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IT—Inside Traveler
By Jessie Johnston and Emily King

October 19, 2006:

Tokyo Toes

Thanks to the geographic diversity of IT's social circle, we are lucky enough to receive great dispatches via informal e-mail. Here, (with her permission) we've posted Jessie Szalay's Thoreauvian tips for those traveling to Tokyo:

"Tokyo's mass transit system is both a blessing and a curse for tourists. It is efficient, with subway trains running every few minutes to every hub in this big town. It is also an attraction in itself—all but the extremely claustrophobic should experience the insane morning rush as thousands of identically suited salarymen cram themselves onto trains. But, by taking the crowded trains, visitors miss out on an interesting, if time consuming, alternative: walking, the best way to see how Tokyo's 12 million residents actually live, not just commute.

"Though walking is specifically frowned upon by some guidebooks, on a recent trip to Tokyo I embarked on a four-hour-long afternoon stroll from Tokyo Station to Shinjuku. I headed south, then east, taking mainly side streets. I chose them based on size (wider is better if you want to avoid being hit by a car or rogue bicyclist), whether a street looked architecturally interesting, and whether it was relatively straight, in order to minimize my chances of getting lost. This walk encompassed most of Tokyo's main sights including the upscale shopping district of Ginza; nighttime playground Roppongi; Tokyo Tower; Shibuya, home of one of Asia's busiest intersections (be sure to watch as 600 people cross the street every time the light changes); and Harajuku, where an ancient shrine, a designer shopping area known as Killer Street, a condom emporium, and punk/bondage/goth Takeshita Street can be found within walking distance of each other.

"Walking is also an excellent way to see life in the city and not just the commercial craziness of it. Though there are places that are downright ugly, such as the freeway overpasses between Roppongi and Shibuya, anyone with a good map (I used the one at the back of Lonely Planet Tokyo) and a decent sense of direction can find alternate routes which will take you past a variety of sights that are enchanting and paradoxical in a uniquely Japanese way. Be on the lookout for small rock gardens under skyscrapers, Christian churches featuring hip and gable roofs, and traditional Japanese houses tucked minutes away from postmodern glass-and-steel architecture."

Internet Itinerary

IT was introduced to the travel video website TurnHere (tagline: "Short films, cool places") a few months ago, but didn't get to explore it thoroughly at the time. Last week, we were introduced to another such site, brand new Travelistic (tagline: "Watch where you're going"), and realized it was time to take a closer look. On a recent and relatively quiet evening at home, Emily camped out with her laptop and watched 17 short films. Suffice it to say she's now addicted:

"The concept of watching short films before you travel is brilliant. I always try to watch a movie filmed in the location I'm going before I leave; in reality, I rarely have time to view a 136-minute film the day before I go. These websites have created the perfect solution: Spend one to five minutes watching short films (for free!) on your computer and you're ready to take off.

"TurnHere exclusively features the work of independent filmmakers. According to their mission statement, 'Each TurnHere digital film is driven by an individual filmmaker's vision, translated into compelling storytelling, engaging narrators, insider perspective and high entertainment value.' Of the five I watched—Cincinatti; Columbus, Ohio; Athens, Georgia; Annapolis, Maryland; and Fall River, Massachusetts—this was certainly true. Most films cover U.S. destinations, but there are a sprinkling of international locations, including Roatán, Honduras; Krakow; and Sofia, Bulgaria. I had a nasty case of wanderlust after watching a short about Baan Kata Villa in Phuket.

"Travelistic is less picky about submissions, trying instead simply to aggregate and categorize as many short travel films as possible. While I saw some quality videos (I especially liked Newport Beach, California and "Chinatown Bus"), there were several, like Taos and Salt Lake City, that consisted merely of 12- to 20-second clips of poorly shot footage.

"That said, Travelistic has depth (in terms of quantity) and incorporates community well. Much like 43 Places, viewers and filmmakers may mark whether they've been or want to go to the location featured in each film. And, in good old Flickr style, filmmakers can tag their videos. I navigated the site in beta (trial) form, but now that Travelistic is open to the public (since Monday), I think it'll keep getting better."

