Aspiring documentary filmmakers can apply for a World Nomads’ scholarship that will lead the recipient into the Ecuadorian jungle with documentary producer Trent O’Donnell (who filmed World Nomads’ Positive Footprints series screened on National Geographic Adventure Channel). The resulting documentary will be reviewed by the channel for possible inclusion in its upcoming show schedule.

The Ecuadorian Amazon adventure will give the lucky scholarship recipient a first hand view of how tourism can impact on a local community, the issues around trying to achieve it sustainably and the challenges faced. They’ll travel with Gap Adventures, exploring the Amazonian jungle and home staying with the indigenous Quichua community. Pre and post trip lodging will be accommodated by Hostelworld.com.

Among the trip leaders will be Bruce Poon Tip (Gap Adventures’ CEO and founder) as he revisits Ecuador’s spectacular Andean Interior and Amazon lowlands. It’s been 20 years since the first Gap Adventures trip was run in the Amazon and there’s a need and desire to share how sustainable tourism has positively impacted the Quichua people.

As part of an underlying storyline, the trip will also reveal how the Footprints Network can make a difference to communities in need as Simon Monk (founder of WorldNomads.com and the Footprints Network) visits a project providing schooling equipment to the local Quichua primary school.

Who can apply?

* Anyone can apply – this is open to film students, lovers of film or anyone who’s trying to build a career in documentary making!

* Minimum age 18 with a current passport.

* You should be a mad-keen auteur with a lust for adventure and burning desire to be a documentary maker.

* You must be fit and healthy as moderate levels of trekking are involved.

Applicants must submit a 3 minute documentary in English for judging based on the theme “Local Encounters.” For more details and to apply, click here.

Deadline is August 1, 2010 – good luck!

–
WorldNomads.com provides global travel safety products and services to travelers from over 150 countries around the world. From great value travel insurance, travel safety advice, language guides and free online travel journals, WorldNomads.com provides the tools to keep you travelling safely. All clients can donate to a community development project when purchasing travel insurance through the Footprints Charity program. WorldNomads.com is backed by a suite of strong, secure, specialist travel insurance companies.

One of our mottos here at the Sosauce community is “Get Sauced, Get Social.” We believe in making meaningful connections around the world through the context of travel. The Travel Geeks community is all about facilitating connections with our powerful sharing applications and online tools (Photo, Trip, Journal, and Guide) as well as online media. Our goal is to present Travel Geeks an easy and creative way to recreate and share their travel memories on a new social networking platform.

Having been immersed in social media in the last year or so, we have been able to elevate our efforts in staying connected with our Sosauce user community, New York culture, the travelsphere, and beyond. Now we want to share with you how you can stay connected with all things Sosauce!

Sosauce.com is the home for Travel Geeks. Short for “Social Sauce,” our site highlights the saucy side of travel and the social aspect that gives it value. On Sosauce, you’ll find the tools to make your travel experiences come to life, and meet fellow independent travelers eager to share their experiences. Sosauce is entirely driven by its community users and their content, so if you are looking to join a new site that will enable you to show off your travel portfolio while meeting people of similar interests, consider joining us on Sosauce!

Our Travel Geek blog focuses on the interests of independent travelers who “geek out” about travel. Our travel blog is a direct reflection of our community, so we enjoy showcasing unique trips, stunning photos, interesting destination reviews, personal travel stories, and more.

For us, traveling is about the human connection and making an impact, whether local or abroad. We discuss the stories of travelers and observe the world through their eyes, plus interview expert travel professionals, round up both industry and community interest articles, and encourage traveling with a purpose. Interested in contributing to the Sosauce blog? Email us!

Twitter is where you can talk to Sosauce about all things travel. You can send us direct messages, fun links to travel articles, engage in our #TravelTuesday discussions, and submit your suggestions for editorial ideas at Sosauce. In turn we post links to Sosauce travel content, share other travel pieces we love, and recommend other travelers and communities who deserve your attention. We love chatting with our travel friends on just about everything so feel free to add us on Twitter: @Sosauce and join the conversation!

On Facebook we like to keep things simple. Become a fan of Sosauce on Facebook and drop us a line on our Wall, read our status updates and Fan announcements for important Sosauce news, go to the Discussions tab to submit your travel questions, chat with other Travel Geeks and share feedback. You can even subscribe to our Travel Geek blog in the Networked Blogs tab. Stay tuned for upcoming event invitations, too!

