Matador Network's Blog, page 2154

Hiking Turkey’s Lycian Way off-season

Photo: Patrick Gensel

I FIND MYSELF ALONE on an empty beach talking to a dog.

He’d been pretty loyal on the steep track down, pausing if he came to a junction or bounding ahead if he was absolutely sure of the way we’d go. Now that we were at the beach his attention was set on figuring out what he could have for lunch.

With a total of one person to scrounge off, even the dog was feeling it: December is pretty quiet along the Lycian Way, one of Turkey’s few waymarked hiking trails.

You can walk the 509km along Turkey’s Mediterranean coast between Fethiye and Antalya in any season, but in winter there’s not many who do.

The tracks are in good order but few facilities are open November-April in the small villages along the way. And while I managed to walk a section during a week of no rain, winter can be uncomfortably wet.

On the three-day stretch I completed between Ovacik and Bogazici, I saw two other hikers — Turkish women who passed me as I walked towards Bogazici to catch a minibus back to Fethiye. They were hiking in the opposite direction and filming their trip with a handheld camera.

They put me in front of the lens to ask how I felt as a woman walking alone. I hadn’t even thought about it.

Outside villages the sum of human encounters I had was sidestepping two beekeepers midway through a honey extraction and a group of English-speaking Turkish tourists on mopeds who offered me water and oranges and wanted to hijack my plans and take me for an excursion to another beach.

Photo: sguyvarch

Most of the time I was alone to enjoy the view stretching the coast and watch woodpeckers and tits fly off as I approached. Between settlements, the track was thick with the call of birds and the rustling of lizards crawling through autumn leaves.

Essentials for the Lycian Way

Getting there

The start of my route at Ovacik is accessible by regular dolmuş (fixed-fare minibus) service from Fethiye. Turkey’s extensive bus network also runs to each terminus of the full Lycian Way. More transport information is available at Turkey Travel Planner.

Getting around

A bus runs on the main road between Antalya and Fethiye all year, though with less frequency in winter. Other sections of the trail are accessible from Kaş and Olympus. Infrequent dolmuş services stop at many villages on the trail, but hitching a ride to the main road is easily done.

Staying over

Spend your nights at family-run pensions, campsites with treehouse beds (private cabins built at tree height), or take your own tent for a night away from civilisation. Expect to spend 12-25 EUR per person per night along the trail, which typically includes dinner and breakfast.

More about Turkey: 10 things to know about Turkey

On the hike

The Lycian Way is well signposted, but the walk does traverse a range of terrain including some rough and steep climbs through loose stone. Some of the trail is classified as difficult, but the first few days from Fethiye are suitable for people of moderate fitness.

Photo: chany crystal

Packing and planning

Resources are thin on the ground in winter, so if you hike off-season take lunch supplies and, at least, 1 litre of water to last between villages. No matter what time of year you go, wear hiking boots, pack sun protection, and take a cellphone for emergencies.

The Lycian Way guidebook by Kate Clow is recommended for its comprehensive walk notes, supplemented by updates from her website, Trekking in Turkey.

Side trips

Stay another day in Fethiye to explore Kayaköy, a ghost town where the shells of hundreds of unoccupied Greek houses are being slowly overtaken by vegetation. Further along the trail, consider climbing the hills above Bogazici to the Lycian ruins at Sidyma or hiring a kayak at Kaş to visit the sunken city of Kekova.

This aricle was originally published on January 7th, 2011.

Strange Rumblings: Surfing Iceland

Hot dogs, whale meat, thick-ass neoprene, and sick overhead breaks — it’s surfing time in Iceland. Australia’s Globe surf team filmed Strange Rumblings in such locations as Mozambique, Sumbawa, Fernando de Noronha, Sumatra, and Southwest France. But this is the most interesting part — surfing Iceland amidst volcanoes in the distance and icebergs on shore.

The world's best cities for coffee

1. Sacramento

Image via: Robert Couse-Baker

Sacramento made its way onto the list of Sprudge’s underrated coffee cities in the United States. Doing business in town requires wading through the red tape doled out by California’s capital, and for the coffee scene, that means coffee shop owners are locals comprising a tight-knit community — very few outsiders buy in. A also included Sacramento among the US cities with the highest number of independent coffee shops per capita.

With institutions like Temple Coffee Roasters, which leads with the highest-rated coffee according to the Coffee Review, Old Soul Co., Insight Coffee Roasters, Fluid Espresso Bar, Chocolate Fish Coffee, and Naked Lounge, the craft coffee scene in Sacramento can contend — and probably outcompete — that of New York, San Francisco, Portland, and elsewhere.

