Matador Network's Blog, page 961

Travel-inspired baby names

Naming a child can be a process filled with frustration and anxiety. Parents want to choose a name that’s both meaningful, as well as relatively unique, so their kid isn’t sharing a kindergarten classroom with 16 other children with the same moniker. The New York Times analyzed over 500 baby names that ranked in the top 1,000 in 2018, which were not on the list in 2008, to give some insight as to what saw a rise in popularity this past decade. Travel-inspired names have been abundant in the past 10 years. Here are some of the most popular names inspired by destinations:

Cairo
Canaan
Caspian
Egypt
Galilea
Harlem
Holland
Jericho
Malaysia
Vienna

Among these names, a spiritual theme immediately becomes apparent in names like Galilea, Canaan, and Jericho, all locations in the Middle East. Some, however, are more rooted in contemporary culture; Brixton, for example, is the name of a hip London neighborhood, and Harlem is similarly inspired by the rapidly gentrifying area of New York City. Malaysia, Holland, and Vienna likely represent a significant travel experience in the parents’ lives. Caspian might either be the brainchild of parents who love traveling to Eurasia or inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia. Either way, it’s still pretty adventurous.

For a full breakdown of the naming trends for the past 10 years, check out the New York Times’ official


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How to visit Nickelodeon Slime City

Hate on Instagram museums all you like; sometimes they help bring your childhood dreams to life.

If you grew up on locker jokes, opposite sketches, and taking the physical challenge, at some point in your life you probably dreamed of getting doused in Nickelodeon’s trademark green slime.

Or maybe you didn’t. I don’t know.

Either way, the social-media-installation craze has provided you the chance to do it, as Nickelodeon launches its first-ever pop-up experience, Slime City. Appropriately, it opened last week in Miami.

The 20,000-square-foot tribute to green slime is an hour-long tour de force in viscous green stuff, re-imagining slime as everything from a wall to a lava lamp to slime sand.

“We wanted to sort of re-imagine slime, how it might come to life in all its various forms,” said Slime City spokesperson Sharon Cohen from the shores of Slime Beach. “Obviously there’s touching and feeling slime that everyone is familiar with, but we also wanted to have slime come to life like if it was a lava lamp, or a great wall of slime, or if slime took over a nightclub.”

Though it could be argued slime took over nightclubs years ago, the point is not lost. And the experience is an absolute immersion in Nickelodeon’s green stuff that allows you to live like you were a kid again in a world you once imagined.

Touring Slime Beach, a slime lounge, and the Great Wall of Slime

Slime City takes groups of about 20 people through the installation every 15 minutes. The trip begins in a dark, green room where the group huddles around a giant green shower nozzle and watches a short video on how to behave in Slime City. No eating. No drinking. Keep your phones ON.

Once finished, guests get their first experience with touching slime in Slime HQ, a series of pipes and levers where you can stick your hand in fluorescent-looking slime for your first photo op of the day.

“Go ahead,” Cohen said as we approached the first slime fountain. “You can do it.”

I stuck my hand into the fountain like it was bright green fondue and felt the warm, gelatinous stuff coat my fingers. It was a little like a thin pudding that, when illuminated by Slime City’s blacklights, created a trippy effect coating my skin.

After I’d posted to my Insta story, I was handed a towel and moved on to Slime Beach. Here, a pastel rendition of the Miami skyline was wrapped around a fine green powder sand with a merry-go-round and rideable toy animals. The slime sand felt, not surprisingly, just like sand.

Photo: Matthew Meltzer

Behind a wall near the beach sat the Slime-down Lounge, which Cohen explained as an imagination of slime as a lava lamp. It was, in essence, large mounds of rolling memory foam lit up in green and purple blacklight. I jumped right onto the slime-foam mattresses and sank into it like I was becoming one with the slime, then rolled around to fully get lost in its soft, slimy embrace.

Just a reminder, folks, no drugs are allowed in Slime City.

From there it was off to the Great Wall of Slime, a concrete, solid imagination of slime where you could leave imprints of yourself in a wooden-peg wall. The resulting Insta stories look a little like that gif of Homer Simpson disappearing into the hedges.

Spending the night in the Slime Light Club

Photo: Matthew Meltzer

Down a Rugrats and Ren and Stimpy-lined escalator, you’re dumped in Slime Light Club, a sea of Instagrammable neon signs like the ones you find in literally every bar or restaurant that’s opened in the past two years. But instead of sage sayings like, “You are exactly where you’re supposed to be,” Club Slime has signs for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, SpongeBob, and dripping neon slime. It’s also equipped with blacklight pens, so you can write your own social media-friendly words of wisdom on the wall.

Photo: Matthew Meltzer

Inside the club, you’ll hear the faint voices of a crowd counting down from five to one, the certain sign that you’re close your lifelong dream of getting slimed. But upon leaving the club, you have one more room to walk through before getting to the main event: the Slime Bubble-Torium, essentially a room where you can throw inflatable green beach balls at each other while taking pictures with seven-foot cans of bubbles.

From there, it’s onto Slime Central, and your time to slime. If you didn’t bring a change of clothes, not to worry: The standard sliming included with your $35 admission ticket brings a poncho, which you’re instructed to put on by the enthusiastic, mic’d-up sliming professionals.

