Foodie Friday: Grilling Out All Over the World

Grilling is synonymous with Fourth of July. The idea of throwing some meat on the grill and spending an afternoon with friends and family outside in the yard just screams patriotism. I am personally a huge fan of barbecue, love cook outs and definitely look forward to chowing down on some delicious burgers and hot dogs this Fourth of July.

But grilling is not just an American tradition. In fact, many other countries have been cooking up various meats over an open flame for decades. The world is filled with great grilling.

The South Africans love to grill, or as they call it braai. In fact, they have a National Braai Day in September. They love to grill boerewors (a kind of sausage), as well as steaks, chicken and chops. When I visited South Africa, our friend took us to a restaurant that specialized in braai. Since we didn't know much about the meat selection, our friend took care of ordering, and a few minutes later we were served a wooden plank piled high with smoked chicken and steak, as well as liver, heart and kidney.

Braai in South Africa

If you've been to a Latin-style restaurant, you've probably seen "asado" somewhere on the menu. This is the South American word for grill, so when you order carne asada, it's just grilled steak. Asado is huge in South America. It's just a wood fire, burnt down to coals, topped with metal crosses that hold chunks of meat. The meat doesn't need much, just salt before and during grilling. Obviously, you can add a marinade if so desired, but all this meat really needs is a little salsa, and you've got one delicious meal.

Everyone loves a good kabob, and in Southeast Asia, they cook up their own version called Satay. It takes many different forms depending on the region. You can find cow and goat meat boiled and grilled from Western Sumatra, or tenderized water buffalo meat covered in coconut-milky sauce from an area in Java. All meat is strung together by a skewer and grilled over a fire.

A major part of Japanese cuisine is Hibashi, a form of cooking meat, veggies and noodles over a grill. It's the main form of cooking in many restaurants across the country, and people love to watch as grillers mix up scrumptious bowls of food. The video above gives you an idea of this form of grilling.

There are plenty of other styles of grilling going on all over the world, from Chuanr/Char Siu in China to Mangal in the Middle East. While I'll be enjoying some classic American grilling this evening – hamburger, hot dogs and sausages over a charcoal or gas grill – I definitely look forward to trying some of these other specialities sometime in the future.

Throwback Thursday: The World Cup in South Africa

Four years ago, my fiancé (then boyfriend) and I traveled to South Africa with my family for the World Cup. We spent two weeks in Durban, watched five matches, explored the city and it's nightlife and took two days to embark on a safari. It was an incredible experience. Educational, eye-opening and flat-out fun! In honor of #ThrowbackThursday, here's a few of my favorite pictures from that trip. If you want to read more about trip, check out my post on Durban and how the World Cup brought everyone together.

Travel Trends and Top Destinations in 2011

2010 is officially over, and the new year holds pros and cons for the travel industry, as well as some exciting destinations for all of us.

Last year was turbulent in travel, to say the least. According to statistics, more people flew in 2010, but less flights were available to accommodate this 3% increase from the year before. This meant packed flights and barely any overhead baggage space. This trend will most likely continue into 2011 as airlines are still minimizing their flights to cut costs. Plus, airlines are benefiting from baggage and flight change fees, and they need to make a profit wherever they can. On top of that, travelers can expect to pay higher prices for tickets since oil prices have increased.

When it comes to purchasing tickets, it may be even more difficult to reserve through online travel agencies with all the disputes with the airlines that want to cut out the middle man. Southwest only posts their ticket prices on their website, forcing fliers to go there in order to buy seats. American Airlines just pulled its flight listings from Orbitz and Expedia due to the high fees to have them on the sites.

As many of you may have noticed, more flights were canceled in 2010 than in previous years, due mostly to airlines attempting to avoid fees for long tarmac waits, but also because of severe weather conditions and unforeseen natural disasters--a certain volcano comes to mind. It's safe to assume that there will be just as many, if not more, canceled flights in 2011, unless the weather chooses to cooperate--which it never does. The good news is that the same amount of flights arrived on time in 2010 as in 2009, so hopefully this consistency will hold strong. Also, there were far less delays reported last year, a good sign for future travel convenience.

