“Keep Portland Weird” is a common bumper sticker that locals love to slap onto their cars and water bottles. But along with being a little weird and funky, Portland is also green and hip. It has some of the best public transportation in the country, lots of buildings with LEED certification and a population committed to biking to work. With so many green options, it can be hard to choose exactly how to spend your time in the environmentally conscious Northwest city, so here is a quick guide to some of the highlights.

Practical Information

If you are flying into Portland International Airport, you can easily take the Portland MAX light rail into downtown. For those arriving by train or bus, both the Amtrak and Greyhound stations are conveniently located in Fareless Square, an area covering most of downtown where all public transportation is free of charge. If your travels keep you in Portland for a few days and you want to explore outside of the downtown area, you can consider investing in a day, or even a week pass.

Activities

With green foothills and two mountains as a natural part of the skyline, it is no surprise that getting outdoors is an integral part of a genuine Portland experience, and even downtown offers an assortment of green space. In Northwest Portland you will find Forest Park , complete with miles upon miles of hiking and biking trails covering over 5,000 acres. Friends of Forest Park is the place to go for maps of all of the trails, and they even offer a natural history hiking series.

Only an hour away from Portland you will find Mount Hood, which is a playground for all seasons. In the winter you can take advantage of the Meadows Park & Ride Shuttle to get up to the mountain to ski or snowboard; your ticket even includes a lift ticket. In the summer, hike a part of the Pacific Crest Trail , which passes through the Mount Hood National Forest area.

Portland is notorious for being a biker’s heaven, and to truly get an in-depth view of the green city and its neighborhoods, what better way than with a bike tour? Portland Bicycle Company offers 3 hour tours that focus on sustainability, smart urban development, and community building. If you want to explore on your own, rent one of their bikes and get a bike map from the City of Portland Office of Transportation. As the city avidly supports those on two wheels, there are many streets designated as bike-friendly.

Arts & Culture

In Portland there’s always a festival going on, and many of them are committed to showcasing the best in local arts and culture. The winter months feature Reel Music Film Festival, Oregon Truffle Festival, and Portland Jazz Festival. For those who want to check out the local wining and dining scene, be sure to visit during the Holiday Ale Fest, Oregon Brewers Festival, Oregon Bounty, or the Bite of Oregon, which always showcases local and organic samplings. Travel Portland has a great website always up-to-date with the latest festivals.

A big draw in Portland is the Saturday Market, which features an eclectic assortment of local artists and an international food court. Don’t let the name fool you: it’s open on Sundays too. After a morning of perusing the goods at the market, make your way over to Powell’s City of Books. With over 68,000 feet of retail space and one of the best selections of used, rare, and out of print titles in the country, Powell’s classifies as a world-class independent bookstore.

Between April and December you can get a taste of all that local Oregon farmers and artisans have to offer at the Portland Farmer’s Market, held both downtown and at various neighborhood locations around the city.

Green Eats

Stumptown Coffee Roasters. Café culture is a part of everyday Portland life, and there is no better place to experience it than at this local roasting company’s many cafes scattered around the city. Most of their blends are organic and fair trade.

Blossoming Lotus. Committed to providing 100% vegan, organic and local food whenever possible, this place specializes in World Fusion Cuisine. The restaurant is conveniently located in Portland’s popular Pearl District and right on the Portland Street Car line.

Hot Lips Pizza . A Portland family-owned institution, this place serves up delicious pies that feature local, seasonal, and organic ingredients. Complete your meal with an on tap Hot Lips Soda, brewed one flavor at a time.

Roots Organic Brewing Company. Locally brewed all-organic beer. Need I say more?

Accommodation

Portland has some great green options for any budget, here are the top three:

Ace Hotel. Hip urban minimalist is the only way to describe this boutique hotel which is budget friendly and has rooms uniquely designed to represent the local Portland culture. Add a LEED certification and bikes for rent and you have prime green accommodation.

Heathman Hotel. One of the classiest and most well-known of the Portland hotels, it was also the first one to be recognized by the Energy Trust of Oregon for their commitment to the environment. They even offer a “Go Green” package, which gets a tree planted in your name.

Portland Hawthorne Hostel. Located in the funky Hawthorne district, staying here will put you close to a plethora of cafes, pubs and quirky boutiques. Thanks to a grant from the City of Portland, the hostel has an eco-roof, and they give discounts to travelers arriving by way of bike.

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Anna Brones is a freelance writer with a love for travel. She has a BA in International Relations and French Studies and has lived in Sweden, France, Guadeloupe and the Pacific Northwest. Her work has been featured in Transitions Abroad, Pology, Green Mama, Matador Travel, and Traveler’s Tales A Woman’s World Again.

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Have you skied 30 days a year for as long as you can remember? Did you ever write to Warren Miller and tell him that you were the next skiing sensation and you should be featured in his film? Have a hankering for adventure and feel that helping people on the slopes is second nature? Welcome to your new home away from home, the National Ski Patrol.

A quick read of the National Ski Patrol (NSP) website offers valuable information about the process of becoming a ski patroller. The NSP is a U.S. based organization of approximately 27,000 members and represents the majority of paid and volunteer ski and snowboard patrollers in the United States. According to NSP communications director April Darrow, “The National Ski Patrol is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. It has a rich history of service and safety, including many members of the storied 10th Mountain Division that fought in WWII. These were troops specially trained for high-altitude battle at Camp Hale in Colorado.”

PRACTICAL INFO

Basic and wilderness first aid are required and within reach of the ski enthusiast . The NSPA provides the courses necessary for your success. The Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) course is the cornerstone of the ski patrol program. The books and the course will run you upwards of $300 once all is said and done, and the course time is approximately 80-100 hours depending if you do a weekend cram session or a regularly scheduled course program. Edward McNamara, OEC program director, states that the OEC course is “a requirement for all individuals who are National Ski Patrol members, and becoming popular with other outdoor sports programs like river rafting guides, mountain guides, mountain bikers, etc and other agencies that become Affiliates of the National Ski Patrol system.” McNamara also noted that participants receive training which “exceeds the US National requirements for First Responders.”

Candidates for the Ski Patrol begin working with veteran patrollers to master skiing proficiency, Toboggan handling, mountain travel and rescue, plus avalanche identification skills. You choose to develop your skills depending where you are and the various ski resort standards. Ideally, you are able to ski, snowboard, telemark or cross country ski at an intermediate to advance level.

JOB PLACEMENT

There isn’t a central hiring process. People sign up during the fall months. Most training sessions have off hill and on hill components and patrollers are ready for the post Thanksgiving ski season. Contact information can be found on the NSP website or by sifting through the yellow pages to call local ski area management. Larger ski resorts have ski patrol websites or write ups in local papers.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?

It all starts with free ski passes, which is a main draw for skiers and snowboarders out there. You get to sport a cool outfit with the emblem that ski lift operators and resorts recognize nationwide. There are opportunities to ski at resorts right across the country, whether it’s Lake Placid in NY, Arapahoe Basin in CO, or Sugar Bowl in Nevada. Other benefits include promo-deals on ski and snowboarding equipment, professional development, and sports-related magazine offers., and community involvement, such as new ski run opening celebrations, booth-hosting at winter festivals, and days on the mountain with local community groups and public school students.

Andy Miller, an 11-year patrol veteran of Sugar Bowl near Lake Tahoe, spoke about the broader benefits, “being the first one on and the last one off the mountain; watching the sun go down in the west as I’m waiting to do sweep; feeling the genuine gratitude that so many accident victims express when you’re helping them; the friendships that I’ve developed with my fellow patrollers, and the trust that I have in them if I were hurt and in need.”

