ATJ Journey Magazine Summer 2019

ATJ

Summer 2019

Sustainable Fashion of the Black Hmong

Spice of Life: The Role of Cuisine in Indian Culture

Ghost of the Forest

Solutions for a Crisis in the Seas

SUS TAIN A BL E T R AV EL

BEYOND THE ORDINARY WHY TRAVEL WITH US?

Whether your ideal adventure is relaxation, life-enriching cultural immersion, education or a transformative culmination of a life-long dream, we understand the personal importance of your journey. Here are a few reasons why ATJ is the best choice to trust with your travel expectations.

HISTORY

EXPERTISE

SUPPORT

We’ve been specializing exclusively in the Asia/Pacific region since 1987.

Our Travel Experts possess the most extensive first-hand regional knowledge of any U.S.-based company. No other company offers such expertise in the Asia/Pacific region.

Enjoy toll-free phone and email access to your own Travel Experts, and customized reading, medical, cultural, packing and insurance information. We also have a team available 24/7 during your travels.

REPUTATION Over 75% of our business is repeat or referral, a testament to our substance.

CREDIBILITY In addition to designing journeys for discerning individuals, we also design customized journeys for the World Wildlife Fund, and the Harvard, Princeton and Yale alumni associations, to name a few.

PEACE OF MIND It’s a priceless commodity, included in all of our trips.

2

EFFICIENCY We’ve spent over three decades honing air arrangements, checking hotel quality and hand picking the best guides, so you don’t have to.

ONE-STOP SHOP Get volume-discounted airfare, visa information and a perfectly arranged itinerary with meals, transfers and guides, then pay for all services on one bill.

Journey | Summer 2019

SECURITY We’re in constant contact with our incountry partners while you’re traveling.

If anything should go wrong with your health, well being or arrangements, we’re on it.

NO REGRETS You might only visit a destination once in your life; make sure you do it right.

SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL RESPONSIBLE, MINDFUL & SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL

There are few greater joys than jetting off to an exotic destination and becoming engrossed in new culture, food, language and environment. As each travel experience shapes us, the personal, cathartic impact of travel is undeniable. Travel teaches, informs and tests us. It transforms us into more knowledgeable and empathetic citizens of the world.

While travel is unquestionably beneficial, each and every one of us has an impact on the environment, culture and economy of the communities we visit. Collectively, travelers can leave wear-and-tear that influences local environment and wildlife, economy and socio-cultural aspects of the destination. Awareness of this impact is the first step toward becoming a more responsible traveler.

This issue of Journey dives into sustainable travel. More than a new-fangled, green buzz phrase, sustainable travel combines the intention of reducing negative impact on the environment and wildlife, understanding our social impact on local residents and their communities, and becoming more cognizant of how our money has an influence.

Whether it’s reduction of your plastic consumption, selection of eco-friendly hotels or simply traveling more slowly, you’ll learn that luxurious travel and sustainable travel aren’t mutually exclusive.

As your travel partner, we invite you to up your globetrotting game as a responsible traveler. Together, we can strive for more responsible, mindful and sustainable travel.

Your adventure awaits.

atj.com

1

FEATURES 12

The Sustainable Fashion of the Black Hmong How a remote ethnic hill-tribe in Northern Vietnam embraces the art and style of their sustainable clothing.

18

Spice of Life: The Role of Cuisine in Indian Culture We explore the wide range of cuisine types found throughout India and how these regional flavors are distinct and different.

24

Cover: Ghost of the Forest Spotting the elusive melanistic leopard is extremely rare. ATJ’s James Doolittle explores India’s Nagarhole National Park with the hopes of catching a glimpse.

About the cover - Thanks to Prakash Ramakrishnan for capturing the image on our cover. Ramakrishnan is a builder based in Coimbatore who is passionate about trekking and the outdoors. This has fueled his interest in photography for the past 12 years. This image was shot during a trek in the hills of Kotagiri in Southern India, with a friend and bird watcher. They spotted both leopards atop a cliff and trekked up to get a few images before they disappeared. This image won the Sanctuary Asian Award in 2010 and many other publications. View more of his work at @prakash_sara on Instagram.

26 Monks walking in a line in Mandalay, Myanmar.

2

Sustainable Seafood: Solutions for a Crisis in the Seas Overfishing and depletion of fish and marine-life stocks is imminent. Sustainable practices present a path forward.

A woman cooks in a rural village in India.

Çøñtëñtß Letter from ATJ .................. 1

Must Try Asian Swills Cravings ................................. 16

Become a Sustainable Traveler ............................... 4 Eco-Friendly Luxury Lodging Experiences Unique & Boutique ................ 6 Catch up with a travel expert

Featured Photos ................. 32 Papua New Guinea Featured Group Trip .............. 34 ATJ Foundation .................. 36

Travel Insider ......................... 8 Books to Travel By ............. 11 atj.com

3

BECOME A SUSTAINABLE TRAVELER TIPS FOR ENJOYING LUXURY TRAVEL RESPONSIBLY

Given a choice of options, most conscientious travelers would choose the path that limits or avoids harm or negative impact to the destinations that they enjoy. But, what exactly does sustainable travel mean? The phrase easily evokes a sense of “roughing” it. Sustainable travel is not lodging in bug-riddled tents equipped with creaky cots, camp stoves and solarpaneled camp lights while munching on foraged mushrooms. It’s also not about giving up luxury, experiences or adventure. It’s about traveling more fully, making small revisions to your travel habits while also being aware of your direct impact on the world and people you come across.

As travelers, each of us has an impact on the destinations we visit. The hotels and tour operators you choose can have an influence on the local economy and environment. The plastics used in single-serving food containers, water bottles and bags have a direct impact on the local environment once disposed. The manner in which we interact with locals can also have long-lasting cultural and social implications.

WHAT DIFFERENCE CAN I MAKE AS A SUSTAINABLE TRAVELER? As an individual, there are some things out of our control. We can’t directly affect the emissions produced by aircraft flight or dictate the types of chemicals used by hotels in their cleaning products, grounds care and laundry. We can, however, choose ecologically friendly lodging options that benefit the local workforce, economy and have the welfare of the environment in mind. We can choose tour operators that employ locals and conduct their tours in an environmentally-friendly manner.

We can also choose to travel at a slower pace – taking more time at each destination to truly immerse ourselves in culture and language.

The butterfly effect states metaphorically that a storm can be the result of a series of events that began with a single butterfly flapping its wings in a distant location. Your individual effort, no matter how small, produces a ripple of change. But, it’s our collective effort that paves the way to long-term sustainable travel practices that limit the harm done to cultural habitats and the environment.

Here are 8 ways you can minimize the impact of your travel.

4

LIMIT WASTE BY AVOIDING SINGLE USE PLASTIC Plastic waste has a huge impact on the environment and wildlife. Each traveler can take easy steps to minimize adding to the stream of plastic refuse by leveraging reusable water bottles and reusable bags. As an example, ATJ has an option for its travelers to India that provides each guest with a steel water bottle and built-in filter straw. Our vehicles are equipped with 20-liter containers with filtered, clean drinking water. It’s estimated that on average, this prevents 5-6 plastic water bottles, per traveler, from being thrown away per day. This simple step helps to minimize the stream of plastic refuse.

