Tell Congress not to censor the web

The shape of the logo is a stylized version of a Tuareg symbol known as “the Cross of Agadez” or “the Star of Agadez.” The legendary Tuareg, a people who wander the heart of the Sahara, are without question the toughest nomads on the planet. The Cross of Agadez is usually a silver pendant worn to protect the Tuareg on their long journeys across the harshest environment imaginable. (And if you have crossed the Sahara, then you know that some mystical protection certainly helps.)

Normally, the Cross of Agadez is made of silver, so why is our logo orange?

Years ago, while traveling in Turkey, we were sitting in a small shop watching friends bargain over carpets and camel bags. The store owner pointed to one design on a camel bag and commented that the bag was clearly older because the designs were orange. “Nomads love the color orange,” she said, “but they avoid the color these days because they know that it makes it harder to sell their works off to collectors or tourists. Westerners don’t like orange because it usually doesn’t work in their homes.”

Somehow, that comment stuck in our heads. We have no idea if the story was true or not, but the color orange became symbolic of all the beautiful things of the past that were being lost to the modern world. As Contemporary Nomads, we chose to reclaim the color orange and integrate it into our logo and color scheme. On our site, links are also orange because clicking on a link reveals something new, something undiscovered. Symbolically, this represents our quest to collect and recall all the wondrous things and, occasionally, the hideous things which are vanishing as a once diverse world homogenizes and transitions into modernity. Perhaps, like the color orange, some of the wondrous things can make the transition with us.

If you haven’t been following Ed’s progress at Walking the Amazon, you might want to check him out again. Our favorite 21st-century explorer is still out there hacking his way through the forest on his way to the coast. He is currently working his way across the varzea (flooded forests of the central Amazon) as the rainy season begins. While the forest is flooded, it sounds like Ed’s funding is drying up, so adventure enthusiasts might want to consider donating something to a very cool endeavor. Hang in there Ed, only eight months to go!

Also check out National Geographic’s stunning photo galleries of the crystal caves.

Do you have something better? Or something equally spectacular? We want to hear your nominations for the world’s most incredible locations. You can make your submission through the comment form below or send it through our contact page.

Don’t think this is some hair-brained publicity stunt that will never come to be, Ed has already been hacking and wading his way along the Amazon’s banks for close to 600 days. SIX HUNDRED DAYS!!! Yikes, that’s a lot of leeches. We’ll be keeping an eye on his progress. You can, too, by following his incredible adventure at his site Walking the Amazon.

Follow the link to view Part 2.

If you love her as much as we do, you’ll want to check out more of her performances at YouTube.

Can I get a screensaver like this?

That really whets my appetite for the whale sharks we’ll be seeing when we get back to Southeast Asia. Yes, I’m being an optimist, but I really think I deserve one after the great manta ray debacle in the Andaman Islands.