Category: Travel Tips

Heaven knows why, but as I showered this morning I began wondering about the five things one should do in any new city. Following is my handful of ideas, though I’m sure you can come up with many more.

Taste a new dish. Even though we often eat more with our sense of sight than our sense of taste, sampling the local gastronomy is a great way to bond with the culture of the place we’re visiting. Besides, it can be a source of inspiration and creativity and way of astounding others when you return home.

Knock back a few pints at the local pub. You know the kind: small, divey, off the beaten path, where beer still can be found for under 1,5€, the sort of place locals hit after a long working day. These are the types of haunts where you’re likely to meet that bizarre someone who’ll offer you conversation that is priceless.

Take the metro-subway-underground (take your pick, assuming they have one). Each time you make one of these subterranean voyages it’s like an intensive course in sociology. Personally, I love observing the variety of people that make up a city, checking out their assorted fashions and unpredictable behavior …

Get lost. Yeah, no kidding. Some of life’s best experiences come from discovering small niches we happen on by chance, be it the result of taking the wrong road or catching a bus in the opposite direction. As they say: many times the right way to go is the wrong way.

Catch a sunrise. That special instant when the city is waking up while you still haven’t gone to sleep. It’s as though the universe were frozen for a few seconds, only to go into triple overdrive seconds later. It’s a can’t-miss moment, particularly if the company and setting is right.

Surely many of you intend to travel somewhere during the upcoming weeks. After all, one does have to take advantage of the warm summer weather. Some of you will pick a city, others some deserted beach. And still others will trek up some mountain. One thing is for certain: all of you will want to discover a special nook or have a genuine experience wherever you go.

This aim of helping you find real treasures during your travels has been from the start the number one concern for all of us here at Trourist. Little by little, thanks to your participation and sharing of experiences such as a cool creperie in Paris or that tea stop in Granada, we are achieving our goal.

Now, during Summer 2010 we wish to introduce a new initiative: the Trourist guides. For those of you travelling to San Sebastián, Barcelona and Berlin during the next few months you’ll be able to download and print Trourist for each of these cities (London and Madrid guides coming soon). Included in these guides are the best experiences shared with us plus advice from bloggers and trourists from these destinations.

We hope from the bottom of our hearts that you find these guides useful, whether it’s for trips you personally embark on or those done by friends and acquaintances (whom you’ll want to surprise by sending them a copy). To download these guides free of charge, all you have to do is visit the following link to Issuu.

Even though this ranking may exhibit my personal bias, I believe it provides a useful calendar for any trourist electing to visit the Basque Country during the summer season:

St. John. Hernani, June 23rd. If one has to pick a single moment above all others, I’d have to lean towards the txupinazo because of its symbolic representation as the launch of the St. John festivities. On this day, at noon, a very special atmosphere can be felt in the Plaza de los Gudaris, overflowing with expectant merrymakers eager for the rocket launch  signaling the commencement of five days of non-stop partying. Merrymakers and hell-raising go hand in hand during this period because for many it is the beginning of the summer festival season and the end of final exams, a double cause célèbre.

La Blanca. Vitoria. August 4th. The beginning of this feast is marked by the descent of Celedón (an effigy of a mythical legend) every fourth of August at six in the evening. Over forty-thousand people congregate, bottles of cava in hand, at the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca (the White Virgin Mother, hence the feast’s name) to witness the most important instant of the following five days. Once this moment is over, bedlam ensues and the feast is on. The highlight of every afternoon comes just before the bullfights when the “blusas” (residents of all ages dressed in traditional festival garb) form flanks and cheer passersby as they cross back and forth in front of them, to the tune of deafening music played by local amateur brass bands known as charangas. Just as they are in other parts of the Basque Country, txosnas (mobile bars run by cultural and/or political organizations) are another mainstay at these feasts. Every night, young people meet to drink and take in the concerts which have been scheduled.

