As I mentioned a couple of weeks bad, I've been contributing travel related stories at the new FlightNetwork.com blog. Here's a sampling of some of the more interesting things that the team has been posting there.

• Snow Report: Major Ski Resorts Ready For Thanksgiving
• Gear Review: booq Boa Squeeze Laptop Bag
• Travel in a Minute - South African Safari
• National Geographic Traveler Announces Best Trips 2014
• A Unique Museum: The Four Seasons Serengeti Safari Lodge

There are plenty of other interesting travel stories to read on the blog beyond these, but this is a good example of the kinds of articles that are being written there. If you have some time, we'd love for you to stop by and check us out. 

By now I'm sure that many of you have seen this dramatic footage, but if not it is definitely worth a look. Two planes carrying skydivers collided in midair in a fiery accident that probably should have been a disaster. Thankfully, everyone got out alive, jumping out of the two planes and parachuting to safety below. Quite an amazing site to say the least. Check it out below.

That was kinda cool. This hot pot place (16 North Jianguo Road Section 2, 2506-3622) was fueled by charcoal rather than gas. And while that meant that my hair and clothes came back smelling like smoke, it was in an old building with wooden shutters that just gave it more of that old school charm.

Interestingly though, a colleague of ours from the mainland was in town, and she pointed out that the seasoning here was definitely a Taiwanese adaptation compared to the proper Sichuan grease bombs that she's used to getting in Beijing. Either way, it was cool to try out that "18 day" Taiwan Beer, which did not have the aftertaste that the normal (pasteurized?) version has.

Okay, I've now seen it, touched it and toyed with it for a while at the Apple store. Yes, it's beautifully designed, sleek and really cool...and I'd love to win it in a free contest (or something like that).

However, I don't see its necessity for photographers as yet. Photoshelter's blog recently posed the question as to whether the Apple iPad will revolutionize the way photos are presented and consumed? Various "pundits" responded, and I tend to agree with the views expounded by Stella Kramer, such as this one:

"From discussions I have had and demos I have seen, there is very little that excites me about translating the telling of stories onto the iPad."

I've seen that the iPad shows off photographs incredibly well, and the scrolling of web pages is intuitive and it's light and well designed, and it's...well, cool.

But being cool doesn't translate into it being a necessity nor a tool. Yes, there are some commercial photographers who will use their iPad instead of high end leather-bound portfolio books to show clients, and wedding photographer will certainly upload their work on iPads to give to their high-end clients (and build its cost in their invoice), but the rest of us into the story-telling business? Not much. Perhaps if we had $500-800 to spare and wanted a sleek platform (although the Mac Book Pro 13" display is phenomenal) to show off our photographs...

Redesigning many photography websites from being both Flash-based and iPad-ready may be a boon to web designers and website providers, but photographers can ill afford this additional expense at this time.

The iPad comes in three "flavors": 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB flash drive, so it may be useful to commercial and wedding photographers to have by their side on photo shoots, but other than that, I'm still scratching my head at its usefulness. Perhaps in the very near future, there will be really "must-have" applications ("apps") that will convert it from being a toy to being a tool, and while I completely agree that it's a harbinger of the future of internet browsing and more, it's not yet on my list.

It's been reported by a think-tank that 50% of all computers sold for children by 2015 will have touchscreens...perhaps touch is indeed the future, but until the iPad grows up from being a toy to a tool for photographers, I'll be happy to drop by the Apple store and just play with it whenever I feel like it.

I love a beautiful mountain biking video and that is exactly what we've got here. It follows pro rider Richie Schley as he rides through Squamish, the Whistler Bike Park and up into Whistler's high alpine regions. There is a lot to love here and it will inspire you to want to break out the bike for autumn ride. If only my trails looked this good.

The Trinity from Leo Zuckerman on Vimeo.

Have you ever wondered how people actually can get away to climb Everest? Forget about the $20,000+ (bare minimum) that you would need to make the climb for the moment, and just think about the two and half months you would need off work to give it a go. Well, if you've got the money, but not the time, perhaps you could go the same route as Mike Marolt who has managed to slip off to Everest while keeping his day job.

