Why You Should Consider Visiting Iceland

The Northern Lights, glaciers, the Blue Lagoon — you might be surprised how otherworldly beautiful Iceland can be.

The Northern Lights aren't guaranteed — which makes seeing them all the more powerful

For a first trip abroad, many people choose something comfortable — a beach resort on some tropical isle, or a tour of the churches and museums of Western Europe. Not Lindsay and Shaun.

They took what they’re calling their “babymoon” — one last jaunt before their son is due — to Iceland.

Here’s the first of a series of Iceland posts from my interview with Lindsay and Shaun. –Wally

“I thought, I’m never going to see anything this beautiful again.”

Why did you choose Iceland?

Lindsay: It was really me who chose Iceland. I was going there regardless if Shaun went.

Shaun: Lindsay said, “I don’t give a shit if you go. If you want to go with me, great. It’s my trip — and don’t complain about the flight. I can’t have any stress.”

Lindsay: A lot of bloggers have been putting out a bunch of images and travel advice, and it was beautiful scenery. It was exotic. This was our first trip with a passport. I wanted to go somewhere cool and unique and not where everyone would expect us to go. Somewhere where it was also very safe.

What about the cold factor?

Lindsay: I don’t like heat, and Shaun doesn’t either. It was 40º to 45º the entire time. It was awesome. No humidity. We were like, this is the best vacation weather ever!

How would you describe the landscape?

Shaun: It felt extraterrestrial. I wouldn’t have been surprised if I was watching the sun set and then turned and saw a second sun rising over the horizon. You could easily travel there to film some alien planet.

Lindsay: The whole place is covered in volcanic rock. All black, and then moss grows over it. And there are volcanoes everywhere, but they don’t look like volcanoes. They just look like mountains.

To be honest, what also drew me there was the Blue Lagoon.

Lindsay enjoying herself at Iceland's Blue Lagoon spa — no Brooke Shields or Christopher Atkins sightings, though

What’s the Blue Lagoon?

Lindsay: It’s actually not natural — it’s manmade. It’s a giant lagoon hot spring and it’s iridescent blue. It’s so crazy-looking and amazing.

Shaun: I believe it’s heated by a geothermal plant. They filter water in, and it’s recycled out every 48 hours. It smells like sulphur. Everything around it steams, and there are lava rocks all around.

Lindsay: It’s a giant spa. There are little caves and bridges you can swim under. There’s a swim-up bar. And there’s mud mask stuff you can just grab and put on everywhere.

And we got the special in-water massage.

In-water massage?

Lindsay: It was awesome. You float on this yoga mat thing, and they cover you with a warm blanket and massage you.

Shaun: This was my first professional massage.

The strangest part is that when you’re sitting on top of the water for a long period of time, the warm water has gone away so you start to get a little cooled off. So they’ll take the bottom of the mat, and submerge it three or four times and you go down with it, and you’ll warm up that way.

Everyone tends to go to the Blue Lagoon when you get off your flight on your way to Reykjavik, ’cause it’s like a 50-minute drive from the airport. It could be a nice way to relax after the flight.

What were the locals like?

Lindsay: Everybody speaks English. They have to learn Dutch, English and Icelandic, and they mainly speak Icelandic to each other. But with anybody they thought was from another country, they almost always spoke in English. Good English. It was really easy to get anything we needed.

They are really nice, friendly people. It almost felt like it was a small town — and it kind of is ’cause it’s a small country. People say hi to each other.

How’s the economy in Iceland?

Lindsay: Their unemployment rate is like 2%, and our tour guide said it went up to 26% when the recession hit. Tourism brought them back. He said that a lot of Icelandic people forget that because it’s kind of a hassle for them right now to have all these tourists. It’s dramatically boomed for them. They don’t have the infrastructure for it.

Shaun: It’s their second-biggest industry right now. It’s fishing and then tourism. Every single person we talked to mentioned that they don’t have the infrastructure for tourism. And we were like, “Oh, we know a whole bunch of people who will be here next week!” Apparently the Kardashians are there right now.

What was the most beautiful thing you saw?

Lindsay: Definitely the Northern Lights. I cried when I saw them — they were so beautiful. I wasn’t expecting to see them because it was the end of the season. We went on April 9 and the end of the season was on the 19th, and our first tour was canceled.

And then we saw them, and it was a blip for a second, and it wasn’t even that bright. But I was crying and saying, “They were so pretty!” and Shaun’s like, “I’m a little underwhelmed.”

And then they came out like crazy — they were all over.

The Aurora Borealis, or the Northern Lights, were the most beautiful part of the trip

Did you do a tour?

Shaun: We were on a boat ride. They took us out into the harbor and then the lady who was telling us the story about the Northern Lights, it was almost like she summoned them: “The Northern Lights have appeared!” over the loudspeaker.

Then she introduced some guy who came on reading poems about the Northern Lights. At one point, he broke out into a song like it was a rain dance.

Lindsay: He had a terrible voice.

The lights went on for an hour. It just got better and better.

What did the Northern Lights look like in person?

Lindsay: That’s hard. They are green — but not as bright as the pictures show them because your eyes can’t perceive that color as bright. They dance, but they’re so slow. Fading in, fading out. Almost like blobs of light in the dark night.

