the miracle of Dubai

On August 28, 2006 By Rick McIn economics, Islam, travelLeave a comment

Dubai is a success story like Hong Kong and Singapore. It’s arisen as a super trading port. Increasingly, tourism is bringing in cash as well. I’d like to visit myself.

UPDATE: I have a friend working in Dubai between about Dec. 21st to Feb 18th, 2007.

While Lebanon is in ruins, Dubai on the Persian Gulf is booming.

Yet less than 10% of the income of the country is from oil.

The view from the world’s highest hotel, Burj al-Arab, must be amazing.

Perhaps I will pick up a place on the Palm Islands, astonishing new resort homes built on artificial islands.

Dubai is not without problems, but I am impressed.

Ski Dubai. Indoor ski hill in the desert.

By the way, I am looking to post positive news about the Islamic world. We need it.

St. Paul, MN

On August 26, 2006 By Rick McIn gymnastics, photos, travel, traveloguesLeave a comment

I’ve visited the capital of Minnesota several times over the years, always enjoying the quiet, picturesque city.

The wide streets, big trees and lovely architechture remind me a bit of Winnipeg, Manitoba, not far to the north.

This time I was here for the USA Gymnastics Championships, hosted at the Xcel Energy Center, home of the Minnesota Wild hockey team. I was impressed. The venue, the city, and the organizing committee (with whom I had drinks) were all fantastic.

Cathedral of Saint Paul

more St. Paul photos on Flickr

» next travelogue post on this trip – want your corpse posed and displayed?

farecast.com

On August 26, 2006 By Rick McIn internet, travelLeave a comment

Big buzz in the travel industry for the new Seattle startup Farecast, whch

allows you to watch the price history, predictions and buy/wait recommendations of flights. … today the company’s airfare prediction technology went nation-wide with flights departing from 55 US cities … The site also offers RSS feeds for automatically tracking fares and predictions over time. Pretty sweet.

Farecast Launches – Gadling

I patiently await the day the internet finally delivers me the best fare, best routing, best deal on airline tickets conveniently. It is getting close.

Dvorak: Google’s Free Wi-Fi May Start Revolution

On August 25, 2006 By Rick McIn internet, travelLeave a comment

Google’s Free Municipal Wi-Fi May Start Revolution – Home Computing

John Dvorak is always controversial.

This time I hope he is right.

Google provided “free” (ad supported) high speed Wi-Fi to their home community of Mountain View, California. Next is San Francisco. If localized advertising can pay for that “free” service, why should anyone pay for cable or telephone internet access?

I am particularly irked with Boingo Wireless airport service right now. The “best value in in Wi-Fi” is $9.95 / day.

Monthly service costs about $45. How is $10 / day (likely 2hrs) “good value”?

Airports need complimentary wireless internet service. There are a few that do so:

Free Wi-Fi in Airports – website

better safe than sorry

On August 23, 2006 By Rick McIn humour, travelLeave a comment

This is a drink cooler in the Montreal airport.

I get the feeling that liquids are no longer welcome there.

Can you believe that some say security has over-reacted to the latest alleged terrorist plot?

» next travelogue post on this trip – Mike the activist

Montreal has a crappy airport

On August 22, 2006 By Rick McIn product complaints, travelLeave a comment

If you are looking for an airport backdrop for a movie set in the 1970s, film your actors walking to Gate 46 in Dorval (Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International) airport. It’s like taking a time machine 30 years into the past.

The ancient tiles, the poor signage, the shoddy Departures monitors. There are no up-to-date food vendors. Go hungry or get a chocolate bar from the machine. It’s crowded. It’s depressing. It’s 1975.

Why don’t the taxpayers of Canada all chip in to build a modern airport for Montreal, Quebec?

… Oh, right. We already bought Mirabel airport in 1975 one of the great White Elephants of all time.

Surprisingly, Montreal is one of the few airports in the world that is prepared to handle the new doubledecker, 853-passenger Superjumbo Airbus A380.

» next travelogue post on this trip – better safe than sorry

sleep in the airport?

On August 20, 2006 By Rick McIn travel, traveloguesLeave a comment

I’ve had the best. (Changi, Singapore)

Should I do Minneapolis tonight?

Nah, I am starting to get a little too old for this kind of travelling “experience”.

I will get an inexpensive Motel by the airport and get some work done on the computer.

Update: My buddy Dave Adlard found a free room for me as he has in the past. Thanks Dave!.

Sleeping in Airports – Gadling.com

» next travelogue post on this trip – want your corpse posed and displayed?

noisiest hostel in the world?

On August 18, 2006 By Rick McIn travel, travelogues2 Comments

Catching a plane in Los Angeles I was asked to arrive 4hrs early for a domestic flight.

Right.

I stayed close to the airport at a widely publicized hostel called the
LA Adventurer Hotel to reduce the total airport transport time.

It’s a nice space though a jet blasts close overhead about every 3 minutes during the day.

Staff are young people from all over the world saving for a plane ticket home. Service is interesting but not particularly good as you might expect.

The closest hostel to LAX actually does something cool I have never seen before. The cheapest dorm beds are only available if you are under age 30 and have a foreign passport. Nice touch.

source

» next travelogue post on this trip – St. Paul, MN

WorldWiki – Wikipedia for travellers

On August 17, 2006 By Rick McIn internet, travelLeave a comment

This is just getting started. But I think it will work.

Travellers want very specific information, desperately. The wiki format is perfect.

WorldWiki is a free travel directory that you can edit. You can add information, create new pages, and share with others what you know about the countries you have visited.

WorldWiki – WorldWiki