Photo: Nickelodeon Slime City

After rolling up your pants and taking off your shoes, you’re escorted onto a platform with a handful of other aspiring slimees, where each person stands under an ominous green showerhead. The slime hype man counts down from five… four… three… two… one… and suddenly you are blinded by a warm blanket of green. You can feel a little on your feet, but for the most part, the sliming seems a little anticlimactic, an annoying layer of plastic between you and the promised land.

That, and when you post a picture of yourself getting slimed with a poncho on, most of your friends will comment with something along the lines of, “With a PONCHO??? C’mon man!”

If you want the real deal, skin-to-slime contact, you’ve gotta shell out another $30 to go into one of the private VIP booths. Inside, you’ll stand with nothing between you and the slime, in a glass booth where all of Slime Central can watch as you’re doused in the green stuff. Your family, friends, or frenemies also have the honor of pulling the lever that gets you slimed. And once you’ve got thoroughly covered, Slime City even gives you a souvenir T-shirt. Mostly so you don’t mess up your car on the way home.

After going up another escalator, you’ll pass by the Slime Lab, where for another $12 you can make a couple of souvenir jars of green slime, adding in sparkles, googly eyes, or pretty much anything else you’d put on a Halloween cookie.

But even with this experience, the recipe for slime is kept secret.

Cohen says the average guest stays for about an hour at Slime City, though if you’re not trying to document the whole thing for your legions of followers — and don’t have kids — you can probably make it through in about 20 minutes. And while Slime City is in Miami through January 20, she says they have plans to bring it to other cities.

So if you find yourself in South Florida over the next couple of months and want to feel what it was like to unwittingly utter “I don’t know” circa 1985, Slime City gives you your chance. You may not relive your childhood, but at least you can experience slime in much the same way you’d always dreamed. And don’t even need to down a Barthy Burger to do it.


More like this: An immersive Dr. Seuss exhibit is touring around the US and Canada

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Russia banned from Olympics

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has just banned Russia from the Olympics, World, and other major global sporting competitions for four years. A WADA meeting on Monday agreed that the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) should be declared non-compliant with the WADA code and suffer the appropriate consequences. The decision comes after data obtained from RUSADA’s Moscow Laboratory was found to have inconsistencies and suspicious alterations.

Sir Craig Reedie, president of WADA, said, “For too long, Russian doping has detracted from clean sport. The blatant breach by the Russian authorities of RUSADA’s reinstatement conditions, approved by the ExCo in September 2018, demanded a robust response. That is exactly what has been delivered today. Russia was afforded every opportunity to get its house in order and re-join the global anti-doping community for the good of its athletes and of the integrity of sport, but it chose instead to continue in its stance of deception and denial.”

Although athletes will not be able to compete under the Russian flag at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, they will be permitted to compete under a neutral banner as they did at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

WADA also proposed several other consequences for Russia, including not being allowed to host any major sporting events for four years, prohibiting the flying of a Russian flag at any major event, and barring Russian government officials and representatives from attending any event.


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Copenhagen to plant communal fruit

The next time you’re wandering around the streets of Copenhagen, don’t bother ducking into a cafe or bakery for your mid-afternoon snack. Copenhagen’s city council recently voted to plant public fruit trees, including blackberry bushes and apple trees, in a variety of public green spaces (playgrounds, cemeteries, churchyards, parks, sports facilities) in an effort to reconnect people with local flora and food.

The tradition of local foraging is long in Denmark, with laws on the books dating back to the Middle Ages allowing citizens to harvest food from public lands. People were also permitted to harvest from private lands with footpaths, as long as they remained on the trail. The Danish capital is just expanding the idea into urban spaces.

For visitors to Denmark unfamiliar with its abundance of natural resources, Vild Mad, is a free mobile app that educates people about foraging. The app guides users through the country’s beaches and forests ripe with local ingredients, provides tips, and suggests recipes.


More like this: The 9 weirdest fruits in the world and where to try them

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New Zealand Whakaari volcano erupts

After a volcano erupted Monday on New Zealand’s Whakaari, at least five people are dead with many others reported missing. The volcano erupted at 2:11 PM local time, spewing a large plume of ash. Police believe there are likely no survivors among the missing. There were 27 people on the island at the time of the eruption.

According to a statement from New Zealand police, “No signs of life have been seen at any point. Police believe that anyone who could have been taken from the island alive was rescued at the time of the evacuation. Based on the information we have, we do not believe there are any survivors on the island.”

WATCH: Dramatic video shows moment volcano erupts at White Island in New Zealand; an unknown number of people are missing pic.twitter.com/Ei8uMysms4

— BNO News (@BNONews) December 9, 2019

Whakaari, an island volcano located 30 miles off the shore of the North Island in the Bay of Plenty, is the island’s most active volcano, but it’s also a tourist attraction.

Visitors can take a helicopter or a 90-minute boat tour from Whakatane to Whakaari. Because Whakaari is a marine volcano, meaning most of it lies beneath the ocean, there is no hiking needed — visitors are dropped off right into the crater and take part in a guided tour. Tourists are handed masks and hard hats to wear for safety purposes.