Many ski patrollers are volunteers that have regular day jobs. They ski or snowboard on the weekends or any other time they can squeeze in a few extra runs during the ski season. Resorts also look for dependable full-timers that want to take their love of skiing to the next level and will hire on paid patrollers. According to the latest statistics from the U.S Department of Labour, a paid ski patroller could expect to earn 10 to 12 dollars an hour or an annual average income of $20,000 depending on their skill level, position held and extra perks of the job.

Miller feels that new patrollers should dig in for the season: “If you’re doing it just to get a free lift pass, you’re doing it for the wrong reasons, and you’ll probably be a short-timer.” You may not always get to ski at your favorite locations, the hours are long and you may find yourself digging out snow fences for the better part of an afternoon but the friends and connections that you will establish make all the difference.

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Peter Davison packed up his bags, left his really cool apartment in Toronto and is an emerging freelance writer based out of Shanghai, China. He enjoys a good cup of coffee, North Korean propaganda posters and hanging out with friends over a few solid drinks.

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Photo by Judy Baxter

There are a confusing amount of options for the novice, but in this step-by-step guide the author’s choice of best services are showcased along with their strengths. If you can use email and a word processor, you know more than enough about computers to blog. In fact, you only really need step two…

1. Email

The first thing you’ll need is a way to keep in touch with friends and family while you’re on the road. If your current email provider isn’t going to be good to you while you’re away, I’d recommend switching to Google’s gmail because of its fast searching, large amounts of space and reliability of access. Promote your new email address early, but you can still check your old accounts in gmail! You don’t have to visit several sites to read your mail. Either set up forwarding to your new address in your old email client or use Gmail’s tools for collecting them.

Once you are set up with an account you can have an infinite number of email address by adding “+”. For example, if my email address is “spam@gmail.com” I can also have “spam+blog@gmail.com” without changing any settings. This can help you quickly identify where an email is coming from. You can also set up filters to keep your blog email separate from your primary email address.

Advanced tip: When visiting the site use https://gmail.com or https://mail.google.com. This will encrypt your login details as well as the content of your emails.

2. Blog platform

Now we need somewhere to write. WordPress.com is a free blogging platform that’s easy to use and has a very good set of features. If you ever want to move to another blogging platform it’s easy to export all your posts and comments.

Go to WordPress.com and click “sign up”. Add a username, password and your email address. Choose name of blog, confirm the URL and language ,then decide whether to allow search engines to find and index your blog. You want the URL to be memorable and easy to write down. Keep it simple!

Now, you’re in! The dashboard in front of you has everything you need to start writing. There are three pre-set examples that you’ll want to change: a post, a comment and a page. These examples allow you to see what’s what in your new blog world. You can edit or delete these then start making your own stuff - just click “write”. Easy.

3. Photos

If you have a digital camera you’ll want a place to showcase your photos. There’s none better than flickr.com . Flickr has a great community feel and lots of ways to share your photos. On the technical side, there’s lots of magic which makes it easy to distribute your photos to your blog and other websites.

Flickr is owned by Yahoo, so if you have a Yahoo address you can sign up with that, otherwise click “sign up” and go for it. Assuming you don’t have a laptop with you, you’ll be plugging your digital camera into a PC at an internet cafe. Do that, and then in Flickr, click “upload”. You’ll be able to browse to your camera, select the photos you want to upload, then name them and add other information if you wish.

You can choose to make your photos public or private, with different settings for friends and family. Use the “private” setting for uploading photos of receipts and serial numbers in case they’re needed for insurance claims.

Flickr is free for up to three albums and 100mb of uploaded images a month. Have a play with the free version first — shrink your photos before uploading — then consider whether US$25 a year is a worthwhile investment for a virtually unlimited amount of space.

Tip: If you’re taking a laptop with you, download one of the uploading tools. It’ll make your life a lot easier.

4. Making WordPress and Flickr play together

Now that you have a WordPress and a Flickr account we get to make them play together. If you want to use a photo in your blog post then start with Flickr. Choose a picture, click “download” and choose a size then select the code at the bottom of the page. Copy and paste into your WordPress.com writing panel and you’re away.

You can also show all your photos automatically. Take note of your Flickr RSS feed (in the browser’s address bar or near the bottom of your profile page) then head back to your WordPress.com administration panels. Click “presentation > widgets” then find the box named “Flickr” at the bottom of the page and drag it into the light-blue rectangular box. Click the icon to the right and follow the instructions there.

5. Styling sidebars

Since we’ve started with sidebar widgets let’s press on. Widgets allow you to quickly and easily change the look of your sidebar without using any code at all. Just to make sure we’re all in the same place, open your WordPress.com administration panels and click “presentation > widgets”. See something you like at the bottom of the page? A “search” bar perhaps? Just grab it with the mouse and drag it into the horizontal box. Now, believe me, there’s a search box in your sidebar. Play around with different looks and different tools until you’re happy with it. You can edit a widget’s text by clicking the page icon to the right of the widget’s name. Make sure you hit “save changes” before leaving the administration panel.

6. Styling the page

You have to admit that it’s important to get the look right. In WordPress the look of the site is known as the “theme”, so let’s go choose one. Also under “presentation” you’ll find the “themes” page. You can browse through the dozens of available themes, simply clicking them to completely change the look of your blog! The “edit CSS” tab will allow you to further customise things, but you’d be wise to save a copy of the orginal before making any changes. You might be happy with words and pictures, but if you want to go a step or so further, the next two sections look at how to add video and audio to your new blog.

7. Adding video

Editing video takes a heap of time. Time that, perhaps, could be better spent actually travelling! But when you take the time to do it, you want to share it with everyone. The most popular video sharing site is undoubtably youtube.com but if you don’t want to create yet another username and password you can also use google video to similar effect.

Having got an account with either service, click “upload” and browse to your video. Most video types are acceptable, so you can upload straight off your camera if you like. (Both services use background encoding to change the type of file it stores so, unlike Flickr, you can’t use these services to backup your videos.)

To add a video to your WordPress blog you have to take some code from the video site and put it in your “write” panel. The “embed” option is the one you want. Simply copy and paste the code you’re given. Of course, you can do this for other people’s videos too.

8. Adding audio

Audio, in WordPress.com’s free service at least, is not quite as easy as video. However, there are two very respectable options:

Option one. If you have access to upload mp3 files anywhere — maybe another family member’s site — you can add a player on your page using the following tag: [audio http://www.example.com/filename]

Option two. If you want to keep everything inside WordPress, then upgrade to one of their “pay” options. This will allow you to upload mp3 files within the system itself.

9. Pushing it Further

RSS is an important emerging medium for distributing your posts. Have a look at your “Options > Reading” panel in WordPress and make sure it looks good to you. I’d recommend “full” feeds with at least 10 posts visible. Although this makes it easier for copyright thieves to take your posts, it means travelers who read posts offline can actually see your post. If most of your readers have constant internet access or copyright theft is a big concern, then shorter feeds are your cup of tea. A useful sevice is feedburner.com which allows you to modify your RSS feed and add all sorts of services — like an automatic email containing each new post. Even if your family don’t understand RSS readers, they probably understand email.

10. Keeping passwords safe

With all these accounts there are heaps of passwords to remember. You did use a different password for each service, right? If not you definitely should go back and change them. All computers are liable to security issues, but internet cafes in some places are especially likely to have nasties on them. A common attack is called “key-logging” which records every button you press on the keyboard. Writing in your password on an infected system is like giving away the keys to your house. And if you have just one key to everything you own…

There are ways to securely store and use different passwords. This is a boon since, in reality, who can remember them all?! Keepass (and KeepassX for Macintosh) is a reliable tool which can also be run from a USB stick. Keepass’s copy and paste eliminates keylogging and deletes the copied item from the computer after a user-set time (set it up for 10 or 15 seconds). Not foolproof, but a step in the right direction.

