I’m not sure what it is about macro shooting of bugs that has got me so inspired, but I’m
way into these pictures. I found another great series of
bug close-ups today shot by Burningbird. Great stuff
that has me fiddling with my camera to get shots like these. Now if I can only get the bugs to sit still.
Tasman Trek
The format for this site is a bit odd, but the writing and the stories themselves (what they post online, anyway)
are quite good. The magazine is called Geographical, and it is the
official magazine of the Royal Geographical Society, sort of the British version of Nat Geo here (and, my guess, it’s
precursor).
Anyway, I am posting about this article on taking a trek in
Tasmania, which I thought was excellent. Tasmania, as you may know, is formerly Van Dieman’s Land, part of the penal
colony that became Australia (and also a song by U2…probably the easiest U2 song to sing, because Bono doesn’t sing
it). The island lies off the coast of Australia and is known for being a fairly great place for adventurers to travel
because almost 1/4 of it is set off as national park land.
Non-talking Heads
When I was
living in Santiago, Chile, the one place I
wanted to visit more than almost anywhere else was Easter Island. The island has a powerful allure, not just for
it’s famous statues, but for the mere idea that people actually settled there, lived there, thrived, and thn
mysteriously disappeared. Archaeologists tell us that the Easter Islanders went through their natural resources
and ended up unable to survive. Some like Jared Diamond also tell us that this could be our own fate if we’re not
careful.
But we’re not there yet, obviously, and the guy driving his SUV to work thinks less about Easter Island as a tale of
conspicuous consumption than as a tourist destination. So be it. And so,
here is a decent tourist
tale of a visit to Easter Island. A bit of that history is here, but also some talk about how the island fares as a
tourist destination. And yes, I still want to go.
Photo of the Day: (5/17/05)
Even though it’s basic, I quite liked this photo
of a rock wall and the sky from
idavidcrockett’s photostream. Made me very much want
to head to Utah and get some mountainbike riding done in Moab.
Individualized Travel Crap…Cheap
An interesting site dedicated to individually-sized items that might make a
good stop as you prepare for a trip. From little cereal boxes to little mayonnaise packets to
toothpaste the site has a ton of stuff.
If you go impulse shopping here, just remember to pack out what you pack in.