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Showing posts from 2013

Nelson Mandela Has Gone Home

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In South African indigenous cultures, death is only reserved for animals. The human spirit lives on so it is said that Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela has passed on, he has gone to join the ancestors, he has gone home. I have spent the last few weeks mourning this  inevitable fact, along with the rest of the world. Madiba (his Xhosa clan name) represents so much more than a political leader to me.  The brutal inhumanity of apartheid that he and his people braved, from being torn from his ancestral land to being imprisoned for 27 years because he had the audacity to protest, is inspiring not because he survived but that he refused to surrender his dignity or humanity during the process. He goes down in history for his formidable feat of forgiveness and reconciliation but he was also a  seasoned fighter who knew when to wage a battle and when to fall back. My own political awareness began with images of the children of Soweto fighting off armed police, posting "Free Mandela" poste

Next Stop: A Return to Lovely St. Lucia

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It's turning out to be a very busy year end for me. I'm still processing Oaxaca and the beauty of Huatulco but this week I'm off to one of my favorite islands, St. Lucia. This press trip is sponsored by Coconut Bay Resort , where you may recall, I experienced the unexpected pleasure of paintball in paradise , a few years ago. I'll be tackling another unlikely adventure this time, with a dive into kite surfing as well as stand-up paddle boarding. Wish me luck on that, I'm not known for having great balance so we'll see how this turns out. I'll also return to St. Lucia's famous drive in volcano and take a catamaran journey around the island.  One thing I won't be attempting this time, is scaling St. Lucia's twin peaks, The Pitons, one of which is captured above.I need to leave something for the next visit! Stay tuned for St. Lucia posts and pics next week.

Huatulco's La India Beach

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The beauty of Huatulco, Oaxaca is underscored by the fact that this quiet Mexican town boasts nine bays and 36 beaches. All of the beaches are unspoiled and uncrowded but playa La India, a crescent-shaped beach located in Chachacual Bay , wins the most attention for its serene loveliness and outstanding snorkeling. Accessible only by boat, La India stretches out with pearly sand and lush forest. I walked the beach from one end to the other and even though there were a couple of boats full of visitors, the peace and beauty of the spot was soothing. A coral reef surround La India so the snorkeling is very exciting, you're bound to see lots of jewel-toned fish and other sea creatures. But I preferred to just stroll the beach and listen to the waves. I couldn't leave La India without discovering the inspiration for the beach's name. According to locals, an indigenous couple lived on the beach before it was declared part of the national park system. The govern

Gulping Down Grasshoppers in Huatulco

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I believe in experiencing the culture of every place I visit. That's how you really connect with the essence of a location. So I was a little taken aback to discover that Huatulco's essence is buried in little, wiry, grasshopper legs. Located in Southern Mexico, along the coast of the state of Oaxaca, Huatulco pulses with Southern Mexican traditions. Munching grasshoppers or  chapulines , is one of those traditions. I was hosted by Secrets Huatulco Resort  and when an array of Oaxacan dishes was presented to me on my arrival, chapulines  were the first ones. As you can see from the photo above, they are toasted and seasoned into a mound of spicy critter snacks. Traditionally, chapulines are served with a variety of salsas, guacamole and totopos or tortilla chips or sprinkled on a taco. I was lucky that my first servings were small ones that once covered with guac and salsa, I could forget that I was munching grasshoppers.  I know the closeup above looks like

Next Stop: Huatulco, Mexico

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I'll be escaping Chicago's cold and snow this week with a press trip to Huatulco, in the Southern part of Mexico. Located on the coast of the state of Oaxaca, along the edge of the Sierra Madre mountains, Huatulco is famous for its nine lovely bays; one of them, Santa Cruz, is pictured above. Of course, I'l also be exploring as much Oaxacan history and culture as I can mange. Stay tuned for posts next week!

Embera Children Playing In The Rain

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If the eyes are the window to the soul, then children are the mirror for the soul of a culture. Wherever I travel, observing children supplies me with more information about a place than any guidebook. The Embera are one of 7 indigenous cultures in Panama and they maintain traditional villages with raised, thatched-roof huts with no walls. Peeking out from one of the huts, I watched children play in the rain. No adult cautioned them or called them into a hut, as they squealed with the delight of feeling the raindrops splatter on their little bodies. The joy and unrestricted freedom to play and explore (We caught a few peering through a hole in the village outhouse as we took turns using rain forest facilities.) that these children expressed reveals a lot about Embera culture. They are clearly valued and encouraged to discover the world around them. Although the children only spoke their native dialect, they communicated their happiness to me very strongly.

