Feature Photo by Hljod Huskona. Photo Above by eflon

To me, this means curling up with a hot beverage and a travel memoir so I can live vicariously through someone else’s adventures. I’m partial to travel memoirs written by women, rather than men, because I can usually relate to both their inner and outward journeys more.

I have found a few good options beyond the ubiquitous Eat, Pray, Love. Here are some suggestions:

Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World by Rita Golden Gelman

During an impending divorce, Rita Golden Gelman makes her first solo journey to Mexico. This trip transforms her. After her divorce is final, she decides to give up everything to become a global nomad and does not settle for observing cultures from a distance.

She finds a way to become a member of each community she visits as she travels from palaces to jungles and everywhere in between.

She shows us that as long as one’s spirit remains young and open, there is no age limit for adventure. Gelman allows us to see deep inside her evolution from a timid traveler to a confident adventurer ready to take on the world.

This is a great read for anyone needing the inspiration and courage to travel independently.

Adventure Divas: Searching the Globe for Women Who Are Changing the World by Holly Morris

In this memoir, Holly Morris recounts her story of the creation of the Adventure Divas documentary series. The Adventure Divas project highlights powerful and unconventional women around the world who are doing amazing things for their communities.

Parallel to the inspirational stories of the women interviewed in this book is the author’s own journey. Morris reveals the intimate details of the struggles and triumphs she encounters while striving to achieve her goal.

On the first Adventure Divas trip, Morris and her crew illegally venture into Cuba where she interviews female rappers, a Santeria priestess and the American activist in exile, Assata Shakur. From there, she travels to India, New Zealand, and Iran.

Most of the women interviewed are people you’ve probably never heard of, but they are all positively impacting small areas in major ways. This book will inspire you to travel and make beneficial changes in the world.

Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure by Sarah MacDonald

After Sarah MacDonald first traveled to India in her early 20s, she vowed to never return again. Several years later, her boyfriend takes a job in India and she apprehensively decides to join him. Upon her return, she still finds India to be a challenge.

But this time, rather than letting the country exasperate her, she fully takes on the challenges India presents. She travels around the country to learn about its unique culture and experience its diverse array of religions.

She dabbles in both major and obscure faiths with a self-deprecating sense of humor and an open mind. This is a hilarious and insightful account of the two years she spent in India and how she finally learns to accept the country as it is.

Stalking the Wild Dik-Dik: One Woman’s Solo Misadventures Across Africa by Marie Javins

Marie Javins goes boldly where few travelers have gone before. In this memoir, she writes about her journey from South Africa to Egypt which was part of a year-long challenge to travel across North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa without using airplanes.

On her trip, she was particularly captivated by Africa. As she treks through remote villages, wilderness, and buzzing cities, she strives to share all of what she sees, not just the typical images of war, disease and wild animals.

While this memoir was not the most poetic read, the author still managed to draw me in with unique tales of her exciting off the beaten path adventures.

Kite Strings of the Southern Cross: A Woman’s Travel Odyssey by Laurie Gough

This is a wonderfully descriptive and passionate account of traveling in the South Pacific and South East Asia. Like Gelman, Gough is not content to be a spectator. She spends time living, working, and immersing herself in the cultures of the countries she visits.

She maintains a strong sense of self while exploring different ideas and ways of thinking. Gough is a travel writer who writes for travelers. Her words beautifully express what continuously draws relentless journeyers to the open road.

Reading this memoir is a fantastic way to fill the space between your travels. Not only does Gough make you feel as though you’re alongside her on her adventures, she lets you know that your infatuation with travel is well understood.

What are your favorite travel memoirs written by women? Please share them below.

Eden Project Surfboards. Photo via Telegraph.co.uk

A gift is a small way of showing gratitude and for the environmentally conscious consumer, here are green gifts you can give to friends and family.

Gift a plant

A flowering plant can be a great gift for birthdays, anniversaries or simply for showing appreciation. You could also go a step further and gift seeds.

However, it’s a good idea to keep in mind the climate of the place so ask yourself these basic questions when deciding which bag of seeds to buy:

Which plants grow wild in the region?

What’s the average rainfall?

How warm or cold can it get?

If all goes well, who knows, next time you’re visiting, you’ll find a beautiful sapling (or tree) growing in the backyard.

Gift Green Gadgets

The Solar Power battery Pod with its solar panel, biodegradable plastics and wool felt, is a fantastic present to give to friends who love listening to music.

Gift a pretty journal made from recycled paper

Saving trees to prevent deforestation is a worthy cause. A beautiful journal goes a long way in saying thank you, and what’s more, the trees will be thanking you for not felling them.

Here is a list of some other environmentally friendly gifts and where you can find them:

Organic Cotton Toys

1. Ten Thousand Villages, a fair trade retailer, pays artisans fifty percent of the money when an order is placed and the entire amount when the product is shipped.

Beautiful earrings made from newspaper and coiled mats, also made from newspaper, are sold here.

2. For those of your friends and family who love to surf, environmentally friendly surfing boards could be a good option.

3. Soy candles are also a great way to show your love without hurting the planet.

4. Designer Bryan Parks has combined art and conservationism by coming up with a bowl made from Chopsticks.

5. For kids, toys made of organic cotton might be a good bet.

6. Internationally acclaimed authors like J.K Rowling, Ian Rankin, Günter Grass, Marlene Streeruwitz, Isabel Allende and Andrea De Carlo have all pledged to use forest friendly paper, according to Greenpeace.

7. Offer to build a house for someone- if you are using bamboo, make sure it’s not of the variety that giant pandas eat. If that’s too much for you, you can always help around the house by using non-toxic paint while painting the walls or by helping install a tank that conserves rainwater.

Green Gifts can go a long way in you doing your bit for the environment. What’s better than giving a gift that promotes a sustainable lifestyle?

Community Connection

Looking for more eco-friendly gifts? Check out Improving Your Goodprint, 6 Gadgets to Make Your Life Greener, and 12 Gadgets That Harness the Power of the Sun

Feature photo by stevendepolo. Photo above by wili_hybrid

The second little secret is to pack products which serve more than one purpose. Use an oil that is suited to your face, hands and hair, or pack a cosmetic that can put a rose in both your cheeks and lips. The more purposes an item serves, the more it earns a position in the cutthroat world of toiletry cases.

Beyond your basic toothbrush, toothpaste, soap and deodorant, here are ten of my personal favorite products; several are multipurpose, and they all come in handy travel sizes.

Now you have more room for that duty free perfume you’ve got your eye on.

Multipurpose Oil –Trilogy Rosehip Oil

This is a brilliant moisturizer that suits all skin types, and can be used on the body, face, and for dry hair. Great to use after time spent in the sun and for cracked cuticles as well. Natural, nourishing and multipurpose.

Dry Shampoo/Hair Powder – Principessa Hair Powder

If you can’t get hold of shampoo for a few days, are in seemingly endless transit, or don’t have time to wash your hair, this is your best friend.

It soaks up oil, extends your blow-dry and gives limp travel hair an instant boost.

Lip Balm – Yes to Carrots C Me Smile Lip Butter

Lip gloss doesn’t moisturize so make sure you pack a balm. This small compact balm is full of natural goodness for lips that have borne the brunt of in-flight air conditioning.

Cheek/Lip Stain – Benefit Benetint

Stains are long lasting and can be used on both lips and cheeks. Instead of packing a blush compact and a lipstick (too fiddly for traveling), go for a tint.

One handy little bottle means rosy cheeks and lip color and more room in your toiletry case.

Sunscreen

Sunscreen is an absolute no-brainer and finding a travel sized product is easy, so no excuses. Go with a minimum of 30+, particularly when traveling in the Southern Hemisphere (we lost our ozone layer).

For light face coverage, try a tinted moisturizer with SPF.

Atomizer

Buy an atomizer, available at chemists and most perfume specialty stores, and fill it with your favorite perfume. Not only does it save lugging the full sized bottle around (and the risk of breaking it) but they’re small enough to take in carry-on luggage, so you’ll always have a spritz of your signature scent on hand.

Face Wipes – Garnier Fresh Complete Cleansing Wipes

Cloth wipes don’t break or leak, are easy to transport and a great pick me up after a long day of sightseeing. You can also take them on a plane for that much needed in-flight freshening up.

Hand cream – Nivea SOS Intensive Balm

If you’re flying a lot, or in a dry climate, then your paws will get dry and itchy and when your cuticles split, it’s painful. This perfectly sized handcream provides quick absorption and is uber-hydrating.

Manicure Kit – Dumpling Dynasty Beauty Kit

Manicure kits, like sewing kits are things you think you can do without but when you lose a button, a key or a splinter, these little things come in mighty handy.

Mineral Powder – Inika Mineral Powder Foundation

No one wants to be bothered with a full face of make up when traveling. This light, completely natural mineral powder acts as a concealer and foundation.

It’s the definition of no fuss.

This second review covers Rosetta Studio™ which allows you to practice what you’ve learned by engaging you in “structured conversations with learners at your level”. A way of building your confidence to verbally practice what you’ve learned.

Getting Started

The way Studio works is this: once you’ve reached a certain learning milestone, for example, you’ve completed all 35 lessons under Level 1 Unit 1, you can choose to “Schedule” a studio session.

You can always schedule sessions without reaching any recommended milestones, but once you’re in class and you begin interacting without any basics, you’ll quickly understand why milestones are important.

Each studio session is a live chat session with language learners at your level as well as a Studio Coach that facilitates the discussion for 50 minutes each session. You choose your day and time slot from a calendar and you get a reminder to log in a few minutes before it starts.

My Studio Experience

So I signed up for an 11 PM session slot, eager to find out what Rosetta Studio was all about. Right on schedule, my coach Anna was waiting for me. I could see Anna in the top left corner box and I was the only student or “elev” who’d signed up for that time slot.

This turned out to be advantageous. I had Anna’s full attention.

Easy access to one-on-one conversations with a native speaker at a time of my choosing from anywhere in the world was fantastic.

After pleasant introductions, she’d ask me questions, waiting patiently, listening, and politely correcting me when I goofed. She’d point to various visual learning elements, ask questions, and prompt me to ask follow up questions as well. She sometimes typed up the right spellings for clarification so I could see what the right words looked like in written form.

By the time we were halfway through our 50 minute session, we were laughing (mostly because of intentional nonsensical answers I gave), and….wait for it….we were actually having a ton of fun.

Jättebra! (“Very Good”) she’d exclaim when I answered correctly or kind of answered correctly by saying what the item wasn’t. For example, I’d answer “Det är inte gult” which means “It isn’t yellow” when she’d point to an odd color I didn’t quite recognize and such.

Once our session was up, I’d learned a lot in just that short time frame. After exchanging “Hej då” (goodbyes), Anna noted she’d like to see me in the Studio again and I promised to set up a new session once I reached another learning milestone.

The Verdict?

This feature alone is what makes TOTALe ™ a superb learning product. In my previous review, I addressed the pricing structure in the comments section because (let’s face it) Rosetta Stone isn’t cheap.

But its interactive TOTALe ™ Studio module and the easy access it provides to live chats and sessions with a real teacher and fellow students is such an invaluable tool.

It fosters remote learning from anywhere in the world where internet access is available so you could be learning Swedish with a live native speaker while island hopping around the South Pacific.

Rosetta Stone should consider the option of also selling Studio as a standalone subscription product.

Seriously.

What to Watch Out For

Since Studio uses Flash, make sure you’ve installed the required plug-in. You will also be reminded to do so before you start the session. Also, if your internet connection isn’t fast and reliable, your experience will be miserable.

Bonus

Though I’ve been using an existing headset to go through the audio courses, I only just discovered a free headset tucked away in a compartment behind the set of CDs in that signature yellow Rosetta Stone box. Sweet!

Read Review Series: Rosetta Stone TOTALe – Part 1.

Pricing information

The entire program costs $1,199 per year and this includes unlimited online access to the three modules outlined above and an accompanying audio kit to use offline for learning the courses.

And now as part of the launch of TOTALe, Rosetta Stone is offering an introductory price of $999. Click here for more details on how to purchase the program.

Photo courtesy of Johan Larsson

Laptops may still be number one for most travel writers, but apps like these make it more doable to accomplish some pretty thorough work from your iPhone or Touch.

iPhone Apps for Writing and Editing

TextGuru

According to Brancipater Software, TextGuru is an “advanced, desktop class, multi-function text editor.” With this app, you can read and edit Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint docs, as well as PDF files, in landscape and portrait mode. TextGuru features cut, copy, and paste, find and replace, autosave, a search funtion, web previews, and email capabilities.

Price: $4.99

Photo by motoyen

My Writing Nook

This free web app and $1.99 iPhone app use Google’s App Engine infrastructure to allow writers to write and edit documents anyplace with Internet access. The concept is pretty much like Google Docs: just sign in with your Google account and start writing.

Both apps allow you to email the document, or save to your computer as an RTF. They even include a dictionary/thesaurus feature. And with the iPhone app, you can type in landscape mode, putting your thumbs to good use.

While most people, myself included, don’t like typing much more than a text message on a phone, I’ve found this to be a really great way to sneak in a little bit of writing when I have a few minutes to spare. Those little sessions add up to a decent word count at the end of the day!

Web app: Free

iPhone app: $1.99

NumberKey

When I got my first ever laptop – a clunky Compaq – I remember buying an external numeric keypad because not having one drove me nuts.

Photo by Balmuda Design

But NumberKey by Balmuda Design turns your iPhone into a keypad! The app uses wi-fi to function as a numeric keypad for your laptop – no USB or other connections necessary, just set your iPhone next to your laptop and you’re ready to go!

Before using, you need to download NumberKey Connect. Pretty cool app, particularly for use with spreadsheets and budget docs.

Price: $1.99

iPhone Apps for Blogging

Those who blog regularly know that short and sweet posts are essential; hardly anyone writes an long essay every day for their blog. And usually the best ideas for those quick posts come while your out. These apps for bloggers help you get a post up while you’re out, including pictures.

Wordpress

For bloggers using Wordpress, this free app works great. You can enter several blogs to manage, then post, add pics, and manage all pages and comments right on your iPhone.

The Wordpress app allows you to enter all parts of a post, including tags and categories. There are two versions available, Wordpress and Wordpress 2. I tried the first, and it worked just fine. However, the second didn’t recognize my blog and crashed on me.

Judging from the reviews, a lot of folks who switched from the first to the second had this problem. However, I’d recommend giving it a try – they’re both free, and the second seems to have a lot of great updates if you can get it to work!

Price: Free

Photo by Titanas

BlogPress

This app works with several blog platforms, including WordPress, Blogger, LiveJournal, TypePad, and Joomla. For the price, you get the ability to upload video from your YourTube account to your blog, uses a visual editor, and lets you send one post to multiple blogs, even on different platforms. A little higher price, but likely worthwhile.

Price: $2.99

iPhone Apps for Printing and Exporting Docs

Print n Share

This app is a great example of something that works exactly as promised. Within minutes of downloading Print n Share, I printed an email off of my iPhone onto a printer that my laptop wasn’t even connected to in the first place.

In order to work, you need to download WePrint helper software onto your computer, which is free. Once it’s installed, you can use Print n Share to print any files, emails, web pages, contacts, and images from your iPhone. I use this one frequently – it’s incredibly easy and super helpful.

Price: $6.99

Photo by philcampbell

Google Export

Another freebie that writers who use Google Docs have no reason not to download! Simply put, Google Export lets you browse and export your Google Docs as an email attachment. It’s free. It works. Not much else to say – if you’re a big Docs user, this is one to get!

Price: Free

iPhone apps for Notes and Research

iTalk Recorder

All writers know the rule; inspiration hits when you’ve got nothing to write with. Many learn to carry a little notebook around at all times, and Notes on the iPhone works well for jotting things down. But if it’s a big idea, sometimes those thumbs just don’t type fast enough!

iTalk Recorder is an easy-to-use voice recorder for vocal notes or interviews. Download the free iTalk Sync, and you can drag and drop them as AIFF files on your laptop. There are two versions available – try the Lite for free and see how it works for you!

Lite: Free

Premium: $1.99

Wikipanion

Yes, I know – Wikipedia doesn’t count as research. But I do use it, and often, and Wikipanion is a great way to navigate the site from my Touch. With the free version, you can bookmark (including individual sections), view history, and save images to your Photo library.

Price: Free

Know of any other iPhone apps freelance writers are missing out on? Share your favorites in the comments section!

Community Connection

Photo by Wesley Fryer

My sister who has been using their Italian program for the last couple of years swears by them, and a colleague who’s currently learning Russian once took me through a walk-through of the Rosetta Stone interface.

Though intrigued by this learning program, my constant on-the-go lifestyle meant packing up and carrying along language CDs all the time wasn’t practical. So when I was approached by Rosetta Stone to test out its new TOTALe ™ online integration learning program which allows you to access the program online from any location without carrying around CDs, I was totally on board.

Photo by Lola Akinmade

My language of choice? Swedish.

Why? I currently split time between Stockholm and the US and consider myself an advanced (word loosely used) beginner .

While Swedish is a relatively easy language to learn, what makes it super challenging are those “extra” pronunciations required to differentiate between words that are written exactly alike and sound exactly alike.

Confused yet?

Read about some of my Swedish language learning woes here.

Brief Overview

The Rosetta Stone TOTALe ™ program is a collection of three learning modules that can all be accessed online as long as you’ve got a steady internet connection, a laptop/desktop computer, and a headset for voice recognition and participation.

Its flagship, Rosetta Course™ provides all the audio guidance and learning programs guaranteed to get you up and running quickly in your new language of choice.

The Rosetta Studio™ allows you to practice what you’ve learned by engaging you in “structured conversations with learners at your level”. A way of building your confidence to verbally practice what you’ve learned.

Rosetta World™ allows you to play with your newly acquired language skills. Literally. You can play games, engage in chats, and other activities to help you apply your knowledge in everyday situations.

In this three part series review, I will be testing out each of the three components above, and providing some in-depth analyses on my experiences with this new Rosetta Stone program.

Part 1 – Rosetta Course™ Review

The first time you log on, it checks your system configuration. You will be required to download a “speech component” that allows for voice recognition. You also get to select your Simbo™ language.

According to Rosetta Stone,

Simbio™ language is your native language or the one you speak most fluently. In Simbio activities, you’ll exchange languages: practice with a native speaker, and help your partner practice your Simbio language.

Setting up my system and voice was a breeze, and I couldn’t wait to start a Level 1 course.

Pros

Right off the bat, I was totally taken by the layout and approach to learning Rosetta Course applies – large pictures with native words denoting each activity, action, noun, and such.

As we all know, children are most impressionable when it comes to quickly picking up languages at an early age through recognizing pictures and associating them to words, and Rosetta Stone, with its layout, aims to tap into that base natural way of learning.

I learn best by directly immersing myself into the language and in classroom settings, not by picking up books and learning on my own. This visual-auditory approach worked great for me, and instant feedback was given when I totally messed up the pronunciation of words.

The use of pictures meant I was always wanting and anticipating what the next visual cue would be. In short, I felt like a kid again, which opened up my mind to readily absorbing the repetitive native phrases that were being fed through the program.

If internet connections drop or you’re done for the day, TOTALe™ resumes where you left off the next time you log back into the system.

Cons (Sort of)

What I found a little confusing was some of the matching sequences where the words weren’t on the screen and I wasn’t sure what to do next. I suppose if I’d actually followed their introductory video before diving right it, I would have solved my own problem.

At first, I chucked it up to a slow Internet connection not loading the words, but once I figured out how that lesson was actually structured, it was smooth sailing from there.

Summary

At the end of each lesson, you get graded and scores are displayed back to you. All in all, I really enjoyed working with Rosetta Course ™.

The interactive, graphics-heavy approach to learning meant I never got bored and boredom is one of the key reasons a lot of people quickly abandon self-learning programs.

Stay tuned for Part 2 – RosettaSTUDIO ™ in the upcoming days.

Pricing information

The entire program costs $1,199 per year and this includes unlimited online access to the three modules outlined above and an accompanying audio kit to use offline for learning the courses.

And now as part of the launch of TOTALe, Rosetta Stone is offering an introductory price of $999. Click here for more details on how to purchase the program.

Feature photo by Extra Ketchup. Photo above by georgehotelling

Unlike newspapers and plastic bottles, there isn’t a green bin to hold your old cell phone or laptop out on the curb, waiting for a truck to carry them away. However, there are several quick and simple options for recycling or reusing electronics.

Choosing the right program for you depends on the type of gadget you have, its condition, and whether or not you want a financial bonus for your efforts at being green.

Get Cash for Used Gadgets

Unless your cell phone is completely trashed or from the forgotten time known as the 90’s, you might be able to score some cash for it. Of course, there’s always Ebay or Craigslist, but if you don’t want to go through the hassle of dealing with bids, there are a few other websites worth checking out.

Gazelle and BuyMyTronics are two great organizations that offer cash in exchange for electronics. Gazelle accepts a huge variety of toys, while BuyMyTronics focuses on iPhones and iPods, gaming consoles, and cell phones.

Just submit your gadget info on one of their sites to receive an instant price quote, ship it to the address, and you’ll receive a payment via PayPal (or a mailed check) within two days. It’s worth noting that, depending on the age and/or condition of your toy, you might receive a quote of $0.00.

Both Gazelle and BuyMyTronics will still accept and recycle the worthless gadget, and the warm fuzzies you get saving the world from brominated flame retardants will surely be worth more than a few dollars.

Take It Back

Many companies offer recycling programs for their products. Dell will recycle any of their products for free, and they’ll also recycle any computer at no additional cost with purchase of a new Dell.

Apple also offers free recycling with purchase of a new Mac, and offers a 10% discount on iPods when you bring an old one in to be recycled.

When you need to recycle, a quick check of the company’s website should be enough to see if they offer similar incentives.

Donate to Charity

Consider donating your gadget to charity if you feel like you’ve outgrown it. Someone else might find it useful. Be sure to wipe your hard drive before passing your computer (or any gadget) on to someone else.

Consider Recycling for Charities; an organization that accepts electronics through the mail, recycles them, and donates the profits to the charity of your choice. These donations are tax-deductible for you, making this option a win across the board.

If you have a PC or Mac still in good condition, the National Cristina Foundation might be able to use it in their program benefiting those with disabilities, students at risk, and the economically disadvantaged.

Donations may be submitted online, and are accepted at no cost outside of shipping.

Local Recycling Options

To find an electronic recycling business in your area, EcyclingCentral provides a handy map and detailed lists complete with addresses, phone numbers, and company websites.

Visit the U.S. Environmental Protection agency’s website for more help on finding the most convenient recycling option in your area.

Community Connection

To learn more about e-waste, read Julie Schwietert’s article, The Problem with E-Waste and take in the visual mass of e-waste in photographer Chris Jordan’s photo essay – Intolerable Beauty: Chris Jordan Photographs American Mass Consumption.

Photo courtesy of Laptops Arena

Here at Matador, we’ve reviewed many laptops, guided you through picking your perfect laptop, and showcased various lightweight alternatives.

For travel writers always on the go, Netbooks are more than sufficient for your writing and blogging needs. Throw in some photojournalism work which includes heavy photo editing and other graphics-related tasks, and you may be looking for something stronger.

At the end of this month, I’m leaving the 9-5 gig and transitioning into the role of fulltime freelance photojournalist. This meant assessing what I had in terms of technological support, upgrading any outdated kits, and investing in a new workhorse laptop to serve as a mobile home office.

Outlined below is a field guide to buying a new laptop including some essential questions you need to ask yourself.

What are others in your field using?

While the laptop someone else uses may not be the best option for you, there are a range of netbooks and laptops that fellow writers and photographers have been using for months and absolutely swear by.

I perused the Matador Network archives and also I hit up Google with a quick search phrase “Best Laptops for Photographers”. Because processing photographs and RAW files take up more memory than working with mostly text, I was looking for solutions specifically geared towards photojournalists.

By reading different reviews and opinions, I was able to boil down the list to the following brands: Apple, HP, Sony, and Lenovo.

What do you need in terms of features and functionality?

With the top four brands for photographers in hand, I began developing a list of minimum functionality. While Apple brands are extremely popular among creative types, it fell off the list because of years of experience with PC platforms.

This decision was based solely on my comfort level, thus bringing the list down to: HP, Sony, and Lenovo.

During my career, compiling code and connecting to large geospatial databases meant getting used to a certain level of processing speed, RAM and memory requirements.

So my rough list had only 3 important items on it:

• Speed – Nothing less than Intel Quad processors
• DVD Rewritable drive – Because even the best laptops don’t come with DVD drives and this requirement can inadvertently slip through the cracks
• USB ports galore – With two external hard drives, a Logitech headset, a mouse, USB printer and much more, I wanted to be able to connect my peripherals all at once.

By listing out features you absolutely need, this also limits the various models left for your review.

What extras would you like?

Once the base list was written down and finalized, I started thinking of nice features to have such as amped up graphics cards, extra hard drive space, and much more.

For months, investing in a Wacom drawing graphics tablet for maintaining my comic strip – Office Supplies – The Comic, was always on the back of my mind.

By this point, my choices were down to Sony and Lenovo having already filtered out HP based on graphics technology, other nice-to-have features, and the level of Adobe RGB color gamut support I needed.

Then I discovered the Lenovo Elite ThinkPad W700.

What made this particular model attractive was its built-in Wacom digitizing tablet which would support the comic strip. This meant not having to lug around an additional peripheral device.

I was instantly hooked.

Photo courtesy of Digital Photography Review

How much are you willing to pay?

It ultimately boils down to how much are you able to dole out on a pricey new system without pulling out all your savings. With the Lenovo ThinkPad W700 starting at $1,799 (basic features only), you can easily run upwards of $4,000-$5,000 for a complete configuration customized to suit your taste.

Ouch.

With a clear budget in mind (way less than $2,000), and finally having to dip into lean savings (double ouch), I was able to customize the ideal solution for my needs while keeping the overall purchase way less than $3,000.

The order has finally been placed and I’m currently keeping my fingers crossed, hoping that the Lenovo ThinkPad would truly be the perfect mobile office for this photojournalist.

Read more reviews of the Lenovo ThinkPad W700. Lenovo also offers an online outlet store where you can purchase refurbished laptops at half the price.

What laptop do you currently have and why did you choose it? Please share with us below

Feature Photo by dreamglow. Photo above by letsputphotographsontheinternet.

Well, that’s what the Japanese manufacturers claim.

Regardless of your beauty goals, the beauty and hygiene aisle in Japanese pharmacies and department shops will never bore you.

Whitening creams

I’ve noticed that whitening products have a big market in Asia where lighter skin is considered a sign of beauty. The Japanese Olay brand carries white radiance, a moisturizer to lighten your skin by breaking down melanin with hydroquinone ( a chemical I saw in radiology class). There are also whitening pills to make you “fairer”.

Photo credit: Hannari-Ya

Nightingale bird poop (Uguisu No Fun)

It’s reputed that the poop of the pretty Nightingale bird has an enzyme which is considered to lighten and even out your complexion.

Traditional geishas and kabuki performers have used this stuff to remove heavy makeup and nourish their complexions.

If you’re brave enough to try it, the Chidoriya brand carries it in powder form which you reconstitute with water and use as a face mask.

Face slimming

A small and slender face size is prettier than one that is huge—or so many Japanese believe. The Akaishi brand makes a face slimming roller that massages the face, rendering it free of facial edema and the double chin. Kogao Sukiri makes face slimming stickers which claim to magically slim your chubby cheeks. There’s also a Kogao Sauna mask which makes your face lose weight by sweating it out.

Eye glue

This glue creates a double eye lid or an eye lid crease. A small plastic “fork” is included in the packet to push and pull the eye lid skin until you’ve got a crease height that you like. I shudder to think of people doing this in with their rear view mirrors, while driving late to work. For those who find glue to be cumbersome, there’s also eye lid tape that does the same thing.

Feature Photo by kalandrakas.

Big eye contacts

If you find the look of baby eyes irresistible or want gigantic anime character eyes, buy some Big Eye Contacts by Acuvue.

Popular in Korea and Japan, these are designed to enlarge your irises like the baby eyes you once had.

Pore cleansing stick

If you’re obsessed with pore cleanliness, this stick made by Dahoo is for you. There’s a pocket for your index finger as you rub the abrasive surface on every single visible blackhead. .

