Matador Network's Blog, page 2275

20 places to see before they're gone

THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF WAYS places change. As you’ll see in this list, the threats can be environmental, political, or simply the result of too small an area to support the amount of tourism it receives.

In some cases, the very success of a place equals its eventual destruction. Government regulations (or lack thereof) can lead to a loss of access, or a loss of place, depending on the balance. In some cases, armed conflicts may be destroying places as you read this.

The important thing is to recognize how vulnerable a place can be, and to visit it, or at the very least, attempt to appreciate it, before it’s gone.

1

Great Barrier Reef, Australia
The Great Barrier Reef stretches over 1,200 miles off the coast of Queensland, Australia. It is also the only living organism that can be seen from space. Since 1985 the reef has lost more than half of its corals due to climate change, pollution, and overfishing. Even worse, in December 2013 the Australian government authorized the construction of a new port next to the reef. The construction will involve dredging 3 million cubic meters of seabed.
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2

Yasuni National Park, Ecuador
Located in the Ecuadorian Amazon, Yasuni National Park is one of the most biologically diverse areas on Earth. It boasts more than 4,000 plant species, 170 mammal species, and 610 bird species, all in an area smaller than Connecticut. Yasuni is also the home of the Waorani people, a semi-nomadic group of hunter-gatherers. Yasuni is estimated to contain 800 million barrels of crude oil. After a long controversy, in 2013, Ecuador approved the economic exploitation of the Yasuni. Drilling activities haven't begun yet, but it seems a matter of time.
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3

Sapa, Vietnam
Sapa is a remote town in the mountains of northern Vietnam, where emerald rice fields cascade across valleys. Technically there is nothing wrong with Sapa, but this once-small, secluded place is now among Vietnam's biggest tourist destinations. It represents the oldest traveler's dilemma: When does an authentic place stop being "authentic?"
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Intermission



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26 futuristic urban farms and green spaces [pics]





51 natural wonders so amazing it’s hard to believe they exist





48 epic dream hotels to visit before you die












4

Bagan, Myanmar
Bagan is a colossal complex which encompasses more than 2,200 temples and ruins. It stopped being a secret on the Southeast Asian tourist circuit a long time ago, yet the number of tourists has only recently been rapidly expanding. The experience of exploring a temple for yourself is coming to an end.
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5

Vientiane, Laos
It’s difficult of think of Vientiane as a capital city. With its relaxing atmosphere, the Laotian capital is one of the most low-profile stops in the Southeast Asian backpacker circuit. Now, China and Vietnam are in an economic dogfight for the contracts that will bring Vientiane into the 21st century. The city is set for a massive construction boom that will bring thousand of workers to its doors.
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6

Seaflower Biosphere Reserve
The Seaflower Biosphere Reserve is one of the most isolated ecosystems in the Caribbean. The region’s low population means there’s a low human impact on the reserve. Being a UNESCO Marine Reserve protects Seaflower from economic exploitation. Yet, it has been the subject of a decades-long territorial dispute between Colombia and Nicaragua. In 2013, international courts gave Nicaragua half of Seaflower's area. Cash-strapped Nicaragua invited multinationals to look for oil on its half after the ruling.
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7

Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
The ice fields on Kilimanjaro have been in retreat over the last 150 years and only 10% of the original snow remains. Some scientists say the glacial cap is beyond recovery and could disappear within the next decade.
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8

Havana, Cuba
The largest city in the Caribbean, Havana has colonial-era buildings, cars from the '50s, and internet speeds from 1995. Cuba is on its way to become a CINO: Communist In Name Only. The country is eager to follow in the footsteps of Vietnam and China and embrace foreign investment. Regardless of how beneficial or harmful it will be for the Cubans, Havana is about to start a period of dramatic changes.

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9

Damascus, Syria
It may already be too late for this one: The current Syrian Civil War has ravaged Damascus, with some of the fighting happening in the Old City, which is the oldest quarter of the oldest city in the world. As of now, it’s too early to know the extent of the damage to historical mosques, castles, and gates caused by shelling, looting, and arson.
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Intermission





12 places where you will feel absolutely dwarfed by nature





50 places you can’t reach without climbing [pics]





21 places you have to see by water












10

Yangon, Myanmar
Yangon is the former capital and biggest city of Myanmar. It is also a metropolis of five million that has been cut off from the world for decades because of a travel boycott. When the boycott was lifted in 2012, Yangon opened its doors to the West. Since then, the city has experienced a fast and dramatic transformation.
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11

Lake Nicaragua
Lake Nicaragua has the only population of freshwater sharks in the world. After a century-long controversy, the government has given the go-ahead to the Nicaragua Canal. The project plans to link the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Environmentalists have warned of the canal's irreversible effects on the local environment. Questionable feasibility studies are already underway.
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12

Somaliland
Somaliland is a breakaway state from Somalia that is not recognised by a single nation on Earth. Yet, in the middle of the most anarchic region in the world, Somaliland is a stable and democratic state. While international recognition is still far away, the world's most tenacious explorer, Coca Cola, just arrived. A bottling plant opened in the capital Hargeisa (pictured) in 2013.
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13

South Aral Sea, Uzbekistan
Thirty years ago the Aral Sea was the fourth-largest lake in the world. Since then, the diversion of the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers for crop irrigation has shrunk the Aral to 10% of its original size. Now the Aral is divided between the North and South Aral Seas. In the north, Kazakhstan has saved the Aral by building a series of dykes. Yet, in the south, Uzbekistan has abandoned the Aral to its fate. One of the main reasons is the presence of oil and gas on the former Aral seabed, which prompted its exploitation in 2010.
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14

Nuuk, Greenland
Nuuk is the capital of Greenland, the largest island in the world. With only 15,000 people, Nuuk is the gateway to the Arctic, the land of ice, snow, and polar bears. But as Greenland is on course to gain independence from Denmark, it's also planning to start exploiting the vast untapped ores all over the island. Nuuk expects to receive thousands of mining workers from all over the world in the coming years.
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15

Darien Gap
The Darien Gap is a dense jungle between Panama and Colombia and the only section of the Americas not traversed by the Panamerican Highway. Crossing the Darien Gap on foot, while challenging, is possible and is one of the biggest badges of honor that any world traveler can aspire to. Several proposals to build roads crossing the Darien Gap have come about over the years. It just seems a matter of time.

