La Carmina is a multi-talented lifestyle blogger, TV host and an author of 4 books including the upcoming “The Little Book of Satanism: A Guide to Satanic History, Culture, and Wisdom,” published by Simon & Schuster on October 25, 2022. I recently managed to get hold of her and asked her a couple questions. Q. You started as a blogger and slowly moved towards becoming an author and TV host. What has your journey been like to get to where … [Read more...]
Beautiful Spots to Visit in El Yunque National Forest
El Yunque National Forest is on every list of best places to visit in Puerto Rico, and for good reason! If you like waterfalls, swimming in lagoons, or hiking, you should plan to visit El Yunque. It is the only tropical rainforest within the US National Forest Service and provides a beautiful, natural escape only about an hour from San Juan. If you've read my article, How to Enjoy Your Time Working Remotely in San Juan, you know that I only … [Read more...]
Cruise with Holland America Line ms Eurodam – December 2019
This spacious mid-sized ship can support a small town at times - with capacity for up to approximately 2,100 passengers and over 900 crew. While that is a lot of people the ship is sizable so that while on board it never feels to crowded (with perhaps at times the exception of the pool area on the top deck). The ship offers a wide variety of activities for the entire family, one will not be board when on board! Entertainment and music is a big … [Read more...]
Saborea Culinary Extravaganza Celebrates Puerto Rico’s Resilience and Recovery
With Puerto Rico's communities wiped out, hotels battered, and power grid devastated, Hurricane Maria's landfall on September 2017 was the worst storm ever on record for the island. Included in this destruction from which many are still recovering are small farms producing coffee, plantains, livestock, and other fresh fruits & vegetables. Even 100 days after the storm, half the island was still without power and many lacked access to potable … [Read more...]
Penang – An Embodiment of Creative Disruption
George Town, Penang Much like the street art and street (“hawker”) food that seem to serve as the first definition of modern day Penang, the city is one that is best experienced through the senses. Though the city is still trying to create an identity for itself after it was stripped of such comfort during WWII, it is using vibrant, creative solutions to tell its history, share its beauty and humor, and redevelop itself as Malaysia’s thriving … [Read more...]
My 5 Favorite Caribbean Destinations
I have been fortunate to have visited all countries in the Caribbean except for Haiti and have visited nearly all of the territories. Haiti is definitely on the list for upcoming visits. I have stayed in a wide variety of accommodation in the region including a number of luxury properties. Luxury Retreats recently reached out to me; they focus on high end vacation rentals worldwide including a number of Caribbean luxury vacations. After … [Read more...]
Cruising into Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
The day dawned clear on the Holland America Line MS Eurodam after the stormy nauseating seas of the past few days. This was a welcome relief visually and for the stomach which has been struggling with all the back and forth rocking. We pulled around the point of the north east part of the island and passed the historical fort. From a distance we could have been pulling into a port in Greece or perhaps the Middle East - the white buildings … [Read more...]
Traveling on a Budget in 2016
Traveling can be a pretty expensive venture. Expensive is, of course, a relative term. Each traveler has different financial capacities, preferences, and responsibilities. However, despite the wide-ranging financial dynamics, no one likes to spend more than they can afford or pay more for less value. Everyone wants to get the maximum value for every penny they spend. The year 2016 has been and will continue to be an exciting and affordable year … [Read more...]
Cruising Holland America Line, ms Eurodam
One of my early childhood memories is visiting my grandparents as they left for an around the world cruise on a Holland America Line cruise ship - this must have been sometime in the late 1970's or early 1980's. I remember being allowed to board the ship with my family and running through all the hallways and eventually ending up in a room where they told children to go. I remember what felt like thousands of people (probably just hundreds) … [Read more...]
Upcoming Cruise, Holland America Line Caribbean & Sweepstakes Offer
Holland America Line recently reached out to me to join them on their first Caribbean cruise of the season. For whatever reason, the Caribbean is one of the last parts of the world I have not spent much time in. That will change after this trip as I am taking much of October to explore some additional islands with my brother who is flying in from Verona Italy (where he lives). I went on a River Cruise in Europe earlier this year but this will … [Read more...]