Minor league baseball teams and their mascots aim to please

by Jamie Rhein on

As Aaron wrote in a post today, baseball season has officially started. I was reminded of this also while listening to an NPR story on minor league teams and how they got their their names and mascots. The Albuquerque Isotopes was one of the teams featured. The Simpson’s cartoon show is responsible for the Isotopes name after Homer said something about the baseball team being called the Isotopes during an episode. Fans named it.

I went to an Isotopes game when I visited friends a few years back. Even though the stadium has been gussied up since I lived in Albuquerque and favored the Dukes, there’s still that minor league team feel. I am a minor league fan, particularly because I go to games to watch crowds. There’s much more interaction between the game and the crowd in minor league teams. One gets the feeling that the players and the fans belong together. Plus, there are the cheap hot dog nights, the free bobble head nights and the free tickets that get passed out through local parks and recreation centers for kids. My son is always getting tickets to the Columbus Clippers from somewhere. Minor league teams seem to want to build a relationship with fans.

To me, major league teams aren’t about building relationships with a city and its people. Their games are just not as much fun. They aren’t a yawn, but crowd pleasing is more difficult when some fans are several benches up from the action. That’s my impression anyway. I do admit, I love Jacobs Field where the Cleveland Indians play, even though, the ball park is not called that anymore. There is some other corporate sponsor name that I can’t recall. The view of Cleveland is still terrific from the top bleachers. I like how you can see the seagulls from there.

Hamburg’s oldest brothel closing

by Iva Skoch on

I wonder what it actually means when brothels close because “business is falling.” Does it mean that German men are getting way too civilized and sophisticated to frequent brothels? Doubtful.

Yet, Hamburg’s oldest brothel, Luxor, a family-run operation in the heart of Germany’s premier red light district, is closing its doors, IHT reports.. Business, apparently isn’t what it used to be. They used to have 10 girls, now they only have 4. No word on whether they are all family members.

They are probably getting pushed out by bigger and cheaper competition, some multi-national brothel operation. What a shame. Do you have no sense of tradition and old-school values, people?

Where is Eliot when they need him?

Ecuador: Your guide to the “new Costa Rica”

by Aaron Hotfelder on

With the Galápagos Islands, Pacific beaches, Andes Mountains, and Amazonian jungle, Ecuador is a little country that packs a big punch. And travelers, always on the look-out for the hot new destination, are starting to flock there in droves. One backpacker has even dubbed the small South American country the “new Costa Rica.” Okay, that was me.

Anyway, here’s a quick-and-dirty rundown of the highlights and lowlights of Ecuador’s three regions– East, Central and West.

East

To hear the reputation of the city of Guayaquil, you’d think that calling it a cesspool of crap would be insulting to all those plucky little bacteria out there who survive on human excrement. The truth is that, despite Guayaquil’s dismal reputation, things are rapidly improving, and lots of fun can be had in this port city of three million. There’s a casino downtown if that’s your thing, and the Malecón area on the riverfront is brand new and always packed with people. Head to the Urdesa district for some great restaurants and to the Kennedy Center for vibrant nightlife. For sightseeing, try the hilltop neighborhood known as Las Peñas, where you’ll see a colorful slice of colonial Guayaquil.

The best-slash-only beach I went to in Ecuador was in Montañita, which is about two hours north of Guayaquil. The town is really chilled out and uber-friendly to backpackers, with plenty of places to eat and sleep (and smoke funny-looking cigarettes).

Shameless plug: A friend with whom I visited Montañita moved back there recently and opened a watering hole called Nuestrobar. Mention my name there and receive 50% off. (Warning: This deal may come as news to the owner.)

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Central

Starting from the top, Quito, the capital, is a must-see destination. Quito’s Old Town is a refined, dignified queen, full of majesty and grace. Explore her curves, and take her picture. Go ahead, she likes it. The New Town (especially the Mariscal area) is an ageless whore, a seductress, a vixen. She’ll do anything for a buck, and she’ll give you the best nights of your life.

There are a million-and-one places to go out in the Mariscal, but take taxis at night because the area can be a little dodgy. The Secret Garden hostel in the Old Town is highly recommended for its spectacular balcony view and lively backpacker atmosphere. It’s the best budget place to stay in Quito by a lot. Make a reservation, as it’s endorsed by Lonely Planet and therefore often packed.

Visit the cable cars known as the Telefériqo for a panoramic look at the city. Go early, as heavy fog tends to block the gorgeous view any time past noon.

For a challenging hike just a few hours from Quito, hire a guide and head to the world’s tallest active volcano, Mt. Cotopaxi. At 19,347 feet, the climb will kick your ass unless you’re in good shape and have spent time acclimatizing to the altitude. Still, it’s possible to have a good time even if you prefer donuts to dumbells, and you don’t make it all the way to the top. (I know from experience.)