Aste Nagusia. Bilbao, August 21st (this year). For five nine days, the feast just takes over the streets of the city and thousands of persons enjoy the convivial atmosphere that always predominates in Bilbao. The feast’s origin dates back to 1978, when several Bilbao associations decided to organize a contest to garner the best ideas for a Semana Grande (Big Week) in the city. The nine-day extravaganza is run jointly by the local town hall and various comparsas (local associations and groups) throughout the city. Thirty years later, the Aste Nagusia of Bilbao is one of the most popular and most frequented feasts in the Basque Country. Following the txupinzao (above-described) and inaugural speech, the peculiar Marijaia (Festive Mary), symbolic mascot of the feast, steps out onto the balcony of the Arriaga Theater to kick off the festivities, which  take place in the various txosnas of diverse stripe and persuasion across the city. No indoor bars for the feast’s duration, this party is held in the street.

Antzar Eguna. Lekeitio, September 5th. A sea of people attired in blue overflow the txosnas to be found at the seaport of this lovely fishing village. The climactic moment occurs at 4 p.m. when the village’s cuadrillas (groups of friends) set out in boats to take turns participating in the local festivities in a more direct manner. A representative from each boat grabs onto a goose which is tied to a chord and held at the opposite end by 20 people. This tug-of-war causes the elected goose-holder to bounce off the water’s surface several times before yanking the goose’s head off (assuming he manges to do so). Following this bizarre display of dexterity, the feast romps into full swing, non-stop till the wee hours of the morning. The best part of the program? Without question, the day fare.

Euskal Jaia, September 9th. Decked out in traditional rural farm worker (baserriterra) wear, the people of Zarautz and neighboring villages hit the streets every September 9th to live the most special day of the year for this breezy coastal town. Unquestionably, cider is an indispensable element in the Euskal Jaia of Zarautz. It is served by the ton at Barren Plaza and Musika Plaza, but also from carriages and supermarket carts prepared especially by local cuadrillas for the occasion. No doubt, it’s a great way to conclude the summer fanfare and begin the back-to-school haul full of energy.

Needless to say, you are more than welcome to participate in all the feasts you find to your liking or consider worthwhile. There’s something here for everyone!

Antzar Eguna. Lekeitio.

“Havana is like a beautiful woman when she gets out of bed”. That’s how a veteran cabbie described his beloved city, as he steered his Soviet-engine, American-manufactured ’53 Cadillac up and down the Malecon. We approach the legendary “Hotel Nacional“, and without lifting a foot from the accelerator, turn into “La Rampa” (“The Ramp”) and zig-zag onto Calle 21. We’ve reached the house where I’ll be staying during the next four days. It’s a nice feeling to arrive in an unknown city and be able to call it home. “This is much more real”, I think to myself.

Upstairs Carolina and Lenin (yeah, that’s his real name) welcome me. They live together with their son at Casa Sandelis. They lead me to my room. I step out on the balcony and am struck by the Nacional’s proximity. I can see the interior of some of its rooms. “You’ll find less luxury but more love here”, says Carolina from the door, with a smile that inspires confidence.

The trip here has been a long one and I need to eat something. I walk a hundred meters to an inviting restaurant called La Roca. “A minute steak with Creole rice.” A laid-back waitress jots down my order.

Energy restored, I hit Old Havana. I get lost among its streets and am delightfully surprised when I come upon La Plaza de Armas and its second-hand (or third-hand, who knows?) book market. I rummage for a few minutes through diverse biographies of Che Guevara. “This is a first printing, and they’re now in their 30th, my friend, take it”. I choose a book of verses by Jose Martí instead.

I pass by La Bodeguita del Medio but tourist camera flashes shoo me away. After crossing the cathedral’s square, I arrive at Café O’Reilly. A band composed of four mulattoes is singing “Chan-Chan”  in front of a dozen appreciative onlookers: several British, a Spanish couple and a group of young Cubans enjoying, as they down mojitos,  rather lively conversation. I park my bottom at an outdoor cafe and watch Old Havana transform at twilight.

