Admit it, New Yorkers. How many of you have wished that there were separate lanes for tourists and locals on NYC sidewalks? This photo, taken at the corner of 22nd and 5th Streets in New York City, shows that one guerrilla artist is trying to make that happen. Just don’t expect the tourists to stay in their lane– they’re too busy looking for the restaurant from Seinfeld.
[HT: Gothamist]
13-year old Jordan Romero reached the summit of Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain in the world, earlier today, setting a new record for the youngest person to achieve that feat. The successful summit also leaves him just one peak shy of his ultimate goal, to become the youngest person to climb the Seven Summits.
For much of the week, high winds buffeted the mountain, preventing climbers from going to the summit. But today, as predicted, a new weather window opened, granting access to the peak once again. This change in the weather has spurred another round of summit bids from both the north and south sides of the mountain. Jordan, and his team, topped out on the north, or Tibetan, side of Everest.
With Everest now added to his resume, Jordan can now turn his attention to the one mountain that remains on his list of the Seven Summits. This fall, he’ll travel to Antarctica to climb the 16,050 foot tall Mt. Vinson, the tallest peak on that continent. While not nearly as high as Everest, which stands at 29,029 feet, the extreme cold and harsh Antarctic conditions give the mountain its own unique challenges.
Jordan’s summit of Everest wasn’t the only one of note today. Climbing legend Apa Sherpa claimed his 20th summit of the mountain, extending his own record in the process. Apa first climbed Everest back in 1990, and has not failed to reach the top of the mountain in any year since then, an impressive feat of skill and endurance.
Congratulations to both Jordan and Apa on their amazing accomplishments.
Orbitz Worldwide launched a new online search tool, called AdventureFinder.com, earlier this week with the intention of making it easier than ever to help you discover new locations to explore, then customize and plan active, outdoor escape to those places. The site replaces GORPTravel.com, which was formerly used as an adventure travel resource as part of The Away Network.
Visitors to the website will find a variety of ways to search for their next trip, including by destination or activity. So for example, if you’re looking for a trip to Africa, you’ll be presented with a list of the many options for that continent, from some of the top adventure tour operators in the world. But if you want to see the best places to go mountain biking or white water rafting, you can do that too. The AdventureFinder front page also offers featured destinations and activities as suggestions as well, with Japan and Hiking/Backpacking getting those respective nods at the moment.
The unique “Who’s Going” search option allows you to find trips designed for specific types of travelers. Options include “singles”, “couples”, “family”, and so on. This option is great for helping you select a trip that will ensure you’ll be joining a group with which you have a common approach to travel, which can sometimes mean the difference between an enjoyable vacation and an awful one.
With so many great destinations to choose form, a tool like this is always welcome. I’ve found a couple of nice deals on places that I would certainly like to visit, and it seems that this will be a great resource for adventure travelers before they head out on their next escape.
UPDATED: The earthquake that rocked Haiti back in January caused unimaginable death and destruction, and as the poorest nation in the Westen Hemisphere, Haiti lacks the resources for a high tech (or even normal tech) rebuilding of its infrastructure. But what the country’s inhabitants lack in material wealth they almost make up for with their ingenuity and perseverance. Check out these amazing videos of Haitians rebuilding their country one brick and one shovelful at a time.
Via the comments, the following video appears to be from Bangladesh, not Haiti. Still, impressive!
[HT: Chris Blattman]
En route to the Dominican Republic last week, I did something I’ve never done before: I forgot my passport. I was already out of Manhattan, deep into Queens, and turning back simply wasn’t an option. I panicked.
There was no reason for me to forget my passport, something I haven’t done in a dozen years of travel as a professional. As I do for every trip, I put my wallet, keys and passport on top of my laptop the night before … so I wouldn’t forget them. I noticed the pile of stuff not to forget the next morning and immediately recognized it as such.
Nonetheless, seated in the backseat of the town car, I realize I’d done what should have been impossible given my insane system. The driver turned his head shortly after I yelled, “Crap!” as one would expect him to do. I repeated the expletive a few times before telling him why. I must not be the first person to have made this mistake in his car, because the driver, from Tel Aviv Limo quickly came up with the perfect solution.He instructed me to call for a new car and explain the situation. They would send a vehicle to my apartment, where my friend would meet them with my passport. Then, the driver would head out to JFK airport, where I’d be waiting in the departure area with the fare for the trip and an incredibly generous tip (I wound up paying close to 100 percent for this service).
Even before I could raise the suggestion, the driver shot down the notion of turning around and going back to my apartment. It would take too much time, he noted, as we’d have to go out and back. With his proposal, a car already in Manhattan could just shoot straight out to JFK. As if I needed another reason, I saw the Queens traffic heading into the city and knew that turning around would mean fighting rush hour. If I made my flight, I’d do it as a bundle of nerves.
Less than an hour from the moment I hurled obscenities at myself, my bag and my passport, I had my documents in hand and was ready to check in. The driver was in touch with me before reaching my apartment (to make sure someone would be there), when he left (to let me know he was en route) and at the departures area (to tell me he had arrived).
The situation unfolded perfectly, but it isn’t universally applicable. I wouldn’t try this with a taxi, for example. I wouldn’t even have someone hail a cab and drop my stuff in the backseat to be delivered to me. The taxi option is just too fluid. To make it work, it helps to have just taken a town car to the airport, though I suspect you could have a car service deliver your passport even if you drove, took public transportation or hailed a cab.
Stupidity may be problematic, but it doesn’t have to be a deal-breaker. If you forget something important for your trip – so important that you’re willing to shell out some serious cash to fix the situation – you now have a solution at your fingertips. Of course the smarter move is to get it right the first time …