War. What is it good for. Mostar Edition.
Any time we mentioned we were traveling to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the first question was always the same: “Isn’t that the place with the war?” Yes. But the war ended 30 years ago. It’s safe. Don’t worry! That answer was usually met with a head shake and a muttered comment […]
Bosnia and Herzegovina: One Country, Two Regions, Three Nations
What is a country? It’s a strange question, especially from someone who has traveled extensively. But the answer is not quite as simple as a glance at a political map might suggest. We have been to countries that no longer exist (Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, USSR), regions that used to be countries […]
Smuggling Molcajete
One of my most impractical dreams, born from years of travel, is this: I want to decorate each room in my house in the style of a different country. The bedroom would be designed like a chamber in an Indian palace with ornate fabrics, carved wood, and a hint of […]
Dancing with Chinelos
The old, battered bus was bouncing on the road with dusty Mexican countryside rolling outside the window. Google Maps on my phone was showing we were approaching our destination – Yautepec de Zaragoza. Before the trip, I could not even imagine that we would be trying to get to this […]
Rioting in Cuernavaca
We were enjoying a quiet breakfast of an omelet and sopes on an outdoor patio, taking in the beautiful view of the central plaza. Like so many town squares in Mexico, it featured all the familiar elements: a park, a gazebo, a historic church, and the oversized colorful letters spelling […]
Cruising Down the Streets of Havana
After writing nine posts about Cuba earlier this year, we thought we were done with our stories from Freedom Island. But to be honest, it would be unfair not to describe the most touristy thing we did while there. Learning about the U.S.-organized invasion at the Bay of Pigs or […]
In Search of Haggis – One Day in Scotland
All the way back in 2009, we spent one day in Scotland, and I have wanted to go back ever since. This was an impromptu trip to the U.K. brought about by a random airline price mistake – $250 for a nonstop roundtrip from Chicago to London in the spring. […]
All You Can Eat: The Great China Buffet
On our first day in Beijing, we woke up at 5 am in our hotel room, jet-lagged from the long flight and starving. I tried to fall back asleep and wake up at a more reasonable hour, but the growling from my stomach was too loud to ignore. “Do you […]
The Eighth Wonder of The World
I was surrounded by people on all sides, pressing and pushing against me, the momentum of the crowd carrying me forward whether I wanted to or not. I could see Victor’s head bobbing up and down ahead of me, and I tried to keep an eye on him but couldn’t […]
Another Day, Another Istanbul Market
In two prior posts, I described our thrilling shopping adventures at the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul’s Sultanahmet district. Yet, the market that we fell in love with the most was located away from the tourist hordes – on the Asian side of the city. It is […]
Let’s Spice it Up: More Shopping in Istanbul
In the last post, I described the fun of visiting and bargaining at the Grand Bazaar. And although my parents and I enjoyed the craziness of this behemoth ancient market, we found other markets in Istanbul that we loved even more. Several days before visiting the Grand Bazaar, we spent […]