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Shirley Chisholm State Park opens

When you think about parks and wilderness in the state of New York, Brooklyn probably doesn’t come to mind as the most obvious location. And yet, a 407-acre park has just opened along the borough’s Jamaica Bay.

The Shirley Chisholm State Park is a huge chunk of greenery and a pleasing respite from the urban environment with 10 miles of trails, 3.5 miles of waterfront, picnic areas, and free bike rentals. To complete the amazing space, there’s also a beautiful and colorful mural by Danielle Mastrion, commemorating Shirley Chisolm — the first African-American woman elected to Congress, as well as the first to run for president.

The newest and largest state park in New York City, the park sits 130 feet above sea level, on the site of former Pennsylvania and Fountain avenues’ landfills. Visitors to the park will have a view of the Empire State Building, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, Jamaica Bay, and New York Harbor.

The second and final phase of the park is scheduled to be finished by 2021. This will include pop-up environmental educational facilities, open lawns, and a new main entrance on Fountain Avenue.


More like this: 5 underrated alternatives to America’s busiest national parks

The post New York City’s largest state park just opened in Brooklyn and it’s a welcome slice of paradise appeared first on Matador Network.

Chernobyl official tourism

Over 33 years since the catastrophic Chernobyl nuclear disaster, the government of Ukraine is officially turning the site into a tourist attraction.

President Volodymyr Zelensky wants to improve Ukraine’s reputation and make the best of the country’s famous disaster by introducing walking trails, waterways, checkpoints, and better phone reception in the exclusion zone, the quarantined area surrounding the power plant.

The No. 4 reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear plant, located about 110 miles from the capital city of Kiev, exploded in April 1986, causing what is considered to be one of the most disastrous nuclear accidents in history. Thirty employees of the power plant and firemen died within a few days or weeks of the accident, and 28 of them suffered from acute radiation syndrome.

“Chernobyl has been a negative part of Ukraine’s brand,” said Zelensky, as reported by the BBC. “The time has come to change this. We will create a green corridor for tourists. Chernobyl is a unique place on the planet where nature [has been] reborn after a huge man-made disaster. We have to show this place to the world: to scientists, ecologists, historians [and] tourists.”

Restrictions on filming and photography will also be lifted, paving the way for Chernobyl to become a popular Instagram backdrop. This is especially true considering the recent success of HBO’s Chernobyl series.

Since the site opened to visitors in 2011, a growing number of tourists have gone to northern Ukraine to visit the rusting remains of the ghost city of Pripyat. It is estimated that in 2017 alone, 50,000 people visited the area that was evacuated after the explosion, a number three times greater than that of 2015.


More like this: How to visit Chernobyl safely and legally

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Tourists crowding Uluru

Uluru, Australia’s famous sandstone monolith in the Northern Territory, will soon be off-limits to climbers, so tourists are rushing to hike the UNESCO World Heritage site before the ban takes effect on October 26.

Photo: bmphotographer/Shutterstock

Uluru is sacred to the Anangu people, who have been asking visitors to refrain from scrambling all over it. “Anangu have a duty to safeguard visitors to their land,” explained Ayers Rock Resort. “They feel great sadness if visitors to their land are killed or injured.” Because climbing Uluru is very challenging, the site is no stranger to death and injuries. According to The Guardian, 37 people have died there since the 1950s.

The Anangu people are one of the oldest human societies in the world, and are the traditional and current owners of Uluru. But that isn’t stopping tourists from allegedly trespassing in massive numbers, camping illegally, and leaving trash on the site.

This really is nuts.

The #Uluru climb two days ago. It closes for good in October.

21 drinking games you can play

Going to the bar is a communal experience. There are friends new and old and plenty of drinks to keep the conversation flowing. Occasionally, though, you hit a point where you just have nothing to say. That’s where bar games come in.

These are the best bar games you can play without being a nuisance. Many take no extra materials other than your mind and a drink in hand, while others require easy to find objects.

Bar games you don’t need cards or anything else to play

Sometimes you want to play a game and you have nothing on hand. There’s always the games on your phone, of course, but a face-to-face, person-to-person game is a much better option when you’re at the bar.

1. Most likely

Number of people: Four or more, and the more the better

Rules: One person asks the group who they think is most likely to do something. For example, “Who would be most likely to buy a plane ticket to a random locale?” or “Who would be most likely to be caught sneaking an illegal drink from a mini on a plane?” Then, on the count of three, each person in the group points to the person they think would be most likely to do said question. Anyone who is pointed at takes a drink for however many fingers are directed at them (four sips for four fingers, for example).

2. I’m going on a picnic

Number of people: Three or more, and the more the better

Rules: Pick someone to start. That person begins the game with the statement, “I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing a blanket” (blanket can be whatever the person thinks is picnic worthy). The next person says, “I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing” with their own addition plus whatever was said before them. Each person following repeats the statement until someone messes up, and that person takes a drink. Additionally, if the group agrees that whatever the person says they are bringing isn’t picnic appropriate, the person drinks. This game can be played with anything switched out for picnic as well, such as going to the bar, going to a dance party, and so on.

3. If you know what I mean

Number of people: Two or more

Rules: Pick a scenario that two people would be in, like eating at a restaurant or sitting next to each other on the plane. The two people go back and forth with statements that are filled with innuendos yet fit the situation, ending each sentence with “if you know what I mean.” The first person to run out of innuendos drinks.

