September 11 is the l Enkutatash, or Ethiopian New Year. The date traditionally marks both the end of the rainy season and the return of Queen of Sheba after a journey to Jerusalem. The holiday is celebrated with dancing and singing throughout the country’s villages.  

This Sunday is the second running of Il Palio, the horse race that takes place every July and August in Siena, Italy. The tradition dates back to the Medieval times and involves jockeys riding bareback around a track that winds through the city’s main piazza. A few riders usually lose their mounts, which clearly is part of the attraction for the crowds who throng to this gorgeous city. See for yourself in this video.

In case you’ve been completely unplugged for the past week (and therefore not reading this blog) Microsoft has launched Bing, its much anticipated search engine. What surprised–and frankly delighted me–is that they’ve planted their flag pole firmly in the travel category. Each day showcases a panoramic photo of a different destination–Florence, the Great Barrier Reef, Las Vegas–with factoids that appear and disappear over different parts of the image as you move your cursor.  Video and image searches maximize social media so that you can see both professional (i.e. beautifully staged) and amateur (i.e. true to life) shots to help you make a more informed decision about whether or not this is a place you’d actually like to visit.  I also like their travel blog, which balances the newsy–swine flu, Ryanair’s decision to start charging passengers for the privilege to pee while aloft– with big picture questions posed by travel heavyweights such as Rick Steves and Pauline Frommer about the promises and perils of going places. I especially liked Frommer’s posting about traveling while your children are younger than two so you can save both save money and not have to amend your itinerary to suit their interests.

I first came across the idea of slum tours in the most recent issue of Ode Magazine. It seems that visiting some of the world’s poorest communities in Rio de Janeiro, Mumbai and Nairobi is turning into a growing segment of the tourism industry. The article’s author endorses slum tours, writing that “the opportunity to interact with residents of the favelas [Rio’s slums] and witness their entrepreneurial spirit had a powerful effect. . . . Seeing how people live motivates us to action; ignoring poverty doesn’t make it go away.”

Others aren’t so sure: Writing on the blog Racialicious Wendi Muse says:

“Of course, I am thrilled that non-Brazilians are becoming more aware of the socio-economic divisions within Brazil’s major cities like Rio and São Paulo, and many of those who allow tourists to stay in their homes note how their visits may improve both the image and economy of Brazilian favelas (and their inhabitants). . . . I am not sure, however, if all will take away this educational message. After all, their experiences in the favelas are an adventure, a realistic video game where gunshots are heard, but the blood and dead bodies are absent.”

You can watch a video of a slum tour here.

What do you think? Are slum tours an enlightened way to create global awareness or voyeuristic adventures for people who can afford them?

Yes, Bulgaria. The country celebrates both St. George’s Day and the Day of the Bulgarian Army on May 6.  It’s a national holiday where the people who celebrate their patron saint take part in folk dancing and other traditions and the city folk in Sofia, the nation’s capitol, watch a military parade. Further afield, the resorts on the Black Sea exude a more Cancun-like vibe. 

Perhaps no country in the world is as well known for its flowers as Holland. The best place to see tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and other spring bulbs is Keukenhof, a historic park in the bulb-growing region. With more than 7 million hand-planted flowers, the park is the largest bulb garden in the world.  The 58 bus takes you there directly from Schiphol Airport. If you don’t think a visit is possible before the end of May (that’s when the blooming season is over), check out this video.