Disney's Everest Ride

by Erik Olsen on

After the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and the Haunted Mansion (about which, we blogged recently…to some
controversy), probably my favorite ride at Disneyland is the Matterhorn. The reasons for this have as much to do with
the fun quotient of the ride itself (about a 6.4) as with heart-warming childhood memories of going to Disneyland. You
see, the Matterhorn rises above the valley in Anaheim and is easily spotted from Interstate 5 from miles away.
Therefore, it was always the first thing you saw that let you know you were near the Magic Kingdom. In fact, when I was
a kid going to Disneyland with the family, we’d place bets on who could spot it first. The winner got to punch whomever
he wanted in the arm.

Well, now Disney is one-upping itself and creating an all new ride to beat even the
Matterhorn. Except this one is in Florida at Disneyworld. Called Expedition Everest, the 200-foot ride will launch in
April, and will offer guests the opportunity to "trek" to a Tibetan village as well as to hike a miniature
version of the Hillary Step. Of course, trek is in quotes because you know the marketing people are concerned that
legions of obese Americans will see the word and react negatively. When they say trek, that is, they mean you will ride
in a train.

Now what’s interesting about the ride is that the Imagineering folks really went all out to make
sure the new ride is authentic. Check out this site
detailing the group’s trip to Nepal to nail down certain details. Rather impressive. And here is a photo gallery about the ride showing
construction and the faux Everest.

So I have to say I’m intrigued. I like the idea of another Disney
ride with some substance and a story behind it. The white-knuckle rides of the recent past seem to lack a narrative, so
I’m glad to see this ride will have a bit more to it than a looping coaster.

Next Time, Declare the Human Head

by Erik Olsen on

File this under totally bizarre.


A Haitian woman was arrested at Florida’s Fort Lauderdale airport earlier this week when it was discovered that she
was trying to smuggle in a, gulp, human head. The head belonged to a Haitian male, and she said she was bringing it in
to use in her Voodoo rituals. Apparently she was charged with transporting "hazardous material" and failing
to declare the head on a customs form. Now how much would you pay to have seen the expressions on the faces of the
immigration folk when they opened up her bag and saw the head?  Or does this happen all the
time on flights from Haiti? Her bag, it turns out, was part of the new line in the Hannibal Lechter summer collection.
Very chic.

Fossett Does It

by Erik Olsen on

Our man Steve Fossett has made aviation history. Hey, we knew he
would, but now the job is done. Fossett finished the longest nonstop flight in history when he landed his Virgin
Atlantic Global Flyer at Bournemouth  International Airport, in southern England. Apparently it was a close call
right up to the last moment. He had some kind of generator problem and blew two tires when he hit the ground earlier
today. That ended the ride a bit short of where he wanted to be, but he still broke the record, flying 26,389 miles in
about 76 hours. And of course British gazzillionaire Richard Branson was there. Man,
that’s so cool.

Africa Travel: Cote d’Ivoire

by Adrienne Wilson on

Traveling all the way to Africa to only check out a hotel seems almost foolish. Beyond ridiculous in my book. Anyone with a ticket in hand for Cote d’Ivoire is probably headed to the country for much more than a stay at Hotel Ivoire, but the digs also make travel pages as one of the more notable attractions. Located in Abidjan, Hotel Ivoire is the home to a skating rink, casino, bowling alley, movie theater, tennis courts, and grocery store. If comfort is your main concern and you rather do indoor activities over culture-seeking stick to the hotel otherwise hit the streets for ‘Afropean’ flavor and more.

Other sites in Abidjan include the Treichville Market where the country’s 60 ethnic groups sell handmade goods and various other trinkets. A quick trip through Cocody, a neighborhood full of expensive homes and gardens will allow one  the opportunity to explore how the middle-class lives. Otherwise take it to Yamoussoukro for the chance to see the Basilique de Notre Dame la Paix, a copy of the St. Peter’s in Rome. According to Lonely Planet the capital city is also known for its deserted eight lane highways which run straight into the jungle. While mixing the modern things with nature, be it intentionally or not has never been best for wildlife something about that setting seems quite interesting. All-in-all Cote d’Ivoire seems to be the perfect bet for eclectic sites and cozy nights.

GADLING's TAKE FIVE: Week of February 6

by Erik Olsen on

Hey folks, we’re going to start a new feature called TAKE 5 where
we link to the FIVE best Gadling posts of the week so as to help you find stuff that you may have missed and to
highlight some of the things we want to bring attention to. This is our first post, and we’ll try to keep them going on
each Friday.

So here goes:

GADLING’S TAKE FIVE:

5. U2’s Dublin Hotel:
Neil Woodburn, who once served
drinks to the band members of U2 while working in Ireland years ago, talks about the hotel scene in the Irish city, and
talks about the Clarence Hotel, owned by the group, and apparently a fine place
to stay.

4. Red Corner: Moscow’s
Cafe Culture
Another post part of Neil’s Red Corner Series on what’s happening in the former Soviet Union. This
one takes a look at the emerging cafe culture in Moscow.

3. Africa Travel: Central
African Republic & Chad
As part of her excellent Travel Africa series, Adrienne Wilson helps you
understand what’s what for making travel plans to Central Africa

2. Latitudes Magazine
I urge you to take a
look at one of my favorite magazines on the Web, Latitudes Magazine, which is always chock full of great stories and
photos, as well as some multimedia surprises.

1. Countee Cullens’ Baltimore
As part of
Black History Month, Adrienne Wilson discusses the life and work of poet Countee Cullen and his connection with Baltimore.