CHOOSE ECO-FRIENDLY LODGING There is an increasing availability of eco-friendly hotels like the Cardamom Tented Camp in Cambodia, which provides stunning luxurious amenities and amazing dining. Not only do these eco-friendly lodging choices minimize their footprint on the local environment, they contribute to real conservation efforts in their communities that include wildlife protection and wilderness preservation to prevent resources from falling into the hands of loggers, poachers and sand dredging operations.

ENSURE THAT YOUR SUNBLOCK IS CORAL-REEF FRIENDLY Taking a dip in the pristine, warm waters off Fiji is a majestic experience that will leave you with lasting, life-long memories. Unfortunately, many of us are also contributing to lasting damage of coral reef eco-systems and marine life with the chemicals that are included in many sunscreen options.

A study by the Haereticus Environmental Laboratory identified that oxybenzone, a common ingredient in sunscreen, can produce irreversible damage to corals at merely the equivalent of one drop diluted into the equivalent of 6.5 Olympicsized swimming pools. The impact of oxybenzone is so pronounced, Hawaii has moved to ban the sale and distribution of sunscreens with this ingredient by 2021. In the interim, we can all do our part by selecting sunscreens that are zinc oxide or titanium oxide-based.

TRAVEL SLOWER Sustainable travel is not just about limiting environmental impact and supporting sustainable travel businesses, it’s also about how you travel and how your interaction impacts the people you meet.

Understanding that your presence during travel does have an influence on people is the first step toward ensuring that it is a positive one. Going the extra mile to learn a bit of the local language, making the attempt to interact with people, respecting the local culture and simply taking a

moment to enjoy the scenery and environment before taking a photograph or selfie all go a long way toward traveling more responsibly and deeply.

issue, they can go a long way toward funding support for programs that aim to offset some of the negative impact of air travel.

OPT FOR A BUS OR TRAIN RIDE DURING YOUR INTRA-COUNTRY TRAVEL SEGMENTS

TREAT YOUR HOTEL LIKE YOUR HOME

Air travel is, without question, indispensable to the traveler. Without it, many destinations (especially Asian destinations) would take considerable time, effort and cost to reach! While air travel does provide the irreplaceable convenience of bringing distant destinations closer to us, the carbon footprint of traveling by air is more than other options. With climate change becoming an increasing concern, opting for more eco-friendly modes of transportation when possible, can go a long way toward reducing your carbon footprint.

For example, there are some wonderful train segments that can be woven into most destinations in Asia as well as opting to take a bike ride through a rural area instead of driving.

“YOUR INDIVIDUAL EFFORT, NO MATTER HOW SMALL, PRODUCES A RIPPLE OF CHANGE.” HELP THE BIGGEST CARBON POLLUTERS OFFSET THEIR IMPACT At any given moment, there are nearly 10,000 airplanes in the sky carrying roughly 1,300,000 passengers. The EPA estimates that aircraft contribute a whopping 11% of all greenhouse gases. With the sheer quantity of travelers and aircraft, it’s not a surprise that the carbon footprint of the aviation industry is so large. While air travel will be unescapable as the primary means of getting you to your overseas destinations, a number of airlines recognize the pollution impact of the industry and have invested in renewable energy and clean energy sourcing projects, environmental preservation programs and biodiversity preservation.

In the United States alone, the EPA estimates that hotels are responsible for more than 15% of total water use by commercial institutions – largely due to laundry, grounds maintenance and swimming pools. Hotels overseas face similar water demands with their guests, but the challenges may be further exacerbated in remote areas where resources are more scarce. Seemingly basic functions like laundry are intrinsically connected to energy usage, which is required to produce and transport clean water, power laundry machines and run water treatment plants.

By reusing your bath towels more than once and turning off lights and electronics when not in use, we reduce water and energy consumption which is especially critical in areas where these resources may take a bit more effort to provide.

VOLUNTEER AT YOUR DESTINATION There isn’t a more immersive and authentic travel experience than volunteering. Donating your time during traveling isn’t just about doing good.

It’s an opportunity to connect with locals, gain an understanding of their challenges and give back to destinations that you enjoy. Leveraging opportunities like ecological restoration, environmental clean-up and conservation, or even tutoring is a great way to travel more deeply while also helping the communities you’re visiting.

ATJ is a firm believer that we must do our part to establish sustainable travel practices. Through our ATJ Foundation, we invest in relief and grass roots assistance initiatives to help support and assist the very destinations that our travelers enjoy. Our travel experts specialize in planning customized journeys that are responsible, ethical and sustainable, while also providing our travelers the opportunities to directly support conservation efforts.

Many major participating airlines provide an option to buy “carbon credits.” The funds from these credits go directly to investment in environment preservation projects. While carbon credits don’t eradicate the source of the pollution atj.com

5

UNIQUE & bøütïqüë ECO-FRIENDLY LUXURY LODGING EXPERIENCES

Rosewood Luang Prabang Nauea Village, Laos

6

Journey | Summer 2019

Sustainable lodging doesn’t mean having to dispense with luxury, comfort and amenities. This curated list demonstrates a variety of eco-friendly lodging options that combine concerted and sustainable conservation efforts with world-class luxury, amenities and exceptional access to activities. Nothing beats lodging in style while also benefiting the very destinations, local environment, wildlife and communities that you’re visiting.

MISOOL ECO RESORT West Papua, Indonesia A stunning retreat nestled in the uninhabited Raja Ampat archipelago, Misool is a sustainable private island resort that strives to protect one of the most bio-diverse reef habitats on the planet through its partnership with the Misool Foundation. As if the accessibility of amazing scuba diving and proximity to amazing marine-life diversity wasn’t enough, Misool pampers its guests with the comfort of private Balinese-style luxury water cottages (built with sustainable tropical hardwoods), handcrafted furniture and creative Asian and Western cuisine that leverages organic and locally-sourced, sustainable ingredients. White powder-sand beaches, swimming holes, traditional Indonesian cooking classes, spa treatments and access to dive and snorkel adventures are just a few of the experiences offered by Misool Resort.

ROSEWOOD LUANG PRABANG Nauea Village, Laos Rosewood Luang Prabang is a secluded, exotic jungle retreat set amidst a lush forest, waterfall and natural river. Beautiful grounds are complemented by luxurious architecture influenced by French-Lao style. Various luxury accommodations are offered in the resort’s 23 riverside rooms, pool villas and opulent hilltop tents. Rosewood Luan Prabang

Ceylon Tea Trails - Hatton, Sri Lanka leverages sustainably-sourced local ingredients to provide a true farm-to-table experience that showcases the unique intricacies of Laotian cuisine. Nearby monasteries, markets, museums and artisanal operations in the UNESCO World Heritage-ranked colonial town of Luang Prabang offer easy access to the very sights, traditions and life-style that define the distinct cultural personality of the region.