Shaun: They’re kind of like wispy clouds.

Do you know how they’re created?

Lindsay: The easiest way for me to explain it is that it’s when the sun flares and hits the atmosphere, this is the reaction: the Aurora Borealis.

I thought, I’m never going to see anything this beautiful again.

What was the coolest experience?

Lindsay: Aside from the Northern Lights, it was being on the glacier — even though it was very treacherous getting there.

How was it dangerous?

Lindsay: We took a jeep tour, so there were only six people for 10 hours. Our guide took us around the Golden Circle, which is these four specific stops everyone sees in Iceland that are very touristy but beautiful.

A lot of people go to see a glacier. Well, we got a tour specifically to ride and drive on the glacier. I sat in the back. It was very bumpy — I was hitting the ceiling. I was like, this is not good for the baby. So finally I moved.

When we got there, we were going to snowmobile on the glacier, and I thought, I probably shouldn’t.

But our guide took us on a private tour. Literally, this jeep is like a monster truck. He drove it straight up the mountain, and had to go back down in reverse because he couldn’t get to the top.

One of the highlights of an Icelandic vacation is a trip to a glacier

What did the glacier look like?

Lindsay: It’s a giant mountain of white. There was nothing for miles and miles, and there was hardly anybody there.

We also got to see the glacier river — beautiful.

Glacial runoff filtered through lava rock results in some of the cleanest-tasting water ever

The country has way more water than they can even drink. And it’s all naturally filtered through the lava rock. So it’s the cleanest, best-tasting water ever — and it comes right out of the tap.

What was the worst thing about Iceland?

Shaun: The hot water smells like eggs.

Lindsay: It’s all sulphur, so when you’re showering it smells like rotten eggs. That was the only downside. 

Ajanta Caves Walk-Through

The Ajanta Caves look unassuming from the exterior — but within you'll find statues of the Buddha and fading frescos

Cave 1: A statue of the Buddha flanked by Avalokitesvara and Vajrapani, the embodiments of compassion and spiritual energy

Cave 2: A carving out front

Cave 2: The monks' dormitory cells and a fresco depicting previous lives of the Buddha

Cave 2: Known for the mandala, which represents the universe, painted on its ceiling 

Cave 4: The carving represents a bodhisattva as Reliever of Eight Great Perils

Some people hire porters to carry them from cave to cave on a litter

Cave 17: This cave has some of the best-preserved paintings at Ajanta

Cave 19: On either side of the arched window are nature spirits called yakshas

Cave 26: Devotees circumambulate, or walk around, the stupa

Cave 26: Reclining Buddha

WHICH CAVES ARE THE COOLEST? WE HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS AT THIS ANCIENT BUDDHIST COMPLEX OUTSIDE OF AURANGABAD FAMOUS FOR ITS PAINTINGS AND STATUES.

Don’t get us wrong. The Buddhist caves carved into the mountainside at Ajanta are cool. It’s just that after a while, you experience a sort of repetitious sensory overload (“Oh, this one has a Buddha at the back…just like the others…”).

So, in case you don’t have the time or inclination to explore all 30, we’ve listed our must-sees.

“An elaborate Buddha, whose umbrella-like crown almost touches the vaulted ceiling, emerges from the mouths of sea monsters.”

RELATED: Ajanta Caves: 8 Tips Before You Go

Cave 1

Kick things off with this cave, famous for its elaborately painted vihara, or monastery. The mural depicts two bodhisattvas: Avalokitesvara, the personification of compassion, and Vajrapani, the spiritual energy of the enlightened mind. These flank the doorway to the antechamber.

The Buddha, awash in green light and centered in the large shrine at the rear, sits cross-legged in the dharmachakrapravartana mudra teaching position and was sponsored by Emperor Harisena. In this mudra, the thumb and index finger of both hands touch at their tips to form a circle. This circle represents the Wheel of Dharma, or in metaphysical terms, the union of method and wisdom.

Cave 2

The coolest part of this cave is its ceiling, dominated by a large mandala decorated with birds, flowers, fruit and abstract designs. 

Cave 4

This is the largest vihara in the complex, but it was a bit too ambitious — part of the ceiling is said to have collapsed and it wasn’t ever completed. Look up to see the undulating ceiling, which features a cool wavy pattern created by lava flows.

The exterior is gorgeous. We learned that all of these caves were carved top-down. The entranceway features sculptures of lunging lions, maidens clutching trees and dwarves adorned with garlands.

To the right is a bas-relief of a bodhisattva as Reliever of Eight Great Perils. Curious what those are? They were common dangers for pilgrims of the past: bandits, snakes, elephants, lions, disease, floods, forest fires and false imprisonment in foreign lands.

Cave 7

Enter through an impressive double portico richly carved with elephants, lions, lotuses and small stupas.

An oblong vihara monastery from the late 5th century, the garbha griha (inner sanctuary) contains a Buddha statue in a preaching pose, as well as a seated Buddha sheltered by the Naga Muchalinda, a snake-like being who protected him from the elements after his enlightenment. 

Cave 9

This chaitya, or prayer hall, from the 1st century BCE is built on a rectangular plan. The interior is divided into three aisles by 21 unadorned octagonal columns.

