Photo: Allison Cross

“Do you have a husband?” It’s a question I get asked every day, sometimes two or three times.

It’s usually as I ride on the back of a motorbike on my way into town from my house, which is out in the country. Clutching tight to the small handle on the back of the bike, doing my best not to fall off, I’ll lean forward to try and hear the driver as he talks to me from inside his bulky helmet.

“Are you married?” he’ll ask, again.

In the beginning, I was mostly honest. I’d say I wasn’t married, but I’d fib a little and say I had a serious boyfriend back in Canada.

As more and more men asked for my phone number, asked to see me every day and asked to be my Sierra Leonean boyfriend, I upgraded the serious boyfriend to a fiancé. But I soon discovered this didn’t dissuade the constant winks and offers for love, marriage or sex.

The men in Sierra Leone are aggressive. They whistle and hiss at women as they walk the streets and I’m told I get the brunt of the public attention because I’m a foreigner.

Roaming Eyes

Some days it’s easy to ignore the calls, but other days a knot will form in my stomach, my cheeks will burn and I’ll long to turn around and release stream of expletives in their direction. But I’ve never done that. Instead I’ll keep my eyes forward and keep walking.

And it isn’t just men who see me on the street. Boys as young as ten lick their lips and call me “baby” as they try to sell me fruit. Men I meet while out working with local journalists will lean very close to me as we talk – too close – and let their hand fall from my shoulder and trail down my back.

Others won’t look me in the eye as we talk, instead letting their eyes roam up and down my body.

Speaking to veteran journalists before I came to Sierra Leone, they warned about the male behaviour, and how it might shock a Canadian like me so accustomed to political correctness. But they counseled me to use the attention to my advantage, and seek out interviews male foreigners would never be able to attain.

Fight or Flight?

Speaking to a local female journalist for advice on how to avoid so much attention, she recommended I placate the men who sought me out, and tell them that although I’d love to spend time with them, I’m committed to my fiancé and to my work.

I was encouraged to laugh about it and throw some humour on the whole situation. I didn’t want to burn any bridges with these men, she told me.

I didn’t like this advice. I didn’t like the idea that I had to appease men in order to stop them from harassing me and touching me without my permission.

Some men take disturbing liberties with the bodies and freedoms of women in Sierra Leone. The West African country has extremely high rates of rape, forced and underage marriage, teenage pregnancy and female genital mutilation.

Widows regularly lose their property when their husbands die, after his brothers or children from previous marriages claim it as their own. Sexual violence was used widely as a weapon of war during Sierra Leone’s brutal 11-year civil conflict.

But speaking up against abuse hasn’t been a part of the female culture in Sierra Leone. Three laws enacted by parliament in 2007 made domestic abuse and child marriage illegal, but many rural women are still unaware of what their rights are.

The Dilemma

Speaking up about abuse can mean women are ostracized by their husbands and exiled from their communities.

None of this is to say many women haven’t successfully entered aspects of public and political life in Sierra Leone. But the liberties men continue to take with women’s bodies are unacceptable to me.

Living abroad requires finding that tricky balance between holding on to your own ideals and adapting to the ideals of your host country.

For me, it’s eight months of uncomfortable but generally harmless advances by men. Whether I stand up or not only matters to me and whether I feel offended or unsafe in a certain situation. But there’s much more at stake for a woman in Sierra Leone.

I’m left wondering if it’s better to try and take a stand, to set an example, or to let their fight for equal rights and respect run its own course.

As a foreigner, what’s the best way to deal with sexual harrassment in other countries? Share your thoughts in the comments!

There are all kinds of reasons why travelers seek out temples, mosques, synagogues and churches on the road.

These holy buildings literally house tradition and history, offer insight into local cultures, and do so while putting irreplaceable works of art and architecture on display — often for free. And of course, they’re also popular destinations for spiritually-minded visitors, too.

