If you ask the average New Yorker what their plans are for the holidays, my guess is most will not put the tree lighting at Rockefeller Center, shopping at FAO Schwarz, or ice skating at Wollman Rink high on their priority list. Having worked right in the epicenter of Manhattan’s holiday attractions — Fifth Avenue — for most of my adult life, I can personally attest that the last place I’d want to spend my precious weekends leading up to Christmas was in the heart of midtown. The crowds this time of year can be particularly overwhelming, especially if you have young children. Yet that’s precisely where I found myself with the family this past Saturday, entertaining an out-of-town friend who wanted to see the sites.
I must admit that despite the throngs of tourists crowding the
sidewalks and lines of shoppers waiting to get into the stores, we actually managed to really enjoy ourselves. Knowing the
neighborhood pretty well, I suggested lunch at Joe’s Shanghai
restaurant on 56th Street for their famous soupy dumplings, which served as a nice reprieve from the day’s busy schedule. After
our meal, we serpentined our way a little north up Fifth Avenue to 58th
Street to check out the windows of Bergdorf Goodman, which in my humble
opinion are much more interesting and much less crowded than what Saks
offers ten blocks south. This eventually led us to Central
Park, where despite the long line and horde of skaters, we happily
circled our way around Wollman Rink with its beautiful views of the
park and surrounding buildings whose lights were just turning on in the
twilight.   

But perhaps the day’s biggest highlight came when we traveled to
Brooklyn to check out the now famous Christmas lights of Dyker
Heights. To be honest, I didn’t really know much about this
Italian-American neighborhood or its extravagant annual display of
holiday spirit until a friend told me about it a year ago. So last
December, we recruited two other families and joined a group of
tourists for a sightseeing trip from Manhattan with The Slice of
Brooklyn Bus Tours to visit these
festive homes and eat some cannolis. The 3-1/2 hour excursion also
took us to Bay Ridge, which certainly had its own
impressive display of Christmas pageantry, but the “Dyker Lights” took
the prize.   

Every town in America probably has a house or two that gets a little
carried away this time of year, but the over-the-top decorations, which include oversized inflatable holiday characters and motorized
Christmas displays, don’t just adorn a few houses, they completely take
over six square blocks! The competition to outdo one another has
gotten so intense, in fact, that professional designers have been
commissioned to up the ante, much to the amusement of the growing
crowds that now gather here every year.

Even though I had the luxury of driving there this year (set your GPS
coordinates to 84th Street and 12th Avenue – the heart of the
action is between 11th and 13th Avenue and from 83rd to 86th Street),
another option for the more adventurous is to tour the area by
bicycle.  Bike the Big Apple Tours offers
the Dyker Heights Lights at the conclusion of a broader ride around
Brooklyn.

Have a favorite place to see out-of-this-world Christmas lights? Let us know in the comments. And for more local takes on holiday traditions, check out our My City Celebrates guides submitted by our readers and The World of Christmas, festive suggestions hand-picked by hotel concierges in cities around the world.

Photo: Rainer Jenss

Though often overshadowed by Dubai, the capital of the United Arab
Emirates perhaps offers a better overall travel experience than the
federation’s largest city. Traditional architectural styles and
sustainability principles have informed new development. The city has
thus retained a stronger sense of place than its more over-the-top
neighbor (which received a dismal score of 37), and the surrounding desert has sustained less ecological
damage in the wake of the country’s recent building boom. A lower
carbon footprint would have resulted in an even higher score.

Why did the place earn this score? Read representative panelist comments after the jump.

“A fantastic city with a different and powerful
development approach, from the sustainable Masdar City to the island of
Saadiyat. Lots of museums designed by world-famous architects.”

“Abu Dhabi is a real place, in contrast to Dubai. Visiting it provides insight into contemporary UAE culture.”

“Fairly
low-key tourism developments, well planned and generally exclusive,
based on large hotel chains. Appeals to the wealthy.  Well-designed,
expensive resorts that sometimes reflect Bedouin traditions (but these
are often a pastiche). They cater mostly to Western tastes and rarely
employ local residents.”