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Intermission





Top places for spiritual travel in 2013





18 scenic places to teach ESL abroad





46 incredible aerial shots of famous places












16

Panajachel, Guatemala
Panajachel has become a home for bohemians from all over the world, creating a vibrant and multicultural town. But the Guatemalan armed conflict created by drug trafficking has affected Panajachel hard. In recent years, expats have reported harassment by vigilante groups. In the middle of a drug war, the idea of a "hippie paradise" isn't welcomed by some factions.
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17

Lake Chad
Lake Chad spreads between Chad, Niger, Nigeria, and Cameroon and is home to lions, crocodiles, hippos, and many other animals. Unfortunately, Lake Chad is drying up fast and there's no clear answer why. Climate change and irrigation methods are the usual suspects. However, other scientists maintain that the shrinking is not related to human causes at all. Regardless of the reason, Lake Chad has lost 90% of its water in the last 50 years, with no sign of recovery.
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18

Tuvalu
A series of tiny islands in the South Pacific, Tuvalu is the fourth-smallest country on Earth. The slightest increase of sea level is a death sentence for Tuvalu, which is just a few inches above the ocean. As a backup plan, the Tuvalu government has contemplated relocating its population to New Zealand or Fiji.
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19

Boeng Yak Loum, Cambodia
Boeng Yak Loum is a deep and almost perfectly round crater lake in the jungle of northeastern Cambodia. Locals consider the lake sacred and take swims while fully clothed.
As of now, visitors pay an entry fee of less than a dollar. The fee goes to the local community. However, the government is planning to seize the area around the lake and start building five-star hotels.

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20

Ujung Kulon National Park, Indonesia
Located in the Western tip of Java, Indonesia, Ujung Kulon National Park is the last refuge of the Java rhinoceros, the most endangered animal in the world. The park is also next to Anak Krakatoa, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. But keeping a national park pristine on the world's most-populated island has been an uphill battle for Indonesia. Poachers already drove the Javan tiger to extinction in the '70s and have narrowed the rhino population to less than 40 individuals.
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The post 20 spectacular places to see before they’re changed forever appeared first on Matador Network.

In a country of 18-year-old soldiers

Photo: Israel Defense Forces

The soldier in the seat in front of me is FaceTiming his girlfriend, I realize, as I peer around the headrest. I’ve gotten in the habit of trying to covertly watch the people around me during these long bus rides, of which there have been a lot lately. The soldiers are always the most interesting to me, but right now I feel acutely aware of the fact that I’m most likely visible somewhere in the background of the video frame on his iPhone, intruding on their private conversation. Not for the first time in my two-month stay in this country, I feel vaguely out of place.

Being in Israel as an 18-year-old foreigner is disconcerting at times, both for me and for those around me. With my slight tan, wavy dark hair, and ambiguously Mediterranean-looking features, people who see me assume I’m either much younger or much older than I am, because at my age I should be in olive green fatigues on a base in the middle of nowhere in the Negev instead of doing things like visiting historic sites on weekday afternoons. And then I open my mouth, and Ani lo m’daber ivrit? I don’t speak Hebrew? comes out like a question, apologetic, meek in a way that I rarely am in my own language. I may be able to order falafel with all the correct accouterments just like an Israeli can, but I’m not one of them.

In a nation that often seems defined by its palpable divisions — between religious factions, ethnic groups, political parties, and neighborhoods — I’m the other type of Other here; I’m the almost-but-not-quite. It hits me as I talk to Israelis and hike with them and party with them and make friends with them. My great-grandparents could’ve easily boarded a boat in the other direction, could’ve arrived at the port in Yafo sunshine instead of New York cold, could’ve become kibbutzniks before it was cool instead of Brooklynites long before that was cool. Obvious as it sounds, the only true difference between me and the kids my age on this bus is that I was born one place and they were born another.

I don’t remember much from high-school math classes, but I do remember that an asymptote will curve infinitesimally close to an axis, will eventually run parallel to it, but will never touch it. I feel more at ease and less like an expat here in Israel than I’ve felt in most other places I’ve traveled, but I still have no intention ever of making aliyah — taking up the Israeli government on its offer of citizenship and moving here — and so I can already feel my curved trajectory straightening out into a line, homologous to this foreign yet familiar axis, and flirting so close to it I can even feel the shade from the banana trees along the highway by the shore of Haifa beach, taste the amba-colored sunrise over Rothschild Boulevard at 6am.

I’m a people-watcher by nature, but I do worry that by making these comparisons and contrasts, I widen the chasm in my head.

