outpost travel magazine issue 104 preview

104$4.50 CAN/US. DISPLAY UNTIL MAY 31, 2015

MARCHAPRILOUTPOSTMAGAZINE.COM

COLOMBIATEAM OUTPOST

EXPLORES ONE OF 2015sTOP DESTINATIONS

AN INDEPENDENT

SCOTLANDONE TRAVELLER ASKS WHY

EXOTICMAFIA ISLANDJust What the Season Calls For

WINNERS2014OF OUR PHOTO CONTESTTHE MOMENTS WE TRAVEL FOR

+ When NOT to Depend on the Kindness of Strangers+ How I Became a Global Citizen+ Craning in Amsterdam

?

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File Name: CC_3200_5053_Update_V1_0115 Trim: 8.125 x 10.875Bleed: 0.125 Safety: 0.25Colours: CMYK

Publication: Outpost MagazineMaterial Deadline: Feb. 6, 2015Insertion Date: Feb 20, 2015

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TEAM OUTPOST COLOMBIA

READ. THINK. COMMENT.

Once again, we composed an elite team of adventure storytellers who travelled to Colombia and came back to report on this top emerging destination. Scott Wilson, world traveller and co-creator/host of Descending and the award-winning travel TV series Departures; Robert J. Brodey, writer, photographer, long-distance trail runner and Spanish aficionado; the dynamic Andrew Sheppard, veteran adventure-videographer and travel-filming expert; and Ryan Edwardson, master photographer/writer with a legendary attention to detail. Read our Colombia Adventure Report in this issue, then check out www.opxpeditions.com/colombia

The most powerful aspect of writing is the social discussion it sparks. With our new online columnists Outpost contributors Simon Vaughan, Ryan Murdock and Dario De Santis we are embracing the art of travel conversation.

Have a question that wasnt covered?Liked a particular point?

Want to tell us about your own experience?At the end of each column is an open comments section.

Go ahead, share.

Your thoughts, feelings and insights about the content you read should be heard.

And now they can be.Join our conversation

www.outpostmagazine.com

ISSUE104

Publisher/Editorial Director MATT [email protected]

Editor DEBORAH [email protected]

Creative/Art Director SERGIO DAVID [email protected]

Senior Editor/Writer & Special Travel Advisor SIMON [email protected]

Associate/Online Editor DANIEL PUIATTI [email protected]

Gear Editor PAUL AUERBACH

Editor-at-Large (Asia) JEFF FUCHS

Editor-at-Large (Europe) RYAN MURDOCK

Contributors This Issue ROBERT J. BRODEY, RYAN EDWARDSON, SHAUN PETT, JOE SANBORN, ANDREW SHEPPARD, DANIEL WICKIE, SCOTT WILSON

Contributing Editors BILL ROBERTS, FINA SCROPPO, EVAN SOLOMON, IAN WRIGHT

Sales Manager GREG [email protected]

Outpost [ISSN: 1203-7125] is published six times a year by Outpost Incorporated at 250 Augusta Ave., Suite 207Toronto, ON M5T 2L7

Editorial and Business : 416.972.6635Advertising: [email protected] - www.outpostmagazine.com

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We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF).

Copyright 2015 Outpost Incorporated. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Printed in Canada. Outpost is a member of Magazines Canada.

Made possible with the support of

CMCAAUDITED

CONTRIBUTOR Daniel WickieDaniel Wickie is a writer, filmmaker, and long-time travel addict. He credits his wanderlust to his parents: a mother who was a refugee during the Second World War, and a father in the mining industry who moved the family to the jungles of Indonesia in the 1970s. When not helping run a video production company at home in Toronto, he can be found surfing, climbing or sampling craft beer, all in the name of research, of course. He has been to more than 50 countries, and can even spell some of them.

SCOTTWILSON

ROBERT J. BRODEY

ANDREW SHEPPARD

RYAN EDWARDSON

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The dhow motors out of the calm hug of Chole Bay. As we near the bays gateway the wind hits first, whipped up without impediment on the wide Indian Ocean that stretches empty blue all the way to Southeast Asia. Then the floor of the bay drops away, and so does the calm, and long waves of deep water rock the handmade wood hull. Marco points out remote islands where itinerant fishermen camp and dry their haul for markets beyond. These lone souls in dugout canoes ride the swells around us, just waiting for a catch.

