Festivals…Here, There, and Everywhere.
Posted August 19th, 2008 by liz
I’ve got festivals on my mind. I found a copy of Great Festivals of the World in the local library a couple of weeks ago and since then I’ve been reading about festivals here, there, and everywhere. Immersing myself in Nevada’s Burning Man festival in the desert and then Spain’s Tomato Festival, aka the world’s biggest food fight, is just the thing to warm up these cold winter days here in New Zealand.
This little book provides a ringside view to fifteen extraordinary festivals. Every chapter features a different festival. Some, like the Munich Oktoberfest and the Running of the Bulls, are well known and easily accessible. Others, like the Takubelt Tuareg Festival in Northern Mali and the Timkat Festival in Ethiopia, are relatively unknown and extremely hard to access.
My favorite chapter is ‘The Greatest Festival on Earth’, written by our own Steve Daley who used to blog here at Perceptive Travel. Steve writes about the six week Kumbh Mela in India, the largest gathering of humans in the world, all intent in bathing at certain sacred spots on certain auspicious days.
Books like this are pure magic for armchair travelers such as myself.
August 19th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Armchair traveling is great but going there is even better.
I have been fortunate enough to have traveled a small fraction of this world and have seen some amazing sights.
one really cool moment on a trip was to go to Jazz Fest in New Orleans can you imagine the atmosphere, the smells ( by the way the food there was delicious) and the noise it was electric.
you can read about them and look at the pictures but only by being there can you truly appreciate them.
August 20th, 2008 at 2:20 am
Jonathan, I totally agree with you that there is nothing like being there and taking in all the sights, sounds, smells, and the whole atmosphere. But it’s not always possible and that’s where ‘armchair travel’ becomes so very important.
And talking about festivals, I’m lucky enough to live in a city that hosts the World’s Largest Buskers Festival each summer and I always make sure I’ve got a ringside seat…
August 20th, 2008 at 7:20 am
There’s also a really great book from Rough Guides called http://www.perceptivetravel.com/issues/0107/books.html”>World Party. It has a rundown on festivals all over the world, with great photos and useful text. It may not have the depth on 15 that this book does, but it covers almost everything worth going to anywhere.
August 25th, 2008 at 4:27 am
Really a great post about the Festivals…i really like your blog..
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August 25th, 2008 at 5:35 am
Tim, haven’t seen the Rough Guide ‘World Party’ - will have to keep an eye out for it.
Rena, thanks for the comment. Happy that you are enjoying our blog.