Matador Trips co-editor, Carlo Alcos; Photos courtesy of Carlo Alcos

After recovering from two weekends spent re-flooring his campervan, Carlo Alcos takes a few minutes to tell us about himself.

Name:

Carlo Alcos

Role at Matador:

Co-editor of Matador Trips

Photo courtesy of Carlo Alcos

How You Found Matador:

I can’t recall exactly how I stumbled on Brave New Traveler, but that is the site that led me to Matador as the two had freshly merged. Specifically, it was Daniel Harbecke’s article Budget Travelers are Hippie Scum (try NOT to click on that link). It remains one of my all-time fave pieces on the network.

How You Got Brought on Board as an Editor:

I’d contributed a few articles across the network and was very active in the Community. I interacted with Matador members, read their blogs, commented on them, posted forum topics, and also read and commented on articles across the Matador network.

You’d have to ask the senior eds to verify this, but I think my involvement with Matador and the fact that the articles I submitted didn’t need much revising were key reasons why I was approached to join the team.

Where You Live:

Melbourne, Australia…for now.

Your Next Trip:

A 5-6 week cycling trip in Cuba — the inspiration started with this interview…Freewheeling: Lynette Chiang’s Two Wheel Journey from Cubicles to Cuba.

What You Do When You’re Not Working on Matador Stuff:

Besides holding down a 9-5 (I’m trying to quit…honest), I am currently in deep preparations and plans for leaving Melbourne in January 2010. My wife and I have about half a year planned; after that, it will be played by ear.

We’re working on a campervan conversion to tour Australia down the road: I Am S.A.M. the Van. I’ve just started my personal blog at carlo-alcos.com and I’m also working on a new website, which will hopefully be launched before the new year!

A Favorite Travel Memory:

Here are two: skinny dipping in Lake Baikal in October and getting beaten with a besom in a Russian banya in Petrozavodsk.

Community Connection:

Want to read more from Carlo? Here are two of my favorites:

Hostel on Wheels: The Coolest Campers Around

A Budget Traveler’s Guide to Wedding Planning: 9 Useful Tips

Anna Brones (l) and Emily Nuchols (r); Photo courtesy of Anna Brones

As senior editor at WEND Magazine, Anna forged a special relationship between WEND and Matador, recognizing that the core audiences of both publications were people who were living adventures by passionately pursuing their dreams.

Now, Anna’s jumped the WEND ship to set out on her own adventure: launching Under Solen, a social media start-up company, with her business partner, Emily Nuchols. Emily, by the way, is also a Matador member.

Over e-mail, the three of us talked about Under Solen, travel, Scandinavia, and whether they’re crazy to start a business in this economy:

What was the impetus for you and Emily to start Under Solen Media?

Emily and I have both been working in the outdoor industry for the past few years, she in the non-profit world and I in publishing. Because social media had been a large part of both of our jobs, we saw that there was definitely a niche in the outdoor industry that wasn’t being filled. The Internet and new media have changed the way companies, organizations and individuals brand themselves, and so much of marketing is about connecting with a message or a cause.

We want to provide the tools to bring these people together to push these messages out in the most interactive, dynamic way possible. In a day and age where a brand can offer a technical, do-it-all waterproof jacket, which company are you going to buy from: the one that listens to you as a consumer, supports worthy causes, and is committed to a certain set of ideals, or the one that simply markets their latest sales offers?

What does the name mean?

Under Solen means “under the sun” in Swedish. Emily and I first bonded over our Scandinavian heritage, so we figured it was only appropriate to choose something that related to that. And since we’re working with folks who love the outdoors…

Will this job allow you to be location independent?

Definitely! We believe in doing business a bit different than usual and that means traveling, exploring, and getting out the message of our clients on the ground. Plus, when you’re constantly working with a bunch of crazy cool adventurers and causes, how can you not be inspired to get out and explore? That being said, Portland is an excellent place to be based, both for the brands that are headquartered here, the general ethos and the number of amazing people.

Who are your ideal clients?

We started this business because we want to work with people who are driven to make positive change in this world and really get their message out. Since Anna and I are steeped in the outdoor industry, we haven’t had to look far. We are stoked to be connecting with people who are passionate about their causes — be they businesses, advocates, or adventurers.

What do you expect a typical work day to look like?

Every day begins with coffee. Swedes LOVE their coffee But seriously, we spend the majority of our time connecting with people — online, on social networks, on the phone, or in our own backyard. We obviously spend a lot of time in front of our MacBooks writing blog posts, streaming content from our clients through social media channels, and promoting our clients.

But Anna and I do things differently and that means a lot of travel and adventure — that could mean jetting off to Brazil to meet up with one of our expedition teams or hitting the trail for a run to mull over a new project.

Your future office?; Photo: mike baird

No one starts a business in a recession. Are you nuts?

Honestly, we didn’t think twice about taking the leap. Some people say that the people we work with are nuts — paddling first-descents on the most remote and dangerous rivers of the world, traveling for months in search of the perfect photo, or going head-to-head with the U.S. government to remove dams…. Well, we’re just proud to call these folks our partners.

We have an amazing group of folks who encouraged us from the very beginning. And we have the connections, energy and passion to succeed and we think that is exactly what is needed to jumpstart a flagging economy. How could we not dive in?

Community Connection:

Planning a trip to the Caribbean? Anna is also Matador’s Guadeloupe expert, and she’d be happy to answer your pre-trip questions.

Picture yourself here. Photo: nattu

Last month, when we announced the creation of the Matador Flickr pool (which, by the way, now has more than 80 members and more than 700 incredible photos!), we alluded to some big plans we’d soon be unveiling for photographers.

[Insert virtual drumroll here.]

Matador U, Matador’s travel writing school, will be expanding its course offerings in the first quarter of 2010 with the launch of a travel photography course.

Working in collaboration with some of the world’s best known travel photographers, the course has been developed by our in-house editors and professional travel photographers Lola Akinmade and Paul Sullivan. Between them, Lola and Paul have had their photography featured in Vogue, CITY Magazine, and Time Out and Hedonist’s guide book series, among others.

More details about the course will be announced here as the launch date nears. In the meantime, we invite you to download our FREE report, 15 Publications That Pay for Travel Photography to get you excited about the program.

Community Connection:

We’re always interested in featuring Matador members’ exceptional photos in our photo essays. If you’d like to see your photos published on Matador Trips, please contact Trips’ editors, Hal Amen and Carlo Alcos: hal@matadornetwork.com and carlo@matadornetwork.com.

Intern-turned-editor, Michelle Schusterman.

If we’re looking for talent and skill, we’re likely to find it right under our noses.

Almost all of the Matador editors were brought on board after their Matador Travel blogs were noticed by Matador staff. Whenever possible, we scout talent from within our own community, filling open positions with people who are already channeling the Matador vibe.

This week, we’re pleased to announce that Michelle Schusterman has been promoted to associate editor after serving as intern with Matador Goods since May.

Michelle is a musician, long-term traveler, and freelance writer who has been focusing on writing gear and tech reviews for Matador Goods.

In her new position, she will continue working closely with Goods editor Lola Akinmade to research and write gear-related articles that are relevant to travelers.

Have a tip for Michelle or a special request about a product you’d like to see reviewed on Goods? You can reach her via e-mail: michelle@matadornetwork.com.

Matador member Grady, a documentary filmmaker

Since its founding in 2006, Matador has always been dedicated to publishing the best travel writing online. As our community of travelers has grown, though, we’ve realized that not every story is told with words. Matador is also home to thousands of talented photographers and filmmakers.

Which is why we’re launching MatadorTV.

While there’s tons of incredible travel video on the Web that makes us want to get offline and go exploring, there hasn’t been a single place where all of this material has come together to be showcased. That’s what we’re building with MatadorTV.

MatadorTV will be headed up by editor Joshua Johnson, who will scour the Internet for the best travel video online. In addition to curating existing work, he’ll be working with freelance video producers and filmmakers to create original content.

Sound interesting to you? If you’re stoked about doing a film project at home or on the road, we want to hear from you. Read our contributor guidelines here, then hit us up with your best travel video.

And if you’re not handy with the camera, pop on over to MatadorTV to enjoy the collection of videos we’ve already put together for you.

Community Connection:

Want to perfect your filmmaking skills? Check out our archive of travel video tips here.

Photo: dbdrobot

Little did Ross Borden and Ben Polansky know when they launched Matador in October 2006 that they’d have a staff of more than 30 employees and interns just three years later.

Every day, Matador staff fire up our computers in New York, San Francisco, Mammoth Lakes, Vancouver, Oaxaca, Melbourne, Berlin, Buenos Aires, and points in between to bring you sweet, relevant writing about travel and life on our network of 10 blogs. Working across almost every time zone, we exchange as many as 100 emails a day (102 today at my last count), read a dozen or more submissions each day, moderate comments, plan contests, search through the community for new talent, and respond to readers’ and travelers’ questions.

It’s a big job, one that’s got to be shared among a few dozen brains, hearts, and hands.

We’re stoked to announce that two new folks have joined the Matador team. Candice Walsh and JoAnna Haugen, both students in Matador’s travel writing school, Matador U, have come on board as associate editors. They’ll be working with the team to identify timely story ideas and to continue our tradition of producing the best travel writing online.

Candice and JoAnna each bring a unique voice and set of experiences to the team. Candice will put good time experts Kate Sedgwick and Tom Gates, editors of Matador Nights, to the test. She’s already written a couple articles across the Network, sharing a voice that’s authentic, believable, and always funny.

JoAnna, who’s currently on a press trip in Honduras, is a former Peace Corps member who recently took the plunge into full-time freelance writing. She also embodies the Matador vibe– if you haven’t already read about the fund she set up for Peruvian porters who lead treks to Machu Picchu, you should definitely check that out here.

We welcome both to the team!

Community Connection:

Are you interested in working for Matador? Keep your eyes on our job listings.

Mei-Ling McNamara

Back in August, we launched the Discover Dominica contest, inviting Matador readers to submit a photo related to the exploration of Mother Nature for a chance to win a trip for two to the Caribbean island of Dominica.

After reviewing hundreds of entries, moderating dozens of comments, and learning a lot about how we can run contests better, the Matador team has selected a winner: Mei-Ling McNamara.

Mei-Ling is a is a writer, advocacy journalist, and international development worker who is currently authoring a new travel guidebook to Senegal with Bradt Travel Guides. She’s also an extraordinary photographer who has documented plenty of outdoor adventure on her travels.

Thanks to everyone who entered, and congratulations to Mei-Ling!

Community Connection:

Are you looking for a chance to win? Matador sponsors regular contests for gear, photographs, trips, and books. Find out about current contests here.

Here are three of our favorites:

Matador Nights co-editor Tom Gates on Halloween in Berlin: “It’s not me but I just love the whole family thing. Even Satan needs to refuel on some fries and currywurst.” Photo: Tom Gates

Candice Walsh dresses up as every child of the 1980’s favorite traveler: “This photo is me dressed as the lovely globetrottin’ Carmen Sandiego. I spent the night on George Street, which hosts its annual Mardi Gras celebration every Halloween, with a huge costume contest on the street.” Photo courtesy of Candice Walsh

Sydney-based Larissa de Villa, dressed as Luigi from Super Mario Brothers.

Community Connection:

Missed our call for costumes? Add your Halloween photos to Matador’s Flickr pool!

Photo: senor codo

Where were you on Halloween night?

And what were you?

Send some snaps of you in costume by noon EST on November 1 to julie@matadornetwork.com. We’ll feature our favorite photos in a quick photo essay roundup, which will be published on Sunday afternoon. Be sure to include a caption that tells us:

-where you were;
-what you were;
-what you were doing.

Photos should be at least 600×400 pixels.

Community Connection:

Don’t miss Kate Sedgwick’s photo essay of animals in Halloween costume!

Porters of Machu Picchu, Photo by Lola Akinmade

Americans who haven’t seen the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone. Mexicans who have never been to Chichen Itza. Egyptians who’ve never cast their eyes upon the Sphinx.

It’s one thing to choose not to visit these places. It’s another entirely when your job involves ferrying travelers to the edge of these wonders but never being able to cast your own eyes upon them.

Such is the case in Peru, where porters carry 55 pound packs of travelers’ gear right to the edge–but not within viewing distance–of Machu Picchu before turning around and catching a train to Cusco to start the trek all over again. “[V]ery few porters [can] ever actually visit Machu Picchu,” wrote JoAnna Haugen, adding, “[It] hits a nerve. Global travelers can probably name countless times they’ve met local people who have never experienced the things that draw travelers to a country.”

And she wanted to do something about it… at least in Peru.

Collaborating with Julio Tello, the founder of the tour outfit Karikuy, Haugen co-founded the Karikuy-Haugen Fund, which is raising money to pay`for porters to visit Machu Picchu.

Read more about the fund and learn how you can support the project here.

Community Connection:

Headed to Machu Picchu? Matador Trips co-editor Hal Amen tells you how to visit on the cheap.

Matador managing editor Julie Schwietert eating in Oaxaca. Photos: Francisco Collazo

The Matador editorial tribe is a diverse group of folks, but if there’s one thing we share (besides our love of travel), it’s a love of food. Whether we’re sampling mole in Oaxaca, indulging in Korean tteok in Mexico City, or subjecting ourselves to a tour of the world’s worst pizzas, followed by a full day of binge eating in Berlin, we’re as alert for our next meal as we are for the next adventure.

That’s why we love to hear about other travelers’ favorite food moments.

Matador member Layne Mosler has lots of them… so many, in fact, that she documents them in close detail on her blog, Taxi Gourmet.

Mosler’s mode of travel revolves around food: wherever she goes, she hops into a taxi, asks the driver to take her to his or her favorite restaurant, and then narrates the ride, the meal, and the cultural/political/historical context of the whole experience on Taxi Gourmet.

More than a “Look at what I ate today!” post, Mosler’s writing offers a thoughtful, often funny and often poignant look at cab drivers’ lives. Her writing is so good, in fact, that she’s been featured in The Economist, The Guardian, and The Washington Post, among other international magazines and newspapers.

For the past three years, Mosler’s posts have mapped the culinary landscape of Buenos Aires, but in June of this year, Mosler returned to the US to settle down in New York… and become a cab driver herself.

You can follow her quest to secure a coveted taxi driver’s license–and her ongoing adventures at the table–at Taxi Gourmet. Taxi Gourmet also features loads of useful information for food lovers on the move, including a list of her favorite food blogs, as well as links to cabbie resources in the US and elsewhere.

Community Connection:

Headed to Asia? Check out our 5 favorite Asian food blogs before you go.
What are your favorite food and travel blogs? Share links in the comments below.

Nancy Harder

So what is Kungaroo?

According to its founder, Nancy Harder, Kungaroo is a online social network intended to help travelers who practice yoga or meditation to make connections with like-minded folks during their journeys.

She says:

“My intention for this network is that those on their respective spiritual journeys will find oneness and connection through reaching out to others in their communities and abroad. As I’ve traveled around the globe and utilized other networks like couchsurfing , I’ve often wished I could reach out to others practicing yoga or meditation.

Whether you can offer information to locals or visitors about yoga and/or meditation classes in your area, share your own practice with others by meeting up for yoga and/or meditation, share service projects in your area, or just simply connect to others on the path to enlightenment, I hope this site is of service to you.”

If Kungaroo sounds like a service that may be of use to you–or if you can provide information and support to people who may be traveling through your community– you can register for Kungaroo by visiting the site here.

Community Connection:

Are you new to meditation? Check out Nancy’s beginner’s guide to meditation retreats here.

And you can find all of Matador’s yoga articles here.

[Editor's Update 10/29/09] -

Ross Borden
Co-Founder, Matador

A big thank you to everyone who submitted their photos! Be sure to be on the lookout for our future photo contests!

1. Anthony Lewis – “Exploring Torres Del Paine, Chile.”

2. Annie Nelson – “At the Devil’s Golf Course in Death Valley National Park. The ground is made up of crystals of pure salt from lakes that dried years ago. I tasted the ground, and sure enough, it tasted just like table salt.”

3. Julie Han – “Jumping over white sand dunes in Mui Ne, Vietnam.”

4. Karen Keeney – “St. Paul’s on Pitcairn Island.”

5. Matt Bigelow – “America’s greatest outdoor past time: roasting marshmallows over a river of molten lava.”

6. KWilliam Beasley – “A little silliness after hiking up from the valley floor in Yosemite.”

7. David Tai – “Preparing to enter the cold pool, Buckskin Gulch.”

8. Emmy Lenevald – “Preikestolen, Norway. 604 meters down. Vertigo.

9. Lara Silver – “Crawling through an ice tunnel while hiking the magnificent Franz Josef Glacier in New Zealand.”

10. Chelsea Raubenheimer – “Exploring the ends of the Earth!!!”

11. Vamsi Vasireddy – “What happens when your shower head is an elephant trunk? The look on our faces – priceless!!”

12. Alex Montalvo – “A joking attempt at backwards dowsing unexpectedly yields a Komodo dragon.”

13. Fabio Barbon – “That’s me walking over the waters of Barra Velha, BA , Brazil.”

14. “With storms coming in, a manatee herd heads for open water, allowing us to swim alongside them before heading down to Paul’s Reef, Florida.”

15. Alex Budak – “Exploring the sand dunes of Rajasthan, India, isolated from the rest of the world, as we watched the sunset as the golden sand in the horizon gradually faded to black.”

16. Jennifer Eden – “My boyfriend showering in the waterfall.”

17. Dacey Zelman-Fahm – “My father and I hiking across a natural land bridge in Sycamore Canyon Wilderness, Arizona.”

18. Laurin Ensslin – “Laurin conquering the Boquette Tree Trek, the real canopy tour of Panama…hope there is cold beer at the bottom!”

19. Katie Peterman – “Sandy Spit in the British Virgin Islands.”

20. Chris Tse – “Stopping to pose while hiking in Plitvice Lakes National Parks in Croatia.”

21. Kurtis Hastie – “Here’s a picture I took while myself and a few friends explore mother nature in the form of ice climing! Picture was taken at Restoule Park in Northern Ontario. Climb pictured is “The Snake”. How much more can you get in touch with mother nature than in the form of seasonal ice climbing? She creates it, we climb it.”

22. Aisha Springer – “Hiking in Great Falls, Maryland.”

23. Curtis McLeod – “We took the phrase “When in Rome…” to heart. So, when in Wales, act like mountain sheep.”

24. Krishana Clark – “The sun setting over the beach in Montego Bay Jamaica! Me on the left hand side enjoying the moment…how I miss this place!!!”

25. Mei-Ling McNamara – “A baptism of solitude in the Desert du Lampoul in Northeastern Senegal.”

Juli Huang; Photo courtesy of Juli Huang

It’s happened to lots of Matador members: you get together with some friends, have a couple drinks, talk about travel, and before you know it, you’ve dreamed up your next adventure.

For Matador intern Juli Huang, it happened at a birthday party last month. After telling some people about her volunteer work with a community health clinic in Berkeley, California and her passion for advocating health care for everyone, Juli learned about Global Medical Brigades, an organization that brings together medical professionals, students, lay health care workers, and volunteers to provide health care and health education to communities in Latin America that lack health care access, resources, and information.

After learning more about the organization, Juli signed on for a week-long volunteer trip in Honduras that will take place in January 2010.

The trip is an extension of the work she’s been doing in Berkeley. As she says, “the provision of health care as a basic human service independent of privilege or race or condition or history is extremely important to me. And though I am not interested in embarking down the path to becoming a medical professional, helping to provide people with the information to exercise more agency over their own health is something I feel strongly about.”

As part of the medical brigade, Juli will help with patient intake, triage, pharmacy, and education. Depending on the amount of money the organization raises prior to the trip, she may also be involved in public health education workshops in Honduras, focusing in particular on getting word out about how hand-washing and sanitized water can cut down on the number diarrheal deaths and disease transmission. If you’d like to make a donation to support the brigade’s work, click here.

We look forward to her first-person dispatches from Honduras.

Community Connection:

Want to learn more about volunteer opportunities abroad? Check out Matador’s organizational member listings here.

David got started on his research early…. Photo courtesy of David Page.

Each year for the past 25 years, the Society of American Travel Writers has sponsored a travel journalism contest that has become the premier competition in this field. The Lowell Thomas Awards, named for a radio and print journalist who made his media reputation as a globe-trotting correspondent, are considered to be travel writing’s equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize.

And Matador’s own David Page earned one this year.

The Lowell Thomas Awards are given in 25 different categories; David took the bronze in the Guidebook category for his Great Destinations: Yosemite & the Southern Sierra Nevada. Explaining why they selected David’s book for an award, the judges wrote:

“David T. Page presents a thorough, entertaining guide to the region. It contains an unusually detailed section on the natural history of the area, sure to appeal to Page’s outdoor-minded readers. It’s a joy to read.”

The Lowell Thomas Award isn’t the first honor David has received for this guidebook; it also won the distinction of the Best Guidebook of 2008 from the Outdoor Writers’ Association of California.

