Tokyo: A Tourist Spot for Any Age

Robert Baerg's article on his trip to Tokyo is not only intriguing but educational. I never was too interested in travelling to Tokyo, but now after reading his article it is a top destination spot on my list. From shoping, to shrines, and beer museums. He got his way around all by subway and travelled wherever his heart desired while in Tokyo.

The hotel had least ten restaurants, a sauna bath, nice, clean, simple rooms, and some great bars; one of which sold beers from around the world in a more comprehensive way than I have ever seen. The hotel had a three-star rating and Shinjuku proved to be close to many attractions that we enjoyed thoroughly.


There was every type of shop you can imagine. I finally found a treble clef necklace for my girlfriend, and it cost me about $12 US (I kept that little secret to myself). Even if you don’t dig the idea of a massive market-style shopping walk in Japan, there was a lot to do. People watching, for example. There were more outrageously dressed people in Harajuku (and Japan in general) than you could shake a stick at.

If you’ve been to the CN or the Eiffel Tower, or the Empire State Building, than you know what you’re in for: high prices and long waits for a few beautiful moments and pictures. It’s cool and it is better at night. For the experienced traveler, perhaps just get a shot of it from the ground and head to the temple. The Zojo temple is one of two Buddhist temples we visited in Japan, and it was beautiful. We walked in the back door and found a graveyard of sorts that was really breathtaking.


This was a free and stunning part of the trip in a very different way than the temples or Harajuku. Shibuya Crossing is a massive intersection (mostly for pedestrians) that is best known for being in the movie Lost in Translation. It is a sea of people and advertising, located at the Shibuya stop on the JR line called Yamanote. The atmosphere of the whole square will make you feel like you are sitting on the pulse of modern Japan.


We arrived tired on a Saturday, so we missed weekend nights out. We did wander into a few bars, and they were very different from anything in Korea or North America.
They were small, they regularly charged a cover of 500 yen, and they had every imaginable drink in stock. The service was incredible and very polite. For the record, you do not tip in Japan, but some places may add a service charge on the bill.

Travelguide for Georgia, the Country

David Rich's article on Georgia, the country, seems more like the perfect travelguide, recommending certain aspects of the country and giving tips on airlines as well as hotels. is a detailed article on the wonders of the country Georgia, from the wine, to caves, to weather, to museums.

The entire van, including the diminutive granny next to me, was uncorking bottles and my poor little cup was inundated, which meant the next two hours passed with a blur. I vaguely remember stops every half hour to purchase additional bottles, whole roast chickens, and fabulous Georgian bread hot from the kiln, shaped like a pig with two tails. We arrived in Tbilisi, I seem to recall, exceedingly happy.


Its tree-lined boulevards converged on an ancient town crammed with old churches and pointy towers bisected by a great river, the name of which I could never remember how to spell or pronounce: Mtkvari. This was typical of Georgia, which has a language similar to no other country on earth and uses an alphabet that looks faintly Thai, which is to say cursive lower case and incomprehensible to Westerners.


I’d suggest skipping the Stalin Museum in his hometown of Gori, Georgia, which chronicles his earliest roots from the rustic house he was born in to photos from a religious education at the Gori Seminary to the excellent railroad car he rode to Yalta to shape modern Europe along with Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The museum was a sickening eulogy to the rosy side of brutality, concealing the beast. The most satisfying exhibit was Stalin’s Death Mask.


Gori was partially redeemed by an ancient cave city ten miles (16 kilometers) east at Uplistsikhe, founded in 1000 B.C.E. and the residence of Georgian kings when the Arabs invaded, 150 caves remaining of an original 700.

In its heyday Vardzia housed 50,000 people, naturally centered on a church, that of the Assumption. Georgia’s most impressive and spiritual church is located at its ancient capital a few miles north of Tbilisi at Mkskheta, the grand Sveti Tskhoveli Cathedral built in 1010 on the site of the first Georgian Church founded in a very early century.

Enjoying the Wild West!

Cheyenne's Frontier Days seems like a vacation unlike any other. In Cindy Bigras' article we hear about her travel into a historic time. With galleries of old pictures, rodeos, and parades, it seems you get first hand experience of the old wild west.

Beautiful horses pull western themed, horse drawn surreys, ambulances, fire wagons, and meat wagons. Another tasty Frontier tradition begins with 5,000 pounds of batter, 650 lbs of butter, and 450 gallons of syrup, 4,000 lbs. of ham and 8,000 pints of milk. A hundred thousand pancakes will be served free to waiting throngs of visitors three times during the week.


