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La Virgen de Guadalupe-Our Lady of Guadalupe–is revered by Mexicans, and her image is ubiquitous, found in every form imaginable, from traditional statues to bumper stickers. She also lends her name to any number of businesses and buildings, including the Basilica to which faithful flock–many on their knees or carrying crosses–each December 12. The arrival of the pilgrims is a sight to behold, but so is the basilica, an architectural marvel, which you can visit any time of the year. Completed in 1976, the present basilica is not the first one to have sat on this site; an older one, which needed to be replaced because it was sinking, remains on the grounds and is open to the public after renovation and rehabilitation. The principal architect, Pedro Ramiréz Vázquez, who died in 2013, is responsible for some of the most compelling modern buildings in Mexico City, including Estadio Azteca and the National Anthropology Museum, as well as a number of buildings throughout the country and abroad.

Located on the Upper West Side, at 79th Street and Central Park West, the American Museum of Natural History is one of the world’s largest museums. It has 45 different halls, occupies more than 2 million square feet, and has some 33 million different specimens—only a fraction are on display at any time. It includes an abundance of dioramas and reconstructed skeletons, and “cultural halls” that extend natural history into anthropology. The museum makes a valiant effort to constantly keep its exhibits relevant by adopting new interactive technologies and displays as it battles the preconceptions of many that natural-history museums are old-fashioned institutions. In 2000, it also added the Rose Center for Earth and Space, which has proven popular with young aspiring astronauts and astronomers. If you are headed to New York with kids and they haven’t already watched Night at the Museum, you may want to rent it before your trip (even if most of the interior scenes were actually shot on a set in Vancouver).

According to Swedish Naval Articles in place when the Vasa set sail, “He who carries a light in the ship and carelessly starts a fire causing the ship to burn, shall be thrown into the selfsame fire.” One is reminded by the strict Naval Articles posted about the Vasa Museum that the Swedes are descendants of some very disciplined Vikings. In the late 1600s, the Vasa set sail and then sank a mile away. The ship, painstakingly restored, is displayed in a warship-like space designed to house its tall masts and wide hull (although when it sank it wasn’t wide enough to support the top-heavy construction). The excavation was an archaeological feat: The ship and its holdings were surprisingly preserved as the hypoxic waters kept the shipworms, which would have normally eaten the wood, at bay. There are exhibits showcasing the deliberate archaeological effort. While the ship must be seen, I was more interested in the reconstructed details the museum provides about each of the passengers: forensic details of the medical afflictions each might have had; reconstructed accounts as to why each traveler may have been on board. The Naval Articles further notes, “No man may use an idle or impertinent tongue against the Admiral, his Captain or the Quartermaster. He who does so shall be hauled once, twice or thrice under the keel, as befits the nature of the offense.” Given the focus on accountability, it seems somewhat odd that nobody was ever held accountable for the Vasa incident.

Opened in 1880 as Canada‘s first natural history museum, the Redpath Museum has a charmingly old-school Victorian quality to it. The collection of artifacts assembled by intrepid explorers ranges from taxidermy and Egyptian mummies to geological samples and—one of its most prized possessions—a handwritten letter from Charles Darwin. The museum is located at the heart of McGill University, long one of Canada‘s most important institutions of higher learning. Most of the buildings on campus, all in a handsome gray stone on a lovely bit of green in downtown Montréal at the base of Mount Royal, date from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Located on a hill that held sacred significance for the Aztecs is Chapultepec Castle, an impressive edifice completed in 1863. The castle, reputed to be the only royal castle in the Americas, has served many functions over the course of its history–royal and presidential residence, guest residence for dignitaries, military academy, observatory, and, most recently, museum– and as such, it holds many interesting tales. The castle is referenced in the US Marines’ “Battle Hymn of the Republic” (it’s “the halls of Montezuma” featured in the song’s opening line), and in modern times, it has served as a filming location for several movies, including Romeo + Juliet with Leonardo DiCaprio, so it has earned its spot in pop culture history, too. Today, you can see the castle’s interior in its current incarnation as the country’s Museum of National History.

