Matador - Interacting with locals

Volunteer Abroad in India New Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Kerala abroaderview.org

A Broader View Volunteers Corp — Fri, 16 May 2008 14:16:01 -0500

Volunteer Abroad in India New Delhi, Bangale, Chennai, Kerala www.abroaderview.org/india.php

Volunteer in India....India is a sovereign, democratic nation in South Asia and the second most populous country in the World. It has been said that India is less a country than a continent, and it holds as...

Mariel

novoarte — Thu, 15 May 2008 20:56:08 -0500

For Brayan

In my mother-in-law's version of the tale, Francisco came home the Friday before Mother's Day in 1980 and announced he was leaving: His girlfriend. His son. His mother and his sister. His country. They were the wake he left behind as The Green Girl pulled out of Mariel's harbor. His...

Brothels that look like nightclubs and other assorted fun in Istanbul

Auyon — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:17:25 -0500

I spent my first night in Istanbul at the Antique Hostel in Istanbul, a much-lauded spot in the heart of Sultanahmet, the sight-seeing center of the city. I arrived there at around midnight, and was greeted at the desk by a guy wearing a button-down shirt opened halfway down the front of his...

Are You Connected?

novoarte — Tue, 13 May 2008 10:06:22 -0500

Once a day, Brayan and I stop by Hotel Parque Central, one of the few places with wireless internet access in Havana. “Are you connected?” one man asked today as I twiddled my thumbs waiting for my inbox to open. “I’ve never been more connected,” I answered, and though we spoke to each other...

Felicidades, Mama

novoarte — Mon, 12 May 2008 10:02:54 -0500

The signs of the upcoming Mother’s Day celebration began last Tuesday. Men walked down the street with red and white checkered boxes adorned with Felicidades, Mama written in curlicued script, cakes carefully tucked inside, the pink icing trickling away in slow rivulets in the heat. Sidewalk vendors...

Otok Brać - Vacation from Vacation

Jay Martin — Sun, 11 May 2008 15:09:45 -0500

The phylloxera swept across the terraced hills of Otok Brać – Island of Brać – in the early 1900s, invading the soil. Native to North America, the tiny yellow aphids traveled across the sea to Europe in the late 1800s, feeding on vino roots and spreading their wine death...

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Even crazy old men enjoy life.

Drifterboy — Sun, 11 May 2008 08:34:37 -0500

     Just the other day I was sitting around with some friends talking about old trips we have taken. During the conversation we started talking about the interesting people we have meet. Even though I have not traveled around the world I have still meet amazing...
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Cojimar

novoarte — Sat, 10 May 2008 13:57:03 -0500

We hitched a ride out of Central Havana to the seaside town made famous by Ernest Hemingway to research a couple of articles I’m working on. The driver barreled up a dusty road speckled with potholes, noting, “This is the best road in town,” and dropped us off on a forlorn corner, pointing...
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GOODBYE, RUBY TUESDAY--A Collage/Essay for Valparaiso and James Henkel

Steven Jay Weinberg — Fri, 9 May 2008 19:35:05 -0500

Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday—A Collage/Essay—for Valparaiso and James Henkel
   Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday/ Who could hang a name on you?/
   When you change with every new day/ Still I'm gonna miss you
Landing in Valparaiso was easy...
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Dharma Class

dawctor john — Fri, 9 May 2008 11:25:30 -0500

At this point i'm feeling pretty good about my decision to fly. True the 8 seater plane is much more costly than the train and a bit more risky, but it gave me an extra two days in the mountains, and the passenger list has opened up an interesting opportunity. Confirmed on the flight are; six...
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Malcriada

novoarte — Thu, 8 May 2008 15:36:31 -0500

My 14 year old niece and I don’t have the best relationship. Even since the first time we met, we’ve circled each other with instinctive caution. For me, she’s a malcriada: her mom and grandmother let her get away with everything. She’s a picky eater, so they let her eat cake for dinner. She...
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Bird's Eye View

Violet Alma — Thu, 8 May 2008 13:01:03 -0500

When departing or embarking Guyana (Co-operative Republic of Guyana), I always love to look down from the window of the iron bird, at the endless flora and fauna.

Guyana possesses over 800 varieties of documented birds, and...
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Teremiski

Lauren Lim — Thu, 8 May 2008 05:37:55 -0500

Once upon a time, the villagers were forced to leave their homes. First the Russians came and took all the able bodied men and put them away in Siberia. Then the Germans came and moved all the women, children, and elderly to Belarus. As a little boy and his family were leaving,...
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I'm not a prostitute. Sorry to disappoint.

