A Long-Overdue Affair: The Wisconsin State Fair
Last year, it finally happened. I went to the Wisconsin State Fair! Although I had lived in the state for over a decade, for whatever reason, I’d never made it to the festival grounds in West Allis until last year. Ironically, it took me to move out of Wisconsin to […]
Chicago: Keeping the Blues Alive
Today is a special day in Chicago: Buddy Guy celebrates his 90th birthday. Although we are currently busy writing posts about Uzbekistan, this milestone-and America’s 250th year-makes it the perfect moment to celebrate one of the country’s greatest musical traditions: the blues. At his birthday bashes, Buddy Guy usually tells […]
Uzbekistan: One Conversation at a Time
We were in Margilan, a medium-sized town in the Fergana Valley, on a quick day trip when we stopped at the street market for lunch. We found a tiny café serving hot tea and potato samsas, sat down, and ordered a pot of tea with three samsas to share. As […]
Monterrey, Mexico: World Cup Edition
Back in February, we climbed Cerro de la Silla and marveled at the striking Estadio BBVA from above. There, on the hiking trail, I had an interesting thought: “How cool would it be to see this mountain from the stadium seats during the world’s biggest sporting event?” Later that evening, […]
2026 FIFA World Cup: Hogwarts vs. Narnia
Those who follow this blog know I am a big soccer fan and try to attend games in every country I visit. This fact is even listed in my section of “About Us” on this website. So, it won’t surprise anyone that attending the World Cup this summer was on […]
Take Me Out with the Crowd!
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 few blocks from the ballpark, you see Andy Warhol’s portrait […]
Take Me Out to The Ball Game
Part I Summer is here, and for me, that means one thing-baseball. Nothing beats spending a few hours on a warm summer afternoon at a ballpark watching a game and connecting with friends over beer, peanuts, and crackerjack. In our U.S. travels, we love visiting ballparks because they give us […]
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 […]
Surf’s Up on Playa Las Flores
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
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 […]