World Factbook Updated

by Adrienne Wilson on

Raise your hand if you’ve ever been in an elevator and the permits were expired by a range of two days to two years. Why I take notice of those rectangular size certificates in lift boxes worldwide isn’t hard to comprehend, for the most part I don’t want to get stuck in one. I don’t fancy the thought of getting trapped somewhere in between my final destination and so it peeves me that those certificates are almost never updated. Anywhoodle, this isn’t a piece about the lack of attention or examination of elevators. Nope, not at all. Not even close. It’s about things that do get updated. Things we can count on and trust like the online World Factbook.

Updated as of July 20, 2006 there are a couple points of interest in this new edition. For example Serbia and Montenegro are both formally and officially recognized as separate Balkan countries. There is a new Appendix G which includes weights and measures. Some country maps introduced in the 2001 edition have been revised and regional maps have been updated to reflect boundary changes and place and name spelling changes. Most of you who use the factbook on a day-to-day basis have probably already been made aware of the new changes and for those who haven’t – now you know.

GADLING’S TAKE FIVE: Week of July 16

by Adrienne Wilson on

Lots of exciting things happening here at Gadling these days. I’ve just wrapped up my cross-country adventures with Steps Across America, Erik is hanging out around Newfoundland and Neil is just starting to divulge the details of his Balkan adventure. With the forces combined I now bring you our Take 5 for the week. (Thanks Neil for holding it down!)

5. Rental Car Rant – Underage Driving:
I just did this blurb earlier today, but it deserves another look. Just think back to the days when you paid an arm and a leg for a rental car because of your age. Did anyone offer you any affordable solutions? Well, this one goes out to all the folks under 25 who wish to rent cars on their big time Miami Beach or NYC excursions and some of the cheaper rental companies around. Good luck.

4.Sex Tourism for Women:
As a woman I find this topic pretty wild and raunchy. Paying for sex or offering gifts while traveling in Third World lands has never been on my travel agenda and reading this disturbing piece pointed out by Neil really gets me hot and bothered in a very un-sexual way. I couldn’t imagine. I don’t want to, but I am interested in seeing the film based on female sex tourism, Heading South.

3. Balkan Odyssey Part 1: Getting to Albania:
Judging from the sound of part 1 I can already tell Neil is full of incredible tips and stories from his Balkan Odyssey. Flight into the Mother Teresa Airport? Only in Albania. With this one we’ll just have to watch and see, but oh, it looks like another will be making our take 5 this week!

2. Kayaking Manhattan:
The great outdoors in NYC – a man, his paddle and all the Hudson to tackle. This piece reviews the lesser explored and kayaked waters in New York by way of a Brit who discovers the same type of peace and solitude so often blogged about by our own Erik Olsen.

1. Balkan Odyssey Part 3: What to see in Tirana:
Now we’re getting cookin’. Tirana is as foreign to me as Zanzibar, but Neil breaks the post-communist capital down to basics. Check out the National Art Gallery, the Blloku, or better yet just check out the post.

Hollywood: Movies in the Graveyard

by Adrienne Wilson on

Long ago Erik mentioned a cool little place to stalk some of Hollywood’s A-list celebs while touring the streets of Los Angeles. Back then I remember being pretty surprised when he directed our attention away from the Star maps to point us to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, but it makes good sense now though. Known as the Resting Place of Hollywood’s Immortals the cemetery also plays hosts to some 1,200 plus guests on Saturday summer nights looking to check out a DJ spinning tunes, drink wine, be merry and watch a film after dark while lounging around the tombstones. Got goose pimples yet? So hanging with the deceased under the stars might not be the dinner date of choice for all prancing around Hollywood on their vaca, but if it sounds like the thing for you checkout Cinespia.org for details on the Saturday night screenings.

Tomorrow night I’ll be heading over with a few friends to watch Dressed to Kill starring Michael Caine and Angie Dickinson at 7:30 PM. Can’t make it this weekend? Other upcoming screenings include Manhattan on July 29th and Pee Wee’s Big Adventure on August 5th. Should you still fail to be convinced by my blurb or the one from DailyCandy featured a few weeks back, then check out Neil’s piece on Los Angeles’ plethora of free entertainment. Just keep in mind summer is almost over. What cool things will you have done with yours?

Tajikistan Blogs & Photos

by Adrienne Wilson on

Looks as if I’ve hit the jackpot and if you’re Central Asia bound searching for travel info then my friends you have struck blogosphere gold. (Or perhaps reaching blogosphere heaven would be better – I dunno.) Anyhow, it seems there are more Central Asian and Tajikistan blogs out there than my blind eyes could realize. Thankfully, I didn’t have to do too much of the searching. Neweurasia online is an amazing source of 411 for all the countries nay-sayers believe people never venture, but they’re wrong. In this Tajik neweurasia piece they do a phenomenal job pointing out Tajikistan blogs across the globe. One of which even came from a myspace member and most from a diverse round-up of people. My brain is almost to the point of explosion!

I’d love to sit and tell you more about this site, but it’s best to just go for yourself. Someone by the name of teokaye was also kind enough to leave the link to his Flickr pool of some very awe-inspiring Tajik photos. With that I’m off to check them out in detail. Hope you’ll do the same.

Red Corner: Tamerlane’s Uzbek Legacy

by Neil Woodburn on

In the pantheon of truly bloodthirsty leaders, the name Tamerlane hardly strikes recognition in the western world (indeed, as I’m typing this on Microsoft Word, the spell-check dictionary fails to recognize the name). Yet, historians claim this sadistic warlord was responsible for an incredible 17 million deaths as his nomadic warriors hacked and decapitated their way through much of the Central Asia in the late 14th century. His calling card was a gigantic pyramid made from the heads of those whose town he just sacked.

Like all great conquerors, Tamerlane built some rather impressive cities thanks to the loot his army returned home to Uzbekistan with. Fortunately, much of this legacy still remains standing today, waiting to woo the few tourists who venture this far off the beaten path.

Although travel through this region is not the easiest in the world, following in the footsteps of Tamerlane offers some very fascinating rewards. Samarkand, for example, was Tamerlane’s capital. Just check out the blue tile work in the above photo! This place really blew me away when I first visited. It’s hundreds of years old and still as awe-inspiring and mesmerizing as when it was first built.