Category: True Experiences

After tallying point totals from jury members, we have the three winners from our latest Trourist experience contest: LO-Month.

Beginning with the category for Best Overall Experience, and winner of a Diana+ Deluxe Pack, our lucky contestant is Cande Abril, who shared with us a most unusual experience to be lived in the Navigli neighborhood of Milan. Cande recommends a rendezvous through an area formerly teemng with canals filled with water but which nowadays is a cluster of assorted establishments. Let her tell you about it.

In the category of Best London Experience, Kate Turner walked away with her hands full. She won a Diani Mini + Flash. Her delectable experience, never better said, consists of a visit to the market in Borough, where “fine eats” from all around the world can be found, with special mention of a section devoted to nothing but sweets. Again, we think it’s better if she speaks to you about it first-hand.

Lastly, in the Best Barcelona Experience category, Laura Hernandez will also be able to enjoy a Diana Mini + Flash of her very own. Laura touts the possibility of getting to know local artists short on fame but long on talent at a marvelous gallery with a marvelous name called Miscelania. She, too, should be the one to fill you in.

Congrats to all our winners and all those who participated, the bar level for experiences was set extremely high. Real travel gems were shared, which I’m sure will have you living to the max your travels wherever you go this summer.

Once more, we encourage you to share with others those places that are oh-so-special in your city or that you’ve come across during one of your recent jaunts. And not to worry, in our next contest we will include all those experiences shared since the conclusion of LO-Month.

Finally, we cannot sign off without thanking again Lomography Spain for sponsoring this contest.

The Trourist community has been quite active the past few days. During the month of May, real pearls of advice have been submitted by travelers, like yourself, who seek genuine and special experiences from the destinations they visit.

In the category of Best Experience, we’ve narrowed it down to 10 finalists, any one of who has a chance of winning the Diana+ Deluxe Pack. Mikel García Nograro, for instance, proposed a unique way to spend a Sunday in Cape Town. Maria Agirre, in turn, invited us down to a bar/gallery right smack in the middle of San Francisco. Gerrit Lamch took us to a very special place in Montreal to have breakfast. Borja Serrano waxed lyrical about embarking on an adventure along an idyllic passage in New Zealand. Nagore Guarretxena discovered a place to photograph geishas in Tokyo. Alba Rosales whisked us away to a mysterious bar in Cracovia. Pablo Adrian Medina suggested a water reservoir in Tulum. Ryan showed us a few places to hit when spending quality time in Galway. Cande Abril opened our eyes to a most interesting rendezvous in Milan. And Kate Turner recommended a lovely spot to have a cocktail with your significant other in Oxford.

In the category of Best Experience in London and Barcelona, and vying for a shot at a Diana Mini +Flash, we’ve selected 3 finalists from each city. In London, Oscar Cervantes told us where to grab dinner on Marylebone High Street, Adam Smith invited us to a cafe in Soho and Kate Turner (yes, Kate again!) called our attention to a great market where you can go whennever you’re ready for a shopping spree. In Barcelona, Isabel Martí suggested a tea house in the Gothic section, Laura Hernandez introduced us to an area overflowing with provocative creations by talented artists, and Jon Santa mailed in a night out eating Japanese cuisine.

Who’s going to win in each category? The various juries will have their verdicts in a few days. For the moment, though, everyone’s a winner because we all have more genuine and special experiences to choose from. Thanks to all those who particpated in this fun event!

And for those of you wondering: we are now 2500 trourists!

The jury is formed by:

Francesc Balagué: http://www.francescbalague.cat/

Audrey Scott and Daniel Noll: http://www.uncorneredmarket.com/

Lara Dunston and Terence Carter: http://grantourismotravels.com/

Lindsay Hogg: http://thetravellerworldguide.com/

Mike Baris: http://www.mikebarish.com/

Pasquale Caprile: www.lomography.es

“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.

No matter how intense you live a destination, a thorn pierces the heart of every traveler. That cul de sac you never discovered. That experience which escaped you. That adventure you didn’t quite dare try. Following are some of my personal “thorns”:

1. An excursion for several days trekking through some of the wilder parts of the Grand Canyon. Even though a view looking down is one of the most impressive in the world, I think immersing yourself in the canyon’s rocky entrails for a few days has got to be the best way to feel a part of this natural wonder. Just picture it: you, far from civilization, sleeping under the stars, your only cover. Wow!

2. Getting to know inland Cuba and its people. Havana is a sensual, fun and evocative place, no doubt about it. But I have the feeling that so much tourism has somehow polluted the spontaneity of its locals. Without meaning to, Havanans always seem to be balancing the twin forces of what they really think and what tourists want to hear. Even so, it’s still a cool place, though I’d like to complement it with a trip inland, forging my way through villages where sugar cane is grown. I could do it by train, car, bike, whatever, I don’t care. A Havana-Santiago trek has to be one of the all-time unforgettable experiences.

3. A crazy party on a Croatian isle. The Croatian coast is a true jewel, an Adriatic paradise whose beauty is intense blue, whose small, exotic coves and numerous fishing villages still bear the imprint of many a civilization. In short; a perfect place to lose yourself and chill. Even so, you can always complement all the R&R with a quick getaway to small islands like Hvar, full of young people ready to party their entire holidays away. These islands, like the saying goes, are open till dawn.