Marolt is an accountant from Boulder, Colorado, who went to Everest with his twin brother. However, the Marolt boys didn't want to stay out of touch with their business while they were gone, so they used an array of technology to keep tabs of what was happening back home. So, equipped with a sat phone, satellite Internet, and a subscription to GoToMyPC.com, which allows users to have remote access to their computers back home and have full access to files, e-mail, and more. The results are that they were able to make it through the busy tax season, even while they're on the other side of the globe pursuing their dream of an Everest summit.

This is a pretty cool story for a number of reasons. First of all, it's amazing that technology has evolved to a point where this is possible. Sat phones and Internet access on Everest have really opened up the level of communication on the mountain. All this technology also means that sooner or later, someones going to need an IT Guy in their base camp, and I'm just the guy for the job! ;) So if any base camp managers are reading, and think they might need someone on their next expedition, send me an e-mail!

I would also note that these guys own their own business, which makes it easier to get away. When you're the boss, and you want to climb, the only person you have to convince is yourself. They also live in Boulder, which also makes it easier. When customers ask where their accountants are, and they are told that they are on Everest climbing, they are likely to just nod their heads in understanding. :)

As always, thanks for the story Carl. It's another good one!

A few years ago a team of friends entered the amazing Mongol Rally and went on an overland adventure from London to Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia. Along the way they visited some amazing places and they have been releasing some videos of their journey that are sure to capture the imagination. Take the one below for example. It shows the boys arriving at the "Gates of Hell," a massive hole filled with natural gas that was lit by Soviet scientists back in 1971 and it has been burning non stop ever since. The result is an eerie scene that looks like something out of a horror movie.

A riad is an urban house situated in the medina or kasbah. It isn't a random loosely defined lodging but one whose plans and arrangements are rigorously codified. Since Moroccan architecture is more inward looking and given to isolation and intimacy rather than showing off, a riad is a private, cloistered place of escape from the busy swirl outside its thick walls. A riad is organized around a central square courtyard, often decorated with zelige (traditional mosaic patterns) centering on a fountain and orange or lemon trees. 4 paths intersect in the middle. The central courtyard is usually surrounded by an arched colonnade giving access to the living rooms and kitchen. More sleeping areas are constructed on the upper floors, creating a covered arcade around the patio with balustrades running around each story. Traditionally roof top terraces use awnings to protect against the sun; great place for a meal.

Marrakesh is the riad capital of Morocco-- and they are more than giving the hotels a run for their money. A concierge in Tangier told me he was trying to book a room for a client who was going to Marrakesh the following week and there was not one room available anywhere in town! Europeans and forward-looking Moroccans have been buying up stately old homes, restoring them to their original splendor and turning them into riads. Their thick walls protect the inhabitants from the heat or the cold and most of the outside noise and hustle and bustle. More often than not, you find them along a derb (narrow alleyway) with no access by car.

This was my 10th visit to Marrakesh but the first in a riad. It so beats hotels I don't know where to begin. I guess the 2 things that impressed me most of all were how personal the service was and how integrated you feel in the rhythm of the media which you feel like a resident of. In the past I've stayed at the the Mamounia Hotel, easily the best hotel in the country, and always a contender for best hotel in the world. It was famous for being a home-away-from-home for European aristocrats and for Winston Churchill. The chilly, aloof, snooty service still seems to be expecting Churchill-- and we did see Mick Jagger's ex, Jerry Hall there on New Years Eve when we went over to see if the gardens were still as gorgeous and lush as we remembered them (they were)-- but... well, you're more likely to be hanging around a busload of Belgian housewives on holiday than anyone with a von or van in front on their name. The last time we stayed there Roland left some considerable amount of cash in the inside pocket of a suit jacket inside the wardrobe (never a good idea but I guess he felt safe in "the best hotel in the world"). We were at dinner for 90 minutes and when we got back, the cash was gone. It isn't like he left it on a bench at the bus station. I mean how many people had access? But the hotel management was aggressively unhelpful and when we called the police, the hotel became downright nasty. Beautiful rooms, beautiful gardens, rapidly accelerating rates and not a place I'd ever stay again. So... weren't we happy to find that riads had sprung up all over the medina and were reputed to be offering as wonderful an experience as the Mamounia!

