Seeking out the most economical airfares sometimes requires taking an indirect route, and making a stop in some city we hadn't planned to visit otherwise. And unless we're rushed, we sometimes figure that as long as we have to stop in a place anyway, we might as well spend a couple of days there, or … Continue reading Much Ado in Abu Dhabi
On our last full day in Turkey, we took a long hike to Taksim, which is the contemporary heart of Istanbul just as Fatih (the neighborhood we've been staying in) is the historic heart. First we walked across the Galata Bridge, pausing to admire the really cool tour boats that were somewhat like gondolas but … Continue reading Saying Görüşürüz to Turkey
On May 3, the driver for British Language Academy, Khalil, picked us up at the campus in Berrechid where we'd been volunteering, and drove us back to El Jadida to teach for another three days. Actually, he didn't take us all the way there, but dropped us off at the bus station, where we caught … Continue reading El Jadida take II
Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito, Ecuador is a relatively new facility, having opened in 2013. It replaced the former airport of the same name, which became obsolete when it could not be expanded any further because of the surrounding mountainous terrain. But it was at least conveniently located, near the heart of town. This … Continue reading “Twenty Minutes”; and No Bathrooms on the Bus – Getting from Ecuador to Colombia
During our final week volunteering in Ambato, Ecuador, we found ourselves tangled up in some of the notorious Ecuadorian red tape that some of our students have alluded to. As we've mentioned before somewhere, our preparations for this journey when we were back in the States included the purchase of a Steripen, a nifty little … Continue reading Adios, Ambato; and Hola Again, Quito
Puyo, Ecuador turned out to be a bit of a disappointment -- at least as far as the city itself. We didn't see why anyone would recommend going there except for nearby attractions. Like the Amazon -- Puyo is the closest jumping off place to tour the jungle; even the tours leaving from Baños go through … Continue reading Monkeying Around in Puyo
Let's face it, we've often gotten an image of Latin American countries as dangerous places. Such impressions are rooted in long outdated events like civil wars, or in the Hollywood staple of the drug trade -- which does indeed exist, but rarely has a violent impact on ordinary citizens. In regards to Guatemala, the capital … Continue reading Guatemala City to Quito, Ecuador
Alas, the day finally came for us to say goodbye to our friends at the hostel, and leave this incredible city of Merida, which we've really been enjoying. Our next stop will be Cancun, where we'll be spending a few days before flying off to Guatemala. We bought our tickets yesterday, walking to the Ado … Continue reading Getting from Merida to Cancun via Autobus
world travel with a theatrical flair 