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Traditional Bahamian food and dishes

Full of gorgeous pink sandy beaches and sun-warmed waters, the Bahamas is known for its scenic beauty and year-round tropical weather. It’s also a great place for anyone who loves food, thanks to powerful flavors and tasty dishes. There’s a wide variety of shellfish, seafood, fresh fruit, and traditional sides — some you’ll see around the Caribbean; others are unique to the Bahamas. Some of the most famous dishes are based around conch (pronounced “konk”), which is the chewy, textured meat from a sea snail. But there’s so much more. Give your taste buds a whirl with these traditional dishes featuring conch, rum, and other key ingredients native to the islands.

1. Johnny cake

If you’re looking for something a tad sweet, grab a piece of Johnny cake. Its simple flavoring comes from a handful of ingredients: flour, milk, butter, sugar, and baking powder. Best served in wedge-shaped pieces straight from the oven, this dense bread is usually eaten as a snack or side dish. It’s believed to have been created by indigenous people of North America and came to the Bahamas during the mid-Atlantic slave trade.

2. Conch salad

Photo: From BlueOrange Studio/Shutterstock

No trip to the Bahamas is complete without a taste of conch, the Bahamian staple that’s used in a number of dishes. One of the best known is conch salad, which is an acidic dish made with diced conch meat and chopped green pepper, onion, and tomato that’s tossed with a marinade of fresh lime, lemon, and orange juice. The colorful dish is a refreshing treat on a hot day — especially when you sprinkle with salt and pepper, sit back, and let the citrus explosion dominate your taste buds.

3. Chicken souse

Chicken souse is a hearty soup made with a medley of onions, bell peppers, potatoes, carrots, celery, and fresh lime juice. Chicken is commonly added, but don’t be afraid to try other variations with pig’s feet or sheep’s tongue. Add some hot pepper to spice it up or enjoy the clear broth in its simplicity. The combination of simmering ingredients evokes an aroma that’ll have you reaching for a bowl (or two) before the veggies are even tender.

4. Guava duff

Photo: Beto Chagas/Shutterstock

The Bahamas is home to various appealing exotic fruits, but guavas are the most loved. Guava duff is a spongy cake made with diced guava fruit and dough that’s rolled to create a spiral of guava in the center before being cooked. It’s then served with a coating of sweet butter rum sauce. It’s tedious and complex to make, but the end result will have you licking your fingers clean.

5. Rum cake

Much of the world’s best rum is produced in the Caribbean, so it’s no surprise that the spirit takes the spotlight in many recipes. Dense and buttery, rum cake is made with traditional baking ingredients like flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, unsalted butter, buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and eggs. Once the bundt cake cools, a flavorful thick butter rum sauce is drizzled over the cake. It’s a crowd pleaser perfect for any occasion. The official rum cake of the Bahamas comes from Nassau’s Bahamas Rum Cake Factory, which uses a signature Ole Nassau Bahamian Rum.

6. Pigeon peas and rice

Photo: Damaris Zoe/Shutterstock

Grab a fork and dive into a mound of pigeon peas and rice, a signature side dish that goes with virtually everything. The name says all that you need to know as the dish is based around rice and pigeon peas, which is a legume originally from India. Other ingredients include tomatoes, onions, tomato paste, salted pork, and a perfect mix of spices. All the ingredients work together to produce a browned, flavorful pot.

7. Goombay Smash

The Goombay Smash is a simple cocktail made with the soda Goombay Punch, which is made and canned in the Bahamas and isn’t widely available off the islands. The 1960s invention of this ubiquitous drink is attributed to Emily Cooper of Miss Emily’s Blue Bee Bar in Green Turtle Cay. While the original recipe is top secret, variations aren’t too hard to come by. The cocktail is made with pineapple juice, orange juice, Cointreau, and amber and coconut rum then topped with Myers’s rum and bitters. The drink is garnished with the fruit of your choice.

8. Conch fritters

Photo: designs by Jack/Shutterstock

Gird your arteries because conch fritters are a must-try. This deep-fried goodie is a ball of conch meat, onion, green pepper, celery, and garlic mixed with numerous seasonings. Fried until it’s golden brown, this delicacy is all the rage in all its greasy glory. Dunk your fritters into a dipping sauce made of ketchup, lime, juice, and mayonnaise.


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Real-life Sesame Street in NYC

Finally, fans of Sesame Street can find the place on a map. To celebrate the iconic children’s show’s 50th anniversary, New York City has renamed the intersection of West 63rd and Broadway as Sesame Street, where Sesame Workshop, which produces the show, is based since 1969.

At the dedication ceremony, Mayor Bill de Blasio said, “The show made a choice long before more of the media had done it to show all of us, to represent all the people that make up our society, to show black and brown faces, young and old, male and female, and everyone on an equal footing.”

The actual location of Sesame Street has been a matter of much debate, and while you’d think the official dedication would lay this debate to rest, it certainly hasn’t. The multicultural population, brownstone architecture, and bodega depicted in the show have many believing that Sesame Street is more realistically inspired by the outer boroughs than by Manhattan.

While you’re unlikely to find Elmo, Big Bird, Bert, Ernie, Oscar, and Cookie Monster at the corner of West 63rd and Broadway, you can still take a picture and then head out of Manhattan to look for the atmosphere of the show in Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx.

