Archive for November, 2007

The full moon is bigger in the desert. At least that’s what the denizens of open spaces say, those lucky enough to be spared the daily fluctuations of coastal climes. In the desert the full moon is bigger.

Chamber Pillars: Is this your first sunset?

The moon in Alice Springs ascends from behind the MacDonnell Ranges that line and ring the town. And the moon is indeed big – a luminous orange orb that can entrance an eye for those first few minutes of movement in evening sky. The spattered scatterings of the Milky Way draw back at its grasp of nights’ undraped velvet curtain, like the skirts of the hills pulled up to the heavens.

Just beyond the ranges that hem this odd desert oasis, through the Heavitree Gap that opens for the road to the “south” (as in, everywhere else that isn’t north of Australia’s arid centre) and out by the road to the airport, nestles a dirt road that is oft un-driven by the passing hordes. An ideal hard-yakka sojourn far from the madding, backpacking, rubber-necking crowds. Well, most of the crowd without luxury 4WDs, as we discovered.

Chambers Pillar was our vague idea of a destination, a quiet spot to unfurl the swag - we hoped – and to see the stars without pesky town lights and hoons going past in their hotted-up cars to bother our peace. Just 20 kilometres down the Maryvale Road, it’s an ideal first stop for the weary eye that neglected to leave Alice much before sunset. A cresting red dune beckons for a sight of the sun setting over the ranges and a clear vista on the desert moon-rise, should your timing be right. And perhaps a relaxing beer to quell the passing afternoon heat – another trademark desert moment (tick that box).

For a bit more “sleep out under the stars” action (if it rained it would be more cause for celebration than discomfort out here in the desert) we headed a few miles down the road to near the Ewaninga train station, along the line for the old Ghan train. The station house bore witness to refurbished wallpaper-style decoration, showing a real appreciation for “bikes and babes” (later completed with black spray-paint censorship of the scores of bare chests formerly on display) and outside lay a testament to the passing of man’s best friend – a dog called “Arsehole”, who lived a full life at just eleven human years. This spot is also alongside the track for the annual Finke Desert Race — another classic Northern Territory moment of ‘esteemed culture’ along the lines of Bikes ‘n’ Babes.

Desert “art” near Alice Springs

After we took a timely wrong turn at the gates to Maryvale Station (you do need to drive through there to get to Chambers Pillar, we discovered) and a trip down the old Ghan line for an hour or three, we found a playground in a strip of country that looked like it hadn’t seen rain in quite a while. We paused to make an Andy Goldsworthy
of ourselves and do some large scale arrangements of the ready-made natural art materials.

Like something out of a weird sci-fi film, almost everything in the landscape seemed to be dead or dying, yet somehow there was still plenty of life. A fact almost ironically illustrated by the passing of the new Ghan train just after we stopped – and again the next morning as we were leaving to head back up to the right track. Suddenly, some rootless place in the middle of nowhere became a point on a line connecting Adelaide and Alice Springs.

Back on the right road to Chambers Pillar we hurtled along the bumpy desert track. The passenger in the front seat soon opted to swap for the back, as the driving scared him more than the road. Finally, upon arrival at Chambers Pillar, the monumental peak that has withstood millions of years erosion, our moment basking in its glories is cut short by the sudden arrival of a vehicle that could only decimate corrugations on any road.

Caravanosaurus: A testament to excess in wheels

Caravanosaurus: the greatest testament to excess in wheels ever seen, drove into the campground. An International Twin-Cab Truck (yes, a truck) was hugged from behind by the king-of-all-caravans that proudly proclaimed itself to be 4WD. And that’s not all. Behind the juggernaut to end them all: towed by steel, was a back-up 4WD, just some little off-the-shelf number, probably just in case there existed some places that its leading master could not beat into terrified horizontal submission. And the number plate for the Beast? Not “Scruffy” but “Scrufy”. And the scowling furry man that wielded the steering wheel certainly was.

“They don’t make much room for larger vehicles in here, do they?” he grumped at us, scratching his scruffy head, as he got out to work out how he could turn around campersauras rex in the tiny car park. We didn’t think that “they” anticipated extinct prehistoric forces of nature to return to the earth as the mother-of-all recreational trucks.

