br /span class=”mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image”a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/rachelcotterill/3094136042/” target=”blank”img alt=”3094136042_f9a9f037e8.jpg” src=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/3094136042_f9a9f037e8.jpg” class=”mt-image-center” style=”margin: 0pt auto 20px; text-align: center; display: block;” height=”337″ width=”450″ //a/spana href=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/2008/12/introducing-the-foodie-challen.html” target=”blank”Foodie Challenge/a time!br /br /Today’s winning photo was taken in China, where
bRachel Cotterill/b traveled for a href=”http://rachelcotterill.blogspot.com/search/label/honeymoon”her honeymoon/a.
(The
newlyweds rode the Trans-Mongolian Railway and traveled through China,
eventually ending up in Beijing. Sounds like an awesome trip!) On one
excursion, Rachel was able to share a meal with some fellow travelers
and snapped this photo. br /br /Rachel tells the story behind the photo after the break…
bAbout the photo:/bbr /br /”We went on a coach tour to the Great Wall of
China and the Ming Tombs. The tour had ‘lunch included’ on the tickets. We thought we might end up with a sandwich, but actually we stopped at a massive jade shop
(obviously they hoped we would buy souvenirs!) which had this
canteen upstairs with big round tables.br /br /”We sat down, a bunch of the
Chinese tourists in our group were ushered to join us, and then they brought us ten
courses and everyone tucked in. And believe me, you have to be quick
with your chopsticks to get a look in!! The Chinese tourists at the
table were very friendly and found it highly amusing that we wanted to
take a photo of the meal, which, to them, was just a free lunch.”br /br /Stayed tuned for more stories and photos from our a href=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/admin/mt-search.cgi?tag=Foodie%20Challengeamp;blog_id=74amp;IncludeBlogs=74″Foodie Challenge Winners/a!br /br /iPhoto via a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/rachelcotterill/” target=”blank”Rachel Cotterill/a’s photostream on a href=”http://www.flickr.com/” target=”blank”flickr/a. See more of Rachel’s food photos a href=”http://rachelcotterill.blogspot.com/2008/12/restaurants-of-world.html”here/a./ibr /
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Tag Archive | "green"
Tags: china, chinese, do it: eat, featured-winner, foodie, foodie challenge, green, guide, history, holidays, photo, photography, travel
Foodie Challenge Featured Winner: A Chinese Lunch
Posted on 05 January 2009
Posted in Europe, Intelligent TravelComments (0)
Tags: cayman, central-america, environment, grand-cayman, green, green-guide, history, hotels, middle-east, science, travel, video
Finding Cayman Culture
Posted on 02 January 2009
span class=”mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image”a href=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/DSCN2088.jpg”img alt=”Seven Mile Beach.jpg” src=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/DSCN2088-thumb-500x375.jpg” class=”mt-image-center” style=”margin: 0pt auto 20px; text-align: center; display: block;” height=”375″ width=”500″ //a/spanI’m recently back from a pre-Christmas trip to Grand Cayman, which was a lovely respite from the D.C. cold (we were on the a href=”http://www.miamiherald.com/business/press-releases/airlines/story/811678.html”first direct flight/a from Washington to George Town), and a nice getaway before the stress of the holiday season. It was my first visit to the island, and despite the locals’ complaints about the “Christmas winds” I found the island’s beaches just dandy, thanks. Even a tiny tan is enough for now.br /br /Admittedly, I didn’t know much about the history of Grand Cayman before I left, and even after digging through some books I came up a bit short. So I was glad to uncover several places on the island off the main drag along Seven Mile Beach (with its many rum shops and tourist traps), which offered up a bit of authentic Cayman culture. Here are a few highlights: br /br /span class=”mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image”a href=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/DSCI0136.JPG”img alt=”Making Rope.JPG” src=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/DSCI0136-thumb-200x150.jpg” class=”mt-image-left” style=”margin: 0pt 20px 20px 0pt; float: left;” height=”150″ width=”200″ //a/spanFor the past five years, painter and entrepreneur bChris Christian/b has been inviting travelers to get closer to Cayman culture with a href=”http://www.getaway.ky/traditional.htm”bCayman Traditional Arts/b/a, a series of demonstrations, workshops, and events which highlight the island’s history. Christian, a Cayman native, explains that grew up on the island “learning about George Washington,” but not about his own past. Since returning home from college, he’s worked to promote the island’s food, games, and crafts to both its residents and its visitors, and to “create a sustainable lifestyle for its artists.” He began by creating an artist collective, which works with local craftspeople to harvest and prepare the fronds from the silver palm, the island’s national tree, for use in traditional baskets and ropes. As the project has grown, he recently acquired and restored a traditional “wattle and daub” house built in 1917, where I visited him, and where he currently hosts groups from the Ritz-Carlton, among other properties.br /br /The site itself is in the West Bay, and I got a mini-tour of the activities that he offers there. Christian explained how the thatch from the silver palm is twisted into strands, and then braided together with a rope machine. I then took a spin, so to speak, on the machine, and made a length by twisting the three spindles together simultaneously. Even my mini-tour made for a fantastic morning: I sampled fritters from the fish fry stand and learned to make paintbrushes from palm fronds. Christian takes his programs into schools and churches, helping to teach the island’s children about their history, and he also hosts art programs and exhibitions of their artwork in hotels throughout the island. Our visit was the highlight of my trip, and I encourage anyone to reach out to Christian to plan a visit if you’re heading to Grand Cayman. br /