A large stupa stands on a high cylindrical base at the center of the apse. Because figurative sculptures of the Buddha were not produced during this period, stupas were built to enshrine sacred relics that were most often worshipped and became synonymous with chaityas.

The inside of this cave is two stories high, with a barrel vault ceiling on which rafters and purlins are carved like a wooden building. Although those curious devices are structurally unnecessary, they’re an aesthetic method to mimic the interior spaces of temples.

Cave 10

A Theravada prayer hall, it’s thought to be the oldest cave temple at Ajanta, dating to the 2nd century BCE.

Cave 17

According to one of the inscriptions found in the hall, this cave was designed to “cause the attainment of well-being by good people as long as the sun dispels darkness by its rays!”

Its large central hall is supported by 20 octagonal pillars and bounded by 17 dormitory cells, where the monks slept.

A panel above the doorway depicts the seven Manushi Buddhas (fully illuminated beings in human form).

Cave 19

The detailed exterior carvings to the right of the façade are incredible. A pair of yakshas (nature spirits) are sculpted on either side of the entrance.

The arched roof of the interior hall is carved in imitation of wooden ribs, mimicking the interior spaces of structural temples.

An elaborate standing figure of Buddha, whose umbrella-like crown almost touches the vaulted ceiling, emerges from the mouths of sea monsters.

Cave 26

A reclining Buddha, representing his moment of death prior to attaining nirvana, is a popular feature here. (Wally calls this the “Sleepy-time Buddha.”)

The cave’s stupa has a sculpted figure of Buddha in pralamba padasana mudra, with both feet on the ground and legs apart, as if seated on a throne.

We saw a Sikh man practicing circumambulation (literally, “walking in circles”), a devotional practice where you walk around a sacred object like this stupa, chanting a mantra.

LUNCH WITH HANUMAN

After a morning of exploring the Ajanta Caves, we stopped at a dhaba roadside restaurant for some chana masala

On the way back to Aurangabad, we stopped at a dhaba, or roadside restaurant, for lunch and enjoyed a delicious meal of chana masala seasoned with cinnamon, chile paneer (homemade cheese) and chapatti (flatbread).

A monument to the monkey god Hanuman stood across the road. Hanuman is regarded as a the perfect symbol of selflessness and loyalty.

Worshipping him helps counter any bad karma you’ve racked up by acting selfishly. Hindus believe he bestows fortitude and the strength to overcome the trials of life. –Duke

“Look up to see the undulating ceiling, which features a cool wavy pattern created by lava flows.”

The Cats of Marrakech

What to do in Marrakech? Try cat-watching! Cherchez les chats. Cats and Islam have a long history.

 

Morocco is a cat lover's delight. They're everywhere, and they're well taken care of. 

Every day we saw shopkeepers and ticket takers at monuments save bits of their meals to put out for a stray cat. 

“A woman locked up a cat until the poor creature starved to death. For this, she was tortured and “had to get into Hell.””

We had tons more pics of the cats of Marrakesh, but a djinni corrupted our memory card. So these are all just from our last day and a half in the city.

Like we said, there are cats everywhere. And most of them were sweet as can be. Click through the photos above, though, and you'll see the one mean kitty in Marrakech. 

FIND OUT: Why We Believe in Genies

Cats and Islam

Most people trace Muslims' fondness for felines back to the Prophet Mohammed. He had a cat named Muezza, who’s the star of a well-known story.

The call to prayer sounded, and Mohammed wanted to wear a particular robe — but Muezza was curled up asleep on one of its sleeves. Instead of disturbing the cat, the prophet cut the sleeve off of the robe.

Duke and I can certainly relate. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve stayed on the couch longer than we planned, just so we don’t have to budge Bowzer. So far no clothing has had to be sacrificed.

The Prophet Mohammed stroked Muezza three times  — and ever since then, all cats have nine lives and the ability to always land on their feet.

“Islam teaches Muslims to treat cats well and that the cat is a creature to be cherished and loved. Mistreating a cat is regarded as a severe sin in Islam,” according to the Islamic Information Portal.

The hadith (a story shared orally before being written down) titled The Book of Virtue, Good Manners and Joining of the Ties of Relationship explains how important it is not to mistreat a cat.

In the story, a woman locks up a cat until the poor creature starves to death. For this, she was tortured and “had to get into Hell.”

Cats are loved, not only for their beauty, cleanliness and elegance, but for their practical purposes as well. Muslim scholars wrote odes to their cats because they protected their precious books from mice, according to the website Muslim Heritage.

As an added bonus, “it is believed that you will suffer no harm if you drink from the cat’s water, provided no impurities are seen in the cat’s mouth,” the Islamic Information Portal states. Bottoms up! –Wally

Ajanta Caves: 8 Tips Before You Go

The Ajanta Caves outside of Aurangabad, India

Stay in Aurangabad and be prepared to explore this ancient Buddhist monastery carved out of the mountainside.

Tip 1: Head off the beaten path.

If you like going all Indiana Jones on your vacation, as Wally and I do, consider adding the Ajanta and Ellora Caves to your India itinerary. These spots aren’t too well known among Western tourists — you’ll mostly see Indians and Buddhist monks from Southeast Asia.

“By midday, the ground was intensely hot, making our barefoot trek across the rocks like walking over coals.”

