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Matador Trips co-editor, Carlo Alcos; Photos courtesy of Carlo Alcos
After recovering from two weekends spent re-flooring his campervan, Carlo Alcos takes a few minutes to tell us about himself.
Name:
Carlo Alcos
Role at Matador:
Co-editor of Matador Trips
Photo courtesy of Carlo Alcos
How You Found Matador:
I can’t recall exactly how I stumbled on Brave New Traveler, but that is the site that led me to Matador as the two had freshly merged. Specifically, it was Daniel Harbecke’s article Budget Travelers are Hippie Scum (try NOT to click on that link). It remains one of my all-time fave pieces on the network.
How You Got Brought on Board as an Editor:
I’d contributed a few articles across the network and was very active in the Community. I interacted with Matador members, read their blogs, commented on them, posted forum topics, and also read and commented on articles across the Matador network.
You’d have to ask the senior eds to verify this, but I think my involvement with Matador and the fact that the articles I submitted didn’t need much revising were key reasons why I was approached to join the team.
Where You Live:
Melbourne, Australia…for now.
Your Next Trip:
A 5-6 week cycling trip in Cuba — the inspiration started with this interview…Freewheeling: Lynette Chiang’s Two Wheel Journey from Cubicles to Cuba.
What You Do When You’re Not Working on Matador Stuff:
Besides holding down a 9-5 (I’m trying to quit…honest), I am currently in deep preparations and plans for leaving Melbourne in January 2010. My wife and I have about half a year planned; after that, it will be played by ear.
We’re working on a campervan conversion to tour Australia down the road: I Am S.A.M. the Van. I’ve just started my personal blog at carlo-alcos.com and I’m also working on a new website, which will hopefully be launched before the new year!
A Favorite Travel Memory:
Here are two: skinny dipping in Lake Baikal in October and getting beaten with a besom in a Russian banya in Petrozavodsk.
Community Connection:
Want to read more from Carlo? Here are two of my favorites:
Hostel on Wheels: The Coolest Campers Around
A Budget Traveler’s Guide to Wedding Planning: 9 Useful Tips
Julie Schwietert
Julie Schwietert Collazo is a writer, editor, researcher, and translator currently in New York, formerly of Mexico City and San Juan. She is Matador's managing editor and is the lead faculty member of MatadorU's travel writing program.
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“What’s also traditional (and I think they do this in the Scandinavian countries too) is to run out of the sauna and dive into a bank of snow, or a really cold lake (eg Baikal), then back into the banya. I skipped that part.”
Yeah, we do this in Scandinavia too – although it’s most common in Finland. Nothing like a sauna, a bit of birch twig beating and a freezing skinny dip (and oftentimes vodka) to get the party started
Have a good visit in Cuba. It’s lovely and warm, both the temperature and the people
Sophie
@Sophie Oh yeah! How could I forget about the vodka…thanks!
@Baxter Thanks man!
You’re a great support for everyone on the community Carlo. Thanks for all your hard work. It appreciated by a great many of us.
Cheers
Matt
Cuba! Sweet!
I have a dream of SCUBA diving off Kangaroo Australia to see the leafy sea dragon .
I saw them at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and fell in love with this leafy magical looking creature. I have to learn to SCUBA dive first – Kangaroo Island itself looks beautiful and very interesting – lots of birds, flowers, beaches, unusual animals. Now if I could only get paid to go there…
If you are going to Australia and decide to check out Kangaroo Island (off S. Australia) I’d love to know more about it and what it’s really like!
Also – thank you for encouraging words about writing up something for Trips or travel earlier. I did send one in about concentrating on Central Park in NYC. I used to spend hours there when not in out of the way museums.
[...] boldly to sample these commonly-eaten treats (that’s Ted Beatie having a go at a grub while Carlo Alcos captures the moment for posterity. Genarro Salamone chewed too fast to catch on camera). Me, I [...]