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Five years after a teaching stint in Thailand, Anne Merritt searches out old haunts there.IT WAS MIDNIGHT when we got to Bangkok. I was expecting a wall of humidity when we stepped outside to the taxi queue, like opening an oven door. I was expecting some profound moment when I arrived in Thailand, for old memories to stir up from the smell of orchids and motorbike fumes.
Photo by jiaziWhen I was offered a study abroad opportunity in Hong Kong, I could only imagine myself sitting in a library studying, trying to escape pollution and lethal traffic.Studying abroad in Hong Kong taught me that our assumptions about foreign cities are usually wrong — and that they can be changed by spending time letting the city change you.
My high school English teacher’s handwriting was perfect to the point of looking Photoshopped. Perfectly looping and swooping characters, all of proportional size, width, and pen pressure. “How can I get my handwriting like yours?” I asked her.“For you, it will be impossible,” she said. So far, she’s right.
After a week on the playa, BNT editor Ian MacKenzie shares his photos and rounds up the best post-Burning Man links on the web.Love and Rocket / Photo: Sean AikenPrior to the event, I wrote about my expectations in Burn Baby Burn.Having now returned from the desert, I can honestly say Burning Man was an event unlike any other.
Stone faced monks age solemnly / Photo copepodoThe sacred chanting of the Gregorian monks can offer balm for the soul. If you listen hard enough, you may even hear a hint of the divine.During four-months of backpacking and research across Spain, I found myself in the monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos, 57 kilometers south of Burgos.
Planning a trip to Patagonia—the southernmost reaches of Chile and Argentina—can be daunting for the novice trekker.Unless you’re talking with Jamie Abish, self-described “adventure capitalist” and owner of Tent and Trails, an outdoor outfitter store in Manhattan. “We can outfit an entire expedition from the store,” Abish says.
As part of the Matador Twitter contest, we will be spotlighting cool gear we’ll be giving away to lucky readers.Let’s face it. Regardless of what form of yoga you practice, there are some basic essentials you should have.According to Matador Goods contributor Austin Chu, “I’ve been practicing Bikram yoga for the last few years and it has made a profound difference in my physical and mental health.
In an age of commodified culture and globalization, does true authenticity even exist?Authenticity. It’s the buzzword of the enlightened traveler. We seek the genuine experience, something unspoiled by commercialism or prior visitors; we seek the perfect interaction with the culture we’re visiting.Maybe our fantasy is to be adopted by a tribe, to receive some kind of acknowledgment that we’re not just another camera-toting white-shoe wearing tourist.
Editor’s Note: This is the first article in an occasional series from guest writers responding to the prompt, “What’s going on in your country?” In Madagascar, history repeats itself.Photos: fanalana_azyThe past few months have been unfortunate for Madagascar.A series of tropical storms hit both the east and the west coasts, leaving more than 40,000 people roofless and recovering from floods.
Bangkok – City of Angels Chapter 1 – Chatuchak from Dirk Fischer, toonfish.tv on Vimeo.WHAT/WHEREThis video focuses on the people that populate the Chatuchak weekend market, which is known as the largest of it`s kind in the world.NETWORK CONNECTIONBangkok, just the name conjures images of backpacking lore.
Kristin Conard reflects on a brief connection with a local in Albania.Saranda, on the Albanian Riviera, is wildly popular with locals for honeymoons, but I wasn’t in a romantic mood. I was headed to the café with my book and my journal, and I was ready to indulge in an hour or so of self-pity and reflection.
Please Note: This is a sponsored post.Nick needs a ticket to Argentina. Five of my college buddies and I are going to have a mini-reunion in Patagonia over Christmas and New Year’s.We’ve all managed to find inexpensive plane tickets, except for Nick.Nick is perhaps the most intelligent of my friends, but he is also far and away the most…easily distracted.
![What are the chances of finding your lost or stolen cellphone? [Infographic]](https://blueplanet.consulting/img/mata-2020/1899/image_kb8PgxXgps9.jpg)