H/T: Smithsonian.com

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Singapore may build raft housing

Singapore is small, but it certainly crams a ton of people into its borders. Over 5.6 million people live inside 259.5 square miles, the nation is struggling to manage its ever-increasing population. To expand the amount of land available and give room to grow to its population, the country had previously created land by dumping large quantities of imported sand in its coastal waters. This practice, however, has sparked environmental concerns, causing Singapore to search for alternative methods of land expansion. Giant floating rafts seem to be the preferred option.

A huge system of floating rafts, tethered to the seabed, would allow Singapore to expand on the surface of the water. But there are, of course, some concerns associated with the idea — like how to stop the rafts from wobbling. In an academic study published last month in Ocean Engineering, scientists proposed a grid of 40 individual floats connected to an onshore quay, and to each other, and which would sit about 60-feet deep. The first step is building a scale model to see how the idea could actually come to life and further experiment with ways to increase raft stabilization.

One of the chief anticipated problems is as old as rafts themselves: seasickness. Engineers are currently working on the issue so that the possible future occupants of those rafts would not experience the nasty effects that comes with a swaying apartment.

Other countries, like the Netherlands, Hong Kong, and Israel, have also been looking into marine real estate as a means of expansion. While it hasn’t come to fruition quite yet, floating cities may indeed be the way of the future.

H/T: Smithsonian.com

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The post Singapore wants to build giant floating rafts to house its rising population appeared first on Matador Network.

Baggage handler dance routine

The duties of a ramp agent are not exactly exciting; that’s why Luu Vailuu decided to spice things up a bit. The 23-year-old resident of Oahu has worked as a ramp agent for Hawaiian Airlines for the past 10 months, and though his normal duties include loading and unloading baggage and directing planes to their gate, he also entertains travelers by dancing on the tarmac.

“Every time I do something I always see a phone sticking out,” he told BuzzFeed News. And indeed, videos of Vailuu dancing have gone viral on social media. This video has nearly 500,000 views.

A QUEEN WENT OFF!!

Gatlinburg Sky Bridge breaks record

The longest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America opens this month at the Gatlinburg SkyLift Park in Tennessee. The SkyBridge crosses 680 feet over a deep valley, sits 140 feet in the air, and provides unrivaled views of the Great Smoky Mountains.

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According to the Gatlinburg SkyLift Park, “Guests will be able to walk across at their own pace, taking in the views and enjoying the spectacular setting before walking back when they’re ready. The SkyBridge is an absolutely spectacular but easily attainable experience you’ll remember for a lifetime — especially as you cross the glass-floor panels in the middle of the span.”

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Indeed, if you’re afraid of heights, the middle of the bridge may prove a bit difficult for you. Glass floor paneling in the bridge’s center will create the illusion that you’re floating above a precipice.

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Those who are not comfortable with height may prefer to enjoy the views from the park’s new SkyDeck opening on the same day.

Located at 765 Parkway at the Gatlinburg SkyLift Park, the bridge will open to visitors on May 17 at 1:00 PM.

H/T: Lonely Planet

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Days Inn Suntern program

Student loans are among the pesky pinches keeping aspiring travelers tied to a job in their home country. Hotel brand Days Inn plans to change that, at least for one traveler with a keen eye as a photographer and a dash of productive prose. In exchange for documenting two weeks of travel through photos and written updates for the company’s website, Days Inn will put $10,000 in your pocket to knock out that student debt.

The return of the Days Inn Suntern program for a second year will send one winning applicant on a two-week, all-expense-paid trip to one or several global locations of their choice — as long as there’s a Days Inn there, of course. Last year’s “Suntern,” Lauren Breedlove, visited properties across the United States. You can one up this and head to places like Europe, South America, and Asia — Days Inn has hotels all over the world.

The concept was born from what Days Inn learned in last year’s inaugural campaign. Student loan debt was among the top things that prevented otherwise eligible candidates from applying for their program despite the fact that it was a paid opportunity. “We’re continually dreaming up ways to brighten guests’ stays at our hotels, fueling their days when they’re with us and their wanderlusts when they leave us,” said the brand’s Vice President of Brand Operations, Patrick Breen. “We believe everyone deserves a cultured, overseas experience — without deferring or prolonging student loans — and this mindset was the very inspiration behind this year’s global Sunternship program.”

If chosen, your work will be turned into a digital travel guide of the places you visit, built around your chops behind the lens and on the keyboard. Regular social media posts will highlight the journey as it happens, with your tips and experiences available forever after on the Days Inn website. If you believe you’re the top candidate for this gig, pull together your best sun-filled photo and 300-word entry describing your dream destination and why you belong there this coming August. You must be a US resident 21 years or older with a valid passport to be considered. Apply by May 24.


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The post This hotel wants to pay off your student loans and send you overseas appeared first on Matador Network.

Best things to do in Park City, Utah

Everyone knows about Park City, Utah. At least, they think they do. When you tell your friends you spent a long weekend in Park City, they’ll probably pepper you with questions about the slopes. Indeed, at an elevation of 7,000 feet and surrounded by snow-capped mountains, Park City is best known as a ski town. Even the famed annual Sundance Film Festival takes place in the middle of ski season. But if you’re exclusively visiting Park City in the winter, you’re only seeing a small part of it.

