Culture shock rocks

As my Twitter followers may know, I’ve spent the last few weeks researching and booking a trip to Japan – a country which I‘ve longed to explore for years.

During my stay I plan to spend a couple of nights at a traditional Japanese ryokan and have been trawling the net for recommendations. Reading some of the reviews on sites such as TripAdvisor, however, I was shocked at the refusal to embrace other cultures displayed by some travellers.

One lady rated her stay in a Japanese inn as ‘terrible’ because she had to remove her shoes before entering the building and found little furniture in the room, yet these aspects form a central part of Japanese etiquette and traditional décor. Other reviewers criticised hotel staff for not speaking much English, clearly expecting their hosts to learn their language rather than making any effort themselves.

I find such attitudes baffling – for me, one of the joys of travelling is experiencing different cultures and getting to knew the quirks of the places I visit. Yes, the idiosyncrasies can be confusing and, at times, our resulting gaffes are embarrassing, but they are also fascinating. I once attempted to eat raw noodles in Hong Kong after failing to realise I’d walked into a ‘cook it yourself’ restaurant. My bewilderment caused hilarious laughter among the families seated around me before a kind waiter pointed out my error, but the experience now conjures up fond memories of my trip.

Surely if you want to stay somewhere which is just like home, you should just stay at home?

Helping South Africa’s big cats through responsible tourism

I often wonder how many of the thousands of tourists who flock to South Africa’s game reserves every year are aware of the dangers facing the country’s big cats. 

Unlike elephants and rhino, big cat species enjoy little international protection and farming, hunting and urbanisation have placed increasing pressures on their numbers. In fact, the lion population throughout Africa has dropped by 50% in the past twenty years, while the number of wild cheetahs in South Africa has fallen to less than 900, partly as a result of farmers shooting them to reduce the threat to their livestock. 

Encouragingly, though, South Africa is now home to a number of initiatives which aim to redress the balance and provide a more secure future for these spectacular felines. Several of these projects allow visitors to view their work in action and I have been lucky enough to visit a few, so here’s a round-up of some of the options. 

Meeting Enigma the cheetah at the Spier estate

First up is the Cheetah Outreach Programme at the Spier wine estate near Stellenbosch. Set up to assist the international Cheetah Conservation Fund, its cats form part of an education programme which targets children and farmers. Visitors can pay to enter the enclosure for a face to face encounter, with proceeds funding the programme and a sister project which supplies dogs to farmers to protect livestock and prevent shootings.

Another Western Cape initiative can be found at Inverdoorn Game Reserve, which lies in the Karoo some three hours north of Cape Town. Funded by the income generated from the reserve’s gamedrives, its cheetah rehabilitation centre provides specialised care and a controlled breeding programme. Visitors are able to visit the centre at feeding time, entering the cheetahs’ huge enclosure in open jeeps for a close-up view of their speed and prowess.  

Elsewhere in South Africa, the Cheetah Rehabilitation Project near Parys breeds cheetahs for re-introduction into the wild. Since 2001 it has successfully raised 20 young cats and now offers a range of volunteering stays ranging from two weeks to three months.

Finally, Boskoppie Lion Park in Free State offers two-week volunteering holidays as part of its carnivore breeding programme. A friend of mine has just returned from such a trip and spent most of her time acting as surrogate mother to five boisterous lion cubs, as well as delivering adult cats to game reserves elsewhere to help maintain their populations. For those with less time to spare, the park also opens for guided tours on Sunday afternoons.

Spier Estate – www.spier.co.za

Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) – www.cheetah.org

Inverdoorn Game Reserve – www.inervdoorn.com

South African Cheetah Rehabilitation Project – www.africanimpact.com

Boskoppie Lion Park – www.boskoppie.co.za

Surviving the long-haul (even if you’re tall…)

A six foot-plus friend of mine has just booked a flight to Australia with Air Asia, one of the world’s few long-haul budget airlines. Being quite tall myself I struggle to spend any more than three hours in the cramped seats offered by low-cost carriers, so I feel his decision is perhaps a brave one. Yet there are ways to make flying more bearable, whatever the airline.

Bagging the best seat

Finding a good seat is crucial, so I’d recommend using www.seatguru.com, which allows you to view seating plans by airline and aircraft type to find out which rows have the best legroom and which are worth avoiding (for example those by the toilets and the galley, which can be very noisy). I certainly wish I’d checked it out earlier this year when I ended up spending a 23-hour flight from Sydney in one of the few seats onboard the Qantas A380 which doesn’t recline.

