November 1996
Features
Peruvian Gothic
Don Benigno Aazco didn't care much for the civilized world. So he hacked one of his own out of the Andean jungle and proceeded to abandon his wife, marry his daughter, and kill his son-in-law, in hopes that the glory of the Inca Empire would live again.
By Kate Wheeler

Election Preview '96
A primer to the players and the environmental issues in this month's election.

Fat Men Can't Jump
OK, so he's a Big Mac man in a sport of lettuce-loving sticks. But make no mistake: Eddie "the Eagle" Edwards vows to be a serious ski jumper this time around.
By Todd Balf

Gidget Kicks Ass
From the moment she first paddled a board out to a curling wave, Lisa Andersen felt certain she'd become a champion. What she didn't know was that in doing so, she would remake the role of women in the sport.
By Martha Sherrill

The Volcano Runners
On the slopes of a 15,000-foot peak they log 20 miles a day, engaging in a form of "natural blood doping" that has helped Mexican athletes take four of the last five New York City Marathons-beating Americans, Ethiopians, and yes, even Kenyans. So why, they ask, won't the world finally give them their due?
By John Brant

There Must Be a God In Haiti
On the infamous Highway to Hell, he went looking to embrace the nation that existed behind the stereotypes, trying hard to believe it had been reborn.
By Bob Shacochis

Departments
Dispatches
A flurry of mergers hits the ski industry, bringing fears of monopoly--and the Justice Department's scrutiny. Is skier-cum-sprinter Chris Waddell the world's best year-round athlete? Gaffes and guffaws: a look at USA Cycling's $5 million Olympic flop. As its esteemed scientific advisers quit en masse, L.A.'s air-quality board takes a scary brown turn. A new French film generates considerable buzz, thanks to stingers, gastropods, and untold pairs of legs. PLUS: Environmental groups feud over the fate of the dolphin; a new beach game looks to grab a bit of volleyball's limelight; Japan's top solo sailor notches another record; a guide to, um, alternative travel on the World Wide Web; and more.

Field Notes
In Oslo, cross-country skiing is no mere sport. It's transportation, nightlife, intellectual pursuit--and the only way for beloved heads of state to find a bit of solitude.
By Bill McKibben

Out There
He's a lean, mean...OK, so he's not. But he can still handle an 80-year-old man, right? At Key West's Hemingway Days, taking a good old-fashioned whuppin' from the legend of Ernie himself.
By Randy Wayne White

The Wild File
Why does the gas from my stove smell like skunk? Are there evolutionary reasons for male-pattern baldness? How do they get goose down, and does the goose mind?

Between the Lines

Letters

Destinations
The undomesticated Costa Rica: On the Osa Peninsula, wildlife is plentiful and creature comforts are few. The best spots for hiking, sea kayaking, horseback riding, scuba diving, and just taking in the fauna. Where to catch a good view of North America's massive autumn migrations. Skiing and snowshoeing on the banks of the Connecticut River. How to tour Yosemite in off-season solitude. PLUS: The luxurious way to do the Australian outback, tacking and jibing through the British Virgin Islands, and more.

Bodywork
Sure, you're a solid athlete and a fine, upstanding citizen. But do you know whether your body is on the straight and narrow? The answer lies in a little-known secret to superior fitness: symmetry. Four weight-room exercises to help you shore up your weak side. PLUS: A stretching regimen to keep you shredding all season, and pain-prevention hardware for beginning boarders and experts alike.

Review
Cross-dressing for the slopes: Now that skiers are snowboarding and vice versa, manufacturers have responded. Eleven of the best dual-function jackets and pants on the market. Durable, lightweight clothes for the special demands of the backcountry. Merrell's Millennium hiking boot: twenty-first-century traction and support. PLUS: The Cat Eye Stadium bike light; Dynabee's Hand and Arm Exerciser; Aftermath: The Remnants of War, by Donovan Webster; One River: Explorations and Discoveries in the Amazon Rain Forest, by Wade Davis; and more.