Everyday tourism, like going to a barbershop in Morocco
1.** GET A HAIR CUT IN NORTH KOREA **
It seems an unnecessary eccentricity, but it is precisely what has to be done if we are lucky enough to enter this enigmatic country. Kim Jong-un forces his fellow citizens to wear his own haircut (a rare model that includes shaved temples) and women can choose from a list of 18 communist-style cuts. If we don't get a visa, we can always visit the M&M Hair Academy in Ealing, London. She became famous for offering a Kim Jong-un-style haircut to her clients and receiving threats from the North Korean embassy.
The same haircut in North Korea
two. GRADUATE EYESIGHT IN GEORGIA
The downside is that you will realize that the alphabet we know is not valid in all countries. The good thing is that you will have a unique travel anecdote. Graduate your sight abroad – that the oculists do not hear us – it is a good way to get much cheaper and original mounts . In the Georgian case, its alphabet is made up of such rounded letters that when the oculist asks us which letter we see, we will have to choose between “cloud” or “cloud upside down”.
Georgian alphabet: this is how one grades one's eyesight
3. PAINT YOUR NAILS IN NEW YORK
There's no place like the Big Apple to get a manicure or pedicure. More and more tourists are encouraged to visit the Asian-owned Nail Salon that leave perfect nails in a matter of seconds. For about ten dollars - and for a little less in Queens -, you can choose the color, the type of hairspray, the cut and even the cocktail – usually Cosmopolitan or Martini - to accompany the session. Some lounges are directly on private floors, decorated with fish tanks on the walls, and include massage chairs.
Painting your nails in New York: an art
Four. WAXING IN RIO DE JANEIRO
There is no concept “Brazilian waxing” because yes . This technique had to be invented to deal with the tiny bikinis and trikinis of the South American country. If you walk along the Copacabana beach you will not see a single hair - neither male nor female - that is not perfectly controlled, since they are all removed with a city shave . A bit of an extreme souvenir that is also known as “runway waxing”.
Wearing hair removal in Rio de Janeiro
5. SHOPPING IN THE BALKANS
Many people visit the United States to buy electronic products of certain brands, cheaper in exchange. What if we do the same with much less glamorous products? Countries like Bulgarian and Serbian they have supermarkets with bio and ecological food at a very good price , including beauty products made with natural ingredients. If they open your suitcase at the airport, they will be surprised that you have a paraben-free mask or organic spaghetti with you. But your pantry will thank you.
Central Market in Bulgaria
6. SHAVING IN FES
Entering a Moroccan barbershop is an unforgettable experience . Sitting on stools, you can see how the barber mix soap with water until you get a dough to shave, avoiding prefabricated foams. With a razor, he will slowly shave off the beard while he mutters a few words in our language, and will offer us a dental checkup (there are still a few dental barbers left) or recommend us his favorite hammam. Do not trust the tourist Arab baths ; ask your barber for one where only local people go.
Shaving in Morocco: an unforgettable experience
7.**PLAY CHESS IN BUDAPEST**
What fascinates the Hungarian lords of the capital is not the thermal baths; make no mistake. What hooks them is challenge strangers to one of the games most loved by this central European country. Already in the 1980s the world chess champion, Bobby Fisher, bathed in the waters of the Szechenyi Spa to practice this strategy game. The advantage? It is not necessary to speak any language to communicate. The bad? Since the games are played in hot water, we must watch our blood pressure when we leave the spa.
Playing chess in Budapest: always soaking
8. MAKE SOME SWIMMING POOLS IN PARIS
There is no town hall more active than the one in the City of Light. From La Mairie they allow entry to the municipal swimming pools to anyone who wears a swimsuit and a hat for three euros (and swimming lessons are offered for 13 euros). Among the most recommended are the pontoise pool , where Jacques Cousteau would dive with his scuba, the Butte aux Caille, with colored arches and an impressive art deco design (which reopens its doors on July 15) and the swimming pool Des Amiraux, which was one of the decorations of amelie . A dozen of them are open until midnight, which allows us to relax after a long day of sightseeing.
Paris, the city of lights... and swimming pools
9. GO TO THE CINEMA IN ATHENS
Two things can happen: either we are extremely bored from our trip, or the cinema we want to go to has something special. **This is the case of Thisio,** an open-air cinema built in 1935 that can only be visited from April to October. What's so special about it? If the movie is boring, we can look towards the spectacular views of the Acropolis and Parthenon illuminated . Don't worry about the language: they show subtitled versions of most of their films. Another curious cinema is the Melbourne's Rooftop Cinema which, as its name suggests, is an open-air cinema located on the terrace of a skyscraper.
Thisio, an open-air cinema in Athens
10. ATTEND A TRIAL IN LONDON
It may not be the most everyday act in the world, but it is certainly one of the most interesting. As in many countries, some courtrooms are open to the public , and it is possible to attend the sessions as an audience. What is special about the trials of the English capital? In addition to practicing our English, we will be able to see the judges and lawyers with the characteristic white wig with curls and walk through the impressive building of the Royal Courts of Justice.
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Judges leaving the Royal Courts of Justice in London