Next clubbing hotspot–the West Bank?

by Sean McLachlan on

One thing that travel teaches you is that wherever you go, people want to have fun. You just don’t expect that people are able to have fun in some places.

The West Bank is commonly perceived to be one of those places. The Israeli blockade, factional power struggles, terrorism, and poverty should be enough to kill all the fun in the region. Yet some Palestinians are determined to buck the vibe by opening nightclubs to give locals the chance to relax in what has to be one of the most stressful places in the world.

One popular club is al-SnowBar in Ramallah, 10 km (6 miles) north of Jerusalem. Their Facebook page, which has more than 550 fans, explains that the club offers day and night activities. By day, “families can relax and enjoy both good food and swimming. Al-SnowBar offers a full restaurant with its own personal chef, full bar service, and argyleh (hooka) service. Al-SnowBar is soon to be offering a basketball court.”

How many Ibiza clubs offer a basketball court?

At night it becomes more like what you’d expect from a club with “Jazz nights, weddings, exclusive parties, and DJ nights.” There’s also a bonfire that clubbers like to dance around.

Sounds pretty cool, and it’s only one club among many, but as a BBC report points out, only a small percentage of Palestinians can afford to go to such places. The clubs are doing well, however, and draw in people from other towns. A Palestinian woman from Jerusalem explained that she comes to Ramallah to party because she doesn’t feel welcome in Jewish-owned clubs. So while Palestine isn’t about to join places like Goa in the international clubbing circuit, it’s nice to know that even in the toughest conditions, people can still have a good time. If you want to join them, check out this handy guide to traveling safely in the West Bank.

Photo of Ramallah courtesy Soman via Wikimedia Commons.

Finding the Holy Spirit in Baja: A park is born

by Jason Heflin on

Roughly twenty miles off the coast from the Baja town of La Paz lies a desert island no more than ten miles long and four miles wide. For centuries the locals have fished the bountiful waters surrounding Isla Espiritu Santo, or Island of the Holy Spirit. Scores of grouper, snapper, and a variety of fish in the jack family are snagged by locals and visitors daily. However, in recent years, tourists have been flocking to the island not just to fish but to kayak, snorkel, and photograph the diverse array of wildlife that it contains. Up until 2003, there was little regulation for any of the activities taking place on Espiritu Santo and it’s surrounding islands and islets. The tourists that visit, and those that fish the waters, are still trying to come to grips with the island’s new found fame.

According to The Nature Conservancy the island was purchased from the Ejido Bonfil community and then turned over to Mexico. It was designated as a protected area in 1978; the Mexican government acquired the island in 2003. Although all the islands making up this archipelago are now a national park, management resources are scarce.

Spending a week camped out in a sandy bay, I had the opportunity to meet someone with a passion for what happens to this beautiful place, a local guide named Miguel. According to him, as of last year, only two rangers were patrolling the coastline of this 23,383 acre island. As we paddled together throughout the week, I learned more on why the island is struggling.

Large scale commercial fishing is not allowed. Long netting, a form of dredging, is now strictly prohibited as well. Local fishermen have had a tough time coping with the new regulations being passed down to them. As hard as it may be to believe many of these people have no experience with a fishing pole and are using the arduous method of hand-lining to maintain a living. Hand-lining involves dropping a baited hook overboard and pulling a fish in on the line with no rod or reel. After trying this method I can vouch that hand-lining is a tough chore on the hands to say the least.

According to Miguel, the lack of information from authorities initially led to misunderstandings. The fishing community was not exactly pleased with the changes being made when the island went under the wing of the government. Rules included restrictions on certain popular species such as parrot fish. Although dropping explosives in the water or “dynamiting” is outlawed and a thing of the past, fishermen can still be found pushing the limits of the law. Fish are encircled by boats to create a bait ball which makes them easier targets.
Fishermen are allowed to stay overnight on the island in designated spots called “fisherman shacks.” They can use nets to catch bait fish only. Since most fishing boats are equipped with nets and regulation is slim, it is uncertain how many stick to the strictly “bait only” rule for netting.

Although fishing regulations were the main management issue at first, the new threat to Espirtu’s land and waters is unchecked tourism. On Los Islotes, an islet resting just off the rocky shores of Isla Partida, Espiritu’s northern neighbor, the sea lions sun bathe most of the day, awaiting their nocturnal hunt. Snorkeling with these graceful swimmers is a treat for visitors. These dog-like sea mammals dart in and out of underwater grottos, play with starfish and shells, and encircle the odd looking human insurgents to get a better look. While visiting this islet, our snorkel group was not alone. Another tourist boat anchored nearby and within minutes a few of the passengers were on the shore, ignoring the rule that tourists must stay 50 feet away at all times.
In summer, when La Paz receives its annual influx of Mexican and European tourists, the island’s shores become overrun. “There have been times when it was so crowded we couldn’t find a place to anchor when we pulled up to see the sea lions,” Miguel told me. Despite these growing pains park attendance continues to soar, and for good reason. The island’s shores are home to one of the most biologically diverse bodies of water on our planet.

