G'day! I'm Chris. I left my home in rural Australia back in 2007 to pursue a life less ordinary.
I specialize in ambitious travel - bucket list worthy journeys such as the Great US Road Trip, the ultimate African safari, and following the length of the Silk Road.
Technology has come on leaps and bounds in recent years, no more so than in the way we travel from A to B around the world. Advances in all forms of design have led to some interesting and diverse ways for us to make journeys, long and short, for business and for pleasure. Here is a look at ten of the ways advances in high tech travel let us get around.
1. Japan’s Bullet Train
The Shinkansen (as it is also known) is a group of networked high-speed train lines in Japan. Shinkansen simple means ‘new truck line’, but the term is used within and outside Japan as a name for not only the trains, but also the lines they operate on. It all began back in 1964 with the opening of the Tokaido Shinkansen line, which ran between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka. Since then, the lines have now expanded to just short of one hundred and fifty thousand miles, and trains can travel at a maximum of 186mph. Currently the network connects most major cities on the islands of Honshu and Kyushu. There is also work underway to connect the lines to the northern island of Hokkaido.
2. Google’s Driverless Car
This project by Google is aimed at developing driverless car technology and currently has 15 engineers putting their brains to the concept. The Toyota Primus has been modified and tested as a driverless car, and the U.S. state of Nevada has passed out a law concerning the use of driverless cars in its state. In May 2012, the first driving licence for a self-driven car was issued. The project team announced in August 2012 that they have clocked up over 480,000 autonomous-driving miles without any accidents. The car operates with the combination of video cameras, a selection of radars within and around the car, and artificial intelligence software. Should this ever become a commercial adventure, it will be interesting to see how driving lessons and proficiency tests are introduced and handled.
3. Super-Surfboards
Two companies, Tecnalia and Pukas, have joined forces to come up with a ‘super-surfboard’ idea. In February 2011, the board was tested by an elite surfer named Aritz Aranburu. The new board is designed and built with a compass, a gyroscope, a GPS device, an accelerometer and pressured sensors which are able to measure the pressures placed on the board by the user. The data is all then transmitted wirelessly through for technical analysis on a computer.
4. Jetman’s Jetpack
Tell me this doesn’t look truly epic
Yves Rossy, a pilot and inventor from Switzerland, became the first human to fly with a jet-engine-powered wing attached to his back. The 52-year-old designed and built the system from carbon-fibre which is powered by four Jet Cat P200 engines. In November 2006, Rossy successfully tested his jetpack for approximately six minutes and nine seconds.
5. The Sea Shepard’s Gojira
This new anti-whaling vessel, named Gojira (means Godzilla in Japanese), was built to replace the Ady Gil, which suffered a collision at sea and subsequently sank in 2010. The captain of the vessel, Locky MacLean, is hoping for no such stories with Gojira, which cost £36 million to build. Gojira is reported as being able to go twice as fast as Ady Gil, and with the new speed and finely tuned tactics, there is hope that they can have a positive effect fighting the cause against illegal whaling vessels.
6. Kerimov’s Super Yacht
The ICE super yacht, built in 2005, is an environmentally friendly vessel. Suleiman Kerimov owns the ICE, which with the help of the latest technology, can reduce vibrations and noise, as well as controlling exhaust emission. At 295 feet, the vessel is one of the largest yachts across the world. The luxury super yacht’s main deck houses a swimming pool, and the sun deck contains a Jacuzzi.
7. Super Power Electric Car
It’s no Porsche 911, but the girl goes alright. Photo by yasusia
The Porsche 911, installed with 16-28 batteries, is a super-powered ‘eco friendly’ sports car. It can reach speeds of up to 120mph. The car not only drives just like the normal Porsche 911, but with the added bonus of not stalling, being easier to drive, having a lower centre of gravity and with no waiting to warm up or smoke pollution.
8. Segway
Segways may look a little dorky, but they’re a fun way to get around. Photo by U-Turn Pics.
One of the most environmentally friendly forms of transport to hit the streets in recent times is the Segway. As well as being fun, it is a great motorised way to get around for tech-fans of all ages; it has has no minimum age requirement and you don’t need formal driving lessons to drive one. It is an individual transport system invented by American, Dean Kamen. He describes it as a self-balancing personal transporter. A Segway is propelled by electricity provided by a large format battery.
9. Automated Guideway Transit
AGT or an Automated People Mover (APM) is a tram, which is usually located in airports across the world, and doesn’t require a driver. It works along the same sort of lines as a Skybus, Mini Rail and Goodyear PeopleMover. They can transport large numbers of passengers over relatively short distances in fast times.
10. Electric Skateboard
A gloriously bearded man riding an electric skateboard. Photo by Mike Baird.
An electric skateboard is just a normal skateboard, which is propelled with an electric engine. Like a regular skateboard, it’s the shifting of the rider’s weight which helps to steer the device. It was designed for local transport originally, but is now used as an ‘off road’ device with the introduction of more sporty type models. With the assistance of 800-watt batteries, it can reach speeds up to 25 mph, and is perfect on grass, dirt, hard sand and gravel.
