Nicarado Event: Mi Camera, Mi Mundo Denver Photography Exhibit

By Joshua | October 3rd, 2011 | 1 Comment »

Come out this Saturday to support a worthy program for the children of Nicaragua. Mi Camera, Mi Mundo is a fantastic project that directly benefits the children of Nicaragua who are learning about photography through Empowerment International’s education program in Nicaragua. See for yourself this Saturday! Or take a sneak-peek now: these kids have created some remarkable art, which will be on display at Root Yoga in Denver, in “an exhibition and auction of limited edition photos taken by Nicaraguan children. All proceeds to go towards Empowerment International’s efforts. Keynote speaker: Travel and humanitarian photographer Colby Brown. Donate now and buy your tickets. The event is at 6:30 pm this Saturday at Root Yoga (1539 Platte St.). More on their FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE. See you there!

10 (and 1/2) Years Later: From New York City’s frigid waters, a fond memory of the towers

By Joshua | September 5th, 2011 | No Comments »

It was a particularly frigid spring in New York City in 2001, and spending five days sleeping outside was often a cold, blustery, wet affair. Each night for a week, after a day of sail school, we would dock up, lay the oars across the hull, then place our sleeping pads and bags atop that. Read the rest of this entry »

Ice-jumping video from the Continental Divide

By Joshua | September 2nd, 2011 | No Comments »

I love these guys:

Ice jumping video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IhU4UDOL5o

“My Village, My Lobster” documentary film project about Nicaragua, official trailer release!

By Joshua | August 18th, 2011 | No Comments »

Independent filmmakers Brad Allgood and Joshua Wolff have been toiling to bring the story of Nicaragua’s lobster fishermen to international viewers for years. They have just released a hard-hitting movie trailer (which you should watch if you have any interest in Nicaragua — or where that lobster tail on your plate came from) and they have started a Kickstarter to complete the final production. Please consider helping them, so they can spread this story about the fishermen of Puerto Cabezas.

I talked with Brad (who is a fellow Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Nicaragua) about the project. Read the rest of this entry »

Travelers on the Charms of Melbourne, “the kind of city to lose yourself in the feeling of it”

By Joshua | August 16th, 2011 | No Comments »

I occasionally like to ask my well-traveled friends about places they’ve visited which I have not. These few simple remarks could probably fill a week for a traveler to this city. What would you add to this advice? Do you agree with it?
One friend said Melbourne reminded her of her hometown, Toronto. She mentioned its Victorian era station, Flinders St., the Yarra River, the ocean, and “lovely small neighborhoods.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Moises Gadea: Nicaraguan singer-songwriter, new video “Soy Migrante”

By Joshua | August 5th, 2011 | No Comments »

I first met Moises Gadea in 1998, at an open-air nightclub in Managua, near La UCA (University of Central America) campus. His band, Ixmaná, a high-energy folk-rock experiment, was playing. Moises invited me on stage that night and a friendship was born.

I follow Moises’s musical career from afar now, bummed about all the gigs I’m missing in Managua bars, but happy to see him putting out new music and working on new projects all the time, like this stunning track, “Soy Migrante,” from the documentary film, “Y Me Fui” (And I went).

The video shows Moises singing in the studio in between scenes of Nicaraguans struggling to survive in the distinct landscape of their patria. “I am Nicaragua,” begins the song. It definitely makes me want to see the film—and return to the country. Enjoy: [VIDEO]

Sometimes you pick the hotel, sometimes the hotel picks you…

By Joshua | August 3rd, 2011 | No Comments »

A Welcome Rooftop in the Heart of Pakistan

Travel Stories: Joshua Berman discovers a backpacker haven in Lahore where tales are spun, friends are made and plans are changed. Read the rest of this entry »

Hogs for the Gods: Thai Spirit Houses

By Joshua | July 20th, 2011 | No Comments »

Every home and business in Thailand is inhabited by spirits—both good and evil—and the Thais believe these beings must be acknowledged and appeased, whether that means providing a “spirit house” in which to live on the corner of their land, a high shelf inside the house for dead ancestors, or a special offering on a table in front of your storefront. In the latter case, a succulent pig’s head, white rice, pack of smokes, bottle of whiskey, and some sweets and incense seems to do the trick. Read the rest of this entry »

Colorado road tripping: hot pools and buff burgers in Idaho Springs

By Joshua | July 15th, 2011 | 1 Comment »

A few days ago, a particularly fierce Rocky Mountain summer storm landed me in Idaho Springs, a narrow town in a narrow canyon, next to a very busy highway, Interstate 70. Idaho Springs is the kind of place I’ve driven through hundreds of times without ever wondering if there was more to it than coffee and gasoline, the only reasons I’ve ever stopped there. Read the rest of this entry »

Tea Time in Boulder: Dushanbe Prepares for 2011 Rocky Mountain Tea Festival

By Joshua | June 30th, 2011 | No Comments »

Actually, I began tea time with an “orange blossom mojito” at the famous Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse, a unique Persian-style building which was a gift to the people of Boulder from our sister city in Tajikistan, and is Boulder’s top tourist attraction. Dushanbe is a restaurant and teahouse with a fascinating back story and an innovative team of chefs and tea-lovers preparing the menu. My wife and I had been there for a few weddings, but never for a proper afternoon tea. Read the rest of this entry »