If you’ve ever wanted to see an Ohio River bridge demolition (or any bridge demolition at all), here’s your opportunity. I missed the demolition of my hometown’s Putnam Street Bridge in 2000, a bridge that also spanned the Ohio River, because I was out of town. When I saw this video pop up on Laughing Squid today, I couldn’t help but share. The Fort Steuben Bridge has been out of use since 2009. Built in 1928, the bridge connected Steubenville, Ohio to Weirton, West Virginia. On Tuesday, the bridge required 153 pounds of explosives for its destruction. The video above was released by the Ohio Department of Transportation. It’s not a quiet video (it’s probably best to watch this muted), but it is an exciting one.
Turkey’s unique national pastime: oil wrestling
While America has baseball, New Zealand has rugby, and Australia has cricket, Turkey has a national pastime that some may find a bit odd– oil wrestling. Also known as “grease wrestling,” the sport involves men clad in black leather pants carrying wicker bags that contain bottles of olive oil, which they must pour over every inch of their flesh. Because it’s so difficult for a participant to get a good grip on their opponent, a common strategy is “hands down pants,” which literally entails fully sticking your hands down another man’s pants. There are five levels of advancement in the sport and children as young as seven begin training to make it to the top.
Since 1362, the city of Edirne in Turkish Thrace has been celebrating oil wrestling by hosting an annual Kirkpinar tournament. The event is the oldest, continuously running, sanctioned, sporting competition in the world, and people from all over travel to watch Pehlivan (wrestlers) compete for the winning gold belt and the title of “Chief Pehlivan.” Sorry ladies, the sport is for men only. But, don’t think that just any guy off the street can enter the contest, as Pehlivans are held in high esteem and are considered role models with honest, humble, moral, and respectful personalities. These men are also expected to adhere to local traditions and are trained as an apprentice by a master of the sport. This year, the event will take place July 2-8, 2012.
For a better idea of this unique pastime, check out the short documentary above.
Warning: This video will make you want to go to Vietnam
The folks at The Perennial Plate produce a weekly web series about “socially responsible and adventurous eating.” Their most recent episode was filmed while traveling through Vietnam with Intrepid Travel. It’s an entertaining and dynamic video that captures the frenetic pace of Vietnam’s streets and the passion that the Vietnamese people have for their food. The only problem is that we don’t get to smell and taste all of those delicious meals.
Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re off to find a big ol’ bowl of Phở.
Rio Carnival 2012: A playlist of traditional Carnival songs
During Carnival, the city of Rio de Janeiro pulses with the sound of percussion. Music is an integral part of the Brazilian festival, and it doesn’t seem like you can turn a corner without hearing the infectious drum-driven beats of samba music or the sounds of drunken celebrants singing traditional marchinhas at the tops of their lungs. Particularly in the blocos, music is a binding force, bringing together people from all walks of life — young, old, rich, poor, black, white — in nostalgic beats and familiar lyrics.
In Rio, the spirit of Carnival doesn’t disappear on Ash Wednesday; the native cariocas manage to embody it year-round. With the following playlist of musical hits from Rio Carnival 2012, you can too.
Unidos da Tijuca 2012 Marchinha
The winner of Rio’s famous samba school parades composed this song particularly for Carnival 2012.
Monobloco Marchinha
The band from the Monobloco bloco became so popular, they now perform year-round in music venues across Rio.
Batucada
A sub-style of samba, Batucada incorporates African drumbeats. This track, mixed by a popular DJ, will make you hit repeat.
Bloco do Sargento do Pimenta
Beatles, Brazilian-style? The Sargento do Pimenta (Sgt. Pepper) bloco specializes in Fab Four hits with a samba beat.
Marchinha Medley
Still don’t have enough samba? This one-hour medley has you covered.
Check out Gadling’s full range of Rio Carnival 2012 coverage here.
Video of the Day: Vintage Hong Kong revealed
Want to take a slow boat to China? Get lost in vintage Hong Kong in this 1938 video of the gateway to China. The harbor city was still under British rule, and you can watch men in linen suits and pith helmets stroll alongside rickshaw drivers. Some of the narration is a bit, uh, politically incorrect by modern standards but the footage is priceless.
Have more time for nostalgic travel? The Travel Film Archive has hundreds of videos from around the world from 1900 to 1970. Find a cool travel video from this decade? Leave us a tip in the comments for a future Video of the Day.