EVENT TOURISM 72
HOURS IN PARADISE
HOLI Festival of Colours
THE LAS FALLAS Valencia BISON & COWBOYS MECHELEN A town for all seasons
THE WHITE RIM TRAIL Biking Utah’s Canyonlands
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On the cover: ‘Festival of Colours’, shot by Thomas Hawk www.thomashawk.com
Contributors: Alex Karpov, Anne Marie Persoons, Aurélien Berrut, Cole Burmester, Demostenes Uscamayta Ayvar, Frans Rombouts, Konstantyn Kinash, Manfred Horvath, Matt Long , Lois Lammerhuber, Peter Matthews,Peter Rigaud, Thomas Hawk, Valerie Odile, Walter Roggeman.
Editor-in-chief Alex Karpov Creative Director Konstantyn Kinash Advertising Director Nina Onyshchenko Design and layout Konstantyn Kinash
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Editorial Coordination TTI Club “Crystal Lotus“ vzw Belgium, 8400 Ostend, Duindoornlaan 216 Tel.: +32(0)59 612030 +32 488 331775 info@tticlub.org www.tticlub.org www.eventtourismmagazine.com
CONTENTS: EVER...? 4 6 8
50
Lake Harku, Estonia St. Patricks Day, Ireland Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA
HOTELS 10 11 12 13
Mandarin Oriental - Paris, France St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort Florida, USA Conservatorium - Amsterdam, Netherlands Andaz Shanghai - China
EVENTS
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14 18 22
Holi - Festival of Colours Festival of Colors at Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Utah, USA The Las Fallas, Valencia
CITY BREAK 30
Mechelen: a Town for all Seasons
DESTINATION 35 42
Bison & Cowboys Qatar: The Hidden Jewel of Arabia
ADVENTURE 50
The White Rim Trail: Biking Utah’s Canyonlands
WEEKEND 58
72 Hours in Paradise
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EVER TRIED?
Medieval boat sailing, Estonia
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EVER BEEN? St. Patricks Day, Dublin, Ireland
Never mind the Irish weather. A chilly, damp Dublin is wrapping up warm for St. Patrick’s Day. A half-million revelers are expected to line the capital’s streets for the traditional holiday parade Sunday, a 3-kilometer (2-mile) jaunt through the city’s heart. Unusually, 8,000 tourists in town for the festivities are leading this year’s procession. The gesture is connected to a year-long tourism promotion called The Gathering that is organizing hundreds of clan reunions nationwide. Since 1997 Dublin has expanded St. Patrick’s Day into a multi-day festival featuring special children’s playgrounds, street amusement parks, concerts and walking tours. Irish President Michael D. Higgins is hosting a nationally televised TV show featuring many of Ireland’s top artists and musicians. Most of the city’s most famous buildings are floodlit green at night. March 2013 EVENT TOURISM MAGAZINE 7
EVER SEEN? HOODOOS in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA
‘Fairy chimneys’, ‘earth pyramids’, ‘tent rocks’, the aliases for the hoodoos before you are both weird and wonderful. These flame-hued pinnacles sprout from the base of Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park, each ranging in size from the height of an average human to that of a ten-storey building. Weaved inside them are multiple colours, the result of minerals shaped by the erosive forces of nature - water, ice and gravity - over the course of thousands of years.
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HOTELS | LUXURY
MANDARIN ORIENTAL Paris, France
Mandarin Oriental, Paris is Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s first address in France, at the heart of this fashion capital and with the Garnier Opera, Tuileries Gardens and the Louvre all close by. Mandarin Oriental, Paris is a modern hotel housed inside an historic Art Deco building that comes alive with unique character. Everything about this elegant hotel says ‘Paris’, from its sense of style to the immediate sense of belonging, and of luxury to be enjoyed. Comfort meets modern in a hotel that is infused with a subtle air of exoticism and romance, making every stay a singular experience. www. mandarinoriental.com.
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ST. REGIS BAL HARBOUR RESORT Florida, USA
At the northern tip of Miami Beach, the tony enclave of Bal Harbour has long been known for its wide, white-sand beaches, lavish residences, and high-end shopping mall. Yet the area lacked a true luxury hotel. Enter Starwood, which poured $700 million into a three-tower development with a new 243-room St. Regis. Celeb chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is behind the restaurant and poolside grill, and the Yabu Pushelberg–designed interiors include the eye-catching entrance hall — a very chic take on a house of mirrors. In the guest quarters, tiled walls in muted tones put the emphasis on the view (a coup: every room overlooks the ocean). www.stregis.com.
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HOTELS | DESIGN
CONSERVATORIUM Amsterdam, Netherlands
As a follow-up to his pioneering Jerusalem property, Mamilla, hotelier Alfred Akirov and his son Georgi set their sights on Amsterdam’s landmark 1897 Sweelinck music conservatory. Three years later, Conservatorium, a 129-room hotel with an arsenal of standout features, debuted with spare but opulent interiors, courteous service (especially praiseworthy in a city known for a lack thereof), and serious wellness amenities. Conservatorium has upped the ante in Amsterdam across every category. Milanese architect Piero Lissoni filled the spaces with low-slung Italian furniture and state-of-the-art eco-technology (in-room sensors; neon LED lights), while preserving the building’s most beautiful features, such as original hand-painted tiles and inlaid stone floors. The subterranean Akasha Wellbeing Center is arguably the most impressive element: a 100-foot-long lap pool, hammam, full gym and yoga studio, and four oak-walled treatment rooms stand head and shoulders above any other spa we’ve experienced in the Low Countries. www.conservatoriumhotel.com.
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HOTELS | DESIGN
ANDAZ SHANGHAI Shanghai, China
Standing out in a city in the midst of a hotel boom is no small feat. Yet Andaz Shanghai, the Asian debut for Hyatt’s boutique brand, offers a fresh, style-centric vibe thanks to creative collaborations with local designers and artists. In a coveted location in the historic Xintiandi district, the hotel mixes playful elements (you can order a drink inside the lobby’s 645-square-foot egg-shaped steel sculpture) with guest-friendly touches (in-room mini-bar snacks and soft drinks are complimentary). If you’re wondering why the staff looks so spiffy, it’s because their sleek black ensembles were designed by locally born Han Feng, who created costumes for New York’s Metropolitan Opera. Upstairs in the 307 guest rooms, night owls can thrill at being in the neon-filled heart of the city, spied through curved, retro-space-age windows. With all these bells and whistles, though, we found that the new Andaz was still a work in progress and needed to forgive the staff in training and the lack of a pool and spa, which are still to come. www.andaz.hyatt.com.
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HOLI
Festival of Colours 14 March 2013 EVENT TOURISM MAGAZINE
“HOLI“ FESTIVAL | INDIA
In India, Holi announces the arrival of spring and the passing of winter. The festival breathes an atmosphere of social merriment. People bury their hatchets with a warm embrace and throw their worries to the wind. Every nook and corner presents a colorful sight. Young and old alike are covered with colors (red, green, yellow, blue, black and silver). People in small groups are seen singing, dancing and throwing colors on each other. One of the major festivals of India, Holi is celebrated with enthusiasm and gaiety on the full moon day in the month of Phalgun which is the month of March as per the Gregorian calendar. Holi festival may be celebrated with various names and people of different states might be following different traditions. But, what makes Holi so unique and special is the spirit of it which remains the same throughout the country and even across the globe, wherever it is celebrated. The festival is celebrated across the four corners of India or rather across the globe. The joys of Holi knows no bound. The festival is filled with so much fun and frolic that the very mention of the word ‘Holi’ draws smile and enthusiasm amongst the people. Holi also celebrates the arrival of Spring, a season of joy and hope.
