Matador Network's Blog, page 2186

Read this before moving to Patagonia

Photo: Kien Nguyen-photography

Editor’s Note: Ava Brown is the daughter of Matador Contributing Editor Cathy Brown. They recently relocated from Michigan to El Bolsón in Argentine Patagonia.
1. Toilet paper can’t be flushed down the toilet.

Let’s just say that the plumbing in many places is ‘Argentine-style craftsmanship.’ Translation: sketchy and not very functional. So you are expected to wipe your butt and throw the toilet paper in an overflowing bucket with everyone else’s dirty toilet paper. Something about this just does not strike me as sanitary.

2. Peanut butter does not exist here.

And, no, dulce de leche is NOT a suitable alternative. Not even close.

3. This place is Hell on Earth for a germaphobe.

You are expected to kiss strangers on the cheek when saying hello or goodbye, and if you don’t do this you are considered to be a cold, rude brat. In a group situation there is sometimes a lineup of 20 people waiting to enthusiastically greet you with a big kiss and a hug. On top of that, everyone shares glasses, straws, even forks without thinking twice.

4. In school they teach how to inseminate sheep.

I know it’s Patagonia. I know this skill might come in handy if I were to plan on raising sheep someday. But I’m not. And I’m still a little traumatized.

5. As a girl in Argentine culture, you are not supposed to be good at soccer.

MACHISTA. Sorry, boys, but when I kick your butt on the fútbol field, shut your mouths and step up your game instead of not letting me play next time.

6. If you are vegetarian, something must be wrong with you.

Yes, I manage to still go on living without consuming an entire cow per week. Weird.

7. Dinner can start anywhere from 10pm to midnight.

If you are not a night owl, you will be starving come nighttime. If you eat dinner at 5 or 6pm, just call it a late lunch so you don’t confuse everyone.

8. Hitchhiking is a common form of transportation here.

Meaning you never know when you will arrive anywhere. Or if you will arrive. And, joy, sometimes you get to ride in the back of pickups alongside muddy farm animals and other random strangers, who, let’s remember, expect you to hug and kiss them.

9. Christmas is in summertime.

Coming from white winters in Michigan, everything about a summertime Christmas is wrong to me. And one Christmas we lived in a small community where all the kids got one present each. ONE. Not a tradition that this kid is super psyched to embrace.

10. Speaking of difficult-to-accept traditions — Argentine kids don’t get a tooth fairy.

They have “Raton Perez,” a mouse. Coming from the land of cute little fairies, there is something really unsettling about a mouse sneaking around your pillow at night.

11. The horror of having to wear the guardapolvo.

This is a fashionista’s nightmare. It’s basically a shapeless white science lab coat that kids are expected to wear to school. It’s bright white. It’s rural life in Patagonia (think: mud). It’s not rocket science to know that the two don’t mix very well.

* * *

On a more positive note, Patagonia’s not all bad:

12. Some bars and clubs here are open to ages 13 and up, and kids get home at dawn.

My friends get together and go out at 2 or 3am. This makes it a little tricky when my ‘conservative’ mom wants her 14-year-old daughter home by midnight, but we are trying to figure out how to compromise. And for those who want to get a head start on the nightlife, there are ‘matinees’ — tween clubs for ages 10-13 that usually go from 11pm to 2am. Can you imagine a 10-year-old kid from the US getting picked up at the club at 2am?

13. Amazing skiing awaits at Bariloche.

Any ski lover would have to appreciate the gorgeous views or Lago Nahuel Huapi and the near-perfect snow conditions.

14. It’s almost impossible to not stay in good shape in Patagonia.

Between organic food fresh from the garden, the complete lack of access to fast food, having to literally walk 3 km over the river and through the snow to get to anything, it’s pretty much effortless to be in great shape here.

15. There is a never-ending list of feriados.

The Argentines certainly like their holidays — any excuse to not work and to go have an asado with the neighbors! It seems like a few times a month at least there is no school for something. Some general’s birthday? No school. The anniversary of some general’s death? No school. Day honoring the people who clean the school? No school. Day honoring the people who cook at the school? Other separate day of no school.

16. I’ve learned to love the dolar blue.

Dolar blue. Oh, how I love those two words. I don’t understand the specific economic details of how it works or why. Honestly, I don’t really care. All I need to know is that when I come back from visiting the US with dollars, there is the official exchange rate (currently around 1 to 8). Then there is the dolar blue exchange rate where I can go to certain storefronts and currently get 1 to 15. There are definitely benefits of being bicultural and having access to US dollars…

On women's safety abroad

Photo: H.K Nilsen

I remember when I first realized that catcalling was a thing. I was 24, and I was meeting up with a friend at the bar. I got there a little before she did and was nursing my first beer when she walked into the bar looking pissed off.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“Ugh,” she said, “Some fucking creeps were shouting at me in the street.”

“Seriously?” I said, “What were they shouting?”

“Just shit about my hair,” she said. “Like ‘Hey red!’ and ‘Does the carpet match the drapes?’ and shit like that. Whatever, I’m used to it.”

“You’re what?” I said. “This happens regularly?”

She gave me a look. “Uh…yeah. Like every day.”

I was blown away. People did this? Did they think it was okay? More inexplicably, did they think it worked? Wait a minute, I thought — I suck with girls. Is this the secret? Just shout all the creepy things you can think of at them? “Does…does that ever work for them?” I asked.

“No, it doesn’t fucking work, Matt.”

I dropped it. For a while I didn’t totally believe it was normal — maybe redheads just brought out the creepers — but then I moved to the city, and it’s a thing. It’s a thing for every woman.

Men on women and travel

Female travelers have their own subgenre of travel writing, a genre covering a topic men never even need to think about: how to travel solo safe, and how to cut their risk of sexual assault. I’ve never had to worry about this. Sure, I’m a big, dumb-looking American, so I’ve been pickpocketed and robbed a number of times while traveling, but the precautions I’ve learned to take have nothing to do with my gender — all anyone ever wanted was my wallet. It’s never too much of a worry for me to travel by myself. I’m a big dude; I’m probably not anyone’s first choice for attacking. So it always staggers me a little bit to hear women talking about extra precautions they have to take against creepers or potential rapists.

