Manaus: Capital of the Amazon

My visit to the Amazon’s largest and most contradictory city.

City of Manaus. Dennis Jarvis. CC BY-SA 2.0

My first guide in Manaus explained that when people think about a city in the middle of the Amazon, they expect the city to be wild and see snakes crossing the streets. The reality of the Amazon’s largest city, located in Brazil’s Amazonas Province, is completely different. This past May I spent one of the most memorable weeks of my life in this province. During that time, I did go deep into the Amazon, where I saw a tree Boa, a large snake. But, I also visited a beautiful pink opera house, a fish market, antique bookstores, fancy restaurants, the Presidente Figueiredo Waterfalls, and even the Ponta Negra Beach, which was lined with tall buildings that seemed to be hotels, just like any beach town you’d find in the US.

Me, in the Amazon outside of Manaus. Jeremy Giles

This city of over two million people borders both the Rio Negro and the Amazon River, and is the access point to reach many communities deeper within the Amazon jungle. It is also one of Brazil’s largest industrial centers, including businesses that have nothing to do with the rainforest it borders. In my experience, Manaus is a city unlike any other, and thrives off defying expectations.

The History

Manáos, Eduardo Ribeiro Avenue in 1909. National Library of Brazil, public domain.

Manaus was originally founded in 1669 as a Portuguese fort. By 1832, the fort grew into a town, and received its modern name, Manaus, meaning “mother of the gods,” from the indigenous Manaós tribe. Only 16 years later Manaus expanded into a city. Two years after that, it was officially declared the capital of the Amazonas province.

After the invention of cars in the late 1800s, Manaus became the center of the rubber boom due to the almost complete South American monopoly of rubber trees, which are native to the Amazon basin. This completely changed the city, as it became viewed as the gateway to the Amazon, and became home to many incredibly wealthy rubber barons. These ridiculously rich families had more money than things to spend it on, and began to focus on architecture, shipping materials all the way from Europe to build huge beautiful masterpieces, many of which still exist today.

By the early to mid 1900s the rubber boom had almost completely left Brazil, being replaced by rubber trees brought to Southeast Asia. This spelled financial ruin for Manaus, which sank into desperation. This poverty continued until 1967, when Manaus was named a duty free zone, making it cheap for companies to move there. This allowed Manaus to grow into the economic hub it is today, currently being a Brazilian access point for over 600 global companies.

The Amazonas Theatre

Amazon Theatre in Manaus. Rafael Zart. CC BY 2.0.

The Amazonas Theatre opened in 1897, carrying with it Manaus’ nickname “the Paris of the Tropics.” The opera theater was built almost entirely using materials imported from Europe, topped with a beautiful dome of Brazil’s flag.

At the time of its opening, the opera theater was in many ways a sign of all that was wrong in Manaus. It was built for Manaus’ uber-wealthy, using the money they made by exploiting the local population to harvest the rubber they sold abroad. Moreover, even the few who could enter the opera house valued the status it brought them more than the opera itself. The most expensive seats in the opera house were those that were the most visible to the public. Ironically, these spots actually had the worst view of the stage itself. 

Today, the opera house, which remains a top opera house in the world, has come a long way from its imperialistic origins. Most performances at the theater are free, and those that aren’t are very affordable. The performances feature both local artists and acts from around the world. Moreover, to encourage all to join, a large screen is often set up in the plaza in front of the opera house, allowing as many people to see the performances as possible.

The Ports

Manaus market from the river. archer10 (Dennis). CC BY-SA 2.0.

In many ways, the center of Manaus is its ports. Manaus is bordered by both the Rio Negro and the Amazon River, allowing for a large number of ships and ferries, both for tourists and locals. These boats can take you deeper into the Amazon or out of it entirely, allowing ocean freight ships to transport goods directly to Manaus.

In addition, much of Manaus’ culture and nature revolves around the ports. A little over a half hour by boat from Manaus’ ports is the meeting of the waters, a line where the Rio Negro meets the Amazon River. This line is clearly visible with the water looking different and being a clearly different temperature on either side of the line. 

On land, about a five minute walk from Manaus’ largest port is an amazing market “Mercado Municipal” that, every morning, is filled with different fresh fish, including some of the biggest fish in the world. My personal favorite of these huge fish is Tambaqui, a cousin of the Piranha and one of the most delicious meals I’ve ever had. The fish is so big that its ribs are visible and alone big enough for a meal. In fact, I’d go even further to say that, to me at least, the ribs are the best part.

Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon Rainforest, a few hours from Manaus. Jeremy Giles

While Manaus itself is a big city, much of the land around it is still forested and filled with natural wonders. If you go an hour or two downstream on the Rio Negro, you will be greeted by intensely green trees on both sides which, in the right conditions, are perfectly reflected by the black water below you. In the wet season this water will rise several meters, causing many of the trees to jut out of the water itself. Just to note, climate change has caused the water to rise more now than in the past, however, the water rising multiple meters is a natural phenomenon and one that actually helps the trees survive.

When you’re surrounded by the trees you may start to be greeted by animals almost immediately. Howler and spider monkeys can be seen leaping from tree to tree, sometimes carrying their babies, and boas can be found curled up on branches. The water itself is dotted with caiman and different kinds of fish. The lucky will get to see pink river dolphins breaching the water’s surface.

A waterfall at El Presidente Figueiredo. Jeremy Giles

There is plenty to see around Manaus and in Manaus on land as well. Most notably, about an hour and a half drive from Manaus are the Presidente Figueiredo waterfalls. These waterfalls are all stunning to look it, with fast moving water from the Rio Negro. However, they do vary in size. The first waterfall I was unable to approach because it was too big. The second one was small enough that I was able to climb behind it.

The Rio Negro, or Black River in English, gets its color from the decaying vegetation that falls into it. Beyond giving the river a wondrous dark hue, this decay causes the river to be relatively acidic. While it is perfectly okay for humans to swim in the water, the same cannot be said for mosquitoes, who almost completely avoid the river. This is amazing for Manaus, which borders the Rio Negro, as the city has relatively few mosquitos despite being in the middle of the Amazon.

The Technology Industry

President Lula visiting a motorcycle factory in Manaus. Brasil em Mapas Brazilmaps. CC BY 2.0

While much of Manaus’ economy does revolve around the Amazon, the tech industry is actually one of the city’s largest. Brazil’s largest research and development Institute, the Sidia Institute of Science and Technology, is based in Manaus. Moreover, Manaus is known for its extensive motorcycle industry, producing over 1.4 million motorcycles in 2022.

Manauara Shopping Center. Naldo Arruda. CC BY 2.0

I’ve spent the past few days trying to think of what, out of everything I saw, best represents Manaus. I believe I’ve found it, but, like everything else with the city, it’s not what you would expect. 

The Manauara Shopping mall is a huge and beautiful structure, with big glass windows lining the outside, seeming to connect the building to the world beyond its walls. It has more than 200 stores, which range from those selling wooden crafts and acai from the Amazon to big brands on national and international levels. The moment I remember most is when, after exploring the first three levels of the mall, my family decided to visit the basement food court. Going down the escalator, we saw the same glass windows from the front of the building, except this time, they were facing inwards. We walked towards a door under the hulking glass and through it outside into open space. I looked up and spiraling branches blanketed with green leaves towered above me, almost blocking my view of the night sky. I breathed in the air deeply, letting go of a tension I didn’t know I was holding. Looking back, in this moment, in a rainforest in the middle of a mall, I truly experienced Manaus most.

Jeremy Giles

Jeremy is a Writing Seminars and International Studies major at Johns Hopkins University. He is an avid writer and the Co-Founder of Writers’ Warehouse, Johns Hopkins’ first creative writing group. He is an advocate for Indigenous rights, and studies how Indigenous philosophies can be used to help prevent climate change. Using his writing, he hopes to bring attention to underrepresented voices in today’s world.

Women at the Western Wall

This organization is working to break down traditional gender barriers to create a communal space for women and men to pray together at Jerusalem’s Western Wall.

The Western Wall Chris Yunker. CC BY 2.0

Located in Jerusalem’s ancient Old City, the Western Wall marks a central point of religious and spiritual life for millions of Jews, Christians, and Muslims across the world. The wall is believed to mark the only remaining structure of the Temple Mount, the place of the original Temples for the Jewish people, the first of which was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE and the Second Temple by the Romans in 70 CE.

The Western Wall is also referred to as the Kotel, which is just the Hebrew word for “wall,” and as the Wailing Wall in reference to the manner in which the Jewish people wept at the site during the Roman domination of the Levant. The Wall remains a pivotal place of Jewish history and religious life, with thousands visiting the site daily and leaving prayer notes in the stone crevices.

However, in recent years, the Western Wall has also been at the center of religious debates concerning traditional gender separation. For generations, men and women have visited and prayed at the Western Wall in separate sections, the measures of which are not equal. Stretching just 12 meters in width, the women’s section 36 meters short of-the male side.

Women of the Wall

Woman praying at the Wall. it is elisa. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

An organization called Women of the Wall (WOW) is working to increase women’s rights and equality at the Western Wall. The organization’s first meeting occurred in 1988, with 70 Jewish women gathering at the Western Wall to join together in prayer and the Torah reading, where they were met with stark disapproval and verbal assaults from Orthodox Jewish men and women. The event led to WOW’s founding and beginning of its legal fight to empower women to pray at the Western Wall, going against Orthodox norms.

