• North Korea to restart tourism by South Korean citizens
• North Korea belligerent paradise or…
• China and North Korea to set up tourism railway
• Tourism booming in South Korea despite fears of recession
• Amid minefields and barbed wire, South Korea hopes for tourism boom
• China designates North Korea a tourist destination
• Bid to build Thai cuisine as a branding and tourism promotion initiative
• Brunei to mark World Tourism Day

• AirAsia's grand terminal plans fly into storm clouds
• Stop and steal: Thieves prey on tourists in Malaysia
• Only 'genuine' Malaysians to greet tourists, government says
• First All-in-One Day Pass and hotel room key card for Bangkok subway
• Asian airlines should take cue from US carriers on ancillary revenue strategies
• JAL may be split into two distinct parts
• China International Travel IPO to raise $381 Million
• World Tourism Day

6 Ephemeral Art Forms You Won’t Want to Miss

Tired of visiting the same old museums, finding yourself craning over tourists to get that perfect picture of the diminutive Mona Lisa only to find a better reproduction in the museum shop? Sure, museums have their big fans, and were else are you going to see a collection of static art that just, well, stands there for time immemorial? Museum alternatives abound, but what’s an art lover/museum hater to do?

Temporary, or ephemeral art has a now-you-see-it-then-you-don´t quality to it. It may be constructed for the viewer, as a form of prayer, or even for the joy of the art itself. If you’re looking for a way to infuse art into your very pores while waiting on not a single museum line nor padding down a single hard marble museum floor amid the clicks and whirs of your fellow humans’ preferred recording devices, consider the following six forms of art that are as unique as the artists that create them.

Sandcastles

For artwork that absolutely will not stand the test of time, particularly on a windy, heavy-surf beach that’s subject to rain, nothing can beat the sandcastle. Kids’ versions with moats and scavenged trash these are not. Rather they are works of art that take hours (and sometimes teams) to construct.

One little-known secret is that dirty sand works better than pristine sand, as the grains of sand cling to one another a little better. Mid June brings crowds to Newport Beach, Oregon for the sandcastle building contest there, but true professionals will also be found at the US Open Sandcastle building contest which is holding its 30th annual competition on August 8th, 2010 in Imperial Beach California.

These temporary artworks won’t last long, so you’ll have to be there or crane to get a better look at your friends’ photos.

Sand painting

Religious sand art is present in many parts of Asia, particularly in Tibet. The sand mandala (from the Sanskrit mandala meaning essence, containing or circle circumference) is a colorful, almost kaleidoscopic circle designed by Buddhist monks and then filled in with sand using a series of funnels, bags and scrapers.

The mandalas are made of crushed sand or rock, though crushed lentils and other materials may be used. Mandalas are also present in Hinduism, where they may also be called Yantra. In both cases, mandalas contain religious symbols, and are not meant to be preserved. The making of the mandala is a form of worship by the person who makes it.

Ice Sculpture

Carving a giant block of ice into a recognizable glittering figure isn’t quite the same as standing on the beach under the hot sun, but it’s got that pop-culture element, and the results can be spectacular. Tools include a chain saw, drills with different bits, hand saws, picks and chippers, and of course, tongs. The usual uniform is somewhat unbecoming, with rubber boots and gloves being practically de rigueur. To buy your own ice carving supplies (including giant trays in which to freeze the ice blocks), follow that link.

For those of us who are less likely to hack at a piece of ice, and more likely to want to go see one, the winter festival in Quebec is a good option, or for the more intrepid, go to Harbin in northeastern China, where Siberia-like winter temperatures may drop to nearly 40 below. To see a more complete list of winter and snow festivals, click there. These competitions tend to take place in the winter, so plan on bundling up and heading out to see them in January or February.

Butter sculpture

Moving away from the frozen-solid and towards something a little warmer, are the different types of butter sculpture. The oldest instance of butter sculpture is actually a Tibetan religious artform called Torma, in which butter is mixed with other ingredients, such as flour and colorful dyes either as ritual items or to later be consumed. The monks work the cold butter with their hands as though it were clay, and form it into various shapes of religious significance.

