8 James Bond locations I would like to go to

James Bond got around, and I don’t mean that he got around just with the lady folks. He got around the planet. Here is my list of the James Bond locations I would like to see.

Crab Key Island (near Jamaica) Dr. No- Crab Key island doesn’t exist, or at least the movie version of it doesn’t exist (the real one is just off one the Keys in Florida.) So while Crab Key Island doesn’t exist, plenty of private islands in the Caribbean do. Who wouldn’t want to go to their own private Caribbean Island? Plus, as Dr. No is James Bond’s first movie its nice to start the list with it.

Hong Kong (The Man with the Golden Gun)- Hong Kong has the reputation of being the busiest place on the planet. It is one of those cities where you can buy anything or anyone. At least in my imagination it is like that. Bond goes to Hong Kong because he is chasing a woman and ends up in a strip club. Surely Hong Kong has got to have some the most wonderful strip clubs on the planet.

Beirut (The Man with the Golden Gun) – Once known as the “Paris of the Middle East” Beirut is putting its civil war pass behind it and once again becoming the party capital of the Middle East, and area not generally known for its partying, which makes it all that much more appealing. Being a crossroads of three continents it makes for great characters to sprinkle around you own stories, just like it did for 007.

New Orleans, Louisiana (Live and Let Die) – New Orleans is the only place on my list that I have been to. I just love that town and want to go back soon and often.

Outer Space (Moonraker) – Space tourism is not affordable yet, but my guess it will be during my lifetime. Count me in!

Villa outside Madrid (For Your Eyes Only) Madrid is one of the great underrated cities on earth. I had a blast there. The nightlife goes until forever, the food is wonderful, and spanish men must be built like me, because it was the best fitting clothes I ever bought. So now I want to live in a Villa outside Madrid.

Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy (For your Eyes Only) Site of the 1944 Olympics, its skiing in the Alps. Northern Italy has got a wonderful Italian, swiss, german blend which makes it fantastic. Plus it is the Dolomites, which just sounds cool assuming you know your black explotation history.

Khyber Pass, Afghanistan Few places are so soaked in history (or blood) as the Khyber Pass. As it is a mountain pass that links Pakistan and Afghanistan, it might not be the best time to go there right now. However it has been a vital trade route through all of its history connecting Central Asia with South Asia. For most of its history, if you controlled the Khyber pass you could avoid getting involved in a land war in Asia. If I make there then I will enjoy my moment in one of history’s main passes. I am however, still angry at the Taliban for blowing up the giant Buddha’s that were in the pass.

Make your list…..

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Episode 5: Japanese Festival in Phoenix, AZ

I went to the Japanese Festival to visit Lisa Takata, a past guest. We ended up talking to people about Bonsai Trees, listening to drums, and worked on furoshiki, and met some ambivalent princesses.

Episode 5 Japanese Festival

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6 types of expats you meet when living outside the U.S.

1. the young one out of college, trying to see the world
2. the person running away from something
3. the divorce – see number 2
4. the limp dick patrol- men there for the raw sex explotation-less said the better
5. the want-to-be Mrs Howell, who just wants cheap help.
6. the person eager to learn about the world

Sadly, You meet more 1 though 5′s, so enjoy the number 6 person when you meet them.

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Episode 4: Art Detour, Phoenix, AZ

Episode 4: Art Detour, Phoenix, AZ

Art Detour is a weekend long art walk in beautiful downtown Phoenix. I carried my trusty recording device and recorded people talking about times they had traveled for their Art.

Episode 4 Art Detour

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Episode 3: Lisa Takata

For Episode 3, the wonderful Lisa Takata joins us to talk about a trip to China to learn about pottery and a suit made of Salmon.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

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Episode 2: Alex Tsuji

Alex Tsuji returns for our second show. The man had a lot to say.

Click here to listen to the episode.

