At Matador’s launch party last year, we raised money to sponsor a young high school student from the Summer Search program on a life-changing summer trip abroad. Rigo Lara, who is the author of the following travel essay, was the recipient of that Matador Travel Scholarship. This is Rigo’s first published piece of writing and the first time he has written about his travel experience.

The author posing with a waterfall.

Where I come from, not many people can say that they have been around the world by the age of 17.

I surely never envisioned being the one that would break away from such expectations, but a plane ticket and 8,000 miles later, my perception of the world and myself, as I knew them, changed forever.

During my Sophomore year of high school I encountered Summer Search, a leadership program which awards students the opportunity to step beyond their comfort zones through a trip anywhere in the world for free.

Coming from a sheltered family and an existence limited to the corner of my street; with a dream to travel and an ambition to get away, I could not have passed such a tempting chance.

Last summer I fulfilled my dream when I embarked on my six week trip to Thailand with an organization called Where There Be Dragons.

My story begins in a crowded San Francisco airport as I say good bye to my parents for the last time. As I boarded the plane, a surge of fear and excitement crept up behind me, giving me a feeling similar to the one you get right before the plunge on a roller coaster.

I flew into LA where I met the thirteen people I would be sharing my trip with. Later that same day, we were on a flight to Bangkok. I sat there, uncomfortable at the thought of a seventeen hour long flight, oblivious to the tragedy that would befall me upon arrival.

Denied At The Border

Why does one travel, if not to be placed in challenging situations that will demand the best of you?

When we arrived in Thailand, I couldn’t be happier. The only thing separating me from the trip of a lifetime was the immigration check point. Sadly, it was the only thing I got to experience before I was told that I had been denied entry into the country.

The problem was that I didn’t have a Visa. My leader tried to negotiate a deal, but nothing was ever reached. I felt confused and utterly useless as the situation kept spiraling from bad to worse.

The only option left was to fly back to America and solve my predicament there. Seventeen hours in and seventeen hours back, I never expected to fly that much. My only consolation was that I flew back first class.

This little detour cost me a precious week off my trip, but I would not take any of it back. I have never felt such despair in my life, but through it I discovered that even in the darkest of times the radiance of hope always comes out triumphant.

My determination and will were tested, but I never gave up. This dramatic experience only reinforced my belief that everything happens for a reason and it taught me that there is always a bright side to every story.

My bright side was that I returned to Thailand a more empowered and emboldened individual than I ever was in the beginning.

First Impressions

Many great things occurred throughout the course of my trip. So many stories, it is almost impossible to choose which ones to retell. I guess there is no better place to begin than at the beginning.

An elephant on the streets of Thailand

On my first day in Thailand an array of colors, sounds, sights, textures, and most particular of all, tastes, bombarded my senses. I remember we sat around a circle at a neighborhood park to practice our Thai and for snacks we had a delicious assortment of fried worms, ants, maggots, and other local delicacies.

I still recall the savory crunchiness of that cockroach I put in my mouth.

From there we moved on to the hardest part of the trip which was the week long trek across the mountains of northern Thailand. This was a rigorous expedition through leech infested jungles and muddy roads.

It was hard, but it gave us a look into Thailand’s rich, natural beauty and it taught me a very important lesson in humility. We had the remarkable opportunity to stay with indigenous villagers who were very kind and willing to offer their assistance.

Perhaps that’s the one thing I miss most about Thailand, the incredible generosity and warm hearts of its people.

As the trek progressed we stayed in different villages with different families, but only one stands out to me the most. It was a family composed of a dad, a mom, and an eighteen year old daughter with a little baby boy and a little girl.

In comparison to our standard of living, these people had nothing, no real material possessions. But they had each other, which is sometimes all one really needs. From this simple family I learned not to take things for granted and to cherish all my blessings, from a flushable toilet to the sacrifice and devotion of my own mother.

Ever since then, I’ve never complained about things I couldn’t have.

Traveler or Tourist

I want to emphasize a very important point. For six weeks my group and I were travelers not tourists: there is a fundamental difference.

Being a traveler means immersing oneself in the lives of the people and their culture with an open mind. It means having a willingness to lose yourself by shedding away previous biases and stereotypes as well as having the courage to leave home where it belongs.

We took on this philosophy as we explored cities and their abundance of markets, temples, food benders, and all other kinds of attractions a Thai city can offer, from the occasional elephant to an exhilarating tuk-tuk ride. This was quite a fun and free time.

We were given money for the day and we were set loose, gallivanting as we pleased. One of the days I will never forget is when we went to a beach town and caught the most incredible sun rise I have ever seen. You see, we were constantly on the move, town-hopping if you will.

I wish I could talk about what a great time I had with my host family once we got to the home stay section of the trip or I wish I had more time to talk about the once in a lifetime experience I had living with monks during our temple stay.

I even wish I could tell you more about the crazy week we spent in hectic Bangkok where I saw the breathtaking leaning Buddha statue and got my first Thai massage. These were all highlights of my trip, but instead I want to talk about Burma.

Entering Burma

Burma is a neighboring country that is oppressed by the tyranny of a military government. It is a poor, dangerous place and we spend five days there.

Before we even entered Burma we had a presentation about the violent history of the country and some dos and don’ts. The only advice we were given was to keep our ears and eyes open but our mouths shut.

