Years ago, I quit my job to travel the world. I was broke & I even held a third-world passport—and yet, I made it possible. Here's how!
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Learn to claim EU261 compensation for flight disruptions like delays, cancellations, downgrades, or denied boarding!
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Enjoy Japan's spring season to the fullest and visit these Kyoto cherry blossom spots — from lesser-known locations to the most popular ones!
The post Kyoto Cherry Blossom Spots: 15 Best Sakura Hanami Viewing Locations (Tips & Travel Guide) appeared first on I am Aileen.
Plan out your spring itinerary with this South Korea cherry blossom forecast map: the ultimate guide for knowing when and where to go!
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Find out the easiest ways on how to type enye Ñ/ñ accent characters on the keyboard of your laptop, computer, smartphone, iPhone and more!
The post How to Type Enye (Ññ) in Laptop Computer, iPhone, Android Keyboard, etc.: Small or Big Capital Letter appeared first on I am Aileen.
Start planning your sakura (cherry blossom) adventure with this Japan cherry blossom forecast! (Includes best spots for 'hanami' viewing!)
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Make the most of the season and witness these top spring flowers in Korea! Find out the best places to go and when with this guide.
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See more than just the famed sakura by exploring flower fields, gardens or parks that showcase the other top spring flowers in Japan!
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Express your love thoughtfully with these unique valentines day gift ideas for him and her (all available for purchase in the Philippines).
The post Shop Local: 30 Unique Valentines Day Gift Ideas for Him & Her Couples (Philippines Online Shopping by Category) appeared first on I am Aileen.
These are the best travel jobs for people who want to explore the world indefinitely! Find out which is the right one for you in this guide.
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Cláudio Silva reflects on moving from Angola to the United States as a child, founding Angola's largest food and travel platform, and what the country’s current flourishing means not just for Angolans but for the world.
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What did the extended Roads & Kingdoms family learn in the hills of Emilia-Romagna? Let's start with these eight simple rules for travel.
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A father-daughter journalist team reports from Tbilisi, where nearly every night since protests broke out in October, the pioneering chef Tekuna Gachechiladze has been ladling out soup to demonstrators fighting for their country's future.
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How does one become a successful chef and restaurateur? If there is a standard path, Andy Ricker sure as hell didn’t take it.
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Documentary photographer Cengiz Yar discusses his nine-year project documenting Mosul and the so-called war on terror's long-term effect on the northern Iraqi city
The post A Decade of Images in One Iraqi City:<br> Q&A with Photographer Cengiz Yar appeared first on Roads & Kingdoms.
Drinking highballs and talking about life, creation, and food with Roads & Kingdoms co-founder Matt Goulding. A special revival episode of The Trip Podcast.
The post Matt Goulding on “Omnivore,” His Inventive New Show with René Redzepi appeared first on Roads & Kingdoms.
The beer is cheap and the larb is fresh, but Chiang Rai is more than all that. These 10 bits of local wisdom will help get you started.
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Ahead of our League of Travelers trip to northern Vietnam, R&K’s Charly Wilder caught up with Daniel Nguyen, an activist, distiller, researcher, and our host for this fall's journey into the highlands and beyond.
The post How Vietnam Eats Today:<br> Q&A with Daniel Nguyen appeared first on Roads & Kingdoms.
In Tanzania, NovFeed is transforming the country’s compost into a source of cheap and nutritious feed for farmed fish. NovFeed is a finalist for the 2024 Food Planet Prize.
The post Can Fruit Help Feed the Marine Life of Tanzania? appeared first on Roads & Kingdoms.
In Bangladesh, Pumpkin Plus transforms rural lives through the innovative technology of growing crops on sandbars. They are a finalist for the 2024 Food Planet Prize.
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Could an all-natural steam seed treatment replace mainstream agricultural chemical treatments? ThermoSeed, a finalist for the 2024 Food Planet Prize, thinks so.
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Transfarmation is an organization helping former factory farmers move from debt-laden, environmentally damaging practices toward a sustainable future. Transfarmation is a finalist for the 2024 Food Planet Prize.
The post Taking the Factory Out of the Farm in the American West appeared first on Roads & Kingdoms.
In a small dry corner of England, Aquagrain is creating a super-absorbent biodegradable hydrogel that could help crops grow in degraded lands. Aquagrain is a finalist for the 2024 Food Planet Prize.
The post Could A Scientist’s New Soil Treatment Solve Desertification? appeared first on Roads & Kingdoms.
Food accounts for 13% of cities’ carbon emissions every year. But a small league of C40 Good Food Cities, from New York to Quezon City, is hoping to change that.
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Ask Beatriz Janer about Seville’s storied Feria de Abril, and you’ll get a quick sense of what makes her photographer’s eye for detail so special.
The post Visions of Andalusia:<br> Q&A with Beatriz Janer appeared first on Roads & Kingdoms.
The geopolitical struggle between China and the Philippines has strangled Filipino fishermen’s access to some of their richest fishing grounds
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Mestiza de Indias is an innovative, Maya-inspired regenerative farm in the middle of a region threatened by mass tourism and overdevelopment. Its founder has a lot to say about why food matters.
The post A Model Farm in the Yucatán Looks to the Ancient Maya appeared first on Roads & Kingdoms.
In a semi-hidden location in the north of Bangkok, an American-Thai chef has, somewhat improbably, opened one of the city’s most well-regarded restaurants.
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Ahead of our League of Travelers trip to Mérida and environs, R&K’s Nathan Thornburgh caught up with Jeremiah Tower—Mérida resident, chef, author, diver and now Substacker—for a chat.
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On Spain's Asturian coast, in the small fishing town of Puerto de Vega, on Plaza Cupido—Cupid Square—a self-taught cook writes culinary love letters to the Cantabrian Sea.
The post The Taste of Being Thrown Around by the Sea: Q&A with chef Mari Fernandez appeared first on Roads & Kingdoms.
The Toothpick Company turns fungi into bioherbicide to fight Striga, a devastating “master weed” that has devastated an estimated 40 million farms in Africa.
The post In Kenya, Using Fungi to Fight a War on Weeds appeared first on Roads & Kingdoms.
In Southeast Asia, the Protein Challenge is aiming for nothing less than a total transformation of regional food systems. The solution? Empowering and uniting the protein system’s various and diverse actors to create change from within.
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Monarch Tractor has recently launched its first line of electric tractors with its groundbreaking MK-V model – the world’s first full-electric, driver-optional, data-collecting smart tractor. Its CEO hopes the company is going to revolutionize the future of farming.
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Australian start-up Loam is using fungi to help crops capture carbon in the soil—and keep it there. It could be a game-changer for farmers and the fight against climate change.
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Scientists agree that global agriculture is losing crucial diversity in its plants, animals and microorganisms. But you can’t fix a problem that you can’t measure properly. That’s where the Agrobiodiversity Index comes in.
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Last Updated on December 8, 2024 by Audrey Scott While many cities in Germany have one main Christmas Market, Berlin has dozens of Christmas Markets from which you can choose based on your interests and style. So, which are the ... Continue Reading
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Last Updated on September 12, 2024 by Audrey Scott Active sustainability communications should be an integral part of any sustainable tourism journey, yet it is often seen as an afterthought instead of integrated into all marketing and communications. This is ... Continue Reading
The post 7 Ways to Effectively Communicate Your Sustainability Story in Tourism appeared first on Uncornered Market.
Last Updated on March 11, 2024 by Audrey Scott The 2024 International Women’s Day theme is Inspire Inclusion, a call to action “to break down barriers, challenge stereotypes, and create environments where all women are valued and respected.” While much ... Continue Reading
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Last Updated on November 23, 2022 by Audrey Scott The tires of our e-bikes rested on the cobbles of what we imagined was an old imperial road. Our early morning cycle had wound up through the meadows and canopies of ... Continue Reading
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Last Updated on February 9, 2025 by Audrey Scott The hike to the Lost City in northern Colombia takes you 46km (28 miles) round trip through the jungles, hills and river valleys of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. We’d had our ... Continue Reading
The post The Lost City, Colombia: A Guide to Hiking to La Ciudad Perdida appeared first on Uncornered Market.
Last Updated on February 4, 2023 by Audrey Scott What hiking essentials do I need for a multi-day hike? What gear and hiking backpack should I take on a day hike? What gear would be too much? And what hiking ... Continue Reading
The post How to Pack For A Hike: The Ultimate Hiking Essentials Checklist appeared first on Uncornered Market.
Last Updated on December 1, 2022 by Audrey Scott Hiking in Cyprus may not be top of mind when travelers consider this Mediterranean island for vacation. Most associate it with its beaches and resorts. However, our recent visit to Cyprus ... Continue Reading
The post Hiking in Cyprus: Best Hiking Trails and Travel Itinerary appeared first on Uncornered Market.
Last Updated on August 6, 2022 by Audrey Scott What is it like to go trekking in Bhutan? To go on a Himalayan mountain adventure with wide open landscapes, snow-covered peaks, Buddhist temples, prayer flags, high altitude camping and alpine ... Continue Reading
The post Bhutan Trekking: The Druk Path Trek and New Trans Bhutan Trail appeared first on Uncornered Market.
At the end of last year as winter days grew shorter and the holidays approached, we set our sights on checking in with each other before we found ourselves immersed in the uptake of a new year. Taking off to the Caribbean to spend some time together away from our laptops, reflect on the past year and take a deep breath before a busy year ahead was just what we needed.
The post Travel to St. Maarten: 18 Unusual Things to Do appeared first on Uncornered Market.
Last Updated on April 21, 2024 by Audrey Scott How can one travel safely during Covid? What Covid research and travel planning can you do manage risk while still having a fun vacation? What any additional travel safety measures should ... Continue Reading
The post Traveling Safely During Covid: Research, Planning and Managing Risk appeared first on Uncornered Market.
The happiest countries in the world 2022 have been ranked and for the fifth year running, Finland is the happiest country in the world
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Having five sisters like I do is wonderful. On your travels, you get lots of messages checking on your whereabouts and wellbeing. And then you get some more messages. And then you get some more. Soon, this turns into real-time updates of hazardous activity within a 1,000-mile radius. "You're camping on a beach in Fiji? Did you hear about the couple who got killed on a beach in Thailand?" "Didn't you just leave Vanuatu? There's an earthquake there now." "You're in Chile? What about that huge volcano?"
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Let’s face it: even if you’re a hardcore survivalist, a compass and map simply doesn’t cut it anymore. Whether it’s tracking your route with a hiking app, triangulating your position using a GPS device or reading by headtorch while waiting out a downpour, adventurers these days rarely leave home without at least one electronic device.
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Occasionally, when Kia and I are driving somewhere remote – the Kalahari in Namibia, say, or the Australian Outback – she will marvel at the fact that travellers used to do this with only paper maps. Unlike me, Kia grew up in inner city London and had little opportunity to venture into the outdoors. As such, she never learnt how to use a compass and map or how to build a campfire, or any number of the skills a frequent hiker should have.
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Our resident mountain aficionado and would-be seven summiteer crunches the numbers on how much it will cost to climb the seven summits
How much does it cost to climb the seven summits? About $180,000 USD give or take $10k.
Climbers could significantly reduce costs by foregoing luxuries, cutting corners and taking (even more) risks and get that figure to below $100,000. But we do not recommend this and certainly won’t be taking such unnecessary risks.
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A guide to hiking Ella Rock by yourself, including detailed directions, a downloadable route map, a video and a list of essential tips
Ella in Sri Lanka is beautiful, they said. ‘The closest thing to an English country village’ and the perfect place to slow down, we’d read.
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From a plethora of weird and wonderful sights to some of the most beautiful mountains in the world, the US is rich with natural beauty. Of course, not everyone can afford to access that beauty given national park entrance fees, not to mention the cost of gear and transport. Thankfully, there are nearly two dozen US national parks you can visit for free.
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Sometimes, hiking boots just need a bit longer to wear in and soften up. Other times, it can be a sign that you've not got the right footwear in the first place. Regardless, using these lacing techniques will provide a bit of relief in the short term.
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There are certain safety rules that we all learn in childhood. Never talk to strangers. Get low in a fire. Stand under a tree in lightning. In adulthood, few of us think to question these. In most cases, that’s perfectly fine, but when it comes to hiking in lightning, we’re long overdue a rethink.
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Back in the day, I used to go trekking with a sandwich bag of instant coffee in my backpack. Those were dark days. Fortunately, times have changed and I now kickstart a day on the trail with a proper cup of coffee without having to endure (too much) excess weight in my backpack.
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If you had to, how would you remove 6.5 million cubic miles of ice from Antarctica? In truth, you have two options: On one hand, you could dramatically accelerate the warming of the world to turn Earth’s southernmost continent into a parched realm. On the other, you could spend several decades zipping across it with planes, Ski-Doos, and people armed with some extremely cool pieces of technology. Fortunately, when a group of scientists set out to answer this question, they chose the second option—in part to understand what might happen in the event that climate change leads to the first one.
In March, an international team of scientists led by the British Antarctic Survey published the highest-resolution map of the geologic underworld of Antarctica ever made. It may be familiar to us as a frozen landscape, but that ice wasn’t always around. In fact, the ice is the relatively new frosting atop an ancient rocky foundation that’s been sitting there for hundreds of millions, if not billions, of years. Now anyone can peek at it, thanks to technology that saw right through all that ice.
The map reveals Antarctica’s bedrock with a startling clarity. Deep, scar-like canyons meander around colossal mountain ranges. Some low-lying patches sit so far down that they’re actually below the present-day sea level. The ice atop one particular crevasse is almost three miles thick—that's 15 times the height of the Shard in London, one of Europe’s tallest skyscrapers.
But this is about more than making a visually striking map. Plenty of Antarctica’s ice is melting thanks to humanity’s unyielding predilection for fossil fuels. Knowing where the ice is thin and vulnerable, and being able to see where its meltwater will flow into the ocean, clues glaciologists and climate scientists into how Earth’s largest collection of (melting) ice will change sea levels across the world.
Before I became a science journalist, I was a volcanologist, so I’m used to seeing maps that illuminate the mysterious, abyssal parts of the planet. I’ve glimpsed at depictions of Earth’s labyrinthine crust filled with reservoirs of incandescent magma; I’ve seen illustrations of colossal plumes of rock flowing and rising through the strange mantle below. These aren’t just vague sketches, but increasingly detailed paintings. They come about not through the power of imagination, but the power of geophysics. Using things like seismic waves—which pass through and bounce about in solid rock—scientists can get a sense of what’s going on where we can’t see it, down deep below Earth’s surface.
The deeper you go, the lower the resolution gets. The seismic waves that bounce back contain information about their journeys, but much of that is open to interpretation. So when I see something like the British Antarctic Survey’s new map of the Antarctic bedrock, I can’t help but feel gleeful—as it happens, it’s a lot easier to peer through ice than it is to see through rock.
