Matador Network's Blog, page 2078

SoCal Summer: 24 Hours in Downtown Huntington Beach

Photo: Derek Key

Think SoCal’s beaches are packed to the gills with nothing to do but laze around? Let a weekend trip to Huntington Beach prove everything you thought about Southern California wrong. Surfing, SUPing, cruising down the strand, chowing on fresh California cuisine, and hitting the hookah bar — there’s a ton of action-packed activities you can cram into 24 hours in downtown Huntington Beach. And the best part is, almost everything you’ll want to do is walkable or a short cab ride from the main hub that is located right on the sand. Here’s some ideas to get you out under that Cali sun in Huntington Beach — otherwise known as Surf City, USA.

Morning

@rezzy76 and I enjoying another #entertaining meal at The City Hall of Huntington Beach . #Headquarters #theepicenter of #HB #Sugarshack #vonzipper #Elmores @evolvemartialarts #evolvewithus #breakfast @lucasleitebjj #checkmat

A photo posted by Todd Aimer (@evolvetoddler007) on Feb 2, 2015 at 1:24pm PST

Start your morning off at the Sugar Shack Cafe — an old-school joint on Main Street where local surfers have been fueling up since the 1960s. Locals know to grab a curbside table and order up a hot cup o’ joe, a Kepler’s special — a California twist on eggs benedict, and a side of golden crispy hash browns.

After breakfast, grab a cab over to the Huntington Beach harbor to meet up with former pro-surfer and local stand-up paddle board instructor Rocky McKinnon. Spend an hour or two working on your technique while navigating the canals and admiring the fancy-schmancy yachts.

Next, head back to the downtown drag and take a casual stroll to the end of the Huntington Beach Pier. At 1,850-feet long, it is one of the longest piers on the West Coast and an ideal place to watch surfers catching waves or local fishermen reeling in the big guys. You can even try fishing yourself by renting a rod and reel from Let’s Go Fishing, the Pier’s tackle shop.

Afternoon

these are definitely worth #trekking it all the way to #HuntingtonBeach for #taco #cravings. #LA #foodventures #skrimps #chicken #carnitas

A photo posted by gypsy food. (@_theallieway_) on Jul 11, 2015 at 4:28pm PDT

Outside of Mexico, SoCal has the best fish tacos. Hands down. So once you’ve worked up your appetite head across the street from the pier and grab some grub at Sancho’s. And don’t bother changing. This casual beachfront taqueria is full of beach goers. Don’t miss the mouth-watering Flounder Pounder and the perfectly-grilled Skrimps shrimp taco, which are both loaded with a secret homemade sauce that will have you licking your fingers. Don’t care for fish? The OG Tri-tip taco is served in a lightly fried tortilla and is pure flavor explosion.

Now that you are in a taco-induced coma, it’s time to hit the sand for a chilled out beach session. Head south on the strand and find an open sandy spot to lay out your towel and soak up those SoCal rays. Dip your toes in the water and if you can brave the chilly water temps, dive in and do some body surfing. Or if you want to explore more, mosey over to Toes on the Nose, tucked behind the Hyatt Hotel, and rent a beach cruiser. This cute little surf shop also offers surfing lessons if you want to test your skills on the waves.

As the sun starts to set, snag one of the 500 fire pits that are spread out along the beach. Pick up some firewood and s’mores fixings at one of the local grocery stores and watch the sun light up the Pacific while swapping stores around the bonfire.

This story was produced through the travel journalism programs at MatadorU. Learn More


Evening

Had so much fun on our "stay-cation" in HB for the night. We didn't want to leave! #huntingtonbeach #shorebreakhotel #oceanview #champagne #sunset

A photo posted by Larissa Kroon (@larissakroon) on Jun 23, 2015 at 2:04pm PDT

After your day at the beach, check in and get cleaned up at the Kimpton Shorebreak Hotel, which offers surfer-inspired boutique accommodations with seriously comfy beds and huge tiled showers. Once you are ready to hit up the town, there are tons of restaurants within walking distance. Go to Ritter’s Steam Kettle Cooking for fresh oysters and a west coast spin on traditional Cajun dishes. Or for craft brew and thin crust pizza, try the Pizza Lounge. Upscale more your thing? The Watertable located inside the swanky Hyatt Hotel is California comfort food at its finest, and the warm, salty bread here is to die for.

