Category: Food

10 Questions For (17): Gary Arndt of Everything Everywhere

Happy to present another male in this series: Gary Arndt, a man who is lucky to combine three passions: Real Globe-trotting, Blogging and Photographing:


Gary Arndt at the Sydney Bridge Walk

1) Who Are you?

My name is Gary Arndt. In March 2007, I sold my house, put my possessions in storage and set out to travel around the world. Since then, I’ve visited 43 countries and territories and almost 50 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Prior to this I had a life as an entrepreneur. I started an internet consulting firm which did early web application and database development back in 1994, and which I later sold in 1998. Since then I’ve been involved with several startups and went back to school to study geology in 2005. My previous degrees were in Mathematics, Economics and Political Science.

2) What do you like about what you do?

What is there to not like about traveling around the world? 🙂 I’ve been able to go to places, see and experience things, which most people will never get to do in their lives. I get email from people almost every week who write to tell me how lucky I am and how I’m doing what they would love to one day do.


Clown Fish Great Barrier Reef by Gary Arndt

I also like technology and blogging. Being able to merge both of the things you love is great. Blogging actually gives me a chance to slow down so I’m not always rushing to the next location. I enjoy the combination of having something to work on and being able to travel at the same time. It really is the best of both worlds.

3) What don’t you like about what you do?

There is very little consistency in what I do. You never get to know people for more than a day or two. I haven’t seen my friends or my family in a year an a half. I sometimes go long stretches without being able to wash my clothes. Dealing with my bank from overseas is a challenge to say the least. Sometimes working on the blog or my photography seems like a pain, but in the end it is worth it.

Overall pluses outweigh the negatives and I have no regrets.

4) Please tell us all about your blog and your aims with it.

My travel blog, Everything-Everywhere, is simply the journal of my travels. Unlike many travelogues, it isn’t a diary of my daily goings on. I like to talk about history and oddities I find in the places I visit. I am also a photographer and feature my photography on my site. I have a daily photo where I feature one of the pictures I’ve taken on my trip. It isn’t a travel blog in the sense that many travel blogs are. I don’t review hotels, I don’t talk about airlines or the travel industry. I’m more interested in people, places and things I experience.

My aim for the site is really simple: to let people virtually travel along with me. Unlike reading National Geographic or watching the Discovery Channel, I’m a real person, really traveling, in real time. I talk to my readers, often at length. Most people will never be able to do the type of traveling which I’m doing. I let people travel vicariously, if only a little bit, through me. Many of the places I’ve visited have been at the suggestion of my readers and on a few occasions, I’ve been able to meet up with readers and other bloggers if our paths cross.

5) Your top 5 destination experiences you’ve had to date and why?

1) Swimming with jellyfish in Palau. The jellyfish lake in Palau is the only place in the world where you can swim with tens of thousands of harmless jellyfish. The experience is totally surreal.

2) Watching the sunset on Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong. If you are on the Kowloon side of the harbor at sunset, you can experience the light show of the city. While this is happening you have the ferries crossing the harbor, and all the bustle and craziness which is Hong Kong. There is even a statue of Bruce Lee! You can’t beat that.

3) Visiting Milford Sound, New Zealand. Milford Sound is one of the most underrated natural attractions on Earth. When I was there it had just finished 24 hours of raining. and the walls of the sound had hundreds of waterfalls, some of which were very large.

4) Rennell, Solomon Islands. A very out of the way island in a very out of the way country. I even went to a very out of the way part of the island. I’ve never felt more remote than I have on Rennell. I had the pleasure of going to a beach which probably hadn’t seen a human being in several years.

5) Easter Island. One of those destinations where everyone dreams of going, but few actually make the trip. Being alone with toppled Maoi with a rough Pacific Ocean breeze blowing at me is something I’ll always remember.


Easter Island by Gary Arndt

6) Your top 3 accommodations you’ve ever stayed to date and why?

You will notice a common theme in my choices. All are on island countries and all are very affordable. The best places are not measured by the thread count of the sheets.

1) The Village Inn, Pohnpei, Micronesia. Owned by expat Americans who have lived on Pohnpei for 30 years, the Village Inn is an affordable resort overlooking the Pohnpei lagoon. All the rooms are bungalows and where I stayed had a water bed. Micronesia has no large resorts and is a real undiscovered travel destination. Fresh tropical fruit is available every day as well as locally caught fish. If I ever get married, I’d want to come here for my honeymoon. When people ask me where they should visit, my first answer is always “Pohnpei”.

2) Anywhere in the Yawasawa Islands, Fiji. The Yawasawa Islands in Fiji are a big magnet for backpackers. The resorts on the islands are all owned by locals or villages. You can experience locally grown tarro and cassava and seafood every day. You can sleep in a grass bungalow just a few meters from the sea. Lodging and three meals will run you no more than $20/day. The people who run the resorts are usually the ones who benefit from the money it brings in. As such, the service is usually very good. Most places will be singing songs to you when you get off the boat.