The driver pulls into the parking lot of a rest stop. I’ve been here before; all the Egged buses that go between Galilee and Tel Aviv stop here, and god knows I’ve been on the road a lot. There’s a convenience mart, restrooms, an outpost of the ubiquitous Aroma Espresso Bar. The outdoor picnic tables are packed with a sea of IDF uniforms sipping iced coffee; it’s a Sunday morning, and all the soldiers are heading back to their bases for the week, taking advantage of the free bus ride if they’re in uniform and carrying their military ID. The girl waiting in line in front of me for the bathroom unexpectedly runs into a friend at the sinks. They hug excitedly and catch up in rapid Hebrew. Their guns clink against each other, chatting in the language of metal on metal.

I’ve never even held a gun before, but if I’d grown up here — perhaps on a leafy suburban street outside Tel Aviv in Herzliya, instead of on a leafy suburban street outside Washington, DC — there’d be an assault rifle hanging from my shoulder five days out of seven. It’s a tough balance to strike, mentally, knowing that my Israeli peers have seen things I’ve never seen, done things I’ll hopefully never have to do, but also trying not to categorize them as being so vastly different from myself. Because the truth is they’re not.

When they’re home for the weekends, they’re just as preoccupied with friends, music, bad TV, and cheap alcohol as everyone I know in the States is. They’re teenagers, after all. Teenagers who’ve worked checkpoints and flown fighter jets and shot semiautomatics. Teenagers who, if given the choice, perhaps would’ve preferred to go directly to university or start a business or soul-search in Southeast Asia instead of serve in the military — or perhaps wouldn’t. Patriotic pride is not to be underestimated, and in a country like Israel, it’s a sustaining life force.

Back on the bus after the break, it’s now midday, and it’s sunny. The soldier next to me shakes out her ponytail, yawns, and closes her eyes against the glare. She stretches her legs out, combat boots sticking into the aisle. To me at 18, combat boots are merely a fashion statement, not a rite of passage. It’s strange to think about. I’m a people-watcher by nature, but I do worry that by making these comparisons and contrasts, I widen the chasm in my head. I’m too similar to be a disconnected fly on the wall here, but I also doubt I’ll ever fully be able to understand what it’s like to exist within the Israeli condition.

And what is the Israeli condition, anyway? I’m still not entirely sure. Is it, as Israeli journalist Ari Shavit writes, the fact that the nation has found itself in the unique conundrum of playing both the role of intimidator and intimidated on the global stage? The fact that in the space of a year, kids go from being issued textbooks to being issued military uniforms, and a few years later, issued textbooks again? The fact that the notorious resilience, stubbornness, and prickly exterior aren’t just an affectation but rather a means of survival? Or is it the fact that all of this isn’t even food for thought here because it’s just the reality of life?

I hear a crinkling noise and glance over to my right. The guy across the aisle from me, with too much hair gel and a brown Golani Brigade beret pinned to his shoulder, has attempted a three-point shot with his empty Doritos bag but missed the trash bin. He takes off his headphones, gets up, and retrieves the trash from the floor of the bus, setting it gently in the bin.

Then he heads back to his seat, places his gun serenely and carefully in his lap for safekeeping like it’s a kitten, and puts his headphones on again. Outside the window, the Galilee hills roll by.

The post On being an 18-year-old civilian in a country of 18-year-old soldiers appeared first on Matador Network.

19 epic road trips through Scotland

Scotland is one of THE best countries in the world to take a road trip. Here are 20 of my favourite routes, many of them easily linkable for longer trips.

Note: Place names located above the central belt of Scotland have been translated into Scottish Gaelic to help with navigation.

1. Selkirk → Moffat (Scottish Borders, A708)

Moffat Valley. Photo:

From Selkirk, cruise up the side of St Mary’s Loch, at the head of the Yarrow Valley in the heart of the Scottish Southern Uplands. Stop at Tibbie Shiels Inn for an excellent pub lunch. The surrounding area forms a nature reserve spanning 922 hectares, owned by the National Trust for Scotland. To work off lunch, climb up the pass and drop down to view one of Scotland’s finest waterfalls, the Grey Mare’s Tail. The Southern Uplands are a wonderland for botanics, bird watchers, and hill walkers.

2. Ayr → Turnberry (Ayrshire, A719)

Culzean Castle. Photo: Jamie Wyllie

As you leave the town of Ayr (Inbhir Àir, “Mouth of the River Ayr”), head south on the A719 and visit the birthplace of Robert Burns, Scotland’s most famous bard. Jump back on the coastal main road and check out the Electric Brae, or Croy Brae as it’s known locally. The hill is an optical illusion where you appear to be going uphill when actually you’re traveling down. Next, stop at Culzean (pronounced “Culain”) Castle and Country Park, where General Dwight D. Eisenhower had an apartment during the Second World War. Finish at Turnberry and enjoy a walk down the magnificent beach bordered by a championship golf course.

3. Fort William → Inverness (A82)

Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness beyond. Photo: Peretz Partensky

Follow the Caledonian Canal north from Fort William on the A82. The canal links the lochs of the Great Glen to form a maritime route from west to east, precluding the need to sail round the often stormy seas off the north coast. Stop at the Commando Memorial just north of Spean Bridge, which commemorates the men of the original British Commando Forces of World War II. Look back south and on a clear day you’ll see Ben Nevis, Scotland’s highest mountain.

Continue north along the banks of Loch Lochy (Loch Lochaidh) and Loch Oich (Loch Omhaich) to lunch in Fort Augustus. As you go further north aside Loch Ness, keep an eye out for the elusive monster, Nessie. Stop at the visitor centre just after Urquhart Castle in Drumnadrochit (Druim na Drochaid) to learn about the hunt for the monster. Continue north along the loch to Inverness, where the canal finally joins the sea spilling into the Moray Firth.