As winter transitions into spring and summer, the area takes on an entirely new character, defined by myriad warm-weather activities that will make you wonder why you haven’t been coming to Park City during the “off-season” all along. Whether it’s fly-fishing on the Provo River, zip-lining at the Utah Olympic Park, horseback riding through the mountains, or grabbing a local brew at one of the city’s year-round restaurants, the warmer months are actually the best time to visit. Here’s why the term “off-season” really doesn’t apply to Park City.

You don’t need snow to enjoy these mountains.

Photo: Visit Park City

When you think about “mountain towns” out west, you might envision fluffy powder, epic jumps, and cozy ski lodges. But a real mountain town doesn’t simply shut down when spring rolls around. When the Park City mountains close to skiers, it isn’t long before hikers and bicyclists take their place.

There are several trails here that any outdoors enthusiast should add to their list, especially the Round Valley Trail System just northeast of town. This moderate hike brings you through 700 acres of open space and is great for both walking or mountain biking. The Silver Lake Trail is somewhat more advanced but well worth it if you’re in decent shape. The trail begins at the Deer Valley Resort’s Silver Lake Lodge and winds 1,300 feet up Bald Mountain. Along the way you’ll have sweeping views of the Jordanelle Reservoir and the Uinta Mountains. For avid bikers, the Wasatch Crest Trail atop the Park City Ridgeline has the most stunning views in the area, with a 360-degree perspective of the Wasatch Mountain range, Big Cottonwood Canyon, and Park City itself.

The rivers and mountains teem with wildlife.

Photo: Visit Park City

You may have braved the mountain trails, but you haven’t really communed with Utah’s nature until you’ve stood in the middle of the river grappling with a rainbow trout. In Park City, fly-fishing is a way of life, and you’ll quickly understand why. The Provo River is abundant with brown trout, rainbow trout, and whitefish. If you’ve never donned a set of waders, forded a river, and got your line caught in a tree more times than you care to admit, you need to.

Even if you’ve never held a fishing pole before, Park City Fly Fishing Guides will have you feeling comfortable in no time. As a beginner, there’s no better feeling than battling a rainbow trout against a dramatic mountainous backdrop, and finally hauling it in. If you do catch one, make sure to relish the moment and take some photo-proof before letting it go.

Fishing might be one way to get the true mountain experience out west, but there’s really nothing like riding on horseback through the mountains. The guides at Red Pine Adventures offer horseback rides with incredible mountain views, in one of the most serene ways to experience the Park City wilderness. Especially in summertime, you can expect to ride alongside the area’s rugged ridges and see deer and elk, meadows full of wildflowers, and natural alpine lakes.

More adrenaline than skiing

Photo: Visit Park City

Just because you can’t catch big air on the slopes doesn’t mean your trip will lack excitement. Adrenaline junkies can find plenty of other ways to fly through the air, especially at the Utah Olympic Park, located just a few minutes’ drive from the town center. One of the sites of Salt Lake City’s 2002 Olympic Winter Games, the park offers a variety of unique activities, like zip-lining, ropes courses, and an alpine slide. If you visit the park during the winter, you can even bobsled on a real Olympic bobsled track.

If zip-lining above the treetops in the Olympic Park isn’t quite extreme (or high) enough for you, you can charter a hot-air balloon for a bird’s-eye view of one of the country’s most beautiful and rugged landscapes. You’ll fly low enough to spot wildlife like deer and elk but high enough to have perfect views of the Salt Lake Valley. Watch the sun rise over the mountains with a morning flight or enjoy a romantic sunset on an evening ride.

You’ll find plenty of relaxation, as well.

Photo: Westgate Resort & Spa

After a full day of rope climbing, zip-lining, or soaring 9,000 feet in the air, no one would think less of you for wanting a little break. Sure, you could just take a nice bath, but the Serenity Spa is right down the road. Located inside the Westgate Resort & Spa, only a few minutes from the center of town, the spa is easily accessible and offers pretty much every kind of restorative treatment you could possibly want. You don’t have to go thrill seeking all day to justify a two-hour massage, but it’s a pretty good excuse. With a heated indoor/outdoor pool and a luxurious ski lodge aesthetic, the sprawling Westgate is the perfect base for your Park City trip, and a great oasis after an adrenaline-pumping day.

Park City is the “Cool Utah”

Photo:

Whether deserved or not, Utahans will be the first to admit that their state has a reputation for being rather stuffy. Residents of Park City, however, are quick to point out that their city is the exception. “We’re the cool part of Utah,” says fly-fishing guide Layne Edwards. “Even in shoulder season, you’ll never have trouble finding a busy bar.”

With two floors and an outdoor patio area with views of Main Street, is always busy. The walls are adorned with quirky Americana, and even in the “slow season” the bar is packed with locals enjoying a range of locally brewed or distilled drinks. Indeed, Park City is home to both distilleries and breweries in which they take great pride. Alpine Distilling is a locally owned gin distillery that allows you to make your own gin, and the Wasatch brewery has been a local favorite since 1986.