3) Walindi Dive Resort, Kimbe, Papua New Guinea. Also run by expats, the Walindi Dive Resort is the premier dive resort on Kimbe Bay on the island of New Britian in Papua New Guinea. Kimbe Bay has the largest diversity of coral species in the world, as well as having been the site of major battles in WWII. Walindi offers great diving, wonderful food, and unique mix of people. The food was great and the British expats I’d talk to over drinks at night had some of the best stories I’ve heard on my trip.

7) Your top 5 most memorable food experiences to date and why?

1) Poisson Cru, Tahiti. Poisson cru is the national dish of French Polynesia. It consists of raw tuna marinaded in coconut mil and served cold with cucumber. It is the one dish I have every intention of making when I return to the US. In the capital of Papeete, there are food truck called roulettes which will congregate near the harbor at night creating a makeshift food court. Many of the vendors will be selling it there. This is something I’d eat every day if I could. (It is known as Moutu Iki in the Cook Islands)

2) Tskuiji Fish Market, Tokyo, Japan. As an experience, the fish market should be on anyone’s list of things to see if you are in Tokyo. You have to get up very early to really experience it, but it is well worth it. It is organized chaos at its finest. You can see every type of seafood from every corner of the Earth here. There is also a sushi restaurant on site as well as several others close by. Get there very early if you wish to eat at the sushi restaurant because the line goes around the block (yes, sushi for breakfast).

3) Eating samgyopsal in South Korea. I never at much Korean food prior to my trip. I met a girl on the ferry from Fukuoka, Japan to Busan, South Korea. She ended up taking me to a Korean BBQ where I got to experience samgyopsal, soju, and everything Korea. I’ve since developed an affinity for the food.

4) Fen Jeou, Taiwan. I met a woman named Rubyko who was my guide for a day in Taipei. It was national day and we went to restaurant which specialized in Chinese dumplings and later went to the town of Fen Jeou, where we went through the market sampling foods from vendors. I had a desert soup, which was very surreal. It had red beans and sweet potatoes in it, as if it were a normal soup, but was as sweet and sugary as any desert.

5) Asado, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Best meat I’ve ever tasted in my life. Period. I was in Argentina a few years ago doing research and we were temped just to get back to Buenos Aires to gorge ourselves on beef. Not only is it amazing, but it is also cheap. I also developed an affinity for Malbec wine in Argentina. I’ve been tempted in the past to fly to Buenos Aires just to have asado.

8) Your 3 worst destination/ accommodation /food experiences to date and why?

1) Eating insects in Thailand. I got very ill after eating some grasshoppers from a street vendor. I don’t think the problem was with the grasshoppers per se, but with the fact that they were probably cooked a day before I ate them. Lesson: if you buy from a street vendor, make sure it is cooked before your eyes.

2) Traveling to Preah Vihear Temple, Cambodia. I documented my trip there on my site, but it was 14 hours spent on the back of a motorbike over very rough roads. The destination was a war zone, with solders getting killed the day I was there. I was in so much pain from the trip when I got back, I could barely sit.


Kiribati: Forbidden Country for Gary

3) Getting denied entry to Kiribati. After going through great lengths to get a visa to Kiribati and booking an expensive ticket to fly there, I was denied entry into the country because the ink from the pen used on my visa stamp bled off. I ended up in five different countries in 30 hours spread across the Pacific Ocean: Solomon Islands, Nauru, Kiribati, Fiji, and Hawaii.

4) Jollibees in Manila, Philippines. Jollibees is a fast food chain in the Philippines. I went there to try it out and ate a hamburger. It was the worst hamburger I’ve ever had. It tasted as if it were boiled. I then noticed that everyone else in the restaurant was eating spaghetti or chicken. They probably knew something I didn’t.

9) Can you offer the readers 3 travel/ food / accomodation / things to do tips about the city you are currently living in?


Gary via Twitter in Heaven (Mui Ne)

I’m currently writing this on a bus between Saigon and Mui Ne, Vietnam, so I’m not really living anywhere. Prior to my trip I lived in Minneapolis and I can give you a few tips for those visiting the Twin Cities:

1) Arts. Per capita, I’d say the Twin Cities has the best arts scene in the United States. The Minneapolis Institute of Art is one of the best museums in the country. As far as its collection, i’d say it is better than the Kimble in Fort Worth or even the Getty in LA. (both of which I visited at the start of my trip) The collection of Asian art is especially good. I think many people would be surprised to see a museum of its calibre in a city its size. The Walker Art Museum is close by and is Minneapolis’s answer to the MOMA. Minneapolis also has an exceptional theater in the Guthrie and a superb orchestra.

