Category: True Experiences

Homes tinted in colors from an artist’s palette compete with one another on long, uneven hills. Narrow streets bend every which way into curves that head right and left. An absolute void of green areas exists to rest your weary bones. Surely, architects who design residential areas in large cities rarely rely on Porto for inspiration, which perhaps is why you should seriously consider going there.

I’m addressing the subject of Porto because I recently spent some time there. It seemed like such a city in decay that I was reminded of Havana: tons of abandoned houses, unfinished construction sites, a reign of disorder in its streets … This state of decay rather than being a defect is a testament to the importance of what was, a metropolitan jewel in the crown of a great empire.  The passage of time evokes the charm of a city which ambition built. It’s like one of those wines that get better every year. I, for one, am attracted to the irresistible beauty of disorder.

No doubt, Porto is worth checking out. Take 3 or 4 days to do so.

A few experiences that I enjoyed and which you may as well:

• Sample a francesinha.
• Drink something at Café Piolho.

Places to sleep:

• Spot Hostel.
• Poets Hostel.

“The trip of a lifetime” is a dream that many of us share but few of us dare to undertake. What’s the reason? Many times it’s not possible to do – in the best of circumstances – during the month we have off from work. Why? Well, if it were, most of us would have done it already.

When we speak of the trip of our dreams, we imagine surroundings and a routine very different from that which we live daily. It is an exercise which requires, above all, time.

In western society, we believe the biggest obstacle to taking “the trip of our dreams” is “breaking” with our daily lives – work, social relations, etc. Let’s not kid ourselves. Most of us would kill to break with our existing lives. Ten hours of a low-paying job, a 2-hour traffic jam, a  sandwich-on-the-run just to return to a 1.000-euro, heat-less studio where we’ll just gripe to our flat mate that things are going “same-ol’-same-ol’”.

In my opinion, the greatest hindrance to leaving is the fear of coming back. We’re overwhelmed with the scary idea that our “re-insertion in society or at our first job interview we’ll find ourselves facing the following query:

-”I don’t see what you’ve been doing for the last year (or two or three) anywhere on your c.v, could you explain that?”

Unfortunately, many companies won’t find any of the following replies valid:

-”I was exploring an infinity of unexplored corners of the world”; “I was breaking stereotypes”; “I was checking out realities diametrically opposed to mine”; “I was learning to reason things without defining them by the dictates of any one society”. (I’ think that’s important).

Painful as it may seem, this is reality. To come to terms with it, let me propose a solution: try to make your trip be significantly co-related with your profession. Naturally, this will only be possible if your profession is also your favorite pastime. If it isn’t, don’t go and mess up your trip.

Following are some examples to help inspire you:

Iosu López: Journalist by profession, this 29-year-old quit his job to embark on a trip that would take him from Alaska to Ushuaia. His premise was to travel only by land to complete his Panamerican journey and to record the many adventures of his trip on his blog. Upon his return, with all the material collected during his 11-month odyssey, he produced a documentary that caught the attention of Fnac. Today, he is a special envoy for the biggest Spanish media agency in New Delhi.

Kepa Acero: Surfer. He travelled around the world living by the slogan: 5 waves, 5 continents. For five months he spanned the globe searching for the perfect wave on each continent, an adventure which he shared with readers of his blog. When he got back, the Basque Television Network ETB dedicated a program to his trip. He has also published an article in the well-known magazine, Surfer Rule.

Lara Dunston and Terence Carter have been travelling since the late eighties. Together they have visited over 60 countries. It’s an adventure which has allowed them, among other things, to work for Lonely Planet. Their last project, Grantourismo, is a trip around the world which during 12 months will take them to 24 countries. The cool thing about this project is that it came about thanks to collaboration with Home Away Holiday-Rentals, which offered them lodging at the apartments the chain has around the world. In exchange, the couple writes about their travel experiences in their blog,and mentions the apartments they stay at.

As you can see, Internet can be a great ally for making that dream trip of yours not only a memorable travelling experience but one valuable for your professional career as well.

I’m going to propose something … Imagine your next trip takes you to Colombia and you have an opportunity to stay at the least touristic part on the Caribbean coast in cozy huts run by local families. These groups of families are composed of Tayrona and Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta natives, who formerly earned a living growing cocaine illegally and, who now thanks to a government initiative, dedicate themselves to ecotoruism and the cultivation of organic products.

During your visit you will not only be able to live firsthand the culture and the social reality of Indian families and communities, but you will also get to live unique experiences such as a clandestine visit to a genuine coke factory. Yeah, you read right. Of course, you’ll also be able to partake in more conventional activities like trekking or kayaking, always in the company of local folk, for whom tourism represents a source of positive impact from an economic, environmental and social perspective.