From October 17, 2006:

IT Lit

IT has been known to get a little festive now and again. We've also been known to pick up a book. So it should come as no surprise that we're hopping on the book festival bandwagon with both feet.

Just as the end of summer is a key time for film fest goers, autumn offers a healthy crop of opportunities for bibliophiles wishing to indulge their wanderlust. This post is too late to catch some of the season's earliest literary offerings (in Ottawa, San Francisco, Brisbane, Berlin, and Bali) but the weeks and months ahead boast many more to come. Both of your bloggers' hometowns will be getting their lit on in the coming weeks, as will Toronto, the Vegas Valley, and Banff. The Midwest is already awash with bookworms, with reading sprees currently underway in Chicago and Milwaukee. And for those who would cross the sea for a good read, there are upcoming literary gatherings in Perth, Scotland; Durham, UK; and balmy Antigua.

Though popular, fall doesn't have a monopoly on book fests. You can get up close and personal with your favorite authors (and their works) throughout the year, in a variety of top destinations. March boasts a handful, including New Orleans and Oxford. April will see the literati (including Vikram Seth, Germaine Greer, and V.S. Naipaul) descend on Jordan for the first ever Majestic Petra Festival. And breezes caused by thousands of turning pages will blow through Dublin and Prague in June, and Parati, Brazil in August. For a year-round slate of literary celebrations, your best bet is the UK, home of blockbuster book binges and petite poetry parties. So what are you waiting for? Pick a festival, and book your next trip!

IT's Reader Roundup: Insider Edition

Just like we did for Montreal, National Geographic Traveler asked readers to contribute their own insider tips after reading "Insiders Amsterdam" in the September print issue. The emails flowed in, and over the next few weeks we'll be sharing the best suggestions with you. First installment: where to sleep.

Michael Wagner, who has visited Amsterdam several times, recommends the Hotel Brouwer on the Singel Canal for its "small, European feel and great quiet location."

Bonnie Krasik, of Farmington Hills, Michigan, spent her birthday three years ago in a houseboat on an Amsterdam canal: "Even in March, we could wake up early and sit outside with a hot cup of coffee made in our own kitchen. While nightly rentals cost about the same as a hotel room, boats can accommodate many people, making it extremely easy on the budget."

Former Amsterdam resident Molly Shannon (now of Austin, Texas) also recommends staying on the water, in the Amstel Botel: "The Botel (yes, with a 'B'), is a four-story boat moored in the inner harbor, steps away from the Centraal Station. For $118 per night you get the best view in Amsterdam. The rooms are compact and the bathrooms are probably the smallest you have ever seen, but you could eat off the floor the place is so clean. You barely notice the modest size of the room because the water-side wall is mostly taken up by a large window from which you see across an expanse of water to the Amsterdam skyline. Best of all, at night you do not hear a sound, because there is no boat traffic on the water and the street traffic is too far away. You will sleep like a baby. Due to its size, and the absence of other water traffic and tides, the Botel is rock solid and will not betray the slightest motion or sway."

Doug Kimball of Everett, Washington, spent six weeks living in a family houseboat in Amsterdam 40 years ago and returned to visit the city in May: "While in Amsterdam this time, my home was Annette's Bed and Breakfast where for $68 I had a wonderful, albeit small, room just off of a microscopic but lovely outside courtyard. Each morning, Annette fixes a huge breakfast in her kitchen and makes a lunch for the road if you choose. She is a wonderful woman with college-age children, a former schoolteacher and a total delight. Her B&B is within easy walking to the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, and a 20-minute tram ride to Dam Square, the Red Light District, and Centraal Station. She is also a block from Vondelpark and its wonderful restaurants."

E-mail your feedback and tips to InsideTraveler@ngs.org.

Bookmark IT! www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/extras/blog/blog.html

When in airports, Emily King, Traveler's assistant to the editor, enjoys smelling and ogling Cinnabons, then exercising willpower and walking away from them. Researcher Jessie Johnston takes pleasure in perusing the invariably excellent selection of watches for sale and in giving herself permission to buy trashy magazines.

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