Photo: Visit Park City

In both winter and summer, Park City comes alive with music. Downtown, check out The Cabin or the OP Rockwell Cocktail Lounge & Music Hall. Winter regulars know that for ski-season nightlife, Canyons Village is the place to be, but many forget that it’s no less lively in the summer. Canyons Village is the heart of the Park City ski resort, with shops, restaurants, hotels, and bars, designed as a comprehensive entertainment hub. In the center of the village, the Umbrella Bar offers food and drink in a lively outdoor atmosphere, and there’s even a summer concert series every Thursday and Saturday night through August 29. And if you’re staying at the Westgate Resort, Canyons Village is right in your backyard.

Good food all year long

Photo: Visit Park City

Ski towns don’t always have the best food reputation. But Park City isn’t just a ski town, and its food certainly isn’t reminiscent of disappointing lodge fare. For tapas-style bites, head to Handle right off Main Street. These delicious sharing plates, especially the shishito peppers — which are a local staple — will make you want to order one of everything on the menu.

Photo: Westgate Resort & Spa

After a long weekend of reeling in trout, flying over the treetops, and partying on Main Street, you deserve to treat yourself. The Edge Steakhouse, inside the Westgate Resort, is undoubtedly one of Park City’s most delicious restaurants, serving up quality domestic steaks and some of the best scallops you’ve ever had. Since the hotel is on the cusp of Canyons Village, the restaurant is perfectly located near both the mountains and some of the city’s premier shopping and entertainment, so you can enjoy a post-dinner drink pretty conveniently. Edge isn’t cheap, but this multi-course dinner isn’t just a meal — it’s an experience, and the perfect way to cap off an epic Park City trip.


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The post The ‘off-season’ in Park City is just as good as ski season appeared first on Matador Network.

The best rooftop bars in Bangkok

Few cities in the world have a skyline as impressive as Bangkok’s. As such, a rooftop drinking scene has evolved here that’s nearly as memorable as the street food and is far removed from the backpacker scene that crowds the bars and patios of Khao San Road.

Unless you’re willing to pay through the roof for a river-view suite at the Peninsula Hotel, the best way to take in the 360-degree awesomeness that is the Thai capital’s cityscape is to imbibe on a rooftop with a stiff drink in one hand and your phone with its camera at the ready in the other. The city’s rooftops come alive in the evenings as dozens of bars and clubs host happy hours, DJs, and general revelry — though no one will blame you if just stand by the edge, staring at the Mahanakhon with a stupefied look on your face. Just don’t let vertigo grab hold of you — it’s a long way down from those skyscrapers.

There are a few things to know before getting to the best rooftop bars in Bangkok. First, don’t take advice from the casual backpacker at your hostel — that guy in flip flops and a Chang tank top isn’t going anywhere more than a stone’s throw from Khao San Road. It’s not that he can’t hang with the party crowd — his shirt clearly proclaims his worthiness — it’s more that he forgot to stuff a collared shirt and closed-toed shoes into his pack.

There’s a dress code at many of the city’s rooftop establishments, particularly ones in upscale hotels. If you show up looking like you just arrived from the Full Moon Party, you might find yourself sitting on the loser’s bench down at street level, phoning your crew and begging them to come down and join you at the American bistro across the street.

While dress codes vary by location, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Think “smart casual” and dress like you’re going to a coffee meet-up with that person you always had a crush on in high school but never had the chance to impress. In general, this means no shorts, athletic clothes, or open-toed shoes. Also, no tank tops for men.

How to get to Bangkok’s best rooftop bars

Photo: Doraemonz32/Shutterstock

Once you’re properly attired and ready to roll, the next step is battling the horrendous traffic to get where you want to go. Many of the best rooftop options are in the Sukhumvit, Sathorn, and Riverside neighborhoods atop trendy hotels and contemporary office towers. The best ways to get to those areas is either by tuk-tuk or taxi. Tuk-tuks have the benefit of not only being cheaper (as long as you know how to haggle) but also of being able to weave around deadlocked packs of cars. Plus, you can enjoy a roadie on the way, something that won’t fly as easily in a cab.

Technically, bars in Bangkok are supposed to close at 1:00 AM, but it’s normal for bars to work around the law and stay open well into the wee morning hours. This is less common with rooftop bars, however, as the location within high-end hotels and office buildings typically means the bars are going to abide by the law. Most close by 1:00 AM, and those focused more on dining than drinking and dancing may close at midnight. Bangkok is a giant, sprawling city, and its hugeness makes planning a necessity if you want to hit more than one rooftop bar in a night. Start in Sukhumvit, work your over way to Riverside, and, once the buzz is in full effect, hop a tuk-tuk south to Sathorn.

Where to eat after going out in Bangkok

Photo: Anansing/Shutterstock

Like all good party towns, Bangkok tends to eat after the evening wraps up. There’s no shortage of street food options anywhere in the central part of the city. There are also plenty of all-night restaurants in case you’re itching for a slice of pizza or a sandwich. But the best option for late-night eats is Foodland, a cozy little hybrid grocery store and cafe that has locations throughout the city.

Expats and locals have long been keen to the concept of huddling in the back of a supermarket and downing a plate of noodles at 2:00 AM, but the secret hasn’t yet made it to the tourist crowd — which means your wait time should be as minimal as the prices. The closest location to many bars in Sukhumvit, Riverside, and Sathron is Foodland Phatphong off the Phatphong 2 Alley. If you have the discipline to tuk-tuk it there without pulling over for street food on the way, you’re in for a sweet reward.