There seem to be riads at many price ranges. I read about them online and found one that looked like it would be good for me, the Riyad el Cadi-- and did I ever come up with a TOTAL WINNER! Maybe there are better riads in Marrakech but I will probably never find out because I loved the el Cadi so much I'll always go back. Their website and this general riad site have good descriptions and details. But after the utterly impersonal service at the gorgeous (and formerly very personal) Palais Jamai in Fes, the wonderful total service/family atmosphere of the el Cadi was perfect. Anyone looking to get away from impersonal hotel service and arm's length relation to the life of the country should try a riad. In a way it's total immersion as well as a somewhat authentic Moroccan style of accommodation, offering a haven of tranquillity in the midst of the medina. They are pretty much all architectural treasures, that will give you an insight into tradition, culture and craftsmanship. The el Cadi's art collection is really beautiful and displayed everywhere.

The riad concept is taking off in Tangier and starting in Fes. Essaouira has 'em-- although I didn't pick as well there. If you're planning a trip to Morocco, I urge you to do a little research and think about riads instead of hotels.

Actually, this is the exact same shop as the salad place from yesterday, but at night they convert over to lobster rolls...or at least, they started to this past week. It turned out to be better than I thought it would be, even if it was a bit tiny. Yeah, I'm kinda liking these guys enough to try out their other shops.

I'm getting ready for my trip to Senegal and Mali. It was a bit of a hassle getting the Mali visa-- which sat on the desk of someone at the DC Embassy for a few weeks-- but there's no need for a visa for Senegal. The Malians charge $131. The Malians also insist on a Yellow Fever vacination so after unsuccessfully pleading with a doctor to just give me the form that says I got one without actually shooting me up with whatever poisons the vacination is made from, I did get the shot. And I made reservations to rent a 4WD vehicle and a driver and made some reservations for hotels and a flight from Dakar to Bamako and I'm very busy running around buying food bars and hand wipes and silk sheets and an ergonomic backpack for my trek in the Dogon Country. But a friend sent me some music from Senegal today that I thought listening to that would be an even better way to get ready for my trip.

I'm a fan of Malian music, especially of Ali Farka Touré, the bluesman who died a couple years ago. And I have an intro from a friend to meet Bassekou Kouyate whose music sounds great. But I don't know anything about the music of Senegal, other than the world-renowned music of Youssou N'Dour, of course. Djele Lankandia Cissoko plays Kora music from Casamance. It really appeals to me and I'm hoping I can find some live music like this in Dakar.

The Adventure Racing World Championship is set to get underway in Costa Rica this weekend when coed teams of four take part in this year's Costa Rica Adventure Race. The official start of the event is scheduled for Sunday, when a field of 60 of the best AR teams from 26 different countries line up at the starting line.

The race is scheduled to last up to nine days, although the winners are projected to finish in just four. It will begin on Costa Rica's Pacific Coast and end on the country's Atlantic side. In between, the competitors will run, bike, paddle, climb and raft through 700+ km (435 miles) of dense jungle and mountain terrain.

The Costa Rica Adventure Race is the final event on the AR World Series calendar for 2013. The teams that are competing in the race have all had to qualify by racing in other ARWS events throughout the year. This event will crown this year's world champs, with teams such as Seagate, Adidas TERREX Prunesco, and the Thule Adventure Team expected to be in the mix. It should be quite the event for fans of the sport and be sure to check out the Costa Rica AR website for regular updates and team tracking.

We visited the ancient stone row of Shantemon on the 2nd October 2015, the land was shrouded in thick mist and countless spiders had woven a tapestry of webs across every branch and tree. It was the perfect atmosphere to visit a 3,000 year old place of ritual and ceremony that is soaked in legend and folklore! 

The stone row at Shantemon consists of five stones aligned north-west – south east. They are graded in height, with the smallest at the north-western end (approximately 50cm [0.64 feet] tall) and the tallest at the south-east (approximately 2m [6.6 feet] tall). 

