Topdeck Travel Blog

9. Re-enact Gladiator in the Colosseum

“ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED? IS THIS NOT WHY YOU ARE HERE?”

The Colosseum is truly remarkable, even by Rome’s lofty standards. It may have lost some of its shell to an earthquake, but this crumbled edifice retains the imperious air of an old Roman commander; unbowed by centuries of neglect, impervious to the relentless march of time, it stands tall and proud over all it surveys.

Centrepiece of the mighty Roman Empire, the Colosseum was completed in 80AD and has witnessed thousands of deaths during its blood-soaked history. Here gladiators would engage in mortal combat while crowds of over 50,000 Romans cheered on their every sword stroke and spear thrust.

It wasn’t just plain one-on-one combat; historic battles were re-enacted using moveable sets, while other contests pitted man against beast. Exotic animals such as lions, elephants, bears and giraffes from far-flung corners of the Empire really drew the crowds.

Emperors put on free Games to increase their popularity – Trajan once celebrated a victory with 123 days of games featuring 11,000 animals and 10,000 gladiators!

And what better setting to host them than the Colosseum, an arena to match any modern sports stadium. Standing nearly 50m tall, the Colosseum was so well designed that it could supposedly be emptied from full in just 8 minutes. The seating was sectioned, events were catered, and a moveable awning protected the masses from the searing Roman sun.

The spectacle was memorably recreated in Ridley Scott’s epic movie Gladiator, the Oscar-winning film of 2000 starring Russell Crowe.

One of the most eye-catching scenes is when Crowe’s character Maximus strides in to the arena for the first time. For viewers who visit the Colosseum, it’s easy to picture yourself as the betrayed, tough-as-nails former General entering the arena.

Where today the bowels of the stadium are revealed, instead picture the sandy blood-soaked floor. Where the empty tiers rise above you, picture endless rows of expectant Romans. And if you concentrate very hard, where the Emperor’s box used to be, you can picture Joaquin Phoenix as the evil Commodus…

And so in one of the most iconic structures on earth, you have the chance to be in your own private Hollywood movie.

Stand with your back to the arena, head bowed, as Commodus approaches behind you. Then slowly, with the weight of grief and anger rising, turn and remove your invisible helmet, and solemnly declare:

“My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius… father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife, and I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.”

What’s that you say? People will stare?

Well you never know, perhaps one will be a casting agent!

Topdeck Top Tip: An audio guide will give you some juicy information as you explore the Colosseum at your own pace. Simply get in the audio guide queue once through the main entrance. You can get your entrance ticket there as well!

A Maximus-eye view of the Colosseum http://www.metacafe.com/watch/an-F8pW4YJbYhbmY4/gladiator_2000_entering_the_colosseum/

Practice your lines: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1UmHfWCw-4

8. Eat some good ol’ Southern cookin’ in the USA

The Deep South of the USA is home to some of the tastiest darn cookin’ you could ever wish to eat; Southern BBQ, Cajun, Creole, Tex-Mex, ‘Soul Food’… time to put a looser notch in the belt!

The blending of European, African, Mexican and Native American influences in America’s South is apparent in the amazing dishes served by incredible local restaurants from New Mexico to Louisiana, Tennessee to Texas.

Southern BBQ is virtually a religion, which is appropriate as meat lovers will feel close to heaven here! Wood-fired pits cook huge meaty portions slow ‘n’ low, resulting in smoky, juicy ribs and succulent, tender pork which falls off the bone. You’ll become a true believer when you worship at the altar of a legendary Southern pitmaster.

In Louisiana it’s possible to try two of America’s most famous cuisines – Cajun and Creole.

Cajun is French influenced, with seafood as a staple; crawfish, crab and shrimps from the bayou, just as Bubba from Forrest Gump would like it. A typical dish is gumbo, a bric-a-brac meal of tasty treasures – perhaps shrimps and grits (ground maize) with cayenne and Cajun’s ‘holy trinity’: bell peppers, onion and celery.

Creole, synonymous with New Orleans, is similar to Cajun but also has hints of Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Caribbean and Native American cooking. Jambalaya is a paella-esque Creole dish of seafood, meat, rice and veg, while a romantic Creole meal might be lobster and nature’s aphrodisiac, fresh oysters (perhaps this is why New Orleans is known as the Big Easy?!)

