Saturday, August 28, 2010

The Don't Bother Travel Guide


Everyone wants to have a great vacation - see new places, visit with new people, have new experiences. But should that be at Seattle's fabled GUM WALL?!?! On NPR, they discuss Catherine Price's new book, 101 Places to Not See Before You Die.

From the story...

The Museum Of Tap Water, Beijing

In 2001, Price says, an edict was issued that required Beijing to open 150 new museums by 2008. Hence a museum devoted to the fascinating history of ... tap water.

The museum is full of artifacts from the early days of Bejing's tap water system, which dates back to 1908. On display are coupons that people brought to water stations to receive water, and stethoscopes that were used to detect leaks in the pipes.

The irony of the whole museum, Price says, "is that Beijing's water is not safe to drink from the tap."


A brief aside: 6 Places I Would Actually Really Like to Visit Before I Die...

1) Iceland
2) Ghana
3) Quebec City
4) New York City
5) South Africa
6) Peru

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