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	<title>Flavour of vacation &#187; couple</title>
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		<title>Relax on the beach</title>
		<link>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/relax-on-the-beach/</link>
		<comments>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/relax-on-the-beach/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 Jun 2011 08:09:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[access]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adventure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[attraction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[banana]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[banana boat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beach]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beach house]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beaches]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beautiful ones]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[boat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[castle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[center]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[check]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[city]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[couple]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[course]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[definition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Don]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[entertainment center]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[entertainment entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[facility]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family vacation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fun on the beach]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hotel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[house]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[journey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kind]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[luxury]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mexico]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[motivation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[option]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[parents]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[peak]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[peak seasons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[person]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[point]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pool]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[professional worker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pub]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pub bar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Relaxing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[restaurant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rocky point beach]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seafood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seafood restaurant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sunbath]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vacation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[view]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Working]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[worry]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.virtualtraverse.com/?p=86</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Working hard, play hard, that words often being said by professional worker whom almost don&#8217;t have time just for relaxing. Working hard, I think every person have different definition on working, but play hard is not that vary, most of it is about entertainment.
Entertainment for single persons, might be going to entertainment center, pub, bar, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Working hard, play hard, that words often being said by professional worker whom almost don&#8217;t have time just for relaxing. Working hard, I think every person have different definition on working, but play hard is not that vary, most of it is about entertainment.</p>
<p>Entertainment for single persons, might be going to entertainment center, pub, bar, etc., but for couple or married persons, those kind of thing might not be able to share with their family, then the option goes on family vacation. Most of persons choose to the beach, when deciding, why? because beaches are easy to access, and usually near to cities, so that they still able to feel city luxury as well.<br />
<span id="more-86"></span><br />
Relaxing on the beach house, might be difficult thing to reserve, especially during peak seasons, so its recommended to book it first. With journey and adventure motivation, check out <a href="http://www.seasidemexico.com" target="_blank">rocky point beach house</a>. Its located on Mexico, enjoy the luxury of relax on the beach house.</p>
<p>The great thing about beach house are you still able to have city facility, and off course with different kind of view, a beautiful ones. Don&#8217;t worry about food, near the beaches you&#8217;ll be able to find seafood restaurant, and for family activities, you could do several things on the beach.</p>
<p>Parents might like to sunbath, while children like to build castle of sands, if you like some challenging activities, try snorkeling, riding banana boat, or other kind of beach attraction. For luxury access, some hotel or resorts usually offer facilities such as massaging, pool, etc.</p>
<p>Have fun on the beach.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The flavor of Austria</title>
		<link>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/the-flavor-of-austria/</link>
		<comments>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/the-flavor-of-austria/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Mar 2010 05:27:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Europe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[accidental]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alpenhaus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[alpine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[alpine meadow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[André]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[answer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Attached]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Austrian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bike]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bloom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brew]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brewery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[center]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chatty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cheese]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cold winters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[couple]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cream]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dining]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dinner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Emmenthaler]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[everything]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[experience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fall]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[fare]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[flower boxes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Flute]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foliage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fondue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[full