Surf’s Up on Playa Las Flores
El Salvador, a small and beautiful country in Latin America, is still largely ignored and avoided by international travelers. The country that was torn apart by a civil war in the 1980s and until recently experienced pervasive gang violence still regrettably suffers from a negative image. Right now, the only […]
Camping on Top of the Conchagua Volcano
Please start with Part I, where we search for Luis, for the volcano, and for the chance to spend an unforgettable night camping on top of Conchagua Volcano in El Salvador. As of the date of posting, we couldn’t find any comprehensive information about camping on Conchagua on English-speaking Internet […]
Where in the World is Luis?
“We have a gap in the itinerary,” I said, “I don’t have an Airbnb booked for the night of Dec 30th. Where are we going to be?” “We are going to camp on top of the volcano,” Victor said. Here’s the thing. I didn’t even question it. I know Victor […]
The Holy Pilgrimage of the Monarch (Butterflies)
I was on my hands and knees digging in the damp dirt outside my patio. My knees were wet, my hands were dirty up to my elbows. Victor watched me from the window, his brow furrowed. Sometimes even a short international trip can have lasting consequences. But let’s start at […]
A Heatstroke in the Stone City
I am sitting on a stony curbside in complete darkness. The narrow, crooked street shoots up the hill and then makes a wild turn. My head hurts. Dogs bark in the distance. The sweet darkness of Albanian night is hugging me gently as I am rubbing my temples trying not […]
Donbas of My Youth
The train arrived at 3 a.m. We descended from the passenger railroad car, groggy and disheveled, into a dimly lit platform, the edges of which were swallowed by the night. Kolya, our team captain, silently motioned and we marched down the platform behind him. I was 19 years old, and […]
