The Traveling Bastards Travel and Food Blog

Travel Photo of the Day: Independence Day, Buenos Aires, Argentina

2012-01-25T00:02:00.002-05:00

At the celebrations at el Obilisco, avenida 9 de Julio, Buenos Aires, Argentina (photo by Luis Bastardo)

On May 25, 2010, Argentina celebrated its Bicentennial, the 200th anniversary of the first truly Argentine government. The date commemorates when Argentinians gathered together in the May Revolution (la Revolución de Mayo) and decided to oust the Spanish rulers, replacing them with la Primera Junta, the first national government.

We were living in Buenos Aires at the time and parties and celebrations started months ahead of the official date. It all exploded (well, in the cultured way of Argentinians, meaning symphony concerts, elaborate wine-drenched parilla grilled steak dinners and tasteful firework displays and parades) on the actual anniversary. It was an unseasonably warm and sunny autumn day (since Argentina lies in the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons are the reverse of the Northern Hemisphere), and the crowds were out in full force. Luis captured the moment when this young girl decided to shield herself from the light, heat and crowds with the Argentine Flag, an unintentionally dramatic and patriotic action on her part.

Travel Photo of the Day: Snoqualmie Falls, Fall City, Wa, USA

2012-01-22T23:26:00.000-05:00

Snoqualmie Falls in the Snow, Fall City, WA, USA (photo by Simone Cannon)

This week in Puget Sound, we had the first snowfall of 2012 and so decided to drive down to Snoqualmie Falls to see the winter wonderland with our friend, Elyse, who was visiting from the other Washington (D.C.) For those of you old enough to remember, the falls were the setting for the popular 1980's TV show, Twin Peaks, and they are still one of the most popular tourist destinations in Washington with 1.5 million visitors a year. The tall cascades are spectacular, the highest in Washington State and just as beautiful in the winter as in the summer.

I snapped this shot from one of the few overviews still open in the winter and decided to send it to NWCN local news, who added it to their newscast and showed it every half hour for the rest of the day...my 15 minutes (or so) of fame! Sitting (quite literally) over the falls, is the lovely, cozy Salish Lodge, a popular romantic weekend getaway for local couples. The falls also serves Puget Sound Energy, providing electricity to area residents. Washington's Snoqualmie Tribe considers the site of the falls sacred and central to their belief system; the falls traditionally served as a burial site where prayers were carried to the Great Creator via the waterfall's ethereal mists.

Life in the USA, Part One: Luis Goes Into Sensory Overload

2011-09-30T22:44:00.002-04:00

Luis weighing his options in the dairy aisle (photo by Simone Cannon)

First of all, huge apologies to our followers for not posting in such a long time, but since we relocated to the Pacific Northwest, we've been incredibly busy getting settled in and adjusting to life in the U.S. I will be continuing my series on Real Mexican Food next week, but for now, an intermezzo. Just because we haven't been traveling internationally doesn't mean that Luis has stopped taking photos...oh, no, far from it. Come to think of it, if anything, he has accelerated his photo-snapping rate exponentially since he's been stateside. He's now in a brand new place with new people, new sights and a new and strange culture to explore. I've started looking at my own country through his eyes, and let me tell you, it's a pretty bizarre place. Funny how I never noticed before.

Emu eggs at Whole Foods, one of the many varieties available to confound the unsuspecting foreigner (photo courtesy of KarenP at Flickr.com)

For example, when we first arrived, he was completely overwhelmed by the variety of items available in the stores, something I had never given much thought to. We took our first grocery shopping trip to Whole Foods and I sent him off to buy eggs while I looked for laundry detergent. He returned to the detergent aisle ten minutes later with no eggs and a shell-shocked look on his face. "Where are the eggs?" I understandably asked. To which he responded, "¡Coño! (the Venezuelan equivalent of "Holy Shit!")..."there were brown eggs, white eggs, pastel-colored eggs, organic eggs, non-organic eggs, cage-free eggs, caged eggs, eggs from chickens named Betty, eggs from chickens named Sue, omega 3 fatty acid-enhanced eggs, extra calcium eggs, duck eggs, emu eggs, ostrich eggs, crocodile eggs, salmon eggs and chocolate eggs (white, milk, semi-sweet and dark)! So I went to buy milk instead and there was fat-free, 1%, 2%, whole, organic, non-organic, extra calcium, extra protein, extra calcium and protein, goat, cow, sheep, soy, low-fat soy, rice, oat, buttermilk and chocolate milk (white, milk, semi-sweet and dark)." He was almost in tears. "All I want to buy is a dozen eggs and a gallon of milk...Sweet Jesus!" Keep in mind that, in Venezuela, you're having an excellent day if you find one unexpired liter of milk and a half a dozen eggs only a week past their expiration date.

So many pillows, so little time... (photo courtesy of www.belladimora.com)

The next day, I made the unfortunate decision to visit Ikea with him to buy pillows. When we finally wound our way through the massive, labyrinthine store and arrived at the linen section, we found that an entire wall of bedding was occupied by pillows filled with foam, down, half foam/half down, gel, anti-allergic and non-anti-allergic stuffings. There were ergonomic pillows, pillows for side-sleepers, back sleepers, stomach sleepers, front/side sleepers, back/stomach sleepers and troubled sleepers. They came in varying levels of firmness: extra-extra soft, extra soft, soft, soft-medium, medium, medium-firm, firm, extra firm, extra-extra firm and rock. Sizes ranged from twin, double, queen, king and California king. I glanced back at Luis for his opinion on which pillow to buy, but, sadly, it was too late. He had already slipped into an irreversible catatonic state.

Real Mexican Food in Mexico City, Mexico: Part One: Tacos

2011-06-24T17:30:00.002-04:00

The 24-hour taqueria just outside our hostel, a few blocks from Zócalo (photo by Luis Bastardo)

Luis and I just relocated to Seattle after spending five years in Buenos Aires, Argentina. After realizing that the total travel time between cities including flights and layovers would be about 31 hours, we decided to break up the trip with a stop in Mexico City (known locally as Distrito Federal or D.F.). Good decision; it's one of the most interesting places that we've ever visited. We booked a hostel near Zócalo, the main square of Mexico City and home to the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Templo Mayor and the National Palace. The price of a room at the hostel included breakfast and dinner, but after sampling the meal on the first night, which consisted of a buffet of bland tuna casserole, store-bought white bread and iceberg lettuce salad (the hostel manager told us that many of their guests, especially the Europeans, can't tolerate the spiciness of real Mexican food), we decided to head out to the streets. Very, very good decision.

A freshly made 70 cent suadero taco from the corner taqueria (photo by Luis Bastardo)

Anyone who's read this blog before knows that I am a street food addict. I almost never visit restaurants when traveling unless there are swarms of locals already inside or there is a long line outside, because I usually either get sick or am disappointed by restaurant food. With street food, it is always fresh, almost always delicious, prepared with fresh ingredients right in front of you (I've never gotten sick eating street food) and it's cheap, so even if you're disappointed, you're out a dollar at the most. To get a real taste of authentic local cuisine, your best bet in any country is almost always outdoor cooking stands and Mexico is no exception. Incidentally, the food in Mexico City bears almost no resemblance to "Mexican" food as most non-Mexicans know it. I have yet to see (outside of the tourist resorts) sour cream, fried ice-cream or Supreme Nachos anywhere within Mexico's borders.

Sim waiting at a busy taqueria in D.F. with a wide variety of fillings and toppings (photo by Luis Bastardo)

The street foods most popular with both locals and tourists are quesadillas, chalupas, huaraches, sopes, gordas (a type of sandwich) and of course, tacos. Tacos are usually made with two small soft corn tortillas, one inside the other, then filled with suadero (beef brisket), brains, pork, tripe, chicken, carne asada (marinated, grilled beef), huitlacoche (a fungus that grows on ears of corn and originally known as corn smut...you can understand the name change from a marketing perspective) or nopal (prickly pear cactus leaves) and topped with cebollas (onions) or cebolittas (scallions), fresh green or red chili sauce, cilantro and/or a fresh cheese like queso blanco or Oaxaca. The delicious Tacos de Cabeza (Head Tacos) are made with any combination of chopped sesos (brains), lengua (tongue), cachete (cheeks), trompa (lips) or ojos (eyeballs). Don't be put off by the sound of eating a tortilla filled with chopped lips, eyeballs and brains. Just take a deep breath and take the plunge; I swear they are delicious and afterwards you will be wondering how you ever got by without eyeball-flavor treats before.

Pork on the spit, ready to be sliced off and served to hungry taco junkies (photo by Luis Bastardo)

Tacos al Pastor (Shepard's Tacos), easily the most popular, are made by carving seasoned, marinated meat, usually pork, off a spit similar to how gyros or shawarmas are made, then topped with a slice of fresh pineapple, cilantro, onions and sometimes fresh lime juice. The pineapple usually sits atop the meat on the spit, since the dripping juices contain an enzyme that helps to tenderize the meat and also adds flavor. In coastal areas of Mexico, tacos filled with fresh grilled or marinated seafood are common, and usually include shrimp, local fish or crab or a combination thereof and are served with chili sauce, lime juice and onions. One caveat: since coastal areas are usually the locales for resorts and hotels, the tacos are generally geared more toward tourists' tastes than local traditional recipes and often include additions such as citrus-flavored mayonnaise or sour cream and guacamole, but they're still delicious.

Vegan nightmare: a variety of meats used to fill tacos (photo by Luis Bastardo)

Travel Photo of the Day: Gym Class, Ninnaji Temple, Kyoto, Japan

2011-06-19T23:47:00.000-04:00

(photo of Kyoto schoolgirls by Simone Cannon)

I can't think of a lovlier setting for a few laps arond the track than this temple in Kyoto, Japan. As I was exploring the grounds and buildings, I repeatedly ran into groups of giggling schoolgirls stretching, running, eating lunch, listening to music or practicing martial arts. Physical fitness and competition are extremely important parts of Japanese life and physical education is taught at every level of school. The Japanese consider it crucial to the physical, mental, and social development of children and all are expected to particpate, starting in some schools as early as kindergarten.

Ninnaji Temple in Kyoto, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was founded in the year 888, and was originally an Imperial residence. The compound houses various temples, gardens, a pagoda, a bell tower, dwarf cherry trees and tea houses. It is an important temple, as it is the head of the Omuro school of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism. The temple has repeatedly been destroyed by war and fire, but has been rebuilt every time. The temple is well worth a visit, but be sure to set aside a full day; the grounds are extensive and there's a lot to see.

Travel Photo of the Day: Rattlesnake Lake, King County, Washington, USA

2011-06-15T20:15:00.001-04:00

(photo of Rattlesnake Lake by Luis Bastardo)

After five years of living in Argentina, Luis and I moved from Buenos Aires to Seattle last month. I lived here 11 years ago when I first worked for Microsoft, but it is Luis's first long-term stay here, so he has been anxious to explore the surrounding area. In truth, so am I, since the last time I lived here from 2000-2002, I spent most of my time working indoors and saw very little of the landscape. Also, we're trying to spend as much time together as possible before I start working again; we have seldom been part since we met five years ago and our new life here will be a big adjustment for both of us. We love to hike and explore, so have been checking out local trails and parks, including the incredible Rattlesnake Ledge.

The 117-acre Rattlesnake Lake in King County, Washington, lies about 30 miles west of the city of Seattle and is part of the Rattlesnake Mountain Scenic Area. The interesting thing about the lake is that it is the former site of the logging town of Moncton, whose scant remains lie under the surface of the water. The town was flooded out and destroyed in 1915 when water leaked from the nearby human-made Chester Morse Lake. The tree stumps that remain in the lake are used as nesting sites by birds. Despite the name, there are no rattlesnakes anywhere in or near the area. The name arose when a pioneer heard seed pods rustling nearby and thought he was about to be attacked by rattlesnakes.

Travel Photo of the Day: Lincoln Memorial at Night, Washington, D.C., USA

2011-06-11T02:08:00.000-04:00

(photo of the Lincoln Memorial by Luis Bastardo)

In October 2009, Luis, a Venezuelan citizen, visited the United States for the first time since he attended the opening of Disneyworld with his parents in 1971. We traveled around the country visiting different cities, but he was especially awed by Washington, D.C.: the history, the museums, the galleries, the orderliness, the cleanliness and the amazing national monuments. He could have easily spent another month there just exploring the incredible and extensive repository of national treasures. This shot of the Lincoln Memorial is one of his more impressive photos of the city; he managed to capture the drama and importance of the tribute to one of the nation's most impactful and important leaders, Abraham Lincoln.

The Lincoln Memorial, located in the National Mall, was completed in 1922 and remains one of the most visited sites in the United States, with over 3.6 million visitors annually. The memorial has been the site of two notable civil rights precedents: a performance of African-American contralto Marian Anderson to a live audience of 70,000 and a radio audience in the millions and The March on Washington, a civil rights rally featuring Martin Luther King's famous speech "I Have a Dream". President Lincoln, a prominent abolitionist, would have been proud.

Travel Photo of the Day: Dogwalkers, Buenos Aires, Argentina

2011-06-04T00:45:00.003-04:00

(photo by Luis Bastardo)

If you think that Parisians and New Yorkers are the world's ultimate dog-doters, you haven't visited Buenos Aires. The city's citizens (known as Porteños) adore their dogs and take them everywhere: cafes, parties, parks, to work, on vacation, restaurants (usually seen at an outdoor table sharing lunch with their owners or discreetly snuck inside in a large tote bag) and everywhere in between. There are bakeries that sell dog-specific pastries, doggie spas, medical specialists such as ophthalmologists, therapists and dentists just for dogs, clothing and accessory stores and, of course, the ubiquitous dog walkers known as los paseadores de perros.

Hiring a dog walker is de rigueur in Buenos Aires; friends and neighbors would be most concerned if owners were reduced to walking their own dogs. The dog walkers are easy to spot: they are usually leading a group of at least six dogs and often as many as 20, with leashes in both hands and several more connected to ganchas (hooks) on their belts. The dogs are remarkably well-behaved and seem to get along with each other, despite being of very different sizes and breeds (we've seen toy poodles happily trotting alongside great danes). The paseadores are more akin to babysitters; they walk the dogs twice a day, give them medicine if needed, groom them, socilize them and play with them; in other words, they provide doggie daycare.

Travel Photo of the Day: CN Tower from Union Station, Toronto, Canada

2011-05-26T16:57:00.001-04:00

(photo of Toronto's CN Tower by Luis Bastardo)

This photo was taken in October 2009 on Luis' first trip to Canada to meet my dad and stepmom who live in Burlington, Ontario, near the city of Toronto. We took a day trip into the city, only 45 minutes via the very efficient and clean GOTransit system and arrived in Union Station, where he snapped a shot of the CN Tower, the tallest free-standing structure and tower in the western hemisphere. Later that day we rode the elevator to the top to check out the amazing views of the city skyline and Lake Ontario at sunset.

The Canadian National (CN) Tower was completed in 1976, when, at a height of 1,815 feet, it became both the world's tallest freestanding structure and world's tallest tower, records which have since been broken by the construction of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which stands at 2,717 feet. Two million visitors a year take the super-fast external glass elevators to the observation decks and rotating restaurant known as 360 to take in the incredible views. A new extreme experience known as EdgeWalk will open this summer, which will allow visitors with nerves of steel to take a stroll on the outside of the tower's main pod. Described as "the world’s highest full circle hands-free walk on a 5 ft wide ledge encircling the top of the CN Tower’s main pod, 1168 ft or 116 stories above the ground", EdgeWalk will be the first extreme attraction of its kind in North America.

Travel Photo of the Day: Wedding Guests, La Paz, Bolivia

2011-05-16T15:19:00.000-04:00

Another winning photo of the day from Luis was published in Why Go at BootsnAll! Sometimes I get frustrated with his photography obsession (I swear the man takes 10,000 photos a day), but when we review his photos after our travel, I know it's worth it. He always manages to capture amazing sights, interesting people and flashes of culture and his photos always give one a good idea of the real nature of a place, not just the touristy side.

The woman in the center of this shot is wearing traditional Bolivian costume: a colorful handwoven shawl known as a manta, a softly pleated or tiered voluminous Spanish-influenced skirt called a pollera, and a bombin, a British-style bowler hat, first introduced to the region by British railway workers, worn at an angle that indicates a woman's marital status.

Travel Photo of the Day: Vegetables on the Way to Market, Agra, India

2011-04-27T20:41:00.000-04:00

This photo was taken in November 2005 en route from New Delhi to Agra to visit the Taj Majal. The streets of India are always full of life with something or someone interesting to see at every moment. It can be overwhelming for visitors to process the barrage of colors, movement, sounds and smells, but the scenes are always riveting. On this stretch of road, our fellow commuters were relatively tranquil, mostly farmers on their way to market transporting their wares by ox cart to sell some of the most beautiful and tempting vegetables I'd ever seen.

India's farmers are currently in the midst of an agricultural renaissance. Although traditional in their farming methods for millennia, beginning in the 1960s, the Indian government encouraged the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, much to the detriment of food producers and consumers. Rates of cancer, debt and suicide amongst farmers soared, but today the industry has dramatically shifted direction. India is returning to its roots and organic farming culture is growing in leaps and bounds, with more than 300,000 organic farms in 2009. Consumers have a growing awareness and expectation for naturally produced foods and farmers have answered the call. India is currently one of the global standard bearers for organic farming: although India's population is three times that of the U.S., there are 30 times more organic farmers.

