Experiencing the Mountain Pass in Ecuador

May 3, 2009 ·  

At 10,000 feet, the air is perceptively thin in the Ecuadorean capital of Quito. Travelers puff and gasp the first few days of their visit. Stone steps and sidewalks seem steeper; footsteps tread slower.

This ancient, beautiful city is home to over 2 million residents. It fills the valley at the foot of 15,710 foot high Rucu Pichincha with thousands of single-story simple homes that creep halfway up its green slopes. At the city center is the international airport, laid out on a dried-up lakebed.

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Cemeteries and Penguins in Southern Chile

April 26, 2009 ·  

I was doubly blessed that Christmas Eve. December in the Southern Hemisphere is a time of lingering twilight and balmy summer air, or what passes for “balmy” in southern Chile. I was in Punta Arenas, where the Chilean Andes meet the Straits of Magellan.

The first surprise of the day was the Cementerio Municipal, a walled, flower-riot of a gem where the paths are marked with street signs. Los Gladiolas and Las Margaritas (the flower, not the drink) speak to the beauty that lies therein. Family members were... [Read more]

Blue Eyes and Brazilian Hospitality

April 5, 2009 ·  

As an American of Northern European ancestry, I have never considered my somewhat pale features to be anything out of the ordinary. In fact, I would laugh at the notion of ever being considered “exotic”. However, on a recent trip to Brazil, I found that my features are considered by some to be a delightful novelty.

I was relaxing on Ipanema Beach one day enjoying the sun and sand Rio de Janeiro has to offer. I had experienced some trouble applying sunscreen to a portion of my back, resulting in a bright red... [Read more]