A man walks calmly through a crowd, a BMX bike handle thrust through his cheek. Two fighters leap over a catholic cross, ready to engage in hand-to-hand combat with anyone who interrupts their ritual. A group of adherents whirl and spin, appearing intoxicated, yet no drugs have been taken. These are just some of the many otherworldly festivals Daniel Stables witnessed, understood, and reported on for his new book, Fiesta: A Journey Through Festivity, out next month through Icon Books.

Daniel joined the Travel Writing Podcast to talk about traveling to festivals in Britain, Turkey, Thailand, Spain, and beyond, witnessing jealously guarded rituals and getting to the deeper questions about the rituals that bind us together and transcend the ordinariness of everyday life.