Travel Photo of the Day: Easter Sunday in Central Park, New York, USA

2011-04-23T17:44:00.000-04:00

To me, Central Park is one of most beautiful places on earth. Constantly changing with the seasons, it's a park where there's always something new to discover, a hidden bramble trail, a pond of sunning turtles, a row of dazzlingly-colored azalea bushes. The park is one of the miracles of modern landscaping and has something for everyone: broad playing fields perfect for baseball and Frisbee, formal gardens, bridle trails, forested walks, ponds, bridges and winding strolling paths. Although spectacularly beautiful throughout the year, in spring it is at its most breathtaking with many spots to enjoy the floral fireworks.

I took this photo on Easter Sunday in April 2003 on a day when the park was filled with magnolia trees in full flower, bursts of narcissus and sunny yellow daffodils, cherry trees filled with delicate pink blossoms, brilliant forsythia bushes and fragrant lilacs. The weather was sunny and mild and New Yorkers and tourists were out in full force enjoying the day, roller-blading, cycling, picnicking or just strolling along the paths hand in hand, soaking in as much beauty as they could on this perfect spring day in the park.

Passover Foods With an Argentine Twist

2011-04-21T19:09:00.002-04:00

Homemade gefilte fish (photo courtesy of WikiMedia Commons/Olaf.herfurth)

People all over the world are celebrating Passover this week, often with interesting local takes on traditional foods. In Argentina, foods are influenced by European traditions, Latin cooking, indigenous and gaucho cultures and seasonal ingredients (Passover falls in the autumn rather than the spring in Argentina, since the country lies in the Southern Hemisphere). Although many people don't immediately think of Argentina as a thriving center of Jewish culture, there are in fact more than 250,000 Argentine Jews and Buenos Aires alone is home to 56 synagogues: 50 Orthodox, 5 Conservative and one Reform. Currently, Argentina has the 7th largest Jewish population in the world and the largest Jewish community in South America. If you are in the mood for something other than traditional Passover foods, there is even a Kosher McDonald's in the Abasto Shopping Center, the only one in the world outside Israel.

Choosing a Kosher bottle of Argentine wine (photo courtesy of http://www.directoalpaladar.com/)

Food is influenced strongly by old world heritage since the families of many Argentine Jews emigrated from Eastern and Western Europe and the Ottoman Empire, but it is also influenced by the culture of the Gauchos Judios or Jewish Cowboys, who cook their food over grills on open fires (asados), and prefer simple meals with fresh ingredients. Argentines tend to make things by hand instead of buying pre-packaged foods, hence many prepare their own gefilte fish, matzah balls, kishke asado (grilled intestines stuffed with potatoes, matzah meal, eggs, chicken fat and spices) and chicken broth. Some popular Passover dishes are Pollo de la Pascua Judia (Passover Chicken), a delicious grilled chicken prepared with dried fruit, olives, garlic and autumn root vegetables; Pollo Asado con Chimichurri (Roast Chicken marinated in Chimichurri sauce: a red or green spicy garlic, cilantro, parsley and pepper sauce) or Albondigas de Papas (potato balls stuffed with ground beef and onions). Argentines are also well-known for their superb wines and bodegas such as Arco Nuevo, Byblos and Terroso produce some wonderful Kosher Malbecs, Cabernets and Syrahs.

Photo of chicken with dried fruit and olives (Courtesy of http://www.food.com/)

Pollo de la Pascua Judia (Passover Chicken)

•1 tbsp. olive oil

•2 chickens, cut into pieces

•1 1/2 med. onions, diced

•1/2 cup green olives, pitted

•1/2 cup dried apricots (or other dried fruit such as pears, peaches or a mix), coarsely chopped

•1/2 cup pitted prunes, coarsely chopped

• 1/2 cup butternut squash, cubed

• 2 cinnamon sticks

•2 bay leaves

•1 tsp. salt

•1 tsp. ground cumin

•1 tsp. cracked black peppercorns

•1 1/2 cups homemade chicken broth

•1/4 cup Kosher red wine vinegar

•1/4 cup Kosher red wine

•2 TBS. honey

•2 heads of garlic

In large casserole dish, heat oil over medium-high heat; brown chicken, in batches. Transfer to plate.
Drain off fat from pan; reduce heat to medium. Add onions, olives, apricots, prunes, butternut squash, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, salt, cumin and peppercorns; cook for one minute. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pan.

In bowl, whisk together chicken broth, wine vinegar, red wine and honey; pour over chicken. Slice off the tops of the heads of garlic, separate into cloves and place between chicken pieces. Cover and bring to boil; reduce heat to low and simmer until chicken is no longer pink inside, about 35-45 minutes. Discard bay leaves and cinnamon sticks. Serve chicken on a warm platter surrounded by baked garlic cloves; guests can squeeze the garlic paste from the skins as desired. Serves 8.

(Recipe in English adapted from Canadian Living Magazine: April 2003)

Travel Photo of the Day: Mather Point, Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

2011-04-17T22:19:00.001-04:00

Our trip in November 2009 was my second visit to the Grand Canyon and Luis's first. As you might have gathered by now, Luis is a bit of a photo addict and can literally snap hundreds of pictures a day in the most mundane of places, but in the magnificent Grand Canyon, he kicked into overdrive. I don't think that there's a rock or tree in the entire canyon that he missed. By photographing what seem like tiny spectators on the top of the rock towers of Mather Point, he really captured the beauty, scale and the colorful vistas of the area.

The Grand Canyon, part of the U.S. National Parks Service system, runs 277 miles long, 18 miles wide at its widest point and is over a mile deep, making it one of the largest canyons in the world. Geologists estimate its age at at least 17 million years. The Grand Canyon National Park hosts approximately 5 million visitors a year, not just to view the canyon, but to camp, hike, white-water raft, take helicopter sightseeing tours, run marathons, ride to the bottom of the canyon in mule and horse trains, or visit the Hualapai Tribe's new glass-bottomed Grand Canyon Skywalk, which sits 4,000 feet directly above the Colorado River. Although the canyon is spectacular and there are many exciting activities, it is not to be taken lightly; over 600 accidental deaths have occurred since tourists starting visiting in the 1870s. Causes include falls, drowning, lightning strikes, heatstroke, heart attacks, plane crashes, homicides, suicides and environmental causes.

Travel Photo of the Day: Recoleta Cemetery Sculpture, Buenos Aires, Argentina

2011-04-15T15:15:00.000-04:00

Although we've visited Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires many times (it's a standard stop on our city tour for our visitors), there is always something new to discover. Luis took this wonderfully spooky photo of one of the Morticia Addams-like sculptures at a family tomb near the entrance. A maintenance man was clearing the cobwebs off the statues, so Luis had to snap quickly to catch the effect before it was literally swept away.

Recoleta Cemetery is one of the most famous in South America, and is the final resting place of many of the city's wealthy, powerful and influential citizens. Residents include several presidents of Argentina, poets, artists, writers, composers, Nobel Prize winners, and the most well-known resident of all, Maria Eva Duarte de Perón, also known as Eva Peron or Evita, who is buried in the Duarte family tomb. The cemetery, dating from 1732, houses 4,800 private mausoleums and is laid out like a small city, with landscaping, distinct blocks and avenues. Most of the multi-level tombs are well-maintained by staff and family members and showcase elaborate sculpture, architecture and stained glass. The stacked coffins, urns, lace linens and flower-filled vases are often visible through glass doors or windows. Visitors can take a guided tour or purchase a map of the final homes of the city's luminaries.

The Hearty Winter Soups and Stews of Argentina

2011-04-05T17:19:00.001-04:00

A bowl of steaming locro (courtesy of Stevage/WikiMedia Commons)

It may seem odd to be writing about winter stews in April, but even though those in the Northern Hemisphere are shedding coats and shopping for spring vegetables, the people of the Southern Hemisphere are winding down their summer vacations and bracing for the cool autumn and winter weather ahead. In Argentina, one of the great joys of this time of year is the reappearance of traditional hearty soups and stews on restaurant menus and on home cooks' tables. Variety abounds, with choices such as Carbonada Criolla, a delicious, slightly sweet stew made with Argentine beef, tomatoes and peaches or apricots and baked in a pumpkin shell; Lentejas, a smoky stew from Spain made from lentils, potatoes and smoked, spicy sausages; the Argentine version of Mondongo, a tripe stew originally from Africa and prepared with beans and red sausage; or Locro, a type of thick corn chowder made with white or red beans, pork, beef and pumpkin.

Carbonada Criolla baked in a South American pumpkin known as a zapallo (photo courtesy of http://recetariococina.com/)

Although many of these stews have their roots in other countries, Argentines have created their own regional recipes. Every area (and, in fact, every home and restaurant) in Argentina has its own version of each stew, influenced by the availability of local ingredients and the culinary traditions of indigenous populations as well as the cooking styles of European immigrants. The country has a distinct pattern of immigration, with the Spanish, German, Welsh, Italian, English and French all establishing footholds in various provinces. Within certain parameters, the recipes are flexible; the most important thing is to use the freshest, highest quality ingredients that are available. For example, with Carbonada Criolla (criolla means traditional or typical of an area), ingredients may include beef and/or pork and/or sausages, tomatoes, several types of squash and/or pumpkin, peaches and/or apricots and/or raisins, carrots, potatoes and/or yams, etc. You get the picture: use the recipe as a framework, be creative and use high quality meat and local seasonal vegetables. Slow cooking is essential as the flavors need time to develop.

A casserole of lentejas, perfect for a winter day (photo courtesy of http://dietas.tv/cazuela-de-lentejas/)

Locro (probably from the Quechua word "ruqru" or "luqru"), the Argentina version of corn chowder, is a particular favorite of both locals and visitors. Locro was prepared for centuries by the Andean indigenous tribes of South America, especially in Ecuador, and slowly migrated to the mountainous regions of Argentina, then to the lowlands. It is probably the most authentic pre-Spanish dish of all the criolla foods since its basic ingredients are native to South America (corn, beans, squash) and its various recipes have had little European influence. It is considered by many to be the national dish of Argentina and is often served on national holidays. Besides the main vegetables, locro may contain fresh or dried meat, sausages, tripe, tomatoes, or onion and is often served with a spicy sauce called quiquirimichi on the side.

Mondongo or Tripe Stew (photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Although mondongo has African roots and developed mostly in the Caribbean areas of Latin America such as Colombia, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, as well as southern parts of Brazil, Argentines have adopted the soup and made it into a thicker stew, adding local ingredients and often using other offal as well as tripe, potatoes, sausages, corn, beans and white wine. All of the stews are hearty and delicious and are usually served with a robust, fruity Argentine red wine such as Malbec and a crusty loaf of bread to sop up every last drop of luscious, warming broth.

Argentine Locro

1 kg dried white corn kernels (use fresh yellow corn if you can’t find white)

1 kg white beans

1 kg of meat with bones

½ kg of cubed stewing meat

½ kg cubed pork (if you have bones, ad them as well, and remove them later)

¼ kg bacon, cut into small cubes

5 fresh sausages. Usually 2 or 3 spicy (such as spicy Italien) and 2 or 3 regular pork sausages

2 large carrots, cubed

1 small squash, peeled and cubed

2 cloves garlic

3 medium potatoes

3 medium sweet potatoes or yams

½ small cabbage

Sauce:

½ cup olive oil

¼ onion, chopped fine

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp ground hot chilies

1 tbsp paprika

Chives, chopped

The night before, put corn (if you are using dried corn) and beans in water to soak in a huge pot. The following day, take out half of the beans and corn. Add all the meats and sausages into the pot with the other half of beans and corn. Bring to a boil and let simmer until the liquids have thickened, and the meat is super tender. Figure somewhere between 6 – 10 hours. Six is ok, but 8 or 10 is even better.

Once you have about two hours left, add the rest of the beans and corn. You will notice that the other beans that were already in the pot will have started to fall apart. This is fine, and is supposed to happen. You can also add the rest of the ingredients now. Cover and let simmer for the last two hours, stirring occasionally.

During this time, you can make the sauce for the locro. Sautee onion in olive oil. Add garlic. Sautee until onions are clear. Add hot chillies and paprika, sautee for another minute. Remove from heat and add chopped chives on top. Serve in a bowl, for each person to add to their locro.

This is a very hearty meal, and should be enough for 10-12 people. If you don’t have a big enough pot, you can make a half recipe.

Recipe courtesy of ExposeBuenosAires

Travel Photo of the Day: Children's Parade, Barquisimeto, Venezuela

2011-04-04T15:19:00.001-04:00

I'm so excited; Luis's photo of a children's parade was chosen by BootsnAll online travel magazine as it's Photo of the Day again! I'm biased of course, but Luis does have a wonderful way of capturing the mood of people and the real feeling of a community when we travel. I love how the faces of the children seem to convey their resignation to wearing comical hats and following each other around the streets, all the time being egged on by parents, onlookers and teachers to look more lively.

Travel Photo of the Day: Sugar Loaf Mountain in the Clouds, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2011-04-03T10:04:00.001-04:00

In April 2010, Luis and I visited

Brazil

for the third time, this time starting with Rio de Janeiro,

Brazil

's incredible city by the sea. On the first day we arrived, there was a torrential downpour which didn't let up until two days before we left. Undaunted, more or less, we decided to forge ahead and visit the sites for which Rio is famous, including Pão de Açúcar (Sugar Loaf Mountain). As we rode the cable car to the first mountain, then the second, the clouds miraculously cleared and we were able to enjoy the view for a few minutes, but soon the clouds rolled back in and Luis snapped this lovely, ghostly shot of the view from the top, including the cable car and Ipanema Beach.

To reach the 1,300 foot summit of Sugar Loaf, passengers must first ride the bondinho or cable car to Morro de Açúcar, the smaller mountain that stands next to Sugar Loaf, then take a second cable car for the rest of the trip (each ride is about three minutes). The views are spectacular from all points, including the cable cars. For the more adventurous, there is also the option to rock-climb your way to the top up the mountain faces, with more than 270 routes available, between 1-10 pitches long. I think I'll stick to the nice, safe cable car.

Travel Photo of the Day: Temple Prayers and Offerings, Bangkok, Thailand

2011-03-31T19:32:00.000-04:00

In Feb. 2004, I visited Thailand for the first time and was blown away by the beauty, the history, the scents (a mix of jasmine, incense and spice), the delicious food, the kind and friendly people, the incredible sights and the underlying sense of serenity, even in a frenetic city like Bangkok. The temples are a perfect example of this interesting mix. Filled with curious tourists, bustling tour guides and frantically snapping cameras, the temples are also a haven for the devoted Buddhists of the city, who seem not to be disturbed in their prayers by the buzz of activity that surrounds them.

Wat Pho (pronounced what-po; "wat" is Thai for "temple"), is the largest temple in Bangkok and the most visited as it houses the largest reclining Buddha in the world (46 meters or 150 feet in length and covered completely in gold leaf) as well as a popular Thai massage school, where students practice their skills on tired, grateful travelers at a reduced rate; massage classes are also offered to foreigners. The temple is vast and filled with breathtaking religious art and sculptures and can be overwhelming, but English-speaking guides are available and well worth the small fee. There are also palm readers, astrologers and Buddhist monks, who for a small donation, will provide a blessing for safe travel and a happy life.

Travel Photo of the Day: Colorful Flags, Ubud, Bali

2011-03-26T09:33:00.001-04:00

In January 2004, I stopped over in Bali, en route from Thailand to Australia. Bali is the only Hindu island of Indonesia (92.3% of the island's residents follow Hinuduism, as opposed to the rest of Indonesia, which is primarily Muslim). Bali is famous for its arts, its beaches, its lush rice paddies and its music and culture. Not being much of a beach bunny, I decided to stay in the center of the island in Ubud, the artist's colony of Bali. Ubud is very different than the packed party beaches of Kuta and Legian. The atmosphere is more tranquil, the scenery greener and the people much more laid back. Several times a day, the Balinese place small woven baskets filled with leaves and flowers such as jasmine and frangipani on the sidewalk or steps of their homes and businesses. The baskets are meant as offerings to Hindu gods and ancestors and are constantly refreshed; as a result, the air is always filled with a beautiful floral scent.

The name Ubud comes from the Balinese word for medicine "ubad" since the town was originally a source of medicinal herbs and plants. Most of the ancient health and healing arts are still practiced today and are a mixture of religion and traditional medicine. When Europeans started to arrive, the town developed a thriving artist community which continues today. Ubud is also home to the famous Ubud Monkey Forest with its Hindu temple, where 340 Crab-eating Macaques live freely. Take care when visiting the reserve though; the monkeys are incorrigible thieves (their favorite items are tourists' sunglasses and hats) and trouble-makers who like to frighten visitors by baring their teeth, yelling at the top of their lungs and jumping on people from trees.

Travel Photo of the Day: At the Window, La Boca, Buenos Aires, Argentina

2011-03-16T22:01:00.001-04:00

This photo taken by Luis was chosen by BootsnAll as its photo of the day today. I'm so proud of him! It was taken in November 2006 in the colorful neighborhood of La Boca in Buenos Aires, Argentina. La Boca (meaning "the mouth", in reference to its position at the mouth of the river, Rio de la Plata) is famous for its history, its tango dancers and its football team, the Boca Juniors, which produced the football superstar, Diego Maradona.

Weekends are lively in La Boca, with a "feria artesanal" (an outdoor market where local artisans sell their crafts), tango demonstrations, restaurants and shops. Between 1880 and 1930, 6 million immigrants from Italy, Poland, Yugoslavia, Russia, France and Spain arrived in the area to work the docks and create a new life for themselves and La Boca retains much of that European character. Although the main street, el caminito, and the central blocks have become extremely touristy, the rest of the neighborhood is a thriving part of Buenos Aires life with a culture and pride all its own.

