Congratulations to the remaining residents of Caracas, Venezuela! Foreign Policy has just honored your fair city as the murder capital of the world, with around 130 murders per 100,000 people.

Not only that, the actual murder rate may be much higher, because the numbers "omit prison-related murders as well as deaths that the state never gets around to properly 'categorizing.' The numbers also don't count those who died while 'resisting arrest,' suggesting that Caracas's cops-already known for their brutality against student protesters-might be cooking the books."

Also showing up on the list are Cape Town, New Orleans, Moscow, and, surprisingly, Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, which was recently named "Worst City" in an Economist Intelligence Unit survey.

Although Cape Town is rapidly emerging as one of Africa's most appealing cities, the city's homicide rate is still off the charts, at 62 per 100,000 people. But here's something to comfort you before your next visit: "The city's homicides usually take place in suburban townships rather than in the more upscale urban areas where tourists visit."

The article adds: "According to the South African Police Service, most of the Cape Town area's violent crimes happen between people who know one another, including a horrific case last year in which four males doused a female friend in gasoline and lit her on fire."

Sweet dreams!

Here's another version of canopy tours, much different than the ones in Hocking Hills, Ohio and near Kuala Lumpur. At the Ysterhout Gorge in Magaliesberg, South Africa, trees are sparse, but the gorge is mighty. This is a well-done edited version that shows each step of the experience. The scenery is gorgeous. The family in this video consists of a young girl as well. You really know how much you trust a tour guide when you send your child flying along a cable, feet dangling high above the rocky ground. There's a point where my heart would jump. Part with fright, part with their excitment--and I'm the one who once took my 3 month-old on long boat rides in Thailand, passing him above the water while he was strapped in a car seat carrier. Here is a resource to find canopy tours in South Africa, plus a Gadling post from former blogger Erik Olsen that presents options in other places.

In the US legal system, parties who wish to remain anonymous or are otherwise unidentified are often given the names "John Doe" or "Jane Doe." Other titles, like "Average Joe" or "Joe Sixpack" or "John Q. Public," are used when referring to the typical American man, and some names, like "Bobby Teenager," are used only in very specific circumstances. [A million bonus points if you know where that name's from-- no asking Google.]

But what do they call John Doe in Iceland? Or Bulgaria? South Africa?

As with everything in life, Wikipedia has the answer. Here are some placeholder names from around the world:

• Australia - Fred Nerk, Joe Farnarkle, Simon McCool
• Ireland - Seán and Síle Citizen, John Murphy, Joe Bloggs
• Bulgaria - Ivan Ivanov, Person X
• South Africa - Koos van der Merwe, Piet Pompies
• Malta - Joe Borg
• Iceland - Meðal-Jón, Meðal-Jóna, Jón Jónsson, Jóna Jónsdóttir

And if I learned nothing else from my Czech lessons while I lived in Prague, I know that they sometimes use the names Jan Novák and Jana Nováková as placeholders. In my Czech classes, old Mr. and Mrs. Novak were always planning to go to the movies, or setting a time to meet in Wenceslas Square, or introducing themselves to each other. I always found that odd-- weren't they married?

Check out many more names from around the world here.

Sarah, a Gadling reader, recommended to us another traveler's online publication she recently discovered. I headed to Without Baggage to see what was there. Hank Leukart's Without Baggage is an online magazine that delves into the world's interesting places with a sense of purpose. The essays posted every so often evoke emotions and intellectual pursuits that aim to explore the depth and meaning of travel experiences whether one heads to Laos or Alaska.

Leukart's latest essay, "stalking the solitary leopard" is the last installation of his three part series chronicling his trip through Botswana and South Africa. The series has the flavor of part travelogue and part critique of human existence. Hank's writes thematically. There is a deeper meaning within the the mix of writing and lush photographs. Woven together are the specifics of place and his impressions of it. South Africa is not only a place to go, but a place to study the effects of years of apartheid. Enjoying an animal safari has to do with the willingness to be open to any experience, no matter if your original purpose is met or not.

This photo comes from localsurfer. Taken on an early morning in South Africa, the shot captures a dramatic sky bulging with clouds (I sort of expect to see a cartoonish face appear out of the center cloud, puff out its cheeks, and blow those boats around). What's that saying -- "red sky at night, sailors' delight; red sky in the morning, sailors' warning?" It does look as though these tiny sailboats might want to take heed, but the rays of light shining down also seem to symbolize good fortune. Or perhaps I'm thinking too much.

