Category Interesting

Feature photo by emdot. Photo above by m. s. coleman.Five ways to make some extra cash while on the road, despite the economic downturn.THE ECONOMY SUCKS. Fancy political talk aside, that’s the plain truth. And while we’re tight on cash we’re willing to bet that, unless you’re in the world’s oldest profession (which is apparently booming at the moment), you’re hurting as well.

The 2010 World Cup could be Nigeria’s last international tournament for some time. Photo: nova3webFIFA says it will suspend Nigeria and France from international play if the two countries’ governments don’t drop plans to meddle with their national teams.FIFA has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to government interference in soccer, and Nigeria and France are now finding themselves on the wrong side of it.

The campaign against Laos was part of the U.S.’s wider war in Indochina, aimed at foiling North Vietnamese incursions and halting the communist Pathet Lao’s growing influence. Today, reminders of the war litter the Xieng Khouang province.XIENG KHOUANG PROVINCE, located in the mountains of Northern Laos, was the site of major ground battles between the Pathet Lao and the American-backed Royal Lao Army and one of the most heavily bombed areas of the entire war.

This July, two of the world’s most extreme footraces are pushing runners to the edge of their abilities – and beyond.AFTER YEARS OF WATCHING FRIENDS train for marathons, I can say with confidence that I could not run one. Just the thought of running 26 miles nonstop makes my knees ache. Even more than the physical fitness, I’m amazed by the mental toughness that marathoners have to conjure up to make it to the finish line.

Photos courtesy of Rupert Taylor-PriceControlling ticketless passengers in India is no easy task. Now, a few husky athletes have been called in to take care of the problem.TAKING THE TRAIN in India is an experience in and of itself, and much of it can be attributed to the chaotic nature of train travel in the country.

Prior to coca grower President Evo Morales‘ election in 2006, Bolivia had given a promise ring to the United States, vowing to destroy all coca.THE PLANT, USED to make cocaine, is arguably Bolivia’s most lucrative agricultural crop. It’s drunk as tea, used to ward of altitude sickness, is an appetite suppressant and stimulant and now a key ingredient in Bolivia’s newest soft drink: Coca Colla.

Crashed Ice is making its way to Quebec City for the fourth time, and it’s bringing some chaos with it.Crashed Ice is an incredibly fast race that mixes downhill skiing, hockey, and boardercross, and it all takes place on a steeply-sloped ice rink.The sport originated in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2000 and began spreading to other European cities shortly after.

Feature photo by Claire L. Evans.It’s not every day you see a tall blond man selling burgers on the street in Santiago.Of all the things a gringo could do to make money in Latin America, Ben Seelig, a history major who recently graduated from Berkeley, has eschewed putting in his time as a lackey at a multinational corporation, and (for the most part) becoming a grammar drone at any of Santiago’s many language institutes.

(Feature photo: bobbymond.)Soccer fans can get a little wacky about fouls.CATCH THEM ON a good day, and they& 39;ll not only let you get away with a blatant, violent foul, like Zinedine Zidane& 39;s infamous headbutt, but they& 39;ll name you best player anyway. Catch them on a bad day, and they& 39;ll start calling for your blood.

The Diga di Luzzone is both a working dam and one of the largest artificial climbing walls in the world.BOLTED IN THE 1990s, this spot in Switzerland is home to one of the two largest man-made climbing routes in the world, a 540-foot, five-pitch monster that curves its way up the side of the Luzzone dam.

Did you know there’s a website you can go to to anonymously vent or listen to someone vent?IT’S CALLED Compassion Pit. It’s simple. You don’t have to register or log in or post anything about yourself. You simply go there and choose to be either a Venter or a Listener.I’ve worked hard on being an understanding person.

Photo by Alexandra FranklinKabul opened its very first skateboarding park for children of all social classes on October 29, 2009.WHO KNEW THAT A SKATEBOARDING park could bring so many people together? Skateistan, Afghanistan’s first co-educational skateboarding school, has created a way for the youth of Afghanistan to connect through new opportunities in personal empowerment and education, all through the sport of skateboarding.

What a flipping kitchen! Salmon dinner for under seven Euros? Score.The guy in the TKA shirt lands his beer pong toss (“Take that mother…”) as the girl with curly hair is tongue-jamming her conquest, an Aussi guy who told me earlier that he was “gonna get that, mate.” A nineteen year old Canadian boy sits at the bar, downing shots of bottom-shelf rum.

Hostels are starting to pop up in Southeast Asia, an area previously dominated by guesthouses and hotels.OPEN LAST YEAR in Bangkok, Lub*d (despite the ridiculous name) continually nails 95 + customer ratings on booking sites and rave reviews. Here’s why:DesignThis is the big shocker, the amount of time that went into laying the hostel out.

All photos by author.In part two of Jon Clarke’s ongoing quest for tube, the author goes to the town of Lobitos in Peru, where he has an unpleasant run-in with a local.IN THE NEXT TEN HOURS, I’m going to suffer three setbacks to my attempt to surf my first tube. The last one will put me out of action for weeks.

Feature by ebotunes/ Above Photo by Marcus CroweBeware, truly hungry travelers just might need to take things into their own hands.HERE’s YOUR GUIDE for eating for free in hostels, one thing we definitely might consider an ethically dubious way to save money on the road.Schmoozing and Flattering the StaffThe standby technique.

A bike taxi in South Carolina, home of Bicycle City’s first planned development.–Photo: Smudge 9000A proposed car-free development for cyclists in South Carolina could change the green housing movement in a big way–if it gets off the ground.HEADED BY JOE MELLETT, an internet marketer and bike enthusiast from Cincinnati, the Bicycle City project aims to build an eco-friendly community in the Columbia suburbs that would allow residents to get around by using bikes instead of cars.

Jeannie Mark fills us in on where in the world it’s still en vogue to be a smoker.EVER HEARD OF SEX tourism? What I engage in is an equally, if not despised pastime – smoke tourism. It’s not uncommon for me to fly into Bangkok, seek out a 7-11, plant down baht, and demand 7 packs right there. Call me a rebel chasing smoking bans across continents, but smoking outside of my native country is not only thrilling, but also damn cheap.

The wind rolls down cool and crisp off the crest, bearing, along with the smell of woodsmoke from late-summer wildfires, the first suggestions of autumn. Thoughts turn to the great proliferation of tasks to be done before the snow flies: the firewood to be collected, split and stacked; the snowblower to be serviced; boards tuned…Signatures, from Sweetgrass ProductionsMatchstick Productions: “In Deep”Teton Gravity Research, Re-SessionPoorBoyzProd, Every Day Is a SaturdayPretty Good Teaser by Rage FilmsCommunity ConnectionWhere will you be skiing / riding this winter?

A group of Peace Corps volunteers in Armenia. Photo: Tommy and GeorgieIt’s said that joining the U.S. Peace Corps is the “toughest job you’ll ever love.”IF YOU’RE READY to sign up, pack your bags, and take off on a 27-month assignment, here are five things you should know before you begin the labor-intensive and heart-breaking process of joining the Peace Corps.