Video: Traffic In Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

by Sean McLachlan on


I’ve always been intrigued by Burkina Faso. I know very little about this West African nation and that only increases the allure. It also helps that it has a cool name and its capital, Ouagadougou, has probably the coolest city name ever! While my travels have focused on North Africa and the Horn of Africa, I plan to explore West Africa one day and Burkina Faso is high on my list.

This video by Tony, who writes the great Africa Full Circle blog, gives a sneak peak of the street scene in Ouagadougou. He mounted a camera to his helmet and sped around town on his motorcycle, then added a chilled out soundtrack to the video. Tony says that the roads are much nicer than they used to be with many having been paved in the past year.

Tony has plenty more videos from his world travels on his many blogs. Be sure to check them out!

Argentina’s National Pastime: Pato

by Jessica Festa on




While most people believe soccer to be Argentina‘s national pastime, I was surprised to learn from a local that it’s actually something with very unsavory beginnings. Pato, or duck, is a game that combines polo and basketball, and is the national sport of Argentina. To play, two teams of four on horseback fight for possession of a ball that is equipped with six leather handles. The object of the game is to fling the ball into a tall net, as the team with the most goals is the winner. So why is the game called duck? Because in the early days, gauchos used a live duck instead of a ball. Back then, the game was so intense that many players lost their lives not only by being trampled by the horses, but also by being stabbed in moments of passion.

For a better idea on how the game is played, check out the video above.

Video: Music From Nature

by Jessica Marati on

Consider this the anti-electronic music video. Composed by Diego Stocco and produced by Burt’s Bees, the entire two-minute piece was created using sounds from nature: the shaking of branches, the drumming of coconuts, the pouring of rice. Not only will it surely get your shoulders grooving and toes tapping, it may also inspire a greater appreciation of the world around us. Plug in your good headphones or speakers, and enjoy.

Video: Exercising Around The World

by Melanie Renzulli on



How do you stay fit while you travel? The hotel gym? Walking around sightseeing? Unless you’re an adrenaline junkie, you probably don’t put too much thought into exercising while you’re on the road. So this video of NerdFitness.com blogger Steve Kamb exercising around the world provides a refreshing and practical look at how you can stay active anywhere.

Check out Steve warming up with jumping jacks in Bangkok; jumping rope in Shanghai; pounding out the push-ups at Machu Picchu; and doing vertical push-ups in front of the Guinness factory in Dublin. Yeah, this guy is good. Onward, we see Steve running in Monte Carlo; doing some jaw-dropping pull-ups in Santa Monica, California; and swimming in Puerto Rico.

In all, Steve traveled to 16 countries over 18 months and shot footage of himself exercising in all of them. While Steve’s self-funded, round-the-world trip is impressive, I think the true moral of this story is that there’s no reason you can’t stay fit – or even get fitter – while on vacation. All you need is your body and some spectacular destinations for inspiration.