The natural male stance regarding women and travel has two basic elements to it. The first is ignorance. This doesn’t mean we’re bad or shitty people, it’s just that we can go 24 years of our lives without realizing women get catcalled every day. That’s not my fault in any real sense — I just didn’t know because no one had told me.

The second element is the belief that travel is inherently more dangerous for women. While, to some extent, women need to worry about more potential threats when traveling than men do, this shouldn’t be the case, and it doesn’t need to be. There’s nothing in the natural order of things saying the world has to be more hostile to women than it is to men. This isn’t an unsolvable problem.

Most men I know are sympathetic to the ideas of feminism and gender equality, but they often feel threatened or offended by statements about the generalized “men.” It’s where the incredibly misguided but in most cases well-meaning #NotAllMen hashtag came from. From a desire to say, “But I don’t want to hurt women!”

In the travel world, this translates into offering advice to women on how best to protect themselves — which is silly because, chances are, they’ve thought infinitely more on the subject than most men have — and by being patronizingly protective of women travelers as if they’re our wards.

I’ve come up with two basic questions male travelers can ask themselves when it comes to the issue of female travelers, and hopefully they’re questions that can serve to help men talk about women and travel more constructively and less defensively.

Question #1: Is this an experience I’ve ever had to deal with?

One of the beautiful things about travel is that it’s an opportunity to hear about the lives and experiences of others who’ve led lives totally different from your own. This sentiment can extend across genders too, when talking to women travelers about their experiences.

In other words, if a woman is talking about her experiences with travel, it’s a good time to listen and learn, and not a great time to try to fix everything. You just can’t change your behavior if you don’t know what you’re doing wrong, and you can’t know what you’re doing wrong unless you’re willing to be thoughtful about it. Which brings us to:

Question #2: Am I at all a part of the problem?

This again isn’t an attempt to place the blame on you, but my guess is most men have, at some point or another, said or done something creepy towards women. I know I have. I was a teenage boy growing up in a conservative suburb, and the attitudes my clueless cadre of horny adolescent boys and I had towards women comprised a horrifying cocktail of superstition, ignorance, and misogyny. But unlike many other reprehensible behaviors children have, the skeezy behavior we little douches-in-training had towards women wasn’t frequently corrected by adults. The girls were on their own.

Eventually, a girl shouted at me that I was being a creep, and I was mortified. I felt a deep, lasting shame I still cringe at thinking about now, nearly 14 years later.

What she did by shouting at me, though, was to make me start looking at the way I was treating and talking to women, and to start asking myself if any of the stuff I said, which I considered harmless, was actually making female friends uncomfortable. It’s turned out to be incredibly useful.

All of which is to say, if forward-thinking men like ourselves want to try and be participants in the new Emma Watson age of feminism, change has to start at home. Sure, if a girl you’re traveling with asks you to walk back to the hostel with her at night because she’s uncomfortable, then do that, but the point of male feminism isn’t for “good” men to better protect women from “bad” men. Rather, it’s to rethink their own position in a world where the fight for equal rights for women is even necessary.

23 of the most colorful markets

I love visiting markets when I’m traveling. It was at my local market in Martinique that I mastered buying the juiciest mangoes; in Spain, I learned to make a proper paella.

But it’s the colors that are my most vivid memories — from fuchsia and white pitaya to burgundy chilies, from golden yellow pineapple to gleaming silver fish, it feels like walking into a kaleidoscope. Markets are places so full of life it’s easy to become enchanted.

1. Devaraja Market, Mysore, India

Photo: iolanda

The vibrant colors of the pots of paint are themselves an attraction at this market.

2. Castries Market, St Lucia

Photos clockwise from bottom left: Meng He, Meng He, …your local connection, Meng He

When I visited Castries Market, it wasn’t the colorful spices that stood out to me. I loved the madras patterns which I’ve come to associate with my time in the Caribbean.

3. Columbia Road Flower Market, London

Photo: Aurelien Guichard

The flowers aren’t the only reason to visit this east London market — cafés, buskers, and street art make it a great lazy Sunday location.

4. St. Lawrence Market, Toronto

Photos clockwise from bottom left: Ganmed64, Colin Campbell, Robbie, Manila B

This downtown Toronto market is more than 200 years old — opened before Toronto was the city it’s known as today.

5. Chandni Chowk, Delhi

Photos clockwise from bottom left: Dinudey Baidya, Meena Kadri, Andreea Chelaru, rajkumar1220

Narrow lanes and authentic Indian food makes this one of the most popular markets in the region.

6. Chatuchak Weekend Market, Bangkok

Photo: farflungistan

If you’re looking for an eye into local life in Bangkok, Chatuchak Weekend Market provides 35 acres of opportunities.

7. Jemaa el-Fnaa, Marrakech

Photo: Evan Bench

It isn’t just the food that adds color at Jemaa el-Fnaa — the 1,000 year-old night halqa (street theater) is a sight to see too.

8. City Market, Bangalore, India

Photo: Nicolas Mirguet

Bangalore is considered one of the world’s up-and-coming tech cities so it’s no surprise City Market was the first building in India to get electricity.

9. Rialto Market, Venice

Photos clockwise from bottom left: David Sifry, Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble, Eric Parker, Context Travel

Visiting this market early in the morning means you’ll avoid the meandering tourists and see all the fishermen floating up on barges delivering fresh fish.

10. Mercado Ver-o-peso, Belém, Brazil

Photo: Luciana Christante

Fish and produce fresh from the Amazon — enough said.

11. Souk al-Madina, Aleppo, Syria

Photo: Toni Yammine

Let’s just take a moment to remember the Silk Road souk — a cultural casualty of Syria’s Civil War.

12. Pike Place Market, Seattle

Photo: NH567

I took a positive psychology course in university and we watched the clips of Pike Place Fish & Co. because the staff there have joie de vivre we should aspire to.

