10 latest experiences http://www.hereorthere.com/members/fakemexican en-us Echos of last week's tragic air disaster in Madrid's Barajas airport were still resonating through Spain's capital as I arrived on an early morning flight. Descending over the arid landscape, pock-marked by a few hardy, dark-green shrubs, I dared not look out of my window as we came in to land. The grief was still palpable yet effectively masked by the uncharacteristic industriousness of the airport staff (I disembarked, passed immigration and collected my bag all in under five minutes; surely some sort of record). Madrid seemed to welcome me back like an old friend, her familiar sun-kissed streets and tapas bars proving irresistable to a hungry traveller. A cold beer accompanied by fresh, juicy olives and leaf-thin jamon serrano being the ideal antidote to the 35 degree afternoon heat. Madrid, Spain fakemexican Sun, 21 Feb 2010 08:48:52 +0000 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/fakemexican/experience/1834 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/1834 India is perhaps unrivalled in its wealth of cultural heritage. A plethora of old ruins and temples are scattered liberally across her countryside, ranging from the outright majesty of some, to those which have seen better days and little restorative funding. With rapidly increasing numbers of not only foreign, but also domestic tourists wanting to experience India’s heritage at first hand, it is ever more difficult to locate a site of genuine interest that can boast cultural, religious and historical value, whilst providing respite from the masses. The combination of an ever-increasing population with the nation’s expanding wealth and pioneering civil engineering projects, has opened up some of the most isolated pockets of the vast subcontinent; areas which, mere decades ago would have taken days to reach, are now accessible in hours. It is, it seems, in some of the most unlikely places then, that uncut diamonds still exist, unvisited and misunderstood. Masrur, one of only ... Masrur, India, India fakemexican Fri, 12 Feb 2010 03:29:36 +0000 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/fakemexican/experience/1831 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/1831 The other day I watched a film that I think all travellers, aspiring or weathered, should watch. "Into the Wild", directed by Sean Penn, based on the novel by John Krakauer, who in turn based his book on the real life events of Chris McCandless. It isn't the best film in the world, but it appealed to me on a travel bug level. It contained lines like "The reason people love to travel is because they feel like they are escaping something" and "Happiness is only real when shared". They were lines which struck a real chord with me. Lines which made sense. Immediately I thought back to last summer. I had been living in Mexico for some time. I had no problems with my Spanish at this stage. After visiting friends in La Paz, to the South of the Baja Peninsula, my friend Pete and I packed only the essentials. After taking one last trip out with our marine biologist friends to go diving over a sunken ship, they dropped us at a gas station out of the city and bade us farewell. Pete ha... Baja California, Mexico, Mexico fakemexican Mon, 24 Dec 2007 13:18:12 +0000 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/fakemexican/experience/1185 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/1185 On January 1 1994, before the sun had unleashed its first rays upon the jungle canopies, an obscure masked revolutionary force using the name, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN), emerged from their bases in the heart of the Chiapas jungle. They took a number of key towns in the state, including San Cristobal de las Casas in an attempt to overthrow the Mexican government. Today they are confined to the mountains of Chiapas, living defeated and in poverty. Poor and hungry, their cause was simply this: to claim back the land promised to them almost eight decades ago in the 1917 Constitution. Land on which to grow food, live and make a living. Fighting for the most part was averted and the death toll remained relatively low. If it was not for the timing of the uprising however, there is little doubt that the Zapatistas would be a movement confined solely to the annals of history. Coinciding with the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), an in... San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Mexico fakemexican Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:38:11 +0000 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/fakemexican/experience/1168 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/1168 In the Southern half of Mexico there stand hundreds upon hundreds of remnants of a pre-Hispanic civilisation. Many of them date back thousands of years. Even now, new sites are being discovered in the dense rainforests of the Yucatan Peninsula and Chiapas. Many more have crumbled and weathered to dust, mere spirits of a lost civilisation. Tourists flock to the more famous sites of Tulum, Chiapas and Palenque by thier droves to marvel at the ancient wonders. Further north lie El Tajin and Teotihuacan with its giant 'Piramide del Sol' (Pyramid of the sun). I had visited many sites across Mexico but had always wanted to go to Palenque. Something about it from photos (which of course never do it justice), gave me a chill. Maybe the beauty of the buildings, the level of preservation or the thought of it being buried deep within the jungle, gave Palenque a mysterious and romantic edge. Palenque, Mexico fakemexican Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:28:36 +0000 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/fakemexican/experience/1183 