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A typical scene outside Van Long Nature Preserve, not far from Cuc Phuong. The landscape is dominated by the huge, weirdly shaped, eroded limestone hills. Like many homes in the area, the house in the foreground has a fish pond in its front yard. Photo by Dan DrolletteVietnam's Lost World: Gold Rush in the Jungle By Dan Drollette Jr Deep in the jungle where the borders of Vietnam meet those of Laos and Cambodia is a region known as "the lost world." Large mammals never seen before by Western science have popped up frequently in these mountains in the last decade, including a half-goat/half-ox, a deer that barks, and a close relative of the nearly extinct Javan rhino. In an age when scientists are excited by discovering a new kind of tube worm, the thought of finding and naming a new large terrestrial mammal is astonishing, and wildlife biologists from all over the world are flocking to this dangerous region. The result is a race between preservation and destruction. Containing research gathered from famous biologists, conservationists, indigenous peoples, former POWs, ex-Viet Cong, and the first U.S. ambassador to Vietnam since the war's end, Gold Rush in the Jungle goes deep into the valleys, hills, and hollows of Vietnam to explore the research, the international trade in endangered species, the lingering effects of Agent Orange, and the effort of a handful of biologists to save the world's rarest animals. Excerpt from the book It is daybreak in Ninh Binh province, seventy- four miles southwest of Hanoi, and the limestone mountains of Cuc Phuong— Vietnam’s first national park, founded in 1962 with the blessing of Ho Chi Minh himself— are just emerging from the mist. Though it is only five a.m., lights can already be seen in the windows of the farmhouses just outside the park; the buildings’ traditional thatched roofs, combined with the adjacent neatly tilled rice paddies and abrupt nearby mountains, make the scene look as quiet and still as that on an ancient scroll. Inside the park, however, the forest is full of sound, from the drone of mosquitoes to the maniacal racket of white- crested laughingthrushes. Loudest of all is a deep- throated “huuuu-huuuuuuuhuuuuuuuuuu-huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu” coming from the dense treetops. This is the “great call” of the gibbon, a long- armed, fruit- eating ape, which human listeners have sometimes compared to a mourning dove’s cry, managing to be beautiful while mixed with a sense of loss. Unfortunately, it is a sound fast disappearing from Vietnam’s forests, at a pace that has accelerated noticeably over the past fifteen years.  One of the few places where you can still hear what Jane Goodall once described as “one of the wonders of the primate world” is here, just inside the park boundary, at the Endangered Primate Rescue Center (EPRC). Consisting of a five- acre semiwild, enclosed area, the center’s roughly circular central compound lies inside a larger perimeter ringed by two outer fences; from above, the series of concentric circles would resemble a dartboard. And in the bull’s- eye are 150 specimens of the world’s rarest and most endangered animals, most of which would have been dead but for the efforts of Tilo Nadler (TEE- low NAD- ler)— a self- taught biologist who nevertheless went on to become what an eminent zoologist, Colin Groves, described as “the unsung hero of Indochina wildlife protection.” Limestone Mountain Ridges There is much to be protected, because just beyond the park lie a series of limestone mountain ridges stretching north to south to form the calciferous spine of Indochina. Known to geographers by the lovely name of the Annamese Cordillera, this mountain range runs the entire length of the country and contains within its valleys, hills, sinkholes, karsts, and innumerable caves something that Oxford University zoologist John MacKinnon described as “the lost world”— home to strange, rare animals such as the Asiatic sun bear, the Tonkin snub- nosed monkey, and the clouded leopard. But that’s not all. Since the early 1990s, many new, fantastic, large mammals never seen before by Western science have popped up here, especially in the parts where the borders of Vietnam meet those of Laos or Cambodia. Every week for the past ten years, an average of two new species of animal or plant have been found, all previously unknown to the outside world. A short list includes a half- goat/half- ox, a deer that barks, a creature that may be a missing link between domestic cattle and their wild forebears, and a close relative of the nearly extinct Javan rhino, to name but a few. A previously unknown, new species of the very rare leaf- eating monkey known as the langur once appeared, quite literally, on Nadler’s doorstep. Others are still being discovered and are part of what the peer- reviewed journal Science called “a renaissance in species discovery, not just of insects and microbes, but also of humans’ closest relatives, mammals.”  There are also tantalizing, persistent reports by local villagers of a fur- covered animal they call Nguoi Rung (NOW- rung), or “Forest Man,” which walks upright on two legs and is said to resemble a human. (The Nguoi Rung is most likely a myth, but no researcher I talked to wanted to rule it out completely, bearing in mind what happened with newly discovered species of previous eras. When mid– nineteenth century explorers first heard accounts of a “hairy man” in the mountains of interior Africa, experts discounted the reports as mere fables. Now we know these creatures as Rwanda’s “mountain gorillas.”) How Vietnam’s animals came to populate this “lost world,” how they survived what locals call the American War, and how they managed to still remain undiscovered— how can no one notice a two- thousand- pound forest ox?