From the beautiful to the obscure, the Sosauce Chili travels around the world finding the most interesting content posted on Sosauce. We use Tumblr as a gallery to feature photos, journals, trips, and more – all celebrating the saucy side of travel. If you’ve got some interesting adventures, and enjoy documenting and sharing your travels, submit a post to us on Tumblr. You can also ask us questions, hit “Like” and “Reblog” and even recommend us to Tumblr’s Travel Directory.

Created by us, the Travel Geeks group on LinkedIn serves to discuss, promote, & enrich cultural exchange and independent travel. Our group is open to all travelers: from newbies to experienced globetrotters, we welcome stories, tips, & content to bring you more meaningful interaction. Posts are updated on a weekly basis to keep everyone engaged in the latest travel discussions.

As you can see we are big fans of social networking. We hope you are too and connect with us online at the sites above.

You can read more saucy travels from Sosauce on the following sites:

]]> http://www.sosauce.com/blog/community-interest/stay-sauced-stay-social/feed/ 0 http://www.sosauce.com/blog/community-interest/new-york-city-meanderings/ http://www.sosauce.com/blog/community-interest/new-york-city-meanderings/#comments Thu, 01 Apr 2010 19:16:47 +0000 Alisha http://www.sosauce.com/blog/?p=6566 Happy April 1st – spring has sprung! Now that the weather is warming up here in the city, we at Sosauce like to take full advantage of the sights, sounds, and smells the Big Apple has to offer. We pooled together a few of our favorite sightseeing spots for this time of year in order [...]]]> Happy April 1st – spring has sprung!

Now that the weather is warming up here in the city, we at Sosauce like to take full advantage of the sights, sounds, and smells the Big Apple has to offer. We pooled together a few of our favorite sightseeing spots for this time of year in order to inspire Travel Geeks – near and far – to visit:

The High Line: Another West Side Gem! by Jeff

The High Line Park

Walk up the flight of stairs, reaching the platform, and you’re immediately greeted by a sprawling view of Manhattan in all directions! Look to the North and East and the Empire State Building peeks out from the tops of the colonial and Victorian buildings across the street. Look west, and you’re greeted by the Hudson River and the busy West Side Highway. South reveals the rest of the walkway and a seemingly endless maze of modern buildings with the West Village’s quaint green-ness in the distance.

While you’re bound to run into a multitude locals and tourists, take time to enjoy the surrounding architecture and the foliage inter-planted with the existing rail tracks. The park runs through a couple yet-to-be-finished constructions and it’s integration into those buildings will surely be outstanding when finished! There are many places to rest along the way — though the mood there is so relaxing, you’ll hardly need to rest, if only to lounge, relax and take in the sights! I’ve even heard rumors of a local Soprano giving free nightly performances in the park’s small amphitheater closer to the south entrance!

Read more of Jeff’s review on The High Line at his Journal entry below:

The New Times Square by Sean

Times Square, as you knew it, is gone… well, at least the cars. Cruising down Broadway, it was a bit unnerving (in a very, very good way) to see people popping a squat in the middle of Times Square. Instead of dodging cabs I had to weave in and out of lawn chairs. Surreal.

The elimination of cars in Times Square is part of the beginning phase of PlaNYC 2030, Mayor Bloomberg’s plan for the sustainable future of New York City. As I stopped to take it in, I tried to imagine what 42nd and Broadway would look like with an actual tree in the vicinity. Unfortunately, it’s still too much of a mental stretch. But this is a start, and a big splash of a start indeed.



National Bike to Work Day by Sean

The biking culture is a huge deal here in New York. Just about all of the Sosauce staffers are big fans of biking to work, so naturally we chose to celebrate National Bike to Work Day last spring. Here is footage shot by Sean as he recorded his bike route from northern Brooklyn to our old office in Midtown Manhattan:

Watch the video of Sean’s commute below:

For more information on New York springtime activities, browse the Sosauce Guide to New York. Celebrate the saucy side of spring with us by grabbing your jacket and camera; go out to explore the best of New York on a beautiful April day. Be sure to show off your photos on Sosauce!

What are your favorite spring activities in New York?