Whether you’re seeking buildings with powerful religious or historical significance, or simply an overwhelming visual experience, here are 12 memorable houses of worship from around the globe:

1. St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City. St. Peter’s is a triple threat — it’s the centuries-old seat of Catholicism, home to one of the finest art collections in the world, and a visual feast in its own right. Found it overhyped and overcrowded when you visited? Here’s a hint: show up early. At 8am, you’ll have the place to yourself./ Photo: edbrambley

2. Golden Temple, Amritsar, India. Amritsar’s Harmandir Sahib, or “Golden Temple,” is the holiest site in Sikhdom. It’s located in the Punjab, in north western India. / Photo: estetika

3. Kek Lok Si Temple, Penang, Malaysia. Kek Lok Si’s giant Kwan Yin statue dominates the road to Georgetown, the main city on Malaysia’s Pulau Penang, and the various segments of the temple proper seem to spill down the mountainside. I’m sure there are plenty of more famous Buddhist temples in the world, but this one has stayed with me for years. / Photo: shanemcg

4. Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Mecca is the historic and spiritual heart of Islam. Millions of devotees flock to the vast mosque complex each year for the hajj, the world’s largest pilgrimage. At present, Mecca is open only to hajjis — so for now, unless you’re a practicing Muslim, file this one under “daydreams.” / Photo: Wiki Commons

5. Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain. Gaudi’s unfinished masterpiece (under construction for 127 years and counting) is a mixed-up fantasy of shapes and colors, light and space. The scaffolding and other signs of construction only add to the awesome confusion of a holy sensory overload. / Photo: jurvetson

6. Aya Sofya, Istanbul, Turkey. Istanbul’s Aya Sofya (also called the Hagia Sophia) began life nearly 1500 years ago, as a church. 1000 years later, after the Muslim conquest of Turkey, it was re-invented as a mosque: its mosaics were plastered over, and replaced by Islamic calligraphy. Today it’s a de-consecrated museum — the mosaics are being slowly uncovered, and displayed alongside their later replacements, showing the literal layers of religious history at the junction of Europe and Asia. / Photo: vshioshvili

7.Jain and Hindu Temples, Khajuraho, India. If you’ve walked the tourist trail in India, chances are you already know Khajuraho — the erotic sculptures that cover the walls of the village’s temple complex are a big hit with visitors. / Photo: sankaracs

8.Il Duomo, Florence, Italy. Officially known as the Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence’s “Duomo” (Italian for cathedral) has two ways to awe you: First, there’s the massive dome, the largest ever to be constructed in brick, and one of the first major domes to be constructed since Roman times. And second, there’s the facade, an intricate marble pattern in pink, green and white. Honestly, I don’t think I’d ever get tired of looking at this building. / Photo: chrisbuckridge

9.Great Synagogue, Budapest, Hungary. Also known as the Dohany Street Synagogue, Budapest’s Jewish temple is the second largest in the world. Theodore Herzl grew up next door. / Photo: harshilshah

10.Great Mosque, Xi’an, China. Xi’an’s Great Mosque was built more than 1300 years ago, and still serves local Chinese Muslims today. If you’re expecting domes and minarets, though, don’t hold your breath — the complex is built entirely in the traditional Chinese style, and — visually — has more in common with the Forbidden City than with Mecca. / Photo: andreweland

11.Rock-Cut Churches, Lalibela, Ethiopia. Lalibela is a hub for the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian community, and the area is home to a cluster of rock-cut churches — that is, holy buildings carved downward into the ground, instead of built upward from ground level. Ethiopia’s Christians have a history all their own, and (as you see below) an architecture to match. / Photo: herr_hartmann

12. Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.This modern-day cathedral may not be entirely to my taste, but there’s no denying the power of a church built 250 feet high, with floor-to-ceiling stained glass windows climbing 210 feet. / Photo: soldan

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

These are a few of the buildings that have fascinated me in recent years, whether in person or in photos — but I know there are many more remarkable houses of worship out there. What are some of your favorites? Even better, got a photo link to share?

And before you go see these places for yourself, why not brush up on how to respectfully visit holy places around the world?

A moment’s rest in the Azores, Portugal.

Greetings readers!

You may (or may not) have noticed I haven’t published an editor’s update for almost a month. That’s because I was off gallivanting in TV land, working with the crew on the reality series Word Travels.

