The Amazing Stuff

All cultures have a way of celebrating the ones who have passed away. It might be funerals, it might be simply telling stories, or it might be the huge holiday we in the U.S. know as Halloween. But few come as close to the dead as the Ma’Nene festival that takes place in the Tana Toraja province of Sulawesi, Indonesia, where people spend quality time with their deceased loved ones — quite literally.

Ma’Nene is a festival of ancestor worship. When a person dies, their body is mummified using natural ingredients and buried in rock graves. This preservation allows for the family to come back an visit each year.

The festival, which has no set date but is usually held in late August, allows people to revisit their loved ones. This woman is having an emotional moment over the casket of her late husband.

But it goes further than just seeing the caskets.

The mummified bodies are removed from their coffins and lovingly tended to. This includes cleaning the bodies, removing their old clothes and giving them new ones.

Some of the bodies are even propped up so the family can gather around them, just as they would when the person was alive.

Looking into the face of death like this isn’t seen as scary or sad, but rather as a way to connect with death — and transcend it.

This mummy is especially heartrending — it’s a baby.

Dust and debris are removed from the body, and then the bodies are dressed. Their personal affects, like this man’s glasses, are kept, as well.

People so still respect the possible dangers of breathing in the dust, so many wear masks.

The photos you see here were taken by photographer Paul Koudounaris, who specializes in capturing the way different cultures approach, deal with, and celebrate death. This festival might seem macabre to people from other cultures, but to the people in Tana Toraja, it’s a heartfelt expression of a love that even death can’t conquer. “To the villagers it is sign of the love they still share for those who have passed on but are still present spiritually,” he explains. “It is a way of showing them respect by letting them know that they are still members of the family group, and still hold an important place in local society.”

Many people think looking into a face like this is frightening, but to the people in Tana Toraja, these are still the faces of their beloved relatives.

Ma’Nene might seem strange, maybe even distasteful, to those outside of this culture. But in a society that seeks to get as far away from death as possible, it’s refreshing to see people embrace and celebrate it so readily.

You can see more of Koudounaris’ photography on his website and Facebook page, and learn about the ways people all around the world honor their dead.

Okay, so we’re going to level with you. We’ve featured several articles about people who have dropped everything — their spirit-crushing jobs, their boring lives, their frustrations — and headed out on adventures around the world. It’s the ultimate jealousy bait, right? Well, hold that thought.

The reality of traveling the world on the cheap is a lot less glamorous than people make it sound. You’re going to be sleeping on floors of questionable cleanliness most of the time, and you’ll also have to find ways to earn some cash on the road. And that usually means menial labor.

Meet Stevo Dirnberger and Chanel Cartell. They come from South Africa, and quit their stable, well-paying jobs in advertising to travel around the world.

Today, the couple travels the world, taking wanderlust-inspiring shots for their Instagram account, including the number of miles they are from home. They set up the account, like many travelers do, to chronicle their trip. And it seems idyllic.

However beautiful the photos are, though, they’re not indicative of the whole story. Cartell and Dirnberger realized that their Instagram and blog posts were only showing one side of things — the nice side — and they wanted to level with their fans and readers, and show them what really has to happen to fund world travel like this.

Because when they’re not adventuring through some of the most beautiful places on Earth, the couple is doing some seriously backbreaking volunteer work.

“It’s not all ice creams in the sun and pretty landscapes,” the couple explains on their blog. “So far, I think we’ve tallied 135 toilets scrubbed, 250 kilos of cow dung spread, two tons of rocks shoveled, 60 meters of pathway laid, 57 beds made, and I cannot even remember how many wine glasses we’ve polished.”

Their budget is very, very tight. That means that they have to get creative in order to keep moving. In Norway, the one toiletry they could afford was dental floss, and in other places, they’re learning to get by on the bare minimums of food, clothing, and other necessities.

