Movimiento Travel

The National Arts Festival (also known as Grahamstown Festival) is the second largest arts festival in the world. Each year for two weeks of July, the art is at its best: theater, dance, opera, music, visual arts, readings and more. I invite you to learn a unique festival that brings the great South African cultural spirit with each heartbeat.

The National Arts Festival is not a single event, but many. The National Youth Festival Jazz lover and Awards Standard Bank young artists are also part of this event.

It began in 1974 as a project of the Grahamstown Foundation, arriving today to be the second largest arts festival on the planet.

If you have the opportunity to attend the festival, you will see more than 120,000 participants for 10 days fill the “University City” (where Rhodes University) making a unique artistic display, a burst of creative talent nurtured by the most diverse cultures throughout South Africa.

Day and night without stopping, without interruption, you can enjoy live music, street performers, and walking tours, readings, etc. In addition, always never rest the endless craft markets, ideal to buy many souvenirs dating back to you once you experience the journey again.

The “green” city
Known as the most important tourist routes in the region, Grahamstown has a history dating back to colonial days, so it has an incredible display of Victorian style marked more than 40 churches, forts and other buildings.

It is also considered a “green” city because it has thousands of acres dedicated to nature and conservation of flora and fauna, you can visit with a guide. You will take an unforgettable experience.

Grahamstown is also a city for lovers of birds. Thomas Baines Nature Reserve is just outside the city, like the Great Fish River Reserve, and both offer a wide variety of rare birds that jaw-dropping.

For lovers of hiking or “trekking” is the path of “Oldenburgian”, which took two days to cover, beginning and ending at the gates of the city. Other routes are known and smaller and Gowie Dassie Krantz Kloof. Ask for them to locals.

A festival out of this world
The festival takes place between late June and early July so the weather is rather cold, because of that everyone wears coats, scarves and gloves.

It will see both foreign and native artists. The population of the city of Grahamstown is doubled for 10 days Imagine! Not for nothing is one of the biggest festivals in the world. Nearly 50,000 people migrate to the city in those days, hungry for entertainment, cultural entertainment, souvenirs and recreational activities.

Every hall or large room becomes a theater, with each park and sports field fit a traditional market and the whole city, which does not allow you to escape more than 500 shows ranging from opera, theater and jazz up comedy style stand-up “(monologue) and African folk music.

Eye young people and lovers of electronic music have their place in this festival so great. All the time there is a giant industry where rave parties are held to the sound of a punch-punch ending.

For the more exotic are the medieval banquets, where it all goes back to a bygone era filled with noble fantasy. You can dress up, dance and laugh until mad.

As you can see there is room for everyone. You can attend with children, engaged in activities including those between 4 and 13 years to learn the art and culture are protagonists. You will not regret.

The rappel and climbing is a sport-inspired rescue technique. For those who enjoy climbing, rappelling can be found in an act of risk and adventure. In this note, there are some tips on everything you need to know before climbing from beginner level to advance. Plus: safety tips and equipment.

What it is
Also known as “escalation”, the rappel is done on vertical surfaces and is down a steep wall with the help of ropes. This discipline is often seen in full bloom during rescues in some areas become inaccessible by other means. The sensation is to walk through walls, with vertigo and adrenaline that this entails: no doubt an unforgettable experience.

Necessary equipment
The basic equipment consists of:
* A main rope
* Auxiliary ropes
* A harness with carabiners
* A descender

Tapes will be useful also express and special shoes for the occasion. Obviously the surface is required where there will be, which can be a wall of mountains, rocks, ice and even artificial. The latter are walls created specifically for this activity and can be found as “climbing wall” in specialist gyms.

The first time

If you have the opportunity to visit a climbing wall before your first experience in rappelling, do not miss. The climbing wall is a place prepared to simulate the mountain walls, steel structures covered with fiber shotcrete or concrete structures that simulate natural stone. There you can practice with confidence and at various levels of difficulty. At the time of starting the activity, you must be prepared mentally and physically, as used throughout the structure you are the true point of balance.

You should always enlist the help of someone familiar with the activity to accompany us, and to do abseiling for the first time in isolation can be highly risky.

Since we will use strings, you need to know certain types of knots that can be of great utility. Think that the rappel, our life is hanging by a rope and at a crucial moment, everything can depend on the knot just as accurate.