July, 1994, St Matthews Catholic School, Mudgee, Australia
It’s a chilly winter morning in Mudgee and a much younger, more naive Chris is sitting outside of the fifth grade classroom listening as cooler students discuss their recent winter holidays.
“We went to Bali,” Peter Flynn boasts to the small crowd gathered to hear the telling, “We spent every day at the beach”.
“That’s pretty cool,” Nicholas Cox concedes, “But we went to DisneyWorld”.
A collective awed silence falls over the group. Disney World – the apex of the child holiday pyramid. And suddenly my two weeks at Byron Bay on the NSW north coast doesn’t seem so cool. But then again, not being cool is something ten year old Chris is used to.
At that moment, I have a bizarrely clear memory of knowing that I’d never get to see Disney World. My family weren’t in the income bracket to make something like that happen and – in an emo moment that came years before the emo obsession swept the teenage world – I just didn’t think good things like that would ever happen to me.
You see, Disney World wasn’t just some cool vacation idea to an oft bullied and regularly overlooked kid with buck teeth, too many freckles, and a god awful mess of semi curly brown hair. Disney World symbolized a better life and being a better person. To that ten year old fifth grader, Disney World was the wavering mirage that never seemed to get any closer.
And I’d never get the chance to go there.
A Moment of Transformation
It didn’t really sink in until I was standing by the statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse with an over sized sweet tea in one hand and my camera in the other. A sea of tourists eddied and whirled around me as I gawked up at the fairy tale castle like the hayseed that we Australians well and truly are when it comes to the world at large.
Just an Aussie guy in front of a castle. No biggie.
I’d been at the Disney Resort for the better part of an hour, but it didn’t really feel like I was anywhere special as of yet. Through the sun-baked car-park, the crowded ferry across to the resort, and the seemingly unending line to get into the park – it felt like just another theme park.
I was underwhelmed not only by the park, but also by the fulfillment of some half-formed childhood dream. This day should have meant more to me, but it was just another stinking hot Florida day and I was just another tourist in the world’s largest theme park.
But something changed when music began to blare out of the speakers and Disney characters began to arrive on brightly colored floats escorted by dancers smiling impossibly big smiles. Nobody could ever be as happy as those singers and dancers, but a strange thing happened as they circled the statue:
I started to feel that happy.
The parade begins!The enthusiasm of Disney employees is infectious
I can’t explain it in any way that makes sense. There was an infectiousness about the music and the dancing and the singing and the way the eyes of children lit up as Mickey Mouse deigned to wave at them or Buzz Lightyear looked in their direction. And all at once I wasn’t a twenty eight year old Aussie guy on vacation – I was that awkward ten year old and I was where I had always wanted to be.
I’m only slightly embarrassed to say that I felt the tell-tale prick of tears threatening to trickle out as I took it all in, but you best believe a burly Aussie lad like me was quick to wipe them away before anybody saw.
Disney World was no longer just another theme park. It suddenly did feel like the happiest place on earth that it claims to be.
I’m Going to Disney World!
How had this all come to pass? That requires another brief flash-back…
It’s winter. Again. In a darkened apartment, 2003 Chris is huddled over his garish pink iMac frantically tapping out another angst-ridden poem in dedication to his lost ‘love’ of three months the previous summer. The cold of Mudgee mornings has been traded in for the bitter chill of Armidale nights and I’m in the very middle of what I like to call my ’emo phase’.
I whiled away those late, lonely nights alternating between writing poetry on AllPoetry and chatting with various girls around the world on MSN. Those were the days of my long distance romance with Delia, my often steamy chats with a girl from Adelaide, and countless hours spent talking with a best friend – Bridget – who I’d never meet.
It was also the time when I started talking to Candy, a fellow poet who lived in Florida. To this day, she’s the only one of my online friends from that time that I’ve been lucky enough to meet. And she just happened to work at Disney and could get her hands on a few free passes…
I’ll talk more about my experience meeting Candy (and other ‘online friends’) in a future entry, promise! But we’re here to talk about Disney World.
Exploring Disney World
I’m not going to bore you with a blow by blow of my day in the Magic Kingdom. Let’s be honest, the internet is littered with guides to the world’s most famous theme park and how to exploit Fast Pass or save a buck.
Below, you’ll find a series of pictures and my observations from the day. Perhaps someday I’ll put together a ‘guide’ to Disney World, but for now I’ll leave that to more educated minds than mine. I didn’t even get a chance to ride Space Mountain, for God’s sake!
The statue where I made the transformation from cynical 28 year old to wide-eyed 8 year old.
Once the music had died down and the performers had gone back to wherever it is performers go when they’re not performing, it was time to actually explore the park. Despite the sunny day it was actually not too busy as we made our way into Adventureland to see what was on offer there.
Entering the first stop of the day – AdventurelandExploring the Swiss Family Robinson house. Haven’t never seen the movies, this was a bit ‘meh’. I’m sure my folks would have loved it.The Enchanted Tiki Room may be a bit cheesy with its animatronic birds and songs, but it’s a cute little escape from the sweltering Florida heat.
