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!

Photos courtesy of author

Properly, it is called “Once de Septiembre,” and it might seem to Americans that Chile is recognizing “our” September 11th. In fact, an art display just steps from the presidential palace, and in front of the country’s left-leaning newspaper, La Nación’s headquarters is a small art show, with front newspaper pages depicting the events that transpired on September 11th, 2001. Beside it is a small photo exhibit of peaceful New York, with the towers still standing.

But the story in Chile predates “our” September 11th by nearly two decades.

September 11, 1973 was the day on which the military coup, or golpe militar, changed Chile’s political reality. President Salvador Allende died during the attack on La Moneda, the presidential palace, and this day began nearly 17 years of what is commonly referred to as the bloodiest dictatorship in Latin American history, headed by Augusto Pinochet, with links to the U.S. government.

Over the course of the following nearly two decades, thousands were killed or “disappeared,” and tens of thousands incarcerated. Some 200,000 people went into exile. Many went to Europe if they could, such as current President Michelle Bachelet’s family, which fled to East Germany, or to neighboring Latin American countries such as Peru and Argentina, if they could not.

For those who stayed, many were “internally exiled,” relegated to far-flung zones with little or no contact with their families. Neighborhoods were redrawn and residents of encampments scattered into the periphery of the city, where new, poorly-served areas would be constructed. They exist to this day.

People in Chile blame the dictatorship for some of society’s ills, for the class-based oligarchy that exists in current day Chile, for the rifts between families and lost sons and daughters, parents and grandparents. But among Chilean society also walk Pinochetistas, supporters of the dictatorship and what it stood for, and the relative economic stability they say it has brought. It was these people who mourned Pinochet’s death in December, 2006, holding vigil outside of the Escuela Militar, while smaller anti-Pinochet demonstrations rocked other areas of the city.

Since Pinochet’s death, the demonstrations to which Chileans have become accustomed on September 11th have shrunk in violence and timbre in recent years. Though violent demonstrations take place in some of the poorer, more densely-populated outlying areas, the activity around the Moneda and in more central areas has been tense, but civil for the most part.

People place red carnations and notes to and for the disappeared or killed, around the statue of Salvador Allende, and in other key spots. All the while the police keep crowds moving, keep the teargas poised for launching, and the guanacos, or water cannons, are ready to be fired should the need arise.

Community Connection:

Matador contributing editor Tom Gates writes about experiencing September 11, 2001 in “8:46 am, 9/11 Manhattan.”

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.

Photo: Finbarr O’Reilly/Reuters

The last seven days have seen an unprecedented power struggle in the northern states of Nigeria between Muslim fundamentalists and police forces. The fighting started in the northeastern town of Maiduguri (1.2 million residents) when militants attacked the Nigerian government and police squads with civilians caught in the cross-fire.

According to CNN, upwards of 700 people – a mix of militants, civilians, and policemen – have lost their lives with another 3,500 displaced in the latest clash to hit Africa’s most populous nation of 140 million inhabitants.

Known more for its money-laundering and Internet scams as well as its volatile oil-producing Delta region, Nigeria has seen its fair share of religious uprising.

In 2008, over 200 people died in the span of two days in Northern Nigeria due to post-election violence. In May 2004, over 600 Muslims died from sectarian violence between Muslims and Christians primarily resulting from an attack by Christian militia.

And each year spanning these two events has brought some sort of unrest with churches and mosques regularly razed during these battles in the north.

To Nigerians, the actual cause behind the fighting (opposition against perceived Western ideals and the push to make Sharia law the mandate) may not have come as a surprise but what makes last week’s revolt more disturbing was how quickly it escalated with hundreds of deaths in just a few days.

This has definitely gotten the international community on edge.

Religious clashes have been waging on for centuries now in various parts of the world – from the Middle East to Asia. Usually these battles tend to be one-sided with fundamentalists of the dominant religion wielding the most power.

What makes Nigeria unique is the ratio of its Christians to Muslims within the country. A near 50-50 split, each with a solid stronghold.

This division is also uniquely split by geography – along the rivers Niger and Benue – resulting in a predominantly Muslim north and predominantly Christian south.

While more of the revolts have been spurred by militants in the North, the potential for a never-ending battle remains ever-looming in the back of many minds if Christian fundamentalists decided to retaliate.

Another point of concern is the staggering numbers killed during each episode; usually in the hundreds and in some cases, thousands over short durations of time. These massive killings aren’t always limited to religious battles. In a 2007 crackdown by police on armed robbers, 785 suspects were killed in just 90 days.

These numbers are certainly high “enough” to make human-rights organizations scream “bloody murder”, but is the country’s population of 140 million people reducing these killings to insignificant percentages?

What are your thoughts on the recent religious violence in Nigeria? Please share below.

All Photos, Including Feature, Courtesy of danorth1

This is International Blog Against Racism Week. Begun four years ago we’re in the thick of it. It ends on the 3rd of August, so get to posting. Links are posted daily here:

http://community.livejournal.com/ibarw/8586.html

Join by announcing and posting your own blog to be linked, or dig in and read some points of view and deep discussions that you’re sure to return to when reflecting against racism.

Many people fail to consider racism if they don’t feel that it directly affects them. Often, white people express feeling accused when they read work that deals with racism.

Racism affects everyone. If you’re not part of the solution, you are part of the problem, if only because you fail to see the truth. If you feel attacked by anti-racist methodology, it only goes to prove that you are so completely used to being in the majority and so thoroughly accustomed to feeling that media is directed toward you, that anything that makes you feel uncomfortable feels like a personal attack.

This is why IBARW is so important for people who lack the melanin it would take to identify as a Person of Color.

In light of the election of the first black President of the United States, many people (mostly white) have said this is proof that racism is over. This is a very convenient way of thinking and does nothing to further the anti-racist movement. The only purpose it serves is to further obfuscate unchallenged racist ideas long held. Anyone who believes this has a hell of a lot to learn.

