Baghdad counts on a giant Ferris wheel to attract tourists

by Jamie Rhein on

As a way to boost tourism in Baghdad, a giant Ferris wheel is being planned. Not just any Ferris wheel either, but one that is taller than the London Eye. Certainly, a huge wheel that brings people high up in the sky for all to see will give the message that Baghdad is a safe place to come for a holiday by the time it opens.

Considering that a company to build it is still being scouted out, and the funds still need to be raised, the Ferris wheel won’t be opening any time soon.

The idea of sending people to great heights to promote the idea of safety is nothing new. This technique was also used by the Wright brothers in Pau, France in 1909 as a way to show that airplane travel was safe for everyone. Katharine, their sister, flew with Wilbur over the French countryside (see photo) to illustrate air travel safety, a necessary feat after a plane crashed killed someone.

In the Brisbane Times article that covers Baghdad’s upcoming Ferris wheel venture are several other ways that Baghdad is currently offering its residence and people who visit there fun and relaxation.

Want more “weird”? Check out these weird hotels:


Cyclo Ride: A Virtual Thrill

by Jamie Rhein on

Riding a cyclo in Vietnam is a bit like riding in a baby stroller if you can remember riding in a baby stroller. Except, in a cyclo, you’re moving in traffic and not safely on a sidewalk somewhere. As more and more people have cars and motorcycles in Vietnam, it’s getting harder to find places to get a cyclo ride. Although in Hanoi, there are still places where they are everywhere. At Virtual Tourist, you can find cyclo riding tips and comments from others who’ve been there. Once I stood on a street corner taking pictures of cyclos going by and the things they carried besides people. One had a coffin. I can’t imagine that cyclos will ever go totally out, and they may just be money makers from the tourist industry like they are in Singapore.

Here’s a video posted by budlake on You Tube of a cyclo ride in Hue that did make me feel like I was on a cyclo. The person holding the camera had the right idea. Just keep the camera steady and let the movement of the cyclo do the work. The result is that the viewer gets an idea of what it’s like to move in Vietnam’s traffic at a slower pace than the other vehicles passing by.