Red Corner: On the Trail of Che

by Neil Woodburn on

Che Guevara has always been an iconic figure, and has thusly attracted a rather devoted band of followers, even in death.

In fact, it is his death that even today draws the curious and the dedicated to a remote spot in Bolivia where he was gunned down in 1967: La Higuera

The town of La Higuera has either been blessed or cursed–you be the judge–by the tragic execution of this revolutionary. Certainly most towns wouldn’t want to be remembered for such an atrocity, but on the other hand, it’s great for tourism.

It’s no surprise, therefore, that the townsfolk have erected a Che statue in the main square. In addition, a recently completed Che Guevara Trail traces the journey the revolutionary made from Santa Cruz to the end of the line, La Higuera. It’s not easy though. You’ll need a four-wheel drive jeep to navigate the whole route, but if you’re as fanatical about Che as Che was about his revolutions, I’m sure you’ll find a way to make it happen.

GADLING’S TAKE FIVE: Week of June 25

by Adrienne Wilson on

Looks like another Friday has snuck up on us which means it’s time to list some of our favorite posts this week on Gadling. If you missed them before, here they are now:

5. Summer Hot Spots of the Rich and Famous:
Following the every move of movie and music stars has never been a personal past time of mine and while I choose to believe that most people are in the same category of caring less, I know I’m wrong. More people than I could ever possibly count will click into People.com, including some of our very dear Gadling readers to spy on the likes of famous folk on their glittery vaca’s in the Maldives. Thank Karen for the inspiration to do something great with your own summer days.

4. Most Expensive Cities:
Those of your traveling on a super tight budget will want to check out Neil’s blurb on the most expensive cities according to the U.S. based Mercer Human Resource Consulting, who just released their updated list. Last year Moscow was fourth on that very list and this year it gets tops for most expensive city. Apparently the folks there feel just a bit differently.

3. Air Conditioned Shirt:
Alrighty – Leave it to one of our fellow human beings to think up a gear item like the air conditioned shirt. Never in all my years would I have thought to see a shirt with a built in fan, but Erik has uncovered this unique piece of cooling cloth and makes a good point of how handy it could become in the Amazon.

2. Sounds to Sail to the Islands:
My longing to go to the islands and eclectic taste in music either from the islands or by an artists with roots in the area mentioned, lead me to creating this small guide for people looking to escape to a warm locale surrounded by water. Check out my list of good summer tunes and places to go after listening to them.

1. Lonely Planet Diving & Snorkeling Series:
Most of you know that I’m allergic to scuba diving and such now, but I can’t knock a good post when I see one and for underwater enthusiasts this is a must see. Erik directs our attention to Lonely Planet guide’s latest quest to update and publish five volumes of its Diving & Snorkeling series. Peep the post for a list of the upcoming releases.

One Night Stand: Scottsdale, Arizona

by Adrienne Wilson on

It’s been sometime since I last sought the counsel of the Gadling readers on an unfamiliar U.S. city, but the time has finally arrived once again. As some of you may recall I have been traversing the country in a three month long walk across America and have been stopping at some fabulous and well not so fab places. Remember Olney and Salem, IL? Oh, and let me thank those of you who chip in your recommendations. If I don’t get back to you with a report, it’s probably due to the fact that my fellow walking companions are turning the entire ordeal into something of a reality show. Sigh – 19 more days to go.

Anyhow, it looks like I’ll be dropping into Scottsdale, AZ this Fourth of July weekend and staying at a pretty nice hotel to boot. Anyone know anything about the area around Chaparral Suites Resort? On a normal day I would request any and all ideas and suggestions, but tonight I’m in a placid kind of mood. That being said what’s cool, hip, peaceful, relaxing, and quiet to do in Scottsdale? Any neat art museums worth checking out? How about shopping plaza? After wearing workout clothing for months I actually wouldn’t mind a day spent at an off-the-beaten track strip mall. Anything special happening this weekend for the holiday? There’s no time to be shy, so share any and all your Scottsdale city secrets. Before I know it, I’ll be in Wickenburg.

Slow Baby Bouncies

by Erik Olsen on

Sorry….this is not a travel-related post. Unless you count making the effort to get out to Brooklyn to play kickball traveling…which I suppose it would be if you were coming from, say, Nebraska. And I wouldn’t fault you if you decided to do that, either. Let’s face it, for people of my generation (let’s just say thirty-something), kickball was a major formative childhood experience. Depending on your skill-level, your natural athletic ability, and the desired kind of kick you were hoping for, you generally had a favorite sort of pitch. Tall bounces were for people who had little coordination and needed to really see and feel the space between the foot and the ball. A ground roll was for fledgling soccer players who knew how to really get under the ball and wanted to deliver low line drives. But for me, slow baby bouncies was the only way to go .The slow baby bouncy, or SBB, provided just enough room between foot and ground to assure maximum lift, while reducing the uncertainties of having the pitch poorly timed if it was pitched high. In other words, high pitches often arrived near your foot high in the air, making them almost impossible to get the maximum force behind your kick.

Well, all of this technical detail is probably way beyond most folks who have never before played the sport. In fact, I apologize and actually feel sorry for the poor souls who have never engaged in the artful ballet that is schoolyard kickball. But for those of us who do understand the hidden depth of the game, I point you to an interview on Gothamist with Kevin Dailey, who started a kickball league in Brooklyn. Now, I’ll stop gon on about what a marvelous sport kickball is and let the interview speak for itself. Let’s just say that it brought back some warm, wonderful memories…and will likely have me dreaming tonight…dreaming of those slow baby bouncies.

Lonely Planet’s The Cities Book

by Erik Olsen on

Prepare to be dazzled…and to give the biceps a nice workout at the same time. Lonely Planet has released a new book…a tome, really…that takes a quick and dirty and luscious view of many of the world’s great cities. And a couple of the crappy ones too. The book, called simply Lonely Planet The Cities Book ($31.50 on Amazon)  is a monster, with the hardcover edition weighing in at almost five pounds. But that is five pounds of eye-savoring goodness. This is not a book you’re going to take with you; this is a book you’re going to keep on your coffee table and salivate on after a long day of work with dreams of long-term international escape flitting about your brain.

The book covers 200 of what the editors call “the most vibrant, diverse, hypnotic and chaotic cities in the world”, which have been given esteemed rank by the people who, presumably, know what they are talking about :namely, Lonely Planet’s staff, authors, and readers. The book contains factoids and information on each city that is enough to whet your whistle, but may also send you to Wikipedia to learn more. Several of the sample sections are: Vital statistics, which provides the city’s strengths (i.e. great views, beaches, interesting culture) and weaknesses (i.e. stodgy cuisine). There are also interesting bits like “Starring role in” which lists the various movies or poetry or books that the cities have been featured in (i.e. Auckland was the place where The Chronic (what?!) cles of Narnia was filmed).

They have obviously made ample use of the Lonely Planet Images stock photo library, because the book is sumptuously illustrated with photos that do a fine job giving you an immediate visual impression of a place. In all honesty, the biggest problem is that you want more. You want the pictures for each city to go on for pages and pages rather than just one or two.

Probably the best part about the book is learning a little bit about cities you’ve never heard of, or know only a little about. (Kyviv, Dhaka, Abuja).

This book would make not only a fine gift, but also a superb addition to your coffee table. It’s the kind of book that you can thumb through as you’re forced to endure some dreary TV show that your wife wants to watch (or was that just me?).