It is always great for us to find Travel Geeks that strive to make a difference in the world, especially young people. Sosaucer Maddie Fuller is spending a year in Thailand for a teaching exchange program that aims to assist the Baan Dada Children’s Home in Western Thailand. Maddie is a strong advocate for the rights of stateless Burmese refugee children in Thailand and has shared her travels throughout Southeast Asia with photos, trips, and videos all over Sosauce.

Maddie aims to “educate 60 of the most wonderful children in the world” from Baan Dada Children’s Home.

“If I can succeed in teaching jungle children, I can do anything (although I kind of believe that already),” says Maddie.

In the video below, Maddie introduces friends and family to her experience at Baan Dada in the hopes of raising awareness, support, and funds for children in need:

Her travel photos are not just fun to look at, they are touching and convey stories of another world as well.

For a 23 year-old girl from Maryland to be engaged in a new culture across the world is something surely to admire. To Maddie, it’s nothing, or Mai Pen Rai as the Thai would say.

Sosauce is proud to be the home of a Travel Geek that shares our belief in cultural enrichment and making global connections through the context of travel. If you are interested in learning more about the work Maddie does, be sure to send her a message on her Sosauce page. We hope she can inspire more young people to lend a hand across the globe.

Befriend current Sosaucers or invite your friends to Sosauce and pool in photos, videos, and journals from shared travel experiences. Get started at Sosauce.com!

Recently I discovered the Passion Board project created by the folks at Got Passport. The objective of Passion Board is to “discover and unleash your passion through art and creativity.” It’s a fun project that shows people what you’re all about in a way travelers may not think about. It’s bringing back the idea of jotting down your thoughts on pen and paper, not just conversing online. Here is how Passion Board works according to Got Passport:

Passion Board Round up
- We invite EVERYONE to participate.
- Once Passion Board is created: take a picture and write a  post about it on your blog
- Tweet/Share  your post: Please include #passionboard and mention @GotPassport in your tweet
- Encourage others to participate: Tag and Invite 5 additional friends to join the Round up!
- If you are  NOT on Twitter, not a blogger, email us at GotPassport [at] Gmail [dot] com: send us a picture of your passion board and include a sentence or two about the passion board

I couldn’t help but participate in such a unique project, so I took it upon myself to create my very own Passion Board!

Alisha’s Passion Board

There are a few key things to know about me that reveal my passions or obsessions that I included in my Passion Board:

1. New York City is my playground
2. Sosauce is where I share my travel dreams
3. I’m always online
4. I love meeting new people
5. TV is my guilty pleasure

As you can see I mixed all of the above in a paper collage pictured above. Now I’ll explain further:

New York City is my playground
I live and breathe the New York attitude. I have lived in this state my entire life and cannot imagine myself living anywhere else. New York City is where my dreams have come true, and it is also where I face the most obstacles. I have yet to actually live in New York City but I have been working here practically my entire adult life (yes I know I’m still young). The sticker “I Can’t Afford to <3 NY” is meant to represent my constant setbacks on trying to move to the Big Apple. There are so many factors preventing me to make the big move, but no matter what I keep pushing forward.

I also am a huge fan of the New York City food scene. I am known for scouring the streets of this city in search of the best burgers – that is where the “eat out” and “Grub Street Digest” stickers come into play. You can also always find me flipping through New York magazines, blogs, and newspapers finding the latest and greatest in budget-friendly bars, restaurants, and activities to entertain myself when I’m in the city – hence “Guide to NYC.” Bottom line: New York City is the greatest city in the world.

Sosauce is where I share my travel dreams
I’m the Travel Geek newbie around here so I don’t have tons of stories to share. I have only been out of the country once and spend most of my time traveling in the northeast US for road trips based around friends, concerts, and food. But that doesn’t mean I don’t nerd out over traveling. Since joining the Sosauce community my view on traveling has completely changed. I once thought that in order to travel you had to be someone with tons of money and time to kill, but having met and talked with so many travelers in the last two years, I have learned that traveling at my age, in my situation, is closer to reality than I thought. Between my first trip to Italy and my time here at Sosauce, I have officially been bitten by the travel bug. With that, I am about to embark on my first solo trip to Spain this May – a dream vacation I have been obsessed over for more than a year now. As my TV hero Liz Lemon once said, “I want to go to there.” With my camera in tow I plan on tasting the delicious food Spain has to offer, mingling with locals, and documenting my experience along the way. Thanks to Sosauce, I have a place to recreate and share my travel dreams.

