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Pining for Portugal, a perfect weekend in Porto
The Algarve has the beaches and coastal charm, Lisbon has the culture and city living, but Porto has history and for me much of the heart of Portugal. You could spend enough time walking through the city just exploring but here are some recommendations of some of my favorite things I stumbled on while in this UNESCO World Heritage city during my weekend in Porto. Get Lost A small old city, Porto winds through narrow alleyways towards the Duoro River. The Ribeira is the soul and historic center of the city, the best place to see beauty by the river, colorful tiles and crumbling old buildings. By night it’s a…
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The Stunning Southwest: Grand Canyon South Rim Tours
Grand Canyon South Rim Tour We formed a row up against the worn, splintered split rail fence, like football teams at the line of scrimmage, we faced our opponents. A half dozen pack mules stood at attention, their reins draped over the post, standing across from us patiently awaiting their instructions. Like my gym teacher in middle school pairing us for square dancing, the head rancher assessed our riding ability and introduced us to our trusty steeds for the morning, I was paired with Biddy, sweet but spunky. I mounted the little beast and we all filed in a close line, making our way towards the trail head, on our way…
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Berlin & Its Wall in Photos
This week marks the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall when twenty-six years ago, on November 9th an act of removing a barrier changed a country and in turn, the rest of the world. We walked along the remainder of the wall this summer on a rainy afternoon and we were so impressed by the colorful art and what it represented, from then to now. Since then the city has taken the reminder of the past and like a caterpillar, the grey, bleak concrete morphed into a butterfly, an art project that began in the 90s to alter the symbol to one that represents peace and joy in…
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Snapshot Sunday: Women of Vietnam
Girls run the world. If Beyoncé sang it than it must be true. I just returned from a phenomenal trip to Vietnam and while there I uncovered a country where women are the most hardworking people I’ve ever met. They have participated in revolutions and wars, they farm, row boats, run businesses and raise families all with a quiet strength and a smile. The ladies we encountered were the friendliest people who taught us their skills, shared with us their stories or welcomed us into their homes and I was truly inspired by not only their work ethic but overall happiness.
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Culinary Chariots: A Bangkok Street Food Tour
The city of Bangkok is a lot like your first ride in a tuk tuk. She’s a unique, speedy vessel that isn’t always glamorous but will whiz you around, showing you one wild ride. It’s a fitting vehicle then for a tour exploring food stands and iconic dishes of the city, whipping you around on a wonderful journey. Buffalo Tours offers a great Bangkok street food guided tour in Thailand that takes you on an evening ride through town that you and especially your stomach won’t soon forget. Seeing how locals live and more importantly eat with a small group is the best way to truly experience how “foodcentric” Bangkok…
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Snapshot Sunday: Halong Bay Sunset
While in Vietnam, we had the opportunity to spend a few nights on a Junk (Asian sailing ship) leaving from Halong Bay and heading further out to the less visited Bai Tu Long Bay. I’m excited to get to share many more photos and the full experience soon but here is a little taste of the last few days on Dragon Legend Cruises.
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Snapshot Sunday: Flower Market of Bangkok
The powerful fragrance of the Jasmine flowers masks the scent wafting from the bustling streets that run along Pak Khlong Talat, Bangkok’s famous flower market. With a liveliness parallel to the rest of the city, the workers and passer-byes throng the heaps of flowers like swarms of pollinating bees. Because the venue is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week there is an amazing amount of quotidian activities surrounding the business exchanges around them. Even something as simple as playing a quick game of Makruk, or Thai chess can be an interesting event to observe and I find it’s markets like these that offer a fantastic glimpse into…
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The Stunning Southwest; Photographing Arizona's Horseshoe Bend
I climbed into the backseat of the hybrid car, my Uber driver Dale’s silver ponytail matching the paint of his Prius was peaking out of the bottom of his wide brimmed cowboy hat over his shoulder. Only in New Mexico would your Uber driver look like we were carpooling to the ranch. We chatted on the short ride over to the rental car lot, I thanked him and walked toward the front counter, realizing in the early morning chaos I left my wallet on my hotel bed. That won me another round trip ride with pony-tail Dale and once all of the vehicular transactions were completed, I was behind the…
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Snapshot Sunday: Borneo Stilt Homes
I’m getting excited about my upcoming destination to Vietnam. In doing research and preparation for my trip, I keep finding similarities of Malaysian fishing villages when I spent time in Borneo, especially these stilt homes in Sabah. Simplistic design in impoverished communities, these families rely on the water running below their floorboards for their livelihood. I’m looking forward to learn and experience first hand about Vietnamese life on the water.
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My ABC’s of Berlin
Berlin, the city is unlike any other in Germany. It’s a cultural, trendy, artistic hub with a deeply rooted historical center. The capital has a uniqueness that leaves a visitor with strong feelings one way or the other about the city. I too had a love/hate relationship with Berlin, intrigued by it’s dichotomy of grittiness yet sophistication, being accepting of whatever yet feeling out of place. Berlin is like that hipster, artistic friend that you see at a dinner party always up on the “next new thing” forever making you feel out of date. She has a way of keeping you guessing and here are some of my ABC’s of…
