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What The Mayan Afterlife Looks Like: A Photo Of Cenote Sambula In Valladoild, Mexico

by Anil Polat | Dec 17, 2013 | Culture, Green, Pictures and Video | 19

cenote zaci valladolid mexico

Cenotes are freshwater pools formed when limestone beneath the Earth’s surface dissolves or collapses exposing the water table. Invisible until some of the rock ceiling caves in, the most famous cenotes like Zaci are large: 80 meters deep (265 feet) and 45 meters (148 ft) wide. Crude numbers that don’t capture how visually surprising Cenote Zaci is at first glance at the end of its narrow staircase entrance.

Mayan communities often centered themselves physically and culturally around cenotes as these freshwater supplies were believed to be windows to the afterlife. Valuables (plus the occasional young woman) were ritualistically thrown into them to appeal or appease any number of Mayan gods. These days only tourists toss themselves gently into the chilly waters from steps leading into them; while a blogger’s cold toes recommended they instead snap photos from higher above.

Globally cenotes are usually isolated formations, but on the Yucatan Peninsula over 6,000 connect along what happens to be part of the 565 kilometer (350 miles) Chicxulub Crater‘s edge. A massive hole caused by a 10 km (6 mile) wide asteroid (or comet) which sent most dinosaurs to the reptile afterlife 66 million years ago. Cenote Zaci is a window to that world as well, watched over by dinosaur’s last living descendants we call birds, who swirl in flight at the entrance above the caves.

Answers To All The Questions You’re Likely To Ask Before Visiting Yemen

by Anil Polat | Dec 12, 2013 | Advice, Security, Travel Unravel | 26

al reyadi yemen

Yemen is one of the most internally contradicting countries I have ever visited, which is why I’m not surprised it’s the place I get the most varied questions about regularly. For some, the uncertainty immediately discounts Yemen as a travel destination, though I suspect if you’re asking, the confusion is what’s peaking your interest.

Why Would I Want To Go To Yemen?

For starters, Yemen is a large country that includes the Socotra archipelago, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which you can visit without having to stop in the mainland first. (There are direct flights from the United Arab Emirates.) Socotra has more than 700 species of wildlife and plant not found anywhere else on the planet, with hardly any tourists visiting its beautiful beaches outlining what many consider Earth’s most alien landscape. I traveled to Yemen with my friend and fellow blogger Wandering Earl, who shows you why you should travel to Socotra below.

Travelers Interested In The Mainland – These are some of the reasons to visit Yemen I’ve written about previously.

What Is A Reputable Tour Company, Do I Need One?

Travelers to the mainland not leaving the capitol Sana’a don’t need a guide but the government requires foreigners to obtain permits before visiting other non-restricted parts of the country. Only a registered travel agency in Yemen can get those permits for you and not using a guide makes the country extremely difficult to navigate. I used and would highly recommend local company Eternal Yemen. (When making arrangements, ask for driver Ali, who’s one of the nicest people to chew khat with.)

manakah yemen

How Dangerous Is Yemen?

There is no simple answer and I’ve written in detail whether is it safe to travel to Yemen or not. Access to most of the country’s volatile regions is restricted by the government and if you use a reputable agency like Eternal Yemen, you won’t go anywhere near them. Eternal Yemen also arranges quality guides and drivers; the second point being an important one, as Yemen’s roads are some of the world’s deadliest.

hayab yemen

While Traveling In Yemen, Did I See Anything That Concerned Me?

A lot at first! What I mean is that in the mainland (not Socotra) there are security checkpoints with armored guards frequently in Sana’a and along the roads throughout cities. It looks less safe than it is, particularly inside of Sana’a where the amount of heavily armed checkpoints immediately draws your attention. Outside of the capitol, the towns are remote, have low populations, and I can describe as laid back.

bokur yemen

How Welcoming Are Yemenis To Foreigners, Americans, Or Other Westerners?

Very. I traveled with height-advantaged Bostonian Wandering Earl and everyone was very friendly. I never once felt unsafe or anything negative from the Yemenis I met. In the old market in Sana’a, everyone will want to talk to you, practice English, and are curious in a good way. That’s common around the country. (And if you are a Turkish man, everyone will call you Murat, I can’t count how many times I discussed Kurtlar Vadisi with locals.)