— is a bit of a mystery. Whether these species will survive the peace is still being decided, and the outcome is very uncertain. Forest Ox For as fast as these new creatures are being discovered and formally described, they are being wiped out. Already, the newly discovered Javan rhino is extinct in Vietnam, while the goatlike saola has seen its numbers plunge from the thousands to approximately two hundred. The forest ox, or kouprey, may already be gone as well. The result is a race between the forces of preservation and destruction in this part of the tropics— the band of terrain where most of the world’s biodiversity is found. Researchers want to find and name the new species so they can take the creatures to rescue centers and captive breeding programs, and understand these animals’ places in the great fabric of life. Meanwhile, others want to slaughter the animals to satisfy the newfound taste for exotic game in upscale restaurants that has gone hand in hand with a booming Asian economy. Endangered animals— both newly discovered and previously known— are sought on many fronts: their heads go to trophy hunters, their still- beating hearts used for the making of “snake wine,” their horns for quack medicine, their brains for appetizers, their anal glands for the manufacture of some of the world’s most famous and expensive perfumes. At times, it seems that everything is being sacrificed on the altar of pell-mell economic development, an attitude that caused Alan Rabinowitz, formerly a zoologist at the Wildlife Conservation Society, to dub Vietnam “a miniature China on amphetamines.” The situation presents a conundrum to wildlife biologists. On the one hand, they are shocked by the rapid decline of species; the number of Vietnam’s turtles lost each year to smugglers is measured by the ton. At the same time, wildlife biologists are thrilled just to find something new. In an era when it is big news to discover a new kind of “tube worm,” the thought of finding and naming a new, large terrestrial mammal is just short of mind- blowing. By 1812, noted French naturalist Georges Cuvier was already lamenting that all the big, four- legged creatures had been found, leaving nothing new to discover. In a phrase now gleefully repudiated by wildlife biologists, Cuvier wrote: “There is little hope of discovering new species of large quadrupeds.” Consequently, if you’re a young wildlife biologist and you want to make a name for yourself, you hightail it to this part of Southeast Asia. However, this opportunity comes at great risk. Where scientists elsewhere worry about getting tenure, researchers here must dodge leftover land mines and winged antipersonnel “butterfly bombs” to do their field research. This is a place where the phrase “publish or perish” has a very literal meaning. Members of one expedition awoke to find tiger tracks circling their tents; their leader, Nate Thayer, said: “Our team’s plane crashed on the return, our security mutinied and threatened to kill us all, half the team thought they were going to die after we encountered armed Khmer Rouge, others collapsed from sheer exhaustion from having no idea what it took to walk thirty miles a day in the jungle with no water, some demanded nonexistent helicopter medevacs . . .”  Dan Drollette Jr is a writer, editor, and lecturer whose articles have appeared in such publications as Scientific American, International Wildlife, the Boston Globe, Natural History, Cosmos, Science, ABCNewsOnline, New Scientist, Newsday, and The Sciences. Recently, he earned awards from the National Association of Science Writers, the Society of Environmental Journalists, and the "East Meets West" journalism conference at UC Berkeley. Buy this book on Amazon Read more articles about Vietnam on GoNOMAD Loading
 The cliffs at Famara Beach, Lanzarote, Canary Islands. photos by Jill Franz.Lanzarote is a beautiful island with an amazing climate that lasts all year-round. Whether you are going there for the first time or for the tenth time, there are a few must-knows about the Fire Island. If you are going there for the first time or for the tenth time, there are a few must-knows about the Fire Island. The Southern Tour First and foremost, the best place to visit has to be Playa Papagayo(Pic 1). This national park with its seven beautiful beaches, is simply something one has to see to understand. Withthe variety of beaches and the sparkling pure blue waters, it’s hard to know where the sky stops and the water starts. Shockingly entrance is only €3 per car (well it was when I lived there!) and it gives you free entry all day to all seven beaches. A vital tip is to make sure to have a good packed lunch or picnic basket ready as there is only one place to eat and it is more expensive than the normal places on the island, and tends to be very busy! However, it does overlook the most beautiful of beaches (whichis my personal favorite), and is very tourist friendly, yet manages to retain a quiet atmosphere and serve good food. Another good thing is that it is literally fiveminutes from Playa Blanco, which has far too many restaurants (with all sorts of food from Chinese to Irish to Indian to typical Spanish) to choose from. It is recommend to spend a day, if not two, at PlayaPapagayo, as it is really worth it and is just so, so beautiful. Also, the further south one travels on the island, the hotter it is, meaning that Playa Papagayo will be very hot! This is due to the two climates on the island. Therefore, the further north one goes, the colder it gets. And cold, as in jeans and a top cold as it can be very cloudy up north! The Northern Tour It is definitely recommend savinga day to go visit the northof the island and preferably a Saturday! That way one can catch the Haría market, which is really quaint and gives an idea of what life on the island is actually like away from the tourist areas which populate the majority of the south. When doing the northern tour, one should definitely visit Jameosdel Agua and Mirador del Río .  