While the ride selection at Disney World isn’t comparable to a Six Flags or a Kings Dominion, it makes up for that in atmosphere and with its wonderful live shows. We checked out the Enchanted Tiki Lounge, rode the Jungle River Boats, experienced Pirates of the Caribbean, and had a chat with a lovely Disney employee before moving on.
My favourite ride of the dayGoofy and I hanging out at Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean was my first brush with how Disney World differentiates itself from other, thrill-centric parks. While the ride itself is not particularly scary or exciting – the attention to detail is utterly enchanting. From the animatronics to the simple effects used to simulate fire or movement to the very cool theme of the whole place. The addition of Jack Sparrow ties in nicely with the movies, but the ride has a storyline of its own. Burning port towns, ships exchanging cannon fire… it’s just a fantastic ride. It’s more experience than thrill, and it’s the only ride I also queued up for when visiting Disney Land later in the trip.
The Jungle Cruise may be a little tame, but I loved the pun rich commentary provided by our guide.
Our next stop was the colonial themed area that encompasses two of the park’s more famous rides (Splash Mountain and the Thunder Mountain ride) as well as hosting the Hall of Presidents and our lunch venue. Food at Disney World has a good enough amount of variety, but it’s neither cheap nor particularly healthy. I settled for a bland cheese burger and we were on our way again.
Thank God for Fast Pass, by the way. I could not have stood in hour plus queues to ride in the heat.
Riders taking the plunge on Splash Mountain
I got a real kick out of Splash Mountain. Songs of the South is one of the first Disney movies I remember seeing, and it was fun to see the characters come back to life. It ranks as one of the better flume rides I’ve been on as well – I got utterly drenched on the plunge at the end.
Thunder Mountain is a fun little coaster as well. It’s not overly scary, but the twists and turns are fun and it’s again got a wonderfully set up theme that is persistent throughout. Much better than other ‘themed’ roller coasters at more thrill focused parks.
A POV shot from my own run on Thunder Mountain. Good times.
The shows at Disney World were a highlight for me. While animatronic may seem a little tacky, there’s no faulting the production values – especially of the impressive (and inspirational) Hall of Presidents. My personal favorite with the Philharmagic 4-D experience. It was just beautifully done and featured a lot of my favourite films from growing up. It was a little bit enchanting to see Ariel, Simba, and Aladdin bouncing around right in front of me.
The amusing (and slightly inappropriate) Country Bear Jamboree pokes fun at stereotypes of Southerners and rednecks.The Hall of Presidents (narrated by Morgan Freeman, no less) is a moving and quite wonderful tribute to American patriotism. I’m envious of that.
Short queues meant that, largely, we were able to experience all the park had to offer before the sun had even set. Sure, we didn’t browse every shop and we had to give Space Mountain a miss because of its criminally long line – but we still hit a lot of the big ones. We experienced the sugary sweetness of It’s a Small World, the outdated techno-babble of Walt Disney’s pet project, and the very cool effects inside the Haunted House.
That one warrants special mention too. Even the line was fun! With humorous headstones, interactive things along the way, and the occasional surprise – even lining up felt like a part of the ride. And the ride itself? I loved the use of projections and stuff – much more evocative than cheap thrills and pop out ‘monsters’.
It’s a small (and not particularly interesting) worldAustralia’s meager representation on the It’s a Small World ride will be the subject of a STRONGLY WORDED LETTERLining up for my second favorite ride of the day, The Haunted MansionOne of many little diversions along the way. They made the wait much less painful.This organ was fantastic. You could touch an instrument carved onto the side and it would play a corresponding tune. Very groovy.
Any day at Disney World needs to end with the fireworks spectacular. With sweet tea in hand and a belly full of remarkably good hot dog, we staked out a bit of curb for the triple threat that ends a night at Disney World – the Electric Parade, the Magic Moments projections onto the enchanted castle, and the fireworks to wrap it all up.
The Enchanted Castle acts as canvas for a saccharine sweet ‘Magic Moments’ show that precedes the fireworks.The colorful and cheery Electric Parade is a cute way to wrap up the day. Some innovative floats too.I hate that I forgot my tripod for the fireworks!
As the last boom of the fireworks echoed in the night sky, Candy grabbed me by the arm and lead us in a mad rush for the front gate. While the park would remain open another two hours, we were ready to call it a day. Bone weary and a little sunburned, we made our way back to the car and continued on into the city to have a few drinks.
My day at Disney World was the culmination of a near twenty-year daydream that a much less bald, much less bearded CWB had first day-dreamed on a chilly winter morning in Mudgee. And while I’d gone in skeptical, I came out a believer.
Disney World may really be the Happiest Place in the World.
Your Say
Have you ever been to a Disney park? What did you think?
I’ve been blessed over my years of travel with some truly remarkable places to take photos. From the Grand Canyon in 2009 to the beauty of the Hainan province in China, there’s certainly been no shortage of opportunities to get out my camera and try to do justice to the beauty that the world has to offer.
I was recently contacted by my friend Steve from PhotoFly Travel Club about a bit of cross promotion. PhotoFly Travel Club is a social travel club that takes its members out to places that offer stunning photo opportunities, so it made sense that I finally get around to sharing some of my own favorite places to take photos.
Without further ado, here’s my list!