Legend of Holi Festival Holi is one of the oldest festivals of India. There are many interesting stories associated with the festival’s origin as one moves across the different states from North to South and East to West. Paintings and scriptures depict the roots of the festival. Mythology plays a very important part in narrating the festival of Holi. The most popular stories of Holi origin relates to ‘Holika Dahan’ and Legend of Radha-Krishan.
Story of Holika Integrally entwined with Holi, is the tradition of ‘Holika Dahan’, which is actually lighting of bonfires. The ritual is symbolic of victory of good over evil and has its root in the
legend of demon king Hiranyakashyap who wished to end his blessed son, Prahlad’s life with the help of his sister, Holika who burnt in the fir and no harm occurred to Prahlad. Since then the day is celebrated in victory of good over bad.
Holi Celebrations in India Holi is famous as Basant Utsav in rural India. It is one of the major festivals in India and is celebrated with extreme enthusiasm and joy. Gulal, abeer and pichkaris are synonymous with the festival. Elaborate plans are made to color the loved ones. Everybody wants to be the first one to color the other. In the ensuing battle of colors, everybody is drowned not just in colors of gulal but also in love and mirth. People love to drench others and themselves in colored water. Gujiyas and other sweets are offered to everyone who comes across to color. Temples are beautifully decorated at the time of Holi. Idol of Radha is placed on swings and devotees turn the swings singing devotional Holi songs. Now-a-days small plays are organized reflecting the spirit of the festival. What is remarkably same across the country is the spirit of Holi. Fun, frolic, boisterousness to the extent of buffoonery marks this festival of colors. What more can be expectedwhen the people get a social sanction to get intoxicated on the bhang, open not just their hearts’ out but also their lungs. And viola, nobody is expected to take offense too, as the norm of the day is, ‘Bura na mano Holi hai’.
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Where to Celebrate the Holi Festival in India 16 March 2013 EVENT TOURISM MAGAZINE
Mathura and Traditional Holi
Vrindavan:
Holi festival celebrations last for 40 days in the temple towns of Mathura and Vrindavan, four hours from Delhi. During the 40 days prior to the main Holi day, dancers from various parts of India gather to put on shows depicting Krishna's flirtations with the village maidens. Singing troupes perform Holi folk songs as well. Make sure you arrive well before the main Holi day.
Delhi: Modern Holi Holi tends to be a rowdy affair in Delhi. If you're staying anywhere near Paharganj, be prepared to be covered in color by shopkeepers and children alike if you step outside. If you can, try and get tickets to the Holi Cow festival. A festival of color,
“HOLI“ FESTIVAL | INDIA
music and madness, it's is held a short distance outside the city. The environment is safe, and non-toxic colors are provided, along with bhang lassis, street food, and sprinklers to get everyone in the mood. Both DJs and bands perform. Plenty of expats, as well as locals, attend.
including dances to Tagore's songs. This is followed by the usual throwing of colors. Vasanta Utsav has become a cherished part of Bengali history and culture, and it attracts numerous foreign tourists. Note that festivities happen a day earlier than the given date for Holi in other parts of India.
Shantiniketan, Cultural Holi
Purulia, West Bengal: Folk Holi
West
Bengal:
The celebration of Holi as Vasanta Utsav (Spring Festival) in Shantiniketan was started by famous Bengali poet and Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Inspired by spring and the colors of Holi, he introduced the occasion as an annual event in his Vishva Bharati University there. Students dress up in spring colors and put on a huge cultural program for visitors,
A three day folk festival takes place in the Purulia district of West Bengal. It runs in the lead up to Holi and on the actual day. You'll get to sing and play Holi with the locals, as well as enjoy a wide variety of unique folk art. This includes the remarkable Chau dance, Darbari Jhumur, Natua dance, and songs of West Bengal's wandering Baul musicians. What makes the festival special is that it's organized by
villagers as a way of helping sustain themselves.
Jaipur: Holi and Elephants An elephant festival kicks off Holi celebrations in Jaipur every year on Holi eve. Elephant parades, elephant beauty contests, folk dances, and tug-of-war between elephants, locals and foreigners are all regular events. It makes Holi extra fun!
Banswara: Tribal Holi Holi is the main festival of the tribals in the Banswara district of Rajasthan. They wear their traditional dresses, carry swords and sticks, and perform the Gair dance. It's a typical tribal dance of the region.
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FESTIVALS
Text: Jeremy McGrath Photos: Thomas Hawk www.thomashawk.com
FESTIVAL OF COLORS
AT SRI RADHA KRISHNA TEMPLE IN SPANISH FORK (UTAH, USA) Thousands packed the temple grounds to celebrate Holi, the traditional Indian announcement of the arrival of spring and the passing of winter.
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FESTIVAL OF COLORS | USA
Each year Utah hosts the western hemisphere’s largest Holi Festival of Colors. The festival is a hindu tradition where participants celebrate the beginning of spring by throwing perfume scented colored powder on each other. The plants that the powder was originally made from were believed to have medicinal qualities. Today, we use dyed corn starch. The event is held at the Krishna temple and is filled with great live music, bonfires, dancing and lots of throwing. Once every two hours there is a throwing in unison. This is by far, the coolest part of the festival. For me, the festival is a great reminder that it can be good for the soul to let loose and get dirty every once in a while. It’s also amazing to see such a vast number of people of all different ages, races, religions, and backgrounds coming together for one reason: to live free and be happy. March 2013 EVENT TOURISM MAGAZINE 19
FESTIVALS
People throw colored powder during Holi, the festival of colors, at the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, Utah. Nearly 120,000 people from across the United States and beyond gathered in Spanish Fork, Utah this past weekend to celebrate the Festival of Colors - a tribute to India's Holi celebration that was captured in a viral video uploaded on Monday by filmmaker Devin Graham. The air in Spanish Fork was thick with clouds of color - a telltale sign that Holi had arrived. Each year thousands converge at the grounds of Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple to celebrate the arrival of spring with a massive powder fight, decorating each other in bright hues. For some it's a spiritual event, but for others it is a source of curiosity. The festival has its roots in Hindu mythology. It's said that the darker-skinned Krishna was jealous of the fair-skinned Radha and pestered his foster mother Yashodha about it so much that she told him he could change Radha's skin by sprinkling her with colors. Thus each year Holi revelers hurl neon powder (gulal) and colored water into the air, tie-dying participants into spirographs of color. The colors are said to represent energy, life, joy, and the coming of spring. Officially, revelers throw powders at the Spanish Fork, Utah celebration in mass every two hours. Unofficially, they're thrown at will throughout the festival.
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FESTIVAL OF COLORS | USA
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The Las Fallas Valencia
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THE LAS FALLAS | SPAIN
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THE LAS FALLAS | SPAIN
Valencia welcomes the spring with its Fallas festival. Monumental, yet transitory cardboard statues are carefully built over the course of months, to then be devoured by fire in a unique spectacle.
