Photo Of The Day: Sumo Wrestlers In Fukuoka

by Jessica Marati on

In the hierarchy of Japanese sumo wrestling, the Makuuchi Division is the best of the best. Here, Makuuchi competitors participate in a traditional ring entering ceremony, where they perform a series of actions similar to the moves they use in competition. Flickr user Luke Robinson captured the climax of the ceremony in today’s Photo of the Day, taken at a sumo wrestling tournament at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center in Fukuoka, Japan.

Do you have any photos of fascinating traditional ceremonies? Upload your shots to the Gadling Flickr Pool and your image could be selected as our Photo of the Day.

[Photo Credit: Luke Robinson]

Half Of Airbnb’s New York Listings Are Illegal

by Reena Ganga on

The popular apartment rental site Airbnb is under fire again after skift.com revealed that thousands of Airbnb’s listings for New York City are comprised of illegal residences.

In June 2010, the state of New York passed a law that banned a certain type of short term rental – stays of less than 30 days where the owner of the property is absent – but search for a place to stay in the Big Apple on Airbnb and about half of the results that come up fall afoul of the law. According to Skift, many of the company’s other popular destinations such as San Francisco, Paris and Hawaii also yield illegal listings.

This isn’t just a problem for Airbnb, but for users of the site as well. Hosts that rent out rooms or apartments illegally could face fines of anywhere from $1000 to tens of thousands of dollars, while travelers who stay in these apartments risk penalties of $1000 and up.

Since its launch in 2008, Airbnb has grown into a popular means of finding accommodation. The site helps visitors find a place to sleep at a fraction of the cost of a hotel, many of the residences have additional amenities you can use (like kitchens), and you get the benefit of a local host with insider tips on what to see and do.

More than ten million night’s worth of bookings have been made through the site, but the company has been through its share of PR nightmares over the past few years. First there was this story about a host’s house that was trashed by guests and then there were the apartment owners in Sweden who were shocked to find their home was being used as a brothel.

As for the illegal listings, Airbnb believes the law regarding them is unclear. “Even for full apartment listings under 29 days some are legal,” the company told Skift.

So how can you make sure the NYC rental you’re booking is legal? If the listing is for a room and the owner will be in the house or apartment with you, that’s completely above board. But, if you see a vacancy for an entire “Class A” apartment, you’re staying for less than 30 days, and the owner won’t be around – steer clear.

[Photo Credit – Flickr user Gustavo da Cunha Pimenta]

Video: A Sublime Disruption

by Elizabeth Seward on

“A Sublime Disruption” from Gareth Nolan on Vimeo.

Gareth Nolan shot this short film, “A Sublime Disruption,” during a trip around the world he took in 2011. “This video is not about the places I visited, but merely an attempt to evoke the feeling of wonder and excitement in seeing as much as I was lucky to,” Nolan says on his Vimeo page. Indeed, this video captures the wonder of travel well. With footage from Belize, Bolivia, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Chile, China, French Polynesia, Guatemala, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Peru, Russia, Tibet and The United States, from what I can tell, Nolan spent the year 2011 well.

Americans Abducted, Robbed And Beaten In Peru

by Elizabeth Seward on


The horrifying story of three Americans abducted, robbed and beaten in Peru recently has seen the light of day, but not to the extent I would expect it to.

I first came across the story of brother and sister, Jennifer Wolfrom and Joseph Wolfrom, and Joseph’s wife, Meghan Doherty, on Reddit the other day. The story had hardly been viewed, but I couldn’t take my eyes away from it. What should have been an innocent trip to Cuzco, Peru, on the way to Machu Picchu became a nightmare when the three Americans were forced to park their car under a nearby bridge because of intimidating darkness. It was Jennifer’s 30th birthday, so the three shared two beers. As reported on their blog, two villagers came by and told them it was alright for them to park their car in the spot overnight. Curiously though, the villagers began blowing whistles and alerting other villagers to their presence through cellphones. More villagers gathered near the group and demanded to see the documents of the travelers. The American travelers refused to show documents to people who weren’t police or government officials. They felt nervous and decided to leave, but the villagers began throwing rocks at their car.They decided to drive back in the direction from which they had come. The road came to a dead end after about 10 minutes of driving, however, and a man at the end of the road told the Americans that they could not stay there. The travelers had no choice but to drive back in the direction toward the villagers where rocks were again continuously thrown at their vehicle and a barricade was built hastily by villagers. While trying to avoid the rocks being thrown at the car, Joseph drove the car into a ditch. They tried to repel the attackers with bear spray and ran away on foot. Villagers continued to chase the three, pelting them with rocks all along the way.