#5 – Multnomah Falls, Oregon, USA
I’ve been lucky enough to visit Multnomah Falls in Oregon twice now – once in 2009 and again when I was in the United States recently. To say that it is a breath-taking waterfall does it an injustice. It’s just beautiful every single time I see it.
There’s something almost fantastical about the way the bridge cuts in front of the falls that puts me in mind of Peter Jackson’s envisioning of the Lord of the Rings books, and the bright greens that surround the falls just ‘pop’ in a way that my camera never quite does justice to.
Does this not just scream Aragon and Arwen kissing on a bridge to you?
As if the towering falls weren’t impressive enough, the entire Colombia River Gorge offers a number of wonderful photo opportunities. The river itself cuts its way through bald hills sometimes adorned with the almost intimidating frames of wind turbines, but the real beauty is to be found along the old highway that leads to Multnomah Falls. A number of other waterfalls are hidden back in the dense greenery and there’s a few choice scenic spots along the way as well.
The Colombia River Gorge by morning is absolutely beautiful.
While I was awed by the Grand Canyon and Yosemite, there’s just something about the green and the wet of Multnomah Falls that always calls me back. It’s as if it were put there solely to be photographed.
#4 – Daewonsa, Jeollanamdo, South Korea
South Korea is perhaps not a country that leaps to mind when you think of beautiful scenery. The heavily urbanized and industrialized nation was not blessed with the depth of landscape that other countries might have been.
That’s not to say there isn’t a stark beauty to be found in the many mountain parks of South Korea or the often cold and windswept coastlines, but I always found photos of South Korea were a dour lot more often than not.
Of course, there are some great places to take photos. Jejudo is an island province that does boast some picturesque locales such as Sunrise Peak, Hala San, and its volcanic black sand beaches. In fact, it was originally going to occupy #4 on my list – but then I remembered Daewonsa.
I’ve spoken briefly about my visit to the Tibetan Buddhist temple outside of Gwangju briefly in the past, but I feel like words won’t ever really do it justice. With its ponds and bubbling brooks and simple decoration, the temple managed to escape the adage that ‘all temples look the same’. Even three years on from my visit there on a sweaty summer afternoon in 2009, I still feel a sense of calm when I look over my photos from that visit.
The entrance to Daewonsa. I love the contrast of the greens and the colored fabric.
You’ll again notice that vibrant greens are something that really draws my eye, but I hope the tranquility of the place is carried across too. It was one of the most beautiful places I’ve seen during my travels.
#3 – Big Sur, California, USA
Route 1 up the United States’ west coast is not just a brilliant road trip, but it also hosts #3 on my list of favorite photo opportunities. The stretch of road that leads up to Monterey (or out of Monterey, if you’re heading south) is among some of the most visually spectacular road I’ve ever had the pleasure of driving. Well, being driven on…
The highway hugs the cliffs that overhang the vast grey of the Pacific Ocean while often ominous skies hang overhead and make for some perfect shots. The churning of the sea against the rocks, the brilliant vistas one can find along the way, and the rolling green hills are complemented by the bridges along the way.
Bixby Bridge doesn’t take away from the natural beauty. If anything, it complements it.
Chief among these is Bixby Bridge, which I visited during my visit to California in late July. Far from diminishing the natural beauty of the coastline, Bixby Bridge seems to enhance it. I could have spent far more than the 30 or 40 minutes I spent out there just snapping photos and feeling the wind in my beard hair. Even the traffic zooming by couldn’t take away from the serenity of it.
#2 – Fjordlands National Park, New Zealand
New Zealand could very well have taken up every spot on this list. If any country was formed by God with an eye towards giving photographers the world around a thousand places to take photos, New Zealand is surely the place. There is such a tremendous breadth to the variety of terrain in New Zealand that it’s entirely possible to photograph glaciers, towering fjords, dense forests, vast plains, and stormy coastlines in a few days. Where else in the world is that possible?
But my pick of the lot would have to be the Fjordlands, home to the world famous Milford Sound. The towering cliffs, carved out by glaciers, are ominous as they oversee all that occurs below. Stubborn plants cling to their craggy faces while below seals and dolphins play in the icy waters of the Tasman Sea. Mists cling to the low ground and snow dusts the high even at the height of summer – and that’s just the drive to and from Milford Sound!
The mists cling to the hills in the Fjordlands National Park. Photo by Fallon Fehringer.
It’s a daydream of mine to someday explore the width and breadth of the mountainous national park on New Zealand’s south island. I feel like I saw only the smallest sample of its beauty when I visited in 2010.
#1 – Xinjiang, China
Where? Is that near Beijing?
Xinjiang is probably China’s best kept secret – a vast province of scorching deserts, seemingly unending grass plains, crystal clear mountain lakes, and towering snow-capped peaks – Xinjiang is about as far from how society pictures China as a place can get.
I was lucky enough to spend a week in Xinjiang earlier this year and the entire place just begs to be photographed. The dusty ghettos of Kashgar were a launching pad for our visually over-awing two day drive along the Karakorum Highway to the Pakistan border.
