Viking Ship Lands in Ireland

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!

Buying a Bikini in Brazil

Bathing suits in Brazil come in two sizes: small and smaller. I spent a LOT of time looking for the former.

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!

Photo: Trying on bits and pieces at the hippie fair.

Adventure On!

The New 7 Wonders of the World

On July 7, 2007 (07.07.07) the New 7 Wonders of the World were announced, after the first ever global election. Here is the list:

1. The Great Wall, China


2. Petra, Jordan


3. Christ Redeemer, Brazil


4. Machu Picchu, Peru


5. Chichén Itzá, Mexico


6. The Roman Colosseum, Italy


7. The Taj Mahal, India

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!

A Moment to Mourn

(Sao Paulo, Brasil) Having just recently been through Sao Paulo's airport 3 times, and also having been affected by the numerous air traffic controller strikes and cancelled flights while in Brasil, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the lives lost in the terrible plane crash that happened there yesterday.

The President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, declared three days of national mourning for Brasil’s second major air disaster in less than a year.

More information can be found here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6904087.stm

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070718/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/brazil_plane_crash

Come to Jesus!

(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) When one thinks of Rio, one automatically thinks of Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor), the statue of Jesus that stands atop Corcovado mountain, overlooking the city. In a city of extremes, it is the ultimate irony: blessings upon a city proud of its reputation for lasciviousness.

"The Christ" is located 2,300 vertical feet above the city, in the Parque Nacional de Tijuca, which is an urban rain forest. Another extreme: only in Rio can you go from the concrete jungle to the tropical jungle within a few minutes.

It has just been announced that Christ the Redeemer is one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, which was voted on by more than 1 million voters.

So, after you are finished with all of your partying in the city, come on up to Jesus. He will redeem you! Trust me. Millions (as in almost 12 million) of Rio's inhabitants do.

Jesus turning his back on me.

Amen, and Adventure On!

Kristen

When it Rains in Rio

Between me getting my Brazilian visa only one day before departure and my travel companion Hana “Lil’ Crooked Legs” Krivonozkova (a literal translation of her Czech sir name) being majorly delayed by a security breach at LAX, we barely made our flight from NYC to Brazil. We are off to a rocky start. We arrive, after 15 hours of flight time, and get on a local bus. Within 10 minutes it breaks down. Right next to the most violent favella (slum) in the city. Nobody on the bus seems to mind or care about the half an hour wait for our bus replacement. Welcome to Rio! Did I mention that it starts pouring down buckets of rain? We slop all of our stuff to the hostel, and finally, after 24 hours of vigilance, get to put our bags down. Phew!


Two idioms come to mind: “When it Rains it Pours”, and “When in Rome (Do as the Romans Do)”. So, what to do when it rains in Rio? Make like a local, and party till the wee hours! And then sleep in until about 2pm or so.

We did manage to make it to Sugarloaf Mountain, one of Rio’s finest attractions, before sunset one day. The lousy weather persisted, but made for some very dramatic photos. A couple of hours later, and night is back. Time to repeat the ritual.

Ritual for When it Rains in Rio:

-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

Brazil Visa

I am sitting here sweating while waiting for my Brazillian visa to arrive, since I’m supposed to leave on Monday for Rio de Janeiro. If I don’t get my visa tomorrow, they will not allow me to board my flight. This is a problem!

So, as I sit here waiting for my FedEx Saturday rush delivery, I come across the following news:
“A Brazilian congressional committee on Thursday approved a bill that aims to boost tourism by eliminating visa requirements for visitors from the United States and four other wealthy countries.” (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

To read the full article, please go here.

Man, I wish they had approved this bill earlier!
The sweating continues…

In the hope that I can Adventure On,
Kristen