Back-a-Bush & Butterflies
Back in Belize, we take ma and pa on the recently-dubbed “Toledo Adventure Trail” loop, visiting a friend’s organic farm and guesthouse and a Blue Morpho butterfly farm in San Miguel.
Finca Tatin
Like straight out of the pages of Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, we slowly motor up the country’s mightiest river and forge deep into the jungle on a little-known tributary searching for a man and a place.
Livingston II
After a relaxing day at the beach, we return to our home away from home in Livingston to soak in the last bits of civilization before heading up river into the jungle.
Playa Blanca II
One week after my parents arrival in Belize, Lori and I pack it up and drive them both down to immigration to ship them off to sea…
Welcome to the Jungle (Pt.2)
I take my ol’ man on an outing to visit a Mayan ruin and some very angry waterfalls, before we all head to Ixcacao chocolate for a traditional Belizean lunch and chocolate tasting.
Welcome to the Jungle (Pt.1)
After introducing my parents to island life in the Caribbean, we ventured inland for a sampling of Belize’s wild side.
Caye Caulker IV
In mid-June, Lori and I returned for our fourth time to Caye Caulker to introduce my parents to the Isle of Go-Slow and to bid farewell (for now) to the caye that started it all for us here in Belize.
Cockscomb
Hiking through the jungle, tubing lazily down the river and overnighting in an old logger’s camp in the world’s first Jaguar Preserve!
Tiger Cave!
We spend Belize Labor Day (May 1) hiking through the jungle to Toledo’s own Tiger Cave to commune, yet again, with the Mayan Underworld of Xibalba.
Semana Santa: Procession I
The second in a series of photo essay slide shows covering the world renowned ceremony and pageantry of Antigua’s Semana Santa (Easter Holy Week).
Semana Santa: Alfombras
The first in a series of photo essay slide shows covering the world renowned ceremony and pageantry of Antigua’s Semana Santa (Easter Holy Week).
Cozumel: Island Beach Hopping and Self-Driving
Taking a day trip to drive around beautiful Isla de Cozumel for incredible snorkeling, effortless swimming, great food and cheap drinks!
Cristalino Cenote
We spend the morning snorkeling, cliff jumping, and having our feet feasted on by tiny man-eating fish in the crystal-clear waters of Cristalino cenote on the Riviera Maya.
Puerto Morelos
Taking in the stunning turquoise waters and peculiar tilting lighthouse of this sleepy Caribbean fishing village.
Cancun
We added Cancun to the itinerary to see what’s been missing in our lives all these years. The answer? Gorgeous beaches!…if you can get to them.
Chichen Itza (Izamal to Cancun)
We made a stop on our way from Izamal to Cancun to tour the ancient Maya city and UNESCO heritage site of Chichen Itza.
The “Yellow City” of Izamal
We explore the Yucatan’s charming and colorful “Yellow City,” clambering up Mayan ruins and taking in the Spanish colonial architecture, as well as the people and food of this idyllic inland pueblo.
Caye Caulker III
We take the Caye Caulker Water Taxi a third time to this quirky and beautiful island. With Lori’s parents along for the ride, we visit old stand-bys and new favorites.
Yucatan Trip
Our itinerary from a month of activities and travel with Lori’s parents, logging over 1,000 miles overland in Belize and Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula.
Trip Report: A Weekend on Lime Caye
A memorable weekend on stunning and off-the-beaten-path Lime Caye, lodging, lounging, snorkeling and fishing at the southern tip of the Belize Barrier Reef.
Explosives and Sacrament in Antigua
We found ourselves in Antigua, Guatemala on New Years Day, completely caught off guard by the mayhem ensuing in the city center.
Antigua Guatemala
We spent the first four days of 2014 in utterly charming and supremely picturesque Antigua Guatemala, Spain’s former seat of power in Central America.