Collagen marshmallows

Perfect for combining a love of marshmallows with a collagen needle injection. Made by the Eiwa brand, a pack costs approximately 200 yen, and the marshmallows have a light grape fruit flavor and decent texture. Eiwa claims they have a similar effect of the injections without the pain.

F cup cookies

F cups seem a lofty ambition for most breast enhancement products, particularly one that comes in the form of tasty cookies. Pueraria Mirifica, a Thai herb is the magic estrogenic ingredient in these cookies which come in chocolate praline or soymilk flavors.

Directions say to eat 1-2 daily with a disclaimer that overdosing causes loose bowels. If you absolutely can’t wait to try them, they’re sold on Ebay, along with F-cup tea, to go along with the cookies.

Pink nipple cream

Its packaging is girly pink and sports a childish cartoon image of a breast with a pink round nipple. It claims to turn brown nipples peachy pink. The idea is enhanced by the addition of peach leaf extract to the product.

Foot peel pack

If you’ve never given your neglected backpacker’s feet a “facial”, the Foot Peel Pack is like a day spa for your feet. There’s a pair of pre-medicated plastic socks with a liquid to slough off all those dead skin cells that you’ve accumulated over the years.

In an hour, emerge with feet as soft as a baby’s.

Mimikaki, the ear picker

Nothing can be a better bonding experience than picking each other’s ears. Mimikaki is a skinny piece of bamboo stick with a spoon like end that scoops out the earwax.

It usually comes with a second stick with a feather pom pom end to dust away “crumbs”. Performing “mimikaki” service is quite common between husbands and wives.

These wooden devices are rather cute—the scooping stick has a small Daruma-like classical figurine, and the Hello Kitty brand makes one in pink. If you’re hooked, the more modern plastic model has spiral-like ridges on the device, for extra trapping potential.

Feature Photo by S Baker. Photo Above by respres

For travelers chronicling their journeys through words and pictures, amassing tons of data without a storage safety net to rely on is risky. There are several ways to keep your data safely tucked away in an online cubbyhole.

As you’re reviewing various options, here are some factors to consider:

Space – How much do you need?

Cost – Storing data shouldn’t mean shredding cash.

While there are sites designed specifically for hosting photos or videos, this piece covers what do you do with the rest of your data.

Photo by adria richard

E-mail

If your needs are basic, the simplest solution is to e-mail files to yourself. Most free e-mail accounts come with plenty of free storage if you just want to keep copies of critical documents.

A scan of your passport, birth certificate and other personal information can easily be organized in a folder and accessed whenever you need it.

Use it if your needs are minimal and you’re good at keeping your passwords secure (which is pretty important in any event).

Lose it if you need to store hundreds of files in a flexible, organized way.

Free File Storage

Several companies promote free file storage. Some may be around for decades, but do you really want to trust that?

File sharing sites like Megaupload and RapidShare offer great features but have speed and other restrictions for their free users. You should also be wary of any software a site asks you to install.

Fortunately, two giants in the data industry are diving into the storage business.

For a free service, Microsoft Skydrive has some great qualities. 25Gb of free storage, albeit with some limitations. While the file system is intuitive, you have to select files to upload one at a time.

No uploading of entire folders which is a deal breaker for most purposes. Another limitation is a max 50Mb file size, so uploading that HD movie of you sledding down the Spanish Steps on a piece of plywood ain’t gonna work.

The long-rumored Google storage service, Gdrive, is supposedly coming soon and may be worth the wait. As in most areas that Google has jumped into, expect them to be very competitive and probably push beyond the limits of Microsoft’s service.

Use it if you have several large files and don’t mind uploading them a few at a time

Lose it if you have huge files, like movie clips, or want to save hundreds of files at once

Full Back-ups and Syncing

If you want to be ready for catastrophic failure and keep your online storage sync’d with your computer, you need a back-up service. Most of these will automatically back-up all of your data whenever you’re connected, updating any files that are new or changed.

Some allow easy access to your files from any internet connected computer or your mobile device, some are useful only for a full restore if your computer dies or disappears.

For a full drive, the first sync could take days even with a fast connection, but you can pick and choose fewer files and folders to include.

While many of these companies offer “free” services, the free limit of 2Gb or less makes that unattractive. With a subscription, however, you have a great way to keep all your data safe in case of disaster.

Here are some of the more popular options:

• Mozy: Unlimited storage, automatic syncs. $54.45 per year
• Carbonite: It worked for Jabba the Hutt, why not you? Unlimited storage, automatic syncs, file access from any online computer; $54.95 per year
• Livedrive: In addition to data sync, it includes ftp support and individual file access, accessible from any connected mobile device. Approx. $65 per year for 100Gb
• Dropbox: Syncs your computer and allows easy access to individual files as well as easy file sharing with friends. Pricier at $120 per year for 50Gb

Use it if you want to have an online copy of everything to protect yourself

Lose it if you think spending a few bucks is too much for peace of mind or your spotty internet connection makes you weep at the thought of syncing your entire 160Gb drive

Your Web Host

If you already have a website with your own hosting account and are enough of a tech geek to set up private ftp access, it can be very cost effective to use an existing web host. One advantage here is that you’ll have your files nearby if you want to move one to your website for public download.

Use it If you’re already paying for a web host with plenty of room to spare

Lose it If programming anything beyond a microwave oven challenges you. You’ll be working without tech support in most cases.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/remote-data-storage-options-for-travelers/feed/ 0 http://matadorgoods.com/10-gadgets-to-unleash-your-inner-james-bond/ http://matadorgoods.com/10-gadgets-to-unleash-your-inner-james-bond/#comments Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:20:51 +0000 Michelle Schusterman http://matadorgoods.com/?p=2486 Introducing real-life gadgets that trounce some of 007’s most outrageous toys.

Photo by bionicteaching.

Some of the gadgets featured in Bond films have been laughed off as ridiculous in the past.
A laser watch? Invisible cars? Please…

But this list of real-life tech goodies tops some of 007’s most outrageous toys.

Avatar Digital Spy Camera

China Vasion gives us this handy gadget which is a cross between a telescope and a digital camera and features a 2.5 inch LCD screen and a 2MP monocular lens.

The amazing 40x digital zoom lets you capture distant shots and video in great detail.

Other specs include a mini-USB port, a built-in e-book reader, a standard media player, and 1GB of internal memory.

Price: $128.06 | View Site

Flameless USB Lighter

Designed by Nathan Gabriele, this lighter uses resistance coils to generate heat, lighting cigarettes without flames or fluid.

This technology is already used in car lighters.

On the other end of this lighter is a USB port which allows data transfer with internal flash memory. Useful for those situations where you need to download files secretly while your nemesis is searching for his cigars.

The Moshi Voice Activated Alarm Clock

Chucking your alarm clock across the room isn’t very suave. Why not command it to go into snooze mode instead?

The Moshi Alarm Clock responds to voice control to set both time and alarm, and is officially endorsed by the World Blind Union.

Your Moshi can tell you (literally, it has a voice too) the current temperature of the room, the date, and can change its lighting at your request.

The Moshi alarm will turn off at the sound of your voice, no matter how incoherent, meaning you don’t need to budge to stop the sound.

Price: $50 | View Site

LG Watch Phone

The LG GD910 Touch Watch Phone is one of the slickest new gadgets out there.

If the stereo Blue-tooth technology and camera for video conferences aren’t enough, the mp3 player, 3G HSDPA technology, voice recognition, and text to speech features make this an ultra-modern device worthy of 007.

Price: € 899 ($1,290) | View Site

Bluetooth Laser Virtual Keyboard

Despite the amazing advances in touch screen technology, typing a lengthy email on a phone or PDA can be annoying.

Imagine pulling out your bluetooth enabled Blackberry and this handy little device barely bigger than a matchbook…and having a full size standard keyboard instantly displayed on the surface in front of you.

This tiny laser virtual keyboard projects a keyboard onto any flat surface, and even provides key click sounds to accompany your typing.

With a rechargeable battery for two hours of continuous typing and its futuristic look, the laser keyboard is sure to catch the eyes of your fellow cafe patrons.

Stash Card Secret Laptop Drawer

This isn’t exactly high-tech but it is pretty clever.

Wireless Garden presents a drawer designed to fit the PC card slot in your laptop perfectly, giving you a convenient place to hide keys, credit cards, stamps, cash, and incriminating photos.

Price: $9.95 | View Site

 

Memorize Written Data with the C Pen

The C Pen looks like a fat digital highlighter, but what it actually does makes it even cooler. Push the activation button on the side and slide the pen over any line of text as if you’re highlighting.

The C Pen captures the text (up to 2,000 pages at a time) and stores it into its memory, ready for you to transfer onto your computer via an IR port. You can even paste the copied text into Word or Excel.

Not sweet enough? How about this: the C Pen has a language translator, with the ability to translate any word in English to (or from) German, French, Italian, and Swedish.

So ideally, you can scan an article from Le Monde and have it translated into English, all on this nifty little gadget.

The C Pen also allows you to edit and make changes. The plagiarism potential here is astounding, but overall this seems like it could be a very useful toy.

Prices vary based on specification: the C Pen is available in Hosted (PC, Mac, etc.) or Standalone models.

Price: $170-$250 I View Site

Solar Powered Laptop Case

Voltaic Systems has an eco-friendly and convenient way to charge your laptop.

The Generator contains a solar panel that generates up to 15 watts using 20% efficient cells, along with a custom battery pack for conversion.

The battery will charge in around five hours, and the case will also charge cell phones and many other gadgets.

The Generator is made from water resistant recycled materials, making this a great choice for environmentally conscious Bond imitators.

Check their website first to make sure your laptop will charge in the Generator; Apple, Dell, HP, IBM/Lenovo, and Panasonic laptops usually get good results.

Voltaic also offers solar powered backpacks and messenger bags.

Price: $499 | View Site

Car Key Security Camera

Snap a few stealthy photos with this clever spy camera from Brando.

This fake car key has 2GB of memory, with a color video resolution of 640 x 480 and an image resolution of 1280 x 960 pixels.

For the same price and specs, try Brando’s key chain security camera.

Price: $66 | View Site

The sQuba Car

Based on the Lotus Esprit Bond took for a dive in the 1977 classic The Spy Who Loved Me, Rinspeed’s sQuba car is a fully submersible, all-electric convertible with an onboard breathing system that enables passengers to breathe with a design similar to scuba gear.

The sQuba’s two extra engines are used to run a pair of screw drives, which, combined with jet drives that ‘breathe’ through special rotating louvers, help the car maneuver underwater.

Rinspeed had the foresight to include a salt-water resistant interior and a laser sensor system for driverless motoring.

The sQuba is a zero-emission car, making this environmentally friendly automobile, not to mention insanely cool.

Price: Not in a million years | View Site

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/10-gadgets-to-unleash-your-inner-james-bond/feed/ 5 http://matadorgoods.com/6-gadgets-to-make-your-life-greener/ http://matadorgoods.com/6-gadgets-to-make-your-life-greener/#comments Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:06:54 +0000 Michelle Schusterman http://matadorgoods.com/?p=2348 There’s been a lot of recent talk about e-waste and mass consumption, and their effect on the environment.

Photo courtesy of Chris Jordan

If you are a gadget-geek but want to reduce your carbon footprint, try these six gadgets for a greener life.

D-Link’s 8-port Switch

The DGS-2208 uses eco-friendly technology to help you reduce power consumption you may not realize you’re using. The D-Link automatically detects idle ports on your computer equipment and reduces the power usage, saving energy and money.

This device is particularly great for offices (public and home) where computers are used for over eight hours a day. In some situations, the D-Link has been able to save up to 40% of the power used in these conditions.

Installation is easy and no configuration is required.

Price: $44.99 | BUY

What’s Fresh

It’s no secret that eating local is good for your body and the planet. This handy little app will help you track down seasonal fruits anywhere in the U.S.

What’s Fresh lists in season fruits and veggies, provides a calendar and lets you know whether products are produced fresh or in a greenhouse, and is constantly updating more foods into its database.

Price: $1.99 | BUY from iTunes

Wind Powered Battery Charger

Solar power is catching on in popularity, but how about wind power? The HYmini, a hybrid universal charger, captures renewable wind and solar power and combines it with wall plug power to charge most 5V gadgets.

A breeze over 9 mph will get the battery charging in just 20-40 minutes. This charger is great for cell phones, mp3 players, iPods, and cameras.

Price: $74.98 | BUY

Light Powered Mobile Phone Charging Sleeve

The Powcell Charging Sleeve, made by MotionTouch, charges up your iPhone or Blackberry via light power. The photovoltaic cells on the back suck up energy from nearby light sources, feeding it straight to your phone.

Ideally, if a phone lives in this sleeve, it never needs charging.

Meaning there’s no more need for AC outlets, saving both energy and money on your electric bill.

Bio-Recyclable USB Drive

Designed with recycled and biodegradable material, the ATP EarthDrive is also shockproof, waterproof, and dust-proof, making it a highly durable USB drive.

Its capacities range from 1GB to 8GB, and security software is built in for password protection.

ATP has partnered with the American Forest Foundation and donates a share of their revenues to planting trees.

Price: $15.99 | BUY

 

Iqua BHS-603 SUN Bluetooth Headset by Orange

If you’re addicted to Bluetooth, Try Iqua SUN, the worlds first solar powered Bluetooth headset.

At just 14 grams, the tiny headset fits into your ear without needing a hook, and draws energy from the sun to charge.

The Iqua SUN will stay powered and ready to go through nine hours of total darkness.

Price: $34.56 | BUY

Community Connection

For more on the environmental impact of consumerism, check out Chris Jordan’s photo essay, and read up on the problem with E-waste.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/6-gadgets-to-make-your-life-greener/feed/ 0 http://matadorgoods.com/photo-essay-taking-two-small-bags-around-world/ http://matadorgoods.com/photo-essay-taking-two-small-bags-around-world/#comments Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:21:48 +0000 Lola Akinmade http://matadorgoods.com/?p=2113 Fly Brother blog is currently on a comprehensive round the world journey that would see him trek through Cairo, Istanbul, and Alice Springs.]]> Ernest White II of the popular Fly Brother blog is currently on a comprehensive round the world journey that would see him trek through Cairo, Istanbul, and Alice Springs. Through photographs, he has shared his packing process so he never has to check in any luggage.

1.“August 2009 in Jacksonville, Florida. My 15-year-old brother’s room (which I have commandeered for the two months I’ve been home). With the help of Fly Mother and some Zip-Lock bags, I’m all packed for three months on the road….”…..Fly Brother

Observe

2.That would be one dress shirt and a pair of khakis, some jeans, 6 pair of draws, four pair of socks, 3 white tees, swim trunks, gym shorts, four short-sleeve t-shirts, two long-sleeve tees, and a pair of size-13 loafers

.

3.Taking one pair of loafers…

4.…stuffed with socks for saving space.

5.Rolling up clothes significantly saves space.

7.…as well as vacuum packing clothes…

8.Ziplock bags are great for packing underwear.

9.All apparel packed. Now on to accessories….

10.Essentials for the trip include a laptop, 3 guidebooks, 2 notebooks, camera, toiletries, and other miscellaneous items..

11.…all packed into this small backpack

12.Ta-Da! Now set for a trip around the world.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/photo-essay-taking-two-small-bags-around-world/feed/ 3 http://matadorgoods.com/how-to-access-your-home-data-while-traveling/ http://matadorgoods.com/how-to-access-your-home-data-while-traveling/#comments Tue, 01 Sep 2009 22:37:20 +0000 Elmer Thomas http://matadorgoods.com/?p=2293 Reducing what you take when you travel not only saves your shoulders from having to lug them around, it also drastically minimizes the chances of loss, theft or damage.

Feature photo by **msk. Photo Above by DeclanTM

Anyone who travels frequently has probably built a lengthy list of tips and tricks to help minimize the bulk of items they need to take with them.

Nowadays, many people carry a laptop along, but even the most robust desktop replacement versions have hard drives that pale in comparison to a desktop-class external hard drive for storing data. Many technologies such as external hard drives that were developed for corporate America have seen their fruits trickle down into the home market.

While one might assume I’m suggesting you carry an external drive with you, I’m introducing a more efficient way of accessing all your files while on the road.

In a business environment, it wouldn’t make sense to attach an external hard drive to every workstation especially when sharing data is essential, so Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices were created. NAS devices are external hard drives that plug into a router via Ethernet cables, allowing authorized users on the network access to the same data.

Hard drive manufacturer Western Digital rolled out two feature-packed NAS devices called the My Book World Edition (2 terrabytes in size) and the My Book World Edition II that does everything a NAS device should do.

One of the most interesting features for travelers is the My Book’s built-in remote access technology called MioNet.

Simply load the MioNet software onto your laptop or NetBook and have instant access to everything you keep stored at home or in the office, whenever you want it, wherever you happen to be.

Installation is a breeze and using the software is extremely intuitive. Additionally, with as much as 2 terabytes (TB) of storage capacity, you can keep thousands of photos, tons of home movies, enough music to fill your ears for weeks and all the other important documents you need with instant access anywhere.

If you travel often and need to access your digital data on a regular basis, stop hauling it around with you on an external hard drive, and opt for instant remote access to your digital data, all kept securely at home.

Do you have any data related travel tips? Please share them below.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/how-to-access-your-home-data-while-traveling/feed/ 10 http://matadorgoods.com/10-reasons-why-a-scarf-is-a-must-pack/ http://matadorgoods.com/10-reasons-why-a-scarf-is-a-must-pack/#comments Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:41:42 +0000 Luisa Sperry http://matadorgoods.com/?p=2209 There are two things I never travel without. One is a journal in which to record my thoughts while away from home. The other is a scarf.

Feature Photo by bfick. Photo above by occam

A scarf is a great multi-purpose item for when you’re trying to pack light. Here’s why.

Fashion

No doubt your clothing will not see a washing machine and iron very often on the road. A scarf can help spruce up a suffering wardrobe.

Sleeping Sheet

Lay a scarf on your bed to cover those questionable looking stains on guest house sheets. It won’t help with the bed bugs though.

Picnic Blanket/ Beach Towel

Unless you’re planning to stay at The Four Seasons in every country you visit where they supply luxurious lounge chairs, you’ll appreciate packing something to relax on.

Photo by Giorgio Montersino.

Temperature Control

A scarf in a lightweight material like linen or cotton can actually help you stay cool in warmer climates. And, of course, you can wear it as a shawl to stay warm when the temperature drops.

Perfect for chilly nights around the campfire.

Modesty

Donning a scarf instantly makes your attire more appropriate and can be especially useful if you plan on visiting religious sites. Wat Pho, home of the reclining Buddha in Bangkok, even keeps scarves on hand to lend to visitors to the temple.

Bag

Buy more at the market than will fit into your backpack? Place your treasures in the middle of a scarf and tie up the corners for a makeshift bag.

Culture

Many cultures have a distinctive scarf or sarong that epitomizes local style (think of a kanga in Tanzania or kroma in Cambodia). Pick up your own to blend in with the locals or bring one to your home-stay family as a gift.

Photo by iwantarosegarden.

Towel

It may not be as absorbent as your mini Quick Dry towel, but in a pinch, you can use a scarf to dry off after a shower. And it will really come in handy after that impromptu skinny dip in the Gulf of Thailand.

Camouflage

Although it may make you feel like a tourist instead of a traveler, wearing a camera around your neck is convenient. Draping a scarf around your neck conceals a camera hanging there.

Breathe Easy

Tie a scarf around your mouth and nose to keep yourself from inhaling dust and vehicle exhaust on those bumpy rides on dirt roads.

Bonus points for looking like a bandit from the Wild West.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/10-reasons-why-a-scarf-is-a-must-pack/feed/ 9 http://matadorgoods.com/gift-ideas-unusual-intellectual-and-downright-scary-walking-tou%e2%80%8frs/ http://matadorgoods.com/gift-ideas-unusual-intellectual-and-downright-scary-walking-tou%e2%80%8frs/#comments Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:41:08 +0000 Michelle Schusterman http://matadorgoods.com/?p=1978 Consider treating your favorite traveler to a gift certificate for a walking tour of their next destination.

Feature Photo: Bulldog Tours. Photo above: Lola Akinmade

While some folks live for getting lost in a new place and discovering a new culture by diving in headfirst without a map or a plan, others need a bit more guidance.

With the wide range of tours available all over the world, from the philosophical to the haunted, there’s bound to be one to please any traveler.

Walking Seminars

Photo courtesy of Context Tours

For the intellectually curious traveler, Context Travel offers a wide variety of walking seminars that range from three hours to all day events.

According to their mission: “In an age of Disneyland and Club Med, we are dedicated to the experience of real places.”

Each group of no more than six people is led by a Ph.D. level scholar or historian. Tours offered include an interesting variety of topics such as archaeology, cuisine, theology, architecture, and art.

Context tours are currently available in New York, Philadelphia, Paris, London, Rome, Florence, Venice, Naples, and Istanbul.

Photography Tours

Photo courtesy of Shutter Tours

Whether a beginner or expert, any photographer would enjoy a tour aimed specifically at improving their craft.

Led by local city experts and photographers, the tours take you to the best spots in town all the while providing tips on how to get that perfect shot.

A great example is Shutter Tours in Seattle, Washington. Each guide is an award-winning photographer who teaches lessons designed to improve your skills.

This tour also focuses on a few “out of the way surprises” that many people miss out on with other tours.

Ghost Tours

Photo courtesy of Wellington Movie Tours

Almost any city will have its ghost stories and several proudly offer tours for the paranormal fanatic.

The Ghosts of Georgetown Walking Tour explores the haunts and dark alleys of DC.

The family-friendly tour guides may just lead your group in a seance, read your future with Tarot, and cast a voodoo spell on disbelievers.

Most people picture a palm tree lined coast when they think of Key West, but the tour guides for The Ghosts & Legends of Key West beg to differ.

This 90 minute tour educates the visitor on the more eerie aspects of Old Town including pirate lore, haunted mansions, and voodoo rituals.

Movie Tours

Photo courtesy of Bulldog Tours

If a movie was filmed there, you can bet there’s probably a tour available.

One of the more well-known movie tours is the Harry Potter tour led by London Walks.

Visit Platform 9 3/4, the Knight Bus Bridge, and Gringotts Banks, and all of the 23 different London settings that appear in the Harry Potter movies.

London Walks offers several other walks including their world-renowned Jack the Ripper tour.

And speaking of blockbusters, any Lord of the Rings (LOTR) geek would love to trudge the road to Mordor with Wellington Movie Tours in New Zealand.

The tour hits over a dozen spots from famous LOTR scenes, and the guides provide behind the scenes facts and information about local filming projects.

Seedy Tours

Some cities only want to showcase the polished neighborhoods, but others offer a glimpse into the gritty side that every town possesses.

The Dark Side of Charleston Walking Tour gives visitors a look at the murders and scandals that taint the past of the “Holy City”.

Brothels, prostitutes, and other sordid affairs make this tour R-rated (travelers under 17 not admitted without parental consent).

Mysteries of Paris leads visitors into the darker parts of the city. Their “Dark Tours in the City of Lights” include info on the Knights Templar, alchemists, satanic conspiracies, the last night of Jim Morrison, and medieval serial killers.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/gift-ideas-unusual-intellectual-and-downright-scary-walking-tou%e2%80%8frs/feed/ 4 http://matadorgoods.com/choosing-the-right-sanitizer-for-you/ http://matadorgoods.com/choosing-the-right-sanitizer-for-you/#comments Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:48:47 +0000 Michelle Schusterman http://matadorgoods.com/?p=1975 Between an increase in PDA and cell phone use, more people jumping on board with public transportation, and recent flu scares, the need for a good portable sanitizer is more in demand than ever.

Photo by Muffet

But with the vast selection out there, which is best for you? Here’s our pick of some of the best sanitizing wipes, gels, and sprays.

Gels

If regular disinfectant gels dry your skin out, try Avant Instant Hand Sanitizer. This gel is as effective as Purell, killing 99.99% of germs, but thanks to vitamin A and E enrichment, your hands won’t pay the price of cleanliness with flaky, dry skin.

EO Hand Sanitizer, an organic plant-based gel, is also great for sensitive skin. The organic lavender essential oil is soothing while the non-GMO alcohol sanitizes as well as any chemical gel.

Wipes

For those with sensitive skin, Aroma Essence Towlettes are biodegradable and use no perfumes or detergents. Each towlette contains natural ingredients like tea tree oil and lavender and orange extracts that refresh and soothe your skin.

Aroma Essence Towlettes

Ever sat on a plane thinking you’d give just about anything for a shower?

These organic towelettes by Giovanni are good for an all-over body lift. Pack them in your carry-on, backpack, purse, diaper bag – so you can feel refreshed no matter where you are.

Don’t forget your cell phone! Gadgets like phones, laptops, and mp3 players are a breeding ground for bacteria.

Keep your gear clean and germ-free with these Wireless Wipes which are fast-drying to prevent moisture damage.

Sprays

For anyone looking for a greener spray, CleanWell’s Natural Hand Sanitizer is the way to go. The natural ingredients are non-toxic, alcohol-free, and made from rapidly renewable resources.

A bottle of this Organic Rosemary and Mint Hand Sanitizing Spray by EO is not just eco-friendly (and heaven scented). It’s part of the Teens Turning Green coalition; a national movement of young adults advocating for changes that will create a safer environment and a healthier lifestyle.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/choosing-the-right-sanitizer-for-you/feed/ 4 http://matadorgoods.com/7-mountaineering-essentials/ http://matadorgoods.com/7-mountaineering-essentials/#comments Sat, 08 Aug 2009 12:42:35 +0000 David DeFranza http://matadorgoods.com/?p=1960 gear for winter camping and the essentials for backcountry travel, there are only a few additional items you need to get started mountaineering.]]> Once you have the gear for winter camping and the essentials for backcountry travel, there are only a few additional items you need to get started mountaineering.

What is all this stuff? Photo: mckaysavage

1. Plastic Double Boots

Customized plastic mountaineering boots.
Photo: ddefranza

Boots featuring a waterproof plastic shell and soft insulated inner-bootie have become the standard for mountaineers around the world.

While these boots tend to be stiff and heavy, they are very warm, provide adequate support for climbing glaciers, snow slopes, and ice walls, and allow you to dry the inner-boot in your sleeping bag at night.

When buying plastic boots, make certain that they fit comfortably in the store. Because the shell is stiff, they do not conform to your foot, or “break in,” like other boots and shoes will.

Wear the thick socks you plan to wear while mountaineering and make sure the boots do not constrict your feet or have any edges that rub or pinch uncomfortably.

2. Mountaineering Harness

Black Diamond Alpine Bod Harness.

There may not be any technical climbing planned for your mountaineering trip, but a basic harness is still a common necessity.

Mountaineers use ropes to protect themselves on exposed sections where a gust of wind or a slip on the snow or ice could be catastrophic, and you need a harness to tie into these ropes.

A rope and harness is also necessary for any sort of glacier travel.

If you have a climbing harness, chances are you can just use that for mountaineering. If you don’t, or your normal climbing harness is missing a few important features, you can get a simple mountaineering harness for under $40.

Features to look for include adjustable leg loops and a long waistband to accommodate bulky winter layers.

Price: $37.95 | Black Diamond Alpine Bod Harness

3. Crampons

Black Diamond Sabretooth Pro Crampons.

Ice is slippery. To safely travel up a frozen mountain, you need more traction than the typical boot can provide. That’s where crampons come in.

For general mountaineering, 12-point crampons with a flexible instep are ideal.

They allow you to use every part of your boot when stepping, but bend to make walking easy.

Horizontal front points, as opposed to the vertically oriented ones used on ice-climbing crampons, are best for snow and low-angle ice travel.

Price: $159.95 | Black Diamond Sabretooth Pro

4. Piolet

Black Diamond Raven Pilet Ice Ax.

The piolet is the classic mountaineering ice ax. Climbers use it as a support on steep terrain, to self arrest in the event of a fall, and to chop steps in snow and ice.

Ice climbers have become fond of short, radically-curved, leashless ice tools, and for good reason: They are carefully engineered for the extreme demands of vertical ice climbing.

Mountaineers, however, are better off with a traditional straight-shafted ax, tethered to their wrist with a long leash to protect against dropping.