2. Manila

Image via: Roberto Verzo

Third wave coffee is on the rise in the Manila, the sprawling, hurried capital of the Philippines. Duck & Buvette, located at Shangri-La Plaza, is among the third wave coffee shops sprouting up all over the city, serving V60 pourovers of Intelligentsia beans alongside fully-composed dishes like duck confit and candied bacon. Refinery follows a similar model, adding flavored coffee drinks — an orange-infused cappuccino, for instance — to its roster, on top of more traditional espresso drinks. Toby’s Estate, an Australian export that has also spread through New York, has an outpost in Salcedo Village. Craft Coffee Revolution, Yardstick, and a least a half a dozen more are leading the charge, bringing latte art rosettes and cafe culture to the 25.5 million people of Metro Manila.

3. Vancouver

Image via: Pete

Downtown Vancouver may well be the epicenter of Canadian coffee. Its residents look beyond Starbucks and Tim Hortons, preferring well-crafted brews made with beans sourced directly from growers. Among the heavy hitters are Elysian Coffee, which roasts for both of its shops, Revolver, Prado, Kafka’s Coffee and Tea, and 49th Parallel — also a roaster. There’s a coffee in Vancouver for everybody, whether you prefer slow-to-make pourovers or espresso drinks.

4. Dublin

Image via: Bex Walton

Dublin is a city known to imbibe — mostly alcohol, not coffee. But the boozy city is taking to cafe culture, most shops opening in the city center — Dublin 2 most of all. Latte art can be elaborate in Dublin, where shops like The Art of Coffee look beyond basic rosettes. Vice Coffee Inc., The Fixx, which roasts, Bald Barista, and Butlers Chocolate Cafe also serve up beautifully-crafted espresso drinks.

Still, there’s no Dublin coffee scene without talking about the granddaddy of them all, 3FE, founded by a former investment banker-turned-expert barista who is well-versed on several different preparation styles. Popular among Google Dublin employees, the shop, which also offers coffee tasting menus to its customers, is no doubt somewhat hipper-than thou. Yet it is comfortable and well-located enough, near the Grand Canal Dock, that you might ask for your drink in dishware to stay. Dublin will also be home to the 2016 World Barista Championships.

5. Taipei

Image via: Yosomono

A friend who lives in Taipei told me that young people don’t hang out at bars; they hang at cafes. Unlike many cities (including several on this list) that import third wave coffee culture from elsewhere and plop it down without context, Taipei is a city that has coffee steeped into its national heritage and sense of identity.

Fong Da is the oldest and best known shop in the city. Some also say it introduced the Taiwanese to iced coffee, the coffee gods’ gift to residents of a humid and unforgiving climate. GetMoreLab and OKLao Farms are among the new set of shops, importing high-quality beans from international roasters and catering to the city’s young people. Not all of the cafes here are about the coffee, though: Topo Cafe surrounds its customers with water, a pool of koi beneath their feet; Barbie Cafe is pink like its namesake doll. Either way, all customers are greeted with the friendliness and warmth Taipei natives are known for — and you won’t have trouble finding a coffee shop to rest your legs and refuel at in this walking city. Rumor has it there are hundreds of spots to choose from.

6. Oslo

Image via : Pål-Kristian Hamre

Many will say it’s not exactly a secret that Oslo is all serious about its coffee. Oslo roasts its coffee light: some joke that it’s the equivalent of pouring water over high-quality, unroasted green beans and letting that drip into your cup. The acidic, very bright coffee in Oslo is celebrated by its fans, Oliver Strand among them. Acolytes of Norwegian coffee fawn over Tim Wendelboe, Java Espressobar & Kaffeforretning and Mocca Kaffebar & Brenneri — the last two the brainchildren of the very first World Barista Champion, Robert Thoresen. No matter where you go in Oslo, whether it’s Kaffa or the architecturally-stunning Fuglen, drink coffee — and wonder whether you’ll be too spoiled to have another cup of dark roast again.

7. Denver

Image via: George Kelly

The Mile High City is bubbling up some of the United States’ best coffee — and so it should, according to a survey that ranks Denver fourth in the nation when it comes to coffee consumption. The beans are local, the baristas are skilled, and demand is high. Novo coffee has emerged as a specialty coffee leader in the city.

One of the veteran roasters of the city, and renowned nationwide for its bright roasts, Novo recently expanded beyond its warehouse near Coors Field to open hip cafes downtown. But this city is not short on acclaimed roasters and cafes that are well-established outside of Novo’s shadow: Roast Magazine named Denver native Coda Coffee Co. the best roaster of the year in 2014. Some say the quality of Colorado coffee is due to the arid, high-altitude climate — a certain Rocky Mountain terroir. And with the Highlands and River North sprouting so many microroasters and shops — complete with high-quality beans and award-winning baristas — with cultish followings, Denver postures itself as a must-see, must-sip coffee city.