Up The Rio Dulce
Our first trip up the Rio Dulce, with Lori’s brother Dan along for the ride. We hit up Livingston, Finca Tatin and Fronteras (aka Rio Dulce Town).
San Ignacio (Cayo)
After leaving Caye Caulker, we head to San Ignacio with Lori’s brother Dan. In addition to being an excellent jumping off point for Tikal and ATM caves, San Ignacio proves a great little destination in itself.
San Pedro (Ambergris Caye)
The third day of our holiday travel takes Dan, Lori and me to San Pedro, Belize’s well-trodden and widely known full-service paradise in the north.
Caye Caulker II
The fun continues on Caulker, as we kick back on the Split, gorge ourselves on amazing seafood and sail up the Belize Barrier Reef for a day of snorkeling.
Fun On The Northern Highway
I kicked off our holiday travel driving solo to Belize City to collect Lori’s brother, then venturing to the Mayan ruins of Altun Ha and attempting to reach Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary.
Holiday Travel: Belize & Guatemala
We took advantage of Lori’s holiday break to retrace old steps, explore new areas of Belize and do some traveling through Guatemala with Lori’s brother. Here’s an overview.
Belizean Cultural Day
We head out with Hillside students and staff to sample a “lee-bit” of Southern Belize including Q’eqchi basket weaving and tortilla making, Garifuna drumming, Mayan ruins, and a chilly swim into the depths of the Earth.
Garifuna Settlement Week
The sights and sounds of Garifuna Settlement Week in Punta Gorda featuring a sunrise settlement re-enactment and PG’s own Battle of the Drums!
Livingston
We skip town on Pan-American Day weekend to break on through to the other side…of Amatique Bay…to visit the funky and incredibly charming seaside town of Livingston, Guatemala.
Birthday Weekend On Tobacco Caye
We spend my birthday (and Belize’s too!) on a tiny remote island on the barrier reef.
The Cow that Laughs and Smiles
Chronicling a cheesy love affair with two upbeat bovine brands — I make a stomach-churning error which forces me to face the moo-sic.
First Month in Southern Belize
The first installment of daily life vignettes and experiences from Punta Gorda/ Eldridgeville.
Caye Caulker
We head to slow and funky Caye Caulker en route to Toledo District in Belize, to soak up some island fun in the sun and see what all the fuss is about.
The Belize Move
Moving to our new home for [at least] one year in Toledo District of beautiful southern Belize!
Samosas And Farewell
Local food gets repetitive, hotel food gets expensive, and expat food is often far away (and expensive). So what is a consultant to do when they are staying at the Mille Collines for a month? They eat samosas. Lots of samosas.
My March In Hotel Rwanda
What is it like to spend nearly a month in Africa’s most famous (or infamous) hotels? Read about it here as well as what to see, do and eat on an extended stay in this lovely hilltop capital.
Kigali’s Caplaki Market
Caplaki Market is a fun place to go in Kigali if you want to pick up some uniquely Rwandan handicrafts and chat with local merchants.
Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre
A visit to Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre is not for the faint of heart, but crucial in understanding Rwanda’s recent past.
Rwanda Highway Life
Off on site visits for the Rwanda assignment, covering Nyanza (aka Nyabisindu) and Huye (Butare) in the south, and barely making it to Musanze (aka Ruhengeri) which is a story in itself…
Rwanda: An Introduction
Is it possible for one country to be both insanely endearing and incredibly heartbreaking? Welcome to Rwanda, one of the friendliest, cleanest and most enigmatic countries you’ll ever travel to.
It’s The Climate
Backpacking in the tropics isn’t always a cakewalk, especially in the middle of rainy season. We tried our best to avoid the rains and would have been completely unsuccessful if not for a last-minute decision to head to Laos.
Hong Kong: Tai-O Stilted Village
Mere miles from Central Hong Kong, the stilted fishing village of Tai O appears unmoved by global financial markets, 100-story high-rises and Michelin-rated restaurants — but for how long is anybody’s guess…