4. Crail → Elie (Fife, A917)

Anstruther Fish Bar. Photo: Magnus Hagdorn

Drive southwest along the A917 and visit the fishing villages of the East Neuk of Fife. Don’t miss the Anstruther Fish Bar down at the harbour, one of the best chippies in Scotland. Journey on to Pittenweem and St Monans, finishing up at Ship Inn in Elie, which overlooks the natural harbour.

5. Lochgilphead → Tayvallich (Argyllshire, A816/B841/B8025)

Sound of Jura. Photo: Scott Marley

Trace the Crinan Canal north up the A816 and turn off at Cairnbaan (An Càrn Bàn). Follow the country road all the way to Crinan (An Crìonan), where the canal opens into the Atlantic. Walk around the little harbour and look northwest across the Sound of Jura (An Linne Rosach) to the Gulf of Corryvreckan (Coire Bhreacain); whirlpools stir the sea here. Return partway along the B841 and turn south down the B8025 to Tayvallich (Taigh a’ Bhealaich), Scotland’s prettiest natural harbour tucked up Loch Sween. Enjoy the locally caught seafood at the pub in the village.

6. Balloch → Inveraray (Argyllshire, A82/A83)

Inveraray Castle. Photo: Matt Smith

Cruise north up the “bonnie banks” of Loch Lomond (Loch Laomainn) and turn left at Tarbet (An Tairbeart) onto the A83. Climb up through Glen Croe (Gleann a’ Chrò) and stop at the summit of the Rest and Be Thankful. Look back down the valley to view the old road twisting its way up the pass. Drop down off the top and stop at Loch Fyne Oysters to enjoy some of the very best of Scottish seafood. Finish up at the wedding cake, Inveraray Castle, home to the Duke and Duchess of Argyll.

7. Craignure → Tobermory (Isle of Mull, A849/B8035/B8073)

Tobermory. Photo: Eric The Fish

Take the ferry from Oban (An t-Òban) to Craignure on the Isle of Mull. Drive north and turn left at Salen (An t-Sàilean) onto the B8035, then right onto the B8073 up the northwest coast of the island. Stop off and take the pedestrian ferry over to Ulva (Ulbha) Island for a pint of prawns at the Boathouse. Continue to Calgary Bay, where island emigrants boarded ships for the New World after being evicted from their crofts during the Highland clearances. Enjoy a bracing swim in the Atlantic off the stunning beach. Journey on to Dervaig (Dearbhaig) and finish up at Tobermory (Tobar Mhoire), with its multicoloured houses. Don’t miss a pint in the Mishnish bar on the harbour front.

8. Salen → Ardnamurchan Point (Arnamurchan Peninsula, B8007)

Ardnamurchan Peninsula. Photo: Graeme Law

Follow the edge of Loch Sunart (Loch Shuaineart) west along one of the most challenging roads in the country through Glenborrodale (Gleann Bhorghdail). Keep an eye out for red deer as you swing inland through the hunting estate of the same name, then stop off at the Kilchoan Hotel. Continue west to the lighthouse at Ardnamurchan Point, the most westerly point on mainland Scotland. Backtrack 3 miles and turn north to Sanna Bay. Stop at the end of the road and walk down to one of the most beautiful beaches in Scotand — skinnydip if you dare!

9. Crianlarich → Ballachulish (A82)

Glen Coe. Photo: KENNETH BARKER

Follow the West Highland Way (Slighe na Gàidhealtachd an Iar) north to Tyndrum (Taigh an Droma) past the Green Welly shop. Climb up onto the moon-like landscape of the Great Moor of Rannoch, past the ski centre, before dropping down through the stunning scenery of Glen Coe (Gleann Comhan), site of the massacre of the MacDonalds by the English. Take time to stop and try to spot the many climbers and walkers on the surrounding Munros (mountains reaching over 3,000 feet).

10. Pitlochry → Aberfeldy (Perthshire, B8019/B846/A827)

Queens View over Loch Tummel. Photo: Christian Michel

Go west from Pitlochry (Baile Chloichrigh) to Loch Tummel (Loch Teimhil). Stop at Queens View for a look at the stunning view favoured by Queen Victoria. At Tummel Bridge, continue west to Loch Rannoch (Loch Raineach) and on to Rannoch Station, the most remote railway station in the UK. Return along the unmarked road on the south side of the loch, then turn right over the hill. Take a detour right to Fortingall and down to Fearnan on the banks of Loch Tay (Loch Tatha). Turn left along the loch to Kenmore at its head, then on to Aberfeldy following the banks of the River Tay, Scotland’s most famous salmon river.

11. Fort William → Mallaig (Inverness-shire, A830)

Glenfinnan Viaduct. Photo: mendhak

Take the A830 west from Fort William along the Road to the Isles. Stop at Glenfinnan (Gleann Fhionghain) to admire the railway viaduct made famous in a number of Harry Potter films, particularly The Chamber of Secrets. Walk down to the shores of Loch Shiel (Loch Seile) and view the monument where Bonnie Prince Charlie called for the local clansmen to assemble in 1745, proclaiming the throne of Great Britain to be denounced and rightfully returned to his family, the Stuarts. Continue on to Mallaig (Malaig), where the road finishes at the ferry to the Isle of Skye (Eilean a’ Cheò).

