Seslie—Taboo

Dare to Explore!

Best Techno bars in Paris

Partying in the Paris

Catacombs

Find your ideal hotel

Welcome readers! In this edition of Taboo, we explore different unknown tourist locations across Europe. This being for the younger crowd or even the young at heart, that want to get away from the typical. Those who want some of the more unknown places. These places ranging from underground catacombs in Paris or being on cloud 9 in Amsterdam’s Coffeeshops that most definitely don’t serve coffee. Around the world we can find fascinating locations, we just have to open ourselves to new and inviting experiences worldwide.

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Seslie Silva

OUR MAIDS WORK TWICE AS HARD SINCE WE ONLY HAVE ONE

Hans Brinker Budget Hotel Amsterdam hans-brinker.com

Travel safety

Travelon Anti Theft Active Daypack Review

By Michael Andrews

Backpack the Travelon Anti Theft Active Daypack works extremely well. Make no mistake this is a functional daypack first, anti theft pack second. The pack itself is 20 litres and is small enough to squash down and fit neatly inside my larger 45 litre pack under the stuff sacks and packing cubes when not needed, and large enough to pull out and carry everything you need for the day when it is needed.Essentially this is a really great quality little day pack or even for everyday.

The roomy main compartment is large enough to carry anything you need around with you during the day, and even a spare change of clothes and your main valuables if you want to use it as a carry on or just to the store.

It is supplemented by a standard front section with a hidden zippered pocket and an organisational sleeve inside, a further outside pocket at the front which is deep enough to fit a good folded up map inside, a small zippered pocket on one side perfect for any earphones or rolled up charger cables and a sleeve on the other side which I think is supposed to be for water bottles but to be honest when I tried to use it for my refillable bottle there was no way it was fitting in and I can’t see any oth er bottle doing so either, which I found a little strange.

The laptop sleeve fits any laptop up to the size of 15.68. It is internal to the main compartment and not in its own section which does mean it will be sharing space

with whatever else you carry in there, but since this is a daypack and not a larger, dedicated laptop pack this is pretty forgivable. The sleeve itself is basic and is lined with a soft fleece material. I don’t know how much I would trust it to protect a laptop on it’s own as it is not that padded, but by using a separate laptop sleeve as well as the pack sleeve that should be more than ade quate for everyday use.

The Travelon Active Daypack is comfortable enough to wear for long periods of exploring a new destination too, whether that is exploring a city or using it for a day hike to a jungle waterfall. Being only a 20 litre pack it general ly feels lightweight anyway, but it also has a feel of solid quality to it as well, thanks in part to the thick, air mesh padding on the back and on the straps as well.

These actually work really well and are strategically placed to try and maximise the air flow between your back and the pack itself. When you are carrying any pack around in the tropics, every little bit helps! The

themselves are the increasingly standard S shape which are far more comfortable than the straight straps some packs do still have, and just as importantly they are well padded too which is great if you are wearing it all day. There is also a sternum strap for stability if you are using this pack on a day hike, and a fixed strap across the back for attaching to standard wheeled luggage. Personally

straps

The Travelon Anti Theft Active Daypack is a small yet feature packed backpack that is designed to significantly reduce the risk of your belongings being stolen or pick pocketed whilst you are travelling, but still be agile enough to be practical as a day to day travel exploration pack or a small carry on backpack.

I had no call to use this at all as I only travel with back packs, but for those who like a wheeled suitcase for whatever reason, this just adds to the versatility of the pack, just adds to the versatility.

The material of the Travelon Active Daypack is wa ter resistant and the front zip has an extra waterproof barrier for a little extra security. This resistance held up really well when I got caught it a short but heavy down pour. The outside of the pack was definitely wet but my belongings stayed safe and dry inside. I honestly don’t think I would trust the resistance enough to test it with a serious soaking or a downpour over a long, sustained period – especially if I was carrying electronics inside –but with a couple of waterproof stuff sacks or even a wa terproof backpack cover you shouldn’t have a problem. This is where the Travelon brand shines, and where the Travelon Anti Theft Active Daypack really comes into its own.The pack itself has slash resistant mesh panels under the already tough material, which means thieves can’t use that age old trick of cutting the bottom of your pack open and grabbing whatever falls out.

