Love the haunting feel of this one.

Photo of the Moment: On the Road to Gambella, Ethiopia © Vagabondish.

Photo of the Moment: Floating Boatman at Phewa Lake, Nepal © Vagabondish.

James Bond owned one. Well … not really. But he would have.

Sexy, uber-sleek minimalist design aside, the new XtremKey from LaCie is billed as an “all-terrain USB flash drive” – the company’s “strongest, toughest USB key yet”. Constructed from an industrial strength alloy known as zamac, the XK is heat, cold, water, pressure, and drop-resistant.

The XtremKey’s memory modules are shielded inside of a 2mm casing and sealed with wear-resistant screw threads and a rubber O-ring, which makes it watertight up to 100 meters. In addition, it’s resistant to 5-meter drops, fierce heat and bitter cold—it holds up in any environment, no matter where you take it (+200°C / -50°).

Oh … and it can withstand the pressure of a 10-ton truck.

Neat.

Sure, the 64GB, top-of-the-heap model is just south of $250 (USD), so cheaper data storage options are available for the modern traveler. But do you really want to leave your most precious personal files to chance on the road in the name of saving a few bucks?

LaCie Introduces XtremKey “All-Terrain USB Flash Drive” © Vagabondish.

If there’s one type of travel gadget we see again and again here at Vagabondish.com HQ, it’s headphones. Available in a million shapes, colors, and sizes, it’s often hard to separate the good from the bad.

But I’ve a bit of a soft spot for retro DJ style and culture, which is why the Urbanears Plattan headphones particularly piqued my interest.

The Skinny

First, the manufacturer’s lowdown … the Plattan headphones are touted as:

Full-size fashionable, functional, and stylish headphones

• Full-size headphone provides rich, secluded sound
• Features exclusive “zound plug” which allows a friend to plug in and enjoy music with the user
• Folds down to the size of your fist providing maximum mobility
• Features custom microphone and remote compatible with the iPhone and Nokia, HTC and Blackberry phones along with two extra cable extensions making the headphones compatible with a majority of all devices
• Available in 14 fashionable colors like Salad, Army, Ocean, and Chocolate

The Many Faces of Plattan

In Detail

From the too-cool-for-school Urbanears.com website to the modern chic, Apple-esque product packaging, it’s clear the Plattan are intended to be a whole lot snazzier than your Momma’s headphones.

Styling

It’s hard not to like the ultra clean design of Plattan. It’s as though Fatboy Slim designed a pair of compact headphones with a touch of Scandanavian minimalism.

And, just to reiterate, they’re available in 14 colors like Salad, Army, Ocean, and Chocolate. (I know, I know … finally, someone’s dipped their toes into the Salad-colored headphones market.) Our light gray test model has an understated aloofness that says, “I’m thoroughly enjoying The Tragically Hip’s latest release from beginning to end right now. Please do not disturb me.”

Audio Quality

As many Vagabondish.com readers are aware, I’m no audiophile. I couldn’t tell you the difference between a $5,000 and a $500 speaker. But I know what I like.

The Urbanears Plattan headphones provide good, rich quality sound, especially given the relatively small package and smallish price tag. The audio is a touch bass-heavy, but some minor EQ finnagling helps to remedy this.

We’ve tested other headphones at twice the price that boasted only half the sound quality.

Construction

The padded headband is a welcome reprieve from the typical, uncomfortably hard plastic bit that holds many cheaper headphone models together.

Independently adjustable left/right ear cups that swivel horizontally and slide vertically help provide an excellent fit.

My one minor gripe is that, after extended wear, the Plattan begin to feel too tight. This is an effect of the headband pulling the two sides of the headphones in together too strongly. On an entirely related note, I’m blessed with a head that is in bobblehead-like proportion to the rest of my body; that is to say, I’ve got an ample noggin. For folks with more average skulls, my sense is that this tightness won’t be an issue.

Pricing & Availability

Available now at Nordstrom, KarmaLoop.com, and other retailers for around $59 USD.

Bottom Line

At a hair under $60 USD, the Urbanears Plattan are priced in the sweet spot between $20 blisterpack throwaway earbuds and $100+ noise-canceling, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink headphones from Sennheiser and the like.

Along with a relatively small form factor, retro cool styling and a variety of nifty color choices to “customize your listening experience” (did I really just write that?), we think the Plattan headphones are a definite winner for travelers. Recommended.

Urbanears Plattan Headphones (Review) © Vagabondish.