Tip 2: Decide if you have time to hit both Ajanta and Ellora.

We had two days in Aurangabad, so we were able to visit both sets of caves. The concierge pretty much insisted that we visit Ajanta first, and we couldn’t figure out why. After we had explored both, we wondered if this was because Ajanta, which are entirely Buddhist, might be a bit of a letdown after the diversity of the Ellora site.

Tip 3: Stay in Aurangabad.

Ajanta is nearly two hours away from Aurangabad, a big city with an airport that works as a good base for both the Ajanta and Ellora Caves.

Tip 4: Make sure you understand where you’ll meet your driver.

We arranged transport to the Ajanta Caves through our hotel, Lemon Tree.

The driver who had picked us up the evening before told us he would be there promptly at 8 a.m. so that we could beat the throngs.
What we did not know was that he actually meant a driver from the hotel — not necessarily him, and that said driver would not come into the hotel lobby to announce he had arrived. We’re not sure that this is the norm, but he waited outside until we went out to him.  

Thankfully, a concierge working that morning realized this and directed us to the vehicle after we had sat in the lobby for 45 minutes.

Tip 5: Beware the touts.

After reaching the parking lot outside the caves, we passed through an open-air market with aggressive touts, a couple of which approached us and asked our names and where we were from. They offered each of us a small quartz crystal, pressing them into the palms of our hands and saying, “No money — you visit my shop after.” 

Believe us — they’ll remember you. We did visit their shops, hardball haggled (going into other tents to compare prices) and scored some good deals.

Tip 6: Take your shoes with you.

We boarded a tour bus and soon caught our first glimpse of the horseshoe-shaped bend in the Waghora River gorge where the caves are located. 

As it was required for us to remove our sandals prior to entering the caves, we decided to leave them at Cave 1 rather than putting them on and taking them off every single time.

We failed to realize that there were 29 caves in all, and by midday the ground was intensely hot, making parts of our barefoot trek across the rocks like walking over coals.

The best thing to do is bring a pair of shoes you can easily slip on and off before entering each cave.

Tip 7: Learn a bit about how these caves and paintings were made.

After you enter the dimly lit cave interiors, your eyes begin to adjust, revealing frescoes depicting the magical Jataka stories about the previous incarnations of Buddha, in both human and animal form.

The oldest caves date back to the 2nd century BCE, with a more elaborately painted addition from the 6th century BCE.

Interiors of many of the cave surfaces are covered with a plaster mixture consisting of clay, lime, hay and dung.

Paintings were made while the plaster was wet. Oxide red and yellow were created from ochre, black from soot, white from the clay mineral kaolin, lime and green from another local mineral. You’ll occasionally see blue, which came from pulverized semiprecious lapis lazuli.

Tip 8: Get your head around the fact that these caves were once a Buddhist monastery.

The caves are comprised of two types. The chaitya (prayer halls) were excavated around 200 BCE and were among the first used purely for congregational worship. The viharas (monasteries) contain chapels as well as small cubical dormitory cells where monks once slept.

The site was abandoned in 477 after the sudden death of Ajanta's most important sponsor, Emperor Harisena.

It must have been incredible when English hunter John Smith accidentally rediscovered the largest of the caves, later named Cave 10, in 1819 in the middle of chasing a tiger. –Duke

Top 6 Wellness Tourism Trips

Hiking and biking the Dolomites along the Italian and Austrian border

Yoga on the Mexican beach, hikes to Machu Picchu, Pilates in Morocco — the best health tourism adventures.

You know the type. Their Facebook page is full of beautiful photos of fabulous trips. You’re simultaneously insanely jealous and giddy with excitement at the opportunity to live vicariously through your friend’s adventures.

Well, that’s Nancy.

“I leave with a feeling of renewal and that I can take on all of my biggest dreams.”

As I battled my jealousy of and happiness for her, I noticed a trend among Nancy’s trips: They all had some sort of wellness angle. She’d be doing yoga on a beach in Mexico or hiking across Europe or doing Pilates in Morocco.

I decided to get her take on wellness travel. Here are her top trips and advice. Namaste. –Wally

What draws you to wellness travel?

I cannot just sit on a beach. I always feel like I need to “earn the day.”

I love combining culture, physical activity, regional food and wine, like-minded people, spirituality and mindfulness into one trip. 

What trends have you seen in wellness travel lately?

Adding volunteerism to the experience. For example, in Marrakech, Morocco, we delivered school supplies to a local school and spent some time in the classroom. 

Most surprising thing you’ve discovered on a trip?

In Tulum, Mexico, I got a massage from a Mayan healer. These healers can pick up on energy in your body. He told me that the sciatic nerve area can represent “stalled advancement” and that I was experiencing this right now. He basically summed up a few key areas of my life at the time.

This experience motivated me to go after a new career opportunity at my company, which I successfully landed.

Nancy’s Top Wellness Travel Destinations 

Amansala in Tulum, Mexico offers runs along the beach and candlelit yoga

1. Amansala Bikini Bootcamp, Tulum, Mexico

I go to Amansala every year for the last week of the year as a way to undo all of the debauchery from the holidays and to kick-start the New Year.

The setting is boho chic huts and palapas [open-sided shelters with thatched palm roofs] on a white sand beach with Caribbean blue water.