Difficulty levels

The rappel-like mountaineering, has some difficulty scales vary depending on the system used. In Spain and many other parts of Europe, uses the French system, graduating from one and continues until the number 9 (for now, since it is open). From Grade 4, also is a clarification anaerobic, through the symbols + and -.

Finally, from the 6th grade, may also include the letters “a”, “b” or “c”. This gives us a total of 31 possible combinations, used in all types of climbing, whether classic or sports. On the other hand, you can also use the American system.

Tips for your safety

1. Rest: When trying to descend a mountain we have climbed recently, it is likely that we are tired. The best in these cases is to take the necessary rest, because the rappel, haste and fatigue are a bad combination that can cause serious accidents.
2. Balance: You always carry during descent legs apart as it will improve your balance. The hand that you put forward is that any force should not do because it is part of the balance, and instead place it behind the hand control will be in charge of stopping our bodies when to push.
3. Slowly, slowly release the descender try because if you do so you can experience a very sharp fall. Anyway, if this happens, the rope will not let you fall.
4. Facilities: Although it may sound repetitive, never forget putting on gloves and helmet, in this kind of sports are essential.

Want to start your first attempts as a surfer and yet you dare? Need to know where to start? We’ll tell you in a few lines everything you need to know before starting to surfing. Need to go through some rather boring first step to then start the fun.
Have you seen the surfers on the beach and feel like practicing? We reveal the top tips from those who have learned from their experience.

Choose the board
Many often start with a board provided by a friend or had used but that is not appropriate for beginners. This makes it very difficult to take the first steps, above all, the more we are waiting, to stand on it. I suggest using one that is long, float, rounded at the tip. Ideally be between 3 to 3.5 meters (10-12 feet). You must also choose a wide, according to your body.

If you are buying a second hand, pay attention to it is not too yellow, beaten or have holes. It is recommended polished with paraffin wax base, which it sounds it could make it more slippery, actually prevents you slip when you catch a wave. It is important to apply wax on the part where the feet go to keep you from slipping when trying to stop you riding a wave.

Select the beach
Especially if you make the most of the day, begins in the morning and in one day quite sunny. Most importantly, there must be a moment too windy if you want to achieve some stability since the first attempts. When you’re more experienced, you will have the option of choosing more turbulent climates and optimized.

Find a beach where the waves are not too large. If you do not know her well, check with the lifeguards and warns that you will begin to practice. Check the ground to avoid areas that are low or rocky bottoms. It is also important to try a bit crowded and thus prevent accidents. Do not forget to use waterproof sunscreen.

Hiring a service class is usually a bit expensive but many choose to do so in the first few times to gain confidence. It is a good choice if you’re not who you go with.

How to stand on the board
To exercise mode stand on the board, so do it in one step: you go from sitting on the board to position quickly jumped up, trying to fall with both feet at once (one below to give stability). Remember to support your hands flat and not sipping from the edges. Your torso should be leaning slightly forward and your knees bent, do not have to be completely straight. We recommend looking at other surfers whenever you can; you help a lot to learn.

First steps in the water
Finally came the moment! If you do not want to spend the day going to pick up the board on the beach, tie it to your ankle. To do this, use an accessory called “pita” or “leash” that is available in any shop. Start to paddle in the frothy area. Do not forget to keep looking around you to get used to measure times and distances until they do it naturally. You should lie down without getting too far forward on the board so that the tip does not sink, not far behind, because you clog the swim.

When you feel ready, go to where the waves break. To get there, you pass through the breaker by pushing the end of the board down with his hands, so you will pass beneath the waves. To get up, repeats the same sequence as essays on the sand. Courage, will take time and much practice you achieve merge.

Sharing water with other surfer (without crashing)
Now that shares the sea with others, and in the streets, you must follow certain rules, which in this case are implied. If you’re the closest to the wave, you have priority to pick it up. In some cases, people come asking for it with a cry. On both occasions, we must take a side.

Do not be afraid and trust in the ability of others. If you think a surfer is coming too and can hit you, let me dodge, do not try to get out desperately. This decision will be the safest. Look, ultimately submerge under water if you think you can spend on top.

Some people are aggressive and do not want to share the area with others. It is better that we stay away and not respond to provocation. In some parts of the world, this is even punishable by law.

Benefits of exercise surf
The exercise of the surf, as well as recreate and give us the opportunity to enjoy a great way to sea, help improve our fitness and balance. These skills can be transferred to other sports to practice. It is also an interesting way to meet others who share your interest and passion for the ocean. Now what are you waiting to try?