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Galley Gossip: Laviators Unite – at flickr.com

by Heather Poole on

After I wrote the article hottest trend on the airplane since the mile high club something odd happened, readers started emailing me photos of themselves in the lav! Of course that prompted me to write Laviators Unite -Mile High Headshots! in order to share the official laviators photo gallery (where all the photos eventually end up). Something truly amazing happened after the photo gallery was unveiled. One of my readers from Romania, George, created The official laviators music video. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, Michelle (pictured), one of my favorite laviators, actually managed to get the word into Urban Dictionary!

LAVIATOR : A person or people who take photos of themselves in the lavatories (restrooms) of airplanes

And then Michelle one upped herself and made her own hilarious laviator video. I do hope she’s begun a new trend.

Interested in joining the club? Here’s how…

On your next flight:

1. Grab your camera (Put it in your pocket)
2. When the seat belt sign is off, go to the lav. (Don’t forget to lock the door)
3. Take a picture of yourself (Get creative! That’s what this is all about.)
4. Keep it clean, people! (That’s rule #1)
5. Submit your photo to the laviators new home on flickr.com and then I’ll feature the best photos here on Gadling

Check out our newest coolest members…

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I’m in Geneva this week for the big business aviation show. Attached is a photo of me in the lav on the Boeing Business Jet that used to belong to Phil Condit, the past Chairman/CEO of Boeing. The plane is up for sale. Flightblogger and I plan on sending you another picture of us in a bizjet lav. I hope this finds you well! -Benet Wilson (Aviation Weekly)

The last time I saw you, Benet, you were posing in the lav with flightblogger on Oprah’s jet – as in the big O! Which only makes sense considering you’re kind of like Oprah yourself in the aviation world. You’re also the laviator record holder for most laviator submissions! You go, Girl!

Since the inception of the introduction of the term Laviator I have resisted the trend of shooting portraits in an airplane lavatory. My primary resistance to being a Laviator … or Laviating or having Laviated was that I really didn’t want to bring a camera into an airplane lavatory. Seriously … airplane lavatories are germ incubation factories. I generally find myself wiping down the seat twice, and on the way out washing my hands twice, followed by a generous use of Purell to wash my hands after touching the door on the way out… – Steven Frischling, Flying With Fish

It’s about time, Steven! To be honest I never really thought this day would ever come. Especially after receiving your sorry attempt at a laviator shot taken from inside the spic and span Admirals Club Lounge restroom in the airport terminal. Now if Purell doesn’t jump all over this amazing marketing opportunity, featuring the laviators in an advertising campaign, I’ll be shocked. Because we, the frequent flying laviators, are the face of antibiotic hand lotion in the sky.

About a week ago, Flying with Fish posted laviator photos of himself. I thought I’d continue the meme, from onboard Cathay Pacific First Class. What could be trashier than taking a picture of yourself in the lavatory? Except here I am, in a first class lavatory. Oh, sweet irony! – Gary Leff, View From The Wing

That’s one swanky looking lavatory you’re hanging out in, Gary! I heard from the husband a reliable source that those hand lotions behind you smell absolutely amazing. Do they? Oh don’t you dare tell me you didn’t take a whiff. Because I know you did. In fact, I bet you ten bucks you even sampled a few different kinds. Don’t deny it, Gary, or else I’ll have to check inside your carry-on tote for evidence. As for what can be trashier than taking a self-portrait of yourself in the lav, well I can think of something – my job! Try collecting trash for a living at 30,000 feet. In fact, if you’re ever on one of my flights I’ll let you do just that. Then we can talk trash!

This was NOT easy! – Pam Mandel, Nerds Eye View

Yeah, I know that Pam! This is especially true when you’re posing with a ukulele in the lav! But that’s part of the fun, isn’t it? By the way, what did the flight attendants say when they saw you going into the bathroom with a musical instrument? Oh I bet you were major Galley Gossip that day! I mean here I thought it was weird when a passenger inside the lavatory cracked open the door and asked if we had any magazines to read on board, but that almost makes sense compared to what you were doing. Big probs to you, my friend! How bout next time you play a little something on the uke, but don’t forget your tripod because I’ll need to see a video of that for sure. (Please!)

Hey hey, here it is – JL

Hey, hey – wait a minute….so this is what happened to The Smashing Pumpkins! Hey, do me a favor and tell Jessica Simpson I said hello. Take that back, tell Jessica Simpson she’s next! Besides you, Billy Corgan – Oops I mean JL (wink wink) – I don’t have a celebrity laviator shot.

Laviated on Southwest Airlines – a 737-700. Flying from SMF-SEA wearing a reverse Laviator T-shirt designed by Windtee, maker of aviation artwork! – Julie

Hey, I need one of those shirts!


I took the photo in the first class lav on American Airlines from DFW – CLT this morning on my 79th flight of the year. :) This is the second year in a row I’ve flown on my birthday! – Julia

From this day forth I think everyone should spend at least one birthday in a lav on an airplane. Lord knows I have – too many times to count! Let’s not even talk about all the holidays. Now what I like about this picture, Julia, is not your pretty eyes or the way your sweater pops or the clarity of the photo, but the coffee bag hanging on the back of the lavatory door. That, my friend, is airplane deodorizer. (Works wonders sprinkled on top of barf as well)

Prehistoric cave art discovered in Transylvania

by Sean McLachlan on

A group of speleologists exploring a cave in the Apuseni Nature Park in Transylvania, Romania, have discovered what could be Central Europe’s oldest cave art. Paintings of now-extinct species rhinoceros and cat were found next to images of bison, a horse, a bear’s head, and a female torso.