Photo of the Moment: Greek Impression, Santorini © Vagabondish.

What an amazingly rich use of color.

Photo of the Moment: Feeling Blue in Harstad, Norway © Vagabondish.

Photo of the Moment: Monasterio de Sant Cugat, Catalonia © Vagabondish.

Why … so … serious?

Photo of the Moment: Asakusa Kids Closeup, Tokyo © Vagabondish.

This is hardly the case for everyone, but what is it about Christianity and other western religions that keeps me thinking it’s impossible for an educated, well-traveled individual to believe in them? My cousin, who I consider to be a reasonable man, is a priest. Even one of my friends on Matador is a self-proclaimed Christian. So why do I continue to believe that travelers will automatically tend to follow eastern religions, or none at all?

What I am? Who knows. I traveled the world, discovered the spiritual side of running, lived on a Buddhist monastery, and hiked a pilgrimage in Japan.

Judgment, Los Angeles © hoveringdog

Am I Buddhist? Not really. I certainly find aspects of the philosophy appealing, and I have meditated on a regular basis, but I don’t agree with much of the ritual in the Theravada tradition.

Atheist? Too strong a word. Richard Dawkins and others of a similar mind show far too much certainty about the most uncertain part of our existence.

Christian? Mormon? Muslim? Don’t make me laugh. My parents were devout Presbyterians and raised me as such, but it seemed that with each passing year of my childhood, another hole appeared in my faith. As my eyes were opened to the realities of the world, religion seemed to grow more absurd. Like western religions rewarded ignorance; the more you were willing to overlook inconsistencies in the Bible, the stronger your faith was said to become. Like faith itself was giving up your humanity, your intelligence.

So am I typical of you readers out there … ? You travelers, travel writers, those comfortable enough to at least listen to a discussion on faith rather that blindly yelling opinion in an attempt to “save” others? You tell me.

A Virgin Traveler’s Perspective

Let’s look at this argument from the perspective of a virgin traveler. Someone who, if raised in the US, is most likely Christian, but not a fundamentalist. He’s 18, never left home, on a last summer trip before entering university. Very common. All his life he’s attended church with his parents as a matter of habit, never questioning it nor really going along with it. Life, as far as religion is concerned, just is. Some believe one way, others believe another way. Who’s to say which is better?

For the first time in this young man’s existence, he’s exposed to life outside his country. Maybe he goes to Thailand, where it appears the quality of life may be lower by some standards, but the state religion is focused on the power of the mind, on questioning beliefs, rather than blindly following them. Leaving a part of the universe open to mystery and interpretation. Having everything so quantifiable, as Dawkins suggests, really takes the poetry out of life. So I suppose no western religion truly fits that criteria. Just try to find something in the Bible comparable to the Buddha’s teachings … impossible. Buddhism and most eastern religions utilize the oldest tool available for study: the mind, and how best to reach its potential.

What Is the Answer?

So Buddhism is the ultimate answer? Hardly. But it certainly seems to work for Asian countries and impressionable young minds looking to travel abroad. Even Hinduism suggests the awesome power of the human mind versus the ultimate fate of a “soul”. The pursuit of such questions is inherently more valuable than the answers. Maybe there really is a human soul, something we will into existence by consciousness alone; maybe there is a kind of “God”, who snapped her fingers to create the universe; maybe this is all a dream in the mind of a really fat kid and once he wakes up, we’ll no longer exist, and he’ll have a craving for ice cream.

Prayer © Belgian Sun Flower

Many have argued that no reasonable person can honestly hold racist opinions once engaged in conversation by a member of the ethnicity they were indoctrinated to hate, because stereotypes and blind hatred can’t hold a candle to the truth.

And the truth is amazingly simple: nothing is as it seems. I believe the same case could be made for religious beliefs; no reasonable person, whether raised to be Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, can maintain their faith in the face of the facts of the world:

• Killing unbelievers doesn’t assure you a wonderful afterlife. It should ensure a speedy end to this life.
• Even if you hold tight to your faith, you must realize others are just as convinced by a different set of beliefs: how can they believe something so different from what you know to be true? Maybe neither of you is right.
• No western religion encourages you to find the faith best suited to your beliefs. They do, however, promise you will burn in eternal damnation for questioning doctrine.

And what of seasoned travelers? As their world views expand, so too do their beliefs? What do you think?

Deliver Us: In Search of the Traveler’s True Religion © Vagabondish.