If the recent discussions and challenges to Sotomayor’s integrity and judgement are anything to go by, there is still quite a fight ahead of us all to challenge racism when we see it. How certain white male politicians were able to continue making racist statements and diatribes with little nationally broadcast public outrage just goes to show that our media outlets (at least in the United States) haven’t got the slightest clue.

If you don’t feel qualified to post, at least participate by reading and thinking. It is only by challenging racism that we can really make a difference, understand it, and work to defeat it.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

But beyond the formal celebrations, Americans across the country were paying tribute in their own way, too.

Here are a few photos from yesterday’s festivities that, hopefully, you haven’t seen yet:

Washington, D.C. prepares for the inauguration.

Photo by AnyaLogic (Creative Commons)

In San Francisco, pranksters change the sign marking the end of Bush Street to “Begin Obama”.

Photo by candiedwomanire (Creative Commons)

Inauguration cupcakes on sale in New York City.

Photo by calculat0r (Creative Commons)

D.C. was prepared for vast crowds — and everything that comes with them.

Photo by AnyaLogic (Creative Commons)

Every precaution was taken.

Photo by victoriapeckham (Creative Commons)

A moving portrait from Times Square, where crowds turned out to watch the ceremony.

Photo by tristanbrand (Creative Commons)

Captain America celebrates on the streets of Los Angeles.

Photo by Al Pavangkanan (Creative Commons)

Back in D.C., a musician makes the most of the day.

Photo by ktylerconk (Creative Commons)

Welcome to the new President and First Lady. It’s been a long time coming!

Photo by Army.mil (Creative Commons)

It’s been 19 years since the infamous Montreal Massacre, when Marc Lepine killed 14 women at an engineering school in the Canadian city before turning his gun on himself.

For those who aren’t familiar with the grim story: it was no “ordinary” school shooting (as if such a thing exists): Lepine took the trouble to separate the male and female students before opening fire on the women.

In a suicide note, he claimed his attack was a battle against feminism.

Tomorrow, as they have every December 6th since the massacre, thousands of people across the country will hold candlelit vigils in a National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

The massacre was a Canadian tragedy, and the National Day of Remembrance is a uniquely Canadian event, too — but violence against women is a truly global problem. Wherever you are in the world tomorrow, I’d urge you to take a moment to pause, reflect, and remember.

The CBC’s original television coverage of the massacre is here.

Photo by aloshbennett (Creative Commons)

New York City is a popular destination for winter travelers: the shop windows at Macy’s, the enormous Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, and ice skating at South Street Seaport and Central Park are just a few favorite holiday traditions.

Over at Matador Life, we just published Alexis Wolff’s article about off-the-beaten-path holiday activities in the city. If you’re also looking for some off-the-beaten-path places to shop, here are a few options:

The Holiday Handmade Cavalcade: The Holiday Handmade Cavalcade is a one day event, but if you’re in town, it promises to be worth checking out.

Artists and other crafty folks who peddle their wares on Etsy.com will be selling their handcrafted goods at The Knitting Factory this Saturday, December 6, from 10 AM to PM.

*Housing Works: Housing Works has become a New York institution, having pioneered the idea of the upscale thrift shop. Celebrities and New York’s elite donate their gently used goods to sell to you; shopping at HW has become a status symbol for many folks.

In addition to a chain of thrift stores, HW also has a used book shop and cafe in SOHO.

Best of all, the proceeds from your purchase funnel directly back into the social service part of the company, which provides housing, counseling, and other services for people living with HIV and AIDS.

Holiday Shops at Grand Central and Union Square: More and more storefronts in Manhattan are turning over to cookie cutter chains, victims of landlords’ insatiable rent hikes.

If you’re looking for something you’re sure that another gift-giver won’t wrap up for a mutual friend, then stop by these markets, where handmade jewelry, scarves, accessories, and home decorations are among the many items for sale.

Bonus points for being in locations that are convenient to public transportation and great food! (And check out the light show in Grand Central!).

Photos:
Macy’s Window: wallyg
Gift Box: mazerdesign
Grand Central: baslow

Are you a resident or frequent visitor of NYC? If so, what are your favorite shops?

The good bloggers over at Frommers would like to remind all of us aspiring travel writer types about the upcoming Key West Travel Writing Workshop.

There’s still time to sign up for the workshop, which actually takes place twice: first, from January 30 to February 1, and again from February 6 to 8. The cost is $275.

Sounds like a good excuse to head south, right?

I’m a big fan of writing classes and workshops: I don’t believe that writing can be “taught”, exactly, but I do think that for some writers, a little bit of structure and motivation — not to mention new perspectives from both instructors and classmates — can go a long way.

A year or so ago, I wrote about my experience at the Book Passage Travel Writers and Photographers Conference for Brave New Traveler: check out 9 Things I Learned About Travel Writing at Book Passage.

Photo by jiashiang (Creative Commons)

A little bird over at National Geographic’s Intelligent Travel Blog tells me that this week is Geography Awareness Week.

This excites me, because I’m a big fan of geography. I was a pub quiz regular back in my wild youth, and I’m not too modest to tell you that I won a few gift certificates in my day.

To celebrate, I’ve pulled together a few of my favourites from the vast number of online travel/geography quizzes out there.

Give them a try! And hey, let us know how you did in the comments.

How Many Countries Can You Name in Five Minutes? tests both your knowledge and your typing skills. [Via Vagabondish]

TravelPod’s Traveler IQ Challenge offers a whole range of quizzes, with escalating levels of difficulty. How Well Do You Know Your World? is the classic, but World Capitals and UNESCO Sites are both fun, too.

Finally, over at Gadling Aaron Hotfelder has an ongoing Tuesday Travel Trivia game – here’s today’s installment, but check out the archives to see how you fare with them, too.

Have fun! Happy Geography Awareness Week!

Photo by Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the BPL (Creative Commons)

To refresh your memory: On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, in 1918, the end of the Great War – not yet known as the First World War, since at the time no one knew there’d be a Second – was declared.