Though there is a significant number in Ulster, stone rows and alignments are more common in the south-west of Ireland, particularly in counties Cork and Kerry. They generally date to the Bronze Age, between 1700 – 800 BC, and are occasionally found in association with stone circles. They may have had an astronomical function, as, like the example at Shantemon, they tend to be sited on prominent slopes or hilltops, though unfortunately the true purpose for these enigmatic monuments remains unknown. Similar monuments are found across Britain as well as parts of Scandinavia, Brittany and northern France. 

This site is imbued with folklore and tales of the legendary warrior Fionn MacCumhaill. It is said that the four tall stones are Fionn’s fingers and the low stone his thumb, indeed the site is signposted ‘Finn’s Fingers’ .

Shantemon is less than a 15 minute drive from Cavan Town. To find Shantemon Stone Row from Cavan, take the R188 north through Drumalee Cross, and continue on this road for about 10 minutes, turning right at Coratober (the third right turn after you go under the N3). When you reach the crossroads, turn left and continue on this road until you see a small carpark on the left at 54.02054, -7.29423. Park here, opposite you will see a sign pointing up a track to Finn’s Fingers with interpretation of the ‘Castletara Millennium Trail’. Walk along the track for approximately 350m, where you will see a smaller, rougher track disappearing into the gorse on your right. Follow this track to the stone row. 

Thank you for taking the time to visit our blog, and I really hope you find it helpful. If you'd like to support us please do consider downloading an audioguide from my website www.abartaheritage.ie, where we have a number of guides that tell the story of Irish heritage and the majority are absolutely free to download. 

If you’d like to keep up with daily images and information about Ireland’s fantastic heritage sites please consider following Abarta Audioguides on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

A couple of months back I wrote a story about David and Katharine Lowrie, a husband and wife team who were running the length of South America, south to north. The couple set out in July of last year with the intention of running 5000 miles (8046 km) along their planned route. Yesterday they announced that they had completed the run, reaching the Caribbean Sea in Carupano, Venezuela. The actual distance they ran? An astounding 6504 miles (10,467 km)!

The run, which David and Katharine had dubbed the 5000 Mile Project, began in Punta Arenas, Chile, the southernmost town on the continent. From there, they began traveling north, passing out of Chile and moving into Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and finally Venezuela. Along the way, they passed over the Andes Mountains and through the Amazon Rainforest, two natural obstacles that are daunting under any circumstances.

As if running 6500 miles across a continent isn't an impressive accomplishment on its own, the couple also managed to launch their Big Toe Classroom along the way as well. This portion of their website is filled with lesson plans and other educational tools for teachers. These free resources are designed for 7-11 year olds and were created to help them learn more about South America and the plants and animals that live there.

All told, it took David and Katherine 14 months, 23 days, 19 hours and 24 minutes to run from the southern tip of the continent to the northern coastline in Venezuela. That's a lot of time on the road and I'm sure they are relived to be done.

Congratulations to the Lowrie's on the completion of an impressive expedition. Well done!

Photo © Pierre Claquin-All Rights Reserved

Photo © Pierre Claquin-All Rights Reserved

Whilst attending my Introduction To Multimedia class at the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop (Istanbul), Pierre Claquin divulged that he had been a photographer at the age of 16 through a younger brother who owned a Foca camera and let him use it. Matters progressed, and Pierre graduated to an Asahi Pentax Spotmatic, then a Nikkormat...and he stayed with Nikon ever since.

Pierre also divulged that he had produced a photographic book titled Surviving Dreams: The Struggling Circuses of Bangladesh, which documents the few remaining circuses in that country. Very few remain, struggling against bureaucracy, corruption, prejudice and financial difficulties. The book, of some 158 pages of which about 120 are black & white photographs, examines the origin and history of the circus in Bangladesh, as well as the realities of the performers' lives.

As to his choice of black & white, Pierre says" "I used black and white film for this project because, especially in the case of circuses, it is very easy to be distracted by colors."

I enjoyed the book immensely, and you can buy the book Surviving Dreams by contacting Pierre Claquin by email: lalbandor at aol dot com

Our friend The Gear Junkie (aka Stephen Regenold) has written a very nice article for the Travel section of the New York Times that focuses on the rise of Urban Mountain Biking.