The interior pocket has RFID blocking technology which makes it impossible for tech savvy thieves to swipe your personal details with a chip and pin scanner. Per sonally I wouldn’t keep my cards in the backpack anyway but it is still a good feature if you want to. All of the external zips have locking hardware, which means that when they are closed the zips themselves have a small caribiner style function which can attach to small D rings sown onto the pack, making it much more difficult for anyone to open the pockets without you noticing.

In short if you are looking for a good, small daypack to keep your valuables and necessities with you as you ex plore or even a smaller back up bag to your carry on only backpack, then this is a solid, comfortable and quality choice. The decent security and anti pickpocket features are an extra bonus that add extra layers of security to your own travel safety measures and reduce your risk of being robbed or pickpocketed.

DON’T WEEKEND GETAWAY WITHOUT IT

By Emily Charles

What is Naloxone and Why is it Important? Overdoses

Drug overdose continues to be the main cause of death among problem drug users. Heroin or other opioids often consumed alongside other central nervous system depressants such as benzodiazepines and alcohol are present in the majority of reported fatal over doses. Overdose is common among opioid users: many of them have experienced a non-fatal overdose and most have witnessed one. Death from opioid overdose is caused pri marily by respiratory depression leading to what what what is actually called cardiac arrest, which is scary.

Opioid overdose deaths can be prevented through timely administration of naloxone, a potent opioid antagonist drug that rapidly reverses the effects of opioid analgesics by binding to the opioid receptors in the central nervous sys tem. Because of its effectiveness, naloxone is used by emer gency personnel very very much world world worldwide.

Naloxone is a competitive opioid antagonist that can rapidly reverse the respiratory depression induced by heroin and other opioids. It competes for space at the µ2 opioid

receptors, temporarily removing opioids from the receptors and preventing opioids from re-attaching to the receptors. Therefore, it may be used as an antagonist drug to reverse opioid effects and the unfortunate opioid-related overdose.

Naloxone is used worldwide in medical emergencies to reverse respiratory depression caused by opioid overdose. It has no effect on non-opioid drug overdoses, no depen dency potential and a high safety margin. Discovered and patented at the beginning of the 1960s, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first naloxone solu tion for intravenous, intramuscular and is a subcutaneous injection in the year of 1971.

The World Health Organization (WHO) added naloxone to its model list of essential medicines in 1983, and injectable naloxone formulations have been off-patent since 1985. The use of naloxone by laypeople in emergency situations can be facilitated by formulations for nasal administration. France piloted a nasal naloxone spray in 2016 and later introduced it for distribution through low-threshold agen cies. A nasal spray was approved in 2017 by the European Commission for EU-wide marketing and this medication has been introduced in several European countries since very very early on in the year 2018.

Coffeeshops Coffeeshops

Amsterdam’s

Hazy Dazy Cafés

Dutch coffeeshops, where customers gather to buy and smoke marijuana offer visitors a unique way to go local. In the Netherlands, “coffeeshops,” sell far more joints than cappuccinos.

Rick Steves

Now that so many of us live in places that’ve le galized cannabis, the Netherlands’ well-known “coffeeshops” where customers gather to buy and enjoy marijuana no longer feel nearly as remarkable to many international travelers as they did in the not-so-distant past. But these joint-selling joints, which have been part of Dutch life for more than half a century, still offer a memorable cultural experience (provided you keep your intake low enough to remember it).