One of her favorite annual traditions: Nancy does yoga at sunset on New Year's Eve

Guests have the option to make the week as active or as chill as they would like. Most choose active due to the wide variety of activities and high-caliber instructors.

The daily routine at Amansala includes morning beach walks or runs, yoga with beach views, cardio class (kickboxing, circuit training, etc.), dance class and/or sunset candlelit yoga.

Experiences such as cultural excursions, massages, a Mayan clay renewal ritual and tarot card readings are all offered at Amansala. You can also sweat out all of your toxins/sins at their Temezcal (Mayan sweat lodge) ceremony, led by an elder Mayan healer.

In between all of this, you can relax on the gorgeous white sand beach. The three golden Labs, who are pets of the property, might join you or try to rally you for a game of “fetch the coconut.”

The food is also healthy and tasty — they even have their own cookbook. 

Amansala combines the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of wellness, which is why I go back every year. I leave with a feeling of renewal and that I can take on all of my biggest dreams. This special place attracts like-minded people, so I have met several friends with whom I am still in touch. 

Hiking through the Dolomites mountain range, which straddle Italy and Austria

2. Backroads Breakaway Walking & Hiking Tour, the Dolomites, Italy

On this tour, you hike every day (four to six hours) in the spectacular setting of the Dolomites mountain range in-between Italy and Austria.

There’s amazing Italian and Austrian food. You might have apple strudel and beer at lunch and then pasta and red wine at dinner.

Nancy and her local guide, with the Cinque Torri in the Dolomites as a backdrop

We hiked from one resort to the next over a seven-day period. We would stop in at ski huts along the way to refuel.

It was the perfect combination of outdoor activity, breathtaking scenery, culture — Italy and Austria! — amazing food and awe-inspiring boutique hotels. 

The amazing pool at the Escape to Shape resort in Marrakech, Morocco

3. Escape to Shape, Marrakech, Morocco

This yoga and Pilates retreat was hosted at our own private amazing villa in Marrakech, located outside of the medina. Lodging, meals, cultural excursions, and yoga, Pilates and circuit training classes were all included.

This was a great combination of physical activity (about two to three hours per day) and cultural immersion.

Nancy in her favorite store in Marrakech

Escape to Shape provided a very safe, fun and invigorating way to experience Marrakech. Erica Gragg, the owner, has been doing this for years, and she curates the perfect trip. She knows Marrakech like the back of her hand and showed us all of the hidden jewels and hot spots. She would open a door in the medina that you did not even know was there, and inside you would find four floors of amazing treasures.

Shopping is a must in Marrakech, and Erica is the perfect sherpa/stylist. Our group came away with beautiful rugs, caftans and home accents that we never would have found without Erica’s expert eye and relationships.

The yoga and Pilates classes allowed us to indulge without guilt in all of the amazing Moroccan cuisine.  

4. Miraval Resort & Spa, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Their tagline is “Life in Balance.” Miraval offers hiking in the Sonoran Desert and Santa Catalina Mountains, a large variety of fitness classes, meditation, healthy, delicious food, mindfulness sessions, equine therapy and other outdoor adventure activities.

Their spa is beautiful. Relax by the pool during your downtime. 

I always come away feeling amazing after four to five days here. 

Snow Canyon State Park in Utah

5. Red Mountain Resort, Ivins, Utah, USA

Red Mountain offers hiking in a gorgeous setting — literally in red rocks in Snow Canyon State Park, Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park.

Hikes are guided, or you can go on your own — all different levels.

Nancy in Zion National Park, Utah

The setting is breathtaking and awe-inspiring.

Fitness classes and outdoor activities keep you physically active. There are also great opportunities for personal discovery and mindfulness: intuitive energy reading, guided imagery, etc., as well as artistic pursuits, such as photography and pottery classes.  

Machu Picchu, Peru

6. Mountain Travel Sobek Machu Picchu Inn-to-Inn Express Trek, Peru

This was a seven-day lodge-to-lodge trek to Machu Picchu through a variety of terrain, scenery and elevation. 

It was a great combination of scenic hiking, excellent Peruvian food and wine, cultural exposure and great lodging.

Nancy at the peak of Machu Picchu

How to Protect Yourself From Jinns and Black Magic

Black magic in Islam is a serious concern — and the holy writings offer numerous ways to negate magic jinn.

 

I’m torn. Sometimes I think there’s a power in belief. That just by acknowledging something’s existence, you’re giving it relevance, even substance.

On the other hand, I know I can’t just force myself to not think about djinns while I’m in their lands. Heck, telling me not to think about something is pretty much guaranteeing it’ll be top of mind the entire time we’re in Fès.

“There’s even one to recite, ahem, before you have sex.”

So, I ultimately decided to investigate ways to protect yourself from djinns (also called jinns and, to most Westerners, genies).

Not that I think we’re really in any danger — or that these superstitions will actually help prevent something bad from happening.

But heck, after what happened last time, I figure it sure couldn’t hurt.

Pages from the Iran Islam Temtem-e Hendi Pictorial Book on Talisman, Charm & Mysterious Sciences in Persian (Farsi ): Instructions on What to Do to Put Demons & Genie ( Jinni ) Under Your Control & Info About How to Make Brass Plates to Avoid Black Magic & Use White Magic

 

Spells, Prayers and Protective incantations

A lot of the sites I found during my research focused on prayers to Allah for protection, such as this one:

“I seek refuge in Allah from you. I curse you with the curse of Allah.”