Price: $69.93 | Black Diamond Raven Pro Ice Axe

5. Helmet

Black Diamond Half Dome Helmet.

A helmet is absolutely necessary while mountaineering to protect your head from falling ice and rock, as well as dropped gear.

Because it needs to protect you from falling objects and not the force of impact, it isn’t a good idea to use your bike helmet while climbing.

Instead, look for a specialized helmet with a hard shell and adjustable suspension system that fits when you’re wearing a winter hat.

Price: $59.95 | Black Diamond Half Dome Climbing Helmet

6. Goggles and Sun Protection

Sun, wind, and reflective snow all combine to create a dangerous environment for your skin and eyes. A good pair of UV-protective goggles, matched with sunscreen and SPF lip balm are important tools to prevent snow blindness and painful sunburns.

Price: $85.00 | Around Excel Goggles by Julbo

Price: $9.78 | NO-AD Maximum Sunblock Lotion, SPF 45, 16 Ounces

Price: $9.95 | Dermatone Skin Protector Maxi Tin SPF23 (0.88oz)

7. Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills

Required reading for every mountaineer.

Though it’s probably too heavy to bring up the mountain, Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills is the ultimate reference for novice mountaineers and experts alike.

Offering over 500 double-columned pages of mountain wisdom, this book will become your go-to resource for every question that pops up along your journey towards alpine mastery.

Price: $19.77 | Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/7-mountaineering-essentials/feed/ 1 http://matadorgoods.com/10-cheap-or-free-iphone-apps-for-travelers/ http://matadorgoods.com/10-cheap-or-free-iphone-apps-for-travelers/#comments Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:22:23 +0000 Michelle Schusterman http://matadorgoods.com/?p=1885 iPhone apps for travelers article, countless more have been created. These latest travel apps range from quirky to ridiculously helpful.]]> Since we last recommended iPhone apps for travelers, countless more have been created. These latest travel apps range from quirky to ridiculously helpful.

1. Skype

All you need is a wifi hotspot to make Skype-to-Skype calls free from your iPhone. The rates for calls to mobiles and landlines (both national and international) are affordable. You can also keep track of who’s online to send and receive instant messages.

Skype offers both pay as you go credit plans or a subscription that offers unlimited calls to landlines and cell phones (in some countries).

Price: FREE

2. Cheap Gas

This app, created by OPIS (Oil Price Information Service), gives you a head start on the hunt for the best gas prices. Cheap gas uses the iPhone 3G’s GPS feature to find the ten gas stations in your area with the cheapest prices.

For the more discerning gas customer, Cheap Gas offers an advanced search function to specify zip code and type of fuel (unleaded, premium unleaded, or diesel).

Price: FREE

3. Saucy Phrasebook

This language app by SoSauce is a little different from the rest. Rather than asking where the bathroom is, the Saucy Phrasebook contains such useful phrases as “I drank too much and I’m going to puke” and “Help! I just got swindled!”

Each phrase is recorded in Mandarin, French, Hindi, Japanese, Spanish, and Russian by native speakers.

Price: FREE

4. Flight Track Pro

This app tops our list as far as price goes, but if you’re a frequent flyer, reviewers claim Flight Track Pro is well worth the price of a pizza. When you book your flight, simply forward your confirmation email to plans@tripit.com, and your itinerary will appear automatically on your iPhone.

Flight Track Pro keeps you up to date on your flight status, airport delays and closures, gate numbers, and the weather forecast for your final destination.

Price: $9.99

5. goPostal

For $1.29 in postage costs, you can send an actual personalized postcard via the U.S. Postal Service. Simply select a picture from your iPhone, add a message, and send to any address in your phone book. The postcard will arrive within 24 hours.

These postcards make for a great, affordable souvenir without taking up luggage space.

Price: FREE (plus cost of postage)

6. Find Internet Cafe

For those that need wi-fi served along with their latte, the Find Internet Cafe app…well, does this really require an explanation? The app automatically detects your location and offers a list of closest internet cafes, complete with an interactive map, driving directions, the phone number for the business, and the cafe’s website. The bookmark feature allows you to save your favorites.

Of course, you have to be in a wi-fi zone for the app to work. And for now, Find Internet Cafe only offers suggestions inside the U.S.

Price: $0.99

7. iCarPark

Never forget where you parked again! iCarPark allows you to save your parking spot on a map. It then provides walking directions back no matter where you are.

Extra features allows you to keep track of meter times, remember parking garage levels, and keep track of up to five parked vehicles.

iCarPark also gives the option of using a satellite hybrid map for even better navigation!

Price: $0.99

8. SitOrSquat

The beauty of this app is in its name. Sure, there are a few apps that will help you locate the nearest restroom. But if you’ve traveled through certain countries, you know that a Western toilet is still only really common in the West.

Using the iPhone’s GPS features, this app will tell you which of the almost 60,000 restroom locations registered with SitOrSquat is closest to you, and whether or not you need to warm up your leg muscles before entering. SitOrSquat also provides information on changing tables, handicapped facilities, and a little bit of humorous bathroom reading.

Everyone is encouraged to enter any new public restrooms they stumble across to the system; it’s all about helping each other out.

Price: FREE

9. Stanza

It’s pretty easy to see why Stanza is one of the most popular eBook readers out there. With a built-in catalog of over 100,000 books and the ability to personalize fonts, colors, and page setup, Stanza already has more than a million customers.

If you already have a few eBooks or documents, you can transfer them over to your iPhone with Stanza by using the free desktop app for Mac & PC.

Price: FREE

10. AroundMe

If you aren’t app-happy and want get as many features as possible from just one travel app, AroundMe is the way to go. This app uses the iPhone’s GPS feature to locate anything and everything you need, including banks, bars, gas stations, hospitals, hotels, theaters, restaurants, markets, and more.

You can see your destination’s location on a map, view the most direct route, and save it in your contact list. AroundMe also has a Nearby listing that uses Wikipedia to find what else is close to your location.

Price: FREE

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/10-cheap-or-free-iphone-apps-for-travelers/feed/ 5 http://matadorgoods.com/shopping-for-a-stand-up-paddle-board-size-matters/ http://matadorgoods.com/shopping-for-a-stand-up-paddle-board-size-matters/#comments Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:14:23 +0000 Catharine Lo http://matadorgoods.com/?p=1827 Somebody mentioned the other day that it still feels like winter in Hawai‘i. He wasn’t referring to the persistent rain or the uncharacteristic north swells. He was talking about the fact that everyone’s still driving around with surfboards in tow.

All Images © Naish

He’s right—actually, they’re stand-up paddle boards, which makes sense, since summer is paddling season. On the Islands, the sport’s booming popularity is undeniable, and stand-up paddlers have become a fixture on the seascape. They’re floating around the bays, cruising the coastlines, dropping into waves, and even navigating across open ocean channels.

As the sport has evolved into more specialized disciplines, so have the boards. If you’re in the market for a new stand-up board, keep in mind that form serves function. Currently there are three general types of boards to consider: downwind boards, surfing boards, and all-purpose cruisers.

All Images © Naish

If you’ve paddled in windy conditions, you know that your body acts as a sail—one that doesn’t jibe. Rather than fight against strong gusts, stage a vehicle a reasonable distance downwind from your starting location and use nature to your advantage.

Voila, you’re a downwind paddler. If you get addicted to the speed or the surf-riding sensation that comes with gliding on the wind-generated waves, you might even become a downwind racer.

Just like you wouldn’t jump on a moped to zip down the Autobahn, it doesn’t make sense to race downwind on a fat, floaty board. Downwind boards are a little bit longer and more narrow, a design that increases hull speed.

Some advanced models feature rudders and concave decks. With names like “F16” (Sandwich Island Composites) and “Vortice” (C4 Waterman), it’s clear these boards are engineered to maximize velocity.

Southern California’s Joe Bark has crafted numerous race-winning boards. A good bet is the “BARK Stand Up Mid,” described as a “practical” distance and race board. The stylish, full-carbon or partial-carbon model can be ordered at a width of 26 to 30 inches and a length of 14 to 16 feet, and rudder and tiller set-up are optional. It retails for around $1560.

All Images © Naish

Surfing boards are generally shorter and more tapered to enhance maneuverability.

Of course, since different surf spots have different characteristics, there’s no standard surf-riding model—some designs suit small, rolling breakers, and others are intended for steeper, faster waves.

One of elite waterman Dave Kalama’s most memorable recent sessions came when the tow-in surfer and champion stand-up racer tested a new 9’5” Naish Sails surfing prototype at Maui’s Kanaha Beach.

Conventional wisdom suggested the 31” board would be too wide, but, he claims, it surfed “unreal.” (He said he had a blast, later confirmed by two different spectators who told him somewhat enviously how much fun he appeared to be having.)

One glance at the photos posted on the Paddle Surf Hawaii site proves that Blane Chambers’ 9’3” Ripper model, well, rips. (Or, if you’re not one of the world’s best surfers like Jamie Sterling, Ikaika Kalama, and the others pictured, at least has potential to.) The board measures 28 3/8” wide, and its responsiveness allows surfers to execute radical maneuvers and negotiate deep barrels.

All Images © Naish

But let’s face it. Not all stand-up paddlers have a burning desire to paddle 32 grueling miles of open ocean chop to get from one island to another, nor do we aspire to charge a heaving set at Jaws or Teahupoo.

A lot of us are perfectly content to drift along a lazy river or seek out an unoccupied corner of the coastline where we can quietly relish the lingering hours of daylight.

For these purposes, a basic cruiser is all you need. Stand-up cruisers are wide—beginners should look for something around 30 inches—which makes them more stable.

The 10’6” Wahine Model ($1,495 including deck pad, fins, and carbon/fiberglass paddle) designed by Kyle Bernhardt for Tropical Blends appeals to a gentler breed of paddlers, its description suggests: “Now here’s a board we built specifically with my wife in mind.

Looking for a more challenging workout, she wanted a board that was small enough to handle easily, agile enough to excel in flat or textured waters, and sleek enough to give her the glide and stability she found in her bigger board.” A really useful feature of this 30”-wide board is its unobtrusive, built-in handle, which makes it much less cumbersome for people with shorter arms to carry.

It’s a good idea to rent a few boards first to figure out what you’re most comfortable standing on. There’s nothing more frustrating than buying equipment that you’re unable to use. Check out www.standuppaddlesurf.net for an extensive archive of board reviews.

Community Connection

Look for Catharine’s upcoming piece on choosing the right SUP paddle. And for those interested in learning a bit more about the history behind Stand Up Paddling, as well as a look at the sport’s pioneers, please check out Stand Up Paddling: A Brief History of C4 Watermen

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/shopping-for-a-stand-up-paddle-board-size-matters/feed/ 1 http://matadorgoods.com/how-to-pack-your-camera-and-lenses-for-travel/ http://matadorgoods.com/how-to-pack-your-camera-and-lenses-for-travel/#comments Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:38:03 +0000 Luke Armstrong http://matadorgoods.com/?p=1807 There are few sights more horrific than finding the expensive camera gear you’ve packed ruined due to poor packing technique.

Feature photo: Luke Armstrong. Photo Above by Lola Akinmade

Gear costing thousands of dollars can be rendered useless quite easily. Accidents like these happen and when they do, they can tarnish trips. By putting a little forethought into how you pack your camera gear and adhering to the following suggestions, you can avoid looking at the sad sight of a cracked lens.

Checking In Camera Gear

Checking in cameras at the airport is generally a bad idea. Baggage handlers are experts at breaking even seemingly unbreakable things. If your amount of gear forces you to check in your camera gear, careful attention should be paid to how you pack it.

• Roll all items in several layers of bubble wrap. This will serve to absorb impacts that are sure to happen along the way. Additionally, you can pop the bubbles to celebrate when your gear arrives at your destination undamaged.
• Put all your camera gear in a bag specifically designed to carry expensive electronic gear. They should be packed in such a way that there is little space for your items shift around. T-shirts are perfect space fillers and offer added protection and padding.
• The camera bag should be placed away from firm and jagged objects that could knock against and damage your gear.
• Be sure all lens are covered. As some lens caps easily slip off, it is a good idea to use masking tape to secure the covers.
• If you’re old school enough to still be using film, make sure to hand-check it as X-ray machines might erase your pictures.

Loading Camera Gear In Your Bag

Constantly wrapping your gear in bubble wrap and unwrapping while traveling is inconvenient, but there are other precautions that can be taken. Keep your gear towards the top of your pack. This is handy for quick access and also shelters cameras and lens from weight that could damage them.

Price: $149.95 | BUY

The bag that you select for your camera should be waterproof. LowePro has a line of waterproof camera bags in various sizes and styles. Select a bag with enough compartments to keep your gear organized.

Overstuffing a camera bag is a great way to damage items. Lenses stored vertically tend to fare better than when stored horizontally.

Packing gear such as memory disks and batteries in Tupperware helps keep it safe and keeps out the moisture.

If you have a camera with multiple lenses, be sure to remove the lens from the camera when not shooting.

Frequently check straps for wear. A broken strap can easily lead to a broken camera. If you camera gets wet – as tempting as it is to turn it on to see if it works – don’t.

Running a current through it while wet can permanently damage the circuits. Instead, be patient. Open the battery slit and let it dry in an arid place for at least 24 hours before trying to turn it on.

By following this advice, you will be sure to have fewer headaches and heartbreaks caused by damaged gear.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/how-to-pack-your-camera-and-lenses-for-travel/feed/ 5 http://matadorgoods.com/survival-gear-for-first-month-abroad%e2%80%8f/ http://matadorgoods.com/survival-gear-for-first-month-abroad%e2%80%8f/#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:00:09 +0000 Michelle Schusterman http://matadorgoods.com/?p=1338 When in Rome, do as the Romans do…easy to say, but what if the Romans don’t think deodorant is necessary?

Feature Photo by hiddedevries. Photo Above by piermario

Often the first thing expats learn when they make that first move abroad is some everyday items aren’t so common outside of the U.S. Immersing yourself into a new culture is great, but with a little extra preparation, the transition can be much smoother.

Here are a few items to consider packing for your first month abroad.

Photo by Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten

Toiletries

Specifically, any bathroom items of a specific brand you can’t live without.

A few examples are medicated facial soap, contact lens solution, or that Bath and Body Works mint foot scrub you can’t leave behind.

Consider bringing a few sticks or cans of deodorant unless you’re positive it’s commonly used in your new home.

Some countries in Europe and Asia don’t consider deodorant a necessity (and not just the colder countries).

Finding a stick of Secret can be impossible in those regions, and when you do, the price can be enough to make those pit stains seem bearable.

Gadgets

It goes without saying that you should look into the type of power supply you’ll be dealing with, and to pack the appropriate transformers and voltage converters. But before you pack, take a careful look around at all of your electronic gear to ensure you have as many converters as you need. If you plug the Crockpot in for a few hours, will you be able to charge your laptop at the same time?

What if your new bathroom doesn’t have an outlet? Will the oddly shaped plug for that beard shaver fit into a power strip? Aim for a variety of transformers and converters so you have as many options for charging as possible.

Photo: Lola Akinmade way up north in Sweden

Seasonal Clothes that Fit

Maybe you’re leaving in September, but what’s winter like at your final destination? Don’t forget to research the weather so you’re prepared.

Of course, you can always shop for clothes once you arrive.

However, it can be difficult to find clothes of the right size overseas. A husky gentleman may find it difficult to find a ski jacket in Tokyo.

And if size isn’t the issue, consider this: what’s “in” at home may not be fashionable overseas for both men or women.

A Brasileira (Portuguese for “The Brazilian Woman”) might look fabulous in those fluorescent colors, off-the-shoulder tops, and oversized earrings, but you could feel more like an extra in a Cyndi Lauper video.

Imports

This includes everything from electronics to regular everyday items. If you’re heading to Asia, it’s true that the latest mp3 players and cell phones are available for a great price. But if you’re looking for an iPod, the price could be inflated.

Think about things you may need that the locals might not. If you’re moving to South America, most folks there probably don’t need sunblock. Even if you find some SPF30, you can bet you’ll be paying through your burned and blistered nose to get it.

Before You Pack

About a week before your departure, start a list of everything you use on a day-to-day basis. Before you pack, review and decide for yourself which things aren’t so necessary and which you absolutely can’t live without. Of course, part of the fun of moving abroad is to break daily habits and discover a new part of yourself, so don’t be afraid to leave a few things behind.

After a few months of good Italian wine, you may learn to love those sweaty armpits!

Community Connection

For more survival tips abroad, check out 8 Items Guaranteed to Help You Survive a Big City Trek.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/survival-gear-for-first-month-abroad%e2%80%8f/feed/ 4 http://matadorgoods.com/how-to-pack-everything-into-your-carry-on/ http://matadorgoods.com/how-to-pack-everything-into-your-carry-on/#comments Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:01:15 +0000 Lola Akinmade http://matadorgoods.com/?p=1717 With Howcast.com, learn how to pack light in a single carry-on in under 3 minutes.

Recently stumbled across Howcast.com, a source for “fun, free, and useful how-to videos.” From learning how to pick out jewelry for a woman to learning how to whiten your teeth with a strawberry, Howcast.com’s multimedia catalog is extensive and quite impressive.

With this nifty video below, you can finally learn how to fit everything you need for your travels into one carry-on bag.

In Case You Were Wondering – How to Pick Out Jewelry for a Woman

Feature photo by Sergeant Killjoy.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/how-to-pack-everything-into-your-carry-on/feed/ 3 http://matadorgoods.com/7-essential-travel-sized-items-for-metrosexuals/ http://matadorgoods.com/7-essential-travel-sized-items-for-metrosexuals/#comments Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:04:54 +0000 Lola Akinmade http://matadorgoods.com/?p=1421 Finally, you can still look totally GQ while trekking deep within the Laotian jungle.

Feature photo by faster panda killl kill. Photo above by Martin Kingsley

Backpacking and semi-roughing it in hostels doesn’t mean your daily grooming routine should go down the drain. Here are a few travel-sized items guaranteed to help you maintain your debonair style while on the road.

  

Tie Caddy

Unpacking your neckties from your backpack only to find them wrinkled can be irritating.

Say No! to wrinkled ties with the Tie Caddy, a plastic cylinder for storing rolled up ties.

With its transparent design, you can easily spot the tie you’d like to wear out without unloading your entire backpack.

Inflatable Hangers

Face it, finding hangers for your suits in hostels can be a drag.

Why not bring your own lightweight, inflatable hangers? Made from durable vinyl, its backflow valve technology allows you to easily inflate the hangers when needed, and quickly deflate them.

Multi-Purpose Lint Brush

Forget Swiss Army knives.

The only multi-purpose tool you need is this Austin-house plastic lint brush that also morphs into a shoe horn, mirror, and comb, with a bonus sewing kit thrown in.

Laundry Pack w/ Sink Stopper

Now you can have a fresh pair of socks everyday with this handy travel laundry kit.

Included are 5 liquid Woolite sachets (to be used with cold water), a sink stopper for plug-less sinks, and a portable laundry line with suction cups for hang-drying your clothes.

Jack Black On-the-Road Travel Pack

  

TSA-friendly at 3 oz each, this all-in-one pack includes:

• A beard lube conditioning shave with jojoba and eucalyptus,
• An All-Over-Wash for face, hair, & body with wheat protein and panthenol,
• A face buff energizing scrub with Vitamin C and menthol,
• An industrial strength hand healer with vitamins A & E,
• A double duty face moisturizer with blue algae extract & sea parsley SPF 20,
• and an intense therapy lip balm.

All in a sleek looking black travel bag.

Dual Voltage Travel Clothes Steamer

  

Using a portable iron on your Hugo Boss suit while backpacking is nothing short of heresy.

This compact steamer gently removes wrinkles from your clothes by converting water into steam within a few minutes. Its handle folds away nicely, and this design makes the steamer ideal for travelers.

Magic Wand® Stain Remover

Now, red wine and pasta sauce mishaps on the road can be quickly remedied by busting out your magic wand, applying it to the stain, wetting it, and rubbing it out.

This non-toxic, biodegradable stick works seamlessly on chocolate, grass, and blood stains and is safe for double knits and synthetic fabrics.

Community Connection

Looking for more travel-sized items? Check out 10 Surprising Travel Sized Items and 10 Multi-Use Items You Should Consider Packing.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/7-essential-travel-sized-items-for-metrosexuals/feed/ 6 http://matadorgoods.com/5-creative-ideas-for-souvenirs-set-ii/ http://matadorgoods.com/5-creative-ideas-for-souvenirs-set-ii/#comments Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:00:18 +0000 Neha Puntambekar http://matadorgoods.com/?p=944 A souvenir, traditionally speaking, holds the essence of the place it comes from; it packs in the history, the adventures, the culture and the colours of the country.

Feature Photo by Lola Akinmade. Photo Above by ddexter_free

But the more you travel, the quicker you’ll realize that the world is, in fact, made in China. Gone are the days when a little curio – the Eiffel tower on the coffee table, or the Chinese tea set in the showcase – held dreams of a distant land. But who says the romance of travel has to die with outsourcing?

With a little creative thinking and an observant eye, you can find that great souvenir to treasure.

Invest in a Future

Forget the flimsy key chains and postcards, here’s something that lasts you a lifetime and beyond. The next time you take a trip, come back with a solid investment; sponsor a child’s education in that country. Across the world, there are a number of organizations that work towards keeping kids in school.

And how can you help? By making small contributions towards building schools, or sponsoring a child’s annual fees and school materials. The options are varied, from programs funded by the United Nations, various religious organizations, to smaller grass root initiatives.

What do you get out of it? Annual report cards and progress sheets, personalized letters and drawings from the kid(s), and the opportunity to shape a future that may not have had a chance otherwise.

Besides, if you ever run into Angelina Jolie, you’ll have something to talk about.

Comics, Graphic Novels and Movie Night

Introduce Batman to the world outside Gotham City. Most cultures have their own set of masked heroes and damaged wonders.

Photo Above by mattlogelin

Those that don’t, reinvent ancient legends and colourful mythology into comic book format.

Bilingual prints are available in many places, but an exotic script or two will only enhance your collection.

If comics aren’t your thing, the world is full of great cinema with English subtitles.

What better way to revisit that trip to India, upset stomach and all, then to slip in a DVD of a Bollywood blockbuster, over a candle-lit curry dinner?

Local Newspapers

Pick up a local newspaper on your first day in the country. Once you get back, laminate the first half of the front page and refashion them as kitschy placemats, which also work as great giveaways.

The placemats work as constant reminders of your trip and it adds a little quirk to the décor.

They make a great starting point for any travel stories you might want to share, and they also remind you that there is a whole world waiting to be explored out there.

Doors

Photo Above by Steve & Jemma Copley

Welcome the world into your home through an exotic hand carved wooden door discovered during your travels.

This option could be a tad bit expensive, building a collection is pretty much out of the question, and shipping it back home could prove to be a complex process.

It also requires much research on your part to find a reliable source to ensure your front door gets home without fail.

But this is an exceptional find. It gives your home a look of elegance and a touch of the exotic.

If you have a green conscious, opt for a discarded door which can then be restored and put back into circulation.

Own a Tree, Save the World

Well, doors cost trees. And apparently so does development. Tree after tree, forest after forest and mangrove after mangrove are brought down in the name of improving facilities.

If you want to give back and save the world, spend your money on trees, instead of that predictable souvenir. Many local and international organizations are working towards rebuilding the world’s forests.

For small sums they plant a number of trees, nurturing them and allowing for a greener, safer world. So instead of wondering what to do with all the assorted tacky trinkets, you’ll smile with every breath of fresh air.

Community Connection

Looking for more gift ideas? Check out 10 Gift Ideas for Under $10 and 5 Creative Ideas for Souvenirs – Set I

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/5-creative-ideas-for-souvenirs-set-ii/feed/ 4 http://matadorgoods.com/5-creative-ideas-for-souvenirs-set-i/ http://matadorgoods.com/5-creative-ideas-for-souvenirs-set-i/#comments Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:00:20 +0000 Turner Wright http://matadorgoods.com/?p=948 Tired of postcards and country patches? Here are a few creative ideas to consider when next you go souvenir hunting.

Feature/Photo Above by Lola Akinmade

I’m reminded of the words of a philosophical character on a slightly above average sitcom that ended some time ago:

There once was a little boy in Africa who wanted to give his teacher a gift, but he had no money. So he walked two days to the ocean and he picked up a handful of sand and walked two days back, and he gave it to her. She was greatly moved by the gift. But she said, ‘it’s so far for you to walk.’ And he said, ‘teacher, the journey was part of the gift.’ – Wilson Wilson, Home Improvement

As travelers, we don’t often have the luxury of making trips for the express purpose of picking up some goods or services; although I might be tempted to fly into Kyushu for a hot springs’ bath and some quality sweet potatoes, it’s just not practical.

Although we do buy plenty of local trinkets for ourselves at times, we’re more often than not thinking of friends and family back home, seeking gifts that embody the spirit of these strange lands in which we find ourselves wandering.

A Picture AND A Thousand Words

Living in Japan tended to drain my funds from time to time, and before Christmas a few years ago, I found myself with $50 for gifts for my family of nine.

The solution?

Miyajima, Japan; given to my grandfather,
a wildlife artist

Whenever I had discovered any sight or experience that caused me to think of one person in particular, I would always take notes in my Moleskin journal and snap a quality picture.

When it came time to present the gift to my family member, I would print out the photo on glossy paper and weave them a tale of how much I missed them and thought of them as I was in that place at that moment.

Or, if you like, you could just Photoshop them in: “Look! You were there, too!”

Straight From The Earth

Just like the boy with a handful of sand, you too can choose gifts that don’t come from a store or street vendor.

A seashell tells the story of your snorkeling adventures in Thailand. A piece of the Berlin Wall is testament to your being part of history.

I’m not advocating you go take pieces of ash and stone from dilapidated Pompeii, but if nature can replenish it (sand, rocks, palm fronds, leaves, etc.), or if no one really minds you helping yourself to the landscape (ruins of cites, pieces of structures), then these reminders of places traveled also have stories to tell.

Be careful with this idea so as to not adversely affect the environment.

Find A Theme

Choose something you may not necessarily find too easily in certain countries, something that’s going to take you across the globe in a series of wacky adventures and negotiation antics: Buddha statues, native artwork featuring cats, Kit-Kat bars, certain sex toys, even the receipts from McDonald’s in seven different languages might be right for a given person.

“I am in the habit of looking not so much to the nature of the gift as to the spirit in which it is given.”
- Robert Louis Stevenson

Consider the recipients and what you’d think they’d appreciate the most or if they would just burst out laughing at the sight of some souvenirs.

With this idea, you not only have a unique gift, but a unique story to tell (“It wasn’t easy tracking down a stuffed Pikachu in the middle of the Burmese jungle, I tell you…”).

Find That Face

This is more of a one-in-a-million shot, but when the opportunity comes along, take it.

Photo by wetwebwork

We come across so many different faces in airports, cities, even distant villages that statistically, there would have to be some resemblance to a friend, family member, or coworker.

“Have you seen the Japanese/Australian/Norwegian/etc. version of you?”

If you do happen to spot a lookalike in a sea of pedestrians, ask if you could trouble them for a few moments of travel talk and a picture.

Soon enough, your friends will find they know some of the “best looking” people across the world.

A Trail To Follow

What better way to give a gift than to encourage those left behind to follow in your footsteps?

Photo by roblisameehan

Split a coin into two (if you have access to coin-splitting tools); toss one half in the Trevi Fountain and give the other to your friend.

He or she will have no choice but to hop the next plane to Italy.

Compose a prayer for the Western Wall. Put one half in for yourself, and give the rest to someone back home.

This can be as creative as you like, from “I’ve opened a Swiss account in your name with a $50,000 balance; the account number is the same as the number of sheep on this farm in New Zealand on a Tuesday” to creating a kind of international scavenger hunt with your expat friends: “See this Couchsurfer in Thailand and he will give you the next gift.”

Community Connection

Looking for more gift ideas? Check out 10 Gift Ideas for Under $10 and 5 More Creative Ideas for Souvenirs – Set II

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/5-creative-ideas-for-souvenirs-set-i/feed/ 7 http://matadorgoods.com/8-items-to-help-you-survive-a-big-city-trek/ http://matadorgoods.com/8-items-to-help-you-survive-a-big-city-trek/#comments Sat, 20 Jun 2009 12:00:04 +0000 Michelle Schusterman http://matadorgoods.com/?p=955 A day out in Paris can be just as exhausting as a few hours hiking through the Pyrenees. Here are eight items to bring on your day out in a foreign city.

