BLISSFUL TRAVEL

Linda at the Ginza Crossing © Andreas Wiss  

Today we talk with the Swedish freelance writer Linda Iliste who shares her travel tips and experiences from the Japanese capital. Specialized in travel, cultural phenomenon and human right’s issues, she has written for various Swedish newspapers and magazines as well as international development organizations such as ActionAid. Linda currently resides in Stockholm, Sweden, and in the summer of 2008 she’ll return to her former hometown of Tokyo, Japan.

Q: When did you first travel to Tokyo and how come you decided to live and work there?

A: I initially came to Tokyo in June 2006. The reason for this - other than a previous interest in Japan and Japanese culture and a strong desire to go there - was that my boyfriend, Andreas, was granted a spot for his master’s thesis at Shibaura Institute of Technology in Tokyo. To stay in Sweden when he moved to Japan seemed down right stupid. So two months after he left Stockholm I also went.

Q: For someone who has never been to Tokyo before, can you recommend any must-see attractions?

A: Tokyo is the world’s largest city, with a total of 35 million inhabitants, so it’s not easy thing to do to recommend certain “musts” that are written in stone. There are just so many of them!

But the districts of Ginza, Shibuya, Harajuku and Akihabara are, in my opinion, without similarities anywhere in the world. Just being there, taking in all the sights, the people, the shops, the atmosphere, is well worth a trip! Any visitor should try bathing at a onsen (hot spring), watch the city from one of its many skybars (for example New York Bar at Park Hyatt Tokyo in Shinjuku) and sing karaoke in a themed booth (for example in the Candy Suite at Lovenet, Hotel Ibis 3F-4F, 7-14-4 Roppongi, http://www.lovenet-jp.com). Also, The Studio Ghibli Museum, featuring the animated work of Hayao Myazaki and Studio Ghibli, in the western suburb of Mitaka (1-1-83 Simorenjaku, Mitaka-shi) is fantastic!

Q: I have heard that Tokyo is a great city for people who like karaoke bars, have you ever been to any? If so, which one is your favourite?

A: As almost already mentioned, karaoke is BIG in Japan. You can hardly say that you’ve been to Japan if you haven’t sung in a karaoke booth before you leave… There are a lot of chains operating around almost any Japanese city. At most places you rent a room by the hour and free drinks are included. A favourite is the already mentioned Lovenet, but I also really like Karaoke Kan in Shibuya (K&F Building, 30-8 Utagawacho, Shibuya-ku) where you can pretend to be Bill Murray and sing “More than this” in room 601 or 602 as he did in Sofia Coppola’s 2003 movie Lost in Translation.  

Q: How much Japanese do you know? How easy is it really to only talk English in Japan?

A: My Japanese is very basic, hardly even that. What little I’ve learned, I’ve learned being in Japan and having no choice but to try and pick up some of the language to be able to get by. So no, it’s very hard to get around only on English. Most Japanese people, even the younger generation, have a very poor knowledge in English. So if you don’t speak any Japanese you’ll have to - in most cases - depend on body language, pointing and your own good luck. Fortunately Japanese people are extremely friendly and will almost always try their best to help you out. And at places like train stations, signs are often in English.

Q: I’m a vegetarian and love to discover new restaurants. Do you know any good vegetarian (or vegan) restaurants in Tokyo?

A: I’m also a vegetarian and sometimes that can be hard, even in big cities like Tokyo. The Japanese kitchen isn’t exactly based on meat, but a lot of fish. A lot. In almost everything. On the other hand, healthy wonder stuff like soybeans are everyday ingredients - dairy is not - so once you get past the immediate difficulties even a vegan can find the Japanese capital to be a culinary paradise. My best tips in Tokyo are…

The chain of Ootoya which can be found in over 100 places around Tokyo. Their interior design leaves much to be desired, but their fried tofu is heavenly!

At 3F, 4-27-15 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku you’ll find Cafe 8, a trendy hotspot which serves vegetarian (an a lot of vegan) food.

The Pink Cow, at B1 Villa Moderna, 1-13-18 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, is another restaurant which mixes vegetarian food with various art displays.

Aoyama’s very posh, very vegan Brown Rice Café (5-1-17 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku) is lovely!

Check out http://www.vegietokyo.com/ for more tips!

(If you head out to Kyoto the local kitchen is actually very vegetarian friendly!)

Q: What is your favourite area in Tokyo?

A: My favourite area in Tokyo… Wow, hard question!

I really like the backstreets of Harajuku. Yes, they’ve been written and sung about again and again - but hey, they are composed of an impeccable charm that the hype can’t rub out of it. I love to hang out around Odaiba at night, sitting in the grass with bare feet eating sushi and drinking Asahi beer, watching the sun set on the magnificent Tokyo skyline on the other side of the bay. Another favourite spot is the delightful suburb of Shinkoiwa which is buzzing with genuine Japanese life and commerce amongst the low houses and narrow streets.

