Paraty (pada-chee), a town on the southeast coast of Rio state, is like a top-shelf drink — from the aged, distilled waterfront of Brazil’s colonial history, to the calm, primal ecological beauty of the coastal …
March 26, 2011
Go Abroad!
Paraty, Brazil
Wrecked People
Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not. — Dr. Seuss My jaw hung down in disbelief. New images of the cataclysm were pouring in faster …
March 23, 2011
Learning From a Clown in Montevideo
It’s 10 o’clock at night in the Ciudad Vieja neighborhood of Montevideo, Uruguay. Three of us are gathered around a bench on the city’s main walking street, Peatonal Sarandí, but no one is wandering past …
March 15, 2011
La Paz, Bolivia: At the Top of the World
In the fast-moving modern times of the travel business, how does one decide between, say, the Bahamas or Singapore? One brochure boasts luxury in Honolulu and another calls you to Paris. One hotel has a …
March 6, 2011
Underrated Taipei, Taiwan
Many Americans don’t know where Taiwan is or mistake it for its Southeast Asian cousin, Thailand. However, for those of you unsure of Taiwan’s location, you’re missing out. Whether you’re a budget backpacker or a …
Cambridge, England – Brilliant
I’ve always loved university towns: the spirit, the energy, the combination of youthful, bustling enthusiasm and quiet intellectual reflection they exude refreshes me. Most university towns have a keen sense of place and radiate a …
February 24, 2011
Budapest, Hungary: An Old World City
Arriving on the tarmac at the Budapest airport, I walk down the steps of the airplane to an awaiting bus. It’s a grey, wintry day, and people are wearing heavy long coats and big fur …
February 22, 2011
What Not to Do in Grenoble, France
Grenoble, France, 1968: a sporting and outdoor destination unparalleled around the world. Host city of the Winter Olympics, hub for skiing, alpinism and focal point of a growing scientific industrial center. Fast-forward in time to …
Jiaoxi: Off the Beaten Path in Taiwan
Taipei, Taiwan, is slightly reminiscent of Hong Kong, but to really discover this island country, I suggest you travel along the east coast. To start your tour of Taiwan's natural beauty, take a three-hour train …
February 11, 2011
Doing Europe: Heading South, Monopoli, Italy
I spent most of my days in Rome just walking around the beautiful, timeless city in awe. However, believe it or not, I was getting “bored” with my surroundings. I needed to get out of …
February 6, 2011
Splashing Out at Iguaçu Falls, Brazil
After several months of lodging in hostels throughout Brazil, we (my wife and I) decided to let our cash cascade into the Hotel das Cataratas Iguassu — a beautiful, if somewhat corporate, upscale resort with …
January 31, 2011
Intoxicating Florence, Italy
I arrived in Florence early morning on the train after leisurely working my way up via Rome, Capri, Pompeii, Siena, Assisi, Umbria and Tuscany. On my first visit to Europe, I’d now traveled through several …
January 24, 2011
Vienna, Austria, for Parsimonious Persons
Being a San Diego native can give one a shortsighted perspective of history. Besides the Portuguese tuna fisherman, Children’s Pool and Point Loma Lighthouse, San Diego is limited for the most part to the sights …
January 20, 2011
Doing Europe: Ios, Greece
Leaving Sorrento, Italy was bittersweet. Sorrento was the perfect place for us to get our minds wrapped around the idea of the sea. We’d been landlocked in Prague for months, so we wanted more oceans. …
January 13, 2011