Epoch Times » Travel

Memorial Day Weekend Travel Deals and Ideas

Epoch Times — Thu, 24 May 2012 23:25:38 +0000

If you are not craving for anywhere luxurious and far, a comfortable weekend at a bed and breakfast might be the perfect option for you. (Helena Zhu/The Epoch Times)

As the weekend (in this case, long weekend) approaches with the nice weather and all, nothing is better than a relaxing getaway that would keep you pumped up for the coming week. Below are a few affordable weekend travel ideas that do not compromise on the quality.

Bed and Breakfast

If you are not craving for anywhere luxurious and far, a comfortable weekend at a bed and breakfast might be the perfect option for you. As long as you have a car, a Zipcar card, $100 a day for a rental car, or a friend to borrow one from, you could drive down to a secluded bed and breakfast in New England or the Midwest for a relaxing May weekend that is warm enough for the swimming pool but cool enough for hot tub in the woods.

Even though some of the most popular bed and breakfast destinations could fill up fast weeks before, especially for the weekends, with careful research, you could still find nice and quiet places that start as low as $100 for two on bedandbreakfast.com and bbonline.com or type in “bed and breakfast” and the state that you intend to visit on Google.

The beauty of such trips is that you have breathtaking views and an array of outdoor activities—some of which just opened for the summer—waiting for you. And since you have a car, it is time to explore.

Festival in the Next-Door City

Tired of living wherever you are? It’s time to move—for the weekend. Many early bird music and indoor and outdoor film festivals are kicking off, but even if you cannot find a major one, try to look for smaller ones, because they are just as fun.

Like bed and breakfast, a road trip to the adjacent city gives you much freedom to plan your own itinerary. If you are a sucker for good deals, it is always an option to stop by for an hour or two at a suburban shopping outlet.

Expedia Escapes

For something a little more exotic and grand, yet wallet-friendly, you could check up booking websites such as expedia.com for last-minute deals for the weekend for hotels, flights, and cruises.

Expedia has three-star Las Vegas hotels for as low as $44 per night, New York to Orlando round trips for $188, and three-night cruises from Miami to the Bahamas for $229.

Even though that might seem a little risky if you like to plan ahead, an impromptu trip just might be mood boosting, especially if it saves you quite some dollars. Nevertheless, if you want to be on the safe side, the websites also offer deals for the weekend after.

Groupon Vacations

Maybe you have never done this before, but for multi-day faraway trips, getaway deals from Groupon, LivingSocial, and Jaunt.ca by WagJag might just be perfect for you.

If you are quite new to coupon escapes, a good way to filter out the worthy deals is to look at the number of people who purchased the deal. For a deal that only has fewer than a dozen buyers, it just might not be that great, but a five-night stay for $575 in an ocean-view room in Dominican Republic probably deserves the 390 buyers that it sold to.

The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.

A London City Festival of Golden Expectations

Epoch Times — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:29:22 +0000

50 golden upright street pianos will be placed in the Square Mile of the city. (Courtesy of London City Festival)

This summer London is bursting with festivals. As a prelude to the Royal Diamond Jubilee Parade and Olympian sports, a cultural bonanza takes place in the one Square Mile of the ancient city of London. Anyone can tickle the ivories of 50 Golden Street Pianos or partake in a Golden Honey Feast from local hives as part of the more alternative programme. That, along with internationally acclaimed stars of music, dance, art, poetry, and much more, will add a sheen to the streets of bankers.

The Golden Jubilee City of London Festival theme, Trading Places with the World, will remind people from across the world of how, since Roman times, London was the a hub of trade, with different peoples bringing both the spices of the East and cloth and timber by courtesy of the medieval Hanseatic League.

It is a cornucopia of a programme with over 150 events, spread over 34 days, in more than 55 spectacular venues. One hundred of them are free, while the ticketed events are well within the reach of even a poor man’s pocket. The arts can be a creative antidote to economic recession: I remember the free open-air classical music concerts throughout Britain’s towns and cities during World War II, along with the emergence of jazz and swing, poetry in the streets, the art of painters like Paul Nash, and the beginnings of experimental cinema.

Choices, choices

A copy of the colourful pocket-sized programme booklet can be perused while commuting. Or, for the technophile tablet or smartphone user, visit www.colf.org for an online programme. Pick from events within a step or two of each other among the cluster of streets that stretch from the white Tower of London westwards to the grandeur of Sir Christopher Wren’s St Paul’s Cathedral. This magnificent building once stood high above the cluster of bank buildings, old markets, and stock exchange, but is now shouted down by a glass shard of a tower that rises like a spike for unpaid bills over all that surrounds it.

For classical music or dance buffs, seek out the world premiere performances of works by composer Tansy Davies for the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment at Mansion House on June 28, and two new choreographic commissions performed by The English National Ballet in St Paul’s Cathedral on the evening of July 3. And there are many more to choose from.

In the smaller, but equally beautiful churches that are found among the old twisting streets that urban planners have never tamed, there are the delightfully named Postcard events. With my love of the Balkans, my feet would find their way on June 27 to the church of St Vedast-alias-Foster in Foster Lane EC2 to a cello and piano performance by Nicholas Altstaedt and José Gallardo, featuring works from Brahms, Bartok, Dvorak, David Wilde’s ‘The Cellist of Sarajevo’, and a world premiere of a sonata by Fazil Say commissioned by the BBC. The name of the church alone is a reason to visit.

Other Postcard events celebrate works from Spain, Paris, Vienna, America’s East Coast, Leipzig, and one entitled as being from Home (and the distant past); but perhaps most intriguing of all in St Bartholomew-the-Great, in Cloth Fair EC1, is named as Music from Purgatory, with works from Shubert, Gluck, and Milstein’s ‘Paganiniana’. Whatever one will make of the music, it will be interesting to see what kind of audience this attracts!

Colourful and lively festival street scene. (Courtesy of London City Festival)

The bonus of this festival is that many of the events are free. Listen to five lectures on Festival themes from people such as poet Sir Andrew Motion. Or step through swathes of wildflowers that support insect-life biodiversity at a five-day Euromix Garden, which brings together Scottish highland fiddle with Norwegian lyrics and polyphonic alpine songs from France and Italy – shades of Haruki Murakami’s ‘Norwegian Wood’ perhaps!

With a nod to the God ‘Mammon’ an exhibition at Goldsmith’s Hall tells the rich and previously untold story of Britain and it 4,500 years of gold treasure. Or maybe pop into one of the open days at the Bank of England or take a tour of Mansion House.

With 34 days to choose from, I am certain that wherever you are, time can be found to catch the flavour of an erudite and eclectic festival.

The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.

Read on … Festival roots

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In the Footsteps of the Founding Fathers

Epoch Times — Sun, 13 May 2012 13:13:24 +0000

Elfreth’s Alley in Philadelphia is one of America’s oldest streets and is a National Historic Landmark. (Courtesy of Ridegway for GPTMC)

We recently decided to spend some quality time with presidential material, both male and female. Rather than do so on the current campaign trail, we decided to go to Philadelphia to dine in the manner that the Founding Fathers might have, and to visit the salons and homes of some of the women who might be viewed among the Founding Mothers. For such a trip, we decided to walk the walk and hear some of the locals talk the talk, all during time spent in Philadelphia’s Historic District.

For our weekend exploring Philadelphia’s rich history, we stayed in Penn’s View Hotel, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The 19th century building once housed a hardware store and is now a 52-room hotel with modern amenities. Our spacious room was 1 of 12 with a gas fireplace and 1 of 20 with a whirlpool bath.

The staff is very welcoming and gave us directions and a map to restaurants and historic sights within walking distance. We had lunch at Fork Restaurant, which uses local ingredients. Barry enjoyed his crab cake sandwich and Demetra (who usually avoids burgers without beef) declared that her turkey burger with marinated mushrooms and herbed goat cheese made her a convert.

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped into Betsy Ross’s house (built more than 250 years ago). Ross was a trained upholsterer, famous for sewing the first American flag while she lived in the house. We took the self-guided walking tour with headphones and saw the seven period rooms on display, which included a kitchen, bedrooms, parlor, and upholstery shop.

For dinner, we went to City Tavern where the staff is dressed in colonial garb. This is a replica of the original, which was the unofficial meeting place of the first Continental Congress in 1774 and where George Washington and other Founding Fathers entertained guests.

The menu, under Chef Walter Staib (host of the Emmy-winning “Taste of History” series), is a recreation of recipes from the 18th century and is evidence that our early statesmen enjoyed hearty fare. We began with appetizers of fried oysters and shrimp wrapped with bacon, then enjoyed main courses of venison stew and a rich lobster pie. For dessert, we enjoyed Martha Washington’s chocolate mousse cake. Dining at City Tavern elucidates John Adams’s comment after only a week in the city about experiencing “another sinful feast.”

Perhaps the most iconic symbol of the City of Philadelphia and American Independence—the Liberty Bell. It was originally cast in 1750 and hung in the Pennsylvania State House. (Courtesy of J. Fusco for GPTMC)

We started the next morning with the hotel’s complimentary continental buffet breakfast. After that, we embarked on a walking tour with the witty and erudite Ed Mauger, the founder of Philadelphia on Foot. The tour began at Powel House, built in 1765. Samuel Powel was the last mayor of Philadelphia under the British Crown and the first mayor of the city after the creation of the United States. Powel and his wife frequently entertained notables, including George Washington, who liked to dance. It was allegedly Mrs. Powel who convinced Washington to run for a second term as President.

We then stopped by Old St. Joseph’s Church, the first Catholic Church in Philadelphia, which has been in continuous use since 1733. Christ Church was the first Anglican Church in Pennsylvania, where many of the Founding Fathers worshipped. Outside in the Burial Ground, Benjamin Franklin and four other signers of the Declaration of Independence are buried.

Those who think that the Founding Fathers “worked tirelessly” to end slavery will learn the falsity of the claim after visiting The President’s House, where Presidents Washington and Adams lived when Philadelphia was the temporary capital of the United States. At that time, Pennsylvania had a “Gradual Abolition Act.” Washington moved his slaves out of state every six months, so they would not acquire Pennsylvania residency and receive the benefit of the Act. Mr. Mauger told us about Hercules, Washington’s slave and a renowned chef. He ran away after he was sent to work in the fields.

We passed by Library Hall with its statue of Ben Franklin in a toga. Certainly, no one personifies American exceptionalism more than this Renaissance man. He was an author, printer, scientist, diplomat, signer of the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution, responsible for the first public library, the first hospital, and the first fire department, among other achievements.

We ended our tour at Elfreth’s Alley, the oldest continuously occupied residential street in the United States. The 32 buildings along the Alley were built between the 1720s and 1830s, and there is a museum about the street. It represents the diversity of the city, from the homes of Jewish merchants and former slaves to the later immigrants from Germany, Ireland, and other countries.

For dinner, we dined in a unique venue: Moshulu Restaurant. This is the largest four-masted sailing ship in the world, still afloat. Built in 1904, the ship has seen active service and had a colorful history (including being confiscated by the Americans in one war and by the Germans in another), but in its latest incarnation, the only place it will take guests is culinary heaven. Our main courses were a savory Herb Crusted Rainbow Trout with Zinfandel Short Ribs in a red wine sauce and a classic steak, prepared medium rare, as ordered. Desserts were as decadent as you might expect, with the Berry Berry Sundae as a standout.

Probably the best way to start your visit to the area is to stop into the Visitors Center (6th and Market Streets; 800-537-7676), open seven days each week. The concierge staff can help you plan where to go, what to eat, and where to stay. They provide maps, brochures, and tickets to tours and attractions.

There is a free movie about the Revolutionary War and the founding of the Republic directed by John Huston with familiar actors (Eli Wallach, Anne Jackson, Patrick O’Neill, and others).

Across the street from the Center is the National Constitution Center, and a block away is the African American Museum. Unfortunately, the last two were closed when we arrived, so we will have to return another time to continue our exploration of historic Philadelphia.

The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.

A Weekend in Yosemite

Epoch Times — Sat, 12 May 2012 15:38:44 +0000

The Yosemite Valley as seen from Tunnel View, the spot that many visitors see first as they emerge from the Wawona Tunnel and enter the park. (Kenny Karst/DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite, Inc.)

John Muir, one of Yosemite’s avid visitors and supporters, eloquently captured the essence of its grandeur and magic when he wrote: “Nature’s peace will flow through you as sunshine into trees. The winds will blow their freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.”

These words became my reality, after a well-needed weekend away in the scenic serenity and beauty of Yosemite’s snow-capped mountains. As my car edged through the curving mountainside, my thoughts and concerns were swayed toward the fresh greenery and granite greatness partly hidden into puffs of clouds and endless sky.

I hadn’t been to this area in more than 20 years and decided to take a three-day sojourn with my girlfriend Christina to escape the stresses of life and work—a perfect panacea.

Luckily, we took Highway 140, at lower elevation than route 120, to avoid a snowstorm and use of chains or cables, which one has to carry anyway when traveling during the months between October and April. The four-hour trip from San Francisco seemed to fly by because of the peaceful surroundings and light traffic on the morning that we left.

We decided to stop in the tidy town of Mariposa at the River Rock Inn and Deli Garden Café for lunch, where we tasted the best homemade chicken soup and a tasty sandwich. The staff was warm and hospitable, which gave us a great start before entering the park a little more than an hour’s drive away.

Our room’s window faced the breathtaking Yosemite Falls, which was a vision to wake up to in the morning.

The mercurial weather turned a bit rainy, but the sun came out as we arrived at the stately, historic Ahwahnee Hotel in the midst of Yosemite National Park. Our room’s window faced the breathtaking Yosemite Falls, which was a vision to wake up to in the morning. Ahwahnee, means “place of the big mouth,” an apropos description since its location is smack in the center of this enormous valley amid giant sequoias and cascading waterfalls.

The luxurious and historic Ahwahnee hotel situated inside Yosemite National Park.(Kenny Karst/DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite, Inc.)

Opened on July 14, 1927, the Ahwahnee Hotel was spearheaded by Stephen T. Mather, director of the National Park Service, with Gilbert Stanley Underwood chosen as the architect. This massive, six-story edifice made of native granite and dyed concrete to resemble redwood boards and beams contains 99 rooms and seven suites within its 150,000 square feet.

Most impressive is the Great Lounge replete with enormous fireplaces and ten ceiling-to-floor windows, partially adorned with stained glass in Native American design and wrought iron chandeliers—a blend of German Gothic and Indian décor. The nearby Solarium at the south end has picture windows revealing a glorious view of Glacier Point.

Scattered throughout are huge woven Native American Indian baskets and rugs, which add to the earth tone colors.

We were lured by the piano music into the 34-foot high ceiling dining room embraced with giant stripped and polished sugar pine trestles creating a rustic, elegant ambiance. What we experienced during our stay was that the menu didn’t quite match the décor. However, you can’t leave the hotel without experiencing at least an a la carte breakfast in the dining room as the sunlight streams through the towering trees and dramatic mountain scenery.

The 600 foot Bridalveil Fall and Leaning Tower rock formation.(Kenny Karst/DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite, Inc.)

The following morning, we arose to a snow-covered mountainside in view of Yosemite Falls. We caught the shuttle bus to Yosemite Lodge where we had an ample, cafeteria-style breakfast, most reasonable for the area. We then met our bus for the well-paced Valley Floor Tour, which was worth the two-hour ride. I learned about the history of some of the Valley’s most memorable sights from a well-versed bus driver/guide covering Yosemite Falls, El Capitan, Tunnel View, and Bridalveil Falls, all surrounded by 800 miles of hiking trails. I had many opportunities for taking photos.

We continued on to Yosemite Village where we visited the Ansel Adams Gallery and Yosemite Museum.

Afterward, my friend and I had the afternoon to hike around Lower Yosemite Falls and inhale the invigorating aroma of fresh pine. Just outside the museum and Visitor Center stands a re-creation of a Miwok Indian Village. We continued on to Yosemite Village where we visited the Ansel Adams Gallery and Yosemite Museum.

After two days in the Valley, we headed toward the Tenaya Lodge, which is approximately an hour from Yosemite Valley and just minutes from Yosemite National Park’s South Gate. We arrived earlier than expected and were able to set up a guided tour for some snowshoeing through the forested area. An hour trek was just enough before luxuriating in our spa treatments at the 10,000 square-foot Ascent Spa.

First, I took a steam bath and relaxed in the cozy lounge area before my treatment with spa director Linda, who soothed every muscle of my body. After, I joined my friend Christina back in the lounge. She was looking so relaxed and peaceful. It was difficult to leave this realm of tranquility, but the best was yet to come—dinner at their upscale Embers Restaurant.

Executive Sous Chef Reginald (Reggie) Powell, who originally was at the Ahwahnee and worked in San Francisco’s Aqua Restaurant, has created a Mediterranean fusion menu. The Filet Oscar topped with artichoke stuffed with Dungeness crab and served with yummy Yukon mashed potatoes, with a hint of cheese, was quite memorable. The appetizers were also outstanding, from the crispy quail with spinach and shitake mushrooms, to the eggplant caviar and gigantic lemongrass skewered scallops and moist, tangy crab cakes. The flowerless chocolate cake added the final touch.

We lucked out by the weather. The sun shone along the forested terrain, as my car cruised along the curving country roads. My thoughts were led once again to a quote by John Muir as I exited from this lavish landscape.

“It’s by far the grandest of all the special temples of Nature I was ever permitted to enter.”

An annual pass for the holder and 3 other guests to access Yosemite National Park and all other federally operated recreation areas can be purchased for $80 at http://store.usgs.gov/pass/

Beverly Mann has been a feature, arts, and travel writer in the San Francisco Bay Area for the past 28 years. She has received numerous accolades in the fields of travel writing, education, and international public relations, including a Bay Area Travel Writers Award of Excellence in Newspaper Travel Writing. Contact Ms. Mann at: www.beverlymann.com

Puerto Vallarta, A Tale of Two Cities

Epoch Times — Fri, 04 May 2012 18:30:17 +0000

The sunset over the beach near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The destination has extraordinary options for vacationers seeking traditional culture, pure resort get-away, or a mix of the two. (Courtesy of Sheila O’Connor)

For some travelers, resorts and tourist attractions are enough to flame their fires for adventure. For others, wanderlust is only satisfied if it carries them to the depths of cultural immersion. As for me, I want a bit of both and always find such a wondrous blend of local culture and resort amenities in what U.S. News & World Report called Mexico’s Top Vacation Destination in 2010, Puerto Vallarta (PV).

Situated along the Pacific Coast, just beneath the Tropic of Cancer, Puerto Vallarta sits along the sheltered waters of Bahía de Banderas and is well protected from extreme weather by the bay’s headlands. Banderas Bay is the largest natural bay in Mexico and provides shelter for more than 500 cruising boats—both power and sail—seeking shelter from Hurricane season (June through November). These waters are also fertile cruising grounds for many sailboats and race regattas, creating a visual feast.

Besides Americans, Canadians, and Europeans, PV is also a popular vacation destination for middle class Mexican families, which provides wonderful opportunities for cultural exchange. On a family trip some years back, we stayed at the Hotel Regina, where we were befriended by a married couple of dentists from Mexico City. Their kids played each day with ours by the pool and offered us the chance to discover how our lives were far more similar, despite the obvious difference in nationality.

In fact, on two trips to PV, I have been much impressed with the local people and how friendly they are. Not only the shop owners and hospitality staff, but also on the street. Many people speak English, at least partially, and can offer tips and directions as well as conversation.

Must-See Attractions

A main attraction in PV is the Malecon—the long boardwalk and stretch of beaches that make up the central part of town. PV is a great place to walk around and talk to people, and the Malecon is perfect for an after-dinner stroll. Artists and vendors display their wares, and across the street are numerous restaurants, bars, and shops that vary from the tourista to boutiques and fine art galleries.

The hotel row in the heart of downtown is perhaps the most tourista part of PV, with many restaurants, hotels, smaller resorts, beach shops, and the echoes of beach vendors and barkers for tourist attractions. The latter can be quite annoying as three to four times each block you’ll be offered the deal of a lifetime for para-gliding, sport fishing, party boats, timeshare presentations, and the like. Thankfully, this is isolated to this one part of town. Just turn a deaf ear and don’t let it distract you from the fun of exploring the many shops and eateries.

Enjoying ATV touring and thrill-seeking outside of Puerto Vallarta. (Courtesy of Sheila O’Connor)

Continued on next page: To truly expand your experience …

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Matching Yourself to the Right Voluntourism Project

Epoch Times — Wed, 02 May 2012 02:25:26 +0000

A first-grade class in the Galapagos may be different than expected, but smiles are universal. (Courtesy of Experiential Learning International)

What is the best voluntourism program out there? How do you know which project is right for you? Obviously you must contemplate the length of commitment, location, and costs, but what else? Among the most important items to consider are your own needs.

Your own needs! Does this sound like a selfish way to think about something as altruistic as volunteering?

Good! Part of being a successful, productive volunteer is to be passionate about the work and to be comfortable—mentally and physically—with your surroundings. Here are a few productively-selfish questions to ask before selecting your working vacation:

What is the day-to-day work like? Establish if the work is repetitive, diverse, physical, relaxed, indoors, outdoors, etc. Be sure the daily routine suits your limitations.

Understand the work. Wildlife care may be more hands on fruit salad than hands on furry friends. (Nola Lee Nelsey)

How many hours each week is a volunteer expected to work? Don’t settle for pithy responses, such as, “Our work is a labor of love so it should not matter.” Even love needs some space now and then, not to mention time to wash its underwear, explore, and generally recharge its lovely batteries.

What are the accommodations? Are you staying in a dorm, home-stay, hotel, or tent? Is there running water? Electricity?

What meals will be included? Don’t expect a menu, but a baseline for what to anticipate should be established. Can they accommodate vegans, diabetics, etc.?

What about transportation? Will airport/bus station transfers be available? If the program is rural, how do you get there?

Use what you learn to have an honest internal dialogue with yourself. Charities are depending on your help. If you are miserable or leave early no one benefits. Hotels or hostels, full or part-time work, there are no right or wrong answers as to what the best volunteer program in the world is. What matters is making the best match between a volunteer project and yourself. Choose wisely!

Nola Lee Kelsey – The Voluntary Traveler

Your Choice-Bangers and Mash, or Snail Porridge

Epoch Times — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:36:26 +0000

The Fat Duck: Has been named Best Restaurant in the World. (David Ellis)

The guidebooks will tell you that Bray, about an hour’s drive west of London, is the archetypal English rural village.

It’s all about little thatched cottages, a cricket ground on which they’ve thwacked the leather since 1798, a parish church dating back to 1293, and a pub where King Charles II would dally with his mistress Nell Gwynn for whom he had arranged convenient accommodation in nearby Windsor.

But Bray is anything than your run-of-the-mill English village, and you need to be more than well-heeled to even contemplate owning so much as a cottage here, never mind berthing the boat at the local marina on the River Thames.

Expatriate Aussie Rolf Harris lives in Bray, as does former TV talk-show host Sir Michael Parkinson, Elton John lives just upstream and is sometimes seen dining in Bray, and so too Natalie Imbruglia.

And well they might, for Bray has suddenly found itself the gastronomic capital of Britain.

Now before you start chortling that one of the shortest books in the world is A Treasury of English Cooking, we should point out that one Heston Blumenthal is the latest to make Bray his home, and if others can cook up a storm, he can cook up a tornado.

Back in the 1980s Blumenthal, who actually grew up a stone’s throw from Bray, taught himself to be a chef by studying French cookery books … just as many of us taught ourselves the basics of the kitchen with Margaret Fulton’s Cook Book.

The difference is that he ended up one of the best chefs in the world, and opened The Fat Duck restaurant in Bray in 1995. Within five years he had won himself no less than three Michelin stars.

And in 2006, his Fat Duck was named Best Restaurant in the World, beating out El Bulli, a restaurant in a remote village north of Barcelona, while Frommers, the famous travel guide, named The Fat Duck one of the world’s “must-visit” food and wine establishments.

Yet it’s a quite unpretentious building, and inside simply a large square with white-walls, wooden beams holding up the ceiling, and a bare floor.

But look more closely outside and it can be almost garlanded with Rollers and Jaguars and their uniformed chauffeurs, together with a smattering of Ferraris and Beamers.

It’s the menu, of course, that accounts for the fact that you have to book months in advance, although you can be excused for wondering how Heston dreamed up some of the dishes on that menu.

And the “Tasting Menu” will put you back 180 pounds (around AU$275 per head)—before you even look at the wine list or consider the “optional” 12.5 per cent service charge.

Amongst some of Heston Blumenthal’s creations are a Pommery mustard ice cream accompanied by red cabbage gazpacho, roast foie gras with barberry, braised konbu (seaweed harvested off Japan and Korea) and crab biscuit, or his hugely popular snail porridge with Iberico Bellota ham and shaved fennel…

There’s also a more homely pork loin pot roast that comes with a gratin of truffled macaroni, or how about salmon poached in licorice gel and artichokes, vanilla mayonnaise and golden trout roe?

Or a saddle of venison with beetroot soubise and risotto of spelt and umbles… yes, umbles, the 14th century offal dish that gave its name to the expression “eating humble pie,” and of which British diarist Samuel Pepys wrote in July 1663 “Mrs Turner did bring us an Umble-pie hot out of her oven, (it was) extraordinarily good.”?

But Heston Blumenthal’s success also brought its problems. Where to put the many movers and shakers wanting to sample his culinary delights, but unable to get into The Fat Duck?

His answer was to buy the village’s two pubs, although to the consternation of many locals. After all it was at one, The Crown that King Charles II would dally with Nell Gwynn. This was British heritage he was possibly interfering with if he changed the structure of The Crown … .

But their fears were soon allayed. Heston made few changes, added some of his own creations to the pubs’ menus, and maintained such traditional British pub fare as bangers and mash, and fish and chips … with the Heston Blumenthal touch, of course.

David Ellis is a freelance writer who hails from Australia. He can be reached at David Ellis Associates Pty Limited: ellispr@bigpond.net.au.

In the Shadow of Chopin

Epoch Times — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 01:25:26 +0000

The Fryderyk Chopin Museum in honour of the “poet of the piano”. (Ramy Salameh)

Peering from the stately windows of the baroque Ostrogski Palace that houses the Fryderyk Chopin Museum, I could see a dramatic vista that stretched from old to contemporary and on to the future. From my perch within the colonnaded and marbled staircase within the palace, I looked across towards a vibrant piece of graffiti art covering the gable-end of a nondescript apartment block.

The modern mural is one of three dotted across the city that pay tribute to and in part helped celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Chopin, which took place back in 2010. The museum formed the centre point of those celebrations and has now become a high-tech multimedia exhibition centre charting the life of this world-renowned musician, within the majestic framework of the 18th and rebuilt 19th century building.

Changing urban landscape

Rising above the mural and across the roof tops of Warsaw, Poland, the city landscape boasts a new crown-shaped national stadium, sitting proudly on the other side of the Vistula River. The architecturally refined arena is patriotically clad in “red and white” and is waiting in gladiatorial anticipation for Euro 2012 to kick-off in June, when it will reverberate to the roar of “Polska Polska”. It is part of Warsaw’s future and continued regeneration since EU membership in 2004.

The aspect I viewed from the Museum reflected only a segment of Warsaw’s very long and turbulent history, which eventually altered the face of Poland’s capital, but encapsulated the spirit of its people. The national stadium was the focal point of the vista I was admiring, but this did not include the city’s most dominant structure, The Palace of Culture & Science, a gift from Stalin during the Russian occupation that followed the other oppressive regime of Nazism, which brutally reduced the city to rubble and permanently changed Warsaw forever.

