Jose paints a papier-mache animal mask in preparation for the Carnaval.

Each mask is created with an arcilla (clay) mould, and glued together with paste from the cassava plant.

Master craftsmen hand make hundreds of masks for the dancers.

A cumbia dancer adorns her dress for practice before the Carnaval.

The big day arrives: young Colombians crowd the main parade route, hoping for a glance of the performers.

Dancers in formation.

Playing the trumpet.

The Queen of the Carnaval waves to the raving crowd.

Skull-face flashes the thumbs up.

A gremlin poses for the camera.

Silver warriors intimidate and thrill with their war cries.

Congo men in their colourful costumes, hats piled with fruit.

Policemen abducted and still missing are honoured in the festival.

Masked dancers swing to the pulsating beat.

Black-faced boys twitch eratically and wave pointed spears.

Young and old all participate in the Carnaval.

Cumbia musicians play traditional music.

“Dirt man” combed the crowd, grossing out everyone by eating mud.

The coordinated dancers were the highlight of the festival.

Community Connection

Check out our other Carnaval Highlights from around South America, such as Oruro, Bolivia.

There are many places on earth where this search ends up in some greasy fast food joint with a sleepy chef and sticky tables. The food tastes like last week’s leftovers and your only companions are a pack of mangy mutts eyeing your plate.

This does not have to be the end to a great night. Here are 9 cities where finding late night food can be more fun than the partying, as well as some tips on what constitutes a fine wee hours food joint.

Bangkok

Infamous Khao san Road in Bangkok’s tourist district is a veritable smörgåsbord. After the restaurants close at around 2 AM, the stalls take over and serve fried and roast chicken with sticky rice, fried noodles with veggies and pork, sweet pancakes and spicy omelettes, plus a wide variety of crunchy, deep fried critters.

This is the food that coats your belly before you flop out in some two-bit hostel after the proverbial “one night in Bangkok.”

But Khaosan is just a microcosm of Bangkok’s universe of excellent street food. There are night markets throughout the city–near the train station, around temples, and clinging to the famous river market on the other side of town. The good thing about Bangkok is that tuk-tuks can take you anywhere.

The best strategy is to let yourself get taken on some tour during the day and keep feeding your tuk-tuk driver smokes. At night, find this guy again and let him know you need the special meal that only he knows about. He’ll take you to his buddy’s place and make sure you eat well.

Now obviously, tuk-tuks rip people off now and then, but the rumors are worse than reality. Most problems arise when trashed Westerners try and skip out of a tuk-tuk and not pay the fare.

Hong Kong and Canton

Both of these places have great late night food, but the true treat here is the fresh seafood BBQ that can be had near the docks and around the fish markets.

In China, fish markets close down around 6 or 7 PM and begin to BBQ whatever wasn’t sold that day. Choose from a thousand different types of mussels, clams, oysters, shrimp, calamari and other weird and exciting grill-ables.

Canton is cheaper thanHong Kong, but Canton has the raucous after-market, after-club crowds and the chaotic feel of Mainland China. Depends on what you like: In Hong Kong, Two streets down from Nathan Road in any direction will likely lead to a late night dive or a night market. Follow the clothes racks and CD boxes down until you start smelling hot oil.

Hong Kong / Photo by GluehweinEffects

The same recipe works for Canton: these are cities that thrive off the export business. Pick a product, find its corresponding black market, and wander there during the night to find out where the locals get their midnight snacks. Docks and ferries are always a good spot to check out.

Again, it is best to do your research before you get drunk and lust after beef noodles. Walk around during the day and check out your neighborhood. Visit the fish market and snap some pictures. When the time comes and your vision is too blurry to see the landmarks you noticed during the day, leave trust to autopilot and the gods who watch over wayward travelers.

Asian cities have a different view of time and food than most American cities. In the US, you might be able to find a late night diner or even a hot dog and burrito stand, but there will not be a whole block of them filled with wandering drunkards and couples, gathering around stalls serving up full meals amid an orchestra of hissing woks and screaming cooks.

Similarly, assorted European cities have a clear understanding of the pleasures of the night

Madrid

In Madrid, dinner often starts at 10 PM, and espresso after dinner ensures that people will be up and about all night. Breakfast joints serve fried snacks just before dawn and offer some more espresso for those who have to go to work, and warm milk with honey for the lucky few who can sleep in.

