Bikini Bottom

“But Bikini Bottom is at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean; the water pressure will crush me!” Pfft. You see Spongebob prancing around the town every episode, and you don’t see him getting killed all the time. This is a city that was built on rock and roll, but mainly rock. And there’s a lot to sightsee here, without the high risk of self-injury, so Bikini Bottom is both safe AND exhilarating! 

Life on the Bottom

Architecturally, Bikini Bottom consists of varying buildings, either composed of scrap metal possibly scavenged from the seafloor, or from more easy objects to form homes from, such as rocks and pineapples. As well, all kinds of sea life reside in Bikini Bottom, such as crabs, puffer fish and squids.
While the city manages to sustain itself economically with its various industries, such as restaurants, manufacturers and retail outlets, the citizens of Bikini Bottom enjoy a wide array of food items local produce has to offer.

One of the most famous of these items is the Krabby Patty, served exclusively at the Krusty Krab. Consisting of lettuce, tomatoes, undersea cheese, pickles, mustard, ketchup and “a special little something” (the secret ingredient is never revealed) served between soft buns; the Krabby Patty is a must-try when in Bikini Bottom.

Such places. Wow.

The Krusty Krab, most famous for its Krabbie Patties, is a well-renowned and respected restaurant by the majority of the denizens in Bikini Bottom. Founded by Eugene H. Krabs, the building itself has been around for a fairly long time, though sources reveal varied origins of the restaurant itself.
As well, the legendary SpongeBob Squarepants, along with one of his best pals, Squidward Tentacles, works full-time at the Krusty Krab, and fulfil a plethora of assigned tasks by Mr. Krabs, while being paid next to minimal wage for their efforts. In some cases, they’ve even had to pay Mr. Krabs for their services.

While you’re not out and about, looking for unique food items, the Jellyfish Fields are a great place to laze about after a good meal. Housing over four million jellyfish, the fields expand far and wide, allowing visitors and jellyfish alike to move around freely.
"Jellyfishing", a common sport in the fields, involves using a jellyfish net to catch jellyfish and storing them in a jar, similar to butterfly catching. This sport goes back to prehistoric times, and initially began as a hobby.

Conclusion

Bikini Bottom is a large place to explore, with its great cuisine and interesting citizens, giving the first-time tourist much to do in the city.
And, as it turns out, you can actually die from the immense water pressure in Bikini Bottom; Texan squirrel Sandy, who now resides in Bikini Bottom, uses an astronaut suit whenever she needs to go outside her home. I guess you actually do need some kind of gear before you go down into the depths of the Pacific Ocean. Hm. You learn something new every day.

References

This one site has a HUGE stack of information on Bikini Bottom, from its history to its landmark locations, even the city’s national anthem. Don’t just read the information; dive straight into it! Get it, because it’s underwater – People still like puns, right?

Bikini Bottom (2014). Retrieved April 30, 2014, from http://spongebob.wikia.com/wiki/Bikini_Bottom.

San Andreas

Many may be wondering as to why one would want to travel to San Andreas. Surely the states corruption, gangs and violence is reason enough to keep it from ones travel itinerary? You are right, hence why San Andreas is not for the faint hearted. However, it is undeniable that you will be missing out if you choose not to add this amazing destination to your itinerary.

 

San Andreas offers accommodation at all three of its beautiful cities, Los Santos, San Fierro and Las Venturas. Although, I highly recommend staying a few nights in each, you will be able to venture the whole state in no time if you stay in the one city.

Los Santos 

This city is said to be a model of Los Angeles, as many describe it to have very similar landmarks, districts and neighbourhoods. With the vast affordability, who wouldn't want to travel and stay at Los Santos.

Las Venturas                                                             

The city of Las Venturas, like Las Vegas is well known for its casinos and nightlife. Being the city that never sleeps, there is the potential to have a great time at any time. You can all see me with a firearm in the photo, this is because almost anything can be bought in Las Venturas. Although the availability for weapons means that danger could be around the corner, it was definitely an amazing experience being apart of such an open and free minded society.