Warsovians say “The best view of the city is from the top of the Palace of Culture & Science as one cannot see Stalin’s gift to the Polish people”, such are the memories of communism. To an unbiased eye the palace is a magnificent edifice and was officially opened on August 21, 1955. It remains the most imposing building in Warsaw at 231 metres high, as stated on a plaque next to the lifts that ascend to the concrete summit in just 21 seconds.

The Palace of Science & Culture, the most visible landmark of Warsaw. (Ramy Salameh)

Chopin’s early years

Chopin lived half his life in Warsaw; it was here that his musical genius was first recognised. Nowy Swiat, today a vibrant and boutique-filled avenue forming part of the “Royal Route”, was often walked by Chopin and provided the early inspiration for his works, before he eventually moved to Paris.

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Shen Yun Displays ‘Magnificent Energy,' Says Concert Pianist

The Warsaw of Chopin’s day was the one depicted in a series of paintings created by the Italian artist Canelletto. So intricate and keenly observed were these pictures by the artist that after World War II his paintings were used as references from which to reconstruct the Old Town – the jewel in the crown of Warsaw and a UNESCO world heritage site, an accolade that was granted to the city in 1980.

The Chopin family rented an apartment by Krakowskie Przedmiescie St. When, in 1810, Fryderyk’s father obtained a teaching post at the Warsaw Lyceum, they moved into the second floor of the Saxon Palace, which housed the apartments for professors until 1817.

Next page … During 1817 the Lyceum was moved from the Saxon Palace to Kazimierzowski Palace.

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Lisbon: Intermixing the Old With the New

Epoch Times — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:29:37 +0000

Orient Station in Lisbon is one of the city’s major transportation hubs and also an example of the modern design element that intermixes with the classic architecture that is prevalent throughout the city. (Jose Manuel/Turismo de Portugal)

To return to Lisbon again and again is to experience the city in all its moods. Not totally committed to its glorious past, Lisbon has swept into the 21st century and the European Union with gusto. On my most recent visit, in February, I saw a huge transformation from my trip six years earlier: impressive new transportation systems, spruced up buildings, new shopping malls, conference centers, and hotels.

But even some of the most inveterate travelers have initially felt somewhat disappointed by the city. On my first trip, I saw goats grazing in fields in the middle of Lisbon—not any more. But in its festive moods, at Easter-time and on the feast day of Saint Vincent— the patron saint of the city—Lisbon dons a special air. Lanterns are hung, the cobbled streets are decorated with flowers and flags, and banners festoon the buildings. Flea markets and ice cream vendors do a brisk business, while museums, parks, and outdoor cafes bustle with activity.

A view over the Parque das Nacoes in Northeastern Lisbon next to the Tagus estuary. (Antonio Sacchetti/Turismo de Portugal)

Visitors may catch keyhole glimpses of sights that have hardly changed in 600 years if they visit the Alfama, an ancient town within the city that some say is 1000 years old. Because the Alfama is built on bedrock, it survived the disastrous earthquake of 1755. With its mediaeval web of streets, tiny alleys, churches, and whitewashed houses with birdcages and potted flowers at practically every window, it is more than picturesque. Once when I was walking through the Alfama, I was shown an outdoor washing area, curtained off, for use by those without running water.

A wide angle view of the plaza and building of City Hall in Lisbon. (Jose Manuel/Turismo de Portugal)

Lisbon’s river outlet to the world, the magnificent Tagus, saw the Portuguese travel to the New World and bring back untold riches. In the 15th Century, Lisbon was the world center for trade in spices, jewels from the East, and gold from Brazil. Yet, the 18th Century earthquake, in 1755, of a magnitude high enough to send waves to London, England, destroyed much of the city.

I was fortunate to have chosen a small, 28-room family hotel, the Casa de São Mamede, which was built in 1758, a few years after the earthquake. It was once the house of a magistrate and retains many of the beautiful glazed wall tiles of that era. It is one of the first buildings constructed in what is called traditional “jailhouse” style—for greater safety—should there be another devastating earthquake.

The origins of Lisbon are shrouded in legend. Among its mythical founders are Elisha and Ulisses. The name itself is derived from Olissapona, a Latin version of the Phoenician “AllisUbbo,” meaning delightful little port. Lisbon was not only occupied by the Phoenicians (around 1200 B C.), but also by the Greeks, the Carthaginians, the Romans, the Visigoths, and the Moors. It was finally conquered, with help from English crusaders in 1147 A.D., by Portugal’s first king, Dom Afonso Henriques. It became the country’s capital in 1255. Lisbon remained the seat of the monarchy until 1910 when Portugal became a republic.

A view of the Culture Department of Lisbon’s City Hall. (Antonio Sacchetti/Turismo de Portugal)

Over the last 1000 years or so, the country’s various occupiers have left their imprints on the architecture and customs of the people. Basic itineraries for visitors, each offering a separate and different facet of Portuguese life, include trips to Braga, the “Portuguese Rome,” which is not only one of the oldest towns in Portugal, but also one of the oldest in Christendom, with its own liturgy called the “Braga Rite;” Silves, the old Moorish walled capital of the country (13 km. from the Algarve coast); Evora, capital of its province and a university town with a magnificent Roman temple of Diana smack in the center of the city; and Lisbon, one of Europe’s great cities.

The Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon. (Antonio Sacchetti/Turismo de Portugal)

I tried vinho verde, along with kale soup and bacalhau at Café Nicola—one of the old-time literary cafes (now refurbished)—after a stroll through the winding streets of Alfama. Café Nicola is in the Rossio, the busy central square lined with coffee shops and boutiques and one of the most characteristic parts of today’s Lisbon. Bacalhau, a national salted codfish dish and a house specialty at Nicola, was served tossed with scrambled eggs and black olives. It was here that I first tried the excellent Raposeira Super Reserva, a Champagne-type Portuguese wine, along with pudim flan, a rich custard pudding, and afterwards I had a bica, which is a small espresso-type coffee. Naturally, it is made with Café Nicola coffee, which is sold in grocery shops and supermarkets all over Portugal.

Lisbon’s blue waterfront, very much a part of the city, is the Tagus estuary, where people fish, snack, chat, and “listen to fad.” The Praça dos Restauradores, the beautiful three-sided baroque square sprawled out near this waterfront, is a doorway to the formal classic streets that

were built after the earthquake.

Susan Hallett is an award-winning writer and editor who has written for “The Beaver,” “The Globe & Mail,” “Wine Tidings,” and “Doctor’s Review” among many others. E-mail: hallett_susan@hotmail.com

Enchanted Getaway: Dauphin Island and the Alabama Coast

Epoch Times — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 12:15:41 +0000

The sunrise at Dauphin Island in Alabama. For anyone worried about the aftermath of oil spills or hurricanes, the beaches are absolutely pristine. (Jo Ann Holt)

Where do I start in attempting to describe the myriad pleasures to be enjoyed on Dauphin Island, Mobile Bay, and in the coastal regions of Alabama? In an effort not to leave anything out, maybe it’s best to start at the very beginning of my trip to that beautiful area.

After a short drive from the Mobile airport to Dauphin Island, a barrier island 30 miles south by way of the Gordon Persons Bridge, we met Kathryn Carver, executive director of the West Bay and Gulf Coast Tourism Development Council, for a delicious lunch at the locally popular Common Loon Café & Market.

Chef Adam Alford’s oyster po’ boy sandwiches were gigantic, and his award-winning shrimp gumbo and crab bisque were first-rate. Since I love seafood, it was great to be on Dauphin Island for their Seafood, Science, and Celebrity event.

Sunrise on Dauphin Island

Checking into the Dauphin Inn, it was a thrill to discover my headquarters would be in a spacious beachfront condo, so I headed to walk on the pristine beach immediately. Since it was a weekday, there weren’t any families enjoying the sun and surf.

I felt slightly guilty since there wasn’t another soul in sight on the beautiful white sand beach. I decided to pretend it was my private island for the afternoon! The island is only 14 miles long and 2 miles wide.

Bellingrath Gardens and Home

That evening we visited a famous Alabama tourist destination in nearby Theodore, where we were treated to a reception, a sunset cruise on the Fowl River, and tour of the magnificent 10,500 square foot home, with dinner on the grounds at Bellingrath Gardens. These gorgeous gardens and palatial 15-room estate are must-see destinations for anyone visiting the villages south of Mobile.

Walter Duncan Bellingrath was Mobile’s first Coca-Cola bottler, and in 1917 he bought the riverfront property for a fishing camp. Bessie Morse Bellingrath, a well-known Mobile gardener, soon started planting some of her famous azaleas and other plants at her husband’s fishing camp.

Bellingrath Gardens and Home in Theodore, Alabama, is a magnificent 10,500-square foot home with beautiful grounds that are open to the public. It’s a must-see destinations for anyone visiting the villages south of Mobile. (Jo Ann Holt)

In the spring of 1927 they hired George B. Rogers, Mobile’s most prominent architect, to develop the property and their home on the river. After first opening the property up to the public in 1932 to a great response, the civic-minded couple decided to open the gardens permanently, charging a small fee to assist in their care and upkeep.

The Bellingrath home was completed in 1936, and features all its original furnishings. Mrs. Bellingrath died in 1943 and Walter D. Bellingrath in 1955, and since the couple had no children, Mr. Bellingrath established the Bellingrath-Morse Foundation to maintain the gardens and home as a memorial to his wife.

While the 65-acre estate gardens are beautiful year-round, the holiday light display that opens the Friday after Thanksgiving and closes New Year’s Eve has become one of the most popular events in the country. The spectacular display features over 3 million lights in 928 set pieces in 13 scenes throughout the gardens and home. While Bellingrath’s normal operating hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., these hours are extended until 9 p.m. throughout the Magic Christmas in Lights display.

Dauphin Island Estuarium and Sea Lab

The next morning I enjoyed another long walk on “my” private beach, although there were a few other people out to enjoy the view and the terrific weather. I also rode a bicycle for a short distance, but the beach kept calling me back. For anyone worried about the aftermath of oil spills or hurricanes, the beach at Dauphin Island is absolutely pristine.

After lunch at the Gulf View Grill, which is managed by the town’s mayor, we toured the Dauphin Island Estuarium and Sea Lab, where visitors can examine the wonders of the Mobile Estuary System. With specimens from the Delta swamps to the busy port of Mobile Bay, and from the sands of Barrier Island to the Gulf of Mexico, Alabama’s Marine Research and Educational Institute was established in 1971 and serves 21 state and private colleges and universities.

The Estuarium is involved in cutting-edge science to keep the environment healthy and inviting, and Estuarium manager Robert Dixon was happy to answer our group’s questions.

The 164-acre Audubon Bird Sanctuary also provides a crucial habitat for flora and fauna, especially migratory birds. The entire island is a bird sanctuary with 347 reported species sighted.

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Getting Fired Up and Romantic on Mekong Cruise

Epoch Times — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 08:57:15 +0000

Home of romance, now a museum in Sa Dec. (David Ellis)

Brick kilns don’t usually feature high on the list of things to do on a luxury river cruise.

But on one such 8-day journey along the mighty Mekong between Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City and Cambodia’s Siem Reap, a village kiln has proven a fascinating diversion amid daily shore excursions that extend from the ubiquitous local markets to a leisurely farmland ox-cart ride–and the chilling reality of Pol Pot’s notorious Killing Fields.

And for good measure, a touch of romance too, with a visit to the once-home of a young Chinese man whose love affair with a French teenager became the basis of an award-winning 1980s novel and an equally successful 1990s movie.

Unusual tourist attraction, brick kiln tour. (David Ellis)

This captivating cruise is aboard the stylish 62-stateroom AmaLotus that’s owned by Australia’s APT Touring and which began her Mekong career only in September last year.

It’s just outside the industrial and trading port of Sa Dec in southern Vietnam where guests on AmaLotus are taken ashore by the ship’s tour guides and shown the workings of the beehive-shaped kilns, which to many Australians seem somehow reminiscent of the natural orange and black, almost similarly shaped formations found in our Kimberley region.

And the kilns of Sa Dec operate as they have for centuries, being fired with discarded rice husks from local farms to bake bricks and tiles from other farmlands’ clay–and with nothing wasted, the husks being retrieved as ash to be ploughed back into the farm soil as fertiliser.

Luxury cruising on the Mekong River – AmaLotus has it all. (David Ellis)

From these kilns, AmaLotus’s guests are taken by small boat into Sa Dec itself for a visit to the one-time home of a wealthy and influential Chinese family, whose son began an affair in 1928 with teenager Marguerite Duras, who had been born to French parents living near Saigon in 1914.

When the affair ended in 1931, Marguerite left to study mathematics in France, joined the French Resistance during World War II and along the way began a prolific career as a writer of plays, film scripts, essays, short fiction and novels. She also directed numerous films and died in 1996 aged 82.

But it was an “autobiographical novel” called The Lover, which Ms Duras wrote in 1984, that won her the most praise and recognition: said to be the story of her teenage romance all those years before. It won the 1984 Prix Goncourt for “the best and most imaginative prose work of the year.”

The Sa Dec home of her once-lover is now a museum and aboard a sister vessel to AmaLotus on the Mekong, and named by APT La Marguerite after the author, the floor tiles are actually replicas of those in the famous old house.

The Vietnam and Cambodian guides aboard AmaLotus ensure guests see and enjoy as much of their river experience as possible, leading 2- to 3-hour shore excursions daily. Guests are provided with headphones to hear the commentary that also includes insights into guides’ family lives and some of their more chilling wartime experiences.

This is particularly so during a Phnom Penh tour that includes the Royal Palace, National Museum, city markets and the infamous S21 Detention Centre–and Pol Pot’s horrific Killing Fields.

Luxury cruising on the Mekong River – AmaLotus has it all. (David Ellis)

Both horrifying and chillingly fascinating, it was at the latter that Khmer Rouge soldiers killed an estimated 1.7 million Cambodians or 21 per cent of the population. One oval football pitch-sized area alone contains the bodies of an estimated 20,000 victims: because bullets were too costly, most were beaten to death with axes, knives and bamboo sticks.

There is also the notorious Tuoi Sieng Museum of Genocide on the site of the one-time torture camp, prison and execution centre.

Stylish floating hotel, twin-balcony suite on AmaLotus. (David Ellis)

More pleasantly focused daily excursions include the picturesque floating communities, city and village produce markets, rice-paper making factories, a rice-whiskey distillery, demonstrations of silk weaving, a fish farm, a hilltop Buddhist monastery and an ox-cart farmland ride–and, of course, there’s plenty of time for bargain shopping or picture-taking.

AmaLotus’s 8-day Mekong package is priced from $3095 per person twin share (based on an April 2, 2012 departure), which includes cruise, 21 onboard meals, local wine with dinner, local beer, soft drinks and spirits on request, onboard entertainment, guided shore excursions, APT Tour Director, port charges, transfers and tipping.

Details: www.aptouring.com.au or travel agents.

David Ellis is a freelance writer who hails from Australia. He can be reached at David Ellis Associates Pty Limited: ellispr@bigpond.net.au.

Drop-out’s Story a Real Cliffhanger

Epoch Times — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:06:54 +0000

NOMAD Safaris rise from deep river valleys. (Courtesy Nomad Safaris)

David Gatward-Ferguson delights in telling people, particularly his fellow Brits, that he’s a drop-out.

“Wife’s one, too,” he cheerfully adds. “I dropped out of marketing computer systems, and Amanda dropped out from being an accountant.

“And now we spend our days in the most beautiful terrain in the world. Fellow Poms turn greener than the hills around here when we tell them that people actually pay us to take them into the these mountains, to get them into the old gold-mining sites down by the rivers, and by four-wheel to places just so incredibly rich in history and folklore.”

“Here” for David and Amanda is the spectacular alpine country around Queenstown on New Zealand’s South Island. Becoming tired of boardroom competitiveness and the ‘rat-race’ of London, David and wife decide to drop out of the main stream. “One day in 1993 we walked out, bought two air tickets to New Zealand, and we’ve been here since.”

On arriving in Auckland, David and Amanda decided that a “nice long drive” would be a good way to see the country, so they bought a campervan, and weeks later ended up in Queenstown.

TO Dizzying razor-back peaks. (Courtesy Nomad Safaris)

There they came upon an opportunity to take over a company called Nomad Safaris that specialised in 4WD tours into the stunningly beautiful mountain terrain behind Queenstown—taking adventurous tourists along roads that were once little more than foot tracks for early sheep farmers.

Later, these same tracks became pathways to the stars for thousands of hopefuls who flocked to the area when cries of “Gold!” rang out from creek beds at the bottom of 75-degree ravines topped by razor-back peaks.

“Some visitors find the roads heart-stoppers,” says David as he inches his Landrover across a muddy wash-away on a section of mountain pass that’s 100 metres directly above the Shotover River.

The 32 km road took 200 men ten years to build, including two years for a mere 300 metres around the almost-vertical

Pincher’s Bluff: to build this white-knuckle section in 1888, men were lowered on ropes to plug dynamite into holes they drilled into the schist, and would then yell to their mates at the top to haul up like crazy as the cliff face blew away below them.

David and Amanda’s tours take people through the incredibly beautiful Skipper’s Canyon, so named because when gold was found in the early 1860s, not only did crews jump ship from vessels calling at Dunedin—so too did the skipper of one, who simply telegraphed his boss in England that as his entire crew had gone to make their fortunes, he might as well too!

AND heart-stopping cliff-hangers. (Courtesy Nomad Safaris)

At one stage, the mountains and rivers were yielding as much gold as the fabled Yukon.

The first miners into the region, Thomas Arthur and Harry Redfern, had originally walked 350 km into the mountains from Dunedin to work as shearers. But when Thomas Arthur found a huge nugget in the Shotover River, they pinched the frying pan from their boss’s kitchen to go panning for more gold, and never returned.

“Mr Arthur and Mr Redfern told of picking up gold by the pound,” a Dunedin newspaper reported at the time. “They were laden with gold that they said lay everywhere in the canyon … .”

It sparked the gold rush and 12,000 hopefuls flocked to the area, but their new-found wealth proved fatal for Arthur and Redfern: both died of alcoholism a few years later.

Nomad Safaris shows visitors the remains of such historic old ruins as the Welcome Home Hotel that catered first to the miners during the ‘rush,’ and later horse and carriage tourists who were as enchanted then by the rugged beauty of the mountains as visitors are today. The hotel finally closed in 1940.

There’s also the little mountain cottage of John Balderstone and his wife Fanny, an Irish dancer who came out to entertain the miners. They retired after the ‘rush’ to the quiet of the mountains, but Fanny yearned for the bright lights of Queenstown. So John struck a compromise: he built a new cottage for them half-way between their old home in the mountains, and those bright lights.

There’s also a museum at the old Skipper’s Town that once boasted over 1,000 residents.

Half-day 4WD safaris start from NZ$165 per adult. For details phone +64 03 442 6699 or visit www.nomadsafaris.co.nz

David Ellis is a professional travel writer.

Swimming with Penguins in Antarctica

Epoch Times — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 23:04:11 +0000

A crew of adventurers hike through an area inhabited by thousands of Adelie Penguins on Paulet Island in Antarctica. (Susan James)

I was sitting on a small rock at the foot of a large cliff on an island surrounded by a choppy grey ocean. All around me were more rocks, snow-flecked volcanic craters, and surging swells of water rolling in from the Antarctic.

Among the rocks nested a quarter of a million penguins—a restless sea of black and white from which a chorus of barks, shrieks, and squawks were accompanied by the overwhelming smell of fish. Paulet Island is a major rookery for the Adelie penguin, one of the five species of penguins who live there permanently.

The fog began to close in like curtains pulled across the landscape and climbing further became dangerous.

Antarctica with its soaring cliffs, active volcanoes, bays gridlocked by icebergs, and fathomless expanses is at once the most desolate and most spectacular place on earth. For centuries, this white-shrouded continent has been a destination for sailors, whalers, and explorers willing to go to extraordinary lengths to discover its secrets.

It’s certainly the most distant place on the planet as I found on a recent Hurtigruten Cruise Line expedition that took three days of flying and two days of sailing just to reach the Antarctic frontier. And we were just at the tip of a continent one and a half times the size of the continental U.S. If you can visualize Antarctica as the west-facing profile of an elephant’s head with an upraised trunk—we had only reached the trunk’s tip.

Preservation Efforts and Global Climate Change Symptoms

Hiking on dunes of dark sand and snow in Antarctica. (Susan James)

Many nations have claimed chunks of its vast potential resources but since 1961, the continent has been under the international cooperative control of the 49 signatories of the Antarctic Treaty. The treaty was a milestone that froze clashing claims of ownership and declared that only peaceful scientific inquiry was permissible.

All of the treaty nations keep research centers operating year-round, and the tour operators who send anywhere from 20–42 cruise ships a year into its seas regulate themselves so that the natives—penguins, seals, whales, and a variety of seabirds—are not threatened by unregulated numbers of human visitors. Nothing is brought in that is not removed, and nothing is left behind except footprints in the ice.

Despite these preservation precautions, symptoms of global climate change have become noticeable and are affecting the Adelie penguin populations. Scientists have discovered that the species are abandoning their northern rookeries and moving south toward colder weather. Gentoo penguin populations, the most adaptable of the Antarctic species, have taken over the Adelie breeding grounds.

In front of me on my small rock were two penguins demonstrating their mutual affection while another fed fish stew to her two fluffy grey chicks. It was hard for human bipeds to move around because on Paulet Island, a population of a quarter of a million penguins is hard to ignore. That afternoon, our ship, the MS Fram, squeezed through a 100-meter passage called Neptune’s Bellows [near Deception Island] into the 18-square-mile sunken caldera of an active volcano.

Deception Island is a rugged circle of volcanic rock slashed with snow and gurgling with fumaroles and gases. Far in the distance, the scattered buildings of the Spanish research station looked dwarfed against the landscape overseen by three crab eater seals that had pulled up for a rest stop on the beach. Once upon a time in another century, whalers had dragged the carcasses of their kill into a small inlet in the caldera still known as Whalers Bay. It was said that you could walk across the entire length of the bay on the backs of the tightly packed whales.

The ancient volcano that created Deception Island is still active. It last erupted between 1968 and 1970, demolishing two Chilean research stations. Spanish scientists have pounded metal spikes with meters into the rocks at the top of the rim and at the bottom of the caldera to measure the area’s seismic motion. Volcanic pressure is rising and they predict another eruption in the not-too-distant future.

An Adventure Like no Other

The skeletal remains of a whale washed ashore in Antarctica. (Susan James)

From the Fram anchored offshore, six of us rode a small polarcirkel boat in near the beach and clambered off into the frigid water. The sand was actually black gravel, running like frozen lava beneath the stormy grey waves. As we walked, the gravel yielded beneath our feet and in the heavy rubber boots mandated by international agreements, it was a rough climb to the volcano’s rim.

On the outside of the crater, the sea crashed against sheer cliffs, and the wind carried the faint but unmistakable aroma of penguin. Inside the crater were a series of smaller depressions and two lakes, one yellow and one a deep jade green.

The fog began to close in like curtains pulled across the landscape and climbing further became dangerous. I slipped and slid down the inside of the cone back to our landing point where one from our merry band was already shedding her clothes for an Antarctic swim! On a dare from a friend who grew up in the hardy vastness of Norway, I followed her.

Antarctica with its soaring cliffs, active volcanoes, bays gridlocked by icebergs, and fathomless expanses is at once the most desolate and most spectacular place on earth.

The bottom was rocky and uneven and the water so cold that it was hard to breathe. Underneath me, an ancient volcano still murmured in its sleep and just beyond the caldera’s rim, whales, seals, and penguins rode the icy currents.

It didn’t seem to matter that volcanically warmed water was seeping up through crevasses old and new. Those currents made no impression on the liquid ice around me. Scrambling breathless back up on the beach, I left the sea to the crab eaters and penguins.

Susan James is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles. She has lived in India, the U.K., and Hawaii; and writes about travel, art, and culture.

Northern Exposure

Epoch Times — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 08:47:47 +0000

Lake Mývatn and black lava fields, according to Nordic Christian lore, is the place where Satan landed.(Mitchell Jordan)

Akureyri may be small, but Iceland’s northern region has a big heart.

There is no bus to take travellers from the airport of Akureyri, Iceland’s second-largest city, to the town centre.

I know this because I waited for 30 minutes, watching passengers who, like myself, had flown from the country’s capital, Reykjavik, climb into taxis or collect their hire cars and head in an assortment of directions while I stood, like a character in a Beckett play, waiting for something that was never going to appear.

When I finally resorted to asking, an airport employee explained that I could either take a taxi, or walk the 20-minute distance along a flat road. My suitcase was large, my backpack bursting, but Iceland is an expensive country and I could not justify paying a taxi for such a short distance; so I, like those I had flown with, made my way on to the road, guided by the sight of a small fishing town surrounded by snow-tipped mountains and a shimmering blue waterfront.

A tourist must see: The 12-metre-tall Godafoss waterfall.(Mitchell Jordan)

With no pedestrian path, it was a matter of either taking my chances dodging cars by walking on the road, or dragging my suitcase along the grass. Luckily, I was spared the tough decision when, in a matter of minutes, a car caught sight of me and stopped, motioning for me to get inside.

I have lived in Australia all my life and, like most Australians, know all too well the dangers of hitchhiking. The notorious and gruesome backpacker murders, which occurred in the early nineties when I was a child, are still fresh in my mind.

But Iceland is a different country. If you ignore the volcanic explosions that caused commuter chaos, and the global meltdown that changed so many lives across the country years ago, Iceland is a safe place. The safest, certainly, that I have ever been to.

Indeed, offering strangers a lift is part of the culture: no money is expected and, in my case, was kindly declined when I offered. If that seems strange then you should remember that this is also a country where babies are left to sleep in cots in the street of a day so that they can enjoy the brief but beautiful Scandinavian sunshine.

Things are different here, but sadly a lot of people are unaware of this because so many travellers who visit Iceland confine their trip to Reykjavik and its surrounds. These are beautiful places, of course, but Iceland is a country of extremes and Akureyri, only 45 minutes by plane, in the country’s north, seems a world away.

To call Akureyri a city is perhaps misleading. For a start, the thought of Iceland even having a city is strange, considering that Reykjavik has a population of around 120,000. In 2009, McDonalds chose to exit Iceland, and, unlike most European cities, there is no sign of the popular clothing store H&M, though not even Akureyri has escaped from the omnipotent Subway franchise.

The small city of Akureyri lies between the water and the snow capped mountains.(Mitchell Jordan)

The streets here are–not surprisingly–quiet, but far from still. In one back lane, the words: MAKE LOVE, NOT LAWS have been sprayed in black paint across a closed-down building. In the main street, Hafnarstraeti, lined by cafes and restaurants, young actors with white-painted faces are playing a game of hide-and-seek that makes good use of its passers-by; for a few seconds my body serves its purpose as a hiding place until someone else suddenly becomes more appealing. You get the impression that this street theatre is as much for the people as it is for the actors.

It’s all too easy to paint Iceland in a picture-perfect light, when it is common knowledge that Scandinavian countries experience high suicide rates, and drug and alcohol problems. Reasons for these are many and varied, but, on several occasions in Iceland, I found my sense of aloneness amplified and the distance between me and the rest of the world both exhilarating and torturous at times.