4. Medusa

Number of people: Four or more, and the more the better

Rules: Sit at a table where everyone can see all of the other players. Each player puts their head down. On the count of three, everyone raises their head and stares directly at someone else. If you lock eyes with someone, yell Medusa and the person who says it last takes a drink. You’re in the clear if you don’t lock eyes.

5. Cheers to the governor

Photo: TORWAISTUDIO/Shutterstock

Number of people: Four or more, and the more the better

Rules: Sit in a circle. In order, the players count from one to 21 and must follow a set of rules. The first rule is that the numbers “seven” and “11” are switched, so the count goes, “six, 11, eight” and so on. When the group hits 21, everyone says, “Cheers to the governor.” The person who 21 landed on gets to make a new rule that people must follow, like requiring people to make an animal noise when they say the number 15, for example. Then it starts over from one and the rules carry over until every number has a rule.

6. Never have I ever

Number of people: Four or more, and the more the better

Rules: Each person holds their hand out with five fingers up. Pick a person to start, and that person begins a statement with “Never have I ever” and finishes it with something they haven’t done before. Anyone who has done that thing puts a finger down and takes a drink. Words of caution: This game can get rowdy and dirty, and the more times you play with a group the more rowdy and dirty it gets. Just accept the fact that a stranger will leave with some very personal information about you and appreciate the icebreaker.

7. Thumper

Number of people: Four or more, and the more the better

Rules: Embrace your inner animal in a very public setting. Each person picks the animal they’d like to be, then makes that animal’s noise and mimics its movements. The next person does their animal business, followed by the person before them. The next person does theirs and the movements of the two people behind them and so on. Any pauses cause a drink and forgetting altogether is either a drink or a shot depending on how well you handle being that loud group of people at the bar making animal movements.

8. Fingers

Number of people: Four to eight

Rules: Put a glass in the middle of the group. To start a round, each person puts a single finger on the rim of the glass. A designated person counts from three to zero. After, they guess how many people will leave their finger on the rim. It all happens in a split second. For example, with five people, the person would start the countdown and say “three, two, one, three.” Between one and three, the other players either leave a finger on or take it off. If the guesser got it right, they are out of the game. If wrong, they drink and stay in. Play continues until there’s only one person left. That person finishes the drink that everyone had their fingers on.

9. Drink while you think (also called the name game)

Number of people: Three or more, and the more the better

Rules: The group picks a category like celebrities, movie titles, or band names. The first person says a name in that category, like Seth Rogan. The next person has to say a celebrity name where the first name starts with the first letter of the previous person’s option (Rachel McAdams, for example). The catch is that you have to drink continuously until you think of a name that works. If someone says a name where the first and last name start with the same letter, the direction of play reverses.

10. Paranoia

Number of people: Four or more, and the more the better

Rules: Pick someone to be the starter. That person whispers a question about the group into the ear of the person on their left (For example, “Who would you never live with?”). The person who was asked the question replies out loud with their answer. If the person whose name was spoken (or anyone curious) wants to know what the question was, they take a drink. The person who said the name can either choose to respond or take a drink instead.

11. Two truths and a lie

Number of people: Three or more, and the more the better

Rules: Pick a person to start. That person makes three statements about themselves. Two of the statements are true and one is false. The person to the left has to guess which is the lie. If they’re right, the person who made the lie drinks, and vice versa if they’re wrong.

12. Suffocation

Number of people: Two or more, and the more the better

Rules: Masochism is the name of the game here, if you couldn’t tell by the name, because if you choose to play you’re bound to at one point get uncomfortable. To play, one person starts asking questions to someone else in the group. The questions start out innocuous, like “How old are you?” Then they get increasingly personal, and when it reaches a point when they don’t want to answer, they take a drink.

13. I drink and I know things

Number of people: Three or more, and the more the better

Rules: This game is like trivia, but for drinkers. When it comes to a person’s turn, they say “I drink and I know” followed by a statement like know the capital of Arkansas. If anyone in the group knows the answer as well, they blurt it out and everyone else has to drink including the person who started the question. The person who got it right makes the next statement. If no one gets the answer, the group drinks and the asker gets to make another statement about something they know.

14. Westerosi never have I ever

Number of people: Two or more, and the more the better.

Rules: Game of Thrones fans may be familiar with this game and the rules Tyrion Lannister put in place. Each person makes a statement on their turn about another person in the group (“You’ve never seen Game of Thrones,” for example). If it’s true, that person has to drink and you get to make another statement about someone. If it’s false, you drink and it’s the next person’s turn.

Cards

Photo: Prostock-studio/Shutterstock

Maybe you’re the type of person who carries a pack of cards on you wherever you go or maybe you’re in a bar gracious enough to lend some out. Either way, your game options just got a lot bigger. These are card games that don’t take up too much space and can be (mostly) played without other people at the bar judging.

15. Kings

Number of people: Three or more, and the more the better

Rules: In a clockwise circle, each person takes the top card off the deck. When someone grabs the first king, they pick a liquor and the next person continues to draw the next card. The second person to get a king picks a mixer like soda or, depending on how sadistic that person is, something like pickle juice. The game continues until the third person who picks a king, and that person has to go up to the bar and get the mixed drink with the first two ingredients. The person who draws the fourth king has to drink it.