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f you want to see money go up in smoke, but not your own, a visit to Valencia during las Fallas, certainly fits the bill. The highlight of this festival, which takes place every March between the 12th and 19th, is the torching of over 350 massive statue motifs. Several of these ornate constructions cost over 100,000-euro. The citywide conflagration erupts late on the final night and the 72-hours leading up to it are equally fun-fueled. Valencia, Spain’s third largest city and the capital of the Spanish province of the same name, stretches along the Mediterranean coast. It’s a worthy holiday destination in itself. Near the birthplace of paella, Valencia’s restaurants and tapas bars offer a plentitude of tasty plates filled with the bounty of the sea and surrounding fields. Come las Fallas, dozens of drinking and dining establishments remain open around-the-clock, buffered by numerous stalls lining the streets of the picturesque Barrio del Carmen. At this barrio’s heart, the Mercado Central contains a lovely market of wrought iron and glass, selling seafood, meat, green produce and wines worthy of a royal picnic. I arrived in Valencia several days before the pyromaniac’s hellish heaven-on-earth. Expecting a meager crowd, given the horrors of the preceding week, it surprised me that I couldn’t find a bed in the city aside from hostel cots. And even there I found myself chucked out for the final two nights of las Fallas. Apparently there were enough Spaniards who refused to be so traumatized that they couldn’t enjoy the fiery explosions of this ancient and beloved festival. As an elderly couple from Lyon told me, “We’re here to celebrate life and our culture, in spite of and because of, the atrocity.”
The general attitude was “the party must go on,” and that it did. During the day the beaches teemed with people, outdoor restaurants and cafes did brisk leisurely business and processions of women, children and men attired in traditional garb or ceremonial Moorish costume swelled through the streets. On the 17th and 18th they do so porting armfuls of flowers to leave before a building-sized effigy of the Virgin. In the early afternoon an anorexic stick insect couldn’t squeeze between the masses assembled in the Plaza de Ayuntamiento for the daily deafening, compliments of five-minutes of fireworks known as the mascleta. This event makes up in sound and sulfurous smoke what it lacks in color. The devout visit lavishly decorated churches, the hungry line up for ladles of steaming paella served from a massive copper skillet capable of feeding 2000 famished souls and the bullishly traditional fill the coliseum for the late afternoon bullfights. Come evening, the activity and volume increases. Taverns and restaurants overflow into the streets. Nightly firework displays soar from the Jardin de Turia with over a hundred thousand silhouettes suffused with their color. Afterwards the park becomes a battleground of youths playing hit-and-run with other gangs launching bottle rockets and throwing mini-grenades at their shadowy adversaries, a popular ritual, entertaining enough to observe from the stone bridges above this dried riverbed, but a little hairy to find oneself in the midst of. The most popular pastime, however, is visiting the multifarious floodlit statues. Towering above plazas, streets and boulevards, these painted edifices (many now molded of polystyrene instead of carved of wood and paper-mache) adorn most neighborhoods
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FESTIVALS
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THE LAS FALLAS | SPAIN
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FESTIVALS
in and around Barrio del Carmen. Some charge admission to wander through their fantastical gardens of statuary exactingly constructed, only to live a week, before melting and crumbling into smoke and ash. While many dioramas are fanciful, others represent modern-day political and cultural allegories, often including George Bush, Osama bin Laden, Spanish politicians and celebrities along with Hollywood. Most are reminiscent of the style associated with Disneyland, Pokemon, Lladros and Precious Moment figures. Neighborhoods convert streets into children’s playpens. Their toys, however, don’t rattle and blink, they shriek and explode. It’s within these open-air enclosures that junior learns how to play with fire. Ice cream, candy and churros y chocolate (strings of fried dough served with a cup of hot chocolate) stands cater to the kids while ambulant bocadillo (sandwich) and cerveza vendors look after the adults. Across the central city, stages provide live music and the people dance in the closed off streets. Here and there, gaggles of friends join to strum guitar, sing and share their hooch with passing camera-toting strangers. Carefree and fun loving is definitely the prevailing atmosphere, although care needs be given to the pools of piss that form in alleyways. On that potentially sore subject, it’s best to prepare
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oneself before heading out to the post-midnight cremations of the final day. The most popular fallas attract crowds of several thousand. To get proximity, you need to arrive a couple hours beforehand. The one I attended didn’t flare until two-hours later than schedule. It was more than impatience that had the crowd chanting at the organizers, “Hurry up ya bastards!” As these roaring blazes take place surrounded by people and buildings, they must not be rushed. Fire trucks idle nearby, their crews attaching hoses to hydrants and testing them, insuring they’re ready to douse anything or anyone becoming overheated. And doused we in the front rows were. Some front-liners cut eyeholes into cardboard to protect their faces. Finally fireworks screamed into the night, accompanying the immolation. All but the first-prize winning motif meets the same fiery fate. The fortunate statue gains a place in a warehouse museum containing the winner of past years’ festivals. Should you intend to attend this memorable spring ritual born of pagan roots, reserve a room well in advance. If you don’t, there are numerous beach resorts and castle-topped towns within a two-hour drive from Valencia where accommodation might easily be found.
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FESTIVALS
MECHELEN
My kind of town Text: Walter Roggeman Photographs: Walter Roggeman Tourisme Mechelen www.milo-profi.be
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MECHELEN: MY KIND OF TOWN | BELGIUM
1,000 year old town of Mechelen has a glorious past. In the 16th century it was, for several decades, the virtual capital of the ‘Low Countries’, a territory that encompassed more or less the present Benelux plus part of the North East of France, which is still called ‘French Flanders’.
Margaret of Austria, daughter of the Habsburg emperor and regent of the ‘Low Countries’ (the Habsburg Netherlands) had her court in Mechelen in the first renaissance palace of the country. A lot of noblemen and artists followed her and built their stately homes in and around the town. Till this day you can still admire most of those impressive buildings dating from that glorious period. It was also in those early years of the 16th century that a young boy by the name of Charles spent his childhood in Mechelen. He later became the most famous emperor, which Europe had known for centuries: Charles V. He never stayed longer in any place on earth than in Mechelen. Present day Mechelen is also a ‘Children’s capital’ with - A ‘Toy museum’, the biggest in Europe (together with the one in Nürenberg); - Technopolis: a unique ‘do-center’ for children between 7 and 77 years young; - Planckendael, the biggest zoo in Belgium with animals of all sizes from hummingbirds to elephants; - The highest ‘sky walk’ of the country; on top of St. Rumbold’s cathedral. Till today and for almost five centuries, Mechelen has been the religious capital of the country, hence a vast number of catholic monasteries and churches (among which 10 historic ones from the gothic and baroque periods) and containing a large number of works of art like sculptures and painting by Rubens, Van Dijck and other masters. You will also find several palaces in the centre of town like the one of Savoy (the present-day law court), the cardinal’s palace and the ‘Seminarium Archiepiscopale’, the ‘Archbishop’s Seminary’, where thousands of priests were formed. Nowadays the number of vocations is so low that the gigantic complex is almost empty. So you won’t find any young students here although a number of retired priests still have their private quarters in this building and a nice chapel for praying. The old ‘refectorium’, however, is now a public restaurant called ‘Hof de Merode’ (in Merodestraat). In recent years, some of the churches in Mechelen got new functions; one of them has become Mechelen’s Cultural Centre and another one, a former neogothic church, is now a luxury hotel (Martin’s Patershof). In the near future more of such conversions are planned. Skywalk Saint-Rombouts Tower © www.milo-profi.be
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Carillon in Tower of Saint-Rombouts Church © www.milo-profi.be
EVENTS IN THE SECOND HALF OF 2013 - Summer Carillon concerts: it’s an old Flemish tradition, from June 9th till September 9th there will be carillon concerts every Monday evening starting at 8.30 p.m. St. Rumbold’s cathedral is the only one with two complete carillons in its tower, containing hundred bells of different sizes, some of them weighing several tons. - The most important event of 2013 in Mechelen will be the ‘Cavalcade’, a parade that has been taking place every 25 years since 1738! Extensive preparations have been going on over the last two years; there will be 2,000 participants in specially created costumes; hundreds of horses 32 March 2013 EVENT TOURISM MAGAZINE
and twenty floats will portray historical and biblical scenes. There will be two editions, remember the dates: August 25 and September 1, 2013. - Let’s also mention some exhibitions of great painters this summer: - Rik Wouters: the most famous one in the ‘Schepenhuis Museum’: during the whole summer. - Beniti Cornelis and Frank Vaganée in the municipal museum Busleyden: May 18 till July 28. - Prosper de Troyer in the Lamot Congress Center: July 6 till September 22.