After dinner, it’s time to get the party started! First, the hookah scene in Huntington is all the rage. One of the hottest spots, the Red Lounge, is just a short cab ride away and has dozens of flavors to choose from and DJs to get the dance party going on the weekends. Or for a good laugh, check out the schedule at the Surf City Comedy Club where shows regularly get rave reviews. If you need an evening pick me up, get back to the beach and order up a famous Irish coffee at the newly opened Irishman Pub. End the night at Hurricanes Bar and Grill, which is right around the corner from the Shorebreak Hotel. Late night at this semi-dive-ish venue, the music is loud, the jello shots are jiggling (if that’s your thing), and the people watching is top-notch.

Which state matches your personality

Featured Photo:

Myanmar braces for a sleazier breed of tourist

Scene of debauchery in Thailand — precisely the sort of scene Myanmar wants to avoid. Photo: Keith Tan

BANGKOK, Thailand — There were few perks to the xenophobia that permeated Myanmar’s totalitarian junta for decades. But there was at least one: it kept the scuzziest tourists at bay.

Much of Myanmar (also called Burma) is mesmerizing in its beauty. It’s also now easier to visit than ever. The current government has kicked down many of the hurdles that kept outsiders away during a long era of despotic army rule, which began to recede about five years ago.

But as one of Myanmar’s generals once observed, “when you open the windows for fresh air, flies sometimes get in.” And in Southeast Asia, that can mean anything from sex tourists to drunken backpackers.

Tourism is exploding in Myanmar like never before. The government is targeting 4.5 million tourists this year, a quintupling of the number just five years ago. A new report, however, warns that Myanmar is “poorly prepared” to handle this flood of visitors.

The report, by the Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business, suggests developing Myanmar as a “destination for smaller numbers of high-spending tourists looking for an experience that makes Myanmar special.” That is an alternative to simply seeking to jack up the number of arrivals. Instead, the report suggests that the tourism sector “reflect on lessons learnt from elsewhere in Asia.”

Those hard-learned lessons are most evident places such as Pattaya, a seaside town in Thailand that has been consumed by sleaze.

Or Vang Vieng, a party town in the Laotian jungle infamous for cheap drugs, river tubing and backpackers partying so hard they end up injured or dead.

Or Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, where much of the downtown promenade buzzes with hostess bars and pushy drug dealers — all catering to foreigners.

There is nothing quite like this in Myanmar (except, perhaps, for a few dark spots run by militias on the far-flung Chinese border.)

In the mainstream touristed areas, the country has little to offer Western travelers who want to drink by day and haunt brothels by night. The long spell of military rule effectively sealed off the country and preserved a conservative Buddhist propriety that is hard to find elsewhere in Asia. Prostitution certainly exists but is largely confined to scattered karaoke joints and nightclubs.

More like this Vang Vieng used to be the most ridiculous party scene on earth. Here's what happened.

Yet the potential for a slide into openly debauched tourism is there.

In impoverished Myanmar, dollars go very far. Arrests for crimes both minor (prostitution) and major (child prostitution) can potentially be avoided by bribing the police. And in a nation rife with child labor and guerrilla war, the prospects for a well-regulated prostitution sector that protects sex workers and routinely screens for disease are extremely dim.

Already in Yangon, the largest and most-visited city, high-end hotels have filled up with more sex workers seeking foreign men. Ethical tourism advocates fear a future Myanmar with “more prostitutes than monks.”Even the party of Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning daughter of Myanmar’s independence hero, has spoken about a “callous expectation of sex tourists” and the specter of “social exploitation.”

This would mark an unfortunate return to a previous era, before the military’s reign, when English colonialists lorded over the country. There was a time in the early 20th century when foreign men sustained what was,according to one academic, a larger prostitution market in Myanmar than any other in British-ruled India.

