BootsnAll Travel Community

A centuries-old annual tradition of stoning has left a bloody trail yet again, with over 200 people sustaining injuries, four of them seriously, during the fair that is organised in memory of a lover couple near Pandura in Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh.

Men from the Pandhurna and Sawargaon villages, located on opposite banks of the river Jam in Chhindwara district pelt each other with stones during the festival known as Gotmar observed on Friday. Several youths from Maharashtra also participated in the event.

Despite several persons being injured in the annual event, the fair has not been banned and the district administration has not been able
to bring amends in the method of celebration.

Though the district administration claimed it had managed to contain injuries by urging the villagers to use rubber balls instead of stones,
locals said that after initially using the balls, the villagers resorted to pelting stones.

What is shocking is that the district
administration arranges for these stones.

Link to this amazing story

LUDZIDZINI ROYAL VILLAGE, Swaziland (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of bare-breasted young maidens danced in front of King Mswati on Friday -- many hoping to catch his eye and become his next wife.

A record 50,000 young women staged Swaziland's annual "Reed Dance," taking part in a traditional ceremony now seen as an audition to join King Mswati's many wives.
The 35-year-old king, sub-Saharan Africa's last absolute monarch, now has 10 wives and one fiancee -- a royal luxury that has drawn criticism as his small southern African kingdom battles poverty and a raging AIDS (news - web sites) epidemic.

Lined up in rows, the maidens danced topless before the king for three hours, undeterred by blustery winds or last year's controversy
surrounding Mswati's choice of three teenage reed dancers as his latest queens.

"I am tired of being poor. I want to be a queen. I hope the king sees me," said 17-year-old Nomsa Gama, wearing the traditional dance costume of a small piece of beaded fabric around her waist.

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Photo

Another photo

The first paddlers on San Francisco Bay were the Ohlone Indians in their tule reed canoes.

The next were Aleut hunters paddling walrus-hide baidarkas, imported to hunt sea otters at the behest of their Russian overlords at Ft. Ross.

Modern inheritors of that tradition are paddlers of all ages who explore Bay waters in fiberglass and plastic sea kayaks. You will be invited to join this fleet when the fifth Bay Area Paddlefest splashes down. 9 a.m.-4 p.m., September 27-28, at Coyote Point County Park, on the waterfront in San Mateo.

The Paddlefest brings together many of Northern California's reigning experts in canoeing, sea kayaking, paddle racing and kayak touring, as well as teachers of special activities such as angling or birdwatching from these versatile watercraft.

PaddleFest participants will be able to take workshops and classes, check out new models of demo boats of all types, and even engage in a sea kayak race with divisions for beginners or experts.

Cost: $20 (adults, demos); $40 (adults, demos and classes); $10 (children, all appropriate activities); plus $5/vehicle, entry and parking. Lunch and snacks available from Redwood City Lions Club. Volunteers sought to assist PaddleFest activities; e-mail margaretaron@yahoo.com

General event info: (650) 306-0405, or http://www.bayareapaddlefest.com/

IMILCHIL, Morocco -- As Rakia Al-Mamouni pushed through the throng, she was on the lookout for just one thing: a potential husband.

She ignored the man who rushed by carrying a sheep across his shoulders. She didn't seem to care for the hawker selling goats' heads. But she did stop when a young, well-dressed fellow ambled over to her and said: "You have captured my liver."

Not the most eloquent pickup line ever. But for the Berbers of the Atlas mountains in Morocco, who consider the liver to be where love resides, it's a lovely sentiment.

It got the attention of the heavily made-up Ms. Mamouni, who chatted briefly with the young man. But the 19-year-old wasn't swept away. "We'll see what happens," she said as she moved on, with eyes peeled for other prospects.

Each year, hundreds of marriageable Berbers gather for this three-day dating ritual, which has been practiced among nomadic tribes in these arid, windy mountains for centuries. Today, the ritual has developed into a major Berber bazaar and a tourist attraction.

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My favorite museum in Germany!
AUTO & TECHNIK MUSEUM

By LARRY BLEIBERG / The Dallas Morning News

BUENA PARK, Calif. – The hallway was narrow and dark. I felt my way along the wall and moved ahead reluctantly. Then things happened very quickly.