While dating cave art is difficult, based on the style archaeologists believe the figures are anywhere from 23,000 to 35,000 years old. No cave art this old has ever been found in Central Europe.

Coliboaia cave, where the art was discovered, is one of hundreds of caves in the Bihorului Mountains. Many have yet to be explored and there are likely to be more archaeological surprises in the future.

The question remains of what to do with the cave. There will be a temptation to open it to the public, but with the controversial reopening of Altamira in Spain, and the problems over preserving the paintings of Lascaux in France, the debate over how best to preserve humanity’s oldest art is growing louder than ever.

Lascaux image courtesy Sevela.p via Wikimedia Commons.

Man flies to London hidden beneath airplane

by Jeremy Kressmann on

A 20-year-old Romanian man is lucky to be alive after he was discovered hidden inside the rear wheel compartment of a jet arriving this week in London. The stowaway, who was apparently looking for work, braved low oxygen and outside air temperatures during the flight as low as 40 below zero. Upon his discovery at London’s Heathrow Airport, he was covered in bruises and showing signs of hypothermia, but thankfully still alive.

How exactly did a man manage to sneak inside a plane? And how did he make it through the experience? It turns out through a remarkable mix of luck, daring and stupidity. The man apparently climbed under a fence at Vienna’s Schwechat airport, hiding himself beneath a private jet that had been parked there since last week. He also lucked out with the flight plan – the plane had to fly at a lower-than-normal altitude to avoid bad weather, allowing the man to survive what would normally be a fatal combination of cold and lack of air.

UK authorities were surprised by the man’s unexpected arrival, though they declined to press charges. As Romania is part of the European Union, the “passenger” was technically allowed to visit on holiday. He was cautioned and freed with no further action. Frankly, this traveler is lucky to have survived the ordeal, let alone gotten off without legal action.

Next time you’re ready to complain about that horrible experience on your last flight, you might want to think again. Somebody out there has definitely had it much worse.

(Image: Flickr/Lili Vieira de Carvalho’s)

A look inside of Shanghai’s World Expo 2010

by Grant Martin on

2010’s world expo is in Shanghai this year, and as the opening day of May 1st draws near, countries are racing against one another to build the most exotic, crowd-pleasing pavilions.

Boston.com’s Big Picture Blog hosts a comprehensive review of the current pavilions in progress, but for the most recent update, check out Shanghaist’s tour. Some of the designs in the works are stunning, from the UK’s Seed Cathedral to Romania’s Greenopolis.

Running through the end of October, the expo promises to be an event of epic proportions, with nations showing off their architectural, design and sustainability prowess. We’re supremely jealous of anyone who makes the trip.

If the above pictures have tickled your fancy, it’s best to start planning your trip to China now — in addition to expensive hotels and flights that will surely prevail in Shanghai this summer, the visa application process can be time consuming and costly. For a show of this proportion, however, the cost is surely worth it.

Voluntourism for thrill-seekers

by Laurel Miller on

With the global economy in the toilet and natural disasters suggesting the Apocalypse is nigh, voluntourism is reaching record levels. Whether for philanthropic, educational, or financial reasons, travelers are looking for more from a vacation than just lolling on a beach, sucking down fruity cocktails, and managing hangovers.

The newest wave in experiential travel offers challenges greater than building flush toilets in a Rajasthani village, or reading to blind kids in Romanian orphanges. Today’s voluntourist can choose from a range of options that will challenge them both physically and mentally, while still providing that warm, fuzzy feeling brought on by doing something good for Mother Earth. Check out Gadling’s top picks for 2010:Ever yearned to play castaway on a South Seas isle? Now you can, with Albatross Adventures’ “Guano Mining in Micronesia” package. By day, harvest valuable seabird guano- used for commercial fertilizer and gunpowder-while your nights are spent eating seafood fresh from the surrounding waters, consuming kava with locals, and sleeping under the stars and coconut palms (assuming your atoll has trees). Also new from Albatross: “Mexico City Sewer Refurbishment.”

If habitat restoration is more your thing, you’ll want to join forces with the “Clean-up Gore Corps,” a U.S.-based non-profit specializing in “Cambodian Landmine Sweeps” and “Area 51 Revitilization” vacations. Experienced adventure travelers will enjoy “volunterrorism” tours of duty to Axis of Evil countries, and other politically unstable nations. Help Myanmar youth learn assault rifle skills, or teach spelunking to Afghani teens. Remember, it takes a village to raise a child, and your efforts, no matter how small, can make a difference.

Voluntourism in the medical field is also on the rise, which is the inspiration behind Red Cross Tours new “Thailand Blood Drive” trips. Since the recent Red Shirt protests, there is a dire shortage of spare blood, as well as medical supplies and trained phlebotomists in this HIV-stricken nation, and your skills can save lives. Also popular: “Surrogacy for Thai Sex Workers.” Use your uterus to foster hope, in a place where there is none.


For more information on adventure voluntourism, contact the National Organization for Worldwide Assistance: You (NOWAY), at www.noway.org.