Postcards - Karin Stronkhorst

Once when . . . postcard 5

2006-04-02T11:40:00.000+02:00

Based on the presentation by Bum Beekman and Peter Taminiau.

I am a big fan of travel stories, as long as they are telling an interesting or exiting story filled with encounters, knowledge or adventures that are new to me. I have read many brilliant epic stories and I always thought that ‘on the road’ stories would be just as intriguing. I guess I have to revalue this after hearing a presentation on this topic the other night.

‘The Motorcycle Diaries’ by Che Guevera is one of these ‘on the road’ books. I have encountered fellow travelers who were reading this book. On the question: ‘Is it a good book?’ they responded with an indifferent shrug. In this presentation it was made clear that ‘on the road’ stories emphasize on the inner dialogue. Travel should be about dialogue. It should be about the conversations held with people in different parts of the world, those are worth remembering, not just the writer’s thoughts.

The thought of the opening scene of the book ‘Au Pair’ by W.F. Hermans is the vision I got from this presentation. This scene is the longest and most boring scene I have ever read. A woman walks up the stairs in a Paris apartment building, having an inner dialogue on what seems every single step. I never made it past the third floor. After talking to a friend who read the book and said that the entire book was pretty much like that, I dropped it of at a second hand bookstore.

Postcard 5 . . . Lonely Planet

2006-03-13T09:37:00.000+01:00

Based on the story ‘Small pleasures in Piedmont’
Source: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/journeys/feature/piemonte06.cfm
supplied by Annebeth de Groot

Ever think of who you would invite if you were giving the ultimate dinner party? Next to Hillary Clinton and Susan Sarandon, I would definitely invite Tony and Maureen Wheeler.

Tony and Maureen Wheeler are the ultimate travelers. They made an overland journey from England to Australia, and in 1973 published their first travel guide. They continued on a 18 month journey in Asia, which resulted in their second guide; South East Asia on a shoestring. This guide sold over half a million copies and was the start of the now renowned company called Lonely Planet.

Many travelers who traveled the world in the eighties or nineties, called their Lonely Planet their bible. I experienced a huge variation in the quality of the books; this is of course a highly personal impression. For instance the Cuba guide was pretty much unreadable and often very confusing, the most brilliant edition in my opinion was the Cambodia guide, which read like a novel and provided clear and adequate information.

Over the years tourism has changed, including the attitudes and desires of the backpacker. Any company that wants to last multiple decades has to be willing to change and adapt to new market opportunities. Lonely planet has done so, and since 1999 the Lonely Planet guides are published on smaller areas and cities and provide information for middle range to top range travelers. They still publish their shoestring guides as well, but have lost part of their readers, myself included, to the Rough and Footprint guidebooks.

This Lonely Planet feature article I read on an area called Piedmont in Italy, is a typical Lonely Planet text on travel information. I do not really consider it a feature article as it is merely a story with detailed travel information. The text also portrays the new dawn of traveling the Lonely Planet Company now aims at. A high budget holiday, planned according to the LP’s suggestions. With it comes a vision of travelers walking around reading their guidebook and looking up when directed to do so. I have always found that reading a guidebook is supposed to get you started and give you ideas on where to stay and what to do. But after this you should venture out on your own and see where the day takes you. Carpe Diem.

Questions 5 - Lonely Planet

2006-03-11T21:34:00.000+01:00

Answers to questions on the article: ‘Small pleasures in Piedmont’
Link: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/journeys/feature/piemonte06.cfm
Questions by: Annebeth de Groot

Comprehension questions:

1 Does Turin have a nice nightlife?
Yes.

2 What does Gavi have to offer you?
Gavi is a charming hill town with cobbled streets and surrounded by vineyards. Special about Gavi is their Gelati, biscotti, Amaretti di Gavi and the Gavi di Gavi, a dry white whine from the area. You can also visit the Mediaeval fort and the San Giacomo, a 11th-century church.

3 What do the Genovese do in Gavi on a Sunday?
Eat, shop and check each other out.

4 Why are the pizzas at Pizzeria da Pietrino so delicious?
They make a very intense cream topping – for which they use fresh and local ingredients like porcini, truffle, pumpkin, olives or artichoke.

5 What is very useful in winter in the largest outlet mall in Europe?
The indoor playground

Vocabulary questions

6 Attest – confirm

7 Cringe – get embarrassed

8 Quaffable - drinkable

9 Churlish - impolite

10 Judicious – well thought out

Once when. . . Postcard 4

2006-03-03T02:40:00.000+01:00

Based on the presentation by Peter Taminiau.

