Once again, it’s time for the Friday funny, and once again the FF has absolutely NOTHING to do with travel. BUT that said, you have to really admire the creativity and practice that went into this bloody brilliant dance routine on a treadmill.
Simply called “Treadmill Dance” (on Youtube anyway), this is one of those things I wish I’d thought of and shot with my friends. From the uber-hipster look these guys are sporting, to the perfectly-choreographed routine, this is truly great.
Hear ye, Hear ye it is time again for another weekly glance at some spectacular plugs you may have missed. Just make sure you don’t miss them this time. Or else!
5. Cool Subways:
Long ago I mentioned the cool underground transportation scene seen in Tehran, Iran, but in this piece Erik points us to some so-called “Cool” subways in destinations like Moscow, Munich and Stockholm. If you’re not in rush to get to your final stop; check them out. That goes for the real thing and his blurb here on the web.
4. Puerto Rico Island Hopping:
Ah, Puerto Rico! With a light hurricane season and considering hurricane season is almost officially out of here who wouldn’t want to go island hopping in Puerto Rico? Thanks to Iva we’re one step closer in making the dream come alive or deciding which method or hopper plane works best for you.
3. Red Corner: The Horrors of Flying in Russia:
I’ve never been to Russia or flown on one its friendly planes, but I’m hearing more and more stories like the one Neil points us to in this scary piece. If you’re making St. Petersburg or Moscow a must-see destination sometime soon check this article out to shake yourself up a little.
2. Medieval Trials in Modern Day India:
Culture pieces are my favorite and this one is pretty interesting. Learn how to find a thief in India by reading this hot topic. After knowing how trials in modern day India work you’d think no one would steal, but it sadly looks as if that’s not the case.
1. Gadling Podcast: Joshua Berman:
Podcast time and with this one Erik delves into the world of guidebook writing with Joshua Berman who writes for Moon Guides, but recently published Living Abroad in Nicaragua released by Avalon Publishing. If you’re curious to know what it takes or Joshua’s take on the world of mattress flipping, sniffing and reporting (a.k.a. travel writing), tune in, plug in, and give it a listen.
We try to cover Africa here as best we can. Adrienne has done many a “Word” feature on the continent, and we have some favorite places there where we’ve been (Morocco) and some where we’d LIKE to go (Namibia). But the unfortunate fact is that Africa is in the news a lot these days for a lot of nasty things. Starvation, war, genocide. Yo might say Africa is in a world of hurt. But is that really so?
I saw an interview recently with Paul Theroux (and I can’t seem to find it on the Web) where he talks about the bad press Africa gets. That it’s not nearly as nasty as folks would have us believe. The reality is, he says, Africa can still be a decent place to travel. We tend to look at the continent holistically, as if the devastation and misery we see on TV and in the paper affects every country. That’s not true.
And so with that in mind, here is a travel primer for Africa that helps you decide where to go (first choose the part of the continent you want to visit), helps you figure out what you’ll need in terms of both packing supplies and inoculations, and provides tips on clearing customs and so on. If you are heading to do a safari, there’s help on the site to do that as well. It is a very handy guide, expertly written and comprehensive, and has sections worth perhaps printing out to help you figure out your Africa trip.
The whole guidebook writing thing has long intrigued me with its double-sided nature. On the one hand, being in a foreign locale, and having your job consist of reporting on the food, lodging and fun in that place seems like a dream job. On the other hand, spending an entire day peeking under mattresses and checking the cleanliness of bathrooms, well, I don’t care WHERE you are, that can kind of get old.
Well in today’s podcast, we talk about the job of writing guidebooks and a whole lot more. Out guest for today’s podcast is guidebook writer Joshua Berman, the author of several guidebooks in Central America as well as a brand-new book called Living Abroad in Nicaragua, released by Avalon Publishing this month. I’ve blogged about the Living Abroad series before, and I have to say it is a very handy guide for those who are considering making a move to any of the various countries for which there are books. But Joshua is also the writer, or co-writer, as the case may be, in two other guidebooks from Moon Guides (also under Avalon Publishing) Moon Guides Nicaragua and Moon Guides Belize. he also runs the wonderful Web site stonegrooves.net which chronicles his recent travels with his wife as a volunteer worker in places like India and Pakistan.
So turn up the speakers or put this thing on your ipod and take a listen.
If you are into mixing culture with adventure travel, Paris is the new hot location. Apparently, you can pitch your tent right on the banks of the Seine these days.
Friends who just honeymooned in Paris sent me this picture, actually a series of pictures. Look closely – yes, those are all tents of the homeless along the Seine.
This is what they said: “How on Earth can these folk camp around The Pompidou Center? At the shore of the Seine beneath the Musee D’Orsay? With dogs. Fires. Reading newspapers. Playing instruments with competence. One bloke in the Palais de Tokyo was charging his phone, playing Nintendo GameBoy, rolling smokes and sipping a six pack of Belgian blond beer. Is this a common phenomenon for…art galleries?”
Well, after a glasses of chilled Chablis, I guess you could call this a postmodern approach to housing. I hear that the views are great, but the service is so so. And, of course, it is always BYOB.