I told you you only needed step two, but ten steps later and you’re ready to rock and roll in style. Now I guess it’s time to get out of the internet cafe and actually do something worth recording.

This article was updated on 22 January 2008.

Ah, Florence, the city that inspires artists, writers, and your everyday girl. Over a million tourists from the US alone come and see this magical city each year. One of the most important things you can do when traveling is to tread lightly, and with so many of Italy’s priceless treasures succumbing to the ills of aging and pollution, it’s becoming ever more pressing that travelers go green. In addition to getting you to and around Florence, the following guide provides some of the best–and greenest–options for accomodations, tours, and restaurants.

Practical Information

Local airports are Amerigo Vespucci (domestic flights only) three miles northwest of the city center, and Galileo Galilei, 47 miles west of the city, near Pisa. Florence is a major railway and bus hub, so wherever you fly to, be it Milan, Rome or Pisa you will have to take public transportation to Florence.

Once you arrive, the city is remarkably easy to navigate. To walk end to end only takes 35 minutes, including stops for occasional espressos. Traffic is also restricted in the city center.

Art and Culture

In Florence, all roads lead to the Great Cathedral del Santa Maria Fiore, the religious and architectural heart of the city, so grab a free map in the bus or train station and start walking, and in about 15 minutes you will come to a grand piazza, dominated by the pink, white, and green cathedral.

You will also notice that there are other sights in or right behind the cathedral. The octagonal Baptistery of St. John , The Bell Tower (campanile), and the Cathedral Museum.

The two art galleries you must visit are the Galleria Academia and the Uffizi Gallery. The Uffizi houses the largest collection of Florentine art in the world and the Galleria, Michaelangelo’s David. Both are large tourist draws. It is advisable to book visits in advance.

Also not to be missed is the Ponte Vecchio, Florence’s oldest bridge, and the only one that wasn’t destroyed by the Germans in WWII. The largest green space in Florenece, the Boboli Gardens, is a great place to relax and people watch, as well as get some shade from the Mediterranean Sun.

Green Eats

The San Lorenzo Market is the biggest market in the city shop for local produce, meats and cheeses in the large, covered Marcato Centrale. You can also find handmade leather goods, paper products and more in the street stalls.

If you’re looking for a sit down place, local restaurants like Arcobaleno ( Italian for rainbow)

Or, for the authentic experience, why not try an agritourismo holiday, living and participating on a working farm? Visit www.goodtravelcompany.com for more details.

There are also a number of travel companies offering eco-friendly tours of Tuscany, so if you’re not a do-it-yourself type of person, these would be great for you:

Eco Touring Tuscany

The Good Travel Company,
and Context both practice responsible tourism.

Unless you live in Italy, you’re probably going to have to fly there. Don’t forget to calculate and offset you carbon emissions by going to websites like www.carbonneutral.com.

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One of Matador’s newest contributors, Kelly Lalonde writes: “I get bored with normalcy, love pasta, love watching the city come alive on a long walk in the morning.”

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Photo by Lars Kristian Flem

I became a licensed captain because I wanted to charter my family’s sailing schooner. My Dad is a 30-year veteran but refuses to adhere to the standards of a Federal license.

As a result, I’m the captain aboard my father’s ship, he is the skipper. I am ‘in command’ while he is ‘in charge,’ and legally it’s my ass on the line if anything happens to our passengers or the vessel.

Being a boat captain has its perks. You are the Top Dog, The Man in charge, the alpha-chicken in the boat world’s pecking order. You can work anywhere on the coast, you aren’t held to the same social standards of a regular boss, and occasionally you get to wear a great hat.

The downside is that work hours and free-time are highly irregular. Your social perspective may be skewed by seamen-like shore leave. And relationships suffer because you can’t just call home from sea.

Furthermore, unless you get a gig on a private mega yacht, or racing in the America Cup, chances are you’ll end up working on a ferry or tug boat. Small boat captains don’t make that much money, though it is more lucrative than being a deckhand.

There are two ways to achieve the title of “Boat Captain.” one of them is to buy a boat, take it on the water, and declare yourself ‘captain.’ The other is to apply for a license through the U.S. Coast Guard. Commercial fishing boat skippers don’t need licenses, neither do pleasure yachters, but to become a captain, and be paid under that title, mariners must be licensed.

The irony of this is that applicants don’t have to actually prove they can drive, sail, or dock a boat. Driving tests remain a landlubber’s milestone.

Time is the most discerning prerequisite to becoming a boat captain. Applicants need 360 days on the water, at four hours each day, documented within the last five years. If your sea-time was spent under the command of another captain (licensed or not), you will need their signature on the documentation.

If you are a cook, a deckhand, or a maid aboard a vessel, you are getting sea-time regardless of actual boat-related duties. Yes, you may work as a blackjack dealer aboard a cruise ship and be getting all the sea-time you need to become a captain.

Applicants also need three character references, from boat captains or others, but note the importance of appropriate references, especially since all materials are filtered through a Federal Government bureaucracy. My references were from a licensed captain and former boss, an uncle who is a commercial fisherman, and a friend who participates in sail racing, all three owned their own boats.

Requirements beyond these two are either physical or legal. You need to pass a five-substance drug test, a physical exam, and have CPR/First Aid certification. Most boat companies require these physical marks anyway and will likely pay for the test and certification.

A thorough background check and finger printing are also required, and don’t forget to bring your Social Security card to the licensing office. This process is not for the bureaucratically squeamish. Check out this site for the top 10 reasons an application might be delayed.

Finally, there are the tests—60 multiple choice questions on deck and safety procedures; 20 questions on general navigation; 10 navigation problems, complete with triangulation and slide ruler; and another 30 multiple choice questions on “rules of the road.”

I paid $1,100 for a six-week course in the basement of the local yacht club; otherwise the Coast Guard licensing fees are about $255, including the application, exam and processing fee. In a room of 20-odd men I was the only girl and the second youngest student.

Since I was fresh out of college I realized within a couple of weeks that I could have studied on my own and passed the tests. This was not the case for my older peers and I don’t recommend taking the exam without some tutorial. Check out exam questions here. You can also take the test at a regional exam center located through the Coast Guard licensing website.

For job opportunities go to www.boatcaptainsonline.com. Or just start walking the docks. Remember, having your license doesn’t guarantee your qualifications, and nothing speaks louder than experience on the water.

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Darcey Maher grew up migrating between three coastal cities on the Pacific rim and picks up local jargon way too fast. She is a sometime editor, freelance writer, and a restless boat captain. Her writing has appeared in the Sitka Sentinel, Bellingham Weekly and Planet Magazine. When not shirking landlubber responsibilities, she is running her charter business, SailMycia, on trips through the Inside Passage of the Northwest coast.

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Photo by Mario de Leo

At first glance, the words “green” and “Mexico City” don’t seem compatible. Mexico’s capital is one of the most congested and polluted cities in the world, but don’t let that discourage you from enjoying these green sites south of the border.

City officials have expressed their commitment to greening the capital and creating opportunities for ecotourism. You don’t have to wait until all of their plans are realized, though. Check out our Green Guide to Mexico City and enjoy some of the best outdoor and indoor recreational, cultural, and culinary treasures of this vast city.

Practical Information:

If you’re flying into Mexico City’s Benito Juarez International Airport, you can choose a taxi service or the Metro to reach the city center, which is about 15 minutes away. For more information about navigating the airport, please visit the Top 10 Tips for Navigating Mexico City’s Benito Juarez International Airport.