8. Paris

Image via: Christopher Michel

Paris, usually along with Rome, lands itself on lists of “Cities that are supposed to have good coffee because cafe culture is important but their coffee is really bleh at best.” While most Parisian cafes are still more about the ambiance — the wicker chairs adjusted to face the street, the conversation, the occasional cigarette — than what’s in your cup, third wave coffee shops are flourishing in the City of Lights. With cafes like Spyglass, Télescope, Coutume Café, and Ten Belles sprouting up on both sides of the Seine, coffee that tastes good too has finally made it to Paris.

9. Moscow

Image via: skardd

The rise of coffee culture in Moscow has been slow, but the last several years have seen a country all but bereft of a good brew breeding stellar, although sometimes expensive, coffee shops. Some say that Coffee Mania, a place as known for its coffee as for its clientele, is an experience, above all else — the beautiful and moneyed hang here, sipping on coffees and the sweets that accompany. But what Moscow has long been lacking are third wave cafes, a hole now partially filled by the Black Coffee Cooperative, which focuses on brewing with Aeropress and V60, and Traveler’s Coffee. The Russian café experience is slow, the patrons expected to stay a while instead of pounding caffeine on the way to somewhere else.

10. Bangkok

Image via: drburtoni

Thailand is not the first-to-mind when considering which Asian capitals serve up the best cups of coffee, but the city of over 6 million, which welcomes more tourists than almost any other city in the world, is also beginning to welcome coffee — and refine its brewing skills that rival its northern neighbor, Chiang Mai.

Roots, a boutique roaster in the capital and cousin to the café Roast (they share the same owner), trains baristas and serves as an epicenter for the growing coffee scene. Shops like Casa Lapin, Tribeca Restobar, and Rocket Coffeebar make use of these local beans and serve Bangkok’s hipsters refined cups of coffee — from acidic, watery pourovers to espresso drinks.

=While the Thai city, located in the “bean belt,” the tropical geographic region blessed with climates hospitable to growing coffee, has previously iced and sugared and creamed its coffee into barely recognizable oblivion, a more-refined coffee culture is growing rapidly: coffee rockstars, most located in Sukhumvit, include Ceresia Coffee Roasters, Kuppa, and Casa Lapin, among others.

11. Auckland

Image via: wonderferret

When most minds think of a good cup of coffee down under, they turn to Melbourne — the Australian city that is, ostensibly, the coffee capital of that continent. But those in the know say that Auckland also takes its coffee seriously; it’s just on a smaller island. Though Australians would disagree, Auckland may actually be the birthplace of the flat white, the delicious espresso drink born in the ‘80s whose ratios land it somewhere between a macchiato and a cappuccino.

Stops along a local coffee tour would have to include Reslau, which has been showered in accolades for its exceptional coffee since it opened in 2007. The Espresso Workshop, located at 19 Falcon Street, has an assortment of signature drinks on top of what you’d expect to see on the menu: all you have to do is specify milk or no milk. Frolic Cafe, Good One, and Queenie’s Lunchroom are also among the top cafes in the city.

What your Uber driver thinks of you

Photo: Linus Ekenstam

It’s a drunk Friday night in your favorite city. The bars are flipping their lights on, people are paring up, and it’s time for your group to catch a ride home. In 2015, Uber seems to be the way to go. You pull out your phone, request a ride, bitch about the surge price (2.5 FYI), and make your way to the street to get in some stranger’s car. Maybe though, as you stand in the cold trying to decide which black sedan is your black sedan, you start to wonder what your Uber driver is really thinking. Well, let me tell you:

“Please God, let someone in this group be coherent enough to give me a real address.”

There’s nothing more frustrating for a driver than a group of drunken passengers who can’t give a proper address. I’ve been asked to take passengers to “the house by the gas-station,” “Jeremiah’s apartment,” and my personal favorite, “1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.” Your driver, be it taxi or ride share, isn’t your mother and if you can’t tell them where you live don’t be shocked if they kick you to the curb.

“No, you can’t have the auxiliary cord to play your music.”

That’s what he’s thinking as your driver hands the cord to the drunkest of the pack. “Should I just drive off this bridge?” he thinks next — as the ringleader turns the volume all the way up and begins to blare Remix To Ignition. The driver actually swerves to the right a little as the girl sitting directly behind him attempts to sing the lyrics that she clearly doesn’t know.