Typical Canarien foodThese two are super cool and really pretty too! One can also visit Jardín de Cactus (cactus garden) (Pic 4)and Cuevas de los Verdes, an underground cave (Pic 5). Both are very cool and interesting, however, considering each national tourist centreis around €8 for entrance,these two are not must-see’s unless one is an avid cactus gardener or a serious cave fanatic.One thing thatis well worth the visit however is Timanfaya National Volcano Park (Pic 6). Once in the national park there is a bus tour that leaves every thirty minutes. As tourists are not allowed freely roam the grounds of Timanfaya, this bus tour is a great insight into the history of how the volcano park was formed and the emergence of what Lanzarote is today, as well as a great adventure through the volcanoes themselves. The Middle of the Island If one is in the middle of the island then Teguise (not Costa Teguise which is a coastal tourist resort) is a quaint village to visit, and like Haría, shows what the locals and life on the island is really like. This area is perfect for couples looking for a quiet retreat, or for families who would rather stay away from the tourist destinations. However,Teguise has no beach nearby, therefore, it is strongly recommended especially during the hot summer months, to choose a village that has a beachin the vicinityto cool off. Another village worth mentioning would be Arrieta. It is located in the north of the island where there are many affordable summer apartments andis directly on its own private beach. It is the perfect destination for those with a family orthose who would rather stay away from the holiday-package destinations. Getting around by car The island of Lanzarote is very easy to manuevre, is extremely well sign-posted and has excellent roads. Therefore if one is more of the sight-seeing type and wants to visit the north and south of the island,then it is strongly recommended to hire a car as the cost of a taxi will be expensive. Cars are for hire directly at the airport with the cost of hiring a car for five people, for a week around €300, petrol included. There is the option of hiring bicycles however, don’t kill yourself! The island is extremely hilly (it is a volcano after all) and in the heat only those who regularly train in the climate are up to the task –which is why it is a favourite destination for the Ironman competition. Note of warning:  Arrieta Beach, Lanzarote. Red flags indicate it's not safe for swimming.The majority of beaches are tourist friendly and are fine to swim in. However, beaches such as Famara,  leche leche, coffee with evaporated milk in the Canaries.which has a stunning cliff view, is rather dangerous to swim in even for the experienced swimmer due to rip-tides and sinking sands. Therefore, the beach is used mainly by surfers. It is also recommended to keep an eye on the tourist centre website to see what beaches are safe to swim in. Often algae or jellyfish come in on certain tides and the beaches are closed for precautionary reasons. If a red flag is flying and the beach is open then tourists are advised not to enter the waters. Lifeguards are only on duty at peak tourist times and between 9am and 6pm, during the week at major beaches. Food and Drinks The island has a large variety of food available, sadly, a vastmajority of it is German or Irish food as it is often joked that the Germans and Irish make up two-thirds of the population, with the native-Spanish only being a third themselves. However, if one wants to taste some of the native foods then papasarrugadas (sea-salted baby potatoes), lecheleche (a sweet expresso coffee) and Mojos, (red, green and white sauces that are used to dip bread into) is a great way to start! Personal top favorite beaches 1) Playa Papagayo 2) Arrecife 3) Arrieta 4) Famara 5) Costa Teguise Review of Playa Papagayo from TripAdvisor Timanfaya National Park  Playa Papagayo beachOfficial island tourist site La Voz (the local newspaper which will inform you if the waters are safe to swim in, as sometimes in the winter months there can be algae in the water) Lanzarote37˚  Jill Franz is a writer who lives in Ireland. She spent six months living in Lanzarote. Loading
The best part? Eating the meals we prepared right at the cooking table with the chef, and hearing the history of the Lilac Inn from owner Doug Sawyer. Chef Robert also took us out to meet goat cheese makers and beef cattle farmers in the beautiful Vermont countryside while we let our cassoulets simmer in the oven. Part of what we enjoyed about our weekend was the friendliness of everyone we met. From the shopkeepers at an eclectic antique shop next to a rushing river, to the proprietor of the gourmet wine shop, the chef's wife, we felt welcomed even though we were clearly flatlanders. The weekend began Friday evening in his classy restaurant, Cafe Provence. Brandon, a town of about 4500 people, is a typical small Vermont town about 40 miles north of Rutland that boasts a few big city features. Among these are the Lilac Inn, which was built as a summer home by a rich heiress in 1909, Barral's French Restaurant, Cafe Provence, with authentic recipes from the chef's own region, and a wonderful department store called Shapiro's, full of toys, boots, dresses and just about everything. Goat cheese cakes from Blue Ledge Vermont goat cheese.After champagne, tasty hors d'oeuvres, and an elegant Friday night meal (which we didn't have to