Today marks the 90th anniversary of the war’s conclusion, and the events this year seem to have a special urgency and power.

The number of First World War veterans remaining worldwide has dwindled to a handful – there will most likely be none left to mark the centenary in 2018.

There are monuments to the Great War all around the world. Here are shots of a few:

India Gate, New Delhi’s monument to the Indian fallen of World War One

(Photo by Shashwat_Nagpal)

Graves for a few of the 1.5 million soldiers killed during the Battle of the Somme

(Photo via Wikipedia)

London’s Cenotaph

(Photo by Steve Cadman)

A detail from the Canadian Memorial at Vimy Ridge, France

(Photo via Wikipedia)

The Turkish memorial at Gallipoli. There are also monuments for Australia and New Zealand here.

(Photo by QuartierLatin1968)

The Menin Gate at Ypres, Belgium

(Photo via Wikipedia)

A German cemetery in Belgium

(Photo by FaceMePLS)

Now that the euphoria of the US election is dissipating, Americans and friends from around the world start to ask the question, “What next?” and “What can WE do to help realize the vision President-Elect Barack Obama has articulated?”

One of the answers is: Continue to look for ways to connect with one another.

Laura Bernhein, blogger over at the fantastic Spanish language blog Familia Natural, tipped me off to a worldwide effort being led by the organization, AVAAZ. AVAAZ, which means “voice” in many languages, describes itself as

…a new global web movement with a simple democratic mission: to close the gap between the world we have, and the world most people everywhere want.

AVAAZ’s current project is to gain 1 million electronic signatures of people around the world to send a message of congratulations and encouragement to President-Elect Obama. The messages will be displayed on a massive wall in the heart of Washington, D.C., representing the unification of diverse voices from around the world.

To add your message to the global guestbook, visit AVAAZ’s website.

Photo: Johnny Vulkan (Flickr creative commons)

Quick!

What do Cornel West, Barbara Ehrenreich, and Chuck D (yes, THAT Chuck D, the rapper from Public Enemy) have in common?

Answer: They’re all scheduled to speak at the Green Festival that’s currently making its way around the United States.

Sure, everybody and their mother has gone green: trading plastic grocery bags for canvas totes, buying carbon offsets when flying, and practicing the three Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle.

But West, Ehrenreich, Chuck D., and the more than 120 other speakers who will join them at the Green Festival realize that “green” isn’t just about changing our patterns of product consumption; it’s about changing our fundamental ideas and actions in the world.

Upcoming stops on the Green Festival tour are scheduled for Washington, D.C. (November 8 & 9), San Francisco (November 14-16), with dates scheduled for the spring in Seattle, Denver, and Chicago.

And if you want to join ranks with West, Ehrenreich, and Chuck D., throw your hat in the ring now! Festival organizers are actively screening applications from musical performers and speakers in each of the cities on the tour.

Photo: Powerhouse Museum (Flickr creative commons)

I think it would be fair to say that trust is an important theme here at Matador: Trust the locals, trust yourself, trust your companions, trust karma — and you’ll get more out of your travels.

It’s a message that comes through again and again, in our coverage of Couchsurfing or home swaps, and in articles like 10 Travel Risks Worth Taking and How To Travel the World for Free.

To my mind, it’s a message we could all remind ourselves of when we’re at home, too.

When I was growing up, trick-or-treating on Halloween was one of the highlights of my year. My parents would walk me all around the area where we lived, we’d pass friends from school, knock on doors and actually recognize the people who answered. When I got a little older – say, around 8 years old? – I started exercising a little more Halloween freedom. My parents would wait at the corner while a friend and I worked a whole block alone, and soon enough October 31st meant my friends and I had the run of the entire neighbourhood.

Of course, we made sure to get home safe before the older kids came out and started smashing pumpkins, and of course, our parents sifted through our pillow cases full of candy in a cursory check for that mythical razor blade. But generally, nobody worried much. We may have been dressed in creepy costumes, but Halloween night wasn’t really about being afraid.

Seems to me that a lot has changed since then. I don’t see as many kids out trick-or-treating any more, and those that do often pile out of a minivan driven by a watchful adult. There isn’t the same freedom that I experienced — instead, I see a lot more fear.

Some might not see this as much of a loss. After all, Halloween is yet another over-commercialized holiday that forces people to buy, buy, buy, and – worst of all – fills kids up with junk food, right? Well, sure. I guess.

But while the candy may not be a loss, the trust that it represented – the same trust that lets us surf a stranger’s couch, or accept a dinner invitation from a local – certainly is.

*

Stepping off my soap box, and on a vaguely-related note, here’s the Onion’s latest hilarious video: Has Halloween Become Overcommercialized?

In The Know: Has Halloween Become Overcommercialized?

Photo by Paul Keleher (Creative Commons)

As a former creative arts therapist, I’ve long been impressed by the work of The ArtReach Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps repair communities torn by war, violence, and natural disasters through the expressive arts.

But beyond taking volunteer creative arts therapists into the field–from Bosnia to the Gulf Coast–to create healing experiences for people in need, ArtReach is also raising awareness about such communities by bringing the art from these places to audiences of people who may never be able to volunteer abroad.

ArtReach is currently sponsoring “Breaking the Veils: Women Artists from the Islamic World,” a collection of artwork by 51 female artists from more than 20 countries.

The exhibit opened at the Clinton Presidential Library in June and is currently touring the US. Breaking the Veils will be in Hattiesburg, Mississippi until December 5, and will make its 2009 debut at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

For more information about the touring exhibit, please visit Breaking the Veils.

Photo: See Wah (Flickr creative commons)

We can either wring our hands and feel helpless about the future of the planet, or we can take responsibility for our actions and get together with others who want to do the same.