By drawing on systems of social advocacy, education and empowerment WOW is seeking social and legal acceptance of women’s right to wear prayer shawls and to pray and read aloud from the Torah. The group’s mission advocates for women’s right with regards to the four t’s: the right to say a prayer, or Tefillah, the right to wear traditional leather wraps, or Tefillin, that are inscribed with verses from the Torah, the right to wear prayer shawls known as Tallit, and finally the right to read aloud from the Torah.

Along with its advocacy work, WOW regularly gathers together in community at the Western Wall. The group commemorates Rosh Chodesh, a Jewish holiday that marks the new moon at the beginning of each month in the Hebrew calendar, with a collective morning prayer at the Kotel. The holiday is traditionally connected to a celebration of women, with origins dating back to the time of Moses when wives refused to give up their jewelry to build the golden calf, a symbol of sin and idolatry in the Torah.

While these monthly prayer gatherings are a means of celebrating Jewish women’s spiritual life and collective community, they are often met with violence and aggression. The women of WOW are often double searched at the entrance to ensure that they are not smuggling in a Torah, and the group regularly face physical and verbal aggression from the Ultra Orthodox community, an experience that often leaves them with scars and bruises after their day of prayer.

Members of WOW are accustomed to receiving verbal and physical pushback against their cause, and even being spit on by those who view their message as sacrilegious.

A Legal Battle

In 1988 the Ministry of Religion established The Western Wall Foundation, a government body responsible for the care and administration of the Western Wall. Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch has served as chairman of the foundation since 1995 and has been known for his efforts to maintain traditional Orthodox customs at the Wall. Rabbi Rabinowitz has criticized WOW’s work in the past, including in 2014 when he spoke out against  activists efforts to smuggle a Torah into the women’s section of the Wall. 

In spite of women’s legal right to read the Torah, Rabbi Rabinovitch has created regulations that prevent women from bringing in Torahs into the Plaza. Furthermore, Rabbi Rabinovitch’s regulations prevent women from borrowing one of the 200 Torah scrolls kept within the Plaza, which are freely offered to men. 

In April 2013, a decision written by Judge Moshe Sobell in the case of Israel Police v. Lesley Sachs, Bonnie Riva Ras, Sylvie Rozenbaum, R. Valerie Stessin, & Sharona Kramer, found that the Israeli Supreme Court’s 2003 case which prohibited women from wearing prayer shawls or reading from the Torah had been misinterpreted, and could not be applied to WOW. Judge Sobell also found that WOW had not endangered the public peace, nor had it violated the Law of Holy Places governing the Western Wall that demands visitors adhere to the local customs. Instead, the ruling dictated that local customs should be determined by the public through  nationalistic and pluralistic lenses in addition to the Orthodox one.

The 2013 court decision helped spur ongoing discussions regarding communal prayer spaces at the Wall. In 2013, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed a committee chaired by Natan Sharansky to resolve the issue of communal prayer at the Wall. Sharansky proposed to extend the Western Wall plaza to an area known as Robinson’s Arch in order to provide a pluralistic prayer space for both men and women. The area can accommodate some 450 people, and was seen in many ways as a temporary solution to the question of mixed-gendered prayer. 

In January 2016, the Israeli government approved a plan to set up a communal space in which both men and women could pray together. The plan will also give women who want to pray alone but not in accordance with Orthodox rules the option to set up a temporary barrier. 

The new area is expected to double the size of the temporary communal prayer area set up in 2013 under Netanyahu, in order to accommodate 1,200 worshippers. 

The fight for communal prayer spaces remains a contentious issue between Orthodox and Reformed communities. Although the plan for a pluralistic prayer space was passed by the Knesset, Israel’s legislature, in 2016, as of 2023 the construction and implementation have not yet begun. The issue remains a top priority for members of WOW, who will continue to pray at the Wall’s women’s section until a pluralistic prayer space is constructed.

Get Involved

Other organizations in Israel have come out in support of WOW and embraced a pluralistic perspective towards religious traditions. 

Rabbi Danny Rich, a chief executive of Liberal Judaism, celebrated the decision for a communal prayer space as one that represented Judaism’s inclusivity. Through education opportunities, social action campaigns, collaborative interfaith work, and its provision of programming and library of historical archives, Liberal Judaism engages with social justice issues such as climate change, inequality, and poverty.  

The Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism has also praised the women’s representation at the Western Wall, as an exemplification of pluralism and diversity within Jewish community. The Movement seeks to increase the accessibility of progressive and pluralistic Judaism through education programming as well as legislation changes as part of their Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC). Along with their advocacy work, the IRAC offers resources and publications that engage with modern social issues through a progressive and religious lens. 

Jessica Blatt

Jessica Blatt graduated from Barnard College with a degree in English. Along with journalism, she is passionate about creative writing and storytelling that inspires readers to engage with the world around them. She hopes to share her love for travel and learning about new cultures through her work.

Frozen Glory: Inside the Eskimo-Indian Olympics

From cultural preservation to sheer athletic spectacle, the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics are a highlight of the Native Alaskan calendar.

An athlete competes in the blanket toss event at the WEIO. KNOM Radio. CC BY-SA 2.0

In the early 1960s, two non-Indigenous pilots who regularly made trips over Alaska’s rural communities kept observing the celebration of an interesting cultural event. This sporting event, as they later came to realize it was, dated back far beyond living memory and honored strength, resilience and endurance through a series of events meant to test the skills necessary to live in such an unforgiving environment. Given that Alaska had just recently become an American state in 1959, the early 60s saw the gradual encroachment of mainstream American culture into its more remote outlying communities, posing a serious threat to local traditions and practices. After the pilots shared their concerns with various groups in Fairbanks, the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics (WEIO) was officially born in 1961 and drew Native participants and spectators from around the Fairbanks area to participate on the banks of the Chena River.

The WEIO has grown significantly since then, with thousands of people traveling to watch the best of Alaska’s Indigenous athletes compete in the Big Dipper Ice Arena for four days each July. Aside from a minimum age limit of 12 years, there are no age categories for any of the events, which means that several generations of the same family can be seen competing against each other. It is also common for older and more experienced competitors to coach and advise the younger athletes during the competition: rather than trying to beat one’s opponents, the larger goal is to compete against and better oneself.

Athletes Sean O’Brien (left) and Chris Kalmakoff (right) compete in the Eskimo stick pull event. Erich Engman. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Many of the events, however, are still extremely competitive, and involve intimate face-offs between athletes. The Indian Stick Pull, for example, calls for athletes to wrench a short greased stick from their opponent, an event meant to replicate the grip strength necessary when trying to keep hold of a freshly caught fish by its tail. The Ear Pull is a contest of stamina to demonstrate the athletes’ ability to withstand pain, a valued trait in the often cruel conditions of the Alaskan North. In this event, string is looped around the opposite ears of two athletes as they face each other as they pull away in a tug-of-war with their ears until one cedes the match.

Other events are competed individually, but with just as much rigor and excitement. The Greased Pole Walk, as its name suggests, tests the balance needed for crossing creeks on slippery logs by having contestants walk as far as they can barefoot along a greased wooden pole. A favorite among both competitors and spectators alike, the Two-Foot High Kick requires competitors to jump vertically and kick a suspended ball with both feet before landing and maintaining their balance. Hundreds of years ago, villages along the coast would perform these kicks as a way to communicate to the village that a whale or some other game had been caught, and to prepare themselves to assist the hunters upon their return.

Athlete Ezra Elissoff competes in the Two-Foot High Kick final at the 2021 WEIO. Jeff Chen. CC BY-SA 2.0

Despite the popularity of basketball and ice hockey, the traditional sports seem to be gaining popularity among young children and teenagers, and are also contributing to the difficult task of preserving and passing on Native Alaskan culture. Miley Kakaruk, a 15-year-old athlete of the Inupiaq tribe of Northwestern Alaska, says that she imagines her ancestors competing in the same events centuries ago, vying to be chosen for their village’s next hunting party. Because each event is so heavily rooted in their history, younger competitors are able to learn the customs and stories that so heavily influence the culture and lifestyle of their people.

Equally important is the power of these games to forge a connection between athletes and society. Historically, studies have shown that Native Alaskans suffer from some of the highest rates of alcoholism and drug abuse in the US. A number of the people that the WEIO Board works with and recruits are young adults who are at risk of or actively battling addiction. According to Gina Kalloch, a board member and ex-athlete, discovering their culture through such a fondly practiced social tradition has allowed many of these people to develop a sense of pride in themselves and their culture, and helped to reorient their lives.

Native Alaskan women compete in the Miss WEIO Cultural Pageant alongside the athletic events each year. Danny Martin. CC BY-SA 2.0

While this year’s edition of the Olympics already took place between July 12 and 15, highlights of both the sporting events and the accompanying Miss WEIO Cultural Pageant are freely available on the internet.

Tanaya Vohra

Tanaya is an undergraduate student pursuing a major in Public Health at the University of Chicago. She's lived in Asia, Europe and North America and wants to share her love of travel and exploring new cultures through her writing.

5 Reasons to Visit Andorra

Here are some ways to enjoy the beauty and history of one of Europe’s smallest countries.

