Fox News is on a constant mission to scare the living hell out of us, and now they have made the ultimate in journalistic calculations: fear + boobs = ratings gold. They and The Sun report today that British spies have uncovered a new Al Qaeda plot to train female terrorists to hide bombs in their breast implants. In fact, there have been reports of doctors training in Britain in techniques needed to implant these kinds of devices, only to wind up in terrorist camps with what we can only assume are hilariously awesome blueprints for their master plans. We have to admit that after the quaint days of shoe bombers and underwear bombers, this was the logical next step. Where we go from here…..well… So, for our silicone-enhanced friends out there, get ready to fill up another bin at the security check point. Do it for your country, now more than ever.
If you have 115 million dollars and 100 dwarfs, and the first thing you think of is: “Themepark!,” well, then you either need a bit of a morality check…or, you are just in China. Welcome to the Kingdom of the Little People. Yes, this is a real place, and, yes, that is exactly what they named it. What could make this worse? The creator, a shrewd business man from Sichuan, says he was inspired by nothing other than Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. But nevertheless, there it is, nestled not too far from the beautiful city of Kunming, one of China’s newest and oddest tourist traps.
And this isn’t any display of little people. They put a little flare into it. For $12 tourists can watch a show with exclusively costumed dwarfs engaging in humorous skits, group dances and acrobatics. Dig Triad reports,
“The show’s centrepiece, a farcical rendition of Swan Lake, sees performers both male and female dressed in pink tutus and pretending to be little swans. Around 100 tourists a day come to the kingdom and it’s a hit among local schools who bring bus loads of children to see the shows and wander around the village. The only qualification required for participants to be employed at the theme park is to be shorter than 51 inches and be self-sufficient in daily life. The youngest employee now is 18 and the oldest 48.”
You can find more details and some video, after the jump….
Spaceport America, that slab of concrete somewhere outside of nowhere in southern New Mexico, is finally taking shape. What promises to be a hub for activity for anyone willing to pay $200,000 for a trip to the outer stretches of mankind is now open for business for the first time, sort of… For those who can’t wait for the ultimate first flight in about a year’s time or who are still gathering the pennies from under the couch to fund a trip, there is now a hard hat tour of the site where you can walk the runway and see the futuristic Virgin terminal that will ferry the world’s first civilian spacemenpersons into the ether. Watch videos and see the development in action as the final touches are put on this historic site. Just outside of Truth and Consequence, NM, you can see Earthly tractors working on the seedlings of intergalactic backpacking. It may not be space, but it’s a great road trip pit stop. Buy tickets here, and read more about the history of this travel destination of the future, after the jump….
With earthquakes, tsunamis, and Jersey Shore terrorizing the planet these days, it is perfectly advisable to contemplate a plan were the end to suddenly come upon us. Pyrodes has been shopping around for an Armageddon hideout, and I think we found just the place. Nestled and cozy on a tiny, frozen island in the polar bear dominated prefectures of Norway is a rather random door (pictured above). Were you to enter this door and descend 120 meters underground into the base of the adjacent sandstone mountain, you would find perhaps the only underground facility not dedicated to sewage, nuclear weapons, or Dr. Evil. Welcome to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, or Doomsday Vault, as it is lovingly called. The Vault is an subterranean home to all the seeds this world has ever produced. Think of it as a veritable insurance policy for humanity itself, providing a back-up were any one crop ever to go extinct on planet earth, courtesy of our Norwegian brethren. It is a most interesting place, so…details, maps, history, and, most importantly, directions….after the jump.
In the days of disappearing trees and ever-present pavement, the idea of the Eco-Lodge is taking hold for travelers looking for something just a bit different. From coastal desert cabins in Namibia to huts in outlying areas of New Guinea, these off the map locales offer just what the modern day adventurer needs to get a healthy dose of fresh air. But, there are some lodges that have taken their business to the next level. Not only do they not harm the environment, but they have developed a synergistic relationship with local villages, adding education, jobs, money, and medical care where there would otherwise be none. Here, Pyrodes profiles two of them, one in the Jungles of Belize and another along the Amazon’s Rio Negro River. Both of these jewels offer a great adventure and a good cause to support……Let us tell you how to be proud of where you spend you vacation dollars, after the jump..