The best rooftop bars in Bangkok

Bangkok has no fewer than 50 rooftop bars. The following nine are the cream of the crop in terms of cocktails, atmosphere, and, of course, the city views.

1. Octave at the Marriott Hotel in Sukhumvit

Photo: Stephane Bidouze/Shutterstock

Price: $$$

Dress code: smart casual

Octave is everything a rooftop bar should be. It’s trendy, offers 360-degree skyline views unburdened by taller buildings across the street, and has a solid cocktail menu. The scene here blends travelers and business folk, often seamlessly enough that it gets tougher to tell the difference as the evening progresses. The bar menu draws on influences from across Thailand, with cocktails like the Chiang Mai (Chivas whisky, apricot brandy, honey, and orange bitters) and the Lamai Beach (Beefeater gin, blue curacao, yuzu and lychee juice, honey, and peach).

2. Above Eleven in Sukhumvit

Photo: jirawatfoto/Shutterstock

Price: $$$

Dress code: smart casual

The name undersells the experience here. Above Eleven is 32 floors above Soi 11 in the center of Sukhumvit, a street teeming with nightlife. This is the hub of the Soi 11 scene, and the bar is a staple among the expat crowd and popular with locals and travelers alike. Perhaps that’s because the place is themed after Central Park in New York, right down to the park-bench-inspired couches and imitation green space. Add a Peruvian-Japanese dinner menu and nightly DJs spinning everything from salsa to top 40, and Above Eleven is a slice of the Big Apple in the middle of Bangkok.

3. 342 Bar at the Baan Wanglang Hotel in Thonburi

Photo: i viewfinder/Shutterstock

Price: $$

Dress code: smart casual

342 Bar has a view of Bangkok that includes most of the other rooftop bars on this list — or at least the building that houses them. Looking east from the rooftop is more dramatic, entertaining, and more addicting than the finale of Game of Thrones. There’s the Grand Palace, the Mahanakhon, and the Baiyoke Tower, all displayed right in front of you in a manner that will make you forget that you’re only on the fifth floor. Grab a riverside table as there’s no better place in town to watch the sunset over the Chao Phraya River.

4. SEEN at the Avani Hotel in Riverside

Photo: appleyayee/Shutterstock

Price: $$$

Dress Code: formal

The management of the Avani Hotel was clearly going for a double entendre when they named their rooftop bar SEEN. Formerly the Attitude Rooftop, this is quite a place to see the city and be seen doing so, to the point where you should make a reservation in advance. The 27th-floor patio is as much a garden as it is the drinking wing of chef Olivier de Costa’s global fusion kitchen on the floor below. The drink menu is equally well traveled, with signature cocktails from Thailand, Brazil, and Portugal. One standout is the damn fine Cognac concoction dubbed the Black Diamond. The bar hosts top-name DJs from Bangkok and beyond as part of its Seen Sessions series, which keeps the place bumping until 1:00 AM.

5. Zoom Skybar at the Anantara Sathorn in Sathorn

Photo: gurb101088/Shutterstock

Price: $$$

Dress code: smart casual

If the perfect gin and tonic is your thing, Zoom Skybar should be the central focus of your evening. The G&T is the bar’s signature drink, and there’s a dedicated section of the drink menu devoted to making this classic as good and as diverse as possible. The bar also serves locally inspired riffs on cocktails like the Manhattan, cosmopolitan, and mojito. The dinner menu features options like Moroccan lamb and fresh seafood as well as a Tom Yum that’s almost half as good as what you’d find on the street — and that’s saying a lot.

6. Distil Rooftop Bar at the Lebua State Tower in Riverside

Photo: Lebua Hotels & Resorts

Price: $$$$

Dress code: smart casual

Distil makes this list mostly because of its status as the quiet sibling of its famous neighbor Sky Bar, also located in the Lebua State Tower. While Sky Bar is flanked with drunk tourists pretty much every night, Distil is much more relaxed, and the drinks are made by pro bartenders serving drinks from one of the top cocktail menus in town. Try the signature Thai Lips or Sun Set at the 64th Floor cocktails, and pair it with an order of caviar served on a Himalayan pink salt plate. As you relax over views of the heart of Bangkok, revel in the lack of fist-pumping bros in the general vicinity. Distil also offers a cigar terrace for that stogie you’ve been lugging around since Phuket.

7. Vertigo and Moon Bar at the Banyan Tree Hotel in Sathorn

Photo: Shanti Hesse/Shutterstock

Price: $$$

Dress code: smart casual required, but go formal for effect

On top of the Banyan Tree Hotel, Vertigo is among Bangkok’s most popular dining establishments. The seafood is on point — think fresh whole lobster that was alive when you walked in. Moon Bar, just above the dining room, is where you’d bring a date to converse over a gin martini or two. Hanging out here puts you in the company of the city’s movers and shakers, or at least those who know how to present themselves as such. Dress to impress, and don’t show up until after the sun goes down. When the bar platform lights up in bright purples, greens, and blues to match the nighttime hue of the city, the mood is set 61 floors up overlooking the vast skyline.