So, what do you think? If you’re turning green with envy, I’m going to suggest a site to visit: VÍVELO. VÍVELO is a web site which promotes initiatives like the foregoing. They call these types of experiences “Positive Impact Travel” and their social objectives are twofold. On the one hand, they contribute positively to the economy, ecosystem and preservation of local communities in developing countries (fair play becomes fair tourism here). On the other hand, they make it easier for Europeans to travel responsibly and minimize the negative impact which tourism can generate on the planet and its inhabitants (making the experience a genuine one).

Havana is one of those cities that invite love at first sight. Not only because of its romantic landscapes or subtle mixture of idyllic horizons with decaying structures, but also because of the ease with which one gets to know native residents.

My trip to Havana, four years ago, was a refreshing bath of experiences and life lessons. I discovered thanks to the helpful hands of locals fantastic hideaways like Cafe Habana, and more importantly, got to know first hand how the city’s residents live and think. A series of impressions which allowed me to relativize the value of thngs and marvel at the Havanese’s ability to enjoy to the maximum while having the minimum, unlike so-called developed countries where the opposite is often true.

Nerea, Lide and Maite enjoyed similar experiences and life lessons during their recent trip to Cuba a few months ago. Three trourists who elected to surprise us with a new ExperienceLess event. Thanks, girls.

Of all the experiences shared with us, we believe the following five faithfully reflect the variety of extra-special destinations and moments enjoyed by trourists this past summer:

Javier Leal shares with all of us an excursion he embarked on with his brother to Ransdorp, a tiny village outside Amsterdam reachable by bike. Escaping the city for a day, the siblings were able to enjoy a day by the sea, green prairies and towering windmills. We suggest you read further to get the full story.

Jopeto took us to a very special place in Sofia, his hometown. By this trourist’s account, Toba&Co is a frequent stopover on summer nights where good music and mojitos are a guaranteed attraction. Click in to check out his experience.

Is there a more refreshing way to fight off a broiling summer afternoon than a good ice cream? Susana Paço from Lisbon invites us to sample super gelatti at A Veneziano, an icream parlor which has been perfecting its art since Giovanni de Luca arrived to this marvellous Portuguese city way back in 1936. For the perfect topping on this story, follow the link.

Fabiola Villa shares with us one of the trendiest bars in London. It’s a bar where music is everything so its selection counts — big time. Fabiola suggests grabbing a bite to eat, ordering something to wash it down, sitting outside on the terrace and just kicking back. Get the full experience here.

Can you believe that a group of individuals have converted their imagination, art and freedom into a way of life? Itziar Otxagabia unveils for us L’Elaboratoire, a place so exceptional where imagination and dreams will be transformed into reality. You can read about the entire experience here.

We hope the above five experiences serve as inspiration for your future travels!

In Maeklong, 70 kilometers southeast of Bangkok, you can find one of the most dangerous bazaars you’ll ever come across anywhere in the world. No, not because there is a reign of delinquency; it’s just that vendors and railway tracks manage to coexist harmoniously in a rather reduced space here.

Though it may seem inconceivable, dozens of vendors set up stalls daily to sell their fish, rice and vegetables on the very same tracks which serve as a railway for trains passing through eight times a day. Undeniable adrenalin rushes for first-time visitors to the area, but a ho-hum exercise for people who have learned to stay alive by dismantling stands at lightning-speed for more than thirty years. In all this time, curiously enough there have only been two fatalities.

From what I understand, in order to reach The Death Market you have to take a couple of trains and a boat which cost a mere pittance: the three tickets cost a total of 25 bat (just over half a euro). Not bad for a 3-hour trip that’ll take you across rice paddies, along a river, and past several villages. A truly unforgettable experience, I’m sure.

This blog launches a new section called “Looking through my backpack”. The center of our story is Xabi, an excellent friend of all of us here at Trourist. Those of you who’ve been following us awhile will remember him since he began our adventure with us.

It seems that Xabi (in a decision as attractive as it was daring) has decided to exchange his everyday living in his native Pamplona for an adventure lasting several months in Latin America. And since he’s what we consider an honest-to-goodness genuine traveller, we decided it might be nice to have him tell us about those special experiences he lives every month. He’ll also be giving advice for those of you who would like to embark on a similar trip and, above all, sharing with us new things he’s learned along the way.

But before he starts to telling us some of these anecdotes, we are going to ask Xabi — who has been in Argentina just a few days now — some questions about his trip.

