The 2011 Tour d’Afrique is officially underway! Just three days ago, more than 120 cyclists set off from Cairo, Egypt on a four month, 7,375 mile race across the world’s most exotic and alluring continent. The competitors will pedal through Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, and Namibia before aiming to arrive in Cape Town, South Africa on May 14th.
If you have the urge to drop everything and join them, you can sign up to complete one of the eight partial sections ranging in distance between 1000km and 2000km.
Today’s Photo of the Day from localsurfer isn’t of the Tour d’Afrique, but I think it’s a great illustration of how important bicycles are as a mode of transporation and heavy lifting throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. So much in fact, that a series of social enterprises are now popping up to help local African entreprenuers by building and loaning inexpensive but durable bikes.
If you have a snapshot of some heavy lifting or local ingenuity, we want to see it! Submit it to our Gadling Flickr group and it could be our next Photo of the Day!
The St. Regis Washington, DC is getting artsy this year, thanks to a partnership with the Washington Ballet.
Celebrating the spring 2011 performance of Carmen on May 19th, the exclusive hotel offer includes VIP, behind-the-scenes access with The Washington Ballet’s Artistic Director Septime Webre, viewing of dress rehearsals as well as a stay at the St. Regis Washington, DC.
Available from May 17, 2011 through May 21, 2011, the package includes:
Access and transportation to a private afternoon dress rehearsal which will offer a sneak peek of the Opening Night performance
Limousine service to and from the Harman Center for the Performing Arts on Opening Night
Attendance to the Opening Night showing of Carmen, with an exclusive backstage tour led by Septime Webre himself during intermission
An invitation to the celebratory Opening Night Party, attended by company dancers, Ballet VIP’s and board members
An intimate lunch at Adour at The St. Regis Washington, D.C. with Septime Webre to discuss his creation
Accommodations for four nights in a luxurious St. Regis suite
Spanish wine accompanied by light tapas waiting for guests in-room upon arrival
A signed copy of the ballet’s Wonderland coffee table book, which offers dramatic glimpses of life backstage and photos of the dancers in landmark Washington locations
Access to signature St. Regis Butler Service throughout the stay
The price of this prima ballerina pampering? $5,000, and 20 percent of the proceeds from the booking will be donated to The Washington Ballet.
The National Geographic Student Expeditions program has announced a number of great new excursions for 2011, giving young travelers even more choices for what to do with their summer break. New destinations added this year include Barcelona, Spain, New Zealand, and Yellowstone National Park, amongst others. There is even an option to travel to Costa Rica to work on a new community service project this year as well.
Nat Geo’s Student Expeditions program is designed to give high school students an educational and immersive travel experience that they probably wouldn’t be able to have anywhere else. The program sends them off to some amazing places around the world, while packing a healthy dose of adventure and education into the itinearary. They’ll also have the opportunity to interact with some of National Geographic’s experts and team leaders to further enhance the journey.
The trips range in length from about 10 to 21 days in length and are offered in more than 60 destinations across the globe. While on location, they’ll stay in two unique and interesting base camps and explore the surrounding landcapes with their guides and NG experts, while taking part in any number of hands-on activities.
One of the most unique elements to these expeditons is that the students are given “On Assingment” projects that allows them to learn more about a particular subject with which they might have an interest. Those areas of study include photography, culture, arachaeology, conservation, filmmaking and more. These project turn an already amazing travel adventure into a learning opportunity unlike any other.
To find out more about the program go to ngstudentexpeditions.com where you’ll find a complete list of destinations available, bios on some of the National Geographic experts that conduct these trips, and blog entries and video from previous expeditions. There is also ore information on the On Assignment projects and a form for requesting the 2011 catalog. There is also an online application for those who already know where they would like to go, which can be found by clicking here.
If you would like to find out more information on the program, Nat Geo is conducting a free webinar tomorrow evening, January 18th, from 8-9PM EST. You can register to attend that virtual event by filling out the form located here.
National Geographic has partnered with Putney Student Travel, a company that as more than 60 years experience in the field, to help design the Student Expeditions program. Between these two great organizations, you can bet that students will have an unforgettable travel experience.
There are few things in aviation that are more impressive than modern aerobatics. Take a minute to consider what’s happening in this picture: nine difference pilots controlling machines that can reach speeds of 800mph, all within just a few feet of eachother.
If you’ve heard of or seen the Blue Angels, then you may be familiar with their English counterparts; the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows. Widely regarded as one of the best aerobatics teams in the world, the nine-man team has performed over 4,000 displays across 53 countries since their inception in 1965. Today’s Photo of the Day by Emerald2810 is an astounding shot of the Red Arrows in their trademark diamond formation, high above Epsom, Surrey in England.
If you have a favorite shot from an air show or travel festival, we’d love to see it. Share it with us at Gadling’s Flickr Group and it could wind up right here as our next Photo of the Day.
Well, Epiphany actually, but in Spain this is when we give presents. Christmas in Spain is a time for big meals and family fun, as well as church services for those who are so inclined. Santa passes Spain by to deal with the Anglo and Germanic countries, and Japan from what I hear. Spanish children wait for Los Reyes, the Three Kings, who come on their camels bearing gifts for good little boys and girls just like they did with Jesus all those years back.
The night before, it’s traditional to eat roscón de Reyes, the tasty donut-like creation seen here. This year my wife Almudena took some time off from astronomy to bake her very first roscón. It came out great. As usual, we ate it over at my 99 year-old neighbor’s place, and my wife’s roscón was better than the store-bought one she provided. Roscón is typically eaten with chocolate, hot chocolate. Now this isn’t your wimpy American cocoa; it’s a big chocolate bar melted down and served in tea cups! Perfect for dipping your roscón into.
Every roscón comes with a secret toy surprise baked somewhere inside. If you get it in your slice you have good luck for the rest of the year. I got the toy from the store-bought one, and my son Julián got the one from my wife’s roscón. Some mothers mark the spot where the toy is and make sure their kid gets that piece. I can neither confirm nor deny that Almudena did that.
Another tradition on January 5 is the Cabalgata de Reyes, a big parade where the Three Kings pass through town accompanied by their friends. Check out the video below to see this year’s parade in Madrid. After the parade the kids go to sleep, setting a shoe out for the Kings to leave the gifts next to. They also leave supplies for the hungry Kings and their camels. Julián left out peanuts for the camels and Baileys for the Kings. Remarkably, it was all gone the next morning! I thought of making a trail of peanut shells leading from Julián’s bed to his presents, but decided that would be a bit creepy.
The morning of January 6 is just like Christmas morning in other countries. The kids are up and out of bed early to see what those magical home invaders have brought. Since Julián was a good boy he got everything he asked for in his letter to the Kings. This was easy because he only requested four things. Ah, the advantages of not having a television! In fact, he got more than he asked for.
Now we’re off to my mother-in-law’s house because the Kings stopped there too. I have a shoe sitting in her living room and I’m dying to know what’s next to it. Although we did our shopping last minute (some traditions are universal), we made sure every shoe was well stocked. A few years back we got our elderly neighbor a Furby, which she still has and loves. Yeah, we all made fun of those things when they came out, but imagine how amazing a Furby is to someone born in 1911.