8. CRU Rooftop Champagne Bar at the Centara Grand at Central World in Siam

Photo: CRU Champagne Bar

Price: $$$

Dress code: smart casual

Drinking Champagne with towering buildings all around is a classy affair. CRU Rooftop Champagne Bar is the Thai version of Kuala Lumpur’s famous Heli-Pad Lounge. Full 360-degree views of the city are the signature offer, in addition to a menu built around G.H. Mumm Champagne served chilled or in one of the Champagne cocktails. A few glasses will get you “Sky Dancing” as they put it. Cru is located in the Siam neighborhood in central Bangkok near markets and cultural centers, making it an ideal stop to relax after an afternoon of shopping and meandering.

9. The Speakeasy at the Hotel Muse in Chidlom

Photo: The Speakeasy Rooftop Bar

Price: $$$

Dress code: smart casual

The Speakeasy is Bangkok’s tribute to the people who kept the booze flowing during American Prohibition. Before you quip about how your town already has five speakeasy bars, ask yourself: Are any of them 25 floors above the beating cultural heart of Southeast Asia? Does it serve an authentic Aviation cocktail? The answer is, in all likelihood, a hard no. Find both here at the top of the Hotel Muse, but you should probably make a reservation.


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The post The 9 best rooftop bars in Bangkok appeared first on Matador Network.

Underrated churches in Rome, Italy

Rome is famous for its many awe-inspiring churches, but the sheer number of them (about 900) can make it difficult to decide exactly which ones to visit once in the city. Once you’ve battled the crowds and made your obligatory visits to Saint Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, consider visiting some of the underrated churches listed below for a more unique, but just as artistically and architecturally beautiful, trip to Rome.

1. San Luigi dei Francesi

Photo: Luciano Mortula – LGM/Shutterstock

Less than 1,000 feet from the Pantheon, San Luigi dei Francesi is both the seat of the Parisian cardinal in Rome and the nucleus of the city’s French community. You can reach it by walking north in the Piazza della Rotonda, then taking a left on Via Giustiniani (which turns into Via Salvatore). San Luigi dei Francesi is a little-known spot to see three Caravaggio masterpieces in its Contarelli Chapel.

Photo: Isogood_patrick/Shutterstock

Caravaggio was still an artistic apprentice when he received the commission for the Contarelli Chapel. It was these three paintings — The Calling of Saint Matthew, The Inspiration of Saint Matthew, and The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew — that propelled him into stardom for the rest of his short life. They all contain the artist’s signature harrowing drama between darkness and light.

In addition to the Caravaggio paintings, you will find San Luigi to be a beautiful example of Renaissance architecture with its vaulted ceilings and gleaming marble columns. There is a particularly spectacular facade above the central altar, with rosettes, gold enameling, and angelic figures.

San Luigi dei Francesi is open Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 12:45 PM, on Saturday from 9:30 AM to 12:15 PM, and on Sunday from 11:30 AM to 12:45 PM. It is also open every day in the afternoon from 2:30 PM to 6:30 PM.

2. Santa Maria della Pace

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Santa Maria della Pace is both an architectural and artistic masterpiece that lies fewer than 200 feet from super touristy Piazza Navona. Make your way there by exiting Piazza Navona on Via dei Lorenesi, continuing onto Vicolo della Pace, and veering left on Via della Pace.

This church’s spectacular Baroque facade was constructed between 1556 and 1557. The church itself is connected to the Chiostro del Bramante, or Bramante Cloister, which was built between 1500 and 1504. This was the first work of legendary architect Donato Bramante in Rome. Bramante is credited with introducing the High Renaissance architectural style to Rome, and he created the preliminary designs for Saint Peter’s Basilica.

Inside the church on the right-hand wall, is a fresco painted by Renaissance master Raphael. This fresco, titled Sibyls, is largely inspired by the soft style of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. In fact, Michelangelo painted five Sibyls, or prophetesses, throughout the ceiling of his Sistine Chapel. Painted around 1514, Raphael’s Sibyls depicts four women receiving guidance from angels.

Santa Maria della Pace is free, but the adjacent Chiostro del Bramante is now an art museum that charges 11 euros (approximately $12.30) for entry.

3. Santa Maria della Vittoria

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Santa Maria della Vittoria, or Our Lady of Victory, is a 17th-century basilica. It was built to commemorate Emperor Ferdinand II’s victory at the Battle of White Mountain, which was a part of the Thirty Years’ War fought between Catholics and Protestants.

You can reach Santa Maria della Vittoria by exiting the Repubblica metro stop and walking about 900 feet northwest on Via Vittorio Emanuele Orlando. This may not be the most charming area in Rome (Termini station and all its scuzziness is in close proximity), but the church is an oasis of artistic wonder.

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Santa Maria della Vittoria is home to the Cornaro Chapel, which contains the Ecstasy of Saint Teresa by Bernini. Bernini is the same sculptor who created the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi in the center of Piazza Navona. In Santa Maria della Vittoria, you’ll have a more intimate experience with Bernini’s work and understand why he is lauded as the supreme sculptor of the Baroque era. The expressions of angel and saint, the intricate ruffles in Saint Teresa’s robe, and the sensuous poses seem almost too real to be crafted out of stone.

You can visit Santa Maria della Vittoria on weekdays from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM and 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM.