By Patrick Winn, GlobalPost

This article is syndicated from GlobalPost.

8 things locals miss after leaving Las Vegas

Photo: Moyan Brenn

1. The surprising amount of community.

In Vegas, the normal 6-degrees-of-separation rule is actually closer to 3 — which means that you’ll invariably wind up running into that cute girl working at Rubio’s at your best friend’s weed dealer’s house party (and you’ll finally get her name, but also learn she’s dating the DJ — who was on your little brother’s high school soccer team). And it’s hard not to feel like “everyone knows each other in Vegas” when the area-to-population ratio there is nearly identical to that of the “big city with a small town feel” of Portland.

2. Being able to rely on the weather.

Even if it’s extreme, Vegas has some of the most basic weather in the country. In the summer, it’s going to be hot. In the winter, it’s going to be cold. At night, it’s going to be cool. And if it’s going to rain, you’ll smell it in the air for hours beforehand. We rely on this consistency, so much so that the weather is barely a consideration when planning our days. None of this “maybe it’ll rain for 20 minutes, but then maybe it’ll be hot, but then what if it gets cold?” nonsense you might encounter in, say, San Francisco.

3.Being able to shake off the work-week and drink with friends until the sun comes up.

“What do you mean, ‘last call’?” That concept is completely foreign to Las Vegans.

 4. The bizarre juxtaposition of old-west and modern luxury.

Vegas is a cultural paradox, where you’re bound to see next year’s Teslas lined up the driveway toward a mini-mansion that’s landscaped with gravel, half-buried wooden wagon-wheels, and cacti. Where that same dude you bumped into in XS the night before wearing a custom-tailored Prada suit drives his Ford pickup in boots and a 10-gallon to the Wrangler Finals at the Thomas and Mack the very next day. And you won’t realize just how weird this identity crisis is, nor just how much you miss it, until you leave.

5. The consistency of the night sky (namely, no stars but a big ass pillar of light in the same place every day).

We’ve all met someone who can tell you their North/South orientation based on what side of the horizon a landmark or mountain is on, but imagine the utter convenience of being able to do that after sunset… thanks to the 42.3 billion candela beam firing upward from the Luxor every night. Sure, it comes at the cost of never being able to see any stars… but frankly, stars aren’t going to get you home when you’re lost in Anthem and a little bit tipsy.

6. Or, just a city that acts like a big nightlight.

Only after you’ve left Las Vegas will you realize you’re actually afraid of the dark — because at night the valley glows like someone has set the entire city on fire, or like the sun never really finished setting. Because in Vegas, things might get a little seedy at times, but they’ll never get truly dark.

7. The ability to find literally whatever you want, whenever you want.

Need to find an alligator pool, a water balloon slingshot, a handle of Jose, and ‘fresh’ Chinese food at 3:30 AM? I can show you where to get all of that… in the same 1 block shopping center. And that, my friends, is a beautiful thing.

8. “The way things were…”

Vegas is one of the few places in the country that is in the midst of such aggressive development that it will look almost completely indistinguishable every time you visit (be it 6 months or 3 years after you’ve left). Desert lots have become mini-malls, defunct coffee shops transformed into cell-phone stores. Even local teens can openly use “back in my day” to describe things that have already drastically changed. Back in my day, we used to play in the miles of drainage tunnels below the city, before the homeless turned them into living spaces. Back in my day, TI was still called Treasure Island, and its family-friendly nightly show was about dueling pirates and not about sexy, under-clothed sirens. Back in my day, we’d go back-to-school shopping at *one* outlet mall in the whole city, which at the time was called “Belz Factory Outlets” (but you probably know it today as Las Vegas Premium Outlets, South). But fear not, because at least (in my experience) while the look of the city changes constantly, the people and the vibe, thankfully, stay the same. So, at the very least, you’ll always have a group of friends out there to show you the new barcade of the month, and to mourn the loss of your favorite burrito-joint with (RIP Guadalajara at Sunset Station).

