The Amateur Traveler talks to Madeline Jhawar from Italy Beyond the Obvious about life as a tour guide for an adventure travel company. Madeline was previously on the Amateur Traveler talking about Travel to Sicily. Madeline talks about her misconceptions about what being a tour guide would be like and the reality of keeping a group of people happy (and not lost). She guided hiking and biking tours primarily in Italy. What skills do you need to be a successful tour guide? It might not be what you think.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Spencer Quong who is a adventure travel guide about his recent trip to Botswana in south central Africa. After reading the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency his traveling companions were drawn to this country and its incredible wildlife.

The Amateur Traveler talks about adventure travel in Costa Rica. From rafting on the Pacuare river and ziplining through the Monteverde Cloud forest to snorkeling off the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica can be a great destination for adventure travel.

Game designer and publisher Dave Gilbert founded Wadjet Eye Games in 2006.  This interview features conversation about point and click adventure games; digital game development, marketing and publishing; and the relationship between art, passion and real world commerce.

Jeffery Klaehn: How did you first become interested in point and click adventure games?

Dave Gilbert: I played King’s Quest at a very impressionable age! I typed the word “jump” and I saw Graham actually jump, and I was so blown away that I’ve been playing them ever since.

JK: You founded Wadjet Eye Games in 2006 to sell your game, The Shivah, commercially, then moved to pursue game design on a full-time basis and released The Blackwell Legacy, the first in what would become a series of five games.  What are your thoughts on these games and on the market then compared to now?

Dave Gilbert: I am Blackwell Legacy’s biggest critic. It was the first game I wrote with the intention of selling commercially – The Shivah was originally freeware, so I don’t count it – and it shows every inch of my inexperience. The gameplay is clunky, the story is told in three giant infodumps, and the main characters weren’t very likable. But that said, I know with absolute certainty that it was the very best game I could have made with the experience, resources and time I had available. So I stand by it.

As for the market, everything is different. Back in 2006, indie games in general were a very new thing. Read the rest

Aurora Australis (Ship) -- History.

Humphries, Barry, 1934-

Caitlin, an intern with OM, participates in African and communications orientation in South Africa before flying to Madagascar.

Nathan Schmutz of Switzerland has enjoyed the challenge of immersing himself in a whole new culture.

Two stories from the Africa Trek--an intense discipleship experience for people from different nations who travel and minister together throughout Southern Africa.

We follow Swindon Town Football in the Community Under-17 girls on their journey from England to the Gothia Cup in Sweden.

Embarking on an outreach in another country with people you don't know. Adventurers share about their experiences in Bulgaria.

A church youth group sees God provide finances for the teens to attend TeenStreet Europe 2013 in Germany.

At CES, Chinese company Sublue will demo the MixPro, which it claims is the smallest double-propeller underwater scooter to come to market. It also comes with a waterproof smartphone case so you can record your underwater adventures.

In addition to the film, this free outdoor, family-fun event includes activities, music and food.

EICMA 2019 is running in full swing and the past few hours have seen the unveiling of some of the most exciting and awaited motorcycles on the planet. Here we have picked the top five that will be launched in India in the coming months.

On Wednesday in New Jersey, the world’s largest regional theme park company and the largest operator of waterparks in North America said that its New Jersey park, Six Flags Great Adventure, is now powered by solar energy.

CES 2020, LAS VEGAS – JANUARY 6, 2020 – No wires? No problem. JBL continues to elevate its true wireless headphones portfolio by adding two more options to their existing lineup. Whether it’s window shopping on city streets, commuting into the office, or...

ebb software has released a new trailer for the Xbox Series X version of the atmospheric first-person horror adventure, Scorn. The game is in development for the Xbox Series X and Windows PC via Steam and Windows Store.

View the Xbox Series X trailer below:

Here is an overview of the game:

Scorn is set in a nightmarish universe of odd forms and somber tapestry. It is designed around the idea of "being thrown into the world". Isolated and lost inside this dream-like world, you will explore different interconnected regions in a non-linear fashion. Every location contains its own theme, puzzles and characters that are integral in creating a cohesive world.