Andorra’s capital, Andorra la Vella. Tiia Monto. CC BY-SA 3.0.

Located between France and Spain, Andorra is a country of the Pyrenees mountains. The official language of Andorra is Catalan, yet many residents also speak Spanish, Portuguese, and French. With an area of 180 square miles and a population of fewer than 80,000 people, Andorra is one of the smallest countries in Europe. Though small, Andorra has much to offer, with sights and activities that make a visit well worth it. Here are five things to do when visiting Andorra.

1. Skiing

Grandvalira ski resort. Llull~commonswiki. CC BY-SA 2.0.

Due to its mountainous location, Andorra is home to great skiing locales. The country has three main ski areas, which are Grandvalira, Vallnord, and Ordino Arcalís. Grandvalira is the largest of the three resorts, with 130 miles of slope, most of that at the intermediate level. Vallnord has a ski lift connecting the villages of Arinsal and Pal, and you can try Speed Riding there, which is a mix of hand gliding and skiing. Ordino Arcalís is a smaller and less crowded resort. With its northern location, it produces the most snow of all of the resorts, and therefore has a longer ski season.

Exploring Andorra’s slopes is an unforgettable experience, but staying safe while adventuring is just as important. Whether you're carving through fresh powder or trekking its rugged trails, having the right travel insurance can give you peace of mind. SafetyWing offers affordable and flexible coverage, from emergency medical needs to comprehensive healthcare, all with built-in travel protection. No matter where your journey takes you, their Essential and Complete plans ensure you're covered every step of the way.

2. Visit the Mirador Roc del Quer

Mirador Roc del Quer. Roberto-g-rovi. CC BY 3.0.

At 6,417 feet, the Mirador Roc del Quer lookout provides a great view of the Pyrenees mountains. With 12 meters of the walkway being detached from the ground, it creates the illusion of walking through the scenic view. At the end of the Mirador Roc del Quer, there is a statue called “The Ponderer” by artist Miguel Ángel González. This statue depicts a man calmly sitting on a beam looking at the view, unbothered by the drop from where he is sitting. Whether it be for sightseeing or picture-taking, the Mirador Roc del Quer is worth visiting when in Andorra.

3. Tour La Casa de la Vall

La Casa de la Vall. Zinneke. CC BY-SA 3.0.

Built in 1580, La Casa de la Vall was originally built as a manor house for the Busquets family. From 1702 until 2011, it served as headquarters for the Consell General, which is Andorra’s parliament. Today, it serves as a monument that is open to the public. The first floor once held the Criminal Court, as well as the Hall of Lost Steps, a room with walls made of 16th century paintings. This floor also holds the Cupboard of Seven Keys, which has a key to each of the seven Andorran parishes, along with significant historical documents. The second floor of La Casa de la Vall was once an attic, but it was renovated to become a multipurpose area, often used for exhibitions.

4. Hike Rec del Solà

Rec del Solà. Kulmalukko. CC BY-SA 3.0.

Within its mountains, Andorra offers many hiking opportunities. Beginning at the San Ermengol plateau, Rec del Sola is a five mile hiking trail connecting to the Rec del Obac trail. With an altitude of 1,122 meters, this trail passes through orchards and gardens, where local Andorrans grow vegetables. Towards the middle of the trail, there is a picnic area, where hikers can take a break and enjoy the view. Most of the trail is shaded from the sun, making it a great option for the summer season.

5. Visit the Museo Postal

Museo Postal. Kippelboy. CC BY-SA 3.0.

The Museo Postal, or Postal Museum, exhibits the history of Andorra’s postal services. By foot and by ski, the museum shows the complete history of delivery methods in Andorra over the years. There are 50,000 Andorran stamps displayed, along with exhibits that show how these stamps were made and the process of mail delivery in Andorra today. The museum offers guided tours to guests, but visitors can also explore on their own with an audio guide.

Alexandra Copeland

Alexandra is a student at The College of New Jersey studying psychology and journalism. She is a lover of coffee, dancing, and visiting new places. Being raised with her Greek culture has inspired her interest in cultural customs around the world. She is a passionate writer and hopes that her work will make an impact in the future.

Between the Cracks in Turkey: Exploring the Small Towns of the Crossroads of the World

Step off the beaten path and discover these six small towns in Turkey brimming with artifacts, natural wonders and rich history.

The beachtown of Kaş. Tutky Çetinel. CC BY 3.0.

One of the most renowned and well traveled cities in the world, Istanbul, peaked at 16 million tourists last year. The mosque- and artifact-riddled city attracts crowds that make it, for lack of a better word, a travel destination. Yet, some of Turkey’s most beautiful landscapes, edifices and history lie outside of its metropolis. Trek off the beaten path and journey to these six small towns in rural Turkey.

1. Safranbolu

Overview of Safranbolu. Ray Swi-hymn. CC BY-SA 2.0.

Once a trading center, this historic town is now home to many artifacts scattered throughout its ~390,000 square miles and among its three historical districts: Cukur, Kirankoy and Baglar. Some of its characteristic antiquities found in the Old Town include tombs, baths, mosques, fountains, and houses. Dive further into exploration with Safronbolu’s Old Mosque, the Old Bath, and the Suleyman Pasha Medrese, an Islamic religious institution, built in the 14th century. This UNESCO World Heritage site is worth discovering.

2. Kas

Rugs on a building in Kas. Julian Mason. CC BY 2.0.

This delightful beach town in Turkey’s Antalya Province doesn’t resemble the tourist-filled streets of the region’s eponymous city. Kas’s pleasant turquoise waters and lively color make the town stand out from Antalya’s busy, fast-paced life. While outdoor activities abound in this town — for example, canyoning is open to all travelers and day-long outdoor attractions like the Xanthos and Patara antique cities — a vibrant nightlife along the beautiful beaches awaits all visitors. Jazz clubs and rock bars alike welcome you to the wondrous city of Kas.

3. Iskilip

Rock tombs of Iskilip. Aerdemsenturk. CC BY-SA 4.0.

Just a 3-hour drive away from Ankara, Iskilip is another UNESCO heritage site on our list. This castle town’s epicenter is the Iskilip Castle, bordered by the town’s verdant mountains. While the Iskilip Castle is itself a site of historical importance, its base contains many Roman era tombs that are the real draw for many visitors. Iskilip is also a town of craftsmen; copper smiths, basket weavers, blacksmiths, cobblers, wood carvers and more set up shop in between houses, in houses, and everywhere in the town.

4. Midyat

Mor Sarbel Church. Senol Demir. CC BY 2.0.

In between the narrow cobblestone streets of Midyat lie ~410,000 square miles of artifacts, a structural chronicle of the past. The town, an hour drive from the Mardin province, houses unique sand-colored buildings. Among them is a series of religious edifices like the Ulu Cami, or mosque, with its characteristic minaret that towers over the surrounding buildings, the Mor Barsarmo Kilise, a church, and the Syrian-Orthodox Mor Sarbel church. Perhaps interesting, however, is Matiate, the official name of Midyat’s underground sites. Matiate is the largest cave system in the world, and is worth exploring along with the other wonders of Midyat.

5. Amasya

Houses in Amasya. Cobija. CC BY-SA 4.0.

This small town, much like others in this list, is a site of historical gravity. Three historical structures frame and define Amasya. First, the Amasya Castle, located at the top of Mount Harsena, is the center of this riverside city. While the climb to reach the castle can be steep, the view of Amasya’s green river and quaint houses has no peers. Second, the Amasya Museum is home to 24,000 artifacts from Anatolia including great stoneworks credited to the Hittites, Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans. Lastly, the Pontic Kings’ Rock Tombs, sepulchers carved into limestone rock formations, remind visitors of the once great Hellenistic Kingdom of Pontus, a stalwart enemy of Rome. 

6. Camlihemsin

A river in Camlihemsin. Serra Kiziltas. CC BY-SA 4.0.

Located near the Black Sea region of Turkey, Camlihemsin  is the smallest of the towns listed here, with an area of ~340,000 square miles. Much of the appeal of this town is its flora and fauna: with stately trees and grass-covered mountains, the town is perfect for hiking and mountain climbing. Hilltops embraced by surrounding clouds beautify the landscape. Waterfalls such as the Palovit Selalesi, a frequent reward for long hikes, also grace the town. Of course, one particular large historical artifact — the Zilkale medieval castle located in Fırtına Valley — caters to nature-naysayers.

Su Ertekin-Taner

Su is a first year student at Columbia University majoring in creative writing. Her love for the power of words and her connection to her Turkish roots spills into her satire, flash fiction, and journalistic pieces among other genres. Su hopes to continue writing fearless journalism, untold stories, and prose inspired by her surroundings.

Why You Should Visit the Makah Tribe on the Coast of Washington State

Visiting this region offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in a rich Indigenous culture that dates back thousands of years. 

View from Cape Flattery Bluff. Manuel Bahamondez H. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The Makah Tribe's reservation, resting on the extreme northwest tip of Washington State, boasts an ethereal landscape and thriving cultural practices. The land and the Tribe's community inspire and nurture ongoing engagement with nature and rich family connections. Despite its remote location, accessible by a single, winding route, the rich culture and natural beauty of this community offer a magical experience for curious travelers. 

