Archives for 2012

New Year Celebrations Around the World

December 29, 2012 By Jillian

Not every New Year celebration is created equally. Some locales know how to throw an unforgettable New Year bash that attracts people from all over the world. Thinking of doing this year with lots of fireworks, maybe a beach and some costumes? Read on intrepid traveler…

Orlando

Florida in general is a top New Year’s Eve destination. Just the other day I saw a list that 8 of the top 15 destinations in the U.S. for New Year’s Eve are in Florida. It must have something to do with our beaches and perhaps our warm temperatures. Anyway, if you are a kid at heart, Orlando offers the perfect low key and family friendly New Year party option. Disney’s Magic Kingdom puts on a New Year’s Eve party that even 30 somethings can enjoy. From performances by Disney characters, and the general magic of Disney to the midnight fireworks, it’s a fun (although expensive!) place to ring in the New Year.

He’s 30 and it’s still his happiest place on earth.

Paris

Ahh, Paris. Je t’aime. The City of Light is never brighter than on New Year’s Eve. The whole town is the perfect romantic getaway to welcome January in style. Much of Paris celebrates the New Year for an entire month. From January to February, Paris is engaged in an ongoing celebration. There is plenty of food and champagne to keep off the chill, and fireworks are nearly ubiquitous.

Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro has become one of the most popular places to spend New Year’s Eve and it’s not hard to see why. We fell in love with Rio after only a few days, and I would love to go back to ring in the New Year. The spectacular fireworks that line the coast leave people breathless with the beauty. The New Year is a time of new beginnings. The people of Rio de Janeiro celebrate this by wearing pure white clothes and casting a flower into the ocean at midnight while making a wish for the coming year.

IMGP2721 — Looking for the girl from Ipanema?

Goa

Goa may be known year round as an amazing party destination, but this Indian province hosts some of the best New Year celebrations in the world. The entire region is festooned with brightly colored decorations. Strings of shining lights are hung from every tree branch and frond, and partygoers flock to the beaches to party. Dancing, live music and amazing food are abundant all along the coast of Goa. New Year’s Eve is the busiest time of year for Goa as international travelers take advantage of the moonlit beach parties. If the raucous beach parties aren’t your thing (they’re not mine either!) there are plenty of fun, low key things do to in the area for New Year’s Eve!

FTV Party New Years Eve-06 — Goa. New Year’s Eve. What more do we need to say.

Berlin

Remember when we fell in love with Berlin? We may have been taken over by the museums and the nightlife, but the entire city of Berlin in Germany turns out in the streets to celebrate the coming of the New Year. The joy of the occasion is celebrated with dancing and drinking in the streets. The numerous costume parties mean that the sidewalks are filled with elaborately dressed revellers. The fireworks in Berlin are second to none, and many travelers come just to see the night skies lit with the fantastic array of lasers and sparkling lights.

IMGP5078 — Now you know why we love Berlin. Bikes and Beer!

Worldwide Christmas Traditions

December 19, 2012 By Jillian

Christmas is a holiday with deep roots in Western culture, and some more recent inroads into others. Many of the Christmas traditions that have become central to the Christmas celebration have even older links to our pagan forebears.

While Christmas is celebrated in many places across the world, either as a religious or a secular holiday, there are many Christmas traditions that are specific to various regions. Have you experienced any interesting Christmas traditions as you’ve traveled? From traditional Christmas Market’s in Germany to tree lightings across the United States, each country has it’s own set of Christmas traditions.

Global Christmas Traditions

In Finland, a Hyvää joulua is assured by a visit from Joulupukki or just Santa Claus, where he is traditionally accompanied by his elves to hand out presents on Christmas night. In Greece, gifts aren’t traditionally given until Saint Basil’s Day, January 1st, although Christmas Day feasts are abundant after a fast. Traditional foods include christopsomo, or Christ Bread, which is a sweet bread served in large decorated loaves.

A Philippines Christmas contains echoes of its prevailing Asian and Spanish cultures, with a strong Catholic influence. Holiday celebrations commence nine days before Christmas with Misa de Gallo, a mass in which the story of the birth of Christ is read from the Bible. Each night, a man and woman are selected to play Joseph and Mary in a pageant showcasing their journey to the manger. Other religious observations include other pastore around the birth of Christ.

