Guys, this was the hardest volcano hike I’ve ever done. I know what you are thinking…”it’s probably the only volcano you’ve ever hiked.” Au contraire! How many times do you have to do something for it to be considered a hobby? Anyway, three. I have climbed three volcanoes and Acatenango was the second one…and the […]
If you are considering visiting Cuba, you may have discovered that it doesn’t take much research to learn the food does not have the best reputation. Why? Well, they can’t import the ingredients you want to make your meal great thanks to the big, bad USA (not getting into politics here, but COME ON!!!!) But I […]
My previous encounters with salsa always included a side of Tostito tortilla chips, which I masterfully conquered without a hitch. So allow that to set the stage (hah, dance pun) for the impending shitstorm, casually disguised as salsa dance lessons. As if speaking Spanish wasn’t mortifying enough, I opted to bring an entirely new level of embarrassment upon myself while […]
Learning a foreign language is hard. If it wasn’t, maybe I would already speak more than one! Sure, I took a language in high school like every good American. And I thank my lucky stars that I did not opt to learn Latin. I chose Spanish, the second most widely spoken language in the world. How […]
In all of my travels, this is the first time I have stayed put for this length of time. Two months! The verdict? Amazing! I have an apartment, I have a gym, I take Spanish classes, I take salsa classes, I have a routine, I AM NORMAL! I haven’t felt like this since the summer […]
Cartagena, Colombia is a beachy, Caribbean paradise. It is famous for its Old Town, a UNESCO world heritage site, and stunning beaches. The catch is, these beautiful beaches are not part of Cartagena at all! They exist on small islands off the coast, which require you to book a trip in order to reach them. […]
There would have to be a really good reason for me to miss out on free walking tours in the city I am traveling in. For instance, there aren’t any. That is justification enough for me to take a pass. Grave illness. There’s another reason. They charge money upfront. Um, well then stop calling yourself […]
Holi, the festival of colors that takes place in India and Nepal, is less than one month away. If you have ever seen pictures from this event, you may wonder about the true, stain-lifting power of OxiClean. The festival with the staining power of red wine, is a celebration of the start of spring (slash when […]
You may hear a lot of people say that Myanmar is an up and coming tourist destination and to get there before it changes. In Yangon and Mandalay I saw very few tourists, while Bagan was nearly exclusively tourists, though I expected more. However, if you want to find westerners, hit the trails between the […]
It’s time to face the music and realize I am not some youthful, gap year backpacker. While there is nothing wrong with this fact, it does present a couple of physical limitations. For example, my inability to cope with a hangover and the general staying power of a beer belly. Consequently, the month I spent […]
