Skipping Managua. Part II. Leon
One week after visiting Granada, we drove into its long-time rival – Leon. Like Granada, Leon is set in a breathtaking location. Approaching the city from the north, we counted at least six volcanoes on the horizon, all part of the Cordillera de Maribios. As we got closer to the […]
Skipping Managua. Part I. Granada
One of the apparent trends in our travels is that capital cities in Central America do not get a lot of love from us. That’s just a fact. In Guatemala, upon arrival, we left its capital, Guatemala City, by jumping into a taxi and riding away without ever seeing it. […]
A Whole New Life
Start with Part I Here We were walking from Airbnb towards the livestock barns, and I noticed it wasn’t quite as dark as I thought it would be. As we were driving up the mountain, my fear of encroaching darkness made me feel that it was much later in the […]
Nicaragua: A Road Less Traveled
The dusk was setting quickly over Matagalpa, the little red and yellow coffee berries no longer visible on the branches of coffee trees lining the narrow, unpaved road steeply ascending into the mountain. The light of our headlamps jaggedly bounced up and down, as our tiny, rented Toyota Yaris struggled […]
Girls, Girls, Girls. Souvenirs: Part III
Back by popular demand is Part III of our souvenir inventory (Part I and Part II are here). As we wrote before, we are very picky when it comes to souvenir shopping; yet, sometimes, we do bring souvenirs home. Most of the time it is something related to the culture, […]
Soaking in Estonia
On the fourth day in Tallinn, we were in a back seat of a taxi, chatting with our Russian-speaking driver about the intricacies of the daily life of ethnic Russians in Estonia. “I’ve never been to this one,” he said as he pulled the car over. “Enjoy!” I peeked out […]
Santa Ana: Visiting the Coffee-Boom Capital of El Salvador
After spending a couple of days at a coffee finca on Ruta de Las Flores, we made it to Santa Ana. The city was once an important center during the coffee boom of the early 20th century. The central square with its imposing neo-Gothic cathedral, theatre, and city hall looked […]
It’s One, Two, Three Strikes, You’re Out!
Part II We continue with our stories from the major U.S. baseball ballparks. For Part I, please start here. 6. Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati You realize Cincinnati is a baseball town when in a local art museum, just a couple of blocks from the ballpark, you see Andy Warhol’s […]
Take Me Out to The Ball Game
Part I Summer is here and for me, that means one thing – baseball. In my view, nothing beats spending a couple of hours on a warm summer afternoon at a ballpark watching a game and connecting with friends over beer, peanuts, and crackerjack. Despite constant calls for changing the […]
Traveling in Search of Mud
Ten years ago, I was inside a small ceramic shop in Santa Fe, on a street lined with art galleries, hipster coffee shops, and boutiques. “$260!” I exclaimed, “I mean that’s a pretty vase, but $260!” “That’s Mata Ortiz!” Victor gushed, “Look at the geometrical design! It’s the modern recreation […]
Pupusa-mania
On the very first night in El Salvador, we walked down a dark cobblestone street away from our hostel and towards a dim light flickering in the distance. A few local dogs howled and barked as we trotted on. Finally, we arrived. A table covered with colorful cloth, a pile […]