Making connections

I’ll admit I was scared, but my time in Burma opened my eyes to the reality of the world we live in. We often forget about the plight of others around the world because we are so enveloped in the comfort of our own insignificant material world.

After experiencing the thrill of Thailand and the poignancy of Burma I came back home a changed and enlighten person. I was no longer interested about what happened only around me, but was passionate about what took place all over because it was then that I realized my life’s mission to be a citizen of the world.

I was determined to spread awareness and to share the wisdom I had obtained. Of course this was all weeks after my immediate return. The first couple days were different. I got back expecting to feel out of place but surprisingly I fit right into the old routine.

I felt like it had all been a dream, just a fantasy. I really missed my friends and that joy you get when you don’t know what’s coming next because everyday is a surprise, a new adventure.

Know Yourself

That joy and so many other wonderful feelings you can only experience by taking the risk of becoming a traveler yourself.

I cannot explain to you how significant this trip was. I grew in ways I never knew I would and even to this day I keep discovering little new jewels of wisdom from my experiences in Thailand.

Perhaps the most compelling result of the trip is how well I got to know myself, an opportunity seldom obtained within the comforts of your home yet one that is imperative. Through traveling I developed this fascination with the world and the variety of peoples and cultures that inhabit it.

I will be pursuing that interest in college as I major in political science and international studies in my hopes of becoming a diplomat or something of that nature.

I can only say that we live in a world in which we are inextricably bound to one another, a world made so small by our advanced communications, yet so big in its abundance of diversity. It’s a world teeming with adventure, discovery, beauty, and life. It’s a shame if we deny our hearts and minds such an opportunity.

The world is at our finger tips, whenever the chance comes along, take it and run.

Community Connection

Because many young people lack the opportunities to travel, Mataor is raising $5,000+ to create a travel scholarship for low-income Bay Area high school students. Learn more about the Matador Travel Scholarship Fund.

There’s always time to meditate / Photo Troy B Thompson

Like most people, I often calculate my day once my head has cleared out the grogginess of the previous night’s sleep.

I need to get up, eat, shower, take entirely too many supplements, make sure I don’t forget any of the 20 things I need for the day such as my cell phone, keys, food, sunglasses, etc, squeeze in a yoga or dance class, push through any writing blocks while staring at my computer for hours on end.

Then I go grocery shopping, come home, cook dinner, clean a bit, talk to a couple of friends, try and sort through piles of mail or stare dismally at my Microsoft Money file, maybe do some laundry, watch a Sex and the City rerun and then suddenly it is 12am.

Time for bed. Oops, forgot/didn’t have time/am now too tired to meditate.

Why is it so hard for many of us to set aside time every day in which to meditate?

We are all busy people, yet we seem to find time for extended coffee breaks, often gossip for a bit longer than our work lunches are supposed last, and depending on the time of the year (and how soon we will find ourselves in a bathing suit), we definitely make it to the gym.

The Benefits Of Meditation

When we are traveling, our jam-packed schedules-o’-fun make it even harder to find at least five minutes for quite time.

Whether we have taken sanctuary for three days of intense meditation in the hills of Vermont, or were dragged kicking and screaming by a fanatical friend to get a hug from Amma, the hugging guru, or, lets face it, never seriously contemplated taking time to meditate, the rest of life just seems too busy to make room.

Note the “seems” part. Because if you don’t make mediation a priority, you’ll never find the perfect time.

And the interesting thing is that taking time to meditate may conversely give you more time, and space, in your busy life.

Meditating actually gives us many of the same benefits as sleep.

To a certain extent, it may give us even more payback since our minds are actually at work while we are sleeping. Many monks easily live off of two to four hours of sleep because of their practice.

During meditation, the most important component of stress–our thoughts–slow down from a lion’s roar to a dull, lifeless whimper.

Much like taking a physical vacation, where we are able to relax and reboot our systems, this mental vacation better prepares us for what lies ahead, whether that is yet another four-hour work meeting, or a traffic jam that keeps you on the road until the crickets have stopped chirping, as they have turned in for the night.

Making It Habit

Meditation makes you smile / Photo Premasagar

While it may seem impossible to quiet your thoughts at first, just as many of us can’t touch our toes if we haven’t stretched for 10 years, it becomes easier, and more satisfying, with time and practice.

What most “experts” recommend is to set aside the same time each day for meditating, whether it be five minutes or forty.

Most often, this is first thing in the morning (post-grogginess) or last thing before going to bed.

As with instilling any habit, this can be a good approach for some people. For others, like myself, this feels too structured for something that is both meant to be fulfilling and enjoyable.

So my secret is to wait until I’m either really stressed, or I’m working on something that I can’t figure out (and this, of course, is bound to happen daily).

These are times that our brains are desperately signaling us to take a break anyway, and often we do not listen and instead “push through it.” This impacts our short-term (sweating profusely, racing heart, delayed brain function) and long-term (anxiety attacks, high blood pressure, heart disease) health in a tremendous way.

Quieting the constantly running dialogue upstairs helps to balance both the body and the mind.

Start With The Breath

When we are traveling, while we may feel more relaxed than in our daily work lives, our bodies are still strained with all the planning, itineraries, deciphering directions, and yes, even extreme sports and 5pm cocktails.