You can find some of those folks at the Sustainable Living Roadshow, a caravan of environmental educators and entertainers who are on the last leg of their US tour. The roadshow, which tours from city to city in a fleet of renewable fuel vehicles, kicked off during the US Democratic and Republican National Conventions with the intention of “inspiring people to… live healthier, more in tune with the earth and with each other.”

Each stop along the tour route features concerts on the roadshow’s solar stage, exhibits of art made of recycled materials, the “Green Screens Film Festival,” and lots of opportunities for conversation and connection.

While the event’s website isn’t the easiest to navigate–the list of tour dates bounces visitors to a map without much concrete information–there’s a phone number you can call to confirm the last few stops on the tour, which include UCLA on November 1-2. For more information, contact 1-888-956-5556.

Photo: Rigmarole (Flickr creative commons)

A few weeks back, Pulse co-editor Eva Holland published an article about must-see sporting events in 2008 and 2009.

I’ve got a new event to add to her list: the Homeless World Cup.

Started in 2003, the Homeless World Cup is modeled on the FIFA World Cup… but with a big and important difference:

players are homeless. Coaches from countries all over the world draft their team members from the ranks of homeless shelters and social service programs, selecting the best players to represent their countries and compete for the grand prize at the annual HWC.

The Homeless World Cup has had a profoundly positive impact on players’ personal lives; HWC organizers say that 73% of players experience turn-arounds in their lives after participating in the event: kicking a persistent drug or alcohol habit, moving into a home, starting meaningful relationships, reconnecting with estranged family members… even landing employment as pro players or coaches.

The event has also been a signficant means of exposing the problem of homelessness in the world (which has more than one billion people without a home), and motivating policy and program changes in countries where talking about homelessness has been taboo.

This year’s tournament will be held in Melbourne, Australia December 1-7. 58 teams–from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe–will be competing. If you’re in Melbourne, make plans to catch at least one game– unlike the FIFA World Cup, the HWC is FREE.

You can also volunteer at one or more of the matches; information about volunteering can be found here.

If you won’t be in Melbourne, though, consider supporting HWC’s important work. You can join the HWC Fan Club, buy an HWC t-shirt, or follow HWC on Facebook.

You can also support Matador and HWC simultaneously by purchasing the DVD, Kicking It which is an inspiring look inside the HWC selection process and tourney.

Big up to HWC organizers and players- what other world event is so exciting AND so purposeful at the same time? Score!

Photo: bennohansen (Flickr creative commons)

There’s never a shortage of fun and interesting activities in New York City, but two upcoming events are likely to be of special interest to the Matador community.

First up on the list is Open House New York (OHNY), which will be held next weekend (October 4 & 5) at locations throughout the 5 boros. Now in its sixth year, OHNY convinces sites around the city to throw open their doors and give guests a behind-the-scenes look at the architecture and design of NYC’s landmarks, new buildings, and little known structures.

This year’s highlights include an architect-guided tour of 7 World Trade Center; Fresh Kills by Bus (a tour of a landfill conversion project described as one of the world’s largest public works projects); and the Harlem Infill Project (a tour of the first privately funded, mixed-income green housing project in NYC).

A full schedule of events and ticket information can be found on OHNY’s website.

Second, is an NYC appearance by Matador’s own writer and contributing editor, Eva Holland. Eva will be reading in the Restless Legs reading series, described as an event “for the wanderlust stricken.”

Eva will be appearing along with a few of her World Hum colleagues on Wednesday, October 15 at Lolita Bar, located at 266 Broome Street, between Allen and Orchard Streets. It’s sure to be a great evening!

*If you haven’t already entered our blog about NYC contest, be sure to do so today or tomorrow. Your entry makes you eligible to be considered for one of three Not for Tourists guidebooks we’ll be giving away, as well as publication on the MatadorNights blog!*

Photo: jenniferrt66 (Flickr creative commons)

If you’re in the NYC area and a fan of Matt Gross, the New York Times “Frugal Traveler” columnist, you’re in luck.

He’ll be speaking about his recent Grand Tour at Idlewild Books on September 18th (yep, that’s tomorrow) and again at the New York Historical Society on September 23rd.

Details below. If you’re able, check one or both of these out!

First up: A talk at Idlewild Books about the Grand Tour, literary travel, frugal travel and so on.
• Thursday, September 18 at 7 p.m.
Idlewild Books
12 W. 19th St., near 5th Ave
(212) 414-8888
Admission: Free (includes wine & cheese after the talk!)
See idlewildbooks.com for more details.

Next: The evolution of the Grand Tour, at the New-York Historical Society.
• Tuesday, September 23 at 6:30 p.m.
The New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West, at 77th Street
Admission: members, $10; non-members, $18 (includes wine & cheese after the talk!)
See nyhistory.org for more details.

Photo by kennymatic (Creative Commons)

Dates are still tentative, and more locations (possibly including Montreal, San Diego, Baltimore and DC) could also still be added. Here’s the schedule thus far:

KANSAS

* Thursday, September 18th, Salina, 7:00pm, Salina Public Library

* Friday, September 19th, Wichita, 7:00pm, Watermark Books

* Saturday, September 20th, Salina, 1:00pm – 3:00pm, Waldenbooks

* Monday, September 22nd, Manhattan, 1:20pm – 2:30pm, Kansas State University

* Tuesday, September 23rd, Topeka, 7:00pm, Washburn University

* Wednesday, September 24th, Kansas City, Noon – 1:00pm, Johnson County CC

* Saturday, September 27th, Lawrence, 2:00pm – 3:00pm, River City Reading Festival

CHICAGO

* Wednesday, October 1st, Chicago, 7:30pm, Bookslut reading series

* Thursday, October 2nd, Chicago, 7:00pm, Book Cellar

NEW ORLEANS

* Tuesday, October 7th, New Orleans, 5:00pm, Garden District Book Shop

* Wednesday, October 8th, New Orleans, 7:30pm, Loyola University

MINNEAPOLIS

* Saturday, October 11th, Minneapolis, 10:00am -5:00pm, Twin Cities Book Festival

