🐸 Frogs, Frauds, and More in Pipeaway Newsletter #123

Pipeaway travel newsletter #123; AI image by DALL-E.

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Hey there, sunshine seeker!

Spring has officially arrived in the Northern Hemisphere, and longer days are ahead of us. Cambodians celebrated the spring equinox with thousands of tourists waiting for the sunrise at Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world.

That’s not even close to the frenzy that will spread over the United States in the afternoon hours of April 8, when the moon will steal the sun’s spotlight. If you want to make sure to have the best view of the eclipse, pick a spot at the so-called path of totality.

Longer and sunnier days definitely make me happy, but it seems it doesn’t affect all of Croatia. According to the latest World Happiness Report, my home country holds a modest 63rd place. The happiest are actually the Nordic Countries, with Finland, Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden in the top 4, and Norway at still impressive spot number 7.

Longyearbyen in Norway, the world’s northernmost town, recently saw the sun for the first time since the long polar night took over in October. Svalbard celebrates the return of daylight with tropical fruits, which reminds us all: when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

Even if this week’s feature speaks of misfortunes, remember that the happiest folks are the ones who approach difficult circumstances with a positive attitude.

Find this in today’s newsletter:

  • Words: Celebrations, clubbing, chemtrails.
  • Images: After the waves.
  • Numbers: From pool to plane, from pond to plate.
  • P.S.: Hop til you drop.

Have a sun-soaked week!

Ivan Kralj        
Pipeaway.com

Silly Side: Why did the travel blogger bring a ladder on the plane? Because they heard the views were better from up high. Stay grounded with our newsletter stories, and click on your favorites!

 FEATURE SPOTLIGHT 

Suitcases lined up at what pretends to be Toronto Pearson International Airport, and a forgotten baggage sale for $7.85 per piece; another lost luggage scam that appeared on Facebook.

 

Beware of the Baggage Bluff – Unpacking the Fraud

Buying someone’s lost or uncollected stuff for pennies and stumbling upon treasure is a true lottery. It may function in Brussels shop Pile ou Face, where unwanted Amazon parcels are sold per kilo. But if you see a promotion offering unclaimed suitcases on social media for a couple of dollars or euros, stay away! Scammers are lurking in the shadows, masquerading as airline agents on Twitter, or airports on Facebook, ready to deceive. We expose the lost luggage scam!


 WORDS 

 

EASTER’S ODD EGGS

It’s Holy Week for Christians, and some nations have quirky customs. From parades over colored sawdust in Antigua and crime novel marathons in Norway, to constructing a bread cathedral in Sicily and organizing graveyard feasts in Georgia, find alternative Easter traditions here and here.

BEAT HERITAGE

The German UNESCO Commission has added Berlin techno to the country’s list of intangible cultural heritage. It’s a huge milestone for the scene headed by iconic institutions such as Tresor and Berghain, often called the most famous techno club in the world.

CLOUDED JUDGEMENT

The Tennessee Senate has passed a bill that wants to ban – chemtrails. The proposed legislation, promoting the well-known conspiracy theory, prohibits “the intentional injection, release, or dispersion” of chemical substances in the atmosphere of this state.


 IMAGES 

 

🏝️

Witness the stark reality of climate change, as Nyangai, a small tropical island in Sierra Leone, is slowly swallowed by the ocean.

🖼️

Celebrate 150 years of impressionism in Normandy, where the breathtaking coastline has long inspired French artists (Claude Monet painted it over 100 times!). Join the festival of this iconic art movement, with events sprinkled until autumn!

🏆

Still need to be impressed? Feast your eyes on the finalists of the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest (I love Somenath Mukhopadhyay’s depiction of tribal raincoats), Sony World Photography Awards (Matthew DeSantis’ Buddha baseball is one of my favorites), and British Wildlife Photography Awards (Ryan Stalker’s floating soccer ball stole all the attention). If competitions aren’t your style, join our relaxed #Top4Theme challenge on Twitter – this week, we’re chasing waterfalls!


 NUMBERS 

 

450

The length in meters of the rooftop infinity pool to be built by NEOM, as part of Treyam luxury resort in Saudi Arabia. The record-breaking sky pool will bridge the lagoon, perched 36 meters above the sea so you can float on cloud nine.

$785,050

The amount the two pilots overcharged John Travolta’s company with fraudulent fuel invoices.

4,070 tons

The quantity of frozen frog legs the European Union imports every year, with three-quarters destined for French tables. While EU laws protect European frogs, they’re okay with collecting millions of frogs in Indonesia, Turkey, and Albania, putting biodiversity at risk.


 PARTNER SPOTLIGHT 
GetYourGuide logo.

 

Shell Out Less – Crack Open Easter Travel Deals!

This Easter, GetYourGuide’s extraordinary deals discounted up to 30% will have you hopping with joy. Whether you want to explore Grand Canyon, Mexico, or New York in America, or wish to scale the Eiffel Tower, soak up the sun on Amalfi Coast, or take a day trip to the Greek center of the world in Europe, exciting opportunities await on GetYourGuide. Snag Easter savings with these US deals or choose one of the European promotions. Happy Easter!


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This is the archived version of our free weekly newsletter. To start receiving it in your mailbox on the send-out day, join the newsletter list!

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Ivan Kralj

Editor

Award-winning journalist and editor from Croatia

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