Q: I read on your blog Tokyo - A lovestory… that you will return to Tokyo in June, how does that feel?

A: To be returning to Tokyo feels amazing! I don’t even think I’ve really understood it yet. Soon we’ll begin searching for an apartment which feels very exciting. Last time we lived in Tokyo we shared a small flat in Nihonbashi, between the districts of Ginza and Akihabara. We love that part of the city but this time around I would really like to try out living in Hiroo or Shibuya.

Editor’s Note: Don’t miss Linda’s blog Tokyo - A lovestory…  (Japan Madness and Tokyo Radness). Even if you don’t know any Swedish, head over to the blog and look at the pictures. I couldn’t help but laughing at these guys’ funny photo poses.  

Offering high quality content on more than 200,000 destinations around the globe, tripwolf is a new social travel guide and trip planner for independent travel enthusiasts. Surveys show that more than 70% of people get their travel recommendations from friends and family, so what could be better than signing up at tripwolf and start sharing your travel tips. Tripwolf features a wiki approach, where users easily can add places and update information.  

An iPhone application is currently being developed, and in June, you will also be able to book flights, hotels, restaurants and car rentals at tripwolf. Users can also import their Facebook profile and friends.

To sign up at tripwolf’s private beta site before they officially launch, click here.

The tripwolf team in New York  

For more information on the background and advantages of tripwolf, read our interview with globetrotter Sebastian Heinzel, founder and CEO of tripwolf.

Q: When and how did you get the idea of starting tripwolf?

A: The original idea is actually 8 or 10 years old. I was in college, and my best friend Alex (who is know the tripwolf COO) and I always wanted to do a trip around the world but had no money. So for months we toyed on and off with ideas about how to make other people pay for our trip. We actually came up with cool ideas: with my writing background and his tech background we wanted to be the first fully mobile travel content production company - and this was before blogging, wifi or even mobile phones were really around. But with our studies and our work and other responsibilities, we never really got around to doing it. Years later, wikipedia was already well known, the idea “wikitravel” popped back into our heads, but again we were to bound up in other things.

Last year finally, on a trip to Costa Rica, I talked with another friend of mine, the serial internet entrepreneur Markus Wagner, and he got on board and we decided to go ahead with it this time and build something bigger and better than all the travel sites that are around. So Alex and I run the company now together - he is based in Vienna, I am based in New York. We are really happy and amazed that we are doing this now, finally, at 30!

Q: How has the response been so far?

A. The response so far has been really great and has far exceeded our expectations. TechCrunch and Mashable wrote about us, as you might have seen! Literally thousands of people signed up to be invited to the site in the next big round of invitations to our private beta phase. As for feedback, we are getting great grades! People especially like our design (and want to hire our designer!). We are happy about that because we wanted to set ourselves apart in that area. And we are still aiming higher: We will implement further significant design improvements soon.

Q: What are the advantages of becoming a member at tripwolf?

A. The advantage is to get personal travel recommendations that really fit you. You can bring in your friends from other social networks like facebook and then see what kind of destinations, hotels, and restaurants they like. Surveys show that 70% of people get information from friends & family before they decide where they travel. That’s somehting that we reflect on tripwolf: you don’t get recommendations from a mass of users you don’t know but from your trusted sources. As a member you can also get personal advice from our knowledgable “trip gurus” that we have recruited for more than 100 destinations already. Or you can become a tripguru yourself!

One important note: tripwolf will be open for everybody in a few weeks, and users will be able to see all the content without being a member. When they sign up, they get all the benefits of interaction and personalization.

I couldn’t resist linking to some of my favourite Gridskipper posts.

1. Organic London

2. Where to Sleep in Notting Hill

3. Top London Yoga Studios

4. London’s Loveliest Lingerie

5. The Sexiest Chocolate in London

6. Getting High in London

7. Indian Vegetarian Restaurants in London

8. London for Magazine Freaks

9. London Bookshop Cafes

10. Scandinavian Cuisine Invades London 

For more London tips, visit the urban travel guide Gridskipper.

During that next long-haul flight, imagine how good it would feel to have enough legroom to sit comfortable, being able to open your laptop all the way, or fall back your seat and look out the window.

For an up-do-date listing on the airlines with the most comfortable seats, check out Ranked: The 10 Most Comfortable Airline Economy Seats at Geek About.  

In 2007, the ‘artist’ Guillermo Habacuc Vargas took an innocent dog from the street, tied him with one short cord to one of the walls in an art gallery in Managua, Nicaragua, and let him die of hunger and thirst. Apparently, the name of the dog was Natividad and despite public protest during the exhibition, he was left to face his death.