13. Grand Bazaar, Istanbul

Photo: Pedro Szekely

Soak in all the colors of and sounds of one of the oldest markets in the world.

14. Great Market Hall, Budapest

Photo: Richard Ricciardi

One of the greatest discoveries I made in Budapest was at Great Market Hall on the Pest side of the city. The Hungarian lángos is indulgent but amazing.

15. Marché aux Epices, Guadeloupe

Photo: Keyne Charlot

Gwada (Guadeloupe in Créole) has a lot of markets to choose from, but this one is perfect for buying a variety of Caribbean spices and treats.

16. Mercado Feria Fluvial de Valdivia, Chile

Photos clockwise from bottom left: Alvaro Herrera, m.sanhuezacelsi, Rodrigo, SAIF*ANU

The coolest part about this market is the sea lions coming ashore to feed on scraps from the fish market.

17. Otavalo Market, Ecuador

Photo: SaraYeomans

It’s a couple hours away from Quito, but you’ll find authentically colorful local crafts here.

18. St. Lucia Market, South Africa

Photo: Decaseconds

Enjoy a local braai lunch and pick up some souvenirs at the market in this coastal town.

19. Cours Saleya, Nice, France

Photos clockwise from bottom left: Sébastien Mespoulhé, Rodrigo Martins, Patrico-06, Pranav Bhatt

Everyday is different at Cours Saleya — one day it’s a food market and the next it’s a ‘rummage-through-our-bric-a-brac-items’ market.

20. La Boqueria, Barcelona

Photo: Seba Sofariu

La Boqueria market in Barcelona is a main tourist haunt, but you’ll find it’s one of the few places where locals and visitors collide.

21. Leeds Kirkgate Market, UK

Photo: Dan

London isn’t the only place with great markets in the UK. Leeds Market was an open-air market until 1850 when they began building the ornate exterior that stands today.

22. Plaza Caracol, Cancun

Photo: jerowee

If you like the challenge of haggling, Plaza Caracol will be an exciting place to find a bargain.

23. Kensington Market, Toronto

Photo: Kevin

This place is a Torontonian’s version of east London — it’s full of hippies, ganja cafés, and seriously eclectic clothing stores.

Being a solo female traveler

Photo: trageds

1. It’s fucking empowering. Any time you do something on your own, despite what the haters might think, you’re empowering yourself. This is especially pertinent for solo female travelers, who deal with all kinds of negative energy and commentary that might otherwise dissuade them from traveling. So long as we don’t let the naysayers get in the way, the experience of traveling as an independent female is about the most awesome feeling you can have.

2. It’s something to brag about. Hell yes you hiked the Sierra High Route on your own — and it was no big deal.

3. It helps promote the image of a strong woman. You’re a walking billboard for female empowerment. When others say it’s unsafe for a woman to travel on her own, you smile and show them photos from your recent solo trip to New Delhi.

4. You can do whatever you want, whenever you want. Volunteer with a women’s microenterprise group in Ghana? Spend the afternoon shopping at the Siam Paragon in Bangkok? No one’s there to tell you the way you spend your time is boring, annoying, complicated, frivolous, touristy, or too “girly” (what does that even mean, anyway?).

5. You can have sex with whoever you want. You can let your inhibitions go, especially because you don’t have to see any of your romantic prospects ever again if you don’t want to. You can practice your flirting with total strangers. You can become romantically involved with no strings attached.

6. You don’t have to have sex with anyone. No one’s there to pressure you into starting a family and settling down. In fact, it’s awesome to go somewhere and just enjoy being in love with yourself.

7. You’ll form special bonds with the people you meet on the road. Sometimes we hide behind our other travel partners, seeking familiarity over getting to know new people. But the friends we make on our own abroad are a super special bunch.

More like this 8 questions solo female travelers are sick of hearing

8. You’re proof that other people aren’t necessary in order to have a great trip. Some people can’t comprehend the fact that solo female travelers are able to enjoy themselves without friends, family, or boyfriends/girlfriends, but you still had a baller time club-hopping around New York City without people tagging along.

9. You don’t have to worry about makeup/fashion. The media puts so much pressure on women to “look good,” but the same standards of beauty don’t necessarily translate abroad. The people you meet while traveling are getting to know you for the first time and don’t know what you look like otherwise anyway.

10. You’re an active part of breaking down stereotypes. The more women travel on their own, the less other people will think it’s so strange. You’re able to prove that women aren’t weak, dependent creatures who can’t fend for themselves in this “big, scary world.”

11. You’re intriguing. Nothing’s sexier than a woman who takes control of her life and has the guts to backpack through Nepal, on her own.

12. You don’t have to deal with man farts. Or burps. Or the other (sometimes) stupid things guys do when they travel, like not asking for directions.

13. You know that being alone doesn’t mean you’re lonely. Sometimes you need to be alone, in order to figure out other aspects of your life — what you like, who you like, what you want to do with your life, etc.

14. Your confidence rocks. You’re not phased by the garbage the media puts out about women’s body issues, traditional roles in society, and “damsel in distress” attitudes. Every time you’re able to do something independently, your self-esteem grows.

15. You don’t have to deal with shitty travel friends. Traveling with people who possess varying degrees of comfort, lifestyle, budget, and opinion can be maddening. But traveling as a solo female traveler means you don’t have to worry about overly critical friends who judge you for not wearing a bra, only want to sleep in hotels, or who don’t “do” street-meat cuisine.

16. Your experiences are completely your own. You’re in control of how this trip plays out. You’re taking the risks, and you don’t have to worry about how your travel choices will affect other people you’d be traveling with otherwise.

17. You get to experience what it’s like to be a woman in a different place. Seeing how women are treated, what they wear, how they have fun, and other aspects of female life is a way to raise awareness about women’s issues around the world. You’ve experienced it firsthand but were also able to participate in events that honor females, like making Theobrma cacao with women of the Bribri tribe in Costa Rica.

