The bikini babes of the SEMA automobile show

One of the charms of travel is that it puts you into a variety of different cultural contexts. One day you’ll be hanging out on a beach with backpackers from 13 different countries; the next day you’ll be cruising nightclubs with middle-class locals; the next day you’ll be sharing tea with tribesmen up in the hill country. Sometimes these cultural contexts will live up to your exotic pre-journey expectations (like when I spent the night with a Kurdish family in northeastern Syria); other times they will be exotic in a completely unexpected way (like the time I hung out in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Santa Monica office with an old Thailand travel buddy who had gone on to run Arnold’s political campaign). Whatever the case, these new cultural contexts are always memorable.

At the SEMA auto show in Las Vegas (where the Drive Around the World team spent much of the past week) a time-honored form of cultural exoticism comes in the form of the bikini-clad women who help draw people’s attention to the various auto accessories and promotions. Indeed, bikini babes may be used to promote everything from TV shows to light beer these days, but nowhere in the world (apart from beaches, of course) are they more at home than at auto shows.

It is in the spirit of cultural awareness (and certainly not a cheap ploy on my part to attract more attention to my website by showcasing scantily clad women) that I present the following gallery of “bikini babes” from the floor of the SEMA auto show.

The text link beneath each thumbnail links to a larger pop-up picture of the bikini babes.

Bikini #1: A patriotic ensemble.

Bikini #2: Same patriotism; stars in different place.

Bikini #3: A brown number with heavy-duty buckles.

Bikini #4: A nice floral print.

Bikini #5: Leopard-skin print.

Bikini #6: A brown number without heavy-duty buckles.

Bikini #7: A pastel floral print.

Bikini #8: Black leather (with go-go boots).

Bikini #9: Black cloth with fastening ring.

Bikini #10: Black leather (with leather jacket).

Bikini #11: Black with frilly fringe.

Bikini #12: Black cloth with drawstring.

Bikini #13: Ultimateswimsuit.com

Help support our cause: Drive Around the World aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by taking four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-mile via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. Everyone making a pledge of $10 or more to raise money for the Parkinson’s Institute will be put in a raffle to win an expedition-style Land Rover.