I found the images of Kaikoura after the earthquake very upsetting, since my own memories of the two days I spent there are some of my best in New Zealand. As the town is cut off from the land, businesses are struggling with their summer season ruined. Even those with insurance may not be covered […]
Hom Strom
Deep in the Engadine valley of Switzerland where Romansch is widely spoken, there is a village called Scuol, where a pagan tradition survives to this day: the burning of a straw man (Hom Strom) dating from ancient fertility festivals and possibly human sacrifices. Click on an image to enlarge.
Chapada Diamantina: Brazil’s adventure playground
Chapada Diamantina (Diamond Highlands), six hours out of Salvador, is one of Brazil’s most easily accessible National Parks and is quickly becoming a place not just to visit but to invest. There are three different biomes that meet here: Atlantic Rainforest, cerrado and caatinga. From the small village of Lençóis at the entrance to the […]