I’m always online
As I write, I have multiple windows open on my Mac, my back hurts from leaning on my desk, and I have all of my social networks synced and active. Being digital is all I know. I am constantly thrown into social media, practically an expert on social networking by now, and being plugged in is the only way to operate in my mind. Having an online presence is not only part of my career, but part of my personality. Online is where I feel the most comfortable – where interacting with others is a breeze, and spreading the word about my passions has proven successful. Everything I love can be found online – my music playlist, my favorite sites, my friends, news and entertainment, my portfolio, and more. To not be online would be just plain weird.

I love meeting new people
I’m a people person. I have an outgoing personality and am very talkative in person. I find that the best part of my job is getting to meet amazing people from all over the world. That’s why I conduct so many interviews (“Small talk with big people”), am an avid networker (see my growing Address Book), and am the first to RSVP to local events. To me, being surrounded by positive and talented people is the best way to spend your time.

TV is my guilty pleasure
I am a huge TV nerd. I won’t admit how many hours I spend watching TV or how many shows I’m currently addicted to but let’s just say if you bother me on Thursday nights from 8-11pm, you will suffer the consequences. I take my television watching very seriously. I even live blog shows as they air and try to incorporate lines from my favorite shows on a daily basis. I just cannot and will not live without television, especially comedy. My biggest TV obsession? The Office. It just doesn’t get any better than that.



Now that you have learned about me and my passions it’s time to pass on the torch. I nominate Kerri from A Wanderluster, Andrew at Sharing Travel Experiences, Diane of Away From Africa, Cailin at Travel Yourself, and Monica from A Pair of Panties and Boxers to create their own passion boards next!

Ashley at Plane and Simple Southwest has an outlined map of the United States tattooed on her arm, with a plane at its center.

“I’m in love with traveling and airplanes. I generally fly twice a week (and some weeks more often than that).” – Ashley / Plane & Simple on Southwest

Michael Hodson aka The Mobile Lawyer got a tattoo of the world map on his left shoulder done in Panama City. Interesting tidbit: Michael is currently on a round the world trip where he will be using all modes of transportation except for flying! The tattoo above was completed during a stop in Montevideo, Uruagay. He hopes to get one tattoo per continent on his trip, filling his map tattoo with his final route.

The above tattoo is also by Michael, featuring Mt. Kilimanjaro and the date he summitted the mountain.

“The guide and I would say Hakuna Matata to each other as a joke to keep me going up the mountain, until the last day, when it transformed into Hakuna Matata, Motherfucker — but I didn’t think that was appropriate for a tattoo.” – Michael Hodson / Mobile Lawyer

Photo Credit: Jonathon Bernstein

Gina Morra got a hibiscus flower with one of her close friends during a spontaneous trip to California a few years back. With $150 to spend, Gina’s friend proposed getting inked together.

“Today, when I look down and see the pink and green hibiscus flower on the top of my foot, it forever reminds me of the vacation that jump-started my infatuation for travel (and for the state of California).” – Gina Morra / Warm October

Lauren Quinn at Lonely Girl Travels chose to mark her love for solo travel with a tattoo of The Hermit on her forearm. Reflective of her travel ethos, Lauren’s tattoo symbolizes in letting go of fear and embracing life’s unexpected turns.

“It’s become a defining part of how I experience the world, how I exist in it. I experience the world from a more intuitive, back-of-the-brain place, where I’m okay with it not making sense, where I find a way to somehow swim through the chaos and insanity and all-too-often heartbreaking cruelty of it, and tap, however lightly, on the beautiful something at the center of it all.” – Lauren Quinn / Lonely Girl Travels

Jason from Two Backpackers chose to celebrate carpe diem with his tattoo, adding the sun at its central core. Check out footage from his tattoo session in Antigua, Guatemala:

“I imagine the sun as all powerful for all of nature, including me.  The heat gives me energy and the ability to live life as exciting as I can.” – Jason / Two Backpackers

Do you have a travel tattoo? Write your travel tattoo story or upload the photos on Sosauce and tag it “Travel Tattoos.” We’ll then post it as part of a photo essay on the Sosauce Chili Tumblr blog!

How would you like to win $15,000 and a free place for the summer?

