Month: March 2017

The blog series continue with part 2. 

Angola
On the other side of the continent, Angola suffered a similar fate in the mid-Seventies, released from Portugal’s grip, only to fall prey to a firestorm within. The Angolan Civil War was longer and more divisive than Mozambique’s, and bled into the new millennium (1975-2002). Even now, this vast country is a niche destination, but the Canadian government travel advisory on it is surprisingly benign (“most visits to Angola are trouble-free; there is a low threat from terrorism”) and, should you choose, you can pay it a visit.

Beirut, Lebanon
It is perhaps fair to say that the Lebanese Civil War still dominates perceptions of Beirut. It raged between 1975 and 1990, and turned the country’s capital into a byword for death and destruction where westerners were likely to be kidnapped and held hostage. It echoed into the new millennium too, Lebanese president Rafik Hariri was assassinated by car bomb in 2005, in the year when the Syrian occupation of this little Mediterranean state finally ended. Even now, Lebanon still has its issues, and travel advice for Canadian visitors is a patchwork of troubled red hotpots. But Beirut has slowly been reclaiming its image as a “Paris of the Middle East” and is a splendid option for a city break on the beach. There are excellent restaurants and luxury hotels galore, including the five-star Four Seasons Beirut.

Northern Cyprus
Cyprus has been Europe’s sundered country for the best part of half a century, since July 1974, in fact, when divisions between the island’s Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot populations boiled over into a Turkish invasion of the northern half of the landmass. The infamous “Green Line” which still separates these two opposing halves has been in place ever since and was so fortified a barrier 15 years ago that no-one was permitted to cross it. However, border points were opened in April 2003, allowing islanders to pass between north and south. Tensions remain, with only Turkey recognizing the Republic of Northern Cyprus, and a barbed-wire border still running across the capital Nicosia. But as of 2003 tourists can pass a pleasant week in the upper potion of the country which has developed at a slower rate than its counterpart, and has a certain countrified charm because of it.

Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Balkans region was Europe’s blood-spot for much of the Nineties, and the tremors from the conflict which strafed the former Yugoslavia have continued to shake into the 21st century. Technically, Bosnia and Herzegovina announced its independence from the mother country in 1992, but had to fight its way through the Bosnian War (1992-1995) to make it reality. And it was still going through the aftershocks in 2007, bringing a lawsuit against neighbouring Serbia for genocide. Would you have visited it as a tourist in 2002? Almost certainly not! Should you go in 2017? Definitely, and not simply because Sarajevo is a fascinating and cultured capital whose history stretches far beyond military matters (even though it was the spark-point for the First World War as the scene of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in June 1914).

Kosovo
Another troubled shard of the former Yugoslavia, Kosovo could not be visited in 2002. At least, not officially, as it did not exist. Some would say that it still doesn’t. It declared its independence in February 2008, and has been recognized as a sovereign entity by 111 UN nations but Serbia is still refusing to accede to Kosovo’s claim, and its status remains ill-defined. The Kosovo War of 1998-99 was arguably the bloodiest and nastiest section of the Yugoslav Wars, culminating in the controversial NATO bombing of Serbian forces but Kosovo is now an intriguing option for tourism. 

If you were to shape your existence by reading only the more lurid news headlines, you might believe that the world is an increasingly dangerous place. In fact, there are areas of the globe that, defined by war, conflict or tension at the start of this millennium, are now accessible to holiday makers. There are other destinations too which you could not visit 15 years ago, because, officially and legally, they did not exist. Here is an overview of countries, regions and landscapes which have only recently been added to our vacation map.

1. Iran
It still feels remarkable that a state which was included in George W. Bush’s “Axis of Evil” in 2002 should have become one of the planet’s hottest new travel destinations in 2017. But the fact remains that increasing numbers of British tourists are discovering Iran – and have been since July 2015, when the Foreign and Commonwealth Office lifted its blanket ban on travel to most areas of the country, and then-Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond saluted a “decreasing hostility under President [Hassan] Rouhani’s government”. Iran had been an all but impossible dream for western visitors since its Islamic Revolution in 1979, but its astonishing heritage has always transcended four decades in the international shadows. Not least because Persepolis, the Persian city founded in the sixth century BC, was one of the wonders of the ancient world.

2. Colombia
Wracked by drug wars and armed insurgency, Colombia was the part of South America you would not have thought of visiting at the turn of the millennium, even as interest in other areas of the continent boomed. The problem was the “Colombian Conflict”, which had inflamed the country since 1964, its bloodshed fuelled by the government’s struggle with guerilla group FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). But this has calmed considerably since the turn of the decade, and Columbia is now all but a mainstream destination, where Cartagena revels in colonial architecture, and some of the Caribbean’s best beaches proffer golden sands.

3. The Darien Gap
If many parts of Colombia were off-limits to tourists in 2002, its north-west corner was a death wish. The Darien Gap has always held a certain mystique. The narrow land bridge which links Central and South America is shared by Colombia and Panama, but it has long been difficult to cross, thanks to the activity of FARC forces, which were prone to kidnapping anyone who wandered into this area of swampland and dense forest. Indeed, the Pan-American Highway, the road which is supposed to connect Canada to Chile across the best part of 19,000 miles, is still a work in progress because its tarmac has not yet penetrated this lawless zone. However, the ceasefire signed between FARC and Bogota in the June of 2016 looks to have put a final end to the Colombian Conflict and tour operators are already inching into uncharted territory.

