Entering Closed Countries

Yesterday American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee were released and brought home after being detained in a North Korean prison for the past month.  The two prisoners had “wandered” across the Chinese border and been arrested by North Korean military.  Former U.S. President Bill Clinton made a surprise visit to the isolated country by way of a private jet in order to bring the Current TV employees back to the States.  The negotiations went accordingly and the journalists were released in a diplomatic fashion.

Former President Clinton Landing in North Korea

It is key to note that the former president did not enter North Korea through the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone); the border between North and South Korea.  The zone is heavily locked down in order to keep out any outside visitors.  Very isolated, North Korea is infamous for being the most difficult country to enter under any circumstance.  This lead us to thinking, what other countries in the world make it very difficult for tourists or even journalists to enter?

Burma (Myanmar) –

Burma is an isolated nation located on the Indochina peninsula.  Oppose to Thailand Vietnam and Laos, Burma has chosen to stay secluded from the western world during the second half of the 20th century.  The country has been under heavy military rule since a coup-d’etat in 1962.  Although not a violent or pro-war country, it is very hard to obtain a visa or sneak into the country undetected.

Shwedagon Temple in Yangoon ("Ran-goon") Burma

Kuwait –

Remember that country the U.S. defended in the Persian Gulf?  Kuwait does not grant tourist visas, even to Americans.  Although if traveling for business, a hotel can grant visas to your company and allow you in.  Like many middle eastern countries, business visas are encouraged but tourism is not high on the list of goals.

Cuba –

Although there is an embargo the U.S. has sanctioned upon the socialist nation, it actually is not difficult to enter this unique island of the Caribbean.  However, if you are a U.S. citizen, getting back into the states after you have visited Cuba is a different story.  Many American citizens have been taken to court with infractions due to vacationing in Havana.

Because we have had to enter certain countries to rate all the hotels made available by hotelreservations.com, we have found ways around these barriers.  But remember these regulations are against tourist visas, in most cases journalists and government/business officials can easily obtain a visa.  Furthermore, many of these countries just make travelers jump through hoops in the hopes that the tourist will get discouraged and pick another country to visit.  So if you do have a yearning to see the temples of Burma or visit a war-torn country that can’t protect you from being kidnapped, you can make it happen.  Just remember once you’re there, you’re playing by their rules. 🙂

Free Weekends at over 100 National Parks

The tough times keep getting better.  According to the latest report by the International Air Traffic Association international air traffic is down 9.3% from last year.  The recession has scared travelers away from the airports and their passports and encouraged weekend trips and staycations.  While U.S. cities may not be particularly exiting to most Americans, the National Park scene is hitting its stride.  This upcoming weekend on August 15-16, over 100 U.S. National Parks will be offering free admission.  Although industrialization has taken over the land, there is still vast amounts of country and our National Parks are still hailed as some of the most beautiful places on earth.

Zion Canyon, Utah

This stimulus plan will actually put money back into the country by way of federal land revenue.  The government offered three free weekends this summer; the one closing upon us being the last of the three.  There are also free tours and discounts for lodging and hotels within park land.  Because of this, vacationing to National Parks has risen %6 percent in 2009.  With over 300 monuments, parks and recreational areas in the country, we’ve compiled a list of the best National Parks to visit based on the experience, crowds, and accessibility.

• Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii
• Yosemite National Park, California
• Denali National Park, Alaska
• Zion National Park, Utah
• Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
• Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
• Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
• Acadia National Park, Maine
• Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Tenn-N.C.
• The National Mall, Washington D.C.

For more specific information on the national parks, visit the parks and services website.  Also for a direct link to the list of 100 parks that are offering free admission click here.

Bruce Lee’s Home to Become a Museum

From Gadling.com

by Katie Hammel

The former home of actor and martial arts master Bruce Lee may eventually become a museum dedicated to the deceased star. Officials in Hong Kong have launched a competition to design the museum, and the owner of the home has offered to donate it and the HK$100,000 ($13,000) in prize money for the winner.

Bruce Lee

The home is currently a Hong Kong “love hotel” that rents rooms by the hour, but would be transformed into a memorial hall, kung fu studio, library and film archive that showcases the life and work of Lee. According to Hong Kong officials, Lee’s daughter, Shannon Lee, will be on the panel of judges that also includes architects and town planners. In preparation for the museum, the government has begun collecting Lee’s personal items and has commissioned documentaries about the creation of the museum and the life of Lee, who died in 1972 at age 32 from swelling in his brain.

The winner of the contest will be announced by the end of the year, but there’s no word on when construction of the museum would begin.

Read more great stuff @ Gadling.com

Amelia Earhart’s Plane Found?

DNA from the Island where Earhart Crashed May Lead to Answers

(July 28th) — Members of the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery or TIGHAR are scheduled to arrive on Nikamaroro Island in the spring of 2010.  Next May or June the team is going to re-excavate the former crash site in efforts to collect DNA.  If recovered, these artifacts may finally be able to prove where Earhart’s plane went down in the summer of 1937, ABC News reported.

Amelia Earhart and One of Her Many Planes

“We think we will be able to come back with DNA,” TIGHAR Executive Director Ric Gillespie told ABC.  The group has been doing archeological diggs on the island since 2001.  Last summer the group un-earthed 20th centrury makeup and two pieces of broken glass, but the findings were contaminated during the collection process.  Gillespie says only 5 percent of the island has been excavated.  This added with new collection protocol has created a new wave of enthusiasm and confidence in hopes of unmasking this 72 year old mystery.

The DNA evidence if found, would be compared to a sample taken from a direct living relative of Earhart, who has chosen to remain anonymous.  They have taken mitochondrial DNA in order to prove that Amelia Earhart did in fact live on the island after her plane went down.  By using mitochondrial DNA or mtDNA, the chances of finding a link is more likely.  Archeologists are using such samples because the mtDNA holds together over time better than chromosome DNA which is most commonly used in forensic research.

This of course is all relevant only if this theory is the correct one; many theories on what actually happened to Earhart are still on the table.  The TIGHAR team believes that her plane went down near what is now Nikamuroro Island located 1,800 miles south of Hawaii.  There were no inhabitants of the 3 mile island until 1938, a year after Earharts disappearance.  Being a British colony, a team of 8 men were sent to clear the land for village and coconut plantation.  In 1940, during this process the island’s overseer came across a campsite and human bones.  This is the main reason TIGHAR believes this is the site of Earharts last days.

There are other theories that challenge TIGHAR.  Some think Earhart did survive on this island due to her ability to concour all things women were not encouraged to part take in at the time.  Earhart was famous for writing in Cosmopolitan and supporting all women of the early 1900’s who challenged the sexists quo.  Because of this and her hunting hobbies, many believe she could easily have built a campsite and found food.  Many though believe she survived until the second world war, where she was then taken captive by the Japanese.  Others believe she went down near Samoa or the Marshall islands due to radio data.  Then there are those who believe it was all a hoax and that Earhart’s crash was purposefullly left without answers in order to get out of the stardom she had become.

For more read the full story at ABC News.