For all the writers' strengths, Jalan-Jalan suffers from trying to be a travel diary, history text and journalistic commentary all at once.

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HipGeo lets you document how you got somewhere and what you saw along the way, synthesizing everything into a travel diary you can post to Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

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All new notes are based on templates such as greetings, diary entries, recipes and travel logs -- and man, are they graphically intensive.

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But these jottings have a second purpose: They're diary entries of sorts, bringing into sharp focus travel memories that might otherwise fade under the weight of years.

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There are references to favourite parables from the New Testament, and advice on keeping a tightly controlled diary as well as ensuring access to quality bathrooms (because constant jet travel plays havoc with the bowels).

ECONOMIST: Bagehot