Q. Even though big trips lend themselves to improvisation, what’s your scheduled itinerary for this one?

A. I began my week in Uruguay and four days in Buenos Aires, visiting people in both places. Now I’m in Ushuaia, south of Argentina, where my adventure has started. My idea is the following: I’d like to climb the Andes, combining destinations in Chile and Argentina, and arrive in Santiago via the coast. From there, I’ll head northeast to get to know the regions of Mendoza and Salta. Afterwards, I’ll cross over to Bolivia and Peru, and then move on to Central America (at least, Guatemala and Mexico). But, like you say, improvisation and making things up as you go along, is half the fun of any trip.

Q. What’s the purpose of your trip? What do you most expect to learn during the next few months?

A. The main reason for the trip is that, a couple of years ago when I was in Argentina I felt I didn’t see as much the country as I would have liked, the same is true for Latin America in general. It’s like I’ve got this thorn in my side that I’ve got to pull out. Besides, my yen for travelling has set my feet in motion on this adventure once again. What do I hope to learn? Good question … I want to learn something from every single person I come across — from travellers I meet along the way (such as advice on ways of travelling and managing my provisions) as well as native people (local culture, gastronomy and customs). I think travelling is a great way for a person to grow as an individual, facing situations that you’ll never live staying at home and a sure-fire way of discovering many different ways of doing things.

Q. Is there any way that a native Latin American or some traveller in Latin American reading this interview could lend you a hand?

A. Of course there are, among the plenty ways are: recommending places to see and things to do, meeting up for a beer or sharing a car ride. I will make my trip up based on things I read, things I hear regarding what to do, what’s not worth it and then just improvise. So, here’s my e-mail address for anyone interested in dropping me a line: xabier.albeniz@gmail.com

Though I’ve always fancied myself a champion of improvisation and doing things on the fly when travelling, as a Basque there are five things I recommend you AVOID doing round these here parts next time you visit (some of these I consider vital). These are personal opinions, offered as mere advice, and not universal truths:

Limit yourself to seeing only Bilbao and San Sebastian. Basque geography is as beautiful as it is small, so rent a car, hop on public transportation if you wish, and take in lovely Getaria, Hondarribia or Lekeitio. It’s just a short ride away. Besides, big cities tend to be more standardized than small villages. In a smaller setting, you’re more likely to appreciate the true differences between villages and cultures.

Dine or have a drink in some chain or franchise outlet. No, no, and no! In the Basque Country, there are hundreds of charming bars and restaurants. Do you really want to pass these up and go to the kind of place you could find anywhere? Maybe not.

Go dining before 9pm. Most restaurants open before and they have no problem feeding you, but honestly: Who wants to eat alone in a restaurant? Personally, I hate it. Besides, if you elect to dine early, you won’t be able to apply rule number 1 for choosing a new place: enter only to those places that appear crowded.

Pay admission to a discotheque. There are tons of places to hit where you don’t have to fork over 15-20 euros. In San Sebastian, try Le Bukowski or Be Bop.

And for those of you really into sampling the local nightlife … don’t drink patxaran like it’s cold beer. Patxaran is a liqueur found in the Basque Country, which goes down like a shot when cold, tastes great, but willl leave you on all fours and with a nasty hangover the following day. This last advisory is based on my witnessing what happens to friends who’ve come to visit me on my home turf.

Today I’d like to talk about “pintxos”, one of the stellar attractions for visitors to the Basque Country, especially those visiting San Sebastián. For those of you who are novices, a “pintxo” is composed of a small slice of bread with a food delicacy piled on top. The variety of toppings is infinite, ranging from a basic potato omelette to a more elaborate cream of spider crab to red peppers. For first-timers, the sight of a bar counter covered with these miniature epicurean creations is truly mind-boggling.

As a local, I have to admit that I don’t usually go out bar-hopping on pintxo crawls. In fact, I only do so when I receive a friend who is not from San Sebastián and who specifically requests it. Thus, I must confess that when I have a visit, I indulge and do those “typical” things one only does when one has a visit. How’s that for a paradox? The main reason I don’t go on pintxo crawls is that bars charge you an arm and a leg, and the quality is not always commensurate with what you pay. I also think it’s a bit of a paradox that something so “typical” can be so overpriced (let’s define “typical” as something that locals enjoy on a regular basis).

So for me, at least, pintxos are not that typical, even if they can provide with you memorable moments if you go to the right place. A few great places for eating pintxos and their specialties: Alustiza (order the “Gavilla”); Zeruko (try the “Hoguera”); Goiz Argi (sample the “Brocheta de gambas”, a skewered prawn delight). Can you think of any special places that you’d like others to know about or would like to share through trourist?

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.