16. Fuck the dealer

Number of people: Two or more, and the more the better

Rules: One person starts off as the dealer. The person to the right guesses which card is on the top of the deck. The dealer looks at the card and says whether it’s higher or lower than the person’s guess. The dealer takes two sips if the person guesses right on the first try, and one sip if the second guess is right. If the person can’t guess it, they have to drink the difference between their second guess and the actual card (two sips for example, if the person guessed seven and the card is nine). After every turn, the cards are laid out for everyone to see. The dealer passes on dealer duties after they beat three people in a row.

Coin games

Photo: CleanPhoto/Shutterstock

While paying in cash isn’t as prevalent as it was in the past, there’s still a good chance someone has a quarter floating around somewhere. Don’t spend it, play with it.

17. Quarters

Number of people: Two or more.

Rules: Bartenders and bar owners are not usually huge fans of people playing quarters with their glassware, but find a dive and you should be good to go. The goal is to bounce a quarter off the table and into the glass (thick shot glasses work best). Shoot head to head against one other player, and the first person to make it in wins that round and the loser drinks. The next person in line takes over and so on.

18. Quarter baseball

Number of people: Six

Rules: Form two teams of three people, and have a row of four shot glasses stretching out vertically. The glass closest to the opposing team is a single, second a double, etc. The player at bat from the first team bounces the quarter and has three strikes to make it in one of the four glasses. When they score, they take a sip for every glass farther out (someone who makes the first, for example, has to take three sips). When a team makes a run, the other team drinks. Each team gets three outs, and the game continues for a set amount of innings depending on how long you want to play.

19. Beer hockey

Number of people: Four or more

Rules: Take turns spinning the quarter. The spinner yells out the name of one of the players, who then becomes the shooter. The rest of the players then form a goal with their pinky and index finger in front of their drink. While the quarter is still spinning, the shooter flicks the quarter to try and score a goal and hit a drink. If a goal is made, everyone picks up their drink and the shooter spins the quarter. The person who was scored on chugs until the quarter stops spinning (either on its own or the shooter can stop it when they want).

Pen and paper

Photo: Africa Studio/Shutterstock

Even bars that lack most things needed for games will have some napkins and a pen you can borrow. Here’s how to make sure that pen gets put to more use than signing your check.

20. Drunken artists

Number of people: Three or more, and the more the better

Rules: One player keeps the time on their phone or from a clock, while another is the artist who is or is about to become a drunken artist. The time keeper whispers a word to the artist and starts the timer while the artist draws what the word is and the rest of the players try and guess. The timer stops when someone finally gets it. The artist takes one drink for every 20 seconds it took the crowd to figure it out. Think of it like Pictionary, but for bar drinking.

21. Straight face

Number of people: Four or more, and the more the better

Rules: Everyone writes a sentence on a small slip of paper that they think will make someone laugh, feel uncomfortable, or refuse to read. The slips are thrown into a pile and chosen at random. Go around in a circle reading the slip out loud (make sure it’s the first read), and if the reader laughs or smiles they drink. If they keep a straight face, the writer has to fess up and take a drink.


More like this: 21 drinking games you can play in any bar

The post 21 drinking games you can play in any bar appeared first on Matador Network.

2022 Winter Olympic to go green

In late January of this year, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games signed a contract with the State Grid Corporation of China to power as much as possible of the 2022 winter games in Beijing and its co-host city of Zhangjiakou with renewable energy. The move would make the 2022 Winter Olympics in China the first to be powered by renewable energy and, if the project goes to plan, provide a model for large-scale events the world over. Here’s how it’s all coming together.

How China plans to green power the world’s signature athletic event

Photo: PENG TIANLI/Shutterstock

The State Grid Corporation’s plan is to construct the energy layout for the Olympics as a sort of town in itself, operating on a special grid developed for the facilities. This “smart grid” will operate on wind and solar power, according to the China Daily, and be used to power the facilities and other operations of the games. Eleven of the 13 athletic facilities for the games in Beijing are being repurposed from existing complexes used in the 2008 Summer Olympics held in the city, including all of the facilities to be used for ice sports. Additional spaces, such as the capital steel plant pictured above, are being repurposed into office space and other administrative facilities. “An intensive display of the latest technologies and models of scientific development involving energy saving, reuse of waste and green construction will be put on during the Games,” He Jiankun, the committee’s director, told China Daily.

Additionally, the co-host city of Zhangjiakou signed a deal with the International Renewable Energy Association to boost its use of renewables prior to the start of the 2022 Olympics, becoming China’s first “energy transition city.” The goal is to move away from fossil fuels across the city as a whole, not just for the games, deriving 50 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2020. “The pursuit of a low-carbon Winter Olympics in 2022 will not only support China’s ambition to lower harmful emissions, but it will also see them pioneer a movement towards the cost-effective decarbonisation of the world’s greatest spectacles,” said Adnan Z. Amin, Director-General of the Association, in a press release.

To hold itself accountable, the Olympic committee appointed a sustainability advisory board consisting of scientists, professors, urban planners, government officials, and more — 26 people in total — to oversee energy development and sustainability planning and execution. Once per year, the group will come together to inspect progress as the facilities and grid are developed. As of this summer, the production appears to be on schedule.

Is this all just a publicity stunt?

