InFlight Magazines

by Erik Olsen on

Sometimes when you fly, you forget to bring along reading material. And when this happens, which is quite unfortunate, you are forced to either endure the in flight movie (usually something horrendously awful) or you pick up the airline’s magazine stuffed there in the pocket in front of you. Is there a sniglet for this pocket? I’m not sure. Perhaps it is called the “flybrary”. But whatever, I always find it interesting to see how different airlines come up with stuff that they think flyers will like. Each airline is a bit different, and as you can see from this list of in-flight magazines, each has its own language, too.

I have to admit, I spent some time clicking around the list here and there some some interesting ones…even those NOT in English. Take a look, for example, at SkyEurope’s Magazine, which offers, obviously, lots of pieces on things to do in Europe. Or what about the magazine for Montenegro Airlines. Now, that’s rather interesting. The articles are downloadable as a Word document, just in case you feel the need to have it while you’re not connected. The list is extensive and it made me think that maybe these would be a good source of info for whatever trip I decide to take next.

What to Do at the South Pole on Christmas

by Erik Olsen on

There you are hanging out with friends, scientist and penguins in the coldest place on the planet. It is dark. It is Christmas. What on earth do you do with your time. A fine question, but one that seems to have been answered rather well by this group of Santa Happy shutterbugs. This series of photos from “Santarctica” actually might help you restore some faith in human behavior…or the ability of people to find a good time in otherwise forbidding places.

SF Chronicle’s Annual Geography Quiz

by Adrienne Wilson on

My Monday morning hasn’t even gone into full swing yet and I’ve already managed to burn-out my brain. The coal from last night’s sleep still rests in my eyes and no, I didn’t wash my face yet, I roll out of bed and blog before all that happens. What I’m trying to say my friends is that I will be departing from providing you with any further travel related content to get some more shut-eye and then start my day all over again.

Anywho, somehow in my half sleep mode I made my way over to the San Francisco Chronicle and saw their 10th Annual Geography Quiz and then I decided to take it thinking there would be some multiple choice and I would score big during my dream state. Suddenly a buzzer sounds off in my head and I realize it is far too early and the questions seem far too difficult. Which lake separates Uganda from Kenya? Has anyone ever swam from the Scottish mainland to the Hebrides Islands? Yeah, it is too early for me to be taking this.

For those who find they can cross their T’s and dot their I’s just fine this morning go see if you know what happened on December 31, 1994 in the Republic of Kiribati that the Kirimati residents had never experienced before. Post your results here and I’ll be sure to get back to you with mine after another two hours rest.

Lonely Planet’s Blue List

by Erik Olsen on

Here at gadling, we’re all about finding new travel ideas. And equally, we’re about pointing you to places where those ideas are most abundant. Well, where abundance is concerned, I have just closed the covers on a cornucopia of ideas that, frankly, has me feeling a little exhausted right now.

Lonely Planet’s new edition of its Blue List series is a compelling page turner that, if you’re like me, will cause an immediate shortage of yellow post-its. Those post-its now cling to the inside pages of my Blue List guide, making it look a bit like a paper peacock flattened by a semi.

The Blue List guide, subtitled “The Best in Travel 2007” provides page after page of sumptuous photos and informative text about interesting places and things to do in them all over the globe. The ideas start off with a calendar section that groups together events by month. For example, December has the Festival of the Oases in Tunisia and the Hornbill Festival in India. Chances are, you’ll have to Google these for more info, but they’re a fine start.

Other recommendations in the book are broken out by activity, so if you are, for example, a fan of scuba diving, you can get a good idea of the top trips for bubble blowers. The books lists the Cocos Islands in Costa Rica and Chuuk lagoon in Micronesia among their top spots. Or let’s say you have long believed in UFOs and want to design a trip for you and your ET-loving friends? Well, you can do that, too, with their paranormal trips section.

Then savor my favorite section, called the Go List, which breaks out LP’s top picks for places to visit in the coming year. We’re NOT talking Florida and Vegas here. We’re talking about exotic, less-explored locales like Maluku, Indonesia and Gabon. Then there’s a section on gadgets and the best places to wed and dark travel and, well, more and more.

If I have any complaints, it that while the book really whets your appetite, you don’t leave feeling completly satisfied. In fact, you leave a bit hungrier than before. But as I say, maybe that’s what Google, or LP’s country-specific guides are there for. Either way, keeping to their fine tradition of helping you REALLY get out there, the good folks at Lonely Planet have done a fine job with this new book.

Lava and Ice

by Neil Woodburn on

Lava and ice are two of nature’s extremes that rarely ever meet. But, when they do, oh boy is it exciting!

Photographer George Steinmetz recently traveled to Antarctica to shoot one such marvel. Documented by Smithsonian Magazine, Steinmetz climbed the slopes of Mount Erebus, an active volcano on the frozen continent, where he explored what happens when very, very hot meets very, very cold.

One of the results can be seen in the above photograph taken by Steinmetz. This ice chimney, known as a fumarole, is created when steam escapes from the sides of the volcano, works it way up through the snow, and then freezes when it hits the cold Antarctic air. Such chimneys can reach up to 60 feet tall.

Below the chimneys, the warm air also carves out very large ice caves which must be simply outstanding to explore. As if all this wasn’t cool enough, visitors to Mount Erebus can also be entertained by lava bombs. These blobs of molten lava, some of which measure up to ten feet across, are shot into the air by the active volcano and come raining down upon the snowy landscape like some apocalyptic firestorm. So, be sure to bring along an umbrella if you happen to visit…