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You won't find the quirky side of Baltimore at Fort McHenry (1793), which recently celebrated the 200th anniversary of Francis Scott Key's "Star Spangled Banner". You might not find it at the Baltimore Museum of Art, the National Aquarium, or in neighborhoods like the Inner Harbor, either, where glittering condos and fab restaurants spring up every day. But don't you worry: The Divine [sic] spirit of Hairspray's John Waters, Edgar Allen Poe, and other famously eccentric and offbeat Baltimoreans

por Cristóbal Ramírez

En Düsseldorf se creen un poco latinos: aquí no hace tanto frío como en otras zonas deAlemania y los lugareños se lanzan a la calle en cualquier momento. Ese carácter dicharachero y de compartir experiencias con los demás se nota en Navidad y en febrero, cuando el Carnavalllena de color, desfiles y bailes el centro de la ciudad. Aquí gustan mucho los bares. Por algo a Düsseldorf la llaman “la barra más larga del mundo”.

Puede que a un español le parezca un tanto exagerado

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to join a group for a guided tour of the Pierre Cardin Museum, located in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Ouen. Organized by the Saint-Ouen tourist office, the visit represented an opportunity to take a peek into the world of high fashion.

The tour was given by Renée Taponier, who is not only conservator of the museum, but also the personal assistant of the great fashion designer himself. Her manner of presentation is informal and upbeat. Most importantly, she

You have got to go here...Funky Seattle, Wash.

Are you visiting Seattle?  I have a mini blog just for you!  Here are three funky places in Seattle that you may have not thought about visiting, but they are a must!

1. Volunteer Park

Why? Lush green lawns, beautiful flowers, walking trails, history, museums, amazing views of the city - need I say more?

2. The Fremont Troll

Why?  A troll under a bridge - who can resist that?

3. Post Alley Gum Wall (Pike Place Market)

Why? It is truly is a piece of art.  S

LosMocanos.com

Few cultural forms are more associated with the Dominican Republic than merengue music and the brisk, shuffling, hip-wagging dance that goes with it (no one’s exactly sure where the name comes from – sweet, frothy beaten egg whites or the “mareng” or “méringue” music of neighboring Haiti).  Going back more than 150 years, like tango in Argentina it once scandalized the prim and proper because of its ribald lyrics and sexy moves. Well, that’s sure as heck a thing of the past – see

I often miss the delightful ignorance of childhood, when the most important things in life were the simple pleasures of life itself.  We keep those memories somewhere in the archives of our brains, to be brought out occasionally by specific triggers such as smell and sound.  Our childhood friends were the best we ever had.  Most of us have people we take for granted, they’re called “parents”. It’s almost expected of that ignorance to limit our ability to appreciate.  But as we grow up, we realiz

The tiny nature reserve at the extreme southern end of the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica seems too pretty and unassuming to have changed history, though it did.

The Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve – Costa Rica’s first privately protected reserve – put the ecotourism capital of the world on the path to protecting the country’s natural resources.

It all started in 1960, when Swede Nicolas Wessberg (known as Olaf or Olle) and his Danish wife Karen Mogensen bought a farm near the town of Montezum

Choosing seven wonders of the world seems like a very difficult task. Just like choosing seven wonders in a single country. The year 2008 saw the foundation of an internet movement to select the seven wonders of Brazil. The result of this selection is not very clear, so, here, we propose something more substantive and real in the country: a visit to the locations declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

CULTURAL

Christ the Redeemer (1938), Rio de Janeiro

This 38-meter-tall image of Jesus of Nazareth

When our boat sailed into Patmos, we used the harbour at Grykos, rather than the main harbour at Skala. We shared the jetty with the Old Fisherman. The crew of our boat said that he was almost always there, patiently sitting in his little red boat, mending his nets. When he was out fishing, you know he’ll be back, when you see his three friends waiting for him.

Two cats and a seagull would sit on the nets waiting for him, for he always had a fish for them, no matter how meagre his catch. It’s a s

El sol siempre brilla sobre Guayaquil. La ciudad más poblada de Ecuador, capital económica del país, no se parece en nada a Quito, ciudad que ostenta el poder político. Aquí en Guayaquilhay más relax, la gente vive en la calle, hay otra manera de entender la vida. Y sí, entre las dos existe una gran rivalidad. La llamada Perla del Pacífico es una enorme urbe diseñada en cuadrícula junto al río Guayas, que le imprime personalidad y riqueza. Basta ver la cantidad de barcos de mercancías y turistas

If you've flown on any of American Airlines' 737s in the past year or two, you've seen bolted-in seat trays in rows 16 and 17 that prevent the middle seat from being occupied. The result: Seats A (window), C and D (aisle), and F offer extra elbow room and places for drinks and stashing small carry-ons. Me, I'm on a run, having recently taken four straight flights where I sat in the much-coveted Row 16.

Nice, but don't you find this somewhat strange?
After all, American Airlines' largesse would

Simply put, travelling abroad is one of the most enriching endeavours any person could undertake. The adventures savoured and experiences gained in exploring different areas of the world will definitely end up as irreplaceable and unforgettable memories. That said, there’s no denying that the simple and straightforward act of setting out and experiencing the world is fraught with numerous risks and unforeseen pitfalls. From misplaced luggage and stolen items to shady local drivers and sketchy ma

In summer I decided to do some trekking with my friend. But I did not want to go to the place with lots of people there. We sought much, read many blogs and forums to find a proper place. Some places were too far, some were reserves with special restrictions, some too populous and etc. At last we made up our mind to ask for help to a travel company. We made up our mind to use the service of Progress Tour again. Nina (the operator) said that Kakhisi lake would be the best option for us. To tell t

Recently I had the chance to get an all-too-brief taste of Norway’s second city before boarding a weeklong Hurtigruten cruise up the coast, and OMG what a right little gem I found Bergen to be. Well, if you can call a city of 266,000 “little” – but honestly, how the locals describe it really does feel totally true: essentially,you could think of it as the world’s biggest small town (for me, the German term gemütlich comes to mind).

Surrounded by forest-clad hills on Norway’s southwestern coa

With the beach facing west, the winds coming from behind pushed us away from shore until the beach was a distant white line. I was surprised that my sailing instructor had let us float that far out, so I said something about the first-ever sailing lesson at a Caribbean resort to terminate in Mexico. “Sailing lesson?” he said. “I thought you just wanted someone from the water sports desk to add weight to the boat. I don't know how to sail.”

Bummer. But it did reinforce my theory that you always l

Story and photos by Mary Gallagher

Next time you see one of those special airfare sales to LAX or are there on business seriously think about visiting lovely Redondo Beach for a few days. Just a 7-10 minute cab ride from the airport opens a whole world of relaxation and fun and a number of beach side hotels. Best of all you won’t even need a car.

Redondo Beach with its population of fewer than 70,000, its Redondo Beach Pier, International Boardwalk, and soft Redondo sand, is a wonderful place

Iguazú Falls are located in Iguazú National Park, in the extreme north east of Argentina and bordering Brazil. Surrounding the beautiful waterfalls at Iguazú are tales of ambition and power, fruits of the imaginations of travelers who have ventured within them. Before the falls can be seen, their murmur can already be heard, with the violent battering of the waters growing louder and louder as you approach.

The falls lie on the border of Argentina and Brazil, just a few miles from the Triple Fron