Most airlines, including Qantas and Virgin Atlantic, will let you choose your seat when you book, although British Airways charges an additional cost for reserving seats prior to check-in. Both BA and Virgin Atlantic, however, offer the opportunity to pay around £50 more to sit on one the coveted emergency exit rows, which provide several inches of extra leg room. You can do this between ten and four days before travel with British Airways or at check-in with Virgin Atlantic, but bear in mind you will be moved if you are not deemed able to open the emergency doors by the cabin crew.

If you’re flying on a carrier with unallocated seating you may be offered the option of paying for priority boarding to get the first pick, but there are ways to increase your chances of a good seat without shelling out. Firstly, check in as early as possible to get a place in the first boarding group and hover by the gate so you can be at the front of the queue when your flight is called. If you’re taken to the plane via bus then try to stand at the same end of the vehicle as the priority boarders, as the doors here will be opened first when you reach the aircraft. I have twice managed to grab an exit seat by using this trick, although it’s by no means guaranteed.

Onboard essentials

Key to onboard comfort is dressing in loose, soft clothing rather than jeans, as the body naturally expands during flight. What’s more, aircraft cabins can get chilly so I always wear layers and travel with a pashmina and a pair of cosy socks.

I also take a neck pillow as they are far more supportive then the cushions provided onboard. And, although many airlines hand out eye masks, it’s always worth taking your own in case they’re not available; one friend of mine got so desperate to sleep during an Air Canada flight that she took off one of her socks – which happened to be bright pink – and tied it round her head to block out the light. If you suffer from painful ears during flights then avoid using earplugs, however, as they prevent your ears from adapting to the changing pressure as the plane ascends and descends.

I always take off my make-up as soon as I board the flight then slather on moisturiser and lip balm to prevent any discomfort from the dry air onboard. I also use eye drops, sip lots of water and spray on lavender-scented sleep mist to help me drift off (Molton Brown does a great version which is small enough to avoid the liquid restrictions at security).

Finally comes to the tricky question of jet lag. I find I suffer far less on night flights as they make it easier for me to reset my body clock, but whether or not you have the option of flying overnight depends on your destination – it’s near impossible to find a night flight from Tokyo to the UK or from the UK to the US, for example. I also try to adapt my routine to the time at my destination by altering my meals accordingly, but this is not always possible if the food onboard is served at set times.

Spooky suggestions for Halloween breaks

I have to confess to having a bit of a secret interest in all things paranormal, so I was intrigued to read that English Heritage is preparing for Halloween by launching an online map of the UK’s most haunted spots.

I’ve visited a few locations which have sent a chill or two down my spine, so I thought I’d add to its suggestions with my own recommendations for destinations where you might just experience things that go bump in the night…

Edinburgh 

Edinburgh doesn’t feature on English Heritage’s list for obvious reasons, but its macabre reputation shows no signs of abating. It boasts a number of spooky sights, from crowded cemeteries and the reputedly haunted Castle to the Blair Street vaults, where grave-snatchers used to hide bodies and the city’s most disreputable inhabitants would congregate. Also well worth a visit is St Mary King’s Close – a warren of hidden streets beneath the Royal Mile whose former residents are said to linger to this day.    

Mercat Tours, which claims to run Edinburgh’s original ghost walk, offers a chilling evening of entertainment which covers all of the above and ends with a well-needed drink in a candle-lit pub.

York 

Often lauded as Europe’s most haunted city, York is rumoured to contain more than 140 ghosts within its walls, from Roman garrisons marching through the cellars of the historic Treasurer’s House to the spectre of Henry VIII’s unfortunate fourth wife Catherine Howard, who reportedly walks through walls at the King’s Manor.

Blood-chilling tales of murder, tragedy and gruesome revenge can be heard on the Ghost Trail of York, a nightly guided walk which leaves from the West entrance of York Minster.

Derby 

Derby often vies with York for the title of most haunted city and was once crowned ‘ghost capital of Britain’ by the BBC. Its location in the very centre of the UK has certainly left an interesting legacy, encompassing links with Bonnie Prince Charlie and a strong Viking connection which is still evident in the city’s street names.  

