Panama Canal Timelapse

by Erik Olsen on

One of the more interesting history books I’ve read in the last few years is A Path Between The Seas : The Creation of the Panama Canal by David McCullough. The book, while at times a rather dense historical document, reveals the incredible hardships endured by workers (made many times more difficult by diseases like malaria) and the immense engineering challenge it took to build the canal. It was also one of the great events of the turn o the century that signaled the emergence of the United States as a global power. I got a chance to see the canal years ago when I was traveling through Latin America, and thought it was amazing. But I never actually got to ride through the canal.

Well, in a way, I can now say I did. This video over at YouTube is a very well done time lapse of a trip through the entire canal. You get to see not just how the locks work, but how the canal looks through some of its broader stretches. The video itself is kind of a historical document, especially since the Panamanians are making big changes to the canal. It’s a neat — and quick — little ride that you too can take right here.

Two Chinese New Year Performances

by Jamie Rhein on

This weekend is still a big one for Chinese New Year since this is a 15-day holiday that ends with the Lantern Festival. It’s now going into its second week. In case you can’t get to a celebration this year, here are two performances that I’m sending to you. The first is of last year’s Chinese New Year festivities in Singapore. This one was in Chinatown. (Yes, Singapore does have a Chinatown.) Having been to a Chinese New Year festival in Taiwan, Singapore and Columbus, Ohio myself, I can say each have a similar look and sound, so turn up the volume and enjoy a real deal experience. At the end is a brief look at dining out after the show. Made me hungry. Thanks jinaye for the post.

Also, because the Lion Dance is not included in this particular video that presents snippets of various performances, here is a link to a Lion Dance performed by Ling Nam Siu Lum Kung Fu Academy last Chinese New Year and posted on You Tube by siulumkuen. Click on the more section for a detailed explanation about the performers and the Lion Dance.

Hiking and Hacking Through the Jungle to See Congolese Gorillas

by Willy Volk on

There are only about 700 mountain gorillas in the world; half of them are spread across a range of mountains straddling the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. Last month, rebels in eastern Congo killed and ate 2 gorillas living in that country’s Virunga National Park. Then amazingly, about three weeks ago, the rebels responsible for the slayings promised to stop killing the animals.

Travelers braving the 4+ hour hike into the park, shooting pictures of their experience with the gorillas, and then hiking back out, is one of the best ways to create awareness of these animals’ situations and bring them back from the brink of extinction. That’s where Mark Inns comes in.

Mark is a guy form the UK who decided to take a 16-month break and travel the world. One of his stops included a visit with these threatened, majestic creatures. Traveling with a local guide, Mark encountered a mountain gorilla family: a Silverback, 2 females, 2 infants, and 2 younger males. Here’s what he saw:

If you want to learn more about these animals, Wildlife Direct maintains a great blog updated regularly by a local wildlife conservationist: lots of news — and lots of pictures.

“Aaron In Africa” Shows Us the Real Togo

by Willy Volk on

When I first landed in Zambia to volunteer with the Peace Corps, my impressions were not at all in line with my expectations. For example, I expected to see lions romping through the bush. Didn’t happen. I expected I’d be celebrated as the Bringer Of All Good Things and Haver of So Many Unbelievably Wise Ideas. Yeah…that wasn’t so spot on, either. I also expected to be very active in the promulgating the so-called third goal of the Peace Corps: talking about your experience and bringing a little of your PC-life back home. I guess I do a measure of that here on Gadling, but nothing like Aaron.

You see, Aaron’s currently serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Togo. In addition to his work at the local school, he maintains a blog about his experience, and in this way he’s satisfying the third goal before he even returns home. Of all the third-goaling Aaron does, I particularly enjoyed reading about The Market (and watching the video); learning about the ritual of Greetings; hearing about Clean (?) Underwear; and, of course, learning about eating dog and cat. If you want to know what the “real Togo” is like, this is it. It don’t get no realer, folks.

Not too knock Aaron, but he seems to be living large, with a multi-room, cinderblock house, a sink, a propane stove, and more. That said, imagine trying to forge ahead with a computer center project for this school:

Bikini Bandits: Denmark’s Speed Control

by Jamie Rhein on

There are traffic circles. There are red light cameras. There are speed bumps. Getting people to slow down when they are driving comes in many forms. Denmark came up with a rather unique solution. This is a little test to see if you can tell the difference between a real news story or a fake one.

Bikini Bandits was created by the Danish Road Safety Council to slow down speeders. That is true. This video was part of an ad campaign. The story, though, is a made up news segment about these speed control gals. Bikini Bandits don’t really exist. I have to admit, though, when I first saw this video, I thought there really are such traffic police and I’ve been to Denmark. I even lived there. Also, according to Duncan’s TV Ad Land, Spotlight on the World the news show featured is a made up show as well. Seriously, I’ll believe about anything.