WA ALE ISLAND RESORT Wa Ale Island, Myanmar Tucked into the pristine Wa Ale Island within the Lampi Marine National Park, the eco-friendly Wa Ale Island Resort is a paradise beset with comfort, natural beauty and unparalleled access to unspoiled nature. The resort’s Lampi Foundation partners with the National Park’s conservation efforts which aim to protect the environment, nesting sea turtles, whale sharks, dolphins, manta rays and other marine life. Wa Ale’s founders painstakingly limited impact to the environment to the extent of even avoiding removal of any trees. The result are luxury tent beach villas and treetop villas that naturally complement the native environment. Wa Ale offers up creative fusion cuisine that spans Southeast Asian and Mediterranean flavors. Resort guests are also at the doorstep of the island archipelago’s reefs, caves, mangrove forests and trails – offering numerous activities ranging from snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boarding, hiking and diving.

CEYLON TEA TRAILS Hatton, Sri Lanka Ceylon Tea Trails combines history and luxury to create a uniquely exclusive small-luxury resort experience. Dubbed as the world’s first “tea bungalow resort,” the resort accommodations

consist of five colonial-era tea planter bungalows, each luxuriously restored while also paying homage to teak-adorned, colonial-era appointments. Perched at an altitude of nearly 4,200ft in central Sri Lanka, guests enjoy splendid far-reaching views of stunning tea fields against the backdrop of mountains. Dedicated butlers ensure top-notch service that even includes a personal wake-up call accompanied by the colonial tradition of Bed Tea. Elegant fare at Tea Trails straddles both English and Sri Lankan-style cuisine, where four-course dinners creatively marry contemporary and colonial flavors. And of course, you’ll get to enjoy time-honored tea traditions in the resort’s impeccably groomed English-styled gardens. In between tea breaks, the resort offers tea making tours, hiking, mountain biking, croquet, tennis and white water rafting.

AZERAI CAN THO Can Tho, Vietnam Located on a tributary in the Mekong Delta, Azerai Can Tho flips the script on what defines a stylish and luxurious Asian resort. Accessible only by boat, the resort is set upon quiet surroundings studded with looming banyan trees and beautifully manicured grounds. Situated close to the buzzing waterside city of Can Tho, the Mekong Delta’s largest city, you’ll find dazzlingly colorful floating fish, fruit and produce markets, rice farming and traditional marketplace commerce that has remained unchanged for generations. Azerai Can Tho features two restaurants that serve both Vietnamese and western fare using locallysourced produce. The resort also features a central courtyard with a large pool, access to bicycles, full-complement of spa treatments and fitness center.

Azerai Can Tho - Can Tho, Vietnam atj.com

7

CATCH UP WITH OUR TRAVEL EXPERTS thing to do and there’s no better way to discover your own strength than a situation where you’re relying on yourself 100% in such an independent manner.

We interview two ATJ Travel Experts, who have spent considerable time traveling around the world, to learn more about their love of travel while also collecting some valuable tips and lessons from their overseas experiences.

There’s also a liberating sense to being able to make decisions and realize that those decisions are final. Want to spend a morning seeing museums? Go for it. Want to take a stroll around temples? That works, too. It’s all about you and your independence.

KATIE WEILAND: EMBRACING SOLO FEMALE TRAVEL Katie Weiland’s love for travel began when she was a child. Deeply infused in her upbringing, seeing the world was a persistent experience that was shared with and treasured by her family. Her wanderlust continued to blossom during a semester studying abroad in Costa Rica. After graduating from college, her path led her to the mountains of Breckenridge, Colorado. Concerned about embarking upon a career that prevented her from continuing her travels, she stumbled upon a travel-related position at ATJ. 12 years later, Katie is still savoring immersion in different cultures and adventurous travel experiences while also professionally helping others to do just the same.

There is a wonderful sense of heightened awareness. Since you’re responsible for everything, you tend to be more aware of surroundings and since there’s no distraction from others traveling with you, you soak in more of the sights and experiences.

“ TRAVELING SOLO IS INCREDIBLY EMPOWERING.”

One of Katie’s areas of expertise is solo female travel. Solo travel is an amazing opportunity to reconnect with yourself. It’s an approach to travel that could be as self-indulgent, adventurous, relaxing or educational as YOU would like. The emphasis is clearly on you since your expectations, desires and concerns are the only ones that need to be met.

We sat down with Katie to explore why solo female travel can be such a transformative experience, and to learn more about her recommendations for making sure your trip is a safe and positive one.

ATJ: Why should women travel solo?

Katie: Traveling solo is incredibly empowering. It’s such a confidence-boosting 8

Ultimately, we all pay a lot to travel, so - it’s great to go it alone and make it your own trip.

You’ll connect to yourself more and simply do what you want to do.

ATJ: How was your first solo travel experience different than other travel experiences with a group?

Katie: Oh, it was definitely a little intimidating on my first international trip as a single traveler! I discovered that there was so much more “me” time. While a trip with friends or family might be a little more extroverted – you go out more at night and consistently have folks around you can converse with – I found traveling solo to be a much more introverted. I could go to my room in the evening and spend time meditating by myself rather than go out. I found this internal connection to be great! This alone made it such a different experience than traveling with a group.

Journey | Summer 2019

I also found myself feeling so much more independent. Your confidence gets nurtured as you continually rely on yourself. The decisions are freely yours to make. It’s really a different mindset than traveling with others.

ATJ: What specific considerations and safety precautions should women take if they’re traveling alone?

Katie: When you travel alone, you do have to take precautions. Admittedly, there are more considerations to make if you’re a woman.

For example, hiring a single guide to lead you on a multi-day hike through a remote jungle probably wouldn’t be the safest thing to do as a woman, and neither would going out to bars alone late at night. You’ll also find that in some regions of the world, Asia as an example, the etiquette for women might be quite a bit more stringent than it is for men. Things like the style of your attire and physical touching will have different connotations depending on where you travel. As a result, it pays to research your destination so that you’re aware of appropriate customs and behavior for women.

As always, you should be aware of your surroundings. Regardless of whether you’re alone or with a guide, it’s best to be constantly in-tune with what’s happening around you.

As a woman, it’s important to be aware of any potential danger. This is something we all should do regardless of whether we’re in Boulder or Bangkok.

Lastly, if you’re a female traveling solo, companies like ATJ make traveling solo so much easier. I have one female client who was interested in traveling to Myanmar solo, but she had concerns about safety. I reassured her that our in-country partners were focused on her safety and comfort. We also have many wonderful female guides that love accompanying solo travelers and are similarly like-minded with their travel habits. Not only are you helping to support a female guide, you’re developing a great connection with

Thërë ïß å wøñdërfül ßëñßë øf hëïghtëñëd åwårëñëßß

atj.com

9

someone. My client booked the trip on the spot and had a blast.

About Katie Weiland Katie holds degrees in Sociology and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin. A love of travel and different cultures began in early childhood and was further indulged in a semester abroad studying in Costa Rica where she soaked up its culture. An abiding love of animals has defined Katie since childhood: she's been a dedicated vegetarian (and sometimes vegan) since the age of 12, and is an impassioned supporter of animal rights. It's her dream come true to be able to share her passion for travel, specifically for Asia, animals and how global connections shape our understanding of each other.

TOM LASTICK: SQUEEZING THE MOST OUT OF TRAVEL Tom’s taste for travel begin with a year abroad in Australia during college. Bitten by the bug, a planned trip to Bali evolved into an unplanned, months-long adventure throughout Southeast Asia. While his academic degree would have led him toward life as a certified public accountant, his passion for travel steered him toward a career with ATJ where he has become one of their most respected and knowledgeable travel authorities on Asia and beyond for more than two decades.