The reservation sits at the farthest point north and west in the continental United States, cradled between gentle hills covered by tall Douglas Fir, Sitka Spruce, and Western Red Cedar trees on one side and the rugged Pacific coastline on the other. In the wake of a century-long fight against colonization the Makah continue to protect their sovereignty through the teaching of their Indigenous language, the celebration of cultural rituals and artifacts in their local museum and schools, and the preservation of the tribe’s traditional and sustainable reliance on native plants and animal species. The Tribe welcomes visitors from near and far to reflect on the reservations’ deep culture and lush natural landscapes. Hiking, surfing, and other outdoor activities are easily accessible from this scenic location and cultural hub. Visiting the Makah Tribe offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in a rich Native American culture that dates back thousands of years. The stunning natural beauty surrounding the Makah Tribe, including picturesque beaches and rugged cliffs, provides a breathtaking backdrop for your visit.

Sunset on First Beach. Jaisril. CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0

Generation after generation, the fabric of the Tribe’s community is woven through its cultivation of the natural world and artistic endeavors. Today, a significant number of Makah individuals thrive as artists, making a living through the sale of intricately crafted goods which are sold to galleries, shops, and collectors across the globe. A major source of income comes from the exportation of these artistic goods and is a key element of the Tribe’s livelihood. Carvings and masks in particular are a distinct feature of Makah art and have garnered the attention of tourists and art sellers alike for generations. The pieces often feature animals that hold deep cultural importance to the Makah. Whales, salmon, halibut, ravens, eagles, otters, herons, and wolves are commonly depicted in these designs. Each carving tells a story, chronicling the rich narratives of the origins and struggles which are passed down through generations within the community and amongst families.

The Makah are highly skilled woodworkers, capable of fashioning a wide array of items from the trees that thrive in their surrounding forests. While western red cedar is most frequently used, you can also find artists working with alder, yew, and spruce. Carvings range in size, from intricate jewelry to grand ocean-worthy canoes and towering totems. The incorporation of nature imagery and the sourcing of natural materials reinforces and honors the Makah’s reverence for their lands and waters.

Example of Makah style art. A. Davey. CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0 

Long before the advent of written language, the tribe used dance, song, and storytelling to receive and retain intergenerational knowledge. These melodic traditions are shared and reinforced on various occasions, including weddings, naming ceremonies, memorials, and other family or community celebrations. The Makah reservation museum hosts a compelling collection of artifacts, information guides, as well as a garden with plants labeled with the native language and traditional uses. 

For instance, the tribe once maintained five, thriving and permanent villages: Waatch, Sooes, Deah, Ozette and Bahaada. Their ancient way of life began to shift in the late 1770s, when Spanish explorers first settled in and around Neah Bay in 1779. The Spanish and other European groups were eager to exploit the natural resources of the Makah's land and brought in non-Indigenous modes of technology, among the most important of which were guns. The exploitation of the land's natural resources resulted in extinction of native plants and animals (e.g., otters and whales). Not only did the Europeans bring new technologies, they brought diseases, such as smallpox and measles, which plagued the less resistant indigenous communities. The Tribe's traditional ways of life were disrupted, and its inter-generational familial and domestic structures were gravely impacted as a result of death and the loss of land ownership. In the winter of 1855, Makah leaders and the American government signed theTreaty of Neah Bay, which stipulated that the Tribe give up ownership of much of its land, with the exception of rights for certain Indigenous practices, such as whaling, seal hunting, and fishing. The Makah were forced to cope with changes and shift to a more European lifestyle. In exchange, the United States government promised to provide public education and health care. To this day much of the tribe’s coastlines and forests are still under shared jurisdiction with the National Parks Service and the United States Government. 

Makah Whale Hunting Ceremony. U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region. CC0

As with so many Indigenous tribes across the country, the Makah have resisted the pull of corporate behemoths endeavoring to exploit the natural resources and cultural traditions that rightfully belong to the tribes. These tribes have fought to ensure their histories are not just archived but are alive and flourishing. One of the best ways to protect the ongoing strength of these communities is to visit these places and engage respectfully with the work and lifestyles of the Indigenous peoples, and to listen to and learn their histories. 

Avery Patterson

A rising junior at Vassar College in New York State, Avery is a Media Studies and French double major. She is an avid reader, writer, and traveler. She loves to immerse herself in new cultures and is an avid explorer who loves being in nature. She is passionate about climate and social justice and hopes to use her love of writing as a catalyst for positive change.

Finding Adventure in Ecuador

A country of volcanoes and valleys, Ecuador offers travelers innumerable ways to push their limits and get their hearts racing.

Swing Jumping in Baños, Ecuador. Courtesy of Jeremy Giles.

The above picture is of me jumping into a 100 meter drop from a bridge in Baños, a city bordering the Ecuadorian Amazon. It took me three tries to actually jump; the first two times I stood on the platform, I got scared and had to come down. I probably only ended up jumping because I saw two people go before me and not die. On the third try, I took a deep breath, knowing that if I didn’t jump then I never would, and leaped off. The adrenaline pumped furiously for one of the longest, most terrifying seconds of my life. Then, of course, the line pulled taut and swung me under the bridge, stopping my fall.

Canopy, Baños, Ecuador, Rinaldo Wurglitsch, CC BY 2.0

Baños, however, is more than just a city I jumped off a bridge in. It has the Andes in the West and the Amazon in the East, making it a beautiful space to see the transition between the two, home to both forests and mountains. Even more, it is the Ecuadorian hub for extreme sports. The entire town center is filled with restaurants and travel agencies, each of the latter offering what felt like hundreds of different extreme sports. Later, on the same day I bungee jumped, I went on a beautiful 6 part zipline system called the canopy, where they let you zipline upside down and even hold hands with another rider. I did it with my friend, but I imagine that if you went with a partner it would be quite romantic.

Paragliding in Ecuador, Jsan92, CC BY-SA 4.0

While Baños may be the center of extreme sports in Ecuador, it's hardly the only locale. During my first month in Ecuador I lived in Cumbaya, a suburb outside of the country’s capital Quito. One of the very first things I noticed was the steady stream of paragliders coming from a mountain behind my house. Almost every day over the next month, I’d see a few paragliders in the sky above me. Eventually I got so curious that my host dad walked me to the paragliders’ landing spot. There we learned two important things. First, while this location is good, it is also possible to paraglide on a mountain next to Quito, which is the prime location for the sport and on my bucket list of things to do when I return to Ecuador. Secondly, we saw on the ground below the paragliders a hopeful fiance-to-be had written a marriage proposal. We didn’t stay to see if the proposal was accepted, but I wish them the best of luck.

Chimborazo, Ecuador, André Hübner, CC BY-SA 3.0.

In Ecuador, a country smaller than Colorado, there are 47 volcanoes, 32 of which are on its mainland. The tallest volcano (and mountain) in Ecuador is Chimborazo, whose summit is a 6-9 hour climb, but provides such beautiful vistas as to make the trip well worth the effort. The peak of the volcano, due to the bulge of the Earth around the equator, is the farthest point from the center of the Earth on the planet’s surface. While Chimborazo was thought to be extinct, it has recently been found to be a still-active volcano. 

Cotopaxi from Iliniza, Jo Simon, CC BY 2.0.

With that said, there has never been a doubt the Cotopaxi volcano, Ecuador’s second-tallest mountain, is active. Cotopaxi has erupted at least 50 times in the last 300 years. It is perhaps the most popular climbing destination in Ecuador, and towers over Quito, making its amazing views easily accessible.

If you’re interested in these experiences, offers for them can readily be found both on-site and online. Bungee jumping and zip lining in Baños costs about $20-40 per person and the paragliding near my home in Cumbaya was approximately $60-75, although I imagine it would be a bit more in Quito itself. Mountain climbing depends on the mountain and your individual plans.

Jeremy Giles

Jeremy is a Writing Seminars and International Studies major at Johns Hopkins University. He is an avid writer and the Co-Founder of Writers’ Warehouse, Johns Hopkins’ first creative writing group. He is an advocate for Indigenous rights, and studies how Indigenous philosophies can be used to help prevent climate change. Using his writing, he hopes to bring attention to underrepresented voices in today’s world.

The Four Worlds of Ecuador

In a country smaller than Colorado, there are four distinct geographical regions from the coast to the Amazon, each representing its own culture.

Quito Sunset, szeke, CC BY-SA 2.0.

Per square mile, Ecuador is the most biodiverse country in the world. In the east lies the Amazon Rainforest, known in Ecuador as “el oriente,” or “the orient” in English. The Andes rise like a spine through the middle of the country , and are known in Ecuador as “la sierra.” It is here that Ecuador’s Capital Quito is located, making it the second highest capital in the world. Bordering the ocean is the country’s coast, known as “la costa,” home to Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city. Finally, about 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador is the biological treasure of the Galapagos Islands, home of the Galapagos Tortoises, the biggest tortoises in the world. 

I have spent the past 3 and a half months studying in Ecuador. During that time I visited three of the four major regions, and lived in both the Amazon and the Andes. Beyond the geographical differences, each region has its own cultures unique to itself. Based on my research and experiences, this article will discuss what makes each region special.