Photo: JoWen Chao/Shutterstock

Of course, hosting the Olympics is far from a carbon-neutral endeavor. According to China Daily, 52 construction projects are being undertaken in Beijing and the Yangqing District for the event. The material requirements for the Olympics are huge. Not to mention the environmental footprint of the more than one million people that will travel to attend, compete in, work at, or otherwise take part in the Olympics. Add in the food they’ll eat, the trash they’ll produce, and the transportation they’ll require after arrival. But the Beijing committee’s ambitious plan is at least a step forward and continues what has been a rising trend in China.

China’s Olympic move is a strategic one, intended to showcase the country’s growing renewable energy sector, which has taken hold in several of its major cities, Beijing included. The country has invested heavily in renewable energy in recent years. Over a third of the country’s energy development in 2017 went into renewables, the highest percentage anywhere in the world. While this can be promoted repeatedly in state-run media, the Olympics draws viewers from across the world.

As a sign of long-term commitment to improved sustainability, the province of Hebei, home to Zhangjiakou and the country’s most polluted province, has enacted an ambitious cleanup plan. According to a report by Reuters, the province will reduce the use of coal and cut pollution from heavy industry, as well as plant a new forest and ecological protection zone around the city. “We must use the staging of the Winter Olympics as an opportunity to stimulate economic and social development, speed up our transformation and upgrading, expand effective investment and strengthen poverty alleviation,” Reuters quoted provincial Communist Party chief Zhao Kezhi as saying.

Ok, but is powering an athletic building with renewable energy actually doing anything to offset the massive footprint?

Photo: Mirko Kuzmanovic/Shutterstock

This all might seem quite small in the bigger picture of climate change, particularly given that a country with nearly 1.5 billion people already uses a lot of power and resources on a daily basis even without hosting a major international event. But it’s actually a positive sign for the future. As the most populous country on Earth and home to a rising middle class, China’s influence is increasingly huge and has the potential to drive further investment by businesses around the globe. Thinking about climate change can be a major downer, especially given the seemingly constant flow of negative reports. To understand the importance of green powering an event like the Olympics, try looking to the future through the lens of innovation instead of through the damning signs of current and past trends.

The recently released Geopolitics of Renewables report, compiled by the Global Commission on the Geopolitics of Energy Transformation, breaks down the role of renewable energy around the world. The report noted China as a leading force in renewable energy worldwide. “China has obtained a leading position, not just in the manufacturing, but also in the innovation and deployment of renewable energy technologies,” the report said, adding that in 2017 China accounted for 45 percent of total renewable energy investment worldwide.

Coupled with growing renewable energy investment in the economies of other major world players like the United States — which saw a record $64.2 billion invested in 2018 alone — and seeing a greener future actually seems possible. Why does the Olympics matter in this big picture? Because it is among the most watched, talked about, and celebrated recurring events on the planet. Investment is driven by trend predictions, which are derived from public opinion. Powering the Olympics with green energy, and broadcasting the effort to the world, is one step further down the path of showing the public that replacing old ways with new ones isn’t just possible — it’s inevitable.


More like this: China is becoming a serious ski destination. Here’s how.

The post Beijing wants to use renewable energy to power the 2022 Winter Olympics. Here’s how they might pull it off. appeared first on Matador Network.

Outdoor guide to Portugal's Alentejo

Portugal’s Alentejo region occupies almost the entire lower third of the country, save its sunny, southernmost sliver, the Algarve. Home to some of the nation’s finest beaches, this striking region is equally blessed with rolling hills, mountain peaks, and cliffs that plunge into the sea. It’s surprising, then, that most travelers overlook Alentejo’s outdoors in favor of its small, historic cities; piquant cuisine; and, more recently, wine country.

Don’t undersell Alentejo by skipping its beaches, rivers, and countryside, which together offer excellent surfing, kayaking, hiking, biking, and even rock climbing. If you’re an active traveler, or just want to get in some movement to make room for your next meal, here’s our guide to the incomparable Alentejo’s outdoor offerings.

The most scenic trails for hiking and mountain biking

Photo: Lisandro Luis Trarbach/Shutterstock

Alentejo’s west coast ambles through hills flush with wheat fields and wildflowers, holm oak forests, and cork trees, from which the country’s most iconic souvenirs are sourced, before kissing the ocean, fringed by towering cliffs where land meets sea. Much of the coast belongs to the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park, which stretches roughly 60 miles south all the way down to the Algarve.

A long-distance trail network, the Rota Vicentina, cuts through the park, offering unparalleled paths for hikers and mountain bikers. There are two main trails, the Historical Way and Fisherman’s Trail, as well as a smattering of circular routes that can be tacked onto longer itineraries or tackled as day excursions. All routes are clearly marked, and the landscape is largely flat, making it approachable for most hikers and mountain bikers.

The longest route, the Historical Way covers roughly 140 miles of hills and valleys, cork forests, and coastline. It’s split up into 12 sections from Santiago do Cacém to Cabo de São Vicente in the Algarve. Each section represents a full day’s journey of around 15 miles, and those looking to complete the route will find modest accommodations in villages like Odemira and Odeceixe along the way. Particularly special in spring when the region’s wildflowers are in full bloom, the Historical Way is suitable for both hikers and mountain bikers.