Heading south from Quito, spend some time in the town of Baños, so named because of the existence of several thermal baths created by the nearby Tungurahua Volcano. Baños is where I stayed for about six weeks, so I might be biased, but it was just about the best Ecuador has to offer. It’s nestled beautifully in the mountains, there is tons to do– mountain biking, rafting, hiking, soaking in thermal baths, bungee-jumping off bridges, drinking, dancing with girls who are probably too young.

If you go, I recommend staying at Plantas y Blanco and eating at Casa Hood (great used book selection), and Cafe Hood. And yes, there are two different restaurants with the word “Hood” in the name– it’s a long story.

Taking the bus south from Baños, you’ll come to the beautiful old colonial city of Cuenca. It’s where I met the most beautiful girl in Ecuador, and for that reason, it will always hold a spot near and dear to me.

In the southernmost region of the country, you’ll find the small gringo-hippie-retiree town of Vilcabamba. If you enjoy talking about your chi and saying things like, “The energy in this room just doesn’t feel right,” this is the place for you. Head to the Madre Tierra spa/hotel for the full effect.

West

The Amazonian jungle. I went for about a week, and it was certainly a experience I’ll never forget. It costs about $40 a day to hire a guide, which you must do. Going into the jungle is just like it sounds– lots of fascinating plants and animals, but lacking in creature comforts such as air conditioning, WiFi, and buildings with doors. Go if the preceding sounds appealing.

Note: When your jungle guide introduces you to a shaman who offers you a psychoactive tea called ayahuasca, politely refuse– that is, unless you’re looking to writhe in agony for hours while suffering from temporary psychosis and acute diarrhea. Or so I’ve heard.

Final Thoughts

If you have extra money, go to the Galápagos Islands. It’s about the one thing in Ecuador I didn’t do, but wished I had. It’ll cost US$1000 to go for a week, but it’s cheaper if you fly to the islands and explore on your own rather than joining a pre-arranged tour.

For more info, consider picking up an Ecuador guidebook or make your own Frankenguide.

Finally, and most importantly, ignore most of the advice above and just find your own places to go and do your own things. Traveling is about making it up as you go along. Somehow things always work out, no matter where you go or what you do.

Got questions? I never get tired of talking about Ecuador, so leave it in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer it. Happy travels!

Binging in the UK: Part of culture or culture itself?

by Iva Skoch on

Last week in London, I noticed pubs still closed at 11, despite having had the option of applying for a 24-hour drinking license for almost three years now. It just so happens, that the UK released a report last week claiming that the prolonged opening hours didn’t really help curb the “binge-drinking problem” in Britain.

In her column, Sorry I binge responsibly, The Guardian’s Zoe Williams writes about the complicated British culture of binge-drinking, asking herself whether to blame the 60s for destroying a shared understanding of morality, or the 80s for creating the financial disparities that make society functionally meaningless to people anywhere near the bottom, or–her best bet–she offers leftist fiscal explanations.

Whatever causes the Britons to binge-drink, one thing is clear. Liberal licensing laws have not helped much. The average pub in the UK stays open only 21 minutes longer than before (pubs are not interested to apply for licenses). Although crime has gone down slightly, alcohol-related crime, in city centers, has gone up, especially after midnight. Williams writes: “If the relaxation of licensing laws has had any beneficial impact on crime, then perhaps it is to keep burglars in the pub, giving them less time to burgle.”

Oktoberfest in Munich: Read about it…in March?

by Jeffrey White on

Anyone who has experienced Munich’s famed Oktoberfest knows one truth about the world’s biggest beer binge above all else: It’s damn hard to get into one of those tents on the Theresienwiese.

My brother and I tried a few years ago, standing in the rain in several endless lines for nearly two hours, thirsty, with my brother turning to me and finally asking a question probably not often uttered in late September in Munich: “What do you have to do to get a beer at Oktoberfest?”

Ah, memories. They came rushing back as I clicked into a Der Spiegel story on Oktoberfest Inc. that was pimped on the World page of the New York Times online. The Times for a while now has had a content sharing agreement with Spiegel, Germany’s most respected news magazine (which is trying to make inroads in the U.S. by publishing a very solid online edition in English).

The story recounts what a big, billion dollar business Oktoberfest has become, with more than 6.5 million visitors a year getting sloshed and doing stupid things (my brother stole a bike). It’s a really interesting, behind the scene look at what it takes to put the event on (one tent owner pays €2 million a year just to set up and take down his 9,400 seat venue, to say nothing of the €400,000 or so in other costs he absorbs for insurance, musicians, etc.).

But I still have a question, which I’ll direct to the Times: Why are you telling us all this now? The article is dated from last October, despite being hyped as “News from Der Spiegel” on the World page right now…in March. So it’s really late to be reading about last year’s Oktoberfest, and a little early to be reading set-up pieces for Fest ’08.

Timing is everything with newspapers. I wonder what editor made the call to re-print this piece now.