I approach the group of youths and inquire where I can go tonight. A girl immediately pipes up: “Go to La Casa de la Musica. It’s the best place to dance salsa.” Another group member suggests checking out Miramar “to dance more reggaeton”. I confess that I’m a bit knackered, so they end up sending me to jazz joints in El Vedado.

I’m not really sure whether they play the sax better at La Zorra y El Cuervo or if Cuba’s best sax players are to be found in either of these clubs, but it doesn’t really matter now, does it? All I know is that between note and note, I’ve just put an end to any given day in Havana.

The smell of salt peter. The sound of waves. The pleasure of a sea breeze. A beach represents all these sensations and much, much more. Which is why I love to escape, whenever I can, to one of those beaches that are a mere stone’s throw away. These are my favorites, so keep them in mind whenever you come to Euskadi. I’ve chosen these fabulous four because of their distinctive appeal.

Zarautz. One of surf’s hot spots in Spain (a surfing world champioship is celebrated here every September) located smack center in the village of Zarautz. Young folk are inclined to take a few totes while looking out to sea. Perhaps the only drawback is that the beach is submerged whenever high tides roar in.

Karraspio (Mendexa). Located two kilometers from Lekeitio, Karraspio Beach carves out an idyllic passage whenever there is low tide: the Lea River disappears, joining the beach with Isuntza Beach and St. Nicholas Island. A spectacular stroll culminating in a crystal-clear, refreshing dip.

Ogeia (Ispaster). A small cove just a 15-minute drive from Lekeitio and perhaps not as frequented as the other beaches mentioned. The beach is flanked by boulders, the water is crystalline, but the best part is a natural patch equipped with places to grab a snack or, if you prefer, stone B-BQ ovens, enabling you to merge that perfect combination of beach + food + good friends.

Laga (Ibarrangelu). This beach is set inside Urdaibai National Park and has a special flair. It is surrounded by verdant mountains and sea cliffs, and even has a nearby forest where many adventurous souls in vans opt to sleep under the stars. The beach of Laida is not far away, and straight ahead is legendary Mundaka with its famous left-drift waves.

All of us who love travelling have at one time or another flirted with the notion of abandoning the hum-drum of our daily routines and embarking on that one voyage each of us safeguards within and considers “the perfect trip”. Even so, very few of us have taken a definitive step in that direction. Today, we’d like to share with you Iosu’s experience. Our hero is a twenty-nine-year-old adventurer who elected to leave his beloved Madrid behind in a north-to-south quest of the American continent. Ten months after setting off and just back from Ushuaya, Iosu reveals how he prepared for his perfect trip.

Q. Iosu, for those of us who’ve daily followed your blog, there hasn’t been a single day that we haven’t felt some kind of healthy envy. We imagine, however, that it was no picnic undertaking this enterprise.

A. Well, implementing a decision of this kind was a real headache. I had to sidestep fears, both internal and external; work endless hours to save up the money, and take a detour from everyday constructs which meant skirting whatever it is that our society calls “normal” — such as buying a house, having a mortgage, a car, starting a family… I decided to listen to the pulse of my heartbeat and assume whatever risks presented themselves. Would everything be the same when I got back from my trip? Would I return home or find somewhere else to set up camp? I was overwhelmed with queries and underwhelmed with answers.

Q. When you set out, did you have a clear notion of where you were headed or has improvisation been your second mate and made your destination decisions for you?

A. I began with the premise of crossing the continent from north to south, going against the usual migratory byways via the pan-American route from Prudhoe Bay (Alaska) to Bahía Lapataia (Argentina). Nowadays, it is a system of inter-connected roads that stretches over 30,000 kilometers, joining the whole continent from one end to the other. Ultimately, thanks to improvisation, I covered 45,000 kilometers of roads, from gravel to asphalted surfaces, aboard every kind of acquatic-terrestrial transport imaginable: busses, trains, bicycles, motorcycles, automobiles, canoes, boats, caravans, you name it. Planes were only permitted for crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Madrid to Alaska and, later, returning from Buenos Aires back to Spain.

Q. Usually, the main motivation for a trip of this kind is more about meeting people than seeing a lot of places. Am I right?

