La Carmina was ahead of the alternative travel curve before alternative travel was a category. The Vancouver-based author, journalist, TV host and subculture specialist launched her blog in 2007, covering Gothic fashion, themed cafés and unusual corners – and never really stopped. What followed was a career that now spans over 70 countries, a shelf of books including The Little Book of Satanism, and television credits alongside Andrew Zimmern, William Shatner and Henry Winkler.
Her work sits at an unusual crossroads: part travel journalism, part subcultural anthropology, part visual storytelling. She writes for major publications, runs a production company in Japan, and maintains a readership that has followed her across nearly two decades. The niche she carved out might have gone mainstream, but she never has.
You started your blog in 2007 – when did hobby become career?
Since I was an OG early adopter, I got lucky and rode the wave when blogging took off and people started turning the medium into a career. I’d say by 2009, I was writing books for Penguin Random House, and appearing regularly on travel TV shows for networks like Travel Channel, which let me expand my work from blogging to other major media opportunities.
The alternative travel niche has got more crowded since 2007 – what do you do that the imitators don’t?
I suppose I’ve been able to adapt to new media as they rise and fall – for instance, some previously popular bloggers weren’t able to pivot to vertical reels and other work, such as freelance journalism for leading outlets, as I did.
I also feel I’ve been consistent with my output since the start, and aim to keep upping the level (such as the photo quality and deep dive into offbeat topics). I do my best to put the audience’s experience first, so I won’t resort to things like popup ads or trending audio just for the sake of more views and bucks.
You’re now candid about AI, algorithms and social media – how much has the job changed since 2007?
Back then, MySpace was the only social media, and people didn’t have smartphones! So much has changed since then. I’m increasingly miffed by the prevalence of AI in creative work such as writing and art – it’s a total turnoff to me. All I can do is maintain my own self-hosted space, which isn’t at the whim of algorithms and billionaire owners, and keep producing work that isn’t made by Mr Roboto.
Blogging, books, TV, journalism, production – which is most creatively satisfying?
It’s very much project dependent. For example, some of my career highlights have involved travel TV shoots with fantastic productions, in which we got wildly creative and took viewers into Tokyo’s most bizarre subcultures.
However, there were also television shows that were nightmares, with rage-fuelled producers and drama galore. Over the years, I’ve learned to be more selective and be firm about certain matters in order to avoid such situations!
Your visual aesthetic is instantly recognisable – has it ever felt like a creative constraint?
I don’t feel it has, since I don’t box myself into stereotypically Gothic outfits or topics. For instance, I don’t only wear black and visit graveyards – if you check out my Instagram, you’ll see 70s vintage and Japanese temples, which are as “me.” Although I’m known for my dark Japan subculture reports.
I also write more generally about unusual destinations, creative chefs, artist exhibits… and I’m vocal about a wide range of niche interests, which include Miffy, Seinfeld, Italo Disco music, ‘sush,’ the perils of microplastics, and the current Collapse of civilization.
Gothic subcultures have a complicated relationship with appropriation — how do you navigate that?
I’m so over the culture of PC virtue signalling. I frankly don’t think there is anything meaningful to say about Goths and appropriation (I don’t even know what that might refer to – wearing an Egyptian ankh necklace? I do this, and I also research and write about ancient Egyptian culture and destinations from on the ground?)
I think there should be less emphasis on this type of discourse, as it may be well intended but almost always misses the forest for the trees. For example, in Japan, foreigners have always been welcome to try on kimonos and respectfully participate in traditional fashion and culture – so any attempt to “cancel” such travelers makes me roll my eyes.
Has championing fringe subcultures ever put you in genuinely uncomfortable territory?
It hasn’t, as my friends and I are street smart and adapt to circumstances. For instance, when my drag queen bestie and I went to Egypt and India, he ‘manned up’ and wore male-coded Goth garments rather than his usual flamboyant skirts and makeup. It’s a balance between staying true to who you are and understanding the nuances of cultures and circumstances worldwide.
How do you find the less visible side of a new destination?
Always through friends that take part in these local subcultures. I have a love-hate relationship with social media, but it’s enabled me to connect with alt / Goth individuals worldwide that take into their local haunts. In the early days, I wouldn’t have known about a pentagram temple in Kyoto or Goth Satanic bar in Kobe without these insider friends.
Has a destination ever genuinely surprised you?
I never had Malta on my wish-list, but when I finally made it there, I didn’t want to leave. The ancient waterfront, sardine and spinach pastries, and less touristed feel made this a fantastic destination for me.
Most inspiring city for writing?
I traveled to Taipei for the second time last year, and I’m such a fan of the city. There’s so much to rave about, from the LGBTQ scene (my friends and I hung out with drag queens at Cafe Dalida) to the shopping (I got Y2K style denim barrel jeans for $75), art / culture (like a Confucius temple), and food (we’re still thinking about the fresh guava juice and wax apples).
