German Christmas markets sparkle in season

An illuminated tree is seen in front of the Christmas market in Duisburg, western Germany.

This time of year, the Christmas spirit descends on Germany's cities and towns in the form of wooden stalls laden with pretzels, toys and baked goods of all shapes and sizes.

More than 130 places in Germany host Christmas markets, each one emphasizing regional specialties and flair. The celebrations have developed into an art form, with handcrafted wooden ornaments, elaborate nativity displays and delectable treats that would leave Santa and his reindeer turning up their noses at mere cookies and milk.

The markets are a major tourist attraction, drawing visitors from around the world. But the markets also draw on centuries of Christmas traditions in this country where the Protestant Reformation took root and where the current pope was born, with some customs dating back to the Middle Ages.

Dresden and Nuremberg compete for the oldest and most famous Christmas markets.

Dresden, in Germany's east, boasts the Striezelmarkt, the oldest documented Christmas market in the country, dating to 1434. It is the home of the largest "Christmas pyramid" — a 45-foot-high wood structure lit with candles that spin the tiers of the decorated pyramid.

The tradition for Christmas wood carving comes from the Erzgebirge, or "Ore mountains," an old mining region south of the city that borders the Czech Republic. Nutcrackers and "smoking men" incense holders were originally created here.

The Stollen Festival is another highlight of the market, with the largest loaf of Christstollen — a buttery, spiced loaf weighing between 3 and 4 tons — cut here and served to visitors on Dec. 8.

In Nuremberg in Bavaria, the city's Christkindlmarkt is perhaps the most famous of all the markets, counting some 2 million visitors from Japan, the U.S., China, all over Europe and elsewhere around the world every year.

They come for the Lebkuchen, a spicy gingerbread baked here since 1395 and "3 in a Weggla," which are tiny Nuremberg wursts, served three little sausages abreast in a bun with spicy mustard. The Christkind, an angelic or fairy-like character, is the symbol of the market, and a woman with golden hair and a crown opens the market each year with her Christmas proclamation and hears the Christmas gift wishes of the children.

In Frankfurt am Main's historical center, the Dom Roemer transforms from its post-World War II reconstruction of history into a wonderland of carousel music, bundled groups of people laughing around cauldrons of hot spiced wine called Gluehwein, and thick clusters of gingerbread hearts laden with hardened frosting.

In Aachen, bakeries offer their famous Aachener Printen gingerbread and marzipan bread. In Berlin, the 17th-century Charlottenburger Palace is brilliantly illuminated behind the market, and the Jewish Museum hosts a combined Hanukkah-Christmas market with kosher delicacies.

The popularity of the Christmas markets has spread around the world, inspiring copies in Britain, the United States and elsewhere.

The German American Chamber of Commerce was inspired to create a market in Chicago after Nuremberg's Christkindlmarkt, and even has the Nuremberg's former Christkind, Eva Sattler, an original Nuremberger, opening the market with a traditional proclamation.

Phoenix on a budget: New rail line, hikes, golf

In Phoenix, there's nothing a trip to the golf course can't fix. It's a warm winter escape for those who can afford a second home, and it basks in the spa-facial glow of being a place where people will pay a lot for five-star fun.

But for those with shallow pockets, the Valley of the Sun has budget-friendly options mixing an urban identity with access to nature. It's not every big city where you can scale a mountain, sample authentic Mexican food and take in a free art show - all in one day.

A Metro light rail train pulls into downtown Phoenix for the first time during a test of the new regional commuter rail system in Phoenix.

TRANSPORTATION: Phoenix's $1.4 billion Metro Light Rail debuts Dec. 27. The 20-mile line will stretch from northwest Phoenix to neighboring Tempe and Mesa. The train will be free for the first two days. The grand opening will have music, activities and exhibits at stops along the track.

In chichi Scottsdale, take advantage of the free trolley. The purple street car runs every 10 minutes, from Oldtown Scottsdale, brimming with local eateries, bars and shops selling Native American arts and crafts, to the art galleries lining Main Street. The free Scottsdale Art Walk is every Thursday evening.

The trolley also stops by the waterfront, where restaurants and shops line the canal.

A rental car may be your best bet for metropolitan Phoenix and day trips. The city's streets are laid out like a grid, making it hard to get lost.