“No, I’m sorry, I don’t have a phone charger for ALL FOUR of you.”

I know, I know. It’s late. Your phone and his phone and her phone and that girl who somehow just ended up with you’s phone are all down to 2%. But your driver only has one iPhone 5 charger. “Sorry.” That’s literally all he can say…even if you are threatening to give him three stars for it.

“Yeah, I would love to drive you to McDonald’s, and it would be my pleasure to ask for four separate orders.”

Seriously, don’t even ask. And if you do ask — you’d better offer to buy your driver a ten piece and leave a cash tip.

“I will throw your girlfriend out the door if she vomits in my car.”

That’s what your driver is thinking as the schwasty blonde starts screaming to roll down the windows because she’s going to be sick. Maybe she’d feel better if you hadn’t dared her to order a McRib. Also, don’t throw up in or on the car — just try your best to give the driver a chance to pull over. “Bye, Felicia,” he thinks as he imagines driving away without your happy gang.

“I really DON’T want to know what you’re going to do to her tonight…”

Don’t forget that your driver does have ears and he knows what you’re talking about back there. He can hear every dirty secret you whisper in each other’s ears; he understands your code of what your about to do to each other, and, most importantly, he can see you when you start your late-night activities early. He’ll kick you out. Trust me, he’s done it before.

“How much further? This ride could literally not be over soon enough.”

“Also, I hate you.”

“GET THE HELL OUT”

That’s the last thing he thinks as he swerves up to your building, hardly stopping for you to get out. “Freedom!” he screams when the door finally closes behind you. And as you walk to your door he’ll take a deep breath and wait for the beep signifying that a new ride is waiting somewhere close.

“FUCK.”

That’s what he’ll think when he realizes that the next ride is at the same building…it’s actually you again. You locked yourself out. And then…

“NOPE.”

He cancels the ride, speeds away, and calls it a night. “Wow, people are…people.”

Why sailors make the best travelers

Photo: kathryn aaker

1. Sailors are used to packing light.

There’s not much storage space on boats, so things have to get stowed in tiny lockers. Soft-sided waterproof bags are standard gear. Your travel buddy won’t take up a lot of space in the car or hotel and you won’t be waiting on them at baggage claim either. More time to get out of the airport and start enjoying the holiday!

2. They will never complain about sleeping conditions.

Sailors are used to sleeping in small bunks, or on deck with or without a cushion. You won’t find them complaining about the hostel beds or sleeping bag. Long flights and long layovers, no problem, they can pretty much sleep anywhere sitting up.

3. Likewise, you will never have to hear them whine about bathroom conditions.

Sailors are used to doing their business in a variety of conditions. Most sailors have a method for hanging on to something while underway and getting the job done…overboard. That toilet in Thailand or India where you stand up or crouch down over the facilities, no prob.

4. Sailors know how to maximize limited time like quick train/bus stops or flight layovers.

Due to anchors dragging or getting off the dock before paying big fees, sailors can find the nearest store and get back lickity-split. Think Amazing Race for beer and food.

5. They will show you how to avoid tourist traps.

Sailors can quickly assess new locations and determine where and what the tourist traps are and how to avoid them, because ports are usually littered with them.

6. Sailors somehow know everyone.

Sailors can get your very unhooked-up self into local events just by throwing out a few names of other sailors. “Oh, you know, so and so,” and, bam, you guys are all of a sudden the guests of honor at the beach bonfire later.

7. They have access to insider local knowledge.

Sailors are used to buying local goods and using local services at most ports. Need a good recommendation, head to any marina office and chat up the dockmaster, and usually a lot of local knowledge is imparted graciously.

8. Sailors can fix most anything.

Rule of thumb: spray with WD40, if not, use duct tape. Sailors are very handy lads and lasses to have around when something breaks.

9. Sailors don’t get riled up by bad weather.

A lot of time is spent waiting for a “weather window” to go sailing or start a voyage. Sailors will not sit around complaining. On a rainy day, they know to head to a bar to meet some locals and swap salty sea stories.

10. When your pic of the glorious sunset doesn’t do the moment justice, you can always steal theirs.

Theirs will always put your sunset pics to shame. They probably have 5,000 examples to prove it.

11. On most any coastline, your chances of getting invited on a boat go up dramatically when traveling with a sailor.

Sailors have a large network of sailing friends that travel all around the world and probably “bump” into them regularly. It’s not unusual to be invited for a sail and/or drinks on the boat.

12. Sailors know beaches and surf spots.

Always in touch with wind and tide reports makes for a good resource to find a nice place to surf or relax.