Social Media will continue to play a large part in travel and tourism. For my loyal readers, you may recall a post I did last year talking about travel apps for smart phones, as well as growing websites designed to aid travelers with a number of different needs. Well, more of those will be popping up all over the place. This year, more people will be using Facebook and Twitter to find information on destination, travel deals, cheap airfare and hotel reviews. As far as airlines, hotels and travel companies go, social media outlets will be used to promote exclusive deals and incentives that can only be accessed through networking sites. 

Now for the really fun stuff...the hot spots to visit in 2011!

2011 marks the anniversary of...well...a lot. And industry experts say that's a draw for many travelers. Peru, while always a popular tourist location, will draw even more crowds this year as it celebrates the 100th anniversary of the rediscovery of Machu  Picchu, an Inca landmark dating back to the 15th century. The organization managing the upkeep of this historic site will be holding events and celebrations all year long to commemorate the gorgeous mountain-top ruins.

China is also celebrating a milestone this year with the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Republican Revolution, also called the Xinhai Revolution. This moment was a significant event for the Chinese culture in the 20th century, and numerous events are planned in its honor. It's unknown what kind of celebrations will be held, but expect there to be many parades and impressive firework displays.

Fifty years ago, the Berlin Wall fell, and travelers are heading to Germany to celebrate this historic event. The city is expected to finish a long-term project this year that marks the wall's old path through Berlin.

2011 is also a sad reminder of the horrible attacks that occurred ten years ago on September 11. Millions of Americans and foreign travelers will gather around ground zero to view the impressive National September 11 Memorial, consisting of two pools appropriately named "Reflecting Absence." These are a representation of the footprints left by the towers, as well as those who perished. An underground museum will also be featured as part of the memorial. The collection includes artifacts, photographs, memorabilia and recorded testimonies of the event. The main exhibitions are located at bedrock, the heart of the World Trade Center. Visitors will be able to view the Vesey Street Stair remains, also known as the "Survivor's Stairs," as they were used by hundreds to escape the destruction. Guests can see the foundations of the towers and the "Last Column." In the Memorial Plaza, visitors can gaze at the 3,000+ names engraved around the pools honoring all those who died.

There are many popular locations that are not celebrating an anniversary but are just as noteworthy. After hosting the World Cup last year, South Africa has exploded as a top vacation spot. The great thing about this year is there will not be as many people, so tourists can take full advantage of the renovated facilities left over from the tournament. A number of travel packages are being offered that tour the countries beautiful landscapes and diverse cities, particularly Cape Town and Johannesburg--the two largest cities in South Africa. If you decide to go, look into booking a safari in Kruger National Park, which features 145 different mammals.

Another country with strong ties to soccer is Brazil. With the World Cup coming in 2014, and the Olympics in 2016, Brazil is using their newly found publicity to promote it's beautiful beach resorts and exotic culture. It still has a few years to boost its infrastructure, but all the sporting attention is sure to draw a crowd.

With the royal wedding months away, London is certainly getting a lot of attention. The Prince's marriage to long-time sweetheart, Kate Middleton, is causing not only locals to get excited, but tourists as well. Everyone wants to get in on the action. While London may be incredibly busy come April, the wedding is boosting tourism interest for the summer months, too, as more and more people sign-up for tours of the royal buildings and historic sites--not to mention a tour of all the notable locations around the city that are significant to William and Kate's long courtship.

Other locations of note to visit this year are Stockholm, Sweden--thanks to the overwhelming popularity of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" book series--and Greece--which is celebrating the 2,500th anniversary of the original marathon. For even more exciting places to visit in 2011, check out Bing's Top Destinations Slide Show.

So here's to a new year of exciting travel adventures! Happy trails everyone!

World Cup Creates Unity in South Africa and the World

Crowds of people dance in the streets, waving their country flags proudly and wailing on vuvuzelas. The loud, incessant horns seem never ending as I enter the stadium to witness my first ever World Cup match. But while this is an important moment for me personally, it's even more monumental on a universal scale. 