Now in its third season, the show follows the talented travel writers Robin Esrock and Julia Dimon as they scope out stories and battle deadlines around the globe. I was privileged enough to work with the small team that makes the magic happen, visiting three countries in 3 weeks: Georgia, Italy and Portugal.

In the coming week I’ll be publishing an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at how a travel show is put together, offering an intimate glimpse into the personalities and process.

In the meantime, feel free to check out my Flickr galleries showing my favourite shots from the trip.

Until then!

- Ian

Photo: Shelley Seale

Very few people haven’t heard of the Oscar-winning movie, Slumdog Millionaire. The story follows two young brothers as they grow up in and survive the slums of Mumbai, India.

In order to show the reality of life for poverty-stricken Indian children, many scenes in the movie were actually filmed in the Mumbai slums. But in true Hollywood fashion, the ending was heartwarming goodness. The ending for the real children of these slums is not so pretty.

Author Shelley Seale recently released the book, The Weight of Silence: Invisible Children of India, in order to tell the story of the children she met while volunteering in Indian orphanages. BNT spoke with her to find out the reality beyond the movie.

BNT: Due to the popularity of Slumdog Millionaire, millions of Westerners caught their first glimpse of what the slums of India look like. Also included was a storybook ending. What is the reality of the lives poor children are living in India?

Author Shelley Seale

SS: The movie, while a fictionalized account of two brothers trapped in the slums of Mumbai, orphaned and victimized, portrays all too well the actual reality of millions of children in India.

Currently 25 MILLION children there live without homes or families of their own – in orphanages, slums, railway stations or on the streets. They are highly vulnerable to abuse, harassment, HIV/AIDS, and being trafficked into child labor if they’re lucky – brothels if they’re not.

Based on what I’ve seen over three years traveling the country and researching the book, the movie was sometimes very difficult to watch – because everything that happened to those boys, I have seen the real life accounts far too many times.

However, the child actors were incredible and like everyone, I loved the magical, feel-good ending. But I also hope desperately that we will not forget that there IS no such fairytale ending for millions of Indian children in similar circumstances.

What made you decide you wanted to help these children, and how did you figure out the best way to go about doing just that?

When I visited India for the first time, in March 2005 on a volunteer trip to an orphanage where 120 children lived, I assumed the kids there were all orphans in the true sense of the word – their parents had died. Instead, I was shocked by how many of them had been “orphaned” by poverty; their parents had left them at the Miracle Foundation home because they were too poor to feed them.

As I got to know the children and the stories behind how each of them had wound up in the orphanage, I decided to begin writing a book about their lives in order to give them a voice. They, and the millions of others just like them (or in far worse conditions), really are invisible for the most part, in their society and to the world. My goal was to provide a strong and hopeful voice that would let their stories be heard.

Does your book mostly discuss your own personal journey in getting to know and understand the children’s situations, or do you also talk about the larger picture of what local and foreign governments are doing to alleviate poverty?

Both. I tried to weave together both aspects – individual children’s stories and lives alongside my experiences with them and journeys throughout India; alongside the bigger picture of the issues that affect them such as poverty, child labor and trafficking, abuse, AIDS and other diseases.

I conducted an incredible amount of research while working on this book, and I try to weave in small bits of that information as I tell the personal stories of these kids.

Have you come up against any barriers, distrust, or even anger from Indians either living in India or in the West due to the fact that you are a white, Western woman taking on this cause?

Some of the children Seale met on her trips

I have some, but not too much. For the most part everyone has been incredibly supportive, both Indian and non-Indian.

However, occasionally I do get comments online or people who question me as to why I don’t “help my own slumdogs,” or questioning whether I’m aware that children in need, poverty and other social ills exist in my own country.

Well, of course I know this. In fact, I have been a huge advocate for children’s rights in the US for many years before I ever got involved in India. I know we have children in need here, and we also have vast problems with poverty and homelessness, and I care about these issues and work on them here, too.

But I don’t think it really matters where a person lives – all lives are equal, here and India and everywhere. I guess I don’t understand why it should matter if they are Indian or American, or any other nationality.