18. You spread the word of Girl Power and are an example of feminism. You’re proof that women deserve the same equal treatment and experiences as men because they’re capable of (and entitled to) doing the same things men enjoy. If guys aren’t given any shit for traveling on their own, women shouldn’t be either.

19. You gain a ton of perspective. Seeing a world that’s different from your own is super important. The takeaways you’ll bring back home are ways you can not only improve upon your own life but the lives of others.

20. It changes you for the better. Anytime you step out of your comfort zone, you learn something new — about yourself, about society, and more. No one’s ever traveled abroad and become a total bitch as a result.

21. You become empowered from your own mistakes. While it might be scary at the time, a tough situation makes solo female travelers stronger every time. You’ll never again forget to pack extra tampons while on an overnight safari camping trip in Namibia. You’re more aware of your surroundings after getting mugged in Cairo.

22. Dining alone doesn’t phase you. It’s one of the few times you get to relax and recoup from an otherwise busy day of travel. Bonus points if you’re beyond the point of hiding behind a book or cell phone.

23. You learn a lot about trust. You learn how to trust others — not just the people you’ll interact with but also the people you love back home. You also learn how to trust yourself, your instincts, and your ability to rock it as a solo female traveler.

24. You’re a total badass. Duh.

25. You’re an inspiration for girls and women of all ages. You plant the seed of empowerment every time you talk to another female about the awesome things you’ve done abroad, on your own.

26. You’re proof that you don’t need a man (or anyone else) to survive in the world. Eff dependency. You rock the travel world on your own.

What Americans can learn from Ohio

Image by MarkyBon

OHIO IS A RELATIVELY QUIET, unassuming state. It doesn’t make it into the national news all that much unless it’s football season or election season, and while the state does have a vibrant culture, unlike those of the coastal states, it tends to be a softer-spoken Midwestern culture.

Because of this polite Midwestern-ness, Ohioans may not speak up as loudly as they ought to on important issues, but there’s a lot that other Americans can learn from the great state of Ohio.

1. It pays to be indecisive.

Everyone always talks about electoral indecision as if it’s a bad thing. What those people don’t realize is this: no one panders to someone who has already made up their mind.

2. If you love him, let him go.

He’ll be super shitty when he leaves for someplace warmer, but then he won’t win all the championships he wanted and will come grovelling back to you in the exact way you always fantasized he would.

3. Diversify your portfolio.

Seriously, investing all of your town’s money in a single manufacturing industry is not going to pay off in the long run. Trust us.

4. If you can’t get the best musical acts to stop in your city, just build a Hall of Fame that serves as a giant monument to their egos.

They’ll suddenly be much more interested in dropping in. Seriously though, could someone else take the Hall of Fame? We can’t get Bono to leave.

5. The best waterfronts are on lakes and rivers.

In 100 years, when Florida and New Jersey are underwater, our shorefront property values are going to be skyrocketing. Also, it’s way easier to waterski on smooth water.

6. One of the best ways to get an employee to perform better is to give them a lot more money.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton in 2013? Kinda sucked ass. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton in 2014 after we dumped $115 million dollars on him? Kinda awesome.

7. Just because your neighbor is doing something doesn’t mean you should do it, too.

Especially if the thing your neighbor is doing is owning slaves.

8. Invest in the sciences.

It’ll pay off, and the world will have you to thank for things like the light bulb, the airplane, and the first man on the moon.

9. You can never have too much corn.

Corn is always good. So long as you have enough toothpicks.

10. It’s better to be appointed than elected.

Ask the only president, William Howard Taft — one of Ohio’s eight — to also serve as a Supreme Court Justice. Taft much preferred the judgeship. He also preferred plus-size bathtubs (after getting stuck in the White House bathtub), thus paving the way for the modern jacuzzi. Again: You’re welcome, world.

11. If you call something by the wrong name long enough, it becomes the right name.

Cincinnati chili is not, by many definitions, chili. Sure, it has meat and (sometimes) chili powder in it, but it could just as easily be defined as a bolognese or a ragu, and it isn’t really served like every other type of chili is served. But Cincinnatians insisted on calling it chili, and now Cincinnati chili is its own thing. Persistence pays.

12. Just bite the bullet and invest in public transportation.

Please. Our cities are more suburb than city, and we spend half of our goddamn lives sitting in interstate traffic jams. Just make the initial investment now and enjoy its benefits later.

13. Public shaming is still a totally viable method of criminal punishment.

In Ohio, if you get a DUI, you usually get the normal punishments — jail time, fines, loss of your license — but once you get your license back, you get bright yellow license plates with red lettering for a period of time. These scarlet letter plates (or “party plates” as they’ve come to be known) are really just a way of shaming you to everyone else on the road. What’s most surprising is how many you actually see out on the road.

14. Don’t ever tie your self worth to a sports team.

It’s a path that leads only occasionally to happiness and frequently to heartbreak.

15. Take care of your environment, because it’s totally possible for a river to catch on fire.

The Cuyahoga River was so polluted that it caught on fire on 13 separate occasions. Fortunately, the river has since undergone serious cleaning efforts, and it has since become less polluted. It hasn’t even caught on fire in 45 years.

10 cultural events in New Mexico

1. Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

When: October

Where: Albuquerque

Photo: a4gpa

Photo courtesy of New Mexico Tourism

Photo courtesy of New Mexico Tourism

Plenty of superlatives are (justifiably) thrown around to describe the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, but the most powerful is this: It’s the “most photographed event in the world.” Check out their Instagram to see why.

One of my most vivid childhood memories is of standing in a field on the outskirts of Albuquerque at dusk, breath misting into the October air, watching as the bright glow of hundreds of flames lifted flocks of colorful bubbles into the air. Yes, it’s the “largest ballooning event on Earth.” Yes, it’s the “largest annual international event held in the United States.” But all that aside, all you really need to know is: It is one hell of a beautiful sight, and one you won’t soon forget.

2. Hatch Chile Festival

When: August

Where: Hatch

Photo courtesy of New Mexico Tourism

Photo courtesy of New Mexico Tourism

Photo courtesy of New Mexico Tourism

There’s one thing the small town of Hatch, NM, located in a fertile agricultural valley of the Rio Grande, is known for. And if you really want to learn what it’s all about, plan a visit during their annual Hatch Chile Festival in late summer.