13. Sailors know how to cook lasagna with a blow torch.

Can your regular travel buddies say the same? If stuck somewhere without cooking fuel, rest assured that your sailor friend can still work some magic with whatever is at hand.

14. Sailors won’t keep you waiting while they primp.

Sailors don’t require hair dryers or cosmetics. They have the windblown, sun-kissed look down pat.

15. They can book your flight expertly.

They know all the big and little airports and their symbols. It’s part of the job to move “on the fly,” and they might have some frequent flyer miles to share, too.

16. Sailors won’t freak out without power or wifi.

A headlamp and book is fine. You won’t find them complaining the internet signal is cruddy. They don’t care.

17. Sailors are the original Boy Scouts.

They usually carry a multitool everywhere. Bottle of wine? They are always prepared with a way to open it.

18. Sailors function as your personal GPS.

The location of the sun and stars will do in a pinch. Lost? Right this way.

19. Sailors know how to sew.

They are not too proud to whip out a needle and thread. Sails don’t fix themselves. Your backpack breaks? Hand it over to your sailor friend and it will be like new in a few minutes.

20. Sailors know EVERY hour is happy hour.

Nothing more needs to be said here.

What is the best language to learn?

Photo: CollegeDegrees360

Over the last two years, I’ve spent some time learning Spanish. Progress has been slow but steady. I’ve taken a 10-week evening class at UCL’s Centre for Languages, completed levels 1-3 of Rosetta Stone and finished the Duolingo tree, meaning I can sort of carry a conversation, but always peppered with mistakes and pauses. If I can become more comfortable with making mistakes, I’ll hopefully improve vastly over the next six months as we travel through South America.

My partner, Peter, is keen to acquire a second language but isn’t yet sure which is best. It’s a dilemma many would-be learners face, and it often stalls their efforts altogether. What if I choose the wrong one?

Below we take a look at the best language to learn based on different criteria, offer suggestions under each category and examine whether or not each criterion is actually a good way of deciding which language you should learn.

Most widely spoken

Mandarin: 955m speakers

Spanish: 405m

English: 360m

Hindi: 310m

Bengali: 300m

(Source: Nationalencyklopedin)

Most ‘widely’ spoken is a common deciding factor but it’s also a bit of a misnomer. It suggests that the language is spoken across large swathes of the world when, in fact, several of the top 10 are constrained to a narrow area and qualify only because of the vast population in their nation states.

Take the image below. There are more people living inside that circle than outside. If you learnt Chinese, you could speak to 37% of the world’s total population but only three countries count Mandarin as a national language, according to the CIA World Factbook. In contrast, French is a national language in approximately 29 countries across the world. Is Mandarin really more ‘widely’ spoken? Unless you plan to spend a substantial amount of time in China and its rural areas, this reason can be a bit of a red herring.

There is also the argument that Mandarin will usurp English as the world’s lingua franca. These fears are largely unfounded, says Dr. John McWhorter, author and linguist at Columbia University. In his book, The Language Hoax, he explains that Mandarin is extremely difficult to learn beyond childhood and that truly mastering the writing system requires, in all practical terms, being born to it. The approachability of English, he says, has secured its position as language of the world and if China rules, it will rule in English just as the Mongols and Manchus once ruled China without spreading their own language.

If you want to learn a language purely for bragging rights, then go for Mandarin. Otherwise, keep reading.

Best for business

English (US: 17,528 GDP and UK: 2,828 GDP)

Mandarin (China: 10,028)

Japanese (Japan: 4,846)

German (Germany: 3,794)

French (France: 2,827)

(Source: Centre for Economics and Business Research)

Another popular criterion for choosing a language is the potential career benefits it might offer. The rationale is that if you can converse in the language of the world’s strongest economies, you’ll be in better stead for employment and progression. Under this criterion, Mandarin is once again the best language to learn as an English speaker. However, it’s worth noting once again that due to its complexity, Mandarin is unlikely to become the standard language for business. In fact, it’s hard enough for natives. Take this anecdote from Sinologist David Moser: in his essay Why Is Chinese So Damn Hard, he writes that he once asked three PhD students at Peking University how to write the equivalent of “sneeze.” Not one of them could correctly produce the characters. Moser explains that Peking University is considered the ‘Harvard of China’ and asks, “Can you imagine three PhD students in English at Harvard forgetting how to write the English word ‘sneeze’?”

If you’re keen to improve your employment prospects by really mastering a language (instead of just adding it at ‘Basic Level’ on your CV), consider one of the languages further down the Top 5. French, for example, is not only good for business, it actually is widely spoken across the world (i.e., in more than a handful of countries).