A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel dedicated to gaming Let's Plays and tutorials. You can contact the author at wdangelo@vgchartz.com or on Twitter @TrunksWD.

Full Article - https://www.vgchartz.com/article/443422/horror-adventure-game-scorn-xbox-series-x-trailer-released/

A manic pre-summer caper skirts near dark territory but remains a mostly kid-friendly tale of an unusual family

A year after Sony’s wonderfully inventive Into the Spider-Verse became the first non-Pixar/Disney/Dreamworks film to win the best animated feature Oscar since 2011, the race was again populated by outliers. Frozen 2 was snubbed and instead Laika crept back into the spotlight with Missing Link (after winning the Golden Globe) and Netflix snuck in with two originals – Klaus and I Lost My Body – marking the streamer’s first time breaking into the pack. While Toy Story 4 might have ultimately won out, the lineup continued to reflect both a widening field and an embrace of more left-field choices, a much-needed jolt of energy in what used to be a two-horse race.

Related: Trolls World Tour review – eyeball-frazzling sequel offers same again

Sourdough has exploded in popularity during lockdown, but focaccia is experiencing its own modest rise

As a longtime Paris resident, at first I feared Dirt might be yet another expat tale of moving to France en famille, with all its tedious clichés. I should have known better.

Iain Brunskill should currently be getting his teeth into an exciting new role with the Chinese FA.

Gollum actor Andy Serkis is doing a continuous live reading of The Hobbit for charity.

Don't wait for a big exotic trip to get outdoors. How about squeezing it in between 5 pm and 9 am?

This mobile solar power station offers a lightweight high-capacity lithium-ion battery with all the bells and whistles.

What's more fun than riding with 25,000 people through car-free streets on a beautiful day (and night)?

What started in Maryland is spreading. A running club with zombies that chase you. It's about survival of the fittest.

Block off one day per week for athletic and outdoor excursions that otherwise would be difficult to schedule.

Rosh Hashana, also known as the Jewish New Year, was celebrated this past week. One of the iconic symbols of the holiday, is honey, which is eaten with challah and apples. Honey has important meaning for the celebrants of Rosh

In the last few years ecotourism has grown from a buzzword to a trend, to full-blown industry. Whether travelers are looking for a rugged adventure or refined luxury, planet-conscious operators have sprung up to satisfy

Is this really the future we want?

An Epic Summer Adventure Awaits

After you've played through Death Test and Death Test 2 (available in this boxed set), you'll probably want more. Maybe you would like to take a stab at creating a pgorgrammed adventure for The Fantasy Trip or GURPS? This 1987 article by Steve will teach you how. And here's a great PDF release from Flying Buffalo. Created for Tunnels & Trolls, How to Write a Solo Adventure collects Flying Buffalo's various guidelines (many written back in the '80s, including a large section by Mike Stackpole).

We also direct your attention to our own writing guidelines, of course!

Fans of The Fantasy Trip want more solo adventures, so if you have a spectacular project going, we'll be happy to chat with you about it. You will need a copy of the Legacy Edition set if you plan to write for The Fantasy Trip. You will also want a copy of the Adventures hardcover if you're writing adventures, so you can see examples of what we're looking for when it comes to GM-led scenarios.

– Phil Reed

Warehouse 23 News: Snowflake Dice!

These glittery dice are a beautiful translucent blue with the numbers etched in the center of a delicate snowflake. A unique gift, a perfect stocking–stuffer, or an excellent addition to your own collection! Order Snowflake d6 Dice Set now on Warehouse 23!

By virtue of one thousand pieces of unearned gold and the fact that my floppy white buttcheeks are planted on the top of a horse, I am a leader of soldiers. Well, I say soldiers. What I mean is four grubby drifters with spears and more ear hair than combat experience.

New release date yet to be announced

Ahead of the match for third place, Al Hilal skipper Carlos Eduardo spoke to FIFA.com about the reasons for his side’s defeat to Flamengo and the importance of their upcoming fixture against Monterrey.