The terroir of the region contributes to the Hatch chile’s unique flavor profile, and the crop is shipped all over the world every harvest season, including to many US grocery stores. At the festival, you’ll get to sample classic dishes that feature the chile as an ingredient, and of course grab a plate of rotisserie-roasted peppers to eat on their own.

3. Santa Fe Opera

When: Summer

Where: Santa Fe

Photo courtesy of New Mexico Tourism

Photo courtesy of New Mexico Tourism

Photo courtesy of New Mexico Tourism

It’s impossible to miss the Santa Fe Opera‘s Crosby Theatre as you’re driving into town from the north; its astronomical architecture peeks over the top of a mesa just west of Highway 285. The structure is open air, giving the audience phenomenal sunset views out over the characteristically spare New Mexican terrain.

The opera season runs from June or July through August — 2015 will see five productions from July 3 to August 29. Performances are often preceded by talks in the adjacent orchestra hall, and tours of the theater and property are offered in the summer as well.

4. Roswell UFO Festival

When: July

Where: Roswell

Photos courtesy of New Mexico Tourism

Roswell bombards visitors with little green men at all times of year, making the most of that infamous story of the UFO that allegedly crashed near the city in 1947. But the extraterrestrial extravaganza rises to a fever pitch during the Roswell UFO Festival in July. Stop by for costume contests, an art-car parade, a 5k/10k run, and a whole bunch of other activities that would be excellent to take the kids to.

5. Santa Fe Indian Market

When: August (Summer Market) and November (Winter Market)

Where: Santa Fe

Photo courtesy of New Mexico Tourism

Of all the events on this list, the Santa Fe Indian Market may be the one that best distills the essence of what makes New Mexico special.

Each August, 175,000 people converge on Santa Fe Plaza, a public space created in the Spanish colonial style when the city was founded way back in 1610. Here, more than 1,000 Native American artists representing cultures from around New Mexico, the Southwest, and the country at large showcase their work in what’s considered the largest event of its kind anywhere.

Visitors to Santa Fe anytime of year will probably explore the plaza and do some shopping, but if you can make it during the Indian Market in August (or the smaller winter iteration in late November), you’ll no doubt be leaving with a truly remarkable memento of your time in New Mexico. And note: The market is only the climax of a weeklong festival that includes film screenings, live music, lectures and workshops, and artist award ceremonies.

6. Santa Fe Spanish Market

When: July

Where: Santa Fe

Photo: Artotem

While the Indian Market might be the biggest event to hit Santa Fe Plaza, New Mexico’s other cultural wellspring isn’t left out. There are few places in the US with a stronger Hispanic heritage, and the Santa Fe Spanish Market provides an excellent window into this element of modern New Mexican culture.

As with the Indian Market, you’ll find hundreds of artists displaying, creating, and selling work, along with several days’ worth of related cultural events. The Spanish Market is organized by the Spanish Colonial Arts Society, who also operate the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art on Museum Hill in Santa Fe. A Winter Spanish Market takes place in late November in Albuquerque.

7. Taos Winter Wine Festival

When: January

Where: Taos

Photo: mattmangum

This entry stands out from the other events on this list and is a welcome reminder that New Mexico is home to excellent skiing and some pretty solid wines. Find both at the Taos Winter Wine Festival in January. You can carve tracks down one of America’s premier ski mountains during the day and then class up your apres with tastings of the state’s finest vintages and paired gourmet dinners.

8. Gathering of Nations Pow Wow

When: April

Where: Albuquerque

Photo courtesy of New Mexico Tourism

Most modern Americans are so removed from the cultures and lives of the original Americans. There’s a remedy for that, though, and it involves exposure, education, and connection. Albuquerque’s annual Gathering of Nations Pow Wow — one of the largest meetings of Native community members in North America — is a great place to start.

The event is open to the public and features music and dance performances and competitions, an artisan market and street fair, and all kinds of great food. The best part: Gathering is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to preserve and propagate traditions and provide scholarships for Native students.

9. Whole Enchilada Fiesta

When: September

Where: Las Cruces

Photo courtesy of New Mexico Tourism

The greatest food item ever invented (in this writer’s humble opinion) most certainly deserves its own festival, and the southern New Mexican city of Las Cruces delivers with the Whole Enchilada Festival. The name comes from the event’s central happening, the creation each year of the Guinness World Record-certified “world’s largest enchilada.” Here are the ingredients of said enchilada, according to the festival website:

750 lb. of stone ground corn to make the Masa tortillas
175 gallons of vegetable oil, heated to cook the tortillas
75 gallons of red chile sauce
175 lb. of grated cheese
50 lb. chopped onions
48 heads of lettuce, chopped
2 boxes of tomatoes, sliced

One day I will enter the Enchilada Eating Contest. And I will win.

10. Santa Fe International Folk Art Market

When: July

Where: Santa Fe

Photo courtesy of New Mexico Tourism

Photo courtesy of New Mexico Tourism

Photo courtesy of New Mexico Tourism

Held around the same general time as the Indian and Spanish Markets, the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market steps beyond the rich cultural heritage of New Mexico to showcase artistic traditions from all over the world. Eighty-seven countries have been represented by attending artists since 2004, including some whose folk art you’ve likely never seen or even imagined: South Sudan and Vanuatu, for example. It’s just one of many reasons why Santa Fe has been designated a UNESCO City of Folk Art.

This post is proudly produced in partnership with the New Mexico Tourism Department. Check out the New Mexico True Stories video series and find your true New Mexico experience.

When it's your birthday in Germany

Photo: Jonas Bodenhöfer

1. No one mentions your birthday until it’s your birthday.

In Germany, mentioning someone’s birthday before the date is considered bad luck. If your German friends are nice enough to give you a birthday present, don’t open it until your actual day. Or at least don’t tell them you opened it before your actual day.