I will say that I am very aware of being a Westerner writing about India and problems there, and I try to be extremely sensitive about that. We should come to listen, to learn, to assist where and when asked; and so the goal of this book is simply to allow us to hear what those voices have to say.

You commented on the BNT piece about the “Incredible India” branding campaign geared toward high-end tourism. Do you think it is possible that this type of campaign could actually help money trickle down to the children living in the slums?

I do think so, if it’s done the right way. I personally feel that, as with everything related to tourism, the initiatives into this side of a local culture depend entirely on how they are done and what kinds of people are conducting them.

Yes, I think it could be very exploitative, if you are talking about a tour leader who takes people around to basically gawk at people living in slums or on the streets. I think that’s the image that comes to mind when people refer to “poorism.”

But it can be done right. It can be done in a way that involved local people who are living and working in their own communities, and they want to cross cultural divides to truly introduce visitors to all the aspects of their home.

I myself went on such a tour in 2007, with Deepa Krishnan of Mumbai Magic tour company. They provide schooling for kids living in slum communities, and Deepa donates a third of her company’s profits to the organization.

Deepa took me to Dharavi, the slum where much of Slumdog Millionaire, and introduced me to women making pappadam bread while their toddlers hopped around them, and men making clay pottery by the hundreds. Dharavi gave me a resounding rebuttal to the myth that poverty is the result of laziness. I have never seen people work so hard in all my life.

How would you like to see the situation change in say the next 5 years, and do you think it is truly possible for the slums to be significantly reduced?

I don’t have any particular expertise on such large-scale urban planning, so all I know is my own personal experience and opinion. I’m not so sure the so-called slums should necessarily be significantly reduced, because where would all those people go?

I have been in India many times when I have read stories in the morning newspaper about slum dwellers who were basically left homeless when their communities were torn down.

Personally, I feel that more support and services should be made available to these communities and citizens, so that their living conditions could be improved and their children can go to school. But again, I’m not an urban planner and I don’t know what all is involved with this.

Can you tell our readers, many of whom have been or are planning to go to India and also consider themselves conscious travelers, what they can do to lend a hand?

Happiness is a part of the picture

There are all kinds of cool ways that people can lend a hand, whether they’re going to India or from their own homes – and the good news is that they range from the really easy and short-term to longer and more involved!

If you’re traveling to India, there’s an amazing organization called Stuff Your Rucksack.

They act as a middleman between organizations all over the world that need materials and supplies, and travelers who might have a little extra room in their baggage and can take such items.

I also have a list of donation and volunteer points on my website. Here I list all of the organizations that I, personally, visited and interviewed for this book. Travelers can also check out websites such as Global Volunteers and Global Vision International.

At home, people can do anything from sponsoring a child through Miracle Foundation or World Vision India; to signing petitions to protect child rights at places such as Global March. Consumers can also be aware of where products are coming from, and make sure they are not made using child slave labor. One good resource is Better World Shopper.

How do you feel about the author’s perspective on the slums of India? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: AlphaTangoBravo / Adam Baker

This is the last post I’m writing before embarking on an adventure to places known and unknown.

Starting next week, I’ll no longer have an apartment, or a couch; my mail will only go to my PO Box and my cat Greysey will certainly be rough-housing with my best friend’s cat, (crazy) Bobby. I will bid Fairfax, CA adieu for at least a couple of months, if not longer.

My planned road trip around the US is hardly a plan at all.

I know I’ll be staying with friends in Seattle first, and I have a house-sitting gig in Santa Cruz until the middle of the month. Then, I simply have hope that my car, which has 166,000 miles on it (but hey, it’s a Honda!) will stay strong as I make my way to wherever it is that I find myself going.

Why am I doing this? Today, I asked myself that question for the first real time. Most of my trips are planned pretty well in advance, and are mostly set in stone. Set minus the mishaps that always happen, which mostly end up amusing if you have a safety net. I don’t have much of a safety net this time, but I realized that may be part of the point.

I’m banking on the universe protecting me.

So here, without further mumbo jumbo, are six reasons to travel without a plan.

