It's always interesting to explore the favorite pastimes and sports of the world. As an American I'm certainly familiar with basketball, baseball and a host of other pastimes but on the world stage I am only just beginning to learn, love and indulge in the international scene.One of my favorites is wrestling. Wrestling although an olympic sport is not a hugely popular sport in North America and is more commonly recognized as the WWF entertainment empire on television. The traditional sport of wrestling has historic roots dating back to the beginning of time and in the international sporting scene wrestling in wildly popular especially in places like Turkey and Africa. On a recent trip to West Africa I had the "pleasure" of a few firsthand matches of my own with a few of the nation's top wrestling All-Stars.I learned that for many Africans wrestling is a tradition and spiritual experience and for a lucky few it is a path out of poverty and the slums. Successful wrestlers can earn huge sums of money and enjoy popularity as much as American athletes. Wrestlers begin at a young age, in their villages and townships, and if good enough, win their way onto the national scene, where the stakes and money are extremely high. Matches are held in national stadiums and village squares on most weekends and draw tremendous crowds. Elders, men, women and children all attend eager to support their favorite wrestlers.The day at the stadium was great - adventure-filled with eye candy all over the place I thought I was going to have a case of whiplash before the day was over. Everyone paid their 25 CFA ($5.00 USD) and crammed into the concrete no-frills arena. As it was my first time, the fellas thought I would be more comfortable at the extreme top of the stands, but they quickly realized we'd be stuck up there, literally locked in by the massive crowd below for the rest of the day! We arrived at 3:00 in the afternoon and the matches began at 5:00, with major fan fare and pageantry, as each wrestler entered the arena with his entourage of drummers, dancers and holy trinkets to bless himself before entering the ring. The crowd roared to their feet - chanting, singing and screaming as their favorites ran around the arena taunting, posing and emphasizing their prowess. The matches lasted well into midnight before there was a final winner. And it took us yet another hour to depart as we had to wait for the people beneath us to exit the arena. Funny thing, there was this huge pit behind the stadium when we finally got out and there must have been more than a hundred men answering the call of nature in unison. Damn, what a photo that would've made! Bodybuilding is another sport I enjoy, albeit strictly as an observer. As health and fitness becomes more affordable and popular worldwide so does popularity in the sport. Bodybuilding has caught on like wildfire in the Dominican Republic, Africa and the Middle East on amateur and professional levels. There are so many interests and hobbies to pursue on your next adventure wherever it maybe. Take a chance and try something different for a change!
As the weather changes from hot to brisk to downright cold, the travel market shifts into the busy cruise season as travelers opt to sail the warm tropical waters of the world. So what is the big deal about sailing? Is it the right type of adventure for you? How and where does one begin?Cruising will be the next big boom in travel as the economy continues to find its way through the turmoil and drama of depression. Cruises are fantastic all inclusive bargains ranging from reasonable to absurd. Think activites, food and lodging all rolled up into one package with daily changing vistas and ports of call. No matter if you are a family, group or single! Cruisng offers something for everyone. Cruise Lines are many and even more numerous in their itenieries, services and costs. Cruise lines offer travelers opportunities to explore domestic and foriegn ports of call (destinations) without the necessities of passports and visas. Customs activities are completed onboard. Transfers and security clearance of luggage is handled at ship check-in and delivered to your cabin. Some cruise lines specialize in specific markets and pricing plans such as families, senior, LBGT and adventure travel. Much thought and consideration should be given to the type of adventure you desire, the location and type of cruiser you may be.Upon your arrival shipside you will process through three main registration points. The first will be at the departure hall where you will hand over all of your luggage except for a small hand bag or carry on that you are allowed to walk on. Your papers will be examined to ensure you are boarding the corect ship. You will be issued documentation for your luggage. You will then proceed to point two that is the actual beginning of the entrance on the ship. Your documentation will be verified and your picture will be taken as you verify payment has been comleted and you have been cleared homeland security and customs.You will be issued your ship ID and proceed onboard where you will begin the final check in that involves activating your ID card that is actually your cabin access key, credit card for all on board transactions and charges as well as your access key to board and exit the ship at ports of call.Finally on board and checked in you arrive at your cabin (hotel room). Cabins, sometimes called staterooms, vary from the simple to luxurious suites with over the top opulence. Cabins are classifed by their location, type of room and level of service offered.Basic cabin discriptions include the "Inside Cabin" that is on the lower end of the pricing scale because it is located on the inside of the ship, they do not have windows or balconies. The "Ocean View" so named because of their windows that give view to the open waterway, some have balconies. Finally the luxury suites with full balconies, bedrooms, dinningrooms and panaramic views are on the top tier of the pricing scales. Cabins are assigned a cabin boy or girl (housemen & maids)who take care of your cabin needs. You are expected to tip him or her at the end of the trip. (the suggested tip is $7 - $10.00 per day on board).
