Whether you’re a city hopper or a slow traveler, the newish website Dopplr.com, founded in 2007, may be an interesting social networking tool to add alongside your Facebook, MySpace, or LinkedIn accounts.

The idea of Dopplr is simple. By creating a free account and noting your upcoming travel plans, you can let friends, family, and acquaintances keep you on their radar. If they also create an account and indicate their travel plans, then Dopplr will automatically let you know whether your paths might cross. Dopplr makes calling ahead and making arrangements to get together seem downright antiquated.

Clean of ads and functional, Dopplr has gained favorable coverage from TIME, The Wall Street Journal, and The Guardian.

Do you have a Dopplr account? If so, share your experience with Dopplr in the comments section!

Photo: upshift

Photo by khaipi (Creative Commons)

One of the more agonizing aspects of the Cyclone Nargis aftermath has been watching Burma’s military rulers actively preventing outside aid from reaching the country’s suffering people.

So how to help, when big organizations like the Red Cross and the UN are being blocked at every turn? The answer is small-scale, grassroots efforts.

Guidebook author Robert Reid has just published an article on Lonely Planet’s website about the ‘DIY’ aid groups now active on the ground.

Matador’s own Nora Dunn has launched an effort of her own - check out her blog post and donate if you’re able!

For some background on the cyclone and the beautiful country it’s wreaked havoc on, check out Brenda Yun’s eloquent call for aid, at Brave New Traveler.

And finally, if you’re still not sure why some folks call the country Burma while others refer to it as Myanmar, Slate’s explainer column has a run-down of the various rationales used by major media outlets.

Personally, I use “Burma” because that was the name used by the democratically elected post-independence government that the military junta supplanted; they introduced the name “Myanmar” in 1989.

But by any name, the country is in dire straits! Please check out the links and pitch in if you can.

Many people carry cameras to capture images of the people and places they encounter while traveling, but what happens when the people who are usually the subjects of pictures take up cameras to tell their own stories and share them with the world?

Colombia’s Disparando Camaras Para La Paz (”Shooting Cameras for Peace”) is a program that works with kids in at-risk communities to teach them photographic and storytelling skills that allow them to depict the realities of their surroundings and their hopes for the future. The result? Powerful photos, as well as skills that can potentially help the kids gain access to opportunities for an education and a profession.

On Flickr, professional photographer Kresta King Cutcher Venning maintains an impressive gallery of photos from her work with the African organization, Sisters of Rwanda. As she writes, “I am a firm believer that cameras build communities and offer constructive learning opportunities.” Kresta is also a Matador member.

Several other Matador members believe in the power of cameras for community building, too.
Active Matador member Lola Akinmade uses her photography skills to document NGOs’ work around the world. See her fantastic gallery of photos here.

Beija-Flor uses photography as a way to connect with street kids in Brazil through the Children at Risk Foundation.

Photo: proudof7

Over at the Christian Science Monitor, staffers re-hash Conde Nast Traveler’s 10 tips and questions to consider before heading off on your next volunteer vacation.

Brave New Traveler has also addressed this question, with the Complete Guide to Volunteer Tourism.

Read up, and then head to Matador.org to find out more about some of the amazing volunteer/travel opportunities available worldwide!

Photo by Dave Bezaire and Susi Havens-Bezaire
(Creative Commons)

Photo by Stewart (Creative Commons)

That pillar of traditional print media, the Encyclopedia Britannica, has entered the 21st century.

Yes, the multi-volume source you turned to for every junior high science report you ever wrote now has a blog.

And it’s actually a pretty entertaining one, filled with well-written, thought-provoking and discussing-inducing coverage on everything from politics to the environment to the evolution of the English language. It’s an eclectic mix, and a compelling one.

Food for thought: If even the Encyclopedia Britannica has a blog, how much longer can we go on being considered “alternative” or “new” media? Put in other words: Is blogging still cool?

Last week, we featured Jared Romey, author of the local lingo guides, Speaking Boricua and Speaking Phrases Boricua.

As promised, we’re back with some tips from Romey about how you can pick up local lingo:

1. Read local newspapers: Not only will you learn what’s going on locally, you’ll learn what words people use to talk about what’s important to them.

