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Mahashivratri – Hindu Festival

February 12, 2010

Mahashivratri is a Hindu festival in honour of Shiva, the Supreme God in Hinduism. Mahashivratri also celebrates the wedding of Shiva to Sati, the divine mother.

The Mahashivratri festival is one of the few Hindu festivals which is celebrated during both the day and night. Most Hindu festivals are celebrated during the day. The festival is celebrated just prior to the new moon. While each new moon is dedicated to Shiva, Mahashivratri is especially important as it is the night when he danced the cosmic dance, Tandav.

In Hinduism, the night represents evil, injustice, ignorance, sin, violence and misfortune. Shiva is said to have appeared during the new moon to save the world from darkness and ignorance.

Celebrations include an observance of fasting and staying up all night at temples. Fasting is practiced through the night and is only broke the following morning. During the festival, Shiva is offered special food items made of seasonal fruit, vegetables and coconut. These offerings are called prasad and are then consumed in the morning after the new moon.

Young girls fast in hopes that Siva will bless them with a good husband. They sing songs in praise of Shiva and chant throughout the night.

Pujas (prayers) are performed four times during the night. The phallic symbol of Shiva is worshipped in temples by performing a bathing ritual of milk, water, honey, sandalwood paste. Following the bathing ritual, the symbol is adorned with flowers and garland.

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Celebrate Chinese New Year – Year of the Tiger

February 9, 2010

The Chinese New Year (Yuan Tan) is fixed by the lunar calendar rather than by a specific date. The new year is marked by the new moon and takes place between the end of January and the end of February.

As with Gregorian new year celebrations, the Chinese New Year is celebrated with family and friends and feasting is common.

Homes are cleaned to remove the previous year’s bad luck and celebrations begin to bring in a new year of luck, health, happiness and wealth.

Street celebrations and parades are common in large cities. Chinese New Year Parades include floats and people dressed in dancing dragons costumes, lifting, tilting and weaving the silk body of the dragon costume and blinking it’s eyes as they make their way through the parade route.

In Chinese culture, the dragon is associated with longevity and wealth. There is a belief that evil spirits dislike loud noise and as a result Chinese decorate their homes with plastic firecrackers and in other cities light real firecrackers to ward off bad luck and evil.

At this time of year you will often see bamboo plants in many floral markets. The Chinese believe that plants and flowers bring good luck and as a result they purchase plants and flowers to mark the new year. In particular the Kumquat, peach, tangerine and bamboo are considered lucky plants. The Kumquat name is a play on the word lucky. Peach blossoms are used to decorate markets and bring luck. Tangerines are considered lucky because of their bright orange colour and must be given in pairs as odd numbers are unlucky.

Joy and happiness are symbolised by the colour red and people will wear red clothing and use red decorations to bring joy and happiness into the new year. Lucky money is also given in red envelopes with a good luck message written in gold.

On New Year’s Day people celebrate with a feast among family and friends. As each Chinese New Year is celebrated with an animal, the animal would not be part of the meal. Homage is paid to ancestors and to the gods.

New clothing is purchased and worn on visits to relatives, friends and neighbours. Good wishes “kung-hsi fa-tsai” which mean congratulations and prosperity are exchanged among family, friends and neighbours. Like with the Gregorian calendar celebrations, old grudges are set aside and new outlook for the year are set.

Go to your local Chinese Neighbourhood and join in the many days of celebration.

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Celebrating Epiphany with A King’s Cake

January 6, 2010

Today (January 6th) is Epiphany which is celebrated by many Christians. Epiphany celebrates the visitation of the Biblical Magi to the Baby Jesus. Eastern Christians commemorate the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, seen as his manifestation to the world as the Son of God. Epiphany is also known as Theophany especially by Eastern Christians.

Epiphany is traditionally celebrated with a church service the eve of Epiphany and a feast on the actual day. In some countries, a “king’s cake” is a part of the celebration.

The cake’s name, style and the customs vary by country.

As well as the cake being celebrated with the festival of Epiphany it is also celebrated during Mardi Gras and Carnival.

The cake custom is popular in France, Belgium, Switzerland (where the cake is called gallette des rois), Portugal (Bolo Rei), Spain (Roscón de Reyes or tortell in Catalonia), Greece and Cyprus (vasilopita), Bulgaria (banitsa), Mexico (Rosca de Reyes) and New Orleans in the United States (Le gâteau des Rois).

The cake itself could be made from a simple ring of twisted bread topped with coloured icing to a version made of puff pastry stuffed with frangipane (almond paste). Whatever form taken, there is a trinket hidden inside the cake. The trinket iself may also vary from a bean to a piece of plastic in the form of a king. The reward for whoever finds the trinket in their slice of cake can mean they get to be King or Queen for a day (in some cases denoted with a paper crown) and/or must buy the cake next day, week or year.

Cake Traditions By Country
USA
In New Orleans, USA, the cake (Le gâteau des Rois) is consumed during Carnival. In Catholic tradition the Biblical kings journey to Bethlehem is said to have taken twelve days and that they arrived to honour the Christ child on Epiphany. The cake consumption in New Orleans therefore extends from the end of the twelve days through to Mardi Gras.