Taking 10 minutes before happy hour to sit quietly and breathe will make the evening even more enjoyable, and who knows, may even help to subdue the next morning’s hangover.

We live in a time where we are all over-burdened with too many things to do.

It may seem to take on something new that may or may not jive with your personal religious/spiritual beliefs or agnosticism/atheism just seems too much to ask.

But there doesn’t have to be any dogma involved.

In fact, it starts with something that we all live by, whether we like it or not-the breath. And wouldn’t it be great to face your never-ending schedule with a calm, knowing smile on your lips?

That’ll be sure to rattle your coworkers.

How do you find time to meditate? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Desperate times / Photo Fanboy30

You reach into you wallet to pay for your hostel bed for the night, and come up empty. You dig deeper, finding only receipts and pocket lint.

You realize you’re out of money.

Nervous, you excuse yourself from the hostel clerk and rip open your backpack, in search of a secret stash of cash. Nothing. Not even a few coins.

All you have left are some smelly socks, an overdrawn bank account and an unquenchable thirst for adventure.

What do you do? Pack up your gear, hang your head in shame as you call your friends/parents to send the money for a ticket home? Or do you consider these innovative options for funding a life on the road:

1. Travel Writer

Considered by many as the ultimate travel job, writing for online publications can help you buy your next mug of beer. Work your way to becoming the next Hunter S. Thomson by learning about the craft and querying your next inspired idea.

2. Wield that camera

National Geographic may not be knocking your door down, but that doesn’t mean that your photos don’t deserve an audience. Try selling your landscape and portrait shots to travel publications or submit it to a stock photography company such as Shutterpoint.com, Andes Press Agency and Getty Images.

3. Video journalism

With the advent of Youtube amateur videos are in great demand. Become a backpack film maker, set up your own vblog or simply sell it to tourism sites.

4. Busking

If you’re talented (or even if you aren’t), this is a great way to earn money. Just make sure you’re not taking someone else’s “spot” and check the legalities of performing in a certain area. Or if the police come, you could just run away really fast.

5. Work an a Bookstore

It’s a great way to show-off your “intellectual” side whilst devouring the latest books. Keep in mind that most may require a work permit before they hire you. A great alternative is to bunk in Paris’ famed Shakespeare and Company where the owner offers free beds and work in exchange that you promise to read at least one book a day.

6. Online Poker

This is the perfect money-making means for risk takers. Many travelers who have funded their trips from their winnings on Online Poker. Make sure to weigh the risks of wiping out your bank account and developing a gambling problem.

7. Massage

Have you been known to make your dates swoon with your suave massage moves? Maybe it’s time you put your seduction skills to good use by working as a freelance masseuse. Find willing clients on the beach or a location where people are looking to relaaaaxxxx. Invest in some scented oil, clean nails and your most disarming smile and you’ll have enough funds for your own spa treatment.

WWoofing it for cash / Photo strickeal

8. Farm Work

Fruit picking and farm work is one of the favorite possibilities for hippies, idealists and masochists. Though it is literally hard labor, it’s a paying job with invaluable perks, like meeting new people, enjoying the outdoors and having a unique experience.

One of the best resources is Transitions Abroad, Matador’s Guide to WWOOFING and Finding Paying Work in Europe.

9. Construction

If you’d like to fatten your wallet whilst trimming your waistline, then take on some short-term construction work. Who knows, with your newly sculpted abs and beefy biceps, you may find other uses for that tool belt.

10. Work in a hostel

Many hostels hire part-time workers in exchange for cheaper rates on rooms. Cleaning up after travelers may seem pretty disgusting, but it’s an opportunity for quick cash, a free bed and some new friends.

11. Painting

You don’t have to cut off your ear to get a painting gig, but you can put your artistic abilities to good use by offering your services for home, office or building refurbishments.

12. Dishwasher or Kitchen Staff

Grab some leftovers without having to resort to dumpster diving. Experience the stress, camaraderie and craziness of working in a restaurant’s kitchen. It may even open your eyes to a new career path like it did for bad-ass chef extraordinaire, Anthony Bourdain.

13. For the love of science…or some cash

If you were the type of kid that purposely ignores the expiration date on milk cartons just to “see what would happen,” then this is the job for you. Get prodded and poked by nervous science students in the UK, US and in Europe with Get Paid to Guinea Pig.

14. Donate Blood

So what if you feel a bit woozy? A train to Russia is not cheap. Sissy. Plus, you’re helping save lives.

15. Modeling

Do you enjoy staring at your reflection on train windows and hostel mirrors? Then throw down that backpack for a few hours and head off to the glamorous world of commercial and print modeling. Often found in the gigs section of craigslist ads and city job sites, these opportunities require little more than a few cheesy poses.

16. Movie Extra

Run through the streets of Berlin with Jason Bourne or flee Godzilla’s rampage in Tokyo by working as a movie extra. You can check out casting agencies, local job posts or even the local couchsurfing group where independent film makers often post openings. It’s a great way to rub elbows with international celebrities (or at least tell your friends you did), earn some fast cash and possibly get discovered.

17. Recycle

Yes, saving the environment does pay. In most European cities, you can get cash back for the bottles you collect. Scour the hostel lounge and trash cans for some empty containers which you can take to the local supermarket where you’ll be given enough change to finally buy that banana you’ve been eyeing.