GEM Hotel Chelsea, New York City (lobby) © LA Times

The Skinny

GEM Hotel’s philosophy, in their words:

We believe that honest and unique hospitality does not have to be confined to exorbitant prices and pretentious service at our boutique New York hotels.

Standard amenities include:

• Nightly turn-down service
• Free high-speed wireless internet
• Cordless phones
• In-room coffee makers
• Local calls
• Concierge service
• Business center
• Exercise room

GEM Hotel Chelsea, New York City

In Detail

The GEM Hotel Chelsea is part of a growing trend in the hotel industry that could affectionately be dubbed “boutique efficiency”. It’s clear that a great deal of thought went into designing the hotel to be chic, yet comfortable. But the hotel also considered clever ways to ensure that guests could cut costs wherever possible.

Management assured me that the focus is on necessities with just the right amount of “nice-to-haves” thrown in. It’s not intended to be a full-featured hotel in the traditional sense of the word – there’s no massive business center, no indoor heated pool and no restaurant to speak of. And this is all great news for the budget traveler: why spend a small fortune when much of that cost is going towards features you’ll never use?

The week I stayed, many of my fellow hotel guests were visiting from abroad. Many Europeans know what they want in a hotel – clean, chic accommodations that offer everything they need, and maybe a touch more.

Guestroom & Amenities

Our room was modest, yet plenty comfortable. The computer workstation served as a suitable headquarters for our two-day stay. Modern vagabonds and flashpackers will appreciate the free, fast (and rock solid) WiFi service.

Hotel Staff & Service

Folks at the hotel assured me that GEM Hotel staff are hired primarily on their outgoing personalities, rather than specific industry experience. The thinking being: the former can’t easily be taught, while the latter obviously can. It’s a simple approach and one that I wish more hospitality businesses would adopt.

Every member of the staff – from the front desk, to housekeeping, to the janitors – was friendly and courteous. I was consistenly greeted with a smile and a hello by each and every person.

Location, Location … Location?

In Chelsea, of course. But you knew that. It’s still one of the most happening, funky neighborhoods in the whole of Manhattan. A stone’s throw could hit several coffee shops, delis, ATMs, and a subway station.

Plus, train travelers can save the cab fare – the GEM Hotel Chelsea is barely a ten minute walk from Penn Station.

Connect with GEM Hotels

On Twitter: http://twitter.com/theGEMhotel

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theGEMhotel

Pricing

From May 1, 2010 – Aug 31, 2010 rates from just $159 USD per night. GEM Hotel’s latest special is a homage to Sex and the City:

If the spoilers are any indication, it seems the “Sex and the City” ladies will be feeling the economic downturn’s pinch in this spring’s highly anticipated sequel. While the days of $500 shoes and $20 cosmos might be long gone, fashionistas can still enjoy a Carrie or Samantha-worthy NYC weekend without breaking the bank. The Big Apple’s GEM Hotels are offering the GEM in the City package, available May 1 to Aug. 31, 2010, for glamour-seeking SATC fans on a designer shoestring budget.

With nightly rates starting at $159 per room*, the GEM in the City package includes:

• Stylish accommodations at The GEM Hotels in Chelsea, Midtown West and SoHo, familiar locations for SATC lovers. Complimentary amenities include premium bottled water, high-speed Internet access and Wolfgang Puck coffee.
• A guide to NYC sample sales and designer discount stores near The GEM Hotels. Who says you have to pay retail to look fabulous?
• Two make-your-own cocktail kits. Savvy girls know that it’s best to avoid pricey drinks unless your very own Big is buying. GEM will provide the ingredients to mix a Very Cherre™ cocktail before heading out for a night on the town. The kit includes a mini vodka bottle and Very Cherre premium tart cherry juice.
• Dean Jacobs Cupcake Mix to make like Charlotte in the movie and bake your own sugary confections. Waiting in an around-the-block line for a $3 treat is not very chic, so take a much less expensive taste of NYC home with you

Seriously, even guys can appreciate free cupcakes! Starting May 1, visit http://www.thegemhotel.com/chic to book the “GEM in the City” package.

Bottom Line

The GEM Hotel Chelsea will appeal to budget travelers seeking swank accommodations with just the right amount of frills. New York City hotel rates have come down slightly in recent years, but only slightly. And still … $159 per night with free WiFi, in-room gourmet coffee (that was actually damn good), a top-notch staff, and an ideal location? We highly recommend it for budget travelers.

GEM Hotel Chelsea Offers Affordable “Boutique Efficiency” Accommodations in New York City © Vagabondish.