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MatadorU Students

The community of writing, photography, and filmmaking students at Matador's travel journalism education program, MatadorU.

Posts by: MatadorU Students
A woman sitting on a log near a river

Morning at camp, Hoh River, Washington [postcard]

On May 19, 2013 By

Fallen and worn by the Hoh River, it made the perfect spot for morning coffee.

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Upon completing the first 1000 miles and 18 days of my journey across America by bicycle, I entered Grand Teton National Park. It was the end of the day. The clouds were gathering and the sun was ready to call it a day, as was I. I stopped along the side of the road, got off my saddle and waddled to a quiet spot near a meadow and took in the scene as you see it here. Peace at the end of a long and glorious day.

Cycling through Grand Teton National Park [postcard]

On May 4, 2013 By

I got off my saddle and waddled to a quiet spot near a meadow and took in the scene.

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Fire and wood

Solscape eco-retreat, Raglan, New Zealand [postcard]

On March 12, 2013 By

This is where the other Woofers and I went to have pizza parties on Sunday nights.

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In Poptun, Guatemala

Portrait in Poptun, Guatemala [postcard]

On February 2, 2013 By

Next to photography, travel is my thing.

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Crosswalk in Washington, DC

The “District,” Washington, DC [postcard]

On January 31, 2013 By

It was my first day in the city and first time in the States…

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My friend George is Serbian. We met in 1999 in the Shetland Islands, where we both lived at the time. In July 2012 I was travelling in Serbia and as George was visiting his hometown, Belgrade, we arranged to meet. George had just shown me the apartment block in Novi Belgrade where he grew up and we were in a hot, packed tram. We jumped off outside this building. From a distance it looked normal, then I noticed that some letters in the sign were broken and that grass was growing through the cracked cement steps. The Hotel Jugoslavia was one of Belgrade's most luxurious hotels but now stands empty and broken. In its heyday it hosted international politicians, actors, and celebrities. In 1999, the year I met George, NATO intervened in the war in former Yugoslavia and bombed Belgrade. The west wing of the hotel was destroyed and one guest was killed. George's family lived a few streets away. The hotel is easy to enter; only a few flimsy fences surround the large hole in its side. When I saw the bombings on TV I did not imagine that 13 years later I would walk silently into this building with a Serbian friend, through a black-charred hole made by one of the bombs. MatadorU student Karen Emslie is an atist, writer, film-maker, and taxidermist.

Hotel Jugoslavia, Belgrade [postcard]

On January 9, 2013 By

One of Belgrade’s most luxurious hotels, it now stands empty and broken.

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The streets of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam have been likened to a 3D video game where people constantly have to dodge motorbikes, bicycles, and cars coming from every direction. In a city where the right of way concept is virtually non-existent, the simple task of crossing the street becomes extremely difficult. This became obvious within hours of arriving in Ho Chi Minh CIty and seemed impossible to overcome until instructed by a friendly English speaking local. The secret to being a successful pedestrian just seemed almost too simple, too dangerous, and too counterintuitive to normal pedestrian laws. “You just have to go,” he said as we stepped off the curb into oncoming traffic that looked as if it had no intention of stopping for us. It was like crossing the street with your eyes closed and reopening them to find that you’ve safely made it to the other side. Somehow it just works. This image was taken just outside the vibrant Ben Thanh market at dusk during a trip to Vietnam in 2010. I had just completed my first teaching contract in South Korea and took a month afterwards to travel to Thailand and Vietnam before returning to America. With a new found appreciation for the pedestrian experience in Ho Chi Minh CIty I was extremely impressed to see this lady crossing the street with handfuls of stuff without hesitation. It was particularly interesting to me because she had chosen the most difficult spot to cross. I thought she was a genuine badass for crossing where others weren’t even making attempts. It ended up being a cool Matrix-esque photo and a reminder of a very valuable lesson: just go. - This postcard is from MatadorU student Natalie Crossland. She was born and raised in Texas and has been teaching in Asia since 2009.

Crossing the street in Ho Chi Minh City [postcard]

On January 7, 2013 By

Words of advice: Just go.

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Ganges River

Ganges River, Varanasi, India [postcard]

On January 4, 2013 By

A travel moment from Varanasi, India.

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Most of the market owners and people trading their wares at the market were very unwilling to have their picture taken. The men seemed uninterested in me, but the women were mostly quite aggressive towards me not taking their picture. Then I came across two young women sorting chilies and sat down in front of them. I introduced myself as someone who will be traveling often in Ghana. I stated that I had no money, but would return to buy their stuff when I could. I asked them why everyone was so unwilling and angry about having their picture taken. They said that they were embarrassed about how their hair looked and they had been working all day and did not want to look bad for the photo! I couldn't help myself, I burst out laughing. I shared with the women some images of my daughter on my phone, about how she too was always obsessing about her hair. We talked about how even though my daughter lives halfway across the world, some things are common amongst all girls. I asked her if I could please take her photo and assured her that I thought she was beautiful. She agreed and hence the photo was delivered of a young girl, looking (quite relaxed) directly into the camera. I will treasure our conversation and never make assumptions of anyone's behavior towards a camera again, but will take the time to introduce myself. - This postcard comes to us from MatadorU student Natalie Raffield.

Takoradi market, Ghana [postcard]

On January 3, 2013 By

A travel moment from Takoradi, Ghana.

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