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Central America

A Nature Trip to Parque Cerro Verde

Parque Cerro Verde is a hidden gem located outside San Salvador, El Salvador. Nestled in the mountains, this national park offers breathtaking views, rich flora and fauna, and a chance to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. The park can be accessed via a winding road that takes

Joya de Ceren – The Pompeii of the Americas

Joya de Ceren is an ancient Maya village located just outside of San Salvador, the capital city of El Salvador. This ancient village offers a glimpse into the everyday lives of the Mayans who inhabited the area over 1,400 years ago. The site is often referred to as the “Pompeii

Hiking Sta Ana Volcano in San Salvador

Standing at the base of the majestic Sta Ana volcano in San Salvador, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement and adventure. The highest towering peak is 2,362 m. (7,749 feet) in El Salvador loomed above me, beckoning me to come closer and explore its hidden secrets. Hiking Sta

Coyoacan – A Morning Stroll

Discovering Coyoacan was a travel itinerary that wasn’t supposed to happen. From our hotel in Mexico City, a friend and I hired a taxi to take us around for a day. Our first stop was Frida Kahlo’s Blue House – and we were told that the queue would be unbearable.

Inside Palacio Nacional del Gobierno in Guadalajara

Going inside Palacio Nacional del Gobierno in Guadalajara is like time traveling. If the walls could talk, their stories can be worth a series of historical documentaries for Netflix or for television. I’ll be binge-watching it for sure. My friend and I had only a night’s stay in Guadalajara. Yes,

Portrait of a Cuban Taxi Driver

Here’s a street portrait of of a Cuban taxi driver I met while backpacking in Cienfuegos. On my second and last day in the town, I hired him to go around because I wanna see more of the French art deco buildings which can be found everywhere around this small

How Americans Can Go To Cuba

A few days ago, a friend of mine asked me if Americans can now go to Cuba. Well, unfortunately, the answer is NOT YET. That’s as far as I know. Though Cuba and USA have already raised their flags in each other’s country, it might take time for Americans to go

Varadero Beach

Varadero Beach in Cuba is well-known as a tropical destination for Canadians during the freezing month in the Great White North. People who usually go here for the sun, sand and sea are those who are in all-inclusive vacation packages, staying in 3 to 5 star hotels which abound the

Murals of Propaganda in Cuba

I took a lot of photos of murals of propaganda in Cuba during my 16-day backpacking trip last year. However, I had to delete a lot of them, too, because I forgot to bring an extra memory card for my camera—and I didn’t bring my laptop because I know that

Things to do in Cuba

Here is my own list of things to do in Cuba. Or a list of things I did in Cuba. Now that Cuba and the United States are fixing their long-time political brouhaha, it won’t be long that American visitors will be flooding to the Caribbean’s largest nation soon. And

Santiago de Cuba – things to do, see, scams and annoyances

My fabulous, Cuban landlords had warned me not to go to Santiago de Cuba — and I should have listened. Well, I actually did. I scrapped it off my list of places to visit before flying to Havana. Instead of going to Santiago, I changed my itinerary to Vinales. However,

The Creoles of Santiago de Cuba

Tired from my own walking tour in Santiago de Cuba, I sat down on a bench at Plaza de Dolores. Out of nowhere, these Creoles showed up, sat on the opposite bench, and got ready to play their music. However, they seemed restless. Their eyes were wandering around for a
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