There is a beach off the coast of Colombia known as Playa Blanca on the island of Isla Baru. Home to sand that runs through your fingers like fine sugar, swaying palm trees and a spectrum of turquoise-blue waters, Playa Blanca is the type of beach you hope to find when flying south of… [Read More]
Syrian Refugees: The Other Travelers
Lately, I have been thinking a lot about traveling and what it really means. I have been exploring countries for almost a decade and the people I meet, generally remind me of how lucky I am. They often say they would travel as much as I do, if only they had the chance to… [Read More]
Dispatch: Traveling in Greece During the Euro Crisis
When planning a trip to Europe months in advance the last thing you anticipate is that the country will be on the brink of financial disaster and in danger of being kicked out of a powerful union. I had been to Greece 18 months before and everyone talked about the dire financial situation and… [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]
The Fight for the Congo’s Virunga National Park
It’s a story that has been told countless times; one of corruption and murder, heartbreak and struggle between forces of good and evil. From a distance the characters of this drama are romanticized; if the world is indeed a stage then we have the brazen war correspondent, the swollen bellied impoverished locals, the greedy corporation and… [Read More]
From Weapons to Wine in Chile
Mehdy Ghannad of The Hostel Life, is a first time guest contributor to The Pin the Map Project. To be a guest blogger for The Pin the Map Project, e-mail thepinthemapproject@gmail.com. A few months ago, I found myself in the midst of a unique opportunity while location scouting in Chile. It began on… [Read More]
The Reality of Living on One Dollar a Day
It is snowing outside in New York City as yet another blizzard swirls around outside my window. As the snow piles up and temperatures drop, I sit cozy indoors wrapped up in the warmth of my living room and indulging in Hello Panda cookies (a childhood throwback) purchased at the nearby bodega while I… [Read More]
