Marco Gizmo
The Coolest Festival Ever: Goroka
Published by Marco Gizmo on August 23rd, 2006 | Tagged Oceania, Travel
The Goroka Festival is an annual event held in the highlands of Papua New Guinea and is one of the Meccas of travel photographers the world over.
In September of every year, tribes from all over PNG get together for this shindig and the dress code is a long way from formal. Up to 40,000 painted warriors from accross the country dance to the beat of the Kundu drums in an event that began in the 1950s as a social gathering and soon became a huge annual event.
As you can see, things get pretty colourful and photographers go wild - it actually looks pretty difficult to take a bad photo with all that colour flying around.
Frankly the Mud Men of Asaro have scared the shit out of me ever since I was a child - I still get the occasionaly nightmare. Even so, this is one of the events I am definitely going to make it to during my lifetime.
When: September
Where: Goroka, Papua New Guinea
How: Papua Trekking
Technorati Tags: Goroka, PNG, Papua New Guinea
Comment now »When Hawkers Attack
Published by Marco Gizmo on August 15th, 2006 | Tagged Travel
Any experienced traveler has been there. You’re walking down the street of some third world dive and a hawker has zeroed in on you, determined that you are going to part with your cash for whatever two-bit piece of crap they are trying to offload.
The funny thing is that hawkers can almost always correctly pick the newbie traveler to pick on - after all they are the one who is most likely to part with their cash just to get rid of them.
So how do you avaoid these guys fleecing you?
There are a few rules:
Dress Down
The trick is to look poorer than the next tourist. The hawker is always going to go after the fat guy wearing the Tag watch and Polo shirt. Don’t be that guy. If you look like less of a prospect than the next tourist then you will be relatively safe.
Hide the Gadgets
Again with the rich theme - if you have laptops, cell phones, GPS devices and Palms then you look rich. You are probably carrying devices worth 6 months wages to half the people around you. You don’t want that, so put them in your (suitably drab) bag.
Don’t Slow Down
If you are walking when you are approached by a hawker DO NOT slow down. This is a huge mistake that many newbies make. Slowing down gives the hawker a chance to block your path and shows them that you MIGHT be interested. Just maintain a steady pace and direction - simple!
Don’t Pick it Up
Under no circumstances should you EVER take what is offered. Once you have picked up the merchandise that was offered to you, you will NEVER be able to get rid of it or hand it back to the seller. It is a hard sell tactic, but it works and it is used a lot. Don’t be caught out.
Keep Your Sense of Humour
It is pretty easy to lose your cool with people in some places. That is a bad idea. They are just trying to make the best of the shitty hand that they have been dealt and fleecing rich tourists pays better than many other jobs in the third world - but it still sucks so cut some slack. The best way to diffuse any tense moments is to laugh and share a joke - after all you are there to have fun.
Comment now »Hot Deal: US Airline Tickets
Published by Marco Gizmo on August 1st, 2006 | Tagged Travel
Nothing quite says “you’re my pal” like showing up unannounced and leaching free food and accommodation from your long lost buds.
Unfortunately, when all your friends live inter-state that gets a little expensive.
We uncovered a free airline tickets offer that might smooth the way though, and get you annoying the crap our of your old pals / ex-girlfriend / relieved parents, quicker than you can say “where’s the beer?”
A few tips to make sure you have the best time:
- Arrive unannounced
- Bring at least 2 bottle of spirits (maybe one and a half if you got started on the plane)
- Bring other friends
- Leave the current girlfriend/boyfriend at home
We’ll keep the free flights offer up on the Hot Deals page as long as the offer stands, but it seems like a decent one.
This time of year, it might even be fun to hit the beach for a weekend on some free tickets.
Now who do I know in Florida?
Check out the deal here.
Comment now »Photo: Peru’s Catacombs
Published by Marco Gizmo on July 29th, 2006 | Tagged Travel Photography
Sticking with the catacombs theme for our favourite photos series, we found this other cool pic from the Catholic Church’s catacombs in Lima, Peru.
These subterranean catacombs of Lima’s first cemetary have been around since the 16th century and are located under the San Francisco Church in Lima’s downtown Plaza de Armas. They were rediscovered in 1951 and contain the bones of around 25,000 people.
When they were discovered, the bones were in disarray and scattered everywhere as they were originally dumped uncerimoniously into a pit (after they bodies had decomposed in teh church graves). An archaeologist thought they would be a bigger drawcard for tourists if they were laid out in artistic patterns.. and well, it looks like he was right.
Astonishingly, the catacombs have survived, despite a series of earthquakes. If you’re really keen to see this site, they have tours of the church that you can go on.
The guy who took this photo says the green glow coming from the top skull was not put in by him. Sorry, but we have to call bullshit on that one.
Comment now »Philips Pet724 Portable DVD Player
Published by Marco Gizmo on July 27th, 2006 | Tagged Accessories
Portable DVD players can sometimes be a good way to relieve some boredom when you’re on the road. While they are definitely a luxury rather than a necessity, if you can find one that suits your travelling style then it might be worth considering the investment.
The Philips Pet724 is one of the hot gadgets of the moment.
It’s strengths lie solidly in the relam of picture quality. While it has a standard 480×234 pixel screen (which is about what most portable DVD players have) the picture quality is among the best in the business with the Philips LCD screen. That means a huge selection of colours and good tonal range.
Sound wise, it’s solid but nothing to write home about. In fact the volume control doesn’t really go loud enough unless you’re wearing headphones (which most travelers probably would be).
It has a great battery life at over 4 hours in some tests and you can get an adapter to charge it in a car (another consideration for travelers).
On the downside, the motor is loud (remember the volume problem?) and the battery pack is a little bulky (a definite drawback for travellers) and sticks out.
At around the $150 mark, the Pet724 might be worth checking out for those of you who simply can’t live without your electronic entertainment on the road.
Comment now »
