Starship Titanic/Kawakyu – Douglas Adams – Towel Day
Today is Towel Day, the annual celebration of the author Douglas Adams (1952-2001). So today – honoring Douglas Adams incredible creations – I want to present the famous Starship Kawakyu – upps, Starship Titanic and Hotel Kawakyu.
Of course I have been out like every year carrying my towel with me, which here on the beach in Ishikawa doesn’t look to strange, but I remember me with the towel in the dome of Barcelona.
But the Towel Day is in all minds today, so I would like to recall things less known, or better, due to technical progress, falling into oblivion: The best computer game I ever played (also one of the few I have to admit) Starship Titanic (Wikipedia entry). In this game you are taken on board of a nearly broken starship full of very special robots. Your aim is to solve loads of puzzles, finally fixing the ship and returning home. Although it might sound a bit boring to those used to shoot-and-run like games, it is full of irony, fun, a firework of Douglas Adams overboarding phantasy. Here are some screen shots:
Recently I have been in Wakayama-ken, near Shirahama, and during this time I had the pleasure to take coffee at the spectacular Hotel Kawakyu. Entering there I was shocked – this is the starship titanic, waiting for me to go on board and solve the riddles:
Of course the resemblance doesn’t come from nothing. Both, the Hotel Titanic and Starship Kawakyu are designed with Art Deco background. The hotel also features some wonderful pieces of art, I really hope to stay there for my next trip – even if I am forced to solve riddles.
What remains to me is to thanks Douglas Adams for his great works, always inspiring, always funny, never stupid, a pleasure in times of Barbie Houses and the like.