Today we arrived in Havana. It was hot and our backpacks felt heavier by the minute. We took a taxi, a beautiful turquoise Plymouth. The interior was still like it had just driven of the factory line. It would have taken me straight into a fifties groove, if we had felt a bit more feminine. Right now we were sweaty, tired and wearing pants that were ready for a wash three days ago. Not a presence to make you feel remotely like Doris Day or Audrey Hepburn.

Luckily the casa particulare ‘our’ family in Viñales suggested, was as lovely as our hosts told us. A cold shower, short nap, clean clothes and a lovely fruit dish – these pineapples are to die for! – later we were ready to face the music.

Ten minutes into the streets we were as hot and sticky as two hours earlier, but we did not have to go very far, the music is everywhere, on every corner and from every building sounds emerge and salsa is everywhere and within everyone!

Postcard 4. . . Mongolia

2006-03-03T02:38:00.000+01:00

Based on the story ‘Mongolia than thou’
source: http://travel.guardian.co.uk/countries/story/0,7451,890533,00.html
supplied by Jeannette Snier

For some of us traveling, or dreaming about traveling, is like living a boy's adventure tale. Some people wish for MP3 players, shoes or jewelry. Others, like me, have a wish list containing destinations. And some of those make sure they get to check off some of these destinations. Been there, done that.

Well, this story about Mongolia, written by Lucy Corne will make you want to start planning your next journey. Combined with taking the Siberia express this may just be your journey of a lifetime.

When you do decide to make this trip it might be worth taking into account the Naadam Festival. This 3–day festival kicks off on July 11th and is held in the capital of Mongolia, Ulaan Baatar. Visiting Mongolia at this time will offer you a wonderful chance to meet, greet and mingle with the locals.

Naadam means competition in Mongolian and this traditional event started as a test of the courage and strength of warriors’ centuries ago. Nowadays Mongolian courage and strength is judged by their horseracing, archery and wrestling skills. Mongolian courage is not something that comes with age: toddlers, who have not mastered the skill of walking, are already entered in the 2 to 3 year old horse racing competition!

Besides the competitions, all of Ulaan Baatar is buzzing with activity. Food stalls, souvenir stands and Mongolian rules family games will keep you thoroughly entertained. If you are trying to paint a picture of the Naadam festival by reminiscing about Khao Pansa* you have witnessed in Laos, Cambodia or Thailand, you are not on the right track. The average boozing extravaganzas held in your hometown during Carnival might paint a better picture. I think a night on the town in Finland or a barbecue in Russia might give you a more appropriate idea of the alcohol consumption of the Mongolians. This of course will not stand in the way of the true explorer. However, on your to do list in preparing for this journey you might like to add: ‘work on your boozing skills’.

* Buddhist festival held in the 8th month to honor the Buddhist who are about to enter their 3 month retreat of meditation.

Questions 4 - Mongolia

2006-03-03T02:24:00.000+01:00

Answers to questions on the article: ‘Mongolia than thou’
Link:http://travel.guardian.co.uk/countries/story/0,7451,890533,00.html
Questions by: Jeannette Snier

1. What does the writer mean with ‘but equal rights is not an alien term’.
That woman's rights have made their way to Mongolia as well.

2. What does the writer mean when he says: Personally, I'd rather don pants and boots and challenge the largest of wrestlers than try to match a Mongolian male in a vodka downing competition.
That despite the fact she is absolutely sure she would loose a wrestling match, she would stand a better chance of winning then to challenge a drinking match. Apparently Mongolians drink a lot of vodka.

3. How does the writer show us that there is a bizarre mix of events?
She gives examples of the wide variety of unusual events.

4. What does the writer mean with: ‘Glastonbury goers don't know what they're missing.’
Glastonbury probably has its own share of mutton recipes but not this one.

5. ‘The timetable billed races for two and three year olds, and, on seeing the jockeys, we couldn't help wondering if the ages referred to the horses or their riders’. Why is the writer asking herself this question?
The jockeys seem even younger than that.

6. Managing to dodge the brollies.
Brollies is slang for umbrella’s which are blocking her view. She needs to look around them in order to see the events in the stadium.

7.Tiddly-winks - A family/party game, designed in 1955.

8. Marquees - I think it is the name of a pub or cafe

9. Makeshift - Temporary and less adequate substitute

10. a game of charades
Hints, as they probably weren’t able to communicate in the same language they had to use hand and motion to communicate.