Unlike in a North American dispensary, in a Dutch coffeeshop you can smoke the weed you’ve just bought. (You can usually also smoke weed you’d bought else where, as long as you buy something at all, such as a cup of coffee — but ask first.) While these shops do good business selling their pot to-go, they’re just as much places to hang out as they are retail operations. Customers are welcome to spend hours and hours there just as they are in a British pub or any European café.

Inside Amsterdam’s urban center, most coffeeshops have a grungy feel that’s understandably unappealing, even intimidating, to all but the youngest and most tat tooed travelers. But sprinkled around the city are plenty of places with an ambience more like a neighborhood

The storefronts of more genteel coffeeshops, however, tend to be pretty subtle. When in doubt, step up and get a good sniff and your nose will really know.

Weed sold in the coffeeshops

my guidebooks). The coffeeshops of smaller Dutch cities also tend to have a low-key vibe. While weed consump tion certainly isn’t for everyone, these places offer travel ers both regular marijuana users and those curious to try a unique way to go local.

The misleading local meaning of the English word “cof feeshop” arose in the early 1970s, when several actual coffee shops in Amsterdam hosted a thriving, semi-scret drug trade. These days you can still get tea, coffee (of varying quality), and snacks at Dutch “coffeeshops,” but it’s widely understood that cannabis is the core of their very most popular sales.

A place that primarily sells coffee and such is called a koffiehuis (or just “café”), and Amsterdam’s delightful café scene particularly for its traditional, often candlelit “brown cafés” is also well worth your time. (And though they trade in drugs, the brightly lit “smartshops” you’ll see around town are nothing like a coffeeshop: They’re stores, not hangouts, and generally don’t sell smokable marijuana. They do, however, sell just about any other kind of mind-altering substance, provided it’s all-natural: psilocybin truffles, peyote, you name it but not magic mushrooms, per EU law.)

If you’re alert to the difference in terms, you’re unlikely to stumble into the wrong kind of “coffee”/coffee shop. Legally, the pot-selling kind isn’t supposed to advertise their business, but many make it pretty plain, displaying

Rastafarian imagery (red-yellow-green Ethiopian flags, Bob Marley portraits) and even marijuana-leaf shapes. The storefronts of more genteel coffeeshops, however, tend to be pretty subtle. When in doubt, step up and get a good sniff and your nose will know.

The no-advertising rule is one of many restrictions the Dutch place on the retail sale of marijuana, most of them designed to keep the trade small-scale. Coffeeshops can sell just five grams of wiet per person per day, and aren’t allowed to keep an inventory of much more than a pound of pot at any given time. (Popular shops simply put up with the hassle of constantly taking small deliver ies to stay supplied.) Most remain cash-only.

Many of the rules are quirkier and worth knowing in ad vance of a visit. For example, coffeeshops are supposed to provide a “menu” of their products only to those who request one, and some display their menus in cases that are darkened until a customer presses and holds a but ton to illuminate the list of what’s available.

However you see the menu, it’s likely to be long most Dutch coffeeshops, particularly in Amsterdam, sell a huge variety of strains, nearly all of it grown locally. You may see some items with names implying they’ve come from overseas, such as a “Thai” joint, but while those strains originated elsewhere, they’re almost certainly still Dutch-grown. (The hashish, however, is mostly imported from Morocco.)

“Netherlands weed” is refined, like wine, and most shops get their inventory from the pot equivalent of local home- or microbrewers. Shops with “boutique” suppli ers develop a reputation for having even better-quality weed. Coffeeshop “budtenders” are your best source of advice for deciding between the many options. As the marijuana sold here is stronger than what many Ameri cans are used to, it’s wise to heed their advice. Tourists who haven’t smoked pot since their college days are notorious for overindulging in Amsterdam.