Photo: Google Maps

Questions are arising about whether the island’s unstable volcanic condition made it suitable for tourists to be visiting in the first place. The last eruption took place in 2016. According to GeoNet, volcanic activity at Whakaari had been increasing for the past two months.

The New Zealand military plans to search the island’s perimeter on Tuesday morning with drones and other equipment in the hopes of finding survivors. The situation is currently too unstable for rescuers to search the island.


More like this: 6 active volcanoes you can actually go and see up close

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Demanding spiritual experiences

There are types of spiritual experiences that come easy, and then there are those for which casual spirituality seekers need not apply. The latter are diverse but have some key ingredients: physical and mental effort, retreat from modern distractions, and a change in routine. But they also offer a special something that levels up from the normal retreat. These five experiences are some of the world’s most demanding, and it’s best to have all the information you can about the risks and rewards before diving in.

Editor’s Note: Matador Network encourages readers to research local laws and drug effects before taking part in activities that include intoxicants.

1. Ayahuasca retreats — Etnikas, Peru

Photo: Ammit Jack/Shutterstock

This one involves a hallucinogenic tea, but it’s far more than some simple, experimental high. Ayahuasca is made from the vines and leaves of plants native to the Amazon rainforest. When brewed together, they create a tea with dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a powerful and long-lasting psychedelic, and a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) that allows the drug to pass the blood-brain barrier. Communities across Amazonian South America have traditionally used the “vine of death” in healing ceremonies as a powerful anchor for the user to connect with the spirit world, lets their miseries die, and emerge healed. Modern neurology is starting to define what is happening to our brains after drinking ayahuasca, but the narrative remains the same: transformational near-death sensations as the body suffers and the mind expands.

What makes it demanding

There will be vomiting. Or diarrhea. Maybe both, but at the very least, your body will try. This purging is seen as a normal part of the process, and tribes who use ayahuasca see this as the soul expelling all the nastiness that keeps us down. Dizziness and raised blood pressure are also part of the physical demands of the tea.

There are also powerful forces at work mentally. Ayahuasca impacts neurons, the limbic system, and how you process emotions and memories. Your thoughts are unrestrained, and there are no guarantees about what you will experience.

Why it’s worth it

While it remains contentious, believers swear that a single use of ayahuasca is a shortcut to what years or even decades of other treatments can do for people suffering from PTSD, anxiety, and emotional trauma. Many come to an ayahuasca retreat after trying more traditional therapies with no lasting reprieve.

A responsible ayahuasca retreat is done with experienced locals and also a full medical team. While both Andean and Amazonian healers lead the Etnikas ayahuasca ceremonies, this retreat also has a cardiologist, psychiatrist, psychologist, general practitioner, and nursing staff as part of the process. Etnikas is firm in its stance that ayahuasca ceremonies should not be held daily, so at the most, you will participate in four. This leaves ample time for processing and other holistic treatment.

How to access it

Etnikas is in the Sacred Valley of Peru and offers anywhere from one- to eight-day retreats. You have to bring a comprehensive letter from your doctor outlining any physical and mental health conditions, both personal and family, to participate in any ceremonies. Once there, you will have regular health reviews, and if there are any concerns, you have to abstain.

Is it for you?

Safety cannot be overstated. This experience involves taking a substance with powerful and individually unpredictable results. You should not undertake this without doing your research and speaking with your doctor. Complete honesty with both your doctor and the program’s team is imperative.

2. Monastery pilgrimage — St. Patrick’s Sanctuary, Ireland

Photo: Lough Derg/Facebook

The official name is St. Patrick’s Sanctuary, but St. Patrick’s Purgatory is this Catholic monastery’s more popular name. Sitting on an Irish island in the remote Lough Derg, St. Patrick’s bears a distant resemblance to the infamous Alcatraz prison. But the term “purgatory” doesn’t just come from the institutional feel or even the legend that St. Patrick’s sits on one of the gates of hell — it’s from the hardship of the pilgrimage.

What makes it so demanding

First, you surrender your shoes and socks. The first 24 hours are a sleepless vigil, and if you need to nod off, you’ll be prodded awake. Instead, your hours are filled with worship as you pray at a rotation of stations around the island. These stations are not only in the church but also take you out shoeless on the cold, jagged rocks. There are long, scheduled hours of reflective silence. And, of course, no phones.

Then there’s the fasting. Participants fast from midnight on the day of their arrival to midnight on the third day. Coffee and tea, as well as an oatcake, are allowed each day. Participants joke about the island’s speciality: hot water with salt and pepper. Sleep and food become precious, grateful commodities.

Why it’s worth it

While most of the experiences listed here involve some level of deprivation and isolation to embrace spirituality, this is the only one that overtly embraces suffering. Still, devout visitors continue to come, many on a return visit, reporting that they feel stronger at the end and more confident in themselves. Even the late author Pete McCarthy, who irreverently captured his purgatory experience, couldn’t help but express a subtle transformation, despite his skepticism.

How to access it

Bookings for the pilgrimage and visits are done through the Lough Derg website.

Is it for you?

