Backpacking
Colombia Trip: Day Five (Medellin)
What happened to day four you ask? Well, I really did nothing of note, or at least nothing that was so significant that I wanted to blog about it. I went to this giant outside mall with a couple people from Germany where we shopped for shoes in about a hundred different little shoe stores, […]
Colombia Trip: Day Three (Part Two)
One of the most popular day trips from Bogotá is to head about an hour north to Zipaquirá, home to the famous Salt Cathedral. To get there you have to head to the end of the line of the Tranmileno (see above), Bogotá´s above-ground subway system. Zipaquirá, like most towns settled by they Spanish, has […]
Colombia Trip: Day Three (Part One)
Plaza de Bolivar is the historic center of Bogotá and is just south of La Candeleria, the neighborhood where I´m staying that´s full of old single-story stucco houses in Spanish colonial style. It´s also where most of the city´s universities are located so, not surprisingly, it´s also full of small bars, cafes and restaurants. Here´s […]
Colombia Trip: Day Two
Wednesday nights in Bogotá means Quiebra Canto, the two-story club/bar. Converted from an old house, this club really seemed like the only thing going on Bogotá and by 11:30 it seemed like half the population of the city was there. Good D.J. — he somehow managed to mix a collection of Reggaeton, 80s rap, and […]
Colombia Trip: Day One (Part Two)
I had the row to myself on the flight out of Houston to Bogotá which was great because I was able to stretch out across all three seats and catch a few hours of sleep. The bad thing about arriving at your destination at 5 in the morning is that you´re not likely to hit […]
Colombia Trip: Day 1
The trip really got off to an interesting start as our plane was waiting on the tarmac at Newark International Airport. The pilot came on the radio and said, ¨Folks, believe it or not, this is not the first time this has ever happened.¨ (Words you don´t want to hear from your pilot pre-takeoff. That´s […]
The Lost City Of Colombia?
Discovered only a few decades ago, La Ciudad Perdida, Colombia’s Lost City is accessible to those willing to endure a days-long trek, a couple of treacherous river crossings, and oh yeah, the possibility of contracting one of several tropical mosquito-borne diseases. But that’s half the fun isn’t it? Here’s a great account of one such […]
Traveling To Chan Chan: The Other Machu Picchu (But Older And Bigger)
Machu Pichu probably can’t be beat for shear views alone but don’t forget that Peru is also home to Chan Chan, the largest and one of the oldest ruins in all of South America. Just east of Peru’s third-largest city, Trujillo, Chan Chan is easy to get to — no massive hikes to get to […]
The Frugal Traveler Speaks: Reveals Plans For World Domination On $100/Day
Last night the New York Times travel writer, Matt Gross (a/k/a The Frugal Traveler), stopped by Idlewild Bookstore, the new travel bookstore here in New York, for a talk about his recently wrapped up “Grand Tour” of Europe, his thoughts on the idea of travel writing, and his plans (or lack thereof) for next summer. […]
Livin’ The High Life In Gothenburg Before Reality Sets In
Enjoying the high life in Gothenburg, Sweden’s second largest city, without breaking the bank takes a little discipline and a lot of imagination. By Matt Stabile There’s no doubt about it: I had traveled to Gothenburg in first class; once I got there it was back to reality. I’d just arrived from Stockholm on the […]