Apr 10, 2020

Nomadic Notes - Travel Reads 10 April, 2020

Revue

April 10 · Issue #155 · View online

A weekly newsletter of great travel reads and news by James Clark from Nomadic Notes.

Where I'm At

Greetings from Saigon, where life in semi-lockdown continues.

No new blog posts this week as I have been working on other projects. I did some site admin (like cleaning up broken links) and other things that take away creative time (like being on hold to a bank for 2 hours with no resolution). I will post a blog next week to keep the site ticking over.

I posted some articles on Living In Asia about Future Vientiane and the Forest City urban development in Malaysia.

Having all this time with no outside distractions has brought forward another project that has been in the proverbial “to do” basket, and I will announce that next week when it is ready.

Assorted Travel Links

A short history of travel guidebooks and why they matter more than ever

www.nationalgeographic.co.uk – Share

“As independent travel publishers everywhere struggle in the face of Covid-19, decorated adventurer and Bradt Guides founder Hilary Bradt reflects on the travel guide genre — and what you can do to help it survive.”

Camera lost for eight years found in five hours through power of social media

mobile.abc.net.au – Share

“When Andrew Clough lost his digital camera on a far north Queensland rafting trip in 2012, he had no idea it would become a modern-day ‘message in a bottle’.”

Hundertwasser Art Centre in Whangārei 'unlike any other in the world'

www.stuff.co.nz – Share

“One-of-a-kind building designed by late Austrian artist will see world’s rarest tree blooming in rooftop forest.”

I have travelled to places just to visit the works of

I have travelled to places just to visit the works of Hundertwasser. I have also never been to New Zealand, so this is another prod to visit our friendly neighbours across the ditch.

Here is the Hundertwasser building I visited in Magdeburg, Germany.

Travel (or lack thereof) in the time of the coronavirus

Housetrucks: A Traveller's Answer to Freedom in this Strange New World?

www.messynessychic.com – Share

“Stay at home. Don’t travel. Social distance. These are the rules we need to abide by in order to get through this surreal pandemic bringing the world to a standstill. But what if your home was on wheels?”

Himalayas visible for first time in 30 years as pollution levels in India drop

www.sbs.com.au – Share

“As the lockdown to stop the spread of coronavirus in India continues, pollution levels across much of the country have dropped sharply. Now some residents in northern India say they can see the snow-capped Himalayas 200 kilometres away for the first time in 30 years.”

Malaysian man walks 120km home to avoid infecting anyone with Covid-19, adopts dog along the way

www.scmp.com – Share

“Alixson Mangundok, who had returned from Japan, feared he might carry the coronavirus and chose not to take any public transport.”

[Photos] An Empty District 1 Waits for Its Crowds to Return

saigoneer.com – Share

“Amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and national social distancing campaign, certain areas of Saigon are completely unrecognizable. While more suburban areas remain relatively lively, central District 1 has turned into a ghost town at times.”

Coronavirus: Sophie Raworth's deserted London

www.bbc.com – Share

“BBC presenter’s photographs of deserted streets as she runs to work in central London.”

No Visitors, No Virus

garfors.com – Share

“There is unsurprisingly a strong correlation between tourist numbers and spread of the coronavisrus. Only 17 out of the world’s 198 countries are coronavirus free, and 10 out of these are among the 24 least-visited countries on the planet.”

With no tourists, Vienna's horse-drawn carriages deliver lockdown meals

www.reuters.com – Share

“Under coronavirus lockdown, one aspect of modern Vienna might look familiar to victims of plagues past - horse-drawn carriages delivering meals to those most at risk during the pandemic.”

Travel Comic

From the excellent Itchy Feet (and I have serious itch feet right now).

Instagram

First rain of the year in Saigon, a prelude to rainy season.

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