Escaping on a Shoestring!

Breaking News: Eight NEW Natural Wonders of the World has been named!

escapingonashoestring — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 07:12:53 +0000

UNESCO has just named the new eight natural wonders of the world. More items to add to the traveler’s list! They are:

Joggins Fossil Cliffs (Canada)
Mount Sanqingshan National Park (China)
Lagoons of New Caledonia: Reef Diversity and Associated Ecosystems (France)
Surtsey (Iceland)
Saryarka – Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan (Kazakhstan)
Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (Mexico)
Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona (Switzerland)
Socotra Archipelago (Yemen)

Details of the 8 places can be found here.

Yay Iceland is in the list! It’s in our grand plan for next year. =) One item off the list then!

Link: 10 Deepest Lakes on Earth

escapingonashoestring — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:27:07 +0000

Environmental Graffiti has the scoop. Water, mountains, photo ops. That’s my kind of traveling!

Link: 7 Innocent Gestures that Can Get You Killed Overseas

escapingonashoestring — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:33:30 +0000

We know that all countries have their unique form of ettiquette, and as the wisest of travelers we want to avoid breaking them and offending the locals as much as possible. But sometimes, the most innocent of gestures can tick them off. Cracked.com presents you with this article today (albeit exaggerated).

For a more comprehensive (and less crazy) view, Wikipedia actually has an collection of articles for you to read.

Link: 10 Completely Insane Activities Probably Not Covered By Insurance

escapingonashoestring — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:10:49 +0000

As we make the countdown to our plan to get an accelerated freefall (AFF) license in the US at the end of our fifth year (2010), this awesome link came up. Damn it’s gonna be A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!!

On a side note, I never knew BASE jumping meant building antenna span earth. I thought it just meant that you jumped from a solid base. Learnt something new today! Note to self: To try base jumping after AFF course. w00t!

Waterfalls and Whatnot

escapingonashoestring — Fri, 30 May 2008 22:09:25 +0000

This just came through Dark Roasted Blend: the highest waterfall in the world – Angel Falls in Venezuela. Yet another reason to visit South America! Then again, you don’t need that many reasons to go to such an amazing continent.

This reminds me of one of the places I want to go as well. The Devil’s Pool in Victoria Falls.

Dammit, you’re right next to the freaking waterfall! Definitely worth a trek.

Talking about waterfalls, Wikipedia has an excellent article. Reminds me of a geography lesson I had back in secondary school, which was about waterfall formations and courses of rivers. I love geography, and I’m sure any man worth his salt would know his.

All right, ’nuff of the ego trip. Go see the links!

EDIT: I took a second look at the Wikipedia and found out about Cautley Spout that’s in Cumbria/Yorkshire. Might consider doing a hike up there next academic year. Haul up my tent and camping stuff from home, and venture into the wild for a long weekend. Ahh the plans! Of course, that’s if they allow camping on the park grounds.

Link: 10 Amazing Hotels with Ultra Stylish Minimalist Designs

escapingonashoestring — Wed, 28 May 2008 22:40:45 +0000

I have always wanted to stay at one of those chic-looking design hotels. Was walking along the banks of the River Danube with Clarissa in Buda (of Budapest, Hungary) when we stumbled upon Lánchíd 19. The official website is here. It looked awesome from the outside – a stark contrast from the surrounding architecture, and yet a sense of belonging to the current times. Of course, it will cost quite a bit to stay there, but wouldn’t it be worth it if you could come back to rooms like this and be talked to by the very building you stay in? Now that’s architecture for you!

Ah, but I digress. The point of this post was to show you this: http://www.otbeach.com/news/hotels–6/10-amazing-hotels-with-ultra-stylish-minimalist-designs–503.html. Enjoy!

The Birth of Something Special

escapingonashoestring — Sat, 17 May 2008 21:03:11 +0000

Welcome to our blog! We’re a bunch of students currently studying in London, UK. Travelling has become an integral part of our lives, and we hope to share our experiences with you as much as we can. Countries and cities to go to, places to hang out, things to do (and NOT to do), stupid stories, you know, the whole nine yards! And it’s all on a shoestring! Stay tuned!

“The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” – St. Augustine.