Just as some western Christmas traditions embrace our pagan tribal roots, that’s also true in the Philippines. Christmas includes strolling musicians that are a remnant of their indigenous people. These singers harmonize to Maligayang Pasko, which is set to the Happy Birthday melody.

In the Congo, an African Christmas is also celebrated with pageants. Christmas caroling is immensely popular. The central tradition of a Congo Christmas is the love offering, a gift made in honor of Jesus. Christ’s birthday is then celebrated with merriment and parties. This is followed by the sharing of a Christmas feast with family members and friends.

It’s clear that, for all we share, there are regional variations that reflect the traditions of each location and its people. In this way, we celebrate the holiday season in our own way!

Photo Credit: #1 courtesy of flickr user seelensturm, #2 courtesy of flickr user bingbing, #3 courtesy of flickr user coffeebugg all shared through a creative commons license.

Dealing With Travel Envy

December 17, 2012 By Lauren

I was scrolling down my news feed on Facebook when I saw a photo my sister had posted. She was on vacation with her boyfriend at a beach house in North Carolina, and the scene was pretty flawless:

Instantly, I was insanely jealous. I wanted to be at the beach house! I wanted a Corona on the deck!

The weird thing? I was in a hotel room on the shores of Lake Titicaca in Bolivia, as part of a four-month journey through South America. Some of my Facebook friends probably envied me.

The problem is, it keeps happening.

I read someone’s tweet about the fun they’re having in Europe, and the envy kicks in. Until I remember – wait, I’m uploading pictures from Peru.

Machu Picchu — Meanwhile, I’m posting pictures like this. I know. It’s messed up.

Sometimes it makes sense, like when I see friends in a tropical location wearing clean clothes, makeup, and sporting impossibly glossy hair. That, I can understand; I haven’t used a hair dryer in three months and I don’t consider my clothes dirty until I’ve worn them a minimum of six times.

Then my travel envy got worse. I started getting pangs of jealousy when I saw that people were in places I’d recently been. Places I’d just left a few weeks ago.

Once I thought about it, a few things became clear about the cause of my particular green-eyed monster:

I spend waaaay too much time on the Internet.
I’m a naturally jealous person, even though I don’t like to admit it.

But I also worked out the triggers.

#1: Friends and Family

I travel with my fiancé, and he is unfailingly my #1 choice for a travel partner. But I will always wish that we could share our travels with the people we love. When I see other people in front of the Eiffel tower with their friends, I wish that I could be on more trips with my friends, too – nothing beats meeting your friends and family in a location that is new to all of you.

#2: The End is Near

As for being jealous of people who were in places I’d just left? I figured that out, too. We’ve been on the road for 3 ½ months. In less than two weeks, I’ll be saying goodbye to South America. Even though it’s been a perpetual challenge, I’m sad to see this experience come to an end. So when I see other people on their own, similar adventure? I remember how it felt to be there and I miss it. Essentially, I’m jealous of myself.

Which is, admittedly, kind of twisted.

#3: Total Relaxation

Travel is not easy. You are forced to make multiple decisions on a daily basis: get in the dodgy-looking taxi or stay on the street as the sun is setting in an unfamiliar neighborhood? Stay in the dungeon-like hostel room with exposed wires over the showerhead or keep trudging around, looking for something better? Eat the mouthwatering street food and risk explosive diarrhea or go for the safe (but boring) supermarket option?

In short, travel is exhausting. So when I see the edited version of someone’s trip on Facebook, I envy the ease with which they’re conducting their vacation. Even if I know it can’t be carefree 100% of the time.

Fortunately, the prescription for dealing with travel envy is pretty simple.

First, log off of your computer, especially if you’re already traveling.

Then? Plan your next trip.

Maybe I’ll start by googling ‘beach houses in North Carolina’.

What causes YOUR travel envy?

Gifts for Travelers 2012

December 13, 2012 By Jillian

Looking for great gifts for travelers? Have travelers on your holiday gift list or wondering what to put on your list this year? For all your travel-happy friend and loved ones, you might want to consider any of these awesome gifts:

Gifts for Travelers Who Like Photography: Joby GorillaPod Tripod

We’ve used these tripods for our waterproof video camera (that’s how we got the Rocketman footage), for point and shoots and now there’s a bigger one for DSLR cameras. It’s great for having a flexible, small, lightweight tripod on the go – a necessity if you’re filming something from the back of a crowd or looking to take action shots of animals. Ranging in price from $12 – $60, the GorillaPod line comes with all sorts of new accessories, including a level so you can say good bye to slanted shots.
Click the link below to peruse them on Amazon:

Gifts for Travelers Who Like to Be Plugged In: Skullcandy S2IKDY-101 Ink’d 2.0 Headphones

For a $20 set of headphones these things are incredible and a great, inexpensive gift for travelers. I’ve owned an older version of these headphones for about four years and they’ve traversed the world with me. Great sound quality and they seem to be able to take a beating- what more can you expect for $20? The new version even comes with a mic so if you’re listening to tunes on your i-phone you don’t have to unplug to take a call.