MECHELEN: MY KIND OF TOWN | BELGIUM
Terrace at Grand Place © www.milo-profi.be
Saint-Rombouts Church © Walter Roggeman
Mechelen Architecture © Walter Roggeman
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CITY BREAK
Terrace Vismarkt © www.milo-profi.be
Let me also draw your attention to a brand-new museum that was completed at the end of 2012: the Deportation Memorial. In front of this breathtaking modern, white building you can see the huge old barracks dating from the 18th century. During the 2nd World War they became the nazi’s ‘Sammellager’ mainly for Belgian Jews and a few hundred gypsies. More than 25,000 were locked up here before being put on transport to Auschwitz-Birkenau. A one way ticket… (www.kazernedossin. com). Let us end our visit with an authentic taste of Mechelen: a glass of Golden Carolus! Relax in one of the many pubs in town and enjoy this beer that was crowned last year in a US contest as ‘the best brown beer in the world’. To your very good health!
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Mechelen Architecture © Walter Roggeman
BISON & COWBOYS | CANADA
BISON & COWBOYS Text: Frans Rombouts Photographs: Frans Rombouts Visit Calgary
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The province of Alberta in Canada has been gifted with breath-taking nature: the Rocky Mountains, vast plains, deep-blue lakes, astonishing sunsets… Nature lovers and active tourists don’t know what to do first: kayaking, trekking, mountaineering, deep-lake diving… Or do you prefer a journey on a huskee-drawn sledge? You could also have yourself drawn on skis by these same dogs: ski-jorring.
A
nd the less adventurous among us can go walking, fishing, looking for fossils along the Dinosaur Trail in Drumheller, where the museum houses the world’s largest collection of dinosaur skeletons. Wherever and whenever you are in Alberta, you have the impression of walking around in a huge picture-perfect postcard with glaciers, wild animals – beware of the bears!-, alpine meadows and lakes like Lake Louise in Banff National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Be sure to take the Icefields Parkway (highway 93) along the glaciers of the Columbia Icefield, along lakes and woods, to Jasper National Park. You will know most of the animals that you might meet here, only from television: brown bears, elks, wapitis, bighorn sheep, caribous, mule deer… Also Elk Island National Park is worth a visit, with more than 44 animal species including coyotes, beavers and bison. The latter can also be met in Wood Buffalo National Park, which is larger in size than Switzerland. And also UNESCO World Heritage.
Cowboys This is clearly cowboy country. Although nowadays the latest technology, including helicopters, is used on the immense ranches, the cowboys do not forget about their roots, which are best illustrated in the town of Cochrane. You think that you are part of a huge western film set, but no: all this is real. Another good way to discover the cowboy world, is a visit of Bar U Ranch, nowadays a ‘National Historic Site’.
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This ranch dates back to 1882 and illustrates what cowboy life was like in the old days. Outstanding cattle was raised here, as well as the thoroughbred Percheron draught horses, which were exported all over the world. This ranch was also home to some famous cowboys like Harry Longabaugh, better known as the Sundance Kid. And when you get hungry, you can sample some authentic cowboy food, either in the restaurant or around the camp fire.
More than nature Nature and culture rhyme, certainly in Alberta. Each year Banff hosts a four-month lasting ‘Summer Arts Festival’, with dance, theatre, film, music and art exhibitions. And although the town itself only counts some 8,000 residents, with its Banff Centre it is perfectly capable of accommodating and catering for the thousands of visitors. However, thé event of the year is undoubtedly the Calgary Stampede. This ‘Greatest Outside Show on Earth’ was organised for the first time in 1912 and became an annual event in 1923. Over one million visitors come to this apogee of western culture in Stampede City near Calgary. During ten days it becomes Canada’s third biggest city with over 120,000 guests per day. Also this year, from 5 till 14 July, lots of rodeo’s, chuckwagon races, concerts with world stars, street animation and circus festivals will be organised. And even a lot more… All this is taken care of by thousands of volunteers, who make sure that this is also a ‘green’ event
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DESTINATION
with animal welfare as top priority. All the proceeds are donated to charity. An important part of the Calgary Stampede focuses on the culture of the ‘First Nations People’, a term used in Canada to indicate the native Indians. In the Indian Village their traditions are kept alive and explained to all visitors. At the same time the agricultural fairs and conferences attract professionals from all over the world. The Cagary Stampede provides an App so that you can discover all programme details on your iPad or iPhone. Also nice to know is that during the entire event all visitors can enjoy all kind of barbecues and –free!- pancake breakfasts, of course topped off with the famous maple syrup. Indeed, Alberta abounds with good food. We were especially intrigued by the food that roams the province’s vast plains: bison and elk. Well, the animals that you see in the wild open, will not end up on the table. They are left alone, and the animals for consumption are bred in specialised ranches.
Bison & elk The wild bison (Bison bison, also known as a buffalo) is the biggest mammal on the northern American continent. There was a time when there were some 60 million of them. These are amazing animals. Despite their weight (up to 900 kilos for a bull), they can reach steady speeds up to 50 km/hour, with peaks of 65 km/hour. These massive animals mostly feed on grass, some 13 kilos every day. The cows travel in herds of about 60 and the bulls go their own way, alone or in very small groups, except from July till September, when they seek the company of the cows to make sure to keep up the species. These impressive animals didn’t have to fear much. Occasionally, the Blackfoot Indians organised a bison hunt. Over 5,500 years they developed a special technique to kill the animals with their bare hands, like in a place they call ‘Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump’. This, 38 March 2013 EVENT TOURISM MAGAZINE
too, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. They bordered a funnell-like ‘runway’ leading to an abyss with stones and shrubs. Some Indians, dressed in wolve’s skins drove a bison herd into that funnel and some other Indians, dressed as bison calves, imitated young in distress, in this way luring the animals into the abyss. The meat was dried in the sun and then ground between stones and mixed with herbs and fruit. This ‘pemmican’ was stored in airtight leather bags, where it could keep for months. Percentage-wise, this hunting method did not really influence the numbers of bison roaming the Alberta plains. From 1830, however, European pioneers headed west. They killed
the buffalos, as they called them (a mispronunciation of the French ‘boeuf’), because they were not as easy to manage as cows. After all, they were ‘cowboys’… According to the estimates the bison population in the whole of North America was reduced to some 300 animals. Fortunately, the Canadian and American governments protected them and now there are again about 200,000 of these majestic animals running in the wild. Bison meat is very low in calories, cholesterol and fat, even lower than chicken. It has a high content in zinc, iron, phosphorus and vitamin B12, as well as omega-3 and omega-6. The meat is sweeter than beef and does not have the typical game taste.
BISON & COWBOYS | CANADA
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DESTINATION
The elk (Cervus elaphus) is basically the same animal as the Asian or European red deer. This, too, provided food, hides and bone to the indigineous First Nations People. And, again as a result of the increasing presence of European immigrants, the elk population decreased dramatically. As a matter of fact, also the European fur trappers were highly interested in the skins and antlers, but on a far more large scale than the Indians. Fortunately, like in the case of the bison, the government protected the elks, reserves were defined, and the hunting conditions were strictly regulated. Today, all elk meat that is sold in the shops, stems from breeding ranches, operating according to severe hygienic standards. Only natural and healthy food is allowed; steroids and antibiotics are forbidden.