"THE FOOD" Without fail the most popular non stop activity onboard "24 hours per day" is eating. Numerous themed restaurants, pizzarias, cafes and room service serve a smorgasbord of international cuisine and favorites. The options vary from formal dress up in the main dinning room to causal pool deck cafes or 24 hour Room Service. Most food options are included in the cruise price. Soft drinks and juices are included. Specialty Restaurants and alcoholic beverages require addtional payment.
Guests may elect to eat at their assigned tables and dinning hour in the main dinning room or at their leisure in any of the other options. Some travelers enjoy onboard activites and events so they are best suited for packages that may offer more days at sea as opposed to more days in port. These floating cities offer everything from bowling alleys, gyms and casinos to pools, night clubs and braodway shows.
More adventurous travelers will be more impressed with the cruises that offer fewer days at sea more time in ports of call to enjoy day excursions and activites. Snorkeling, Swimming wit the dolphins and sight seeing are among the most poular. Families may want to plan a more balanced trip as day trips and activites in port can be very expensive when multiplied by the number of members in a family. An example can be a swim with the dolphins event that costs roughly $50.00 per person total family of four with pictures $250.00 Food on shore is not included and can be even more expensive as most of the places you encounter will be in heavily touristed areas. The alternate can be to plan a shorter day excursion and come back to the ship for meals. Cruises are definitely well worth investigating as affrodable travel and adventure options. Some of the more poular groups who host annual cruises are east coast based Ebony Pyramid Entertainment and west coast based Nubian Dreams Entertainment. For those of you who may be first time cruisers I highly recommend the "Funships on Canival Cruise Lines" because they are very reasonable with cool ships and great beginner destinations.
What's hot? Whose Hot? Where can I go to be Hot? Now is the time to start planning and paying for the MLK Weekend festivities, especially given the economic forcast for the near future. While travel will not be absolutley out it will certainly be more deliberate, planned and well thoughtout. Here are a few ongoing and favorite options to think about!
"CONSTELLATION THURSDAYS" at The Star Lounge in Chelsea every Thursday featuring cocktails, Celebs and Networking. An afterwork party for the sophisticated star in you. Music by DJ Poisin Ivy and DJ MK. Constellation Thursdays @ Star Lounge Chelsea 222 West 23rd Street (between 7th & 8th avenues) Ground Floor of Chelsea Hotel www.starloungechelsea.com Hit us up and share your review!
Noteworthy on the local NY tri-state radar "DRAY EBONY" best known as the Father of the ballroom community House of Ebony and promoter of many DL parties and social events is once again bringing us another slamm'in party. Dray and Crew will take over "THE DUGOUT" dropping some hot beats and if I know the Ebony crew some sickening eye candy! Well worth a glimpse! THE DUGOUT 185 Christopher Street @ West Side Highway N.Y.C.
September 16th New York will become only the second state to offer enhanced driver's licenses. The licenses, which will include a person's photo and a computer chip to electronically identify the cardholder at the border, will be for sale at state and county DMV offices. Available only to U.S. citizens who are New York residents. On the surface a good idea but after close examination one of the major disadvantages and why it may be simply a waste of money is it can't be used in place of a passport as identification for international air flights. For example travelers will be able to use the enhanced driver's license if they take a cruise to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean but will need a passport if they fly. The enhanced license will cost $80, which is $30 more than current driver's licenses. The cost will be less and prorated for people who already have licences by how many years are left until it expires. The enhanced licenses, as with current driver's licenses, are valid for eight years. At the end of the day the enhanced drivers license costs the same as a passport with the same technology for half the service.
Friday September 19th (6 PM - 1AM), Twisted Life Prommotions will be hosting their annual off the chain 'Gay Day' at Great Adventures. Not to be missed, unlike other parks, this is a private party closed to the general public. The special ticket price is less expensive than general admission on normal days. Anyone who purchases the special tickets is more than welocme. additional information is availble at www.twistedlife.com. The event draws an amazingly mixed and diverse crowd. Be sure to arrive early as they have grown to over 5000 participants!