Activities

Every Sunday, Mexico City converts one of its main avenues, Paseo de la Reforma, into a pedestrian, cyclist, and skaters-only thoroughfare, thanks to the progressive vision of Mayor Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon, who is green conscious. Beyond just shutting down the avenue to vehicles, the city offers free bike rentals and staffs hydration stations, mechanics’ kiosks, and even provides medical service along the route.

One of Mexico City’s greatest green treasures, the Bosque de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Forest) is the capital city’s answer to New York’s Central Park. In addition to a botanical garden, the Bosque boasts an expansive green space dotted by waterways, monuments, sculpture, and statuary, and ample recreation areas. Along the park’s edge you can find the Museo de Arte Moderno (Museum of Modern Art), the Museo de Historia Natural (Natural History Museum), and the Museo Nacional de Antropologia (National Anthropology Museum), all of which are easily reached by Metro.

Mexico City has three ecological reserves: Xochimilco, San Nicolas Totolapan, and Desierto de los Leones, each with its own unique flora and fauna. Each reserve is a great day trip offering a variety of recreational activities. At Desierto de los Leones you might enjoy bird watching, as the reserve is a magnet for migratory birds. San Nicolas offers guided walking tours, and Xochimilco offers bike rentals, among other services and activities.

Mexico City’s Turibus may seem hopelessly touristy and contrary to the spirit of independent and off-the-beaten path travel, but it not only offers a tremendous value for your traveling dollar, sporting you all over the city with unlimited hop-on/hop-off privileges when you purchase a day pass, but it also gets you into some of the city’s greenest areas. By joining other visitors on this bus tour, you’re cutting down on individual car/taxi emissions, too.

Within the center of the city, you can rent a Segway, which has a zero emissions rating. At present, the Segway office in Reforma offers two tours (2-3 hours each) for $50 USD.

Arts and Culture

In addition to the museums mentioned above, the Palacio de Bellas Artes is an obligatory stop for arts lovers, if for no other reason than to enjoy the beauty of the building itself. The Frida Kahlo Museum, also known as the Casa Azul, is located in the artist’s home in the neighborhood of Coyoacan. Small and intimate, this museum gives Kahlo aficionados a true sense of the place where many of her paintings were created. To find out what’ other activities will be going on in the city during your visit, check the Secretary of Tourism’s website, which maintains a calendar of current and upcoming events.

Eats

Mercados: While Mexico City is indisputably cosmopolitan, it retains long-cherished traditions, among them maintaining the variety of fruit and vegetable markets tucked into neighborhoods around the vast city. At any of these mercados you can buy your own fruit and vegetables or enjoy a reasonably priced meal at any of the food stalls in the market.

Restaurants and Bars: Eating local is easy in Mexico City, as many staples of the Mexican kitchen are brought in daily from nearby fields just outside the city center. One favorite where the menu is constructed entirely around in-season foods is OW 9. Another green option for dinner and drinks can be found at the condesa df hotel. The lighting is low, the dining area is an interior patio with a retractable ceiling that opens to a view of the sky, and diners are surrounded by plants, which create a sense of privacy and intimacy at every table. Enjoy drinks and light snacks on the rooftop bar, which has comfortable lounges, blankets, heat lamps, and an unbeatable view.

Where to Stay

Mexico City has its work cut out for it with respect to green lodging, though one notable exception is The Red Treehouse. Wherever you stay, be a green guest—let the housekeeping staff know you don’t need sheets or towels changed, bring your own toiletries, and ensure that lights and appliances are turned off when you leave the room.

Learn More: In June, 2008, Mexico City will be launching a print and online version of Las Paginas Verdes, The Green Pages—a guide to the city’s sustainable businesses. Visit www.laspaginasverdes.com.

Fiji is an infectiously happy place, as most Polynesian islands are. This nation, however, boasts particularly boisterous and friendly locals and offers to-die-for fishing, diving, and surfing opportunities — all in a tropical paradise setting. The key word in this land — the first Fijian word you will learn, and maybe the only one you will remember — is “bula” (hello). This word pretty much embodies the Fijian way. You will be welcomed with open arms and often smiled at (so smile back!).

Viti Levu

This island, the largest in the Fijian island chain, is the focus for first-time travelers to Fiji. If you have more time or cash, you can get a taste of the outer-island delights, but Viti Levu — its southern coast in particular — offers just about all you could wish for in terms of outdoor adventure. New arrivals must begin their journey in Nadi (pronounced NAN-dee), on the western coast, then continue along the southern coast to the eastern city of Suva, where domestic ferries and planes depart to outer-islands like Vanua Levu, Taveuni, and the Lau Group.

The Coral Coast

This southern stretch of Viti Levu is where the avid beach-goers, fishermen, surfers, and divers will spend most of their time. Take your time driving along Queens Highway and, in a mere three hours, watch the landscape transform right before your eyes — from dry land around Nadi, to plantations, to a long sandy beach in Natadola, to the spectacular Sigatoka sand dunes, to the tropical rainforests near Korolevu, and finally to the blue ocean stretching far out to the horizon. The Coral Coast ends fittingly in Pacific Harbor, where you can begin another grand adventure by boat, or you can continue along the highway to Suva. If you’re driving, it’s easy to get lost in the beauty of the Coral Coast, but don’t forget to drive on the left side of the road!

Politics

Fiji has experienced two periods of non-violent political unrest, most recently in December 2006. The recent coup, spurred by long-standing disagreements between the government and the military, should not dissuade travelers from coming to Fiji, as the situation poses no threat to tourists. However, with the noticeable division between the ethnic Fijians and the growing Indian population, national unification proves difficult. Therefore, awareness of the most current political situation is still necessary.

ACTIVITIES

NOTE: These activities pretty much require that you bring your own gear. If you’re serious about these sports, don’t expect locals or the resorts to have what you are looking for. If you need gear, you will have the best luck finding it in Nadi town.

Surfing

Viti Levu is a hop, skip, or jump from some of the best surf breaks in the world. Near Nadi, you can find access to to some epic waves around Tavarua and Namotu, namely Wilkes Passage, Lighthouse, Namotu Lefts, Cloudbreak, Restaurants, and Desperations. Traveling east, you can surf at the beach break along Sigatoka. From atop its sand dunes, there are only two fashionable ways down: sand surf or roll. On small or windy days here, you will still have lots of fun body surfing. If you can afford it, there is decent surf on the outer reefs of Natadola or exclusively for Hideaway resorters. Finally, if you’re able to acquire a boat from Pacific Harbor to get you there, don’t miss your chance to surf the gnarly left at Frigate’s Passage.

Keep in mind that if you are not staying at certain resorts/islands, surf spots like Cloudbreak, Namotu, Hideaway, and Frigate’s are remote, exclusive, or only open to the public one or two times a week. Be sure to find out what day you can hit it!

Hiking

There are several beautiful hikes in the tropical rainforests around Korotogo and Korolevu. Waterfalls, steep climbs, streams, greenery — you name it, this lush part of the island has it. Many of the resorts in the area provide guides for a nominal fee. Guides are advisable, as you will learn more about the native plants and local legends.

Fishing & Diving

The reef at Frigate’s Passage has some of the most lively underwater life I have ever laid eyes on. Even on a cloudy day you are sure to see a Spanish mackerel or barracuda swimming by within arm’s reach. Fish, troll, snorkel, dive, swim — just get in the water and take in the tropical wonder that thrives beneath you. It was here that I got my first taste of spear fishing and free/skin diving. I was strangely excited and amazed when sharks pecked away at the coral trout we caught that dangled from the end of our buoy line. I didn’t quite realize how good I had it at Frigate’s until I returned home to Hawaii, where fishing is now only decent.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Most of the accommodations along the coast offer a variety of room options and usually include meals as part of a package price. While most resorts have hot water, the remote ones might not, so it’s always better to ask. Budget for about $50-100 (U.S.) per day for all expenses, including food and excursions.