Still, Akureyri is enough of a tourist town to have daily buses running during the summer to the god-like, 12-metre-tall Godafoss waterfall, Lake Mývatn and the curiously shaped black lava fields of Dimmuborgir which, according to Nordic Christian lore, is the place where Satan landed.

But, oddly, buses do not travel in closer proximities. Before leaving Akureyri, I double-checked with the tourist information centre if it was true that there is no bus from the town to the airport.

“Yes,” the attendant confirmed. “But you can always hitchhike.”

Mitchell Jordan is a Sydney-based writer with an interest in arts, culture and travel.

Bundanoon Is Brigadoon–And a Reel Hoot

Epoch Times — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 04:21:27 +0000

Stirring sounds in Bundanoon’s Highlands air, the pipes and drums. (Corinne Dany)

If marvelling at brawny blokes tossing around what appear to be scaled-down power poles with nary a wince is your thing, or equally so watching them lift great round stones that weigh as much (or more) than they do, then come April 21 little Bundanoon–halfway between Sydney and Canberra in the NSW Southern Highlands–is the place to be.

Or if such shenanigans may be a bit too hernia-worrying, ponder others playfully hurling water-filled balloons impossible distances for partners to catch without getting a drenching by bursting them (the record is 40.4 metres), and even others tossing fresh-laid eggs great distances for another to deftly catch without suffering the consequences of gooey breakages (the record for this bizarre activity being an amazing 59.6 metres).

Then again, as we do, go there simply to graze through 30 food stalls offering treats, Scottish, salivating and moreish: Highland shortbreads and Scots pies, drop scones, gingerbreads and Abernethy biscuits, butterscotches and other home-made confections, and if the stomach is up to it, blood pudding and haggis.

All because, like Brigadoon in the stage show and movie, for just one day of the year Bundanoon raises itself out of its early morning Highlands mist, and for that day becomes Brigadoon and all things Scottish.

Bundanoon railway station becomes Brigadoon for the day. (Corinne Dany)

So popular has it become in it’s 35 years that it now attracts over 11,000 visitors, which is more than five times the local population. And every one of them will attest that Bundanoon is Brigadoon is one of the great family outings on the country calendar (and has become one of the largest gatherings of all things Scottish outside Scotland.)

Even City Rail gets in on the act: so those visiting by train know they are getting off at the right place, the BUNDANOON signs on the local railway station are replaced for the day with BRIGADOON.

But Bundanoon is Brigadoon is not just all about grownups’ games, competitions and filling the tummy, there’s something for all ages–right down to a Bonnie Bairns Highland Dress Competition for little ones five and under, and more than 100 arts, crafts, Scottish and Tartan variety, and specialty stalls.

The 92nd Gordon Highlanders, named after a regiment first formed in 1794 and who later fought in the Battle of Waterloo, will also recreate a “company street” from the time of Waterloo, including mess tent/kitchens, headquarters, a surgeon’s tent and military supply hut.

They’ll also have men, women and children dressed as Georgian era “camp followers” (those who followed armies and sold them goods and services,) as well as a display of historic firearms, swords and bayonets, demonstrations of muzzle-loading, and will talk about military life during the time of the famous Battle.

Tossing the caber. (Corinne Dany)

There’ll also be Scottish Country and Highland Dancing demonstrations–with visitors invited to join in reels and jigs–and a demonstration by the Swordplay School of Theatrical Fencing and Stage Combat.

Other highlights will include individual pipe band displays, and at 9.30 a.m. a Street Parade with 25 Pipe Bands, marching Scottish Clans and Societies, and decorated floats.

At 2.30 p.m. there’ll be the main Caber Toss with those scaled-down 6-metre power poles, and at 3.10 p.m. the Tartan Warriors will see who amongst them goes home Champion by lifting The Bundanoon Stones of Manhood from the ground onto the tops of wine barrels in the fastest time … the five massive round stones weighing progressively from 115 to 165 kg.

There’ll also be a hay toss, shot put, those egg and water tosses, kilted races, and on stage several times during the day Newcastle’s famous Highlander Celtic Rock Band with their unusual combination of bagpipes, fiddles, electric and acoustic guitars, percussion and vocals.

Then finally as the sun sets, the mists descend and the crowds drift off into the gloaming, or stay on for Ceilidh (dancing) in the local hall, Auld Lang Syne rings out as mythical Brigadoon falls again under a magical spell to sleep once more for another year … and Brigadoon Station reverts again to simply Bundanoon.

David Ellis is a freelance writer who hails from Australia. He can be reached at David Ellis Associates Pty Limited: ellispr@bigpond.net.au.

Burma: A Country Unlike Any Other

Epoch Times — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 23:01:27 +0000

Fishermen start to fish in the early morning hours on Inle Lake in Burma. They typically use a leg-rowing technique, standing on the stern on one leg and wrapping the other leg around the oar. (Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)

Due to its social and political isolation, Burma is a hidden paradise, intriguing and puzzling, and keeps most of its traditions intact. With over a hundred ethnic minorities, this country is an incentive for those who don’t shy away from culture shock.

According to “Lonely Planet,” one of the most popular travel books, anyone planning to travel to Burma should first answer the question, “Is it wise to go?”

In 1996, the tourism boycott began after Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi was put under house arrest by one of the most ruthless military dictatorships in Asia, which has lasted over half a century.

Recent events, however, offer some hope of transformation. In 2010, the iconic activist, after nearly 15 years under house arrest, was released and is now a candidate running for parliament in Burma. The government has also begun to release some 200 of the more than 2,000 political prisoners.

For these and other reasons, I recently traveled to Burma but without declaring that I am a writer. Although the appearance is calm, a certain tension hangs in the air.

Travelers who dare to visit this beautiful country need to know of its peculiarities, which are many. It is difficult to improve the description of Burma by the English poet and novelist Rudyard Kipling: “This is Burma, and it will be quite unlike any land you know about. …”

Also for myself, after having traveled to over a hundred countries, Burma is one of the most fascinating and genuine I have gotten to know. One easily feels immersed in a magical dream or a fable of anachronistic imagination. It’s like removing yourself completely from the world you come from.

To begin with, the Burmese have no last name. And nobody touches the opposite sex in public.

Burmese are the only Southeast Asians who retain the traditional dress: the longyi, a tube or skirt of cotton that goes to the feet. It is knotted at the waist and is used by both sexes. Except for the military, there are very few pants in Burma.

Tanaka has a rich history in Burma. It is a traditional whitening secret used by women for more than 2,000 years, in daily life as well as in ceremonies, where face paintings bear cultural significance of nobility and purity. (CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP/Getty Images)

Most of Burma’s inhabitants, especially women, smear their face and body with tanaka, a sort of light-colored makeup that is obtained from the pulp of a tree. It protects them from the sun and gives off a pleasant aroma.

The foregoing is only a brief sampling of the customs that surprise the visitor upon arriving in Burma. The country is surprising for these and many other reasons: ethnic, cultural, and religious characteristics as well as landscapes and monuments.

If you can, conquer the country in the manner of William Faulkner: with the soles of your shoes.

Return to the Past

The social and political isolation caused by the arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi has kept the ruling regime apart from the international community for years. As a result, Burma is an autochthonous, hermetic, and conservative country that keeps its traditions intact.

There are no mobile phone operators. You can leave your next-generation device at home because it is useless there. You can only make calls through the hotel phones (which, incidentally, mostly belong to the government).

The former Burma is the part of Asia where almost nothing has changed since the British colonial era. In no other country in the region can one see so many sarongs, turbans, and exotic costumes, which, moreover, allow you to identify the various ethnic groups that populate the Burmese territory. Scents and colors blend in a perfect setting that transports you to another time.

You cannot easily erase from your mind the strange feeling of having landed on another planet.

Dynamic Yangon

A classic itinerary should include at least the four most interesting cities: Bagan, Amarapura, Mandalay, and Yangon. The latter, the capital until 2006, is a colorful and chaotic city. The urban life is very attractive because of its cosmopolitanism and ethnic variety.

Yangon’s icon is the Shwedagon Pagoda, the largest in the country and considered one of the wonders of the world. With its great golden dome, it is more than 300 feet high and is visible throughout the city.

The pagoda is believed to have relics of the past four Buddhas enshrined within, including some strands of hair of Buddha Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha. It is worth spending time at this impressive site, which is possibly 2,500 years old.

Ignoring it would be like going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower. For Buddhists, it is the holiest place in the country.

You may also want to visit the famous Bogyoke Aung San Market, a paradise of 2,000 shops for bargain hunters. There, aside from practicing the obligatory haggling (up to 50 percent of the list price), the traveler will do well to purchase slippers to meet the demanding shoes-off protocol each time he or she visits a Buddhist monument.

Among the souvenirs one can take from Burma are the typical longyis, craft items, umbrellas, lacquerware, puppets, jewelry, jade, gems, and so on.

But the most interesting, of course, is what you take in your memory: You cannot easily erase from your mind the strange feeling of having landed on another planet.

Burma’s Heart

Another must-see city is Bagan, one of the richest archaeological sites in Asia.

Approximately 90 percent of the Burmese population practices Buddhism, and the monks number well over 400,000. Every Burmese male is expected to take up temporary monastic residence twice in his life. (Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)

Located in the Midwest and along the famous Irrawaddy River (the world’s most beautifully named river, according to Pablo Neruda), it surprises with thousands (yes, thousands) of temples built between the 11th and 13th centuries. Inside, always await sculptures of smiling Buddhas.

Clusters of temples, very close together, are an unreal vision that overwhelms you. It is as if there aren’t any other aspects of the country that are more vital and engaging than Buddhism, which is obviously the religion of the majority.

You will find monks everywhere. For Burmese men, being a monk is like a social service, almost mandatory, at least temporarily. Monks live on charity. With their shaved heads and red robes and carrying begging bowls in their hands, they gather daily rice and other food at markets.

You may feel a mixture of pity and admiration toward those aspiring monks, and some travelers may fail to grasp the deeper meaning of this self-sacrificing lifestyle.

Some monuments, such as Shwe Zigon Pagoda near Bagan, are also believed to contain authentic relics of Buddha Shakyamuni. Shwe Zigon Pagoda’s golden dome, bell-shaped, is one of the most beautiful icons of Burma.

You can complete your adventure by taking a ride on one of the majestic ships in the Irrawaddy River, tasting local cuisine, and visiting some less-crowded places, such as the villages Taungoo and Namhsan, amid rice fields and pagodas.

Francisco Gavilán is a writer and psychologist. He has traveled to more than 100 countries and has lived with nomads in Kazakhstan as well as with Mapuche natives in the Chilean Andes. He has published numerous travel articles and self-help books that have been translated into several languages. www.franciscogavilan.net

Off the Grid Greece

Epoch Times — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 13:21:38 +0000

An enthralling view of Livadi Beach, Ikaria, Greece, from our balcony at the Atschas Livadi Beach Hotel. (Carol Stigger)

Wisdom and common sense suggest that vacation planning should be completed months before the journey. Thus, my friend Susan and I agreed that we would not complain when our last-minute plans to visit one or more Greek islands went awry.

How bad could it be? The entire country is historic. Being in the euro-zone, our credit and ATM cards would open doors to all amenities.

We were locked into the last week of August, because Susan was extending a business trip to Slovenia. I told her it was not auspicious that my frequent flier program had many openings for Athens that week.

As far as accommodations, anything remotely affordable was booked for every island we had ever heard of. Forget Santorini, Rhodes, Crete, and any island that merited at least a page in the guide book.

Boldly, we selected an island glossed in one paragraph: Ikaria, site of Icarus’s burial. Was the Greek god’s flaming finale a metaphor for our tardy planning? Every hotel and guest house had ample room. Why didn’t anyone else want to go to Ikaria? “They booked early,” we groaned, “and are joining the beautiful people on Santorini.”

Missing in Athens

Susan and I agreed to meet in the Athens airport boarding area for our 40-minute flight to Ikaria. With just one flight a day, we were fortunate to obtain the last two tickets. I decided to surprise her and meet her earlier. She must be dawdling, I thought, so I moved from the baggage claim area to a café where I would be sure to see her walking down the concourse. She must be shopping, I thought, so I moved to the departures gate.

The plane took off without Susan, and I strained to recall how we were supposed to get from the airport to our hotel. She had said something about a bus.

The airport, open a few hours for the daily flight, is a barn with a luggage belt. I could have carried all of the luggage from plane to belt in the time it took luggage to arrive for 40 passengers.

In that time, I ascertained there was no bus. As Susan had the phrase book, I searched for an English speaker. The car rental man found a taxi driver who was willing to take me to the village of Armenistis for “just” 70 euros. “Sixty,” I sputtered feeling as fleeced as the sheep on the surrounding, barren hills. That was about $80. The setting was Biblical; my mood was not.

Wild Ride to the Aegean Sea

A view of an Ikarian beach where remains of a temple of the goddess Artemis provide a mystical backdrop to the wild surf. (Neli Magdalini/The Epoch Times)

After a hundred or so hairpin turns on gravel, mountain roads, I realized that $80 was a deal. Every village of four or more houses has a tire repair shop. While approaching Armenistis, the only clue I had about our hotel was a photo on the website. And there it was, Atschas Livadi Beach Hotel.

Our room, clean and simple, was 40 feet above crashing waves. We had read about the deadly surf, but we were there for wading. It was difficult to leave my balcony view of the turbulent ocean to stroll 20 feet to the restaurant.

The hotel’s terrace restaurant has a similar ocean view. John (pronounced I-o-an-nis), who grew up on the island, was prepared to cook to order from 6 a.m. until midnight. The moussaka was splendid, and I learned to pay $2.65 extra for tzatziki to slather on the bread. This is the cucumber sauce used on gyros.

John’s recipes, handed down through the generations, take full advantage of Ikaria’s bounty. He uses produce from his farm, locally made cheese, locally baked bread, and locally slaughtered goat. For $13, I feasted above the salty, sea spray.

Fortunately, I was too full for dessert, for John does not serve dessert. He offers melon for what he calls a “finish.”

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A Cultural Journey of Yunlin Through the Seasons

Epoch Times — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 14:01:39 +0000

The Taiwanese celebrate Mazu’s birthday through a series of festivals and events. (Courtesy of the Yunlin County Government)

Yunlin County is an agricultural centre in Taiwan, and many of its people make a living through farming. Because of this, Yunlin has retained some of the purest forms of Taiwanese culture, folk entertainment, and religious beliefs, including the famous festivals like the “Third Month Mazu Frenzy,” the Yunlin International Puppet Arts Festival, the Kouhu Township Cultural Festival, and the Taiwan Coffee Festival in Gukeng. In Yunlin, each and every season has its own unique cultural festivals and activities. The people there not only inherit the formalities of their culture, but also the simple kindness and spirit of respect toward their deities.

Want to find out more about Taiwan’s culture and its festivals? Yunlin can give you a first-hand cultural experience of Taiwan!

Spring—Worshipping Mazu

There is a Taiwanese proverb called “Third Month Mazu Frenzy.”Mazu is widely worshipped in Taiwan as the goddess of the sea, and during the third month of the lunar calendar, the Taiwanese celebrate Mazu’s birthday through a series of festivals and events. Over 3 million people visit the 300-year-old Chaotian Temple in Beigang to greet her each year, as Mazu is said to visit the mortal realm during this period of time. The event often fills each and every corner of the small town with the smell of incense. Mazu’s parade is one of Taiwan’s yearly religious grand occasions and is regarded as an “important national folk custom.”

The most prominent events of them all are the “Enlightened Persons Artistic Float “, an annual float parade, and the “Firecracker Furrowing Culture” event. The Enlightened Persons Artistic Float parade, which is similar to historical Chinese float parades, is often performed by children who dress up and ride atop the floats, adding to the color and excitement of the parade.

During the Firecracker Furrowing Culture Festival, special high-temperature stoves are used to set alight firecrackers that are then rapidly flung at the base of a ceremonial sedan. Worshipers also pile the firecrackers up beneath the sedan so as to welcome the tiger guardian spirit of the temple, Huye Shen, with the sound of firecrackers. Worshipers believe that the more firecrackers they set off, the more fortune and prosperity the festival will bring them.

Summer—Kouhu Township Cultural Festival

Kouhu Township Cultural Festival (Courtesy of the Yunlin County Government)

The most important summer festival in Yunlin involves the worshiping of ancestors and ghosts as well as the prayers for peace. In June every year, the people of Kouhu town of Yunlin hold grand rituals with food offerings to commemorate the great flood in 1845 that claimed the lives of over 10,000 people. The festival has been held continuously for 166 years since its inauguration and has become the characteristic local religious ritual.

Autumn—International Puppet Arts Festival

Yunlin County is home to Taiwan’s hand puppetry tradition. There are two major schools in this tradition, namely the “state” (zhou) and “pavilion” (ge) divisions. The art of puppetry is personally taught and handed down from generation to generation. With over 100 troupes in Yunlin, it’s Taiwan’s most populous puppet-troupe county.

Hand puppet performances can be found everywhere from traditional street shows to laser discs, and television to film recordings of performances. Yunlin County has nurtured many classic hand puppet stars, such as the amazing Wulin sect’s “Mirror Man,” Taiwan’s famous martial swordsmen “Shi Yan-Wen,” “Su Huan-Zhen,” and others who have brought “Pili Hand Puppetry” onto film.

Since the inaugural International Puppet Arts Festival in 1999, Yunlin has been internationally recognised as a culturally rich province in the field of puppet arts, which has also been regarded as a part of its cultural property. Hand puppetry is an interdisciplinary art, combining literature, theatre, music, storytelling, carving, ceramic art, and embroidery. With its exciting variety, talent, and grace, puppetry can be said to be one of Taiwan’s cultural miracles.

Winter—Taiwan Coffee Festival in Gukeng

Taiwan Coffee Festival in Gukeng (Courtesy of the Yunlin County Government)

Produced in Gukeng Township in Yunlin County, Gukeng coffee is sometimes said to be the world’s best coffee. Gukeng is strategically located along the sunny Tropic of Cancer, and because of the ideal weather conditions for coffee-growing and a special style of brewing, the coffee produced there packs an extra punch. Gukeng coffee is sweet and has a rich aroma, yet it is not bitter and astringent, a special characteristic that marks it as Taiwanese. Gukeng coffee was first imported from Brazil during the Showa years of the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, and was once presented as a royal gift to the Emperor of Japan.

The annual Taiwan Coffee Festival in Gukeng is held from Nov. to Dec. at tourist sightseeing cafés, leisure farms, restaurants serving local delights, and homestay residences. Gazing over a landscape of verdant green while savouring a small cup of coffee is possibly one of the best moments that any person can enjoy in life.

Experience the Scenic Yi-Lan

Epoch Times — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 06:13:24 +0000

Advertising Feature

The Upcoming 2012 Green Expo

Yi-Lan has always been famous for its picturesque natural scenery and comfortable living. (Courtesy of Taiwan Yi-Lan County Government)

Yi-Lan has always been famous for its picturesque natural scenery and comfortable living. Starting March 31, with the theme of experiencing the natural beauty and local unique agriculture, the forthcoming Yi-Lan Green Expo will showcase the unique lifestyle and farming methods of the Taiwanese traditional agriculture. At the same time, the visitors can experience the fun of harvest by picking the Yi-Lan shallots, cabbage, and organic vegetables and fruits.

From March 31 to May 20, the 13th Yi-Lan Green Expo will hold its 51-day activities in Wu-Lao-Keng Scenic Area, Yi-Lan county. Themed “Organic Living Sensation,” the Expo exhibits how to put the concept of “organic” into practice in our daily life and diet. There will also be personal experience on the process of agricultural production and the way to eat well and healthily.

Before entering the Expo center, visitors will first pass through a trail decorated with bird cages and flowers symbolizing the freedom of human mind like bird being released from its cage. The entrance of the park is a tunnel made by long bamboos resembling an access to a heaven of peace and happiness, a retreat away from the turmoil of the world.

In order to promote the concept of environmental protection, the art exhibits on the lawn are made from recycled waste, for example an apple made of driftwood, chopsticks made of cement wiring poles, donuts made of scrap tires.

The art exhibits on the lawn are made from recycled waste, for example an apple made of driftwood, chopsticks made of cement wiring poles, donuts made of scrap tires. (Courtesy of Taiwan Yi-Lan County Government)

The Expo will showcase the well-known Yi-Lan agricultural farming method–dual farming of duck and rice, known as Duck-Rice Farming (DRF). DRF, invented through the wisdom of the ancients, can reduce the use of pesticides and hence, minimizing the damage to the environment. Two weeks after birth, the ducklings will be led into the rice field.

Killing two birds with one stone, the ducklings eat the rice snails, which damage the rice, and produce natural fertilizers to the field through their droppings. The Expo will arrange the duck farm and rice field separated by green fences in the layout to demonstrate the mutual existence of duck and rice in a farm.

If you want to learn more about vegetables, the Expo exhibits include Yi-Lan’s special crops, e.g. chili, pumpkin, green pea, green bean, romaine, lettuce. There will more than 100 species of chillis and a wide variety of pumpkins, such as Japanese, Western, Lettering, and Toy, on display for visitors to see which chilli is spicier and to learn about pumpkins.

(Courtesy of Taiwan Yi-Lan County Government)

In addition, there is the Happy Garden showing the various stages of rice field, the planting of organic vegetables and the planet of wetlands, where one can learn the world of aquatic plants, resembling that of the well-known Shuang-Lian-Pi Wetland in Yi-Lan.

If you are interested in healthcare, there is a pavilion themed Healthcare Garden. According to the theory of five elements in Chinese culture, the substance of the world is constituted by “gold, wood, water, fire and earth.” There is a Five Elements Examination Center, which can examine the element that one’s body is in favor of.

(Courtesy of Taiwan Yi-Lan County Government)

Based on individual’s characteristics, one will enter the corresponding Five Elements Experience Zone–in music, aromatic, spiritual, food and sports to learn and practice individual’s characteristic healthcare methods in basic necessities (diet, clothing, living and mean of transportation) of their daily lives.

As the Expo is close to the Wu-Lao Creek, one can relax in the riverside leisure area–dip into the cool, unpolluted stream while enjoying the scenic green mountain and upstream of the valley. The recreational area has a net of 60 meters in length and 20 meters in height to challenge for one’s psychological limits. Once tired, you can rest in the pavilion to drink tea and learn about the process of tea production.

Alternatively, you can enjoy a cup of coffee or afternoon snack in a coffee shop located in the exhibition area. In the café, you can learn to make small horticultural handicraft using coffee bean canvas.

During weekends or public holidays, the organizers will arrange for stage performances. A number of well-known folk singers and bands, e.g. Greenery Chamber Orchestra, Yan Zhi Wen and San-Keu-Thai Band, etc will be invited. On Labor Day, the Union will perform accordion that is characteristic to Taiwanese street performing art. In addition, there will be acrobatic, martial arts and Lan Yang Dancers Troupe dance performances.

Upon completing one round of the Yi-Lan Green Expo, you will personally experience Taiwan’s traditional agriculture and the local culture. You can also enjoy the tea and the relaxing lifestyle in scenic Yi-Lan. The activities combine both education and entertainment under one roof. Furthermore, you can take away the concept of organic living.

How to get there: By train to Luodong station. Take taxi or the Guo-Guang Bus to the Yi-Lan Green Expo at Wu-Lao-Keng park.

2012 Green Expo

Advertisement by Taiwan Yi-Lan County Government

Arizona Spas: A Healing Journey in the Desert

Epoch Times — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 13:28:32 +0000

The Boulders, a signature resort and spa, in the dramatic setting of the Sonoran Desert in Carefree, Arizona. (Courtesy of The Boulders Resort)

In deep thought, I gingerly placed one foot at a time on the spiral floor pattern. I was “walking” a labyrinth in view of 12-million-year-old granite boulders, towering saguaros, and prickly pear cacti—all brightened by the crystal, azure sky.

I had arrived at the spectacular Boulders Resort sculpted in the dry, dramatic landscape of the Sonoran Desert in Carefree, Ariz., near Scottsdale.

My personal mission was to achieve peace, relaxation, and a sense of mindfulness during a week of spa treatments, nature hikes, yoga classes, and an indulgence in wholesome and organic cuisine to feed my body and soul. The Boulders was one of three resorts where I was nurtured in nature and natural herbal treatments.

First Path to Wellness

The Boulder’s Golden Door Spa, the oldest, continuously operating, destination spa in the U.S., is an architectural masterpiece with a circular, glass-encased tearoom in full view of the mountain-scape.

Sounds of waterfalls flowing by the neighboring pool and soft music added to the tranquil atmosphere. The spa’s café offers some reasonably priced, wholesome sandwiches and smoothies.

Connected to the 33,000-square-foot spa are a 2,000-square-foot fitness center and a thriving organic garden. I noticed a teepee where group shamanic classes are held periodically to further enhance the mental, spiritual, and emotional healing experiences.

My spa treatment consisted of a vitamin C facial. Esthetician Brandi, a woman with flawless ivory skin, skillfully massaged and exfoliated my neck and face, preparing it with antioxidant properties. My skin was definitely a-glow afterward.

The labyrinth at The Boulders. (Beverly Mann)

During the afternoon, my partner and I headed for a 20-minute drive toward Pinnacle Peak Park for a 3.5-mile hike through an undulating hillside trimmed with giant saguaros and a wide variety of succulents and snakes (which luckily I didn’t encounter). Some 150 species of flora overlook the breathtaking views of the city below.

Cave Creek Regional Park is just 15 minutes from The Boulders and well worth a trip north along Carefree Highway. This 2,922-acre park, a site of a miner’s exploration and development some 120 years ago, has lots of hiking choices.

We trekked just shy of 3,000 feet up on the Go John Trail, a scenic switchback of approximately six miles that took two and a half hours. The weather during December was glorious—cool, crisp, clear, and sunny. At times, I felt I was traipsing on another planet, as I eyed the endless, gray, and craggy terrain.

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Nomads in Kyrgyzstan: Another Way of Life

Epoch Times — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 04:52:04 +0000

The Kyrgyz, like many other Central Asian peoples, have their New Year celebrations, called Noorus, on March 21. (Francisco Gavilán)

When I was going to travel through Central Asia for the umpteenth time, I was looking for new and enriching experiences, including living for a while with the nomads of Song Kul, in Kyrgyzstan.

For those of us who, over the years, consider ourselves more travelers than tourists, we do not dream of monuments or spectacular scenery, but long for experiencing new feelings.

After landing in Bishkek, a modern and developed city and the capital of Kyrgyzstan, we quickly headed to the region of Song Kul near the magical lake of the same name (9,900 feet above sea level), in the center of the country.

We were in search of a nomadic camp that was going to welcome us. Judging by the length of the journey, the camp seemed to be at the end of the world.

Last Nomads

Understanding the significance of “the last nomads” requires reading the history of this proud and independent race of Central Asia. Some researchers argue that there are other nomads in the world. It’s true. But none of them maintain their traditions and way of life so intensely and faithfully as the Kyrgyz nomads.

They are an ancient race that resisted conquest, repression, oppression, and persecution throughout the ages.

They live a simple lifestyle without artifice in virgin surroundings. There is something magical in this intact purity of nature that captures your heart from the very first moment.

The real origin of the Kyrgyz is lost in the mists of time. Everything that can genuinely be said about them is that they are an ancient race that resisted conquest, repression, oppression, and persecution throughout the ages.

Despite a turbulent history, the Kyrgyz have managed to maintain their traditions and values. Their environment has shaped not only their destiny but also their character—true nomadic style. They are, in all likelihood, the most hospitable in the world, happy to share every last piece of bread with a traveler or guest who comes to visit.