Ease of learning

Ordered from most speakers to fewest speakers:

Spanish

Portuguese

French

Italian

Romanian

Dutch

Swedish

Afrikaans

Norwegian

(Source: Foreign Service Institute, US Department of State)

If you want to learn a language purely for academic reasons (i.e. to exercise your learning muscles or just as a hobby), then level of ease is a perfectly acceptable way to choose. According to the Foreign Service Institute of the US Department of State, English speakers can relatively easily pick up eight European languages as well as Afrikaans (with 600 class hours per language that is). The graphic below also shows other common languages in increasing levels of difficulty.

Choosing a language for ease can build confidence quickly, giving you the motivation to continue on to fluency.

Beauty

French

Spanish

Italian

Portuguese

Romanian

Alas, there is no way to subjectively measure the beauty of languages. However, if you’re set on becoming a modern-day Don Juan, few would argue against the Romance languages listed above. French in particular is, as a character from The Matrix put it, like wiping your arse with silk. Can’t argue with that.

Culture

Finally we come to what is probably the best criterion for choosing what language you want to learn. Which country or countries do you see yourself spending time in? How much do you like the locals? What literature do you wish you could read in its original language? What films do you wish you could understand? If you have a genuine interest and passion for a language and the culture behind it, you will more likely persevere when you hit a wall. I love Spain and the Spaniards, and I’ve always been desperate to go to South America. I’d love to read Gabriel Garcia Marquez in his original language and see Almodovar in his. For these reasons, I am able to persevere when I feel I haven’t made much progress in the last year or when the difference between the present participle and gerund is seriously screwing with my mind. If I were learning Mandarin for bragging rights or employment prospects, I’m just not sure I’d stick with it.

The verdict

If I were to take a completely objective point of view, I would recommend French. It ticks all the boxes. It may not be the most ‘widely spoken’ language by volume but its reach goes much further than Mandarin and its economy is only behind China, Japan and Germany in terms of non-English speaking countries. Furthermore, French is relatively easy, sounds beautiful and has a rich and colourful culture to boot. So, even though I’m learning Spanish as my third language, overall, I would recommend French.

Think French is a rubbish choice? Mastered Mandarin despite the odds? Tell us in the comments below.



This post originally appeared on Atlas & Boots — Travel with Abandon and is republished here with permission.

To the end of the world in Sri Lanka

All photos by the author.

To see the end of the world, you need to get up early.

So it’s before dawn that I get up and go to find the jeep that will take me to Horton Plains National Park. Walking deep into the park, I will find ‘The World’s End’, the high clifftop with a view all the way across this island country to the shore and beyond. But if you’re not there by about 9 o’clock in the morning, you will miss it. Every day a huge blanket of mist folds over the vista and covers it for the rest of daylight hours.

And so the jeeps and the tour buses arrive early in the morning, shortly after the sun rises. The road can only take you so far so the carpark fills up. A deer or two eat grass and pose for photos but there’s not much to see from here. The trekkers — myself included — head for the start of the track.

The World’s End is about halfway along a nine kilometre circular route through the park. I reach it in time, just before the mist takes over the sky. High on a cliff, I look down, more than 1,200 metres to the bottom and no fence between me and air. A few clouds hang beneath me but they add to the majesty of this view, where mountains become highlands and then roll into fields that come to an abrupt end at the coast. The ocean is 80 kilometres away but I can see it on the horizon.

This is the main tourist attraction of Horton Plains National Park, but it’s not nearly the most important thing here. The park, along with the nearby Peak Wilderness Protected Area and the Knuckles Conservation Forest, make up a World Heritage Site called The Central Highlands of Sri Lanka. It’s a unique ecosystem with abundant flora and fauna that’s been described as “a super biodiversity hotspot.”

It’s all in the details, though. Other than the Sri Lankan leopard (which is almost impossible to see here) most of the special species of flora and fauna are quite small — birds, lizards, flowers, herbs, and so on. It helps to know what you’re looking for or to walk slowly and take careful note of the details. Some people walk the track with local guides — not because there’s any chance of getting lost but because the best of the park could be lost on them.

That’s not to say the landscapes along the way are not worth the journey also. It’s not the most spectacular World Heritage Site I have ever been to and, other than the cliff views, nothing figuratively took my breath away. However, it’s a beautiful part of the country where forests, plains and water all merge together.

This article originally appeared on Time Travel Turtle and is republished here with permission.

Photos of the Spirit of Burma

BURMA, ALSO KNOWN AS MYANMAR, has had a rough few decades. A military coup in 1962 was followed by years of oppression under a military junta, as well as some pretty awful ethnic conflict. Because of this, it hasn’t been particularly easy to travel to Burma until relatively recently, when the junta was nominally dissolved in 2011.