12. Armadale → Elgol (Isle of Skye, A851)

View out to the Isle of Eigg. Photo: Greg Neate

Take the ferry from Mallaig over the sea to Skye. Visit Grumpy George’s shop on the right as you come off the ferry and say hi to his parrots, then drive north up the A851 till you reach the A87. Turn left, then left again after two miles onto the B8083. Follow this challenging road all the way to the end at Elgol (Ealaghol). Park and take in the views south to the islands of Eigg (Eige), Rhum (Rùm), and Canna (Canaigh). Grab the picnic and catch the boat across the bay, then walk up to Loch Coruisk (Coire Uisg) into the natural amphitheatre of the Black Cuillin and marvel at the scale of the mountains.

13. Kelso → Duns (Scottish Borders)

Jim Clark Rally. Photo: Neal Fowler

Follow the Jim Clark Rally, the only closed-road motorsport event on mainland UK, over the Scottish bank holiday weekend in May. Action takes place across the “Merse,” the rich rolling farmland in the Tweed Valley. Don’t miss fish and chips at the iconic Duns chippie.

14. Invergarry → Plockton (A87)

Eilean Donan Castle. Photo: Angelo Amboldi

Leave Invergarry (Inbhir Garadh) west along the north side of Loch Garry (Loch Garraidh). As you climb up from the loch, stop at the viewpoint and drink in the view west up the glen. Turn left past Loch Cluanie through Glen Shiel (Gleann Seile), where the Five Sisters ridge (three of which are Munros) dominates the view to your right. Drop down to Shiel Bridge, and at the head of Loch Duich (Loch Dubhthaich) is the iconic Eilean Donan castle built on a small island. After Kirkton, turn right off the A87 onto an unclassified road over to Plockton, which fringes a natural harbour just inside Loch Carron (Loch Carrann). Try either the Plockton Hotel or the Plockton Inn for excellent seafood.

15. Lochcarron → Sheildaig (A896/Unclassified)

Pass of the Cattle. Photo: Alan Weir

From Lochcarron, drive west to Kishorn (Loch Ciseòrn), then turn left onto the unclassified road toward Applecross (Chomraich, or “Sanctuary”), up over the Bealach na Bà (“Pass of the Cattle”). This is THE road to experience in Scotland — it goes from sea level to over 2,000 feet in just five miles. The pass is so called as this was the drovers’ route with their cattle on the way to market in Glasgow. Before you drop down the other side round the numerous hairpins, stop to take in the view across the sea to Skye.

At Applecross, stop at the inn for fantastic seafood and the craic — Judith Fish, the owner, is a legend. Turn north up the coast of the peninsula, and after a few miles look out for a small bothy (hut) at the north end of a beautiful beach. This was the home of the TV broadcaster and marine biologist Monty Halls and Reuben his dog in the summer of 2008 for the series Great Hebridean Escape. Take a walk down for a look around, but be careful not to stray onto the military installation next door. Continue north to Shieldaig (Sìldeag), where you rejoin the A896.

16. Aviemore → Findhorn (Inverness-shire, A95/A941)

At the distillery. Photo: Pim Geerts

Leave Aviemore (An Aghaidh Mhòr) north on the “old road” up Strathspey Valley. Don’t miss the opportunity to visit one of the leading malt whisky distilleries along the trail — my favourite is Dalwhinnie. Turn left to Elgin (Eilginn), then left again onto the A96.

Just before Forres (Farrais), turn right to Kinloss (Cinn Lois) and onto Findhorn (Inbhir Èireann), where in 1962 “hippies” set up camp. Believing they were in contact with extraterrestrials through telepathy, they prepared a landing strip for flying saucers at nearby Cluny Hill. Today, it has become a charitable trust, the Findhorn Foundation, and includes an award-winning ecovillage community. Finally, take the opportunity to visit the beach, one of the most impressive on the east coast.

17. Ullapool → Achiltibuie (A835/Unclassified)

View from Stac Pollaidh. Photo: Simon Blackley

Go north from Ullapool (Ulapul), then left onto an unclassified road. Drive up the north side of Loch Lurgainn, with the mountains of Cul Beag and Stac Pollaidh on your right. Turn right, south down to Achiltibuie (Achd Ille Bhuidhe, or “Field of the Yellow-Haired Boy”) and visit the Summer Isles Hotel, which overlooks the islands of the same name, a summer haunt of the Royal family on the Royal Yacht Britannia. The yacht is now moored in Leith, Edinburgh — definitely worth a visit.

18. Durness → John O’Groats (A838/A836)

End of the mainland. Photo: Ant Jackson

Drive the route along the roof of mainland Scotland. From Durness (Diùranais), go east on the A838, past Tongue (Tunga); Bettyhill (Am Blàran Odhar), which has a great pub; and then onto Thurso (Inbhir Theòrsa). Take a detour left to Dunnet Head (Ceann Dùnaid), the northernmost point on mainland UK. On a clear day you can see the Orkney Islands to the north. Visit the Castle of Mey, the former holiday home of the Queen Mother, before finishing up at John O’Groats (Taigh Iain Ghròt).

19. Banchory → Blairgowrie (Aberdeenshire, A93)

Balmoral Castle. Photo: denisbin

Start at Banchory (Beannchar) and drive west up upper Deeside to Ballater (Bealadair), then onto Crathie and past Balmoral, the Scottish holiday home of the British Royal family, which they visit every summer. Go on to Braemar, then south past the ski slopes and over the Spittal of Glenshee before dropping down into Perthshire and finishing at Blairgowrie, the “raspberry capital” of Scotland.

This post is proudly produced in partnership with Visit Scotland.