San Fierro

San Fierro is the smallest metropolitan area in San Andreas, however it is most urbanised. The city was built based on San Francisco. One of the famous sites are the Gant Bridge, a recreation of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Now you see, the benefit of travelling to San Andreas is that you don’t need to be rich to be able to enjoy yourself there, in fact the sightseeing venues are limited. The true beauty of San Andreas lies in its lifestyle. If you are willing to leave your normal lifestyle and embrace a challenge of a completely different calibre, then this is definitely the place for you. Don’t be startled if you see gang members roaming the streets, police chases and real time crimes. In fact, that is part of the beauty of San Andreas. Every minute you are roaming the streets, your adrenalin is pumping never knowing what to expect. That is why the key is to always be a step ahead and live on your own basis. During my stay I adopted to take risks, becoming part of one of the well-known gangs who were known to hit the streets and cause a bit of havoc.  

You see, working to become part of the gangs can very well make your stay much more pleasant. Baring in mind that the risks associated with crime, violence and even death, will also rise once admitted into one of these gangs. Nevertheless, if you have the ability to play your cards right, you could very well experience all the advantages of being a gang member, regardless of the risky missions they send you on.

Now I know many of you may be scared by the idea of fending for yourself in such a place, but what San Andreas has to offer is beyond the norms of any other society. It is without a doubt a place full of adventure, and must be placed on your travel itinerary at some point in time since the experience is like no other.

References

http://www.oneclickroot.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/san-andreas-android-2.jpg

http://www.grandtheftwiki.com/San_Fierro

http://i4.minus.com/ikmTqskPNzmeH.png

http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130909234908/gtawiki/images/a/a0/Downtown_san_fierro.jpg

http://redonion.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/grand-theft-auto-san-andreas-las-venturas.jpg

Floaroma Town

They sure don’t make towns like they used to. Sinnoh’s Floaroma Town isn’t the biggest place out there, and the anime depicts a poor, over-exaggerated representation of what the town actually looks like (as seen in the image above). Let that be a lesson to you ninnies reading this.
In fact, here’s a more accurate image captured by our helicopters while hovering over the "huge" town:

A small history about the small town

Floaroma Town used to a lonely hill, where nothing would grow. Even when the people decided to cheer the place up with planted flowers, the plants still withered.
One day, somebody expressed their gratitude for nature’s blessing, and then, flowers began to bloom in the town. Some say that Shaymin, the Gratitude Pokemon, had helped these flowers to grow on the once desolate hill.
From that point onwards, people from all over Sinnoh have arrived to Floaroma Town to smell the sweet aroma of the flowers the bloom.

Though in recent times, Team Galactic had attempted to seize the honey market in Floaroma Town in order to attract large groups of Pokemon for their cynical purposes. During this time, they also captured the Valley Windworks, next to the town, in order to supply electricity for their own personal use.
Their reign ended in 2009, when a mysterious trainer defeated their Base Commander, Mars.

Souvenirs and free things. Mostly the latter.

North of the town is the Floaroma Meadows, where an old man lives and sells people honey for 100 Poke Dollars. Honey is a trademark item of Floaroma Town, and attracts people and Pokemon alike for its addictive smell.
A woman in the Pick-a-Peck Flower Shop also gives free samples of Floaroma’s produce to both denizens and visitors equally. The produce includes a variety of diverse berries grown in the area.
Another woman in the same shop also gives out free Sprayducks, watering cans with a loosely linked design to a Psyduck. The idea is that wherever you go, you can water plants and spread berries everywhere in Sinnoh.
Lastly, a certain girl will give you a free TM88, containing Pluck. TM’s are CD’s containing certain moves to be learned, and can only be used once, so use it wisely (if you even know how to in the first place).

Places you should visit, because you have nothing better to do in the small town.

The Floaroma Meadows are a good place if you like frolicking in the flower fields and smelling the sweet fragrance of honey. You can even find randomly dropped items while you’re there! More free stuff!

You can also try your luck at slathering honey on the yellow tree nearby. In a few days, all sorts of Pokemon will be attracted to the tree, ranging from Heracross to Aipom, and if you're really lucky, you might even find a Munchlax! Or, adversely, nothing will be attracted, except regret.

 

If you’re more mechanical in your taste for leisure, the Valley Windworks is always a good place to visit. Just east of Floaroma Town, the Windworks are a set of wind turbines, generating green electricity for Floaroma Town.
If you rock up on Fridays (like we did), you’ll find a peculiar Pokemon called Drifloon, the Balloon Pokemon, which is attracted to the Windworks due to the damp weather the wind turbines produce.

