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This week in Travel News we bring you fishhead pie, ‘devil dung’, mummified crocodiles and a cane toad named Toadzilla. We also want to hear your craziest, wildest travel stories.
We’ve all had trips that didn’t go to plan. Maybe you had a motorcycle accident that got you stitched up and sent home enlightened; maybe you got stolen, beaten up and cheated on – and still managed to have the best summer ever.
We want to hear your most outlandish happy ending travel stories, where you lived to tell the story and now have a blockbuster yarn. Email us a quick synopsis and we could get in touch with you to turn it into a CNN story for you to share with the world ([email protected]).
If you accidentally get a little of the controversial Indian ingredient on your hands, the pungent odor lingers no matter how many times you wash them, earning it the nickname “devil’s poop.” But fans of the wild fennel plant say it’s a base note flavor that perfectly bridges the gap between garlic and onion.
On the other side of the world, Cornwall’s Stargazy Pie, made in the seaside village of Mousehole, sounds delightfully whimsical – until you learn its main ingredient are wide-eyed fish heads, mouthed open, peering out of their pastry prison at the sky. The taste, it is said, is like a “vanilla pudding with sea flavors”.
Reindeer brain pudding and fermented rice ice cream with oyster caramel are some of the innovative concoctions served at Copenhagen’s Noma, one of the world’s most famous restaurants set to close to diners next year. It is set to be reborn in 2025 as a “giant laboratory” called Noma 3.0 dedicated to “food innovation”.
See what it’s like in China’s “North Pole” during the record-breaking winter
China’s northernmost city – Mohe near Russian Siberia – recorded its coldest day ever on January 22: -63.4 F (-53 C). East Asia has been gripped by a severe cold snap and climate experts are warning that extreme weather events like this are the “new norm”. Auckland, further southeast in New Zealand, was hit by torrential rain on Friday, inundating the city’s airport.
California has also recently been hit by ferocious rainstorms, with some of the state’s beloved parks and forests being hit so hard they still have not been able to reopen. Closures include Los Padres National Forest and El Capitán State Beach. There’s better news next door in Arizona: The Grand Canyon’s Havasu Falls are reopening to visitors after three years.
A giant cane toad that may be the largest toad ever found has been found in northeastern Australia. The jacked-up amphibian, which tips the scales at a mighty six pounds without excessive flab, was named Toadzilla.
And a giant rare American eel — four meaty feet away — just washed up on a Texas beach. Watch footage that looks like a deleted scene from Tremors here.
A mummy’s little ‘golden boy’ is even more precious than previously thought: computer scans have digitally ‘unwrapped’ the remains of a 2,300-year-old Egyptian teenager, revealing 49 exquisite amulets adorning his body. The unidentified boy’s remains were first uncovered in 1916 in a cemetery in southern Egypt.
Of course, it wasn’t just humans who got the drain-and-dry treatment. Archaeologists unearthed 2,000-year-old mummified crocodiles near the city of Aswan in 2019. Look here to see the five ancient reptiles believed to be from two different species.
Finally, after a two-year joint investigation by the United States and Egyptian authorities, a 500-kilogram ancient Egyptian sarcophagus lid known as the “Green Sarcophagus” was recovered from Egypt after being looted and smuggled into the United States in recent years.
Most of the European islands can be had to yourself
Poet WB Yeats was homesick in London when he dreamed of fleeing alone to an island cottage in Ireland where he ‘should have some rest there, for peace is breaking in’. Yeats didn’t have the benefit of seeing our guide to the best islands in Europe to get away from almost everyone, but you can read it here.
Gone are the days of wrapping a t-shirt around a bottle of local liquor and hoping you can make it home before your suitcase resembles a glass fight at a brewery. The VinGardeValise Grande case comes with 12 foam inserts that accommodate bottles of any shape and securely store your purchases. Our partners at CNN Underscored, a CNN product rating and recommendation guide, put it to the test.
The Lunar New Year celebrations are in full swing: here’s ours illustrated instructions to the most common traditions.
Then find out your zodiac predictions for the year of the rabbit.
Disney’s Splash Mountain fans are grabbing whatever souvenirs they can find.
These include plastic cups, Ziploc bags, and “Splash Mountain Water” from a dubious source.
There is an alpine hotel with an international border running through its rooms.
Guests can sleep in France and Switzerland at the same time.
Picture above: Cornish delicacy Stargazy Pie (Anabel Dean).