GADLING TAKE FIVE: Week of October 27–November 2

by Jamie Rhein on

Pretend this is Friday for a moment. That’s when the Gadling Take Five would have come out if it wasn’t Halloween this week, my daughter’s birthday and, well, whatever. Since looking back over the week at Gadling so I can throw kudos to my fellow bloggers is a highpoint for me, I wanted to not totally pass up the chance to toot a horn or two. It’s really hard to pick, though.

First up is dear, dear, Leif who has such wit and charm and knowledge of Burma (Myanmar) that it can make a person’s head spin. Although, I am always interested in what Leif writes, the “A Keyhole into Burma: You have something on your face” made me laugh. heartily. I just read it again and laughed.

Kelly always picks reads that sound fascinating, and Women Travelers: A Century of Trailblazing Adventures 1850-1950 caught my attention. I’d love to read about Robert Louis Stevenson’s wife and her travels, for example. I never knew he had a wife, but can recite his poem, “The Swing” by heart.

Considering that this was Halloween week, Matthew’s post ” Big in Japan: Asia’s biggest Halloween Party!” gives an insider’s look at one heck of a party attended by a wild cast of characters. Sounds like fun. I hope he’s recovered.

Neil’s post on the Museum of Broken Hearts almost broke my heart. I wondered what pitiful memento I have squirreled in a box somewhere. The museum sounds to me like the objects are odes to lost love–and a interesting history on how people tick and don’t click.

Then there’s Abha’s post on the 10-year-old who taught himself 10 languages. That’s enough to make me feel quite inadequate. I finally learned passable Wolof when I lived in The Gambia because I absolutely had to. I do not have a great ear. Yep, 10 languages, 10 years old. I’m impressed.

Okay, that’s five, and you’ll get five more in five days. That’s symmetrical.

Top 10 nightspots in the world

by Martha Edwards on

We each travel for different reasons, but for some travellers, a spectacular nightlife is a major draw to certain destinations. Which is why concierge.com sent a team of reporters out to find the 10 best nightspots in the world (man! I want that job … ) Here’s the list they came up with:

  1. Rooftop Cinema, Melbourne, Australia
  2. Cafe Cairo – Hamilton, Bermuda
  3. Melody Bar – Toronto, Canada
  4. Bar Yellow, Santiago, Chile
  5. Q Bar, Beijing, China
  6. Glamour Bar, Shanghai, China
  7. Monsoon, Shanghai, China
  8. 15cent15, Paris, France
  9. Cibeles, Mexico City, Mexico
  10. Terrasse, Renault, Mexico City, Mexico

Been to any of these places? Yeah, me neither, and I’ll probably never make it since I’m more of a fan of small, out-of-the-way, holes in the wall. But some of them sound kind of cool. To read about the picks more in-depth, click here.

The City of Brotherly Love shines.

by Grant Martin on

I think Philadelphia has been getting a bad rep. Sure, it leads big cities in murder rate and robbery is at a five year high, but is that really a big deal? I lived in Baltimore for a little while on the Johns Hopkins Campus and it was the best summer of my life. In Philly the streets are narrow and intimate and the Georgian and Federal architecture looms over you like parents watching a child wander the city blocks. Bars line the streets in Center City and after a hard night drinking you can still get a solid Whiz Cheese Steak at Jim’s to burn off your hangover.

With the crime rate so high in the city, the police department has their hands full keeping order; straight off a conversation on the virtues of JDate, my friend Brandon and I were leaving an apartment last Saturday with a couple of pockets-full of Yuengling. He cracked one open as we were leaving and I asked:

“Can’t you get an open intox here for that?”

He looked at me and shrugged, shaking his head politely.

“The police here have other things to do”.

Sweet. It’s just like being in Vegas. So next time your college roomate or your high school prom date asks you to stop by Philly for a visit, give it a good thought. The people, history, food and culture that abound in Philadelphia won’t let you down.

Everyone’s invited to the BootsnAll Travel Network bash!

by Abha Malpani on


BootsnAll Travel Network, one of the largest and most widely interactive travel portals full of travel resources and conversation, is having their annual bash and everyone’s invited!

About 150 people passionate about travel are expected to turn up for some snacks, beer and wine.

It’s absolutely free to attend and would be a great opportunity to meet other travelers.

When: December 1, Saturday; 7pm-11pm.

Where: Lucky Labrador Beer Hall, 1945 NW Quimby St., Portland OR 97209

Prizes: Everyone who attends is eligible to enter the draw to win $500 for airfare, and other prizes.

What do you need to do? Just show-up!
If you are one who feels the need to RSVP, you can do so on their Facebook page.

Check out their website for more details and updates if you fancy going.

Hotel staff trained to deal with naked sleepwalkers

by Catherine Bodry on

Apparently, there’s been a surge in sleepwalking among guests in one of Britain’s largest budget hotel chains. And the sleepwalking itself wouldn’t be a huge problem, except that the majority of these zombie-like guests don’t bother to put any clothes on before they take their nocturnal stroll.

Reuters reports that the budget chain Travelodge has seen a seven-fold rise in sleepwalking in the past year, and that 95 percent of late-night walkers are scantily clad men. As such, the company has begun training staff how to deal with naked wanderers.

The company released a “sleepwalkers guide,” which recommends keeping towels handy at the front desk — “in case a customer’s dignity needs preserving.”