University student dies in the Amazon

by Abha Malpani on

23-year old Madrileño Pablo Barbadillo Maestre went to the Amazon in south eastern Peru to research for his thesis on the ethnoecology of big reptiles. He disappeared a few weeks ago and yesterday his body was found covered with bites from insects and animals. They identified him from the passport they found on him.

The cause of his death is still unknown but the guess is that he could have been attacked by tribes in the Amazon; however there is no evidence of violence.

This rings home because 1) he was a young student not afraid to travel alone in the wilderness of the Amazon 2) although he is said to be found in a remote area of the jungle, he had been there previously and was familiar with his surroundings. We can assume he was well prepared for the trip.

It could have been anyone. I wonder what he did wrong? I wonder if he could have avoided it? What protection items should he have taken with him that he didn’t have already? What lesson can we learn from this?

Big in Israel: Why Jerusalem is holier than thou

by Matthew Firestone on

This week, Big in Japan is on vacation in the Middle East, and will be bringing you travel news and happenings from around this often misunderstood region.

Few places in the world can rest on their laurels quite like Jerusalem, the Holy City of the Promised Land that is home to some of the most sacred sites in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Not unlike that really, really hot girl you bump into at the club, everyone seems to be fighting for a piece.

So how holy is Jerusalem you say? Well, let me assure you that it’s certainly holier than thou. While it’s difficult to fully appreciate the historical and religious significance of Jerusalem without ever actually setting foot there, today’s posting will hopefully shed some light on some of the old city’s most storied buildings and monuments.

Disclaimer: This is a travel blog, not political commentary. I certainly don’t have a solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, though I can certainly understand, on all sides, why Jerusalem is worth fighting for.

The Western or Wailing Wall – The western retaining wall of the Temple Mount is regarded as the most sacred site in Judaism, especially since it once surrounded the ‘Holiest of Holies,’ namely Herod’s Temple. However, following the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in 70 AD, Jewish worshippers have mourned their insufferable loss by wailing in front of the wall. A more modern practice involves slipping prayer slips into the cracks of the wall.

Dome of the Rock – Here is where things start to get a bit more complicated. In the centre of the Temple Mount is the Dome of the Rock, the oldest Islamic building that just happens to be resting on the former site of the Second Temple. Due to the sacred nature of this site, Jews are forbidden by rabbinical law to ascend to the top of the Temple Mount. However, Muslims regard the mosque together with adjacent Al-Aqsa (see below) as the third holiest site in Islam, primarily because the rock at the centre is from where Muhammad ascended to heaven.

Al-Aqsa Mosque – Here is where things start to get even more complicated. Also on the Temple Mount and adjacent to the Dome of the Rock is Al-Aqsa, a mosque from where prayers are 500 times stronger than at any other mosque outside of Mecca and Medina. Prior to his ascension to heaven, Muhammad rode on a winged horse from Mecca to the ‘farthest mosque’ or Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem.

At this point, the answer to your question is yes – the third holiest site in Islam literally sits on top of the holiest site in Judaism.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre – As if all of this wasn’t complicated enough, just around the corner is one of the most important churches in Christianity, especially since it is built on top of Golgotha or Calvary. From atop this hill, Jesus was crucified by the Romans, and later buried at its base. Since the 4th century, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre has existed as one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the Christian religion.

Needless to say, there is no quick and easy fix for the problems in Israel and the Palestinian territories short of more peace, understanding and dialog on all sides of the debate…

Intrigued by the Middle East? Want to know more about this often misunderstood region? Check out previous posts on the top sights in Dubai, as well as a how-to-guide for would-be travelers in the Palestinian West Bank.

Photo of the Day (4/30/08)

by Jamie Rhein on

This shot taken in Jaisalmer, India by arunchs looks like one of those scenes that might have looked the same 100 years ago–except for the sneakers. Also, notice the exquisite embroidered cloth underneath the saddle on the camel. There is a blue ruffle border to jazz it up. The embroidered household items sold in Rajasthan, where Jaisalmer is located, make shopping here sheer pleasure.

Send your shots that evoke pleasure our way at Gadling’s Flickr Photo Pool.

Cheerleaders cause uproar in India

by Abha Malpani on

The minute I read that cheerleaders are being imported to shake their booties at India’s IPL tournament, I knew it would cause trouble: blonde and brunette “goris” (white girls) who are not shy of showing lots of skin is what the average Indian man only gets to see in films. Such girls live, only meters away from them, is enough to leave them drooling and dreaming of you know what. I am surprised that this wasn’t foreseen by Indian organizers before they spent the money to get them there.

Spectators are passing lewd and insulting comments and politicians are disgusted as they find the bopping boobs and and gyrating bums on the cricket field too vulgar for Indian tolerance standards. Having said that, Bollywood films these days are no less provocative so this uproar is a prime example of India’s double standards.

I had to laugh when I read in the BBC this quote by an Indian politician: “This thing is meant for foreigners and not for us. Mothers and daughters watch these matches on television. It does not look nice.” It reminded me of the most famous line Indian men say to other men when they are being lecherous: “Don’t you have mothers and sisters!?” It works wonders in making Indian men being sleazy to stop.

Anyway, security measures are at maximum for these poor girls who thought that coming to India and dancing in a national event would be all fun and games, meanwhile talks are being held to define the “line of decency” or to ban their appearance.

On second thoughts, I bet this uproar was foreseen: sexy international girls jiggying and thousands of Indians strongly reacting to it is enough to get another round of publicity in the international press — which is exactly what has happened.

The story that created a buzz in an ESL class

by Jamie Rhein on

Most days when I walk into the semi-beginning adult ESL class I teach twice a week, the start of class conversations are the basic, “Hi, how are you? Great to see you.” There’s nothing too fancy. At this level, there’s not enough vocabulary to have many detailed conversations beyond day to day activities. Today, though, one of my students wanted to know which countries I’ve been too. When I rattled through the countries of Europe and hit on on Austria, his eyes widened and he sat forward.

“Did you hear about the man? basement? daughter? he wondered. He read about the story of the man who kept his daughter locked up in the basement for 21 years and had seven children with her. My student was aghast and felt like talking.

His reaction prompted a conversation with everyone–a mix of Somalis, three Mauritanians, someone from Poland and someone from China. Everyone’s reaction was the same. How in the world could such a thing happen, and how awful. A great command of English wasn’t necessary to talk about a universal no-no. In a class where many people don’t know much about popular American culture where our news swirls –Britney who? Brangelina who? — this particular world news story hit a nerve.

Weird became a vocabulary word of the day. Aberration would have been a bit complicated. In a world where, sometimes, it might be hard to find a common thread, there are some things everyone agrees on.