Hmm, a Travel Podcast from The Travel Tart.

I’ve been feeling a bit one dimensional with my website, as it mainly focuses on Travel Writing and still photographs.  I’ve referred to the odd video of someone else before.

But I haven’t really thought much of dabbling into a Travel Podcast or video myself.

My friend Mr Brown from Singapore (@mrbrown on Twitter, website mrbrown.com) suggested that I give it a go.

Actually, this first Travel Podcast is easy.  This was an interview I had with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation show, Radio Australia as part of my trip to Indonesia last year as part of Pestablogger 2009.

This is where I went through Sumatra and Java, and stayed with the locals.  I had a blast, and got to experience so many things that would have been impossible as a solo traveller.

The ABC said I could use this on my site – so thanks for that!

Hopefully this post doesn’t crash TheTravelTart.com.

You should see a button near the bottom of this post where you can download or listen to this Travel Podcast if you feel like you suffer from insomnia and wish to listen to me crap on until you fall asleep.

No actually, this interview is about living with Blogging Communities throughout Indonesia and experiencing their world.

So anyhow, listen away!

Hope you enjoy this Travel Podcast!

 

 Pesta Blogger 2009 - Interview With Radio Australia and The Travel Tart [7:54m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Not sure if this Business Of The Week is going to make The Wall Street Journal, but I admire the enterprising nature of this guy.

Since the demise of the Polaroid Camera, I thought that the days of people coming up to you in the street saying that they could take an instant photo of you near some tourist landmark were over.

Boy, was I mistaken.

On my recent trip to Indonesia, I came across the Instant Digital Photo Man – and he instantly had my nomination for Business Of The Week.

He offers to take your picture near the Ampera Bridge in Palembang.  But with a digital camera, not a Polaroid.

He also carries around a printer that he plugs the camera into, and then prints of the photo in a couple of minutes.

The tools of his trade are below:

Ironically, he was happy for me to take a photo of him doing his job after he had taken a photo of me and members of the Wongkito Blogging Community.

Considering there are few jobs in Indonesia, I thought this guy had great initiative, and hence, deserves the Business Of The Week Nomination!

Today’s Silly Travel Photo is one that I took recently on my month long Travel Blogging trip to Indonesia (you can view the feed of this trip here).

It’s the Spanner Car Door Handle!

This photo was taken inside an Angkot, a mini-van form of public transport in the southern Sumatran city of Palembang.  The door in question was the front passenger seat door.

When you live in third world countries, people have to improvise in any way they can, and this is an example.  You make use of what you have.  Sometimes, people cannot afford to buy spare parts.

But the Spanner Car Door Handle is nothing when compared to other automobile improvisations.

I’ve heard of stories in South Africa where mini-bus taxi drivers attach two plumbing wrenches to the steering column when there is a fault with the steering wheel.  I didn’t have the scary opportunity of capturing a wrench steering wheel for a Silly Travel Photo, but if you have, send it in!

So there you go – this weeks’ Silly Travel Photo has some sort of meaning!

The Spanner Car Door Handle is just one way improvisation can be used to fix your car.

Two Heads are better than one.  Well that’s how the old cliche goes.

But sometimes, I’d rather just have one head than Two Heads.

Check out this photo from the Museum in Banda Aceh, Indonesia.  It’s a bit off putting, isn’t it?

Yes, this is a freakish photo of a Two Headed Buffalo calf that was born in the 1950s – and it actually lived for a couple of months.

I can imagine this Two Headed Beast cruising around searching for the best 2 for 1 all you can eat buffet grass menu.

This is the accompanying blurb that is shown with the Buffalo with Two Heads:

I thought this was somewhat of an unusual exhibit considering the rest of the museum consists of artefacts from previous kingdoms, almost extinct stuffed animals, and other recent history.

And I did freak out a bit just watching the eyes of this stuffed beast.

The Two Headed Buffalo is a somewhat different attraction when compared to the Tsunami landmarks you can view around Banda Aceh.

But it’s worth having a look at the Buffalo with Two Heads at the Banda Aceh Museum.

It’s time for this weeks Crazy Travel Photo – the Bong Collection shop!

This Crazy Travel Photo was spotted in the city of Jambi, in Sumatra, Indonesia.

Obviously, the Bong Collection shop sells shoes and clothes, but sometimes things don’t translate well into English.

However, this Crazy Travel Photo probably does have a feasible explanation.

I have a feeling that this business is owned by someone Chinese, because ‘Bong’ is the Chinese name for ‘King’, and the inclusion of a crown on the Bong Collection sign would seem to back this potential theory up.

I tried looking for a ‘Munchie Collection’ shop nearby as I thought this would make sense after one had visited the Bong Collection shop, but I had no luck.

Stay tuned for more Crazy Travel Photos.