Tag Archives: world

Strange June Festivals

Leave a reply

During the month of June, certainly in Great Britain, summer is well upon us and every now and then we may even be lucky enough to get a spot of sunshine for a day or two. However summer is a great time for holidays and for getting out and seeing the world. Although some holidays may cost a pretty penny, if you want to experience some great culture in the form of weird and whacky festivals, there are a couple of places you absolutely need to visit in the month of June to make a great holiday.

leekFesta de Sao Joao do Porto

The Festival of John the Baptist in Portugal holds some strange tradi tions which have slightly lost their meanings over the years, although it makes for a great experience for tourists and holidaymakers.

Although the entire festival lasts over the course of several days, the oddest tradition occurs on the 23rd June which works as a very strange Valentine’s day-esque celebration.

Houses are draped in bunting and people will run around ‘attacking’ their crushes or significant others with a small plastic hammer or limp leeks. The ‘attack’ is normally gentle as it is done out of love, but what this signifies in ancient tradition is unclear.

Roasted Pig Parade

Roast_Suckling_Pig_(2505471024)Known as a pretty famous festival in the town of Balayan in the Philippines, the roasted pig parade occurs annually on the 24th June, again as part of the feast of Saint John the Baptist, where one hundred pigs are roasted. After the roasting the pigs are dressed in a whole number of costumes which vary from year to year and can be anything imaginable.

The residents then gather at the church and sit for the holy mass and afterwards there is a big parade to celebrate the roasting of the pigs. Finally after the end of the parade the pig meat is distributed among the onlookers and the participants of the parade, marking the end of the celebration.

Penguin car hire strives to provide you with a comprehensive and easy to use list of hired cars available in every country in the world. Whether you are travelling from Portland to Portugal and beyond, or are just looking for a great deal for a hired car on your normal holiday abroad, Penguin has a huge range of hired cars for you!

Secluded Beaches of the World

Leave a reply

Part Two of our guide to the world’s most secluded beaches is here with more options for you and your significant other, for a romantic getaway or just to spend some peace and quiet with the family without having to yell at your children in order to be heard above the masses. Many of these locations require a little bit of boating or walking, but they are well worth the effort for even just an hour or a few hours of luxury and complete peace in the most secluded and relaxing beaches in the world.

1280px-Costa_Alegre_JaliscoPlaya Soledad Costalegre Mexico

As this beach is the private property of the Las Alamandas resort, you are sure to be soaking up some rays in peace and quiet should you be willing to make the dirt trek to the beach itself. However you can also reserve a Jeep in advance if you don’t fancy making the trip.

You can also reserve horses for the ride back which will make an interesting end to your evening, although this is not recommended if you’ve never ridden before!

 1280px-The_beach_at_Tortuguero,_Costa_RicaThe Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica

Like most other beaches mentioned in this list it takes a little bit of time and a bit more effort to reach the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica, but with a beautiful range of wild birds, deserted sands and a popular spot to see the nesting turtles of Tortuguero.

It takes around five hours to get to Tortuguero from San Jose, but if you visit in April/May you can see the turtles that come to nest along the sands, which in itself is a sight to behold.

Bonus Beach:
Playa de Benalnatura

This is not actually a secluded beach, in fact it’s quite popular! The strange thing about it is that it is a naturist beach! Not for the faint hearted and definitely for the adventurous, the Playa de Benalnatura, located in Benalmadena is great for naturists and nudists who want to spend a day basking in the sun.

With a beautiful little beach restaurant, toilets, showers and a barbecue area, what more could you want! The small downside is that clothing is generally not optional and you won’t even get served at the bar if not completely nude. This is a 100% nudist beach, so it is best to hire out a car and keep your clothes in the boot before you head down.

Hopefully this has helped inspire some of you holiday goers to visit some of the world’s most secluded beaches in your travels, or even try a naturist beach or two! You might even enjoy it!

 

National Corn Chip Day

Leave a reply

Happy Cornchip day! A cornchip, otherwise known as tortilla chip, is a traditional Mexican food made from corn tortillas that are cut into triangle shaped wedges and then fried or baked, depending on the recipe. Made from vegetable oil, corn, salt and water, tortilla chips are used widely in nachos and as crisps, but they have always been considered a traditional Mexican food. Tortilla chips can come in several different colours, including red, blue and green, depending on the variety of corn used in the mix.

They were first created as a way of reusing the rejected, misshaped tortillas made by Ms Carranza and her husband in their Los Angeles tortilla factory. She found that by cutting the tortillas up and then frying them, they could be sold as a snack, and she made a great success out of selling them. Eventually tortilla chips were used in their own creative recipes, accompanied by salsa or guacamole dips, or slathered in cheese and called ‘nachos’. Nachos are an incredibly popular way to eat tortilla chips, and can be savoury or spicy. Nachos are generally a vegetarian dish, but chicken or mince can be chopped up and sprinkled over the tortilla chips to add flavour.

Nachos tend to be a pretty easy dish to make, but for such a simple recipe, many restaurateurs across the world have managed to add their own twist to the classic dish. We’ve compiled a short list of some of the more innovative ideas for nachos.

Steak Nachos

DSC_0120

Have your steak, and eat it! These nachos are a step away from the classic tortilla; salsa; cheese combo. These delicious nachos come peppered with slices of rich cooked steak, with a ranch style dressing drizzled over the top to complete the meal. Very American!

 

Popcorn Nachos

Sounds a little strange doesn’t it? Not to fear, for the recipe for popcorn nachos is exactly the same as your plain nacho recipe, just…substituting the tortilla chips for popcorn. It might make a healthier option, but then again, you wouldn’t be likely to make nachos in the first place if you wanted a healthy meal.

Dessert Nachos

dessert-nachosAnd now for some after dinner snacks. Dessert nachos are made with sugar and cinnamon in place of the salt content in the normal recipe. They work as like a deep fried crepe or pancake, and can be drizzled with chocolate, lemon, cream, various fruits or whatever sweet toppings you feel like adding that day.

Ham and Asparagus Nachos

Going down the healthy route, ham and asparagus is generally a very good combination. But added to tortilla chips with a sprinkling of low fat margarita cheese just doesn’t seem like the best way to eat it to us. Alternatively this could make an ice-breaking appetiser if you are planning on hosting a Mexican/Upper Class Britain themed party.

Ultimately it’s your nacho and your choice, but if you want a taste of the real thing, you can always head on over to Mexico to try traditional Nachos from the hilariously named Nacho Daddy Restaurant & Bar, located a short 6 minutes drive from Puerto Vallarta town centre.