For the nomadic Kyrgyz, if you show interest and share their exotic life among horses and sheep, it is a precious gift for them. And no doubt, for the visitor, it is an unforgettable delight to experience genuine hospitality, something difficult to find today despite the fact that tourism journalists typically brag about having found this generous social competence everywhere they visit.

Hospitality is so internalized that the nomadic Kyrgyz feel offended if their guest rejects an offer from them. So this writer had to again drink “kymiz,” the national drink, which is fermented horse milk—the first time was with nomadic Kazakhs.

Kymiz has a sour taste to any Westerner accustomed to sweetened cow’s milk or milk flavored with coffee or chocolate. In gratitude for their hospitality, the guest can offer the Kyrgyz something like a watch or any other personal items.

A child of a Kyrgyz nomad family smiles at the photographer. (Francisco Gavilán)

The Kyrgyz have never developed extensive food offerings for guests. What they prepare is based on simple ingredients—bread, meat, cheese, potatoes, rice, and the like. Their dishes are very tasty and easy to prepare. There is always a lot of tea.

For funerals and wedding rites, the dishes are more sophisticated. These ceremonies have always played an important role in nomadic culture.

Affinity With Nature

The Kyrgyz have an affinity with nature. This is exemplified in their dignified relationship with horses. The Kyrgyz and their horses are synonymous.

Their mastery of the horses is legendary. They have controlled them from time immemorial without using their hands, so they are free to fire weapons and defend themselves against invaders.

Children are taught to ride almost before they know how to walk. Horses have been and still are the main form of transportation, and as a result of the Kyrgyz’s equestrian expertise, most sports in Kyrgyzstan are related to horses.

Horses are the only means of transportation in the mountainous area of Kol Ukok, Kyrgyzstan. (Francisco Gavilán)

At-chabysh is a festival that includes a race in which a young man on horseback has to catch a girl who is also riding a horse. His prize is a kiss. In fact, the traditional way a young Kyrgyz gets a wife is by looking at the girl he likes and taking her on his horse.

In cities and towns, subtler methods prevail for men to propose marriage to women without fear of errors. If a woman wears a single braid on her right shoulder, it means she is married. If she wears one on her left shoulder, it means she is single, and if the braid falls freely on her back, she is widowed.

Marvel of Easy Architecture

One of the reasons the lifestyle of these migrants has remained virtually unchanged for centuries has been the easy assembly and disassembly of their houses, called yurts, a kind of felt tent. Even today, yurts are commonly used by the shepherds, who spend the summer with their flocks in the high mountains.

In a popular sport, Kyrgyz riders attempt to push their rival off the horse. One game lasts around 10 minutes. (Francisco Gavilán)

There are different ways to position and distribute the carpeted space of a yurt. The basic rule is that it has to face south.

A yurt’s interior is divided into functional areas. On the side opposite the door, trunks are placed for storing blankets and valuable utensils. The right side belongs to the woman for storing her appliances and children’s clothes, while the left side belongs to the man and is where he stores saddles, bridles, and such.

Other yurts provide a dining room and bedroom. Spending the night in a yurt changes the perception of time and life itself.

One night, I asked the nomad elder how he felt about their mobile lifestyle. His answer, worthy of framing, was: “A man must move because the sun, moon, stars, animals, and fish are moving. Only the land and dead beings remain where they are.”

Francisco Gavilán is a writer and psychologist. He has traveled to more than 100 countries and has lived with other nomads in Kazakhstan as well as with Mapuche natives in the Chilean Andes. He has published numerous travel articles and self-help books that have been translated into several languages. www.franciscogavilan.net

Future Peek: The City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia, Spain

Epoch Times — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 02:18:53 +0000

The architecture of the historic Plaza de la Virgen is a stark contrast to the futuristic architecture of Calatrava. (Courtesy of Turismo Valencia)

The last time we thought about Valencia was when we watched the 1961 epic movie “El Cid.”

However, our recent trip to Spain showed us there were many current reasons to consider the ancient and relatively humble Valencia as a first-class vacation destination.

Yesterday Meets Tomorrow

Since the time of El Cid—over the last thousand years or so—Valencia has seen Christian and Muslim conquerors come and go. Its history also includes being the birthplace of two Catholic Popes and three of the kings of Europe.

A horse-drawn carriage provides a picture of the past imposed on the buildings of the future. (Judy Bayliff)

More recently, the city hosted the America’s Cup races and the Formula One European Grand Prix. For the most part, however, Valencia had taken up a quiet place in Spain’s colorful history, at least until the 1990s.

The City of Arts and Sciences

If “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry (1921–1991) had lived to see the creation of the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias by renowned Valencian architect, Santiago Calatrava, he may not have selected Marin County, Calif., as the 2161 building site of the Starfleet Academy. Instead, he might have asked Señor Calatrava to design it for him in Valencia.

Architectural contrasts of the old town and the new structures. (Judy Bayliff)

Construction on Calatrava’s amazing complex of otherworldly buildings began in 1998 along the old bed of the redirected Turia River at a reputed cost of more than $2.5 billion dollars.

The Main Structures

The L’Umbracle is the huge promenade entrance to the City of Arts and Sciences. Numerous lofty arches are covered in verdant vines that protect a garden and several species of tropical plants and trees.

Along the colorful walk, you will also find the Stroll of the Sculptures, an outdoor gallery of nine unusual figures by contemporary artists.

The Prince Phillip Museum of Sciences opened in 2000, and its design is often said to resemble a whale’s skeleton, or a dinosaur’s spine.

Whatever your muse, this magnificent exhibit is actually an interactive museum that will prove fascinating to anyone interested in the scientific disciplines that study everything from questions about the origin of the universe to contemporary issues like the enigma of climate change.

The Queen Sophia Palace of Arts sits amid a setting of Mediterranean blue reflecting pools. When it opened in 2005, it became the signature performing arts center in Spain for opera, theatre, and dance.

At 246 feet high, it is the tallest opera house in the world. The site encompasses four multi-purpose auditoriums and the smallest hall seats 400, the largest 1,700 people.

Proudly, the Queen Sophia Company hosts the Centre of Perfeccionament Placido Domingo, which is a celebrated program for young, talented opera artists. As the name indicates, the program honors Spain’s most famous tenor, Placido Domingo.

The Oceanogràfic is like an underwater city and is the largest aquarium in Europe. It features over 500 species of fish and mammal inhabitants collected from the world’s oceans.

The Oceanogràfic compound covers some 20 acres and includes an unusual aquarium restaurant with floor-to-ceiling glass walls where curious fish can watch you savor the catch of the day along with your paella.

The Hemispheric is a visually striking, eye-shaped planetarium in the midst of a stunning, turquoise pool. This popular attraction has a computerized astro-projector that shows the night sky with all the planets and stars on a screen so large you feel like an astronaut.

There is also a laser show displayed on a 900-square-foot screen, and visitors can watch IMAX and 3-D journeys through space. It is no wonder that the Hemispheric Planetarium is now one of the top five buildings visited in Spain.

The Agora is the latest structure created by Calatrava’s architectural genius. This surrealistic multi-use sports arena is 262 feet high and seats over 5,500 spectators.

The Agora is the venue for the Valencia Open 500 and is expected to take its place among the greatest sports facilities in the world.

The City of Arts and Sciences showcases the futuristic designs of renowned Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava. (Judy Bayliff)

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Discovering Ireland Through Joint Ventures

Epoch Times — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 07:16:55 +0000

Ashford Castle Hotel and Gardens is one of the stays arranged for cultural experiences in Ireland. (Photos.com/Patryk Kosmider)

The Irish Examiner USA, in conjunction with the James Joyce Foundation, USA, is planning a unique public/private partnership trade mission to Ireland this June 2012 called “Opportunity Ireland.” This venture will be a business and a leisure/cultural experience.

Dublin-Bound Group

The mission was inspired by the founder of the James Joyce Foundation USA, Stanley Goldstein, who envisioned a James Joyce cultural expedition to Ireland. He hosts the James Joyce Foundation Reading Group every month at the Irish Consulate in New York City, a group with approximately 25–35 members—professors, teachers, finance professionals, retirees, actors, and attorneys—who share a deep passion for Joyce’s work.

Opportunity Ireland will be an intimate gathering of business leaders and James Joyce enthusiasts who would like to take advantage of the opportunities Ireland currently offers to foreign companies.

These opportunities include substantially increasing exports or entering global markets by setting up a European, or global, base in Ireland. Ireland has numerous advantages as an export platform and as a global hub.

And, of course, Ireland is also the country of the great writer James Joyce. This trip will mix business with the pleasure of seeing firsthand the city of Dublin, the inspiration for Joyce’s masterpiece, “Ulysses.”

Experience has shown that by combining business and culture, useful and oft times unexpected business synergies can be revealed.

Celebrating James Joyce

As James O’Malley, a member of the book club, has written:
“There is nothing unusual about a group of intense, obsessive New Yorkers meeting on the 17th floor of a high rise building on Park Avenue at 8:15 in the morning, until you are told that this is a James Joyce book club.

“Once a month, usually the third Tuesday of each month, we meet for an hour or 75 minutes to discuss chapter by chapter, or story by story, three books: ‘Dubliners,’ ‘A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man,’ and ‘Ulysses.’”

O’Malley further shares, “After finishing them, we read these three books again and again, like monks or rabbis poring over holy religious texts to discover new layers of meaning. Why are we so obsessed? James Joyce is a genius of the English language who has captured in his writings the heart of Ireland, the city of Dublin, from its streets, smells, songs, sounds, and lilting voices, to its history, politics, nationalism, and dark humor.”

The Ha'penny Bridge over Dublin's Liffey River. The bridge was named the "Half Penny Bridge," as the toll to cross it was once half a penny. (Martin Murphy/The Epoch Times)

“And as if that were not enough, he throws in the rest of civilization, from Greek mythology to obscure quotations in Latin and Sanskrit. He leaves nothing out and even dares to map out the very consciousness of man.”

“Read alone, ‘Ulysses’ can seem impenetrable, even unreadable,” O’Malley admits. “As a group, however, we can parse together Joyce’s endless references, cross-references, and allusions to classical literature, art, philosophy, religion, and history, without losing sight that at the heart of the book is a story of love and loss.”

“Joyce masterfully pulls us inside Bloom’s consciousness and we experience with him every thought, feeling, sensation, and fantasy, even hallucination,” says O’Malley. “But everyone has a different opinion about the kind of man Bloom really is. Is he a coward? Is he a fool? A real Jew? What exactly is he? We don’t always agree, which makes for lively discussions.”

Saints and Scholars

Ireland has historically been referred to as the “Land of Saints and Scholars.” Although they won’t all claim to be saints, the Irish certainly are a scholarly bunch with a young, well-educated workforce. This workforce, one of the best educated in Europe, will provide a firm foundation on which investors can build.

(L-R) Maurice Landers, co-founder, Opportunity Ireland, Vincent Cunnane, CEO of Shannon Development, Anne Anderson, Ireland ambassador to the United Nations, Norbert Galligan, AIB, and Peter Ryan, Ireland deputy consul general in New York, at the launch of Opportunity Ireland. (Courtesy of Gloria Starr Kins)

The leisure/cultural portion of the trip will include stays at some of Europe’s most famous retreats such as the Ashford Castle and Dromoland Castle, an intimate James Joyce excursion that will retrace some of his inspiring footsteps, golf at world famous golf courses, and excursions to other renowned Irish historical and cultural sites.

Upcoming Dublin Events

Titanic Festival of Creative Arts 2012, Mar. 24 – May 11
Children Save Dublin City -- Read All About It!, through Mar. 31
A Spring Evening of Music and Song at Richview, UCD School of Architecture, Mar. 22
Fresh Film Festival, Mar 26–30
Dine in Dublin Week, Mar. 26 – Apr. 1
Dublin: One City, One Book 2012 – celebrates “Dubliners” by James Joyce, Mar. 28 – Apr 30
Wee Adventure Film Festival, Mar. 30
Hellfire Duathlon, Sporting Event, Mar. 31
St. Patrick’s Salsa Festival, Mar. 30 – Apr. 2 (yes, salsa!)

This could be the ideal opportunity for you (and your family!) to go on that trip to Ireland that you have always dreamed of taking. The business portion will include visits to the main Irish government enterprise agencies, the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament), and selective export-oriented Irish companies in many industry sectors.

An Irish Connection

Participants will be able to meet executives from firms that have already enjoyed and benefited from their “Irish Connection.”

Separate break-out programs will be arranged for specific areas of business interest in addition to the global export potential of Ireland-based operations.

Individual requests from participants to visit a particular company or historical site will be accommodated to the extent that it is practically possible to do so, as this trip is designed to meet each participant’s particular needs.

Ireland is the ideal location for companies that want to open a European or global base without the usual bureaucratic impediments.

Finally, Opportunity Ireland will help ensure that emerging companies will receive the same level of attention from public and private development agencies as that given to larger multinational corporations.

For more information about the James Joyce Foundation and Opportunity Ireland please contact: info@opportunity-ireland.org.

Maurice Landers is a local businessman and co-founder of Opportunity Ireland.

Experience Toronto, Canada

Epoch Times — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 08:42:13 +0000

A magnificent view of Toronto and the Harbourfront Center pier, one of many photo ops during a boat tour of the harbor and its islands, canals, and lagoons. (Terri Hirsch)

Exciting events await you in Toronto by air, lake, and land. Porter Airlines takes one hour from New York, and then two minutes by ferry and five minutes by bus get you to the Fairmont Royal York Hotel located on Front Street.

The Fairmont Royal York is within walking distance of the business and theater districts, shopping, and fine dining.

Since 1929, the Fairmont Royal York has hosted over 40 million guests including three generations of Britain’s Royal Family and other distinguished guests like Sir Winston Churchill.

Of its six food outlets, EPIC, the hotel’s signature dining restaurant, is excellent at any time.

Also not to be missed are the Japanese Steakhouse and Pipers, a casual pub. Union Station, the subway, shops, and other services are connected to the hotel by Toronto’s extensive underground system.

Start With a Tour

The best way to experience Toronto at our own pace was a two-day pass on the Grey Line Sightseeing Hop-on/Hop-off bus with a free boat cruise included with the ticket.

While relaxing aboard this classic, double-decker bus, we started our city sightseeing in old town with a visit to the St. Lawrence Market, a 208-year old market that sells everything food-related, from fresh produce to ready-made items.

Nearby was the Distillery District, a cobblestone, pedestrian-only village offering a mix of galleries, small shops, and restaurants to explore.

Castle on a Hill

On top of a hill overlooking Toronto was Casa Loma, a massive castle. We entered this 98-room castle through the Great Hall and marveled at its oak-beamed ceiling before stepping outside to the terrace with its spectacular views of the Gardens of Casa Loma.

Our self-guided audio tour took us through three floors and the lower level.

Our first stop was the billiards/smoking room where a newsreel from 1939 entitled “The Man Who Built Casa Loma” traced the life of Sir Henry Pellatt. It told the story of Sir Henry’s roots and tragedy and how his fortune was made in transportation, real estate, electricity, and insurance.

The most exquisite room was the stained glass dome in the conservatory. Also cited was Sir Henry’s study, the library, dining room, suites, and his military rooms.

Knighted by King Edward VII, he achieved the rank of major general in the Queen’s Own Rifles, one of Canada’s oldest regiments.

The lower level took us to the unfinished swimming pool and an 800-foot tunnel that connects the castle with stables, a carriage room, a garage, and a potting shed.

Sir Henry and Lady Pellatt enjoyed Casa Loma for less than ten years before financial misfortune forced him to abandon his castle home. Today, Casa Loma remains as a monument to this extraordinary Canadian.

The Toronto Harbourfront Center. (Terri Hirsch)

Out on the Water

The Harbourfront Center and York Quay Center are at the edge of one of the world’s largest lakes. The Harbourfront Center is famous for ceramics, glassblowing, and jewelry. At Harbourfront’s International Marketplace you can shop, eat, and listen to concerts and dance performances.

Strolling down the waterfront, we stopped and listened to live music at the Sirius stage before taking a two-hour guided tour through the Toronto harbor and its canals and lagoons.

As we pulled away from the berth, we had countless photo opportunities of the city and its skyline as we headed toward the islands.

While our guide told us enchanting stories of the harbor and its islands, we were amazed by the beauty and tranquility of this area.

Continued on next page: More Interesting Sights …

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Legendary British Polar Explorer Honoured in Leeds

Epoch Times — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 23:44:58 +0000

Captain Lawrence Edward Grace Oates who died in Antarctica in March 1912, aged 32 years. (Herbert Ponting/Wikimedia Commons)

A Victorian soldier, adventurer, and a “very gallant” English gentleman is being honoured by his countrymen 100 years after his death.

Captain Lawrence Oates’s death in Antarctica and his famous last words “I am just going outside and may be some time” still resonate a century later as an expression of self-sacrifice.

A blue commemorative plaque is to be unveiled in Leeds at Meanwood Park, an area formerly owned by the Oates family, in honour of the polar explorer, who reached the South Pole with Scott of the Antarctic.

Beloved by many in England throughout the past century, Oates had been recommended for the Victoria Cross for his bravery in one of modern history’s harshest military theatres, the Boer war. He was known as a distinguished soldier and a valiant servant of King and country. He later bought himself out of the army, paying a vast sum so that he could be free to enlist with Scott’s fated 1911 South Pole expedition from which no one returned.

Scott’s team had valiantly battled the forbidding ice fields and reached the South Pole only to be pipped at the post by the more efficient Amundsen expedition. The Norwegian team had used dog sleds instead of exhaustingly man-hauling their provisions and equipment. For the British team this error of methodology combined with the use of less than adequate horses on the first 400 miles of the gargantuan outward journey, conspired with the elements to prove the British expedition’s downfall.

Disappointment at not getting to the pole first was soon compounded with disaster as the undermined team turned for home. Catastrophe loomed when, starving and debilitated, the explorers found themselves so near yet so far from the next feeding station. They were ill-equipped to go much further and in sub 40 degree temperatures.

Captain Oates, a Boer war veteran, was hired by Scott of the Antarctic to tend the ponies. (Herbert Ponting/Wikimedia Commons)

Captain Oates, an accomplished equestrian, who had been originally hired to manage the ponies, had limped from the outset of this most forbidding journey. His disability was due to the shortening of a leg from his injuries as an officer in the African campaign. In the rapidly deteriorating conditions, his health, inevitably, was the first to fall apart.

Despite attempts to dissuade him, Oates walked out barefoot into the Arctic blizzard

Oates was now famished and desperately compromised by aggressively advancing gangrene, frostbite, and the re-opening of the old war wound. His colleagues, despite his neediness and the extremity of their situation, had decided never to abandon him. Facing this and seeing no choice, he then made his terrible and now famous decision to unburden his fellow explorers of his rapidly increasing dependence upon them.

Displaying the quintessential British stiff upper lip, he woke up on March 16, 1912, and told Scott and the others, “I am just going outside and may be some time”. Leaving his boots behind him in the tent, and despite attempts to dissuade him, he then walked out barefoot into the Arctic blizzard. Day turned to night and March 17, Captain Oates’s 32nd birthday, dawned but he was never seen again.

This act and the dignity of its execution immortalised the man as a paragon of valiant self-sacrifice and a beloved son of Victorian England who is still very much admired today. He is remembered as a shining example of right conduct and of disregarding self interest to put one’s fellows first, even in the face of the direst personal adversity.

A stone erected affectionately to Oates's memory can be seen at Memorial Drive in Leeds.

Tragically, after a last effort to reach the feeding station only 11 miles from where they managed to camp, Scott and all the remaining expedition members became trapped by a fierce snow storm and perished in their tent.

A stone erected affectionately to Oates’s memory can be seen at Memorial Drive in Leeds and bears the inscription:

“Lawrence Edward Grace Oates of Meanwoodside in this Parish 1880–1912. Captain 6th Inniskilling Dragoons. Served with distinction in the South African war. In 1912 he reached the South Pole with Captain Scott and on the return journey, hoping to save his companions, went out from them to die. His body lies lost in the Antarctic snows. His name is here by his fellow villagers recorded. A very gallant gentleman.”

The Oates Gallery in Selborne, Hampshire, also opened a permanent exhibition in his name on March 10, 2012.

Aiding Elephants: 8 Great Places Where Voluntourism Goes Big!

Epoch Times — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 17:42:53 +0000

For the right type of person, wildlife volunteering is as rewarding as it is dirty. (Nola Lee Kelsey)

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “elephant?”

If you answered their size, you would not be alone. Sadly, endangered or threatened may have also sprung to mind. When you are as large as a pachyderm, there are few places to hide from habitat destruction and human encroachment. But there is more to the story. An increasing number of organizations are stepping up to help protect elephants, fighting to ensure their survival.

From vivid documentaries exposing the elephant’s matriarchal social structure to in-depth studies revealing complex communication, mankind is seeing beyond that substantial girth. The more people understand, the more they care.

As a result, global volunteer opportunities now include allowing travelers to aid these largest of land mammals. The options are diverse. From wildlife field studies and habitat conservation to sanctuaries and archeological digs, for giving hearts on a quest to help elephants, voluntourism is a world full of big possibilities.

Thailand
The history of Thailand and that of Asian elephants are chapters in the same story. In modern times, the kingdom has no shortage of organizations claiming to provide sanctuary for elephants. The following three are the real deal.

Given Thailand's historical bond with elephants it is little wonder that the country now hosts several of the best volunteer opportunities for working with Asian elephants. (Nola Lee Kelsey)

Thailand’s Elephant Nature Park
Northern Thailand’s Elephant Nature Park is a world-renowned sanctuary which receives top marks from past volunteers. Their program is for those who wish to work around a sanctuary while gaining knowledge about the problems elephants face both in Thailand and around the world.
Duration: 1+ week
Learn more:www.elephantnaturepark.org

Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT)
About 99 miles southwest of Bangkok, WFFT has multiple wildlife volunteering opportunities. Elephant volunteers harvest and prepare food, take the animals to swim in the lake, and clean enclosures, amid a backdrop of gibbons, bears, and other rescued species. This project is for people who want to work up close with elephants day in and day out.
Durations: 3+ weeks
Learn more: www.wfft.org

Boon Lott’s Elephant Sanctuary (BLES)
Thailand’s BLES provides an elephant program for people seeking a more “chilled-out” experience. The workload is less intense than in many programs, yet there is plenty of pachyderm face time. Comfortable private guest cottages add to an enchanting, resort-like atmosphere and each is situated for prime elephant observation.
Duration: Varies
Learn more: www.blesele.org

Sub-Saharan Africa
African elephants are often more rambunctious around humans than their Asian counterparts. As a result, few are domesticated, making hands-on volunteer opportunities less common. However, for travelers interested in field study projects, Southern Africa offers some fascinating alternatives.

Elephant – Human Relationship Aid in Namibia
The Desert Elephant/Human Collaboration project is a long-term initiative seeking solutions to the ever-growing problem of peaceful cohabitation between subsistence farmers and desert-adapted elephants. Volunteers should be comfortable camping in the wide open spaces of Namibia.
Duration: 2 weeks to 3 months
Learn more: www.desertelephant.org

Earthwatch Institute’s Elephants of Tsavo, Kenya
Help researchers monitor the behavior and range of elephants on the Kenyan savannah. Teams spend time conducting elephant surveys in Tsavo East National Park, Rukinga Wildlife Sanctuary and along their boundaries.
Duration: 11 days
Learn more: www.earthwatch.org

Everything Elephant in South Africa
Edge of Africa volunteers contribute to a mix of elephant conservation programs. The work includes involvement in sustainable community projects linked to elephant tourism, maintenance of reserves, assistance with education programs, and studies in the wild.
Duration: 2 to 4 weeks
Learn more: www.edgeofafrica.com

United States

Yes, even the United States has options for elephant aficionados.

Outdoor Volunteer Days, USA
At the globally-recognized Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, volunteers have no direct contact with elephants. Instead, day crews help in a mixed array of maintenance and support projects. Teams paint fencing, renovate structures, and help with cleanup of new habitats. It’s all in good fun and a great way to connect with other people who share a common interest in wildlife and volunteerism.
Duration: 1 day
Learn more: www.elephants.com

Mammoth Graveyard Excavation in South Dakota, USA
If you dig archeology, Earthwatch has a pachyderm program just for you. Nestled in the heart of the southern Black Hills, The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs is no small archeological dig. It’s literally a mammoth of a site. Volunteers receive a complete education about prehistoric environments and Pleistocene extinctions. Participants will learn how to excavate, record data, preserve bone fragments, and map finds on a computer.
Duration: 15 days
Learn more: www.earthwatch.org

Each one of us has a role to play in implementing change for good in our world. Is volunteering with animals the right role for you? Elephant programs, like any wildlife field study or rescue work, will likely be filled with long days and ample dirt. It is a weighty commitment. However, if you believe volunteering to help elephants is for you, it may just be time to pack your trunk. (It had to be said.)

Journalist Nola Lee Kelsey, the Voluntary Traveler, is a global expert on the who, what, and where of volunteer travel. Kelsey’s books include, 700 Places to Volunteer Before you Die and The Frugal Volunteer (January 2012). www.NolaKelsey.com

The Sweet Mountain Air at Qingjing Farm, Taiwan

Epoch Times — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:24:48 +0000

The Green Green Grassland (Sun Mingguo/The Epoch Times)

A farm stay is a new vacation option that is gaining popularity among city dwellers. Ditching the hectic city life for the countryside and waking up to sweet mountain air is a thoroughly amazing experience. Most importantly, there is no pressure to do anything and no travel itinerary to rush through. You do what you feel like, when you feel like it.

En route on our maiden trip to explore the rich cultural and natural treasures of Central Taiwan recently, we embarked on a weekend trip to Qingjing Farm in Nantou. Situated in the Renai township of Taiwan’s Nantou County (the second largest county in Taiwan), Qingjing Farm is the only farm that sits in the high mountains.

Our trip there involved traveling by bus for about an hour up a steep and winding road, where the air gets fresher and lighter as the altitude increases.

If you are lucky, you may see what many other tourists have encountered: “The endless sea of clouds.” From our lofty vantage point, the clouds around nearby mountains were at eye level. As we watched, fluffy layers rose up and filled the spaces between peaks, forming a spectacular sea of clouds that stretched beyond the horizon.

Along your journey, you may also stop to purchase some of the area’s specialty products—mountain tea leaves and cabbages. Due to the cool temperatures up there, the organic cabbages are quite fresh and crunchy. Life’s much healthier out there, I guess.

Enjoying a mild temperature of around 16 degrees, the farm produces a fascinating range of flowers, fruits, and plants such as honey peaches, sakuras, or cherry blossoms, and maple trees, all of which take turns to dress the landscape in ever-changing attire: flowers in the spring, fruits in the summer, colourful maple trees in autumn, and snow in the winter.

Green, Green Grassland
Green, Green Grassland, one of the most popular tourist attractions at the farm, is famous for its vast meadow that lures occasional flocks of grazing sheep and goats. Set against a backdrop of beautiful valleys and an endless mountain range, the quaint grassland, with its refreshing breezes, makes you feel as though you are in a dream.

Such a phenomenon explains why tourists the world over rank Qingjing among the top destinations for a highland holiday or summer vacation, earning the farm the title of “a haven above the clouds.”

The endless flow of tourists every year makes Green, Green Grassland the most popular tour venue on the farm, where everyone in the family, from young to old, come to enjoy life’s simple pleasures.