Travel Photo of the Day: White Beluga Whales, Vancouver Aquarium, Canada

2011-03-15T18:05:00.000-04:00

In October 2001, I visited a friend in Vancouver for a week and one night she told me about the white Beluga Whales living at the Vancouver Aquarium. Having never seen a white whale, I was anxious to visit, so we headed over the next day. The aquarium is situated in the stunning 1,000 acre Stanley Park (10% larger than New York City's Central Park), that sits between Vancouver and the Pacific Ocean. The park hosts over 8 million visitors a year, and besides the aquarium, is home to a seawall used for running, cycling and walking, a Theatre Under the Stars, and pitch and putt golf course, a swimming pool, beaches and sports fields.

The aquarium itself houses pavilions such as Pacific Canada, Arctic Canada, The Wild Coast and The Amazon Rainforest and is the home of six Beluga Whales. The Beluga Whale can grow to lengths of 18 feet (5.5 meters) and can weigh between 2,400 and 3,500 pounds (1,100-1,600 kilos). The whale's distinctive features inlcude all-white coloring that is rarely seen among other marine animals, the ability to change the shape of its head by blowing air through its sinuses and the uncommon (to marine animals) ability to turn its head laterally and exhibit numerous facial expressions, making it a favorite with visitors.

Travel Photo of the Day: Wooden Prayer Plaques at a Shinto Shrine, Kyoto, Japan

2011-03-14T14:15:00.001-04:00

Our thoughts and wishes are with the Japanese people this week, in the hope that they find the courage to survive the tragedies that have befallen them and that they persevere to rebuild their beautiful country and their lives. This photo was taken at a Shinto shrine in the historic city of Kyoto in December 2003 and shows the Ema or wooden prayer plaques on which the Japanese write their prayers and wishes to have a healthy family, to succeed in education and their career, give birth to a healthy baby or to find love. If they are lucky, the Kami,which Shinto followers regard as the spirits or natural forces of their faith, will grant their wishes and answer their prayers. We sincerely hope that the Kami will be deeply generous and benevolent in this crucial time of need for Japan.

The Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami: How to Stay Safe When Traveling

2011-03-13T10:58:00.001-04:00

Firefighters arrive in Sendai on Sunday, two days after the devastating earthquake (photo courtesy of AP Photo/Kyodo News)

On March 11th, an earthquake of 8.8 magnitude hit the north of Japan closest to the city of Sendai. The damage, injuires and loss of life are extensive, with death toll numbers expected to reach 10,000 and property damage in the billions of dollars. The initial earthquake was followed by numeorous aftershocks, tsunamis and serious damage to the country's infrastructure, including an important nuclear plant.

Although locals are always the hardest hit by natural disasters or political uprisings, it can be even more confusing and terrifying for tourists, who find themselves unexpectedly trapped in an emergency situation far from home without contacts, knowledge of the language or customs, or knowing how to protect themselves in a disaster. These tips are not meant to frighten anyone away from global travel (after all, disasters and protests happen at home as well), but will hopefully provide some help with preparation and maintaining a calm state of mind, which can go a long way toward alleviating the stress of a seemingly unmanageable situation.

Smoke pours from an industrial complex in Kamaishi (photo courtesy of AP Photo/Kyodo News)

1) Arm Yourself with Information Before You Leave Home: when traveling to a foreign country, especially one with geographical or climatic instability such as Japan or Iceland, do as much research as possible before booking your trip. Check, for example, that you will not be arriving at your tropical paradise destination in the middle of cyclone season, or that you are aware of what the locals do when an earthquake or tsunami hits. Research has never been faster or easier with sources such as Google, the U.S. State Department Travel Warnings site, Britain's Foreign & Commonwealth Office Travel Advice by Country or a reliable news outlet such as The New York Times, CNN World, NPR or the BBC World. It is also a good idea to contact your airline or travel agency beforehand. Note: keep in mind that news organizations in general tend to exaggerate threats for ratings sake and that airlines and tour organizers tend to downplay threats as they have a vested interest in keeping your business.

Residents of Sendai stand in line for water at a local schoolyard ((photo courtesy of AP Photo/Kyodo News)

2) Carry Emergency Supplies: always have the following in your backpack or carry-on: a first aid kit, snacks, a bottle of water, sufficient cash in a hard currency such as U.S. dollars or Euros (it's doubtful that you will be able to get to a working ATM in an emergency), copies of your passport and visas, phone numbers and email addresses (travel providers, U.S. consulates, medical services, family and friends, local contacts), a cell phone or hand-held device and chargers, prescription medicines, toiletries.

3) Safety First: when disaster strikes, quickly and calmly get yourself out of harm's way as soon as possible. In a natural disaster such as a hurricane or tsunami, get to high ground or a hurricane shelter. In political turmoil, go to a hotel or private home as far away from the protests as possible. Listen to local authorities; they are the experts on the situation. For balance and more extensive information, connect to an external source such as international news coverage, the U.S. State Department or your hotel, airline or travel provider for further instructions on how to stay safe. If you are injured, even in a small way, seek medical attention as soon as possible.

A woman walks by cars damaged by the tsunami, Ofunato (photo by AP Photo/Kyodo News)

4) Keep a Level Head: if, despite your best efforts, you find yourself in an emergency situation, stay calm. The worst thing to do in either a natural disaster or political uprising is to panic. Many unnecessary problems are caused by the over-reaction of frightened tourists since they tend to rush and overwhelm local resources, especially transportation and communication hubs and spread (albeit understandable) fear and anger to other tourists and locals. Even though communication infrastructures are the normally the first thing to be adversely afffected in disasters, satellite cellular phones and land lines in some areas are often still in operation. As soon as you are able, connect to travel providers, the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate or the consulate of your home country, and family and friends to let them know that you are safe and to help yourself establish a sense of normalcy and communication with the outside world. Use social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook to stay abreast of developments.

5) Join Forces with Locals and Other Tourists: I am constantly amazed when traveling at the kindness of strangers. Often, especially in emergency situations, other (non-official) citizens and fellow travelers are the first and best source of support, information and assistance. Locals are especially helpful, as they know their own country well and have often dealt with the same type of situation many times before. Other travelers can offer a surprising amount of comfort and emotional or practical support. During a crisis, many tourists band together to share hotel rooms, transportation and to charter private planes and split costs. As always, trust your instincts. Although the vast majority of people are well-intentioned and trustworthy, there will always be a small percentage of those who do not have your best interests at heart; stay alert.

Korean travelers scrambling to leave Japan after the earthquake (photo courtesy of Yonhap/http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/)

6) Don't Move Unless You Have To: although the natural instinct is the get out any way you can as soon as you can, this can often put you into an even more dangerous position. You will do a lot more good organizing your departure from a quiet, safe hotel room far away from the epicenter of a disaster than trying to fight your way through the smoke, flames and panicked crowds of city streets trying to get to the airport or train station. Aside from the danger of navigating the streets, transportation hubs are often the first places targeted by protesters, especially in political coups. In the case of natural disasters, the airports are needed to quicckly bring in emergency supplies and medical personnel. It is a much more sensible option to keep communication lines open and wait out the first few days of turmoil and high emotions in a safe place. Leave as soon as the situation has stabilized and a flight or train departure can be safely arranged.

Travel Photo of the Day: Te Whanganui-A-Hei (Cathedral Cove), New Zealand

2011-03-11T17:24:00.000-05:00

After arriving in Auckland, New Zealand in March 2004, I was almost at the end of a four month trek through Asia and the Pacific and needed to decide between visiting the North or South Islands. After much debate, I chose the North Island since I would be able to cover more ground and was very interested in visiting the amazing geological and marine sites there. Whitianga, the main settlement of Mercury Bay situated on the Coromandel Peninsula, seemed like the perfect jumping off point. Although small, with a population of less than 4,000, the town offers a wide range of activities: water sports, skydiving, animal parks, golf, whale watching, diving, snorkeling and kayaking tours.

I opted for a full-day kayaking tour to Te Whanganui-A-Hei (aka Cathedral Cove), a marine reserve covering nine square kilometers (3.5 square miles) and home to crayfish, snapper, coral reefs, mollusks, blue cod, black angel fish, kelp forests, sponge gardens and anemones. In season, breaching whales and dolphins can also often be seen. Although the cove can only be reached by foot or by boat, it is so popular that it nonetheless receives over 150,000 visitors a year.

After kayaking out to the cove and stopping for a Kiwi-style cappucino break on the beach, our group paddled on to Hot Water Beach, which gets its name from thermal springs located beneath the sand. Our guide showed us where to dig a hole in the sand, which immediately filled with hot water, creating a kind of natural jacuzzi, the perfect way to relax after a long day of kayaking!

Travel Photo of the Day: Dawn at Machu Picchu, Peru

2011-03-10T22:06:00.001-05:00

In September 2006, two months after Luis and I first met, we decided to do a very brave thing for a new couple and hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu together, an arduous trip under the best of circumstances. It was a true test of any relationship and luckily we passed it (more or less) with flying colors, having fallen out only once when we arrived at the town of Agua Calientes.

There are several trails to Machu Picchu and, since we had not booked in advance, we were assigned to the longer 5-day trek because the traditional trail was full. Hiking up the Andes Mountains for a week with acute altitude sickness can be challenging to say the least; I would go so far as to say that it was one of hardest things that I've ever done. I was in tears every evening, collapsing on the ground, bone-tired beyond any imagining, not knowing how I was possibly going to tackle the next day's hike.

But I got up relunctantly every morning and trudged on and somehow, miraculously, and with the encouragement of Luis and my fellow hikers, I did it, I arrived at Machu Picchu on the 5th day just in time to see the spectacular dawn break over the ancient city. I dropped onto the soft grass on my back, eyes closed, lying amongst the grazing llamas, unable to move, and as the pale yellow rays of the morning sun slowly washed over my face, I realized that I had experienced one of those perception-shaking moments in life when you understand deeply that you can rise to any challenge if you persevere and if you have a strong support group to cheer you on. I have often thought of that trip when I feel that I've reached my limit, I've exhausted all possibilities and can't possibly go on. The truth is, now I know that I can.

Machu Picchu (meaning Old Peaks in Quechua) was originally built as a mountain estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti in the 15th century. It was abandoned during the Spanish Conquest in the 16th century, but the Spanish never discovered it because it is situated in a hidden place between high peaks and sits at an altitude of almost 8,000 feet. Machu Picchu is a survival story in itself, having escaped the notice of the detructive Conquistadores and remaining almost completely intact for 600 years.

Travel Photo of the Day: Lifeguard, Nassau, Bahamas

2011-03-09T20:46:00.000-05:00

This photo of a lifeguard and friend was snapped in June 2006 on the beach at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island, the largest hotel in the Bahamas. Although I was staying at a much smaller, much cheaper family inn in the center of Nassau, I decided to spend the day exploring the enormous hotel, beaches and expansive grounds of the resort. Atlantis was officially opened in 1998 and it's amenities are a list of superlatives: the most expensive suite in the world at $25,000 a night; the world's largest marine habitat at 34 acres and 11 million gallons, home to 50,000 forms of marine life; one of the largest hotel waterparks in the world, a 141 acre, 20 million gallon water-themed complex that includes 20 swimming areas, a mile-long water ride and a Mayan Temple waterslide.

Nassau, the capital city of the 700 islands of the Bahamas, is home to 70% of the residents. The city has a rich history, originally settled by indigenous people from Cuba in the fourth century, who were followed by the Caribs, the Lucayans and the Arawaks in the 10th century, Columbus and the Spanish in the 15th century, the Puritans in the 17th century, pirates in the 17th and 18th centuries, Loyalist Americans and their African slaves in the 18th and 19th centuries, and cruise ship tourists in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Travel Photo of the Day: Colored Sails, Lake Titicaca, Peru

2011-03-08T16:36:00.000-05:00

This photo of the traditional sailboats on Lake Titicaca was taken from a hillside on the island of Amantani, Peru. Lake Titicaca is the largest lake in South America, bordering two countries, Bolivia and Peru, and also the highest navigable lake in the world at an altitude of 12,500 ft. The area is a cultural and historical treasure trove and more is being discovered every year. A 1,500 year old, 600 foot long submerged temple was found in the lake by archeologists in 2000 and includes a wall, terraced gardens and a submerged road that runs from the temple to the lakeshore city of Copacabana.

Because of the altitude, the light is incredible: almost unbearably clean, white and bright, especially when the sun is out. In December 2007, we traveled through Bolivia and Peru, stopping at the Uyuni Salt Flats, Puno and sailed the lake, visiting the fascinating islands of Lake Titicaca. Among the islands are Uros (a group of 42 inhabited islands made entirely of floating reeds), Isla del Sol (a roadless island and the site of 180 Inca ruins dating to the 15th century) and Amantaní (the most populated island and home to two mountains, ancient ruins and terraced wheat and vegetable farms).

Travel Photo of the Day: The Tame Deer of Nara, Japan

2011-03-07T17:54:00.000-05:00

In December 2003, I traveled across Japan and stopped in the city of Nara, the capital of Japan from 710 to 784 (in 2010, Nara celebrated the 1,300th anniversary of its ascension as Japan's imperial capital). Nara is one of the prettiest and most interesting cities in Japan, home to many historic monuments and parks, two of which are UNESCO Heritage Sites: the Kasuga Shrine and the Kasugayama Primeval Forest. It is also home to numerous significant temples, including: Todai-ji, the world's largest wooden building; Kōfuku-ji, an ancient Buddhist temple built in the Chinese pagoda style; and Yakushi-ji, which houses one of the finest collection of Buddhist art objects in the world.

The city is also filled with 1,200 tame Sika deer, who roam the streets and parks (and often the shops and temples) at will and are protected by national law. Visitors and locals buy shika-senbei (deer cookies) from local vendors to feed to the deer, who have no fear of humans and can be hand-fed. The deer were originally considered sacred, and killing a deer was punishable by death until 1637. Today they are still protected but officially designated as National Treasures.

Travel Photo of the Day: Street Performers, Buenos Aires, Argentina

2011-03-06T10:43:00.000-05:00

The Buenos Aires neighborhood of San Telmo is the place to be on Sundays when the cobblestoned streets fill with locals and visitors who come to shop the stalls of the antique market (Feria de Antigüedades) held there every weekend. Aside from antiques, vendors hawk everything from handmade jewelry to brightly colored clothing to squawking chicken puppets. Food vendors sell homemade empanadas, freshly squeezed orange juice and warm, candied peanuts. On every corner, groups of artists, performers, dancers and musicians attract huge crowds and provide entertainment for the shoppers and strollers. This couple is a fixture in San Telmo, appearing almost every week in starched and wired clothing and a damaged umbrella that appears to be windblown.

San Telmo is the city's oldest neighborhood and the reputed birthplace of the tango. The area is filled with cafes, historical sites, tango venues, antique shops, artists' workshops and old churches. Originally home to the city's aristocratic familes, the "barrio" became home to immigrant dockworkers and brickmakers in the 17th century, when the wealthy residents fled the area during the yellow fever epidemic of 1871. The neighborhood eventually evolved into a bohemian artist colony in the 1950s and today retains much of that character, although the area is becoming increasingly gentrified and expensive.

Travel Photo of the Day: Climbing the Mast, Bergen, Norway

2011-03-05T11:23:00.000-05:00

Norway has always been a seafaring nation and the charming city of Bergen is no exception. Boats and the sea are the center of activities in Scandinavia: sailing, racing, visiting boat shows and museums, boat maintainance and repair and just enjoying a day on the water. I visited Bergen in May 2005 with two friends as part of a trip to Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Estonia. Scandinavia is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful places on earth, and Bergen won me over forever.

Bergen is a medium-sized city of 260,800, on the south-western coast of Norway, but it feels much more like a very sophisticated small town. The people are warm, welcoming and friendly, the city's public spaces, its homes and gardens are clean and well-maintained and there are many good restaurants and cultural outlets. The green spaces and parks are numerous and it is situated in one of the prettiest settings I've ever visited. The city is also home to the University of Bergen, the Bergen Aquarium, the Arboretum and Botanical Garden at Milde, Bergen Fish Market and Fantoft Stave Church dating from 1150). For spectacular views of the city, Mount Floyen can be reached by funicular and Mount Ulriken by cable car.

Bergen has a very cozy feeling as it sits in a sheltered cove, surrounded by green mountains and forests. There is a higher than usual rainfall in the city, but because of this, the city remains emerald green and filled with flowers for most of the year. The town is also home to Bryggen, the old wharf and a UNESCO Heritage Site.

Travel Photo of the Day: Guácharo Cave, Caripe, Venezuela

2011-03-04T10:09:00.000-05:00

In Parque Nacional Cueva del Guácharo (Guácharo Cave National Park) near the town of Caripe, Venezuela, lies one of the country's most interesting geological structures and its first national monument, the Guácharo Cave. The limestone cave is one of the longest in Venezuela, at 6.38 miles (10.3 kilometers) and is considered to be one of the most complete cave ecosytems on earth. Even though is was "discovered" by German explorers in the 18th century, the cave had in fact been used by indigenous communties for thousands of years.

Luis and I visited the cave in November 2007 and spent the day exploring the tunnels, caverns, stalactites, stalagmites, strange rock formations and the colonies of guácharos or oilbirds, for which the cave is named, the only nocturnal bird in the world that feeds on fruit. A spectacular sight in the evenings is to watch the birds flock out of the cave in huge numbers in search of food. The birds are far from the only residents of the cave: bats, mice, woodlice, crickets, millipedes, fish and crabs all feast on the dropped, germinated fruit seeds that the birds drop.

Travel Photo of the Day: Crispy Scorpions and Grubs for Sale, Beijing, China

2011-03-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

There are lots of interesting things to eat in China, especially Beijing, where city markets are filled with things that look fairly run-of-the-mill to Western eyes, such as skewered meat, chicken or pork, rice cakes, spring rolls, fried crab balls and eggplant, but other items are completely new and, frankly, a bit scary. If you have a brave heart and a strong constitution, it's a very interesting experience, to say the least (although I must insert here that I have never gotten sick on street food, only restaurant food. My theory is that, at a street food stall, everything is where you can see it, you can tell if it's fresh or not and it's all cooked to order).

