Traveler's Almanac for September/October 2001

Celebrating Munich's Oktoberfest 2000

Arts Alive International Festival, Johannesburg, South Africa, September 1-22 There’s something for everyone at one of South Africa’s largest festivals: African pop music and dance, jazz, hip hop, puppet theater, storytelling, and kite flying. For details call 011-27-11-838-6907.

One City Festival, Cape Town, South Africa, September 20-24 A celebration of Cape Town’s diversity erupts throughout the city. Enjoy circus performances, concerts, traditional storytelling, and other cultural exhibits. If you pass a ringing public telephone, answer it. It’s part of the “Love Phone” demonstration and the caller will tell you the story of how a Cape Town love affair got started.

Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany, September 22-October 7 Seven million visitors guzzle 5 million liters of beer at the world’s largest brew festival. During the day Oktoberfest takes on a family carnival atmosphere. Evenings are for hard-core partiers [www.oktoberfest.de].

Abu Simbel Festival, Abu Simbel, Egypt, October 22 In the 12th century BC Ramses II built a temple to himself engineered so that on his birthday and the anniversary of his rise to the throne rays of sun would enter and illuminate the inner sanctum. Thousands of spectators gather before sunrise to watch the sun’s first light penetrate the stone temple and cast an eerie illumination on statues inside. Outside, a fair with live music runs all day.

International Scotch Whisky Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland, October 22-28 Tour distilleries. Don’t miss the Whisky Noser of the Year competition to see who can sniff out 15 varieties of Scotch.

World Creole Music Festival, Roseau, Dominica, October 25-27 Top Creole musicians from the Caribbean, Africa, Europe, and the Americas converge on this Caribbean island for three days of high-adrenaline dance music [www.dominica.dm].

Potang Balimu Ritual Bathing Ceremony, Kampar River, Indonesia, November 16 Heralding the start of Ramadan, crowds gather along the banks of the Kampar River and dunk themselves —a purification ritual before the Islamic month of fasting begins.

Festival of the Brotherhood of Goat Cheese Eaters, Bellegarde-en-Marche, France, November 26 This small French village honors its goats and their cheese. According to legend, village residents fended off English invaders with sharpened goat horns during the Middle Ages.

Lop Buri Monkey Banquet, Lop Buri, Thailand, November 26 Visitors gather at an ancient Khmer tample for a great banquet for the 600 or so monkeys in the area, who feast on bananas, rice, nuts, and ornately carved vegetables—all washed down with cans of Coca-Cola.

Spirit Festivals, Throughout Myanmar, November 30 As the full moon rises, villagers honor their spirit-gods or nats. According to legend, each village must appease its nat or the spirit will wreak havoc in the coming months.

Festival of the Sahara, Douz, Tunisia, December 11-20 This usually quiet oasis town is packed with spectators for nine days each December. The highlight is the daily “fantasias”—precision horse riding drills in which dozens of men charge across the desert shooting guns in the air and showing off traditional uniforms. Also camel races, Tunisian music, and freshly harvested dates.

DAVE FOX writes from Seattle, WA. Contact him with Almanac suggestions at tips@davethefox.com.