14 signs you were born and raised in Portland

(via)

1. You’re not afraid to humblebrag about your connection to nature and wildlife.

Sometimes your Californian friends send you a picture of a deer they saw by the freeway, and you smile and wonder if sending them a picture of the herd of Elk currently sleeping on your lawn would be rude — so you send them a selfie of you dwarfed by some Doug Firs in your backyard instead.

2. You *still* enjoy the occasional day-trip to Oaks Park (even in your late twenties).

There is just something about risking your life on that rickety, outdated amusement park equipment that is so appealing. Maybe it’s nostalgia, or maybe you’re just drunk on the fact that the weather is nice enough to go to Oaks Park.

3. You view nudity as an active pastime.

Between events like the naked bike ride, or just hanging out in Sellwood park during a particularly sunny day, you’ve been immersed in the many sizes and shapes of the naked body your entire life (so it’s no longer a taboo topic for you). You’ve learned to love and celebrate your body, and now know that the only thing better than wearing a couple flannels in the rain is wearing nothing. Nothing at all while you ride your bike down Burnside with a swarm of fellow naked Portlanders in protest of automobile dependence. Hey Big Oil, look at our pasty junk!

4. You know that body hair is the most important accessory since the beanie.

Beards and bushes are less of a political fashion statement than outsiders might think. Really they are just extra insulation that Portlanders use to give their baggy wool knit sweater a little extra layering.

5. You are totally down with public transport as an energy and space saver, but you come close to an emotional breakdown every time you get stuck behind the Portland streetcar while driving downtown.

“I can walk faster than you, you useless piece of shit” you’ll scream from inside your car… just loud enough that the streetcar passengers might actually be able to hear you.

6. You knew the differences between a mandolin and a ukulele well before 2008.

It was actually really uncomfortable for you when the rest of America started getting into the whole “we rock hard with our twelve-piece folk-bluegrass-rock-fusion band” thing. To Portlanders, those were the bands we’d seen at our local McMenamins since forever.

7. You have always considered comic books to be a real art form.

Thanks, largely, to the obscenely large graphic novel section at Powell’s, and the surprisingly prolific indie comic community here.

8. Your favorite holiday is the 4th of July.

But only because it is the one party of the year that has guaranteed sunshine.

9. Sure, you like the craft beer, wine, smoked salmon, and the fancy coffee that Portland is known for… but these days Burgerville and a sixer of High Life are your go-to for the night.

What? We love it here and would really like to stay — which is why we need to save every penny for our Manhattan-level rent increases.

10. You mock other cities like Houston and LA for their urban sprawl.

And take utter pride in Portland’s urban growth boundary…which is why the second you saw the new four-story luxury condos on NE Alberta, you briefly considered becoming an arsonist.

11. You know that water is life: it is everywhere, and you want to be in it.

It’s not just the refreshing rain that almost never ceases in Portland- it’s the big, splashy puddles it leaves behind for you to play in. And it’s the swimming holes (and the lakes, and the rivers) you’ll escape to during unseasonably hot days that make Portland one of the best places to fully realize your inexplicable desire to live like a salmon.

12.Your sense of fashion is determined to look both ready for a logging job and a grunge nightclub.

Who knew a black denim vest and some Docs could be so versatile?

13. You didn’t know that car horns existed until you went down to LA that one time.

Seriously, relax California.

14. You love it in Portland, and don’t want to see a damn thing change.

The only thing stifling your fierce pride and desire to tell the world about Portland is your fear that the rest of the world will try to move here. Fuck off, Angelenos and New Yorkers- we aren’t that amazing. Have you checked out Pittsburgh yet? Now *that* is a place to get a cheap studio apartment in a downtown area.

 

The ultimate Toronto nightlife guide

This post is proudly produced in partnership with Heineken. #LiveLegendary

TORONTO’S A CITY CONSTANTLY EVOLVING. With new restaurants, bars, and events being added almost daily, it’s an exciting place to be and you’re guaranteed a full schedule any day of the week. With a little bit of something for everyone — from indoor bocce to weekly bar choirs — you’re bound to find your niche in this city.