In December 2003, when we visited the late night Beijing markets, also on offer were deep-fried tarantulas, crispy scorpions, fried grubs, grasshoppers, starfish, eels, octopus, century eggs, dog meat, fried honey bees and skewers of sheep testicles. There are of course lots of more delectable sounding options like Shanghai Dumplings, spicy grilled lamb, pancakes, noodles and sweet cakes and fruits. It's an amazing experience to walk through these markets: the sights, the spicy scents, the vibrant colors, the warmth of the grills and woks, the cacophony and the delicious tastes create an exotic mix of Chinese life that will stay with you for a long time.

Travel Photo of the Day: Morning Dancers, Arequipa, Peru

2011-03-02T08:53:00.001-05:00

In September/October 2006, we traveled for five weeks across Peru from Lima to Cusco, stopping in various cities along the way, eventually arriving at the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. When we stopped in Arequipa one clear early morning, the main square was already filled with the sounds of church bells and music and colorfully dressed dancers. Many of the dancers were young, still in their teens and in high school, but belonged to dance groups that performed on the weekends.

Arequipa was founded in 1540 by the Spaniards, although it was home to the Incas and other indigenous populations for thousands of years before the Europeans arrived. On the outskirts of the city sit three volcanoes: the still active El Misti, and the now extinct Chachani and Pichu Pichu. The city is also the jumping off point for the impressive Colca Canyon and Cotahuasi Canyon, two of the world's deepest canyons and the home to one of the largest birds in the world, the Andean Condor.

Travel Photo of the Day: Iguazu Falls, Argentina

2011-03-01T08:40:00.000-05:00

Spectacular Iguazu Falls, which are divided between Argentina and Brazil, are a UNESCO World Heritage site and are considered by many to be one of the wonders of the world. The group of 275 waterfalls are spread over three kilometers (1.7 miles) and stand as high as 82 meters (270 feet). Many of the cascades, including the most impressive, seemingly bottomless waterfall, La Garganta del Diablo (The Devil's Throat), can be seen in the Robert de Niro movie "The Mission".

Luis and I visited in May 2008, staying on the larger Argentine side and crossing over to Brazil for the day to see the falls more closely. Both sides have well-maintained national parks, easily walked with clean, safe paths and boardwalks, and very good transportation and facilities. It's best to take 2-3 days to visit the falls to allow for the sheer size of the area, border crossings and to visit other attractions such as the enormous and fascinating Itaipú Hydroelectric Power Station and Dam on the Brazilian side, the largest in the world, which operates daily tours.

Travel Photo of the Day: The Eiffel Tower on a Rainy November Night, Paris, France

2011-02-28T00:45:00.003-05:00

I had only a few days to visit Paris in November 2004 so, despite the grey, rainy weather, I tried to make the most of it. This wasn't my first trip to Paris; far from it, but it's one of those cities that you can keep exploring for years. Paris always reminds me of a grandmother's many-tiered jewel box that's kept in the attic; everytime you venture a trip to look into it, you find another undiscovered gem.

This particular night, it had been raining hard and when it finally stopped for a few minutes, I wandered out to walk along the rain-slicked streets, almost devoid of other pedestrians. When I saw the lighted Eiffel Tower, I stopped to take a photo and just as I snapped, the tower's laser-like white beacon suddenly swung through the fog, momentarily illuminating the night sky. It was one of those solitary moments of serendipity that keeps you coming back to Paris. The city has a vibrancy, sophistication and simplicity that doesn't exist in combination anywhere else in the world.

Travel Photo of the Day: Hot Air Balloon, Seattle, Washington, USA

2011-02-27T08:11:00.001-05:00

The neighborhood of Woodinville, an eastside suburb of Seattle, Washington, is one of the prettiest places in the area, home to wineries such as Columbia and Chateau Ste. Michelle, with its adjacent vineyards and beautifully landscaped grounds, the Red Hook Brewery, and (when the weather is good) an excellent view of volcanic Mount Rainier. I'd often watched a group of brightly colored hot air balloons float peacefully over the landscape at dawn and sunset. One warm Sunday evening in August 2002, two friends and I decided to try it for ourselves and took a hot air balloon ride with Over the Rainbow Balloon Flights over the lush, green fields and vineyards to experience the sweeping views of a part of the city not many tourists visit.

I took this photo from inside the balloon while it was still on the ground being filled with hot air. The flame ignites only periodically, so I was lucky to have snapped it at just the right moment. The day was perfectly clear and as we rose in the balloon, we could see the double summit of ghostly Mount Rainier in the distance which appeared to be floating above the ground on a bluish grey cloud. As the balloon drifted over the Sammamish Valley, we spotted the bright blue peacocks strutting around the grounds of Chateau Ste. Michelle, the vast farmlands, the Space Needle in downtown Seattle and breathtaking views of Mount Baker, Lake Union, Lake Washington and Puget Sound. Landing sites are unpredictable when riding in hot air balloons and we ended up touching down softly on a soccer pitch right in the middle of a high school match!

Travel Photo of the Day: Butterflies Drinking, Bonito, Brazil

2011-02-26T08:24:00.000-05:00

This photo was taken in May 2010 by Luis after we spent the day snorkeling down the crystal clear Rio Plata (Silver River) in Bonito, Brazil, located in the southeastern Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The river is shallow with a steady current so that snorkelers can float or swim down the river without much effort and with schools of fish swimming beside them. The water is so clear and so filled with colorful fish and plants, that it is like swimming in a very long aquarium with a terrarium overhead. If you lift your head above the waterline, you can see carniverous and other exotic plants of the forest and watch the macaques, toucans and macaws dropping seeds or fruit into the water to try and catch the fish.

After four hours of snorkeling the length of the river, we scrambled out of the water onto a rocky ledge that was covered with dozens of pale green butterflies that appeared to be drinking from the pools of water created by the cracks in the rock. They didn't seem to be disturbed at all by our presence and just kept right on with their daily butterfly acitivites.

Five Great Free Things to Do in New York City

2011-02-25T10:56:00.000-05:00

Gapstow Bridge and The Pond at Central Park (photo by Luis Bastardo)

New York City is known as being one of the most expensive cities in the world, but even if you are on a bare-bones budget, there are still many things that you can do for free.

1) Visit Central Park on a Sunday: one of the best and most diverse free shows in the city, Central Park is always filled with interesting sights and activities, but no more so than on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Aside from the numerous gardens and trails (the Conservatory Garden, the bridle paths and reservoir, the Shakespeare Garden and many others), the park is filled with picnickers, community baseball games, boaters, skateboarders, cyclists, hikers, jugglers, hip-hop dancers, poets, musicians, artists and magicians. There is something to do or watch in almost every part in the park. Bird and wildlife watchers will be amazed at the number of animals that make Central Park their home. People-watching is also fascinating on Sundays; colorful characters and celebrities abound.

2) Take the Staten Island Ferry: twenty million people a year commute between Manhattan and Staten Island on the Staten Island Ferry, but it is also an excellent way to take a boat tour of New York City for free. The views of Lower Manhattan, the city bridges and New York Harbor are spectacular. The five mile boat ride is 25 minutes long and, as a bonus, when you arrive on Staten Island, you can walk for hours in the many parks and nature reserves covering the island. The ferry leaves regularly from the Whitehall Terminal (South Ferry) in Manhattan and arrives at the St. George Terminal in Staten Island. Visit the excellent Staten Island Ferry website for schedules, history, anecdotes and general information.

Interior of the Guggenheim Museum (photo by Luis Bastardo)

3) Visit the Museums on Free Days: the entrance fees to many museums in New York are more reasonably priced than most people realize and sometimes free. Almost all museums have a weekly or monthly free period to allow visitors of all financial means to experience the art and cultural life of the city. The Guggenheim, for example, has a "pay what you wish" admission period on Saturdays from 5:45 p.m. until closing and the Whitney Museum's period is from 5:00 pm-9:00 pm on Fridays. Check the "Admission" or "Hours" link on each museum's website for times. Exceptions are museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and The American Museum of Natural History, because (unknown to many visitors) the high entrance fee to these museums is actually a suggested donation only and visitors may pay what they wish according to what they can afford.

4) Walk/Bike/Rollerblade the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway: active New Yorkers and anyone who wants to escape the busy intersections of Manhattan frequent the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway, a 32-mile biking and hiking trail that almost completely encircles the island. In most parts, the path is divided into bike and walking lanes and is completely separate from automobile traffic, making it a safer alternative than trying to negotiate the busy streets. It is a fantastic way to see the city, with views of the water, parks and cityscapes. The three main sections are the Hudson River, the East River and the Harlem River Greenways. The paths are mostly flat, but incline slightly toward the north of the city.

The Brooklyn Bridge from Brooklyn Bridge Park (photo by Luis Bastardo)

5) Walk Across the Brooklyn Bridge: another great way to get panoramic views of the city and to visit one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States is to cross the Brooklyn Bridge on foot from Manhattan into the chic Brooklyn neighborhood of DUMBO. The bridge, completed in 1883, connects the borough of Manhattan to the borough of Brooklyn and can be easily walked in under 30 minutes (although many people take much longer so that they can enjoy the views and take photographs). The bridge's pedestrian walkway and bike lanes are on separate level than automobile traffic for safety reasons, but walkers must still take care not to wander into the paths of cyclists, many of whom travel at high speeds. When arriving in DUMBO, be sure to visit the Brooklyn Bridge Park and to wander through the cobblestoned streets of the neighborhood to visit the fashionable shops, cafes and restaurants. You may be lucky enough to come across a model shoot or film production, which are increasingly common in this up and coming area.

Travel Photo of the Day: The Blue Lagoon, Grindavík, Iceland

2011-02-25T09:35:00.000-05:00

The Blue Lagoon is the most visited place in Iceland for good reason. It is a geothermal spa located in the middle of a lava field near Grindavík on the Reykjanes Peninsula, about 24 miles from the capital city of Reykjavík. The water temperature is a comfortable 37–39 °C (98–102 °F) and the six million liters of geothermal seawater are loaded with minerals such as silica which purportedely help to improve skin, muscle and bone ailments. Because the lagoon is visited by so many people each year, hygiene codes are strictly enforced, including mandatory showering before and after entering the thermal waters, although common bacteria cannot thrive in the ecosystem.

We visited in August 2003, and after checking into our hotel, headed immediately for the lagoon. It was a weekday, so it wasn't too crowded and the warm, steamy mineral waters were just what we needed to recuperate after an overnight flight. There are vats of white silica mud throughout the area, to use as a face masque or to alleviate muscle aches. The Blue Lagoon also offers standard spa services such as massages and facials, but it is just as wonderful to simply spend a day sitting in the comforting waters, feeling the fresh breezes blowing on your face and looking out over the aqua-colored waters, incredible black lava moonscape and steaming geothermal vents.

Travel Photo of the Day: The Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji), Kyoto, Japan

2011-02-24T10:22:00.000-05:00

While visiting Kyoto, Japan in December 2003, so many people talked about how gorgeous the Golden Pavilion was, I had to take a side trip to see it. They were right, it is spectacular. Kinkakuji, as it is known in Japanese, is a brilliant, shining example of the extravagance of the Kitayama culture: the top two floors are completely covered in gold leaf and each floor represents a different architectural style: the first floor is built in the style of the imperial aristocracy, the second in the style of the warrior aristocrats and the third in traditional Chinese style. It is currently used as a Zen Buddhist temple, but was originally built as a weekend villa for a powerful 13th century Japanese politician. The original building has been burned down and rebuilt in an exact copy twice.

This photo was taken on a cloudy day, just as the sun was breaking through the clouds. The small covered extension on the side is a fishing deck. The temple sits on the edge of Mirror Pond (Kyōko-chi) situated in a lush Japanese-style strolling garden, which is intended to demonstrate the harmonial balance between heaven and earth. Every tree, flower, scultpture and rock is there by design and signifies something in the Zen philosophy. For example, the four stones forming a straight line in the pond near the pavilion are intended to represent sailboats anchored at night, bound for the Isle of Eternal Life.

Travel Photo of the Day: Incahuasi Island on the Uyuni Salt Flats, Bolivia

2011-02-23T06:00:00.001-05:00

This photo was taken in October 2006 on a trip to the vast salt flats of Uyuni, Bolivia, from the top of a cactus island known as Incahuasi Island. In Spanish, the flats are known as Salar de Uyuni, and stretch for 4,086 square miles or 10,582 square kilometers, making them the world's largest. The flats are quite high, at an almost 12,000 foot elevation and were formed from the residue of ancient lakes. The salt lies in a hard crust about 3 feet or 1 meter thick over a huge pool of lithium-rich brine. Aside from the blinding white beauty of the snow-like salt cover, the area is home to such diverse wildlife as wild foxes known as culpeos, pink flamingos, Andean geese, and the Bolivian vizcacha, a rodent that is sort of a cross between a rabbit and a chinchilla. The area is also rich with smoking volcanoes, inverted wind-shaped alien-looking rock formations, steaming thermal baths and multi-colored lakes. In the distance of the photo, you can see a lone 4x4 jeep motoring across the flats, the only practical form of transportation for this remote area.

Travel Photo of the Day: Women at the Taj Mahal Mosque, Agra, India

2011-02-22T08:52:00.001-05:00

While I was staying in New Delhi, India in November 2005, a couple of friends and I decided to take a day trip to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal. A UNESCO Heritage Site, the contruction of the building was started in 1632 by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to build a tomb for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal who died in childbirth at a young age. The site also incudes several other tombs and outlying buildings, inculding the Taj Mahal mosque known as a masjid where this photo was taken. The women were a group of friends enjoying a day out and their laughter and the colorful silks of their saris were in sharp contrast to the somber surroundings, the brilliant white of the Taj Mahal itself and the muted reds of the mosque.

Travel Photo of the Day: The Undulating Bridge, Punta del Este, Uruguay

2011-02-20T08:53:00.048-05:00

In March 2010, Luis and I spent a few days in the resort town of Punta del Este, Uruguay. Uruguay is known as the Switzerland of South America and Punta del Este, the St. Tropez. It was a splurge because it is the playground of the rich and famous and enormously expensive, but we had wanted to see what all the excitement was about. We rented a car and set off to explore the area. Although most people stay close to the beaches, restaurants and nightclubs, we decided to venture furthur afield and ended up seeing some amazing sights such as the quirky Casa Pueblo, a bizarrely designed complex/museum dedicated to the artist Carlos Paez-Vilaró, the Museo del Mar (Sea Museum) with its gigantic cement shark in front and this undulating bridge in the Barra de Maldonado.

The bridge was designed in 1965 and slowly gained fame for its unusual form. To drive over the bridge (slowly!) is unsettling because of the limited view of the road ahead of you and the steepness of the inclines. It's a bit like driving on rollercoaster tracks. I'm not sure how many people have toppled off, but it's definitely a good idea to cross it in daylight and fully sober.

Travel Photo of the Day: Human Rights March, La Paz, Bolivia

2011-02-20T08:47:00.000-05:00

This photo was taken in October 2007 in the capital city of La Paz, Bolivia, on the day of a Human Rights March. Marchers were protesting the lack of human rights and safety, low wages, violence and political corruption in the country. We hadn't realized that the march was scheduled for that day and found ourselves caught up in the rush of the crowd. Luis took this photo as we were marching toward Plaza Murillo to protest in front of the National Congress of Bolivia building. Although the speeches by human rights leaders were fiery and passionate, the crowd remained calm and focused on its purpose.

Travel Photo of the Day: Tepui, Canaima National Park, Venezuela

2011-02-19T10:21:00.000-05:00

Luis and I visited the UNESCO Heritage Site of Canaima National Park in Venezuela twice: once in the wet season and once in the dry. The experience was very different each time: the numerous waterfalls of the park were fuller and more impressive in the wet season, but we were drenched due to the near constant rainfall. The park is home to the tallest waterfall in the world, Angel Falls (Salto Angel), but the park itself is filled with amazing topography like the towering flat-top mountains known by their indiginous name tepuis (tepuys). The tepuis are so isolated that many host species of wildlife and plants that evolved separately from other areas and are still found nowhere else on earth. This photo was taken during a four-day trip as we were traveling by canoe down one of the many rivers from one camp to another. It's hard to capture the majesty of the landscape in a photo; coming around a bend in the river and suddenly catching sight of these stone giants momentarily takes your breath away.

Travel Photo of the Day: Evening in Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen, Denmark

2011-02-18T10:47:00.000-05:00

Although it appears as if this photo was taken in China or Japan, it was actually snapped at dusk in May 2005 at Tivoli Gardens, the famous amusement park located in the heart of Copenhagen, Denmark. The pagoda is a popular Chinese restaurant and in the evenings, along with the rest of the buildings in the park, it is illuminated with thousands of colored lights. The park is especially beautiful at night when the buildings and rides are lit up, glowing Chinese lanterns hang from the trees, rainbow-colored floodlights showcase the fountains, gardens and ponds and a nightly show of glowing gigantic puppets on stilts parades around the grounds. Tivoli Garden alone boasts 120,000 twinkling lights around the trees, bushes and flower beds.

The park was opened in 1943 and is the second oldest operating park in the world and the most popular park in Scandinavia. The park should seem familiar; it was the model for Disneyworld and Disneyland. After Walt Disney and his wife visited the park several times in the 1950s, Disney was so enamored and inspired by the park's atmosphere of happiness and joy that he reportedly told his wife, "Now this is what an amusement place should be!"