cook), we retired to the Lilac Inn, just up the street from Cafe Provence. Doug and Shelly Sawyer bought the inn 12 years ago, after long careers running the rat race in Connecticut."This place started out as a home--not an inn," Doug told us, as we toured room after room with purpose-built bathrooms, four-poster beds and classy period appointments. Our room had the high ceilings of yesteryear and the very important feature of modern wifi. This beautiful building, which was built around a long-deceased elm tree, had a tumultuous history. It lay empty for three years and was once in bad condition. Another couple from California had tried in 1990 and failed to make a go of the place as an Inn. But like many other couples who might dream about owning their own inn, it's much harder than it looks to be successful. During our visit, in April 2013, it was the inn's slowest season which Doug calls "stick season." By the first of May, Doug said business picks up and they're off and running for another busy season with many weddings and big events in this original party house. Nearby Attractions Brandon has a lot of interesting attractions nearby, Doug told us. In Burlington, just 45 minutes north, he recommended the Shelburne Museum, with over 150,000 artworks and artifacts that are exhibited in a remarkable setting of 39 exhibition buildings, 25 of which are historic and were relocated to the Museum grounds. Fort Ticonderoga, on Lake Champlain, is another great day trip about 20 minutes away. We discovered the Robert Frost hiking trail about 30 minutes from the inn in the Green Mountain National Forest. Here a hiking path is dotted with stopping points where we read Robert Frost poems. Delightful! On Saturday at 9 am, we donned our aprons and set to work, with Chef Robert assigning us duties. The menu was daunting, including goat cheese cakes, Provencal seafood stew, risotto, and braised lamb shanks. Plus a big seafood broth to give the risotto its special flavor. For dessert, we'd be whipping up chocolate bombs. As we began cooking, a few of Chef Robert's techniques came into play.  Hollandaise sauce and filling for crepes. With an easy manner, Chef Robert is a natural teacher. No amount of sloppy onion cutting or double dipping into the cassoulet with a spoon rattles him. We began our cooking duties by watching him cut an onion….a true chef has a way of cutting them without cutting all the way through then flipping the onion over to finish it off sideways. He had lots of other interesting tips that he shared as we began to prepare the meal. One was how he uses parchment paper instead of lids that drip all over the place. He cuts the parchment paper to fit and pushes it down into the pot.  Any chef knows how important stocks are as a key base for a multitude of dishes. Robert explained that he takes the carcasses of the many chickens that are used in the restaurant and freezes them. Then he makes the stock by adding celery, onion and leeks to a big pot and boils the carcasses for two hours or more. For the seafood stock, he does the same thing with lobster bodies. He heats up a pan very very hot, tosses in the bodies so they sizzle, cooks them like that for a while and then adds the water and the same vegetables and lets it simmer for a few hours. These stocks are the most important part of a chef's repertoire, we learned. And a tip that all cooks can use: if you use olive oil it imparts a taste on delicate items like goat cheese, so it's better to use canola oil, which won't affect taste. And garlic? Don't ever use the pre-chopped kind you get in a jar, you need to chop it yourself to release the essential garlic flavor. And beans, which are an important part of any cassoulet: don't add salt, he said, it makes the beans open and fall apart. And duckfat, if you can get it, makes a umami level flavor to anything it touches.  Doug Sawyer in the library of the Lilac Inn, Brandon, VT. "This house was built for parties!" he said.We all had tasks to perform, and this was a feast for the ages. The big pot containing lobster bodies boiling down to make the seafood broth sent a delicious fragrance of the ocean wafting out all over the kitchen. The lamb shanks, huge beautiful pieces of meat, would be cooked in the oven for more than three hours, emerging so tender that the meat was falling off the big bones. Risotto, which is usually a challenge for even the most experienced cooks, was easier when he let it cool on a sheet of parchment. Making risotto ahead makes a lot of sense, if you've ever tried stirring stirring and stirring and then worried about serving it at just the right moment. It lasts for a long time on the sheet and can easily be reheated when made ahead. Meeting the Goats After we got everything bubbling and on the stove or in the oven, it was time for us to set off on our culinary field trip. Our first stop about seven miles out of Brandon was to Blue Ledge farm in Salisbury, where Gregory Bernhardt and Hannah Sessions raise a herd of goats and produce 50,000 pounds of flavored and plain goats milk cheese, as well as several varieties of cows milk cheese. Theirs is the largest chèvre farm in Vermont, Hannah told us as we admired her affectionate little kids, and raising goats in Vermont is getting more and more popular. Blue Ledge was at the head of a big wave of new goat cheese producers in the state she said. The goats get to roam on 20 pristine acres of woods and pastures. It's a perfect situation to produce the finest quality milk for the cheese. Chef Burral uses Blue Ledge Vermont cheese for our goat cheese cakes, which are delicately formed by hand and gently fried to a golden brown by his cooking class students. Anyone can visit Blue Ledge Farm for a tour, which is open for visitors on Fridays.