That’s not to say that creating this Antarctic map was easy. Far from it. A clue can be found in its name, “Bedmap3,” which signifies that it’s the third version of this map. The first version, created in the early 2000s, was made using half a decade of surveys that looked at the thickness of Antarctica’s ice. The second iteration, published a decade later, used a suite of more modern surveying methods to improve the original’s resolution and depth. And now, in 2025, we have the third version, which uses even more refined techniques to add plenty of three-dimensional information atop the previous one.
The researchers behind Bedmap3 have almost lost count of all the different methods scientists have used to measure the shape of the Antarctic ice, and to peer through it. To map out the ice’s surface features, scientists have used planes and satellites to fire lasers at the ice, then waited to see how long it takes for those lasers to return to the source. That can be used to determine a distance. Do that enough times, and you can make a very precise topographic map of the gelid continent. This has been complemented by something called optical imaging analysis—a fancy way of saying a scientist manually interprets satellite photographs to plot out the ice’s peaks and troughs.
Most of the fresh data that went into making Bedmap3 comes courtesy of ice-penetrating radar, which does exactly what you think it does: it fires radio waves through the ice, which hit the rocky foundations before bouncing back to receivers at the surface. This reveals the silhouette of the geologic land hidden below, as well as the thickness of the ice. This technique, also known as radio echo sounding (RES), was mainly conducted using planes. But additional RES surveying was carried out using motorized vehicles like snowmobiles and, reportedly, some dog-pulled sleds.
But other instruments were also deployed, including ones designed to measure the local gravity fields. This method, known as gravimetry, can reveal if there is a concentration of mass below your feet (say, from a mountain, which creates more of a gravitational pull) or a lack of mass (from a valley, for example). During some of the recent fieldwork, explosives were also used. Tiny detonations atop the ice generated seismic waves, like artificial earthquakes; those waves ricocheted through the ice, hit the bedrock, and eventually pinged back toward detectors on the surface. Scientists used this data to create a seismic map of the ice and of the roof of the underlying bedrock, like how geophysicists use (both natural and artificial) earthquakes to peep inside Earth’s geologic innards.
Altogether, the team collected a staggering 82 million individual points of data, revealing the benighted depths below that colossal sheet of ice in remarkable detail—from the South Pole to East Antarctica, the arched, jagged Antarctic Peninsula, and along the gnarly Transantarctic Mountains. The map lets us perceive the continent as it was about 35 million years ago. Back then, it would have been free of ice sheets and instead speckled with patches of tundra and swaths of lush coniferous forests. Now all that land is covered by 6.5 million cubic miles of ice.
If all that ice were to melt today, it would raise the global sea level by almost 200 feet—an apocalyptic scenario that would see a plethora of islands, as well as countless coastal (or low-lying) cities across the world vanish beneath the waves. Cairo, New York City, Buenos Aires, London, Venice, Hong Kong, and Sydney would all become real-life versions of Atlantis. Fortunately, that’s not going to happen all at once, but much of this ice is melting under the weight of anthropogenic climate change. Bedmap3 also reveals that parts of Antarctica are more severely imperiled than previously thought. For example, scientists have spied several rocky channels underneath the edges of the continent—these inlets permit warm water from the ocean to flow into chunks of thawing ice that sit inconveniently below sea level.
Climate change is, of course, bad news for the planet. Although scientists have a solid idea of how it will develop in the near future, fine-tuning their calculations is of vital importance. Sophisticated computer models designed to work out how all of Earth’s systems—the atmosphere, the oceans, the continents, the biosphere, humanity, and so on—are connected need to be fed the very best data on each individual system to be as accurate as possible. Bedmap3 is key to understanding how one system, the most elephantine piece of ice on the planet, is reacting and contributing to the warming world.
It just so happens that this map is also an aesthetic marvel, a painterly vision of a long-lost version of Earth that no human has ever seen. It was created by science, sure. But the end result is a little magical too.
Robin George Andrews is a doctor of volcanoes, an award-winning freelance science journalist, and the author of two books: Super Volcanoes: What They Reveal About Earth and the Worlds Beyond (2021) and How to Kill an Asteroid: The Absurd True Story of the Scientists Defending the Planet (2024).
In late summer of 1937, a man named Louis E. Hammond emerged from the tupelo gums and cypresses of the North Carolina wilderness with a 21-pound piece of quartz, onto which had been inscribed a nearly indecipherable, enigmatic message. The Californian had been traveling through on vacation when he’d stopped at Edenton, on the northern shore of Albemarle Sound, near the mouth of the Chowan River. It was in the forest along the Chowan’s banks, he would later explain, that he’d found the strange rock, which he took to Emory University that fall. A group of researchers at Emory, including historian Haywood Pearce, Jr., set to deciphering it, and soon realized that this stone might hold a clue to one of the great unsolved mysteries of American history.
More than three centuries earlier, Sir Walter Raleigh had attempted to found a colony off the North Carolina coast, in the swamplands cradled by the Outer Banks. A colony under the command of Ralph Lane was founded on Roanoke Island in 1585, but they immediately ran into trouble, lacking supplies and clashing with the largely Algonquin-speaking Indigenous community. When a resupply ship failed to arrive on time, the colonists fled back to England; the ship, arriving some time later to a deserted colony, left behind a garrison of 15 soldiers to defend the territory, and then returned home.
Those men were never heard from again, but Raleigh, undeterred, launched a second attempt, this time under the command of John White. Landing on Roanoke in 1587, White founded the “Cittie of Raleigh,” which would hopefully secure Raleigh’s colonial claim in the New World. White returned to England shortly thereafter, leaving behind just over a hundred colonists (the exact number varies, but they included White’s pregnant daughter, Eleanor White Dare), promising to come back with supplies in a year. But his return was thwarted by the outbreak of the Anglo-Spanish War, when every seaworthy British vessel was mustered into a massive fleet to face the Spanish Armada. White and Raleigh ultimately could not get a ship back to North Carolina until 1590.
When White finally arrived, he found the colony deserted. The only sign left behind was one word carved into a wooden palisade: CROATOAN.
White assumed this meant the colonists had moved to nearby Croatoan Island, and set out to find them there, but rough weather prohibited a landing, and after the ship lost its anchor, White was left with no choice but to return to England. The fate of the Lost Colony, as it came to be known, had been a mystery ever since.
But now, a stone scratched with an enigmatic message, found some 60 miles inland from Roanoke, appeared to have some answers.
We normally view history as a stable, linear narrative: One thing follows another, cause leads to effect, and the decisions of the past pile up all around us, influencing our choices in the present and the possibilities of the future. But unsolved mysteries disturb this order. With no sense of what happened, we’re at a loss to understand how these mysterious events may (or may not) have determined the events that followed. The mystery exists outside of our cause-and-effect narratives, unable to explain anything that might have followed it. But it doesn’t disappear entirely: Like a ghost, it lingers, still somehow present but persistently ambiguous.
The story of the Lost Colony lingers, precisely because it is a mystery, and, in all likelihood, will always be one. Everything about it augurs tragedy, but what kind of tragedy remains undefined. Even worse still, the absence here represents failure: a failure of a colonial enterprise, a failure of Europeans’ supposed technological and moral superiority over Indigenous people, a failure of the indomitable will of humanity to survive and thrive. Across a span of centuries, the remains of an inexplicable defeat leer at us, calling out from the realm of the unknown.
Most eerie of all, perhaps, is that one word—CROATOAN. The fact that historians overwhelmingly agree that it was likely a note left behind for rescuers, indicating where the colony had departed to, has not stopped writers and filmmakers from conjuring ghost stories and hauntings based on that solitary, enigmatic word—from Harlan Ellison and Stephen King to American Horror Story: Roanoke (and the far less beloved Syfy original movie Wraiths of Roanoke).
Across a span of centuries, the remains of an inexplicable defeat leer at us, calling out from the realm of the unknown.
But it’s not just fiction writers; the Lost Colony’s unresolved nature has long made it a prime target for the imaginings of North America’s past. Writers have used fiction and history to hypothesize the fate of the Lost Colony—and their various attempts to explain what happened invariably reveal a great deal about their own attitudes toward the world at the time. Almost from the beginning, writers tried to rationalize events in a way that made them feel better about themselves. John Marston and George Chapman’s 1605 play, Eastward Hoe, features a character who claims that the remnants of the Lost Colony ended up intermarrying with the Algonquin population, who were “so in love with ’hem, that all treasure they have they lay at their feet.”
A hundred years later, however, the surveyor and naturalist John Lawson (who’d himself explored the Carolinas) was writing of the “Treachery of the Natives,” and how we “may reasonably suppose that the English were forced to cohabit with them...and that in the process of Time, they conform’d themselves to the Manners of their Indian Relations. And thus we see how apt Humane Nature is to degenerate.” Both versions hypothesize intermarriage as the ultimate answer to the mystery, but with widely divergent interpretations of such an outcome: Either the white settlers, with their overwhelming beauty and purity, so over-awed the Algonquin that this race mingling must be seen as a victory for Europeans, or they did so only under threat, their pure white blood being corrupted by “savages.”
While British authors in the 17th and 18th centuries had their ideas about the Lost Colony, it wasn’t until George Bancroft’s 1834 History of the United States that the myth and importance of Roanoke was fully established for the United States itself. Bancroft’s history of the country begins not in 1776, but with its earliest colonial past, dwelling on these initial attempts of the Europeans to establish a foothold here. Bancroft was the first to call attention specifically to Eleanor White Dare’s daughter, Virginia, and the importance of the child’s place as “the first offspring of English parents on the soil of the United States.” Not “the New World” or “North America,” but “the soil of the United States,” a subtle but important turn of phrase that hints at both the nation to come and that new country’s innate connection to Europe.
Bancroft wrote his history during Andrew Jackson’s presidency, when repeated banking crises and a slew of domestic upheavals—including an influx of non-British, Catholic immigrants, uprisings from enslaved Americans (including Nat Turner’s rebellion), and Jackson’s weakening of the federal government’s power—all seemed, at times, like they might swamp the American project altogether. Seizing on the country’s earliest colonial past, and specifically the story of Virginia Dare, was an attempt to ground the nation in a transcendental story of resolve and divine favor. For Bancroft, whatever may have happened to her (he didn’t speculate) was less important than the very fact of her existence, as the promise of what was to come. As he makes clear in his introduction, he believed that the early colonial period “contains the germ of our institutions” and specifically that the “maturity of the nation is but a continuation of its youth.” Additionally, he argues that “the fortunes of a nation are not under the control of blind destiny,” but follow “a favoring Providence.”
He was not just chronicling history; as historian Robert H. Canary has pointed out, Bancroft was writing a narrative premised on the belief that “history was the progressive unfolding of the divine will: the significant events in the past were those which pointed to the future, and his object was to construct a narrative action leading to the present.” It worked; Bancroft’s narrative of American history, born of early colonial struggle that revealed both the innate heroism and morality of European settlers and their divine mission, influenced much of 19th- and 20th-century American historiography—as well as how people came to make sense of the Lost Colony. In Cornelia L. Tuthill’s fictional story “Virginia Dare; Or, the Colony of Roanoke,” published in 1840, Virginia Dare converts the Indigenous populations she encounters to Christianity, becoming something of a folk saint, “remembered among the tribe—who preserved the history of her eventful life, as the ‘White Angel of Mercy.’”
As Robert D. Arner would explain in his 1985 analysis of the various Lost Colony narratives, Tuthill “stumbled intuitively upon the real reason for telling the tale in the first place—our profound inability to believe that over one hundred civilized, Christianized Englishmen could possibly have been wiped out by illiterate pagans.” The Lost Colony has always threatened to be a story not just of individual tragedy, but of the peril and folly of colonialism altogether. By turning Virginia Dare into a mythical figure, what Arner identifies as both an “American Artemis, the virgin huntress Diana” as well as a hybrid blend of “Protestant Madonna and Virgin,” the story of Roanoke is less tragedy than divine prophecy of the success of colonialism and the power of its martyrs.
The history of the history of the Lost Colony becomes, in Arner’s words, “the process by which the mind transforms unacceptable facts into at least minimally acceptable fictions,” a process that can happen only because there is an absence in the historical record, an absolute emptiness of known fact that we can plug up with longing and self-soothing myth. It’s why, for example, the story of the Lost Colony became a powerful narrative in the Reconstruction South, where defeated white segregationists clung to another story of white people “unjustly” defeated by non-white forces.
The story of Virginia Dare was an attempt to ground the nation in a transcendental story of resolve and divine favor.
By the dawn of the 20th century, when the country was once again adjusting to large waves of non-white, non-Protestant immigrants, racists and segregationists turned to Virginia Dare and tried to console themselves with fictive explanations of what happened. The Reverend Joseph Blount Cheshire, at an anniversary address given at Roanoke in 1910, proclaimed that the Lost Colony had not assimilated, nor were there descendants to be sought “in the mongrel remnants, part Indian, part white, and part negro, of a decaying tribe of American savages.” Rather, he argued, they suffered “a nobler fate”: martyrdom, leaving behind only “their spiritual descendants and kindred” in “worthy and patriotic son and daughter of Carolina, Virginia, and the United States.” This racist celebration of Dare has persisted to this day. One of the more prominent white nationalist websites is named VDARE, founded in 1999, and bigots seem to turn to her story whenever they feel threatened by social change. Which is the nice thing about mysteries: They can be eerie because they remain inexplicable, but they can also be soothing because you can dream up whatever explanation you need.
Louis Hammond’s discovery in 1937 offered an end to all of this—a solution, finally, to what had happened to the Lost Colony, and a historical record that would either affirm or refute all of our metaphysical imaginings. The Dare Stone (as it came to be called) was a piece of quartz, its exterior weathered but its core still bright white, such that cutting into it created a durable and visible script. On one side was a cross, surrounded by the words
Ananias Dare and Virginia Went Hence Unto Heaven 1591
Any Englishman show John White Governor Virginia
On the other face, a longer message signed “EWD” appeared to be from Eleanor Dare herself. It was addressed to her father, and explained how, as soon as he left, misery and war befell the colony; a misunderstanding of some kind seemed to have terrified the local Indigenous population, who returned apparently believing the colonists were “angry spirits,” and slaughtered all but a few. Among the dead were Eleanor’s husband, Ananias, and her daughter, Virginia. They were buried, the stone explained, four miles east of the river, on a small hill, their graves marked with stones.
The Dare Stone offered both a series of answers, and yet posed more questions. What had happened to Eleanor and the remaining survivors after she’d carved this note? And where were the other stones, that supposedly marked the graves of the dead?
