Blogs

Shopping in New York City, even for a somewhat jaded ex-New Yorker like myself, can often yield some pretty nifty surprises. A few years ago, to cite but one example, I found three spectacular wooden Catholic saints from Macau in an outdoor Chelsea antiques market that no longer exists (thanks to a new condo). What caught my eye about these saints was their distinct Asian features, something I'd never seen before, or since. The price? $90 each. Two still adorn my home in Miami; the third I sold

San Jose downtown is a city full of contrasts, with the regular hustle of a capital city, it stills keeping a unique essence on its surroundings. The top attractions within the area are mainly based in cultural activities, like museums, theatres and historical architecture. And is actually the historical and cultural richness what brings visitors to the must see in San Jose: ¨The National Theatre¨.

This historical jewel was inaugurated in October of 1897, after seven years of construction, it s

On Nov 26, 2010, Maryel and me set out to explore a dirt road, leading east from Campos do Jordão to the Br-459. I had been wanting to check out this road for a long time, so I was glad we finally found some time to do it. Since we had no idea what to expect, we took our dirt bikes, and that turned out to be the right call, because the trail is not really an easy one, but for anyone who would like to do a +/- 90km enduro ride, it’s perfect. As a special bonus, the views of the surrounding Serra

The quiet and restful Genal Valley has a history that goes back hundreds of years. It is located in La Serranía de Ronda (the Ronda Mountains) just to the south of the bustling white village of Ronda, near the Mediterranean coast in southern Spain.

The Genal Valley is sandwiched happily between two national parks, La Sierra de las Nieves and Grazalema, and it is commonly acknowledged as the greenest part of Andalusia.

The valley is divided into upper and lower sections, with the Alto Genal (upper

Rio de Janeiro is a great place for rock climbing, and one of the more difficult climbs, but definitely most beautiful ones is Corcovado mountain (also referred to as K2), on top of which stands the most famous landmark of Rio de Janeiro: the statue of Christ the Redeemer. When a good friend of  mine invited me to do this climb, despite not being a real rock climber, I didn’t think twice and accepted.

The climb starts at 500m above the city. You can hike the whole way to the base, but we took th

San Diego has two beachfront hotels and they are both located on La Jolla Shores Beach, a mile from “the village” of La Jolla and about 11 miles from downtown San Diego.

One is La Jolla Shores Hotel and the other is the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club.

I recently toured La Jolla Shores Hotel and – even though I live nearby – I was really sorry when the visit was over. There’s something incredibly special about being right on the beach – kayakers and scuba divers come and go, flocks of pelicans fly o

Ayurveda, the science of life, was a medicine practiced in India since 5000 years ago. It is gaining prominence in modern day as there are no side effects of Ayurveda. More and more people are showing faith & belief in this holistic and alternative medicine.

Ayurvedic medicine is based on the concept of 3 doshas or Tridosha, Vata (the lightest), Kapha (heaviest) and Pitta (medium built). Doshas are mainly the “force” or “faults” in the basic built up of our body and can go easily out of order or

Customized travel, also known as “bespoke travel,” is my preferred way to travel and I love England, so you can imagine how excited I was to meet Glynn Burrows.

Here’s the pick-up line that won my heart:

“I love to travel, and when I travel, I don't want to be like an animal on a cattle-float. I want to go where I want to go to and see what I want to see. I want to experience local life and go down country lanes. I want to wander around little villages and look in tiny churches. I also want to g

Auckland one of the largest urban cities of New Zealand, is a paradise for holiday. The city along with offering major tourists attractions also celebrates several festivals. Queen’s Birthday celebration is one such festival that is celebrated to honor Queen Elizabeth II and also mark the beginning of Ski Season. Book your air tickets to Auckland if you wish to join the celebrations on this day.

Auckland is one of the most wonderful cities of New Zealand. Surrounded by the Isthmus of the Pacifi

150th ANNIVERSARY OF THE CIVIL WAR: DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT 

The 150th anniversary of the American Civil War began April 12, but for many of us who are pinned down by work and school, the occasion really begins this summer. And make no mistake: The Civil War sesquicentennial is a very big deal. Without the Civil War, the United States would have split into two politically, militarily, and economically weaker countries. What's more, slavery might not have ended until the 20th century.

The costs

Read on to learn more about Tamil Nadu tourism and information tips in southern India:

Money Transfer: In Tamil Nadu you can make use of instant money transfer facilities through national and international banks such as Bank of India, Canara Bank, HDFC Bank, IDBI Bank, Indian Bank, ICICI Bank, Indian Overseas Bank and State Bank of India. Multinational Banks such as American Express and Thomas Cook will also attend money transfer services. You can en-cash your traveler’s cheques. Most of the shop

Yesterday was a special occasion for me – no, not so much the Rapture but a relationship anniversary – though I will admit that in a bizarre way all that ruckus had made me feel like flying up to my old and still occasional New York City stomping grounds to camp it up with Harold Camping's kooky kultists in Times Square. But I'd recently had surgery and am grounded in my current home base of Miami for the moment. So here we were at the appointed time at a fancyish downtown fish joint called The

This is a small soda lake on the floor of the Great Rift Valley laying in between the other well known lakes like Naivasha and Nakuru. The Lake was designated as a ramsar site in 2005 and is also an important bird area with the lake boa sting of around 450 species of birds. Its famed to be the only breeding ground for the white pelicans in the East African region.

The landscape around the lake shows evidence of past volcanic activity including some hotsprings on the southern tip of the lake. The