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Elk meat is even less fatty and lower in calories than bison, and it does not have a gamy taste, either. It is rich in complex vitamins B3, B6 and B12, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and zinc. Also when omega-3 is concerned, it scores even better than bison. The shops in Alberta with delicatessen such as elk salami, bison burgers and hotdogs, or bison sausage perfumed with bourbon whiskey. Another speciality in restaurants are ‘prairie oysters’. Beware, because this has nothing to do with oysters from the sea, nor with an egg grog that we make when we have a bad cold. No, the prairie oysters are the crown jewels of a buffalo bull, neatly sliced and fried‌ So, make sure you realise this when you place your order in a restaurant...
BISON & COWBOYS | CANADA
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QATAR
The Hidden Jewel of Arabia Text and photos: AM PERSOONS
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QATAR
Proud of its ancient heritage and rich past while optimistic of its future, Qatar is a bridge between deep-rooted traditions and vibrant modernity. “Qatar will never be as Dubai” said our female guide (formed with imam influence)”because we Qatari know that our oil and gas reserves will be finished one day and than we can only fall back on our investments in the rest of the world. So we are safe now and in the future!” The State of Qatar sits on a peninsula extending out into the dazzling Gulf. Blessed with a 563 km coastline, Qatar has AL WAKHRAeen s seafaring peninsula. A rich and abundant country, thanks to its natural oil and gas reserves, Qatar offers an exciting mix of Western and Arabic influences and has one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Its population also enjoys the world’s highest per capita income: around 12000 Euros per inhabitant (Qatari).
Brief History The ruling family of Qatar is Al-Thani, who originated from central Arabia around 1750 AD. They gained control of Doha during the middle of the nineteenth century. Control over Qatar was recognised by a treaty negotiated by the British and concluded on the12th September 1868. The Sheikdom acquired its wealth from trading and the very lucrative pearl fisheries. British Protection was extended by a treaty dated 3rd November 1916. Oil was first discovered and exported in 1949. Full independence from the British was recognised on the 3rd of September 1971. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani (1960 – 1972) is the current ruling Emir of the State of Qatar since 1995.
one of the world’s biggest events, FIFA World Cup 2022.
The many facets of Doha Originally a pearling and fishing settlement, Qatar has a long history as an important trade hub in the region. Today it is a dramatic mix of traditional and contemporary culture as seen along the waterfront where traditional Dhow boats coast along Gulf waters amid a backdrop of dazzling modern skyscrapers. The visual highlight of the bay is the Corniche, a seaside promenade of 7 kilometres, seemed with parks and with spectacular views of the Gulf. Rolling green lawns, banks of flowers and a medley of old and new buildings and hotels flank the calm, turquoise waters of the Gulf. The Corniche is a popular place to relax, as well as for walking, cycling or jogging.
Leisure and Culture
Qatar has a wealth of leisure for all ages The Museum of Islamic Art is a MUST SEE for every visitor. This magnificent edifice designed by renowned architect, I.M. Pei, rises majestically out of the Doha bay, off the Corniche on a man-made island. Its iconic architecture is a work of art in itself. This museum houses a unique, world class collection of Islamic art, spanning 1400 years and three continents in an impressive interior.
Doha
History enthusiasts can delve deep into local history with a special visit to Sheik Faisal’s Museum to view his enviable collection of Arabian antiquities.
The capital of Qatar has 400000 inhabitants of which 80% is living in Doha or in the surrounding suburbia.
Katara, the Cultural Village
A capital city with a view
One of the world’s fastest growing cities, Doha’s dramatic skyline is changing almost monthly as a forest of skyscrapers develops along the coast. Meanwhile, traditional buildings such as the former palace, which houses the National Museum, and Doha’s Fort in the centre of the city are lovingly restored and preserved. From extravagant 5-star restaurants and hotels to shisha bars and souqs, Doha seamlessly blends the traditional with the modern. The commercial and cultural heart of the country, Doha hosted the Asian Games in December 2006 and is rapidly establishing itself as an exciting travel destination especially for business. Doha has surprised the world and won the honour of hosting
One square mile. A world of culture! It is a vibrant epicentre of arts and global cultural events in Doha . You can enjoy a drama at the outdoor amphitheatre, let the classical music move you at the Katara Opera House, or simply experience the world in a bite at one of the many restaurants.
Souq Waqif The oldest of Doha’s traditional markets. Located in the centre of Doha, near the Corniche, the Souq Waqif (meaning ‘Standing market’) is a charming labyrinth of narrow streets where you can strike bargains for everything from the exotic to the mundane with a smell of spices and coffee, and local souvenirs that reflect the daily life of the nation.
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You even see falcons for sale! Souq Waqif has an amazing number of restaurants and coffee shops. It is a great place to enjoy. And if you bought too much, local men will help you to carry your belongings in their barrow and bring it to your car.You even see falcons for sale! Souk Waqif has an amazing number of restaurants and coffee shops. It is a great place to enjoy. And if you bought too much, local men will help you to carry your belongings in their barrow and bring it to your car.
The Pearl Qatar
Making Land from Sea is a world-class waterfront project located off the coast of Qatar in Doha’s West Bay only 25 kilometres away from Doha. Airport. It is a man-made island built on an old pearl diving site. 32 km of sandy beaches, 19 km of sea walls were installed to create this new ocean environment and will be the home to over 40 000 ( rich) residents. This Arabian Rivera offers an exclusive selection of 5-star restaurants and hotels, marinas, a yacht club, schools and up-scale designer boutiques. It is a mixed use residential and commercial development. Fish live displaced by the building process is slowly moving back, so abundant that in some places it almost doubled.
The Oyster Specialised trained Qatari inform potential investors by giving (rich) home-owners and investors from all over the world, a comprehensive view of what their future home will soon look like and see the project first-hand. Not for small budgets!! The slogan for the Pearl is: Not just a better environment, for the human animal, just a better environment . But that is not all ! The pearl-Qatar is still very much a work in progress to make this island a community in its own right.
Al Wakhra: The new city Originally Al Wakra was a tiny fishing and pearling village situated at 12 km from Doha.. Now it has evolved into a residential small town with a bustling harbour and a new family beach. It remains the centre for local fishery. The Dhows (wooden fisher boats) are sailing at night but stay in the harbour during the day. They are still manufactured in a traditional way. Excursions by Dhows can be made on daily basis, including a typical fish picnic on board even with local folklore music
Khor Al Adaid: The Inland Sea Approximately an hour driving outside of Doha, you will find in the middle of the desert, the Inland Sea, or Khor Al Adaid, which is a naturally formed inlet of the Gulf. This remarkable landscape is home to awe-inspiring 40-metre high sand dunes and an abundance of terrestrial and marine plants and animals. The sea is a shallow tidal lake with a narrow outlet
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QATAR
Previous page: general view of the business quarter. This page: Katara village right and under; above - Te Pearl
to the sea. Schedule a desert safari, a dune bashing trip or relax in the simplicity of a traditional Bedouin camp in this untouched part of Qatar.
Golf sport and Camel Races Sports enthusiasts will enjoy a chance to golf on Doha’s championship course. For a taste of local sporting traditions, attend a camel race held during the late fall through late winter. Camel races are for Qatari as football for Belgians.
Forts and Towers Qatar is dotted with forts Zubara A small town situated 110 kilometres Northwest of Doha. This ancient fort from the late 18th century remains one of the country’s most historic sites. Zubara emerged as a pearl diving site and trading port positioned midway between the Straits of Hormuz and the western end of the Persian Gulf. The dominant fort standing today was constructed in 1938 by the ruler of Qatar in those days.
