I've been supporting women's microfinancing organizations since I first read about them about a decade ago and had to look up the term before I ran to get my checkbook. It seemed like such a common-sense way to make a difference in a world where you often think you can't. But the whole concept didn't became concrete to me until I went on an En Via microfinancing tour last November, after coming to Oaxaca on a whim to spend three weeks around Day … [Read more...]
A Few Words About Zimbabwe
The bus ride from Lusaka, Zambia to Harare, Zimbabwe lasted four hours longer than it should have (total trip was nearly 12 hours). We spent four hours at the border crossing, where everyone's belongings were examined, less for security and more to squeeze as much money as possible from undeclared goods. Baboons outnumbered travellers at the crossing and, having mastered the art of swiping food from unaware passengers, they seemed to want to be … [Read more...]
Huangshan Gems
"Since you are here in Huangshan, you must visit our two traditional villages, Xidi and Hongcun. They are little gems of elegance and tradition." A guide advised when I asked him his favourite attractions in the region. We had already made plans to visit these villages and his advice reinforced our decision. Both Xidi and Hongcun villages rest in the foothills of the Huangshan (Yellow) Mountain. They lay amid a landscape of greenery, … [Read more...]
A Few Words About Mozambique
We love the energy of Maputo. It is vibrant, entrepreneurial, positive, and alive. Though Mozambique is not without its problems, its capital city is clearly on the move, transforming itself and melding some of the best parts of its rich and diverse cultures. We spent the first day visiting a workshop organized by Prolinnova, the Spanish NGO Centro de Iniciativas para la Cooperacion/Bata, and the National Farmers Union of Mozambique, UNAC. The … [Read more...]
A Few Words About Zambia
Bugs. When I think of Zambia, I think of bugs. It started when a mysterious little creature bit Dani on the side of the head. We spent hours monitoring the swelling as it inched closer and closer to her eye, applying cortisone, and praying that we wouldn't have to go to the clinic. Thankfully, Dani's head didn't explode and the bite went way. Despite a mosquito net, our favorite bug repellent (Dani has a newfound love for chemicals), and … [Read more...]
The Great Wall and the Great Market
My toes are numb, I'm not sure I even have toes anymore. We have elected to take a tour to "the secret wall" somewhere along China's nearly 4000 mile "Great Wall". This is in the dead of mid April, Spring in many parts of the northern Hemisphere, but here winter's icy tentacles are far reaching and we are bundled up in multiple layers of clothing. We are all huddled in an old van for 3 hours to this "secret spot". The dense, grey gloomy fog of … [Read more...]
5 Important Tips for Enjoying Egypt
Egypt is one of the most fascinating destinations on the world tourist map. This extra ordinary country is today the favorite vacation spot for many, just like it was in the days of the early Greeks and Romans. The thoroughly cultured Greeks, in particular, were fascinated by this civilization that predated theirs by at least 2000 years. When you decide to visit Egypt, you always worry about climate, save places to visit and stay, where and … [Read more...]
Five More Airports You’ll Want to Get Stranded In
We've already told you about five US Airports you'd like to get stranded in, but the Europeans can hold their own pretty well too. Here are five airports that may not have slot machines or solar panels, but they'll keep you from expiring of boredom if your flight's delayed. Heathrow Terminal 5, London (LHR) Heathrow gets a bad rap - and deservedly so. Terminal 1 is an under-chaired, overused hell on earth, and 2 and 3 aren't much … [Read more...]
A Few Words About Rwanda
We've taken some long bus rides in Africa. We spent eight bumpy hours on a bus from Nairobi to Arusha and another eight from Arusha to Dar Es Salaam. The longest so far, though, has been from Kampala, Uganda to Kigali, Rwanda. Once we finally arrived, we quickly realized, that we've never traveled anywhere quite like Rwanda. Fifteen years ago one of the largest modern genocides occurred here. Our visit to the genocide memorial museum … [Read more...]
482 Words About Uganda
People here are very laid back and the feeling is contagious! We managed to go three days without a cup of coffee didn't seem to mind. You hear the words "Hakuna Matata" everywhere. Literally. Internet services down nationwide all day? Hakuna Matata... Flights cancelled? Hakuna Matata... Two hours in wall-to-wall rush hour traffic in Kampala? Hakuna Matata... In the Mukono District, about an hour outside of Kampala, Uganda, we … [Read more...]
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