4. Catch the Big Kahona at Pipeline (Hawaii). Pipeline, on the island of Oahu, is a wild beach of spectacular beauty, ideal for spending a day. Besides, it’s the mecca of surfing, accessible to only the most skilled experts because of the size of its waves and hazardous reefs. Truth is, it’s gotta be the ultimate to ride a BIG ONE, on display daily from December to March breaking off the shores of Pipeline. Though I have to admit, that more than a thorn, this is a personal utopia since my surfing expertise is nonexistent.

How about you guys? What thorn is piercing your traveler’s heart?

Photography is an important part of our trips. Far beyond the aesthetic value of our “work”, pictures immortalize our fun moments and discoveries forever, allowing us to process everything we’ve lived once we’re back home.

Technological advances in photography during the past decade have made available ultra-light and easy-to-use cameras, whose main function is their practicality.  I’d like to call your attention to other cameras that don’t adhere to this criteria however, operating instead on a more human and emotional level such as the experience of recording special moments in a special way with them. I’m talking about lomographic cameras.

Lomographic cameras are some of the best known analogical cameras, whose origin dates back to the early 1980s in the former Soviet Union.  These cameras were initially manufactured with a robust frame and defective lenses which produced surprising snapshots because of the focus deviation and color/light distortion they realized. This, of course, is what made them so special. Taking super-prepared photos is no longer a must; now, you expect a lomographic camera to astonish you with everyday images that stand out or to capture details which normally would go unnoticed.

At the start of the 1990s, a group of Viennese students discovered these cameras during a trip to Prague, and overnight an enormous community of lomographers was born. Their only aims are creative and spontaneous photography, as you will see in the “Ten Golden Rules”.

Nowadays, you can find reproductions of those original Soviet cameras in every color imaginable at their “Embassies” (yes, that’s what they are called) all over the world.

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.

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

Mexico is a country of contrasts. To the east, the calm of the Carribean Sea is punctured by havoc created by the ever-increasing touristic exploitation of its coast. To the west, the republic is submerged in the Pacific Ocean, whose ferocity at times sounds ironic.

We are referring to a coastline barely invaded by outsiders, one which naturally offers a rare treat for those restless travellers interested in discovering the beaches of this marvellous country, without sacrificing an iota of contact with local folk and the reality which is theirs.

In this post, I will share with you an account of four gems which I discovered one day and will forever treasure:

Maruata: Formed by three bays, has a very special energy. Or, at least, that’s the conclusion reached in 1995 by the environmentalist group “Rainbow” who came to this magical site from all parts of America. Since then, every Easter and Christmas, hordes of Mexican youth gather together under modest palapas for merrymaking and clandestine partying, thereby interrupting for a few days the tranquility which normally reigns and only a passing sea breeze dares to challenge.

Nexpa: Is the second best beach for surfing and the optimal alternative for those seeking to escape the unrelenting ballyhoo of Puerto Escondido. Located in a laid-back village, locals offer visitors the chance to rent wooden huts right on the beach. There’s even an expatriate American living in Nexpa who has been running a joint for years where folks, mostly of the surfer variety, meet up to catch unbelievable sunsets and chat around chelas.

Mazunte: Hands down one of the prettiest places along the Oaxaqueña Coast. I’ll never forget lying down on a hammock one night, under a palapa, while contemplating one of the starriest skies I’ve ever seen. If this isn’t your bag, you can always choose to spend a night in an ecology-friendly cabin. Incidentally, Mazunte is also one of the main locations for sea-turtle spawning in all Mexico.

Zipolite: Paradise on earth for those of you who just enjoy shedding any form of bathing wear whenever you hit a beach. During the 70′s, it was the only nudist beach in the entire country, and was a mecca for hippies from all around the globe. Some of the spirit still endures, although colorful and comfortable cabins are available now for those of you who wish to more than just camp down.

Zipolite Beach. Photo by: ScottHernandez

If you should decide to visit the Basque Country between January and May, one of the truest experiences you could live is dinner at a sagardotegia. That’s what folks around here call the local cider houses. Fact is, if you combine the Basque word “sagarra” (apple) with the word “ardoa” (wine) and “tegi” (place) you’ll get a clue of what the topic for this post is.

Cider houses are firmly rooted all around the outskirts of San Sebastian, scattered as they are in neighboring villages such as Astigarraga, Hernani and Urnieta. Inside refurbished farm houses, some more than others, (all, however, preserving an exquisite ancient charm), one can savor a simple, mouth-watering menu. As a starter, there’s pork sausage awash in cider, cod omelette or, its equally succulent alternative, cod with peppers. Second up, is a Basque-size T-bone steak. Desserts include cheese with quince and locally produced biscuits. All of the above, of course, are accompanied by all the cider you can drink, served straight from huge, wooden cider barrels. A warning based on first-hand experience: never underestimate the elixir-like qualities of this beverage.

The tradition of dining out at sagardotegias dates back to the days when customers, restaurants and dining clubs would get together to sample the season’s vintage before it was bottled up. Naturally, everyone would bring along their home-prepared afternoon snacks to share with all those present. The custom of eating while standing and from the same plate originated here. Also born here was a prevailing spirit of conviviality that persists to this day — groups of friends mixing it up, talking animatedly, singing and laughing around the barrels, which surround the eating area or are strategically situated off to the side in adjoining annexes. Everyone awaits the “txotx” or the cry of the cider house’s proprietor announcing refills.

Photo by adriagarcia

Without a doubt, cider houses are one of the Basque Country’s most enduring and beloved cultural traditions.