Hugging the coast even more closely, the Fisherman’s Trail covers more demanding terrain that should only be attempted on foot. It comprises nine sections, four main legs and five optional circuits, spanning nearly 80 miles from fishing village Porto Covo to Odeceixe. Additional routes guide hikers around Amoreira and Telheiro Beach, among others, as well as rivers slightly inland where hikers can rest and dabble in some birdwatching.

Even if you don’t have days to dedicate to the Rota Vicentina, consider spending an afternoon traversing one of the shorter circular routes. The nine-mile hike around Odeceixe Beach is perfect for sun-seekers while the five-mile Dunes of Almograve route, which intersects the Fisherman’s Trail, houses herbaceous flora like lavender, rosemary, and thyme. Another highlight, the Endiabrada trail swaps sea views for hidden lakes and offers access to beach town Bordeira, which serves as the starting point for yet another route that leads back to the ocean on a hike that can be done in four or eight miles, depending on your stamina.

The best beaches to surf, SUP, and bodyboard

Photo: kingawo/Shutterstock

Surfers are well aware that Portugal has some of the best, and biggest, breaks in the world. The current record for the tallest wave ever surfed was set last November by Brazilian surfer Rodrigo Koxa, who sailed down an 80-foot monstrosity in Nazaré, Portugal, about 75 miles north of Lisbon. While that landmark locale falls outside Alentejo’s bounds, the region remains a surfer’s paradise with uncongested beaches and challenging, consistent breaks.

The surf tends to be tougher in Alentejo than the Algarve, which also draws considerably more holidaymakers. While it might not be ideal for first-time surfers, beginners are in good hands with several surf schools set up along the coast. Most offer SUP rentals, as well. Two options for newer surfers are Alentejo Surf Camp, based in Vila Nova de Milfontes, and SurfMilfontes, which operates off of Malhão Beach about four miles outside town. The swells here are reliable, particularly during fall, through the currents and winds can be formidable. You can reach the beach, which is located along the Rota Vicentina, on foot or by car.

More experienced surfers may prefer Aivados Beach, a popular spot for surf competitions about 20 minutes north of Vila Nova de Milfontes by car. It’s a fun beach break, but — like at Malhão — there’s little infrastructure here. Pack everything you’ll need for your outing. Alternatively, hit up the bohemian surf town of Carrapateira on the border between Alentejo and the Algarve. It’s near two beaches that are solid for all skill levels and have snack kiosks.

Where the beaches by Vila Nova de Milfontes and Carrapateira offer endless expanses of white-gold sand, local-holiday resort Porto Covo houses smaller, rockier beaches just north. The main beach, Praia Grande, attracts its fair share of surfers but also SUPers, bodyboarders, and family vacationers as there’s a lifeguard on duty during summer and plenty of nearby facilities. Also near Porto Covo is Samoqueira Beach, perfect for poking around tide pools during ebbs.

The rock-climbing routes locals love

Photo: LianeM/Shutterstock

Apart from local climbers, few people know that climbing is even possible in Alentejo. Those that do beeline for Serra de São Mamede, a protected mountain range in the Portalegre district that runs between the basins of the Tagus and Guidiana rivers. A handful of hiking trails, some of which are also open to mountain bikers, have earned the Serra de São Mamede Natural Park its reputation as an outdoors haven, but what really makes it so special is that it hosts some of the region’s only established climbing routes on the Penha de Portalegre cliff face.

Take in views of the town below, and perhaps even catch a glimpse of the 17th-century Nossa Senhora de Pena chapel as you scramble up, admiring the range’s quartzite and dolomite. Base yourself in Portalegre for ease of access or opt to stay in Marvão, a historic town located a half hour into the park near the Spanish border to make the most of your time in this slice of Alentejo.

The best canoeing and kayaking around

Photo: Lynn A/Shutterstock

When you’re ready to get back on the water, trade in your surfboard for a canoe or kayak and head to the Mira River. If you’re sold on the Rota Vicentina, you can easily work either water sport into your trip with access points and rental options in Vila Nova de Milfontes or Odemira. Parties traveling with young kids can plan fun, easy, up-and-back canoe trips between Odemira and São Luís while those looking for a slightly greater challenge can depart from Vila Nova de Milfontes by kayak. It can get windy, but children as young as six are generally still welcome to join.

Several fish species live in the Mira’s waters, including the bream and sea bass you’ll see on menus all over Alentejo. Seabirds like storks, kingfishers, and herons are also easy to spot peeking out from marshy reeds or soaring overhead, so canoe and kayak trips are an excellent choice for sporty wildlife enthusiasts. Plan to visit from March to November for optimal conditions.

The horseback riding you won’t want to miss

Photo: Steve Photography/Shutterstock

Cycling down wide, dusty roads in the Alentejan countryside, you might think life, let alone your vacation, couldn’t possibly be more pleasant. Think again. Taking in the surroundings atop one of the region’s Lusitano horses is guaranteed to make you feel that much more connected to the natural world and transform any ordinary afternoon into something unforgettable.

Just outside Évora, a medieval city and UNESCO World Heritage site that probably sees more tourist traffic than any other Alentejo destination, riders can combine the great outdoors with a good dose of culture as they trot by nearby farms and smaller villages or canter along riverbanks, all in the company of local fauna like rabbits and foxes. Several companies also offer seaside rides over sandy dunes, where you might spot rare birds and marine life. No matter where you end up staying in Alentejo, search around or ask your hotel about the best riding school near you.

