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 […]
Author Archives: Lisa Karpinski
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 had a change of heart. Unfortunately, he waited till I arrived to tell me. He’d been pestering me […]
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 […]
Otaru
May 11, 2025, Hokkaido, Japan. I slept restlessly and woke around 6 a.m. I couldn’t get back to sleep for a couple of hours and kept turning over whether I […]
Hakodate
May 9, 2025, Hokkaido, Japan. I was sad to leave Matsumae. I could have easily spent a week there, wandering in the hills and exploring the small town. It seemed […]
Matsumae
May 7, 2025, Hokkaido, Japan. I packed quickly and barely made the train. Shawn likes cutting it close, and I honestly didn’t think he’d make it this time. I carried […]
Hirosaki
May 4, 2025, Japan. I had really enjoyed our 3 day stay in Kakunodate. Before catching the 11:05 train, I rushed back to the Nishinomiya-Memorial complex, hoping for a second […]
Kakunodate
May 1, 2025, Japan. I was sad to be leaving Tōno. We packed our bags and headed to the municipal museum, which turned out to be excellent. I stayed until […]
Tōno
April 29, 2025, Japan. I woke up bleary-eyed after another rough night. No espressos in this town, so we headed straight to the train for an early start. We arrived […]
Hiraizumi
April 27, 2025, Japan. I really liked Matsushima and wish I had more than a day. I asked Shawn if he minded leaving mid-day for Hiraizumi, and he agreed. I […]
Matsushima
April 26, 2025, Japan. We left Yamagata around 9:30 after enjoying a latte and pastry at a Starbucks in the train station. I had wanted to see the old hospital […]
Santa Fe
August 11, 2023, Panama. I slept only two or three hours. I told Einy I thought I should stay, but she seemed perplexed and gave me the impression she thought […]
Boquete Post Surgery – Part 1
August 16, 2023, Panama. I woke up at 8:04—my alarm was set for 8:05. I shoved some cornflakes in my mouth and met up with the three Spanish women to […]
Panama City Post Surgery
July 20, 2023, Panama. I had first arrived in Panama in April, but had been forced to fly home for meniscus surgery. I’d fallen off the proverbial horse and had […]
El Valle de Antón After Knee Surgery
August 1, 2023, Panama. I woke after a restless night, still thinking about feeling taken advantage of and knowing I needed to say something. I wrote a message to Tamir […]
Latvia and Lithuania
Summer, 2015. I spent some time in Sigulda, where I learned about a Jewish painter who had a strong influence on Latvian art. I tried to find a latte but […]
Tblisi
May 7, 2015, Georgia. I arrived at Tbilisi airport around 5 pm. Max, a Nigerian student at the Technical University, greeted me. He’s been working with the Georgian consulate to […]
Car Camping through Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, and France – summer 2016
Croatia I started my day with a latte at Pécsi Kave, then hit the road for Zagreb. The drive was slow and packed with trucks, winding through small villages that […]
Tarn
August 26, 2018, France. I thought about stopping in Lyon, but the roadwork was daunting—too many diversions and closed roads. I continued on and decided to visit Rodez, which claimed […]
Germany
August 19, 2018. In the morning, I continued to Lübeck and arrived around 11:15 a.m. I really enjoyed the city—it was beautiful, with a charming tower, a moat, and a […]
Denmark
August 16, 2018. After stopping to look at a mill and manor, I crossed a bridge under construction and came across a beautiful church, which I took time to explore. […]
Lisa Karpinski 