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Lewiston Has No Lobsters  Somali girls in a park in Lewiston, Maine. photos by Max HartshorneBut this up and coming Maine City has other great things to enjoy By Jack Dunphy We were biking a country road on a heartbreakingly gorgeous May morning with Phil Savignano, who spends his days in the state capital, Augusta helping to promote the Great state of Maine. “People without lobsters,” is how he described much of his state. “I like to represent those places that don’ t get as much attention,” he told us, as we pedaled past woodlots, pretty vistas and busy dairy farms. Lewiston is a perfect place to begin our tour of the Rest of Maine, unheralded yet full of optimists and big dreamers. 70 Pairs “Maine is my gym,” Phil continued, showing off his collection of more than 70 pairs of skis next to a fleet of bikes in his rambling country home near the town's lake. It was clear that we had met a 62 year old who could still out ski and out bike most of his younger peers.  Why Lewiston? We chose this small city because it’s not hip and shiny Portland, and it’s not Kennebunkport, made famous as the Bush dynasty’s summer home. It’s not on a coast, and it’s not a place filled with tourists. But Lewiston, and its neighbor, Auburn across the river proved to be interesting places with lots to see and do.There are about 84,000 residents in the two cities of Lewiston and Auburn. In recent years this number has grown with a lot of immigration. About ten years ago, a wave began bringing immigrants from Somalia to settle in Lewiston. Today there are about 3,000 Africans living here, and they have carved out a part of the city to call their own. Brightly Colored Garb The younger American residents here have no issues with the very different Somalis. The women wear brightly colored head-to-toe garb and many of the men can be seen chatting in groups and patronizing a section of Lisbon Street dotted with halal meat sellers, phone card stores and other shops catering to this significant African population. Shoe lasts on display with textile manufacturing machinery at the L-A Museum, Lewiston. LISTEN TO MAX HARTSHORNE ON THE RADIO TALKING ABOUT LEWISTON/AUBURN Many people told us that Somali children do very well in school and that most of the immigrants are no longer dependent on welfare. Like so many other immigrants who have come to this inland city, The Irish, the French Canadians, and the Italians, they have made their own mark and done well. Lewiston and Auburn (known as L-A) are lined with gigantic brick mills, that once housed a majority of the shoe making and textile production in the US. Today many of the mills are gone, but many others are in the process of being renovated and turned into offices and other businesses. TD Bank has taken over a large chunk of one mill and a fine restaurant, Fishbones, has been built in another. One of the biggest mills, called Bates Mill #5, is a favorite subject of debate and conjecture for many in the city. Gabriella's Vision A group called Grow LA, headed by a young architect named Gabriella Russell, is looking for partners so they can transform this 365,000 square foot building into a two level solar greenhouse and server farm. They are open to other ideas but these are what the current plan looks like. To get an idea of the history here, we toured the Museum L-A, with its effusive Executive Director, Rachel Delbrossiereiur. One of the first things she pointed to was a depiction of a the museum’s new home, on a tract of land by the river that will be built in the years ahead. Today the museum houses equipment once used to make bedspreads, and visitors can see each stage of the process from start to finish. LA Museum It was obvious from the start Rachel holds a passion for her LA Museum. It soon became apparent why. Rachel, of French Canadian heritage, took us into a back room, past an "employees only" sign. Looking a bit like a giant dinosaur sat a colossal mechanical loom. Her father, she said, operated that very loom for over 30 years. He mastered the art of weaving beautiful fabric into bedspreads and he mastered the mechanics of operating this huge and complex piece of machinery- all the while never learning to speak English. She said that very loom will be moved to the new museum site. It looks somewhat like an organ but 20 or maybe 50 times larger and 100 times heavier. We asked how will they ever move it out of this mill? The answer as if it was obvious: take down the massive brick wall, use a giant crane and lower it from the 2nd floor to a waiting platform truck. I thought to myself: Now that is why we have earmarks in Congress.  The mighty Peter and Paul Basilica in Lewiston.Fuel in LewistonWe enjoyed a very special dinner at the classy restaurant on Lisbon Street called Fuel. Our waitress could not have been nicer. She told us about her love for Lewiston, her new romance (the love of her life) and her proud heritage (Mic Mac Indian). We enjoyed talking to her so much I almost didn't care about the food. But the lamb shank melted in my mouth and the wine she recommended was a perfect match. The owner of Fuel, Eric Angren, sat down with us. He gave us an exciting account of the improvements and real estate investments pouring into Lewiston. He is an early and continuing pioneer in revitalizing this small but vibrant city. We asked him what properties he renovated and he said, "I'll show you one; let's go upstairs." He took us to a condo in the building he recently sold. It was fit for a king and queen. -4,000 square feet of top of the line quality with a huge living room, 30-foot-high ceilings with skylights, gorgeous woodwork, a kitchen with huge granite island, a private elevator-- and all at a fraction of the price a similar condo (if you could find a similar condo as this one is unique) might sell 40 minutes down the road in Portland. Biking to a Farm The next morning we jumped onto our bikes for a pleasant seven-mile bicycle ride to Nezinscot farm, in Turner. Part of an old farm outbuilding was transformed into a rustic lunch spot. All our food was fresh from the farm all around us, and delicious as we sat outside and looked over the pastoral view.  Gabriella Russell, a passionate advocate of developing Lewiston.After lunch we walked about the farm to peak in on some of the animals who peeked back: cows, goats, horses, donkeys and some other animals this city kid couldn't name. We stumbled into the farm owner, Gloria Varney. Despite the rigors of running a restaurant, a gift shop, a large working dairy farm, raising 4 kids and who knows what else she happily took the time to chat. She told us that the price of feed for her cows doubled from last year but the wholesale price she receives for milk remained the same. She said many of the remaining dairy farms in Maine cannot survive and will fold this year. She is trying to keep her farm operating but it is tough. When we left her to her many chores we felt if anyone can make it through these tough times it is Gloria Varney and we will check back on her next year. The Basilica One cannot help but notice from most any vantage point in Lewiston the twin spires of the Peter Paul Basilica. The Basilica looks like a cathedral in France. We had to investigate. We learned from a local that it seats 10,000 people! t is the French Canadian church. It was built in the depression and money was collected for it by volunteers knocking on doors in the French section with small buckets asking for a dime-- hence the origin of the charity March of Dimes. We tried the massive front doors to gain entry. All were locked. However we spied an elderly couple, speaking French, exiting a side door. We snuck in and climbed the stairs into the huge cathedral. Truly astounding to see. Breathtaking lighting streaming thru hundreds of blue stained glass windows.  