This weekend exploded with travel alerts — namely from the hot destination of Thailand. Certainly the recent riots and political upheaval in Bangkok has cooled the tourist trail for a little while. But something else was erupting on the other side of the globe — off the coast of Ecuador in the Galapagos Islands, to be exact: La Cumbre volcano.
The volcano on the uninhabited island of Fernandina Island has been inactive for nearly five years, but this Saturday activity arose in the form of lava, smoke, and toxic gases. While there is no threat to humans, this island chain has long been home to rare animal and plant life, and La Cumbre’s recent activity could very likely affect the marine life and fauna on and around Fernandina.
What this means for travelers? Once the activity dies down, you should as soon as possible get your butt over to the Galapagos before it’s too late.
With all teams on the same flight from Jaipur, India to Phuket, Thailand on this episode of the Amazing Race 14, the competition didn’t heat up until teams dashed out of the airport to find a taxi. Their goal? To find the statue of a bigger than life-size gorilla without knowing its location. All they had was a photo of it as the clue to lead the way.
Showing the photo to anyone who would look at it eventually proved to be fruitful for five of the teams. Mark & Mel’s driver, unfortunately, led them on a goose chase to Patong Beach about the time the other teams found the gorilla at the Phuket Zoo for their picture taking with Esso the tiger and being part of an elephant show.
In a typical Thai elephant show, among other feats, elephants tap on people’s butts, or fake sit on them after audience members volunteer to lie face down on the ground.
The unusual aspect of this segment is that if you were at the Phuket Zoo, you could do exactly what the teams did. They’re normal zoo offerings. The tiger handler’s empty sleeve where an arm should be didn’t exactly promote confidence in the teams, particularly when the handler positioned them next to the tiger, their arms across it.
After the zoo, teams were sent to the oldest herb shop in Phuket. Nguan Choon Tong Herb Shop was an interesting destination because it captured the flavor of more traditional forms of medicine. The next clues were in the 99 drawers, one clue for each team. To find a clue, teams had to guess drawers. The shop owner kept opening the drawers until clues were found.
Cara & Jaime didn’t have much luck as other teams breezed past them. Frankly, I was happy to have them do badly with this since they spent time dissing Mark & Mike’s size. Mark & Mike, as far as I can tell, are nice, interesting men. Who cares if they don’t clear five feet? Are the two women middle schoolers in disguise?
The next task involved two choices–working like a Thai fisherman or operating a rickshaw. Jen & Kisha and Mel & Mike, once they finally found the gorilla, loaded up a fishing boat with 53 barrels and filled 47 other barrels with water while the other teams played rickshaw.
Rickshaw driving meant one team member playing driver and the other playing passenger until the driver couldn’t take the heat anymore and the pair switched rolls. Rickshaws had to be taken two miles to King Rama IX Park without a taxi leading them there.
After dropping off their rickshaws at the park, the teams headed by taxi to Wat Thep Nimit Temple the location of the Pit Stop and some of Buddha’s remains.
Mark & Mike who had blazed to first place made two mistakes. One, they piled the bike pumps back into a box so the other teams would have a harder time with the task, and two, they let a taxi driver help them. When they reached the Pit Stop first, they had to wait for one hour because of two thirty-minute penalties.
This allowed Tammy & Victor to win, yet again. This time they are going to Oahu. Jaime and Cara pulled up second which made Mark & Mike 3rd. To Mark & Mike’s credit, they didn’t get after each other for their breaking the rules missteps. Margie & Luke came in fourth.
Soon after stepping on the mat, Margie collapsed from the heat which is the best illustration of the importance of drinking plenty of water when running through the streets while pulling a rickshaw in a tropical climate. She recovered, but people looked worried for a few minutes there. It was one of the few times you could see the people who are behind the scenes since one of them also came to her rescue to help her to shade. Luke, naturally, was freaking out. Something happens to her and there goes his interpreter. He’d be able to get along, but it would have been harder.
Unfortunately Mel & Mike’s side trip to the beach cost them the race. Although disappointed, they’re so thrilled to have been in the race in the first place, winning would have just been gravy. I need to take whatever they’re taking because the two of them have the greatest attitudes.
Hopefully, they’ll liven up the Elimination Station in Koh Samui. The teams who are already there are depressing to watch.
BootsnAll brings us another excellent list, with the intention of adding yet more destinations to our ever expanding “life lists”. This time it’s their selection of ten magnificent monuments, amazing structures from around the globe, that inspire us to travel thousands of miles just so we can take them in ourselves.
Some of the selections on the list are centuries old, such as the Nubian monuments found in southern Egypt or Stonehenge in England. Others are relatively recent in their construction, like the Washington Monument in D.C. or the Brandenburg Gate in Germany. These monuments were built for a variety of reasons, some religious in nature, like the Reclining Buddha in Thailand, others to commemorate a particular person or event, like the Monument to the Revolution in Mexico. Each of the places on the list include a photo and a nice description of why it deserves your consideration as a travel destination.
One thing that I like about this collection is that not everything on it is well known. For instance, the obvious choice for Egypt is the Great Pyramids or the Sphynx, but BootsnAll went with the temples located in Abu Simbal, far to the south, and far less visited by tourists.
For the traveler who has been everywhere and seen everything, perhaps this list will give you a few new ideas for future adventures. For those just setting out on their travels, this is a great list to start with.
Losing the Amazing Race early in the competition isn’t all that bad, particularly for anyone wanting a sweet deal of a vacation. As soon as a team loses, the disappointed pair is taken to the Elimination Station, a villa in a lush location where they hang out until the end of the race. This season’s losers get to hole up in Ko Samui, Thailand.
Unfortunately, the two teams that have lost so far: Jennifer & Preston (last week) and Steve & Linda (this week) are still whining about losing, so they’re not enjoying where they are to the fullest. Hopefully, they’ll snap out of it and seek out a Thai massage before too long. If they had one hour massage a day, maybe the vision of losing would fade. Even a Thai hand or foot massage is sublime.
Here’s the link to the first video where Jennifer and Preston decide which room should be theirs. Check out the digs. Isn’t that furniture exquisite? Plus, there’s tropical fruit and people who will drive you where you want to go.
Trade a plane for a train, and experience genuine luxury. Hitting the rails in style has been gaining steam around the world, according to the Wall Street Journal, in Asia, Europe, Russia and Africa. In a sense, this is becoming the new “cruise,” without the worry of being pinned on a boat by that insurance salesman who’s intent on saving your financial life.
Many of the luxury train excursions seek to offer upscale accommodations with incredible cuisine and constantly changing scenery. Here a few ideas to get you started.
The Ghan (Platinum Service) connects Adelaide and Alice Springs in Australia and is named for the camel drivers that once used the same route (the rail service was extended to Darwin five years ago). In September, the upscale version of the trek was offered. You’ll have plenty of elbow room and privacy, but it will set you back close to $4,000 for three days. And, you have to get yourself to Australia to take the trip.
On the Thai Explorer, a route of the Eastern & Oriental Express, you can relax in a Presidential Suite or the lesser but still comfy State Compartments, or enjoy the open air section of the observation car at the end of the train. You’ll track through northern Thailand, with plenty of time to explore the stops along the way, but you’ll pay for the privilege. Four days for two guests in the state department costs $5,120.
If driving in India’s Karnataka state intimidates you (and it should), give the Golden Chariot a try. You can ride the train from Bangalore to the beaches of Goa. Launched early in 2008, this luxury rail alternative features massage rooms, gyms, comfortable beds and wireless internet access. Of all the alternatives reviewed by WSJ, this is the most cost-effective. Eight days costs approximately $4,000.