Most of Derby’s ghostly sightings centre around the historic streets of Sadler Gate, Friar Gate and Iron Gate, where a Victorian lady in blue haunts the Bell Hotel and a man in Jacobite dress roams the area near the Cathedral. Perhaps the city’s most famous haunted spot is the former Derby Gaol, now a museum, where countless condemned prisoners were held and where a fascinating ghost walk now departs several times a week.

Bath

Bath’s elegant Georgian terraces are home to more genteel but no less fascinating ghosts and ghouls. These include the Theatre Royal’s Grey Lady, the ‘signing lady’ of Royal Crescent, a man dressed in black at the Assembly Rooms and a spectral re-enactment of an 18^th century dual on Gravel Walk. 

Guided tours operated by Ghost Walks of Bath take place every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm.

Bristol

Bristol’s paranormal side may not be as well-known as the above cities, but it has still experienced a few of its own ghostly goings-on. Besides, it’s my home city and I’m biased, so it had to be included somewhere on the list.

Bristol’s spooks include a grey monk who disappears into walls at the cathedral, a Victorian servant on the Christmas Steps and a highway man on Pembroke Road, but perhaps most famous among the city’s haunted locations is Brunel’s SS Great Britain, the world’s first ocean liner, where a long-deceased captain is said to wander the decks.

English Heritage – www.english-heritage.org.uk/halloween

St Mary King’s Close – www.realmarykingsclose.com

Mercat Tours – www.mercattours.com

The Ghost Trail of York – www.ghosttrail.co.uk

Derby Gaol – www.derbygaol.com

Ghost Walks of Bath – www.ghostwalksofbath.co.uk

SS Great Britain – www.ssgreatbritain.org 

Barcelona: there’s life beyond the Ramblas

The Sagrada Familia viewed from the roof of La Pedrera

Barcelona has suffered a fair bit of bad press over recent weeks, with numerous articles, tweets and blog posts focusing on the growing crime wave targeting Las Ramblas and the surrounding Old Town.

In 2004 I spent six months living in Barcelona and rapidly fell in love with its vibrant culture, mind-boggling architecture and confident outlook, so it’s sad to hear that one of the city’s best loved streets is deteriorating to such an extent. But I would urge visitors not be put off by the horror stories which are currently circulating, as there is much more to Barcelona than the Ramblas.

While the Old Town and the neighbouring Barri Gòtic and Born areas certainly merit a lot of attention, my favourite part of Barcelona is by far the Eixample. Built as the city expanded in the nineteenth century, the district’s name translates as ‘widening’ and its tree-lined avenues provide a glimpse of the city’s industrial and cultural heyday, when a confident brand of Catalan nationalism began to emerge. Its elegant streets span out in a grid formation from the main thoroughfares of Passeig de Gràcia, Rambla de Catalunya, Gran Via and Avinguda Diagonal and are lined with pavement cafés, small museums and boutiques, while the buildings boast wrought-iron balconies and beautifully carved doors and shutters.

The Eixample’s big draws are its stunning examples of Antonio Gaudí’s modernista architecture, including Casa Milà (affectionately known as La Pedrara – the ‘rock pile’), Casa Batllò and of course the soaring cathedral of the Sagrada Familia – still incomplete more than a hundred years after construction began. The organic forms and vivid colours of the buildings were strongly influenced by Catalonia’s landscapes, from the Mediterranean coast to the twisted rock formations of nearby Monserrat, and reflect a forward-thinking, expressive attitude which continues to drive the city today.

Also worth exploring is Gràcia, a jumble of streets and local squares lying just beyond the Eixample. While it houses no major sights, the area is crammed with restaurants, bars and galleries, where arty types mingle with the local population. I also spent many happy hours wandering around Barceloneta, the city’s port district, whose narrow streets boast a plethora of seafood restaurants and somehow manage to combine a gritty urbanism with the quaint atmosphere of a fishing village.

Finally, for breathtaking views of the city and the surrounding countryside hop onboard the antique tram and connecting funicular railway to Mount Tibidabo. Visible from almost anywhere in the city, this large hill looms above the streets below and is topped by a giant statue of Christ almost akin to that in Rio.

Of course the above recommendations encompass only a fraction of this diverse, bustling city, but wherever you choose to explore make sure you venture away from the Old Town and discover the city beyond the Ramblas.

Barcelona Tourism – www.barcelonaturisme.com