The actual style of Le gâteau des Rois consumed in New Orleans can vary. The traditional cake is a simple iced ring of twisted bread. The icing is typically purple, green and gold to reflect carnival colours. Variations include a cake filling such as a cream cheese or praline.

The tradition of Le gâteau des Rois was brought to New Orleans by French and Spanish colonists with the tradition in New Orleans dating back to the Eighteenth century.

In New Orleans, whoever finds the trinket in their slice of the cake must buy the next gâteau des Rois.

France
In France the name of the cake varies from North to South to reflect a difference in the bread/cake used. In the south the cake is called Gâteau des Rois and in the north, Gallette des Rois. The Galette des Rois is made with puff pastry and frangipane, while the gâteau des Rois is made with brioche and candied fruits. The cakes can be found in bakeries everywhere during the month of January.

Traditionally the trinket was a small bean called “la fève” (literally translated as the bean) which is a custom taken from the Saturnalia during the Roman Empire. The person who found the trinket was called the king of the feast. The trinket has become a plastic figurine in contemporary tradition. In France, the trinket has become so popular that some bakeries sell them separately and in a variety of collectable forms from famous art to cartoon characters. The cakes are sold with a paper crown which is worn by the person who finds the trinket in their slice.

Unlike some other countries where the head of the household is responsible for cutting and distributing the cake, in France it is traditionally the youngest person who designates the slices. The youngest person from under the table, calls out the name of the person for each piece of cake, this ensures random distribution and equal chance to be king.

Previously the cake would be divided into as many shares as guests plus one. The extra piece was said to be “god’s share” and was intended to be given to the first poor person to arrive at the home.

Due to etiquette roles the French President is not allowed to “draw the kings” on Epiphany. As a result, a traditional galette without the trinket and crown is served at Elysée Palace.

While rooted in the Christian religion, the custom of sharing a king’s cake or gallette des rois is a popular among Christians and non Christians alike.

Mexico (mainly based on Spanish traditions)
The cake, La Rosca de Reyes, in Mexico is eaten on January 6th in celebration of Día de Reyes (wise men day). Rather than receiving gifts from Santa, children receive presents from the Three Wise Men on Día de Reyes. The custom dictates that before going to bed children leave a note and a shoe filled with hay or dried grass outside the home. The grass is for the animals that the kings ride.

The Rosca de Reyes is oval shaped and is topped with dried and candied fruit such as figs, quinces and cherries. In addition to eating the cake, most Mexican families celebrate with a party that includes tamales and atole.

In Mexico, the trinket (Niño Dios) inside the cake is traditionally a Christ Child figurine but may also be a bean, candy or doll in the contemporary tradition. Whomever finds the trinket must take it and their family to the closest church on February 2nd (Día de la Candelaria) to celebrate the presentation of Jesus. Another tradition dictates that the person who finds the trinket is responsible for making the tamales for the Candlemas feast.

Have a slice of gallette des rois for me please!

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New Year’s Eve and Day Traditions Around The World

January 4, 2010

Happy New Year Everyone!

This year I thought I would share a little history of New Year’s Eve/Day and a few holiday traditions celebrated around the world for those who observe the Gregorian calendar. You likely know that in the Gregorian calendar, New Year’s is one of the most popular and celebrated holidays. But did you know that the New Year originally commenced in March?

Brief History Of The Calendar
While today we celebrate New Year’s Eve on December 31st, traditionally, the Roman calendar began the first day of the new year in March.

The consuls of ancient Rome assumed the government however in January. The calendar was modified several times before finally settling on the calendar we use today. The Julian calendar was created by Julius Caesar, in 47 BC. The Mark Antony consul modified the calendar in 44 BC. Once again the calendar was changed in 8 BC by Emperor Augustus Caesar. In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII made the final modification to the calendar that we observe today.

Importance Of New Year’s Eve/Day
In general, for those who celebration New Year’s Eve on December 31st the celebration marks the end of the year and a look forward to the starting of a new one. Often the end of the year is marked by a reporting of major events that ocurred during the 364 precedding days. Noteworthy events include major weather, political, cultural events and the passing on of famous people. Predictions for the coming year are also made.

Making New Year’s resolutions are common on December 31st and include a resolve to stop smoking, drinking, eating poorly, spending excessively etc.

New Year’s Celebrations
New Year’s celebrations include both New Year’s Eve (December 31st) and New Year’s Day (January 1st). Parties typically occur on December 31st counting down the clock to the beginning of January 1st.

On January 1st there are often New Year’s Day celebrations which can include traditions (in the Northern Hemisphere) such as a polar bear dipp, often to benefit charities, in which people run into frigid water on New Year’s Day. Many city mayors hold New Year’s Day levees. New Year’s Day is also often celebrated with sporting events such as football and New Year’s Day parades.

Throughout the world the custom of making noise to ring in the New Year started as a way to scare off evil spirits. Today noise makers such as clackers, paper whistles and bells are party favors given to guests to celebrate the beginning of the new year.

First To Ring In The New Year
The first country to ring in the new year is New Zealand. The first major celebrations occur in Syndey, Australia. Sydney claims the world’s largest fireworks display and a midnight ball drop attracting up to 1.5 million people.

