The fourth season of the Travel Channel's 5 Takes series began this past Saturday night in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I've been a fan of the series, having watched the three previous seasons where 5 travel journalists (or TJ's as they're called) backpacked around Europe, Australia/New Zealand/Southeast Asia, and the United States.
It was a rather motley crew of travelers which had been selected for the Latin America season, including a chubby bald guy, Vinny, who started crying about Eva Peron. Didn't Madonna sing “Don't Cry For Me Argentina?” After about 20 minutes, having being introduced to the new characters as they learned to tango and explore the Argentine culture, I realized I wasn't interested. I turned it off.
Perhaps my negative attitude has less to do with an interest in the hosts of the fourth season and more to do with my exhaustion of TV travel shows. You name it and I've seen it over the past few years. I've decided to take a break from them all – no 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, no 5 Takes, no GlobeTrekker, no Travel Channel period (except maybe No Reservations which is more about food)!
As Tom Petty sang, “the waiting is the hardest part.”
Dave is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Go Backpacking and Feastio. He's been to 66 countries and lived in Colombia and Peru. Read the full story of how he became a travel blogger.
Planning a trip? Go Backpacking recommends:
- G Adventures for small group tours.
- Hostelworld for booking hostels.
ourman
Monday 4th of June 2007
Largely agree, however, Ian Wright on Globe Trekker always manages to remind why I like traveling so much.
Mike
Tuesday 5th of June 2007
Ian's perhaps my favorite travel show host - he makes both travel and hosting a travel show look easy.
ourman
Tuesday 5th of June 2007
Largely agree, however, Ian Wright on Globe Trekker always manages to remind why I like traveling so much.
Mike
Tuesday 5th of June 2007
Ian's perhaps my favorite travel show host - he makes both travel and hosting a travel show look easy.
Dave
Monday 4th of June 2007
I'm up there with the TV channels too, and decided not to downgrade my cable after The Sopranos wraps up next Sunday.
After all, I can go from a recording of Sunset Tan which is a new series about what else but tanning, to a National Geographic documentary on the Green Berets in Afghanistan.
I need a life!
Dave
Monday 4th of June 2007
I'm up there with the TV channels too, and decided not to downgrade my cable after The Sopranos wraps up next Sunday.
After all, I can go from a recording of Sunset Tan which is a new series about what else but tanning, to a National Geographic documentary on the Green Berets in Afghanistan.
I need a life!
Mike
Monday 4th of June 2007
Perhaps my negative attitude has less to do with an interest in the hosts of the fourth season and more to do with my exhaustion of TV travel shows.
Wow, I thought it was just me! I have a TiVo-ful of all of the shows you mentioned above and I just can't bear to watch them anymore. I'm Travel Channel'ed out. Perhaps I'm tired of watching everyone else explore the world but me.
Of course, that leaves only a handful of other cable channels that I have any interest in watching. I think I have 900-something channels at my disposal and I only watch The Discovery Channel and whatever channel Law and Order happens to be on that night.