Giving the sheep a good shave during the sheep shearing show. (Sun Mingguo/The Epoch Times)

One of the most popular spectacles there is the sheep-shearing show. At the start of the show, a flock of sheep was chased onto the stage, coming into close proximity to the audience and delightfully surprising us city dwellers.

While we believed that the sheep were clueless about what was happening, most of the time they were nonetheless camera-friendly and cooperative with photographers. The most exciting part came when the sheep shearers from New Zealand shaved the furry, farm animals for the audience’s enjoyment.

As though subdued by the shearer’s charm, the sheep obediently (and powerlessly) stayed in place as the shearer deftly manoeuvred the shaver all over its body. The innocent expressions on the sheep’s faces also brought forth whispers of “Aww” or “Ouch” from the audience, and the sheep quickly captured everyone’s hearts. Throughout the session, the jovial Mandarin narration by the New Zealand shearer elicited tons of laughter from the crowd.

If you prefer to simply enjoy the tranquility and beauty of the farm, you may choose to take a stroll along the Xumu trail and sit on the meadow to view majestic Qi Lai Mountain, fly a kite, or run along with the wind. With a distance of 500 meters, the trail takes about 30 minutes to walk.

Hasake Horse-Riding Show
Introduced on the farm in March 2011, the Hasake horse-riding demonstration show is another highlight. The Hasake tribe that lives by the mountain lakes is a group of primarily sheepherders.

For hundreds of years, at the start of summer, the tribesmen have taken their tents and led their flocks of sheep from the Gobi Desert into the mountain ranges to reside along the mountain lakes. As most of the tribesmen are herders and often need to be ready to defend themselves in the wild, the mastery of such horse-riding techniques is crucial for their survival.

In their early twenties, young Hasake riders showcase the unique skills used for battle, celebrations, and games in the arena. Some of the techniques include changing riding positions from the front to the side to the back and under the horse, bending down to pick up items from the ground, and forming a human pyramid on two horses.

By incorporating acrobatic elements into their act, the Hasake tribesmen keep the show lively and exciting from beginning to end.

Starry, Starry Sky
As dusk falls, the richness of the starlit sky is spectacular and mesmerizing in the absence of light pollution. Glittering brightly, these massive heavenly bodies form familiar constellations.

“Constellations always remain the same, but during the course of the night you will see them move across the sky from east to west,” explained Mr. Liu Yuan-Jung, director of Qingjing Farm. “This is because the earth is rotating and during different seasons you will see different constellations in the sky.”

Remember to keep your wishes in mind since, with a bit of luck, you might catch a glimpse of shooting stars blazing past in fleeting, brilliant streaks.

To know find out more about Qingjing Farm, visit: www.cingjing.gov.tw

Rebuilding the Paths to Paradise

Epoch Times — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 05:49:42 +0000

The surrounding hillsides of Cinque Terre, including Vernazza (pictured), are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Mitchell Jordan)

The Italian coast of Cinque Terre, a UNESCO World Heritage site drawing thousands of tourists from around the world, is facing a fight for its future after natural disaster wreaked havoc last year, reports Mitchell Jordan.

Like most Australian travellers, the idea of leaving a cold winter behind for a few months under the European sun saw me pack up my bags in 2011 and, after countless recommendations from those I met along the way, headed to Cinque Terre in Italy’s north-western Liguria region.

Only an hour train ride from the less memorable city of Pisa, the portion of coastline on the Italian Riviera known as Cinque Terre consisting of five seaside villages, is both a refreshing step back in time and an entrance into a tourist’s paradise.

It isn’t hard to see why. Cinque Terre offers everything that any traveller could hope for: old-world Italian charm in the shape of grand pastel houses built opportunistically along the steep cliffs, sublime food and beaches, and most importantly, the moderate-to-challenging hiking paths.

Anyone who embarks along the paths is rewarded not only with dazzling views of a town so secluded it is almost idyllic, but also with a strong sense of history and admiration for the Italians who made these pathways by hand and negotiated their way along them well before the area was accessible by any other forms of transport.

Sounds like paradise and to many like myself, it was. I speak in past tense not just because I am writing this from Australia, but also because in October last year, just over a month after my return, the area was battered and beaten by torrential rain and fierce mudslides that killed five people and all but ruined the two most tourist-orientated of the five villages, Vernazza and Monterosso.

Mayor of Monterosso, Angelo Betta, was grim in his evaluation of the town. “Monterosso no longer exists,” he said in October.

The beach at Monterosso runs along most of the coast line and is a popular place for tourists and locals alike. (Mitchell Jordan)

Locals compared the severity of the situation to that of WWII, when the area was bombed. What followed was, according to one resident I met during my stay and later contacted, nothing short of nightmare.

“I do not have the words to describe the situation,” she wrote, some weeks after, when Internet access was possible.

“We have problems with food and water, the army bring them to us. There are helicopters flying around. Police walking around the town all the night long. Firemen and the army are working all the night.”

Months later and things are still grim. According to Monterosso resident, Stefano Nicora, his town may have been saved from disappearing completely, but on a scale of one to 10 (worse to best), Cinque Terre is currently sitting on a four.

He reports that many local businesses in the two towns are doing everything they can to bounce back for the tourist season.

The main street is fully damaged and will take a long time to be rebuilt because there is not much public money.

—Monterosso resident, Stefano Nicora

“The huge problem unfortunately is that the main street is fully damaged and will take a long time to be rebuilt because there is not much public money.

“Gas for heating is not yet available due [to] the damaging of the main pipes, so many buildings are without heat and gas for cooking,” he said.

Mr Nicora understands the fragile position the area is in. “I hope we will be ready for the tourist season in April. Our economy is based on tourism 100 per cent and works nine months of the year thanks to the Cinque Terre path, our beautiful beach and our more beautiful, clean and clear sea. Without these three points we are in trouble.”

Mayor of Vernazza, Vincenzo Resasco, is likewise worried about Cinque Terre’s ability to remain resilient. In a report, he said: “There’s a lot of work to be done, because Vernazza is still not secure. The territory isn’t in the condition to withstand even normal rainfalls.”

According to the action website Save Vernazza, dedicated to raising money for the town and also raising awareness of the situation, the town alone suffered 108 million euro ($A133 million) worth of damage.

One of the things that saddens Michele Sherman, executive director of Save Vernazza, most is that so few people are unaware of last year’s tragedy.

“This past Saturday morning as I was walking down Vernazza’s main street, a train pulled up and some tourists got off. As they descended the stairs it was evident by their expressions they had no knowledge of what happened in Vernazza on 25 October,” she said.

“Later in the afternoon, a group of American students studying abroad for a semester at the University of Florence arrived. They asked, I explained. I cried, they cried.”

Tears may be easy to wipe away, but rebuilding the pathway to Cinque Terre’s future may be the greatest challenge this Italian coast has ever faced.

Iceland: A Land of Elves and Dwarves

Epoch Times — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 13:32:33 +0000

Iceland is full of beautiful waterfalls. (Georgi Varbanov)

After our high school graduation, two friends and I decided that participating in a summer work camp would benefit our application process for higher education abroad.

For some time, we debated where to go and what to do. While we were discussing whether we would have more fun trekking the tropical jungles of Amazonia or crossing Tibet for three weeks, we missed all the deadlines.

Our lifesaver was a photo marathon in Iceland, proposed by an academic advisor at the American College in Sofia. It ended up being the best summer we ever had!

The photo marathon was organized by a non-governmental organization for the price of $240 for the three weeks (a comparable trip to Tibet costs $7,000, minus airfare). Such a price was a rare find among the high prices for Iceland tourist packages. We bought tickets straightaway.

A Cultural Experience

When we landed at the airport in Iceland, I felt like I was on another planet. The airport was almost deserted and the few people that were there had typical Viking features—tall, blond, and with high cheekbones—and they spoke in a language absolutely incomprehensible to me.

I thought about the Icelander interesting facts that I had read in a leaflet on the plane. About 20 percent of Icelanders profess some kind of Christian faith, while 60 percent believe in elves and dwarves. Also, any Icelander can supposedly trace his or her family tree back to the first settlers of 300 years ago.

The real surprise came when I went outside. The smell of the air resembled something between a sandwich and some rare species of lichens. The sky was endless, gray, cold, and unearthly. There were no mountains or any other barriers to a view of the horizon.

Realizing that I was further north than 99.9 percent of the world’s population made me think about what it really means to be on top of the world!

The many mineral springs in Reykjavik serve as a central heating system for the town. (Georgi Varbanov)

An Unearthly Vista

Here, it was like a land on another world, without trees or animals, and almost no trace of people—save the huge airport, which looked like a space station from Star Wars. And the mainland…was not land, but frozen lava covered with lichens.

Endless lava fields, volcanoes, geysers, and other natural exhalations rose from the bowels of the earth—I thought this was Iceland in its true splendor. If I had only known what was to come…

When we arrived in Reykjavik, I was pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness, greenery, and beauty of the city. Roughly 280,000 of the 300,000 Icelanders live in the island city, yet it remains the most deserted-looking city I have ever visited.

The style of houses has hardly changed over the past 150 years, except for the colors. It turned out that it is a hobby of Icelanders to paint their houses in all sorts of wild colors every two or three years.

In stark contrast the biggest building in the city, the cathedral-volcano in the center, was completely gray.

The graveyard was the only “park” with trees, other than pines, that were brought in and planted by people after they settled in Reykjavik.

At the two main streets of the town, there are mainly stores to buy warm clothes and food, which included puffin meat and whale steaks. (We did not see live puffins anywhere in Iceland.)

The plentiful mineral springs serve as a central heating system for the town.

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Doing It Right: Barging Into Life’s Luxuries

Epoch Times — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:10:29 +0000

Sailing through the French countryside, Savoir Faire. (David Ellis)

After taking part in the Allies’ D-Day landing in Normandy in 1944, the little one-time grain-barge-cum-troop-carrier Etoile de Champagne returned to her homeland in Belgium – but instead of a hero’s welcome, she was ignominiously driven into the river shallows and scuttled to prevent her falling into German hands.

There she lay partly-submerged for over a quarter-century until Australian architect Brian Evans found her in the early 1970s, raised her and converted Etoile de Champagne into a luxury 6-cabin floating hotel.

For the next decade and a half Mr Evans operated his “hotel-barge” on the canals of Europe for those seeking a truly personalised, indulgent and laid-back holiday experience, complete with two Bentley limousines whose drivers leap-frogged the barge to towns and villages for daily shore-side sightseeing.

Mr Evans eventually sold Etoile de Champagne in 1989 to his skipper, who sold it to current owner and skipper, Chris Bennett, who was looking for an “out” from owning a high-pressure graphics company in London.

“I no longer wanted to be at the corporate helm,” says Chris, a still youthful 55. “I was putting-in 18-hour days, 7-days a week…

“Fran (his wife) and I decided we’d take time off, [and] bought ourselves a little barge in France.”

The rest, as they say, is history. The Bennetts began taking guests—just six at a time—on their little barge, which they later sold in 2005 to buy the Etoile de Champagne, which they re-named Savoir Faire (meaning “To Do It Right”).

Chris drives Savoir Faire and supervises a five-member as the luxury barge wends a leisurely path along inland waterways from Amsterdam during the springtime tulip season to Brugge, Paris and the Burgundy Canal over summer and autumn.

Captain Chris Bennett – “it beats 18-hour days, 7-days a week running a graphics design business.” (Courtesy David Ellis)

Next year he’s planning a Paris to Champagne cruise as well.

When Chris was young, his father constantly travelled the world on business, and the family regularly lived in hotels for up to six months at a time.

“I went to sixteen schools around the world including Australia, and was fascinated by the hospitality industry and lucky enough to have many hotel staff take me ‘behind the scenes’—it was an invaluable experience that I still put to use today.”

No matter where they come from, all guests aboard Savoir Faire are equally pampered, with grand French cuisine, complimentary wines with lunch and dinner, and an open bar with hors d’oeuvres in the evening. The ship features a cosy salon for reading, yarning and board-games, outdoor seating areas for viewing the spectacular countryside (which are so close you can almost reach out and touch them), a library, and bicycles for riding along the canal towpaths.

Daily sightseeing is included, with excursions led by the live-aboard tour guide, who takes guests out to walk along the towpaths between locks. In seven days on the Burgundy Canal from Ancy-le-Franc to St Florentin, there are no less than 26 locks in 60kms.

And so tight a fit are some of these locks, that Captain Chris has to ease the 40m-long, 5m-wide Savoir Faire into them with just 5cm (2-inches) clearance on either side.

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David Ellis is a freelance writer that hails from Australia. He can be reached at David Ellis Associates Pty Limited: ellispr@bigpond.net.au.

Between the Rivers: Discovering Maryland’s Estuarine Secrets

Epoch Times — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 17:50:33 +0000

A bronze sculpture of a bayman at work at Annmarie Garden. (MYRIAM MORAN)

Native Americans settled the lowlands between what is now the Potomac and Patuxent Rivers of Maryland. “Acquaskack Indians, of the Algonquin Nation, were here 12–16,000 years before the white man came,” said Wayne E. Clark, a veteran Maryland archaeologist.

“When John Smith explored the Chesapeake Bay and sailed up the pristine rivers that formed the jutting peninsula of land in 1608, he was amazed by the abundance of natural resources and rich forests that bordered the shores.”

The lighthouse at the Marine Museum in Solomons. The Wm. B. Tennison leaves from the dock behind the lighthouse for cruises on the river and bay. (MYRIAM MORAN)

Maryland Transformations

It didn’t take colonists long to establish themselves in the area. On the heels of the first English settlements in 1634 came the removal of native peoples by hostile acts and diseases brought to the New World by Europeans.

Plantations were established to supply tobacco, a labor-intensive crop. Slaves were captured in Africa and sold in the colonies to supply the workforce needed to sustain agriculture.

With America’s independence from England, life continued largely unabated with seaborne commerce as an integral part of the economy. The War of 1812 between the fledgling nation and England saw continual attacks by English warships on settlements along Maryland’s peninsular coast.

A boatwright at the Marine Museum poses with a wood and canvas canoe that is being restored. (MYRIAM MORAN)

Plantations were burned, slaves were set free, and raids were so frequent that American flotillas were established to combat English raiders.

Three counties form an oasis of life that today shares its history, culture, traditions, and dependence on the rivers and bay with visitors.

Calvert County lies between the Patuxent River and the Chesapeake Bay; St. Mary’s County forms the point between the Patuxent and Potomac; and Charles County is the land just north.

Calvert County

Prehistoric fossil shark's tooth found off Calvert Cliffs. (MYRIAM MORAN)

A good place to start is Solomons. It is a quaint town at the tip of Calvert County. Annmarie Garden is just outside of town in a beautiful setting. Sculptures grace the lawn, the large gallery space hosts many entertaining programs for adults and children.

“We get art on loan from the Hirshhorn [museum], part of the Smithsonian,” Kimberly Pepper-Holtor said. “During Artfest, a two-day annual event, we host 25 bands with food, beer, and wine events.”

“Our founder was a Washington, D.C., architect. They [Koenigs] came down here and bought this land. When his wife Annmarie died, Mr. Koenig donated 30 acres to Calvert County in memorial to her. Holidays have our garden decorated with lights.”

Pepper-Holtor added, “We have an eco-lab with green initiatives, and a summer camp. We are only an hour away from D.C. It is a great escape for people that enjoy fine art and culture in the country.”

The Calvert Marine Museum is only a short distance away. The alluring Drum Point Lighthouse was built in 1883. It is a large cottage atop screw piles, a lattice-work of steel girders. The lighthouse, relocated to the museum in Solomons in 1975, is one of the most photogenic in the world.

Docents at the Sotterly Plantation greet visitors in period dress. (MYRIAM MORAN)

At Sotterly Plantation, children dress in period costume and play on the expansive lawns. (MYRIAM MORAN)

A few minutes away from the main museum is Cove Point Lighthouse. Built in 1828, it is Maryland’s oldest continuously operating lighthouse.

Boat tours of Solomons’ Harbor and the Patuxent River are available aboard the restored Wm. B. Tennison, the only U.S. Coast Guard, licensed, log-hulled vessel in America. The Tennison was built in 1899 for oyster dredging, converted to power, and is now used for tours of the area.

The Museum has a wooden boat restoration section. Boatwrights, like George Surgent, are on hand to answer questions about antique wooden canoes and fishing vessels that they are restoring.

The work in wood is fascinating. To see derelict vessels being restored to their original elegance is interesting.

Artifacts, like these cannon projectiles, are exhibited at the Maryland State Conservation Lab. (MYRIAM MORAN)

The museum documents oyster fishing, one of the area’s most important economic pursuits. History of the oyster fishery at the museum dates from 1870 through the heyday of oystering in 1921, when 4,959,962 bushels were harvested. Current figures log 500,000 bushels, by comparison.

The cause of decline is attributed to pollution, development, and over-harvesting. There is a pool where rays swim and marine life of the bay is displayed.

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The biological station is close by and docks are home to many picturesque working crab and oyster boats. The University of Maryland research vessel Rachel Carson is docked here when it is not cruising.

Across the bay is the famed Patuxent Naval Air Station where military aircraft are tested and evaluated.

A long bridge connects Solomons in Calvert County . . . . . Read More . . . . .

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Tunisia’s Warm Winters Entice

Epoch Times — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:31:21 +0000

A restaurant overlooking the ocean in Sidi Bou Said, a town about 20 kilometers from Tunis. Credit (Valerian Mazataud/The Epoch Times)

It was last January that the Jasmine Revolution ousted Tunisia’s President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, eventually leading to free and democratic elections and the drafting of a new constitution.

A year later, Tunisia is in the midst of restructuring but is completely safe for travelers. Between the bar and the mosque, wearing shorts or the veil, both worlds seem to coexist in harmony, inspired by the new democracy that is being built.

The mild climate in winter is a good time to choose to become familiar with Tunisia, when the country becomes a haven away from the regular tourist traffic and visitors can experience its rich and varied cultural heritage at a lower cost than in the high season.

Beautiful and peaceful, the coastal capital of Tunis should be visited in winter to experience all it has to offer in relative quiet.

At the onset of winter, Tunis opens up like a flower. Tourists are also greeted in perfect French, the second most commonly spoken language in the country after Arabic. Being Francophone, for us this was really the icing on the cake!

Agriculture is the largest industry in the country, and the cuisine varies from one region to another. However, Tunisian resorts offer many other amenities aside from gourmet eating.

Cultural Journey

Tunisia has the largest collection of mosaics in the world after Italy, which illustrates the cultural wealth of the country. The Bardo National Museum in the western district of Tunis is dedicated entirely to the mosaics.

The mosaics have been carefully restored, forming several meters of frescoes dating back to the Carthaginian, Roman, and Arab invasions, moving through prehistory to the Muslim period. The museum remains open to the public despite renovations that will add two additional floors to accommodate its extensive collection.

Visiting the House of Crafts is a must in Tunis. Whether shopping for ceramics, rugs, baskets, bird cages, leather goods, engraved plates, or embroidered dresses, prices are amazingly low and profits go directly to the artisans. The state subsidizes a portion of the rental spaces to encourage crafts, the heart of tourism.

If you are looking for pottery, Nabeul, a town 67 kilometres southeast of Tunis on the south coast of the peninsula of Cape Bon, is the place to be.

At the onset of winter, Tunis opens up like a flower.

The Bourguiba Mausoleum in Monastir. Habib Bourguiba is known as the father of Tunisian independence. (Valerian Mazataud/The Epoch Times)

Pottery company Kerkeni offers visitors a guided tour punctuated by demonstrations of pottery-making. Through the help of the National Association of Crafts, Karkeni also offers training to students from Japan, Saudi Arabia, and France. The impressive variety of pottery and terracotta objects, of which Tunisians are known masters, deserves to be discovered.

Driving toward the fortified tower of Sousse, located 140 kilometers from Tunis, we marveled at the breathtaking panoramic view of the city and its famous Medina, the oldest section of Tunis.

A visit to the Bourguiba Mausoleum in Monastir is an adventure in itself. The mausoleum’s sumptuousness, the chandelier overlooking the imposing tomb of the deceased, and the long passage to reach the main room (several graves were displaced to install this) are a sight to behold.

Built in 1963, the mausoleum is the burial place of Habib Bourguiba, the first President of the Republic of Tunisia, who introduced pro-Western reforms during his presidency.

The Sahara

A camel ride in the Sahara in winter as the sun gently covers the sand dunes is an unforgettable experience, as it combines the pleasure of the trip with silence and meditation inspired by the desert.

Enjoying a camel ride through the desert in the Tunisian part of the Sahara as the sun rises. (Valerian Mazataud/The Epoch Times)

Douz, known as the Gateway to the Sahara, is a starting point for desert treks by camel, motorcycle, or four-wheel-drive vehicle.

Douz is home to the Museum of the Sahara, which showcases displays of the traditional nomadic desert culture of the Mrazig people who now mostly live a settled life in the town. Every year, the town hosts the International Festival of the Sahara, a four-day celebration of traditional desert culture.

A camel ride in the Sahara in winter as the sun gently covers the sand dunes is an unforgettable experience.

As for water restrictions and swimming, some hotels have pools of salt water for a quick dip. The good news is that in winter, it is not uncommon to have the water privileges all to yourself.

Thalassotherapy, the use of seawater as a form of therapy which has been popular in France for years, is now widely available in Tunisia and highly sought out by tourists.

The next item on the agenda for us was true spa relaxation combined with a massage before heading back through the oases to enjoy the diversity offered by Tunisia.

Safe for tourists

The Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised travelers to exercise a “high degree of caution” when visiting Tunisia, but on the ground things are calm despite some ongoing demonstrations.

“Since the protests began, no tourist has been killed or injured,” said Ferid Fetni, marketing director at the Tunisian National Tourism Office in Montreal.

However, tourist traffic has declined drastically in many parts of the country.

According to the Ministry of Tourism, between January and October 2011, patronage decreased by 41.9 percent and revenue by 36 percent compared to the same period in 2010.

Some hotels are taking advantage of this break to renovate and introduce new services.

The Hotel Africa’s parent company is building a new spa center and surgical clinic in Sousse on the east coast in order to attract customers wishing to take advantage of lower costs—particularly from Europe.

Tunisia is fast becoming the favored destination of Europeans seeking plastic surgery, according to Dr. Hassem Nouira, the medical and technical director of the Amen Clinic in Mutual Amen City, an upscale neighborhood of Tunis.

“People stay an average of one week and have access to the most skilled surgeons. We maintain an ISO international standard that will be in effect next month,” said Dr. Nouira.

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Another burgeoning sector is agri-tourism, popular among those who like to visit vineyards and taste locally made wines. There are 15 wineries in Tunisia, with three more in development.

During our trip, the sun never missed a day in the pleasantly warm but not-too-heavy climate.

In the Tunisia of today, visitors can enjoy the atmosphere of optimism and peaceful involvement that characterizes the country, and encounter a culture that is reinventing itself while imbued with the history of several millennia.

For more information, contact the Tunisian National Tourist Office in Montreal at 514-397-1182 or visit www.bonjour-tunisie.com.

This article was written during a press trip paid for by the Tunisian National Tourist Office.

Spearfish and Western Heritage

Epoch Times — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 06:59:37 +0000

The cowboy, mounted on his horse, six-shooter in hand, is portrayed as an action hero of old. (Myriam Moran)

The High Plains Western Heritage Center is located in Spearfish, S.D., in a modern, state-of-the-art building on a hill outside town. The place has the feel of the Old West.

It’s a saddle shop, newspaper office, pioneer display, and museum. A massive sculpture dominates the atrium. The cowboy, mounted on his horse, six-shooter in hand, is portrayed as an action hero of old.

The Center was founded to honor Old West pioneers and Native Americans in the five-state area of North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana.

The genesis for the idea to preserve the history of the area began when ranchers Harry Blair and Edgar Gardner developed a plan for the center. Donations and fundraising began in 1974 to purchase land and start building. The Center was opened on Sept. 1, 1989.

The 20,000-square-foot museum is located just off Exit 14 of Interstate 90. It’s in a perfect spot for visitors to enjoy after exploring Spearfish Canyon, one of the natural wonders of the West.

Collections in the museum pay tribute to native peoples of the region and life before white settlement. Pioneer wagons and a stagecoach offer insight into early modes of transportation. There is a collection of saddles and cowboy accouterments.

Firearms from the early days, mining displays, forestry, authentic shops for saddle making, blacksmithing, and a newspaper office originally used by the Pioneer Press, add to the fun of any visit.

Jerry Croft, a saddlemaker from Deadwood, S.D., set up an authentic saddle shop in the museum. He serves as cowboy consultant to Hollywood producers and has worked on motion pictures with actor-director Tom Selleck.

Croft’s saddles are in demand by stars for their authenticity and craftsmanship. A display, from popular films he’s worked on, describes behind-the-scenes production with photographs and props from the movies.

“I tried for a number of years to get Jerry to donate one of his hats,” Center director Peggy Ables said. “He finally gave us one, dust and all,” she laughed holding up a 10-gallon hat. The hat shows wear since everything he owns is authentic and gets a lot of use.

Everything in the saddle shop is genuine and has been used by Croft to craft his world famous saddles and working cowboy gear including cuffs, holsters, and saddlebags. There are fine examples of leathercraft on display in the museum.

The Black Hills Pioneer Press began publication in 1875, during Deadwood’s gold rush. It remains one of the area’s popular newspapers. The print shop dates from its early foundation with cases of type and presses from the era. While Deadwood was wild and woolly in the early days, settlement came with riches in gold.

A fully equipped blacksmith shop offers the allure of mighty men at a forge making iron goods for miners and ranchers. The shop is reminiscent of what one might expect to have found in a frontier town when the village smith played a critical role fabricating parts and repairing everything from gates to farm machinery and shoeing horses.

The High Plains Western Heritage Center is a living museum. Programs all year around bring musicians, western story tellers, poets, cowboys, and entertainers to town. There are gala events, picnics on the lawn, displays of cowboy cooking, and western arts and crafts.

“We have a fundraiser every year. Quilters donate one of their works of art and it is raffled off,” Peggy Ables said. There is a display of quilting on the second floor of the Center that offers insight into the craft that began of necessity when women used bits of cloth to keep their families warm in winter.

The sprawling lawns and grounds of the Center contain a one-room schoolhouse, a log homestead cabin, and farm equipment used by pioneers. Longhorn cattle and a buffalo graze in the front pasture, reminiscent of the old days.

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There is plenty to do and see in and around Spearfish. There are canyons, waterfalls, fall foliage, and national forests. Everything is within an easy drive to Bear Butte, Mt. Rushmore, Badlands National Park, Deadwood, and Devil’s Tower.

Take time to enjoy the Western Heritage Center, open daily all year around from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Visit their website at www.westernheritagecenter.com or call them at (605) 642-9378.

Dr. John Christopher Fine served as a medical missionary in war-ravaged Congo. He is a marine biologist and often describes ocean elements that are used for food and healing. He is the author of 24 books, many dealing with health and environmental issues.

Alsace: Strasbourg to Colmar, and Places Between

Epoch Times — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 02:57:10 +0000

Strasbourg, in eastern France, is a fitting place for a wedding, for the province of Alsace itself is a marriage of two cultures, French and German. Oh, throw in a little Roman, too.

I went there to witness the vows of Samuel, a nice Jewish doctoral candidate in Middle Eastern studies and his bride, M’Brouka, a beautiful Muslim accounting specialist born to Tunisian Bedouins. The couple met in Yemen. Each speaks English, French, and Arabic. They did a lot of translating for their out-of-town guests.