Photo: wili_hybrid

1. Challenge fear.

The fear crept up on me big-time tonight. Everything that had been keeping my mind busy – gotta pack this, take that to Goodwill, file papers, fill prescriptions – came tumbling down as I related my mom’s worries to a friend.

Her biggest concern is the car, and the possibility of me being stranded, to which I have said over and over, “Of all times in history to be traveling alone around the US, this has got to be the most safe and carefree possible. We have cell coverage in almost every last square inch of this country, and roadside assistance responds day and night.”

But of course, there is the possibility of my timing belt breaking. Or my clutch giving out. Or a million other things that could happen down the street from my house but seem much more scary when alone and far from home.

I realize the car is simply a central point for my (and my mother’s) fear to land. So fear, bring it on. Come on up and out of me, so I can take my soul’s next step.

2. Believe that if you trust in your path, it will reward you in the ways you need most.

For many years, I wasn’t sure I had a path. Now, I understand that everyone does, whether or not they know what it is (and the reality is none of us know exactly what it is). Sometimes, I get scared that I’m veering off course, that what I’m doing doesn’t make any kind of logical sense.

But then I remember that anything that has made me happy in life hasn’t been logical. Writing for money is illogical. Dancing (not the table-top variety) for payment is illogical. These were things I wouldn’t have thought possible to do for a living five years ago, even though they have been a part of me my whole life. It was only once I began to trust in the illogical that things began to unfold.

Same goes for traveling. Being illogical means experiencing things beyond your current capacity of knowing. And we all want to go beyond our current capacity, right?

3. Too much restriction can hinder inspiration.

Trip plans are helpful. They are touchstones, a way to get from a. to b., and they fulfill our little pea-brain’s never-ending shouts for stability. But sometimes, making plans creates this need to well…stick to them. Stick to them no matter what.

And when we stick to them no matter what, we can stifle the very part of ourselves that told us to get a move on in the first place. You can forget your purpose, other than to check off that you saw the Eiffel Tower or the Great Wall of China or a live sex show in Amsterdam.

Yes, those live sex shows can be inspirational, but really not for longer than a few minutes.

4. Too much restriction can hinder the spirit.

Contrary to popular belief, our souls lead us through this life. Believe me. That’s why heartbreak happens, we lose jobs, we fight with loved ones – they are all opportunities to learn lessons and become stronger people.

When we attempt to confine our experiences, or to “be safe,” our soul can take offense. There it was, just trying to be in the flow, and we muck it up with our agenda. Then it decides it’s time to show us who is boss.

Photo: travellingtamas

As my friend Theresa and I say all the time, don’t mess with the Trickster. You will be sorry. Instead, be open to the good and the bad in both life and traveling, and I promise the bad won’t seem well, as bad.

5. “If you want God to laugh, tell her your plans.”

Yeah, many of us love to work out every last angle of a trip, where we’ll be at a certain time, what we’ll cover each day. Don’t forget the card with all important numbers and passwords hidden in your underwear is case of the big emergency (not sure where in your underwear, though).

Funny thing is, how often do your plans turn out the way you planned? I feel like the older I get, the more my plans decide to run off and have their own little planning party without me. So that by the time I get to the place I thought I was going, there is usually not even a semblance of what I originally thought I wanted.

Luckily, it is almost always so much better. In other words, you can plan, just don’t get attached.

6. Why not?

This one doesn’t seem to need an explanation. Ok, if you really need one: why not travel without a plan just so you can experience life without plans?

What are some other reasons to travel without a plan? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: mariachily

A few days ago, French President Nicolas Sarkozy gave a speech about the possibility of banning burqas in public.

As many know, France banned headscarves (well, the Islamic ones anyway), the burka, turbans and other “religious symbols” in schools in 2004.

According to the government, the purpose was to completely separate religion and state.

But this time around, they are claiming the possible ban is about women’s rights. Sarkozy stated he believes the burqa “reduced [women] to servitude and undermined their dignity.”

Similar to five years ago, there are people who say that the possible ban, at this point only a proposed parliamentary commission to discuss the issue, is discriminatory against Muslims. Many also blame France for becoming completely homogenized.