For some inexplicable reason the prestigious Visual Arts Biennial of Central America decided that the ‘installation’ was art and invited Guillermo to repeat his cruel act for the Biennial of 2008. Jose Morales, vice president of the ‘Special Unit for Animal Protection and Rescue’ commented: “The dog was tied without food, I do not understand how this can be considered art.” I couldn’t agree more.   

Thanks to approximately 2 million people who signed an independent online petition against Guillermo, he is no longer welcome at the Central American Biennial and after pressure from the public, WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals) and the Honduras Association for the Protection of Animals, the Biennial organizers agreed to prohibit the abuse of animals.

Elly Hiby, WSPA’s Head of Companion Animals, said: “Information regarding the treatment and fate of the dog used in the 2007 exhibition is inconsistent, but for WSPA - irrespective of the exact outcome - chaining a dog without food or water for public entertainment is a reprehensible abuse”.

In an interview in ‘Nación’, the ‘artist’ himself said: 

“Hello everyone. My name is Guillermo Habacuc Vargas. I am 50 years old and an artist. Recently, I have been critisized for my work titled “Eres lo que lees”, which features a dog named Nativitad. The purpose of the work was not to cause any type of infliction on the poor, innocent creature, but rather to illustrate a point. In my home city of San Jose, Costa Rica, tens of thousands of stray dogs starve and die of illness each year in the streets and no one pays them a second thought.”

Depending on the public reactions, Guillermo changed his statement from “the dog would have died anyway” to “I cannot say if the dog died or not” to “I wanted to do it to remember Mr. Natividad Canda” (the burglar killed by guard dogs) and finally “I did the exhibition to show the terrible situation of street dogs”.

The gallery claims that news articles had misconstrued the facts surrounding the installation. Juanita Bermúdez, the director of the Códice Gallery, was quoted in La Prensa saying that the animal was fed regularly and was only tied up for three hours in one day before it escaped.

Either way, how Guillermo can choose to tie the dog up and let him starve to show the situation of the street dogs, that is sick. He could have made the same point in so many other ways. Since he’s an artist, why didn’t he photograph the street dogs and made an art show out of that? Or got involved with an organization that protects the animals? Last week, I read online that someone had compared it to the terrible situation of the Nicaraguan street kids. He wrote: “What if someone would tie an innocent street kid up in a gallery, let him or her starve to death and call it art?” And what if ‘the artist’ would defend himself by saying: “But the kid would have died anyway.”

Let’s treat animals in the same way we humans want to be treated.

Eventually, Guillermo admitted the mistake and said that he should save the dog rather than let it die. But then it was obviously too late.  

Artinfo.com wrote:

“The outrage comes after an exhibition last year at the Codice Gallery in Nicaragua, where Vargas leashed a stray dog named Natividad in the gallery without food or water as part of his work. He also wrote the words “Eres Lo Que Lees” (You Are What You Read) in dog biscuits for the piece, while playing the Sandinista anthem backwards and setting 175 pieces of crack cocaine alight in a giant incense burner.”

Currently, WSPA and member society UCC supports a campaign that calls for legislation to protect animals in Nicaragua. Other WSPA campaigns in progress include bear farming, bear baiting, dancing bears, Japanese bear parks, bull fighting, sanctuaries and releases. To see the set of rules about the treatment of animals, download the Universal Declaration of Animal Welfare.

At the moment, an estimated 80% of 600 million dogs in the world are neglected and suffer from hunger and disease. The black market of illegal trade in wildlife is worth $10 billion a year, only exceeded by drugs and arms trading. Millions of wild animals are killed, captured or traded cruelly. Though rarely considered, animals are also affected by disasters (earthquakes, floods, droughts) and human-caused fires, military conflicts and oil spills. Just look at the recent disaster in Myanmar where thousands of cows, goats, sheep, and donkeys almost starve to death or have to eat food polluted with harmful bacteria and parasites.

A Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare would have a long-term effect on the welfare of billions of animals worldwide, so don’t forget to sign the Animal Matters petition.

The situation with the poor dog Natividad is not the only case where an ‘artist’ mistreats animals. In September, 2006, an art gallery in L.A. let an artist paint an elephant red as part of the BANKSY “Barely Legal” art show. I don’t understand how 27 people on Flickr can call this picture a favourite. At the gallery, people gawked, laughed and took pictures of the elephant before buying the art, the posters and the books. This picture was taken when the elephant was no longer painted.  

These situations are far from blissful, but even on a blog like Blissful Travel - known to cover positive events - we want to draw attention to what people can do to make the world a more blissful place.

Celebrating its grand debut at the end of April, The St. Regis Singapore is the first significant hotel opening in Singapore in the past 11 years. Located in the downtown embassy district near the posh boutiques on Orchard Street, the hotel features 299 luxurious guestrooms and suites at one of the most prestigious addresses in the city.

“The St. Regis Singapore boasts a strategic location on Tanglin Road, a stone’s throw from Orchard Road, which is for Singapore what the Champs Elysees is for Paris,” said Miguel Ko, President of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Asia Pacific.