4. Chiesa di Sant’Ignazio

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Chiesa di Sant’Ignazio is fewer than 900 feet east of the Pantheon. Exit the Piazza della Rotonda onto Via Seminario and then take a right into Piazza di San Macuto. You’ll find the church entrance on your right. Sant’Ignazio is affiliated with the Roman College founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola in 1551 and was built to accommodate the expanding student body in the late 1600s.

Photo: Anna Pakutina/Shutterstock

Much of the interior painting was completed by Jesuit artist Andrea Pozzo in the 1680s. His paintings are incredible examples of trompe-l’œil, or the illusion of creating depth that does not exist in physical space. The frescoes most demanding of double-takes are the fake dome and the vault. In the former piece, Pozzo creates the illusion of a dome within the church, although the ceiling is entirely flat. In the vault, the artist depicts the glory of Saint Ignatius of Loyola supported by angels. The figures appear to be ascending into the heavens amidst stretching Romanesque arches and columns. The entire church is a staggering, all-too-convincing, mind-bending display.

Sant’Ignazio is open Monday through Saturday from 7:30 AM to 7:00 PM, as well as Sunday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

5. San Silvestro in Capite

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San Silvestro in Capite is located in Piazza San Silvestro, which, on an uncrowded day, is a five-minute walk northeast of the Trevi Fountain. Simply exit the Piazza di Trevi and head north on Via Poli, take a left on Via del Pozzetto, and you’ll find Piazza San Silvestro on your right. Piazza San Silvestro is a bit drab, and the church is nothing special from the outside, but the good stuff is to be found inside.

Immediately upon walking through the double doors, you will find yourself in an atrium that doubles as a lapidarium, or a room to display archeological pieces. All along the walls, there are odds and ends of ancient and medieval carved stone. This alone makes this church unique and worth visiting.

Photo: Zvonimir Atletic/Shutterstock

But there’s more. San Silvestro in Capite claims to contain the preserved head of Saint John the Baptist, which you can view by entering a small chapel in the rear of the church. There is also a stained glass depiction of Saint John’s head on a platter, in accordance with the biblical story of Salome’s gruesome request to King Herod. As a disclaimer, there are about three other churches in the world that also claim to contain the head of Saint John the Baptist, so you can be the judge of the head’s authenticity after you visit.

San Silvestro in Capite can be visited Monday through Saturday from 7:00 AM to 6:30 PM, as well as Sunday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM.

6. Sant’Antonio dei Portoghesi

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Sant’Antonio dei Portoghesi is located less than a quarter mile west of the Piazza di Ponte Umberto I. You can walk there from the piazza by exiting south into Via dei Soldati, veering left into Via dell’Orso, and continuing onto Via dei Portoghesi. Sant’Antonio serves as a hub for the Portuguese community in Rome. It was originally built in the seventeenth century, and its interior is a loud Baroque celebration. Its walls are decorated with patterns of different colored marble: pinks, blues, greys, and greens intersect to create an opulent display.

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Sant’Antonio dei Portoghesi is perhaps best known for, and most proud of, its Great Symphonic Organ and its 3,150 pipes. The Great Symphonic Organ is an entirely unique instrument, and it sounds especially marvelous in the open, chambrous setting of Sant’Antonio dei Portoghesi. You can listen for yourself by attending mass, or by checking the website for special events.

You can visit Sant’Antonio dei Portoghesi Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM, Saturday from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM, and Sunday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

7. San Pietro in Vincoli

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San Pietro in Vincoli lies just a third of a mile north of the Colosseum in the hip Monti district. You can get there by exiting the Piazza del Colosseo up a set of stairs towards the Giardinetto del Monte Oppio (the stairs are very close to the Colosseum metro exit). Walk straight onto Via del Fagutale, take a right onto Via della Polveriera, a left onto Via Eudossiana, and there you are.

The name San Pietro in Vincoli literally translates to “Saint Peter in Chains” because the church was initially built to house relics of the chains worn by Saint Peter during his imprisonment in Jerusalem. The bare bones of the church date back to the fifth century though, of course, much has been done over the centuries to amplify this holy home.

Photo: Stefano_Valeri/Shutterstock

Aside from the chain relics, San Pietro in Vincoli is known as being one of the only churches in Rome to contain a sculpture by Michelangelo (the others being St. Peter’s and Santa Maria Sopra Minerva). Michelangelo’s massive sculpture of Moses, designed between 1505 and 1515, is a mausoleum that covers the tomb of Pope Julius II.

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San Pietro in Vincoli is free to visit. However, the mausoleum (and thus Michelangelo’s Moses) is dimly lit until a visitor makes a donation to turn on the lights. The church is open every day from 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM and again from 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM.


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States by the most speeding tickets

Cops here are the worst.

This seems to be the lamentation of anyone who’s ever been pulled over for speeding and not let go with a warning. Generally mumbling some kind of profanity and using the word “redneck” and “power trip” a few times before googling the phone number for the Ticket Clinic.

In fairness, a cop giving you a ticket is doing their job, even if that job includes sitting 100 yards past a 25-mile-per-hour speed limit sign at the end of a highway. But some states are far more aggressive about giving speeding tickets than others. To find out exactly which ones are the worst, Yonkers Honda — an auto dealership in Yonkers, New York — studied data from the last years available in 48 states (Louisiana and Arkansas didn’t want to play) to see who was handing out the most.