Once when . . . Postcard 3

2006-02-26T05:35:00.000+01:00

Based on the presentation by Astrid Ulrich.

Today was my luckiest day ever! We spend the entire day strolling around Verona, just by following the senso unico road signs. We saw all the wonderful famous sights of the city, and much more, until we finally realized it meant one way road!

After watching the sun set over magnificent Verona we had diner at a lovely small family-run restaurant. With dinner we had our share of fine Italian wines and despite the fact that our feet did not particularly agree, we went for another stroll.

We ended up at the Arena di Verona, the Roman amphitheater which was built in AD 30. When we got closer to the building I was surprised and excited to hear the familiar sounds of Bjork. She was giving a live concert which had already started! I thought: ‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained’, or as the Chinese say: ‘You can’t find the Tiger cub without entering the Tigers den’. Or maybe it was just the wine speaking, but I walked up to the guard, put on my happy Dutch face and asked if we could go in.

. . . he said yes and my perfect day turned into a brilliant evening!

Postcard 3 - Yorkshire

2006-02-25T22:31:00.000+01:00

Based on the story ‘Chains of love’
Source: http://travel.guardian.co.uk/activities/cycling/story/0,,1695403,00.html
supplied by Astrid Ulrich

I just read this story called Chains of love, written by Liane Katz. The only thing I admire about this story is her ability to fill three pages with absolutely nothing. She initially gives the reader the impression it might be a quick and witty story, when she starts of with a couple of clever expressions in the beginning of the story. The title ‘Chains of Love’ has a double meaning. It refers to the chains on her tandem bike as well as the chains on her relationship.

The writer and her partner are spending a romantic weekend in a fancy hotel in the Yorkshire Dales. The Dales are valleys. She then fills an entire page talking about tandem cycling and what it means to her, compared to what it means to her husband. She tries to be all clever by trying to catch your attention with sayings like: ‘an abrupt halt’; oh my, oh my what would they have to halt abruptly for? Or ‘potential for arguments’; how exciting, what would they argue about? Well there was potential for some interesting anecdotes there but unfortunately she does not deliver.

When you have finally gotten through reading the very long and boring story of how to ride a tandem, she continues to describe the hotel she is staying in. The information she offers on the hotel range from a description of her bedroom to listing all the activities you can participate in while staying at this hotel. I would not be surprised if the information on the hotels’ website would provide a more intriguing read then this epistle!

Then to finish of the level of boredom drops even further when she continues to write about, not only the restaurant they went too to have dinner, but actually lists what they had to eat there as well! So I would definitely not recommend you to read this story. This is not to say that the place might not be worth the visit. If you are a bit of a hiker, it might just be your cup of tea!

Questions 3 - Yorkshire

2006-02-25T22:15:00.000+01:00

Answers to questions on the article: ‘Chains of love’
Link: http://travel.guardian.co.uk/activities/cycling/story/0,,1695403,00.html
Questions by: Astrid Ulrich

1. Why did they have an abrupt halt?
Because the chain had flown off its cogs.

2. Why was there the potential for arguments?
They had to rely on each other, the dependency might cause irritation.

3. Why does riding a tandem mirror a relationship?
In both cases you have to put in the effort and keep working at it.

4. Name one of the less romantic things of the hotel room
They had a creaky bed.

5. Do you have any idea what she saw while she was cycling?
They saw the country side of the Yorkshire Dales, including the Bolton Priory and Bolton Abbey estate. [A dale is an old fashioned word for valley, now used mainly in place – names in Northern England. The expression ‘I went up hill and down dale’ means you went somewhere by a long, slow, or winding road.]

6. What does ‘solo slogging’ mean?
Slogging means you work hard and steadily at it. The solo refers to the fact that she was not contributing to biking the tandem. Therefore her father had to slog through it solo.

7. What do they mean by ‘powerless to power on’?
They were eager to keep their bike trip going, but could not continue as the chains had flown off.

8. What does ‘ventured’ mean?
You say or ask something in a cautious, hesitant manner because you are afraid it might be stupid or wrong.

9. What does ‘undeterred’ mean?
She did not feel discouraged to continue despite the fact that she found it very scary.

10. What does ‘shrouded’ mean?
Hidden by.

Once when. . . Postcard 2

2006-02-11T17:57:00.000+01:00

Based on the presentation by Annebeth de Groot.