Rachel from the LA Museum shows us the machine her father once worked on in Lewiston Maine.We had the cathedral to ourselves. We climbed up to the 2nd floor and looked out from the organist viewpoint. Next we saw a ladder headed up into parts unknown. Feeling a little guilty and a lot inquisitive we climbed. One flight up to a small concrete landing. Two flights. Another deck. Three flights up and we were in a room with huge cathedral bells. Knowing we might have a hard time explaining our presence to the police, or worse, a priest, we descended and escaped out our secret exit. Lewiston's Brews Before dinner on Thursday, we popped into one of two downtown craft brew houses in town. Chris at Baxter Brewing, located in one of the rehabbed mill buildings, spoke highly of the brewery's belief in the eco-friendliness of cans. Their brews were tasty and the cans do a good job protecting their contents! After all the climbing and excitement our stomachs demanded attention. So off to a highly esteemed restaurant called Fishbones located in the Bates Mill. We loved this place! Ambiance- great. Open floor plan in a beautifully restored mill space with huge beams and great woodwork throughout. Our table by the window looked out onto the canal. Another delightful waitress. We told her what we had been doing and who we met and she knew everyone we knew and recommended a few people we should still meet. We said we were going to Guthries after dinner to listen to music and she told us to say hello to her son who works there. Paddling with the Mayor We told her we were having breakfast the next morning with Mayor Jonathon Labonte of Auburn. Of course she knew him too. She recommended a great wine and told us her secret ambition is to open a wine store. She was a delight and the food was Maine seafood off the boat that day and cooked to mouth watering perfection. A lobster stripped out of its shell and piled high. Classic! She Doesn't Like Guthries After dinner let the Lewiston nightlife begin! Guthries is a small club with an intimate and cozy atmosphere. Depending on the night one can hear and see performers offering jazz, country, folk or some combination. Our entertainer was the most attractive young and talented Caroline Cotter from Portland on guitar and singing her original songs. Between sets somehow we started a conversation with her and she graciously sat down with us. She told us stories of her living in Thailand and many other places -- a true world traveler and curious about everything. Caroline and her girlfriend who also joined us gave us one more example of Lewiston hospitality. The next morning it was off to meet the Mayor of Auburn, Jonathon Labonte. We joined him at a genuine French Canadian breakfast spot Remie's for some blueberry crepes. Jonathon is the youngest mayor in Auburn history. Keep an eye on him- we saw a future big name politician in the making.  Mayor John Labonte kayaking the Androscoggin River in Auburn.He paid for our breakfast and we can't even vote for him (yet). He told us one of his many goals for the city is to improve bus and train service to Portland. He wants some of the young high tech workers of Portland to live in LA where housing is at least 30% less expensive. The best part was after breakfast. Jonathon had set up three kayaks for us on the Androscoggin River, a half a block away from the restaurant. The three of us set off and paddled up river past old mills and new hotels and people enjoying the bike path. Jonathon all the while filled in details on our sights. I could not help but notice something missing along the riverbank - no trash! In fact in the LA city our whole time I barely saw a gum wrapper anywhere. We paddled up to the Falls and turned around for a leisurely float back to our start point. What fun for us this mayor, so enthusiastic about LA and its renaissance, took the time to bring us on a scenic paddling adventure. Pinelands About halfway between Lewiston and Portland in New Gloucester we discovered a most inviting place: Pineland Farms. This nonprofit farm offers so much to the visitor: an excellent luncheon spot, an elaborate gift shop, miles of hiking, mountain biking, and cross country ski trails, all sorts of barns and animals to investigate (cows, chickens etc. cheese making, workshops on farm things (ice cream making, butter making) and lots of activities for kids. Our guide milked a cow for us and let us try it - we declined. She told us of the fascinating history of the place (former mental hospital) and how as an abandoned and deteriorating place along came a patron with deep pockets: the ex-wife of Robert Noyce, the inventor of the transistor and founder of Intel. She spread the vision and had the money to make a top quality destination offering something or several things of interest to any visitor. While LA is a city of some 8  Megan, an educator at Pinelands, the farm center in New Gloucester, Maine.4,000 it has a small town feel. Everyone we talked to seemed to know of or know about everyone me had met or were planning on meeting. Everyone was pretty much on the same positive page about the cities, and what it would take to keep making them better. Somalis "What about those Somali's," we asked? "Oh their kids are trying so hard in school and doing so well they are in inspiration to all the other students." But what about their shops on Lisbon Street? They look kind of funny selling Somali food and cell phones and stuff? "You should have seen the area before" came the reply. They have fixed up all those buildings." "Didn't they all come over here and get on welfare?" "Maybe, but not now. Between the jobs they have and the jobs they have created they add so much to the vitality of LA" we heard. At Fishbones we asked about Fusion Restaurant. "I bet you were not happy when they opened. Who wants that competition?" "Oh no," came the reply. "Eric does such a great job. The two top tier restaurants in town brings in more patrons and we both benefit. We hope another will open." Do the Irish immigrants fight with the French Canadians? Are the Italians mad at anyone?" "Maybe 50 years ago but we all get along now." I was getting frustrated. "That young mayor Jonathon can't really know what he is doing. Any good scandals?" "He seems to be doing a great job so far" came the retort. Surely the Lewiston football team must hate the Auburn players? "We have a great rivalry for sure. But we respect each other." So we left the city, impressed with the revitalization of the mills and canals and especially the people. So many cultures and different peoples all mixed together but getting along happily and with mutual respect. A lesson for all of us. Find out more about Maine at visit maine.com Lewiston fact file: Rent bikes at Roy's Bicycle Shop, nice people, high quality bikes. 75 Farwell St. 207-783-9090 Fuel Restaurant: French high style, nice atmosphere 49 Lisbon St. 207-333-3835 Fishbones Restaurant 70 Lincoln St. 207-333-3663 Pineland, 16 Pineland Dr New Gloucester ME 207-688-4539 Baxter Brewing Co top shelf beers sold in cans! 207-333-6769  Jack Dunphy right, rides bikes, kayaks and runs a propertymanagement business in Greenfield MA. His most recent project is the Orange Innovation Center, where an old mill is being transformed for the 21st century. This is his first travel story on GoNOMAD. Read more articles about Maine on GoNOMAD Loading