The most spectacular bird-watching spots

Photo: homydesign/Shutterstock

With such a rich, sundry terrain, it’s no wonder Alentejo is home to prolific birdlife. If you only have time to visit one bird-watching area, we recommend choosing between Castro Verde; the Sado Estuary; or the habitats of Mourão, Moura, and Barrancos.

Castro Verde belongs to the Baixo Alentejo subregion in the southern half of Alentejo. It’s known as Campo Branco, or “White Plains,” owing to its characteristic cereal fields that, together with the steppe birds that inhabit the plains, have earned Castro Verde its protected status. Keep an eye out for great bustards, a majestic species that’s as large as you’ll find in Europe and one of the heaviest flying birds anywhere in the world. Also found in Castro Verde is the Iberian imperial eagle, an endangered bird of prey that any birder would be thrilled to spot.

Roughly one-and-a-half hours east of Castro Verde, Mourão, Moura, and Barrancos comprise a protected area that belongs to the Baixo Alentejo subregion, as well. The landscape is similar in places though you’re likely to see more grazing sheep and cattle, as well as the odd vineyard and olive grove. Raptor species like black, red, and black-shouldered kites migrate here for the winter, and it’s not uncommon to see black vultures soaring alongside eagles over rocky outcrops, as well as a few water-loving species that have made their homes by the area’s rivers.

For an easy day trip, set your sights on the Sado Estuary, situated about an hour south of Lisbon and an hour west of Évora. Here, you’ll find around 200 bird species thriving in the wetlands, including white storks, glossy ibis, and flamingos. The Sado River isn’t just a haven for bird life, however. Visitors also have the chance to see dolphins splashing about in the river, a rare sight in Europe and part of what makes this spectacular wildlife reserve a must-see during your Alentejo travels.


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Olafur Eliasson show at Tate Modern

Art enthusiasts may remember Olafur Eliasson from his popular “The Weather Project” back in 2003, which combined yellow lamps, mirrors, and mist to create the illusion of a sun hanging over the museum hall. Now, Eliasson is coming back to the Tate Modern in London with his most impressive display yet. His career retrospective, called “Olafur Eliasson: In Real Life,” will be a combination of the artist’s older and more recent works, spanning his entire career.

Photo: Tate Modern

Among the exhibits you will find “Moss Wall,” a nearly 200-foot-wide curtain of reindeer moss; “Beauty,” an illuminated mist that looks like a surreal indoor rainbow; and “Your spiral view,” a kaleidoscopic tunnel you can walk through. One of Eliasson’s newest works, however, which will also be on display, is called “Din blinde passager” (Your blind passenger). This piece consists of a room dense with fog, which slowly turns deep shades of yellow and purple to create a disorienting effect.

Photo: Tate Modern

Don’t be surprised if themes of environmentalism keep cropping up in the exhibition as that has been near to Eliasson’s heart throughout the entirety of his career.

Photo: Tate Modern

The exhibition runs from July 11, 2019, to January 5, 2020, with tickets costing $22 per adult (museum members are free).

H/T: Secret London

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The world's healthiest countries

Let’s be honest, the healthiness of a country isn’t a major deciding factor when most of us make our travel plans. We are more likely to be concerned with a destination’s climate, scenery, food, and attractions than its frequency of high blood pressure. It’s ironic, therefore, that in our lives at home, health and wellbeing are two, if not the top two, of our priorities. More and more of us are hitting the gym, drinking green smoothies, and cutting down on unhealthy habits like smoking. And it’s not just our physical health we’re concerned with; yoga, meditation, and mindfulness are also increasing in popularity. As this trend continues, it makes sense to look to some of the world’s healthiest countries for some tips on health and wellbeing. Here are some of the countries where a combination of exercise, healthy diets, and lifestyle choices are just some of the factors that make them the healthiest countries in the world.

Italy

Photo: Mazur Travel/Shutterstock

Italy might be famous for pizza, pasta, and gelato, but the country still has one of the lowest obesity rates in Europe. One reason for this is Italians’ Mediterranean diet, famously one of the healthiest in the world. Studies have shown that a Mediterranean diet can improve heart health, as well as reducing the risk of certain cancers, Alzheimers and Parkinson’s disease.

Nonetheless, tempting as it is, a Mediterranean diet doesn’t mean eating carbonara for dinner every day. Nor does it simply mean changing what you eat. As well as eating a largely plant-based diet rich in healthy fats like olive oil, a Mediterranean diet involves changing how you eat.

To do as the Italians do, make mealtimes at home a social, shared experience. Where possible, use local, seasonal ingredients and practice moderation; eating organic, free-range roast chicken once a week is better than eating chicken nuggets every day. Just don’t forget to indulge occasionally, whether it’s with a glass of red wine or a slice of homemade tiramisu.

Australia

Photo: Wonderful Nature/Shutterstock

There’s a lot more to health and wellbeing in Australia than avocados on toast. With sunshine pretty much all year round, fresh produce ranging from almonds and honey to mangoes and watermelons, and countless square miles of outdoors to enjoy, it’s easy to see why Australians are leaders in the global wellness industry.

