98 Posts Found

Being the world famous home of Tango, it only makes sense that the World Tango Championship was held here in August 2011. My roommate mentioned to me that tickets to the semi-final and final were available one day only and were free. I wanted to go earlier in the day but apparently the line was incredibly long so instead I went to see one of … [ Read more ]

Subjects: Events, Tourism (Places), Video

I crossed the Andes from Mendoza, Argentina arriving in Santiago. I then moved on to Valparaíso, Pucón, Puerto Varas and Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas (if you count spending the night in the airport), and finally Puerto Natales and Torres del Paine.

Subjects: Tourism (Places), Travel Guides

Continuing to highlight my fascination with street art of all kinds, here are photos I took in Chile. Again, I found a lot of good art around a university area I visited in Santiago, though the city has several universities and I forget which one this was. I also wish I had the time to visit the other university areas. I DID however, get to … [ Read more ]

Subjects: Photos, Street Art, Tourism (Places)

Bolivia seems to be one of those countries that some people seem to really love while others think it is vastly overrated. Without a doubt, there is a lot of natural beauty on display in this country, with access to 6,000 meter mountains and the Amazon within hours of the impressive capital of La Paz. The Potosí mines are both impressive and deeply sad and … [ Read more ]

Subjects: Featured, Photos, Tourism (Places), Travel Guides

Continuing to highlight my fascination with street art of all kinds, here are photos I took in the port town of Valparaíso in Chile. This has, so far in my travels, been the best single location for street art. Walking around the city over 4-5 days, I took almost 400 photos! And, I probably missed quite a few. I highly recommend a visit to this … [ Read more ]

Subjects: Photos, Street Art, Tourism (Places)

General Thoughts on Perú

• Perú is a paradise for those, like myself, who are interested in archaeological sites. Of course, it’s most famous for Machu Picchu, but there are SO many more archaeological sites to visit besides MP and I encourage you to do so.
• Use iPerú, found in many tourist locations. It is a great source of unbiased information, including bus routes and schedules,

… [ Read more ]

Subjects: Featured, Photos, Tourism (Places), Travel Guides

Continuing to highlight my fascination with street art of all kinds, here are photos I took in Costa Rica. I noticed significant differences in style between the Caribbean coastal areas and the rest of the country. The best single spot for street art, as is often the case, was near the university in San José.

Subjects: Photos, Street Art, Tourism (Places)

Alternative Treks
For months I had been planning to do one of the alternative treks to Machu Picchu, having mostly decided on the Salkantay Trek after reading great reviews of it and hearing equally good first-person accounts as well. Of course, being a backpacker, plans change. Arriving in Cuzco in the low season I started looking for an agency to use for the trek. What I … [ Read more ]

Subjects: Photos, Tourism (Places), Travel Guides

General Thoughts on Ecuador
I enjoyed my time in Ecuador, but if anything I write below sounds as though I didn’t it is probably because I went to Ecuador after spending three months in Colombia, a country I truly loved. Ecuador certainly has its own natural beauty and other charms, but what left me a bit cold were the people. It wasn’t that they are unfriendly, … [ Read more ]

Subjects: Photos, Tourism (Places), Travel Guides

Continuing to highlight my fascination (obsession?) with street art of all kinds, here are photos I took in El Salvador. I found it a fairly rich source, especially the cities along the “ruta de las flores.” I only spent an afternoon in the capitol, San Salvador, but didn’t see a lot there. Most large cities are a good source so perhaps I was just in … [ Read more ]

Subjects: Photos, Street Art, Tourism (Places)

Continuing to highlight my fascination (obsession?) with street art of all kinds, here are photos I took in Panamá. I didn’t find it nearly as rich a source as some other countries, but here they are just the same.

Subjects: Photos, Street Art, Tourism (Places)

General Thoughts on Colombia
I, along with everyone else I have ever met who has traveled Colombia, loved it. I spent a bit more than three months there. The people are great, the country is beautiful and there is plenty to see and do. Crime and the FARC aren’t the problems most people assume and, aside from the big cities, Colombia seemed safer than many places … [ Read more ]

Subjects: Tourism (Places), Travel Guides

I have a strong fascination (obsession?) with street art of all kinds, but especially murals and graffiti. I have taken photos of street art all over Central America and now am doing the same on my South American journey. In the future I will post my previous photos, but here are those I took in Colombia. I have split them into two groups, Bogotá and … [ Read more ]

Subjects: Photos, Street Art, Tourism (Places)

I went paragliding (parapente) in San Gil, Colombia and made this video of the experience. I set the video to the music of one of Colombia’s most famous musicians, Juanes (yes, without proper permission, but in the spirit of promoting tourism in this amazing country). There are basically two parapente options. The first option is the one I did, is only available in … [ Read more ]

Subjects: Tourism (Places), Video

Today I went in search of a decent place to exchange a book in Bogotá, Colombia. Being a large city with numerous popular hostels, I assumed any number of them would have a moderately good book exchange. I was mistaken. However, after visiting several hostels and asking for suggestions, I was told to visit Bogotá Bike Tours, which does indeed have many books. … [ Read more ]

Subjects: Entertainment on the Road, Tips for Traveling Better, Tourism (Places)

Backpacking invariably means staying in hostels, even if not exclusively. Here is a list, in no particular order, of what I think contributes to making the “perfect” hostel. Obviously not every item will be of equal importance to everyone and this list is a work in progress based on my continuing experiences and your feedback.

• GREAT staff. I am amazed at how often the staff at

… [ Read more ]

Subjects: Tips for Traveling Better, Tourism (Places)

When I started my trip in Mexico in March of 2009 I started hearing about the option of sailing from Panamá to Cartagena, Colombia, visiting the beautiful San Blas islands (also known as the Kuna Yala) en route. Sounded good to me! More than a year later I have realized that travel goal aboard a boat called the Sacanagem captained by Brazilian/French Federico Layolle.Before getting … [ Read more ]

Subjects: Personal, Photos, Tourism (Places), Travel Guides

In the summer of 2008 I decided to spend a few months in Antigua, Guatemala studying Spanish and avoiding the awful heat of my home base, Austin, Texas. I have a strong interest in languages, having studied Japanese for years (for those interested, I run a site for Japanese language learners). I had wanted to travel since college, when circumstances prevented me from … [ Read more ]

Subjects: Personal, Product Reviews, Tourism (Places)