International Festivals

Festivals are fun.

Sure, I know I'm not exactly blowing anybody's mind with that statement, but it's a fact. Back in Australia, they've just had the annual “should we be celebrating Australia Day” debate. While the origins of Australia Day may well be far from ideal for celebrating, I think festivals and celebrations in general can sometimes surpass their origins.

And while a festival in your own country can be a great weekend escape from you daily life, there's nothing quite as good as going to a festival in another country.

These days, people often plan their overseas trip to coincide with at least one. Whether it's a full moon party in Thailand, running with the Bulls in Pamplona, drinking far too much at Oktoberfest in Germany or listening to music at Glastonbury, you can bet there will be a load of travellers there that have set their international travel plans around being there on the day.

Downing one of many Steins of beer in Munich in 2005 (haven't changed a bit huh?)

There is an entire industry around devoted only to get tourists to all these festivals. I remember being one of hundreds (thousands?) of Aussies piling on to buses in London and setting off for Munich for a few days of beer and bratwurst at Oktoberfest. None of us could wait to get to one of the world's great cultural festivals – first we just needed to indulge in some Australian culture and get drunk on the way there.

With my travel leading me ever closer to Brazil for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, I've planned my trip around the world's biggest sporting festival, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Sometimes, however, the best festivals to be a part of are those that you didn't plan. The past week or so I spent time in the Mexican state of Chiapas, near the Guatemalan border. The town of Chiapa de Corzo was having it's annual Fiesta Grande de Enero or Great January Feast. I came across this festival purely by accident. In fact, had I not lost my debit card in Mexico City, I would have travelled through the region before it even happened. 

Parachicos doing their thing

The festival revolves around parachicos, who are dancers dressed up as colonial Spaniards and who, along with representations of the local patron saints, parade through the city. The story as to why they do this varies but seems to come back to a boy who was brought to the town when he was sick and somehow cured there, while being entertained by the parachicos. The boy's wealthy Spanish mother later thanking the town by assisting the residents with food during a particularly rough drought.

Hangin with the Parachicos

Whatever the specifics, the festival has all of the characteristics required of a good festival; food, music, a joyous atmosphere and plenty of quirks. Oh and of course, fireworks.  

I don't think a festival has to have a clear reason for being, just people who want to celebrate with each other and have a good time. And of course, fireworks. 

Have you ever planned an international trip just to see a festival? What was you favourite festival experience? 

Tourist Fatigue?

This week I finally left Mexico City after finally receiving my new debit card, and hit the road once again. While I had an amazing time in Mexico's capital – largely due to the greatest hosts of all time – if I stayed any longer I may never have left, so I moved on to Oaxaca, home to several great historical site of the Zapotec and Mixtec cultures.

On a day tour to Monte Alban a fellow passenger on my day tour told me he wasn't interested in taking many photos because there wasn't much difference between this and other archaeological sites he'd been to in the rest of Mexico and Central America. It wasn't all that “special” according to him.

The Ancient City of Monte Alban

I found this odd for a few reasons. My first thought was why he had bothered to come check out the ruins if he wasn't at all interested in them. Perhaps just “ticking off” the site from his “things to do in Mexico” list. My second thought was how he could not be impressed by something that was built 2500 years ago with such amazingly accurate work (not to mention large stones) without any of the tools available to builders today. Add to that the fact that up to 30,000 people lived there at any given time for a period of almost 1500 years and I think the importance of a city like this cannot be oversold.

The Ancient City of Mitla

Sure there are going to be some similarities between this city and others from pre Colombian times – its only natural for nearby cultures to share ideas and techniques with others around them. Cities in Europe share a lot of similarities to each other, but I don''t think you'll hear anyone argue that you don't need to see Barcelona because you've already seen Paris.

Perhaps my tour acquaintance had been to more of these sites than me – so far I've only been to Monte Alban (Zapotec), Mitla (Mixtec) and Teotihuacan (Aztec) – and had started suffering from archaeological site fatigue. I remember when travelling through Europe a few years ago having a similar feeling towards Castles and Churches. There's even a term for it among backpackers through the continent, ABC – Another Bloody Castle/Church. While at times it did feel like things started to get a bit too similar, I think you can always find a point of difference in each of these buildings. Except for Bratislava Castle. It has nothing.

The Ancient City of Teotihuacan 

So with six full months still to go on my trip through Latin America, perhaps I will start to be fatigued by all of these archaeological sites. There are a couple of very famous ones I'll be seeing soon, Chichen Itza in Mexico's Yucatan, and Machu Pichu in Peru.

I certainly hope I don't become as jaded or fatigued about these ruins as some people clearly do. I've been wanting to come to Latin America to see these ancient cities since I was a kid watching the Mysterious Cities of Gold cartoon and I would hate to think they start to lose their appeal – though I'm certainly not expecting any golden flying condors.