Or it could be simply politically-motivated. In an article on The First Post, Neil Clark argues this is a calculated move by Sarkozy, who “knows how to spot a vote winner.”

Islamophobia Or Women’s Rights?

Clark continues his piece by voicing the dilemma that is occurring not only in France, but other parts of Europe as well:

For some leftists, civil liberties, a strong belief in multiculturalism and a determination to fight the rising tide of Islamophobia come first. For others, defending Enlightenment values and the rights of women are paramount.

What this possible ban once again brings to the surface is the debate over whether or not the burqa is actually seen as oppressive by Muslim women.

The Times of India ran a story saying many Muslim Indian women are “disgusted” with Sarkozy’s comments. They believe the burqa “is an article of faith, a pillar of support…in a world where sexual-crime is rampant, the burqa denotes comfort, security and allows a woman her dignity.”

Burqa or bikini – women’s choice? / Photo: DeusXFlorida

I also found an interesting take on what Afghan Muslim women vs. American (non-Muslim women) must face.

In The Choice Between Burqa and Bikini, written by Abid Ullah Jan, he argues that it is, in fact, western women who must face a culture that wishes to control their bodies. He noted:

From the hair removal products that hit the marketplace in the 1920s to today’s diet control measures that seek to eliminate even healthy fat from the female form, American girls and women have been stripped bare by a sexually expressive culture whose beauty dictates have exerted a major toll on their physical and emotional health.

Of course, on the other side is the argument that the burqa represents the ownership of women by their male family members, no personal freedom whatsoever, and complete sexual repression. And, in reality, nowhere in the Qur’an does it explicitly state that Muslim women must wear one.

Sarkozy ended his speech saying “the burka is not a sign of religion, it is a sign of subservience. It will not be welcome on the territory of the French republic.”

Is France fighting for women’s rights or taking away Muslim’s rights? Share your thoughts below.

Community Connection

A bit southeast of France, the opposite is happening as Western women search for veils in Baxter Jackson’s piece, Veil Shopping In Cairo. Also, delve deeper into the debate around religious and cultural norms at Where To Draw the Line When Defending Cultural Norms and Put Some Damn Clothes On!

Photo: spammo91

Everyone has a guilty pleasure. Maybe you sing along to Kelly Clarkson when no one’s looking, watch Golden Girls reruns, or spend afternoons on the couch reading celebrity gossip magazines. The point is, you know you shouldn’t, but you can’t help it.

But sometimes it feels good to just air it out. Tell the world proudly, without a hint of shame, “Yes, I wear women’s panties and I don’t care what you think!”

Guilty pleasures are about something more than meets the eye. They can act as a window into the internal self; who we are beyond our cool guy (or gal) exterior. These pleasures are what make us real, flawed, human, and just plain fun to hang out with.

After all, who wants to be around Mr. Boring/Perfect all the time? Give us the guy who somehow tracked down the Facts of Life and You Can’t Do That On Television DVDs any day. Or the chick who secretly prefers a bacon double cheeseburger and a beer after a long hike.

Just for kicks, we’ve compiled a list of our travel guilty pleasures. So, here you go. Take a deep look into our souls…and offer up your own guilty pleasures in the comments.

Come on, we know you want to get it off your chest!

The Matador team shares their guilty pleasures

Carlo (@vagab0nderz): Mine’s a literal guilty pleasure. In China I could not get used to the blatant staring. I tried to ignore it, but eventually gave up and started to snap. I turned to striking up one way conversations with the starers, speaking in loud English of course. “Hey. How’s it going? Like what you see? Anything else I can do for you?” That sort of stuff. For me it was a pleasure in that I wasn’t holding the feeling inside anymore, but letting it go. The guilt was from me being a bit rude. But they never understood anyway. Or did they?

Photo: 摩根

Christine (@livingholistic): When I was vegan, demanding we go through hell and high water to find me meat-free, dairy-free, honey-free, food (definitely my pleasure and not anyone else’s who was traveling with me!). Nowadays, it’s probably drinking coffee and eating whatever the hell I want and saying, “I’m on vacation, damnit!” (even if it’s more like four months of travel).