Travel Photo of the Day: Bethesda Fountain Bubble Man, Central Park, New York City, USA

2011-02-17T09:21:00.004-05:00

When Luis and I visited the U.S. in October 2009, New York City was our first stop. I lived in Manhattan for many years and it has always seemed like my true home, so I wanted to show Luis not just the tourist sites, but the real life and soul of the city, its people. Nowhere in the city is more alive than Central Park, especially on a Sunday when the park is filled with visitors and performers. At Bethesda Fountain, near the Boathouse, we came upon dancers, musicians, jugglers, acrobats and one man creating gigantic soap bubbles to the unbridled delight of the children (and the adults!) I was trying to capture the huge size of the bubbles, but the best part of the photo turned out to be the expressions of pure joy on the children's faces.

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Travel Photo of the Day: Sandbar, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

2011-02-16T09:45:00.000-05:00

I took this photo of a sandbar while snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia in January 2004. The contrast between the brilliant white sand of the beach and the deep turquoise of the ocean was startling. The sand bars serve as resting places for seabirds and snorkelers alike. The reef, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, is comprised of over 3000 individual reef systems and coral cays. It is the largest reef system in the world, stretching over 2,600 kilometers (1,600 miles) and is more than 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 square miles) in total size.

The reef is home to some of the largest marine life populations in the world: 30 species of whales, porpoises and dolphins; 500 species of algae; 200 species of birds; 6 species of sea turtles; 14 species of sea snakes; 1,500 species of fish; 5,000 species of mollusks; 400 species of coral; 500 species of seaweed.

Travel Photo of the Day: Lago Grey, Torres del Paine, Chile

2011-02-15T11:49:00.001-05:00

Torres del Paine National Park in the southern Patagonian region of Chile is one of the most amazing places on earth. The park's almost 600,000 acres of breathtaking glaciers, mountains, lakes, forests, meadows and wooded trails are home to guanacos (a cousin of the llama), Andean condors, grey and red foxes and pumas. Luis took this photo of Lago Grey (Grey Lake) and the surrounding vista a couple of hours after we arrived in the park, early January 2011. The weather changed suddenly and a few minutes later, the entire scene was shrouded in fog and clouds.

Curanto: The Traditional Shellfish Dish of the Islands of Chiloé, Chile

2011-02-14T17:33:00.000-05:00

Sim at a dockside restaurant on Chiloé Island, Chile ready to dig into a steaming plate of curanto and a cool bottle of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc (photo by Luis Bastardo)

For the uninitiated, Chile is one of the bright, rising stars of the South American countries. Its up and coming economy is stable yet steadily growing, supported by strong agricultural and mining industries, namely copper, iron, beans, sweet potatoes, beets, wheat and my personal favorites, wine and seafood. The Chilean wine business has exploded in the last 15 years and the country's wines continue to exceed all expectations. At the 2004 Berlin Wine Tasting Competition, Chilean wines took first and second place in a blind taste test; in the 2005 tasting, they took five of the top seven places. Most prevalent are the outstanding yet reasonably priced Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs, which pair perfectly with delicious Chilean seafood.

A typical curanto: mussels, clams, fish, potatoes, sausages and chapalele (photo bu Luis Bastardo)

There is an extensive fish and shellfish farming culture in Chile, so fresh seafood is widely available and generally inexpensive. Most regions have a typical seafood or shellfish dish; on the islands of Chiloé, it is curanto, a type of shellfish bake that also includes fish, sausage, potatoes and a type of doughy potato bread called chapalele. The meal is usually accompanied by a bowl of broth for dipping or sipping and a bottle of chilled Chilean white wine. it is similar to a New England clam bake in that it is traditionally prepared in a hole in the ground near or on the beach, over stones heated by a bonfire, each layer of seafood, meat and vegetables separated by the gigantic leaves of a local edible plant known locally as nalca or Chilean Rhubarb, then all is covered by a top layer of sod and earth. Today it is more practically prepared at home in a pressure cooker or on a grill.

Luis trying out the local freshly-shucked oysters on Chiloé (photo by Simone Cannon)

Some food historians date the origin of curanto to between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago when indigenous groups such as the Mapuche inhabited the islands. The word "curanto" derives from the Mapuche word "kurantu" meaning “stony ground”. The original ingredients probably also variously included snails, scallops, abalone, razor clams, pudú ( a type of small deer), nutria (a medium sized rodent), pork, lamb, sea birds, sea lions and other marine life, depending on availability and season. The curanto was normally reserved for feasts or celebrations and while waiting for the meal to cook, guests danced a folk dance called the seguidilla, accompanied by harps and guitars. The usual beverages served were aguardiente (Spanish for "firewater" because of its extremely high alcoholic content, between 20%-60%) and chicha, a fermented drink made from maize (corn), apple or manioc. Today, the accompanying beverage is much more likely to be a crisp Chilean white wine.

Preparing curanto the traditional way (photo courtesy of http://chileantourismnetwork.net/)

Travel Photo of the Day: Early Morning Ferries on Puget Sound, Seattle, USA

2011-02-14T08:27:00.001-05:00

It was Luis's first trip to the U.S. in the fall and winter of 2009 (not counting his childhood trip to Disneyworld) and we landed in Seattle in December, right before Christmas, one of the drearier times of year in the city. We were behind schedule on our itinerary; my goal had been to show Luis one of my favorite places in the U.S. much earlier in the year when there are sunny skies and green parks and gardens, but by the time we got there, all had turned rainy, grey and dreary. While sitting over steaming bowls of clam chowder at a cafe in Pike's Place Market with Luis and a good friend, watching ferries silently glide across Puget Sound in the morning light, I realized that the greyness and stillness had its own kind of beauty.

Travel Photo of the Day: Two Baby Peruvians, Colca Canyon, Peru

2011-02-13T11:01:00.001-05:00

On a beautifully clear, sunny September day in 2006 while visiting Peru, we headed to the Colca Canyon in search of one of the largest birds in the world, the Andean Condor. On the way through the canyon, our minibus stopped at a mountainside textile market where two tiny Peruvians were helping their family sell handmade blankets, hats and scarves to visitors. The air is so thin at that altitude and the light so white that the brilliant colors of the traditional Peruvian designs were almost blinding.

Travel Photo of the Day: Horses and Hikers Resting on the Inca Trail, Peru

2011-02-12T09:08:00.000-05:00

In September 2006, Luis and I walked the spectacular Inca Trail to the ancient city of Machu Picchu high in the Andes mountains of Peru. There are several trails; the one we hiked is higher and longer than the traditional trail and took us five days to complete. Horses carried our belongings for the first three days, but on the fourth and fifth days, the terrain was too steep and rocky for the horses, so we had to carry our own backpacks. I snapped this photo of the breathtaking view on the second day while the horses and our fellow hikers were resting on the trail.

Travel Photo of the Day: Sleeping Swan, Buenos Aires, Argentina

2011-02-11T09:57:00.000-05:00

Luis shot this lovely photo of a sleeping swan in June 2010 when we visited the impressive Temaikén Zoo in Escobar, in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Although June is a winter month in the southern hemisphere, we were there on an unusually warm day and many of the animals were taking their afternoon siestas. The clean, expansive and well-maintained zoo is a wonderful place to spend the day and escape from the busy city.

Travel Photo of the Day: Sunset in The Pantanal, Brazil

2011-02-10T08:36:00.000-05:00

This shot was snapped at sunset, May 2010, as were crossing the sprawling nature reserve of Brazil known as The Pantanal in a jeep, trying to spot birds and animals. Although less known than the Amazonian basin of Brazil, it is no less spectacular, up to 75,000 square miles of pristine wilderness and home to 3,500 plant species, 1000 bird species, 400 fish species, 300 mammalian species, 480 reptile species and over 9000 different subspecies of invertebrates.

Travel Photo of the Day: Young Monks Resting At Angkor Wat, Cambodia

2011-02-09T10:57:00.000-05:00

While exploring the ancient temples of Angkor Wat, Cambodia in January 2003, three young monks in saffron robes who were taking a break from their studies asked me to take their picture and I was happy to oblige. The contrast between their youth and their brightly colored garments and the ancient grey stone ruins was startling. Most young Buddhist men enter the monkhood at the age of 13 for a short period of time (usually less than a year) to study the Buddhist five basic precepts: abstain from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and intoxication and generally, to receive instruction on how to live a moral life.

Travel Photo of the Day: Giant Sequoia, Sequoia National Park, USA

2011-02-08T08:01:00.000-05:00

This photo of a Giant Sequoia tree was taken in December 2009, right after the first snowfall in Sequoia National Park, California. There was almost nobody else in the park at that time, and it felt like we were alone in a peaceful, glittering white winter wonderland. We crunched through the pristine snow to stare up in awe at the gigantic trees and crystal blue sky. Sequoias are some of the largest and oldest trees on earth, with the largest tree, The General Sherman, at 52,508 cubic feet (1,486.9 m3) and the oldest known tree at 3,500 years of age.

Travel Photo of the Day: Great Wall of China, Simatai, China

2011-02-07T10:49:00.000-05:00

This photo of a section of the Great Wall of China from the window of a turret, was taken in December 2003 at Simatai, 120 kilometers (about 75 miles) from Beijing. At the time, this was one of the best preserved and least visited parts of the Great Wall, but has since fallen into disrepair from a combination of lack of maintenance, harsh weather conditions and tourist traffic. Simatai was one of the best places to avoid the crowds and to get the most authentic view of the pre-tourist wall, but was closed in June 2010 by the Chinese government for major renovations which the government estimates will be completed in three years.

Cueva de las Manos (Cave of the Hands), Argentina: UNESCO World Heritage Site

2011-02-07T10:22:00.001-05:00

A heavily painted section of Cueva de Las Manos, with 10,000 year old cave art (photo by Luis Bastardo)

Arriving in the sleepy town of Perito Moreno, in the Santa Cruz region of Argentina early in the morning after a long overnight bus trip, we wondered if we had made a mistake. The town has very few attractions (not to be confused with the stunning Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park near El Calafate) and not much selection in the way of lodging, the cheapest costing US$60 a night and having very little to recommend it other than a roof and walls. When we stopped by the hotel to ask about availability, the owner was luckily absent and the guests told us in no uncertain terms to run for the hills. We finally found a semi-reasonable place down the street, settled in and went off in search of transportation to our real destination, the famed Cueva de Las Manos (Cave of the Hands) in Río Pinturas. The caves, which are actually easily-viewed recesses in a small canyon, were inscribed in 1999 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the "exceptional assemblage of cave art, executed between 13,000 and 9,500 years ago".

A section of the caves showing birds and animals as well as hands (photo by Luis Bastardo)

We booked an afternoon trip to the caves through a local travel agency (it's best to view the paintings either in the early morning or late afternoon) and set off the next day in a mini-bus for the two-hour rocky trip across unpaved roads to the entrance of the cave site. The site includes a visitor center with a small, but interesting Centro de Interpretacion (Center of Interpretation) which explains the history and the meaning of the different representations. The caves are located at the bottom of a canyon in a beautiful, well-maintained preserved area, with a river, lush stands of trees, wild herbs and flowers and naturally colored pink, red and orange rock. The majority of paintings are outlines of human hands, although there are also numerous renderings of animals such as guanacos (a cousin of the llama), birds, humanoid shapes and hunting scenes. The paintings were probably created by spraying powdered mineral tints mixed with an unknown binder directly from the mouth; iron oxides created red and purple tints, kaolin created white, natrojarosite created yellow and manganese oxide was used for black. According to the UNESCO website, "archaeological investigations have shown that the site was last inhabited around AD 700 by the possible ancestors of the first Tehuelche people of Patagonia. The Cueva is considered by the international scientific community to be one of the most important sites of the earliest hunter-gatherer groups in South America."

Along the trail of the canyon of Cueva de Las Manos (photo by Luis Bastardo)

The paintings are incredibly well-preserved and vary in age, some newer art being superimposed over older paintings, probably put there by each succeeding generation. According to UNESCO, "The favourable conditions (very low humidity, no water infiltration, stable rock strata) at the rock shelter have ensured that the state of conservation of all but the most exposed paintings is excellent." Cueva de las Manos is one of numerous important prehistoric cave-painting sites located all over the world, the most famous probably being the 17,300 year old paintings in Lascaux, France and the 30,000 year old cave art at the Bhimbetka rock shelters in Madhya Pradesh, India, but the Argentine site, although less ancient, is one of the best preserved and most accessible. The site must be visited with a guide (vandalism has been a problem in recent years), but it is possible to hike and explore the lovely canyon as we did, spending several hours walking, wading through the cold waters of the canyon river, climbing up the rock faces and enjoying the tranquil setting as the sun set, turning the canyon into even deeper shades of rose and amber

The canyon floor covered in sand, trees and a flowing (cold!) river (photo by Luis Bastardo)

Travel Photo of the Day: Moon and Boat on the Chilean Fjords, Chile

2011-02-06T06:49:00.000-05:00

This shot was taken just before midnight, January 10, 2011 while we were cruising north on a cargo ship through the Chilean Fjords from Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt. The small crescent moon, the light night sky and the lone boat with its single white light really demonstrate the solitude of the fjords.

Travel Photo of the Day: Horses Grazing on the West Coast of Iceland

2011-02-05T10:01:00.000-05:00

This photo was taken at a small farm on the Western coast of Iceland near Ólafsvík, August 2003. Horses are everywhere in Iceland and there is even a special breed known as the Icelandic Horse, specially bred to be long-lived and hardy in order to survive the harsh Icelandic winters and geological conditions.

Travel Photo of the Day: Monarch Butterfly, Jujuy, Argentina

2011-02-04T17:27:00.000-05:00

This photo was taken in June 2009 during a visit to the north of Argentina, in the province of Jujuy (pronounced hoo-hooey). It's a fairly arid area but there are also lovely garden spots filled with flowering trees, bushes, and of course, monarch butterflies.

San Martín de Los Andes, Argentina, Part 1

2011-01-31T11:47:00.001-05:00

The view of Lago Lácar (Lacar Lake) from our excursion boat in San Martin de los Andes

The next day, we decided to explore everyone's favorite town of San Martín de los Andes, so we walked down to the bus terminal to ask about times and fares. It turned out that San Martín was only about 45 minutes away and cost 7 pesos (about US$1.50) on local buses that ran all day and most of the evening. We took the next bus and arrived in just under an hour in the lovely Alpine-themed, albeit touristy, town. The bus terminal is just steps away from the lake dock and boat basin so we started our tour there. San Martín is an easy place to explore: compact, safe, clean, modern and well-maintained. The wind off the lake was blowing at gale-force speed that day though, so we were forced to cut our lakefront visit short and head to the center of town.

Sim at a town park in San Martin

San Martín is a popular destination for Argentines and Chileans (it is only 45 km or about 27 miles from the Chilean border at the foot of the Andes). In the winter, it attracts skiers and snowboarders to the famous ski resort of Chapelco and in the summer, hikers, golfers and boaters flock to the area for the breathtaking mountain scenery, crystal blue lakes, secluded beaches and mild weather. The town is charming and filled with Swiss and German style tea and coffee houses, chocolate shops and bakeries. We wandered through the orderly streets, stopping to admire the hundreds of scented rose bushes and flower gardens. The central plaza and various parks are also all well-kept: the fountains, paths, gazebos, monuments and play areas were all spotless in the true Swiss-German tradition (the first time I have ever seen the buildings and statues of a South American town not covered in graffiti).

Luis taking a break from hiking at a remote waterfall at Quila Quina on Lago Lácar

Everyone told us not to miss taking a boat excursion, so we signed up for the full-day boat trip that travels around the lakes of the Lanin National Park, Lago Lacar and Lago Nonthue on Sundays, stopping at various spots to hike and to visit waterfalls, beaches, scenic overlooks and to have lunch. We arrived early in the morning to stop at a cafe for Swiss hot chocolate (gotta have our sugar-fueled strength!) and then boarded the boat. The weather was perfect for a boat trip: sunny and much less windy than it had been on our first day. The boat traveled around the two lakes, stopping first at Quila Quina, a small, peaceful lakeside community with a beautiful beach, waterfalls and hiking trails. Many people were already in the water, swimming, jet-skiing, canoeing and kayaking, so we decided to hike up to the small waterfall. The trail wasn't very steep and it was an easy hike up. We were the only ones not at the beach, so we had the trail all to ourselves which provided much-needed solitude in our long travels.

Kayakers on Lago Lacar near the beach at Quila Quina

BlogCatalog

Junín de Los Andes, Argentina, Part 1

2011-01-20T13:25:00.001-05:00

Our rose-filled campground, Junin de los Andes, Argentina

After leaving the lovely, but torturously hot town of Sierra de la Ventana, we decided it was time to move to a fresher clime. We’d wanted to visit the mountain town of San Martin de los Andes for some time; our friends raved about its Alpine (or more accurately, Andean) beauty and the wide range of outdoor activities available. It seemed to be the perfect place to cool down, but after talking to other travelers and locals, the neighboring town of Junín de los Andes sounded like a much better choice: cheaper, less touristy, more laid-back and situated only 45 minutes away from San Martin by local bus. We arrived in Junín in the early afternoon and walked directly to the tourist office. The staff gave us lots of great information, including local hiking trails, Wi-Fi locations, good places to eat, and a list of budget hostels and after leaving our backpacks and camping gear with them, we headed out to find a place to stay. Most of the hostels were relatively expensive and were unappealing (dark rooms or smelling strongly of cleaning fluids or mildew), so we decided to check out the campsites.