We left Scrufy to his inevitable discoveries and wandered over to become “one” with the giant rock extrusions that dominated the valley of our destination. Formerly part of a vast inland sea, Chambers Pillar – protected by an hard iron cap – withstood the erosive pull of the departing tide millions of years gone, leaving it and a few other features towering above the old sea floor. After climbing the conveniently located (if not entirely disturbing) set of stairs and handrails that ran suddenly up the base of the prehistoric monster (the Pillar, not the truck) we opted for a walk around it in the last of the afternoon sun, unaware of the peril of Grey Nomads that gathered at that moment in the car-park.

Some equally convenient chairs, a moment of spontaneous furnishings in a landscape frequently remarkable for its lack of conveniences, emerged in a quaint clearing on the western side of the Pillar. We promptly sat. And shortly after the gathering hordes emerged.

“Is this your first sunset?” came the first inquiry.

“No… we saw one yesterday,” I replied, looking to my mate to see how far we might take this. “And one the day before,” he added, not quite giving the go-ahead for an all-out assault of Tourist Confusing.

The strange creature before us, who had obviously not just climbed out of a darkened and lead-lined box, but was wearing a hat with corks on the brim, remarked that they had driven all the way out “there” for the sunset (the rock changes to “red” in the setting sun) – and, it turned out, we were sitting in the Sunset Viewing Area.

After our new best friends sat themselves down and long periods of chatter that would have monkeys leaving the nearest jungle, they watched intently for the rock to “change in the sunset”. After long and disappointed pauses, my mate exclaimed “It changed!” – producing instant excitement and hands to the cameras, but not for the “pink and purple polka dots,” as he claimed. Something between ennui and disgust eventually set in and we headed back to camp for the nightly rituals. We were soon passed by the first of the Nomads.

“How was it?” we asked.

“Best as could be expected,” wifey replied, as if she once again longed for the quiet safety and predictability of their darkened lead-lined box back in the suburbs.

–Jack Brown

If you missed Jack’s first installment of Darwin to Alice by road, you can read it here. Planning a trip? Browse all of Viator’s Darwin tours and things to do in Alice Springs.

When you do your checklist of things to see and do in Egypt, there’s one pretty amazing place that better be on it. Of course you will see the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx, check out King Tutankhamun’s treasures at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and walk amongst kings at Luxor’s Valley of the Kings, but make sure you save a spot on that list for Abu Simbel. If you leave Egypt without going to this great site, I don’t think you can truly say you have seen it all.

Located 300 kilometers south of Aswan on the banks of Lake Nasser, the magnificent temples built by the great Ramses II dominate the desert landscape. You can get there by bus (about 3 hours each way), but the quicker and more comfortable way is to fly. Sure it’s more expensive but you get to fly over the endless desert sands instead of spending hours traveling on them, not to mention the great aerial view you get if sitting on the left side of the plane as you approach Abu Simbel airport. Sitting right there by the lake in the middle of nowhere, even from a height of several thousand feet, you get the idea this place is going to be pretty special.

When you land you join the shuttle buses which ferry passengers out to the site, passing through the small town. Abu Simbel is a great example of tourism sustaining a population. There is little reason to go to this small village other than the great temples, however due to their popularity a thriving population has been established and locals have all the essential amenities found in any city or large town in Egypt. To give you some idea of the impact tourism has on this town, the temples have up to 10,000 visitors pass through each day during the busy winter season. An average day out of season - around 3,000…

Temple of Hathor and Nefetari

This is where having a private guide came in handy. Arriving at the temples there would have been a couple of hundred people, with several large bus groups and 2 full plane loads, and this was on the late morning departure at around 9:30am. Supposedly if you are there very early in the morning when the bus tours from Aswan arrive, along with the early flights, it is much more crowded. With only the 2 of us and our guide, it was easy for him to lead us through the crowds and get us to the temples before everyone else. He visits this place several times a day and is very familiar with the comings and goings of its visitors, so he knew exactly how to give us the best possible experience.