Rendezvous Resort

Located outside of Nadi and owned by a Fijian-Japanese couple, this resort offers camping, dorms, and private/shared rooms with meals included. It also provides a reasonably priced boat trip to Namotu and Tavarua to surf, fish, or dive. Be sure to negotiate the time spent doing what you wish and going where you want; there are added fees if you go farther than Wilkes or return later than 2 pm.

The Beach House

Due to the filming of Love Islandb on its premises, the Beach House experienced a funky and modern face lift last year. Right off the highway in Korolevu, this pleasant resort is set among palm trees and right on the beach. Options here include camping, male and female dorms, and private rooms with/without bath. There’s a lively vibe to the place, as well as good, reasonably-priced food. You can also, like I did, catch trevally along the beach and cook it up in their communal kitchen. You are sure to chat it up with fellow travelers while you’re relaxing by the pool or in the hammocks or while you’re taking part in one of the many activity offerings.

Batiluva Resort

If it’s Frigate’s you want by day and relaxation you need by night, then Batiluva is the place to stay. After enduring a cold and wet 45-minute boat ride from Pacific Harbor to Yanuca Island, you become the get-away. There’s no easy way to distinguish you from it. You’ll sleep comfortably under mosquito nets in one of the four shared quads or two private rooms. Wake up to the sound of the ocean lapping on the private beach. Then, prepare yourself for a full day at Frigate’s Pass (one-way, it takes another wet 45 minutes by boat from the resort) doing what you want, when you want, until you tell the captain it’s time to head back and take a cold shower (sorry, there’s no hot water shower, ladies!). Meals and transportation to/from Frigate’s are included, but bring your own fishing gear with you (and maybe even leave a good lure behind for the captain, as his lures are old and out-dated). Take an afternoon trip to visit the nearby village to drink kava with the chief and play soccer or make sand castles with the kids.

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Matador’s expert on Hawaii, Brenda Yun writes: I’m a surfer girl, creative writing/English teacher who can’t seem to get enough out of life abroad. Despite my annual travels, my six-year old pug keeps me grounded.

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Photo by brewbooks

So you want a little adventure? Test the limits of your energy ? Make some money? Bask in some of the most amazing natural beauty anywhere? Good. Can you live in cramped space for a few weeks? Maybe go without a shower for a few days? Work for 48 straight hours? Ignore freezing temperatures? Good. All you have to do is get a job on a commercial fishing boat in Alaska.

Fifteen or twenty years ago, thousands upon thousands of college-age kids migrated to Bristol Bay and Cook Inlet in the late spring, pitched tents in parking lots, and beat the docks until they secured a site on a drift boat or seiner. In those days the salmon runs were incredibly strong, the ex-vessel price was over $3.00/lb., and work abounded. If you couldn’t find a site, then the tender vessel or the cannery certainly had a position for you - a less lucrative one to be sure, but good work nonetheless. Crab fishing in the wintertime offered similar opportunity. A young man could get on a plane in Anchorage and have a job before he landed in Dutch Harbor. Boats made so much money they could hire an extra guy on a half-share basis just to make life a little easier for everyone. It was relatively easy for an able-bodied guy to get a site, even if he didn’t have any fishing experience.

Things are quite different today. Regulations, oil spills, an economic emphasis on imports, the crash of the Japanese economy in the mid-90s - all of these factors have drastically changed the fabric of the industry over the last two decades. But the romantic allure persists and the risk/reward factor is still intense. The job can still be quite lucrative for the right person, and the best way for you to land your site is still to simply SHOW UP!

Skippers don’t troll for employees on Monster. There are websites dedicated to finding “fishing” jobs in Alaska, like Alaskafishingjobs.com, alaskajobfinder.com, and others. Some of these charge a membership fee though, and most of the positions are on factory processors owned by giant seafood corporations like Trident or Peter Pan. This might be a good place to start, but in truth, the chances of getting hired on a proper fishing boat, sight unseen, especially if you’re “green”, are about zero. There is no application process, we’re going straight to the interviews. So if you’re starting a career or just taking a sabbatical from the cubicle, here’s how to go about it:

1. Do your research first. You want to be in the right place at the right time. Herring season kicks off in Togiak in April. The salmon run in Kenai starts in July. Last year I worked with a guy who flew into Kodiak in mid-May, went to the city employment office (hint, hint), and had a site on a seiner the next day. He said he made $25,000.00 in ten weeks. Now that was a fortunate scenario, but he made his own luck by showing up at the right time, just a week or so before the season opened.

An e-visit to the city in question should provide you a timetable, provided it’s a big enough place like Homer. A smaller burg like Naknek will require some extended effort. National Fisherman publishes monthly articles, filled with tons of data on the volume and value of almost every fishery. Visit NationalFisherman.com and check the dates. There’s even a small classifieds page there. Local and regional newspapers always carry a story or two as well. Be creative with your search.

2. Pack appropriately. Functionality is key. Even in the summer months the weather will be unpleasant at times, and you’re there to work. Go with some sweatpants, hooded sweatshirts, comfortable, durable socks, and some rugged footwear. Bring a light, rain-resistant jacket. You want layers of versatility stuffed into one semi-large pack. Remember, you want to be mobile, and the vessel on which you land your site isn’t going to have a lot of extra space for storage. You can easily get your slickers and gloves after you’ve landed your site. In most cases the boat will even charge it, then just take it out of your first check. Under Armor is great stuff, too. (Make sure to keep every single receipt for ANY related purchase. Find an accountant familiar with the maritime industry, there are all sorts of deductions for commercial guys.)

3. Be professional. You’re ready to swashbuckle like Captain Jack Sparrow, but this is still a business. The number one issue for boat owners and captains is the dependability of their crewmen. Beat the docks early, and without a hangover. You want to stress your reliability and your eagerness to respond to a good opportunity. If the man asks you if you have any experience, just say “No” or “Not yet.” Do not tell him how you went sailing on your uncle’s yacht one summer. Do not tell him that you are a hard worker and a fast learner, he’s heard it a million times. He’ll be more impressed with directness and honesty. Do you have any relevant skills? Maybe you can “turn a wrench” or you’re familiar with electronics. If you’re not mechanically inclined yet, don’t sweat it. The number one attribute for fresh hires? Cooking. If you can whip up a nice meal for three or four or five guys on short order, your prospects just improved significantly. Now if the boss listens to what you have to say and still tells you to ease on down the dock, don’t take it personally, some skippers wouldn’t hire Superman if he hadn’t been on a boat before. But I’ve worked for a lot of skippers who liked to hire “clean and green,” because they knew the guy was going to be trouble-free and they could train him up how they wanted.

4. Adapt. You might not land a site right away just by beating the docks, so you’ll need to utilize your resourcefulness. Check the fishhouses and canneries, a lot of skippers will post their “want-ads” in the offices there. Talk to people. You need to drum up as many leads as possible. I worked with a guy who made his contact in line at the post office. Another guy put up his “resume” on the bulletin board at the coffee shop and had calls within 24 hours. Their combined previous experience: 0. If you’re not getting any breaks, maybe you need a change of scenery. Another guy I worked with beat the docks of Cordova for two weeks and couldn’t get any action. He finally jumped on the ferry to Kodiak and found a site on his third day in town. Persevere. There are tens of thousands of commercial fishing boats and hundreds of thousands of sites in Alaska. But they aren’t going to come to you.

