Escape to the world’s quietest places

by Katie Hammel on

Life in most places is loud. Planes flying overhead, traffic rushing through the streets, people yelling, talking, phones ringing – it all combines to make an endless racket that follows us throughout our days. If you need to get away for some (literal) peace and quiet, take a look at Forbes Traveler’s list of the World’s Quietest Places.

Many of these aren’t the sort of places where you’ll go crazy from the silence, in fact some of them are plenty noisy. But near and far, they provide places where you can get away from the aural assault of the world and revel in a quiet(er) existence.

Included on the list are destinations like the verdant Hoh Valley in Washington State and Muir Woods in California, both places that are easy to get to from major cities but seem a world away. Further from home, there’s the island of Yap, near Guam, where the “culture is built on adherence to social peace”. The Kalahari Desert, 350,000 square miles of sparsely populated sand and scrub, also makes the list.

Victoria Falls isn’t exactly silent, but the roar of the water as it plummets 350 feet (which can be heard over a mile away) is such a natural sound and so completely shuts out everything else, that it almost feels quiet. Central Park is another unlikely addition to the list. Though it’s located in the middle of what is arguably one of the world’s loudest cities, it provides a quiet solitude away from the noise of daily life.

Egypt in a rift with the Louvre over stolen artifacts

by Kraig Becker on

The head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, Zahi Hawass, took a bold move yesterday in his on going struggle to get foreign museums to return antiquities taken from that country illegally. Hawass severed all ties with France’s the Louvre over that museum’s refusal to return fragments of 3200-year old painted wall frescoes that were taken from the Tomb of Tetaki in the Valley of the Kings back in the 1980’s.

According to this story, this isn’t the first time Hawass has taken steps to close relations with a museum. He made a similar move with the St. Louis Art Museum over a golden burial mask that that museum has refused to return as well. This is, however, the first time that such a move has been taken against a museum of the incredible stature of the Louvre. Upon alerting officials at the museum of his actions, Hawass also suspended an archeological excavation being conducted under the direction of the Louvre, in Saqqara and canceled a scheduled lecture by former curator Christiane Ziegler, who was in charge of the Egyptology department while employed there.

A response from the Louvre and the French Cultural Ministry was swift in coming. Both said that they were interested in putting this incident behind them by returning the disputed pieces, indicating that Hawass’ decision to play hardball was already paying dividends. When these pieces are returned, they’ll join more than other artifacts that he has recovered since taking office in 2002.
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Norway world’s best place to live

by Tom Johansmeyer on

I’m not sure if everybody wants to live in Norway, but it’s certainly at the top of the global list. The United Nations Development Program determined this based on data GDP, education and life expectancy – among other metrics – to find the best of the best, as well as the other end of the spectrum. The data’s from 2007, though, so it doesn’t reflect a post-financial crisis world.

Joining Norway are Australia and Iceland, the latter of which was a hot location until a year ago, when the entire country got an International Monetary Fund package normally reserved for the third-est of third-world countries. Yet, even with the recession in mind, Iceland (a favorite destination of mine) is still far better than Niger, Afghanistan and Sierra Leone, which sit at the bottom of the list. Several other sub-Saharan African states also ranked toward the bottom because of ongoing war and the proliferation of HIV/AIDS.

The spread is most evident in life expectancy, where a mailing address in Norway would add 30 years relative to Niger. In Niger, the current average life expectancy is 50. And, for every dollar that someone earns in Niger, the same person would pick up $85 in Norway. In Afghanistan, one can expect to live only 43.6 years.

Money matters, still. Lichtenstein continues to boast the world’s highest GDP per capital at $85,383. The 35,000 people who live there share the small principality with 15 banks and more than 100 wealth management companies. The Democratic Republic of Congo has the lowest income in the world: $298 per person per year.

The top climbers on the list for 2007 were China, Iran and Nepal.

12 great safaris from Nat. Geo.

by Kraig Becker on

Thinking of heading to Africa on your next big trip abroad? Planning on going on safari while you’re there? Then you’re in luck, because National Geographic Adventure has a list of the 12 best safaris on the continent, with some amazing suggestions on where to watch wildlife in East and Southern Africa.

Most of us already know what Kenya and Tanzania have to offer. Both countries are home to the classic safari experience on the Serengeti. That trip still gets a tip of the hat from Nat. Geo., but there are plenty of other great places to encounter Africa’s diverse wildlife. For example, traveling to Uganda gives you the chance to visit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home of the mountain gorillas. That safari is unique and life-changing, and every visitor contributes directly to the preservation of those noble primates.

For a completely different experience, the article recommends you head to the iconic Kruger National Park in South Africa, and go on a self-guided safari. Visitors to Kruger can rent their own vehicle, sleep at designated camp sites, and even get out of the car and trek through the wilds. Those treks do require that you go with an armed ranger however, as there are still plenty of wild animals that would gladly have you for lunch.

If you’re considering a safari in your near future, then this article is definitely for you. There are plenty of great tips on where to go and what to see, and even who to travel with.

Paraplegic climber summits Kilimanjaro!

by Kraig Becker on

A few days back we posted a story about paraplegic athlete Chris Waddell attempting to climb Africa’s highest peak, Mt. Kilimanjaro, under his own power. When that story was written Chris was still in the midst of his climb, and was camped on the mountain at 18,000 feet. Yesterday, he completed his epic journey, and became the first paraplegic to reach Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa.

The details of Chris’ final push to the top of the mountain remain a bit thin at the moment, but the most recent update to his blog shared the news, saying: “This just in… It’s official ! … Chris is the 1st paraplegic to summit Kili, unassisted! This is wonderful news and we are so very excited. Today is a very, good day! Congratulations to Chris Waddell & the One-Revolution team on a successful summit of Mount Kilimanjaro!!!!” A second update later in the day said that the team had returned to Kili’s crater, where they were spending the night, and that there would be further updates today once they had descended the mountain and returned to their hotel.
In order for Chris to go up Kilimanjaro, he and his team, had to put together a special cart that he could propel using his hands. He essentially peddled the cart, using just the strength of his arms, all the way to the top of the 19,340 foot mountain, dealing with widely varying terrain, plenty of loose rock scree, and the effects of altitude along the way.

For Chris, this is just another amazing accomplishment for a guy who hasn’t let his disability stand in his way. He wanted to make the climb to inspire others, and I think it safe to say that he did just that. Congrats to him and his entire team.