Posts Tagged Travel

By Susanne Pacher

Hotel Havana Libre, Friday, April 8, 2005, 3:45 pm

So, of course, not everything is politics, learning, philosophizing and studying languages. Life also has to include some fun. And Cubans, despite all the hardships, know how to have fun. They love to laugh, to dance, to make music, and they are very sensual people. The women in particular around here are very good-looking (for the most part) and they dress in very tight, sexy clothes. It?s been a true delight observing the Cuban lifestyle.

For me it all starts with the “GuaGua”, the official local Havana transit system: overcrowded, with extremely long line-ups, and people pressed up against each other. I have read that the GuaGua is like the local Saturday night movie: it contains “sex, violence and crude language”.

Yesterday my friend Pedro and I took the GuaGua for the first time. As a foreigner, I would never take the GuaGua by myself and my professor recommended me not to. But with my friend Pedro as a tourist guide and body guard I felt safe. And indeed you have to line up (sometimes for several buses since each one of them is full), and then when you are inside you have to elbow your way to the back exit to get off at the back door. And it?s not surprising that pick-pocketing and some physical groping is quite normal. I certainly clutched my little backpack in front of me and didn?t let anything out of my sight.

2 evenings ago, Pedro and I went for a walk along the Malecon (waterfront promenade) and we had a peak at the “United States Office of Interests” (there is no US embassy here due to the political tension between these 2 countries). The US Office of Interests is a heavily guarded austere looking office building and right in front of it is a square that (I believe it?s called La Plaza Anti-Imperialista) where the Cubans hold anti-American demonstrations and parades, sometimes a million people strong. Another rather ironic constellation….

We then walked through the Vedado area and entered the famous Hotel Nacional, built as a grand hotel in 1930. Although Cubans normally may have problems entering luxury hotels by themselves, we were not held up by any guards and we ended up sitting and chatting for almost 2 hours in the beautiful gardens of the Hotel Nacional. That evening the Hotel also had a concert by the Buena Vista Social Club, but I decided I didn?t want to spend Can$30 plus. Next week I might have a chance to go to the Casa de la Musica and hear music for $5.00 instead.

My friend also explained to me the male-female dynamics in Cuba, that casual relationships (including sex) are very normal and that a young guy and woman can link up for a steamy night and return to being regular friends the next day. The same apparently applies in marriages where the concept of fidelity is apparently not very deeply entrenched. Some very interesting insights which are in quite strong contrast to the official morale in Canada….

Yesterday after class Pedro and I took a private car (which can always be organized in some way through somone) to Havana?s famous Playas del Este area, the cost is not cheap: more than US$25.00 for a few hours. Playas del Este is an area with kilometers of light sandy beaches with light blue and turquoise water, simply beautiful. The area where we went is mostly frequented by Cubans, although we also saw a few middle-aged Russian tourists with young beautiful Cuban jineteras. My friend had not been at a beach for the last 2 years since the public transport is so cumbersome and other alternatives are too expensive. And there are many Cubans who never even leave their local neighbourhoods. Living in such a beautiful country and not even having access to a beach – indeed hard to imagine…

The water was gorgeous, and scarred from the Canadian winter, all my pores opened up and soaked up the sun. But even changing into my bikini was a half hour ordeal! There are no changerooms or washrooms on the beach and I had to wait in front of the lifeguard station for about 30 minutes (since the male lifeguards took their sweet little time) to change into my bikini. Same with drinks: I tried to buy a pop at the beach bar: closed. So I walked to another beach bar: closed. Finally I followed some locals to a goverment-owned store on the street: it was temporarily locked by a guard, supposedly because there were too many people in the store! So I had to wait another 15 minutes to buy the pop….. “Hacer cola” – being in a line-up – is a way of life here and you encounter long line-ups several times a day, in banks, stores, all sorts of places.

I also noticed that the local Cubans at the beach were having quite a lot of raucous fun, drinking beer (unimaginable in Canada: drinking beer in public!) and then tossing the cans into the ocean. Environmental awareness has a huge way to go here…

Tomorrow or on Sunday I am going to meet a professor of mine, a very nice lady in here mid to late 50s, and we are going to go to a local market together. And Pedro and I made plans to do a little excursion outside the city, I am either going to rent a car or Pedro is going to arrange a loal private car and together with his family (wife, sister-in-law and daughter) we are going to have a nice outing outside of the city, something that is very exceptional and a real luxury for local Cuban people. I am already looking forward to it….