Has anyone else experienced tourist fatigue of any kind? Castles in Europe? Buddhist temples in Thailand? Burger joints in the US?  

Where the Magic Happens

As an admitted live sports addict, I've been to many events and matches all over the world, and had the chance to visit some of the most iconic sporting stadiums and arenas. Along with Melbourne's on MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) – one of the great stadiums of the world -  I've visited the likes of Croke Park in Ireland, Madison Square Garden in New York City and Fenway Park in Boston.

Each of these stadiums is famous for events that have taken place inside their walls (not all of it good) and as a sports junkie, the chance to see these and other “shrines” to great sporting moments is hugely satisfying. Quite often my time in these cities doesn't correspond with an actual event which means that a stadium tour is the best I can hope for. And while nothing can replicate the atmosphere of a live event in a great stadium, sometimes seeing the place where “the magic happens” is enough.

Estadio Azteca

This week I was able to visit Estadio Azteca, which is currently the fifth largest stadium in the world with a capacity of 105,000, and now the largest I've ever been in. While I wasn't able to visit the stadium during an event, this was one sporting shrine I did not want to miss.

Me at Estadio Azteca

In addition to hosting the football matches during the 1968 Olympic games in Mexico City, the stadium has also hosted two World Cup Finals, with Brazil and Argentina holding the cup aloft in 1970 and 1986 respectively. All of this would be enough to make Azteca one of the most famous stadiums in the world, however it also hosted arguably the most famous match and moment in the history of football, when Argentina defeated England 2-1 in the Quarter Finals of the 1986 tournament.

The two goals by Argentina, both scored by one of the all time greats in Diego Maradona, are perhaps the best and worst goals of all time. Certainly the most controversial.

"A little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of god"

The first goal, known universally as the “Hand of God” goal has been seen as everything from the worst thing to ever happen in football, to pay back for the Falklands war, which happened four years earlier. Whatever your opinion on the goal or the diminutive Argentinian star, that goal will live on in football infamy, and will forever haunt English football fans – so cant be all bad.

Gooooooooooooaaaallll! 

The second goal could not be any different from the first. Coming only minutes after the infamous goal described above, Maradona's solo run from mid field to score the second and deciding goal has gone on to be described as the “Goal of the Century”.

For these two iconic moments to happen to the same player is highly unlikely. For it to happen in the same game just minutes apart makes this game possibly the most talked about in history. If you click on the comments for the Youtube videos in the blog, you'll see debate about these events still carrying on to this day. This is a day in football history that wont soon be forgotten. And while a stadium tour is far from being there, at least I got to see where the magic happened.  

Travel Limbo

Edward Snowden knows all about Travel Limbo. The NSA whistle-blower spent 39 days in the transit area of of a Russian airport before being given temporary asylum. I'm sure those 39 days were spent worrying about just what will happen and wondering when will it happen. And eating a lot of overpriced food.

Edward Snowden, Travel Limbo King!

While not many people are running from the US government like Snowden, most travellers can relate to being stuck in travel limbo – a state of being stuck in a foreign place while they wait for something outside of their control to happen.

I'm in just such a state at the moment. A few weeks ago I stupidly lost my ATM card. This has led to me having to wait around until a new card can be delivered to my friend's house in Mexico City.

As I have mentioned in some recent blogs, my stay in Mexico City has been anything but a waste of time. From great food to great friends and a family who've adopted me, my stay in the city has been one of the highlights of my trip. If it weren't for my card disappearing I likely would have moved on before Christmas and New Year, rather than spending them with some great people and witnessing some real Mexican culture.

Eating Grapes on New Years - a Mexican Tradition

But it does have to end sometime, and it cant until my new card arrives. With the Mexican postal system – even with an “express service” I'm told it could still be another couple of weeks.

Along with very real fears about overstaying my welcome, as a traveller I get very anxious about being in one place too long. What if this means I cant spend as long in a place I love further down the track? What if the card never actually turns up? The longer things go on unresolved, the more questions keep piling up.

In a sense, a similar thing is happening to people planning on going to the World Cup. Many of us a waiting to see if we get tickets in the second round of ticket allocations. While I'll be heading to Brazil regardless, many people will be hesitant to book their travel and accommodation until they know for sure they have tickets. Its about a month or so before we'll know for sure, and until that is resolved many of us will be getting quite nervous.

I'm "stuck" eating tacos in Mexico City - tough life!

Whatever your travel limbo situation, I would think that most of us would still gladly be “stuck” in some foreign location than being back home trudging through the daily grind.

And hey, at least none of us have the US government after us!