Fly fishing in the many icy, trout-filled rivers of Junin

We found a wonderful, tranquil campground called Alberque Mallin Beata Laura Vicuna, a peaceful place filled with rose bushes and tall poplars waving in the breeze and bordered on both sides by trout-filled rivers. The manager, Dulio, a friendly, helpful man, showed us around the grounds and we decided that sleeping under the stars with the sound of the wind in the trees and the rushing mountain rivers and breathing rose-scented air beat the hostels hands down (and at US$6 a night per person, the campsite was the deal of the century). We settled in with our tent in a cozy grove of trees on soft grass and set out to explore the town. Junín de los Andes is famous for its trout fly-fishing, and fishing supply stores, fly-tying workshops and restaurants serving fresh trout dinners are on every corner. In season, the fast-flowing icy rivers are filled with fly-fisherman (and for that matter, fisherwomen and fisherchildren) in waders casting for the many trout who brave the frigid waters. Being Argentine, they will inevitably also have a cigarette hanging from their lips and their yerba mate thermos close at hand on the nearby river bank. The area also attracts many foreign tourists including Americans, Canadians, Chileans, Germans, Dutch and Australians among others who flock to the area not only for the excellent fishing, but to hike up the volcanoes, kayak, sail, river raft and sample local game at the many restaurants (most menus include deer, trout, salmon, rabbit and wild boar).

In front of the decorated monkey puzzle tree, Christmas Eve

We arrived on December 22nd, just in time for Christmas and the town was festively decorated for the season. In the main square stood a charming Monkey Puzzle tree decorated with colored lights, ornaments, bows and foil-wrapped gift boxes. At that time of year, it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere, so even though we were in the Andes, the weather was pleasantly warm and sunny. Behind white picket fences were cottage gardens overflowing with bright red and yellow poppies, daisies, pastel-colored scented roses, lupines in shades of blue, violet and pink, poplar and pine trees. We had a dinner of trout at a local popular restaurant, Ruca Hueney, but found the food ordinary and the service disappointing. Luckily, the next night we found a smaller, but much better place called Sigmund’s on the outskirts of the town. Our friendly waitress, Cynthia, brought us a delicious wood-fired pizza topped on one half with smoked deer jerky and on the other with smoked trout (and of course, washed down with several cold amber Austral artisanal beers).

Delicious smoked trout and deer pizza at Sigmund's Restaurant

Local people kept advising us to visit Via Christi, a kind of sculpture park/hiking trail that commemorates the journey of Christ to the cross. Not being the most spiritual person on earth, I balked at the idea, imaging a miniature version of a religious theme park, but Luis wanted to visit it so I relented and was pleasantly surprised. The trail is situated in lovely pine woods high above the town and filled with a mix of modern and original sculptures, Aboriginal art and Gaudi-style cut tile structures. The larger-than-life pieces of art depict world peace, religious, cultural tolerance and non-violence.

A sculputure celebrating the union of the world's religions, Via Christi

Ten Essential Items to Always Keep in Your Daypack or Carry On

2010-12-29T10:43:00.002-05:00

Fully-stocked backpack waiting for the bus in Patagonia, Argentina (photo by Simone Cannon)

At times, as exciting and life-changing as travel is, it can also be a bit of a challenge, especially in the developing world. Having things close at hand on a long trip can make your traveling life a little easier and even possibly help to avoid a disaster. Here are a few things that I keep stocked in my daypack or carry-on at all times:

1) Toilet paper: few countries outside North America or Western Europe regularly stock public bathrooms with toilet paper and when camping and hiking in remote areas it is almost never available. Keep two rolls of toilet paper in a Ziploc or other waterproof bag with you always; you’ll be glad you did. This is one item you don’t want to get caught without in emergencies (see below).

2) Diarrhea medicine: this malady always seems to strike in the second hour of an 18 hour cross-country trip on a bus with no working bathrooms. It’s comforting to know that diarrhea medicine is close at hand and not stuck in a pocket of your full-size backpack on the roof of the bus. At the very least, a tablet or two can get you to your next stop and a visit to the doctor or pharmacy.

3) Wet wipes: towelettes in a resealable plastic packet are useful for so many things: cleaning face and hands, sanitizing phones or remote controls in hotel rooms, wiping up messes, cleaning cuts and blisters or removing stains from clothing. They can also be very refreshing during long, hot trips when a shower is hours away.

Early morning on the bus from Junin de los Andes, Argentina (photo by Luis Bastardo)

4) Something entertaining: a book, a crossword puzzle and pen, Sudoku, an Ipod or an Iphone; anything that will help pass the time between flights or buses or on long trips. Much of travel involves long, often unexpected, periods of waiting and it’s nice to have something to pass the time.

5) Toothbrush and toothpaste: if your luggage goes astray or you are at the end of a long trip, you will at least be able to have clean teeth and fresh breath.

6) A flashlight: indispensable for convenience, reading and personal safety on airplanes, overnight bus and train trips, campsites, dark trails, unlit city streets and hotels with unreliable electricity.

7) Band-Aids: nothing is worse than being stuck on a hike with a blister or two and nothing to help alleviate the discomfort. These are great to have on hand for blisters and cuts, but can also be used to repair small holes in your daypack or Ziploc bags or to help secure small items.

On the way to the campsite, Junin de Los Andes, Argentina (photo by Luis Bastardo)

8) Socks and a sweater: long distance buses, especially in tropical countries like Venezuela, tend to crank up the air-conditioning to below-freezing temperatures. Having an extra sweater, socks, a cozy scarf or hat can be the difference between an enjoyable and an intolerable trip.

9) Snacks and a bottle of water: take something like a bag of pretzels, dried fruit, peanuts, trail mix or crackers for those times when restaurants are closed or food is scarce. Having a little something to eat can carry you to the next real meal.

10) Notepad and pen: to record travel impressions, write down hotel recommendations or email addresses of fellow travelers, bus schedules or directions.

Sierra de la Ventana, Argentina Travel Journal

2010-12-19T09:27:00.000-05:00

The natural window at the top of Cerro de la Ventana, Argentina (photo by Luis Bastardo)

This month, Luis and I are hiking and camping our way through Patagonia so that we can meet up with our friends from New York in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. We have a very loose plan (read: we have no idea what our route will be), but are generally heading south so that we arrive in Chile at the agreed upon date of Jan. 5th. Since we had already traveled down the coast of Argentina a couple of years ago, stopping in places like Puerto Madryn to visit the stunning Peninsula Valdes (aka Poor Man’s Galapagos), we decided to travel inland this time. We arrived first at the tranquil town of Sierra de la Ventana, known for its artisans, laid back atmosphere and its beautiful green spaces, including the provincial park, Parque Provincial Ernesto Tornquist, home to a small mountain/large hill with a natural “window” or hole at the summit. We were planning on staying with someone local that we found on the CouchSurfing website, but unfortunately he cancelled at the last possible moment and, after an overnight bus trip from Buenos Aires, we found ourselves stranded in the town at 6am without a place to stay. No worries, though, tent in hand, we strode over to the nearest campsite, El Camping Paraiso run by a friendly couple name Joseluis and his wife, Mabel.

Sim and Luis taking a rest at the midway point of the climb

A pleasant, clean and quiet place, the campground has room for tents but also has private cabins and shared clean bathrooms with hot showers…perfect! The price for camping was $10 for two people per night and the cabins were $16. As we were setting up the tent, Luis suddenly stopped, looked at me and said ”Are we crazy for sleeping on the ground when, for $6 more, we could have a private cabin with a nice soft bed?” I replied “Yes, we are.” And so we promptly took down the tent and moved into a warm, cozy cabin. When we were settled, we explored the town. It’s fairly small, but has plenty of restaurants, shops, cultural events, a municipal pool open to tourists and nature spots nearby to explore. Local residents are extremely friendly and helpful and we were invited to several parties, cultural events and art expositions in the first few hours of our arrival. The next day, one of the business owners gave us a ride to the provincial park so that we could hike up the Cerro de la Ventana (“hill of the window”) to see the natural hole carved in the mountain by water and wind erosion.

A family of wild horses traverses the hillside (photo by Luis Bastardo)

We started at 10:30am and hiked until 6:30pm, but it was a tough hike. The mountain is steep, very rocky and filled with tree roots and the trails are not clear, although the signage is generally good. Our feet and legs were aching because of the constant impact of the hard surfaces (there is only a short part of the trail that is on soft earth) but the view from the top was fantastic. The natural hole channels and concentrates the wind, so we had to hold onto the rocks to keep from being blown over by the force of the winds. As we were descending, families of guanacos (a smaller, caramel-colored cousin of the llama) and wild horses, foals in tow, passed above and below us on the rocky precipices, while groups of screeching red hawks flew overhead. The wildflowers were colorful and abundant, in shades of bright yellow, pink, violet and flaming, almost glowing red. In the late afternoon, the colors of the surrounding hills and fields deepened into tones of deep blue, grey, gold and green and we could see clearly for miles around us. We finally descended into forests of pine, eucalyptus and jasmine, slumping on to the grass tired and aching, but surrounded by an incredible mix of natural perfumes under the shade of the tall pines. It was worth every blister!

Guanacos on a rocky ledge, Cerro de la Ventana, Argentina (photo by Luis Bastardo)

Great Gifts for Travelers (or Would-Be Travelers)

2010-12-12T12:26:00.002-05:00

Christmas ornament from the Washington Monument, Washington D.C. (photo by Simone Cannon)

There are lots of lists of gift ideas for the travelers in your life, but what to buy for the vast number of armchair travelers that you know and love (perhaps yourself included)? They are those many friends and family members who aspire to travel but just can't make the leap. They have the soul of a traveler but just need an extra push to get out there and see the world. Maybe all they need is a little spark of inspiration and you can be the one to provide it. The end-of-the-year holidays are a wonderful time to take stock and make resolutions for the new year. Here are some great gift ideas to help your loved ones add "Travel More" to their list of New Year's resolutions:

1) Travel Books: there are so many possibilities in this category, from travel guides to travel journals to glossy coffee table books filled with gorgeous, colorful photos. All are sure to inspire, but here are a few of my favorites:

1001 Natural Wonders You Must See Before You Die: UNESCO Edition by Michael Bright
anything by Bill Bryson, Paul Theroux or for those closeted Indiana Joneses, Tim Cahill
Traveler's Tales Series: highly entertaining series of travel journals by a variety of often award-winning writers. At times funny, sad, profound, surprising but always fascinating takes on world travel. Best Travel Writing, Wild with Child (outdoor adventure traveling with children), 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go, Not So Funny When it Happened and How to Eat Around the World are just a few of many available titles.
For the potential adventurer, wrap up a copy of a big, glossy photo book for visual inspiration: Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 of the World's Greatest Trips by National Geographic; The Rough Guide to Ultimate Adventures; or Where To Go When (Eyewitness Travel Guides) .

A wonderful gift for prospective travelers (photo courtesy of Amazon.com)

2) Language CDs or Classes: perhaps a fear of having to communicate in a foreign language is holding back a potential world traveler. Berlitz and Rosetta Stone make excellent language CDs and DVDs, but you can also buy less expensive versions in almost every new and used bookstore or online. If your loved one is more of a face-to-face learner, consider buying a series of group or private language classes. The most popular, useful and easiest-to-tackle beginning languages for English speakers are generally Spanish, French, Japanese or Italian.

3) Travel Gift Cards or Certificates: Orbitz, American Express, most airlines, cruise lines, spas and hotels offer gift certificates in denominations as small as US$25.

Paper prayer knots, Gokoku-ji Temple, Tokyo, Japan (photo by Simone Cannon)

4) Travel Documentary DVDs: Globetrekker, National Geographic, the Travel Channel and PBS all offer excellent and informative travel DVDs of their regular TV series or specific destinations or themes.

5) Movies: Roman Holiday; Out of Africa; Eat, Pray, Love; Seven Years in Tibet; The Motorcycle Diaries; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; City of God; The English Patient; Lost in Translation; Under the Tuscan Sun; Into the Wild; French Kiss; Shirley Valentine; Vicky Cristina Barcelona; Romancing the Stone; Thelma and Louise; The Talented Mr. Ripley; any Indiana Jones or Lara Croft movie...the list of inspirational travel movies is endless. Everyone loves movies and there are hundreds of DVDs available to inspire travel in general or a visit to a particular dreamed-of place in the world.

6) Exotic Souvenirs: bring back holiday gifts from your next trip or visit local import shops for unique items such as Tibetan singing bowls, colorful Peruvian blankets or bags, Japanese origami ornaments, Murano glass, Finnish modern vases or terracotta pottery from Mexico...all will be appreciated and treasured and may even inspire a little globe-trotting.

What's your idea of the perfect travel gift? We'd love to hear from you!

Shopping for Peruvian handmade textiles, Colca Canyon, Peru (photo by Luis Bastardo)

How to Sleep Very Cheaply When Traveling

2010-12-07T13:14:00.002-05:00

Manly Beach, Sydney, Australia (photo by Simone Cannon)

Traveling costs can add up quickly, especially when moving from one exotic place to another. Traveling extensively is exciting and interesting, but can increase your transportation and lodging costs exponentially if you're not careful. One way to cut expenses is to use cheaper lodging alternatives such as hostels, homestays or camp sites. There are so many interesting ways to spend the night (but that's another blog...) and to save money that the choices are almost endless. If you are flexible and open to new experiences, you will find a much wider array of sleeping options available to you. Here are a few suggestions that you may already know and some that you might not have thought of:

Beach side at dusk, Koh Samui, Thailand (photo by Simone Cannon)

1) Hostels: the most popular budget option by far, hostels will generally run about US$18-$20 a bed per night in a dorm or a spot at a hostel campsite. Private ensuite rooms or smaller 2-4 bed dorms with shared bathrooms are also widely available at hostels but are more expensive. Hostels vary in quality, location, cleanliness and noise level, so it's best to book through a trusted website with a ratings system like Hosteling International or Hostels.com. Pick hostels near the top of the rating scale, but keep in mind that many rating systems include a category called "fun" which generally translates to "noise" and "late-night parties", so you may want to exclude that category if you are looking for a tranquil place to stay. Most hostels are geared toward younger travelers, although all ages are welcome, and they often host BBQs, Meet and Greet events and can organize tours and excursions. Hostels are an especially helpful option in more expensive countries like Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the countries of Scandinavia, as the hostels in those countries tend to be very well-maintained and clean and often include amenities such as clean swimming pools, breakfast buffets, wi-fi, free internet and group rates.

Colorful flags flutter on a boat dock, Ubud, Bali (photo by Simone Cannon)

2) Couch Surfing: nothing is cheaper than free and the idea of crashing on other people's couches has been around for years, but has recently become organized (and much safer) thanks to social networking sites like Facebook, Thorn Tree and CouchSurfing, a website dedicated to organizing the couch-surfing community and currently hosting 2,377,653 registered members. The idea is to sleep on someone's couch or spare bed in exchange for other members using yours (although CouchSurfing staffers emphasize that this is not obligatory; you are under no pressure to let someone stay with you if you're not comfortable with the person asking for accommodation). The site stresses security by recording all written communication, encouraging feedback and providing a ratings system. CouchSurfing.org operates in 245 countries and territories around the world and almost 80,000 cities, so the options are numerous and varied. If you are planning on visiting a city, just search the database for available couches and contact the member via the site. Although it's a great way to get to know new people and to learn about (and share) local culture, you can also just meet someone for a cup of coffee or a meal if you are not comfortable staying with someone else or hosting someone in your home.

Waiting for the Astronomical Clock to strike, Prague, The Czech Republic (photo by Simone Cannon)

3) Colleges, Universities and Convents: most college campuses around the world become deserted once classes wrap up, yet the university properties still need to be maintained, so many administrations opt to rent out their dorms to travelers during unoccupied months to offset their costs. Convents and monasteries similarly find that they often have to burden the expense of unused living quarters and often offer services such as lodging and meals. Be aware, though, that most of these places have strict noise, behavior and cleanliness rules and curfews so they may not be the best option if your travel goals include partying with other travelers, but for a clean, quiet place to stay that is generally located on picturesque grounds, this is a great choice. Ask at your local university campus for information and directories or contact universities in the city in which you are traveling. Keep in mind that university accommodations are usually only available during school holidays. In London, for example, institutions such as Imperial College and The London School of Economics open their dorms up to travelers during winter, spring and summer breaks. For available convent, abbey and monastery lodgings and prices, check websites such as Good Night and God Bless or 5star Accommodation.

A row of vintage cars, Havana, Cuba (photo by Simone Cannon)

4) Homestays: in many regions, particularly economically recessed areas, homestays are an excellent budget choice. Owners hoping to make some extra money open up their private residences to travelers, usually providing a private room and bathroom (although occasionally shared), full breakfast, travel information, transportation and the chance to stay with locals. Depending on the country, these can be extremely cheap places to stay and the owners will often negotiate with travelers. I once stayed in Tonga for four days for a total cost of US$24, including four nights accommodation, four breakfasts, laundry service and a day tour of the island in a private jeep. Closed and cash-strapped countries like Cuba offer lodging in casas particulares (private houses) to tourists. The owners often speak some English, but have little exposure to the outside world and are therefore fascinated by travelers of all kinds. On my first night in Havana, the owner invited the entire extended family over to dinner to meet me (and Latino family sizes are nothing to shake a stick at). For a total cultural immersion and one-of-a-kind experience, homestays can't be topped. Contact websites such as Homestay Agencies or ask at airport, train or bus station terminal tourist information booths when you arrive.

Can you suggest lodging ideas that are even cheaper? Please let us know...you could be part of the next lodging blog post!