Gifts for Travelers Who Like Electronics: Kindle Fire Wifi

I know I will probably take a beating for this, but I just cannot imagine taking a i-pad on the road. The cost of the item is enough to make me double over in paranoia every time my bag is removed from my hands. Needless to say, we have a Kindle Fire with wifi and let me tell you- I love it. Not only can I download plenty of reading materials, but I can also update the blog (hello!) and with one press of a button download instant videos from Amazon for those long flights/bus rides. Perfect gift for travelers on the go. We watch videos together using a headphone splitter and have never had any problems or complaints about quality. Plus, the battery life is longer than my laptop. Go figure.

Gifts for Travelers Who Like Adventure: Go Nomad 7 Solar Charger

Let’s say your are the err more adventurous travel type. No Hilton in your future? Staying in places with intermittent electricity? Look no further than the Go Nomad to get your phone up and running when you are without electricity. We used our Go Nomad for the first time when camping in Utah and within 45 minutes my smart phone had 30% battery. Sure it’s not as fast as a wall charger, but it sure beats being out of battery for days on end. It is incredible simple to set up, in less than 3 minutes we were set to go for a USB charge. The Go Nomad is slim and lightweight, taking up no more space than a magazine in your pack. They also have adapters for laptops and items that plug directly into the wall. A great gift for travelers who enjoy getting off the beaten path.

Gifts for Travelers Who Like Utility: MSR Pack Towel

If you thinking of gifts for travelers, a pack towel isn’t exactly a sexy gift. Trust me, most travelers aren’t looking for sexy, they are looking for useful. I admit that we’ve lost our fair share of pack towels as we traveled around the world, but remarkably my beloved yellow MSR XLarge packtowel survives after being used nearly every day for 2 years. It stood up to constant hand washing, hanging in the wind, sea water, river water and god knows what else. Sure it’s a bit dingy and discolored, but it’s still functional. Except when we were in the jungle during rainy season, this towel was dry by morning. It fought mildew and never got smelly.

Visiting Vizcaya

December 11, 2012 By Jillian

Vizcaya is a turn of the century estate hidden in South Miami and the perfect place to go if you’re looking for a bit of quiet from the hustle and bustle of South Beach or have had enough of the sun! It’s true, we do have a bit of historical culture here in Miami, not just beautiful beaches and sunshine.

A few weeks ago, we went to the estate with some family in town from the great cold north, who were all too happy to get out and enjoy the sun without sitting on the beach. Once the winter home of wealthy industrialist James Deering, Vizcaya now serves as a museum that allows visitors to enjoy the architecture, interior design and luxury of the Gilded Age. Even if architecture isn’t your thing, the grounds of Vizcaya are worth a stroll and a great place to relax.

We spent a few hours at the site, and by far my favorite was wandering on my own. After all, travelers are curious people are we not? Free tours leave from the front entrance every 30 minutes during the winter, but I found more pleasuring in exploring the back staircases and rooms myself. The view of Biscayne Bay is not to be missed!

A bit of Vizcaya history…

Vizcaya was built as the residence of industrialist James Deering for the winter months. He was Vice President of International Harvester Company, manufacturer of agricultural equipment for the world market. Building began in 1910 and was completed in 1916, when the population of Miami was only 10,000 people. Nearly a 10th of the population was employed in building the estate!

Each room of the main house provides visitors with a rich array of artistic treasures imported from Europe, so if you are a design buff the interior is not to be missed. As more of an outdoors person, I love the gardens and the Maze Garden and Secret Garden are not to be missed. If you are at Vizcaya on a nice weekend you’ll likely spot tons of brides and girls dressed up for their quincenera’s in the gardens.

This post was brought to you by Holiday Hypermarket, head over to http://www.holidayhypermarket.co.uk/dollslife/ for a fun holiday caption contest.