If you’d like to read David’s book for yourself, here it is:

And be sure to check out the articles David has published on Matador, including:

How to Travel to Socotra Island, Yemen

Powderquest Patagonia: Trip Report from Devin McDonell

10 Fundamentals When Packing for a Fun Family Ski Trip

Adventures in Weaning: Cold Turkey in the Great American Desert

Community Connection:

Would you like to see your name on the list of Lowell Thomas Award winners? Join Matador U’s travel writing school to learn how to author guidebooks…and much more.

Matador Life editor, Leigh Shulman. Photo courtesy of Leigh Shulman

It was right around this time last year that Matador launched the blog Matador Life.

The idea behind the creation of the Life blog was that it could be the platform for articles and conversations about everything that happens between trips. As we wrote when we introduced Life:

Everyone comes home from their travels eventually, and the way we return can be the most important part of all.

Matador Life is about people in their hometowns, how they represent where they’re from, and what we can learn from each of the unique places we inhabit.

Here you’ll find articles ranging from financial advice and tips on being more productive at work to portraits of people’s hometowns and profiles of individuals strongly rooted in their communities.

Since then, the Matador community has grown and become even more diverse. Our members range in age from 15 to 70+. They’re parents and partners, single or divorced. New graduates, drop outs. Professionals, retirees. Artsy fartsy, business minded. Expats, experienced travelers, people planning their first journeys into the world, and soldiers looking forward to finishing up their deployments.

What they share is the eventual need to come home and make a meaningful life where they thrive by bringing their travels into daily life. And what they need is someone who’s where they are… and who can publish writing that speaks to their experiences.

The`Matador team is confident that we’ve finally found that person.

We’re happy to announce that Leigh Shulman has joined the Matador editorial team. Her first post is up on Life today… say hi and share your ideas about the types of articles you’d like to read on Life.

Community Connection:

Want to know who’s who at Matador? Meet the team here.
Want to work for Matador? Our job listings are posted here.

Susan Marjanovic, winner of Matador’s Twitter tuition contest.

The winner was Susan Marjanovic, an artist, photographer, writer, audiophile and healer. We interviewed Susan to learn more about her…not surprisingly, she’s totally living the Matador vision.

Matador: Tell us a bit about you: where you’re from.

I kind of feel like I’m from all over. I consider San Francisco ‘home’ these days, but before that I lived in NYC for about a decade. I was born and raised at the Jersey shore, and my parents are from the old Yugoslavia (Serbia and Croatia), so I grew up in a European/Socialist sort of household surrounded by beach culture environment, stuck between two major cities.

When I was younger, I kind of felt like an outcast because of all those crazy juxtapositions but when I got older I was able to realize how lucky I was to have been exposed to so many different cultures all at once and it really shaped me in ways I am eternally grateful for.

Matador:… why you travel…

There just isn’t any other experience that comes close to it. I can’t really imagine life without traveling. I took my first overseas flight to the Adriatic coast & Serbia when I was 4 and was instantly hooked.

Photo: snowcrash

My parents had one of those huge fancy world atlases and I used to spend hours poring over it, planning all the places I would go when I got older and could afford it.

We used to get National Geographic too, which fueled even more daydreams (I loved the free maps that came with it) of exploring cultures all over the world. I was especially interested in tribal cultures, where people seemed to live more in harmony with each other and the earth, and where ritual, dance, and body decoration played a huge role.

Matador: …what you do…

I’m in pursuit of ultimate freedom always.

I’m also an artist, photographer, writer, audiophile, and healer.

I am interested in so many things, so I’ve never had one official career. The idea of doing the same thing over and over for days on end makes me cringe.

I studied photography at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, did some commercial work for record labels and magazines, had art shows, helped run an indie hip-hop label in NYC, worked at Current TV watching documentaries about the world for a brief stint, and then temped for a year because it gave me freedom, not just physically but mentally and emotionally, which were even more important to me at the time.

I tried going back to work at a landscape architect’s office for a bit. Temping doesn’t really provide financial stability, and I really love plants, so I thought I could learn something new and sort out my finances at the same time. But I found the environment to be really stifling and knew my freedom and happiness were worth way more than a steady paycheck so I began trying to sort out ‘How do I get paid to travel around the world doing what I love – creating art, making beautiful images, spending time in nature, meeting amazing people, and helping others?’

I had a health crisis. As I began to learn how to heal through a steady diet of raw/living foods, herbs, spiritual work, and hours spent in the wilderness hiking, I ended up stepping into my power as a healer, which really clicked everything together for me….

All the synchronicities in my life began to increase. I knew I was on the right path and didn’t need to focus only on one thing – what I needed was to find a way to make them all work together.

I signed up for a raw foods nutrition class and was praying for everything to get taken to the next level when I got fired from my job. It was a huge blessing. I began blogging about raw foods, health, life transformation and began consulting with clients one-on-one to help sort out their health issues. I finally had the time to spend my energy doing things I loved, so I began volunteering more than ever and immersing myself in [my passions]: food, permaculture, food foraging, the environment, and healthy living.

I knew travel was an integral part of the puzzle, so I applied for a paid WWOOF sponsorship to study permaculture in Bulgaria for six months and got it. Everything was coming together perfectly.

Matador: What are you up to these days?

I planned to spend some time with my family back east for a month or two before heading to Bulgaria and decided to take a cross country road trip to get there. Just as I was finalizing my trip, the WWOOF Bulgaria program told me that because I wasn’t an EU citizen, they weren’t going to be able to get my paperwork processed in time to make the funding deadline.

I trust that everything happens for a reason, so decided to just roll with it. I turned my cross country adventure into a bigger trip with no real end date. I left San Francisco in February and embarked on an experiment to trust that if we’re being of service, we are always being provided for. In my case this meant educating people about raw food and inspiring them to take their health back into their own hands, volunteering on organic farms and gardens, and exploring the power of community everywhere I went.

Photo: Ian Muttoo

It’s been amazing so far. I’ve met some of the most positive, inspiring, beautiful people who are changing the world. I’ve also been taking part in a lot of intense North American Indian ceremonies and sweat lodges and deepening on my spiritual path. It’s been beautiful and empowering experiencing how everything in your life shifts when you begin to trust the universe, listen to your intuition, and live in alignment with your soul.

My life feels so magical. I don’t really want this trip to end, but I think it’s time to head back to SF to work on a few projects and work my magic on a few other areas.

About a year ago I decided to start a raw, organic, medicinal chocolate company because I wanted to build an eco-conscious business of my own that would allow me to do good things in the world and allow me to travel and fund my art. On this trip I’ve had so many chocolate and herb syncs, so I’m itching to get work on that and start working with an incubator program to get that off the ground.

I’m also applying to school to become an herbalist and continue to work with plant medicines all over the world, especially South America and the Himalayas.

I also have a few big art projects I want to work on, especially one I am excited about that harnesses the power of community and human connection. It’s a roving art gallery in a truck that travels to cities all over the country. I’m really into alternative economies, so instead of purchasing the art, people will barter their own art for what’s already on the walls. The new art show will travel to the next city, and the barter process will continue.

I really like things that are constantly changing and evolving and want to be able to connect art communities all over the world and have everyone be a part of something bigger. I want to try to also capture the whole process digitally in an online museum of sorts so that people can know where their art ended up & keep in contact with whoever has it. I’d really love it if it spurred a few collaborations as well.

Matador: How did you learn about Matador?

I can’t remember exactly, but I know I found it while researching how to be a location independent digital nomad. I think it might have been through a link from Soultravelers3 on twitter.

Matador: You won Matador’s Twitter contest for free tuition… have you ever won anything before?

A few things. I won a small photography scholarship fund in high school. My freshman year of college, SVA had a photo show that was judged by one of the curators of MoMA and I placed…I think my prize was a gift certificate for photo supplies. Oh, and last year I won a Japan guidebook from Lonely Planet.

Matador: What are you hoping to get out of the Matador U program?

I want to connect with other people who are living a nomadic lifestyle and get high off the journey. I feel like I need to learn the economy of words. Several people who read my blog have been writing me to suggest I turn this current adventure into a book, so it would be fantastic to learn how to do that and get published.

I’m also in the process of revamping my photography site, elasticfate.com, so I’d like to learn how to morph it into a monetized travel site that will help me bring in another stream of income from doing what I love and inspire others to do the same.

Matador: What’s your favorite kind of travel writing or travel writer?

The kind that has the power to transport you fully to a place and moment in time without having to rely on crazy partying and outlandish tales to keep you riveted, though those can be entertaining in their own way. I really like travel writing that gets inside the local culture and teaches me something new and inspires me grow in some way.

Community Connection:

Want to learn more about Matador U? You can do that here. To read more about raw food and spiritual healing, check out senior editor David Miller’s review of Sofia Brandon’s book, The Adventure Cookbook, published on Matador Goods earlier this week.

Mongolian girl, Photo by Matador Trips co-editor, Carlo Alcos

But admittedly, photographers have gotten short shrift in our three years of existence.

That’s all about to change.

Matador Trips editors Hal Amen and Carlo Alcos have already taken the lead in highlighting Matador members’ photography by publishing stunning photo essays from Iceland, Brazil, and Papua New Guinea, to name just a few. Other Matador editors have followed their lead, featuring photo essays on Matador Sports and on Matador Change.

We’ll have some other exciting news to share with photographers over the next few weeks and months, but in the meantime, why not add your travel photos to Matador’s Flickr pool?

If you already have a Flickr account, all you need to do is join the group by following this link and clicking “Join This Group.” Then, you can add photos from your own photostream to the Matador pool, sharing your talent and your travels with the rest of us. The photos you add will carry the same license you’ve selected for them in your own photostream. Leave your photos licensed for Creative Commons and commercial use, and you may just see your work featured in a Matador article!

Interested in having your photography considered for a photo essay? E-mail me at julie@matadornetwork.com and I’ll direct your query to the appropriate editor.

Community Connection:

Would you like to WIN a beautiful photograph taken by professional travel photographer Peter Guttman? Check out our Twitter contest– details here.

Photo courtesy of Abbie Mood

Since then, dozens of aspiring travel writers have joined the course, working through the curriculum at their own pace and enjoying the conversation with other students and the Matador editorial team.

One of those students is Abbie Mood, who has also been a member of the Matador Travel community for about six months. Abbie registered for Matador U two weeks ago, and says, “I already feel like I’ve gained so much! Besides the chapters being really informative and interesting, being able to connect to and share feedback with editors and other writers has been amazing.”

Abbie has taken full advantage of Matador U’s features, including the Market Leads board, which provides students with exclusive listings of online and print opportunities for publishing their work. In fact, Abbie has already landed a writing gig through the market leads; she learned this week that she has been hired as Planet Eye’s local expert blogger for Orange County, California. “I’m very excited,” she says, “because this is my first official writing gig!”

Abbie has lived in Orange County for just over four years and will be using her experience to inform her postings for Planet Eye about what’s going on in Orange County. Some of her favorite places there are El Moro Canyon/Crystal Cove State Park to trail run (”There is a beautiful view of the ocean, and the trails kick my butt!”), Main Street on Huntington Beach to bar hop and people watch, and the Irvine Spectrum in Irvine for shopping!

Though it will be a few more days before her local expert page is active, you can check out the site and other cities’ local experts–including Matador’s own Twitter Ninja and Edinburgh local expert, Andy Hayes–at www.planeteyetraveler.com.

Community Connection:

Abbie isn’t the only Matador U student who has landed a writing contract since entering the travel writing program. Over the next few days, we’ll be profiling other students who have found gigs through the Market Leads board.

Interested in joining the U? Learn all about it here. And keep your eyes on that page– over the next few months, Matador will be introducing other courses, too!

Photo: Andrew Ciscel

Matador’s own Austin Chu, who occasionally reviews gear for Matador Goods, was laid off his job in December 2008. Rather than sit around and despair about his bank account or struggle to find a new job in a dismal economic market, Austin hit the American road with his brother Brian to make a documentary about the current state of the economy and, more importantly, what’s next.

Less than a year later, the Chu brothers can say they traveled through all 50 states, completed editing and post-production, and launched their documentary, “The Recess Ends,” to enthusiastic reviews. The premiere was held last night in San Francisco. Matador’s co-founders, Ross Borden and Ben Polansky, showed up early and still had to sneak in to the theater; it was that packed.

If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the trailer and then head on over to TRE’s website to find out when the film may be showing near you:

Official Trailer: The Recess Ends from B-Rilla on Vimeo.

Community Connection:

Were you at the premiere? Share your thoughts about “The Recess Ends” below. You can also check out other clips from the film on TRE’s Vimeo channel.

My big news? Baby Mariel!

There have been some exceptions, but during that time we’ve looked mostly outside of our own community to find “news.”

Though we always cared about finding the stories that were overlooked by mainstream media and bringing them back to you–as often as possible by reaching out to someone on the ground for a first-person dispatch like this one– we recently realized how much news is being overlooked within our own community.

In the three years since Matador was founded, we’ve created a large, tight-knit community of travelers and writers around the world who are living what we call the “Matador vision” every single day. That vision is to:

“…raise questions and share ideas and information in a way that isn’t bounded by geography or culture but ripples out from one traveler to another worldwide. Over time, these connections, dialogues, and relationships are affecting positive changes and creating new opportunities in the real world.”

Living the Matador vision looks different for each of the 12,000+ members of the Matador Travel community, the 1.6 million + people who visit our blogs each month, the nearly 8,000 people who follow us on Twitter, and the 70+ students enrolled in our travel writing school, Matador U.

For new member justdanny, who is currently serving in Iraq (which has a “hell of a sunrise,” he says), living the Matador vision means figuring out how to use the time and experiences he’s had at war once he gets back home. For HittheRoadJACK, it’s figuring out how to “hold on and continue believing in this dream” of living in their RV and “taking photographs and sharing our stories with others,” even when nothing seems to be going their way.

So long story short: go get your travel news elsewhere. Check Global Voices Online for politics and world news. Check other travel blogs for fare deals. And stay here to learn more about the incredible people who make up the Matador community.

Community Connection:

Want to contribute to Matador? Read our submission guidelines here.

If you have a story about what’s going on in your part of the world or if you want us to celebrate your good news, send me an email at julie@matadornetwork.com.

[Feature photo: qrtzcntrl]

Photo courtesy of JoAnna Haugen

You’re probably already familiar with JoAnna Haugen, an active member of Matador.

She’s a Matador contributor, having written the popular article “5 Things You Should Know Before Joining the Peace Corps” for MatadorChange.

She’s an enthusiastic and supportive student in Matador’s travel writing program, MatadorU.

She’s an active blogger, writing here on Matador and on her own self-hosted blog.

She was one of the Roads Scholars, using her travel stipend to explore the U.S.’s national parks and to write about her transformative experiences at Burning Man.

So the Matador team was stoked to wake up this morning to an e-mail from senior editor David Miller, who shared JoAnna’s latest blog–and good news–with us. JoAnna has won the 2009 Wine Food Travel Scholarship, awarded by the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA). In addition to being awarded a one week trip to the Caribbean in the dead of U.S. winter, JoAnna was given a one year membership to IFWTWA and will have at least one of her articles published in Global Writes.

Best of all, JoAnna’s decided to start a new writing project: her two weeks notice at her day job. She’ll be pursuing travel writing as a full time career.

And Matador will be pulling for her all the way!

Community Connection:

Interested in connecting with people like JoAnna? Set up your MatadorTravel.com profile today to meet other passionate travelers. You could also consider joining MatadorU, a 12-week curriculum developed by the Matador team where we teach you all you need to know about the history, craft, tools, and future of travel writing.

Photo: ClickE

Well, the Westin Resort Aruba has the answer to that question.

In an effort to up its occupancy rate, the Aruba Westin is running a unique promotion: couples who conceive a child during their stay will receive a “Conception Credit” worth $300 USD, which they can use for a return visit in 2010.

I would have paid money to be at the marketing meeting where this promo was dreamed up.

If you want to take advantage of the offer, there is some fine print: You’ve gotta get it on before December 18, 2009. In addition, once you return stateside, you’ll need to get a note from your doctor indicating that “the likely conception date took place around the time of [your] stay at the resort.”

No word on whether child care is provided on your return visit.

Community Connection:

Interested in outlandish tourism promotions? Read about the “Best Job in the World” or check out how one traveler is taking advantage of JetBlue’s All-You-Can-Jet Pass.

Photo: illuminating_9/11

Remember Muntadar al-Zaidi?

Nah, I didn’t think so.

How about the Iraqi “shoe throw” journalist?

Yes?

Well, al-Zaidi IS the journalist who famously threw his shoes at President Bush during a December 2008 press conference. He was subsequently arrested and sentenced to three years in prison.

Despite the long sentence, his total time was reduced to one year since he had no prior criminal record, and local authorities agreed he could be released three months early in recognition of his good behavior. He is scheduled to be released from a Baghdad prison tomorrow.

Though no one’s arguing that serving time is pleasant, al-Zaidi has been enjoying some unexpected benefits as the result of public support of his actions. In addition to continuing to receive his salary from the al-Baghdadiya news agency, al-Zaidi has allegedly been bought a house and has received multiple offers from parents who are eager to give their daughters’ hands to him in marriage. He (and his shoes) were also nominated as BBC’s Person of the Year.

Other promises–such as the Emir of Qatar’s pledge to buy al-Zaidi a golden horse–haven’t yet materialized.

No word yet on al-Zaidi’s post-prison plans, but his boss at al-Baghdadiya says he expects al-Zaidi to return to journalism.

Community Connection:

Are you a member of the armed forces who has served in Iraq or Afghanistan? Join Matador Travel today and start sharing your stories with our community.

Cuban artist Juan Antonio Picasso paints at his studio in Havana. Photo: Julie Schwietert

Despite the Obama administration’s stated commitment to improving Cuba-U.S. relations and reviewing U.S. foreign policy that prohibits most Americans from traveling freely to Cuba, actual policy changes have been slow in coming. The so-called travel ban remains intact for American citizens who are not from Cuba themselves or who do not have family in Cuba.

Fortunately, some organizations have been granted licenses to lead authorized trips to Cuba, and the Katonah Museum of Art, located in Katonah, New York, is one such institution. Museum administrators are now accepting reservations for a trip to Havana scheduled for January 17-23, 2010.

From the museum:

“Participants will spend the week immersed in Cuba’s… vibrant artistic culture through visits to museums, cultural centers, holy sites, and tours of the studios and homes of 14 Cuban artists led by Chelsea [New York] gallerist Alberto Magnan. Artists to be visited include contemporary surrealists Sandra Ramos and Los Carpinteros.”

In addition to the studio visits, trip participants will travel just outside Havana to the Cuban estate of American writer Ernest Hemingway and will have free time to explore Havana on their own. All participants will be lodging at the upscale Parque Central Hotel.

For full itinerary, rates and more information, contact Jacqui Potente at 914-232-9555, ext. 2968.

Community Connection:

Planning a trip to Havana? Check in with Matador’s Havana expert.

Matador Trips co-editor Carlo Alcos.

Wend invites Matador members to submit photos on the theme of hiking or trekking in order to be entered into its September Friday Photo Contest.

September’s weekly prizes include Kaze stainless steel vacuum bottles. The grand prize is an Eco Ether sleeping pad from Pacific Outdoor.

Click on over to Wend for all the details.

Feature photo: dms_303

Photo: Ed Yourdon

Sorry, it’s too late for you to get into the game, but four Matador members have made it into the semi-final round of Trazzler’s NYCGO Writing Contest.

At stake is a $10,000 prize and a most-expenses paid two-week stint to visit New York City, where the winner will spend his or her mini-residency writing about the city.

To get to this round, entrants had to make an initial editorial cut after submitting a short trip guide on the theme “Oasis.”

The initial pool of entrants has been culled to 200 semi-finalists. Visitors to the Trazzler site will vote for their favorite trips and the 10 entries garnering the most votes will move on to the finals. A jury will choose the grand prize winner. Even if you’re not a Trazzler member, you can vote for your favorite semi-finalists by logging in through your Facebook account.

Here are the Matador members who are in the running for the next round:

Katie Hammel:

Katie is a regular contributor to Matador Trips, writing frequently about her hometown of Detroit. She’s also written about Chicago, Denver, and Iceland.

Katie’s Trazzler entry is “Brunching at a Hidden Urban Oasis in Detroit, Michigan.”

Sabina Lohr:

Sabina is Matador’s expert on Martha’s Vineyard, an area she writes about frequently for Matador Trips. Her most recent Matador article is All Over the Map: A U.S. Festival for Each Month of the Year.

Sabina’s Trazzler entry is “Jumping Off the Jaws Bridge on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.”

Michelle Schusterman:

Michelle, a musician, Matador intern, and regular contributor to Matador Goods, currently calls South Korea her home base.

Michelle’s Trazzler entry is “Stumbling Onto a Bahiano Making Dende Oil in Santo Amaro, Brazil.”

Ryan Van Lenning:

Ryan is a writer, educator, activist, and regular contributor to Matador Change, where he writes about environmental and social justice issues.

Ryan’s Trazzler entry is “Lounging in the Turquoise Pools in Semuc Champey, Guatemala.”

Click on over to Trazzler to vote for these Matador members!

Community Connection:

We’ll forgive Katie, Sabina, Michelle, and Ryan for using the word “oasis,” but don’t be caught using it when you send a submission to Matador. “Oasis” is one of the 10 Words and Phrases We Never Want to See in Travel Writing Again.

