Bangkok

Where the 'Ladyboys' Are

Thailand goes to extraordinary lengths to accommodate its transgendered kathoey

Caracas

When the 'Saint' Has a Criminal Record

Violent crime is rampant in Venezuela's capital. For help, some residents have turned to the spirits of dead villains

Jantar Mantar

A Million Mutinies on One Tiny Street

The officially designated protest zone of India's capital offers a grab-bag of grievances from across a nation of 1 billion

Abramtsevo

Only Fools Would Fix a Broken Road

In today's Russia, a hernia patient's best hopes may ride — without suspension — on a rutted country road

Cheyenne Mountain

Still Training for the End of the World

The U.S. and Russia continue to maintain thousands of nuclear warheads on a hair-trigger alert. It's up to the subterranean sentries of NORAD to spot any incoming threats

Bamiyan

Should Buddhas Blasted by the Taliban Be Rebuilt?

The legendary statues are a treasured part of Afghanistan's ancient history; their empty niches are testimony to its brutal recent past

Managua

Nicaraguans Fight Over Who Owns a Powerful Hat

Augusto Sandino, best known by his trademark sombrero, is the iconic symbol of Nicaraguan patriotism. That's why the government and its foes are fighting to claim his legacy

Magic Abounds in a Delhi Slum

In a throwback to the caste system, a squalid neighborhood in India's capital is home to the city's talented street performers

New York City

Where Lox Unlocks the Past

Barney Greengrass is an enduring institution because its exquisite smoked fish is to many New Yorkers what madeleines were to Proust

Yasuni

Rain Forest Tribesmen Just Want to Be
Left Alone

The Tagaeri and the Taromenani live a Stone Age lifestyle in the jungle of western Ecuador. And they're fighting hard to keep it that way

Tokyo

Japan's Booming Sex Niche: Elder Porn

While Japanese sex life sags, the porn industry is healthier than ever — even for septuagenarian stars

New York City

The Great Harlem Bike Messengers Race

To pump up a pro cycling event that had lost some steam, organizers bring in the Big Apple's quintessential wheeled subculture — complete with packages