With every rational North Korean and self-respecting missile sneaking out of the DPRK these days, and every other naive outsider sneaking in, including Pyrodes (look here for some pics and video), we thought it a good time to learn a bit about the geography of this reclusive state. And we found just the site to help you out in your innocent curious meanderings or misguided planned adventures. The North Korea Economy Watch has put together quite the site with a Google Earth program that will occupy DPRK voyeurs for hours on in. Whether it be looking for the hidden nukes or just a good place to get your hair did on the streets of Pyongyang, this map has it all. And, the blog is not that bad either, with interesting and ongoing articles about the ever developing soap opera that is North Korea, it is a gem of information. Enjoy and Safe Travels!
Need some inspiration? Here are two videos that are sure to add a bright spot to your day. Bookmark’em for later and send them to friends because these are purely contagious. The first is a truly unique ’round the world music experience of Stand By Me by Ben E King from the folks at Play For Change. It splices together great pieces from Roger Ridley in Santa Monica, Grandpa Elliott and Washboard Chaz in New Orleans, Clarence Bekker in Amsterdam, and then to most other corners of the world. Make sure to watch at least the first 2:30 before moving on. Prepare to smile at this one .
Matt Harding is the king of world travel and the only dude that is capable of uniting the world through a nifty jig. Check’em out as he dances around the world.
They are the rare corners of the world, those unique locales where high society meets abject poverty, where international corporations co-mingle with local corruption, and where your next marriage proposal just might lay covered in 5 meters of mud. They are the ever-shrinking diamond mines of the world, each with their own story, quirks, dangers, and promise. Spread out throughout some of the most distant nooks of the planet, Pyrodes thinks a good diamond mine ranking is just what can get the imagination muscles working and give us a great excuse to snoop around places where we have no business at all. And, surprisingly, despite the stories from the movies and magazines that have ingrained themselves into the collective conscience of the morally confused yet materially compelled population of the razzle dazzle classes, most diamond mines out there, from Africa to Siberia to Australia, have their own flavor that often trump the stereotype. So, with that introduction in mind, let’s explore our top 5 favorite diamond mines…after the jump…
In these, the days of swine flu, economic collapse, and impromptu Air Force One bombing raids, there appears to be a lot of worry about, so Pyrodes encourages you to get away from it all, way-way away from it all, to the isolated, yet beautiful beaches of Mexico Kyrgyzstan. Lake Issyk-Kul, to be specific, is quite the hidden gem for travelers on many fronts. Perpetually warm, full of healthy minerals and Soviet lore, teeming with endangered species, and positioned under some of the most fabled mountains in Taoism and Islam alike, the lake offers those with the fortitude to reach it all the history and beauty one could ask for. It is the ninth largest lake in the world, and the second largest with salt water, but it takes a back seat to none in unique appeal and untouched value for the jaded traveler. There is much to see and do here, if you have the right info, so, let’s explore a little bit further, after the jump….
Pyrodes loves the Chinatown Bus, and everyone loves a good set of rankings, so we have decided to continue our ongoing Chinatown Bus debate with a new NYC-Boston edition of the Chinatown Bus rankings. (For our NYC-DC bus rankings click here). For the ride to or from Beantown these days, there is no doubt fewer choices than the DC counterparts and less creativity on cornering the immigrant/college student/thrifty spender/train-phobic market. But, that doesn’t mean there isn’t analysis to be done and rankings to be ranked. Look closely, folks, because there are real differences that can make the difference in a joyous day trip to Fenway Park or an afternoon stuck on the side of 1-95 somewhere in Connecticut. Soooss, here we go….
5. Boston Deluxe: (Website Here). Boston Deluxe, accessed through Go To Bus, has all the essentials without all the bells and whistles. This company has revamped its image and taken anew to the web with a fairly decent and functioning website. The company offers the standard fare of $15, but it does only provide about three trips a day between Boston and New York. Also, if you are in a small group, you may get stuck in a van instead of a bus, so beware. Witha ll the other options out there, van = not cool. So, for those of you who make your plans as you’re walking to a bus station, then this may not be the company for you. But, if you have a bit of forethought and want to avoid the rush with the other folks, look these guys up. They leave from the standard spots in Midtown at 32nd and Broadway but also provide service to the Upper East Side at 2nd Ave.
If you suspect there are better offers out there, you are right. The top four are after the jump….
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