span class=”mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image”a href=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/DSCN2081.jpg”img alt=”Pedro St James.jpg” src=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/DSCN2081-thumb-200x150.jpg” class=”mt-image-right” style=”margin: 0pt 0pt 20px 20px; float: right;” height=”150″ width=”200″ //a/spanba href=”http://www.pedrostjames.ky/html/great_house.html”Pedro St. James/a/b is the island’s Philadelphia and Gettysburg rolled into one; albeit in the form of a single building. The “Castle,” as its known to the locals, has 18-inch-thick stone walls and was built in 1780, and was originally owned by an Englishman who had a plantation on the property. In the 1830s it was the site where the island established its parlimentary government and announced the proclamation which freed the slaves. In ensuing years, fires and hurricanes destroyed the home, and it changed hands many times, at one point serving as a popular tourist attraction as a pirate’s “castle.” Thankfully, the building was bought and named a National Historic Site by the Cayman government in 1991, and a $8 million restoration rebuilt it to its original grandeur. Today you can take in an interactive show about the island’s history, then walk along the castle’s wide porches, feeling the breezes off the Caribbean. Some of the guides at the site are ancestors of the original owners, and are more than happy to share stories from the past (and show you the 19th Century recliner, ipictured/i). br /br /span class=”mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image”a href=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/DSCN2077-thumb-200x266.jpg”img alt=”Thumbnail image for Vivine’s Kitchen.jpg” src=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/assets_c/2008/12/DSCN2077-thumb-200x266-thumb-150x199.jpg” class=”mt-image-left” style=”margin: 0pt 20px 20px 0pt; float: left;” height=”199″ width=”150″ //a/spanOne of the most highly recommended spots during our trip turned out to be very close to our hotel. ba href=”http://www.caymangoodtaste.com/restaurants_detail.asp?restaurantID=87″Vivine’s Kitchen/a/b is actually a house, and the food is served on plastic tables that overlook the Carribbean from a concrete terrace. Order from behind the half door that looks into the kitchen itself and no matter what’s on the menu, you won’t be disappointed. We sampled the a href=”http://www.theworldwidegourmet.com/recipes/mahi-mahi-dorado-cayman-style/”mahi-mahi Cayman style/a (a sauce that includes onions, tomatoes, and peppers) and curried chicken, both of which were served with rice and beans and sweet plantains (and were fantastic). The conch stew, turtle soup, and fried fish all come highly recommended as well. Located on the East End of the island, it’s an oasis along the only road, and it only takes cash. But as a great, and cheap, local bite on an island known for catering to those partaking in its offshore banking, it was a delightful find. br /br /iPhotos: Janelle Nanos/ibr /
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Tags: calendar, central-america, green, green-guide, guatemala, guide, inside-traveler, middle-east, photography, science, video
"Te amo, Cristina"
Posted on 02 January 2009
span class=”mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image”a href=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/TeAmoCristina.jpg”img alt=”TeAmoCristina.jpg” src=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/assets_c/2008/12/TeAmoCristina-thumb-500×375.jpg” class=”mt-image-center” style=”margin: 0pt auto 20px; text-align: center; display: block;” height=”375″ width=”500″ //a/spanEvery one of these sticky notes attached to a building on a street in Antigua, Guatemala is inscribed with the message, “Te amo, Cristina.”nbsp; This photo took Honorable Mention in the Places category of the recently ended a href=”http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/photo-contest/2008-winners?startgallery=1″National Geographic International Photo Contest/a. You can check out the winners, honorable mentions, and other outstanding entries in each of three categories: a href=”http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/photo-contest/2008-places”Places,/a a href=”http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/photo-contest/2008-people”People,/a and a href=”http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/photo-contest/2008-nature”Nature/a. There’s also a gallery of the Viewers’ Choice winners and honorable mentions.nbsp; The images are available as desktop a href=”http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/photo-contest/wallpaper”wallpaper/a and online a href=”http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/photo-contest/places-puzzles”jigsaw puzzles/a as well.nbsp; br /
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Tags: calendar, environment, green, history, Intelligent Travel, middle-east, music, new-orleans, photography, resources, video, washington-post
Happy New Year from IT!
