Some Old Customs Never Die…

There are certain customs in Buenos Aires that prevail over years. One thing you can still find is popcorn vendors. This is a tradition that fortunately has not disappeared. In many corners of Buenos Aires it is typical to see men pushing funny little carts and selling warm sweet popcorn (known as pochoclo here), as well as toffee apples (the twist here is that they have popcorn on top of the melted sugar), toffee figs (with popcorn on top too) and sticky cotton candy. Another typical scene (and...

August 22nd, 2010 | Pablo Juan Augustinowicz | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: Customs & Rituals, traditional practices

Golden Rock, Burma

The Golden Rock (Kyaik-htiyo or Kyaiktiyo), set atop a cliff near Yangon, is one of the most sacred sites in Burma for Buddhists. The great boulder strangely balances on the edge of a cliff and is crowned by a small stupa. Endless streams of pilgrims come to admire the sight and add squares of gold leaf to its surface. However, one must be male in order to add a square of gold for luck. The Golden Rock is not the only amazing thing to see from this cliff. The grueling walk up takes about...

October 29th, 2009 | jcampos | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: culture, Customs & Rituals

Enter the Holy Land, Bago, Burma

Bago is a city and the capital of Bago Division in Burma, which was formerly Pegu. It is located 50 Miles (80 km) from Yangon and is populated with 220,000 people. Bago has many major attractions in terms of Buddhist statues and temples.  Shwe Tha Lyaung Pagoda, the Golden Reclining Image, is a must-see. It is an enourmous reclining Buddha, 180 feet in length and 52.5 feet in height; one of the largest reclining Buddha images in the world. It is so impressive that a camera must be brought,...

October 27th, 2009 | jcampos | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: Customs & Rituals, Destination Overview

Hinduism and the Indian Subcontinent

Hinduism, the world’s oldest religion is believed to precede history and has no human founder. It is a mystical religion aimed at leading the devotee to experiencing the truth within and ultimately reaching the pinnacle of consciousness where man and God are one. Hinduism believes that the universe undergoes endless cycles of creation, preservation and dissolution. This ties directly with the strong link between Hinduism and karma, being the law of cause and effect by which each individual creates...

October 21st, 2009 | jcampos | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: culture, Customs & Rituals

Welcome to Thailand!

Formally known as the Kingdom of Thailand, the predominantly Buddhist nation is home to 65, 000, 000 of the world’s population, spanning out in a geographical space no larger than that of France. Thailand, meaning “the land of the free” is divided into five main provincial groups (allocated by geographical location), which are then subdivided into another 75 provinces. With neighboring Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos, these costal nation’s make up the world’s Southeast Asian corner. Having...

October 11th, 2009 | jcampos | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: culture, Customs & Rituals

The Sindoor, India

When discussing the Hindu religion, customs and rituals could be described as being one of the faith’s founding aspects. Marriage for example is openly displayed by using vermillion powder for the Sindoor line, which runs along a woman’s scalp to show her devotion and desire for a long life with her husband. The rich red color of the Sindoor is believed to represent strength and love and is worn by Hindu women of all classes and countries. ...

October 9th, 2009 | jcampos | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: culture, Customs & Rituals

The Majestic White Elephants of Thailand

Being a symbol of monarchy and having it’s rooted bound tightly linked to the Brahminist presence, elephants in Thailand have been a longstanding symbol of the country’s history and culture. Only ten years ago, the population of elephants in Thailand was soaring at 4000, where in today’s day the country houses a mere 2500 (roughly) in the hills and city landscapes alike. There are several factors, which have contributed to this decline in the elephant population. Environmental factors such...

October 7th, 2009 | jcampos | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: culture, Customs & Rituals

Crossing Borders Without Leaving The Country, Nepal

There is a deep and long history rooted in the bordering nations of Nepal, which have inevitably made an impact on the nation’s cultural fabric. Since the early 1950’s, the people of Tibet have been subject to what many have labeled as a genocide, whereby the Chinese Government have targeted the Tibetan people for elimination in hopes of gaining the Tibetan land for themselves. As a result of this genocidal history, many Tibetan people have been fleeing their homeland in a slow trickle, filtering...

September 29th, 2009 | jcampos | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: culture, Customs & Rituals

A Holy Place For All To Experience, Katmandu, Nepal

Standing at some 36 meters high, with prayer flags strewn strategically along the entirety of the Stupas, Bouddhanath truly represents the centre of living Tibetan culture in present day Nepal. People from all walks of life stroll the open-air parameters, as monk’s whiz past you on their manual motorbikes. The ever-familiar “Om Mani Padme Hum” mantra hums out from the various radios plugged into the tiny shop walls, and the incense never seems to go out. During the start of the 1950’s when...

September 27th, 2009 | jcampos | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: City Review, culture, Customs & Rituals, Destination Overview

The Holy Men Of India

Known and recognized throughout the Indian Subcontinent as being very mysterious and unique in appearance, Sadhu’s are a group of men who have dedicated their lives to finding liberation, the fourth truth in Hinduism, through meditation and the contemplation of Brahman. The word Sadhu can be translated into good man, wandering monk as well as Yogi or practitioner of yoga. Today there are roughly 4-5 million practicing Sadhu’s in India alone; men who have left society and any attachment to materials...

