Cocaine is currently one of the world’s worst and biggest problem drugs and much of it is coming from South America. And now some very game travelers to Sierra Nevada in Colombia are going on trips to see this evil drug being manufactured. For as little as $9 a guide takes them deep into the La Ciudad Perdida or Lost City on a trail to a cocaine lab. Here farmers show how the leaves are grown then mashed together with a deadly cocktail of petrol, acids and other nasty ingredients to make a paste which becomes the base of cocaine. Many of the farmers and manufactures remain poor with much of the profits of this drug going to drug lords and fund the country’s unrest where corrupt paramilitary soldiers, and guerrillas has claimed so many lives in recent decades with massacres and killings of many innocent people. Read the rest of this entry »
We are probably being a bit harsh by our title, but the Hotel Celica was not the place you would have wanted to spend the night a few years back when it was the notorious Ljubljana Prison. Today it is one of Slovenia’s hippest places to stay and has been turned into a artistically renovated 20 room or cell hostel for travelers. Opening in 2003 the Hotel Celica has one of the highest occupancy rates in the country and with prices starting around 20 Euro it is no wonder why. The hotel has won many special awards including the golden award or Sejalec from the Slovenian Tourist Board and in 2006 the popular Lonely Planet publication voted it the Hippest Hostel in the World. The Celica has all the things you need for a hostel stay including kitchen, TV rooms, laundry, tourist desk and internet to send your photos and stories back home. – If you have any good ones- we would love to see them.
On May 9 1950 Sam Walton opened a variety store in Bentonville Arkansas, 50 years later Sam became the richest man in the world and now his three sons are in the top 10 richest people in the world owning the huge Walmart variety stores. Exactly forty years after opening the Bentonville store the WalMart Visitors Centre was opened by then Governor of Arkansas former President Bill Clinton. The visitor centre attracts in the vicinity of 60,000 people a year and traces the amazing story of the Walton family and their stores. The centre has thousands of pieces of history from the retail giant’s history and quiet an insight into the Family including Mrs Walton’s wedding dress.
If you are a regular reader to Tripandom, you will probably know we love a Disney story, and we haven’t done one for a while so Today is Disneyland Day – Paris Style. The Disneyland Paris Space Mountain is an amazing indoor rollercoaster ride and is one of the parks premier attractions. Featuring a Jules Verne themed adventure based on his From the Earth to the Moon book the coaster consists of a 1.5 g uphill launch at just under 70 km per hour and a sidewinder and corkscrew. All set to a synchronized on board audio theme composed by Steven Bramson the five vehicles can take 25 people each on a 2 minute ride. The Coaster rises over 45 metres and travels 1000 in the breath taking adventure. The building itself is a masterpiece of Disney design, being over 61 metres in diameter and 43 metres high it dominates the Tommorowland section of the park. The ride has recently gone under a huge makeover and has been renamed Space Mountain Mission 2.
The 2008 Olympic Games kick on in the Chinese capital Beijing on the 8th of August and the world is going to be amazed at not only some incredible sporting moments but some of the most cutting edge and daring architecture the world has ever seen. The main stadium which looks like a huge steel bird’s nest and the National Aquatic Centre which is dubbed the Water Cube are two of the spectacular highlights. The Watercube has been designed by Australian and Chinese engineers and architects and will seat over 17000 spectators who will watch nearly 50 gold medals be awarded during the Olympic Games. Read the rest of this entry »
Why go to all the expense of dozens of family and friends and churches and reception for your wedding when you can get married in Las Vegas style in a couple of minutes in a drive thru with a Elvis impersonator or something even more tacky. The Little White Chapel on the Las Vegas strip is the perfect place for wedding, If it was good enough for Britney Spears, well its good enough for you!. She is one of the dozen’s of clebs who have tied the knot at the chapel, even Michael Jordan, Joan Collins, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland and Bruce Willis have been married here and Mickey Rooney loved the place so much he got married there twice. There are a few different style weddings available, you can use the chapel or if you are in a real hurry to start the honeymoon why not use the drive thru, and you don’t need a reservation although you do need to have a wedding license. If you need a dress, some flowers or even a few bridesmaids you can hire them on the spot. Prices are pretty cheap but if you don’t have cash on you they have a handy ATM in the foyer where you can pay for your needs. Read the rest of this entry »
The Melbourne Museum is the one of the newest and largest museums in the Southern Hemisphere housing a permanent collection in eight galleries, including one just for children and areas for huge traveling exhibitions. The most love treasure of the museum is Pharlap which is renowned as Australia’s greatest racehorse, thousands visit the museum just to view this magnificent animal. The museum features an IMAX theatre and the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Centre which is one of Australia’s finest collection of Australian indigenous culture. The museum isn’t all glass cabinet displays it is a multi media learning centre for young and old and even features an amazing living rain forest complete with animals and plant life in it’s heart. Children love the dinosaur galleries with huge skeleton of a diprotodon, Tarbosaurus, Tsintaosaurus and other huge prehistoric beasts. Read the rest of this entry »
Today’s You Tube video features a fascinating bus ride through Egypt to the amazing pyramids. Here amongst the vast sand plains is one of man’s most intriguing and amazing structures. The pyramid’s have so many unlocked stories which fascinate many of us. How did and why were these huge stone monoliths built thousands of years ago without the technology we have today, an incredible feat. Read the rest of this entry »
Tokyo has a few borrowed land marks, there’s the replica of the Eifel Tower, although in a bright orange paint job, Disneyland and the Statue of Liberty. Sitting proudly overlooking Tokyo Bay and the Golden Gate inspired Rainbow Bridge is a 1/4 scale of New York’s magnificent lady. It was originally only a temporary structure, the French gave it to Tokyo in 1998 to celebrate the French Year in Japan but the Japanese loved it so much a replica of the one the French gave them was commissioned and built on the same site. It is now one of Tokyo’s most photographed monuments. Just like the New York monument the statue is made of iron and green copper bronze, it even has gold leafing encircling the beautiful torch of freedom. There are quiet a few more Statues of Liberty in Japan most are on tacky ‘Love Hotels’ and there is another one in the American Themed city of Amerika-MuraOsaka in the heart of Osaka.
The Brixton Market in Brixton, South London is home to Europe’s biggest African and Caribbean market. Open from 10 am to sunset six days a week, being closed on Sunday the market is a multicultural celebration of food, music, art, clothing and bargains everywhere. The market is made up of several smaller markets and a few arcades, including the Electric Avenue, which was the first street market to be lit with electricity, you might remember the Eddie Grant reggae song in the 80’s called Electric Avenue, this is about the market. The market has some of London’s freshest and best produce with plenty of ethnic specialties including Halal meats, tropical vegetables and fruits and even Caribbean bakeries. The markets date back to the 1870’s but the Afro influences have developed after the second world war when thousands of immigrants came to London with the labor shortages. Make sure to bring plenty of change for bargains and plenty of time to browse you won’t be going home empty handed. Read the rest of this entry »
