photo credit: Reuters
(Dublin, Ireland) A 65-member team that set sail from Roskilde, Denmark on July 1st, arrived yesterday in Dublin. The team journeyed over 1,000 nautical miles using only oar and sail power. Christened the Havhingsten af Glendalough (The Sea Stallion of Glendalough), this reconstructed viking ship is the largest in the world, say its builders, who built it using the wood of 300 oak trees.
The Sea Stallion's return voyage was 1,000 years in the making. Originally built in Dublin in 1042, it sank 30 years later in the Roskilde fjord, south of Copenhagen. It was not excavated until 1964, and was finally completed in 2004. The aim of this journey was to address questions related to Viking ship-building and travel.
Researchers will examine film and computer data gathered during the voyage, and the vessel will be on display at Dublin's National Museum until next year, when another crew will make the return voyage home.
Now that's what I call an adventure!
In the place that invented the “Brazilian” wax, a bikini is a staple.
My bathing suit from Seattle just was not going to cut it. But, where to start? Having heard the Brazilian bikinis described as either “fio dental” ( “dental floss”) or “asa delta” (“the hang glider”), I was a bit nervous. A credit card and some courage, and I was off!
One of my favorite shops was BumBum (www.bumbum.com), which is named after a slang word for “butt”, and can be found at several locations near Ipanema and Copacobana beaches, and I also really like the styles at a lovely boutique called Vanina Nemer (http://www.vaninanemer.com.br/). Has anyone else ever heard of a Trikini before?
But…(no pun intended) you don’t have to go into a shop to buy a bathing suit. They sell them just about everywhere: crocheted bikinis on the beach, cardboard boxes full of Lycra on street corners, and even at the Sunday markets.
You’ll see people of all different shapes and sizes wearing them not just at the beach, but while walking along the streets, riding bikes, shopping, and even to the restaurants.
The guys are wearing speedos. Sometimes they’ll wear them under board shorts, but they shed the shorts as soon as they hit the sand. Get used to it!
So, my best advice is to make up with confidence what your bathing suit lacks in material, and strut your stuff!
Adventure On!
Personally, I have been to two (Christ Redeemer, Brazil and The Roman Colosseum, Italy), but you can be sure the others are on my list!
By the way, the Great Pyramid of Giza is the only wonder remaining of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
It's a wonderful world we live in. Now get out there and experience it!
-Sleep in till afternoon.
-Get up and do something in the few hours of daylight remaining.
-Take a siesta.
-Get ready for a 10pm dinner.
-Hit the local clubs around midnight.
-Arrive home at an unmentionable hour.
-Repeat until sun shines. (At which point you will be advised to wake as early as possible and head to the nearest beach.)
Adventure On!
Kristen
A well-respected artist (http://www.maskaart.com/) whose art was not consistent with Communist thought in his home country, Máška left Czech in the early 1990s in order to develop his art. He went first to the United States to continue his art studies, then travelled all over the world. He eventually made his way down to Roatan.
Sample of Moska's artwork.
In each of these places, he thought the beer was terrible. While many people might have had this same thought, he decided he needed to do something about it. Roatan Brewery (http://www.roatanbrewery.com/) is now up and running with two lovely beers, Bay Islands Pilsner and Bay Islands Ale. I can vouch that they are both delicious.
The brewery itself is a replica of a 15th century Spanish fortress. Máška has built it himself in less than 2 years, high on a hill in the east end of the island. Windmills and solar panels provide the power for the brewery. In order to produce these natural beers that follow a 600 year old recipe, he imports everything, from the equipment to the hops, yeast and malt, from Europe. The entire brewing cycle takes about a month to complete. If you stop by, Máška will give you a tour of the place and regale you with stories, only after he provides you with a freshly poured beer.
All his beer drinking has inspired some pretty lofty ideas. Máška has, among other serious adventures, crashed a 4-seater airplane and survived. Later he sank a boat he brought over from Czech in the deep waters off the north coast of Honduras, and was adrift for 16 hours. With no flotation device. Eventually he was picked up by local fishermen.
These events have only fueled the passion for his latest endeavour. What next? A pirate ship, of course! The Black Pearl project (http://www.1blackpearl.com/) is creating an exact replica of the pride of Henry Morgan's fleet. Henry Morgan was one of the most famous pirates of the Carribean, who built the original Black Pearl off the coast of Honduras in 1667. Máška is not only building this ship using the same materials used back then, but is also building it in the same place it was originally built. Details include 6 bronze functional cannons, handmade canvases and ropes, a handmade metal-tipped anchor, and also the sheathing impregnated by hot blood from oxen. The ship is designed for tourism, and will be ready for its maiden voyage in summer of 2007.
What's on the horizon for Captain Máška is beyond anyone's imagination. Perhaps the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria? Ahoy, mateys!
Adventure on,
Kristen
