A beach holiday in the English tourist town of Blackpool just isn't the same without a seaside ride on a donkey for the little one--it's one of those quirky traditions that has made Blackpool such a famous vacation spot in the UK. But new animal cruelty rules will soon ban overweight kids from taking the traditional donkey rides. According to this article from The Daily Mail, riders must weight less than 8 stone (112 lbs) in order to ride the donkeys, meaning the ride is open to normal-sized children and Nicole Richie.

And that's just the beginning of the new labour regulations for the Blackpool beach donkeys -- they also must have one day off a week, they must be cleared for labour by a vet and they must be allowed at least an hour's rest either at lunchtime or in the evening.

It's hoped that these regulations will help set the standard for the rights of asses around the world (sorry, I couldn't resist.)

This photo of Bondi Beach really speaks to me, you know? I love the scenery--the sand, the surf, the bright blue sky stacked above the perfectly tanned sand. It's a perfect scene, particularly for those of us who are feeling the last remnants of winter.

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Canada: America's Hat. Catchy, ain't it? The folks over at Tourism Canada thought so so they've decided to make it the official new slogan for the country's soon-to-be-even-more bustling tourism industry. And Prime Minister Stephen Harper's endorsed the slogan, saying, 'It will show the world that I ... I mean, we Canadians have a sense of humor. Ha. Ha. That's funny'

Still, not everyone is sold. Says one die-hard Canadian: 'It doesn't make any sense. Canada's bigger than the states. Who wears a hat that's bigger than them?' Adds another, 'If Canada's the hat, then the USA is like Mr. Peanut. The hat's the best part -- without it, he's nothing. He's just a nut.'

Here's an excerpt of an employee handbook found at a small Mexican restaurant located in Huntington Beach, CA that I saw on Gridskipper. And thank goodness I did because I really had no idea that all Mexican people like booths and hate waiting to be seated. Wait, does that mean that us whities don't mind sitting around and are okay with uncomfortable hard-backed seats? Really, the logic here is beyond me.

That's not all--women waitressing at this gem of an establishment must wear make-up and cannot wear a skirt that goes below the knees. Kind of reminds me of the dress code rules at my high school--except completely opposite.

A divorced British banker died after a blow to the head on the Inca Trail and was found in a nearby river--and it's raising more than a few eyebrows across the pond. Colin Murphy, 44, disappeared on News Year's day during a Christmas holiday to Peru from the town of Aguas Calientes in the Andes, not far from the Machu Picchu.

The last hours of his life were spent with 14 other holidayers, who left their campsite on New Year's Eve to grab a drink at the nearest watering hole. The next day, Mr. Murphy was not in his tent. It's believed the last person to see him alive was fellow tourist Harvey Layton, a construction worker he had befriend on the trip.

Called "the life and soul of any gathering.", Mr. Murphy's body has since been flown back to England, and while investigators are looking into his suspicious death, they're hesitant to speculate on what happened.

I guess I can stop complaining about how awful my New Year's Eve was ...

There's just something about a castle, you know? They can't help but exude a sense of history and regal divinity. Or maybe that's just because I live in a city that's only been around for about 100 years, in a country where castles and cobblestones are few and far between. Maybe if I lived near Carcassonne, the castle depicted in this photo by Luke Robinson, I wouldn't be so awestruck by every castle I see. Then again, maybe not -- It looks pretty darn awesome from what I can see here.

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In my travels, I've discovered something about small towns -- they each have something that is uniquely theirs, something they're know for, a claim to fame if you will. In the town of Vegreville, Alberta, for instance, it's the giant easter egg in the center of town that commemorates the Ukranian heritage. In the town of Hoi An, Vietnam, it's the abundance of tailor shops, each ready to make you a custom suit at a bargain rate. And in Borsang, Thailand, it's the handmade umbrellas that are their claim to fame. In fact, the town even holds an annual umbrella festival each year in January. Gadling reader Lady Expat was there, and luckily for us, she took this excellent photo.

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Remember last week when I told you about the awesome $1 fare for bus service between NYC and DC aboard BoltBus? Well, the good news just got even better -- they've added Boston as another one of their cheap-o destinations, starting in April. You won't find seats for $1, but once they go on sale, they'll cost you around $7 for a one-way trip. But, like I mentioned before, be sure to book far in advance and expect to see a booking fee on top of that.

Tickets aren't on sale yet, but once they are available, book quickly as their sure to go fast at that price. As an added incentive, Bolt Buses offer free WiFi and power outlets on their coaches.

(via Cheapskate Travel)

Aside from a 2-week bout of the nastiest weather imaginable, winter in my cold little nook of the world has been pretty mild. In fact, the temperature today was in the mid-60s, while our neighbors to the east are experiencing severe winter weather warnings.

So it's in honour of them that I choose to feature this photo of Toronto by PDPhotography today. I love the framing, I love the bleakness of the image, and most of all, I love that I'm not there.

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This photo of the Volcán Arenal in Costa Rica from ohad conjures a certain feeling of an invigorating hike on a warm, bright, summer's day. So what if I told you it was taken in the middle of the night? Pretty unbelievable, huh? But that's exactly when it was taken, and on the evening of the eclipse to boot. How did he do it? With some fancy camera work, a tripod and a 117-second exposure. It's pretty amazing, really. I'm surprised at how well the colours came out. Read more about the photo here.

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