Blogs

Ok, so the groom did not enter the hall on an elephant, and there were no tigers. That is just what I was fantasizing about before I attended my first Indian wedding. There was however a bride. I’m not sure she wanted to be there, but there she was.

All I could think was that I hoped her day got better.

I’ll begin at 4:00 in the morning. The wedding was to start at 6:00. We did not want to be late, and we certainly did not want to miss it. As Mary Ann put it clearly when I suggested a 5 a.m. start

As visitors to San Diego soon discover, those of us who live here are very active people. We surf, bike, kayak, scuba dive, swim, run, boogie board, hang glide – but, most of all, we walk. Sometimes we walk in our neighborhoods, but often we head to the beach, where sea views add a bonus to the buzz generated by the physical activity.

I can’t imagine a better way for travelers to get acquainted with our community so, over the next few weeks, I’m going to share some of my favorite La Jolla route

por Cristóbal Ramírez

Si quiere sentirse en el paraíso, tendrá que visitar una isla perdida en el Caribe con nombre de bicho campestre y donde los piratas llegaban en masa hasta el siglo XVIII. Hablamos de Isla Culebra, un lugar de ensueño perteneciente a Puerto Rico y que se encuentra tan solo a 32 kilómetros de la principal isla del país, donde se levanta San Juan. Isla Culebra, conocida también como Isla Chiquita o La Última Virgen, mide 11 kilómetros de largo y 5 de ancho, así que resulta

Esie Stone Image was the name of the oldest museum in Nigeria now it is called National Museum Esie. This museum was actually founded by a re-known hunter who is by name Baragbon. Baragbon migrated from Oyo the origin of Yoruba, traceable to Okanbi, Oduduwa son the Progenitor of Yoruba race as far back as 1775 and sojourned in Esie land in kwara state , . One day, this great hunter was hunting in a tick bush and accidently founded stone images in human form seated orderly in a circular arrangeme

Recent events around the world have proven once again that holding a major event is no easy matter.  Not only must a community deal with the event itself but there are always logistics, marketing, and public relations that go hand in hand with a major event.  To make matters even more challenging we live in a world of political unrest. Major events are of course targets for terrorism.  They also may incite local protests that have nothing to do with terrorism. These demonstrations are byproducts

Vacations can be exciting. And for parents who feel the need for a break away from work and all of the stress, it can be one of the most relieving times in your life. However, traveling with young children can almost put all of that that stress right back into the situation. I know that traveling with kids through airports can be seem little daunting, and with kids, it may seem a little impossible. However, there are some quick tips for you to make your vacation trip run as best as it can when t

How many species live on Earth?

Scientists estimate roughly 8.7 million, according to a 2011 study in the journal PLoS Biology, published by the Public Library of Science. The crucial point, however, is that approximately 83% of those plant and animal species have yet to be discovered. Scientists calculate that there are probably 6.5 million species living on land, and 2.2 million in the ocean, but that 86% of land-inhabitants and 91% of ocean-dwellers are still roaming at large undiscovered, des

Certainly this is not to say that powerhouse, dedicated review sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor will soon be obsolete, or redundant. But as travelers increasingly use ratings and reviews less to research a trip ( or product/service), and more to actually buying, the importance of broad-based, dedicated rating sites may be declining. 

Why?

Customers are now going directly to those websites that post reviews from multiple sources, especially from their own customers, thus reducing the clout of broad

You’re an intrepid traveler who's ventured well beyond Rome exploring many acclaimed destinations like Tuscany, Venice, and the Amalfi Coast. You’ve traveled the boot's length of Italy all the way into the heel. Welcome to Puglia, a region renowned for its pizzica folk dancing, historic ruins, year-round fresh produce, and loads of artisan food producers.