Back in February of this year, 40,000 Mexicans gathered in the Zocalo, Mexico City’s main plaza, for a massive kiss-in, setting a new Guinness World Record for the largest number of people to gather together for a big collective kiss.

Still high from setting one record, they gathered again this weekend, this time to set a different record: the largest number of people to gather together simultaneously in a single place to re-enact Michael Jackson’s video for the song “Thriller.”

Feature photo: Guerry; Photo above: Eneas

While New Yorkers were gathering in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park to celebrate the late pop star’s birthday in a bash sponsored by the film director Spike Lee, Mexicans gathered at the Monument of the Revolution in full Jackson regalia: black fedoras, aviator sunglasses, and bloody make-up, according to NPR’s Mexico City correspondent, Jason Beaubien.

It didn’t take much to break the existing record, which was set by 242 people at the College of William and Mary earlier this year.

An estimated 12,000-13,000 people showed up to dance, while as many as 40,000 more showed up to watch.

While the Guinness officials convene to ensure whether all of the dancers performed the song from start to finish, you can check out some video footage from the event:

Community Connection:

Interested in bizarre record-breaking feats? Peru won the world’s largest ceviche title earlier this year, and Anandita Dutta Tamuly won a Guinness title for downing the most hot chiles –51–in less than a minute. I don’t know about you, but I think I’d rather moonwalk.

Photo: openDemocracy

No matter where he lodges when he visits New York to speak at the United Nations in September, Libya’s leader Muammar el-Qaddafi isn’t likely to receive a warm welcome, particularly after the jubilant homecoming his government orchestrated for the freed Lockerbie airline bomber last week.

But el-Qaddafi isn’t planning to join other world leaders at swanky, upscale hotels like the Waldorf Astoria.

Instead, he has made a request to pitch a tent in Central Park.

City officials were reported to have rejected el-Qaddafi’s request this afternoon.

He won’t be left without a bed, though: the Libyan mission to the United Nations is said to own a spacious mansion in nearby Englewood, New Jersey, where el-Qaddafi will be hosted.

Community Connection:

Looking for some unusual lodgings yourself? Check out “The World’s 10 Weirdest Hotels.”

Photo: elpablo

It was a small item in today’s New York Times: “Mexico Legalizes Drug Possession.”

But the news may have big implications for drug policy in the Americas.

Mexico’s federal government passed a law yesterday that decriminalizes possession of small amounts of marijuana, as well as cocaine, heroin, meth, and LSD.

The law, which established legal limits for personal possession, represents a shift from a punitive drug policy to one that treats drugs as a public health issue. If successful, the law may serve as a model for other countries in the region.

The law went into effect today.

Community Connection:

Drugs can be taken too far, of course. Read about Bolivia’s cocaine bars and weigh in: Do these represent a “Latin American Adventure or Playing With Fire?”

The now-deposed TCI Premier, Michael Misick (center); Photo: Foreign & Commonwealth Office

Nobody says postcolonialism’s been easy.

To go from a state of dependence to one of autonomy with little support has proven understandably challenging for many of Europe’s former colonial states, especially the small islands of the Caribbean. And in the age of globalization, which has prompted a form of economic neo-colonialism, fledgling independent governments have struggled to develop infrastructure, support, and services for their citizens.

Economies have hiccuped as traditional sources of labor and income have disappeared in the past decade, prompting many countries to focus almost exclusively on tourism as an industry (which was fine until the global economic crisis hit, literally shuttering hotels on some of the smaller islands).

With all the challenges, though, few of the newly independent nations have been interested in reverting back to colonial status. That’s just what happened today in the Turks and Caicos Islands, though local news reflects widespread discontent with the action, which resulted in the suspension of the TCI’s Constitution and the dismissal of the islands’ House of Assembly.

It’s true that the Turks and Caicos have been undergoing political challenges that may be unique: the government has been accused of rampant corruption and the economy has been in a shambles. But critics charge that the TCI haven’t received the support they need to really achieve independence in the fullest sense of the word, and that the rollback to colonialism is punitive and infantilizing.

A British governor, Gordon Wetherell, was appointed to serve as head of government; Wetherell, in turn, has begun appointing other Brits for key government positions, including chief executive of TCI public service. “Belongers” (locals) will be appointed to serve on an Advisory Council and a Consultative Forum, though the functions and specific level of influence these entities will have are not yet clear.

The move is a “smack in the face of democracy” and a “backward step to colonialism,” according to Rosalind Cummings-Yeates, a Chicago-based travel writer who commented about the take-over on Twitter.

Community Connection:

Learn more about colonialism, postcolonialism, and independence movements in the Caribbean:

U.S. House of Reps Approves Proposal to Consider Puerto Rico’s Status

Colombian singer Juanes, in concert; Photo: Julio Enriquez

Artistically speaking, it’s been a banner year for Cubans.

In July, the Royal Ballet of London came to Havana for a joint performance with the Cuban National Ballet, appearing before a crowd so enormous that the Cuban government was forced to set up outdoor screens so the performance could be seen by those who hadn’t been lucky enough to snag a ticket.

The same week, the New York Philharmonic announced its intentions to perform in Havana this October.

But before then, the wildly popular Colombian pop singer Juanes is scheduled to play in a “Peace Without Borders” concert alongside beloved Cuban folk musician, Silvio Rodriguez, and the perennially popular Los Van Van.

He’s even met with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to seek her support, asking her to permit U.S. musicians to visit the island to take part in the event (they’d be the first to do so since Audioslave’s 2005 concert, which drew more than 60,000 Cuban fans).

The concert, scheduled to almost coincide with the United Nations’ International Day of Peace, is the latest stop on Juanes’s Peace Without Borders tour, the first leg of which kicked off on the Venezuelan/Colombian border in March, 2008.

Juanes, like his fellow Colombian superstar musician, Shakira, has been actively involved in using his music as a means of supporting causes he cares about– he’s also started a foundation to help survivors of land mine explosions. But not everyone–especially certain sectors of the Cuban American community–view Juanes’s Peace Without Borders tour as an act to celebrate.

The singer, who lives in Miami, has been the target of outspoken criticism. Some Miami Cubans have been reported to be burning his CDs in the streets there. Even his wife, who is eight months pregnant, has been threatened.

In the Spanish language newspaper El Pais, Juanes responded to the criticism that he’s being insensitive to Cuban exiles’ concerns. Some highlights from the interview, translated by this writer:

“I am convinced that art plays an important role in the construction of peace.”

“I’m not interested in the government of Cuba. I’m interested in people, in the youth….”

“I’m fed up with us asking one another whether we’re Muslim, gay, Cuban, or Venezuelan.”

“Why can I go to Spain and no one asks me if I’m singing to the president, but if I go to Cuba, [everyone thinks] I’m singing to Castro?…. Just let us sing!”

The concert is still scheduled for September 20.

If you’re not familiar with Juanes’s music, here’s a clip from the Venezuela/Colombia “Peace Without Borders” concert:

Community Connection:

To learn more about the New York Philharmonic’s scheduled performance, read “New York Philharmonic to Perform in Cuba?”

The right Sydney. Photo: Corey Leopold

It was definitely a long-haul flight for Joannes and Nick Rutten, a grandfather and his grandson who planned to take their holiday in Sydney… Australia.

But when their plane landed and they made their way toward Customs and Immigration, something seemed a bit amiss.

The pair weren’t in Sydney, Australia; they’d landed in Sydney, Nova Scotia, located on the east coast of Cape Breton Island.

The wrong Sydney. Photo: Smudge 9000

They weren’t the first pair of travelers to make the mistake, according to this article in The Cape Breton Post. Apparently, the two Sydneys are mixed up with relative regularity.

Who can blame the Ruttens for wandering onto a flight that they thought was going to Sydney? The question is, who was checking their tickets as they boarded?

Community Connection:

Have you ever ended up in the wrong destination? Share your story below!

Note: This is NOT the balloon. Photo: joshmadison

Organizers anticipated as many as 1,000 people would show up to drop their drawers in protest against a surveillance balloon the United States has hovering in the air above the U.S.-Canada border.

The idea was that the balloon–which is believed to have a powerful camera inside it that can spot objects from a considerable distance–would capture images of the protesters expressing their displeasure with its presence.

But the “Moon the Balloon” event, planned for this past Saturday, was a bit of a disappointment, as only a couple hundred Canadians put their asses on the line–literally–to flash the balloon.

Little good it did– the balloon was grounded after having sustained a tear in its fabric last week.

The balloon, which is being tested for Homeland Security purposes, is viewed by some residents on the Canadian side of the border as an infringement of their sovereignty.

Community Connection:

Read more about border issues–but to the South this time–in “Back in 1848? A Closer Look at the U.S./Mexico Border.”

Feature photo: Andres B; Photo: Andres Rueda

Only it had nothing to do with soccer.

Like most countries, Mexico’s been hard hit by the world financial crisis. Last fall, the Mexican peso–a relatively stable currency–plummeted in value. The U.S.’s own economic woes severely impacted Mexico’s GDP, as the countries are each other’s primary trade partners. Unemployment soared.

Even Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim–reputed to be among the world’s three richest men–predicted that the crisis could easily become catastrophic for Mexico in a February 2009 speech that was so heavy with doomsday predictions it landed Slim front page billing on most of Mexico City’s major newspapers.

So today’s news from the port city of Veracruz shouldn’t really come as a surprise.

According to a report in the newspaper La Jornada, a group of people in Veracruz showed up at a branch of the Banco Azteca to protest “exorbitant interest rates” and “threatening actions” taken by the bank against its debtors.

Protests aren’t uncommon in Mexico, but this one was particularly interesting: the protesters allegedly burned 50 credit cards right outside the bank’s entrance. Fellow protesters in other areas of the state staged their own card burning actions, burning more than 7,000 cards in all.

The action was organized by the non-profit advocacy group Fundacion Digna Vida. Back in March, Digna Vida had urged debtors not to simply stop paying off their debt, but to have their debt assessed and to work with their financial institutions on devising feasible payment plans.

Since that time, however, the organization learned that Banco Azteca’s convenient partnership with the appliance retailer Elektra had allowed it to “economically kidnap” its clients, keeping them in inescapable spirals of debt by extending credit for home appliances and then pressuring them to pay off those appliances at usurious rates.

Burning the credit cards won’t erase the debt, of course. But hopefully it will let Banco Azteca and its partner in crime know that the jig is up.

Community Connection:

How are credit cards viewed and used around the world? Check out “The Culture of Credit Cards Worldwide,” just one of the thousands of articles from our archives.

Feature photo: peamasher; Photo above: Sami Keinanen

There are lots of jokes about Fidel Castro. Most make some reference to his propensity for making lengthy speeches.

Throughout his 48 years in power, Castro became renowned for his ability to orate for hours and hours on end. Though you’d probably be tired if you were a Cuban standing in the audience, you could certainly say you witnessed history in the making: some of his speeches, such as “History Will Absolve Me” (given in 1953 before he took power), are widely anthologized in history books around the world.

Just in time for Fidel’s birthday–which is today– Cuban professor Salomon Susi Sarfati published the 339-page Diccionario de Pensamientos de Fidel Castro, or Dictionary of Fidel Castro’s Thoughts, which was released to the public in Cuba last Saturday.

The dictionary defines words based on references from Castro’s speeches.

Castro, who turns 83 today, is reported to be in ill health.

If you happen to head down to Havana, be sure to snag your own copy of the dictionary. It’ll be one hell of a souvenir.

In the meantime, check out Castro’s oratory style in this video:

Feature photo: Rene Ehrhardt; Photo: DieselDemon

Jet Blue’s always trying out new strategies to engage customers.

It’s latest promo might just be of interest to those of you planning to do lots of traveling in the States between September 8 and October 8.

Now through August 21 you can purchase an All-You-Can-Jet Pass for a flat fee of $599 USD.

As the name suggests, you’ll be able to fly as often as you want between the 57 cities Jet Blue services, including its international destinations (though some international taxes and fees will bear an additional cost)– you’ll just need to make reservations three days in advance.

You can read all the fine print here.

Detainee cells. Photos: Julie Schwietert

Even before his inauguration, President Obama was working on making good on a campaign promise: closing the detention facility located on the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The original plan was to shutter the detention facility by January 2010–eight full years after the U.S. started housing alleged Al-Qaeda and Taliban loyalists there–but recent reports have indicated that the administration is concerned it will not be able to meet that deadline.

The sticking point–as I predicted after my visit to the base and detention facility last November–has been figuring out what to do with all of the detainees who have been cleared for release but who have no place to go.

Slowly, though, nations are beginning to express their support for closing Guantanamo by agreeing to take in detainees who are eligible for release but are unable to return home.

Last month, Ireland agreed to take two people currently being detained at the facility. This week, Portugal agreed to offer special visas to two Syrians being held at Guantanamo. And the agreement between the U.S. and Palau that was forged a couple months ago finally seems to be taking shape: the tiny island nation will take between four and 13 Uighurs eligible for release.

Still, there are more than 200 detainees who–for various reasons–are unable to return to their home countries and who need a third country to take them in. Read more about the issue in this article.

Community Connection:

What do you know about Guantanamo? Here are 5 Things You Should Know About Guantanamo.

Photo: kretyen

Who doesn’t like a free trip?

Matador is giving away a paid trip for TWO people to Dominica and all YOU have to do is send us an amazing photo of you exploring the outdoors.

The contest, open to residents of the United States and Canada, kicks off today. Winners will be chosen at the end of October.

The two lucky winners will receive round trip airfare from the United States or Canada and lodging for four nights at one of Dominica’s premier hotels.

Full contest details are here.

Questions? E-mail ross@matadornetwork.com.

Community Connection:

Read up on Dominica by checking out this article from our archives: Caribbean Romance in the Shadow of Volcanoes, written by one of Matador’s Caribbean experts, Anna Brones.

Photo: ThisParticularGreg

This month, Wend’s Friday Photo Contest is all about cycling. Whatever you’re doing or wherever you’re going on two wheels, Wend wants to see your photos!

Check out the full contest details here.

This month’s prize? KEEN Cycling Shoes and the month’s grand prize: A KEEN Commuter Bag.

Community Connection:

Need some photographic inspiration? Check out Hal Amen’s photo essay about the 20 of the Freakiest Custom Bikes on the Road.

And along the same lines, Megan Hill rounds up 8 Quirky Bike Rides Across the US.

Matador writer Sarah Shourd.

Earlier today, mainstream US media reported that three American hikers were arrested in Iran after crossing the Iran/Iraq border on Friday. According to this report in The New York Times, Iranian television confirmed the arrests.

The news hits close to home for Matador, as one of our contributors, Sarah Shourd, is believed to be one of the arrested hikers, though her name has been spelled inaccurately in various reports. The other two detained hikers have been named as Shane Bower and Joshua Steel.

The arrests were reported to the US Embassy in Iraq by Shaun Gabriel Maxwell, a fourth hiker who had not been with his friends when they were detained. Though some reports have indicated that the three hikers defied local warnings not to cross into Iranian territory, other reports tell a different story. USA Today reported that Maxwell stated that the detained hikers–who contacted him by phone–told him they had gotten lost and wandered across the border unintentionally, where they were surrounded by troops and arrested.

Shourd penned this story for Matador in November of 2008.

While details are still coming in, Matador will continue to follow the story and wishes the best for Shourd and her companions.

Feature photo: Lezan

Community Connection:

Read Sarah Shourd’s story, “Escape from Iraq: A Muslim Family Finds Solace in Ramadan,” here.

If I ever met Bill O’Reilly, I’d like to ask him about his travels.

His observations about the world just seem so astute.

He just discovered, apparently, that Amsterdam has long taken a liberal stance on drug use and prostitution.

Unfortunately, he hasn’t based any of his analysis about that stance on facts.

But a viewer from Amsterdam decided to set the record straight in this video:

Community Connection:

Check out this article from our archives about Amsterdam:

10 Things to Do In Amsterdam Besides Smoking Pot

Feature photo: earcos

Photo: divya_

First, some background.

The United States’ diplomatic presence in Cuba (if that’s not entirely a contradiction) is not to be found in an embassy or a consulate, but in a pseudo-consulate semantically distinguished as the “United States Interest Section Havana.”

Occupying some choice real estate along Havana’s ocean front, the Interest Section’s professional purview is a bit different from that of your typical embassy or consulate (you can read all about what they do–and what they don’t do–here). For one thing, the building itself became a tool for communicating US propaganda to Cuban people during the Bush administration.

Three Januaries ago, the Interest Section installed some snazzy new technology: an electronic ticker board, much like the electronic news spools you see in Times Square. The board was inaugurated on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, broadcasting the message: “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up” (a rather crude appropriation of King’s message, if you ask me).

The message was changed periodically, and though the Interests Section says the billboard’s purpose was to display “news and information,” critics–notably, El Comandante himself–pointed out that the line between news and rhetoric was a little bit blurry.

In fact, the messages were so annoying to Castro that he had an installation art work erected to obscure the billboard from the public eye. The flag poles in the photo above– all 138 of them–prevented passersby from glimpsing the US’s messages. Castro even had competing billboards (not electronic–after all, 2006 was the Year of Energy in Cuba) put up, protesting US involvement in Cuban affairs.

Anyhow, earlier today, the Financial Times reported that the US quietly turned off the ticker recently, with little fanfare from either side. The fact that the US didn’t announce the ticker’s demise and that Cuba didn’t gloat about the dimmed electronic billboard clearly signals a detente, according to journalist Marc Frank.

Citing a “Western diplomat,” Frank wrote:

“’That they turned off the ticker is important – and that nobody has noticed is significant, too…. The Cubans could have howled victory – but [they] said nothing, indicating they are serious about improving relations.’ The diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said some local contact may have resumed already. Easing of travel restrictions for US and Cuban diplomats in each other’s capitals was expected soon.

It appears the standoff about the US mission – an attraction for tourists and a symbol of relations with the Bush administration – is winding down. The Cuban government took the billboards down soon after Barack Obama took office. There have been no marches past the building since Raul Castro took over from his ailing brother Fidel in February last year.”

Many individuals and advocacy groups who hoped for a speedier thaw in US-Cuba relations have criticized President Obama for what seems to be a deliberate pacing in bilateral negotiations. But it’s steps like these–which seem so little–that will ultimately lead to change in the decades long freeze between the US and Cuba.

Photo: Oscalito

The status of Puerto Rico is one of the most complicated, confusing, and fascinating political arrangements in the world.

Puerto Rico, formerly a Spanish colony, was ceded to the United States in 1898 as a consequence of the Spanish American War. For several decades afterward, the status and identity of the island were in limbo as the United States and islanders attempted to arrive at a viable political arrangement that would satisfy the interests of both parties.

The result was a strange compromise in which Puerto Rico became a commonwealth, or “free associated state,” of the US. The status granted some–but not all–of the benefits of US citizenship and left many Puerto Ricans wondering what, exactly, being a commonwealth meant.

It’s an issue that remains the focal point of politics on the island, with referenda being held every few years to determine what islanders want their status to be. There are those who favor statehood, others who favor complete independence, and still others who would be content to let the commonwealth continue as is.

Yesterday, the Associated Press reported that the US House of Representatives approved the island’s proposal to allow Puerto Ricans to hold a new referendum to vote on the island’s political future. Under the proposal, titled the Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2009,

“[v]oters would choose between keeping the island’s commonwealth status, adopted in 1952, or to opt for something different. In the latter case, a second plebiscite would let them decide whether they wanted statehood, independence or independence with a loose association to the United States.”

Though no date has been scheduled for a vote, anxiety about the potential referendum is already high. The last referendum was held in 1998.

Feature photo: Daquella manera; Photo: Arturo de Albornoz

Is it media saturation that’s causing PR firms to go bigger and bolder with their tourism clients’ ad campaigns?

First, there was the Best Job in the World, a clever and controversial contest to attract attention to Queensland.

Then, there was the NEXT Best Job in the World, a similar campaign (which, it should be noted, folded without explanation shortly after it was launched).

And now, there’s Nova Scotia’s ad for a product that has nothing to do with Nova Scotia at all.

In fact, the product–the Pomegranate NS08, a cell phone, translator, coffeemaker, harmonica, and electric shaver– doesn’t even exist.

So what’s the connection?

According to this article by Susan Karlin in the tech and engineering magazine, IEEE Spectrum:

“…the Pomegranate exists only in a YouTube video and a Web site designed to draw you to another Web site… the “Come to life” initiative in Nova Scotia…. The idea is to rebrand a rustic vacationland as a bastion of innovative minds, creative businesses, and a balanced quality of life.”

Karlin reported that in the first six months after the launch of the ad campaign for the fake product, more than 1 million visitors from 198 countries clicked through the site, and of these, 64% continued on to the Nova Scotia site.

Though Karlin went on to say that local businesses in Nova Scotia have reported an uptick in new clients, one has to wonder whether the campaign will ultimately be effective in increasing tourism.

What do you think? Will these types of flashy, over the top ad campaigns result in a flood of tourists, or are these PR firms risking backlash from an audience who is tiring of gimmicks? What’s the craziest ad you’ve seen? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Community Connection:

Read more of Matador’s coverage of the Best Job in the World. Craig Martin takes A Closer Look at The Best Job in the World in this article, and looks at the environmental impact of the contest.

