Archaeologists have unearthed a 1,900-year-old well-preserved chariot at an ancient Thracian tomb in southeastern Bulgaria, the head of the excavation said Thursday.

If there's one destination where a Westerner could use a secure home base and some guidance and education about what they're seeing, it's India. The country, currently enjoying a touristic upsurge because of its extremely low on-the-ground costs, is a fascinating hodgepodge of people, religions, classes, cuisine, and lifestyles, and without a trained eye, it's difficult to decipher the tumult.

Summer is in full effect here in Tokyo, which means that the temperature is soaring and the humidity is saturating. Fortunately, the Japanese have a number of culinary treats that are perfect for beating the heat and staying nourished during their tropical summers.

Early last Friday evening, the sky over Amsterdam turned a cold indigo, and the uncurtained light from shops and homes glowed a vibrant yellow. A breeze rippled the water of the canals, where a few couples were enjoying the sun's fading rays, while in the nearby sidewalk cafes, smartly dressed Amsterdammers were drinking flutes of pale amber beer. It also happened to be my birthday, and I was aimless, alone and chilly. But above all, I was thirsty.

Alert blogmeister Jon Moore, a scientist in Cambridge, Massachusetts, got in touch last week to tell us about his recent cruise to Alaska with a Celebrity cruise ship. It was the first cruise that Jon, his wife Lonnie, and sons Daniel and Jamie took, and his comments were instructive for anyone considering a cruise vacation this summer.

Those looking for a taste of the glamorous side of the 1950s can find it in Paris. The City of Lights and snobby waiters was a hot spot for the Brad Pitts and Angelina Jolies of yesteryear.

I'm all for inflight wi-fi. Granted, I have an internet addiction and giving me inflight wi-fi is like handing a bottle of Jim Beam to an alcoholic. But I'll feed the need for the time being and praise Delta's recent announcement that they'd be rolling out inflight wi-fi across their domestic fleet.

It depends on my mood whether I want to chat to the person next to me when I travel. I'm quite happy reading my book, listening to music, gazing outside the window, or taking a nap on a train/bus/plane. Although not often have I had the misfortune of being stuck with an annoying chatterbox in the next seat, I have had many mental episodes of I-just-want-to-break-his-jaw-so-he-will-keep-quiet.

The reasons for American Airlines flight displays disappearing from kayak. com are still a bit cloudy, but it appears that Kayak removed the flight listings because American demanded an all-AA-fares-or-nothing display. They got nothing.

As someone who lived in Boston for nearly 10 years (a run that closed at the beginning of 2005), I'm happy to report that it is hands down the best city in the United States if you're single. Don't trust me? Fine. Money magazine says the same thing.

Don't be surprised if your next airplane seatmate has a Spiderman carry-on bag and elite frequent flier status.

For more than 100 years, aristocrats and artists came to the mountain health resort of Szczawnica Zdroj in search of cures. Jewish rabbis walked in the park, arguing theological points with their students and sipping water from the mineral springs. Visitors included Nobel laureate Henryk Sienkiewicz, one of the most celebrated Polish writers of all time.

If you're a gourmand, you may be interested to know that many cities have secret societies of fine diners. They're called underground restaurants, and here's how you can join the club.

I've heard of drunk passengers causing problems on flights -- an acquaintance of mine recently wasn't even allowed to board a plane because he had a little too much fun at the airport bar -- but I've never heard of a flight attendant throwing back a few too many. Until now.

It's described at www.citypass.com, and it functions simply. Customers buy a packet of entry passes to about six major attractions. When you walk up to those attractions, you just show the packet, and the pass is detached, granting you admission. The price paid for the packet is always less than what you'd pay if you simply purchased the same number of tickets at their box offices. A savings of 50 percent is not unusual.

A world away from cell towers, wireless Internet and big-box superstores, Virtuous Traveler Leslie Garrett finds peace of mind at the end of America where the ocean and homespun wisdom meet.

Let me put the bottom line right up top: Your airline miles are being devalued with the passage of time.   Never mind that airlines promised you a free domestic flight for 25,000 miles.

Remember our interest in the first nudist flight? Sadly, it got canceled due to "moral concerns"--and now another spot where Germans love to run around naked is under threat.

In a move that's making us re-think our frequent flyer habits, Delta has announced that it will install Wi-Fi on its entire domestic fleet of more than 330 mainline aircraft by the first half of 2009.

In the modern world, we are all "global souls" sharing multiple places, time zones, and existences.