Hammond wanted Emory University to buy the stone from him, but the university declined to purchase it; instead, one of their professors who’d been tasked to analyze it, historian Haywood Pearce, Jr., bought it along with his father, who was president of nearby Brenau College. Pearce, Jr., presented his findings in The Journal of Southern History in 1938, detailing the forensic evidence that suggested the stone was genuine and what its story might mean for historians attempting to understand the Lost Colony. Additionally, both Pearces began making regular trips to Edenton to scour the nearby forest for more clues, and in February 1939 they announced a reward of $500 (over $11,000 in 2025) to anyone who could turn up another stone.
For locals, amateur historians, and treasure-seekers alike, the discovery of the stone, and the promise of others, changed the landscape around the Carolina wetlands. Suddenly every wilderness space was resonate, every inert rock or bit of landscape could—perhaps!—hold a clue, a piece of the story. Pleasure-seekers and treasure-hunters fanned out across the forests and swamps. If the story of the Lost Colony created a strange absence in the historical record, the promise of more stones made the North Carolina landscape come alive with a renewed vitality.
The Pearces would not have to wait long; that June, a man named Bill Eberhardt appeared, claiming to have found a second stone. This stone was different: The script and spelling didn’t match the first Dare Stone, and its location, in Greenville County, South Carolina, was far from where anyone had supposed the survivors might have traveled to. But Pearce took it as genuine, and soon Eberhardt appeared with more stones, ultimately more than three dozen. Like a serialized drama, Eberhardt’s stones doled out important plot points one by one, telling a story of how the colonists had migrated farther south, eventually dying out in the wilds of Georgia.
The mystery of this new group of stones was less about what had happened to the Lost Colony, and more about how a respectable historian like Pearce was taken in by such an obvious con. Eberhardt, it would later be revealed, had a long history of counterfeiting Native American relics for sale, and his supposed Dare Stones were quickly unveiled to be patent—and not very convincing—fakes. When Pearce sent the Saturday Evening Post a feature about the stones, the magazine hired journalist Boyden Sparkes to fact-check the piece and look into the stones’ provenance; based on what he found, the Post ended up hiring Sparkes to write a very different piece altogether, disclaiming the entire lot of rocks (even Hammond’s original find) as forgeries.
Currently, the entire collection is housed at Brenau College in Gainesville, Georgia, where the stones are still accessible to researchers, even though they clearly identify the Eberhardt stones as fakes and cast doubt on Hammond’s (their website notes that “there is no conclusive scientific evidence that the chiseled text is authentic and not an elaborate forgery”). But there are some who believe that the original Dare Stone may be legitimate: The language aligns with Elizabethan English (in a way Eberhardt’s patently did not), and its narrative matches what little we now do know about the colony, including information that may not have been available to scholars in 1938, let alone an amateur forger (indeed, most attempts to discredit rely mainly on Hammond’s own motivations rather than the properties of the stone itself). And so it has become a mystery unto itself. Rather than resolve the mystery of the Lost Colony, the original Dare Stone—like that eerily carved word CROATOAN—has only deepened it, and at this point your belief of its provenance, perhaps, says more about you than it does about the stone or the missing Roanoke colonists.
Which is to say, as we peer deeper into history, sometimes in lieu of clarity what we find is even more ambiguity. Often, of course, the work of history and archaeology produce new and startling answers that help further fill in gaps in the historical record. But every so often, attempts to solve mysteries only beget further mysteries.
The Four Way, so named for its corner location in South Memphis, has been a cornerstone of the community since Irene and Clint Cleaves opened it in 1946. By the 1960s, The Four Way had become a gathering place for leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, Stax musicians on studio break, international visitors, and neighborhood locals, its famed food creating a sense of belonging, cementing the restaurant in the cultural history of the city.
Now, more than 75 years since opening its doors, this unassuming spot remains a beloved institution, still serving some of the best soul food in the city—arguably, in the entire South.
Soul food is a loaded term, but The Four Way keeps to its traditional definition—Southern food originating from the cuisines of the African diaspora. At The Four Way, dishes like fried chicken, blackened catfish, braised collards, stewed neck bones, and earthen gumbos showcase its rich legacy.
A meal here feels like a masterclass in balance and restraint. While some soul food can lean heavy, the dishes here sing in harmony. The catfish is tender and herbaceous, spiked with lemon. The turnip greens crunch and melt. And the cornbread soaks up the baked pinto beans perfectly. On other tables, the fried chicken arrives golden and glistening, the fish and shrimp plates piled high.
Small and squat in a cinderblock square just off Lamar Ave in midtown Memphis, Payne’s Bar-B-Q proves that a simple meal, made with care and attention (and a lot of hickory coals), can buffer itself against the tides of change and remain a neighborhood stalwart, beloved by locals and travelers alike for over 50 years.
These days, Ron Payne and his sister Candice run the pits at Payne’s, having taken over from their parents, Horton and Flora. Other than that, not much has changed. The recipes are the same. The sandwiches are the same. The tablecloths, red and white checkered, stained and sticky, may very well be the same. When things are this good, why change? You can perfect a lot of things in 50 years.
The menu here plays the classics. The pulled pork sandwich is a best-seller, but they’ve also become known for their “BBQ bologna”—a hulking slab warmed and smoked over hot coals, slathered in sauce and laden with slaw, sandwiched between two slices of white bread. It’s a perfect combination—the sauce sweet and piquant over the smoked meat, and the mustard-based slaw tangy and aromatic.
At Payne’s, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. The food speaks for itself. As the lunch crowd begins to filter in, I’m reminded that some things—when done right—don’t need to evolve. They endure, simple and timeless, true to form.
Arguably one of the most unusual public parks in Tokyo, Tetsugakudō Park in Nakano Ward was established by philosopher and occult expert Inoue Enryō, who was also the founder of the Toyo University.
In 1904, Inoue had a small temple built, dedicated it to Socrates, Immanuel Kant, Confucius, and the Buddha, and dubbed it Tetsugakudō or the Philosophy Pavilion. Later, between 1909 and 1912, he founded more structures around the temple, creating what would be known as Tetsugakudō Park.
The park consists of 77 structures based on Inoue's unique worldview, dedicated to an eclectic mix of philosophical ideas and esoteric teachings. Some buildings simply exist to represent the concept of space and time, while some are their own shrines to philosophers of old, such as the Yellow Emperor of China, Thales of Miletus, and Akshapada Gautama.
Inoue was also a critical researcher of the yōkai, colloquially known as the Yōkai Professor, approaching paranormal phenomena and superstitions from a scientific aspect. It is also believed that the modern use of the word yōkai, as a collective reference to supernatural creatures and ghosts, was popularized by Inoue in his process to demystify folklore.
The main entrance to the park, named Tetsuri-mon, gives a fascinating glimpse at Inoue's view on the supernatural. Flanking the gate is a pair of painted statues, one of the tengu and another of a ghost, representing the material and the immaterial, respectively.
In 1944, following the death of Inoue, the park was donated to the municipality of Tokyo, and then to Nakano Ward in 1975. It is now nationally designated as a Place of Scenic Beauty.
In 2009, in commemorations of the 140th anniversary of the two nations' relations, a replica of the Garden of Philosophers in Budapest was given to the park by Hungary. This installation includes statues of such historical figures as Jesus Christ, Bodhidharma, Akhenaten, Hammurabi, Justinian, Francis of Assisi, and Prince Shōtoku.
Built in 1903, The Depot Museum, also known as the Enterprise Station and the Seaboard Coastline Depot, houses thousands of artifacts donated from families and businesses around the Pea River area of Alabama. The eclectic collection includes the original Boll Weevil statue that sat atop the monument in downtown Enterprise. Other items include period garments, old mill equipment, furniture, weaponry, soldier's uniforms, old medical tools and medicine bottles, children's games, and the old Clintonville Academy school bell.
The structure was built in 1903 by the Alabama Midland Railway. Later, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad acquired it. Freight shipments and passengers began traveling to this area of Alabama via the Alabama Midland railroad in 1893, once the roadbed was constructed. The downtown brick businesses were completed that same year. By 1903, the much-needed depot became the transportation focus of Enterprise. Passengers would gather across the street at the Rawls Hotel, which is allegedly now haunted.
The Depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and is located just a block away from the Boll Weevil Monument in downtown Enterprise. The Depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
The Rock of Kalikatsou is more than a beautiful coastal destination. Located on Petras Beach on the island of Patmos, many say the site carries a strong spiritual energy. The rock is revered as a Christian pilgrimage site, and is at the center of several local legends. One of these legends says the rock was once a temple for Aphrodite, the goddess of love.
What we know for sure is that the island shows evidence of human use as early as the 8th century BC. In 200 BC, under Roman rule, the island fell into disrepair. The population there decreased, and the island became a holding place for criminals and those banished from Roman society.
In the year 95, the island's Christian era began with the arrival of St. John the Theologian, who was exiled from Ephesus, Turkey. It is said that he stayed on the island for 18 months, living in a cave below the Temple of Artemis. Allegedly, the visions he experienced in the cave informed the last book of the New Testament. Many monks, nuns, and artists have since followed in his footsteps, moving to the island to live in monasteries and caves.
Still today, the area is considered to be an important Christian pilgrimage site known as the "Jerusalem of the Aegean."
Beyond the legends, the rock is named for the black sea cormorant that nest on it, also known as kalikatsou.
The old gentry of Sussex sure were keen on a folly. Nothing says "I'm wealthier than you!" better than an ultimately purposeless structure perched up in the hills for everyone to marvel at.
Well done to the 11th Duke of Norfolk then, for creating something that looks so regal from afar but turns out to be quite an embarrassingly small and purely ornamental "castle" from up close.
You'd be forgiven for thinking that this castle-like building, perched atop South Downs hill, had something to do with the nearby Arundel Castle, with it's classic turrets and imposing form. But get up close and you'll see it's a noble, but incomparable attempt to fit in with the real royals.
Still, it does command some cracking views of the rolling green hills of the South Downs, and the building is worth a look.
Among the greenery of Truby King Park sit the remains of a failed asylum. Considered the largest building in New Zealand when it was built in the late 19th century, Seacliff "Lunatic" Asylum was designed to house 500 patients and 50 staff. The asylum was known for its large size and ornate architecture, designed in the Gothic Revival style by Robert Lawson.
Soon after its opening, the building became better known for its constructional faults. A partial collapse occurred in 1887, and a tragic 1942 fire claimed the lives of 37 female patients who were trapped in a locked ward. Treatment of patients at the asylum was considered abysmal. Patient Janet Frame, a New Zealand writer, wrote in her autobiography: "The attitude of those in charge, who unfortunately wrote the reports and influenced the treatment, was that of reprimand and punishment, with certain forms of medical treatment being threatened as punishment for failure to 'co-operate' and where 'not co-operate' might mean a refusal to obey an order, say, to go to the doorless lavatories with six others and urinate in public while suffering verbal abuse by the nurse for being unwilling." Frame also describes other patients being punished for bedwetting, and recounts her own escape from receiving a lobotomy.
In 1889, Frederic Truby King became the superintendent of Seacliff. King was known for advocating for better patient treatment and setting new standards for how mental health was addressed in New Zealand, but also for his racist beliefs based in eugenics. Despite his reputation for reform, King also carried out inhumane experiments on patients.
The asylum was closed in 1973, after worsening conditions affected many areas of the building. The surrounding site was designated as Truby King Park, and the last remaining building was demolished in 1992.
Today, little remains of the original structure, but the atrocities carried out there haven't been forgotten. Some still call the grounds the most haunted place in New Zealand.
Built in 1960 to be the administrative centre of the new state, this strange, Brutalist behemoth has never been occupied due to structural issues. The interior remains unfinished and unusable.
In 1945, following the Nazi defeat, the Soviet Union claimed the Königsberg area from Germany. They kicked the entire German population out, brought in their own people, and updated the city’s name to Kaliningrad. In an effort to clean up after World War II bombardments, the remains of the heavy-hit, historical Königsberg castle were demolished to make place for its successor: The House Of Soviets.
In 1970, construction started and the foundation of the building was built on top of the castle's ruins. Which, in turn, was already built on mushy ground. That proved to be a very bad idea. Even with the originally planned 28 stories already lowered to a more modest 21 stories, construction still couldn't be finished. Then, in 1985, fifteen years after its inception and with the building still unfinished, the regional USSR committee lost interest in the project.
In 2005, and the 60th anniversary of Kaliningrad, Russian President Vladimir Putin chose to visit the city. To honor his presence, the locals decided to paint the building a cheerful, pastel blue and finally add some windows, just 35 years after the original construction.
Today, the entrance of the building is still closed off, but that hasn't saved the structure from vandalism. Many of the windows are now shattered and graffiti marks the walls, extending up to the roof.
In the dark days after the fall of the Alamo, on March 6, 1836, James Fannin, commander of the Texian garrison at Goliad, was frozen with indecision. He had fortified the mission grounds of La Bahia, but recent defeats at Refugio and San Antonio made the fort vulnerable to the advancing Mexican armies under General Jose de Urrea and Santa Anna. By the time word came from General Sam Houston, ordering the Texians under Fannin to fall back to Victoria, General Urrea’s troops were already approaching Goliad. Fannin finally ordered a retreat, and on the morning of March 19, he and his 300 men abandoned the fort. They carried 1,000 muskets and nine cannons, but very little food or water as they headed east towards Victoria.
Urrea’s men caught them less than a mile from the relative safety of a tree line on high ground and surrounded the Texians in a small patch of low, dry prairie. As Fannin’s men set up a defensive square, Urrea sent word back to newly-captured Goliad for reinforcements and artillery. A little after 1:30 p.m. the battle commenced, and by the evening of the 19th, the Texians counted seven killed and 28 wounded. The next morning, the Mexican artillery reinforcement had arrived, and the Texians had no choice but to surrender.
Fannin believed he and his men would be treated as prisoners of war and paroled back to the United States, but Urrea could not promise this as Santa Anna had standing orders that all who take up arms against the Mexican government were to be executed as pirates. The Texians were marched back to La Bahia and shot on March 27 in what is now called the Goliad Massacre.
A small group of prisoners were spared or escaped the execution. From eyewitness accounts, the site of the Battle of Coleto Creek was marked with a pile of stones after the defeat of the Mexican army at San Jacinto on April 21, 1836. In 1894, a local farmer named Sol Parks placed a cotton gin screw at the site of Fannin’s surrender, which still stands near the entrance to the park today.
Fishcake is a modest but almost essential ingredient in Japanese culture, known all the way since the Middle Ages. It can be found in many varieties such as chikuwa, datemaki, naruto, crab sticks, and of course, kamaboko.
Founded in 1865, Suzuhiro is considered an authority in the manufacture of kamaboko and other fishcakes. It has its main factory in the Kazamatsuri neighborhood of Odawara City, as well as a museum dedicated to the history and culture of kamaboko.