We caught up with Tom shortly after he arrived home from a trip to Australia visiting a friend he met during a college year abroad.

Being on the road as often as he is, we wanted to capture a few of his travel-wisdom nuggets before he jetted off again.

ATJ: How did you get the travel bug?

Tom: My dad passed away when I was 19 years old while I was at college. We were pretty close and it was a tough time. I felt the need to experience something different and that’s when I discovered an opportunity to go abroad in Australia for a full year. I had never been out of the United States before and looking back, that year definitely charted my life on a different course.

After getting back to the states and graduating, I got a work visa and returned to Sydney for another year. I was working young-person jobs, going to the beach and just generally being a bit of a bum. I saved up some money and decided to go to Bali for two weeks since I had heard so much about this majestic island. On the way, I met other travelers who were island hopping, so I decided to tag along. It became a bit of a lifestyle - I ended up island hopping for a good two-and-a-half months, made it all the way to Singapore, went up the Malay Peninsula, through Thailand and ultimately flew home from Bangkok. This totally opened my eyes to travel.

ATJ: How have personal connections during travel shaped your experiences?

Tom: I’ve retained so many meaningful connections from travel. As an example, I’ve kept in touch with that roommate from my year abroad in Australia during college. We’re still in super close contact – every few years, he’ll come out here to visit with his kids and I’ll go visit him in Australia with my kids who are the same age. His kids refer to me as “Uncle” and we practically consider each other to be

family now. I can pretty much say that I met my best friend while traveling.

Travel also presents so many opportunities to meet other travelers. I’m not the most outgoing person in the world. Granted, I’m not particularly shy – but I wouldn’t be the first person to strike up a conversation with a stranger. However, I’ve found that while traveling, especially solo, I’m transported outside of my comfort zone and unless I want to be a loner, I’m forced to strike up conversations with others. As a result, I learn more about people traveling than most any other time

“ WHILE TRAVELING...

I’M TRANSPORTED OUTSIDE OF MY COMFORT ZONE.” ATJ: What is your single best bit of advice for travelers seeking to make their trips more enjoyable?

Tom: Before you leave for your trip, have everything at home squared away. Whether it’s a work project, care for your dog, your house, kids… whatever. Just make sure they’re all wrapped up with so that you don’t have to worry about it. Once you’re gone, you’re in your travel mode and not with one foot in each world.

It’s hard to have a genuine experience when you’re checking emails, getting harassed with work requests or receiving text messages that your dog ran away – and trust me, I’ve had all of these things happen! When I look back across my trips, the best ones are when I get back to work and discover that I have no idea what I was working on just because when I traveled, I was so disconnected that I simply forgot.

About Tom Lastick Tom has traveled to more than 50 countries and nearly everywhere in Asia and the Pacific. A Colorado native, he graduated magna cum laude from the University of Colorado. Tom was bitten by the travel bug during a year abroad in Australia during the mid-90s. A planned two-week trip to Bali became a three-month sojourn throughout SE Asia, and the beginning of a lifelong love of the region and its people.

10

Journey | Summer 2019

BOOKS TO TRAVEL BY

BEYOND THE SKY AND THE EARTH: A JOURNEY INTO BHUTAN

THE GLASS PALACE: A NOVEL

Jamie Zeppa

Amitav Ghosh

For some, life beckons with the promise of something different, adventurous and new.

Canadian author, Jamie Zeppa, answers this call in dramatic fashion. As a 24-year old graduate student unsure of her destiny and who has never been overseas, she agrees to an English teaching opportunity in the remote Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan. Zeppa regales with a recounting of her transformative journey, struggles with adapting to an isolated, foreign culture, hardships, unexpected and forbidden love, and delivers delicate prose that whisks the reader to the lush and beautiful landscapes of Bhutan. Beyond the Sky and the Earth is a profound story of self-discovery through travel and welcoming of the unknown.

The Glass Palace is a fictional tale of three generations of Indian families ranging from 1885 through the 1990s. The intermingled paths of the cast spans the history of Burma (Myanmar), India and Malay during tumultuous times that include the end of the Konbaung Dynasty in Mandalay, the second world war to the emergence of Myanmar’s fragile democracy. Intricately written and superbly researched, Ghosh weaves an epic tale with extraordinary characters that entertains as much as it educates, producing a pinnacle work that defines what the historicfiction genre ought to be.

atj.com

YOKOHAMA YANKEE: MY FAMILY’S FIVE GENERATIONS AS OUTSIDERS IN JAPAN Leslie Helm Born and raised in Yokohama, Author Leslie Helm eloquently articulates the story of his adoption of two Japanese orphans. His path of discovery examines five generations of his own family’s rich history which straddles both Asian and Caucasian identity and spans genealogy that touches Yokohama, Germany and the United States. Helm engagingly captures the myriad of cultural, racial and social conflicts resulting from his background, while providing a unique take on Japanese culture, society and politics from the perspective of someone who is both an outsider and insider. Helm’s tale connects nonfiction, personal discovery, history and culture into a wonderful novel.

11

12

Journey | Summer 2019

THE

Süßtåïñåblë Fåßhïøñ OF THE BLACK HMONG

A sunrise in Sapa is a sight to behold. The morning’s first traces of light pierce the darkness of overlapping hillsides and valleys. Long shadows cast by rice field terraces give way to lush greens and brilliant yellows. The canvas before your eyes is rapidly painted by strokes of the sun’s rays. And, before you know it, a completed masterpiece has unfolded.

Keep Reading

atj.com

13

L

ocated approximately 215 miles from Hanoi, the small mountainous village of Sapa is tucked into the northwestern corner of Vietnam in Lao Cai Province. Perched high atop the Hoang Lien Son mountain range along the Chinese border, Sapa has long enjoyed an isolation which has helped to preserve the culture of various ethnic hill tribes that inhabit the region.

The Black Hmong people, one of five ethnic groups in Sapa (the others being Xa Pho, Giay, Tay and Dao), are believed to have immigrated from China nearly 300 years ago, making the region’s ethnicity distinctly different from the lowland areas throughout the rest of Vietnam.

A unique aspect of Hmong culture is the relative equality between men and women.

Not only do they hold considerable weight in decision making at family and tribal levels, you’ll find women actively participating in grueling farm work, harvesting, field maintenance, in addition to being adeptly skilled at traditional embroidery, which is an integral component of the Black Hmong cultural identity.

throughout the region and is abundant on Black Hmong village grounds. After being cultivated, the fibrous hemp is dried and hand torn into long narrow strips. Eventually, the strips are combined into longer continuous thread strands and further hand processed before finally being boiled, bleached and rolled onto thread spools.

Using a loom, the thread is woven into sheets.

These creamy-white blank sheets of cloth are then ready for painting. The Hmong use melted beeswax to paint the negative areas of their design (areas that will retain the natural white of the fabric.) This technique, known as Batik Painting, prevents dye from being soaked into portions of the fabric that were painted with the wax.

“SAPA HAS LONG ENJOYED AN ISOLATION WHICH HAS HELPED TO PRESERVE THE The Hmong are easy to spot among the rolling hills of Sapa. Attired in colorful indigo-dyed CULTURE OF VARIOUS hemp cloth, blouses adorned with batik flowers, leg-wraps, aprons, long scarves and ETHNIC HILL TRIBES hair intertwined with multi-colored turbans, the ornate nature of traditional Hmong THAT INHABIT THE costume is such that you might assume villagers were dressed up to attract tourists.