Celebrations Around The World
As the world becomes more connected thanks to international travel and technological advances and western culture spreads to the rest of the world, the celebreation of January 1 as New Year’s has spread to even countries with their own New Year’s (for example China and India).

Let’s take a look at some of the ways to celebrate this holiday around the world.

Sure everyone knows about the dropping of the ball in Times Square, but did you know some of these other customs? Like the colour of your underwear can bring you luck? Or carrying a suitcase around the block can bring travel in the new year? Check out these and other interesting traditions celebrated around the world.

North America
Canada and The United States of America
I’m Canadian so I’ll start here. Typically, in the US and Canada we celebrate the end of the year and the beginning of the new year at a New Year’s Eve Party. The New Year’s Eve party might be a house party, social club party, restaurant/bar party or a public party hosted by a community (city or town).

Typical Traditions include:
- Putting on your party best
- Toasting with champagne at midnight
- Fireworks displays
- Wearing silly paper party hats and blowing noisemakers
- Watching the crystal ball drop in New York City’s Time Square at midnight
- Singing of “Auld Lange Syne” at midnight. Auld Lange Syne is a song of renewal and goodwill based on Robert Burns’ poem written in 1788
- Kissing the person next to you at midnight
- Shaking hands and wishing a happy new year to those around you
- Wishing people a happy new year for the next several days (the first time you see them)

The biggest celebrations are in New York City’s Time Square in the US and for Canada, Nathan Philip’s Square in Toronto. Of course most cities in both countries have celebrations as well.

Mexico
Many of Mexico’s New Year’s celebrations are similar to those found in many other Latin American countries and are based on Spain’s New Year’s traditions.

Based on a tradition from Spain, Mexicans eat a grape with each of the twelve bell chimes during the New Year countdown, while making a wish with each one.

The colour choice of your underwear on New Year’s Eve are selected carefully depending on your wish for the new year. Looking for love, wear red, need a few extra pesos wear yellow and for more sustanance wear purple.

For Mexican’s wishing to travel more in the new year, they take luggage outside to symbolise trips to come in the new year. Hanging wool sheep dolls on the door handle is a tradition meant to bring more prosperity.

On New Year’s Eve Mexican’s light a life sized doll made from old clothes and filled with fireworks at midnight. the male doll calleed El Viejo (the old man) represents the the past year.

Europe
Celebrations in Western Europe are in general similar to that of the United States and Canada, where people gather to celebrate and ring in the new year together.

England
The New Year in England is currently celebrated with parties, fireworks, consumption of alcohol and the singing of Auld Lang Syne. The largest celebrations take place in the capital, London with people gathering in Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus around Big Ben to hear the chimes of the famous clock tower at midnight and near the London Eye on the River Thames for the fireworks display.

On New Year’s Day there is a parade in London.

Historical traditions include:
First-footing which means the first visitor to set foot in the house on New Year’s Day is an old British custom practised on New Year’s Day. The first-footer must be male, young, healthy, attractive and dark haired. He is believed to bring good luck. Blonds and red-haired women as the first footer are believe to bring bad luck. The first footer should be carrying a samll piece of coal, money, breat and salt, all symbols of wealth.

While like most countries that celebrate the Gregorian calendar, exchanging gifts is done during Christmas, they were originally exchanged at New Year’s in England.Englishmen gave money to their wives to purchase pins for the coming year. This tradition of course has since died however the expression “pin money” remains and refers to money set aside for personal use.

On New Year’s Day before noon, children visit neighbours to sing songs. They receive coins, mince pies, apples and other sweets for singing. The children must rise early and complete their visits before noon or otherwise risk being called fools.

Ireland
Modern Irish New Year’s Eve traditions are similar to those noted in other anglo countries.

Ireland is a country steeped in traditions and superstitions. A few historical Irish New Year’s traditions include:
Celebrations which involve a focus on sustenance. This focus on food is perhaps in a great part due to the fact that Ireland suffered from a devistating famine.

Irish celebrate December 31st with a gathering of family and friends for a large supper signifying propserity and plenty of food for the coming year. While the celebratory dinner is still practiced today, the tradition of setting a place at the table and leaving the door unlatched for family who’ve passed on has disappeared from the modern celebration.

As part of New Year’s celebrations it is customary to strike the side of the house with a loaf of bread. At the same time a prayer is recited for a hunger free year.

It was believed that the direction of the wind at New Year determined the political trend for the coming year. If the wind blew from the west Ireland would florish, if it blew from the east, England would have the upper hand.

It was customary to begin a new year with a clean house in Ireland. Houses were cleaned thoroughly as it was believed that a spotless house was to be a good omen for the coming year.

Girls go to bed with sprigs of holly, ivey or mistletoe laid under their pillows. The girls would then chant “oh ivy green and holly red, tell me, tell me whom I shall wed”. They would then go to sleep and dream of their future husbands. This tradition may be based on the Druids custom of giving a gift mistletoe twigs. The plant was sacred as a magic source of fertility, the red fruit signified fertility. This gift would bestow the recipient with a fruitful year in children and crops.

In a small fishing village in County Kerry called Portmagee people go celebrate the Old Year! This is a very popular event and they celebrate everything that happened that year with music and dance.

