Deep Culture Travel

Melbourne Battles Climate Change With Typical Aussie Panache

2012-05-24T10:29:00-07:00

In the April issue of Conde Nast Traveler, Melbourne's Lord Mayor is interviewed about the challenges of climate change in his city. He has joined a group of nearly 60 mayors around the world––the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group in partnership with the Clinton Climate Initiative--who are forging ahead, in spite of disappointing progress made by governments since the Copenhagen Climate Conference in 2010.

Underway in Melbourne is the eco-oriented Our Docklands project and many other sustainable projects around the city.

Will this month's Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development yield better results? we'll be watching . . .

Get the real dope on what happens at Rio+20 by subscribing to the blog from the Earth Summit 2012 "Stakeholder Forum".

And, stay tuned here for more on climate change as it affects travelers.

Karen Misuraca is the author of several guidebooks, including Backroads of the California Wine Country; Backroads of the California Coast, and the newly released 8th edition of Fun with the Family Northern California. Check out Karen's new iPhone app, California Coast North.

Come Back to Cinque Terre! the News is Good

2012-05-05T12:48:48-07:00

If you love Italy, you will recall that on October 25, 2011, two of the five ancient little towns of Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera were hit hard by mud slides and floods caused by torrential rains. Gloriously post-card-perfect with their vibrantly-colored buildings, sunny terraces and open-air cafes along the rugged, rocky seafront, Vernazza and Monterosso were devastated by mud and water that damaged much of their timeless charm. Travel guru Rick Steves, who has written extensively about the destination and regularly sends his tour groups there, vowed to focus attention on his beloved Cinque Terre.

In January of this year, I linked you to his latest news of the tragedy, and now Steves has published an in-depth report of his recent visit--and it's encouraging.

You will enjoy the photos and stories of his visits with some of his close friends from Cinque Terre, and his update on exactly what to expect when you get there--it remains one of those places that you must experience, at least once in your life.

Here is one of my short articles about Cinque Terre.

Click here for some preliminary info about what happened.

Here is Rick Steves' news about his recent visit, six months after the disaster, including a tear-jerker of a video.

New Anthology from Bay Area Travel Writers “from the poignant to the hilarious”

2012-05-04T08:00:10-07:00

On your next trip or on your bedside table, Travel Stories From Around the Globe will make a dreamer of you. Twenty-three juried stories by San Francisco's Bay Area travel writers are portals to fascinating cities, villages and countries, to famous and obscure destinations, on dangerous journeys, funny trips, romantic encounters, on trains, planes, camels and kayaks, to some familiar places and to some you’ve never imagined.

From the introduction by Don George, Editor-at-Large for National Geographic Traveler: " . . we ride the Orient Express and sail a luxury expedition ship, walk Alaska's Chilkoot trail, explore Maya caves in Guatemala, soak iln Japanese hot mud baths . . absorb unforgettable stories of courage and compassion."

"The pieces in this anthology offer surprise, serendipity, connection, and personal transformation ... [proving] that the Bay Area is home to so many talented storytellers."
— Julia Cosgrove, Editor-in-Chief, AFAR

"Each story zooms in on an unpredictable experience—a journey within a journey— that reveals more about a place than you'd ever learn from a guidebook."
— Janet Fullwood, Travel Editor of the Sacramento Bee for 21 years

Just $12.95, Travel Stories From Around the Globe is a great gift for your favorite armchair traveler and your round-the-world adventurer.

National Parks are Free April 21 to April 29

2012-04-17T08:38:56-07:00

All 396 U.S. national parks will offer free admission during National Parks Week (Apr. 21 - 29), and many of the parks are also scheduling special programs, events, lodging discounts and tours.

From Saturday, April 21 through Sunday, April 29, eighty-four million acres of your spectacular parklands, historic places and cultural treasures will be free to enter (saving you such as $20 at Yosemite, $15 at Joshua Tree).

You can take part in Volunteer Day at the parks on April 21, Earth Day on April 22 and National Junior Park Ranger Day on April 28.

For instance, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area near Redding, CA, invites you to visit four of the park’s dazzling waterfalls, take rubbings of the bronze plaques at each fall, then return to the visitor center for a special reward.