South Africa is the first African nation to host the World Cup. For the longest time the country was divided by prejudice and hate during the Apartheid era. But since Nelson Mandela came to power, South Africa has worked to be a more peaceful and united country. And now the whole world is watching. The World Cup is a way to show everyone how far they have come, and it needs to go off without a hitch. But unfortunately media outlets across the world created false impressions of how dangerous South Africa was. Many people decided not to come, fearing terrorist attacks and violent crime. I'll plead guilty to having doubts, I was definitely apprehensive when we first arrived in Africa. Since all I had ever heard was negative hype that claimed tourists would be robbed, mugged or murdered on the street, and terrorists would roll out with machine guns. It was and still is pathetic that I ever had these thoughts, but it was what was flashed in front of me for so long. I had studied Apartheid, knew the horrors or Uganda and Rwanda, fear was pitted in my stomach.

But South Africa is nothing like people made it out to be. Or at least, the South Africa that I saw. Durban is full of friendly, helpful people just trying to get by. It's no less safe than America, and in fact, there were times I felt safer in Durban than I did in some neighborhoods of Chicago. Of course, thanks to the World Cup, police swarmed the city like flies hovering over food. But I have a feeling that even without the increase in security, Durban would have been peaceful. The people want to be respected, the country wants to burn their bloody past, and Soccer is the way to do it.

Durban built a brand new soccer stadium for the tournament, The Moses Mabhiba Stadium, complete with seating for 70,000 spectators. The impressive arch that sweeps over the pitch features a cable car that runs on non-game days, taking visitors up over the stadium, giving them unparalleled views of Durban.  When the stadium is packed with people, it's even more impressive. This is where everyone, from all over the world, is joined together, experiencing the same match. Every game, we sat in a different part of the stadium, and this provided us with various viewpoints of the field as well as the fans. We made friends with people sitting around, bonding over nothing more than the fact that we all had a ticket to a World Cup game. It no longer mattered what country we were from, everyone was a soccer fan, everyone was there for the same reason. The World Cup brought everyone together, and I believe South Africa accomplished what they wanted all along: Unity.

Durban: Beach Capital of South Africa

Located in the KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa, Durban is a coastal city full of great food, friendly people and gorgeous beaches. My two week stay here could not have been more perfect, with the exception of a few cold days when we first arrived. Since it's winter in South Africa, most of the country is relatively cold, with temperatures ranging 35-50 degrees; but Durban is the warmest place we could be, and they were proud to announce that throughout the city. The coldest day we had was probably the day we arrived, when it was at a brisk 60 degrees. But a majority of the time we had beautiful, sunny weather, and I only needed to wear a light jacket in the evenings when we went out. But enough about the weather, cause who really wants to hear about that?

On the day of our arrival, we anxiously awaited our luggage and picked up our World Cup tickets at the airport. With only some slight issues, we made it to the car rental and picked up our vehicles. Little did we know that South Africa was one of the few countries where people drive on the other side of the road. This was no problem for my dad, being from England and all, but my mom was not so thrilled. I had the lovely honor of navigating her into the city, keeping a close eye on that left-hand side as it inched close to curbs and other obstacles on the highway. After about 15 close calls and 8 heart attacks, we arrived at our destination, our humble abode for the remainder of the trip.

Our home for two weeks was a self-serve villa in the Sydenham neighborhood. It sat cozily on a hill bordered by quaint little homes, all barricaded by thick concrete walls and remote controlled gates. Signs for "Armed Response" hung near the entrances, warning any who may try to invade. Butterflies built in my stomach. Were we in a safe place? It didn't help that no one was around to greet us when we arrived, there were no instructions on what to do, how to get in. My mom and I, being overly cautious, wouldn't allow my boyfriend, Steve, to talk to anyone who happened to walk by. We were completely out of our element. Luckily, a woman from the little hotel across the street came to let us in, giving us the key and showing us the complex. The fear passed, excitement grew.

After settling in, purchasing food for the kitchen, getting unpacked, we headed out to explore Durban.

As mentioned, the beaches in Durban are incredible. I could have spent days just lounging at one of the many coastal cafes, sipping a cocktail and enjoying the breeze off the Indian Ocean. Luckily, our schedule allowed me to spend a lot of time near the water, and I definitely appreciated the peaceful moments of relaxation. And there weren't many thanks to the massive crowds of soccer fans that bombarded the fan center to watch every game broadcast on a big screen. But the atmosphere was electric, making the experience even more enjoyable.

