Arctic Perspective: Canada House, London

Outside of the British Museum on bustling Trafalgar Square sits on innocuous, slightly smaller building called Canada House. Sitting there on the square, the first thing that draws a visitor's eye to the building are the Canadian flags flying on the rooftop. A sane person visiting any of the more popular destinations lining this historic square, in particular the Brit's museum and it's lovey Portrait Gallery or the corner behind it, will want a bit of respite. As travel bloggers, it is incumbent for us to tell you about the very special Canada House.
Our first trip to the British Museum, we were already tired. We walked in and walked out. Getting into the door was just too crowded. We had been two hours walking, but we loved the activity happening on the square outside. We sat there wondering what this exhibit and building were that was advertising "Arctic Perspective."

Arctic Perspective was a wonderful blend of indigenous Inuit artists, sculptures, printmaking, painters, and blends that with scientific research and engineering related to the future of Arctic Exploration. Its more important focus was that it highlighted the ecological, cultural, and geopolitical importance of the Arctic in the context of its indigenous cultures. It is a living project. It has an auspicious goal. It is something which can be documented and followed beyond its short tenure at this small London government institution of Canada. It aims to promote and sustain that which it exhibits and displays. Arctic Perspective is working in collaboration with the people pf Igloolik, Kinngait, Iqaluit, Mittmatalik, and Kanngigtugaapik in Nunavut, Canada and with other arctic communities, artists, architects on devising 'mobile media' and 'living units and infrastructure' portable buildings which can be used across the arctic for creative media production while being powered by renewable resources. It is a big project. It has teachable standards. The project will go on indefinitely as the Arts Catalyst seeks to provide a nurturing and sustainable home for part of Canada's national identity.


Canada House, Trafalgar Square, London
Canada House and other reasons to find places of respite and refuge in cities

When I first got my travel bug as a young adult I tried to find the end of the road and found several of them wound up in Alaska. To get there, we drove through Canada and learned about the ruggedness of the Arctic. It has always remained an important memory for me. Today we were two or three hours walking inside the big museum across the street from little Canada House. So, when our search for floor '0' ended in a wing with no connections to Michael Angelo, we exited back onto the street and popped out in front of the waving maple leaves and welcoming exposition signs.

There are other reasons to visit Canada House, it is a wonderful nicely decorated period building, you can get lots of information, you can arrange Visas; but, our favorite attribute which I am trying to embed deep enough within this blog not to overrun them with cheapskate backpackers - is that they have a lobby with really great computers which can be used to check internet and even print documents f_ee!!).

Scattered throughout downtown London and in its surrounds there are many such places of respite. We have passed Zimbabwe and Korea's welcoming centers and not gone in them. But, my guess, is like most of the cultural attractions and visitor centers around the world, not only will they have great inviting literature, but often they will have some exhibit or special introduction to their country.

London is of course filled with so many examples of where one turn down and underused alley or behind an ivy gate can bring you to lovely points of solace. All along the Thames are underutilized but much appreciated and cared for gardens where you are more likely to see street repairman having lunch or business types having a smoke, than see any roving bands of tourist groups or the like. Deacon's Square tucked behind the Westminster Abbey is the perfect place to quietly reflect on what the town might have sounded and acted like one or two hundred years previously.

Everywhere we go we continue to discover places which we want to share. Remembering to blog about them in time is hard for us. So we will have to come back soon, bog from the Americas and continue to refine our ever expanding interests in both going local and finding the hidden gems which are placed all around us.

Stay tuned, we cross England next to Scotland and then taste the Isle of Ireland before we fly across that big Atlantic pond back to our homelands.

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Paris on $25 a day (or less)

Paris is great! Paris is easily one of those cities (like all great cosmopolitan centers) where you can just as easily spend $50 a day as $5000. It is a city of great class, great confidence. It is a city that everyone who can must visit.

I recommend Paris very highly because it has so many of the ingredients which I believe give quality, luster, and value to the conditions which the western philosophies (economies, religions, aesthetics) have placed upon our world. Paris deserves your attention whether you think the western world created our time, is causing a race for more time, or has brought about the end of time... Paris is no doubt a fountainhead for our current dilemma.

Lucky for B and I that we did not try and test any of the foreboding above when we came to Paris. We were here by happenstance. You see, our trip is certainly about great luck. In Paris, our luck acted like it was effulgent, then acted as if it wanted to run dry.

This is our story.