I rounded a corner, and a figure jumped in front of me. He was dressed as a clown and had a wide, crooked smile painted on his face.

I screamed. Then I laughed.

An airport layover had never been this much fun.

Last year, I faced a long wait between flights at Los Angeles International Airport. I was resigned to spending my Saturday night in a deserted terminal. But this was the week of Halloween, and a Los Angeles friend, Rich, had offered to meet me at the airport. He had a different idea about how to spend the evening.

"Let's go to Knott's Berry Farm," he said.

I looked at him in disbelief. Why would I want to go to a theme park in the middle of the night?

"Trust me," he said.

Link to this story...

Jelly Belly presents CANDY UNWRAPPED is science to tickle the taste buds.

This total candy extravaganza shows the sweet science behind candy in seventeen interactive science exhibits.

Candy Unwrapped, a traveling science exhibition, will go to Berkeley, Calif., where it will open October 4 at the Lawrence Hall of Science and run to January 2004. More cities will be announced as the exhibit moves across the country.

Jelly Belly fans won't want to miss the Jelly Bean Taste Test exhibit.


http://www.jellybelly.com/Whats_New/default.htm

One of my favorite and most bizarre museums ever:

KunstHausWien

Literally, Vienna art house is a museum built by this guy who wanted a place to exhibit his own eclectic art. It's a surreal place.

Oh, and Joe, Zankou Chicken IS the best chicken ever!

Just another travel addict trying to get Out of dodge...

Next Sunday, September 19th is the How Berkeley Can You Be? parade and festival.

If you are anywhere near Berkeley, I highly recommend it.

September 19th -- next Sunday -- be International Talk Like A Pirate Day!

ARE YE A STUDENT? Then why not print out some o' the fine posters available at www.yarr.org.uk an' spread 'em around yer campus or school? Talk Like A Pirate Day be a fantastic way to annoy all yer teachers! Celebrate it on the Friday before, or the Monday after - since when did pirates be carin' fer timekeepin'?


ARE YE A TEACHER? Then what better way to keep yer students' interest than be addin' in a little pirate talk to yer lectures. Or, if ye be teachin' littler pirates, then why not use the Day as a way to teach 'em about history (the pirate era), geography (the Caribbean), maths (if twenty pirates have forty pieces of eight, then...) or science (this be how a cannon works)?


ARE YE IN THE MEDIA? Why not get an article in yer paper or program on Pirate Day - Mad Cap'n Tom be available fer interviews, ye know. Already, two radio stations be askin' fer interviews!


ARE YE IN GOVERNMENT? Now, there have been a couple'a .gov addresses signin' up fer this here list, from all o'er the globe. Why not try an' get yer elected officials to mark Pirate Day in some way? Perhaps ask a question to yer Prime Minister and add "yarrr" to the end o' it? Or p'raps a proclamation for the day?


ARE YE A BLOGGER? Linky us! The site be www.yarr.org.uk !


ARE YE NONE O' THESE? Then why not just tell yer friends. Email 'em, call 'em, set up a pirate party, whate'er ye wish! Just stay true to the spirit o' the Day an remember to pillage, plunder an' pirate on September 19th!

22nd Annual TESTICLE FESTIVAL

September 16-20 2004
22 Miles East of Missoula, I-90 Exit 126.
For More Info:
Phone: (406)-825-4868

Best thing on that page is the animation:

OK folks! You missed out, but thankfully, here are actual photos from the "How Berkeley Can You Be?" parade.

More wacky photos from the "How Berkeley Can You Be?" parade here..

Warning! Not safe for work.

And yes, my home town is wacky.

London Pillow Fight Club

Wednesday, the 6th of October

if anyones ever in the West of Scotland.. be sure to give Hurlford a visit
you wont regret it!

bringing your own chib is recomended!!

one of the zaniest of places to visit in october is india. with festivals galore in every part of the country, all ur travel plans will be completely thrown out ofv gear once u land in this fantasstic country. no joking!! just go thro my blogs to get an idea -

http://peekayjee28.blogspopt.com - destination india
http://peekayjee34.blogspot.com - sweets of india
http://peekayjee35.blogspot.com - festivals of india