While everyone else headed straight for the well-known Great Temple of Abu Simbel built by Ramses II as a tribute to himself (seriously this man had an ego ten times the size of Paris Hilton and Kanye West combined!), we went for the smaller Temple of Hathor (fertility goddess) and Nefertari (Ramses II’s favorite of 50+ wives). We had a good 20 - 25 minutes inside all alone without the intrusion of others. As we left, the hordes were on their way having finished with the big temple. When it was time to check out the big temple, while we were not alone, there was a significantly lower number of other people compared with what would have been had we visited it first. Needless to say, we tipped our guide well!

Due to the large number of people visiting Abu Simbel, guides are not permitted to enter the temples with their guests. This is to protect the site. Without a guide most visitors spend less time inside which reduces the wear and tear on the buildings. It also creates a mystical atmosphere inside with the majority of people remaining quiet, or at least keeping the volume to a minimum, so I think it actually enhances the experience. Before going inside each of the temples, the guide sat down with us and told us what we would see and what to look out for. He had photos and drawings which he used to point out some of the most significant artwork and their meaning. It was great to know what to look for, but also to have the freedom to let our own eyes seek and explore as well.

When approaching the big temple, obviously you are faced with the 4 massive statues of Ramses II guarding the entrance, but once you enter you are greeted with a corridor of yet more likenesses of the great Pharaoh. Because the site was only discovered in 1813, it escaped defacement by Christian invaders so the hieroglyphics and carvings are intact and cover the walls and columns everywhere the eye falls. The only damage is the odd piece of carved graffiti left by adventurers in the 19th century. The great battle scene to the left is one of the most impressive carvings in Egypt. At the back of the temple sits 4 statues - Ptah (god of the underworld), Amon-Ra (King of Gods), Ramses II himself and Harmakhis (sun god). These statues are positioned in a way that once a year (February 22 from memory) the sun rises and penetrates the temple to illuminate the statues - all except Ptah, who as the god of the underworld, is forever cloaked in darkness.

Ego, what ego?!

To add to the spectacle of Abu Simbel, is its famous move. The site was originally located 65 meters lower than its current location and on the banks of the Nile River, but with the building of the High Dam in Aswan and creation of Lake Nasser, the temples were to be flooded. UNESCO, recognizing the significance of the site, stepped in and lead the rescue project which began in 1964 and an for 4 years. The temples and the cliff they are carved into, were painstakingly cut into pieces, numbered, moved to higher ground and reassembled. To gaze on the temples now, you would never know they have not been where they now lay for their entire existence. Even the fallen 2nd Ramses statue was moved to replicate the exact position in which it originally fell, no restoration was attempted. Your guide will tell you all about it and there is also a small exhibition you can visit in the rest area after your visit to the temples.

So to make what has become a long story short, if you are going to Egypt, you gotta go to Abu Simbel! Like the Pyramids, it is a historical and cultural icon that more than lives up to expectations.

–Kerrie O’Mahony

Planning a trip? Browse Viator’s tours and things to do in Upper Egypt and throughout Egypt. Also have a look at traveler photos of Egypt over on the Viator Flickr site.

Amsterdam is famous worldwide for its liberal attitudes. Amongst its residents, it is more known for its shortage of housing. In the past decades, this problem has been solved by squatting. Nearly everyone I met in Amsterdam lives, or had once lived, in a squat. But with the social and political climate of the city changing, the attitude to squatting is also changing; to the disgust of some people, there is now an Anti-Squat movement. I have always seen squatting as having outsider connotations – the bucking of an unfair system, a political statement, cockroaches and blocked toilets, dodging the police. But in Amsterdam it’s different. People live in squats for years, they are homes, their occupants legally registered with the government and paying the local version of council tax.

Philippa, an experienced squatter

Any building left unoccupied for a year in Amsterdam is fair game for squatting. All you have to do is break in, take in a chair, a table and a bed, then call the police who come and register you at the address. A check is done to make sure the building has in fact been empty for a year, and it’s yours to live in. Now, the onus is on the owner to get you out.

