South Africa is becoming a destination of choice for good reason. We were happy to arrive in Cape Town, the mother city, after a very long flight: 24 hours across two continents on South African …
January 25, 2012
Go Abroad!
The Cape, South Africa
Traveling in Style: A Personal Train through Transylvania
“The painfully slow Personal trains should be avoided as a rule, unless you’re heading for some tiny destination.” – The Rough Guide to Romania “These trains are achingly slow.” – Lonely Planet: Eastern Europe I …
January 24, 2012
Exploring the Mekong Delta, Vietnam
“I think that thing is staring at me,” someone in our tour group remarked nervously. No, it wasn’t a wild animal spotted while hiking through the wilds of Vietnam. It was the fish proudly displayed …
Place Django Reinhardt, Paris
New to Paris is Place Django Reinhardt. Well, the site isn't new, but the designation is. The site is where the gypsy guitariste et compositeur lived in his caravan, in the Saint-Ouen neighborhood of Paris's …
January 13, 2012
Greek Island Hopping: A How-to
As we took our last ferry back to the Greek mainland, a few general impressions of the Greek Islands came to mind. Overall, the people were genuine, helpful and friendly – a traditional Greek nod …
Ayutthaya, Thailand: City of Buddhas
The ancient Thai capital of Ayutthaya, about eighty kilometers north of Bangkok, is a worthwhile day trip if you’re staying in Bangkok. To really appreciate Ayutthaya, it helps to know a little about its history. …
Iquitos, Peru: Gateway to the Amazon
“Can you carry the backpack on your chest instead?” Gino asked me as we were about to enter Belén Market in Iquitos, Peru. I nodded, turning it around. He winked. “That's a gringa inteligente,” he …
January 2, 2012
An Ecuadorian Christmas in Quito
Over Christmas break in 2009, I chose to participate in a brief volunteer project in Quito, Ecuador, working with street kids. Once my volunteer stint was over, I wasted no time exploring this magnificent city …
December 17, 2011
Tidal Living in Bahia, Brazil
Those who abide in the coastal state of Bahia in northeastern Brazil live according to something like "tidal time": when it ebbs, and it ebbs hundreds of meters, it's time for business; when it flows, …
December 17, 2011
An Unforgettable Trip to Salzburg, Austria, and Dachau, Germany
They say every little girl’s dream is to be a princess. When I told a family friend that I’d been accepted into the Salzburg Global Seminar and would be living in an 18th century castle, …
Edinburgh, Scotland’s Royal Mile
The prime sites to visit in Scotland's capital dot the Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle at the west end to Holyrood Palace at the east end. The Castle is worth touring at any time, but …
December 5, 2011
Backpacking in Europe, the Hard Way
This was the trip of a lifetime. Traveling to Budapest, Hungary, I experienced the time of my life while trekking simultaneously through the hardships of a stolen passport, wallet and train pass. I was studying …
December 2, 2011
Annecy: Beauty in the French Alps
Upon his visit to a town in France, Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote, “Now I have been happy, now I have lived.” No, he was not writing of Paris, but praising the beauty of Annecy. We decided …
Do's and Don'ts in Bangkok
Bangkok is the introductory city to Asia for many Americans, and the hectic pace and traffic may remind New Yorkers and Angelenos of home. A city of eleven million, Bangkok can be a slow crawl …
Gramado, Brazil: A South American Anomaly
Below the heat and subtropical savannas that spread out across millions of acres of the sub-Amazonian Brazilian interior is the Serra Gaúcha. "Serra" is a Latin American subtropical forest. The Gaúcho is the Latin American …