Abuja … first impressions

On March 17, 2013 By Rick McIn gymnastics, travelLeave a comment

Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. …

… a planned city, … built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria’s capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos …

Similar to Brazil’s planned capital, Brasília.

… the unofficial metropolitan area of Abuja is well over three million …

In light of the ethnic and religious divisions of Nigeria, plans had been devised since Nigeria’s independence to have its capital in a location deemed neutral to all parties. …

Abuja is known for being the best purpose-built city in Africa as well as being one of the wealthiest and most expensive …

I arrived one day prior to the start of my gymnastics coaching course. Have not yet had much time to see the city.

First impressions: Churches, buses, chickens, music, relaxed, smiling people. Touts all tried to wave me on to the various different night buses to Lagos.

One rat in the trash, looking quite relaxed, too.

The rainy season is just starting.

more interesting photos tagged “Abuja”

whither Lonely Planet?

On March 14, 2013March 8, 2013 By Rick McIn books, travelLeave a comment

I’m gone again

MARCH
14-15 – London, England
18-22 – Nigeria
23-30 – Senegal

APRIL
1-17 – South Africa (holiday)
6-10 – Otter Trail
18-21 – NCAA WAG Championships, Los Angeles

I’m traveling with Lonely Planet South Africa. The book, not the downloadable PDF chapters.

… Up until 2008, the guidebook industry had few signs that the bottom would soon fall out of their business. Sure, website usage was up — both on some of their own sites and digital-only competitors — and user-generated sites like TripAdvisor were eating some of their cake, but sales were solid.

In 2007, combined U.S. sales from the big five travel publishers that represent over 80% of the market (Frommer’s, Dorling Kindersley, Lonely Planet, Fodor’s, and Avalon’s Moon/Rick Steves) were just over $125 million, according to Stephen Mesquita’s “World Travel Guides Market” report for Nielsen BookScan. The following five years were tough, to say the least: By 2012 combined sales had dropped nearly 40% to $78 million. …

Lonely Planet and the rapid decline of the printed guidebook

Exclusive: BBC selling Lonely Planet to Kentucky cigarette billionaire Brad Kelley:

… What Kelley and his team plans to do with Lonely Planet is confounding insiders — including the irony that a historically environmentally forward-thinking brand like LP will now be owned by someone who made a fortune with cigarettes and now is a land-buying environmental conservationist.

Who knows?

I’m a lot more excited about Google buying Frommer’s for $23 million.

farewell Canada

On March 13, 2013March 12, 2013 By Rick McIn travelLeave a comment

I’m thinking this will be the last snow I see this winter.

snow in Calgary
downtown Calgary

It’s been a rough winter for many in parts of North America.

Topock Gorge boat tour out of Lake Havasu

On March 10, 2013March 8, 2013 By Rick McIn McCharles family, travelLeave a comment

The McCharles clan signed on for one of the tacky tourist attractions in Arizona. The boat departing under the London Bridge.

Surprisingly, we all quite enjoyed the trip.

Wild burro. In the wild. 🙂

Of a few different companies, we decided on Blue Water Jet Boat Tours. A 2½-hour narrated trip up the Colorado River to Topock Gorge in the Starship. Recommended. 🙂

more photos

YogaSlackers do India

On March 5, 2013 By Rick McIn movies, travelLeave a comment

The hard way.

… what’s the hard way?

By crappy moto-Rickshaw.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Dave linked to the new trailer of YogaSlackers’ fascinating upcoming documentary. Seems they survived.

Click PLAY or watch the trailer on YouTube.

… Call me a masochist, but I’ve been getting urges to go back to the frantic subcontinent once again myself. I’ve spent about 12 months there, over the years.

Crazy crazy.

Oatman, Arizona

On February 18, 2013 By Rick McIn McCharles family, travelLeave a comment

Oatman is a former mining town …

… it began as a tent camp soon after two prospectors struck a $10 million gold find in 1915 …

Oatman has undergone a renaissance of sorts in recent years thanks to burgeoning worldwide interest in Route 66 and the explosive growth of the nearby gaming town of Laughlin, Nevada, which promotes visits to the town. …

Burro

Wild burros freely roam the town and can be hand-fed carrots and “burro chow,” both readily available in practically every store in town. Though normally gentle, the burros are in fact wild and signs posted throughout Oatman advise visitors to exercise caution. The donkeys are descended from pack animals turned loose by early prospectors …

“Wild West” shootout

Great family road trip.

more photos

La Libertad, El Salvador

On February 9, 2013February 6, 2013 By Rick McIn food, travel1 Comment

La Libertad (Liberty) … is one of the main tourist attractions in the country. …

The resort includes a boardwalk, restaurants and an amphitheater, while small seafood markets and craft shops are located at the wharf.

… one of the best right hand point breaks in Central America, and is El Salvador’s surf capital …

more photos

GRACIAS Irving, Laura and Andres.

Las Brumas Grill & Cafe, San Salvador

On February 7, 2013February 5, 2013 By Rick McIn food, travelLeave a comment

Laura took myself and Andres out to dinner at a popular restaurant with one of the best views of San Salvador.

Vista, ambiance, company and food all excellent. I had ribs with “local” side dishes.

Las Brumas Grill & Cafe

Andres testing his new Sony phone.

more San Salvador photos

pupusas in El Salvador

On February 6, 2013February 5, 2013 By Rick McIn food, travel2 Comments

First night in San Salvador, we went out for the most popular local food. What else?

They eat these morning, noon and night.

A pupusa … is a traditional Salvadoran dish made of a thick, handmade corn tortilla (made using masa de maíz, a maize flour dough used in Latin American cuisine) that is usually filled with a blend of the following:

cheese (queso) (usually a soft cheese called Quesillo found in all Central America)

cooked pork meat ground to a paste consistency (called chicharrón, not to be confused with fried pork rind, which is also known as chicharrón in some other countries)

refried beans (frijoles refritos), or queso con loroco (loroco is a vine flower bud from Central America).

The two most common pupusas are the pupusa de queso (cheese) and more popular pupusa revuelta with mixed ingredients of cheese, beans, and chicharrón. Pupusas are typically served with curtido (lightly fermented cabbage slaw with red chilies and vinegar) and a watery tomato salsa. …

Peruvian Horse Ranch – Panama

On February 5, 2013February 3, 2013 By Rick McIn travelLeave a comment

Last night in Panama our host Andres arranged for Humberto and myself to stay with friends at their Ranch.

They compete Peruvian Horses, a breed of light pleasure saddle horse known for its smooth ride. It is distinguished by a natural, four-beat, lateral gait called the paso llano. …

Over time, Peruvian breeders kept the bloodlines clean and selectively bred primarily for gait, conformation, and temperament. They wanted strong, hardy animals that were comfortable to ride and easy to control. Over four centuries, their dedication to breeding only the best gaited bloodstock resulted in the modern Peruvian Paso. …