A NGALAWA CANOE USED BY FISHERMEN


Dont let the name fool you. Skip Zanzibar, and head to this rich but undiscovered slice of Indian Ocean paradise

Story by Shaun Pett

ISTOC

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www.outpostmagazine.com 3131 2015 MARCH/APRIL


BENEATH THE LOTHIAN FOG

A mile frae Pentcaitland, on the road to the seaStands a yew tree a thousand years oldAnd the old women swear by the grey o their hair

That it knows what the future will holdFor the shadows of Scotland stand round it

Mid the kail and the corn and the kyeAll the hopes and the fears of a thousand long years

Under the Lothian sky

#rian .c/eill, 5he #attlefield #and

EDINBURGH CASTLE STANDS SILHOUETTED AGAINST THE EVENING SKY


BENEATH THE LOTHIAN FOG

Should Scotland be an independent country? From vibrant Edinburgh to verdant highland to historic battlefield, one traveller

explores why Scots have been asking that question for more than 700 years

Story by Daniel Wickie

Whats in a haggis?You dont want to know. Livers. Guts. Stuff. But theres oatmeal in it as well. So dont worry.

Lovely. I was glad the oatmeal would cut the offal. I was with my companion Andrea, who had come with me in part to see where her Scottish father had grown up in Glasgow. She felt honour-bound to try haggis. We would talk tough about it and threaten to order it but never quite get there, until our last night in Scotland, when we didnt have a choice. When it did arrive, it was dark and evil-smelling, and flecked with white. We would steel ourselves with drink, but that was in the future, and at the moment we were on the slow train from London, bound for Edinburgh.

I had asked a seatmate a banal question about something outside the windowAre there always so many sheep?

which led to him instantly handing me the first of what would eventually be a half-dozen bottles of beer from the red rollie bag above his head. It clinked and clanked like a drunken knight every time he reached up to take it down, which was often. He was late fifties, sporting steel-rimmed glasses, a plaid shirt and stylish black leather half boots. He was at least four beers in when we started chatting. The conversation went from sheep, to Hadrians Wall, to the Celtic Football Club, to haggis.

I actually wasnt all that keen on the specifics of Scotlands famous dish, but the conversation served as useful lubrica-tion into my real line of enquiry: the Referendum. The month before, Scotland had gone to the polls to answer one black-and-white question: Should Scotland be an independent country? It was a straightforward majority rules framework and the result was No, with 55.3 percent voting to stay a part of the United Kingdom.

EDINBURGH CASTLE STANDS SILHOUETTED AGAINST THE EVENING SKY

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BREATHING NEVER FELT

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Story By Robert J. Brodey, with Simon Vaughan

Photos by Ryan Edwardson and Robert J. Brodey

R.E.

Riding the big waves down the Chicamocha River

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VALLEYS, RAFTING ON WHITEWATER AND CHILLING

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AMERICAN GEM AS ONE OF 2015S TOP DESTINATIONS


EL DORADO The name is legendary in exploration and adventure. Synonymous with thrillseeking and reward, the hunt for the rumoured city of gold has filled books and movies for years, not to mention the imagination of scoreless generations of adventurers. Although El Dorado remains a jungle-bound enigma, centuries of explorers have landed on palm-fringed shorelines, hiked dense tropical forest, climbed snowcapped mountains and active volcanos, and trekked across deep winding canyons, all in search of the fabled, ancient city.

And all those intrepid explorations took place in present-day Colombia, which is why Team Outpost decided to follow in their footstepsand hoof-marks, canoe-wakes and paragliding vortexesto explore one of the worlds great adventure destinations.

Located at the crossroads of South and Central America, Colombia was the first country in South America to be colonized by the Spanish in 1525 (they first set foot there in 1499), and is believed by anthropologists to be among the first on the continent to be inhabited by humans.

With a spine of volcanoes and jagged Andean Mountains sur-rounded by verdant Amazon jungle, as well as lined by both the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, Colombia has captured the imagination of all whose travels have taken them there for the past 10 millennia or soimagine that! After some difficult decades late in the last century, a settled and thriving Colombia is once again beckoning explorers in search of spectacular scenery, endless adventure, rich culture, unique cuisine, unrivalled music, warm people, unspoiled natureand perhaps, even El Dorado itself.

From the capital city of Bogotthe gateway to Colombia for most visitorsto the far Amazonian south, from the high Andes to remote and tropical beaches, Colombia genuinely has something for everyone, and as a growing travel destination it provides the opportunity to be among the first to rediscover one of the southern continents great treasures.