Paris / Photo by balachandar

Hamburg

Hamburg has the Reeperbahn, which employs several waves of revelry — starting at 10 PM, 1 AM, and again around 4 AM– and dumps music, sausages and a lot of beer onto the streets for locals and tourists to gobble up and enjoy.

The late night food here ranges from huge doener kebabs to Thai noodles, pizza and calzones, and, of course, fine German fare of broetchen and sausages. It is drinking food and demands a beer as accompaniment.

But it’s not just Hamburg: in other German cities like Frankfurt, Cologne, Berlin, and Munich, the bars do not close until the clientèle has left. What’s more, the police will not swoop down on a public gathering on the Rhine, Main or Potsdamer Platz.

Paris

Paris is a city that does not sleep and therefore naturally provides the fare for such a lifestyle. Brassieres and cafes are open late into the night and many of them 24 hours to accommodate lovers who slide into booths at all hours of the night, searching for dessert and hot chocolate.

Crepes, the quintessential French snack, do not care what time they are served up. Around the many monuments, along the Seine and down any alleyway or small side street, there will be a nook with a light on waiting for you to sit and shake off the 3 AM doldrums with a shot of brandy and a buttered up croissant. It’s the way all cities should be.

Istanbul

Some people may overlook Istanbul, but it is without question one of the most beautiful and vibrant cities in the world.

Kebabs in Germany pale in comparison to kebabs in Turkey. Coffee in Madrid is shamed by the sweet blackness served up in small cafes in Istanbul, and breakfast takes on new meaning after swallowing soft, hot pastries served before sunrise in plazas overlooking the Bosporus.

“Late night food” is a weak phrase for the life to be had in Istanbul after the sun goes down. Go to a club on the European side then munch candied peanuts on a ferry across to the Asian side and get ready for a crowd of Turks to grab you up and take you to where “the real food” is.

Mexico City / Photo by nathangibbs

Mexico City

Nothing says “after party” like Mexican food. There is no need to search for the late night spot in Mexico; they pop up on every street, wait for you at the end of alleys and light up plazas with white Christmas lights. Follow the music.

There are towns other than Mexico City where the late night food is easier to find and less dangerous to consume, like any place in Oaxaca, Cancun, and Acapulco. Mexico City also holds the secret of Chino-Latino cuisine: a mixture of Chinese street food and Mexican ingredients and methods that are irresistible to the starving night-owl traveler.

New York City

And last but not least, I have to leave you with New York City. The Apple is one of the two or three cities in the USA that has its very own excellent, late night food 24/7 at good prices.

You can’t beat spots like Tom’s, The Carnegie and the Empire Diner. These are the famous diners that serve that greasy luvin’ that Americans like to stuff their bellies with after a night on the town.

There are also mobile hot dog dispensing units and grilled cheese hideouts at the edge of Manhattan and all around Brooklyn. On both sides of the Brooklyn Bridge are fine Chinese joints and there are even a few high-class options like the Mai House. Enjoy.

Community Connection:

Looking for a good party to stoke those late night cravings?

How about the Best Nightlife in Bangkok? Or maybe head to one of the world’s 10 best rooftop bars, check out the top dive bars in Vegas, or hit up one of the top 10 nightlife spots in Mexico City.

Photo by Andrei Z. Feature photo by ImageMD.

You know about Art Basel and SCOPE, but some of the world’s best art fairs—and best art—can be found off these well-worn paths:

10. FEMACO

The Feria Mexico Arte Contemporaneo just celebrated its fifth year. A walk through the 2008 event, held at the spacious Centro Banamex in Mexico City, confirmed that the Mexican art scene embraces a vision much larger than its admirable tradition of mural art, exemplified by Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Jose Clemente Orozco, and its propensity for self-inspection, a la Frida Kahlo.

In fact, the FEMACO fair is notable precisely for the fact that its exhibitors include not only the most respected Mexican galleries and the artists they represent, but also a surprising number of European galleries, particularly from Scandinavian countries.

