Mascota and Navidad
August 23, 2024, Mexico. I checked out of El Pabellon and headed to Cafeteria Churrería Ferran, where I chatted with my friend and enjoyed an exotic churro with coffee. I […]
Monthly Archives: August 2025
San Sebastián del Oeste
August 21, 2024, Mexico. I woke up after the most restful sleep of the trip thus far. I searched for a latte place and found a grocery store that made […]
Puerto Vallarta
August 18, 2024, Mexico. Before heading south to Puerto Vallarta, I drove 10 minutes north through the jungle to San Francisco, a quaint town which had been recommended to me. […]
Sayulita
August 13, 2024, México. I left Mazatlan and headed south for my next desertion, Sayulita in Nayarit. I’d been encouraged to visit the quaint surfer town by a writer friend […]
Setting off for México
August 1, 2024, California. I finally took the plunge. I’d been delaying leaving on my trip for Mexico since July. But a camp reunion in early October and travel plans […]
Los Mochis
August 9, 2024, México. I bid Evan goodbye, thanking him for his hospitality, and stopped at Salt & Pepper Cafe to pick up a giant breakfast burrito. We had eaten […]
Mazatlán
August 11, 2024, México. I awoke and packed, heading to Mazatlán. It was already a scorcher at 8:30am. I hoped to arrive early enough to walk around the old town. […]
El Tunco
October 28, 2023, El Salvador. After a night of little sleep, I decided to check out the possibility of staying in the dorm at Papaya Lodge. A friendly guy at […]
Matagalpa to El Tunco
October 25, 2023, Nicaragua. I was jolted awake at 6 a.m. by the smell of cigarette smoke wafting in through my open window. The barking dogs didn’t help either. I got […]
Matagalpa
October 21, 2023, Nicaragua. I was excited about heading to Matagalpa but no so much about having to go through Managua which I’d heard was an urban jungle, with a […]
Granada
October 16, 2023, Nicaragua. I was anxious about missing the morning ferry. If I did, it could take more than a day to reach my next destination, Granada. I had tried […]
Altagracia, Ometepe
October 12, 2023, Nicaragua. After getting a good look at the island on the scooter, I decided to stay on the far side and booked a bed at La Urraca […]
Isla Ometepe
October 9, 2023, Nicaragua. It was still raining hard when I reached the Alamo rental agency at the Nicaraguan border in Peñas Blancas. They told me I needed to get […]
Iguanita
October 8, 2023, Costa Rica. Tom and Jean invited me to the Friends meeting this Sunday. Normally, it’s an informal “popcorn” style gathering without a leader, but this time it was […]
Monteverde
October 5, 2023, Costa Rica. From the main office, I got Wi-Fi, looked up a good place to eat, and then started walking toward the volcano on a guest path. […]
Puerto Viejo
October 1, 2023, Costa Rica. I’d left Rancho Los Palos and headed to Cartago. It was a Sunday and I didn’t expect much traffic. I’d found a swank café called […]
El Valle
September 29, 2023, Costa Rica. What a glorious day. I drove back up the steep hill toward Palmar Norte, stopping at the top to take in the view of the […]
Puerto Jiménez, Osa Peninsula
September 28, 2023, Costa Rica. I was jolted awake at 5:30 a.m. by a dog barking furiously and digging as if it were trying to get into my tent. Great. […]
Drake Bay, Osa Peninsula
September 24, 2023, Costa Rica. I was sad to leave Ma and Eli, but I was running out of time with the rental car. Diego at Alamo had generously given […]
Rancho Los Palos, Cerro Gavilanes
September 21, 2023, Costa Rica. Given how much I’d done the day before, I was surprised to wake up easily at 7 a.m. I had offered to take Machita to […]
La Sierra
September 18, 2023, Costa Rica. It was my last day at Russ’s, and I knew I had to scoot when the cleaners came. Sure enough, I heard them babbling away […]
Boquete Post Surgery – Part 3
August 29, 2023, Panama. I had intentionally scheduled my return so I could go to Tuesday Market and buy French pastries from Bastien. He also bakes for the pool and […]
Ojochal
September 12, 2023, Costa Rica. I wasn’t looking forward to the day—it involved catching buses, crossing the border, and all the usual travel hassles. I rushed to Tuesday Market, bought […]
Couch Surfing in Boquete
September 6, 2023, Panama. I woke at 8:30 and went to Buckle Tip for a latte—I hadn’t had one since Friday. I stopped by the artisan market to say hello […]
Santa Catalina
August 24, 2023, Panama. I woke at 6:30 to catch the 7 a.m. shuttle to Santa Catalina, to check out the charming beach town on the Pacific. I had a […]
Boquete Post Surgery – Part 2
August 20, 2023, Panama. I slept poorly, probably due to the two lattes—the second one at noon—and partly because I was anxious about getting up early to go to Cerro […]
Staying with Ruben Barrales
July 3, 2014, Mexico. I had met Ruben when I first arrived in Mexico City to visit Alejandro. They had picked me up at the airport and I’d stayed with […]
Exploring Mexico City
June 24, 2014, Mexico. The friend who had invited me to travel with him, Le Barrales, had had a change of heart. Not sure what got up his butt, but […]
Bocas del Toro
April 17, 2023, Panama. I woke at 7 and packed quickly, only to have my food bag rip as I left the apartment. I had to run back upstairs for […]
Mexico City
June 11, 2014, Mexico. Le Barrales had invited me to visit him in Mexico City. We’d met at the Musicology Hostel in Bogotá, Colombia, in October 2012. I had planned […]
Flores
October 25, 2012, Guatemala. Looking at flights, I decided to head to Belize with a short stay in San Salvador. At the airport, I had wanted to explore the surrounding […]
Bogotá, Medellín, Salento, and Santa Fe de Antioquia
October 7, 2012, Colombia. I ended up making friends with a young Mexican man from Mexico City named Le (short for Alejandro) who worked at the Musicology Hostel. Over the […]
Arequipa
October 4, 2012, Peru. Arequipa is known as the White City for its beautiful colonial architecture built from sillar, a pale volcanic stone that gives the town its signature glow. […]
Iquique and Arica
September 5, 2012, Chile. Claudio and I found a cheap residencial—only $8 USD per person per room. I needed my own room, as I was still really sick. My birthday passed […]
Antofagasta
August 28, 2012, Chile. Antofagasta’s business district, centered around Plaza Colón, was surprisingly pleasant. In the middle of the square stands a clock tower donated by the British in 1911, […]
La Serena
August 23, 2012, Chile. We had planned to skip La Serena, but Claudio’s friend insisted we visit—I’m glad we did. La Serena is the second-oldest city founded in Chile, though […]
Back in Santiago de Chile
August 16, 2012, Chile. After returning to Santiago, I found myself with an unexpected week to enjoy the highlights of its lovely city center. Many of the most important buildings […]
Bariloche to Santiago: the wild ride
August 15, 2012, Argentina. After a warm reunion with Claudio—whom I had missed after two weeks apart—we left Bariloche and headed toward Valdivia. Every time I cross the border between […]
San Martín de los Andes to El Bolsón
August 9, 2012, Argentina. I spent a few more days soaking in the energy of San Martín de los Andes and found myself particularly inspired by La Pastera, a small memorial […]
Sapporo
May 14, 2025, Hokkaido, Japan. Breakfast was lovely—thick, fluffy toast topped with lettuce and prosciutto, served alongside potato soup. It hit the spot. I decided to head to Oriyama for […]
Lisa Karpinski 