I’m too sexy for this country…

*The price of beauty is deportation.   Or so discovered Omar Borkan Al Gala (pictured above) and two other men, deported from Saudi Arabia for being… wait for it… wait for it… too handsome (via Asiantown.net).

*Time to expand your destination wedding options.  On Tuesday, France became the 14th country to allow same-sex marriage (Yahoo).  The next day, the Rhode Island Senate approved legislation to make the “Hope” state the 10th in the U.S., in addition to Washington D.C., to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples (via The Advocate).

*In other sweet news, earlier this month two men married in Africa’s first traditional gay wedding (via Daily Mail).

* In the Navy, yes, you can sail the seven seas, but apparently cannot afford to dock in New York City.  This year, Congress has sequestered the sailors.  Because of federal budget cuts, the Navy’s annual Fleet Week is cancelled (via AMNY).

*More than ever, support Boston with your travel dollars… here are ten reasons why (via PeterGreenberg.com).

*Go big or stay home!  Splurge at a hotel worthy of your holiday (via Conde Nast Traveler).

What did I miss?  Share your favorite travel news in the comments below or by posting on the Traveling IQ Facebook page.

If he only had a knife…

*Your liquid soap, cologne and moisturizing lotion over 3.4 ounces will still not be allowed in your carry-on, but your knives, ski poles and toy bats can board the aircraft, effective April 25, 2013 (via CNN).

*Scraping the sky on Instagram from 2,716 feet (via Huffington Post).

*Rumor has it, “air rage” is on the rise (via CNN).

*Boys will be boys, and bears and beasts and stags and trees.  Photographer Charles Fréger captures men of Europe dressed in outfits wilder than the National Tour of Priscilla Queen of the Desert (via National Geographic).

*The same oil that fried up your lunch might be powering your next flight to Europe (via BBC).

*Curious about the sexual orientation of a building?  Tour the Gayest Buildings in America (via California Home & Design).

*A time-lapse film captures New York City in the fast lane (via Kickstarter):

What did I miss?  Share your favorite travel news in the comments below or by posting on the Traveling IQ Facebook page.

(Photo: Still from movie, Snakes on a Plane)

The National Sport of Turkey

*We connect with foreign cultures in many ways:  music, art, food, literature, etc.  With Turkey, may I suggest their National Sport (via BuzzFeed).

*If you liked it then you should’ve put a stamp on it.  The U.S. Postal Service may be selling architecturally distinctive post offices because of its financial problems (via NY Times).

*Ten indispensable apps for last-minute travel (via Smarter Travel).

*The joyous experience of air travel is getting more complicated.  U.S. airports have already started experiencing delays as a result of automatic federal spending cuts (via ABC News).

*The U.S. State Department has launched a web portal providing information for gay travelers, who sometimes face specific risks when visiting foreign countries.  The section will note if there have been recent attacks against LGBT-identified people or, more generally, whether local laws permit consensual sexual relations between two people of the same gender (via BBC).

*If at first you don’t succeed… try, try again?  An Australian billionaire has released blueprints for the Titanic II, a replica of the original ship which sank in April 1912, with plans to set sail across the Atlantic in 2016.  Oh yeah, FYI… the ship will be built in China (via ABC News).

What did I miss?  Share your favorite travel news in the comments below or by posting on the Traveling IQ Facebook page.

(Photo via BuzzFeed)

Attention gay sports fans (and allies!):  Miami Beach and Miami will host the World Outgames in 2017, marking the first time the sporting event is held in the United States.

Sponsored by the Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association (GLISA), the World Outgames–a gay-inclusive Olympics of sorts–takes place every four years in a different global city.

Included in the Miami Beach-Miami bid were proposals to host a human rights conference, a diverse cultural program, a World Outgames Village, opening and closing ceremonies, and 30 sporting events over 10 days, all under the South Florida sunshine.

Consider this your four-year warning:  It’s time to squeeze into the Speedo, dust off your running shoes, or bedazzle that figure skating costume.

(Photo via GayNZ.com)

Charreada (Photo: Al Rendon/SACVB)

Spend a day exploring San Antonio’s Mexican heritage, dating back to 1821 when the area officially belonged to our southern neighbor.  Less than three hours from the border, the city continues to be a cultural gateway between the two countries.

Rent a car for the day to facilitate exploring outside the city center, then make a pit stop for a Tex-Mex breakfast of chorizo and egg tacos at Tito’s Restaurant. Next, let the music move you–regardless of your religious beliefs–when the traditional mass incorporates the music of a Mexican mariachi choir at the historic 18th century Mission San José (Sundays at 12:30 p.m.).  Afterward, make your way to Charro Ranch for a Charreada (usually once monthly at 3 p.m.), a Mexican rodeo featuring rope tricks, music, dance, and impressive synchronized horseback choreography by sidesaddle-riding women in traditional dress.

Head back downtown to peruse the shops of Market Square, the largest Mexican marketplace outside of Mexico, for authentic souvenirs ranging from artisanal pottery and brightly-painted dolls to kitschy “lucha libre” masks and bedazzled sombreros. Steps away, feast on heaping plates of chicken enchiladas in móle sauce at the 24-hour Mi Tierra Café and Panaderia.  Family-owned since 1941, Mi Tierra serves classic Mexican dishes with a wide selection of tequilas and margaritas.  Finish your meal with a cinnamon-laced Mexican hot chocolate and the signature pan dulce (sweetbread) while listening to the sweet serenade of trovadorers.  Stick around at the bar to tackle a jumbo margarita or two, then cab it over to Alamo Street Eat Bar, the city’s gourmet food truck park, serving beers and mobile eats till 2 am on Fridays and Saturday nights.