So I join the “Behind the Chutes Tour” at the entrance to the rodeo grounds. Chutes are the pens from which animals are released for their events.This is a great opportunity to see things up close. The open-air arena’s ground is dirt, the air is dry and the sun is hot. I will own a cowboy hat within an hour, and my sensitive skin will appreciate that the super wide brim protects my entire face and neck. I always wondered why cowboy hats looked like that. Now I know.


Next up is steer wrestling. A cowboy on horseback chases after a steer, ropes it around the horns, brings it to the ground, then jumps from his horse and ties up three of the steer’s legs – all this in 30 seconds! If the cowboy and his horse don’t operate as a team, there will be no chance at a prize. The partnership between animal and rider is an integral part of rodeo success, just as it was in the days when ranching ruled these plains.


Then come steer roping, tie-down roping, and saddle bronc riding, some events for rookies, others for seniors. Finally, the cowgirls on horseback charge out for the barrel racing, maneuvering in patterns around three barrels, kicking up dust, hats flying. Against the dusty background, the bright colors of their sequined outfits sparkle as they roar by.

Tour Guides and France make the Best of Friends

Not perfectly comfortable environment, in a different country, with a different language, and travelling alone, Candice Walsh found a comforting way to experience the wonders of France through Context Travel. Candice Walsh got to enjoy the business trip of a lifetime after concern by the small tours found on Context Travel led by experts as she states in . Thanks to a "bit of a gamble," Candice Walsh met her guide Lily, who helped her experience the best of the best and feel safe at the same time while in France.


However, disaster kept thwarting me at every corner. 1) I don’t speak French. 2) My hotel was outside the city boundaries, near the Charles du Gaulle airport, where absolutely no tour operators would venture. 3) I only had one evening to explore. 4) I was a young lady traveling alone. Running out of options, I Googled “private tour guides”, and stumbled upon Context Travel: walking tours for the intellectually curious.


After speaking English at an excruciatingly slow pace for two weeks, I was incredibly relieved for a normal flow of conversation. Since it was my first time in Paris, I asked Lily to show me all the major highlights. The fact that this tour was completely customizable was the highlight of my trip: we crammed a great deal of walking and sightseeing into five hours.


We wandered into the Notre Dame, gaping open-mouthed at flying buttresses and columns and gothic stained-glass windows. I saw the Place de la Bastille, the Pantheon, St Germain des Pres with its ancient tower, the Grand Palais, and the Louvre. And yet, we still had time to discover the Italian district, browse a Canadian bookstore, read poetry painted on a building, and skip into Gelati Alberto for my first gelato experience shaped like a flower (Lily insisted it was the best, and she has great taste).


Our last stop was the Eiffel Tower. Lily took me to a spot along the Seine where I had a clear view, and then she told me to wait.

When the Tower began twinkling, I nearly toppled headfirst into the water. The view of the monstrous structure was impressive enough, but I had absolutely no idea that it twinkled for five minutes every hour.


Without Lily’s expert knowledge of the city and her ability to speak two languages, I would never have enjoyed Paris as much as I did. When the evening was over, she ensured I safely found a cab, kissed me on both cheeks, and told me to keep in touch. I left Paris richer, with one new friend.

Pretty Foliage, Great Skiing, Hiking, Oh My!

Sometimes we overlook the beauty and experiences that places offer, similar to how Esha Samajpati feels about Vermont and the lack of focus on it's hiking opportunities in . What is the first thing you think of when you think of Vermont? Is it hiking? As Esha Samajpati realizes, Vermont is more than a pretty foliage site and a great skiing location. Indeed, Vermont has more to offer than origionally thought when it comes to hiking experiences.

Right after checking in at the Inn, we drove off to the Stowe Mountain Resort, from where we took a luxury Gondola to the Cliff House Restaurant, set against the backdrop of Mount Mansfield at an elevation of 3,625 feet. The morning showers had made the rocks slippery. We had to crawl through gaps, walk on ledges and climb up boulders. The trail refused to level out for even an inch.


