VRAI Magazine: The Travel Issue, July 2017

July 2017

The Travel Issue

The Unexpected in Japan Beijing, China Day Hiking in Tasmania

Magical Venice

Discover Canada New York City

U.S. Public Lands Designer Kini Zamora 1

Experience the

CUBA You’ve Always Imagined!

2

VRAI Magazine

8 Day Photography Tour to Havana, Cuba November 4 - 11, 2017 With great grand avenues lined in a rainbow of colorful buildings, vintage cars cruising crumbling alleyways, Che Guevara’s face staring at your every turn and a sea-soaked ocean walkway full of lovers, Havana is an audacious dream. Cuba stretches over 42,000 square miles but without a doubt, the city of Havana is the heart of this island nation. Both the political and cultural capital of Cuba, Havana is an unparalleled living museum. Prepare yourself.

Havana Imagined The Havana Imagined Photo Tour is ideal for both experienced and amateur photographers. We will spend 8 days and 7 nights exploring this incredible city from its colonial heart to its markets, plazas and neighborhoods. We will experience the city from top down and bottom up. We will see areas most tourists never see and meet some of its most interesting inhabitants — and we will learn to shoot along the way The Havana Imagined Photo Tour highlights street photography but we will also have many opportunities for panoramas, food photography, portraits, dancers and more. Photographer Jim O’Donnell will assist you with your photography every step of the way. When you arrive home, you will have images of Cuba’s stunning capital that few tourists ever have an opportunity to achieve.

The tour is operated through Espiritu Travel. Cost $1,995 (does not include plane fare).

Contact info@espiritutravel.com or 1-800-387-1370 and mention this ad.

3

Editor’s Letter. . . . . . . . . 5

by Danny de la Cruz Contributors . . . . . . . . . 6 Travel Nutrition & Fitness Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

by Frances Arnold The Unexpected in Japan or How I Almost Got Kicked Out of a Buddhist Temple . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

by Ksenia Skvortsova From Hawaii to Project Runway All Star: Meet Designer Kini Zamora. 24

by Doris Hobbs What is the Future of our U.S. Public Lands? A Series of Essays. . . . . . . . . . . 32

by Jim O’Donnell, Rose Chilcoat, Kiva DuckworthMoulton, R. Scott Jones, Bret Love, Aleah Sato and David Soules

Think Globally, Act Locally: The Art of Travel in the Age of Globalization. . . . . . 60

by Nicholas Andriani 7 Places You Can’t Miss When Exploring Canada. . . . . . . . . . . . 68

by Katie Stanwyck Grilled Whole Fish with Tomato Lime Zip Sauce . . . . . . . . . . 80

by Healthy World Cuisine Magazine How to Avoid the Crowds at Beijing’s Top Attractions . . . . . . 86

by Charmaine Kong Fresh Perspectives: New York City . . . . . . . . . 100

by Janet Rokosz The Unexpected Magic of Venice . . . . . . . . . . . 116

by Danny de la Cruz The Essential Guide for Day Hiking in Tasmania . . . . . . . . 148

by Barry Sproston

On the cover: White Sands National Monument, New Mexico Photo by Jim O’Donnell

4

VRAI Magazine

T

ravel Unexpected is the theme of this issue. Despite all the planning, research and the multitude of resources we have available today, you just never know what’s going to happen the minute you set foot on your journey. From the most magical moments to sometimes, the most harrowing, but hopefully, mostly small inconveniences that you can overcome— you just have to be prepared.

With all that said and done, being prepared to any degree and even the simple act of adjusting your perspective and being more open to different cultures, can help in the long run.

For this issue, we’ve partnered with some familiar and new travel experts to inspire you to try new destinations while giving you essential travel tips along the way. From Asia, we’re hopping from Japan to China, then crossing the Pacific with a stop in Tasmania, then Hawaii, before we tackle North America and then finally cross the Atlantic to Italy for a magical getaway.

During our stop in Hawaii, you’ll get a chance to read an exclusive interview with Hawaiian Designer and Project Runway All Star, Kini Zamora. Special thanks to Contributing Style Editor, Doris Hobbs for giving us more insight into this talented designer straight from his Oahu design studios.

And while I hope you walk away after reading each issue filled with inspiration, this issue is also filled with a thoughtprovoking series of essays centered around the future of the U.S. public lands. For many across the country, our public lands are not only places for travel and exploration, but they are also an essential part of what this country is all about.

Potential changes to our public lands are an unexpected situation which we all must suddenly address. I want to extend a very special thanks to Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico for his introduction to these essays and also to our very own Travel Editor, Jim O’Donnell, for bringing together a group of writers who are passionate about this topic.

As always, much thanks to each contributor for yet another wonderful issue and to each of you for your continued support.

Be prepared, be open and safe travels as you experience the world around you.

Travel Issue Volume 2 / Number 4

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Danny de la Cruz Travel Editor Jim O’Donnell NYC Editor Ksenia Skvortsova Food Editor Karista Bennett Creative Director MJ Cadiz

Contact Us VRAI Magazine LLC P.O. Box 62 Techny, IL 60082 General Inquiries editor@vraimagazine.com Advertising Inquiries advertising@vraimagazine.com

VRAI Magazine is a digital lifestyle publication that delivers food, fashion, travel and home & garden inspiration. With a team of creatives, storytellers, authors and talented contributors, we curate stories that represent the Style of True Living. © VRAI Magazine LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means including photocopying, recording or other electronic methods without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in digital and print reviews.

Danny de la Cruz Publisher & Editor-in-Chief 5

Nicholas Andriani

Frances Arnold

Rose Chilcoat

Nicholas is a multi-genre writer and explorer.

Previous projects include archaeological research in Jordan and Mexico, travel and food journalism and a stint as a cheesemonger in Kansas City. His current project, a memoir titled ‘In Another Country’, is scheduled to be finished when it’s ready. Learn more on his blog, Travels & Writings with Nicholas Andriani

Frances is an Integrative Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and a therapeutic yoga teacher (since 2000). She helps people love the food that loves them back and helps transform their weight problems, digestion and chronic health issues using functional nutrition and mind-body medicine. Learn more and sign up for a free health membership at her website: Namaste Nutritionist or listen to her podcast.

Rose is a founding board member of Friends of Cedar Mesa who, along with Mark Meloy, saw the need for a San Juan County, Utah based organization to advocate for and help steward the incomparable natural and cultural resources found there. Her love affair with the red rock canyons of southern Utah, mysteries of the Ancestral Puebloans and SW Native American cultures began when she moved to southwest Colorado in 1980.

Rafting the San Juan River, exploring Comb Ridge, Cedar Mesa and beyond, working as an interpretive archaeological ranger at Mesa Verde National Park…she may not be from here but the Four Corners quickly became her spiritual home.

6

VRAI Magazine

Kiva Duckworth-Moulton Kiva grew up in northern New Mexico, exploring backyard arroyos and swimming in the Rio Grande. Childhood vacations usually involved camping and exploring the great outdoors. She has been a teacher and principal for the past 20 years and enjoys photographing the natural wonders of our world.

She is step-mom to 2 men, mom to 2 teens and married to another fan of the West.

© Vjom / Fotolia

Doris Hobbs

HWC Magazine

R. Scott Jones

Charmaine Kong

A native of the San Francisco, bay-area, Doris is a published writer, consultant, diabetes advocate, cover model and style blogger of Rich in Love Fashion.

Everything Doris does is with a passion to support women, startup brands and provide artistic designers the opportunity of proper media exposure through a number of premier publications.

Healthy World Cuisine (HWC) Magazine is committed to provide a lifestyle traveling culinary experience featuring fresh ingredients, easy recipe preparation and culinary enjoyment. Are you ready to explore new culinary frontiers, eat healthier, and save time – then, you have come to the right place.

HWC Magazine also has many dietary specific recipes, 30 minute healthy meals and international cuisine recipes.

Scott Jones is a public lands advocate and consummate road tripper. A champion of personal travel quests, his adventures have led him to nearly all of the 417 US national park units, including 100 parks in 100 days to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park System in 2016. Follow him at Just Get Out More to learn how you can spend more of your time adventuring outside, or connect with him on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.

Always seeking new territories to explore, Charmaine is a communications specialist, writer and avid traveller.

Wherever the path leads her, she’s documenting her adventures and sharing her experienced tips and advice on her blog Where’s the Charm. Join her in discovering new cities, cultures and stories from around the world.

7

Bret Love

Jim O’Donnell

Aleah Sato

Ksenia Skvortsova

Bret is a journalist/editor with 24 years of print and online experience, whose clients have ranged from the Atlanta Journal Constitution and American Airlines to National Geographic and Yahoo Travel. Along with his wife, photographer/ videographer Mary Gabbett, he is the cofounder of ecotourism/ conservation website Green Global Travel and Green Travel Media.

Jim is an award-winning writer and photographer from Taos, New Mexico.

Both his photography and writing focus on the nexus of human culture and the natural world. O’Donnell is the author of Notes for the Aurora Society: 1500 Miles on Foot Across Finland and Rise and Go. Learn more at Around the World in Eighty Years and Jim O’Donnell Photography.

Aleah is a freelance writer, poet and the author of Badlands and Stillborn Wilderness (Pooka Press). Her work has appeared in Nthposition, Adirondack Review, The Nervous Breakdown, American Poetry Journal, Blue Fifth Review and The Puritan, among others. She is a desert dweller and wilderness enthusiast, a selfconfirmed hermit and vagabond. She can be reached through her blog, The Wild Muse.

Ksenia is a cook, writer, and food stylist living in New York. She graduated from the Institute of Culinary Education in 2011. Ksenia’s website, Saffron & Honey, is a food and travel blog focused on bringing a Provencal sensibility and joie de vivre to everyday cooking, living and traveling.

8

VRAI Magazine

Š Vjom / Fotolia

Katie Stanwyck

David Soules David is a lifelong resident of southern New Mexico. He has been an active participant in numerous grassroots outdoor volunteer projects, including wildlife water catchments, various cleanup and tree planting initiatives, wildlife surveys, and trap and transplant efforts for desert bighorn sheep and wild turkeys.

David enjoys hiking and camping, and has been a long-term advocate for the Organ Mountains - Desert Peaks national monument.

He is an engineer and manager by trade, but his passion lies with protecting the outdoors.

Katie has always been a traveler at heart with 27 countries already under her belt. Now, she is living in Toronto writing about travel Barry Sproston Barry is an English traveller in her blog A Bite of Travel and seeing the world one and expat. He spent 12 months training at a Gung step at a time.

Fu school learning Wing Chun, explored the island of Taiwan by scooter more than once, been tricked into eating raw horse meat sushi in Japan and tried to overcome the fear of heights by bungee jumping in Thailand. He regularly blogs about his adventures at Tools of Travel.

Public Lands Lover Public Lands Lover is a native of the Pacific Northwest where she lives with her husband, son, dog and 20 pound house cat. She is a strong advocate for the restorative powers of public lands, having experienced the deep healing that only the wilderness can bring. She hopes her Twitter feed and personal photos inspire you to explore, preserve and protect the wild beauty, cultural heritage and national history contained on our shared public lands.

Janet Rokosz - Photographer Janet is a New York City resident who loves to capture and share photos of her city on Instagram as @newyorkblue. She is also co-Founder of Cloud based Mobile Messaging System SMSMatrix.

Rich Fisher - Photographer Rich found his love for photography on numerous family events as his oldest brother, Arthur always had a camera in his hand. Using various formats of cameras, he took photographs of landscapes, portraits and architecture at a young age, experimenting with techniques while capturing life as he knew it. Since then he has submerged himself in landscape, luxury fashion photography and the artistry of the world.

9

© karandaev / Fotolia

W Travel Nutrition & Fitness Tips

ith the summer travel season well underway, we didn’t want you to forget about eating and nutrition, as well as fitness while on the road. And for those of you who have been working out and trying to get in shape before your big trip, don’t let it all go to waste the minute you’re on vacation.

We know that many of you are packing up that car for a long cross-country trip or even just to a neighboring state for a quick getaway. But, what are you planning to pack in terms of snacks and beverages for you and your family? Or, are you simply going to stock up at the gas stations or feast at the fast food joints along the highway?

Before you go that route and most likely regret it, even financially, we’ve got some simple tips and easy ways to plan ahead so that your body and your wallet will thank you. So regardless of how many miles you’ve got ahead of you, follow these easy tips from Integrative Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Therapeutic Yoga Instructor, Frances Arnold of Namaste Nutritionist.

10

VRAI Magazine

By Frances Arnold

The biggest mistakes people make when they’re taking a road trip.

• Not planning for healthy meals and snacks, or believing that it is more effort than it is worth.

Actually, having your food in the car allows you to keep driving without having to stop and search for restaurant meals! So you’ll save time. The ingredients in your home-packed food “kit” will be much healthier, less processed and less inflammatory than what you can find in most any restaurant, helping you to stay well, lean and energized. It also reduces waste from food packaging. It will likely help your mood, not to mention your budget!

• Not bringing a large cooler with you that will fit a complement of fruit, veggies, protein and healthy beverages. You can easily purchase grab and go items at your grocer.

What to pack for snacks • Veggie sticks: baby carrots, snap peas, celery, jicama, radishes, mini bell peppers, mini cucumbers • Dips: mini guacamole cups, hummus.