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/1183 San Sebastian. One of Spain's many treasures from its historical glory years centuries ago. One which still dazzles today. In 1808, it was one of the first Spanish cities to fall under the boots of Napoleon's men in the Peninsular War, and was destroyed in the process. When rebuilding, town planners stuck rigidly to the original blueprints and architecture, hence the city's rich historical and cultural feel remain intact. Set on the Bay of Biscay close to the French border, San Sebastian derives fame from a number of things, most notably its exquisite food. To eat out in one of the many bars in the old city centre ensures gastronomic gratification. The pintxos, a form of tapa, are set out along the bar and range from the classic such as boquerones (a delicious type of fish), to the innovative such as goat's cheese with strawberry jam. San Sebastián, Spain fakemexican Mon, 26 Nov 2007 03:23:12 +0000 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/fakemexican/experience/1094 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/1094 Once again I write to condone and also warn of the dangers of hitching in foreign lands with little prior knowledge or planning. Firstly let me point out that my most exciting/strangest adventures have resulted from the spontaneity which comes with hitch-hiking. Of course it is the most dangerous way to travel and I think that this following story I am about to recount illustrates both the danger and fun side. I arrived at a grey and miserable looking Vasteras airport early one morning fresh from a three day travel hiatus at home. I passed immigration, hoisted my backpack onto my back and began walking toward the city. Ryanair flies to two airports which it claims to be "Stockholm". BE WARNED, both are roughly 100kms from the actual city. Although it would have been simple to take either a train or bus to Stockholm, I figured that it would be much more fun to hitch there, and maybe I would get to see the country a little closer up. After about an hour I was getting worrie... Balingsta, Sweden fakemexican Mon, 29 Oct 2007 16:18:24 +0000 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/fakemexican/experience/1092 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/1092 A few years ago, Bill Clinton went back to the ex-Moorish stronghold of Granada, stating that of all the places he visited on a tour of Europe as a young man (before his politics days), Granada was the one place that really stuck out in his memory. My first visit there was at the age of 18. I had been working out near Almeria for a company called Sunseed, it was my first time abroad, on my own, and was my summer treat before starting university. (I have decided to leave the gap year until i finish university, hoping that by then i will be a little older, a little wiser). When I arrived in Granada, I was virtually penniless, I had not really eaten much in the past two days other than some old ham I found in my bag, and a bag of crisps. I arrived, my backpack on my back, the scorching mid-day sun belting down on my poor pasty body. I trudged from place to place with but a few Euros to spare for the night, feeling lost, inexperienced, and completely and utterly ill-prepared. It was t... Granada, Spain fakemexican Thu, 06 Sep 2007 22:30:54 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/fakemexican/experience/910 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/910 I come from a non-religious background. I have never really spent much time in churches and cathedrals save for marriages or visits of interest whilst on my travels, but I have always revered and perhaps even slightly envied those with a faith. My two Spanish friends and I, also non-religious, but with a greater understanding of Catholicism given their cultural heritage, decided that this particular spectacle was not to be missed, and what started as mere interest quickly evolved into awe, and then into an experience that seriously changed my life. Mexico is the second most Catholic country in the world behind Brazil, and roughly 97% of all Mexicans are of the Catholic faith. I had heard rumours of such acts of penance in the past, but to be honest I had discarded such stories as overblown and glorified, but come Semana Santa (Easter holidays), my Mexican friends started to ask me what my plans were for the holidays. Every Mexican does something for Semana Santa, without exception... Mexico, Mexico fakemexican Thu, 06 Sep 2007 19:44:43 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/fakemexican/experience/909 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/909 The things my friends and I had experienced in Cuba so far had been somewhat confusing. All that we had in our minds about this conflicted country, all the dreams and idealised perceptions we had had been tarnished by the abject poverty and repression we had witnessed. It was at this point that we started to question our plan, which was to experience the real Cuba and not that which is forced upon all foreigners by the Cuban Government. It had not been all negativity, in fact we were quickly growing accustomed to a complex and beautiful culture so far removed from our own, and everywhere you looked, you could see glimpses of something special. We deemed that it was time to leave Havana, so we set out for the region known as Pinar Del Rio, made famous as the tobacco rich farming lands of Cuba, and hub of the island's cigar industry. We caught a taxi from Havana for the 3 hours journey out to the West and crammed our things and selves into the car. We had met three other Brits in... Viñales, Cuba fakemexican Tue, 04 Sep 2007 21:05:18 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/fakemexican/experience/903 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/903