Suffering aside, this experience is also the only religious option on this list. While St. Patrick’s Sanctuary doesn’t openly restrict other faiths, it’s important to remember that the pilgrimage is centered around Catholicism. St. Patrick’s Sanctuary has a certain type of celebrity and draw, but ultimately, responsible tourism means being respectful.

3. Jungle immersion — Naku, Ecuadorian Amazon

Photo: Dr Morley Read/Shutterstock

The Sapara people have long lived in the Ecuadorian Amazon, but there are only around 600 left, and only five who speak Sapara. To teach outsiders of their culture and way of life, a group called Naku flies small groups deep into the Ecuadorian jungle for five days for total immersion.

What makes it demanding

In short: total immersion in the challenges of living in the jungle. You wake each day in your open-air cabin and rise to the sounds of the wildlife hidden in the dense vegetation. Activities involve ceremonial cleansing with the ash of medicinal plants, spiritual dream exploration, dancing, hiking, canoeing and swimming in the river, and fasting for those who want to participate in a shamanic ceremony that may involve ayahuasca. When you’re not fasting, each meal will be similar: simple vegetarian fare that might be supplemented with fresh-caught fish. All of our normally mindless, mundane routines back home take on new forms at Naku.

Daily life will not include phones, and there will be no WiFi of any kind. There’s no running drinkable water (though there are water bottles for guests) and no hot showers or baths (water is boiled for cleaning). If there’s an emergency, they’ll radio a plane for the short ride back to town, weather permitting.

Why it’s worth it

You’ll get exposure to a deep spiritual interconnectedness with nature and subconscious states. You’ll also have an opportunity to learn from a UNESCO intangible heritage community that, sadly, is vanishing.

It also benefits the hosts. The Sapara are using fees from visitors for a shared community fund. They’re aiming to cover health emergencies, improve basic needs like water filtration systems, and provide education past grade five for the communities. No one wants to feel like a cultural vampire, and this allows you to give back.

How to access it

This is a guided organized experience, with 10 guests on average and no more than 20. There’s some initial consultation involved to make sure it’s the right fit for you, especially if you are interested in the specialized healing center.

Is it for you?

This is the Amazon, and that is worth some serious reflection. Are you physically and mentally prepared to experience some level of deprivation? Even though people with the community and program are trained in first aid, you are a 30-minute plane ride from a city of any size. The risk and reward equation is a personal one that only you can set.

There are also complex ethics around voluntourism and cultural immersion. Responsible trips are community-based and not just tribal voyeurism. Naku presents itself as an idea driven by the Sapara, with community involvement and fees going to the community fund after trip costs, guides, and helpers are paid.

4. Ashrams — Bihar School of Yoga at Ganga Darshan, India

Photo: Bihar School of Yoga/Facebook

This is not your average yoga class. Ashrams have been a powerful piece in Hindu history and spirituality long before Eat, Pray, Love sold the experience. They are intentional communities, secluded from distraction, where people practice spiritual and physical exercise. Ashrams worldwide offer a spectrum of spiritual practice that vary in intensity and length. The particularly remote Bihar School of Yoga at Ganga Darshan is known for its no-frills focus and need for absolute commitment.

What makes it demanding

For starters, once you enter the Bihar School of Yoga for your training, you will not leave the campus again until you are done. No shopping, no banking, no email, no outer contact. There’s also no smoking, drinking, or cell phones. The provided meals are vegetarian, and any outside cooking and meat are prohibited. The rooms are simple, and bathrooms are shared.

The demands of the ashram are not so much about what you can’t have or do but what you fill your days with. The Bihar School of Yoga acknowledges that it has a disciplined environment that is not for the casual visitor. The daily routine, essential to the experience, must be followed. Waking and lights out are specifically set. The day includes at least four hours of yogic practice, including movement and meditation, and two daily practices of service work known as karma yoga. Silence is observed during all meals and from evening to morning, no exceptions.

Why it’s worth it

Imagine what you might discover about your strengths and limitations if you were able to devote entire days to personal and spiritual reflection. That is the glory of the ashram. It’s a lifestyle that’s temporarily free from attachment and distraction. Basically, you learn to live with yourself.

How to access it

There are ashrams in India that you can just drop in for a visit. This is not one of them. Applications for training and accommodation need to be sent by letter or fax. The school is selective, and “a personal introduction letter is preferred.” Having an ongoing yoga practice and a relationship with a spiritual mentor is at the very least an asset if not a necessity.

Is this for you?

Bihar Yoga is for serious applicants. Exposure to yogic practices before arrival is recommended. Doing the same thing day after day is not for everyone, and it’s good to get a taste of this before heading to the remote northeast corner of India for the Olympics of spirituality.

If you’re an aspiring ashram visitor, you also need to think about your re-entry to life after the ashram. This is the longest retreat listed, and reverse culture shock is real. Many people experience a period of depressive symptoms as they return to their normal routines. Have a game plan for ongoing spiritual practice. If you don’t feel curiosity or yearning for this, consider ashrams with shorter visits.

5. Pilgrimage walks — St. Olav Ways, Norway

Photo: Pilegrimsleden – St. Olav Ways/Facebook

People have long journeyed to spiritual places to find meaning and reset their lives. Sacred destinations and popular pilgrimages are on every continent — and they have the crowds to prove it. But there’s an off-the-radar option with Nordic beauty and quiet miles of consideration: St. Olav Ways.

