1. The peak of Cerro Fitz Roy looms in the distance — the goal of my hike through the Southern Patagonian Ice Field near the border of Argentina and Chile.

2. The Perito Moreno Glacier as viewed from the observation decks in Parque Nacional Los Glaciares near the town of El Calafate, Argentina.

3. A ferry docks prior to making the journey from Argentina to Chile in Southern Patagonia.

4. Traversing the Perito Moreno Glacier feels non-terrestrial in Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, Argentina.

5. A photographer captures the fading sunset behind Cerro Fitz Roy near El Chalten, Argentina.

6. Sweeping clouds paint violet strokes across the morning sky — one of the many faces of Patagonia.

7. On the fringes of the hiking season in early and late winter, the ridges of Cerro Fitz Roy are covered with snow, making many trails inaccessible. Though challenging, the harsh conditions yield tourist-less hikes and magnificent views like this one taken during a lunch break.

8. Flat Patagonian plains collide with the towering Andes at Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Chile.

9. Pondering “el fin del mundo.” A solo climb over the Martial Glacier near Ushuaia leaves a view beyond the southernmost tip of South America.

10. Arriving at the summit of another long hike leads to some “time killing” experiments in camera angles while awaiting the sunset. Matrix anyone?

11. Set at the southernmost point of South America, Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego is as eerie as it is magnificent.

12. Shipwreck in the Beagle Channel, Ushuaia, Argentina.

Community Connection

For more eerie magnificence, make sure to give these titles a read:

Searching for Patagonia

Powderquest Patagonia: Trip Report from Devin McDonell

Trekking Torres Del Paines, Patagonia, Chile

Essential Gear for Your Patagonia Trip

The road is narrow and the traffic is…interesting? Cows wander aimlessly, playing a perpetual game of Frogger with each passing bus and farm tractor. Locals scream by on scooters hauling everything from live chickens and hogs to dressers and bed frames.

I’m stuck in the middle of the madness — clinging to the seat of a rusty dirt bike I learned to ride yesterday. My companions and I have set out to pierce the heart of this misunderstood country, and it’s going to be one hell of a ride.

Our journey begins in Phnom Penh…

1. Grasping the unthinkable horrors of the S21 prison, where over 17,000 prisoners were interrogated, tortured, and executed during the Khmer Rouge rein — only a handful survived.

2. The impact of our visit to S21 and the “Killing Fields” hangs heavy during a moto-taxi ride through downtown Phnom Penh.

3. Forced off the road by a local bus, we regroup before continuing our journey south to the coast.

4. View from our bungalow porch on the island of Koh Rong Samloem. Pure paradise.

5. Game of frisbee on a remote beach on the island of Koh Rong Samloem.

6. On the road north to Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor, a crowd forms to watch our bikes receive a necessary tuneup.

7. Sun rises over the spectacular temple of Angkor Wat.

8. The forest is quick to reclaim the land, swallowing the Angkor Thom temples.

9. Carvings in the stone at Ta Prohm temple give a glimpse into the past of a once mighty civilization.

10. Watching the sunset from Bakheng Hill caps a surreal day exploring the vast complex of ancient Angkor temples.

11. On the road into eastern Cambodia, unreliable and sporadic gas stations force us to carry fuel reserves in used water bottles.

12. A local guide arrives with the morning’s transportation as we prepare for our trek through the eastern Cambodian jungles.

13. Yes, washing an elephant is a serious ordeal.

14. A local Buddhist monk catches a ride into town.

15. In rural Cambodia, every road leads to a new adventure.

Community Connection

For more on Cambodia, make sure not to miss Cambodia Beyond Angkor Wat and Rucksack Wanderer’s (aka, Matador editor Tim Patterson’s) Secret Guide to Koh Rong. Tim also authored Guidebook Review: Lonely Planet Cambodia.

To stay on theme but shift gears to Cambodia’s neighbor, check out Backpacker’s Secret Guide: Nan, Thailand, which features tips written from the moto-perspective.

