Focus on Independent, Budget, Cultural Immersion, and Adventure Travel

Northeastern Brazil prides itself on its unique cultural heritage, especially its Afro-Brazilian traditions. Brazil's African heritage goes back to colonial times, when the Portuguese — who were the first Europeans to settle in Brazil — brought several million African slaves to Brazil to work on plantations. Despite repression and restrictions, Brazil's slaves succeeded in preserving much of their African cultural traditions, many of which are still practiced today. Visiting Northeastern Brazil is a feast for the senses. Streets are filled with the smell of spicy dishes sold by women dressed in colorful costumes. You can hear fast percussion rhythms coming from rehearsal halls or performed by street musicians, and can you watch captivating street performances of the Brazilian martial arts...

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The little boy grips his mother's hand and stares hard at me. He slides his sunglasses down, and two Hershey's kisses appear above the rims. They start early here, I think, feeling flattered even though he is only four years old. I sit drinking soda in the main plaza of La Romana, Dominican Republic. It is early, but today is Carnival and already crowds start to form. Pockets of teenage girls laugh conspiratorially. Boys act cool, pretending not to notice. Street vendors do brisk business, and the Presidente (beer) stands have been up since yesterday...

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Standing atop Mount Sutton, we overlook the magnificent scenery of pine and maple tree forests, the vast Sutton valley below, and the impressive Appalachian mountain range in the distance. What we are mostly here for, however, is the tree-top adventure course of d'Arbre en Arbre, in Quebec's Eastern Townships close to the U.S. (Vermont) border. So here we are, ready to fly high, although safely attached to a life line...

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Pirates may be the most convenient scapegoat, but the truth is I marooned myself in Penzance. In fact, I reached the Penwith Peninsula by train, not aboard a tall ship. Besides, the loud, bass-heavy music streaming out of the Admiral Benbow told me I probably wouldn't fit in with the buccaneer set anyway. Yes, my compass pointed back out to sea, but the treasure I sought had little monetary value.

I had chosen Penzance as the location for my first surfing lesson. Oddly enough, a long-held desire to learn what I could of a Hawaiian tradition led me to the medieval port town. Willing to take a chance on the September water temperature of the North Atlantic...

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Most visitors to Vietnam consider themselves more adventurous and independent than your average package tripper. Then why do nearly all take group tours of the Mekong Delta?

Rising just above the surface of the moss-covered water, our canoe rocked uneasily on tiny, tree-lined canals as the sun started to set. We went ashore, then crossed a bamboo-pole bridge to a rickety watchtower, from where we looked over rhyming mountains Cam and Sam as the skies turned dark cranberry. But for my driver and the thousands of birds-openbill storks, cormorants, cattle egret and a few dozen other species-I was alone. None of the package tourists streaming into Chau Doc, 25 kilometers north, make it here...

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Two hundred and fifty miles and a metaphorical world away from the concrete bustle of Tokyo, an ancient pilgrimage road winds through the mountains of Japan's spiritual heartland. The Kumano Kodo, or "old road," connects scores of temples and shrines scattered across the stunning Kii Peninsula. Recently transformed into a hiking route, the Kumano Kodo is an excellent destination for visitors who want to explore the back roads of Japan...

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For three days in April, the entire population of Chiang Mai gathers along the moats that surround the historic section of the city. Drenched and smiling faces pack the sidewalks, while pickup trucks decked out in festive ribbons and special paint, as well as tuk-tuks with their roofs taken off, inch bumper-to-bumper down the road. Children wear traditional Thai outfits and teens sport water pistols and festive masks. Bars blast traditional and Western music, while young Thais and Westerners dance and throw water from their doorways. Huge plastic barrels full of water sit at small intervals on the sidewalks to serve as communal refilling stations. Carts piled high with blocks of ice make their way down the street, making a lucrative business of cooling people's water supplies. This is the Songkran water festival...

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With luggage and camping equipment firmly tightened on top and kitchen utensils and supplies stuffed in boxes under the seats inside, the old Russian army truck with which we will follow the Silk Route through Kyrgyzstan is ready to take off. The crew, a friendly English speaking guide and her three colleagues, two drivers, and a cook who only speak Kyrgyz and Russian, occupy the driver's cabin, while the rest of the expedition members have the rather basic, tight, and springless seats in the truck itself. Contact with the cabin can be made by pushing a button in case we need an emergency stop...

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We are proud to launch TAzine as a monthly Webzine which continues the 31-year tradition started by Transitions Abroad magazine. TAzine features many of the same columnists who wrote for the magazine, a growing group of new columnists, while featuring many freelance writers who wish to share their experiences and expertise within the context of our innovative alternative coverage of work, study, travel, and living abroad.

Founded in 1977 by Dr. Clayton Allen Hubbs, Transitions Abroad magazine was the only print publication dedicated to work, study, living, volunteering, and immersion travel abroad. Its purpose — in print and now as a Webzine — is the dissemination of practical information leading to a greater understanding of other cultures through direct participation in the daily life of the host community.