Photos courtesy of Derrik Chinn

Photos courtesy of Derrik Chinn

Photos courtesy of Derrik Chinn

How did you start Turista Libre?

Turista Libre actually started in 2009 on the heels of the most violent year in Tijuana’s history, not as a business but as an excuse to entice leery friends in San Diego to see beyond their fears. I’d been living in Tijuana for two years — completely unharmed despite the horror stories everyone in the outside world was reading in the media. So it’s no surprise that rarely would anyone come from San Diego, even if it was just for dinner and a movie.

Photos courtesy of Derrik Chinn

Photos courtesy of Derrik Chinn

From museum expeditions to taco tours to wrestling matches, a Turista Libre tour passes on to visitors what Derrik has experienced since making Tijuana his home: it frees them from cultural inhibitions, giving them a colorful, multisensory immersion into this forever changing, consistently eccentric border town.

Photos courtesy of Derrik Chinn

I think travel is meant to move us beyond the padded walls of our personal comfort zones, which means it’s just as much an internal experience as external. Some of us are naturally designed to move farther than others, but the point is not to compare ourselves in linear distance but rather come as close as possible to a more genuine, conscious version of ourselves as members of humanity, regardless of the physical mileage we go.

The post A Bus Ride Beyond the Borders of Convention appeared first on Project Bly Blog.

Circo Massimo. Photography by Maurice Carucci for Scooteroma.

Why do people from around the world come to Rome? 

“To visit the Vatican, explore Ancient Rome and get happily lost in the ‘La Dolce Vita.’ Once you visit Rome, it’s hard to shake it. It gets under your skin and you’re never the same again.”

The Colosseum. Photography by Maurice Carucci for Scooteroma.

Both Annie and Giovanni are returned dwellers of the city. Giovanni grew up in the resort town of Fiuggi, an hour outside of the city; after building his hospitality career in London and Spain, he was drawn back by the call of his native land.

For her part, Annie still remembers the moment when, standing under the dome of the Pantheon, she knew for certain that she would someday return to live in Italy.

What do you love about travel? 

“I love the anticipation of the trip. Once I decide I am going somewhere, I start dreaming of what it will be like. I dive right into learning about the history, culture, the people and always a must: the food. And there is nothing that makes me happier than taking photos, in Rome and beyond.

“The first time I left the United States was just after I graduated from high school in Minnesota. I was 17 years old and I went to Europe with my high school band. I have no doubt in my mind that it was this experience that planted the seeds to my unquenchable wanderlust that I still have today. Thank goodness I own a tour company and I can get my fix often!”

Photography by Maurice Carucci for Scooteroma.

Scooteroma takes individuals and small groups on themed journeys around Rome…on a Vespa scooter. Guided by vespisti, locals who are as knowledgeable about maneuvering the tiny vehicles as they are about the city. For those who prefer a slower pace, bicycle tours are also available. But Annie asserts that covering the city on these iconic vehicles offers an experience unmatched by any other.

“What you see on a Vespa in four hours would take four days on foot or with a bicycle. But most importantly, it’s how you feel when you are zipping through the traffic like a local—it is so exhilarating. It is why I moved here and why I stay.”

What does a Scooteroma tour tell people about Rome that they wouldn’t otherwise learn?

“Since our clients ride with the locals, not only do you discover different parts of the city that you would never find on your own, or are not accessible by foot, you really get to experience a different side of the city with Scooteroma. We like to call ourselves ‘concierges on two wheels’ because we love to give our clients tips on where to eat, drink, shop and how to mix in with the Romans.”

Annie and the vespisti crew. Photography by Maurice Carucci for Scooteroma.

After a decade in Rome, Annie’s passion for the city has only grown stronger. She adores the city’s electric energy, from threading the needle during centro’s rush hour traffic to relaxing with friends over a Mont Blanc from Cinque Lune Pasticceria, from the smell of roasted chestnuts rising from the Piazza di Spagna to revisiting her favorite place in the world, the Pantheon, where she never fails to touch the bronze doors as a talisman of that first moment when Italy entered her heart.

“Rome is such a layered city; hidden gems are waiting for you around every single corner. My advice is to make your own itinerary and always walk on the parallel street that everyone else is walking on. You just need to go one street over and you will discover a completely different world.