What Is It Like For Women Traveling In Yemen?

Tina Zorman, who runs Eternal Yemen, shared with us everything you might want to know about solo female travel to Yemen.

Should I Buy Travel Insurance For Yemen?

Generally speaking, it’s never a good idea to travel without insurance. Many of the reasons you need travel insurance were covered in my recent live chat with Katrina Greeves and in Yemen you might want to consider ransom insurance as well. Although the odds of kidnapping happening to you are overwhelmingly low (1-2 foreigners kidnapped monthly out of the 500,000 in Yemen) companies like Clements have plans that pay ransoms. A good precaution to take as the average kidnapping in Yemen lasts less than 48 hours – for a price.

I Enjoy Yemeni Culture, But Am Also Interested In Socotra Island. Is It worth Going For The Cultural Aspect?

There aren’t a lot of people to interact with, simply because Socotra’s so sparsely populated. You’ll likely have a guide(s) with you who will be Socotri (completely different language, distinct culture that’s a blend of east African-SE Asian) who can help you connect with other locals. I recommend you visit, I don’t think there is any place quite like it. So few people go, it’s hardly been touched by tourism, I found the people fascinating and they were just as interested in me.

socotra island dock

Can I Go Out At Night In Yemen?

Depends on where you are in the country – there is a lot of regional variation. Outside of Sana’a you probably wouldn’t have many options or reasons to go out. I felt it was safe in general but it’s important to take the advice of your guide/hotel manager/etc. You’ll have to read between the lines a bit as they don’t overtly tell you to avoid specific places but hint at it strongly. Go with their advice and all should be well.

sanaa yemen rainbow

What Should I Wear?

You can dress in typical Western clothes, though shorts would stand out and isn’t generally seen there. Also, bring warm clothes, in mainland Yemen nights are chilly, especially up in the mountains.

Let Me Know If You’re Ready To Go Or Want More To Know

Hopefully I’ve been able to clear up some aspects of traveling in Yemen for you although there’s a good chance all I’ve done is confused you further. If it’s the former and you’re considering going, here’s a bit more on how to travel to Yemen and Socotra. For everyone else, feel free to ask anything I may not have covered above in the comments below.

My Top 5 Best Cities For Street Food

by Anil Polat | Dec 10, 2013 | Culture, Food | 33

best street food in the world

There is something about food being prepared without walls, under a sorry excuse for a roof barely out of traffic’s way, that’s perversely enticing. Plumes of smoke accompanied by sounds of crackling grease and popping animal bits call for you to enjoy one of the simplest forms of cuisine where chef, ingredient, kitchen, and customer are all within arm-length.

At its worst street food is a low budget equivalent of a colonic – at its best the most memorable of calories we can consume on our travels. I obviously haven’t been to every city or country (although I’m working on that) but to answer a question I get often, these are the places where I’ve had the best street food.

5. Manila, Philippines

The Philippines introduced me to a number of new tastes and although it’s probably most famous for its unfertilized duck fetus balut, I would recommend starting out slower with kwek kwek. A version of tokneneng (fried hard boiled eggs), kwek kwek is a quail egg fried in orange batter, often served with a side of vinegar sauce for dipping. Follow that up with a sweet like banana cue – deep fried banana coated with brown sugar served on a stick – and then continue eating with these 12 must-try street foods in Manila.

filipino flag

4. Oaxaca, Mexico

The foods of southern Mexico are colorful and much like Manila, Oaxaca’s standout street fare is chapulines, simply because many visitors aren’t used to eating cooked grasshopper. Although chapulines shouldn’t be avoided (especially if you’re on a low carb diet) you can indulge your protein needs with other meats on top of a tlayuda. (Vegetarians can substitute eggs or squash.) Similarly stuffed with various ingredients its dough can barely handle are Oaxacan empanadas; a thin slice of Oaxaca’s cuisine.