A yurt in the mountains of Xinjiang
Along the way we saw mountains of red, mountains of sand, and the more ‘traditional’ snow capped giants. We paused to fight off hypothermia by the shores of Lake Karakul, saw a Kyrgyzstan festival outside of Tashgorkan, threw snowballs in the mountain passes, ate still sizzling lamb from skewers in the market town of Opal, and wandered a boardwalk over land reclaimed from ancient nomadic peoples.
A water wheel turns lazily upon the Golden Grasslands in Xinjiang.
I came back from the week long trip with well in excess of 500 photos and it could have been so many more if I’d thought to bring extra batteries for my Canon. The place just begs to be photographed, and I’m determined to go back sometime and oblige it.
The Gallery
One of the many waterfalls that empty into Milford Sound. Photo by Fallon Fehringer.
Seals at play (or at sleep) at Milford Sound. Photo by Fallon Fehringer.
The high cliffs and dark waters of Milford Sound are a stunning combination. Photo by Fallon Fehringer.
The mists cling to the hills in the Fjordlands National Park. Photo by Fallon Fehringer.
The sun behind the gong gives this an almost ‘heavenly’ feel.
I spent the better part of half an hour just sitting in this pagoda – listening to the stream bubble underneath me and the birds tweeting above. It was so serene.
The pond at Daewonsa and the simple fabric decoration really works together.
The entrance to Daewonsa. I love the contrast of the greens and the colored fabric.
A water wheel turns lazily upon the Golden Grasslands in Xinjiang.
The famous Stone Fort in Tashgorkan, Xinjiang.
Looking down on the Golden Grasslands in Tashgorkan, Xinjiang.
The icy waters of Lake Karakul and the icier mountains beyond.
Lake Karakul in the foreground and some of China’s highest mountains in the background.
The sand mountains – boasting both sand *and* snow. Crazy!
A yurt in the mountains of Xinjiang
Loved the rocky coast.
Bixby Bridge doesn’t take away from the natural beauty. If anything, it complements it.
The rocky coastline in northern California affords some great photo opportunities.
The green around Multnomah Falls makes it really stand out to me.
Staring down from the top of the falls. Interesting perspective, eh?
Does this not just scream Aragon and Arwen kissing on a bridge to you?
The Colombia River Gorge by morning is absolutely beautiful.
Your Say
Where are your most photogenic places in the world? It was a hard task for me to narrow it down to just five. The Great Barrier Reef, Tea Gardens in NSW, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Park, Jejudo, Hainan, and the Australian Outback were all unlucky omissions.
What are your most photogenic places in the world?
Travel back in time and you’ll find a CWB with entirely different daydreams. Eight year old Chris daydreamed about virtual reality. Ten year old Chris daydreamed about Hero Quest and Crossbows & Catapults and other such fantasy themed board games. Chris aged twelve through twenty three daydreamed about boobs, kisses, and sappy notions of soul-mates and true love.
But while travel is a love I came by relatively late in life, that isn’t to say I haven’t fostered fantasies about certain countries along the way. One of them – the United States – I’ve been lucky enough to visit twice in the past few years.
The other – Egypt – remains a travel daydream, and it is this daydream I share with you today. It’s a warm and sunny Wednesday in provincial Lianyungang (more on that later) and I’m contemplating just what to do with my month long Spring Festival vacation in January. Egypt is fast firming as a real contender and below you’ll find why.
The History
Before any interest in travel had formed, my young mind was utterly fascinated with history. While my peers were gawking at Golden Books or Mr. Man picture books, I was leafing through my father’s dusty collection of atlases and books of unsolved mysteries.
While there was allure in the Incan ruins and the ancient mystery of Stone Henge, it was the vastness of the Egyptian pyramids that grabbed me. Their funerary rites, their animal headed gods, and their vast monuments really spoke to me as well.
Is there a more majestic sight than the Pyramids? Photo by N4ve.
The day I stand in front of the pyramids at Giza or visit the Valley of the Kings, I’ll feel a real sense of accomplishment at having fulfilled my very first travel dream. And while it may not compare with the dizzying feeling of over-awed realization I experienced when I first arrived in South Korea back in 2007, I am sure it will be a close second and make for a much more memorable travel tale.
Travellers the world around are drawn to Egypt each year to see the ancient wonders, and while the Pyramids are obviously the top attraction – there’s a lot to be said for the Valley of the Kings and the startling beauty of the temples of Karnak as well. It’s remarkably affordable to take a hot air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings, and the temple complex at Karnak is perhaps even more representative of Egyptian culture than the pyramids or the sphinx could ever hope to be. For lovers of history, the temple complex at Karnak is a must.
Is there a better way to take in Egypt than from a hot air balloon?
Tourist traps they may be, but you’re no true traveller if the Egyptian historic sites don’t hold some appeal for you.
The Cities
But to say Egypt starts and ends at its historic sites would be doing the country a great disservice. There is more to Egypt than its history, although much of it is often overshadowed by talk of Pharoahs and dynasties and ancient wars.
While Cairo obviously stands out as the obvious choice, don’t neglect to visit beautiful Alexandria. It may not boast the same depth of Egyptian history that its more famed cousin does, but Roman history mixes in with Egyptian history in Alexandria in a way you won’t find anywhere else. Pay a visit to the ancient Catacombs of Kom el-Shugafa beneath the city or one of its many museums or coliseums and you’ll be treated to an entirely different kind of cultural experience.
