Admiring the beautifully decorated windows of 5th Avenue, ice skating in Central Park and seeing the most iconic Christmas tree in front of the Rockefeller Center – just a couple of things I’ve always wanted to do. But I tell you what, Christmas in New York is not that special. Why? Well, because coming here this time of the year means crowds, crowds, crowds (and by crowds I mean crowds larger than in India or Bangladesh).

Just trying to fulfill one of my dreams was pure horror. Getting to the Rockefeller Center was one of the most uncomfortable situations I ever got myself into. If you’re claustrophobic, stay away! If you don’t go to festivals because of the crowds, stay away! And if you actually want to enjoy yourself, rather that being squashed, bumped into or pushed in all directions, stay away! I was pretty upset that it was like this. I mean sure, I knew that there’d be people, but this is madness (I’m exaggerating, I swear)! Still, I kept my spirits up and gave Christmassy New York another chance. So I continued with my exploration and made my way up to 5th Avenue. Yet again, this meant more crowds and a hell of a lot of kitsch. Nah, unfortunately didn’t enjoy this either…

It took 30 minutes and a whole lot of patience to get this photograph of the famous Christmas tree in front of the Rockefeller Center.

I decided to skip my fantasy and explored the way I usually do: away from the beaten path. Chinatown and Soho were my next stops and here I felt right at home.

Chinatown is its own destination: Great for bargain shopping, food, history, and the chance to soak in Chinese immigrant culture. It’s really a fantastic neighbourhood though maybe a bit confusion for first time visitors. If you’ve been to China or Hong Kong, you’ll know how to navigate though.

When strolling through New York’s Chinatown, you’ll sometimes wonder whether you’re really in the United States or after all in China.

The basketball courts just off of Grand Street in Chinatown are the perfect spots for people-viewing.

Exploring Chinatown was definitely a highlight during my short New York City trip.

Just like home: fresh fish is sold right off the streets in Chinatown.

Close to Chinatown (with Little Italy in between) lies Soho. The lower Manhattan hood, which refers to “South of Houston” is well known for its hip art galleries and trendy shops. Soho also is home to great New York restaurants for any budget. I enjoyed this part the most and therefore spent most of my time strolling through the streets of Lower Manhatten.

Soho is home to a vibrant artistic community, which makes this my favourite place in New York City.

In the other direction of Chinatown lies Manhatten Bridge and further south Brooklyn Bridge. Two iconic landmarks of the city along the East River. It was freezing cold, because the wind is quite strong here, but the views all made up for it!

Walking from one end of Manhatten Bridge to Brooklyn Bridge gives you an amazing view of both of them.

Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest of its kind in the United States and an iconic landmark of New York City.

So I was happy with what I got to see in Chinatown, Soho and Two Bridges neighbourhood, but still wanted more of the “must-visit touristy New York City”. Clearly, Time Square was on that list. It’s always been pretty impressive from what I’ve seen in movies or photographs, but in real life, not so much. After all, it’s just a lot of bright, flashy billboards with advertisements…

Times Square is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world and is sometimes referred to as “The Crossroads of the World”. If you forget about the road blocks, armed police officers and the 330.000 people crossing every day, I could start to like this spot after all.

Times Square has risen to fame through movies and the media, which unfortunately made me expect more than what I got.

Well, my “Christmas in New York city-trip”, turned out to be more of “trying-to-stay-away-from-Christmas-in-New York-trip”. Which doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy it. I honestly loved NYC! It just seems like a lot of the must-see sights are well overrated, especially during the holiday season. But this gives room for lesser known parts, which is great for city explores like myself. I’m leaving today, but New York, New York, I still want to be a part of you.

As you all know, ticket prices go through the roof this time of the year, therefore a fly-away holiday was out of question (especially last minute). So after scanning the atlas for hours and thinking about our past travels through Africa by truck, we soon came to the conclusion that it was time for one of these adventures again. We checked out some shipping lines and managed to get a ticket on one of the many ferries that ply the Italian-Tunisian routes. Yes, Tunisia was our desired destination; orient, hookah, herbs, culture, nomads, camels & desert here we come!

A few days before Christmas Eve we were on our way to Genoa, where the ferry set off. The distance is around 1.000 km from Vienna and it took us 10 hours to get there – sounds pretty long but since we were travelling with our Pinzgauer truck, we couldn’t go faster than 100km/h.

After arriving at the port, we immediately got our truck in line with the others. These ferries are huge and up to 300 cars fit into the giant belly. Every centimetre counts and depending on the size and height of the car, you’re assigned your space on the ferry. The entire embarkation process took a few hours, so we had lot’s of time to spare. While waiting, we came across some nice little local tavernas in the port area, where pizza, pasta and the followed cappuccino just tastes a lot better than at home. The Italian atmosphere is simply magical :)

The ferry trip.

The ferry took about 25 hours from Genoa to Tunis, therefore a cabin is advisable. Unfortunately in our case, all cabins were booked already when we bought our ticket, so we took our hammocks and sleeping bags from the truck and started exploring the ship. You’ll find restaurants and bars, as well as enough entertainment, where travellers from all over Europe meet. Most of the tourists travelling by ferry are “off-roaders” because Tunisia by car or truck usually contains heavy off-road driving.