Free to enter, the museum welcomes its visitors with unique displays on the development of fishcake, including a replica of medieval kamaboko (which is more similar in appearance to today’s chikuwa) recreated from historical texts, and an exhibit on the science behind this food.
Upstairs, the museum even showcases artistic potential that lies in kamaboko. The company regularly holds competitions in which locals and children create artworks out of kamaboko boards, some impressively inventive.
If you’re willing to delve deeper into the culture, the museum also offers kamaboko-making experience on the first floor (note: reservation required). And, of course, you can buy actual fishcakes at the gift shop and bring them back home if you’d like.
This piece was originally published in Vox and appears here as part of our Climate Desk collaboration.
One morning this week, Hanna Koch was snorkeling in the Florida Keys when she came across a brown beer bottle on the sea floor. Koch, a marine biologist for Florida’s Monroe County, picked up the bottle, planning to carry it with her and later toss it out.
Through her dive mask, Koch peered inside to make sure it was empty.
That’s when she saw an eyeball.
“There was something staring back at me,” Koch told me.
It wasn’t just one eyeball, actually—but dozens. Inside the bottle was an octopus mom with a brood of babies.
“You could see their eyes, you could see their tentacles,” Koch said in a recent interview with Vox and The Dodo. “They were fully formed.” (Octopuses technically have arms, not tentacles.)
Instead of taking the bottle with her and throwing it away like she initially intended, Koch handed it to her colleague, another marine biologist, who carefully placed it back on the sandy sea floor. Based on the images and video, Chelsea Bennice, a marine biologist at Florida Atlantic University, said the animal was likely a species of pygmy octopus—making this whole encounter even cuter.
On one hand, it’s hopeful to find life—an octopus family!—living in rubbish. “One man’s trash is another octopus’s nursery,” as University of Miami environmental scientist Jennifer Jacquet told me when I showed her the photos. Her graduate student, Janelle Kaz, said it’s actually not uncommon for octopuses to take up residence in beer bottles. “They are highly curious and opportunistic,” Jacquet said.
But it’s also a reminder that, as Florida ecosystems decline, there are fewer and fewer places for wildlife to live. Overfishing, pollution, and climate change have devastated near-shore habitats in the Keys—and especially coral reefs—in the last few decades.
The irony, Koch told me, is that she runs a state-funded project in Monroe County to create “artificial reefs:” structures, often made of concrete, to enhance the habitat for fish, lobsters, and other sea creatures. And she was actually snorkeling that morning to figure out where to put some of the structures.
“This octopus found artificial habitat to make its home,” Koch said. “I was just like, ‘Wait momma, because I’m going to put out some better habitat for you—something that someone can’t pick up and throw away.’”
The Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia is home to many important artifacts from American history. Many visitors come to see Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, overlooking lesser known sights including the Benjamin Franklin Museum and Franklin Court.
Franklin Court is bordered by brick houses on Market Street and contains a printing office exhibit, the Fragments of Franklin Court exhibit, and a the a working branch of the United States Postal Service known as the B. Free Franklin branch. The USPS post office is located in one of the buildings on Market Street. While it is a working post office, its services are limited. The clerk will hand-cancel, or stamp, a postcard or letter with Postmaster Franklin’s cancellation “B. Free Franklin.”
These buildings were owned by Franklin, who was appointed postmaster of Philadelphia in 1737 and co-Postmaster General of the North American colonies for the British Crown until 1774. He then served as Postmaster General from 1775-1776 under the authority of the Continental Congress. The printing office contains two reproductions of 18th century printing presses like those that Ben Franklin and his family would have printed on. There is also a typesetting area, bindery, and Ben Franklin grandson's newspaper office for The Philadelphia Aurora, which he founded in 1790.
Two large white steel frame structures provide a visual representation of the outline of Benjamin Franklin’s home and his grandson’s printing business. The buildings were later demolished to make way for commercial development, though the foundation of the house is still visible through observation windows.
The grounds also include several informational plaques on the walls of the interior of the Court and markers where four privy pits, a well, and an ice pit were located in the 18th century.
The Court also houses the Benjamin Franklin Museum, which is almost entirely under Franklin Court. The museum highlights Ben Franklin’s life and times and his impact on the development of the United States.
In the barren mountains of southern Tunisia, at the gates of the Sahara desert, it rarely rains. When the rains do come, they can quickly turn to torrential downpours. In 1969, a flood lasted 22 days, forcing the inhabitants of the Berber village of Tamerza to abandon their homes and rebuild further down the valley.
Today, it is still possible to see the ruins of the old village along the road going from Tozeur and the large salt lake Chott El Jerid, to the mountain oasis region, near the border with Algeria. Tamerza was already inhabited in Roman times and known by the name of Ad Turres. It was a strategic center along the Limes Tripolitanus—the extreme southern border of the Empire—built to stop raids by the desert tribes.
The old abandoned village offers spectacular views of the surrounding Atlas mountains, which appeared in some scenes of the Oscar-winning film The English Patient. A desert oasis sits in the backdrop of the long abandoned settlement. Among the ruins of the village, visitors can see a mosque and the tomb of a local saint, the marabout Sidi Dar Ben Dahar.
Dear Atlas is Atlas Obscura’s travel advice column, answering the questions you won’t find in traditional guidebooks. Have a question for our experts? Submit it here.
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Dear Atlas,
If I’m gonna take a long-haul trip, I want to make the most out of the actual journey. Are there any major international airport hubs that have fun activities outside of the fancy business lounges?
Maybe it’s just us, but we at Atlas Obscura enjoy the idea of riding a 39-foot-tall slide to our departure gate. We just weren’t built for gray walls and fluorescent lighting. Luckily, some airports go above and beyond to entertain people waiting to board. Because even though many terminals are starting to look more like malls, some are mercifully saving those of us who don’t need to eat a meal or shop for clothes. After all, wouldn’t you rather walk between the trees of a jungle, skate on ice and roller rinks, or play with a pig?
Nature SpotsEasily the most entertaining airport in the world has to be Changi in Singapore. Find your way through mazes made of mirrors or hedges, admire a shapeshifting rain sculpture, ride down the slide that spans four stories, or watch planes take off while floating in a rooftop pool that includes a jacuzzi, bar, and shower. If you want to forget you're in an airport at all, head to Terminal 3 for a garden full of 1,000 butterflies fluttering past spiky Powderpuff flowers and a 20-foot waterfall.
Living, breathing indoor gardens have sprung up at a few airports around the world. At the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, a Japanese forest of pine trees, stone lanterns, and pagodas connects to Chinese wilderness full of bamboo, koi fish, and a red pavilion, which eventually leads to a Hawaiian haven with Luau torches, a waterfall flowing down lava rocks, plus bananas and coconuts. In Malaysia, you can smell the humid soil on the jungle boardwalk in Kuala Lumpur International Airport, which has endemic rainforest species and trees nearly outgrowing the ceiling. Or you can even admire swiss chard and bell peppers growing in Chicago O’Hare’s vertical vegetable farm.
For more animal life, you could become mesmerised by aquariums in airports like Orlando International or Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, but the most impressive ones are in Canada and Saudi Arabia. King Abdul Aziz International airport in Jeddah has the largest aquatic tank. Meanwhile the aquarium in Vancouver feels like it flows through the entire airport, since it has tidal pools, streams, and tanks in different terminals holding jellyfish, armored sea cucumber, and purple sea urchins.
Active OptionsA few airports such as London Heathrow, Dubai International, and Zurich International have public-accessible hotel gyms for a long wait. But you can get more unique exercise at JFK in New York by roller skating at the Runway Rink of the TWA airport hotel, which sits in front of an old 1958 airplane turned into a cocktail bar. Or try the wintery option at Incheon Airport in South Korea, which offers a year-round ice-skating rink.
Much like the Frankfurt, Dallas, and Delhi airports, San Francisco’s airport offers a yoga studio. But SFO enhances their meditative offerings with therapy dogs and the world’s first-ever therapy pig, which sometimes wears tutus or aviator goggles.
Cultural OfferingsIf you’ve arrived particularly early or have a long layover, watch a short film or entire movie at Minneapolis−Saint Paul International, which has a small theater in Terminal 3 near Gate 18. Portland’s airport has a 1920s-style microcinema that only seats 22 people, showing short films and documentaries created by local filmmakers on topics such as bigfoot and Portland donuts. And of course Singapore’s Changi Airport has two free theaters open 24 hours a day.
For an older cultural immersion, a number of airports have museums on the premises. If you’re lucky enough to fly to Athens, head to the museum in the Eleftherios Venizelos International, which houses 172 artifacts dug up during construction, including Byzantine coins, tiles, beads, and terracotta pots from as far back as the 3rd millennium BC.
Nearby in Turkey, the Istanbul airport displays 316 items from 29 museums, such as a head of Medusa sculpture and the first peace treaty in the world from 1259 BC between the Egyptians and Hittites. In the U.S., Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport shows its history and involvement in the Civil Rights Movement in a permanent exhibit in the hallway between Terminals B and C. And Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is home to the Artbeat of New India museum, which showcases artifacts and art from all over India.
Unusual ArtSpend your time admiring stranger art at Denver International, where a seemingly demonic mural and blue horse with red eyes have caused all kinds of conspiracy theories. In fact, several curious artworks are spread across U.S. airports, like the space cow in Houston, magic illusion in Seattle-Tacoma International, robot repair shop display in Pittsburgh, tunnel of changing LED lights in Detroit, and enormous flamingo in Tampa. Abroad, giant kangaroos adorn Australia’s Canberra Airport, a 23-foot yellow teddy bear oversees the foyer in Hamad International in Qatar, and Gallery Toto in Japan’s Narita Airport is like a love letter to high-tech toilets.
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Danielle Hallock is a former senior editor at Atlas Obscura, Thrillist, and Culture Trip, as well as a writer for National Geographic, Well+Good, and Time Out. She's been working in travel since 2018, after four years as a managing editor at Penguin Random House. As a Chilean-American, crossing cultures and mountains is in her nature, and she continues to grow her collection of books, bagged summits, and passport stamps. Though she has a hard time sitting still, Brooklyn has become her base camp.
This article is adapted from the March 29, 2025, edition of Gastro Obscura’s Favorite Things newsletter. You can sign up here.
Since the advent of the car, food companies have used them to advertise. Some simply painted their logos onto delivery trucks, while others created spectacles on wheels to get people talking, like the time that Moxie, the old-school soda company, put fake horses on top of cars that could be steered by a rider perched on the animal’s back.
But that’s much too confusing. Really, the best way to get the public’s attention is to drive giant hot dogs through the middle of town. Of all the promotional vehicles still rolling along out in the world, one of the oldest and certainly the most famous is the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, which has been on the road, in one form or another, since 1936.
A number of these giant vehicles are venerable enough to have ended up in museums. The Henry Ford Museum has a 1952 Wienermobile on display, while the Hershey’s Kissmobile Cruiser can be viewed at a transportation museum in Pennsylvania. But this spring, a new giant food-shaped vehicle has rolled out of the shop. Blue Diamond, which processes a vast number of the world’s almonds in Northern California, recently took their new “Nutty Cruiser” on the road.
The Nutty Cruiser, by the way, is a 20-foot-long almond on wheels. “The concepting phase of it went in multiple directions. I love where we landed. It’s more of a rugged look to an almond,” explains Ralph Failla, the VP of experiential and production at Inspira Marketing Group, the company that created the 10,600-pound fiberglass almond for Blue Diamond. Part of that ruggedness, adds Failla, involves the cannon. “We added a cannon that shoots almonds out of the front,” he boasts. “We have our little parachutes on order. So once we launch [them], the almonds will come down in a little parachute.”
Of course, the Nutty Cruiser is designed to distribute samples and souvenirs to a curious public. Along with two or three people to pass them out, there’s enough room for 10,000 packages of almonds “in the butt of the nut, if you’re looking at it that way,” Failla laughs.
Like other promotional vehicles, the Nutty Cruiser features a website that lists its future stops. “We’re striving to hit a million samples this year, which is to get a million packs out to a million individual consumers,” Failla explains. This spring and summer, the car is headed to nine different music festivals, county fairs, and snack expos across the country.
So far, the drivers of the Nutty Cruiser have provided some feedback. The almond shape of the car, says Failla, makes the Nutty Cruiser fairly aerodynamic. “It is a very smooth ride going down the road,” he says. “They said it feels like driving on air.” In actuality, though, what they’re driving on is a heavily modified box-truck body.
Driving a giant almond has led to some unexpected challenges, says Blue Diamond Growers brand manager Laura Heckenlively. “Our driver was taking it across the country for its first event, and he was pulled over by a cop,” she says. “It wasn’t for speeding. The cop just wanted to take a photo of it.”
“We’ve had consumers who’ve asked to hire it out for their kid’s birthday party,” she adds. “Someone offered to buy it from us. They’re like, ‘Name your price. We’ll take it.’”
If you’re in the United States, you might spot the Nutty Cruiser on the road this summer. But you’re just as likely to see another promotional vehicle criss-crossing the country toward some event. Here are some notable examples.
Oscar Mayer Wienermobile
Circa 1936
Drivers: The Hotdoggers
Number of Active Wienermobiles: Six
Schedule
The Big Idaho Potato Truck
Circa 2012
Drivers: The Tater Team
Giant Potato Weight: Four tons (of fiberglass)
Schedule
The Planters NUTmobile
Circa 1935
Drivers: The Peanutters
Length: 26 feet long
Schedule
On an August night in 1991, Nancy Jean Burkholder was kicked out of the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival. It wasn’t because she was disrupting the event—it was because she was transgender. The lesbian feminist women's music festival, which had been an annual event in Oceana County since 1976, claimed that they had a “womyn-born-womyn” policy that excluded trans women from attending. Nancy left the festival grounds, devastated, and returned to her home in New England. When the festival rolled around the following year, Nancy did not attend, but her presence was still felt. Trans women could not go in, and neither could their supporters—but zines could.
In response to Nancy’s expulsion from the festival, trans organizers and cisgender allies organized Camp Trans, a demonstration outside of the Oceana County festival. Though they were unable to enter, trans organizers and cisgender allies funneled literature into the festival. They posted flyers debunking gender myths on the port-o-potties and passed out surveys to gauge support for trans women among the festival crowd.
The protest became an annual tradition, and zines were an integral part of Camp Trans. A 2001 Camp Trans zine, now held in the Queer Zine Archive Project, describes their goal to “start new dialogues about trans-inclusion and identity” and invite festival goers to their camp just across the street. These documents offer one of the few available histories of Camp Trans organizing. Along with other zines created by the queer and trans community, they are the subject of a growing number of private and public archives.
