Blogs

Petering out crowd is a challenge to any festival. Keeping the audience interest alive is a comment on the organisers’ ingenuity and imagination. Day three of the Hornbill in Nagaland in December was therefore a test; the teasers had done their job, the flitters had left and the real festival junkies slouched around to check whether the varnish peeled. With the honeymoon over and the real business of the festival settling in, the best way out was to rekindle the passion for storytelling so preva

Exploring Costa Rica by kayak is a fun way to enjoy nature and spot wildlife in a myriad of different settings. Costa Rica counts close to 800 miles of ocean coastline between the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, along with hundreds of rivers and estuaries, and several lakes – all full of kayaking possibilities.

Kayaking is good exercise, and you can work on your tan at the same time! Oftentimes, kayaking trips include other activities like snorkeling, wildlife spotting or trail walking. You can ea

That Friday, when the Lord was on the Cross, an angel named Ourael took the blood of Christ in a glittering cup and sprinkled it all over the Earth. All grounds that received a drop of the holy blood were chosen to be sanctified and blessed places to establish churches on them and made them their holy seats. So Ethiopian Orthodox Church history recounts.

The following writings are to give histories and descriptions about the churches and monasteries scattered all over Ethiopia. Read those words

The very name Cheltenham conjures up images of turf being thrown up by thundering hooves to a backdrop of shouts and cheers.  This elegant spa town in Gloucestershire in the heart of England is one of the country's most prominent horse racing venues, and each year in March the town's racecourse hosts a festival widely regarded as the "Oscars" of the horse-racing world.  The festival is commonly referred to as the Cheltenham Gold Cup, although strictly speaking it is the Cheltenham Festival, and

Long swaths of gold and light beige sand, warm, clear aquamarine water, world-class surf conditions and spectacular sunsets – the Pacific beaches of Santa Teresa and Malpaís in Costa Rica consistently win recognition for being the best beaches in Central America.

Both top Costa Rica beach destinations are found on the western coast of the southern Nicoya Peninsula. Poor or non-existing roads kept this tropical utopia off the beaten path for decades. Backpackers and surfers camping their way along

When I was young, I dreamed of getting out of my small town, my dysfunctional family, and cold New England winters to places where palm trees rustled in the wind.

©2014 Karla Jacobs. Leaving Bora Bora bound for Raiatea

Once I entered the job market my dreams didn't fade a bit, but money was always a problem. The kinds of vacations I yearned for were far beyond my reach.

Not only would they cost many thousands of dollars, but the way I envisioned them, they would also take time. Not just the two we

Florida means different things to different people. Popular characteristics include Disney, sunshine, gators, the Everglades, and miles of wide open beaches. And then there's Florida's Gulf coast, endless stretches of powder white sand that were remarkably resilient to the ravages of the Deep Water Horizon oil spill several years ago. Right in the middle is Clearwater Beach studded with a wide variety of beachfront lodgings ranging from mom & pop motels to grand hotels. The Hyatt Regency Clearwa

Following in the ancient mariners footsteps of Greece is a joy sailing in a traditional clipper. Bev Malzard reports.

It was the first morning on board the Star Clipper – a wondrous beauty that was to take us in Homer’s steps across the sea from Greece to Turkey. The renowned re-creation of a classic clipper was exclusive enough to only carry 170 passengers and we had 70 crew to look after us!

We had embarked on our seven-day journey in the port of Piraeus, a 30 minute train trip from Athens. We w

A esta ciudad le va la marcha. Y no solo por los volcanes que la rodean, que de vez en cuando truenan. Caminando y dando traspiés sobre el empedrado se juntan señoras con vestidos de colores, turistas con ganas de conocer a fondo Guatemala y veinteañeros americanos dispuestos a aprender español y salir de farra.