While big states like California, New York, and Florida predictably wrote the most — because they have the most people — you’ll be surprised to see which states wrote the most per capita.

20. Minnesota

The Land of 10,000 Lakes is also the land of almost 200,000 speeding tickets, as the state dished out over 189,000 infractions in 2017. That’s 332.57 per 10,000 residents. Or 18.9 per lake.

19. New York

While sitting in unmoving traffic on the George Washington Bridge, you might find it hard to believe anyone could get up enough speed to get a ticket in New York. Then you’d forget that the rest of the state is made up of large swaths of empty land, perfect for cops to hand out over 712,000 speeding tickets in 2016. That’s 335 per 10,000 residents.

18. Nebraska

When much of your state smells like a feedlot, it’s tempting for drivers to try and speed through as quickly as possible. But perhaps invest in some CBD oil to put under your nose instead, as Nebraska troopers handed out over 61,000 citations in 2015. Or about 360 per 10,000 people.

17. Idaho

Careful on those scenic mountain roads! Not only is speeding through them illegal, but it’s also dangerous, especially in the winter. Cops here wrote 61,653 speeding tickets in 2016, or nearly 375 per 10,000.

16. Maryland

Cruising out over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and onto Maryland’s scenic Eastern Shore, it’s easy to lose track of your speed and end up with a picturesque view of flashing lights. Almost 215,000 people had this enchanting experience in 2016, about 400 per 10,000 residents.

15. Florida

Anyone who’s driven in Florida has to wonder how FHP doled out only 704,000 speeding tickets in 2016. Then again, when you’re busy chasing people who ride alligators down the street, or drive cars that double as swingers clubs, sometimes speeding takes a back seat.

14. Hawaii

Interestingly, Hawaii is also the strictest state in the nation on jaywalkers, as it’s usually near the top in pedestrian accidents as well. Stopping 60,455 speeders in 2015 probably helps things along too. Though no word on how many of those were off-island drivers.

13. Delaware

Yes, everyone is in that much of a hurry to get from New York to the Mid-Atlantic. So even if you don’t stop for gas or lunch, Delaware’s getting your money somehow, handing out 47,473 speeding tickets in 2015. That’s the most tickets per square mile of any state in the US.

12. Connecticut

Another small (by size) state handing out big tickets is Connecticut, where cops cited 147,361 speeders in 2016. That’s a smidge under 500 per 10,000 residents. This is why it’s always better to commute by train.

11. Iowa

Tempted to blow through cornfields as fast as humanly possible during your big summer road trip? Not so… fast, pal. Iowa troopers stopped more people total for speeding than Virginia, Illinois, Michigan, and a slew of other big states, writing 148,755 tickets in 2016.

10. Utah

The first thing one notices when driving in Utah is how the normally painfully polite people of the Beehive State turn into hyper-aggressive maniacs as soon as they get behind the wheel of their nine-seat SUVs. Perhaps it’s pent-up aggression from being so nice all the time, but Utah had 504.5 speeding tickets per 10,000 residents in 2017. Though they were all very nice when they got pulled over.

9. South Dakota

South Dakota has the best collection of roadside attractions in America, from the famous Wall Drug to ghost towns to Dinosaur parks. State troopers, however, are not one of them. So stop and enjoy the attractions, lest you become one of the nearly 50,000 people who got speeding tickets here in 2016.

8. North Carolina

Take your shirt off, wave it round your head like a helicopter, but just make sure you’re not driving too fast when you do it. The Tar Heel State wrote over half a million speeding tickets in 2017, good for fifth-most overall and 534 per 10,000 residents.

7. Arizona

The desert is an easy place to lose track of your speed, and while New Mexico doesn’t seem to hand out speeding tickets with the same fervor, Arizona takes full advantage, citing 264,000 speeders in 2016. The Roadrunner, despite Wile E. Coyote’s best efforts, still has yet to be pulled over.

6. Mississippi

Things are supposed to move a little slower in the South, an ethos Mississippi police are happy to enforce handing out almost 600 speeding tickets per 10,000 residents. That number, however, is from 2013 because, again, everything moves slower in the South.

5. Washington

With no state income tax, Washington’s gotta pay for all those cool ferries somehow. Ticket revenue is a big one, with 2015 seeing almost 417,000 speeding tickets in Washington, over 610 per 10,000 residents.

4. Georgia

The state with the most speeding tickets per capita is Georgia, where state troopers wrote the fourth-most in the country at just over 601,000. The only states who wrote more were California, New York, and Florida, each with a population at least double the Peach State’s.

3. Oregon

People who say dumb stuff like “I drive slower when I’m high” haven’t seen the numbers from Oregon, where America’s “greenest” state still managed to have 322,871 speeding tickets in 2015, the year after recreational marijuana was made legal. There’s probably no connection between the two, except that the state is making a whole lot of money off both.

2. South Carolina

With only five million people, South Carolina wrote the most tickets per capita of any state with a seven-figure population. In 2015 police wrote 388,631 speeding tickets, or roughly 825 per 10,000 people.

1. Wyoming

Interesting how in a state with large stretches of road where the speed limit is 80 miles an hour, over 42,000 people still managed to get ticketed for speeding. That might not seem like a lot, but it was still 903 tickets per 10,000 people. Quite the distinction for a state so sparsely populated.


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