Dang. I hope your wife doesn't have twins next. Because at that rate, they'll be born two days apart.
Okay this isn't necessarily the coolest thing I've ever done but it was cool... When I was in radio promotions we did a gig with the Rockets at halftime where we dropped parachutes from the rafters in the Summit and a listener had to catch the parachutes with a shopping cart. I had to make the parachutes (Z-107.5 hankerchief, kite string and Z-107.5 keychains for the weights) and test them out in the Summit which was cool (it's really high up there). When it came to the half-time promotion I got to go up to the rafters during the second quarter of a game. It was pretty cool watching from that vantage point. Interestingly, when I was taken to the rafters to test out the parachutes (we had different amounts of weight and wanted to see how many keychains were needed to make the chutes fall at a good speed) the promotions guy for the Rockets wouldn't step out on to them. He made his intern go out instead and the intern led me to where I was supposed to go and then basically hugged a support beam because he was scared of heights. During the game (when we dropped the chutes for real) the intern came out with me and a building engineer came out (probably to make sure nothing was dropped onto the players). The intern, once again, hugged the beam but the engineer was okay with the height. Oh yeah, I also go to take a bunch of listeners to Denver to watch the Oilers play the Broncos (we lost).
My wife and I did this on our honeymoon last year and it was awesome - unfortunately we had to go during the day due to the volcano being pretty active the prior week. While we were on top, Fuego was erupting in the distance - I got a good shot. That trip had a lot of "cool" things. I think at the end, I may have preferred Tikal to Pacaya, simply because we stayed overnight and got to do a lot of hiking around the site, and Temple IV, at dusk/dawn. We also travelled throughout Belize that trip...cave tubing, night jungle walks, snorkeling, deep sea fishing (caught a crapload of tuna and barracuda). But I think on par with all of that, for me, has to be climbing Mt. Sinai. I am anti-religion, really, but there is still something about it. I was in my early teens, and you climb all night and reach the top as the sun comes up and all of these religious and non-religious groups from all over the world (America, Europe, Africa, Asia) are up there, some praying, some singing...it was crazy and awesome simultaneously. I hope to add to this list shortly with either the Galapagos, Macchu Picchu or the Patagonia.
In midair at around 2500 feet immediately after my parachute opened. All I could hear was the wind in my chute and was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. The adrenaline from 12000 feet of free-fall didn't hurt either.
My first daytime emmy was a big moment for me ~ i'll never forget the look on Susan Lucci's face... Classic.
I remember hearing that Alaska was "God's country," the "Last Frontier." I was like, "Yeah, ok..." I've seen Denver rockies, California rolling hills, British/Irish coastline cliffs, Japan's Fuji, and the Grand Canyon. But nothing was as breathtaking as seeing Alaska. Not the cities, but the deep woods and surrounding mountains. You know those PERFECT ENHANCED post cards of Alaska at Hallmark Gifts? Complete with rolling rock rivers, green pastures, and snow cap mountains? It's better in person. A 100 times better! Yes, it's as near "Perfect" as you can get. PICTURE PEFECT! But it's not a picture! It's real! You just have too see it. Note: Beware of the moose! They will stomp your ass!
Sort of a tossup between these: 1. I was in Lhasa, Tibet in 1994 and wanted to get a picture of the Dropang Monestary from the mountains above it. I saw some monks taking a side path off the main road so I followed them. After a while they caught on to what I was doing and motioned for me to walk with them. We took some funky path through the hills and down to a back entrance of the monastery. They led me into this room with rows and rows of monks sitting down - they sat me in a corner. About 5 minutes later the room fills with these guttaral chants of so many different levels of tonality and length and monks start praying. It went on for about an hour, and a few of the younger ones were sorta getting off on having an audience (smiling, hamming it up. After the prayers were over the monks came up to me and offered me a drink of the yak butter tea they were drinking in the ceremony. I had to drink it, and it was as bad as I thought....but such a cool experience. 2. Angkor Watt this January. Awesome. 3. El Nido, Southern Philippines. Beautiful
i guess it was getting backstage passes to the Kids In The Hall tour in NYC. i got to chill after the show with Bruce, who was chatting up Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes.