Many of the buildings squatted are owned by the government: railway houses no longer used for signalmen, houses acquired for road widening which has never happened. These are often the best to squat because the government is slow to move and, if the plans for new roads, railways etc have been shelved, they have no use for the buildings.

The squat I spent time in was an old railway house next to a freight line. It was crooked and damp, so close to the tracks it initially felt like the trains were going to come through the wall, and, along with my friends, it housed mosquitoes the size of birds. Mind you, a lot of Amsterdam is plagued by bird mosquitoes. I only ever found citronella in the shops and it was humiliating to hear these insect-beasts laughing as they buzzed me all night. In the end, I had my sister send powerful mosquito coils from Australia which showed them! It might sound a bit of an overreaction but when you’ve spent a few nights thinking you’re about the be carried away by the winged monkeys from The Wizard of Oz, you’ll be desperately calling for Australian chemicals too.

But I digress…

Amsterdam Icon: The Trusty Bike

The railway squat was a real home. Book lined, music-filled, the smell of delicious meals cooking, cups of tea in the sunshine. After a while, I even slept through the noise of the freight trains. It has been squatted for over 25 years and has everything – gas, electricity, water. The only thing it doesn’t have is rent. Perfect.

A girl I met at a party lived in a similarly ideal situation. She was part of a bigger, well-known squat in an old mansion just outside Amsterdam. This was a house acquired by the government for road widening that never happened. As she described it, every corner of that place is used productively. There are artists, chickens, children. The garden has vegetables. The residents are very content – except for the usual sharehouse fights over jam and bread.

But I kept hearing about the changes creeping into Amsterdam. How it is becoming less tolerant. How it is becoming more crowded, more money-oriented. And I heard about the anti-squat movement.

This is a kind of tenancy group that works with building owners whose buildings are empty while they apply to redevelop. To protect them from squatters, the anti-squat group installs tenants, usually students, at low rent, with few rights and not great conditions – these buildings are about to be redeveloped remember. Then again, I had friends renting a place without a bathroom and that had nothing to do with squatting, just finding an affordable roof in Amsterdam these days.

Squatting in Amsterdam is an organised community. While some people do it just to have a home, others do it to be part of an alternate, low-cost community. I went to a now-legalised former squat in Westerpark, which has a vegetarian restaurant and band venue (Zaal 100). We ate a good three course meal, then watched some, frankly, experimental music from Germany.

There are squatted gallery spaces, bars, internet cafes. Although a lot of the newer ones of these are short-lived as owners react more quickly to squatters moving in. For up to date information go to underwateramsterdam.com.

But my favourite was the squat sauna. Near the Vondelpark, this well-established squat has a sauna and steam room open to the public very cheaply. They also offer one euro showers for backpackers and the homeless. Again, there is very good, cheap vegetarian food on offer, massages, and a garden to cool down in. In true Dutch form, it is all nude and mixed gender – leave your inhibitions in the locker room as you strip off next to assorted strangers. But it is one of the most relaxing places I have ever been. The dozing mats upstairs became a haven during my two months in Amsterdam, although, sadly, the sauna was closed for a month of summer. And this summer, it just wasn’t warm enough to justify that – I needed a sauna to warm up!

–Philippa Burne

Planning a trip? Browse all of Viator’s Amsterdam tours and things to do and suggested itineraries in Amsterdam.

East Coast Australia: Have Kid, Will Travel

After a great time travelling from Australia to Italy and Spain with our little boy a while ago, we’ve decided to stay a bit closer to home this time around. My wife, 20-month-old son Seamus, and I are heading up the east coast of Australia, visiting some of the most popular beach towns between Sydney and Brisbane.

Having just finished a long stint in a job, I want to take a couple of restful weeks. Our priority will be visiting friends and family along the way, taking our time and keeping our schedule intentionally sparse. But holidays aren’t what they used to be.

Ever since little Seamus came along, taking a break from work is no longer about sleeping in, grazing through the day, going out for a nice meal and maybe catching a movie. No, it’s about getting up early and spending the day chasing a ball of energy around all day, putting him to bed, eating take-out food then flopping in front of the TV until passing out at about 9.30pm.