If you’re sending someone a gift, make sure to write “GEBURTSTAG” in all-caps, red-alert style, so they don’t inadvertently open it a few days early and bring unknown horrors upon themselves.

2. You buy your own cake.

Given how silent everyone is pre-birthday, you may be tempted to drift right through the day unnoticed. Particularly if you’re at work, things will get awkward around the early afternoon when everyone expects a cake and you don’t deliver. In Germany, this custom is referred to as einen ausgeben.

If your coworker drops by to wish you “Alles Gutes zum Geburtstag” (all the best for your birthday), the jig is up. You’re going to need to get that cake. Stall for time by requesting a pre-cake cigarette to ponder your advancing age and eventual doom. Everyone in Germany smokes and is a little morbid, so this won’t seem too out of the ordinary. Sprint out the door to the nearest bakery, buy the first Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (black forest cherry cake) you see, and throw it on the office coffee table before anyone catches on.

3. You organize (and pay for) your own party.

There are pros and cons to this one. Cons first. 1. Party planning is annoying. 2. Buying food and drink for all your friends is a lot of money. And 3. It’s your damn birthday! Aren’t people supposed to be celebrating you?!

On the positive side, you get to have total control over what you do on your birthday and who celebrates with you — no randoms invited.

4. Your celebration seems to personally offend every German in sight, even the ones who are participating in it.

Get used to that prickly, “I’m-being-watched” feeling, because more often than not, your German neighbor/fellow tram passenger/coworker is expressionlessly, dispassionately observing your every move. It’s such a startling thing for most outsiders that the German Der Spiegel, one of the largest publications in Europe, wrote a whole article about the phenomenon.

So don’t let the ocular pat-down worry you, that’s just how they do it in Germany.

5. If you’re single and turning 30, you are forced to advertise your housekeeping skills.

As a last-ditch attempt to save you from unmarried oldsterdom, your friends will have you do some very public (and possibly drunken) chores to let all the other single ladies and sirs know you’re skilled and available.

If you’re a guy, your friends will find a messy staircase for you to sweep. Women will be required to clean doorknobs with a toothbrush. When potential soulmates cruise by, they’ll get to admire the goods and evaluate your housekeeping skills all at once. Chores can be reduced if you’re willing to trade a few kisses.

6. If you’re a kid, you get a break.

Kids get to enjoy some much-needed R&R on their birthdays. They don’t have any chores or homework on that day, so they’re free to chill out and catch up on some reading.

For German kids, the birthday candles don’t go on their cake. Instead, each child has a fancy wooden wreath holding a candle for each year up to age 12 (plus one in the middle for good luck). This wreath sits on the family’s dining room table on the child’s birthday.

7. You have an awesome time.

Beer, cake, no homework, and friends who can be tricked into making out with you? Sounds pretty fantastic. As the 94-year-old man who busted out of a Munich hospital to head to a beer hall on his Geburtstag could tell you, Germans are serious about birthdays.

13 phrases only Mexicans understand

Photo: Eneas De Troya

1. “¡Ya nos cayó el chahuiztle!”

Literally: “The chahuiztle is upon us!”

Sounds like a bad omen, right? Well, it is. Chahuiztle is the generic name for some parasites (especially fungi) that infest commercially important crops. The phrase implies that our problems are going from bad to worse and everything will soon go to hell. Some people misspell the phrase as “¡Ya nos cargó el chahuiztle!” which literally means “The chahuiztle is carrying us!” This second phrase is evidently wrong since fungi do not have arms to carry people around. There are, however, some creepy characters that can (metaphorically) carry us to our demise, like the infamous Coco or the Clown.

2. “¡Le andas dando vuelo a la hilacha!”

Literally: “You’re letting the rag fly!”

Living as if there were no tomorrow is the meaning behind this strange metaphor. The rag represents your favorite source of pleasure or the one that’s most available at any given time. Letting it fly implies that you’re getting the best out of it.

3. “¿Te doy un aventón al metro?”

Literally: “Want me to push you into the subway?”

No, it doesn’t have anything to do with euthanasia or anything of this sort. We are just kindly offering you a ride to the closest metro station. No need to panic.

4. “Tu cuate el fresa me cae bien gordo.”

Literally: “Your strawberry friend is falling very fat on me.”

Quite a complicated sentence, but a good example of the amount of figurative speech commonly used in Mexico. Fresa (strawberry) refers to a snobby or posh person; the verb fall is not to be taken literally, it is used to express how we like someone; finally, gordo (fat) is indicating that we don’t like that someone at all. So, after solving the puzzle we end up with something like: I can’t stand that snobby friend of yours!

5. “¡Ya, afloja!”

Literally: “Loosen up!”

This one’s not as simple as it looks. When we tell someone to loosen up, we are not directly addressing the person but to one of their possessions. We use this phrase to ask for something borrowed, to reclaim a debt, and to beg for sex. Everything depends on the context! But beware, if a complete stranger approaches you with this phrase…well, then you’re probably being mugged.

6. “Amárrate esas pinches agujetas que te vas a dar un ranazo.”

Literally: “Tie those fucking agujetas if you don’t want to get the big frog.”

Quite a funny phrase and pretty much unintelligible. First off, nobody uses the word agujetas outside Mexico. It refers to shoelaces and, admittedly, it’s a hilarious word. The second funny thing here is the word ranazo (big frog). In Mexico, we love superlatives and sometimes we use them in odd ways. Here the superlative is used to make reference to a collision (between the guy with the untied shoelaces and, most probably, the floor). How did an amphibian get involved in this situation? I have no fucking idea!

7. “Fui a chacharear un rato.”

Literally: “I went out to chacharear for a while.”

Chacharear is a verb with a very specific meaning: useless merchandise that’s normally quite cheap (cheap souvenirs are perfect examples) and chacharear is the act of going out and spending time looking at chacharas. It doesn’t imply buying them, just looking at them. This activity is a Mexican favorite when we go on vacations.

8. “Me quedé echando la hueva todo el día.”

Literally: “I stayed here expelling the egg the whole day.”

