I have always felt like the costumed characters at theme parks had a pretty thankless job. My biggest aversion to the job used to be the thought of how hot it must be inside one of those get-ups.
But still, I figured, it must be fun to make all those kids happy.
Now, thanks to a video of theme park photos circulating on the Web, my eyes have been opened to a myriad of indignities that the people who portray characters at theme parks must suffer.
Besides the crotch-grabbing children — and wow, there must be a lot of crotch-grabbing children — there is always that chance that a camera will catch you at just the right second and make it look like you are ogling a tourist in a tank top. Worse yet, your prosthetic spindly fingers could get caught in a tourist’s tank top.
The world has Ellen DeGeneres to thank for this eye-opener. She asked viewers of her talk show to send in their theme park photos that “just aren’t right.”
Take a look before you apply for that costumed character job next summer.
Victoria Falls is the English name for the Mosi Oa Tunya, the infamous, bountiful waterfalls in Mosi Oa Tunya National Park, Zambia. “Mosi Oa Tunya” means “The Smoke that Thunders,” but David Livingstone, the Scottish explorer, named Victoria Falls for his queen. Both names are widely recognized. Today, the Victoria Falls are recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World.
The falls are breathtaking and powerful enough to intimidate and inspire even the most experienced of travelers. They fill you with wonder and awe. They’re big; at 5,604 feet wide, they form the largest continuous sheet of falling water in the world, and they’re moving; the constant erosion of the falling water has actually pushed the falls markedly backward over the years. The umissable crowning glory of the falls is the permanent rainbow. You can see a rainbow from almost any angle as you walk along the path viewing the falls. You can chase it if you want, but it moves — trust me, I was after that pot of gold.
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The Livingstone-adjacent Mosi Oa Tunya National Park is full of wildlife and well-known not just for the magical waterfalls and rainbows, but for Mosi Oa Tunya game drives. Additionally, the park features level five rapids just below the falls, and you can also take elephant rides, helicopter tours or go bungee jumping. When you visit the falls, they may not be as powerful as you see above; part of the water is diverted to create hydropower — but according to our guide, we happened to visit on a lucky Sunday when the hydropower plant was under maintenance.
Perhaps Victoria Falls is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It’s hard to tell which side of a rainbow is the end and which side is the beginning.
To reach Victoria Falls, fly into Livingstone from Johannesburg, or to Lusaka and then take a train. Nearby accommodations include the fabulous Sussi & Chuma treehouse hotel. Right outside the Victoria Falls Heritage Site is a market where you can bargain for all kinds of souvenirs, so be sure to read Bartering in Africa – bring socks and other tips before you go!
[Photos and video by Annie Scott.]
My trip to Zambia was sponsored by Abercrombie & Kent and Sanctuary Retreats, but the ideas and opinions expressed in this article are 100 percent my own.
Some of us can easily sleep on planes, despite little leg room, screaming babies, and recirculated air, while others have to resort to sleeping pills, tiny airplane bottles of booze, and noise-canceling headphones to get any rest. But most of us can sleep on trains easily; something about the gentle rocking of the train, scenery whizzing by, and long bench seats makes for a comfy sleep experience. Flickr user snowjumpr (who has more interesting and enviable Italy pix on his photostream) caught this snoozer on a morning commuter train in Italy. Are you ready for a nap yet?
Take any good napping pictures on your travels? Share it with us on our Flickr group and it could be our next Photo of the Day.
For many of us, dreaming about travel and planning a trip is a favorite part of a travel process. Those early days of discovering a destination and imagining the delights it may hold, before the reality of long airport security lines, bad hotel rooms, and jet lag spoil the fun, are some of the sweetest. This photo by Flickr user Chris Maki titled “Wanderlust” recalls the immense possibilities a map and a few guidebooks can hold. When traveling on frequent flyer miles, I used to look at places where American Airlines and Marriott hotels intersected (a lot of South America and Western European destinations), and now my inspiration tools include a Turkish Airlines timetable, a stack of inflight magazines, and a Kindle full of Lonely Planet guides.
Have any travel photos to inspire wanderlust? Upload them to our Gadling group on Flickr and we might use one as our Photo of the Day.
I’m one of those weird adults who doesn’t know how to ride a bike. No great excuse, just never bothered to learn as a kid, preferring indoor pursuits and walking on nice solid ground, and it’s become harder to learn as an adult. My husband has attempted several times over the years and now I’m sort of like Toonces the driving cat – I can ride, just not very well. Maybe this fellow in Tokyo is also a non-bike rider and thus looks a bit shamed by the row of bicycles. No matter the reason for his sour face, this photo by Flickr user jrodmanjr is a nice composition in black and white of a city that takes its eco-friendly commuting seriously.
Have a great travel photo you’d like featured here? Add it to our Gadling group on Flickr and we might choose one as our Photo of the Day.