What surprises most people visiting Rome for the first time? 

“Rome is known for so many things, but most people don’t know that Rome is also famous for its water. It is truly a city of fountains! All the water running through Rome comes from the ancient Roman aqueducts. So just bring a water bottle and fill it up at all the public water fountains through town called nasone. It’s the best water in Italy if not the world. Extra bonus? It’s free!

“One of my favorite streets in Rome (I have many as you can imagine) is when we scooter down Via Panisperna in Rione Monti. The view of the neighborhood with this huge green ivy hanging across the street is what dreams are made of and makes you keep coming back for more.”

Photography by Maurice Carucci for Scooteroma.

“Rome is called The Eternal City because it has always been here and will still be standing long after we’ve come and gone. Every time I scooter around the Colosseum, I’m seriously humbled and reminded that us modern day Romans breathe new life into Rome. Therefore, it will probably thrive forever.”

Click here to learn more about Scooteroma and their custom-curated tours of Rome, Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast and many other cities in Italy.

Chelsea Batten is a journalist and photographer who writes a regular column on Project Bly featuring travelers, photographers, adventurers and doers across the globe. If you’re a traveler with a story to tell, email her at holler@chelseabatten.com. 

At Project Bly, we believe that a city is a living, breathing organism, and to get to know it you have to wander its streets, the veins that fork and converge and inevitably lead you to its heart—the marketplace.

www.projectbly.com

The post When in Rome, Scooter as the Romans Do appeared first on Project Bly Blog.

Photography by Karim Iliya, courtesy The Thread Caravan.

“Craft tourism seems like an ideal way to support their needs while also helping to preserve their customs and educating other Americans about their culture.”

A mere year’s worth of planning and fundraising later, Caitlin was leading her first weaving workshop on a one-week sojourn in Guatemala. A Thread Caravan voyage takes small groups of intrepid travelers past the usual tourist destinations into the heart of a region’s culture. The portal into this deeper experience is indigenous craft—textiles, food, music, construction—that has been practiced there for generations.

Photography by Karim Iliya, courtesy The Thread Caravan.

Participants sit at the feet of indigenous artisans, who guide them in reproducing these textiles for themselves. In between sessions, they explore the landscape, enjoy the hospitality of local hosts, and peruse the markets to learn how today’s designers incorporate traditional crafts into modern creations.

Photography by Karim Iliya, courtesy The Thread Caravan.

Each voyage is carefully curated by Caitlin herself, whose particular travel-lust mirrors that of many travelers—a desire to stay and connect by adopting the local rhythm of life.

“Starting this company seemed like a great way to support craftspeople, but through experiences rather than physical products…and who wouldn’t want to go travel somewhere, meet the locals and make art with them?”

Photography by Karim Iliya, courtesy The Thread Caravan.

The lush landscape of jungles and volcanos, the rural villages roamed by chicken busses and tuk-tuks, and the artisanal practices engrained over centuries made Guatemala a natural choice for Thread Caravan’s inaugural workshop.

Photography by Karim Iliya, courtesy The Thread Caravan.

The trip begins with a visit to the village of San Juan, where participants learn about local dyeing techniques. Next, they venture deep into the highlands over Lake Atitlan to learn about spinning thread. Finally, the group stay in the town of Panajachel, where they work on weaving their own designs.

Photography by Karim Iliya, courtesy The Thread Caravan.

Lake Atitlan. Photography by Karim Iliya, courtesy The Thread Caravan.

By and large, the workshops are led by women artisans who, in addition to teaching the textile techniques, offer stories of how their ancient crafts had helped them reconstruct life in the wake of tragedy.

“One artisan group we work with in a town called Chuacruz was greatly affected by the recent Civil War,” Caitlin says. “Many of the men were killed, leaving the women and children to fend for themselves. The women have since created an artisan cooperative, using art to support their families. The stories had both the artisans and our participants shedding tears of sadness and hope. Connections like this make me feel like we are on the right path, and achieving our goals of facilitating deeper connections.

“Some Guatemalans compare the backstrap loom to an umbilical cord, saying the creative process is like birth in which something new enters the world. Despite the machismo culture here, the women here are very powerful and strong. They are determined to support their families and communities.”

