New 650km trail set to open in South Africa

by Kraig Becker on

A major conservation effort is underway in South Africa, where a new trail is set to open in 2010 that will become the first truly epic, long distance, hike on the continent, stretching from the West Coat of the country to the Outeniqua Mountains, covering 650km in the process.

Known as the Rim of Africa, this new trail follows a natural route through the mountains of South Africa, and has been designed to integrate with the natural surroundings, while protecting the local plant and animal life. The hike will pass through several nature preserves that are currently seldom visited, and will wander across privately held property, giving backpackers access to areas that have seldom been seen by outsiders in years.

Based off such long distance hikes as The Appalachian Trail and the The Continental Divide Trail, the Rim of Africa will eventually take roughly 48 days to complete. The plan is to offer four distinct stages, with each stage requiring approximately 10 to 12 days. But when it opens in October of next year, it will take a more modest 11 days to hike the first section. The first three treks will run from October 4th to October 15th, October 11th to the 22nd, and finally October 18 to the 29th of 2010. These will be used as fundraising hikes to help complete construction of the trail, and you can sign up to take part in one of those inaugural treks on the trail’s official website.

It looks like adventure travelers and backpackers will soon have a new item to add to their life list. This looks like it has potential to be an amazing hike, but you have to wonder though, will there be lions and other African predators around? That would make it even more challenging!

[via Best Hike]

Ultimate recyling project: Building a soda bottle classroom

by Jamie Rhein on

What happens when Peace Corps volunteers, the non-profit organization, Hug it Forward and a bevvy of school children and teachers in Guatemala recycle plastic bottles and trash? A school classroom.

The collected bottles were stuffed with trash and used to form the walls for a classroom addition at a school in Granados, a small mountain town in the Baja Verapaz region of the country. Amazing.

This video shows how the project was done. The music is a fitting addition to a project that brought the widest smiles to dozens of faces.

Imagine what might happen if similar projects happened on a massive scale world wide. There are a lot of plastic bottles on the planet.

For another version of a building project that fits into travel and activism, check out this gallery on house building with teens, college students and adults in Mexico through Amor Ministries, another non-profit that welcomes volunteers.

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Proof: Icebergs arrive in New Zealand!

by Andrew Evans on

%Gallery-79434%Last week we followed up on AP reports here and here that hundreds of icebergs were headed straight for dear, sweet New Zealand. Well, come to find out, it’s TRUE. Behold the following images that prove it, taken by myself from the port side of the good ship Orion this morning. I’m out at sea, several hundred miles south of South Island, but still very much in New Zealand.

The icebergs appeared on the horizon near 52º S and we steered as close as we could get (about a third of a mile) in order to catch a closer look safely. Smaller ice chunks were floating in the distance and there were seabirds roosting on top of them. Since that time I have seen several more groups of icebergs on the horizon. Don’t you just love when the news comes true?

Gadlinks for Wednesday 12.2.2009

by Brenda Yun on

I hope you’re all having a good start to the final month of the decade! It’s time to look ahead — not back. So let’s look to the future by taking a peak on the world’s newest destinations, shall we?

  • How cool would it be to take a green break to start the new decade? Here are five clean holidays for those eco-friendly travelers out there. [via Green Traveller]
  • Eastern Europe must be on my mind right now. Here’s my first selection on backpacking through Austria and Slovenia. [via Peter Greenberg]
  • For my second selection, a Serbian film crew is right now traveling around to all the Belgrade towns in the U.S., creating a documentary tentatively called “Finding Belgrade” that contrasts these American cities from their namesake. [via NPR]
  • …and my third selection? There are so many cool things I’ve heard about Ukraine. This neat article about Odessa makes me want to get there pronto. [via SoSauce]
  • Would you rather be a hermit crab or a savvy backpacker? If the latter appeals to you, then try your hand at these tips to better backpacking. [via Vagabondish]

‘Til tomorrow, have a great evening.

More Gadlinks here.

Go in the winter, without kids: Some tips for visiting the zoo

by Aaron Hotfelder on

The zoo, someone once said, is an excellent place to study the habits of human beings. Some people rush to see everything, others spend two hours staring at the crocodiles. Some parents spend the entire day trying to entertain (and placate) their children, others leave the kids with a babysitter. So what’s the best way to see the zoo?

Over at Curator Magazine, Matt Kirkland offers some thoughtful tips for making the best of your trip to the zoo, whether its in your hometown or in a city thousands of miles away. Among them:

  • “Go cold. Winter is often best: the crowds are thinner and the animals are more active.” So what if it’s cold? Remember, there’s no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.
  • “Under no circumstances bring children.” Sure, the zoo is typically thought of as a great place for kids, but, Matt writes, “Children, for all their wide-eyed wonder at the world, have very little sense of subtlety, of artistry, of the eye-opening encounter with The Other that a zoo should offer.” While I don’t personally endorse this tip– I think the zoo is a great place for kids– I suggest trying to bring one at a time if possible. This will increase your own enjoyment as well as that of your child.
  • “If possible, wear khaki. Yes, the zookeeper look is unfashionable, but the animals dig it.” Who knew?
  • And perhaps most importantly, “Take your time,” Matt writes. “Remember, when you approach an animal at the zoo, you’re not a patron demanding a performance. Think of yourself as a student, patiently waiting for the master to reveal something. One of the most thrilling half-hours I’ve spent in the last year was watching a slow-motion battle between two long-necked turtles in a very small tank.”

Check out ten more tips here.