Photo: YamilGonzales

What’s happening in Honduras?

Good question.

In the US, at least, we’ve moved on, captivated by the Sotomayor Supreme Court confirmation hearings, former Liberian president Charles Taylor’s insistence of his purity and innocence in the war crimes case being heard against him at The Hague, and the rumblings that US Attorney General Eric Holder may appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the Bush administration’s CIA interrogation practices.

Oh, and then there was that early week bit about the CIA’s naughty habit of lying to Congress (repeatedly. Since 2001… at least).

So excuse us if we’ve forgotten about Honduras (and Iran… but we’ll get to that later).

But we shouldn’t be so quick to put the Central American situation out of our minds.

According to the Latin America Working Group, “The situation in Honduras has only escalated since last week.” Remarking on the military’s role in the current political standoff, LAWG continued:

“Civilians in the streets of Tegucigalpa and throughout the country side continue to face brutal repression by military officials. Civil liberties remain gravely affected, including freedom of the press.”

Meanwhile, the Americas Society reported that “an inch, but not a mile” has been gained in the executive branch, thanks to negotiations between the elected Zelaya administration and the imposed Micheletti administration, which are being mediated by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias. The organization indicated that curfews have been lifted and the threat to imprison Zelaya has been reconsidered if the deposed president returns, as he has said he intends to do.

To continue following developments in the country, visit the Americas Society’s Resource Guide to the Crisis in Honduras, which provides links to primary sources, news, and multimedia, produced both in the country and outside it.

Community Connection:

Clueless about what occurred in Honduras? Check out these articles from our archives:

Honduran President Ousted in Military Coup

Photo Essay: Honduras After the Coup

To Coup or Not to Coup?

Honduran President Attempts to Return to Country; Military Prevents Plane from Landing

Photo: aloha73

As if we didn’t already think they were cool enough– you HAVE applied for their Antarctica photography contest, right?–our travel buddies at World Nomad have us swooning with another dream contest.

They seem to have a certain affection for “As”– this one will find the winners in Australia.

It’s a country so big, so wild, and so beautiful it’s its own continent.

And even if you live there, you haven’t possibly seen it all.

That’s why World Nomads wants to hand you the keys to their van.

Here’s the deal:

World Nomads Van-Tastic contest will award seven pairs of travelers–one for each state–a round trip flight to/from Australia, keys to a camper van, $1,000 in “petrol” (that’s gas to those of you in the US), and six weeks with a digital video camera and laptop.

You’ll be charged with the task of documenting your trip– and if voters like your documentary the best, then you could win again, this time $10,000 and two Virgin Blue domestic flights. Not too shabby.

So get on over to World Nomads and get your application ready!

Community Connection:

Bummed you didn’t win the contest? Matador Trips co-editor Carlo Alcos shows you some of the coolest campervans on the road.

It could be you on that boat…. Photo: 23am.com

Antarctica is on many travelers’ dream destination list, but the logistics–not to mention the expense–of getting there are a bit daunting.

And then there’s the issue of the weather.

While World Nomads can’t help you with that last part, it’ll handle all the other details.

You just have to win their latest photography scholarship!

World Nomads, along with National Geographic Channel and Gap Adventures, will be awarding one exceptional photographer the opportunity to travel to Antarctica–all expenses paid–with award-winning photographer Jason Edwards.

In addition to winning the trip, the sponsors will set you up with a couple thousand dollars’ worth of gear from Pentax so you can fulfill the scholarship assignment: spending 11 days photographing the world’s most remote wilderness aboard Gap Adventure’s Antarctica Classic M/S Expedition, exploring the Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula.

Sound cool?

It is–and there’s lots more, too (like having your images published by National Geographic).

For full details, click on over to World Nomad’s announcement, which can be found here.

Community Connection:

Want to talk with an Antarctica expert before the trip (’cause YOU are going to win that scholarship!)? Be sure to get in touch with Matador’s man in Antarctica.

Photo: BL1961

Americans, let’s face it: Our previous president wasn’t the sharpest crayon in the box.

He famously insisted that it was Sweden–not Switzerland–that has historically been neutral.

He coined more words than Webster and used many real words in combinations that can only be described as… unique.

And then, after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, he came up with a color-coded terror alert system: green for low risk of terrorist attacks; blue for guarded; yellow for elevated; orange for high; and red for–you guessed it!–severe threat of terrorist attacks.

In case you’re wondering, the current “national threat level,” as published by the Department of Homeland Security, is yellow, and for all domestic and international travel the threat level is orange.

But all that may be moot pretty soon. According to an article recently published by Newsweek, President Obama is “expected to create an official committee to consider modifying or even abolishing the widely ridiculed color-coded terrorism alert system introduced by the Bush administration….”

The committee, which will be comprised of local, state, and national officials and safety experts, will have 60 days to make a decision about the color-coded system’s future: modify it or scrap it completely. As one House Representative interviewed in the article said, the system “has become meaningless to the public,” and officials should “retire the fear card.”

Travelers, what do you think? Do you pay attention to the terror threat color scheme while you’re passing through airports? If the color-coded system is done away with, what should replace it? Share your thoughts below.

Community Connection:

Check out this popular post from our archives: Anti-Bush Graffiti: 25 Countries, Six Continents.

Photo via www.bullrunning.com

We hoped we wouldn’t be reporting this type of news during this year’s San Fermin Festival, especially after announcing the launch of www.bullrunning.com, a website launched prior to the 2009 bull run that provides planning and safety tips for runners.

However, the Pamplona newspaper Diario de Navarra, reported on Friday morning that 27 year old Daniel Jimeno Romero was gored in the neck and died from his injuries.

An eyewitness recounts the event in this video:

Jimeno Romero had run in the festival since he was 20.

Capuchino, the bull that killed Jimeno Romero, gored three other runners in one of the wildest runs in recent memory. A total of 11 runners were transferred to a local hospital for wounds sustained by bulls according to the newspaper.

Community Connection:

Pamplona isn’t the only city that has a bull running festival. Mompox, Colombia, home to Matador contributor Richard McColl, also has an annual bull event, which you can read about here.

And what will we do about all the translated editions? Photo: ~Mers

In a story that seems straight from Chuck Shepherd’s News of the Weird, that venerable mainstream media giant, Associated Press, is reporting that President Obama’s books, Dreams of My Father and The Audacity of Hope, have been banned.

The ban was issued by officials at a US federal supermax prison in Colorado and applies specifically to inmate Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, who requested President Obama’s books to help him while away some time during his 30 year sentence. He was convicted for joining al-Qaeda and plotting to assassinate former President George W. Bush.

Prison officials reported they were advised by the FBI not to grant Mr. Ali’s request, citing the claim that providing Mr. Ali with President Obama’s books would constitute a threat to national security.

Meanwhile, anyone with a library card can check out and read either book without potentially threatening the country?

What will the FBI recommend next?

Community Connection:

It’s common practice to redact news and approve (or deny) prisoners’ reading requests, but this one seems a bit extreme.

What do you think?

Hey, kid, need a job? Photo: Tony the Misfit

It was a beautifully sunny day here in New York City, so it came as somewhat of a surprise when I heard the alert that flights were delayed at JFK… until I learned the reason.

Seems like dozens of turtles–diamond black terrapins, to be specific–were feeling randy, and their runway love fest caused delays of up to 1.5 hours. Wonder how pilots notified their passengers about that news.

JFK, which is bounded by a bay on one side, actually seems to be a haven for wildlife. According to the New York Times‘ City Room blog, 78 turtles were ultimately removed from the runway safely and returned to a safe place.

Community Connection:

Want to learn about other places where you can get in touch with New York City’s greener side? Check out our Green Guide to New York City and take a look at our photos from New York’s newest urban park, the High Line.

Photo: Foxtongue

Five years ago, Portugal decided to do something bold about its drug problems: pass a full-on decriminalization act, making the possession and use of even hard-core illicit drugs–including cocaine and heroin–a public health problem rather than a legal/criminal justice issue.

While drug dealing and trafficking still carried criminal penalties, possession and use resulted in diversion to treatment and intervention, rather than imprisonment, in most circumstances.

Decriminalization is a drug policy tactic that has been considered by other governments, but remains deeply divisive in the United States.

Portuguese officials, however, offer evidence that the legalization strategy might just be the best means of addressing at least three social problems–drug use, prison overcrowding, and poor public health– simultaneously.

In this article, published in Scientific American, a US think-tank analyzed Portuguese public health drug-related data since the decriminalization act was passed and reported the following:

“Five years later, the number of deaths from street drug overdoses dropped from around 400 to 290 annually, and the number of new HIV cases caused by using dirty needles to inject heroin, cocaine and other illegal substances plummeted from nearly 1,400 in 2000 to about 400 in 2006….”

Beyond the benefits to public health, a US criminologist also quoted in the article noted that the decriminalization act did not–as some critics expected– cause Lisbon to become a magnet for drug-seeking tourists.

So is decriminalization a viable policy where you live? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Community Connection:

Read about other decriminalization movements in this article, Latin America Changes War on Drugs Strategy: Legalize!

Photo: YamilGonzales

The government of Roberto Micheletti, installed after last weekend’s coup deposed President Zelaya, kept its promise: it would not let Zelaya return without a fight.

As I write this, a Venezuelan plane carrying President Zelaya is circling the airport in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa.

In what appears to be a highly coordinated effort by the Micheletti government, the military, and the air control employees, the plane bearing Zelaya is being prevented from landing. According to this report by CNN, “Civil Aviation Director Alfredo San Martin said in a radio address that the ousted leader’s flight would be barred from landing in Honduras and diverted to El Salvador.” According to the pilot of the plane, interviewed by Spanish language channel Telesur, the airport runway was blocked by strategically parked military vehicles to prevent landing.

A separate plane carrying other South American leaders, including Argentina’s president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, Ecuador’s president, Rafael Correa, Fernando Lugo of Paraguay, and the head of the Organization of American States had also been diverted, though the original plan was for these leaders to accompany Zelaya. UN General Assembly president, Miguel d’Escoto, was reportedly on the plane with Zelaya.

Though it seems that Zelaya will not be returning to Honduras today as he planned, the world’s governments and political organizations are strengthening sanctions against Honduras. On Saturday, the Organization of American States suspended Honduras–the only country other than Cuba to have its membership suspended or revoked–after Micheletti refused to reinstall Zelaya to the presidency.

Community Connection:

Click here to see photos of protests in the Honduran capital taken the day after the coup.

Photo: gromgull

Among the stranger news items we’ve come across this week was this report, which announced that the European Union will be permitting “ugly” fruits and vegetables to return to store produce aisles today after a 20 year ban.

Apparently, EU members have had some pretty stringent standards for the looks of their fruits and vegetables for the past two decades, with bureaucrats declaring that “ugly produce is unworthy of the marketplace.” A total of 36 fruits and vegetables were affected by these discriminating beauty standards.

Diana Henry, a popular food personality in the UK, was quoted in the article as saying EU pols “‘don’t know what to do with their time.’” The same thought crossed my mind, as did this one: What happened to all that perfectly good food that just wasn’t pretty enough for customers’ consumption?

Community Connection:

Want to get your hands dirty? Want to know where your food comes from? Consider volunteering as a WWOOFer (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms). Laurie Pickard’s “A First-Timer’s Guide to WWOOF-ing” tells you everything you’ll need to know.

Graffiti reads: Get out, transnationals.

Grafitti reads: Mel [Zelaya's nickname], the people are with you until the end.”

Community Connection:

To learn more about the coup and events currently unfolding in Honduras, please visit Global Voices Online’s Honduras page.

Photo: Yamil Gonzales

After publishing a breaking news article about the military raid of Honduran President Zelaya’s home, his ousting, and subsequent pajama-clad plane ride to temporary exile in Costa Rica, Matador editors received some thoughtful comments and e-mails about the developing political situation in Tegucigalpa. We also continued to monitor news reports, both from mainstream media and the blogosphere, comparing viewpoints that were often at odds with one another.

Matador CEO Ross Borden came across this posting, in which someone claiming to be Honduran emphatically declared that the event was not a coup. One Matador reader wrote to say he was glad that the military had “kicked his [Zelaya's] ass out.” Folks were afire on Twitter, too: “There was no coup.” “We didn’t have a coup.” “Honduras did not have a coup on Sunday the 28th.”

All the chatter sent us back to the dictionary to look up the definition of a coup, and here’s what the Oxford English Dictionary yielded:

“a sudden violent seizure of power from a government.”

The definition says nothing about the motives of such a power grab, nor does it confer judgment on whether a coup is “right” or “wrong.” Instead, it suggests four specific criteria or conditions: the degree of swiftness (sudden); the type of force used (violent); the wresting of authority from one entity by another (seizure of power); and that the entity from which power is wrested is the government, which, in this case, was elected democratically.

What can we take from this definition in our analysis of the current political situation in Honduras?

The events that occurred over the weekend were, based on the information we have now, indeed a coup. Regardless of one’s feelings about the politics or legitimacy of the referendum President Zelaya had proposed to extend term limits (a referendum, I might add, that has similarly been proposed by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and which resulted neither in a coup nor in conspiracy theories about leftist governments, though it was not without criticism), Zelaya was removed from his home in a military exercise that was clearly hostile according to this report by The New York Times.

Today, President Zelaya appeared before General Assembly of the United Nations, where he was received with support from the body that passed a resolution that “condemned the removal of Mr. Zelaya as a coup and demanded his ‘immediate and unconditional restoration’ as president.

Zelaya indicated he plans to return to Honduras on Thursday, potentially escorted by other world leaders and heads of state who support the resolution of the underlying political questions in a democratic, peaceful manner.

Now that we’ve had our semantics lesson, can we stop debating whether this was or wasn’t a coup and get back to some real dialogue?

One of my favorite waterways: New York’s Hudson River; Photo: Francisco Collazo

From our friends at Wend:

“For July’s Friday Photo theme we want the kind of pictures that are going to inspire activism, and since it’s summer, what better way than photos from your favorite water hangouts that are probably being severely affected by pollution? But we don’t want to be total downers (remember we’re all about inspiring change) so we’re looking for all kinds of photos that represent our waterways, both positive and negative. That means anything from plastic polluted beaches to river cleanups.”

For submission instructions, click here. Prizes include Klean Kanteen reusable water bottles.

Community Connection:

While water’s on your mind, check out these 40 shocking facts about water.

The yacht tour promises photogenic sunsets… and heavy artillery. Photo: wirralwater

Last month, I talked with an official of the U.S. Navy and asked him about the military’s role in preventing and responding to piracy. “We’re working on it,” he said with obvious frustration. “But it’s not an easy thing; you’re in international waters, there are all sorts of other competing interests….” He trailed off and then changed the subject, clearly annoyed by constraints that prevent direct action.

He might be interested in Russia’s new strategy for responding to piracy: folding anti-piracy actions into its tourism industry.

In a brilliant–if deeply disturbing–stroke of entrepreneurial genius, Russian luxury yachts have begun to advertise adventure cruises where passengers pony up almost $6,000 USD per day to cruise from Djibouti to Mombasa in search of pirates.

The yachts trawl at a deliberately slow speed, hoping to attract pirates. If attacked, the cruise passengers are ready to respond with heavy machinery: machine guns and grenade and rocket launchers. And if they want to tack on an extra $8.00 a day, passengers can hoist their very own AK-47. Ammo, though, costs an extra $11.50.

There’s no word yet on whether any of the passengers have successfully taken out any pirates… or whether there’s a money-back guarantee if a showdown fails to occur.

“They are worse than the pirates,” said Russian yachtsman Vladimir Mironov. “At least the pirates have the decency to take hostages, these people are just paying to commit murder.”

Community Connection:

For more coverage on piracy, check out “To Pay Ransom or Not to Pay Ransom,” one of thousands of articles in the Matador archives.

Photos courtesy of Grupo La Informacion

Running with the bulls in Pamplona is on many intrepid travelers’ to-do lists. Several Matador members have been there, done that, and have lived to tell the tale. One–contributor Michael Ward–even wrote about the experience, offering a beginner’s guide to bull running.

The Pamplona Bull Run, also known as the Festival of San Fermin, is held each July 6-14, drawing more than a million visitors.

Now, those of you who count this tradition among the experiences you want to have before you die have another resource to consult before you hit the ground running. The Spanish media company Grupo La Informacion has launched an English language website intended to provide information to novice bull runners to prevent injury or even death. www.bullrunning.com is a forum where experienced bull runners share their advice with new runners.

Start with the quiz that tells you whether you’re hardy enough to survive San Fermin. If the answer is yes, you can continue browsing through the clean, colorful site, which provides practical trip planning advice, including budgeting, lodging, and essential vocabulary (though I noticed “socorro” and “auxilio”– “HELP!”–weren’t among them!).

If you go to San Fermin this year and make it back in one piece, be sure to blog about your experience over in Matador’s community section!

Community Connection:

If you’re not the type to join in the run, you can still enjoy the San Fermin festivities. Check out Eva Holland’s “Armchair Travel: Running with the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain,” a round-up of some of the best books that have been published about this annual tradition. Eva’s list includes Ernest Hemingway’s classic, The Sun Also Rises.

Photo: Justo Ruiz

I was 90 minutes north of New York City last night, getting ready to enjoy an outdoor Shakespeare performance, when the news spread across the lawn of picnickers: Michael Jackson was dead.

“Michael Jackson is dead? I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it,” the girl at the concession stand said over and over as she totaled my bill. After she took my money, she started crying.

*
This morning, I logged onto Facebook.

Andy Carvin, National Public Radio’s social media guru, wrote:

“How’s this for irony – powerful, graphic #IranElection protest video, set to Michael Jackson’s ‘They Don’t Care About Us’.”

Friends from South Carolina to New York had taken the “What Michael Jackson Song Are You?” quiz and posted their results.

The BBC reported that a Nigerian DJ broke down on air, unable to complete her show, after she began talking about Jackson.
*
I’m (surprisingly) in agreement with the Reverend Al Sharpton, who wondered aloud why the world that ridiculed and all but abandoned Jackson in recent years suddenly lionized him. But then I thought about some of Jackson’s best songs and collaborative projects, and realized that he used his music to remind us of our shared humanity. Here are three of his best:

“Man in the Mirror”

“Black or White”

“We Are the World”

Community Connection:

How did Michael Jackson’s music impact your life– or not? And where’s the most unusual place you’ve ever heard a Michael Jackson song? Share your memories in the comments.

University of the People’s Class of 2025? Photo: papalars

Perhaps it’s not the world’s most pressing problem, but leading changemakers recognize that bridging the digital divide in the developing world is an important priority in the field of social development.

Many organizations–from the Gates Foundation to One Laptop Per Child–have implemented programs intended to help people in underserved areas get technologically connected. The latest group to join that effort is the United Nations, which has just announced the launch of the first public, online, free university, open to all the world’s citizens.

As the UN’s press release indicated:

“For hundreds of millions of people around the world higher education is no more than a dream…. They are constrained by finances, the lack of institutions in their region, or they are not able to leave home to study at a university for personal reasons.”

The University of the People is intended to make higher education more accessible to the masses through open-source technology, open course materials, e-learning pedagogical strategies, and peer-to-peer teaching. The UN explained that classes will be comprised of 20 students, who will participate in weekly online lectures, peer discussions, and e-tests. Professors are volunteers and post-grad students.

The launch of the university has already attracted considerable interest; more than 200 students from 52 countries have enrolled, despite the fact that the University of the People is not yet accredited. Lacking accreditation, the university cannot confer degrees; however, the University of the People’s website indicates that seeking accreditation is a priority.

The idea of a global, almost-free university (students pay a nominal fee for registration and tests) is certainly an appealing one, but may raise some logistical, pragmatic, and philosophical concerns. At present, for example, the university’s admission guidelines indicate that applicants must possess a high school degree or an equivalent proof of 12 years of schooling, as well as English fluency. These two admissions criteria might well prevent access and enrollment to the very populations the university purports to be attracting.

Still, we’ve got to start somewhere, right? I’ll be interested to see how the program develops.

To learn more about University of the People, visit the university’s website here.

Community Connection:

If you’d like to help improve educational opportunities, browse through Matador’s organizational profiles, which feature dozens of NGOs and non-profits around the world that are dedicated to improving educational opportunities and resources in underserved communities.

Photo via: misterarasmus

By now, she’s a household name.

Neda Agha-Soltan, who was killed by a sniper over the weekend, became a media sensation overnight, thanks, in part, to the circulation of the video which documented her death as it was occurring.

But for all the focus on Agha-Soltan–who was not actually participating in a protest–there are thousands more Iranian women who have taken to the streets, risking social, political, and religious condemnation, as well as their very lives.

Here are images of some of them:

Photo via: misterarasmus

Photo via: .faramarz

Photo via: .faramarz

Photo via: .faramarz

Did you know that 1/3 of Greenland’s population is comprised of indigenous groups? Photo: nick russill

Greenland: it’s one of those places that’s hardly ever in the news.

But this week, amidst the bigger headlines about post-election protests in Iran and French President Sarkozy’s comment about burqas as a symbol of enslavement, Greenland had its own moment on the world stage.

As The New York Times reported, Greenland, which has been ruled by Denmark since 1721, celebrated a step toward independence this weekend in response to a 2008 referendum, in which 76 percent of citizens voted for self-rule.