The prospect of travel may sometimes seem out of reach, however Host Our Coast offers the opportunity to explore Delmarva all summer long. Last summer, Melanie McLean and I won that amazing experience and were paid to do so. While living in our downtown Ocean City condo paid for by Delmarva Low Impact Tourism, Melanie and I had the opportunity of going from small town to quaint, forgotten museums of coastal Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. We had the chance to dine on world class crab cakes, state deserts and the staple feast of scrapple. Kayaks were manned and bikes were mounted as this extremely diverse area of the United States was discovered by us for the first time.

Paul kayaked through one of the most northern cypress swamps at Trap Pond, Delaware.

The Host Our Coast adventure was one that allowed us to travel as we like, leaving very little to a planned itinerary; if a small coffee shop or unmarked restaurant beckoned us from afar, we were able to let our noses lead the way. What was planned regarded that of the back roads and hidden treasures of Delmarva; the small town museums and theaters that truly show the culture and history of an area. We paddled down the same waterways that John Smith explored hundreds of years ago and were amazed to find a calm and serenity that one would imagine of his day. Bike rides around salt water marshes flourishing with life were our daily exercise. This area, so rich with history and coated in natural beauty, shined with a unique gloss that I have never seen in the United States.

Paul and Jim Rapp, DLITE director and a founding member of Host Our Coast, scan the Assawoman Bay just to see what sort of creatures swim below in their rendition of a bioblitz.

Now with summer promising its glorious return, Host Our Coast has begun to accept applicants for the second round of hosts. To apply all that you will need is a 60 second video of yourself showing why you will be the best at being the voice of Delmarva as well as a sample travel blog. For details you can visit the HostOurCoast.com.

Paul and Mel cruise the 25 mile trail in the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Cambridge, Maryland filled with natural solace and a long history. They crossed historic trails of Harriett Tubman who led hundreds of people to freedom through the marshlands of the refuge.

Host Our Coast proved to be a dream job for these two wayward souls, and we recommend anyone with a love for travel and exploration, and an entire summer to do it, to apply for this ultimate summer job!

*Written by Paul Cox

We’re talking about manly men. Rugged guys climbing mountains, exploring off the beaten path, discovering new trails, roughing it up on the road, traveling the world. Inspired by Christoph Rehage’s nomadic beard video, The Longest Way, this article is dedicated to the Travel Geeks sporting beards proudly – proof of their extensive travels, and giving ladies around the world some eye candy.

We asked some of backpacker friends how they deal with a bearded lifestyle on their travels, what crazy adventures their beards have encountered, and what the ladies of the world think about their unshaven facial hair. Sometimes a beard is not just about the rugged good looks, it’s about wearing a badge of honor.

Below we interviewed Mike Barish, Dave Lee, Ian MacKenzie, Chris Christensen, and Craig Zabransky on the Adventures of Bearded Travelers. Read on to marvel at their beards and the experiences gained:

Chris Christensen (Amateur Traveler) eating Chinese food in Africa

Home Base: San Jose, CA

Current Location: my couch

Why do you have a beard?
Laziness and my wife likes me better with a beard and protests whenever I speak of its defoliation

Where have you traveled to with your beard?
I have made numerous trips to Europe (England, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Turkey and the Czech Republic), Mexico and Canada. I have also been to China, Tanzania, Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Panama, Aruba, Curacao, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. I have seen most of the states in the United States.

Is your beard about form or function? Why?
My beard is about form. It used to be a full beard but has shrunk as it turned grey to a goatee.

What have been some reactions to your beard during your travels?
It helped me blend in bit more in Turkey but stand out a bit more in China. Since I have traveled only as a married man my insight into the ladies reactions has been a bit filtered.

Chris and new Korean companion in Turkey

How long have you been growing your beard? When have you not had a beard?
I grew the beard when I went to college in 1979 and have only shaved it off 2 or 3 times since then. Once was to play the part of Linus in You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown in community theatre.

How do you maintain your beard on the road?
I bring scissors and a razor

What’s the craziest adventure you and your beard have experienced?
Having been bearded for 30 years my beard has experienced the vast majority of my adventures. It has kept my face warm in an early morning hot air balloon ride. It has collected dust as I rode standing up out the top of a Range Rover on Safari in Ngoro Ngoro crater. It does make snorkeling and scuba a bit more challenging.