REGION.” Travel deeper into the region, you’ll find the traditional attire to actually be worn by all – boys, girls, women and men alike.

While the Black Hmong are one of the few remaining ethnic groups in Vietnam to sustainably produce all of their own clothing, they are also exceptionally fashionconscience and masters at producing stunning, individually-tailored outfits using nothing but traditional embroidery methods, weaving and hand-made metallic accoutrements. Families each display their eco-fashion prowess by embroidering their own family’s pattern, which have been passed down through generations, onto their traditional dress.

Style and clothing is so entrenched in Black Hmong culture that tribal girls are taught various traditional embroidery and sewing techniques as early as 5 years of age.

The importance of this skill culminates in adulthood with a woman’s attire essentially being a résumé of sorts. The intricacy, detail, quality and fit of the outfit is representative of the woman’s talent, capability and creativity.

Once the Batik Painting is completed, the Hmong dye the fabric in a rich blue which is derived from locally harvested indigo leaves. Controlling the intensity of the blue is accomplished by repeated dye applications until the perfect shade is achieved. Finally, the nearly completed fabric will be further decorated with complex cross-stitch patterns before it’s ready for use to make clothing.

As tourism to Sapa has increased over the years, so has international recognition of Black Hmong fabrics, style and intricate designs. Embroidered tribal patterns have found their way into modern attire, giving exposure to this artisanal tradition to a brand new generation. Despite increasing exposure to the industrialized, outside-world, the Black Hmong still produce the vast majority of their own clothes using the very same sustainable methods that have been in practice for generations.

What specifically makes Black Hmong clothing eco-friendly and sustainable? Their clothing fiber is made from hemp, a plant that is grown 14

Journey | Summer 2019

atj.com

15

MUST TRY Åßïåñ Swïllß Asia’s dynamic booze culture is rooted in both long-standing tradition and modern reinvention.

16

BIA HOI

BANGCHANG

SOJU

Vietnam

Bhutan

South Korea

Bia Hoi, a light draft beer, is more that just a brew in Vietnam – it’s a culture. After work, you’ll find the locals seated on plastic stools at road-side breweries. You’ll need to down more than a few mugs of bia hoi to get your buzz since the brew is generally less than 3% alcohol. But, at just 25 cents per mug, who’s counting?

Bhutanese love their whisky and there’s even a craft brew scene in the kingdom, but – it’s bangchang, an undistilled swill made from wheat, barley or maize and fermented with yeast, that really captures Bhutan’s everyday past and life as a villager. Served hot from bamboo containers, bangchang is typically homemade and is often served during traditional religious ceremonies.

South Korea has the reputation of being Asia’s booziest culture. If so, soju is the life of the party. While soju was traditionally consumed during New Year to drive away illness and bad karma, the distilled beverage (generally made from rice, barley, wheat or even potatoes) is now a ubiquitous part of evening meals and family gatherings.

JAPANESE WHISKY

FILIPINO RUM

HUANGJIU

Japan

Philipines

China

Sake may be the booze most associated with Japan, but it’s whisky that’s getting all of the buzz now. Connoisseurs of fine Scotch are increasingly recognizing Japanese whisky as the pinnacle of the craft. Using methods similar to the production of single-malt Scotch, the Japanese have honed in on a spirit with a character all its own. The end result? In 2014, a Japanese singlemalt (Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask) unseated Scotch to be ranked the best whisky in the world.

Rum may conjure up the vibes of steelpan melodies and conga beats, but its origins can actually be traced back to Asia, well before production began in the Caribbean.

Derived from sugarcane, a native crop in the Philippines and also throughout the Malay Peninsula, traditional Filipino rums are generally tangier, slightly bitter and less smooth than western rums. A handful of artisanal distilleries are now bucking this stereotypical trend with sophisticated and highly drinkable offerings like Don Papa’s 10year old small-batch, oak barrel aged rum.

Huangjiu, considered one of the oldest alcoholic beverages in the world, is a semisweet wine brewed from glutinous rice with wheat, often paired with food and used in Chinese dishes. Chinese folklore attributes its creation to Du Kang, the god of Chinese alcohol. Early alcohol purveyors performed ceremonies to honor Du Kang by slaughtering pigs and pouring ladles of the brew on altars in his honor. If you’d like to pay homage, we suggest simply tipping your glass to Du Kang and skipping the swine sacrifice.

Journey | Summer 2019

As with many Asian cultures, there’s an etiquette to drinking soju in South Korea. Someone else must pour your soju and it’s respectful to receive the pour while holding your glass with both hands.

atj.com

17

18

Journey | Summer 2019

SPICE OF

LIFE The Role of Cuisine in Indian Culture

Keep Reading

atj.com

19

O pleasant Food, O Food of meath, thee have we chosen for our own, so be kind protector thou. Come hitherward to us, O Food, auspicious with auspicious help, health-bringing, not unkind, a dear and guileless friend.

–HYMN CLXXXVII: Praise of Food

CHINA

KASHMIR

A F G H A N I S TA N

PUNJAB

PA K I S TA N MUGHAL

N E PA L

RAJASTHAN

T

his passage from the Praise of Food hymn in the Rigveda Samhita, an ancient Indian volume of 1,028 Sanskrit hymns, underscores the fundamental importance of food in Indian spirituality, culture and tradition. Culinary sustenance was considered so integral to life, food itself was deemed to be Prajapati, the lord of all born beings. In today’s India, food remains central to the identity of most Indians.

A meal with family, considered one of the day’s most vital activities, is an opportunity to bond with other family members. It’s why Indian dishes are styled to be easily shared.

The characterization of a cuisine style being identified as “Indian food” is quite insufficient.

Having been transformed by a millennia of turmoil that includes invasions, revolution, religion and conquest, cuisine in India has been influenced by Middle Eastern, Persian and Asian flavors. No single state or region in India fully represents the wide-swath of culinary style, tradition and heritage that exists in India.

Culinary style ranges greatly depending on where you are. For example, large areas of the country are predominantly vegetarian due to Islamic, Hindu or Jain influences. Other regions heavily integrate cheese and milk into their dishes, while others leverage use of seafood due to proximity to bodies of water.

Regardless of region, the basic foundations of Indian cuisine revolve around aromatic basmati rice, beans, lentils, peas, spinach, potatoes, onion, garlic, tomatoes, and – of course – a variety of exotic spices, including turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, cloves, cardamom and saffron, which truly exemplify the personality of Indian cuisine.

To fully understand why the term “Indian Food” is perhaps too simplistic, let’s explore the wide range of cuisine types found throughout India and how these regional flavors are distinct and different.

RAJASTHANI CUISINE Rajasthan, known as the Land of the Kings, is India’s largest state. The abundance of forts and palaces in the region makes the state’s regal heritage plainly evident. The harsh and arid desert climate of Rajasthan has a direct influence on the style of cooking in this region, but has little affect on the desirability and flavor of its cuisine. Scarcity of fresh fruits,

20

BANGLADESH

N E PA L G U J A R AT

WEST BENGAL

INDIA

M YA N M A R

THAILAND

INDIA B AY O F B E N G A L

vegetables and water has led to the dishes with a base of dried lentils and legumes that are rehydrated with milk, butter and ghee (clarified butter.) To balance out the lack of fresh ingredients, the vegetarian-based Rajasthani cuisine is heavily spiced.

