Back in Tblisi
My next ride was not so serene. After waiting about an hour at the train station in Zugdidi, I caught a marshutka headed directly for Tblisi. Unfortunately, 10 minutes or so out […]
Author Archives: Lisa Karpinski
Svaneti
I crossed the Abhazia/Georgia border by foot. I had anticipated problems in reentering Georgia, as I’d stayed longer than I had thought in Abkhazia (30 days rather than 10). But […]
Abkhazia
Still in Georgia, I awoke in the north Caucasus range in the small village of Stephantsminda and found a marshutka to the road just south of Mskheta. There I found a […]
En route to Tblisi
“Look into the yellow light” said my new Finnish friend with whom I talked for 4 of the 9 hours of flight time from SFO to LHR (London Heathrow). As […]
Isla de Mujeres
Exhausted, I awoke that Tuesday to what seemed like 105 degrees at the hour of 7:30am. Juan and I spent about an hour chatting further. I was amazed at his […]
Queretaro and back to Mexico City
I didn’t get any photos of the mummies (more like well preserved cadavers) in Queretaro as my camera batteries had died. My friend and I stopped for tacos a la […]
Guanajuato
I reluctantly left San Miguel de Allende and headed to Guanajuato in the evening. I had hoped to stop in Pozos (a ghost town) and Dolores Hidalgo (the “birthplace” of […]
San Miguel de Allende
I got into San Miguel around 8:30pm and found a micro to the Oratorio, near Calle Loreto where La Catrina hostel is located. As I walked down Calle Loreto, I […]
Back in Ixtapaluca
I awoke Wednesday happy to be with my friend Ruben. The next few days were fairly uneventful, which was nice. I borrowed the bike and shopped for food at the […]
Swimming Hole near Zacatlan
The next day I woke up after a good sleep and talked with Yolanda and family, and did a bit of house cleaning to help out. I packed my things, […]
Zacatlan
After my mocha, I put my giant pack on my back in search of Yolanda Sanchez Reyes, a kind lady who offered me a place to stay a few days […]
On to Chignahuapan
I spent a few more days in Tlaxcala, visiting the museo de arte popular (or artesenias) where I discovered a live scorpion in a 200 year old “talaveras” mug, amongst […]
Tlaxcala
I arrived in Tlaxcala in the afternoon and searched for a place to stay. Hotels here are more than twice as expensive as Puebla or Mexico City. I’m essentially spending […]
Puebla
As I said, I arrived in Puebla on Thurs around 2pm. I had a long chat with the tourist information guy, who gave me a lot of good information. After […]
A Memorial for Ilona
November 6 – December 13, 2012. As soon as she was legally able, my cousin Ilona Karpinski had changed her name to Kristie Ainsley. Named after my grandmother Ilona, she […]
Bariloche and Villa Angostura
July 28, 2012. I spent five days in Bariloche, doing my best to escape the tourist-laden bustle of town each day. The place felt like a version of Disneyland, polished […]
Chiloé
July 25, 2012. It has been a month since I last posted. Access to a computer has been scarce, and honestly, I haven’t felt much like writing. Sleep has been […]
Valdivia and Puerto Varas
June 28, 2012, Chile. The rain hasn’t let up—falling hard, nearly two inches a day. I haven’t seen the sun in over a week, but at night, the sound of […]
Pucón
June 18, 2012. During the month I spent in Santiago, I met a flautist street musician, and we started spending time together. For the last week or so of my […]
Santiago de Chile
March 1, 2012, Chile. I had planned to fly to Buenos Aires on April 3. Already in early March, I was knee-deep in frantic packing. I’d been looking forward to […]
Lisa Karpinski 