• Crackers or chips. I like Mary’s Gone Crackers, nutbased crackers and bean-based chips • Sandwiches: pre-made PBJs • Deli meat with sliced cheese • Hard-boiled eggs or egg salad (keep them cold!

• Baked tofu or seitan • Salad: I just bring pre-washed salad mix with a small container of dressing. I’ll often toss in nuts, cranberries, crackers, cheese. It’s delicious!

• Instant oatmeal (it’s easy to find hot water for consuming this.)

• Instant soups, such as dehydrated lentil or split pea soup • Yogurt, cottage cheese or kefir (drinkable yogurt) • Fruit: melon cubes, strawberries, grapes, blueberries, whole apples, etc.

• Nuts: brazil nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, trail mix, etc. (great for adding to oatmeal or salad!)

• Beverages: Try bringing kombucha, iced coffee, iced tea. Also, bring a couple jugs of water with you, as well as your stainless steel water bottle.

Tips while on the road • You don’t have to bring every food item you’ll ever need on the trip. You’ll be able to make pit stops at grocery stores along the way! Be careful about planning your pit stops only at gas stations as they rarely have healthy selections and the food offerings are usually overpriced.

• Keep in mind that the passenger in the car can easily manage the food. So, if you don’t have time to premake sandwiches or salads, someone with clean hands can do it while the other person drives.

• In our car, I just feed my husband while he drives. He is 100% okay with this system, so see if you can work it out too.

• Bring a hot beverage mug, as you can make tea (hot or iced). It is also great as a double for instant oatmeal or instant soups.

• Bring tea bags and/or instant coffee with you so you can easily make hot tea (grab hot water when you fill up for gas), or iced tea with just a few ice cubes.

• Bring your own utensils so you’re not constantly going through plasticware, a knife and small wooden cutting board for last minute food prep, a full bag of hand wipes and a couple of kitchen towels for keeping things clean. Oh, and bring a trash bag!

• I pack ALL of my foods into re-usable containers. I use them on the entire trip for various things and have found them to be invaluable.

• Consider freezing one of your jugs of water. One large ice cube tends to last longer than small ice cubes. And when it thaws, you can drink from it. continued on page 12

© Monkey Business / Fotolia

11

Fitness routines—be adaptable Vacation generally asks us to adapt to new situations every day and the fitness routine will likely be impacted as well. Keeping up with some form of fitness will support sleep, which is often harder to get on vacation, due to new environments and altered schedules.

Moving your body, especially after long hours of sitting, helps with detoxifying your body by circulating blood and lymphatic fluid, by increasing perspiration and breathing, and hopefully by encouraging you to drink more water.

It also helps your mood and reduces any aches or pains caused by sitting too much.

Fitness tips while traveling

• Wherever you’re going, chances are that there are beautiful parks and trails you’ll be near. Download an app, such as All Trails to help you find the trail and schedule in some time to explore. Or, plan to stop by the first ranger station you pass to get information on what to explore near you that fits your time, budget and fitness level. Nature is restorative and healing, and is probably just what you’ll need in the midst of travel adventures.

• Dance! When you pull over for a potty break or to rest for the evening, turn on some tunes and just shake out your body. It will lift your spirits, release tension from your body and help you flip into the creative side of your brain. Dance like no one is watching! Even three minutes can have a wonderful effect.

• Since travel can be dehydrating, be sure to stay hydrated with fresh water. © tatomm / Fotolia

• Pull over for a picnic and a walk in the park. You need to eat anyway. By walking for 15-20 minutes after your meal, you’ll help your digestion, helping you feel more alert and more comfortable in your travels.

• If you have kids, dogs or just a playful spirit on board, consider bringing a frisbee to toss around.

• If staying at a hotel, take walks around the building.

Or, take a few flights of stairs. It’s good to get your heart rate up and increase your breathing, but you also don’t need to break a major sweat or exhaust yourself to benefit from movement.

• If your hotel has a pool, remember to bring your suit!

• Remember to bring shoes that are supportive and comfortable for your planned level of activity. Unless you live in your fitness gear, this will most likely be a different set of shoes from the shoes you’ll wear during the day.

• Bring a light yoga mat with you so you can practice 15-30 minutes of stretching. It’s great at the beginning and at the end of your day. If you can’t bring a light mat, you can also do simple stretches on your bed and while standing.

• Pick up some rubber bands from your local fitness store. They travel well because they are compact.

Each color band has a different amount of tension, allowing you to adjust for strength. I use these when chit-chatting or watching a video at the end of my day, making my time extra-efficient.

• Squeeze in some squats. You can easily do this when brushing your teeth, folding your clothing or even when pulling over for a bathroom break.

12

VRAI Magazine

© MNStudio / Fotolia

Kids and nutrition while on vacation Vacation is a wonderful time to demonstrate to children just how do-able it is to form healthy habits. When I was a child, I remember road trips with friends’ families where we ate nothing but processed food, like cheese whiz, Chicken in a biscuit crackers and Burger King. A little bit of that might not hurt you for the long-term, but resorting to this for the entire road trip can be quite harmful! I remember how depleted and lethargic I felt by the end of those trips.

Little people’s brains and bodies are sensitive and still developing. Every moment of eating and moving is a chance to really optimize their health and teach them about self-care.

Instead, let vacation time be a learning opportunity for

kids. It is a chance for parents to really role-model. If they don’t learn it now, will they ever adopt these habits as adults? Good habits are much easier to develop when in learning stages. It is much harder to try to undo bad habits and develop new ones. With this said, don’t miss the chance to help your kids develop the best habits you can while on the road. You will learn and grow a LOT as well, and they will thank you when they are older!

If this topic is a new practice for you, just pick a few tips to begin growing on. As you become comfortable with a few tips, then you can continue to expand your practice. Over time, you’ll see your skills grow in making road trips healthier and more cost-effective. The rewards will last you for your lifetime! Enjoy and happy travels!

13

The Unexpected in Japan or

How I Almost Got Kicked Out of a Buddhist Temple (For Killing a Bug, a Big Bug)

By Ksenia Skvortsova

14

VRAI Magazine

JAPAN JAPAN

15

© Ksenia Skvortsova

T

ravel can be intimidating, but isn’t it all about the unexpected? Expanding your horizons, pushing your boundaries and encountering new things are what most of us look for in travel. My first trip to Japan last year was all about that, in both expected and unexpected ways.

We, likely, tried to fit too many things into our itinerary—in two weeks, we went to Tokyo, Kyoto, Hakone, Nara, Osaka, Hiroshima, Kanazawa and Mount Koya. The latter was not on my original list of destinations, but turned out to be one of the most unique experiences of the trip.

Mount Koya (Koyasan) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and part of a sacred pilgrimage route as the world headquarters of the Koyasan Shingon sect of Japanese

Buddhism. It was first settled in 819 AD by Monk Kukai, one of the most significant religious figures in Japan. His mausoleum, located in the Okunoin temple, is part of a sprawling and incredibly peaceful graveyard complex that is the largest in Japan.

We visited Kongobu-ji, the sect’s head temple, Konpon Daito, a beautiful pagoda, and took a long hike along the pilgrimage trails around the mountain.

Even when it is busy with pilgrims, Koyasan has a certain special atmosphere full of mysticism. As we walked under enormous cedar trees that have withstood hundreds of years, I found myself thinking about all the things and people they have outlived and outgrown. continued on page 19

© Ksenia Skvortsova

16

VRAI Magazine

Š Ksenia Skvortsova

17

“We were eye level with each other since I was laying down on the floor. I thought about sleeping with this creature next to me.

Or on me. Or somewhere else in the dark.” © Ksenia Skvortsova

18

VRAI Magazine

We planned to stay overnight in a shukubo, traditional temple lodgings, since Koyasan was a bit of a trip away from our next destination. There are plenty of lodgings available and this provides a good business for the local temples, not to mention an authentic experience for any visitors.

It was pretty cold in the evening and we enjoyed our tea and access to the onsen hot springs.

A small aside to say that I did not, then or on any Japan travel since then, find often mentioned issues such as payment/cash access, wifi, or transport at all challenging. What was really the most challenging and, at times disorienting, was the language barrier. It also allowed me to completely “unplug,” in a good way, but maybe I should not have gotten too relaxed.

As we were getting ready to go to enjoy our evening meal, which included a local specialty, sesame tofu, we set up our mattresses on the tatami mats. As I mentioned, it was early spring so, it was cold, and I had to ask for a portable room heater as we unrolled our beds. Laying

down to take a break before dinner, I noticed that an unidentifiable bug resembling something between a cicada and a flying cockroach, which I thought was solely a New York City speciality, had also gotten cozy by the heat.

We were eye level with each other since I was laying down on the floor. I thought about sleeping with this creature next to me. Or on me. Or somewhere else in the dark. It rubbed its numerous feet together. That’s when it all went wrong.

With a resolve that is not that common for me when it comes to large bugs, I took my bathroom slipper and... slap!

I killed it.

I have to admit that in that moment, I felt pretty good about myself, a fleeting triumph that many females would recognize. That said, I did not want to touch it, so there it lay by the space heater. continued on page 20

© Ksenia Skvortsova

19

© Ksenia Skvortsova

I really did not think about that bug again, as we enjoyed our vegetarian dinner, sharing the monks’ sophisticated cuisine known as shojin ryori. Based on the Sobo school of cooking, it is rooted in Buddhist mental training with simple preparations using five methods, five tastes and five colors. I really enjoyed the delicate taste of the sesame tofu (goma dofu), one of the many tofu and mountain vegetable preparations served to us.

When we returned to our quarters, there was a monk waiting for us with a stern look on his otherwise serene face. He beckoned me. How did he know it was me as he pointed at the bug? The evidence was undeniable.

Clearly, I should not have harmed another living creature.

My boyfriend, who I am fairly sure would not mind my describing him as a “lapsed Buddhist” may dislike certain bugs, but 99% of the time, he insists on releasing them instead of killing them. I had acted on pure instinct, not thinking. It was the bug by my sleeping face or me.

The monk found the designated “ambassador” who 20

spoke some English. My presence was firmly requested at morning prayers the next day where, I presume, I was to reflect on my bug-killing ways.

In the morning, before sunrise, I found my way to join the others. Morning prayers were beautiful and awakening. The smell of the oils, the candle light reflecting off of the mandala, the chanting... it was lulling, it was beautiful. More than anything, it was a special experience that I may have, literally, slept through otherwise.

Trying to get up after almost two hours, I found that I could not quite get my cramping legs to unwind. I probably lacked elegance, but I guess the struggling-yettranquil look on my face was the right one, as I got a subtle nod from the monk that had spoken to me the night before. I had done my penance though it did not feel like penance at all. continued on page 23

VRAI Magazine

Š Ksenia Skvortsova

21

Š Ksenia Skvortsova

22

VRAI Magazine

More information To learn more about Koyasan, click here.

How to get to Koyasan You can drive up the mountain or take the train from Osaka followed by a cable car from Gokurakubashi.

General tips for travel in Japan • It’s true that almost no one outside of large hotel staff speaks English—come prepared with essential Japanese phrases, it’s always appreciated!

• Although we enjoyed some exquisite kaiseki meals, the best food I had was at a simple izakaya (pub).

• Stay at a ryokan, at least for a few nights and embrace the entire experience.

• The concerns I had read about – phones not working, not enough wifi, limited ATM access – were all pretty much unfounded.

• Train travel in Japan is a point of pride and a true pleasure. It makes a busy itinerary more than doable.

Plus, train stations are a treasure trove of local products.

• Staying at a Buddhist temple is not for everyone, but I recommend it as a truly unique experience—from the vegan meals to the early morning service/meditation with the monks.

• My favorites parts of ‘sightseeing’ were the activities: ikebana class, sushi making, our candy factory internship, kimono painting, chopstick plating etc. It’s really one of the best ways to familiarize yourself with a culture.

23

Hawaii to Project Runway All Star From

VRAI Magazine

24 © Rich Fisher

ra

Me et

o am

D

r e K n i g ni i s e Z

By Doris Hobbs Hawaii Photography by Rich Fisher Kini Zamora Photos courtesy of Kini Zamora 25

O

ver the past four years, designer Kini Zamora, of Project Runway and Project Runway All Stars, has proven he’s more than a one-hit reality star with his tailored line KINIZAMORA. Kiniokahokuloa “Kini” Zamora has been on the tip of every fashion insider’s tongue since 2014 with his introduction on Project Runway Season thirteen. In a matter of weeks from the original air-date, seemingly all of Hawaii and the West Coast stepped out in his designs. Fast forward four years later, Kini’s approach to design isn’t just about one style, or even a collection, but how it embodies his way of life.

Located in Halawa, Oahu, his designer showroom “The Clique by KZ” opened on October 1 2015.

The showroom has an artistic and industrial atmosphere with 3,600 square feet and ultimately grows and inspires any lover of fashion.

