Video: Burkina Faso Plastic Bag Recycling

by Elizabeth Seward on

“Burkina Faso Plastic Bag Recycling” from Corentin Banzet on Vimeo.

In Burkina Faso, hope doesn’t seem to always come easily. With one of the lowest GDP per capita figures in the world ($1,200) and a tumultuous political past that has led to widespread unrest, it’s no wonder so many people that make up the country’s near 16 million population count are struggling. But in this video, Vimeo user Corentin Banzet documents some of the women in Burkina Faso who are using the country’s garbage as a resource for moneymaking. With the hook method, 150 women in the town of Tiébélé Burkina managed to produce 1,000 bags and 500 pouches over the span of eight months. And they did it all by recycling used plastic bags.

Breakfast And Botox: Hotel Offers Cosmetic Procedures After Your Meal

by Jessica Festa on

Want to come back from your vacation more beautiful than when you left? Guests of the Four Seasons in downtown Austin, Texas, can now take advantage of a unique hotel package that allows them to get cosmetically enhanced after breakfast.

This week, Westlake Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery opened on the main floor of the Four Seasons Residences Austin, which is located on the same property as the Four Seasons Hotel Austin.

“It’s a major convenience,” Lorley Musiol, director of the Four Seasons Residences Austin, told NBC News. “It’s rare to find a plastic surgeon in a downtown market. So this should appeal to hotel guests such as women whose husbands are here for a meeting and to people who work and live in the city.”

The menu of procedures includes Botox, chemical peels and, starting next year, breast augmentation, liposuction and other services. According to Katie Davin, director of hospitality education at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, marketing cosmetic services to luxury hotel guests is a great idea because this type of guest usually makes use of extra add-ons and amenities. Additionally, it allows guests privacy and comfort during the initial recovery period.

While you won’t see the “Botox & Brunch” packages on the Four Seasons website, Musiol assures the hotel is working with Westlake to offer discounts and promotions to guests.

What do you think of the “Botox & Brunch” hotel package?

[Image via avlxyz]

Google Street View Features California National Parks

by Elizabeth Seward on

Want to see Redwood National Park but don’t have the time or money to make the trip? How about Yosemite or Death Valley? Thanks to the graciously, life-improving, expanding Internet, you can now take a stroll through five California national parks right on Google Street View. The Official Google Blog outlines this new step. While seeing these monumental landscapes in person cannot be replicated online, there is something especially majestic about gazing through the Redwoods on your Street View. Perhaps you’ll like the view enough to make the actual trip one day.

Adventure Travel Company Kumuka Worldwide Goes Out Of Business, Leaves Customers To Fend For Themselves

by Kraig Becker on

For nearly 30 years, adventure travel company Kumuka Worldwide had been seen as a tour operator that provided affordable and high quality itineraries to practically every corner of the globe. The company’s extensive catalog included more than 600 tours to such far away places as Africa, Antarctica, Australia and more. But that all changed recently when Kumuka announced that it was going out of business, leaving many customers scrambling to make alternate travel plans while also trying to find a way to get their money back.

About two weeks ago, U.K. based Kumuka posted a message on its website announcing that the company was suspending trading and going into voluntary liquidation. They informed customers that if they booked on a trip that was departing prior to July 22, their tours were safe and would go off without a hitch. But those that had booked travel after that date were simply told to “re-book with another operator.”

Of course, booking with another company is much easier if you have the funds but it seems Kumuka’s customers will need plenty of patience if they hope to get their money back. Kumuka recommends that travelers in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada contact the Travel Compensation Fund to begin the process of getting their cash back. U.K. customers are told that their money is protected by that country’s Civil Aviation Authority while Americans are advised to make a claim with their credit card company or to contact their travel agent.

Kumuka’s competitors were quick to offer aid to the company’s abandoned clients. Tucan Travel extended their loyalty discount program to Kumuka customers while Intrepid Travel and Dragoman are offering special deals too. That’s small consolation, however, for those who saved for months in order to take a trip and now must wait to receive compensation before they can book again.

As someone who loves to travel, and plans his trips weeks and months in advance, I can’t imagine how crushed I would feel if I were one of these customers. Imagine looking forward to getting away to a dream destination only to have the rug pulled out from under you just before you go. Seems like the very definition of disappointment to me.

In-N-Out Burger Pop-Up In Singapore Sells Out In Less Than 5 Minutes

by Jessica Festa on

Who knew locals of one of the most world-renowned food destinations on Earth would go crazy over American burgers?

On July 24, an In-N-Out Burger pop-up restaurant opened in Singapore, lasting less than five minutes before they were completely sold out of patties. Originally scheduled to run from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., locals began lining up for the event at 9:30 a.m. By that time, 300 wristbands, which were necessary to claim one burger per person, had already been distributed.

According to CNNGo, the passionate response was due to the chain’s legacy of being “the” place to get great fast food. Even celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsay admit to chowing down on their Animal Style burgers.

The first In-N-Out Burger opened in 1948 in Los Angeles, and has since spread to various locations around the western United States. However, after the response from the pop-up, In-N-Out Burger may want to consider opening a permanent shop in Singapore.

[Image via chunkysalsa]