Posted on 31 December 2008
span class=”mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image”a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/tom_bennett/340824201/”img alt=”newyears.jpg” src=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/newyears-thumb-500×375.jpg” class=”mt-image-center” style=”margin: 0pt auto 20px; text-align: center; display: block;” height=”375″ width=”500″ //a/spanI’ve never fully understood the fascination with watching the ball drop in New York on New Year’s Eve. It’s a ball. It drops. People count. The night is over. And who actually enjoys singing Auld Lang Syne, anyway?br /br /The ia href=”http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/30/AR2008123003279.html”Washington Post/a/i shares my sentiments, and wrote up a great article today about alternative New Year’s trends. They note the U.S. towns that have taken New Year’s Eve into their own hands. In historic harbor town a href=”http://www.newyearsannapolis.org/”Annapolis, Maryland/a, folks will drop a sailboat–yes, a sailboat–decked out with lights. Georgians are a href=”http://peachdrop.com/”dropping peaches/a and chicken nuggets (we get the peach thing, but nuggets? Really?). Floridians get even more into it, and will lower (not drop) Sushi–a href=”http://www.keywesttravelguide.com/keywestnewyearseve.html”a local drag queen/a–from a balcony in Key West.br /
And why do we have a need drop things on New Year’s Eve? The iPost/i explains:br /br /blockquotep
Douglas Raybeck, an anthropology professor at Hamilton College, has studied exotic rituals in
dozens of countries, but none have taken to dropping things with such
zeal.
/ppIt all comes down to a human need to mark moments of change, he
believes, and the dropping of balls, sausages and other preferred
objects constitutes the perfect symbol. “It’s a shared experience.
Everyone can see the inception and the terminus of the ball drop,” he
said.
/pp
It wouldn’t work as well to ilaunch/i an object, he theorizes,
because it continues into the air for unknown periods of time. Dropping
is linear and has a definite end. It quantifies visually the exact
moment we enter another year, with all its promises of possibilities
and new hope.
/pp
“We call it a liminal period, a threshold and point of transition,” he said.
/pp
And what do all those towns with all those giant pickles and 70-pound tangerines have to say about that?
/pp”Honestly, we just started it because we were tired of watching New
York’s ball drop every year,” said Marie U’Ren, 68, as she prepared
Easton’s huge crab for its annual plummet. For years, parties in Easton
had ended with everyone gathering somewhat anticlimactically around a
TV screen in the town’s main arts hall. “This year, I mean, it’s a big,
huge crab on a hydraulic lift. No one’s going to want to miss something
like that.”
