Trip to Madagascar?

by Erik Olsen on

It is the land of the lemur, a broken off chip of Africa that houses some of the oddest species on earth. It is not
easy to get to, but nor is it impossible. I suggest now that you consider a trip to ths far off place. Take a look at this
article in the Sydney Morning Herald and consider whether a few extra bucks (OK, lotsa bucks) to get to Madagascar
might be worth it. You can impress all your friends and maybe add another country to your Century Club notch belt.

The author here, treks a bit around Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, one of the island’s few remaining
primary forests, and encounters "luminous birds and fluorescent frogs", exploding blossoms. The piece has its
activist side, and you can tell she really cares about these animals and this place. And it’s quite well written.
Definitely something to add to your weekend reading list.

No More Surf Blanks for You

by Erik Olsen on

Here’s a story that will appeal to the few surfers we have who check in here every once in a while (and hopefully
more). A company called Clark Foam, which bills itself as the world’s largest
supplier of polyurethane foam surfboard blanks, closed
down for good last week. Surfboard blanks are, perhaps obviously, the things they make surfboards out of.

Of course, the owner has to have a surfer dude name, and indeed he does. Yes, owner and founder Gordon “Grubby” Clark
said that it was just getting to be too much to meet all those pesky federal and state safety and environmental
regulations. I’m not gong to judge the guy, but the people of Orange County and environmental regulations have never
really gotten along. So let’s just call it a sad story for some surfers and the institution of surfing in LA, and leave
it at that. But maybe someone will do a documentary about ol’ Grubby. Who knows?

Tours of a Geisha

by Erik Olsen on

It was only a matter of time before another movie spawned another travel craze. Of course, this isn’t new. Sex and
the City tours have been running in New York City for years now. And there are tours to Vietnam and Cambodia for films
like Apocalypse now. And just a while ago it was the wine-lover’s movie
Sideways that created new interest in California’s wine
country.

Well, now there’s Memors of a
geisha tours in
Japan. You can fly there for a mere few grand and then head to the Hotel
Granvia Kyoto for an ozashiki (geisha dinner). Having seen some preview
for the film, I must say it might be nice to have the significant other pick up some geisha tips. maybe that’s just me,
but having your geisha might be nice.

Tonle Sap on NPR

by Erik Olsen on

When I was in Cambodia a few years ago, one of the highlights of
the experience was coming out of Siem Reap and taking a boat through the floating villages and then up the Tonle
Sap, the massive river that runs through the country and past Cambodia’s capital city Phnom Penh. I’ve long thought
there would be a good story here and, well, looks like there is.

Give a listen to this NPR piece on the
Tonle Sap by Michael Sullivan, who journeys up the Tonle Sap and reports on the Mekong Delta’s legendary — and
endangered — Mekong giant catfish. With great sound and solid reporting, you will learn a great deal about the catfish,
life on the river and, the troubles facing the country. This is one of those pieces that put you there. I highly
recommend it.

Eating St. Petersburg

by Adrienne Wilson on

Reading about Moscow only made me hungry for more of Russian destinations. Sticking to those
that are relatively big, I found a small list of great places to get your belly full in St.
Petersburg. The source of all this delicious information comes from
Way to Russia, a travel site made by travelers
from Russia for the rest of the world to feast upon.

Now, first on their list is
–Na Zdorovie
and the place is said to have some slammin’ “pshyonnaya” porridge. After repeating that one three times to the
waiter ask for the traditional berry drink, Mors, made right in the restaurant. Other notable qualities of Na Zdorovie
include the interior which is comprised of both Soviet relics and Russian crafts. Sort of like a Russian history museum
and restaurant all in one.

Also on the list and in the area is the Idiot Cafe-Bar. This one serves entirely vegetarian and Russian
plates. No offense should be taken to the name because once inside you’ll notice tons of second hand English
language books and magazines to read while you relax and eat. Last is the Shinok Ukrainian restaurant. They serve
hearty Ukrainian 24 hours a day. Never know when you’ll be needing that late night fix of vareniki.