Thanks to St. Regis first-class Butler Service, each guest can expect a stay customized to his or her specific preferences. The hotel’s lavishly decorated and spacious guest rooms and suites were designed by internationally acclaimed architects Wilson & Associates. Guest rooms offer excellent views of Singapore’s downtown and stunning interiors complete with full silk-shaded chandeliers, state-of-the-art technologies and exclusive bath amenities and spa toiletries by Laboratoire Remède.

“We define St. Regis by our guests and the experiences and services they demand and expect. Nothing less than an unrivaled dimension of luxury and bespoke service - from arrival to departure, and beyond - will do,” said Ross Klein, President, Starwood’s Luxury Brands Group. “From Singapore to Shanghai, Bora Bora to Buenos Aires, St. Regis is committed to designing custom-tailored guest experiences in the best addresses around the world.”

With modern French cuisine at Les Saveurs and delicate Cantonese dishes at the contemporary Yan Ting, dining at The St. Regis Singapore is a stylish affair. The trendy Mediterranean terrace restaurant La Brezza serves flavorful recipes from across the Mediterranean region, while the Astor Bar offers a relaxing venue for the famous St. Regis Bloody Mary. Rare and prestigious vintages are served at the elegant Decanter that houses over 1,500 labels and 3,000 bottles of fine wine.

Recently included in Condé Nast Traveler “Hot List”, St. Regis Singapore also offers one of the finest private art collections in the region with more than 40 original paintings and sculptures by world famous artists such as Chinese modernist pioneer Gu Gan, French painters Fernand Léger and Marc Chagall, Columbian artist Fernando Botero, and American architect Frank Gehry.

Also, in Asia’s First Remède Spa guests can enjoy revitalizing treatments inspired by the finest ancient rituals of the bathing art, aromatherapy multi-chamber steam rooms, wet treatment rooms with built-in infra red heated marble and cedar wood sauna.  

Additional facilities at St. Regis Singapore include more than 16,000 square feet of meeting and event space, the country’s first ballroom that features two skylights, an outdoor swimming pool, Fitness Club, indoor air-conditioned tennis court and an outdoor court.

For more information on St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, visit http://stregis.com/Singapore.

About St. Regis Hotels & Resorts:

Combining timeless sophistication with modern luxury, the St. Regis brand is uncompromising in its commitment to excellence. Founded by John Jacob Astor with the landmark St. Regis Hotel, New York over a century ago, St. Regis is known for delivering bespoke service and refined elegance at the best addresses in the world. For more information on St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, please visit www.stregis.com.

Founded by the young Internet entrepreneur Mert Erkal, Bloghology is a collection of remarkable bloggers and their profiles from all around the world. March 2008 Bloghology was downloaded more than 5,000 times. So if you want to promote your blog, do yourself a favour and sign up at http://bloghology.org to be featured in an upcoming edition.

April 2008 Bloghology includes 11 talented and unique bloggers. One of them is Caroline Middlebrook, a former software developer who blogs about Internet Marketing, Social Media and Software Development at http://www.caroline-middlebrook.com/blog. I can particularly recommend her post 22 Do-Follow Social Bookmarking Sites That Actually Work (and how to bookmark QUICKLY). 

Also, don’t forget to download your own free copy of Caroline’s How to Develop Money-Making Niche Sites with WordPress.

Another blogger featured in April Bloghology is Tom Spanton, a TR Coach (Transition Coach) who helps people getting from where they are, to where they want to be. Visit him at http://trcoach.com.

April 2008 Bloghology also includes a great guide on “How to track your keywords with HitTail“.

Download April 2008 Bloghology here or click on the PDF image above.  

Since the summer months are almost here, remember to gear up for your vacation. CVS/pharmacy has some great travel items that make preparing for that escape more convenient. They’re especially a good fit for travelers who only want to bring a carry-on.

CVS/pharmacy Hand Sanitizing Spray Pen: Airplanes and public transportation are a breeding ground for germs (tight spaces, lots of people, little air circulation, etc.). For a more practically minded traveler, you can always pick-up this Hand Sanitizing Spray which kills 99% of germs instantly, moisturizes hands with Vitamin E and Aloe and is approved by TSA for airline carry-on.

CVS/pharmacy Instant Stain Remover On-the-Go: When traveling with a limited wardrobe, the last thing you need is a stain! This Instant Stain Remover can easily fit it in your pocket, and since it is only .25 ounces, it meets TSA carry-on standards.

CVS/pharmacy Pill Compact: If you want to carry your medications discretely, this stylish accessory looks just like a make-up compact and has storage areas with clear covers that easily lift open.

Since 50% of the US population is within 2 miles of a CVS/pharmacy, and every-day items are available at 30-40% less when you purchase CVS/pharmacy brands, why not make it easy on yourself by stopping in at your local drugstore for all your travel needs.

