Travel

From rural Mali to the world

Yaya Coulabaly is part of a group called Fasokan Segou which uses the Internet to connect with the world outside Mali. Here he tells us more about the project, and life in rural Mali.

Hello Yaya, thank you for taking the time of answering our questions. Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

Hello and first of all a big thank you to Eddie Avila from Rising Voices and Lucy Chatburn from PocketCultures for giving me the opportunity to talk of rural Mali and our blog.

Yaya Coulibaly

My name is Yaya Coulibaly, I’m 27 and am agronomist (agricultural technician and engineer). I play football and love soft music as it allows me to work on my data without losing focus.

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Letter from Basra, Iraq

Dear S.

A few days ago I arrived in Basra – upon stepping out of the plane, the heat slapped me in the face. Captured, from this very moment on my body has been dictating since then my daily routine.

Camels on the road into Basra

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The Beach Culture in Sanur, Bali

Until I moved to a proper beach town, I didn’t really realize how different the beach culture is from country to country, or even city to city.

In Ipanema, Rio, for example, the beach is for tanning and playing volleyball, for surfing and partying. In Sanur, Bali, the beach has its own personality- distinct and fantastic in its own right, but more quiet and subdued. It’s a place for a long walk, stopping to pick up flowers from the path; it’s a place to sit and have a long, lazy lunch of nasi goreng; to ride your bike and watch it all unfold. (more…)

Malaysia “Truly Asia”: Fusion of Culture, Food and Tourism

What do you know about Malaysia?

“I know Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia.” That is all you know? Alright, let me give you some hints! Many people are curious about the cultures of Malaysia. The three main races in Malaysia are Malay, Chinese, and Indian. You may wonder why there are three main races in Malaysia. What I would like to say is that this is the exclusive characteristic of Malaysia that cannot be found in other countries.

A variety of races in Malaysia result in a range of different cultures, foods, and tourist attractions. Below are some interviews with my foreign friends about what they think about Malaysia while they are travelling. Aren’t you eager to know what their feelings towards Malaysia are ? Enjoy! (more…)

Snapshots of Argentinean rural towns

In Argentina, many rural towns grew around railway stations and were mainly named after early settlers. Most towns thrived in the first half of the 20th century and started to decline when rail lines were shut down and services stopped.

Nowadays, although agriculture is still their mainstay, tourism plays a very important role in the local economy as well. City dwellers come to these towns for the day to eat great food, cleanse their lungs with fresh air and relax away from the hustle and bustle of big cities.

Uribelarrea is located about 120 kilometres southwest of the city of Buenos Aires. It was founded in 1890 by Miguel Nemesio de Uribelarrea. The disused train station is now the home of the local police .

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Aligot of Aubrac

What is Aligot?

Mashed potatoes with dairy cream, garlic and Laguiole, a cheese that is similar to Cantal cheese and is essentially produced with milk from cows of Aubrac, an area located in the Aveyron department in the south of France.

Laguiole cheese can be eaten with a slice of bread like any other cheese, but it is also used in the preparation of the Aligot, the regional dish of Aubrac and one of the flagship specialties of Aveyron. (more…)