There are many words to describe Strasbourg and points south to Colmar, about an hour’s drive away. It is a showcase of centuries-old sites amidst a protected estuary for the endangered Alsatian stork. Here, too, is a fertile land to grow grapes to make world-class Alsatian wines, cabbage for sauerkraut, and barley and hops for beer. Duck farmers tend precious flocks to produce foie gras (liver pate), and dairy farmers make their Munster cheese.

Alsace for Inspiration
Alsace inspires a fertile imagination for marquetry artist, Jean-Charles Spindler and Master Chef Emil Jung. And also remember the early architects of the Gothic cathedrals, Romanesque chapels and feudal castles. There are ancient walled cities, once fortified by the Romans, named Obernai, Kaysersberg, Riquewhir and others.

The region combines a fairytale air with business-as-usual routines. Whether it is in Strasbourg center or a village square, people line up at the bakery, or they sip a coffee and down a croissant on the way to the office.

The River Ill skirts chateaus dating back to the 15th century in Strasbourg. (Bianka Guitarra/Flickr)

The three-mile River Ill circles Strasbourg, the capital city of Alsace. Since 1949, Strasbourg is also home to the European Parliament (Council of Europe, European Court of Human Rights), with its 46 member-countries that confer on global issues, including human rights and social, business, educational, environmental, and cultural decisions.

The one-hour boat excursion traverses the River Ill, and passes the parliament’s ultra-modern complex that contrasts with the city’s architectural antiquities of its Notre Dame Cathedral, a masterpiece of Gothic art completed in 1240.

The boat glides under 14th century bridges and skirts chateaus dating back to the 15th century, as an electric-powered, sleek, silver tram snakes through squares and clean pedestrian streets.

Bronze sculptures honor noteworthy citizens with a namesake plaza, such as Place Gutenberg for the inventor of the moveable printing press, or Place Kleber, named for a French Revolution general, which marked the start of the premier 2006 Tour de France, cycling race.

One of Strasbourg’s most popular sections is “La Petite France,” the oldest part of this medieval city, with winding, bending cobblestone streets and half-timber buildings. Originally an area that housed working fishermen, tanners and millers, it had become a bit seedy. However, out-of-work tradesmen no longer loiter there.

Extensive gentrification began 50 years ago, converting the run-down area into an international, tourist-friendly attraction. Tanning factories along the river and locks were converted into retail shops, galleries, and fine restaurants, and were painted in striking blues, reds, and yellows. With red-tiled roofs, and equally colorful shutters, the place is now a picture postcard for strolling musicians playing to the café crowd.

Sitting by the only pedestrian bridge, Pont du Faisan, at the river’s narrowest gap, Christoph strikes up Edith Piaf tunes on his accordion during the busy weekends to a captive audience waiting to cross. A professional jazz musician who plays piano and bassoon at night, Christoph chooses the accordion for his bridge gig because “it is romantic and more in harmony with French life.”

Nearby, in tune with the new Strasbourg, is the Strasbourg Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. The terrace of this steel, concrete, and glass structure literally stands out from the surrounding Renaissance period architecture that overlooks the River Ill.

Among its collection of venerable French artists such as Gauguin, Monet, and Renoir, are the works of early 20th century Alsatian sculptor, painter, glass, and furniture designer, Charles Spindler (1865 -1938), known more for his marquetry, inlaid veneers of wood fitted together as an ornamental furniture, of which several pieces are in the collection.

The Alsatian marquetry, or “painting with wood,” art form still continues with third-generation grandson, Jean-Charles Spindler in Boersch village not far from Strasbourg, where his grandfather and father, with loyal assistants, worked in their studio complex and in the former abbey of Saint-Leonard.

Jean-Charles, 48, often sits in the private gallery filled with prized artworks of his forebears, seeking “blessings and direction” (approval) from his famous artist relatives.

“I’m taking marquetry to other dimensions than my grandfather and father,” said the relaxed, though somewhat pre-occupied Spindler. Unlike their creations of pictorial, pastoral, and architectural Alsatian scenes, Jean-Charles creates modern and abstract designs.

Spindler’s one-of-a-kind creations are in museum collections including London’s Victoria and Albert, and in Vienna and the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. among public spaces and the corporate headquarters.

Growing up in the foothills of the Voges Mountains and forests, Spindler became fascinated with trees, and their growth and grain patterns. He still observes and absorbs their differences and unique individuality.

He said he feels an inner energy with trees, sees their organic nature. A man with a good sense of self-effacing humor, he is the first to say that many think that he’s “out of his tree.”

According to Spindler, marquetry is like chemistry; it is fusing the right grains, combining their light and dark characteristics to create a piece that works visually and intellectually. And for this spiritual “painter of wood” artist, the right formula is reached when all the woods complement each other that way. This gives him an inner, Zen-type fulfillment.

“For me, wood has an inner force, a life unlike a painting,” explained Spindler. “Each type of tree is a distinct being. Their grains are like brain scans. They reveal a journey over time and show a unique personality and pattern.”

An Artistic Kind of Life
Design is an integral aspect of Alsatian life. And it is literally reflected, in its registered, trademarked, flute wine bottle. The same bottle is used by all 101 wineries along the 100-mile Alsatian wine route (from its northern gateway at Marlenheim near Strasbourg to Thann south of Colmar).

“Our problem is that we never know if we’re working or having a good time,” jokes Martine Becker-Beck, who is the genie-out-of the bottle at Jean Becker Wineries in Zellenberg. Her official title is “Directeur General” of the 400-year-old family business, and Martine is full of energy and fluent in seven languages.

When not welcoming walk-ins in the wine-tasting cellar, Martine takes visitors on walking tours through the family’s 1,600 acres of vineyards that overlook the storybook areas of Riquewihr, Beblenheim, Ribeauville, and Hunawhir.

Of the seven varietal groups in Alsace, six are white (Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer) and the lone red is Pinot Noir. In this valley, the Alsace Plain, with perfect rain, sun and soil, grapes and wine are its heritage and legacy.

Historical Character
Despite so much wine pouring in the hundreds of tasting cellars throughout these villages, there is a sense of soberness here. “We Alsatians are hardworking, detailed, and disciplined people,” Martine said. “We like things to be neat and tidy.”

It is often said that the Alsatian character is Germanic in mind, but French in spirit with 60 percent of residents speaking the German-inflected dialect, To understand this concept and the history of Alsace, the Memorial de l’Alsace-Moselle gives a visceral overview, with a state-of-the-art sight and sound display experience.

Set high on a hill in Schirmeck in the Voges Mountains region of Alsace, the memorial is actually a four-story complex that opened to the public in 2005. It recounts the story of tens of thousands of displaced residents from this region, “torn between two cultures and shunted between two countries.”

In the space of a single lifetime, from 1870 to 1939, the territory and population of Alsace changed nationalities and mind-set four times—annexed by France, then Germany, back to France, then back to Germany. Today, Alsace is the smallest province of France, with many family names of German origin.

The Alsace drama is told with historic film footage, oversized still photographs, audiotapes of actual events with sounds and speech, documents, memorabilia, staged reproductions of a bunker war room or train depot, and other depictions. People immigrated inland and to southern French regions, or left the country, leaving behind possessions, businesses and family unity to avoid Nazi rule.

It was a strange time for Alsatians. The memorial is emotionally evocative similar to that of the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. And its location is thought-provoking, too. Across a valley, visible in the distance, is “le Struthof “Memorial, a German-run labor camp that once housed political prisoners and Jews, many of whom were executed there.

Colmar, the last French city liberated at the end of WWII, is located just southeast and is the capital of the Alsace wine region. A smaller version of Strasbourg with one of the largest pedestrian areas in Europe, Colmar is a collection of architecture from the Middle Ages and museums.

This includes the Unterlinden’s world art religious painting “Retable d’Issenheim” (by Matthias Grunewald, 1510). Of particular interest is the Auguste Bartholdi museum, once the family residence, with Bartholdi’s to-scale sculptures and drawings of his “Statue of Liberty.”

Bartholdi’s spirit of freedom pervades throughout Colmar and Strasbourg, the two largest centers of Alsace. They are a microcosm of international culture and regional cuisine, as well as mixed marriages, too. Alsace is a romantic place for a wedding. It is also the right place to just think about one.

For more information about the Alsace region, check out: www.franceguide.com

Mark Chester of Woods Hole, MA, is a freelance photographer/writer. Photographs from his newly published book “Twosomes” are on display at OK Harris, 383 West Broadway, New york, NY, from Jan. 28 through Mar. 3, 2012. For additional exhibitions/book signings: www.markchesterphotography.com

Zest for Life in Zihuatanejo, Mexico

Epoch Times — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:25:25 +0000

Living la vida loca was my dream getaway come true when we reached Zihuatanejo Bay, the magical, oyster-shaped, natural harbor on the Pacific Coast of the Mexican Riviera in the State of Guerrero.

The whirlpool of hectic and exciting activities related to our family’s birthday and anniversary celebrations, school graduations, and four weeks of babysitting our two adorable, but very inquisitive and energetic grandkids, left us craving for a great escape. The coast was clear: our paradise was found in Zihuatanejo, an enchanting vacation destination in Mexico.

During the 10 days of tranquility, we traded our palm pilot for the palm trees as we felt our life’s tensions wash away with the playful tides reaching the golden premier beach.

We were fortunate to find extraordinary accommodations at Playa La Ropa’s beachfront Club Intrawest with its stunning architecture of cascading tiers of rooms and suites, beautiful swimming pools with well-stocked bar, spa, gourmet and casual restaurants, verandas with hot tubs, and balconies overlooking the gorgeous Zihuatanejo Bay.

The hotel’s very friendly, energetic activities desk personnel were eager to perfectly orchestrate numerous tours, outings, and sports activities. This included swimming with the dolphins, fishing, scuba, sailing, horseback riding, viewing exceptional birds, crocodile, turtle, and iguana watching, a butterfly observatory, golfing, and—for the piece de resistance—the lively Mexican Fiesta under the moon on one of Club Intrawest’s terraces.

But we were on vacation, remember? The planned rules for our personal energy were to rest, relax, rejuvenate, refresh, and reenergize, with the only fitness exercise allowed being the squeezing of the sunscreen tube.

While lounging on the hotel’s private beach, we met Diane and Mark from Detroit who became our companions for a few fulfilling outings to downtown Zihuatanejo’s culinary establishments. Mark, who is an avid deep-sea fisherman, returned successfully from an expedition at sea with a splendid 60-pound dorado, the star of the local fish family.

With this treasured cargo, we zipped to the downtown Bandido’s Restaurant and Bar where the chef offered to grill our freshly delivered catch-of-the-day served with stuffed mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, Bandido’s secret sauce, and fresh, prepared-at-the-table salsa and guacamole.

Uncorking and sipping Mexico’s vibrant wines, produced by the country’s award winning boutique wineries exclusively for the restaurants, added local gourmet flair to our dining experience. While salsa, trova, and bolero dancing to the restaurant’s live music band, we all agreed, Diane was definitely the dancing star of the night.

We really got into the swing of things when, as the grand finale to our evening on the town, we discovered the newly opened Pelicanos Bar. The unique concept of using real swings suspended from the ceiling, rather than bar stools, created a very popular attraction among the local surfing community who called themselves pelicans.

The Pelicanos Bar, which serves the locally-produced Mescal tequila, is owned and operated by a very charming Jorge Medina Azcarate, who was introduced to Zihuatanejo while traveling from Spain on a peace foundation mission. He reportedly fell in love with a young woman in the area and decided to settle down in this friendly, small fishing village by the bay.

The swings could be purchased at the Pelicanos Bar as a souvenir of your jolly, good times in Zihua, with proceeds of the sales donated to a foundation to save the pelicans from extinction.

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Weekend in Ojai, California: A Creative, Spiritual Haven

Epoch Times — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:06:53 +0000

Nestled near the Topa Topa Mountains, the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa features casual elegance with luxury accommodations, Spa Ojai, and a championship golf course.(Courtesy of OF Ojai Valley Inn & Spa)

Just 90 minutes north of Los Angeles and 30 miles east of Santa Barbara sits Ojai, a tiny town tucked into the hillside of the Topa Topa Mountains with fertile soil and postcard pink sunsets.

The Chumash Indians, the original inhabitants of this area, along with spiritual seekers revered Ojai as a place of healing, entitling it as “The Nest.”

Respite For Body and Spirit
Named after the Chumash Indian word for moon, Ojai is a place to nourish the body and the human spirit with a multitude of spas, yoga, and meditation offerings. It is also an artist enclave amass with colorful, creative personalities—from photographers, sculptors, and painters to writers, composers, and actors.

Settled in the 1800s and incorporated as a city in 1921, Ojai has also been blessed with an inviting Mediterranean climate for growing olives, grapes, and lavender.

Spa Ojai offers customers a unique experience of the spa signature mud treatment, Kuyam, or they can choose their own blend of essential oils for bath oils and lotions.(Courtesy of Ojai Valley Inn & Spa))

Upon returning here for some rest and relaxation, I re-visited the 220-acre Ojai Valley Inn & Spa. Glass mogul and philanthropist Edward Drummond Libby originally built this Spanish colonial-style resort in 1923 as a country club and golf course for residents and visitors. Today, the resort offers extensive spa, yoga, art, and meditation opportunities, as well as top-quality cuisine.

I luxuriated in a 100-minute Shangri-La treatment: a sugar scrub infused with lavender, aloe, and jojoba, followed by a shea butter massage, mini-facial, and scalp treatment. Afterward, I relaxed further on the spa patio inhaling more of the lavender aromas while listening to soothing sounds of flowing fountains and gazing at the splendid mountainscape.

Satisfying the Palate
Dinner at the Maravilla Restaurant (with menu created by new Chef Chad Minton) was further indulgence. Dining out on the balcony under the star-studded sky, I enjoyed a tender filet and fresh garden vegetables straight from the resort’s elaborate herb garden.

For a more intimate Ojai respite, I experienced an overnight stay at the Emerald Iguana. Its construction was influenced by Spain’s surrealist architect Gaudi, as seen by the broken tile mosaics and iguana fountain at the entrance.

The stone exterior was preserved from its original state, but owners Julia and Marc Whitman have added a contemporary, eclectic flair to both the exterior and interior. Carved wooden pieces from Bali and original artwork by local artists adorn the 13 cottage-style rooms. Julia calls the architecture “art nouveau craftsman” with lots of arches and curves.

I stayed in The Cricket, a two-level suite with a patio overlooking a tropical setting. An ample continental breakfast was served by the poolside.

Finding good restaurants for lunch and dinner in Ojai is not a problem, but choosing one was a real challenge. A favorite of mine, Azu Restaurant and Tapas Bar, was on Ojai Avenue, the main drag.

The Emerald Iguana Inn boasts a large Gaudi-style mosaic iguana fountain at the front entrance.(Beverly Mann)

I filled up on a small dish of savory seafood paella, gambas (shrimp) sautéed with garlic and olive oil, a succulent Flat Iron steak, and a crunchy arugula and dried fig salad. Chef Laurel Moore, a photographer from L.A. with a love for Spain and cooking, has done an admirable job with the menu over the past 11 years.

Just a few blocks from the Ojai Valley Inn, and also on Ojai Avenue, is Suzanne’s Cuisine. As I entered the restaurant and stepped onto the covered patio, I felt like I was part of an Impressionist painting amid a colorful, flower garden setting. French music was piped into the bathrooms for a further European feel. Their signature dessert, Café Liegeois de la Maison, was the piece de resistance to my filling meal of shrimp wonton soup and rack of lamb. The service was excellent.

Osteria Monte Grappa on Signal Street has the most amazing seafood salads and daily selections influenced by the finds at the local Farmer’s Market. Outdoor sitting was delightful for lunchtime.

Inspirational Artistry
Although I reveled in relaxation and quality cuisine, I was most enamored of the spiritual and creative personalities living in Ojai.

One such individual was 83-year-old landscape artist Bert Collins who has enjoyed her 40-year career in the town. She has been an inspiration for aspiring artists around the world who come to her 2,500-square-foot home and studio to learn from the master painter—if they can get beyond her three-year waiting list.

In 1997, Collins received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the City of Ojai. She is part of the Ojai Studio Artists, a guild of over 40 artists who organize an annual open studio tour every October to raise funds for scholarships to promote art education in the community.

The Embrace sculpture by artist Richard Matzkin, pays tribute to his love for his wife as they grow old together. (Beverly Mann)

How did she get started? Her first job out of high school was at a ceramics studio. Years later when her two children were grown, a neighbor said, “Let’s go take an art class.” Collins’s first assignment was to paint a tree, hills, and a road, which actually was similar in style to what she paints today. Her student says Collins has a mimetic memory and that she knows if anything has been touched on, or not, in a painting, after seeing it just once.

Collins teaches three days a week with workshops on the first, second, and third Saturdays. It’s obvious how much her students adore her, which I personally observed at her studio. According to Collins, “I love teaching even more than painting.”

She used to paint still life in her younger years, similar to the 16th century Dutch masters, and then she went on to do landscapes using oils and acrylics. “Once I discovered pastels,” she said, “I knew that was for me.”

What she loves about using this medium is that what you see is what you get. Unlike oils and acrylics, pastel colors never change after they reach the canvas. Her popular pastel classes have turned into a club that holds two art shows a year exhibiting just pastels.

What is Collins’s dream from here? She is quite content to teach and paint in this studio/home built by her deceased husband. “I have a perfect setup now. However, I still want to paint a masterpiece,” she says. And, on another breath with a Cheshire cat grin, she notes, “Who can possibly have more fun than I am having now?”

Art and Aging

Award-winning husband and wife duo Richard and Alice Matzkin, here at their Ojai mountainside studio, share a creative spirit while exploring the art of aging. (Beverly Mann)

At the other end of town, up a curving hill, a perfect spot to eye the magnificent pink sunsets, lies the home and studio (called “The Nest”) of artists Alice and Richard Matzkin, a husband and wife duo—she is a noted painter and he is a well-known sculptor. Married for 30 years, they have been an inspiration to one another’s creativity, which has evolved into a thematic focus of the beauty and fears of aging.

Alice’s painting of the famous potter Beatrice Wood at 100 years old sits in the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian. With her own realization of the aging process, Alice painted and interviewed 21 women age 70 and older, from portraits to nudes, in a quest to answer her own questions about how women can live fulfilling lives and still be considered beautiful as they age.

Richard approached aging from a darker perspective. “I was looking at my own fears and began sculpting a series called ‘Naked Old Men.’”

As an expression of the deep love between him and his wife Alice, Richard’s work has progressed into a series of bronze sculptures depicting older couples caught in an embrace.

The Matzkins have taken their art to yet another level with a published book, “The Art of Aging.” A documentary based upon the book is soon to be released, and their “Naked Women” series appears on a 2012 calendar.

After reflecting on her art and interviews with the 21 mature women, Alice says, “I have come to a place of self-acceptance and self-love and realize that life is extremely precious. I savor every moment.”

The Topa Topa Mountains provide a scenic backdrop and a Mediterranean climate to the Ojai area.(Beverly Mann)

I thought of Alice’s words as I left the picturesque town of Ojai on my way back to San Francisco. I tried to reflect on the aromas, scenic beauty, and tranquility of the sacred town’s mountain greenery that surrounded me at every turn. I savored it all.

For more information contact Ojai Visitors Bureau: www.ojaivisitors.com or 1-888-OJAI NOW

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Places to Stay

Places to Stay:
• Ojai Valley Inn & Spa: www.ojairesort.com
• Emerald Iguana: www.iguanainnsofojai.com or www.emeraldiguana.com
• Azu Restaurant & Tapas Bar: www.AzuOjai.com
• Osteria Monte Grappa: www.omgojai.com
• Suzanne’s Cuisine: www.suzannescuisine.com
• Maravilla Restaurant at Ojai Valley Inn & Spa: www.ojairesort.com

Info on Artists of Ojai:
• Ojai Studio Artists: ojaistudioartists.org
• Alice and Richard Matzkin: matzkinstudio.com
• Bert Collins direct contact: (805) 646-6907

Beverly Mann has been a feature, arts, and travel writer in the San Francisco Bay Area for the past 28 years. She has received numerous accolades in the fields of travel writing, education, and international public relations, including a Bay Area Travel Writers Award of Excellence in Newspaper Travel Writing. Contact Ms. Mann at: www.beverlymann.com

One-Time Prison’s a Cell-Out as a Hotel

Epoch Times — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:52:34 +0000

PRISONERS didn’t have it as good as this: a luxury hotel room created within the one-time Oxford Prison. (Courtesy Malmaison Hotels)

Holidaymakers looking for the out-of-the-ordinary can today do time in the one-time cells of what was once one of England’s toughest prisons, a hellhole housed within the 5-metre thick walls of the country’s historic Oxford Castle.

And strange as it may seem, when the prison was first built 350-odd years ago, those incarcerated in those cells had not only to contend with over-crowding and infestations of rats, mice and cockroaches – they actually had to pay their warders for their prison accommodation.

And to eat, they also had to buy their meals from those same warders too.

The vast Oxford Castle was built by the Norman baron Robert D’Oyly Snr between 1071 and 1073 after he arrived in England with William the Conqueror, who upon becoming King of England gave Mr D’Oyly expansive tracts of land across what is now Oxfordshire.

Much of the castle was destroyed during the English Civil War and it ultimately passed into the hands of Oxford’s educational Christ Church College, which leased it out to a local family who built a privately owned and run prison for the Government within the remaining castle walls in the mid-1600s. Prisoners included petty criminals, murderers and so-called “rebellious scholars”.

The college made a tidy profit from the arrangement, but finally disposed of the castle and prison, which came complete with a gallows and executioner, in the 18th century when prison reformers were campaigning generally against overcrowded and filthy gaols. It was subsequently acquired in 1785 by the Oxford County Justices who had it more humanely re-designed and re-built.

And the man who did much of the re-construction, Daniel Harris, actually ended up as Governor of the new prison on a handsome contract from the County Justices, zealously adding more and more cells; within a century so much of what remained of the castle had been swallowed up by the prison, which in 1888 the whole lot was acquired by the British Government and renamed HM Prison Oxford.

For more than 100 years, it served its role as a penal institute, until in 1996 it was deemed to have passed its use-by date, closed and together with the remains of the castle handed-over to the Oxfordshire County Council. The site was classified as a Grade 1 Listed Building and a Scheduled Monument, with the castle walls, one of the original towers (St George’s Tower) and the crypt the only major remains of Robert D’Oyly’s once-grand 11th century structure.

But with the Oxford Prison facilities still in basically sound condition within the castle, the County Council decided to redevelop the whole castle complex, winning a GBP3.8-million ($A5.6 million) grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to turn it into a living community centre with shops and boutiques, cafés, bars, galleries, private housing apartments—and a luxury hotel.

And to further fund these works, in the years leading up to the castle’s re-opening in 2006, parts of the former prison were hired out to film companies who shot scenes there for TV shows including Inspector Morse, Bad Girls and most famously The Bill, as well as the feature films 102 Dalmatians,The Spy Game and Lucky Break.

Visitors to Oxford can today stay in the unique Malmaison Oxford Hotel, whose 95 rooms and suites have been created within former prison cell blocks, prison governor’s living quarters and one-time prison offices. These spacious accommodations have been created by merging several cells or offices into one luxury room or suite, some of which have views overlooking the one-time exercise yard and there are even split-level suites with balconies with wider castle views.

Cells used for corporal punishment and to house condemned prisoners awaiting the hangman have deliberately not been included in the accommodation areas.

Prices start from $A223 per night for two in a luxury double room and range up to $A669 for a huge Duplex Suite with 4-poster bed and home cinema.

Market days and theatrical performances are held in the former prison courtyard, and conducted heritage tours take visitors back through the castle’s near-1000 years of history.

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With its hotel, entertainment and heritage facilities, the old castle can be a one-stop destination in itself, while Oxford’s many other fascinating attractions are just a stone’s throw away.

David Ellis is a professional travel writer.

Luisa and the Chocolate Factory

Epoch Times — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 04:36:50 +0000

WHAT started it all – Luisa’s famed Baci chocolates. (Carolinasusi Italian Tours)

If ever there’s a town that’s a “must-visit” for romantics or chocoholics, it’s Perugia in Italy.

And if you’re both, you’ll find yourself in Seventh Heaven: One of the town’s biggest factories makes chocolates called Kisses—and there’s a street that’s so narrow it’s officially named Woman Kisser Lane, and whose tradition demands that you offer a kiss as you squeeze past anyone coming in the opposite direction.

There’s no mention if you give them a chocolate afterwards.

Perugia is the capital of Umbria about halfway between Rome and Florence and its Perugina chocolate factory makes the world-famous chocolates called Baci—Italian for “kisses”.

As anyone with a sweet tooth knows, these tasty little bundles of chocolate incorporate nougat and ground hazelnuts, and are then topped with a whole hazelnut, covered with another coating of chocolate, and finally wrapped in foil that carries an expression of love in a half-dozen or more languages.

Luisa Spagnoli: sweet tooth for success. (Carolinasusi Italian Tours)

Luisa Spagnoli started the Perugina chocolate factory with fellow confectioner Giovanni Buitoni in 1907 when she was 30 years old.

Locals say the pair fancied each other and initially exchanged clandestine messages through their own hand-made chocolates – but historians scotch that as fanciful urban myth.

The factory started with a hand-full of workers, but today is owned by the multi-national Nestlé company that ships its chocolates, candies and after-dinner mints around the world.

Free tours of the factory, in the Perugian suburb of San Sisto, are held in specific languages daily and include a visit to the Museum of Chocolate, a video on how chocolate is made, a guided walk along the production line, and a shop that sells the full range of chocolates, candies, nougat and biscotti, T-shirts, and memorabilia.

And, yes, for chocoholics the guides offer free samples from silver trays at different points throughout the tour.

Possibly the best time to visit Perugia is in October when the annual 9-day Euro Chocolate Festival is held. But be prepared for the crowds: it attracts more than one million tourists and is one of the largest chocolate festivals in the world, with visitors able to buy such delights as chocolate-covered bananas, chocolate liqueur, chocolate moulds and giant bricks of chocolate.

And wallow in a spa-full of chocolate.

But Luisa Spagnoli, the woman whose talents spawned the town’s fame, didn’t stop at just chocolates.
She turned her business acumen to the breeding of angora rabbits and in 1928 became the first person in the world to turn the soft, silky fur into shawls, boleros and fashion garments under the name L’Angora Spagnoli.

Today, some 100 Luisa Spagnoli fashion stores are scattered around the world, with headquarters firmly entrenched in Perugia.

The townsfolk are also proud that it was here that the famous Renaissance painter Raphael learned his trade. He was apprenticed to another master, Perigino (who was born Pietro Vannucci, but took the name of the town where he grew up).

Art lovers flock to Perugia’s Exchange Guild to see one of the best-preserved Renaissance frescos in Italy, painted between 1498 and 1500 by Perigino and some of his students, including the young Raphael.

Art historians attribute the figure of Fortitude, seated on a cloud, as the work of Raphael.

Luisa’s fashion store in Perugia, one of over 100 worldwide. (Carolinasusi Italian Tours)

Another must for anyone interested in art is a visit to the town’s Franciscan Church to see a copy of Raphael’s painting Entombment of Christ. The original caught the eye of Cardinal Scipione Borghese, a wealthy and powerful nephew of Pope Paul V, while he was on a visit to Perugia in 1607.