The article noted:

“Many of the changes are deeply symbolic. Kalaallisut, a traditional Inuit dialect, is now the country’s official language, and Greenlanders are now recognized under international law as a separate people from Danes.

[Also] the Greenlandic government now gets to call itself by its Inuit name, Naalakkersuisut — the first time in history, officials said, that the word has been used in a Danish government document.”

Many more logistics will need to be worked out before Greenland secures full autonomy; however, the symbolic gestures made in this weekend’s ceremony seem to be an important first step.

Community Connection:

Have you been to Greenland? Have you lived there? Matador’s looking for a Greenland expert; click here to see if you qualify.

Photo: greg4all

Back in early January, the North American commercial carrier Continental Airlines conducted a demonstration flight to determine whether biofuel could be a suitable and safe replacement for conventional fuel on commercial flights.

And earlier this week, Continental announced the outcome of the demo flight.

The highlights?

“The biofuel blend performed as well as or better than traditional jet fuel, displaying an approximately 1.1 percent increase in fuel efficiency over traditional jet fuel in different stages of the demonstration flight.”

and

“Overall life cycle greenhouse gas emissions related to using a biofuel of the nature used on the Continental demonstration flight are estimated to be reduced by 60 percent to 80 percent as compared to traditional jet fuel.”

Don’t expect to shift responsibility for your air travel-related carbon emissions onto airlines immediately, though. As Continental’s managing director of global environmental affairs indicated, biofuels must receive certification and then must be produced in sufficient quantity to supply commercial airliners.

Community Connection:

Want to read more about the science behind biofuels for planes? Check out Eva Holland’s article, “Well, Finally! Making Planes Run on Biofuel.”

Feature photo: Hamed Saber; Photo above: .faramarz

Photo: .faramarz

Photo: .faramarz

Photo: .faramarz

Photo: .faramarz

Photo: Hamed Saber

Photo: Hamed Saber

Community Connection:

Want to take action to support Iranian activists? Read 6 Ways the Western World Can Support Iranian Activists on Matador Change.

A protest in support of conscientious objectors, held in Toronto; Photo: picturenarrative

The stories of men who have crossed the US-Canada border as a statement against war are many, and they go back several decades. According to a recent article in Newsweek, about 50,000 men fled to Canada during the Vietnam War era in order to avoid the draft, many adjusting to life in their adopted country and settling there permanently.

Although the draft no longer exists in the United States, many war-weary soldiers who have done enough duty in Afghanistan and Iraq to question America’s motives for being there have returned from their deployments as conscientious objectors, refusing to accept redeployment orders. Many of them have crossed the border to seek asylum in Canada.

Increasingly, however, the Canadian government is taking active measures to deport these individuals back to the United States to face desertion charges. According to Newsweek, while three in five Canadians support the granting of permanent residency to conscientious objectors, the conservative government has been stepping up deportation activity since this time last year.

To learn more about the men and women who have served in the current wars and who now question America’s actions abroad, visit Iraq Veterans Against the War.

Photo: Amir Farshad Ebrahimi

The future of incumbent candidate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is at stake in tomorrow’s election. Ahmadinejad, often described as a hard-line traditionalist, is being challenged for the country’s top political seat by former prime minister, Mir Hossein Mousavi.

The two candidates couldn’t be more different, but that’s not the main issue galvanizing many Iranian voters and outside observers.

Instead, it’s Mousavi’s wife, Zahra Rahnavard, a former university chancellor, who has captivated the country’s attention as the final hours of campaigning approach.

In an article in Der Spiegel, journalist Ulrike Putz explained Rahnavard’s appeal and influence:

“Since the revolution in 1979 no other political spouse has been so much in the public eye. Rahnavard is even featured in her husband’s election posters: she stands next to him, holding his hand. In Iran’s strict Muslim society this alone is nothing short of spectacular. She wears her black chador loosely and instead of a plain scarf, hers is printed with a colorful floral pattern….

For weeks Rahnavard has been travelling around Iran — with and without her husband — trying to drum up support for the conservative reformer. She talks about providing women with more rights before family courts, better education opportunities and more jobs. That is not only appealing to the female half of the estimated 46 million eligible voters — many of their fathers, brothers and husbands also think this the right way forward.

While Rahnavard is certainly the most visible example of women increasingly defining and claiming a space for themselves in Iranian politics and social life, she’s not the only one. Throughout Iran and neighboring countries, women are openly addressing larger audiences, talking about traditionally taboo topics and asserting their right to define their own roles in society.

For another example of the ways women are articulating and exercising their rights, check out this excerpt from the PBS Wide Angle documentary, “Dishing Democracy,” which features popular TV hosts Fawzia Salama, Rania Barghout, Muna AbuSulayman, and Farah Besiso talking about their Cairo-based program, “Kalam Nawaem.”

If you’re interested in seeing the full documentary, you can access the video segments here.

Community Connection:

Interested in politics outside the West? Be sure to read Sarah Stuteville’s dispatch from Pakistan, “Pakistani Politics: Why Women’s Voices Matter.”

Marcelo Ebrard wants YOU to visit his city. Photo: Eneas

Mexico City’s mayor, who’s widely credited with implementing ambitious urban initiatives, has successfully chipped away at some of his city’s most challenging issues, including poverty, quality of life crimes, and over-reliance on cars.

Now, he’s turned his energies toward giving Mexico City’s tourism industry the boost it desperately needs since swine flu prompted him to temporarily shut down non-essential operations in the city and tourism dried up.

This week, Mayor Ebrard announced that foreign visitors to Mexico City will automatically be covered by a special insurance plan upon checking into city hotels. The only thing he requests in return is that the traveler write a review of his or her experiences in the city. Not a writer? Mayor Ebrard would be equally happy to see your photos or videos online.

The insurance coverage, provided by ACE Seguros, will allow you to seek care for minor injuries and illnesses. Should you need it, the insurance even covers emergency heart surgery at approved city hospitals.

You can find details about the program on the city’s tourism web page, which can be found here in English.

Community Connection:

Want to take Mayor Ebrard up on his offer and visit Mexico City? Check out my Green Guide to Mexico City and my top recommendations for nightlife in the Mexican capital. Have more questions? E-mail me at julie@matadornetwork.com.

Attendees at a vigil for Laura Ling and Euna Lee, Photo: keithpr

Last week, North Korea made all sorts of world headlines.

But the news that had most journalists and human rights activists on the edge of their seats was the announcement about the pending trial of US journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who were detained by North Korean officials in March and charged with entering the country illegally and with hostile intent.

The outcome of the trial was made known today: Ling and Lee were sentenced by the court to a sentence of 12 years of hard labor.

The Obama administration condemned the decision and began to explore options for negotiating with the North Korean government for the release of Ling and Lee.

Photo: steakpinball

Last month, Matador reported that Nigerian-born British citizen Samantha Orobator was finally scheduled to appear in a Lao court to respond to charges of drug trafficking after having been detained in August 2008 by Lao officials.

Yesterday, The Guardian provided an update on Orobator’s case, reporting that Orobator was sentenced to a life term by the court. Though it is possible she could remain in a Lao prison, it is most likely that she will return to the UK to serve her sentence, thanks to a prison transfer agreement signed by the two countries.

Orobator, who is pregnant and is due to deliver her baby in September, was also compelled to sign a document saying that she was not raped or otherwise sexually abused while she was in custody. Her signature on the document does little to resolve the public’s curiosity about how, when, and by whom she was impregnated since she was not pregnant at the time she was imprisoned.

Yet Orobator’s pregnancy was also, in a sense, her saving grace. Lao law prohibits the death penalty–which is otherwise statutory in drug cases–for women who are pregnant.

Here’s a video report from ITN News:

Community Connection:

Doing drugs while traveling is just plain dumb. If you’re not convinced that drugs and travel don’t mix, check out these other examples that are as bad–or worse–than Orobator’s fate.

When he’s not testing nukes, naming successors, or trying journalists, Kim (depicted on the right) likes to take in the landscape. Photo: yeowatzup

The world casts a wary eye on most headline-grabbing news from North Korea, as that news is almost never good.

And the news coming out of North Korea this week has been no exception.

Here, in short form, are three top stories you need to know about:

North Korea Tests Nukes

On May 25, North Korea performed the first of at least two nuclear missile tests in recent weeks.

While the rest of the world tries to make nice with each other, North Korea defiantly bucks the trend with these nuclear tests, which, while underground, are no less significant. The tests represent a slap in the face to the international community and foreshadow future troubles.

North Korea to Try Detained North American Journalists

Not unrelated to the nuke news was yesterday’s announcement that North American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee–arrested in North Korea in March–were being put on trial. Ling and Lee were detained and accused of entering the country illegally and with “hostile intent,” reporting for the U.S. based outlet, Current TV.

Political analysts argued that the women have “become bargaining chips in high-stakes negotiations with the United States, which has long sought to end the North’s nuclear ambitions.”

International observers do not expect the trial to be fair or just, and a guilty verdict could result in Ling and Lee being sentenced to serve 10 years hard labor in North Korea.

North Korean Leader Names His Successor

After overseeing nuclear tests and a sham trial, it’s no wonder that the Dear Leader is tired.

Mid-week, it was announced that Kim Jong-il has hand-picked his successor. Not surprisingly, it’s his son, but what is surprising to some outsiders is that Kim picked his youngest son, Kim Jong-un, rather than his two older sons.

There’s lots of speculation outside the country about why the youngest Kim would be chosen, and for all those juicy details, click on over to this article.

Photos: Ed-meister

Thursday, June 4 is the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre.

During the early summer of 1989, university students gathered in Tiananmen Square to protest and voice their demands for a more democratic government. After seven weeks of protesting, the government had enough, sending in the military. Troops manning tanks arrived in force, killing hundreds of students and wounding thousands more.

In the years since, China has made numerous efforts to insist to the rest of the world that its human rights record has improved. Perhaps the most obvious example was its hosting of last year’s Olympic Games.

But 20 years later, how much has really changed?

Protest and democracy movements are happening not on the street, but online, conveyed and mediated through technology.

And the government is responding just as strongly as it did in 1989. It’s not with tanks this time, but with error messages. In the past few days, Chinese users of popular social media sites like Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, and various e-mail services, including Hotmail, have found that all of these sites have been blocked.

Though the government has blocked these forms of communication, it will not effectively be able to silence Chinese bloggers and activists, who aren’t likely to forget about Tiananmen or the conversation about democracy when the rest of the world moves on after commemorating Tiananmen tomorrow. They’ll wait until the tech blackout is over.

And then they’ll get back to work.

Photo: sun dazed

If you’re not afraid to get a little water on your camera, then Wend’s got a proposition for you.

Send in your favorite waterfall shots for their June Friday Photo contest for your chance to win a pair of Teva’s new water shoes.

You can find all the details here.

Community Connection:

Is Matador’s Goods blog among your RSS subscriptions? If not, it should be! We’re giving away lots of gear, books, and generally good stuff all summer! In fact, you’ve got until this Friday to submit your entry for the Sansa slotRadio Player!

Photo: snappybex

The Roads Scholarship is the pet project of Matador member Pat the Digital Vagabond, a long-time traveler who wants to make travel possible for other people. Pat dreamed up the idea of sending one person–a “Roads Scholar”– around North America during the summer of 2009 on an unfixed route of their own choosing, fully funded, ending up at the popular Burning Man Festival in September.

The only catch? That the winner document his or her journey on Matador and other multimedia platforms.

More than 100 aspiring Roads Scholars submitted applications.

Pat found many of the applications so compelling that he couldn’t choose a single winner. Instead, he chose one primary Roads Scholar and three honorary scholars. They are:

Primary Roads Scholar: Kyle Smith

Honorary Roads Scholars: Joanna Haugen, Marina, and Alanna

Visit Digital Vagabonding to learn more about the winners. And be sure to sign up for Matador’s RSS feed so you can keep up with all the digital dispatches we’ll be featuring from this year’s winners.

Congratulations to the winners and thanks to Pat for his generosity and vision!

Photo: Shane Sakata

I’m no trend-chaser–in fact, I tend to be trend-averse–but if you’re a traveler who’s (still) not on Twitter, I’ve gotta say: you’re missing out.

Twitter, a micro-blogging platform that gives users 140 characters to tell their followers what they’re doing– wasn’t designed specifically for travelers. Yet since it launched in 2006, users have found plenty of uses for Twitter that its own founders and developers never imagined.

Twitter is being used by travelers and travel-related businesses in especially innovative ways. Benji Lanyado, travel writer for the Guardian, used Twitter to plan a trip–which he called a TwiTrip– in real time. He’s @bejilanyado on Twitter. Diamond PR, a public relations firm specializing in travel and tourism, has filled last minute spots on press trips by reaching out to travel writers via Twitter. They’re @diamondpr on Twitter.

Another use of Twitter–the tweetchat–is being pioneered this week by travelers. A tweetchat allows users with similar interests to have chats on Twitter during a specific time designated for group conversation. On June 5, expats Honor Dargan and Shane Sakata, who have over 10 years of combined time living in Japan, will be launching a tweetchat called JapanDiscovered.

The purpose of JapanDiscovered is to help travelers make the most of their time in Japan. As Honor and Shane told Matador:

“We really want to share the knowledge that we’ve gained to give other people access to the wide variety of experiences available here. Japan is an amazing country with something for almost everyone. The difficult part of Japan travel planning is knowing where to look. JapanDiscovered! fills that gap with personalized Japan Travel planning recommendations.”

During the JapanDiscovered tweet chat, Honor and Shane will share what they know about Japan and Tokyo with participants so they can plan their travels more easily. “No guidebooks, no internet searches, just real-time answers” is the idea behind the JapanDiscovered tweetchat.

The JapanDiscovered tweetchat will be hosted by Honor and Shane each Friday at noon Japan Standard Time. You can read more about how you can participate here, and be sure to visit the JapanDiscovered website. And if you’re already on Twitter, be sure to add @japandiscovered to your follow list.

If you’ll be joining Twitter for the first time, you can sign up here. Honor and Shane will be giving away a copy of the book, Urawaza, Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan, to one lucky follower who adds @japandiscovered to their followers and then sends a Japan travel question to @japandiscovered on Twitter. Details about the giveaway are here.

Community Connection:

If you’re planning a trip to Japan, JapanDiscovered is a helpful resource. Be sure to touch base with any one of Matador’s 25 Asia destination experts, who have answers to your questions about everywhere from Taipei to Tibet– and all points in between. And be sure to check out Matador Abroad’s favorite Asia food blogs, too.

Photo: malias

“800 Britons on waiting list for Swiss suicide clinic.”

That’s one of the top headlines of the May 31 online edition of The Guardian.

According to the article by health reporter Denis Campbell, a record number of British citizens have signed themselves up for euthanasia services at the controversial Dignitas Clinic just outside Zurich.

A 2002 article in TIME Magazine explained that Dignitas “rents an apartment in the city where clients self-administer a fatal dose of barbiturates and slowly fade away while listening to their favorite music.” Euthanasia has been legal in Switzerland since 1960, attracting an increasing number of foreigners to the Swiss capital to end their lives in a manner that would be illegal in their home countries.

Of the 800 Brits who have become members of Dignitas, 34–all of whom are terminally ill– have been screened and given the “provisional green light” to schedule their own deaths. That green light is given by a Swiss doctor and Dignitas founder Ludwig Minelli, who review members’ medical records and conduct interviews to determine that those signed up to die are of sound mind when making that decision.

The increasing number of people traveling to Switzerland seeking Dignitas’ services has implications far beyond Switzerland’s own borders and beyond the lives–and deaths–of those who choose to die. At present, for instance, British citizens who travel with a family member seeking euthanasia are subject to a 14 year prison sentence upon their return, a law that will be reviewed by Britain’s high court this week.

While right-to-die advocates praise Dignitas for opening its doors and providing services to citizens whose own countries will not permit them to end their suffering, opponents raise strong arguments against Dignitas becoming an international destination for people with terminal illnesses who want to end their own lives. The organization has become a focal point in the international debate about euthanasia.

Community Connectio:

Is Dignitas offering a brand of medical tourism gone too far? Share your opinion in the comments.

Rather than conservative, pressed, navy-colored uniforms, flight attendants used to wear hot pants. Today, they’re dressed in khaki shorts.

Instead of boring, predictable safety announcements, the crew tends to make the delivery of even the most rote information an opportunity for entertainment.

The company’s New York Stock Exchange ID is LUV.

It has famously settled disputes by arm wrestling.

You get the idea: everything at Southwest is done with a sense of humor.

So it’s hardly a surprise that this year’s shareholder meeting was more than a get-together characterized by a CEO monotoning a series of boring statistics.

Instead, the company did some internal talent searching and came up with a headline act for the meeting: flight attendant and rapper David Holmes, who was invited to rap the company’s general accounting principles to an audience of rhythmically challenged but enthusiastic shareholders.

Holmes had already achieved some national notoriety before the shareholder meeting rap, which has become a YouTube sensation. The Wall Street Journal and CNN had both featured Holmes’ cabin announcement raps:

But after successfully delivering the “GAAP Rap” without missing a beat, Holmes might just find himself with some new job offers: this video has had more than 22,000 views since it was uploaded a week ago:

What other company can brag that videos from its shareholder meeting have mass appeal (not to mention a 5-star rating) on YouTube?

Feature photo: theerin

Malay women take a stroll in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Vin Crosbie

The latest news comes from Kuwait.

Last weekend, Al-Jazeera reported that of 16 women who had run for national office, Kuwait had elected its first four female members to Parliament. One of the women was also named Kuwait’s first female cabinet minister.

The women share more than their gender in common. All four espouse liberal political views and were educated in the United States. All hold doctoral degrees, ranging from political science and economics to education.

The newly elected Parliament members also stressed their differences, asserting that they represent a wide range of constituents, noting:

“Yes, all of us are educated, but we also have a woman who won who is married to a non-Kuwaiti, one who is divorced, one who is not yet married, one whose mother is Lebanese…. We represent different social strata.”

The achievement of the candidates is particularly significant considering that Kuwaiti women were only granted the right to vote in 2006.

Yet as one observer has noted, the Kuwaiti women’s win is significant for another reason: it provokes Western feminists to finally confront the question:

“[W]hy… have [you] been so slow to get behind those women in the world’s all too numerous tyrannies who have to risk their lives to say anything [?]“

That observer–British writer Clive James– asks a question that’s increasingly pertinent as women in the so-called “developing” world make political strides that Western feminists have talked about within ivory towers for years but have taken little tangible, non-academic action to support outside their own countries. As James wrote for the BBC, these Western feminist pundits are just arguing rhetorically; meanwhile, their sisters abroad are “in the thick of a real battle”… feminist theory in action.

“Why their bravery doesn’t shame more of our feminist pundits I hesitate to say. It certainly shames me,” he concludes.

As a feminist and someone who holds a degree in Women’s Studies, I have to agree.

Community Connection:

What do you think? Are social justice movements in the West increasingly irrelevant because they’re largely theoretical? How do you view the political and social gains women are making, especially in the “developing” world? Share your thoughts below.

The economy has everyone worried. Photo:fab to pix

First came the report that former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun had committed suicide by flinging himself off a cliff while hiking with a security guard. The President asked the guard for a cigarette and then jumped off the cliff; though alive, according to The Korea Times, he died several hours later at the hospital.

Roh Moo-hyun was under investigation for corruption, though his supporters believed the charges to be overblown. The former President had campaigned and been elected on an anti-corruption platform, and was widely considered to be one of the country’s strongest modern leaders. He improved relations with North Korea and was admired for his rags-to-riches personal story: he had grown up in a poor family and managed to become a human rights lawyer.

Then, barely 24 hours later, came the report from China that a citizen disgruntled by a traffic jam caused by a man contemplating a suicidal leap from a bridge decided to resolve the issue entirely by pushing the man off the bridge.

Chen Fuchao climbed onto the bridge’s railing to consider ending his worries about debt. Police cordoned off the bridge, halting all car traffic for several hours. This infuriated passerby Lai Jiansheng, who called Chen’s actions selfish. Lai approached police–shoeless–and offered to help talk Chen down. When police refused his help, Lai plowed through the barricade, shook Chen’s hand, and pushed him off the bridge.

Chen survived the incident, though he sustained spinal and elbow injuries.

Community Connection:

Economic times are hard, and few people are unaffected by the worldwide recession. Our Voices from the Economic Crisis series includes stories from Matador contributors who recount the local impacts of a depressed economy. If you’re feeling depressed, don’t try to handle your feelings on your own. For some solid advice, check out Claire Litton’s article, “How to Manage Clinical Depression on the Road.”

Photo: Stig Nygaard

As New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof wrote a few weeks ago:

“Mention Africa in polite company, and those around you may grimace, shake their heads sadly and profess sympathy. Oh, all those wars! Those diseases! Those dictators!”

But as Kristof went on to say, Africa is a lot more promising and hopeful than most Westerners acknowledge. And Africans themselves are working hard to use available technologies to get good news stories about their continent out to the rest of the world.