Have you ever woke up and just wanted to do something totally different for a change? Sunday was my day, I woke up feeling like I wanted to do something different from my typical sunday adventures. I decided to get up and make my way to "Six Flags Great Adventure" you know more flags more fun six flags. The bus ride there from the always interesting Port Authority Bus Terminal was simple and resonable at a cool $28.00. The admission to the park was hefty and even more so since I decided to purchase a fall pass (four visits until the close of the season ($50.00)) and into the park I went. At this point I decided I didn't want to wait in lines all day so I purchased a Gold Flash Pass ($80.00)and then I hit the trail to the mighty awesome and majestic "Khinda KA". After a 5 minute wait at the head of the line (Gold Pass) I was strapped in fierce and it flew,absolutely off the hook, everything they said it was and more. Off the MF chain! It was so fierce that I lost my bridge whipping over the top, I know thats going to be a nice dental bill!From there it was on to the "Superman" ride that was not all that from a ride stand point but it was interesting becase it elevates you into a flat position sinmilar to flying so you hit the pops dips and spins face down. That made a mediocre roller coaster into a cool one. Remeber food in the park "ain't Cheap" sodas were four bucks and a hot dog three just to give you an idea. Yeah I broke down and had a few. Basically the day was a great adventure plenty of eye candy and family if you get my drift! All of the top attractions lived up to the hype and I plan to go back with some hot number in the near future. Great Adventures is recommended as a day trip with easy and affordable public transportation from Philly, New York and Newark. Open everyday until November 2nd. Enjoy
Waddup Peeps! Well! I'm back home after a few weeks in the DR. The trip was great even with all the drama created by Hurricane - Tropical Storm Hanna. She was a mess. There was a ton of rain and crazy winds. We managed to sneak out in between drops and do our dirt. There were a lot of tourisits in town during the Labor Day Weekend. I met some really cool peeps and saw some of the "old wanna bes". Anthony was a great host as usual. Check out the shots of the damage and drama left by Hanna on the Malecon.
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One of my favorites is wrestling. Wrestling although an olympic sport is not a hugely popular sport in North America and is more commonly recognized as the WWF entertainment empire on television. The traditional sport of wrestling has historic roots dating back to the beginning of time and in the international sporting scene wrestling in wildly popular especially in places like Turkey and Africa. On a recent trip to West Africa I had the "pleasure" of a few firsthand matches of my own with a few of the nation's top wrestling All-Stars.
I learned that for many Africans wrestling is a tradition and spiritual experience and for a lucky few it is a path out of poverty and the slums. Successful wrestlers can earn huge sums of money and enjoy popularity as much as American athletes. Wrestlers begin at a young age, in their villages and townships, and if good enough, win their way onto the national scene, where the stakes and money are extremely high. Matches are held in national stadiums and village squares on most weekends and draw tremendous crowds. Elders, men, women and children all attend eager to support their favorite wrestlers.
The day at the stadium was great - adventure-filled with eye candy all over the place I thought I was going to have a case of whiplash before the day was over. Everyone paid their 25 CFA ($5.00 USD) and crammed into the concrete no-frills arena. As it was my first time, the fellas thought I would be more comfortable at the extreme top of the stands, but they quickly realized we'd be stuck up there, literally locked in by the massive crowd below for the rest of the day! We arrived at 3:00 in the afternoon and the matches began at 5:00, with major fan fare and pageantry, as each wrestler entered the arena with his entourage of drummers, dancers and holy trinkets to bless himself before entering the ring. The crowd roared to their feet - chanting, singing and screaming as their favorites ran around the arena taunting, posing and emphasizing their prowess. The matches lasted well into midnight before there was a final winner. And it took us yet another hour to depart as we had to wait for the people beneath us to exit the arena. Funny thing, there was this huge pit behind the stadium when we finally got out and there must have been more than a hundred men answering the call of nature in unison. Damn, what a photo that would've made!
Bodybuilding is another sport I enjoy, albeit strictly as an observer. As health and fitness becomes more affordable and popular worldwide so does popularity in the sport. Bodybuilding has caught on like wildfire in the Dominican Republic, Africa and the Middle East on amateur and professional levels. There are so many interests and hobbies to pursue on your next adventure wherever it maybe. Take a chance and try something different for a change!
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