Archive for the Travel Events category
Friday 14th November – Sunday 23rd November
Hepcats and jazz fans in London will be spoiled for choice later this week, as the London Jazz Festival 2008 rolls out across the city. A tradition in the Big Smoke since the early 1970’s, the London Jazz Festival showcases a broad range of jazz music, as well as classes ranging from vocal labs to jazz journalism. There’s also an excellent array of free events – music to both your ears and pocket.
For more information, schedule and event prices, visit the London Jazz Festival’s website. Keep the weekend cheap and easy by using Transport for London to get from gig to gig, and rest your weary, be-bopped-filled head in a clean and comfy London hostel at the end of the night.
KW
On 23 to 27 November, the liberal city of Amsterdam will host this year’s Cannabis Cup. And, in honor of this extravagant celebration of Holland’s famous (and perennially popular) travel attraction, The Flying Pig - one of the most popular hostels in Amsterdam - is giving away two nights accommodation for two people, anytime in December, absolutely free!
To enter, just let us know what your ideal itinerary for a weekend in the city would be. The competition will close on the 17th of November, and itineraries are to be written in the comments box below. A small tip: They should include more than just ‘get baked’!
Here’s a quick lowdown on the Cup itself, for those interested…
Cannabis Cup Background
The festival was first started back in 1987, and today it’s just about the biggest stoner’s event going, with weed being sold, smoked and evaluated everywhere you look.
This year’s Cup will mark a point of departure from those before, however, with Amsterdam now enveloped in a tobacco ban. The law banning tobacco smoke indoors was introduced a few months back - as a result, coffeeshop smokers can either roll with a herbal substitute, or enjoy a more traditional joint outside on the cold pavement.
While many thought the ban would adversely affect Amsterdam coffeeshops’ trade, few have reported a downturn in business. It’s still uncharted territory for the Cup, however, and only the judges will be able to say whether those prized strains of marijuana entered into the competition are affected by this new substitute and law.
All in all, there’s normally around ten different categories, including Best Hash and Best Overall Strain (to which the Cannabis Cup is awarded). There’s also a prize for the Top Coffeeshop - a category that’s been through the travel blogosphere washer recently, after Matt of Matador Nights bravely nominated his favorites with, let’s say, a teeny bit of a backlash.
Well, never one to shirk a challenge (or a whack of vitriol), I thought I’d put my cards on the table. So here are my top five coffeeshops in Amsterdam:
1. Katsu, Eerste van der Helstraat. In a city packed with coffeeshops, it may be tempting to head to the nearest one to your hostel, but Katsu is definitely worth heading south (and off the beaten track) for. Winner of the Highlife Cup in 2008, they mix award-winning strains with a great buzz.
2. Abraxas, Jonge Roelensteeg. With its mosaics, sofas and chessboard tables, Abraxas is the ultimate place to head in Amsterdam for a relaxing vibe and a friendly welcome. This doesn’t mean a compromise in quality, though - from the hash milkshakes to the classic rollies, Abraxas is top-notch all the way.
3. Resin, Hekeveld. Resin (formerly known as The Pool Dog) has a deservedly good reputation among both the local and backpacking crowds. Unlike many shops this close to the center, the weed is consistently good quality and value, plus the pumping sound system and friendly staff, all add up to a great atmosphere.
4. Grey Area, Oude Leliestraat. Down in the Jordaan, the tiny (and always packed) Grey Area may be a little more on the pricey side but it’s actually famous around the world as the original home of Double Bubble Gum, Wobbler and more. Its reputation for these specialties puts it firmly on the Cannabis Cup map - as well as making it popular with bands and celebs passing through town.
5. Barneys Coffeeshop, Haarlemmerstraat. Barneys has been recognized at the Cannabis Cup multiple times, although it’s about more than just smoking here. Get one of their awesome breakfasts from 7am and settle into the slightly surreal interior for a long day, and let the good times roll (yes, pun intended).
AW
Inspired by the extravagant late-night ‘Nuite Blanche’ events in major European cities like Madrid, the small but arty town of Brighton hosts its first ‘White Night’ this Saturday (25th October).
Eclectic Brighton has a reputation for summer fun and an inclusive vibe but this sounds like a really great way to pull in the crowds as winter draws in and that beach-nightlife-fish-&-chips combo starts to lose its appeal.