Lonely Planet says that these are the best National Parks to visit in April:

Arches
Big Bend
Bryce Canyon
Capitol Reef
Death Valley
Everglades
Grand Canyon
Great Smoky Mountains
Joshua Tree
Sequoia & Kings Canyon
Shenandoah
Yosemite
Zion

Looking for inspiration? Click here for Budget Travel magazine’s slideshow of stunning National Parks images.

Can’t get to a National Park? Here are some fun videos of three guys who toured national parks across the country.

Cuba “People to People” Motorcycle Tours

2012-04-12T13:25:03-07:00

The travel guru of Cuba, Christopher P. Baker will escort motorcycle tours of the island this winter. The focus of the tours will be educational exchange, on behalf of the Texas-based motorcycle tour company MotoDiscovery, the only motorcycle touring company licensed by the US Department of Treasury to legally offer US citizens “people-to-people" motorcycle travel in Cuba.

Baker has now led ten people-to-people trips on behalf of National Geographic Expeditions within the past year.

His travelog Mi Moto Fidel: Motorcycling Through Castro's Cuba won the Lowell Thomas Award 'Travel Book of the Year. And, he is the author of several award-winning travel guides to Colombia, Cuba, Panama, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica.

A frequent TV and radio interviewee, and public speaker, Baker also writes a blog on Cuba and Costa Rica.

More here about Chris Baker's tours in Cuba.

More here about tours to Cuba.

New maps to Cuba.

Exploring Cuba: Sustainable Development, Community & Art

2012-03-31T15:38:22-07:00

Global Exchange Reality Tours and the Ethical Traveler are offering a unique tour of Cuba, based on visits and dialogues with educational, social, cultural, agricultural and environmental organizations.

The tour will be led by Jeff Greenwald, Executive Director of Ethical Traveler and author of six best-selling travel books, including Shopping for Buddhas. To read dispatches about his previous Cuba trip, visit ethicaltraveler.org/explore/dispatches.

June 12-20, 2012 (9 days)

Some of the Highlights:

Walking tour of Havana, Literacy Museum, School of Art, Foundation for Nature and Humanity and projects on permaculture and environmental preservation
Visit Vinales Valley to learn about the importance of the tobacco industry & dialogue with the local people on tourism issues in the region
Excursion to “Las Terrazas” / Pinar del Rio Eco-Comunity and Sustainable Development site in the Sierra del Rosario Mountains, a UNESCO designated “Bio-Reserve” area

This is a perfect opportunity for professionals in fields related to the theme of the tour (i.e.; educators, sociologists, social workers, anyone involved in sustainability, travel writers, journalists) to visit Cuba legally and explore the future of US-Cuban relations.

The Global Exchange tour to Cuba was named one of 50 Tours of a Lifetime in 2010 by National Geographic Traveler.

Click here for the itinerary and more information

More here about tours in Cuba

Earth Hour 2012: Turn Out Your Lights!

2012-03-26T12:21:04-07:00

From London to Sydney, New York, Jakarta and Singapore, people across the world will be joining the Earth Hour 2012 challenge by turning off their lights for one hour on March 31, from 8:30 p.m. your local time to 9:30 p.m.

The World Wildlife Fund started Earth Hour in 2007, and since then millions have chimed in to help stop climate change and take real action for the environment.

Hundreds of millions of people, businesses and communities (and probably your town or city and state) are participating in Earth Hour 2012. Among the many sites, lights will go out here:

Golden Gate Bridge
Great Pyramids of Giza
St. Peter’s Basilica
Big Ben & Houses of Parliament in London
Sydney Opera House
Manchester United
Microsoft
Brooklyn Bridge
Harrah’s Casinos
Wells Fargo
Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa
Pike Place Market, Seattle, WA
Bloomberg News
All Fairmont hotels and resorts
Illinois’ Capitol building and governor’s mansion
United States Marine Corps
UN Headquarters
Las Vegas Strip
and thousands more organizations, schools
businesses, hotels, churches
states, cities, landmarks
and individuals . . . .

Watch an amazing video of Earth Hour “lights out” activities

For the first time, Earth Hour will extend to the International Space Station, where ESA astronaut and WWF ambassador Andre Kuipers will keep watch over our planet as the lights switch off on 31 March, sharing photos and live commentary of his experience via the European Space Agency (ESA).
Humans are consuming resources at a faster rate than ecosystems can regenerate them--we currently use the equivalent of 1.5 planets’ worth of natural resources. From melting sea ice in the Arctic to a deforestation disaster in the Amazon, coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef to a drought-induced famine in the Horn of Africa, it’s time to do something about it.