4. Colca Canyon, Peru
Peru has never endured the same level of notoriety as Colombia, despite trafficking and insurgency concerns of its own, but it had a notable militia problem in the Eighties and Nineties thanks to the Shining Path, a far-left group of the armed-and-dangerous variety. It was particularly active in the south of the country, in the impoverished regions of Apurimac, Ayacucho and Huancavelica – and even in 2002, you would have to have been fairly ill advised to visit Colca Canyon. This geographical star of the Peruvian south lays a twisting 100-mile drive north of the city of Arequipa, along an exposed Andean mountain road. Happily, it is now a keynote stop on many tour of Peru, even if its grandeur is still lost in the glow of Machu Picchu. Up to 3,270m in height from rim to valley floor, it can claim twice the depth of the Grand Canyon, and is a noted home of the majestic winged Andean Condor, that soar on its thermals.

5. Mozambique
This beautiful slice of south-eastern Africa exploded once it gained independence from Portugal; its brutal civil war (1977-1992) killed one million people, and displaced five million more. The devastation was such that, even a decade on from the cessation of hostilities, Mozambique was not a place for holidaymakers, its interior riddled with landmines. In parts, this is certainly still the case. But the country’s tourism industry has boomed in the last decade, thanks chiefly to its 1430 miles of coast on the Indian Ocean, and the beach resorts which have started to decorate it.

Tips to Help You Sleep on Flights and Arrive Better Rested
It is the bane of travelers getting on a plane for both business and pleasure—difficulty falling asleep in a seat, especially in coach, and the attendant horrors of jet lag after landing. Studies have shown that lack of sleep can decrease brain performance by 20 percent, so it’s crucial to anyone crossing time zones to rest as much as possible during the flight. Here are some tips for powering down (and getting at least a power nap) on a flight.

Plan ahead
Planning ahead, though it sounds simple, can be much harder in practice. However, it can make a huge difference in your ability to sleep well before a flight and on it. If you take the time to do things like pack, plan your transportation to the airport, and organize the things that need to happen at home while you’re away in the days leading up to a flight—not the night before—you will not be nearly as stressed-out, and sleep will come more easily.

Meditate
Recently, guided-meditation audio apps have been gaining a lot of popularity, and rightly so. It has been shown that these gentle talks help the brain to relax quickly, especially so when the listener is prompted to imagine they are using all of their senses. Say, if you are guided to a beach-side scene where you imagine hearing the waves, watching the sky, and smelling flowers and the salt air, it really helps you to disengage and fall asleep.

Pack lavender oil
I’m a big fan of lavender oil, it’s so calming, and is a great, simple thing to bring along on a trip. A small study was recently done that shows that people who inhaled 100 percent lavender oil before and during sleep had decreased blood pressure and deeper sleep patterns than those who didn’t. Put a few drops onto your travel pillow, apply it to your temples and wrists once you’ve settled into your seat, and prepare to dream.

Ignore in-flight entertainment
No matter how much you want to see the latest blockbuster, skip the movies and TV—the end result of staring at a screen during much your flight means that light is hitting your retinas, and telling your brain and body that it’s daytime, and sleep will be much tougher to achieve.

Make to-do lists
To train your brain not to race and worry when it’s time for rest, write down your to-do list well before bed. You want to get any obligations and important tasks out of your mind and onto paper during the day so that the mind is clear at bedtime.

Bring something comforting
To get great shut-eye on a plane, you’ll want the environment to be as comfortable and predictable as possible. If you have a travel pillow you love, always pack it when traveling. Its scent and familiarity will give your brain and body a behavioral cue that it’s time to relax and let go. The same effect can be achieved by a cozy scarf or sweater.

Cover your eyes
Wear a good-quality eye mask on your flight, there are many different models, so even if you think you hate them, if you shop around you’ll likely find one that’s comfortable for you. That little bit of light from a fellow passenger’s iPad two rows up can ruin your ability to fall asleep. The blue light from modern devices is very alerting to the brain, and absolute darkness prompts your body to produce melatonin.

Step away from the Scotch
While a relaxing adult beverage may be tempting, avoid alcohol. Having a drink in an airport lounge or on the plane is a reflex for many people, especially those who have anxiety around flying. However, it really messes with the quality of your sleep, so, close to bedtime, be conscious about drinking booze and caffeine, of course. Hydrate as much as possible.

Decrease the decibels
Though you’ve likely heard this before, earplugs are very important to have for your flight and your hotel stay while you’re traveling. Make sure to pack them in your carry-on, and, again, try different brands and designs until you find the ones that feel good to you. There is so much ambient noise on a jet—which is something airlines are working on muffling now—that you truly need to block out that sound, as well as screaming babies and unnecessary alerts from the cockpit.

Incorporate cardio
The relationship between exercise and sleep is very exciting, they are finding that the connection between the two is bi-directional; i.e., if you get enough of one, the other comes much more easily to you. The reality is that 40 percent of us are sleep-deficient. If you work to add an extra hour of sleep at night, you’ll be much more apt to exercise, and, when you do—especially before a flight—you will be able to doze off much more easily.

Bank sleep
 If in-flight snoozing is simply not an option, due to your utter inability to rest on a plane or because you simply must work while traveling, a little bit of prep work can help you stave off jet lag. You actually can bank sleep. Prioritize your sleep before a flight, and spend a little extra time sleeping or napping in the week before you depart. Lack of sleep really affects your immune system and the last thing you want on an important business trip or a long-awaited vacation is to get sick. Banking sleep beforehand will hopefully help mitigate the bad effects of jet lag.