Bogot was founded shortly after the arrival of Christopher Columbus, from whom the country gained its name. Perched at more than 2,600 metres, it provides a wonderful introduction to a country rich with coffee, gold, history and the arts. Where better to grow accustomed to the altitude than in La Candelaria: a cobblestoned neighbourhood brimming with colonial buildings, world-famous museums and wonderful restaurants. You can venture to neighbouring Monserrate Mountain and ride a funicular for a spectacular view of the entire city, or simply acclimatize by hopping from caf to caf, drinking in great local music and the stunning Latin vibe.

From Bogot, you are bound for rewards in Colombia as great as those of El Dorado. Unspoiled rainforest; renowned and hidden archaeological ruins; friendly fishing villages; both vibrant and undiscovered beaches; classic historic colonial towns; breathtaking mountain vistas; and the scents of exotic flowers, sea breezes and the worlds best coffee.

Along the way, you can hike and trek, climb and soar, raft and canoeor simply chill, all while mixing with cowboys and salsa dancers, indigenous guides and archaeologists, fashion designers and artists, and perhaps even a few modern-day adventurers still seeking their own fortune in the lost city of gold.

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PARAGLIDING HIGH ABOVE THE STUNNING CHICAMOCHA CANYON


Sony is very proud to provide our revolutionary A7 Full Frame camera + Carl Zeiss lens to help capture your next adventure! The A7 is the perfect companion for wherever your travels take you. Full frame, palm-sized, zero compromise.Todd Toyoda, Director, Digital Imaging, Sony of Canada

THE GOLDEN TEMPLE OF AMRITSAR, INDIABy the stroke of luck I found myself [at] the famous Golden Temple of Amritsar [the holiest shrine in Sikhism] on [one of] the most important days in Sikhism: Guru Nanaks birthday. Some 3,000 devotees gather at the iconic temple, and once dusk comes a procession of candle vigils commences. This is that moment. I [was] able to nudge myself into an amazing spot, with my back against a pole for supportI was able to capture a major sequence of this frame and this shot particularly came out great. DUSTIN KERSCHTIEN

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New adventures are created when you add a little

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THE ULTIMATEDOMINICA

TRIP FOR TWO

GRAND PRIZE WINNER,

Thanks to all participants in the photo contest Dominica awaits the winner for an adventure of a lifetime.Discover Dominica Authority

Serene diving and unpretentious yet charming accommodations are supplemented by a wide array of activities on this eco-adventure island.Ann Louise Tuke, Caradonna Dive Adventures

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1ST RUNNER-UP: FIRE-STAFF SPIN OFF, ASTRAL HARVEST FESTIVAL, ALBERTAWith a fire staff, when you first light it, the wicks are still a bit saturated with fuel, which makes it a bit dangerousThis photo is demonstrating a controlled fire (fuel) spin off, where you throw the staff in the air, while rolling [it] between both hands so the wicks on the end spray fuel into twin fireballs in midair. I used a larger aperture lens, as well as great timing, to meter off of the light that is thrown off. CHRIS HOBAN

2ND RUNNER-UP: HAPPY KIDS IN PERUThis was taken in Chinchero, a small sacred town in Peru. I was walking around a pathway when suddenly this group of kids were skipping towards me. I said Hola!, and they were so happy to say hello back and approached me to see why I was holding so many cameras. I let them play with them and said Say cheese. They quickly [struck] a pose and smiled (especially the little girl standing the closest). They gave me a lot of hugs before they skipped away. LISTYA NINDITA

DOVE SKY, INDIA I was walking along the ghats in Varanasi during sunrise, when a man clapped his hands and suddenly all these doves started flying around me. I had only a few seconds before the doves took their original place on the steps. KELLY VAN DE VLIET

FIRST RUNNER-UP

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Spectacular Places,Fascinating Cultures,

Thrilling AdventuresFantastic Stories to Tell!

Nobody Writes It Like Outpost

(**)Total including taxes for $24.00: ON, NB, NL, MB: $27.12; QC, NS: $27.59; PEI: $27.36; Rest of Canada: $25.20. **Total including taxes for $20.00: ON, NB, NL, MB: $22.60; QC, NS: $23.00; PEI: $22.80; Rest of Canada: $21.00.

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outpost travel magazine issue 104 preview

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