Next: Darwin would be proud (Part 2)

London museum airbrushes out Churchill’s cigar

by Sean McLachlan on

While there have been a lot of angry comments here on Gadling about Egypt’s smoking ban and the even stricter smoking ban in Finland, neither country has tried to pretend people didn’t smoke in the past. Now someone at the Winston Churchill’s Britain at War Experience, a London museum, seems to have decided dead people could get lung cancer and airbrushed out a cigar from a photo of Winston Churchill.

A visitor to the museum noticed that a famous photo of Churchill hanging above the entrance had been doctored to remove a cigar from his mouth. The altered photo and the original can be seen here. The museum denies all responsibility and says it’s investigating, but being a museum they shouldn’t have to wait for a member of the public to correct their history, especially about the very person the museum is named after.

Churchill was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War Two and was famous for lighting up a stogy faster than you can say “Dresden bombing.” He also drank regularly, but his lungs and liver were apparently none the worse for wear since he died of a stroke at age ninety.

Photo courtesy Deutsches Bundesarchiv.

Prehistoric cave art discovered in Transylvania

by Sean McLachlan on

A group of speleologists exploring a cave in the Apuseni Nature Park in Transylvania, Romania, have discovered what could be Central Europe’s oldest cave art. Paintings of now-extinct species rhinoceros and cat were found next to images of bison, a horse, a bear’s head, and a female torso.

While dating cave art is difficult, based on the style archaeologists believe the figures are anywhere from 23,000 to 35,000 years old. No cave art this old has ever been found in Central Europe.

Coliboaia cave, where the art was discovered, is one of hundreds of caves in the Bihorului Mountains. Many have yet to be explored and there are likely to be more archaeological surprises in the future.

The question remains of what to do with the cave. There will be a temptation to open it to the public, but with the controversial reopening of Altamira in Spain, and the problems over preserving the paintings of Lascaux in France, the debate over how best to preserve humanity’s oldest art is growing louder than ever.

Lascaux image courtesy Sevela.p via Wikimedia Commons.

Ask Gadling: What if I don’t speak the language?

by Annie Scott on

Today’s question comes from Justin in Boise, Idaho:

“I’m going on a vacation to Zurich next month. My girlfriend chose the place. I don’t speak any German. Neither does she. Are we going to die?”

Gadling: Everyone dies someday, Justin, but not speaking German will probably not be the end of you.

It just so happens that I went to Zürich last month. Like you, I speak not a word of German. However, it turns out that German wouldn’t have helped much. In Switzerland, they speak Swiss German, which Germans can barely understand.

I’d love to tell you “don’t worry, everyone speaks English there,” but they really don’t. The people at your hotel probably will, and they can direct you to some restaurants and activities where there will be English speakers, but you’re definitely going to be in some situations where you just plain can’t converse with the locals. You will be thankful for your girlfriend, just for somebody to talk to. Here are some tips for getting along:

1. Have the hotel people teach you to say “Do you speak English?” in Swiss German.
You could say it in English, but it’s more polite to ask in the primary language of wherever you are. Even if you say it poorly, people will appreciate the effort — and that gets whatever conversation (or rigorous gesturing) you’re starting off on the right foot.

View more Ask Gadling: Travel Advice from an Expert or send your question to ask [at] gadling [dot] com.

2. Use silly tricks to remember street names.

Languages like German include some very long and complicated street names. If you look at the whole word, like “Waffenplatzstrasse,” it can be a little intimidating, and thus, impossible to remember. That can be a problem when you’re trying to get back there later; you don’t even know what to look for on the map. Firstly, keep in mind that “strasse” just means “street,” so the only part you need to remember is Waffenplatz. Sounds like … “Waffle place.” That’ll work. As long as you can get the first four or so letters into your head, you should be able to recognize it when you see it again.

3. When shopping, just watch the till.

In Europe, numbers are pretty much the same. Someone ringing up your snacks doesn’t even need to know you don’t speak their language — just watch the numbers on the till and count out the money. A thank you in the local tongue is a nice touch, and it can be a big thrill to feel like maybe they didn’t know you weren’t fluent.

4. Bookmark Google Translate.

If you have an internet-enabled phone and plan to roam internationally, bookmark Google Translate or a similar site on the phone. When deeply in doubt, you can quickly check a word or phrase. For example, you might see a sign by a door and not know whether it says “Come in” or “Staff only.” It’s easy to find out. If you’re not going to have internet access, it’s best to invest in a pocket dictionary (though that makes you look really touristy — nothing wrong with that, but it can be dangerous to be conspicuously confused).

5. Visit the Tourist Info center.

In Zürich, you can find a Tourist Info center right in the main train station, and there are others throughout the city, as well as in most other major European cities. Look for a prominent “i” on most city maps. The Tourist Info center is a great resource for things you can do around town — even off-the-beaten-path things. They’ll have a wealth of brochures printed in English and can improve the quality of your trip 100 percent or more, especially if your hotel concierge is a dud (or your hotel doesn’t have one).

6. Keep a small notepad with you.
As a last resort for when you are trying desperately to pantomime “toothpaste” and nobody seems to understand you, it can be helpful to have a notepad and pencil with you. Draw it.

Good luck to you, Justin, and have a great time in Switzerland!