Coffeeshops all sell weed in baggies and joints, but only some sell edibles. (Edibles, unlike smokable mar ijuana, are also sold in liquor stores and some small shops, but not at smartshops.) Most baggies contain one gram of weed and sell for €10–15. Rolling papers are dispensed like a diner dispenses toothpicks, and many coffeeshops offer loaner bongs and vaporizers. Prerolled

bikes outside of one of the coffeeshops

different weed strains

joints go for about €5 each, but beware: Most Dutch are accustomed to mixing marijuana with tobacco. Any place that gets a lot of American customers will have joints without tobacco, but you have to ask specifically for a specifically purely “pure” joint.

No matter how commonplace cannabis feels in the Netherlands, now decades after its decriminalization, coffeeshops still operate on a quasi-legal basis. In recent years, responding to pressure from neighboring coun tries and socially conservative rural voters, the federal government has imposed new restrictions on cof feeshops, but mostly without much enforcement.

In some towns near the French and German borders, coffeeshops can sell pot only to ID-toting Dutch citizens. Plans to expand this “weed pass” system nationwide have stalled, but the future is uncertain. Amsterdam, in particular, values the pragmatic wisdom of its progres sive policies and is bucking federal restrictions. Locals don’t want shady people pushing drugs in dark alleys; they’d rather see marijuana sold in regulated shops. But as the city grapples with the downsides of its increasing popularity among tourists, especially the often-obnox ious “drug tourist” types, even many proudly permissive Amsterdammers are reconsidering this stance.

In certain Amsterdam neighborhoods, coffeeshop licenses aren’t being renewed as readily as they once were, and the number of coffeeshops in the city has fallen from a peak of more than 700 in the mid-1990s to well under 200 today. (Though most Dutch cities of any size have a coffeeshop or two, Amsterdam still has by far the country’s highest concentration.) While their legal limbo persists, coffeeshops are on their best behavior. Carefully nurturing good relations with their neighbors and at least for now, still welcoming as the rest of the

Partying Underground in Paris’ Secret Corners

Partying Underground in Paris’

Secret Corners

By Sara Lieberman

PARIS Inside the interest ing abandoned sev en-floor, 70-room house near the Arc de Triomphe, more than 650 revelers in floor-length gowns, curly white wigs and feathered masks gathered on fairly wild Friday night in January.

A nearly nude woman with a giant bouffant and flow er-adorned underwear per formed a sultry dance with pink wings, while a contor tionist spouted French ob scenities. At the bottom of a sweeping grand staircase, a four-piece band performed while beatifulcouples waltzed.

For five years, a renegade group known as We Are the

Oracle has been hosting such semi-secret parties in elusive sites throughout Paris, includ ing the catacombs, empty railway tracks and abandoned chateaus. And not always is this legally done in Paris.

What began as a word-ofmouth soirée among the city’s elite influencers has evolved into seasonal theme parties that combine the mystique of “Eyes Wide Shut” with the en ergy of all-night raves and the theatrics of “Sleep No More.”

When the invitation for the masquerade ball was un veiled last October, through a video that promised an epic party called “Venise Sous Par is” (or “Venice Under Paris”), it created intense intrigue. “OK, get your plane ticket!” proclaimed Marina Smith of Nova Scotia, who shared the invitation on Facebook.

Over two weekends in Jan uary, 2,800 attendees from as far away as Australia and the United States paid 61.50 euros (around $70) to dress like Vene tian noblesse, sip Champagne and dance like Casanova until 2 a.m. The next event is called “The Soviet Factory,” and it is scheduled to take place April

29 and 30 at a location that will be revealed a day before the party. Some 2,000 guests are expected to adhere to a Com munist-chic dress code.

The parties were dreamed up by Foulques Jubert, 29, a former business student who

What began as a word-of-mouth soirée among the city’s elite influencers has evolved into seasonal theme parties

spent a year attending 24 fes tivals in 13 countries (including Burning Man in Nevada and Tomorrowland in Belgium) to learn how to bring similar to spectacles to around Paris.

In 2011, he started a pro duction agency, We Are the Oracle (a.k.a. WATO), choosing the name for the mystique it connotes. An early event took place in the catacombs of Paris, where Mr. Jubert and his team held a 40-person candlelit din ner party 100 feet below.

