Frogdancer travels rather a lot, and her blog is a good read as she writes with wit, humour and some self deprecation. As I write she is about to visit Machu Picchu by train.
During a recent tour she posted about something a guide told her group. A quick Google and AI check definitely says this is untrue, in spite of how cruel the Spanish were.
The Inca men had long ponytails down to their hips. The Spanish would tie the men’s hands behind their backs, then tie their ponytails to their testicles. Then they’d castrate them.
I can't remember the 'fact' we were told on the open topped New York hop on, hop off bus, but I was suspicious and I checked and it was totally wrong.
This photo taken from the top of the bus, and I don't know what the statue is about, probably in lower Manhattan. Of course I could Google it, but maybe one of you already know.
Rottnest Island, Western Australia, to paraphrase the tour guide, "We don't have an electricity connection to the island from the mainland, so we generate all of our electricity here on the island, and any excess goes back to Perth (mainland)". I guess that is by osmosis.
Quokka barrier at the Rottnest Island supermarket.
.jpg)
The Spaniards were terrible to the Incas, weren't they? So sad. Why can't we all just get along. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteMotherhood statement Sandra, but ever so true.
DeleteFrogdancer is fortunate to travel, how nice. I echo Sandra's comment. ♥️
ReplyDeletePost retirement, she travels very often, Linda.
Delete"As I write she is about to visit Machu Picchu by train..." Oh yes - I have seen pictures of the Machu Picchu train station. Those frigging Incas were way ahead of their time man! They even had a McDonalds up there. Nice to have a burger and a coffee after a ritual slaughter.
ReplyDeleteQuite civilised then YP.
DeleteI haven't visited Frogdancer in years, certainly not since I moved here. I'll follow your link and see what she is up to.
ReplyDeleteYou know of her River. I didn't know.
DeleteI had to look up this creature and then the term macropod. Thanks for informing me. Oh, and the idea that disease infected blankets were intentionally given to indigenous peoples in the 18th century is a lie. While smallpox devastated natives and the Europeans had a degree of immunity, no germ theory existed. This information gave me a glimmer of hope for humankind. lol Be well!
ReplyDeleteDarla, white Australians in the nineteenth century gave poisoned flour to our natives. They knew what they were doing.
DeleteA bit disappointing, plenty of interesting text but no pictures, though there were spaces where they should be.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why you can't see her photos.
DeleteI visited R can see the photos, just give your browser a refresh and see if that helps..
DeleteIt's a statue of Duke Ellington, in New York City Park.
ReplyDeleteI remember now Kirk. Thanks.
DeleteIf I know nothing about a city or tourist site I am visiting, I rely on the guides. They are usually well educated people. But if I have read every book ever written about that site before leaving home, I listen to guides closely, then make up my own mind.
ReplyDeleteMind you, I would never go on a tour with D Trump, P Hanson or PW Botha.
Hels, your head is probably full of facts, that you could challenge a guide about if you were outspoken enough.
DeletePeople tell lies with such conviction - it's always good to check the facts.
ReplyDeleteI love the Quokka barrier - how sweet.
JB, quokkas are so cute and friendly too, well friendly to find food.
DeleteRottnest island is a special place for me. I visited the location after 3 major events in my lifetime
ReplyDeleteRoentare, you took photos? Of course you did. Show us!
DeleteGoodness that was not a good thing the Spaniards did. Cruel.
ReplyDeleteYes, they were shockingly cruel, Margaret.
DeleteI wonder if the rodent reads the sign and stays out?
ReplyDeleteThey no readar Anglias but can read pictograms. And don't call them rats.
DeleteI would have asked the guide to show me how this is done, there must be technical problems ! The ponytails must have been far longer ! I have made many tours but was always lucky with the guides, except one, and that was in Greece ! He mixed up the gods and the places we visited fortunately there was a history professor with us who corrected him all the time which made him angry and he became red like a tomato and very angry and unpolite ! He was so bad that we managed his replacement by another guide to finish the tour ! All the others were very correct.
ReplyDeleteGreat story Ingrid. Thanks.
DeleteQuokkas - you could explain to your MANY non-Aussie readers about them. I don't have a clue. Roderick
ReplyDeleteQuokkas it will be soon, Roderick.
DeleteOsmosis, yes, or just plain magic, that must be how they send the excess power back to the mainland.
ReplyDeleteStrayer, perhaps they gather up the spare electricity, pack it into sacks and send it on the ferry.
DeleteI had to look up both quokkas and that statue. I lived in New York City for almost ten years but I didn't recognize it at all -- turns out it's up on 110th Street on the East Side, near the NE corner of Central Park. I've been up there before but I didn't go often so I guess I just forgot about it.
ReplyDeleteSteve, well, I feel better about forgetting about it.
DeleteQuokkas look rather cute when you google them, Andrew.
ReplyDeleteThey are Pat. I will make a separate post about them.
DeleteEven though I've visited Rottnest loads of times I had never thought about their electricity supply. Google tells me they have a local power generator plant, plus solar and wind supply. And of course they don't supply power to the mainland :) Some guides can talk rubbish!
ReplyDeleteSami, I seemed to been the only person who visibly reacted to the nonsense. Ray didn't pick it up until after I told him.
Delete