Five ways to enjoy “Suicide Sunday”

by Tom Johansmeyer on

I stumbled into Cambridge, England on “Suicide Sunday,” a joyous occasion in which the local university students cut loose and get wasted blow off steam following the completion of final exams. The streets are packed with tourists and students, the former gawking, the latter playing. To witness the events is figuratively intoxicating, while to participate offers a more literal experience. The booze flows plentifully, and merriment is omnipresent.

So, how can you get in on the action? Call ahead to the Cambridge University to find out when Suicide Sunday will be (it’s always in June). Once you hit the ground, here are a few ways to pass the time:

1. Pour yourself a drink: If you’re clever, enter one of the colleges. The signs prohibit non-student entry, and there are security guards just inside those doors (as I learned the hard way). But, if you can slip inside, you’ll be at the center of the party. It’s fairly likely that free liquor will flow your way.

Backup Plan: If the rent-a-cops bust you, shoot for an aquatic landing. Take a “punt” (flat-bottomed boat) or other vessel onto the River Cam. Slip up to the shore and climb out. Bribe a student (in the boat and on shore). Get wasted. Too easy.

2. Stay on the river for a bit: “Punting,” mentioned above, is really nothing more than pushing a boat with a pole along the River Cam. You can either rent your own and try your luck or hire a “chauffeured” punt to bring you along the river. Keep in mind that there will be plenty of self-hired punts out there, so you’re best bet is to stay in the hands of a professional.

People Watch: There are parties at the colleges all along the river. Watch for the splashes, as drunk students tend to toss each other into the water. Sometimes, small wrestling matches occur that ultimately lead to a trip into the drink. You can enjoy the show from start to finish.

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3. Fill your stomach: The most common picnic fare seems to be beer and cheap Indian food. Join the party! Both are plentiful. Grab your grub and head out for the punt bridges behind St. Catherine’s (on Silver Street). Look for a spot in the unmowed grass, and chow down. Buy a little extra – you may be able to host a small party of drunk college kids!

Heckle the Help: When you’ve finished eating, stake out a spot on a bridge. To fit in with the locals, pick up a few water balloons. Then, hunt drunks. You won’t be alone. More than a few people were on the prowl while I was waiting for my punt.

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4. Enjoy the architecture: Yes, there is a cultural aspect to Cambridge University. The easiest way to satisfy your intellectual obligation is to wander the streets and enjoy the downright regal architecture that the various colleges offer. Also, you can do this while meandering from one rockin’ party to the next, so you don’t have to sacrifice any precious drinking time.

Watch for Pitchers: The clean cut British boys pushing punting tickets aren’t as skilled as the souk-minders of Marrakech, but they’re trying. Don’t get sucked in by their innocent charm while you’re snapping photos of the buildings. Make your arrangements for punting when you get down to the river.

5. Protest, protest, protest: Cambridge, England is not unlike Cambridge, Massachusetts, in that there is always some group fighting the social and political injustices of the world. On the most recent Suicide Day, I saw a bike rally chanting: “Free Gaza now!”

Let It Roll: Speaking of bikes, they’re the most popular form of transportation in Cambridge. Look for them when you cross the street. Hell, rent one for a while. It’s nice to see the world like a local.

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Disclosure: Many thanks to Visit Britain, which picked up the tab for this trip and to British Airways for the flights. Obviously, it did not pay for my opinions. If they did, I doubt this is the story that would have been commissioned.

THEY DO EXIST! Meet Gadling next weekend in Chicago

by Grant Martin on

We’re a ragtag group of bloggers here at Gadling, always on the road covering the newest, greatest travel stories, making friends all over the world, sleeping in airports and often with a drink and a camera in hand. It’s hard to track any of us down, whether you’re looking for Heather at 30,000ft, Jamie in the cornfields of Ohio or Jeremy in the sewers of New York writing Undiscovered New York posts.

But for the first time in Gadling history, we’ll all be in the same place at the same time. That place is Chicago, Illinois. Madness you say, Madness! I know, it’s exciting.

Fact of the matter is, we’re all getting together for a technical meeting over the weekend of the 16th, and we thought that we’d take the chance to reach out to some of our dear readers and colleagues to share pint or nine.

So here it is: your chance to smack Tom for writing too many stories about cigars, marvel at the Skymall godliness of Mike Barish and walk in the footsteps of the legendary Willy Volk. Your life will never be the same.

WHERE: The Goose Island Clybourn Brewpub, 1800 N Clybourn
WHEN: Saturday, May 16th, around 10:30 or 11PM
HOW YOU WILL FIND US: We’ll be the loud ones.

Rock out — ed

Amazing Race 14, recap 8: Bangkok, Thailand has helpful taxi drivers

by Jamie Rhein on

With the million dollars becoming more attainable as the playing field narrows, some teams are becoming more cagey and mistake prone. One team member is tossing aside manners while another temporarily tossed aside shoes. The Amazing Race 14 continues to be a lesson in how to travel wisely and what mistakes not to make.

Thailand continued to be a lovely backdrop for this week’s episode. The teams left Phuket for Bangkok where the first stop was a boat yard where the colorful painted wooden long boats are parked. Who got there first depended upon which taxi driver knew the directions and Bangkok traffic. Bangkok traffic can be the absolute pits. Even going a mile can take more than an hour. I know because I’ve sat in traffic not knowing that I could have walked faster.