Monday

Photo: The Second City

Monday in Toronto is considered industry night. But that doesn’t make it exclusive. In fact, it’s probably one of the best nights to eat out. Since it’s a traditionally slower night for restaurants, a host of places offer discounted dishes and set menus to entice you in.

Head to Rasa Bar for their $35 set menu including your choice of crispy shrimp po’boys or truffle gnudi followed by a sweet surprise. It pairs nicely with their $5 pint specials and live music. Porzia, an Italian restaurant on West Queen West (the city’s design district), also drops the price on their extensive wine collection, offering 20% off bin ends and three dishes for $33. If you’re feeling generous in the spirit of industry night, you can buy the kitchen or service staff a round — a trend that’s emerging as an optional add-on on restaurant menus across the city.

Cap the night off with Second City, Toronto’s improv and sketch comedy group — shows start nightly at 8pm for $25. Or join for free following the show when the comedy troupe does live improv for 20-30 minutes to test out new material.

Tuesday

Photo: JOseph Fuda

Ever considered busting out those singing chops outside of the shower? In Toronto, you can join hundreds of others doing exactly that at Choir! Choir! Choir!, a drop-in, no-commitment singing event started by two Torontonians in 2011. For the price of $5, hundreds of strangers gather at a downtown bar, split into high, middle, and low registers, and belt out new arrangements of pop hits. The group has gotten so popular that they’ve sung with the likes of Tegan and Sara and appeared at the Toronto International Film Festival. To attend, all you have to do is join the Facebook group and listen to the songs beforehand.

When the tunes die down, make the trip to the Junction, an up-and-coming neighbourhood in the city’s West End, and grab some buck-a-shuck oysters at Hole in the Wall. This narrow but cozy bar was one of the first places to make its mark on the changing face of the area.

Wednesday

Photo: Drew Yorke-Slader

When the sun goes down on Wednesdays, park yourself in a seat at 99 Sudbury Street, an event, art, and gym space, for their Open Roof Festival, a weekly film and music happening. The festival features independent artists and Canadian films set to the backdrop of the night sky. For the price of admission ($15) you’re also supporting local artists, as all the money raised goes right back into Toronto’s independent music and film industry.

After the credits, change pace and wind up at Sneaky Dee’s for What’s Poppin’, a weekly hip-hop dance party. The graffiti-laden Tex-Mex joint is a long-time institution on College Street and worth the visit just to say you’ve been. If you make it to last call (2am here in Toronto!), take the short trip downstairs to their first-floor restaurant for King’s Nachos, a meal of epic proportions most definitely meant to be shared.

Thursday

Photo: AGO

A few years ago, Toronto’s Ossington strip was home to seedy bars and dodgy characters. Since then, the area has emerged as a buzzing hotspot — albeit filled with hipsters. Start your night on the Bellwoods Brewery patio and taste one of the beers brewed onsite. Bellwoods is one of many new breweries in Toronto’s exploding beer scene, where even city councilors are petitioning for Toronto to be a beer capital.

For dinner, experience historically inspired Canadian fare at Boralia, one of Toronto’s best new restaurants. The menu features dishes from pigeon to bison, the decor fur throws and wood rafters that transport you straight to the cottage. Or you can skip straight to dessert and try to nab one of the city’s most sought-after ice cream sandwiches at Bang Bang.

From there, order a tequila at Reposado, or try your hand at Elton John-themed pinball at Get Well. If live music is for you, check out what’s playing at the Dakota Tavern, a saloon-like concert venue. One of the best parts of this street is that you never have to go more than one block before you find another great watering hole or restaurant. Plus, The Lakeview, an old-fashioned diner at the top of the strip, is open 24 hours.

However, if you’re lucky enough to be here on the first Thursday of the month, grab a ticket to the Art Gallery of Ontario’s First Thursdays event. This monthly happening is jam-packed with live music, art, talks, food, and drinks in an exceptional setting.