* Monday, October 13th, St. Paul, 7:30pm, Common Good Books

NEW YORK and NEW JERSEY

* Monday, October 20th, Manhattan, 7:00pm, The Half King

* Tuesday, October 21st, Manhattan, 7:00pm, Book Culture

* Wednesday, October 22nd, Camden, NJ (near Philadelphia, PA), 7:00pm, Rutgers-Camden

* Thursday, October 23rd, Manhattan, 7:00pm, Book Culture

PACIFIC NORTHWEST

* Saturday, November 8th, Portland, time TBA, Wordstock Festival of the Book

* Tuesday, November 11th, Portland, time TBA, Powell’s Books

* Friday, November 14th, Bellingham, 7:00pm, Village Books

* Saturday, November 15th, Seattle, 4:30pm, Elliott Bay Book Company

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

* Sunday, November 16th, Corte Madera, time TBA, Book Passage

* Tuesday, November 18th, San Francisco, 7:00pm, Books, Inc

LOS ANGELES AREA

* Thursday, November 20th, Redlands, time TBA, University of Redlands

* Monday, November 24th, Pasadena, time TBA, Distant Lands

If you’re in any of these areas and can make it to a reading, I highly recommend it. Rolf is not only a great writer, he’s also a really entertaining speaker and an all-around nice guy.

You can find more detail (including venue addresses and contact information) here.

Stay tuned to Pulse for tour updates and more essential Rolf Potts info!

I’m not sure where I’ll be September 25-28, but if you’re in the US Northeast, it’s worth juggling around your schedule and spending a day—or four– at the Dodge Poetry Festival.

The festival, which is held every two years, is described as the largest poetry event in North America, and unites some of the best American poets, musicians, and storytellers in a single location– pastoral Waterloo Village in Stanhope, New Jersey (yes, New Jersey)–where you can enjoy readings, music, talks, and workshops in the festival’s outdoor performance tents.

This year’s festival features 62 poets and artists, including some of my all-time favorites, Naomi Shihab Nye, Coleman Barks, Billy Collins, Lucille Clifton, and Martin Espada. The full festival schedule can be found here, and ticket information is available here.

I’ve been to the Dodge Festival and recommend it highly. If you want to make plans to attend, NYC is the perfect launch pad for you; buses leave from the Port Authority and take you directly to the village. The Poetry Bus, run by Lakeland Bus Lines, will provide round-trip service from the PA to Waterloo Village. It’s just over an hour and tickets are $10.60 one-way. For more information about busing it to Waterloo, visit Lakeland Bus’s website.

Alternately, AlterNetRides is organizing rideshares and carpools. Check their website if this is more your style.

Love poetry but can’t make it to this year’s festival? Check out Bill Moyers’s excellent books based on his interviews with festival poets, The Language of Life: A Festival of Poetsand Fooling with Words: A Celebration of Poets and Their Craft or take a few minutes to enjoy this video from a past Dodge Festival:

Feature photo: WordFreak (Flickr creative commons)
Photo: surrealmuse (Flickr creative commons)

Photo by Mulling It Over

Drought conditions in the Black Rock desert could mean burners are in for an even wilder ride than usual at Burning Man this year.

According to this Wired story, serious dust storms could cause chaos at the week-long festival – but the severity of them will depend on the strength of the winds.

From the story: “…it’s still too early to tell whether the winds will bring the pain to Burning Man. Not that it will matter much to attendees, who can’t do much more than hunker down and wait the storms out.”

“They are sort of a captive audience when the dust storm comes up,” said one researcher of the burners on the playa. “In a more typical situation, you just get the hell off of it.”

Undeterred by dust storms big or small? Headed to Black Rock City this week?

Be sure to check out Matador’s First-Timers Guide to Burning Man.

There are seven more days left in the 2008 Olympics, but if you’re already anticipating the pains of Olympics withdrawal, don’t worry… Nike has a plan for you.

The Human Race, a 10K sponsored by Nike, is scheduled to take place on August 31 in more than 25 cities around the world.

Riding high on the international spirit of the Olympic Games, the Human Race is already being billed as the world’s largest running event.

Open to any runner, amateur or professional, the goal of the Human Race is to celebrate runners and their sport while uniting athletes world-wide.

Five dollars of each runner’s $35 registration fee will be donated to the World Wildlife Fund, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, and ninemillion.org.

In addition to being treated to “the best geographical locations to showcase some of the most famous landmarks and unique race courses in the world,” runners will get to enjoy live concerts played especially for them at the end of the run.

For more information, check out the official website.

Photo: Sport Communities (creative commons)

Phuket Vegetarian Festival, Sept. 28-Oct. 7, 2008

Beyond celebrating all things veggie and practicing purification, this festival is full of sights like this one. Men compete to see who can take the most extreme pain. Be sure to emphasize that you’re just a spectator!

If this festival isn’t enough for you, check out Weirdomatic’s list of Weird Annual Festivals or Eccentric America’s guide to all things weird and wacky in the U.S.

All photos by Electrostatico (creative commons)

That’s Spanish for “tattoo.”

Reports from Cuba in recent months have indicated that numerous changes in policies are improving the quality of life for the average citizen. Cubans can now enter hotels, buy cell phones and other entertainment goods, all of which were restricted before Raul Castro assumed power.

But some changes are both more subtle and, perhaps, more profound.

Today, Cuban tattoo artists gathered in Havana to exhibit their work, which until recently has had little public interest or support. They will also exchange design ideas and offer tat ideas to a growing public interested in getting inked.

Like most Cubans who practice an art or craft, tattoo artists rely upon friends and family outside the country to find a way to pipeline the materials necessary for their work into the island.

The news about the tattoo exhibit may be as interesting for travelers as it is for locals: the same tattoo that cost you $50 USD at home is likely to cost as little as $10 USD in Cuba. Besides… you can tell your friends that you got your tattoo of Che in the land of the revolution!