So rather than going into hibernation, Brighton is celebrating the turning back of the clocks (and the offical start of British winter and dark evenings) with a bang. From 6pm ’til 7am, there’ll be culture and antics aplenty on the streets and, if the vibrant atmosphere of the town in summer is anything to go by, it’s bound to be a success.
Art galleries and exhibtions are staying open late, and the Brighton Philharmonic will play in the grand Regency rooms of The Royal Pavilion, which is sure to be a highlight of the musical program.
There’s also some rather innovative entertainment on offer, including midnight swims at the Prince Regent Pool with underwater music which promises “leisurely Aquadelica” which, I admit, I don’t quite understand but, well, it certainly sounds exciting.
What really caught our eye though is that nearly all of the activities are free - excellent news for the cheapskates here at HostelBloggers.
After all, London to Brighton is just an hour on the train…
AW
October sees the start of one of the most unusual festivals in Thailand - the Cheltenham Gold Cup for cows, the bovine Belmont Stakes, the heifer handicap - it’s the Chonburi Water Buffalo Races! As with all these events (the Pushkar Camel Fair is very similar) what started out as a humble animal trading fair and celebration of the annual rice harvest has become something different entirely.
These days, Chonburi is treated to an engaging hotchpotch of races - with jockeys sitting bareback astride their mighty steeds as they hurtle down the track - processions, and even (slightly bizarrely) a buffalo fancy-dress competition.
As an interesting aside, the animals are now bred solely for the purpose of the event, with a thoroughbred racing buffalo fetching the princely sum of 80,000 Baht ($1,800)!
The event comes lumbering into Chonburi (a mere 30 miles from Bangkok) a day before the full moon of the eleventh month of the Thai lunar calendar, to coincide with the end of Vassa, or Buddhist Lent. After much online sleuth work, HostelBloggers have managed to narrow this down to the 12th and 13th October (but you should probably double-check to be on the safe side!)
So if you’re backpacking in Thailand and that sounds like a good day out, it’s simply a case of charging - faster than a speeding bullock, perhaps? - over to Chonburi.
With the days getting steadily chillier here in London, autumn has crept up on HostelBloggers once again. As if to confirm the fact, this Monday (September 22nd) is the autumn equinox. And there’s nowhere more spectacular to celebrate this event than at Chichen Itza, on Mexico’s Yucatan penisula.
Among the impressive Mayan remains at this site is the Grand Pyramid, which reveals some rather astounding ancient knowledge of astronomy at each equinox. The structure is aligned so that in the middle of spring and autumn the sun’s rays are reflected in such a way as to form the shape of a diamond-backed rattlesnake along the steps.
It’s believed that the Mayans intended this remarkable event to mark essential cycles in the agricultural season, and the biannual gatherings at Chichen Itza became a significant ritual. Today, thousands of pilgrims and travelers are attracted to the site by its heady brew of mysterious celestial alignment and awe-inspiring ancient structures.
The actual moment when the sun hangs directly over the Earth’s equator will fall at 15.44. And HostelBloggers would definitely recommend that anyone lucky enough to be in this part of the world sets their watch!
If human chess isn’t quite up your street then there’s another great event in Europe this weekend: the third annual Noche en Blanco - or White Night - celebration in Madrid. And given its success in previous years (as well as the city’s hard-earned reputation for 24-hour partying!) it looks set to be another fantastic night.
On Saturday (13 September), Spain’s capital will be hit by the full moon madness of ‘white night’ - from 9pm through till 6am. Musuems will stay open and there’ll be all manner of music, performances and arty happenings across the city - with a fair bit of partying, Madrileno-style, thrown in for good measure.
And if the exciting line-up wasn’t quite tempting enough, cash-strapped backpackers should be delighted to learn that absolutely everything is free. Yes, free. In fact, that delightful free-ness even extends to unlimited use of public transport to whizz you from one event to another!
Madrid’s white night is actually part of a larger European cultural organization (which also sponsors similar events in Paris, Brussels, Riga and Bucharest) that aims to arouse interest in art through free events.
In HostelBloggers’ opinion, it’s a laudable initiative and deserves to be fully supported. So there’s only one thing for it: head straight for a hostel in Madrid and really make the most of this bonanza of culture and cañas!
Crashing on into mid-September, it’s nearly time for one of the most curious cultural events in the international calender to come to the small Italian town of Marostica.
In a tradition that dates back to 1923, on the second weekend of September in even years (which will be 12-14 September in 2008) the townspeople - and a fair few travelers, too - gather around a giant black and white chessboard to watch a game of chess being played out… with people for pieces!
