Lima, Peru - After living abroad in Latin America off and on for almost a year, I’ve come to expect the unexpected, both good and bad. I was not prepared, however, to fall in love with Lima, especially in the middle of their cold, damp and grey winter when the sun rarely if ever makes an...

The beach town of Mancora, Peru is as rowdy and boisterous as nearby Vichayito was quiet and tranquil.  Mancora doesn’t have a particularly pretty beach either, but then again, people don’t flock from all over the world for the picturesque beaches (though there are plenty very nearby) . ...

Northern Peru’s Coastal Gem!   Last night I fell asleep to the sound of surf in my ears without another bit of noise within earshot.  I slept almost 10 straight hours, uninterrupted. I can’t recall the last time that happened. I’m visiting the Marcilia Beach Bungalows in...

As you may be aware, Medellin’s annual Feria de las Flores is 10 day or so celebration of the region’s flower industry. Each August , travelers the world over flock to the land of “eternal spring” to take in the pageantry and celebration of one of Latin America’s...

Each and every August,  Medellin  gets filled with tourists from all over Colombia and indeed the world as people make their way to the  famous Feria de las Flores (Flower Festival). It’s a 10 day or so festive celebration of Medellin’s large and important flower industry that...

We finally made it to our final destination Montañita , a cool, chill little beach town about 3 hours west of Guayaquil.  Montañita is best known for two things; surfing and partying. This combination attracts a diverse, slightly offbeat and hippie crowd from all over the world. The town...

Guayaquil has a whole different vibe than Quito but has plenty to offer a curious traveler for a couple or three days. Though many people may tell you the central part of town is dangerous, that is based largely on outdated information from the 1990s. We stayed in a lovely apartment flat cum...

Cuenca is Ecuador’s 3rd largest city with around 500,000 residents. A lot of foreigners retire here because you don’t need a car (taxis are cheap), the weather is temperate (warmer than Quito but not as warm as Guayaquil) and it’ a cleaner city than most in Ecuador. In fact this...