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Lessons from a broken ankle

Photo: Ted Eytan

I had just landed on my feet from 13 feet up, but my footing was off and one foot was twisted between the bouldering pads. Chalk was still falling as the pain rushed through my body.

After the ER, x-rays, and the ortho, where I was instructed to stay off my ankle for six weeks, I realized that my typical day as a professional rock climber was going to change.

Needless to say I was pretty bummed about my new situation, but as I adjusted to my reality and gave in to the time of healing, I learned some things.

Practicing patience

Each one of us can stand to practice patience daily. From traffic jams to spilling milk, it’s needed for all kinds of situations and scenarios. Once you’re injured you’re forced to be patient, because no amount of anxiety, impatience, and desire to have things speed along is going to help.

Slowing down

The author. Photo: Ben Ditto

I used to drive a huge diesel camper van. She liked to go the distance but didn’t like to be rushed. Cruising along at 55mph on the highway really taught me something about taking time and enjoying; I adopted the go-slow practice into my daily life, and I feel that for the most part I’ve been consistent and benefited from that.

However, I do frequently find myself rushing out the door, hurrying through the store, and chewing my food too fast. As my physical movement was hindered with crutches, I relearned that it’s okay to move slowly and take time.

Taking opportunities

Isn’t there always something we’re putting off — something we want to do, or need to do, but just can’t seem to muster the time to do it? I had weeks’ worth of free time and the availability to do other things besides rock climbing. It was a good opportunity to start a new hobby, learn a language, write letters to people.

Not holding back

Frustration, sadness, pain, worry, and hope — all of these things are valid feelings during this time of injury and should not be repressed. I knew I’d get better, and it’s not the worst thing, but it is frustrating and painful and emotional. It’s neither helpful nor healthy to repress feelings and emotions, which only leads to more stress and can prolong the healing process. So scream, cry, complain, and vent however you need, but let it out and let it go and remember this lesson always!

Appreciating the good things

So often the good times fly on by with no acknowledgment or appreciation. We take things for granted when times are good and reflect back on how good it used to be when times are tough. Sometimes funny little things — insignificant things — can distract us and muddle our experience of the good things, and this is a bad habit we should all quit.

Nothing is picture perfect; there will always be flaws, but the flaws are reality, and they make something unique. Flaws can be overlooked with the right pair of eyes, and what you’re left with is beauty. The good things should be appreciated always, in good times and bad.

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F*ck the poor!

#FuckThePoor is a provocative social experiment/prank pulled by the nonprofit Pilion Trust. It’s shocking and in your face. And boy does it hit home. Do we care — do we really care — about society’s most destitute?

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4 worst places to spend the night

Photo: Emoya Luxury Hotel & Spa

4. Euro Disney

Look, I get it if you want to go to Disneyland or Disney World. Disneyland kinda fits into the whole Southern California, ‘Let’s all go to the movies!’ thing, and Disney World…well, you’re in Orlando, what else are you going to do?

But if you’re set on your tackiness having a vaguely international flair to it, go to Epcot. Don’t go to Euro Disney. (It’s actually been rebranded as “Disneyland Paris,” but I’m not going to condone that crime against one of the most culturally rich cities in the world.) I know it’s tough being a parent, but maybe take your kids to a real European castle, like the gorgeous Mont Saint-Michel in Northern France, or to Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, which the Disney Castle is based off of.

You’re exempted from my scorn if you live in France, and your kids won’t shut up about Mickey Mouse.

3. Any safari hunt

A few months ago, American television personality Melissa Bachman got into some deep shit for tweeting a picture of a male lion she hunted and killed in South Africa. She paid a hefty fee to kill the lion, and she did it all legally. Money from such hunts actually contributes a lot to local conservation and anti-poaching efforts, which are usually pretty cash-starved, so in that sense her hunt was a good thing.

But as a whole, this is an incredibly creepy, perverse practice you shouldn’t participate in. I appreciate that they try to make the money from these hunts go towards protecting the not-shot-in-the-head animals, but it feels less like conservation and more like demanding a pound of flesh for your money. Or however many pounds the lion weighs.

I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with hunting for food. It’s a hell of a lot more natural than eating meat from a factory farm, and it requires you to put at least some effort into your meal. But you’re not flying to Africa and paying $125,000 to get a square meal. You’re doing it because you want to kill something exotic. Which is, at the very best, super creepy.

Hunting for sport should be sporting — i.e., you should be on the same level as the lion. He’s got claws, you get a knife. And there’s just no need to be killing species that are listed as ‘vulnerable’ and have been on the decline for the last half century. Lion-focused non-killing safaris are a great way to appreciate these animals without killing them.

One of the major problems here is that African conservation orgs are severely in need of funding, so they have to make a deal with the devil: Let a few rich Americans kill a lion to save the others. If we donated to organizations that protect wildlife in greater numbers, this choice wouldn’t have to be made.

2. The Hans Brinker Budget Hotel in Amsterdam

I feel conflicted about adding the Hans Brinker Budget Hotel to this list. It doesn’t appear to be that bad a hotel, as far as budget hotels go. But they advertise themselves as “the worst hotel in the world.” The HBBH has clearly adopted the lean in approach to advertising, and rather than taking their horrible customer reviews and trying to improve their property, they’re just advertising how bad it is. Here are some of the lines they’ve used:

“Sorry for being excellent in losing your luggage.”
“Hans Brinker Budget Hotel. It can’t get any worse. But we’ll do our best.”
“Now even more dog shit in the main entrance!”
“Improve your immune system: Hans Brinker Budget Hotel, Amsterdam.”

