Green Traveling Around the World Series - Ribe, Denmark

Denmark's oldest town is an actively green community. From alternative energy sources to organic dining, you can have a wonderfully green vacation in Ribe, Denmark. Make Danhostel Ribe your home as you explore the area.

The oldest city in Denmark isn't stuck in the past. Ribe, Denmark, may have the trappings of the eighth century, but attention to the environment brings them from the past into the future.

From lodgings to restaurants to activities, you'll find Ribe is more than just another old city. This Viking town's full of educational attractions, and it has green lodgings and food that help take the guilt out of traveling. Where should you stay in Ribe?

The Danhostel Ribe is a hostel located in Ribe, near the Wadden Sea National Park. It has Green Key certification due to numerous environmentally friendly initiatives, like energy and water conservation measures, recycling, composting, eco-friendly herbicides and cleaning products, and eco-friendly food.

The Danhostel Ribe is also not spartan as you would expect from such lodging. They offer a great breakfast buffet every morning, wireless internet, climbing wall, and children's activities for your benefit while visiting the area.

When you are ready to venture out for lunch or dinner, take your green standards with you. One great thing about Denmark in general is that restaurants use local produce and meats in their menus.

Whether organic or not, this may vary depending upon the restaurant, but you will largely find that Ribe and the surrounding areas offer sustainable foods that you'll enjoy.

Some restaurants that you will want to consider are Restaurant Klammerslusen, Restaurant Backhaus, Weis Stue, and PostGarden.

Delight in the various food choices available in and around Ribe that are filling, sustainable, and delicious, giving you the energy for all of the activities you will want to partake in.

What should you do in Ribe? The most obvious activity is visiting the historical locations in this old city, but there is a lot more to do.

The Town Market in Ribe is a great activity for the entire family. Held every Wednesday from May to September, you'll find unique specialty items not to be found anywhere else in the world, like local arts and crafts.

If you have children, let them visit the children's area where children buy and sell toys and books.

Numerous outdoor activities are available like cycling, boating, fishing, and swimming, allowing you to find the perfect activity.

Denmark's oldest Viking town is not stuck in the past. It is full of fun and exciting activities that you can enjoy apart from looking at old buildings, churches and monasteries.

It offers eco-friendliness as well, which makes it an ideal destination for those of us who appreciate green initiatives when we travel.

By : Kit_Cassingham

The Fish Was to Be Eaten With Our Hands

We went to Mexico to try and find a fishing village with a restaurant that served fresh fried fish. We happened to be staying in Merida city when we decided to take a side trip to Progresso Beach.

The ride from Merida to Progresso Beach was less than an hour away and it cost only one dollar and fifty cents US dollar each way per person.

The transportation system going from one town to another town is amazing and the buses run every twenty minutes; making it easy and inexpensive to travel. Most busses have some form of AC and play music in the background for your entertainment.

Once we got to Progresso Beach we decided to make a few inquiries about their fishing and where to eat the best fried fish. We thought this place was beautiful but too touristy for us.

We asked if we could find a fishing village nearby and we were told about Chelem a small fishing village only twenty minutes away and another fifty cents US dollar each way per person.

Chelem was reachable only by small vans that took workers from Chelem to Progresso back and forth. Once we got to the town of Chelem we noticed that it was really a very small fishing village and by that I mean only one main road of about twenty blocks.

We asked a couple of locals where could they recommend for us to hire a boat to fish and also a place where we could have our catch prepared fried for us and they pointed to Jose at the beach.

It looked like the beach of our dreams with a restaurant twenty feet from the shore (don't think you can really call it a restaurant.) The restaurant was set directly on top of the sand and the roof was made out of two nylon tarps that basically only protected you from the sun; it was great.

Immediately as you walk in you knew that if locals came here to eat it was probably really good food. At the shore were fishermen waiting to take people fishing. Families were enjoying the beach and the fresh food served by this place; we felt we could eat here too.

The owner, Manuel, came by immediately to greet us and told us that to rent a table and two chairs was five US dollars and it was acceptable to bring your own food or we were welcome to use the shaded area for free.

We decided on the latter for now, we sat on our towels on top of the sand and we asked for two beers and he said he only served national beer and the cost was one US dollar each: Manuel brought the coldest beers we had ever drank. It felt like paradise and but for a lot less money.

Children were swimming on the beach while fisherman arrived in their small colorful boats. We asked Manuel who could we hire to go fishing and he pointed to a fisherman approaching the shore.

We were told by the fisherman that fishing with him was thirty dollars it included four hours of fishing, the boat, gasoline, rods, bait, beer and some snacks for the both of us.

Well, it was not a boat by any mean of our knowledge of a regular fiberglass boat; this was a wooden boat that he had made with his own hands.

We set out to fish and the experience was like no other. We brought back four fishes that were more than two pounds each fish.

Once we got back we asked our friend Manuel if he could fry our fish whole and he said yes; like a friend he made us feel at home. So we decided to share the fish with Manuel and we ordered another round of icy cold beers while we waited for the fish to be done.

While we waited we went swimming. We felt so lucky to have found such a place. As the fish was being fried, we stayed in the beach looking towards the shore when we noticed that there were no hotels.

There were only private homes next to each other and they were at the same distance to the beach as was Jose's restaurant.

Manuel brought our catch and we asked to please bring forks and he said that we could order a side of tortillas which can act as our fork by holding it in our hand and wrapping the fish, also we ordered salsa to top the fish; the fish was to be eaten with our hands.

The whole cost of this adventure including the four hours of fishing, the fried fish, six beers and the ride to get there and back was about fifty US dollars for the both us; for a whole day of enjoyment.

Where in the world can you spend a day like this for that amount of money? In Progresso Beach they are building a pier to welcome cruise ships - how long before this unspoiled place will become too crowded with tourists.

I would advice for you to go there now if you are interested in fishing and seeing Chelem like a native. We spent a day that it was a dream come true at a beach called Chelem.


By : Angel_S.