Zines have existed for over 100 years—from the “little magazines” that Black writers created and distributed during the Harlem Renaissance to the fan-created, self-published comics of the 1930s where modern zines get their name. The second- and third-wave feminist movements, including the ones responsible for the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival, used zines to organize protests and community action.
Defined often by a limited run or circulation of 1,000 or fewer copies, zines are created by collaging together written word, printed images, and drawings to create a small book that is then photocopied and distributed. As a result, each one represents a time capsule of community existence and culture. From a 1991 Riot Grrrl zine held in the D.C. Punk Archive, to A queer and trans fat activist timeline created in 2010 and held in the London College of Communication Zine Collection, they capture the struggles and victories of community building.
These handmade publications have found their way into the special collections and libraries of Duke University, New York University, Columbia University, Michigan State University, and more. Along with academic archives, there are countless independent collections like the Papercut Zine Library in Boston and Zine Archive Publishing Project in Seattle, which inspired Milo Miller and Christopher Wilde to create the Queer Zine Archive Project (QZAP) in 2003. Today it is one of the largest digital repositories of queer zines anywhere.
Long before any of these official collections were built, private collectors were compiling archives in their homes. One of these people was Larry-bob Roberts, who created the zines Holy Titclamps and Queer Zine Explosion, a compendium of all the queer zines that people had sent their way. Larry-bob's archives served as a vital reference for Miller and other QZAP research fellows as they studied zine culture over the past 50 years.
David Evans Frantz, a queer curator based in Los Angeles, says that private collections are often more common for queer and trans histories. “Before museums would even consider collecting or we could even imagine our lives highlighted in museums,” Frantz says, “much of that history saving is done through grassroots archives and libraries, the people that are collecting voraciously in their apartments.” They were the people who chose to collect the objects and documents that make up the histories that were not deemed acceptable or not noteworthy enough for museum spaces.
For years, archives and museums resisted collecting zines for this very reason. “With zines, everyone can make a copy,” says Vee Lawson, a writing professor at San Jose State University, “so you might have multiple variants of a zine that have been photocopied over time, held in different collections.”
Today, as a result of nostalgia for the fluorishing zine culture of the 1990s and growing disenchantment with social media as platforms like Facebook and Instagram, queer and trans people are returning to the tried and tested tools of small circulation, often self-published works of art.
Lawson has written extensively about zines and uses them as teaching tools and assignments for their students. They first learned about zines in the 2010s, and came to the medium through online spaces like Tumblr, rather than in print. It wasn’t until Tumblr banned female-presenting nipples in 2018 that they thought more deeply about it.
“What happened,” Lawson explains, “was that many of those queer and trans content creators who had formed the bulk of my online community were no longer allowed on the platform because they posted either truly explicit content or content that was queer or trans enough to be marked explicit.” As this online community imploded, they began to look for more stable, and anonymous, forms of queer communication. They found physical zines.
Lawson began creating their own zines in graduate school, using them to process the stressful and often classist world of higher education as someone from a working class background. They wanted to bring the theory they encountered in classrooms to their communities. Now they use zines in the classroom as an exercise for college students to think critically about their own experiences, tap into the medium as a space of exploration and discovery, and affirm the importance of the every day of trans and queer lives.
“[Zines] give a broad range of personal experiences of the everyday, so folks who don’t make the news,” Lawson said. “Folks who may even be stealth in their daily lives, who are just everyday people. So you get their stories, but you also get snippets of the materials they used to make these zines.” Some of their favorites include social media posts that people have printed out and glued into the booklets—pieces that may not exist in the future as platforms are phased out.
Some zines offer a glimpse into how communities respond to seismic political and social issues. Joey Gray started making HARDY in response to the socio-political climate in 2016, when Donald Trump was first elected to the presidency, queer communities were grieving the Pulse Nightclub shooting, and America was reckoning with the growing Black Lives Matter movement.
These zines also serve as vital spaces for sharing community knowledge, especially in a time when gender-affirming care is under fire. “It’s so important to have access to information about your community and your history,” says Lawson. Zines serve as knowledge-sharing tools about accessing hormone therapy and gendered spaces, and covert ones at that—to protect people who want to share information without being outed or that may be illegal.
The physical material on which zines are printed is not as important as the content itself. While they can be photocopied, many of these zines are ephemeral because they have not and will never end up in an archive and will never see a larger readership. But to QZAP founder and zinester Miller, this is at the heart of their work—zines are important historical documents that circumvent capitalist information sharing.
“We recognize that there’s so much that, especially in western queer world, does not get talked about in queer media,” Miller says. There are only so many column inches, only so many voices that can be represented because at the end of the day, these publications need to sell advertising to support their work. “Zines don’t do that,” Miller explains, “and one of the things that is so important about our collection is that we’re the rest of the story. We’re all the voices that don’t show up in other media and presses.”
With over 600 digitized zines available online and an estimated 4,000 physical zines from more than 10 different countries in their collection, QZAP proudly shares that “the only barriers are whatever you create for yourself. We don’t have publishers. We don’t have editors.” Their agenda, Miller asserts, is to make the world a better, safer place by creating a space where people can see themselves represented.
"We’re all the voices that don’t show up in other media and presses.”
By design, QZAP does not know who is visiting or using the digital archive. They recognize that many of the zines in their collection can be considered “dangerous” because of who they represent and the ideas that they share, so they try to preserve the anonymity of people who access them. But the project isn’t entirely anonymous—QZAP offers internships and residencies, in-person efforts to research and record queer history.
This kind of community-focused work is critical because zines that do end up in university archives can feel inaccessible to the very communities whose histories they represent. “Zines do have a somewhat antagonistic relationship to academic institutions,” Lawson explains, because “when you take a zine and put it in a university library, it is preserved and technically it is usually open to the public but the folks who may be interested in reading that zine may not know that it’s there or that they even have access to the university’s special collections.”
Other community organizations like the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center also have extensive collections, and resources like the Digital Transgender Archive serve as online nexuses to compile all these materials in one place and make these collections searchable.
Independent zine archives have blossomed in the last 20 years to begin collecting underground queer community work, The Queer Reads Library in Hong Kong was founded in 2018, partially in response to the removal of 10 LGBTQ+ children’s books from the Hong Kong Public Libary. The traveling collection featured zines, and also inspired the Queer Zine Library collection, which was established in June 2019. Like the Queer Reads Library, the Queer Zine Library has no permanently accessible location but makes zines available through workshops, displays, and touring events.
Zine festivals, indie comic events, and other community gatherings also serve as spaces to collect, trade, and distribute zines, although the pandemic temporarily slowed this work. Before founding QZAP, Miller organized the Media Alliance Zine Expo. One of the reasons they founded QZAP was because they and their partner wanted to capture and share the ephemera from Queeruption, an queer punk anarchist festival they helped organize in 2001. It was this question that led them to think about sharing their collection with a wider audience.
Today, many of the festivals are more local affairs that focus on how to serve their communities and recognize their histories. Aiden Bettine, the curator of the Tretter Collection in GLBT Studies at the University of Minnesota, operator of the Late Night Copies, and founder of the Midwest Queer and Zine Festival, explains that “we want to uplift regional zinesters who are making stuff that people in the region want to know and see.”
You can find zine collections in academic libraries, including Barnard College, Yale University, and Furman University, as well as public libraries in Seattle, San Francisco, Brooklyn, Chicago, and beyond. Sometimes they’re part of special collections, tucked away in special acid-free folders, while other times, zines are in integrated collections, stuck in between thick volumes and DVDs.
While these collections take different forms, they all provide access to a wide variety of materials. They preserve stories that are often left out of the historical record, like that of Camp Trans. It’s especially important now, when the word “transgender” is being removed from the written history of places like the Stonewall Monument and Dupont Circle. “We’re seeing our history erased in real time,” says Lawson. But as zine culture begins to flourish once more, new history is being written all the time. The most recent addition to the QZAP collection, Miller reports, was made the day we spoke with them.
Early one February morning in 2002, Rick Fisher was driving down Route 23 toward Marietta, Pennsylvania, when he saw what he thought was a child standing in the middle of the road. He slowed, planning to help—until he got close enough to see this was no child, or at least not a human one. The figure was about five feet tall, stick thin, and covered in dark hair. Fisher turned on his high beams to get a better look. The creature turned around, staring at Fisher with yellow eyes, then vanished.
Residents of Pennsylvania’s Lancaster and York counties might recognize this hairy hominid as the Albatwitch, a local legend that Fisher says has been spotted in the area since the 1800s. The earliest accounts came from picnickers enjoying Chickies Rock, a cliff overlooking the Susquehanna River. They reported that strange, hairy creatures stole their apples then threw the eaten cores back at them. This is likely what led to its name, which may have started as a compound Pennsylvania Dutch version of “apple snitch,” though Tim Renner, cohost of the Strange Familiars podcast, believes the true root of the name is the German word alb, or “elf.”
The Chickies Rock area is no stranger to paranormal activity. The village of Chickies flourished with iron furnaces that burnt anthracite coal in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After those furnaces closed in the early 1900s, the village was abandoned and the area converted into Chickies Rock County Park. The 200-foot quartzite cliff at the park’s center is known for its scenic vistas, but has also been a place of tragedy, with lives lost to falls and accidents over the years. Some of these departed souls are believed to haunt the ghost town of Chickies, whose ruins can be seen along the park’s trails.
While hauntings are reported in the area, though, those who have spotted the Albatwitch believe it’s a flesh-and-blood creature—and Fisher is just one of many who claim to have had an encounter with it over the years. Newspaper reports from the 1920s describe campers going on Albatwitch hunts (though they don’t mention whether any were successful). Since going public with his 2002 encounter, Fisher has personally received 21 reports of a small bigfoot-type creature in Lancaster and York counties, several of which are recounted in his 2019 book Ghosts of the River Towns.
Those raised in the region grew up with the Albatwitch as local lore. Chris Vera, a local historian and president of the Columbia Historical Preservation Society, recalls childhood games centered on hunting for Albatwitch and trying to catch it in a bag. “It’s something we always did as kids,” he said in a 2023 interview with PennLive. “I hold the bag down while your friends chase the Albatwitch.”
Most Albatwitch sightings center around the Lancaster County town of Columbia. Vera has uncovered more than a dozen reported Albatwitch encounters in archives of Columbia newspapers, dating back to the 1920s, and documented over 60 sightings in recent decades.
Though similar creatures have been spotted elsewhere, Columbia has claimed the Albatwitch as its hometown cryptid and celebrates it every fall with Albatwitch Day. Fisher, who started the event with Vera in 2014, says he was inspired to throw a local cryptid celebration after lecturing at the Mothman Festival in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. The Albatwitch fest has grown with each passing year, bringing together more than 5,000 people from across the United States in 2024
Fisher is proud of how the festival has grown, though he doesn’t take full credit for its popularity. “It’s not me doing it, it’s the people who come and support it every year,” Fisher says. The reasons people attend the festival vary. Some come to celebrate a local legend, while others have had strange sightings of their own and attend the festival to share notes on their encounters. Along with enjoying lectures, live music, food, and cryptid-themed goods for sale, Albatwitch Day attendees can take trolley tours up to Chickies Rock—with apples in hand—to try and catch their own glimpse of the elusive creature. During a trolley tour at the 2017 Albatwitch Day, Vera says that a group saw five sets of red, glowing eyes moving from tree to tree, watching their trolley pass.
As to the origins of the Albatwitch and why it calls South Central Pennsylvania home, local experts each have their own theories. Vera is currently researching a theory that their story begins with primates that may have escaped from visiting circuses in the early- to mid-1800s. But the legend might date back to Indigenous folktales of similar hominids, predating the arrival of Europeans. Fisher, meanwhile, suspects the Albatwitch is a juvenile bigfoot and thinks they’re drawn to Lancaster County for practical reasons: The river and farmland serve as viable sources of water and food, though he admits, “I don’t have an answer as to why the smaller creatures are more common here than other areas.”
Stan Gordon, a local paranormal investigator, notes that reports of small ape-man creatures across Pennsylvania have been increasing since 2023. “Credible witnesses are encountering these creatures every year,” he says. “They’re not seeking publicity. They have nothing to gain. They just want to know what it is they saw.”
For anyone who has an Albatwitch encounter to report, Stan Gordon’s hotline is open 24/7. And for those who are still hoping to catch their first glimpse of this small ’squatch, Chickies Rock remains the go-to place to start your search.
A dusty arena in the French village of Marsillargues seems like an improbable setting for Carmen. The crowd is dressed in patterned shirts and denim—Provençal rancher wear—instead of opera attire. Yet, when Bizet’s rousing song booms over the loudspeaker, the cheers aren’t for a robust tenor taking center stage, but rather a brawny black bull. This beast is the star of a centuries-old tradition in the southern region known as the Wild West of France.
Straddling sport and spectacle, the course camarguaise is a friendly, not fatal, affair that blends small-town rodeo with Spanish corrida. Unlike bullfighting, in which man and beast engage in a dance that is destined to end in the animal’s demise, the choreography of the course camarguaise showcases the bulls' might without endangering their lives. Young men (and, on some occasions, women) dressed in white, called raseteurs, run at a bull to nab prizes affixed to his head and horns. When the bull charges, they jump out of the arena to avoid sharp horns that can pierce their skin “like a knife slicing through butter,” says Benjamin Villard, a champion raseteur who now dedicates his time to training.
The course camarguaise is named for the rugged region where it was invented: the Camargue. Whipped by gusty winds, Europe’s largest wetland sits where the Rhone River spills into the Mediterranean Sea. The Camargue’s wild mosaic of fields, marshland, and salt flats are peppered with a unique mix of pink flamingos, ivory horses, and ebony bulls. There are nearly twice as many cattle as humans in the region.
These are Camargue cattle, or Raço di Biòu, a domestic breed that is raised in semi-feral conditions in the marshes. The bulls, which can weigh over 800 pounds, are revered like kings. “The bulls get top billing on the marquee at the course camarguaise,” says Villard. Statues of bulls stand proud in towns that have arenas. The most victorious are buried standing up, their heads turned towards the sea.
In his 1994 book on bullfighting in the Camargue and Andalusia, the anthropologist Frédéric Saumade writes how locals “Have a genuine faith…and love…for the untamable biòu.” This fé de biou (“faith in the bull” in Provençal) is the crux of the Camargue’s deep-rooted taurine culture. “We have nothing but respect for them, since it is thanks to them that the course camarguaise exists,” avows Kaiss Ouennouri, Villard’s stepson and a budding raseteur.
The origins of the game date back to the late 19th century. Originally called the course libre, the sport was meant to highlight the Camargue bull’s combative spirit. In makeshift arenas formed by a circle of wagons, farmworkers competed to “remove bread and sausage tied to the bulls’ horns,” explains Villard.