Fortunately, you don’t need to relocate Down Under to reap the health benefits of the Aussie lifestyle. Spending plenty of time outdoors (even if it isn’t in glorious sunshine); cooking healthy, homemade meals from scratch; and exercising regularly are all easy places to start.

You could even take up F45, a high-intensity workout class invented in Sydney, involving 45 minutes of circuit-training based exercises. There are currently approximately 1300 F45 studios in 33 countries and more planned, although if that sounds like too much work, there’s always “avo toast” to fall back on.

Japan

Photo: Guitar photographer/Shutterstock

At 85.77 years, Japan has one of the highest life expectancies in the world. This is partly due to nutrition. As an island nation, the average diet in Japan is rich in fish, which has been proven to lower the risk of death from heart disease by 36 percent. Seaweed is also a common ingredient in Japanese cuisine and is high in protein and potassium.

Yet diet isn’t the only factor contributing to Japan’s long life expectancy. The Japanese also know how to relax, and common pastimes such as karaoke, forest-bathing, and bathing at onsens (traditional Japanese baths) have been shown to improve heart health, boost brain function, and reduce blood pressure respectively.

Naturally, some of these are easier to do in Japan than at home; few of us have access to a proper Japanese onsen, for example. But the art of forest-bathing, or shinrin-yoku, is accessible to everyone: All you need to do is find an area of natural beauty — a park or even a garden will do — slow down, take your time, and appreciate the peace and beauty of nature around you.

Iceland

Photo: David Varga/Shutterstock

There may only be around five hours of daylight during the Icelandic winter, but Icelanders use this to their benefit. Icelanders exercise more than any other Europeans, frequently hitting the gym to avoid the winter blues and making the most of the 21-hour days in summer by getting outdoors as much as possible, even if it means taking part in the Suzuki Midnight Sun Run.

Yet while exercise plays a big role Icelanders’ healthy lifestyles, there are other contributing factors, too. To start with, due to its small population of just 340,000, Iceland has one of the world’s lowest pollution rates. That small population eats a diet high in fish, fermented products, and skyr, a dairy product similar to yogurt that’s low in fat and high in protein and calcium.

The size of Iceland’s population has also resulted in unique social bonds. Close-knit communities trust and look out for one another, and this concern for all members of the population can be seen on a national scale. Iceland has been ranked the best country in the world for gender equality for seven years running, reducing gender-inequality-related stresses for women.

Chad

Photo: mbrand85/Shutterstock

At just 49.81 years, Chad has the lowest life expectancy in the world, making it an unlikely contender for one of the world’s “healthiest” countries. Yet this statistic is largely due to Chad’s status as a low-income country with poor healthcare, high infant mortality, and unsanitary drinking water.

However, just because a country is statistically unhealthy, that doesn’t mean it can’t teach us a thing or two about health: Chad boasts the healthiest diet in the world. Its population’s lack of resources means that few people can afford junk, or processed food, relying instead on clean, unprocessed, natural, plant-based food, including fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, wholegrain cereals, and meat when it’s available.

In comparison, although the consumption of healthy food has increased in other nations, the consumption of sugary drinks, packaged, processed, and junk foods has rocketed. Consequently, obesity has doubled in more than 70 countries since 1980. Admittedly, the solution probably isn’t to jump on a plane to Chad, but there’s certainly a lesson people can learn from countries where fast, sugary, processed foods aren’t as readily available.


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Nomadic tribes from around the world

The nomadic lifestyle is not a concept created by millennials. Before the development of agriculture, humans were all wanderers, but today, only a handful of traditional nomadic communities still roam the planet in small groups, often traveling with animals that are vital to their livelihoods. They work hard to keep their ancient cultural beliefs and behaviors alive, surviving against the odds of climate change and urban encroachment on their territorial lands.

It’s important to respect and try to protect these marginalized communities because if we lose them, we also lose their ancient oral histories, fascinating art, and complex languages. We’ve seen that among some tribes, culturally sustainable tourism can help support economies and lifestyles. Visitors can also help educate the world about how worthwhile nomads’ livelihoods are of protecting. On the other hand, sometimes tourism inadvertently harms nomadic peoples’ ways of life. Be aware that while some of these communities are interested in welcoming tourists, others choose a more remote life for a reason. Here are seven fascinating nomadic communities you should know about.

1. The Kochi people

The Kochi people of southern and eastern Afghanistan survive in decreasing numbers because of the pressures of war and internal strife, but a few thousand continue to live as their ancestors did, herding sheep, goats, and camels. Some are purely nomadic, forever roaming with their families. Others are semi-nomadic, seasonally migrating to let their animals graze when the climate is favorable. A third group is nomadic traders, exchanging the meat, dairy, and fiber from their community’s animals for grains and vegetables, and returning to a home village. This traditional pastoral economy is being swapped for highway commerce, but some Kochi nomads are keeping hold of their ancestral trade routes — not so much for touristic shoppers but for their own integrity as a people.

2. The Bedouin

Photo: Iryna Rasko/Shutterstock

The semi-nomadic Bedouin people of the Negev desert roamed the region centuries before the 1948 formation of Israel. In 1947, there were upward of 92,000 Bedouin individuals, who identify as Palestinian Arabs. In 1948, the number was quickly reduced to about 11,000 individuals, who were moved to reservations and so-called “unrecognized villages.” Though mostly landless today, their numbers have grown. Many continue to honor their ancestral ways of life in symbiosis with grazing animals and basic agricultural practices. In Jordan, several tour operators offer travelers the chance to spend a few days with Bedouins — sleeping in their traditional tents, riding through the dramatic desert on Jeeps or camels or horses. Experiences range from simple to swanky and luxurious to homey and family-style to ruggedly spartan.