“In comparison to Dubai, Abu Dhabi is taking a conservative and measured approach to development.”

Survey scoring system:
   74-84 Top Rated
   65-73 Doing Well
   55-64 In the Balance
   48-54 Facing Trouble
   34-47 In Trouble
   22-34 Near Catastrophic

See
all 99 ratings and representative panelist comments online and share your thoughts below.

Photo: T.J. Bardwell

As getting my mug on a stamp cost no more than regular stamps, I chose to pose with my wonderful driver and guide from tour operator Bridges to Bhutan. The men–Karma and Tshering (whose name translates as “long life and prosperity”)–were dressed in their national costumes, part of this new democracy’s efforts to preserve traditions while creatively engaging in the 21st century.

Stamps made, if I wanted to write my letters in luxury, Karma and Tshering were prepared to take me to nearby Taj Tashi, part of an upscale Indian collection of global resorts and palaces. Or we could drive to Paro, where the Uma Paro Resort offers healthy pampering with soothing in-suite massages in their forest villas, and where Hotel Zhiwa Ling’s artistic comforts are part of the first Bhutanese-owned high-end retreat.

My creativity surged as I scribbled “Wish you were here!” on postcards featuring beautiful Buddhist temples and waterfalls. And there was a lot to write home about–Bhutan’s royal family, the enticing experiment of GNH (“Gross National Happiness”) to balance the Gross National Product, seeing the “newest democracy on the planet” in action, the kindness of the people, the giant phallic symbols painted on homes, and the great aesthetics of the old Dzong monastery/fortresses posed at vantage points, inviting climbers to ascend.

If you time it right, you can also pen some superlatives about the colorful tshechus, the annual religious festivals, before affixing your newly created 5, 10, and 15 ngultums stamps on your envelope. Postcards sent, head to an outdoor hot-stone bath with blessed stones to fix the body and envelope yourself in serenity.

Want to learn more about Bhutan and its Gross National Happiness? Check out Boyd Matson’s “Unbound” column
on the world’s eighth happiest nation from our July/August 2010 issue.

My brain-swirling day at World Maker Faire NY was officially underway.

Equal parts science fair, craft fair, carnival, and island of misfit human toys (with a whole lot of knitting, seminars, computer chips, sassy handmade greeting cards, the Lifesize Mousetrap game, tasty paella, and, yes, mass market brands like Martha Stewart Living and Lion Brand Yarn mixed in), Maker Faire plays temporary roving home to anybody who creates or, as the Faire lingo has it “makes,” pretty much, anything. It is the Holy Land of DIY. And, odd but true, it is as family friendly as it is sexy.

Maker Faire is also a good place to spot Utilikilts in the wild.

Started in 2006 by the folks behind Make: magazine, Maker Faires have
entertained the DIY masses in five states and two countries. Its NYC
home at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park was a perfect fit: the park hosted
two World’s Fairs. The 1939 fair promised visitors the “World of
Tomorrow,” and the building that now houses the Hall of Science started
out as a pavilion at the 1964 event.

The first chariot race contestants were on the line. Hosted by The
Madagascar Institute, a Brooklyn-based artists’ collective known for
propane-powered carnival rides (see the Jet Ponies below) and a slogan
of “fear is never boring,” the races pitted hand-pulled carts against
bicycle-powered contraptions, motor-powered giant fish, and a giant
metal go-kart with a cow skull lashed to the front. Event signs
boasted: “You can’t win with brakes.”

Turned out that, for the first race, motors didn’t help much either.

After the Hungry March Band and gold lame-wearing flag bearers were
hustled off the course for their safety, the fire whistle went off.
And, at race’s end, people power won out.  The British Invasion team
(pictured, right) pulled their chariot to the win.

And, with that, I wandered off to covet glass beads, an angry owl
pillow, and clear my head with the fresh scent of handmade soaps.

In the spirit of Maker Faire, my DIY photo flipbook of another Madagascar Institute production: the running of the
Jet Ponies.