“La Sierra” - The Andes

Quito. Jeremy Giles

Quito, the capital of Ecuador and its most famous city, is located in the Andes at the center of not only Ecuador but also the world, positioned almost exactly on the Equator line, a fact that appeals to tourist so much that there are not one but two “centers of the world” in and around Quito. The “center of the world” is supposed to be the exact 0.0 line of Ecuador, so having two is very much not possible. Although only one of them is real, both are constantly crowded and attract plenty of visitors every year. In my opinion, the fake one, built up to the point it seems like its own little town, is actually nicer than the real site.

Fake Center of the Earth, Maros M r a z (Maros), CC BY-SA 3.0

If you drive away from Quito in almost any direction, you will run into a volcano. There are 17 volcanoes surrounding the city. Two of the most famous of the volcanoes, Pinchicha and Cotopaxi, are both very much active and occasionally release smoke. The volcanic mountains can be seen throughout most of Quito, creating beautiful vistas wherever you care to look. 

A picture from on top of the Basilica del Voto Nacional. Jeremy Giles

Within the city itself, the star is “el centro historico,” the historic and colonial center of Quito. Here the buildings are hundreds of years old, all built in a Spanish style in a wondrous variety of pastel colors, all on top of slanting roads curving with the mountains underneath it. This branch of the city is home to the Presidential Palace and many other beautiful government buildings and churches. My favorite of all is the Basilica de Voto Nacional, a huge building with two beautiful towers looming over the city, and unlike any other Church I’ve been to, you are actually able to climb up it, giving you spectacular views of the capital. Beyond this, if you look up at the Basilica from the ground, you can see that instead of Gargoyles lining it like a typical Basilica there are famous animals from all different parts of Ecuador.

Otavalo Market, Jeremy Giles

While Quito is by far the biggest city in La Sierra, it is not the region’s only attraction. About a two hour drive from Quito is the city of Otavalo, one of the two largest Kichwa areas of Ecuador. The Kichwa peoples were part of the Inca Empire and have been in Ecuador for thousands of years. Today, their culture and language is still very much living. Otavalo is famous for its Kichwa market, where beautiful handmade blankets, sweaters, hammocks and more are created from incredibly soft alpaca wool. The prices are amazing; when I was last there I bought a beautiful alpaca wool blanket for only 20 dollars.

Cuenca, Ecuador, Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 

While I never had the opportunity to visit it, maybe the most beautiful city in La Sierra is Ecuador’s third largest city, Cuenca. This andean city is known for its thriving culinary scene, often serving some of Ecuador’s best traditional dishes. It has an incredibly charming appeal and is home to the beautiful El Cajas National park. When I next return to Ecuador Cuenca is for sure one of the top destinations on my list.

“El Oriente” - The Amazon Rainforest

Meeting of the Rivers, Cuenca, Ecuador

To reiterate, Ecuador is known as the most biodiverse country in the world per square mile. The Ecuadorian Amazon is the center of that biodiversity. The Amazon in Ecuador has 300 different species of mammals, 350 of reptiles, 800 of fish, and 1,600 of birds. These species are some of the centerpoints of Amazonian culture in Ecuador. Per indigenous Kichwa beliefs, the Pachamama created the Earth, and the Amazon for its people. When shamans, traditional healers, die, they become a “boa” or “tigre,” general words in the Ecuadorian Amazon for a very large snake or a big cat. The latter is a false friend for English speakers; although “tigre” translates directly to “tiger,” there aren’t actually any tigers in the Amazon.

Mocahuas, David C. S., CC BY-SA 4.0

While visiting the Amazon I lived in the Pastaza province, the largest province in Ecuador, and an area almost entirely covered by the Rainforest. Somehow, Pastaza manages to be just as diverse culturally as it is biologically. In Pastaza alone, there are seven different independent Indigenous groups, each with its own separate language, culture, and customs. There are significant efforts in the region to make sure these languages survive, and in schools students learn both Spanish and their Indigenous language.

A street in Puyo, Ecuador, Jeremy Giles

For the month I was in Pastaza, I stayed in its capital Puyo, an incredibly diverse multi-ethnic city of about 40,000 people. There, I felt as welcomed as I’ve ever felt anywhere. Through the generosity of my host families I got to experience many of the special things about Puyo. Here, I will share with you one of my favorites: the food. The Amazon river provides the families of Puyo with an amazing abundance of fresh fish, particularly tilapia, at prices even cheaper than Ecuadorian norm. Once, my host family bought nine individual portion sized live tilapia for 12 dollars.

Maito, Iestrella, CC BY-SA 4.0

After buying the fish, the typical method of preparation is to make a dish called “Maito.” When cooking Maito the family will cut down a really big leaf. They will then put the fish in the leaf and wrap it up. They put this over the fire and let the fish cook. Then they will open the leaf and serve with fish, often accompanied with grilled plantains and a potato-like root vegetable called yucca that is native to the region. Traditionally, the family does not filet fish or remove the skin and eats everything but the bones. I did this while I was there and while it is often avoided in the west, I found the skin quite rich. 

“La Costa” - The Coast

An Aerial View of Guayaquil, JorgeAlejanDroo, CC BY-SA 4.0

It's impossible to talk about the Ecuadorian coast without discussing the biggest city in all of Ecuador, Guayaquil. While Guayaquil lacks the aesthetic beauty of Quito in the Andes, it is impressive in its own right. Quito is an old city that is sprawled over many many miles, with hardly any tall buildings. Because of this, Guayaquil, a city working hard to modernize, is the home to Ecuador’s tallest building. Along with this is “la perla” or “The Pearl,” which, during its opening in 2015, was the largest ferris wheel in South America. 

Ferris Wheel in Guayaquil, Sebastian Reategui, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Although the star of Guayaquil, and home to said ferris wheel, is “El Malecon 2000.” El Malecon 2000, named after the year it was opened, is a gorgeous 2.5 kilometer riverfront promenade. Located along the path are plenty of attractions, including a museum of anthropology, an Imax theater and a garden, adorned with its own koi ponds.

Malecon 2000, Guayaquil, Padaguan, CC BY-SA 3.0

It should be noted, however I was in Ecuador as part of a study abroad program. During the program, in our last month, we were allowed to select almost anywhere in Ecuador to conduct an independent study. The two places we were not allowed to study were Ecuador’s border with Colombia, and Guayaquil. Ecuador as a whole has a problem with theft and crime. During my time living in and around Quito and Puyo that was always manageable. If you take common sense precautions and are careful, generally speaking, you’ll be okay, just like in a large city in the United States. The same cannot always be said for Guayaquil, especially for foreigners, who may become more of a target because of their manner of speaking and the color of their skin. Guayaquil is a beautiful city that locals frequent often for its climate, culture, and the amazing beaches of Ecuador’s coast. Foreigners can visit too, but they must exercise a considerable amount of caution.

The Galapagos Islands

Galapagos Tortoise, Mike's Birds from Riverside, CA, US, CC BY-SA 2.0

The Galapagos Islands are famous for their finches, which Darwin used to prove the existence of evolution. These birds, ironically, while perhaps the most famous species of the islands, are also one of their least impressive, looking just like small sparrows. The Galapagos’ namesake species however, the Galapagos tortoise, is a different story. These gentle behemoths are the biggest tortoises in the world, and one of the few creatures on Earth with a longer lifespan than humans, frequently living over 120 years old. 

Sea Lions laying on a beach, Jeremy Giles

To add to the tortoises, the Galapagos has a slew of amazing native species, many of which can only be found on the islands. There are native penguins and flamingos, frigate birds with huge red pouches under their throats that can blow up like balloons and a bevy of sea lions loitering across the beaches. My personal favorite is the marine iguana, the only marine lizard species in the world and one that, while swimming, looks almost like a snake with legs.

Puerto Ayora Harbor, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos, David Broad, CC BY 3.0

In addition to the animal species, the Galapagos also has a significant population of people. Four of the 13 major islands are home to around 30,000 permanent residents. While the islands are in the same region, each one has its own individual culture and way of seeing the world. These cultures, due to the interests of foreign countries in protecting the Galapagos, are often very diverse, creating a very interesting dining scene. The biggest town in the Galapagos is Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Islands, with a population of more than 10,000.

Jeremy Giles

Jeremy is a Writing Seminars and International Studies major at Johns Hopkins University. He is an avid writer and the Co-Founder of Writers’ Warehouse, Johns Hopkins’ first creative writing group. He is an advocate for Indigenous rights, and studies how Indigenous philosophies can be used to help prevent climate change. Using his writing, he hopes to bring attention to underrepresented voices in today’s world.

Eat for Under $15 at these 7 Global Cuisine Restaurants in NYC

Let your tastebuds travel without leaving the Big Apple.

Chinatown in New York City. Norbert Nagel. CC by 3.0.

Beyond its famous museums and fashion, New York City is recognized as the food capital of the United States. Every year foodies flock to the city’s restaurants for unique menus and interpretations of global cuisine. But this top-notch culinary environment typically comes—quite literally— with a price. New York restaurants are often criticized for their exorbitant prices. But fear not, there are plenty of restaurants in the city that offer authentic international cuisine for a reasonable price. Whether you are a college student on a budget or a lifelong fan of global cuisine looking for food made with a lot of love, these restaurants will leave both your stomach and your wallet happy.  

1. Super Taste

Hand-Pulled Noodles with Lamb. Jason Lam. CC by 2.0.

