I’ve never been on cruise but we cover them pretty extensively here at Gadling. Everything I know about the cruise industry I’ve learned from Saturday Night Live. So, you can imagine my confusion when I saw this video posted online today. Apparently, Royal Caribbean ships have belly flop contests. And, apparently some people film them. From the massive crowd watching each flop as if it’s Game 7 of the World Series to the painful water landings to the ultra-perky MC, this video has everything that you need to either brighten your day or send you into a shame spiral after you realize that you scored every single belly flop as if you were an Olympic judge. We apologize for stealing ten minutes of your life.
Photo of the Day – Thai monk
Religious ritual is closely connected to everyday life in Southeast Asia, even in the confines of a modern city like Bangkok. Today’s photo, by Flickr user Mark Fischer, is of a monk with an alms bowl, a frequent sight throughout Thailand. The man holds the shiny metal bowl in his hands while a distorted reflection of his face stares up from the bottom. The soft orange folds of the man’s robe and scripty tattoos on his forearm lend further personality to this elusive figure. Interestingly enough, Mark caught this photo during a special ceremony in support of the monks of Southern Thailand, who have been subject to threats of violence by a local insurgency.
Taken any great photos during your travels? Why not add them to the Gadling group on Flickr? We might just pick one of yours as our Photo of the Day.
Photo of the Day- Deserted Pompeii
Pompeii is possibly the most famous excavation in the world, drawing 15,000 people every day, almost as many as lived there before the horrifying eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79 A.D. Naples, Italy is the place to be if you want to see the ruins of Pompeii, one of the best examples of a Roman town. It was the fourth stop on Gadling’s tour of the Mediterranean last month where we see 8 different places in 9 days, each for just one day
Flickr user Eric Bloemers (EricBloemersPhotography) added this photo to the Gadling group pool on Flickr. Do you have some photos from your travels that you would like to share? Upload it to the Gadling group pool on Flickr. If we like it we might just select it to be a future Photo of the Day.
Photo of the day – Kauai morning
Flickr user Eric Bloemers (EricBloemersPhotography) snapped this breathtaking image of a Kauai morning just last week. The star of the image may well be the raincloud on the horizon, but the dramatic red sand and apparently relaxed surf also cast a spell. Quick, answer this: is there anywhere you’d rather be than in Kauai, even with a storm advancing?
Got an image you’d like to share with the world? Upload it to the Gadling group pool on Flickr. If we like it we might just select it to be a future Photo of the Day.
Photo of the day – street art in Taiwan
There’s a lot happening in this photo: some street art, an intriguing flavor of popsicle, cool sneakers, flammable substances near a lit cigarette, the Asian art of effortless squatting. Overall it’s a very interesting street scene, captured by Flickr user marisoleta in Taipei, Taiwan. Looking at more of her photos, it seems like a fun destination, full of temples, tall buildings, and weird foods we all love to photograph on our travels. It’s always great when a travel photo makes us want to learn more about a place.
Have you taken any good street scenes to get us curious about a destination? Upload ’em to the Gadling Flickr pool and we may use it for a future photo of the day.