I have a friend here in the south of Mexico who nearly constantly ends statements and stories with the phrase, “It is what it is.” This is English for the Spanish phrase, “Es lo que es,” which is in habitual use throughout Hispanic speaking countries. The use of this phrase is only noticeable by the [...]
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I used to love flying. I used to love doing internet searches for flights, pushing the “purchase” button, and then being flown off to some far off part of the world in a matter of hours. Flying has revolutionized our perception of time and distance, Shanghai is now just as close to New York City [...]
Discrimination when it comes to employment is the rule of planet earth. The USA, Canada, some parts of Europe that have fair play, equal opportunity, affirmative action laws are truly global oddities — the ones that follow them are even more rare. When applying for a job in many countries, you must submit a photo [...]
“Do you have posadas for Christmas in the United States?” a friend of mine ask while we were at a Christmas party in San Cristobal de las Casas. I hesitated before replying. My knowledge of Spanish is that the word “posada” is the equivalent ”inn” or a homely type of hotel. My mind raced to determine how [...]
After 12+ years travel I cannot help but to notice a pattern that extends over the fertile world: meat, vegetables, fruits, and starches are THE cheapest foods that anybody can buy. It is a good thing that these are the foods that people need to maintain health. Outside of Mongolia, Iceland, or other countries with [...]
Prospective English teachers be warned: we heard this school really stinks.
“These people are sick of tourists already,” my wife spoke about Colombia. I had to agree with her. All too often people are afraid to speak out against the opinion of the group they’re surrounded by. Nobody wants to be a buzzkill. “Colombia is great, Colombia is great,” is the most commonly opinion from travelers [...]
In Colombia, I didn’t have the space to set myself up for making my travels, for really digging into a place, a culture. I did not set up any interviews, only went out into the streets with a particular mission but a few times. My bags were always packed in this country, I was always [...]
While it was not my intent, if someone were to read through the Colombia articles on vagabondjourney.com they may conclude that I did not really have a good time in this country. I write what I feel in the moment, and this is subject to change as each hour, day, or week passes. I enjoyed [...]
I broke a major rule of travel: I used an ATM at a bank outside of business hours, and I nearly paid for it. I rushed out of my apartment in San Cristobal towards the Yik Cafe on the zocolo. I had set up to meet and interview an artist there who is working on [...]
“Come on, Petra, lets go on an adventure,” I tried to encourage my two year old daughter to leave our Chiapas apartment. “I don’t want to go on an adventure,” she responded, “I want to play.” Up to here, our traveling lifestyle has so far proved effective enough to stomp the travel bug out of [...]
I entered the art studio where I had agreed to help set up for an event that was to take place there the following day, and I was quickly whisked away under the wing of the main organizer. She was a Chilean artist, probably in her mid to late 30s, who seemed to be one [...]
If a hotel or hostel is in the guidebook add 25% to 50% onto the published price. This is the Lonely Planet effect. When a hotel gets listed in the major Guidebooks a virtual army of tourists and backpackers flock to it like pilgrims to a holy site. With so many clients gathered around their [...]
The Spirit Airing of America FORT LAUDERDALE, USA, Spirit Airlines Terminal- “This is the most crowded terminal I’ve ever seen,” a wrinkly faced woman with big gold rimmed glasses complained aloud to nobody in particular. “I can’t believe this, it is unbelievable how they cram so many people in here,” spoke a guy into his [...]
There is a measure of a good traveler — or at least one who intends to write — and that is whether or not he or she carries a notebook at all times, and uses it to jot down observations, thoughts, ideas, and to do lists. I live from my notebooks — which are often [...]
“Improvision,” was scrawled on a large slab of cardboard that was taped to the door of a bar. The place was packed, I could see the actors doing their show through the window. A good scene, or so it seemed at the time. I walked in and grabbed a beer. It soon became apparent that [...]
I bought a bag of granadillas, a tropical fruit that has a crispy shell and an inside that looks like brains, from a Tzotzil woman in the street near the market of San Cristobal. I paid 10 pesos (60 cents) for a big bag of perhaps ten fruit. I did not think I was making [...]
The church of Saint John the Baptist in Chamula, an autonomous indigenous municipality in the central highlands of Chiapas, is one of the prime locations in the world to observe elements of the traditional Maya beliefs combined with Catholicism. These practices include chanting, prayer, and, occasionally, the sacrifice of animals. While mostly chickens are made as offerings, [...]