It was restored 20 years ago and converted into the Al Zubara Regional Museum
Barzan Towers Barzan means high place and it was said that pearl divers could see the Barzan Towers when they returned from their pearl trips. These towers were originally built as watchtowers during the late 19th century . Rectangular in shape, the towers have three levels and an external staircase which has now been completely restored.
Zikrit Some 100 kilometres away from Doha lays the archaeological site of Zikrit. Otherwise known as “Ras Abrouq”, Zikrit is a popular spot for those seeking desert solitude. The tiny village is well known for its ruins and the remains of once formidable desert forts and outer walls that date back to the 18th century. Zikrit’s original fort comprised a four-sided building with towers on each corner. Today what’s left of Zikrit’s Bedouin heritage remains well intact, nestled among the scattered signs of life that exist in and around Bir Zikrit.
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Education
Through the Qatar Foundation of Education, Science and Community Development (QF) which is chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Qatar is preparing its citizens to meet the challenge of an ever-changing world. QF’s home is Education City which houses branches of seven prestigious international universities is now an international leader in innovative education and research. Qatar boasts two top research centres: The Qatar Science and Technology Park and the Sidra Medical and Research Centre which will focus on women and children’s health. One of the universities in Education City is:the Georgetown University SFSQ. But studying here is quite expensive. The annual tuition is averaged at 40000 USD with living expenses estimated at 10000 USD/year including food, housing, and personal spending. However students at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar have access to ample scholarship and financial aid opportunities All costs for the development of this campus are paid for by the non-profit Qatar Foundation. As of Jan 2013, one third of the students are Qatari, one third non-Qataris residents in Qatar, and one third are international students. Currently, there are students from 44 nationalities. Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar manages one of the most extensive libraries in Qatar and the region. The three story library houses over 30,000 books, 1500 DVD’s, as well as access to more than 500 online databases.
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As from 25th of May 2011, the Belgian Professor: Gerd Nonneman who holds Licentiates (Honors) in development studies and oriental philology (Arabic) from Ghent University in Belgium, and a Ph.D. in Middle Eastern politics from the University of Exeter (he also assisted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman in developing the curriculum for its Diplomatic College) began serving as the new dean of the School of Foreign Service in Qatar.
Dynamic Leader “Gerd Nonneman brings with him years of valuable experience in both academia and foreign affairs,” says Georgetown President John J. DeGioia. “I very much look forward to our work together and the dynamic leadership he will bring to School of Foreign Service in Qatar in the years ahead.” “Given my long-standing admiration for Georgetown and the people I have worked with there before, both in Washington D.C. and Doha, this is a huge honour for me,” Nonneman says. “The chance to build on a shared vision for SFSQ is simply exhilarating.”
The Aspire Zone
The City of Sports in Qatar AZF is a result of the successfully organised 2006 Asian Games by Qatar AZF boasts one of the World’s finest sport venues offering a unique destination for the international sports industry. AZF is based in Qatar, not far from the Education centre, and boasts some of the world’s finest sport stadia and venues offering a unique sport, Aspire sports medicine, research and education destination for the international sports industry.
This page, from top left: Local Gastronomy; Soukh Wakhif. Next page from left ot right: general view of the business quarter, The Education city
QATAR
Aspire Zone is able to service the highest sporting demands ranging from hosting major sports events to training and pre-competition camps to conferences and research as well as injury diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation through; • The internationally renowned Aspire Academy, offering comprehensive sports education programs and unprecedented facilities of international calibre • Aspetar Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Hospital, a FIFA Accredited Medical Centre of Excellence • Aspire Logistics, it provides venue and event management services for different sectors. • AZ received from Fifa the award of: “Medical Centre of Excellence” Qatar invested 2,8 billion US$ in infrastructure for the promotion of Athletic Competition and is proud to organise many top class sports events such as: Qatar Tennis Masters for men and women, the Qatar Golf Masters, the Qatar Motor Cycle Grand Prix, the Tour of Qatar , the Qatar Speed Boat Event, the International Sailing Championship and the Qatar International Equestrian World Cup
Dining
Delight in an abundance of world cuisines, 5-star restaurants, and award-winning chefs. Food and drink are an integral part of Qatari culture and hospitality. In keeping with this tradition, Doha offers a multitude of cuisines to satisfy your palate including Arabic, British, Italian, French, American, Mexican, Indian, Japanese, and many others.
Shopping Indulge your inner shopaholic at any of Doha’s numerous malls, shopping complexes, and souqs. Traditionally in Arabian towns, shops were grouped according to goods they sold. In Doha, this custom is still found among the city’s many souqs. Fashionables will appreciate shopping the latest trends at one of Doha’s many grand malls. Located in the heart of Doha’s breathtaking skyline, City Centre mall offers 300,000 sq. m. of shops, restaurants, two ice skating rinks, a climbing wall, a cinema, and bowling alley. Villaggio mall is designed in the style of an Italian village with a 500-metre long Venetian canal and gondolas. In addition to its array of shops and stores, Villaggio mall also houses a cinema, bowling alley, ice skating rink, and family amusement park.
Nightlife
Doha comes alive at night with twinkling lights, bustling restaurants, and a thriving social scene. Enjoy Doha’s numerous bars and nightclubs located in major hotels. If you are looking for a more authentic Arabian nightlife experience, visit one of the many shisha lounges. Relax on oversized throw pillows as you inhale fruit-flavoured smoke from a hookah or water pipe.
ATTENTION: In “DRY “ hotels they do not serve alcohol.
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DO ‘ S and DONT’S DO • Qatari expect that visitors arrive in time . • Patience is the key for success. • Shake hands by arrival and departure , but this only with man . • It is considered to start any conversation without at least saying ‘Good morning’ or ‘Good afternoon • Dress modestly • Keep eye contact with your host • All gestures must be done with the right hand • Accept food with your right hand DO NOT - Take pictures, first ask permission - Sit with the soles of your shoes or feet pointing to your Qatari hosts - Do not bring alcohol into the country - Do not gamble - Look or stare at people closely - Ask an Arab lady for information - Do not point with the right hand finger. - Never get angry - Smoke in public areas
A few Arabic words
General INFO
Reply with: “wa alaykum assalaam”.
Climate Qatar has a moderate desert climate with hot summers (50-60°) and mild winter (min. of 7°). Rainfall between October and March.
“Assalaam alaykum”: traditional hello (may the peace of Allah be on you). “Shukran”: thank you. Reply with: “afwan” or “ahlan”.
Tourism
The Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) treats tourism in another way than Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Qatar does not want mass tourism but promotes business travellers, mice or incentive tourists as well as individual travellers (with high budget). Upon arrival in the airport of Doha, each tourist receives a tourist visa for the price of 20 Euros per person (for one entry). You can pay with credit card, but it happens (frequently) that the machine is not working, do not get upset but insist on another machine. Place yourself on the marks indicated on the floor because they make a photo of your eyes (iris). A good personal advise If during your holidays you also intent to visit Dubai or Abu Dhabi, start with Qatar! It can only get better.
Money: Qatari Riyal(QR) Transport: The new International Airport is open in Doha since 2012. Time: Qatar time is: GMT +3h Language: Arabic, but English is the 2nd language. Religion: Islam
From Brussels (Belgium) we flew a direct flight to Doha with QATAR AIRWAYS: great and friendly service. We stayed in excellent 4 and 5* hotels with perfect organised excursions and had gastronomical meals in the restaurants and hotels. Tour operator / agency : B-TOURS bvba / QUALITY TIME Cultural trips. Lic 5273 Lindenpark 5 9831 Sint-Martens-Latem, BELGIUM Tel: +32 (0)9/282.95.65
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The White Rim Trail Biking Utah’s Canyonlands Text: Matthew Kadey Photos: Utah Office of Tourism
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THE WHITE RIM TRAIL | USA
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M
ountain Bikers along the White Rim Trail split their attention between topsy-turvy paths and blushed rock formations with serious backcountry karma. My ears are ringing with silence; the only relief coming from a raven's caw, a collard lizard scampering to find shelter under a desert bush and the sound of my lungs taking in the untarnished air. Mineral Bottom is the trip's longest and final monster climb. After 1,000 feet of elevation gain out of this canyon, we emerge from the serpentine switchbacks, breathless and sunburnt, with a sense of pride that comes from conquering one of mountain biking's crowning jewels.
