The football (soccer to us Americans) game was the highlight of the trip. Upon arrival at the stadium, fireworks were being set off by large groups of people sitting around the food vendor stalls. Pure energy filtered through every person. We moved into the stadium to see 41,000+ people on their feet from the beginning …
Continue reading "The Soccer Game"In my opinion, seven or even ten days in Medellin is probably just enough time to relax, see some sights, and on your last day realize that you needed more time in Medellin. If you are having any challenges trying to figure out what to do, Column 13 or Comuna 13 or “Graffiti Town” or …
Continue reading "Graffiti City: A Tapestry of Healing"This is by no means a comprehensive list of the amazing food you can sample in Medellin. The food scene is second to none. I have provided some of the highlights and/or places that I tried and are located in areas where restaurants are plentiful and easy to access by foot or short taxi ride. …
Continue reading "Sampling the Food in Medellin"Adventure Tours Costa Rica—ATV’ing Riding ATV’s with my adult children is typically a must do activity when we travel. After researching different companies, I decided to book with Adventure Tours Costa Rica (ATCR). They had solid reviews, the going rate was about $95.00 US each for a three-hour guided tour with the destination point being …
Continue reading "Jaco, Costa Rica — ATV’ing (Part Five)"Costa Rica Waterfall Tours Part of Costa Rica’s allure is this idea of trekking through the jungle to find an exotic waterfall. Our group members were enamored with this thought, so I signed our group up for a guided tour (Costa Rica Waterfall Tours) through TripAdvisor. Our two English speaking guides arrived on time and …
Continue reading "Jaco, Costa Rica — Waterfall Tours (Part Four)"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"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)"Meydan Besiktas is the coolest hippest vibrant fun neighborhood we found while in Istanbul. It is located on the Asian side of the city and magically balances the traditional ancient architecture I came to expect in Istanbul with modern night life. Unlike Taksim Square, the throngs of mostly 20-30 year old hipsters crowded the narrow …
Continue reading "Meydan Beşiktaş–Istanbul’s nightlife mecca"