2) Go walk around the lakes. Lake Harriet, Lake Calhoun and the Lake of the Isles are the major lakes within Minneapolis. There are ample walking paths and if you are there in the summer, you can rent boats.

3) The Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul is the best in the country. Held at the end of August through Labor Day each year, it has a great selection of food (mostly fried and on a stick), farm implements and music. Visiting the fair was an annual ritual for me and I’d often go several times each year.

10) Any Question(s) you’d expected me to ask that you would like to answer?

I am often asked the following questions: do you get lonely, how much did it cost, what is your favorite country and when are you coming back home? My answers are, sometimes, less than you think, can’t pick just one, and April 2009 for a few months.

My comments:
Thank you very much Gary. This is an amazing story.You have a very inspiring blog and a beautiful collection of photos uploaded at Flickr (I took the liberty choosing different ones than you indicated). This is a real Travelogue. I take it that you’ve become heavenly addicted to it:-)

Last edited by Happy Hotelier on Saturday, October 17, 2009 at 17:23

10 Questions for (16): Kevin May of Travolution (formerly) – Tnooz (currently)

Happy to present Kevin Luke May of Travolution [update: Kevin cofounded Tnooz after the interview] to you. Yay! The second male in this series! Am glad I have a photo of him where he smiles (a bit), because usually he likes to look as stern as possible – no he didn’t work for Der Stern (German Gossip) – 🙂


Kevin as part of a Blogger forum at ITB Berlin

1) Who Are you?

I am Kevin May, editor for three years of Travolution, the UK-based media brand for the online travel industry. I have overall editorial responsibility for our website, blog, magazine, podcasts and video content, events and awards programme, speaking engagements and research projects. I was previously web editor for advertising and media title Media Week, deputy editor of a regional newspaper, The Essex Enquirer, and a writer for the Police Gazette. I studied criminology at university.

2) What do you like about what you do?

The opportunity to understand and write about one of the most diverse and fascinating industries in modern business as well as meet some fantastically innovative and entrepreneurial people, all of whom are incredibly passionate – like me – about the internet.

3) What don’t you like about what you do?

Long working hours and appalling work-life balance.

4) Please tell us all about your blog and your aims with it.

The Travolution Blog is just one element of what we do alongside the other editorial products I oversee. The blog is primarily to comment on issues or point users in the direction of other relevant content related to online travel that we find elsewhere on the web. We also use it to poke fun at the travel industry in general, which isn’t difficult! It has also been a very useful shop window for users to see the other things we do as a media brand. Two of my writers, Linda Fox and Martin Cowen, also contribute regularly.

5) Your top 3 destination experiences you’ve ever stayed to date and why?

  1. Hanoi, Vietnam (crazy city – colour, life, history, mayhem everywhere).
  2. Annapurna Region, Nepal (trekked around Annapurna Range for nearly 4 weeks and saw the most incredible landscapes, met some life-long friends, and got very fit in the process – extremely rewarding).
  3. Lake Toba, Sumatra, Indonesia (a forgotten world, a sunken caldera volcano, rich in wildlife and extremely friendly people. Very few tourists there in 2000 as well as the Aceh conflict was still out of control).

6) Your top 3 accommodations you’ve ever stayed to date and why?

  1. Shangri-La Resort, Muscat, Oman (the first REAL five star hotel I’d ever stayed in. The hotel had only recently opened and it was immaculate. The service was awesome and the rooms were incredible).
  2. Munchies, Ko Pha-Ngan, Thailand (a collection of rustic huts just yards away from the sea. 15 friends congregated there for Christmas and New Year in 2000 and the vibe was amazing. Coconut Olympics on Christmas Day!!).
  3. The Grove, London (I won a non-travel industry competition, I hasten to add, to stay for one night in the capital’s top retreat-style resort. Fantastic rooms, beautiful spa, stunning food in the restaurant).

7) Your top 3 most memorable food experiences to date and why?

  1. The Grove, London (see above).
  2. The Gate, London (best vegetarian restaurant in London by a long shot. Imaginative menu, beautifully prepared, brilliant service).
  3. Ad-hoc barbeque, Lake Toba, Sumatra (joined a group of locals to catch fish in the lake, picked fresh vegetables, freshly cooked bread, all eaten by the lake as the sun went down. Perfect!).

8) Your 3 worst destination/accommodation/food experiences to date and why?

  1. My wife was rushed into hospital in Vanarasi (Benares) in India. She was in intensive care for a few days with an extreme case of Delhi Belly – in other words amoebic dysentery and other stomach infections. An absolutely terrifying experience.
  2. Not exactly a destination experience, but a decrepit bus I was travelling in from Vientienne (Laos) to Hanoi (Vietnam) began filling with smoke in the middle of the night on a bumpy Vietnamese highway. Mass panic amongst the sleepy passengers as we scrambled off. Luckily no-one was hurt.
  3. Standing at an ATM in Kuala Lumpur and my debit card expires. No travellers’ cheques or access to any money, so ended up borrowing £50 from Her Majesty’s Government (at the British embassy, in return for my passport) until my new bank card arrived five days later.