Feature Photo by Lola Akinmade. Photo Above by Panorama

1. Tissue

A lack of toilet paper is common in most public restrooms, in some countries more than others. (I’m looking at you, Korea!)

Keep a small pack of tissue in your bag just to be safe.

A quick word of advice for the ladies: Girls, practice your squats now. Western toilets aren’t that common everywhere, and there are plenty of urban places where the word “toilet” still means “hole in the ground”.

2. Money Belt

Pickpocketing is common in any area with crowds, from subways and buses to all major tourist attractions. There’s a variety of money belts out there, from the bulky belts that hold your passport, cards, and the kitchen sink, to the unnoticeable that work great for a few bills.

Don’t confuse these with fanny packs, which scream “tourist”; money belts are to be worn under your clothes, with the zipper flat against your body.

If you’re really adverse to the money belt, at least consider keeping a little cash in your shoe. That way, in the worst-case scenario, you won’t be stuck somewhere without a way to pay for a cab.

3. Reusable Shopping Bags

A good reusable shopping bag folds into its own little pouch to slip in your pocket or purse, but holds tons of stuff when you pull it out.

Check out these ACME bags, made from unrippable nylon material, for less than $6.

I have two, and I’m always surprised at how much they hold, from a few days worth of clothes to a pineapple spending spree at a Brazilian market.

Save yourself all the plastic and paper shopping bags with one of these.

They’re also great for a day at the beach, picnics, or emergency situations when your shampoo bottle starts leaking in your suitcase. (The material is super easy to wash.)

4. Water Bottle

I’m a water bottle addict, but I always feel guilty going through so much plastic. For a day out, bring along a reusable bottle that you can fill up at fountains and in cafes.

If the local water is a little sour or you’re picky about drinking filtered water, try this BPA-free bottle from New Wave. It looks like a regular plastic bottle, but with a built-in filter that you can remove to use in other bottles.

Most reviews say the bottle doesn’t last longer than a few months, but for $8, you’ll surely get your money’s worth. Just make sure not to leave it in a hot car; several users have reported finding a plastic blob in the backseat after a few hours.

5. Pocket Flashlight

Forget camping; a pocket flashlight really comes in handing when you’re searching for your wallet in a dark bar or desperately fumbling around a port-o-potty at 2am.

For a bright light that truly is pocket-sized, check out Pak-Lites.

The tiny LED light resembles a Leggo, and snaps on top of a 9 volt battery. Pak-Lites have been used by the U.S. Air Force, the American Red Cross, and FEMA. Prices range from $10 to $30.

6. Band-Aids

Blisters hurt, particularly when you’re wearing shoes made for style and not comfort (which is why I stick to Havaianas).

But if you’re out to look good, you’ll need a band-aid or two on those toes before the night’s over.

7. Snacks

Nuts and/or dried fruit (should we call it “city mix”?) are great for a quick source of calories. Plus when your $75 entree arrives looking like something that would scare Anthony Bourdain, you’ll have something to accompany your side salad.

8. Cab and Hotel Information

It’s easy to feel excited about tackling that foreign subway system first thing in the morning, but by the end of the day (or maybe in the wee hours of the next morning) you might not feel so energetic.

Before heading out for the day, jot down the number of a cab service and the address of your hotel so you’re sure to find your way back.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/8-items-to-help-you-survive-a-big-city-trek/feed/ 8 http://matadorgoods.com/5-unique-gift-ideas-for-fathers-day/ http://matadorgoods.com/5-unique-gift-ideas-for-fathers-day/#comments Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:00:11 +0000 Sarah Park http://matadorgoods.com/?p=967 Looking for out-of-the-ordinary gifts for extraordinary dads?

Feature Photo by Zitona. Photo Above by chany

Father’s Day can be tough. Let’s face it, not all of our Dads fit into the usual aftershave/cufflink/universal remote control mold. Their colorful personalities deserve a little bit of extra thought and care when it comes to the ideal Father’s Day gift.

Photo by DJRiegel

If you’re panicking when June 21 rolls around this year, be sure to check out these unique gift ideas selected specifically for the Dad in your life who deserves so much more than a musical necktie:

Personalized Tools

For the outdoorsy father, these hand-engraved pocket knives are both elegant and rugged.

Dennis Riegel’s vintage-inspired designs are sure to bring that always welcome cowboy touch to any tackle-box.

Dad’s Mini-Me

Photo by j/f/photo

If the dad in your life is more of a jokester than an adventurer, you can’t go wrong with creating a miniature likeness of him in bobblehead form.

Custom Bobble can hand sculpt an exact replica of Pops all the way down to his embarrassing tattoos and his favorite shoes.

Tours and Excursions

Is your father not too into material possessions?

Excitations.com offers experiences ranging from secret agent driving lessons to sushi rolling lessons.

Tours and excursions are offered in several locations across the United States, and range in price from the affordable – Wolf Watching at a wildlife reserve or park to the ultra fancy – Formula 1 Racecar Driving.

They even offer gift packages for recipients to choose their own adventures, grouped by price point and location.

Pocket Compasses

For the travel-lover who can’t bring himself to ever stop and ask for directions, Stanley London sells a variety of pocket compasses like this brass reproduction of an antique Mariner’s Compass.

While it may not help him find his way any quicker, it’s sure to make him feel pretty darn sophisticated as he stands bewildered on a street corner.

Beer Soap

For the beer-lover in your life, encourage personal hygiene with beer soap!

The Beer Soap Company makes soaps that double as shampoo or shave cream from a plentiful variety of ales, lagers, pilsners and stouts.

Nothing says “I love you, Dad” quite like a Guinness, right?

If these ideas don’t quite mesh with your father or baby’s daddy, share your own thoughtful gifts in the comments below!

Community Connection

Get a jumpstart on shopping for Mother’s Day with 5 Unique Gift Ideas for Mother’s Day.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/5-unique-gift-ideas-for-fathers-day/feed/ 6 http://matadorgoods.com/10-essential-items-for-backcountry-travel/ http://matadorgoods.com/10-essential-items-for-backcountry-travel/#comments Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:45:10 +0000 Eric Warren http://matadorgoods.com/?p=767 Former Summit Steward of Alpine Meadows, Shannon Belt, highlights the essentials you need to enjoy the backcountry and avoid becoming a statistic.

Photo by Sustainablefarm79

1. Map and compass

Even for day hikes, a good map and compass can save your life when weather or trails deteriorate in the backcountry. “They’re light and if you don’t bring them, you know you’ll need them,” Belt says. He also stresses that knowing how to use them is just as important as keeping them with you.

Your local gear shop should be able to hook you up with a compass. Good topographical maps are available from the Forest Service and gear shops in the town nearest the trails you plan on exploring.

2. Plenty of water and water filter/purifier

“If you don’t know why you need this, you should seriously question why you’re heading into the backcountry,” Belt says. “It’s also a good idea to carry some way of getting more water, whether for one day or a week.” Several companies offer either filters or purification tablets.

Tablets are great in a pinch or if you’re going ultra-light, but filters are the top choice for keeping the crystal taste in that clear mountain stream.

Photo by trekkyandy

3. Food

This is the heaviest thing you’ll be carrying, but it’s one of the most important.

“I always take more than I think I’ll need,” Belt says. “I’d rather bring some home than go hungry.”

4. Clothing

Layer up.

No matter which season it is, weather can change quickly in the backcountry. Bring plenty of non-cotton layers to make sure your body heat is regulated.

One of the most overlooked pieces of equipment is a good rain jacket. Belt says that soft shells and wind-breakers are nice during a shower or when it gets windy but only a good rain jacket will keep you dry and warm during a downpour.

Belt also suggests that sunglasses find their way into your pack. “Depending on the conditions, they can save your eyes from lasting damage.”

5. Fifty feet of light duty rope, plus a couple of carabiners

Belt emphasizes the utility of rope and carbiners in the backcountry. “It’s essential for most stream-crossings, belaying down or up steep scrambles and tying up food from animals.”

He adds that rope comes in handy for making a sling for an injured arm or a fashionable and functional belt.

6. Whistle

Whistles are great for scaring bears and mountain lions away as well as alerting rescue crews to your exact location.

They also work to scare and annoy your camping buddies when necessary.

Photo by A.A.

7. Emergency blanket

This light-weight item, also known as a solar blanket, can be found at most gear shops for a few dollars.

The shiny material is excellent for reflecting your body heat back onto you, keeping you warm in desperate situations.

Belt notes it can also be used as a giant reflector to signal search pilots.

8. Paper notebook and pencil

According to Belt, “paper is good for both emergency and pleasure. You can write a note to other hikers or rangers and you can use the paper to start fires.

“It’s nice to have, to draw or write thoughts about the day.” You’ll wish you had it if you’re stuck in the tent on a rainy day.

Photo bydolfindans

9. Camera

Bringing home photos of your backpacking trip will keep the memories of finding that secret waterfall fresh in your mind. It will also get your friends stoked on donning their own backpacks and joining you for your next trip.

From cheap, light-weight point-and-shoots to pro-level SLRs, there are dozens of different cameras on the market.

Consider one of the many waterproof models to beat bad weather and maybe catch a picture under the surface of your favorite fishing hole.

10. Positive attitude

Belt is adamant about bringing along a positive attitude. “A negative attitude [in the backcountry] is your worst enemy.”

Backcountry experts often site instances where fatal mistakes were fueled by anger, frustration and fear. “You need to be able to make good decisions. Your life could depend on it.”

Community Connection

Thinking of heading out camping in the backcountry but don’t know how to start? Check out the piece, How to Get Started Backpacking. There’s also a free book up for grabs.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/10-essential-items-for-backcountry-travel/feed/ 1 http://matadorgoods.com/essential-gear-for-the-traveling-musician/ http://matadorgoods.com/essential-gear-for-the-traveling-musician/#comments Tue, 09 Jun 2009 09:47:20 +0000 Michelle Schusterman http://matadorgoods.com/?p=644 Packing for long-term travel overseas is tough as it is, but for musicians there’s even more to think about. If you’re taking your guitar, bass, drums, digeridoo, or any other instrument abroad, check out these helpful travel gear.

Feature Photo by Lola Akinmade. Photo Above by drummerchris

Soft and Hard Cases

Gator Cases has a line of flight cases for guitar and bass made of durable plywood and zinc plated hardware. They also feature twin flight cases for electric guitar, one which holds two strat style guitars, the other one strat and one LP.

Prices range from upwards of $250 to $350 for single cases (including acoustic guitar and keyboard), to over $450 for the doubles. Not cheap, but certainly a worthwhile investment if you’re going to be doing a lot of serious traveling.

Don’t forget to loosen the strings when you pack so the neck won’t crack or bend.

Guitar and bass players should probably consider bringing along soft gig bags as well. Flight cases tend to be pretty heavy, and you don’t want to lug one around the subway station!

For drummers, hard cases are a must for flying, although for hardware I don’t think it’s as vital. But definitely protect the shells with a few flight cases (check out this combination case featuring a divider so your 10″ tom can rest on top of your 12″, cutting down on how many cases you bring.)

Photo by Ed Yourdon

If you’re moving to a fairly big city, chances are the clubs will provide a basic kit, so soft gig bags aren’t as necessary.

Custom Cases

For the more serious musician, check out Hiscox Cases.

These custom made cases might run a little higher in price, but are also lighter, more durable, and feature thermal insulation. Considering cargo typically isn’t climate controlled, this is important.

And if you really do play the digeridoo, try New World Cases, Inc. They specialize in custom shipping cases for pretty much anything.

Amplifiers

Clubs usually provide guitar/bass amps as well, but if you need a small one for personal use, take a look at this amplifier, which features a removable head.

Tuners

Got an iPhone? Check out this metronome/tuner webapp, created by musicalscientist.com.

The tempo range is 40-240 BPM, and the tuning pitches include A440, B flat, A417, 6 string Guitar EADGBE, 4 string Bass EADG, and 5 string Bass BEADG.

For the best prices for instruments and gear, I usually have the most luck with music123.com and musiciansfriend.com.

Community Connection

Be sure to check out 5 Things You Should Know When Traveling With Musical Instruments before you hit the road with your instruments.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/essential-gear-for-the-traveling-musician/feed/ 3 http://matadorgoods.com/5-essential-gadgets-for-telecommuting/ http://matadorgoods.com/5-essential-gadgets-for-telecommuting/#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2009 09:13:34 +0000 Lola Akinmade http://matadorgoods.com/?p=860 A look at various gadgets that hardcore telecommuters depend on.

Photo by DDFic

The TSA lady looks at me with pursed lips as I start unraveling two laptops, two external hard drives, a gargantuan Maxtor drive (which on many occasions has raised security concerns), and other peripheral devices – headsets, mouse, webcam, adapters – from a single laptop bag.

“I’ve got this down to a science,” I assure her. Seriously.

There are telecommuters who usually work from a single location such as a tricked-out home office complete with VoIP and a Transformers-like scanner/printer/fax/copier combo, and then there are telecommuters who work from multiple locations, constantly shifting base much more like location independent professionals (LIPs).

The last three months alone have seen me commute from Stockholm, Washington D.C., Baltimore, London, and now back from Stockholm.

While most companies set up their telecommuters with technologies such as Virtual Private Network (VPN) access and blackberries/iPhones, there are some additional tools you personally need to seek out that will enhance your experience.

Here are the daily essentials that help sustain my location independent lifestyle.

High Speed Internet Access

Definitely a no-brainer but if I can’t pick up a strong signal, I’m pretty much done working for the day and might as well just a take a vacation day. Not just a meager 36 Mbps cable line but a network that can support connecting through VPNs and streaming large files (couple gigabytes) back and forth.

Skype Online Number & Forwarding

At this point, you’re already using either Skype or one of many international phone plans for telecommuters.

Photo by re-ality

In fact, you may already be pimping your Skype experience with add-ons such as the Belkin WiFi phone to receive calls when you’re not online.

Beyond internet access, the most important tool for me is a personalized Skype telephone number.

For just $18.00 for 3 months, you’re hooked up with a local area code number from whichever country you choose.

So friends and family without Skype software can call my online number.

The best part? – I can forward calls from my office extension number (say, extension 222) to my Skype number (222-222-2222) which rings on my laptop. So technically, I never miss calls while away from my desk back in the US.

Taking it one step further, if I’m offline or busy, Skype then forwards the call on to my cell phone.

Instant Messaging

There’s no quicker way to access colleagues while working from another continent than sending them a quick instant message via Spark, Google Talk, or any one of the many instant messaging applications out there.

Photo by Wesley Fryer

Telecommuters can quickly feel excluded but with instant messaging tools, you can seamlessly chat with a colleague in San Francisco while working from Scandinavia.

Web Conferencing

Another perk of Skype is that you can initiate conference calls, dialing in the various key players of the call.

But there are more advanced (and more stable) web conferencing solutions designed specifically for this purpose.

Tools such as Microsoft Live Meeting, eMeeting by WebEx, and Citrix’s GoToMeeting allow you to not only initiate calls but also connect remotely to other machines for demos or to help troubleshoot problems.

External Hard Drives

Since you’ll be off your company’s WAN grid for extended periods of time, chances are tech support isn’t backing up your laptop, and you’re pretty much on your own. Investing in at least one external hard drive such as the Western Digital HD Passport can be a lifesaver.

Sooner or later, you will drop your laptop as you constantly shift bases. Be sure to read professional photographer Terence Carter’s article, Back Up. And Running: How to Back Up Your Digital Goods on the Road.

I always travel with two external drives. My backup needs a backup.

And the third drive sits at home….wherever it may be at the moment.

Additional Resources

For more telecommuting tools to fit your particular lifestyle, check out Tools that Telecommuters and Remote Workers Can’t Live Without , and 5 Tools for Successful Telecommuting.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/5-essential-gadgets-for-telecommuting/feed/ 4 http://matadorgoods.com/5-things-you-should-know-when-traveling-with-musical-instruments/ http://matadorgoods.com/5-things-you-should-know-when-traveling-with-musical-instruments/#comments Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:16:25 +0000 Michelle Schusterman http://matadorgoods.com/?p=816 Planning on schlepping that guitar or bass overseas? Here are five things you need to know to get prepared.

Feature Photo by ericmcgregor. Photo above by hamron

1. Know Your Airline’s Regulations

Extra baggage fees and weight restrictions differ from airline to airline, and depend heavily on where you’re traveling.

When you’re shopping for the lowest ticket price, don’t forget to factor in how much you may have to pay for that overweight keyboard case into the total cost.

Photo by Foxtongue.

The size limitation is around 62 inches (length + width + height), and the price for oversized luggage can be over $100.

Generally, the weight limit for checked items is 50lbs before the extra fees kick in.

For an extra bag under 50lbs, the price in usually around $50, but if it’s over the weight limit, the price can quickly go up.

Check out the baggage allowance info at American Airlines, Delta, and British Airways to get an idea of the typical fees.

A word of advice: don’t guesstimate that weight limit.

Each item you check will be weighed, and even if a box or case is just a few pounds over fifty, unless you want to pay that fee you’ll have to open it up and redistribute a few items to make it work. Not something you want to be doing at 5:30AM before you’ve had a chance to hit up that airport Starbucks.

Weigh all luggage a few days before your flight.

Even if your instrument is more than the carry-on limit allows, most airlines will accommodate musicians.

Ask a flight attendant if you can store it in the garment bag closet in the cabin or gate check it.

2. Know How to Pack

Be creative! Most drum, guitar, bass, and other cases allow for some extra packing room, not to mention extra padding for your instrument.

Photo by greggoconnell.

Stuff your socks in your acoustic guitar. Line your snare drum case with rolled up shirts.

I brought three steel drums and a full drumset (including hardware) to Brazil, and thanks to the extra space in the cases, managed to fit all remaining clothes and toiletries for two people in one duffel bag.

Also, make your packing job as neat as possible.

Unusual cases are often opened and searched in customs, so help the airline employees (and everyone in line behind you) by making the process as painless as possible.

3. Know What to Pack It In

If your bass is your baby, by all means invest in a flight case.

But don’t forget all those nights you’ll spend lugging that thing through the subway or the bus from club to club.

Pack a gig bag, preferably a soft one, for day to day use.

For custom made travel cases that are light but durable, check out Hiscox Cases, a UK company. If you’ve got more unusual items, check out New World Case, Inc. And regardless of whether you’re checking or carrying on, it never hurts to slap on the fragile stickers (available at most post offices and UPS stores).

Editor’s Note: For more on packing instruments, look out for an upcoming article spotlighting various gear cases for traveling.

4. Know What Is (And Isn’t) Available

Depending on your situation, you may want to consider buying your instrument overseas. While American brands will have import prices, you may be able to find something local that’s high quality for a good price.

Photo by francenphi.

Make a list of items you’re picky about (specific strings, sticks, effects processors, etc) and bring a decent supply in case you have a hard time hunting them down.

Also, bring enough of the small stuff (cables, screws, wire) to cover yourself for the first few months until you’ve found your way around.

A quest for a distortion pedal in Tokyo when you haven’t even figured out how to read the subway map makes for a frustrating day.

And remember, if you’re only planning a temporary move, you can always sell any instruments and hardware before you head home to lighten your load and fill your wallet.

5. Should I Just Ship It?

Personally, I’d no sooner ship my drums then I would my dog. So unless you’re not too attached to your instrument and feel you can live without it in the worst case scenario, I’d say no. Some shipping companies are notoriously unreliable.

A package I shipped to Brazil took six months rather than the guaranteed six weeks, and the box was badly damaged and falling apart when it arrived. Luckily, I hadn’t packed any instruments in it (but life was tough without my espresso machine!). However, shipping to Asia and Europe tends to be much more consistent.

If you’re moving someplace with a record of reliable shipping, feel free to take the risk, but I would recommend using that box for something less precious than instruments.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/5-things-you-should-know-when-traveling-with-musical-instruments/feed/ 2 http://matadorgoods.com/armchair-travel-embrace-the-bizarre/ http://matadorgoods.com/armchair-travel-embrace-the-bizarre/#comments Sat, 23 May 2009 03:09:36 +0000 Lola Akinmade http://matadorgoods.com/?p=650 Across the network this week, we’ve been bringing you entertaining articles that spotlight the offbeat nature of man – from the bizarre to the just plain fascinating.

Feature Photo by Melody.loves.you | Photo above by Editor B

Head over to Matador Trips to read about the Annual Mooning of Amtrak and other head-scratching traditions and competitions from around the world compiled by Ruth Stokes.

Why not swap your grilled chicken dinner for savory goat brain curry? Tom Gates shares this delectable recipe plus four others over at Matador Life.

Auctioning off one’s virginity is odd enough, but paying taxes on your earnings? The Romanian Government definitely wants in on the action as Christine Garvin discusses over at Brave New Traveler.

As a nation of extremes, if we aren’t supersizing cars and meals, we’re making mini-me versions of everything else. You never know when you’ll need that snack sized cigarette or white zinfandel harvati cheese. So head over to Matador Goods to grab your mini duct tape and other surprising travel sized items.

Still looking for love? If you’ve exhausted all your Craigslist.org and Match.com options, why not hop aboard an Air New Zealand flight? As Kate Sedgwick points out over at Matador Nights, the airline will now offer matchmaking flights to “help single Americans find New Zealand dates with a themed flight headed toward a dual hemisphere singles party.” Ouch.

Looking for more bizarre stories? Check out these compilations.

      

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/armchair-travel-embrace-the-bizarre/feed/ 3 http://matadorgoods.com/highway-blues-essential-tunes-for-a-delta-roadtrip/ http://matadorgoods.com/highway-blues-essential-tunes-for-a-delta-roadtrip/#comments Tue, 12 May 2009 12:30:29 +0000 Eva Holland http://matadorgoods.com/?p=517 Headed out on the road for a Delta blues adventure? Don’t forget these tunes from Mississippi boys who made good.

Photo of Muddy Waters – © Paul Natkin / Morrison Hotel Gallery

Rough Guide to Delta Blues

This is an evocative sampler of the raw, ragged blues that came out of the Delta in the pre-war years, from the likes of Charley Patton, Tommy Johnson and– of course– Robert Johnson, who so famously sold his soul at the crossroads.

Some later artists, including Muddy Waters and R.L. Burnside, are also represented.

A fantastic starting point, and an eerie accompaniment to any drive along Highway 61.

 

Muddy Waters: His Best, 1947-1955

Admittedly, Muddy Waters is most closely associated with the Chicago blues scene, and in fact this album is a collection of his finest from the early Chess years.

But there’s no denying where he came from, or where he got the sounds that he made so famous.

 

 

 

Ike Turner and His Kings of Rhythm: Rhythm Rockin’ Blues

Before Ike & Tina, and everything that came after, there were the Kings of Rhythm.

They left Clarksdale for Memphis and released “Rocket 88″ — which many folks would call the first ever pure rock ‘n’ roll song– in 1951 and continued recording, with a rotating cast of vocalists (and Ike on piano or guitar, and calling most of the shots) through the early to mid 50s.

This compilation rounds up Ike’s early work and shows the inarguable links between rock’n'roll and the blues.

 

Sam Cooke at the Copa

Alright, alright. Sam Cooke’s no bluesman (and yeah, my soul bias is showing).

But he is yet another huge talent who came out of tiny Clarksdale, and hey, you can’t listen to the blues for an entire roadtrip, right?

This live album from the Copa mixes everything from gospel to soul, country standards to pure pop — even a Bob Dylan cover! — in a consummate performance and, tragically, one of Cooke’s final recordings before his death at age 33.

Community Connection

Heading down south soon? Why not roll your own adventure with our handy blues guide.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/highway-blues-essential-tunes-for-a-delta-roadtrip/feed/ 2 http://matadorgoods.com/book-review-giveaway-nepal-25-classic-treks-and-12-climbing-peaks/ http://matadorgoods.com/book-review-giveaway-nepal-25-classic-treks-and-12-climbing-peaks/#comments Wed, 06 May 2009 13:06:13 +0000 David DeFranza http://matadorgoods.com/?p=454 A journey to Nepal to walk among the world’s highest mountains is a dream for many travelers.

Photo by Eric Lon

And, upon arriving in Kathmandu, many realize that such a trip really is like a dream: Disorienting, chaotic, confusing, and dizzying. Sorting out itineraries, finding the best gear, acquiring the necessary permits, and hiring a trustworthy guide or porter are difficult tasks to complete on the busy streets of Thamel.

Distractions from touts and other travelers abound, and rumors of weather conditions, permit situations, Maoist activity, and thefts circulate continuously.

It quickly becomes clear that simply getting to Nepal is the easy part. Organizing your trek and pulling it off safely and successfully requires foresight, planning, and preparation.

Nepal: Trekking and Climbing, 25 Classic Treks and 12 Climbing Peaks is an excellent resource for that planning stage.

With beautiful photographs, color maps, and detailed information about Nepal’s most popular and least traveled trekking routes, the book helps would-be trekkers prepare for their dream trip.

From adequate albeit brief introductory sections on Nepal’s history and culture, to special features on low-impact trekking and mountain photography, Nepal: Trekking and Climbing has all the requisite introductory information in addition to detailed overviews of 25 outstanding treks.

The best part of this book, however, is the treatment it gives to less-traveled routes and regions.

Of the nearly 100,000 people that apply for a trekking permit in Nepal each year, most of these people, as many as 60 percent, head into the Annapurna region to complete the classic Annapurna Circuit, the trek into the Annapurna Sanctuary, or any number of other shorter treks in the area.

Of the remaining trekkers, 17 percent visit the Everest region and 13 percent visit the Lantang region.

This means that only 10 percent trek in all other parts of the country.

Photo by Eric Lon

While Nepal: Trekking and Climbing covers the classic Annapurna, Everest, and Lantang treks extensively, it also details treks like the Mount Kangchenjunga circuit and those in the Mustang and Dhaulagiri Himal regions.

This makes the book appealing to both first-time visitors to Nepal and hardened trekkers who have already completed the popular classics.

Summary

While the book does a superb job providing background and information to trekkers, it falls short when it comes to climbing.

Though brief profiles of 12 of Nepal’s most popular “trekking peaks” are provided, they are really too superficial to be of value in planning a mountaineering trip.

Ultimately, a book like Nepal: Trekking and Climbing should do two things: Provide the basic information needed for the early planning of a trek and inspire travelers to pursue the trip of their dreams. This book does both, making it a valuable resource and an excellent addition to any trekker’s library.

Price: $13.60 | Buy

Giveaway: Win A Copy of The Andes: Trekking + Climbing!

Have a favorite photo that captures a memorable trek or climb you’ve taken? We want to see it!

In fact, we will be publishing our favorite shots provided in a photo essay on Matador Trips.

To win a copy of The Andes: Trekking + Climbing book which spotlights 26 classic treks and 18 classic climbs in the region,

1) Submit a link to one of your trekking or climbing photos in the comments below. You can upload your photos via Flickr.

2) Leave a short caption telling us the location and a little about your experience.

3) Complete this by Monday, May 11th, 11:59 PM EST

The Matador editors will pick their favorites for the photo essay and the standout shot will win the free book.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/book-review-giveaway-nepal-25-classic-treks-and-12-climbing-peaks/feed/ 10 http://matadorgoods.com/book-review-fuera-de-cautiverio-out-of-captivity/ http://matadorgoods.com/book-review-fuera-de-cautiverio-out-of-captivity/#comments Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:03:09 +0000 Richard McColl http://matadorgoods.com/?p=387 Out of Captivity provides an insight into the horrendous conditions that “prisoners of war” in Colombia are subjected to, the illnesses they suffer, their struggle for sanity, comprehension of events and some information about their captors.]]> I continue to be astonished at the alacrity at which the visible underworld of forgery fastens itself parasite-like to the newest publication in the Colombian marketplace.

Photo by George Donnelly

Over the past few years of living here in Colombia, I have seen all of the Harry Potter novels presented to me at intersections and stop lights in major cities, but last week, remained surprised when the vendor approached our window with a copy of Fuera de Cautiverio (Out of Captivity) translated into Spanish just a week and a half after it was shipped here in English.

