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When in Rome: Treasure-Free Treasure Hunts for Tourists

October 24, 2008 at 11:39 AM | 0 Comments

If you're a jaded tourist who's seen everything in Rome already, then there's an odd game to play that's meant to get you interested again. Put together by a group called Whai Whai, you can get a bunch of clues and a book to direct you on a kind of treasure hunt.

The Ruyi is the name of this unusual activity and it's designed to get you wandering the back streets and seeing the "real Rome" while also learning a bit of history. You buy everything online and need to use a cell phone to get further clues once you've got your first few answers.

The UK Times tried it out recently but their description didn't really convince us it's that much fun. But perhaps for competitive types, it's the right way to see Rome. Other cities are coming soon, but we're not hopping on one of these tours until they promise a great prize at the end of the hunt!

Related Stories:
· Whai Whai [Official Site]
· A Mystery Tour of Rome [UK Times]
· Rome Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Giara]

Games

Sports Travel: Rugby League, Virtual Style

September 26, 2008 at 10:00 AM | 1 Comment

Rugby fans would already know that the 2008 Rugby League World Cup will be held up and down the east coast of Australia between October 25 and November 22. It turns out that Qantas offshoot Jetstar is the official airline for the championships--which apparently aren't important enough to be sponsored by a non-budget airline)

The reason we're excited is nothing to do with the rugby itself, but with Jetstar's competition to win a holiday package to the grand final of the cup. They've put their Jetstar Rugby League Game online for us all to play, and yes, we just wasted some precious minutes getting slightly addicted.

In the game you have to use your arrow keys to help your little guy make a try. Starting in Sydney and (if successful) moving on to Melbourne, Rockhampton, Gold Coast and Brisbane, your job is to navigate past other rugby players, referees, sea gulls, ice cream sales people and in true Aussie style, a few (naked) streakers running across the field. After the game you can fill in a form to win the Jetstar contest, but to be perfectly honest we're more into this virtual rugby than the real life game.

Related Stories:
· Play Jetstar Rugby League [Official Site]
· Bruno the Bear Online Game [Jaunted]

Italy Travel

Boardgame Travel: Pawns, Kings and Queens Gather in Italy

September 8, 2008 at 9:30 AM | 0 Comments

This week in the town of Marostica in Italy, a chess game will take place that is so much more civilized than the sport of chess boxing that we recently discovered.

Marostica, northwest of Venice, is home to the biannual Living Chess Game, when live people and animals adorned in medieval costumes play a game of chess on a giant board in front of the local castle. It's based on a tale of a love triangle from the 1400s when two men had to play chess to decide who would win the fair damsel.

These days there are no women at stake and it's more a matter of pure entertainment for the four thousand-plus spectators who crowd around the board. If you've seen it before, that doesn't matter--the script (and game play) changes every year. First pawn moves on September 12 with replays on September 13 and 14. If they don't get to checkmate too fast then it's bound to be a good night's entertainment.

Related Stories:
· Marostica Living Chess Game [WEG]
· Berlin Crowns the Chess Boxing Champ [Jaunted]

[Photo: liznorderg]

UK Travel

Geek Travel: Take a Scrabble Vacation in England

April 24, 2008 at 9:00 AM | 0 Comments

It's a bit embarrassing, but we're going to admit it: we really love playing Scrabble. And while we're not usually winners, the idea of combining our love of Scrabble with a vacation is an intriguing prospect.

We're not talking tiny magnetic Scrabble boards for the plane--we're talking a vacation where playing Scrabble with strangers is the whole point of leaving home. In England, a UK Times reporter recently had a weekend away in Cumbria at a resort where Scrabble coaching and endless games were the main activities.

Now remember: Geek is the new cool. With England's unpredictable weather, a Scrabble weekend might be one of the safest holiday strategies around. And FYI, Jaunted is an official Scrabble word, and we encourage you to use it: 15 points ain't bad.

Related Stories:
· Scrabble Weekend in Cumbria [UK Times]
· UK Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: MegElizabeth]