Five Things To Bring On A Long-Distance Bus Trip In A Developing Nation

by Laurel Miller on

It may be a cliche, but it’s true: if you want to get off the beaten path when you travel, at some point you’re going to have to take a long-distance bus ride. Even if you’re not a backpacker, some destinations are accessible only by the most inconvenient of methods. I’ve traveled by bus, Land Rover, bush plane, horseback and canoe, and while not always comfortable, I take great delight in using alternative forms of transit.

If the idea of taking the bus gives you the heebie-jeebies, be aware that it’s primarily bus travel in the U.S. that sucks. I’ve yet to have an experience on Greyhound (it’s called the “Dirty Dog” for a reason) that wasn’t totally jacked up. There’s always a toilet overflowing, an addict nodding out and drooling on your shoulder (true story) and a guy who can’t stop screaming into his cellphone or having a conversation with himself. But I love long-haul trips in developing nations, no matter how janky the ride. It’s the best way I know of to see and experience a country. It’s cultural immersion at both its most infuriating and its best, but I’ve yet to have a bad experience with regard to fellow passengers.

There are, however, some key items you’ll want to bring with you. I speak from painful/mortifying experience. Read on for what you’ll need for any bus journey lasting more than a couple of hours (bear in mind that in many parts of the world, you can’t rely upon bus timetables; I recently took a four-hour trip in Paraguay that turned into 11 due to monsoonal flooding. And there was no bathroom on board). Bringing snacks and extra water is crucial; usually vendors will come on board during stops, but you should never rely on this.

1. A blanket or ultra/microlight sleeping bag
You’d be surprised how many clapped-out buses crank the AC. If you get cold easily, 14 hours of that might render you nearly hypothermic. Conversely, if you’re sensitive to heat and in a tropical country, bring along a packet of Emergen-C or electrolyte chews (I love Honey Stingers and coconut water) and something to protect you from the sun.

2. Imodium®
Trust me, if you’ve ever suffered from gastrointestinal issues while on a long bus trip, you’ll do anything, anything, to ensure it never happens again. That said, don’t let fear deter you from trying all those great street foods. I’ve learned, however, to dial down the gluttony before a lengthy journey. Ladies, I’ve also had to deal with a UTI on a bumpy 14-hour ride through rural Mexico. Pack your first-aid kit accordingly.

3. Toilet paper
See above; if you’re lucky enough to even be on a bus with a toilet, don’t count on it being well equipped. Also be prepared for pit stops on the road, whether by your necessity or someone else’s. TP is also great to use as a tissue, as an impromptu washcloth, or to wipe that weird goo off of your shoe from the aforementioned pit stop. Hey, I’m just reporting the facts.

4. Sleep aid
Even if you don’t suffer from insomnia, you may want to bring along something to help your slumber on overnight trips. Rutted-out roads, blaring DVD players, blasting radio, crying children – sometimes all at once will make you glad you have an ace in the hole. If nothing else, bring ear plugs.

5. Baby wipes and/or antibacterial gel
You’ll be grateful for these on sweltering rides, especially when the windows are jammed open and you’re dealing with noxious clouds of carbon monoxide or dust. Also useful after aforementioned bathroom runs, and before snacking.

Video: Dorset, England Now Has A Dragon Skull On The Beach

by Elizabeth Seward on

If you happen to be in the area of Dorset, England, in the near future, you might want to check out the giant dragon skull that is currently sitting on its Jurassic Coast. Blinkbox oversaw the skull-building project, which is, at its core, a celebration of the release of “Games of Thrones” season three through the service. But more important than “Game of Thrones” is that there is a giant dragon skull sitting on the beach. If that’s not enough to lure you to the coast this summer, I don’t know what is.

[Thanks, Laughing Squid]

Drunks In Ireland Poop In Holy Well, Deface Prehistoric Fort

by Sean McLachlan on

A group of about 40 drunks in County Donegal, Ireland, went on a rampage at a prehistoric fort, harassing tourists, defecating in a holy well, and removing stones, Irish Central reports.

