Brasilia – 1960’s Utopia

by Erik Olsen on

Here’s a post from a gadling friend Blaine
Zuver who has been traveling in
Brasilia, Brazil

(Thanks Blaine!):

Planned utopian cities were the dream of many a 1950’s urban planner. Luckily most of them remained dreams. However,
the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer’s
Jetsonian masterpiece became reality when it was finished in 1961.

Seen from the air at night the city resembles a giant jet plane.

The entire city is laid out into sectors. In the “Pilot Area” is the Presidential Palace double buildings next to
flying saucers. Government buildings go down the fuselage. The wings are residential. All shopping is on e center, all
hotels in another sector, etc.

Life is calm and pleasant  – no traffic, garbage, pollution and very little crime – in other words not like
Brazil at all. Unfortunately there is little of Brazil’s excitement and culture. Like New Yorkers forced to work in
Albany, government workers pack the planes south to Rio and São Paulo every Thursday night and back again on Monday
morning.

For those who enjoy modern architecture and urban planning, Brasilia is a must see.

Heading to Oman

by Erik Olsen on

In a followup to the piece following Tony Wheeler around
Oman in the New Yorker, here’s an
interesting article
on traveling in Oman. It seems like an
incredibly cool place, where the old and the new mix to create an experience that will seem both ancient and
modern.

It is, I understand, a relatively safe place to travel, and there are ample outdoors things to do there,
including some diving.

Travel and Study at Oxford

by Erik Olsen on

There are those who go on vacation with the dream of sitting on a beach and watching seagulls drop poop on tourists.
And then there are those who want to go somewhere and be engaged, to learn as they travel and be led by people who are
deeply knowledgeable about a place or period. If the latter is appealing, you might try one of the numerous offerings
at Smithsonian Tours. This
summer they are offering their 27th Annual Oxford Seminar from August 29 to September 9, 2005.

If you are a Anglophile, this is definitely one way to go. You will explore a topic of your choosing under the
supervision of a tutor, join in class discussions, and make “privileged” visits to places to enhance your studies. A
couple of this year’s offerings are Great Britons and their Houses Shakespeare’s Great Comedies, Explorers, Settlers,
and Pirates: Understanding the English in the 16th Century. Good stuff for the hard-core engaged traveler.

Moby Dick on Studio360

by Erik Olsen on

If you’ve ever listened to Studio360 with Kurt Andersen, you know
that occasionally they put out a really great story that kind of holds onto you and teaches you something you didn’t
know.

That actually happens quite a lot with this show. To me anyway.

Well, they did it recently with this piece on Moby Dick. The story
looks back at the influence and artistry of the Herman Melville classic, and uses the work and interpretation of
several major artists including Tony Kushner and Laurie Anderson to illustrate the book’s significance.

Listen at the site or download it from
audible.com.

Masskara Festival

by Adrienne Wilson on

This photo taken from the Masskara Festival held
annually in Bacolod City, Philippines is just
oozing with rich color and vibrant cultural excitement.  I couldn’t resist
putting it out in the air for potential visitors.  Known as the “City of Smiles,” these folks kick off their Rio
de Janeiro style fiesta with mask-making contests, food fairs, brass band competitions not to mention a windsurfing
regatta.  The Masskara festivities are held the third week of October with the final pay-off on the
weekend closest to October 19, when the city celebrates their charter day anniversary. 
Bacolod is located in central Philippines on the
Negros Island, capital of Negros Occidental Province.