Still, away we go!

East Coast Australia: Planning Tips

Aside from trawling this site for great tour options, the first stop was flights. We live in Melbourne, but decided to fast-track the trip by flying to Sydney. We’ve visited the south-east coast before, visiting towns such as Merimbula, Tathra and the beautiful Sapphire Coast of New South Wales. It’s lovely, but coming out of the southern winter, we are looking for warmer waters further north.

• FLIGHTS: There’s a couple of budget airlines in Australia, but using the nifty Webjet site, which collects fares from several airlines in one place, we were able to find the best deal for us. Easy.
• CAR: A fairly new site called Oodles allowed us to compare car hire rates from the five major Aussie rental companies. We got a great rate on a little Toyota, which should be perfect.
• HOTEL: We planned to stay just one night in Sydney, so looked on a bunch of sites. A microwave in the room (for those quick 3am milk requirements) was a big priority. As was price. And while hardly the most glamorous hotel in the world, the Travelodge up near Hyde Park in the city looked like a good option.

So we’re all booked and set. I’ll post again in a day or two when we’re on the road. Wish us luck!

–John Ryan

NYC Underground Art: This is Your Last Resort

Where’s the New York underground scene these days?

Asking that question is a little like catching shooting stars with a fishing net: they will always slip through your fingers and lead you on a wild dance across the night.

While it’s hard to keep up with the latest, hippest, coolest venues in New York, it sure is fun trying. If you’re in the mood to catch a fleeting glimpse of the “underground today, mainstream tomorrow” thrill, step into the world of New York City underground art, film and culture with me, and trace a path through some places that will inspire you to unveil your own inner freak.

New York Art Underground: LMCC

The art world long ago headed south from the Chelsea galleries to the heart of the financial district in Lower Manhattan. The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council is an extraordinary organisation that facilitates the use of empty spaces by artists, creating a shifting stage for some of the most interesting, avant garde work you will see in the city. LMCC is also responsible for Swing Space, a program that connects artists and arts organizations with vacant commercial space downtown. Constantly moving and acquiring new sites, in the past Swing Spaces have included empty office floors, closed retail stores, an abandoned printing factory, a former bank. You never know where you will find art in this underground side of the Financial District, or it indeed, where it will find you.

You can also experience the art of Lower Manhattan with three self-guided audio walking tours, which explore the meaning, reception and context of public art through themed tours that focus on art and security, art and the body, monuments and memory.

Celebrate the Hack at Eyebeam

A side-trip to midtown Manhattan, Eyebeam is an art and technology center for the digital underground. It’s a lively incubator of creativity and thought, where artists and technologists meet and create contemporary digital artworks. Eyebeam celebrates the hack, encourages collaboration, freely offers its contributions to the community, and invites the public to share in a spirit of openness: open source, open content and open distribution. Programs include ‘Open City’ – a glimpse into the current media and tactics of artists who take their practices into the street.

You Like to Dance, Drink, Weep?

If you like to dance, drink and weep to the authentic music of authentic Gypsy cultures, head to the 3rd New York Gypsy Festival. The Luminescent Orchestrii promise Romanian gypsy melodies, punk frenzy, salty tangos, hard rocking klezmer, haunting Balkan harmony, hip-hop beats and Appalachian fiddle, all eaten and spit out by three violins, resophonic guitar, bullhorn harmonica and guitarron. Dance up a storm with Baba Zula, The New York Gypsy All Stars Band, Balkan Beat Box and 17 Hippies, with the second part of the festival taking place in November.

The Underground Comes to You

New York’s Free 103.9FM is a fantastic community radio station and network. Tune in and listen up to their local and international transmission events for a sense of where the underground is heading next. Case in point: Damian Catera performing “Strategies Against Communication: The Semiotics of The Headless Dachshund,” playing live from his Jersey City studio for the Tremor 4 Festival.

Tremor_4 is a multi-location performedia festival that will occur in each artist’s present location (running November 8-11). The event is temporally specific, rather than specific to a particular physical or virtual location. Jump in and experience the underground wherever you are!