As much as I would like to tell you that animals roamed freely around the city and we had to fight off monkeys so they wouldn't take our food at restaurants and bars, that was not the case at all. Durban is a very modern and westernized city, with malls and apartment buildings and event centers. It's not the image you think of when you hear Africa. To get that, you have to drive a few hours outside the city center--which we did get to do when we went on a safari, but that's another entry entirely.

Durban is a resort city, and people from all over Africa and the world come here to relax. Because of the high volume of tourists, there are countless restaurants and delicious cuisine options to choose from. We tried everything from Italian and Indian eateries, to traditional African barbeque and bunny chow. That's right, bunny chow. It's basically the South African version of a chili bowl. You pick your protein--beef, chicken, prawns, lamb--and then they spice it up with a yummy curry sauce and place it all in a loaf of bread. Then you enjoy!

The day we tried South African barbeque, our friend Lynette--who is a local from Durban--took us out to one of the townships. I have to admit I was a little apprehensive at first. You hear all these rumors about the townships in Africa, the poverty and the crime and how dangerous it can be to visit them. But since Lynette was with us, along with three guys over 6 feet tall, I figured we were pretty safe. When we pulled up to the restaurant and hopped out of the car, we received quite a few stares. And it was to be expected, we were the only white people there. But they didn't stare at us out of hate, but rather out of shock and curiosity. It was intimidating. We stepped inside and peered through the glass case that held all the uncooked meat. Lynette told us to pick what we wanted and she would tell the women our order. So we picked four large cuts of beef, figuring that would suffice. Then she took it into her own hands to order us a liver, kidney and heart as well. My stomach started to churn.

After salting and seasoning the meat, and cooking it over an open flame for what felt like forever, our lunch was served to us on a large wooden plank with piles of salt sitting next to the slabs of beef. A styrofoam box came with the food, which I figured was where we placed any bones or leftovers. But when I glanced inside there was a potato-like substance inside. Lynette told me it was mashed grains that they heated and solidified into blocks. Pretty much like a version of mashed potatoes, but this you can eat with a toothpick. In fact, we ate everything with toothpicks. The meat was cooked until it was moist and tender, just right for my palate. The guys dove right into the good stuff, but I was hesitant to touch anything that resided within the cow's ribcage. Before I got my courage up, the heart was gone. So I tried a small sliver the of the kidney and liver. I'm happy to report it tasted pretty good, thanks to the extra salt and sauce I dipped it in. The biggest thing to get past is the texture--and the knowledge of what you're eating.

Since I was on this trip with my brother and his friends, I got a pretty decent look at the Durban night life. One of our favorite hangouts was a place on the beach called Joe Cool's. It's pretty much a sports bar, but it has different levels you can access by ramps or stairs, a large dance floor in the main room, tons of patio space and three bar areas to order copious amounts of alcohol, which we did with pleasure. We soon discovered that Florida Street is the place to go in Durban for restaurants, bars and clubs. And it definitely has a wide variety of options to choose from. A walk down this street doesn't disappoint. There were a number of dance clubs that Lynette took us to, but I'm not much of a clubber, so unfortunately I cannot report accurately the quality of these places. But if it helps, the guys seemed to have a pretty good time.

After two short weeks in Durban, we reluctantly packed our things, locked up the villa and headed to the airport to embark on the long journey home. As much as I was ready to get back to Chicago and my real life, I was sad to leave this city I had grown so attached to. It will forever hold the memories of our World Cup trip, and I won't soon forget the times we had there. I can honestly mark this South Africa trip as one of the best vacations I have ever had, and I definitely intend on returning in the future.

Back with a Vengeance

After a long absence, I have returned!

I have to apologize for how bad I've been about posting. I realize there is no legitimate excuse for my carelessness, but I'm going to make an attempt anyway. First of all, I had to finish up my internships and get through my final weeks of graduate school. Then I had to spend hours applying for one job after another as well as running around Chicago to attend interviews. You should all be happy to know that I have completed my masters and am now working full-time as a copy writer for a marketing company. Yes, you can celebrate my good fortune, I know I am. Second, as you all know I had a very important trip to South Africa and the World Cup, and let's face it, I was way too preoccupied with happenings there to post anything.

But now I have returned, as dedicated as ever to reporting on the various travel stories and personal anecdotes that I find interesting. (I don't really care if you don't think they're interesting, cause it's my blog.) As you may have noticed, I've done a little rearranging and redesigning to my page, and I think this new layout is rather fitting. So with all that has happened and all the changes going on in my life, it's gonna be a lot to cover.