9) Can you offer the readers 3 travel/food/accomodation/things to do tips about the city you are currently living in?

  1. Kew Gardens is an oasis on the edge of our capital city, close to Heathrow Airport. I regularly spend a day here with the family, wandering around the beautiful park and enormous greenhouses. Plenty here for the kids, too, and reasonably good value for money if you stay the whole day. Bring your own picnic!
  2. Use a top-up Oyster Card for the London Underground, bus network and Overground system. The best new system introduced to the network for decades, saving time, tickets AND money.
  3. Visit the Brick Lane and Shoreditch area for the best selection of Indian food and nights out in the city. Lots of good bars The area also happens to be full of new web-based, start-ups, so a real buzz about the place, even if it does take itself a little bit too seriously sometimes.

10) Any Question(s) you’d expected me to ask that you would like to answer?
What is the difference between a blogger and a journalist? I am asked this all the time, often by people trying to trick me into saying something that damages one of these skills, probably as I sit in both camps! The real answer, which many Old School journalists despise, is that is very little difference between the two. The lines are increasingly blurred as bloggers ‘report’ on events just like reporters such as I do every day, while journalists write blogs so they can comment on issues in a way that is very different to the traditional op-ed, leader-style columns you see in newspapers.

However, we both write content which is read by consumers and industry people (increasingly blurred lines there as well, it must be said) and, on the whole, try to engage with our readers in the best and most efficient way. The channel is not important (blog, newspaper, website, TV/radio broadcast) how well you engage with the audience is critical.

I would say, however, a difference that prevails is the idea that many bloggers who do not work for established media companies think of themselves as being beyond accountability. I have seen on countless occasions bloggers who have written something which, produced by any traditional media provider, would never see the light of the day, or would end up in the libel courts. Blogging might be a niche distribution channel for content, but as it grows and becomes just another mainstream media outlet, more bloggers will find themselves increasingly under scrutiny by trigger-happy lawyers if they are not adhering to media laws of fairness in comment and, most of all, accuracy. At the end of day, we are all publishers.

My Observations:
Thank you Kevin for taking the time for this.

As to you last question: Very intriguing! I see a convergence occurring, but I also see many differences. I see myself more as a blogger and not so much as a journalist. That doesn’t mean I feel beyond accountability. I’ve been roaming the web for more than 13 years, but started only relatively late with reporting about my cyber adventures. I’m not edited. I’m the Publisher, Editor and Blogger here in the House. I’m an amateur in the sense that I do not rely on my blogging for my living, it’s a hobby. It would help if my blogging attracts more guests to my small hotel, but it is not my main goal of this Blog. My goal is more to share my own experiences in many fields and wonders about the big outside world. Moreover I’m a (very slow) two finger typist. As you I have a background in law and am too much aware of possible liabilities. Hence I always try to be my self. Honest, direct and sometimes offensive which also stems from the fact that I blog in another language than my mother tongue.

Last edited by GJE on August 16, 2011 at 1:28 pm

10 Questions For (15): Pam Mandel of Nerd’s Eye View

Happy to introduce Pam Mandel of Nerd’s Eye View to you!


Pam Mandel of Nerd’s Eye View at a Bloggers Meet up

1) Who Are you?

I’m a (currently) Seattle based freelance writer. I make 90% of my living as a technical writer. This means I explain complicated technical stuff (primarily software, but sometimes hardware) in terms that make sense to the people that need to use that complicated technical stuff. I do some consulting with websites that want to reach travelers – I was on the advisory board for a photo sharing site and I’ve just signed on to the advisory board for a travel related web service. Typically, this means a company asks for my opinion about their site, how it works, what would entice travelers (or photographers) to use it, that sort of thing – and I give it to them. It’s fun and I like to flatter myself that I’m something of a triple threat there -as a professional nerd I get technology, as a traveler who loves the web I have a lot to say about what appeals and as a writer, I can articulate what I think. Sometimes I feel a little sorry for the folks I advise, but hey, that’s what they hired me for!

I do a modest sideline in travel writing. I’ve worked on two guidebooks (Hawaii & Vancouver/British Columbia), sold a few stories to web and print publications, and recorded two broadcast stories for a National Public Radio station.

I live with my Austrian husband – who I met at the campground at Uluru in Australia – in a house with brightly colored rooms. We can walk to the beach from our door, it’s great fun to go down there at low tide. I play the ukulele with more enthusiasm than skill, am an enthusiastic home cook, take way too many photos, and love to write.

2) What do you like about what you do?

