Wanderlost #2
This week on Wanderlost newsletter: David Bowie, the Trans-Siberian and other epic transcontinental journeys, hybrid-powered planes and a hell of a lot of fish.
Trans-Siberian, 1973
“I took the call, I packed the bag
I ride the train to the pick-up point
I’ll be telling myself
There was no other way!”
On the way back from a bunch of gigs in Japan, David Bowie boarded a ship in Yokohama, bound to Nahodka, an isolated port in Eastern Russia. From there, the artist embarked on an epic journey on the most legendary of the railway lines: the Trans-Siberian.
TRANSCONTINENTAL
The Trans-Siberian is on the bucket list of every single wannabe world traveler, but at the other side of the Pacific Ocean you can undertake another amazing and lesser known rail journey along the 5.467 km long US coast to coast line from San Francisco to New York City. With tickets starting as low as $280, it makes for a cheap and fascinating alternative to renting a car for the whole trip.
SO LONG, AND THANKS FOR ALL THE FISH
The last New Year’s tuna auction took place on January 5 at Tsukiji fish market.
Tsukiji is Tokyo’s best known fish market, and the biggest of its kind in the world. 700.000 tons of fish get traded by more than 60.000 operators every year, generating an income of 47 billion $.
If you planned a trip to Tokyo for the months to come, and you can withstand waking up at 3 am, then you should definitely pay a visit to Tsukiji before it’s too late: the venerable market will move to a new location on November 2016, in preparation for the 2020 Summer Olympics. Here you can find some useful tips.
STREET VIEW MINIATURE
Street View is undoubtedly one of Google Maps’ most beloved features, and can be of great use for travelers who are about to set off on their next adventure. After bringing Street View to iconic landmarks such as The Great Barrier Reef, Machu Picchu and El Capitan in Yosemite NP, Google has just added a new destination: Miniatur Wunderland, the world’s largest model train set.
++STAR WARS: SPOILER ALERT++
In spite of being a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998, Skellig Michael is hardly ever mentioned as one of the must-go destinations in Ireland. We expect things to change soon though: the tiny islet off the Western Irish coast, which hosts a beautiful medieval monastery, was chosen as the setting for the already-iconic meeting between Rey and Luke Skywalker in the final scene of Star Wars Episode VII.
TECHNOLOGY
Nasa isn’t just about Mars and space telescopes. Researchers are working on developing a hybrid plane that will function kinda like a hybrid car, hoping to make flying up to 30% more fuel efficient. Do you know what it means? Lower plane fares, of course!
Fujifilm has just announced the launch of its brand new X-Pro 2 mirrorless, the new version of one of the best cameras ever for travel photography. 24-megapixels, ISO range of 200 to 12800, interchangeable lens. Its weight? Less than 500 grams.
MYANMAR, NEW MANAGEMENT
Not so long ago, Myanmar’s infamous military regime used to make the news for its horrible human rights record. Things are starting to change though: general elections were held on 8 November 2015 for the first time since 1990, clear evidence of an ongoing transition into democracy. This will also positively affect the growth of tourism in the country: nowadays, getting a visa has become a lot easier, and travel stories from Myanmar (Poe Poe Myint Swe) are quickly spreading around the internet.
We hope you enjoyed this second issue of our newsletter, see you next week!
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