Don’t. Look. Down. Spain’s El Caminito del Rey

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Afraid of heights? Don’t watch this video, shot along El Caminito del Rey, a mountain walkway near Malaga, Spain. This narrow, gut-wrenching path is only 3 feet wide, pinned along the side of a gorge, nearly 700 feet above the river below.

Originally built in 1901 to allow local workers to cross between two nearby waterfalls, El Caminito has recently fallen into a sad state of disrepair. Many parts of the walkway have completely collapsed, leaving nothing but a metal beam and a wire between you and 700 feet of nothing. Not surprisingly, there have been a number of deaths along the trail, and the local government has tried to seal it off.

But for some adrenaline junkies, a warning sign, tall fences and the prospect of a fatal slip-up is nothing but a challenge. Check out this video and watch one man laugh in the face of death.

What is it about Spain that inspires thrill-seekers to the utmost feats of poor judgment?

Why you should visit Denmark, the world’s happiest country

by Catherine Bodry on

On the Map of World Happiness, Denmark comes out in first place. Sweden, Finland, and Canada were also top 10 contenders (the US only ranked #23. I have a feeling that happiness might be directly related to universal health care, but that’s just me).

Tim Ferriss, lifestyle designer and author of the 4-Hour Workweek, just happens to have some Danish blood pumping through his cheerful veins, and he’s laid out six other reasons to visit Denmark (in case is being the happiest damn place on the planet isn’t enough for you). Here they are, but check out his blog for details:

  1. More than 80% of Danes speak English.
  2. You can visit Christiania, the anarchist state of Scandinavia.
  3. They know how to pair wines and food better than the French or Italians, or so Ferriss claims.
  4. The genetically gifted population seems to be modestly unaware of their good looks.
  5. Danish design is incredible, even if IKEA does name its doormats after Danish locations.
  6. Small location, great transportation.

What more can you ask for?

Noisiest places in the world

by Jamie Rhein on

The noisiest city I have been to is Athens–at least what I remember. I’m basing this on a fuzzy memory of an experience crammed onto a bus thinking that the people around me were angry, bit finally decided that they were having a chat and had to raise their voices to be heard above the din of the traffic. That was one bustling place, and I’ve lived in New Delhi.

There’s an article in the New York Times about how noisy Cairo is these days. It’s so noisy with horn honking and teaming people, as a matter of fact, that it’s like living in a factory. If you know anyone who has worked around machinery for a lifetime, think about how often the word “WHAT?!” comes up. Just a tad.

Where else has noise? I found a Web site, “hear-it ” that cites Spain as the country with the most noise and the second loudest country is Japan.

According to The Hearing Journal, San Francisco is the loudest city in the United States beating out New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. The quietest city is Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

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The 10 World’s Dirtiest Cities!

King unveils largest cultural center built in Norway in 700 years

by Iva Skoch on

Is Norway planning to surpass Australia as the country with the “coolest opera building on the water”? Could be.

Norway’s King Harald V has just opened a $835 million white marble Opera House on the shore of the Oslo Fjord in the heart of the capital, BBC reports. From the outside, the most striking feature is the sloping stone roof, made up of 36,000 fitted pieces, which seems to rise from the water of the fjord.

The Norwegian parliament’s decision to approve its construction in 1999 ended more than 120 years of debate and waiting for a national opera house. The opera house is the largest cultural center built in Norway in 700 years.

Well, it is not exactly as photogenic as the Sydney Opera House, but maybe the photo doesn’t do it justice.