On the tech side, I enjoy getting to see new technology before it hits the market and being part of making new things. The people I work with are smart and creative and fun. I’m project based, so every time I start a new project, I learn something new. I really appreciate that the nature of my work dovetails perfectly with travel – I work on nice meaty tech projects, fill the bank account, then spend my money traveling! It’s a system that works.

On the travel side, I love to write travel stories and I love to take pictures, I just love it. I genuinely enjoy the people I meet through travel contacts, not just fellow travelers, but the industry people too. They’re good company and they seem to understand my crazy priorities.

3) What don’t you like about what you do?

Tech work can be all consuming and stressful, there’s no denying it. And as a travel writer, I’m frustrated by the low paid opportunities, the difficulty in getting work published, the extremely long lead times… I’m sure that’s nothing new.

4) Please tell us all about your blog and your aims with it.

I started blogging when I was an expat in Austria – it helped me tell stories to my friends and family back in the States and kept me from losing my mind – I was in a small town with no expat community. That was my initial goal – stay sane – but it turned out I couldn’t shut up. For a while I blogged about American politics – I spent a lot of time as a volunteer during the 2004 US presidential election – and then, I refocused on what I really like – stories about places.

My ignorance about the travel market meant that I was completely content self publishing my own stories at Nerd’s Eye View. But opportunities found me and my blog became, in addition to an outlet for my need to tell stories, a portfolio of what I could do with the written word or my camera. I recently added the Travelblogger’s Forum to my site to provide a community for people like me who want to grow their blogs into something more.

I have this fantasy that some day, I will live the luxurious life of a pro-travel-blogger, but I know it’s just a fantasy. I’m lucky to like the work that pays my bills, so it doesn’t kill me to accept that “making my living 100% from blogging” is unlikely.

5) Your top 3 destination experiences you’ve ever stayed to date and why?

Oh, this is so hard. I love Hawaii – we were married there and I have a real affection for the islands. Hawaii is so friendly, the landscape so beautiful, the hodge podge of cultures makes for good food… I was in Cambodia earlier this year and it kind of cracked me open – I was so taken with the people, so heart broken by the history, and of course, Angkor Wat is amazing. I went to art school and I’ve wanted to go there since I sat through that slide show in my Asian art history class. Finally, and closer to home, I never get tired of the Olympic Peninsula – the giant trees, the rugged Pacific coastline, the unpredictable weather. I’ve been there dozens of times and every time I fall in love with it all over again.


Boy Selling Travel Guides at Angkor Wat

6) Your top 3 accommodations you’ve ever stayed to date and why?

I did a story on luxury hotels in Vienna and we stayed at the Hotel Imperial. The bathroom floors were heated marble, the breakfast was spectacular, our view of the Ringstrasse was unbeatable and Vienna in winter is so romantic.

While working on the Hawaii guidebook our first stop was at Kona Village Resort, an all inclusive beach front development where you get your own, standalone “hale” – I almost burst in to tears when we left.


Flaming cocktails at Kona Village Resort

But that’s deluxe stuff. I’ve also slept out on a tarp under the stars in the Australian outback and woken up to a pale pink sky and a symphony of birdsong – I had never experienced anything like before and haven’t since. And in case your readers are winking and saying, “Oh, she was in love,” this was before arriving at Uluru, I hadn’t met my mate yet.

7) Your top 3 most memorable food experiences to date and why?

Memorable doesn’t necessarily mean good, right? We ate at a place in Saigon that served us some of the most mysterious food I’ve ever had the pleasure of being confronted with. Things were fishy or gummy or salty or just unrecognizable. This was a rather nice place, the open kitchen was immaculate, the staff in white shirts and bow ties, but I was way out of my element as far as food is concerned.

I’ve written extensively about the Fachertorte served at the Kunsthistoriches Museum in Vienna. My mouth is watering just mentioning it. I am a fan of pastry, the Austrians do it so well. And this Fachertorte? It makes me lose my mind. I would like a piece right now. It’s poppy seeds, apples, almonds all wrapped in a flaky brioche like crust… oh. It’s to die for!


Desserts in the window of the Demel in Vienna:

In Honolulu, we ate at a place called Chef Mavro’s that serves Hawaii Regional Cuisine – let’s hope I get this concept right – the idea being to take local fresh ingredients and interpret them in the chef’s style. The chef was born in Greece, grew up in Marseilles and now lives in Hawaii. We had the tasting menu, paired with carefully selected wines and it was spectacular. My normally laconic husband called this meal “fireworks for the mouth.” I could taste the food – elegant but not fussy and served on small plates – in every part of my mouth. Stunning.

And yes, we’re back in Hawaii. It’s a theme, I guess.

8) Your 3 worst destination/ accommodation /food experiences to date and why?

While preparing to cross the Himalayas in India, I stayed in a hotel in Kargil and awoke covered, head to toe, in bright red welts from bed bugs. That’s pretty bad.