About the Author: Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a website called Travel and Transitions (http://www.travelandtransitions.com). Find unconventional travel information, cross-cultural experiences, interviews with travellers and other inspiring people. Submit your own travel stories & win an exciting Amazon River cruise! “Life is a Journey – Explore New Horizons”

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=30860&ca=Short+Stories

See the rest here: Hello From Cuba (7) – Fun And Recreation

By Alastair Hamilton

Many companies offer leisure cycling tours to locations around the world. This article summarizes how you should prepare for your trip.

There are many ways to enjoy travel in a foreign country. Most people think of renting cars, or taking buses or trains everywhere. But because people are following a different routine and are on vacation – they do tend to pack on the pounds. The way to ensure that you will not need to go on a diet after you return from your vacation is to go on a cycling tour. You’ll be able to sample the local cuisine all you like, because you’ll work off all those calories on your bike!

Cycling tours are offered for every level of bicyclist – from the beginner who might need a “pick up ride” after a while, to the experienced cyclist who can zoom up the hills as if they were weren’t there.

Most European countries are extremely bike friendly. Bikes are expected to be on the roads, drivers are familiar with them and give them a wide berth. So it’s very safe to bike in Europe. A lot of places in the United States seem to resent the very existence of bicycles, which is why it’s always best to go on a cycling tour with like-minded people. You’ll be biking through areas that are used to seeing cyclists.

Leisure cycling tours are designed for all different kinds of terrain – from flat and peaceful rides through the beauties of nature to the fitness challenging of the steepest of mountains.

If you’d like to go on a leisure cycling tour, the place to do your research is on the web.

When you’re looking for a particular tour, you’ll want to compare all the available amenities for each tour.

1) Accommodations. Are you going to be staying in hotels, or in campgrounds?

2) Are meals included? If so, which ones?

3) Will there be free refreshment stops each day?

4) If the tour passes by anything of historical interest, are riders given an opportunity to go look at any sites of interest?

5) Baggage transport. Who handles the luggage?

6) Is their a sag wagon? (This is a car or other vehicle which will come and “rescue” a tired rider or one who has had an accident of any kind.)

7) Do riders receive daily maps and cue sheets that are easy to read and follow?

In the evenings, is there someone around to clean your bikes, or is it up to each cyclist?

Depending on the state or country through which you’re riding, most of these amenities are offered, unless you’re on a budget tour. If you’re going budget, it’s best to be a very experienced cyclist and already know what you’re doing.

Bicycling is a very popular way to see Europe. There are self-guided bike tours as well as the tours offered by companies. It’s important to check out what kind of bikes they offer to ride, however. You’ll want the best quality available.

Types of Tours

WomanTours is a company that focuses solely on offering bike tours for women. Most of the tours offered by this company take place in the United States, but at least once a year they do offer a tour overseas. You can go on an economy cycle tours of Hawaii, cycle through the Outer Banks of North Carolina, experience the majesty of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, and much more. Their website even has a tour blog so you can see the fun that past cyclists have had on their tours.

Some of the major bicycle manufactures have a travel and adventure arm for their customers. For example, Trek Bikes has “Trek Travel.” They offer six trip types: classic, explorer, family, family explorer, specialty and weekend tours, in destinations such as Asia-Pacific, Central America, Europe, and North America.

The “classic” tours are designed for riders of all abilities. The “explorer” trips put less of an emphasis on luxury – you’ll be camping out in national parks, for example. Family trips are designed to have activities available for people of all ages. And Trek’s specialty trips include being escorted by professional cyclists – for example “Classic Climbs of France with Kevin Livingston,” or “Texas with Lance Armstrong.”

If you’re planning on taking a leisure-cycling tour, you must do your research. Find out how long the tour company has been in business, and try to contact some people who’ve been on those tours so you can find out if anyone had any bad experiences. It’s always a good idea to contact the Better Business Bureau to see if anyone has lodged any complaints against them

A leisure-cycling tour is one of the best ways to see a particular region. The more you know and the more preparations you make, the more fun you’ll have on your trip.

