A tour boat of the kind operating on the Tarcoles River.
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — I recently participated in a weeklong press trip to Costa Rica that highlighted the kinds of sightseeing and activities that are typically offered to tourists who arrive in the Central American country on cruise ships. [Read more...]
A three-toed sloth in a tree alongside the Tortuguero Canals. The canals are a sightseeing destination for cruisers docking on Costa Rica’s Caribbean side.
LIMON, Costa Rica — Our banana plantation tour was a warm (under sun-filled Caribbean skies) and informative session. Who knew that it only takes a banana plant nine months from the day it is planted to produce bananas?
Actually, the plant produces a single stock with 100 or more “fingers,” as individual bananas are termed among producers. Then, the plant is cut back close to the ground and regenerates and produces again. That process can continue for up to 40 years, we were advised. [Read more...]
Argentina’s Presidential Palace is called Casa Rosada, or Pink House, for good reason. Located on the Plaza de Mayo.
BUENOS AIRES — It may be a commonplace, that Argentina’s capital is South America’s most European city. To see it for the first time is a revelation of sorts, nevertheless.
Other cities on the continent offer plenty of evidence for their European roots, too, but in this case, uniquely, think Paris.
Buenos Aires stands apart in other ways, as well. A higher percentage of the population is of European descent (as is true for all of Argentina) than elsewhere on the continent, and, although the country was a Spanish colony, it attracted a broader mix of European — and even American — immigrants. [Read more...]
Pisac’s market offers an extensive array of choices for the shopper. All photos by Nadine Godwin.
CUSCO, Peru — I visited Peru, backpacker style, in the 1970s when I had friends based there in the Peace Corps. I returned in late 2011 with a small press group for an update on some of Peru’s touristic high spots. In the intervening 30-plus years, the South American country suffered from a deadly Maoist insurgency that cost thousands of lives while scaring tourists away from a fascinating destination. The insurgency’s leader was captured in 1992, and his movement fizzled soon after. Tourists and business travelers have since returned in significant numbers. From my standpoint (as the perpetual tourist!), Peru was much as I remembered it despite significant changes that, as far as I could tell, were mostly for the better. [Read more...]
Peru’s Presidential Palace, located on the Plaza Mayor in the heart of Lima’s historic district.
LIMA, Peru — Peru’s two largest cities, Lima, the capital, and Arequipa, were essentially creations of the Spanish conquistadors. Their historic city centers date from the 16th century and appear on UNESCO’s list of historic sites.
I visited both during a recent press trip. It had been more than 30 years since I had seen either so it was about time I revisited and updated old memories. The refresher course was admittedly quick, but enlightening. [Read more...]
Royal Caribbean has created Labadee as a tropical paradise bearing its name.
On the north coast of Haiti lies a narrow spit of land that juts out to sea from the surrounding hills forming a nice little cove. Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines has carefully walled it off from the rest of the country to create a “secluded tropical paradise” for the enjoyment of passengers who otherwise would probably never visit
Since 1986 Labadee has been the largest contributor of tourist dollars to Haiti.
Haiti at all. They call it Labadee.
The original place name is Labadie, but RCCL changed it to Labadee and made the tweaked name a “Service Mark” of the cruise line and, some nondescript ruins aside, everything in it is as artificial as the new name. The closest visitors get to the real Haiti is the Artisan’s Village, where an engaging group of locals sell handicrafts and trinkets to the thousands of punters who pour off the moored cruise ship.
[Read more...]
by Kelly Monaghan
In the San Telmo district of Buenos Aires, on Avenida Defensa, lies what must be the city’s most enigmatic tourist attraction. El Zanjón (the term translates as “deep ditch” or “ravine”) is a . . . well, what exactly is it?
Twenty-five odd years ago, Jorge Eckstein bought a derelict house in the once fashionable barrio. Actually, ruin would be a better description. His motivation was commercial. It could be a restaurant, something. But then fate intervened.
[Read more...]
by Kelly Monaghan
Argentina is blessed with an elaborate public transportation system of long-haul intercity buses. In this vast country, people apparently think nothing of hopping on a bus and heading out for ten, twelve, even twenty-two hours across the Pampas or the wide open spaces of Patagonia.
When I heard that there is a regular schedule of high-end overnight “executive” service buses featuring “Cama Suites” with lay-flat seats similar to those found in first-class airline cabins, I was intrigued. I’m a great fan of overnight train travel and have sampled a wide variety of rolling stock, so I was curious to see how a bus would compare.
[Read more...]
A short stroll from the Recoleta Cemetery and the Hard Rock Café (there’s a combo for you!), across Avenida del Libertador, lies the imposing hulk of the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (the National Museum of Fine Arts).
Inside lies an embarrassment of riches that’s not to be missed.
One of my favorite things to do while traveling is to look for works of favorite European and American artists that have found their way to far flung corners of the globe, and the Museo de Bellas Artes doesn’t disappoint.
[Read more...]
Eva Duarte Peron was quite a gal. And if all you know about her is Madonna’s portrayal in the film version of the musical Evita, then a visit to the Museo Evita in Buenos Aires’ posh Palermo neighborhood is definitely in order.
[Read more...]