Road meets ocean, Nuku'alofa, Kingdom of Tonga (photo by Simone Cannon)

Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens and Staten Island: Ten Reasons to Visit The Other New York City

2010-12-02T15:49:00.005-05:00

The Mets Citi Field Stadium, Flushing Meadows, Queens (photo courtesy of http://www.wootickets.com/)

New York is and will always be my favorite city in the world. It has everything: theater, restaurants, fashion, sports, green spaces, business, interesting people, impressive architecture, great public transportation and a vibrant buzz. And I'm not even talking about Manhattan. There is much more to NYC than first meets the tourist eye. Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island and Queens are the overlooked jewels in the crown of New York City. Most tourists are only vaguely aware of the Outer Boroughs (and come to think of it, the same is true for many Manhattanites), but the boroughs are treasure troves of culture, history, excellent food and interesting people. Once you’ve hit the major tourist sites of Manhattan, hop the subway to the rest of New York City…you will be pleasantly surprised. Here’s a short list to get you started:

Summer rose in bloom, Brooklyn Botanic Gardens (photo by Simone Cannon)

1) Brooklyn Museum/Brooklyn Botanic Gardens: less crowded than Manhattan's Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Brooklyn Museum is the place to go for a relaxing day of art. Take the 2 or 3 subway line to the Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn Museum stop and stroll through the galleries before visiting the nearby Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. The gorgeous museum features extensive collections in various styles from all over the world including Asia, Africa, America and Europe as well as Islamic and Modern Art. The stunning botanical gardens change with the seasons and are within walking distance of the museum, so you can make a day of viewing world-class art in the morning and the art of nature in the gardens in the afternoon (or vice versa, depending on the weather).

2) Queens’ Ethnic Restaurants: die-hard foodies already know that Queens is one of the culinary meccas of New York. Some of the best food in the city can be found in the distinct ethnic neighborhoods of Queens: Greek, Indian, Italian, Russian, Armenian, Turkish, Korean, Japanese, Venezuelan, Brazilian, Jamaican and Chinese restaurants are just the tip of the iceberg. For the best experience, travel around the world: eat your appetizer in one “country”, your main course in another and go for dessert in a third. The pleasant bonus of this eater's paradise is that the food is generally much less expensive and the atmosphere is more casual than in Manhattan.

A park visitor takes a break on a trail bridge, Greenbelt Park, Staten Island (photo courtesy of http://www.sigreenbelt.org/)

3) Staten Island Parks: take the Staten Island Ferry in the late morning, after the morning crush of commuters has left Whitehall Street Station, and cruise to Staten Island for a day of wilderness hiking. Although just a few minutes from Manhattan by boat, Staten Island is probably the least explored of all the boroughs, yet it is filled with some of the most beautiful green spaces in New York. When you arrive at the port, head for parks such as the Greenbelt, at 2,500 acres, Staten Island's largest park or Wolfe's Pond Park, a 170 acre park with 20 acres reserved for swimming, boating or fishing. Walk the trails, observe the wildlife (e.g. blue herons, purple martins, squirrels), people watch, breathe the air and unwind.

4) The New York Transit Museum, Brooklyn: even if you’re not a fan of public transportation per se, this well-organized and interesting museum is worth a visit for insight into the history of NYC. Another good choice if you are traveling with kids, the museum maintains a fleet of subway cars from past eras which you can explore, as well as collections of old tokens and other memorabilia, exhibits on the construction of the extensive Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) system and even has facilities for hosting birthday parties. The museum store features unique NYC souvenirs such as subway token jewelery, MTA Christmas ornaments and silk scarves imprinted with the MTA subway map. Check the directions and hours on the MTA website; which subway you take will depend on where you start out.

A baby lemur clings to his mom, Bronx Zoo (photo courtesy of http://www.mammalz.com/)

5) The Bronx Zoo: This popular and wonderfully maintained zoo is just a subway ride away and a relaxing way to spend a day, especially if you are traveling with kids. The animals roam freely in large, landscaped enclosures and the zoo offers numerous educational programs for both children and adults. Exhibits include the Congo Gorilla Forest, The Wild Asia Monorail, Tiger Mountain and the newst exhibit, Madagascar! From Manhattan, take the 2 or 5 train to East Tremont Ave/West Farms Square stop and look straight ahead for signs to the zoo (or just follow the crowds).

6) Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn: if you’re a history buff or a dead celebrity watcher, the Green-Wood Cemetery is the happenin’ place to be. Built in 1838, the beautifully landscaped cemetery is still functioning and is the final home of over 600,000 souls including such diverse residents as artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, composer Leonard Bernstein, mobster Joey Gallo, birth control advocate Margaret Sanger and William Marcy "Boss" Tweed, the infamous and corrupt New York political leader. Guided tours are available and highly recommended as the knowledgeable guides provide history and fascinating stories which will greatly enhance your visit. Take the R train to 25th Street Station and walk east one block.

Movie goers at the Brooklyn Bridge Park (photo courtesy of Julienne Schaer/ http://www.brooklynbridgepark.org/)

7) Brooklyn Bridge Park's Movies With a View: every summer, the Brooklyn Bridge Park and SyFy host outdoor movies at Pier 1 in the Brooklyn neighborhood of DUMBO. Film goers bring blankets and picnics, and sit on the large expanse of grass, watching movies and gazing at the jeweled night skyline of Manhattan. Last years movies included Annie Hall, The Big Lebowski, Rear Window, Brokeback Mountain, Dreamgirls, Blues Brothers, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. What better way to spend a summer night?

8) Citi Field Tours: baseball fans flock to the new Mets stadium, Citi Field, in Flushing Meadows, Queens, not just for the games, but for the well-guided tours. The one-hour tours are $10 a person (discounted group rates are also available) and include such highlights as the Clubhouse, Field and Dugout, Productions Area (scoreboard control room), Press Box, Suite Levels (Sterling and Empire) and the Mets Hall of Fame and Museum. The tours are very popular so it's best to call ahead or reserve tickets online. Construction of the new stadium was completed in 2009 and replaced the aging Shea Stadium. The new stadium is also used as a concert venue, with Paul McCartney and Dave Matthews performing in 2009 and 2010. Take the 7 train to the Mets–Willets Point station.

A green on Van Cortlandt Golf Course, The Bronx (photo courtesy of http://www.golfinnyc.com/)

9) Van Cortlandt Golf Course, The Bronx: if you thought that NYC was the last place that you'd find a lush golf course, think again. There are several courses of varying size in the outer boroughs, but golf history buffs will want to take a trip to Van Cortlandt. Known as "Vanny" by locals, the Van Cortlandt Golf Course is the oldest course in the US. Constructed in 1895, it sits in the North Bronx, close to Yonkers and is the most easily accessible golf course by subway (take the 1 train directly from Manhattan; the stop is just a few blocks away from the course). After a recent four million dollar renovation, the course features seven new greens, additional cart paths and upgraded bunkers. Past golfers have included Babe Ruth, Sidney Poitier and Willie Mays. Take No. 1 or 9 trains to 242d St.

10) Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island: at the entrance to New York Harbor, on Staten Island, lies one of the oldest and most important military sites in US history. Built in 1663, it was the longest continually manned fort until 1994. Now managed by the National Park Service, park rangers give regular tours of the fort and surrounding area, including the old catacomb-like passageways, Battery Weed and some of the most panoramic views in the city. An excellent and interesting choice for military or history buffs, but worth the trip just for the incredible vistas of New York Harbor and the New York City skyline.

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The American Museum of Natural History: New York Travel Tips

2010-11-27T12:16:00.002-05:00

Luis and his Easter Island friend, The American Museum of Natural History, New York (photo by Simone Cannon)

New York is the home to hundreds of interesting museums; it would be impossible to explore all of them, but there are several that you definitely don't want to miss. The American Museum of Natural History is one of them. For fans of the Ben Stiller movie, Night at the Museum, the museum is a must-see. It houses a collection of over 32 million specimens: fossils, minerals and gems (including the 2 billion year old, 563 carat Star of India star sapphire, the largest in the world), ocean life, dioramas depicting human and animal evolution and biology, anthropology and constantly rotating temporary exhibitions. Add to that, the adjoining 120-foot-high, 333,500-square-foot area of the Rose Center for Earth and Space with the amazing Hayden Planetarium Space Shows and it's breathtaking galleries that explore the galaxies, stars and planets of the universe, an IMAX Theater, an annual butterfly conservatory with over 500 live butterflies and a real time butterfly webcam, and one of the most extensive dinosaur exhibits in the world, and you have an excellent way to spend a day in New York. Kids understandably love the museum and planetarium, but adults of all ages are often also happily surprised at how visitor-friendly, interesting and interactive it is.

At the Rose Center for Earth and Space, I find out my weight on the moon: less than 20 lbs...I'm definitely moving there (photo by Luis Bastardo)

The museum, located across from Central Park West at 79th street, was founded in 1869, and receives almost 4 million visitors annually from around the world. The museum is hard to miss: the traditional Victorian brick museum stands next to the ultra-modern Hayden Planetarium which is housed in a gigantic glass cube and is lit up by blue floodlights at night.The original collection was mostly amassed through the finds of world explorers' expeditions such as The Brewster-Sanford Expedition (contributing the collection of seabirds) and the Whitney South Seas Expedition (which brought back to the museum biological artifacts from the Southwest Pacific zone). The taxidermied land animals, marine life and birds were arranged in "dioramas", scenes frozen in time depicting their lives and natural surroundings. In the early 20th century, before the current ecological sensitivity existed, these dioramas were on the cutting edge of museum exhibits. The dioramas stand today behind large plate glass windows and are still hugely popular.

The Giant Blue Whale exhibit, The Milstein Hall of Ocean Life (photo by Simone Cannon)

The museum is also a mecca for dinosaur fans, with two large dinosaur halls filled with reconstructed skeletons. According to the museum's website, it is home to "the world's largest collection of vertebrate fossils, totaling nearly one million specimens. More than 600 of these specimens, nearly 85 percent of which are real fossils as opposed to casts, are on view." The fossil collection occupies a whole floor of the museum but still represents only a tiny percentage of the museum's complete fossil and bone collection. The collection even includes an 80 million year old fossil of an ammonite, a nautilus shaped sea animal that became extinct 65 million years ago.

One of hundreds of reconstructed dinosaur skeletons (photo by Luis Bastardo)

When you have had enough of animals and anthropology, head over to the space center for a look at the vast universe. Most of the exhibits in the space center are hands-on and encourage interaction. The Space Show in the Hayden Planetarium is currently running "Journey to the Stars" a trip through the cosmos narrated by Whoopi Goldberg. The shows run several times a day, but are very popular, so it's a good idea to buy your ticket when you first arrive, explore parts of the museum, then return to the planetarium 15 minutes before your show is scheduled to start. After the show, you can continue to explore the space center or return to the main museum building. If you decided to see only one museum during your visit to New York, make it this one; you won't be disappointed.

Things To Do
New York City

Six Easy Ways to Survive TSA Security Checks and Full-Body Scanners

2010-11-24T15:16:00.001-05:00

An airport security sign indicating that either a robbery or a full body scan is imminent... (photo courtesy of http://www.allvoices.com/)

In the midst of the latest TSA scandal, the dreaded full body scan, several websites and blogs have recently posted the following question: Which would you prefer, a full body scan or shoe removal when passing through airport security? For me, it's a no-brainer; I prefer the full body scan hands down (no pun intended). Nothing drives me more insane than the rite of shoe removal when passing through US airport security. It's annoying, inane and pointless. I mean, really, over 8 million passengers have had to go through this ridiculous hassle because one guy once (ONE guy! Once!) tried to conspicuously blow up an airplane with the sole of his shoe? Seriously? Can you imagine if security officials reacted this way to every one-time incident? Let's say that some guy tried to smuggle some TNT onto a plane by hiding it beneath his long, wavy hair. Would we then all have to go through a thorough hair inspection and mandatory haircuts before entering the boarding area?

It could be worse: Bolivian transportation security force near Uyuni, Bolivia (photo by Simone Cannon)

I have never gone through the shoe inspection smoothly. This is in part because I insist on wearing my lace-up hiking boots since they are usually too dirty, heavy and bulky to pack in my regular luggage. This leads to a precarious dance of hopping around on one foot trying to undo the three yards of laces securing my boots to my feet, while simultaneously grasping my passport and boarding passes between my teeth, juggling my jacket, scarf, hat, laptop, carry-on bag and small neck pouch in my arms, all while trying not to lose my balance and make a complete fool of myself. At the other end of the security area, it's the dance in reverse. Give me the full body, all-is-revealed body scanner anytime. I seriously doubt that the sight of my body will send security agents into any kind frenzy, good or bad. Anyway, I suspect that the most negatively affected by all this will be the security agents. After several months of having to look at grainy black and white images of 1,000 flabby, naked bodies a day, the poor agents will be in need of some serious therapy. Most of them will probably never be able to have sex again, poor sods. Anyway, for everyone's sanity, the best thing is to stay calm, get it over quickly and board your plane. Here are a few tips to help things go smoothly.

Trendy, but probably excessive for passing through the TSA inspection quickly (photo courtesy of http://www.theglamourai.com/)

1) Carry as little as possible in as few bags as possible. The less you have to juggle, the better. This is not only good for you, but your fellow passengers. Remember the time that you got stuck behind the mother with two small kids and a baby and their collective belongings?

2) Wear slip-on shoes: learn from my example and wear loafers, slides, anything that you can push off one foot with the other foot or otherwise remove and put back on quickly.

3) Avoid carrying or wearing anything that will flag security: watches with metal bands, excessive jewelery, large belt buckles, purses with chain straps, excessive piercings, sunglasses with metallic rims, lighters, large bottles of liquids, tweezers: all of these cause delays and annoyance (to you, security and to the people behind you waiting to go through the metal detector).

Staying, calm, cool and collected gets everyone through security more quickly (photo courtesy of http://www.christyclark.ca/)

4) Timing is everything. Arrive early so that you have plenty of time and are not stressed about missing your flight. Try to schedule your flight in the early morning, late at night or on the day of a holiday to avoid long lines and crowds (the airport is deserted on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, for example).

5) Try to pick the line with the business travelers. Avoid the line with the once-a-year travelers, large families or obvious tourists. Stick with the "been there, done that" crowd; the line will move much more efficiently.

6) Stay calm: it's just a few minutes out of your life and soon you can board your plane and be on your way. The worst thing that you can do is stress out; you will make yourself and everyone else miserable. Let it go.

Let us know about your experiences going through airport security. We'd love to hear them!

Native North American Harvest Feasts

2010-11-23T14:02:00.002-05:00

A traditional Native American harvest festival dish, succotash (photo courtesy of http://www.bonappetit.com/)

Often when celebrating Thanksgiving in the US and Canada, we forget that it was not the first holiday of its kind in the Americas, far from it. Anthropologists believe that similar harvest festivals in the Americas existed for more than 12,000 years before Europeans arrived on the scene. Throughout North, Central and South America, various indigenous tribes could (and still do) party with the best of them, celebrating not only the end of the months of grueling agricultural labor, but also the bounties that were reaped and could be stored away for the winter months. Corn, squash and beans, the holy trinity of crops known as The Three Sisters, are the center of most feasts. Native American/First Nation festivals such as the Green Corn Festival, Cheno i-equa and Nowatequa occur during the full moon (usually the August or September full or "harvest" moon) and mark when the corn or other crop is ready to be harvested. These holidays are still widely celebrated in Native American communities, not only to show respect for and to preserve ancestral heritage, but to express gratitude for family, friends and good fortune throughout the year. November is American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month and the perfect time to highlight the original harvest festivals and thanksgivings of North America.

Dancer at the Green Corn Festival, Piscataway Conoy Tribe, Maryland, USA (photo courtesy of http://www.piscatawayconoy.com/)

Green Corn Festival: celebrated by many tribes including the Creek, Cherokee, Seminole, Yuchi, Piscataway, Natchez and Iroquois, the Green Corn Festival is held during a full moon in the late summer or early fall when the corn crop has ripened and is ready to be harvested. Although it sounds counter-intuitive, "Green Corn" refers to ripe or sweet corn. The holiday is also a time of cleansing and forgiveness, beginning with a period of fasting and cleaning known as Busk. After the cleansing period is finished and the harvest is in, the feasting can begin. Traditional dishes served are succotash (a mixture of corn, squash and beans), boiled or fried corn bread, sweet potatoes, corn soup and chicken with corn.

Nowatequa: also known as the Harvest Festival, is celebrated by the Cherokee and is held in October. This festival also begins with a fasting period, normally up to seven days, and focuses on giving thanks to Unethlana, the apportioner. The full moon, known as Duninudi, is represented by Kana'ti "The Lucky Hunter", a helper of Unethlana. Traditional Cherokee foods include ramps (wild leeks), bean bread, chestnut bread, wild greens, fry bread (originally fried in bear, beaver or groundhog fat and topped with wild honey) and roasted corn.

Cherokee Fry Bread (photo courtesy of http://www.bakespace.com/)

Ochpaniztli: in Mexico, the Aztecs celebrated a harvest festival known as Ochpaniztli, or Sweeping of the Roads, representing a time of cleaning and rebirth. It was celebrated in the 11th month of the Aztec calendar known as the Xiuhpohualli (roughly the first three weeks of September) and marked the beginning of the corn harvest. This was a very female-centered celebration: women conducted the opening ceremonies, engaged in mock battles, and the goddesses, Teteo Innan the Mother Goddess and Toci, the Grandmother, were honored. The festival did have its dark side, involving human sacrifice, flaying, wearing of human skins and mock warfare, but death to the Aztecs was not a morbid affair; it simply represented one part of the continuous cycle of the universe: birth, life, death and rebirth, so was thought to be joyous and a necessary part of the celebration and thanksgiving. Festivals goers could partake of parched maize kernels, tortillas, beans and squash, but also fish and shellfish such as crab and freshwater fish and 30 different types of birds, including duck, pheasant, partridge, turkey and geese. The Aztec farming system was sophisticated and complex, involving irrigation canals, dams, aqueducts and gates. The Aztec also widely cultivated experimental and personal gardens, producing a wide variety of exotic produce and herbs.

