Tuesday, July 24, 2007

London to Mongolia ... in an ice cream truck!

Rum, raisin and rotten roads
To drive from London to Mongolia takes some doing. To try it in this ice cream van, stopping to serve cones to passers-by and border guards along the way, is one step beyond.
BBC News
Last Updated: Tuesday, 24 July 2007, 12:24 GMT 13:24 UK

Backpacking just isn't for me. Everyone goes backpacking, or so it seems, I want a proper old-fashioned adventure and to do something nobody has ever done before. And so we are pushing back the boundaries of ice cream vending.

Click
here for complete article.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

No More Starbucks in Forbidden City

Forbidden City Starbucks closes
A Starbucks coffee shop operating on the historic site of Beijing's Forbidden City has closed down after huge protests.
BBC News
Last Updated: Saturday, 14 July 2007, 06:26 GMT 07:26 UK

An online campaign arguing that the shop was trampling on Chinese culture had drawn more than 500,000 signatures.

Click
here for complete article.

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Photography courtesy of ellesil's photostream on Flickr

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Report from Pamplona's Running of the Bulls

Running of the Bulls Begins in Spain
PAMPLONA, Spain — Six massive fighting bulls specially bred for fearlessness charged down the narrow, slippery, people-clogged streets of
Pamplona on Saturday during the first bull run of the San Fermin Festival.
Associated Press
FoxNews.com
Saturday, July 07, 2007










One Australian man was gored slightly and one Spaniard was lucky to emerge with only a minor shoulder injury after having been tossed in the air by one of the bulls before falling into the path of another whose horns missed. Both were evacuated by ambulance.

Click
here for complete article.

Seven gored at Pamplona bull run
Seven people have been gored by bulls during the sixth day of this year's annual bull-running festival in the northern Spanish town of Pamplona.
BBC News
Last Updated: Thursday, 12 July 2007, 12:10 GMT 13:10 UK

Local authorities said three people were in a serious condition and had undergone operations in hospital.

Click here for complete article.


Photography courtesy of inthesitymad's photostream
on Flickr

Thursday, July 05, 2007

South Pacific Island Nation Vanuatu: Happiest Place in the World

The following article and relevant clip from the BBC report on recent findings that the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu is the Happiest country on earth. I can't help but think about two of my favorite books: Paul Theroux's Happy Isles of Oceania and Michener's Tales of the South Pacific, especially Tales' mythical isle of Bali Hai.

Photograph courtesy of Graham Crumb's Flickr stream

What's so great about living in Vanuatu?
The Pacific island nation of Vanuatu is the happiest place on earth, according to a new "happy planet index". Beside the palm trees and beaches, why is life so good there?
By Denise Winterman
BBC News Magazine
Last Updated: Thursday, 13 July 2006, 12:02 GMT 13:02 UK

The archipelago of 83 islands in the western Pacific is the happiest place on the planet, according to a new "happy planet index" published by the New Economics Foundation (NEF). The UK languishes in 108th place, below Libya, Iran, and Palestine.

Click here for complete article.

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Vanuatu is happiest country
BBC News Player
July 4, 2007

The Vanuatu islands are underdeveloped but the happiest country on earth due to strong traditions.

Click
here to view the clip.

Provence: Tiled Roof



Tiled Roof
Photography by
Tiki Chris © 2007
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Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Provence: Chain


Chain
Photography by
Tiki Chris © 2007
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Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Provence: Salernes


Salernes
Photography by
Tiki Chris © 2007
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Monday, July 02, 2007

Provence: Entrecasteaux


Entrecasteaux
Photography by
Tiki Chris © 2007
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click
here for details.

Sunday, July 01, 2007

Provence: Cotignac


Cotignac
Photography by
Tiki Chris © 2007
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click
here for details.