The tongue caught me by surprise
The man in the van didn’t seem to like what I was telling him. Then again, I didn’t like having to say it. “Ja, zeker dat ik graag naar de hotel zou gaan,… Continue reading
Category Archive: South America
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The undesirability of heroism
Hearing Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) discuss fungal infections, abscess scars, and which diseases merit treatment was a trip in itself. But it took me a day or so to realize these are far… Continue reading
My myriad mosquital maladies
Malaria is easy. Everybody gets malaria. And zika, that’s assumed now too after all the press coverage. Then if you’ve traveled you’ve heard of dengue, and probably chikungunya too, even if you’re not… Continue reading
Hogar Para Todos is still going strong, but could use a little help
If I could choose one topic to survive the irrelevance of archival old age that sets in for my blogs within two days of their posting, it would be Hogar Para Todos (A… Continue reading
It’s not all bad for Maritza
I am supremely grateful for the privilege to write a few things for Altruvistas, the ethical travel company that facilitated my first Cuba and Venezuela trips, but sakes alive, that one from Peru… Continue reading
Lumps of love, transmitted by wire.
My headphones endorsed the errand by playing the perfect cycling songs as I pedaled downtown to the bank, Toots Thielemans’ “Bossa Nova” (player below) gliding right on into Johnny Cash’s “Hey Porter”. We… Continue reading
Ample? Fat? Or something more creative?
“What about this one? How does it look?” His girlfriend considered for a moment, head tilted to the side and lips pursed just a little. “I like it, the color is good on… Continue reading
A home for Alvaro
“My daughter is a musician,” were Alvaro’s proud words as we shared a taxi into Caracas. He was the program coordinator for the Witness for Peace delegation that I had come to Venezuela… Continue reading
Getting gas in Venezuela
It’s a routine errand, expensive, kinda smelly, and utterly unexciting, for millions (billions?) of people. Filling up the tank. Getting gas. Burning dinosaur bones. (And you were worried this was a chronological consequence… Continue reading
Food porn, Venezuela style
The pupusas of El Salvador clearly made an impression on me, but Venezuela was ready with a rebound relationship. The arepa is the traditional and quintessential food item of Venezuela and Colombia, dating… Continue reading
