British Woman Attempts to Row Across the Indian Ocean

by Kraig Becker on

This past weekend British adventurer Sarah Outen dipped her oars into the water just off the shore of Fremantle, located in Western Australia, and set off to become the first woman to cross the Indian Ocean under her own power. All that stands between her, and her eventual destination in Mauritius, is 3100 miles of open water, including 30 foot waves, high winds, and treacherous currents. She’ll be passing through shark infested waters and dodging commercial shipping traffic along the way as well, in the hopes of setting a new speed record and claiming the crown as the youngest person to ever row across the Indiana Ocean.

On her official website, you’ll find more information about this intrepid traveler, and you’ll be able to track her progress all the way to Maurititus. Daily blog posts will give us insights into what she is dealing with out on the water, and her page on the route itself offers up handy training tips should you decide to make a long distance row of your own.

According to her home team, who are constantly tracking Sarah’s progress, she has had a bit of a rough start to the journey. High winds and choppy seas have already challenged her resolve, and she was dealing with a bout of sea sickness yesterday. Hopefully smoother conditions will return soon.

While Sarah is chasing those records I mentioned above, she’s also rowing for a cause. She’s dedicated her adventure to her dad, who passed away suddenly back in 2006, and she’s also working to raise awareness and funds for Arthritis Care, a charity very near and dear to her heart.

If everything goes according to plan, Sarah will reach her goal in less than 107 days, which is the current record. She’s now just over four days into the attempt.

Good luck Sarah!

New Tsunami Early Warning System in Place

by Josh Lew on

Since the catastrophic tsunami of 2004, there have been calls to bolster the deficient tsunami detection system in the eastern Indian Ocean. Nations have installed buoys that can detect tsunamis and offer early warning. But Indonesia, which received the brunt of the wave, is taking it a step further. With the help of a German geo-science company, they have begun to install sensors on the sea floor itself. These sensors will relay seismic data to buoys at the surface, which will, in turn, send them to Indonesia’s Tsunami Center via satellite. The system will give warning of a possible tsunami within minutes of an undersea quake. However, experts say that to be completely effective, the system requires more buoys, more undersea sensors and more electronic tide sensors.

Thailand has put buoys out into the ocean to act as an early warning system. In order to reassure tourists on the island of Phuket, they have also built Tsunami watch towers, which do little else than make tourists feel more comfortable.

One for the Road: Where Flavor Was Born

by Kelly Amabile on

The photo on the cover of this travelogue cookbook has my mouth watering! And from what I can tell, the pages in between offer up much more eye candy for hungry travelers who like to cook. Where Flavor Was Born: Recipes and Culinary Travels Along the Indian Ocean Spice Route is a delicious journey that explores the origins of spices from Bali to Zanzibar.

The colorful book is loaded with glossy photos and almost 100 recipes, like this one for Indian Pepper Chicken. Need more tempting? Here are three more freebies that use curry from India, tamarind sauce from Thailand and cloves from Zanzibar. Food writer and TV chef Andreas Viestad (known for his New Scandinavian Cooking show), is the tour guide for this adventure of taste. The book is organized by spice, and includes a glossary for easy reference, which should be helpful when you’re up to your eyeballs in cardamom and coriander in the kitchen!

Tropical Sunsets

by Iva Skoch on

As the days keep getting shorter and colder here in Prague, I find myself thinking more and more about travel to the tropics. And, of course, one of the best reasons to visit the tropics is to watch the sunset, lying in a hammock next to a loved one, with drink in hand. Now, sunsets in Prague are nothing to sneeze at, with the rosy light settling on the beautiful buildings, but it’s hard to beat the tropics. My worldwide favorite sunsets? The island of Mauritius, off the coast of Madagascar.

As we at Gadling have reported, there are a million great attributes of this country: democratic, safe, remote, with a good economy, beautiful, friendly people, unbelievable food, perfect weather, mountains, beaches–should I go on? While most fly in through South Africa, we endured the 11.5 hour flight direct from Paris on Air France. But what treats await! I have never seen sunsets so consistently magnificent anywhere in the world.

The island country is an interesting mix of Africans and Indians and their cultures, with history as both a French and, later, a British colony. You can see the French architectural influence, and most people speak a kind of Creole French in everyday conversation. The official language and legal customs, however, are English. While not on most people’s radar screen, everyone has heard about the island, at least through the existence of the dodo bird, a former inhabitant. Mark Twain was a big fan, saying “heaven was copied after Mauritius.”

Dear readers: where are your favorite sunsets?