Conclusion

Being a rather small place, Floaroma Town was a fun place to just run around, stomping on flowers all day and getting free things. If you need time to unwind and peace out, Floaroma is the place to be.

On another note, most of the population in Floaroma are women, so for any of you young bachelors out there, you know where the honey is. Get it? Because there’s actually honey here – Ah, forget it.
It’s a good place, real nice. Maybe even the best.

Reference List

If you're not convinced Floaroma Town isn't worth your time and salt, then I'm not convinced that these sources aren't worth your salty time either.

Floaroma Town (2014). Retrieved April 26, 2014, from http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Floaroma_Town

Pokearth - Sinnoh - Floaroma Town (n.d.) Retrieved April 26, 2014, from http://www.serebii.net/pokearth/sinnoh/floaromatown.shtml

Floaroma Town (n.d.) Retrieved April 26, 2014, from http://pokemon.wikia.com/wiki/Floaroma_Town

Sierra Leone P2

So for the past week I have been exploring and enjoying the city of Freetown, Sierra Leone and its surroundings.  This bustling city is situated on a peninsula at the beginning of one of the world’s largest harbours and has many great attractions including its beautiful beaches and the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary.

The beaches in the area have some of the whitest sand and clearest water in the world. Throw in the tropical climate and this place is set to explode with tourists once the negative opinions of Sierra Leone are gone. From experience I can say that these beaches are far more inviting then those of typical holiday locations Thailand and Bali. A day relaxing at these beaches, accompanied by cheap drinks and food certainly will be a moment in your life you will never forget!

The Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary is a 100 acre location providing a home to over 100 chimpanzees that have been rescued throughout the country. Most chimpanzees in the sanctuary come in at ages under 5, where they are still fully unable to fend for themselves, and worse still many come in poor physical condition having been mistreated by their previous owners. I was even told by one keeper that a few chimpanzees have been drinking beer and smoking cigarettes before being rescued by the sanctuary. While exploring the sanctuary it is outstanding how close you can get to these marvelous animals, being allowed to hand feed them (structured meals of course!) and pet them. Visiting the sanctuary is truly a one off experience!

My next few days I will be travelling inland, to one of the nations diamond rich areas to learn about the past, hear about the future, and maybe find myself a diamond while I''m there.

References
http://kathrinschmidt.wordpress.com/
http://www.tacugama.com/

The Sun

The Sun

Think of the hottest place you've ever been. It could be the Australian outback, a nudist beach, perhaps even where you are right now. Great, now think of that place with a small room, stuffed with about 150 people you know, with everyone wearing thick sweaters, tracksuit pants and breathing on each other. Why am I saying this? Because that is not even remotely close to how hot the Sun actually is, but that won’t stop tenacious tourists, like you, will it?

The hottest thing, since Miley Cyrus’ hit single “Wrecking Ball”

Being about 4.6 Billion years old, with a temperature 5 x 10⁶ K and a size that’s 12 000 times that of Earth, it’s no wonder your average travel agency even thinks of sending you to the Sun: Earth is a much safer and well-explored place. But why go somewhere someone else has already been? I, for one, haven’t personally reached the Sun, but my team did try and get as close as possible without compromising health regulations.
Basically, the Sun is a medium-sized star, with the planets in the Solar System (including Earth) revolving around it. Additionally, it’s constantly emitting UV, gamma and X-ray radiation from the solar flares that gracefully dance on the face of the Sun.

Tourist “hot-spots”. Literally.

As stated earlier, solar flares are a wonderful sight if you ever get close enough to the Sun. It’s basically an acceleration of charged particles toward the plasma on the Sun’s surface due to magnetic connections, resulting in a sudden discharge of energy from the Sun’s surface in the form of a volcanic eruption, as seen above.
On another note, you can click on the image to watch some footage taken by NASA in 2011 of an actual solar flare that occurred (our video cameras melted before we realised how ridiculously close we were to potentially getting hit by a solar flare. Whew.)

Another marvel to see while you’re decently close to the sun is the renowned Sunspots. These dark areas of the Sun are formed by concentrated magnetic fields on the Sun, which generally have cooler temperatures than the rest of the Sun (about 3000 – 4500 K).
Why is this so fascinating? It seems that sunspots actually move around on the Sun’s surface by its magnetic field acting on the Sun’s own magnetic generation, causing the sunspot to shift across the Sun.