Venice © Florin Florea

It’s spring-time in Venice, so why not go to see a show in English? A visit to the theatre is the perfect way to spend an evening in Venice. The only English-language theatre event in the city - audio translated into seven languages including Italian - is Carnival The Show which blends theatre, music and multimedia to tell the thrilling story of Venice using a sense-stimulating approach.

Six “live” actors perform in English, interacting with 11 concealed projectors in a maelstrom of images, sounds and colours that will plunge the audience deep into the dazzling history of the Most Serene Republic:

The year is 1913, war is looming on the horizon and we are on the eve of the last Carnival, which will be suspended for the next 75 years, partly because of the intervening world wars. We are in a celebrated costume-maker’s workshop, run for centuries by a Venetian family who are caught up in the whirlwind of preparations for the last great masked ball of the Carnival. Every costume, fabric and colour evokes a moment in the history of the Most Serene Republic: the first settlements in the lagoon, the theft of the body of St Mark, the glory of the Merchant Empire, Marco Polo’s journey to the East, the plaghe, the Battle of Lepanto, the birth of the Carnival, the Commedia dell’Arte, Casanova’s daring prison break…

The show is preceded by a delicious buffet where the audience can mingle with the actors.

Carnival The Show plays from April 21 to May 31:

4.30 pm - Show only; 45 euros per person

7.30 pm - Dinner & Show;  65 euros per person (instead of 79 euros!)

Children from 0 to 6 free, Student discount 59 euros

8 pm- Show only; 49 euros per person

For more information, contact Teatro San Gallo or head over to http://www.venice-carnival-show.com/ where you can read more about the show.  

“Paul Kilduff is excited to bring his first nonfiction work, entitled Ruinair, on a virtual book tour. Paul’s book is a witty travelogue which sees him get his own back on the airline that overcharged him and significantly delayed him on a flight from Malaga to Dublin:

‘Stung by a ten hour delay and a E300 fare to Spain on his native “low-fares” airline, Dubliner Paul Kilduff plots revenge - to fly to every country in Europe for the same total outlay, suffering every low-fares airline indignity. Armed with no more than 10kg of carry-on baggage, he endures 6.00am departures, Six Nations-style boarding scrums, lengthy bus excursions, terminal anxiety and cabin crew who deliver famed customer service.’

This book will have you laughing out loud at Kilduff’s sharp wit and the hilarious accounts of his misadventures. Anyone who has ever flown with a low-budget airline and has lived to tell the tale will identify with Paul’s experiences.

Ruinair has enjoyed the position of bestselling nonfiction title in Ireland during its first seven weeks of publication and has received wide critical acclaim. Paul is also the author of four fiction novels, the most recent of which is The Headhunter. Paul’s interview on Blissful Travel will be on May 24th. Not to be missed.

If you’re aiming for optimal weather conditions, spring is a great time to visit Chicago. Check the lay of the land from the Sears Tower Skydeck, explore various museums along South Lake Shore Drive, or cheer on the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Here’s a sample of Chicago the deals you can find on Hotwire:

4.5-star hotel in the Magnificent Mile Area - Streeterville for $129 a night

4-star hotel in North Michigan Avenue - Water Tower - Gold Coast for $139 a night

4-star hotel in Museum Campus - McCormick Place - Soldier Field for $169 a night

Throughout the year, Hotwire’s business of unsold inventory consistently delivers deals you can’t find on the other travel sites.  

For the newest update on New York City’s nightlife at its most infamous stages, make sure to join the book signing of the second printing of Bob Collacelo’s OUT. The event takes place tomorrow, May 3^rd, at the ADAM boutique / 678 Hudson Street in NYC. Book subjects include Jack Nicholson, Cher, Raquel Welch, Yves Saint Laurent, Andy Warhol, Diana Vreeland, among hundreds more.

A quick tip for people interested in learning how to capture great travel shots. Check out Scott Kelby’s article Shooting Travel Like a Pro at Graphics.com.

Between May 31 and June 1, 2008, L.A. Mart^® Design Center will open its doors to the public and offer up to 70% below wholesale as part of their year-long 50th Anniversary celebration. Since this special furniture sample sale coincides with the Avenues of Art & Design in West Hollywood, it’s a perfect time for design aficionados to visit L.A.

Visitors arriving on Saturday morning have the opportunity to get insider shopping tips from designer Christopher Gaona of Christopher Gaona, Inc, a Santa Monica based design firm. Gaona will be available in the redesigned Main Lobby to offer shoppers advice on how to navigate the sale like a professional designer.

“Be open to the unexpected,” says Gaona, regarding the design process. ”As long as color and scale work, don’t be afraid to mix very different elements that can create a synergy that neither element would possess on its own. Who says you can’t have a Louis XV commode paired with a modern glass dining table and simple white slip-covered chairs in a dining room? As long as the scale and colors work, don’t be afraid.” 

