South America

Minca Jungle: In Search of Black Gold

When I say Colombia, most people think about a notorious drug lord and the most dangerous comuna in the world. But when I hear Colombia, my mind drifts off to the one thing that is able to wake me up in the morning: coffee. Colombia is often regarded as one of the top...

Investigating Escobar’s Legacy in MedellÃ¬n

â€œDonâ€™t mind the bullet holes,â€ was the first thing our guide Stiven told me. They recently tried to kidnap Roberto, because people still think he knows where his brother buried his fortune. Which of course is easy to think, given the fact that Roberto was the...

JardÃn, Colombia — Wandering a Pastel Pueblo

One of the travel rules I try to live by is following the advice of others. Tourists, long-term travelers, or locals. The â€œwhoâ€ tends to not matter as much as the â€œwhereâ€. People whoâ€™ve been in a country for a while have the best insight. Whether it be for...

The Beautiful Landscapes of Northwest Argentina

The two northern regions comprised of Salta and Jujuy are in pair with Patagonia when it comes to beautiful nature. I was only getting used to the snow-capped mountains and myriad turquoise lakes of the south. Iâ€™m suddenly teleported to a very different scenery: the...

Parque Nacional Tayrona, Colombia: A Hundred Places in One

I have a problem with procrastination. Actually, I wouldnâ€™t call it a problem. That insinuates that it creates a detriment to my daily life. It never does. Somehow among the hours wasted, I manage to finish whatever task needs to get done. Iâ€™m a successful...

Fall in Love with the Falkland Islands

The Falkland Islands is a wild and unspoilt archipelago of 776 small and mainly uninhabitable bits of land, with two large islands deep in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. This British Overseas Territory has been the subject of ownership disputes...

Four Days in Asuncion, Paraguay

For everybody who is looking to explore exotic ruins, visit colonial towns and stunningly lush rain forests - Paraguay has it all. Paraguay is one of those places that is often overlooked by people visiting South America. However, landlocked in between Brazil,...

Easter Island: Land of the Moai

I have always been fascinated by the Moai statues and knew I wanted to visit Easter Island someday. The story of the people fascinate meâ€”an ancient and complex civilization on a small, remote island in the Pacific mostly unimpacted by outsiders that peaked and...

Penedo, an Inspiration for the Artistâ€™s Soul in Brazil

I take my head out of the car window and breathe the cold air of July. The bus was driving slowly due to the high concentration of traffic. It was better this way. The breeze slapping my face as I observe the houses and shops in that small street covered by green...

JardÃn, Colombia

The little town of JardÃn, nestled in the Andes, is an impossibly charming village with traditionally white-washed houses and brightly painted doors. It is a three-hour bus ride from MedellÃn, but it feels worlds away from Colombiaâ€™s second largest city. My...

Four Days of Silence in Lago Grey, Patagonia

I never thought silence can be so loud. That was the thought that soared to my mind as my wife and I stepped into the Martian landscape of Lago Grey in the Torres del Paine National Park. This was our honeymoon and the black, misty shores of the glacial lake wasnâ€™t...

Beyond Words –
Brazil for the Deaf Traveler

Part of the appeal of traveling to other places is broadened horizons, right? New languages, new people: all part and parcel of the spice of a new country. As a deaf traveler, negotiating my way through a new culture in complete silence was doubly difficult in...