On arrival in Hanoi with a splitting headache of migraine like proportions, we checked to a room that was freezing cold, had a rock hard bed, and where a crew was performing sledge hammer demolition on the other side of the wall. That was unfortunate.

But by far the worst was a hotel/pension in the Westerwald in Germany where the place stunk to the high heavens of boiled meat. The place was spotless and it’s not like we were uncomfortable, at all, but the next day we fled, top speed, into the fresh air. The intense smell was making me horribly queasy. The dining room was full of taxidermied animals, the staff had a certain terrifying edginess, and it took very little imagination to transform the place from rustic hunter friendly lodge to slasher film set. “What happened to Herr Schmidt? He was so charming at dinner last night.” “Ah, he went for a walk. I mean, uh, he checked out. Yes. Checked out. Will you be having the homemade sausages?” Yikes. I couldn’t wait to get out of there.

9) Can you offer the readers 3 travel/ food / accommodation / things to do tips about the city you are currently living in?

Our neighborhood – West Seattle – is a great place to bring new visitors to town. It has a funky beach town feel, something you don’t expect from a city in the Pacific Northwest and as a former California girl, I love that about it. We have a truly spectacular French bakery, Bakery Nouveau, where we take our guests for treats, and then, we go walk on the beach. The views of downtown are gorgeous and it’s a great introduction to our city.


View from Alki Beach near our house at sunset:

If the time of year is right – and sometimes, even when it’s not, we take visitors to the Ballard Locks to see the salmon in the fish ladder. You can’t be in the Pacific Northwest for any period of time without learning about the salmon and the fish ladder is an entertaining place to learn about their life cycle. It’s really close to an excellent fish and chips joint, which I get is a little morbid, but it’s fun.

There’s one really touristy thing that I recommend – I’ve done it myself a few times and always enjoyed it – the Seattle Underground Tour. It’s a little weird to suggest that your out of town guests go touring the basements of a bunch of brick turn of the century buildings, but Seattle has a crazy colorful history and the guides that run the tour are terrific story tellers. It’s great fun.

But Seattle is a fantastic city, so limiting it to only three is nearly impossible. I don’t mind at all if you (or your readers!) look me up and ask me for advice, should you be traveling my way. I love showing visitors around.

10) Any Question(s) you’d expected me to ask that you would like to answer?

You didn’t ask me where I’d like to go next! If money were no object, I’d be off to Ethiopia like a shot. I saw an exhibit recently about Lucy, she’s the ancient human predecessor who was found in Ethiopia. I thought the show would be all geology and fossil science, but as we entered, there was a lot about the history and culture of Ethiopia. I was enchanted and now, I really want to go. Sadly, it’s VERY far away from where I sit, so airfare alone is quite prohibitive. Here’s hoping the fates send me there.

We’re hoping to spend some time in Hawaii this winter and there’s a long shot I’ll go to Panama in early December. But anything could happen, that’s the great and terrible thing about travel.

My Observations:
Pam, Thank you for being part of this series. Now you’ve made me even more curious. Where can I find your tech writing?

On the photo front: I have chosen a portrait that I believe although not technically correct features you the best from what I have seen. It’s curious how avid photographers usually don’t have a lot of portraits from themselves. Ha and I hope you won’t flame me about this choice:-)

You didn’t add me to your contacts on Flickr, and since your copyright protection is mostly “on”, but I got around that with a nifty gadget called WebKut that I recently found and that unlike earlier versions of Piclens still let you work around the Flickr copy right protection…

There must be a world, no two worlds of difference between Seattle on the one hand and Aigen against the Czech border. Must be a lot of German influence there as well.

Finally you inspired me to to make a note to self to upload some of my my own Demel photos to Flickr…

To all:
Don’t forget to visit Pam’s Travelblogger’s Forum

10 Questions For (14): Tamara Heber Percy of Mr & Mrs Smith

Happy to present to you Tamara Heber Percy of Mr & Mrs Smith, a wonderful collection of funky hotels.

tamara-heber-percy-and-son-tom-oct-08
Tamara Heber Percy and son Tom

1) Who are you?

I’m Tamara Heber Percy, founder and director of Mr & Mrs Smith, the boutique hotel specialists.

2) What do you like about what you do?

Apart from the travel which comes with the territory and you couldn’t do this job unless you loved travel I’d say the thing I love most about my job is the feedback we get from customers as they are constantly (and pleasantly) surprised with the experiences they have at hotels we recommend. I also love new stuff, so getting to know about new design, interiors and innovation in the hotel world.

3) What don’t you like about what you do?

The lack of time to do anything else: when you run your own business you work long hours. When you travel, there’s the jet lag, the whirlwind of meetings. I just wish there were more hours in each day.

4) Please tell us all about your blog and your aims with it.