Play the streets as a busker / Photo Kafka4prez

18. Sports events

Run after wayward golf balls or mop up the latest spillage from the Tae Kwon Do championships. For sports enthusiasts, it’s a great way to earn some money whilst gaining insight on the local games.

19. Trim some bushes

No, not those, pervert. Knock on a few doors and ask if they need any cleaning, yard work or repairs done. Though you may be chased off by Rover (or Ganesh if you’re in India), with a rumbling stomach, anything is worth a try.

20. Expositions

If you consider yourself a master of setting up tents, then challenge yourself by working at an exposition. Find these jobs on the city classified pages and help put up the displays, tarps and booths for a quick and easy buck.

21. Write Content

If you’ve been annoying your friends and family back home with your lengthy emails, then maybe its time to get paid by writing about other things than yourself. Work for a site that pays per hits such as blogit.com, helium.com and Associatedcontent.com.

22. Resell stuff

Don’t quite know what to do with that weird doll you got in Romania? Then sell it in your next location. From convincing your bunkmate to buy your lucky charms to auctioning fleamarket finds on ebay, reselling unusual travel goods can turn into quite the lucrative on-the-road business.

23. Handicrafts

If you’ve got a knack for crochet or can weave a basket at hyper speed, then selling some of your crafts can be used towards funding your next bus ticket. At the very least, you could make yourself something warm for those homeless evenings.

24. Festival Stalking

One of the best ways to combine a crazy cultural adventure, lots of drinking and enough dough for your next hangover spot is to work the festival circuit. You could either apply for a gig in one of the stands or push your own agenda by selling homemade space cakes, jell-o shots or setting up a kissing booth.

25. Sail Away

Sail off towards the sunset by working on a yacht or a cruise ship. You can find work by perusing crew job sites or simply asking people by the harbor if they have any leads. It provides a sense of freedom, a means to sustain to yourself and a way to get to your next stop.

Being on the road with very little or no cash may seem daunting at first, but the challenge of using your imagination to provide for yourself will make the experience all the more exciting and valuable.

Face the fear! There are always opportunities for the resourceful and intrepid traveler.

Any money-making ideas we missed? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Who’s eavesdropping on your data? Photo doug Olson

In 2005, the New York Times reported that the Bush Administration and the National Security Agency (NSA) had been conducting warrant less wiretapping on American citizens since 2002.

The implication is that the NSA has been violating the Fourth Amendment, which protects Americans from warrant less searches and seizures.

But what is most intriguing is the private involvement in eavesdropping on your data.

A document written by Mark Klein, former technician for AT&T, documents what could be the tip of the iceberg in the case of citizens’ privacy. In 2003, Klein alleges, AT&T built a “secret room” in their San Francisco technology hub. Plans he obtained showed cables tapping into 16 trunks lines of AT&T’s domestic and international traffic.

This allows all of that information to be copied to a room “full of cabinets”. Access to the room is suspiciously granted only to those with a security clearance from the NSA.

Klein’s document is currently part of the testimony in a class-action lawsuit against AT&T, but it’s suspected that many other major carriers were involved.

The NSA wasn’t sitting in a white van outside of potential a terrorist’s home. They were–and possibly still are–monitoring everyone from the comfort of their D.C. offices.

Then And Now

Traditional phone taps could occur anywhere, from the telephone itself, to a device placed on the wiring from your home to the utility pole.

However, these had to tap into the specific line being monitored. Modern digital communications make it possible to tap into any line and filter the necessary information.

If you think that sounds paranoid, consider the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA).

Enacted by congress in 1994, the law required every phone company, internet service provider (ISP) and Voice over IP companies (e.g.: Vonage) to ensure all of their facilities maintain easy access for surveillance by the FBI and other investigative bodies.

The deadline for every company to be ready and waiting for surveillance has passed–February 12, 2007.

Further legislation provides additional wiretapping capabilities for special circumstances. Long before we heard the words “sleeper cells”, the government was already considering wiretaps with regards to “foreign” entities within the U.S.

Spy versus Spy

In 1978 the passage of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) developed a court that would oversee and issue warrants on matters of national security, while not compromising their covert nature.

AT&T in bed with the NSA / Illustration EFF doug Olson

This private court skirts the fourth amendment by ensuring secret wiretaps receive proper judicial authorization, while not revealing sensitive facts about national security.

The act created a middle ground–foreign entities could be spied upon while citizens’ rights were closely guarded. FISA establishes penalties not less than $1,000 or $100 per day for citizens who communications were unlawfully monitored.

The implication that the NSA has spied on all of us is far reaching. The magnitude of such a project is staggering.

Is it really as serious as it sounds?

Enter Terrorist Information Awareness (TIA). Formerly called “Total Information Awareness,” TIA is an experiment plucked straight from an Orwellian police state.

TIA was a project put forth to mine massive amounts of private data and sort it into “information signatures”.

This data analysis project would look for patterns and associations that signaled criminal or terrorist activity. The project and the Information Awareness Office (IAO) were shut down in 2003 in a hail of legal concerns.

These 16 trunks that were diverted to an NSA room carried everything that passed on AT&T’s networks in that region. Cell and regular phone calls; web pages visits; emails (whether your account is hosted through AT&T/ComCast or not)–everything.

