• Added clickable markers – all markers with urls are now clickable
• Added option to choose mapmode (roadmap/satellite/hybrid etc)
• Added check for dates before showing arriving column
• Added option to set custom date format for lists (blog setting format is default)
• Added negative numbers to first/last to make it easier to show the N:th latest destinations
• Added option to reverse order for list and map
• Added option to turn off numbers on the markers
• Added ssl setting for map pages
• Added editable versions of marker files for people who whant to change them
• Refactored to static class structure and added better documentation
• Fixed “disappearing map controls”-bug
• Fixed datepicker bug on new rows
• Fixed uninstall error
• Fixed lat/lng rounding
• Updated included libraries

Future plans

This version consists mostly of code rewrites, bugfixes and added configuration options. The next version will probably be a “under the hood” update, mainly changing the storage and data transfer formats in preparation for larger changes later.

The bigger features I have planed for the future are:

• a way to show maps in Facebook
• a sidebar widget to automatically show your current location along with current weather and time
• some way to add posts to a map by adding a location name, but maybe this would work best as a separate plugin

If you have other suggestions, please add them to the Travelmap forum at Uservoice.

Other news

Since comments on the plugin pretty much has taken over the blog and it’s getting difficult to keep track of all suggestions and questions in the comments, I have started a forum for Travelmap at Uservoice. Questions asked there will receive much faster replies.

For people interested in making your own modifications or improvements to the code or just follow the progress there is now a public Trevelmap repo at GitHub.

Spotify has been one of the most useful tools during my travels. I use it on my computer and on my phone. In Italy I used it to listen to Italian music to improve my language, I used it in Hong Kong to drown out the noise when working from cafes and every time I go out for a run I am able to choose from my different workout playlists.

If you want to try the free version – comment on this post and I will send you an invite.

Heading out for a run the VFF Bikilas I got in Singapore.

Chaweng Beach is nice and really long, but tilts far to much to be good to run on. The Ring road, on the other hand, has lots of traffic but wide shoulders and gets less crowded outside of town.

My run along the Ring Road up to the look out point. A bit hilly but a nice workout.

A few days ago I decided to defy the heat and go for an early run. At six in the morning it was still pitch black, but when I headed out at 6:30 the sky was getting lighter by the minute.

I had some trouble finding a way in to the park that didn’t go through a hotel or mall, but eventually found my way into the 1300 meter running track. It’s covered by some kind of orange mat that are nice to run on and keeps the casual strollers out of the way.

Despite the early hour it was still 30°C and very humid, but the run was fantastic anyway. The park is amazing with all the old large trees, the many sculptures and ponds and the bird song. All of it surrounded by skyscrapers in the middle of a city with 1.6 million people. In the mornings and evenings there are lots of people in the park – entire families running together, old Chinese men doing tai chi, young women jogging in long trousers and sleeves wearing a tudong, and a few western business men.

After three laps I was exhausted and headed back to my hotel where I managed to avoid leaving to much of a wet trail in the lobby. It was definitely something I want to do again – I’ll try to get out again once a week for at least one of my easy runs.

My usual workout spot. Never underestimate air conditioning.

Just before heading out for a run

The trail (marked in black)

Lots of old trees

Nice soft surface

My run. Got a bit confused in the beginning.

The Travelmap WordPress plugin showing my winter in Asia

I have gotten a lot of questions about where I am going, so I wanted to find a simple way to illustrate my travel plans. A simple WordPress plugin to show a map with my destinations connected by lines.

Turns out that I couldn’t find anything that matched my requirements, so I decided to build something myself. I made it a proper plugin instead of a custom hack to make it easier for other travel bloggers to use. I call the finished plugin Trevelmap.

Benefits of Travelmap:

• You do not have to register anywhere to use it.
• Automatic geocoding – you fill in city and country and Travelmap figures out the position (with a little help from Google maps). Provide your own coordinates to override the automatic geocoding.
• Easy to use. Just paste the shortcodes where you want your map. Works in posts, pages and template files. The map will scale according to available space, but you can provide a custom height if you want to.
• Your markers are connected by lines to show the path you have traveled.
• Travelmap is written using best practices for compatibility and security.

View it in use
The plugin homepage
Download from WordPress.org

The heat is incredible and the food is fantastic. I am staying here almost two months so I imagine there will be more from Kuala Lumpur.

On the Frecciarossa (red arrow) to Rome they let you know when you pass 300km/h

Leaving Dubai

The view from my room at the Concorde Hotel

The original:
E vecchi’ e laide lasserei altrui
In English:
And the old and the ugly everybody else get
And in Swedish:
Och dom fula och dom gamla, dom får alla andra

The Swedish text is from a somewhat well known seventies punk recording Jag är ingenting (I am nothing) by the band KSMB. When I looked it up, it turns out that the entire song is a translation of Angiolieri’s poem. Apparently the singer Alonzo found, translated and modernized it.

So, which version do you prefer?

My electronic travel gear

Things I drag along on the road:

• MacBook Pro 15” with charger, USB-splitter, mouse and travel lock
• Amazon Kindle DX with USB cable
• HTC Hero with charger and arm strap for running
• Garmin Forerunner 305 (running watch with GPS) with charger/dock and heart rate monitor (not in picture)
• Canon s90 (not in picture) with charger, 16 GB sd-card and gorillapod
• Skross Travel Adapter, code pad for my internet bank, USB HSPDA modem, 8 GB USB memory, headphones and an inexpensive titanium watch

In all, I carry five different chargers. By charging my Garmin and the Kindle via USB I save some space, but still. When are the manufacturers going to agree on one standard for charging and data transfer?

It may look like a lot – but I actually use all of it regularly (which can’t be said of some of the clothes I brought).