In the early 20th century, Folco de Baroncelli created the Camargue brand that elevated the grassroots game. The mustachioed aristocratic gardian (the French version of a cowboy) was inspired by Buffalo Bill shows that he had seen during a visit to the United States. De Baroncelli recognized the need to preserve and promote the region’s hoofed heritage and piggybacked off the romanticism of the American West to convince French filmmakers to use the Camargue, aka the “Far South,” as a set for French cowboy movies.
Admittedly, there were striking differences between France and America: compact bulls and waterlogged marshes instead of giant bison and arid prairies. But these Camarguais Westerns acted as an unofficial PR campaign for the region’s rich traditions. To illustrate their importance, Baroncelli designed a logo, the croix camarguaise, (the Camargue cross), composed of an anchor, heart, and trident—a tool used by ranchers to separate the bulls. He also launched the Nacioun Gardiano association to codify the course camarguaise.
The sport became official in 1975 with the formation of the French Federation of the Course Camarguaise (FFCC). “Camarguaise” is somewhat misleading, for the hundred or so arenas stretch beyond the Camargue as far west as Montpellier and north to Avignon. Village arenas host events between March and November, most selling course tickets at 5 – 20 euros, depending on the competition. Weekends are often punctuated by an abrivado, a street parade of folkloric costumes and the emblematic white Camargue horses escorting the black bulls.
Lined with red wood walls and shaded by plane trees, the arenas are a refreshing break from the bling of modern sports venues. The course opens with provincial pomp. To the tune of a trumpeting band and the aforementioned opera, local ladies in hoop skirts and straw hats form a pathway to welcome the raseteurs, who have dressed in all white since Baroncelli’s time. Anywhere from four to 20 raseteurs compete at a time. The slim athletes prep for the race by jogging around the perimeter and using the arena’s walls to stretch their legs. Watching them, even I felt nervous about the challenge they were about to face. “You always have a bit of fear before it starts,” says Ouennouri.
The announcer introduces the bull basketball-player style, calling out the name of his manade (ranch) as he trots into the ring. One at a time, the men in white attempt to grab attributs (prizes) from the bull: a red fabric cocardier on the bull’s forehead, a pair of white pom poms that pay homage to the castrated bull’s former family jewels, and tightly wound ribbons wrapped around the horns. The raseteurs sport Edward Scissorhands-style tools on their hands, called crochet, to remove the ribbons—an act that requires both elegance and speed.
“The more you take risks, the more you are liked,” explains Villard, since said risks unleash the bull’s bravo (bravery). After all, that’s what spectators came to see—the crowd squeals when raseteurs leap acrobatically from the arena, hitting the wooden walls with a loud thwap as the bull grunts below. The men land so close to me that I feel like I can catch them, an intimacy that is part of what makes this sport so appealing. Traditional bullfighting pits man against beast, but in the course camarguaise, it’s more like man and animal. “You must not treat them as an adversary,” says Ouennouri, quoting the renowned raseteur Joachim Cadenas. “They are teammates that guide you.” This mindset illustrates how this version of bullfighting is kinder to animals. “The only bulls in the ring are the ones that want to be here,” Ouennori reminds me.
The camarguais breed has a grab bag of traits that suit the sport: a smaller stature that lends itself to speed, an instinct to engage with humans, and an unpredictability that adds drama. Keenly intelligent, they remember their role in the arena despite not being able to be trained to do so. “A biòu either has bravo or not,” explains rancher Thierry Félix in a thick southern twang. This bravery is what the sport is built on.
The Manade Félix ranch is in Aimargues, a pastoral town dotted with farms, vineyards, and ranches. Most of the 130-strong herd are raised for the course. Those that lack the necessary vigor, around 40 per year, are slaughtered for their meat. Beloved for its flavor and low fat content, Taureau de Camargue was the first French beef to get the appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) label—the same system that says a sparkling white wine can only be called Champagne if it comes from the Champagne region of France. “We were farm to table before that became trendy,” Félix says with a smile. The herd mostly lives in autonomy outdoors. Félix’s only interaction with them is to check on the bulls’ health—and round them up for races.
Away from humans, the cattle are peaceful herbivores. They only become dangerous when approached by foot, so ranchers round them up on horseback. Félix does so with his daughter, Camille, son, Vincent, two friends, and, to my surprise, me, without asking if this city slicker has ever ridden a horse. “You look like a tourist,” he teases, correcting me that real cowboys don’t clutch the saddle with their left hand—they let their arm roam free.
We trotted to the herd, forming a barrier with our horses to contain them in one part of the field. Though the cattle all looked identical to me, Felix knows each one by sight. His daughter galloped toward the bull who would compete in that day’s course. He bolted, causing the others to scatter like a flock of Camargue swallows. Thankfully, they didn’t come near me—I was so frozen in fear I couldn’t have followed Félix’s instructions to gallop to the field’s perimeter if the bulls barreled at me. Eventually the team chased the bull onto a truck to transport him to the arena.
Like Villard, Félix was a raseteur. Their sons have taken the reins, as is common in this patrimonial sport. “It’s too dangerous to start at age four like in football,” explains Ouennouri. Wannabe raseteurs get their feet wet with toro-piscine, a quirky game that involves coaxing cows into a kiddie pool. Next, they do rigorous training at academies where “the physical is as important as the mental,” according to Villard. In his 15-year career, he was one of the rare raseteurs who earned enough to live on—around 60,000 euros. Like many, his tenure ended due to the sport’s inevitable injuries.
Now president of the FFCC’s sporting commission to elevate the schools’ standards, Villard continues to champion the course camarguaise. Like him, the sport is a spokesperson for the taurine culture that lies at the heart of the region. The bulls play as much of a role in the Camargue as its human inhabitants, contributing to the economy, forging community ties, and upholding time-honored traditions. Even their grazing maintains the unruly land that is jeopardized by climate change.
Attendance levels for the course camarguaise have been steadily rising each year (more than 400,000 people watched a race in 2024) thanks to recent initiatives to bring in new spectators and tourists. And more local youth are training to be raseteurs. Their cultural diversity—the region has a large immigrant community from North Africa, of which Kaiss is part—illustrates how the sport is evolving with the times while remaining rooted in the land’s history.
Shannon King’s first experience with the Los Angeles Breakfast Club was a presentation by Disney Imagineer Bob Gurr. Unlike most educational presentations, however, this one took place at the crack of dawn. Nevertheless, “I knew by the end of that first breakfast that I wanted to become a member," she says.
Nestled at the base of Griffith Park sits the Friendship Auditorium, home to the Los Angeles Breakfast Club. Every Wednesday, beginning at 6:45 in the morning, attendees are met by the greeter of the week with a cheery cry of “Hello Ham!” followed by breakfast and a guest lecture. Part meal at Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, part community meeting directed by David Lynch, the Los Angeles Breakfast Club is full of friendship, quirkiness, and of course, eggs.
The Los Angeles Breakfast Club began in 1925 as a way for businessmen who loved horses (which explains a lot of the equestrian imagery you see at the LABC today) to meet and network. In the morning they would ride their horses, then stop for breakfast together. The kitsch came naturally, as the group decided it would be a parody of more serious groups like the Masons.
In the early years, the LABC members, calling themselves the “Ham and Eggers,” solidified their traditions and iconography. There’s Ham the Horse, a sawhorse for blindfolded inductees to sit on, their hand on a plate of runny eggs, when they’re sworn in as members, a secret handshake, and arcane symbols covering the placemats. In the beginning, the LABC only permitted men to join, and membership cost a whopping $500. However, Warner Brothers broadcasted the meetings over the radio so that all Angelenos could have access to the Club’s enriching programming.
These days, a typical meeting starts with a melting pot of attendees making plates at the breakfast buffet (vegetarian options included) followed by a seated meal with warm conversation. Then, the Club shifts into gear with its program. There’s singing, live piano, calisthenics to get the blood pumping, chanting the mysterious letters of the Club’s cryptogram, and a receiving line in which attendees do the secret handshake with board members and that week’s special guest. The main event, the guest lecture, pulls from a rotating roster of luminaries that in the past has included artists, journalists, Imagineers, comedians, biologists, historians, puppeteers, environmentalists, and authors.
But not everything is always so sunny-side-up. When they first moved into the Friendship Auditorium in the 1960s, the LABC negotiated with the city to pay just $1 in yearly rent for the next 50 years. However, this deal ended in 2015. At the moment, LABC leadership fears being priced out and losing all of the custom charm that comes with the building. Without a permanent deal currently, one of the LABC’s priorities is to strike a sustainable agreement with the city to keep their home.
Plus, just a few years ago, the LABC had dropped to only 31 members. As a non-profit, membership was the primary source of income. Yet looking for new people to add to the mix was a challenge. How do you draw people to a not-so-secret society that meets well before many people have gotten out of bed?
Lily Holleman became president in 2014, and as one of the youngest members, she decided to use social media to spread the word about the events. Their posts depicted the Club as a room of wonders, with individually themed tables, live music, and a smile on every face. Slowly but steadily, the LABC began to build their membership back up, eventually reaching 98 members in 2019.
Then, the pandemic hit. Like everyone else, the LABC shifted to online meetings in an effort to maintain connection. In 2021, they re-opened their doors and were met with people hungry for breakfast and in-person revelry. The first big meeting, in 2022, was Oscar Mayer Wienermobile Day. Over 100 people attended to listen to the “Hotdoggers,” the drivers who pilot the 27-foot hot dog-shaped car. Since then, membership has grown to roughly 180 members, and the weekly breakfast head count ranges from 100 to over 200 people. (The general public can also buy tickets to attend.)
Brianne Richard often hears first-timers say “I’ve found my people.” “I think what they mean by that is the Los Angeles Breakfast Club is a place where you can’t help but feel like you belong almost immediately,” she says. She herself became a member in 2022 and quickly got involved, holding the position of board secretary since 2023.
Member Shannon King concurs. “It’s a come-as-you-are club where the outside world is left at the door, and you become just a Ham or just an Egg among friends.” And, she adds, this pool of friends just keeps growing. “Part of our charm is our intimacy, and we need to ensure we maintain that as we grow into the bigger club we are becoming.”
Carrying on century-old traditions is a point of interest for attendees. But for Mickey Corcoran, current president and member since 2015, the group is much more than just a quirky weekly gathering. “Our club offers something truly extraordinary,” he says. To him, the LABC is “a multi-generational community where everyone, from teens to those in their 90s, feels valued, seen, and deeply connected.” Silly traditions, interesting speakers, and breakfast are all important components of an LABC meeting. But for generations of Angelenos, friendship remains the main motivation for their weekly treks to Griffith Park.
Everyone in Antarctica knows Ivan. Even those that haven’t had the pleasure of riding inside of him—in comfortable seats, surrounded by wood paneling and the pleasant sounds of jazz warbling from his internal speakers as he rumbles slowly along the ice—have heard of him and probably walked right past him, sitting pretty near McMurdo Station’s cafeteria in his iconic orange-and-white livery.
Recently, rumors grew that Ivan’s time on the ice was coming to an end, and it was time for the old bus to be retired. This caused an outcry among his longtime fans, who feared that he would end up unceremoniously scrapped for parts—a potentially sad end for such an iconic vehicle.
Ivan the Terra Bus arrived in McMurdo Sound in 1994, a shiny new supplement to the existing Delta passenger transport vehicles that had been brought over in the 1970s by the U.S. Navy. This fleet was responsible for bringing people from the runways out on the ice, where passenger planes would land after taking off from New Zealand, to the two national bases on Ross Island—America’s McMurdo and New Zealand’s smaller Scott Base. The hefty vehicle was about 46 feet long and 12 and a half feet wide, with a turning radius of 160 feet—the equivalent of the width of a football field. It had enormous tires with nearly six-foot diameters, and a ladder was required to climb up into its interior, which could accommodate up to 56 passengers. “It was warm and big and impressive,” remembers scientist David Theil, who rode in Ivan in 1995 when he was still almost brand new.
Antarctic veterans remember the contest that was held among McMurdo residents to name the bus when it arrived. Roy Harrison, a mechanic, remembers being disappointed that his own suggestion, “Magic Bus” (in honor of the song by The Who) wasn’t chosen. The winning name “Ivan the Terra Bus,” was, of course, a reference to Ivan the Terrible, legendary medieval tsar of Russia; there’s also the happy coincidence that “Terra Bus,” the name that the Canadian manufacturer Foremost gave the model in 1981, sounds very much like a pun on the two Ross Island mountains that rise above McMurdo Station—Mount Erebus and Mount Terror. Those mountains were named after the two ships that first explored the regions, HMS Terror and Erebus (more famous, perhaps, for later being lost in the Arctic with John Franklin’s doomed expedition).
“Ivan the Terra Bus” was suggested by the engineer John Wright, whose main accomplishment was masterminding the thousand-mile snow road between McMurdo Station, on the edge of the continent, and Amundsen-Scott South Pole station at its center. That wasn’t a route Ivan ever took, though. His job was solely to rumble along between the airfields and the stations, and pretty soon after arriving he became a staple of life at McMurdo, the subject of songs, jokes, and fond memories. Bill Jirsa and Allison “Sandwich” Barden wrote this ditty during the 2006-7 summer season to celebrate Ivan:
He's Ivan the Terra Bus / He's bringing our friends to us / He took some friends away / Took them down to the Ice Runway / Someday he'll come for us …/ He's Ivan the Terra Bus!
There were certain quirks about Ivan that his drivers and passengers grew to love. He was rather slow compared to the smaller Deltas, taking over an hour to reach McMurdo from the airfields, but the ride was always memorable. The day the vehicle was unloaded from the cargo ship at the ice pier, an overenthusiastic driver backed Ivan into a bollard, resulting in a large dent on his rear bumper. This dent, which went unfixed, was forever known as “Charlie’s Folly” after the driver, and was marked thusly with permanent marker. Stickers were plastered all over Ivan’s charming wood-paneled interior, mementoes of Antarctic projects, excursions, and memes—such as a picture of a penguin holding a knife with the slogan “BECOME UNGOVERNABLE.”
Bex Henderson first arrived on the ice in 2018, long after Ivan had become part of everyday life at the station, but she was still honored to get to drive him every day. It wasn’t an easy job. “He had a whole set of instructions just to even get him turned on,” she remembers, involving a 30-to-60 minute engine warm-up period, and easily fogged windows that often meant having to drive with poor visibility for the beginning of a ride. But, she says, “Ivan could just make it through anything. I mean, he just floated across when the roads went bad,” as opposed to the Deltas and the 65-passenger Kress trailer, which often got bogged down in slushy snow and transitional terrain, and led to passengers being stranded out on the ice.
Some of the newer vans that arrived after Ivan were preferred for their speed and comfort, when it came to getting to and from the base quickly, but Ivan was always the slow but steady old reliable of the airfield fleet. “Have you really been to Antarctica if you didn't get picked up in Ivan?” Henderson says.