I guess it should not be too much of a shock really as the book – put together by Gary Brozek and three Americans (Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell, and Tom Howes) who were kidnapped by Colombia’s notorious FARC guerrillas and held for 5 years and 4 months – is presumed to offer so much in the way of answers and shed some light on various questions surrounding their captivity and the captivity of other notable figures.

To a casual reader, Out of Captivity provides an insight into the horrendous conditions that “prisoners of war” in Colombia are subjected to, the illnesses they suffer, their struggle for sanity, comprehension of events and some information about their captors.

To a Colombian, and therefore revealing why it needed to be translated so fast, the book serves to try and unravel some of the great questions about the enigma that is former Colombian Presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, her character, her politics, her survival.

Of course, the whole story is not revealed in the slightest and the book takes the form of three separate narrations from each of the protagonists during similar and eventful periods of their captivity.

Great emphasis is placed upon their own thoughts and spirituality as it should be, in particular their thoughts for their families.

Perhaps there are two great gaping holes in this body of work and these come in the form of lack of information about the Dutch FARC guerrilla who the three contractors met early on during their stay in the jungle and whose diary was discovered after a bombing raid on a FARC encampment in the southern jungles.

Photo of Ingrid Betancourt courtesy of Wikipedia.org

In addition to this, there is no firm speculation about who the father of Clara Rojas’ child Emmanuel is.

For those who are in the dark as to who Clara Rojas is, she was Ingrid Betancourt’s campaign manager who became pregnant while in captivity. The saga of her son Emanuel – born in captivity, taken from his mother and then after months, delivered to Colombian social services – became a cause followed all over Colombia.

Not for genuine interest in the humanity of the situation, but rather, it became a somewhat farcical soap opera in which the only thing people seemed to really care about was the identity of the boy’s father.

Could it be a high ranking FARC official, was she raped, was it one of the Americans?

Operation Check Mate (Operacion Jaque), the daring and now legendary rescue of the Americans, Ingrid Betancourt and other politicians, is addressed as the closing finale to their Colombian sojourn. It makes compelling reading but ultimately leaves one wanting…as it should and as we should expect from the very beginning.

After all, there is a long running civil war in Colombia and the present government will have done everything in its power to stifle the distribution of any classified information.

Classic literature Out of Captivity is not, but a riveting and compelling read it surely is – entailing the personal struggles of the three hostages, the politics and conniving nature of the FARC and the struggles of the guerrilla themselves.

This is a book that can be read cover to cover within a sitting and will leave the reader astonished at the hardships endured by those who have undergone similar experiences.

Keep this work circulating as it will serve to remind the authorities in Colombia that there are an estimated 2,000 people still in captivity in this country.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/book-review-fuera-de-cautiverio-out-of-captivity/feed/ 4 http://matadorgoods.com/whats-in-your-backpack-jason-mraz-joyologist/ http://matadorgoods.com/whats-in-your-backpack-jason-mraz-joyologist/#comments Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:04:29 +0000 Matador Team http://matadorgoods.com/?p=264 Tricia has one of the coolest gigs on the planet, touring the world with Jason Mraz as the first ever ‘joyologist’.

Photo Credit: Jason Mraz

Her one-of-a-kind job description is to ” keep the positivity flowing, keep our bodies clean and limber and to make our ever-changing surroundings a little more pleasing to all of the senses.”

Here are the things that she can’t live without on the road.

Fabric

A tapestry or fabric to hang in the dressing room or hotel room. It is often used to cover the “idiot box” and also to give the room a sense of home and to have some sort of grounding.

  

Aromatherapy

Lately I favor a diffuser and different essential oils, but an aromatic candle will do the job.

Healing stones

Black onyx (repels negative energy) and rose quartz (heals emotional wounds and opens the heart to unconditional love) are a couple of my choice ones.

iPod Stereo

  

So portable and easy to pop in and change the environment with your own choice of tunes for the moment. Random Dance parties and sing-a-longs are sure to follow.

Shiva Shakti Tonic

A spiritual tonic made by Ayurvedic extraordiniare, John Holmstrom of L.A. It cultivates compassion in body, mind, and soul by burning the toxic ama in the body.

It is only taken on days when it is really needed, but I bring it along everywhere.

I gave some to Jason before he left for the Grammy Awards and it kept him feeling the love all day and night long.

Wildbars

  

A raw, vegan superfood bar made by Ancient Sun Nutrition that picks you up, keeps you going, and gets your creative juices flowing.

Made with a full serving of cacao and wild blue green algae and it tastes like a candy bar.

You gotta try this!

Vitamineral Green

A green superfood powder from Healthforce Nutrition – 100% whole food, pure, raw vegan.

We love to make morning Green Shakes with this as the main ingredient, but a tablespoon or two in O.N.E. coconut water is a delight as well.

This product has changed the lives of more than half of our band and crew.

Yerba Mate

  

A South America tea that boosts immunity, cleanse and detoxifies the blood, tones the nervous system, combats fatigue, and stimulates the mind.

Without caffeine!

I love it iced on hot days too and favor the Guayaki Mint and The Mate Factor Dark Roast.

Yoga Mat

I love my Jade Harmony travel mat. It is super thin and light to carry, made from all eco products and is the perfect stickiness, even when practicing on a gravel driveway in 100 degree heat.

There is always a way to fit in some yoga anywhere, anytime.

Travel Hula Hoop

Our friend, Mandy in San Diego sent us off on this last tour with hula hoops that collapse!

She made them herself and really thinks she needs to start marketing them. They fit into our luggage and you can even sling it over your shoulder and walk about town with it folded up until you strike the fancy to hoop it up.

Best thing ever!

I’ve begun to think of my hula hoop as therapy because you really have to let go and put yourself out there – even though you know you’ll possibly look ridiculous.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/whats-in-your-backpack-jason-mraz-joyologist/feed/ 19 http://matadorgoods.com/dslr-camera-owners-3-lenses-you-need/ http://matadorgoods.com/dslr-camera-owners-3-lenses-you-need/#comments Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:39:11 +0000 Lola Akinmade http://matadorgoods.com/?p=236 Having these lenses handy will net you some versatile travel photography.

Photo by Lola Akinmade

Sure, a solid point-and-shoot camera such as the Panasonic Lumix can more than cover your photography needs. However, if you’ve purchased a digital single-lens reflex camera (digital SLR or DSLR), be sure to pick up at least two of the three lenses listed below to get more mileage from your gear.

Telephoto Zoom Lens

 

Your new DSLR camera usually comes with a 18-55 mm kit lens.

While sufficient for most portrait photography situations, within a few months, you’ll notice a hankering for something that can zoom out much further – a zoom lens of sorts.

Lenses such as the 55-200mm pick up where the 18-55 mm lens stops, but a better option is the 18-200 mm telephoto zoom lens which combines both into a single body.

So instead of dragging along two telephoto lenses, you pack only one.

Wide Angle Lens

 

Most professional travel photographers use wide angle lenses and you’ll see why once you try it out.

Wide angle lenses capture everything within your peripheral vision and much more, pulling you right into the midst of the scenery – whether it’s a concert, market scene, or festival.

An affordable ultra wide angle lens is the Sigma 10-20mm, which is at least 60% cheaper equivalent than its Nikkor 14-24mm equivalent.

Can’t tout the benefits of an ultra wide angle lens enough.

Fixed Lens

 

A fixed lens means it doesn’t allow you to zoom in or out. What you see through the viewfinder is what you get.

At under $150, the Nikkor 50mm F/1.8 is the perfect lens for low light situations which do not require flash, such as night photography and dimly lit rooms.

So if you’re heading out at dusk or night, this is the only lens you’ll need to ensure great night photos without using a tripod.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/dslr-camera-owners-3-lenses-you-need/feed/ 15 http://matadorgoods.com/whats-in-your-backpack-lara-dunston-professional-travel-writer/ http://matadorgoods.com/whats-in-your-backpack-lara-dunston-professional-travel-writer/#comments Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:22:38 +0000 Matador Team http://matadorgoods.com/?p=225 From a couple different cellphones and SIM cards to various day bags which help her blend in as a local, writer Lara Dunston shares her gear with us.

Photo courtesy of Lara Dunston.

I actually don’t use a backpack everyday, as I try not to stand out as a traveler and prefer to be mistaken for a local.

The Bags

I use a Samsonite Sahora Upright Spinner which I’ve had for 3.5 years and it’s absolutely brilliant although looking a bit battered now, as my husband, travel photographer Terence Carter, and I have been traveling constantly since January 2006, so time for an upgrade I think.

I carry a Borealis backpack by The North Face in my Samsonite so if we’re doing a trek or heading into the backcountry for a while, I whip that out and we’ll store the Samsonites with the bulk of our gear at a hotel.

For day-to-day travel around towns and cities, I carry a huge leather shoulder bag.

I’ve never found the perfect bag so I’m working with a renowned Italian family of leather-makers to create a bag that looks stylish but is also strong and super-practical with lots of pockets and inserts for all those essentials professional travelers carry with them.

So, what goes inside?

13-Inch Widescreen MacBook

I have just upgraded and the new girl is gorgeous! My last one served me well for 3 years, so it was sad to say goodbye but she was never quite the same after falling from the top of a cupboard in a hotel room in Chiang Mai.

I never travel anywhere without my laptop – I do absolutely everything on it: writing books and stories, checking email, organizing my photos, maintaining my blog, doing our accounts.

It goes absolutely everywhere with me – it even came trekking through the hill tribe villages in Thailand.

And this one is even lighter! (I also carry a bunch of USBs and portable drives for backing up data: see Terry’s post on that process.)

Motorola MOTORAZR

I carry several cell phones – one for my main number in Dubai, one for Australia (only because phones are locked there), and one which we use to pop in a local SIM card, which we’ll buy if we’re working in a place for a few weeks or longer.

We find using local SIMs to be the cheapest and easiest way to make calls by far and locals prefer to call people back on local numbers so it makes research easier.

We have quite a collection of SIMs now! I have a couple of Nokia phones but my favorite is the Motorola MOTORAZR.

iPod

I have an i-Pod mainly for recording audio interviews, but also for listening to music from my i-Tunes library (my CD collection is stored on the laptop, of course), and learning languages.

At the moment I’m using Earworms by Berlitz to improve my Italian, and it’s just brilliant – it truly is as revolutionary as they say!

 

 

Point-and-Shoot Camera

My compact camera of choice is a Canon G10 PowerShot. Terry has quite a collection of pro-Nikons of course, and I get the hand-me-downs when he upgrades, but I find myself using a compact more because I’m so busy taking notes and my photos are memory shots mainly.

I also like to have something I can sneak into restaurants! The Canon is fantastic in low-light and the picture quality is brilliant.

My only complaint is that the LCD screen cracked in the time between the guy in the store packed it away and I unpacked it at the hotel, and they wouldn’t replace it. The screen really needed to come with a protection panel.

Notebooks and Journals

I don’t go anywhere without a few notebooks. I don’t use Moleskins. I’ve used them before and tried several different types but they always fall apart. They’re not made for our kind of traveling.

I wish they were because they look so good, but they simply don’t do the job for me.

I’m probably one of the few travel writers who’ll admit that. I opt for spiral bound, pocket-size notebooks with recycled paper and recycled cardboard or plastic covers, and when I find something I like, I’ll get half a dozen.

The last lot I bought in Italy, the ones before in Amsterdam but at the moment I’m using some I picked up from a supermarket in Australia and they’re fabulous.

Spiral bound is essential because I staple business cards, receipts, tickets, tags and even serviettes with the relevant notes or review, so when the editor comes back to me to check a number, I have all the info together.

 

 

About Lara Dunston

Australian travel writer Lara Dunston has been ‘based’ in the United Arab Emirates since 1998.

Although she and husband, photographer/co-author Terence Carter, have actually been traveling the world constantly since January 2006, bouncing across the planet from one assignment to another; the closest thing they have to a ‘home’ is their storage unit in Dubai.

Lara has had scores of articles published, everywhere from National Geographic Traveler to USA Today, and has authored and updated over 40 guidebooks (most with Terry) for Rough Guides, Footprint, DK, and Lonely Planet among other publishers.

Lara and Terry have four books coming out in the next few months on Calabria, Northern Italy, Cyprus, and the Italian Lakes. They are currently in Australia writing books. Lara reflects upon the stuff she finds cool (and not so cool) about travel, the travel media, and travel industry at Cool Travel Guide.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/whats-in-your-backpack-lara-dunston-professional-travel-writer/feed/ 6 http://matadorgoods.com/5-montana-coffeetable-books/ http://matadorgoods.com/5-montana-coffeetable-books/#comments Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:49:53 +0000 Lola Akinmade http://matadorgoods.com/?p=223 Sweeping backcountry vistas. Rugged cowboys on dusty, vast plains. Endangered wildlife. If you can’t check out Montana’s natural beauty in person, here are five photography books that bring it to you.

Library of Congress Photo retouched by 20after4

Montana: Portrait of a State

This catalog of vivid photographs shot by musician-turned-photographer Vasapolli covers rustic landscapes of the state including Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks.

Price: $11.53 | BUY

The Montana Cowboy

A powerful photographic essay that takes us behind the scenes of life as a cowboy on the range and the century old history behind this iconic slice of Americana. This collaborative effort pairs photographs taken by David R. Stoecklein with narrative text written by Pat Dawson, a native of Montana, and illustrations from renown artist, Buckeye Blake.

Price: $42.00 | BUY

Montana: A Scenic Treasure

In Scenic Treasure, Photographers John Lambing and Wayne Mumford go in search of hidden Montana – its remote lakes and scenery, historic monuments, and “elusive wildlife”.

Price: $16.47 | BUY

Montana Wildlife Portfolio

Wildlife photography requires an inordinate amount of patience and for photographer Donald M. Jones, it pays off in this collection of over 140 color photographs spotlighting Montana’s varied wild animals in their habitats.

Price: $18.96 | BUY

Photographing Montana 1894-1928

For vintage shots of early Montana, this book with more than 150 of Evelyn Cameron’s photographs shows early pioneer settlements within the state. The shots include landscapes, farms, cattle and horses, and other glimpses into turn-of-the-century lifestyle.

Price: $25.55 | BUY

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/5-montana-coffeetable-books/feed/ 3 http://matadorgoods.com/book-review-backpacking-with-brian/ http://matadorgoods.com/book-review-backpacking-with-brian/#comments Tue, 31 Mar 2009 21:46:51 +0000 David DeFranza http://matadorgoods.com/?p=218 Matador Contributor David DeFranza gives a raw, honest review of this travel journal-turned-paperback.

Photo by garryknight

This review will not begin with a description of the book’s cover, the title page, or the table of contents, and it will not end with an evaluation of the index.

I will not start by telling you I received the envelope in the mail and I will not end by illustrating the room from which I now type. This would be tantamount to beginning a travel narrative with the plane’s takeoff and finishing with a description of returning home.

Avoiding this kind of narrative arc is a classic first lesson of travel writing, one that the author of Backpacking with Brian has unfortunately not learned.

Instead of telling you about how the book was packaged for mailing, I will begin with a question: What is the value of a travel journal?

We know that keeping a journal while traveling is important. Documenting the details of your trip, from the clothing of people you see to the food you eat for each meal, allows you to relive the experience years later.

Photo by swimparallel

By writing your thoughts you can gain perspective. It creates an opportunity for otherwise obscured connections to arise. Beyond helping you remember your travels, a journal helps you understand them.

So, if it is important to keep a journal, what do we do with these personal tomes once they are completed?

The first impulse, I believe, is to share it with others. Lending your journal to family and close friends is one way. Using it to tell stories at the pub is another. You can put it online.

You can even use it as an archive of information that could be transformed into more polished articles and narratives. You could also publish the journal in whole and, if an editor takes an interest, join the ranks of some great authors.

If an editor does not take an interest, there is the option of self-publishing, and it is this that finally brings us back to Bryn Parry’s Backpacking with Brian.

The journal of Parry’s travels through Europe is intriguing mostly for all it does wrong. It begins with a trip on a bus from the author’s hometown and takes us, hour by hour, day by day, through the rest of the journey.

It lacks real character development in a way that, at the end of the 319 pages, we are left still wondering who Brian even is.

It suffers from awkward and elliptical writing…”the inverted image which I was thereby treated to was of the salivating jaws of a ‘highly conditioned’ Jack Russell Terrier.”

The manuscript uses non-standard formatting, misuses quotations to the point of confusing the story, and has an overabundance of ellipses “I NEEDED a treat (of the highly sugar-rich, comfort-fodder kind)!…….”

That said, there is much to admire.

The simple fact that Parry got the story, all 300-plus pages of it, onto paper is certainly one. The way he portrays himself in the narrative is honest and self-effacing in a way that is reminiscent of Bill Bryson’s at his best. The one-sided correspondences with Cathy, a love left at home, are tender and the highlight of every chapter in which they appear.

If you find yourself ripping through online travel journals and wishing you could take one along when away from the computer, Backpacking with Brian will be a quirky delight. It is, perhaps by virtue of the text’s raw nature, an intensely personal account.

It may not illuminate new corners of Europe, or win a great award, but it does give the reader the feeling that the author, a close friend, has invited her to read his personal journal.

For what it’s worth, I am grateful.

Thank you Bryn, keep writing.

Price: $17.99 | BUY

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/book-review-backpacking-with-brian/feed/ 0 http://matadorgoods.com/improving-your-goodprint/ http://matadorgoods.com/improving-your-goodprint/#comments Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:03:59 +0000 Lola Akinmade http://matadorgoods.com/?p=217 ….And feeling 100% good about your purchases.

Images from WorldOfGood.com

Goodprint – is how sellers display the positive imprint you leave when you purchase a product on WorldofGood.com.

Your one stop shop for all things “green” and eco-friendly, World Of Good by eBay is dedicated to selling environmentally conscious goods which curb unnecessary waste.

From organic toothpaste and refurbished electronics to handcrafted musical instruments and Fair Trade food items, you can choose from over 15,000 unique products online in its marketplace.

You can also shop by a “Goodprint” category – selecting by People Positive, Eco Positive, Animal Friendly, or Supports a Cause.

Each product page includes information about its seller, the story of its producer, its trust verification status, and its goodprint

Photo by Lola Akinmade

People Positive products like handmade crafts and jewelry aim to improve quality of life through empowerment and preservation of communities and individuals alike. Eco Positive products such as organic clothing and environmentally safe lotions and soaps aim to conserve resources.

Animal Friendly products are usually free of dyes and chemicals that could be harmful to your pets, while proceeds from the sale of products that “Support a Cause” go to their beneficiaries.

Articles covering a host of sustainable living and ethical shopping topics are readily accessible via its vibrant online community which includes a mix of media partners, sellers, buyers, and trust providers.

Be sure to stop by and peek in through the window of a more conscious lifestyle.

Price: Various | Visit World of Good

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/improving-your-goodprint/feed/ 3 http://matadorgoods.com/is-it-safe-to-drink-the-water/ http://matadorgoods.com/is-it-safe-to-drink-the-water/#comments Fri, 27 Mar 2009 08:45:55 +0000 Micah Jayne http://matadorgoods.com/?p=215 From leaky taps in Queens to crusty ladles in the Sinai, this question is largely answered by chance.

You may have heard that your health is at risk every time you open your mouth, but the planet is suffering too. Drinkers of bottled water worldwide contribute to the looming ecological catastrophe in the form of discarded PET bottles.

Photo by Candice_Lee

To protect myself, my tried and true method of avoiding bacterial invasion is to gulp down a glass of local tap water immediately upon arriving in a strange land.

Insane? Perhaps, but it introduces my refined euro-belly to the various little organisms that will, inevitably, find their way indoors. Better still, it all happens in the comfort of my three-day hotel buffer where a relatively clean toilet is close at hand.

In ten years of travel, drinking well water in Egypt and brewing tea from the Mekong’s waters, this method has never once failed me.

Price: $129.99 | MSR Miox Water Purifier
with Batteries

After this inoculation, I am comfortable ordering the salad and crunching the ice cubes at the bottom of my glass of single malt.

However, there’s the rest of the planet to consider and here’s an alternative.

The MIOX purifier from MSR is a tiny, incredibly reliable and dead simple little gadget that will guarantee you fresh drinking and cooking water for the duration of your traveling life.

It works by creating a highly acidic brine of mixed oxidants using local water and salt, which is then dumped into the water you wish to treat.

Put a thimbleful of water in the cap, shake it up, open the cap, press the button and voila! One shot from the MIOX spells death to 99.9% of all bad guys, even the much-maligned Cryptosporidium.

Given the staggering environmental impact store-bought PET bottles have, especially in less developed countries, a MIOX purifier paired with a nice water bottle like the snazzy Black Panther aluminum bottle ($29.99) from Swiss manufacturer SIGG, can turn your mountain of refuse into a molehill.

Plus, you don’t get Delhi belly – Traveler’s Diarrhea. Everyone wins.

Community Connection

Want an in-depth review of various water purification options? Check out Plastic or Pills? Choosing an option for treating your water.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/is-it-safe-to-drink-the-water/feed/ 3 http://matadorgoods.com/back-up-and-running/ http://matadorgoods.com/back-up-and-running/#comments Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:59:11 +0000 Matador Team http://matadorgoods.com/?p=214  

Ever wonder how the pros back up their photography? Professional travel and editorial photographer Terence Carter shares his backup plans with us.

Photo by Terence Carter

I’ve had a few comments and a number of emails from my fellow Mac-wielding travellers about backing up and not freaking out. It’s really quite simple and not techy to make sure that you don’t lose those valuable photos, emails and music.

So here is a brief rundown of how I plan for disaster.

Lacie FireWire Drive

My MacBook Pro is backed up automatically every night to a Lacie FireWire drive. Of the current range, this model sounds about right. I back up using software called SuperDuper!, which is excellent.

Why do I use FireWire? Because you can plug the backup into another computer and run the backup as if you were on your own machine. In other words, if the hard drive fails in your Mac, you can actually start up and run your Mac from your backup.

Brilliant. Unless you have a new MacBook or a MacBook Air which don’t have FireWire anymore.

Shame Apple, shame.

But wait, there is another solution.

Western Digital Passport Drive

The red hard drive you can see there is a Western Digital one. I do prefer Lacie, but they’re not always so easy to find. This drive also backs up my Mac using Apple’s own Time Machine software that comes with the latest operating system and with all new Macs.

It backs up every hour, but only updates what has been changed on your Mac. What is great about this is that if you accidently delete a file or folder, you can ‘turn back time’ (yes, you now have that horrible Cher song in your head, no need to thank me!) and retrieve the files.

Pretty darn simple. And it’s the kind of thing that makes Apple so much better for people who just want to get things done rather than play around with computers.

The darn software even asks you if you want to use the drive you’ve just plugged in as a Time Machine backup – couldn’t be simpler and it leaves you with no excuses for not having a backup strategy.

The other two drives on the right are for the current photography projects that I’m working on. I’ll buy two drives, one as a backup, and I get SuperDuper! to back those up every night as well.

Blank DVDs

I also burn all my photos to DVD on the road as I import them to the working drive.

This generally means me being up at ungodly hours labelling DVDs and watching far too much late-night television and occasionally lapsing into some self-hate by raiding the mini-bar.

But we all have our challenges in life.

After the photos are backed up on DVD, I then import them into Apple’s Aperture where I do all my photo sorting and much of my photo editing.

Think of it as iPhoto on steroids.

So, if you’re not currently backing up your Mac, do yourself a favour and spend $100 on a backup drive.

You can thank me later.

And no, none of the above companies pay me a dime to talk about their products.

 

About Terence Carter

Australian-born and Dubai-based, Terence Carter is a travel and editorial photographer and travel writer.

He’s authored more than 40 guidebooks for the world’s best travel publishers, many of which he’s also photographed.

Assignments in the last twelve months have seen him making still pictures everywhere from the south of Italy to the Red Centre of Australia.

He also maintains a blog – Wide angles, wine and wanderlust.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/back-up-and-running/feed/ 2 http://matadorgoods.com/music-review-no-line-on-the-horizon/ http://matadorgoods.com/music-review-no-line-on-the-horizon/#comments Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:36:34 +0000 Lola Akinmade http://matadorgoods.com/?p=213 Can a self-proclaimed, biased U2 fan be truly objective?

It debuted at #1 in over 30 countries during its first week. Rolling Stones gave it 5 stars in an almost borderline worship of the band in its review. Early reviews coming in are already naming No Line as one of the best albums of the year.

Photo courtesy of U2.com

With the release of their last project, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (HTDAAB), a lot of people (U2 fans alike) were left scratching their heads.

We didn’t fully get it. It felt incomplete.

Sure, there were tracks like “Original of the Species” and “Crumbs from Your Table” that showcased the band’s lyrical depth, HTDAAB was one of those albums you kept skipping tracks to get to your 2-3 favorite tunes.

So why such high marks for No Line?

Were we fans looking for something so different from HTDAAB that maybe we’re lavishing inordinate amounts of praise on this latest effort?

Pluses

No Line’s retro-hip sound easily slides somewhere in between the edgy Achtung Baby and the more contemporary All That You Can’t Leave Behind albums, but with a distinct spiritual undercurrent to it.

You get the sense that despite being a pop-rock band, you’re listening to experience, profound depth, and multi-layered individuals urging us to introspectively examine ourselves and how we’ve each contributed – both negatively and positively – to the world as it stands today.

With lyrics such as “How can you stand next to the truth and not see it” on the track, “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight” and “Hear me, cease to speak that I may speak… Shush now” on “Unknown Caller”, each track’s lyrical content is solid…

Photo courtesy of U2.com

There are obvious standouts such as the energetic “Breathe” with its powerful aesthetics, but already an early contender for Song of the Year is the overly melodic “Magnificent”.

At first, you think it’s just Bono wailing almost gratuitously (which as a die-hard U2 fan, is my staple), but then you strip back the driving harmonics and guitar riffs, and read its lyrics:

I was born to sing for you, I didn’t have a choice but to lift you up, And sing whatever song you wanted me to, I give you back my voice, From the womb my first cry, it was a joyful noise……

And Bono’s wails take on a whole new, more somber feel, which left me saying, “this song is pretty magnificent”.

No Line on The Horizon feels complete and wholesome, and the high praise it’s been garnering all over the world has been for its lyrics.

It’s been all about the lyrics.

Minuses

On the first pass-through of this album, you get the feeling U2 tried really hard to produce a totally opposite sound from HTDAAB. They didn’t need to. This may actually be a plus for fans of U2’s earlier sounds from say, Joshua Tree and War, in terms of the musical composition of the songs.

Overall: A

They get an A, not A+ for actually releasing the politically charged “Get on Your Boots” as their first single – one of the weaker songs on the album. Considering Boots is a sort of political anthem with a strong voice, that says a lot about the album’s strength.

Eleven albums later, and over 30 years together still producing socially, politically, and culturally relevant songs, U2’s staying power is hard-earned and truly deserved.

No Line is no doubt one of their best albums lyrically.

Price: $9.99 | BUY | DOWNLOAD FOR $8.99

Have you listened to the new U2 Album? Tell us what you think below.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/music-review-no-line-on-the-horizon/feed/ 2 http://matadorgoods.com/whats-in-your-backpack-samantha-brown-travel-channel-host/ http://matadorgoods.com/whats-in-your-backpack-samantha-brown-travel-channel-host/#comments Mon, 23 Mar 2009 11:31:33 +0000 Juli Huang http://matadorgoods.com/?p=212 For Matador’s “What’s In Your Backpack?” series, Travel Channel’s wildly entertaining host Samantha Brown graciously opened up her bag and let us get a peak into what she carries when jetting around the world.

Photo courtesy of Travel Channel

From pastoral dirt roads in Nicaragua to the busy streets of India, without fail, these are the items Samantha Brown needs to bring with her while she shoots take after take of her ever popular travel show.

Two “Pinky” balls

These are sold in just about every toy store. Are you ready to feel the best you’ve have felt on the road?

Place two balls next to each other on the floor. Lie down on the balls so that they are at the base of your neck and aligned with your spine.

Bend your knees and push so that the balls roll down your back, over your buttocks, and down your legs.

For deep knots, just hang out putting all your weight on the balls – pure bliss.

Now where’s that Enya CD?

A Jar of Peanut Butter

I’ve been traveling with peanut butter for years.

