What? No Surströmming?!

by Erik Olsen on

There you are on your
flight over the North Atlantic and the stewardess comes by with her cart. You’ve been waiting the whole flight for this
moment, or at least since takeoff. The peanuts came a while ago, and they just weren’t enough. You are hungry for
something more. You MUST HAVE YOUR Surströmming.

Surströmming, you say? What in the wide, wide
world of sports is that? Alas, Surströmming is a
popular dish in Sweden, and basically is made of fermented Baltic herring. Can you say yummy? I knew you could. And
wouldn’t you know it? According to Wikipedia when you open a can there is some kind of really bad funk, something the
Swedes call Blurben sturblenfunken…ok, not really. 

But it does allegedly smell bad. And so several airlines that once served the stuff are saying
ixnay on the urströmmingstay. Part of the reason is an actual fear that the cans, when supposedly can get under
pressure, might explode at high altitude. The makers of Surströmming say, no way, our can’t don’t explode. But
then they go silent and kind of sheepish when asked about the smell.

So what are we to do? Do we demand our
Surströmming?! Or do we just go on, business as usual, having no idea, really what the stuff was after all?

(via Boing Boing)

Bottled Water vs. Tap Water

by Adrienne Wilson on

You
would think bottled water would win without a question in a battle of being the healthier choice, but some
enviornmentalists say not so fast.

"Bottled water is no often
healthier than tap water, but it can be 10,000 times more expensive," says Emily Arnold, a researcher with the
Washington D.C. non-profit.

The battle over whether bottled water is more healthier than that running
from the faucets in our kitchen sinks isn’t so much about the humans drinking the liquid, but more so about the planet
and how the consumption of bottled water and the waste may be hurting Earth. Campaigners challenge the idea of drinking
bottled water in our developed nation by stating 25 percent of bottled water is just tap water in pretty packaging,
sometimes further treated and many times not at all. They also note the high mineral content in some bottled waters as
‘unsuitable’ for feeding babies and young kids. In developing countries where tap water is unsafe or unavailable
bottled water instantly wins the match. Believe me, I care about Momma Earth a great deal, but from L.A. (where the tap
water smells) to San Juan, CR, to Cluj-Napoca, Romania (where the water had a brown tint) bottled water wins. Hands
down.

But what to do with all that plastic?

Nat Geo News ran the piece
back in February this year and with Earth Day approaching it’s no wonder it jumped out at me. The picture with the
enormous load of plastic cash on the man above also caught my attention.

Long Pigs

by Neil Woodburn on

Mark Burnett Productions has just announced a new travel themed reality show to be carried by FOX next season. The concept, tentatively titled Long Pigs, combines the successful themes of two other hit reality shows; Survivor and The Surreal Life. Long Pigs stars a cast of B-level celebrities who have to share a yurt in the barren Gobi desert with a tribe of Korowai cannibals from southeastern Papua for 40 days.

The cast will have to rely on finely honed outdoor skills to survive as the only food provided are salt and pepper, a barrel of wine reduction basting sauce, and a three day’s supply of Fig Newtons (the show is sponsored by the cookie company).

Judging by the title of the first episode, Scott Baio’s Spleen, this is one reality show that is finally going to make a positive impact on society.

GADLING'S TAKE FIVE: Week of March 28

by Adrienne Wilson on

On this Friday it looks as if March has come to an end and before
we say farewell to the ‘madness’ that was, it’s time to take a look back at some of this week’s various travel-related
highlights. Shall we?

5. Where to
Wear Guides: Thanks to Karen’s watchful eye and her passion for shopping, she points travelers with a love
for collecting designer pieces and vintage threads globally to the pages of Where to Wear guide books. Find out where to
nab one of these pocket-sized guides for your next big shopping-spree in the big city.

4. iPod Resources: Even if I’m the
only person in the world without an iPod, Neil’s post on the growing number of resources available for travelers who
actually do have them makes me want to jump on the bandwagon quick. It’s not just music, movies and audio books
anymore. Think maps and find out how to download the handy subway maps for 23 cities around the world. Lost – no
more.

3. Delicious,
Mouth-Watering Kangaroo: At first I thought the story I found in the Miami Herald about one woman’s food
sampling experience in Australia was pretty interesting, (especially her short notes on the delicious Kangaroo meat)
until one of our readers pointed out how and where to snag pre-packaged Kanga meat in local Aussie grocery stores. Who
knew?

2.
Hidden Gems: Princeton, New Jersey, a photo essay: Journey with Sarah Gilbert and her fisheye cam through
Princeton to discover the areas best hidden coffee shops, ice cream parlors, Indian food, cheap gyros, camera shops,
and spots made famous on the silver-screen. It’s so majestic you’ll want to experience Princeton for yourself. I
promise.

1. Free Ways to
Travel: Excuse me? Yes, you heard correctly. Erik does a most wonderful job in helping us find a will, a
way and the resources to reach our final destinations without going broke. I kid you not, but have a look with your own
two eyes and start saving on your next Central American, African or New Zealand adventure quest. The possibilities are
endless.

Luxist on Jumeirah Festival of Taste

by Adrienne Wilson on

As much as I really heart our sister-blog Luxist it does me no good reading many of Deidre Woollard’s blurbs on ridiculously priced hotel stays,
wine fests or swanky private country estates. With each line read I slowly find myself shrinking into the $99 swivel
desk chair from Tar-jay, an
item that surely will never see the light of day judging from her luxurious tastes.

This short summary of
the Jumeirah Festival of
Taste being held in Dubai from May 21-26, 2006 is a prime example of what I’m talking about. This Ultimate Dinner
Party will take four people on an "unparalleled" dining experience. To keep it short and sweet they’ll start
with a cocktail reception at the Jumeirah Emriates Tower, then take off in a helicopter to the Burj Al Arab for first
and second course, followed by a luxury car ride ot the next destination and delicious dessert and eventually ending
the next day after a night stay in the Burj Al Arab. The total package cost is around $27,230.

I take pride
in finding the best bargain, so having large sums of money isn’t a huge deal. Yet no one can knock that rich feeling of
having the option to either munch on mouth-watering desert locusts while camping in under west African stars or
splurging at the first annual Jumeirah Festival of Taste. Provided you had the loot what would you pick? C’mon, make me
proud.