Adrenaline Rush in Taiwan

The Beehive Rocket Festival is two-night event where an estimated six million bottle rockets are fired into the crowd of brave and/or foolhardy participants, Yan Shui, Taiwan. By Judith Fein Photos by Paul Ross It may be the most macho adventure in the world. The running of the bulls in Pamplona is the most famous, but what are the odds of getting gored by a bull? At the Beehive Bottle Rocket Festival in Taiwan, you will definitely get hit….by bottle rockets. It’s guaranteed. The event takes place every year on Taiwan, a thriving East Asian island nation of 26 million people, where passionate democracy is practiced. Lawmakers actually get into fist fights during legislative sessions.  Women even get into the fray. But they don’t launch bottle rockets. That is reserved for l5 days after Chinese New Year, during the Lantern Festival.  The entire small town of Yan Shui, in Tainan County, literally explodes into an extreme sport. Anyone is welcome, but you participate at your own... Read More →

Travel Ambassadors

There doesn’t seem to be any way to discourage people from traveling. The Wild Pair is delighted to discover that no matter how many annoyances and inconveniences travelers face, they don’t stop buying tickets. Even when the price of airline seats goes up and services go down, planes are flying at capacity and airports are jammed. The benefits of travel are obvious to all of you–expanding your mind, having thrilling adventures, meeting people, changing your habitual environment, taking time out from work and responsibility, challenging yourself, enjoying life–but have you ever thought of yourself as an ambassador without a portfolio? Here are some tips from the Wild Pair about how to step into that role. 1. Being Label Conscious None of us like to be typed, and certainly not stereotyped, but people do it all the time. They label you by your country of origin. “He is an American,” or “She is Brazilian.” It’s important to be aware of... Read More →

Tasty Adventures

The Wild Pair knows that the way to a great trip is often through your stomach. Whether you are a vegan, vegetarian, carnivore or omnivore, what you eat on the road sometimes lasts as long or longer in your memory than other trip adventures. So here are some of our fave food tips for your culinary enjoyment. 1. THE PRICE IS ALWAYS RIGHT It doesn’t have to be expensive to be good. Your lip-smacking adventure can be at a rib joint in Kansas, a street food stall in Thailand, a picnic in the south of France or around a campfire after a safari in Africa. Once you decide to have a foodie experience, look for options and don’t let expense guide your choice. 2. A QUESTION OF MOOD Sometimes the key to great eats is to follow your mood and let it dictate your choice. Just because brochures and guidebooks recommend a dining experience, it may not be right for you on a particular day or at a specific time. Do you want a long, lingering culinary experience? An intimate, romantic treat?... Read More →

Staying Safe On The Road

The Wild Pair believes that if you are aware and prepared, travel is not only safe but good for body, mind and soul. Most destinations in the world are so dependent upon tourism for their economies that they go to great lengths to protect their visitors. So, if you feel that someone is watching out for you when you travel, you are probably right. There are, however, scams and lousy customer services that prey on the good nature and open-heartedness of travelers and are in the business of bait-and-switch. There are also crooks at home and abroad, and we are confident that the karma wagon will roll over their toes when it makes its rounds. Here are a few insider tips on how to protect yourselves, your belongings, your wallet and your sanity when you hit the road. 1 ) EYES IN BACK OF YOUR HEAD When you go through security at the airport, you are probably so busy taking off your shoes and tucking your lotions and liquids into zip-lock bags that you take your eyes off your personal belongings... Read More →

Luggage Lore

Here are a dozen suggestions on packing, luggage and what to do about the weight thing. 1 ) If the Shoe Fits, Wear It When you go shopping for shoes, do you ever fall in love with the softness of the leather and the cool trim and say to yourself, “I’ll break it in?” We can almost guarantee that the shoe will break you before you break it. It is a very bad idea to buy new hiking boots or walking shoes right before a trip. You haven’t had time to check them for the blister factor. You don’t know if they are really water proof, or if they’re too tight when your foot expands from hot weather. If you want to avoid shoes blues, use your oldies but goodies or buy a new pair well in advance of departure. 2 ) Two is Better Than One More folks than ever are traveling, and the airlines are misplacing or losing luggage at a startling rate. The groans of missing luggage are louder than ever before. You can almost assume, if you are a frequent traveler, that sooner... Read More →

How To Have A Memorable Trip

1 ) Thanks for the memories Are you one of those blessed people with perfect recall? You can remember what happened on September 14, 1986 and what you ate for dinner three days ago? If you are not, then you know how elusive memory can be. Sometimes your long term memory lets you down, and sometimes it’s the shorty that is just out of reach. While you are traveling, you think you will remember the moments forever. But, trust us, you won’t. So you can start by making a commitment to really imprinting your trip. 2 ) A picture is worth a thousand words If you are a photo hound, you already know this. If you are a technophobe, there is a three-word solution: Point and Shoot. There are digital cameras that are really digital servants–they do all the work for you. You decide what you want to capture, you point the camera, it makes adjustments and calculations for you, and all you have to do is click. When you get home, you load the photos into your computer. You can save them,... Read More →

How To Be A Traveler and Not A Tourist

1 ) The Glass is Always Empty A fellow travel journalist once remarked that most travel is calculated to keep tourists separate from people who live in the country they are visiting. In fact, tourists generally see the destination through glass. Either they are riding in a tour bus, staring out through a restaurant window or observing the village or city through the well-cleaned windows of a hotel room. The key to becoming a traveler is to see the world directly… not through glass. When there is glass, there is separation. When there is no glass, it’s the beginning of integration. You can touch, smell, hear, feel and interact with the environment and the people who live there. 2 ) The Teacher Isn’t Looking When you were in school, you were subjected to a form of torture known as grammar rules. In French, you probably squirmed through the subjunctive. In Latin, you sweated over whether a word was masculine, feminine or neuter. In German, you watched in horror as a simple verb... Read More →