The Smith Travel Blog started because we realized that we had a lot of great content and information that didn’t really fit into the main website. We have teams of staff who are travelling all the time, as well as our Smith Spies (our term for people who keep our info on each destination up to date), all having great experiences that we wanted to share with our customers. We are also in contact with some great people in the industry – from Michael Caines the Michelin-starred chef to Anouska Hempel who are happy to share their experiences with us. We felt it was time for us to introduce another voice to Smith, to open up what happens behind the scenes a bit more, and to engage customers with a more personal and responsive tone.

5) Your top 3 destination experiences you’ve ever stayed to date and why?

A road trip from San Francisco to Las Vegas. The coastal road is just stunning. Also, I love Ibiza – it sounds corny but I was actually brought up there so the island has a very special place in my heart. You certainly don’t need to be a clubber to go there. I’m also a massive fan of the New York city break – I love the buzz of Manhattan life.

6) Your top 3 accommodations you’ve ever stayed to date and why?

I spent my honeymoon at the Royal Malewane in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. It’s a boutique safari lodge with its own giraffe-frequented watering hole, mahogany four-posters and a Bush spa.

The penthouse suite at the Hotel on Rivington would be my next choice. Not only is it spectacular in itself with a rooftop Jacuzzi and all the luxury trimmings, but the views of New York are incredible.

Finally, I loved my recent holiday in Ibiza – two weeks in a stunning self-catering villa – we really pushed the boat out and felt like rock stars for a fortnight.


A stunning view from the Hotel on Rivington Penthouse Suite

7) Your top 3 most memorable food experiences to date and why?

Lunch at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons for my husband’s birthday.

Dinner at Gramercy Tavern in New York – it’s not new, funky or modern but always delivers great food and a fantastic atmosphere.

Coffee at Monmouth Coffee – without a doubt the best coffee in London.

8) Your 3 worst destination/ accommodation /food experiences to date and why?

That’s a tough one, because generally all my travel experiences have been good. Of course, we check out a lot of substandard hotels when researching for Smith but I wouldn’t say that was a bad experience.

I’ve had a lot of boring experiences waiting for delayed airplanes but since I have become a BlackBerry addict, that time just seems to fly by (sorry!).

When I was a teenager I backpacked around the world. In Jakarta I stayed in a youth hostel which I’d arrived at very late one night. When I woke up the sheets were covered in blood and I was covered in bug bites, and when I looked down the floor, I was met with a carpet of rat droppings. I decided from that moment on to up my accommodation budget.

9) Can you offer the readers 3 travel/ food / accommodation / things to do tips about the city you are currently living in?

I love the Thames in London. I used to live on a Dutch barge moored in Chiswick so being near water is important to me. One of the nicest walks in the whole of London is along the river from Hammersmith to Chiswick.

My favourite hotel in London is Anouska Hempel’s Blakes – I got married there. It’s the original boutique hotel and I’ve never found anywhere more intimate or sexy. There’s no high-end spa or high-tech conference facilities as this is all about couples. One of my favourite things to do in place is amble around the markets: Borough for incredible foodie treats and exotic ingredients; Spitalfields for arts, crafts and leather, and Portobello for, well, anything really.

My (current) favourite restaurant in London is Yauatcha – yummy dim sum!


Tamara’s Dutch Barge at Chiswick

10) Any Question(s) you’d expected me to ask that you would like to answer?

What does the future hold for Mr & Mrs Smith, perhaps? It’s quite an exciting time for us. As well as really exploring what we can do with the Smith Travel Blog, we’re also exploring other media and formats. You can expect to see our first foray into online TV before long and an extension of the services we provide to mobiles (we already have a bespoke BlackBerry application). We’ve also got big developments happing in the States – we’ve already got a S-specific site – and, although I don’t want to give too much away, you may see some Smith-related goings-on in the Asia-Pacific area before too long!


Mr & Mrs Smith site

My observations:
First a Big Thank You, Tamara for being my guest! You are a hell of an inspiring lady!

You got me convinced to acquire my own Blackberry. Albeit to be able to take reservations while on the road. Typically when I am underway to fetch some clean linen, I always get calls about our vacancies.

I would like to congratulate you with your portfolio of hotels and the Blog: If “Damien” Cronian coins the blog one of the best corporate blogs in the industry he means it and I concur! But not only an excellent bunch of hotels that you have, I believe your keen eye for detail and things to do in the neighborhood of a hotel makes the brand standing out between the best of the best.

One small remark. I tried this summer to book a small hotel in the South of France to find out there was no way of checking their online availability. I believe that unnecessary in these times. I’m a notable late booker, because only at the last moment, when there are really no guests, we take off, but I can imagine the same applies to busy people….

And finally a small question: Does the blog has two Tamaras? The Tamara featured under contributors got married in Ca… Hey where are your contributors’ Bios?