Friday

Photo: A. Payetta Photography for Track and Field Bar

In 2013, Bar Isabel emerged on the scene as one of the most talked-about restaurants in the city. Their Spanish-inspired dishes will start your Friday off right with mixed meats, grilled octopus, and fresh oysters. Alternatively, you can try their sister restaurant, Bar Raval, that opened just this year. Touted as one of the most beautiful in the city, the Gaudi-inspired setting will put you right in Barcelona. As a mostly standing-room-only snack bar, it’s a great place to start mingling with the Friday night crowd.

If you can tear yourself away from the gourmet food, head to another recently opened bar, Track & Field, around 10pm. As the first-ever indoor lawn games bar, this massive space has two bocce ball lanes, two deck shuffleboard lanes, and crokinole tables. With a carefully crafted drinks list, it’s the perfect addition to the rise in activity-fueled bars in Toronto. Expect this place to be packed, so stake out one of the lanes they keep open for use or pre-book online.

Saturday

Photo: Tom Purves

Assuming it’s summer and you’ve just finished up a beautiful day on the Toronto Islands, it’s time to eat. Check out People’s Eatery in Chinatown for a tasty hybrid of Chinese- and Jewish-inspired snacks, or treat yourself to one of Momofuku’s group of restaurants in the centrally located Shangri-La Hotel; you’ll have the option to chow down on ramen in the Noodle Bar, gather a group of 4-10 for a larger dinner at Daisho, or try a tasting menu at Shoto.

If you’re one for dancing the night away, strap on dress shoes and get to the Fifth Social Club, an ex-loft turned upscale nightclub.

But for a true taste of Toronto, take the short Uber ride to the Drake, a hotel and overall nightlife powerhouse that hosts three floors of various events. In this self-proclaimed ‘hotbed for culture’ you’ll find the Underground, a DJ-driven dance party, starting at 10pm. Need a breath of fresh air? Escape the sweaty dance floor and head to the Drake’s Sky Yard, one of the city’s best-rated rooftop patios.

Sunday

Photo: Nicolai Grut

No Sunday in Toronto is complete without brunch, and there are plenty of options. If you enjoy people watching, check out Local in Liberty Village and try their El Caesar, filled with Mexican spices, topped with a pepperoni stick snack, and served in a glass boot.

Another great Sunday location is Kensington Market. In the summer, the first Sunday of the month sees the streets shut down for pedestrians. If you can find Cold Tea, a bar tucked away in the back of the Kensington Mall, hit up their Sunday BBQs for new collaborations every week between some of the city’s best bars, breweries, and eateries.

Finish your week off at Bar Hop with $5 pints and chilled-out vinyl. They have constantly rotating taps and cask ales always on offer. Check out their original location on King West, or keep your eyes peeled for their three-storey second location that’s opening soon — evolution in a city defined by change. Welcome to Toronto!

This post is proudly produced in partnership with Heineken. #LiveLegendary

18 reasons why you should never go to Buenos Aires

Hacé clic para leer este artículo en Español. Tambien podés darnos un “me gusta” en Facebook!
1. Going to La Bombonera to enjoy a Boca-River match, one of the most important sporting events in the world? You can’t understand the buzz around thousands of people singing and jumping for their team, with big flags and fireworks… You better stay at the hotel and enjoy a good nap.

Photo: Pablo Dodda

2. 9 de Julio, the widest avenue in the world and homeland of El Obelisco, is a nice spot in the center of the city, but how are you going to cross it? Too much trouble…

Photo: Nestor Galina

3. Buenos Aires never sleeps and there is always a place where you can have a drink and dance from… Monday to Monday?! Way too suspicious, better stay safe at the hotel while reading the newspapers from back home.