The country is a beautiful place, though, with ancient temples, kind and welcoming people, and amazing natural beauty. Photographer Felice Willat traveled through the country in 2009, before it truly started opening up, and captured some of these amazing photos of the land and its people.

All photos taken by the author except where otherwise noted.

This article was originally published on April 21, 2009.

1

Old woman in Pagan

An old woman smokes a cheroot cigar in Pagan. Photo by Jose Javier Martin Espartosa

2

Horse cart in Bagan, Myanmar

n the ancient city of Bagan, formerly known as Pagan, you will still see oxcarts and horse carts as ordinary transportation. A family pays their respects to the young novice in training as they pass by one of the many hundreds of grand temples and pagodas.

3

Golden cave in Pindaya, Myanmar

This golden cave near Pindaya, Burma, contains over 8,000 images of Buddha in all shapes and sizes. Some of the older statues and images in the cave have inscriptions dating to the late 1700s.

Intermission


37
14 signs you were born and raised in British Columbia
by Jordan Oram




16 images of otherworldly Antarctica
by Tom Richardson



1
Ryan Libre speaks at TED 2011 in Thailand
by Jason Wire













4

Inle Lake fishermen, Myanmar

Around Inle Lake, you will see the unique Intha Fishermen who balance one foot on the tip of their narrow boat and oar with the other ankle. The golden weir on the boat is the fishing net.

5

Burmese laborer carrying a sack

This man has most likely been forced out of his village to work as hard labor. The more bags of charcoal he can carry off the boat, the more he will earn.

6

Two sisters bathing in a lake near Pindaya, Myanmar

Two sisters bathe around 8 a.m. in the large lake near Pindaya across from golden temple spires. They are unashamed to perform their daily ritual as we observe nearby.

7

Children vendors in Myanmar

Our small group attracts many children who offer us fragrant flower necklaces and magic lava rocks. Most people in Burma use thanaka -- a paste made from tree bark -- to paint their faces and protect them from the sun.

8

Buddhist novices in red robes, Myanmar

Playful novices look forward to a few minutes away from their rigorous training in the monasteries. Their red robes stand out from the old white-washed temple.

9

Burmese Buddhist nun smoking a cheroot

An 84-year-old nun smokes a cheroot -- an herbal tobacco cigarette.

Intermission


139
15 signs you were born and raised in Monterrey
by Iliana Garcia




The amazing flora and fauna of Ecuador’s Cloud Forest (PICS)
by Karin-Marijke Vis



5
Fostering homegrown photography in northern Myanmar
by Ryan Libre













10

Intha Fishermen in the evening

Two Intha Fishermen head out from the wharf where we spent a few ends of days -- a good time to fish.

11

Monkeys in Mt. Popa, Myanmar

In Mt. Popa, Burma, capersome monkeys outnumber the population and live amongst the villagers. They love to perch on monuments and colorful facades for some good portraits!

12

The ruins of Bagan, Myanmar

The ruins of Bagan cover an area of 16 square miles. The majority of its buildings were built in the eleventh to thirteenth centuries when Bagan was the capital of the First Burmese Empire. Standing atop one of the thousand temples, a Bagan sunset is an awesomely beautiful and iconic landscape.

13

Novices in Mandalay

A group of young novice Buddhist monks at a monastery outside of Mandalay. Photo by Dietmar Temps

14

Burmese woman with basket on her head smoking a cheroot

Herdsmen, field workers, and families use baskets across their shoulders and on their heads to carry crops, kindling wood, and even their babies. Many smoke cheroot cigars to relax.

15

Young Burmese men laughing together

All young Buddhist boys live at least 6 weeks a year in the monastery during their childhood -- many will spend their entire lives. It appears these boys are sharing common stories.

16

Young girl in Bagan

A young girl plays at her school near Bagan. Photo by Dietmar Temps

17

Myanmar's U-Bein Bridge

Burma's U-Bein Bridge is the longest teak bridge in the world built from unwanted teak columns from the old palace during the move to Mandalay. Everyday at sunset, monks, cyclists, villagers, and oxen parade across like shadow puppet theatre.

10 reasons not to date a Mexican man

Photo: yeyito

LADIES, take it from me. They will steal your heart. They will own it. They will take your breath away. They will turn your round irises into heart shapes. They will make your knees tremble. And once you go Mex, you can never go Ex.

1. You will get addicted to those guacamole dips they make every day.

Onions, tomatoes, lemon, an avocado, and its seed — that’s the perfect recipe for a cabron’s daily nutritional need. It may look like they’re just randomly mixing stuff in a bowl, but in reality, they are brewing perfection. I tried to do this myself but it’s never the same.