That seems a bit extreme — maybe it’s best to keep that one as backup if things get particularly dire.

This is one you recite upon leaving your house:

“In the name of Allah, I place my trust in Allah. There is no solution, no way out and no power except by Allah.”

There’s even one to recite, ahem, before you have sex:

“In the name of Allah, O Allah! Keep us away from Shaytaan [Satan] and keep Shaytaan away from what you bestow upon us.”

This assures that if a baby is conceived, Satan will never dare harm it. It also prevents a djinni from “taking part in a man’s sexual intercourse with his wife,” according to IdealMuslimah.

Here’s a nice general-purpose prayer that works all day long. Say this upon rising in the morning, and you’re said to be protected from djinns until you retire in the evening:

“I seek refuge in Allah from Satan the outcast. Allah! There is none worthy of worship but he, the ever-living, the one who sustains and protects all that exists. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes him. To him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the Earth. Who is he that can intercede with him except with his permission? He knows what happens to them in this world, and what will happen to them in the hereafter. And they will never encompass anything of his knowledge except that which he wills. His throne extends over the heavens and the Earth, and he feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And he is the Most High, the Most Great.”

Here it is in Arabic:

أَعُوذُ بِاللهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ "اللهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِنْدَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَلَا يَئُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ

'A 'oothu billaahi minash-Shaytaanir-rajeem. Allaahu laa 'ilaaha 'illaa Huwal-Hayyul-Qayyoom, laa ta'khuthuhu sinatun wa laa nawm, lahu maa fis-samaawaati wa maa fil-'ardh, man thai-lathee yashfa'u 'indahu 'illaa bi'ithnih, ya'lamu maa bayna 'aydeehim wa maa khalfahum, wa laa yuheetoona bishay'im-min 'ilmihi 'illaa bimaa shaa'a, wasi'a kursiyyuhus samaawaati wal'ardh, wa laa ya'ooduhu hifdhuhumaa, wa Huwal- 'Aliyyul- 'Adheem

This is the one Duke and I ended up reciting every morning before we left the riad. And we didn't have one bad djinni experience! It works!

Here's another, though, to play it safe:

“In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Master of the Day of Judgment, thee do we serve and thee do we beseech for help. Keep us on the right path. The path of those upon whom thou has bestowed favors — not of those upon whom thy wrath is brought down, nor of those who go astray.”

And one more for good measure:

“I seek refuge in the Lord of the Dawn from the evil of what he has created. And from the evil of the utterly dark night when it comes. And from the evil of those who blow on knots. And from the evil of the envious when he envies.”

Wonder what that blowing on knots is all about? It appears to be a term for (and practice of) the secrets arts of sorcery.

The black king of the djinns, Al-Malik al-Aswad, in the late 14th century Kitab al-Bulhan or Book of Wonders

Other Means of Protection

Finally, I found some types of protection aside from spoken prayers or spells:

dates

The Prophet (peace and blessing upon him) said, “Whoever eats seven pressed dates every morning before eating any food, will not be affected by poison or sihr [witchcraft]!”

Preferably, you’re eating ajwa, a kind of date grown in Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

This is from Al-Bukhari, one of the major collections of Sunni Islam: 10/249, the Book of Medicine, Chapter: Treatment of Sorcery With 'Ajwah.)

ablution (wudu)

First think about your niyyah (intention) in performing ablution to cleanse yourself of impurities.

Say, “Bismillah,” which means “in the name of Allah.”

Wash your right hand up to the wrist (and between the fingers) three times.

Repeat with the left hand.

Rinse your mouth and spit out the water three times and rub the teeth with a miswak, a teeth-cleaning twig.

This site has a more elaborate form of wudu that includes putting water up your nose and washing your feet.

Do this and you’ll be protected by an angel and therefore immune to black magic.

potty prepping

Apparently, Satan likes to lurk in bathrooms. So before you go in, you might want to say, “O Allah! I seek refuge in you from the male/female Satans.” The Devil apparently likes to hide in “this filthy place, which is the home of Satanic jinn,” according to Al-Bukhari. 

I'm not saying I'll follow all of this advice…but I do feel that I'm going back onto the djinns' turf better-armed. –Wally

The Worst Chauffeur in India

We wouldn't have been surprised to find our car up in a tree, like this one you pass on the way to the Mews at Udai Bilas Palace

When we tried to leave Dungarpur, our driver was nowhere to be found. What ensued has become a story we can laugh about…now.

We had heard that you should expect the unexpected in India — especially when it comes to travel plans. We hadn’t experienced anything too egregious, our two-hour wait for a driver to Dungarpur aside.

Well, that was nothing compared to what happened when we tried to leave Dungarpur.

“George recognized the word “police.”
“I don’t like the sound of that,” he said.”

The day started off pleasantly enough. After breakfast, we explored a temple complex not far from our heritage hotel, Udai Bilas Palace, where a brahmin greeted and welcomed us. The complex has several lingams (a phallic representation of the Hindu god Shiva) and a shrine to Krishna.