bloom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[german dishes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Germania]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Green Mountains]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[half]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Innsbruck]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[inquire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kaesespaetzle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kitsbuhl]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lack]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leaf]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leaf peepers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lederhosen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lodge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Long Trail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lunch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[macaroni]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Magic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[matter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[meadow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[menu]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mount Mansfield]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mountain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mozart]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mozart festival]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mushroom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New York]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Noel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[none]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Northeastern U.S.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Northern Lights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[notch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[number]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[offer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[owner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[page]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pancake]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[state of vermont]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[story]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stowe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stowe Mountain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stowe mountain resort]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[strudel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Swisspot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[symbol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tea]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[theme]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Touring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[town]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trapp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trapp family lodge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trapp lodge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tyrol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[valley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[variety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vegetarian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vermont]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vienna]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[view]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[village]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[visible symbol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Von]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[von trapp family]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Weizen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weizen beer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[white flower]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wiessner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Woods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wursts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[year]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.virtualtraverse.com/?p=29</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The view of the valley is perfect from the alpine meadow, as we sit warm in the sun, listening to The Magic Flute at the annual Mozart Festival.  This could easily be Salzburg or Kitsbuhl, but actually is the mountain village of Stowe in the Northeastern U.S. state of Vermont.  Stowe lies in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/austria-valley.jpg"><img src="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/austria-valley-150x150.jpg" alt="" title="austria-valley" width="150" height="150" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-37" /></a>The view of the valley is perfect from the alpine meadow, as we sit warm in the sun, listening to The Magic Flute at the annual Mozart Festival.  This could easily be Salzburg or Kitsbuhl, but actually is the mountain village of Stowe in the Northeastern U.S. state of Vermont.  Stowe lies in the heart of the Green Mountains, where the cold winters make for fantastic snow sports, and the fall brings leaf peepers to see the foliage.  I’m most fond of the summers though, when the forest seems to be in full bloom, and the weather is pleasant. <span id="more-29"></span></p>
<p>It’s not accidental that this small town feels like the Alps, and there is no more visible symbol of this than the Trapp Family Lodge.  The Austrian inspired lodge and resort is operated by actual members of the Von Trapp family, whose story was told in the Sound of Music.  The main lodge is right out of the Tyrol, with dark woods and balconies lined with bright red and white flower boxes.  This theme is carried on by a number of other lodges (Northern Lights Lodge, Innsbruck Inn), and private residences around town.   </p>
<p>While you will rarely encounter hikers in Lederhosen, there are outdoor activities of all kinds including miles of trails at the Trapp Lodge and Stowe Mountain Resort Touring Centers, Wiessner Woods and the Long Trail, all of which are free off season (and off-leash dog friendly).  There is also a scenic greenway and paved bike path that winds lazily for five and a half miles from the village center, crisscrossing the road and river leading to Mount Mansfield past shops, restaurants and a pub or two.  Make sure to stop at the Shed Brewery for a local brew on the patio overlooking the path…if you’re lucky they may have their Weizen beer on tap.  </p>
<p>Alongside the pubs, Stowe is dotted with excellent chef-owned restaurants specializing in regional and seasonal fare, often using local ingredients.  A few offer Austrian and German dishes, and the most authentic of these is an unassuming (and unadvertised) place called the Alpenhaus, where chatty owner André Noel will greet you, inquire as to whether you have a reservation, and regardless of your answer, lead you to an almost always empty dining room.  </p>
<p>Despite the lack of crowds, the dinner menu is authentic and extensive, with everything made extremely well from the highest quality regional products.  The dishes include a whole page of Schnitzels, potatoes in pancake, dumpling and soup forms, and quite a few vegetarian options, including one of my all time favorites, Kaesespaetzle, a decadent macaroni and cheese made with top notch New York Emmenthaler.  Attached is the Vienna Tea Room serving lunch and decadent pastries that are seriously worthy of Stephensplatz. </p>
<p>The Trapp Lodge also offers an Austrian Tea Room with a variety of Wursts, baked goods and desserts, while their Dining Room provides a more formal setting with a few German inspired dishes including an excellent mushroom strudel in a fresh herb cream sauce with cranberries.  In the center of the village, comprised of a couple blocks of storefronts and restaurants is a Swiss restaurant called the Swisspot offering all kinds of wonderful fondue and European dishes.     </p>