The painting wasn’t for sale, but the Cardinal had some men “acquire it” and the original remains to this day in the Borghese museum in Rome.

And if you take a visit to Perugia, you just simply can’t miss a visit to Vicolo Baciadonne (Woman Kisser Lane).

But just remember—before you head along the half-metre wide laneway, make sure you check who is coming the other way and whether or not you would enjoy the traditional greeting.

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Carolinasusi Italian Tours have 3-week escorted tours to Umbria and Tuscany every northern Spring and Autumn.

David Ellis is a professional travel writer.

How Not to Plan Travel

Epoch Times — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:08:48 +0000

Relax, breathe deep, be where you are—and you will discover where you want to go! (Mingling Chang/The Epoch Times)

Not fair!

The ball dropped on schedule in Times Square in New York City, then the Chinese Lunar New Year (Year of the Dragon) leaped upon us on Jan. 23, and I ran out of time to do all the travel I’d planned in 2011. Beyond that, I’ve discovered (much to my dismay) that I travel far less as an editor than I did as a writer. Hmm, there’s something not quite right about that!

Ah, but we had a great year vicariously traveling the world, exploring new cultures, and experiencing new cuisines, didn’t we? So what do we plan for this year?

To Plan or Not to Plan

Every year there are so many lists for top places to travel. I fancied, once upon a time, meshing all of those lists together to see how many of them recommended the same places, and then building my own list of must-sees. Okay, not really. There are far too many of them out there, and often they represent a narrow view of what travel means.

Travel means standing on the lip of a volcanic crater and reveling in the sheer energy of the seemingly desolate expanse. It means wrestling with an ornery camel to cross a desert with little sights to see than other camel riders, but being off a beaten path exhilarates you. Travel is exploring a majestic culture in a faraway jungle and marveling at the sophistication of an ancient civilization.

Travel feeds the spirit when we leave our comfort zones by volunteering to care for other living beings on this planet that we share. It’s being consciously careful about how we tread this world in our search for rest and relaxation. Travel means heading out for business and inadvertently finding that near-perfect place to throw off the suit and tie to truly unwind or maybe even relocate!

In my opinion, then, almost anywhere is the best place to go. What I learned in 2011 was that traveling to where your heart leads you was the most important. With that in mind, we start 2012 with homage to tranquility. Take a deep breath, relax, and don’t think about where you want to go.

This isn’t to say that once you are inspired you shouldn’t plan how to get there. That would be irresponsible of me! Of course you want to research your destination, check the local situation and economy, find inexpensive transportation (yes, there’s still a squeeze on the travel dollar), and look for deals on lodging. How you eventually get where you go can make or break the overall experience of your destination. Do keep that practical traveler tucked inside a compartment of your Zen-like travel reverie.

The Unexpected Traveler

I haven’t decided where I want to travel this year, let alone come up with recommendations. I still want to take more leisurely, scenic train trips; I just haven’t decided to where. I’ve yet to experience transportation as relaxed and interactive as a train ride.

I still want to explore more of my New York backyard. It’s touted as such a popular destination for tourists—certainly, it has as much to offer the “staycationer.”

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I will also check regularly for hospitality deals to visit Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Maine, the last frontiers of my U.S. travel experience; however, I will not be attached to making it so. Sometimes, opportunities present themselves when we least expect them.

So, this year will be my Travel Year of the Unexpected. Yet, I expect to be delighted and enlightened with travel seen through others’ eyes and my own. And each new experience will be savored and shared with you.

I wish you happy unexpected travel in 2012 and hope that you will be pleasantly surprised.

Stretching the Travel Dollar

Epoch Times — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:28:32 +0000

Expanding your travel budget. (Photos.com)

Being able to treat ourselves to a trip has always been a relaxing reward for my wife and me. During the last three years, we have been traveling often for business, family visits, and volunteer work, and we have learned to optimize various offers available to the frequent traveler.

Credit Cards and Frequent Customer Plans

One of the most popular strategies to earn travel benefits is to use a credit card that accumulates points toward hotel stays or transportation. However, among the benefit plans, there can be great differences in how quickly you can earn points.

In offers I’ve reviewed for travel, I’ve found that using a credit card aligned with a specific hotel network or airline is a better deal than using a card that accumulates points that can be used for a wide range of services and merchandise. The key is to do the math.

For instance, if your priority is to earn hotel points, pick a location to which you often travel. Then, when reviewing offers, zero in on how many points are needed to stay in a certain class of hotels at that location and how much you would have to purchase with the credit card to accumulate those points.

Over the past two years, by merely using a credit card to make many of my usual purchases, I was able to stay for a total of five free nights in Manhattan, two in a suburb of Chicago, and one in upstate New York. Because my spouse travels for business more often than I do, she accumulated many more free nights with the plan she uses.

Of course, we pay off the balances right away, or the value of the benefits would quickly be diminished by the interest charges. The credit card companies still make a fine profit from the fees they charge the vendors for their services.

There are websites that compare the benefits of different cards, such as www.creditcards.com. What you can also do, and what I found to be most helpful, is simply to go to the websites of hotels, airlines, and other transportation providers that you prefer, find out what credit card plans are offered, and then compare the plans.

In addition to earning points through credit card use, you can earn bonus stays or free fares through the standard plans that hotels and transportation carriers offer. These plans have been available for many years and are well known so my advice, that you can benefit by, is simply to sign up for as many plans as possible, at least until you have decided which providers to stick with.

There have been a few times that I regretted not availing myself of these frequent customer benefit packages, not foreseeing that I would stay in the same hotel or use the same airline again. For instance, I took several flights on a certain airline to visit relatives; I did not join the plan, and later, for business trips, my employer booked me on the same airline.

Another reason for joining these traditional plans is that they now usually include many different hotels chains, and there are many alliances being made between the hotels, airlines, and rail companies, which enable you to accumulate benefits faster.

Other Helpful Strategies

•Even for short trips, I’ve found it economical and enjoyable to book extended-stay hotels that have kitchenettes. The rates are reasonable, breakfast is often free, and having a refrigerator available for leftovers or groceries when I want to take a break from restaurant dining can be a welcome relief.

•Websites such as Expedia.com or Orbitz.com can compare prices for flights, ground transportation, and accommodations. An outstanding website for finding deep discounts and comparing the results of other travel websites is Travelzoo.com. If you register with the sites, you will receive emails with their most discounted deals. However, not all providers are listed. For instance, for Southwest Airlines or Jet Blue, you will need to go directly to the websites of those airlines.

•Have a membership to an old stalwart, such as the Automobile Club of America (AAA), can be beneficial. I’ve found AAA’s travel service agents to be very helpful and the prices of their offerings to be competitive. In most hotels or airport parking facilities, a 10 percent or more AAA discount is standard.

Issues To Be Aware Of

•To compete with online services that offer deep discounts, in which you must prepay, some hotels are now offering prepaid rates. However, these discounted, prepaid prices, direct or through third parties, are usually not refundable unless trip cancellation insurance is available and purchased.

•Don’t assume the weekday rates are less expensive in the locations to which you are traveling. If the destination is a center for commerce or government business, the rates may drop on the weekend. A prime example is Washington D.C.

•When you purchase accommodations or travel through one of the third-party websites, you often will lose the direct customer service relationship with the hotel or transportation service. If you encounter a difficulty with your purchase, the hotel desk clerk, car rental agent, or airline ticketing person may be powerless to help you.

•Make sure you read the fine print on all discounted offers before purchasing, and be sure you know what is guaranteed and what is not. For instance, for the bidding option on Priceline.com, the service cannot guarantee whether or not you will receive a smoking or nonsmoking room. This means that a nonsmoker can be placed in a smoking room, and a smoker can be placed in a non-smoking room.

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In short, price is only one factor that must be balanced with risk and the quality of customer service.

Phil Randell is a contributor to The Epoch Times.

Where will you travel in 2012? Write us at: submissions@epochtimes.com, Attn: Travel Editor

Travel Trends 2012: Trip Planning Becomes Social

Epoch Times — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:27:43 +0000

How will you plan your travel in 2012? (Courtesy of Hugo Lacesse/Fotolia.com)

It’s been only one year since TripAdvisor decided to make use of popular social network Facebook to offer a “better travel experience” to its users—in fact, to push its own brand power on Facebook—forcing “likes,” and subsequently maintaining its supremacy in Google’s SERPs (search engine results pages).

However, TripAdvisor was not the first operator to harness social media in order to allow users to plan trips using travel tips from social networks. TripAdvisor just followed a trend, trying to maintain its position as the world’s top travel recommendations site.

Making Travel Planning Social

If 2010 was the year of social travel start-ups, then 2011 was the year that connected social networks with travel sites, transforming leisure-trip-planning research into a social experience.

From all the so-called social travel planners launched in 2010, none was more celebrated than Gogobot, founded by MySpace’s former International General Manager Travis Katz and Ori Zaltzman, the former chief architect of Yahoo Boss. There’s no better public relations (PR) for a startup than having prominent founders. So, at the time when other startups (even some more innovative ones) struggled to grab headlines, TechCrunch pushed Gogobot as one of its favorite startups of 2010.

That same year, Norwegian do-it-yourself (DIY) guide planner Stay.com was named TIME Magazine’s top travel site, an accolade that inspired Stay.com to grow—adding more cities, apps, and, eventually, social collaboration features that improved the social context of the site.

Meanwhile, Tripit harnessed the power of social business networks like LinkedIn to grow user base, with its dedicated LinkedIn app My Travel. Location-based, social networking website Foursquare.com opted for mobile technologies as a more viable business proposition.

Inspired by the trend, Google introduced Schemer.com, a social travel site that gives users destination ideas based on tips from Google+ friends, celebrities, and travel experts such as travel writers, journalists, business owners, and so on. And, even while in closed beta, the service managed to grab headlines and accolades—it’s a Google brand, after all.

Travel Apps

Each of these sites has value on its own, and can be used to enrich travel experiences in many ways. Beyond recommendations and tips for people in the know, the sites also offer apps for smartphones and other portable devices, which enable users to find their way to a local destination without use of the Internet, and without additional roaming costs.

Stay.com, in particular, seems proud of its map feature, which is extremely useful offline. But online, even the map is a social experience, as Stay.com’s proprietary search engine gathers data from its own database as well as Google Places. Users can find any business registered in the city on the map and even personal places can be suggested (like home addresses) by simply dragging and dropping a marker onto the map.

Travel Planning Supremacy

With social travel at the dawn of its moment, 2012 will see more and more travel sites opting for social aspects to help people plan their trips, and share them in novel ways with friends and family. The future belongs to the company that manages to release the most exciting features first, with a big media push.

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When this happens, TripAdvisor’s supremacy may succumb, and it will no longer show up first for travel searches in Google results. At least, this is what competitive developments hope for.

Mihaela Lica-Butler is senior partner at Pamil Visions PR and editor at Everything PR. She is a widely cited authority on search engine optimization and public relations issues (BBC News, Force for Good, Reuters, Al Jazeera, and others), with over eight years of experience in online public relations. Mihaela writes occasionally for SitePoint, Search Engine Journal, and other online publications. Follow Mig on Twitter: @PamilVisions.

Learning @ My Library, Laos

Epoch Times — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 06:59:33 +0000

Students from a variety of backgrounds come to study at @ My Library in Luang Prabang, Laos, where 85 per cent of the 1,200 books in the library cannot be found anywhere else in the country. (Dawn Starin)

Throughout the UK, one of the world’s most developed and most literate countries, local branch libraries are being threatened with closures. Readers and writers, parents and children, librarians and trade unionists are up in arms.

Yet, unfortunately, the harsh truth is that here library visits are down, and fewer books are being borrowed. More people are accessing information through the internet, making a trip to the local library a trip too far, and around 500 libraries (just over 10 per cent) have been identified as likely victims of the government’s spending cuts.

In contrast, halfway across the globe in one of the world’s poorest and least developed countries with a low life expectancy, an annual per capita income of £220, and a low literacy rate, a little library is flourishing.

Landlocked, mountainous Lao People’s Democratic Republic is poor, very poor, and yet in the centre of the ancient royal town of Luang Prabang, library visits are up, borrowing books is up, and a trip to the local library is a trip worth taking.

Not far from the banks of the muddy, mighty Mekong and its tributary, the Nam Khan river, across the road from the glistening gold roof of the richly decorated Wat Nong Sikhonmeuang, is a revolutionary learning experiment: @ My Library. This small NGO, occupying a little building, has big hopes and aspirations for the many students who walk through its doors every day.

On the ground floor, two young novice monks, wrapped in orange robes, sit at computer terminals practising English. A high school student sits at another computer terminal playing Scrabble.

Up a narrow set of stairs is a room lined with bookshelves. One young man reads a science book; another reads a history book; and a third is engrossed in a novel. Books on art, history, and Laotian folktales are very popular and there is a range of Hmong language books, which the ethnic Hmong users are amazed to find.

Most of these learning materials are simply not available anywhere else in Laos. There are about 1,200 books, all carefully selected to be appropriate for the users in terms of reading level, subject, and language. This may not be a huge library but it is one of the best in the country – 85 per cent of the books can’t be found anywhere else in Laos.

Students, who have never owned books, are able to check books out for two weeks. At present about 1,000 books a month are being checked out for free and almost all of them are being brought back on time. Students who normally have no access to quiet corners for concentration have a dedicated place where they can come to read and learn in silence.

This is an eclectic education enterprise. It is not just computer skills and reading and writing that are encouraged. Artistic endeavours are taken very seriously. Cameras have been donated, volunteer photographers have provided tutoring, and Lao, Hmong, and K’hmu students have started snapping people and places, making a record of today’s Laos.

On a large table in the back of a sunshine-filled room a young student looks through his portfolio. Imaginative prints of elephants and Laotian faces and landscapes spill across the table.

Here, the walls have become a photo gallery. The pictures are all for sale and each time a photo is sold, the photographer gets half the money and the library gets half. The students are learning a craft, presenting their culture through their own native eyes, and learning about running a business and earning money. It seems to be a perfect win–win situation.

And learning here does not stop at the end of the day. There is a music studio where budding musicians can lay down tracks, and after hours they come in and record Lao and Hmong music using guitars, keyboards, and synthesizers.

@ My Library is unique. Advanced computing skills, music lessons, Lao and English typing skills, five different languages, Japanese calligraphy, and artwork instruction are all available for the asking, and all of them free.

This experiment in all-around, holistic learning was started in 1999 by American Carol Kresge. Carol originally taught at a private school in Bangkok for privileged students and came here for what she thought would be a short visit. Taking in the lack of experienced staff and educational opportunities, she was blown away by the clear desire to learn and the complete dearth of materials.

“I looked around me and decided there and then that my time teaching in Bangkok private schools had to end. I needed to come here and start this programme,” she said.

At first this project was simply a library with a few computers. Now the students actually build their own computers, fix earphones, play Scrabble and other thinking games, and hold public speaking contests.

At first no one was able to use a computer or even control a mouse. Now, 25,000 computer hours are clocked up every year by users ten-finger typing in Lao, English, and Hmong.

Read On One of the students, Vanh, has actually developed a computer-based Lao–English talking dictionary

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The Living Maya: Chiapas, Mexico

Epoch Times — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 02:16:48 +0000

Ancient Palenque, which is perhaps the most famous Maya site, features many intricately carved stelae and other artifacts. (Courtesy of Paul Ross)

You will learn that the Maya consider a sick person to be someone whose soul is trapped or lost due to fear, envy, bad spirits, or some natural event.

It’s hard not to be rendered speechless by the Mayan ruins in Chiapas, Mexico. The Classic Maya period, with its brilliant and intense building boom, began in 200 C.E. (Common Era)

Between 800 and 900 C.E., for a multitude of environmental, political, and social reasons that are not exactly known, the empire collapsed and dense jungle swallowed up vast, abandoned cities. Today, thanks to extensive excavations and restorations, visitors can experience the mighty Maya civilization that once ruled the land.

Proud Palenque

Palenque was a city state with monumental pyramids, stone palaces, temples, tombs, and ruling dynasties that celebrated their military victories and significant events on brilliantly executed stone stelae. The minutest details of their dress are recorded, and the portraits are so life-like that one half expects them to walk off the stones and speak.

Visitors can walk on grounds that were once reserved for royalty, and, while ambling through the ruins, find tantalizing hints of the cosmology, astrology, rituals, ceremonies, and warfare that dominated and defined the lives of the ancient inhabitants.

Bold Bonampak

Bonampak is famous for its polychrome murals, which are like photographs of rulers, priests, warriors, captives, and elaborate rituals and processions that have receded into the mists of history. Each face is individuated; each person is captured at a moment in time and preserved for eternity.

Yaxchilan

About 20 miles away, and accessible by a boat ride on the Usumacinta River, are the ruins of Yaxchilan. Visitors can climb up an ancient stone staircase and admire the lintels, stelae, and terraces of this once mighty empire, which is now an evocative ghost town.

It is hard not to gasp at the beauty of a high-altitude palace, where children once ran and played in the courtyard. Lush gardens with aromatic flowers may have soothed the senses of royals who pierced their flesh in self-sacrificial rites, heard the music of the celestial spheres,
and wore the finest textiles, jewelry, headgear, and footwear.

Why did the raucous, lyrical, and hypnotic sounds of the Maya empire grow silent about 1,200 years ago? Visitors to the sites may wonder what happened to the people and how they could have vanished so completely after hundreds of years of dynastic rule.

Maya Mystery

One answer, of course, is that they didn’t disappear. The empire collapsed, but there was a post-Classic period, when a lot of reorganization and resettlement took place. The population, which once numbered in the millions, dwindled. Then, in the l6th century, the Spanish arrived with weapons and diseases; there was further devastation of the native people.

Yet, in spite of turbulence and cultural annihilation, those who survived continued farming, trading, raising families, worshipping their gods, eating corn, squash, and beans, speaking their native languages, and interacting with the beneficent and providential environment around them.

Captivating Culture

Today, culturally curious travelers can stay in the jungle in Maya-owned cabins. The cabins range from rustic to traditional to comfortable abodes with patios, bathrooms, and screened walls that open to tropical foliage; observe howler monkeys that roar like lions; enjoy vistas of rivers and the calls of birds that they have only seen in museums.

In Lacanja, Lacandon Maya people, many still attired in white tunics and sporting long, flowing, black tresses, invite lodgers to share traditional, authentic family meals and buy homemade jewelry and handicrafts. Each of the seeds on a necklace is drilled by hand, and a $10 purchase can take a day or more to produce. They can also arrange rafting trips and jungle treks.

In San Juan Chamula, Maya men and women wear thick, black, sheep wool skirts and shawls in the summer and winter alike. Children run up to your car when you arrive and beg to be your guide. Should you choose one, a pre-pubescent kid is likely to provide a highly informed commentary on village life.

In front of the church, there is a sprawling native market where locals sell baskets, bags, jewelry, bowls, embroidery, flowers, and rattles used in church ceremony. The church itself is a feast for the eyes and heart. Maya healers sit on pine needles on the floor and they light hundreds of candles for their clients. Some intone softly as they perform ceremonies.

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You can request a session and experience the ancient Maya healing tradition. If what ails you—physically or emotionally—is serious, a chicken may be sacrificed. If your ailment is more benign, dozens of multi-hued candles are lit to invoke the healing power of the spirits, guides, and gods.

In San Cristobal de las Casas, gorgeously-attired Maya people from different communities sell crafts in the street. The women offer clothes, belts, and bags that are laboriously and lovingly woven on backstrap looms.

Next…Maya Medicine

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Snow Chasing in Wisconsin!

Epoch Times — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 22:31:49 +0000

The grand Rittenhouse Inn stands mighty atop a hill overlooking Bayfield and Lake Superior. Here you can still find that holiday spirit of long ago in the hospitality, great food, and song. (Lisa Sim)

“Now it felt like I was up north in Wisconsin, but we still needed that holiday spirit.”

November passed and there was still no sign of snow in Wisconsin. This was unusual for the state. December rolled around and it was time for my husband and me to seal up those last-minute places in our cabin in the north woods before heading south. After three hours of driving due north from Milwaukee, there was still not a flake of snow.

Is this the holidays? It sure did not feel like it.

Deep in the Nicolet Forest of upper Wisconsin, there are deer, turkeys, bears, loons, and other wild creatures. Tall majestic pine trees, spruce trees, and white, peeling birch trees all surrounded by hills with winding rivers—this scenery makes up the incredible topography along the way. As we pulled into our driveway, we saw our little cabin in its serene beauty, but the fallen leaves and brown hues had us scratching our heads. Where was the snow?

Chasing the Snow

We stayed the night, closed everything up for the winter the next day, and headed three and a half hours more north to Bayfield, Wis. We were chasing the invisible snow, and we also hoped to see an old friend as well.

To our astonishment, after passing the city limits signs of Ashland and Bayfield, the elusive white stuff was still nowhere to be seen. We could not drive any further north, because this was as north as it gets for Wisconsin (no bridges across Lake Superior), plus we did not have time. We decided to get a room at the Bayfield Inn.

It is a lovely hotel with Jacuzzi suites, fireplaces, and a fine restaurant that overlooks the mighty lake with all its legends and history. The staff was very friendly and attentive. We settled in for a cold night with some hot tea and a book. I looked out our window at the waves on the lake and at the night sky with pregnant clouds. Hmmm, we could only hope.

Late in the evening, I thought I heard that familiar scraping sound of plows on concrete, but I was half asleep. When I awoke the next morning, I dashed to the window and, yes, it was there—a soft, puffy blanket of white snow! It must have snowed most of the evening, and flurries where still flickering in the air. Ah, now it felt like I was up north in Wisconsin, but we still needed that holiday spirit.

We checked out of the hotel to take a look around town. Bayfield is a charming seaside community that was brought to life by loggers and fishermen, although the Native Americans were there long before them. The many stores around us consisted of gift shops with fine jewelry, sporting goods, candy, coffee, and groceries.

A large troll sits outside and guards Joanne’s Scandinavian shop. You can find lovely local artisan jewelry and other objects of desire at the Water Music shop. There were some unusual candies and treats at the Candy Shoppe and IGA Foodliner.

Since Bayfield is on Lake Superior, you can also find very cool and interesting nautical treasures at Keeper of the Light. There’s good coffee at Big Water Coffee Roasters and lots of local artisan shops everywhere offering pottery and glass-making classes.

Pink Flamingos Spotted in Northern Wisconsin

Finding places to dine in the winter was a challenge as most places where closed for the season, yet the ones left open were not only excellent, but a lot of fun. Maggie’s serves fresh and wholesome stick- to-your-ribs dinners to keep you warm and feeling good.

Maggie’s is also known for its famous flamingos. That’s right, the pink ones, and they are everywhere in this establishment, a fun, festive contrast to the stark, cold winter outside.

Some of Maggie’s specialties are garlic polenta French fries that are out of this world, along with whitefish livers, legendary black bean nachos, great salads, fine seafood, and awesome steaks. Don’t miss the décor!

Next stop was the grand old Rittenhouse Inn, Wisconsin’s very first B&B established in 1976 by Jerry and Mary Phillips. Both of them have a musical background and, after a lonely Christmas by themselves during the inn’s first year, they decided to start a holiday tradition of food and music.

They called it Wassail! This is an old English traditional toast to health and an exclamation of holiday revel. Now at Rittenhouse Inn, Wassail consists of a three-course lunch or four-course dinner with singing by the Rittenhouse Chamber Singers.

Wassail!

You can join the 35th anniversary tradition of many a folk in the north woods by booking a luncheon or dinner at the Rittenhouse Inn and let the holiday festivities begin with live caroling! (Lisa Sim)

Rittenhouse Inn is a huge, commanding mansion of red paint and brick mortar, built on top of a hill overlooking the bay and the town. It was all decked out for the holidays with wreaths, garlands, red bows, ribbons, and now snow, a stately Christmas scene at best.

It was our first Wassail, and we felt like newbies as we were led to our seats for lunch. Everyone is seated with people they do not know, and it eventually became obvious that most of the folks had been coming to this event for years.

Jerry Phillips was the host and what a host he was! A very animated and spirited character, he proudly threw back his head and announced at the top of his lungs with arms flailing, “Wassail! Wassail!!” Most people shouted “Wassail!” back but it was not loud enough for a 35th anniversary, so we again had to shout, “Wassail!!!” And the feast and singing began.

Two ladies at our table had been coming for years and filled us in on all the little details of fine cheer. All around us were antique ornaments, a tall Christmas tree that reached the second-story landing, and real candy canes hanging from garlands throughout the house.

A prompt waiter informed us that our lunch choices were salmon with Cajun seasonings, pork loin with apple jam sauce, and chicken smothered in basil. Each came with a wonderful cranberry and goat cheese salad and homemade croissants with local jam. For dessert, there was a selection of famous sundaes and an infamous flaming figgy pudding. Hard decisions were at hand.

Before we could decide, the carolers filed in one by one singing, “Wassail All Over the Town.” Throughout the lunch, they went to each of the three rooms singing such classics as “Still, Still, Still,” “Behold, The Mighty Becomes Small,” and, my personal favorite, “Night of Silence,” with a very magical version of “Silent Night” saved for last.

It was musical surround-sound in real life! The voices of the carolers were perfect. I did not think it got much better than that for holiday cheer.

After we bid everyone farewell, we took a drive up to Cornucopia to find our friend. We stopped at the Village Inn, which has reasonable rooms and good food. Our friend was not working that day, so we had a drink and headed back to Bayfield. Along the way, we spied the new casino everyone was raving about called Legendary Waters. They advertise great food and entertainment. The locals told us it is excellent!

Driving back into the bay of Bayfield, you can see a few of the Apostle Islands out on Lake Superior. Madeline Island is the largest, and a ferry leaves by the hour to take people to and from the island. Basswood Island is another you can see from the road. Twenty islands make up the Apostle group, and they are filled with adventure in both summer and winter.

That Northern Holiday Spirit

We spent the night at the Rittenhouse Inn. We choose bedroom number seven, which had an Asian theme with a king-size bed, a whirlpool, and overlooked the bay. As we looked out the window at the new snow falling down, we realized we had found that elusive northern Holiday Spirit there in Bayfield, Wisconsin.

For more about Bayfield lodging, stores, and tourism go to: http://bayfield.org/visitors_guide.php

Bayfield Activities

Summer Months: Sea kayaking, swimming, boating, fishing, hiking, camping

Winter Months: Cross-country skiing, ice fishing, snowmobiling, hiking, dog sledding, wassail concerts

Where to Stay:

Bayfield Inn prices per night in winter season: $85-$150; www.bayfieldinn.com

Rittenhouse Inn prices per night in winter season: $115-$275; www.rittenhouseinn.com

Don’t miss: 35th Annual Wassail Holiday Concerts for lunch per person, $45, dinner per person, $75

The Village Inn winter rates: $65-$75; www.villageinncornucopia.com

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Legendary Waters Casino: www.legendarywaters.com

Lisa Sim enjoys travel and is a contributor to The Epoch Times.

Hidden Beauties of the South: Lake Murray

Epoch Times — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:50:08 +0000

Overlooking Lake Murray from a picnic shelter park, a boat sails near the Saluda dam (also called Dreher Shoals dam), and people run along the dams' pathways. (Kelly Ni/The Epoch Times)

COLUMBIA, S.C.—Lake Murray is a short drive from Columbia, S.C. and borders three towns: Lexington, Chapin, and Irmo. The lake is a gem, surrounded by tall pine trees, green land, red clay, uneven land, and small valleys.