Alita: Battle Angel
U/A: Action, Adventure
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Cast: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali
Rating: 

This film, which has Robert Rodriguez and James Cameron working together with Peter Jackson's visual effects, has wonders never experienced before in cinema. The film may have taken a long while (twenty years) coming to screen, but the end result is fantastic enough to keep you asking for more. A manga-based action thriller, James Cameron's $200 million-worth, long cherished dream is aimed at young adults seeking fresher pastures from that of The Hunger Games variety and hopes to make it to bigger box-office returns than that sub-genre hit-starter.

Cameron started on the cinematic adaptation of Yukito Kishiro's original manga comics way back in the late 1990s, (much before Avatar), but the phenomenal success of Avatar had him relinquishing directorial control to Rodriguez while holding firm as screenwriter (with Jon Landau and Laeta Kalogridis) and producer.

The resultant kick-ass cyberpunk adventure may not be as original as he imagined it, but it has certainly got all the chops to make it to a long-term fan-following on its own.

The filmed adventure is set 500 years from now, in Iron city - a junkyard that is a wasteland for the flying citadel of Zalem. The city is peopled with AI controlled cyborgs mingling with real humans in a community so tech-spangled that it's hard to decipher one from the other. Kindly Doctor Dyson Ido (Christoph Waltz) reconfigures a former robot superweapon and rechristens her Alita (Rosa Salazar), after his own daughter. I do, who moonlights as a hunter-warrior, tries to protect the young Alita, but her mind has memories of a past that keeps haunting her present. She even develops a crush on handsome robo-junk dealer Hugo (Keean Johnson) and eventually ends up becoming the super weapon she once was.

The plotting here is a little too jumbled up, ensnared as it is in creating set-piece thrills and out-of-this-world experiences. Stereotype characters and genre tropes make the engagement less than wondrous. The tech-specs are certainly the best we've seen in a long time, the IMAX imagery is splendid and beguiling and the vivid expressions of the actors make it feel all the more real and intimately experiential.

Watch the trailer of Alita: Battle Angel

Even though Salazar is the most riveting and fascinating of characters, she does feel a little artificial at times. The CGI blends in effortlessly with digitally morphed motion-capture performance, but the artifice can be felt - too strongly at times. The array of side characters also feels like old hat killing the originality of the experience and allowing déjà-vu to creep in. Even so, there's no belittling this explosive cutting-edge adventure that takes cinema thrills to never-seen-before heights!

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The Panchgani police have booked a Mumbai based adventure firm for negligence after a 45-year-old South Korean national died when his glider crashed during an event near Panchgani in Satara district. The police identified the deceased as Sang Teak Oh, a professional paraglider.

Superintendent of Police, Satara, Pankaj Deshmukh said Oh's last rites will be performed in Wai as his family members have given their consent. Oh came to India on a tourist visa and landed in Wai on February 10.

Assistant Police Inspector Trupti Sonawane said, "On Tuesday evening, Oh took off from Rajpuri near Panchgani, but strayed off the course and descended into forest area. He was rescued by the team present at the event, but had been seriously injured by then."

She added, "He succumbed to his injuries at the hospital in Wai. We have registered a case against the event firm and arrested its event manager under IPC section 304 (A) (causing death by negligence). Oh's body was handed over to the Korean embassy after a postmortem."

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Representational Pic

Kerala is aiming to re-brand itself as a 'Land of Adventure' to increase tourist arrivals--both foreign and domestic in the next five years. The state was targetting the increase of foreign and domestic tourist arrivals by 100 per cent and 50 per cent respectively in the next five years, a tourism department press release said.

Kerala showcased its unexplored destinations and adventure tourism hot spots at the silver jubilee edition of SATTE-South Asia's leading travel and tourism exhibition at New Delhi today. On the rebranding of Kerala,Tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran said that over the years, the industry had changed rapidly with vistors preferring to go beyond the historic temples, monuments and modern sights.