What makes it demanding

It’s long. While there are several routes to take, the longest clocks in at just under 400 miles. Even the shortest official route is still 62 miles. Altitudes may not be soaring (no fjord scrambling required), but you’ll still need poles and boots to handle the “hills.” Shipping bags ahead is sporadic, and you’ll need to carry everything you need. You cover at least 12 miles a day, every day, if you want to finish in the typical month timeline.

This will also be a pilgrimage with fewer people. It’s not entirely deserted, especially when you factor in possible stays at official path lodging each night. But consider that Europe’s popular Camino de Santiago saw 300,000 completions in 2017. St. Olav Ways had 1,000. Solitude and separation will not be a problem. At least not yet.

Why it’s worth it

The demands also make the journey rewarding. The pilgrimage process comes through the effort, the mindful practice of the walking itself, and any religious devotions a person observes along the way. St. Olav’s hits all the criteria.

It also delivers the scenery with sweeping valleys, forests, central farmland, mountain vistas, medieval buildings and, of course, churches from all different ages. The route outlines the path and history of Olav II, a viking chief, the first king of united Norway, Christian convert, and, ultimately, saint. With the views, the culture, and the trail hospitality, this is one of the most affordable ways to experience Norway.

How to access it

Thanks to Norway’s free-to-roam rights, this experience is the easiest to just pick up and start. If you want, organized tour groups will help you manage the details. But it’s not necessary on this well-posted and mapped path. There are 106 official accommodations on the seven potential routes, but again, you’re free to camp and stay where you like as long as you’re respectful.

Is it for you?

Considerations for this experience are primarily physical: Do you want to walk for a month carrying your belongings on your back? Will you be physically able to attempt this, especially if you’re taking one of the more remote routes further from civilization?

Remember, too, that even for the most stolid of introverts, solitude can be unnerving. We often crave it, and silent contemplation is a part of most spiritual experiences. But be honest with yourself on where your mental health stands. Can you be by yourself, or with few companions, for long periods? It may sound lovely now, but don’t push yourself too far away from an exit plan if you’re already strained. There’s no shame in finding a more popular alternative route.


More like this: 7 traditional, mind-altering plants used around the world

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Where to do the holidays in Israel

A crossroads for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Israel hosts an abundance of religious celebrations throughout the year, but December is a very special time to be in the Holy Land for Christians, Jews, and travelers who wish to experience this highly spiritual place in all its glory. Beyond spending Midnight Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre or celebrating Hanukkah at the Western Wall of the Temple, both of which are in the Old City of Jerusalem, there’s plenty for visitors to check out to have a memorable holiday time in Israel. Here is a selection of the best events travelers should not miss.

1. Jerusalem

Photo: Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

The heart of the Holy Land has as much cultural appeal as spiritual, and there are few more exciting places in the world to be for Christmas or Hanukkah. The first major events to experience are the Hanukkah Torch Relay, which will start during the afternoon on December 22 and end in the early evening in the Old City. The Torch Relay is a running event where participants run a lit torch from the town of Modiin, the home of the Maccabees, to light a giant menorah at the Western Wall.

Photo: LevT/Shutterstock

From the Western Wall, it’s a 20-minute walk out of the Old City through the Jaffa Gate to check out the beautiful lights and Christmas tree around the belltower at the Jerusalem International YMCA. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, December 6-8, a Christmas market is held there under tents in the beautifully decorated courtyard of the YMCA, where you shop for arts and crafts, clothes, food, drinks, etc. On Christmas Eve, the place has live music from over 80 singers and musicians. For a more spiritual experience, step inside the nearby Anglican Christ Church on Christmas Eve, where you can hear (and join in singing) classic Christmas carols.

Photo: Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

If you are going to Jerusalem for Christmas, you should probably make at least one trip to the holiest site in Christianity, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, located in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem. This cavernous church is built on the site where tradition says Jesus was crucified and buried.

Photo: Seth Aronstam/Shutterstock

Of course, for every Christmas event there is at least one Hanukkah activity in Jerusalem. Visitors of all faiths will enjoy the lantern tours at the Tower of David, which ends with Hanukkah songs and the eating of sufganiyot (donuts filled with strawberry jam).

For a more educational holiday experience, make sure you save some time for Jerusalem’s Jewish Film Festival, which usually takes place at the start of December. This festival is dedicated to old and new films from around the world that explore themes tied to the Jewish faith, as well as the Jewish experience in Israel and beyond. Attendees will be treated to challenging films about the diaspora, the Holocaust, Israeli culture, and more.

Photo: Mamilla Hotel/Facebook

Visit the Downtown Triangle in the newer section of West Jerusalem to get a taste of modern Israeli cuisine. For a high-end experience, check out Rooftop at the Mamilla Hotel, where you can nosh on Israeli interpretations of everything from sashimi to a New York steak while taking in the view of the Tower of David as it glows in the sunset. For a more local experience, go to the Mahane Yehuda Market, which is filled with cheap eats like hummus bowls during the day and micro-bars and nightclubs at night.