Sergio Olivier. Bottom photo: Diego Torres Silvestre

8. What about dessert? Panqueques brimming with dulce de leche? Mmm, no thanks, you would prefer something a little bit more sophisticated…

Photo: Rebecca T. Caro

9. Where has this Evita came from? You were expecting to see some tributes to Madona’s Evita instead!

Mural in the Ministry of Social Development. Photo: Dimitry B

10. Street art is not a big deal for you… Real art is in the museum!

Photo: kevin dooley

11. The Art Nouveau buildings are quite old fashion for you — you like it modern! Do they really have modern buildings? To be honest, you don’t understand why there is such a mixture of architecture styles, you prefer by far the suburban style, one house exactly like the other.

Photo: Richie Diesterheft

12. If you are searching for a nice environment to enjoy some books you could go to El Ateneo, which The Guardian called “the second most beautiful bookshop in the world?” Oh no, the live violin music may not allow you to concentrate on your Facebook!

Photo: Hernan Piñera

13. Sitting down and having an espresso in a café porteño, one of those places where Cortázar and Borges used to go? Hmm, aren’t there any Starbucks in Buenos Aires?

Photo: Fabio Téllez

14. And what will happen if you look up to the sky?

Photo: Jorge Gobbi

15. Dancing tango seems so difficult and, just between you and me, you think the way dancers rub their bodies is very inappropriate.

In Café Tortoni. Photo: Armando Maynez.

16. Puerto Madero at night? Is there anything to see there?

puerto madero by Dan Masa on 500px

17. And obviously there is not one green area in the entire city…

Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur. Photo: Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires.

18. And the worst of all is that just before going back home you will discover that Buenos Aires wakes up nicer and nicer every day! ¡Qué linda es Buenos Aires!

Photo: Leandro Kibisz

12 reasons why you should never take your kids to Puerto Escondido, Mexico

Photo: Laura Bernhein

1. Learn to surf in one of the best 10 surfing spots in the world? What’s the big deal?

Surfing will make your kids love and respect Nature. It will even inspire them to make the world a better place…And so what? They can learn that from the TV without having to leave the house.

Punta de Zicatela – by Talibán Surfboards

2. Taking your kids to a turtle camp where volunteers gather and take care of the eggs, so your kids can help the little turtles on their first trip to the ocean? Hmm…It doesn’t sound that special to you.

3. Oh, Puerto also has perfect swimming beaches, with lots of sand to play with! Thinking it twice, it sounds like too much freedom for your kids…

Puerto Angelito

4. And Puerto is full of bad examples, like Coco Nogales…

Photo by Coco Nogales

5. I’m warning you: The kids you’ll meet in Puerto will be dangerously cute, fun and loving. Your kids will make more friends than they can handle…

[image error]

6. And it’s so hard to find good, healthy food to eat and drink…

7. Miles of beach, swimming pools everywhere…So much water will make your kids excellent swimmers and you’re not sure that’s a good idea…

8. Puerto’s rhythm is too slow for you…You won’t find anything to do…

9. And what about these sunsets? So many colours will hurt your munchkin’s little eyes!

10. Bird sighting? How scary! What about if a bird hurts them with its beak?

11. You don’t think is a good idea for your kids to take home such happy moments…You’re afraid they’ll to be happy forever!

12. Finally, Puerto has so much buena onda y’all will be so sad to leave you’ll have to start planning your next visit right away. Puerto rocks!

Don’t hate, don’t envy, be happy.

Censored landmark quiz

I guided teenagers from the Silicon Valley area through Ecuador for 18 days. Here’s what I didn’t expect.

Photo: Hector Zamora

In June of this year, I volunteered for Global Glimpse, a non-profit organization that leads leadership development trips for teenagers to visit developing countries. Global Glimpse aims to “open the eyes of tomorrow’s leaders” by guiding students through travel experiences that help them rethink their perspective on the world around them.

I was a returning leader this summer who had written about the value of these programs in the past. And yet, I still returned surprised by the learning I gained from our trip. After eighteen days leading teenagers around Ecuador, here’s what I didn’t expect:

1. Teenagers from the Silicon Valley area actually don’t mind leaving their smartphones at home.

Global Glimpse makes it clear from the beginning that cell phones are not on the packing list. Students could only call home on free days if they chose to visit an internet cafe or phone cabin. Otherwise, our trip was entirely internet and phone free.