The lake offers places to run or walk along the lake’s dam pathways, a picnic area overlooking the lake, a public swimming beach, islands, camping and fishing and water skiing, swimming, and boating.

Great blue herons, striped and bigmouth bass, and purple martins live in and around the water.

Lake Murray is a reservoir connected to the Saluda River which is connected to the Atlantic Ocean. The lake was built in 1930 for hydroelectric power. The Saluda River valley once held 5,000 people, but the town was cleared, an earthen dam built, and Lake Murray was made.

The Saluda Indian tribe and the Cherokee once lived in the valley along the Saluda River. In the 1770s the lower Saluda River valley was settled by German, Dutch, and Swiss immigrants. The Indians left the area by 1775.

During the 1940s War World II pilots trained and tested B-25 bomber planes over lakes in the Carolinas. A B-25C that crashed in Lake Murray in 1943 was recovered in 2005. A ferry bridge and a house on the lake floor have been recorded on sonar.

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In 1886 a 7.3 earthquake hit Charleston, S.C.. To prevent disaster from the rare seismic activity in the state, construction of a backup dam for Lake Murray started in 2002 and finished in 2005.

The Egyptian Oases

Epoch Times — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 02:15:12 +0000

Beyond the usual tourist hotspots of Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, and Alexandria, Egypt has much to offer. The western oases promise breathtaking scenery, interesting historical sites, and refreshing dips in cold- and hot-water springs as well as encounters with warm and welcoming locals.

It is important to note that this journey is better done during the winter season and preferably during a calmer political climate. However, if you are in Egypt and you have some extra time on your hands as well as an interest in nature, I highly recommend a trip to the western desert.

Desert and More

The desert, which covers two-thirds of the Egyptian landscape, begins at the Mediterranean Sea and spreads some 270,272 square miles south, reaching all the way to the Sudanese border. If you are imagining an oasis as an island of palm trees and a shimmering lake in the middle of the desert, you are in for quite a surprise. The Egyptian oases, also called “the new valley” by locals, are, in fact, a series of small cities speckled across a large stretch of sand and desert.

From the beginning, we chose to skip the Fayoum Oasis, which is located closer to Cairo, and instead bought bus tickets to El Bahariya Oasis (US$5.80, or 35 Egyptian pounds (EGP), per person) at the main Cairo bus station Turgoman. This is about a five-hour bus ride. The ride will take you past continuous rounds of deserted yellow sand dunes, broken up every so often by rest stops with coffee shops strategically situated in the middle of nowhere.

When we arrived at the main city of El Bahariya Oasis at 1 p.m., we were surrounded by dozens of brokers shouting various offers of local hotel accommodations and safari tour prices. I immediately silenced them and asked instead who would offer me a hotel for the price of $US8.29 (50 EGP). We found an offer to match and also agreed to a safari tour price of $33 per person. Later, we found out that a hotel in Bahariya does, on average, cost around $8.30, plus $4.15 for breakfast and $5.82 for lunch or dinner.

It is important to note that there can be periodic blackouts, which are quite normal for the area. Prepare yourself with a stock of bottled water, as the water is electrically pumped and will not pump during power losses.

Also, when closing a monetary deal for your tour as well as other activities, be aware that you will almost certainly be asked for more money at the end of the excursion. Be prepared to calmly but firmly stand your ground and insist upon paying the original, agreed-upon price.

Planning Overnight Trips

An overnight safari in a 4×4 vehicle costs a minimum of $133 that can be shared among four people. Most of the hotels offer comfortable rooms fully equipped with air conditioning and mosquito nets.

There is not much to do in the oases at night. However, you can sit and relax in a local café, smoke a shisha (water pipe), or drink coffee while listening to local music. You can also wander among the local shops that mainly offer simple garments, plastic toys, and groceries.

The locals appear to live on two industries, tourism and agriculture (dates, guavas, olives, and apricots).

We skipped a visit to the old tombs, a local museum, and the temple of Alexander the Great. Instead, we spent the afternoon visiting a mountain (interestingly shaped like a small pyramid), a huge salt lake, and an old English house located on top of a hill perfect for viewing the sunset.

It is highly recommended that you stop off at the Farafra Oasis, though spending the night there is more expensive. However, you can easily go from Farafra to the White Desert. Since we didn’t do our homework, we stayed the night in Bahariya and went the next day on a two-day safari into both the White and Black Deserts.

Preserving the Desert Environment

The Black Desert is located 31 miles from Bahariya’s northern edge. It has few inhabitants and is now a national park thanks to the famous Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass, who is known locally as the “Egyptian Indiana Jones.” Several years ago, Dr. Hawass, who was very much concerned for the welfare of the White and Black Deserts, began a campaign to raise awareness about these unique environmental treasures.

The deserts are now officially protected from the casual vandalizing tourist, and pollution of the area is strictly controlled. On our way to the Black Desert, we stopped by a group of improvised swimming pools used by the local people.

A long time ago when water was more plentiful, the Bedouin used to dig holes in the ground in certain locations, and underground water sources filled these shallow bathing pools and irrigated the surrounding lands. Lately, many of these wells have run dry and the use of water is more limited.

We stopped to lunch by some of these local pools and enjoyed our food while soaking our legs in the water. After lunch, we cooled off in the water pools amid the joyful and playful shouts of local children who were also enjoying a break from the summer heat.

After a while, we leisurely moved on to visit a natural site called “Crystal Mountain,” which is covered in crystal formations that sparkled in the sun, briefly bringing to mind Superman’s fortress of solitude (Superman and Superman II).

We passed the Black Desert full of volcano-shaped mountains and large quantities of little black stones called “black roses of the desert” by local Bedouin. By sunset, we had reached one of the most stunningly beautiful deserts in the world—the White Desert.

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The White Desert is a large expanse of bare and massive, stark-white rock formations that were created as a result of occasional sandstorms in the area. Some of these rocks look like large mushrooms and, with a good imagination, you might also find the shapes of chickens, pigs, sheep, and even people.

We enjoyed a full moon that night, and Tamer, our driver and guide, built a small tent in which he cooked a wonderful dinner. The leftovers were thrown to the local foxes that had sat by patiently waiting for their turn to eat.

The next morning, we went to visit some other small sites in the area, taking another break at more hot and cold springs. Upon return from the White Desert, we picked up our suitcases and hopped on a bus to go to another of the bigger oases, Dakhla.

Next … Exploring Dakhla Oasis

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Breakfast with Santa in San Francisco

Epoch Times — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:58:45 +0000

The Garden Court at the Palace Hotel where families can have tea and pictures with Santa. (Courtesy of Palace Hotel)

Looking for a fun holiday feast for your youngsters? The Embarcadero Hyatt Regency San Francisco has a cornucopia of Christmas treats awaiting adults and children alike.

In the hotel’s Atrium Lobby, considered the largest in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records, those little tykes can meet Santa and sit in the lap of luxury surrounded by a 30-foot Christmas tree amid thousands of cascading lights draping the atrium.

Better yet, snow will be falling here three times a day—a sight most California kids don’t get to experience.

My five-year-old and two-year-old grandsons had breakfast there with Mr. Claus. They feasted on fluffy scrambled eggs, Mrs. Claus’ cinnamon French toast sticks, mini chocolate chip pancakes; gingerbread pancakes, Krispy Kringle bacon, roly-poly sausage, fresh fruits, and berries, all topped with Christmas cookies and chocolate milk.

Catching snowflakes in the atrium lobby. (Andy Freeman)

Afterward, the boys tried catching the snowflakes gently sprinkling down around Santa and the tree. Santa’s loving kindness shone forth when he patiently listened to my eldest grandchild Ryder who brought his gift catalogue with all his requests circled.

Santa is available for children to make their wishes on Saturdays and Sundays (December 10, 11, 17, 18) for Hyatt Regency’s Breakfast Buffet from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Prices are $23.95 per person for adults, $10.75 for children 4-12, while children under 4 are free when accompanied by an adult with a limit of one complimentary child per paying adult. Tax and gratuity are extra.

The hours for snowfall now through Dec. 31st: 1:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. every day at Hyatt Regency San Francisco, 5 Embarcadero Center, San Francisco 94111, 415-788-1234.

It’s always good to have a patient Santa when you bring your catalog to show him your wishes for Christmas. (Andy Freeman)

At the nearby Palace Hotel children can enjoy a holiday afternoon tea and photo with Santa in the luxurious Garden Court Saturdays Dec. 17th and 24th, Tuesdays Dec. 13th and 20th. Reservations are from 2:00pm to 3:30 p.m. $45 for adults and children. Contact: Palace Hotel, 2 New Montgomery Street, SF, CA, at www.sfpalace.com. Call 415-512-1111 for reservations.

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Beverly Mann has been a feature, arts, and travel writer in the San Francisco Bay Area for the past 28 years. She has received numerous accolades in the fields of travel writing, education, and international public relations, including a Bay Area Travel Writers Award of Excellence in Newspaper Travel Writing. Contact Ms. Mann at: www.beverlymann.com

Beyond Wine: What’s New in California’s Napa Valley

Epoch Times — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 07:16:55 +0000

There is much more to Napa Valley than wine, such as this "hidden find" in the Napa Valley Museum, which exhibits local artists and features this painting of vintners and restaurateurs. (Beverly Mann)

Napa Valley conjures up a matchless climate of sunny days, fresh air, and endless stretches of verdant vineyards and wineries. Some of the country’s best wines can be sampled by just a stroll through the wide range of tasting rooms in the boutique towns of Calistoga, Yountville, and Napa that have blossomed in the past 5 to 10 years.

However, Napa Valley offers much more than wine. It is a place of healing with some of the best spas and treatments. Also a growing arts community, Napa attracts artists and artisans from all over the world. Everywhere I turned, there were outdoor sculptures and galleries lining the main city streets. The area has also become a culinary capital with more Michelin star restaurants per capita than anywhere else in the country.

A recent Napa Valley getaway, only a one-and-a-half hour car ride from San Francisco, proved to be a cornucopia of surprises—with lots of new additions to the arts, restaurant, and spa scenes.

Start with Calistoga Pampering

My two-night stay at the newly renovated Luxe Calistoga exemplified how a B&B can create an upscale, contemporary feel and simple elegance to a homey environment. The establishment is run by two well-traveled men, Brent and Chris, who have a love of people, places, and food.

The Luxe Calistoga manages to blend an upscale, contemporary feel with simple elegance in a homey environment. (Beverly Mann)

I was welcomed with generosity and graciousness in a well-appointed room,, where Woodhouse Chocolate from St. Helena was at my bedside. From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. each day, there were a variety of gourmet cheeses and fine wines available for guests.

Most impressive were the artful breakfasts enjoyed on an expansive, white veranda. One morning, the sunlight poured across my home-baked scones, fresh berry parfait, and crispy crab cakes, while I relaxed to the soothing background music permeating the patio.

Right next door sits the year-old Calistoga Goddess, a petite spa run by 26-year veteran and local Barbara Rae De La Rue, a warm person who treats her customers with TLC and affordable prices. After her hour European facial, I walked out glowing.

The Mais Oui Massage & Spa Train in Calistoga featured a signature package that included an exfoliating scrub, a moisturizing honey facial, and an ultra-relaxing olive oil body massage. (Beverly Mann)

Another new boutique spa in Calistoga is the Mais Oui Massage & Spa Train located at the historic Train Depot where Pullman rail cars have been converted into small shops. I was given a round-trip ticket for a 100-minute signature package, which included an exfoliating scrub, a moisturizing honey facial, and an ultra- relaxing olive oil body massage.

Appointments are recommended but some walk-ins are accepted. Note that there are no showers, bathrooms, or other spa facilities here, which keeps the prices at a reasonable rate.

On the dining front, one of the newest restaurants, JoLe, has risen in popularity fairly quickly with its creative tapas dishes. I lingered over a flavorful lamb and scallop dish that was quite filling. The desserts, especially the coconut cream pie, were more than ample and served as a good finale to the meal.

Brannan’s has always been a favorite dining experience of mine when visiting Calistoga. The restaurant now has a new addition, Chef Jon Korsorek, the pioneer for gourmet street carts in the East Bay.

The beet carpaccio, finely sliced like petals over a bed of goat cheese and pistachio nuts with a bouquet of mixed greens in the center to simulate a flower, was a meal in itself. Korsorek has also created a mint-chip ice cream with cocoa beans that cools the palate after a hearty meal. He makes his own mozzarella cheese, soft and creamy to taste.

Downtown Yountville. (Beverly Mann)

A good way to end the evening was to walk off the meal and discover the decorative murals of the town painted by noted artist Carlo Marchiori, whose gallery sits at the town’s entrance. Don’t miss a visit to the artist’s awesome Villa Ca’Toga Tour, embellished in trompe l’oeil frescos. Tours are only given on Saturdays at 11 a.m., May through Oct.

Yountville Finds

Only 20 minutes south down Highway 29 you’ll find Yountville, where I took a short Art Walk along Washington Street to view some of the 12 new sculptures scattered around the city. There are a total of 30 now, featuring works by such noted artists as Jack Chandler and Gordon Huether.

I stopped into Hurley’s Restaurant to view a rotating exhibit of local artists, whose pieces were also for sale, while I enjoyed a Roasted Baby Beet Salad and Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna al fresco out on their open back patio. Hurley’s is a good value for the money.

The Napa Valley Museum was another find, tucked away near the Veteran’s Building, on the opposite side of Highway 29. Due to its location, many visitors are not aware of its existence, which is a shame.

Upside-down Cake from the Fish Story Restaurant in Napa. (Beverly Mann)

The museum’s focus is to provide the history of the rich cultures comprising the town of Yountville, from its Chinese to its Jewish pioneers. There are contemporary revolving exhibitions every six weeks, plus an extensive outreach to neighboring schools that are provided arts curriculum.

That evening, I spent a memorable stay at the creek side Hotel Yountville, the new kid on the block. The comfy, elegant rooms with sunken Jacuzzi tubs, vaulted-beam ceilings, fireplaces, free wireless, a candlelight turn-down, complimentary bikes, and even iPads were just some of the amenities available. Guests are given a discount card to use at many of the neighboring tasting rooms in the area.

The hotel features a top-notch restaurant, The Hopper Creek Kitchen, where a most unusual breakfast menu is served daily until noon. Some of the creative fare consists of a French toast soufflé with caramelized figs and fresh blueberries, a perfect poached egg delicately floating in an Asian consommé, and a crispy duck comfit with bite-size sugar donuts—totally yummy!

Planning Your Visit:

Calistoga
• Calistoga Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center, 1133 Washington St., Calistoga, CA 94515, www.CalistogaVisitors.com
• Luxe Calistoga, 1139 Lincoln Ave., Calistoga, www.LuxeCalistoga.com
• Wine Sensory Class, WH Smith Wine Sensory Experience, 1367 Lincoln Ave. www.winesensoryexperience.com

• Yo El Rey Roasting, 1217 Washington St. An organic/fair trade coffeehouse and art gallery, http://www.yoelrey.com
• Calistoga Goddess, 1125B Lincoln Ave., www.calistogagoddess.com
• Mais Oui, Massage & Spa Train, 1458 Lincoln Ave., Railcar 16, www.maisouispatrain.com
• JoLe, 1457 Lincoln Ave., Chef Matt Spector and wife, pastry chef Sonjia, have opened one of Napa Valley’s best-reviewed restaurants with a mostly Mediterranean flair using very fresh local ingredients, www.jolerestaurant.com
• Brannan’s Grill, 1374 Lincoln Ave., www.brannansgrill.com

Napa
• Napa Valley Destination Council, 1001 Second St., Suite 330, Napa, (707) 963-3304.
• Napa Valley Museum, 55 Presidents Cr., www.napavalleymuseum.org
• Fish Story Restaurant,790 Main St., www.fishstorynapa.com
• Oxbow Public Market

Yountville
• Yountville Chamber of Commerce, 6484 Washington St., www.yountville.com
• Hotel Yountville and Spa Acqua, 6462 Washington St., www.hotelyountville.com and www.spa@hotelyountville.com
• Hurley’s Restaurant, 6518 Washington St., www.HurleysRestaurant.com

The next morning, I had a soothing foot reflexology massage and scrub at the hotel’s newly opened Spa Acqua administered by therapist Sunshine, who definitely lives up to her name.

Perhaps the most startling changes have occurred in the town of Napa further south of Yountville, where a gentrification of the riverside has taken place. I almost didn’t recognize the town, which has taken on a trendy, hipper look. The new River Walk is studded with high-end restaurants and shops, including the new Fish Story Restaurant on Main Street.

Chef Clint Davies from New Zealand has found innovative ways to prepare raw and cooked fish. The Oregon Bay Shrimp Louie, Heirloom Tomato Salad with grilled watermelon and pine nuts, and the pink Idaho Trout with fresh corn polenta and lime butter were just some of Davies’ outstanding creations.

For more gastronomic delights, I crossed the Napa River overpass on First Street and visited the Oxbow Public Market, where you could buy anything from olive oils, chocolates, coffees, and teas, to a wide array of desserts and food. One could spend several hours there. I saw people relaxing with their lap tops.

Going back into town along First, I took yet another Art Walk which passed historic Victorian buildings, trendy restaurants, and posh shops. The outdoor sculptures were part of a collaborative effort by the Napa Community Redevelopment Agency and the Arts Council of Napa to enhance the public environment.

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Beverly Mann has been a feature, arts, and travel writer in the San Francisco Bay Area for the past 28 years. She has received numerous accolades in the fields of travel writing, education, and international public relations, including a Bay Area Travel Writers Award of Excellence in Newspaper Travel Writing.

A South Dakota Journey Through Native America

Epoch Times — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 03:56:47 +0000

A long horn bull grazes near Devil’s Tower, or Bear Lodge as Native Americans call it, a place of spiritual significance as well as recreation. (Myriam Moran)

The Black Hills extends some 120 miles. The geography begins near Rapid City, South Dakota, and continues for a bit into Wyoming. Part of this unique landscape is the Bear Lodge. Some 50 million years ago, molten magma heaved up into sedimentary rocks then cooled. Over eons of time the sedimentary rock eroded and exposed an 867-foot tower, 5,112 feet above sea level with a 1,000-foot-diameter base.

Many tribes consider Bear Lodge (officially designated Devils Tower) a spiritual place. Today tribal members make a pilgrimage to the site to pray and leave tokens of their reverence behind. Signs are placed by the U.S. Park Service asking visitors not to disturb these holy tributes.

Native Myth and Spiritual Practice

There is a wonderful mythological tale about Bear Lodge. The Kiowa legend speaks of seven sisters and their brother playing there. The boy was struck with an affliction and began to run on his hands and feet, then grew claws and became a giant bear. The girls were afraid and ran to the stump of a tree. The tree spoke to them and into it they climbed. As the bear came to kill them, the tree rose and grew. Bear claw marks made the fissures on the side of the tree. The girls were carried up into the sky and are seen as stars in the Big Dipper today.

Not far away outside of Sturgis, South Dakota, is Bear Butte State Park. Bear Butte is operated by the State and open for recreation. It is a holy place for native people. Visitors should respect the prayer vigils and always check in at the park office and interpretive center. Prayer cloths are tied to trees by worshipers and must not be disturbed.

Park officials will inform visitors if native people are conducting ceremonies or vision quests so that people hiking up the mountain can avoid interfering with religious practices.

A Painful History

The Battle at Little Big Horn on June 25, 1876, was a victory for the Indians. Yet, it was their final defeat as well. After this event, repercussions in Washington began to punish and eradicate the Native American tribal way of life. Gold was discovered the year before in a gulch outside what is now Deadwood, South Dakota. Miners flocked in great numbers to the Black Hills of the Dakota Territory. They set up claims in direct violation of treaties with the Indians.

It was greed for gold in Dakota’s Black Hills, traditional holy lands for Native Americans, which led to a dramatic chapter in American history that brought down the curtain on the native people’s way of life.

Renewing the Spirit

(R)Oglala Sun Dance Leader Ivan Sorbel holds a native handicraft at the new visitor center in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. (L)Tina Merdanian at the Red Cloud Indian School in front of the White Buffalo Calf Woman Mosaic. (Myriam Moran)

Millions of visitors travel through the Badlands near the town of Wall, South Dakota, every year. There are two units of the park, the North and South. Very few visit the South Unit, which is operated jointly by the National Park Service and the tribe. It was called the stronghold. Tribes retreated there when pursued by soldiers.

Take BIA 2 then BIA 4 to Kyle, SD, to the Visitor’s Center. The building is new and it houses the Pine Ridge Area Chamber of Commerce. Opened in the summer of 2010, the center is not only a good place to begin discovery of the area but it also contains displays of tribal culture and art. Sculptures and magnificent wood furniture and appointments make it a welcoming place.

Ivan Sorbel, a tribal Sun Dance leader of the Oglala Sioux tribe, is one of the driving forces behind the center and the opening of the area to tourism.

The Crazy Horse Memorial with Korczak Ziolkowski’s model sculpture in foreground. (Myriam Moran)

“Our language is dying out at a high rate of speed. At one time there were 60 percent speakers. We are trying to revitalize the language,” Ivan explained. “Our area is very economically depressed. There is limited employment. This project now is centered on tourism to bring dollars onto the reservation. A motel was built two years ago. That was the first new motel since 1960.”

“We want people to take from here the richness of our culture,” he added. “We are trying to catch up economically, but we are trying desperately to hold onto our culture. By sharing it with visitors, we are also teaching ourselves.”

Native Art and Culture

The Red Cloud Heritage Center on Pine Ridge reservation houses a world class native art and artifact collection. Every year for the last 43 years, the Center has held an art show. The latest show featured 93 artists and 211 pieces from around the country, all offered for sale. Lakota-made crafts and art are available in the gift shop that also has a website.

Michelle and Frank Thunderhorse holding clippings at Wounded Knee as they describe the little town’s somber history. (Myriam Moran)

Many artifacts, art objects, clothing, bead work, and items that had been gifted to priests are on display in the center. The collection catalogs 10,000 items, with 2,200 fine art pieces.

The collections of contemporary and historic art and artifacts on display in the gallery amount to just a small percentage of the total collection housed in museum-quality storage facilities at the center. A behind-the-scenes tour with Curator Mary Bordeaux is an exceptional way to learn about and appreciate tribal art and culture.

Not far away from the Visitor’s Center in Kyle is Oglala Lakota College. The College Historical Center displays photos that chronicle the history of the nation from the early 1800s through the Wounded Knee massacre in 1890.

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Marilyn Sherman Pourier welcomed visitors in the Lakota language: “Today I greet you with a good heart and a warm handshake.” The greeting is a prelude to the history of the tribe.

From the college campus, BIA 27 leads to Porcupine, then to the town of Wounded Knee. It was a cloudy, cold, and windy day when we visited, a day that reflected the town’s somber history.

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Hawaii Revisited: History Renewed

Epoch Times — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 02:26:56 +0000

The USS Arizona Memorial sits over the sunken ship where 1,102 sailors and marines lost their lives. (M. Longman)

Heading for Hawaii to escape the chill? If it’s been awhile, know that there are a few things worth visiting again that you definitely shouldn’t miss. One such sight was once called the USS Arizona Memorial.

A Re-Outfitted Memoriam

Many people may have heard about the Arizona Memorial, however, there has been a recent renovation. The official name of the area is now the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. This center was actually built to replace the original USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center. It is operated and maintained by the National Park Service, which serves as the shore-side facility for the USS Arizona Memorial itself. In addition, it’s the gateway to other Pearl Harbor historic sites.

If you haven’t visited it in a while, you might be pleasantly surprised by what’s there now. The Pearl Harbor Visitor Center is a memorial, a park, and a history center all in one. The construction of this moving memorial actually took two years and cost $56 million.

Of course, you can still visit the original memorial, the USS Arizona itself, although you will have to take a boat across the water to see it.

The best thing to do is to get a timed ticket and be sure to check out the other exhibits that are in the area. The new facility was dedicated in December 2010 and offers the visitor indoor and outdoor galleries, state-of-the-art interactive exhibits, two movie theaters, an amphitheater, and a research and education center. There is also a centralized ticket center, restrooms, concession, and administrative and support areas.

Patrons can peruse the extensive displays and listen to historical accounts by survivors at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. (M. Longman)

More than 1.5 million people visit the exhibition every year. The visit begins with an explanation of what caused the tensions between the U.S. and Japan even before the attack at Pearl Harbor happened.

One soldier radioed in that aircraft were approaching, but was told, “not to worry about it.” Of course, that response was very different from these days of post-9/11, where nothing is ever dismissed. On that fateful day in 1941, the potential threat was not taken seriously enough.

Interviews with those who survived, both military and civilian, allow the visitor to imagine what it was like to have lived through the battle at Pearl Harbor. The attack was such a surprise, however, that those who did not perish were left not knowing how to help.

A Moving Tribute

A wall inside the USS Arizona War Memorial bears the names of those who died during the attack on Pearl Harbor.(M. Longman)

Visitors will learn how the age of the battleship, which had once reigned supreme, was instantly overtaken by the age of the aircraft. Nothing could prepare the world for how that would play out on Dec. 7, 1941.

There are artifacts from the USS Arizona on display (the ship is a grave-site lying at the bottom of Pearl Harbor where 1,102 of its 1,177 sailors and marines lost their lives). The only Japanese torpedo ever found at Pearl Harbor is also on display.

Once the guided tour of the USS Arizona begins, the visitor will experience a 23-minute documentary showing the attack on Pearl Harbor, followed by a short boat trip to the Memorial for a self-guided tour.

Inside the USS Arizona, the Shrine Room displays the names of those who died and also the names of USS Arizona survivors who chose to be interred along with their shipmates.

The whole visit is a very moving experience. Allow at least half a day to see everything.

More Island Experiences Await

The Outrigger Reef on the Beach Hotel features city view, ocean view, and oceanfront rooms where guests can stay and enjoy the surf or relax in the pool. (M. Longman)

A tour of the USS Arizona Memorial and the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center is well worth doing on any visit to Oahu. So, too, is a tour of the rest of the island. Be sure to visit the Dole Plantation, located on the road between Honolulu and Haleiwa. Stop to take pictures of the island shaped like a “Chinaman’s Hat” as you travel the windward coast.

Don’t forget to take photos of (or sample lunch at) the ever-present shrimp trucks you will see, mainly around the Kahuku area. Be sure to stop for breathtaking, panoramic shots at the Pali Lookout and at the Halona Blowhole.

After a rigorous day of sightseeing, relax at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach Hotel. Indulge yourself at their Serenity Spa. It is situated in the area known as Kawehewehe, a location that, for centuries, was home to the area’s kahuna la’au lapa’au (herbal medicine practitioners) and where healing took place.

The spa honors those ancestors and healers by offering Serenity Spa guests the very products the healers themselves used. The ingredients include such items as marine plant extracts, essential oils, and minerals. It’s a testament to their effectiveness that these ingredients were used in ancient times and are still being used today.

Whether you go for chakra balancing, a hot lava rock treatment, or the Hawaiian lomilomi (a sacred healing massage that has been preserved throughout the generations), the massages at the Serenity Spa are truly cultural experiences.

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After a trip to Oahu, Hawaii, you’ll find yourself waving a forlorn goodbye. But even as you leave behind the joy of the Serenity Spa mixed with the sadness of Pearl Harbor, you’ll know that the legacy and love of those who made the ultimate sacrifice is something on this beautiful island that will simply never die. Whether you visit for history or healing, or both, you’ll find yourself saying: “A hui hou” (Until we meet again).

M. Longman is a travel writer and photographer who lives in northern California.

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