2. Nazareth

Photo: RnDmS/Shutterstock

Although a majority Arab and Muslim city, the town where Jesus grew up is home to some of the most spectacular Christmas light decorations and activities. The mountain town of Nazareth goes all out for the holiday. Apart from decorating the main streets with Christmas lights and trees, putting on a firework show, and hosting a parade, Nazareth also hosts a Christmas Market every year. While there, visitors can shop for holiday gifts, listen to live concerts, eat traditional foods, and meet Santa.

Photo: Cezary Wojtkowski/Shutterstock

The most important church in Nazareth is the Church of the Annunciation, the site where Christians believe the Archangel Gabriel appeared and told Mary that she would give birth to Jesus. The church, which is a modern Catholic basilica built over a much older Byzantine church, draws thousands of visitors for the Midnight Mass, many of whom wait for hours to visit the grotto where the apparition is said to have taken place.

3. Bethlehem

Photo: Victor Lauer/Shutterstock

Located in the Palestinian-controlled West Bank, Bethlehem is not technically in Israel but a short bus ride south of Jerusalem. Even non-religious visitors typically begin their visit to Bethlehem with a trip to the Church of the Nativity, the oldest church in daily use in the world. Tradition holds that it sits on the spot where Christ was born. Considering its history, there is probably no better place in the world to spend Christmas Mass than at the Church of the Nativity.

Photo: gary yim/Shutterstock

Outside the Church of the Nativity, the hillside town of Bethlehem offers tourists an eclectic web of shopping streets and ancient buildings similar to the Old City of Jerusalem, but it’s typically more open and less overwhelming. Daytime visitors should stop for lunch at one of the many restaurants within a short walk from Manger Square, including Jivana Café, which has a quiet back patio with views overlooking the town.

Note: As the Church of the Nativity is in the Palestinian Territories, visitors may be required to go through a security checkpoint if coming from Israel.

4. Haifa

Photo: Inspired By Maps/Shutterstock

While not the top destination on most people’s list of places to spend Christmas or Hanukkah in Israel, the nation’s third largest city is brimming with its own cultural experiences.

The Holiday of Holidays is a festival that celebrates the three major religions of the region: Christanity, Judaism, and Islam. This year it lasts for more than a week, from December 19 to 28. The purpose of the multicultural festival is to encourage mutual respect and peaceful coexistence between three religious groups that share one home. It does this by bringing out the best food, street celebrations, children’s events, theater, and art shows that the city has to offer.

Haifa is home to the Bahai World Center. Bahai is a monotheistic religion founded in 19th-century Iran that preaches the value of all of the world’s religions. The World Center, located on Mount Carmel, is a defacto headquarters of the religion and home to gardens and a shrine where the remains of Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Bahai Faith are kept. Baha’u’llah died in Acre, where he was imprisoned for two years for starting and spreading a new faith in Islamic Iran. The center overlooks the Bay of Haifa and the Old City of Acre, which alone justify a short visit.

The UNESCO World Heritage city of Acre is on the opposite side of the bay, and just a quick bus ride from Haifa. While not officially a holy site, it is a place of significance for Bahai followers, and the walled city of Acre was an important port for Crusaders making their way across the Mediterranean Sea to reach Jerusalem. The city eventually became one of the first Crusader states in the 12th century AD. Acre is also home to several high-end restaurants that sit on top of the old city walls. Visitors should try to enjoy a dinner paired with Israeli wine at Doniana or El Marsa while watching the sunset over the Mediterranean as the holiday lights of Haifa sparkle in the background.

5. Tel Aviv

Photo: rasika108/Shutterstock

Tel Aviv is often described as the face of modern and secular Israel, but that doesn’t mean Tel Avivians shy away from spiritual celebrations. For a classic twinkling Christmas tree in an ancient setting, go to Jaffa, home to biblical stories, as well as the Greek mythology of Perseus and Andromeda. It’s located in the south of the city. Walk around the neighborhood’s open markets and hidden alleyways, which were once visited by the likes of Jonah and St. Peter, while taking in the street opera performances that happen every Friday during the winter months.

Photo: trabantos/Shutterstock

Christian visitors looking for a religious service should attend mass at St. Peter’s Church, which sits at the top of Jaffa’s hill and overlooks the Mediterranean and the Tel Aviv skyline. For a quick bite, go to Abu Hassan, which is perhaps the most famous hummus shop in Israel and located just above the Jaffa harbor.

Many Hanukkah celebrations in Tel Aviv will take place at home, but there is a menorah lighting ceremony at Independence Park, which will take place only a few blocks away from the fancy shops and restaurants on Dizengoff Street on December 22 this year.

Lastly, while most Israelis celebrate the New Year in the fall during Rosh Hashanah, younger Israelis have also begun to throw “Sylvester” parties on December 31. Saint Sylvester was one of the earliest Popes of the Catholic Church and died on December 31. He is also seen as one of most anti-Semitic popes in history, so many younger Israelis celebrate his death while everyone else celebrates the New Year as a bit of dark humor. No Israeli city throws Sylvester parties like Tel Aviv, and you can find several in the city center, including the Sylvester Masquerade on Dizengoff Street and the Glamour Gatsby Party at the Brown Hotel.