Tucked in the back corner from the main entry is a kiosk of vintage décor, handbags, memorabilia and antique furniture. Kini explains, “My aunt was the one who taught me to sew, she actually brought this antique desk in. You can see vintage Hawaii, vintage everything here—they are all great pieces for us to look at for inspiration.” Family is a core design element for the 33 year old designer, from the simplest leaf pattern that represents each member, to an 18-piece runway collection, there is a clear connection that leads back to his Hawaiian roots. continued on page 29

26 © Rich Fisher

VRAI Magazine

27

28

VRAI Magazine

© Rich Fisher

Kini launched his career quickly after leaving Honolulu Community College and commercial realities led to forays into designing women’s resort, casual and street wear, and menswear resulting in versatility that cultivates all that is seen as fashion…and then some. Following his appearance on Project Runway, Kini returned home to present three headline shows at Honolulu Fashion Week and opened The Clique by KZ to sell and showcase his many collections, ranging from menswear to women’s casual, bridal and evening wear. Kini explains, “KINIZAMORA Brand aims to produce excellence in tailored merchandise styles and comfort while fostering the many opportunities and avenues this industry has to offer. Our focus is always progressive and infused with universal aloha.” continued on page 30

29

When asked to take part in Project Runway All Stars, Kini’s first thought was to instantly decline, however after further condensation he shares, “I found it another chance for me to show the world more of what I can do. Also, I thought I could open more doors for people to appreciate Hawaii’s talent.” Celebrity judges for the fifth season included host, Alyssa Milano, fashion designer and actress Georgina Chapman, fashion designer Issac Mizrahi and Tim Gunn as the workroom “Mentor”.

At the time of Project Runway All Stars, Kini continued to deal with his weaknesses of editing and over designing and admits, “I can sew fast and I can drape and draft patterns with no book.” Despite having spent a year at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology four years earlier, he openly admits he auditioned four times and each time judges advised him to edit his work. Perhaps, Nina Garcia was the toughest judge as he explains, “I appreciated her comments as she had the most credited backing of all the judges.” With the final challenge, Alyssa stated that the collection made her smile and the construction was beautiful. Isaac said it was a refreshing end to the show. The result though was still not victory of the win, however, Kini kept a humble outlook stating, “I feel like I have a lot more to show the world and I feel like I had the potential to win.”

Today, Kini sees his experiences on both Project Runway seasons as a time of growth and self-reflection stating, “Project Runway has provided me resources and opened countless opportunities in the industry. I think to myself, how did this all happen? Do I deserve this?

So, I’m very appreciative and very humbled by what has come to me.”

One thing is certain, this is only the beginning as the world hasn’t seen all that is to come.

30

VRAI Magazine

31

© Rich Fisher

USA

What is the Future of our U.S. Public Lands?

32 © Jim O’Donnell

VRAI Magazine

I

n New Mexico, our livelihoods are rooted in our open spaces. Families have long histories of using our public lands for hiking, hunting, fishing and other outdoor traditions, both new and old. We share a deep commitment to protecting our natural heritage for our children and for generations to come, and we know firsthand that conservation and growing the economy are inextricably linked.

The designations for the Río Grande del Norte and Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monuments in New Mexico—two of the most spectacular places on earth—were the direct result of the efforts of the local communities who worked for years to protect their natural and cultural heritage for future generations and recognized the enormous potential of these new monuments to serve as destinations for both locals and visitors from around the world.

While we should rightly celebrate the success of the Río Grande del Norte and Organ MountainsDesert Peaks, we know that our nation’s conservation legacy faces grave new threats under the Trump administration. Extreme public land opponents have cynically called on President Trump to overturn the Antiquities Act and rescind our national monuments.

This would erase from the map places that make us who we are as Americans.

Erasing our national monuments would devastate our thriving outdoor recreation economy, which generates 68,000 jobs and $6.1 billion of annual economic activity in New Mexico alone. And it could easily lead us down a slippery slope toward the sell off of precious lands to the highest bidder and massive giveaways of public resources to special interests.

Like many New Mexicans, some of the best days of my life have been in our public lands. I remember fondly the first time I went backpacking with my wife, Julie, in the Pecos Wilderness, our engagement after a weekend at Taos Ski Valley, my first elk hunt in the

Carson National Forest, camping trips with my family in Bandelier National Monument, and rafting trips with friends on the Rio Grande. Thanks to our public lands, these types of experiences are open to each of us, regardless of how thick our wallet is.

If we don’t stand up for our public lands now, we could very well see a proliferation of locked gates and “No Trespassing” signs in places that have been open to the public and used for generations by New Mexico families to fill their freezers with wild game and warm their homes with piñon and juniper.

I remain deeply committed to standing with millions of Americans to protect and conserve our public lands, watersheds and wildlife for all to enjoy. I can’t think of anything more fundamentally American than defending the land we all own and love.

Senator Martin Heinrich, New Mexico

33

El Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, New Mexico

By Jim O’Donnell

“In a nation of something like 400 million people, there is still a place you can go and ride your bike for several hours and never see another human being. Excellent.”

34

VRAI Magazine

O

n Sunday I set off on a 25-mile bike ride into the back of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument.

Technically, it is the middle of the monument. There is a road that runs right up the spine of the monument, pretty much straight north, to the Colorado border. But I always think of it as the backside because it is the more inaccessible section of this huge area, despite the road—which can be pretty rough.

And there is nobody out there. In a nation of something like 400 million people, there is still a place you can go and ride your bike for several hours and never see another human being. Excellent.

The old Hispanic folks in the area call this La Otra Banda. There is no water—no lakes, no rivers, no creeks and no springs. The closest water is several hundred feet down, beneath the basalt bedrock that blankets the entire plateau. The water was always elusive—which made permanent settlement out here pretty much impossible.

However, in the arroyos that line the face of Cerro Montoso or “timber mountain”, a few settlers gave it a go. They constructed dams of interlocking ponderosa logs shaped like a series of cribs. Then they filled the cribs with soil and heaps of busted up, three-million year old basalt and rhyolite. It was a feeble attempt at capturing that elusive water.

The land leaks, however. The water seeped through the fractured bedrock and disappeared like the virga above.

I stashed my bike, not like there was anyone else out there who might steal it, and took a short

hike up to the top of Montoso. From there, Taos is barely visible. Forests of piñon and juniper edge the sagebrush in a crenulated ribbon. Several Turkey vultures picked up the thermals and rose in circles over the remains of what was once the home of Dorr K. Smith, a World War One veteran and one of the homesteaders.

But there was a reason that nobody was living out here as late as the 1920s when Smith arrived.

The local Hispanics and Native Americans already knew that water wasn’t the only problem. The local climate—dominated by long, bitterly cold winters, followed by springtime full of relentless winds and then dry, hot summers and rainless autumns—made the area wholly unsuitable for farming. Smith and the other homesteaders must have figured it out pretty fast for within just a few years, they were growing but beets and potatoes and turned to harvesting timber along the slopes of these cerros, hauling the logs by wagon to Taos or Antonito, Colorado.

And then they turned to moonshining. You can’t really go wrong with illegal intoxication. It is a sure money-maker.

But by the time the second war came along, the homesteaders were gone, chased from the land by the wall of reality that smashed their fantasies. Today what remains of that Montoso community dot the central portion of the national monument.

The El Rio Grande del Norte encompasses some of the most spectacular lands in all of New Mexico. continued on page 36

35 © Jim O’Donnell

The Rio Grande cuts into the Servilleta lava flows that make up the Taos Plateau just above the Colorado border on the north side of Ute Mountain.

Eight miles later, at the New Mexico state line, the river is 200 feet down, the gorge 150 feet across.

West of Questa, where Big Arsenic Spring bubbles from the rock and pinyon jays heap in the winter, the river is a glinting green ribbon eight hundred feet down. The opposite rim is over half a mile away where, on summer mornings, bald eagles soar southward in pairs. At John Dunn Bridge the river enters The Box, an 18-mile stretch of 900 foot cliffs, famous among boaters.

The El Rio Grande del Norte is also the Rio Grande Migratory Flyway—one of the great migratory routes in the world. Eagles, falcons and hawks make the basalt walls of the Gorge their nesting homes.

Ospreys, scaups, hummingbirds, herons, avocets, merlins and willits all traverse the Gorge. The sound of Sandhill Cranes migrating from the San Luis Valley to places like Bosque Del Apache can be deafening while on an October hike in the tablelands west of the river. It’s that western plateau that is perhaps the most wild. From the edge of the Gorge, vast grass and sagebrush mesas intersperse with the forested slopes of volcanic intrusions such as Cerro Chiflo, Cerro del Aire, Montosos and Cerro de la Olla. It is on these mesas where vast herds of pronghorn and elk find winter forage and calve and fawn along the rim late in the spring.

This substantial chunk of wild is bounded by the Gorge Rim on the east and Highway 285 on the west. The northern portion spills over 285, encompassing the broad, gently rolling grass and sage brush plains of the Rio San Antonio Gorge WSA, bisected by yet another gorge where raptors nest in 200-foot high lava walls and conifers clamber down to the Rio los Pinos. Perhaps the crown jewel of this whole area is Ute Mountain, a 10,093 foot high volcanic cone rising nearly 3,000 feet above the surrounding plain. Ute is something you can’t miss. Located about ten miles west of Costilla, it is 36

the dominant feature for those driving north from Taos along highway 522. The steep slopes of Ute are covered in pinyon at the base, as well as pockets of ponderosa, aspen, white pine and Douglas Fir in the higher elevations. From grassy meadows of blue grama, western wheatgrass and Indian ricegrass where the trees thin, the Gorge is a jagged, inky slash dividing Ute from its sister cones to the west. Snowcapped Blanca rises to the north, just across the state line. The whole Sangre de Cristo range falls to the east, terminating, view-wise, at Wheeler Peak.

This is the wildest of land and should remain so.

I tooled on all the way to Cerro Chiflo. Without a doubt though, the looming thunderhead to the west had me nervous. I’ve been caught out in severe lightening storms a number of times and have developed a serious respect for them.

That nervousness is one of the key highlights for me when I’m out in the back of beyond, be it in New Mexico, Panama or Central Europe. I hate to admit it, but I’m a bit of a worrier and yet at the same time I rather relish the tinge of fear that is for me an important part of a wilderness experience.

Be it in thunderstorms, wild carnivores, a potential failure of your body, getting lost or the possibility of running out of food and water, there is a primordial pleasure in having a bit of nervousness out on the land.

There is a thrill that really, there just might be something out there that maybe…just maybe…wouldn’t mind eating you. That’s part of my definition of freedom.

Then there is the part of it all where I overcome those worries and that bit of fear…conquer it and put it away.

The experience becomes all the more magical. That is what public lands and our national monuments allow you to experience. This is at the core of what it means to be Americans. Without our public lands how can we possibly be exceptional?

The storm moved off north and over the Colorado border near Antonito however and the way back south to my car was hurried along nicely by a nice cool tailwind.

VRAI Magazine

“There is a thrill that really, there just might be something out there that maybe… just maybe…wouldn’t mind eating you.

That’s part of my definition of freedom.”

37 © Jim O’Donnell

Where Eternity Sleeps: The Quiet Beauty of the Sonoran Desert National Monument

By Aleah Sato

38

VRAI Magazine

C

rossing Vekol Wash, I turn to see them. In the fractured light of haze and heat, ten young turkey vultures stand transfixed—no movement, no sound, wings spread wide. This morning ritual lasts until we disrupt the silence. Rounding the bend, we watch as they take flight and find refuge in a mesquite bosque.

I grew up in the Midwest. The desert does not call me daughter, but the wide, open fields of Southern Indiana instructed me on how to love unobstructed land. Despite “No Trespassing” signs, the fields provided a seemingly endless place for roaming, for dreaming.

The Sonoran Desert has been my home since 2008, seven years after former Present Clinton granted the 496,400-acre Sonoran Desert National Monument its protected status. Here among creosote plains, former lava flows and desert mountains, it’s easy to understand why. Wild tracts of desert are rare and vanishing in favor of highways and urban sprawl.

This landscape has been no stranger to the footsteps of humans, however. The ancient ones, loosely referred to as “the Hohokam,” and their present day ancestors, the O’odham, hold presence on these homelands, from centuries-old petroglyphs etched into stone, to traditional ways of life. For the indigenous, the desert is no desolate place but one that is vital to livelihood.

Historic trails used by early Spanish explorers, such as Kino and de Anza, snake their way across the expansive valleys and were later used by prospectors and settlers.

Open grazing laws have taken their toll. Where once there were saguaro forests and native trees, wide stretches of creosote plains remain.

Now, as controversy rages over borders and walls, rights to the land and the threat of the Trump Administration, protections that keep this place intact are fragile.

By midmorning, the rocks crack and moan under the sun. Birdsong dissipates in favor of silence. Last night’s camp at Margie’s Cove, the entry point to the North Maricopa Mountains Wilderness, still shows signs of the former ranch operation. Surrounding us are various ridges and low mountains, the most notable of which is Sheep Mountain. I’ve been told bighorns were once rife along these granite peaks, but now you are lucky to spot a few.

To our surprise, a mountain lion came calling here recently (two piles of fresh scat). Mule deer tracks explain why. A nearby water catchment, supplied by the Arizona Game & Fish Department (and controversial among wilderness supporters), attracts wildlife to the area. I imagine a crafty cougar could just hang out here and wait for any selection of entrée to wander through. © Aleah Sato

continued on page 41 39

NORTH AMERICA

40

© Aleah Sato

VRAI Magazine

Under the blaze and rising heat of the day, our planned hike through the wilderness has been cut short.

