World’s Largest Ice Caves?

I posted a link to Matanuska Glacier a couple of days ago.

These are even better …

There are many ice caves throughout the world, but the Eisriesenwelt Ice Caves in Austria are some of the largest known to man. They are located within the Tennengebirge Mountains near Salzburg and stretch for a remarkable 40 kilometers. Only a portion of the labyrinth is open to tourists but it’s enough to get a taste of what the remaining network is like: a truly mesmerizing palate of Mother Nature’s handicraft.

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World’s Largest Ice Caves – Gadling

photo – Matanuska Glacier cave, Alaska

Meltwater sculpted the dagger-like shaft of ice near a cave in Matanuska Glacier in Alaska’s Chugach Mountains. Matanuska is an active glacier, advancing about one foot (0.3 meters) every day.

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Matanuska Glacier Cave Picture, Matanuska Glacier Cave Desktop Wallpaper – National Geographic

more National Geographic high resolution wallpaper photos

Is Colombia the NEW New Zealand?

A new film might do for the nation what Lord of the Rings did for New Zealand.

Colombia is my favourite country in South America, mainly due to the friendliness of the people.

We’ve been tracking Colombia’s rise from narcotics netherworld to “hipster tropical destination du jour” for some time now, and it looks like an upcoming potential blockbuster movie could help complete the transition. Love in the Time of Cholera, the novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, hits North American theaters in November.

World Hum | Travel | Is Colombia the New New Zealand?

Oops, watching the trailer … looks a bit of a chick flick.

Maybe skip the movie, fly directly to gorgeous Cartagena, Colombia.

Lonely Planet Colombia

Lonely Planet Colombia

raise your Pacifico to Sr. Claussen

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One of the city fathers of Mazatlán, Mexico was German immigrant Jorge Claussen.

Indeed, my favourite walk in town is Paseo Claussen which he had blasted beneath icebox hill near the old town centre.

Jorge did much for this city, but today is best remembered for Pacifico Beer. It’s a workingman’s brew (i.e. burro urine) but I’ve always liked it.

You will not be surprised to learn there are a number of monuments in his memory including this one:

pacfico_monument.jpg… this homage to the Pacifico Beer Factory. This monument was unveiled on March 14, 2000, the hundredth anniversary of the day the brewery first began producing Pacifico beer.

The Pacifico brewery was founded by three German immigrants, Germán Evers, Emilio Philippi and Jorge Claussen. … The monument itself, which was designed by brewery workers, is a huge copper cooking vat capable of holding 24,000 liters (6336 gallons) of beer.

Mazatlan’s Monuments

Farewell Mazatlán.

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Valentino’s

I fly to Spokane today.

White Fang – the book

This past summer, a cheechako in the Yukon, I brought with me Jack London’s great novel White Fang as an audio book.

I had read it in my youth, but knew White Fang would get me into the Yukon.

London is no brilliant wordsmith, but his ability to put himself into the mind of a wolf dog is staggering. He must have watched these animals for weeks and months.

The book brings home the harsh violence of wilderness. And the even greater violence of supposedly-civilized humans.

White Fang is sold to the sadistic coward Beauty Smith who wagers on him in dog fights. (After reading this account, I’m hoping they send Michael Vick to prison.)

The book also explores themes of morality and redemption. There’s a happy ending with the long suffering wolf playing with his puppies.

White Fang is not as good as London’s The Call of the Wild, but they are both worth reading.

White Fang The Call Of The Wild

White Fang & The Call Of The Wild

Andy Ihnatko photos – Stone Island, Mazatlán

The best Stone Island pics on flickr were posted by well-known tech writer Andy Ihnatko.

In fact, he stopped here on a Mac Geek Cruise.

Here are a couple of Andy’s photos of the attraction so little known, so often missed by tourists. I had miles of beach to myself.

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MacMania IV: Tuesday – a photoset on Flickr – Andy Ihnatko

My own camera is kaput.

bad Spanish American statues

One of the great charms of travelling in Latin America is making fun of abysmal statues taking up space almost everywhere.

This group of insurgents might just have the right idea:

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Opposition protesters in Mexico have torn down a bronze statue of the former president, Vicente Fox, just hours after it was erected.

They threw eggs at the monument in Boca del Rio in the state of Veracruz, before putting a rope around its neck and pulling it to the ground.

BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Ex-Mexican leader’s statue felled

Though statuary was perfected in 1504, art has taken a serious downturn everywhere I’ve travelled in Spanish North America.

In Maz more than anywhere else I’ve been, the monuments are very popular. Mexican tourists hire a cab and sprint statue-to-statue taking photos at each.

The upcoming Cultural Arts Festival, Mazatlán is using one of the monuments in their advertising. And they seem to be serious.

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New statues are still being erected. A bronze of Jose Angel Espinoza Choix Aragon (musician / actor) went up a couple of weeks ago. In Canada we would be surprised to see a statue of any musician / actor. In Mexicio, this guy already has five in various places.

Personally, after I’m gone I’d rather people not be asking, “What’s so special about Rick that they put up a statue for him?”

And I don’t need seagulls crapping on my head.

Of many, many statues in Maz my favourite is the mermaid with cupid.

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At least half the monuments have topless women, one of the few ways to display nudity in a Catholic country.

more photos from Mazatlán

I got a nice comment on my photos post from Maz resident Luciano Romero who obviously tracks what super-influential bloggers like me are writing about his town.

Mazatlán is very much under-rated and those of us here want to get the word out.

He suggested I post more photos.

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view of Olas Altas beach and my hotel from Ice Box hill
more on http://carruba.googlepages.com/pictures.html

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cliff divers – Mazatlan.com – more information

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sea wall I walk every day and night
original – flickr

more Mazatlán photos published under a Creative Commons licence on flickr

World’s Largest Swimming Pool

Already drawing the crowds in the South American resort of San Alfonso del Mar in Chile, this artificial lagoon and swimming pool is eight hectares in size and contains an incredible 250,000 cubic meters of water. Acknowledged by Guinness World Records as being the world’s largest swimming pool, the lagoon trounces all other record holders in the category … the San Alfonso pool is 1km in length. …

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… details and more photos on Spluch: World’s Largest Swimming Pool

(via TrendHunter)