Photo: aka*kirara

Cotswolds, England

Nobody embraces tea more seriously than the English. Famous world over for its stone-built villages, historical towns, and rolling green hills, there’s no better place to experience tea time than the English Cotswolds.

Sip Earl Grey amongst drooping willows and lazy streams at the birthplace of William Shakespeare, in Stratford-upon-Avon, and you may be inspired to write a few sonnets of your own.

Photo: Author

Chengdu, China

Chinese green tea is as famous in the East as Earl Grey is in the West. For the best in Chinese teahouse culture, head to Chengdu.

Traditionally venues for conversation, light eating, and ear cleaning (a service performed by professionals with mini-lances and swabs, followed by an energizing shoulder massage), Chengdu teahouses have evolved into both trendy hotspots for dating and nightlife as well as sanctuaries of quiet relaxation.

At the south bridge of Dujiang Weir, enjoy a relaxing afternoon outside with a bottomless pot of your choice for around 20 yuan ($3).

And yes, you can still have your ears professionally lanced.

Ganzi, Tibetan Plateau

After passing over 13,000ft mountain passes to the Tibetan Plateau, Chinese green gives way to its western cousin, butter tea. A mainstay of the local diet, generous portions of (often rancid) butter and salt give Tibetan tea a uniquely unpleasant flavor that is undoubtedly an acquired taste.

Tibetans take advantage of the butter’s oils to protect their lips from the high-altitude sun. Consequently, the higher you go, the more butter in your tea.

Photo: Author

Although situated in West Sichuan and not the Tibetan Autonomous Region, the town of Ganzi is culturally more Tibetan than most of Tibet.

Wander the old town, overlooked by a hilltop monastery (home to over 500 Buddhist monks), and you’ll find yourself lost among faded prayer flags and elderly patrons slowly spinning prayer wheels.

Since the 2008 Tibetan uprisings, in which Ganzi was an epicenter of violent protest, West Sichuan has been out of bounds to most foreigners. If you make it to this remote mountain town and duck into one of the many local guesthouses for tea, you’ll likely be the only Westerner they’ll see for weeks.

Photo: Author

Marrakech, Morocco

Sipping hot mint tea in the souks of Marrakech, Morocco, entails more than you might expect.

You sit among boiling cauldrons of lamb heads, watching as your tea is poured from large steaming copper kettles at arm’s length into tiny palm-sized glasses.

The addictive sweet mint tea is served throughout the day. Alcohol is regarded as taboo in traditional circles in this Muslim nation, so mint tea acts as the social beverage of choice.

At the local food stalls in the Djemaa el Fna, in the heart of the old city, grab a cup with the locals in the evenings for around $0.10 a glass.

Cuzco, Peru

The coca leaf, notorious for its roll as the principal ingredient in cocaine, has been used for centuries in Andean tea.

Photo: sdpuckett

Among the Inca-descended Quechua in particular, the ancient brew is still consumed to alleviate the effects of life at altitude.

Try the tea in the mountain city of Cuzco, where tourist accommodations offer a complementary cup on arrival.

At nearly 11,000 ft above sea level, your body will thank you for downing a draught of the coca concoction, especially if you’ve just gotten in from Lima and the coast.

Nashville, USA

Served on ice with a squeeze of lemon on a hot Tennessee afternoon…it’s not hard to understand why American Southerners love their sweet tea. What better place than the home of country music to experience it for yourself?

Located 30 minutes from downtown Nashville along a narrow country road sits Barbara’s Home Cookin’, a local “meat an’ three” joint. One sip of Barbara’s homemade sweet tea, accompanied by a lunch of her fried chicken and fresh pie, and you’ll be humming “Rocky Top Tennessee” for a week.

Community Connection

Tea fans might also enjoy reading about 11 Herbs That Ease Common Travel Ailments. Also, make sure to check out Hidden Hope: A Visit to a Sri Lankan Tea Estate.