Photo by Nahkahousu

FEMACO is truly an international art fair, and a visit to this fair can easily be extended into a longer vacation that immerses you in Mexico City’s rich tradition of artistic activity, as well as its bustling contemporary scene. Mexico City is my part-time home, so if you do visit next year’s FEMACO, be sure to check out my Green Guide to Mexico City and the Top 5 Ways to Experience Mexico City Like a Local.

9. CIRCA Art Fair

CIRCA has been incorrectly dubbed as the Caribbean’s first international art fair, which overlooks the fact that Havana has long sponsored a biennial that is respected around the world, but no matter: CIRCA is a highly respectable art fair entering its third year, and each year has been better than the one before.

What makes the CIRCA Art Fair a must-visit on the international art fair circuit is the fact that both gallery owners and artists are accessible to new and established collectors alike. The fair gets bonus points because of its strategic location: a new convention center placed at the crossroads between historic Old San Juan and the popular nightlife and beach destination, Condado.

Having called San Juan home for two and a half years, I know the area well. Check out my Green Guide to Puerto Rico and Top 10 Experiences in Puerto Rico Guide.

Photo by Naligum.

8. ARTSingapore

While the Shanghai Art Fair might be bigger and more popular, ARTSingapore offers an interesting alternative in Asia for collectors and browsers.

First, the fair is held in October, whereas many other international fairs are held in the late spring or early summer, so ARTSingapore is a welcome addition to the fall fair schedule.

The other attractive aspect of the ARTSingapore fair is the diversity of its exhibitors. The 2008 exhibitor list includes at least 22 galleries from Korea, a country often excluded from other fairs, and additional participants from Israel, Australia, and Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam, countries which also tend to be overlooked on the international art fair circuit.

Want some local news from Singapore? Contact Matador member Nora Dunn, whose current trip has her transiting through Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.

Photo by Hiromy

7. Affordable Art Fair

If you’re not in the market to buy an artwork with an inflated price tag, this is the art fair for you.

Held each June in New York City, the premise of the Affordable Art Fair is simple: attract a new generation of art collectors by introducing art work that can be bought within the limitations of almost any budget.

Pieces range in price from $100 to $10,000, but don’t think that the low prices mean substandard art work. With more than 70 galleries representing artists from North and South America, Asia, and Europe, you’ll certainly find a selection of art that doesn’t just fit your budget, but also aligns with your tastes.

While you’re in town, take advantage of your visit and see how many of The 10 Best Experiences in New York City. Period you can check off my list.

6. Joburg Art Fair

2008 was the inaugural year of this latest art fair in an already crowded international art fair schedule, but is poised to quickly become the “IT” destination for purchasing contemporary African art.

The fair also promises to be interesting to watch for the political issues it raises regarding the way Africa is represented and represents itself before the world, as well as economic issues.

Get insiders’ tips from our resident South Africa expert, Ethekwinigirl.

Photo by Matthias Contze.

5. Art Dubai

It’s not hard to believe that Dubai is the latest go-to destination for art collectors; after all, this is the “city built for tourism” as a “playpen for the rich.”

But even if you can’t afford a single piece at the Art Dubai fair, you’ll surely enjoy taking in views of some of the most exciting and edgy art in the world, from the ironic “Desperately Seeking Paradise,” a curated exhibit of work from Pakistani artists, to the Bidoun Lounge, a site-specific installation serving both as bar and theatre for the exhibition of video works from Middle Eastern artists.

Learn more about Dubai before you go from Matador member, Abha, who lived in Dubai and is our resident expert on the city.

4. Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair

Another young art fair, the DAAF also promises to be a hot fair within the next few years.

Held in Darwin City, Australia, the DAAF is smaller than most international art fairs in terms of the number of exhibitors it includes in its schedule, but it’s also much more intentional about who it includes and why: only artists, galleries, and community based arts centers who can verify the provenance of the art work as justly acquired from indigenous and Aboriginal peoples.

Many artists are on hand to talk about their work. The diversity of the work itself is another reason to recommend this fair: in addition to paintings on canvas, collectors can acquire bark paintings, timber and metal sculptures, didjeridus, fiber arts, and jewelry.

Get some travel tips from Australia experts and be sure to check out the blog of Matador’s Australian expat, croftyangel, who reports about life down under.

3. The Moscow World Fine Art Fair

It’s likely you won’t be able to purchase a piece at this fair unless your pockets are deep, but that’s part of the fun of this particular art fair.