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Permanent Vacation

“A company in Beverly Hills, Calif., plans to build a $1.1 billion cruise ship, and sell half the cabins as permanent homes. The Los Angeles Times reports condos aboard the Utopia will range from $3.7 million to $26 million. The ship is set to launch in 2013.”
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The above quote is from a story on NPR

Does that sound just a little to like the Spaceship on WALL-E for anybody? Constantly traveling and never seeing the world around you.

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8 great parties in the next decade

Who doesn’t love a good party? Here is Stationary Hobo’s list of parties to hit for our new decade. Some of the spots we have been to and the rest are ones we hope to make it to.

1. Spring Equinox at Chichen Itza (near Cancun, Mexico)
March 20 2012

As we all know, according to the Mayan Calendar the world is supposed to end in 2012. So to mark the end of time why not hit one of the great cities of the Maya Civiliztion, Chichen Itza. On the two equinox’s of the year thousands converge on the ruins to watch the feathered serpent Kukulcan crawl down the face of the pyramid El Castillo. In late afternoon, the sun strikes a corner of the pyramid and the shadow creates a wriggling snake crawling down the grand temple.

2. Carnival of Venice in Venice, Italy in February 2016

The Carnival of Venice is where you might drop the most loot on this list. Hopefully it would be worth it! It’s a little debatable what date to use an anniversary, so let’s go with the always reliable neutral third party of Wikipedia, which states “the Carnival in Venice was supposedly first recorded in 1296, when the Senate of the Republic issued an edict declaring the day before Lent as a public holiday,” making 2016 the 710 round, which is good as an excuse as any to go and act out those James Bond evening fantasies.

Venice carnival

3. Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, England from June 23 to 27 2010

Glastonbury Festival rocks, more than one site claims this is the best best music festival in the world. In 1970 Farmer Michael still believing Woodstock was a good idea, and not soured by stories out of Altamount ,decided to have some folks on his farm. 30 years later…..2010.
Glastonbury Festival 2005

4. Burning Man Late August- Early September 2016

Larry Harvey and Jerry James started it all on a beach in San Francisco on June 21, 1986. Making 2016 Burning Man’s 20 year anniversary. Every year it gets bigger and bigger, and many would argue it’s past its prime, lost it’s edge, sold out, yada yada yada. But I bet 40,000 plus burners can’t be wrong and 20 years will burn brightly.
Burning Man 2009

5. Tel Aviv Love Parade in Tel Aviv in August 2018

Berlin is of course the original love parade. But is has had several offshoots, one in Tel Aviv since 1998, making 2018 its twentieth. Being Israel, politics has gotten mixed into the electro dance festival, but in a wonderfully flamboyant way. So as Israel became a state in 1948 it is a safe bet that the 70 year anniversary might be a bit more feisty than normal. And who is not to love a little more love in a region that could use a little more.

100_1875

6. Guy Fawkes Night on Nov. 5 somewhere in England

England’s annual November 5 celebration marks the 1605 failure of the plot to blow up Parliament. Bonfires, burning effigies, and pudding, how can you go wrong? Rumor has it that no place is better than the one in Lewes, England. However, things might be getting out of hand, seen how the organizers are actively discouraging people to come. So back up plan? How about Ottery St Mary?

7. Copenhagen Jazz festival jazz festival July 2019

First off the Copenhagen Jazz festival jazz festival is in Copenhagen, which makes it alone an earlier contender for top world Jazz festivals. Sure the Danes are not known for jazz. But Copenhagen is famous as being one of the freest thinking places on the planet. And free thought and jazz just seem to get along. Starting in 1979, 2009 is it’s thirtieth anniversary.

8. Rio Carnival February/March Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Any list of best world parties has to have Carnival in Rio. After all, it’s probably the most famous party in the world. The Question is which one to hit in the next decade. Brazil is pumped about hosting the Olympics in 2016, so maybe then? The first float parade was supposedly in 1786, 230 years. Brazil became independent in 1825, so the 2015 is 190 years.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdIjJ8efftk&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&border=1]

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Episode 1: Alex Tsuji

Alex Tsuji, long-form improvisation artist, was good enough to be our first guest. He disusees Japan and Public Transport.

Click here to listen to the episode or right click to save.

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