Where do you go for pure escapism?
I’ve been to Puerto Vallarta twice now. It’s my affordable go-to spot for chilling at the beach and malecon, and eating cheap tacos – what more does one need?
Where do you go when you need a creative reset?
I’m going back to Egypt this month for this exact reason. On my 2019 visit to Egypt, I went on a group tour that took us to many sites around the country. This time, rather than hustling around, I’m excited to chill for a few days at Steigenberger Pyramids Cairo Hotel in a suite with picture windows overlooking the Pyramids, as well as poolside – a dream come true! It’s also perfectly located for me to visit the Giza plateau and the new Grand Egyptian Museum right across the street.
And where do you go for stimulation?
Since first visiting Tokyo as a kid in the ’90s, Japan’s capital has been my place to get inspired by subcultures and all things bizarre and futuristic, whether it’s Goth Harajuku fashion or robot cafes.
Japan keeps pulling you back — what does it give you that nowhere else does?
So many of my closest friends are in Japan, and the small but tight-knit Goth scene remains my home (and is the best in the world, in my opinion). I’m endlessly blown away by my friends’ creativity with Goth music, drag performances, shibari rope bondage, boundary-pushing art exhibitions, butoh dance… the list goes on.
Favourite hotel, anywhere in the world?
It’s hard to pick, but Gili Lankanfushi in the Maldives – with overwater villas and soft sand beaches, a chocolate cave and all you can eat sushi lunches – was among my most exquisite hotel experiences.
Favourite local restaurants?
Anyone who knows me can vouch that I’m a sushi maniac – my friends and I are always joking about ‘going to get sush.’ Fortunately, I live in Vancouver, which has the world’s best sushi outside of Japan, and the city has many affordable mid-range Japanese restaurants that I frequent. I especially love Tom Sushi, Kingyo, Miku and Minami, and Oku Izakaya for top quality yet affordable sushi and homestyle dishes.
Local hidden gem?
Estratto is a tiny coffee spot in Gastown that makes a perfectly balanced flat white, which is a rarity here, yet it flies under the radar of tourists and influencers.
Best local bars?
Vancouver’s craft cocktail scene has been exploding in recent years; the city hosted North America’s 50 Best Bars award ceremony twice so far, and many of our bars are in the top 100. By far my favorite hangout is The Chickadee Room in Chinatown: it has a retro ’80s synthwave vibe, the staff treat you like family, and the drinks are inspired by sci-fi and pop culture – Chickadee always nails the creativity and execution. I’m also partial to Botanist, Bagheera, and The Keefer Bar for brilliant cocktails.
Top three museums in the world and why?
I was spellbound by Mexico City’s Anahuacalli Museum, designed by Diego Rivera – it’s like entering a pre-Hispanic underworld of death gods, snakes and skulls!
I’m lucky that Vancouver is home to the Museum of Anthropology; it has one of the world’s most stunning collections of First Nations art from the Pacific Northwest and worldwide, displayed amidst the dramatic modernist architecture of Arthur Erickson. I’ve been to the older Egyptian Museum in Cairo, and am heading back this month to see the brand new Grand Egyptian Museum. As an Egypt fanatic, the GEM – filled with sarcophaguses, jackals and ankhs – will certainly be my new favorite.
What’s always in your carry-on?
Sunscreen! I’m obsessed with sun protection, and never go anywhere without mineral SPF.
What does travelling with someone like William Shatner or Andrew Zimmern teach you about how others experience place?
They have such a wide breadth of experiences and ability to connect with anyone, which is truly remarkable to see, and something to aim for.
What’s your best travel advice?
‘Always go forward, but never straight.’ Trips can be difficult or have unexpected twists, from weather and flight fiascos to interpersonal drama. But just keep on going: don’t hold tight to your expectation of the journey, and simply see where it takes you. With an open mind, chances are that you’ll wind up with experiences far better than you could have predicted.
Dream vacation, not yet fulfilled?
I’m still waiting for the right moment to get to my final continent, Antarctica, which I’m keen to see before the world collapses further into chaos.
Canada, the US, Japan — where do you actually feel at home?
I’m based in Vancouver, and I don’t intend on visiting the US in this political era. I also was quite miffed by my recent experiences in Tokyo, which has become uncomfortably overtouristed – so it’s hard to say how things might change.
Coming up, I’m excited to head to many new and off-the-beaten-path destinations including Uganda and Kazakhstan, where I’ll be speaking at TBEX Asia conference, so perhaps I’ll find a new place that feels like home. And if not, there’s always a potential future in outer space for an alien like me!