Anyway, after a quiet night on the ship, a bright and sunny morning greeted us. Customs was very easy, without the slightest hassle. After all, with so many cars disembarking, customs has to speed up as well. Soon after arrival, we were on our way down South.

Our route.

We wanted to get out of Tunis asap, since driving through the sand dunes was the most fun. Be patient though … if you expect sand dunes right after Tunis, you’ll be disappointed; it takes an entire day of driving until you reach them. We actually planned to drive to Tozeur (an oasis in the South-West of Tunisia) and further on to Douz by crossing the salt lake Chott El Jeridh. Douz itself is known as the “gateway to the Sahara” and an important starting point for desert explorers. Our desired destination was Ksar Ghilane because you have to cross high sand dunes about 150 km from Douz to get there.

Needed Gear.

When deciding to cross the Sahara, be sure to have a good compass, a GPS device and a fine map. There’s basically no road, only tracks (that can lead nowhere) and this can get confusing at times. It’s advisable to travel with a second vehicle if you’re not an experienced desert fox (like us haha). As said, some tracks lead to nowhere, so it’s good to check your position every few kilometres to make sure you’re on the right track.

We managed to arrive in Ksar Ghilane without any problems (no flat tyre, no sand digging and no unnecessary kilometres) after around 7 hours, just right in time to spend Christmas Eve with some other travellers at the camp ground. A nearby restaurant served delicious Tunisian food and after a few glasses of champagne we set up the hammocks between the cars and slept under the stars.

Some Impressions:

Camels are the lifeline in any desert.

Camping in the desert of Tunisia, Africa.

At a market in Tunis, Tunisia.

Sand dunes in the desert of Tunisia, Africa.

A public toilet in the desert of Tunisia, Africa.

A nomad near Douz in the desert of Tunisia, Africa.

Arriving at the oasis Douz in Tunisia, Africa.

I tried to spend my time wisely, and I think I managed all right: I tough about a way to get out of the daily 9 to 5 routine. It won’t take much longer, and then I’m off exploring foreign countries again. 2012 is going to be a good year – I can feel it. I usually don’t make any New Year’s resolutions but this year is different: In 2012, I want to quit my job (due to money issues, this part has to wait until mid 2013), travel, shoot tons of photos & start our project “Make People See” and “Lets Travel Somewhere”.

Until then, I enjoy watching inspiring movies (documentaries will be featured in another post) that bring out the wanderlust in me. And now I’d like to share these with you.

Happy New Year everyone!

North America:

• Into the Wild (United States)

• Frida (Mexico)

• The Shipping News (Newfoundland)

• Blue Crush (United States – Hawaii)

• Brokeback Mountain (United States)

• Six Days Seven Nights (United States – Hawaii)

South & Central America:

• The Mission (Brazil)

• The Motorcycle Diaries (Peru)

• The Art of Travel (Central America – Thanks Kaushal for the input)

• Love in the Time of Cholera (Columbia)

Europe:

• Under the Tuscan Sun (Italy)

• Death in Venice (Italy)

• Sound of Music (Austria)

• The Queen (Great Britain & Scotland)

• Vicky Christina Barcelona (Spain)

• A Good Year (France)

• Midnight in Paris (France)

• Braveheart (Scotland)

• Cairo Time (Egypt)

Africa:

• Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey (Rwanda)

• Tears of the Sun (Nigeria)

• Out of Africa (Kenya)

• The English Patient (Tunisia)

Asia:

• The Beach (Thailand)

• The Painted Veil (China)

• Eat Pray Love (India, Indonesia)

• Das Dschungelkind (A German movie filmed in Papua New Guinea)

• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (China)

• Seven Years in Tibet (Tibet)

• The Darjeeling Limited (India)

• Memoirs of a Geisha (Japan)

• Kundun (Tibet)

• The Last Samurai (Japan)

• Lawrence of Arabia (Thanks Ines for the input)

• The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (India)

• Salmon Fishing In The Yemen (Yemen & Scotland)

• The Children of Huang Shi (China)

Oceania:

• The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (New Zealand)

• Cast Away (Fiji)

And what are your favorite wanderlust movies?

A big thank you to all our readers, friends and family for the likes, tweets, comments, input & support with Cookiesound. You guys truly rock!

Merry Christmas to all of you – where ever you are.

To relax a little bit, watch this mesmerizing video by Jon Rawlinson. It was filmed at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Japan at the main tank called the “Kuroshio Sea”. It holds 7,500-cubic meters (1,981,290 gallons) of water and features the world’s second largest acrylic glass panel. Whale sharks, manta rays and many other fish pass by…

1. “Christkindlmarkt” Schloss Belvedere.

The Christmas market at the Belvedere in the 3rd district of Vienna is one of the rather unknown, or better, one of the fewer visited. I love this market because of its wonderful setting. Sure, there are others in front of castles or churches as well, but this one is pretty “small” compared to the others and that’s the big plus. It’s not too crowded and the audience isn’t just there to drink ’til they drop.