(A version of this article first appeared in New York Magazine)

Filed under: U.S.A. Tagged: Culture, Mexico, San Antonio, Texas ]]> http://travelingiq.com/2013/02/28/san-antonio-keeps-the-mex-in-tex/feed/ 2 IQ Charreada (Photo: Al Rendon/SACVB) http://travelingiq.com/2013/02/15/the-week-in-travel-2152013/ http://travelingiq.com/2013/02/15/the-week-in-travel-2152013/#comments Fri, 15 Feb 2013 19:30:06 +0000 Ivan Quintanilla http://travelingiq.com/?p=6491 Continue reading →]]> The world of travel moves fast!   Let’s keep up–together.   On Fridays,  Traveling IQ curates the highlights from the past week:

Rio is the Happiest!

*San Francisco is the happiest city in America, but Rio de Janeiro makes the world smile (via Huffington Post).

*Poop, power outages and the perfume of sewage defeat the cruising vacation of 3,143 passengers aboard the Carnival Triumph (via Miami Herald).

*On Valentines’ Day, American Airlines and US Airways announced the marriage that will soon conceive the world’s largest air carrier (via Washington Post).

*Kids are great–and necessary to the continuation of the human race–but you don’t always want them on your flight.   Now, a Malaysian-based airline is introducing a kid-free, quiet zone (via Passport Magazine).

*France’s Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport offers duty-free shopping and an Auguste Rodin gallery (via NY Times).

*Want to know more about your upcoming vacation destination?  Tourism boards are sharing pictures, upcoming events, and restaurant recommendations on Twitter (via NBC News).

What did I miss?  Share your favorite travel news in the comments below or by posting on the Traveling IQ Facebook page.

(Photo via Fox Latino)

Open your heart to me, baby
I hold the lock and you hold the key
Open your heart to me, darlin’
I’ll give you love if you, you turn the key

This Valentine’s Day, let Cologne hold the lock and the Rhine hold the key.

Join the Köln tradition by engraving both your names on a padlock and locking your love along the pedestrian pathway of the Hohenzollernbrücke Bridge.  Then throw the key in the Rhine River.

In addition to connecting east and west Cologne, the Hohenzollernbrücke also symbolically links thousands of lovers.

(To learn more about Cologne, Germany… read my article on Travel Squire or listen to my radio segment on Proud FM)

*You can leave your heart in San Francisco, you can be sure to wear flowers in your hair, but don’t forget to cover your “genitals, perineum, and anal region,” now that the city’s ban on nudity has officially gone into effect (via RT).

*With Valentine’s Day approaching, woo your honey-bunny at one of the “ten romantic places to see before you die” (via Times of India).

*NYC, what is it about you?  See for yourself in this stunning 360 degree, interactive map (via The Telegraph).

*You might want to reconsider your trip to Russia, as the country’s anti-gay law–already in place in St. Petersburg and other cities–aims to criminalize “homosexual propaganda” nationally (via Edge).

*Enjoy a pink and magenta hued lunch with Ken, at the world’s first Barbie restaurant, now open in Taiwan (via CNN).

*Some like it hot… while some not.  The travel doctors at MAW take the “sexual temperature” of the 19 gay resorts in Ft. Lauderdale (via Man About World).

What did I miss?  Share your favorite travel news in the comments below or by posting on the Traveling IQ Facebook page.

(Photo via Reuters)

Sydney Sizzles

*Baby, it’s cold outside, but it ain’t nothing compared to the coldest city on earth–Yakutsk in Eastern Siberia–where temperatures plummet to minus 45C/49F (via The Independent).  In an alternate hemisphere, Sydney, Australia, records its hottest day ever at 45C/114F (via Sydney Morning Herald).

*The United States of America is inaugurating Barack Obama as its President on Monday.  And Washington D.C. will be celebrating from Mall (via Washington Post) to Ball (via NY Times).

*The Gray Lady names Rio de Janeiro #1 (via NY Times).  Find your top travel destination for 2013 (via Traveling IQ).

*While in Mexico, don’t drink the water; while in Beijing, don’t breathe the air (via NY Times).

*In air travel news: the Boeing Dreamliner is a nightmare (via USA Today), and American Airlines unveils a new look to mixed reviews (via NBC News).

*Looking for love in all the wrong places?  Book a trip to one of America’s Cruisiest Gay Cities (via About.com).

What did I miss?  Share your favorite travel news in the comments below or by posting on the Traveling IQ Facebook page.

(Photo via Toby Zerna/Sunday Telegraph)

When was the last time someone promised to satisfy your every wish?

The W Mexico City will be your swanky genie-in-a-bottle. Whether you want a mariachi band performing in your bathtub or VIP tickets to a private club, the W concierge will make it happen through their “Whatever/Whenever” service (legally permitting, of course). Located in the Polanco area, steps from luxury shopping, galleries and Bosque Chapultepec, the largest city park in Latin America, the W Mexico is the place to indulge.

With the AWAY Spa and Fitness Center, Whiskey Bar, Solea restaurant at your fingertips–and spacious rooms that feature a hammock in your shower (should you be exhausted from your hygiene regimen)–you may have to force yourself to venture beyond the hotel’s colorfully accented lobby.

Read my full Mexico City travel article on Edge.