oaxaca street food cart

3. Austin, Texas

Although almost all of the outdoor food here is sold from a cart, the uniformity stops there. The city’s motto, “keep Austin weird” really means keep it unique; which is why you don’t find chains of carts selling the same foods. It is hard to roundup the street eats in Texas’ state capitol where there’s a food cart or trailer on every corner you’re likely to be on. Many tourists end up on South Congress Avenue where Serious Eats recommends these 6 trucks and for everywhere else, consult Austin Food Carts for lunch, lunch, snack, and dinner.

austin texas capitol

2. Singapore

In a country whose workers put in more hours than most other nations and enacts a strict legal system, Singaporeans rebel among foods served by enthusiastic stall vendors. Open-air food markets like Newton Circus Food Centre are surprisingly chaotic as touts from over 50 stalls rush to offer you cuisine from all over Southeast Asia. It’s best to do a quick walk-through first so you don’t make any snap decisions; generally the center of the markets are calmest. (But hardly calm.) But if you do end up making a quick decision for the most part, it’s hard to go wrong.

singapore newton circus food centre

1. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

People ask me all the time where the best street food is, the answer is this city my friends http://t.co/wW9O11jCG5

— Anil (@foxnomad) October 3, 2013

petaling street kl street food

Rove around Kuala Lumpur’s shopping district Bukit Bitang, wandering right behind the expensive malls to find SB Corner, an inexpensive but impressive Malay buffet. There you’ll find Indian and Chinese reminiscent foods with Arab and Thai influences whose combination are really the essence of Malaysian cuisine. Mixing cultures is something that defines this religiously tolerant nation – as is food on a stick – like at my favorite nameless stall on Petaling Street.

Find The Best Street Food With Your Eyes

Stalls, especially those with less-than-hygienic appearances can be intimidating when you first arrive in a new city. To avoid illness the simplest advice I can give is to eat where you see a long line of locals. (Long line of tourists – do the opposite.)

Street Food Expert’s Tips – Jodi Ettenberg answered everything you want to know about street food in my live chat series.

Sub-par vendors can get away with giving temporary visitors diarrhea but wouldn’t last long by sickening their regulars. Order what everyone else is eating while keeping in mind to save a little space for the next appetizing dish that might be along your path.

Where’s the best street food you’ve ever had? Don’t forget to post links to any specific places we should eat at (if you’ve got them) in the comments below!

How The Framing Effect Screws You Out Of The Best Airfare Deals (And What To Do About It)

by Anil Polat | Nov 26, 2013 | Air, Money | 0

suleymaniye mosque istanbul cat

There are times of the year when bargains on airfare seem to be everywhere – particularly right before holiday seasons – but whether or not there’s an actual deal in front of us is often a matter of perception. We know our Paleolithic brains are loaded with biases that can prevent us from traveling; but the airlines are keenly aware of one particular predisposition which fools our minds into purchasing tickets we probably wouldn’t have otherwise.

What Is The Framing Effect?

Many of the decisions we make in life are evaluations of gain and loss, which sounds very logical, except that we’re easily swayed by how a given choice is presented to us. Human beings are highly biased against perceived loss – it’s the reason ground beef is sold as 80% lean rather than 20% fat. Studies have shown in experiments that subjects, when given a choice between two hypothetical political candidates, voted for the one campaigning for 90% employment versus 10% unemployment.

The framing effect makes you more likely to take a risk when the choice in front of you is presented with some negative outcome as opposed to a positive one. You’re much more likely to pay a $100 registration fee early to avoid a $30 fine, rather than take advantage of a $30 discount for early registration of $130.

In the first case your brain makes you feel like you’ve avoided something bad, in the latter, you’ve forgone a benefit that doesn’t make you feel as good inside. All of this, despite the fact that in both cases, the choices have the same outcome.

How Companies Flip The Narrative To Get You To Take Sub-Par Deals

During peak travel times, airfare goes up due to increased demand but to maintain sales and compete with other carriers they’ll often re-frame existing promotions to catch your attention. Some examples of airfare advertisements using the framing effect:

upside down alto sign

“Best Value” – Basically means the lowest price we offer. The word “value” often replaces “price” and “best” implies you don’t have to keep searching elsewhere.

“Save $100” – Deals presented this way are designed to make you not want to lose that $100; which may actually be a very small percentage off the total price of a given offering.