The hotel’s online reviews range from the, “Oh my God, this was awful,” to the, “Meh, not as bad as they built it up to be.” It seems that, to some extent, it’s turned into a sort of destination for the type of Amsterdam tourist who wants a particularly depraved stay (although that might be redundant: I can probably just say “Amsterdam tourist”).

Some of the reviews comment on it having a pretty decent party atmosphere, even if the hotel does suggest you use the curtains after showering instead of the towel. So Hans Brinker earns a place, not for actually being all that bad, but because they want to be so bad that they’ve ascended to the same plane as punk rock and have basically become the Sex Pistols of shitty budget hotels.

1. The Emoya Luxury Hotel Shanty Town Accommodations

The winner for the worst place on the planet to stay is the Emoya Luxury Hotel & Spa Shanty Town Accommodations. I can’t explain it any better than the people at Emoya, who, by this description, are clearly be-monocled, Victorian-era, British one-percenters:

“Now you can experience staying in a shanty within the safe environment of a private game reserve. This is the only shantytown in the world equipped with under-floor heating and wireless internet access!”

If that makes you want to vomit until you die, be comforted that there are authentic shantytown touches added, like ‘long-drop toilets.’ Because we all know the universal features of extreme poverty are warm feet in the morning and having to wait a second for the splash when you poop.

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Old woman dances amazingly

I THINK IT’S silly whenever I hear a friend of mine groaning about “getting older.” Personally, I look forward to growing older, because it affords me new and different opportunities I couldn’t have while I was young. Do our bodies begin to decay as time passes? Probably. But that doesn’t keep some people from doing the things they love, and kicking ass in the process.

In other cultures, elders are revered, and admired. I think we’ve begun to underestimate older populations in Western society, which causes us to be ageist. Maybe if we stop hating on getting older, and start embracing the experiences it affords us, we can enjoy our lives just as much as this 80-year old woman does (the action starts at 1:40).

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Where to see underground music in LA

Photo: SGV FILMWORKS

First off, where NOT to go

I’m sure you’ve heard of names like The Viper Room, The Roxy, The Whiskey A Go Go, The House of Blues. I’ve heard of them too but I’ve never been there, because no one really goes there. Seriously! Don’t get me started on how lame Hollywood is.

For the dance floor

Only a few years ago, Los Angeles was a wasteland for any electronic music that wasn’t super cheesy Avicii EDM stuff. Now just about every weekend underground warehouse parties are booking legit people like Julio Bashmore, Tensnake, and Jacques Greene.

A Club Called Rhonda is probably the leader in LA’s house music scene, held every first Friday of the month in Silverlake’s Los Globos club. They bill themselves as a Polysexual Party Palace, meaning it’s super gay friendly and people wear all kinds of crazy shit. Think wedding veils, mesh suits, haute couture samurai troupes, ’60s flight attendant drag. It’s pretty popular, so I recommend getting there before 11.

Mount Analog is a record store based in Highland Park that specializes in darker electronic music. They host a regular party called Nuit Noire. Think more gothy and industrial than regular rave stuff. Check out their calendar for smaller shows around downtown LA.

Fade to Mind, VSSL, and Body High are a couple of record labels who also regularly host warehouse parties in undisclosed locations, so look them up as well. The best way to get into the parties is to follow their Facebook pages, where they announce these events. Once you RSVP, they’ll email you the location a few hours in advance. They’re generally a little bit east of downtown and can be best accessed by taxi or Lyft.

For the mosh pit

If your idea of fun involves dodging elbows and shoving people in a sweaty mob, LA has plenty of that. For years now, an all-ages DIY space known as The Smell has become SoCal’s indie rock epicenter. It’s hidden away in a gross little alleyway that smells like pee and is patrolled by a homeless “security guard” (his name is Daniel and he’s cool, buy him a taco or something), but all the shows are less than $10 and you can find local acts there like FIDLAR, Wavves, HEALTH, The Garden, Best Coast, and so on.

Getting there isn’t too hard if you know what you’re looking for. On Main Street and 3rd, there’s a

bar with a sign that consists only of five stars. They regularly host punk, hardcore, and metal acts during the week, and it’s a great spot in itself. Go around the shady Mexican bar and into the alleyway. Look to your right and Daniel should be there to direct you to The Smell.

In the summertime, Fuck Yeah Fest regularly books super classic acts like My Bloody Valentine and Descendants. FYF actually began as a ramshackle festival consisting of bands from The Smell, but has now expanded to a two-day affair with a pretty diverse lineup. Definitely my pick over bro-chella anyday. Bring a scarf or handkerchief to cover your face, because it gets really dusty.

Burgerama in the OC is also a good place to look for indie and punk rock in the spring, and don’t forget to check out the Echoplex in Echo Park for shows throughout the year.

For beats

No mention of LA’s music scene is complete without mention of its “beat scene,” which can best be described as electronic music produced with a hip-hop state of mind. Flying Lotus is the most visible of this movement, along with all the folks at his Brainfeeder label. They regularly play at Lincoln Heights’ Low End Theory club, which has become so popular they often can’t even announce who’s playing because it causes traffic problems. Thom Yorke is known to play impromptu DJ sets here, so don’t miss Low End Theory.

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Signs you were born in DC

Photo: Lynford Morton

1. You avoid the red line when at all possible.
2. You would never pay $1100 a month to live in Columbia Heights.
3. Your standards for formal education/job success are unreasonably high.

After going to high school alongside children of senators, high-performing lawyers, and diplomats, you never got the message that grad school isn’t a possibility for most people, or that you will not die unhappy, poor, and alone if you do not attend.