Take sisters Chioma and Oluchi Ogwuegbu, for instance. Chioma and Oluchi recently launched a website, Celebrate Africa, where they’re documenting their journey across the continent, a trip they’ve undertaken with the mission of “changing the negative image of Africa and encourag[ing] Africans and the world to begin to see the beauty in the continent, [as well as] promote a sense of identity and unity for Africa’s people.”

Chioma, who holds a law degree, designed and facilitated a leadership program for young women before deciding to undertake the trip around Africa. On the trip, she plans to volunteer at different non-profits, learning about local problems and solutions. Oluchi, who has a degree in economics, plans to videotape as much of their trip as possible, documenting the good news stories the sisters find along the way.

The sisters plan to visit 34 countries; so far, they have been to 14 countries, including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. You can follow their trip by reading their blog.

Community Connection:

Planning your own trip around Africa? Be sure to touch base with Matador’s Africa destination experts.

ScottGregoryPhotography

“A record 220 women are running in Malawi’s presidential and parliamentary polls on Tuesday [today!], representing about 20% of all candidates for the 193 seats. Women are also at the top of the ticket for the first time: Loveness Gondwe is Malawi’s first female presidential candidate, [and] incumbent President Bingu wa Mutharika has tapped foreign minister Joyce Banda as his running mate.”

To learn more about the elections, check this site.

Lithuania’s Presidential Palace, Photo: markhillary

Lithuania’s gotten a lot of international press lately.

Once one of the EU’s most overlooked countries, Lithaunia’s star suddenly seems to be rising. In addition to being on all the travel magazines’ 2009 “must visit” lists, it was announced today that Dalia Grybauskaite was elected as the country’s first female president.

Grybauskaite, who has been serving as the EU’s Budget Commissioner, ran as an independent and earned 68% of the electorate’s votes, edging out seven other candidates.

She will be inaugurated on July 12.

m00by

Is it that American students aren’t interested in studying abroad or that they encounter too many obstacles–including financial challenges–that prevent them from doing so?

Whatever the reason, US Congress took a big step toward improving study abroad opportunities for American students yesterday when it introduced the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act as part of the House Foreign Relations Authorization Act.

The purpose of the act is to establish public-private partnerships that will achieve four broad goals:

1. Increase American students’ participation in quality study abroad programs;
2. Encourage diversity in student participation in study abroad;
3. Diversify study abroad sites, especially in developing countries;
4. Make study abroad an integral part of the American higher education experience.

The bill was actually introduced last year and enjoyed bipartisan support in the House and Senate, but the Congressional session expired before the bill could be passed.

Full information about the bill can be found here.

If you’d like to support the bill, you can join the Movement for Study Abroad on Facebook.

Community Connection:

Do you know about Matador’s study and live abroad blog, Matador Abroad? Whether you live in the US or elsewhere, you can find a rich archive of articles on study abroad subjects there!

Photo: scriptingnews

Even if, like me, you still haven’t seen “Slumdog Millionaire” (I know, I know, what am I waiting for?!), you’ve probably heard of the movie.

You probably could even narrate the basic plot:

While the movie’s leading man, Dev Patel, has gone on to fame, doing the TV talk show circuit and currently filming his next movie, “The Last Airbender,” other young stars from the movie haven’t fared so well.

Like Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail.

National Public Radio reported on Thursday that 10 year old Azharuddin, who played the youngest Salim in the film, was displaced from his home this week when Indian authorities razed illegally built shacks in preparation for monsoon season.

The authorities said they were unaware the child star lived in the slum, and offered promises that the family will be moved to more stable, secure housing.

According to the article, the lives of the film’s youngest stars–who were not professional actors and were recruited directly from slums, as was the case in the Brazilian film, “City of God,”– have not improved significantly since their “big break.” While the film’s producers said they have established a trust fund for the young stars, there have been no tangible changes in the circumstances in which they live since the film won 8 Oscars.

Community Connection:

Headed to India any time soon? Check out Shreya Sanghani’s excellent article, “10 Indian Customs to Know Before Visiting India.”

Photo: 200MoreMontrealStencils

63 year old Aung San Suu Kyi has spent the past 13 years under house arrest for her activist and humanitarian efforts to oppose the military government in Burma/Myanmar, which has ruled the country since 1962.

In just two weeks, Aung San Suu Kyi was scheduled to be released from her term of house arrest, but was removed from her home earlier this week and taken to a prison after an utterly bizarre event, about which she herself appeared to have had no previous knowledge.

According to this report by the New York Times, a 53 year old American citizen swam across a lake to reach the home of the activist, spending a night on the grounds of her house. The man, who described himself as a Mormon and said he was in Burma/Myanmar working on a book about heroes, refused to leave despite Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi’s request for him to do so.

The terms of her house arrest forbid visitors, even, apparently, uninvited and unwelcome guests.

The news sent me to the library to look up this passage in Paul Monette’s book, Last Watch of the Night. I read Monette’s book about 12 years ago and it’s where I first learned of Aung San Suu Kyi. I kept this quote above my desk for years:

“The winner of last year’s Nobel Peace Prize, a woman named Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, has been under house arrest in Burma for years now. She went back to Burma to take care of her ailing mother. She was a free woman, married to an Oxford don. But her father was the founder of modern Burma, and when the generals took over they told her she wasn’t allowed to stay and care for her mother. They wanted her out, so they could continue the repression and destruction of the society without any witnesses. And she said no, she wouldn’t go.

She’s gravely ill now from a hunger strike, and she’s told the generals that she’ll gladly leave. But she said, ‘I want all the political prisoners released, and I want to walk to the airport.’ It’s twenty miles from her prison house to the airport. And she has so rallied the spirit of her people that the generals rightly fear that the whole country would turn out to cheer her if she took that…walk. So please think about her when you think of the politics of silence.”

Community Connection:

If you’d like to learn more about Burma/Myanmar, Matador’s own writer and editor Tim Patterson, and Matador contributor and photographer Ryan Libre, visited the country last year. You can find a series of articles and photos about their experience here:

The Kachin Struggle For Freedom

Feature photo: MKMK

Photo: f650biker

I’ve been following the news about the Obama administration’s foreign policy with respect to Cuba closely. My husband’s entire family lives in Cuba and I’ve been traveling there for five years under the radar. Besides looking forward to the day when I can take a direct flight from my home in New York City to Havana’s Jose Marti International Airport, I have dozens of American friends who are dying to go and see the island and its people for themselves.

And if Orbitz–the Internet travel booking service–has its way, that might be sooner rather than later.

Yesterday, Orbitz announced the results of an opinion poll it conducted in conjunction with Ipsos regarding Americans’ attitudes about the freedom to travel to Cuba. The results? A whopping 67% of Americans favor lifting the travel ban, which would allow all American citizens to travel to Cuba freely, and an even larger percentage–72%–feel that American travel would benefit Cubans.

Given the results, Orbitz decided to launch an initiative intended to influence Obama’s policy with respect to the current travel ban, the full details of which can be found at OpenCuba, but which are summarized here:

“OpenCuba.org gives travelers the opportunity to get directly involved in a grassroots effort to convince American legislators and regulators to end the ban on travel to Cuba. As a focus of the campaign, travelers will be asked to sign a petition calling for an end to the travel ban. Orbitz executives will formally present the petition to U.S. officials in Washington, DC, later this year.”

Lest you get all warm and fuzzy thinking that the travel company has gone activist, consider this: every American who signs the petition will receive a $100 travel credit that can be redeemed on Orbitz to book a Cuba trip should the policy change.

It’s a brilliant business strategy–one that might not only influence a 50 year old foreign policy, but which may also make Orbitz the frontrunner in travel-to-Cuba services once the ban is lifted.

Editor’s Note: Thanks to Matador member and regular contributor Theodore Scott for the tip on this news!

Community Connection:

What do you think of Orbitz’s “Open Cuba” initiative? And are you interested in visiting Cuba? Share your opinions below!

Photo: permanentlyscatterbrained

According to the BBC, 35,000 British citizens visit Laos every year. 20 year old, Nigerian-born British citizen Samantha Orobator was one of them.

Last August, Orobator arrived in Laos, presumably on holiday. But her luggage allegedly contained some serious contraband– 1.5 pounds of heroin–and Orobator was arrested before she could ever get out of the airport to see the country.

In Laos, possession of drugs in any quantity over a pound is grounds for a compulsory death sentence. However, due to an extenuating circumstance, Orobator was not summarily executed by firing squad; instead, she has been languishing in a provincial jail while awaiting trial.

In the meantime, the media have been puzzled by contradictory information about Orobator’s case. Orobator does not deny that she was carrying drugs, but says she did so under duress. Yet no details have been made available to publicly confirm or deny the claim. And her mother, who was interviewed extensively by CNN in a 90 minute broadcast, said she had no idea her daughter was even planning to visit Laos; when they’d last spoken, Orobator was in Holland after having visited Thailand.

Then, there’s another troubling issue– that “extenuating circumstance”: Orobator is five months pregnant. While she has denied being raped in prison and has indicated the pregnancy is the result of consensual sex, activist organizations advocating on her behalf have claimed otherwise, further complicating a case that seems to grow more bizarre by the day.

Orobator’s case is scheduled to be tried before a Lao court this week.

Community Connection:

Carrying, trafficking, or doing drugs while you’re traveling is never a smart choice. Check out 5 Ways Travelers Can Avoid Being Caught With Drugs or Tripping Out on the Road: Drugs, Alcohol, and Travel to learn more about this issue.

Photo: Ahmed Zahid

This weekend’s New York Times Magazine included a fascinating article by Nicholas Schmidle about the Maldives, that archipelagic collection of 1,190 islands in the Indian Ocean.

Last year, Schmidle explained, Maldivians elected the charismatic 41 year old Mohamed Nasheed, a journalist and former political prisoner, to the presidency. Nasheed’s victory displaced Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who had ruled the islands for 30 years.

Photo: muha…

Though Gayoom had warned the world that his country’s citizens were likely to become the first environmental refugees if climate change wasn’t arrested or reversed, Nasheed was more bold in his assertions… and even began to talk about a plan to deal with such a scenario.

Shortly before he was inaugurated in November, 2008, Nasheed declared:

“…that because of global warming, he would try to find a new homeland for Maldivians somewhere in the world, on higher ground… [and] proposed moving all 300,000 Maldivians to [either] India, Sri Lanka, [or] Australia…[using] tourism revenues from the present to establish a sovereign wealth fund with which he could buy a new country–or at least part of one–in the future.”

Photo: BadrNaseem

It was a dramatic proposal, to be sure, and one that has elicited mixed reactions from Maldivians. Some people applaud the plan; others think the threat of rising sea levels isn’t likely to come true in their own lifetime.

Though it’s not clear whether Nasheed has actually taken any tangible steps to scout out land abroad, he’s articulated another bold proposal in the meantime, which is intended to serve as a global warming stop-gap measure: the Maldives, he has declared, will become the first carbon-neutral country in the world.

Schmidle’s article is thin on the details about how either of these plans would be achieved, but the seemingly contradictory options of fight or flight proposed by the Maldivian president raise compelling questions about the future of the country. And for travelers, this news provides still more emphasis to visit–and to try to save–places that are literally vanishing.

Community Connection:

The Maldives are just one of 9 sites to visit on our places to experience now before they literally vanish.

Feature photo: hoodrat

In fact, contributing editor Sarah Menkedick has written a guide about how women can manage machismo while they’re on the road.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t cover situations like this one:

feature photo: daviddesign

The country’s first national park just opened, part of a US-Afghan joint initiative to kick-start tourism in a country that’s been conflict-ridden for decades. Afghanistan’s tourism minister, Ghulam Farhai, acknowledged that security remains a challenge, but is confident that his country will eventually be “a perfect travel destination.”

He might have a hard time convincing foreign travelers of that if the news from the Kabul Zoo gets any kookier.

Yesterday, Reuters reported that Afghanistan’s sole pig, on display alongside deer and goats at the Kabul Zoo, was quarantined as a precautionary measure against swine flu.

Though zoo officials realize that swine flu is not, in fact, transmitted by pigs, they explained that a special room was built for the sole swine because guests were worried the pig could infect people with the since-renamed H1N1 flu.

Photo: german

It’s not the first bizarre episode in the zoo’s history, nor is it the only strange sight you’re likely to see if you visit.

In the early 90s, Mujahideen fighters commandeered the zoo, eating the deer and rabbits and shooting the zoo’s only elephant for no apparent reason. Their shells volleyed–and then shattered–the zoo’s aquarium. Then, one of the fighters decided to go for a romp with the zoo’s lions. When one of the lions killed him, the fighter’s brother took revenge, throwing a grenade into the lion’s compound, leaving the other lion blind and toothless.

Clearly, Tourism Minister Farhai has his work cut out for him.

Photo: The Sierra Club

Honest Tea and the Sierra Club have teamed up to raise consumers’ consciousness about environmental issues by giving away free trips.

Though you don’t have to purchase any of Honest Tea’s products to enter the contest, a portion of proceeds from the sale of Honest Tea stamped with the Sierra Club logo goes toward funding youth environmental education programs and ecosystem conservation efforts lead by the Sierra Club.

Four separate drawings will be held between the end of June 2009 and March 2010. Prizes include: a trip for two from Sierra Club Outings, a one year supply of tea, and Jamis bikes.

The fine print? You have to be a legal resident of the United States over the age of 18. For full contest information, visit Honest Tea’s website.

Community Connection:

And speaking of free travel… have you applied for the Matador-sponsored Roads Scholarship yet? If not, get moving! There are only 10 days left to submit your application. Full details are available here.

Photo: Will Hale

The incident was the tipping point for O’Mullane, who flipped the bird as he accelerated past the man.

But O’Mullane’s bad day was about to get a lot worse: the other driver was a United Arab Emirates government official, who proceeded to tailgate O’Mullane, followed him to his home, got in a fight with him, and then called police, who hauled O’Mullane off to jail for 24 days.

After his stint in the clink, O’Mullane received a deportation notice, as did his wife, who is also an Australian expat who was working in Dubai.

The incident is a dramatic reminder about how important it is to conform to local customs (like restraining oneself from making gestures that may be considered rude) when traveling or living abroad. If you’re headed abroad and you need an etiquette primer, check out this article: 5 Common American Gestures That Might Insult the Locals.

Photo: jimw

Though the labor movement and the first May Day actually originated in the US in the late 19th century, it’s no longer celebrated on May 1 in the US.

But today, from Cuba to Cambodia, workers have the day off and many will gather publicly to support workers’ rights.

You can read more about the history of the day here.

Photo: Fabiano (LicoSp)

It’s almost May, and that means our friends at Wend Magazine are rolling out a new theme for their Photo Friday contest.

This month, Wend’s looking for shots of extreme weather. Whether you’re a storm chaser or a sun worshiper, Wend wants to see your best weather-related photos.

You can read full submission instructions here.

For now, I’ll leave you tempted with the Photo Friday prizes: Mountain Hardwear shirts (men’s and women’s) and, for the Grand Prize winner, a Mountain Hardwear Stimulus Jacket.

Photo: Esparta

I’m writing from New York City, where, at last count, the Department of Health reported 44 confirmed swine flu cases.

While New Yorkers are being advised not to panic and to go about their normal routines, two schools where students have been diagnosed with flu have closed temporarily and new flu clusters have been identified. Already, local tourism officials are taking measures to ensure that the swine flu scare doesn’t cause travelers to avoid New York City.

Regardless of whether concern is warranted, though, it’s becoming increasingly clear that swine flu is already having a significant impact on travel and tourism.

Here’s a round up of the latest news about how swine flu is changing travel recommendations and plans:

-Argentina and Cuba announced today that they are temporarily suspending flights to and from Mexico, which is currently the center of the swine flu crisis.Similar measures were taken by Canada’s WestJet and Air Canada airlines.

-Mexico City has banned most public events and has closed schools, public pools, gyms and sports clubs, theaters, nightclubs until further notice as a precautionary measure intended to contain the spread of the virus. In Mexico City? Don’t expect to go out to eat; all restaurants have been told they can serve take-out only.

Photo: playadura

-At present, Mexico City’s massive subway system is still running, though the city government continues to evaluate whether shutting the Metro temporarily will help control the crisis.

-Britain has suspended all consular and visa services at its Mexico City office until further notice.

-The European Union issued travel warnings to its citizens, advising them to postpone non-essential travel to the United States and Mexico.

-Swine flu cases were either identified or being investigated in the following countries as of Tuesday, April 28: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Guatemala, Israel, New Zealand, Peru, South Korea, Spain, the UK, and seven EU states. As the number of cases are determined, voluntary travel restrictions to and from these countries may be put in place.

-The governments of Russia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan announced they would quarantine any visitors to their countries who show symptoms of swine flu.

-On April 27, the World Health Organization indicated that it does NOT support the suspension of travel or the closure of borders by national governments. It does, however, encourage travelers without a non-urgent need to travel to reconsider their plans. The WHO also recommended that anyone feeling ill should not travel, and anyone who becomes ill after traveling should seek immediate medical attention.

-To keep track of developments and recommendations for travel to and within the United States, visit the Centers for Disease Control’s swine flu page here. The CDC also maintains a link to swine flu travel alerts.

-To keep track of developments and recommendations for travel elsewhere in the world, read the World Health Organization’s daily updates here.

Community Connection:

Have you changed your travel plans due to swine flu? Are you currently in Mexico? Share your experiences below.

Sales are down and readers who love the feel of words in their hands worry about the impact the Kindle and other electronic readers may have on traditional books.

Photo: Daniel Zanini H

But there was a flicker of hope last week in the unlikely exchange of a gift between Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and US President Barack Obama.

When the two presidents met at the Summit of the Americas, President Chavez gave President Obama a book, Las Venas Abiertas de America Latina, by Uruguayan writer and scholar, Eduardo Galeano:

Though the book was in Spanish–and Obama’s press secretary was reported as saying that Obama would be unlikely to read it for that reason–Chavez’s gift spurred a book buying surge… English and Spanish readers around the world caused Galeano’s book, which was published almost 40 years ago, to rocket to the top of bestseller lists after spending decades in the relative insularity of academic and activist circles.

According to the Guardian:

As footage of the encounter appeared on news bulletins, the book rocketed up the US paperback sales chart of the online bookseller Amazon, soaring from number 54,295 to sixth place within 24 hours.

At present, the book ranks #1 in three Amazon categories.

Could Chavez save publishing? Should the “Oprah effect” be renamed the “Chavez effect”?

Even if the impact of the gift only served to buoy the publishing industry temporarily, Chavez’s gesture helped to resuscitate a Latin American classic. You can read more about the book and its significance here.

Mia Farrow’s done all that, too. As a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, she has also traveled to different regions of Africa to interview survivors of civil wars:

But now, Farrow is taking her support a step further.

On Monday, April 27, the actress will begin a hunger strike to bring attention to the political, economic, and social crises that have been gripping Darfur, Sudan for years and which have recently worsened. As Farrow wrote on her blog:

“On April 27th I will begin a fast of water only in solidarity with the people of Darfur and as a personal expression of outrage at a world that is somehow able to stand by and watch innocent men, women and children needlessly die of starvation, thirst and disease.”

Farrow has long been concerned about social problems in Africa, and has used her blog and other multimedia tools, such as her Flickr photostream, to raise awareness and call for action from people of privilege in other countries.

Photo: hdptcar

But she seems to feel the hunger strike is the most effective action she can take to draw attention to a worsening crisis the rest of the world is all to eager to ignore. She wrote:

“I undertake this fast in the heartfelt hope that world leaders who know what is just and right will call upon the Government of Sudan to urgently readmit all of the expelled agencies or otherwise insure that the gap is filled, giving aid workers unimpeded access to the populations before they begin to die in numbers that could dwarf the Rwandan genocide. I also call upon President Obama and other leaders with influence to help build a credible peace process that can end the suffering in Darfur.

I hope human rights advocates and citizens of conscience around the world will join me in some form of fasting, even if for one day. And when I can no longer continue, I pray another will take my place, and another– until finally there is justice and peace for Darfur’s people.”

Photo: garryknight

Whether you’re an amateur or professional photographer lugging your gear around on your travels, you’re probably interested in sharing your photos and getting recognized for memorable images.

If that’s the case, then this news is for you.

The 2009 international travel photographer of the year competition (TPOTY) is now open.

From the press release:

TPOTY 2009 winners will go to some highly photogenic locations, traveling to China, Costa Rica and Morocco with Intrepid Travel and to Slovakia’s Tatra Mountains with Mountain Paradise.

[E]quipment prizes… include a 26” NEC Spectra View monitor, an Apple MacBook Pro with Aperture 2 software, Wacom Cintiq 12WX interactive pen display and new Intuos4 pen tablets, Adobe CS4 Web Premium, Photoshop CS4 and Lightroom software, a total of £1,000 to spend with Jacobs Digital Photo & Video, Plastic Sandwich leather portfolio books, HARMAN PHOTO and ILFORD PHOTO paper, prints and darkroom products, LEE filters, Lexar CF cards and card readers, Photo Iconic photo courses, and £300 to spend with Linhof Studio.

This year, there are three entry categories: Homeland, Natural Wonders and People of the World, and “One Shot.” Submissions in this last category must be related to the theme Festival, Fiesta and Celebration.

You’ve got plenty of time to get your submission in; the deadline isn’t until September 22, 2009.

Complete entry details can be found on www.tpoty.com.

