Matt Harding’s been dancing his way around the world (as seen below) for a while now.
And for a time there was something undeniably heartwarming about Matt and his funny little dance. Innocent. Charming, even. So what happened? Why the ‘was’?
On the surface, nothing. He looks like a really likeable fella. And he hasn’t traded in his homely, on-the-spot jig for a sleeker, sexier model - a tango, say. But there was a subtle shift, in the form of two little words: corporate sponsorship.
The market’s become increasingly good at identifying internet trends and squeezing them in its anaconda-like grip. And so it was with Dancing Matt. One moment he was dancing for the love; the next, it seemed, he was dancing for the money.
Don’t get us wrong - we’ve all got jobs to do. HostelBloggers, after all, is the naughty little brother of HostelBookers. It’s arguably a little different, though, selling a part of a personal project to a manufacturer of chewing gum.
Alright, so it’s not like he’s videoing himself on a seal-clubbing, kitten-drowning world tour sponsored by Exxon. You’d still have to ask yourself, perhaps: is this what I set out to do?
And in the meantime, it remains to be asked: would HostelBloggers do the same thing in his position? Well, we’d have to be left in a darkened room with a monkey suit, some dancing shoes, a sack of chewing gum, a large cheque and our consciences to find out!
Very, very occasionally (owing to the fact that we’re a scruffy and dissolute bunch) HostelBloggers get invited along to a function. So when the email dropped into our inbox inviting us to a Thames cruise - with drinks and food thrown in, no less - there was never any doubt that we were going to be there… with bells on!
Anyway, on our very best behavior, we took to the water, setting off eastwards from Festival Pier on London’s South Bank. Before we’d even had time to descend upon the buffet like a slavering pack of wolves, we slid past St Paul’s Cathedral…
…and then the Tate Modern…
…followed, in swift succession, by the Tower of London…
…and Tower Bridge.
Then we carried on, ever further eastwards, past the gleaming towers of Canary Wharf.
As we passed the O2 Arena (formerly the ill-fated Millenium Dome) and turned around, the sun began a spectacular descent.
It was totally dark by the time we got back up the river to Central London, and the Houses of Parliament, all lit up, were abolutely sensational.
As these things usually do, it all ended up a bit like this:
But, from start to finish, the whole thing was absolutely fantastic. Being out on the Thames really opens London up and gives you a sense of the city’s vast sprawl (so hard to appreciate in its narrow streets).
The thing that really hit home, though, was how all too rarely you take the time to be a tourist in your own city. And when you live in a spectacular city like London, that’s a great shame.
Prague is home to Franza Kafka, the composer, Dvorak, Milos Forman and the filmmaker and animator, Jan Svankmajer, as well as a host of other prominent artists, musicians, writers and thinkers.
So it’s hardly surprising, really, that, amongst the dazzling array of Art Nouveau buildings and twiddly Baroque finery, the city’s still a hotbed of creative activity.
The above is a video made by Sir Toby’s Hostel in Prague, and in HostelBloggers’ opinion, it’s pretty damn fine.
Wednesday, Jul 16th, 2008 Categories: Random Stuff
Behold the wondrous power of advertizing!
In these media-saturated times, a message - pretty much any message, really - has to be genuinely compelling to get through to you… Well, either that, or have a good pun in it!
During a recent trip to Edinburgh, HostelBloggers became aware of a certain looming occasion that’s creeping up on the hostels in Edinburgh. You see, August is just around the corner. And that means the Edinburgh Fringe, along with all its inimitable mayhem, is most definitely on its way.
Here’s Steve of Bus Station Backpackers talking about the Fest, and suggesting a few ways to negotiate its delights without blowing your entire holiday budget in one drink-and-drama binge.
A huge backpack, jeans, a sleeping bag, hiking boots, a laptop, an SLR camera and a hypochondriac’s medicine cabinet (see below).
Before finishing up with: a Pacsafe, a mosquito net and finally, a guitar.
HostelBloggers are right behind him on a few of those items (although we’re not quite sure where his hatred of pacsafes comes from).
Whether or not we agree with his reasoning over the last choice - ”Because there is a common consensus that people who travel with guitars are w@nkers” - we couldn’t possibly say one way or the other…
Continuing the July events theme, Saturday was the date of the prestigious annual, ‘Moon Amtrak Day’. The event’s been going since the late seventies and is essentially just an excuse to bare your naked behind at a passing train.
Frequently asked question No.7 from moonamtrak.org - ‘Can I decorate my butt?’ - is answered with a straight to the point, ‘Yes that’s Ok.’ Amusing and concise, you see.
And yes, before anyone mentions it, we are conscious of a relatively high concentration of infantile posts involving nudity and the like. Are we going to stop it? Probably not.
Around the world, July’s got a handful of events that are on the unique side of idiosyncratic. There’s the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, the Calgary Stampede, and - one of HostelBloggers’ favorites - the Moon Amtrak day.
But few worldwide events - now, or at any time of the year - can hold a candle to the Palio di Siena for the sheer insanity of it all.
It’s a bit of a wolf in sheep’s clothing of an event, really. Ostensibly, it’s an historic horse race, complete with lashings of pageantry, pomp and show; then the race starts… and all hell breaks loose, as riders and horses charge round the Piazza del Campo at breakneck speed leaving a mass of twisted bodies (human and equine) in their wake.
The Palio di Siena is just one of various other palios across the country. But for the real deal, backpackers in Italy over the summer should drop everything and make for Siena on the 16th August, when, believe it or not, they carry out the whole crazy spectacle again!
Any German-speaking backpackers looking to settle down in Vienna this autumn should seriously consider applying for a vacant position at Wombats Hostels.
The Wombats are great hostels in Vienna, and working there would be the perfect opportunity to get to know the city… So get your CV over to klaus[a]wombats.at or check out hostelmanagement.com for more details.
