When I was 16, I hitchhiked with my older brother from Los Angeles to Vancouver. Being lean and hungry types, we knew we needed fortification for the long journey. So it made perfect sense that we’d load our backpacks—already substantial, with their sturdy wood and metal frames—with canned foods of every type. Chili, fruit cocktail, soup. That one of the laden backpacks now weighed about as much as a sports car wasn’t that daunting until a day or … [Read more...]
Five Reasons to Visit Medellin
Lonely Planet named Colombia 2nd best country to visit in 2017. I first visited Colombia a few years ago, when I set foot into the walled city of Cartagena. I had just finished reading Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez’ Love in the Time of Cholera, and as I moved through the old town in Cartagena, pages of his novel came to life, setting the tone for that trip. I discovered a colorful, romantic city where Latin music and dancing greeted me … [Read more...]
Cruising the Fjords of Patagonia
Few places around the world evoke as much myth and awe as Chile’s Patagonia region. The mere name conjures imagery of pristine wilderness and raw nature, of stunning scenery and awe-inspiring mountains. This is where land meets sea, where ocean currents are funneled through narrow gorges opening to cavernous bays, where innumerable fjords and glaciers carve through rocky massifs. Surrounded by only water for thousands of kilometers in three … [Read more...]
From Los Angeles to Bogota – a Day Trip
Yup, you read the headline right. I made a day trip to Bogota, Colombia from Los Angeles, USA. I'm probably not the first one to do it, but I bet not many people have done it before. So how'd it happen? Mostly through my opportunism: I managed to squeeze in a stop in Bogota while on my way to Santiago, Chile. It wasn't really on my original plans but I had a choice of two flights - one with a 4-hour layover in Lima, Peru and one with a 16-hour … [Read more...]
How Sochi Became an All-Season Hotspot for Tourists
SOURCE: flickr.com Prior to the 2014 Winter Olympics, how many people had heard of Sochi? Outside of Russia, the answer is probably very few. When most people think of snow, skiing and snowboarding, they think of somewhere in Austria or Italy, at least if they’re in Europe. In the US, you can take advantage of lift pass deals like Fly and Ski Free and take to the slopes in Tahoe without spending a dime. Or, if you’re really adventurous, you … [Read more...]
Spring Skiing at Valle Nevado in Chile
The Mountain As the ski lift reached the mountain top, I released my white knuckled grip on the J-bar and slid forward toward the majestic snow capped Andean peaks looming large in the distance. It was spring in South America and the backside of the mountain, was nearly empty, inhabited only by myself and the occasional lift operator. The resort was visible as a spec in the distance beyond the lift I had just exited, and a mountain vista of … [Read more...]
A Remington and a Volvo
At 9, I thought it was crazy. My dad was going to squeeze Mom and all six of us kids into a boxy, top heavy, narrow Volvo station wagon, and we were going to drive for three months from our home in Paraguay to Kansas where my father grew up. This trip had been his dream since coming to Paraguay in 1951 to found and manage a Mennonite leprosy mission. “Is there really a road that goes all the way from Paraguay to the States?” I asked. Dad … [Read more...]
Top 9 Lakes Visited Around the World
In my travels around the world I have been fortunate to have visited all of these lakes listed below other then the Blue Cave Lake in Brazil. That is now on my list for my next trip to Brazil! Any of these make your list? Others to add? These are some truly special spots; they are listed alphabetically. Blue Cave Lake, Brazil or locally known as the Gruta do Lago Azul is located in Southern Brazil. I wish I had known about this lake a few … [Read more...]
Cuzco, Peru: Things Learned During an Eight-Day Visit
When I arrived in Cuzco, a city of 350,000 people known as the Inca Capital of Peru, I had near-zero knowledge about the place. All I knew is that it is home to a famous tourist attraction which most of my friends have kept on their Bucket Lists - forever! Stepping out of the airport, I wore that moronic look tourists wear when they arrive at a place where the primary language is something they cannot fluently speak. I did a little chicken … [Read more...]
Don’t Date a Girl Who Treks
She's the girl with the uneven tanned body Scorched skin from the rays of the sun from trekking the high passes. She's the girl with the high cut boots And a pair of trekking poles that she depends her life on She's the girl who catches the sunrise and sunset For either of them will suit her just fine. Don't date a girl who treks For this means you wake up at some ungodly hour and race your feet to the tops of the … [Read more...]
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