In a nutshell, urban mountain biking simply refers to the increasing number of mountain biking trails that are cropping up in cities throughout the country. Yep, you read that right. Mountain biking trails inside cities. In order to cater to the needs of mountain bikers everywhere, cities are creating trails in local parks that are approved and specifically designated for off-road peddling. This is a sharp turn around when you consider that for a long time, mountain biking has been banned in many city parks, so it's interesting, and wonderful, to see a change of heart.

This is great news for mountain bikers of course, as it means shorter drives to get on a trail and the ability to hit the trail more often. I have a great urban park here in Austin, Walnut Creek Park for those in the area, and it's a fantastic place to ride when you can't find the time to get out to a more remote trail. You can ride for several hours and barely notice that you are actually inside a bustling city, and it's located less than 20 minutes from where I live. The only downside, is that it can be quite crowded at times, although the further you ride from the parking lot, the less traffic you'll encounter.

Note: If you look closely at the picture above, you can tell that the guy is a "urban mountain biker". What's the give away? He's riding in blue jeans! I don't think I've actually ridden in jeans since I was 15. ;)

Update: Andrew posted a fun video on urban mountain biking in the comments section, but I thought I'd share it here. Check out the true essence of urban mountain biking by clicking here.

It's 5:17 AM and my plane takes off just after noon for Buenos Aires (via Dallas). I decided to go to the end of the world (Tierra del Fuego, that island off the tip of South America). I'm half packed and pretty much ready to go. I'll be writing about Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil-- well, about the Iguazu Falls part of Brazil I'll be visiting for a couple days-- and in I figure out how to get into Chilean Patagonia, there too. But I figured I'd get some preliminaries over with even before leaving.

I'm flying on American. Needless to say, even with my 100% flexible schedule, there was no possibility of trading advantage miles for a ticket (single person/first class). So I bought a ticket and upgraded. You probably know the way that works: the less expensive tickets are not upgradable so you have to buy a pretty expensive ticket and then you have to spend another $500 for the honor of using your miles. I had never heard of that before but the AA operator assured me it had been standard practice "for years." And there were other little charges. Still, after checking everywhere and wasting lots of time talking to other airlines, it still looked like the best deal.

Did you know there isn't a single English language tourist guide to Paraguay? [UPDATE: I found one after all!] There used to be one that covered Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay but it's out of print. But what really shocked me is that several guide books on South America don't even mention Paraguay. They have chapters on every other country, even Ecuador and Guyana, but no Paraguay. When I finally located one that did include Paraguay-- in a travel bookstore-- I also found out that I needed a visa in advance. But then luck broke my way. There's a Paraguayan consulate in L.A. and, it turned out, the visa process was as non-onerous as could be. You just fill out some simple papers, hand over 2 photos and some money and off you go. The consul also told me Brazil requires a visa for Americans, who they don't like, and it takes 2 weeks. Panic.

I drove right to the Brazilian consulate. Onerous was the keyword and he was right about them being decidedly anti-American (or at least anti-American tourist). I arrived at 1:15. They stop answering questions at 1. No exceptions. Come back tomorrow. It didn't matter that I was leaving in a week and that they would be closed for Thanksgiving and that I live an hour away. And that I was there. No exceptions. There are only two hotels inside the Iguazu parks, one in Argentina (sold out) and one, a much better one from what I've read, in Brazil. I'm booked in the Brazilian one. What to do, what to do.

I decided to try my luck getting the visa in Buenos Aires. I rented an apartment for my first week in Buenos Aires in the Recoleta district and it's a block from the Brazilian consulate. If I can't get the visa in a week, I'll just cancel Brazil I guess. I mean it's hardly Brazil anyway. It's just the Brazilian side of the Iguazu Falls.

OK, I'm off to finish packing and to eat breakfast and to go for a dawn swim before heading off to the airport, Dallas and Buenos Aires (where I should arrive at 9AM tomorrow morning).


UPDATE: PITSTOP IN TEXAS

I always marvel at the ability of my friend Jane to blog and chew gum at the same time-- and to do it so elegantly. She travels everywhere all the time and blogs up a storm and runs firedoglake, one of the most admired and smoothly-functioning community blogs in the entire world. She keeps trying to get me to do learn to blog on the go. She did teach me html so I guess she could teach me bloggin' on the road too. I suspect I'll screw it up. I mean it's hard to even conceive of blogging without my ergonomic chair and wrist-rest and all my physical backup and research apparatus. And my Macs.