‘Soul Food’ is traced back to African-Americans who arrived in the South during the days of slavery, bringing African cooking traditions with them and adapting it to their new reality. Fried chicken, catfish, cornbread, sweet potatoes, peach cobbler… delicious! (Soul Food is also the only topic of conversation where “meatloaf featuring black eyed peas” is an acceptable phrase!)

Tex-Mex, a fusion of Texan BBQ and Mexican cuisine, is king throughout Texas and New Mexico. Think shredded pork and beef, BBQ ribs, cheese, fajitas, tortillas and enough chilli con carne to make Homer Simpson reach for his chilli boots!

So why not repay your taste buds for all the mediocre fare they’ve put up with over the years – take them to the Deep South and enjoy a range of Southern cookin’… y’all gonna love it!

Topdeck top tip:

Adam Richman of Travel Channel’s Man v. Food checks out a legendary BBQ joint in Memphis, Tennessee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9uLN2BoSz0

And enjoys some seafood in New Orleans: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esN3OakbdQ0

Private Benjamin Buford “Bubba” Blue on shrimp: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09KL2HUXE6Q

7. Take a Bungy jump

Bungy jumping is much like the perfect holiday romance; fast, exhilarating, and you’ll soon be on the rebound!

A primal thrill which is guaranteed to get the blood pumping and the heart racing, it’s also the most peculiar of activities. Tell your friends that you’re thinking of jumping off a bridge and you’ll probably illicit looks of serious concern and a phone number for a suicide helpline.

But explain that you intend to do so with a giant rubber band attached to your ankles and not only does it become socially acceptable, you’ll likely be met with responses of jealousy and awe!

Bungy jumping was pioneered by a mulleted young Kiwi called AJ Hackett. His adventures in gravity-defying included a perilous plunge from the Eiffel Tower in Paris (see number 1 on our list), which earned him an arrest and an accusation of an act of terrorism (or “tirrorism” as he would have no doubt pronounced it).

His witty response was that it was merely an “act of tourism” – and in those prescient words he foretold of bungy’s wider appeal.

The business bearing his name quickly boomed in New Zealand, where it is still going strong. Beyond its homeland, bungy has become a global activity (though it’s written as bungee in most other places).

There’s no real secret to its huge appeal – the pure, unadulterated adrenaline rush you get as you leap from a ledge, against all your natural instincts, and hurtle earthbound at a rate of knots.

The air screams from your lungs as the ground looms with indecent haste, before the recoil kicks in and you bounce back in to the air for a fleeting moment of weightlessness. The natural high is hard to replicate and it’s what gets adrenaline junkies hooked.

At Topdeck our favourite bungy spots are Queenstown on New Zealand’s South Island, and Livingstone, a thrill-seekers paradise in Zambia.

Adventure capital Queenstown is considered the spiritual home of bungy and can boast several options including the mammoth 134m Nevis Bungy. Livingstone is perhaps Queenstown’s African equivalent, where it’s possible to bungee near the jaw-dropping Victoria Falls, Africa’s greatest natural wonder.

So why not put a bungy jump on your travel bucket list? You might just love it! And if not… well, you’ll quickly bounce back.

Topdeck Top Tip: Think you’ll struggle to overcome the terror? Don’t look down! Fix your eyes on the horizon and pretend that you’re diving in to an infinity pool.

A brilliant showcase of jump styles at the Ledge Bungy, Queenstown. Check out the views! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNIysvFZwYM

Obi Wan Kenobi refuses a bungee jump! Ewan McGregor turns down a bungee at Victoria Falls but colleagues on his Long Way Down TV show make the leap: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve_MADvATyQ

6. Drink a stein of beer at Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, is the biggest and best beer festival on the planet! You’ll never forget sinking a litre of frothy Bavarian beer in a huge tent packed with thousands of thirsty companions. Locals and visitors sing side by side, ‘Oompah’ bands play and everybody clinks steins in a mass public cry of “Prost!”

Until you visit the Oktoberfest, it’s difficult to comprehend the scale. The numbers? 16 days, 6.5 million visitors, 6.9 million litres of beer, 500,000 chickens… it’s absolutely massive!

Known by the locals as Wies’n, Oktoberfest began in Munich in 1810. Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria married Princess Therese and invited locals to celebrate with a horse race in a field outside the city, and from these humble beginnings the modern festival evolved.