Considering my students all grew up near the Bay, within miles of Facebook and Twitter headquarters, I expected to hear more complaints. But when I asked them midway through the trip how was life without their phones, many said “It’s a huge relief.” One told me she hated the pressure of having to “always be available.” Many also admitted that they wouldn’t have been nearly as friendly with other students on the trip if they had their phone in their pocket to retreat to.

2. Something about being in a foreign country makes students so much more willing to push themselves.

I thought a large part of my role on our trip would be motivating students to embrace the struggles that come with traveling. Yet I was amazed at how easily they took initiative to do this themselves. When we did our high-altitude hike on volcano Chimborazo — a hike that meant walking through intense rain, wind and cold — every single student finished the trail. When we played soccer in the park, kids who had never played joined the team. When we put on a talent show at a local school, one of our students took it upon himself to memorize a poem and recite it in front of the audience. Afterwards, the student wrote in a blog reflection,  “It was definitely scary, but hey, isn’t getting out of our comfort zone what this whole trip was about?”

3. Less than a month away from the United States is more than enough time for students to rethink materialism.

In one of our reflections, a student wrote about her previous perceptions of developing countries: “Before this trip, I felt bad for developing countries and communities. Visiting them made me nervous, because I was expecting a depressed group of people. To me, they were poor and sad and I thought they needed help…help would equal money which would result in happiness.”

Yet just one day interacting with these communities changed her mind. On our trip, we visited a community forced to relocate after a volcano eruption. The eruption had destroyed their homes and everything else they owned.  We visited them in their new home of Penipe where they had rebuilt their lives from scratch.

After our visit, many students expressed their surprise of seeing the people living there looking happy. A student wrote later “When we were visiting this community, it didn’t feel like they were ‘impoverished.’ They were all very connected and supportive of each other. Whereas in America, when we think of poverty we think of people who have nothing and are all alone. It surprised us…how close together they were, like family.”

Many students said this visit proved to them that happiness and money were not necessarily connected, and that their former definition of “poor” was inadequate. The student who previously “felt bad” for developing countries and thought “help would equal money” now thought otherwise. She later wrote “I myself was planning on pursuing a life that would guarantee money over a life that would bring me joy…Because of my experience with Global Glimpse, I have other goals in my life besides financial security.”

Read more: 15 things youth need to thrive in America (And 1 unexpected way to get there)


4. Their favorite days? Not necessarily the “Fun Days” but instead, the days we worked on a farm.

After we spent the day working on a local farm, I assumed most of their reflections that night would mention their struggles with the tediousness of the work, the physically demanding labor of picking and carrying corn over and over again, the discomfort of a day in the dirt. Instead, the highlight of every single student’s day that night: “We took off our shoes and we planted peas bare feet! The cold dirt felt so good! Best day ever!”

Particularly with today’s tech-savvy teenagers, I assumed that my job as a leader was to make activities more exciting, more stimulating, more engaging for kids who constantly lived on the move. But it turned out what they actually appreciated was far more simple.

5. In the end, teenagers — like every traveler — are just seeking connection, mixed with a little bit of adventure.

During our end-of-the-trip reflections, when I expected to hear students rave about the gorgeous architecture of Quito, the stunning waterfalls in Baños, or the killer hikes on Chimborazo, students instead wanted to talk about the moments they truly engaged with other people’s lives: playing soccer on a mountain top against locals, riding in the back of a pick-up truck through the countryside while helping a farmer transport supplies, listening to a woman’s stories about her life as they washed dishes together in her kitchen. One morning, a local community member accidentally drove their car into a small ditch nearby and got stuck. A group of students joined locals and together, they helped fully lift the car out of the ditch. Many said that incident alone was one of the best of the trip.

Ultimately, my students’ best moments abroad weren’t about Ecuador’s best attractions. Instead they were about Ecuador’s people. I can’t imagine a better travel lesson to learn than that.