“We eat jam on crackers most days, get roughly five hours of sleep per night, and lug our extremely heavy bags through cobbled streets at 1am, trying to find our accommodation.”

So with all the hardship, is it worth it? Well, as the couple says, it’s not for the faint of heart. Not by a long shot. But even with the difficulties and discomforts, Cartell and Dirnberger stand by their decision and are glad they ditched the nine-to-five grind in search of adventure. Living like this not only gives them incredible experiences and new friends across the globe, but it also forces them to be more creative than they’ve ever been when it comes to logistics.

“Even though we probably have more grays than when we started, dirt under our nails despite long showers, and cheap snack food as a main form of nutrition, this crazy lifestyle allows us to enjoy the freedom of exploring rich Swedish forests, never-ending Nordic fjords, Italian cobbled alleyways, and cosmopolitan cities,” Cartell says.

(via BuzzFeed)

So maybe world travel isn’t the romantic, sun-soaked adventure that Instagram photos make it out to be — but maybe that’s okay. In reality, travelers are volunteering their time and energy to building, fixing, cooking, and helping, and in doing so they’re making friends and making a difference. The small things become all the more beautiful, and the human connections become stronger. Maybe, even with the labor and the lack of showers, this really is the right way to see the world.

You can see Cartell and Dirnberger’s photos of their travels, though not many scrubbed toilets, on their Instagram and blog. If traveling like this still seems attractive to you, check out Workaway, which sets up travelers with odd jobs to fund their trips.

In today’s world of Google Maps and GPS, we rarely look at actual, physical maps like we once did. When you think about the beauty of maps and all the work that goes into them, this is kind of a shame. That’s not to say that real-time, digital maps are somehow unimpressive, but the handicraft of maps and globes might seem like a thing of the past.

However, it’s not, especially not for the bustling workshop of Bellerby & Co. Globemakers, of Stoke Newington, London. Inside this airy, naturally lit studio, a team of dedicated craftspeople works to create beautiful, accurate globes that are equal parts works of art and scientific instruments. We had the pleasure of chatting with them, and learned all about what goes into making a globe the right way.

The idea to make globes started with Bellerby founder Peter Bellerby, who wanted to get his father a globe for his 80th birthday.

To his dismay, he couldn’t find any that were both beautiful and durable, so he decided to simply make his own. Though it was unbeknownst to him at the time, this was the founding of Bellerby & Co. He started by finding and licensing a map, but found it rife with errors (“Don’t get me started on the Aral Sea.”), and so the next step in globemaking became learning Photoshop to edit maps and make them accurate.

Soon enough, making globes had become a full-time occupation, although there was a lot of trial and error involved.

“It took a long time to make [a globe] that was perfectly balanced and approximately two years before I produced a globe that I could sell,” Bellerby says. The company also takes over the actual mapmaking, to ensure their globes are up-to-date. “We created our own cartography with current borders and hand-paint each globe, and each one is created by hand here in London. Each globe is one-of-a-kind and made-to-order. Customers can choose to dictate the color of the ocean and land, and to highlight cities they have been to, or want to go to.”

First, the globe itself is created. These spheres are created to be mathematically perfect.

And yes, before you smarties point out that the Earth is not a perfect sphere, don’t worry. It’s close enough that at this scale, a perfect sphere is accurate.

The actual surface is then plotted out on a computer, a process that can take up to several months to get everything accurate.

The paper is cut into strips called gores, which must then be applied with perfect precision to the sphere.

The goring process is a delicate one.

“This [process] took 18 months to perfect, and each new globe takes about six months to perfect,” Bellerby explains.

“In effect, we wet paper then stretch it, basically fighting the tendency of it to degrade, tear, or turn into papier mache.”

The process is so tricky that applying the last gore is Bellerby’s favorite part of the whole process.

“It is an immense feeling of pride and you can stand back and admire what has taken so long to complete,” he says. “One of the challenges in globe making is the fight with Pi — which means if you don’t constantly check and re-check, measure and re-measure, you will be unable to complete the process.”

