El Miro El Miro was a can’t miss tourist attraction that is very accessible for anyone who wants an adventure located right on the doorstep of Jaco. If you have never heard of El Miro, it is an unfinished mansion set back in the hills of Jaco that you can explore at your own pace! …
Continue reading "Jaco, Costa Rica — El Miro (Part Two)"Overview The drive from San Jose to Jaco took approximately 1 1/2 hours. The two-lane narrow roads were surrounded on all sides by jungle flora and were clogged at times with buses, commercial trucks, and big rigs that meandered through the tropical terrain. Because the roads snaked through the steep mountain ranges, there were few …
Continue reading "Jaco, Costa Rica — Pura Vida Lifestyle (Part One)"Overview Turks and Caicos is an assault on every sense. Imagine you open your eyes after a restful nap lying on a comfortable deck lounger under an expansive white umbrella that opens to a broad blue horizon bordered by crystal blue calm waters: a shifting oceanic landscape complete with distant puffy clouds, black headed sea …
Continue reading "Turks & Caicos — Lounging in Paradise"San Ysidro (Crossing from America to Mexico) Parking near the San Ysidro border crossing was convenient and secure (for the most part). I found a parking place in Border Station Parking for $30.00 per day and made the walk across the San Ysidro bridge to the Mexico-USA border. The lights of Tijuana twinkled in the …
Continue reading "Crossing the Border–Rosarito, Mexico"On my way to the airport, I had the opportunity to drive past the the first sights I saw when arriving in Hanoi. I was struck by the initial feelings of nervousness and anxiety I had felt and now I leave this beautiful country confidently knowing I engaged with a culture, community, and city in …
Continue reading "Vietnam in Review"Temple of Literature Located in the heart of the Old Quarter, this historical site dates back several thousand years and is the location of the first college. Within the brick walls surrounding the facility are large tranquil pools filled with koi fish and lotus flowers, well-manicured indigenous plants and trees, buildings containing statues of past …
Continue reading "Places to Visit in Hanoi (Temple of Literature, Museum of Ethnology, Hoa Lo Prison, Ngoc Son Temple)"Hanoi boasts a wide selection of cutting edge tattoo artists. The tattoo scene is definitely progressing and showing signs of becoming mainstream. During my free time, I scoured the internet for reviews, spoke to long term volunteers about their tattoo experiences, and engaged with various locals about where they had their tattoo work done. After …
Continue reading "1984 Tattoo Studio- Hanoi, Vietnam"Ken Trang Tiem-Ice Cream Shop Ken Trang Tiem Ice Cream shop is the quintessential hot spot in the Old Quarter to stop and take a break from the heat with family, friends or by yourself for ice cream. Most people would go so far to say Ken Trang Tiem serves the “best” ice cream in …
Continue reading "Hanoi, Vietnam Food Highlights"Lily’s Travel Agency was my choice again to book my long-awaited Ha Long Bay excursion. All of the volunteers in the house stated it was a must-see vacation spot, and I knew from prior knowledge that Ha Long Bay was where the recent King Kong movie had been filmed. Lily’s Travel Agency facilitated a 5-star …
Continue reading "Ha Long Bay, Vietnam (A Dream made Reality)"At the conclusion of a large breakfast, we walked straight downhill on marked and unmarked paths through cornfields, bamboo, rice fields, past houses, across small rivers, and over fences to the wide river cutting through the valley floor. We passed the waterfall village from Day Two and much like billy goats, made our way straight …
Continue reading "Sa Pa, Vietnam_Day 3: Peering through the looking glass"