Mt. Everest pioneer dead at 88

by Aaron Hotfelder on

On May 29, 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the first known climbers to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. Today, Hillary passed away in his home country of New Zealand at the age of 88.

Though his Everest feat was incredibly impressive, Hillary always thought of himself as just a regular beekeeper. The CBC’s article includes a quote from Hillary describing his feelings about the Everest climb:

“Awe, wonder, humility, pride, exaltation – these surely ought to be the confused emotions of the first men to stand on the highest peak on Earth, after so many others had failed… But my dominant reactions were relief and surprise. Relief because the long grind was over and the unattainable had been attained. And surprise, because it had happened to me, old Ed Hillary, the beekeeper, once the star pupil of the Tuakau District School, but no great shakes at Auckland Grammar [high school] and a no-hoper at university, first to the top of Everest. I just didn’t believe it.”

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Helen Clark recognized Hillary’s humility in a statement released today: “Sir Ed described himself as an average New Zealander with modest abilities. In reality, he was a colossus. He was an heroic figure who not only ‘knocked off’ Everest but lived a life of determination, humility, and generosity.”

By all accounts, Hillary led an impressive life notwithstanding his Everest accomplishment. He was an outspoken conservationist and dedicated his life to the Sherpas of Nepal, donating money to help them build roads, hospitals, and schools.

More coverage here.

First human powered circumnavigation of the globe

by Neil Woodburn on

What is it about crazy Brits and their desire to circumnavigate the globe on their own power?

Over the last few years, we’ve been sharing with you the adventures of Karl Bushby who is attempting to walk around the world. But for whatever reason, we’ve just learned about a fellow countryman of Bushby’s who has spent the last 13 years circling the globe using a combination of bicycles and peddle boats. Wow.

Jason Lewis started his journey at the Prime Meridian in Greenwich in 1994 after realizing that his greatest fear in life was “of mediocrity and of a slow, unremarkable acquiescence to society.” This epiphany led him on a 46,405 mile journey that is believed to the first “human powered circumnavigation of the globe.”

He traveled by bicycle and foot through 37 countries and across all major continents except Antarctica, as well as spending 111 days in a paddle boat crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

I’m not sure this is the best way to spend one’s 30s, but you have to admit, Lewis certainly hasn’t acquiesced to society in the traditional manner. Now that he’s home and probably looking for a job, however, we can welcome him back to a life of mediocrity.

The 10 most common foreign cities in which Americans are arrested

by Neil Woodburn on

Tijuana rarely makes the top of any list for any reason–unless, of course, the list happens to rank the most common places for Americans to be arrested abroad. In that case, Tijuana proudly stands as number one.

Police in the sprawling border town arrested 520 Americans in 2006, more so than any other city on the planet. In fact, according to statistics released by the American State Department and published by the LA Times, Mexico claims four of the top five cities in which the most Americans were taken into custody. Only London, at number 4 on the list with 274 arrests stood in the way of Mexican penal domination.

Of course, the statistics are a little skewed since the arrest numbers do not take into consideration the overall number of tourists. If only 700 Americans visited Mexico, for example, and 520 were arrested, I’d certainly be concerned about those odds. Thousands of Americans visit Mexico on an annual basis, however, thus turning those 520 arrests into a very small percentage indeed. Nonetheless, it’s always wise to carry a $20 bill with you just in case…

The top 10 cities you’re most likely to get arrested in are…



(Source: LA Times)

Deadliest Drunk Driving States

by Neil Woodburn on

Well, the numbers are in and Wyoming has received the dubious honor of being the deadliest state in America for drunk drivers.

According to a recent Forbes Life article quoting numbers from the National Center for Statistics and Analysis (part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), the state of Wyoming experienced “13 drunken driving-related deaths” per 100,000 residents in the 2006 calendar year (the last full year of data released).

Part of the reason for such horrific statistics can be blamed on a combination of the small population–515,000 residents in 2006–and the large number of “travelers… passing through” the state. But more importantly, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Wyoming is one of just eleven states that consider sobriety checkpoints as unconstitutional and therefore the local police never conduct them.

On the other end of the spectrum, New York experienced the least amount of Drunk Driving fatalities, just 2.06 per 100,000 residents in 2006. And that makes New York almost seven times safer than Wyoming. Well, sort of…
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Cafes of Paris and Berlin go smoke-free

by Neil Woodburn on

One of my favorite things about traveling to Europe is hanging out in cafes all day and reading the paper. My least favorite thing about Europe is sitting in these same cafes and inhaling all that horrific secondhand smoke.

Well, I’m happy to report that this New Year’s Eve, just like the last couple, has brought with it more regional legislation prohibiting smoking in European pubs, cafes, and restaurants. This year the smoke-free axe fell in France and eight states in Germany. This means that all those legendary watering holes of Hemingway’s Paris and Isherwood’s Berlin will now be without that infamous haze in which various characters wiled away lifetimes of afternoons.

Personally, I couldn’t be more excited. Now if only the dollar would improve, I might actually be able to afford a smoke-free drink in one of these places.

Oh, and in case you want to risk it and light up, France is levying a 450 euro fine for the smoker and a 750 euro fine for the bar itself. So do everyone a favor, and don’t try it.