New York lecture by serial adventurer

by Jerry Guo on

There’s a reception/dinner/talk at the New York Explorer’s Club tomorrow by an adventurer who just made a “first contact” in Papua New Guinea. A “first contact,” for the uninitiated, is the first meeting between someone from modern society and an indigenous tribe. To put this feat in perspective, keep in mind there are still cannibals living in PNG. Here’s a good story in last year’s Smithsonian Magazine about that–they do a great job in telling it like it really is, without the hype or sensationalism.

Anyways, back to this guy, Frederick Selby, who I’ve been talking to in the last couple weeks. He’s done some ridiculous stuff, including trekking all over Mongolia, Nepal, Bhutan, Kilimanjaro, and the Alps. But here’s the kicker: he works as a Wall Street banker by day. He told me his next trip will likely be northern Peru to explore some Mayan ruins or the south pole.

Most of his trips are for a group of his adventure friends. He just calls them up, everyone pools together the funds, and they find a local “fixer” who can help them with the logistics. A great role model for the rest of us.

Photo of the Day (11/22/07)

by Neil Woodburn on


Sure, the colors are quite outstanding in this photograph. And, it certainly captures a very far off place of which we know nothing about. But what really makes this photo exceptional in my opinion, are the expressions on the three faces of the Goroka dancers in Papua New Guinea. The one on the right looks pissed off, the guy in the middle has a hilarious, aloof look on his face, and the guy on the left is as stoic as can be. Man! I know who I’m inviting to a party if I could only invite one of these guys.

Congrats to Gadling reader Anselmo Lastra for sharing with us the Three Stooges of Papua New Guinea. If you’d like your masterpiece considered for a similar honor, please visit out Gadling Flickr Pool and upload away.

Photo of the Day (10/25/07)

by Jamie Rhein on

You know you’re a long way from Kansas when you run across this gentleman brandishing a club.

According to photographer Anselmo Lastra who captured this wonderful image in Papua New Guinea, this fine lad is actually an Asaro Mudman performing in a Goroka show. Despite the club, Lastra informs us that “these guys are very friendly.”

If you’d like your favorite shot of a mudman to be considered for Gadling’s Photo of the Day, jump on over to our Flickr Pool and upload your very best.

Photo of the Day (10/1/07)

by Iva Skoch on

From one of the meccas of adventure travelers, Papua New Guinea, comes this photo by Richard Rees taken at a celebration of opening a new school. The girl’s costume is made mostly from fur and feathers…if you can actually notice anything outside of her magnetic eyes.

***If you’d like to contribute a Photo of the Day shot for consideration, please visit our Gadling Flickr pool and upload your favorites.***

Where to go to Disappear off the Face of the Planet

by Neil Woodburn on

Want to disappear and never be found?

Such a desire is increasingly difficult in these modern times when internet cafes and satellite telephones reach nearly every corner of the globe.

Escaping the world and living off the grid is the theme of a recent article by Elisabeth Eaves for Forbes Magazine. Eaves discuses the challenges that modern-day technology poses for those who want to disappear, then recommends eight places where one can actually do so. Naturally, most of the places I’ve never heard of (otherwise they wouldn’t be off the grid, now would they?).

Take for example, Tristan da Cunha, a tiny archipelago populated by just 300 people and only reachable by a five-day boat trip from Cape Town, South Africa. Or, there is the Darien Gap between Panama and Columbia where one of the cons listed is, “foreigners occasionally kidnapped.”

Of the places I’ve heard of, Papua New Guinea, Kamchatka, and Mongolia I’ve only been to one: Mongolia. If the other seven locations are even half as remote as what I saw in Mongolia, you can truly expect to disappear for a long time.