Paris, ah, Paris. What a strange sight you are in the August vacation month of Europe. How can you live with your queer friends? Your residents completely abandon you every August; then you accept this torrid affair with mad crowds for the month? Maybe you know more about what to do with Summer than the rest of us? Anyway, the weather is good - so we gave it a try with everyone else.

I would have to admit, after beating it around the world on $5-10 day average Paris terrifies.

But, we have friends. We should be able to get off the beaten path. We know that what we are looking for is community. Surely, community is something which Paris has a lot of?




While nonsequitor - all of my points above have a meaning. For me, Paris exemplifies what our world is now, what is has been, and (maybe) what it is to become. But, this is only true through looking at Paris as a series of what ifs.

Our trip to Paris was nonsensical. We arrived having no idea where we were staying only to find that we had been put up just meters from the Seine and spitting distance from Le Jardin des Plantes - one of the loveliest gardens you will ever encounter.

Luck, it seems stays with us. But, as we have pointed out so many times in our blogs: We travel unconventionally. We are open to magic (and luck happening). We begin our travels from a very privileged position that we can imagine them; that we know we can do them; that we are not afraid of them; that we know that good and bad we will gain from our experiences.

On the downside, we were waylaid for a day and depressed for two when we busted our host's washing machine (top load washer Americans is more confusing than would at first seem). We saw the issue as a lesson, which it was. We also proved our honesty and self-worth by fessing up quickly and then doing what it took to get it fixed.

This blog is not only about Paris. It is about how you might enjoy life if you were somewhere great, ssomewhere where all the world lives, and somewhere where you wanted to enjoy the great fruits of civilization in a civilized way. Life can be very expensive. But, our quality of life depends on what is inside of us. If Paris for less than $25 a day interests you, read more.


So here is what I am going to go out on a limb about on the subject of visiting Paris: Paris is for everyone. Paris if for the old and the aged. It is for the young (everyone under 18, for example, get into all of the National Museums for FREE. (If this great perk would only also include Paris-Disney I am sure it would quickly rival Orlando, FL as the ultimate family vacation hotspot.) Paris is a city for the rich. Do not go into any corner cafe thinking you can cover the cost of a coffee and OJ or a beer without making certain that you can. My Aunt has had a reciept for purchasing a Parisien OJ on her fridge for at least 10 years and they paid $12 euro back then.

But, Paris is really free. Its best parts are. And they are not too touristic (even in August). It is a city filled with delightful parks. There is the Seine River (at night we split time between the Tango and the Irish Jig dances taking place every night on its waterfront. There are dozens of beautiful ancient churches filled with art (many masterpieces) - they are all free. Only Sacre Coeur and the other one have lines! The City itself manages about 15 museums which are almost all free. Then there are les Champs-Elysees, the Eiffel Tower, the Markets, and the street life, shopping, galleries, bakeries, fromagers - too much.

So, our story has no end. Only happy beginnings to return to. Paris, or, the Paris I know and love costs $25 a day or less. It requires a couch or the gumption to bring and sleep in your tent (people do this). It has a maximum three bottle and a minimum one baguette and one chevre diet- which is acceptable for short-termers but probably unhealthy if permanent.

BTW - we really meant to get to Musee D'Orsay, the Louvre, Palais de Luxembourg and other incredible sightseeing hits in Paris. I would probably not recommend these in August. We will save them for the next time we come. Maybe we will landd here on a first Sunday of the month (when all the museums in Paris are free.

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In the Riad (for Mohamed)

Sound hardly reaches here. It is lonely from sound.

Sound reaches; but it is broken like by deep distant canyon's roar or a steep mountain valley whistle. It is silence of mind.

There are bird sounds, but most like a rustle.

Every once in a while, a daytime awareness, the mind listens.

It believes there is a city around me, around here, outside the door.



Last night, I caught a wedding celebration in a corner of my dreams.

Distant, the movements of long fluted horns, may be a parade stomp.

Light, drawn down in shadows, lengthens these notes.

There is drought in the tiny chatters. Drought in shadows.



At night, there is a donkey braying.

Braying at the yard. The yard by the large gate.

My wife says, “All over the world, mules are mistreated.” I agree.

There is drought in the tiny chambers.

We open the door and go out.

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Guide to China

CHINA FOR TRAVELERS

We spent six weeks (mid-December 2009 through February 2010) traveling through China: we entered in Shanghai and departed from Hong Kong. The following blog posting is a list of our experiences and takeaways. Please note that this is not intended to be a comprehensive travel guide, but is limited to our experiences and some tips that we think might be helpful for travelers.