/p/blockquote
a href=”http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/12/11/15022/144/travel/Best+NYE+Fireworks+Displays”Copenhagen, New Orleans, Sydney/a, and a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year%27s_Eve”other cities around the world/a
also boast elaborate fireworks displays, and while Sydney may be the
first large city to set off a major display, the small island of a href=”http://www.timeanddate.com/counters/firstnewyear.html”Kiritimati/a (or, Christmas Island) is actually the first to ring in the New Year. nbsp; br /br /bSo, no matter what you’re dropping tonight, Happy New Year! From all of your friends at Intelligent Travel./bbr /br /iPhoto: a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/tom_bennett/340824201/”Tom Bennett/a, via the Intelligent Travel Flickr pool/ibr /divbr //div
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Tags: Budget Travel, free toiletries, green, history, hotels, it news, music, news, science, travel
There’s No Such Thing as a Free Shower Cap
Posted on 29 December 2008
span class=”mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image”a href=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/toiletries.jpg”img alt=”toiletries.jpg” src=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/toiletries-thumb-400x266.jpg” class=”mt-image-center” style=”margin: 0pt auto 20px; text-align: center; display: block;” height=”266″ width=”400″ //a/spanI don’t know about you, but for a budget traveler like myself, one of the main perks of staying in a hotel is snagging all the free stuff–like shampoos, shower caps, and ice (hey, it’s free). But with the economy going haywire, a href=”http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20081212/BUSINESS/812120316/1006/NEWS01″Florida Today reports/a, several hotels are starting to rethink the complimentary goodies:br /br /blockquotediv align=”left”pDue to the slumping economy, some hotels are cutting back on guest
amenities…Earlier this month, [two major Florida] hotels stopped stocking rooms with lotion and shower caps. They are available
by request…And coffee is now offered in the lobby only in the morning
and late afternoon, rather than 24 hours a day.br //p/div/blockquotediv align=”left”p”Everything we’re
doing has the primary focus of how can we do the least without
impacting guests, keeping the service level the same and retaining our
people so we don’t lose any jobs,” Jim Ridenour, general manager of two Marriott hotels in Melbourne, Fla., said in the article.br //ppSome hotels have also replaced the buffet breakfast with an à la carte menu. And newspapers are no longer placed outside guests’ rooms. But the news isn’t all bad: Some hotel managers have realized that limiting their freebie supply equates to a reduction in waste. Let’s hope the greening trend continues. The slumping economy: bad for freeloaders like me, good for the environment?br //p/divi/ibWhat do you think? Have you seen coping trends that might have an eco-friendly silver lining?/bbr /br /iPhoto: a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/99766756@N00/”KathyJR1979/a via Flickr/ibr /
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Tags: animals, australia, black, calendar, destination watch, Europe, family-friendly, green, green-guide, mediterranean, science, travel, video, WorldWide
Jellyfish Gone Wild
Posted on 29 December 2008
span class=”mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image”a href=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/2865911846_e6a8b8f649.jpg”img alt=”2865911846_e6a8b8f649.jpg” src=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/2865911846_e6a8b8f649-thumb-350x233.jpg” class=”mt-image-center” style=”margin: 0pt auto 20px; text-align: center; display: block;” height=”233″ width=”350″ //a/spanPlanning a winter beach getaway this holiday season? The world’s oceans have gifted us with quite the unpleasant surprise, and it comes in the form of swarms of jellyfish. From Hawaii to the Gulf of Mexico to the Mediterranean to Australia, jellyfish populations have reached a sort of unprecedented maritime gridlock, according to a a href=”http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/jellyfish/index.jsp”new report/a by the National Science Foundation. But before we start griping, realize that human-caused changes in the oceans are most likely the main culprit. br /br /The study, entitled span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-style: italic;”Jellyfish Gone Wild/span, states that 150 million people worldwide are exposed to jellyfish annually. The invasions mean bad news in places like Australia, where around 10,000 people suffer stings annually from the highly venomous Portuguese man-of-war. According to the study, 200,000 people are stung each year in Florida alone.nbsp; br /
Wallets are feeling the sting, too. A comb jellyfish invasion in the
Black Sea in the 1990s saw more than 1,000 jellyfish per cubic yard in
some spots. It was a large blow to local fishermen, who suffered a
350-million-dollar loss because of damage to ships and mining
operations and reduced fish catch. More recently, this invasion was
tamed by the inadvertent introduction of yet another jellyfish that
eats the comb jelly. But the spread of invasive species has now reached
the Mediterranean, Azov, and Caspian Seas, the last of which underwent
fishing industry damages even worse than those of the Black Sea.nbsp;br /br /These
clogs in certain parts of the oceans aren’t the product of natural
migration patterns, the NSF says. Instead, human interference is the
prime suspect. The invasive species in European seas, for example,
were most likely dumped by foreign ships. And certain “dead zones,”
low-oxygen zones created by runoff pollution, attract jellyfish because
the lack of life there means little competition for space. Jellyfish
thrive in the warming ocean waters brought on by climate change. Beyond
that, jellyfish predators have suffered as a result of human activity
and the changing climate, including seven species of endangered sea
turtles.br /br /”There is clear, clean evidence that certain types of human-caused
environmental stresses are triggering jellyfish swarms in some
locations,” a href=”http://www.eeb.ucla.edu/indivfaculty.php?FacultyKey=695″William Hamner/a of the University of California at Los
Angeles says in the report.br /br /I suppose we’ve made our bed. Now we must swim with the consequences. br /br /bRead More: /bIT wrote about an oncoming swarm of jellyfish in Europe a href=”http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/2008/04/a-sting-more-painful-than-the.html”back in April. /abr /br /diviPhoto via a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianmorley/”BrianMorley’s/a Flickr/ibr //divdivbr //div
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Tags: charles-bridge, city, czech, delicious, green, history, holidays, national, photography, prague, travel, world of christmas, _europe
Celebrating the Season: Prague
Posted on 25 December 2008
Happy Holidays from National Geographic Traveler! Today is the last installment of our World of Christmas series, and we hope that wherever you’re celebrating around the world, you have a wonderful time. Happy travels in the New Year!