Olive trees seemingly as prolific as blades of grass form centuries-old groves producing nearly half of Italy’s olive oil supply. Blessed with

Being a native San Franciscan, I have been fortunate to view many amazing sporting events up close. The San Francisco Giants, just last October provided a miracle finish, culminating in a World Series victory and parade, on of all days, Halloween, practically San Francisco’s city holiday. The San Francisco 49ers football team narrowly missed winning their 6th Super Bowl last year. During the month of September, “The City by the Bay” played host to the world’s most prestigious sailing regatta, th

por Cristóbal Ramírez

Punkies con litronas de cerveza, una manifestación erótico-festiva de homosexuales, señoras con velo que se encuentran en el mercado y hablan en árabe, graffittis que intentan reventar conciencias, modernos que van en busca de cómics antiguos… Así es Kreuzberg, uno de los barrios más emergentes de Berlín. Se convirtió en zona capitalista después de la II Guerra Mundial, pero la parte con el distrito postal SO 36 lindaba con el Berlín del este, así que también acogió a nostál

Looking for a Costa Rica family adventure out in nature? Spend a fun-filled day splashing in the mild rollercoaster rapids of the Pejibaye River.

The beautiful, tropical Pejibaye River is a tributary of the mighty Reventazon River in the Turrialba Valley, just two hours from San Jose. Its low-key Class 2-3 rapids (in the lower section) make it a great introductory whitewater rafting trip for beginners and children (ages 8 and up). The three-hour river trip gives you spectacular scenery of coffee

One of Florida‘s — and for that matter, the United States’ — most unique towns/islands, Key West is known for lots of things: its whiff of tropical paradise; historic architecture; diving and boating; major-league gay-friendliness; the boozy tackiness of upper Duval Street; and, last but not least, for being the closest point in the United States to the island of Cuba — 90 miles, famously marked at the corner of South and Whitehead Streets (aka the end of U.S. 1), the “Southernmost Point.”

On my

Looking into the city

Although I grew up about 40 miles southwest of a world class travel destination - that great big wonderful windy city of Chicago, I tend to take it for granted. And like most people around here, I don’t get there often enough. A fact that hits home whenever I do get there. ‘Why don’t I come here more often?’ is what I ask myself every time! 

Iconic guardians of the Art Institute

Chicago is a city of contrasts – the old and the new, the North Shore with the South Side, Gra

Christopher Elliott, as usual, provides special insights into the "blending" of online travel agents and the impact on travelers. In the Seattle Times, he suggests that Travelocity's "strategic marketing agreement" with long time competitor Expedia could give consumers more travel choice. Or, he suggests, it could create some sort of travel agency monopoly, inevitably raising prices.

While the travel industry is not long on similar examples, Elliott refers to the $1.8-billion dollar purchase

I had a pair of friends visit me in Costa Rica not long ago who were vegetarian and vegan. My first reaction was, "Oh, no, what are they going to eat?" I know how much Costa Ricans love their chicken, beef, chicharrones (fried pork), fish, etc.

They said, not to worry. Rice and beans are the nation's main staples, and there is a wealth of fresh vegetables and tropical fruits. It's true!

Traveling in Costa Rica as a vegetarian or vegan, or even needing a gluten-free or dairy-free diet, is relativel

Accessible only by a 4-wheel drive required 14-mile dirt road 25 miles southeast of Big Sur, CA, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center offers an escape from everyday like no other.

Nestled in a mountain valley deep in the Ventana Wilderness Preserve, this retreat has served as a place for self-discovery and healing since 1967 when Buddhist author Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, of Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, opened Tassajara, the first Zen training monastery built outside of Japan.

Tassajara currently beckons everyo

LAVA LOVE 
Exploring America’s Most Impressive Volcanoes 
By Bret Love for GreenGlobalTravel.com

Volcanoes– openings or ruptures in a planet’s crust that allow hot magma, ash and gases to escape from below the surface– have held mankind’s fascination for thousands of years.  From Mount Vesuvius’ destruction of Pompeii in 79 AD to Colombia’s Nevado del Ruiz, whose pyroclastic flow caused over 23,000 deaths in 1985, history is littered with tales of the fearsome power of volcanoes, and many cult