• Address: Prinz Eugen-Str. 27, 1030 Vienna
• How to get there: Tram D (Station “Schloss Belvedere”) or Subway U1 (Station “Südtirolerplatz”)

The Christmas market is on the backside of the Belvedere.

The setting at the Christmas market at the Belvedere is really lovely.

Christmas baubles and other cute little items can be bought at almost every Christmas market in Vienna.

The back side of the Belvedere castle (called Unteres Belvedere) is quite a sight and well worth a visit.

2. “Christkindlmarkt” Karlsplatz – divina art.

The art market in the “Resselpark” is one of the nicest and most visited Christmas market in Vienna. You’ll find unique designed items like hats, bags, belts, jewellery or vases, which really make a perfect Christmas gift. People work all year to sell their artefacts on this market. Getting one of the stalls is not easy though … you have to apply one year ahead and show your art work in front of an experienced commission. They decide whether it’s “good enough”, and if it is, you just need enough cash to pay for the rent. What I love about this Christmas market and its Punch stalls is that most of them offer concentrate free punsh, which has unfortunately become very rare,

• Address: Kreuzherrengasse 1, 1040 Vienna
• How to get there: Subway U4, U1 or U2 (Station “Karlsplatz”)

The Christmas market in front of the Karlskirche is a highlight for every visitor.

Hat stall at the Christmas market around the Karlsplatz.

3. “Christkindlmarkt” Schloss Schönbrunn.

Every year visitors from all over the world come to the Christmas market at Schloss Schönbrunn because of its enchanting setting; the gigantic Christmas tree in front of the Baroque castle appears as a perfect setting for the romantic Advent village. Huge Must if you’re in Vienna!

• Address: Schloss Schönbrunn, 1130 Vienna
• How to get there: Subway U4 (Station “Schloss Schönbrunn”)

The Christmas market in front of Schloss Schönbrunn castle is a romantic sight.

All kinds of Christmas accessories can be bought at the Christmas market in front of Schönbrunn castle.

4. “Christkindlmarkt” Altes AKH.

What’s special about the Christmas market in the old General Hospital (= Altes AKH) is that from the outside it’s really inconspicuous. If you didn’t know that something was happening inside, you most probably wouldn’t go in. If you do though, a cute little winter village will welcome you.

Nowadays the grounds are part of the University campus and therefore many younger people hang out here.

• Address: Alser Straße 4, 1090 Vienna
• How to get there: Subway U2 (Station “Schottentor”), Tram 5, 33, 43 & 44 (Station “Lange Gasse”)

A typical food hut at a Viennese Christmas market.

Christmas stars.

Christmas accessories.

5. “Christkindlmarkt” MQ.

The “Winterdorf” (in English winter village) at the MQ is the most modern Christmas market in Vienna. In six “ice-pavilions” with great atmosphere, visitors can expects a hip crowd, great Punsh variety (which was the best at the “Glacis Beisl”) and delicious treats. If you’re looking for “Kitsch” and a typical “Christkindlmarkt”, this one will not satisfy you. There are no stalls; it’s all about drinking & eating.

• Address: Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Vienna
• How to get there: Subway U2 (Station “Museumsquartier”) or U3 (Station “Volkstheater”)

The stylish Christmas market in the Museums Quartier.

The visuals are eye candy in the MQ.

6. “Christkindlmarkt” Rathausplatz.

The Christmas market in front of the state house is probably the most famous in Vienna and a real tourist attraction. Most Viennese tend to avoid it though because it’s overcrowded & overpriced, yet the setting is really wonderful and so a quick look does no harm. The gigantic “heart-tree” (photo below) is just one of many decorated highlights.

Tip: Watch your belongings! Pickpockets know that tourist love coming here and therefore good money can be made easily. This is pretty much the case at every Christmas market but the larger the crowd, the easier it get for them…

• Address: Friedrich-Schmidt-Platz 5, 1010 Vienna
• How to get there: Subway U2 (Station “Rathaus”)

The only thing I like about the Christmas market in front of the Rathaus is the decorated park. But tourist love this place never the less due to the impressive setting right in the city centre.

You can buy your Christmas baubles at the markets (if you have the cash).

I have to admit that even though I don’t like the Christmas market in front of the Rathaus, it’s quite an impressive sight.

7. “Christkindlmarkt” Mauerbach, Lower Austria.

The Christmas market in Mauerbach is well known in and around Vienna. This “Christkindlmarkt” is limited to two weekends each year and therefore the rush is high.

• Address: Silentium-Kartause / Kartäuserplatz 2, 3001 Mauerbach
• How to get there: Honestly, it’s best to get there by car, but if you depend on public transport, take the U4 subway to “Hütteldorf” and from there bus Nr. 249 or 250 until Mauerbach.

The “Christkindlmarkt” in Mauerbach in front of the monastery.

The “Christkindlmarkt” in Mauerbach in front of the monastery.