Around 3pm, I will head to Playa Blanca to enjoy its white sand beaches and turquoise waters after the hoards of tourists leave. Like a well-kept secret, the way to enjoy Playa Blanca is to simply stay on the island. Here, I share my Playa Blanca cheat sheet to make the most of your visit.
A Journey to the Wondrous World of the Galapagos Islands
“For the first time in a long time I don’t feel bored or tired.” The Romanian woman relaxed her face and lowered her shoulders, as if finally absolving herself of a sin that had grown too heavy to bear. She looked back and smiled into the wind as the dingy raced towards our… [Read More]
Exploring Women’s Rights Deep in the Jungles of Colombia
“Close your eyes and open your mouth,” commanded our guide Camacho, singling me out to blindly receive the mystery treat. We were three days deep and almost four miles high on the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia. Camacho put the coca leaves in my mouth and told me to chew; they tasted… [Read More]
Photo Diary: Cartagena, Colombia
A photo diary of Colombia’s colorful seaside city, Cartagena, as taken on a recent assignment for VICE.
Checking into the Casa Santa Ana Hotel in Cartagena, Colombia
It’s early morning in Cartagena and my JetBlue flight from New York City already seems a distant memory as my cab zips along the narrow streets and cobble stone passageways of the city. I am headed to the Casa Santa Ana Hotel in the neighborhood of Getsemani, where socio-political graffiti and artwork is splashed… [Read More]
Checking into the Playa Manglares Hotel, Cartagena
The first thing that catches my eye as the van pulls up to Playa Manglares are the chickens; they are roaming around in families, even climbing trees (who knew that chickens could climb trees?). The next thing to catch my eye is Playa Manglares itself-an airy, 3-level home that is just steps away… [Read More]
On Assignment in Cartagena’s Local Mercado de Bazurto
It is an ungodly hour in Cartagena and I am sitting on the cement steps of a cathedral-like building, watching the Old City come to life around me. Street vendors roll their arepa stands and fruit carts along cobble stone streets to their designated corners, uniformed children shuffle to school, birds chirp as the… [Read More]
The Ultimate Guide to Cartagena, Colombia
It’s evening in Cartagena and I wander out into the balmy night towards a humble looking plaza in Getsemani, just steps away from the Casa Santa Ana Hotel I am staying at. Up ahead, filmmaker Jeff Cerulli and I spot a crowd of people around the Plaza Trinidad; some sitting on the stone steps… [Read More]
Serendipitous Encounters & 24 Hours in Iguazú Falls
Legend has it that a deity fell in love with a beautiful woman named Naipai who in turn fell in love with a mortal man by the name of Taroba. Together Naipai and Taroba fled in his canoe, which infuriated the God and drove him mad with jealousy and rage. Impassioned, the God deeply… [Read More]