A lingam, which is really just a stylized penis meant to represent the god Shiva

“This Car Is Going Nowhere”

When we checked out at noon, we learned that our driver was unable to meet us, but that it he would be no more than an hour.

In the interim, we went and sat beside the pool and ordered some snacks to nibble on before our return trip to Baroda.

At one point, a supervisor stopped by our table and asked if we would be amenable to him contacting our driver to see what the situation was.

As the man was speaking on his mobile phone, George recognized the word “police.”

“I don’t like the sound of that,” George said.

The supervisor hung up the phone and told us that our driver had had an accident but was OK. Except that he was currently being held at the police station.

It became clear that we wouldn’t be leaving any time soon.

This prompted George to contact the company we had hired the driver through, TaxiForSure. They had a completely different account of the unfolding events: It was an accident. The car just had to be fixed, but we can leave soon. Maybe today. Tomorrow at the latest. Two days tops.

I was worried about getting back to Baroda in time for our flight the next morning. Wally, on the other hand, was enjoying himself, lounging in the sun and telling me repeatedly that there are worse ways to spend a day.

The supervisor left for the local police station with a promise to update us on the situation. When he returned, he showed us pictures of the badly damaged sedan. The driver’s side was crushed in, both windows smashed.

“This car is going nowhere,” he said.

We Get the Real Story

Turns out our driver was in jail, waiting for the commissioner, who would or would not show up within the next several hours. We learned that our driver, probably excited to be on his own with a vehicle, had left the complex and gone for a joyride. We’re not sure he was drinking — but it wouldn’t surprise us if he was eager to get some booze in his system, living as he does in Gujarat, a dry state (something to do with Gandhi being from there, George explained).

The car had gone off the road into a ditch and flipped over. Fortunately he was fine, but unfortunately for us, we no longer had transport back to Vadodara.

Thankfully, the hotel made arrangements for a new driver. Our driver took the state highway and we were back in Baroda within a few hours.

The ride was cheaper (and much more pleasant) than our trip to Dungarpur, and our driver was courteous, so we tipped him extravagantly. It wasn’t that much money to us — equal to a taxi ride across Chicago, say — but the man acted like he had just won the lottery. He thanked us profusely and offered us all bidis, tiny cigarettes hand-rolled in leaves. –Duke

Bizarre Foods Around the World

Weird food: Would you try crickets, scorpions, guinea pig…or dog?

 

I think of myself as adventurous when it comes to food. I’ll eat pretty much anything.

But when you start getting into Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern territory, my stomach starts churning.

“I think we all just ate dog.”

I’ve gobbled down the delicious fattiness of pig cheeks, for instance. And when you really think about it, shrimp could be considered the insects of the sea.

Here are some of the foods I encountered on my travels — some of which I braved and others I chickened out on actually trying.

Guinea pig, or cuy, comes flayed open like something scraped off the road — you know, so you can sure you're not eating a cat

Guinea pigs

Known as cuy in Peru, these are a delicacy in the Andes. We visited villages where locals had tiny pens to keep in a few guinea pigs, awaiting a special occasion. 

I figured I had to try cuy at least once. It was on the menu at a restaurant in Puno, a town on the shore of Lake Titicaca (go ahead and giggle). 

When Cameron, one of my fellow travelers, ordered it, I sighed in relief. 

“I’ll just try a bite of yours,” I said, and ordered the alapaca medallions for myself.

We were all horrified when the cuy came out. It sat upon its plate, flayed open, ribs visible, head still on, teeth bared, looking more like roadkill than dinner.

Once Cameron had dug in, I reached across the table and grabbed some with my fork. It stretched like a rubber band before it broke off with a snap. And a rubber band was exactly how it tasted. 

“Why do they serve cuy like that?” I asked the waiter.

“That is how it is served everywhere,” he informed us. “The head is on to show that you are not eating cat. A lot of restaurants try to serve you cat, but not us.”

“That’s good,” I said, happy to return to my alpaca. Which was delicious, by the way.

Crickets are popular snacks all over Thailand

Crickets and scorpions

I stayed with friends in Bangkok, Thailand, and at the end of their street was a small cart that sold crickets as well as pitch-black scorpions.

I was glad to see that the stingers had been removed from the scorpions. But as someone who has an irrational phobia of these creatures (all that power to kill in one small, creepy crawly package just gives me the shivers), you couldn’t even get me to consider trying one. 

Every time we passed by, I said I’d try a cricket, though. And every time I wimped out. I just couldn’t see the appeal of noshing on a dried insect, and the inevitable crunch just wigged me out. Part of the fact was that my stomach was still adjusting to the intensely spicy Thai food, and I was afraid that forcing a cricket down wouldn’t help matters.

That being said, there were carts all over the country, and they were always busy. Hordes of passersby would buy a bag full of crickets or a skewer and would gobble them down like popcorn.

The Perfume Pagoda in northern Vietnam is a region known for a dish called thit cho, which consists of dog

Dog

Before we traveled to Vietnam, I had read in the guidebooks that there’s a region up north that specializes in thit cho, or dog. Duke and I learned the phrase and made sure to avoid it.

We stayed in Hanoi and took a day trip to the Perfume Pagoda. On the way there, I had noticed a lot of the restaurants had signs out front proudly touting the specialty of the house: thit cho.