The incident occurred at Grianan Fort, a stone ring fort dating to 1700 B.C.

Only two men from the group were arrested. They were found guilty and sentenced to a month in jail, suspended for one year. They also had to pay damages. The two were caught because they lingered at the fort after the rest of the drunks had left. A police officer arrived to find them pulling stones from the prehistoric walls and lobbing them into the parking lot.Grianan Fort is set atop a high hill. It is the best-preserved fort of its kind and is widely believed to have been the seat of the ancient Kingdom of Aileach. The walls are 15 feet thick and 16 feet high, so while the drunks were able to cause cosmetic damage, they didn’t destabilize the ancient structure.

The holy well at the fort is dedicated to Saint Patrick and is one of many throughout Europe that are receiving renewed attention. The holy well at Binsey, Oxfordshire, for example, was all but abandoned a decade ago but is now attracting pilgrims who pray to the local Saint Frideswide for cures to their illnesses.

China’s State-Controlled Media Recommends Top 10 Nude Beaches

by Dave Seminara on

Looking for nude beach recommendations this summer? You probably wouldn’t think to consult Xinhua, China’s state-controlled press agency, but here comes editor Yang Yi’s list of their “Top Ten Sexy Nudist Bathing Spots Around the World.” I stumbled across the link to the slideshow while checking out an article about their new English language travel website and had a few good laughs reading the photo captions.

According to Yi, Australia’s Lady Bay Beach “is one of the legitimate nudist beaches announced by the Prime Minister in 70s,” and the entire city of Rio de Janeiro is “the most ‘eye-candy’ beach” where visitors will “find many graceful statures and beautiful faces in beach activities.” In “Cape Down” (sic) South Africa, Yi recommends Sandy Bay Beach because it has “inconvenient traffic,” which makes it feel “away from the world.” Other entries included San Gregorio State Beach in California, and beaches in Negril, Jamaica, British Columbia and St. Martin. The entire state of Hawaii also made the list. Aloha!In recommending Paradise Beach in Mykonos, Yi opines, “Europeans are always full of reverence for human body … In other European countries, restrictions on public nudity are very relaxed. Say nothing of other countries like Netherlands, France, and Spain, even England, which is strict and conservative in some people’s eyes, possesses officially-recognized nudist beaches.”

It’s obviously a pretty half-assed list and some of the stock photos they used look like models from cheap ’70s porn sets. But it’s nice to see that state-controlled media in China is letting its hair down and chasing clicks just like every site in the West.

I hit a couple clothing optional beaches in Greece last summer and can highly recommend Plakias on the island of Crete and Psili Ammos beach in Patmos. Somehow I don’t think editor Yi has spent much time on nude beaches, so if you want more detailed recommendations consider checking out Captain Barefoot’s Naturist Guide to the Greek Islands.

Vampires Exhumed From Polish Graveyard

by Sean McLachlan on

A graveyard containing the remains of four vampires has been excavated by a team of archaeologists in Poland, Polskie Radio reports.

The archaeologists were excavating ahead of the construction of a new road in Gliwice, southern Poland, when they discovered four skeletons with their skulls placed between their legs. This was a common folk practice in the region to keep the dead from walking the earth. The four individuals were buried without any objects, making them difficult to date, but the archaeologists believe they’re from the early modern era. The last burial recorded of this kind in Poland was in 1914, when the corpse of a suspected vampire was dug up, its head cut off and placed between its legs.

The team is awaiting radiocarbon dates to know precisely when the individuals were buried.

Last year, vampires were dug up in Bulgaria and later put on display at a local museum. In keeping with Bulgarian folk practice, the corpses had been pinned to the ground with large iron stakes. Hopefully Poland will put on its own vampire exhibition. In the meantime, vampire fans can visit Dracula’s Castle in Romania, the Vampire Museum in Paris and Highgate Cemetery in London, scene of a wave of vampire sightings in the 1970s.