China is very commercialized and brand-focused and westernized. The food found in normal, ordinary restaurants is INCREDIBLE, but we shied away from the higher priced menus: exotic foods are more expensive and not necessarily on our wish list, and the quality doesn’t usually increase with the price. Learn just a few characters, like those of noodle or soup, and you will be in good stead. We ordered blindly off of menus for the first several weeks and were so delighted by our results that we kept up the practice.

Currently China has a 30/60/90 day tourist visa available for Americans. However, when we obtained our visas in Tokyo, the office neglected to mention that we had to leave the country every thirty days, even if just to a border for a stamp. We didn’t know. So, we stayed for 45 days…China was not happy. Although the penalties were predicted to be very extreme (information from the local police station led us to expect 500y penalty each day over the 30-day limit plus a baseline fine plus paying for two new visas), we were lucky to get off lightly: no additional fines or penalties, just paying for two new visas, even though we were departing for Hong Kong the following day. How did we get off so lightly? It was a combination of luck, rambling in fast English that officials couldn’t keep up with, and maintaining an apologetic, humble, and grateful demeanor. It also helped that Nathan kept mentioning that his family was from Changsha.

Before you arrive in China, get yourself a copy of the fantastic “Point-It” Book if you don’t speak Chinese. It was absolutely invaluable throughout our travels, especially in China. The book is priced somewhere around $10 USD, can’t go wrong. The book has at least 60 pages of images: food, transportation, hotel details, colors, etc.

We learned right off the bat that tea is a staple in China, and it’s very easy to join in the fun! Head to a store and buy yourself a plastic or glass canister, then explore some markets and get a supply of green, oolong, jasmine, or pekoe tea. We travel with a nalgene bottle and it served as a perfect BIG tea canister. All of the trains have hot water, as do many offices, restaurants, hotels, and even bus stations. The boiled water is safe to drink and we became major tea enthusiasts in China. I bet that you will too! Along with tea, the hot water is perfect for ramen and bowls of soup, especially on the trains.

7 Days Inn was a great find for us. At an average of 129 yuan a night, they are pricier than the normal Chinese hotels, but certainly cheaper than many others. The consistency of 7 Days Inns was great, they are a chain with something like 266 hotels across China, with plans to develop more. Rooms are clean with big bathrooms, hot showers, bleached-white towels, cable television (which usually include one or two English movie channels), room heating unit, window that opens, USB internet cable in room and connected computer in the lobby, fairly helpful staff, and if you join the free 7 Days Inn Club, you stay seven nights and get the eighth night free. Plus, membership also includes a free box of milk every night before bed. Sweet deal.

In Hangzhou we had the great fortune of crossing paths with Jerry Chow: The Grassroots Ambassador of Hangzhou. Mobile +8613758255323, jerryzhouhangzhou@hotmail.com. Jerry is a super friendly guy, who speaks very good self-taught excellent English. He knows all the spots in the area and is an expert on China tourism. Honest and helpful and proud of his position. We were so lucky to hail a cab and unexpectedly find Jerry behind the wheel!

Some friends in Changsha took us to Hooligans Pub (Hua Long Chi #1), located in the midst of a major and very popular bar street in Changsha. Ben from Vermont runs this fun pub and can oftentimes be found there, chatting with customers and having a few pints himself! Hooligans is a great place to meet the local “English teachers” in residence and other ex-pats. Very large beer selection. Pricey.

Although we breezed through Nanning rather quickly, we did visit Lotusland Hostel (64 Shanghai Rd, Nanning. Tel#86-771-2432592), the one hostel in Nanning. Booking: lotuslandhotel@163.com. One of the best things about Lotusland is their assistance with travel to and visas for Vietnam. They don’t charge for the visa service, but help travelers with the application and submission. How nice!! Perfect typical backpacker set up: new and spacious common room with wireless and desktop computers. Big TV with movies and cable, books, and even some video games. Pay washing machine available for guest use. Helpful and friendly staff. 120Y with shared bath seemed a bit pricey, but the shared bath is super classy. Great Location.

WADA guesthouse: No. 212,Huanchengxi 1 Road, Guilin. Email: wadahostel@yahoo.com. Typical backpacker hostel in China, but, very good at it. Free maps, tourist info, wifi. Huge common rooms with bar, pool table, outside seating, library.

Trains and Buses: When you are taking an overnight train, the bottom tier is the best. When you are taking an overnight bus, the top bunk is best. Trust me, I wouldn’t lie to you.

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