We take shelter in a wash lined with young paloverdes, aglow in yellow blooms. Desert washes are natural storytellers. Everything from the snagged debris of former monsoon storms to the nimble tracks of a gray fox is catalogued on the smooth sand.

Later that evening, on a nearby bajada, Canis latrans sings out to the setting sun as other coyotes join in.

The soft call of a great horned owl follows. We have gathered to watch the stars illumine the ombré folds of darkness. Dark skies are rare so near city centers, but also in these places in-between where new towns engulf wild boundaries.

This land is not ours. It is a place of its own, remaking itself through erosion, lightning strike, decay... then again into bloom and birth. Slowly, all things return when we let them. For those of us who love places of thorn and scrub, the fear of losing this solitude and wild country—this home—is real.

From my sleeping bag, I can see the silhouette of saguaros, the de facto emblems of this monument. A black-tailed jackrabbit (the hare of the desert) zips under the cover of bursage. I breathe in the heat of cracked granite and time. I know this is where I belong—maybe not as a daughter or as a rightful part of the story—but as one who has given my word to remain. I whisper a small prayer… this place will survive us.

41

Public Lands: They Are Who We Are and Where We Come From By a Public Lands Lover

I

was more than 30 years old before I learned the difference among various land management agencies.

How they were organized wasn’t nearly as relevant to me as the fact that we had public lands, honestly. I was born on the edges of the Tongass National Forest, which is where I learned to walk and talk and play with leaves, cranberries and salt-covered rocks. I fell in love with desert monsoons at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, my husband proposed marriage at the bottom of the Grand Canyon and our son was one month old when we took him on his first backpacking trek. So what that I didn’t understand how public lands were designated in the first place. All I ever knew was that they existed, they were mine, and I loved them.

Sure, there’s a town somewhere in Connecticut named after my ancestors who crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a boat. I went once to visit, actually, and snapped a few photos in front of the school and corner store and town center that bear my mother’s maiden name. But that’s not who I am and that’s not where I come from. I’ve been hatched like a caddis fly from the cool flowing waters of wilderness streams. I am one who attends mountain church and sits on pews that double as nursing logs. I am she who builds elaborate dwellings from bracken fern branches, who makes jewelry from lupine blossoms, who inhales the warm incense of soil and sun.

I am a guest. Yes, these lands belong to me and I am still a guest. Before they were mine they were the lands of the Tlingit, Haida, Umatilla, Navajo. When he was four days old I baptized my son in the ancestral territory of the Wiyot people and though he slept through most of the ceremony, the pileated woodpeckers sang sacred songs and the salty breeze carried our prayers high into the redwood canopies. This past October we took a family pilgrimage to New Mexico and visited Bandelier National Monument where we walked on paths that had been worn away from the footsteps of the puebloan people. We stepped delicately over hand painted pottery 42

shards and other artifacts scattered in the dust—water vessels now stepping stones for desert horned lizards and road runners.

Who am I? Where do I come from? These questions and their answers are waiting in the creation stories of our public lands and specifically our National Monuments. They are there in the crunch, crunch, crunch of footsteps after a freshly fallen snow that blankets the peaks of Cascade-Siskiyou. They rise up from the embers of a warm campfire and drip down the chocolate and marshmallow covered fingers of my son. Our National Monuments invite me to wrestle with the best and worst of who I am, of who we are. Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad, Salinas Pueblo Missions and Mount St. Helens hold the history of struggle, of genocide, of habitat destruction. Pullman, Canyons of the Ancients, Fort McHenry and Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality cradle our legacy of opportunity, resilience, bravery and promise.

Our National Monuments are the places where Pacific fishers are returning to their native range, and salmon spawn, and the paintbrush’s firecracker red makes rolling hills explode in color. They are where we read the journals of homesteaders, explore connected, living landscapes, observe moments of silence for the dead, and celebrate the best of our democracy.

The past, the present, the future, we are responsible for it all. We camp, we fish, we swim in alpine lakes, we hike, we startle timid does and are startled by brushcamouflaged sage grouse. We study rock art, learn the medicinal uses for native plants, and nap in the shade of trees that were saplings during the Roman Empire.

These are our public lands. They are who we are and where we come from. And they are fragile.

The Antiquities Act of 1906 allows for the preservation of unique natural and cultural landscapes before they are bulldozed, developed or lost to time and looters. It ensures that as long as we dare to ask who we are and where we come from, we will find the answers.

VRAI Magazine

© Jim O’Donnell

43

STATUE LIBERTY

OF

NATIONAL MONUMENT

By Bret Love

44

© Mary Gabbett

VRAI Magazine

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

T

hese words from “The New Colossus,” a sonnet written by poet Emma Lazarus in 1883 to raise money for the construction of the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal, proudly proclaimed the role the United States of America would assume for millions of immigrants who came to these shores in search of a better life.

A gift from the people of France to the people of the U.S., the Statue of Liberty was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and built by famed architect Gustave Eiffel. The copper statue ultimately became an international symbol of the American Dream– a welcoming beacon to a land built on the concepts of liberty, justice and freedom. So it’s no surprise the 305-foot-tall icon was named a U.S. National Monument in 1924, added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1966, and named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

What is surprising is the fact that Lady Liberty and countless other U.S. National Monuments are currently under threat from the very government entrusted by the people to protect our national treasures. Donald Trump and the GOP seem hell-bent on removing protections for our public lands and opening them up to exploitation by greedy oil and gas developers. From California’s Giant Sequoia and Utah’s Bears Ears, to Hawaii’s Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, no site seems too sacred for the current administration to consider opening it up to drilling, fracking and mining.

Let’s be honest: The Statue of Liberty National Monument, which includes the 14-acre Liberty Island and is located in Upper New York Bay, is incredibly unlikely to fall victim to these invasive profit-driven initiatives. But what’s at risk, if the U.S. Department of the Interior fails to protect our national monuments, is even greater than the outdoor recreation opportunities and important economic benefits they provide. It’s even greater than the cultural

significance each of these protected lands have to their local and indigenous communities.

What we stand on the precipice of losing, if Trump’s executive order succeeds, is the very concept upon which the United States of America was founded—the ideology that the Statue of Liberty represents. America was settled by immigrants. It was built upon the backs of immigrants, many of which were brought here against their will. With the exception of full-blooded Native Americans, every single one of our nation’s 325 million residents either came here from another country or descended from someone who did.

Now, 241 years into the country’s existence, the USA is being transformed from an international leader into a global laughingstock. The Trump administration’s policies have made the “tired, poor, huddled masses” feel increasingly unwelcome by threatening to build border walls, banning Muslims outright, and making it increasingly difficult for travelers to visit from abroad.

They’ve taken away civil liberties here at home, with policies designed to subjugate racial minorities, women, and the LGBTQ community. Every day there are more mass shootings, more black people killed by police, more fear and loss of freedom.

It’s difficult to imagine what our nation’s Founding Fathers would think of the America we’re living in today.

It’s even more difficult to imagine an America where our public lands are sold off to the highest corporate bidder. But I believe it is time for an end to the storied pomp and vanity that has come to define patriotism in our nation, and a return to the more welcoming communal values that made this country great in the first place. The “golden door” must be reopened and we the people must raise our voices in protection of the national monuments and natural resources that make America beautiful, from sea to shining sea.

45

Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument

Native American petroglyphs in Apache Flats - Sierra de las Uvas

By David Soules

T

he defining quality of the Organ Mountains Desert Peaks (OMDP) National Monument may well be its diversity. OMDP is comprised of five different desert mountain ranges, with the Rio Grande river valley and the communities it nourishes winding its way through the middle. The mountain ranges consist of the Organs or Los Organos, named by Spanish explorers who envisioned the spires of the mountain range as organ pipes; the Dona Anas, named after Dona Ana Maria de Cordoba, a 17th century landowner; the Robledos, named after the first Spanish explorer to pass away in the region; the Sierra de las Uvas, named after the native grapes or “uvas� that grow there; and the Potrillos, or colts, a series of small volcanic cinder cones that almost touch the U.S. Mexico border.

While the Organ Mountains display the iconic beauty of steep mountains rising dramatically from the foothills below, the beauty of the desert, which represents 90% of OMDP, is more subtle. Desert beauty hides among the remnants of temporal changes and OMDP is a tapestry of time. From 280 million year old reptile Trackways, to polished boulders rubbed smooth by large mammals around the time of the last ice age, to Native American rock art and grinding mortars spanning the last few thousand years, to waterfalls that last a matter of hours after summer thunderstorms, the handiwork of time is evident throughout OMDP. continued on page 48

46

VRAI Magazine

© Paul Bardwell

47

In the arid southwest, slight alterations to the landscape last a long time, and portions of long abandoned trails remain visible today. One particular trail segment supplied copper mines in the 1820s, fueled the westward gold rush of 1849, served as a short-lived U.S. mail route travelled and written about by Mark Twain, and witnessed a gunfight between a stagecoach carrying an armed saloon Madame and Apaches in hot pursuit on horseback. Nearby, rock cairns marking waypoints along the international boundary with Mexico prior to the Gadsden Purchase were left behind by a survey party that far outnumbered the size of the Lewis and Clark expedition, Civilian Conservation Corps work projects mark some of the country’s earliest attempts at erosion control, and World War II aerial bombing targets were used to train pilots on the top secret Norden bomb site.

Visitors are often intrigued by other history that unfolded throughout the scenic landscape as well. At Outlaw Rock, Billy the Kid and a band of his contemporaries scratched their names on a rock face while hiding from the prying eyes of soldiers at nearby Fort Selden. Around the turn of the century, Pancho Villa escaped the heat at the Dripping Springs resort and a pioneer housewife ran off outlaws at gunpoint at the ranch in the bottom of Kilbourne Hole. 70 years later, Apollo astronauts took field trips to the same landmark to learn geology and practice their rock hound skills in anticipation of collecting lunar rocks to help establish the origins of the moon. Caves in OMDP sheltered wildlife and people for millennia and provided evidence of early wildlife and human occupation in the southwest. And the lure of the mountains led mountain climbers, including Royal Robbins and German rocket scientists, who kick-started the U.S. missile and space program under the leadership of Wernher von Braun, to claim first ascents in the Organ Mountains.

One last feature of OMDP is worth mentioning.

It is not crowded. If you visit, contact the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), or the Friends of the Organ Mountains - Desert Peaks for suggestions that suit your particular interests.

48

VRAI Magazine

Baby Javelinas (Collared Peccaries), looking for mom - Sierra de las Uvas

© David Soules

49

Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado

By Kiva Duckworth-Moulton

50

VRAI Magazine

W

hen you hear the word oasis, don’t you picture a clump of greenery around a small body of water in the middle of a sea of sand? Here in the Southwest, we have an “opposite oasis.” In southern Colorado, we drive across the wide green San Luis Valley, with the Sangre de Cristo and San Juan Mountains flanking either side, and come to a 30-square mile patch of sand, cleverly created by years and years of wind currents; a clump of sand surrounded by greenery.

This is the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. In spring and early summer, there is a meandering creek that appears and disappears in the sand along its perimeter. In late summer, the current is gone and the dunes resemble a place you’d expect to find closer to the equator.

The Sand Dunes make a lasting impression on visitors and many of us make the trek back there as often as we can. As a day visitor, one can park and hike a short way up into the dunes. Overnight camping is available at the Pinon Flats campground; the Visitor center is cool and welcoming and if you have a more rugged vehicle, you can venture a bit further away from the crowds. If you are confident enough to carry your gear into the dunes, camping is even allowed anywhere in the dunes (permits required).

The years when my children were young, we multi-family camped annually at the Dunes. Our favorite spot to hang out for the day was Castle Creek. We had to crowd into the available 4WD vehicles, head past the “point of no return” and park ourselves at the bottom of an incredible steep sand hill. The term “angle of repose” became clear to me as I stared at the wall of sand. Our friends brought old snowboards, sleds and even cardboard, and

we spent the day sliding down the hill, splashing and surfing in the creek and making mud pies in our watering hole. For land-locked New Mexicans, it was like being at the beach for a few days. Our hair was full of sand, the sunscreen was reapplied liberally and the kids got to practice wave surfing or sandboarding while we worked on our calf muscles climbing up and down the incline.

The Dunes are a photographer’s dream as well, the juxtaposition of sand and water against the bright blue southwestern sky, snowcapped mountains in the background and shadows on the dunes changing hourly. As part of summer time camping, the sun goes down, the air chills, the wildlife emerges and the stars shine so clearly and brightly. Morning brings the crisp cool air, a perfect time for a walk along the dunes, before the sand begins to burn your bare feet and the sun heats up the air.

Having the opportunity to visit the Dunes and to know they are protected for future generations is not something I want to take for granted. Our public lands, our monuments, our parks and preserves must be saved, protected, funded and held in reserve for all people of the planet. The unique phenomena that created the dunes and has kept them relatively stable through history will not be repeated or duplicated if this area is ever allowed to be exploited or damaged. The early activists who fought against mining and using up its resources helped earn its status as a National Monument from President Hoover in 1932. They knew then and we know now that the value of our lands is not in what materials can be extracted or removed from a place, but the beauty and connection we have with nature. We NEED our monuments and parks.

