Custodians of Wonder: Eliot Stein on Vanishing Cultures and Timeless Traditions
The Layover · LOST iN
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Show Notes
In this episode, we journey into the sacred, the obscure, and the nearly forgotten with Eliot Stein, senior journalist and editor at the BBC, and author of the powerful new book Custodians of Wonder: Ancient Customs, Profound Traditions, and the Last People Keeping Them Alive.
Eliot takes us behind the scenes of a decade-long reporting journey—one that led him across five continents in search of the final practitioners of ancient rites, endangered crafts, and cultural expressions on the edge of extinction. From the last Inca bridge master to the only family that still plays Mali’s 700-year-old royal instrument, Eliot explores how humanity’s most fragile traditions are preserved, passed down, or lost in a rapidly modernizing world.
In this conversation, we explore:
How Eliot gains trust and access in deeply private and remote communities
The tension between storytelling and overexposure in the age of social media
Why the disappearance of local culture, language, and ritual is a global extinction event
What it really means to travel with curiosity, humility, and empathy
Why “yes” is the most powerful word a traveler can carry
Whether you're a cultural anthropologist at heart or a curious traveler wondering what’s being lost in our globally connected world, this episode offers a profound look at the quieter, endangered side of travel—and the people who keep wonder alive.
And be sure to check out his book Custodians of Wonder, which can be found on his website https://www.eliotstein.me/