Some of the most notable dishes in Rajasthan are: Dal baati churma: Ground wheat cooked in ghee (churma) over smashed lentil curry (dal) served with unleavened bread (baati.)

Ker sangri: A slightly tangy, desert-grown wild berry (ker) and bean pods (snagri) from the Kherji tree.

Laal: A unique departure for a region most noted for vegetarian cuisine, laal translates to “red meat.” The Rajasthani laal preparation is generally marinated mutton smothered with onions, chilis and garlic served in an intense curry.

MUGHLAI CUISINE The Mughals, a dynasty that is directly descendent from Genghis Kahn, ruled India from 1426 to 1857. This era of Indian history infused the subcontinent with a number of butter-based curries and intense spices. The Mughal’s Hindu and Muslim persuasion ruled out the use of pork and beef, instead opting for goat, poultry, venison and vegetarian dishes.

Mughlai cuisine can be found mostly in northern India around Delhi. Thick, creamy and indulgent, Mughlai curries are often flavored with cinnamon, saffron, cardamom and nutmeg and are served with bread and rice.

Dishes that most represent Mughlai style are: Biryani: A rice dish generally served with chicken, goat or vegetables, along with nuts, Journey | Summer 2019

dried fruits, loads of spices and onions.

Kebab: Mughlai preparation of kebabs is generally minced mutton, spices and onions grilled to sizzling perfection.

Roghni Naan: A popular flat bread made with yogurt, flour, eggs and spices. It’s the perfect accompaniment for curries and paneer recipes.

PUNJABI CUISINE The Punjab region, in Northern India and partially in Pakistan, features cuisine that is rooted in masalas (spice), ghee, wheat, milk and butter. Land throughout the region has long been known as the bread-basket of India due to a focus on wheat crops, making Punjabi bread-items some of the best in the country.

Central to Punjabi cuisine is preparation of food in a tandoor, a cylindrical clay oven that is often found outside most Punjabi homes. This versatile device is used to prepare everything from naan, roti and other bread-based foods, in addition to classics like tandoori chicken.

Fast becoming one of the most popular types of Indian cuisine, here are some classic preparations: Tandoori Chicken: Chicken marinated in spices and yogurt, roasted in a tandoor.

Parantha: An unleavened, whole wheat flatbread that is generally shallow fried. This bread is a staple item throughout the Punjab region.

Lassi: This Punjabi treat is a sweet yogurt drink, often flavored with fruit juices, rosewater or sugar.

SOUTHERN INDIAN CUISINE Southern India spans five states where spice and vegetarian preparations reign supreme in local cuisine. Unlike other regions of the

Ø plëåßåñt Føød Ø Føød øf mëåth thëë håvë wë çhøßëñ før øür øwñ ßø bë kïñd prøtëçtør thøü Çømë hïthërwård tø üß Ø Føød åüßpïçïøüß wïth åüßpïçïøüß hëlp hëålth brïñgïñg ñøt üñkïñd Å dëår åñd güïlëlëßß frïëñd

HYMN CLXXXVII: PRAISE OF FOOD

atj.com

21

22

Journey | Summer 2019

Indian subcontinent where vegetables are stewed in curries for lengthy periods of time, south Indian dishes tend to highlight lightly steamed or fresh vegetables. Another notable difference is the south’s use of less milk, butter and ghee, producing dishes that are generally less rich and heavy.

The poster-child of southern Indian cuisine is undoubtedly the dosa, a thin, crispy crepelike pancake made from fermented batter, generally stuffed with spiced potatoes and served with ghee and chutney.

Here are some other delicious southern treats to try: Idlis: Steamed rice cakes made from fermented rice (or lentil) and served with chutney. This light fare is a common staple during breakfasts in southern India.

Sambar: A fiery vegetable stew with lentils, red chilies, curry leaves and spices.

Kaapi: Coffee, grown in southern India, brewed, filtered and mixed with milk. Strained between two cups, the coffee forms a nice, frothy head.

fare reigns supreme in Bengal, the region’s snacks, sweets and confections equally deserve center stage billing.

The landscape throughout Bengal is rich and lush, providing a fertile environment for fruit and vegetables to be grown year round. The proximity to the sea makes fish, crabs and prawns readily available. The combination of fresh seafood, fruits and vegetables drives Bengali cuisine to be some of the more vibrant and distinctive as compared to other regions.

Here are some traditional Bengali dishes: Aloo Potol Posto: Potatoes with potol (Indian Gherkin) mixed with a masala of poppy seeds, coconut, spices and green chilies.

Ilish Macher Jhol: A rich fish curry infused with green chilies and mustard oil. The curry isn’t over-spiced to allow the flavors of the fish to carry the dish.

Shukto: A medley of fresh produce, including bitter gourd, carrot, eggplant, green beans, potato, banana and radish stewed in spices and milk.

GUJARATI CUISINE

KASHMIRI CUISINE The Kashmir Valley abuts the awe-inspiring Himalayan mountain range in northeastern India. A rugged and hardy terrain, meat (with the exception of beef) is fundamental component of most Kashmiri cuisine, which follows Muslim influence.

A major component of Kashmiri culture and identity is a formal, multi-course meal called Wazwan. In this community ritual, a massive spread of 36 dishes (most of which are meatbased) is prepared and presented to guests who enjoy the meal on tramis, or large metal plates.

Kashmiri cuisine may not have the popularity or attention of other Indian cuisine styles, like Punjabi, but its delicacies are just as indulgent.

Here are a few notable Kashmiri dishes: Rogan Josh: A signature Kashmiri dish of lamb (or goat) braised in a stew made with ghee, aromatic spices, garlic, onion and, on occasion, yogurt.

Gujarat occupies the westernmost portion of the Indian subcontinent and possesses a long coastline along the Arabian Sea. Despite it’s access to fresh seafood, the region’s followers of Jain culture and spirituality motivate a predominantly vegetarian diet, resulting in a regional cuisine culture that leverages accessible vegetables and spices. A distinguishing characteristic of Gujarati cuisine is its approach to introducing disparate flavors in an attempt to balance sweet, spicy and salty.

Gujarati Samosa: A tangy, sweet and spicy, fried dough dumpling that is stuffed with peas.

Gujarati Kadhi: A semi-sweet yogurt-based curry that is a staple in most Gujarati homes.

Bardoli ki Khichdi: A rice and dal dish that includes potatoes, green peas, mango, onion and a variety of spices.

Gushtaba: Tender minced mutton meatball cooked in spiced yogurt. This dish signals the end of the Wazwan feast.

Tabakh Maaz: Lamb ribs slow cooked in milk with spices and seared with ghee.

BENGALI CUISINE

Traditional cooking on open fire in a rural village.