Another celebration is on the beautiful Achill Island off the coast of County Mayo this is the best place to watch the last sunset of the year fall over Europe. Watch it go down from Minaun Heights and afterwards enjoy the pipe bands playing in the village at midnight.

After a night celebrating you can take a dip in the ice-cold Atlantic waters joinning in on the traditional New Year’s Day polar dip which takes place on Silver Strand.

The Irish (Celtic) New Year festival is known as Samhain which means summer end and is celebrated on 31 October. The festival has evolved and is now celebrated as Hallowe’en.

Spain
New Year’s Eve in Spain is called Nochevieja or Fin de Año in Spanish, Cap d’Any in Catalan, Cabo d’Anyo in Aragonese. Celebrations in most of Spain include a family dinner including shrimp and lamb.

The tradition of eating twelve grapes at the each of the clock’s twelve chimes at midnight to ensure sweetness and fortune in the coming year is a tradition which started in Spain and is today followed in many Latin American countries. The tradition of eating twelve grapes is said to have originated in 1909 when grape growers in Alicante created it as a way to cut down on the large grape surplus they had that year. After the twelth grape and the strike of the clock, people wish each other a happy new year and toast with cava (Spanish sparkling wine). After the family dinner and the new year is rung in at midnight with the grape tradition, young people attend parties called cotillones de nochevieja. Cotillón refers to party supplies like confetti, party blowers, party hats which are used in the celebrations. In true Spanish tradition, parties usually last until the next morning which is celebrated with a traditional winter breakfast of chocolate con churros.

Portugal
Similar tradition of eating twelve grapes as is practised in Spain. The tradition in Portugal has a slightvariation in which a wish is made for the coming year with each of the twelve grapes.

France
In France New Year’s Eve is known at La Saint-Sylvestre and the celebration is called le Réveillon de Saint-Sylvestre. New Year’s Day is called Jour des Étrennes (day of new year’s presents). To wish a French person a happy new year you can say Bonne Annees.

New Year’s in France is one of the most traditional and oldest celebrations. Businesses often send New Year’s cards rather than Christmas cards as is the custom in many other countries.

In France dinner parties are thrown for the entire family with greeting cards and gifts being exchanged. Most people in France celebrate with family and friends, it is the tourists that you see celebrating at the Eiffel Tower and on the Champs-Elysees in Paris. Traditional menu items for New Year’s Eve dinner include duck or goose served with champagne and wine of course. Some also drink hot mulled wine known as vin chaud or sparkling cider.

Italy
New Year’s in Italy is called Notte di San Silvestro (St. Sylvester’s Night) or Eve Capadanno which means head of the year. Italians also celebrate with a family and friends dinner party. Sweets play a major role in an all night dinner party. The sweets signify the months of they year as Christ’s twelve
apostles. The sweets include biscotti, nougat torrone and a variety of fruit such as pears, plums and apricots.

Like in other countries, there is a special custom around the colour of your underwear on New Year’s Day. In Italy people wear red underwear and get rid of old or unused items.

Greece
In Greece families celebrate New Year’s Eve by switching off the lights at midnight and sharing a vasilopita (St. Basil’s Bread). St. Basil’s bread is a sweet bread which contains a coin hidden in it. The bread is sliced by the head of household and shared among family memebers. Whomever received the piece with the hidden coin is assured good luck in the coming year. After the bread is eaten a card game called triataena (thirty one) is played.

On New Year’s Day in Greece, families share vasilopita, or St. Basil’s bread. Baked with a coin buried deep in the dough, the sweet bread is sliced by the head of the household and then divvied up among family members. Whoever receives the piece with the coin is assured luck in the coming year.

Austria
Like many other countries, Austrians too celebrate New Year’s Eve with a lavish dinner. Pork takes centre stage on the menu with roasted suckling pig signifying success in the new year. Piglets in Austria are symbols of good luck and in addition to the main course featuring roasted pig, marzipan and chocolate pigs are also part of the menu.

Given Austria’s long tradition of music it is not surprising that the new year is celebrated with a concert, especially in Vienna.

Scotland
In Scotland, New Year’s is known as Hogmanay. Hogmanay’s biggest celebration in Scotland is in Edinburgh with a street party on Princess Street.

Russia
In Russia the New Year is greeted by fireworks and drinking champagne. The New Year is considered a family celebration, with lavish dinner tables and gifts.

The president of Russia normally counts down the final seconds of the “old year”, as it is called in Russia. A giant clock tower chimes in the new year, and it is customary to make a wish with each chime.

Asia
South Korea
The most popular way to celebrate New Year’s Eve/Day in South Korea is watch the sun rise from Jung dong jin.

Philippines
The tradition of making noise is a popular custom in the Philippines. In the belief that noise will scare away evil spirits, people light fireworks, firecrackers and bamboo canons and in general make a lot of noise. Coins added to tin cans are also shaken to make noise which is believed to bring prosperity in the new year.

Children are encouraged to jump around as part of an old tradition that was believed to make them taller.

Bright coloured clothing to show enthusiasm for the new year or clothing with polka-dots is worn to bring fertility.