For information about last year’s winners, check out this article.

Photo: tuxmemento

From FOX to NPR, the evening news has been awash with reports of blood-splashed streets, out of control crime stats, and a police force so impotent that federal military intervention is required.

It’s frightening stuff, alright, so much so that lots of travelers have changed or canceled their Mexico travel plans. People have even formed organizations calling for travel boycotts.

But outside of the drug-running hotspots of Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, is traveling to Mexico really dangerous?

We talked to some frequent Mexico travelers and looked at some data to answer that question.

Matador contributor Misty Tosh is a regular visitor to Mexico. She hosts annual retreats on Isla de Mujeres and has driven Baja–alone–a dozen times. She recently wrote:

“I cruised down extremely dusty backroads, took precarious routes along the Sierra Madre’s, and swam along lonesome stretches of sandy beaches. Never did I fear for my life. Not once did I think I was gonna catch some trouble cause I was alone. Stay away from Mexico? As if. You’d be crazy if ya did.”

Travel writer Eric Lucas, who has had his passport stamped in Mexico more than 25 times, also travels south feeling at ease. In response to the travel boycott, he had this to say:

“Actually, it’s safer there than here. For example, the murder rate in Mexico is about 11 per 100,000 people a year. In New Orleans, it’s almost seven times worse, 71 per 100,000. Atlanta, Cleveland, St. Louis—all have higher murder rates than Mexico.”

Eric’s correct. As author David Lida–an American expat living in Mexico City for almost 20 years–explained in his excellent book, First Stop in the New World:

“In 2004, there were 710 homicides in Mexico City, as opposed to 218 in Washington, D.C. Yet there are close to twenty million people in Mexico City and only 572,000 in the U.s. capital. Therefore, your likelihood to get murdered in D.C. is far greater than it is here–equally true in many U.S. cities, among them Detroit, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Phoenix, Dallas, and Las Vegas (according to 2004 statistics from the FBI). In 2006, New Orleans…with a population smaller than 1 percent of Mexico City’s–had a murder rate nearly equal to the D.F.”

Lida concludes that the persistent problem with the portrayal of violence in Mexico is one of misinterpretation and lack of contextualization. 710 homicides sounds like a lot… if you’re not considering total population and if you’re comparing that statistic to the statistics of a city with a significantly lower population.

Mexico isn’t crime-free, but neither is the US. Yet if we focus enough on our neighbor to the south, maybe we’ll distract ourselves from our own problems. And perhaps that’s what’s really behind the sudden obsession with Mexico’s crime.

Photo: Gret@Lorenz

So don’t cancel that Mexico trip. Unless you’re planning on Spring Break in Juarez, you’re just as likely to be as safe in Mexico as you are in your own home town.

Photo: FaceMePLS

Despite all the models and service options that exist, there are no fewer than one million frustrations I experience when traveling with my cell phone. There’s SIM card switch out. Roaming fees. Spotty service.

And that’s just for starters.

But I guess I should be grateful that I’m not Alex Dobson.

Dobson, an 18 year old Canadian who traveled to Peru last year, didn’t intend to take his phone with him at all. When he reached into his pocket and realized he hadn’t left it at home, he threw the phone in the bottom of his backpack and didn’t think anything else about it.

That was until he got home and learned that he had a $13,000 cell phone bill.

Dobson’s phone was stolen along with the rest of the contents of his pack. The thief apparently had lots of friends or relatives outside the country. Making calls to the tune of $3.49 a minute, he racked up a bill that eventually totaled more than $24,000.

Though Dobson canceled his cell phone service and reported the theft to his service provider, Bell Canada, the company continued to send him bills for calls the thief was making. After “investigating” the matter, Bell Canada decided that since the situation didn’t involve fraud (huh?), Dobson was liable for all of the existing charges.

And I thought these shenanigans only happened in the US.

Dobson’s mother, though angry, says “If we’re eventually held to have to pay it, we’ll have to pay it.”

Would YOU pay the bill for calls you’d never made? Share your response below.

Community Connection:

Want to forgo cell phones altogether but still need to keep in touch while you’re on the road? Check out “5 International Phone Plans for Telecommuters” and “Pimp Your Skype Experience” to learn more about Voice over Internet phone (VOIP) options.

Photo: www.viajar24h.com

Matador Trips co-editor Carlo Alcos recently featured several of Finland’s strangest celebrations.

Contributing writer Michael Ward penned a guide to running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain.

Matador member Christine Gilbert blogged about La Tomatina (also in Spain) and I’ve written about a local bullfight festival in Colombia.

No matter where you roam, these types of events immerse you in local life in a way that few other experiences can approximate.

So we’re sad to hear that New Zealand is considering canceling future Running of the Sheep events, a tradition akin to the running of the bulls.

Photo: Richard Gifford

After this year’s run, which resulted in the injury of a spectator when a sheep jumped off course and into the crowd of onlookers, officials called for a safety review of the event. Animal rights advocates also chimed in, adding that the sheep wouldn’t have jumped the barriers intended to keep them on the running course if the conditions weren’t so anxiety-provoking for them.

My own opinion? If you’re going to one of these events, you know–and accept–the risk. But what’s your opinion? Should some of the world’s most unique, unusual events be discontinued for safety purposes? Share your comments below.

Photo: swimparallel

The UK-based Bradt Travel Guides has announced a travel writing competition open to all writers over the age of 18.

Applicants can submit a well-written 800 word essay responding to the contest theme, “Destination Unknown,” in one of two categories: unpublished travel writer or published travel writer.

A first-place winner will be awarded a trip for two to Colombia. In addition, his or her winning essay will be published in The Independent on Sunday, a newspaper that will also grant the winning writer a commission.

A second winner will be awarded a travel writing course in Spain, courtesy of contest partner, Travellers’ Tales.

Full details can be found here.

Photo: Brayan Collazo

There’s been a lot of talk about changing US policy toward Cuba, and since President Obama took office it’s clear the administration has been taking steps to re-establish some formal diplomatic ties with Cuba.

Today, those steps became tangible as the Obama administration announced that it has officially reversed the travel and money remittance policies that were strengthened by the Bush administration.

Cuban Americans can now visit Cuba as often as they’d like and will be allowed to send more than $300 every three months, which was the previous limit.

In addition to these changes, which were expected, President Obama indicated that the US government will provide licenses to American telecommunications companies in order to extend cell phone and Internet service on the island. Cuban Americans will be able to purchase service for their family members on the island once the basic infrastructure has been improved and expanded.

Now that this part of the arcane US foreign policy has been reversed, perhaps it’s just a matter of time before the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act–which proposes permitting all Americans to travel to Cuba–is passed.

Community Connection:

Regular Matador contributor Audrey Scott just published a thoughtful article on why it makes sense to travel to “rogue states” like Cuba over on Brave New Traveler. Check it out and join the conversation!

Some of the strangest entries involve food consumption.

Photo: quami77

There’s Ken Edwards, a London man who holds the record (eight years and running) for eating the most cockroaches–36–in one minute, and Jim Lyngvild, a resident of Copenhagen who set the bar for eating the most Ferrrero Rocher chocolates in one minute–seven (seems pretty weak to me).

Photo: mountainamoeba

This week, a new food record was entered into the Guinness register.

Anandita Dutta Tamuly, a woman from Jorhat, India, put competitors to shame by eating 51 ghost chilis–considered the world’s hottest–in a minute. Famously foul-mouthed celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay looked on as Tamuly set her record, and was left speechless.

Tamuly, for her part, was reportedly pleased to have set a Guinness record, but was disappointed in her performance– she’s eaten as many as 60 of the chilis in a single sitting, so she failed to break her own personal record.

Community Connection:

What’s the strangest food you’ve ever eaten? Matador contributor Nellie Huang introduces readers to 10 of Asia’s most exotic delicacies in this article.

Pat, who fell in love with travel at the age of 21 after reading Ed Buryn’s book, Vagabonding in the USA, was inspired to quit school, fix up an old VW van, and start exploring North America. About his first year on the road, he writes:

“I found the ocean, myself and a whole lot more before I came back almost one year later. It was a year of sweet solitude, serendipitous encounters and inspiration.”

And after that first year, he was hooked, a confirmed convert to vagabonding.

Photo: notsogoodphotography

Now, more than 20 years later, Pat wants to pay forward the experience of travel that has been so meaningful to him by offering what he’s calling the Roads Scholarship.

If you’re 18 or older and have a valid driver’s license, you’re eligible to apply for the Roads Scholarship. If you win, you’ll be given a $1,200 USD stipend each month from June-September, 2009, and you’ll be able to use share your articles and photos on Pat’s website, Digital Vagabonding. The winner will also be given a ticket to Burning Man, as will two runners-up.

Winners will be chosen in May, so hurry up and check the guidelines here.

Photo: Dominic DeGrazier

The people of Uruguay tend to be extremely tranquilo – they drink mate and aren’t generally worried about the exact time of day. At the same time, Uruguayos tend to be politically active, especially this year, as they will vote in November for their new president and on various bills.

One of these bills calls for annulling the law called “La Ley de Caducidad (The Law of Expiration).” This is a law passed in 1986 after the 12-year military dictatorship ended (1973-1985). It gives impunity to the dictatorship’s military officials for their human rights violations, among other crimes. No, you did not read this incorrectly.

Due to pressures from the old regime and in order to return to “normalcy,” the new Uruguayan government formed in December 1986 thought it was simply better to squash the horrors of the dictatorship. It was decided that the crimes committed within the previous 13 years were no longer punishable; in effect, the time had expired to take action against the guilty officials.

By April 25, 2009, in order to place the nullification of this law on the ballots of November, 10% of the voting population (251,847) needs to sign for the reform.

As of April 4th, 245,785 signatures had been received.

Photo: Dominic DeGrazier

Occurring barely one generation ago, the Uruguayan dictatorship is still an extremely fresh wound. Its military officers responsible for torturing, kidnapping, murdering, or terrorizing innocent people for 12 years are still walking around free within the country and abroad.

Photo: Dominic DeGrazier

Uruguayans are trying to achieve an important step to make sure justice is finally served. Vamos arriba, Uruguay!

Photo: Alessio 85

As is customary when any country faces a natural disaster, other nations immediately began extending aid offers to Italy’s prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi. France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Russia, and Switzerland were just a few countries offering assistance.

When asked by international media whether the country needed financial or rescue assistance, Prime Minister Berlusconi’s initial response was to politely decline aid, indicating that no tangible international support was needed at the moment. His the Interior Minister elaborated:

“We have the resources needed for reconstruction, including European funds, and we need to move quickly to avoid the problems of wasteful or slow spending that we’ve seen in past interventions.”

Yet rather than view this statement as a sign of the Italian government’s self-sufficiency (why not decline resources politely when so many other places are in need and the world economy is in a shambles?), critics complained that Berlusconi was snubbing his counterparts in a diplomatic faux pas. He has since agreed to accept some assistance for the rebuilding of historic buildings.

What do you think? Should Berlusconi have accepted aid that he believes his country doesn’t need?

Photo: Mario Tziortzis

UPDATE:

Several weeks after this article was written and published, the “Next Best Job in the World” sponsors announced the contest had been suspended due to “unforeseen events.” As of May 5, 2009, no further information is available.- The Editors

Queensland, Australia’s best job in the world campaign was so wildly successful, it was only a matter of time before some enterprising tourism CEO rolled out Best Job in the World 2.0.

And that CEO is Dean Horvath, founder and president of Mason Horvath Elite Travel Experiences.

Like the Queensland job, the “NEXT Best Job in the World” offers one lucky winner six months of incredible memory-making. From the press release:

We are looking for an elite travel correspondent to travel the globe for six months, staying at the most exclusive and out of this world hotels and resorts, searching out and reporting on truly unique and mind-blowing experiences normally reserved for the rich and famous.

Imagine this: Enjoying a private candlelight dinner on the Great Wall of China; racing Ferraris through the twisting back roads of Tuscany; spending the afternoon picnicking in the middle of the Moroccan desert and then telling the world about it. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it!

And if you’re that somebody, you’ll not only receive a salary of $50,000 USD, you’ll also get to bring a companion along for the ride.

Unlike the Queensland gig, you don’t have to go through a lengthy application process. Just fill out a simple entry form here; a random drawing will pull finalists who will be flown to a secret location for interviews.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION:

Regular Matador contributor Craig Martin provided full coverage of the Best Job in the World campaign. You can read his articles here.

Photo: ewen and donabel

A trip to Disney isn’t cheap these days no matter how good your budgeting skills are.

A one day admission ticket for visitors over 10 years of age will ring in at $75.00 USD and any meal at the ABC Commissary (one of 88 dining options at the Orlando Disney) will leave you $14.99 poorer than when you entered the Magic Kingdom. If you plan on staying overnight, even a campground spot will take a $43.00 bite out of your budget.

But even the most generous spender will be hard pressed to figure out just how a Disney visit could total more than $400,000.

All they need to do, though, is talk with Malaysia’s Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo, a businessman and government contractor who spent just that amount at Disney Paris and Disney Orlando, according to an article published in The New Straits Times last week.

Mr. Toyo, whose trip was billed as a “technical visit,” was supposed to be gathering information that might be useful as Malaysia gets ready to build its own theme park. Yet he didn’t meet with any Disney officials; instead, he hired a tour guide to sport himself, his family (wife + 3 kids), and a maid around the parks.

A handful of expense reports turned in by Toyo indicated that he hired a Mercedes Benz, rented out the Presidential Suite, and flew first class from one park to the other. He also paid for a group of traditional dancers–from his own country– to welcome him and his entourage upon their arrival.

The government is now investigating Mr. Toyo’s trip in hearings of the Select Committee on Competence, Accountability and Transparency. So far, Mr. Toyo has not made an appearance at any of the hearings.

Photo: vox_efx

Sounds good so far, both for our hypothetical crew and for theT&C economy, which will benefit a bit from the layovers– there are several of them, 23 to be exact–planned.

But the story gets a bit sinister with this twist: those planes landing at Turks & Caicos’ Providenciales Airport are alleged to be involved in the transportation of terrorism suspects who were ordered to be detained indefinitely at the US base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

According to a March 13, 2009 article in the Turks and Caicos Weekly, more evidence has recently come to light that confirms the Turks and Caicos were used as an R&R layover spot for CIA officials “to relax and kickback after their dark missions” between 2001 and 2005.

Rumors about T&C’s use as a rest and refuel spot started to swirl last summer, when the international NGO Reprieve presented an executive report in which the organization blasted the UK government with a series of allegations about the use of another British holding, the island of Diego Garcia, as a “processing [and service] center” for “high-value detainees.”

The Reprieve report also mentioned the role that the Turks and Caicos may have played–perhaps unbeknownst to local officials–as a fun-in-the-sun stopover for stressed CIA crews:

“Turks and Caicos may have been used as a luxury ‘rest and recovery’ spot and planning hub for agents en route to or from illegal rendition operations or Guantanamo Bay.”

While the Obama administration has alluded to a number of policy and practice changes with respect to detainees, it appears there’s a lot more the general public still has to learn about the scope of the Bush administration’s “War on Terror,” as well as allied nations’ complicity in supporting Bush’s redefinition of “justice.”

Photo: johnsheldon

In a decision passed down this morning, Iowa’s Supreme Court ruled that the definition of marriage should not apply solely to the union of a man and a woman, but could also apply to same-sex couples.

The ruling gives the green-light for gay and lesbian couples to tie the knot as early as April 24.

And the right to marry doesn’t just extend to Iowans: because the state has no residency clause regarding marriage on the books, couples from out of state can come to Iowa to marry legally.

Might Iowa see a sudden surge in its number of annual visitors? Though it’s not exactly known as a tourism magnet, the state may just see its tourism industry boom this year.

Community Connection:

If you’re in a same-sex partnership and thinking about marriage, but Iowa doesn’t appeal to you, check out “The World’s Best Spots for a Same-Sex Wedding.”

Arriving in Buenos Aires on March 31, I happened to find myself in Argentina’s capital during a momentous time. The very night I arrived, Raul Alfonsin, the country’s first democratically-elected president after the “Dirty War,” the country’s 1976-1983 period of military rule, fell gravely ill as a result of lung cancer.

By the next morning, he was dead.

That afternoon, the Plaza del Congreso was blocked off by police as Argentines lined up in front of the Palacio del Congreso to pay their respects.

Banners were unfurled, thanking Alfonsin for his efforts in ushering in an era of democracy and prosecuting former military leaders, a huge risk for which he was eventually forced to step down after six years.

Alfonsin’s presidency gave Argentines hope at a time when many Latin American nations were ruled by military dictatorships. The reverence people still have for him was evident in the crowds that turned out for his funeral procession on April 2, which resulted in the police barricade being knocked over.

April 2 was also a national holiday to commemorate the Falklands War, known locally as the Guerra de las Malvinas. Veterans of the war had set up in the Plaza de Mayo, in front of the Casa Rosada, the office of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

Like Vietnam Veterans in the United States, the veterans of this conflict have been discriminated against and forgotten for years.

And incidentally, this being a Thursday, the Madres de los Desaparecidos, the Mothers of the Disappeared, made their weekly march in the Plaza, as they have for years.

I was struck by the reverence that the Argentines had for their former president, who gave them the kind of hope that Americans now have for Obama, as well as the dedication of the Madres, who continue their fight in memory of their children.

[All photos courtesy of the author.]

Photo: Brayan Collazo

The U.S. embargo against Cuba–quite possibly the most comprehensive and punitive piece of foreign policy legislation in modern U.S. memory– may be marching toward history.

Just a few weeks ago, a significant change in US foreign policy towards Cuba was made by the US Treasury Department. Negating a decision enacted by the Bush administration five years ago, the Treasury Department, which is charged with the responsibility of overseeing and enforcing a considerable portion of US-Cuba policy, announced that effective immediately, Cuban Americans will be allowed to travel to Cuba to visit family once a year (as opposed to once every three years) and no time restrictions will be imposed on these visits.

Though it received fairly limited press, Matador’s own contributing editor, Christine Garvin, gave the policy change some thoughtful coverage on Brave New Traveler.

Now, there’s evidence that still more of the travel-related laws prohibiting Americans’ travel to Cuba are being chipped away at.

The Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act is a bipartisan bill introduced yesterday. It is co-sponsored by 118 members of the House (House Bill H.R. 874) and 20 Senators (Senate Bill S. 428) from both parties. The bill is intended to extend the right to travel to Cuba to all Americans… for the first time in decades.

The bill is being supported by special interest groups as diverse as the US dairy, wheat, and rice industries, as well the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch.

Though similar bills were proposed with regularity during the Bush administration, they quickly died before being passed.

Sarah Stephens, executive director of the Center for Democracy in the Americas, articulated my own feelings, which I expressed in this article, when she said:

“…the constitutional right to travel belongs to all Americans no matter what their ethnic background or national origin might be.

Under George Bush, we had ‘travel for nearly none’; under Barack Obama, we have progressed to ‘travel for some’; and under this legislation we can realize the goal of ‘travel for all’.

All of our goals – for U.S.-Cuba policy, for regional diplomacy, for boosting the U.S. economy, and for advancing our values and remaking our nation’s image-are best served by replacing our policy of isolation with engagement starting with ‘travel for all’.”

Though the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act, if passed and signed into legislation, is not expected to completely dismantle the trade embargo, the continued efforts to revise US foreign policy toward Cuba signal an important–and exciting–new chapter in the complicated history of US-Cuba relations.

As someone married to a Cuban American, and as a traveler who has visited Cuba many times (that’s me in this article’s feature photo, clowning around with my husband and my mother-in-law at her apartment in Centro Habana), I’m interested to see if the bill passes this go round.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION:

If you’re an American interested in traveling to Cuba off-the-radar before any policy changes take effect, check out two of my articles full of first-hand advice here and here. Find out how to prepare for your trip by watching some of my favorite films or reading some of the best books about Cuba; you can find the list here. Wondering what to do once you get there? Check out my nightlife recommendations.

Have you been to Cuba? Share your experiences! Would you love to visit Cuba? Share your thoughts about the Freedom to Travel Act below.

Photo: RichieC

US Vice-President Joe Biden, not one known for circumspect speech, has just returned from a trip to Latin America.

The veep, whose trip was a goodwill move intended to pave the way for President Obama’s participation in the Summit of the Americas later this month, attended the Progressive Governance Conference along with the presidents of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay, and the Prime Ministers of Norway and the UK.

Biden brought his administration’s message of hope and change to the region, noting that the Americas need to work together more closely on the economy, education, and health care, among other common issues.

“[T]he good news,” Biden said in his formal remarks, “is that we’re willing to, and want to collaborate.”

Biden delivered the “bad news” in this punchline:

“The bad news is that you don’t have the last administration to use as an excuse.”

The veep’s remarks- delivered in his closing statement- were received with laughter and applause.

Community Connection:

To learn about other foreign policy initiatives in the Americas, check out this article from our archives.

“Obama Signs Wilderness Protection Bill”

Sunrise in Houston, Texas; Photo: Theodore Scott

The Omnibus Land Management Act of 2009–one of the most ambitious environmental protection bills passed in the past 25 years–will protect a total of 2 million acres in nine states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Virginia.