Antigua, la ciudad guatemalteca que fue capital del país hasta el siglo XVIII, es una mezcla. Su casco histórico, patrimonio mundial por la Unesco, es cuadriculado como el de Manhattan

Living the life you dream of means some day you have to wake up. For a year I'd traveled the world, sipped vintage Champagne, ate at swanky restaurants and bedded down in suites at five-star hotels. Without opening my purse -- well, maybe twice I opened my purse -- I still paid. Journalism was my game.
          The last night of my last press trip was a Patagonian cruise from Ushuaia to Punta Arenas, navigating Tierra del Fuego's icy jigsaw puzzle of glaciers and barren islands. The route woul

The morning sun filtering through the rainforest foliage at Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge in Costa Rica shimmers gold as the light catches the strands of the complex web woven by a golden orb spider.

I’m generally not a big fan of spiders, like most people, but the golden orb is fascinating. These large spiders weave enormous pigmented webs, adjusted in color for camouflage, with protecting chemicals, and such incredible strength and elasticity that bioengineers and other scientists are studyin

Tá lá no Aurélio: “nobre” vem do latim “nobile” e significa, entre outras coisas, “distinto, célebre, generoso, majestoso, excelente, sublime”. Não por acaso, a cidade de Nobres, no Mato Grosso, leva este nome – e no plural. Mérito da beleza impressionante das águas e da  fauna que pode ser encontrada lá, escondida do mundo. Quer dizer, mais ou menos: a cidade recebe a visita freqüente de turistas alemães, vindos lá de longe para se encantar com as nossas próprias maravilhas que a gente, tão per

The image held in the minds of most individuals as they visualize the influx of settlers into Kansas territory in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries probably resembles something along the lines of the opening 45 seconds of the 1970s television series Little House on the Prairie.  Although the TV show was set in Minnesota, the image remains of a smiling, happy, eager family traveling by covered wagon to a world of promise and fulfillment.

However, there was a distinct population of Kansans who

A great recipe for the gourmet. Head to La Truffe Sauvage in Lake Charles, Louisiana for a world-class dinner served with wine from its large international collection. Try one of Chef Mohamed Chettouh's specialties – Stuffed Pheasant Breast.  He is gracious enough to share his recipe.

Pheasant Breast Stuffed with Leek and Fennel

2 whole pheasant 3 pound each

1 cup julienne leek, blanched

1 cup julienne fennel, blanched

Salt pepper

Butcher string

For the natural jus

1 cup diced leek

1 cup diced carrot

1 c

The capital of the island of Crete during the Neolithic era was Phaestos. But the small settlement of Gortyn grew and grew, until it eventually became a city that eclipsed Phaestos.  During the Roman era, in the first century, it became capital of Crete.  The remains of this time, the city’s apogee, can be seen and studied today in archaeological excavations that have led to some of the most important discoveries in Europe.

The excavations began in 1884, leaving the workers themselves amazed.

North of the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano in Guanacaste, there is a place where the dry brown rolling plains give way to tall, lush green forest. Suddenly you are in an enchanted paradise of gushing waterfalls, warm thermal springs, sky blue streams, and bright orchids. This is a place where jaguars, pumas and tapirs roam free. Listen for the call of howler monkeys and the symphony of tropical birdsong with cicadas whirring in tempo. This is Sensoria.

Sensoria is a private nature reserve that pro

Here's a rule of thumb...just when you can no longer stand winter, skiing conditions are certain to be their best. Last minute powder dumps combined with melting crowds make for some of the season's top trail conditions.

In New Hampshire at Jackson Cross Country Ski Touring Center, it's a pretty safe bet you can count on this scenario until April. With an extensive network of trails totaling 93 miles (58 of which are groomed & double tracked daily), Jackson has the most extensive cross-country sk

Bogotá va desprendiéndose de su piel antigua como un lagarto. La capital colombiana está reinventándose a golpe de creatividad y una muestra de ello es el barrio de La Macarena. Ubicado entre los cerros orientales, las famosas torres del parque en forma de caracol, los altos edificios de oficinas y la robusta plaza de toros emerge un barrio que a primera vista parece un pueblecito. Sus calles están salpicadas de fachadas de colores y decoración de los siglos XIX y principios del XX. Hace años er