Archive - September 25, 2012

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Yetis in Siberia?
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6 must-see Caribbean festivals

Yetis in Siberia?

While this week you may have heard about yetis being spotted in Siberia, PurpleTravel investigates where else in the world our customers can travel to see the creatures you thought were only a myth…

Yet

Clip from The Abominable Snowman (1957)

Travel to Siberia to spot the yeti

This week, three Russians claimed to have spotted a group of yetis on the prowl in a remote region of Siberia. The two fishermen and one forestry worker assert to have seen the legendary creatures three times in recent weeks, once mistaking them for people, due to the way they walk on two feet. One Russian commented, “We shouted ‘do you need help?’ They rushed away, all in fur, on two legs”, while another added, “Our binoculars were broken and didn’t let us see them sharply. They walked like people.” They were spotted in the Kemerovo region, where yeti expert Igor Burtsev claims more than 30 live. He will travel there next month to investigate.

Iceland’s answer to the Loch Ness Monster?

Head to Iceland to see the Lagarfljót worm

In February of this year, something akin to The Loch Ness Monster was spotted by a farmer in a lake in Iceland. Winding its way through the Jokulsa River in the Fljotsdal valley, the creature has been linked to a legend spanning seven centuries, that of the Lagarfljot river worm. Traced back through the country’s folklore to 1345, the legend goes that a small heather worm was put onto a golden ring so that the precious metal would grow and so in turn the ring. However, when the owner of the ring returned he found that the ring was no bigger, but that the worm had grown enormously. The owner threw the ring and worm into Lagarfljot River where the creature continued to grow and grow. Watch the YouTube video and let us know what you think.

The famous Feejee mermaid, which was later proved to be a monkey’s torso grafted onto a salmon’s tail.

Take a trip to Israel for some mermaid watching

Earlier this year, more than a dozen people have reported that they’ve seen a half fish, half woman creature in Israel. Shlomo Cohen, a former soldier, told Israel News that he and a friend “saw a woman lying on the sand in a weird way,” in Kiryat Yam, a city near Haifa. When they approached her, she suddenly jumped into the sea and disappeared. The small city even offer a prize of US$1 million for those who can prove the existence of the mermaid. “Many people are telling us they are sure they’ve seen a mermaid and they are all independent of each other,” Kirvat Yam town council spokesman Natti Zilberman told Sky News.

Still from the Patterson film that dumbfounds scientist to this day.

Book a holiday to sunny California to meet Bigfoot

Sasquatch, or Bigfoot, as it they have come to be known as, have been spotted all over the US, however the greatest Bigfoot footage of all time is the Patterson-Gimlin film, shot in California. Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin were researching Sasquatch reports near Bluff Creek on October 20, 1967,k when they came across an overturned tree. As the pair rounded the tree, they spotted a large figure beside the creek, which caused Patterson’s horse to rear. After untangling himself from the reins, Patterson spent about twenty seconds removing the camera from his saddlebag, meaning by the time he began to film the creature, Patterson was 37 m away. The most famous section of the film he then recorded shows the sasquatch look over its right shoulder at Roger, who then falls to his knees. The creature in the video matches the description offered by others who have witnessed a Bigfoot – most recent of which was by a student on a school trip in Idaho.

6 must-see Caribbean festivals

Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, February

Carnival is perhaps the biggest and best known festival in the world. Most of the islands have their own events but the most hotly anticipated is the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival. The huge street party is held on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. It revolves around Calypso rhythms which start to pulsate early on the first day. Revellers bathed in oil and paint take to streets in elaborate costumes, decked out in feathers and beads and hit the streets to dance and move their hips to the calypso and soca music. Tuesday sees the parade itself with huge floats built to different themes each year. If you’re not on the parade route, you can head for one of the many other activities like steel drum concerts, community gatherings and calypso tents. Preparations start months in advance and it’s said that if islanders are not celebrating it, they are busy preparing it, or reminiscing about last years. Don’t expect any sleep for at least a few days as soon as carnival kicks off.

St Lucia Jazz Festival, May

Since its very first instalment in 1991, the St Lucia Jazz Festival has grown into one of the most well known festivals in the Caribbean and throughout the world. Every May the whole island dances to the jazz rhythms that fill the air. Massive, fantastic concerts are held at Pigeon Island, in an open air auditorium as well as in several other venues around the island.  It draws huge names not just from the world of Jazz but lots of R&B and Calypso performers like Wyclef Jean, Smokey Robinson, Lauryn Hill and Santana.

Crop Over, Barbados, July

Usually during July and August, Bajans gather to celebrate the end of the sugar cane harvest… which becomes a 5 week party. The final delivery of cane sees the crowning of King and Queen of the Crop and the party really starts. There’s Cohobblopot, a massive carnival show with local music and Calypso is a main feature, with various prizes and titles on offer like Pic-O-De-Crop Monarch. The cherry on top is the Grand Kadooment, a huge parade with vibrant costumes and thousands of people dancing to Calypso rhythms, finishing with a swim at the beach.  As they say themselves: ‘A grand end to a grand festival.’

Festival de Merengue, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, July

Name checked in that famous Barry Manilow song, meringue has been a staple of life in Dominican Republic since… well, forever. The quick up-tempo rhythm is found everywhere, from the supermarkets to the capital and kids learn to meringue almost before they can walk. This is why the annual Merengue Festival is unsurprisingly such a hit. It sees the capital Santo Domingo come to life, with open air stages, huge sound systems, and thousands of people dancing in the street. A must dance festival!

St. Patrick’s Day, Montserrat, March

It’s not just the Irish who throw legendary parties in honour of St Patrick. The tiny Caribbean island of Montserrat likes to forget about its hurricanes and throw a week long party to mark all things green. St. Patrick’s Day in Montserrat has a special importance, not only to the large Irish Catholic population that settled there in the 1630s, but also as the commemoration of the slave uprising on that day in 1768. There you’ll find Calypso music mixed with Ceili dancing, children decked out in green, and a festival atmosphere, as well as guest lectures and historical tours.

Reggae Sumfest, Montego Bay, July

The sun soaked country of Jamaica is famous for its contribution to music; it’s the birthplace of Reggae after all, made famous by Bob Marley. And what better place to enjoy it than in the sun drenched city of Montego Bay that throws a 4 day party to celebrate? Every July crowds gather to dance, sing, and enjoy the sounds of reggae and its variations, ska, dub and dancehall at the huge Reggae Sumfest. Drawing the biggest Jamaican names like Toots and the Maytals, Damian ‘Junior Gong’ Marley and Beenie Man as well as international headliners like Sean Paul, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna, the 4 day blowout is the summer party.

Book your cheap holiday to the Caribbean festivals with (ABTA member) Purple Travel

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