Green Point is the New Prague

Williamsburg was the ‘cool’ Lower East Side a while ago. But those who are now too underground to afford the rent hikes have moved to Green Point. Here my favourite diner in the world — Enid’s — continues to dispense Southern hash-and-greens brunches to the hipster kids who probably had a late night at punk-rock venue Warsaw rockin’ with the underground (bands like Sleater-Kinnery, The Sonics, Matisyahu, Pere Ubu, the Donnas) in the old Polish National Home…

Astoria’s Freeze Peach cafe, photo by Joey

Astoria is the New Black

Staying on the ‘other’ side of the East River, take a trip to Astoria, where the underground vibe is really happening these days. You could start with the Astoria film meet-up group, for indie, classic, cult and documentary films screenings. Drop by the Tell Astorya Café, 3705 28th Ave Astoria, a small, cozy café with a laid back, down to earth vibe where people read, knit and meet for films, poetry, open mic and even a jazz brunch on Sunday.

Or try Flux Factory, billed as ‘a not for profit arts organization supporting innovation in things’, and has a genuinely underground approach to creating and producing the exhibitions and events that take place. The upcoming show “New York New York New York” lists an open call for artists, saying ‘We want artists not to think so much about New York as it actually is, but New York as a possible space. We encourage participants to explore the city’s great myths and urban legends, grandiose unrealized projects, future visions from the past, as well as individual and personal experiences of the city.’

Astoria’s Last Resort Art Space is a loft apartment with a rooftop patio, where the residents throw house parties featuring bands and DJs. Be respectful when you visit the underground at home, relax, and enjoy the cool live music they bring to Astoria.

Freeze Peach is an independent café with a wonderful selection of tea. The Freeze Peach mission states their desire to ‘Awaken senses through delight’ and ‘Facilitate random interaction’. Perfect for creating a new underground of artistic ferment, which could include an exhibition of photography by a local artist and café barista, and events including meetings for vinyl enthusiasts, a book swap, Astorians for peace, healing music open mic, a blog, and the very productive Astoria crafty knitty.

Socrates Sculpture Park was once an abandoned landfill and illegal dumpsite along the river, until a coalition of artists and community members re-discovered it in 1986, transforming the site into a new art centre. It has an open studio and exhibition space for artists and a neighborhood park where you can stroll through the art and enjoy the fresh air.

Underground New York, Taken Literally

The New York City Subway was built with the notion that art and architecture could appeal to many not just an elite, and that beautiful structures would inspire civic virtue. Whether or not this idea holds true, the subway is filled with hidden treasures. The philosophical movement ‘The City Beautiful’ is revived by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority program ‘Arts for Transit’, which aims to fill the subway with art, sculpture and mosaics, including a bronze alligator emerging from beneath the platform at 14th St station. Listen to the story by Margot Adler on NPR.

Finally, for those who prefer armchair travel, relax and enjoy tales from the city’s netherworlds with New York Underground: The Anatomy of a City by Julia Solis. Her fascination with urban exploration has led to years of traversing the subterranean landscapes of New York, and she tells wonderful stories about the crumbling aqueducts, underground speakeasies and ruins of insane asylums in these dark passages. Her work continues with Ars Subterranea, the society for creative preservation, encouraging an intersection between art and architectural relics in the New York City, and provoking audiences to interact with the city’s neglected and ruinous locations by recreating obscure but fascinating aspects of its urban development.

–Jodi Rose

For more ideas in NYC, check out Viator’s list of things to do in New York City, from Broadway shows to Manhattan helicopter tours… and everything in between.

We didn’t want the day to pass without wishing ‘Happy Birthday’ to the Viator Travel Blog, which went live exactly one year ago today. Here’s an excerpt from our very first post:

It’s official — the Viator travel blog is up and running. Tell your friends, tell your coworkers, tell random people in the street. The Viator travel blog is a resource for anybody who loves to travel. Check back over the coming weeks and months as we post and share our thoughts on a range of travel topics: from things to do in New York City and Paris tours and activities (the stuff that pays the bills and keeps us going) to travel deals, travel news, travel alerts, you name it. We also want to hear from you — don’t be shy, ask us questions, tell us what you like or don’t like, and we’ll see what we can do to help you make the most of your next trip. Happy travels.