All through December we’ve been showcasing the best of the holiday season in cities around the world. Today, on our last day of the series, it’s Christmastime in Prague and we’ve asked local experts for the essential ways to enjoy the winter’s best. Visitors and locals alike come together to celebrate the holidays and the New Year, and we encourage you to share your own favorites with us in the comments below. You can find all of the cities we’ve already visited by bookmarking the series here.
Julie O’Shea, journalist living in Prague
- Christmas markets: The Golden City’s famous outdoor markets are some of the best in Europe and not to be missed. The biggest, most impressive one can be found in Old Town Square. But if you are looking for a more casual neighborhood affair, check out the colorful stalls dotting Namesti Miru in Vinohrady.
- Mulled wine: Don’t leave the city without enjoying a glass or two of this delicious seasonal beverage, called Svarak in Czech. You can order a round from any of the open-air food stands scattered throughout Old Town or step out of the cold and try Kavarna Meduza, a hip local hangout popular with the expat crowd.  
- Nativity scene exhibition: An extensive exhibit–featuring about four dozen Nativity scenes made from various materials, including gingerbread and cardboard–is on display at Prague Castle through Jan. 4.
- Midnight Mass: Enjoy this traditional celebration with thousands of others in Old Town Square. Set against the backdrop of the Gothic Tyn Church, there is something magical about the whole evening. Bundle up. The program starts at 9:15 p.m.
- The Nutcracker: Throughout December, the National Theatre (1 Ostrovni, Prague 1) will be staging this seasonal classic, which will put you in the yuletide spirit in no time flat. Tickets won’t break the bank, and the interiors of this historic building will leave you awestruck. 
- Shopping: The Little Quarter’s Uluzickeho Seminare street is one of the city’s best untapped resources when it comes to unique gift ideas. Just down from Charles Bridge this cute, Old-World style street is packed with one-of-a-kind shops and boutiques.
Mark Baker, journalist living in Prague
- Go carp fishing. Not literally, but head to the nearest street corner where you’ll find temporary fishmongers selling live Chirstmas carp from big plastic basins. Put the carp in the bathtub until Christmas Eve.
- After you’ve gone to the effort to get a carp, enjoy a traditional Christmas Eve meal of fish soup, fried carp and potato salad. No Czech Christmas would be complete without this.
- Cross the Charles Bridge at dusk, with the Old Town at your back and the castle ahead. It’s magical watching the sun set behind the castle, and with any luck at all, you’ll get a snowflake or two swirling around in the air.
- Head to St. Vitus Cathedral on Christmas Eve for midnight Mass. Yes, it’s cold and it’s crowded, and the Mass is in Czech, but the setting is magical and you’ll emerge afterward feeling renewed.
- Watch the fireworks on New Year’s Eve. Crowds rush to the Old Town Square at the stroke of midnight, but it’s more fun and comfortable to choose a high vantage point, such as Letna park across the river from the Old Town or the Riegrovy gardens in the neighborhood of Vinohrady, to watch the festivities.
Pavlina Hejdova, Assistant to the General Manager
Kempinski Hybernska Prague
- Ice skating in the very city center behind the Estate Theatre through January 6.
- Enjoy the horse-drawn carriage tour or Prague by vintage car tour with a guide.
- Traditions: On Christmas Eve (December 24th) families gather at home to decorate the Christmas tree and prepare dinner. Many people choose to fast until evening. Children impatient for their dinner are told that if they are able to wait until the evening meal, they will see a golden pig.
- Pouring of lead: the most demanding, but very telling Czech Christmas tradition is the pouring of lead. A piece of lead is melted over a flame and is then immediately poured out into a bowl filled with water. The shape that the lead forms while it hardens is thought to determine the fate of the person who poured it.
- Floating walnuts: several walnuts are opened and their empty half-shells are filled with a small candle - this is best done with the help of dripping wax. Once the candle has been lit, the little boat is put into a large bowl or sink full of water. The journey the walnut takes is said to foretell the future of its owner. If the candle burns for a long time, its owner can expect a long and happy life.
