Matador Featured Articles

Carved into the Landscape: The Dogon of Mali

kayaker — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:32:26 -0700

James Dorsey travels among the Dogon, ancient but little-known people whose villages are perfectly camouflaged in the red cliffs of Mali, West Africa.

Climbing Volcano Pacaya

Olivebeard — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:59:13 -0700

An insightful and at times hilarious look at a typical adventure tourism experience in an atypical place in Guatemala, and how, when it comes to people climbing volcanoes, volcanoes will always have the final say.

Out of Bounds: Travels Through Colombia's Red Zone

ricardo_emp — Tue, 06 May 2008 00:16:31 -0700

Kidnapping, surfing, plane accidents, and people fishing for cocaine: pretty much business as usual in Richard McColl's out of bounds adventure along the Pacific Coast of Colombia.

Circling Home: An Interview with John Lane

novoarte — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 09:45:36 -0800

In this interview with writer, professor, community builder, kayaker, and self-professed “post-hippie Deep South anarchist,” John Lane shows Matador writer Julie Schwietert around the textile mill being converted into an environmental studies center, and talks about the relationships between people and place, between traveling and settling, and how to form community. Click on the audio links to hear clips from their walk along Lawson’s Fork Creek, and read on for a conversation about Lane’s book and writing about place.

When Maximo was our Captain: Surfing Bocas

Spencer Klein — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 23:10:46 -0800

We skipped Colon because it was high season. Too many hucksters peddling all their myriad (non)necessities, and the crowd was hyper and amped to get one last night, and one last wave, and one last exotic fling under their belt before they migrated north. At least that’s how we saw it. On the...

Heroes or Hellions? How Americans are Perceived Abroad

Erin Granat — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:25:58 -0800

Excerpted from her thesis Heroes or Hellions: How Americans are Perceived Abroad, this chapter by Erin Granat examines the dynamics of a "miniature United Nations" that forms when a random group of people travels together in Australia.

Wingsuit Pioneers: Making Human Flight a Reality

malin — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 11:56:22 -0800

In this profile of wingsuit flying, Sandra Konta speaks with Birdmen Jari Kuosma, Nick Rugai, and Robert Pecnik. "What is old news to the skydiving community," she writes, "the mainstream public is just beginning to digest: safe human flight is now a reality."

Golden Trout

Tim Patterson — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 13:54:17 -0800

"He doesn’t answer our question right away, sizing us up for a time before asking the receptionist to dig out some maps of the Popo Agie Wilderness. The map he chooses is hand-drawn, carefully creased and slightly yellow with age," writes Tim Patterson in this soulful and sharp-eyed traverse of the Wyoming highcountry.

The Everest Peace Project

jshugs — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 11:38:53 -0800

In this interview, filmmaker and Everest Peace Project creator Lance Trumbull discusses reaching the summit of Everest with a team of Palestinian and Israeli climbers, the challenges of making a documentary, and what it takes "to help sew the seeds of peace and reconciliation."

Khoomei: The Ancient Art of Tuvan Throat Singing

girlgoesglobal — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 13:23:28 -0800

"Historians believe that khoomei was birthed from a desire to speak the language of Nature, translating the earthly sounds of a whistling wind or gurgling brook into human tones," writes Angie Teater, in this personal account of a khoomei concert in Tuva.

A Portrait of Hope: Lessons from the Memory Project

Olivebeard — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 12:49:03 -0800

". . the Memory Project is addressing an area that has long been overlooked by other organizations, a component of development that many of us with parents take for granted: a sense of personal history," writes Jacob Bielanski in this profile of the Memory Project.

Another End of the Road: (Still) Searching for Surf in Centroamerica

Spencer Klein — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 12:34:48 -0800

Young soul surfer and traveler Spencer Klein takes us to the end of a road where there are people living with monkeys, drunks passed out in the sand, and jacked-up Chevy Blazers used as low-tide beach transport. In other words, on the search for waves in Centroamerica.

Awóyaya: A One-Day Sensitization Forum by C.H.I.E.F

geotraveler — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 19:41:36 -0800

With captivating photographs and a lovingly-told story, Lola Akinmade reveals how the NGO C.H.I.E.F is improving the life and health of local Nigerians.

Diving with Whale Sharks

The Matador Team — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 23:51:17 -0800

"In front of me, the biggest fish I have ever seen, its massive gaping void of a mouth, was just meters away; with my heart beating furiously and a thrashing of my fins I swam frantically trying to avoid being swallowed whole," writes Mark Steele in his account of diving with whale sharks in La Paz.

Ted Conover, Interviewed by Tim Patterson

Tim Patterson — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 20:17:43 -0800

"A road to me has often meant a promise--of adventure, of something new. More than anything else, I look at roads the way an explorer might, as a means of getting to the unknown, a route toward experience and knowledge," says award-winning author and intrepid traveler Ted Conover in an interview with Matador writer Tim Patterson.