Getting there: The 2010 Maker Faire season is over but DIY enthusiasts (and the
traveling companions or parents who love them) can already start
planning for the 2011 season: Bay Area, May 21-22; Detroit, July 30-31,
and NYC, September 24-25.

Along with writing about life’s quirkier events, Jenna Schnuer covers
travel, books, and more for publications including American Way and
World Hum. Her last piece for Intelligent Travel was about art mapmaker
Connie Brown. Read more of her work at http://www.jennaschnuer.com

Maker Faire – New York – New York City – New York Hall of Science – Queens

…when I travel, I’ll improvise extravagant new identities for
myself only with shopkeepers, hoteliers, and strangers I’m absolutely
sure I’ll never see again. I try on the hats that, but for a few twists
of fate, I might have worn (as well as some I would not have):
anthropology professor, Peace Corps volunteer, Hare Krishna devotee. If
I meet someone who my gut tells me could become a friend (or someone
who–hello Facebook–might know one of mine!), I make sure I keep it real.

Some of you were astounded, saying that we had condoned lying or posing under false pretenses. “What kind of article is this, an encouragement to lie as we travel?” reader Jim asked. “I could not believe my eyes when I read her tacit approval of lying to others.” Others saw the practical benefit: “As long as it’s not illegal, stretching the truth can keep you safer. I once had to fake my way out of an angry protest mob of hundreds,” wrote Dave.

For some like Raechal, it was the artifice of adolesence: “Growing up in a divorced family with my mother in Maine and my father in California I would travel by plane, train, and automobile between the two homes. Quite often I would pretend to be someone else, traveling for some other reason to elicit different responses from people. It was a form of amusement for an adolescent during a long and tedious trip.”

And for others, it was a white lie, depending on the circumstance. Writes Marce: “I have double citizenship, and sometimes I introduce myself with one or another depending on the situation.”

What’s your take? Read the piece and let us know.

Photo: Martin La Delfa, My Shot
















India – Travel – Recreation – Travelogues – Asia

Photo: Andrew Owens; Video: Andrew Owens and Ross McDermott

















South Dakota – United States – Pine Ridge Indian Reservation – Badlands National Park – Lakota people

Talk about off the beaten path.

I’ve been working in Alexandra township (Alex) in Johannesburg, South Africa, for a week now. Approximately 1.5 million people live in the four square kilometers that comprise Alex. Most of these people are South African, a growing number are Nigerian, Mozambican, or Zimbabwean immigrants. I have yet to see another white person.

This is probably a result of Alex’s reputation as a crime haven. Guide books tell you not to roll down your car windows. They tell you that you need to visit townships like Alex as a part of an official tour. Beware car jacking and smash and grab theft, they say. Don’t stop your car in busy areas. Definitely do NOT flash camera equipment, cell phones, money, etc.

I was understandably nervous, therefore, the first time I was driven into Alex. My window was definitely up all the way. I removed my wristwatch and stowed it in my camera bag that I kept hidden in the trunk. My cash, credit card, and ATM card were in my front pockets.

Paved for the first time about a decade ago, Alex’s tiny streets are
arranged in a neat grid between the shanties that house a vast majority
of the residents. Cars creep up over the curbs and park at varying
angles on the sidewalks. Mostly flat, road-dirtied soccer balls dance
from foot to foot, bounce this way and that, and ricochet off walls,
cars, and passersby balancing food from the market on their heads.

Our car flows through this human river at a walking pace. Our
driver’s window is down all the way within minutes as an old friend
leans into the car to say a warm hello to all of us and invite us to
her place for tea. The vitality in Alex is unlike anything I
have ever seen. Yes, I may as well be ten feet tall for all the stares
I receive, but they’re almost always accompanied by warm smiles.

We walk the streets now with our camera equipment and are propositioned
regularly by aspiring actors who’ve heard about our movie and want to
be in it! Good thing too or else, among other reasons, I wouldn’t have
been able to provide a picture as salivating as the one at the top of this post!

Get a load of that sandwich. Have you ever seen anything so towering? Quite so colorful?