Savvy shoppers can find excellent savings on a wide variety of high-quality furniture, lighting, and art and home accessories. “We are excited to open up the L.A. Mart Design Center to consumers throughout the region for this home shopping event. We offer exceptional deals from the biggest names in high-style furniture and home furnishings,” said Michael Kessler, L.A. Mart Design Center vice president and general manager. “The combination of shopping our showrooms plus the exhibitors on our new 2^nd Floor Exhibit Hall will make this a shop-till-you-drop event!” 

Brands available at the sale include Barclay Butera Home, Century Furniture, Lane Venture and Tommy Bahama.

For more information about L.A. Mart Design Center’s shopping event, visit, www.lamartdesign.com  

ABOUT L.A. MART® & L.A. MART® DESIGN CENTER^TM

L.A. Mart/L.A. Mart Design Center is home to more than 250 residential, decorative accessory and gift showrooms serving the interior design and retail industries. Located in the heart of the Furniture & Decorative Arts District at 1933 S. Broadway, at the corner of Broadway and Washington Boulevard, L.A. Mart Design Center features the finest names in furniture, home décor, fabric, floor and wall coverings, fine art, antiques, lighting and lifestyle merchandise.  

There’s more to Bilbao than the Guggenheim Museum. In this week’s guest post, Anil Shamdasani explores the suburban barrio San Ignazio.

TEXT Anil Shamdasani PHOTO Anna Moreno

I am not one of those people who will miss out on anything that a city has to offer purely on the basis of it being ‘too touristy’. There’s a reason that the Taj Mahal, Eiffel Tower and Empire State Building are so popular - we have been surrounded with images of them throughout our lives and seeing them in the flesh does not disappoint. I also think, however, that there is a lot to be said for exploring the suburbs of a city to discover more about how its inhabitants live. After all, I’ve lived in London nearly all of my life and I have yet to meet anyone who lives on Leicester Square.

San Ignazio, in Bilbao, is in many ways a typical barrio of any Basque town. Four- and five-story apartment blocks surround a square lined with a seemingly unsustainable number of bars, interspersed with a butchers, hairdressers, fishmongers, bakers, and so on. A fountain in the centre of the square appears set to come on at random times each day, and early every Saturday evening a band takes to the bandstand and belts out some oldies while grandmothers dance with their grandchildren and the parents stand to the side gossiping.

The younger residents might need to head into the city centre for the livelier nightlife, but a Saturday night always begins with una vuelta of the local bars before jumping on the metro into town, and Sunday morning is a time to reconvene in the same bars to swap stories of the previous night over a coffee. If Sani are playing at home, a crowd heads over to the football pitch to abuse the opposition, the referee and, more often, their hungover friends on the home team before making their way home for lunch with the family.

Taking pride of place in the square is the frontón court, ubiquitous in the Basque Country, although it is used more often by children playing with rackets and a tennis ball than with their hands and the traditional rock-hard pelota. It was in a bar across the square from the court that I first heard the excited shouting and cheers. A brief stroll revealed what all of the excitement was about - two boys were slowly pacing round in the centre of the court, clearly about to fight. A crowd was fast gathering on the steps along the side of the court that doubled as a viewing gallery, and you didn’t have to understand a word of Spanish to recognise the universal playground chant of “Fight! Fight!”

Sadly, the two protagonists showed no signs of giving the crowd what it wanted and continued circling cautiously, despite the efforts of a few spectators who ran onto the court to push the kids towards each other. By this stage, the average age of the crowd had increased significantly as all of the fathers in the barrio wandered over, under orders from their wives to put a stop to the tomfoolery but, instead, getting caught up in the excitement.

Suddenly the crowd did have something to cheer, as the smaller of the two boys tried some sort of kung fu leg sweep. Unfortunately it failed to connect with, let alone topple his larger opponent, who in any case was starting to show a reluctance to fight. He didn’t need to worry, as eventually a few of San Ignazio’s female senior citizens decided to take matters into their own hands. With a mixture of scolding and clips round the ear, they dispersed the crowd and sent the two gladiators home.

There are no fancy new bridges spanning the river as it flows past San Ignazio, no new works by famous sculptors in the square. The majority of the residents I spoke to had never set foot inside the Guggenheim, and the only ‘Guggenheim effect’ they had noticed was soaring property prices which means that the thirtysomethings who had always planned to move out of their parents’ apartments into their own in the area, as their parents had done before them, find themselves unable to do so. As far as they are concerned, the museum and regeneration along the river is aimed squarely at ‘los ricos y guiris’ (‘the rich and foreigners’); they were happy with their home town being seen as the ugly sister to neighbouring San Sebastian. Affectionately referred to by locals as el botxo, Bilbao is a ‘hole’ no longer, but at what cost to its close-knit communities?