Swimming in Prisnjak Lighthouse island.A Private Island in Europe – It’s all yours By Kristina Kulyabina Have you ever thought about renting your own private island? It's not as crazy as you might think. Renting an island is possible, and in Croatia, there are islands that can be rented for as few as two or three days. From the island of Susac in Croatia to the Dalaro private island of Sweden, several European islands are available for rent through the website Visiwa. In 2012, Arno Nurski, a 27-year- old native of Belgium came up with the idea of marketing island rentals through an organized and transparent online platform. When he first became interested in personally renting an island in Europe, he realized the lack of property information and hassle in contacting the owner. Nurski says he and his co-founder, Bart Vangeneugden, started talking to island owners and other industry players like tour operators and travel agents as well as adventurous travelers. “And the main thing that came out of these talks was that people seem to be very interested in renting these islands, but they are just not aware that they could rent them,” says Nurski. The website Island rental seekers can navigate Visiwa to discover information on a desirable island in Croatia, Norway, or Sweden. Island owners list the price of rent usually per night, accommodations, things to do, photos and a map of the area. Just as if renting a hotel online, a traveler can check availability with the click of a button.  Arno Nurski, founder of Visiwa, visiting a European island. Individual island owners set any requirements meaning they decide how many people can rent the island, what type of people, and when they can rent it. For instance, Nurski says that one island owner does not like all the hassle involved with renting out accommodation so he prefers renting it to a family who might come back to the island year after year. Visiwa ultimately serves as a communication vehicle for island owners to reach out to potential customers in their preferred manner. Every island is different which means owners can set various requirements for rent. Some islands only have one house on the entire property while others, like Littleisland Lighthouse in Norway, operate more like a bed and breakfast. Travelers rent the accommodation and then someone on the island takes care of the visitors and cooks for them while serving as a bit of a tour guide by taking travelers fishing and on explorations throughout the island and neighboring islands.  Sail boats passing through Prisnjak Lighthouse island.Prisnjak Lighthouse Island in Croatia Koenraad Landuyt, a project control engineer from Belgium, heard about Visiwa through a friend from his university and instantly seized the unique opportunity. Landuyt chose Croatia because the other islands available at the time were rather expensive countries and scattered over dozens of miles of coastline. He has visited Croatia a couple times before and rented the island for one week with three other friends at the end of April 2013. Including flights, accommodations, transportation, and food, the group spent roughly 100€ per day per person without even attempting to save money, but then again, a typical daily expenditure in Europe. According to Landuyt, the island is oval shaped and roughly 200-300m long and 100m wide and is located roughly 200m from the Murter peninsula shoreline. “The only building on the island is the lighthouse, which stands on the very edge of the island, facing the ocean. One side of the island is covered with small bushes and shrubs, while the other side of the island is covered by pine trees, a very cool switch on such a small island!” says Landuyt. He also describes the landscape with rocky shorelines as opposed to sandy beaches in Spain and France. “It creates some cool natural bays and allows for some fun 'trekking' and jumping rocks along the shore of the island. The view from the island is simply amazing, in the distance you see several hundreds of other islands, some with their own lighthouses which are very cool to watch at night.” Island independence “But feeling isolated on an island like that is a great experience in itself because you know you have to buy enough food, you know you can't get off the island anytime in a second, but that's the whole idea and charm of renting a private island!” says Landuyt. Landuyt experienced the island in complete isolation with his friends, as they were the only ones there other than occasional motor or sailboats passing by the island. Although, according to the website, the boaters can stop ashore, none of them did, leaving the only human interaction between the group of friends.  Koenraad Landuyt hanging out at the beach.“And believe me, this was awesome! No cell phones ringing, no children crying, no cars honking, no nothing, absolutely nothing but pure peace and calm –amazing!” says Landuyt. The accommodation was the Prisnjak lighthouse itself which was divided into two 2-person bedrooms –one with a double bed and one with two separate beds, a large kitchen, a bathroom with a shower, and a storage room. Landuyt says the accommodation overall was more than OK and definitely better than his expectations for a private island. “It was nothing fancy or state-of-the-art but more than enough and everything worked perfectly. The best thing about the accommodation was probably the beautiful view on the ocean you had from the bathroom window or from any other window for that matter,” he says. Activities Landuyt and his friends spent most of their days walking around the island, lying on the shore, swimming, playing some beach games, and reading here and there. “In the evenings we always had elaborate barbecue dinners and afterwards passed our time talking,” says Landuyt. “I went with a group of friends from university and we hadn't seen each other in quite some time. So this was an ideal opportunity to catch up on each other's personal lives, careers and anything else we wanted to talk about.” However, the only challenging part of living on the island was buying enough food and drinks including alcoholic beverages for four men to survive for almost a full week. The group tried getting enough food and drinks from the first time so they wouldn’t have to go back to the mainland, but they unfortunately failed. Within the first two days of the stay, they already had gone through their meat and beer. Contacting the ferry captain to pick them up and bring them back to the mainland for a short time easily solved the problem in the long run. “Although a return trip cost us 60€, only 15€ per person, this was well worth it. During our couple of hours back on the mainland, we went to a small restaurant, stocked up on meat and beers and just strolled around the town a bit,” says Landuyt.  The lighthouse of Prisnjak Lighthouse island.