TAKE A HIKE: Hiking in Arizona is fun even in winter. Piestewa Peak, formerly Squaw Peak, at 2,608 feet tall, offers miles of trails inside Phoenix Mountains Park and Recreation area.

Camelback Mountain.

More adventurous hikers can scale Camelback Mountain's sandstone hump. At 2,704 feet, Camelback's two main summit trails amount to a 1,200-foot gain in elevation, with less arduous trails near the base.

For easy strolls or mountain bike rides, head to Papago Park, where there's little elevation amid the woods, desert sandstone and fields.

Sedona and its red mountain majesties are a two-hour drive north. Take a hike and survey the grandiosity of the red rock formations at the hilltop Chapel of the Holy Cross, an aesthetic marvel. Parking is free; the view is priceless.

Halfway between Sedona and Phoenix lies the city of Prescott. The folksy downtown, anchored by the historic Courthouse Plaza, has a warm small-town ambiance. Restaurants, boutiques and live music are abundant. But the Old West heritage is still very much alive. Stroll Whiskey Row, a block once full of nothing but saloons. Have a drink at The Palace Restaurant and Saloon, whose past patrons include Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. Venture farther out to Prescott National Forest, which has five lakes and more than 450 miles of trails for hiking, horseback riding or mountain biking.

GOLF: Home to 200 golf courses, many of them PGA-champion caliber, metro Phoenix has long been a luxury golf destination. But there are bargain rates too. For the winter, the city's eight municipal courses charge between $34 and $43 for 18 holes. Fees slide to $18-$25 if you tee off after 1 p.m. At Palo Verde Golf Course, nine holes cost just $10.

Each course has a unique layout. For first-time visitors, head to Aguila Golf Course at the base of South Mountain, with lovely vistas of the Sonoran desert. Book tee times at least a week before.

If conventional golf isn't your thing, try flicking a flying disc at a disc golf course fitted with "tee boxes" and baskets mounted on poles. If you're new to the game, stop by Spinners on the Green, a disc golf equipment and apparel store in Scottsdale, for help. Spinners also rents bikes, $10 an hour.

There are two disc golf locations in Phoenix and Scottsdale, the latter located along a 25-mile multi-use path known as the Indian Bend Wash.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT: Artists, musicians and vendors take over downtown Phoenix streets for an artwalk the first Friday of each month. Visit galleries or shop for everything from jewelry to decorated cigar boxes.

For more highbrow art, check out the Phoenix Art Museum, free on Tuesdays, 3-9 p.m. and during First Fridays, 6-10 p.m.,. Current exhibitions include 54 drawings by artist Elihu Vedder and the fashion evolution of the jumpsuit.

The Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden, teeming with desert plants, is hosting Dale Chihuly's "The Nature of Glass" through May 31. Chihuly's dazzling glass sculptures have been installed throughout the garden, even hanging from the roof. Admission is $15 (students, $7.50 with ID; $5 ages 3-12).

The Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum, 1502 W. Washington St., has a small building but a big collection of more than 3,000 rocks, fossils and minerals, including an 8-foot hunk of copper, lunar rocks from the first Moon landing and precious gems and minerals local to Arizona. Admission is $2 (free ages 17 and under).

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS: Chances for a white Christmas in Phoenix are slim to none, but there are other holiday scenes. APS, the state's largest utility.

Glendale, the suburb west of Phoenix that played host to the Super Bowl last February, is operating Glendale Glitters until Jan. 17, illuminating downtown with 1.5 million lights for 12 blocks.

Just north of Phoenix, the town of Carefree, with street names like Ho Hum Road and Easy Street, is planning a Currier & Ives-style Christmas Festival, its first, Dec. 12-14, complete with town crier, carolers, horse carriage rides, roasted chestnuts and hot chocolate. The entire town center will be blanketed in fake snow.

In Scottsdale, McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park displays 100,000 lights, Dec. 12-Jan. 3. Tracks go for one mile; ride admission is $2.

CHEAP CHOW: Mexican immigrants have brought culinary gems to north Phoenix's Sunnyslope neighborhood, also known as "Little Oaxaca." At Los Reyes de la Torta, 9230 N. 7th St., good luck scarfing down an entire torta. The choices for these Mexican sandwiches vary, with the most voluminous being the Del Rey - ham, breaded beef, sausage, refried beans, eggs, melted cheese, avocado, tomato, onion and jalapenos stuffed between a crisp, white roll. Wash it down with an agua fresca (strawberry, mango, watermelon, pineapple or cinnamon-flavored horchata).