What’s the hardest food to keep out of your beard?
Ice cream

What advice would you give to aspiring bearded travelers?
Take some Vaseline to help make your scuba mask fit more water tight

Dave Lee (Go Backpacking & Travel Blog Success) in Cambodia

Home Base: Fairfax, Virginia

Current Location: Fairfax, Virginia

Why do you have a beard?
Laziness, rugged good looks, makes me look older (some have said sexy too!).

What have been some of your favorite destinations?
I’ve been around the world in the last few years, so there are too many to name.  I loved the mountains and Tibetan Buddhist influences in Nepal, and the culture and salsa dancing of Colombia.  The tropical islands of French Polynesia and Thailand are hard to beat, while the wildlife in South Africa was a real treat for this suburban kid.

Dave in Sikkim, India

Is your beard about form or function? Why?
Neither really.  People say it makes me look older, however I don’t mind being mistaken for a guy in his late 20′s.  For me, it’s nice to take a break from daily shaving while on the road, and it allows me to save money by spending less on razors.  I tried those cheap razors, but they’re too painful, so I stick with Gillette Mach 3 Turbo, whether at home or traveling.

How long do you typically grow your beard?
I’d only let it grow out for 1-2 weeks at a time before shaving because it gets way too itchy for me, especially in tropical weather.

What’s the craziest adventure you and your beard have experienced?
I’d have to say cage diving with Great White sharks off the coast of South Africa.  It’s very exciting, however nothing can prepare you for what it’s like to have Jaws grinding his full set of teeth on metal, just inches from your face and fingers.

What advice would you give to aspiring bearded travelers?
Invest in quality razors, because nothing hurts more than shaving thick beard hair with a 99-cent disposable.  Ouch.

Mike Barish (Gadling)

Home Base: New York

Current Location: Canada

Why do you have a beard?
Balances my receding hairline. Looks good with my shaved head is what I like to say.

Where have you traveled to? What have been some of your favorite places?
I love different places for different reasons. India was where I felt most at home. Vermont reminds me of childhood summers. Osaka, Japan is an amusement park for the senses. Puerto Rico cooks up some good pork skin. Picking a favorite destination is like picking a favorite Golden Girl. I love them all.

Is your beard about form or function?
Both. It looks good but it really does keep my face warm. The winter temperatures in the Yukon Territory were no match for my whiskers.

How do the ladies of the world like your beard? Has it varied by country?
Well, my girlfriend loves it and that’s all that really matters. I have found that it generates fewer questions in rural areas than in cities.

How long have you been growing your beard?
I grow a beard almost every winter and rarely shave completely. This current iteration was conceived in September 2009. Though, I usually sport at least a five o’clock shadow (though I struggle to pull off the blazer and loafers look due to my troubling lack of a Ferrari).

How has your beard affected your travels? Is your beard at all reflective of your travels?
It hasn’t affected my travels too much other than instead of bed head I wake up with bed beard. Also, I went from never needing shampoo (because I shave my head) to now worrying about conditioning my facial hair.

How do you maintain your beard on the road?
I tend to let my beard be on holiday, as well. I give it a good trim pre-trip and then let it have a mind of its own.

What’s the craziest adventure you and your beard have experienced?
We’ve bungee jumped, skydived, dogsled and Zorbed together. But the craziest thing we did was show up at my grandmother’s house and endured her judgment. We should have just stayed home.

What’s the hardest food to keep out of your beard?
Ramen. No question.

What advice would you give to aspiring bearded travelers?
Stop shaving.

Craig Zabransky (Stay Adventurous)

Home Base: New York, NY

Current Location: Florida Keys or Todo Santos, Mexico

Why do you have a beard?

Laziness
Rugged good looks
Makes me look older
Balances my receding hairline

Yes. Yes. Yes. And well, probably another yes. Elements of all of the above contribute to my decision. But if I could add one, I might add fun. Yes, it’s fun to have and hold one’s beard.

Where has your beard traveled to with you
My beard accompanies me on most of my adventurers; we already shared memories across four continents and countless countries. Some of the most cherished include the two months in Buenos Aires, sailing the Greek Islands, and perhaps the days spent writing and conversing in the cafes of San Sebastian, Spain. And in Spain my beard enjoyed all the pintxos (tapas) almost as much as I did. But the Rioja was just for me.

