Upon leaving the unexpectedly small Cartagena airport, I was welcomed by a huge billboard featuring a Colombian Elvis impersonator. The other passengers who had also just arrived were poppin’ into little yellow micro-machine cabs and spinning off into their own assorted narratives. I stood and watched their numbers dwindle. Soon I was one of only a few prey left for the desperate transportation peddlers. A husky, determined Colombian man … [Read more...]
Top 10 Unique Activites When Visiting Canada
Canada is mostly known around the world for its cold weather and a lot of frozen, barren land. The majority of visitors only visit the major cities of Toronto, Vancouver, or Montreal, thinking that is all Canada has to offer. Well, there is a lot more to this country than meets the eye! We have picked out 10 unique activities visitors can do on their trip to Canada. But before you embark on the trip, make sure you are covered with IEC … [Read more...]
CicLAvia – When LA Ditches the Car
Pity Angelinos, the unhappy residents of the City of Angels Automobiles. Few cities in the world are as car-centric as theirs. From the world’s first freeway (Pasadena Freeway) to the world’s busiest interchange (I-105 and I-110), Los Angeles was developed in the early decades of the 20th century as a marvel of modern transportation, the ultimate exemplar of mobility in a spectacular new era. Street cars, subways and light rails of east coast … [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...]
Street Art of Bogota
“See that hummingbird? They appear frequently in murals because we have over 100 different types of them here in Colombia,” says Jay, my tour guide. Bogota would probably not come to most people's minds right away when thinking of the world’s great street art traditions. Yet, here I am, standing in the middle of the colorful La Candelaria district, surrounded by mural-covered walls everywhere I look. It is a veritable 360-degree immersive … [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...]
Two Backpackers Tasting Coffee Around the World
Exploring coffee cultures around the world. Follow two caffeine junkie-backpackers searching for the world's best coffee! The quality of a cup of coffee is determined by a complex combination of factors, both environmental and method of preparation. Since altitude, soil quality and climate are influential factors, the bean origin influences coffee quality. These were our favorite coffees around the world. South East Asia Coffee culture … [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...]
The Phenomenal Fortitude of Cambodia’s Emerging Capital
Phnom Penh, Cambodia Gray and gritty...these are the two words that rise to the surface when I reflect on our brief 4 days in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Pen. Gray in the truest sense of the word and color, in that it’s place that is in transition – moving from a dark and clouded past to perhaps a bright and emerging future. However, where the city lies on the gray scale spectrum is open to one’s perception. Some may see it as a place that is … [Read more...]
Backpacking in Venezuela
Venezuela must be one of the most unique countries I have ever been to. Since so few people travel here, most of what we heard, from its beauty to its dangerous reputation is a combination of myth and mystery. It is a country that has never been on my travel radar; Alya however has been talking about visiting the amazing Mount Roraima for a while. THE REPUTATION When we started to investigate we heard so much nonsense, it seemed like … [Read more...]
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