Ivan’s impending retirement was a cause for alarm among his passengers and fans. As replacement parts stopped being manufactured, repairs became difficult and fixes required increasingly expensive manufacturing and engineering. That’s a lot of money and effort for a 30-year-old bus, no matter how beloved, especially at a time when the National Science Foundation’s Antarctic efforts are facing increasing budget cuts and threats from political upheaval.
Eric Chevreuil, a longtime USAP worker in various departments including supply and IT, was distressed to find out during the 2024–25 summer season that Ivan’s fate had been sealed. The beloved Terra Bus had apparently been slated for auction at Port Hueneme, California, due to be inevitably scrapped for metal value or, Chevreuil imagined, bought cheaply to decorate someone’s roadside farm equipment store and then left to rust. Chevreuil was determined to prevent that from happening.
“Ivan was a safe haven, a whole experience by itself, especially on our first deployment, [our] first trip from the icefield to the station,” he remembers. “Warm, wooden panels, some jazz music in the background, muffled sounds of various conversations (56 seats), record breaking 15 to 20 mph at 2200 rpm max, the ice outside, sometimes fog or blizzard…”
Chevreuil contacted museums across America and various NSF personnel, making the case that Ivan was an important artifact of Antarctic history that deserved to live on. Soon he was relieved to hear the news that Ivan had been given an eleventh-hour pardon, and would be shipped not to the scrapyard but instead to Christchurch, New Zealand.
It seems that the groundswell of protective nostalgia for Ivan and his legacy at McMurdo helped save him from the scrapper. Especially for people like Chevreuil and Henderson, who caught the tail end of Ivan’s legendary lifespan, Ivan represents an earlier era of Antarctic living, one which is rapidly fading into memory.
“[Ivan] was a mark of an older time, which I think a lot of people—especially people who had been there for years—had that special connection to, as things at McMurdo changed so much,” Henderson says.
When Ivan first arrived, McMurdo had a bowling alley, a greenhouse, multiple bars, and an old-school boy’s club culture still very much influenced by the Navy, which only turned over McMurdo operations fully to the NSF in 1993, shortly before Ivan’s arrival.
The base has evolved over the years, with new facilities replacing beloved old ones, and certain more casual aspects of life on the ice (such as drunken partying) restricted, due at least in part to the rising awareness, on the ice and off, of McMurdo’s persistent culture of sexual harassment. That kind of change is very much welcome, but material remnants of an older McMurdo are still mourned as they are deprecated, demolished, or consigned to the scrapyard.
With Ivan arriving safely in New Zealand last week, at the close of the Antarctic summer season, his devoted riders and drivers from over the years can breathe a sigh of relief. According to a statement by an NSF spokesperson, “Ivan is currently parked in Christchurch while NSF works with partners to determine its long-term home. USAP will continue to use other all-terrain vehicles on the continent to transport personnel.”
The rumor among Antarctic workers is that Ivan will likely be displayed at the International Antarctic Centre in Christchurch, but it’s possible he might end up at a museum somewhere else in the world. Either way, Ivan will live on as a beloved part of Antarctic history.
Hundreds of years ago, long before terms like “forest to table” or “farm to fork” were trendy, Florida’s Indigenous tribes—Tocobaga, Mocoso, Pohoy, and later, Seminole—lived off the land, crafting the ultimate local cuisine. Today, a Tampa restaurant is bringing those historic flavors back to life—serving up tradition with a modern, mouthwatering twist.
Legend says that Princess Ulele, a brave daughter of a Tocobaga chief who lived in the 1500s, bravely saved a Spanish soldier from certain death. The restaurant named in her honor, Ulele, is dedicated to showcasing indigenous-inspired dishes using sustainably sourced, often locally grown, ingredients. One of the eatery’s most noteworthy signature dishes is Florida Native Chili, a reflection of the state’s wild culinary roots. “We think about what people would have eaten around that time in this area, specifically when the Spanish arrived in the 1500s and interacted with Ulele,” says Ulele Executive Chef Patrick Quakenbush. “We're harkening back to that time period. There is a little bit of Spanish influence, but we try to use native ingredients that would have been here in the 1500s.”
Made with an intoxicating blend of alligator, wild boar, venison, duck, ground beef chuck, steak, cranberry beans and spices, this hearty chili is one-part familiar, one-part exotic, and 100% delicious. This dish has been a mainstay on the restaurant’s menu since it opened in 2014 and has developed something of a cult following among patrons. “Chili is chili, but to have the ingredients that we have [is special],” says Quackenbush. “It really celebrates the history of Florida.”
It’s those special ingredients that create the rich, layered flavors that keep guests coming back for more. “We really spare no expense to put the best ingredients in this chili,” Quakenbush says. “They are the things that make it special and go back to the Spanish roots of Columbia Restaurant [Ulele’s sister eatery within the 1905 Family Of Restaurants].” Some of the familiar, albeit high-end, ingredients include diced New York Strip, ground beef (the same used in Ulele’s burger blend of brisket and short rib meat) as well as fresh garlic, red and green peppers, tomatoes, red onions and jalapenos.
The exotic meats in Ulele’s Native Chili offer a fun, approachable way to try something new while honoring tradition. These game meats, once hunted by Indigenous tribes in the region, are key to what makes this dish so special.
The alligator is ground and offers a delicate flavor (so much that ground chicken or veal could substitute) and a serious dose of lean protein: according to the Florida Alligator Marketing & Education Committee, a 3.2-ounce serving of ground alligator meat has 46 grams of protein and only 4 grams of fat. The kitchen at Ulele sources its alligator from a sustainable farm in the Florida Everglades.
Similarly, lean venison loin offers high protein and a subtly sweet flavor. The venison and the richer wild boar are diced for a uniform consistency and hearty meat in each bite. Duck confit—that is, duck legs cooked in duck fat—adds extra richness. (Pro tip: for home cooks looking to recreate this wild interpretation of classic chili flavors with a creative twist, Chef Quackenbush recommends looking for the more exotic meat ingredients at an online retailer such as Wild Fork, which ships nationwide).
Florida Native Chili is anything but ordinary. Instead of canned kidney or black beans, Ulele’s recipe features protein and fiber-rich cranberry beans—with roots in South America, first brought to Europe by Spanish explorers in the 15th century. “The cranberry bean is a relative of the pinto bean, but it has some mauve or purple stripes,” Quackenbush says. “Here in Florida, they are comically referred to as ‘gator beans.” Cranberry beans are prized for their mild, creamy and nutty taste.
To really dial up the flavor profile, Ulele’s kitchen uses three kinds of spices: arbol chili powder, ancho chili powder, and regular chili powder. Plus, there’s a secret ingredient you might not be able to pick out: a bit of Valrhona cocoa. The restaurant’s 4,000-gallon Ulele Spring Brewery supplies another layer of flavor in the form of Ulele Light Lager (available for purchase on-site), which lends some lightly floral notes to the finished chili.
For locals, the culinary community and visitors, it’s exciting to see how dishes like this are helping to redefine Tampa Bay’s culinary landscape. Sure, people still crave fresh-squeezed orange juice, Key lime pie, fried grouper, Cuban sandwiches, and empanadas (who could blame them?). But a dish such as Florida Native Chili offers a fascinating—and approachable—window into the area’s food history.
Even More Unusual and Delicious OptionsIf Tampa visitors are on the hunt for other places to try inventive food that leans into the area’s wild side, worthy options abound. There’s the General Tso’s alligator dish at Hales Blackbrick Chinese restaurant, where chef Richard Hales fries tender ‘gator meat and tosses it in spicy sauce, orange preserves and chili crisp. Or, try smoked alligator ribs drenched in barbecue sauce at Skipper’s Smokehouse, a spot that’s been serving food and offering live music since 1980. Purists will love the ‘gator bites (otherwise known as ‘gator nuggets) at Whiskey Joe’s Bar and Grill, where they’re flash fried and served with chipotle aioli for dipping.
How to Make the Recipe at HomeTry your hand at making this crowd-pleasing chili at home with the recipe below or better yet, when you’re in Tampa, take a break from exploring the destination’s spectacular beaches, deep Cuban history and many outdoor activities and head to Ulele to experience the real thing.
Ulele Native ChiliYield: 1 gallon
Ingredients1 pound dried cranberry beans
3 Tablespoons salt
¼ cup vegetable oil
6 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium red pepper (approximately 3 ounces), seeds removed, ¼-inch dice
1 medium green pepper, seeds removed, ¼-inch dice
1-pound red onions, ¼-inch dice
1 medium jalapeño pepper, seeds removed, ¼-inch dice
1 ½ pounds 80/20 ground beef
½ pound New York Strip loin, excess fat trimmed, ¼-inch dice
¼ pound wild boar shoulder, excess fat trimmed, ¼-inch dice
¼ pound venison loin, excess fat trimmed, ¼-inch dice
1 teaspoon ground arbol chili powder
2 Tablespoons ground ancho chili powder
2 Tablespoons kosher salt
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup chili powder
5 Tablespoons cumin
½ cup Ulele Light Lager
⅓ pound ground alligator meat
1 Tablespoons beef base
3 each, 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes
⅓ pound shredded duck confit
MethodCombine dried cranberry beans and salt in a medium stockpot, add cold water to double the amount of beans in the pot, cook beans over medium-high heat until al dente. Drain, cool and reserve until later in the recipe.
Heat oil in a large stockpot; add garlic, red and green peppers, red onion and jalapeno, sauté until translucent. Add ground beef and cook until golden brown, ensure all lumps are broken up, then add diced New York Strip loin, wild boar and venison, cook until golden brown, reduce heat to medium low and add in the following spices: arbol chili powder, ancho chili powder, kosher salt, cocoa powder, chili powder and cumin. Stir until fully incorporated.
Next, add the Ulele beer, beef base and alligator meat. Stir until beef base has dissolved, bring heat to medium high, and simmer until alligator is cooked (approximately 3 minutes). Finally, add diced tomatoes, shredded duck and the reserved cooked cranberry beans. Stir and reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 30 minutes and serve.
This story was originally published in Yale Environment 360 and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.
Tiny plants in plastic pots, each carefully labeled, cram a South African greenhouse. Each is the evidence of at least one crime. These are strange plants without typical stems or leaves. Some look like greenish thumb-tips, others like grapes or rounded stones. Some sprout small, bright flowers. Few are more than an inch tall. I’ve agreed not to disclose this location because the plants, confiscated from poachers and smugglers, are valuable and could be re-stolen by the same criminal networks that first dug them from their natural habitats to traffic overseas.
The plants come from a vast, arid, and thinly populated region that ecologists call the Succulent Karoo biome. It’s about the size of Kentucky and extends from southwestern Namibia into South Africa’s Northern Cape and Western Cape provinces. Most people would consider the Succulent Karoo a desert—it’s certainly hot, especially in summer, and gets very little rain—but it’s bursting with biodiversity.
The region’s vegetation is dominated by succulent plants, many of which take on bizarre, bulbous shapes for camouflage or for conserving water and periodically bloom in vivid yellows, oranges, reds, purples, pinks, or whites. Botanists have recorded about 6,400 species of native plants here, about 2,500 of them found nowhere else—far more than any other arid region of comparable size. The Succulent Karoo also has numerous unique insects and reptiles, including the world’s smallest tortoise species. About 8 percent of the South African part of this biome is formally protected.
From a car window, the Succulent Karoo can appear drab and barren. But get down on your hands and knees, and it transforms into a wonderland of living treasures—a wonderland that has in the last six years become the target of transnational smuggling networks focused on its unique flora. Millions of plants have been illegally dug from this area, resulting in the functional extinction of at least eight species, with hundreds more species being pushed toward the same fate. Hundreds of thousands of confiscated plants languish in greenhouses across South Africa. Despite the efforts of dedicated conservationists, solutions to South Africa’s plant poaching crisis remain elusive.
Interest in keeping southern Africa’s succulent plants isn’t new. Collectors from around the world have been digging up relatively small numbers of specimens here for as long as anyone can remember. By the mid-20th century, a few local nurseries were propagating and selling a wide variety of Succulent Karoo species, finding buyers both at home and abroad, particularly in the United States, Europe, and various East Asian countries. But nursery owners say the market began to change dramatically about 10 years ago.
“In 2014-2015, we experienced a big increase in demand from East Asia,” says Christine Wiese of Kokerboom Nursery, a long-established producer of succulent seed in the region. This was driven by young people who learned about the plants on the internet, she says, and soon she had a steady stream of visitors from South Korea, China, and Japan. “They were very knowledgeable,” she says. “They really wanted to see the plants in their natural form, and in the wild.” Many legally bought seed to take back to their home countries. Another nursery owner, who has been threatened by smugglers and asked not to be named, says buyers were particularly interested in “small, exceptional, and rare” plants, including some in the genus Lithops but particularly those in the genus Conophytum. (Lithops are called “living stones” because many look like small pebbles. Conophytum species often go by “dumplings,” “button plants,” or simply “conos.”) It’s possible to keep a large selection of these in a very small area, which suits people who live in apartments.
But in 2018, demand for seeds dropped off because foreign buyers, particularly in Asia, suddenly wanted very large numbers of mature plants, which, because they take between four and seven years to grow to a saleable size from seed, South African nurseries could not supply. And that’s when trouble in the Succulent Karoo began.
In 2019, South African law enforcement officers began interdicting unprecedented volumes of succulents that had been illegally harvested from the wild—sometimes thousands of plants at a time. They were found in vehicles at roadblocks, in courier company facilities, in homes, and warehouses. Most were Conophytum, of which there are nearly 200 known species and subspecies.
The situation worsened in 2020 with the onset of the COVID pandemic. Millions of people confined to their homes discovered social media “plantfluencers” who promoted houseplants, including many South African species. Chinese plantfluencers, in particular, drove a craze for conos, some of which were selling for hundreds of dollars apiece. (Conophytums are typically very slow-growing, and plants of some species can live to be centuries old, albeit still small in size.) Many residents of the Succulent Karoo who had lost their jobs as businesses shut down because of the pandemic now turned to illegally collecting plants, then selling them to the agents of transnational criminal organizations, according to Annette Hübschle, chief research officer of the Global Risk Governance program at the University of Cape Town law faculty.
Hübschle said that the Northern Cape province, from which most interdicted succulents were taken, “is a bit like frontier country.” The area already had criminal networks to move diamonds and other illicit commodities, and they easily accommodated succulent plants.
The vast size of the Succulent Karoo and the small number of law enforcement officers who patrolled it made poaching very difficult to control. Enforcement is also complicated because South African conservation laws do not always align from province to province and between the provincial and national levels, said Carina Bruwer, an organized crime researcher with South Africa’s Institute for Security Studies. Possession of a particular species may be illegal in one province but not another, or it might be illegal to collect but legal to possess.