Such rooms are also generally hubs for interstate and international communications.

Who’s the Patriot?

The timing of construction on these rooms corresponded suspiciously to the bidding of various TIA contracts. The office of the Inspector General wrote off implications of wiretapping in these secret rooms, saying the purpose was “research” using “artificial synthetic data”.

The implications are staggering \ Photo Vaguely Artistic

But the class-action lawsuit, filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation against AT&T for violating FISA, was put on hold following an invocation of the “executive state secrets privilege.”

The testimony in the lawsuit could “cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security of the United States,” according to Direction of National Intelligence John Negroponte.

Plans for this room labeled it “#3″, suggesting it was the third of its kind. Other “secret rooms” were suspected to have been installed in AT&T’s other major switching facilities throughout the U.S.

Was AT&T simply performing their patriotic duty?

Under FISA, AT&T’s participation in this act makes them liable to at least everyone in their 70 million subscriber base. At $100 a day per subscriber for over four years, AT&T is liable for two and a half trillion dollars; an amount that can sink even the mightiest corporate giant.

The Bush administration has argued that telecommunication companies should not be punished for cooperating with the government in good faith. To this, retroactive immunity for all companies was included in a bill that would amend the 2008 “Protect America Act”.

This amendment was subsequently shot down by the House of Representatives.

A Sinister Setback

On March 14th, the U.S. House of Representatives did approve a bittersweet amendment to FISA. The amendment legalizes domestic surveillance without a warrant, provided no single person is “targeted”.

The bill does not provide retroactive immunity to telecoms. The Bush administration has promised to veto any amendment that does not provide this immunity.

What does it take to protect America, or any other nation, for that matter? While we cannot deny the need for law enforcement to foresee trouble, how can a project such as TIA provide a guarantee that it will not later serve a more sinister purpose?

When the fourth amendment was drawn up, the U.S. didn’t have telephones, much less the concepts of Internet Relay Chat (IRC). When Thomas Jefferson tried to mitigate the Barbary threat, he didn’t have to worry about agents of Tripoli being supplanted within the populace.

Benedict Arnold fought numerous successful campaigns for the United States’ revolution, yet he is forever known for his attempt to hand the fort at West Point over to the British.

We have marred traitors before and sent them peaceably on their way. Is AT&T that different?

If we say that it’s ok to perform these kind of data-mining experiments, are we leaving the door open for another system similar to TIA?

The ongoing democratic experiment continues to drive across uncharted territory, producing–like forks in the road–a plethora of questions that need to be answered.

The turns we take here–whether or not to forgive AT&T, Verizon, MCI, etc., and to what degree we hold the NSA and the office of the President responsible–will affect the way our privacy is handled for generations.

What do you think of the wiretapping fiasco? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The crowd gathers / Photo Robin Esrock

The irony of looking for a steak restaurant in the frenzied height of a protest about beef did not escape me.

The citizens of South Korea were out in force, vocalizing their discontent at their government’s decision to allow US beef to be imported into the country, after being banned for fear of importing Mad Cow disease along with it.

If cows were being infected in the fields of the United States, you can bet Americans would be dropping like the flies feasting on their corpses.

Thousands of people on the streets, riot police, water canons, blockades – you can also bet this is a more complex issue than bovines going bonkers. And I had a window seat, since the action was taking place below my hotel window at the Somerset Palace in downtown Seoul.

A rock narrowly misses my cameraman Sean’s head, slamming into the armoured police bus barricading the road to City Hall. Out on the street, he’s encouraging me to get closer to the BBC/CNN cameras, who are mobbed up front around an important protestor spokesman.

The police “chicken buses”, as the locals call them, are covered in eggs, spray paint, stickers, and the overall discontent of the masses.

A Real Riot

I estimate there are over 50,000 people protesting tonight, after the government declared that it would in fact go ahead and lift the ban on US beef.

A long line of people form a chain to bring sandbags up front, creating a makeshift bridge to walk over the buses into the thousands of armed riot police waiting on the other side.

A water canon rises threateningly, a couple youngsters high tail it through the masses, but the sandbags keep coming. A few rocks get hurled, but besides an eerie female voice telling everyone to “Go Home” the cops seem content to wait it out.

Fortunately, tear gas is banned in South Korea. Members of the press are wearing hard hats and protective gear, except that is, members of Word Travels, who shamefully are just enjoying the thrill of being close to their first major urban riot.

I’ll admit that things like this can turn dangerous very quickly, but there was a buzz being a part of democracy in action. Plus, the protestors were mostly calm, if a little angry.

If this were China, or the U.S, rubber bullets would be flying and trust me, I would be enjoying the view from the Jacuzzi on the rooftop of the Somerset. Danger on the road is a judgement call, and we all rightly judged we were in no harms way.

More About Money

The working media / Photo Robin Esrock

Meanwhile word and gushing water on the street indicated there was more action just a block away, and here, in a narrow alley, a robotic water canon was spraying a mass of determined protestors.

A stream of water rushes over my sandals, and there’s a peppery smell in the air, possibly because the water is laced with an irritant.

After drenching the faithful up front, the canon stops, and a large rope gets picked up and pulled in a tug of war to tip the buses over. I took hold of the hard rope to figure what the chances are, and since the buses were no doubt anchored on the other side, chances were slim.