Located in the famous culinary neighborhood of Chinatown, Super Taste may be the most well-known restaurant on this list. If you find yourself craving Chinese food, Super Taste is a classic, must-go stop. The most notable dish on the menu is their hand-pulled noodles. These silky and addictive noodles can be paired with chicken, beef, or mutton at the customer’s request. But if you aren’t in the mood for noodles, the five for $10 pork and chive dumplings drenched in sweet-spicy chili oil are always a crowd pleaser. Although there is limited seating inside, Super Taste is perfect for on-the-go enjoying. Their menu can be found here. 

2. Pyza

Borscht topped with sour cream. Liz West. CC by 2.0.

Warm and delicious, Pyza serves Polish food so good it could be mistaken for a home-cooked meal. Located in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, this restaurant specializes in plates piled high with food that makes you feel like family. Its menu features traditional dishes like stuffed cabbage, tongue in horseradish sauce, and various types of pierogies. A stand-out dish is their chicken cutlet, breaded and paired with a dollop of sour cream. Their soups range from a reasonable $5-$8, so tuck in with a bowl of borscht and enjoy the homey atmosphere. Additional items and prices can be found here. 

3. Birria-Landia

Brooklyn location of Birria-Landia. Andre Carrotflower. CC by 4.0.

This Mexican spot may differ from most foodies’ perceptions of a typical restaurant. Instead of a usual sit-down experience, Birria-Landia started as a single Jackson Heights food truck. The operation has since expanded to include additional trucks in the Lower East Side, the Bronx, Jackson Heights, and Williamsburg. Their specialty dish, birria, features tacos topped with fresh cilantro and salsa paired with a rich, smooth dipping broth. The meat of the tacos—often beef—is first marinated in mixtures of spices and dried chillies before being cooked low and slow in broth. This lengthy process creates mouth-watering and juicy tacos that can be enjoyed for only $4.50. In addition to their exceptional tacos, their consummé broths, tostadas, and quesadillas can be found here.

4. Kassim’s Bakery

Aalu Roti. Guarav Dhwaj Khadka. CC by 4.0.

Whether you prefer your dishes savory or sweet, there is something for everyone at this Queens restaurant. Kassim’s serves a wide variety of Caribbean lunch and dinner foods, but also offers a tasty variety of pastries and baked goods. One of the menu’s highlights is the selection of roti; each variation of the dish is under $10. Roti is a wheat flatbread that at Kassim’s is paired with beef, chicken, duck, goat, and pachownie (innards of lamb). After finishing a main dish, customers can explore Kassim’s dessert menu. Their cassava pone is perfect for those with a sweet tooth; cassava, also called yuca, has an edible root often used to make starchy desserts. More of Kassim’s sweet and savory treats can be found here.

5. Punjabi Grocery & Deli

Samosas paired with chutney. K Spoddar. CC by 4.0.

Can you claim to have visited New York if you didn’t find yourself in a deli at some point during the trip? Although it also doubles as a grocery store, this Lower East Side joint’s Indian food makes it stand out. Even better, the deli only serves vegetarian food, making it the perfect spot for travelers with this dietary restriction. At only 50 cents, Punjabi Deli might have the most affordable Samosas in the city. They also offer an assortment of rice dishes where customers can mix and match different vegetable options to create the perfect bowl for only $6 or $8, depending on if you want a small or large meal. The $2 chai is a perfect way to wash everything down. More exciting dishes and beverages can be found here. 

6. SVL Souvlaki Bar

Grilled kebabs. Glen Edelson. CC by 2.0.

From spanakopita to greek fries, SVL Souvlaki Bar combines tradition with innovation to create unique Greek food. They have two Queens locations, with one on Steinway Street and the other on Astoria Boulevard. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this quick and fresh spot is their “build your own” options. You can customize salads and bowls, or even create entire plates filled with pita, kebabs, vegetables, and sauces. Their iconic SVL sauce combines sweet, tangy, and creamy flavors— it is the perfect way to top off any customized dish. Or, if the extent of customization is intimidating, you can always enjoy classic chicken souvlaki kebab for only $4.50. Even better, the Bar’s food is made with hormone-free meat and fresh produce. Read more about their ingredients, mission, and menu here. 

7. Bunna Cafe

Injera topped with assorted vegetables. Kurt Kaiser. CC by 2.0.

If you’re looking for more of a sit-down experience, Bunna Cafe is the perfect destination. They are a Black-owned and vegan Ethiopian restaurant located in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The restaurant’s family-style meal environment creates the perfect atmosphere for hearty food paired with good conversation. Scoops of vegetables are served in piles on injera, a fermented sourdough flatbread. Customers can select a variety of different sides, mixing to create new flavors and combinations. Or, if you’re dining alone, the $12 lunch special comes with individual scoops of four different items. Although, with such generous portions, you may want to bring a friend to share. Further details about their menu and strong variety of sides can be found here.

Carina Cole

Carina Cole is a Media Studies student with a Correlate in Creative Writing at Vassar College. She is an avid journalist and occasional flash fiction writer. Her passion for writing overlaps with environmentalism, feminism, social justice, and a desire to travel beyond the United States. When she’s not writing, you can find her meticulously curating playlists or picking up a paintbrush. 

A Brighter Future Emerges 29 Years After Rwanda's Genocide

Rwanda's unwavering determination and spirit shine as a source of optimism for the rest of the world.

Rwanda Genocide Memorial. config manager.CC BY 2.0.

This week marks the 29th anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide, a 100-day period of violence in 1994 in which more than 800,000 people were killed. The repercussions of this tragedy continue to linger, leaving survivors and their family members with deep emotional traumas. Almost 30 years have passed since the devastating genocide in Rwanda, and the country has made some commendable progress in rebuilding its economy and mending its relationships with other nations, while also acknowledging its past mistakes and the sacrifices made during the massacre. The scars of the past may still be visible, but they no longer define Rwanda. Its developments shed light on the country’s journey toward healing and growth, with infrastructure, technology, and education driving its transformation.

The genesis of the Rwanda Genocide three decades ago can be attributed to years of systemic oppression that eventually culminated in one of the most devastating conflicts in modern history. Surprisingly, the two primary ethnic groups involved in this conflict, the Hutus and Tutsis, shared no religious or linguistic differences at the outset. A deep dive into their origins reveals that the Hutus migrated to the Great Lakes region of Central Africa between 500 and 1000 BC, while the Tutsis arrived four centuries later, migrating from the highlands of Ethiopia. The Hutus primarily worked as land cultivators, while the Tutsis were cattle herders, thus creating an economic divide that eventually led to a hierarchical system. In a strange colonial mythology, Tutsi cattle herders were labeled Hamites — a separate and exceptional group — who hailed from an ancient Christian tribe supposedly linked to people of old Palestine. This system placed the Tutsis, as a minority ethnic group, in a position of disproportionate power over the majority Hutus. 

Colonial powers subscribed to this concept of racial hierarchy and origin stories, believing the Tutsi to be natural leaders and granting them preferential treatment. After taking Rwanda as a colonial possession in 1897, the German Empire built a power structure that firmly established a hierarchy that favored the Tutsis. They bestowed upon the Tutsis a superior status, owing to their taller stature and lighter skin, giving them greater influence over the Hutus. However, in the aftermath of Germany’s defeat in World War I, Belgium took over the reins of Rwanda’s governance, and, rather than attempting to bridge the cultural divide, exacerbated it. The Belgian administration continued to uphold the Tutsis’ superior status while disregarding the Hutus, creating a further chasm of inequality that only grew wider with time. The introduction of identification cards during the 1930s that explicitly listed one’s ethnicity, for example, further polarized the population, and the stage was set for the tragic events that culminated in the Rwanda Genocide.

In 1973, Rwanda witnessed an event that would forever alter the course of its history. General Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu tribe member, rose to power and established the National Revolutionary Movement for Development (NRMD) party to secure his authority. Meanwhile, in Uganda, a group of Rwandan exiles in Uganda who had tasted victory in Yoweri Museveni’s National Resistance Army during the Ugandan Civil War formed the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). This organization was largely dominated by Tutsi figures and posed a challenge to the incumbent regime. The Rwandan Civil War began, which pitted the Hutu-dominated NRMD government against the primarily Tutsi RPF, while social tensions began to simmer. It was midsummer in 1993 when Hutu extremists hatched their plan, creating a platform for propagating their racist ideology and spewing hatred against the Tutsi people. Thus, Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM) came into being, which soon became a tool to incite violence and hatred against the Tutsi, using propaganda and malicious rhetoric. 

Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines broadcasted from this office during the Rwanda Genocide. kigaliwire.CC BY-NC 2.0.

April 6, 1994, was the beginning of a nightmare for Rwanda and Burundi. The presidential plane, which was carrying the heads of state of both countries, was hit by gunfire. The news of their deaths, broadcasted by the radical Hutu RTLM radio station, served as a call to arms, sparking a wave of violence against the Tutsi population. The initial attack was planned by a group of military leaders, politicians, and business owners, who were later joined by an increasing number of supporters. This resulted in a devastating genocide, with Tutsis flocking to ostensibly safe havens like churches and administrative centers only to find them transformed into places of horror. 75% of the Tutsi population was wiped out, including many children who were labeled “little rats” and killed alongside adults. The perpetrators killed people of all ages indiscriminately, committing rape and torture on a regular basis. With nowhere to call home, over 2 million people fled the country, including many Hutu ethnic group members, while a million more were internally displaced, leaving 75,000 children orphaned.