About the writer: Anil is the editor of http://www.beatenpaths.net

Are you an aspiring writer or photographer? Do yourself a favour and check out the recently launched website of Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia. Until June 30, 2008, writers and photographers can win various prices by submitting their travel stories, photography and videos. Luckily, the contest is open to people all over the world and there is no geographical restrictions.  

Three top submissions, one for story, one for photography, and one for video, will be selected each month. The story and photography entry may be published in an upcoming issue of Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia. Also, the editors of Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia will award a price to their favourite entry among the three finalists.   

For further information, visit http://yourtravelandleisure.com  

More about Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia:

November 20, 2007, American Express Publishing Corporation president and CEO Ed Kelly announced the sixth international edition of the world’s leading travel magazine, Travel+Leisure in Southeast Asia. Published by Bangkok-based Media Transasia, the magazine debuted in December 2007 and is distributed in Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Macau, Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia, Brunei and Laos.

 ”A burgeoning market is emerging in Southeast Asia with smart and sophisticated consumers who want an editorial product about up-and-coming luxury travel destinations,” said Kelly. “We are pleased to provide Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia to guide this passionate group through their future travel experiences.”

Apart from Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia that joined Travel+Leisure South Asia, American Express Publishing expanded with 20 foreign editions including Travel+Leisure China, Travel+Leisure Australia, Travel+Leisure Mexico, Travel+Leisure Turkey, Departures Japan, Departures Russia, several editions of Departures Europe, and Food & Wine China.

Anyone who has ever found themselves trying to read at night, without disturbing people around them, will want to check out the world’s first integrated LED book light in a book cover. The new patented Periscope book light in a book cover debuted at Barnes & Noble earlier this month, making life easier for all late night readers, campers, and red-eye business travelers.

Suitable for both paperbacks and hardcover books, the Periscope book light in a book cover puts the light where you want it and lets you read without trouble in all low-light reading environments. The practical book cover protects the reader’s privacy and provides you with a LED book light and a built-in bookmark in a single lightweight unit.    

After testing the Periscope book light in a book cover for hours, I’d say it’s very neat and easy to use. Simply insert the front and rear covers of your book into the cover pockets. Grip the gray ridged sides of the light reflector and pull straight up to extend the arm and automatically turn on the light. Pivot the arm towards you and tilt the reflector in towards the book about 45 degrees. Because the light is completely adjustable, you can put the light exactly where you want if for ultimate reading comfort. Both Periscope models also come with inside pockets to hold tickets or any other important travel documents.

When you’re finished, turn off the light by straightening the reflector, lift the arm and press it straight down so it locks into its stored position. Thanks to Periscope’s three AA batteries that deliver more than 40 hours of non-stop light, you don’t need to worry about plugs or cords.

The Periscope book light in a book cover comes with a retail price of only $39.95.  A mini travel AC adapter is available for $14.95. Visit your nearest Barnes & Noble or www.periscopelight.com for more information about Periscope products.

Today, we have the pleasure of hearing from Hotwire’s travel expert Clem Bason who gives invaluable tips on saving money and how to find the best travel deals. Whether you need a last-minute hotel room for New Orleans Jazz Fest (April 25-27), a cheap airline ticket or a good car rental deal, Hotwire.com is the site to visit.

1. For someone who is unfamiliar with Hotwire, how can they find the best deal on your site?

Clem Bason: In order to answer this question, I thought it would be helpful to give a brief overview into what Hotwire is and how Hotwire works.

Hotwire.com is a discount travel site that delivers prices that consumers can’t find on any other website.  Hotwire is able to do this due to their unsold inventory business model. With the economy taking a turn for the worse and no one knowing how it’s going to play out, consumers are holding back on their discretionary spend more than ever before.  And, while hotels, car rental companies and airliners don’t want to overreact and would rather not disrupt their regular rate structure, the fact is, travel is down and rooms are sitting empty right now.  When hotels, car rental companies and airliners have unsold inventory, they use Hotwire to fill it. 

Hotwire benefits consumers:

Hotwire believes that consumers deserve to travel, and they deserve to get the best price.  The site saw an opening in the marketplace where it could provide consumers with deep discounts without relying on bidding, hassles or games.  Here’s how:

• By partnering with hotels, airlines and car rental agencies, Hotwire can offer the consumer unsold inventory at prices you can’t find on other travel sites
• Examples: Hotwire consistently delivers 4 star hotels at 2 star prices; the site uses name suppliers; Hotwire has instilled star rating system for hotels that is accurate and accountable; the site is so confident in its low price deals that if you find a hotel for a lower rate on the internet, it will double the difference between the two prices guaranteed; Hotwire also has an active customer care group that is available 24 hours a day to help travelers.

Hotwire also benefits suppliers:

• Hotwire allows suppliers to sell their inventory without disrupting their pricing models.

