers Join the Middle East Travel and Tourism Summit
Jordan will host the Middle East Travel and Tourism Summit (METTS)
this February 26th -27th at the Dead Sea under the patronage of
His Majesty King Abdullah II...
http://www.ameinfo.com/77553.html
Freddie Laker, 83; Englishman Pioneered Low-Cost Air Travel
Freddie Laker, the ebullient English entrepreneur who pioneered
low-cost air travel, helping a generation of ordinary Britons visit
the US, has died...
http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-me-laker11feb11,1,1582319.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-nba-lakers
Abacus Travel Predictions for 2006
Don Birch, President and CEO of Abacus International, Asia Pacific's
leading travel facilitator, recently shared his key predictions
for Asia Pacific travel...
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news06/102-Predictions.shtml
EU Urges Visa-Free Travel to US for All Members
The European Union and several eastern European countries are calling
on Washington to allow visa-free travel to the US from all EU countries,
warning on...
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/89c4f780-98dd-11da-aa99-0000779e2340.html
Res-Expo is the First Travel Industry Conference of the Year
Res-Expo 2006, to be held March 7 and 8 at the Adam's Mark Hotel
in Dallas, is the first strategic global travel conference in 2006...
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/prn/texas/3644600.html
Have Business Laptop, Will Travel
With 3G infiltrating the wireless space and lighter laptops becoming
the norm, business travel should be much more enjoyable...
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1921053,00.asp
Elderly Offered New Bus Travel Pass
Most Scots over 60 have yet to apply for a new card which will give
them free bus travel, it was disclosed. Some 1.1 million people...
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=194962006
Travel Rush Prompts Launch of Temporary Trains
This year's Spring Festival travel rush, also known as "Chun Yun"
or "Spring Transportation", began on Jan. 14. During the 40-day
peak season from Jan...
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-02/05/content_4138463.htm
London's International Travel Shows Attract Muslim Countries
Arab and Muslim countries were eager to participate in London's
two major international travel shows: the Adventure Travel & Sports
Show (13th - 15th January...
http://mathaba.net/0_index.shtml?x=508465
A Brief History of Adventure Travel
Yahoo! adventure guru Richard Bangs covers the history of adventure
travel in just 874 words today in a New York Times piece...
http://www.worldhum.com/weblog/item/a_brief_history_of_adventure_travel_20060204/
Malta Tops New EU Members in Unrestricted Travel
The study, published on Thursday, found that Danes, Finns and Americans
can travel to 130 countries or territories without a visa...
http://217.145.4.56/ind/news.asp?newsitemid=27781
Plan Ahead For Cheap Travel
Keeping accommodation costs down, researching the cost of living
in your destination, taking a sensible mix of travel money and keeping
a daily budget should...
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,18026196%255E1702,00.html
Denmark, Finland, US Have Most Freedom To Travel
Citizens of Denmark, Finland and the United States enjoy the greatest
freedom to travel without needing visas, according to a study...
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/060202/w020264.html
Insurance Can Ease Travel Woes
If you're planning a cruise of the Caribbean, a package tour of
China or a safari in Africa, you might want to add "buy travel insurance"
to the...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/02/AR2006020200337.html
Small Card Might be Enough for Canadian Travel to US
A simple identity card the size of a driver's license could be sufficient
to allow Canadians to travel in the United States, the US ambassador...
http://www.brandonsun.com/story.php?story_id=17459
Clooney Urges Americans to Travel More
Actor George Clooney is urging fellow Americans to travel more outside
their country and experience the complexities of the rest of the
world...
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1614475,0047.htm
Visitors Spend More on Travel Than Lodging
Iowa State officials say visitors to Iowa's welcome centers spent
more money on travel than lodging last year -- a possible effect
of high gas...
http://www.whotv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4443022&nav=2HAB
Exhibition on Oman Travel Market Begins
Rashad bin Ahmed Al Hinai, undersecretary at the Ministry of Sports
Affairs, inaugurated the Oman Travel Market Exhibition 2006 at the
Oman Interna...
http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=123772
Travel on Mogollon Rim Road Discouraged
Travel on the Mogollon (MUH'-ghi-ohn) Rim Forest Road 300 is strongly
discouraged. The Packrat Fire burned several...
http://www.kpho.com/Global/story.asp?S=4431615&nav=23Ku
Sidestep Delivers First Travel Search Engine
SideStep, a traveller's search engine, today announced its launch
in Ireland & the UK, marking one of the first travel search engines
to accommodate the online...
http://www.irishdev.com/NewsArticle.aspx?id=1820
Travel tips: Spoleto, Best Biz-Travel Airports, More
Denver International Airport was named the best airport in North
America for business travel in a survey by Business Traveler magazine...
http://www.dailypress.com/travel/dp-travtipsjan27,0,2884652.story?coll=dp-travel-top-items
US Travel Advisory (Pakistan)
Jan 28: The US has cautioned its citizens to defer non-essential
travel to Pakistan. Updating a March 2005 travel advisory...
http://www.dawn.com/2006/01/29/top14.htm
Cuba Travel Curtailed Further
The US Treasury Department this week began a crackdown on illegal
travel to Cuba, suspending the license of one of South Florida's
largest Cuba travel agencies...
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/13722833.htm
Norwegian Travel Trade Votes Thailand Number One
This is the second consecutive year that Thailand has won the Grand
Travel Award. The January 10 annual award presentation ceremony...
http://www.scandasia.com/viewNews.php?news_id=2105&coun_code=no
Travelocity Buys ZUJI
US-based Travelocity has fully acquired regional online travel booking
firm ZUJI for 34 million US dollars to boost its Asia-Pacific business...
http://www.forbes.com/technology/feeds/afx/2006/01/24/afx2471120.html
Donald J. Trump Boards $80 Billion Online Travel Industry
Donald J. Trump announces his biggest venture to date in the $80
billion online travel industry in a press conference today at Trump
Tower...
http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/154000320/4026024.html
Travelocity's Activities Tab Provides More Complete Travel
With the launch of Travelocity's new activities tab, travelers can
now book destination-based "travel extras" a la carte from a single
location...
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/prn/texas/3605185.html
Bird Flu Isn't Slowing Lunar New Year Travel
Despite fresh bird-flu outbreaks among poultry and new human deaths,
tourists are traveling en masse across Asia during the region's
peak travel season ahead...
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2002747812_travelupdate22.html
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COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
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