As is true of most Filipino celebrations, food plays a major role. Tables are filled with food for Media Noiche (midnight meal). A basket of twelve different round types of fruit is on the table to symbolise prosperity in each of the coming twelve months.

Hong Kong
In Hong Kong people usually get together in Central, Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui to celebrate along the harbor and to view the lights. The Times Square shopping mall in Hong Kong also holds their own send-off to the ball drop held at Times Square in New York City.

China
celebrations of the Gregorian New Year are held in some regions. Celebrations with fireworks and rock concerts take place in Beijing.

South America
Brazil
In Brazil on New Year’s Eve the priestesses of the local macumba voodoo cult dress in blue skirts and white blouses for a ceremony dedicated to the goddess of water, Yemanja. A sacrificial boat laden with flowers, candles and jewelery is pushed out to sea from Brazil’s famous Ipenama beach in Rio de Janeiro.

One of the country’s largest celebrations for New Year’s Eve is in Rio de Janeiro at Copacabana beach. The celebration draws up to 2.5 million people. Like in New York there is a ball drop at midnight.

Like in many other countries, food plays a role in Brazilian New Year’s Day traditions. The lentil is believed to signify wealth, so on the first day of the New Year Brazilian people serve lentil soup or lentils and rice.

Clothing too is part of the Brazilian custom for New Year’s Day. Brazilians wear a colour to signify the type of luck they are hoping for in the coming year.

White, which most Brazilians wear, particularly in Rio, represents harmony, peace and overall good luck. Gold symbolizes wealth, silver means new things, red signifies love and green indicates hope. The tradition is believed to be rooted in Candombe (Afro-Brazilian) religious beliefs that colors attract energy.

Chile
In Chile, many of the traditions are based on Spain’s traditions for New Year’s Eve celebrations including the eating of twelve grapes. Other customs include putting money inside your shoes, a gold ring in a champagne glass and eating a spoonful of lentils at midnigh to bring prosperity in the new year. Wearing yellow underwear to ensure happiness. Taking a suitcase around the block for lots of travel in the new year.

Ecuador
Following Spain’s custom’s people in Ecuador also celebrate with eating twelve grapes at midnight. They wear yellow underwear to bring positive energy and walk around the block with luggage to bring a dream trip in the new year.

People in Ecuador also celebrate with effigies called Años Viejos (Old Years). The effigies are created to represent people and events from the past year.

The dummies are made of straw, newspaper, old clothes and papier-mâché masks. Like in Mexico they are often stuffed with fire crackers. At midnight the effigies are lit on fire to symbolize burning away of the past year and welcoming of the New Year.

Know more customs and traditions? Add them in the comments.

Sources include Wikipedia and various travel sites

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Travel Tips – How To Save While Travelling

August 5, 2009

Top Tips for saving money while travelling:

1. Flights:
i. Use Points
Use points wherever possible, you will still have to pay the taxes but you can often save significantly and get a higher class level. Another option is to use points to upgrade from a lower class seat, just make sure when booking a lower class seat that it can be upgraded using points or an upgrade certificate. Airlines often have a lot of restrictions on these.

ii. Book In Advance Or Last Minute
If you have the time to plan in advance you can often save significantly on flights. Alternatively if you are flexible and don’t have your heart set on a specific destination you can save by waiting for last minute deals. It would not be recommend to try this last minute tactic during peak travel times.

iii. Travel Off Peak
This will not only save you on flights but likely everything else, accommodation, attractions etc. Another non cost benefit of this is less tourists, which should not be undervalued.

2. Accommodation:
Hotel accommodation is expensive even if you stay at a so called inexpensive hotel and then you usually can’t make your own meals. Opt instead to choose one of the following:

i. Stay With Friends Or Family
This is the least expensive option, usually a nice thank you gift is sufficient payment. There are some personal costs to this though such as loss of privacy and let’s face it sometimes Uncle Harry can be down right annoying.

ii. Rent A Flat
This will likely in the long run be less than a hotel room especially if you are cooking your own meals rather than eating in restaurants. Generally there is a minimum stay period so if you are only staying for a day or two this will not likely be an option for you. Another benefit of renting a flat is that you feel more like a local and less like a tourist.

iii. Use Points
If you are lucky enough to have points that can be used for hotels, use them. Often if you are a higher level member of a hotel point program you will get access to the lounge where you can have a continental breakfast, snacks during the day and cocktails at night. This can be a big savings. Also you will likely have access to the internet – another savings.

iv. Use A Home Exchange Service
If you have an apartment, house or cottage you can list on a home exchange you can save on accommodation costs by swapping your abode for someone else’s home. Generally this takes time an preparation so plan ahead for this.

3. Food
i. Make Your Own Meals
It can be as simple as some bread for breakfast which you can do even if you’re staying in a hotel and don’t have access to cooking facilities.

ii. Eat Out At A Different Time
Choose to eat out for breakfast, lunch or tapas instead of dinner. Often you will find this is less expensive and you won’t miss out of the local dining experience.

iii. Use The Lounge
As mentioned above, if you are staying in a hotel where you have access to the lounge, use the lounge for breakfast, snacks and/or cocktails.

iv. Eat In Residential Areas
Eat at restaurants outside of the “tourist areas”, opt instead to eat in more residential areas. This has more than an economic benefit, often the food in tourist areas is less authentic and not as well prepared. Plus wouldn’t you rather be eating with locals than tourists?

v. Buy Prepared Take Out Meals
Purchase prepared meals you can eat as a picnic. Instead of eating in a restaurant buy a sandwich from a bakery or some other prepared meal that you can eat on a park bench or somewhere with a good view. In some cities the best food is from a street vendor.