But here I am, in the Admiral's Club in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport. It was a nicely uneventful flight, short and uncrowded. And here in the lounge: free computer usage. Ah... at least they give you something for stealing the $500 just to use "your" miles! They just called the flight. I just blogged on the road. Jane will be proud.

Here's an audio slideshow of photographs by Antonin Kratochvil titled "Moscow Nights" that takes us to Moscow's decadent underworld, which is the latest feature on VII Magazine. The images themselves are vintage Kratochvil; some of which are tilted to impart uncomfortable tension (and also to be different). Although he's known for his black and white documentary photography, a few here are in color, and all show the dissolute circus-like atmosphere of this other dimension. The accompanying soundtrack is of a popular Russian music played on the accordion.

The blurb that accompanies Moscow Nights suggests that it's hard not to feel "the raw edge and danger" that exists in that underworld.

I may be mistaken, but I haven't felt that at all. All I felt was disdain tinged with pity for the characters who live such an empty existence, and watching the slideshow reminded me of the decadent characters and atmosphere in Cabaret, the 1972 movie with Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey.

Moscow Nights is also a book soon to be available, and is described as "a voyeuristic tour through the decadence and hedonism of the new "Golden Youth" as they enjoy their spoils."

St. Kevins Church at Glendalough, Co. Wicklow is more commonly referred to as St. Kevins Kitchen, as the belfry on top of the roof has the appearance of a chimney on an old fashioned stove. This is one of a very small group of stone vaulted and roofed churches in Ireland dating to the 12th Century, and is a very fine example of this type.

This church probably stands on the site of an earlier wooden church. These early churches were known as dairtheachs in Gaelic. This means oak house and these churches were made of oak planks. The oak tree was considered to be a sacred tree according to traditional pagan beliefs and this continues into early medieval times, again showing the connection between nature and the early Christian church in Ireland.

 
This church was Dedicated to St. Kevin. The main part of the church was likely to have been constructed in the later part of the twelfth century. The tower is a later addition. Both were constructed from locally quarried mica-shist rock, with the roof consisting of large stones laid horizontally and overlapping each other and bonded together by a lime and sand mortar.

A small arch was incorporated into the construction to help distribute the weight of the stone roof. The space created by the arch was floored with wooden planks to create a room above the nave that is likely to have been used as living quarters. This level also granted access into the belfry to ring the bells to call the faithful to prayers.

 
Although the church looks quite dark and damp inside today, when it was in use it was likely to have been plastered and whitewashed and then painted in vividly coloured murals that depicted key scenes from the bible or the life of St. Kevin. When illuminated with beeswax and tallow candles the church would have been an atmospheric and engaging place to pray, murals and painted illustrations also helped the largely illiterate population understand the stories of the bible.

You can hear more about the beautiful site of Glendalough by downloading our audioguide. 

In 2014 an amazing new competition is set to take place with ultra-marathons being held in Jordan and  Oman, which will set the stage for a bigger, longer race to follow. Known as the Desert Challenge, this epic set of races is set to become one of the top endurance events on the ultra-running calendar.  The video below gives us a glimpse of what to expect out of this competition. As you might imagine, it won't be for the feint of heart.

The Desert Challenge from TransArabia on Vimeo.

Photo © Fons Rademakers-All Rights Reserved
I've featured so much work from various photographers, and seen so many photographs of the Nagas and pilgrims here and elsewhere, it's as if I've been there myself. I'm pretty sure these photographers who were at the Kumbh will either recognize each others work, or recognize the subjects.

However, here's the work of Fons Rademakers who's a physicist working at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) in Geneva, where the largest particle accelerator is operated and where the World Wide Web began as a project. Fons leads a software project that provides programs for data processing and analysis, but started his connection with photography when 12 years old, and regards it as his passion next to physics and computing.

I would recommend to Fons that he ought to consider moving his many other photo galleries from SmugMug to his own website. They're certainly worth showing in a more professional medium.