Plainly translated from Spanish, Pura Vida means “simple life” or “pure life”, but in Costa Rica it is more than just a saying, it is a way of life. Costa Ricans use the term to say hello, to say goodbye, to exchange convivial greetings, and as a general, universal feel-good reply to most everything. It…
Continue reading →Stretching 50 miles from Colon on the Atlantic side to Panama City on the Pacific, the Panama Canal, built over a hundred years ago, is still an engineering marvel and one of the most significant waterways on earth. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a key conduit for international maritime trade….
Continue reading →Instead of the usual stories-high stacks of shipping containers, swarthy longshoremen, cheap souvenir stands, and duty free shops, the port of Cartagena adds a very special welcome for its arriving visitors. The path to enter or exit the port will lead you through a natural paradise…a port oasis. Officially known as Aviaro Nacional Baru de…
Continue reading →I wrote about Cartagena in 2015 (see my post “Colombia’s Hidden Secret”) and now, on my third visit to this beautiful city, I am still captivated. Forget what you might think still exists about gangs and drug lords of the past. Cartagena de Indias, as the city was known in the colonial era, has been…
Continue reading →I love living in the bow of the ship. It has its drawbacks for sure. Every seasoned cruiser will advise against choosing a cabin in the bow, arguing that low and center is preferable for optimal stability. And to prove that theory, our first four days of this journey were spent relentlessly rocking and rolling…
Continue reading →The third most photographed home in America, after the White House and Graceland, Villa Casa Casuarina regularly attracts a throng of tourists and curiosity seekers at its address on Ocean Drive in the swank and wealthy neighborhood of South Beach, Miami. Perhaps due to its opulent Mediterranean revival architecture that stands out among the Art…
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