David (@dahveed_miller): I love getting my hair cut in local places when I’m traveling / living abroad. A couple standouts: Punta Abreojos in Mexico. A woman there gave me a haircut, then without me mentioning a shave she whipped out the razor. Ok. That’s cool. When she was done I looked in the mirror and she’d fully styled me out with the haircut, shave, and a tight little mustache. I left it for a day.

Eva (@evaholland): Cheesy souvenirs. I am powerless before their tacky, silly, Made-in-China charms. However, I’ve recently limited myself to semi-useful items like fridge magnets, mugs and notebooks. That helps to reduce the clutter and post-trip regrets, a little.

Hal (@halamen): I’m gonna steal one from Teresa. Though I usually try to keep the accommodation costs down, sometimes I splurge for a room with cable TV to catch up on all that quality programming I’ve missed.

Another, allowing myself to think I’m better than the backpacker passing through town for a couple days, just ’cause I’m staying for a month. In fact, I’m experiencing this one as I type and can say it generates a lot more guilt than pleasure.

Photo: dawvon

Ian (@ianmack): Busting out the guidebook. Of course, I often ask other backpackers/locals for the hidden hole-in-the-wall gems… but when I’m stumbling off an 8 hour bus/boat/plane ride, the guidebook recommendations are gospel.

Jen: Any restaurant, anywhere, that serves bottomless sodas. I admit it, I’m an addict, but I bristle when I have to pay for more than one hit.

Juliane (@JulianeH): The boys. What can I say, I’m a bit of a dog. I love checking out each country’s eye candy.

Julie (@collazoprojects): Because I’m blonde, lots of locals in the countries I frequent (Latin America, mostly) think I don’t speak Spanish fluently. I’ll let them chatter on for a few and then edge in on the conversation and totally get off on their surprise that I speak Spanish. I’m addicted to the way the dynamic suddenly changes and I’m brought into the fold. I’m also really addicted to digging into a place and staying a while and becoming as local as a gringa can become.

Josh (@joshywashington): My guilty travel pleasure is wistfully watching some local beauty round the corner and out of sight wondering what it would be like to be with her, or be her…

Photo: telethon

Kate: Being mistaken for native by English speaking tourists. I might let them haltingly stutter for a bit longer than necessary in a foreign tongue before I reveal my dastardly English speaking ways.

Lola: Patches. Not just any ol’ country patch, but really cool, simple ones with nice edges that I can easily sew onto a fleece jacket or top. After sewing on the first 3, the rest have joined (and keep joining) the “pile”. Apparently I don’t have enough fleece tops.

Michelle (@StrayNotes): Mine’s kind of like Julie’s, but kind of the opposite, too! I whip out the Portuguese when I don’t want someone to know I speak English. Here in Korea, it’s not unusual to sit next to someone on the subway that wants to practice their English with you. (And usually, they need a lot of practice!) I don’t want to be rude, but teaching English six hours a day is enough for me! So “não falo Inglês” has come in handy a few times.

Photo: permanently scatterbrained

Nick (@pharaonick): If a taxi driver catches my eye whilst I’m trying to cross the road, I’ll let him screech to a halt, as if I need the ride. I’ll then saunter up to him and ask where it is he needs directions to. Naughty, but you take your small victories where you can!

Ross (@rossborden): McDonald’s. Besides the occasional Egg McMuffin at 6 AM on the way to a Tahoe day trip, I literally don’t ever eat at McD’s in the US, but when traveling this is not always the case. Sometimes when you’re in a train station, or it’s late and nothing else is open, or you’re simply starving and don’t feel like taking a gamble on some little hole in the wall across the street, McDonalds provides predictable regularity that I crave.

And more often than not, between tearing into my Quarter Pounder with cheese and stuffing handfuls of golden fries into my mouth, I strike up a conversation with some cute locals. I went to a McDonald’s in Stockholm at 2 AM and it was like a discotec in there. Right at in the center of the nightlife district, this place was three stories tall and packed with young people straight out of the bars. We ended up chilling in there for 20 minutes after we’d finished eating, shooting the shit with a bunch of college students.