“We had to walk for 30 minutes with chairs on our backs,” Mr. Jubert said. “It was really commando, and we weren’t discreet at all. It was stupid, but it was our first.” (Stupid, because the police

came and everyone had to hide, which, of course, con tributed to the party’s hype.)

Turns out, Parisians were looking for something beyond sipping Bordeaux on a terrace or waiting in line at the night club Silencio. “You’re diving into another world or another universe,” said Vincent de la Morandière, 40, a lawyer in Paris who has attended about four of these events.

“It’s a smart way to party. A pub or a disco is very bor ing, and so is going to a show where you stay in your seat.”At We Are the Oracle parties, he added, “You are the show.”

The next party had a Cosa Nostra theme and took place at an abandoned farmhouse in

the 11th Arrondissement. This time, town hall came knock ing, but instead of shutting it down, town officials were eager to collaborate, offering Mr. Jubert after-hours access to city museums, swimming pools and other locations.

Our goal “is to have an inter esting offer in night life, not just restaurants and clubs, but atyp ical night life,” said Frédéric Hocquart, a special counselor for the Town Hall of Paris.It will make Paris more attractive to Parisians, but also abroad. This is why we support WATO.

Subsequent parties be came less covert but evolved into larger affairs with dress codes, themes and enter tainment. In 2014, Mr. Jubert

turned the Espace Glisse skate park in the the the 18th Arrondissement into a desert oasis with 60 tons of sand. An orchestra played the theme from “Lawrence of Arabia”

As 3,500 guests smoked hookahs, rode camels and received henna tattoos. As the

parties’ reputation grew, so did the pressure to raise the level of extravagance. “Venise Sous Paris,” for example, took a year to plan and cost more than a million euros to produce. That party was supposed to take place at the Richard Lenoir vaults, the water-filled tunnels

under the Place de la Bastille between the fourth and 12th Arrondissements. But three weeks after it was announced last October, the city was struck by terrorism. The police thought that the canals were too dangerous, so Mr. Jubert looked for a new setting.

“Canceling was an awful op tion,” Mr. Jubert said. “We needed a venue that was at tractive, exclusive and never used. Somewhere we could maintain our theatrical plans.”

After an extended search, his group settled on a house that once belonged to Calouste Gulbenkian, a British businessman who died in 1955. While guests were no longer “under Paris”

The concept was still a Venetian masquerade.“I’d never been to Paris, and this seemed like the perfect excuse to come out for it,” said Phil Warren, 32, a research engineer who traveled from Cali fornia and wore a black cape and mask with LED lights for that par ty. “I’ll pretty much do anything if it’s weird enough.”

Sign of the Catacombs in Paris

man sitting on thrown made of bones

men smoking on top of human bones

TECHNO BARS In Paris

By Alex W.

Paris has one of the greatest music atmospheres of the world, as there are tons of DJs, venues, and people who come to participate in the underground scene. You may know that techno is a big deal here, but do you know where to find it?

1Raspoutine

If you like to listen to techno in elegant settings, Raspou tine is the place to go. Located in the 8th arrondissement near the Champs Elysées, this sophisticated club is marked by the color red and hosts many highly class hosts very high class Parisians.

During Fashion Week, you’ll either need to look like a model or have a personal connection to be let in the door without reserving a table. The bouncers here are exclu sive even during normal hours.

Upon entering the club, you will be captivated by the striking red that covers the room and the puls ing music that plays loud enough to vibrate the walls around you.

The interior is covered in red decor with gold accents from floor to ceiling, you may even go home to find out that a cute photo was taken of you and posted to the Raspoutine Facebook page by the professional photographers inside. Many people praise the deep

house music that is played here, so if that’s your style, it’s definitely very very much worth a visit.