51

© Jim O’Donnell

Bears Ears National Monument, Utah

By Rose Chilcoat

Š Rose Chilcoat

In an unprecedented and illegal move, on June 12, 2017 U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke recommended that President Trump shrink the Bears Ears National Monument and have Congress undermine protections in the remaining areas. Please read the latest update here and see what you can do to protect this treasure.

52

VRAI Magazine

S

tillness engulfs me. The deafening silence makes space for awareness—calms my heart, centers my soul. Sun-baked sandstone radiates warmth into my body. Senses heighten. The pungent smell of crushed sage tickles my nose, overtaking the prevalent pinyonjuniper perfume. Wind whispers as it crests the canyon wall and gently washes over me. A whoosh of wings announces Raven’s arrival followed by his guttural croak.

I lick my dry salty lips. Water is scarce and precious in this high desert. My gaze returns to the ancient carvings on the rock wall in front of me…bighorn sheep, corn, zigzags and spirals. What is their meaning? Who was the person who invested such energy and time to create them? My imagination soars.

Light, shadow, clouds, sandstone cliffs, red rock, red dirt, vast horizons—something about this landscape of rock, canyon and pinyon-juniper woodlands calls me to it. I return again and again, each time finding solace and healing in this wild, unpopulated place. I discover sweet spots and evidence of the ancient ones while creating new adventures to fit my mood, timing and capabilities.

This is Cedar Mesa, the heart of the newly designated 1.35 million acre Bears Ears National Monument. It is a place you can lose yourself, and find yourself, at the same time.

The Bears Ears landscape is the place that inspired my son’s first complete sentence, “When go hike slickrock again?” The tilted “fossilized” sand dunes of Comb Ridge provide a toddler’s perfect playground of rock, sand and potholes of water providing hours of unplugged enjoyment. Twenty years later, his idea of a perfect day of play in this region has expanded to include serious “crack-climbing” on Indian Creek’s sandstone cliffs, a world renowned climbing mecca. Or perhaps he’d be boating the San Juan River, riding silt laden, sand waves below towering cliffs through wild canyons.

Archaeological treasures abound waiting for “discovery” by those with a discerning eye. Ancient “ruins” tucked into overhangs and alcoves and on top of the mesa tell the story of times past and the abundance this land once provided for those who called this place home. Pictographs and petroglyphs remind us we are merely the newest visitors to this exceptional place.

The Ancestral Puebloans called this place home. Their descendants, members of regional Native American tribes, continue their connection to these lands—gathering herbs, hunting, conducting ceremonies, or finding spiritual healing.

Rising above this remote region of the Colorado Plateau is the distinctive pair of buttes, visible for miles, that inspire its name—Bears Ears. The surrounding lush, high elevation meadows, ponderosa pine and aspen forests contrast with the harsher desert environs below and provide respite from summer’s intense heat. It was here I was serenaded most of a magical moonlit night by elk bugling outside my tent.

Bears Ears National Monument was President Obama’s final Monument designation—a parting gift and legacy to sovereign tribes, America and the world. Using the authority granted him by Congress, President Obama took action after all other protective efforts failed. With more than 100,000 archaeological sites within its boundary and at the behest of Native Americans, Bears Ears National Monument epitomizes the intention and purpose of the Antiquities Act of 1906. Now it is up to us to defend this designation and help the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service manage and protect the Monument for the benefit of this and future generations.

53

54

VRAI Magazine

“Light, shadow, clouds, sandstone cliffs, red rock, red dirt, vast horizons— something about this landscape of rock, canyon and pinyon-juniper woodlands calls me to it.” -- Rose Chilcoat

55 © Rose Chilcoat

Where I Go To Explore Like a Kid Again:

Agua Fria National Monument, Arizona

by R. Scott Jones

“Like most of the National Conservation Lands, Agua Fria National Monument is a place that’s meant to be explored and investigated, not a place to blandly stroll from interpretative marker to interpretative marker.”

56

© R. Scott Jones

VRAI Magazine

T

he interstate climbs uphill for a dozen miles, generating a steady stream of sedans, pickups and SUVs jockeying for position in the passing lane, intent on overtaking the slower-moving traffic.

Frustrated drivers are racing to get to the top of the plateau where the congestion will even out and they’ll finally regain the speed limit. Their passengers, meanwhile, are hoping for a stop at the upcoming rest area after a nerve-wracking ride.

As a child in the backseat, I was interested in neither. Each time we finally crested the mesa top, I’d immediately look east, across the grassy plateau to a small, unassuming knoll. A watchful eye would notice that the knoll, listed on maps as Joe’s Hill, was actually on an adjacent mesa, with the top edge of a gorge that divided the two occasionally peeking into view as our minivan sped past. To my eyes, that sliver of cliff-face was visual confirmation that there was something interesting over there.

Unfortunately, it would take nearly two decades for me to finally peer into the river gorge and explore what was on the other side. By that time, those mesas and canyons had been protected as Agua Fria National Monument.

Ask anyone in Phoenix where the Sunset Point Rest Area is and they’ll answer without hesitation.

But ask them where Agua Fria National Monument is and you’ll receive many confused looks. In spite of being located conveniently along one of the most popular roadways in Arizona and directly across the interstate from the state’s best known rest stop, relatively few people know much about the national monument.

Amid the grassland mesas and the river canyon I saw as a child lies the remains of a fascinating prehistoric people known today as the Perry Mesa Tradition. There are hundreds upon hundreds of pueblo ruins, rock art panels, and other archaeological resources to be found here. But you need to be willing to investigate the area in order to see any of them. I’ve brought a dozen friends with me to Agua Fria over the years and each one is immediately stunned. “I never knew this was here,” is a confession repeated by most first-time visitors. continued on page 59

57

58

VRAI Magazine

Agua Fria National Monument was designated in 2000 by President Clinton, who called it “one of the most significant systems of later prehistoric sites in the American Southwest.” Managed as part of the Bureau of Land Management’s National Conservation Lands, these national monuments differ from those managed by the National Park Service. While the national parks are known for their interpretative visitor centers, ranger talks and famous lodges, these new national monuments feature none of those. Agua Fria National Monument has no official visitor center, no paved roads and just two short trails. What it might lack in visitor amenities, however, it more than makes up for by offering an unusually unconfined adventure. Here, the experience really is what you, the visitor, make of it. There are no roped off areas, no manicured trails, no entrance fees and— thank goodness—no crowds, either. You’ll need some curiosity and imagination to enjoy your time here, as you won’t find any interpretative walks or detailed trail guides, either. While it may not seem particularly visitor-friendly at first blush, this model often provides a far more personal and meaningful experience.

It’s probably not a surprise that my first foray into the back country of Agua Fria led me towards the place I’d always examined from afar. A bumpy truck ride and a short off-trail hike later, I found myself at the edge of the river canyon. In front of me lay the ruins of an ancient settlement, nearly 300 rooms in total, perched at the edge of a deep side canyon emptying into the main gorge. On the other side of the gorge was Black Mesa, the plateau bisected by the busy interstate.

I bent down to inspect some painted pottery

sherds, which littered the ground all around the structure. Unlike many famous ruins, these have not been partially reconstructed. You find them as they are: worn down, overgrown with vegetation and deserted for centuries. Piles of partially toppled walls provide a mere hint of the ruin’s former glory.

I spent some time reconstructing them in my mind before scrambling down the edge of the cliff a bit to inspect a rock face filled with ancient art. I studied the images, pondering the interplay between the various depictions. As I turned to scout further down, I couldn’t help but look back across the canyon towards the semis and sedans barreling down the highway just two short miles away. Was anyone staring back, probing the horizon for future places to explore as I once had?

I think that’s why I treasure this place so much.

Every time I visit, I can relive that childhood sense of wonder at what might lie over there—whether “over there” refers to a cluster of ruins at the canyon’s edge, or just a mundane pile of rocks in the distance. Like most of the National Conservation Lands, Agua Fria National Monument is a place that’s meant to be explored and investigated, not a place to blandly stroll from interpretative marker to interpretative marker. The excitement of discovering something on your own, whether a solitary petroglyph or an unexpected ruin, creates a visceral and intimate memory that’s hard to replicate in more developed parks. Once you spend some time enthusiastically inventorying the land, inspecting that rock face or traipsing down the hillside just to see if there’s anything there, you’ll understand why I cherish a national monument like Agua Fria so much. As I approach 40 years old, it’s where I go to explore like a kid again.

59

© R. Scott Jones

Think Globally, Act Locally: The Art of Travel in the Age of Globalization

By Nicholas Andriani

G

one are the days of overstepping tourists flocking from A to B at the locals expense, as traveling has matured into something more of a political act, an escape from the rat race, and now more than ever a lifestyle of its own.

It’s no secret we live in a time of great accessibility. But with that, there’s greater risk.

Cultures are being appropriated for fast-fashion while customs are being washed out in exchange for global recognition. This means it’s more important now than ever for us to get out there, to become ambassadors for peace and understanding. To refuse our role in the global machine. To share the beauty and wealth of diversity from one culture to the next.

I’m not here to tell you to pack lite or to pack extra underwear. Ad no, this isn’t about the do’s or don’ts of travel, but going one step beyond to the tried and true methods of blending in and traveling like a local. By following these core tenets you’ll find yourself confidently flowing through the world. continued on page 63

60

VRAI Magazine

Š Nicholas Andriani

61

Š Nicholas Andriani

62

VRAI Magazine

© Nicholas Andriani

Language & Customs

Language fascinates me to know end. Did you know the word “shark,” yes the rubbery sea fish, is actually a loan word from a Mayan language? Or that “sugar” comes from the Arabic? The truth is your native tongue is likely linked to the local language. Find that link and build upon it. It goes without saying, knowing only a handful of words and a couple phrases will take you places you never dreamt of going. Let’s start with “Coffee, please” In Spanish: Un cafe, por favor Arabic: Qahwa, min fadlak.

French: Cafe, s’il vous plait.

How hard is that? Find the thread.

Likewise, knowing a few gestures can keep you from public scrutiny: such as avoiding left-handed contact in the Middle East or nodding your head “yes” which can also mean “no” in a number of countries… confused?

Me too. Try as I might, I inevitably stick out like a sore thumb. So being able to drop a phrase here and there is extremely important to me as someone who strives to be a respectful traveler.

Faith

Oh, what a tricky subject.For good reason! It can be polarizing and we all know to avoid the topic at the water cooler. But a fundamental understanding of the beliefs and rituals of your destination is one of the most rewarding keys to understanding the people. Wherever you go locals will give you a tremendous amount of credibility by taking just the slightest interest in their beliefs. Did you know that Muslims have a tenet which calls for every practitioner to allow and encourage safe passage to travelers? Or that many festivals continue to be held all across the world in celebration of the folk traditions, such as the Wicker Man in the UK or the lantern festivals in Japan.

Faith can be quite a thrilling angle when entering a new country. Be open minded and allow yourself to suspend your own beliefs when needed. Some things simply cannot be explained! continued on page 64

63

Money

Love it or hate it, commerce makes the world go round. I’ve been known for my clumsiness with foreign currency, pulling out large sums of cash in Jerusalem and being flocked by merchants. Feeding my debit card into an ATM in a remote Mexican village (because I didn’t want to bother with the paper) and what do you know, the ATM eats my card, leaving me stranded hundreds of miles within the Yucatan jungle the evening before my flight out. By understanding the subtle differences in currency rates and familiarizing yourself with the papers and coins you’ll find a sense of confidence that’ll have you struttin’ like a local in no time.

Here’s a quick tip for the markets. Especially when

haggling, designate your pockets to hold specific amounts of cash. I use my left breast pocket to carry about $20, while my right chest pocket will have between $50-$100, this way when haggling I can confidently (and admittedly distort) declare the amount of money I “have to spend.” This way, if your plan is to stay under the $20 mark and the merchant insists on $40, confidently pull out that $20 as your final offer. The art of haggling is a touchy subject, try to remain respectful and bear in mind that it’s often customary to pay around half of the original offer. Anything less may be offensive.

Anything greater and your were had! continued on page 67

© Nicholas Andriani

64

© Nicholas Andriani

VRAI Magazine

Š Nicholas Andriani

65

66

VRAI Magazine

“Yes, a million times yes”

Saying “yes” is the key to achieving your greatest potential…or something like that. Being open minded also means being open to new situations. When you’re invited to lunch by a cafe goer or offered company when wandering the cathedrals of Rome or the markets of Tokyo, say “Yes!” I spent my first months abroad in a constant state of suspicion. “Like, why do you want to sit next to me in this cafe?” “No, I don’t have any money for a guide around the market.” It wasn’t until I let my guard down that I realized all those opportunities I had missed.

After discovering my own confidence as a traveler and saying “yes” to these encounters, I’ve been absolutely blown away by the kindness of strangers. Especially by those with the widest language and cultural gap from my own. People are good and more often than not are beyond thrilled that you’ve taken an interest in their country.

Another disclaimer! Take every situation with a grain of salt. Or two! Being open minded and saying yes doesn’t apply itself to every situation. No, you probably shouldn’t follow that shady fella into that dark stretch of alley. No you probably shouldn’t board that rickety boat in the dead of night. Believe the guy who was robbed under the Arc de Triomf in Barcelona—yep that was me—when he says trusting in the kindness of strangers is the greatest gift you can bestow upon yourself. #WorthIt. Now it’s your turn. Time for a leap of faith. Trust in the world. Allow yourself to be swept away into the currents.