Feature photo: zorilla (creative commons)
Photo: keiforce (creative commons)

Gathering my long skirt in one hand, I negotiate the steep incline guarded by a brooding, gimlet-eyed wall. If this weren’t a festive occasion –and we were in the 17th century – those gun-slots might not be empty. As I approach the top, a man in a lace-trimmed shirt removes his plumed hat and bows.

Four hundred years old and Quebec City’s still got it.

Now, instead of repelling British invaders, Quebec is drawing hordes of tourists.

The Fêtes de la Nouvelle France is a re-enactment of daily life in the 17th and 18th centuries, when Quebec was called New France. This year’s event, held from August 5th to the 10th, promises to be more flamboyant than ever since it coincides with the city’s 400th anniversary. Age has its privileges: Quebec is North America’s only remaining fortified city, and the old quarter is classified as a world heritage site.

Held within the walls of Old Quebec, the festival is an occasion to live out childhood fantasies by donning a bodice and gown and mingling with thousands of actors and visitors representing people from the past.

It’s easy to suspend disbelief. I ask a woman spinning flax into linen how long it takes to make enough for a smock. “Well,” she says with a straight face, “I try to find time between milking goats, making bread and feeding a family of seven.” I have to think for a moment before I remember that she’s answering in character.

Further on, two bristly fur traders are leaning against the wall of a First Nations gift shop. Their job was to transport pelts from the natives to trading posts in Quebec City and Montreal, but right now they are focused on the actresses folding laundry across the street. The girls are playing filles du roi, orphan girls from France, sent here in the 17th century to start families. The flirting is understandable, considering that in 1627 there were only about 5 women for 60 men!

I stop for a moment in the shade of Felix Leclerc Park, at the foot of the funicular that scales the side of this cliff top citadel. A raconteur, or storyteller, is weaving suspense with his hands and his words. He has his work cut out for him since this is the Petit Champlain district, a colorful alley of distracting clothing, art and native craft boutiques.

The aromas wafting out of the street’s fine restaurants make me hungry, so I visit some of the festival booths. Bread, made in an outdoor oven, pure maple candy and goat cheese are among the goodies on sale at the traditional market.

Down in Place Royal, the cobblestone square where Quebec’s first permanent settlement was born, a booth has been erected for wine tasting. As I sip a crisp white Bordeaux, a man in a velvet waistcoat and long, curly wig raises his glass. Is it the wine or am I looking at Jean Talon, business manager of New France in the 1700’s? It’s hard to distinguish the actors from the tourists, until the costume contest starts.

Soaking up the ambiance and street performances are free, but you need to purchase an $8 token for access to certain exhibitions and concerts.

Highlights include First Nations Ceremonies, performances by Cajun bands as well as folkloric troubadours and dancers, a procession of giant historical figures and a Beaujolais wine tasting.

Festivities continue in the evening. You may even want to venture out on a ghost tour (www.ghostoursofquebec.com).

For cheap sleeps right in the heart of Old Quebec, the Auberge de la paix (http://www.aubergedelapaix.com/) is more intimate than your average hostel, with rooms accommodating from two to seven people. The mattresses are thin, but the rooms and facilities are clean, and the courtyard and exposed brick contribute to the illusion of time travel. The hostel is a few cobblestones away from Pub Saint Patrick, which serves hearty portions for digestible prices. If you’re there on a Friday evening, you’ll be treated to live Irish music.

For more information about events or about dressing up appropriately (optional), visit www.nouvellefrance.qc.ca/en.

A wage increase goes into effect today for American workers who get paid the hourly minimum.

Up 70 cents to $6.55, the two percent of Americans who earn minimum wage will find that the increase hasn’t moved them too far up in the ranks of the world’s working poor.

While they wouldn’t likely want to trade places with someone in Burundi, where the minimum wage is 160 Burundian francs (average annual income on minimum wage: $111 USD), or Georgia, where the minimum wage will, if you save it all, add up to $287 USD a year), American wage laborers still fall far short (to the tune of about $6,000) of other developed countries.

In Australia, a minimum wage worker can earn around $19,053 a year, in Luxembourg around $19,856, and in the Netherlands just around $18,267.

But even in these countries, when you factor in the cost of living there’s not a whole lot left over for travel or any other “disposable” items or experiences.

What do you think about the US minimum wage? Do you support the fair or living wage movements? Share your thoughts below!

Photo: ScooterFlix

Hurricane Dolly made landfall earlier today in the coastal region of Texas and northern Mexico. While locals brace for gale-force rains and winds, a special group of tourists gears up for adventure tours that take them into the eye of the storm.

These types of tourists have to be on-call for their one-of-a-kind trips. Tour operators keep a constant vigil of local and national weather reports and notify would-be hurricane thrill-seekers 48 hours in advance if a storm is poised to reach Category 2 or higher.

Of course, if you’re not willing to pay the exorbitant price for this type of trip, you can always organize your own hurricane tour… check out the YouTube video above.

What do you think about hurricane and other natural disaster tours? Sound off in the comments!

The dates for National Geographic’s 2008 All Roads Film Festival have just been announced, and in keeping with National Geographic’s mission and m.o., the festival’s likely to be coming to a town near you!

September 25-28: Egyptian Theatre, Hollywood, California

October 2-5: National Geographic’s headquarters at 1600 M Street, Washington, D.C.

December 3-7: Venue TBA, Santa Fe, New Mexico

The All Roads Film Festival features movies and documentaries that are made by and/or focus on cultures that have traditionally been overlooked. Though this year’s films have not yet been announced, periodic updates will be published on the All Roads website.

And if you’re a filmmaker or photographer, be sure to check out the All Roads program, which provides seed grants to artists and also actively solicits film festival submissions each year.

Can’t make it to the film festival? Past All Roads films can be rented through Netflix.

What are your favorite film festivals? Let us know in the comments!

Photo: JanneM (creative commons)

Last week, we announced Matador’s upcoming party, which is less than a month away.