Buy bottled water or carbonated soft beverages etc from a grocery rather than a restaurant.

vi. Eat Like The Locals
Often following the patterns of a local, who knows the best food places and deals can save you on dining/food costs.

For example, the cost of a glass of wine is often the same or less than a coca-cola in a restaurant in France. In Bangkok for example most people eat from street food carts.

vii. Check For Restaurant Specials
This could either be a certain time of day or a special pre-fixed menu. Savings can be significant over the regular menu prices.

4. Getting Around
i. Travel Like The Locals
If taxis are cheap, travel by taxi but if they are expensive, take public transit.

In most European cities taking public transit such as the metro is one of the most efficient and cost effective ways of getting around. However in some other cities taking a taxi is a great way to get around.

In Bangkok for example, it is not uncommon to take a taxi to the sky train even if it is only a few blocks. The taxi driver won’t mind (actually they like it because the shorter trip is more profitable for them – and not very expensive for you) and you’ll save yourself from the heat. In Paris however the taxi driver will throw you out of the taxi if the ride is not long enough.

ii. For Intercity/Country Travel Check For Local Transportation Companies
If you are travelling between cities within a country of to a neighbouring country check to see if there are airlines trains or buses that go to your destination. Often the local airline will be less expensive than a major international airline. This can be especially true in Europe where there are numerous low cost airlines.

5. Culture/Entertainment
i. Do Your Homework
Before you go on your trip do a little homework on the top cultural and entertainment venues/sites for your destination. A little investigation in advance can save you a lot of effort and money while at the destination.

ii. Check For Free Events
Some cities offer a lot of cultural events that are free. Paris for example has a number of free city run museums which are free (except for special exhibits). London also has a number of free museums.

There are also a number of concerts held in Paris churches which are free. Picking up a Pariscope when you arrive in Paris will tell you all the events and costs happening in the city that week. Many other cities have these features in local papers or on websites, check around.

iii. Be Open To “Off Broadway” Type Performances
Don’t just be stuck on the idea of “Broadway” – top shows or drawn into the tourist performance. Often you will find that some of the lesser known theatres/entertainment can be fantastic and more authentic.

For example when in Buenos Aires rather than paying to see a tourist Tango performance so out in the evening to one of the Tango bars visited by locals and watch (or participate if you dare) in authentic Tango in an authentic atmosphere – way more interesting and a lot less expensive.

iv. Check For Free Sites
Often the best things in life are free a very true cliche – especially when it comes to architecture and landscape. Many destinations offer beautiful architecture which you can soak up just by walking around.

6. Shopping
i. Know The Specialty
Figure out in advance for what the place you’re visiting is known. For example buying silk in some parts of Asia, precious and semi precious stones in Brazil etc.

ii. Comparison Shop Before You Go
Know what is the best value and check out the prices of similar items at home before you go that way you’ll have a comparison in mind and know what great value is.

iii. Avoid Tourist Areas
Avoid shopping in tourist areas, you are less likely to find authentic goods and are much more likely to pay more. Find out where the locals shop and shop there.

Best advice overall for traveling less expensively – when in Rome… Basically if you follow the locals (not literally of course) you’ll have a more authentic and less expensive trip.

Bon Voyage

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Buenos Aires Market Shopping Guide

August 3, 2009

In my opinion the best shopping in Buenos Aires takes place in open markets. The name for this in Spanish is feria so when you are looking at a map often you will see open air markets denoted as feria.

The following will outline the city’s open air markets and what you can expect from each:

Feria de Plaza Francia
In my opinion this is by far the best market to visit while in Buenos Aires. If you love crafts and handmade items which reflect local culture plan the rest of your trip around this market.

The Plaza Francia market is the city’s largest and is set up in the park beside the Recoleta Cemetery, it will be marked on your hotel map. The market runs on Saturday and Sunday.

All of the vendors on the interior circle are supposed to be the artisans who handcrafted the items themselves. On the outer area closer to the Design Market you will find other vendors who are not necessarily selling items that they crafted themselves. You will most likely be able to spot that yourself.

Francia Market Jewelry Vendor

Francia Market Jewelry Vendor

You will need a good couple of hours to visit this market and it is worth it. The market is full of interesting handicrafts from leather goods, jewelry to eco handicrafts using recycled materials. We even saw an older gentleman who recycled metro tickets into home accessories.

Francia Market Jewelry Vendor

Francia Market Jewelry Vendor

A visit to this market will not leave you disappointed.

Cabildo Patio Market
The market is located in the small garden behind the city hall (Cabildo) and runs on Thursday and Friday from approx 11 am to 6 pm. You can visit this charming little market in about an hour (unless you really get caught up in a conversation or decide to have a snack in the garden).

