Welcome to the Traveler’s Show & Tell.
This week’s blog carnival features six interesting posts from travel lovers around the globe. Read on to learn:
- …how Yelp and Instagr.am can be powerful tools for travelers.
- …how to avoid getting scammed in Budapest.
- …why small towns in the USA are so much fun.
- …and much more:
This Week’s Photo
You can’t go far in Naples, Italy without bumping into the popular character, Pulcinella. Not only do you find Pulcinella figurines for sale (from expensive ceramics to cheap plastic trinkets) but street performers often don his costume for their shows. In the performances I have seen, Pulcinella comes off as both naive and wise, an impish underdog who pokes fun at local politics.
1. “How Yelp transformed the way I Explore a City” by Byteful Travel
Byteful Travel presents How Yelp transformed the way I Explore a City (& Avoiding “Proximity Apathy” at home) posted at Byteful Travel, saying,
“Last week, I returned home from a brief stay in that Magical Land of the North that most people refer to simply, as Canada. It was my first time in Toronto, and despite the fact that I only had two and a half days to explore it, I managed to see many of its greatest wonders, including Kensington Market, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the stunning view from the CN Tower. So how did I manage to see so many great places in such a short span of time? One word: Yelp. “
A few blog carnivals back, in a Traveler’s Show & Tell called Neon, Fish Tacos & Gentrification, Sheila Scarborough also sang the praises of Yelp for travelers in her post, The Great Digital Food Hunt, saying,
“My smartphone is changing how I find places to eat when I travel. Thank you, Yelp, for leading me to divine fish tacos on North Padre Island, Texas (near Corpus Christi.)”
I must confess that I haven’t checked out Yelp much yet, but I am definitely going to after such compelling endorsements from my fellow travel junkies. (There, I just added it to my to-do list.)
2. “7 Ways Instagr.am & Travel Go Hand-in-Hand” by Tui Snider
Tui Snider (hey – that’s me!) presents 7 Ways Instagr.am & Travel Go Hand-in-Hand posted at Mental Mosaic: Even Home is a Travel Destination, saying,
“In keeping with Byteful’s endorsement of Yelp as a helpful tool for traveler’s, I have found – much to my surprise – that Instagr.am has changed the way I travel, too. This post explains how I went from Instagr.am apathy to Instagr.am addict!”
3. “Small Town, U.S.A.” by Zhu
Zhu presents Small Town, U.S.A posted at Correr Es Mi Destino, saying,
“Every time we go to the U.S, we drive through dozens of small towns. Some have a main street (usually aptly named Main Street) others are just a cluster of houses. The cost of living is usually fairly low and small businesses are busy. There are true gems to be found, authentic bakeries and local restaurants, a nice break from the ubiquitous franchises that seem to be everywhere these days. And don’t you love these classic movie theatres? They are much cheaper than the huge Cineplex that stink of popcorn!”
Like Zhu, I love exploring little towns in the USA and discovering hidden gems, although, unlike Zhu, I love the smell of popcorn!
4. “Isn’t grey hair just the first light of a new dawn?” by Nine
Nine presents Isn’t grey hair just the first light of a new dawn? posted at Abyssinia, Henry, saying,
“Just a quick piece describing my departure from Leipzig and reminiscing, kind of, about the home I left a year and a half ago. Oh, with added music.”
Nine’s post is an intimate travelogue which reads like a page from a poet’s diary. I especially like the line, “I had already Tetris-ed most of my stuff into my rucksack.” Oh, how I know that feeling at the end of a trip!
5. “Adventures in Vaci Street” by Grant Ward
Grant Ward presents Adventures in Vaci Street; Budapest, Hungary posted at 12 Homes 12 Months. In this post, Grant wrestles with something travel writers rarely admit to, boredom:
“Normally, I’m a very disciplined person. I watch what I eat, I don’t smoke, I don’t drink very much or often (things can change though!). I am scrupulous in my fitness, and I try and keep a balanced view of things, I don’t get over- emotional or lose my temper. But Boredom drives me nuts… It’s the kind of state, for me, where you could make a life-changing decision that you live to regret…I was reaching that stage now, and it was the rain, the damned rain.”
Check out his post to find out how Grant’s boredom led him straight into a popular tourist scam in Budapest, and how you can avoid it. (Plus, the way he wrote it, it’s easy to imagine his post as a film noir voice over.)
6. “Khalifa Tower, Dubai” by Shawali
Shawali presents Burj Khalifa ‘khalifa tower,’ Dubai posted at We are all in !!!.
“Erecting the tallest building in the world is a pursuit both pointless and exhilarating. Someone will always build a bigger one, but that doesn’t diminish the intense allure of height, which can make a building famous whether or not there is anything else to recommend it.”
He has a point, wouldn’t you agree?
Did you enjoy this week’s Show & Tell?
That’s it for this week’s blog carnival, Traveler’s Show & Tell. As always, if you enjoyed it, let us know in the comments section. Also, please let the author know you liked their piece by leaving a comment at their blog. See you next week! :)
Do you have a travel story to share?
- Include your Twitter handle even if you have submitted in the past. It really helps me out!
- Only submit if your site has a comment box. It is my hope for this blog carnival to promote interaction among travelers, not just be a one-way conversation.
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traveler’s show and tell, blog carnival.
Tui Snider is an author, speaker, and photographer who specializes in North Texas travel, cemetery symbols, and haunted lore. As she puts it, “I used to write fiction – but then, I moved to Texas!”
Snider’s best-selling books include Paranormal Texas , Understanding Cemetery Symbols, and 100 Things to Do in Dallas - Fort Worth Before You Die.
Snider has several more books in progress, and enjoys connecting with writers and readers all over the globe through social media, her newsletter and her website: TuiSnider.com.
Thanks for including my post about Yelp, Tui! I like how you put this carnival together, and I’ve tweeted out about it. Thanks again!
Thanks for all your support, Andarin! I’m a big fan of your blog carnivals, too. :)
Thanks, Andarin! Not sure why my site always garbles up your name. Sorry about that! Thanks for the compliments. I put a lot of effort into my blog carnivals, as do you. You’ve inspired me to try Yelp, btw! :) ~Tui