Go to EarthHour.org to watch fun and inspiring videos and photos, and to find out what will be happening on Earth Hour day. You might also sign up for one of the “I Will If You Will” challenges—tons of celebrities are involved.

Grand Canyon Learning Adventures

2012-03-17T17:01:38-07:00

A once-in-a-lifetime experience for all ages, the Grand Canyon Learning & Lodging Adventure is a 2-day hands-on guided tour led by the non-profit Grand Canyon Field Institute.

Above and below the rim of the mile-deep canyon, you will travel on foot and by shuttle van to encounter everything from rock art to raptors, ancient ruins to historic railroads. Your instructor will introduce you to the fascinating geology, interconnected ecology, and rich human history that make the Grand Canyon one of the wonders of the world.

Lodging is at the iconic Yavapai West Lodge or Maswik South Lodge.

Grand Canyon Learning & Lodging Adventure includes:
    2 days of guided hiking and touring
    Reading materials
    2 nights lodging
    2 breakfasts
    2 box lunches
    1 dinner
From $380 for one adult and $229 for a child 10-16.

Xanterra operates the accommodations, restaurants and tours at Grand Canyon, including El Tovar, Bright Angel Lodge, Kachina Lodge and Thunderbird Lodge on the rim and Phantom Ranch on the floor of the Canyon.

More about visiting Grand Canyon here.

More here about Xanterrra.

Interna Women’s Day March 8, 2012

2012-03-07T08:58:02-08:00

Founded in 1911, International Women's is a global celebration of the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future.

Annually on 8 March, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements. Women connect with political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking events, local women's craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades and more. Check out the web site for what's happening around the world and in your town.

Connect on Twitter: Michelle Bachelet Under Sec-Gen & Exec Director UNWomen (former President of Chile) tweets “No longer afford to leave women out. Time is now for women's right & full partic'n”

Some fabulous photos that “Put the Whoa! In Woman”

ThomsonReuters “Women Living in Extraordinary Times” slide show

Women and Girls Lead online films throughout March

Gloria Steinem Speaks in California on “War on Women”

Women’s Day in the Yucatan

2012 Culture Night in Ireland

2012-03-02T13:00:55-08:00

For one night only, Friday September 21st 2012, locals and visitors across the island of Ireland will enjoy the unique experience of Culture Night, a free night of entertainment, discovery and adventure taking place in a record 28 towns, cities, counties and islands.

If you're lucky enough to be in Ireland on that date, you'll get free admission to museums, galleries, churches, historic houses, artists studios, cultural centres and more, and lots of free live entertainment, including hundreds of talks, tours, performances, workshops, and events.

Culture Night will take place in the following regions: Dublin, Belfast, Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cloughjordan, Cork City, Cork County, Derry-Londonderry, Drogheda, Galway, An Ghaeltacht, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Letterkenny, Limerick, Mayo, Navan, Offaly, South Tipperary, Strabane District, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow.

For example, just a few of the events planned in County Cork:

The Grain Store at Ballymaloe is staging a night of dance featuring ballet, Irish dancing and Hip Hop from 7pm until 10pm.

Midleton Distillery will host an event and Féile an tSamhraidh will host a Concert of the prize-winners from Féile an tSamhraidh Féis including category winners in Piano, Strings, Wind, Vocal, Verse Speaking with Piano and School Group Music at St John’s Baptist Church, Midleton from 8 to 9.30 pm.

Highlights for Bandon include the Snatch Comedy ImprovGames Show, a rollercoaster of absurdity, originality and spontaneity--everything is completely unscripted and unrehearsed!

Another highlight for Bandon is Passpartout Circus Arts & Street Theatre’s new Fire Show “Embrace the Fire”, a truly awesome show performed in the town centre by three of Ireland’s leading fire artists.

Jellyfish Lake and Palau Resort Packages for 2012

2012-02-20T10:24:20-08:00

Photo by Mark Downey

Only 20,000 strong, the residents of Palau are intimately tied to their ancient culture, and to the health of their idyllic South Pacific environment, which provides their food, natural materials for daily living, and, for many, their income as related to tourism. An iconic dive and snorkel destination in Micronesia, Palau is an archipelago of over 586 islands surrounded by spectacular reefs inhabited by 1,400+ species of tropical fish and 500+ species of living coral . . . and, the incredible, world-famous Jellyfish Lake.