I’d suggest you plan a visit to this market on the same day you plan to visit Plaza De Mayo (just don’t forget but you must do that on a Thursday or Friday when the market is open).

In this tiny little garden market you will find pretty handcrafted jewelry and other crafts. The feeling in the market is warm and friendly and it is not over crowded.

Plaza Serrano Market
The Plaza Serrano market is held in the (tiny) square at Calle Serrano and Honduras in the heart of Palermo Hollywood. The market runs on Saturday and Sunday from approx 10 am to 6 pm.

It’s a small market but worth a visit as the area and shops are very charming. At this market you will find jewelry, clothing and other handicrafts.

If you go I’d suggest going in the late morning visit the shops in the area and stop for some lunch in one of the area’s many charming restaurants.

Impromptu Baez Market
We did not find anywhere marked on our map or listed in any of the guide books a single mention of this market so I cannot be sure that it is a regular

ongoing market. It may have been a special event.

The market was at night at the end of Baez (in a dead end court). Lights and music were set up and this was a fabulous market for artisan jewlery and clothing designers. I actually really loved the selection here.

My suggestion is that you will want to go to dinner on Baez, in my opinion, the best place to have dinner and cocktails especially if you fall into a younger age group.

We were on Baez on a Thursday night and that’s when the market was set up. Definitely worth a check see when you plan for a dinner or cocktails on Baez.

Florida Street
Okay it’s not a market but the street pretty much turns into a market every afternoon. Independant vendors set up their wares on blankets down the middle of the street right from the beginning at Plaza San Martin all the way to Plaza de Mayo.

This is not a predicable shopping “market” however as the vendors are setting up illegally. You may find different vendors from day-to-day and they may be schussed away by the police, although generally speaking the police seem pretty lax about letting the vendors stay.

In terms of what you will find – everything from nail clippers, yes I am serious to beautiful handcrafted jewelry. The area closest to Plaza de Mayo seemed to consistently have the most authentic handcrafted jewelry and a lot less of the head massagers and nail clipper “junk”.

San Telmo Market
I’ve included San Telmo market on the list as it would be odd to not have mentioned it since in every guide book this is the must visit market of the city.

In my opinion, unless you love antiques, skip this market. If you love antiques however you will likely love this market and surrounding shops. Personally I found it to be way to touristic and I’m not that interested in antiques so I felt like I took time away from other markets which would be more interesting to me – for example another visit to the Francia market.

Here are a few details if you decide to go. The San Telmo market is held every Sunday from approx 10 am to 5 pm. The heart of the market is in Plaza Dorrego however all of the shops and streets leading into this area are equally filed with antiques. The open air part of the market is actually not that large but the whole area including the shops and covered antique market are quite large. You would need most of the day or at least half to see it all.

Here too you can watch Tango dancing (street dancers do this on a small board placed on top of the cobblestone streets. Again my sense was this added to the touristic feel of the market – but most tourists seems to like it.

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South America Holiday Travel Part XXI

July 31, 2009

December 31st
We arrived home in Toronto early in the morning. We had arranged in advance for a car service/limo to return home. We were told by the service that we should call them once we arrive in Toronto and they will be waiting or us at the airport and will arrive within a couple mins of our call.

We waited quite a while for the car to pick us up and we were not impressed. We could have taken a car or taxi from the airport without waiting and would have paid a little less that way and not had to wait. Lesson learned for me is to arrange for the car to pick you up from home but take a car already waiting at the airport on the way home. Only caveat to this is depending on the airport volume you may actually have to wait in a taxi line to get a taxi when you arrive, in this case you are still likely better to arrange for a car in advance.

This is the last article in this series.
Read Other Posts In This Series:
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part VI
Part VII
Part VIII
Part IX
Part X
Part XI
Part XII
Part XIII
Part XIV
Part XV
Part XVI
Part XVII
Part XVIII
Part XIX
Part XX

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South America Holiday Travel Part XX

July 31, 2009

December 30th
Today we finished up our fair trade shopping in the morning. Although a number of the pieces we purchased have since been sold, you can check out the Pangea Collection Chilean Fair Trade Jewelry Collection. We will also be purchasing more pieces in the near future as copper bracelets and bangles are going to be hot for Fall/Winter fashion.

Copper and Chile are almost synonymous. Copper represents a significant export for Chile and the fair trade jewelry designs using cooper are stunning. As you may also know Lapis is the national stone of Chile so you will find a number of pieces with Lapis.

In addition to Copper and Lapis jewelry, there are a number of fair trade jewelry pieces in the Chilean Fair Trade Jewelry Collection which feature hand blown and painted glass jewelry designs.

This was also the day that we departed Santiago. A note on the Air Canada affiliate lounge in the Santiago airport it’s pretty lousy. It looks like it was decorated in the 1960s or earlier.

The airport shops are pretty good for picking up last minute souvenirs even if not the least expensive. In the airport you will find a number of copper jewelry pieces as well of course of lapis jewelry.

Read Other Posts In This Series:
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part VI
Part VII
Part VIII
Part IX
Part X
Part XI
Part XII
Part XIII
Part XIV
Part XV
Part XVI
Part XVII
Part XVIII
Part XIX
Part XXI

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South America Holiday Travel Part XIX

July 31, 2009

December 29th
We spent the day discovering the city and shopping for fair trade jewelry.