A Galena Getaway

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I love exploring the globe and experiencing different cultures but sometimes, a different world can be discovered just a few miles outside of your home. Galena, Illinois is only a few hours drive from my home but it offers another lifestyle of laid back, small town, living. A charming spot in Northwest Illinois known for 18th century architecture and as the hometown of U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant, Galena is just plain pretty. Covered with rolling hills, green valleys and bluffs, I seem to relax as soon as I step onto the cobblestone streets. Voted one of the ten best small towns in America by Forbes  magazine, Galena was also named the second friendliest city in the U.S. by Conde Nast Traveler and I understand exactly why. It may be a cliche but small towns really do nurture caring and helpful attitudes. My favorite place to stay in Galena is Cloran Mansion Bed & Breakfast and the owners, Cheryl and Carmine, are masters of Galena friendliness. Homemade cookies and an a

Visiting The Panama Canal

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I confess, I'm not usually excited about visiting huge tourist attractions but the Panama Canal proved the exception for me. Everybody heads to the site whenever they touch down in Panama and now I understand why. Viewing one of the most difficult engineering feats ever established is an awesome sight up close. The experience begins with a stop by the Miraflores Visitors Center, which supplies four floors of extensive history and interactive displays about the Panama Canal. Miraflores Locks is the tallest of the three sets of Panama Canal Locks, measuring over a mile long.The Panama Canal unfolds for 48 miles between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans so you can only view a portion of it at Miraflores Locks but it's still a jaw-dropping sight. Looking down from the observation deck, I witnessed a ship enter the waterway. '  Gatun Lake forms part of the Panama Canal, carrying ships across the Isthmus of Panama. I watched as the canal gates gradually opened and c

A Happy Day in the Gaspe'

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Quebec's Gaspe' Peninsula exudes quintessential Quebecois spirit with lots of French-flavored traditions. I spotted this clown on a sunny afternoon at the harbor of the tiny village of Perce'.  Equipped with accordion, stylish hat and shades, she doesn't look like any clown you'd see in the U.S. She crooned French children's songs as kids scurried around, blowing bubbles and playing with balloons.   With the sun playing off the bright blue waves of the sea and a crisp breeze floating over the shore, it felt like a typical cheery day in this charming maritime province.

UV Sun Protection For Eyes

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I love the sun. You will never hear me complain about too much sun or too much heat. I have never met a beach or tropical spot that I didn't love. As I write this, the sun has beamed 95 sweltering degrees onto Chicago and I am heading out to soak it up. Don't get me wrong, I always protect my skin with sunscreen and usually a wide-brimmed hat but always, always, sunglasses. I wear sunglasses year round and wherever I travel because my eyes are sensitive to light. It never occurred to me that I was actually protecting my eyes from damaging UV rays until I recently attended an informative webinar organized by The Vision Council . It turns out that your eyes can get sunburned just as easily as your skin and  wrinkles around the eyes, cataracts and cancer of the eye are all connected to UV eye exposure. Since I specialize in traveling to sun-drenched locations, I thought it would make sense to learn important UV blocking tips for the eyes. According to The Vision Council's

My Take On TBEX Toronto

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With TBEX Dublin coming up soon, I've been ruminating on my experience at TBEX Toronto . A lot of bloggers have asked me about whether it's a worthwhile conference and how such a big and buzzy event can be helpful for independent-minded bloggers. In my opinion, it all depends on who you are and where you are in your travel blogging journey. I was a speaker at the very first TBEX , when it was just a gathering of  travel bloggers and writers meeting up in Chicago. Maybe there were a 100 people at that meeting in the Chicago Cultural Center but it seemed more intimate. That was four years ago. TBEX Toronto attracted 1200 attendees. It didn't seem intimate, it didn't seem like just a gathering. It was a BIG EVENT.  There were pre-tours and post tours and parties and speed dating and lots of drama. If you are an introvert and don't deal well with crowds, you probably wouldn't find TBEX that enjoyable. If you don't like the idea of corporate sponsorship or a

A Vallarta Vision

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I know this totally looks like an arranged scene but I was lucky to grab this classic shot of a paleta  vendor relaxing in the Puerto Vallarta sun. The vivid colors of the hammock and dress, accented by the perfect, sun-blocking tilt of his hat makes this one of my favorite travel images this year. I think it showcases the appeal of Mexican culture, from the traditional textiles and importance of entrepreneurs, to the natural tropical beauty, all in one snap.

Moose Tracking in the Chic Choc Mountains

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Besides maple syrup,moose are probably the most common symbol of Canada's expansive natural beauty. I've tasted lots of maple syrup but I've never seen a moose up close so I was excited to hike through the Gaspe Peninsula's Chic Choc Mountain s and track moose.  Chic Choc ( pronounced shick-shock) means impenetrable in the First nation Mic-Mac language and the mountains did indeed present an endless maze of jaw-dropping vistas that I certainly wouldn't have navigated without our sure-footed guide, Jean Pierre. We spotted a female moose (no antlers) early in our trek and I couldn't believe our luck. I was close enough to watch her delicately select leaves to munch but she didn't seem to be fazed by the presence of five gawking humans. Staring directly at us, she calmly marched away, convinced that there was nothing we could do to all 600 pounds of her. She personified the phrase, "large and in charge." The moose was huge but we

For The Birds: Gaspe's Bonaventure Island

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The stench arrives before you even spot them. Sailing to Bonaventure Island, absorbing the stunning scenery, you realize that you're near the world's second largest Northern Gannet breeding colony when the noxious aroma of pounds of bird poop accosts your nose. But the wonder of the spectacle of hundreds of thousands of birds quickly helps you forget that. Gazing at them from a distance, they don't even look like birds but blankets of white, covering slabs of rock. Even if I didn't know that these were birds I soon received sticky proof in the form of bird poop dropped on my shoulders from the 250 foot nesting cliffs. I was glad to arrive on the island and wander the pretty trails lined with lush greenery. We hiked through the cleared trails that lead to the birds. We hiked up hills. And down hills. And through forests. And we hiked some more. Finally, there were the birds. Flapping, squawking, flying, everywhere. Everywhere you tu