Ripping the grates and wooden boards off the chicken buses was an easier task, and inside I could make out the shadows of riot police, no doubt shitting a beef patty in fear of the thing actually overturning.

A girl next to me tells me she is studying in North Carolina and flew home specifically to take part in the protests. “I can’t believe this is happening in my country,” she says, dismayed, as the chanting kicks into another gear and the water canon renews its projectile into the crowds.

She blames the government for not listening to the people, but since Korea is America’s third largest beef importer, I imagine it’s less about people and more about money.

Interesting Times

It’s getting late, so we decide to head back to the hotel, which sits behind the barricade. Riot police let us through a small crack (oh, the things you can get away with being a tourist!) and we walk back to the hotel through the dark, eerily quiet streets.

We see the anxious faces of young policeman, eyes as innocent as calves to the slaughter.

South Korea’s mandatory conscription has all men serving in the army or the police force. It is highly likely that these kids have friends on the other side of the barricade, girlfriends, family.

If they were not in the police force, they might be there too. Instead, they sit on their shields, row after row, five cops deep. We walk without hindrance, even stopping to play around with some of the riot gear.

We can hear the livid chants of the protestors on the other side of the buses. It is one of the most surreal and tense scenes I have seen throughout my journeys.

And it is all about meat, and where it comes from, while just a few hundred kilometres away, North Koreans are dying in a famine.

Like the rest of us, Koreans live in interesting times.

Two tombstones / Photo Rob Fromwell

Just as each creature occupies a particular stratum of the forest, from deer on the ground to squirrels in the branches to birds in the canopy, we travelers are specialists.

We investigate our distinct niche of the places we travel to.

The young hedonist explores the casual sex, drug, and drinking scene of the hostels and bars. The punkrock squatter scopes out rooftops, fields, underpasses, dumpsters. The solitary flaneur pays close attention to the subtle interplay between crowds, sunlight, and architecture.

My friend Aaron’s grandmother inquires about the flavor of tap water in a potential destination. Does it taste earthy, she’ll ask. Iron, fluoride, lead?

Then there are the nocturnal graveyard explorers. It’s a less gloomy undertaking than you might at first guess, rooted in the fact that every town, no matter how bland or constricting, has set aside significant amounts of unpaved space for bone storage.

In the concrete jungles that sprawl out endlessly with highways and parking lots, cemeteries are often the only wooded sanctuaries, and they give even the most undesirable of locations, suburbia, the potential for subversive shenanigans.

Exploring The Dead

My own impulse to explore cemeteries by moonlight began at a dive bar in Missoula, Montana when my friend Matt Kahler recounted his introduction to poetry over a couple beers.

As a teenager, Matt gathered trash in a local cemetery as community service for underage drinking. One day he brushed the fallen leaves from a headstone wedged between the roots of an old oak to find a peculiar engraving:

“Believe you and I sing tiny / and wise and could if we had to eat stone and go on.”

It was the epitaph of the poet Richard Hugo, and a decade later Matt found himself alongside me and our friend Lucas drunkenly trudging through a sea of snow and tombstones in search of Hugo’s tree.

Lucas recalls me answering a 2 am cellphone call after hopping the fence: “No, I’m not dead… Most of us here are though.”

In my inebriated state I likely wasn’t aware of the rich poetic history behind this sentiment, the contemplation of death as an affirmation of life.

Death: The Great Democratizer

A stone angel / Photo Lindamac

We’re all familiar with “Seize the day”, the ancient Roman lyric poet Horace’s call to jump headfirst into the world before time catches up.

Or perhaps “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die” from the bible, and “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may” from around Shakespeare’s day. Also the Latin phrase “Memento Mori” or “Remember you will die” (think Kenneth Branagh or Mel Gibson as Hamlet soliloquizing profoundly to a human skull).

Then there’s the Danse Macabre, an allegorical trend in the middle ages in which Death, the great democratizer, is depicted leading all walks of life, from virgins to vagrants, in the inevitable dance to the grave.

More recently, at the 1969 funeral of Jack Kerouac, fellow beat poet Gregory Corso plotted to lift Kerouac’s corpse from the open casket and lead him in a stiff tango, but with uncharacteristic caution vetoed this carpe diemist impulse at the last minute.

What To Pack

When exploring cemeteries come nightfall, each participant should arrive adequately prepared with roughly the following ingredients:

• 1 flashlight or headlamp
• 1 black outfit (to camouflage with shadows & avoid detection)
• 1 stick of charcoal & a spiral notebook (for gravestone rubbings)
• 1 bottle of wine (optional)
• 1 pair of tree-climbable sneakers
• 1 constellation chart
• 1 camera (capable of star-capturing long exposures)

Life With Each Breath

Me and Matt and Lucas never located Hugo’s grave.

Having split up to cover more ground, we scanned dim blue cellphone light over the start and end dates of countless nurses, mailmen, carpenters, secretaries, transients now gone and long forgotten, each time whispering to ourselves “You’re not Hugo… And you’re not Hugo either.”

Matt slipped on the ice twice and hit his head hard, and both times woke as if into a dream, disoriented and in awe of snow seemingly falling from the stars.

I crouched alongside an angel statue to avoid detection by the shouting train crew linking up cars for a predawn transport of raw materials toward Seattle or Fargo.

