The Titanic Awards

Name Alex Robertson Textor
Who? Travel writer, editor, blogger. Has written for the New York Times, New York Post, Monocle, Condé Nast Traveler, and Rough Guides. More at alexrobertsontextor.com
Countries Visited 97
Age 39

Titanic Nominations
1. Worst Hotel A budget hotel in downtown Ann Arbor. Stale smoke saturated every inch of the place. The carpet was filthy and stained. Loud and what can only be described as sloppy sex went on for far too long in the neighboring room.
2. Worst Meal A patchy schnitzel of breaded cartilage in Sighisoara, Romania, back in 1999.
3. Worst Flight Barbados-JFK on American, this past spring. The flight attendants appeared to be high. One suggested to passengers that they opt for dingleberry-flavored soda while giggling uncontrollably. Another kept fidgeting with her hair nervously while working the drinks cart.
4. Worst Guidebook Scaremongering The dangers of Rio. Guidebooks refer pointedly to the city’s various dangers. Yet on the ground much of Rio feels very safe. When 80-something women are relaxing along the Copacabana at night with their tiny dogs, the last thing on your mind is the possibility of a robbery.
5. Worst Waits for Dinner Caye Caulker, Belize. Restaurants on Caye Caulker are incredibly slow, even in light of the region’s relaxed approach to time. On occasion, dinner arrives within an hour and a half.

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