A typical Aztec farming system incorporating chinampas, small rectangular floating plots of land (image courtesy of http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/aztec-society.html)

How to Get Up Close and Personal with Animals When Traveling

2010-11-22T04:00:00.004-05:00

One of the wild pig population of Big Major Spot Island, Bahamas (photo courtesy of http://curiousanimals.net/)

Had enough of the tired, old "swimming with the dolphins" routine? Can't deal with one more ride on a burro down the Grand Canyon's Bright Angel Trail? Been there, done that, bestially speaking? Not to worry...there are plenty more animals afoot at vacation spots around the world. From pigs to deer to penguins, you can have an up close and personal cross-species experience on your next trip.

Pigs in the Bahamas: Big Major Spot Island is the place to be for human to pig interaction. The aptly named Pig Beach hosts a family of wild pigs, who have lived there for generations. Just like porcine beach bums, the amiable pigs lounge on the beach, swim in the surf and subsist on wild plants and roots and food donations from tourists. Just don't offer your BLT...

Long-Tailed Macaque in a pensive mood, Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, Ubud, Bali (photo courtesy of http://www.monkeyforestubud.com/)

Monkeys in Bali: the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Ubud, Bali is home to approximately 340 wild monkeys known as Long-Tailed Macaques, and one of the best places to come face to face with a Balinese monkey. The monkeys are accustomed to visitors and have lived happily near human communities for years. The dual nature of monkeys (fun-loving but mischievous) is revered in Hinduism, the principal religion of Bali, and so the monkeys are respected and cared for by locals and tourists alike. Remember that these are still wild animals, though, and can be unpredictable. Guard your personal belongings, such as bags, wallets, cameras, hats and sunglasses...the monkeys love shiny, colorful things and are adept at pickpocketing.

Tame Deer in Nara, Japan: in the former capital city of Japan, Nara, more than 1,200 tame Sika deer roam the streets, enjoying free run in the forests, parks (especially Nara Park), the stores, and even the temples. You can buy Deer Cookies (shika sembei) from the many deer food vendors and the deer will eat directly from your hand. The deer are considered sacred and divine (until 1637, killing a sacred deer was punishable by death), and are officially protected as National Treasures.

Simone feeding the Sacred Deer of Nara, Japan

Penguins in Chile: Los Pinguinos Natural Monument on Magdalena Island, near Punta Arenas, Chile, is home to a huge colony of 60,000 families of Magellanic penguins. The island is the penguins' nesting and hunting ground, where sardines and squid, their principal source of food, is abundant. Human visitors to the island can get a close look at penguin life, as long as they don't touch or feed the birds. Photography, flora and fauna observation and sea-kayaking are allowed. The island and surrounding sea is also home to dozens of types of seabirds and sealife, including whales, dolphins, penguins, pumas, condors and guanacos.

Magellanic Penguins on their way to their nests, Los Pinguinos Natural Monument, Punta Arenas, Chile (photo by Luis Bastardo)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art: New York City Travel Tips, Part Nine

2010-11-19T14:48:00.003-05:00

Luis on the roof of the Metropolitan Museum visiting Roxy Paine's sculpture, Maelstrom (photo by Simone Cannon)

After spending the morning exploring the Cloisters, we dashed back downtown to grab lunch and visit the main branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art on 82nd and 5th, my favorite museum in the world. I love the Met, not only for its extensive and varied art collection, but also for the way in which its curators display the permanent collection and exhibitions. The museum uses authentic backdrops and galleries whenever possible, recreating dark, old Spanish churches, light-filled atrium gardens complete with fountains or American Colonial-style multi-story homes to display the various periods of art. I have visited hundreds of times, but I still find something new and interesting that I hadn't noticed before. When taking visitors, I generally stick to a tried-and-true "highlights" tour, because as wonderful as the museum is, it is gigantic and someone unaccustomed to its size could become quickly overwhelmed.

The Arms and Armor Room at the Metropolitan Museum (photo by Luis Bastardo)

It was sunny and warm, so I took Luis first to the Roof Garden, which is always a good idea, because the garden can close at any minute due to inclement weather and it's best not to miss the window of opportunity. The exhibitions change every few months and when we were there, the artist Roxy Paine was displaying a huge, 130 foot x 45 foot stainless steel sculpture titled Maelstrom (storm). According to the Met website, this work "is based on systems such as vascular networks, tree roots, industrial piping, and fungal mycelia." After the roof garden, we visited the lovely, sunny New American Wing with its collection of Tiffany glass and fireplaces, and one of its galleries, Arms and Armor, a hugely popular display of over 14,000 pieces, including weapons, shields, helmets, armor, swords guns from Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The collection is in excellent condition, as many of the pieces were created for decorative or ceremonial uses and were never put into action. The Samurai armor and swords are especially impressive, well-crafted and colorful.

The Temple of Dendur, The Sackler Wing, The Metropolitan (photo courtesy of http://www.metmuseum.org/)

Our next stop was The Temple of Dendur, a reconstructed Egyptian temple built in about 15 BC to honor the goddess, Isis, and moved piece by piece to the museum in 1978. Next to the Sackler Wing that houses the temple are adjoining galleries with fascinating Egyptian mummies, gigantic sarcophagi, vases, masks and other artifacts dating back to 3900 BC. The museum houses incredible pieces from every era and every corner of the earth, from American Colonial furniture and clocks to ancient fertility amulets to intricately woven Tibetan rugs to European paintings and sculpture. Among the most impressive displays are the recreated Period Rooms filled with original furnishings, floors, windows and moldings from a particular era: The Baltimore Dining Room, 1810-11; The Frank Lloyd Wright Room, 1912-1914; The Bedroom from the Sagredo Palace, Venice, 1718; the gilded Versailles-style sitting rooms and bedrooms of The Wrightsman Galleries for French Decorative Arts. In other areas, parts of the original churches or gardens are used as a backdrop to display the art, such as the recreated Spanish medieval church style room that houses the gigantic choir screen from the Cathedral of Valladoid or the peaceful, skylit Chinese Garden Court that showcases Scholar's Rocks and a moon gate.

The Great Hall (main entrance) of the Metropolitan (photo by Luis Bastardo)

The Met, founded in 1870, is approximately 1/4 mile long and is about 2 million square feet in area, displays hundreds of thousands of pieces of art, and hosts about 5 million visitors a year, so try to plan on visiting the museum early or late or over several shorter visits to avoid fatigue. The admission prices are suggestions, so you may pay what you can afford. Also, the museum offers memberships for locals and tourists, so there are many options available to save money and to help support one of the most incredible museums in the world. Whatever option you choose, make at least one visit to see the highlights; you won't be sorry. And wear comfortable shoes.

Things To Do
New York City

My Ten Favorite Travel Quotes: Inspiration for World Philosophy Day

2010-11-17T15:56:00.002-05:00

Simone and some Japanese students contemplating life at the Ryoan-ji Zen Garden in Kyoto, Japan

Today is UNESCO's World Philosophy Day, the perfect time to share my favorite travel quotes. Sometimes travel can be really hard. You spend hours traipsing around a hilltop town trying to find a temple that apparently doesn't exist, the hostel has lost your reservation, the ferry no longer goes to the island that you want to visit, your feet are swollen and blistered, if you eat one more empanada, you're going to commit hari-kari, the waiter doesn't understand a thing you say, it's been raining non-stop for a week and you just want to go home. At times like that, a little travel inspiration can go a long way (as can a tall, strong, icy cocktail) in making things right, or at least less painful, with the world. Here's what I like to think about when I'm ready to throw in the travel towel:

Sim, unable to visit one more church in Brazil, ready for some travel inspiration and a stiff drink, Salvador de Bahia, Brazil (photo by Luis Bastardo)

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain

I'm fairly sure that when I'm old and withered and sitting in a nursing home, I'm not going to be reminiscing about the wonderful episode of American Idol that I saw one Saturday night. I'm guessing that my memories will probably be more along the lines of what it felt like to see Machu Picchu for the first time as the dawn was breaking over the mountains or the sounds and smells of climbing to the top of ancient ruins in Angkor Wat.

“Not all those who wander are lost.” J. R. R. Tolkien

I read Lord of the Rings three times...all three books. They made me want to hit the trail every time I read them.

“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” James Michener

If you're going to travel, travel. Just like love, enter it with abandon or not at all.

Luis hiking up the Moreno Glacier, El Calafate, Patagonia, Argentina (photo by Simone Cannon)

"Pilgrims are poets who create by taking journeys." Richard R. Niebuhr

If you think that you're not the creative type, maybe you're wrong. Perhaps your art is to travel, to make connections, to learn about the world and its people and to share your stories and photos with others so that they can learn by extension. Perhaps it's your gift.

"My country is the world and my religion is to do good." Thomas Paine

Be a citizen of the world, keep an open mind, perform random acts of kindness, accept the generosity of strangers, try to understand other belief systems, support peace, learn as much as you can and you can't go wrong.

"Every journey has a secret destination of which the traveler is unaware." Martin Buber

You can never know where a trip or path will take you, so keep your eyes open to the possibilities. If you have your whole trip planned out ahead of time, you will never experience serendipity or the joy of discovery. Some of the best moments of traveling for me have been unplanned and sometime the results of things going wrong. Take the road less traveled.

Arriving at the mountain town of Iruya, Argentina via high altitude hairpin turns on the chicken bus (photo by Luis Bastardo)

"Life is always either a tightrope or a featherbed. Give me the tightrope." Edith Wharton

Take a chance. Don't always take the path of least resistance. Push your comfort zones. Experience life; you'll never have another chance.

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." Mark Twain

Call me optimistic, but I believe that if more people traveled, there would be a lot more empathy, understanding and fewer stereotypes. People are the same the world over. The extremists grab the headlines, but the vast majority of people just go about their lives, living quietly, trying to get by and squeezing in a little happiness whenever they can.

Ballroom dancing in the park, Beijing, China (photo by Simone Cannon)

Thanksgiving and Other Harvest Festivals Around the World

2010-11-16T16:01:00.003-05:00

A selection of autumn squash, Toronto, Canada (photo by Luis Bastardo)

Thanksgiving is celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday of November and in Canada on the second Monday in October, each holiday originally celebrating plentiful harvests. In the case of the US, the holiday commemorates a harvest shared by European settlers and Native Americans in 1621, although the day wasn't recognized as an official holiday until 1863 when Abraham Lincoln designated it as such. In Canada, Thanksgiving was first celebrated as a harvest festival in 1578 by explorer Martin Frobisher, but wasn't officially recognized until 1957. Many countries around the world also celebrate a version of Thanksgiving, not only to mark the end of the harvest, but to show gratitude to their communities, to nature, to their ancestors and deities, and for all the hard work throughout the year dedicated to planting, growing, tending to and gathering the crops.

Homowo Harvest Celebration in Ghana (photo courtesy of http://easytrackghana.com/)

In the US and Canada, the day is subdued, with the focus on family and friend get-togethers, with a large meal that includes such traditional foods as roast turkey, bread or corn stuffing, mashed potatoes and root vegetables, green beans, pumpkin pie and whipped cream, followed by a walk or football-watching. In other countries, the holiday is typically more festive or more religious, and may include music, dance, local parades, costumes and meals centered around locally produced fruits, vegetables and grains.

Africa: harvest celebrations generally center on grains or sweet potatoes (yams) and involve several days of parties, dancing, ceremonies and meals. In August, residents of West Africa celebrate the Yam Festival, to give thanks for a bumper crop of yams. In other African areas, harvest festivals are often remembrances of the end of famines or long migrations, such as the Ghanaian Homowo Festival (also known as the Hunger Hooting Festival). Foods like yams, fish, ko (similar to grits, but made with palm oil) and palm nut soup are part of the festivities.

Floating, brightly lit lanterns celebrate the Harvest Moon Festival in Hong Kong (photo courtesy of http://www.chanychan.com/)

China: the ancient holiday known as Zhong Qiu Jie (Harvest Moon or Mid-Autumn Festival) is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, when the moon is considered to be at its fullest and brightest. This is thought to be the ideal time to start, renew or strengthen friendships and romantic relationships. Family and friends come together to revel in a spirit of completeness and abundance with parties and family gatherings decorated with brightly colored lanterns.The traditional food served is the Moon Cake, a sweet yellow cake traditionally filled with lotus seed paste, but now filled with everything from nuts and dried fruits to Chinese style sausages and egg yolks. Other traditional foods are naturally red or colored red for good luck and may include lobster, salmon, pomegranates, peanuts and fatt koh (sweet steamed rice cake).

A Kolache pastry commonly eaten during the Czech harvest festival, Posviceni (photo courtesy of http://bramborov.bloguje.cz/)

Czech Republic: Czechs celebrate two ancient festivals known as Posviceni and Obzinky, both held at the end of the harvest. The wheat, corn and rye sheaves from the harvest are considered especially lucky, with curative and fertility powers, and are often woven into wreaths with wildflowers to be given to new new mothers or brides and grooms. After the post-harvest ceremonies, the harvest feast, called Obzinky Oldomas, is prepared and served and includes foods such as sauerkraut, roast pig or goose, and prune-filled pastries called kolaches.

Barbados: this Caribbean island definitely has the most descriptive, simple and least confusing name for its harvest festival. It comes right to the point: Crop Over. Parties, cane-cutting contests, dancing, parades and concerts are widespread. Festival goers enjoy foods such as roti (a kind of Bajan burrito), flying fish, cutters (rolls stuffed with meat or cheese, coconut bread and desserts, cou-cou (cornmeal and okra pudding) and of course, lots of rum punch!

Crop Over Festival celebrations, Barbados (photo courtesy of http://www.jaunted.com/)

Protecting our National Parks from Oil and Mining Exploitation

2010-11-15T04:00:00.005-05:00

Visitors on a lookout at Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona (photo by Luis Bastardo)

This week's online issue of National Park Traveler features a story by Kurt Repanshek entitled "Republicans On House Natural Resources Committee Planning Big Changes For Public Lands", which discusses how the GOP plans to continue efforts to dismantle environmental legislation protecting, among other precious resources, our national parks. Many of the representatives are backed and funded by corporate behemoths such as the petroleum, logging and mining industries, who have been pushing for years to open the land close to the parks, if not the parks themselves, to oil exploration and drilling, logging and strip mining. Even if the activities are not conducted directly on park land, the proximity would be nonetheless devastating to a park's ecological balance, wildlife, plant life, geological structures, clean water supplies and park visitors. Aside from the obvious danger of oil and other chemicals leaking into the soil and groundwater of parkland, the land formation itself would suffer extensive damage from the shock waves of industrial hammerings and continuous heavy truck traffic.

Luis shivering in front of Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, Utah (photo by Simone Cannon)

This is especially important in parks such as Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park, both part of Utah's canyon country. The parks contain highly fragile sandstone spires and structures, such as the famous Delicate Arch that appears on the state's licence plates and in most of its tourism literature, that could be easily damaged or destroyed by the profound and wide-ranging vibrations of ongoing heavy exploration and drilling. Animals, plants, rivers, lakes and waterfalls would all suffer significant damage that could take decades, if ever, to reverse. The tone of Repanshek's article is optimistic overall and it's true that many environmental groups are fighting hard to maintain and improve environmental protection laws. Groups such as the National Resource Defense Council and the Audubon Society have been working with (and against) congress for years to help the protect the parks, regularly engaging the support of their many followers, with considerable success. Bloggers such as Dan Lashof and Alisa Opar keep readers informed of park and other environmental developments. According to Heather Taylor-Miesle, director of the NRDC Action Fund. “Americans want us to unleash our ingenuity to develop clean-energy alternatives while combating climate change. We look forward to working with the next Congress and the Obama administration. But those who seek to reverse 40 years of environmental progress will find us fighting for the American public who made it clear yesterday that they want clean air and clean water."

Big Horn sheep cross the road in Zion National Park, Utah (photo by Luis Bastardo)

The Bush administration continually pushed to develop oil drilling areas, many within only two miles of the borders of national parks. Leading the current plans to continue that destructive tradition are U.S. Representatives Doc Hastings, R-Washington, and Rob Bishop, R-Utah. Tragically, Hastings, who has received only a 2% lifetime score from the League of Conservation will chair the Natural Resources Committee. Both politicians have abysmal conservation records. According to Repanshek's article, "Rep. Hastings has a record of opposing national park initiatives beyond his state and striving to legislate management of the parks within his state...earlier this year, when oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster was coming ashore at Gulf Islands National Seashore, Rep. Hastings criticized the Obama administration for its moratorium on off-shore drilling (and he) opposed the Omnibus Public Lands Bill of 2009 because it would block energy development on some public lands." Bishop "has been a vocal opponent of environmental regulations... (he) opposed the National Landscape Conservation System, which would not create any new federally owned lands but rather 'conserve, protect, and restore nationally significant landscapes (within the existing BLM domain) that have outstanding cultural, ecological, and scientific values for the benefit of current and future generations'"

The extremely fragile and beautiful rock formations at Bryce National Park, Utah (photo by Luis Bastardo)

One way to help is to contact your state representative and make your opinion known. The House of Representatives makes it simple with a web page that first identifies your representative and then allows you to submit comments directly from the site: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml. Remember that, although many politicians are largely funded by corporations and industries, the truth is that their job is only as good as the results of the next election. Believe it or not, most polititicans do care deeply about their constituents opinions; their votes are, after all, their bread and butter. Speak up: join an environmental support groups such as The Audubon Society, The Sierra Club or The Wilderness Society; join local efforts to protect state and national parks and conservations areas; use social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to make your feelings known about protecting our beautiful national lands. Most importantly, visit, explore and enjoy the parks regularly. Every little bit helps and together, we can keep our parks green, healthy and untouched by those who wish to destroy the protected natural sites of our beautiful country to line their own pockets.

Bridalveil Fall, Yosemite National Park, California (photo by Luis Bastardo)