While the cemeteries of world cultural hubs like Rome or Paris are impressive in their own right, just as many people expire in the rarely-visited nooks and crannies of Anywheresville.

Also, graveyard exploration doesn’t require travel-funds, as there’s likely to be a graveyard a few miles from where you are right now. At the very least, graveyard exploration is more interesting than watching TV.

If one side-effect of our TV culture is a sort of death-amnesia, then graveyards are perhaps the remedy, the most urgent and accessible reminder to go out into the world while we, the breathing minority, still embody the limbs and torsos with which to do so.

What do you think of graveyard travel? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Schapelle Corby aka The Ganja Queen / Photo Jason South

In 2000 a Canadian citizen, Nguyen Thi Hiep, was executed in Vietnam by firing squad. He was caught with five kilos of heroin in 1996.

In 2005 a Singapore/Australian citizen, Nguyen Tuong Van, age 25, was hung in Singapore for drug smuggling. Kevin John Barlow and Brian Geoffrey Chambers were hung in 1986 by Malaysian officials for drug trafficking.

Michael McAuliffe was hung in Malaysia in 1993 after serving eight years in jail for heroin trafficking.

In many countries the possession of drugs imposes tough penalties including death and life imprisonment.

Asian countries that have death penalty for drug trafficking: Bangladesh, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kuwait, Laos, Oman, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam. The only other country is the world that has this penalty for large qualities is the United States.

These facts are enough to scare you into rethinking about drugs and traveling. But what if you end up wrongly convicted of a crime you didn’t commit?

The Setup

In Thailand there are dealers that have agreements with the police to inform when foreigners purchase drugs. In exchange they are allowed to continue dealing with no trouble.

Backpackers Judith Payne and James Gilligan both from England faced six years in jail for possessing half a kilo of dope. They were released from the Bangkok Hilton on bail on February 24, 2000 and made a daring escape through the jungle to flee the Thailand drug rap and crossed the border into Malaysia.

Judith had just met James (who admitted to having the drugs) the day of the raid and was charged for them being in her room.

Even coming in contact with drugs or smoking a joint in another country and then crossing the border can also land you in trouble. If your skin, clothes or bags swab with any residue you will be tested and questioned.

If drugs are found in your system you will more than likely be kept from entering the country and sent back from where you came.

What You Can Do:

The most important tip, of course, is not to knowingly cross a border with drugs. But how to avoid having drugs planted on you or your bags? Here are 5 ways you can protect yourself:

1. Lock your bag against tampering.

2. Don’t leave bags unattended.

In a few recorded cases, travelers were unaware someone had placed an item into their baggage. There are even some examples of baggage handlers from one country placing the drug into the bags, then in your destination country they take it out – or they are suppose to.

3. Don’t leave your bags in the care of anyone, even people you think you know.

An Irish woman is in a jail in Africa for coming to the rescue of a fellow church member that claimed he was having visa problems. He had sewed cocaine into the lining of a bag that he bought her.

No matter how well you know someone, it’s not worth testing that trust by having them watch your bags.

4. Never carry anything belonging to someone else in or out of a country.

Traveller Michael Loic Blanc of France is serving life in Bali for smuggling 3.8 kilos of hashish through Ngurah Rai Airport, Denpasar. He was holding a bag for a friend he met in Bali. He was a adventurer, always working his way around the world to learn and explore. Unfortunately, he made a mistake.

Backpacker Daisy Angus of England was sentenced to ten years in Mumbai, India jail for possessing and attempting to smuggle ten kilos of cannabis out of the country. She was arrested in 2002, spent four years in prison waiting for sentencing, then the case was overturned and she was released April 8, 2007.

She was doing a favour for a friend in holding a bag that she didn’t know what it contained.

5. Ensure that the medications you are bringing into the country are not illegal by contacting the embassy of the country you are traveling to before departure.

Just because your prescription may be legal in your own country, may not mean it’s allowed into another. If you’re at all unsure, it’s best to check before you’re being questioned about your heart medication in a back room of a foreign airport.

Further Resources

If stories don’t frighten you into thinking twice, watch the movie, “Midnight Express“. It shows pretty accurately the kind of conditions imposed throughout Southeast Asia for drug offenses.

Books not for the faint-hearted that will leave an impression:

• The Last Executioner is the story of Chavoret Janiboon who was personally responsible for executing 55 prison inmates in the Bangkok Hilton.
• Hell In Barbados is the story of Terrance Donaldson’s struggle with a drug addiction and how he landed in Glendair Prison of the Caribbean.
• Welcome to Hell is the autobiography of Irishman Colin Martin’s struggle inside the Bangkok Hilton.
• The Damage Done and 4000 Days are both written by Australian Warren Fellows telling of his twelve years inside some of Thailand’s prisons.

Your trip is all about the freedom of the road and traveling to your heart’s content. Don’t get so relaxed that you fail to guard for dangers on the road.

Do you have any further tips for avoiding arrest for drug possession? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Music not for the timid / Photo egorsechin

Summer’s here. Time to escape the winter den and go someplace balmy. The bags are packed, tickets in hand…

…but wait. Which tunes are you taking?

You’ve got your standard playlists, your custom-mix CDs at the top of your backpack where you can grab ‘em without looking.

