Blogger Kraig Becker

by Kraig Becker on

Introducing new blogger Kraig Becker…

Where was your photo taken?
This photo was taken on the Serengeti in Tanzania. I was on a week long camping safari that was simply amazing.

Where do you live now?
I currently live in Austin, Texas, one of the coolest, most laid back, and open minded communities anywhere.

Scariest Airline Flown?
The scariest airline I’ve flown was probably China East. The planes were nearly as out of date as their movies. I went a few years back and was treated to Silverado and The Goonies on the trans-Pacific legs. Scary!

Favorite City/Country/Place?
Favorite country is easily Tanzania. At the end of my two weeks there I did not want to come home. There was so much to see and do, and the people were incredibly friendly. Plus, I made some good friends while traveling, which made the experience all the better.

Most Remote Corner of the Globe Visited?
The most remote corner of the globe I’ve been to is a bit of a toss up. I’d say it was either Kilimanjaro or a remote Bedouin village in the Sahara.

Favorite Guidebook Series?
I don’t use guidebooks too often, preferring to use the Internet to prepare before I go. But of the guides that I have used, the Rough Guides seem to be the most useful for what I’m looking for.

Worst Place To Catch a Stomach Bug?
Egypt. Easily. I got food poisoning in Cairo. Twice. I called it the Curse of the Pharaoh, and it wasn’t pretty. Nothing like 130 degree heat when you’re sick. Ugh.

Solo or Group Traveler?
I’ve done both, and they can both be rewarding. I prefer to travel in a small group, when that group are friends. Traveling with a group of completely unknown people can be a study in patience. Everyone has such different approaches to cultural immersion and activities, and it seems that you can end up not getting the full experience.

Next Trip?
I’m still weighing my options, but I’m planning my next trip for the Spring. I’m considering trekking in Roraima or the Andes, cruising the Amazon or possibly visiting the Galapagos. By the end of the week I’ll likely add two more locations, and change my mind several times.

Churchill’s hotel inspires fashion line

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The Royal Horseguards is due to officially re-open in February 2009 following a £16m investment and refurbishment program. This landmark, famous for once housing Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s favorite bar-in its basement where secret passages link the building to Westminster and Whitehall-will be the central inspiration behind a haute couture fashion collection designed to bring some of London’s most iconic hotels to life.

Located on the river in Whitehall, The Royal Horseguards hotel is built in the style of a French Chateau and as a Grade 1 listed building has welcomed many Prime Ministers through its doors. It’s believed even the Secret Service used its eighth floor as a secret base during the Second World War and the building also boasts the largest free standing marble staircase in Europe.

As part of this grand unveiling, London-based fashion designer Aimee McWilliams, one of the UK’s leading young designers, will create the “capsule” bespoke clothing collection. McWilliams’ work is intended to convey the style, character and history of London’s most unique hotels: Charing Cross, The Cumberland (Marble Arch), The Tower (at Tower Bridge) and, of course, The Royal Horseguards. The effort will be unveiled in January and displayed at its namesake hotels before being auctioned for charity later in the year.
McWilliams set up her own label after winning the award for the best collection upon graduation and more recently won the Designer of the Year Award at the Scottish Style Awards 2007. She says that she has “been inspired by great interiors for most of my creative life,” and looks forward to “the opportunity to create high end luxury garments that reflected the diverse and stylish interiors of each of the hotels.”

Together, the four hotels will make Guoman Hotels, a new collection of deluxe London-based hotels each with an individual and unique history and character, brought together with a promise of exceptional service and customer experience.

Is NYC’s subway about to get more expensive?

by Jeffrey White on

I was in New York recently, where there is talk that the MTA is considering raising the city’s subway fare from $2.00 to $2.50 per ride.

Why? The New York Times recently reported that the state of New York is trying to work out a bailout of the MTA, which is saddled with a $1.2 billion deficit. Failing to do that, the MTA says it plans to raise fares and toll revenue in 2009 some 23 percent to close that budget gap, along with making what the Times describes as “deep cuts in service.”

That means a jump in single-ride fares, and the cost of a 30-day MetroCard could increase to $104 by late next spring.

Obviously tourists are more inclined to be impacted by the simple single fare increase, even though $2.50 still seems like a pretty good deal for such a massive subway network. Sure, New York’s subway system is rundown, dirty and generally disgusting, but it does get you to pretty much anywhere you want to go in one of the world’s largest city.

I think of Berlin, where I live: Also a big city, with an amazingly extensive and efficient subway system. But single-ride fares there are nearly $3.00. Then again, I’d happily pay that in New York if they’d clean the subway up and figure out some way to let passengers known when they can expect the next train.

Top 10 stupidest laws you could encounter on the road


Herculaneum on display in Italy

by Jamie Rhein on

I can still picture the Time Life book photograph of a child turned into stone from the eruption of Vesuvius. It was one of those elementary school images that captured my attention and hasn’t let go.

Okay, I think it was a Time Life book and I think the photo was a child, but for sure that eruption in Pompeii centuries before I hit 2nd grade has had the power to show just how fragile we are when it comes to natural disasters. Pompeii wasn’t the only town that met with destruction from Vesuvius’s handiwork. Herculaneum was also destroyed. According to this USA Today article, Herculaneum was where wealthy Romans liked to frequent because of its seaside views.

There’s an exhibit of the artifacts that have been uncovered over the centuries at the National Archaeological Museum in Naples, Italy. Among the bounty are large marble statues and smaller bronze ones that highlight the opulence of the time.

The exhibit is up through April 13. This Wikipedia photo is of a boathouse in Herculaneum.

Photo of the Day (12.21.08)

by Jeremy Kressmann on

This looks like one of the more curious staring contests I think I’ve ever seen. Flickr user JKEvgen was in Antarctica when he captured this “close encounter of the penguin kind.” There’s a lot of great things about this image. First, I love the situation – it’s one of those photos that makes you stop and take a second look to try and process what’s happening. Second, I’m happy that JKEvgen had the presence of mind to take this photo in the first place. You could take a million static landscape photos perfectly and never even come close to the viewer reaction you’ll get from something like this. As much as photography is about composition, it’s also about knowing how to tell a story with your image and being in the right place at the right time.

Have any great wildlife shots from your own travels? How about sharing them with the world by uploading to the Gadling pool on Flickr? If we like your shot we might just pick it as our Photo of the Day.