A more mass-market kind of butter sculpture consists of shaping a giant yellow cow out of “pure creamy Iowa butter,” over a frame of wood and wire mesh at the Iowa State Fair every August. The tradition is long-lasting, though the cow is not. The cow has been reproduced every year since 1910, and versions have cropped up in states as far-flung as New York. Other themes such as the Last Supper have also been created, though plans to build a model of Michael Jackson were thankfully, scrapped.

Carved vegetables

Many of the garnishes that appear on your plate at a Japanese or Thai restaurant are truly works of art. If you’ve ever wondered how to make those tiny birds or clever radish roses, or even a giant carved watermelon where the red flesh is visible through the green rind, consider buying this book. The website also has links to different sets of peelers and carving tools you may need for your next play-with-your-food project.

But a better-known type of vegetable art can be seen mainly in late October, and mainly in the United States. Despite cold temperatures, the carved pumpkin (or Jack o’lantern) doesn’t usually stand much of chance of making it far into November, making it somewhat ephemeral as well.

Between neighborhood vandals, rot and the local fauna, these artworks are mainly best enjoyed on their shining night, which is Halloween, or October 31st. Impromptu parties abound, with children and adults hacking at pumpkins with slippery hands and old kitchen implements and seeded pumpkiny pulp stuck to nearly every available surface. To see a giant collection of carved pumpkins, join the crowds that pour into Keene, New Hampshire every year for their giant display at the Pumpkin Fest. They usually have more than 20,000 pumpkins, though they recently lost their most-carved-pumpkins crown to Camp Sunshine, a summer camp for sick children, which held its own Jack o’lantern contest in Boston in 2006. Tune in this year to see if Keene wins its title back on Saturday, October 17th. More details here.

Flower carpets

Carpets are usually long lasting, at least until someone spills grape juice on them. These carpets are made of flowers and flower petals, or of colored sawdust, to cover large surfaces and be seen from a distance. One very large display of this sort is the Tapis de Fleurs in Brussels, Belguim, which will be premiered this year on August 12th at 9 AM.

The concept for the first flower carpet in Brussels was developed by E. Stautemans, a landscape architect whose projects have included a massive carpet at Ghent of 164 x 42 meters, but the foreground of the Grand Place in Brussels is his favored setting, and this 77 by 44 meter carpet is still huge and impressive. For more information, visit the Brussels flower carpet site here.

Other flower carpets are constructed around the world at Corpus Christi, a Catholic holiday that takes place in June. Carpets may be seen in areas as diverse as Tenerife in the Canary Islands, inside the Arundel Cathedral in Arundel, England, and of course in Rome. These carpets filled with religious symbols are meant to be admired, and at the end of the day, trodden upon, making them a truly short-lived affair.

With so many continually changing works of art (or kitsch) to see in so many locations, there’s no reason to limit yourself to museums, canvases or mundane sculpture materials. There’s bound to be something decorated, painted, carved or cast somewhere near you. Tell us about it!

Photo credits:
Sand cats by ThisParticularGreg on Flickr, Dogs playing poker by kandinski on Flickr, Sand dinosaur by wikimedia, Sand painting by wikicommons, Ice sculpture by Today is a good day on Flickr, Butter Harry by jakebouma on Flickr, Butter cow by wikimedia, Watermelon by bluemodern on Flickr, JackOLanterns by anonymous to you on Flickr, Carpet by vdhaeyere on Flickr

10 Weird Food Delicacies From Around the World

Travelling is often about trying the unusual and attempting to experience the different culture of the country you are visiting. One of the best ways to do this is to try the foods the native people eat.

They may not be to everyone’s tastes, but the following foods, whilst considered weird and bizarre to some of us, are considered delicious delicacies in other countries. Although eating these foods might seem like a form of ‘extreme dining’ to us, they are in fact quite normal to the people who eat them.

1 – Birds Nest Soup, China

You wouldn’t necessarily think a birds nest would be edible, but the Chinese use Swifts’ nests to make this soup, known as the ‘Caviar of the East’. Right now you’re probably imagining a nest made out of twigs and leaves, but Swiftlets make their nests predominantly out of saliva.

It’s something in the saliva of the bird that makes it have this unique gelatinous, rubbery texture and it’s one of the most expensive animal products consumed by humans. It’s expensive because the swiftlets build the nests during breeding season over a period of 35 days and nests can only be harvested around three times a year. The nests are typically built in coastal caves and collecting them is a treacherous process involving climbing and nimble skill, which adds to the hefty price tag.

