Some Culture in Sydney

by Erik Olsen on
Sydney, Australia is probably best known for its lovely beaches, hilly parks and, the glittering harbor. But the fact is, Sydney is a city rich in culture and history. Everyone is familiar, of course, with the shell-shaped Opera House. It serves as both a beacon to shutterbug tourists, but also serves as a locus of high-brow music and events. But more than that, for the visitor who just wants to wander all over, there are museums galore in Sydney, where you can experience a thriving art scene, and take in some science and history while there. A good place to start is the lovely Art Gallery of NSW, probably the best-known museum in Sydney. They are currently featuring an exhibit called Goddess: Divine Energy that takes a look at female expressions of divine female power (Barbra Streisand?). And there is also the Museum of Contemporary Art that is worth checking out. The Australian Centre for Photography is also a good place to check on after you’ve wasted giga-pixels on the Opera House. And for natural history buffs, don’t miss the Australian Museum and the Historic Houses Trust of NSW.

Of course, you can also just sit on the beach and read a good book with a Fosters in your hand. Not a bad alternative either.

The Traveling Guys

by Erik Olsen on

I was just browsing around and literally stumbled across this rather amazing site. Called “the Traveling Guys” it is a multi-media tour de force with an activist bent. The site is filled with maps, gorgeous photos, some interesting country-specific descriptions and video to boot.

It is the work of two guys, Lee and Patrick, who have done lots of traveling and are eager ,it seems to spread the gospel of travel…in the strictest sense of the word. The site’s stated mission is to “impact others around the globe” to promote “global change”, an admirable ,if somewhat nebulous concept…one, at least, that we can all latch onto. It does have a fairly heavy religious component, though, notably Christian, so it may not be for everyone, but I admire the quality of the design and the lovely multimedia work.

Getting Out of Quicksand

by Erik Olsen on

There you are, crossing the dunes in some desert landscape, perhaps in Utah or Africa, and you stop to ponder the beauty of the place. But suddenly, you realize something is amiss, the world is rising before your yes. No wait! You are sinking, that’s what’s happening. You are sinking in quicksand.

A possibility? Probably not quite like I describe it. That came from a scene in Blazing Saddles or some cartoon I saw as a kid. The fact is, I’ve never really seen quicksand before and am not quite sure I believe it even exists…at least not as something that can consume you and kill you.

That said, I am always eager to help gadling readers help themselves. To wit: here is a fine little how to, a save yourself treatise on getting out of quicksand, should you be so unfortunate as to find yourself sinking as described above. The lessons taught in this little wiki might seem rather obvious (lesson 1: avoid quicksand. Ah, thank you, Dr. Einstein), but others are perhaps less so…for example Walk softly and carry a big stick, the idea being that you will test the ground in places where you believe there might be quicksand. Yeah, OK, maybe that’s pretty obvious too. Maybe the best idea is just to stay safe indoors.

Naw, me neither.

NG’s Adventurer of the Year Award

by Erik Olsen on

Some serious congrats out to two modern adventurers, Magellans if you will, who were recently awarded National Geographic’s Adventurer of the Year award. The award went to Colin Angus and Julie Wafaei, a very hard-core couple of activist travelers. The pair pulled off a rather amazing feat, even in this day and age when it would seem so many of the great adventures have been thought of and accomplished. The pair circumnavigated the globe entirely on human power. they began their journey in their hometown of Vancouver, Canada, way back in June 2004 and then via canoe, hiking, biking and skiing made their way through tough terrain and some even tougher circumstances to accomplish their goal.

We blogged a bit about them earlier this year, but there is lots of information about the feat here ,as well as a sublimely cool video from some of their expedition here.

Hot Icelandic Blondes?

by Neil Woodburn on

When I visited Iceland four years ago, nearly every male asked me the same question when I returned home: Were all the women hot blondes?

My answer? Is Björk a hot blonde?

Stereotyping is a type of ignorance and prejudice which travel either substantiates or refutes. Stereotypes exist because, yes, there are some hot blondes in Iceland just as there are humorless Germans, rude French, and obnoxious Americans. A responsible traveler recognizes this, but more importantly, is cognizant enough to realize that not everyone falls into this generalization. In fact, it is more often the case that very few people live up to these ugly stereotypes.

Travelers will also learn that every nationality which harbors a stereotype is at the same time very defensive about that stereotype. I’ve met many fun Germans with a great sense of humor who are aghast over the generalizations foreigners make about their fellow countrymen. “We are not all without humor,” they tell me. In much the same manner, I often find myself defending the particularly bad stereotypes foreigners have about Americans.

But what about when the stereotype is a good one? I, for one, wouldn’t mind being part of a widely accepted generalization that involves the adjectives, sexy, beautiful, and smokin’ hot! Of course, I’d be one of the exceptions but to at least be in the club would be pretty cool.

Or so it would seem.

I recently came across an article in Iceland Review written by a hot Icelandic blonde dismayed at the “hot Icelandic blonde” stereotype. Eygló Svala Arnarsdóttir argues that media has taken that baton and run with it. Sexy Iceland is a sexy concept and evokes all sorts of sweaty brows and heart palpitations amongst those males who subscribe to this theory. The international press can’t seem to let it go, continually painting the small Nordic country with the stereotype people most want to associate it with. “I just hope people choose common sense above stereotypes and visit Iceland, and all other countries, with an open mind,” Arnarsdóttir writes. And, I agree with her.

Oh, and for the record, the women in Iceland are hot–just as they are in New York, Prague, Denmark, Madrid, and countless other cosmopolitan metropolises around the globe.