On the opposite side of town, lunch can be crowded at Carolina's Mexican Food, 1202 E. Mohave St. Carolina Valenzuela has been serving up handmade tortillas since 1968. Many in central Phoenix say the prices and quality are worth the drive.

Matt's Big Breakfast, 801 N. First St., is a beloved downtown staple. The owners boast big portions, local organic ingredients, waffles made from scratch and the Chop and Chick (two eggs and a skillet-seared pork chop), plus sandwiches and salads. The line of waiting customers outside the small red brick building sometimes starts before 7 a.m.

Baku: An exciting place to explore

Are you looking for a new exotic place to explore? Do you want to see features of both Asian and European cultures in one city? Do you want to see a city where Muslims, Jews and Christians live in harmony? Then Azerbaijan's capital Baku -- the pearl of the Caspian Sea -- is the place for you.

Azerbaijan, a small but oil-rich country in the South Caucasus, is the new kid on the block of the world tourism industry.

More than 90 percent of its population is Shiite Muslim. It is not, however, an orthodox country. It has one of the most modern, secular, liberal, tolerant and open societies in the Islamic world.

"We had a very difficult period of being unknown in the world tourism market due to the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh," Azerbaijan's Minister of Culture and Tourism, Abulfas Qarayev, told The Jakarta Post recently.

Nagorno-Karabakh, an Azerbaijan territory, was seized by Armenian troops in a 1990s war.

Azerbaijan's beauty, richness, culture and ultimately its geostrategic position -- a juncture on the Great Silk Road, between the Mediterranean, Caspian, Black and Azov seas -- has attracted various tribes, travelers, invaders, traders and missionaries throughout history. More recent patrons include oil companies and even film director Michael Apted, who shot parts of the 1999 Bond film The World is not Enough here.

In this former Soviet Union state of 8.7 million people, Baku has everything.

"It was a surprise for me. Baku looks like more an European city than an Asian one," Laura Shuurmans, a Jakarta-based free-lance writer, said recently.

A city rich in culture and history, Baku has unique and varied architecture -- ranging from grand mansions with Roman and Gothic themes to a walled old city complete with cobbled streets, narrow alleys, ancient buildings and interesting historical places.

As in any other ancient city, the best and easiest way is to explore Baku is on foot. While in Baku, there is one place you will go to, more than once. In Baku all roads lead to Fountain Square. If it is dining and shopping you're after, or simply looking to meet up with friends and enjoy the night life, head to Fountain Square. It's the most popular place in the city for locals and visitors alike.

Built in the 1860s by the famous Azerbaijani architect Hajibababeyov (1811-1874), Fountain Square is home to numerous Western-style shops, restaurants, cafes and bars. Here you can find street hawkers and a playground for children: It's the spot to hang out. It's on Sunday evenings however, that the square really comes alive. A parade of beautiful Azeri girls hit the town and everybody wants to be there.

Baku or Baki (which means a city of winds in the Azeri language) is in fact comprised of three cities -- the old town (Cheri Shekher), the boom town and the Soviet-built town.

Tourists will find the walled old town, a world heritage site, the most interesting as all the major attractions of Baku are found here.

Baku's landmark Maiden's Tower, a key shapped medieval tower, stands tall on the shore of Caspian Sea. The tower is a place worth seeing in Baku city.

Every city has its landmark and for Baku it's Maiden's Tower, a medieval tower with a strange keyhole shape. Built as a guard tower and observatory in 12th century, Maiden's Tower or Kiz Kulesi is worth seeing. There are many stories to explain how it was named, the most accepted being that a maiden committed suicide by jumping from the top. Local people told us that distressed people still sometimes repeat maiden's act.

A set of stairs will take you to the top of the tower, which, at a height of more than 30 meters will provide good exercise. From the top you will find the best view of Baku and the Caspian Sea.

But beware of the biting wind, which comes rolling off the rough Caspian Sea and sweeps through the city's streets.

The Shirvanshah's Palace, a 15th century royal palace, is a must see tourist site in Baku.