Conclusion

If the Sun isn’t right for you, you still have time to reconsider; in fact, you have up to 5.4 billion years to reconsider your options, until the Sun bursts into a supernova and become a red giant. In any case, the Sun is always a fine option for new and uncharted paradise, just as long as you can withstand the excessively high heat and radiation levels.
And even then, just floating around in space with a good view of the Sun is a nice second option if you can’t afford getting that close to the Sun. So get out there and get your Vitamin D straight from the source.

References

You can read all sorts of stuff on the Sun, but how many of those sources can take the heat? Get it, because the Sun is hot and -- Look, here's a bunch of informational links about the Sun.
Puns - Don't hate; Appreciate.

Sun (2014). Retrieved April 23, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun.

The Sun (2013). Retrieved April 23, 2014, from http://nineplanets.org/sol.html.
Sun: Overview (n.d.) Retrieved April 23, 2014, from http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Sun.

Solar Flare (2014). Retrieved April 23, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_flare#Cause.

Mos Eisley

Mos Eisley

 

“You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.” Those were the infamous words of Obi-Wan Kenobi, used to describe the spaceport at Mos Eisley, Tatooine. And, as true as those words stand, you should probably go there and see how accurately Obi-Wan summarises life in Mos Eisley. After all, its colloquial nickname is “the armpit of the galaxy”.

Life in the “armpit”

Mos Eisley is well-renowned for its illegal spice and arms dealers in its shady alleyways. Other illegal, and legal, trade businesses also contribute to the city’s reputation throughout the galaxy.
There is fairly little effort given to preventing this illegal activity, as Mos Eisley greatly lacks law enforcers. And even so, most of these businesses have enough wealth to bribe their way out of getting arrested. In any case, illegal goods are a trademark of Mos Eisley.

Places of interesting interest

Being a primary trade port on Tatooine, Mos Eisley is home to many remarkable locations for the average tourist. As such, I can only recommend so much. But these places specifically have peaked my interest while in the city:
Jango Fett Arena, named after the famous Mandalorian bounty hunter, Jango Fett, is a large colosseum, where large beasts are often pitted against each other as a form of entertainment for the denizens of Mos Eisley.

As well, the Mos Eisley Cantina at 3112, Outer Kerner Way, is a great place to drink and dine with the local citizens and smugglers, who would beat you up if you gave them the wrong look.
Unlike most of the shadiest places in Mos Eisley, the Cantina was the ideal place to discuss private matters because of the anti-Droid policy employed there. This policy is further enforced with a Fabritech EPT-212 system in the main doorway that detects any Droids that attempt to enter the building.
Mos Eisley Cantina has seen its share of fire bombings, showdowns and Bledsoes’ disease, but it’s still alive and running as well as it was since the Old Republic Era.

Conclusion

Mos Eisley may not be the safest place in the galaxy, but it sure has some great landmarks and decent people, just as long as you pay off your debts at the right time. If you’re looking for exotic souvenirs to take home with you on your way back home, you’re most likely to find it in these markets at bargain prices. So, logically, this is the one place where anything illegal is probably legal enough for you to get away with. Why not start dealing with banned goods on Mos Eisley today?

References

If you want to survive in Mos Eisley, you need connections. And to get these connections, you'd better not look like a tourist. Look at Han Solo, and how he nearly got shot by Greedo. But that's another story.
So, what you need is the knowledge and know-how about Mos Eisley to gain trust from the shadiest denizens on the city. Because if you want to survive, sometimes you have to be a bit crazy:

Mos Eisley (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2014, from http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Mos_Eisley

Mos Eisley (2013). Retrieved April 19, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mos_Eisley

"marcin_klaban" (2012). Mos Eisley StarWars city on desert. Retrieved April 19, 2014, from http://www.360cities.net/image/mos-eisley-starwars-city-on-desert-tunisia#179.10,-11.20,70.0

Sierra Leone

People across the globe, when asked would probably come to the consensus that Sierra Leone still resembles how it looked in the movie “Blood Diamond” with an ongoing civil war, illegal diamond trading and poverty conditions that appall even the most rugged of travelers.  In the last decade Sierra Leone however has been (mostly) war free and is beginning to be seen in a more positive light. When planning my trip there I even noticed the Australian ‘smartraveller’ website places the nation in only the 3rd most dangerous alert level! 

