From the Editor: The best from myWanderlust this week

This week myWanderlusters are trying to figure out what that funny smell is and pondering final resting places. Just another week on myWanderlust then

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Like old western law men riding into town, dusty and tired after chasing down some no-good varmint, the faithful have started drifting back to myWanderlust. And like those brave men of yore they are sporting thousand mile stares and riveting tales of what happened 'out there.'

Prompted by a list of 13 places to see the heavens, myWanderlusters flocked to Liz Cleere's forum post to recount times they saw stars so close they could almost touch them. Empty deserts in Oman, Namibia, Australia and Chile rated highly. Sergeant Pluck recommends Ascension. Liz says you can't beat kicking back on a yacht in a vast, dark ocean. Personally, I liked the sound of DrG's hot spring near Lake Bogoria in Kenya, complete with mandatory gin and tonic. Having said that, Jamie Furlong's star gazing adventure in Caye Caulker sounded like fun too.

All the senses were catered for this week. Satksinson threw out the challenge to nominate iconic sounds that define places. She suggested the chimes of Big Ben for England. For Rhoda1, whistling tree frogs are the soundtrack of Bermuda. The kerching of slots paying out is calamine2808's aural reminder of Las Vegas. She obviously had a more fruitful trip there than I did!

Liz Cleere picked up the challenge and went in to bat for the olfactory senses, arguing that smell was the most evocative sense of all. The aroma of wild herbs seems to take most myWanderlusters back to Mediterranean hikes. A kind of grass that grows in Hawaii reminds satkinson of her time there (the less said the better. We have a strong 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy here at Wanderlust). A whiff of fish sauce and Angela R is back in the tiny streets of Bangkok. And Steve48 says that the smell of cheap petrol transports him back to the USSR. With the current fuel prices I'm guessing it's a trip he doesn't make too often these days. You can add your smell here.

It's a week for big questions on the Forum. Liz Cleere is pondering the Here After and wants to know your favourite cemetery. LaurenAmelia is interested to hear what you miss when you're on the road. And JayR is keen to hear about your favourite festivals. You can fill them in here.

A host of new folk have wandered into the forum looking for advice. Perivalepaul is taking his wife to China in May for two weeks and wants to know where they should go. Bob Singleton wants to get to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and needs your help to do it. And lookingfortravel is looking for a travelling companion through Europe. You can help them – and others – here.

Just back from and denhamj is talking up the wild Pacific beaches of Baja California. I challenge you to read his tips and advice and not feel compelled to book the first flight there. Ellifry offers invaluable advice on how to avoid the tourist hordes and discover the true soul of Mallorca. And ocelus gives some pointers on visiting London. Elsewhere scheungy sings the praises of a bit of seal spotting closer to home and melissanieandt has some advice on getting the most out of Thailand. All worth a look.

Over at experiences, ColinO continues his rock'n'roll tour of LA, modelling his impressive array of vintage rock t-shirts in a variety of LA hotspots like the Rainbow Bar and Grill. He even popped into the Roxy to check out Dita Von Teese's famous Burlesque show. Sadly, she didn't seem impressed by his Led Zeppelin Reunion Tour t-shirt. Maybe he should have removed it in a slow and evocative manner.

Col44 provides a thoughtful piece on why food always tastes better when you're away. Liz Cleere and Sergeant Pluck write evocatively about their favourite cemeteries – Kolkata's South Park Street cemetery and Bonetta cemetery on Ascension, respectively. And Howellsey is just showing off with his story about snorkelling with Manta Rays in Fiji.

After going all blue this week, the photographic galleries are awash with colour again. Jamie Furlong takes us on a day trip around the kaleidoscopic streets of Kolkata, not just once or twice, but three times. Rhoda1 goes to Nagaland and brings back some stunning images. And Jill Cochrane captures the quirky side of Spain. I love the picture of a Jesus on a crucifix leaning against a car.

All in all, another quality week on myWanderlust. Welcome back, everyone!

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