Go with the flow and above all, have fun.

© Nicholas Andriani

© Nicholas Andriani

67

7 Places You Can’t Miss

When Exploring

Canada

By Katie Stanwyck

68

VRAI Magazine

CANADA

I

f there’s one country that’s been on the radar of travellers in 2017, it’s Canada. Writing this as a Canadian myself, I’m happy to finally see this beautiful country on the map for many travellers out there. It could be because our Prime Minister has impressed the world with positive views and good looks, but I like to think it also has something to do with the beauty of our country.

There’s a good reason why I have never decided to move abroad and that’s because the people here are welcoming and from coast to coast, Canada blows everyone away.

So, if you’re thinking of coming to Canada, I wanted to make sure you had the best tips out there in terms of where to go along the way. I would like to introduce to you seven of my favorite destinations in Canada (which was a hard list to narrow down by the way). continued on page 70 69 Graphic -- © artenz118 / Fotolia

© Katie Stanwyck

Halifax

© Katie Stanwyck

What took me here was a good friend who grew up in Halifax, she convinced me that I needed to visit her so that she could show me how incredible it was. I’ll be honest, I didn’t have high expectations for Halifax, but it turned out to be one of my favorite places in Canada.

Quick drives out of the city will take you to incredible places like the Bay of Fundy (which you cannot miss), trails with beautiful sea views and more.

70

Halifax is also home to some of the best seafood around. The lobster rolls are to die for, I can’t even begin to guess how many I ate in the few days I was there! On top of the lobster rolls, any sort of seafood you get there is absolutely delicious. If you’re a food lover, one of the best places to check out is the Seaport Market. You’ll find some local coffee, seafood and more for a great price.

VRAI Magazine

Now onto one of Canada’s most popular cities (and my hometown), Toronto. This city is truly one of the most multicultural ones in the world, which has created not only a friendly destination, but also a food lovers’ paradise.

If you’re a foodie, there’s plenty of places to enjoy a meal at a decent price, but if you’re looking for something a bit more upscale, King West is where you’ll want to check out. A few of my personal favorite restaurants are: Grand Electric (best tacos in the city; Oretta (Italian); Starving Artist (brunch); Wvrst (German).

You’ll want to give yourself a few days here as there’s a number of places to see and discover. The Distillery District is an area that is a must-see though—this spot holds a brewery, great restaurants and shops and it’s also home to the famous Christmas Market each year. You’ll also want to head to Kensington Market, the Toronto Island (rent a bike in the summer, it won’t disappoint!), the many parks (I recommend High Park and Trinity Bellwoods) and one of my favorite places, a bit off the beaten path, is Evergreen Brickworks.

All in all, Toronto is a must-see place filled with things to do all day, every day, so you’ll want to make sure you have more than just a few days to see everything.

Toronto

continued on page 72

© Katie Stanwyck

71 © Katie Stanwyck

Ottawa 72

© Katie Stanwyck

No trip to Canada is complete without a trip to the capital city! Some people believe that Toronto is Canada’s capital, but it’s actually Ottawa. Here you’ll be able to head to parliament, see beautiful old buildings and wander the streets eating delicious food. Not only this, but Ottawa has the Rideau Canal flowing right through it. In the summer, you can take walks along the path beside the canal or take a break with a nice picnic.

In the winter, if you’re feeling ambitious, you can even skate the whole 7.8km since the canal completely freezes over.

If you wanted to get away from the city, Gatineau Park is just a quick drive away, offering beautiful hikes and sites through the trails. Little towns also surround the area and one of my favorites is Almonte, a place filled with cute shops like Hello Yellow, pubs and more, so you don’t want to miss that!

VRAI Magazine

One of my favorite cities in Canada has to be Montreal. The cobblestone streets, old buildings and views make you feel as if you’re in a little European town. Keep in mind when you head into Quebec though, that almost everyone living there speaks French as their first language, so you may want to learn a few words before heading in!

Montreal is also another city with a fantastic food scene and it’s also very well known for its nightlife.

People regularly party the night away and you head there to have the time of your life. It’s not all drinks and eats though, while you’re in Montreal there’s a few experiences you need to have: the Notre-Dame Basilica, go to the top of Mont Royal, check out Old Montreal, eat poutine (obviously) and walk down Rue Ste.-Catherine. continued on page 74

Montreal

73 © Katie Stanwyck

Banff & Lake

© Katie Stanwyck

When I lived in western Canada, it was in Banff, Alberta and each day I dream about being back there.

It’s hard to understand how beautiful and peaceful it is there until you go and spend some time in the mountains.

Banff is surrounded by mountains from every angle and is a little town that offers some serious eats, hiking, views and wildlife. In the summertime, you can spot elk all over the place and if you’re lucky, you’ll spot a black bear or even a grizzly bear!

I would highly recommend renting a car while in Banff, that way you’re able to get to places like the famous Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. These two emerald-colored lakes have brought in countless tourists from across the 74

globe for as long as I can remember and you don’t understand why until you see the beauty of it. While in Lake Louise, make sure to do the hike to the teahouse and if you can make it up to the “big beehive”, the views are completely worth the pain.

Some other places to check out while in Banff are: • Vermillion Lakes • Johnston Canyon (a nice, easy hike) • Tunnel Mountain • Sulphur Mountain • Bear Street Tavern (pizza) • The Fairmont Banff Springs (it’s truly a castle) continued on page 76

VRAI Magazine

Louise

75 © Katie Stanwyck

© ronniechua / Fotolia

Kelowna 76

It might surprise you that Kelowna in British Columbia is a hotspot for surfers, but it is. It has great surfing and people flock there from around the world for good surfing in the summer and good skiing or snowboarding in the winter.

If surfing or the slopes aren’t your kind of vacation, then you’ll be pleased to hear that Kelowna is smack dab in the Okanagan Valley, one of Canada’s most popular and delicious wine regions. Wineries include some of my favorites like Blasted Church Vineyards, Peller Estates and Foxtrot Vineyards. Kelowna is ideal if you’re looking for a relaxing or active getaway, between the scenery and everything else to do, it’s the perfect destination for anyone.

VRAI Magazine

Vancouver © Danny de la Cruz

Ahh, Vancouver. Where to even begin? As one of Canada’s hottest destinations, Vancouver is a stunning, multicultural city housing amazing eats along with mountain views from every angle and a waterfront you won’t believe. Mountains are just a short drive away which make for some great hiking trips and scenery. Not only this, but Victoria Island is just a quick ferry ride away and it’ll be one of the most beautiful places you’ll see in Canada.

Stanley Park is a must see and make sure you grab yourself a bike because it’s actually 10% larger than Central Park in New York City! This shouldn’t be a surprise, but Vancouver also has a thriving culinary scene with chefs from across the globe heading there for its fresh seafood and incredible views. A few neighborhoods that are a must-visit are: Gastown, Granville Street and of course, Yaletown.

© Danny de la Cruz

77

Experience the

CUBA You’ve Always Imagined!

78

VRAI Magazine

8 Day Photography tour to Havana, Cuba November 4 - 11, 2017 With great grand avenues lined in a rainbow of colorful buildings, vintage cars cruising crumbling alleyways, Che Guevara’s face staring at your every turn and a sea-soaked ocean walkway full of lovers, Havana is an audacious dream. Cuba stretches over 42,000 square miles but without a doubt, the city of Havana is the heart of this island nation. Both the political and cultural capital of Cuba, Havana is an unparalleled living museum. Prepare yourself.

Havana Imagined The Havana Imagined Photo Tour is ideal for both experienced and amateur photographers. We will spend 8 days and 7 nights exploring this incredible city from its colonial heart to its markets, plazas and neighborhoods. We will experience the city from top down and bottom up. We will see areas most tourists never see and meet some of its most interesting inhabitants — and we will learn to shoot along the way The Havana Imagined Photo Tour highlights street photography but we will also have many opportunities for panoramas, food photography, portraits, dancers and more. Photographer Jim O’Donnell will assist you with your photography every step of the way. When you arrive home, you will have images of Cuba’s stunning capital that few tourists ever have an opportunity to achieve.

The tour is operated through Espiritu Travel. Cost $1,995 (does not include plane fare).

Contact info@espiritutravel.com or 1-800-387-1370 and mention this ad.

79

Grilled Whole Fish with Tomato Lime Zip Sauce

By Healthy World Cuisine Magazine

How would you like to visit the Philippines’ food street markets without ever leaving the comfort of your home?

Come along and we will show you the way!

Grilled Whole Fish with Tomato Lime Zip Sauce is the world’s simplest way to enjoy delicious and healthy fish on the grill with a super fresh tomato dipping sauce.

In less than 30 minutes, you can have a complete balanced meal that is going to be your new summer grilling favorite.

You are just going to love the smoky flavor of this delicate, flaky white fish and the fresh flavor of the tomato lime zip sauce. You can’t beat that!

Grilled Whole Fish with Tomato Lime Zip Sauce is one fabulous, gluten-free, diabetic friendly and low carb recipe. We served this dish with a huge side of grilled veggies and a little bit of brown rice (cauliflower rice) on the side.

Traditionally in the Philippines, Grilled Whole Fish with Tomato Lime Zip Sauce would be made with Tilapia.

However, when you are in Rome or in Hong Kong…

Golden Drum Fish is also a great option. Golden Drum Fish is a delicate, mild tasting white flat fish. You could 80

use any delicate white fish that is native to your region.

Grilling the fish whole adds loads of extra flavor and a delicious crispy skin. If you prefer, you can also make this recipe using a fish fillet of choice with ginger in a fish grill basket or even just in a piece of aluminum foil over your grill fire.

A special thanks to Shirley who is the inspiration for today’s recipe. Shirley is from Dipilog, Philippines.

Shirley has lived most of her life right near the ocean where her family fished every day. She is a pro at cooking and grilling the fresh fish from the catch of the day and we wanted to share this very special recipe with you.

To make this delicious Grilled Whole Fish with Tomato Lime Zip Sauce, you just simply clean and scale the fish (or ask your fish monger to help you with this process). Then, you stuff the belly of the fish with ginger and tomatoes. Finally, you give your fish a good rub down with some olive oil and a little salt and pop your little fish on the grill. continued on page 82

VRAI Magazine

Š HWC Magazine

81

When choosing a fresh whole fish there are a couple you should keep in mind: 1. The fish should smell like the sea or salt water and not have a fishy smell 2. The fish eyes should be clear and bright and not sunken in or cloudy 3. The gills should be pink and clean 4. When you press the fish, the flesh should bounce back and not stay indented.

5. You should buy your fish as close to the time you are going to cook it. You should store the fish on ice until it can be cooked.

Fish freshness is imperative. We usually do not buy a fish unless it was swimming a few minutes ago. However, we know that most of you do not have that option so feel free to cook this recipe using a mild, thick cut white fish “fillet” like tilapia, cod, halibut, mahi mahi, etc. in a grilling basket. You can even place your fillets in an aluminum foil packet for grilling ease. This simple, healthy and easy recipe for Grilled Whole Fish with Tomato Lime Zip Sauce will be your new favorite go-to-recipe.

However, it is this rocking tomato lime zip dipping sauce that really makes this a delicious treat. Just a little simple tamari (soya sauce), tomatoes, grated onion, lime and chili make this fish sing!

The secret to not having your fish to stick to the grill is to clean your grill very well and grease it up before you heat up the grill. In addition, rub your fish well with olive oil. We also found out that if you just let your fish cook for a few minutes and allow it to get a good sear and don’t move it, your fish will not stick.

You may be saying to yourself, my goodness Healthy World Cuisine has gone native! Indeed, we may have but how else do you know what kind of fish you are eating unless it is the whole fish. Just give it a try, we promise you will love it!

A perfect dessert to complement this Filipino Grilled Whole Fish is our Tropical Maja Blanca or our Avocado Ice Candy. If you are looking for a couple of side dishes, then be sure to try our Adobong Pulang Sitaw (Long Red Beans) or our Camote Bihon (Sweet Potato Noodles).

We should not judge a book (or a fish) by its cover and don’t be afraid to try new things. You will never be sorry that you have tried many new dishes or new things in your life. You will always be sorry if you didn’t! Words to live by! continued on page 85 82

VRAI Magazine

Š HWC Magazine

83

84

Š HWC Magazine

VRAI Magazine

Grilled Whole Fish with Tomato Lime Zip Sauce

aroma to the fish as it steams in the packet on the grill.)

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking time: about 20 minutes depending on how thick or large your white fish is.

Ingredients Grilled Whole Fish whole white fish – 2 pounds (we used 4 small golden drum fish) – you can use any mild white fish you like or you can even exchange with white fish fillets of choice ginger -- 2-inch knob peeled and julienne sliced Tomatoes – 1 cup fresh chopped (we used cherry tomatoes) Olive oil -- 2 tablespoons Salt and pepper to taste Tomato Lime Zip Sauce Tamari (soya sauce) – 4 tablespoons Onion -- 1 tablespoon grated Tomato -- 2 tablespoons chopped Lime juice – 2.5 tablespoons Chili -- 1 small mild red chili to taste (or even a dash of dried red pepper flakes to your desired heat level) Black pepper to taste Green onions, cilantro and chili peppers to garnish (optional, if desired)

Instructions 1. Pre-heat the grill to medium high heat. Oil your grill.