Alexandria may not be as famous as Cairo, but it’s got it beat for beauty. Photo by J Abadie.
Cairo itself boasts all manner of attractions ranging from museums to massive open air bazaars to complement its close proximity to the legendary pyramids and the enigmatic sphinx. Islamic Cairo is another draw for me, giving an insight into modern Cairo that provides a fascinating contrast to the ancient world we’re more familiar with from history books and documentaries.
The Natural Beauty
It’s perhaps Egypt’s natural beauty that is most often overlooked. Picture Egypt and you’re likely to imagine sand dunes, camels, and ancient ruins; and while that’s technically a correct representation of the north African nation, it doesn’t paint the full picture. Egypt’s coast is a stunning departure from its interior – a dazzling playground of coral reefs and picturesque beaches awaits along the shores of the red sea.
Scuba diving in the crystal clear waters of Sharm El Sheikh may well be an unexpected highlight of your Egyptian trip. Photo property of WomEOS
Holidays to Sharm el Sheikh are fast becoming a poorly kept secret, but there’s still plenty of reasons to visit the southern tip of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. Boasting some of Egypt and the world’s most stunning dive sites, the region is also laden with five star resorts and a rapidly evolving night life that makes it a logical choice for those wanting a more ‘conventional’ break from reality.
One of my readers also speaks glowingly on the subject of paying a visit to Dahab in the country’s north. Another Red Sea location, Louise swears that Dahab has even better scuba diving than its more famous southern neighbor. That’s a pretty ringing endorsement and one I’d like to investigate. Boasting a less touristy feel, it’s possible to spend a day diving and a night enjoying traditional Egyptian foods and experiencing Bedouin culture. A perfect compromise for those wanting a beach vacation without all of the trappings that come with tourism hot-spots.
Dahab – pretty as a picture. Photo by Heike Koehn.
If diving isn’t your thing, there’s also this little known body of water called The Nile. I wrote at length about my fascination with the world’s most famous river in the past, and a river cruise down the Nile offers a wonderfully memorable way to see the country.
Mention must also go to the deserts of Egypt as well. Tours of Egypt’s Western Desert are a welcome escape from the crowds that flood into Cairo and its surrounds every year, and let you see a world mostly untouched by man. Experiencing nomadic life up close and personal should be an experience every traveler worth their salt has at some point, and the Western Desert has no shortage of tours offering just that.
Your Say
If this article didn’t make it clear to you, you may notice that I’ve written in the past about my fascination with Egypt as well. Check out my comparison of Egypt vs Turkey sometime if you’re keen to learn more about different things to do in Egypt.
What was your very first travel dream? Is Egypt on your bucket list like it is mine? Or is there another country that holds first place in your daydreams?
I can’t quite explain what it is that draws me to pro wrestling. I know it’s fake. I realize that the ‘storylines’ are often even less plausible (and more poorly acted) than tragic daytime TV like Days of our Lives and Passions.
But in spite of all of that – or maybe because of it – I’ve been hooked ever since I first saw The Rock take on Steve Blackman on an episode of Monday Night Raw back in 1999. I was still an awkward, nerdy kid (as opposed to a nerdy adult sans the awkward) and my mate Magro was one of the first people in my sleepy hometown to get cable TV. I’d regularly stay the night on a Tuesday so I could do two things:
Watch wrestling
Perve in a totally non creepy way as the girl I liked played touch football across the road
Since those days it’s become something of an on again/off again fascination. It’s not so much the matches or the promos that I enjoy – it’s the whole business. The politics behind it, the up and comers, the guys who have overstayed their welcome, the backstage antics, and the wheeling and dealing as different promotions try to become #1.
I started watching when it was WWF and WCW, and while WCW is long gone, I’ve still found alternatives to the often hokey (and always frustrating) WWE/F product. One of these was TNA, who just happened to have a PPV (pay per view) called Destination X on the very night I arrived in Orlando. It was kismet.
Sold Out
After saying my temporary goodbyes to Heather, I met my friend Candy for the first time. We’d been chatting online since 2003 or so, so it was surreal to finally put a face to the late night university MSN conversations. She’d originally planned a night of drinking to welcome me to Orlando, but I begged and pleaded and she was happy to tag along to the wrestling.
You can imagine the way my heartbreak when we arrived and saw a collosal line. I’d been assured all day via Twitter that their shows never sold out, but a stern faced woman approached and I knew it wasn’t going to be my day. It seems Destination X is a particularly popular event.
“Do you two have tickets?” she asked.
“Uh…”
I was resigned to missing out. To have come so close and miss out was going to destroy me a little, but I’d have other opportunities.
“But my friend came all the way from Australia!” Candy lied.
“Hold on a second,” the woman replied. Moments later, she came back with a ticket for me and ushered me down to the back of the queue. Candy followed me and somehow, we both got let in.
“There aren’t any seats left,” Candy noticed as we got into the smoky arena.
“You can go stand up by the ring,” a helpful attendant suggested.
Ringside? I get to stand ringside for my first wrestling show? Hell fucking yes!
