We are just days away from Carnival, so if you’re planning on a
trip to any of the great Carnival cities (Rio, Salvador, Venice,
Notting Hill, etc.), prepare yourself (and your livers)
for one hell of a good time. And to get you in that fired up mood, check out
this video from the Rio Carnival
that really shows some of the amazing flavor of the world’s greatest party.
February is Black History Month
How Black History month became recognized in the month of February – I do not know. But, what I do know is, there are several ways to learn about and celebrate some of our nation’s history thanks to the Washington Post. They’ve listed five ways to commemorate the month and some are rather clever. For instance – stay out away from the big cities like Atlanta and Montgomery. Although, they can be filled with tons of information and history there are many discoveries to be made in smaller surrounding towns. Think about cities where some of black history’s notable figures like Sojourner Truth, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and Harriet Tubman to name a few, had lived.
If you’ve got the dough and time a trip to Africa might be on your mind and according the list Ghana served as a major slave trading hub in the late 1400’s. So more specifically Ghana while you’re out east (or west depending on where you are coming from) and look into the Cape Coast Castle. If Africa’s out of your budget, flip open a book, take in a few facts and plan for next year!
Mongolia: Radio Stories
Today seems like a good day to put the headphones on and listen to some good radio stories. I don’t know about you,
but I LOVE radio. I am an audible.com subscriber and have
downloaded hours of audio for my ipod that I listen to on the subway, driving, walking around and well, right this
minute. Right now I am listening to a story from This American Life about a
couple of comedians who got their big break on the Ed Sullivan Show on the same night of the Beatles historic
appearance on that show. They had no idea who the Beatles were. When some young guy with a thick Liverpool accent came
into the “green room” and asked for a dime to buy a Coke, they had no idea they were talking to John Lennon. So here
they perform their skit on TV that night before the largest audience in the history of television. Talk about a big
break. Great story.
Good radio stories take you places that you’ve never been, or cast a new light on a place you know so you see if
differently. Good radio is an artful dance between your ears and your imagination.
With that in mind, So speaking of radio listening, you should hear
these terrific stories on PRI
from Mongolia. In particular, listen to the
story of Black Rose, a Mongolian hip
hop band that uses traditional throat singing in their music. It is one of those stories that reveals how small the
world has become.
Before and After Photos
National Geographic Traveler has
got an interesting little gallery showing several well-known places around the world both before (that is, years ago)
and after (today). IMHO, most of the pictures suck, but there are a couple of good ones like the B/A of Lake Mead and
the pyramids. The one for New York shows Times’ Square and the Macy’s Parade, but is pretty disappointing. I’d
love to see thiis concept done for a large coffee table book, you know?
Your Own Island
OK, it’s not exactly budget traveling, but haven’t you ever wanted to own your own island? Our friends at Luxist.com
have found that there is one available. Horse Island
off the coast of Ireland is available for a mere $9.8 million. That’s nothing. Put it on your credit card.