After the goring is done, details and custom characteristics are added by hand, giving depth, texture, and personality to the globe.

So why globes and not, say, maps? Well, for one thing, a two-dimensional map isn’t really a perfect representation of our three-dimensional world.

“A map is an interpretation — an accurate but not precise reflection of a globe — while globes are a completely accurate representation of the world,” Bellerby says. “Maps are more useful to navigate from A to B, but globes provide the inspiration for the journey in the first place.”

There’s also more to it that draws Bellerby and his crew to globes.

“[Globes] are a constant reminder of where we are, and they allow you to geographically place the history of the planet. In addition, travel is always something I have always loved doing and great to have reminders of all the countries that I would like to (if I am lucky) visit.”

These handmade, one-of-a-kind globes are also pieces of carefully and skillfully made art in a mass-produced, throwaway world. They’re educational, but they’re also beautiful.

And they don’t just have to be of the Earth! (Although most of them are.) This one is a celestial globe, representing constellations and celestial bodies.

They also come in many sizes, from desktop-sized pieces to the 127-centimeter “Churchill” model.

You can see many more globes of all kinds and styles on Bellerby & Co.’s website. Be sure to also keep up with their latest projects on their Facebook and Instagram pages.

Like many people, Walter Chang graduated college at a bad time. In 2008, the economy was in shambles, so instead of pursuing the career in film and television he’d studied for and dreamed about, he played it safe and worked as an AV technician. Three years later, he found himself still in the job and not enjoying any of it, particularly hating the long hours and the work. Thus, he decided to pursue his dream of exploring Asia.

Chang began by moving out of his apartment and crashing with friends. He sold his extra belongings, packed up what he needed, and took off from New York City to all points east.

Koh Lanta, Thailand

Chang originally planned to travel the world for a year, but soon he found himself in love with seeing new things and meeting new people. His world tour turned from one to three years.

Havana, Cuba

In that time, Chang slept under the stars in Zimbabwe in the company of hippos and elephants, trekked in South America’s Patagonia and to a Mount Everest base camp in Nepal, and reconnected with relatives he hadn’t seen in 18 years in South Korea.

Milford Sound, New Zealand

He also recorded his voyages in photos, capturing incredible scenes of life around the world.

Varanasi, India

Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.

Bagan, Myanmar

Pyongyang, North Korea

Machu Picchu, Peru

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Ijen Plateau, Indonesia

Chang traveled light in order to save money, camping, couch surfing, and even sleeping in airports instead of staying in hotels and taking long, arduous train rides across Asia. His travels weren’t all easy, either. He experienced food poisoning several times, had nearly all his belongings stolen in Chile, and his life was endangered when his car flipped in Namibia.

In spite of those experiences, Chang is still happy for choosing to travel the way he did. “Traveling in this manner is really an educational experience and an investment in yourself,” he writes. “You get to see how other people live and how they view life. You also get time to reflect on your own issues from an altogether different perspective. In the end, you may just come out wiser, more confident, and laid back.”

Semonkong, Lesotho

Havana, Cuba

Twelve Apostles, Great Ocean Road, Australia

Carnival, Olinda, Brazil

After returning from his three-year voyage, Chang is settled in New Jersey and is looking to publish his photos in a book titled We Call This Home.

Sossusvlei, Namibia

Golden Temple, Amritsar, India

Salt flats, Uyuni, Bolivia

Chang currently has a Kickstarter going to fund publication of his book.

Church of St. George, Ethiopia

U Bein Bridge, Amarapura, Myanmar

Kyoto, Japan

(via Medium, My Modern Met)

You can see more of Chang’s travel photos on his website, where you can learn about his journey and how it’s affected him, as well. He’s also got handy travel tips for the aspiring world traveler that are worth checking out. If you’d like to help him share his journey with others, you can donate to the Kickstarter, too.