Eggs can symbolize either bravery, testicles, or laziness. The phrase we have here is clearly an example of the latter. The egg or the laziness is continuously expelled by the person possessed by it in an effort to construct an empire of sloth. Quite inviting I must say…

9. “¡Sepa la bola!”

Literally: “May the ball know!”

This phrase could be easily replaced with a simple I don’t know, but we Mexicans love overcomplicating expressions. Despite some hypothesis that pretend to justify the expression (la bola surely makes reference to the unruly masses during the Mexican Revolution), we have to admit it’s kind of freaky. But don’t worry, we don’t really believe there is an all-knowing entity known as The Ball whose infinite wisdom must be acknowledged at every possible occasion.

10. “Mi bici no es nueva pero da el gatazo.”

Literally: “My bike isn’t new but it gives the big cat.”

Another strange use of a superlative. But this time there is no cat-bike collision, nor any other accident. Dar el gatazo (to give the big cat) is an expression that simply implies maintaining appearances.

11. “Me hace lo que el viento a Juárez.”

Literally: “Gives me the same trouble as the wind gave Juarez.”

This phrase has every element to become a classic: it has natural forces, historical figures (Benito Juarez is a famous ex-president) and has an uncertain origin, even though every Mexican knows exactly what it means. There are a lot of theories trying to justify the victory of Juarez against the wind, but none of them is recognized as an absolute truth. I think that the phrase refers to Juarez’s hairdo, which could withstand a hurricane without the slightest. You can tell the guy put some serious attention in that hair.

12. “¡Rífate por la banda!”

Literally: “Raffle yourself for the band!”

This expression has elements of gambling and football, but refers to neither. Quite a common phrase between friends (the band) to convince one of its members to make an extra effort (to raffle oneself) for the sake of the common good or for the sake of the speaker. Raffling yourself means going above and beyond for your friends, like picking them up late at night or joining them at a boring family reunion.

13. “Ahí nos vidrios.”

Literally: “There us glass.”

No sense at all, right? Well, all it means is see you later guys — Ahí nos vidrios!

Adventures in northern Nicaragua

In early September, I had the chance to hook up with northern Nicaragua ecotourism company Green Pathways to explore remote destinations in the northern section of Central America’s biggest country.

Many people come to this part of the country for surfing, but I quickly found out how many other adventures are possible in the area. Despite being the second-poorest country in the Americas, Nicaragua is touted as one of the safest, and I felt welcomed by everyone I met.

Ben’s trip was sponsored by Green Pathways, Hotel Azul, Livit Water, Hotel Chacletas, and Bigfoot Volcano Boarding. All photos by author.

1

Be prepared for the ride of your life down Cerro Negro.

Volcano boarding is probably the newest extreme sport in the Americas, with people flocking from around the world to climb the 721-meter summit of Cerro Negro to ride a custom-made volcano board down.

2

Volcano boarding starts with a scenic hike up Cerro Negro.

Besides surfing, volcano boarding is the most popular activity in northern Nicaragua. Hopefully you travel to this part of the country for remote and undiscovered adventures, but volcano boarding is well worth a morning. It takes about 45 minutes to walk up and enjoy the views from Cerro Negro and that makes the adrenaline-filled ride down even more worth it.

3

Volcanoes dominate the skyline in Nicaragua.

With 19 active volcanoes and the largest body of fresh water in Central America it is easy to see why Nicaragua is called the land of lakes and volcanoes. This volcano chain makes up part of the ring of fire that stretches in a semicircle from New Zealand to Japan and Alaska and down the Pacific coast to the southern tip of Chile.

Intermission





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4

The shower afterward is also quite rewarding.

We were given large orange, inmate-like suits and a pair of goggles to protect us from the fine volcanic dust that makes up the cinder cone volcano, but we all came out of it covered with a healthy coating of black dirt. It was worn like a washable battle scar to prove that you’ve accomplished what CNN has ranked as the number two adventure on any thrill seeker’s bucket list. It does take several showers to get it out of your hair.

5

You can see glowing lava inside the Telica volcano.

Telica is one of the more active volcanoes in Nicaragua. It is also one of the easier ones to access for lava viewing. After a short hike through the forest and across one of Telica’s extinct craters, which is now a lake and meadow, we climbed to the rim of the volcano in anticipation of seeing the glowing lava below.

6

As the gases clear and the evening light darkens, lava comes into view.

The visible lava inside the crater is always changing, so on this trip we had to wait for the volcanic gases to thin enough to get views of the lava a few hundred meters below. With the heat and constant hissing and popping sounds it felt as if we were standing on a living creature, essentially we were—a reminder that the earth is living.

7

Somoto Canyon cuts through the drier landscape on the northern border of Nicaragua.

Somoto Canyon, close to the border with Honduras, wasn’t “discovered” (by non-locals) until 2003 when two Czech geologists came to study the unique rock formations in the canyon. They told the local Nicaraguans that this amazing canyon is something that people would want to travel to and swim and hike through. Today most of the visitors come from within Nicaragua.

8

Floating through Somoto Canyon is a refreshing break from the heat of Nicaragua.

More than a decade later tourism is still in its infancy so you will probably be the only traveler in the canyon, which allows for a peaceful adventure. With a lifejacket and dry bag in hand you’ll hike through the drier parts of the canyon and float down the Rio Coco—the longest in Central America—with 200+ meter walls rising above you.

9

Agave grow on the rim of Somoto Canyon.

My local guide, Osman, spent the first 20 years of his life living in the canyon and swam and fished in it on a daily basis. This is how he knows were all the underwater rocks are so he’ll tell you exactly when you need to lie flat as you float through a shallow rapid to avoid a rocky collision. He began giving tours on a “pay what you want” basis and after a pair of tourists gave him a tomato and a banana in return for an all-day tour he decided he needed to get serious about his guiding business and is now a certified guide.

Intermission




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10

Outfitters rent paddle boards on the Pacific coast.

