Travel Blog

Filed under: Food and Drink, Africa, Mauritania

As any proper Bedouin will tell you, camels are an essential part of a nomadic desert existence. They provide a convenient method of transportation, require little water and can stand up to great extremes of temperature. We now also know that they provide the perfect compliment to your next cheese and cracker platter. I’m talking more specifically about camel cheese, the latest delicacy to make its way to grocery stores here in the U.S.

The camel cheese trend started in the African nation of Mauritania, site of the world’s first and, to the best of my knowledge, only camel dairy farm. Mauritanians consume camel milk as part of their everyday diet, but it was a local expat named Nancy Abeiderrahmane who first got the idea to turn the milk into cheese to preserve its shelf life. The idea was a hit, and Nancy has been producing camel cheese ever since.

The cheese made its debut in the New York City area this past month. Connoisseurs compare it favorably to goat cheese, citing its subtle “barnyard flavors” and the ability to spread it easily on bread or crackers. When it comes to food, nothing wins me over quicker than when I hear phrases like “barnyard flavors.” Pick up some now for your Final Four party this weekend!

[Via Buzzfeed]

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Filed under: Africa, April Fools Posts, Travel Health

These days, most of the news coming out of Africa is not good. But one local man was surprised to learn that the entire continent is not actually engaged in armed conflict.

Jeff Patterson, a 36-year-old welder from south Pittsburgh, was speaking to his next-door neighbors on Monday when he was told that the middle-aged couple had just returned from a safari in Africa. Upon hearing this news, witnesses described Patterson’s eyes as “almost popping out of his head,” as his mouth gaped wide in astonishment.

“We told Jeff that we just got back from Tanzania,” said Dave Simms, one of Patterson’s neighbors, “and he yelled, ‘Holy s—!’” Then he asked us if we had to sneak into the country, and how we dodged bullets from ‘all the snipers.’ He really has no idea what he’s talking about.”

When Mrs. Simms told Patterson that they had a “lovely” trip, and mentioned the gorgeous scenery and friendly people they came across, Patterson was flabbergasted.

“You mean you talked to them?” said Patterson, referring to the people of Tanzania. “Weren’t they carrying AK-47’s? Weren’t you afraid they’d shoot?”

As Mr. Simms tried to wrap up the conversation, Patterson inquired as to the couple’s future plans. “You guys going into any more war zones?” he asked. “How about Nicaragua? The Philippines? Poland?”

Mr. Simms was seen shaking his head as he walked away from his neighbor. Witnesses confirm that he could be heard muttering, “Poland? Seriously, Poland?”

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Filed under: Africa, Kenya, News

Kenya, with its pristine white beaches and game parks teeming with wild animals, has been kind of a ghost town this winter. The post-election violence that killed more than 1,200 people and displaced 250,000 has left a huge dent on the billion-dollar tourist industry there.

Many countries advised their citizens to stay away from Kenya after the riots triggered by the December 27 election. According to Reuters, 99,602 holiday makers visited Kenya in January 2007. In January 2008, the number dropped to 55,906. The Kenya Tourist Board said the impact from the political unrest had been worse than after bombings in 1998 and 2002 that were blamed on al-Qaeda.

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Filed under: Arts and Culture, Festivals and Events, Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, France, Foreign Language

French is the native tongue of over 80 million people. But many more people interact with it on a daily basis, be it through culture, as a second language or even as a subject being learned in school. The francophone world stretches from Hanoi to Abidjan, bringing together all kinds of foods and customs that aren’t always immediately associated with all things French; this isn’t about baguettes and wine, this is about creole music, saffron infused food and crazy carnivals.

If you haven’t had France on the radar, you may not know that March is the official month of La Fête de la Francophonie. The month long festival is intended to celebrate the international and linguistic community that share French — either as a native language or even a second one — that is referred to by the coined term La Francophonie.

Thursday March 20 is the big celebration, being the official International Francophone Day, and there are a whole lot of global celebrations to take part in wherever you may find yourself, from Cambodia to Mali to Canada.

If you are in the New York area you can check out the Fête de la Martinique taking place today, March 19, which will turn Le Skyroom into a tropical paradise, full of French Creole culture that the island of Martinique is so well known for. This isn’t a conservative event; prizes are being awarded for best carnival costume. Other events going on around the US include a French film festival in Burlington, Vermont and a French Cultures Festival in various cities across Texas.

For more Fête de la Francophone events go here.

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