The aftermath was massive destruction, with infrastructure reduced to ruins and hundreds of thousands of citizens dead, dealt a crippling blow to progress and development. Rwanda, however, refused to give in to despair.  The RPF won the Civil War and took power after four months of horror, ending the genocide. The nation embarked on a journey of healing and reconciliation by embracing a deliberate strategy of transitional justice and transformative programs, characterized by the visionary “Rwanda Vision 2020” campaign launched in 2000. Rwanda embraced a path of renewal through initiatives such as “I am Rwandan,” which encouraged deep reflection on the nation's painful history, acknowledgment of past atrocities, and promotion of healing and reconciliation among all its people. Another example is “Umuganda,” a day of community service in which people from all walks of life work together to improve their communities. Though challenges remained, these initiatives instilled a renewed sense of vigor and solidarity, bringing new life to the difficult task of rebuilding Rwanda. 

The modern capital of Kigali is safe, clean, and orderly. Dylan Walters. CC BY 2.0.

Rwanda also undergoes significant changes in its economy. The government has introduced the “Girinka” program, which provides one cow per poor family to combat poverty, with the first female calf being passed on to another family. Poverty has decreased by 23.8 percent from 2000 to 2010, and Rwanda has emerged as one of the fastest-growing economies in Central Africa, with four years of eight percent GDP growth between 2011 and 2014. These developments are positive indicators for Rwanda’s future.

Despite the indelible mark of shame left by the horrific acts, Rwanda has sought reconciliation by embracing its rich heritage of traditional pre-colonial Rwandese customs and values, while also welcoming contributions from the international community. The genocide has prompted profound reflections on critical issues such as the efficacy of peace operations, the urgency of ending international crimes, and the delicate nature of maintaining civility. These pressing issues necessitate international attention and are still relevant today.

TO GET INVOLVED:

World Help: Over the last decade, World Help has worked to bring healing and restoration to Rwandan communities through initiatives like trauma counseling, children’s homes, child sponsorship, construction projects, clean-water wells, sustainable agriculture, vocational training, and more. To learn more and get involved, click here.

IBUKA: IBUKA is an umbrella organization supporting survivors in Rwanda. Representatives from institutions like IBUKA and the National Commission for the Fight Against Genocide are invited to speak at commemorations to provide expert histories and testimonies. To learn more and get involved, click here.

Hope Zhu

Hope is a Chinese international student at Wake Forest University in North Carolina studying sociology, statistics, and journalism. She dreams of traveling around the globe as a freelance reporter while touching on a wide range of social issues from education inequality to cultural diversity. Passionate about environmental issues and learning about other cultures, she is eager to explore the globe. In her free time, she enjoys cooking Asian cuisine, reading, and theater.

Japan’s Population Crisis Hits a Record Low

Japanese birth rates are falling exponentially, and it could have major effects on the country’s economy. 

Harajuku District in Japan. @paulkrichards. Instagram

Many around the world consider Japan a futuristic country, a view drawn from its creative technology and its unique culture. A popular destination for tourists all around the world, this East Asian country makes up 1.6% of the world’s population with its approximately 125 million residents. 

However, this number is set to rapidly decline as Japan teeters on the precipice of a population crisis. Its Prime Minister has issued a dire warning, saying that the country is “on the brink of not being able to maintain social functions” due to the falling birth rate. Japan has one of the highest life expectancies in the world, which means that most will grow old and require care from others, but the workforce is shrinking as  aren’t enough young people to fill the gaps in Japan’s stagnating economy.

Why is this? To use simple terms, Japanese people are having fewer babies. Women are postponing their marriages and rejecting traditional paths to focus on their professional lives, and the percentage of women who work in Japan is now higher than ever. However, there are also fewer opportunities for young people, especially men, in the country’s economy. Since men are still widely viewed as the breadwinners of the family, a lack of good jobs would also mean the men would avoid having children — and settling down — knowing they can’t afford it. With Japan’s high cost of living, it adds more reason for couples to steer clear of having a family.

The problem has only gotten worse since the Covid pandemic. In 2021, the birth rates in Japan declined to around 805,000 — a figure that was not expected until 2028. With much of the population choosing to focus on their careers instead, this number will only continue to fall. 

In the early stages of the pandemic, there were jokes circulating that the lockdowns would cause another baby boom. However, the opposite came true. Japan experienced a reduction in birth rates, as well as other countries such as Taiwan and China — to an estimated 1.07 children per woman.

Japan’s population pyramid in October 2021. Kaj Tallungs. CC BY-SA 4.0 

There are more and more elderly people in the country and not enough working-age adults to support them. The economy is at risk. But Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida promises to combat the low birth rate.

With Japan “standing on the verge of whether we can continue to function as a society,” Kishida urges the national government to focus on policies regarding children and ramp up child-related programs, saying it “cannot wait and cannot be postponed.” He wants the government to double its spending on child-related programs and in April, he will launch a new Children and Families government agency to help in the endeavor.

This agency will unify policies across multiple government ministries to better deal with issues that concern children, such as declining birth rates, child poverty, and sex crimes. Kishida has plans to double the budget if necessary, without elaborating.

In the mid 1990s, the Japanese government launched a series of programs addressing their country’s low fertility, hoping to provide parenting assistance through increasing provision of childcare services and advocating for a better work-life balance. And in the 2010s, fertility policies were incorporated into Japan’s macroeconomic policy, national land planning, and regional and local planning.

Despite all these efforts, however, Japan’s goal to boost population remains unsuccessful. By forming the new agency, Kishida hopes these problems will be taken more seriously.

One thing remains clear, though — Japan is facing a population crisis. And if birth rates keep falling, the country’s economy will struggle under its effects.

Michelle Tian

Michelle is a senior at Boston University, majoring in journalism and minoring in philosophy. Her parents are first-generation immigrants from China, so her love for different cultures and traveling came naturally at a young age. After graduation, she hopes to continue sharing important messages through her work.

The Ghostly Shores of the Namib Desert’s Skeleton Coast

Bones and wreckage meet biodiversity on the Skeleton Coast of the world's oldest desert. 

A ship wreckage by the red, sandy dunes along the Skeleton Coast. op23 | Unsplash

A map highlighting the Namib Desert in red along the coast of Africa.

Home to earthy-red dunes which roll right into the Atlantic ocean, the Namib Desert is thought to be between 50-80 millions years old, making it the oldest desert in the world. It’s also one of the world's most inhospitable places—an unpredictable, arid and remote region that on the surface has no appeal whatsoever. With temperatures fluctuating from blistering hot to dangerously cold and sand for as far as the eye can see, it extends from the country of Angola, through Namibia and down to South Africa. That’s over 31 thousand square miles of desert. 

But don't be fooled, there’s more to these sandy plains than meets the eye. The Namib is home to the Skeleton Coast. And despite this desert’s penchant for death, The Skeleton Coast is teeming with rare wildlife. 

What is the Skeleton Coast

The Skeleton Coast is on the northern shores of this ancient and unexpected desert and earned its macabre name from the whale and seal bones that once littered the shore from the whaling industry. The Ovahimba who have since settled in the far north-eastern parts of Namibia once used the whale bones for building their shelters. In modern times, the Skeleton Coast hides its infamous graveyard buried beneath the sand, and with the exception of a rare adventure seeker looking for a wave to surf, the odds of seeking a human along this part of the coast are slim.

A shipwreck in the fog on the Skeleton Coast. Lee | CC BY 2.0

The Unique Climate of the Namib Desert

The bones scattered across Namibia’s Skeleton Coast aren’t from ocean mammals alone. Over the centuries, ships have ended up stranded on its shores for various reasons, but the main culprit is caused by the unique geography of the region. Hot, dry air from the interior of the continent and desert blows west combining with the cold wet air from Antarctica via a northward flowing ocean current called the Benguela Current. The hot dry winds act as a cap or roof not only prevents the cold wet air from escaping, but also from forming rain clouds. Instead, there is an eerie fog, and a lot of it. 

In fact, for 180 days of the year there is fog on the Skeleton Coast so dense, it’s caused thousands upon thousands of ships to run aground throughout history; the oldest of which is from the 1500’s. The ocean's intense surf would have prevented anyone from getting back into the water, and with a wrecked ship, this meant that sailors stranded on this isolated coast were left with only one choice: to make their way through the Namib Desert. With a dryness rivaling South America’s Atacama Desert (the driest place on Earth), and sand dunes reaching nearly 1000 ft high, this option was nearly as dangerous as swimming out to sea and surely has added human bones to its burial collection. 

A brown hyena stands over a carcass in the Namib Desert. Joe Knapman | CC BY 2.0

Wildlife on the Skeleton Coast

Incredibly diverse, the Skeleton Coast has more near-endemic species than any other desert in the world. Elephants, black rhinos, desert lions, jackals, giraffes, seals, oryx, kudus and zebras and just some of the desert adapted species inhabiting this wilderness. One such animal is the brown hyaena. They’re usually on the move after darkness has fallen, which adds to their elusiveness. The name strandwolf was coined on Namibia’s Skeleton Coast where they scavenge for dead seals along the shoreline. If you are fortunate enough to spot one, make sure you take a really good look, because sightings of these inscrutable carnivores is never guaranteed. A truly endemic avian, the Dune Lark, inhabits thinly vegetated dunes along the Skeleton Coast and larger Namibian dune system associated with Bushman grasses and Nara melons.

