South America Travel

A Day in the Markets of Cusco

Photography by Samantha Demangate Words by Matt Dursum Spending a day in the markets of Cusco, Perú is what I’ve always wanted. I’m at my happiest in a market. The warm conversations with strangers and merchants, the colors, smells, sounds, they swoon me. In Cusco Peru, getting lost in the markets is a rite of passage for anyone interested in the region’s food and culture.  Cusco is a city steeped in history. It was home…

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South America Travel

A Love Affair with Buenos Aires 

It’s 7am on a Saturday morning in Buenos Aires. The streets are dead other than a dog-walker and an elderly couple walking hand-in-hand across the cobblestone street. The sun lifts and a cool breeze from the Rio de la Plata penetrates the urban grid. Produce stand clerks place fruit and vegetables on makeshift stands on the sidewalk. Cafes and restaurants set up chairs outside. As the morning evolves, the city comes alive with traffic, music,…

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Travel

Diving Into the Ingredients That Make us: Olives

Words by Matt Dursum It’s 9pm in a busy Buenos Aires pizza restaurant. Besides the heinous amounts of cheese and incessant noise, one thing bugs me the most. A man across the table, at the far end of the restaurant, is removing, one-by-one, each and every olive from his perfectly good pizza. Then, with a look of disgust, he wraps them in his dirty napkin and throws it on the dirty table for the waiter…

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Gear Review

Gear Review for Two Years in Latin America 

Words by Matt Dursum As I approach two years in Latin America, I can’t help but look back at my gear choices and how I took care of things. Would I make any changes? Absolutely. Not using a hair dryer to quickly dry my merino wool boxers would be one. Like those unfortunate undergarments, most of my clothing and gear sustained unthinkable damage, mostly thanks to my carelessness and the ever changing weather and climates…

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Travel

Diving Into the Ingredients That Make Us: Sugar Cane 

Words by Matt Dursum Growing up, my parents were sugar addicts. From the Sara Lee Corporation’s refined goodies to midwestern-styled Polish pączkis, nothing was too sweet. Like most kids, I hated most of what my parents liked, and sugar quickly became my enemy.  The detest I felt slowly shifted towards processed foods. And once I tasted fresh pressed sugar cane juice, it turned my world around. Sugar, when eaten or drunk in moderation, could be…

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