Photography by Karim Iliya, courtesy The Thread Caravan.

A lifelong artist, Caitlin knew that creating art alongside natives would be a powerful portal into their world. But by becoming a student of a local art form, a Thread Caravan traveler gains insight into more than simply a region of the globe.

This, says Caitlin, is how Thread Caravan cultivates one of the most important by-products of travel:

“It challenges you to think differently about things that are engrained in your social upbringing. I think it’s important for everyone to step out of their bubble so we can learn how to be empathetic towards people from different circumstances, and for us to address some of the global problems going on.”

Take, for example, the power imbalance that accompanies much global tourism. Caitlin reports with satisfaction that after a few days of learning from indigenous artisans, Thread Caravan participants abandon the tired touristy custom of bargaining down the price of a handmade souvenir. It’s hard to quibble over a few American dollars once you know the process that goes into creating these items.

By joining Thread Caravan in upcoming trips to Oaxaca, Alaska or Polynesia, travelers will learn much more than how brew mezcal, carve totem poles, or build dugout canoes.

Photography by Karim Iliya, courtesy The Thread Caravan.

“Art that serves more of a purpose than just creating it. With Thread Caravan we are helping provide artisans with a livelihood, helping to preserve their artistic traditions, and connecting people from different cultures around the world for them to learn from one another.”

Learn more about The Thread Caravan’s upcoming trips over here including a trip to Oaxaca, Mexico this November!

Chelsea Batten is a journalist and photographer who writes a regular column on Project Bly featuring travelers, photographers, adventurers and doers across the globe. If you’re a traveler with a story to tell, email her at holler@chelseabatten.com. 

At Project Bly, we believe that a city is a living, breathing organism, and to get to know it you have to wander its streets, the veins that fork and converge and inevitably lead you to its heart—the marketplace.

www.projectbly.com

The post Crafting the Perfect Trip in Guatemala appeared first on Project Bly Blog.

Photography by Leyla Kazim

After a day getting drenched by super-soakers and buckets of water being thrown over us during the annual festivities of Songkran (Thai new year), we settled down in sodden clothes to an early dinner of khao mok, Thai biryani. Here with tender goat meat and spiced rice, topped with crisp fried shallots and coriander, served with a sweet and sour side sauce of coriander and mint, and a generous helping of dry roasted chillies, pounded and mixed with a bit of oil. Enjoyed at Khaosoi Isalam, down as the best place in Chiang Mai for this staple of the Thai Muslim community.

~ Leyla 

Leyla, was brought up in London by a Mauritian mother and Turkish-Cypriot father, and her blog chronicles her discovery of food around the world. Read our interview with this inspiring woman who incidentally has a degree in Astrophysics and her path to the Cutlery Chronicles below!

The post Thai Biryani from Chiang Mai, Thailand appeared first on Project Bly Blog.

In 2010, Matt and Cayla moved to Sulaymaniyah as founding members of Preemptive Love Coalition, a nonprofit that provides training for Iraqi heart surgeons and nurses to treat the thousands of Iraqi children born with heart defects.

Image © Matt Willingham

In the early months of their move, Matt would walk to work each day with a camera around his neck, documenting the exotic beauty of everyday life. His lens gave their American friends and family a point of connection with a culture they had been taught to hold at a distance.

Sulaymaniyah’s progressive disposition made for a relatively easy transition for Matt and Cayla, as outsiders. It also made locals more tolerant, if not readily receptive, of the camera’s presence in private or household settings.

Image © Matt Willingham

But the streets have changed dramatically since 2012. The city’s ideological openness has contracted into a palpable, war-weary tension.

Image © Matt Willingham

“This place,” Matt says, “is a PTSD powder keg.”

These days, they say, people will suddenly lash out over a perceived threat or slight. It may be something you’ve said, or it may arise simply at the sight of a camera lens.

Matt learned the reason why from a Yazidi man who had fled the siege of Sinjar. The man explained that during the reign of Saddam Hussein, a person taking your photograph could be collecting information that got you dragged away. Before that, your photograph might be sent to America and get your whole family sent to prison. In the 1940s and 50s, it was the British who might be collecting intelligence.

“He pointed at my camera and said ‘Kalashnikov, camera—not different.’”

