GADLING’S TAKE FIVE: Week of July 9

by Adrienne Wilson on

Time for us to showcase some of our favorite blurbs of the week in case you missed them. I’m guessing most of you dear and loyal readers, haven’t and I completely don’t understand if you did, but here’s another chance to review five.

5. Saving Belizean Music:
Thanks to Neil, Belizean music is remembered this week. In this short blog he points us to a LA Times piece on the sounds of local music in Belize. On top of that he also provides you with a link to get your own fill of these Central American tunes.

4. Saving Pics:
Everyone’s got their own method to saving their precious travel memories. Some will back them up three times on CD, on five different computers or you name it so long as they are protected. A few of us who are a little more trusting in modern technology can probably do without caring too much equipment in the name of protection and that is why I point you to this (oh-so) simple gear piece from Erik. The skinny – Flashtrax XT. Another cool compact option for photo storage on the road.

3. Machu Picchu Helicopter:
To climb or fly? That is the question in this chopper over Machu Picchu piece, where Neil invites readers to share their feelings on whether or not taking the ride up to the ruins is better than hiking. In short, we want to know if it’s cool or lame?

2. Road Trip USA Podcasts:
Here’s a good one if you’re planning a last minute road trip for the summer – Road Trip USA podcasts by Jaime Jensen. While the gas along the way may be high you needn’t worry about the podcasts costing you a thing, because if what Erik says is true, then they’re free. Go get some audio for the road to help you along the way!

1. Self-Erecting Tent:
Some claim it’s spankin’ new and other say it’s a thing of years past, but I’ve never heard of it so for me it’s on the spankin’ side. What am I speaking of? The self-erecting tent by Quechua is making pitching your cozy campsite digs a breeze. All you do is toss it in the air and by the time it lands your home-sweet-tent is all ready to go. Thank Neil for pointing to this fine piece of gear.

Machu Picchu Helicopter

by Neil Woodburn on

Okay, this disappoints me.

I’ve never been to Machu Picchu in Peru, but it is my understanding that the journey to the ruins is as much a part of the experience as the ruins themselves.  If any of you readers have been, please chime in and let me know if this is the case.

I ask because a local company is now offering helicopter flights directly to the ruins.  I just learned about this in the LA Times and shuddered upon reading it.  There is nothing worse than working so very hard to get to a destination, just to find rich, overweight tourists already hogging the place without having put in any effort. 

Any thoughts on this dear readers?

A Kinder Lodging

by Adrienne Wilson on

Outside has a nice piece on eco lodging and a list of the world’s ten best. Having done such great research they note that these eco lodges not only suggest that they cause no harm to the outdoors, but that they bring benefit to the whole community and economy. If anything they are unique. The Black Sheep Inn in Ecuador has dry composting toilets with little vegetable and flower gardens inside and it’s the teenie touches that provide splendor to these lodges. People enjoy the canyon views and the lodge loves the compliments about their restrooms. If you’re going to do it, then you should do it right and here is the list of places that make the list.

  • Turtle Island, Fiji

  • Asa Wright Nature Centre and Lodge, Trinidad

  • Birch Pond Lodge, Alaska

  • Wenhai Ecolodge, China

  • Posada Amazonas, Peru

  • Wilderness Lodge Lake Moeraki, New Zealand

  • Tassia Lodge, Kenya

  • Chumbe Island Coral Park, Tanzania

  • Selva Bananito Lodge, Costa Rica

  • Black Sheep Inn, Ecuador