Free Falling Sandwiched between the meandering Colorado and Green rivers in southeastern Utah, the White Rim Trail loops 100 miles through a wilderness of mystifying rock formations in Canyonlands National Park Island in the Sky district. 52 March 2013 EVENT TOURISM MAGAZINE
Early on, the land around this Island in the Sky mesa was the abode of ranchers and grazing cattle. But, by the 1950s, a perceived need for uranium (in case America felt the urge to nuke the USSR to oblivion) led the Atomic Energy Commission to build this trail – really more of a craggy dirt road – to facilitate its extraction. When the Cold War thawed and the national park came into existence, mining here went the way of the dodo leaving behind a path that is today one of the country’s premier multi-day mountain bike destinations. And it just happens to begin in a most spectacular way. Everyone talks wildly about the early miles known as the Shafer switchbacks, and madly they should. Dropping me briskly 1,400 pedal-free feet and a geologic age or two from the Colorado Plateau, it’s a challenge to focus on the screamin’ zigzag plunge when all around is a panoramic scene of a red rock and the biting morning desert air is ripping over my cheeks like sandpaper.
Ten hair-raising minutes later, a group of twelve wide-eyed cyclists’ are deposited at the White Rim – a white, 280-million-year-old crusty sandstone layer for which the trail is named. Dressed as if we were descending into the Siberian tundra, we strip off layers of big-ticket tech gear in anticipation of balmy times ahead, an anticipation that has lead me to drive 1,600 miles from Canada to the American Southwest for the privilege of joining Maggie Wilson, 40, and Mike Holmes, 36, of Magpie Adventures for a four-day guided pedal through this grand high desert. With at least 100 completed loops, they know the route better than anyone.
Fat Tire Bliss “Over there at Fossil Point is where they filmed the final scene of Thelma & Louise,” Mike with his trademark enthusiasm points out this quirky Hollywood factoid as we pour into Goosenecks Overlook. It’s here I get my first glimpse of the fudge-painted Colorado River as it turns on itself transporting the
THE WHITE RIM TRAIL | USA
landscape particle by particle. In the distance, separated by convoluted folds of sandstone is the adventure hub Moab and the snow dusted La Sal Mountains. We’ve only come eight miles and I can see the other riders are already overcome by this mountain bike Shangri-la. Beneath a blue sky and a dazzling, tepid sun, we spend the afternoon undulating past juniper and cacti in this generally sere landscape until shadows begin to slink across the trail. It’s apparent that the wide-open surroundings and fresh air is bringing out our juvenile sides as I gleefully race Tabi, my fellow Canuck travel companion, into the Airport Tower campground, startling a seldom-seen bighorn sheep into retreat. In no time our tent city, named for the 1,400-foot monolith watching over us, is transformed into a world class cookery. “We focus mostly on organic and locally grown foods,” Maggie informs us with
her consistently sprightly disposition as she and Mike rustle up miso soup and grilled salmon – not exactly fare that you’d expect in one of the nation’s most isolated places. Happily gourmandizing on Dutch oven apple crisp, we watch as the setting sun turns our environment into a fiery red mantle. With the crisp night air taking hold, we skitter to our tents to sleep the sleep of the dead. A strong desert chill is the only thing keeping me from rolling out my sleeping bag under the arching Milky Way overhead. Following a long day on the saddle, morning comes quickly, as the sky goes from dark to light. The easy start to the day, skirting past the overhung lips of Buck and Gooseberry canyons’ sheer, white-capped sandstone cliffs, is welcomed as my legs and lungs labour in this thin desert air. I also find myself struggling not to stop every few tire rotations to photograph this majestic mural. Monument Basin with its towering ivory topped
pinnacles alone takes a good chunk out of my memory card. But today’s highlight will not come on the bike.
Tent City “We’re totally stoked to get this site,” said Mike during our pre-trip meeting in Moab. His enthusiasm is the result of securing the White Crack campground. Located on a bluff overlooking the parks mysterious and beautiful Maze and Needles districts, this idyllic encampment is the White Rim’s most prized and most difficult to secure. A relatively short day on the trail affords us plenty of opportunity to hike down the multi-tinged canyon along a dilapidated road built to access the confluence of the Colorado & Green Rivers. On the way, we tread lightly around a myriad of limpid emphemeral pools. Throughout Canyonlands, sandstone basins collect rain water and wind-blown sediment, forming itsy-bitsy ecosystems. Able to tolerate
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ADVENTURE
Mountain Bikers along the White Rim Trail split their attention between topsy-turvy paths and blushed rock formations with serious backcountry karma.
extreme environmental fluctuations, pothole organisms like brine shrimp are as tough as they come. We’ll need to be just as tenacious to take on Murphy’s Hogback.
Climbing the Hogback Built by John and Otho Murphy in the early nineteen hundreds to move their cattle from the White Rim to the top of the Island in the Sky, Murphy’s Hogback is the trail’s most remorseless ascent, requiring a Herculean effort and the easiest gears possible just to get over the loose rocks perched on the steepest of inclines. Around each curve, my eyes follow the pencil line of dirt winding up the hogback as I beg the mountain bike gods for forgiveness. My pulse races as if I was on my first date. With lots of pushing and a bit of Hank Williams pumping out of Brian’s iPod, a climbing guide from Moab, we all eventually emerge at 5,200 feet with a panoramic view of Soda Springs Basin’s open expanse and the mammoth flushing Candlestick Tower rising from its basin floor. There, between bites of sandwiches under the hot yellow orb, we reflect on the climb’s relentless demeanour, the stunning scenery and the saneness of four riders zipping by in pursuit of conquering this vast path in a single day. With three lung-busting climbs and perpetually distracting geology, Lou Warner’s six-hour, thirty-six minute single day lap record seems more like urban legend than the granddaddy of fitness triumphs. Our four-day pace is agreeable, and with views like that of the Organ Rock formation reaching up along the shores of the Green River below, I have little doubt that I could ride here for weeks without getting homesick.
Need for Speed Tummies full, we flash happy-as-shit grins at each other as we launch ourselves off Hogback’s backside along exposed, sheer edges at breakneck speeds. Bounced around like a pinball on my hard-tail, I’m a little green-eyed at those with full-suspension bikes as sensitive as racehorses. As the track straightens out, Soda Springs Basin brings respite from the abrupt ups and downs, though I find myself occasionally airborne as I rattle 54 March 2013 EVENT TOURISM MAGAZINE
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THE WHITE RIM TRAIL | USA
off the slickrock bumps. Steep but short-lived, Turks Pass affords us a high perch to follow the trail back across the outstretched, water-eroded shelf to Murphy’s Hogback with a feeling that we ’re more than just observers in this giant land. Somehow we are part of it all. Responsibility comes with the honor of mountain biking in one of the country’s great parks. Take for example, commercial outfitters like Magpie, who are subject to all-embracing inspections from park rangers to ensure there is little impact from bipedal adventurers. We’re pleased as punch that Mike and Maggie have passed their equipment, services and environmental look-see so we can spend nights like this at Candlestick campground watching the satellites wink across a star-saturated sky, while Mike tells stories of past mountain bike outings gone awry. His account of an exposed, snowy night among the Colorado peaks would be excellent fodder for a survivor-like paperback. As a cloudless black sky gives way to displays of illumination on distant rock formations, early risers bear witness to the spectacle of the sun’s rays bringing warmth to the desert. With a morning repast of French toast and strong coffee energizing our muscles and spirits, we quickly break down our final camp in eager anticipation of getting to one of the White Rim’s many stop-and-gawk distractions.