Once you’re in, your performance will propel you wherever you want to go. Maybe you’ll settle in on a big ship that works year-round. Maybe you’ll network to different sites in different fisheries for different seasons. Just like any other business, the owners and captains all know each other and who needs crew, and when. Build a good name for yourself and you’ll have it made in the industry for as long as you want.

So now you’re ready! It takes a lot of confidence and determination to find substantive employment in this manner. You need to be alert, assertive, and flexible. If you can’t handle what it takes to get the job then the job isn’t for you. Good luck.

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Bradford Whipple has been a commercial fisherman for over twelve years and has seasonal sites in Florida, Oregon, and Alaska. Check out his travel blog on Matador or at DeepSeaGangster.com.

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Since quitting my 9-to-5 job as the assistant director of a mental health agency in 2004 and becoming a full-time traveler and writer, many people have remarked that they envy my lifestyle. What they don’t recognize is that they can create the same kind of life for themselves by following a relatively simple set of steps, which I’ll share with you here. I didn’t plan the kind of life that I have now—in fact, I didn’t plan at all; I just quit my job without a Plan B, which is not the best idea for most people. My experiences of living on the edge, though, have helped me identify the top 10 tips for you to bag your own 9-to-5 job and have a bit more security than I did.

10. Let go of your long-cherished vision of your professional self. When I found myself unexpectedly answering my boss’s question, “How are we going to work together?” by answering, “We’re not, because I quit,” I didn’t realize that one of the biggest challenges ahead of me was letting go of the career trajectory I’d mapped for myself. By the age of 25, I’d been the first poetry therapist to work in two New York City social service agencies, I’d already reached the middle management rung on my profession’s ladder, and I’d simultaneously begun building my own counseling and consulting business with two colleagues. I was published in an academic journal and I was the director of a board. I was well on my way to fulfilling my high school yearbook’s prediction of “Most Likely to Succeed.” Dropping out of the profession meant I’d be disappointing a lot of people—my parents, who had paid for my Masters degree, my mentor, who had nurtured my learning and my career, and myself, as I’d planned big professional accomplishments by the age of 30. In order to bag your 9-to-5, you’ll need to begin to let go of whatever conventional career plan you had for yourself and whatever expectations everyone has ever had for you.

Practice becoming comfortable with ambiguity and what others might consider to be aimlessness. Don’t underestimate the work this step takes. Our society is largely structured around the maintenance of the 9-to-5 life.

9. Develop your pitch. When you’ve made it through step 10 and you’re starting to become comfortable with the idea of the new professional you, one of the next challenges you’ll confront is explaining yourself and justifying your career and lifestyle change to almost everyone you know. Don’t be apologetic for your decision to forgo the traditional trajectory, but do take the time to develop a pitch or a story to tell when someone asks you why and how you’re forging a new path for yourself. A true and well-crafted narrative is compelling to most people—even those who’d like to see you conforming to social expectations—and it can often serve you well. When I explain how I was once a social worker who had her own business and worked as the assistant director of a New York City agency, then owned an art gallery, and then became a full-time writer, editor, and translator, it becomes a hook for continued conversation and often leads to offers of work and further exposure.

8. Make an inventory of your skills. Whether you take the time to plan your transition or whether you jump into it headlong, as I did, it’s incredibly helpful to make a written inventory of the skills you possess that can bring you work and other opportunities. As I listed my competencies, I realized I had skills and knowledge that were so second nature to me that I hadn’t realized their potential value as sources of work. In this initial list, include everything that comes to mind—don’t censor yourself at all. If you can cook, clean, write, translate, organize, sing, type, take photos, transcribe, surf, do calligraphy, or make movies, write it down. If you’re short on ideas, ask a trusted friend to make a list with you.

7. Narrow the list. Once you’ve made an inventory of your skills, review it and begin to narrow down your possibilities for independent work. Subject the items on our list to three criteria: (1) Which of the skills are portable? (meaning you can use them anywhere in the world); (2) Which of the skills are profitable? (meaning that they’ll generate income—not enough just to scrape by, but something to actually live on); and (3) Which of the skills have the lowest demand load? (meaning which will not require you to purchase special equipment, obtain employment authorization in another country, secure a work visa, or otherwise require negotiating red tape and the constant monitoring of bureaucratic requirements and deadlines).

6. Rework the list. Now that you’ve determined which items on your list are most portable, most profitable, and lowest demand, begin to refine the list a bit more. What are the top five skills you could use to seek work that takes you outside of the 9-to-5 grind? Which skills might lead you to actual job leads? How can you generate work using these skills no matter where you go? Which skills will lead to work when you need it?

5. Plan with a partner. If you’re in a serious long-term relationship, you need to discuss your ideas and plans with your partner. Bagging the security of the 9-to-5 life and trading it in for a life that is more independent and flexible is not for everyone and it requires risks that may not be acceptable for all people. When you are in a relationship, the needs and abilities of your partner with respect to adapting to your plans need to be discussed and agreed upon. What kinds of shifts may need to occur in your day-to-day life in order to make the transition realistic and to what degree is your partner willing and able to accommodate and support you?

4. Assess your security needs.If you’re the type of person who needs medical and dental insurance, a 401(k), and a steady, predictable paycheck, then you will need to do some serious planning to fulfill these needs before bagging your full-time job. There are resources for meeting these needs off the regular workday clock (see Freelancers Union for some great ideas), but you’ll need to do most—if not all—of the legwork on your own. You’re now the chief, cook, bottle washer, and human resources director.

3. Be for real. Before you bag your 9-to-5, do a searching inventory of yourself. The main criterion? Be for real. Are you a person who needs structure? Do you work best with others? Do you have a hard time scheduling, organizing, or delegating your time well? Do you need the praise of a superior or the affirmation of colleagues? Are you envisioning life off the 9-to-5 grid as one long adventurous, romantic narrative? If the answer to any of these questions is “Yes,” it’s likely that you’ll find life off the time clock to be a serious challenge. Among the many people who have commented that they’re envious of what they view as my freestyle life, there are a couple who have acknowledged that they’d never be able to follow in my footsteps because they need a boss, they need the predictability of a regular paycheck, or they need someone to assign tasks to them. I admire these people because they know themselves and make their career and lifestyle decisions realistically according to their own personal and professional needs.

2. Create community. Working off the clock has many advantages, but it can get lonely at times, especially after the initial thrill of working on your own wears off. Be sure that you’ve made plans for connecting with other people no matter what you’re doing or where you are. Matador is one great place, of course, but you may want to find others that tap into some of your other interests and abilities.

1. Assess your progress. Every once in awhile, take some time to assess your progress. When I stop to think about how my life has unfolded since turning in my pink slip and never turning back, I recognize that I work more now than I ever did, but that I’m also happier than I ever was. I also realize, though, that I need to continue refining my short-and long-term plans in order to maintain my current lifestyle. Since I don’t have a boss to sit down and do an annual performance evaluation with me, I need to do constant evaluation myself and so will you.

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One of Matador’s most prolific contributors, Julie Schwietert Collazo is a writer, editor, researcher, and translator who lives in New York, Mexico City, and San Juan. She has a BA in English and Women’s Studies, a Masters of Social Work, and is working on a PhD in Literature at the Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Puerto Rico y el Caribe.

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The country above Auckland is a place that isn’t highlighted by most guidebooks: Northland. This area is replete with beaches and forests as well as historic towns and modern resorts. In this podcast episode, buy a campervan or a car in Auckland then head north and get happily lost with Craig Martin. The fishing, kayaking, surfing and hiking and — being New Zealand — natural splendour will blow you away.

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There are a couple of good information websites to help you plan further. Try Northland Naturally for general information, whilst Northland has a great listing of contact details for all sorts of things. Most of the Northland hostels I’ve enjoyed don’t have a strong web presence, but check Accommodation New Zealand for hostels and private camping along with the Department of Conservation for simple campsites.