It originally started in October, but in later years the beginning was brought forward to September. Today it boasts 14 large beer tents, smaller tents which also serve schnapps and wine, and a huge fairground complete with rollercoasters.

Only local beers are represented, including Löwenbräu, Paulaner, Augustiner and Hofbräu. The tents (more accurately giant wooden halls) all serve hearty food to soak up the beer; think roasted pork knuckles, rotisserie chickens, pretzels, sauerkraut and sausages, while the atmosphere is helped along by house bands who kick off the drinking songs.

All locals and many visitors wear traditional (and seriously cool) Bavarian dress; lederhosen for men (leather trousers) and dirndls for women (cleavage-enhancing dresses). The crowd is an international affair, although locals take the Oktoberfest very seriously and try to attend as many days as possible.

With beers served from as early as 9am it’s no wonder that things get misplaced! Common lost property items include wallets, keys, ID cards and eyeglasses (whose owners were presumably blind drunk)…

In recent years, kindly souls have handed in a lost electric wheelchair, a copy of Playboy signed by one of the centrefolds and even false teeth!

Charles Reinbold, who oversees lost property at Oktoberfest, has seen plenty of the latter. He told German newspaper Der Spiegel in 2012 “I think the adhesive has improved for false teeth. The year I started we had five or six sets of false teeth in, and a pensioner walked in and tried them all on. Unfortunately, his weren’t among them.”

Musical instruments are frequently found at the start of the Oktoberfest when the Bavarian marching bands stage their ceremonial processions and then flock to the beer tents. “They get drunk and when they get home that night they say where the hell’s my trumpet?” Herr Reinbold added sagely.

As all Bavarian men know, too many litres of strong Oktoberfest beer can seriously affect your trumpeting performance!

But pace yourself properly and you’re in for the time of your life. There’s little wonder the Oktoberfest is so adored, it’s a knees-up like no other in a marvellous city. If you ever get the opportunity to attend this amazing festival, make sure you take it. Prost!

Topdeck Top Tip: There are so many for Oktoberfest! Here’s a couple:

• You must have a seat at a table to get served
• Always tip your waitress, or else she won’t come back and serve you again
• Text your mates, don’t call! The tents are far too loud for a phone conversation
• If you’re not a big drinker, try a “Radler” – half beer, half lemonade

Official highlights of Oktoberfest 2011 from the Munich city website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSTY-Aan7Q0

A selection of Oktoberfest galleries from the official site: http://www.oktoberfest.de/en/navitem/Galleries/

5. Trek to see wild mountain gorillas

Nowhere on Earth is the natural world more gloriously showcased than in Africa. But of all African wildlife encounters, coming face to face with endangered wild mountain gorillas is perhaps the most unforgettable.

Like gazing through a window to our distant past, observing mountain gorillas in their natural habitat is a humbling and resonant experience. Up close the complex family structures are revealed; powerful silver-backed males command authority, mothers tenderly care for their young and adolescents explore inquisitively.

It’s impossible not to feel a sense of privilege watching two gorillas grooming one another, or impossibly cute youngsters playing with carefree abandon.

For an audience with these gentle giants you must first purchase a permit, then trek with guides through jungle in the gorillas’ lowland mountain habitats in Uganda, Rwanda or DR Congo. It’s often a demanding trek, but with so few gorillas left, it is a necessity.

Sadly the mountain gorilla symbolises the dangerous impact humans can have on wildlife. Over the last century they have been driven to the brink of extinction due to poaching, loss of habitat, war and human diseases.

It is estimated that as few as 880 mountain gorillas remain in the wild and they are among the most critically endangered species on Earth.

However hope endures for our simian cousins (we share around 99% of DNA), as admirable conservation efforts are being made to ensure their survival. The permit system has actually contributed to growth in gorilla numbers in recent years.

The cost of each gorilla permit helps protect habitats, educate guides and train rangers. Visitor numbers and times are carefully regulated so as not to disturb the gorillas, making it a fine example of responsible ecotourism. For those who take the trek, amazing memories are complemented by the sense of contributing to a worthy cause.

A gorilla trek can be a life-changing experience, one that hopefully will be available to travellers long in to the future. It can affect you profoundly and generates feelings which are difficult to adequately put in to words.

When you see for yourself, you’ll know exactly what we mean.