While Kumbh Mela occurs every 3 years in 4 different Indian locations, the Maha Mela is every 12 years near Allahabad, just over 100 kilometers from Varanasi. We hired a driver with the intent of visiting two temples along the way and used the Ganges as our guide. First, we stopped in one of only four goddess temples in India, Viandhyanchal, in the village of Mirzapur. This “sleeping mountain” temple was intense. Wafting incense, bells ringing, drums pounding, people shouting and hitting stone walls amidst lots of pushing and shoving to see the female deity represented on the walls. Transcending the din, we planted ourselves on the ground amidst blackened marigolds, little kids poking our heads looking for money, and crowds knocking into us. Next, we went to the smaller Astabhugi Durga temple not far from Viandhyanchal. It’s worth a visit as well, but the actual space is only 4' tall so you won’t spend much time here. Fine with me, as I was ready to get to Kumbh Mela. We were fortunate enough to book rooms at the Maharishi Sadafaldeo Ashram, the closest accommodations to the Mela. The Ashram offers daily meditation and yoga classes, an evening spiritual session, and an Ayurvedic spa along with gracious grounds overlooking the Ganges. The Ashram erected some upscale tents just down the road, which was a very popular location within walking distance of the Mela. Not only were we closest to the Mela - but a short walk to the most auspicious bathing area, the Sangam.

Landing in heat-soaked Kuala Lumpur after being on the road for 24 hours can be disorienting. Incessant chanting (“vei vel shakti vel”), monkeys screeching, wafting incense, a glorious moon, and a million people.


Thaipusam falls on a full moon and is the celebration in remembrance of Lord Murugan (his statue pictured at the base of the steep 272 steps to the Waterfall Temple at Batu Caves - the top being the best view) who received the “vel” (sacred spear) from his mother, Shiva’s wife, to kill three demons. Killing internal demons seems to be the order of the day for devotees.


The festivities begin with a chariot bearing the statue of Lord Murugan being drawn through the streets starting from Sri Maha Mariamman Temple and then on the second day (when I arrived), the fulfilling of the vows by devotees takes place at the Batu Caves after people walk barefoot approximately 15 kilometers starting in the middle of the night from Kuala Lumpur. The chariot returns to the Temple on the third day.


The real highlight is watching devotees with huge decorated frames (“kavadi”= burden”) supported by spikes that pierce their chests and backs as penance for answered prayers. As one devotee said to me, “Life is an act of gratitude and this is the ultimate day of gratitude to our deities.” I felt a deep empathy for the intense devotion and commitment of the Tamil Hindus I witnessed. This is truly one of the world’s great festivals of purification and atonement.

Springs Preserve presents visitors with a sort of crash course in the story of the Las Vegas Valley. The facility is many attractions in one: the Origen Museum, which chronicles early geology and anthropology of the region; the Nevada State Museum, which covers the history, prehistory, and natural history of Nevada; DesertSol, a solar-powered home designed to showcase sustainable living; the NV Energy Foundation Sustainability Gallery, which teaches visitors about a more ecofriendly lifestyle; and Boomtown 1905, a re-created streetscape. There is also an enclosed butterfly habitat, a botanical garden, and 3.6 miles of trails that crisscross the preserve’s 110 acres, winding past rare plants, archaeology, artifacts, and more. This remarkable resource has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Housed in a 1964 structure whose modern lines and central fountain greatly complement what’s on view, this anthropology museum is a repository of the most important pre-Hispanic treasures modern Mexico has discovered. The works are displayed in exhibits that trace the entire history of the Americas’ indigenous population, from the Bering migration to the present day. Exhaustive (and sometimes exhausting) in scope, many visitors choose to jump ahead to “greatest-hits” galleries focusing on name brands like the Aztecs (to see their misnamed calendar stone); the Maya and their artifacts; or the Olmec culture, famed for its colossal (and quite sensual) head sculptures dating back to Mesoamerica’s earliest recorded eras.

Head to a place that succeeds in squeezing many centuries’ worth of artifacts from multiple civilizations into a manageable—and beautiful—17th-century mansion: the Museo de Arqueología UNT (National University of Trujillo Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History), housed in La Casa Risco. You’ll find remnants of the Chimu, Mochica and Incan empires in the form of jewelry, clothing and ceramics, as well as displays that explain the rise and fall of these civilizations.

In our third episode of “Unpacked by AFAR,” tips on how to be a better observer, and how embracing our “outsider” status can help us travel better—and empathize more.