About the Author: Alastair Hamilton is the editor of further articles and newsletters about spain vacations and spain bicycle tours published at http://www.bikecyclingreviews.com

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=110946&ca=Travel

Follow this link: Leisure Bicycle Tours Are The Way To Travel

Natives of Halmahera Island. Foto http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halmahera

Maluku, or Mollucas, is a province in Indonesia consisting of thousand islands, near the Papua.  Maluku sited in the transition between Australian and Asiatic zone, so that it has a great variety of flora, such as meranti trees and orchids, and fauna, such as goats, bird of paradise, and cuscuses. The three big islands is Seram, Halmahera and Buru Island. The famous object is  Pintu Kota, a big coral located between seri and Airlaow Village which looks like a gate. The tourists can see the beautiful coral here. Others are Felawatu Beach, Santai Beach, and Batu Capeo. People can find the fresh air without no pollution such in a big city. |feedvillages.com|

Toba Lake. Foto http://media-2.web.britannica.com

North Sumatra, a province in Indonesia, is famous with the Toba Lake, the largest lake in South East Asia. It is surrounded by mountains with the Samosir island in the middle of the lake. The tourists can stay in a peninsula of Tuk Tuk on Samosir. The Samosir provides the traditional villages where most of the Batak ethnic live here. The panorama of Toba Lake is so beautiful that makes the visitors want to come here again. it has developed to be the highland resorts for the tourists while retaining the attraction of the unique of Toba Lake. The citizens believe that there is a legend behind the history of Toba Lake. |feedvillages.com|

The Baliem Valley was once dubbed Shangri La and it is easy to see why. The Valley is incredibly lush and fertile and is surrounded on all sides by towering peaks of 2,500 to 3,000 metres. The fertility is such that the valley has been farmed for 9,000 years but it was only discovered by westerners in 1938! There are three mains tribes inhabiting the Baliem Valley: The Dani in the base, the Lani to the west and the Yali in the south-east. Each tribe has a distinct culture.

One sure and interesting way to distinguish between the tribes is from the Koteka, or penis gourd, sported by the male members. The men of each tribe tend to the growing of the gourds with the three tribes each cultivating a different style. The Dani use a long, thin Koteka, the Lani sport a medium sized, wide cannon-like gourd, and the Yali wear the longest of all.

The Dani

Entering Dani territory involves a journey into a deeper reality. The inevitable pig-feast on arrival is your rite of passage into their unique culture for an engrossing a four or five hour intense experience. You will find yourself in a simple, traditional compound surrounded by fully greased and painted Dani tribes-people wearing their ceremonial best.

The whole elaborate affair is deeply spiritual, far more than a photo-session can ever capture. Here you will be warmly greeted by the amazing Chief Yali, Kelly’s adoptive father who is legendary amongst the Dani for his kindness, generosity and skills in the art of co-operation and avoiding conflict. With this unique and privileged connection you will receive the full weight of Dani hospitality.

The Lani
Like the Dani, the Lani are expert farmers utilising a highly effective and efficient irrigation system to produce abundant crops of Sweet Potatoes (Ubi), Tobacco, Beans, Taro, Spinach, Sugar Cane and Bananas. Much of the Lani lands lie in a beautiful oasis interspersed with checkerboard patterned sweet potato gardens. The Lani are more stockily built than the medium-bodied Dani and their lands are more densely populated. They tend to congregate in largish villages rather than the small compounds which dominate Dani territory.

The weather in the Valley is predominantly sunny and trekking along the river amidst the terraced farmlands and wondrous forests is a trekker’s paradise. Trails are usually clear and maintained as local people travel them and this makes the trekking pretty comfortable.

The Yali
The Yali tribe lives high up along the valley ridges in the Jayawijaya mountains. The land here is rugged and thinly populated. The tribes-people live in wooden huts with roofs made of tree-bark and they are grouped into small compounds. A vegetable garden and dense rainforest will surround each compound.

Trekking in the Yali area is more strenuous than in the lower reaches of the Valley but it is perfect for the fit trekker who wants to experience truly virgin rainforest and the unique people who live amidst it.

In summary, The Baliem Valley will provide a never to be forgotten experience. The inhabitants of the valley are essentially peace-loving agrarians who welcome visitors wholeheartedly.

Foto & Text http://www.papua-adventures.com/baliem.html

Living in the modern era requires us to get entertainment. Entertainment is important for our life. We really need to get entertainment since it can refresh our mind. It will help us not to get stress. If we are stressful, we will not be able to do our works well. We are also getting easier than usual to get angry without clear reason. Therefore, after we work in our workplace, we should make time to find entertainment to refresh our mind. There are a lot of entertainment sources that we can find. One of them is game. Game can help us find energy. It is because playing game is mostly a fun activity.

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