Gadlinks for Monday 6.29.09

by Brenda Yun on


Welcome to another glorious week of Gadlinks! It looks like the web is full of travel news and stories, so we’re not short of interesting links. Here are a few to keep your juices flowing:

  • Matador and the Dir Journal explore abandoned cities in the world and discover the possible appeal of these places as travel destinations.
  • I love summer in small seaside towns. These places really come alive! If you’re heading to the coast, consider staying in one of these seaside inns.
  • Take a narrative journey to the Scilly Isles 30 miles off the coast of Land’s End. The place doesn’t sound silly, though. It sounds purely magical.
  • What is the Mount Everest of scuba diving? Apparently, it’s a sunken ship called the Andrea Doria. Getting there is supposedly just as dangerous as climbing Everest, except you’re coming up for air instead of going back down.

‘Til tomorrow, have a great evening!

For more Gadlinks, click HERE.

Gadlinks for Friday 6.26.09

by Brenda Yun on


Aloha, Gadling readers! My apologies for the delayed Gadlinks for Friday. The surf here in Hawaii has been pretty swell (pun intended), so I’ve been in the water for the past few days. Really. Here’s a look at the latest travel-worthy links:

  • Matador’s given us 6 reasons to travel without a plan. I’m sure I could come up with at least four more — the first of which would be FREEDOM!
  • If you’re heading to Asia and need help planning your adventure, the New York Times has some helpful Southeast Asia budgeting tips.
  • I’ve long been a proponent of solo travel, so when I came across Beth Whitman’s perspective on solo travel, I found myself nodding and smiling.
  • Who said Latin Americans were carnivores? BootsNAll’s vegetarian tips for South America proves you can go there and eat to your vegetarian heart’s content.

‘Til Monday, have an epic weekend! I know I will!

More Gadlinks here.

Dim Sum Dialogues : Top 10 Facts About Hong Kong

by Stephen Greenwood on

Before I start to dig deeper and bring you the best of what Hong Kong has to offer, I think it’s appropriate to share some of the most essential pieces of information that I’ve discovered about the territory in my past few months here.

1. The name Hong Kong is a phonetic rendering of a Cantonese name meaning “fragrant harbour”.

2. With a population of 7 million people but land area of only 1,108 km, Hong Kong is the 4th most densely populated territory in the world.

3. In 1997, Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. The territory was a colony of the United Kingdom from 1842 until 1997, when it was handed back to the Chinese government.

4. All land in Hong Kong is owned by the government, and leased to private users for periods of 50 years (before the 1997 handover, lease terms were 75, 99, or 999 years). New real estate is being reclaimed from the harbor for commercial development.

5. The average work week is 47 hours.

6. Hong Kong has no sales tax and offers extremely low corporate and income tax, making it a favorable location for businesses to operate. The government is able to maintain income through its real estate leases.

7. Hong Kong is the world’s eleventh largest trading entity, with many of the exports consisting of products made outside of the territory and distributed from Hong Kong.

8. Hong Kong is home to a highly developed network of transport – buses, ferries, railways, a tramway system and rapid transit system. Over 90% of all daily travels in the city are on public transport – the highest in the world.

9. As of 2006, there are 114 countries that maintain consulates in Hong Kong, more than any other city in the world.

10. Architect Tao Ho designed Hong Kong’s flag as part of a post-colonial contest. He used juxtaposition of red and white on the flag to symbolises the “one country two systems” political principle applied to the region. The stylised rendering of the Bauhinia blakeana flower, a flower discovered in Hong Kong, is meant to serve as a harmonising symbol for this dichotomy.

Gay pride parades around the world

by Jamie Rhein on

June is the month of gay pride parades. Last Saturday, in Columbus, Ohio, High Street took on a festive vibration as a mixture of art groups, political organizations, churches and business made their way from the state house to Goodale Park in gay pride solidarity. Both people in the parade and those that lined the streets whooped it up in a joyous sound of shouts and applause.

Today that scene is being repeated in other parades in other cities. New York City is one of those where this weekend is filled with events. The parade is just one of them. It’s a grand happening for good reason. The first such parade in New York took place on June 28 in 1971, one year after the Stonewall riots in Greenwich Village in Manhattan. The riots were caused after police raided the Stonewall Inn and people resisted arrest. If you saw the movie “Milk” this year, there’s footage of both of the events.

In 1971, parades also happened in Chicago and San Francisco. Back then the message was mostly political, but over the years the tone has changed and the number of cities and countries that hold pride parades have increased.

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Political groups still participate, but these days, the tone and purpose is mostly celebratory. No matter what’s happening with gay rights, during the parade, life is a party.

Like all parades, there is a continuity among them that ties them together. There are also aspects that are quite unique and take on the character of the places where they are held. Years ago, I was at the gay pride parade in West Hollywood. It mirrored the flashiness that one might attribute to this part of California.

In Columbus, Midwest tastes and sensibilities factor into the line-up. Last year, there was a group of guys dressed up like the Brady Bunch singing the Brady Bunch-theme song and other Brady Bunch hits.

Browse through pictures of gay pride and you’ll see images that look like they’re from an earnest Mardi Gras parade with a heartfelt message. The variety of pictures are as varied as the countries where gay pride parades happen. The absence of some countries among the Flickr photos can also be noted. Also, important, anyone can be in a gay pride parade whether gay or straight, Republican or Democrat, or religious or not. You name a category and there will be someone who fits it–well, almost. Some people just aren’t that happy.

(The first picture was taken in France. The man with the rainbow on his cheek was in Mexico.) Click through the gallery to see which other countries are pride friendly.

Save big money on Geographic Expeditions’ tours

by Catherine Bodry on

If you’ve dismissed the idea of a guided tour due to financial reasons, award-winning Geographic Expeditions has your back. Pointing out that the travel industry employs one out of every twelve jobs, the company has lowered its prices – by a lot – in their own effort to stimulate the economy for drivers, staff, cooks, and guides.

Sample discounts include a $1,700 deduction (more than 10%) on a 17-day tour of Rajasthan, India; $1,400 (more than 20%) off of 12 days in Bhutan; and $1,200 off for 12 days in Vietnam.

It’s not budget travel by any means, but a good deal nonetheless. Check out Geographic Expedition’s website for more details. Happy trails!