With my empty stomach, I can go from a grown, mature woman to a grumpy six year old in 10 minutes.

Armed with peanut butter, I can easily buy pretzels, crackers, or carrots (and in emergency cases, just dip my finger in the jar).

Peanut Butter is not only healthy, but also keeps you satiated.

I’ve just stumbled on a company called P.B. Loco where you can order online flavors like European Café Mocha, Sumatra Cinnamon and Raisin, and CoCo Banana!

 

A Sweater or Sweatshirt

Even if you are going to Hawai’i, I recommend bringing one.

We over air-condition everything.

When I’m in a 55 degree restaurant, I’m always wondering, ”Isn’t this the cool weather I was trying to escape?”

 

Earplugs

You don’t need $250 noise canceling headphones worn by the band members of Fortune 500.

Just the run-of-the-mill, bright orange, foamy kind will do.

They won’t shut out all the noise, but just enough to take the edge off of listening to your three-year-old’s favorite children’s CD for the 700th time.

It also allows you to psychologically be in your own private space, even if that is only in a two foot wide seat of a mini-van or airplane.

Melotonin Supplements (For Adults)

This is a completely natural sleep aid.

Melatonin is produced in your body, but we lose it as we get older.

There are no side effects like with prescription or over-the-counter sleeping pills.

I take them because many nights I find myself in a different hotel bed, plane seat, or time zone.

How does it make you feel? Your muscles totally relax like you just took a long hot bath.

 

Swiss Army Knife with Corkscrew Opener

Anything that’s issued as standard equipment to NASA astronauts has to be good for your family’s summer “Liftoff”.

I recommend the model with the corkscrew.

You have spent an entire day traveling with the kids.

You’ll really need that glass of wine.

 

Soap

I don’t like anti-bacteria gel.

The high number of times I need and use it, my hands are so completely dried out by all the alcohol.

Good ol’ soap is still better than anything.

Remember to wash your hands for 15 seconds to kill all the germs.

Pick a fun song so you know when those fifteen seconds are up. Mine is “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine”.

 

Disposable Wipes

These days, doesn’t it seem like every brand makes their product in a “wipable” form?

Nowadays, wet wipes are travel essentials and not just for cleaning up baby bums and children’s faces!

A good anti-bacterial wipe is perfect for hotel rooms, airplanes, and restaurant bathrooms.

Wipe down that hotel phone before you order an extra cot!

Resealable bags

Need I say more. I honestly “ziplock” everything.

My clothes go in extra large bags that – with the help of my body weight – I can squeeze out all the air from so that my wardrobe for a week resembles freeze-dried cream chipped beef.

I put creams, gels, and hairsprays in them. If there is a leak, it is contained.

Many times, my luggage has sat out on the tarmac in the pouring rain and has been soaked through so at the very least, put your most special outfit in an resealable bag.

 

For more information on Samantha Brown, including her taping schedule, you can visit her page on the Travel Channel website.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/whats-in-your-backpack-samantha-brown-travel-channel-host/feed/ 3 http://matadorgoods.com/from-the-editor-practicality-rules/ http://matadorgoods.com/from-the-editor-practicality-rules/#comments Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:04:24 +0000 Lola Akinmade http://matadorgoods.com/?p=210 If I honestly can’t envision our readers using or buying a certain product, I don’t recommend it. Period.

That’s been our philosophy here at Matador Goods and I hope you’ve appreciated it so far.

Photo by Lola Akinmade

Matador has built a strong network of diverse, unique, and pretty cool folks who see travel more as a journey that occurs deep within than a quick vacation, and by engaging our community members, you get firsthand, tested advice on practical travel gear to take on your next adventure, favorite travel books and anthologies, environmentally-safe goods, and such.

While one can argue that besides food and water, nothing else is truly essential, we aim to spotlight products that certainly enhance your travel experience without reducing it to just scenes captured through a viewfinder .

The mandatory pose-y shot.

Finding the perfect balance between necessity and nice-to-have has been my challenge.

I strive to regularly focus on goods that are either lightweight or eco-friendly, but most certainly practical and durable.

We give our readers monthly peeks into the backpacks of other avid travelers and occasionally write about “feel good” products (such as TOMS Shoes and Cleanup Soap).

Some proceeds from the sales of these products go directly towards sustaining many communities around the globe and improving overall quality of life.

So, what other types of gear and products would you like us to spotlight regularly?

I’d love to hear from you .

You can send me short recommendations via our contact form or email me directly at lola [AT] matadornetwork [DOT] com.

Interested in writing a gear-related, consumer-focused article? Please submit your piece following our contributor guidelines.

Happy Travels.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/from-the-editor-practicality-rules/feed/ 4 http://matadorgoods.com/book-review-south-carolina-on-the-road-histories/ http://matadorgoods.com/book-review-south-carolina-on-the-road-histories/#comments Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:08:14 +0000 Theodore Scott http://matadorgoods.com/?p=206 South Carolina reads like a popular history book. That makes sense; the author is a professor of American History who lives in Myrtle Beach. ]]> Being a history geek, I usually buy at least two books when traveling somewhere new.

Photo by pocketwiley

I need a travel book for getting around and a history book to help me understand what I see. Your average backpacker book provides some historical and cultural explanation.

However, the balance of hostel details compared to location background information never sits right with me.

So I was excited to find the On the Road Histories book series, which takes the opposite approach, and I’ve just finished reading South Carolina, by Kenneth Townsend.

The bulk of South Carolina reads like a popular history book. That makes sense; the author is a professor of American History who lives in Myrtle Beach.

The book is written in chronological order and provides a good overview of the state’s history. It starts out with the Native Americans and leads us up through the present day.

Photo by humbertomoreno

There is little mentioned about recent decades. This makes the end feel abrupt. However, I think more people are interested in what happened during times such as the American Revolution and the Civil War.

Maybe I assume too much, but I know I don’t really care about the South Carolina of the 1980’s.

While proud of South Carolina’s history, the book doesn’t sugarcoat negative aspects.

For example, while recounting the life of native son Andrew Jackson, the author doesn’t hide Jackson’s part in causing the Trail of Tears, calling it “among the most deplorable actions perpetrated against Native Americans”.

What makes it a book for travelers are the highlighted sidebars that point to historical places to visit.

“Must-See Sites” are scattered throughout most of the chapters, along with modern and historical photographs, famous battles, festival descriptions, and celebrated South Carolinians.

I would still want to pick up a traveler’s guidebook (or rely on the web) for information about common tourist items – where to eat, where to sleep – but this book is a great way to get to know South Carolina, whether you are a visitor or a resident.

If a visit to South Carolina isn’t in your future, consider other books in the On the Road Histories series: Alaska, Mississippi, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Kentucky, Michigan, Texas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Price: $15.60 | BUY

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/book-review-south-carolina-on-the-road-histories/feed/ 0 http://matadorgoods.com/essential-gear-for-your-patagonia-trip/ http://matadorgoods.com/essential-gear-for-your-patagonia-trip/#comments Sat, 14 Mar 2009 16:01:59 +0000 Julie Schwietert http://matadorgoods.com/?p=203 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. Taking a glance at the gear hanging from the ceiling to the floor, I believe it.

Photo by Francisco Collazo

Manhattan isn’t the first place that comes to mind when one thinks of outdoor experts—Portland and Seattle likely vie for that title—but Abish’s staff know what they’re talking about… and what they’re selling.

Photo by Francisco Collazo

“Five men who were sherpas in Nepal work here,” she says.

And Craig– the employee who’s about to show me the essential gear for a Patagonia trip– he’s been just about everywhere.

So when he talks about temperature ranges of sleeping bags, it’s not some well-memorized sales pitch.

The man had to keep warm while camping out in frigid Arctic Sweden.

Abish and her staff estimate that a Patagonia trip for the first time trekker who wants a full gear-up will cost about $800-$1,000.

The gear list Tent and Trails provides here totals $1,128.00 in the store (before taxes) but some of the items listed are more for comfort than necessity.

You can gear up with Abish and her staff in person or online at www.tenttrails.com.

You can also order most of the gear through Amazon.

• Teko Women’s EcoMerino Midweight Hiking Socks – Lightweight, organic. What more could you want from a sock?

• Wigwam CoolMax Liner Socks – These liner socks wick away moisture, keeping your feet dry.

• Body Glide Anti-Chafing Skin Protectant – “It’s like deodorant for your whole body.”

• Adventure Medical Heatsheets Emergency Blanket – You never know when you may need some extra heat in Patagonia.

• Medica Quickclot Sport Silver 25 – Clotting Sponges that come in handy in case of an emergency.

• MSR Packtowl Personal Towels – Most travelers know about quick-drying towels, but in Patagonia, they’re essential.

Photo by Francisco Collazo

• 9″ SAM Splint – You don’t want to need this, but you don’t want to be without it if you do.

• Smart Travel Adventure Medical Kits – Your basic first aid kit—don’t leave home without it.

• Snow Peak Trek 900 Titanium Cook Set – “Incredibly lightweight.”

• Pocket Rocket – A highly effective one-burner stove for all kinds of weather conditions.

• Ultrathon Insect Repellent 0.3 Oz Packet – Abish prefers this DEET repellent….

• Natrapel Plus 4 Oz – …but if you’re DEET averse, recommends this natural repellent.

• Coghlan’s Travellers Mosquito Net DW Green – Because sometimes repellent just isn’t enough.

• Polar Pure Water Disinfectant- Though Abish likes the Steri-Pen, she notes that it’s always good to carry two or more different water treatment devices in case one fails, which is especially important in extreme weather conditions.

• Adventure Medical Kits Oral Rehydration Salts – When you’re feeling dehydrated, these salts offer a quick fix.

• Therm-a-Rest ProLite 4 Fast & Light Mattress – This lightweight mat rolls up and stows on your pack and provides a good night’s rest.

• Osprey Packs Aether 60 Backpack – 3500-3900cu in – The only big pack you’ll need.

• Millet Prolight 24 Backpack – 1465cu in – If you’re headed out on a day hike, leave the Osprey behind and use this bag instead—it’s a smaller, water resistant wicking pack.

• Western Mountaineer Alpinlite Sleeping Bag – Rated 20-85 degrees F. Down fill.

Contact Information

Tent and Trails
21 Park Place
New York, New York 10007
212-227-1760
www.tenttrails.com

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/essential-gear-for-your-patagonia-trip/feed/ 2 http://matadorgoods.com/five-international-phone-plans/ http://matadorgoods.com/five-international-phone-plans/#comments Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:54:28 +0000 Nathaniel Berke http://matadorgoods.com/?p=195 Digital nomads, telecommuters, location independent professionals (LIPs), flashpackers….here are some excellent cost-saving phone plans for you.

We’ve heard it before: the world is getting smaller. Communicating across oceans and time zones is as simple as a keystroke. But those of us who work for companies and clients across borders still find the search for the right international phone plan a hassle, with services that are often lacking or prohibitively expensive.

Photo by Valerie Everett

Whether it’s being tethered to a laptop, hidden costs or spotty service, international phone plans often don’t meet our needs. And the range of options is mind-numbing.

But don’t fret: we’ve put together a list of some great plans with flexibility, quality of service and price in mind.

Skype

With more than 338 million users, this favorite of travelers and telecommuters is the world’s best-known Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) carrier. In addition to its free services, which include video, voice and text chatting, you can purchase credit or subscription packages for calls to landlines and mobiles worldwide.

Furthermore, Skype software can be installed on a number of Wi-Fi enabled devices, allowing users to go mobile. And for those in Wi-Fi deficient regions, you can use call forwarding to send calls directly to your local cell phone.

Photo by jam343

Skype’s features are really open when considering third-party add-ons. For workaholics, there are several productivity-boosting plug-ins for the software, including call recording, fax capabilities and desktop sharing.

There are drawbacks to the service, though. Some people complain clarity in sound and video fall short with frequent lags and dropouts. Skype’s service works best where broadband is fast and reliable.

And those in countries where the service hasn’t made significant inroads with the dominant telephony companies may find that additional fees apply for some of the service’s more robust features, such as call forwarding.

Jajah

To the uninitiated, Jajah may appear to be just another Skype competitor. But this California-based company aims to combine the best of two worlds: the premium voice quality of a standard phone and the cost-cutting features of VoIP. The result is infinitely more mobile communication for international telecommuters on the go.

There is no headset, no download and no broadband connection with Jajah. After setting up your account through their web interface, Jajah assigns a local number for each of your international contacts.

Save those numbers to your phone and dial it from any landline or mobile, and the call is placed like any other local number.

While a great option for those who prefer to do their business on the run, Jajah is limited in its features and local numbers are only available in a handful of cities – mainly in Europe and North America. Still, it’s one to watch as it expands its coverage.

Jaxtr

For those who rely on online networking for business opportunities, Jaxtr is a pretty cool alternative to Jajah. The company expanded on the idea of providing local numbers for your contacts by also providing an embeddable widget for web pages.

Friends, family and potential clients can enter their phone number in the widget and Jaxtr will connect both parties through their normal phones.

Vonage

If you want to sever the tether between phone and computer, Vonage is a great option. With a Vonage router, you can continue using your existing phone to make and receive cheap local and international calls carried over broadband.

It offers all the bells and whistles you would expect from a traditional landline, but at a much lower cost.

ooma

Along the same lines, ooma is a newer service with similar features, but without some of the bad vibes associated with Vonage after its messy legal tango with traditional telephone operators. Its service is cheaper, but the jury is still out on the quality.

Photo by michaelarrington

Vonage and ooma both suffer from one severe drawback: geography. Vonage serves the U.S., Canada and the U.K. and ooma is U.S.-based, meaning international telecommuters based in those countries will get the most out of these services.

Other Options

If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere with affordable and robust international service, or if you know a great VoIP service not mentioned here, let your fellow telecommuters and expats know about it in the comments section below.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/five-international-phone-plans/feed/ 5 http://matadorgoods.com/whats-in-your-backpack-craig-martin-travel-podcaster/ http://matadorgoods.com/whats-in-your-backpack-craig-martin-travel-podcaster/#comments Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:10:49 +0000 Craig Martin http://matadorgoods.com/?p=192 What do you really need to make superb travel podcasts while on the road?

Photo by Jordan Hoskins

Matador Goods caught up with podcaster extraordinaire Craig Martin to find out.

Apple Powerbook G4

Back in 2005, I bought my first computer ever. Everything before then had been cobbled together from friends’ cast-offs.

I had very tech-savvy friends so their cast-offs weren’t too bad!

My Apple 12″ Powerbook G4 still runs OSX 10.4 and is the backbone of our podcasting efforts.

We record most of our shows directly through Garageband, then export to iTunes before using the Levelator and MacMp3Gain to clean things up for publication.

 

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Zoom H2

The Zoom H2 is a versatile recorder with some great options. Four microphones located within the head allows for 90, 120 or 360 degree sound recording with the option for four-channel surround sound.

The Zoom H2 can take SD cards or plug straight into your computer via USB. We now use it for all Skype calls, field recordings and studio (in hostels!) shows.

The package we bought came with an SD card, wind filter and two stands.

One thing not included is a decent protective case. We remedied this with a hard sunglasses case from an airport store in London.

 

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Sennheiser Headphones

I almost deafened myself on our first long-haul flights during the iPod era.

We were going to be taking lots of flights again at the end of 2006 and it was around the same time we were starting up the Indie Travel Podcast, so it was time to invest in something suitable.

After trying several styles and brands, I settled on the Sennheiser CX 300 as the best balance between quality, price and the rigors of life on the road.

 

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Pentax Optio W30

Recently updated as the W60, the Pentax Optio is our point and shoot camera of choice. We’re far from being professional photographers: we want something that works quickly, takes suitable shots and will survive the journey.

The thing that really got us into the Optio is that it’s waterproof straight out of the box.

We’ve been able to take cool underwater photos and videos in pools and seas around the world.

There’s nothing neater than coming across a big fish and being able to quickly snap a photo of it with your point-and-shoot camera.

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LaCie Rugged Hard Drive

Our biggest problem, human error aside, is storage space.

We want to keep archives of all our original and edited material. The LaCie Rugged hard drive has been serving us well so far.

Its lightweight metal build and rubber protection around the casing helps it bounce…and everyone who’s handed luggage to an airline representative knows it’s going to bounce at some stage.

 

 

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/whats-in-your-backpack-craig-martin-travel-podcaster/feed/ 2 http://matadorgoods.com/10-sets-of-sheets-to-get-between-on-valentines-day/ http://matadorgoods.com/10-sets-of-sheets-to-get-between-on-valentines-day/#comments Fri, 13 Feb 2009 01:33:01 +0000 Olivia Giovetti http://matadorgoods.com/?p=183 Who says romance is dead? Check out these modern day tales of love.

Are we, as our own love doyenne Carrie Bradshaw once posited, living in the “Age of Un-Innocence”? Did romance die somewhere between the 20th and 21st Century?

Photo by MorphorMir

Romeo and Juliet have long since jumped ship. Jane and Rochester are distant memories. And Mimi and Rodolfo have certainly had their last swing.

Moreover, in a reality and hyper-reality-saturated world, our tastes towards the romantic have demonstrably dwindled.

Currently on the New York Times Bestseller list are such passionate tomes as Ann Coulter’s Guilty: Liberal “Victims” and their Assault on America (swoon), Artie Lange’s Too Fat to Fish (oh, yes, baby), and Denis Leary’s Why We Suck (give it to me, daddy-o!).

But, like true love, hope is not lost. The following ten books are examples of romance’s resurrection between the mid-50s and today.

Whether you have a significant other or just other significants, you’ll find one tome to get you through the airport delays, daily commute, or a quiet night at home.

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1. Kiss & Tell (Alain de Botton, 1995)

Like any good biography, Kiss & Tell indexes its subject to the hilt, with both the obvious (“childhood,” “birth”) and the unexpected (“half-losing virginity,”inviting biographer home”).

It’s also worth mentioning that the book’s subject—Londoner Isabel Rogers—is a complete work of fiction. As is the entire book.

De Botton’s narrator takes on the task of writing a biography about the next person he meets after being dumped by a girlfriend for his inability to empathize.

When that next person turns into a love interest, this intellectual take on love gets pretty damn juicy.

 

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2. Paris Trance (Geoff Dyer, 1998)

Throw together four expats in the City of Light and, love—or at least lust—is bound to ensue.

Dyer’s Gen-X homage to Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night is at once striking and cynical.

It dances the line between lush descriptions (check out his take on the Paris Mosque or the 29 bus line) and stark recaps (his characters’ sex lives are a far cry from what Danielle Steele would imagine).

And sometimes he leaves you completely speechless with a paragraph that’s unexpectedly remarkable.

 
 

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3. The Princess Bride (William Goldman, 1973)

Think you have the gist of true love thanks to the Cary Elwes/Robin Wright Penn flick? Think again.

Long before Mandy Patinkin was avenging his father, William Goldman’s novel was doing as readers wished.

The movie is faithful to the book, but there’s more to unearth in the 500-odd pages besides old favorites.

For those who find happily ever after to be too saccharine, Goldman’s classic will be a bit more conceivable.

 
 

 

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4. Broccoli and Other Tales of Food and Love (Lara Vapnyar, 2008)

Move over, music, there’s a new food of love in Vapnyar’s latest book.

While the five short stories may seem too little, there’s a progression of courses in this collection that makes Broccoli and Other Tales a solid pick for those looking for something shorter than a novel.

Like any good Russian writer, Vapnyar balances humor and despair to make a well-balanced dish.

And like any good foodie, she doesn’t skimp on recipes.

 

 

 

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5. Stupid and Contagious (Caprice Crane, 2006)

Living up to her name, Crane is decidedly capricious in her debut novel, alternating point of views between the two main characters—Heaven and Brady—who go classic screwball style from hating each other to…yeah, you guessed it.

Predictable though it may be, it’s also fresh and light—a great way to revel in the lives of others without having to emotionally over-invest.

 

 

 

 

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6. The Subterraneans (Jack Kerouac, 1958)

With Subterraneans, Jack Kerouac wrote one of the best closing lines in a book ever.

Travelers may remember Kerouac for his ultimate work of wanderlust, On the Road.

Here, he holds that same bohemian spirit and introduces a love story between Leo and Mardou.

The story of their breakup—famously written over the course of three days and three nights—is set against the backdrop of the San Francisco underground and told with the jazzy improv that helped to define the Beat generation.

 

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7. Blankets (Craig Thompson, 2003)

Nearly 600 pages are devoted to Thompson’s first childhood love, speaking to the power that those coming of age clichés hold over us decades later.

Past the love story is a stunning work of artistry that makes Blankets ideal for long-time graphic novel lovers and comic virgins.

If you’ve already mastered Thompson’s opus, check out his (comparably smaller) Carnet de Voyage to see his take on travel.

 

 

 

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8.The Shadow of the Wind (Carlos Ruiz Zafón, 2001)

Love and intrigue go hand-in-hand in Zafón’s masterpiece.

Set in Franco-ruled Spain, there is as much familial love as there is romantic love between the main character, his father, and his best friend’s sister.

And if you’re looking to go light on the lust this year, you’ll be taken in by the mystery of a book, its author, and the people who want to destroy the two.

The trip through 1950s Barcelona doesn’t hurt, either.

 

 

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9. Choke (Chuck Palahniuk, 2001)

We all just want to be loved.

A rhapsody of sex addiction, the holy foreskin, and asphyxiation in exchange for affection, Chucky P.’s breakthrough novel wipes the floor with its recent film adaptation.

And if the thought of another traditional Valentine’s Day makes you gag, you’re probably better off with Victor Mancini.

 

 

 

 

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Lolita (Vladimir Nabokov 1955)

Way beyond bodice-ripper, Nabokov’s succès de scandale is as much an intoxicating ode to language and the power of words as it is an ode to the preteen title character.

For all its academic glory, however, it is also by far the most erotic book on this list.

And whether or not you’ve seen Adrian Lyne’s film adaptation, we dare you to try reading this without hearing Jeremy Irons’ voice in the narrator of Humbert Humbert.

 

 

 

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/10-sets-of-sheets-to-get-between-on-valentines-day/feed/ 5 http://matadorgoods.com/book-review-wanderlust-and-lipstick/ http://matadorgoods.com/book-review-wanderlust-and-lipstick/#comments Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:44:39 +0000 Eva Holland http://matadorgoods.com/?p=182 Matador Pulse Editor Eva Holland reviews this popular niche travel book.

I began reading Wanderlust and Lipstick for Women Traveling to India with both hope and apprehension.

Photo by Meanest Indian

I’m generally skeptical of travel resources aimed specifically at us gals; all too often, they play to tired stereotypes (”How to Pack ALL Your Shoes! Bring Travel-Size Make-up! Let’s Shop Up a Storm!”), and when it comes down to it, I’m simply not convinced that men and women travel all that differently.

And yet, I thought as I opened the book for the first time, if there was ever a country that demanded a female-specific guide, wasn’t it India?

I visited the country myself as a solo, inexperienced 22-year-old a few years ago, and struggled to adapt throughout the trip. I was curious to see whether author Beth Whitman would offer the sort of advice I wished I’d had.

Price: $12.71 | BUY

The book follows an unconventional guidebook structure: it’s divided thematically rather than geographically (with subject areas like “Getting Around,” “Feasting” and “Your Health”) and is spliced with anecdotes and testimonials from an array of women who’ve traveled to India.

I was immediately impressed by “Follow Your Passions,” a chapter surveying the range of activities available to visitors. It went well beyond the usual lists of yoga studios, trekking companies and shopping bazaars.

In the planning section, Whitman was blunt (in a good way) about how much ground you can actually expect to cover, and offered helpful trip-planning strategies and resources to get the reader started.

A pre-guidebook guidebook, you might ask? Again, if ever there was a country that required one, it would be India. The transportation section was equally thorough and useful.

Much of the advice offered in Wanderlust and Lipstick could actually apply equally to both male and female travelers, but plenty of practical woman-only tips are woven throughout.

The sections on health, safety and packing are especially female-focused and well done, with the safety section including a blunt-spoken couple of pages on the near-inevitability of sexual harassment and how to handle it.

Photo by Meanest Indian

The only real disappointment, for me, was the brevity of the “Feasting” chapter. I could have used more detail, especially regarding regional varieties and signature dishes to keep an eye out for. But I suppose you could write an entire book on the Indian culinary experience alone!

To be clear: Wanderlust and Lipstick for Women Traveling to India is aimed squarely at a general audience. It covers all spending levels, and assumes no previous Third World travel experience in its readers.

The jaded backpacker set may roll their eyes in parts — at the introduction to squat toilets, for instance — but the reality is, India is a universe all on its own, and a particular challenge for female travelers.

This earnest primer would be a useful tool for any woman contemplating a visit to the subcontinent.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/book-review-wanderlust-and-lipstick/feed/ 1 http://matadorgoods.com/must-haves-for-a-romantic-getaway/ http://matadorgoods.com/must-haves-for-a-romantic-getaway/#comments Tue, 10 Feb 2009 19:59:11 +0000 Juli Huang http://matadorgoods.com/?p=181 With over 10 years’ experience as a travel show host, Travel Channel’s Samantha Brown has packing down to an exact science.

Photo courtesy of Samantha Brown

For Valentine’s Day, Brown has generously opened up her suitcase to share her recommendations for traveling lovebirds.

1. Ugg Boots: Put these on and instantly relax. A long lazy morning could easily stretch into the afternoon.

2. A scented candle to create the mood.

3. Games: Uno, Boggle, Bananagrams, etc. There are also romantic board games. One of my favorites is a game called “Getting to Know you…better.”

4. Edible clothing: Hey it’s one way to lighten your luggage for your return trip.

5. Room wine: Bring glassware and a wine opener.

6. A small picnic basket or backpack: Order take-out and bring it back to your room. After dinner activities are at your discretion.

7. Favorite movies that you and your honey love snuggling up to.

8. Antacid: There’s an ugly side to romance and that includes heartburn, indigestion, or unexpected lactose intolerance brought upon by rich foods, dessert, and wine. You definitely need to have a back-up plan.

And Brown mentions one must-not: “Your addiction to technology.”

“Turn off your Blackberry and make a commitment to one another that you’ll both check your email or messages only at an agreed upon time. The rest of the trip should be focused on each other.”

Samantha’s All-Time Favorite Must-Have: Earl Grey Creme Flavored Black Tea

“[On my travels] I always bring this tea and my own porcelain tea cup,” Brown told Matador. “No matter where I go, I have to start my day with a hot cup of tea.”

 

 
 

Community Connection

Looking for where to take your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day? Check out Samantha’s Top 5 Valentine’s Day Getaways in the US.

For more information on Samantha Brown, including her taping schedule, you can visit her page on the Travel Channel website.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/must-haves-for-a-romantic-getaway/feed/ 5 http://matadorgoods.com/5-quality-point-and-shoot-cameras-under-300/ http://matadorgoods.com/5-quality-point-and-shoot-cameras-under-300/#comments Mon, 09 Feb 2009 13:50:58 +0000 Braden Avant http://matadorgoods.com/?p=180 A good camera is a must have for every traveler.

If I had to choose one item to never forget while traveling, it would have to be my camera.

Photo by Silvio Tanaka

A good digital camera not only documents your journeys, but also allows you to relive trips over and over again with friends and loved ones once back home.

With affordability in mind, I’ve compiled a list of the top 5 point-and-shoot digital cameras under $300.

Nikon Coolpix S60

This brilliant new model is at the top of our price range with a manufacturer’s price of $299.99. Small and compact, it is loaded with state of the art features including an anti-glare 3.5 inch Touch Screen which sets it apart.

You can browse through pictures or add subtitles right on top of photos with the touch of your finger. It even has a feature that allows you to select the focal point of each picture by clicking an object on the screen.

The camera then ensures that object is focused upon for a clean, crisp photo.

The S60 offers 10 megapixels, a 5x optical zoom, and Nikon’s latest in fast image processing to guarantee you won’t miss a shot.

Kodak Easyshare Z1012IS

If packing space is no issue, then this camera is for you. The Kodak Easyshare Z1012 combines the digital quality benefits of an expensive professional camera with a low cost of $249.99

While it is larger than other cameras on this list, you will come back with amazing shots.

The main feature of this unit is its 12x Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon optical zoom lens. Think something is way too far away to capture? No way!