Topdeck Top Tip: To spot the alpha male of the troop, look out for the distinctive white hair on their back, known as the ‘silverback’. Male gorillas develop this around age 13, when they reach adulthood. Troops can sometimes have more than one silverback – although there’s only ever one alpha male!

Tell us about your experience with these magnificent animals.

Sir David Attenborough explains how gorilla populations were brought back from the brink:
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p014rmnc

Photos of mountain gorillas in Rwanda:
www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,2096456,00.html

4. Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge

Affectionately known as the Coathanger, Sydney Harbour Bridge is a defining symbol of Australia. Along with the equally iconic Opera House, it is the centrepiece of Sydney’s skyline and arguably the best lookout point in the city!

Opened in 1932, this engineering masterpiece was created to link Sydney’s business district and the North Shore. With admirable foresight, planners created a huge bridge which today bears eight lanes of traffic and two railways.

It’s an impressive construction from any angle, though it photographs particularly well from certain spots; the Rocks, the Manly ferry, and Mrs Macquarie’s Point near the Royal Botanic Gardens.

But there’s another view worth considering – the one from the top of the arch!

Since 1998 it’s been possible for visitors to climb all 134 metres of the bridge itself, including celebs such as Bill Gates, Kylie Minogue, Usain Bolt, Steve Irwin and Daniel Radcliffe. We’re sure Sydneysiders wish the latter could magic away the Queensland state flag, which gets flown on the bridge if rivals Queensland defeat home team New South Wales in rugby league’s State of Origin!

The view from the top is breathtaking – look south and skyscrapers spike from Sydney’s CBD; to the southeast the Royal Botanic Gardens sit lush and green behind the inimitable white curves of the Opera House.

West lies the Parramatta River, its estuary pooling around fingers of developed land; to the north are the wealthy suburbs of the North Shore, while eastwards the world’s largest natural harbour gives way to the Pacific.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a truly impressive landmark in a magnificent city, one which literally brings the citizens of Sydney closer together. And if you ever get the chance to be in Sydney for New Year’s Eve, then you’ll see it play a pivotal role in the legendary fireworks display.

Who knew that setting a Coathanger ablaze could draw such a big crowd?!

Topdeck top tip: A sunset or night climb can be particularly memorable, offering a different perspective of Sydney’s cosmopolitan metropolis.

Have you climbed all the way to the top?
Tell us about your experience!

Other Sydney Harbour Bridge Media

Celebrity photos from atop the bridge: http://www.bridgeclimb.com/Media/Gallery/Celebrity-Pictures/

New Year’s Eve celebrations: http://www.sydneynewyearseve.com/fireworks/gallery/

3. See sunset at the Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA, is so colossal that it’s difficult to put into perspective. Try this – imagine gazing into the canyon to see four Empire State Buildings on top of one another. They still wouldn’t reach above the rim!

The Grand Canyon is the product of the Colorado River eroding its way through Arizona’s sedimentary rocks, exposing 2 billion years of geological history in the process. The stats are mind-boggling: 277 miles long, up to a mile deep, an average of 10 miles wide, not to mention one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

It has captivated visitors for centuries, from the local Pueblo Native American tribes who revere it as a holy place, to daredevils such as the late Evel Knievel who viewed it as a giant adventure playground.

Visitors have a few different options to take in its beauty; for adrenaline seekers, a helicopter flight reveals the majesty of Grand Canyon from the air, while for those who prefer keeping their feet on the ground, a hike below the rim escapes the crowds and unveils the canyon’s full range of climate zones.

And those who want the best of both can try the Skywalk, a hair-raising glass-bottomed walkway which extends out over the 4000ft abyss!

Standing on the edge of this gargantuan gorge at sunset is a particularly enchanting experience, as the surrounding landscape comes to life and glows in layers of fiery red. It’s a striking vision of America that seems somehow new and familiar at the same time.

But if you’re still having trouble picturing its scale, then here’s a fun fact to finish: it would take a herd of 1 million cows up to 200,000 years to fill the Grand Canyon with methane…

We’d love to see that happen, one way or an udder!

Topdeck Top Tip: Only 2% of visitors hike below the rim, so it’s a great way to avoid the crowds. However you should be aware of the change in climate – the canyon floor can be up to 7°C hotter than the rim in summer! Prepare accordingly and take lots of water with you.