A blooming welwitschias. Ragnhild&Neil Crawford |CC BY 2.0    

A spiny looking nara bush in the Namib Desert. Palmora| CC BY 2.0

Nara Melons are just one of the many plants incredibly adapted to the rainless area and depend solely on the warning fog from the Atlantic Ocean. The nara bush is of great importance not only to the people of the region, but it is ecologically key to maintaining the unique desert habitat. More plants include welwitschias—which is a dwarf tree with only two leaves that can live for several thousand years—several lithops succulent plants known as living stones, lichen, pencil bush and the vividly colored succulents of rainbow colored agate mountains dotting the shore. 

The Lion’s Roar, a desert phenomenon

The phenomena of the Skeleton Coast doesn’t stop at bones, fog and compelling flora and fauna. Travelers, nomads and lost sailors once believed in the presence of desert spirits—singing songs through the mist. When the dunes form a bowl with the right acoustic properties, even a small flow of disturbed sand causes a terrific noise that resembles rolling thunder or even a low-flying airplane. The phenomenon is known locally on the Skeleton Coast as ‘the lion’s roar’.

Ugab River Gate, Agnieszka Rysio | CC BY 2.0

The Skeleton Coast National Park

Luckily, this wildly unique, albeit creepy shoreline, along with its diverse inhabitants is protected. In 1971, Namibia established a well-maintained national park to protect the curious treasures, bones and wildlife which makes the Skeleton Coast so incredible. The park is divided into a northern and southern section; the southern section is open to travelers with four wheel drive vehicles who are welcomed to go as far north as the Ugab River Gate. There, they will be greeted by a sign with a skull and crossbones warning you to go no further. The northern section is off limits, its loose, enveloping sands will literally swallow you up and can therefore only be accessed by airplane with a certified guide. It also happens to be the most attractive region of the park with lunar-esque vistas as far as the eye can see. The park attracts all types of travelers, both local and international fishers, photographers, ecologists and folks just looking for a unique adventure to one of the world's most understated treasures.

Raeann Mason

Raeann is the Content and Community Manager at CATALYST, an avid traveler, digital storyteller and guide writer. She studied Mass Communication & Media at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism where she found her passion for a/effective journalism and cultural exchange. An advocate of international solidarity and people's liberation, Raeann works to reshape the culture of travel and hospitality to be ethically sound and sustainable.

5 Islands to Visit in Indonesia Not Named Bali

While the famed island has its charms, visitors have largely overlooked the rest of this sprawling archipelago’s natural and cultural riches.

So much of Indonesia, such as Bunaken Island near Sulawesi, is relatively undiscovered – for now. Niek van Son. CC BY 2.0

Indonesia is made up of over 17,000 islands – yet the world’s attention focuses squarely on Bali. Yet, from the enchanting temples of Java to the crystal-clear waters of Raja Ampat, Indonesia’s less-known islands hold endless opportunities for exploration and enlightenment.

An orangutan sighting is all but assured in the jungles surrounding Sumatra’s Bukit Lawang. Hugo van den Bos. CC BY 2.0

Sumatra

Indonesia’s westernmost island offers up excitement and relaxation in equal quantities. The languid shores of Toba, the world’s largest volcanic lake, beckon visitors to its isolated islands, gushing waterfalls and unique Batak subculture. Elsewhere on Sumatra, adventure reigns supreme: track down orangutans in Bukit Lawang, surf mammoth waves on the surrounding Mentawai and Nias Islands or hike up the still-active Mount Sibayak volcano. Travelers can finish by polishing off some of Sumatra’s famously delicious cuisine in Medan and Padang, Indonesia’s most acclaimed culinary capitals.

As phenomenal as Raja Ampat’s diving is, the above-water scenery stuns just as much. Max Mossler. CC BY 2.0

Raja Ampat

Located just off the coast of New Guinea in Indonesia’s far east, this under-the-radar archipelago provides visitors with some of the most pristine reefs in the world. Skilled divers dream of traveling to these idyllic islands for all-but-assured sightings of sharks and manta rays and the discovery of over 1,000 different species of fish and coral. The views on land rival the bounty below, with a hike up Piaynemo Island revealing a dreamscape of verdant forests and crystal-clear waters obscured only by the flight of tropical birds.

The magic of Java best comes alive at Borobudur as the sun rises over the temple. Justine Hong. CC BY 2.0

Java

The world’s most populous island, Java remains the heartbeat of Indonesia. Frenetic and colorful Jakarta is a mixing bowl of Indonesia’s countless cultures as it attracts locals from every island. When the capital’s crush of humanity gets a bit too much, travelers can escape to atmospheric Yogyakarta, renowned as Indonesia’s cultural and artistic capital. Just outside of town are the architectural masterpieces of Borobudur, the world’s largest Buddhist temple, and Prambanan, Indonesia’s largest Hindu temple. Nature lovers appreciate a morning hike up Mount Bromo, while divers enjoy getaways to the tropical paradise of Karimunjawa.

Komodo dragons can be found nowhere else in the wild other than Flores and its neighboring islands. Adhi Rachdian. CC BY 2.0

Flores

Known by intrepid travelers for its Komodo dragons, Flores gives visitors a glimpse of an untouched Indonesian island tailor-made for adventure. Tracking down the region’s best-known inhabitant is a must, but travelers would be remiss to skip Flores’ less popular attractions. Padar Island’s coves alternate between white, black and pink sand, with their gorgeous beaches offering the perfect respite after a long day of trekking. Mount Kelimutu also revels in multihued splendor, with the volcano’s three lakes ranging in color from an intense red to cool shades of green and blue. Intense hikers will adore the overnight trek to Wae Rebo, an excursion through dense jungles to a traditional village set up by the Manggarai tribe.

Funeral ceremonies in Tana Toraja are a cause for celebration, as death is the most revered state of one’s life. Arian Zwegers. CC BY 2.0

Sulawesi

Sulawesi holds an incredibly broad array of activities within its oddly shaped borders. The clear highlight is Tana Toraja, a highland region studded with rice paddies and filled with houses bearing a close resemblance to boats. The area is home to the world's most elaborate and celebratory funeral rituals, which mesmerize all who attend. Visitors take a bumpy ride into the jungles of Lore Lindu National Park to discover monkeys, snakes, and tropical flora and fauna that remain untouched by the outside world. A journey to Rammang Rammang passes by the sweeping limestone cliffs of the world’s third largest “stone garden,” and the Togean, Wakatobi and Bunaken Islands further entice with world-class diving opportunities.

Stephen Kenney

is a Journalism and Political Science double major at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He enjoys sharing his passion for geography with others by writing compelling stories from across the globe. In his free time, Stephen enjoys reading, long-distance running and rooting for the Tar Heels.

A Village in India Fights Female Infanticide and Deforestation

How a village leader changed the perception of women in India, one tree at a time.

Girls connecting with the trees in Piplantri. Photo provided by Piplantri Village.

Every time a baby girl is born in Piplantri, India, the village gathers together to plant 111 trees in her honor. The custom began a couple of years ago, when former village leader, Shyam Sundar Paliwal was forced to ponder the fleetingness of life after his daughter tragically passed away at a young age.

Piplantri and other villages in the area were facing two crises that greatly affected the quality and value of life. One issue was social: a high rate of female infanticide. Traditionally, female births were considered a burden on the family. The parents of a girl are expected to provide a dowry to her husband’s family, which can be a big financial undertaking. Additionally, daughters were married off well before the age of 18, before they could obtain an education. 

Piplantri and its surrounding villages faced environmental hardships as well. The villages in the Rajasthan area are suffering from deforestation with the increase of marble mining. 

Paliwal decided to confront these issues with a plan that can be broken down into three words: “Daughter, Water, Trees.” 

To counter the pessimism around the birth of a baby girl—and improve the lives of the daughter and her family—the village raises money for a “trust” every time a girl is born. The family is to contribute one third of the fund, which is set aside until the girl turns 20. This alleviates the problem of the financial burden of a dowry. 

In order for the family to receive the money, they must sign an affidavit agreeing not to marry their daughter until she is of the legal age of 18 and has received a proper education. 

To solve the deforestation problem, the village gets together to plant 111 trees in the girl’s honor. As a part of the contract, the family agrees to take care of those 111 trees. Hopefully the trees will help the spread of water along the land. 

And the scheme gets even better. The fruit trees being planted were beginning to attract a lot of termites. In order to prevent infestation, the villagers planted many aloe plants to protect the trees. The villagers can harvest and sell the aloe—which has incredible healing benefits—and make a profit, to even further improve their quality of life. 

Although Paliwal is no longer the leader of the village, the tradition continues. Now, teachers report that there are just as many girls enrolled in school as boys. And, the village is lush and green with the hundreds of trees planted. 

Other villages are following suit. The nearby village of Tasol is trying out Piplantri’s eco-feminist village model.

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ELIANA DOFT

Eliana loves to write, travel, and volunteer. She is especially excited by opportunities to combine these three passions through writing about social action travel experiences. She is an avid reader, a licensed scuba diver, and a self-proclaimed cold brew connoisseur.