The Ghost Town That Wasn’t

We were in San Miguel de Allende, enjoying all the classic traits of a pretty Mexican town  – a gorgeous church dominating the skyline on the main plaza, colonial architecture with carved wooden doors and wrought-iron balconies, winding cobblestone streets, and quaint local markets where indigenous women sold traditional crafts. […]

From Tulum Trauma to San Miguel Magic

Our flight to Monterrey got cancelled again.  The first time, a year ago, we rebooked it for Mexico City, but this time airfare to León was cheap enough to make us consider going there… again. We had already taken the same flight a few years earlier and spent three wonderful […]

Mexican Chicago

Back in 2003, when I’d just arrived in Chicago, my first apartment was in Hermosa on the city’s northwest side. One evening, when I was in the back porch relaxing after a day of work, the street was suddenly filled with the sound of the revving engines. Motorcycles and cars […]

Go For Gözleme

The previous post about fish, bread, and never giving up on food dreams reminded me of something that happened two years ago, during a road trip from Izmir to Antalya in Türkiye. We left our Airbnb early in the morning, eager to start a long day of sightseeing, and skipped […]

Searching for Fish and Bread in Istanbul

Two years ago, when we did a road trip through southwest Türkiye, I kept looking for balık ekmek.  If you don’t know what that is, don’t worry.  Neither did I.  But Victor kept mentioning how he and his parents enjoyed a delicious balık ekmek in a restaurant by the Bosphorus […]

Pupusa-mania

By Julia / June 9, 2022

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 […]

Surf’s Up on Playa Las Flores

By Victor / June 2, 2022

Going to El Salvador, I had a bucket list item to check off: taking a surfing lesson. In the second week of our travels, we drove to El Cuco, a remote region in the east. In addition to two excellent beaches for sunbathing and swimming (Playa El Cuco and Playa […]

Camping on Top of the Conchagua Volcano

By Julia / May 27, 2022

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 the English-speaking […]

Where in the World is Luis?

By Julia / May 19, 2022

“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)

By Julia / May 12, 2022

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

By Victor / May 6, 2022

I sit on a stony curbside in complete darkness. My head hurts. Dogs bark in the distance. The sweet darkness of the Albanian night hugs me gently as I rub my temples, trying not to throw up. That’s not how I envisioned our first meeting, Gjirokaster. Last summer, we traveled […]

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