Swimming in the warm, other-wordly waters of Jellyfish Lake, a visitor said, "I’m surrounded . . . At first I’m afraid I’ll be stung, but these creatures . . . caress my body and embrace my face. These gelatinous orbs seem downright curious. If I could laugh underwater I would. I’ll remember this sensational wildlife encounter as one of the most wonderful experiences of my life."

The golden jellyfish found only in the lake are called Mastigias papua etpisoni. Living in their tissues are zooxanthellae, which are symbiotic dinoflagellates. Theirs is a special relationship: the jellyfish rotates in a circle and swims around the lake, making sure the zooxanthellae get enough sunlight for photosynthesis. In exchange, the zooxanthellae provide their jellyfish with energy and nutrients.The jellyfish capture tiny organisms for food, with stinging cells inherited from their ancestor, Mastigias Papua, yet they did not evolve to eat large vertebrates like humans. They bob peacefully in the sun and are completely harmless to snorkelers.

These unusual jellyfish swim in a migratory pattern seen only in Jellyfish Lake. At sunrise, they swim towards the east shoreline, stopping at the shadow line formed by overhanging trees and rocks, where they hover in the sunlit seawater. As the sun arcs overhead throughout the day, the jellies turn and swim towards the west shoreline, again stopping to bob at the shadow line. Like sunflowers, and tourists snoozing on the beach, Palau’s jellyfish are ardent sun worshippers.

From Bea Broda, a fabulous intro to Palau's water sports and the jellyfish

Photo by Lorry Heverly

This year, several of Palau's vacation resorts are offering special packages:

Ngellil Nature Island Resort Island Experience Package

2 nights with daily breakfast
Boat transfers
3 hour kayak rental.
From $400 per couple

Palau Plantation Resort
Discover Palau Package: 5 nights for 2 in a premium cabin, airport transfers, daily breakfast, historical tour, Super Rock Island Tour, Airai Stone Money tour. From $1,300.
A 0ne-of-a-kind 8 room property accessible only by boat, accommodations made of natural products, private beach, private jungle hiking trails, sea kayaking, snorkeling, fishing.

M&A Riverside Beach Bungalows
(Regular rates $135 per night for 2 w/breakfast)
Rates $125 for airline crew, members of the armed forces and for those who stay for 7 or more nights. Beachside bungalows w/air conditioning, fridge, private bath, patio, airport shuttle.

More here about Palau

And, even more!

Photo by Lorry Heverly

Alegría Cirque de San Miguel for Feed the Hungry in San Miguel de Allende

2012-02-08T13:11:43-08:00

The many travelers who live or vacation in Mexico's historic Spanish colonial city of San Miguel de Allende enjoy a lively schedule of cultural, musical and social events.

Alegría Cirque de San Miguel is this year's annual Feed the Hungry fundraiser.

The spectacular event will be at the luxurious new Rosewood San Miguel de Allende hotel, on Sunday, March 11 (1:00-3:30pm.).

A dazzling GravityWorks performance and seated banquet will be an extravaganza of clowns, jugglers and mimes and spectacular aerial performers defying gravity on Rosewood’s rooftop terrace overlooking the iconic city.

On the menu is sparkling wine, carnival totis with chipotle, lollipop haute dogs, spicy alegría popcorn and more during the First Act, followed by a hearty meal of roasted meats, artisan breads, farm cheeses, salads and savory sides.

You can win a Rolex watch, dream trips, valuable paintings and many other prizes as part of a presale ticket price of US$85 (at the door US$100). Only 400 tickets are available; reserved VIP tables of 10 seats also available. All proceeds benefit Feed the Hungry’s school meals program.

Feed the Hungry is a long-established non-profit organization benefiting hundreds of school children in and around San Miguel de Allende. A unique model for alleviating hunger among preschool and elementary children, the organization builds and operates kitchens on state school property. Its Meals Program increases school attendance and improves learning retention through nutrition education classes, healthier food choices and improved diets. Feed the Hungry provides nutritious meals to more than 4,000 children every school day of the year, and for some, it is their only meal of the day.

Ralph Fiennes reads Bleak House, Dickens Family and Royals celebrate Charles Dickens' 200th Birthday

2012-02-07T10:25:56-08:00

Click here for a short video of Ralph Fiennes reading from Bleak House, in honor of Charles Dickens' 200th Birthday.