If you'd like a Gadling blogger to over-analyze one of your photos, upload them to Gadling's Flickr pool.

Stop and think for a moment: what's the worst thing you could see while looking outside of an airplane window mid-flight? How about seeing the engine fall off the wing? That's what happened to a Nationwide Airlines Boeing 737 in Cape Town, South Africa yesterday.

"I heard this huge bang." Passenger Ronel Derman was seated directly over the wing when a man next to her explained the situation. "He said, 'That's our engine that's just fallen off.' I couldn't believe it. He had to repeat it to me," she told the South African Press Association.

100 people were on board, yet no injuries were reported and the plane returned safely to the airport. Donnie Darko was unavailable for comment.

Love planes? Check out the brand spankin' new Airbus A380, the largest passenger plane in the world:

South Africa was once ruled by Puritan Dutch and French settlers. During apartheid, customs officials not only confiscated pornography but occasionally detained people trying to import it. Oh, how things have changed. Now, with one of the most liberal constitutions in the world, the nation held its first-ever sex fair. At "Sexpo SA," around 40,000 attendees lined up to examine erotic sex toys, learn how to pole dance, and finger some naughty lingerie.

But it wasn't all fun and games. South Africa has one of the world's worst AIDS epidemics, with an estimated 12 percent of its 47 million citizens infected. 1,000 people a day die from the virus and another 1,500 per day contract it. A "handful" of health advocacy groups set up stands, including LoveLife Trust, the national HIV prevention program for young people.

Read the full story at Reuters.

South Africa can be a dangerous place. According to a survey compiled by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, "South Africa was ranked second for assault and murder (by all means) per capita," while the U.S. Department of State urges foreign visitors "to be vigilant and avoid any large gathering, particularly protests and demonstrations."

However, things are evolving in the world of South African crime. Gone are the days where you could expect to be restrained and robbed with the classic tools consisting of rope or gaffer's tape; Criminals in South Africa have a new weapon of choice: super glue.

This week's Where on Earth stumped some people, confused some others, and was a breeze for one person: Bob. This image of directional signs, shot by Desired, is located at Cape Point, in South Africa.

At the tip of the Cape Peninsula – 36 miles southwest of Cape Town – the rugged rocks and sheer cliffs here "divide" the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean. Though often called the southernmost tip of Africa, this is not true. Cape Agulhas, 90 miles east, is the true southernmost point; Cape Point is the most southwesterly point on the continent.

I visited Cape point in 2001 and was overwhelmed by the fresh salt breezes (coming straight from the Antarctic), the verdant landscape, the blazing beaches, and the sheer walls of the Point. It was amazing. Boasting 250 species of birds and more than 1100 species of indigenous plants, this area is home to a variety of other animals, too -- including some very aggressive baboons who will swipe your snacks if you're not careful!

If you ever find yourself in Cape Town with an extra day, be sure to get yourself down to the Point and have a look around. It's certainly a detour worth making.

You've had the rambunctious German Shepherd now for five years. He's getting old and he's not as much fun anymore. Sure, he's still cute, you're not going to put hm to sleep or anything, but you are wondering how you might eventually replace him with another pet. Where can you find an animal that's big enough to rough-house with and yet also kind of, you know, exotic? What about Africa?

Yes, here is your chance to get your hands on your very own rhinoceros. South African National Parks is selling as many as 100 white rhinoceroses from Kruger National Park to the general public. That means not just zoos and parks and maybe crazy billionaires. But YOU. Yes YOU can have your very own rhino. And to be honest the price isn't so bad. The rhinos will cost from $9,000 to $37,000 each, depending on sex. According to this piece over at Nat Geo Adventure, females are the most expensive and have to be sold with their young so as not to separate mother and calf.

This sounds like a deal too good to be true. Just think of the stares you'll get strolling down Park Avenue with a rhino on a leash. And the conversations you'll have! The biggest issue, I think, will be getting the rhinos to your home from Africa. Maybe try UPS.

Oh, and if you feel like doing a little rhino origami...well, check out this link.