So let's dive right into it shall we?

Preparing for the Big Trip

According to my countdown widget, in 45 days I will be leaving for South Africa. So far, my preparations have been limited to getting my immunization shots. Now, I am starting to think about what I'll need to bring along for the journey. Considering I may not have a washer/dryer available to me, I need to make sure I have enough clothes to last me at least two weeks, plus clothes for the six days of traveling to and from Durban (yes, it takes that long). Plus, I'll need toiletries, shoes (at least 3 pairs), books, my journal (can't go anywhere without it), my ipod, vitamins and all the prescriptions I need to take while I'm there. After running through this laundry list of essentials, I started to wonder what the hell I would pack it all in.

And then Daily Candy Travel sent me their weekly article, and my dreams of finding the perfect luggage were realized. There in the article was a list of adorable carry-on bags, perfect for stowing all my necessities for those long overnight flights and even longer layovers. Now, I will admit the one that caught my eye is way out of my price-range (what can I say, I have expensive taste), but it seems to appropriate for my destination based on its style. I mean, the name alone is enough to make me want it: Urbane Village- Doctor's Bag. How cool does that sound? But to the chagrin of my finances, I turned away from the seemingly perfect bag, and considered the others that seemed just as nice, and probably more practical for my trip. The Large Weekender from LeSportSac is a little more reasonably priced and has a ton of outside pockets, perfect for storing small electronics or books or travel documents--anything I need to access quickly. The cheapest bag was the Canvas Overnight bag from JCrew. Basically, it's a duffel bag, which would be fine for someone like me with a limited income. And for an extra $10, I can get a personal monogram etched on the side! Let me think, what should it say? Hmmm...Well, that will have to wait until another day.

Once the bag is purchased, however, the real challenge begins. I have never been the most efficient packer--more often than not I find myself sprawled on top of the suitcase, shoving the contents down as much as possible while battling with the zipper. So how I will fit everything will be interesting, surely a worthy story for a post. I will keep you updated on my preparations as the departure date nears.

South Africa is Booked!!!

For those of you who have been paying attention to my blog, I mentioned a couple weeks ago how expensive flights to South Africa are and the difficulty we have had in booking them.

Well, no need to worry further...our flights are completely booked!!

Thanks to my parents insane determination--and many, many frequent flier miles--we successfully found flights. Admittedly, it is going to be a long trip, but it's a sacrifice we are willing to make. First, my boyfriend and I fly from Chicago to Newark and meet my parents there, then we all fly over the pond together to Lisbon. We have to stay a night in Lisbon, but I've never been to Portugal, so that makes it all the more exciting. Then we fly from Lisbon, have a stop over in Mosambique, and then arrive in Johannesburg. The final leg is Johannesburg to Durbin. Yeah, it's gonna take us about three days to travel there, but that's half the fun, right?

Needless to say, I am very excited for this trip. The flights are set, the hotel is booked. Now all we have to do is wait. Wait for the matches to be decided--so we know who we'll be watching during the tournament. And wait for that glorious June day when we board the plane for our African journey.

Struggling with Airfares

I know that right now is a great time to travel. Hotel deals galore, cheap flights, and easier ways for people to redeem miles. But my family and I are still battling with finding reasonable flights for the world cup next summer.

"But it's 8 months away!" You might be thinking.

Well, unfortunately because it is such a big event and the destination can take two days to reach, we need to jump on flights right now. But every time we search on any combination of options--Chicago to London to Johannesburg, or New York to Paris to Johannesburg--we are looking at prices far exceeding $2000. That is just way outside our price range, especially me and my boyfriend who are struggling graduate students.

But it isn't just the expensive airfare that poses an issue. Once we get to Johannesburg, we then have to find a way to Durbin, the city where we have tickets for games. The easiest option is to fly because it gives us more time to get there before the first match, but that's more money--as you can imagine. The train takes the whole night and we would arrive just before the game and a day later than our hotel check-in date, and the bus takes even longer.

I am tempted at this point to reach out to anyone in the travel business who may be able to find us a good deal. If we can't find one soon, we may have to bite the bullet and book the expensive flights.

I'm gonna need to start saving.