You can see here just how close I am to the ring. Fantastic ‘seats’
Now, I could bore you with play by play results of a wrestling show populated by guys you’ve probably never heard of, but I thought sharing some of my favorite photos from the night would be better. Enjoy!
TNA Destination X 2012
The majority of the ‘card’ (schedule) for Destination X would feature TNA’s ‘X-Division’ roster. This is ostensibly a collection of smaller, lightweight wrestlers who work (wrestle) a more high flying style. The focus in these matches is on pace, wowing audiences with seemingly (and often genuinely) dangerous moves, and showcasing the flexibility and agility of some very talented workers from around the world.
These matches also serve a very valuable purpose in the live experience. The high speed and more dazzling style of the matches works to get a crowd excited and fired up for later matches between bigger names. When these bigger names tend to be literally bigger and also older, it pays to have the crowd already in a good mood to build atmosphere.
Sonjay Dutt wows the crowd with a moonsault during his match at Destination XThe ‘Ultimate X’ match is one of TNA’s signature matches. The belt is suspended above the ring and can only be reached by climbing out along the ropes you see above.Mason Andrews and Kenny King moments before they plumet to the mat with a double neckbreaker.Sonjay Dutt climbs to the top in an attempt to get the title. During the match, he legitimately dislocated his shoulder but finished as best he could.
The above image really illustrates for me why calling wrestling ‘fake’ is such a misnomer. While the results are pre-planned and a lot of the hits are not legitimate, there is still a very real risk of injury. The performer above, Sonjay Dutt, fell badly earlier in this match and dislocated his shoulder. Being all man, he then popped it back into place and completed the match as planned.
While outcomes are decided in advance, the actual content of a match is often changed on the fly to take into account audience reaction and legitimate injuries to competitors.
Bigger Names, Bigger Matches
A well built card intersperses the high flying and often storyline free matches with higher profile bouts. Feuds (several month long programs between two or more personalities and usually involving a cheesy storyline) and dream matches are the matches that sell a pay-per-view event, but they don’t always deliver thrills.
I was lucky enough to see a number of these matches at Destination X really deliver. A bloody ‘grudge match’ between TNA mainstays AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels, a technical masterpiece between Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe, and a main event match that featured two very talented wrestlers and storytellers doing the classic ‘plucky good guy against unbeatable bad guy’ storyline.
The enthusiasm of a crowd is vital to an event as well. A silent crowd can make an otherwise good match seem slow and boring, while a ‘hot’ crowd can turn an average match into something far more memorable.
Being in the live crowd, it’s hard not to cheer for the good guy or boo the bad guy. It’s all very vaudevillian and reminds me of how Shakespeare’s theater must have felt with the crowd hissing at villains and cheering raucously for the heroes of the pieces.
Kurt Angle is arguably TNA’s biggest name alongside Hulk Hogan and StingKurt Angle suplexes Samoa Joe during their Bound for Glory series matchSamoa Joe punishes Kurt Angle with his finisher – the muscle buster
If you’ve ever watched pro-wrestling (or played a cheesy combat game) you’re aware that most workers have a ‘finisher’ – a move that typically ends a match.
But wrestlers also have signature moves. These are akin to character traits, and help make a wrestler’s matches feel a little more personable. These become familiar sign-posts in matches that fans can react to, and work to engage the crowd.
Below you’ll see a series of pictures featuring a bloody battle between Christopher Daniels and AJ Styles. Daniels is playing the ‘heel’ (bad guy) and is renowned for doing this with a kind of Machiavellian evil. AJ Styles is the ‘face’ (short for babyface, which means good guy) and this suits him. Not a very charismatic guy, he lets his in ring work win over fans.
Christopher Daniels talks trash to the crowd as he comes out for his rivalry match with AJ StylesChristopher Daniels earns the crowds ire by getting in the face of fan favorite, AJ Styles
Aside from obvious character differences, there is also a difference in the way a heel or babyface will work a match. The heel, as part of his role as the villain, will often resort to underhanded means such as low blows, raking the eyes, refusing a handshake, or having an outsider interfere. They also rely on ‘rest holds’ (holds that both slow down the match and allow the workers to discuss what comes next) far more. The majority of bad guys are played as big talkers but cowards.
A babyface will play to all that is good and noble. They generally (with a few notable exceptions) follow the rules, they perform more daring moves, and generally stand up for one another. The majority of good guys are played as noble guys who will stand up for the little guy.
The Main Event
The evening’s main event would pit two of TNA’s home grown stars against one another. Bobby Roode, a Canadian born wrestler who has been in the company for several years, has been playing an arrogant and unbeatable bad guy for a long time now. He wins by any means necessary and has beaten big names including Kurt Angle and Sting during his reign.
Austin Aries, who only joined the company about a year earlier, has risen rapidly and despite playing a bad guy – won over the crowds and had recently become a good guy by default. He plays an arrogant, cocky good guy rather than a needlessly noble one – and the crowd loves it.
To describe the atmosphere as electric doesn’t do it justice. I’ve been to live sports before and seen big matches played, and it really does compare quite well. Despite knowing it is fake – you seldom really know who will win, and when you’re a fan of the game like I am – you’re constantly second guessing it.