With an increase in demand for birds nest soup however, manmade nesting sites are often constructed. Hong Kong and the US are the largest importers of birds’ nests and a bowl of soup can cost around $30 to $100 per bowl, whilst a kilo of nest can cost between $2,000 and $10,000. The soup has been a tradition for centuries and is believed to be nutritious in proteins and minerals and have aphrodisiac qualities.

2 – Fried tarantulas, Cambodia

Eensy weensy spider, climbing up the spout…if you suffer from arachnophobia you probably don’t want to try eating these eight legged monsters. They’re not tiny little house spiders, they’re great big tarantulas and you can buy them in the streets of Skuon, Cambodia.

They’re fried whole – legs, fangs and all. They were first discovered by starving Cambodians in the bloody, brutal days of the Khmer Rouge rule and have gone from being the vital sustenance of these people to a delicacy tourists come far and wide to try.

The black hairy arachnids found in the jungle around the market town of Skuon have become a source of fame and fortune for the region as bus loads of people stop to try them on their way to other places. They cost only a few cents and supposedly taste delicious, as they are best plucked straight from the burrow and pan fried with a bit of garlic and salt. They’re supposed to taste a bit like crickets or scrawny chickens and are crispy on the outside with a gooey body on the inside.

3 – Puffer fish, Japan

You’ve got to be careful with this delicacy or you might end up in the morgue. The deadly Puffer fish, or fugu, however is the ultimate delicacy in Japan even though its skin and insides contain the poisonous toxin todrotoxin, which is 1,250 times stronger than cyanide.

That’s why in Japan only expert chefs in licensed restaurants are allowed to prepare it. Otherwise you’re likely to become paralysed whilst still conscious and eventually die from asphyxiation because there is no known antidote.

Fifteen people died in Thailand when the fish was made illegal and people started dying it pink and passing it off as salmon.

4 – Balut, Phillipines

A bit like with a Kinder Surprise, you certainly will be surprised to open these eggs, though not in the same pleasant way as finding a toy inside. You get to eat your chicken and your egg at the same time with Balut.

Fertilized eggs are boiled just before they’re due to hatch, so your yolk oozes out followed by… a chicken (or duck) foetus. They are cooked when the foetus is anywhere from 17 days to 21 days depending on your preference, although when the egg is older the foetus begins to have a beak, claws, bones and feathers.

In Filipino culture Balut is almost as popular as the hot dog in America and street vendors yell out ‘Baluuuuuuut’ as they push their carts down the street. They are popularly believed to boost the libido and are also a hearty snack full of protein. Balut are usually guzzled down with beer and are prepared with a pinch of salt, lemon juice, black pepper and coriander, although some Balut eaters prefer it with chili and vinegar. The way to eat Balut is to crack open the egg, sip the broth and then eat the yolk and foetus…it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but apparently it’s delicious.

5 – Casu Marzu, Sardinia

This Sardinian cheese is a cheese with a difference; it’s riddled with insect larvae. “Casu Marzu” means ‘rotten cheese’ and is most commonly referred to as ‘maggot cheese.’ It’s now banned for health reasons but can still be available on the black market in Sardinia and Italy.

The sheep’s milk cheese is basically Pecorino, which has had the larvae of the cheese fly, Piophila casei, introduced to it. Fermentation occurs as the larvae digest the cheese fats, and the texture becomes very soft with some liquid seeping out. The cheese has to be eaten when the maggots are still alive because when they are dead it is considered to be toxic.

Since the larvae can jump if they are disturbed, diners have to shield their eyes or place the cheese in a sealed paper bag until the maggots are starved of oxygen and die. Health issues have arisen in relation to Casu Marzu, including reports of allergic reactions and the danger of consuming cheese that has advanced to a toxic state. There’s also some risk of intestinal larval infection.

6 – Surstromming, Sweden

One of the world’s strangest dishes can be found in Sweden. Surstomming is fermented Baltic herring and can be found on supermarket shelves all over the country, although you probably won’t see it next to the Ikea meatballs.

The herring is caught in spring when it is just about to spawn and is fermented in barrels for one to two months before it is tinned where the fermentation continues for several months. The cans often bulge during shipping and storage because of the continued fermentation process.