And when you try to ask for the recipe, they don’t have it. It’s just a natural talent. Why they include the avocado’s seed is another mystery.

2. You will long for their warm hugs and then some.

That generous-no-bars-held kind of hug is hot. As hot as the strongest hot sauce there is. Think of it as a bear taking control of your body (but remember, biting is only allowed if you agree to it)!

You will want to hug them even if it’s 39 freaking degrees outside…which is not that uncommon since in most areas of Mexico it’s always either spring or summer.

3. Because they can cook very well.

“Dinner tonight? Your place or mine?”

Seriously, when they say this, they’re not trying to get into your pants (at least not the first time…even though it happens). They ask this because they prefer to cook than eat out (and not only because of the money).

They always want to know what’s in the food they eat. I mean come on, a good-looking man who can cook while a Mexican song is blaring on the radio? That’s a dream come true.

4. You will hate how they look at you with all that love in their eyes.

These creatures are the most genuine people on Earth. Sometimes I wonder, “Do Mexican men ever lie to women?” Their facial expressions are so real you won’t see any negativity. Just pure love.

However, be warned that Mexicans are naturally good at exaggerating the truth. But don’t blame them, it’s just part of their funny banter and sense of humor.

5. You’ll find it hard to laugh at other men’s jokes.

Mexican men are very funny without even trying. Jokes are randomly thrown and it will make you laugh your heart out. No dull moments. Ever.

It’s especially hilarious when they try to imitate a foreign accent. Hearing a Mexican trying to speak with an Indian accent is probably one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard. How come that thing hasn’t gone viral on YouTube yet?

6. Because they are brutally honest.

There are no shortcuts. No gray areas. Everything’s straight to the point. It’s either swipe right or left on Tinder. There’s no “swipe center!” The answer will always be a yes or a no. It’s “I like you” or “I don’t like you.” And yes, asking a Mexican man if you look fat in that dress will always end in a Greek tragedy.

Got it?

7. You will always remember them whenever you see a bottle of hot sauce.

When I came to Argentina, I started eating Doritos with a powerful hot sauce all over it and my friends were like, “Doritos with hot sauce? Who does that?!” I smiled and whispered to myself, “The Mexicans.”

A bottle of hot sauce will always serve as Mexico’s icon.

8. You will never forget their Spanish phrases, even if you don’t speak Spanish.

Although many of them are fluent in English, they have the habit of randomly murmuring in Spanish while looking at you, watching you sleep. You might not understand it, but I’m sure you’ll get to memorize the exact words because it reflects sincerity.

Even when they say bad words it sounds good to you. Cabrón! Pinche Wey! Pendejo!

9. Because they take selfies with you.

Though they don’t always agree with the amount of selfies you have on Instagram, they will always say “Yes” when you want to take one. All you have to do is ask nicely. Selfies don’t make them feel emasculated and that’s a quality of a real man.

10. You will love them forever. I mean forever.

And you will never want anyone else. But let me tell you that it never ends badly with Mexicans — a relationship with them always ends on a good note regardless of what you’ve been through. You might even be forced to tell them, “Please, don’t be too nice. I’m trying to move forward.”

They will obey by letting you be and not talking to you. But they will stay just the same. You will always be that special girl in their life. Which gets me to thinking, if they dated 10 girls, that means they have 10 special girls? Possibly. Mexicans are so full of love, they are always willing to share it.

This post originally appeared on A Journey of Wonders and has been re-published here with permission.

3456 Feet: Backcountry snowboarding

To fight one’s way hundreds of meters up a mountain for hours long only to ride down for a few seconds — that might just sound crazy to some people. For a snowboarder, it can be a way to take a first step against today’s environmental crisis.

Between the desire to achieve something and the actual accomplishment lies the pathway to get there. It may be short or long. For a snowboarder, this journey can mean 3,456 feet. It’s an apparently insignificant elevation difference, which is not realized in lightning speed by some resource-intensive machine. It’s an elevation difference that must be surmounted with one’s own strength. This is done quite consciously — to descend the mountain only one time, to summit only one time, and thereby feel and respect nature’s rhythm.

Ride Greener and Patagonia Snowboard Ambassador Sten Smola has been journeying to the Alps for over 15 years, using mainly public transportation, and summiting countless peaks on foot. He consciously refrains from flying around the world to chase the everlasting snow. In doing so, he makes his own very modest contribution not to further accelerate global warming.

This article originally appeared on Ride Greener and is republished here with permission.