Where in the World is Michael Kinsley?
by Wendy Perrin
Last night he landed back home in Seattle, in one piece, although his round-the-world trip -- to test the six winning entries in our Airport Layover Contest -- did not exactly go as planned:
After spending last Thursday in Dubai's 90-degree heat -- where he shot this pic (left) of the ski slope inside the Mall of the Emirates -- Mike checked in with me from the Dubai Airport, where his main mission had become -- as I predicted -- figuring out how to catch the Vice-Presidential Debate: "I'm applying my jet-lagged brain," he 
emailed, "to the question of when the Biden-Palin debate is and whether I'll be anywhere near a TV and far from sports enthusiasts so I can watch it."
On Saturday he checked in from London, where the news was not good: "My adventures in the last day or so have mostly involved inept airlines. My luggage is lost--so I'm having a real layover experience rather than the dream ones we planned." (No, I do not know why he checked luggage. I'm sure an interesting explanation is forthcoming.)
Then late on Sunday he sent a pic of the view from his room near the Blue Lagoon in Iceland (below) with this update:
"I guess I'm not much of a blogger, but at this point I can either have the experience or blog about it but not both. I'm in Iceland at the Blue Lagoon. It's just about the opposite of what the phrase 'blue lagoon' might suggest. I've lost my luggage, got a cold, and now I'm heading out into the freezing rain to swim in a lukewarm outdoor pool, as I understand it. Anyway, I'm signing off until I get home with all these wonderful memories of airports and transit buses and so on. Whose idea was this anyway? Oh yeah: Mine."
Just heard from Mike again this morning-- from Seattle, where he arrived in time to catch last night's Presidential Debate. His recap of highlights from the past few days: After "wandering around Amsterdam stoned out of my mind," he writes, "afraid to ask anybody where the train station was and certain that I'd missed my flight to London," he did manage to catch his plane onward. The Heathrow layover recommendation was to dine at The Fat Duck in nearby Bray -- a restaurant Mike found to be "absolutely ridiculous and pretentious, representing the reductio ad absurdum of food snobbery." Last stop: Iceland, "where, despite constant propaganda about how they have a milder climate than New York City, there was snow on the ground at the beginning of October and a ceaseless freezing rain and wind that stopped you in your tracks the entire time I was there."
Now that he's tested all six winning layovers, Mike must choose which he liked best, and the person who recommended that layover will win the grand prize: a free trip to The Regent Palms Turks and Caicos.
If you were Michael Kinsley, which layover would you choose as the winner?
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Wow, what a disaster. I am no longer jealous of this crazy excursion.
But you know what I can't get past? The fact that he checked his luggage.
Posted by: nerdseyeview | October 08, 2008 at 01:16 PM
Oh dear. Perhaps expectations were a bit high? For example, anyone who has been to Iceland knows it can be cold even in the height of summer.
Bad luck with the bags (although I too want to find out why any bags were checked).
As for blogging on a tight schedule I understand how that feels. Readers of my trip reports on Flyer Talk (under my handle Kiwi Flyer) see frequent updates, usually within a day or two of the flight or activity. However it does take a lot of work to do this, planning to arrive at the airport early to get an hour or two online in the airport lounge to post the next entry. There is also a trade-off between quality and timeliness to balance.
I look forward to the rest of the tale.
Posted by: TheGlobalTraveller | October 08, 2008 at 04:09 PM
the reason WHY one is forced to check baggage even tho it would fit into the overhead is because the airlines make it impossible to carry any fluids... maybe cough syrup if you are not well. Or all the toiletries you need if you are traveling around the world... shaving, mouthwash, deodorant, shampoo & more.
As for ignoring the beauty of Dubai because you are pre-occupied with USA debates... why travel anywhere? Why not stay at home and be obsessed with our dysfunctional political system? A system that has gone on for much of the 4 yr term. We're all on overload by now & if this late in the game you have not made your choice & the debate would be the final determination - set your TIVO for later viewing.
Posted by: deannadv | October 09, 2008 at 10:19 AM
While I shouldn't judge Michael -- I'm sure he felt crummy w/ a head cold, and was indeed jet lagged -- I'm sort of disappointed with his whole attitude you describe, Wendy. He *knew* it would be brutal. To him, I say: suck it up and sleep when you get home!
Frankly, if I were on assignment to travel around the world, I do believe I'd try to be a bit more upbeat about the experience and more enthusiastic about blogging my adventures! And, geez, couldn't he have TIVO'd the debates? Or perhaps he should have scheduled this adventure after Nov. 4...
Kind of a downer post.
Posted by: karasw | October 09, 2008 at 10:27 AM
Hmmm, one more person learns that travel blogging is tougher than it looks.
And of COURSE they lost his luggage (but I'm sure he was reimbursed the checked luggage fee....oh, wait....)
Posted by: Seafarer | October 09, 2008 at 10:53 AM
I can relate to the blogging or experiencing the travel moment comment.
I recently returned from Portugal and Spain with six fellow travel writers. Three of us were also bloggers and we lamented the lack of internet access the entire trip.
The McDonald's in Seville, Spain advertised free wifi, so we came back to the restaurant with our laptops. Turns out this is wishful thinking on their part. "We hope to offer internet access soon," replied the counter person. "Check back in a few months."
Needless to say, my blog is a little behind.
Posted by: WhataTrip | October 09, 2008 at 11:43 AM
Don't tell my teenager I said this, but I was intrigued by the idea of "wandering around Amsterdam stoned out of my mind."
Posted by: maryliz1 | October 13, 2008 at 12:07 PM
Only you could write about this so humorously, Wendy! Thanks for the giggle and I am all ears for more.
I really loved his comment and others about traveling and blogging at the same time. Um, try adding home schooling to the mix!
Some how I have managed to do all 3 with tons of pictures as we travel the world, but it is no easy feat.
There is no way I can enjoy my experience and keep it current all the time & I think it is a miracle that I have managed to do this for going on 3 years now.
I do manage to get something up every week, even if it is often far behind our real time.Jeesh I have a hard enough time keeping twitter and twitpics up with real time!
Yes, finding good wifi around the world when you need it, adds to the joy. LOL. This year, I have even added a second blog for our non-profit to take school kids with us. I suppose that is why I am up late here in Antibes, after a few days of being unplugged. ;)
Thankfully, we do not have to travel as fast as Michael. Poor thing, that did sound much too fast to enjoy. Flights are my least favorite part of a trip.
I am dying to understand the checked luggage as well. Soon we will be off for a month with several flights, so just the tiniest daypack each....including laptops & homeschool supplies!
Should have tried the hamman in Marrakesh, not as hot as Dubai, not as cold as Iceland. ;)
Posted by: Soultravelers3 | October 16, 2008 at 04:56 PM