We hope you’ll be able to make it, but if not, please consider offering a donation that will support the party’s cause.

Besides providing all the fixings that will help you get your groove on, all proceeds from the party will go towards the establishment of Matador’s scholarship fund, which will provide two inner-city students with the opportunity to travel abroad for the first time.

Our goal is to raise $5,000 by August 16.

Can you help us get there?? No donation is too small (or too large!).

If you’d like to help us with this important project, please visit Matador’s scholarship fund page.

Thanks!

Photo: sml! (creative commons)

The Matador Team is throwing a party and you’re invited!

When: Saturday, August 16th 9 PM to 2 AM

Where: 111 Minna Gallery, San Francisco, California, USA

The Cause : Travel can be one of the most powerful experiences in a young person’s life.

The cultural exchange that transpires during travel abroad unites young minds and voices and empowers young people to look at themselves, their communities, and the world differently.

Unfortunately, many young people lack the resources to travel.

To address this disparity, Matador is bringing its online community off-line with a blow-out party to raise money to send two Bay Area inner-city high school students on their very first trip abroad.

The Party : The event will feature SF’s best soul DJs, live painting, live music, local art & photography, 2 full bars, free food, raffle prizes, a photo booth, leg shakin’ & much more.

Funk, Soul, Hip-Hop, Dancehall, Reggae & House from DJ Pleasuremaker and Professor Belway will be bumpin’ in both rooms all night, with a special live set from the Afrolicious band (from Thursday nights at the Elbo Room).

Local Art & Travel Photography will be on display from Oliver Black, Ian Ross, & Friends.

A special exhibit will feature essays from young travelers from around the world.

Don’t miss this one!!

Bring your family and friends.

Come celebrate the power of travel.

Give back.

Get down!

$15 Door Cover, 21+

Photo by dmax3270 (Creative Commons)

Well, not quite.

South Africa’s first post-apartheid president – and, to my mind, one of the most inspiring figures of the 20th century – doesn’t actually turn 90 until July 18.

But that didn’t stop London from throwing a huge fundraising concert bash in his honour last night, to an audience 46,664 strong.

(46664 was Mandela’s prison number at Robben Island, the infamous prison where he spent much of his 27 years behind bars.)

20 years ago, London celebrated Mandela’s 70th birthday while he remained imprisoned, and that 1988 concert was important in raising awareness around the world. As he said last night: “Your voices carried across the water to inspire us in our prison cells far away.”

The 2008 concert included heavyweights like Queen, Amy Winehouse, Razorlight, Leona Lewis, Annie Lennox, and the Sugababes, along with the Soweto Gospel Choir and a range of popular African acts.

Said one musician who played both concerts, twenty years apart: “I was angry the last time. It was very much a protest concert. This is a joyful occasion.”

If you’re a budget traveler, I’ll bet you’re already hip to the cheap tickets for the so-called Chinese buses that run between Chinatowns in cities throughout the Northeast US.

At just $15, the cost of a seat is a bargain, and it’s hard to imagine the ticket price dropping lower.

That’s why I was surprised to see an advertisement for $1 bus fare between the same cities, offered by the company Megabus. With gas as expensive as it is, how can Megabus possibly afford to sell its seats so cheap?

I don’t have the answer to that question, but you may well be weighing the value of your life against marginal cost savings. After another crash of a Fung Wah bus a few days ago– this time in New York City– budget travelers may want to reconsider the cheap bus route.

Have you ever taken the Chinese buses in the Northeast? Share your experience in the comments below!

Photo: Naomi A. (creative commons)

Sailing. WWOOFing. Biking. Blogging.

Oh, and saving the world one epic sustainable voyage at a time.

Do those sound like your kind of extracurricular activities? Check out Couchsurfing’s latest initiative, the Race to the Green.

Beginning in the spring of ‘09, several crews of dedicated couch surfers/sailors will race across the Atlantic from North America to Europe. Upon arrival, they’ll make their way along Europe’s coastlines, leaving the ships to explore the countryside by bike and to volunteer on organic farms.

Wanted for the voyage: filmmakers, photographers, experienced sailors and WWOOFers, cooks, musicians, and more. It’s also possible to join in for shorter stints between cities.

Even if you haven’t got your sea legs, be sure to check out Couchsurfing if you haven’t already. It’s a fantastic organization that’s always coming up with new and sustainable ways to bring people together around the world.

Full race details are here.

Community Connection! Matador’s full of passionate couchsurfers! Check out this article about couchsurfing from Brave New Traveler. Traveler Futaleufu says “I think couchsurfing is one of the greatest ideas ever.” If you haven’t joined Matador, set up your free profile today!

Photo: =Tom= (creative commons)

###
Iraq War Cost

That’s how much war costs.

Outraged?

You’ll be even more so when you read the BBC’s allegations that $23 billion USD have been “lost, stolen, or just not properly accounted for in Iraq.”

Wanna do something about it?

Write Representative Henry Waxman, Chair of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, who has been leading investigations about various allegations of misappropriations in Iraq.

Tell him you support his work and encourage him to continue holding elected officials accountable to the American people.

To learn more about Waxman’s work, watch this video.

Photo: xtrapop (creative commons)

SOBRO, in case you didn’t know, is the hip new name for the South Bronx (or, if you prefer ‘Da South Bronx).

Imagine my surprise upon finding a business card sized tidbit in the New York Times’ Travel section last Sunday declaring that the South Bronx–yes, the same South Bronx that was home to the 1980s crack and crime epidemics– is, gasp!, suddenly a hip travel destination.

I hate to tell you, Times, but I discovered the South Bronx about 9 years ago.

When I moved to NYC in 1999, I chose the South Bronx as my neighborhood–huge apartments, cheap rents. Over the next five years, though, I discovered that SOBRO, and the rest of the borough affectionately nick-named “The Boogie-Down Bronx” was actually a fascinating place.

