Is it just me, or is myWanderlust a little more lively of late? Two forum posts, in particular, have kicked off this week and I'm still waiting for the dust to settle.
Chandaala asked if photos on websites should only show the best side of a destination, sparking a lively debate with Fintown up in the terraces chanting 'Who are ya?' at renowned travel photographer and Wanderlust Travel Photo of the Year judge, Steve Davey. Priceless.
Earlier in the week, editor-in-chief Lyn Hughes mused on the creation of child-free sections on planes, creating a similar ruckus that saw Sergeant_Pluck ignominiously stripped of his recently acquired title of 'Agent Provocateur of the Year.' That'll teach him for being reasoned and sympathetic to all sides of the argument.
Elsewhere on the forum, Mattyboy876 ponders on the average age of tour groups and huzaifa7 is looking for tips on Tanzania.
TravelwithPedro is just back from Iran, where he was promptly "adopted" by Iranians eager to show off their country and blow him away with their generosity. Pedro's experiences seem to ring true with those of the people who responded to my Forum post about travelling in Iran, including ttbko who visited when it all went a bit Argo. Pedro has also just been to Iceland to swim in the Blue Lagoon, bizarrely.
Oh, and Trishd went to Budapest and painted a Trabant.
Over at Experiences, Rhoda1 wonders why she always goes on road trips where the roads are bad. Kevin Hayden catches a boat from Myitkyina in northern Burma down to Mandalay. And Hmoat 01 visits her 24-year-old self in Zurich (nice white pumps, by the way, Helen). ACW spends five days in the apricot-coloured dunes of Namibia. And Khaoyaiandbeyond again delights with the latest installment of her Gap Year at 40 adventures.
Make sure you wander over to the photo galleries. I think everyone must have been inspired by our Travel Photo of the Year winners because there has been a remarkable increase in the quality and quantity of photos on display. There's a lot of new faces too, which is always good to see. You can check them all out here.
Until next week...