Certain airlines have in fact banned these cans from being taken on flights, as they consider the pressurized cans to be potentially dangerous, like fireworks and explosives. When the can is opened the smell is usually what will get to you first as the fermented fish has a really strong odour. It’s usually eaten with a type of flat crispy bread and boiled potatoes. Sometimes people drink milk with it, but beer and water are often used to guzzle it down.

7 – Live Octopus, Korea

In Korea Sannakji is a raw dish consisting of live octopus. The octopus is cut into pieces whilst still alive, lightly seasoned with sesame oil and served immediately whilst the tentacles can still be seen squirming on the plate.

Eating live octopus is a challenge not only mentally trying to get your head round eating something that’s still alive, but physically, as the tentacles stick to any surface they touch. You actually have to fight with your food before you can devour it and savour its taste.

The first hurdle is to get the tentacles off your chopsticks, and once the octopus is in your mouth it will suction to your teeth, the roof of your mouth and your tongue essentially trying to preserve its own life. It is supposedly enjoyable to experience the party in your mouth as the tentacles wriggle around and stick to your mouth as you chew it. Special care should be taken to chew thoroughly, however, because if the suction cups stick to the mouth or throat, this can be a choking hazard.

8 – Kopi Luwak, Indonesia

You might want to think twice if someone offers you a cup of this coffee when you pop round to their house. Kopi Luwak is the rarest, most expensive gourmet coffee in the world. Sounds divine right? It’s actually made from the excrements of an Indonesian cat-like creature called the Luwak.

The Luwak eats only the ripest coffee cherries but its stomach can’t digest beans inside them, so they come out whole. The coffee that results from this process is said to be like no other, and the stomach acids and enzymes that perform the fermentation of the beans give the coffee a special aroma.

This process takes place on the islands of Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi in the Indonesian Archipelago. With an expensive price tag of anywhere between US$120 – $300 per pound, you might want to start saving now if you want to try this gourmet coffee.

9 – Puffin Heart, Iceland

Sometimes referred to as the ‘clown of the ocean’ or ‘sea parrot’, the puffin, with its colourful beak and clumsy behaviour, is considered an adorable bird. The sight of a puffin flapping its wings and jumping from a cliff to generate enough lift to become airborne is enough to make anyone go ‘aaaah’.

In Iceland, however, these seabirds have been a source of sustenance for Icelanders on the islands for centuries. Iceland is home to one of the world’s largest colonies of puffins and ‘sky fishing’ is a sport which involves catching the low flying birds in a big net.

The best place to catch a puffin or two is in the Westman Islands, where they are sustainably harvested to prevent them from coming extinct. The heart of a puffin is eaten raw whilst it is still warm in traditional Icelandic delicacy.

Puffins are eaten by breaking their necks, skinning them and then eating the fresh heart raw. Puffin is supposed to be delicious like a fishier version of chicken or duck. It is often smoked, grilled or pan-fried. TV chef Gordon Ramsey caused quite a stir when he was seen eating this rare delicacy on TV.

10 – Snake Wine, Vietnam

Fancy some wine with a difference? A bouquet of snake with some snake blood notes perhaps? Snake wine is a bottle of rice wine with a venomous snake inside and has ‘medicinal purposes’, but is probably more useful for display purposes than to drink.

The snake is left to steep in the rice wine for many months to let the poison dissolve in the wine. The ethanol makes the venom inactive so it is not dangerous, and snake wine supposedly has many health benefits. It has a slightly pink colour like a nice rose because of the snake blood in there.

It originated in Vietnam, where snakes are thought to possess medicinal qualities, but it has spread to other parts of South East Asia and Southern China. Snake blood wine on the other hand is made by slicing the belly of the snake to let the blood drain into the wine and this is served immediately.

Photo credits:

Bird’s nest soup by wynlok on Flickr, Fried spiders by Nir Nussbaum on Flickr, Fugu by Schlomo Rabinowitz on Flickr, Balut by chadedwardxxx on Flickr, Casu Marzu by wikicommons, Surstromming by Ese-emon on Flickr, Octopus by gregoryperez on Flickr, Kopi Luwak by miscpix on Flickr, Puffin by nicholasngkw on Flickr, Snake wine by Rob Sheridan on Flickr