G4T #50: Ben Ayers - Insights on Social Change in Nepal's Khumbu

This is a Geography for Travelers Podcast related post (click on the title above to download the .mp3 file)

This month's podcast is one of the interviews from our recent trip to Nepal. We administered the interview to Ben Ayers, the founder of Porter's Progress, an NGO devoted to supporting the porter who carry heavy loads on their backs up the Khumbu Valley of Nepal. Today he works for the dZi Foundation, a community development NGO that works throughout the Himalaya region.

In this podcast, Ben discusses how the Khumbu has been modernized and transformed in recent years, and the challenges that this presents to Sherpa culture and society today.

Please support these worthwhile organizations...

• Porter's Progress
• dZi Foundation

Travelography #48: Hawaii Quake Impacts and Cruises Return to New Orleans

(click on the title above to go to the PCN TRAVELOGRAPHY web page)

While scary, the immediate tourism impacts of last week's earthquake in Hawaii were minor compared to the potential longer term impacts that it my have. Regularly scheduled cruises from New Orleans will start up again this Sunday, marking the return of one of the fastest growing segments of the travel and tourism industry.

Here are links to these stories:

Quake could scare tourists away from Hawaii
Earthquake in Hawaii causes only limited tourist disruption
Earthquake leaves Hawaii unscathed
First post-Hurricane Katrina cruise scheduled for New Orleans