River runners across the United States were thrilled to learn that the 1,200 page bill extended to protect some of the nation’s waterways, too: more than 1,000 miles of rivers were designated as wild and scenic.

The designation of the land and waterways as wilderness areas means that commercial development is restricted, keeping the areas pristine for perpetuity.

Community Connection:

Thinking about heading out into the great wide American open? Check out Matador’s recent articles about Montana’s Big Sky country: 9 Montana Backpacking Trips That Will Blow Your Mind; Boating Big Sky: Montana’s Classic River Trips; and 4 More Reasons to Visit Montana Now.

Can’t travel anytime soon? Check out Matador member and regular contributor Ted Scott’s photos of wild places, both in the U.S. and abroad.

Among the officials named as subjects of the investigation are disgraced former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and the frighteningly arrogant John Yoo, former Justice Department lawyer who gave President Bush the green light to forgo upholding the Geneva Conventions.

The Geneva Conventions, posted in Camp Delta, Guantanamo Bay, October 2008, Photo by Julie Schwietert

The case, submitted to a prosecutorial office by Judge Baltasar Garzon, may eventually lead to the issuance of arrest warrants for Bush’s cronies, though advocates of the investigatory process note that the wheels of justice are likely to roll slowly in this case.

Notably, Judge Garzon was the official who ordered the arrest of General Augusto Pincohet, the former dictator of Chile. As a result of the order, Pinochet was detained in Britain in 1998 while recovering after surgery at a London hospital, though he never went to trial and died in late 2006.

While some critics view Judge Garzon’s pursuit of Bush administration officials as superfluous and merely symbolic, I’d argue that Garzon’s call for an investigation keeps the important issues of torture and the complete flaunting of the principles of justice on our radar screen– issues we’re all to willing to forget about.

Sign posted in Camp Delta, Guantanamo Bay, October 2008, Photo by Julie Schwietert

COMMUNITY CONNECTION:

To learn more about Guantanamo, read this article from our archives, in which I talk about my October 2008 visit to the US base at Guantanamo, or watch some video footage from the visit.

But I’ll bet yours weren’t nearly as cool as this one….

The U.K.’s Telegraph newspaper is reporting that four Spanish teenagers were able to send a balloon to the edge of space, capturing atmospheric readings and photographs with some fairly simple technology.

Their equipment? A $62 USD latex balloon…

…and an $80 USD camera.

The balloon and its camera made it to 100,000 feet–nearly triple the altitude at which commercial airliners fly–before it returned to Earth with more than 100 images, which you can view here.

All photos by meteotek08

“Obama’s Special Olympics joke creates a stir around the nation”

“Much bigger deficits seen in Budget Office forecast”

and even…

“Doggy’s doo contains $400 he ate”

Yet few mainstream media outlets covered this story:

March 20, 2009 marked the sixth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Photo: Army.mil

As the war goes on, seemingly without end, it’s important to continue caring about what’s happening in Iraq and Afghanistan.

If you’re looking for some sources to learn more about the war and its effects, here are a few good places to start:

Killer Blue:

National Public Radio hosts this series of video excerpts from “Killer Blue,” a documentary by two Associated Press photographers who spent four months with an Army platoon that goes by that name. In the segments “Family,” “The Fight,” “My Friend,” and “Move On,” human faces are put on war in a way you won’t soon forget.

Bad Voodoo’s War:

This documentary, which you can watch in full online, is somewhat similar to “Killer Blue” in that it documents the war as it is experienced by soldiers fighting it. This documentary, though, was made by the platoon members themselves.

Life and Death in the War Zone:

Not everyone in uniform is fighting the war. In “Life and Death in the War Zone,” another documentary you can watch in full online, learn about the lives of combat doctors, helping US and allied soldiers, as well as injured and sick Iraqis.

Blog from the Middle East:

For a Middle Eastern perspective on the war, follow Salam Adil’s blog.

Magnum Photos’ Iraq Gallery:

Take a photographic tour through Iraq and let the images tell you stories that words might not be able to convey.

Community Connection:

Be sure to check out “The Costs of War,” a short article published on Matador Change today, to learn about countries’ military expenditures.

Photo: beyondforgetting

While visiting Africa this week, Pope Benedict XVI upheld the Church’s party line on sex, preaching that abstinence and sex within marriage are the only legitimate means of preventing HIV and moral decay.

In an ideal world, perhaps.

But the reality in Africa–and around the world–is that many folks aren’t abstaining from sex or confining their sexuality activity to marriage alone… and the Church’s policies fail to take the divide between the actual and the aspirational into account.

Pope Benedict XVI was, at least, faithful to his own prior remarks. According to the BBC, the pope had the following to say to African bishops in 2005:

“It is of great concern that the fabric of African life, its very source of hope and stability, is threatened by divorce, abortion, prostitution, human trafficking and a contraception mentality.”

Too bad the Church chooses to hang onto outdated ideologies rather than use the Pope’s travels to learn more about communities and their needs… and then craft actionable strategies to help.

Photo: Zarko Drinic

Eva Holland and I have been co-editing Pulse for a while now, turning out an average of two pieces per day about international news. The stories have included quirky quick takes (Obama fingers, anyone?) to concise, thoughtful analyses about world developments overlooked by mainstream media.

As the Matador Network gets a face lift, we’ll continue to bring you news about travel–and we’re not talking about fare deals or new airline routes. Though Eva will be taking a sabbatical at the end of March as she hits the road, you can still count on Pulse to keep you up-to-date with what’s going on in this big world.

Photo: jhull

Now, there’s even more motivation to plan a Kenya trip: the country’s tourism ministry has announced a reduction in visa fees that’s effective now through the end of 2010.

Visas were previously $50 USD.

In addition to cutting the price of visas for adults to $25 USD, the fee for children (16 & under) has been waived completely.

Photo: Revolution or death

NACLA–North American Congress on Latin America–reported the following about the outcome of the country’s presidential election:

“The FMLN’s [Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front Party] Mauricio Funes declared victory at 9:30 [Sunday night]. His challenger from the incumbent, far-right ARENA party conceded defeat a few hours later, bringing an end to 20 years of one-party rule. Funes will become El Salvador’s first leftist head of state in the country’s history.The essence of Funes’ campaign slogan, ‘Hope is born,’ could be felt throughout the country yesterday, with massive voter turnout reported from the metropolis of San Salvador to rural villages in the outlying departments.”

Funes, an investigative journalist, ran for the presidency because he felt that he would only be able to help his country recover from years of conflict and unrest by exerting political authority. “The problems here are so powerful that I can’t continue working as a journalist,” Funes said in an interview with a Nicaraguan publication. “Journalism has allowed me to know the realities of El Salvador– especially the reality of poverty. But journalism doesn’t allow me to change that reality.”

Though the previous US presidential administration had expressed deep concern about the liberalization of Latin America, Funes and his party have articulated a set of 10 goals that seem to warrant hope, not worry:

1. Improve job prospects for the unemployed.
2. Explore and accelerate possibilities for responsible use of natural resources.
3. Combat organized crime.
4. Reduce the digital divide that exists between Salvadorans and the citizens of other countries.
5. Initiate an era of fiscal reform at the federal and regional government levels.
6. Respond to the global economic crisis and minimize effects on the country.
7. Unify divided communities.
8. Reaffirm the principles and values of democracy.
9. Restore legal standards to protect people seeking protection and justice.
10. Explore new opportunities for economic, social, and political alliances in Latin America.

Funes and the FMLN have their work cut out for them, for sure. But let’s hope that El Salvador can begin to enjoy some hope and change of their own.

Photo: ginnerobot

Perhaps you missed the story that was a mere footnote to many newscasts the week of March 6.

During British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s visit to the U.S., President Obama presented the PM with a rather untraditional gift: a set of 25 DVDs representing the best of America’s film culture. The set included “The Wizard of Oz,” “Schindler’s List,” “Citizen Kane,” and “Psycho.”

Typically, Presidents’ gifts to other sitting heads of state are more symbolic, often with historical or cultural value reaffirming the ties between the two countries.

The HotAir blog called Obama a cheapskate; the U.K.’s Daily Mail was a bit more circumspect, observing that even if PM Brown was a known movie buff, the DVD gift set would have been hopelessly gauche compared to the thoughtful gifts Brown presented to the President, including “an ornamental pen holder made from the timbers of the Victorian anti-slave ship HMS Gannet.”

President Obama and his wife were also criticized for the gifts they selected for the Prime Minister’s children: two models of the presidential helicopter. The Browns, meanwhile, presented the President’s daughters with books and outfits.

One British journalist argued that the DVD box set was just one symbol of Obama’s brush-off of Brown, kvetching that Obama failed to hold a traditional joint press conference, as is customary during a British PM’s visit. “Obama really just didn’t like having the Brits in town,” the journalist said.

Community Connection:

What do you think? Was the DVD box set a bad gift? And does it even really matter?

In case you missed the original headline, Zaidi threw both of his shoes at President Bush during a press conference in December 2008.

Zaidi called Bush a “dog”; Bush called the incident “amusing.” 62% of Iraqis, meanwhile, called Zaidi a hero.

Zaidi’s legal team will be appealing the three year sentence.

Francisco Collazo

So goes the inscription chiseled into the stone of New York City’s main post office on 34th Street and 8th Avenue.

But the economic crisis may well keep carriers from delivering mail, especially if customers resist the rising price (yes, again) of US postal stamps.

The price of a first-class stamp will increase to 44 cents on May 11.

And as if the stamp price increase wasn’t enough to make customers angry, the USPS recently petitioned Congress to scale back the postal delivery schedule, potentially eliminating one day of service.

So why are we writing about this on a travel news blog?

To make the point that the post office is a frustrating place for citizens and travelers alike.

In a recent Matador blog, Pulse co-editor Eva Holland wondered why a waiting group of customers at a New York City post office got angry with a clerk. Regular Matador contributor Audrey Scott wrote about 5 things a post office can tell you about a country.

What’s your strangest, funniest, or most annoying post office experience, whether at home or abroad? Share your story below!

Photo: zzzack

As the effects of the economic crisis begin to be felt not just on the institutional level, but on the personal level, it’s been hard for me to feel empathy for the “pains” of the super rich.

A recent article in the New York Times reported that the city’s upper class was feeling miffed about being compelled to change its consumer and travel habits: instead of taking a private jet, they’ve begun scaling back… to first class.

But amidst all the “Oh, poor me” stories, a press release from someone who could easily put himself in that category but chooses not to helps restore my faith that some folks with deep pockets do remember the little guy.

Bill Marriott, Chairman and CEO of Marriott International–owner, manager, or franchiser of numerous hotel chains, including Marriott, Fairfield Inn, Renaissance, and the Ritz Carlton–released a statement announcing that he has voluntarily reduced his 2009 salary by 2/3.

Now that may not seem like such a loss for the man whose 2007 salary was almost $2 million, but in a corporate landscape that’s become overpopulated with “Take the money and run” executives, Marriott is setting an example some of his peers in the industry should follow.

Photo: Mataparda

The auction, set for today at Manhattan’s Antiquorum auction house, is described simply as a collection of “important collectors’ wristwatches, pocket watches, and clocks.”

But lot #364 is REALLY important… and it’s causing quite a bit of interest and competition even outside the rarefied world of auctions.

Collector and peace activist James Otis submitted lot #364 for auction, and here’s what it includes: Mahatma Gandhi’s pocket watch, a pair of leather sandals, a bowl and plate used by Gandhi, Gandhi’s glasses, images of Gandhi, and letters of authenticity from Ghita Mehta, Talatsahid Khan Babi, and Professor Lester Kurtz.

The bids are expected to start between $20,000 and $30,000 US dollars. Otis has publicly said that he’ll use the proceeds to educate people about Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence, especially in developing countries.

But the government of India is none too happy about Otis’s plan.

Upon learning that Otis had submitted this lot of items for auction, India, which considers the items to be part of the country’s cultural patrimony, demanded that they be returned to India immediately.

Otis, however, declined to do so. Instead, he went to the Indian Consulate General in New York, where he collaborated on drafting a compromise with the Indian government.

The terms? I’ll give you back Gandhi’s goods (which Otis acquired legally) if you agree to increase spending on the poor from the current 1% of the GDP to 5%. He also proposed that the Indian government sponsor a world tour of the items to promote knowledge about Gandhi. The Indian government rejected Otis’s proposal.

But Otis–and the world’s poor–may end up getting the best deal of all.

In an article run earlier today by the Associated Press and published in the Chicago Tribune, India’s culture minister, Ambika Soni confirmed that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has given her strict instructions to not allow any bidder at today’s auction outbid her. “[We will] offer whatever it takes,” Soni said, “to make sure these things come back to Gandhi’s motherland.”

The bidding may get fierce at this afternoon’s auction, but one thing seems certain: with India determined to acquire lot #364 at any price, Otis may well be able to bankroll an impressive anti-poverty campaign… thanks to the country that tried to resist just that.

Photo: Laurel Fan

Question: What’s better than winning a contest?

Answer: Winning a contest during an economic crunch.

Our friends over at Wend Magazine are giving away some great gear all month for photographers who win their Friday Photo Contest.

Up for grabs? An Eagles Nest Outfitters double nest hammock (how romantic!), a slap strap pro, and a gift certificate to U.S. Outdoor. A grand prize winner, drawn at the end of the month, will win a Patagonia lightweight travel duffel.

What do you have to do? Just submit your best photo of a trail scene by uploading it to Wend’s Flickr pool. Then, send an email to fphoto[at]wendmag[dot]com with a description of where the photo was taken.

Simple!

Click on over to Wend for the full details…and good luck!

“…I didn’t realize we were hauling ass.”

Photo taken in Bogota, Colombia on March 1, 2009 by Brian Requarth.

Enter the Culinary Corps.

Photo: Julie Schwietert

Founded by chef and social entrepreneur Christine Carroll, the Culinary Corps, dubbed the “Peace Corps for Cooks,” makes annual trips to the Gulf Coast to cook for volunteers, learn more about New Orleans’ culinary culture, and to participate in community building projects to restore New Orleans’ infrastructure and spirit.

Professional chefs are invited to submit an application for this year’s trip, which is scheduled for April 16-22, 2009. Applications are accepted through March 14. Chefs selected for this year’s Corps will cook for volunteers at Habitat for Humanity’s Camp Hope, Common Ground, Slow Food Mississippi, and the Edible School Yard NOLA, among other locations.

Other special highlights include:

-Visits to the Crescent City Farmers’ Market and the famous Cafe du Monde
-Behind the scenes tour at Cochon Butcher
-Tour of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum
-Dinners at The Bourbon House, The Shed, and Cochon (ranked by the New York Times as one of the nation’s 10 best restaurants)
-Evening of food, fun, and music and Rock-n-Bowl
-Private dinner at Dooky Chase, a New Orleans culinary institution
-New Orleans recovery tour with Share Our Strength

For more information, or to apply, please click here. To learn more about the organization, please read the Matador article, “The Peace Corps for Cooks: Volunteer Travel with the Culinary Corps.”

Photo: Pot Noodle

We don’t want to toot our own horn–well, not too much– but thanks to our supportive community of readers and contributors, Matador is a finalist in two categories of Lonely Planet’s Travel Blogger Awards!

Matador Goods is a finalist in the Best Consumer Travel Blog category, and Matador Network is up for an award in the Best Group Authored Blog category.

We’re also proud to announce that regular contributors Audrey Scott and Craig Martin have also been nominated in the categories of Best Travelogue and Best Podcast, respectively.

Voting opened today and will run through March 20, 2009 at 12 AM Pacific Time. You can vote once in each of the 14 categories.

Thanks for being a part of the world’s most exciting online travel community!

[Satbir]

Enter Sosauce.

Sosauce is an internet start up company offering “travel geeks” a place to “create, view, and share their travel experiences.” The company is offering an eight week marketing internship this summer for college students or recent grads who are interested in using web and multimedia applications to draw attention to and inspire action about social issues.

Upon completing the internship, interns will be eligible for a two week travel abroad experience, with expenses paid by Sosauce.

Hopefully, meals will consist of more than ramen.

For full details, visit Sosauce’s Will Work for Travel site here.

Photo: anthony goto

Earlier this week, Matador Change published an article by Dominic DeGrazier about a company offering travelers “insider tours” of the favelas–or slums–of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Soon, travelers who book a trip with Favela Tour may notice some unexpected technological developments: high-speed internet access has arrived in the slums of Rio.

In Friday’s issue of the O Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper, journalist Alexandre Rodriguez reported that Rio’s Dona Marta Favela will be the first Rio slum to receive free high speed internet access.

Already, 16 antennas have been installed throughout Dona Marta, an investment in technological infrastructure expected to provide 10,000 residents with internet access.

The provision of wireless internet in the favelas is part of a larger project called Orla Digital, which launched similar services in Copacabana’s marginalized neighborhoods last July.

That launch allowed the project to work out some logistical difficulties–including intense demand placed on the system by eager users– and the spread of the project to Rio is viewed positively by many groups.

As Rodriguez noted:

“In spite of their poverty, the better part of homes in the favelas of Rio do have computers, and young people use them every day.”

Now, they won’t have to rely upon improvised connections to access the internet.

Photo: r0bz

The news might have escaped the notice of the media outside Latin America, but last week’s announcement that three of the region’s past presidents got together to call for marijuana decriminalization was worthy of front page analysis in Mexico.

Ernesto Zedillo, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, and Cesar Gaviria, former presidents of Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia, respectively, founded and currently serve as co-presidents of the Latin American Commission of Drugs and Democracy.

The Commission, whose 17 members represent the intellectual creme de la creme of Latin America (including writers Tomas Eloy Martinez of Argentina, Mario Vargas Llosa of Peru, and Paulo Coelho of Brazil), have been studying the drug problem in the Americas, and recently came to the conclusion that the strategy of the War on Drugs itself is the biggest culprit when it comes to the persistence of drug-related ills in the region.

In their report, “Drugs and Democracy: Toward a Paradigm Shift,” the Commission wrote:

“The in-depth revision of current drug policies is even more urgent in Latin America in light of their enormous human and social costs and threats to democratic institutions.”

The former presidents and their fellow commission members don’t deny the problems perpetuated by their own countries, nor do they assign blame to any other country. Instead, the LACDD members challenge the “prejudices, fears, and ideological visions” that serve to “inhibit public debate,” a condition, they say, which only makes our mutual social problems more dangerous.

Photo: aforero

In addition to forwarding some rather radical visions of drug treatment (namely, viewing drug use and its treatment as a public health problem, not a criminal problem), the LACDD calls for studying the feasibility of decriminalizing marijuana, and instituting medical marijuana programs for patients with legitimate health problems that might be alleviated by marijuana use.

Though the report doesn’t say so, the decriminalization of marijuana–if it does indeed occur–may have other positive implications for Latin America, too. Given that marijuana remains difficult to obtain legally throughout most of the United States, Latin American countries that decriminalize marijuana may see a surge in tourism. Que bien!

Photo: mihalorel

We want travelers to blog about their journeys, share their photos and videos, and engage in passionate conversations about your favorite (and least favorite) places and experiences.

We want you to tell us where you are and what you’re doing on Twitter or on Facebook.

But just be sure you’re not giving us too much information.

Our friends over at Wend Magazine blogged earlier this week about an American couple who got caught grilling an iguana (a protected species) and cleaning a less than legal-sized conch in The Bahamas.

It wasn’t because the cops or wildlife protection police happened upon the couple as they fired up the barbie.

No… it was because the couple decided to post photos of their culinary adventure on Facebook. Before you could say “Well done, please,” Bahamian authorities saw the photos and swiftly arrested the couple.

Photo: ZoZ

According to the Bahamian newspaper, The Freeport News, the couple posted bail in the amount of $500 each, and were scheduled to appear in court on February 10. The online version of the newspaper has not yet reported the outcome of the court appearance.

Lesson?

There is such a thing as too much transparency. If you’re doing something stupid on your vacation, think twice before sharing the evidence online.

Brash Anthony Bourdain…

Bold eater Andrew Zimmern…

Three travel show personalities who have become household names thanks to the Travel Channel.

But have you met Mark & Olly yet?

These are my types of TV travel show hosts– two guys (one a former British soldier– that’d be Mark–and the other, Olly, an investigative journalist)– who really try to get deep inside a place and understand it as participant-observers. This season, they’re embedding with the Machigenga, an indigenous Peruvian community.

Just one episode into the first season, the guys have already been initiated into tribal life by drinking a powerful hallucinogenic “potion.”

If you haven’t met Mark and Olly yet, it’s not too late. Check out a clip from the first episode here; then watch this behind-the-scenes sneak preview of episode 2:

Photo: Mirci

With the recession cramping even the most dedicated budget traveler’s style, it’s time to explore some different options for satisfying your travel jones.

The Spanish government just might be able to help.

Earlier today, the Spanish government announced that it is actively soliciting applications from volunteers willing to exchange their English language teaching skills for housing, a monthly stipend, insurance, and weekend excursions in the Castile-Leon region of north-central Spain.

Volunteers accepted for the program will be expected to work as teaching assistants with groups of three to eight year olds in local schools. The opportunity is expected to last three months.

Vacancies are hoped to be filled by early April, so if the opportunity appeals to you, apply quickly. For full details, read the announcement and review the application process here.