Somehow, it seems a little… known. Ben Harper’s catalog is practically tattooed on your eardrums, and the Jack Johnson disk you fell in love to will wear completely through if you play it…one…more…time.

Do your playlists have that “Stairway to Heaven” feel? Concerned that half your favorites are on the classic rock station? Time to dive into your rarities vault and bring up something… distinctive.

Hidden Gems

When someone asks about your music – sure, you can play it safe and rattle off some universal favorites. But it’s a prelude to intimacy to share your hidden treasures, a statement that says “it may not be popular, but it means something to me.”

The question “what music would you bring to a desert island?” is like a test – it’s hard to be completely honest. But asking, “which of your favorite music do you wish everyone knew about?” will get a totally different response.

Everyone’s music library has its singular, offbeat gems the rest of the world should know about yet somehow doesn’t. Does it flabbergast you that some incredible music is widely unknown?

Open a window in the music department and shout it out! It may be quirky, obscure or nowhere near cutting edge – who cares? And if you want to experiment on your musical journey, explore some audio landscapes from the reader responses.

Here’s a baker’s dozen to spice up your trip, perhaps start a conversation or two….

P.S. Haters who want to trash other people’s tastes needn’t respond. Disagreement is fine, but only if done with class, courtesy and respect. Please be fair.

WARNING: Some links are NSFW (Not Safe For Work)!

Lords of Acid

1. Lords of Acid

2. Praga Khan

Effin’ decadence. The Lords of Acid are the musical equivalent of having your clothes torn off by a band of sex-crazed coeds – a bit shocking at first, but soon you think there’s a pretty good idea here. Quoth a fan: “Pum Pum.”

The name says it all: sex and drugs. Techno and metal weld together amazingly well, but the human element gives it its pulse: a live (non-machine) drummer, a guitarist in a leather gimp mask, and lead singer Deb Ostrega… ah, Europe.

Let’s just say she leaves nothing to the imagination. The result is flat out, adrenalized fun.

Best albums: Voodoo-U, Lust, Farstucker

Composer Praga Khan has numerous solo albums. His work launched a thousand synths back in the day; few will ever catch up.

Best albums: Pragamatic, Twenty-First Century Skin

3. The Specials

The Specials are a blast. Prog rock stations never play near enough of these ska legends. Leave Bob Marley at home this time: if someone begs to hear something other than “Legend,” pop this on. If someone hasn’t asked “who’s this?” within 10 seconds, it’s not loud enough. Great party music, and the lyrics are hysterical. And they’ve recently reunited!

Best album: The Specials

4. Cocteau Twins

Elizabeth Frazier has one of the most incredible voices you’ll never understand. Her lyrics are a combination of obscure dictionary words and echolalia. What comes through is a light, brilliant sound that accomplishes one of the lost arts of rock: melody. These compositions are saturated pop, turned sideways – you’ll regret not knowing what she’s saying because it’s so fascinatingly, achingly pretty. Watch a video

Best albums: Blue Bell Knoll, Heaven or Las Vegas, The Pink Opaque, Four-Calendar Café, Peppermint Pig

Ministry

5. Ministry

Korn, dude! KORRRNN! only wishes they were Ministry. After years of pushing dozens of envelopes – and injecting their contents – Al Jourgensen is lucky he’s still alive. Where he’s been is presented in industrial form: a political beast that broods before it turns loose. Ministry’s farewell tour is this summer. Tune in your “trembling earballs” to hear why that’s our loss.

Best albums: Greatest Fits, The Land of Rape and Honey, The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste

6. Emmylou Harris

Waitaminute, is that country? Well, depends who you’re asking with the album Wrecking Ball. When Daniel Lanois, famous for his work with Peter Gabriel, teamed with country icon Emmylou Harris, the mixture was otherworldly – an ethereal quasi-country. Can you imagine her cover of Jimi Hendrix? Timed just right, it’ll knock you off your feet.

Best album: Wrecking Ball

7. Medicine

The best way to describe Medicine is “beautiful noise.” Maybe you caught that one song from The Crow soundtrack: make it a point to track down some more. It’s like Einstürzende Neubauten made friendly, but really there’s nothing like this.

Best albums: Shot Forth Self Living, Her Highness, The Buried Life

Air

8. Air

Sure, you heard them in that café in Europe. But did you listen to them while on a train trip? You can have a conversation with Air in the background, and come away with this relaxed vibe. And this duo’s music is constantly evolving. Stay tuned.

Best albums: Moon Safari, Premiers Symptomes, Talkie Walkie

9. Sister Soleil

Unfortunately, one of Chicago’s best-kept secrets. Stella Soleil’s band folded when she left for L.A. Her recent work flirts with the commercial, but her older stuff is stunning – a girl’s voice in a woman’s body. Captivating.

Best albums: Soularium, Drown Me in You

10. The Velvet Underground

11.Big Star

12. The Feelies

From the 60s, 70s and 80s respectively, these blasts from the past made untold thousands want to start their own bands, each in their own decade. There’s more going on here than meets the ear. This is some of rock’s smartest stuff.

13. Moodswings

It’s rare to find electronica that not only sounds good, but feels this good. Put this on your headphones, and the phrase “music bath” goes to a whole new level. Great to wake up to.

Best album: Moodfood

If you had your own radio station, what’s some of the quirky, “off the beaten track” music you’d be playing?