3. The Sámi people

Photo: V. Belov/Shutterstock

There are up to 100,000 semi-nomadic Sámi people, mostly in Scandinavia and about 2,000 in Russia, unified linguistically but with some behavioral divisions. All have herded reindeer throughout Samiland for as long as history recounts, and the animals are core to their cultural identity. For the most part, the Sámi are doing okay in the region. Many laws are in place to protect their way of life though development is encroaching on the reindeer’s (and their humans’) migratory lands. At Sápmi Culture Park, near the town of Karasjok, Norway, you can experience firsthand the Sámi ways of dining fireside, dog sledding, singing joik (ancient traditional songs), and fall asleep in a tent-like lavvu — ideally under the northern lights.

4. The Maasai

Photo: Piu_Piu/Shutterstock

The 14 tribes comprising the pastoralist Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania raise livestock from the Rift Valley to the Serengeti. Or they did, until mining, big game hunting, and even foreign beer grain-growing corporations interrupted the culture’s nomadic way of life. Their lands are being squashed, and so is their heritage — and many Maasai have been forced to live outside their homeland and even pushed outside Africa. In fact, safari tourism is actually proving detrimental to the Maasai because prioritizing wildlife viewings can rob pastoralists of their necessary grazing land. Meanwhile, non-nomadic Maasai are often hired on as the safari guides, creating intra-cultural tensions. Yet many nomadic Maasai do fight hard to keep their old ways, safeguarding their culture, languages, and religious practices.

5. The Mongols

Photo: Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock

There are anywhere from three to six million Mongols living in China today, depending on who you ask. Most of them reside along the northern border with Russia and Mongolia in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (IMAR). However, a significant population are still full-time nomadic pastoralists, herding sheep, yak, goats, horses, camels, and dogs, living in temporary structures we know as yurts.

Like their neighbors the Dukha people, the Tsaatan reindeer herders of icy Northern Mongolia’s subarctic Khövsgöl Aimag region are a tiny subgroup of about 40 families living in symbiosis with their animals, moving up to 10 times a year. These are highly threatened peoples. The arid grasslands on the IMAR hold rich natural resources, so many nomads have been forced into cities. Yet some Mongols are choosing — or rather re-choosing — to come back to the lifestyle atop motorbikes, mobile phones in hand, spotty cell signals be damned. They want to preserve their traditions and eschew the trappings of a forced “development” while the IMAR’s environment can still sustain them. Tourists can spend time with nomadic populations throughout Mongolia, participating in activities like archery and horsemanship and staying overnight in their homes.

6. The Gaddi people

Photo: arindambanerjee/Shutterstock

Seasonally migratory, during winter the Urdu-speaking, semi-nomadic Gaddi shepherds reside in villages throughout Himachal Pradesh, India. But in the summer, small groups trek throughout the region with their sheep, mules, and goats, seeking good grazing terrain throughout the high mountain passes. These Islamic shepherds’ territory is increasingly limited, and their future is threatened. They’re one of the country’s oldest semi-nomadic communities, having faced legal regulation of their lifestyle since the Indian Forest Act of 1865.

Many trekkers cross through the Gaddi people’s Himalayan territories, but tribal tourism is not a main source of sustainable income for this indigenous group. It could be, what with their stunning and highly portable crafts. Of all the contemporary nomads, the Gaddis’ attire and ornamentation are some of the most impressive. They hand weave their gorgeous colorful clothing from their animals’ wool. They wear pairs of silver bracelets. Married women bear gold pins and rings in their noses.

7. The Irish traveling community

Often referred to with ethnic slurs such as “Pikey,” Pikers,” or “Tinkers,” Irish travelers are ostracized and scorned as criminals and worse. The extremely close-knit Irish traveling community is a diaspora of contemporary nomads living in parts of Europe and enclaves in the United States. They live in ever-moving caravans and have strict gender rules: Men travel and work with the animals, and women marry young and tend to domestic chores. They speak an unwritten language called Gammon or Shelta, a blend of Irish Gaelic, Hebrew, Greek, and English. Irish travelers represent a solid example of peripatetic nomads, who’ve maintained their migratory ways by making their home construction skills valuable to the societies that enveloped their ancestral homelands, rather than assimilating.


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New show all about tacos premiering

This week, Taco Tuesday falls on Friday.

Netflix is debuting a documentary all about tacos, called Las Crónicas del Taco, featuring the most mouth-watering tacos you can possibly imagine.

The series, which airs Friday, July 12, will feature everything taco-related, including people talking about tacos, the making of tacos, and, most importantly, the eating of tacos. Billed as an “ode to the most emblematic and endearing dish of Mexico,” the show looks at the six most popular tacos in the country — pastor, carnitas, canasta, carne asada, barbacoa, and tacos de guisado — from their regions of origin, and provides some insight into the delicious world of this internationally renowned dish.

Not too many details have been released about the show, except that viewers can expect a crash course in the world’s best tacos and the places that make them. If you weren’t craving tacos already, you definitely will be come Friday.


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