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Tags: South Africa Field Trip / Africa Travel / World Heritage Sites / Culture Travel / → All Tags
South Africa Field Trip: St. Lucia and a Cultural Tour Gone Wrong
Our Southern Africa embed Jill Nawrocki recently ducked out of Namibia for a field trip to South Africa.
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.
Tags: White Night Travel / Culture Travel / → All Tags
All Night Culture: Not Quite All Night in Dublin
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.
Related Stories:
· Dublin Culture Night [Official Site]
· White Night Travel: Madrid's La Noche en Blanco on Saturday [Jaunted]
[Photo: hippydream]
Tags: Summer Travel / Summer Festivals / Culture Travel / Labor Day Travel / → All Tags
Labor Day Travel: Missouri Japanese Festival
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.
Related Stories:
· Missouri Botanical Garden Japanese Festival [Official Site]
· Labor Day Travel Coverage [Jaunted]
· Culture Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Ryan Rumberger, Missouri Botanical Garden]
Tags: Culture Travel / Ancient History Travel / Theme Parks / → All Tags
Amusement Park Travel: Rome Plans Gladiatorland
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?
Related Stories:
· Pirates of the Colosseum? Rome Plans Theme Park [Reuters]
· Theme Park Travel: Who's Feeding Shamu? [Jaunted]
· Theme Parks coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: wtlphotos]
Tags: Culture Travel / Fringe Festival Travel / New York International Fringe Festival / → All Tags
Fringe Festival Travel: Our Picks for New York Fringe '08
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.
Tags: Broadway Shows / Movie Travel / Culture Travel / Shrek / → All Tags
Due On Broadway Travel: "Shrek" Opens In Seattle
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?
Related Stories:
· Seattle Goes Green: Shrek the Musical Makes Premiere [Playbill]
· Can Shrek Sing? Broadway Finds Out This Fall [Jaunted]
· Broadway coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: TonZ]
Tags: Music Travel / Live Music / Labor Day / Jazz / Culture Travel / → All Tags
Labor Day Travel: Join the Joy of Jazz
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!
Related Stories:
· Joy of Jazz [Official Site]
· Vanity Fair's Boutique South Africa [HC]
· Google Earth Travel: South Africa Tourism Goes Virtual [Jaunted]
[Photo of George Duke and Stanley Clarke at last year's festival: begapixel]
Tags: Fall Festivals / Culture Travel / Theme Parks / → All Tags
Philadelphia Travel: Latino Festivals for the Fall
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.
Related Stories:
· Taller Puertorriqueño [Official Site]
· Sesame Place [Official Site]
· Fall Festivals coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo of Feria 2007: G. Widman, via GPTMC]
Tags: Summer Travel / Culture Travel / Islands / Festivals / → All Tags
Tiny Island Travel: In Massachusetts, a Taste of West Africa
New England is home to the largest population of Cape Verdean immigrants and descendents of immigrants in the country. Celebrate this tiny Atlantic outpost at the Onset Cape Verdean Festival on Saturday, northeast of New Bedford, just south of Cape Cod.
The archipelago off the west coast of Africa has given us Damon Dash and the NBA's Ryan Gomes, but the fest serves as a de facto reunion for far-flung Cape Verdeans who may have roots in the same town.
Break it down to traditional morna music (a blues-like form often incorporating violins and clarinets) and fuel up on the sausage and corn dish cachupinha.
Related Stories:
· Cape Verdean Festival Is a Homecoming for Thousands [South Coast Today]
· It's Summer Somewhere: Cape Verde [Jaunted]
[Photo of Onset village: dbray]
Tags: Outdoor Travel / Desert Travel / Culture Travel / → All Tags
Desert Travel: Doing It Bedouin Style
Visiting the Middle East can be disappointing for anyone hoping for "A Whole New World" type of adventure, once they see all the skyscrapers, beach resorts and, of course, gigantic Eurotrash discos.
Fortunately for those in search of a vacation with more desert sand dunes and travel by camel, Israel has plenty of back-in-time experiences like the Mamshit Camel Ranch.
Set in the middle of Israel's Negev Desert, Mamshit offers day-long camel tours, Bedouin-style group meals and overnight stays in "the Million Star Hotel," an assortment of sheep wool and goat hair tents. The whole thing is a little more Disney-Middle East than genuine experience, but what are you gonna do? Even the Bedouins live in houses now.
Related Stories:
· Mamshit Camel Ranch [Official Site]
· Israel Travel coverage [Jaunted]
Tags: Culture Travel / Venice Film Festival / Celeb Travel / Brad Pitt / Film Festivals / → All Tags
In the Dark Travel: Five Must-Sees at the 2008 Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival, held August 27 through September 4, just announced its slate of films, and we're so excited. It may not have the cachet of Cannes, but at least there aren't any jellyfish on its shores. Here's what's on our ticket list:
- 5. "The Wrestler" One of only five American films in competition this year, this is Darren Aronofsky's follow-up to the controversial "The Fountain" starring Mickey Rourke and Evan Rachel Wood.
- 4. "The Burning Plain" Now that Alejandro González Iñárritu and Guillermo Arriaga, the director and screenwriter of "21 Grams" and "Babel," have ended their partnership, we're looking forward to seeing what Arriaga might have up his sleeve with this drama about a woman (Charlize Theron) trying to reunite with her estranged mother (Kim Basinger), a casting that could either go really right or super wrong.
Tags: Culture Travel / Summer Travel / → All Tags
Natural Wonders Travel: The Green Returns to Egypt
In a desert land, water calls for a party: Get your tickets now for Cairo's Wafaa Al-Nil Festival, which celebrates the annual flooding of the Nile which irrigates fields and ushers in the season of akhet, or flood.
The ancient Egyptians used to celebrate the flooding by sacrificing young girls to assure a rich harvest. Nowadays, relics may be dumped in the water in Coptic ceremonies, but no person will have to go in if she doesn't want to.
And nowadays the flood coincides with the Cairo International Song Festival, for which composers and arrangers come from all over weekend to display their "wares" and compete for cash prizes.
Related Stories:
· Movie Set Travel: Jumper [Jaunted]
· Egypt Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Ahmed Abbas]