Nonetheless, some enforcement teams had success, most prominently the local Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit of the South African Police Service in the small town of Springbok, in the heart of the Northern Cape. That unit seized huge numbers of plants in roadblocks and via targeted raids and sting operations, and it arrested hundreds of poachers, most of them small operators.
Confiscated succulents poured into South African botanic gardens, sometimes tens of thousands of plants per week. They had to be kept alive as evidence in criminal cases, and they needed expert care because many were in poor condition or required particular soil and climate requirements. Garden staff told Yale Environment 360 that they soon became overwhelmed—they often did not have the funds for enough pots and soil, enough space, or enough time to nurture the plants. By May of 2024, more than 1.16 million plants from more than 650 species had been seized, over 80 percent of which were conophytums. (The majority have since died, although some facilities have had good success in keeping plants alive.)
Most seized succulents can’t easily be replanted in the wild: Their places of origin are unknown; they might transfer diseases from greenhouses to the wild; and their physiologies have become accustomed to the “soft” greenhouse environment, so they’ll die if returned to the desert. And, of course, they would still be vulnerable to poaching.
“There have been two attempts at relocating populations of poached succulents back to their natural habitats,” a succulent expert who helped with the relocations but is not authorized to speak to the media told Yale Environment 360. “The plants actually survived fairly well, but both populations have been hit by poachers again.”
It’s impossible to estimate accurately how many plants have been trafficked from South Africa since 2019; the number can’t be easily extrapolated from seizure statistics. But thousands of plant populations have been impacted, with as-yet unknown effects on ecosystems. Because of poaching, at least eight species of Conophytum are now considered “functionally extinct,” which means that a tiny number may still survive in the wild, but there are too few to sustain the species’ population or fulfill their previous role in their ecosystem. All Conophytum species have been reclassified in higher IUCN Red List threat categories since 2019.
Despite extraordinary efforts by conservationists, academics, and law enforcement officers to protect succulents, there are no ready solutions to South Africa’s plant poaching problem. One reason, experts say, is that markets for particular plants can shift rapidly and are often poorly understood. Protection policies are often formulated on the basis of unsupported assumptions or too little data and implemented too late, after consumer demand and poaching has risen to harmful levels. Legal growers often can’t react to increased market demand in time, particularly for slow-growing species.
Recently, South Africa appears to have experienced a change in demand for some poached plant species, though evidence is incomplete, and the reasons for the apparent change aren’t completely clear yet. During 2023, there was a reduction in local seizures of poached Conophytum plants, and during 2024, Conophytum seizures almost ceased. A succulent expert who monitors Asian online markets says that prices for some Conophytum species have collapsed. Some observers think the Conophytum craze has passed: Chinese growers now appear to be producing large numbers, possibly replacing wild-sourced plants in that market.
Does this mean that South Africa’s plant poaching crisis is over? Probably not, say experts.
Karel Du Toit, the police officer who led the highly successful Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit in Springbok, was arrested by South Africa’s national Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation in May of 2024 on what some conservationists and researchers say are trumped-up charges of fraud. He was suspended and then fired, and now his former unit has turned its focus away from plants, so the lack of Conophytum seizures may indicate a lack of law enforcement rather than the absence of trafficking.
Carl Brown, a biodiversity law enforcement officer in the Western Cape Province, says that as Conophytum seizures by his unit have declined in the last year, seizures of rare bulb plants, especially a species named Clivia mirabilis, have skyrocketed. (Other sources say that Clivia mirabilis has recently been almost completely wiped out of its small natural habitat by poachers.)
In addition to its eye-popping range of succulent types, South Africa also has the world’s largest diversity of geophytes, plants with underground nutrient storage organs like bulbs or rhizomes. Over 2,000 geophyte species grow in the Succulent Karoo and the adjacent Fynbos biome, and many are rare, have beautiful flowers, and—just like conophytums—take many years to mature. It’s possible, says Brown, that plant poachers are responding to changing buyer tastes and shifting their attention to different targets. Given South Africa’s extraordinary botanical richness, they have many options for years to come.
Though Cincinnati is best known for breweries, another effervescent beverage has a long history in the Queen City: the nectar soda.
Home to the oldest pharmacy college in the U.S. west of the Alleghenies, the Eclectic Medical Institute (1845-1952), and Lloyd Brothers Pharmacists, Cincinnati was long on the forefront of the pharmaceutical industry. The city had a number of apothecaries with soda fountains, as well as confectioners serving countless carbonated concoctions—some claiming to cure a variety of ailments, and others simply providing customers with something sweet and refreshing to drink.
Enter the nectar soda. The flavor is a combination of vanilla and bitter almond, and the drink is pastel pink in color—a nod to the hue of almond flowers, according to Dann Woellert, a Cincinnati food historian, etymologist, and the author of Cincinnati Candy: A Sweet History. Nicknamed the “drink of the gods,” the bitter almond flavor of nectar soda balances out what would otherwise be overly sweet vanilla, creating an addictive taste that grows on you with each sip.
Nectar sodas have been served in Cincinnati since at least the late 1870s, though, like many iconic foods and beverages, its precise origins are murky. The only other U.S. city to embrace nectar sodas was New Orleans, but unlike Cincinnati, the tradition fizzled out in the Big Easy in the mid-20th century. Plus, Woellert says that the Queen City popularized them first. “They were served in Cincinnati nearly a decade before New Orleans,” he says.
While the Cincinnati nectar soda has multiple origin stories, each crediting a different pharmacist or confectioner, Woellert has concluded that John Mullane created the flavor after traveling to Quebec City to learn the art of confectionery from a prominent Canadian candymaker. He began serving nectar sodas in his confectionery shop in downtown Cincinnati in the late 1870s.
So, why did the nectar soda end up in Cincinnati and New Orleans, of all places? Wollert suspects that the bitter almond and vanilla flavor was used by the French Acadians who settled in both Quebec City and New Orleans.
Though nectar sodas aren’t as common as they were in the early 20th century, when they could be found at countless confectioneries and pharmacy soda fountains across Cincinnati, they’re still served at establishments throughout the city and the surrounding area. Nectar sodas have been on the menu at ice cream and chocolate shop Aglamesis Brothers since it opened in Cincinnati in 1908, if not shortly thereafter. That’s according to company president and CEO Randy Young, who is also a third-generation family member.
It’s unclear when nectar sodas were added to the menu at Graeter’s, a Cincinnati ice cream and chocolate shop that opened in 1870 and now has locations throughout the city and the Midwest, but Chip Graeter, chief of retail operations and a fourth-generation family member, says that they were especially popular throughout the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.
In a January 28, 1947 article in the Cincinnati Enquirer, Tom Moore, the head of the soda department at Dow Drug Store—which operated 32 soda fountains throughout the metropolitan area at that time—said that “nectar is one of the most popular flavors in all of their stores, and has been for many years.” Five years prior, Dow ran an ad in the same newspaper which read: “Be glad you live in Cincinnati, the only place in the country where you can enjoy a Dow double-dip nectar soda.”
Originally, nectar syrup was made by combining half-and-half or milk with water, bitter almond extract, vanilla extract and red food coloring. While Aglamesis eventually switched to a dairy-free shelf-stable syrup, Graeter's recipe has never changed—it still contains milk and needs to be refrigerated.
Both Aglamesis and Graeter’s make nectar soda by mixing nectar syrup with a dollop of whipped cream, adding a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream, then topping it off with some soda water and more whipped cream.
Though Young says that nectar sodas are most popular with older adults, they’re also a hit with members of younger generations who try them. “People who grew up with them still love them today,” Graeter says. “We still make them in all of our stores, but they're not nearly as popular today as they once were, simply because milkshakes and smoothies have taken over.”
According to Young, there is a commercially available descendant of the nectar soda. “Commercial soda companies like Barqs and others came out with their version of cream soda—a bright pink soda—which got its flavoring from nectar soda,” he explains.
Indigenous Brazilians have fermented alcoholic beverages from the cassava root for thousands of years. These beer-like beverages go by names like cauim, caxiri, and tarubá. Fermentation is an important step in cassava processing—the raw root has chemicals that can turn into cyanide in the human body. Native peoples found that a bit of human saliva and some naturally occurring yeast could eliminate these toxins and improve the nutritious value of the tuber. When the technology of distillation arrived to the Munim River region (now in Maranhão), locals who already drank lightly alcoholic cassava beverages began to distill them. Tiquira was born.
The name tiquira is likely derived from the Tupi word tykyre meaning "to drip." But it is a curiosity that the spirit has flourished in only one Brazilian state, Maranhão. Margot Stinglwagner, founder of Guaaja Tiquira, the first modern brand to produce the spirit starting in 2016, says “It’s a spirit that is also unknown in Brazil. A few people have heard about tiquira—but usually only people who have gone to Maranhão once.” Accordingly, the state moved to declare the spirit as a piece of Cultural and Intangible Heritage in September 2023.
Part of the reason that tiquira has remained so isolated is that cachaça, Brazil’s rum, is far easier to produce. Because the rum comes from sugarcane, the sugar for fermentation is already there. “With cassava, you don’t have sugar,” Stinglwagner explains. “You must first transform the carbohydrates into sugar and then you can ferment and distill it.” To achieve this end, Guaaja Tiquira uses food enzymes instead of the traditional human saliva. Guaaja also differs from other distillers because they use full cassava roots where most tiquira moonshiners rely on processed farinha de mandioca, or cassava flour.
“The majority of people produce it illegally,” laughs Stinglwagner. “The state does nothing about it.” Outside of the urban center, tiquira is invariably a homemade product. Generally, tiquira makers don’t separate the "heads" (the first drops of liquor from a distillation, which contain harsher alcohols including toxic methanol and other pungent and volatile flavor compounds) from the "tails" (the final liquid produced from distillation, which has a low alcohol content and can have unwelcome bitter flavors), meaning the spirit is stronger and may contain more toxins and impurities. Some even macerate marijuana into the combined spirit to produce the doubly-illicit tiquiconha.
Maranhenses believe that you cannot get wet or bathe after drinking tiquira, lest you become faint or dizzy. Zelinda Machado de Castro e Lima, one of the great chroniclers of folk culture in Maranhão, has recorded other traditions surrounding the drink. Firstly, it is typical to pierce a cashew with a toothpick and soak it in a glass of tiquira for several hours. It is then sucked as a sort of boozy lollipop. She also writes about the belief that those drinking coffee should avoid tiquira, while locals say that fishermen on the coast used the liquor to sanitize wounds incurred on the job.
Finally, there is the curious question of the color of tiquira. In the tourist markets of São Luís, the spirit is always blushing a translucent violet. “They say that the color of tiquira is from tangerine leaves, but we tried to do it and the color from the leaves is not stable,” says Stinglwagner. “It is also not a strong color. The norms and laws for tiquira prohibit the addition of the leaves.” The violet color may be artificial (perhaps from food dyes), but some tiquiras do have a citrusy flavor.
Tiquira today is still largely relegated to the world of moonshining, but with the government’s recognition of the spirit and new legitimate ventures like that of Guaaja Tiquira, Brazil could be seeing more of the cassava liquor outside of its home in Maranhão.
“All the people say to me, ‘What is this new spirit?,’” says Stinglwagner. “I say, ‘It’s not a new spirit, it’s the oldest spirit from Brazil.’”
Know Before You Go
Tiquira is widely available in the downtown markets of São Luís, Maranhão. Both the local Mercado Central and touristic Mercado das Tulhas have many vendors selling tiquira. The commercial brand, Guaaja Tiquira, is also available in São Luís at Empório Fribal, in addition to Copacabana Palace and Fairmont Hotel in Rio de Janeiro, and Mocotó Bar e Restaurante in São Paulo.
The origins of Germany’s Maultaschen are deliciously devious. Legend has it that, in the late Middle Ages, a lay brother named Jakob invented the stuffed pasta dumplings at the Maulbronn Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site founded in 1147 by Cistercian monks in southwest Germany.
One direct translation of Maultaschen is “mouth pockets,” though “Maul” could just as easily refer to Maulbronn. Maultaschen are usually square dumplings (though sometimes they're rolled) and can be fried in a pan or served in broth. Commonly described as Germany’s version of Italian ravioli, they allegedly emerged as a way to use up an unexpected bounty of meat that Brother Jakob stumbled upon in the forest outside the monastery walls.
The twist? Although they abhorred waste, these monks weren’t allowed to eat the meat of four-legged animals, especially during the Catholic fasting period of Lent in the spring. So Brother Jakob minced the meat with herbs and onions and wrapped everything inside pasta dough, hiding the forbidden flesh from the eyes of his fellow monks—and even from the eyes of God.
In Swabia, the region encompassing much of Baden-Württemberg and part of Bavaria where Maultaschen originated, one of the colloquial names for the food references this deception directly: Herrgottsbescheißerle means “little God-cheaters.”
Everyone in Swabia has their version of the legend with more or less embellishment. Ludwig Nestler holds a master’s degree in heritage conservation and works for the State Palaces and Gardens of Baden-Württemberg, a government organization that oversees monuments like Maulbronn Monastery. His version of the tale includes a sack of stolen meat dropped in the woods by a fleeing thief, which inspires Brother Jakob’s trickery in the kitchen. But he acknowledges that there’s no undisputed “historically correct version” of how Maultaschen came to be. Similarly, everyone in Swabia has their own Maultaschen recipe, with unique ingredients for the minced filling, called Brät.
“Traditionally the Brät is made from pork mixed with herbs, onions, and occasionally bread crumbs for texture and stability,” says Nestler. Swabia, however, “was a rather poor region with limited amounts of meat due to rather unfertile land, so being adaptive and innovative has always been a part of the people’s nature.” As Maultaschen became popular, fish and seasonal vegetables like spinach, carrots, beets, and mushrooms became common inclusions.
Today, the European Union ties Maultaschen to Swabia with a Protected Geographical Indication, which lists required ingredients the authentic product should feature, but even the necessary inclusions are pretty loose, such as “pork and/or beef and/or veal” for meat Brät and “typical regional vegetables” for meat-free Brät. It speaks to the way the dumplings developed as subsistence food, used to stretch leftovers and reduce food waste.
Today, Germans throughout the country enjoy Maultaschen in dozens of flavors in all seasons thanks to grocery stores that stock packaged varieties made by companies like Ditzingen-based Bürger, whose mascot, Erwin, is a Maultasche (the singular form of the plural Maultaschen).
But the dumplings remain most popular in southern Germany. Maulbronn Monastery offers a special tour that pairs Maultaschen with wine from the monastery’s vineyards. And many locals, including Nestler’s family, still make them from scratch on special occasions—even during Lent, when meat might otherwise be off the menu. There’s no telling if it’s a fraud good enough to fool God, but it’s worth a shot.
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