4. Which has made you pretty, um, neurotic.

Unrealistic parental expectations and a dearth of public space have likely culminated in meds for anxiety disorders.

5. You get so used to the question ‘What do you do?’ that you make up answers for fun, such as ‘Perform in a circus,’ or ‘It’s classified.’
6. You know what go-go is.
7. Your standards for food are comparatively low.

You grew up with zero local or organic movements. Now there are a few exceptional places, like the Jose Andrés businesses — Oyamel, Zaytinya, and Jaleo — but that’s definitely not the norm.

8. But you do crave Peruvian Chicken, pupusas, and Ethiopian food.

The few food items DC and its surrounding suburbs totally get. And no city has injera as tasty as ours, outside of Addis Ababa.

9. Fort Reno Park is one of your favorite places in the world.
10. Poverty and social unrest were either distant concepts or very real.

For kids like me who grew up in the suburbs, times were good. We went up county to rural pumpkin patches in the fall, had big Christmas trees or beautifully crafted menorahs during the holidays, and had well-funded schools with active PTAs. Because so many of our parents worked for the federal government, there was a buffer against economic downturns.

But for my friends who lived inside DC, poverty was very real. In the ’90s, the city was still recovering from the crack epidemic and widespread corruption, and it wasn’t as good at hiding its flaws back then.

In 1991, the streets of the Mount Pleasant neighborhood erupted into a riot that lasted days. The protesters were largely recently arrived refugees from El Salvador who were fighting against police brutality. Then-mayor Sharon Pratt has said that the riot made the city recognize that “it had to take great strides to move beyond a sense of itself as a sleepy Southern town,” to a cosmopolitan metropolis with many stakeholders and different demographic groups.

11. You go crazy for Kojo Nnamdi.

Every weekday at noon, you feel a surge of happiness to turn on the radio and hear the regionally famous voice of this Guyana-born public affairs talk-show host. All he has to say is, “I’m Kohhhhjo Nnaaahmdi,” over some smooth jazz, and your current life crises will melt away — at least for a couple of hours.

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How to piss off a pregnant person

Photo: Sami Taipale

Touch our bellies without asking.

Whether you’re a friend or (god forbid) a total stranger, please don’t assume our tummies are fair game. We don’t want to be rubbed, massaged, stroked, or informed that because we’re carrying low it’s going to be a boy, any more than a non-pregnant person would want to be touched without any warning, either.

It’s polite to ask, even if you know someone well. Some pregnant people can’t stand being touched by ANYTHING (even their clothes), so making a grab for the protruding belly just demonstrates you don’t value their autonomy as a person.

Ask how many months we are.

This is understandable, and it’s not really going to piss most of us off, but it’s mildly irritating because there are a lot of changes that happen in development, and a month is a REALLY long time. For some reason, people also aren’t impressed by your pregnancy at all until you’re at least six months, so asking how many months along someone is and then raising a bored eyebrow when they say three and a half means you’re discounting that the fetus has fingers, toes, and a heartbeat!

We’re growing the damn thing as fast as we can! Go with what the medical profession does and ask us how many weeks. We get asked that by the doctor so often, we’ll probably automatically tell you the date of our last period, too.

Remark on how much weight we’ve gained.

This is a pretty good guideline for everyone, actually: Just don’t comment on someone’s size. Don’t say they’ve lost weight; don’t say they’ve gained it. Just don’t. Given the fat-shaming endemic in doctor’s offices, chances are we’ve spent our entire pregnancy thus far being weighed and lectured about our food choices. The last thing we need is anyone else jumping on the bandwagon.

Expect us to act exactly the same as before we got pregnant.

The amount of energy and abilities of every pregnant person completely varies — not just from person to person, but from pregnancy to pregnancy…and week to week. The first trimester is notoriously exhausting: I slept for 11 hours a night and could barely climb up the stairs to my apartment without getting winded. Considering I’m used to huge amounts of exercise, this was really weird for me, and I felt pretty sad about not being able to stay awake past 9pm or go out and do things without collapsing face-first into my food.

Tell us we can’t have that glass of wine (or cup of coffee).

You hear horror stories of people taking a glass of celebratory champagne right out of a pregnant person’s hand, or in one awful instance, a barista looking straight past a woman to her husband after she ordered a coffee and asking, “Are you sure you should let her have that?” You heard it here, folks: There’s not a lot of evidence against coffee during pregnancy, and most of what there is is circumstantial. (There’s a link between less nausea in the first trimester and higher risk of miscarriage, and people who are nauseated drink less coffee; therefore people who drink more coffee are also probably less nauseated and more likely to miscarry.)

Ditto drinking. A lot of the studies on alcohol during pregnancy show there’s little to no risk (and some reward) to having a glass of wine a day during your pregnancy, which is quite different than slamming back a row of tequila shots. Please don’t assume you have any idea what’s best for someone else’s body.

Treat us like a vessel for the baby instead of a human person.

I read a memoir awhile ago wherein a woman said she’d read a book during her pregnancy that sternly demanded that every time she ate a meal while pregnant she ask herself, “Is this the best bite I can give my baby?” A human body is more than just a host for a parasitic fetus, and we have opinions, thoughts, feelings, and needs.

We have a lot more going on in our lives than just having a baby, although it’s pretty interesting, exciting, and weird. Try asking us how our day was instead of slapping a French fry out of our hand and saying babies shouldn’t have trans fats. Maybe they shouldn’t, but that’s what I’m in the mood for right now, okay?

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