2. Clean and scale whole fish. Remove fins, tail, dorsal fins and gills or have your fish monger do this for you. Rub the fish with olive oil on all sides and salt and pepper both the inside and outside of fish. If you are grilling a larger whole fish you will need to cut about 4 slits into both sides of the fish to facilitate the cooking process. However, our little gold drum fish were flat and small so this step was not needed.

Stuff the belly of the whole fish with ginger and fresh tomatoes. (Alternatively, you can make this recipe with white fish fillets but you will need to use a fish griller basket to keep the ginger and tomatoes in place. You can also wrap your fish fillets in aluminum foil and allow the ginger and tomatoes to really give a nice

3. Grill fish for about 6-12 minutes on each side depending on the size of your fish or until the fish flesh flakes easily with a chopstick or fork. Now don’t rush the turning step. Make sure that the fish has a chance to get a nice crust on the skin of the fish before turning and this way the fish will not stick to the grill. Once the fish flakes easily with a fork, remove carefully from grill. (We like to use 2 spatulas for this procedure.)

4. Make the tomato lime zip sauce: In a small bowl combine tamari (soya) sauce, lime juice, onions, tomatoes and black pepper and mix.

5. Garnish your grilled whole fish with chili, green onions and cilantro, if desired. Serve the delicious fish with the tomato lime zip dipping sauce and enjoy.

Want more great recipes from Healthy World Cuisine Magazine?

There’s more to see on page 160 85

How to Avoid the Crowds at

Beijing’s

Top Attractions

By Charmaine Kong

86

VRAI Magazine

C

hina, home to over 1.3 billion people is the most populated country in the world. Its capital city, Beijing, accounts for over 22 million of those individuals, which is easily more than the entire population of Australia! Unlike many of us from Western countries, personal space is a luxury and sometimes nonexistent in the Chinese culture. There’s no way around it, China is crowded!

Unfortunately, the crowds can sometimes prevent people from wanting to visit the country. But like most major cosmopolitan cities like New York, London and Paris, there are ways of experiencing the city’s major attractions without feeling like herded cattle.

CHINA

First thing’s first. Avoid Chinese Holidays.

Unlike many other countries, employees in China don’t usually get salaried vacation days. Instead, there are massive public holidays where everybody gets time off—essentially the entire country is on vacation. Chinese New Year, Spring Festival, National Day and May Day are some of the more prominent holidays of which to take note. Also, don’t undermine the grace days (before and after holidays) that also see extra traffic.

Now that we have the most important point taken care of, here’s how you can avoid the crowds at the top three major attractions in Beijing. continued on page 88

87 © Charmaine Kong

Great Wall of China Easily one of the most spectacular ingenuity I’ve ever experienced, the Great Wall of China is a must for anyone visiting China. It’s also one of the easiest attractions to avoid any crowds. Counting in at over 8,000 kilometers long, many people don’t realize there are actually nine different sections of the wall visitors can explore. Each of these sections are slightly different and only a couple overlap with each other.

Of the nine sections, Badaling, Mutianyu, Jinshanling and Juyongguan are the most popular due to their proximity to Beijing. The other five can be a bit tricky to reach, often requiring private car hires to get to. Avoid Badaling and Juyongguan if you can. As the closest sections to the city center, it just means massive crowds! Jinshanling on the other hand is a section almost free of any other visitors. This section is further away from the city centre and requires more physical stamina, but is well worth the extra effort when you can soak in the incredible architectural and cultural achievement. continued on page 92

88

VRAI Magazine

89 Š Charmaine Kong

90

VRAI Magazine

Great Wall of China

© Charmaine Kong

91

Temple of Heaven Tranquil and impressive, the Temple of Heaven is where emperors of two dynasties use to pray. Every building has been precisely calculated to achieve perfect architectural symmetry and chi to please the heavens and bring prosperity and good fortune. Even though this is a major tourist attraction, the peaceful gardens also draw in a lot of regular locals looking to escape from the chaos of the city, resulting in extended park hours. Take advantage of their long operating hours and aim to be either the first or last ones to visit the site. continued on page 96 92

VRAI Magazine

93

Š Charmaine Kong

94

VRAI Magazine

© Charmaine Kong

Temple of Heaven

© Charmaine Kong

95

Forbidden City Located pretty much in the center of Beijing, the imperial palace is every part as grand as it is intimidating. Its high fortifying walls make it very exclusive and empowering. Due to its historical significance and importance, the Forbidden City is a highly attractive sight for both local and international tourists. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of ways to avoid the crowds here, rather it’s picking the most opportune time to visit. Closed Mondays and is only open from 8:30 am – 5 pm, it’s best to visit as early as possible. To further reduce wait times, purchase your tickets before you go so you can zoom right to the entrance gates.

96

VRAI Magazine

97 Š Charmaine Kong

Š Charmaine Kong

98

VRAI Magazine

Forbidden City 99

USA

Perspectives: New York City © Janet Rokosz

Photography by Janet Rokosz

A

hh, New York City—The Big Apple, Gotham— one of the most photographed cities in the world.

For a fresh take, we turned to NYC local, Janet Rokosz, who beautifully captures this city on Instagram as @NewYorkBlue, and asked her to capture Summer scenes for us, even some of the most iconic places.

Discover New York City from her vantage point...

100

VRAI Magazine

© Janet Rokosz

101

102

VRAI Magazine

103

© Janet Rokosz

104

VRAI Magazine

© Janet Rokosz

105

106

VRAI Magazine © Janet Rokosz

© Janet Rokosz

107

108

VRAI Magazine

109 © Janet Rokosz

110

VRAI Magazine

111

© Janet Rokosz

112 © Janet Rokosz

VRAI Magazine

113

© Janet Rokosz

114

VRAI Magazine

The style of true living: Food, Fashion and Travel vraimagazine.com

Š Janet Rokosz

115

the Unexpected Magic of

Venice

116

VRAI Magazine

ITALY

By Danny de la Cruz

I

looked back onto the island as our water taxi sped towards the airport and watched the bell tower grow smaller with each passing wave. It was the end of a magical adventure that left a lasting impression and had me wanting for more.

In all honesty, Venice had never been on my bucket list. I had heard that there wasn’t much to see or do. With historical Rome under my belt, along with beautiful Florence and scenic Naples, I was content with my Italian explorations. Besides, I jokingly told myself that I had already stayed at the Venetian in Las Vegas multiple times and witnessed the gondola rides-who needed to see the real thing?

Despite my lack of enthusiasm for this destination, I had prepared and done my Venice research on

various websites and watched videos of others as they captured the city in their own way. I compiled a list of the main points of interests to see, narrowed down the hotel after reading numerous reviews and comparing prices, researched modes of transportation to efficiently get around and created a little spreadsheet to capture it all. I was prepared to experience this city, but had little expectations, except for one—gelato.

Having had gelato during my past travels to Italy and never finding anything back home in the U.S. that matched the amazing texture and flavor, I couldn’t wait to savor my next spoonful. It was all about the gelato, or so I thought. continued on page 118 117 © Danny de la Cruz

By Sea to Venice Upon landing at Marco Polo airport and collecting our bags, we made our way to the lagoon via the long, covered, people-mover walkway—approximately 15 minutes. Once you reach the lagoon, you can either opt for a private water taxi or take the larger waterbuses, vaporettos as they’re commonly called. We opted for a private water taxi that would take us directly to the front door of the hotel for about 120 Euros and in a matter of 15–20 minutes. Had we taken the vaparetto, the fare would have been significantly cheaper, but it would have taken 3-4 times longer due to the slow speed and numerous stops on the route. After a long overnight flight, we were ready to check in and freshen up.

As we sailed away from the airport, the sleek water taxi sped towards Venice following a path marked by wooden pylons. It was at this very moment when I realized that this was something very special. Along this water highway, other water taxis sped by in the opposite direction, we’d pass the larger water busses, see boats carrying various cargo and supplies—this was a world on water. As I looked behind, I could see a parade of other water taxis following closely behind and speeding towards Venice. With the wind blowing in my face as water splashed around and a few bounces from the waves every now and then, I was awakened. As we entered the Grand Canal, the water taxi slowed down and I felt as if I had stepped in, or should I say, “sailed” into a picture-perfect postcard.

© Danny de la Cruz

continued on page 122

VIDEO

© Danny de la Cruz

Click here or the image above, to see the video of the boat ride from Marco Polo Airport to the hotel.

© Danny de la Cruz

118

VRAI Magazine

© Danny de la Cruz

© Danny de la Cruz

© Danny de la Cruz

119

Sailing up to the Ca’ Sagredo Hotel 120

VRAI Magazine

121 © Danny de la Cruz

The Grandeur of Ca’ Sagredo Ca’ Sagredo Hotel, a 15th century palace, is located directly on the Grand Canal in the Cannaregio neighborhood, the second largest district of Venice.

It’s one of the less touristy areas of Venice, but keep in mind that all of Venice is walkable so you’re never really more than a 15–20 minute walk away from anything.

As the water taxi neared the hotel, I noticed two giant hands reaching out of the canal and pushing up the hotel on one corner. The stunning art installation was a showstopper that set the hotel apart from any other building on the Grand Canal.

Since our rooms weren’t ready when we arrived, we decided to explore the neighborhood. Fortunately for us, there was a Grom’s gelato store just around the corner to give us a sweet pick me up and then we wandered off, eventually finding a little place for lunch. A few hours later, a gondola ride and after numerous sidestreets, we headed back to the hotel and were escorted by the staff to each of our rooms for a tour of the spaces.

As we entered the first suite, steps took us down to a wide, sunken living area with various animals made out of plaster adorning an ornate ceiling. From the living room, we walked into a grand master bedroom space which was connected to a large dressing area and then up a few stairs was an elaborate marbled bathroom.

The second suite was different, yet grand in its own way. Upon entry, a large marbled bathroom and closet area were on the right. Down a few steps, we found ourselves in a long, sunken living area that had two large windows overlooking the grand staircase of the hotel.

At the other end of the living room was a large, master bedroom with more beautiful details and decorations adorning the ceiling. Both suites were works of art. At one time, the two suites had been part of a gaming area to entertain and welcome guests. The rooms could not have been more perfect and to top it off, we had some chilled bubbly and chocolates waiting for us to enjoy.

In order to combat jet lag, we freshened up and explored the hotel further before heading out. As we wandered through the hotel, there were several grand ballrooms with understated elegance and just the right hints of opulence befitting a Venetian palace. The ceilings were beautifully decorated and capped off with glass chandeliers that sparkled. From the central ballroom, we descended the grand, marble staircase to reach the lobby and eventually made our way back outside. continued on page 128 122

© Danny de la Cruz

© Danny de la Cruz

VRAI Magazine

© Danny de la Cruz

123

The Ca’ Sagredo Hotel 124

VRAI Magazine © Danny de la Cruz

© Danny de la Cruz

125

126 © Danny de la Cruz

VRAI Magazine

View from the Ca’ Sagredo Hotel 127

The Sights nd Sounds of Venice Not far from the hotel is the famed Rialto Bridge. At any time of day, it’s lined with tourists taking countless photos. Watch out—there are selfie sticks everywhere, but once you get past them, the views are spectacular.

What was unexpected for me was the fact that there are actually shops lining the center pathway of the bridge.

I had thought of it only as a bridge and underestimated the scale for it to hold numerous shops from bank to bank. But if you want to avoid the shops, choose a side of the bridge---you can’t go wrong with either, and witness Venice in motion. From gondolas, water taxis and vaporettos, to small vessels carrying products and goods, life in Venice radiates from the water.

Wandering your way through Venice, especially if you’re headed to a famous landmark and following a main path, you’ll encounter a lot of little shops—most selling souvenirs and things you’ll probably regret purchasing the minute you’re back home and unpacking.

Yes, there a lot of upscale clothing stores, but nothing you can’t find back home in this day and age of retailers expanding to every corner of the globe. There were a lot of eateries as well, but we avoided those on the main thoroughfares—especially those with very touristy menus. Wander a few streets away from the main paths and you’ll find something more authentic. Despite all the shops, simply crossing a footbridge over a canal and seeing all the gondolas floating by would put a smile on my face. Actually, around every turn, there was an unexpected surprise—the entire city is literally a pictureperfect postcard.

St. Mark’s Square is by far the most popular destination of Venice. People are drawn to this square to see the grandeur that is Venice. With St. Mark’s Basilica on one end, the Doge’s Palace, the Bridge of Sighs, the bell tower, the two pillars welcoming all from the Grand Canal and all the restaurants and shopping venues lining the square, it’s no wonder that everyone is drawn to this area of Venice. Oh and did I mention the pigeons? There are pigeons everywhere and many people trying to feed them.

Travel Tip: To witness St. Mark’s Square without the crowds, visit the square as early as possible. It will be just you and all the pigeons for the perfect photo moments.

Before entering St. Mark’s Basilica, keep in mind that it is a place of worship and so you’ll have to check in any backpacks or other large bags and you can’t have exposed legs (no short shorts) or shoulders. Once inside the church, you can remain in line and follow it 128

to the golden altar or Pala d’Oro, where there’s a small entrance fee. If you decide to skip the area behind the altar, then hop out of the line once inside and explore the rest of the church on the main floor or head upstairs to check out views of the Square from a higher vantage point.