<p>In all, Stowe offers beautiful alpine scenery, a plethora of outdoor activities no matter what time of year, and for those of us who are in love with Germania, an authentic experience like none other I have seen in the United States.  </p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Bay Island on Honduras</title>
		<link>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/bay-island-on-honduras/</link>
		<comments>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/bay-island-on-honduras/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Mar 2010 04:19:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[accommodation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[activity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[affair]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anything]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[bar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[barracuda]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[caribbean ocean]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Central American]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Xijing]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.virtualtraverse.com/?p=24</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Time really does slow down on an island, which is hard to comprehend for those of us caught up in the fast paced pressure cooker of modern society, but it’s the single thing I enjoy most about the island life.  The smaller the island, the slower the pace, and the first one I visited [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/bay-island.jpg"><img src="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/bay-island-150x150.jpg" alt="" title="bay-island" width="150" height="150" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-41" /></a>Time really does slow down on an island, which is hard to comprehend for those of us caught up in the fast paced pressure cooker of modern society, but it’s the single thing I enjoy most about the island life.  The smaller the island, the slower the pace, and the first one I visited was also the tiniest I’ve been to, but it was just this smallness that made it such a special place.  In the southern Caribbean Ocean, just north of the Central American nation of Honduras are the Bay Islands, a string of three small tropical islands, of which westernmost Utila is the smallest.</p>
<p>Known in backpacker circles as a great, cheap place to get your scuba diving certification, Utila offers little more to do, but plenty to enjoy.  Like the other Bay Islands, Utila is reached by a short ferry ride from the mainland coastal city of La Ceiba.  Unlike the rest of Honduras, English is more widely spoken than Spanish, and the native inhabitants are primarily Garifuna, descendants of Black Caribs, giving it a much different feel than the rest of the country.  Tourism has become the primary source of income, and Honduras recently made Utila a tax-free zone to encourage its further development, as well as standardizing scuba diving rates (read this as get there now before it gets overdeveloped).<span id="more-24"></span></p>
<p>Arriving at the docks is a mellow affair, with few or no hawkers, so take your time walking the several blocks of accommodations and dive shops before choosing.  The main road goes in both directions along the coast as well as going straight ahead to the uninhabited North side of the island, where the road literally just ends at an empty beach.  Most people come for the diving, and there are several places that offer free dives, dive courses and accommodation.  We stayed at Cross Creek, one of the larger hotels and dive centers, and signed up for the beginning PADI dive certification course.</p>
<p>Like most inexpensive dive centers, Cross Creek is a magnet for traveling young people from around the world, either learning to dive, or master divers plying their trade.  We stayed in the clean and sparse hotel, which was a single row of small rooms with fans and small beds, fronted by an open terrace perfect for hanging hammocks and lounging.  There is a restaurant and bar on site, which the dive masters are required to work at to earn their keep, but often was not open.  The dive course involves classroom training a couple hours each evening, and diving from about 6 to 1 each morning, including quite of bit of prep time getting the gear ready and cleaning it when you return.  The remainder of the time we were free to explore the island, although often exhausted from the rigors of diving. </p>
<p>Utila was hot, really hot, probably the hottest place I had ever been to that point.  By the end of the first day, I was walking everywhere shirtless and had given up trying to protect against the sand fly bites that now covered my body.  The heat is really what creates the slowness of island life though, and you can’t really have one without the other.  A siesta is normally taken in the midday, as it’s really too hot to do anything and much of the activity is in the relatively cooler mornings and evenings.  </p>
<p>Fresh seafood and simple ingredients are the staples of the food on Utila.  Most of the restaurants are single person affairs, ranging from a person’s home to a slightly larger restaurant with several tables.  At some of the smaller places, there may only be one item, whatever was fresh and available that day.  One of my favorite places like this was Xijing restaurant, with four shaded outside tables, and such tasty dishes as rice and beans, barracuda with fries, or if you time it just right, you can get some sweet rice, made with coconut milk, cinnamon, and sugar in a ten gallon vat over an open flame, and gone within half an hour.  Other staples of the island include fried chicken, grouper, tuna and conch.  Almost everything is accompanied by salad or fries (papas fritas).  Dinner will cost you less than 5 USD with beer.  Baked goods are a favorite at breakfast on the island, and if you’re up for a challenge, you have to find Taracina, a woman with a shack in the middle of nowhere offering the best Pan de Coco around, definitely worth seeking out.</p>
<p>Outside of eating, diving and relaxing in your hammock, there is deliciously little to do.  You can take the single track dirt road to the Northern side of the island, which is a couple hours walk through quiet palm trees and woods, to an empty beach on the other side.  There is a primitive Iguana research station that you can visit, or volunteer at and stay a while, and help protect the spiny tailed Utila Iguana.  There are some small cays to the Southwest that can be visited in your spare time.  You can hang out with fellow travelers and discover many things about the world.  Other than that, enjoy the sunsets, and the lack of excitement.  It’s what makes any island special, reminding us of what is really important in life.  Be careful though, because you may not want to come back.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Gimbsheim Wine Festival</title>
		<link>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/gimbsheim-wine-festival/</link>
		<comments>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/gimbsheim-wine-festival/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Mar 2010 04:10:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Europe]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.virtualtraverse.com/?p=16</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I sat down at the slender, grey-topped table next to the leafy fence that marked the edge of the Gimbsheim Weinbrunnenfest. My company for the evening, all of whom were more than three times my age, could easily have been half the participants in any small town ladies night bingo club. 