Is your beard about form or function?
Not sure it’s either. In fact, I’d like to choose a third F – Fashion. Yes, a fashion statement; it represents who I am. Plus, I can’t help but smile when I see the models sporting a beard like myself recently. Copy cats.

How do the ladies of the world like your beard? Does it vary by country?
Different reactions, but definitely much more like than dislike. And yes, it totally varies, not only by country, but by state, city and even street. In New York I might enjoy a smile in SoHo but that will not materialize on the Upper West side. Hmmm, perhaps one of the reasons I rarely head to the Upper West.

But of all the places, I tend to think the ‘Latin World’ views my beard in the most favorable eye. From Mexico to South America – it’s “Guapo.” And don’t forget the origin of Latin and the Romance languages – especially Spain.

Craig and beard in Spain

How long have you been growing your beard?
I attempted the beard twice before I could claim success. Each time on road trips. A post college cross country trip I lacked experience and two weeks through Japan was not enough time. It took three weeks of holiday in Spain to fully grow the beard. And since that summer of 2001, I’ve kept the beard more days than not. My only beardless travels were business trips to China in 2002 and 2004 and the days after wards. Asia seems to be beardless for business.

How has your beard affected your travels? Is your beard at all reflective of your travels?
Yes, to me it signifies the traveler not the tourist; a man on a journey not someone trying to get to the next destination. The bearded traveler also sees time differently. (I never wear a watch) You seem to be on the road, never in a rush, and always available for future adventures.

How do you maintain your beard on the road?
Usually not a concern. For short trips (a week or less) I do nothing.  With longer trips it depends on the type of trip. A more luxurious trip might see me bring accessories while if it’s off to backpack the jungle or brave any colder destination I may just let it go wild until a return to city life.

What’s the craziest adventure you and your beard have experienced?
Probably Bulgaria. Growing up in the cold war, I never thought I’d experience the other side of the Iron Curtain. But we did. Magical monasteries, mountain hikes in the Pirin’s, Black Sea Resorts with parties that make the Jersey Shore seem tame and a capital city, Sofia, which is truly emerging to a top European destination. Epic.Two crazy weeks.

But my trip to Africa this May might surpass that. Stay tuned. Desert, Safari, World Cup – it will be quite the adventure.

What’s the hardest food to keep out of your beard?
My beard really enjoyed those pintxos and also with a personal affinity for all things Mexican, tacos (especially those from El Califa in Mexico City) seem to find a home some late nights after a tequila session.

What advice would you give to aspiring bearded travelers?
My (bearded) college history professor told the class one day “Every man needs to grow a beard once in his life to find out who he truly is.” You remember certain college classes and some professors change your life. He did. To start, people see you differently and also you start to see the world differently. I never knew what he meant, but now traveling with my beard I tend to think of the once experiment as now a permanent part of myself. My beard is here to stay. To me, it’s staying adventurous.

Ian MacKenzie (Brave New Traveler) enjoying a sunrise

Home Base: Vancouver

Current Location: Vancouver

Why do you have a beard?
Rugged good looks
Makes me look older

Where has your beard traveled to with you?
I’ve traveled to a variety of places, including Australia, Cambodia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Fiji, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Laos, Portugal, Spain, Thailand, and the United Kingdom.  I tend to gravitate toward tropical destinations (probably because Vancouver is cold and rainy most of the year).

Is your beard about form or function? How so?
My beard is about function – I don’t like shaving all the time, so it’s just easier to have a beard.

How do the ladies of the world like your beard? Has it varied by country?
I think most ladies appreciate the beard… though for some reason I think Germans tend not to like facial hair.

How long have you been growing your beard? When have you not had a beard?
I’ve had my beard since 2004, when I grew it after a road trip with my girlfriend (now wife).  After the trip, I meant to shave the beard, but she said it actually looked nice. Also, the fact that she is a few years older than me, and the beard made me appear older and wiser… had nothing to do with it.

How has your beard affected your travels? Is your beard at all reflective of your travels?
In 2006, during a two month backpack trip in Thailand, a white patch appeared in my beard.  I’m not exactly sure why that happened, or if it reflected anything that happened on the journey (maybe I was traumatized and didn’t remember?). But the beard and backpacking in general definitely go hand in hand.