Next door to the basilica is the Doge’s Palace. Buy tickets online to avoid the lines and you’ll quickly find yourself in the giant courtyard to begin exploration of the countless rooms and magnificent spaces, even prison cells. To begin your tour, you’ll need to tackle several flights of marble stairs to get to the top level, but it’s worth it once you see the amazing spaces. As we made our way through the various spaces, we eventually found ourselves entering a dark, narrow passageway with small cutouts lining the left wall. As I turned to view out of the holes, I quickly realized that I was passing through the famed Bridge of Sighs—the bridge that prisoners would take to get to their cells and the last view of the Grand Canal they would ever see.

Also in St. Mark’s Square is the bell tower which you can ascend via elevator to get a 360-degree view of the city. We opted to skip this and view the city from another vantage point which was free.

Travel Tip: Not far from the Rialto Bridge is the T Fondaco Dei Tedeschi by DFS shopping center. It’s a stylish, high-end galleria filled with the latest designer brands and products. If you head all the way to the top to the terrace, you’ll find yourself standing on the roof level with the city of Venice and the Grand Canal below you for some of the most breathtaking photos you can take. And, it’s free and no line to get in.

While roaming the streets of Venice, you’re bound to encounter a gondola ride around almost every turn. For 80 Euros, up to six people can experience a 30-minute gondola ride. The one we took started out in the quiet canals of Cannaregio and glided on to the Grand Canal for views of the Rialto Bridge, before heading back to where our ride started. What I found the most fascinating was the common situation of multiple gondolas and other sized boats trying to get through very narrow canals and handling intersections with no stoplights. There’s a lot of yelling back and forth from the gondoliers and other boat captains but somehow, everyone gets on their way.

Before you hop on a gondola ride, keep in mind that each gondola sails down a different canal path. And, if you want the Gondolier to sing, that’s an additional cost. Yes it’s not cheap, but you’re in Venice, so just sit back, and enjoy the experience as you glide through the canals, listen to the magical sounds of the city. continued on page 144

VRAI Magazine

St. Mark’s Basilica 129 © Danny de la Cruz

St. Mark’s Square

130

VRAI Magazine

131 © Danny de la Cruz

© Danny de la Cruz

Left to right: St. Mark’s Basilica; Doge’s Palace

132

VRAI Magazine

© Danny de la Cruz

133

© Danny de la Cruz

Left to right: Doge’s Palace; Bridge of Sighs

134

VRAI Magazine

© Danny de la Cruz

135

Doge’s Palace 136

VRAI Magazine

137 © Danny de la Cruz

Rialto Bridge 138

VRAI Magazine

139 © Danny de la Cruz

© Danny de la Cruz

© Danny de la Cruz

© Danny de la Cruz

This page: Life on the Grand Canal; Opposite page: T Fondaco Dei Tedeschi by DFS atrium © Danny de la Cruz

140

VRAI Magazine

© Danny de la Cruz

141

View of the Grand Canal from the Terrace at T

Fondaco Dei Tedeschi by DFS shopping center

142

VRAI Magazine

143 © Danny de la Cruz

Put Away the Map

© Danny de la Cruz

The best advice I’ve received from others and that I’ll pass along to you is simply “to get lost”. Put away the map or navigation app on your cell phone and just let your feet do the walking. You’re bound to find something interesting or a unique spot if you just explore and get lost. There are plenty of signs everywhere pointing you to the landmarks, but there are countless more places, pathways and shops to discover if you simply wander. You never know what you’ll discover so just follow the path and see where it leads you. During one of our explorations, we stumbled upon some beautiful churches and squares and of course, there’s always a photo opp any direction you point your camera.

Traveling around the city on foot is the best thing you can do. But, when jet lag sets in, or your feet are aching from the stylish shoes you packed to look trendy and cosmopolitan, purchase a day pass to ride the waterbus or vaporetto. The vaporetto stops along numerous points along the Grand Canal to take you from one end to the other. It’s very cheap but it’s also quite slow so depending on where you’re headed, it may be faster to walk. Once you purchase your ticket, make you have it validated by one of the machines before you board. I’ve heard horror stories of people forgetting to have it validated and being forced to pay a fine once you’re on board.

The Tastes of Venice

© Danny de la Cruz

Bring your appetite. After all the walking that you’ll do, there’s bound to be a quaint little restaurant around the corner or a gelato shop calling your name. When it comes to gelato, there are numerous shops dotting Venice. Our favorite is Grom and we were lucky since there was a store located just steps from the hotel. The pistachio was divine! Avoid shops where the flavors are brightly colored instead of more natural in color. And as a purist, I avoid all the extra toppings and cones – I just want a scoop of gelato in a cup for me to savor as I stroll through the streets.

When you’re ready to eat, avoid the touristy spots by the Rialto Bridge and St. Mark’s Square. By touristy, you’ll see menus and signage printed with lots of photos of each dish and menus in multiple languages and corresponding flags. Find places that are off-the-beaten-path and with menus in Italian for more authentic cuisine and much better prices. During this trip, I couldn’t get enough of spaghetti ala carbonara—simple flavors and nothing heavy, unlike the dishes I often taste back in the U.S. And the portion 144

VRAI Magazine

size was just right, not the oversized bowls and platters we’re often served in Italian restaurants back home. I think I had it in at least three different restaurants and each version was divine.

The Final Water Taxi It was time for this journey to end and even though I had planned to do so much, I wasn’t able to do it all.

But as we piled into the water taxi and sped towards the airport, I realized that Venice isn’t a city meant to be scheduled and rushed just to get through all the famous landmarks, it’s one where you experience each moment as it unfolds before you. With each turn, there’s something new and different that catches your eye and when you think you’re going one way, you find yourself stumbling upon something completely unexpected and pointed in a different direction. And when you think you’re completely lost, you’re bound to see a sign pointing you towards one of the main tourist attractions and all is well again.

I fell in love with this magical city and look forward to coming back for another experience. Maybe I should plan for the Carnival in January/February and finally get that mask! © Danny de la Cruz

145

146

VRAI Magazine © Danny de la Cruz

© Danny de la Cruz

Views as we sailed away from Venice on the Grand Canal © Danny de la Cruz

147

AUSTRALIA

The Essential Guide for Day Hiking in

TASM 148

VRAI Magazine

© Barry Sproston

MANIA

By Barry Sproston

149

T

asmania, also known as TAS and Tassie, is an island located 150 miles to the south of the Australian mainland. It is officially the 26th-largest island in the world and similar in size to that of Sri Lanka. Surrounding Tasmania, there are another 334 smaller islands, many of which are unpopulated.

For its size, Tasmania doesn’t have a large population, only around 519,100, of which 40% live near or around the state’s capital of Hobart.

Just under half of Tasmania is made up of reserves, national parks and World Heritage Sites. So it doesn’t matter what you call it, bush walking, rambling, trekking or hiking—its small population and few built-up residential areas means that Tasmania offers some of the best day hikes throughout Australia.

© Barry Sproston

Hiking in Tasmania One of the best ways to see Tasmania is with your own two feet. It’s not all roughing it in the bush either (although it’s possible) as there are roughly over 2,800 km of managed walking trails and 880+ walks listed.

Tasmania’s trails range from short walks, to full on multi-day walking adventures, such as the world famous Overland Track. The island is also home to four of the eight Great Walks of Australia—some of which offer tented camps and lodges for those who prefer to relax in style after a long day.

The great thing about hiking in Tasmania is that it is possible to see an array of wildlife, with plenty of opportunities to see animals such as wombats, wallabies and if you’re lucky, a Tasmanian devil too.

The real blessing is Tasmania has fewer species of land snakes than mainland Australia, in fact only three, the tiger snake, lowland copperhead and white-lipped snake. All are shy and will only attack if provoked. continued on page 152

150

VRAI Magazine

“The great thing about hiking in Tasmania is that it is possible to see an array of wildlife, with plenty of opportunities to see animals such as wombats, wallabies and if you’re lucky, a Tasmanian devil too.”

© Barry Sproston

151

Getting Around Tasmania Since 1998 there have been no regular, scheduled international flights to Tasmania, so most visitors either fly via Melbourne or Sydney. Jetstar and Virgin Australia offer regular flights daily along the Melbourne to Launceston and Melbourne to Hobart routes. Airfares tend to be a little cheaper to Launceston.

For those who wish to bring a vehicle from the mainland, The Spirit of Tasmania Ferry links Melbourne to Devonport. Qantas also flies from Melbourne Airport to Devonport Airport daily.

Public transport in Tasmania is extremely limited and rail services are focused primarily on bulk freight. Apart from historical railways, no commercial passenger services are available on the island.

Those visiting the island usually find themselves driving from one of Tasmania’s transit hubs connected to the mainland, such as Devonport, Launceston or Hobart.

Driving is by far the easiest way and the usual rental companies such as Budget, Thrifty, Hertz, Europcar and Avis are available for those who wish to hire a vehicle.

National Parks Pass Park fees apply to all entering Tasmanian National Parks. Most of the well-known routes will have a car park that you can walk from, but it’s important to remember hikers will be required to check into a visitor center and pay a park entrance fee.

National Park Passes can also be purchased beforehand at all Parks and Wildlife Service offices, Tasmanian Travel Centers, on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry and many other places throughout Tasmania.

The Holiday Pass is the best value for interstate or international visitors. It’s valid for eight weeks and covers multiple entries into all of Tasmania’s National Parks. continued on page 156

152

VRAI Magazine

© Barry Sproston

© Barry Sproston

© Barry Sproston

153

154

VRAI Magazine

The scenic beauty of Wineglass Bay

155 © Barry Sproston

Weather Tasmania has a cool, temperate climate with four distinct seasons.

The weather can be notoriously unpredictable and can change very fast. Walkers sometimes can experience a bit of everything during their day hike.

Depending on the time of year, there can be sunshine, rain, wind or snow. Sometimes all of the above in the same day!

Warmer weather is found between the months of November to April. During this time the sun is stronger and temperatures average 20 °C (68 °F) to 24 °C (75 °F) The winter months are June, July and August and are commonly the dampest and coolest months in the state, with most of the mountain areas receiving plenty of snow. Winter temperatures range from 12 °C (54 °F) along the coast, all the way down to 3 °C (37 °F) on the Central Plateau.

Experienced hikers should only attempt longer winter hikes as winter days are short (Sunrise 8 am / sunset 5 pm) and heavy snow can cover mountain areas.

Hypothermia can happen during the winter months.

What to Pack In addition to any personal items such as medication and prescription eyewear, it’s recommended you bring: • • • •

A daypack 2-3 liters of water Backup water filter such as a LifeStraw Smartphone with offline maps (Telstra network has the best coverage in Tasmania) Lightweight, comfortable clothing for summer and more layers for winter Rain jacket Hat, sunglasses and sunscreen Camera and a waterproof case such as Pelican/or dry bag Worn in hiking shoes or boots Lunch and snacks Some longer hikes may require a map

• • • • • • •

continued on page 158

156

VRAI Magazine

© Barry Sproston

© Barry Sproston

“The weather can be notoriously unpredictable and can change very fast. Walkers sometimes can experience a bit of everything during their day hike.”

© Barry Sproston

157

Where to Hike You could try any of these 60 Great Short Walks in Tasmania, but the following three hikes are the most popular.

Mount Wellington Mount Wellington is a mountain in the south-east coastal region and based within the Wellington Park Reserve.

Located next to Tasmania’s capital city, Hobart, it’s an excellent hike for travellers wanting to take panoramic photos of the city. Mount Wellington offers a range of tracks and trails. Shorter walks in the eastern foothills are well suited to families, while exposed tracks extend beyond the summit and offer many choices for those who fancy something more challenging. A Tasmania’s National Parks pass in not required.

Wineglass Bay One of Tasmania’s most photographed views will take you to the beautiful white sands of Wineglass Bay. The track is a short, fairly steep climb to the saddle between Mt Amos and Mt Mayson. From the saddle, a side trail leads to a new lookout, which offers outstanding views over Wineglass Bay. If you have time and feel daring, you can climb down the other side to the beach itself, doubling the length of the walk.

© Barry Sproston

Cradle Mountain At 1,545 meters (5,069 ft) above sea level, Cradle Mountain is the fifth-highest mountain in Tasmania and a popular hiking spot. The area around the mountain has a large number of day walks, as well as being part of the Overland Track. The mountain is climbed by walkers all year round and is challenging. To the summit, the return hike from the Dove Lake car park should take around six-and-a-half hours. The climb to the top part of Cradle Mountain involves clambering over large boulders near the summit and again on the way down.

© Barry Sproston

158

VRAI Magazine

© Barry Sproston

159

More Great Recipes from Healthy World Cuisine Magazine Click title to get the recipe. Clockwise from right: Turmeric Pork Skewers & Thai Basil Dipping Sauce Thai Grilled Watermelon Salad Gluten-free Thai Shrimp Pancakes Thai Pomelo Crab Salad Avocados Grilled Flank Steak with Thai Style Chimichurri

© HWC Magazine

© HWC Magazine

© HWC Magazine

160

VRAI Magazine

© HWC Magazine

© HWC Magazine

Advertise with us!

Join us in an upcoming

VRAI Magazine publication For more information, contact us at advertising@vraimagazine.com

161

Let’s Get Social and discover another side of

162

VRAI Magazine