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Public Lands Hate You Instagram

There’s one thing we all need to learn about our modern, social-media-fueled oversharing tendencies: It can seriously bite us in the rear. And sometimes we deserve it. Case in point: the Instagram account “Public Lands Hate You.”

The founder of the account, a 31-year-old engineer who calls himself “Steve,” was inspired by the poor behavior he often observed on hikes, including people wandering off designated trails, using drones illegally, trampling flowers, etc. to call out offenders and shame them out of their bad habits via Instagram.

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Steve often reposts photos of influencers exhibiting destructive or careless behavior on public lands. Although Steve condemns online harassment, with a following of over 64,000, his posts regularly cause thousands to flock to the offender’s Instagram and leave comments ranging from warnings to abusive commentaries.

Sometimes shaming proves successful. It’s resulted in sponsors canceling partnerships with influencers who behave irresponsibly and brands paying thousands of dollars in restitution to an environmental organization after being called out on their behavior.

Steve is even taking things one step further by launching a blacklist of influencers who continually display “environmentally destructive behavior” for their brand sponsorships. The Bad Influencer List will be published on his official Public Lands Hate You website and will serve to discourage brands from partnering with those influencers.

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“It’s not going to say that these are terrible people,” Steve told Outside, “but it is going to lay out the facts so that companies can look at it before deciding if it’s somebody that they really want to work with.”

Not everyone believes shaming is the best solution. Katie Boué, an online consultant who works with environmental advocacy groups, said to Outside, “Providing a space for people to yell and scream and say extremely derogatory and inappropriate things to strangers on the internet is not going to help out public lands in any way.”

Her concern is largely about harassment and disproportionate ridicule for relatively minor, innocent mistakes. Steve is attempting to address such concerns by balancing influencer critique with educational environmental posts, such as cautioning against common practices like rock stacking and geotagging.

The solution to irresponsible environmental behavior isn’t simple. The question is: Is shaming influencers online actually productive, or is it just plain bullying?


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SpaceX launches beer malt, more

On Thursday morning, SpaceX launched a Falcon rocket from Cape Canaveral, carrying a Dragon capsule containing a variety of goodies for six astronauts currently in the International Space Station. The three-ton shipment includes “mighty mice” for a mice muscle study, a robot that’s sensitive to astronauts’ emotions, a mini version of Anheuser-Busch’s malt house, and holiday treats for the astronauts.

The shipment of mice totals 40, including eight with twice the muscle mass of regular mice. It might sound like a creature from your nightmares, but these mice will actually assist in the study of muscle and bone buildup, which could eventually help astronauts stay fit on long journeys.

The capsule will also include a plastic 3D-printed robot head equipped with an artificial intelligence named Cimon. This robot is designed to show empathy toward its six human colleagues on the space station.

As for the malt house, it’s the third in a series of Budweiser experiments to examine how barley germination is affected by weightlessness. The barley grains aboard the Dragon capsule will be used for a beer-malting experiment, and if we had to guess, this is likely the most anticipated cargo among astronauts.


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Top Mai Tais in Honolulu and Waikiki

The Mai Tai is the quintessential beach drink of the Hawaiian islands. Sipping one while kicked back on a beach lounger is part of the vacation experience — especially if it comes garnished with a bright pink cocktail umbrella. The taste has something to do with how it became the drink of paradise, but it’s more than that. In Hawaii, the Mai Tai — a rum-based cocktail traditionally made with orgeat, lime juice, orange curaçao, and demerara simple syrup — is woven into the fabric of modern history.

There’s some debate over who invented the original Mai Tai. By most accounts, it was bartender Victor Bergeron, also known as Trader Vic. He, along with Donn Beach, are credited with kickstarting the tiki bar and restaurant craze in the 1940s. According to legend, Bergeron created the drink in 1944 with J. Wray and Nephew’s 17-year-old Jamaican rum at his Trader Vic’s restaurant in Oakland, California. He named it after the Tahitian phrase maita’i roa a’e, or, “out of this world.” Beach, it should be noted, claims Bergeron was inspired by a punch from his Don the Beachcomber restaurant, though Bergeron writes in his bartender’s guide book that “anyone who says I didn’t create this drink is a dirty stinker.”

As Bergeron helped create a thirst for pan-Polynesian and Caribbean themed restaurants through his Trader Vic franchise, the Mai Tai’s popularity spread. The drink morphed into its modern iteration when Bergeron brought the cocktail to the shores of Honolulu in 1953. That year, Bergeron was commissioned by Matson Navigation Company to make a signature cocktail for its luxury hotel, the Royal Hawaiian, in Waikiki. In a twist on his standard Mai Tai, Bergeron took one of Hawaii’s most popular produce exports, pineapple, and added a splash of the fruit’s juice to the drink. It’s a citrus boost that dramatically altered the Mai Tai, and it’s still the way many people prefer to order the cocktail to this day.

Bergeron’s reinterpretation lives on at the legendary Mai Tai Bar at the Royal Hawaiian, but it’s not the only hotel bar where the drink has a long history or takes center stage.