On the return trip, we stopped for dinner. They sat us in a room to the side of the restaurant, and served us family style, passing around big platters of entrées and sides. One of the dishes was indiscernible — the meat was like gamey, gristly beef.

“OK,” I announced to the table. “Here’s a dish of mystery meat. Everyone try it.”

It made the rounds, and after everyone had taken a bite or two, I dropped the bomb.

“This region specializes in serving dog. Did anyone else notice the two statues of German shepherds on the way in? I think we all just ate dog.”

Almost everyone grimaced, or protested the possibility, or mumbled a curse in my direction.

But the girl from Sweden piped up with, “That was good! Can you pass it back this way?”

As we left the restaurant, I asked our tour guide if we had eaten dog.

“No, no,” he said. “Pig.”

Well, I can assure you that was certainly not pork.

So we’re not certain we’ve eaten dog — we just have the sneaking suspicion we did.

What's the weirdest food you've seen on your travels? And did you try it? –Wally

The Crumbling But Majestic Dungarpur Palace

The reception hall in the Juna Mahal

One of Rajasthan’s lesser-known sites, the Juna Mahal is filled with brightly painted rooms — and a naughty collection of scenes from the Kama Sutra.

I first learned about the former royal residence from the book India: In Word and Image by photographer Eric Meola. He described the Juna Mahal as one of his favorite under-the-radar places, a faded old palace (indeed, that’s what its name translates to), located in the quiet town of Dungapur.

No longer occupied, visits are arranged upon request, which our hotel coordinated for us in advance.

“Hidden inside a cupboard on an upper floor were scenes from the Kama Sutra.”

The colorful town of Dungarpur

Perched on the brow of a hill with a panoramic view of the colorful village of Dungapur sprawled out below, the seven-story palace exterior resembles a narrow, dilapidated fortress. The façade is embellished with friezes carved from bluish-gray pareva stone.

A single staircase connects all seven floors of the Juna Mahal, or Old Palace

Once we entered the palace, an elderly man with leathery skin and a smiling face, most likely the Juna Mahal’s guardian, ushered us from room to room.

Our silent guide led us from room to room

Late afternoon light streamed through the windows, lingering upon the colorful murals, frescoes and an interior apartment that contains a glass and mirror inlay.

Hidden inside a cupboard on an upper floor were scenes from the Kama Sutra, India’s revered treatise on sexuality.

A cabinet on one of the top floors of the Juna Mahal depicts naughty scenes from the Kama Sutra

The rooftop is covered with a mosaic of broken pottery pieces and offers a magnificent view of the landscape.

Wally in the Juna Mahal

This extraordinary structure is the embodiment of both splendor and decline. It was in use until the mid-20th century and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited buildings in the country.

The brightly painted but fading walls of the Juna Mahal in Dungarpur, India

It is currently on the watch list of the World Monuments Fund, a New York City-based nonprofit organization whose goal is to preserve architectural and cultural heritage sites around the globe.

A room at the top of the Juna Mahal

The vividly painted and decorated rooms are fun to explore — and the luxe accommodations nearby make this a great stop on a tour of Rajasthan. –Duke

Best Guacamole Recipe Ever

Maybe this guacamole tastes so delicious because it's served in a pig-shaped molcajete

Es la verdad. Wally’s famous guacamole never fails to please. Just make sure you get a molcajete.

 

One of the most essential ingredients for guacamole is a molcajete — the mortar and pestle made of volcanic basalt first used by Aztecs and Mayas thousands of years ago.

I went to a restaurant in Chicago and was served guacamole from a molcajete shaped like a pig. I decided then and there that I would one day possess one just like it.

“Yes, this recipe is a little spicy. Deal with it.”

So when I stayed with my family in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Mexico one Christmas, I made it my mission to find a pig-shaped molcajete. I explored the market in Bucerías, the neighboring town, looking in each and every stall.

As I neared the end of the market, I began to give up hope.

Then, in one of the stalls, I saw a grouping of molcajetes. Alas, none of them were pig-shaped. And really, how could I ever be content with a regular one, knowing that there were pig-shaped ones out there?

But then, sitting on the ground underneath one of the shelves, there it was. I bought it immediately, and lugged that heavy mofo back to the States.

Would I ever serve guacamole in anything else? Maybe when pigs fly.

This is all you need to make a crowd-pleasing guacamole

Ingredients

• 2 avocados

• ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

• ½ cup white onion, minced

• 2 serrano chiles, minced

• 1 lime, juiced

• 1½ teaspoons salt

Preparation

Mix all the ingredients together in the molcajete. I leave half of an avocado to the end. That way you can have some chunks mixed in with the smooth texture.

You do know the trick to getting the pit out of an avocado, don’t you? Slice it open lengthwise, then thrust your knife into the pit in a chopping motion. Turn sideways and pull it out. It doubles as a party trick and makes you look pretty badass.

And yes, this recipe is a little spicy. But I can’t in good faith recommend cutting down on the spice level. Deal with it.

Every time I’ve made this for people, it has gone over extremely well. I’ve even won dip contests at work with this recipe.

Pair it with an all-natural margarita (though I'd try agave sweetener instead of maple syrup). 

Simple but ¡que rico! –Wally