How do you maintain your beard on the road?
Electric shaver is the easiest, as long as you bring along the right attachments for the electric plugs. Case in point: last year in Georgia, I burnt out my shaver on the first day.  I couldn’t find a replacement plug, so instead, I decided to let the beard “out of the cage.” I kept it growing for 4 months just to see what would happen.

What’s the craziest adventure you and your beard have experienced?
I grew my beard all the way to Burning Man 2009. That would have been a wild experience with our without my beard… but looking back at the pics, I’m grateful my beard and I were able to share the playa together.

Ian at Burning Man

What’s the hardest food to keep out of your beard?
Lobster.  All that dripping butter coats your beard and won’t wash off without copious amounts of soap and water.

What advice would you give to aspiring bearded travelers?
Shave your neck.  As long as your neck is shaved, there’s no itch.  In fact, I forget I even have a beard half the time.



Thanks to all the beards for talking manly travels with us. Whether it’s about laziness, fashion, or impressing the ladies – beards make traveling even more memorable. We hope the men out there find some inspiration in sporting beards for their next trip!

John Kago, Howard, and brother

We part ways at Lake Manyara, an enchanting place where myriads of birds circle the air. After our drive, John and Simiton drove us to the airstrip where we would fly back to Nairobi. On the way, we stopped for gas, and as we pulled out of the gas station, kids grinning ear to ear ran after us, waving goodbye. Those 30 seconds from the rear windows of our car I would never forget either.

John and Simiton were supposed to have been with us for our entire journey – from Tanzania to Kenya. But our time together ended at the airstrip of Lake Manyara. The night before, as we were having dinner together, John told us that he might be forced out of the company. He said he didn’t know for sure, but he was being called back to the headquarters, and a judgment was imminent.

I found it incredulous, and we were all pretty upset, but that was his company’s politics. John was never one for politics. He was an academic. He spent time studying birds instead of hard liquors at the bar. He wasn’t one who brought rowdy American tourists over to the bar next to the fire place where buffalo head hung and sang “kumbaya.” He didn’t drink much, and he spoke softly. Looking back, he wasn’t a company man who took loud tourists to get ripped off or to see blood and gore. He wasn’t one who could give a crap about nature or entertain tourists who were there just to say they were there. So he got the short end of the stick.

Safari was a business after all. I looked up the safari company’s bio after I came back, and John was no longer there. Nice guy finished last this time.

For anyone to go on a safari, he or she experiences a great irony. The trip is a trip of a life time. Yet, the more people go, the more nature crumbles. What’s worse is that there are plenty of loud mouthed, liquor loading tourists who drove people like John out of his job. Don’t be one of them, this I implore you.

Howard is a dreamer of distant places, and he would like to take his daughter to see the world some day soon. Howard’s blog series is about the people he meets on his travels.

This time, there was no such incident.  After passing the tiny storefront by accident, we went back to stop in Fisherman’s Cove, on the corner of Church and Flatbush Avenues.  It was just a counter, no seating, and was crowded with hungry, talkative patrons.  I ordered a small portion of jerk chicken, which was five dollars flat.

And then, the bad news.  They were out of delicious plantains.  Really?  Friday night at seven o’clock?  The woman at the counter didn’t seem too fazed, and the exceedingly casual vibe suggested that this kind of happens all the time.  I tried to stay strong and not show my utter dismay.  We still got the chicken over rice with beans and a little lettuce salad.

After waiting for a few minutes, they handed me my meal in a Styrofoam container (sorry environment!) to pour on as much or little jerk sauce as I liked.  We walked back to Allison’s to eat (if you don’t live in the area, it’s about a half a mile to the southeast corner of Prospect Park) tossed the utensils, cracked open beers and ate with our hands.  The chicken had a substantial crisp on the outside, and the jerk sauce was tangy but not too spicy for me.  The white meat was cut into bone-in chunks, and was surprisingly moist, given how long it must have been cooked.  The rice and beans were good but not exceptional.

This trip definitely satisfied my craving for jerk chicken, but due to the mediocre service and mediocre side dishes, I’m not absolutely sold on Fisherman’s Cove.  I’d go again, but not before trying some place new.

Stacey Shapiro is a language, travel, food and dance enthusiast living in Brooklyn, New York.  She’s working on memorizing the subway map on a series of culinary explorations through the five boroughs.