Expecting to slowly sip [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/wine-festival.jpg"><img src="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/wine-festival-150x150.jpg" alt="" title="wine-festival" width="150" height="150" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-50" /></a>I sat down at the slender, grey-topped table next to the leafy fence that marked the edge of the Gimbsheim Weinbrunnenfest. My company for the evening, all of whom were more than three times my age, could easily have been half the participants in any small town ladies night bingo club. </p>
<p>Expecting to slowly sip a glass of wine or two over conversation of knitting, gardening, or perhaps if it got a little edgy, how so-and-so had stolen someone else’s goulash recipe and passed it off as their own, I settled in with a mild sense of dread. <span id="more-16"></span></p>
<p>Ruth, the dark, curly-haired, woman who sat opposite me at the table, held up the small, smooth, elongated white stone I had just given her to add to her rock garden and uttered a comment in German that elicited a laugh from the other elderly woman who sat around us. Not wanting to be left out on the humor and eager for approval of my gift, I asked for a translation.<br />
&#8220;It looks like a penis!&#8221;<br />
&#8220;Like a what!?!&#8221; I said, quite surprised.<br />
&#8220;Like a little boy’s penis.&#8221;</p>
<p>I smiled and let out a chuckle mostly to help ease the awkwardness. As they laughed, someone poured me a drink, and then another, and then another. Soon, I was off to the wine stand to buy a few more bottles and staggered back to pour the next round.</p>
<p>The Weinbrunnenfest is held every year on the first weekend in July. It begins on Friday and runs every evening for four days. Unlike some of the larger wine festivals in the area, the one held in Gimbsheim is comparatively small and attended almost entirely by locals who gather together to enjoy music, dancing, food, and the variety of wines produced from the local vineyards.</p>
<p>The next morning, I slept in a bit to recover from the previous night out with the ladies. After finally getting up, I decided to go on a bike ride to take in the surrounding landscape and pass the time until the evening festivities were to begin. Riding down the narrow streets that cut through dense housing, I began to notice something. There is really nothing all that astounding about Gimbsheim. </p>
<p>There’s a butcher shop, a bakery, a couple of small pubs, but that’s about it. Having travelled around Europe quite a bit, I was used to seeing the postcard panoramas like St. Mark’s Square, Neuschwanstein Castle, and the Roman Coliseum. Gimbsheim’s only comparable site was a ten foot tall monument honoring the town’s veterans of World War One. </p>
<p>I kept riding on the road out of town and soon found myself perspiring to peddle up the paths along the ridge. The hillside was covered in grape vines lined in perfect rows like a striped shirt. Scattering rabbits as I rode along, I eventually stopped to rest and take in the scenery. </p>
<p>The Rheinhessen area, Germany largest wine growing region, is famous for its white wines. While the Mosul Valley is regarded as one of Germany’s most scenic wine regions, the hills surrounding Gimbsheim make up a charming scene overlooking the Rheine River and many small towns such as Oppenheim, which ascends the hillside and is crowned by a miniature cathedral, disproportionately large for the surrounding community. </p>
<p>As I prepared to make my ascent back toward Gimbsheim, I took in a long breath of grape scented air and watched a farmer mend one of the rows. I hopped on the bike and peddled back down. </p>
<p>That evening, as I made my way back to the Weinbrunnenfest, I thought about my time spent in this small town. I realized that I was quite taken by it, but why? Until that moment, the answer remained elusive. </p>
<p>As travelers, we often set out to far flung places in search of something different, new, and authentic. As I walked, I reminisced about my time in Paris and how I made the rounds to all the must-see tourist sites, trying to take pictures of the Eiffel Tower that didn’t include someone trying to sell me multicolored flashing key chains. Something didn’t feel quite right. </p>
<p>Looking back on it, it wasn’t that commercialism and mass-tourism had ruined any possible culturally real experience. I just hadn’t been looking in the right places. Buildings, monuments, and landscapes can be great stops in an interesting afternoon of sightseeing, but its people who make an experience real and authentic. </p>
<p>By the time I got to the festival area, night had fallen and the bright red, blue, green, and yellow lights strung up all around lit up the faces of those seated around tables or swaying around on the makeshift dance floor. There, in the same spot as the night before, were my geriatric drinking buddies. </p>
<p>The worry over a potentially dull night out that I had felt the night before was long gone. Hilde, round-faced with graying hair and glasses, greeted me as I walked up. Smiling, I replied,<br />
&#8220;Guten Abend. Can I buy you a drink?</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Mediterranean coast</title>
		<link>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/mediterranean-coast/</link>