If you’re looking at buying a car try trade me for e-bay style auctions, the (reputable) Auckland Car Fair or the (irreputable) backpacker’s car fair (no website). The Backpacker Board has plenty of links for hiring vehicles, even spaceships! along with lots of great advice for independent travel in New Zealand.

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One of Matador’s newest contributors, Craig Martin has been living on the road since leaving Auckland, New Zealand in February 2006. In fact, he hasn’t slept in the same bed for more than two weeks all year! He podcasts at the indie travel podcast.

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When in Rome, do as the Romans. But what do the Romans do? Our top 10 list goes beyond the obvious tips—speak the language, learn local customs and etiquette, and don’t wear a camera around your neck—and helps you learn how to really live like a local, whether you’re around for five hours, five months, or five years.

10. Read the paper. Nothing gives you insight into local culture like reading the newspapers of the area. You’ll learn about what’s important right now in a place that’s probably overlooked by your own newspaper, cluing you in to a community’s attitudes, interests, and worries. Local newspapers may introduce you to political, social, and cultural personalities and events that you wouldn’t find in a guidebook. Be sure though to look at more than one local paper—most cities, at least, have multiple dailies, each of which tends to reflect a particular political slant. Many papers also have English language editions—especially online—so don’t let a language barrier keep you from trying this tip.

9. Learn local politics. An understanding of the political system, parties, and figures in a particular place can help you understand a great deal about an area and is likely to help you recognize symbols and slogans that might otherwise go over your head. This holds true even in your own country; regional politics can vary dramatically.

8. Talk with people.Taxi drivers are good. So are street sweepers, security guards, restaurant servers, musicians, and people without obvious distraction or diversion (people waiting at bus stops, for instance). Most people enjoy talking about themselves and what’s important to them; everyone likes to be an expert. Invite people to talk about themselves, their community, about something you notice in the immediate environment. Use their responses as lead-ins to other questions.

7. Walk light. A large bag or backpack not only makes you conspicuously not of the place, but it also weighs you down. Walk light and you’ll have an easier time going off the beaten path. Keeping a pen and small notebook handy is always a good idea for jotting notes about the people and places you’ve seen.

6. Eat outside the box. The best spots are where you see locals, which are not places generally written up in guidebooks. Stroll around your temporary home… where do you see people congregated? What do you see people eating? What do they recommend?

5. Travel like a local. What’s the preferred mode of transportation where you are? Subways are generally inexpensive and expedient means of transit in big cities, but rickshaws, bicitaxis, and pedicabs, are some of the many other options. Walking is also a great way to get to know people and places that you’d miss from a vehicle.

4. Issue an invitation. Don’t wait to be invited into the locals-only club. Look for opportunities to invite others to share time and local knowledge with you. Whether over a beer at a bar, a dance in a dive, or a coffee in a café, taking the initiative can be a powerful sign that you’re ready to live like a local. Also look for opportunities to invite yourself into the local experience when appropriate. In Sintra, Portugal, my friend and I had an unforgettable experience when we stumbled upon a local annual Night of the Camelias Dance at the town hall, and though we were lost, we asked if it would be ok for us to stay awhile. We were welcomed warmly with free glasses of port and passed from arm to arm for dances and by the end of the night we’d made new friends of all ages.

3. Don’t overlook details. Learning the local time, currency, and dialect may be tedious for some people, but getting a grasp on these details can determine the difference between living like a local and living like a tourist. The more you can familiarize yourself with the seemingly mundane and quotidian aspects of a place, the more you will feel immersed there.

2. Ask questions. Respect answers. If something piques your curiosity, ask questions. While walking in a small rural town in southeastern China, my friend Julia and I saw a house that was open to the street, the front room of which appeared to drop into a cave. While we didn’t speak Mandarin and the people sitting in front of the house didn’t speak English, we were able to communicate by gestures to ask about the unusual structure. We were invited into the home and led into what was indeed a cave, where the town’s food was stored. Recognize that not every question will result in an answer or an invitation though, and respect the response.

1. Acknowledge you’re an outsider. Difference—whether actual or perceived—can be powerful, both for better and for worse. Don’t ever try to fake being a local. The more authentic you are, the more people will be interested in you and welcome you into the local circle. Being yourself no matter where you are is always the first step to becoming local.

Photo by Hal Amen

Cycle touring = freedom. Forget letting bus and train routes dictate your schedule. Forget settling for tour operators’ carbon-copy itineraries. On a bicycle, you’re in control. Life slows enough for you to digest every sight, every smiling face, every facet of “place.”

This unique form of travel involves unique demands, however. A successful tour is the result of thoughtful preparation, and these 8 steps will help you get there.

1. Know what you’re getting into.

It’s essential to realize how cycle touring differs from conventional travel. The cliché proclaiming the journey to be more important than the destination really applies. You’ll need to enjoy the long stretches of empty prairie as much as the temple ruins you’re headed to. And yes, at some point you’re going to get tired, sore, wet, and discouraged.

That caveat notwithstanding, don’t psych yourself out by dwelling on any perceived hardships. Cycle touring is a very feasible and rewarding travel option; you simply need to be mentally prepared for what it takes.

2. Tailor your gear.

What kind of self-supported tour are you interested in? Two basic categories are credit-card touring (eat at restaurants and sleep in hotels) and fully loaded tours (camping equipment required). Which you choose will shape your gear needs.

Where are you going? Do you have your sights set on a multi-state trail ride along the Great Divide ? Or perhaps you want to trace the length of Vietnam’s National Highway 1. The bicycle you opt for depends on the surface you ride on. Mountain bikes with front or full suspension are preferable for off-road treks, while a touring-specific model is best for pavement. Visit www.adventure-cycling-guide.co.uk for more thoughts on this.

3. Understand your limits.

When mapping your route, set realistic distance and time expectations. Can you honestly pedal 120 miles in one day? Will you really enjoy cycling for a week straight? After all, this is supposed to be fun! Scheduling low-mileage and off-the-bike days will give both body and mind a rest. Plus, you’ll be able to more thoroughly explore your surroundings.

4. Seek out firsthand advice.

How much information specific to cycle touring does your typical destination guide include? A couple paragraphs? You need more. It’s good to know that Cambodia’s Highway 6 turns into a lake in the wet season, or that riding west on Australia’s Great Ocean Road puts you at odds with prevailing headwinds.

No matter where you’re going, chances are someone’s already been and has written about it on www.crazyguyonabike.com Another good resource is www.bikeforums.net, which also has a helpful maintenance forum. Do as much research as you can, and fine-tune your route plan and equipment list accordingly.

5. As in all travel, put safety first!

Staying safe and healthy is the best way to ensure a good tour. Beyond the commonsense measures any traveler should take, it’s recommended that you have a contingency plan in case you need to end the tour early. How will you get you and your bike home safely if this happens? Also, since cycling can place you in situations of increased vulnerability, stay abreast of information concerning crime or unrest in your travel area.

6. Get fit…if you want.

Each cyclist has his or her view on training for a tour. For an idea of how complex it can be, check out this .pdf document. Personally, I’ve found that nothing prepares you for sitting in the saddle all day like…well, sitting in the saddle all day. While you shouldn’t expect a magical transformation from full-time couch potato to super-tourer, the importance of a pre-tour training regimen is often overstated.

7. Test it out.

You have your bike. You have your racks, your panniers, and a respectable stash of travel-friendly tools. But do you know how everything works? How do you change a flat tire? What should you do if a shift cable breaks? And what the heck is a Hypercracker? The more familiar you become with issues like these, the less likely you’ll encounter a serious problem on the road.