Attracting the growing nouveau riche class of art collectors from Russia and Asia, the Moscow FAF is as much about people-watching as it is about analyzing art.

Beyond the social value of this art fair, it’s one of the few fairs that have such a broad scope of artistic genres and works from various periods, ranging from antiquity to the present.

The location is interesting, too: poised between the Kremlin and Red Square, the Moscow FAF is pure fun. Matador member ZTP Teo has lived in Moscow; hit him up for some local recommendations.

Photo by 101 Tokyo Contemporary Art Fair.

2. 101 Tokyo

Fresh from its wildly successful first year, the 101 Tokyo Art Fair has already outgrown its host space and will be expanding in 2009, including 60 national and international galleries.

The list of first year exhibitors proves that the 101 Tokyo organizers are clearly able to collect an impressive range of galleries and genres under a single roof; the 2009 fair promises to be even more exciting.

Contact Matador’s Tokyo expert, Masaya, if you plan to visit this fair.

1. Toronto International Art Fair

TAF nabs the number one spot on our list because its organizers clearly concern themselves with much more than just selling art; they organize the fair to stimulate conversation about art by introducing a series of special projects intended to engage both serious collectors and first-time browsers alike.

The vast majority of exhibitors are Canadian galleries, suggesting that TIAF sticks with what it knows best: its own country’s art. Finally, like ARTSingapore, TIAF is held in October, a strategically smart move that minimizes competition.

Check out Matador member Travelflare’s guide, 5 Reasons to Visit Toronto.

Community Connection

Want to find local art fairs in the US? Check out ArtFairCalendar. For a list of other arts fairs around the world, check out Art Fairs International.

Photo by Thomas Purves

Just like video killed the radio, MP3 might have killed the LP. Granted that doesn’t hold true for a lot of purists out there, but you have to wonder when iTunes recently exceeded over 5 billion downloads sold.

Either way you cut it, the web has done a lot of good for music too. Freeing artists from their labels, popularizing others that might otherwise have gone unnoticed and providing yet another resource for music heads to find their next favorite tracks.

Photo by fernando

Here are a few resources you might like. Use these tools wisely.

1. Peel program:

With Peel, add your favorite music blogs to the interface and each day the program will go through and literally “peel” (get it?) all the mp3s from your blogs onto one easy-to-use menu.

You can browse the music, listen to the tracks, and download the ones you like straight into your Itunes library. You can’t Peel every blog.

And you will find yourself sifting through a ton of tracks if you add several blogs, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, is it?

2. The Fader:

The Fader has expanded its magazine publication to a super, all-inclusive site where these arbiters of good taste have a little something for everyone. Videos, free music, and mixtape downloads, good articles on your favorite artists or the ones you just discovered you like: you can find all of these on the Fader. Check it every day!

3. Fully Fitted:

Contributors xxxchange, Pase Rock, Mr. Devlin and Darko are dope, full time artists who blog this site in their spare time when they aren’t killing it all around the world.

One of my favorite tracks is xxxchange and Darko’s remix of Kenna’s “Out of Control”. Dig on through older posts to download other great music. Learn more here.

Photo by ming2046

4. Mad Decent:

Mad Decent is Diplo’s label and this site is a home base of sorts. Go here to download some of his latest remixes, as well as other soulful, international burners that serve as inspiration for some Mad Decent tracks and muse for us normal folk.

5. The Hype Machine:

This site aggregates pretty much every MP3 that is posted on the web. Sign up for an account, pick the artists and/or blogs you want to keep an eye on watch the tracks stream in. Find out what you like, then go buy it!

6. Stereogum:

A oldie but goodie, Sterogum has been around for a minute. Broad tastes from Cut Copy to Flying Lotus keep me tuning in to snag a track here and there.

7. Gorilla Vs. Bear:

From new Sigur Ros to a J Dilla cut I had never heard….throw this one your Peel.

8. RCRDLBL:

This site releases exclusive tracks from emerging and established artists in a clean way. By clean I mean you can find some great stuff for free and not feel dirty about downloading it. It’s a good site model.

9. Mojo:

Mojo is an Itunes sharing program where you can dig through other users’ libraries and download anything you want straight into your library.