Who does the company see as the best money maker down the line? Who sells the most merchandise? Who offers the company the most options when it comes to future matches?
It’s more than just sweaty guys wrestling in spandex. There’s a whole business beneath the bravado that fascinates me, and it only served to make me enjoy the night all the more.
Austin Aries goes against the ‘noble hero’ stereotype and instead plays a boastful cad who styles himself as ‘best in the world’.Bobby Roode plays a smarmy, wealthy villain to perfection.Austin Aries showboats to the crowd’s delightBobby Roode disrespects Aries (and frustrates the crowd) by rubbing his boot in Aries’ faceAustin Aries comes off the top rope with a double ax handleThis one amused me. Come up with your own caption!Bobby Roode stalls up top with a standing vertical suplexThe crowd goes crazy as Austin Aries celebrates his win
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If I thought being at Destination X was a memorable experience, it was something else entirely to be in the crowd when my favorite wrestler picked up the win and his first world title. The crowd erupted as loudly as I’d ever heard at a football game, but it was all the louder for being in a small TV studio.
A well worked pro wrestling match is more than just two sweaty guys in tights beating one another up. It’s a metaphor for the greater struggle of good vs evil. There’s a reason that we get behind the good guy and loathe the bad guy, and it’s more than just social convention.
Professional wrestling, aimed at the everyman, plays to our love of seeing the good guy or little guy triumph over somebody who has achieved their own success unfairly. The bad guys are symbols for our bosses, the tax men, bullies, law-makers, and politicians who we often feel victimised by – and the good guy? That’s us. That’s the little guy winning and good old fashioned morals triumphing over greed and injustice.
Whether at the end of the day you watch it for the matches, the story lines, the girls, the guys, the business, or the escape from reality it offers – professional wrestling is an often abhorred and always under-appreciated form of theater. It exists somewhere between the circus, the freak show, the sport, and the play – and I love that weird little crossroads it exists at.
There’s electricity in professional wrestling. There’s a kind of tribal power to the way we live vicariously through these men and women who walk the line between actor, athlete, dancer, and artist. I don’t mean to paint them as more than they are – but if you’re at all familiar with the business, you’ll know that it’s not the easy job some might imagine.
Your Say
The whole experience was great fun. There’s a real carnival meets sports event atmosphere to the whole thing, and it was really great to see guys I’ve watched on TV for over a decade now live and in person.
Another fun experience was starting chants during matches and having the crowd catch on. It’s a kind of solidarity you form with your fellow attendees when you all get behind a good guy or cheer on a bad guy because, well, he’s just so much more fun than the good guy.
By night’s end my throat was hoarse, my head light from yelling, and my wallet even lighter for having picked up some souvenir shirts. But damned if it wasn’t a good time.
Have you ever been to a live professional wrestling event?
Interested in Attending?
If seeing live professional wrestling intrigues you, you can see it for free while in Orlando. Impact Wrestling films their weekly show, TNA Impact, at Universal Studios every Thursday night and admission is free. I’m told it rarely sells out, so you needn’t be there too early.
Pay-per-views, which typically boast higher profile and longer matches, are generally taped once a month on a Sunday evening and are also free. These do sell out though, so get in early and avoid having to lie about how far you’ve really come to see the show.
A live wrestling event, whether you’re a fan of the ‘sport’ or not, really is a truly American experience and one I would recommend regardless of how into the ‘art’ you may be.
Kid Kash flies from the top rope in his match
Austin Aries comes off the top rope with a double ax handle
Victory! Austin Aries wins his first world title in TNA
Bobby Roode plays a smarmy, wealthy villain to perfection.
Bobby Roode disrespects Aries (and frustrates the crowd) by rubbing his boot in Aries’ face
Sonjay Dutt climbs to the top in an attempt to get the title. During the match, he legitimately dislocated his shoulder but finished as best he could.
Kurt Angle suplexes Samoa Joe during their Bound for Glory series match
Austin Aries celebrates as the event comes to a close.
Kurt Angle is arguably TNA’s biggest name alongside Hulk Hogan and Sting
The crowd goes crazy as Austin Aries celebrates his win
Austin Aries showboats to the crowd’s delight
Christopher Daniels talks trash to the crowd as he comes out for his rivalry match with AJ Styles
The ‘Ultimate X’ match is one of TNA’s signature matches
Bobby Roode stalls up top with a standing vertical suplex
Austin Aries goes against the ‘noble hero’ stereotype and instead plays a boastful cad who styles himself as ‘best in the world’.
Mason Andrews and Kenny King moments before they plumet to the mat with a double neckbreaker.
Sonjay Dutt wows the crowd with a moonsault during his match at Destination X
Jesse Sorrenson returns from a legitimate neck injury to surprise the crowd.
This one amused me. Come up with your own caption!
You can see here just how close I am to the ring. Fantastic ‘seats’
Bobby Roode mocks the crowd
Christopher Daniels earns the crowds ire by getting in the face of fan favorite, AJ Styles
Austin Aries locks in a painful looking submission hold
Samoa Joe punishes Kurt Angle with his finisher – the muscle buster
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