September 25th, 2009 | jcampos | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: culture, Customs & Rituals

Local Craft Village Orissa, India

Raghurajpur, a small village in Orissa, holds a prominent position in the cultural map of India as it is perhaps the only one of its kinds where families are engaged in and specialize in a particular craft. The rich traditions of Orissa’s arts and crafts have been well preserved by the skilled villagers through passing on the arts from generation to generation. There are 311 artisans living within 103 households in the village of Raghurajpur. Some of these artists are winners of National Awards....

September 7th, 2009 | jcampos | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: culture, Customs & Rituals, Destination Overview

Dhimsa Dancers of the Araku Valley, Andhra Pradesh, India

Wearing purple and gold saris in a way I had never seen, some 12 women, anywhere from mid-teens to early thirties, stand together and look around as the small crowd of tourists gather round to watch the evenings performance. A trio of men begin tuning their instruments, consisting of a hand drum, tin flute and a symbol like percussion instrument. Puffing away at their last beedie (leaf wrapped cigarette), the women begin removing their footwear and a hush falls over the makeshift stage. Not knowing...

August 30th, 2009 | jcampos | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: culture, Customs & Rituals

Over a Cup of Chai, India

Whether it be the east or west, north or south, India and it’s infamous cup of Chai go hand in hand all across the nation. The price may vary a few rupees depending on how you like your cup served to you, large or small, street stall or classy restaurant, but the consistency of the chai remains the same. Made of warm milk, sugar and ground tea leaves, chai is more than a drink, it is the water of India and is enjoyed by all classes, ages, and sexes. Depending on where you are, chai may come in...

August 15th, 2009 | jcampos | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: culture, Customs & Rituals, drinking

Cycle Rickshaws of Dhaka 101

The cycle rickshaw, introduced to Bangladesh in the year 1919, provides a daily form of transportation for roughly ten percent and employs twenty-fiver percent of the nations population. The simple yet elaborately decorated vehicles are constructed from spare bicycle parts, rugs, bamboo sticks as well as plastic sheets (for rain protection during the monsoon season). There is no offical count avaliable for the exact number of cycle rickshaws operating in Bangladesh, but the estimates lie in...

August 1st, 2009 | jcampos | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: culture, Customs & Rituals, Destination Overview, transportation

Dhaka, Bangladesh

Dhaka, a city oozing with life, lights, traffic and 12 million people waiting for anything to happen. The capital city of Bangladesh, where roughly 30% of the population are living below the poverty line, all seems a little too much at first glance. Once you let yourself delve beneath its sweaty surface, you’ll come to see why people’s smiles stretch from ear to ear. Curious eyes almost always settle on a strange face, one that just doesn’t seem to fit the dark hair, eyes and skin complexion...

July 31st, 2009 | jcampos | Read More | Comments: 1
Filed under: City Review, culture, Customs & Rituals, Destination Overview

Scrubbed, Pummeled and Sweaty: the Hammam Turkish Bath Experience

A mandatory Turkish experience in Turkey is to partake in one of the oldest rituals in Turkey, the Turkish bath. Found all over the Middle East, the Hammam experience isn’t exactly your gentle spa experience. First of all, your aesthetician most often resembles a hairy heavyweight wrestler. But I’m getting ahead of myself here. Most high-end hotels in Turkey tend to have their own toned-down version, but to experience the real thing, you need to swallow your uneasiness (and modesty) and head...

February 10th, 2009 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 1
Filed under: culture, Customs & Rituals, hammam, turkey, turkish bath

Natural Turkish Air Conditioning

In the heat of the summer, Turkey can reach unbearable temperatures. And since the scorching weather isn’t anything new, Middle Eastern architects have been using ingenious ways to stay cool for centuries. From tall walls and small windows to maximize shade, to wind towers that suck hot air out with the desert wind and qanat (underground aqueducts) to cool air from below, I’ve encountered many different approaches to “natural air-con.” The most ubiquitous though, has to be the use of water...

January 30th, 2009 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: air-con, culture, Customs & Rituals, eating, restaurant, turkey, water

Touring the Wineries of Mendoza – Bodega Norton

I’ll start with probably the most mainstream winery I’ll cover here: Bodega Norton. Although Norton makes lots of good wine, we know it best as the source of our favourite Argentinean “cheap and cheerful:” their Norton Classico retails domestically for about 3 bucks, and is embarrassingly drinkable. (as long as you don’t expect too much.) Norton is a good place to start because 1) it’s easy to find 2) it’s pretty large, and so offers fairly typical, frequent tours 3) its wines are...

August 16th, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: argentina, culture, Customs & Rituals, drinking, Mendoza, Norton, wine tours

The Toilet Rules

As a guide, there are always a handful of essential, on-the-ground pieces of knowledge I find people need to know about as soon as they arrive in a country—things they either don’t get from guidebooks, or are too important (like safety), variable (exchange rates) or personal (tipping) to trust entirely to a book. Possibly the most important of these is something I call The Toilet Rules. In literally dozens of countries it seems for some reason that nether guidebook nor tour guide mentions...

March 30th, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: Customs & Rituals, Toilet