Ka-ra-kal-pak-stan

This was a real tongue twister. Ka-ra-kal-pak-stan. Ka-ra-kal-pak-stan. Now say it faster. Ka-ra-pa-kal… Damn. After spending nearly a month in the ancient Silk Road cities, the Fergana Valley, and the Nuratau Mountains, we thought we were finally getting a grasp on Uzbekistan’s diversity and complexity. We were starting to understand […]

Night Trains

Years ago, when we were staying on an island in Cambodia in a little bungalow on the beach, Victor walked off the bed platform in the middle of the night and fell down a few feet.  He wasn’t fully awake and somehow didn’t hurt himself.   When his mom heard this […]

Next on the Bucket List: Oktoberfest in Munich

I was chatting with my cousin, who lives in Frankfurt, Germany, and telling her all about our 36-hour trip to Munich just to attend the opening of Oktoberfest. “Have you ever been?” I asked her. “Oh no!” she exclaimed. “We are not big drinkers at all!” “Neither are we!” I […]

People Live Here. Nuratau Mountains.

We were outside the Jizzakh train station, patiently waiting on our Yandex Go taxi driver, when another taxi pulled up.  The driver, a tall lean man in his early seventies, leaned out the window, “Where are you heading?” We explained that we were waiting for another taxi and he nodded, […]

Full Bloom in Namangan

A Tajik woman in a colorful dress was elbowing and pushing me away.  I was too close, and she demanded space. She was also bothered by my camera, hissing at me that it kept poking her in the back.  But what could I do? We were in the crowd, and […]

Take Me Out with the Crowd!

By Victor / June 28, 2022

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

By Victor / June 25, 2022

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

By Julia / June 17, 2022

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

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 […]

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