My Mexico

For some people, Mexico signifies a land of poor people, of desperation, of dirtiness, and of corruption. For others it conjures visions of spring break fiestas or bachelor(ette) party sessions on pristine beaches in a resort town. And for yet others, Mexico is a combination of these memories. I live an hour away from the disheveled border town of Tijuana. In the four years preceding age 21, I sporadically crossed the country... [Read more]

Holiday on a Maldivian Island

The Maldives are a group of about 1200 Islands, spread over more than 500 miles in the Indian Ocean, to the Southwest of India. Only 200 Islands are inhabited by Maldivians. There is one “city,” the island’s capital, Male, is complete with government, high schools, offices and restaurants. Roughly, 100 tourist resorts are built on uninhabited islands which are rented from the Maldivian Government to tourist companies.... [Read more]

A Baltic Surprise

It is not for nothing that Gdansk, Poland has been labeled “Phoenix from the Ashes”. The photographs that hang in the Golden Gate, the stone passageway that leads into the heart of this medieval city, show a desecrated area lying in smoldering ruins. Not only has the total destruction at the hands of the Nazi’s been reversed, but the do-nothing, care-about-nothing attitude of the Communist era has faded from memory.... [Read more]

Dancing with the Stars

I haven’t been able to watch much television here in Uruguay, but of the programs I have seen, their version (actually Argentina’s version but it is widely viewed here as well) of Dancing with the Stars is by far the most memorable.  For a couple of reasons:

1) Not only is it on every night, but there are a few shows in the following day that go over the previous night’s results.  Seriously.

2)... [Read more]

And the Winner is…ITKT Favorite Surprise Destination

In the last year, I had an opportunity to visit a lot of places on four different continents. How lucky is that? Most of them were places I have never visited before, and covered areas with rain forests, snow, mountains, sand, water, and/or cement. Even though I may have not visited a destination before, I routinely have some preconception of where I am headed, what the people will like and whether I will have a good... [Read more]

Lower Zambezi, Higher Cost

Africa’s national parks differ a lot from country to country and they are run in very different ways, so I never know what to expect next. In South Africa and Namibia, the parks are over-organized operations with gates, curfews and strict rules, though I found them somewhat bendable despite constant ranger patrols. In bureaucratic Botswana, the seemingly dead plains of the Kalahari Desert are empty from any regime,... [Read more]

In the Steps of Werner Herzog

I am usually a mountain person when it comes to trips. However, there is one place in the tropics that has always captured my interest, and that is the Amazon basin in the rain forests of Brazil. The Amazon basin is the largest drainage basin in the world. The river is larger in volume than the next 10 largest rivers in the world combined. At dinner one night, a friend mentioned the movie, Aguirre, The Wrath of God,... [Read more]

The Small Things of Uruguay

I am not speaking of the country’s geographical size (that of Missouri, if you are curious).  But rather in their detail to life, taking it easy, and at times appreciating the simpler side to the day.

Specific examples:
1) Yesterday I walked through the  main Plaza of Independencia on my way home.  A young boy kicked his soccer ball a bit too hard and it was about to go flying into the busy street. ... [Read more]

Private Parts in Zambia

I am far from a nun, extremely comfortable with my body, and if you describe me as “shy” in front of anybody who even remotely knows me – they’d laugh in your face. That said, I would like to think I’m all about respect. Respecting other cultures and their degrees of modesty are highly important during the sort of travel I enjoy most. However, in Africa I officially declare myself confused by modesty... [Read more]

Travels with Baby in Washington

Leilani is just learning how to walk without holding on to anyone. She toddles down the uneven dirt between the bright, golden daffodils as I cheer her on. We’ve had a big day of walking along Puget Sound, watching Bald Eagles play along the shore, tasting gourmet food at local wineries (I learned Leilani likes Cardamom Shortbread) and now “walking” through vast fields of flowers. Skagit Valley is a beautiful place;... [Read more]

The Accent of South America’s Switzerland

I grew up about an hour and a half from Mexico’s border…and the border town of Tijuana.  Yes, I made desultory visits to this town when underage to, um, check out the local artisan crafts.  But the point being that I arrived speaking a Mexican Spanish with a Gringo (or Yankee as they say down here) twist.  I pronounced the double “L’s” like a “Y” sound in English (example:... [Read more]

“Murga” in Uruguay’s Streets

The first night I arrived to Montevideo, outside of my place I heard the rhythmic, powerful, and (at this time upon arrival) alarming pounding of hand drums.  Since then I have heard this music, along with chorus singing, every weekend night and a few nights during the weekdays.

The type of music is called Murga, and is similar to a Carnival-type sound/atmosphere. Apparently the groups are allowed to be only... [Read more]

Food and Wine in Thessaly, Greece

When I arrived at the coastal village of New Anhialos in the Greek province of Thessaly, I was enveloped by my aunt’s strong arms. My uncle stuffed the luggage into the trunk, and drove the few blocks to their home. Before the last suitcase was unloaded, Aunt Voula had endowed the table with a feast—traditional cucumber and tomato salad, olives and apricots from their orchards, feta cheese packed in freshwater, stewed... [Read more]

Livingstone’s Pets

I could cry – I’ve hugged an elephant. I’ve walked with a lion’s tail in hand, and swam in Devil’s Armchair nearly spilling over the edge of Vic Falls. I’m not a daredevil. In fact, I am afraid of heights (though that doesn’t stop me from climbing the highest whatever in the vicinity). But all these were calculated risks, with tamed animals and lifeguards controlling my every move even... [Read more]