Fantastic! Some of the coolest experiences are the ones unexpected, that just play out from luck, fate, or just being at the right place at the right time. One of the cool things I experienced was hiking above Grindlewald, Switzerland, with my girlfriend in '71, and hearing someone playing Mozart on the harmonica. We were far away from most anything, and it was early spring, so there wasn't anyone about , but whoever was playing their harp so beautifully. We looked for the person, who turned out to be a young Swede, sitting on a boulder, playing, and looking at the glacier at the top of the valley. After introductions (of course, he spoke English... most educated Europeans speak at least some), we talked for awhile, and ended up climbing up to the glacier, until we got to a wooden walkway, past a snow covered sign we couldn't read. The Swede and I went on up, which is another story altogether. (the sign said, as we later found out, "Do NOT go past this point! Danger! Under repair!") At any rate, the cool Swede turned out to be on vacation. He was a college student, whose father was a Swedish psychiatrist. He invited us to visit if we made it to Stockholm, which we did, a couple of months later. It was trippy. They lived in this ultramodern house, and his Dad wore suits that looked like they were from Star Trek, or 2001 (the movie). We ended up having a fantastic time there, going to nightclubs, going sailing at their vacation home on an island in the archipelago off the coast there. And a lot of other groovy stuff. Anyone ever notice that when you do unexpectedly cool things, the ones that surprise you, and open your mind to the notion of taking a chance, that they often lead to a whole series of unexpected adventures and cool experiences that weren't anywhere in your original plans? Keep D&D Civil!!
Denali on a clear day. It's the tallest vertical rise in the world, straight up for 20,000 feet from almost sea level. Pictures, both stillframe and tv, do not do it justice. DavidS, I've been to where that picture is more times than I can remember.
what changed, its all the same, still has those annoying scalpers, the marbles still there, the red stone buildings all around it are still there, and the mosque with that green water in front of it is still there. Heck the black taj mahal is still not made, doesnt seem like much has changed in 39 years. well except for the admission price for foreigners.
I never got a chance to see Denali (Mt McKinley) close up. But I could see it on clear days (400 miles away).
What hasn't changed? Agra itself is full of small industrial firms, polluting like mad. The city has grown, there are many more vehicles. Not having been back in so long, and having read about the serious changes in air quality at Agra, and your reaction to having been there recently, I can only presume that more has changed than I might have imagined. I wasn't bothered by "annoying scalpers'"... do they really present a problem? What do they scalp? Tickets to get in?? I feel sorry for you. Either it has changed a great deal, dulled by pollution, and crowds of people, or you have a very different perception of beauty than I. I hope, for the sake of the Taj, that it is you seeing the same thing differently than I do. That is very likely, but I fear damage from changes in the city and it's air have been harmful as well. I spent several weeks in Bangalore during the same summer, and it has since changed immensely. The black Taj, across the river and connected by it's bridge, will never be built, and couldn't be built today, if the means were available to do it. The skill simply doesn't exist. Does it really cost a lot to see today? The cost was scarcely worth mentioning, back then. Here's some interesting reading: Taj Mahal fends off developers By Vijay Rana BBC South Asia reporter After widespread protests the Indian Government has halted a major construction scheme next to the Taj Mahal. Conservationists heaved a sigh of relief after Culture Minister Jagmohan ordered a halt to building on the complex, which includes shopping malls, restaurants, multiplex cinemas and other entertainment facilities. The project, worth $36m, was being built on the bed of the River Yamuna. Opponents of the scheme had argued that putting embankments on the Yamuna would alter the local ecology and dry up the flood plains. They had warned it might also disturb the soil structure, damaging the Taj Mahal. Construction on the project - planned by the state government of Utter Pradesh - began quietly in November last year. Already there have been reports that the lack of water in the Yamuna was damaging the red stone base of the Taj Mahal. The state government said it needed to relocate shops which have been removed from the Taj Mahal premises under a Supreme Court order. It also argued that tourists would be able to visit the Taj Mahal without travelling through the crowded and pollutedstreets of Agra City. Monument to love Perhaps no love story in India is complete without the lovers being photographed with a backdrop of Taj Mahal. Poets have endearingly called it a "monument to love". The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum built by Shah Jahan in the 17th Century for his beloved wife Mumtaj Mahal, who died in childbirth. THE TAJ MAHAL More than 10,000 Indian and Persian artisans took 22 years to build it in the 17th Century Legend has it that after its completion the hands of the artisans were chopped off so that they would not be able to build anything to rival it Soon after its completion, the shah was dethroned and imprisoned a few miles away in the royal palace, the Red Fort. The story goes that the distraught king rather cleverly put up a small mirror on the wall of the balcony there and would watch for hours the newly built Taj Mahal which stood across plains flooded by the River Yamuna. Most tourists still go to that balcony and emulate Shah Jahan watching the Taj Mahal in the small mirror. This majestic view would have disappeared if the Uttar Pradesh government had been allowed to have its way. Threat not receded For the moment the crisis seems to have been averted with the Indian Government's decision to overrule the state government's construction plans. But the powerful construction industry, which thrives on making generous donations to its political masters, have set their heart on this prime land. They will try to find other ways to commercially exploit it. Those who love their heritage have a long battle on their hands to save the Taj Mahal. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3011230.stm Moonlight viewing of the Taj by Ram Dutt Tripathi in Lucknow The Taj Mahal, the global symbol of love and one of the wonders of the world, will once again be opened to tourists during moonlit nights. Authorities in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh have announced the reopening of the ancient monument. The Taj was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Noor Jahan . Night viewings of the monument was banned 15 years ago, following alleged threats to its security. Uttar Pradesh State Tourism Minister Ashok Yadav announced at a press conference that the federal home ministry had agreed to open the Taj for viewing during nights. Moonlight viewing Officials said they will begin the operation by opening the Taj to visitors for five nights every month, including two days before and two days after the full moon. Mr Yadav said the administration was considering a proposal to set up a special tourist police force to safegaurd the monument as well as to help visitors. The minister said that the Taj attracts 2.2 million tourists every year, including 600,000 from overseas. The minister said tour operators all over the world had demanded the re-opening of theTaj Mahal during nights. Some Hollywood stars had also expressed their wish to view the Taj by night. The minister said he hoped that the move would increase the number of tourists visiting the city of Agra, where the mausoleum is located. The next full moon night falls on 22 December and the administration is organising special cultural programmes to mark the reopening. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/558149.stm Thursday, 23 March, 2000, 00:48 GMT Taj Mahal pollution plea President Clinton with his daughter: fulfilling a lifelong ambition President Clinton has used the majestic setting of the Taj Mahal to make a plea for greater efforts to combat environmental pollution. During a tour round the mausoleum and gardens with his daughter Chelsea, President Clinton said it had been a lifelong ambition to visit the Taj. But he also said that pollution had managed "to do what 350 years of wars, invasions and natural disasters have failed to do. It has begun to mar the magnificent walls of the Taj Mahal." He said that a constant effort was needed to save it from degradation. Speaking a short distance from the monument, he announced a series of joint environmental initiatives with India: $200m in US credit guarantees to fund clean energy projects. $20m to extend a programme that seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency and the use of cleaner fuels. $25m for a programme that promotes the use of energy efficient technologies and services in India. Mr Clinton also repeated a plea for more work to combat global warming, saying the US and other countries bore a special responsibility for this. He said the risks of not taking action would be especially acute for developing nations like India. Taj in trouble The Taj Mahal - constructed in the 17th Century by the Mughal emperor Shah Jehan - is a dazzling edifice of marble, jade, turquoise, lapis lazuli and other precious stones. But its gleaming walls have begun to fade under the effects of pollution from factories and workshops in nearby Agra. In a bid to preserve it, restrictions have been imposed on industrial activity and on motor vehicles in the vicinity. However, President Clinton drove to the Taj Mahal in his regular black limousine - although other vehicles in the presidential motorcade were electric-powered. Other tourists were also kept well away from the presidential entourage. The marble facade is beginning to discolour One report said the local authorities even opened the underground chamber where the remains of Shah Jehan's wife, Mumtaz Mahal, are. It has been closed since 1991. The visit to the Taj was the latest leg of the president's Indian tour - and the first significant bit of sight-seeing. He is also expect to visit the tourist city of Jaipur as well as a village in Rajasthan and a game reserve at Ranthambore. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/687017.stm Keep D&D Civil!!
As far as I remember, agra still has no industries, other than ones that are handiwork. I agree that the pollution may have taken away from the majestic originality, but I saw nothing that I didnt see in a book earlier. Its not just the scalpers, who scalp tickets, little taj's, water, etc etc, but also the tour guides, the people trying to take your picture, the auto walas. Its impossible to move without being approached for one reason or another. I mean the taj was fine and all, but I enjoyed the red fort more, the taj looked much more beautiful from there. And there was much more "history" at the fort. Overall it was a B minus - C+ range. Especially due to the real high expectations. O yea and to top it off, Our SUV's ac didnt work halfway from delhi to agra, and that was hell in summer heat.
Read the articles I added to my post, above. You can't imagine how different it was 39 years ago. Then, you were allowed to see everything. The color of the marble, and the inlaid semi-precious stones, were glorious. You had a much different experience, apparently. Do you really grade works of art on a scale like that??
Hmmm, this is tough..... It's either.... Fishing for salmon and halibut off Prince Rupert Island in Canada in 1994 and seeing more wildlife than a million "Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom" shows...bald eagles, killer whales, seals, otters... or Surfing in the Mediterranean off Tel Aviv in 1978 or Jamming onstage with Johnnie Johnson (Chuck Berry's piano player) at the Palomino in North Hollywood in 1993.
This was WELL before Black Label Society. He came to town to do some clinics but he really didn't want to teach. He just wanted to jam and I was the bass player. We played some token Ozzy, but it was mostly ZZ Top, Allman Brothers, Jeff Beck, 10-minute versions of Jimi Hendrix songs, etc.
watching the sunrise over the jungle mountains in Guatemala from the top of Temple Number One in the Mayan ruins of Tikal. the hour-long hike through the jungle at 4am (in the dark) by flashlight was pretty intense as well. unreal.