Wedged in between the Bay of Bengal and the Himalayas, the state of West Bengal resides in the Eastern portion of the Indian subcontinent. While delicious seafood-centric atj.com

23

24

Journey | Summer 2019

GHOST OF THE FOREST SEARCHING FOR INDIA’S MELANISTIC LEOPARD

“A black shadow dropped down into the circle. It was Bagheera the Black Panther, inky black all over, but with the panther markings showing up in certain lights like the pattern of watered silk. Everybody knew Bagheera, and nobody cared to cross his path, for he was as cunning as Tabaqui, as bold as the wild buffalo, and as reckless as the wounded elephant. But he had a voice as soft as wild honey dripping from a tree, and a skin softer than down.”

-Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books.

James Doolittle’s jeep inches forward on a rutted dirt path under Nagarhole National Park’s lush, 30-meter tall jungle canopy. The park, along with its neighboring Bandipur Tiger Reserve, are collectively part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in the Mysore district of southwestern India. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the park is home to a variety of fauna, flora and tribal groups, but today – James’s eyes are intently peeled for the rare and elusive melanistic leopard, also known as a black leopard and popularized by Bagheera, the reliable mentor and friend of Mowgli in Rudyard Kipling’s, The Jungle Books.

The jeep rolls to a stop at the command of James’s ranger guide. Dust clings to the air, but steadily dissipates. The quiet purr of the jeep’s engine softly sings in concert with the melody of a nearby Malabar Whistling Thrush. James glances around the jungle, struggling to see movement. He notices that both his guide and driver have gazes affixed further down the path at an outcropping of teak and silver oak trees.

James strains to see what they have spotted.

Then, a slight rustling of the leaves and movement. His pulse quickens with excitement.

Could this actually be Bagheera?

The rarity of black leopard sightings has rendered the creature to near cult status.

Commonly referred to as the “Ghost of the Forest”, there is a common misconception

that black leopards are a species of their own. Rather, it is simply a leopard with a gene mutation known as melanism, which is believed to be hereditary. Melanistic animals have excessive melanin, a black pigment, that produces a coat of shiny, dark fur. A black leopard may be born to a litter of normally pigmented leopards and technically still has black spots, but they’re hidden in a sea of black fur.

While melanism research is ongoing, a link between improved immunity, high-altitude adaptation and increased responsiveness of the nervous system have been established in melanistic leopards over their normalpigmented brethren. Research has also shown that black leopards mating with normal leopards produce offspring that are either all completely melanistic or a combination of black and normal-pigmented leopards, but never offspring that are totally normal-pigmented.

Melanistic leopards are most commonly found in dense jungle environments with solid canopies that filter out sunlight. While it was originally thought that melanistic leopards spent most of their time hunting in the dead of the night, researchers have discovered that it is actually easier for prey to spot leopards that are solidly black versus ones that have normal marking patterns. As a result, melanistic leopards focus their hunting in lowlight conditions on the jungle floor, where their dark fur helps to camouflage their appearance on the ground as they hunt for deer, hare and langurs.

An estimated 11% of all leopards in the world are melanistic, yet these uniquely pigmented animals are exceptionally rare to spot. Once reports of local sightings ripple through the community, it’s not uncommon for locals to fly in from Bangalore in hopes of catching a glimpse. One of the most recent sightings atj.com

occurred in the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in the Maharshtra state of India in March of 2019, just a few weeks after a sighting occurred in Kenya. The last prior known human sighting of a melanistic leopard in India was in May of 2018. However, with camera traps being increasingly placed in known habitats, recorded appearances of the leopard have been on the increase.

James’s jeep rolls forward a few more feet before it stops again. The guide points up at a nearby silver oak tree. A leopard, gazes nonchalantly toward the group of men, lounging peacefully on an oak trunk. Its orange coat, speckled with dark spots, momentarily disappoints James, but the sensation quickly dissipates as the regal nature of the creature is still an awe-inspiring sight.

A different leopard creeps forward slowly, deep in the throws of hunting a herd of deer. Langoor monkeys overhead sound an alarm with a pervasive grunting and howling, betraying the leopard’s slow advance. Defeated, the leopard crosses the path of James’s jeep before retreating into the forest.

This safari in Nagarhole National Park netted unforgettable experiences that included five tiger sightings and the excitement of being in the middle of a leopard’s hunt, a thrill by any standard. The melanistic leopard’s elusiveness proved true that day. Sightings of its silky black coat and slippery movement remain witness by only a lucky few. James vows to return, as many have, for another chance at a glimpse of this majestic, coveted beast.

James Doolittle is a Travel Coordinator for ATJ. Having lived in Europe and South America, his adventures have spanned 28 countries on 4 continents.

He hopes to one day catch a sighting of the melanistic leopard during his travels.

25

S u s ta i n a bl e S e a f o od : Solutions for a

CRISIS IN 26

Journey | Summer 2019

N THE SEA Keep Reading atj.com

27

O

ne of the most delectable experiences, in our opinion, is feasting on fresh seafood.

Whether you’re a fan of Japanese nigiri made with fresh bluefin tuna and a touch of wasabi, or an authentic Thai red coconut shrimp curry, you’ve no doubt indulged in a vast array of different types of seafood and enjoyed flavorful cultural approaches to its preparation.

Unfortunately, the demand generated by our collective consumption has produced alarming detriment to seafood stocks in the ocean. The World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) has cited this situation as one that will have long-lasting devastation on our marine ecosystem.

Overfishing is now the most imminent hazard to the world’s delicate ocean ecosystems.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the livelihood of nearly 12% of the world population relies on fisheries and aquaculture.

Well over half of our world population sources their animal protein from seafood. While these numbers may seem astronomical, in the microcosm of Southeast Asia, the reliance on seafood is actually much higher.

It is estimated that 64% of Southeast Asian fisheries are at risk of being overfished.

Overfishing arises once fish (or other marine life) are harvested at a faster rate than they

28

can reproduce, thereby producing a steadily declining population. Overfishing occurs for a number of reasons, but more often than not, it’s due to increased demand for specific types of seafood or illegal fishing practices.

To sum up bluntly, the WWF declares that “our oceans are now facing a global crisis as more and more people compete for fewer and fewer fish.” With overfishing depleting fish stock across the world, the impact of unsustainable fishing practices not only affects the population of marine-life, it impacts the well-being of an untold millions of citizens in developing nations who work in the industry and also rely on seafood for sustenance. As grim as the circumstance sounds, there is a burgeoning sustainable fishing industry, in addition to things we, as consumers, can do to influence businesses that make seafood available to consumers.

“OUR OCEANS ARE NOW FACING A GLOBAL CRISIS” Journey | Summer 2019

WHAT IS BEING DONE? The following are just a few examples of large-scale initiatives promoting sustainable fishing practices JAPAN STEPS TOWARD CHANGE As an island nation, Japan is unsurprisingly one of the largest consumers of fish and seafood in the world. The country has set its sights, through the actions of NGOs such as Ocean Outcomes Japan, to introduce sustainable fishing practices by establishing harvest limits for Pacific Bluefin tuna and implementation of stringent guidelines for aquaculture to ensure sustainable practices in fisheries.

While Japan struggles with the stigma of illegal whaling practices and recent negative publicity from documentaries like, The Cove, these sustainability initiatives are steps toward positive change.

MAGNUSON-STEVENS ACT Colorful fresh fish in the market in Okinawa, Japan

A fishing ship in the Andaman Sea in Thailand

The United States is currently the leader in sustainable fishing practices. Regulations, like the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, aim to protect ocean marinelife populations in addition to establish guidelines for fisheries management to promote increased fish stock and sustainable fishery practices.