Tourists prefer to explore hills, waterfalls and forests by indulging in adventorous activities, he said, adding that hencefourth the state aims to be re-branded as the 'land of adventure' to woo the younger generation by offering activity and water based tourism. Tourism Director P Balakiran said that the interest of travellers was increasingly gravitating towards adventure tourism offerings, including expanded world view, nature and discovery and fun and thrills. The activity related tourism would help the state achieve the target of domestic and international tourist arrivals, he said. The rivers, high altitude mountains, dense forests and vast stretches of sea offers an array of adventure packed destinations, he added.

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Are you really bored of the routine and look to have a fun-filled vacation? Here your quest ends as the Good Friday long weekend is approaching and then you can plan to have some adventure for your lifetime. Though our country offers a vast number of adventure activities, it is always difficult to choose one out of them. It is really important to decide a right adventure sport at a right place to have the best utilization of your vacation. In order to help you we have list down some of the best places for you to consider this long weekend. We promise that these sports not only stimulate adrenaline rush but also help you to become fearless:

Bungee Jumping in Rishikesh
Bungee Jumping is an exciting and thrilling adventure sport. It is an ill-advised sport for the faint hearted. You might be surprised that though a lot of people take the initiative to try it out, but most back off just before the jump. First a long, extremely strong and stretchy cord is tied around the jumper's ankle, which leaps off of the jumping point. Jumpin Heights offers adrenaline-pumping activities such as Bungee Jumping, Flying Fox, and Giant Swing. Recognised by Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India, the organization follows Australian and New Zealand Standards for Safety Regulations. Built above the glorious river Ganges, Jumpin Heights is host to India's first highest Bungee jumping platform (83 meters).jumpinheights.com

Wildlife Safari in Ranthambore National Park
For the wildlife adventure enthusiasts, Ranthambore National Park in the Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan is a celestial destination. Known to be one of the best parks to spot the majestic Indian Tigers, the park is also the home to several other endangered species. The Ranthambore wildlife sanctuary is popular for being India's largest National Park. It encompasses the Sawai Man Singh Sanctuary and the Keladevi Sanctuary and hence covers approximately a stretch of 1300 Sq. Km. The park welcomes all you adventure enthusiasts, wildlife photographers and nature admirers to be awe struck by its glory

Cycle Trekking in Himalayan
The mountainous region delivers a special kind of excitement to the adventure junkies. The great topography of India will let you experience this excitement. For cycle trekking, the Himalayan range and the mountainous regions of Kerala are the most favorite for the activity. One can ride individually or in groups to rejuvenate their senses.

Desert Camping in Jodhpur
For those, who crave for fun and adventure in the arid deserts of Rajasthan, Jodhpur proves to be an ideal destination. Also known as the 'Sun City', the adventure junkies can opt for desert camping along with bonfire, barbeque dinners and village tours in Jodhpur.

River Rafting in Rishikesh
The gushing waters of Ganges makes river rafting in Rishikesh one of the most exhilarating adventurous sports. Embraced by the majestic Himalayas and enveloped by the lush green vegetation, the divine city of Rishikesh invites all you adrenaline Junkies, to encounter some thrill. The Ganga River flowing through the city offers rapids ranging from Grade-I-V and makes it for an ultimate rafting destination in the country.

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From skiing in the high Andes to free-diving beneath a frozen Finnish lake

The French conceptualist’s exhibition at the Palais de Tokyo is a sense-scrambling rethink of the relationship between art and the environment in which it appears  

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You can enjoy flowers online that are past their best in the real world

The politician recalls his travel adventures including nearly being arrested in Nepal when he was accused of being in Al-Qaeda just after 9/11 - and eating his most unpleasant meal, in China.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Alan Pardew could only sit and wait for the phone call. There was nothing else to do as the fate of ADO Den Haag's season was debated in a series of video conference calls.

Hats off to the little-known Irish composer Gerald Barry, whose late-flowering career (he's almost as old as me!) has produced a generally joyous take on Lewis Carroll's oeuvre to his own libretto.

BRIAN VINER: There's no snobbery quite like music snobbery. Dare to profess an admiration for the work of Phil Collins or Bono and in some circles you will be treated like a guttersnipe.