Playing in the Mud Three bumpy kilometres (1.8 miles) from camp is Holeman slot canyon. Gleaming in the sun, this narrow canyon is the outcome of years of
relentless wearing by flash floods. Sliding down water-polished rock, we lower ourselves into deeply eroded notches as vertical cliffs above reduce the sky to a narrow ribbon of blue in a sea of red sandstone. Sections are so narrow that, despite being vertically challenged, I can touch both walls at the same time. A final testament to the last desert storm is the clay-bottom pools which prevent our further descent and turn my cycling shoes into globules of mud. I spend a good 15 minutes picking the clay out of my cleats as I will need them to be fully functional if I expect to pedal over Hardscrabble Hill.
Up, Up and Away Shifting into the lowest gears, we began the climb. Slow and steady. Through loose sand and over glazed rock, we tackle one switchback at a time. My leg muscles scream for relief as I emerge huffing and puffing at the 5,000 foot crest of Hardscrabble Hill to a cluster of cyclists resting their quivering legs and snapping photos of the verdant Green River below. I’m all over Maggie’s gastronomic dream trail-mix like a mountain lion on an unsuspecting deer. The trail now follows the watercourse with its fertile forest of tamarisk. We spot old uranium mines close to the track as rafters let the Green River’s current guide them south. The end is now in sight as we close in on one last challenge that is Mineral Bottom road. Just as the White Rim began with a big descent, so it must end with a hefty ascent.
Grunting upwards, I come to the conclusion that the White Rim is a reminder that the bicycle is a perfect machine for exploring Mother Nature’s most impressive creations. Diehard mountain bikers might think about overlooking this route for Moab’s steeper, gnarlier trails, but looking down wordlessly on this vast remote openness, I’m sure of one thing.
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72 Hours in
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72 HOURS IN PARADISE | HAWAII , USA
Paradise
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WEEKEND
Text: Sarah Johnson Photos: Hawaii Tourism Authority
A
t home, it took something pretty exceptional to get me out of bed before the sun had risen. Yet, given the opportunity to watch it rise over the turquoise waters of Maui, Hawaii’s second largest island, I jumped at the chance! The vantage point was the 3,007-metre summit of Mt. Haleakala (‘House of the Sun’), a dormant volcano in the Upcountry. Mt. Haleakala broke the water’s surface approximately 1.2 million years ago. It was here that Maui, a mythical Hawaiian figure, is said to have lassoed the sun, making it traverse the sky much slower, bringing more sunshine to the ‘Valley Isle’. The drive to the top was astounding. At 2.30am, we piled into our white, semi-convertible Jeep Amiga and drove for two hours, away from the Palm trees, resorts, sugar and pineapple plantations that pepper the low country, to the barren, rocky peak of a mountain that could disgorge red hot lava over its hapless visitors anytime! 60 March 2013 EVENT TOURISM MAGAZINE
Our ears popped relentlessly as we spiralled higher. We arrived to discover that we would share the first glimpse of dawn with a significant number of people, similarly eager to forego a night’s sleep in favour of the awesome spectacle that we felt sure awaited us. Shortly after 5 a.m, the initial beams, which appeared to come from within the volcano’s crater, pierced the horizon and the sun followed swiftly. By 5.30 a.m., we were driving back to the coast, where we sat on Wailea Beach and enjoyed a makeshift breakfast of bagels and cheese. Although feeling the effects of sleep deprivation, we unanimously concluded that our efforts had been rewarded. We had flown to Kahului on Maui’s north-west coast three days earlier – three days crammed with activity. En route to Lahaina, the historic whaling port that was capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom from 1802 till 1850 (when it was changed to Honolulu), we stopped in the I’ao Valley. Driving through the
72 HOURS IN PARADISE | HAWAII , USA
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WEEKEND
ravine, we had to slouch down in our seats and crane our necks to see the peaks of the towering mountains enveloping us. The centrepiece of this magnificent ‘Valley of Kings’ is the I’ao Needle, a 360-metre green, phallic monolith that seems to penetrate the clouds. That evening, we adjourned to the Old Lahaina Luau to experience some authentic Hawaiian culture. By this stage, I had been in Hawaii almost a week and must admit I was more than a little impatient to get ‘lei-ed’! After our customary lei greeting, we made a beeline for the bar, where we sampled a variety of tropical cocktails, including the delicious Lava Flows and Honey Girls. We watched the Kalua Pu’a (roast pork) being dug up from the Imu (underground oven), where it had been cooking since early morning. Then, drink in one hand and plate piled high with Hawaiian delicacies, such as Baked Mahi Mahi (Hawaii’s state fish) or Guava Chicken in the other, we settled down on cushions at our traditional table to a delicious meal. At sunset, we were treated to an impressive cultural performance that told the story of Hawaii’s history through dance. It began with the Ote’a, which 62 March 2013 EVENT TOURISM MAGAZINE
72 HOURS IN PARADISE | HAWAII , USA
portrayed the migration of the Polynesians to Hawaii and concluded with the modern Hula, which has been influenced by tourism and immigrants from other nations, including the Japanese and Filipinos. One of our greatest achievements in Maui was surviving the Hana Highway, which twists and turns more than 600 times through 52 meandering miles and across 54 one-lane bridges, many of which occur around blind corners! We journeyed safely to Hana, chauffeured by an American friend, but were subjected to a hair-raising return trip, thanks to the Michael Schumacher driving skills of a crazy Kiwi who was not in the least bit spooked by being on the ‘wrong’ side of the road! The road to Hana, rather than the township itself, was the reason for this expedition. Along the way, we passed countless waterfalls, Palm trees that bent over the road to greet us and around each curve, encountered a dramatic panorama, each more spectacular than the last. At Twin Falls, we stopped for Pineapple and Mango Smoothies from a thatched fruit stand on the roadside. Clutching our smoothies, we climbed a fence, went for a short hike along a dusty track and waded thigh-deep through a stream. Eventually reaching one of the Falls for which the area was named, we found that several fellow travellers had beaten us there, many of whom were clambering up mossy, volcanic rocks to leap from the top of the nine-metre waterfall. Despite the cast of thousands, it was stunning and worthy of our exertions. Our time in Maui was drawing to a close, but we had just enough time left to hit the beach! Kaanapali, situated on Maui’s west coast, was Hawaii’s first planned resort. Once a royal retreat, it harbours a three-mile stretch of white beach. Backed by a string of five-star hotels, two golf courses and numerous beachfront restaurants and swimwear shops, we found ourselves torn between lying prostrate on the sand and giving the plastic a workout. During that day, we engaged in both pursuits! Some of us even managed to squeeze in a parasailing excursion, where, suspended 240 metres over Maui’s transparent water and overlooking two of Maui’s neighbouring islands, Lana’i (‘The Secluded Island’) and Moloka’i (‘The Most Hawaiian Island’), we saw two late-migrating humpback whales. As I bade new friends farewell, I considered what Paradise meant to me. I decided that it was the majestic mountain vistas, but for those more attracted to the idea of a shoreline stay, Kaanapali was only one of the 81 beaches scattered along 120 miles of coastline. Plenty of spots to spread a towel.
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