Finally, throw everything together and go for a ride, even if only a short one. Learn how your bike handles under load, how best to pack everything, and whether or not it’s all going to fit!

8. Keep a record.

When completed, your tour will represent a point of pride, perhaps even a once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment. So before you start, consider documenting your journey. Many travelers keep a daily journal, but why not do more? Internet access is easy to come by in much of the world, and blogging from the road is an excellent way to record your experiences. Your family and friends will enjoy following your progress, and all of us out here in cyberspace will share in your adventure as well!

Photo by Dan Pool

A job as a wildland firefighter with the US Forest Service sounds like the perfect fit, but how do you get into this elite corps? It may not be as hard, or as easy as you think.

Four-year veteran and “Hotshot” Dan Pool says the most difficult part of becoming a wildland firefighter is the application process. For most, this means logging on to the Forest Service’s AVUE Digital Services (ADS) website to create a personnel profile.

“The AVUE is a huge pain in the you know where,” says Pool, “but it is useful for people who want to get a job and can’t make a personal appearance before they get hired.”

No experience is necessary for the job, but accuracy is key as the ADS matrix will narrow down the applicants. Then they send paper applications tailored to the specific location you have applied for and whether you’re applying for Type 2 (regular fire crew) or Type 1 (smoke jumper or “hotshot.”) Pool suggests prospective applicants also contact the administrators in charge of fire crews in that location non-stop until they get a response.

Once the Forest Service selects you as a candidate you must complete the pack test–the only universal requirement to fight fire–carrying a 45 pound pack three miles in under forty-five minutes. “It doesn’t sound too tough, but you have to keep a pretty brisk pace,” Pool says. Type 1 minimums are higher: 7 pull ups, 25 push-ups, and 45 sit-ups, and running a mile and a half in under 11 min.

The “pack test” has no gender bias, and neither, it seems, does the Forest Service. Pool says the women firefighters do the same work as the men. “Don’t be intimidated,” Pool says to female applicants. “If you want to do it, you can, but don’t expect special treatment. The most consistent rule for everyone is that you always do as much as you possibly can so no one else is carrying your load of work.”

After the pack test, the reality of firefighting settles in. “I was pushed to my physical limits a few times but I didn’t expect that the hardest part of “Fire” would be getting along with 19 other crew members in extremely close and stressful situations.” Pool goes on to say, “We shortly became family with an unconditional ability to love and hate the person next to you and have your life in their hands and theirs in yours. The friends I have made through “Fire” are the strongest and deepest you can make.”

Social burdens come up again when asked about what expectations other people had before working on fire crews.

“Many people think that fighting fire is a glamorous job,” Pool says, “fighting the evil fire, saving babies from burning cabins and other Hollywood images and they become disenfranchised by the huge slow moving machine of the government and disappointed by not being pushed hard enough physically and pushed too hard socially.”

To work well as a firefighter, one has to lose all of his or her expectations. “Some days you will work 16 hours non-stop without any breaks, eating your lunch on the go and ‘runnin’ and gunnin” with fire actively pushing you at every moment, hiking up and down steep and dangerous slopes while carrying all your gear (any where from 30 -60 lb) while trees are falling around you, helicopters and planes are dropping retardant and water all around you, while you are trying to accomplish the day’s task.

Then the next day the fire will be too hot to work near, or some other issue will make your entire crew wait all day to get to work, sitting in the hot sun for 16 hours with nothing to do but guess when they will be called to work. Sometimes you don’t get called. Sitting for 18 hours is much worse than working for 16 hours.”

The working conditions are intense and dangerous. “I was surrounded by fire with no way out; we got lucky and found an area that wasn’t burning so hot and we ran through it to safety,” Pool says.

Fear plays an active role. “Being scared is a life-saving feeling. I would feel scared most of the day on a big fire. It’s ok to feel scared but you have to have situational awareness, to know what kind of danger you are in and if you can mitigate the danger and if you can’t, then know what you can do to stay alive.”

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For more information:

www.wildlandfirefighter.com is a magazine for and by wildland firefighters.

Women in the Fire Service or WFS has a particularly informative website for those interested in becoming wildland firefighters.

In the Matador Community, Andris Bjornson has worked as a Wildland Firefighter.

So you want to be a travel writer? There are lots of niches, of course—destination guides, first-person travelogues, and reviews—but don’t overlook the travel-related interview.

In this guide, we give you the top 10 tips for landing the ultimate travel writing interview.

10. Redefine ultimate, scout the local talent.

While you may be interested in trying to land interviews with the travel world’s equivalent of A-list celebrities, don’t overlook people of local interest. You could be the first writer to introduce a large audience to someone who hasn’t yet gained much more than local exposure but who could have widespread relevance. Some potential interview subjects to consider include local writers, environmental activists, socially responsible entrepreneurs, and people developing the community. Make sure that you capture that local angle while also identifying some universal themes of interest to a non-local reader.

9. Do your homework.

Once you’ve identified your subject, do some background research. For a recent interview with a local writer, I read his latest book, read essays on his website, and searched for previous interviews that would help me craft questions that were different and generated a unique angle compared to anything else published about him.

8. Make contact. Make a first impression.

Based on the background material you’ve collected, determine the best way to make first contact with your interview subject. I’ve found that it’s best to contact the individual first and then his or her agent or publicist. Be concise. Be engaging. Be appropriate but not overly formal. Make your request as clear and specific as possible. In follow-up messages, establish some parameters and boundaries that will help your subject know what you expect of him or her, including the anticipated length of the interview, and what he or she can expect from you.

7. Offer options and make it worth their while.

You’re most likely to land an awesome interview if you offer your subject options about how the interview will be conducted and if you make it worth their while. In my interview request to the writer, I mentioned that I’d be willing to conduct the interview via e-mail, but that I preferred to get together in person. Because I’d learned in my research that the writer was interested in promoting his local area’s natural beauty–which is one of the subjects of his most recent books–I mentioned that I’d love to meet at the creek that is the setting of his book in order to capture some audio and video to accompany the published interview and introduce a diverse audience to this place. This was a hook that made the interview worth his while.

6. Let the interview be a platform for learning more.

What information can accompany the interview that will make it more attractive to your interview subject and to the publication where you’re pitching it? If you’re interviewing an author, what links can you provide that will take your reader to the author’s work? If you’re interviewing a musician, how can a reader become a listener? What audio and video technologies can you use to expand your piece and give it greater depth? What links can you provide for the reader who may want to learn more about the subject?

5. Establish rapport.

The best interviews reflect the interviewer’s ability to establish rapport with his or her subject. What can you bring to the interview that may help you connect with your subject quickly and effectively? As I was preparing for a recent interview, I found a couple of poems that I considered relevant to my interviewee’s interests—and I also knew he is a poet– and I brought them to the interview. They became a springboard into discussion that was more organic than it might have been just starting with an interview script.

4. Prepare smart questions.

Tip #5 notwithstanding, you should prepare a list of questions that you can use to help structure the interview. Even if you never ask a single question on the list you prepared, the exercise of thinking about and writing the questions will make for a smoother interview. It’s also likely to teach you more about your subject and to make you alert to natural opportunities to ask relevant questions during the interview itself.

3. Get invested in your subject.

While you probably chose an interview subject who interests you personally, spend the pre-interview period getting invested in the interviewee and his or her work. This doesn’t mean that you have to—or ever should—be uncritically praising of your subject, but it does mean you should have an appreciation and respect for that person and should look for qualities that are worth conveying to your audience that aren’t otherwise evident in that person’s work.

2. Find the format.

There are many different ways that an interview can be presented to your audience, and the nature of your interview, the quality of the subject’s responses, the expectations of your audience, and the technological capabilit