With this camera, you’ll never miss a detail. Its huge zoom range, 10.1 megapixel quality, and the overall ease of Kodak products make this a sure winner.

Samsung S860

At $99.99, the S860 combines Samsung quality with a well-rounded camera at a price for the true budget traveler.

It provides 8.1 megapixels, a 3x optical zoom, and a 2.4 inch screen.

While the other cameras on the list have built-in rechargeable batteries, the S860 takes 2 AA batteries.

This fact can come in handy for the true budget traveler.

No charger to carry, no power converter to carry. Just bring a few extra batteries and you’re good to go.

 

Casio EX-Z250

The EX-Z250 by Casio is a new camera in their Exilim line.

I am particularly biased towards Casio because I have been using one for several years now and have been very happy with it.

Casio cameras are easy to use and give you a lot of functionality for your money.

For $249.99, this model has 9.1 Megapixels, a 4x optical zoom, and a 3 inch screen.

 

 

Canon PowerShot SD750

Rounding out the list is the PowerShot SD750 with a manufacturer’s price of $199.99.

The SD750 has 7.1 Megapixels, 3x optical zoom, a 3 inch screen, and a built in rechargeable battery.

And of course, you get proven Canon quality that’s been around for years.

No matter your travel style or photography budget, one of these cameras is sure to suit your needs.

So before your next trip, go buy one.

 

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/5-quality-point-and-shoot-cameras-under-300/feed/ 5 http://matadorgoods.com/snowed-in-5-winter-travel-movies-that-beat-reality-tv-marathons/ http://matadorgoods.com/snowed-in-5-winter-travel-movies-that-beat-reality-tv-marathons/#comments Thu, 05 Feb 2009 22:39:45 +0000 Olivia Giovetti http://matadorgoods.com/?p=178 Take a snow-day, order in Chinese, and camp out on the couch with these movies.

About a year ago, Brave New Traveler ranked the 25 most memorable travel films. On that list was Martin McDonagh’s recent Golden Globe-winning film In Bruges, which may very well remain the best winter travel movie.

Photo by Lola Akinmade

But if prostitutes, midgets, and Colin Farrell aren’t your thing, there are other films to hibernate with until spring.

There were some argument-starters in creating the list—can Fargo count as a travel film for its showcasing of the middle of nowhere?—but ultimately, the following five flicks (presented below in chronological order) encapsulate five points of travel.

And since we know how tempting it is to take a snow-day, order in Chinese, and camp out on the couch, we’ve offered a pairing for each film.

The Glitterati: The Gold Rush (1925)

Photo from Dr. Macro’s High Quality Movie Scans

The film for which Chaplin himself wanted to be remembered takes a different view on Alaskan travel. Chris McCandless he is not.

The Little Tramp’s headlong dive into the Klondike, originally fueled by the quest for gold, makes for some of silent film’s greatest slapstick—including bears, blizzards, and the dainty consumption of a shoe.

In its Chaplin Collection release, you can catch both the original silent version and the widely-popular re-release with Chaplin’s own voiceover, a treat in its own right.

Brunette beauty Georgia Hale, playing Chaplin’s love interest, reminds us (in apt economic times) of what is worth most in this world, however, and she emerges as the true gold of the film.

If Gold gave you a rush, run for Glenn Miller’s swinging Sun Valley Serenade (1941).

The Winter(s) of Our Discontent: Doctor Zhivago (1965)

Photo from Vintage Texas

It’s practically impossible to put winter and travel together without thinking of Russia. And if you’re gonna go Russia, go all the way with epic Doctor Zhivago.

Over 40 years and a tepid BBC remake later, the original holds up better than an artisanal vodka or designer ushanka.

Omar Sharif plays the title character, a physician and poet who becomes caught up in both the Bolshevik Revolution and an extra-marital affair with the stunning Julie Christie.

Weaving through both country and time, Zhivago covers those devastatingly Russian themes of war, love, and unhappiness. Originally panned upon its release it is now number 39 in AFI’s 100 Years, 100 Movies.

Just don’t blame us if Lara’s theme gets stuck in your head for the foreseeable future.

If the good Doctor swept you away, get lost in one-take wonder Russian Ark (2002).

The Family Retreat: The Shining (1980)

Photo from Btinternet.com

Remember that shoestring trip to Disney World when you were a kid?

Where you weren’t allowed to buy any in-park treats because they were too expensive and your parents argued over waiting in line at Space Mountain versus waiting in line at Splash Mountain, and your dad wound up sleeping on the balcony of your Days Inn room for the last night?

Yeah. Your crappy vacation has nothing on that of the Torrance family’s.

Kubrick’s films tend to defy any other label; however the element of travel—both physical and mental—permeates the entire story.

From the trip that the Torrances take to the Overlook Hotel to Jack “Here’s Johnny” Nicholson’s mental breakdown, to the climatic scene in the hedge maze (which takes “chilling to a new level”), passage prevails.

If you survived The Shining, hang with Ethan Hawke and Josh Hamilton in Alive (1993)

The Time Warp: Groundhog Day (1993)

Photo from Movie Wallpapers

It’s a Wonderful Life meets Lost in Translation. Bill Murray re-lives February 2nd in spite of stabbings, shootings, poisonings, freezing, hanging, electrocution, burning, and the kidnapping of Punxsutawney Phil.

While he may feel doomed to live the same day over and over under circumstances as bizarre as a Japanese game show, Murray eventually learns that he can do some good and make a positive impact with his insider’s knowledge.

His trademark misanthropic character makes the predictable yet winning transformation in the winter of his discontent. That Ramis’s cult-classic was added to the US National Film Registry in 2006 speaks to how timeless a time traveler’s tale this film is.

If you can re-visit Groundhog Day indefinitely, put your memories on ice in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004).

The Road to Nowhere: Into the Wild (2007)

Photo from New York Times

There’s more to the 50th State than a prime view of Russia.

As most Matadors will tell you, not every trip goes as planned. Real-life traveler Chris McCandless knew from trips gone awry.

Emile Hirsch (who performed all of his own stunts in a physically demanding role) plays the Emory grad that ditches his possessions, donates his savings to charity, and hitches to Alaska to live out a Walden-like fantasy.

Yet as McCandless’s journal entries and the Alaskan wilderness flickers across the screen in the opening credits, you get the sense that this is a movie that will stick in your gut for a while.

He goes into the wilderness to live deliberately, to suck out the marrow of life, and the encounters he has along the way are utterly profound in their simplicity.

Hirsch also gets my vote for best way to warm up on a cold night.

If you’re looking to stay in the Wild, set out for Kurosawa’s Dersu Uzala (1975)

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/snowed-in-5-winter-travel-movies-that-beat-reality-tv-marathons/feed/ 2 http://matadorgoods.com/pimp-your-skype-experience/ http://matadorgoods.com/pimp-your-skype-experience/#comments Wed, 04 Feb 2009 18:57:25 +0000 Thursday Bram http://matadorgoods.com/?p=177 Take your Skype calls to the next level with these gadgets.

A hundred years ago, travelers relied on slow mail service to get news from back home. If they were lucky, they might be able to share news in a hurry through an expensive telegram.

Photo by trekkyandy

Today, though, you can be halfway around the globe and still see exactly what’s going on back home — and for free.

Skype is the favorite software among many travelers — and the folks at home keeping track of them.

In addition to its price (free, with a few exceptions) and its innate ease of use, with these few tools, Skype can be even easier to use.

Headsets

While Skype is a great tool overall, it’s not uncommon to get some major sound feedback if you’re using the microphone and speakers built into your computer.

Photo by ejhildreth

Using a headset can eliminate this issue.

Skype has actually gone so far as to certify headsets they feel work best with their software and it happens that one in particular has become a favorite for travelers planning to spend a lot of time talking online: The Logitech ClearChat Pro.

This headset is compatible with both Windows and Mac and requires minimal set up. The ClearChat Pro comes with a whole list of features but two stand out when you’re relying on a headset for making calls — especially if you’re working on the go.

It offers a noise-canceling microphone and easy mute controls — two necessities when you’re not always sure where you’ll be able to get internet.

If you’re concerned about a cord tethering you to your laptop, there is one wireless headset that works well with Skype. The Freetalk Wireless Stereo Headset provides a quality connection without the issue of a cord. It works with both Windows and Mac, and promises no change in audio quality whether you’re next to your computer or standing 100 feet away.

The headset does require charging, but can last up to eight hours on a single charge.

Webcams

Photo by manu contreras

One of the chief appeals of Skype is its video conferencing options. But to ensure that a video chat goes well, you’ll want a reliable webcam.

There are thousands of webcams on the market: you can narrow down your options to the four that Skype has certified, but truthfully, there are some great options beyond that list.

The Logitech QuickCam Chat provides a good video solution without breaking the bank.

It clips to any kind of monitor and is easy to install on either Windows or Mac. It’s a relatively basic webcam but offers high quality video for a low price.

Telephones

Photo by trekkyandy

If carrying a laptop on your travels is a little much, there is a much smaller option. Phones like the Belkin WiFi Phone allow you to make calls through Skype from anywhere with WiFi — no computer needed.

Video isn’t an option, but this phone can act just like a cell phone anywhere you can find a WiFi network.

If you use SkypeIn to receive phone calls, you may be able to eliminate your regular cell phone: you’ll be able to receive in-bound calls to your Skype account almost anywhere.

The Belkin WiFi Phone comes pre-loaded with Skype software, complete with the Skype interface users are familiar with.

In addition to Belkin’s Skype phone, there are a wide variety of phones that you can hook up to your computer: you’ll still be tethered to your computer but you can use a more traditional handset for your conversations.

If having a phone connected to your laptop works well for you, it’s easy to find a USB internet phone. There are thousands of brands that promise you can just plug in the phone’s cord and start making calls.

However, it can be worth the added expense to pick up something along the lines of Logitech’s Cordless Internet Handset: it’s a simple telephone handset, designed with Skype and other VoIP systems in mind.

Logitech’s phone automatically interfaces with your Skype account, while other systems require installing drivers and setting up a connection with Skype.

Getting By

You can use Skype without any fancy gear. If you plan to rely on the service as your main method of communication — especially if you need to get some work done during your travels — it’s worthwhile to have at least some basic gear to make using Skype more efficient.

They can also provide a little added comfort if you plan to spend a lot of time chatting through Skype.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/pimp-your-skype-experience/feed/ 1 http://matadorgoods.com/lowepro-flipside-bag-review/ http://matadorgoods.com/lowepro-flipside-bag-review/#comments Mon, 02 Feb 2009 22:50:12 +0000 S. Peer http://matadorgoods.com/?p=176 You have a DSLR, four lenses, a flash, batteries, chargers and cords: Everything but the kitchen sink. The world awaits, possible adventures hijack your imagination.

Question: How, pray tell, do you pack all that photography gear and keep it safe while on the road?.

Photo by KhE

Lowepro released the Flipside AW line (AW meaning All Weather) of camera backpacks in 2008. The Flipside 200 AW, 300 AW, and 400 AW offer different size options for traveling shutterbugs. Best of all, they offer security.

A subway platform in Chicago or a market in Marrakesh have one thing in common: Pickpockets.

Protection from nimble-fingered thieves is the Flipside’s big advantage. The main compartment opens from the back (the area against your back), keeping your photo gear safe. There’s no easy way for dastardly folk to gain access. On your back, or your front in crowded environs, the Flipside makes your expensive lenses and DSLR bodies nearly unavailable to thieves.

The Flipside 400 AW, the largest bag of the product line, offers photographers a comfortable way to transport their gear.

From a one-day, around-town trek, to a multi-day back-country adventure, the padded waistbelt and contoured shoulder straps can easily manage a heavy load.

The bag is well built with 600D Ripstop Polyester. The shoulder straps, waistbelt and backpad are lined with moisture-wicking, nylon mesh.

An all weather cover, readily accessible from its own compartment, will keep you gear dry in wet weather.

I spent three weeks in England toting more than 20 pounds of gear. Compared to other shoulder and sling bags I have tried, the Flipside 400 AW was hands-down the best for comfort.

On my UK trip, I hauled two DSLR bodies with battery grips, four lenses, a flash unit, and various batteries, chargers, and cords, and countless odds and ends. All fit into the voluminous bag.

Photo by KhE

Pluses

The Flipside 400 AW is a great pack. The waistbelt comfortably keeps weight off your shoulders. It’s easy to forget you are carrying a pack full of camera gear, and not a regular backpack.

The back-opening main compartment offers peace of mind when considering personal security. The 400 AW also fits easily into an airline overhead bin.

Minuses

The bag itself is heavy – empty, it weights 3.4 pounds. The lined backpad, straps, and belt, I found, didn’t do a great job in wicking away moisture.

After a few steamy days in southern China, the backpad was a tad smelly. This was easily remedied. The bag is also very rigid and has no give.

This is necessary given its role in securely storing your gear, but at time can be problematic.

The Flipside does not have a laptop / notebook storage area, a definite disadvantage.

There is not yet a perfect pack to carry both your camera and personal items. There is limited space in the Flipside for non camera-related gear. An extra shirt and a sandwich might fit in the outer compartment. Two bags will be needed if you are on anything longer than a day trip.

The pluses outweigh the minuses. The Flipside, with its storage capabilities, proved itself to me in the winter English countryside, and the hills of Hong Kong. While I pack only needed personal necessities, I do take a lot of photo gear – an area where the Flipside excels.

I recommend this pack.

Price: $149.95 | BUY

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/lowepro-flipside-bag-review/feed/ 3 http://matadorgoods.com/10-photography-books-youll-never-get-tired-of/ http://matadorgoods.com/10-photography-books-youll-never-get-tired-of/#comments Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:36:42 +0000 Ryan Libre http://matadorgoods.com/?p=173 Every one of these amazing and diverse photography books belongs on the coffee tables of photographers and photo lovers alike.

Photo by Ryan Libre

From hard hitting photojournalism and comical dog portraits to bizarre fish faces and beautiful naked Japanese women, they show mastery in various niches of photography.

1. South Southeast by Steve McCurry

This portfolio covers Steve McCurry’s 20+ year love affair with South and Southeast Asia.

Steve McCurry started his freelance photography career by going to India for 2 years with 200 rolls of film and not much else.

Today, he is one of the most universally respected photographer alive.

South Southeast is not the kind of book with several unforgettable photos in it, every photo is unforgettable!

 

2. Magnum Magnum by Magnum photographers

Magnum is a photographers collective started by Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson and others.

This large coffee table book shows off their best shots and their best is pretty damn good.

So good you should first get your photo on the cover of National Geographic more than once before even applying to join.

Have a look at this book and you will see why they can be so selective.

 

3. National Geographic: The Photographs

You already know every photo published in their magazines are topnotch.

So when they carefully select 300+ to put in a book simply titled “The Photographs”, be prepared to be blown away.

 

 

 

 

4. Vanishing Act by Art Wolfe

His name says it all.

Art Wolfe has published many quality nature and landscape photo books, but Vanishing Act stands out to me because I have not seen anything else like it.

Kind of like the “Where’s Waldo” of nature photography with endless fun and beauty.

 

 

5. Life By Frans Lanting

I can’t imagine anyone who could envision a book so broad, so bold, and do it so well as Frans Lanting.

When most people reading this article were still dirtying diapers, Frans was living in the Amazon canopy for weeks at a time waiting for the perfect shot.

His curiosity has not faded with time and the depth of his stories just keeps growing.

It is a must see collection of 175 color photographs.

 

6. The Book of Photography by National Geographic

This amazing 400 page book is half photos and half words, and covers everything you need to know about photography, except how to use a camera.

While it deserves a serious read from cover to cover, it is also organized in a way that allows the reader to open up any page and not feel lost.

Plus it has lots of short side essays built into the main text which are perfect if you’ve got just a few minutes to spare.

There are thousands of books about cameras but very few about the art of photography. Don’t judge this priceless book by its terrible cover design though.

7. The Photography Book by Phaidon

Each of the 500 photographers highlighted in this book get one page introductions and a photo.

It is a great and fun way to get a sense of the endless variety of photographers that exist.

You will probably never remember them all, but a few will really impress you and you can find more of their work.

The Photography Book was my first coffee table photo book. It is now officially out of print but with the millions of copies sold it is still very easy to find online and in used bookstores.

8. Life Laughs Last by Life Magazine photographers

Price: $11.50 | BUY

A light book of the funniest photos from decades of Life magazine.

Before National Geographic magazine took center stage, the most talented photographers in the world flocked to Life.

Life’s incredible pool of talent and longstanding notoriety as America’s primer photo magazine show in this timeless book of comical black and white photographs.

Most used bookstores have a copy.

 

 

9. Fish Face by David Doubilet

David Doubilet is arguably the undefeated master of underwater photography.

His new book Fish Face shows close up portraits of the underwater world from the very beautiful to the very bizarre.

David Doubilet published his first underwater photos in National Geographic before my mom could drive a car.

His love for the underwater world and his ability to tell its stories and secrets keep aging like fine wine.

 

10. Santa Fe by Kishin Shinoyama

What half of you have been waiting for….a nude photo book.

Some of the best advice for a photographer is to shoot what you are interested in.

Kishin Shinoyama followed that advice and remains one of the most famous and certainly most controversial photographer from Japan.

Controversy sells and so do Kishin Shinoyama’s books. Santa Fe sold 1.5 million copies.

Pick up a copy to find out why…

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/10-photography-books-youll-never-get-tired-of/feed/ 3 http://matadorgoods.com/essential-cookbooks-for-the-culinary-traveler/ http://matadorgoods.com/essential-cookbooks-for-the-culinary-traveler/#comments Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:32:23 +0000 Sarah Menkedick http://matadorgoods.com/?p=166 The fastest way into the heart of a culture might very well be through its local cuisine.

For as much as I appreciate Lonely Planet, let’s face it: wherever you go, Lonely Planet in hand, you have a 90% chance of running into a group of slightly confused American backpackers glancing up from the same coffee-stained page you’re glancing up from.

Guidebooks, after awhile, come to feel like the same hackneyed advice about cultural differences, accompanied by maps of the familiar international geography of hostels and bars offering cheap cuba libres.

Photo by The Marmot

So I wonder, what alternative systems of navigation exist out there? Why not navigate by flavor, by dish, by ingredient: enduring, edible traditions?

The following are a series of alternative guidebooks: travel cookbooks. Each acts as a guide not just to food and cooking, but to a particular place, its history, its peoples. Each illuminates an aspect of culture so fundamental it merits a lot more than the requisite subheading—“Where to Eat?”

“Hot Sour Salty Sweet: A Culinary Journey Through Southeast Asia.” by Naomi Duguid and Jeffrey Alford

Photo by Divine in the Daily

The subject of a recent New Yorker profile, this couple has been traveling through Asia for over twenty years, fine-tuning flatbread recipes, eating, cooking, and thinking about the ways in which food connects regions divided by political borders.

For Hot Sour Salty Sweet, Duguid and Alford honed in on the Mekong River, writing travelogues and recipes as they learned how fish was dried and rice harvested along its banks.

Their website, a postcard from a dust-swept, sun-flooded town somewhere in Asia, contains information about their books and the process of writing them.

 

“Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking”, and “Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook: Recipes from Hunan Province.” by Fuschia Dunlop

Photo by avlxyz

Fuschia Dunlop was the first Western student at the Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine, and has spent the past decade traveling through China and studying the varied cuisine of its provinces.

Her cookbooks are like standing in a bare Chinese kitchen with an old peasant woman, listening to stories of making stew in the thick of the revolution.

But the best thing about Fuschia Dunlop’s books is not the recipes but the stories behind them; stories of Dunlop’s travels through a country that has been barreling through momentous changes in the past decade.

Readers who have traveled and lived in China will find it difficult not to identify with the frustration, admiration, and tentative hope that come through in these books.

“Where People Feast: An Indigenous People’s Cookbook” by Annie and Dolly Watts

Photo by thebittenword.com

Canadians, Americans, I ask you: how many times have you sat across the table from a French or Chilean or Chinese friend and tried to face down the question, “So, what is your traditional food?”

Perhaps Canadians have better luck with this, but as an American I am often at a complete loss to talk about food traditions in my country with any sense of certainty.

What sort of continuous, revered tradition does my simultaneous love of Polish sausages, Mac N’ Cheese, enchiladas, and fruit roll-ups belong to?

But Northern America does have a long, powerful and continuous food history that has been largely ignored or crushed along with so many other aspects of indigenous North American culture.

This book, therefore, is a reminder that long before the proliferation of processed weirdness (Nerds? Dinty Moore beef stew?) many indigenous peoples of North America were taking advantage of the richness and diversity of local ingredients.

The Watts’ are members of the Git’skan first nation of British Colombia, and run the country’s only fine dining restaurant devoted to native cuisine. This cookbook focuses on native recipes using ingredients from Canada’s West Coast—wild blueberry cobbler, chokeberry-glazed grouse, salmon mousse, venison roast with juniper berries.

The book has won a number of awards and brought attention not only to oft-overlooked traditions, but also to the significance of local places and ingredients in making healthy, sustainable meals.

“Turquoise: A Chef’s Travels in Turkey” by Greg and Lucy Malouf

Photo by blhphotography

The Maloufs are a team with aesthetics and aims similar to that of Naomi Duguid and Jeffrey Alford; they set out for months at a time to eat and travel, drawing culinary maps of places and writing about tradition, history, identity, and fried fish sandwiches.

Lucy Malouf writes and tastes while Greg Malouf, a renowned Australian chef, fine-tunes the recipes.

Turquoise is only the latest in a series of books, which offer up the fruits (and vegetables, meats and sticky sweet delicacies) of the couple’s travels through the Anatolian peninsula and the Middle East.

 

“Seasons of My Heart” by Susana Trilling

The saccharine title sounds off-putting, but the book itself is an extremely well informed, spiritual and intimate look at indigenous Mexican, and specifically Oaxacan, food culture. Trilling emphasizes the way food is deeply interwoven with worldview, tradition, and identity, and the way Oaxacan food preserves indigenous customs and culture that have been under pressure to give way to mainstream Hispanic culture.

Photo by Lola Akinmade

Reading Seasons of My Heart is not only vicariously tasting the dense powdery cacao of tejate but also feeling the presence of sun, heat, history, and indigenous culture. Trilling runs a cooking school in Oaxaca and offers culinary tours of the Oaxacan isthmus and surrounding Mixteca and Cañada regions.

And finally, for cookbook fans, travelers, foodie wannabies like myself, and/or anyone who just loves a good meal from time to time and likes knowing where it came from, there is the broad-reaching Culinaria Series.

The German publisher Konemann began putting out the series ten years ago, starting with a cookbook per country.

The recipes are incredibly detailed and the books are typically broken down into regions, with descriptions of the particular culinary history and the array of ingredients and cooking styles found in that region. These cookbooks have been a major hit and are now coveted collectors items.

So let yourselves be guided, travelers, by the smell of slow-roasting pork and the flare of Sichuan peppercorns. Turns out that old saying about the fastest-way-to-a-man’s-heart could be true of culture, as well.

Community Connection

To experience food as a means of travel and connecting with culture, enjoy Tasting Place.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/essential-cookbooks-for-the-culinary-traveler/feed/ 3 http://matadorgoods.com/what-every-american-should-know-about-the-middle-east/ http://matadorgoods.com/what-every-american-should-know-about-the-middle-east/#comments Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:31:41 +0000 Joshua Johnson http://matadorgoods.com/?p=164 Today’s recommendation comes from Matador Video Editor joshywashington, who recently sat down with Melissa Rossi, a special correspondent for Newsweek and author of the recently published What Every American Should Know About the Middle East.

What every American (and Traveler!) should know about the Middle East from Matador Network on Vimeo.

As the bloody conflict between Israel and Hamas appears to be ending, it leaves many people scratching their heads. How did it come to this? Who’s to blame? What must we do?

I recently sat down with author, journalist and world traveler, Melissa Rossi to try to understand the history of the Gaza conflict and its deeper implications.

What Every American Should Know About The Middle East is Rossi’s 5th book aiming to educate and empower through information. She is a timely tour guide into one of the most complex and important regions in the world, laying history, politics, Western military intervention and religion bare with anecdote and personal insights.

Rossi’s direct and knowledgeable perspective is greatly informed by her wide travels. Melissa has visited most European countries and has lived in Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium and currently lives in Thailand.

As a traveler and a citizen I felt grateful to better understand what has led to such a desperate situation in the Middle East. What Every American Should Know About The Middle East addresses such topics as;

Why the U.S. is turning the Persian Gulf into an armed fortress.

What resource is more important than petroleum in regional power plays.

• What’s really behind the fighting between Sunni and Shia.
• How Saudi Arabia inadvertently feeds the violence in Iraq and beyond.
• Which countries are modern, forward-thinking, stable and increasingly democratic.
• How monarchies like those in Jordan and Qatar are more open and progressive than the so-called republics.

At $10.88 on Amazon.com I would recommend that all citizens of the world who are tired of being in the dark on Middle East power play pick up a copy, and share it with friends.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/what-every-american-should-know-about-the-middle-east/feed/ 1 http://matadorgoods.com/5-items-guaranteed-to-get-you-out-of-trouble-while-traveling/ http://matadorgoods.com/5-items-guaranteed-to-get-you-out-of-trouble-while-traveling/#comments Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:42:18 +0000 Kelly Rice http://matadorgoods.com/?p=165 Whether backpacking in the woods or traveling the world in luxury one hotel at a time, here are some universally helpful items that are simple and cheap but provide sure-fire fixes in a multitude of predicaments.

1. Duct Tape

Photo by indigotimbre

Used to stop a tub drain, form a lint-roller, patch anything from a broken window to a leaking tire to a hole in a tent, make a band-aid, or even create handcuffs, this wonder product really does deserve any praise it receives.

Can’t stand your leaky hotel shower head that sprays everywhere but in the shower? Tape it up for a temporary fix. Going out dancing but afraid your low-cut shirt might reveal more than your collarbones? Use tiny inside-out rolled pieces like fabric tape to keep the edges of your fabric where they belong—against your skin.

Can’t get your travel buddy to stop talking? Maybe just show him or her the tape roll. Tapping into the versatility of duct tape takes practice but will yield years of mind-blowing solutions.

If you find the idea of the huge silver colored roll intimidating, purchase a smaller more travel-friendly size. If you are bold, buy it in neon green or pink.

2. Baby Wipes

Photo by telethon

Powerful enough to remove stains from your clothing yet gentle enough to wipe your rear, baby wipes make you feel young and clean no matter what kind of sticky situation you might find yourself in.

Use them for a spit bath, clean your hands after eating, or even wipe your computer screen with them.

Look for biodegradable, non-chlorine, hypoallergenic wipes that allow you to toss, flush, or bury to your hearts content.

You can never have too many baby wipes on hand while traveling.

3. Mini Flashlight/Torch

Photo by Yogi

An easily accessible flashlight can be your best friend. One that attaches to keys, fits in your wallet or just in your pocket can help you find the bathroom in the middle of the night, light your way in a hostel, alleyway, or jungle.

Even if it’s not for you, you might encounter someone who could borrow it for anything from checking a sore throat to fixing an engine.

Having a flashlight might help you save a life or make a new best friend. Try to get a flashlight that is waterproof, and comes on by twisting so you can avoid it turning on inside your pocket or bag.

If you are concerned about batteries, consider purchasing an LED light. While not as powerful as a traditional bulb flashlight, LED flashlights boast thousands of hours of battery life.

4. Anti-Diarrheal Pills

Photo by Eje Sociedad Publicitaria – 2008 Obie Award Winner, Multicultural Billboard

Pray you don’t need it, but if your new found passion for the local cuisine finds you caught with traveler’s diarrhea, you’ll be glad that you have them. Occasionally dubbed ‘The Delhi Belly’, ‘Hong Kong Dong’ or ‘Montezuma’s Revenge’, this unfortunate condition usually rears its ugly head when we’re least prepared.

If you don’t have the luxury of ruling out certain foods, questionably cooked meats, or water from unknown sources, keep anti-diarrheal pills handy. No reason to waste time feeling miserable on a trip where every minute counts!

Taking a widely available anti-diarrheal product such as Imodium or Lomotil should have you sighing relief as you no longer have to plan your sightseeing around easily-accessible toilets.