Turning one is a good time to reflect on the year that was, the year that will be. Here’s a motley mix of facts and figures about our blog. It’s been quite a year, and we fully expect Year 2 to be as fun, inspiring and interesting (possibly even controversial!) as the first one.

The Viator Travel Blog: Year One

Somehow we’ve managed to publish 434 posts. Many of these are actually quite useful and good!

The 5 most popular (based on page views) are:

• A first-hand report from Viator’s founder about opening day at the Grand Canyon Skywalk.
• Our list of the Top 25 Things to Do in Europe in 2006. Which reminds me, stay tuned for our 2007 lists of top things to do, including our list of the Top 50 things to do around the world.
• Kerrie’s post about the 2007 Cricket World Cup. She explained the game with grace and patience (useful for us Americans) and did a pretty decent job tipping the results, too.
• My post about 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. It struck a nerve, and generated a fair amount of controversy. My opinions have not changed.
• Our Insider’s Guide to Malaysia’s Best Beaches. Going to Malaysia? Read this post.

Our Spam Filter has deleted 17,663 comments! That’s a lot of Viagara links. My favorite spam comments:

• I do think your right on the spot here, i am going to bookmark your site to see if other people have different views.
• I couldn’t understand some parts of this article, but it sounds interesting
• Sorry, it just sounds like a crazy idea for me

The 3 most popular search terms used to find our blog…

• rugby world cup predictions (thanks Ian for all your great Rugby World Cup posts)
• things to do in Europe (once again our list of Top 25 Things to Do in Europe in 2006)
• virgin first time (hmmm, was this post really what you were looking for??)

The 3 least popular search terms used to find our blog…

• belize it or not (no joke, 1 person found us using this term, hopefully they enjoyed our post)
• menstrual blood attracting sharks (yes, we really did blog about it)
• ancient 14 wonders of the world (silly us, we thought there were only 7)

Who are you people??? The top 5 home cities of our blog readers:

• London (cheers)
• Auckland (ta)
• Sydney (good on ya)
• New York City (thanks)
• Singapore & San Francisco (it’s a tie)

We have plenty of new ideas and plans for Year 2, so keep checking back over the next 12 months (or subscribe to our RSS feed and let your computer do all the heavy lifting). Thanks for your interest in the Viator Travel Blog, and let us know what else you’d like to see in the coming year.

–Scott McNeely

Temple fatigue - it happens in Egypt, it happens in Asia and it happens in Europe, only there it’s called church fatigue. Basically, there are only so many ancient/old sites you can see before they all look the same. On my recent trip to Egypt this phenomenon threatened to take over the vacation with no end in site. With an ancient civilization of over 4,000 years, you are bound to run into a little temple fatigue along the way. You know it’s struck when you are looking at an incredible piece of artwork carved thousands of years ago and all you can think is “yeah, seen it before at so and so temple!”. Traveling in Egypt, this is as big a risk as contracting hepatitis and tetanus!

Whenever you visit any place in the world where the main attraction is a certain period in history you risk “something really old but no different to the place we just saw” fatigue. In these cases, the guide showing you the sites makes all the difference. Luckily on my recent visit to Nile River Cruise through Upper Egypt (that’s Luxor and Aswan which appear lower than Cairo on the map just to confuse you…) I was lucky enough to have the most amazing guide to show me the sites. Having already seen Edfu Temple, Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, Hatshepsut Temple, you get the point right, it was time to see Philae Temple in Aswan. Our lovely guide Samir, to be forever known as Sami, is a native of Aswan and not only knows, but loves this place from deep within his heart.

Sami does his thing at Karnak

Aided by the stunning Nile River setting, Philae Temple is one of the most picturesque sites in Upper Egypt to begin with, but with Sami as our guide it was also really interesting, despite the similarities to the countless other ancient places we had already seen. He found the most interesting stories which were unique to Philae, as well as tying it in to the overall history we had learned throughout the rest of the trip. Later on we visited the Botanical Gardens on Kitchener Island and spent over an hour just sitting with Sami chatting about life in Egypt and Sydney and the general goings on in the world. After the cruise was over we spent a few extra days in Aswan, and mentioned to Sami that we wanted to watch an English soccer match but our hotel did not have the channel. Sami found another hotel that had it and arranged for them to open their bar early just for us to go and watch the match. Where else in the world do you get treated so well?