Eventually, Matt stopped carrying the camera at all.

Image © Matt Willingham

As American outsiders, Matt and Cayla have had to work at reestablishing their relationships with neighbors, coworkers, and the families they hope to serve. In the process, their empathy has deepened and their eyes have grown more keen, more hungry, for the flashes of beauty that grow increasingly rare in daily life.

Image © Matt Willingham

One of the richest sources of beauty they’ve discovered came through the help of their two-year-old son, Jack.

Image © Matt Willingham

“People asked if we’re afraid, having kids [in Iraq],” Cayla says. “On a day-to-day basis, I almost feel safer here. If I take him to the store and misplace them, I know a clerk will grab them and bring him back to me. That’s been a surprise—the communal help with babies.”

She laughs, adding “Not always help I want, like when they’re trying to feed him sugar!”

Image © Matt Willingham

Matt agrees, “It’s not weird to just hand your baby to a stranger while you’re shopping. For all of its sectarian division, people will just jump in to help. There’s always a guy who will hop into your car and help you park, or walk into the street to direct traffic.”

Image © Matt Willingham

As an ambassador for PLC, Matt’s travels have taken him farther into the region—to the wild, windswept beaches of Turkey; to Baghdad, where the nation’s rich history as a center of academia, arts and culture is juxtaposed with the decay of bombed buildings; and to the south, where Matt discovered the hidden culture of majalis—wise men who welcome strangers into a small room filled with books and pillows, and offer them counsel from the Koran.

Image © Matt Willingham

The culture of listening is ingrained into Iraqi culture—people are apt to skip right over small talk in order to ask about things like gay marriage, Christianity versus Islam, and yes, the ongoing war.

“All the things we avoid talking about in the US, they just jump into. I really, really enjoy that.”

Image © Matt Willingham

Last year, at the request of his PLC directors, Matt reluctantly brought his Canon Mark II to a hospital mission. While documenting the doctors’ work there, he met a little boy named Hussain. His father was very eager to have the boy’s picture taken, telling Matt “Nobody ever pays attention to my son.”

As they sat in the waiting room, the father opened up to Matt about the joy Hussain’s birth had brought, the tragedy of his diagnosis with Down’s Syndrome and its attendant heart defect, and the constant denial they had encountered in trying to get medical help for their son.

“The people said he wasn’t worth it,” the father told Matt.

Image © Matt Willingham

Matt’s photograph and accompanying story was not only instrumental in gaining support for Hussein’s life-saving surgery, it was also a blessing to his family.

“I wasn’t stealing a picture,” Matt recalls. “We were making something together.”

Other stories are less obvious ones to share. While the short version of the facts may make for good copy, Matt has become increasingly passionate about the need for visitors to Iraq to collaborate with the people they’ve come to help or document.

“I wish people would spend more time thinking of themselves as making something with locals as opposed to documenting locals. When I first started taking pictures, it was an opportunity to make more of a connection with people. And I think it worked. [Picture] hanging out with a chai guy and he starts telling you a story about fleeing Syria, and all he wants is to go back and finish university, but he doesn’t have his papers… A lot of people are apt to do that. They just want someone to listen, to be heard.”

Image © Matt Willingham

Now back in California, awaiting the birth of their second child, Matt and Cayla are preparing for their return to Iraq by meditating on ways to nurture the remnants of beauty in Iraq’s daily life, for their own good and for the good of the community that has adopted them.

Image © Matt Willingham

“What you see in the architecture is echoed in the people — they’ve been through so much, but they have strong aesthetics, a strong emphasis on academics and reading. That’s fascinating—seeing glimpses of what it was once, and what it could be again.”

To donate to the Preemptive Love Coalition, and help save the life of a child, head over here.

Image © Matt Willingham

Chelsea Batten is a journalist and photographer who writes a regular column on Project Bly featuring travelers, photographers, adventurers and doers across the globe. Follow her on Instagram or Twitter, or visit her blog. Email her at holler@chelseabatten.com if you’re a traveler with a story to tell. 

The post Everyday Life in Iraq Through the Lens of Matt Willingham appeared first on Project Bly Blog.