• Excess inventory is an inherent part of the travel business. However, unlike physical inventory like a sweater, suppliers have more urgency to sell their excess. Planes have to take off and hotel room nights are fixed in time. Hotwire takes advantage of that urgency and pass the saving on to the consumer.
• However, these discounts don’t mean suffering: Hotwire works with the same top travel brands (same rooms, same seats, same cars), but we offer deals you can’t find on other travel sites-in some cases discounts up to 50%.
• We focus on the discounts and make it easier for you to find and book deals.
• Major airlines, top tier hotels and car rental companies are comfortable giving us great deals because you don’t see their brand before you buy.

Hotwire has very strong deals:

Hotwire has very strong inventory in hotels and cars. 

• Hotwire offers discounts on hotels up to 50% off of retail fares
• Hotwire’s cars start at 13.95 a day -and there are no hidden fees

One can also find deep discounts on airfare:

• Hotwire offers special deals on airline tickets that allow consumers to save up to 35% off retail fares.  There are no booking fees on Hotwire.

Hotwire also offers tools that can help consumers find deals and save money:

TripStarter

The Hotwire® TripStarter^TM planning tool is an online resource to offer historical air and hotel pricing data, helping travelers decide when and where to go on vacation and providing information on weather, local events and attractions for domestic and international destinations.

TripStarter shows:

• The best times of the year to save on travel

o   Seasonal pricing trends for the past two years

o   Tips on how to get the lowest airfares and hotel rates

• How to make the most of your getaway

o   Listings of local festivities, fairs and other fun events

o   Photos, maps, points of interest listings and more

Airfare Savings Hub

• The Airfare Savings Hub takes the leg work out of the hunt for the lowest price by proactively recommending alternate routes and dates for those travelers willing to be flexible with their plans to save even more money. These recommendations will appear along with the lowest available price for their exact flight request*:
  • Suggests nearby alternate airports for both departure and arrivals if cheaper tickets are available.
    • For instance, the airfare savings hub has found savings for travelers flying into West Palm Beach or Fort Lauderdale instead of Miami and Carlsbad instead of San Diego.
  • Suggests that travelers adjust their travel by one or two days if savings are available.
  • With ASH, customers can also look for the lowest fare for their route within 30 days. Hotwire’s Flexible Date Search will find the lowest fare for a specific destination within a 30 day period.

Deal engine:  When a hotel changes or cuts their price - Hotwire has an embedded engine that compares it to the previous week and everyone in the market and alerts the consumer to this.
 
TravelTicker:  A bi-weekly travel newsletter that promotes insider travel deals, limited-time offers and small hotel vacancies.  This is for the price aware and flexible traveler. TravelTicker offers relevant, hard to find vacation deals no-one knows about
 
Last minute flight deals - picking deals starting yesterday that span through to Monday or Tuesday
 
Double the difference price guarantee:  If a consumer finds a lower price on the internet, Hotwire will pay the consumer double the difference
 
So our advice to price savvy travelers looking for a great deal is to shop!  You will find that Hotwire’s consistently delivers.

2. What are your best money saving tips?

Clem Bason: Here are tips we like to tell consumers who are looking to save money:

• Be flexible - sometimes just shifting your trip start and end dates by one day will save you huge amounts of money
• Look for alternative airports - often big cities have more than one airport - and those airports may have much better deals than the ‘big guy’
• Take advantage of shoulder seasons - check out when the most popular times of year are to visit your particular destination - when you travel during peak times, prices skyrocket. Most consumers don’t know that the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is one of the least expensive times to travel
• Take a drive trip - with the price of gas mounting, you will be well served renting a car and taking that drive trip you always wanted.
• Use planning tools - check out Tripstarter and airfare savings hub.

Editor’s note: This was definitely interesting. I hope you can make use of these moneysaving tips during your next vacation. Happy travels!

Have you ever been disappointed by a hotel room that didn’t live up to your expectations? Or found it difficult knowing which hotel to pick, due to lack of visuals and sufficient information? Thanks to nearly 5000 videos at the new travel site TVtrip.com, travelers can see their hotel before they book.  

“The great reaction to our site has helped lead to our phenomenal growth in Europe and now in the U.S. and Asia,” said Founder and Chief Executive officer Marc Ruff after TVtrip’s expansion last year. “When other hotels see how travelers respond to our videos and to our web site, they want to become part of TVtrip.com and we are happy to have them.”

Launched in May 2007, TVtrip.com is the first website to enable hotel searches using online videos. The leading videoguide covers hotels in more than 100 worldwide destinations: New York, San Francisco, Miami, Chicago, London, Paris, Venice, Barcelona, the list goes on. No need to worry about whether you chose the right hotel because TVtrip provides you with unbiased professionally shot videos, hotel descriptions and informative guest reviews.

For more information, visit www.tvtrip.com