LAFTI - Passports with Purpose

Passports with Purpose is back again this holiday season, this time with a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG). Learned that term in B-School. Which I did not attend. Because I was traveling.

Anywho, PWP is planning to raise $50,000 to help build a village in rural India through LAFTI, an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of the Dalit (untouchable) population in India.

Passports with Purpose is an annual Travel Bloggers’ fundraiser. In 2009, 90 bloggers participated and raised almost $30,000 to build a school in rural Cambodia (complete with a school nurse and a kitchen garden that provides each child a daily meal). Bloggers and companies have donated excellent prizes for 2010 and you can participate by making a tax deductible donation directly to LAFTI. For every $10 you donate, you can enter to win a prize of your choice.

Donate now.

Handy travel-themed prizes include such treasures as airline vouchers, electronics that any traveler would enjoy, and relaxing hotel and spa adventures. Basically, something for everyone on your holiday list. Over 50 spectacular gifts. Which brings me to the deadline.

Donate now.

The deadline to participate in all this awesomeness is Monday, December 13. Don’t wait. You know how busy you are going to get as the holidays get closer. Get on the computer (oh, wait, you are already on the computer!) and:

Donate now.

Uptake is pleased to be a sponsor of this year’s Passports with Purpose, and we look forward to helping PWP reach their goal!

Photo courtesy of Passports with Purpose.

Boats in Vietnam

Ever since my semester abroad in college (Antwerp, Belgium, if you must know) I have been dying to get back to Europe and taken an extended trip. Figuring out how to actually do that has been a bit of stumbling block.

With the new Julia Roberts movie, Eat Pray Love, hitting theaters next month, I am even more determined to make extended travel a part of my life. One of our own Attractions writers is doing just that – you can follow Barbara Weibel’s adventures here on Uptake Attractions, or through her own site, Hole in the Donut.

One of the biggest hurdles to overcome is how to prepare for such an undertaking (financial, physical, mental) and how to support myself while on the road. Fortunately, Meet Plan Go! is here to guide us!

On September 14, 2010, Briefcase to Backpack and Three Month Visa will be hosting Meet, Plan, Go! a free, nationwide event to inspire people to fulfill their career break and long-term travel dreams. The event will offer participants the opportunity to MEET inspirational speakers and like-minded travelers; get motivation, contacts and resources necessary to PLAN the trip of a lifetime; and start taking concrete steps forward to GO on that global adventure.

Events will take place in several locations including Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Minneapolis, New York City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Seattle, Washington DC, Toronto, Canada and SAN FRANCISCO! W00t! Each event will feature folks who have done this sort of life-altering travel, and will be on hand to answer questions, provide insight and share their wisdom. The panel discussion will lead us through how to plan and organize career-break and extended travel and make it work for our lives.

For more information, visit Meet Plan Go and register today for one of the nationwide events.

Photo courtesy of permanently scatterbrained.

Welcome to this edition of the Carnival of Cities, a blog carnival with posts from around the blogosphere about any aspect of a single city (or a fairly large town.)

The Carnival’s “home” blog is the Family Travel Logue on the BootsnAll Travel Network, but like any carnival, we travel around a bit and have stopped by UpTake a few times in the past.

The next edition is scheduled for July 1, back on the Family Travel Logue.

Let’s take a look around the world….

Cities in the Americas

Honolulu, Hawaii, USA On the Perceptive Travel blog, here are my thoughts on how to enjoy historic Waikiki hotels even if you can’t afford to stay there.

Orlando, Florida, USA Watch Me Eat explores food in Central Florida and the surrounding area; he presents Phở 88 posted at Watch Me Eat, saying, “A review of a Vietnamese food from a restaurant called Pho 88 in Orlando’s Little Vietnam neighborhood.”

Atlanta, Georgia, USA Amy @ The Q Family describes Outdoor Adventures Around Atlanta on her The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog, saying, “Fun family outdoor adventures around Atlanta that you can do with your kids this summer.”

Chicago, Illinois, USA Ms. Smarty Pants gets athletic with Chicago Force Women’s Tackle Football posted at Ms. Smarty Pants Know It All, saying, “They were right down the street, and I didn’t know it.”

Guatemala City, Guatemala Marina K. Villatoro presents Highway Entertainment at The Travel Expert(a), saying, “This post is about the highway entertainment surrounding Guatemala City, Guatemala.”

Seattle, Washington, USA Amir Marzouq says that Green Shopping Bags are a Must in Seattle posted at Guffly.

Washington, DC, USA Jon talks about the DC theater scene with Recording a “Loop” with the Original Hollywood Bad Girl – Tallulah Bankhead posted at his blog The DC Traveler, saying, “Valerie Harper starring as Hollywood icon and original silver screen bad girl Tallulah Bankhead in “Looped”. It’s on its way to Broadway after Washington, DC got an advanced run.”

New York, New York, USA Jennifer Miner is already thinking ahead to her holiday travels, as she responds to a reader question about What’s Open on Christmas Day in NYC? posted at Traveling Mamas.

Cities in Asia

Kathmandu, Nepal Shannon ODonnell presents a little culture…katmandu temples and stupas; she’s blogging around the world at a little adrift: a rtw travelogue and says this post is about “A tourist looking at the interweaving of Hindu and Buddhist culture.”

Osaka, Japan Tony Alexander, writes about and photographs in one of my favorite Asian countries, as he presents People of Osaka posted at The Soul of Japan.

Cities in Europe

Sitges (near Barcelona) Spain Liz Wright presents Swimming at Sitges: A Great Beach Day Trip From Barcelona posted at Travelogged.