One of the first stops was to visit Cerro Santa Lucia. This is a stunning old building with an even more stunning view of the city and water fountain as well.

Cerra Santa Lucia

Cerra Santa Lucia

Cerro Santa Lucia

Cerro Santa Lucia

We tried to visit the Bellas Artes museum unfortunately it was closed. I was really disappointed as the building looked amazing and of course I love visiting museums. This is a tip for all travelers, you would always check before heading out to make sure whatever you plan to visit that day is actually open. As you will know if you read my previous post even that does not always guarantee that it will be open but it’s the best you can do. Anyway here are some shots of the Bellas Artes from the outside front and back. Stunning architecture.

Bellas Artes Museum

Bellas Artes Museum

Bellas Artes Museum

Bellas Artes Museum

We then went to Patio Bellavista for some lunch and more market style shopping. This is a wonderful market area. There are fantastic shops for jewelry and other souvenirs. I highly recommend a couple of hours there plus it’s a great place for either lunch, cocktails or dinner. There are many cool restaurants and bars in the area.

Patio Bella Vista in Santiago, Chile

Patio Bella Vista in Santiago, Chile

After lunch and of course some ice cream we headed to another great place to shop called Chilean Contemporary Design. It’s located in a beautiful old building and the clothing and jewelry inside is a fantastic example of eco friendly, recycled products which are also highly contemporary and fashionable. If you are in Santiago make sure to take a visit – keep in mind there are only a few stores but it is well worth the visit.

Chilean Contemporary Design

Chilean Contemporary Design

Stores Inside Chilean Contemporary Design

Stores Inside Chilean Contemporary Design

Read Other Posts In This Series:
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part VI
Part VII
Part VIII
Part IX
Part X
Part XI
Part XII
Part XIII
Part XIV
Part XV
Part XVI
Part XVII
Part XVIII
Part XX
Part XXI

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South America Holiday Travel Part XVIII

July 31, 2009

December 28th
I had mapped out a number of shopping areas I wanted to visit and Joe insisted on creating maps of each area and planning out how and where we were going to go and in which order.

Since we were staying in a Marriott hotel we had access to the executive lounge which was a nice comfortable lounge with excellent service. A breakfast buffet was available each morning, snacks and complimentary wine in the early evening and otherwise complimentary soft beverages and beer for the rest of the day.

We started our day with breakfast in the lounge. Since Joe was insisting on planning out the areas to visit we spent a good part of the morning doing so. I started to get annoyed as I felt as though we were wasting our day and I just wanted to get going. In the end the map process did not change my plan for the day so I was a bit grumpy for having wasted the morning.

Our first plan was to go to a shopping area Las Condes. I had reviewed in advance a particular shop that was on this street and it indicated that it was open 7 days a week so I figured that other stores in the area would be too. We walked to the street which was a bit of a walk but not that bad.

One suggestion in crossing the major roadway, there are passovers to get over the roadway, take them when you can find them otherwise you may find yourself back tracking or walking out of your way.

We arrived at the street and it was not looking good. All of the stores were closed. We eventurally found the store I was looking for and it too was closed! Urgh!!!

While all the stores were closed, this is an excellent street for fashion shopping. There are a number of international luxury brand stores here as well as local brands. If you like designer fashion I would recommend a visit to this street.

We walked back to the mall near our hotel and grabbed a light lunch. I had discovered that the bus station beside the mall had a route that goes directly to the metro. We asked inside at the restaurant, where to buy bus tickets. We had already asked at our hotel how the bus works and understood that you have to buy a card which you load with a given amount and it is deducted when you get on the bus.

We kept being told that you have to buy the bus tickets at the metro stop, which frankly we found really strange since how are you supposed to get to the metro if you can’t buy a bus ticket? We were eventually told that there was a place in the mall where we could purchase the bus pass. After searching for it we eventually did find it only to be told that we could not buy our pass there, we must go to the metro.

We gave up and decided to take a taxi to the metro and buy our pass there. We tried our best to figure out how much we needed for each trip on the bus to and from the mall to the metro. We also understood that there was a minim amount that you could put on the card and specific increments. This all made sense to us however we had great difficulty in understanding how the cashier kept getting to the amount that she was charging us. At this point Joe just decided he didn’t care and bought the amount the cashier said he needed.

We looked at the receipt and I kept wondering why were paid 2300 pesos and only got 800 in trips. Then I noticed that there was a charge of 1500 for the card itself. Now everything made complete sense. What the cashier was trying to tell us all along is that you need to BUY the card and then load it. We understood that we needed a card we just hadn’t understood that we had to pay for it! We were embarrassed that we had taken up so much of her time trying to explain it to us and we had to go back and add more to the card so that we would have enough for the next trip.

One thing we really noticed about the people we encountered is that they may not speak English but they are very patient and will try to help you. They are also very resourceful, if they don’t know the answer they will try to find someone who does.

Read Other Posts In This Series:
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part VI
Part VII
Part VIII
Part IX
Part X
Part XI
Part XII
Part XIII
Part XIV
Part XV
Part XVI
Part XVII
Part XIX
Part XX

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