At the East German border I saw watchtowers, barbed wire, soldiers, big lights and concrete buildings. It was all very intimidating. The bus drove straight through Eastern Germany, we didn’t stop once! It was raining so the view was not very good. When we got to the Polish border we stopped. A man in uniform came to get our passports. He looked angry and then we waited, and waited, and yes we waited some more. Four hours later we were allowed to cross the border. I wanted to ask why we had to wait but mom said shhh.

When we arrived with the family I was very tired. The next day we went sightseeing in a Trabant. The funniest thing happened, we got stuck in traffic by some parked cars and some men lifted the car up with us in it! It was more exciting then the rollercoaster we rode last summer!

Postcard 2 - the Philippines

2006-02-11T17:12:00.000+01:00

Based on the story ‘the far side’
Source: http://travel.guardian.co.uk/saturdaysection/story/0,,1701491,00.html
supplied by Kim van Os

If you are backpacking in order to meet, party, travel or fall in love with fellow kinsmen, then the Philippines might not be the place for you. If you, on the other hand, appreciate to witness a country not affected by heavy tourism, this is definitely the place to go.

The stairway to heaven with the village Batad in the centre is called the eighth wonder of the world by the Filipinos. They have every right to do so. Although it misses the grandeur of the pyramids or Angkor Wat, it is an awe inspiring and breathtaking place to visit.

The average world wonder - off and on the record - endures masses of tourists and most of us accept this and make the most of our hard earned visit anyway. I remember getting up at 4am in Luxor so that I could enter the Luxor Temple at opening hour 4.30 am. One of my ultimate travel moments followed. I was able to have the entire place all to myself, I wandered the entire length of the Temple while the sun was rising and shining its first beams through the windows onto the hidden hieroglyphs. In Batad there is no need to get up to avoid the masses.

The Philippines is also a place of leisurely travel. Kind people with reasonable negotiation skills and the use of English as an official language make it an easy place to travel. If you are looking for a typical Asian encounter you might be surprised. There is nothing typical about the Philippines. It provides an intriguing mixture of cultures. Four hundred years of Spanish rule has created an Asian Christian country where manaña equals Filipino time!

One major drawback for me is that, like in Thailand, the fact that you arrive in the Capitol. Although I have stopped five times in Bangkok, I have not been able to force myself to explore the city. Visiting the major highlights was not even in my schedule. That is how fast I want to get out! The same goes for Manila. The first day I spent organizing how to get out and the second day I got out!

Questions 2 - the Philippines

2006-02-11T16:06:00.000+01:00

Answers to questions on the article: ‘the far side’
Link: http://travel.guardian.co.uk/saturdaysection/story/0,,1701491,00.html
Questions by: Kim van Os

1. What are the reasons tourism has never taken off in the Philippines?
It is not a well known destination – partly because of its location – it lays between Asia and Micronesia; Because of activities of Muslim separatists in parts of the country; there are seven thousand islands and it is hard to know where to start.

2. What does the writer tell about the surroundings of the place which caused him to fall in love with the Philippines?
He likes it because it is not part of the backpackers’ superhighway. It has great natural beauty which is not spoiled by tourism yet.

3. What is said about the ‘stairways to heaven’, why were they created?
The stairways to heaven are rice terraces that are still in use today.

4. What do the Filipinos call the eight wonder of the world?
The village of Batad

5. Describe the culture of the Philippines.
The population is a melting pot of Malay, Chinese, Spanish and American. It is a mishmash of cultures. They were ruled by Spain for 400 years until 1898 when the Americans took over for the first half of the 20th century. This has created an Asian country with a Christian culture and English as an official language. The Spanish ethic of manaña is still present.

Give the synonyms of the following words:

6. Exhortation: Persuasion
7. Cavernous: Spacious
8. Audacious: Daring
9. Cascade: Drop - surge
10. Epitomize: Personify

Postcard 1 - Iceland

2006-02-11T15:10:00.000+01:00

Based on the story ‘Steaming ahead’
source: http://travel.guardian.co.uk/countries/story/0,7451,1239343,00.html
supplied by Maria Mcleod

After dealing with the smells of volcanic Roturua in New Zealand, I vowed to never set foot on volcanic soil again. And yet, here I am.

The good part of taking a plane from Heathrow, is that no matter where you land, the airport is always a welcomed heaven of tranquility compared to the ordeal you just survived! Copenhagen is still my number one, but the airport at Keflavik makes for a good second.