A slice of cheese. A couple of polony (beef) slices. A heaping mountain
of chips (fries). Generous, dripping spoonfuls of achar (a rough puree
of peppers, chilies, and mango). Garlic spice. Chips spice. Mustard
sauce. Garlic sauce. One Russian (sausage) split lengthwise. Sandwich
that between two slices of white bread and try (hard) to squeeze your
lips around it.

This is courtesy of the best place for eats in Alex–the Good Hope
Restaurant. In South Africa it’s called a slice. This particular
version costs 13.50 rand ($1.75), which you just can’t beat. As you can
see, it’s damn popular.

Welcome to Alex.

Photo and Video: Nick Fitzhugh

















South Africa – 2010 FIFA World Cup – Association football – Documentary film – Alexandra

Wooden trays of wild mushroom pizza glide through the thick crowd that’s assembled at 305 Pennsylvania Avenue. It’s Wednesday night and a red carpet stretches from the front door of Capitol Hill’s newest restaurant. The servers, a team of cute twenty-somethings wearing white Peroni, Italy T-Shirts, do their best to navigate the two-floor pizzeria as they carry fresh, out-of-the-oven slices to hungry patrons. Hands swoop in to grab the servings as the throng of guests clamors toward each new pan sent out.

Smells of freshly sliced pepperoni permeate the restaurant. Guests slowly sip glasses of champagne, while others down cups of homemade Italian sodas and nibble on bites of warm, cheesy goodness. It’s We, the Pizza’s opening night. Business is booming.

Former Top Chef contestant Spike Mendelsohn celebrated the grand opening of his new restaurant Wednesday. Located next door to his handmade burger joint Good Stuff Eatery, the pizzeria spans two floors of prime Capitol Hill real estate with a chic ambiance that upgrades the pizza pad to something a bit trendier, black leather booths and white brick walls to match. Silver pizza pans of all sizes even line the stairwell leading up to the second floor. But We, the Pizza’s fresh look isn’t the main draw for diners; it’s Chef Mendelsohn and his fresh recipes for gourmet pizza, homemade gelatos, and Italian sandwiches.

Follow the jump to read more about the restaurant’s owner.
Spike’s no stranger to the spotlight, having appeared on season four of Bravo’s hit televison show Top Chef and
making it to the top five before getting the boot for a
problem with his dish’s scallops. And while he wasn’t a fan favorite on the show, Spike’s a friendly guy off
camera, where he still wears his signature hat. Granted he’s at his
best in the kitchen, like helping the opening night’s staff of four cooks keep the pies coming, one rolling the dough, one applying sauce
and toppings, another operating the oven, and the fourth cutting the pizza
into small slices.

The menu emphasizes regional, farm-fresh
ingredients, like truffle shavings and wild mushrooms. A fresh spinach
and artichoke pie with aged provolone and Parmesan cheese tasted
rich and creamy and became the night’s favorite, but the menu also
includes roasted potato and pancetta pie topped with caramelized onions
and fresh rosemary, buffalo chicken pie, and, of course, pepperoni
pizza (think thick slices of spicy salami). Spike had a lot of friends stop by
throughout the night but kept his eyes fixed on the kitchen
crew, making sure everyone had enough to eat.

And enough
to drink. “Like some champagne?” he asked a group standing by the bar.
Spike leaned over the black counter, kissed cheeks with a friend and
fellow chef, who congratulated him on the new restaurant, then turned
his head in my direction and smiled a genuine grin to the crowd.

After
a glass of Batch 19, a new pre-Prohibition beer made with corn grits
and malt providing a sweetness that offsets the peppery dryness of the
hops, I opted for one of the Italian sodas: a house blend of rootbeer,
chocolate, ginger, and seltzer, whipped up by Ian, one of the bartenders serving the delectable drinks. Though the rootbeer-based
soda isn’t on the menu, the staff — a crew of young, friendly workers
– will make special orders upon request, Ian said. Other Italian sodas
served regularly include Heard it Through the Grape Vine, Love You Long
Time Lime, and Good Morning Vietnam Coffee soda.

