Final resting place for the QE2 not so final after all

by Scott Carmichael on

Last year, we wrote about the very last voyage ever for the famous Cunard QE2. This magnificent vessel was purchased for $82 Million by Dubai developer Nakheel. The plan was to dock the ship, and convert her into a luxury hotel. As it turns out, that very last voyage ever is not as final as first thought.

Part of the contract with Cunard meant that Nakheel could never use the vessel as a passenger carrying cruise ship.

Of course, back when they signed that contract, they probably didn’t realize Dubai was going to suffer from the effects of the global recession.

The scope of the slowdown of the Dubai economy has now forced the final resting place of the QE2 to be put on hold, and the ship is going to act as a not-so-luxury hotel down in Cape Town for the 2010 football world cup.

It is still unknown whether the Dubai project will continue as planned or whether the resort planned around the QE2 will become yet another victim of the Dubai economic meltdown.

Locked Up Abroad returns tonight with new episodes

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Everyone’s favorite extreme travel TV series, Locked Up Abroad, is kicking off another round of new episodes starting tonight at 10pm. The new episodes start off with Locked Up Abroad: Iraq, which follows the story of two foreign journalists kidnapped by Iraqi insurgents in 2004.

Canadian war reporter Scott Taylor and his friend, Turkish journalist Zeynep Tugrul find themselves deep inside post-war Iraq in 2004, on the search for breaking news. After a contact shares a tip on an impending battle between the Americans and insurgents in the Northern Iraqi city of Tall Afar, Taylor and Tugrul head for the action. Yet shortly after the pair enter the city, they seek assistance from apparently-friendly local Iraqi fighters, only to be taken hostage as suspected spies. Scott and Zeynep spend the next five days blindfolded, interrogated and held at gunpoint, fearfully awaiting the life or death ending of their captivity. After four days, Zeynep is finally released, but Scott must stay and face down a final gut-wrenching game of “knife or life,” a series of life or death questions that will determine his fate.

Much like previous seasons of Locked Up Abroad, this summer’s newest installment of harrowing tales remain true to form. They are not so much cautionary tales of “travel gone wrong” as a series documenting individuals who must make do or die decisions. Like in seasons past, Locked Up Abroad focuses on travelers who have covered wars, smuggled drugs or knowingly broken the law. While many of us would find such choices appalling, the series triumphs by not passing judgment on the protagonists despite their flaws, letting them narrate the tale through their own eyes and eventually condemn their own bad decisions as plans go horribly wrong.

It is this objective style of storytelling and thrilling dramatizations that make Locked Up Abroad great television. Check it out tonight, if you dare.

Gadlinks for Tuesday 7.14.09

by Jeremy Kressmann on

While we believe we have one of the best travel sites on the web here at Gadling, we also realize we’re not your only source for travel news and information. With that in mind, here’s a look at some other great travel content we’ve been tracking around the web. Stick around awhile, OK? We enjoy your company.

  • Thinking about leaving it all behind and heading out to Southeast Asia for a few months? Here’s an interesting discussion on how much money you might need for your trip.
  • Annie Scott told us about the recent uniform controversy over at Delta Airlines. Apparently Delta FA’s are not alone: the employees at Emirates put up with plenty of silly restrictions as well.
  • As you might expect in an economic downturn, the U.S. airline industry has been struggling. Airlines have been cutting routes and laying off staff. But that also means deep discounts for you. Get out there and take advantage while you can.
  • Think you’re a grizzled travel veteran? Ever journeyed through a war zone? Several war reporters share their travel secrets.
  • Stuck at home? World Hum has a list of 12 Great Summer Vacation movies. How many have you seen?

More Gadlinks HERE.

Museum Junkie: Museum of the Good Samaritan opens in Israel

by Sean McLachlan on

One of the world’s largest mosaic museums recently opened in Israel.

The Museum of the Good Samaritan displays artifacts from the many cultures that lived in the region. The main attractions are the intricate mosaics found in synagogues in the West Bank and Gaza.

The museum is located on the highway between Jerusalem and Jericho near the ancient town of Ma’ale Adumim in the West Bank, believed to be the site of the inn where the parable of the Good Samaritan took place. According to the story, told by Jesus in the Gospel of Luke (10:25-37) a man is beaten up by robbers and left for dead on the side of the road. Nobody will help him but a Samaritan, a member of a rival Jewish sect that was persecuted in ancient times. His act of mercy has become synonymous with the kindness of strangers and the ability of goodness to reach across social boundaries.

This being Israel, history is politics, and officials were quick to put a spin on the museum’s opening. In an article in the Jerusalem Post, Knesset Speaker Reuvlen Rivlin said the museum underscores Israel’s historic ties to the West Bank and Gaza and its devotion to keeping a presence in them. The Knesset is the Israeli parliament, and Rivlin is one of the most powerful members of the ruling Likud party, so his words carry significant political weight.

Some of the mosaics come from Samaritan synagogues, offering a rare look at a faith that few people know still exists.

%Gallery-67663%

Gadling quiz – guess the skyline (international edition)

by Scott Carmichael on

So, you think you know your way around the world? Think you’ve seen it all? Prove it, and take the Gadling skyline quiz. We’ll show you 10 skyline images from around the world, and if you really are made of what they make great world travelers out of, you’ll score at least 8 out of 10. Anything less and you really need to get back on a plane to see more of the globe.

Click read more to start the quiz.