The driver suggested a visit to the Blue Lagoon - unfortunately no sign of Christopher Atkins anywhere, or colorful parrots – instead a lovely hot azure pool. While enjoying this leisurely visit, I pondered, yet again, the stupidity of mankind, for building a horrendous power station at a site like this. But when reading the Blue Lagoon information leaflet, I learned it is not a natural spring at all. It was created by the power station! Then the thought of nuclear activity arose in my ever worrying mind, leading my mind to drift to movies like Silkwood. The hot water suddenly did not feel bounteous to me anymore and I got out to enjoy the rest of the day in a more chilling Icelandic climate.

We left the sulfate smells behind and drove to Myrdalsjokull, the smallest glacier of Iceland and closest to the capital. The view was stunning; we had a clear day and stood in awe of the various natural elements we witnessed from just one spot on earth; rolling hills, beating waves, pristine islands and huge glaciers.

Unfortunately, like the reports have suggested, life is, as in all western countries, pricy in Iceland. A beer will cost you around six pounds a pint and all the tours or activities might cause an overdraft on your credit card. On the other hand there is plenty to do without spending a penny. A stroll through Reykjavik turned out to be my favorite pastime during the long summer evenings. Marveling at the colorful houses and dreaming of all the lovely pixies living their lives in the adorable pixie houses the Icelandic people have provided for them.

Questions 1 - Iceland

2006-02-11T15:01:00.000+01:00

Answers to questions on the article: ‘Steaming Ahead”
Link: http://travel.guardian.co.uk/countries/story/0,7451,1239343,00.html
Questions by: Maria Mcleod

1. What did the English football commentator mean by saying that the various Gudjonssons weren’t necessarily related?
He makes a joke to emphasize the fact that Iceland has only 300.000 inhabitants, compared to the 50.1 million inhabitants of England not a lot of people!

2. Why didn’t the players have the same surname as their father, Gudjon?
Most Icelandic surnames are based on patronymy, the adoption of the father's first given name. For example, Magnus and Anna, children of a man named Petur, would hold the surname Petursson and Petursdottir, respectively. Magnus' children, in turn, would inherit the surname Magnusson, while Anna's children would claim their father's first given name as their surname. Women normally maintain their original surnames after marriage. This system of surnames is required by law, except for the descendants of those who had acquired family names before 1913. Most Icelanders, while reserved by nature, rarely call each other by their surnames, and even phone directories are based on first names.

3. What does the smart new airport make the author wonder about?
That Iceland might be more open to, or eager to develop, new technology then England.

4. Why does the author wish she had paid more attention in the geography lessons?
If she had paid more attention she might know more about the various elements of Iceland’s nature. Like knowledge of the glaciers, rock formations, Lava etc.

5. Iceland has a lot of rift valleys. Why, do you think?
A rift valley is a valley created by the formation of a rift. They are created by movement of the earth, eruptions of volcanoes often create rift valleys. Rift valleys typically appear as a downdropped graben between a pair of faults, or vertical Earth movements. Rift valleys are often associated with and flanked by volcanoes.

6. What does silted mean? (p. 3)
It means that fine sand, soil or mud was carried along with the water, this caused the channels to fill and the lake to form.

7. What are boulders? (p. 7)
big rounded rocks

8. What does swath mean? (p. 9)
A long strip of land that is different in some way from the land on either side of it.

9. What are pixie houses? (p. 12)
Houses for pixies to live in. A Pixie is an (imaginary) little creature like a fairy, which has pointed ears and a pointed hat.

10. What does execrable mean? (p. 14)
bad or unpleasant

Once when . . . postcard 1

2006-02-04T20:20:00.000+01:00

Remember the other day we discussed what is and what is not interesting to read? Coincidence or faith… but we actually discussed this in this new class I am taking right now!

We read this article by Mark Mardon on the precise art of Travel Writing, he emphasizes the importance of an elusive metaphor. Interestingly some of the issues he addresses are quite obvious but he is very clear on how and what emotions to reveal when writing a travel story. I remember having a hard time reading some of the stories my friends wrote on their last world trip. I enjoyed keeping track of their journey, but the monotony of stating details of their route often made me loose my concentration.

Another aspect he finds essential is honesty. ‘Truth is essential’ He is talking about bravado being alright as long as it is done with taste or humor, but cheap thrills, or insincerity will turn your readers against you. This I thought was an interesting idea to address. How about you as traveler, are you sincere towards your fellow travelers? Are you being truthful, as a writer, what your intentions are? What makes the writer a sincere traveler with a pen and when is he a hypocrite with a pen?