Robert Mugabe and the Death of Zimbabwe

deva — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 14:11:20 -0700

A concise history of Zimbabwe since Mugabe´s rise to power in 1980 with links to various NGOs doing humanitarian work.

Walking the Camino de Santiago

AndreaK — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 20:20:54 -0700

A medieval European pilgrimage route over a thousand years old, the Camino de Santiago has become a unique long-distance hike for tens of thousands of "pilgrims" each year. Andrea Kirkby reflects on walking the trail, the landscape of rural Spain, and how, once on the pilgrimage, "you start to accept the unusual, the strange, the downright weird, as part of your everyday life."

How to travel to Cuba and why you should do it now

novoarte — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 20:18:01 -0700

"Some know nothing about Cuba, the Cuban Revolution, or the US embargo against Cuba—they even think Che Guevara was Cuban—but they’re drawn to Cuba because of what they believe to be the forbidden travel experience," writes Julie Schwietert in this how-to guide on traveling to Cuba.

From Berlin to the Bayou: an interview of Katharine Burgess

Tim Patterson — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 08:26:39 -0700

"From Dresden to Sarajevo and from Hiroshima to Hanoi, Kat traveled through bustling cities that had once been devastated by the brutal machinery of modern war," writes Tim Patterson in this in depth interview of Matador traveler Katharine Burgess.

Up and Paddling

clo — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 18:01:50 -0700

The fast-growing sport of stand up paddling gives people new ways to explore oceans, rivers, and everything in between. And yet, as waterman and stand-up paddling innovator Todd Bradley notes, "Stand-up paddling, it’s a tradition for us. All we’re doing is practicing what our culture has already given us, because it is people we looked up to like Duke Kahanamoku who did that in the past."

How to Make a Travel Documentary

kenneth macias — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 11:47:41 -0700

From camera selection to shooting on location, this concise guide gets you started working on your first documentary.

Around the Coyote

listen109 — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 17:45:37 -0700

From its beginnings in the underground art scene to it's current place as a fixture of Chicago's cultural landscape, the Around the Coyote Festival has evolved into a truly independent creative outlet for emerging artists, writers, and musicians from both the local community and around the world.

Holy Fire, Sacred Water pt. 2

James — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 11:12:12 -0700

This dam clash is epochal because it is one of the few turning points in history where a small, illiterate band of half-naked mud-hut dwellers have halted – temporarily or for good – a democracy’s proposed use of water," writes James Workman in this comprehensive look at the Himba, proudly defiant and independent natives at Namibia's edge.

40th Vallenato Festival

ricardo_emp — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 18:29:06 -0700

While filming a documentary on the 40th Vallenato Festival in Valledupar, Richard McColl discovers that within the mayhem of Colombian politics and music, the only constant is the human warmth of the people.

Top Ten Music Festivals Worldwide

eggshapedkath — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 14:39:20 -0700

From Coachella to Glastonbury to EXIT, Matador presents the best music festivals around the world.

Holy Fire, Sacred Water part 1

James — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 13:54:59 -0700

"This dam clash is epochal because it is one of the few turning points in history where a small, illiterate band of half-naked mud-hut dwellers have halted – temporarily or for good – a democracy’s proposed use of water," writes James Workman in this comprehensive look at the Himba, proudly defiant and independent natives at Namibia's edge.

Backcountry Fly-Fishing in Yellowstone National Park

Tim Patterson — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 15:46:51 -0700

"The Lamar valley is one of the wildest areas of the region, home to herds of buffalo, the Druid wolf pack and several grizzly bears, including one notorious silver-tip known as the Tent Smasher," writes Tim Patterson. With his unique style blending lyrical prose and comprehensive practical information, Tim takes us through one of the last truly wild places in the lower 48.

Top Ten Lessons Learned at Burning Man ‘07

Erin Granat — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 10:44:52 -0700

"Absolutely anything is possible. Two massive semi-trucks twisted up in the air as art? Okay. A “Barbie Death Camp” where you can desecrate and bury those little blond bitches? Sure?” Burning Man first-timer, Erin Granat, tells us what she learned at Black Rock City this year.

Bring the Dance and Leave the Guns: an Interview with Balkan Beat Box

an_acrostic — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 16:16:33 -0700

As with the various musical elements--hip hop, punk, and Klezmer, among others--mixed into their sound, Balkan Beat Box brings together musicians, artists, and fans from around the world in their live shows, and is rightfully gaining international attention.

When All You Have Is Your Body

novoarte — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 06:45:29 -0700

In the middle of Mexico City, Julie Schwietert Collazo, discovers an unlikely form of protest.