At the boat yard, one member from each team were to put together a propeller correctly so the team could then travel to the next destination, Peninsula Pier via one of the long-tail boats. This was one of the times I felt compelled to shout out at the TV, “No, no, no, don’t leave your stuff!” when sisters Kisha & Jen and brothers Mark & Michael headed off without their bags. This is not just a lesson for The Amazing Race, but for any travel experience. Leaving baggage behind in taxis or on docks is not a good idea. Not only did it give them problems later, instead of enjoying the process of traveling, they were worried and distracted wondering how to get their belongings back.

Having the teams use the canal system and rivers to get around was a wonderful way to highlight the life along the water. There were shots of houses and temples as the teams glided by. Only Jaime and Cara commented on the color of the water. Not the stuff you’d want to swim in, but people do. When I was in Bangkok on a long-tail boat ride, there were smiling kids waving and bobbing as we passed. Ferries and long-tail boats are one way people move about the city.

Once the teams arrived at Peninsula Pier there was a choice between two tasks. Margie & Luke, in the lead, chose the one where they had to become dentists at “The Street of Happy Smiles” to outfit five Thai people with dentures. This was a hoot to watch but I hoped that the participants were handsomely compensated for their efforts–not Margie & Luke, but the ones who were fitted with dentures. After watching Margie breeze through this task, I’d say she could get a job in a dentist’s office for sure. She fit dentures like a pro. The shots of this task were fast to follow, but I’m hoping that each person who needed dentures had their own sets of dentures in their own stash so that teeth sets that were put in one person’s mouth didn’t end up in another’s.

All the other teams joined up with a party taxi where they sang a Thai pop culture karaoke song with women who may or may not have been transvestites. Everyone had a blast with this task, although Jen & Kisha didn’t have their stuff, including their passports and money, and Mark & Michael who were way behind because they had their taxi take them back to the dock to retrieve their bags before they continued with the race. Still, all sang away in a manner reminiscent of William Hung. Remember him from American Idol? She Bang. She Bang!

I’ve been to Bangkok several times and have never seen one of these party taxis. I’m curious. Here is a link to one driver who does have passengers sing karaoke to pass the time.

Because of Margie’s ability to kick it through tasks, she and Luke arrived at the Pit Stop at Phya Thai Palace first. For her quick thinking ways, they won a trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Jaime & Cara, who I don’t like much, at least I don’t care for Jaime because she’s so rude and catty, came in 2nd. Michael & Mark’s fondness for rule breaking got them in trouble again. Because they paid off taxi drivers with their belongings since they didn’t have any money left after their taxi ride back to the dock, gave them a four hour penalty. Thus, Kisha & Jen who had to go back from the Pit Stop to get their passports before they could check in, were able to beat them.

My respect for Thai taxi drivers went way up. The drivers were seen waiting for long periods of time, giving rides for free and bartering for fare. Bangkok is such a wonderful city and this episode highlighted some of the reasons why.

This was a non-elimination round which gives Mark & Michael a chance to catch up. Kind of. They’re going to be starting three hours behind everyone else and have their own Speed Bump to boot and Margie & Luke, as nice as they are, are devious and can’t be trusted. I’m waiting for Jaime to get hers. Seriously. She’s the type of person you don’t want to travel with if you want to treat people with kindness and patience and be a good guest.

Inside the Virgin America Boston Launch

by Grant Martin on

Virgin America kicked off their service to Boston with a bang last week, in an evening filled with excitement, celebrities and as usual, more than a few delicious beverages.

Gadling bloggers were on hand to capture the event that started at Logan Airport around 3PM. Naturally, Sir Richard Branson made the last minute decision to come down from the jetbridge in drag, after which a brief ceremony introduced us to the gate area, some foxy New England Patriots cheerleaders and a mishmash of Virgin crew and media.

Afterwards, the entire crew migrated over to the Liberty Hotel in Downtown Boston, where our old friend Mark from Jaunted was already setting up camp, then the whole lot of us headed down to the atrium for more festivities.

Proper ceremonies from the Revolution Takes Flight campaign started at seven, with CEO David Cush and Richard Branson both making speeches over the throbbing crowds below.

Check out our video covering the event after the jump.


Virgin America Boston Launch Highlights from Gadling on Vimeo.

All of our thanks to the staff and crew of Virgin America who worked their asses off during the event.

Until Orange County,

Gadling

Virgin America sets Boston launch

by Grant Martin on

The long heralded arrival of Virgin America into Boston Logan airport has been scheduled, and the tight jeans are coming out. February 11th marks the launch party in Los Angeles for the new LAX-BOS and SFO-BOS transcontinental routes, while the day after, Feb 12th will be the first eastbound flights.

Virgin America is keeping mum on what exactly the plans are for the launch; each new route so far has brought some sort of themed debauch, including Victoria’s Secret models, Entourage actors and rock stars.

Usually the theme revolves around the destination city though, which can only mean one thing: Puritanical hedonism. I know that you think that those terms are oxymorons, but once you slip your buckled shoes and giant hats on, well, that’s when you can let the booze and love take over.

Stay tuned to Gadling for the scoop on the Boston launch, and book your tickets on the new routes today.