I’m back to share my favorite stories of the month from February 2016, including globe-trotting fish, freight-train travel across Africa, myths and facts about the Zika Virus, and a documentary about a continent-spanning road trip. Read on for the scoop.
Is Farmed Salmon Really Salmon?
The staple fish is having an identity crisis.
http://nautil.us/issue/30/identity/is-farmed-salmon-really-salmon
Love smoked salmon? Me too. Turns out there’s a lot more to it than pink-fleshed fish swimming upstream past grizzly bears. It’s a complex system, and humans have changed it irreparably, even for those fish labeled “wild”.
For us, the salmon is an icon of the wild, braving thousand-mile treks through rivers and oceans, leaping up waterfalls to spawn or be caught in the clutches of a grizzly bear. The name “salmon” is likely derived from the Latin word, “salire,” to leap. But it’s a long way from a leaping wild salmon to schools of fish swimming in circles in dockside pens. Most of the salmon we eat today don’t leap and don’t migrate.
Riding the Mauritania Railway
Photographer Jody MacDonald crossed the Sahara by iron train in search of adventure—and surf.
http://adventure-journal.com/2016/02/riding-the-mauritania-railway/
Posts like this train-bum ride across the desert remind me that I need to focus more on train travel and amazing opportunities like this. On my first trip abroad, to Ecuador, I rode on top of a train like this, and it was quite the experience when it derailed on the side of a mountain. If I can find the old photos, that will be a topic for another day.
The Infamous Isla Refinery of Curaçao
http://curacao.for91days.com/the-infamous-isla-refinery-of-curacao/ It looks like a little bit of the Jersey Turnpike or South Philly, only set in the Caribbean. Industrial operations on this scale are impressive, even if they are rusting in the salt air and are significantly worse on the environment than eco-tourism. The island was a focal point in World War II for its role in delivering petroleum to the Allies.
In Italy, an Orange to the Face
http://roadsandkingdoms.com/2016/in-italy-an-orange-to-the-face/
For those of you hoping to make it to one of those ancient fruit-throwing or bull-running festivities for some light and possibly welt-inducing fun, here’s another option.
…unlike the Spaniards of Buñol, these revelers don’t throw tomatoes or other soft fruit at each other. In Ivrea, oranges are the official projectiles of Historical Carnival. Skip the red hat, and there’s a good chance you’ll be hit in the face by one.
What Travelers Need to Know About the Zika Virus
http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2016/02/05/what-travelers-need-to-know-about-the-zika-virus/
http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2016/02/08/tips-for-protecting-yourself-against-the-zika-virus/
We’re about to travel to a country with active cases of the Zika Virus and there’s a lot of misinformation out there. Did you know that the virus is only a danger to pregnant women in the first trimester and only shows symptoms in 1 of 5 infected? Read these links and calm yourself down a bit.
A Story About Love and Bells
http://www.ottsworld.com/blogs/story-about-love-and-bells-saxony-germany/
Happy belated Valentine’s Day! Read this beautiful story of a boy and his love for church bells, which he now shares with his family in their very unique Quasimodo-esque residence.
The Pros and Cons of Various Forms of Snow Travel
http://adventure-journal.com/2016/02/the-pros-and-cons-of-various-forms-of-snow-travel
This had me cracking up near the end. If you’ve lived in a snowy climate, you’ve tried most of these at one point another and will soon be laughing as well.
Sledding, Runner Sled
Pros: Classic, easy to steer, photogenic
Cons: Hard to fit more than one person on sled; accidentally ramming into an unsuspecting sledder at full speed usually = emergency room visit; when unmanned, becomes a high-velocity death missile missile hungry to destroy ankles and shins
Fathom’s 24 Best Indie Travel Guides
http://fathomaway.com/postcards/quirk/24-best-indie-travel-guides/
Looking for a beautiful gift for a design, travel and fashion lover? The printed guidebooks and maps in this list are like tiny works of art, with the benefit that they may help you navigate some of the tourist hotspots they cover. Very heavy on coverage for New York, Paris, London, and the like. (I wasn’t paid for this post, they’re just really nice guides)
The Forgotten Trains of India
http://roadsandkingdoms.com/2016/the-forgotten-trains-of-india/
The Gwalior Sheopur Kalan Passenger train is one of India’s many train routes, only this one trundles slowly across the countryside on narrow-gauge tracks. The author includes beautiful photos of landscapes, fellow passengers, and train-surfing riders.
The Road to Mongolia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI-x35CMXgc
Given that it’s on my travel bucket list, I’ve seen a lot of Mongol Rally videos. This one takes the cake with thoughtful editing and after-the-fact interviews, it gives you a great sense of the challenge and enjoyment of a trip 6,000+ miles from Britain to Mongolia in a crappy car with your friends.
Hops Trains and Backpacks 
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