In all, the
food and drink at We, the Pizza, proved tasty and fresh. And the hip New
York-style pizzeria has somehow managed to infuse Spike’s fun, relaxed
demeanor into the restaurant, creating a blend of food and
atmosphere that transforms an outing to an everyday pizza joint into a refreshing dining experience.

Follow Spike’s steps and ventures into the food industry on his Twitter feed and read the Washington Post‘s review of
We, the Pizza’s next-door neighbor, Good Stuff Eatery, here.
 
Photos: National Geographic intern Mallory Werthamer

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Pizza – Restaurant – Top Chef – Home – Cooking

A recent one-week trip to Brazil marked the first time I’ve been overseas without my family since returning from our yearlong round-the-world trip last summer.  I was asked to be a keynote speaker at a conference in Sao Paulo, a city I lived in for three years when I was 2-5 years old.  As such, my very first memories come from this time, more notably from our family excursions to Rio where I remember Carnival, the beaches, and riding up the Sugar Loaf by cable car.  Because I hadn’t been back to the country in the forty years since, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit the place that formed such lasting impressions.

So please excuse me for deviating from my usual posts that focus on experiences I’ve had with my children.  After all, I’m meant to report on family travel matter, but there is some relevance here.  In fact, the first comment to my wife upon returning home was that we are definitely going to Brazil together as a family sometime in the near future.  The country offers a wealth of what interests us: beautiful beaches (Salvador, Bahia), wildlife (the Amazon), and natural wonders (Iguaçu Falls), and the kids seem game to go.  

Before leaving, I read that one could actually hike up the Sugar Loaf in Rio from the April issue of National Geographic Traveler.  Completely intrigued, I contacted Rio Hiking to make sure there was room for me during my weekend in town.  There was!
I was picked up shortly after noon by one of our two guides,
Eduardo, from the Rio Guesthouse where I was
staying.  I found this prime spot in Lonely Planet’s Brazil guidebook. 
Always looking for alternatives to hotels whenever possible (I wasn’t
quite ready for ‘couch surfing’ just yet), this B&B is located on
the top floor of an apartment building just off Avenue Atlantica on
Copacabana Beach.  The stunning views from the terrace would cost
hundreds a night in a hotel and Marta, who runs the place, helped me
and the other guests with recommendations and arrangements.   

Six other hikers, none of whom had ever done any technical climbing,
joined me on the five-hour excursion.  This seemed fine since the
promotional materials mention only that one needs to be reasonably fit
and that the hike is ‘moderate’ to ‘hard’ in difficulty (it doesn’t
mention anything about footwear, but I would recommend a pair of
sneakers over hiking boots so you can get a good foothold on the
steeper ascents).  As it turns out, it was more challenging than I
expected, and I considered myself more than capable.  Everyone in the
group managed to make it with various degrees of anxiety and effort,
including a 14-year old boy and his mother – who had a huge sense of
accomplishment after completing the eighty-foot technical climb that
had us strapped into harnesses with safety lines.  The guides did an
excellent job assuring us we could do it and made sure we did so
without getting hurt.  Otherwise, the trip up Pao de Acucar Mountain
consisted mainly of hiking paths and steep trails through the forest
that covers the granite rock mountain.  The guides also filled us in on
the city’s famous landmarks the spectacular views provided.    

The day’s only disappointment came when we actually reached the summit,
which rises 1,300 feet above Guanabara Bay below.  As sometimes happens
during Rio’s winter months, some fog rolled in and our view from the
visitor’s platform was completely obscured.  But no one seemed to mind
that much since we made it up without resorting to standing in line and
riding the aerial cable car packed in with dozens of other tourists. 
And as far as kids are concerned, I was told that twelve is the minimum
age, which made sense to me after completing the outing.   

So if you’re thinking about Brazil as a possible destination for a trip
with the family, from my brief experience I would give it a resounding
thumbs up – especially for parents with older children (10-12 years and
older).  I sure as heck am putting it on our bucket list, which somehow
seems to longer, not shorter, as time rolls on. 

Photos: Rainer Jenss

















Brazil – South America – Travel – Recreation – Rio de Janeiro