The U.S. is also one of the world’s largest seafood importers, which gives the country some sway in influencing fishing and fishery standards globally. Programs, such as The Seafood Import Monitoring Program, institute a comprehensive reporting and recordkeeping program to identify and guard against illegal, unreported and unregulated seafood from entering the U.S. marketplace.

These government policies serve to help influence the global market and are also used as a template for other governments seeking to implement their own sustainability regulations.

ENVIRONMENT DEFENSE FUND The Environmental Defense Fund, a major worldwide environmental organization comprised of two million members, including scientists, economists and policy experts, is actively working to address overfishing. Its approach takes into consideration fishing rights, interests of the individual fisherman and their livelihood and the long-term sustainability of fisheries.

The EDF is actively working with the Philippines, one of the largest fish producing nations in the world. Currently, 10 out of 13 fishing grounds and fisheries in the Philippines are overfished and nearing depletion.

The objective of the EDF is to establish smarter management systems that reform fishery practices while also ensuring their longterm success.

MARINE STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an international organization that has established a fishery certification program identifying and rewarding sustainable fishing practices for businesses, while also influencing the general population’s awareness of the global seafood crisis.

The MSC’s steadily increasing global partnership includes companies like Walmart, McDonald’s, IKEA, TESCO, Hilton Hotels and Aldi to ensure that seafood offerings are MSC certified for sustainability.

WHAT CAN I DO? A study funded by the National Science Foundation and conducted by the National Center of Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) predicts the collapse of all seafood fisheries by the year 2050 if current fishing practices are maintained.

While change will be challenging, it’s feasible and the impact is measurable. Boris Worm, lead author of the NCEAS study, states: “We can turn this around. But less than 1 percent

atj.com

29

of the global ocean is effectively protected right now. We won't see complete recovery in one year, but in many cases species come back more quickly than people anticipated—in 3 to 10 years. And where this has been done, we see immediate economic benefits.”

There are a number of things that you, as a consumer, can do.

KNOW YOUR SEAFOOD Becoming aware of which types of seafood are overfished and which are abundant is a great first step in influencing demand and avoiding species that are at risk of depletion.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program provides wallet-sized consumer guides that identify seafood in particular regions that are abundant versus those that are overfished.

You can access these guides at: www. seafoodwatch.org or download their mobile phone app titled: “Seafood Watch.”

SPEAK UP FOR SUSTAINABILITY Businesses listen to consumers. If a restaurant or supermarket provides access to sustainable products, vote for those products with your wallet. When you rate a business by writing a review, commend their selection of sustainable choices. Your voice and buying habits directly influences the types of products that businesses opt to provide to their customers.

KNOW WHERE TO PURCHASE YOUR SEAFOOD A number of supermarkets are paving the way toward increasing availability of sustainable seafood options, either by implementing their own standards or by partnering with global organizations like the Marine Stewardship Council and adhering to their sustainability certification standards.

A recent ranking, performed by Greenpeace, identifies how 22 major supermarkets in the United States rank in terms of seafood sustainability. The top ten were as follows: 1. Whole Foods Market 2. Hy-Vee 3. ALDI 4. Target 5. Giant Eagle

6. Wegmans 7. Albertsons Companies 8. Sprouts Farmers Market 9. Ahold Delhaize 10. Meijer

Research your own local supermarkets to get a sense of their efforts toward providing sustainable seafood product options.

30

Journey | Summer 2019

atj.com

31

Fëåtürëd P høtøß SHOTS FROM OUR TRAVELERS & STAFF ON THEIR ATJ JOURNEYS

In this issue of Journey, we’re sharing photos of our staff’s adventures around the world while on ATJ journeys. In the next issue, we’ll publish YOUR photos! Submit a photo and a 50 word description, including the location, to travel@atj.com for your chance to be featured in the next issue of Journey.

32

Journey | Summer 2019

Rebecca Mazzaro A rural kitchen in Rohet, India.

atj.com

James Doolittle A Vietnamese woman works in a field.

Max Smith A misty horse ride through a Mongolian forest.

33

PAPUA NEW GUINEA FEATURED GROUP TRIP

GROUP TRIP: MT. HAGEN SING-SING

10 days from $9,975

J F M A M J J A S O N D

GROUP TRIP: TUMBUNA SING-SING

EXOTIC. MESMERIZING. EXUBERANT. Home to many of the world’s most isolated tribes, each practicing their own cultural traditions amid rugged mountains, thundering waterfalls, dazzling reef systems and an abundance of colorful birds and beasts, Papua New Guinea is the Holy Grail of immersive cultural travel. To best experience this unique destination, we recommend traveling in a Small Group Trip led by an experienced, well-connected Tour Leader.

11 days from $10,265

• Access traditional villages along Karawari’s remote waterways

J F M A M J J A S O N D

• Enjoy fantastic birding opportunities amidst wondrous settings

Detailed itineraries at atj.com/trip-finder

• Meet exotic tribes such as Asaro Mudmen and Huli Wigmen • Marvel at authentic tribal handicrafts, straight from the source • Tour with an expert on Papua New Guinea’s tribal culture, flora and fauna • Immerse yourself in your choice of colorful local festivals

34

Journey | Summer 2019

atj.com

35

FO U N D A T IO N

PROTECTING THE ASIAN ELEPHANT

A

TJ Foundation invests in a variety of carefully selected relief work initiatives that support grass roots assistance in Asia and the Pacific for very specific projects that aid in health, safety and rebuilding on the heels of natural disasters and unexpected adversities. We invite our travelers and staff to become involved in strengthening our personal connection with the communities that have always been at the heart of our efforts.

In 2019, ATJ will be focusing its philanthropic efforts on the Asian elephant. Throughout Asia, there are significant efforts to rescue, treat and rehabilitate elephants. These initiatives also aim to relocate these majestic animals from unsafe and abusive circumstances to more natural environments where they can recover, receive proper care and re-emerge with a herd in protected and natural surroundings. ATJ Foundation is committed to raising awareness and support for these efforts throughout the

year by focusing on supporting hand selected projects that meet and exceed the standards of today’s elephant conservation measures.* Some of the work the ATJ Foundation has contributed to are: • Clean Water Initiative/Myanmar 2002-2014 • Tsunami Relief 2004 • Cyclone Nargis/Myanmar 2008 • Nepal Earthquake 2015 • Sri Lanka Flooding 2017 Please visit atj.com/giving-back to read more and to make an easy online donation. *In many cases our travelers can visit these projects if their itinerary and schedule permit.

WE PROMISE ATJ and our overseas partners personally vet all initiatives.

100% of your donation goes directly to the ATJ Foundation.

ATJ wire transfers go directly to our partners, no red-tape.

All administrative and any associated costs are donated by ATJ. The ATJ Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit – all donations are tax-deductible.

36

Journey | Summer 2019

Visit ATJ.COM/GIVING-BACK to read more and to make an easy online donation.

atj.com

37

T HE GRE AT ES T T HRE AT T O OUR PL A NE T IS T HE BELIEF T H AT SOMEONE EL SE WIL L S AV E IT. Robert Swan