A. Absolutely. It’s all about the human landscape rather than tourist attractions. It centers on dialoguing with others, instead of being tourist-obsessed with accumulating snapshots. Observation takes primacy over furtive glances.

Q. What did you leave behind in Spain when you did this?

A. My job as a journalist. A girlfriend whom I loved, family and friends … To some, my idea sounded like the brainchild of a madman rather than something premeditated.

Now that Iosu’s back, he offers us evidence that there was not an inkling of madness to his decision. He’s made a documentary called “The seam of the Americas”. A trailer follows.

Everybody knows just how useful twitter is when it comes to being up on what’s happening around the world in real time. But, how can twitter help you get the most out of your next trip?

Keep track of travellers like yourself who can serve as an inspiration for your upcoming trips.

Besides sharing travel information via twitter, these people tend to write travel blogs informing you of their experiences and are always ready to lend a hand . We’ve drawn up a list of travellers (er … Passionate Travellers) whom we’ve gotten to know through twitter. We hope the list is hopeful!

Use hashtags to find relevant information.

Say, for instance, a trip around the world is next on your agenda, simply type in: #rtw o #rtwsoon to look up info and exchange impressions with other travellers. In such a case, don’t forget to include the following hashtags in your search: #travel #name of the city you’re travelling to. You just may comr across a weekly cultural lineup, advice from fellow travellers or even other people who find themselves in your same situation.

Contact those persons you think can help you.

If you’ve addressed a direct question to followers and haven’t received a reply, don’t hesitate to get in touch with them directly via (@follower) or by sending them a DM. Keep in mind that on any given day hundreds of tweets are written and it’s impossible to keep track of all of them.

Share with followers your travel experiences.

When you share travel information, very interesting conversations ensue with people who have the same curiosity bug as you. Besides, it’s an unbeatable opportunity for other travellers to get to know your travel preferences and recommend possible destinations as well as experiences for you to live.

Photo by Kaushal Karkhanis

Marcos is an ol’ university mate. Nowadays, he has a chance to open and close his travel bags quite a lot, sometimes for business, other times for pleasure. Recently, he got in contact and told us “Thanks to Trourist I met a woman from New York on my last trip to the Big Apple.” This sort of news stamps smiles on our faces and makes us feel that what we’re doing is really worth something. Marcos shared his experience:

There are so many people who’ve visited New York that the information regarding what places to hit in the city can be overwhelming. I was planning a trip there and the thing is I only had four days! I wanted to experience New York but not just see the usual tourist traps. I felt from the start that hooking up with a native New Yorker was key. Unfortunately, all the people I knew there were going to be out of town during my travel dates, so I thought that Trourist might be able to help.

I checked out people who live in New York, and without hesitation, sent off an e-mail explaining what I was looking for. Bingo, A girl offered to show me her city!!! Right off, we began corresponding to discuss us what I was seeking during my visit, got to know each other a bit and set up meeting particulars concerning date, time and so forth. One morning Rachel came around my hostel around 11 am to pick me up and, despite both of us being neophytes at guiding or being guided around, we both got what we wanted.

She’d already come up with a plan for the day. We began by visiting some little-known art galleries in Chelsea, moved on to a sports complex with a driving range where New Yorkers hit golf balls into the Hudson River, next up was Chelsea Market (a small market inside what used to be a giant factory) and many more sights. The day concluded with a dinner at a popular pizza parlor under the Brooklyn Bridge, which I never would have found on my own. We had such a good time that we agreed to meet another night at an alternative part of Brooklyn with a girl friend of hers.

The best part of the whole experience was not the assortment of places we visited, but the things she told me along the way. Among others, those things that she normally does with friends, places she used to go as a kid, why people buy dogs in New York and so on. Different things. This was the real side of the experience and, frankly, it could not have been a better one. Not only did we have a fabulous time, but we’ve continued to correspond and she’s thinking of visiting my city! Without a doubt, New York would have sized up very differently had I not contacted Rachel.

New York lived it & loved it by Marcos