Japan’s Skycycle is A Pedal-Powered Roller Coaster

by Willy Volk on

Though Japan’s Skycycle doesn’t have any loop-the-loops, I think the roller coaster still qualifies as “terrifying.” Located in the mountains of Japan’s Okayama prefecture, the coaster looms over the city of Kurashiki, looking like it could come toppling down onto the city at any moment.

Carrying two pedalers at a time, the carts on the unique coaster — part of the Kurashiki Tivoli Park — probably don’t provide that cheek-smooshing feeling that really, really fast coasters give, but that’s what frightens me so much: being able to stop and look around must be nerve-wracking. Admittedly, though, the carts’ pink baskets certainly add a soothing, calming effect.

Unlike “regular” coasters that maintain an equal distance between cars, it appears that you can cycle up on the car ahead of you and shout at them. Gosh, I’d hate to be behind the guy who can’t cycle up that first incline…

[Via Neatorama]

Moleskine Completed City Guides: Tokyo, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur

by Justin Glow on

Last month Willy talked about Moleskine’s (mole-a-skin-a) new City Guides — a “make-yer-own guidebook,” complete with city maps, street indexes and, of course, plenty of blank pages to let your creative juices flow, all wrapped up in Moleskine’s famous binded journal. The beauty of this idea is that each City Guide comes out different, with the only limitations being one’s creativity. They’re a great way to help you organize your trip in a scrapbook format while not getting lost at the same time.

I finally got to see some of these in use, as Olivier and Natasha Ozoux have uploaded their completed (and quite beautiful) City Guides from Bangkok, Tokyo, and Kuala Lumpur on their website, ozoux.com. Have a look:

Japan Is For Shredders

by Willy Volk on

Japan first flaunted its skiing potential during the 1972 Winter Games. However, the popularity of the sport in the country declined during the 1980s (thanks largely to an aging population coupled with a downturn in disposable wealth). Since then, Japanese and foreign investors looking to capitalize on the country’s powdery resource have been peering across the country’s borders to grow the sport. It seems to be working. In addition to massive freshies, of course, there’s the lure of Japan, itself. According to Anthony Mellowes, a property developer from Sydney, “It’s fantastic because you’ve got great skiing plus the different culture.”

Today, Japan boast 620 ski resorts, an average of 45 feet of snow per year, lengthy ski seasons, and reasonable prices. Yes, reasonable prices! In Hirafu, for example, a one-day ski pass allowing you access to 61 runs, 38 lifts, and 29 miles of groomed slopes, costs only $42. So much for China’s indoor ski park.

Never thought of Japan as a killer destination for shredders? Check out this footage captured in western Japan from a helmet-mounted cam. Awesome.

If you want to learn more, check out these resort destinations:

Alternatively, browse some skiing in Japan videos to pick your own destination. See ya on the slopes!

Are You a Savvy Traveler? Oodles of Quizzes to Find Out

by Jamie Rhein on

A few days ago I took the quiz Justin Glow posted about how many states you can name (spelling included) in 10 minutes. Sadly, I kept getting stuck on Massachusetts. Darn those Ss. I did get Mississippi just fine, so I felt redeemed. Regardless of my spelling snafu, the quiz was fun and a way to pass the time, as if I need a way to pass the time.

Obviously, the answer is yes since that quiz sent me on an Internet travel quiz hunt. Here’s a site that has an impressive array of possibilities. At Info Hub Specialty Travel Guide you can take enough quizzes to avoid doing work for hours. The quizzes under Are You a Savvy Traveler? are divided into categories from health travel to traveling with kids to traveling in various countries. I took one of the Japan quizzes found under the Asia quizzes link and learned some helpful tidbits like the cheapest places to eat, how to get a taxi and the most economical places to stay.

There are also quizzes that provide a run down of where certain tourist attractions are located. At the end of each quiz you can find out how you did. One thing I enjoyed was the explanation that followed each answer. Besides finding out what the most common answer is for each question, you find out what the author recommends. Sometimes the answers that get the most votes are not the correct ones.

Airplane Exercises You Can Try at Home

by Jamie Rhein on

One of the best plane trips we took when our daughter was small was a Japan Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Narita, Japan. Instead of letting you figure out what to do to amuse yourselves for the hours on end it takes to get across the Pacific, they help you out. We played Sky Bingo as part of the entertainment. Whoever wanted to play got a Bingo card and the numbers were shown on the big screen. (I think that’s how it worked.) I do remember that our daughter was given extra prizes just for being cute. I have no idea if Sky Bingo is still played, but it was a great idea, I thought.

Another fun thing was the exercises we were led through after we had whatever sleep we could snag. I loved the exercises. These were the kind you do in your seat, but meant to get your blood flowing and the kinks out. Here is a video I came across on You Tube of exercises being done on a plane you can even try at home. This is some Chinese flight, I assume. You can practice counting in Chinese while you watch.