Ten years ago today, a 64-year-old doctor from China’s Guangdong Province checked into a hotel in Hong Kong. He had just treated several patients with “atypical pneumonia.” The next day he was admitted to a hospital with respiratory failure, and was described as having a “very virulent disease.”
It was SARS, and the doctor was a key figure in the epidemic that spread like wildfire, killed hundreds of people and created something of a global panic.
At CNN, Ramy Inocencio looks back at the SARS outbreak, the lessons learned by hotels, airlines and the rest of the travel industry, and whether the world is now better prepared to control the next epidemic.
Sleep! It’s something of a Holy Grail for travelers. NPR’s Cheryl Corley looks at the trend of airport suites specifically designed for travelers to catch a quick nap. Getting sleep on the plane can be difficult – it’s hard to get comfortable and it’s often noisy (important advice: if it is noisy, don’t slap the crying baby and drop a racial epithet). The New York Times’ Stephanie Rosenbloom offers up some tips for finding inner peace in the middle seat.
There were some great articles this week about destinations that you may not be thinking of, or may have thought you could never afford to visit. At USA Today, Anne Banas looks at 10 really cool places that you probably think you can’t afford, but that you just might be able to. If you visit the Baltics, Gadling’s Sean McLachlan suggests checking out the 350-year-old Bastion Tunnels under the Estonian city of Tallinn. That seems crazy cool to me. And, unfortunately, Kraig Becker reports that you may have to cross the North Pole off your bucket list.
At Forbes, Tomio Geron takes a look at Airbnb – the social travel site that connects travelers looking for cheap accommodations with hospitable residents. It’s all part of the “share economy.”
Generally, fast food in the skies is a bad idea, but Japan Airline’s Teriyaki Egg Burger packs a protein punch that you might want to consider.
How about a hike through the spectacular glacier-strewn landscape of Patagonia? Friends of a friend are blogging about their spectacular hikes here.
The Interweb was aflutter this week – or at least the young male portion of the online audience was – over a finding by scientists on the pressing problem of in-flight flatulence. Michael Walsh at the New York Daily News reports that the researchers say it’s healthier to let ‘em rip than too hold it in, which can cause discomfort, pain, bloating dyspepsia and other stomach issues. Yeah, but what about the rest of us? In a similar vein, we discovered a solution for outdoor living that the adventure traveler in your life might like.
All in the name of travel health…