Overall Landuyt says Visiwa was very helpful and explained practically everything that he needed to know about how to get there, how and where to book the island, what to bring and what not to bring. “We didn't even bother to look anything up except for the flight times, as going on a private island adventure still is supposed to be an adventure with a small dose of ‘figure it out yourself’,” he says. “The information provided on the Visiwa website was more than sufficient.”
The owner in Norway Elena Hansteensen is the 49-year-old Norwegian owner of the lighthouse and its property on Littleisland Lighthouse in Norway, but not the whole island. She is the only one living there all year round as no other houses surround her on the island. She says some of the most common activities on the island are hiking, kayaking, fishing, bird watching and whale watching, seeing white nights with the midnight sun during the summer or searching for the northern lights during the winter. Hansteensen began renting out her island because she wanted others to experience its intimacy as well. She was raised in the tourism business and has had all kinds of jobs within this branch when she was younger. People can stay at Littleisland as long as they want although she normally offers 2-3 nights.
“It's a pleasure to be able to receive and meet people from all over the world on this small and fairly remote place at the open sea, in the arctic.” Owner of Visiwa, Arno Nurski, says that he plans to map and gather as many European islands first, and the n focus on those located in the US, Canada, Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, among many others. The customer base is currently located in Europe so his website aims to find islands mostly suitable for these visitors. For further island rental information, visit www.visiwa.com. For more detailed information on Littleisland Lighthouse, visit the home page of the island.  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. is an editorial assistant at GoNOMAD.com. She also blogs for Let's Go, a student travel guide. She is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in Western Mass. Kristina attended UMass Amherst for a B.A. in journalism and an international relations certificate. Loading
Culture Close-up Up the River: A Lesson in Community-Based Ecotourism in Panama The decrepit bus I just arrived on groans in the heat. I sit on a cement slab by the Rio Chagres, kicking a few pieces of muddied plastic bags... wondering when I will be picked up... I reach for my handkerchief to wipe the dust from my forehead… As I do, a canoe lands and a handsome barefooted youth moves up the bank, dressed in a bright red loincloth with small red lassos orbiting his dark chest from left should to right ribs and swooping patterns of black body paint on face and chest. Jorge parts the humid stillness - the Emberá have come. Originally from the Darien region of Panama near Colombia, a few Emberá Indians migrated to the Rio Chagres area in the 1920s, the river that feeds the Panama Canal. Their numbers have grown since, and although in the ecotourism business only five years, they are trying to write the text on community-based ecotourism. Paradise Found Jorge escorts me, along with other recent tourists to the main thatched house. Inside, mostly young women, with layers of colorful necklaces covering their breasts, weave baskets. Jorge seats us down and introduces the village.
Success Factors 1. Strong support. The Panamanian Institute of Tourism provides training, guidance, promotes them and sends Emberá to major tourism fairs around the world. The US Peace Corps assigned them a volunteer for a year. The US Forest Service, in coordination with USAID, offers training in ecotourism, trail development, nature guiding, and web site development. A local NGO, AFOTUR, has done much work in setting up tourism in the community. Other organizations have also helped in one way or another. 2. The Emberá control river access to their village, even though it takes only one hour by mini-van to Puerto El Corotu from Panama City and 45 minutes by boat to the village. 3. The village has two NGOs, one for development and one for tourism, and numerous committees. Their organization can be seen even on the ground as every day rotating squads rake clean the village. Supervisors watch over to make sure it is tourist-ready. 4. The Emberá know the outside world. All adults have visited Panama City. Many work outside. Some are police in Darien, the priest works for the Canal, and Jorge spent time working on the docks. When a helicopter flew by the village, the little kids all looked up, but none looked surprised. They knew what they were missing, but knew even more what they were avoiding. 5. The village sits in an idyllic location. The rainforest river valley and sandy beach contribute to the experience. 6. The people are attractive. Not only physically and personally, but culturally as well. Their list runs long - it would seem almost too good to be true. If you are interested in coming to visit us, please contact our community organization Tránchichi Emberá Chagres cellular telephone:
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