“Fly For $15!” – There may be one seat at this price but what such advertisements are really after are pulling you into a site. Once there and you can’t find the $15 ticket, you’ll likely take the next one up, even if it’s $159.

In the last example, you feel like you’ve already “lost” the $144 difference so are inclined to purchase immediately and forgo further searching elsewhere, avoiding another price increase.

Use Math To Jump Out Of The Frame

Our brains tend to go on autopilot whenever they can (the reason return trips always seem shorter than going somewhere) but being conscious of the framing effect before purchasing makes you much less susceptible to it. With that in mind, quantify the results the you find using the best airline search engines – if something is $50 or 15% off, calculate the total cost and keep a list. The raw prices will form a new frame you can use to stop chasing cheap flights to really save money on travel.

Maintain Intense Workouts While Traveling With This Portable Exercise Equipment (That Fits In Any Backpack)

by Anil Polat | Nov 21, 2013 | Health and Fitness, Luggage | 1

exercise backpack

One of the more frustrating aspects of traveling for me personally – and I suspect many of you health nuts as well – is being able to maintain a workout regimen. The exercise part isn’t terribly difficult to muster but it’s cultivating a challenging routine in changing environments that often suffers from a lack of time, gyms, and equipment. Although body weight exercises like this 5 minute hotel room workout are effective at burning calories and slowing muscle mass loss (or fat gain) you’ll need some gear to push yourself.

Since packing dumbbells isn’t practical (just imagine the luggage fees you’d have to avoid) instead of gravity, these tools exploit leverage, pushing your muscles to grow without the benefit of heavy weights.

1. Black Mountain Resistance Bands ($35)

One of the best gifts travelers can buy before the end of 2013 are these highly durable Black Mountain bands that can give you up to 35 kilograms (~75 pounds) of resistance. Highly recommended by fitness expert Yasmin Al-Atrache in my September live chat, the kit also comes with ankle straps, door anchors and occupies only about 640 cubic centimeters (6 x 7 x 6 inches) just under 1 kilo (2lbs).

Resistance Band Workouts – Men’s Fitness has an excellent full body workout (with video), Bodybuilding.com has two alternative routines, and Shape adds 9 low-intensity moves.

2. ProSource Dual Ab Wheel ($13)

Ab wheels are a somewhat neglected tool which provide an effective core and upper-body workout without the use of weights. For those of you unfamiliar ab wheel roll outs, this video shows a good example with proper form, and the clip below gives you an idea of possible variations.

The ProSource wheels are smaller than shown in these video examples (roughly 15 cm or 6 inches, across) and I prefer them because they can be quickly disassembled for packing.

3. Veloce Pushup Handles ($19.99)

The number of (proper) pushups you can do is a strong indicator of your overall fitness as well as a gauge of how well you might age later in life, according to most health experts. Using pushup handles can engage more of your chest muscles (since you can drop down further than a standard pushup) but a major benefit is strengthening your grip. And it’s not the guy or gal with the biggest triceps or bulging biceps that are the strongest in the gym, it’s the person who’s got the biggest forearms. I recommend the Veloce pushup handles because of their simple, light design that make them a cinch to pack clothes around.

veloce push up handles

Burn Calories And Ditch Jet Lag

I hate to break it to your friend who’s always going on about what a workout walking around a new city is but when you accurately calculate how many calories you burn sightseeing, it’s likely a lot less than you were hoping. Although any exercise is good exercise, the fact that you’re sore from walking for a few hours probably says more about what you need to be doing on a regular basis back home. (The browser plug-in FitBolt can help.) Aside from strengthening muscles, exercise 3 hours before you need to sleep can induce the right amount of cortisol to get you to dreamland, helping you get back on schedule in a new timezone.

Our bodies begin to lose maximum cardiovascular output after about 9 days and noticeable muscle mass after 3 weeks. The more in shape you are the faster it is to physically bounce back but to keep your motivation lifted at any level, don’t ever leave your workout (or portable equipment) too far behind.

About Anil Polat

Hi, I'm Anil. foXnoMad is where I combine travel and tech to help you travel smarter. I'm on a journey to every country in the world and you're invited to join the adventure! Read More