The 0.7 miles to the ridgeline of Mount Mansfield seemed to take forever. We knew that the ridgeline is accessible from either this challenging Cliff Trail or the Auto Toll Road. Obviously, we had thought this trail to be far more fun than the Toll Road but apparently it wasn’t. The air continued to get thinner and the trail trickier. Finally, I gave up. Graded “DDD” or “very difficult” by the Mount Mansfield Visitor’s Guide, this trail was not a good idea on a rainy day.


Mount Mansfield’s summit is Vermont’s highest peak at 4,395 feet above sea-level.
It resembles the reclining profile of a rather gnarly man which explains why the parts of the mountain are named Forehead, Nose, Chin and Adam’s Apple. Close by the Visitor Center, we found a sign pointing towards the Long Trail which traverses the Mount Mansfield ridgeline. The Long Trail runs 272 miles from the Canadian border to the Massachusetts line.



We strictly followed the white blazes and did not disturb any of the rocks on the trail as we came to know that the trail vegetation is rare and quite fragile. Further research (by research I mean listening to the audio CD) revealed that the Mount Mansfield ridgeline is a unique alpine eco-system, a remnant of the last glacial ice-sheets that retreated from the Northeast about 13,000 years ago. It is an Arctic-Alpine Tundra environment, the largest of three in Vermont.


We began trudging uphill, surrounded by views of Lake Champlain, the Adirondacks, the White Mountains and the Green Mountains. The rays of the sun had begun piercing the morning mist which is why we were blessed with all-round amazing views. Breathing in the crisp mountain air, I looked down at the steep drop beside me. Well, some parts of the trail are not suitable for anyone with fear of heights.


Standing at the summit, taking in the panoramic view of mountains and valleys and lakes for as far as we could see, we felt closer to nature. Blissfully quiet, the peak imparted an unparalleled feeling of joy and contentment, making everyday problems seem so very insignificant. We could have stayed there all afternoon but with a five-hour drive ahead of us, we had to retrace our steps to the parking lot.
As I said, I was pleasantly surprised. I had always imagined Vermont as laid-back and charming, perfect for a fall or winter trip. Now I know better. Hiking Vermont’s mountains in summer can be just as rewarding.

School and Learning are Fun Vacations Too

Reading that i can experience culture, from agriculture, to crafts, and performing arts without having to spend hundreds of dollars and hours of travelling over seas was instantly something i gravitated towards while reading Stephen Bungo's article on the John C. Campbell Folk School.http://www.gonomad.com/alternatives/0909/john-campbell-folk-school.html displays characteristics of this unique school that grasps a different approach to learning and the opportunities offered.

But it offers a fine selection from other cultures of the world as well. I initially made the trip to Brasstown for a week-long Southeast Asian cooking course. The class tackled the appetizers, main courses, desserts, and drinks of Malaysian, Indonesian, and Thai cuisine."And we will cover Indian and Chinese as well, because they are the foundations of Malaysian cuisine," added our instructor Mary Lou Surgi. She would know, too, having lived in Southeast Asia for several years following a two-year stint as a Peace Corps volunteer in Malaysia.


“One of the best things about being at the folk school is the community in Brasstown. Everyone is so willing to help out with whatever you might need and everyone gets together to socialize often.” says Emily Derke, a 21-year-old from Minnesota.She came for a nine-week work/study program, and reckons it might not have been enough time. Work/Study students live at the Folk School and in exchange for each two-week work period, they take a one-week class of their choice. This provides a good alternative to paying the normal registration fees and allows you to linger in the community longer and become a temporary local.


Another alternative to coming as a student is applying to become a host. The student hosts live at the school for a six-month period, and are responsible for making sure that students have a good experience. In exchange, Student Hosts may take classes each week. At any giving time there are two hosts. They can be found running around the campus doing odd jobs like answering phones after hours, carting tables and chairs for events, or making mealtime announcements. They are simultaneously attending classes while they work. It gives hosts an opportunity to take a variety of courses.


As I drifted around the room with samples of quickly-disappearing vegetable curry puffs, I admired the quilters’ patterns, the woodcarvers’ creations, the elegance of the stained glass, and enjoyed a live performance from the mountain dulcimer class. During my few weeks in Brasstown, I acquired greater understanding and deeper appreciation for traditional Appalachian culture. Besides the contradance, I also caught the Ashville-based old-time string band Blue Eyed Girl for a fantastic show, featuring local, Annie Fain Liden on the banjo. The community gathers for free weekly concerts of bluegrass, old-time, or folk music.