NicolePelligrino — Mon, 5 May 2008 20:52:13 -0500

A young Brazilian man yelled frantically, "how much do you cost for the day?" in Portuguese. My eyes darted about searching for the source of the sounds. I studied my periphery. My feet began to move faster, hoping to escape the insufferable noise. I sensed the cries were directed toward me, and...
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Bloody Brilliant

Akmonki — Mon, 5 May 2008 17:32:23 -0500

After I got my lazy butt out of Dublin, I've seen some wonderful areas around Ireland. I traveled first to Cork (the second biggest city in Ireland), and while it's still a city it at least had some greenery and even a river flowing through it, so it wasn't grey and gloomy like Dublin.
From Cork I...
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Port of Call: Riga

geotraveler — Sun, 4 May 2008 17:56:57 -0500

I recognized those haircuts. I’d seen them in 1987. Complete with tapered stonewashed jeans tucked into high top sneakers, teenagers and young adults filled all decks. This was, I presumed, going to be their booze cruise. The next demographic up were middle-aged men with forlorn looks dragging...
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Tracing Gaudí around Barcelona

geotraveler — Thu, 1 May 2008 06:53:02 -0500

Latest article for GoNOMAD
______________________________________________
Tracing Gaudí around Barcelona
"My client is in no hurry."…Antonio Gaudi
Roia’s face said it all before hanging up. A weak “I’m sorry” escaped him. “They can’t find it”. I nodded...
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Pisco, The Earthquake Zone - 9 months on

ricardo_emp — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:32:50 -0500

In August last year the town of Pisco some 4-5 hours south down the panamerican highway from Lima was pretty much razed to the ground by the effects of an earthquake measuring 7.9 on the richter scale. I find myself here leading another expedition through Peru and Bolivia and having not visited the town...
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Event of the year for getting the blood pumping (and hormones)

croftyangel — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 03:19:37 -0500

Smoke lingering after the thunder of canons, swords clashing, wood chips flying, fire blazing, lances splintering, belly dancers swirling, rumble of the motorcycle, minstrels singing... an eclectic mix of things but they all have one thing in common – Ironfest Fusion 2008 in Lithgow, NSW, Australia.
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down the shore from a wave of gambling

huntzing — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:42:02 -0500

it's deep times we live in, especially for me, but the waters are always deep if we open our eyes in it...

...i was trying to hitchhike out of this uruguayan beach town, punta del diablo, but it was too dead. i had to bum enough money for a bus ride to rocha where i could...
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A Sensible Death

novoarte — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:06:38 -0500

I've been working on a couple of articles about local lingo this week, which got me thinking about cultures and customs. The popular narrative is that local traditions are eroding beneath the weight of globalization (which is not untrue), but as Eva wrote in a recent
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El Manos de Jesus

Gina — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:51:05 -0500

BEEEEP! BEEEEEP! "Hola, estoy voluntario!"
It always took a few minutes for them to realize that the volunteers were there. The gate clicked, and we walked into the nursing home Manos de Jesus. Usually standing or sitting at the front gate was Wanita. Wanita was a 75 year old woman who if she had her...
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The Price of Travel - Sapa, Vietnam

Dane — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:58:43 -0500

This is a feature from the San Antonio Express-News that appeared in Jan. 08

The Price of Travel

The pitfalls and payoffs of mountainous Vietnam.

Dane...
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My special Isumi

realsoulsurfin — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:43:04 -0500

As i walked my dogs along the usual route this evening-starting off past the love hotels, venturing up amongst the local houses and their surrounding small fields, crossing between bigger rice fields and then finally to the long stretch of beach that backs onto a quaint oyster-rich river-I was thinking...
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Jail in Japan: Tales of Pocket Knives, Bathtub Antics, and Utter Cluelessness

Justin88 — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 05:41:23 -0500

Note: This post has been entered in Traveling-Stories-Magazine.com's May writing contest. If you like this story, please go to TSM to "digg" it. Thanks! Link here (and below): http://www.traveling-stories-magazine.com/jail-in-japan-tales-of-pocket-knives-bathtub-antics-and-utter-cluelessness/
.......
I...
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Viva Mexico

novoarte — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 03:42:13 -0500

Mexico City is always a happening place, but today took the cake for sure.

This morning, Avenida Reforma was the stage for back-to-back celebrations: the first, a presentation of the British polo team, in town for the 8th International Polo Championship, and the second, a parade complete with floats...
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Sailing The World For One Year

Gaijin — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:30:37 -0500

What do you do when you have no job, no woman, no kids, and someone close to you ask's, " would you like to try and sail around the world". Do you think to ask about what there experience level is, do you think to ask how long it will take, or do you simply say, " Yes, I am in"
This question was asked...
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Bia

shakester — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 23:33:41 -0500

The chairs squeak, almost bent out of shape by your weight. They are made of plastic, just like the tiny low stool in front of you that serves as a table. That plastic is worn, even a little stained. Your legs squeeze because you are low. But you could just stretch them out, resting on the edge...
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In Like...Flynn?

novoarte — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 23:30:09 -0500

Day three at immigration. I've become a regular. The lady at the information desk smiles in recognition when she sees me. The gap-toothed man near the door waves, saying, "I remember you!" Even the cool reserve and flat affect of Mr. Marcelo over at window A2 have melted considerably....
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Goodbye Hawaii

Nora Dunn — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:26:43 -0500

Every trip has its trials. Every adventure its ups and downs. Every crisis an advantage, and every blessing a price.
Here in Hawaii, we've learned just that.
Popai
On the other side of this island, we arrived in Hawaii and found ourselves in a rainforest and...
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