		<comments>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/mediterranean-coast/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Mar 2010 04:03:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Asia]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.virtualtraverse.com/?p=12</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Watch out!  Here comes another one. We&#8217;re walking down the boardwalk in Oludeniz, Turkey which also doubles as a paragliding landing zone. It&#8217;s no wonder people leap from the surrounding mountains and glide down to a soft beach landing, into this bay that&#8217;s one of the most photographed areas of the Mediterranean coastline.  [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/mediterannian.jpg"><img src="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/mediterannian-150x150.jpg" alt="" title="mediterannian" width="150" height="150" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-52" /></a>Watch out!  Here comes another one. We&#8217;re walking down the boardwalk in Oludeniz, Turkey which also doubles as a paragliding landing zone. It&#8217;s no wonder people leap from the surrounding mountains and glide down to a soft beach landing, into this bay that&#8217;s one of the most photographed areas of the Mediterranean coastline.  </p>
<p>Oludeniz means &#8220;dead sea&#8221; in Turkish. The actual town is named Belcekiz, but if you walk a couple hundred meters down the beach, you reach a peninsula of sand which creates a sheltered lagoon. The still, deep blue water behind this spit of land is the &#8220;dead&#8221; calm sea.<br />
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Campgrounds on the lagoon provide quiet places to relax, with or without the family. Bring your tent or rent a fully equipped caravan or camper trailer. Back in the town of Belcekiz, you can choose from  a range of hotels. A clean midrange bungalow in a garden setting with AC, TV, and private bathroom costs around $35 USD a night for two.</p>
<p>Besides the beautiful beach and bay, the reason we came here was to trek along the Lycian Way. It&#8217;s a meandering trail that follows the contour of Mediterranean coast of southern Turkey. While the 300 km trail itself was opened 1999 it is comprised of paths that are thousands of years old. Take a month and hike the whole trail to Antalya, or pick smaller sections to explore over a few days.</p>
<p>One of the many highlights along the way is Butterfly Valley. This section of the Likya Yolu (in Turkish) is over 300 meters above the water. Start at Faralya and hike the down steep trail about 45 minutes to reach Butterfly Valley on the coast. Vertical cliffs on both sides of the narrow beach define the valley.  Hippy expatriates raise over 40 organic foods and try to escape the real world in this mostly self-sufficient Walden.  Hold those ropes tightly when climbing back up to the main trail.  This side trip is not for the faint of heart.</p>
<p>On the small plateau at Faralya you will be greeted by the sight of George House, a family run inn with bungalows for travelers to stay and communal meals to bring back that hiking energy. Hasan is the host and son of the owner. He is a kind man and his family create a comfortable environment to relax. This is a popular lodge so make reservations if you can.</p>
<p>Finding a place to stay isn&#8217;t always about reservations. In many villages, families welcome trekkers into their private homes. They&#8217;ll flag you down along the trail, lead you home, clean up their bedroom, and sleep in the kitchen for the night. Dinner and breakfast are included, which are often delicious, but pale in comparison to the experience. You leave knowing you helped a local family, most of whom are simple farmers living off the land. Roads and electricity have just arrived at some of these villages.</p>
<p>Along the trail are historic towns and ruins like Letoon and Xanthos.  Xanthos is a mini version of Ephesus, with an amphitheater where gladiators fought in Roman times. See beautiful tile mosaics and Lycian tombs without jockeying with tourists for a position to take a picture. The Chimaera or eternal flames of Mount Olympos are another popular destination with tree houses overlooking the Mediterranean.</p>
<p>The most stunning part of the Lycian Way are not specific places or ruins but the way you start to get used to life here. It isn&#8217;t uncommon to spend a few hours with a stranger walking along the trail as they commute home on foot; you are the one visiting after all. The list of stunning views is endless but it&#8217;s the smaller moments that you remember. A meal shared with a family on the side of the road where conversation is a mix of pantomime and a few shared words. Walking through the olive groves seeing the ripe fruits hanging down on the branches will return to your mind with every olive eaten. Or maybe it&#8217;s the herds of goats whose ancestors have walked these trails since ancient times.</p>
<p>If you are thinking about hiking the Lycian Way there are a few things you should consider. First, the trail is not an easy walk, there is a lot of up and down. You should be ready for the possibility of camping out, while there are usually places to stay in every village it isn&#8217;t as if there is a Comfort Inn. Turkey is a primarily Muslim country so women should dress modestly covering their legs and upper arms. Turkish summers are very hot, and the Lycian Way is best traveled in the spring and fall.</p>
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