Sami was with us for the whole week and I got to know him well during this time. Many hours were spent talking about love, life, religion and soccer (the international language!). I discovered things I would never have expected to on a trip to Egypt, including alot about myself. Sami has taught me real tolerance for those with differing beliefs and showed me a different perspective and approach to life. All this from a guy 2 years younger than me who has never left the country he was born in, I love it when people surprise me for the better.

Sami is now a friend for life and I hope to see him in Sydney soon so I can share my hometown with him the way he shared his with me. He is a great reminder of why I love to travel as much as I can, and the perfect example of how one person can change your world for the better.

–Kerrie O’Mahony

Planning a trip? Browse Viator’s tours and things to do in Upper Egypt and throughout Egypt. Also have a look at traveler photos of Egypt over on the Viator Flickr site.

Every so often it becomes time for me to take stock of my lengthy list of bookmarks and clean out any bookmark remorse sites. At one time it seemed like having that link to toyvoyagers.com saved made some sort of sense, but now it is time to say goodbye. I thought I would share the links from my Travel folder that made the cut, these are all great travel websites I have perennially found useful when I am planning a trip, and they might help you, or maybe someone you know.

Orientation:

1. Google Maps: Yes, its nice for directions, but my mom can do that. What you want to do is make a custom map to figure out how close the hotels you like are to all the places you want to visit. Or map out all the restaurants (with their phone number) you heard are great, print it, and have it around when its time to eat. See my custom map for an upcoming trip to Quebec City. Also the mobile version of Google Maps is very nice, your cell phone is your friend when you are lost.
2. Subway Maps from Amadeus: A great resource for subway maps from around the world. I especially like that you can export to pdf for easy printing, and if you click on the little book above the map it gives you all information you’d need on hours of operation, fares and lines.
3. Seatguru: This site seems to pop up a lot in articles about travel planning. While Seatguru can’t guarantee you won’t be next to a crying baby, it can help you pick a seat near power outlets, the bathroom, or with some extra legroom. I love getting the set of just two seats that planes sometimes have, and this site helps me find out if the plane has those, and what their seat numbers are.
4. XE.com: The classic site for calculating exchange rates. Their mobile version for cell phones is also pretty easy to use, as I should have found out when I took $500 USD worth of Hong Kong dollars out of the airport ATM instead of $50. I blame jet lag.
5. World Clock: What time is it in Dubai? I like this no frills world clock the best.
6. jiwire: Find wireless hotspots anywhere in the world. Lost that custom Google map? Want to send an email update from the road? Find yourself some free bandwidth.

Organization:

1. Budget Travel’s Reward Program Account Number Card: Travel lighter by not carrying around all those loyalty program cards. And when you are booking and have to find your frequent flyer number, don’t dig through drawers, wallets or your email to find it. Take a minute to write them all down on this one handy card, and you’re good to go. You can make your own card, I just like how this one is organized.
2. Yahoo! Trip Planner: Even if you aren’t going to write yourself out a travel itinerary (Trip Planner is the best online itinerary tool, in my opnion), Trip Planner is useful to crib ideas from other people’s trips; you can even copy and edit an existing trip plan. This one gets a vote from Viator too, check out the Viator trip plans for our favorite destinations.
3. Flickr: In the war of the online photo sharing sites, I think Flickr wins hands down. It has easy to use tools for uploading, tagging and organizing, plus nice slideshows. And, no one has to login or create an account to see your photos if you’ve made them public, so you can send a link to all your friends and all they have to do is click to see what a great time you had. Another Viator vote getter, check out our Viator travel photos on Flickr.

I’m sure you’ve got your favorite travel sites too, and since I am always on the lookout for a new bookmark, leave a comment and share the love.

– Kelly G