Specialties are Overrated in Venezuela

Visiting Caracas Venezuela, not realizing the dangerous environment the city has a reputation for, Frank Viviano depicts his experience in an article, "There Are No Specialists in Venezuela," in the magazine AFAR. Hermann, a resident of Caracas meets with the author of this article and describes the difference in Venezuela from the United States in art. Viviano continues to experience life in Venezuela and how "toderos"- a mix of everything, from careers, to religion, to race, to music, to food, Venezuela really is.

"I spent the entire night listening to the crackle of small firearms in the barrios that spilled over the surrounding hills. Googling at 2 a.m., i discovered that Caracas has the highest homicide rate on Earth, a stunning two dozen times the figure for the gun-crazed United States."

"The key to understanding Venezuela, the driver had said, is that 'everything is mixed together.' Hermann laughed and said, 'The first time i went to the States, art directors were totally confused by my portfolio. 'What are you exactly?' they'd say. I'd been a sculptor some of the time, a commercial illustrator or semi-surrealist painter a lot of the time, and a caricaturist most of the time. I had no idea that artists in other countries specialize.'"

"We call it todero, a mixture of words torero and todos, like a guy who is a bullfighter but also does everything else: todos. All Venezuelans are toderos."

"Flying over dazzling landscape of seacoast, inland jungle, and vast rolling plains, i continued pondering the cabbie's allusions to mixing. Its demographics effects were obvious in the faces you saw in the Venezuelan streets. In 2000, according to the latest national census, 67 percent of the population was officially of mixed-race origin. Today, that figure likely tops 70 percent. Venezuela is a cultural and genetic stew that first united indigenous Amazonians with Afro-Caribbeans and Spanish conquistadors and has since added infusions of Italians, Portuguese, Lebanese, and Chinese."

Walking in History in Maresha

Maresha, Israel is an old city 40 miles southwest of Jerusalem with years of relevant history, (being mentioned in the bible) with breathtaking archeological caves. A city with beautiful, historical sites and part of the Beit Guvrin National Park with it's 2000 year old caves has become a popular visitation site for tourists. This profound location is mentioned in AFAR magazine written by Gayle Keck. Take a look at all the amazing adventures you can experience and take part in enjoying in Maresha.

"Between the 4th and 2nd centuries B.C., Maresha's inhabitants excavated limestone blocks to use for construction on the surface. In the resulting caverns, the softness of the rock made it easy to carve out water cisterns, basement storerooms, workshops, quarries, and spaces for raising doves-all away from the scorching heat above ground."

"Today, Maresha is part of Beit Guvrin National Park, and you can wander through its well-preserved underground labyrinth on your own."

"Walk through the cool, cavernous rooms and you'll see olive mills and oil presses, chisel marks left long ago by masons, baths cleverly designed so water pourers couldn't gaze upon bathers, and dovecotes with thousands of niches for nesting birds."

"To dig deeper, spend a half day wit Archaeological Seminars (archesem.com) excavating, sifting rubble, and examining ancient pottery alongside experts."

A Perfect Tree-House

Who didn't want a tree-house when they were young? Well picture this, a beautifully designed tree-house, perched above jungles and beautiful scenery, reachable only by zip line. Tourists flock to these amazing tree houses around the world. They overlook monumental, breahtaking environments and landscapes. These resorts are not only for beautiful vacation spots, but protect reserves. Readers get a look into Jeff Greenwald's visit to Laos, The Gibbon Experience in paritular in the magazine AFAR.

"Six tree houses set within the Bokeo Nature Reserve in Laos form the heart of the Gibbon Experience. Created by French conservationist Jean-Francois Reumaux in 2005, GibbonX, as it's known, is an effort to protect the reserve, 475 square miles of forest that harbors the endangered creatures for which the project is names, Poaching, logging, and slash-and-burn farming threatened the area until Reumaux convinced Lao authorities to let him set up a conservation-based business there. GibbonX aims to provide local villagers with an alternative, and more lucrative, livelihood: tourism."

"Far above the Bokeo valleys arcs a network of steel zip lines, some stretching as far as 1,500 feet before terminating on the tree-house platforms."

"Nothing prepared me for the sheer, shrieking exhilaration of zipping hundreds of feet above the ground, the tropical air on my face and the buzz of the rollers in my ears. It was like horizontal skydiving."

"By sunset, we were back at the tree house. The jungle pulsed with life. I couldn't see them, but i knew they were out there: clouded leopards, giant squirrels, barking deer."