“There were at least 30 people chasing us and throwing rocks at us at one point. We were running for our lives for between 30 minutes to an hour through the village hills and rivers,” Jennifer said in an entry online.

They were eventually so badly hurt that they were abducted by the villagers and taken back to a man called the “Presidente.” He ordered them to walk through cold rain toward a village school. They were beaten along the way and once they arrived to the school, dozens of villagers urged the man to kill the three of them. They were whipped and beaten for hours. Joseph’s teeth were knocked out. All of their possessions and documents were stolen from them. During at least one point in the night, a shot was fired toward the group while they begged for their lives.

After all of the abuse, they were asked to sign a document, which asserted that they had crashed the car because they were drunk and that they sustained their injuries through the car accident. Fearing for their lives, they signed the false document. They were eventually taken back to their gutted vehicle and villagers stayed with them until the police arrived and stood by as they told the police the fabricated story.

The Americans were then transported to a nearby town where they finally were able to use a phone to call the US Consulate in Cuzco. They filled out a police report at that point in time describing what had actually happened and they were treated for injuries. Between the three of them, around 100 stitches were administered. As of the latest update, they are still stranded in Peru and receiving medical attention while planning their trip home to the U.S.

Read more about this travel nightmare on their blog, Adventure Americas.


[Photo Credit: Digital Journal]

Blogger Reena Ganga

by Reena Ganga on

Introducing a new blogger at Gadling, Reena Ganga…

Where was your photo taken: In Athens, Greece.

Where do you live now: I was born and raised in Sydney, Australia, but am now based in Chicago.

Scariest airline flown: A travel agent once put me on what I thought would be a Qantas flight from Sydney to Beijing; however, when I boarded the plane, I was surprised to discover I was on a codeshare flight, which was being operated by China Eastern Airlines instead. The aircraft had certainly seen better days. For one thing, there was a massive gash in the plastic-y cabin wall, and then there was the sickening rattle of the overhead bins, which would sway violently and threaten detachment at the slightest hint of turbulence. I’m not afraid of flying, but let’s just say that was 13 hours of my life that I would not like to repeat.

Oh, and then there was the domestic flight in Ethiopia where I discovered the prior passenger had peed in my seat. That was interesting.

Favorite city/country/place: I love Laos for its beauty and sense of tranquility (the many monasteries no doubt contribute to this) and enjoyed Bosnia for its atmosphere of resilience. The people there are surprisingly happy and optimistic given all they’ve been through.

Most remote corner of the globe visited: Ethiopia has to be the most untouristed place I’ve ever been. In fact, just about the only foreigners I met when I was there were either Peace Corp workers or diplomats. The upside of this is that the country retains a strong sense of authenticity when it comes to its food, culture, religion and lifestyle, so you feel like you’re seeing the real Ethiopia as it has been for centuries.

Favorite guidebook series: I like to turn to social media and local publications to learn what’s new and hot in a given destination, so if I must pack a guidebook, I’ll generally turn to Lonely Planet, which is good for getting a quick overview of the must-sees. For more in-depth info on the history and culture of a place, I’ve found Rough Guides to be indispensable. And for truly off-the-wall destinations, Bradt Guides have it covered like no one else.

On your next trip, you are forced to schedule a 24-hour layover. You have $200 to spend. Where do you spend the layover and why? Reykjavik, Iceland. It’s one of those countries you’re unlikely to visit as your sole destination, but it’s the perfect place for a layover between the US and Europe. I’d spend some of my money on a visit to the Blue Lagoon, which is a geothermal spring full of mineral-rich mud, and a perfect way to unwind after a long flight. If I’m lucky, I might even get to see the aurora borealis (aka the northern lights).

Favorite foreign dish? Restaurant? I don’t usually like the idea of cooking my own food in a restaurant (kind of defeats the point of eating out, right?) but I found a fabulous chain of hot pot restaurants in China called Hai Di Lao. The food is not only super tasty, but the restaurant puts on a dramatic tableside display of noodle-making and offers free manicures, massages, and games while you wait. What’s not to love?

How did you get started traveling? I’ve actually been traveling my whole life – my parents took me on my first overseas trip when I was just 6 months old. I started traveling independently when I was 16 and from that time on, I diligently socked away my money and vacation days so I could take trips abroad each year. A decade later, I was so passionate about taking a yearlong trip around the world that I quit my wonderful job as a television reporter and hit the road. It was the most amazing thing I ever did and now my mission in life is to convince others to travel in whatever way they can.

When I’m not writing for Gadling, I’m… sharing tips, tricks and inspiration for world travel at my website, Wanderplex.