Gadling Take FIVE: Week of Jan. 3-Jan. 9

by Jamie Rhein on

With the 2009 turnover has come new beginnings and changes that have influenced the travel world. Some changes began to happen a few years to thousands of years ago.

  • Jeremy who struggles with change on laundry day, discusses the lack of coins problem in Argentina, an issue that has been exaserbated by the economy.
  • As a postive change, Brenda highlighted a recent move by President Bush. He announced this week that three marine monuments have been created in the Pacific Ocean in order to protect the environment. Yes, it’s true, Shon. It was Bush, the guy in the White House. (Shon left a comment on Brenda’s post. We love comments.)
  • In his post on Australia’s Monash University’s new Web site, Aaron points describes how you can find out how the Earth’s physical appearance has changed over thousands of years as ice has melted by using the interactive map.
  • As tourism to Cambodia continues to rise, changes are happening in its travel landscape. Tom delves into the country’s ecotourism efforts.
  • Scott’s post on the first passenger airplane from Europe to land in Baghdad over the last 18 years, hopefully, indicates positive changes to come. The charter plane from Sweden had mostly Iraqis on board. They now live in Europe.

This week also marked the beginning of Gadling’s month long Budget Travel series where we point you towards places that might help you keep more change in your pocket. Check every Monday through Friday for new destinations. So far we’ve covered: Baltimore, Amsterdam, The Lake Effect Wine Trail, San Francisco, and Butte, Montana.

Also, don’t miss the posts of Jon Bowermaster, Gadling’s latest guest blogger who is writing posts from Antarctica. Each week there will be something to learn and enjoy from Jon’s intimate connection. He first went to Antarctica twenty years ago as part of an international dog sled team.

Where’s all the change in Argentina?

by Jeremy Kressmann on

I hate coins. They’re a pain to carry around and I always end up dropping them all over the place while I fiddle to put bills back into my wallet. Yet I do realize they serve a purpose – any time I’m cursing myself for running out of quarters at the laundromat I’m reminded of this fact.

The citizens are Argentina have a love/hate relationship with their coins as well. Though the country recovered remarkably well from an economic meltdown in 2001, recently Argentines have been experiencing a severe shortage of proper change at many banks and local businesses. At many stores, merchants will flat-out refuse customer business unless they have correct change, displaying signs that read “No hay monedas.” Taxi drivers routinely flaunt the metered fare, accepting less money for their route or resorting to overcharging customers.

What’s a visitor to Argentina to do about it all? Locals recommend anyone hoping to take a taxi ensure they have small bills on them – you’re likely to get either a look of horror, or flat-out denial if you try to break anything bigger than a 20 peso note. The same goes for stores as well – be prepared to not get back the difference if it’s less than 5 or 10 centavos. And if you can, use a credit or debit card. Ultimately like many travel situations, a little patience goes a long way. This is after-all Argentina, one of the jewels of South America. You’re not going to let a little pocket change get you down, are you?

[Via Buzzfeed]

Stand By Me while traveling the world

by Abha Malpani on

Award winning producer and film director Mark Johnson, recorded a guy on his street singing “Stand By Me”; then he traveled around the world and recorded about 100 other local artists doing the same. He edited some of the snippets of their footage into a video, and this (video below) is the result. It’s just too awesome. There is also a documentary film co-directed by Johnson, expanding on the same idea — you can see the trailer here.

This initiative of course is part of a larger program called “Playing For Change” which aims to connect the world through music. The foundation provides musicians around the world facilities to play music and enhance their skills, therefore not only making their lives better but also demonstrating how music brings people together regardless of cultural and socio-economic differences. Current projects include building a music school in Gugulethu (South Africa) to provide the youth there an alternative to the daily violence and deprivation they face; rebuilding and enhancing Tibetan refugee centers in Dharamsala and Kathmandu; and building an arts center in Johannesburg.

Here’s a recently recorded interview with Johnson by PBS’s Bill Moyers, and a Q&A with him on ComingSoon.net.