Whether you’re looking to have a Sunday Funday or simply want to sit by the pool and chill with a frosted beverage, there are a handful of bars on Oahu to sip on several Mai Tais as part of a tiki-themed tour.

1. Royal Hawaiian’s Mai Tai Bar

Photo: Mai Tai Bar/Facebook

This beachfront bar is where the Mai Tai was first served in Hawaii, and much of the pink-themed decor, including beach umbrellas, chairs, and the drink menu, exists as it did more than half a century ago. The classic Mai Tai created by Bergeron comes loaded with a playful garnish: a combination of a lime and pineapple wedge, plus a maraschino cherry. It’s an often Instagrammed cocktail, but the most essential Mai Tai on the menu is actually Vic’s original recipe that dates back to 1944. That drink, called the Vic ‘44, substitutes in lime juice and mixes in Pyrat XO Reserve Rum, an aromatic Caribbean-style rum that’s similar in substance and quality to rums Vic used to rely on (the original J. Wray and Nephew 17-year-old one isn’t made anymore, and it’s so rare that bottles often cost thousands of dollars on the secondary market).

Where: 2259 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815

2. Moana Surfrider’s The Beach Bar

Photo: The Beach Bar at The Moana Surfrider/Facebook

Vic also created the drink menu at this beachside bar located in the courtyard of the Moana Surfrider, a hotel with an upper-crust Victorian vibe. Find a seat in the shade underneath historic banyan trees and order up a “torch lighter.” That’s the Beach Bar’s take on a Mai Tai, which is a slightly more advanced and elevated take on the one Vic first imagined. It’s loaded with fruit flavors, including banana liqueur, passionfruit, and cranberry juice crowned atop the drink along with a floater shot of Hawaii’s very own Kula Dark Rum, a craft spirit made in Maui.

Where: 2365 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815

3. Duke’s Waikiki

Photo: Duke’s Waikiki

This throwback lunch and dinner spot is popular with surfers on the uber-trendy Kalakaua Avenue, and it’s a great spot to people watch — especially those who have had a few too many at the Barefoot Bar. But drinker beware: You’ll want to go easy on the Mai Tais because they pack a one-two rum punch. Duke’s classic Mai Tai calls for a blend of two high-proof Old Lahaina rums from Maui. Each cocktail is also topped off with a proprietary mix of four juices (pineapple, passion, orange, and guava) that’s bold and refreshing enough to mask the potency of what you’re drinking.

Where: 2335 Kalakaua Ave #116, Honolulu, HI 96815

4. Alohilani Swell Bar

Photo: Alohilani Resort

The all-new Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach opened earlier this year and blends indoor and outdoor experiences in two classy bar options: a refined lobby bar, O Bar, situated next to a massive aquarium where schools of fish swim around you, or a raucous and fun rooftop bar, called Swell Bar, located next to an infinity pool and private cabanas that also play host to revelers who imbibe as part of an epic “Sunday Club,” aka brunch, followed by DJ sets.

The Mai Tais here reflect the A-list atmosphere of these swankier digs. For $15, you get a blend of Bacardi Gran Reserva light and dark rums, shaken with Ferrand Dry Curaçao, Disaronno amaretto, and a splash of both pineapple juice and fresh lime sour.

Where: 2490 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815

5. Splash Bar

Photo: Sheraton Princess Kaiulani

For one of the best deals on a Mai Tai, visit the legendary Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Splash Bar, an outdoor poolside bar with one of the longest-running daily happy hours in Waikiki, from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The special rotates to a new tiki drink each day. On Fridays, aka Mai Tai day, the classic cocktail with a floater of dark rum goes for $9. Or sample the “Three Way Tai” platter, which is a tray of three Mai Tais served in a classic variety, mango flavor, and cachaça-spiked trio. It’s also a bargain, as the three drinks go for just $21.

Where: 120 Kaʻiulani Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815

6. Mina’s Fish House

Photo: Mina’s Fish House/Facebook

Michael Mina is a James Beard Award “Best Chef” winner, and he’s also the brains behind one of the top fish houses on the western coast of Oahu: Mina’s Fish House, located inside the Four Seasons Ko Olina resort. Ko olina means “place of joy” in Hawaiian, and fresh cuts of sashimi and raw seafood platters that range from oysters on the half-shell to crab legs certainly spark joy. Executive chef Garrick Mendoza diligently works in the kitchen with “fish sommelier” Ryan Houser, who can pair whatever your drinking with one of several catches of the day. The restaurant is a literal “line-to-table” way of eating.

But the best reason to book a reservation in advance is for drinks that come with the island’s best sunsets, which times to just after happy hour (3:00 PM to 5:00 PM). The favorite cocktail with both tourists and locals is the “If You Can, Can,” a classic take on a Mai Tai that’s garnished with fresh mint. It’s served in a tin can of Spam, which also is a nod to Hawaii’s preference for this shelf-staple pantry item.

Of course, if you’re in search of a cure-all Mai Tai fix, visit the Four Seasons pool at 2:00 PM and find bartender Zane Lawson, who goes by the name of Dr. Mai Tai. He mixes several varieties from a bicycle cart with free samples for hotel guests with a “prescription” of legal drinking age.

Where: 92-1001 Olani St, Kapolei, HI 96707


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