There’s heaps of history involved in this intriguing event, with the players dressed (and armed) in full medieval costume and the instructions to the ‘pieces’ still given in the old local dialect.
But there’s more to the event than just human chess. After WWII, Vucetich Mirko wrote a play inspired by the biannual games. Even though the play wasn’t based in historical fact, it’s become something of a legend surrounding Marostica, and now the story is re-enacted, accompanied by a large cast of actors and musicians.
Anyway, here’s a brief synopsis: Mirko describes an ancient rivalry between two suitors for the hand of the Lord of Marostica’s eldest (and very beautiful, naturally) daughter. Rather than have the two noblemen fight in a duel, the Lord decided it should be settled instead by a living chess competition in the presence of the townspeople.
Since the context of this legend became part of the chess game in the 1950s, it’s become something of a phenomenon, with around 4,000 people turning out each year to watch the four performances of games and celebrations. Tickets (ranging from €10 to €80) can be bought in advance online.
Outside the ‘chess season’, Marostica goes back to being a sleepily attractive medieval walled town that’s well worth exploring in a daytrip from a nearby hostel in Vicenza.
This Sunday (7 September), the Regent Street Festival returns to the streets of central London for an afternoon of entertainment. Based in the West End, this year’s theme is… ’Great Britishness.’
The celebration of Brit culture includes a ‘Love London’ photography exhibition at the flagship Habitat store and the colloborative construction of a giant LEGO mosaic to commemorate the famous company’s 50th anniversary.
There’s also musical performances from soul singer (and home-grown talent) Jay Picton and boyband Avenue (from last year’s X Factor) along with marching bands, dance performances and more.
From 12 till 8pm, Regent Street will be closed to traffic so the crowds can mill about in peace listening, watching or heading to one of the gourmet food stalls set up along the edge of the road.
And the best news for us cheapskates here at HostelBloggers? It’s all for free…
This week, while HostelBloggers sit quietly at our desks in London, thousands of arty folk are crowded into Black Rock City in the Nevada desert for one of the most intriguing and unique events in the world - the Burning Man Festival.
Held around American Labor Day each year (from 25 August to 1 September in 2008, to be precise), it’s named for the ritual burning of a large wooden effigy at the climax of the festival after a week of creativity, experimentation and radical free expression.
Gifting, nudity, spontaneous self-expression (interpret that as you will) and general revelry are all actively encouraged.
But it’s far from being just a load of naked hippies gathered in a desert. Rather, it’s an iconic symbol of counterculture.
Although the organizers claim it can’t be explained to those who’ve never been, it can sort of be summed up as a week of controlled anarchy where participants exist outside of normal culture and society within a separate created (and very artistic) community.
Part of the novelty of Burning Man is that nearly everyone participates in the festival - the philosophy is that you’re appreciated for your offerings (be it art, technology, music etc.) and in turn you appreciate what others have to give.
There’s an added dimension, of course, in the dramatic setting. The Black Rock ‘playa’ is the vast exposed bed of a prehistoric lake consisting of ancient volcanic lava flows and collected ash. It’s one of the most hostile landscapes on earth and so the festival also becomes a test of survival.
The remote desert is reachable only by road (and therefore driving) but never fear if you’re without access to a car, the organizers set up a ride-sharing forum each year on the website to help a wide selection of participants get there.
It was formed back in 1990 when a group of friends who had been celebrating the summer solstice - and self-expression through ritual bonfires - merged with an event already held at Black Rock involving temporary sculpture and performance art.
Since its humble beginnings, Burning Man has continued to grow in huge leaps and bounds until participants totalled a massive 50,000 last year. For 2008, the theme is ‘American Dream’ and tickets cost between $210 and $295 (available only in advance online or from outlet stores).
If on first inspection that seems a little steep, in HostelBloggers’ humble opinion it’s a more than fair price for eight days packed with all manner of genuinely unique experiences.
In many ways, Indonesia’s celebration of independence (held every year on the 17th of August) is much like other festivals worldwide: people take a day off work, dress up, eat good food, and partake in cultural performances. Oh, and they also slather grease onto huge palm trees, stick prizes at the top, and then compete to see who can climb up and claim the goodies!
The game is called Panjat Pinang, and it’s actually practiced year round in Indonesia. And, since visitors are welcome to take part, if you happen upon a group of youngsters trying to climb a slippery trunk during your travels around Indo, ask to give it a bash. Be warned though, it’s just as hard as it looks!