When Linares recovered, he quickly got to reproducing the whimsical beings from his dream. The resulting papier-mâché figurines earned the attention of various gallery owners and artists, and their popularity soon spread throughout the country to places like Oaxaca, where they carved them from copal wood. Today the town of San Martín Tilcajete, a 45 minute drive from the city of Oaxaca is a world-renowned center for the art of alebrije.

Our collection of hand-carved, hand-painted alebrije sculpture was crafted at the workshop of Vicente and Brisia Hernandez in San Martín Tilcajete. Vicente carves each piece, and his wife, Brisia paints them.

HEAD OVER HERE TO EXPLORE OAXACA, MEXICO

Oaxaca, Mexico, photography by Marcela Taboada for Project Bly

Project Bly lets you explore and shop street markets around the world. At Bly, we believe in one-of-a-kind and we are committed to the idea that there is something special in the hand-to-hand transaction. We believe in stories, in history and the way an object can come to encapsulate something much bigger than itself. We believe that a city is a living, breathing organism, and to get to know it you have to wander its streets, the veins that fork and converge and inevitably lead you to its heart—the marketplace.

www.projectbly.com

The post Dreaming in Color: The Art of Alebrije appeared first on Project Bly Blog.

Bun Cha at Bun Cha Dac Kim photographed by Ehrin Macksey for Project Bly

On 1 Hang Manh Street in the Old Quarter low plastic tables  and stools line the sidewalk at one of the most famous bún chả restaurants known to locals as “Bun Cha Dac Kim”. There’s really only two things to order here: bún chả and crispy spring rolls, all made street side. Lunch will cost you about $3-5.

If you don’t have a trip to planned to Hanoi, check out how to bring the flavors of Vietnam into your kitchen with this recipe by Lauren Schockey featured in Saveur.  Schockey, a traveler and chef, spent three months in Vietnam apprenticing at an upscale Vietnamese restaurant. She supplemented her culinary education by eating her way through the streets of Hanoi.

In our opinion, it’s the only way to eat in Hanoi.

Where: Bun Cha Dac Kim at 1 Hang Manh Street, Hanoi, Vietnam

What: Bun cha and crispy fried spring rolls

When: Lunch

Project Bly is a travel website built on the philosophy that to know a city, one must wander its streets. 

www.projectbly.com

The post Street Eats: Bún Chả from Hanoi, Vietnam appeared first on Project Bly Blog.

Need we say more?

Well yes, actually, we do need to say more about Fearless Nadia, one of—if not the—most badass stuntwomen in Bollywood history. Born Mary Evans in Perth, Australia, she moved to India in 1913 at the age of 5, and learned how to ride a horse on the North-West Frontier Province (modern-day Pakistan). She would go on to study ballet, and later toured with the Zarko Circus. When a fortune-teller told her that a robust career was in store for her on the condition she change her name to something that began with an “N,” Evans promptly baptized herself “Nadia.”

First cast in a film by the prominent filmmaker and founder of Wadia Movietone, J.B.H Wadia, Nadia received rave reviews and with her multitude of skills soon became Movietone’s leading stuntwoman, reaching the height of her fame in 1935 with the iconic film Hunterwali, or “Lady of the Whip,” a roll that turned her into a somewhat curious populist symbol in pre-independence India—the white, blond-haired, blue-eyed woman rallying the Indian people against British imperialism. She would go on to star in many a J.B.H. production, including Diamond Queen, where she was joined by several notable actors, a “stunt car” named “Rolls-Royce ki Beti” (“Daughter of Rolls Royce”) and a dog named “Gunboat.” A woman of many love affairs, Nadia ended up marrying J.B.H.’s brother, Homi Wadia, in 1961. She died in Mumbai in 1996.

This vintage poster of Lutaroo Lalnoo featuring the queen of the screen, Fearless Nadia was found in a little shop in Chor Bazaar, a go-to spot for collectors of vintage Bollywood posters in Mumbai. To explore Chor Bazaar and more vintage Bollywood posters head on over here. 

Project Bly lets you explore and shop street markets around the world. At Bly, we believe in one-of-a-kind and we are committed to the idea that there is something special in the hand-to-hand transaction. We believe in stories, in history and the way an object can come to encapsulate something much bigger than itself. We believe that a city is a living, breathing organism, and to get to know it you have to wander its streets, the veins that fork and converge and inevitably lead you to its heart—the marketplace.

www.projectbly.com

The post Fearless Nadia:Bollywood’s First Stuntwoman appeared first on Project Bly Blog.

