Surprisingly this was my first trip to Colombia; for some reason South America hadn’t demanded my attention yet in my travels. I was eager to leave the cold December in NYC behind to land in hot, steamy Cartagena. The best part – it was so simple – no super long flight, and no jetlag. Poof! […]
This is the stuff that is normally kept far away from most American’s eyesight; the carnage that happens before that lovely piece of prime rib or fish fillet ends up behind the glass in the grocery market case. Mercado de Bazurto Cartagena was a serious market, the kind where you get a glimpse into local […]
I was expecting a handshake and I received a powerful, emotional hug – one that in my culture is normally reserved for close family or friends. I quickly learned being hugged with gusto was a normal greeting in in the Perez-Cuesta family home in the suburbs of Cartagena Colombia. Like mother, like daughters – each […]
Do you feel the beat? I sure did this last week in Cartagena Colombia! This was my first trip to Colombia and with a few salsa beats and welcoming hugs it had me won over and wanting more. I was there working on a project for USTOA and AFAR. It was a quick 4 days […]
Three times every day 50+ people sit down at wooden tables with colorful plastic plates piled high with food at Project Peru, the refuge my niece and I had been volunteering at outside of Lima for a week. I knew it was no easy process to put food on those plates every day, as kids […]
The hills of Las Laderas were brown and barren of trees, however they were dotted with little colorful cubes representing simple houses. Josue told me many of these houses built into the hills were filled with single mothers which immediately made my heart sink. The homes were very simple, some made of brick, some of […]
How do you find good, legitimate volunteering opportunities when you travel? I get this question all the time and like most things in life – it takes some work and some luck. When Megan said she wanted to spend some time volunteering abroad I was overjoyed. I was excited to do a volunteer project again […]
Megan looked at me before she entered the little simple bathroom in our hotel guest house in Ollantaytambo to take a shower. She said in an unsure voice, “I really hope there’s hot water.” She then crossed herself as if she were going into Catholic mass and stepped inside. I was left doubled over giggling […]
“The tarantulas are out all night so they won’t care if we are running a bit late,” our amazon jungle guide responded when I asked him if we could move back our night jungle hike in order to watch the World Cup USA/Portugal game. I was actually surprised at his answer for two reasons. First, […]
I’m in the same place a decade later, sitting on the terraces of Machu Picchu. The scenery has the same awe-inspiring feel. And once again for the 2nd time I am left wondering ‘how did the Incas do that?’ as I gaze upon the stone architecture. There is a constant din of noise filling the […]