If you do use it, be sure to stay well hydrated and if symptoms don’t clear after 48 hours chances are you could have a more serious infection, so make sure to see a physician immediately.

5. An Open Mind

Photo by Kelly Rice

Think outside the box, watch, listen and speak without imposing your ideas. Be creative and learn to lower your expectations. Traveling with an open mind is free, it weighs nothing, and you never know when it could come in handy.

Sometimes something as simple as empathy can transcend a language barrier or a disagreement. Try it—even crying could get you out of trouble in a pinch!

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/5-items-guaranteed-to-get-you-out-of-trouble-while-traveling/feed/ 16 http://matadorgoods.com/5-reasons-youll-be-addicted-to-the-wire/ http://matadorgoods.com/5-reasons-youll-be-addicted-to-the-wire/#comments Thu, 15 Jan 2009 21:04:13 +0000 Juli Huang http://matadorgoods.com/?p=161 Catch up on one of the most critically acclaimed TV series of our time.

Hailed as great television, The Wire premiered in 2002 and has been steadily winning converts ever since.

This mind-blowing television drama lets you get more than just an in-depth look at the less respectful aspects of Baltimore, Maryland.

It snatches your very purpose for living so that you can do nothing but live, breathe, and eat episodes until a season is over.

Whether you want to or not, you’ll enter synaptic Shangri-La with each season of The Wire.

Below are five detailed reasons why you just can’t say no to the show that’s won the Peabody Award, American Film Institute Television Program of the Year Award, Television Critics Association Program of the Year Award, and many more.

1) The Dialogue

David Simon, the series’ creator and one of the main writers for the show, is a former police reporter.

Ed Burns, producer and co-writer, is a former Baltimore homicide detective. Three of the staff writers for The Wire are acclaimed crime fiction writers.

All this experience and dedication to their craft results in incredibly realistic and current dialogue for the show.

From street hustle slang to prevalent homoerotic police humor, The Wire stays true the nature of its subject and doesn’t water anything down for television audiences.

2) The Plot

Seasons 1-5 of The Wire each delve into a different facet of Baltimore.

Starting with the city’s street drug trade in Season One, The Wire digs deep into the topic at hand, wrangling out dramatic story lines, unexpected plot twists, and nerve-wracking developments.

Viewers almost don’t know which characters to invest in, which sides to root for, which outcomes to be pleased about, as plots and characters are relentlessly complex and convoluted.

Each season is tangentially related and, while each certainly can claim brilliance with its own plot, the sum of all parts is really what pushes The Wire into legendary television status.

3) The Detail

Having both incredibly imaginative writers work alongside true life experience writers, The Wire concedes no room for blanket generalizations.

Every season’s subject is thoroughly documented; every little nuance contributes to the show.

Characters are motivated by conflicting desires, reveal underlying hypocrisies, and exhibit real human weaknesses.

Street corners are lain out by coordinates, marked by territory lines, and subject to the ebb and flow of drug-addled customers. Police wakes are unexpectedly rowdy, Irish in nature, and drowned in alcohol.

You’re guaranteed massive visual and mental stimulation with this series.

4) The Children

Season Four focuses on Baltimore’s school system and a group of junior high boys whose lives are tugged around by the city’s drug trade and lack of educational funding.

Nowhere near to being angels themselves, these boys nevertheless steal your heart with their naivete, silly humor, and all-around childhood goofiness.

Children being inherently good is a common belief and one that’s heavily played upon in this season. You’ll find yourself hoping for these kids to make it to higher education and a more promising future, crushed and frustrated for those who don’t, and relieved for those who do.

You’ll never be more emotionally invested than in this season.

5) Omar Little

Omar Little makes his debut in Season One with a few quality appearances introducing himself as an infamous, drug stash robbing homosexual that all gangs fear. No matter how heavily a stash is guarded, Omar makes it his business to rob gangs blind. He likes the challenge.

Armed with his shotgun, long facial scar, and strong sense of pride, Omar saunters the streets whistling his notorious tune and smoking cigarettes.

His intelligence is undeniable. His humor is unintentional. His method is inventive. Omar Little is a character that doesn’t fail to stamp an impression on audiences. With a new boytoy every few episodes, Omar forges his own unique path in Baltimore’s criminal and political web.

And you’ll be hopelessly charmed as he does.

Ask your grandmother for money. Have your significant other buy it for you. Use that gift card you’ve been saving. I don’t care what you do, just watch it.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/5-reasons-youll-be-addicted-to-the-wire/feed/ 5 http://matadorgoods.com/book-review-first-stop-in-the-new-world/ http://matadorgoods.com/book-review-first-stop-in-the-new-world/#comments Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:00:33 +0000 Julie Schwietert http://matadorgoods.com/?p=160 Mexico City, The Capital of the 21st Century.

As more than one reviewer has already noted, the very idea of trying to squeeze an “intimate portrait” of Mexico City between the covers of a 336 page book is an ambitious task, one that almost borders on the absurd.

Photo by kainet

First of all, Mexico City is one of the world’s largest cities, with a population of almost 20 million people spread out across 600 square miles. It’s also an old city, dating back several centuries. And then, there are the facts of the city that are just as true but are much harder to nail down: its paradoxes, contradictions, and its chaos.

Yet in his book, First Stop in the New World: Mexico City, The Capital of the 21st Century, American expat turned Mexican citizen David Lida not only manages to capture the Mexican capital’s complexity; he also manages to convey it in an organized, coherent, and engaging narrative.

Price: $17.13 | BUY

There aren’t many books about Mexico City, and those that exist often treat the city and its people like curios in a shop cabinet. Lida avoids the trap, not only because he unabashedly loves the city, but because he gets out on its streets, talks with people, and lets them tell their own stories.

He talks with taxi drivers and white collar executives, prostitutes and the pious (not necessarily mutually exclusive groups, to be sure), and politicians, who fall somewhere in between.

At moments, I found myself wishing I’d read this book before I moved to Mexico City. It’s better and more useful than any conventional guidebook.

Lida covers a lot of physical ground here—from the rough-around-the-edges Tepito neighborhood, notorious for being the world capital of pirated goods, to the tony neighborhood of Polanco, where the main avenue is lined with luxury flagship stores, including Chanel, Tiffany, and Hermes.

Photo by Nicholas Babaian

He talks about history, he acknowledges modern day problems, including crime, and puts them into context, and he envisions the Mexico City of the future.

You could read it straight through or pick and choose chapters at your leisure; either way, First Stop in the New World is engaging.

Lida says in the beginning of the book that he hopes First Stop in the New World reads as a love letter to his adopted city. It does. It’s not always a romantic love letter—it’s a real one. But in the end, that’s the very best kind… the one where the lover sees the beloved as fantastic yet flawed, and still, wakes up every day and chooses to love her.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/book-review-first-stop-in-the-new-world/feed/ 4 http://matadorgoods.com/8-bollywood-movies-to-watch/ http://matadorgoods.com/8-bollywood-movies-to-watch/#comments Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:28:09 +0000 Divya Srinivasan http://matadorgoods.com/?p=159 Move over Hollywood! Bollywood provides a unique fusion of traditional Indian culture and mainstream entertainment.

Bollywood, the Indian Hindi version of Hollywood, is an industry worth millions of crores each year. But more than a business or an industry, it is better known as the way of life of the Indians.

Photo by Bollywood se

Almost every home in India has a Bollywood movie on each night. Even in more rural villages of the country, people who don’t have a television gather every evening at a home that owns one to catch a nightly showing.

TV actors and actresses who perform in these movies are not just film stars; they are idols and mentors to the masses of youth. Storylines and scripts from these movies become goal setters for the public audience.

Photo by Señor Codo

The Indian film industry has a better capacity of influencing the Indian masses than even the politicians and the media and in many instances after a career in film acting; a personality might choose to switch to politics.

Instead of models advertising for brands and products film actors are used simply because they have a better impact on the Indian masses.

Shahrukh Khan, the leading actor atop the Bollywood pyramid was recently featured in Newsweek magazine’s ’50 Most Powerful People in the World’. In a recent debate, fans of Mr. Amitabh Bachchan who ruled the cinema market in the 80s wanted him to run for president of India.

Some of the best and most celebrated movies of modern Bollywood Cinema have been listed below:

1. Lagaan (2002)

Lagaan is the perfect blend of the 2 lifelines of India – Bollywood and Cricket. This combination mixed with a pinch of patriotism is the perfect recipe for a brilliant must see film.

Price: $18.64 |BUY

2. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995)

The story line of this movie might make it sound like just another love story but not with the two protagonists of the film. Their bittersweet relationship set against the backdrop of London and later rural Punjab makes this a super hit movie. It has run for 13 continuous years at Maratha Mandir, a theater in Mumbai.

Price: $5.00 |BUY

3. Black (2005)

The story chronicles a web of events that take place between Michelle, a deaf and dumb child and her teacher. This movie was inspired by the life of Helen Keller and her teacher Anne Sullivan.

Price: $8.80 |BUY

4. Rang De Basanti (2007)

A hugely celebrated movie about middle class youngsters and how a shocking turns of events involving corrupt politicians changes their lives and outlooks forever. This movie is considered one of the best told stories in Indian cinema.

Price: $7.99 |BUY

5. Jo Jeetha Wohi Sikandar

Set in the quaint hill station of Dehradun, this movie tells the story of high school sports rivalry between the students of an upper class school and a local one with love spreading in the air.

Price: $4.20 |BUY

6. Kuch Kuch Hota Hain (1998)

A romantic comedy where love always stems from a strong friendship, this movie tells the tale of good friends Anjali and Rahul, as well as Rahul’s love for Tina. This love triangle is the baseline of this movie and while the plot unwinds in the most natural way winning the hearts of whoever watches it.

Price: $5.70 |BUY

7. Dil Chahta Hai (2002)

Three friends have different lives – careers, outlooks on life and love – but the one thing they have in common is their friendship with each other. This movie is filled with laughter and fun and also an emotional underlying twist to grasp its audience till the end.

Price: $3.70 |BUY

8. Hum Apke Hain Kaun (1994)

Set against the backdrop of Northern India, this movie revolves around Prem and his love for Nisha whose elder sister is married to Prem’s brother. All is good until an unfortunate accident leaves Nisha’s sister dead and her husband a widower with a child to look after.

The plot thickens as Nisha’s parents decide that she should replace her sister and marry Prem’s brother. This movie can be categorized into all the genres as it has a perfect subtle pinch of everything in it.

Price: $13.65 |BUY

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/8-bollywood-movies-to-watch/feed/ 4 http://matadorgoods.com/three-essential-medical-books-for-travelers/ http://matadorgoods.com/three-essential-medical-books-for-travelers/#comments Sun, 11 Jan 2009 03:42:38 +0000 Juli Huang http://matadorgoods.com/?p=158 Fill up on handy medical information with these books to help you stay healthy while traveling.

Photo by Senioscopia

1. Field Guide to Wilderness Medicine by Paul S. Auerbach, Howard J. Donner, and Eric A. Weiss

A condensed version of Auerbach’s Wilderness Medicine, Field Guide to Wilderness Medicine is a must-have for travelers not only because of its conveniently compact size, but also because it provides important information and solutions to unique medical situations.

Auerbach helps readers identify symptoms, execute immediate treatments, and make use of whatever materials they have on hand in very easy to understand language. You won’t find any esoteric medical wording here.

While filled with specialized information, this book is written with a non-medical audience in mind. Auerbach even includes drawings and color plates to help readers identify various skin rashes, plants, snakes, insects, and more.

Poisoned? This book will tell you what to do next. Injured at a high altitude? This book will tell you which steps to take.

2. Travel and Tropical Medicine Manual by Elaine C. Jong and Russell McMullen

For travelers who are currently in or plan on leaving for tropical destinations, the Travel and Tropical Medicine Manual is a practical guide to health problems commonly encountered in such environments.

From Malaria to Lyme disease, this book covers the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment topics for today’s travelers. Included are passages written specifically for pregnant travelers as well as HIV-infected travelers.

And most importantly, it is incredibly concise! No need to flip through pages of verbose descriptions or unessential information.

This book gets right down to what world travelers’ need to know when navigating tropical locations. It’s small enough to fit in any pack you’ve decided to bring.

3. Where There Is No Doctor by Jane Maxwell, Carol Thuman, and David Werner

Referred to as the “Bible” of health education, Where There Is No Doctor is often considered to be the most widely-used health care manual in the world.

This book offers practical, no-nonsense information on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of various common diseases, including specific information for children and adults. It has been translated into more than 75 languages and is specifically tailored for readers without a medical background.

In straightforward language and easy to understand diagnostic charts, this book is essential for any traveler that ventures to areas far from medical centers where doctor care is unavailable. Interested in volunteering abroad?

This book should be the first thing you pack. Planning to join the Peace Corps? This book should sit alongside your toothbrush.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/three-essential-medical-books-for-travelers/feed/ 10 http://matadorgoods.com/essential-gear-for-the-nomadic-travel-photographer/ http://matadorgoods.com/essential-gear-for-the-nomadic-travel-photographer/#comments Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:56:16 +0000 Audrey Scott http://matadorgoods.com/?p=156 Are you a serious travel photographer constantly on the move? Check out these essential gear.

The amount of equipment my husband and I carry with us as we travel around the world has been described as extraordinary to insane. However, we use it all to capture various bits of content (text, photographs, video, audio) for our website and other projects.

Photo by Uncornered Market

That said, we do use some gear more than others. Here are the six things we can’t live without as nomadic travel photographers.

1. DSLR Camera

When choosing a DSLR for travel photography, opt for flexibility. We carry a Nikon D300 with an 18-200mm VR lens. Although a bit bulky and heavy, this combination yields professional quality photos with range and reach, from landscape to close-up portraits. For Nikon fans, the D90 is similarly feature-rich, but lighter on the neck and pocketbook.

Price: $2,029.95 | BUY

Other camera accessories

Grab the following to boost your photography:

• Sigma 8 mm fisheye lens for those “how did you do that” funky wide angle shots and stitched 360 degree panorama photography.
• Tokina macro lens for close-up and occasional portrait photography.
• A circular polarizer (for our main lens) to handle sun, clouds and reflections on water and windows.

2. Laptop

Essential for reviewing, post-processing, captioning and titling our photos, I carry an old 12-inch Mac Titanium PowerBook. I still love it because of its size, durability and reliability. My husband carries a PC. If we were to buy new today, we’d probably both go for a 13-inch aluminum MacBook or one of these travel friendly laptops.

Price: $1,229.99 | BUY

3. External Hard Drives

The sheer number and size of digital photos (particularly if you are shooting RAW) makes storage a major concern. To ensure we never have to delete anything, we carry two ultra-portable external hard drives – a Buffalo 320 GB MiniStation and a Western Digital (WD) 500 GB Passport. WD drives are an exceptional value; they are inexpensive, sturdy, reliable – and with each new release -smaller in size.

Price: $134.99 | BUY

 

Price: $119.99 | BUY

Low-tech backup

Carry a few DVD-Rs to burn photos and videos, and mail them back home. My mother is familiar with this trick; she receives a package from some new far-flung location every couple of weeks.

4. GPS Data Logger

A GPS datalogger cannot tell you where we you are or how to get to where you want to go like one of these GPS handhelds. Instead, it keeps a log of where you’ve been. These devices are small and can usually hang off the side of a camera bag or belt loop so you don’t even notice it’s there keeping track of your every step.

We use this location information to geotag our photos (i.e., embed location information into the EXIF data of each photo We used the Sony GPS CS-1 for two years, but recently changed to the Amod AGL-3080 because of its compatibility with Mac.

Why geotag photos? It’s a simple way to keep track of where each photo was taken. Additionally, we like how the Google Map that appears below each of our photos adds geographic context to the image.

Price: $69.99 | BUY

5. Compact Camera

It may seem redundant to carry two cameras, but when the situation requires something less imposing and less conspicuous than a DSLR, a small handheld is the answer. If you choose well, it can actually do a decent job capturing simple video and audio clips, too.

We carry the Casio EX-V8 and are thrilled with the 7X optical zoom that it achieves without extending its lens (our last compact camera died because the lens got stuck).

Price: $214.95 | BUY

6. Camera/Laptop Bag

Hauling around all this gear becomes heavy on mind and back. It’s worth investing in a durable, well-designed bag that protects your stuff, doesn’t scream “please steal me, I’m an equipment bag” and feels comfortable on long walks.

I can’t recommend the Crumpler Puppet (replaced by the Crumpler Keystone) camera/laptop backpack enough. It has survived tough climates and chicken bus rides, and remained flexible enough to carry all of the equipment above…and a little bit more.

Price: $150.56 | BUY

Community Connection

Stroke your interest in travel photography with these articles:

5 Items to Set Off Your Obsession With Digital Photography
5 Essential Tips for the Budding Travel Photographer
How to Store Your Photography Safely

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/essential-gear-for-the-nomadic-travel-photographer/feed/ 5 http://matadorgoods.com/2009-forecast-gadgets-for-travelers/ http://matadorgoods.com/2009-forecast-gadgets-for-travelers/#comments Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:30:14 +0000 Sam Smith http://matadorgoods.com/?p=155 We’re betting these practical gadgets will be popular with budget travelers this year.

Anyone who grew up watching Star Trek rings in every New Year with a sigh. It seems that 2009 will be yet another year without teleportation, space travel, or even a simple flying car.

Photo by nateOne

But don’t despair, travel geeks – travel technology is moving at warp speed, and what’s coming down the line in ’09 is way cooler than just getting beamed around everywhere.

From a solar-powered germ killing ray gun to a laptop that boldly fits where no laptop has fit before, here’s a list of 6 real-life gadgets with some serious Star Trek power – even for those of us who would tell Scottie to take the day off while we shouldered our packs and headed for the nearest bus station.

1. Cassette Adapter MP3 Player

Price: $16.67 | BUY

Nietzsche said “Life without music would be a mistake.”

Well, bringing your iPod, or any other expensive-looking music player abroad might just be a mistake too.

It’s asking to get stolen, draws attention to you, and worst of all, isolates you from everyone else.

But if you don’t want to give up your tunes entirely, what you need is a discreet, cheap music player that will magically foster new relationships rather than keeping you isolated in iPod land.

This MP3 player/cassette tape adapter fits the bill at under $20. Pop in a 2GB SD card and you’ve got yourself a 30-hour mix tape that’s ready to be shared with new friends (or enemies, depending on musical tastes) anywhere in the world.

This adapter also works well in cars with cassette players.

2. The iPod Touch

Price: $214.97 | BUY

Like it or not, the new iPod Touch makes for one hell of a travel gadget.

You’ve got pictures, music, and internet via Wi-Fi right out of the box. Add in a few translation applications, a few games, maybe an e-book or two, and you’ve got yourself an all-in-one entertainment center.

With a little hacking, it’s even capable of PDF support for travel guides and Skype for free long distance calls (although the author does not recommend hacking due to legal issues).

3. A Good, Affordable Waterproof Camera

Price: $329.00 | BUY

I took some of the coolest pictures I’ve ever taken with the worst camera I’ve ever used.

It was a first generation waterproof camera and the pictures were so cool because I could take it anywhere-I just couldn’t get it to focus, flash, or expose the way I wanted to once I was there.

Not anymore.

Waterproof to 33 feet, Shockproof to 6.6 feet, and Crushproof to 220lbs, the new Olympus 1030 SW Camera can take a serious beating, and at 10.1 Mega pixels it can finally take a serious picture too.

4. Netbooks

Price: $378.99 | BUY

Sure, a laptop would be nice while traveling, but the weight and expense just aren’t worth it.

Well, until now.

The Asus Aspire One is just under 10 inches long, boasts 1.6 Ghz processor, 5 hour battery life, an 802.11g wireless card, and a webcam, so you can check your email and keep in touch with friends and family via Skype anywhere you can find a wireless connection.

And at under $400, you might just be able to pay for one and still afford a ticket somewhere. Check back later in ’09 for faster machines, better batteries, and built in 3G cellular modems.

5. A Solar Steri-Pen

Price: $84.99 | BUY

If you’re not interested in a long-term relationship with a foreign toilet, bottled water is just about the only thing you can rely on in some countries.

But bottled water is expensive, sometimes difficult to find, and bad for the environment since a lot of countries have no recycling infrastructure.

The new breed of germ-exploding SteriPens are lighter, cheaper, and require less power than older models.

Now with an estimated 35-liters per charge and an optional solar charging case, you might even make your money back within a few charges.

6. eGuide Books

Price: $11.99 | BUY Various

Ok, fine, this isn’t really a gadget, but I’m including it here because this simple up-and-coming technology makes the Aspire One and iPhone a heck of a lot cooler for travelers.

Both Lonely Planet and Rough Guides offer eGuides now (for significantly cheaper than printed editions) and all other guide companies that want to stay competitive are likely to follow suit in the coming year.

Rough Guides also provides maps with integration for smart phones like the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Lonely Planet offers the option of downloading its guides chapter by chapter in PDF format, which means that you can leave the bulky guide book at home and bring only the parts you need with you.

Community Connection

Looking for more gadgets for travelers? Check out the following articles:

2008 in Review: Innovative Gadgets for Travelers‏
4 Best Travel Laptops
10 Gadgets Bonafide Backpackers Should Carry
More gadgets on Matador Goods

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/2009-forecast-gadgets-for-travelers/feed/ 6 http://matadorgoods.com/book-review-walking-to-guantanamo/ http://matadorgoods.com/book-review-walking-to-guantanamo/#comments Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:33:23 +0000 Julie Schwietert http://matadorgoods.com/?p=154 There’s no shortage of travelogues penned by restless travelers on journeys they hope will help them resolve a midlife crisis.

Photo by Paul Keller

A few that immediately come to mind? Rosemary Mahoney’s Down the Nile: Alone in a Fisherman’s Skiff, Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love, and John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley.

The trick with these types of narratives is for the author to work his or her way out of the funk while writing a tale that’s both more accessible and more meaningful to the reader than a painfully self-conscious diary.

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In his first book, Walking to Guantanamo, author Richard Fleming only partly succeeds in executing the trick artfully.

Fleming, who says goodbye to his girlfriend, sublets his Brooklyn apartment, and sets off for a four month walk across Cuba, admits that his only motive is to try to overcome a nagging feeling of personal and professional stagnation by responding to some inexplicable internal call to explore Cuba by foot.

By the end of the book, he confesses that “since I never knew what I was looking for, I can scarcely claim to have found it.”

The reader feels as unresolved about the tale as Fleming does, and wonders along with the writer whether his “experience was too mundane even to bother writing down.”

The answer is “Yes” in the Havana chapters of the book, which include all the characters and objects familiar to anyone who has been there: Telenovelas, rum, long lines, crowded buses, Santeria, and the “time capsule” quality that tourists so frequently see in Cuba’s capital.

These chapters would be more enjoyable for someone who hasn’t traveled to Cuba, but for regular visitors, the scenes are predictable and even tiresome.

Photo by Sami Keinänen

But then there are the chapters in which Fleming narrates his experiences tromping in tropical swamps and backwoods with birders and taking in a decima competition in the town of Las Tunas.

It’s in these places where both Fleming and his reader are at their best, learning new things together, and suddenly the tedious moments of the trip—like any good journey—seem worth having suffered.

Like Fleming, I went through ups and downs with this book. Ultimately, though, I appreciated that in his quest to grapple with a particular kind of ennui many Cubans would find curious. He took the time to get deep into Cuba and to share stories that were anything but mundane.

Stories that no one else has told.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/book-review-walking-to-guantanamo/feed/ 0 http://matadorgoods.com/2008-in-review-innovative-gadgets-for-travelers/ http://matadorgoods.com/2008-in-review-innovative-gadgets-for-travelers/#comments Sat, 03 Jan 2009 18:30:24 +0000 Jessica Jacobson http://matadorgoods.com/?p=153 From mini camcorders to lightweight electronic readers, here are some devices (electronic and non-electronic, new and old) that appealed to avid travelers in 2008.

Every year new inventions make travel a little easier and more enjoyable. Here are seven gadgets that were geared towards travelers in 2008.

Photo by miss karen

1. Pure Digital Flip Mino

To really convey your travel adventures, some live action shots are necessary. Your camera may not offer the video quality you are looking for, but carrying around a standard camcorder adds weight, as well as expense.

Photo by bfishadow

The Flip Mino offers good performance and easy of use in a compact package – only 3.9 inches long by 2 inches wide and 0.6 inches deep. The 2 GB memory holds one hour of recordings, easily downloadable via USB port. The 640 x 480 pixel resolution is good for its size.

While larger video cameras can offer superior quality, this camera is a good option on the road when size and ability to start filming quickly are key. Its lithium ion battery lasts for four hours. The camera’s main draw is ease of use – Flip it on, then push a button to film. Push the same button to stop.

You can pull it out of your pocket and record within moments. The Flip Mino allows travelers to capture the sounds and movements of a place – details that a photo alone can’t convey.

2. Fujitsu Lifebook U820 Mini Notebook

Photo by Wesley Fryer

If you are like me, you don’t want to give up the functionality of a computer while traveling neither do you want to carry all that extra weight. Take it all with you in a mere 1.5 pounds with the Fujitsu Lifebook U820.

This wonder converts from a standard computer with a keyboard to a tablet PC, allowing you to jot notes with a pen directly onto the screen. The full-feature notebook has Microsoft Office, Bluetooth and wireless capabilities, a built-in webcam to stay connected with friends and family, and a built-in GPS receiver to help navigate.

120 GB of hard drive space provides room to store files, photos and music and its excellent battery life allows for hours of work away from power supplies. The computer fits easily into a small portion of a backpack or purse.

While its 5.6-inch screen and small keyboard take some adjustment, the amazing capacity offered in such a tiny package makes it well worth the investment.

3. Amazon Kindle

Photo by tvol

Gone are the days of lugging around several guidebooks and worrying about finding reading material in English overseas. Now you can pack all you might want to read within one device.

While the first version was released in late 2007, 2008 was the year the public began to accept the idea of an electronic reader. An updated version is expected in early 2009.

Keep all the information about the place you are visiting handy in one device.

Should you forget a book, download it wirelessly from any location with Internet access.

4. iPod Touch 2.0

Photo by juanpol

Every traveler can use an iPod for access to music, podcasts or audiobooks during waits at airports, bus and train rides and border crossings.

Lightweight and inconspicuous, except for the headphones, it’s a travel gadget that can be enjoyed without attracting a lot of attention.

The iPod touch adds a wi-fi connection, allowing travelers to do research, find information and directions and send emails on the road at any hotspot locations.

The four ounce weight doesn’t add much bulk to your luggage.

5. Pelican Micro Cases

Photo by Paleontour

I first came across these cases, or dry boxes, while rafting in Panama and entrusted my digital camera to it.

Miraculously, it remained dry despite our boat flipping and waves crashing over us.

Micro cases are intended for cell phones, PDAs, small cameras and memory sticks.

In addition to rapids, the boxes will withstand temperatures of -10 degrees to 200 degrees and up to 5,000 pounds.

The hard cases are covered by an unconditional lifetime guarantee, barring damage by shark bite, bear attack or children under five.

6. Sea to Summit Pocket Shower

Photo by turydddu

A water bottle can do wonders for washing when no facilities are available. But when you are out in the back country nothing can compare to a relaxing warm shower.

The Sea to Summit Pocket Shower is a leakproof polyurethane-coated nylon fabric that holds ten gallons of water.

The shower head can be turned to control water pressure, allowing a good seven minutes of showering.

You can add hot water to the bag, or hang it up to allow the black color to absorb heat from the sun.

7. Gogo Kidz Toddler Adapter

Photo by abardwell

Anyone who has traveled with small children knows how much kiddie equipment can load them down.

Go Go Babyz makes an array of convenient products that turn infant and toddler carseats into rolling pieces, eliminating the need for a stroller and making airport travel a breeze.

Debuting in 2008 was the toddler adapter which turns a toddler carseat into a four-wheeled stroller.

Which other gadgets do you think were geared towards travelers in 2008? Which ones were your favorites? Tell us below.

]]> http://matadorgoods.com/2008-in-review-innovative-gadgets-for-travelers/feed/ 3 http://matadorgoods.com/what-is-mumbai-reading/ http://matadorgoods.com/what-is-mumbai-reading/#comments Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:25:06 +0000 Divya Srinivasan