Many people come to northern Nicaragua for the great surf, but the water-based activities are endless along the Pacific coast. Stand up paddle boarding has become popular around the world, but only recently arrived in Nicaragua. With warm water, beautiful coastline, and water conditions that vary from totally flat to world-class surf breaks, this is a great place for your first paddle-boarding experience or to test your expert skills.

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Nicaragua’s volcanoes backdrop a sunny day of paddleboarding.

While surfing is very condition-dependent—paddle boarding can be done in any type of water so the possibility of exploring new waters increases. We left the port of Corinto and headed out a sandy beach on the small island of Castañones for lunch and more paddle boarding in the calm water of the bay. Just next door is the island of Cardon where the famous poet Rubén Darío spent some of his life.

12

You can go on a fishing tour out of Aserradores...

Many of the local people in Aserradores fish for a living in their small boats and sell the fish to local markets and restaurants late in the morning. If you look on a map you might be hard pressed to find the community of Aserradores, but that makes it worth the visit. Fishing just off the coast provides opportunity to catch mackerel, snook, and roosterfish. Jack fish and mahi mahi are found further out into the ocean.

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...and eat fresh mackerel for lunch.

After a slow morning on the water Noel, the boat captain, suddenly perked up and started reeling in one of the rods that had a lure in the water. I hadn’t noticed the subtle movement of the fishing rod. He reeled in a small mackerel—a beautiful fish. And two hours later the fish was sitting next to rice, beans, and fried plantains on our plates. It might have been the best fish I’ve ever eaten.

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There's also good kayaking near the village of Aserradores.

Kayaking is another one of the newer sports to Nicaragua. There are a few areas along the coast to paddle through the calm waters of the mangrove forests that are inhabited by a variety of birds, fish, and colorful crabs that hide along tree branches.

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New tunnels open up in the mangrove forest as the tide recedes.

While paddling into the protected estuaries, we encountered two types of mangrove trees—red and black. The red mangroves sprout new trees from a pea pod that has tiny roots and leaves barely poking out. These pods will float for days to months at a time before finally taking root in the mud to create a new tree. And the black mangrove that sprouts by spreading it’s root system and sprouting up from the ground. Both trees have a few yellow leaves, which are sacrificed by the tree to release the excess salt absorbed by the ocean water in which they live.

16

The Chinandega area sees frequent lightning storms.

Although September is still in the middle of the wet season, it rained mostly at night, leaving the days beautiful and warm. Each evening clouds would roll in and every few seconds lightning lit up the clouds in a display that rivaled any fireworks show on earth. These storms are themselves a scenic destination in Nicaragua.

The 5 best countries for vegetarians

Photo: என்த்து பட்டாணி!

When I was 20, I made the decision to become a vegetarian. How hard could it be? I’d just, you know, stop eating the flesh of innocent creatures. My diet choice could have been a walk in the park, except for the fact that I was living in France, where opting for vegetarianism is like blasphemy. You’ll be punished for your offence to the holy culinary traditions for the rest of your life.

“So, what are you going to eat now?” were my mother’s encouraging words.

Me: “It’s not like you only eat meat and fish. What about the green bits on the side?”

That’s exactly what you get when you’re a vegetarian in France: the green bits on the side. Luckily, there are other countries in the world where living a cruelty-free life is a whole lot easier and tastier.

1. India

Probably a vegetarian’s safest bet when it comes to traveling. In 2007, the Food and Agriculture Organizations of the United Nations ranked India the lowest consumer of meat in the world (3.2kg per person per year, about 120kg less than the US), and even though the consumption of meat in India is on the rise, you still won’t have to worry about finding delicious meat-free food as 42% of the Indian population is vegetarian.

Vegetarianism is deeply rooted in culture and religion; Hindus and Jains who represent more than of 80% of the population, often do not eat eggs or consume dairy products, so even vegans can roam the subcontinent worry-free.

Go and get yourself some pindi chana or aloo ghobi — your karma will be clear and your taste buds grateful.

2. Ethiopia

Most Ethiopians belong to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, which prescribes meat-free Wednesdays and Fridays as well as long periods of vegetarian fasting. Vegetarian food is therefore widely available, and no one will cringe when you mention your diet preferences (in France, they cringe and roll their eyes).

You’ll be served the unavoidable injera (a crepe made of teff customarily used to pick up the food from your plate), lentils, peas, and bean dishes, all likely to be spiced with the traditional Ethiopian berbere sauce. This translates as a loud “Yay! Let’s go to Ethiopia!” for any vegetarian traveler who might have held back for fear of only eating plantain and cassava.

3. Israel

A vegan craze has swept over Israel in the past few years. We knew about the beauty of hummus and the decadence of falafel, but this culinary revolution opens up the wonders of Israeli cuisine to all of us.

As of January 2014, there were 200,000 vegans in Israel out of a population of 8 million. Vegan restaurants and animal-free options have been growing like mushrooms (likely portobello mushrooms); even Domino’s followed the Israeli trend by launching its very first vegan pizza in December 2013. Tel Aviv seems to be the city with the most choices, but according to Happy Cow you should be able to find good vegan food all over Israel.

Photos clockwise from bottom left:
tiny banquet committee, Or Hiltch, Christina Xu, su-lin, Thomas Cizauskas

4. Jamaica

Most people belonging to the Rastafari movement follow the ital diet, a strict vegetarian — often vegan — way of eating. Even though Rastafarians represent only 8 to 10% of the population of Jamaica, their presence, and the climate of this island, favorable to a bounty of delicious fruits and vegetables, means there’s good vegetarian food to be had. The cities of Kingston and Negril will provide all the meat-free food you’ve been looking for: a cornucopia of coconut cream, sweet potatoes, and banana-corn meal bread!

5. Singapore

The cultural diversity of Singapore brings delicious Japanese, Malay, Mediterranean, etc. vegetarian foods to the table. Happy Cow lists 286 vegetarian restaurants on the island country, so you’ll have plenty to choose from. Even though it’s easy to find delicious vegetarian food in Singapore, always watch out for the fish/oyster sauce and shrimp paste; these are widely used in Southeast Asian food and may make their way into your vegetarian dishes.