Entertaining Grand Canyon media

• Amazing HD aerial footage of the Grand Canyon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4ZCdC3zJ4g
• Daredevil Travis Pastrana backflip a motocross bike into the Canyon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xllTd9xF7wg
• Images of the nerve-jangling Skywalk here: http://www.grandcanyonwest.com/skywalktour.php

2. Visit the Pyramids of Giza

The year is 1310 AD. Italian poet Dante has just completed The Divine Comedy. The University of Cambridge recently turned 100 years old. The Notre Dame cathedral in Paris is nearly finished, showcasing cutting-edge European architecture. But it’s not the tallest building in the world – not even close. So what is?

The Great Pyramid of Giza

For well over 3500 years the 146m high tomb of the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu held that title. It’s worth repeating – three thousand five hundred years! Think about it! Popes resign more frequently than that. It’s nearly as long as it feels like to sit through a Twilight movie.

This near-mythical structure is a bonafide jaw-dropper – of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the world, it is the only one which remains.

It sits on the Giza Plateau, adjacent to the Pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure and neighbouring Sphinx, while Cairo’s urban sprawl looms nearby creating a striking juxtaposition of ancient and modern Egypt.

The Pyramids are so vast that you can only discern their huge individual blocks up close – but even modern scholars have struggled to comprehend how the ancient Egyptians managed to build them given the technology at their disposal.

Theories and myths add a rich layer of intrigue to the Pyramids – did Napoleon Bonaparte have a vision of destiny in the King’s Chamber? Are they a reflection of the astronomical Belt of Orion? Were they built by aliens to cover a subterranean city of lizard creatures who will one day rise to become our reptilian overlords? Who knows…

What we do know is that the Great Pyramid and its illustrious siblings are among the most incredible sights in the world. Visit them, gaze at their majesty… and be sure get a photo of yourself ‘walking like an Egyptian’!

Topdeck Top Tip: To get the perfect photo of you kissing the Sphinx or placing a finger on top of a Pyramid, make sure you stay still and get your photographer to move until you’re lined up properly. It’s much easier!

Have you seen the Pyramids of Giza?
Share your favourite Pyramids of Giza or Egypt memories with us!

Did you know that in 2013 Topdeck celebrates its 40^th birthday? How time flies! Since our first trip in November 1973 we’ve spent four decades sharing incredible travel experiences all over the globe with our passengers.

In anticipation of our birthday we’re going to be featuring 40 of our favourite experiences over the next 40 weeks – a travel wish list that has proved virtually impossible to narrow down!

How many of them have you done? And how many would you love to do? Check in weekly to read about some of the most unforgettable travel moments on this amazing planet of ours, and perhaps get inspired for your next travel adventure!

Explore. Enjoy. Share the Experience with Topdeck.

1. See the Eiffel Tower sparkle

What’s the most recognisable landmark in the world? If you answered the Eiffel Tower, not many would disagree with you. This elegant behemoth is beloved by Parisians… but it wasn’t always so. Did you know that for a long time after its construction in 1889, the Eiffel Tower was widely despised by many locals?

Designed as an entrance arch to the 1889 World Expo, the tower was originally intended to be a 20-year temporary structure… but the time came and went while the tower remained standing. Over time even the notoriously picky Parisians grew to love it – as do its estimated 7 million visitors per year!

Already iconic, the Eiffel Tower became even more dazzling (literally) in the year 2000, when a flickering light display was installed for the millennium celebrations.

It went down so well that it has remained in place ever since and the tower performs a nightly spectacle on the stroke of each hour.

For around five minutes the Eiffel Tower glitters above the Parisian skyline, as though the world’s paparazzi have swarmed up to every possible vantage point and started photographing the stylish city on the Seine.

The Eiffel Tower has endured Parisian cynicism, thwarted the ambitions of Hitler, and even survived a sneaky bungy jump from a mulleted young Kiwi called AJ Hackett! It has cemented its place in the cast of the world’s great landmarks and firmly deserves a place on any travel wish list.

Topdeck Top Tip: For a great view watch the display from the Champs du Mars parade ground below the tower, where the symmetrical gardens and tree-lined walkways act as the perfect frame for one of the most eye-catching displays in Europe. What’s even better is that it’s completely free!

Check out AJ Hackett’s bungy jump here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAyA2dZn8Ns

Have you seen the Eiffel Tower sparkle?
Share your best Eiffel Tower pics and Topdeck memories with us!