Another of Baku's historical attractions is the Shirvanshah's Palace, a 15th century royal palace with a mosque, minaret and mausoleum.

On our way to Shirvanshah's Palace, there were numerous tempting artisan and carpet shops. But prices of these items are as high as the Maiden's Tower. Don't worry thought, if you have a local guide or bargaining skills developed from years of shopping at Tanah Abang market, the prices will come down by more than half.

It is easy to loose your way in the labyrinthine old city. But not to worry, just hail a cab and ask to go to the usual place: Fountain Square. The most surprising thing was that even the locals sometimes get lost. This is because Baku is changing very fast, due to the oil boom. Many Azeris, however, point out that they are not part of the boom.

The rapid influx of oil dollars means that the whole city looks as if it is in a beauty parlor. Multistory buildings are being constructed, old buildings and roads are undergoing renovations -- all over the city.

In the evening, one should not miss beautiful Boulevard. Running parallel to Baku's sea front, Azeri people enjoy leisurely strolls here. The 100-year-old Boulevard, now a national park, is also a popular spot for young lovers. The streets, decorated with lights, add to the ambiance.

Baku is also home to numerous museums. My favorite was the State Museum of Azerbaijani Carpets and Decorative Applied Arts (formerly the Lenin Museum), which has a very rich collection of centuries-old colorful carpets. The Azerbaijan State Museum of Art, State History Museum, Museum of Independence and the Museum of Musical Culture of Azerbaijan are also worth a visit.

The city also has a vibrant nightlife -- you can find music ranging from disco and jazz to operas and classical Azeri dances. One can even enjoy belly dancing at one of the caravansarai's (ancient inn) in the old town.

A picturesque view of Baku Bay. Baku city has been undergoing a complete modernization, thanks to its oil boom.

On the outskirts of the city, you can explore not only numerous beaches, but also places like Gobustan, where 12,000-year-old rock carvings are preserved, and Ateshgah -- a Zoroastrian fire temple built in the 18th century.

Near Baku, the most interesting place in Azerbaijan is Oil Rocks, a town on the Caspian Sea. Built during the Soviet era, Oil Rocks has 200 kilometers of streets built on a former landfill. It is here that several scenes of The World is not Enough were shot. Further away from Baku you will find tourist places like Sheki, Ganja and Guba.

The most interesting part of the experience is the great Azeri cuisine, which is similar to Turkish food. Lamb kebabs, dolmas, caviar, yogurt soups, salads, bread, pillav and tomatoes, as well as many fresh fruits, will make your mouth water.

Baku and Azerbaijan in general are blessed with so many qualities that will provide fond memories for tourists. But it is above all, their warmness, generosity and hospitality that Azeri people are well known for. Last year around 1.3 million tourists visited Azerbaijan, a veritable leap from the 44,934 who came in 1995.

Baku has all the ingredients, and has invested billions of oil dollars, to ensure its spot as a popular international destination in the years to come. It might just be that one has to hurry up to see the original Baku, before it turns into a new star in global tourism industry.

Travel tips

Getting there: The United Arab Emirates' Emirates airlines flies daily from Jakarta to Dubai. From Dubai Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) flies to Baku six times in a week and from Baku to Dubai seven times a week. A two-way ticket may cost approximately US$1,800.

What to see

Fountain Square, Maiden's Tower, Shirvanshah's Palace, Old town (Cheri Shekher), Gobustan, Ateshgah fire temple, State Art Gallery, State Museum of Azerbaijani Carpets and Decorative Applied Arts, Boulevard, Oil Rocks in Baku and surrounding areas

Where to stay

Hyatt Regency, Holiday Inn, Absheron Hotel, Caspian Palace, and Radisson SAS Plaza and numerous budget hotels

Where to eat and what to eat

Karavanserai: An underground restaurant in the midst of walled city. The food is traditional Azeri with lots of lamb and Caspian fish. There are also regular Azeri music, magic shows and belly dance.
Yacht Restaurant: This yacht-shaped expensive restaurant on Caspian Sea offers delicious Azeri food and drinks.

Currency

One can bring in unlimited foreign currency to Baku with proper declaration. But you can't take Azeri currency manats out of the country. Azeri manat might be stronger than U.S. dollar but it is not accepted outside Azerbaijan. All manats must be exchanged before we leave Baku.