London, England, United Kingdom Julian Dobson gets gritty with The market, the monolith and the mad axeman posted at Living with rats, saying, “The story of the market, the monolith and the mad axeman – the strange twists of life and history in east London.”

Tallinn, Estonia Brooke Allen presents an overview, mostly in photos, of Tallinn, Estonia posted at Rambling Brooke.

Amsterdam, the Netherlands Jack Norell presents 7 must-sees in Amsterdam posted at Eyeflare – Travel Articles and Tips, saying, “Amsterdam is a very compact city, but offers a world class range of things to do. There are cultural and outdoor attractions plenty, but often it’s the unique experiences that lure tourists to the city, like the coffeeshops and the Red Light District. Here are the 7 things I believe you absolutely have to see and do on your first visit to Amsterdam.”

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom Andy Hayes goes budget-minded in Travel Tips for Saving Money in Edinburgh posted at The Edinburgh Guide, saying, “It’s turning out to be a summer of fun here in Edinburgh! While a low exchange rate is a boon to many travellers, the recession is still looming large. So come to Edinburgh and enjoy it for less with these great tips.”

London, England, United Kingdom Tamara presents  Cannes do in Kensal Rise posted at Mr & Mrs Smith Boutique & Luxury Hotels, saying, “The “London On Film Festival 2009″ launches this June at the Lexi Cinema in NW10, as part of the Mayor’s Story of London Festival.”

That concludes this edition, and thanks for visiting. Submit your (one, recent, non-commercial/spammy) blog post about ONE single city to the next edition of the Carnival of Cities using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Welcome to the February 25, 2009 edition of the Carnival of Cities, where we tour the world in one blog post, through the eyes and words of contributing bloggers.

Next week we’ll be back at the Carnival’s “home” blog, Family Travel on BootsnAll.

Off we go….

Cities in the Americas

Cincinnati, Ohio, USA Tom Tessin lists his Top 3 Hotels for Cincinnati, Ohio posted at FAC Travel Blog, saying, “Plan on making a trip to Cincinnati? I’ve been there plenty of times and look at which hotels I think are the best.”

San Diego, California, USA Neil Ransom presents Cute Cuddly Baby Animals posted at Kate and Neil’s Official Website, saying, “If you’re looking for cute and cuddly creatures, then San Diego is the place to go.”

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA Vera Marie Badertscher browses the stacks in Destination: NOLA Book Stores posted at A Travelers’ Library, saying, “New Orleans offers more than just rowdy Mardi Gras. There are more bookstores per square mile in the French Quarter than you will find in most other cities.”

Silicon Valley, California, USA Silicon Valley Blogger presents Outsourcing Romance For $100,000 A Year: Love And Matchmaking 2.0 posted at The Digerati Life, saying, “Love in Silicon Valley, USA.”

Durham, North Carolina, USA GrrlScientist presents ScienceOnline09: Meeting the NCCU’s BRITEs at Research Triangle posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “Have you ever been in a pharmaceutical research facility? This is my photoessay documenting one of the many interesting field trips I went on while speaking at Science Online 09 in Durham, North Carolina. This photoessay is about my visit to North Carolina Central University’s Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE) facilities at North Carolina’s famous Research Triangle, where their main focus is discovering new cancer pharmaceuticals.”

Van Horn, Texas, USA ricksworld takes a look at Van Horn, Texas posted at Rick’s World, saying, “I took a road less traveled in life, and here is one of my stops along the way. This post will give you a brand new way of seeing Van Horn, Texas or any city.”

San Diego, California, USA Penny Realty Blogger looks at the past in Mission Beach: 1900s-2000s posted at San Diego Vacation Rentals at Penny Realty Blog.

St Louis, Missouri, USA Vihar Sheth wrestles with transportation options in 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid Test Drive and Mental Strife posted at Vihar Sheth.

Cities in Europe

Broadgate, Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom Riversider has a list of 85 Ways To Build Community posted at Broadgate Is Great.

Paris, France Happy Hotelier finds automotive bliss in Paris (2): The undiscovered Panhard Levassor X73 Cabriolet posted at Happy Hotelier, saying, “I found this one so poetic.”

Moscow, Russia Antonia Malchik describes The Moscow metro, living art museum posted at Perceptive Travel Blog.

Ibiza Town, Spain Erika presents The Island Of Ibiza posted at Visiting Spanish Speaking Countries, saying, “Among the hottest tourist destinations in Spain is the island of Ibiza. Situated in the Mediterranean Sea about 80 kilometers off the Spanish coast, it is one of the Balearic Islands.”

Paris, France Lanora Mueller gives us the scoop on Eight places where you can eat for free in Paris posted at WritingTravel.com.

Rome, Italy Vera Lang presents 48-Hr-Tour in Ancient Rome posted at Travel Trip Vacation .com, saying, “Article and fact-filled video on the highlights of Rome. Get in the mood for a vacation to La bella Italia! Video also includes practical travel tips.”

Cities in Asia

Manila, the Philippines Kathryn has the details on 15 Places to Visit in Metro Manila, Philippines posted at Kathryn Vercillo on HubPages, saying, “Highlights of places that you should see if you’re going to visit Manila.”

Muttom, India AdmirableIndia.com presents Trip to Kanyakumari: Chapter 14: Muttom Beach: Part 1: Sunset posted at AdmirableIndia.com.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Vietnam Jonny Platt presents Taxis in Saigon – How to avoid being taken for a ride posted at Vietnam Travel, saying, “Hey there! I’ve just had my parents visiting in Saigon and it struck me how hard it can be as a traveller to tell the difference between legitimate and naughty taxis, so I’ve put together this guide.”

That concludes this edition, and thanks for the chance to host on UpTake. Submit your (one, non-spammy) blog post to the next edition of the Carnival of Cities using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.