I went to Vevčani festival in rural North Macedonia. It is perhaps the wildest village festival in the Balkans.

Every Orthodox Christian New Year period villagers get dressed up as pagan characters, monsters or political figures, drink large amounts of rakia, then perform rituals and parade around the village.

It’s supposed to be an expression of independent spirit and free speech, but some think that the more extreme costumes are beyond the pale.

Episodes of Keep Going: An Unexpected Travel Podcast are currently coming out every two weeks, in the usual podcast places and with full videos on the pod's YouTube channel.

Subscribe to get episodes as soon as they land.

Writing, recording, narration: Jamie Fullerton

Sound editing: Samira Tazari

Music: Olguita Acuña

Podcast artwork: Nini Giunàshvili

Vevčani location: Google Maps

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Some bagpipes styles are intensely annoying, but Bulgaria’s kaba gaida style is low in tone, moody, spacey, almost gothic, and linked to rural life in the country for thousands of years.

Now new generations of Bulgarian bagpipers head deep into the Rhodope Mountains each year for a bagpipe festival and competition.

It’s part of a resurgence in folk arts in Bulgaria. Among the younger generations are bagpipes even… cool? I went to the Gela bagpipe festival.

Episodes of Keep Going: An Unexpected Travel Podcast are currently coming out every two weeks, in the usual podcast places and with full videos on the pod's YouTube channel.

Subscribe to get episodes as soon as they land.

Writing, recording, narration: Jamie Fullerton

Sound editing: Samira Tazari

Music: Olguita Acuña

Podcast artwork: Nini Giunàshvili

Gela, Bulgaria: Google Maps link

Nearby hotel: Monastery 2 Aparthotel

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Costa Rica has positioned itself as a successful eco-tourism destination, and tourists cascade into the country with ambitions to see sloths in the wild.

As more tourist infrastructure gets built, more of the famously lethargic-looking animals are getting injured and killed due to the development. Sloths are susceptible to species isolation caused by new roads and buildings cutting off treetop pathways.

A group of conservationists is taking action by shimmying up massive trees and putting up rope bridges for the sloths. I joined the team on a bridge-building mission.

Episodes of Keep Going: An Unexpected Travel Podcast are currently coming out every two weeks, in the usual podcast places and with full videos on the pod's YouTube channel.

Subscribe to get episodes as soon as they land.

Writing, recording, narration: Jamie Fullerton

Sound editing: Samira Tazari

Music: Olguita Acuña

Podcast artwork: Nini Giunàshvili

The Sloth Conservation Foundation: Slothconservation.org

Jaguar Rescue Center: Jaguarrescue.foundation

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Every year around Christmas, massive bulls and “Improvisers” descend on bullrings around San José, Costa Rica’s capital city. The Improvisers are members of the public who get drunk, put on fluorescent t-shirts, leap into the ring then chase and annoy the bulls.

Bullfighting was brought to Costa Rica by Spanish colonisers and is still hugely popular in the small Central American country. Bullfighters there don’t kill the bulls, but animal rights protesters still sometimes stage protests against the events.

I spent Christmas with the amateur bull-botherers of San José, and some of the people determined to end their booze-fuelled fun.

Episodes of Keep Going: An Unexpected Travel Podcast are currently coming out every two weeks, in the usual podcast places and with full videos on the pod's YouTube channel.

Subscribe to get episodes as soon as they land.

Writing, recording, narration: Jamie Fullerton

Sound editing: Samira Tazari

Music: Olguita Acuña

Podcast artwork: Nini Giunàshvili

Tickets and information for the Pedregal bullfighting: Torosalatica.cr

Zapote bullring: Google Maps link

Karen Elena’s San José animal rights group: Coordinadora por la Liberación Animal on Instagram

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Mexico’s Tren Maya takes tourists around the Yucatán Peninsula, to cities, ancient Mayan ruins and jungle towns. It has displaced Indigenous locals, destroyed sacred sites and caused environmental carnage.

Mexican authorities have touted the Tren Maya as offering a Mayan adventure and providing jobs and transport for poor locals. I spent a month traveling around the railway route to see how the massive project has affected life near the tracks.

Watch full video episodes on YouTube.

Writing, recording, narration: Jamie Fullerton

Sound editing: Samira Tazari

Music: Olguita Acuña

Podcast artwork: Nini Giunàshvili

You can buy Tren Maya tickets from the official ticket website, Reservas.ventaboletostrenmaya.com.mx.

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Northwest Mexico’s Chepe train route is one of the wildest, most ruggedly-beautiful railway journeys in the world.

Starting in Chihuahua city and ending 418 miles later in Los Mochis, the train cuts through vast canyons, known collectively as the Copper Canyon, and stops at remote outposts.

Much of the region is home to the Indigenous Tarahumara people, many of whom are semi-nomadic and have an uneasy relationship with tourists and Hispanic locals following historic mistreatment by colonisers.

I spent 11 days on the Chepe train route, getting off at all the stops to explore the Copper Canyon.

Writing, recording, narration: Jamie Fullerton

Sound editing: Samira Tazari

Music: Olguita Acuña

Podcast artwork: Nini Giunàshvili

Chepe tickets and train information: Official Chepe train site

Creel hotel: The Lodge At Creel

Divisadero hotel: Hotel Mirador

Cerocahui hotel: Hotel Misión

Los Mochis: Hotel Lorena

Gustavo Loreno, guide: +526351049307

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The Tequila Express train runs from Guadalajara city to the town of Tequila in Mexico’s Jalisco state, and is loaded with bars and booze. The train spent nine years off the tracks, but recently returned.

You might expect alcohol-fuelled carnage on the train, but the Tequila Express offers a rather civilised insight into the culture and legends behind Mexico’s famous fiery spirit.

I boarded the train for a teetotal trip.

Watch full video episodes on YouTube.

Writing, recording, narration: Jamie Fullerton

Sound editing: Samira Tazari

Music: Olguita Acuña

Podcast artwork: Nini Giunàshvili

Tequila Express tickets: Tequilaexpress.mx

Sauza distillery and field tour: Casasauza.com

Atanasio agave field tour: Tequilaatanasio.com

El Tequileño distillery tour: Tequileno.com

Tequila tour guide Luis Alberto Gutiérrez: Estaciontusistica.com

La Capilla: Google Maps

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In 2019 the last prison island in the Americas closed down. Islas Marías was home to some of Mexico’s most feared criminals, and political prisoners, but was shuttered following reports of terrible conditions.

In 2022 Mexico’s navy began allowing tourists to visit the archipelago, showing visitors cells, parrots, graveyards, beaches, and explaining the islands’ dark past.

I took a long ferry ride for a weekend on Islas Marías.

Watch full video episodes on YouTube.

Writing, recording, narration: Jamie Fullerton

Sound editing: Samira Tazari

Music: Olguita Acuña

Podcast artwork: Nini Giunàshvili

You can buy Islas Marías weekend tours from the islands’ official website, Visitaislasmarias.com.

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