Check out the Times’ recommendations. To their list, I’d add:

*Wave Hill: You won’t believe you’re in NYC.
*New York Botanical Garden: Ditto.
*Arthur Avenue: A scaled down version of Little Italy, but the food is fantastic. During the day, check out the Arthur Avenue Market.

And if you’re in town soon, don’t miss the Bronx 2008 Food & Arts Festival or the Hunts Point 5K… where else would a race be called the Hunts Point Hustle?!

For one take on life in the Bronx, check out this video:

Have you been to The Bronx? What are your favorite sites in SOBRO? Leave a comment below!

Photo: Amy Rathgeb (creative commons)

Eva’s recent Picks of the Week post highlighted some of Matador’s fitness conscious content for travelers who want to work out on the road.

Since then, I’ve come across the great website, Run the Planet, which is a running traveler’s dream!

Among its best features, Run the Planet offers the following:

*More than 2,800 suggested running routes in the United States, with hundreds more from around the world;

*A calendar of races, runs, and marathons around the world;

*Versions of the site in Italian, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.

If you’re a runner, check out this site before your next trip. And don’t forget your shoes.

What resources do you use to find out about fitness opportunities on the road? Leave a suggestion in the Comments.

Photo: nic0 (creative commons)

A few months back, I applied for a press pass to visit the U.S. military’s Guantanamo Bay outpost in Cuba. Though the application has yet to be approved, I just might be able to go to Gitmo this weekend…

Gitmo, Pennsylvania.

Amnesty International has announced the “Guantanamo Bay Cell Tour” in Philadelphia, which takes place this weekend, May 30-June 1.

The purpose of the tour is to give visitors a sense of what a “life-sized” cell at Gitmo is like, to raise awareness about detainees’ conditions, and to create protest videos to send to President Bush.

Amnesty requests that people interested in visiting RSVP. You can also register to volunteer– either as an organizer or activist… or as a temporary detainee (orange jumpsuit and all).

Events are also being held in Portland, ME.

If you can’t attend the cell tour but want to express an opinion against a continued U.S. presence in Gitmo, Amnesty has an online petition you can sign to denounce torture.

Photo: Amnesty International UK (creative commons)

Off-season visitors to Toronto are in luck: the excellent Art Gallery of Ontario, which has been closed for an extensive Frank Gehry-designed renovation and expansion, has just announced its re-opening date.

The completed re-vamp will be opened to the public on November 14, with weekend-long free admission.

Highlights of the new AGO will include works by legendary Canadian painter Tom Thomson, a recently re-discovered Peter Paul Rubens, and extensive African and Australian Aboriginal collections.

Photo by beachdigital (Creative Commons)

Trains may not be Americans’ preferred mode of transportation, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have their devoted fans.

Arlo Guthrie, Johnny Cash, and Willie Nelson have all sung about them.

Jack Kerouac, John Steinbeck, and William Vollmann have written about them.

And a man named Shawn Lukitsch , rail rider, documentarian, and organizer of the Hobo Film Festival, has made films about them. And he wants you to see them.

The Hobo Film Festival recently made a stop in New York City and will be in Brattleboro, Vermont tonight. Be sure to catch Lukitsch’s own 22 minute documentary, which splices together video clips and narratives of Lukitsch’s travel around the U.S. by box car.

This form of train travel, Lukitsch says, “is pure, unadulerated, unhomogenized America.”

Photo: Marky Bon (creative commons)

Matador members!

The Responsible Tourism Awards 2008 needs your expertise!

Nominations are now open for this year’s awards, and organizers are seeking nominees – hotels, tour operators, organizations and individuals are all eligible in the appropriate category.

The emphasis here is not just on addressing environmental concerns, but successfully coordinating with the needs of locals, as well.

Learn more about the awards and how the winners are selected here.

Then fire away!

If your nominee ends up being a winner, you could land a 15-day trip for two to India.

Regardless of your feelings about The War, you can’t help but be affected by a series of fine arts photographs taken by enlisted combat photographers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.

In a recent interview with Newsweek, curator Dane Jensen explained that he wanted to use photographs to tell stories about the war that aren’t being told by mainstream media.

The photos in “Eye of the Storm,” an exhibit of the photos that opened this past Friday at the Reform Gallery in Los Angeles, require the viewer to “read the back story” of the images, each of which portrays “small moments” not typically seen.

See 12 of the images from the exhibit, and leave a comment: What do you think about the act of turning war into fine art?

Photo: Jayel Aheram
*For more photos from the war, check out Jayel Aheram’s photostream on Flickr.

Photo by uzvards (Creative Commons)

Heading to the Bay Area this summer, and keen to learn more about travel writing and photography?

The excellent Book Passage Travel Writers and Photographers Conference will be taking place from August 14th to 17th in Corte Madera, just across the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County.

The conference offers four days of workshops, lectures, and schmoozing with big-name writers, editors, photographers, agents, and publishers.

I had a fantastic time there last year, and consider it a crucial investment in my development as a travel writer.

For more on my experience, check out 9 Things I Learned About Travel Writing At Book Passage. And if anyone’s unsure about whether a conference is for them, here’s my recent Vagablogging post about the pros and cons of writing classes. See also the Traveler’s Notebook’s 10 Steps To Becoming A Successful Travel Writer.

Community Connection: Matador co-founder and designated San Francisco expert Ross Borden calls Marin County home. If you’re headed to the area, be sure to hit him up for burrito recommendations and more!

Have a question about the conference, or writing classes in general? Fire away in the comments.

Photo by SlapBcn

As U.S. airlines seem to get worse and worse (when was the last time you had a meal on a plane?) and increasing awareness of the environmental impact of air travel grows, more travelers headed for domestic destinations are trading planes for trains.

To stimulate interest in train travel, Amtrak is sponsoring the first National Train Day today, May 10. Musical performances and appearances by special guests are scheduled for stations in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, D.C.

Community Connection: New Matador member Tina Kafka loves traveling by train, and is planning a Trans Siberian Railway trip this year.