Heading to Rio? Try The City’s Newest — And Most Dangerous — Art Gallery!

by Willy Volk on

Vila Cruzeiro is a dangerous shanty town (or favela) in the heart Rio. How dangerous is it? Recently, military policemen launched an assault on the favela, killing at least 6 “suspects” and wounding several civilians. Teens roam the area with grenades hanging from their shorts. In 2002, the favela saw a Brazilian journalist get dismembered and incinerated by local drug traffickers. The area isn’t nice.

However, the area is getting prettier, thanks to Jeroen Koolhaas — a Dutch illustrator — and Dre Urhahn — an art director from Amsterdam. Together with several local residents, they’ve recently completed the first “installation” associated with their Favela Painting Project. Ultimately, Koolhaas and Urhahn (who hope to attract other muralists from around the world) will design and implement what promises to be one of the world’s largest, and most unique, outdoor “organic museums.” The best part: free admission!

According to Koolhaus, “By making huge paintings in the favelas we hope to inspire the kids … to pursue a career in a creative field… Our final goal is to paint a whole hillside favela depicting one single image.” Imagine: rather than a hillside of dull corrugated aluminum, there will be a hillside of vivid colors and never-ending possibilities. If you want to learn more about Rio’s favelas, check out the Koolhaas- and Urhahn-produced video after the jump.

35 Wonders of the World and Some

by Jamie Rhein on

After the comment to my post of the Bollywood version of the 7 Wonders of the World, I began to wonder more about the 7 wonders. I had read somewhere a long time ago that the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal are on a 7 wonders list. And, I’m pretty sure I had heard that the Leaning Tower of Pisa is a 7 wonder, also. With all my wondering, I wondered, were these things I merely dreamed of? And if I had indeed read about these somewhere, how many wonders in the world can there be? Oodles, as it turns out. I found all these on WonderClub.com. If you click on the links you’ll find photos of each and descriptions.

And if these aren’t enough, there are wonders that are on the forgotten wonders lists. But if they are on these lists, how can they be forgotten? Doesn’t putting them on a list make them remembered?

Then just to make sure, there is another list: the Forgotten Wonders. There are 12 of these.

Add all these up and there are 47 places to see, except you can only see 41 of them since of the 7 Ancient Wonders, only one of them is still around. And I haven’t even touched the natural wonders lists.

Also, just in case you missed Hanna’s comment, number 3 from the Bollywood version post, there is a website where you can help pick the next list of wonders.

Friday Funny: Philosopher Soccer

by Erik Olsen on

As much as I try to get myself excited about soccer, I usually get rather bored about halfway through a match. I know, that’s probably both ignorance and culturally insensitive of me. Our European readers no doubt hold me up as a typical closed-minded, fast-food eating American…which I contest I am not…although I do love a little Taco Bell now and then. But as I say, the scores are so low! You sometimes have to wait and entire game before someone scores a gooooooallll! and then prances around the field like they just liberated Paris (oh wait, that was us). No no, just kidding.

All this is not to fire up the tempers of gadling readers, but rather as a preface for one of my favorite Monty Python skits of all time, the Philosopher’s soccer, football, match.

Courtesy of YouTube, if this one doesn’t meet the fine criteria of a Friday Funny, I don’t know what does.

(Thanks, Howie!)

The Peril and Beauty of Indian Roads

by Erik Olsen on

I can honestly say that one of the more harrowing experiences I’ve had while traveling was driving along a road in India at night. Our driver not only had a lead foot, pushing his TATA as fast as its rickety old body could take us along the highway, but also his efforts to pass drivers ahead of us too, I estimate, about three or four weeks off my life.

He would literally force drivers coming the other direction off the side of the road, and on a few occasions, those drivers who didn’t abide his aggressiveness, stared us down, resulting in actual games of chicken along roads where medical attention was likely very far away.

And yet all of that seems impossible when you take a look at this series of photos along Indian roads from Indiculture.com. From the alpine majesty of Manali Pass to the fall splendor of Ahtong – Sikkim, you’d think my story above was a complete fabrication. Alas ,what’s missing are the shots of the pollution-laden, traffic-clogged roads of Mumbai and New Delhi…but I suppose that was largely the point of the post here, to show off the other side of India’s highways that most people probably never see.

Seven Wonders of the World: Bollywood Style

by Jamie Rhein on

Can you name the Seven Wonders of the World? I made it through a partial list before I became stumped. Here’s a refresher course. In true Bollywood fashion, a musical number is linked with gorgeous costumes, scenery — and a bit of name-that-place. All are rolled into one fun package of a tour around the world to seven of it’s most famous places.

This montage is from the Indian movie, Jeans. Aishwarya Rai, actress and former Miss World, sings and dances with a mighty handsome male partner to the song “Ajooba.” They start dancing at the Great Wall of China and don’t stop until they do a dance segment at the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Okay, that’s two of the wonders. What are the other five? Check the first comment to find out.

Thanks to Fahed Zariwala, uk2k4u, for sharing this on You Tube.