Prince Charles and dozens of Dickens' descents also held forth at the writer's grave today in the Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey. Born the son of a Navy pay clerk, Dickens died in 1870 at age 58, and was laid alongside the resting places of Chaucer, Tennyson, Samuel Johnson, Kipling and other literary greats. Prayers were said for the poor and for writers and for journalists! yea

The Prince also visited the Charles Dickens Museum in London where US actress Gillian Anderson, who played Miss Havisham in a TV adaptation of Great Expectations, read from the novelist's work. Free cupcakes were handed out.

"Four Weddings And A Funeral" star, Simon Callow, who authored Charles Dickens And The Great Theatre Of The World, read from David Copperfield, at St. Mary's Church in the city of Portsmouth, where Dickens was born. From the Daily Telegraph, "Describing the event as "a dangerously moving occasion", he said: 'I really made the strong decision to come to the place where he was born rather than to Westminster Cathedral where he never wanted to be.' "

Queen Elizabeth will host a reception honoring the novelist on February 14 at Buckingham Palace.
And, the British Council is also conducting a global "read-a-thon" with 24 readings from 24 Dickens texts in 24 hours, from Australia to Iraq, China, Pakistan and other countries.

More videos here related to the celebrations.

Stay at an Historic Hacienda in Mundo Maya

2012-01-27T14:51:17-08:00

A glorious collection of five restored 16th and 17th century haciendas are unique places to stay while exploring Mundo Maya on the Yucatán Peninsula and in Campeche. Much on the minds of travelers this year as the ancient Mayan calendar winds down, Mundo Maya comprises the southern Mexican states of Campeche, Chiapas, Quintana Roo, Tabasco and Yucatán, and parts of Belize and Guatemala.

More than 500 Maya cultural events will take place in the region in 2012, from reenactments of the Maya ball game (wherein the loser loses his head) to the "Sacred Mayan Journey" in May, in which hundreds of paddlers will travel in canoes to the island of Cozumel to pay homage to the goddess Ixchel. Special museum expeditions; music, dance, art and culinary festivals; sound-and-light shows, headliner concerts and more are scheduled.

You'll find some lodging/attractions info at RivieraMaya.com. An excellent source of insider info and ideas is Joshua Berman's blog "Mundo Maya 2012" (he is the author the Moon Travel Guide, Maya 2012). And, I'll be posting news and info about the Mayan world for you, also.

A variety of packages are available at the haciendas, which are part of the Starwood Hotels Luxury Collection:

From a compound of 17th century historical houses to a nobleman's estate, the haciendas have such wonders as 18-foot ceilings with massive beams and rafters, 10-foot wooden doors, huge iron beds, tropical hardwoods, spas, arched loggias, swimming pools, stone fountains in elaborate gardens--plus high-tech amenities, and 5-star cuisine.

Winners of 4 Conde Nast Traveler "World Savers" awards, the haciendas work with the non-profit Fundación Haciendas del Mundo Maya, AC (Haciendas of the Mayan World Foundation), which develops sustainable micro-regional programs in nearby Mayan rural communities, from health and housing initiatives to setting up libraries and literacy education for adults, to eco-programs such as a botanical garden, reforestation, community gardens, eco-clean-up and more. The foundation is also helping to rescue oral Maya history through interviews with locals.

More here about Riviera Maya.

And even more about Riviera Maya.

Are you safe in Mexico? heck, yes. In the first half of 2011 alone, 10+ million Americans visited Mexico, accounting for 36% of all international travel by US citizens. Border cities--no. Just about everywhere else--ándale!

Latest News about Cinque Terre Disaster

2012-01-23T15:05:35-08:00

If you've been to Cinque Terre, or if it's still on your bucket list, you'll doubtedly have heard about the devastating mudslides of last October that destroyed much of Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare, two of the five iconic Medieval towns on Italy's Ligurian coast (together they comprise a UNESCO World Heritage Site).

Here is a New York Times feature that describes the catastrophe.

Click here for Rick Steves' update on what's happening today, links to news and photos, and how we can help. Steves does encourage travelers to visit Cinque Terre this year, or as soon as we can, to support the locals who are scrambling to put their glorious old villages, their tourism, restaurants, lodgings and their lives back together.