Our final destination before crossing the border into rural Swaziland was the resort town of St. Lucia. Another volunteer had called it one of the most beautiful places on earth, and Coast to Coast said the village was seated at the heart of a World Heritage Site, amidst five different ecosystems. It sounded promising, and when we read that crocodiles, monkeys and even hippos roamed the streets, we knew it was a place that deserved a closer look.
While the "resort" part of the town was pretty desolate (again, we reasoned, because it was off season) Bib's International Backpackers (our hostel of choice) was busy with travelers from all over the world. In addition to your average dorm-style rooms and self-catering accommodations (all for about R100, or $12, a night), Bib's offers travelers a laundry list of tours, safaris and outdoor escapes to insure visitors experience all that St. Lucia has to offer.
The White Nights of culture are sweeping across Europe and while the Madrid version might see museums open all the way through to 6 am, over in Dublin they're a bit tamer.
At the upcoming Dublin Culture Night on September 19, the museums and galleries involved will extend their opening hours, but only until 11 pm--which makes it more a culture evening than a culture night, we think.
But it's still worth checking out. They're putting on free buses and there'll be live performances on Temple Bar. And we're guessing plenty of Guinness to quench the thirst that comes from engaging with all that culture.
When you think about hotbeds of Japanese-American culture, St. Louis probably doesn't spring to mind. But it should, because the Gateway City is home to one of the largest Japanese gardens in America, the 14-acre expanse at the Missouri Botanical Garden.
And every Labor Day weekend for the last 32 years, the garden has hosted one of the premier Japanese festivals in the US.
The three-day Missouri Botanical Garden Japanese Festival, August 30-September 1, features a wide array of Japanese cultural activities, including martial arts demos, Zen enlightenment workshops and everybody's favorite, sumo wrestling. Ten bucks gets you admission to everything.
A holy water log flume? God's Hand Antigravity Spinner? Officials in Rome have announced plans to open a theme park in the Eternal City, and we're praising the Lord for the opportunity for jokes it presents, even though the park won't draw on the nearby Vatican for inspiration.
Instead, the as yet unnamed amusement park will depict life in Rome 2,000 years ago, from the open-air forum to the raucous Colosseum. Deputy Mayor Mauro Cutrufo says Euro Disney is the model for the new attraction, which is curious considering the very negative reaction Walt's first foray into European tourism received when it opened.
Some regional officials have already come out against the "Americanization" of Roman history. But with millions of Americans visiting the city every year, hasn't that battle already been fought?
Off-off-Broadway fanatics know we're already a week into the New York Fringe Festival, so it's high time we separated the thespians from the players. If you don't know where to start, balance your Fringe diet with our handy five categories of festival shows and recommendations for each. Hey, maybe you'll spot the next "Urinetown"!
The Necessary Political Slot: "Meanwhile, in Baghdad..." Combat news fatigue with this neatly inverted look at the residents of a besieged nation. Aug. 16 at 9 pm, Aug. 21 at 7:30 pm and Aug. 23 at 2:15 pm.
The Wacky Solo Slot: "My Salvation Has A First Name: A Wienermobile Journey." Comedian Robin Gelfenbien tells the real-life story of her year driving a giant hot dog. Aug. 17 at 2:30 pm and Aug. 21 at 3:30 pm.
And your ogre can sing: "Shrek: The Musical" takes the next giant, flatulent step towards Broadway tonight with its out-of-town world premiere in Seattle.
The adaptation of the DreamWorks children's movie stars Broadway vets Brian D'Arcy James ("Sweet Smell of Success," "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels") and Sutton Foster ("Young Frankenstein" and the VH-1 show "Flight of the Conchords"), with a book by David Lindsay-Abaire, is expected to siphon tourist dollars away from "The Little Mermaid" and other family faves, even if it falls flat on its green face. But the out-of-town tryout is crucial to developing the buzz that will fuel ticket sales--something "Young Frankenstein" never built last fall in its previews in Chicago.
"Shrek" runs through September 21 in the Emerald City and opens in New York in November. If you happen to be a Washingtonian who can get there, won't you drop us a line?
This Labor Day, jazz lovers won't be gassing up the family SUV or "staycationing" on their couches with a sack of Cheetos and "Kind of Blue" on repeat. They'll be at the Joy of Jazz Festival, a relatively new South African concert series taking place in Johannesburg August 28-30.
The location of the festival makes it a promising spot to host artists from both East and West, from Japanese pianist Keiko Matsui to Spanish-Afro-Cuban outfit Seda Jazz. If you've never heard Xhosa-language songs, the August 30 concert by local talent Camagwini is a must--and a relative steal at R250 (about $32).
If you can arrive and shake off the jet lag by the 28, you can even sit in on a performance workshop hosted by one of the featured musicians!
Don't tell the people of Philadelphia that summer is winding down--they're moving full force into September. The city, and its approximately 650,000 Latino residents, is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month and has a couple events to get things going.
Up first is Taller Puertorriqueño's 25th Annual Feria del Barrio. The free festival on September 7 includes activities for all ages and brings headliners Marlon (from Objectivo Fama) and Hector Tricoche to town.
Next is another family friendly event. Rosita's Hispanic Heritage Celebration at Sesame Place is celebrating heritage month by throwing a huge fiesta in cooperation with the local Univision network affiliate. Running September 13-14, this event celebrates Hispanic culture with the help of Sonia Manzano, who's played Maria on Sesame Street since 1973! The kid-orientated theme park will run shows with Maria and her puppet pal Rosita throughout the day, and all the usual characters will be floating around, too.
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by Jaunted