10. Other blogs that I have on my Peel:

Fluxblog, Certified Banger, Disco Workout, Big Stereo, Foe Weel and on and on and on. Start with one, and you will find others that you like.

There you go. Off and peeling new music. Now, while you’re out there discovering new tunes, what blogs do you recommend?

Photo by crashmattb

Let’s be clear: This is not a guerrilla guide to Nashville’s secret underground indie-rock haunts or its little-known hipster underbelly.

No. This is a guide to the Nashville you’ve always known existed, but probably never thought was worth visiting. It’s a Nashville full of corny cowboy merchandise, country music at full blast, and middle-aged RVers from Indiana. It’s also a helluva good time.

The Pitch

Once upon a time, country music was officially known as “hillbilly music” on the Billboard charts – and the reputation has stuck. Making an occasional exception for suitably counter-cultural types like the Dixie Chicks, hipster music critics won’t touch the stuff – and in the same way, too-cool travel types don’t often make the trek to country’s mecca, Nashville, aka Music City, USA.

But country has a rich heritage and a vital modern scene. It’s also quite possibly the greatest drinking music of all time. Frankly, Hank Williams Jr. is to beer-guzzling what Bob Marley is to ganja-smoking.

So come on down, hit Nashville’s finest honky-tonks, and throw back a Bud or three. Soon enough, you too might have some new friends in low places.

Where To Go

“They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway,” the old song goes. “They say there’s always magic in the air.”

Sure, the song’s about a musician trying to make it big in New York City, but it might just as well be about Nashville. Broadway forms the heart of the downtown scene. Live music spills out of several blocks worth of bars; the party gets going early and doesn’t stop till “early” comes around again.

Most places have no cover; the bands play for tips only, and no one pressures you to keep buying drinks non-stop – though if you’d like to, no one will stop you, either!

Be sure to hit Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, a historic dive that can claim legends like Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Patsy Cline as past customers. Live bands play upstairs and down, from the early afternoon to the wee hours. The place draws a mixture of country music pilgrims, curious tourists, and die-hard locals, and can morph from a quiet sit-down scene to a foot-stomping dance floor almost without warning. It’s at 5th and Broadway.

Next on the strip is Robert’s Western World, a more laid-back place with an older crowd and talented cover bands playing traditional country: think more Hank Williams Sr. and less Lynyrd Skynyrd. It’s between 4th and 5th on Broadway.

Take a left on 2nd to hit the Wildhorse Saloon – one of the few places to charge cover. It’s got more of a nightclub vibe, with a young crowd, new country on the stereo system, and free line-dancing lessons on the floor.

Across the street from the Wildhorse, the Buck Wild Saloon is a karaoke joint, and a great place to end your night. Had enough liquid courage that you want to take your own shot at “Folsom Prison Blues”? This is the spot to do it. Be forewarned, though: On most nights there’s enough undiscovered talent rocking the mic in this place to fill an American Idol episode.

These are just a few of Broadway’s party possibilities – take a wander and see which honky-tonk is the happeningest on the night you’re in town!

Photo by mlsj_photos

Practicalities

Most of the live music venues serve food, too. There’s a Pita Pit on 2nd for a quick bite to go, and a BB King’s across the street for the chain-restaurant take on classic Southern dishes. Big River, at 1st and Broadway, is another decent dining option with great local microbrew.

As you might expect, downtown Nashville’s hotels are pricey, the usual bland big-name chains. They’re well-located if you can split with friends, though. The city’s official tourism site has info on special offers, and a booking system.

There are also a couple of hostels around the fringes of downtown – Music City Hostel is within striking distance of the Broadway bar strip.

You can take your pick of the cheap motels on any of the highways coming into town, but you’ll need a DD or a couple of steep cab rides. Demonbreun, one street over parallel to Broadway, has plenty of parking lots between 12th and 8th – you can pay around $10 and leave your car overnight, only a few blocks from the main strip. Another option is to check out Couchsurfing for well-located locals.

For the truly bad-ass budget party hound, Nashville’s Greyhound station is in the heart of the city, at Demonbreun and 8th. So if you’re really worried about blowing too much cash on cabs and hotels, you can roll into town in the early afternoon, party through the night, and stagger back to the bus station with the sunrise.