So while exercising a ‘high degree of caution’ I booked my flight to Freetown, the nation’s capital and made sure to get my yellow fever and malaria vaccinations...just in case. Over the course of my trip I will be telling you about the places I go and hopefully showing you how worthwhile a travel destination Sierra Leone is.

Stay tuned for my next post where I will tell you about Freetown and the beautiful coastal parts around the capital.

References

• http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Sierra_Leone
• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/ColoredBlankMap-World-10E.svg

Gotham City

Gotham City

Gotham City, New Jersey; The home of Batman, the masked vigilante protecting the city from nameless lackeys to villainous scum alike. But, apart from the crime, corruption and eerie cityscape Gotham has to offer, it still has some fairly unique aspects that really puts it ahead of most places in the United States.
Sure, Gotham’s seen its fair share of near-apocalypse by the hands of heartless villains such as Ra's al Ghul and Bane, but that simply makes visiting Gotham City even more exciting and memorable!

Everyday Life, euphemistically presented.

The daylight operations of Gotham City are much like other metropolitan areas, as most businesses work within Gotham’s economic centre of manufacturing, arts, jewellery and other industries. Companies such as Wayne Enterprises are renowned for their economic impact on Gotham’s corporate sector, through the development and research of advanced technologies.
Not surprisingly, there are criminal organizations established illegally to abuse these businesses, such as gangs and crime families. Some of these gangs are united, such as Black Mask and Great White, possessing greater power and authority than smaller criminal organizations.

Tourist Hot-spots

Gotham City is full of interesting places to explore, such as Ace Chemical Processing Inc. and the Gotham Docks. But, I’ll leave that to you to find out for yourselves. I’ll give you tastes of two of the most well-known places in Gotham.

One of the go-to places in Gotham City is the famous Wayne Manor at 1007, Mountain Drive.  This rustic building has been passed down from generation to generation in the Wayne family line, now currently housing Bruce Wayne and his trusted butler, Alfred Pennyworth. Rumour has it; the legendary Batcave is hidden well beneath the manor, though no actual solid evidence has been able to prove such theories.
Though walling a well-worn façade, Wayne Manor had been burned down by Ra's al Ghul in 2005, but was rebuilt the way it was by 2013.

On the complete polar opposite, Arkham Asylum is an extremely questionable yet oddly comforting place to visit, filled with all sorts of crazed criminals and psychopaths with varying sanity levels, giving you a very wide spectrum on life through their eyes.
Located on the outskirts of Gotham City, Arkham served as a former hospital for mentally-ill patients, now it acts as an asylum for the criminally insane, which included its original founder, Amadeus Arkham. Even with its twisted back story, the staff members at the asylum also offer interesting insight into life at Arkham, such as Harleen “Harley Quinn” Quinzel and Aaron Cash. 

Other Notable Aspects

The GCPD (Gotham City Police Department) is a core factor in maintaining the safety in Gotham City, especially during its night life. Commissioner Jim Gordon, one of the department’s few incorruptible officers, is well-known for his assistance with Batman in the arrest and overthrow of Joker and Bane.

In terms of Gotham’s architecture, the city maintains a combination of Art Deco, Neo-Gothic and Post-Modernist façade styles from reconstructions over the course of time. Some notable pieces of Gotham’s culture are seen in its tall buildings and gargoyle statues littered around the skyline.

Sometimes, you might even see the Bat Signal in action! *flails arms*

 

Conclusion

If you’re looking for some action in your next holiday, think about Gotham City as a choice. Maybe you might bump into the Batman while you’re there.
Though Gotham may not offer any fantastic hotels or signature food items, it is well-established for its historical cityscape over the years, as well as its notorious denizens that roam the city (and its underground networks).

References

Wanted to find out more about Gotham City before you get a face-full of Joker Venom (which is highly unlikely since the Joker's downfall in 2008)? Check out these nifty websites with more content on the people and back story of Gotham to keep you in the know.

• Gotham City (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2014, from http://batman.wikia.com/wiki/Gotham_City.
• Gotham City (Location) (2013). Retrieved April 15, 2014, from http://www.comicvine.com/gotham-city/4020-23611/.
• Gotham City Map (2013). Retrieved April 15, 2014, from http://batmangothamcity.net/gotham-city-map-archive/.
• Gotham City (2014). Retrieved April 15, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gotham_City.
• Gotham City (Nolan Films) (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2014, from http://batman.wikia.com/wiki/Gotham_City_(Nolan_Films).