Kosovo is a place that most of us have heard of, but may know little about. We might recall that there were troubles, many based around it unilaterally declaring its independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008. And or course, situations like that (with the associated violence that inevitably occurs) can often cast…
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The ancient city of Great Zimbabwe was an engineering wonder. But archaeologists credited it to Phoenicians, Babylonians, Arabians – anyone but the Africans who actually built it. Great Zimbabwe is a medieval city in the south-eastern hills of the modern country of Zimbabwe, near Lake Mutirikwi and the town of Masvingo. It is thought to have been the capital…
Poor Cuba. Still battered by the USA (for reasons that we just can't understand) this beautiful and engaging country teeters on collapse, except for the strength of its people. We have a number of posts here on the site (click here) which should give any thinking person the desire to hop on a…
Bet you never thought you'd see that phrase. But, as always, history is a funny mistress and, let's face it, despite Google and our smart phones, we don't really know much, do we? Our children and their children will laugh at our conceit someday in the future. So, behold a new finding. …
We present another one of those "now you see it, now you don't" posts. Nothing lasts forever, it appears. And sometimes the powers-that-be appear to be deaf to what the people want. Here, we're talking about the Stairway to Heaven Trail on Oʻahu, Hawaii, the Haʻikū Stairs. Also known as the Stairway…
If you're looking for the unusual, you'll never go too far wrong if Japan is in your plan. A more playful people probably cannot be found than them. And why not? Why not have fun during your workday, or for your entire life, for that matter? You only live once, in…
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is bordered by Ohio (USA) on one side, and Ontario, Canada on the other. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has…
The world offers no shortage of fascinating, thrilling, silly, scary and sometimes confusing opportunities to behold what other members of your species are up to. We'll cut to the chase on this one, as it's quite a tale, one that could only really happen in the post-1960's movies, or for that matter, anything that…
History is a strange and unusual thing. For example, Turkeys were once worshipped like gods. Or, once , 100 Imposters Claimed to Be Marie Antoinette's Dead Son. Napoleon was once attacked by a horde of bunnies. Yes, supposedly these are all true, but you can never tell on the Internet. But, one…
Fear not, this is not another modern day 21st century shitpost as the title might infer. We don't do that kind of thing here. What you see is what you get with Matouring. So then, what exactly are we talking about? Today, we feature a little-known, but nonetheless interesting Spanish village…
If you've been around a while, like we have, you'll surely have noticed that the world is not necessarily heading in the right direction . . again. It seems like - just a few years ago - anger and despair, wars and dictatorships were on the way out and "humanity" was on the…
Another history post for you, this time based in Russia. Many of you might remember the Cold War (if not, it was a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term cold war is used because there…
I suppose that we're preaching to the converted here when we talk about how getting out of the house and into nature is such an important component of a healthy life. Your mother probably nagged you endlessly when you were a yoof and now you likely do the same with your offspring. But…
Some things are the stuff of legend. Many are just that - legends, and nothing more. And legends can be a tenuous and fleeting thing. But these kinds of "unknowns" always intrigue us here at Matouring. The more obscure the better, we say, especially when you're the curious type, too. …
You don't see too many tours to the Antarctic, and there's a reason for that. First, most humans flee at full speed away from frigid temperatures. Unless you're a skier, you are usually looking for deals to Tahiti or similar climes. It's always nice to come back from a trip without frostbite.…
In this day and age, there aren't many monarchies around anymore. Many see it as an outdated hangover from the past. Others (like us) understand that sentiment, but also appreciate the sheer fact that these kinds of historical constructs can even exist to this day. Some monarchies end up being A. totalitarian…
The Spanish have left an impressive, diverse, expansive and everlasting legacy across the globe. Of course, some will say that they left a trail of destruction and malaise as well, which is undeniable. But, they also brought some value to civilizations that certainly benefited from their presence. One such example is the La…
Patagonia is a region encompassing the vast southernmost tip of South America, shared by Argentina and Chile, with the Andes Mountains as its dividing line. The Argentine side features arid steppes, grasslands and deserts, while the Chilean has glacial fjords and temperate rainforest. Argentina’s famed RN-40 highway passes the pinnacles of Monte Fitz Roy and…
Let's have a moment of silence for those who have tried and have failed. Here are just a few. We're sure you'll recognize a few: Sir James Dyson, Steven Spielberg, Thomas Edison, Walt Disney, Albert Einstein, J.K. Rowling, Abraham Lincoln, Jerry Seinfeld... the list goes on and on. But, as…
Space, the final frontier. Or at least that's what we thought at the time. (We've gone much further.) For many of us, the 1950's were a rather spectacular decade, some good, some bad. For example the post-World War II boom, the dawn of the Cold War and the civil rights movement in…