2. Watch television: It doesn’t matter what you watch—the news, cartoons, soap operas or prime-time dramas, but by listening to TV programs, you’ll begin to develop an ear for the cadence and pronunciation that distinguish regional variations in language.

3. Listen to locals. As often as possible, talk with local people. Try out the language. Ask questions, Be sure to talk to people of all ages. Lingo is often generational.

4. Develop a deep understanding of the structure of the language. The more you grasp the formal mechanics of a language, the more prepared you’ll be to recognize and understand variations.

5. Remember that lingo is not static. Language is changing all the time. The lingo you learn today may be obsolete next week or next year.

Continue reading this post >>

Photo by Eva Holland

Matador’s own Erin Granat has just launched a new season of her successful vblog, Erin 411!, showcasing the best in Reno-Tahoe nightlife, outdoor activities, quirky cultural events and more.

Be sure to check out the new episodes here.

Even if you’re not headed to the area anytime soon, swing by anyway and give Erin some support!

Your page hits and comments keep independent travel media running.

And speaking of Nevada: while you’re at it, give the Top 10 Lessons Learned at Burning Man ‘07 and The First Timer’s Guide to Participating at Burning Man a read, too!

Photo by DavidDennis (Creative Commons)

That’s isiZulu for “Letter from a person travelling in Africa,” and it’s also the name of Stephanie Nolen’s excellent new blog.

Nolen is the Globe and Mail’s Africa correspondent, and - as I wrote in a blog post months back - one of the best (if not the best) foreign journalists working on the continent.

She ordinarily files major, in-depth features (you can find a few in full on her website - check them out!), most of which are pretty heavy, subject matter-wise, so it’s great to have some lighter, day-to-day observations in the blog to balance things out.

After all, these days, how often do you get to read a story about Africa that makes you laugh?

Take this post, for example: Things people tried to sell me in a Freetown traffic jam. The list includes nail clippers, Lost bootlegs, fried plantains, and a Virgin Mary wall clock.

It’s nice to have a reminder that even in Sierra Leone, life goes on, people smile and laugh and sing, and hawkers sell sunglasses to drivers stuck in traffic.

Photo by malias (Creative Commons)

If you’re a fan of Google Earth– vanity googling your own address or using the site to check out places you’ll be visiting–check out www.everyblock.com.

Where Google Earth gives you a visual zoom on almost any block in the world, Everyblock zooms in on what’s happening on the ground.

Though the service is only available for Chicago, New York, and San Francisco, type in any address in one of these cities and a list of recent neighborhood activity– crime reports, restaurant inspections, and garden variety news–pops up for your perusal.

Still more evidence that the guide book may be headed towards oblivion!

Photo by Eva Holland

Ahhh, Europe.

Sometimes I think I could spend the rest of my life lounging on a bench in a Venetian campo, or wandering the coastal paths of south west England, and not get bored.

Of course, boredom probably wouldn’t be my first problem; bankruptcy would be!

In honor of the almighty Euro (and the powerful British Pound), this week Matador Pulse brings you the best of the Matador Network’s advice for cheaper travel in Europe.

For some general advice to get started, try Brave New Traveler’s 8 Budget Travel Tips to Make Europe Cheap Again and 5 Budget Friendly Ways to Get Around Europe.

Over at The Traveler’s Notebook, check out the Top 10 Hostels in Europe and the Top 10 Websites for Finding a Cheap Place to Stay.

Getting down to specific destinations, check the Notebook again for a podcast on the Top 5 European Travels for a Falling US Dollar. Headed to the British Isles? Browse through Brave New Traveler’s Budget Travel Tips for Great Britain.

Finally, Matador Trips has kicked off a whole series on cheap European travel with two great articles about France: How to Travel in France For Less Than $100 a Day and How to Enjoy Paris On $100 a Day.

Enjoy! And stay tuned for lots more cheap Europe advice from Matador Trips!

Community Connections:

Lots of Matador members have been traveling around Europe and posting fantastic blogs about their experiences. Here’s a small sample: jgbrandt’s Crashing at James Joyce’s House, Adam’s The Old Front, or Valerie’s No Looking Back.

Join Matador today and start your own travel blog!