Sarah: Doing nothing at all. Spending entire days reading or camping out in a nowhere city, and giving a pass to all the traveler-themed things I should be doing (seeing orangutans, visiting temples, doing something “cultural,” etc.)

Teresa: I love staying in hotels. Even cheesy chain hotels. I love the tiny shampoo, the white towels, watching horrible American TV on cable. And when they give you one of those teeny coffee makers? Aaaahhh.

Photo: chidorian

Tim (@TCPatterson): I can’t stop myself from pulling the odd prank while on the road. In Japan I would sometimes go fishing with a fly-rod in parks and shopping malls. A ¥1,000 note makes great bait, and I would catch everyone from old ladies to salary men. No hooks of course, just tape, though once my line got tangled in the spokes of a man’s bicycle.

In Boulder, Colorado, I switch it up and go hippie fishing instead, replacing the money with a joint rolled with oregano. One time a bum chased that joint 3 blocks down Pearl Street. The best spot for hippie fishing in Boulder is the back steps of the Downer.

Tom Gates (@waywardlife): Pizza. I’ve been collecting my Worst Pizza pictures over the past six months, during my trip. No matter how bad I know it’s going to be I still can’t resist ordering it when I’ve overdosed on local cuisine. So far Chile takes the lead with this beauty. Note that the cheese is not melted and that the ham (cold) is about an inch thick. And yes, those are cherries on top.

Don’t be shy, tell us your dirty little secret below!

With special reporting by Carlo Alcos.

Photo and Feature photo: René Ehrhardt

Here at BNT and the Matador Network, we often discuss what it means to be a conscious traveler.

As a traveler in the 21st century, respect for other cultures and our environment demands that we question how our choices will affect both people and place.

On that note, I recently came across a New York Examiner.com article entitled Conscious Carnivore that discussed whether or not eating meat can ever be a truly conscious, peaceful choice.

I personally debated this question in a big way at the end of what I term my “vegan era,” considering my ethics had kept me partaking in this lifestyle even as my health and body was crumbling before my eyes. Note: I am not saying veganism or vegetarianism is bad for everyone, just that they didn’t work for my body.

But more than that, reading through this article made me think about my travels during my vegan period.

When I traveled to Africa several years ago, I demanded to have my food completely vegan due to my belief system (and truthfully, as I look back now, also because of my ego).

I also did the same thing in Germany, where my exasperated Grandfather ranted about my requirements to my Mom in German since I couldn’t understand, and also because we hardly know each other.

Although I could easily let his reaction roll off my back because he really and truly is an angry man, I can also now see he had a point in that I should accepting of the culture and food that was available.

Was I being a conscious traveler by staying true to my ethical needs above what was readily available? Or was I a completely unconscious, demanding American tourist, who made people of other cultures that had never seen such a request, fulfill my demands?

Keeping The Peace Or Maintaining Health?

And yet when I last traveled, though no longer vegan, I wanted to “keep the peace.” So I ate quite a bit of wheat and dairy even though I had learned by body was highly allergic to both.

Photo: stlbites.com

Interestingly enough, the aforementioned vegan trip had actually kept my body healthy and in better shape than when I had left home, which I know isn’t true for most travelers.

But this time around, my health suffered quite a bit.

Upon my return home, I had to go on thyroid medication (full disclosure – I believe my low thyroid function had been a part of my body for a long time).

I also had to seriously change my diet for a few months due to elevated liver enzymes (never underestimate the power of eating foods that you are allergic to).

And very soon, I will embark on a trip around the US. While I now eat meat, I will be eating gluten-free and dairy-free because I’m allergic to both foods. I also try and only eat free-range and humanely-raised meat, and wild fish. I know I need to follow this diet in order to maintain my health, because it can quickly slide into a scary place if I don’t.

Of course, it is certainly different to request only certain foods in America as compared to say rural Ladakh. But part of me still debates whether or not it is fair to demand certain foods in places they are not readily available or accepted. Will it be that bad if I consume these foods once and a while out of respect for the place I’ve landed?

Because once again, I might be putting my personal needs above those who are providing their own culture to me.

Do you think maintaining personal ethics around food and health can be a part of conscious travel? Share your thoughts below.