But the souks are not the only marketplace in Marrakech. The 12th century red ramparts that encircle the medina are dotted by babs or gates, and the northern gate that leads to the national highway N-9 also leads to a local flea market held every Thursday from eight am to noon.  Marrakech’s other market isn’t a well-kept secret, but few tourists venture here, and you’ll find mostly locals shopping for everything from tagine pots to old toasters. If you look hard enough, the flea market is also full of hidden treasures.

Photography by Shantanu Starick for Project Bly

The weekly flea market at Bab el-Khemis is located to the NE of the medina near the National Highway 9. N9 as the highway is known on the map meets up with N8, the highway to Fez close to the gate.

Photography by Shantanu Starick for Project Bly.

A few hundred feet from Bab el-Khemis within the medina is a quiet garden of the same name.

Photography by Shantanu Starick for Project Bly

As soon as you enter the gate, you’ll come across a wide road lined with vendors selling second hand goods. Keep going! The flea market continues for a while and then there’s a turn-off to the left. It’s in here that we found the good stuff!

Photography by Shantanu Starick for Project Bly

The flea market at Bab el-Khemis is famous for architectural salvage pieces like these riad doors. 

If you’ve got a discerning eye and a lot of patience you’ll find treasure buried in these shops! Scroll down to see what we found.

Top Row: Vintage Carved Tuareg Spoons | Hand-Carvec Chouari Cedar Chest | Tuareg Silver Fibula

Bottom Row: Antique Riad Door Keys | Antique Handira Berber Wedding Blanket | Tuareg Amulet Necklace

Get inspired by our lookbook from Marrakech.

Antique Berber Loom Heddles found at the flea market at El-Khemis hang on the wall. Photography by Jessica Comingore for Project Bly.

The post Marrakech’s Other Market appeared first on Project Bly Blog.

Harmony Street photographed by David Hagerman for Project Bly

This religious diversity is on display on Jalan Tokong Emas Street, unofficially known as ‘Harmony Street.” There, clustered along the same short stretch of road, sit houses of worship from all of Malacca’s major religions, including Sri Poyyatha Vinayagar Moorthi, the oldest Hindu Temple in the city, the Chinese Cheng Hoon Teng or “Green Cloud” Temple, the Kampung Kling Mosque, and even a Methodist Church.

But what about today? Are these relics of the past we wondered as we wandered down Harmony Street located in Malacca’s most touristed neighborhood. This is a country where Lina Joy, the woman for fought and lost to convert from Islam to Christianity, is a household name, and religious freedom although enshrined in Malaysia’s Constitution has come under attack by both the government and the courts.

As we explored Malacca, we found that there are neighborhoods in Malacca where the fabric of tolerance and acceptance seems undisturbed by current perturbing political events. One such neighborhood is Tranquerah also known as Tengkera, about 2 kms west of the Malacca River. Home to some of the oldest families, it has seen many changes over the last century, but one thing has stayed the same– a strong sense of community among its diverse inhabitants.

Collin, a 61 year old teacher whose mother was Portuguese Malay and whose father was of Chinese decent grew up in this neighborhood as did his parents.  When he was a child, the ocean was just a stones-throw away. Today, acres of land have been reclaimed, and the sea is too far to go swimming after an afternoon of racing down these streets with neighborhood kids. Kids however still play here, neighbors greet each other by first name, and Muslims, Christians, Buddhists and Hindus live side-by-side.

During an afternoon walk through these quiet street, we came across a madrassah nestled between the cozy abode of a Kristang family (Malays of Portuguese descent), and the stately residence of a Peranakan family (Malays of Chinese descent). A Catholic Cross hung on the door of the Kristang home, while the Peranakans had placed a Buddhist shrine outside the entryway.

A Madrassah in the peaceful neighborhood of Tranquerah. Photography by David Hagerman for Project Bly

Homes of Tranquerah, Malacca. Photography by David Hagerman for Project Bly

The post A Walk Down Harmony Street in Malacca, Malaysia appeared first on Project Bly Blog.