- An essential element of the holiday table is váno?ka, a sweet bread of braided dough, which is decorated with raisins and almonds and also apple strudel which has a long tradition and many variations.
Thanks so much for all those of you who contributed to our month-long holiday celebration. We had a fantastic time sharing the traditions from around the world. If your city or country wasn’t included in the fun, please feel free to share your own favorite traditions with us below. Happy Holidays!
Photo: Wayne Huzzey via the Intelligent Travel Flickr pool
Posted in Europe, Intelligent TravelComments (0)
Tags: animals, christmas, environment, festival, green, green-guide, holidays, intelligent, santa, world of christmas
Celebrating the Season: Santa Fe, New Mexico
Posted on 24 December 2008
All through December we’ll be showcasing the best of the holiday season in cities around the world. Today it’s Christmastime in Santa Fe
and we’ve asked local experts for the essential ways to enjoy the
season’s best. Visitors and locals alike come together to celebrate the
holidays and the New Year, and we encourage you to share your own
favorites with us in the comments below. You can find all of the cities
we’ve already visited and stay up to date on the rest by bookmarking the series here.
Steve Lewis, 19-year Santa Fean
Santa Fe Convention and Visitors Bureau
- Among the local foods connected to the holidays in Northern New Mexico are posole, a traditional holiday dish. Posole is like hominy corn made into a stew with chilies, pork, or other additions. You can learn
how to make it at the Santa Fe School of Cooking’s holiday class or try
some of the best in town at La Choza or the Shed. 
- Biscochitos–New Mexico’s state cookie are anise flavored and
typically only come out for the holidays. Look for them on the counters of
local shops and especially at the Plaza Bakery.
- Tamales are another food that’s customarily made during the
holidays. Not that savory tamales aren’t available throughout the year, but during the
holidays there are special sweet tamales made with cocoa, raisins, cinnamon, and sugar. If one isn’t lucky
enough to have a friend or family member make these special treats, try them (or order them online) at
Posa’s, home of El Merendero tamales.
- The Santa Fe Desert Chorale puts together a number of holiday-specific performances that are both moving and beautiful; they feature the
chorale’s beautiful a cappella choir and a candlelight procession to Silent
Night. New for 2008 is the Jewish Music Concert at Temple
Beth Shalom featuring music composed especially for the Festival of lLghts plus
Israeli folk songs.
- The Santa Fe Pro Musica Baroque Ensemble “Baroque Christmas”
is a prized ticket at
the intimate Loretto Chapel.
- On Christmas Eve Santa Fe’s historic downtown Plaza is
ringed by 1,000 farolitos (votive candles in sand-filled paper bags) the
traditional New Mexican holiday lights. Hot cider and biscochitos cookies are
served as the farolitos are lit, then a procession to the Cross of the Martyrs
takes place.
- Susan’s Christmas Shop will feature the finely detailed and
highly imaginative felt ornaments of Taos artist Leah Benau along with other locally-crafted holiday decor.
- Many of the galleries along and around Canyon Road–the heart
of Santa Fe’s gallery district–hold Christmas Eve celebrations featuring food, carolers, and more. One such
gallery is the Randall M. Hasson Gallery at 225 Delgado Street. Simply
wandering up Canyon Road at dark is a sure way to find a lively party and
festive crowds.
- The Noche Buena--or Good Night–Mass at the Cathedral
Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, based on a traditional Spanish ceremony celebrating the
animals in the manger in Bethlehem, is Santa Fe’s cultural version of Midnight Mass.
Judith Moir, Public Relations Manager
The Inn on the Alameda, Santa Fe
- Christmas Eve Midnight Mass at Tesuque Pueblo includes a dance; one needs to be there by 10:00 p.m. as the
small church becomes very crowded.
- Ohkay Owingeh (Formerly San Juan Pueblo, located north of Santa Fe), has a sundown torchlight walk on Christmas Eve with a matachines dance.
- On Christmas Day, there are usually dances at Tesuque, Santa
Clara, San Ildefonso, Taos, and Ohkay Owingeh pueblos. Many Pueblos also have a New Year’s Day dance, as well as
dances on King’s Day, January 6.
Only one day left till Christmas! Stay tuned for tomorrow’s final post, on Christmas in Prague!
Photo: hartnm1 via the Intelligent Travel Flickr pool
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