Everybody’s Talking

A man on a hike to raise money for men’s health found a new friend along the way. Max Adams was on a long trek in an area near High Prairie, Alberta, Canada. When on a side road, he could hear a loud meowing, which turned out to be a half-grown kitten sitting in the…

Travelers to South America who want to go somewhere off the beaten track could try visiting Cabo Polonio, Uruguay. Located on the Atlantic coast and only a few hours from luxurious beach resorts, this isolated village attracts those who don’t care about the comforts of a modern home. There is no electricity or running water…

Xixi National Wetland Park is in Hangzhou, in China’s Zhejiang Province. The unique park combines farming, culture, and urban life and is an area of tranquility, with waterways to explore, as well as trails and boardwalks. Visitors can book a tour via the land route or the water route. Interesting sites in the park include…

When a vacant suite in an apartment building in Berlin, Germany, went on the market, the response was an indication of the housing shortage in that city: almost 1,800 hopeful renters lined up at the building to view the flat. People were interested because of the reasonable price of the two-room accommodation. Rolf Harms, the…

Some people will go to great lengths to help their parents in a time of need. In Brazil, a man named Heitor Schiave took it one step too far: he dressed up as his mother so he could take her driver’s test on her behalf. His mother hadn’t had much luck herself, having failed three…

Gavin Munro is a maker of furniture, but he doesn’t use carpentry tools to do it. Instead, he trains the trees on his farm to grow into the form of chairs, tables, and other pieces. The result is very artistic. Located near Derby, England, his farm has oak, willow, ash, and sycamore trees. When the…

A woman in St. Paul, Minnesota (U.S.), was miffed when she discovered that a package she ordered had been stolen from her porch. Hilary Smith received a text saying that the package, which contained a phone charger, had been delivered, so she expected to find it upon arriving home from work. In its place was…

Some farmers in Bangladesh work in an environment of great beauty—at least during the time of harvest. These farmers collect water lily blossoms in the Canal of Water Lilies in the country’s Barisal district. They paddle their long wooden boats through a sea of green leaves and deep pink water lily flowers, collecting the blossoms…

A group of friends who like to run took part in the Cape Town, South Africa, marathon, but they were doing more than just running. The group ran the race with tree saplings tied to their backs. Their purpose was to raise awareness about the country’s problem with invasive species, which are taking over indigenous…

A city high in the mountains of Bolivia is getting a facelift. El Alto, close to the administrative city of La Paz, is enjoying attention because of the building designs of architect Freddy Mamani. He calls his style New Andean architecture. His modern buildings, called cholets, are usually several stories high with shops at street…