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Mapes’ book is best appreciated in contrast to its cinematic counterpart, Veer, a documentary claiming to cover all elements of bike culture. Unlike Veer, which never looks beyond Portland, Oregon, Mapes’ new book actually accomplishes its tagline.Mapes, a Portland-based journalist, looks far beyond the subcultures of his city to other urban areas such as Davis, Chicago, Minneapolis, and New York.
Editor’s Note: Alvaro Galvis is a 26 year old carpenter in the midst of a long-distance bike trip from his hometown of Popayan, in the far south of Colombia, to southern Argentina. I met Alvaro in a campground in the mountains near El Bolson, Patagonia, and was instantly struck by his aura of calm, even though he is alone, with very little money, 9,000 kilometers from home.
Sometimes during the summer months I do a few of the sidewalk art shows near where I live.This gives me a chance to sell a few photos and chit-chat with the general public. I rarely sell much, but I have a lot of fun. Invariably, some of the passers-by will inquire as to what type of camera I use.My usual reply is that I have a middle-of-the-line point and shoot.
The Matador community always has travel on the mind, of course, but as we gear up for our big San Francisco bash on August 16, we’re thinking more than ever about how and why travel are important as all proceeds from the party will fund trips abroad for inner-city students.It seems appropriate, then, that I just received an alumni newsletter highlighting the work of sociology professor, Dr.
Feature photo by Shek Graham. Photo above by bugeaters.Man’s best friend can be a valuable asset while out camping.A dog is an indispensable companion on a camping trip. It will smell and hear things before you do, can help guide you through sticky underbrush, and, if well trained, find lost members of your camping crew.
Is the decade-long conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo “Africa’s invisible war”?Some fascinating number-crunching from Social Design Notes compares the numbers of fatalities in Darfur and the Congo — roughly 500,000 and 5.5 million, respectively — and then notes the enormous disparity in the media coverage of the two.
Don’t underestimate the power of quiet and solitude.Pondering your next travel destination usually incites visions of bustling new cities, taking in as much gorgeous country landscape as possible, and becoming wrapped up in a culture other than your own.But as writer Jill K. Robinson recently discussed over at Vagabonding, there is an often-overlooked aspect to traveling that really is necessary to staying sane: quiet time.
I love weird soft drinks. In every China Town and Korea Town I am always on the look out for cans that promise chunks of foreign fruit matter – drinks that eat like a meal. Odd favor, texture, unexpected ingedient or a cool can? I’m there.The other night I was out for an otherwise lovely dinner in a Peruvian restaurant in the Once neighborhood here in Buenos Aires.
How some surfers are exploring history to create a greener board.Sometimes looking backwards is the only way to move forward. So it makes sense that we’re looking to return to simpler, more sustainable ways of experiencing our sports.Surfing is no different, and is said by many to be hypocritical in it’s current choice of gear.
Meeting an Egyptian during a visit to Cyprus causes Theresa Everline to consider what it means to represent her adopted city abroad.“Egypt is wonderful,” I said. This was a lie.Ten minutes prior, I had taken off my shoes and walked alone into a mosque.The guidebook described the building as architecturally interesting, but it looked rather mundane.
The cycling movement just keeps picking up steam.Right on the heels of my post about How To Be Good (Better) Drivers and Cyclists, I read this article in the Colorado Springs Gazette.Governor Bill Ritter just signed a bill, effective August 5, that should offer more protection to cyclists on the road.
Photos courtesy of the author.Imagine a place where there are no books; where most people have never seen a book, except perhaps a dry and dog-eared textbook shared by a classroom of students in the village school.Imagine children learning to ‘read’ by looking at letters and words written on a chalkboard – if they have the luxury of attending school at all.