Last edited by Happy Hotelier on Saturday, October 17, 2009

10 Questions For (13) : Darren Cronian of Travel Rants

Happy to present Darren Cronian of Travel Rants which he unfortunately discontinued. Darren is one of my Travel Bloggers friends who, as a sort of Godfather, kept me going shortly after I started this Blog.

Darren doesn’t like to be photographed. Therefor I have used the Travel Rants logo. When I succeed to make a nice portrait of him on November 11, when approximately 80 travel Bloggers will meet in London, I will replace the logo with his portrait. Darren organized this Bloggers Meet Up, Travel Blog Camp, entirely on his own. Tickets are sold out now! Am looking forward to it!

1) Who Are you?

I am Darren Cronian, and in my spare time I write and promote Travel Rants, a blog that focuses on travel consumer issues and news. I live in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, and work in IT development and support for a large organization.

2) What do you like about what you do?

I love writing about travel, interacting with travel bloggers, and anyone involved in the travel industry. I like to write about my own travel experiences and consumer issues. My drive is making people aware of the Travel Rants blog and raising it’s profile in the UK, and around Europe.

3) What don’t you like about what you do?

The long hours, sat at a computer can be very tiresome, but I give myself mini challenges to complete which keeps me going. I usually write when I return home from work, or at the weekend, basically any spare time that I have.

4) Please tell us all about your blog and your aims with it.

I started writing the Travel Rants blog in April 2005 and has over the years become popular with consumers, bloggers and the travel industry. It’s been featured in a number of newspapers and this year won the Travolution Award for best Travel consumer blog.

I recently launched the Travel Rants newsletter, and will be launching the monthly Travel Rant Podcast. The aim then is to continue to write quality content, and raise awareness of the blog in the UK through an online advertising campaign at the start of 2009.

The goal is for it to become a hugely popular place for travel consumers to air their views and opinions.


Eagle’s eye view … the new route takes you through the steel to the top of the bridge. Photo: BridgeClimb Sydney via The Guardian

5) Your top 3 destination experiences you’ve ever stayed to date and why?

Sydney
Prague
Oslo

Sydney is my favourite city because I had so much fun; walking over the Harbour Bridge, no, I actually mean over the top of the Bridge. Then there’s the jeep safari in to the Blue Mountains, and relaxing on Manly beach.

Prague I visited for a long weekend break with my girlfriend at the time. It was romantic, historic and made me realize there is so much in the world that I have not discovered. Walking over Charles Bridge, up to Prague castle and through the markets in the Old Town.

Oslo was expensive, but I was expecting that and I loved the snow, yes tons and tons of snow, walking up to the top of the World Cup Ski jump at Holmenkollen, a visit to Norway’s international stadium. The people were so friendly too.

6) Your top 3 accommodations you’ve ever stayed to date and why?

City AS Hotel, Oslo
Albatross Bote, Prague
Southern Cross Hotel, Sydney

I chose all of these hotels because of the location of each hotel was within a short walking distance of the major attractions. When searching for hotels I don’t worry too much about the rooms themselves as I just want somewhere to sleep and get a shower. As long as they are clean I am happy.

7) Your top 3 most memorable food experiences to date and why?

Alligator Steak, North Queensland
Devils Curry, Kuala Lumpur
Chips and Mayonnaise, Bruges

Yum. Sat overlooking the great barrier reef eating my alligator steak with an ice cold beer, then there’s the time I had a devils curry in Kuala Lumpur which is about four times as hot as a Vindaloo curry, Hot very hot. I loved the chips with Mayonnaise in Bruges as well.

8) Your 3 worst destination/ accommodation / food experiences to date and why?

I don’t have any bad experiences, I choose my destinations and accommodation carefully, and as long as the hotel is clean I do not worry too much about it. The food, well I love food, and I have not yet eaten anything that I’ve found disgusting, well maybe the squid salad.

9) Can you offer the readers 3 travel/ food / accommodation / things to do tips about the city you are currently living in?

I live in Leeds, a city in Northern England. I would advise anyone to take a trip by train from London to the North. Visit York, it has tons of history with its Viking past. Then there’s a trip to Whitby on the coast, typical seaside place, and burial home of Dracula. Finally, a shopping and restaurant trip to Leeds, to collect your last minute Christmas presents before returning home.

10) Any Question(s) you’d expected me to ask that you would like to answer?

I get asked why I started to write Travel Rants, it’s a question I get asked a lot. Basically, I visited a high street travel agency and found that the agent was rude, and did not seem to be happy to help me find a holiday, so I left the shop in disgust and started writing Travel Rants a few days later.


Bitterballen

Thank you, Darren! Eating chips with mayonnaise is a typical Belgian and Dutch habit which few foreigners appreciate. If you appreciate that, you’re also likely to appreciate our typical Dutch “bitterballen” and maybe also our raw herring:-)