I caught
this over at Worldhum and thought it was cool. Looks like the actor John Cusack is going to play an “inquisitive
travel writer" in an upcoming movie adapted
from a Stephen King short story called “1408.” Directed by Mikael Hafstrom, the
film centers on a debunker of paranormal occurrences who "encounters real terror when he checks into notorious
Room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel". Ohh, ahhh. Sorry, sounds dumb. And as Worldhum pointed out, Cusack’s
acting effort leave a lot to be desired since High Fidelity, which, by the way, I saw just the other night an enjoyed
immensely.
Africa Travel: Sierra Leone
Thanks to
rap-mogul Kanye West, young hip-hopsters with an ear for urban sounds and
without a clue of the civil strife that has long plagued the diamond producing country of Sierra Leone, music lovers
discovered more about the struggle for/behind the bling. For the most part Sierra Leone is still emerging from its
violent past and travel to this African country should be carefully considered by checking update after update. In the
meantime we can turn up the volume and bob our heads to West’s words and food for thought. And if your preference for
learning about Sierra Leone is without the extravagant rap production visit this Sierra-Leone.org page on culture. Poetry, proverbs, lorry slogans,
and meanings behind the village names. If Bo,
Boma, Baaka, Kangbe or Mayata are places you plan on swinging through when you do go spend the time studying the
village background. Sometimes it is all in a name.
(Photo from culture.gov.sk)
Head to Honduras and the Bay Islands
Years ago I was passing through
Central America on a long, long trip back from Chile and making my way to Los Angeles. Along the way, I saw many of our
planet’s Central American countries, but very few of them did I get to see up close and personal. As a diver, the one
place I really wanted to see and experience is Honduras’ Bay islands,
where the diving is said to be spectacular, if the accommodations can be rather spare.
Well, right now there
are some cool deals to be had to make your way to Honduras…$675 for a week of accommodations, if this article is to be believed.
While the country
is not a hot bed of typical tourism, which is a good if not great thing, it can be challenging, but a great place to
go. And for US-based folks, it’s cool to know that Honduras is a mere three hours flight from Miami. The cultural
experience of Honduras is also rich and varied, with numerous indigenous and mixed origin language groups, as
well as great music and food. And as I mentioned, there are the Bay Islands, which lie just thirty-five miles off the
coast. The reefs there are said the be the Western hemisphere’s excuse for the Great Barrier Reef. The resorts
there – Roatan, Utila, and Guanaja – are big time hot. So check out this piece and give the matter some thought. Oh,
and as the article points out here, Honduras is one of the cheapest places round to get certified.
Gadling Spring Cleaning: Cordobes Hat Shopping
It’s day two of spring and your closet
cleaning progress is slow but coming around. As you’re digging through clothes that fell out of style decades ago you
stumble upon your favorite hat. You hold the hat up thinking about the numerous bad hair days it rescued you from and
rainy weather it covered you from – memories. As you begin to rest the well-broken in cap on your head you begin to
second guess yourself on keeping the item. Sure you fancy the accessory, but it has had it’s time and even with all the
fond memories it holds perhaps you can make new exciting memories in a new hat.
My recommendation for hat
lovers: Grab a Cordobes hat and get to Spain! Nothing makes a
man more handsome and magnificent than sporting a Cordobes style hat around town especially during the April Seville Fair in Seville,
Spain. It is said that women wear these wide-brimmed black or red hats as well during bull-fights or flamenco
performances and look just as sharp underneath them as well, but it is the men who look most stellar. As you start your
planning for one of Spain’s most famous fiestas where the merrymaking is non-stop and memories sure to be made remember
not to forget your hat. You’ll need it Señor.
For Cordobes hat shopping online and more check out
these links:
- Flamenco
Export – Good selection of cheap costume hats or the real deal Cordobes and Sevillano hats. - Flamenco Shop – Small variety of quality hats, including Panama
style Cordobes. - Savvy
Traveler – An excellent hat primer from the Andes to Cordoba. - Spanish-Living.com – Provides the
411 on the April Seville Fair and why you won’t want to miss it.
Spamalot: The Great Coconut Cacophony
Odd,
but cool event alert: the folks who put on the (supposedly) wonderful, and Tony-winning Broadway show "Spamalot" are celebrating their first full year
with an event that is so Pythonesque, I just had to post about it. While I haven’t yet seen the production (I am not
too avid a theater-goer…although I DID see Dirty Rotten Scoundrels the other day…and liked it) the Spamalot crew
will seek to enter the Guinness Book/Web site of World Records with a performance of the world’s largest coconut orchestra. What will
they sing? Why the song: Always Look on the Bright Side of Life of course. (Wait, wasn’t that in Life of
Brian?! Oh well. No matter.) Here’s how it will work: apparently anyone can show up at the Shubert Alley, grab a pair
of coconuts and clap clop away.
The great coconut cacophony will take place after the Wednesday matinee of
"Spamalot," which ends at 4:20 p.m. Anyone in the audience automatically gets coconuts, and walk-ons can show
up as early as 3:45 p.m. This is a must-do. I may try to be there.
(via Newyorkology)