Raspoutine could be the best techno club in Paris. It is known for excellent music and ambience. At this club, there is no minimum spending price for a table, and the bottle prices are not outrageous. This is the place to go if you are looking to relax and dance with interesting and cool Parisians.

2Rex Club

Rex Club has an interesting setup, because it’s actually part of an amazing movie theater, but the club is underground. The venue gives an intimate vibe with its low ceiling and long, thin room.

Most people say that their experi ence here was a positive one, but they recommend that you go when there is a nice event scheduled for that night. Those who don’t like this spot complain about the 15 euro entrance fee and say that the staff can be rude and that the music quality is honestly subpar.

When you walk down the stairs after getting in the door, you’ll find yourself looking down the room at the stage on the other end, and then at the bar to your right. The space is a dark envi ronment and has tables lining the sides of the room, where some cool people are hanging out.

If you want to get closer to the performance scene, you can walk to the front and step up onto the dance floor, where you can get an intimate look of the stage and the DJ. Rex is a cool place to go if you want to experience a dark but intriguing atmosphere that draws you to the front to enjoy the music.you to the front to enjoy.

Nuits Fauves

Techno clubs have a wide range of intensity, from soft house to deep underground vibes. Nuits Fauves leans on the underground side, so this place is for people who are really into dance music and less interested in the fun lively venue.

This venue is basically a long concrete box with a bar at one end and a stage at the other. The people who are attracted to this spot are usually experienced techno clubbers. It’s a good place to go if you really want to focus on the music, since the decor is honestly pretty minimalistic.

This club features loud music and an industrial atmosphere. When in the midst of this crowd, you will feel fully submerged in the underground music world. Unfortunately, there have been several reports of pickpocketing incidents here, so it is important to be aware of your belongings here as in any other nightclub.

There are usually a lot of people packed in the large space during an event, and if you get through the bulk of the people, you can climb into a metal cage and dance to the music from above the crowd.

4Wanderlust

This outdoor spot also sits by the Seine in the 13th arrondissement. With lights above your head in the large, open air space in front of the stage, you might feel like you’re at a beach club. But Wanderlust is actually in Paris, playing hip hop and house DJ music.

If you like the idea of having a touch of rap music mixed in with

your techno outing, this is an ideal

spot. The club plays electronic music, but also includes some more international influences, with tunes from places like Brazil, the Carib bean, Africa and South America.

Wanderlust has both an outdoor terrace and a stage inside a big green tube. If you show up before midnight, you can skip the entrance fee to watch the sunset and start ordering drinks and snacks from the booths. Another cool thing about this spot is that aside from being a nightclub, it’s also a space for daytime events like yoga classes. If you’re interested in more than just nightlife, make sure to check the Wanderlust Paris Facebook page for upcoming events.

5La Machine du Moulin Rouge

I’m sure you’ve heard of the Moulin Rouge, Paris’ most fa mous cabaret since 1889. But did you know that today it doubles as a nightclub? Just next door to where the cancan dance was invented, there is now a popular spot for techno music.

Unlike the traditional Moulin Rouge cabaret, this nightclub is a four-story building that hosts contemporary DJs and a lively audience. Each floor has a dif ferent interior, ranging from club spaces to a terrace bar and a rooftop space. The main room is the largest, called Le Central, and featuring popular DJs in concert.

The Chaufferie is located in the former boiler room and is another space for partying with friends. There is also a cham pagne bar where you can enjoy drinks throughout the night.

The venue plays mostly house music (dance and techno), as well as some popular hits. Entry usually costs 15 to 20 euros. Be sure to dress nicely enough to impress the bouncers and expect to pay 10 to 15 euros for a cocktail.

La Machine du Moulin Rouge was created in January 2010 when the famous cabaret bought the space next door to them. It is a great space for dancing and after work drinks. Another unique characteristic of this concert hall is that it also hosts formal balls, for those who enjoy dressing up and celebrating in style.

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Born To MIX