The fourth day hiking the Kumano Kodo trail was a recovery day and only 13.2 km/8.2 miles. Our legs were sore but our souls were refreshed after a night at the Yunomine Onsen, where we dipped in the calming hot waters of the hotel’s onsen and enjoyed a traditional 12-course Japanese meal.
The hike today involved a short bus ride to the Kogumotori-goe section of the trail, where we had perhaps one of the best views of the velvety green forested mountains. The look out area is called Hyakken-gura looks out onto the “Kumano Sanzen Roppyaku-ho” – a local expression which literally translates as the “3,600 peaks of Kumano” per our guidebook.
A small Jizo statue guards a stunning backdrop of the Kumano mountains
Since much of the hike is through thick forests, we did not have many views of the mountains except on this day. The word “gura” means “high cliff,” and from the Hyakken-gura we could see velvet green-covered peaks as far as the eye could see. It certainly was magical. Continue reading →
After a beautiful morning whale-watching in the Chiriqui National Marine Park in Boca Chica, Panama it was time to hit the road and head to our next stop: Bonyic Naso Indigenous Community in the Bocas del Toro Province of Northwestern Panama.
As one of seven indigenous tribes in Panama – the smallest and one of the last monarchies in the Americas- the Naso have fought for their lives, their land, and their culture for hundreds of years, facing continual threats and persecution by other tribes, big business, and even their government. After decades of protest, in 2020, the Naso were finally granted the return of some of their ancestral land in the formation of their comarca (semi-autonomous Indigenous region), which includes the biodiverse La Amistad Biosphere Reserve (Central America’s largest intact rainforest). Yet, decades of little opportunity have meant this tiny tribe of only 3500 remaining members are being forced to move away from the comarca, threatening what they value most, their cultural identity as a tribe.
Riding a traditional bamboo raft down the Teribe River is one of many fun experiences offered by the Naso tribe’s community tourism initatives
I spent two days visiting three of the eleven communities of the tribe and it was one of the most meaningful experiences I had in two weeks in Panama. One of the most special parts of my trip happened the very first night. Here is the story.
It had been fourteen years since I last visited Nepal and this magical country has held a special place in my heart ever since. That fateful trip birthed this very blog which I have been sharing my journey ever since. In May 2024, I returned to Nepal with Community Homestay Network (CHN) for a whirlwind trip exploring the rural communities of Kathmandu Valley for a week-long trip. This trip called Community Connect, brought together journalists, travel advisors, and others all passionate about the power of community tourism to change the face of travel.
Community Homestay Network (CHN) is a social enterprise that supports a network of community homestays in Nepal. CHN connects travelers with communities across Nepal, providing a unique opportunity to stay with Nepali families and immerse themselves in real Nepali life. At the same time, local host families can share their culture and landscapes with the world while gaining access to a sustainable source of income through tourism. The authentic experiences CHN offers travelers are created to positively impact Nepali communities, women, and families, as well as the travelers themselves.
The first day of our trip began with a short drive outside of Kathmandu to the historic Newari region of Bhaktapur, an area rich in culture and lavish Newari architecture, Hindu temples, heritage, and beauty. Our first stop was in Madhyapur Thimi, a village known for its pottery and ceramics where we took a pottery class and learned how the community supports themselves through this beautiful craft. Thimi is one of the ancient cultural and historical villages along the ancient trade route from Bhaktapur to Kathmandu, and is known as the pottery capital of the region. Roughly 11 kilometers southeast of Kathmandu, Thimi is easily reachable for a day trip and continues to play an important role in Nepali culture and tourism.
The impressive 17th-century Hindu Siddhikali Temple. The two-story roofed temple is dedicated to Hindu Gods Kali, Shiva, and Ganesh.
The first thing I noticed while walking the ancient streets of Nepal is that color is everywhere in Nepal and means everything. It can be found in its religion, culture, clothing, food, and of course, within the natural environment.
Enrique Silva’s passion and devotion to authentic, Mexican farm-to-table cuisine and sustainable agriculture in the heart of Los Cabos, Mexico is keeping traditions and community alive
Tucked away behind the historic, artsy town of San José del Cabo lies the farmland community of Animas Bajas. There along a dry riverbed is some of the most fertile land in all of Los Cabos, Mexico, and is home to a small handful of organic farms and farm-to-table restaurants including Los Tamarindos. Los Tamarindos remains one of the only ventures that is Mexican-owned and operated.
For the past 28 years, Enrique Silva, chef and owner of Los Tamarindos has worn many hats. Arriving in Los Cabos with a degree in agricultural engineering and a knack for selling Sonoran beef to high-end restaurants, Silva never would have imagined he would become one of the leading chefs, entrepreneurs, and visionaries in Los Cabos, Mexico.
“I came to Los Cabos in 1990,” Silva told me during a conversation we shared together at his organic farm this past March. “I had started out selling beef to the restaurants around the Corridor and Los Cabos, never imagining that I’d be in charge of so many projects today. I ended up becoming a chef almost by accident” Silva continued with a charismatic grin. “And soon, I will be launching a new community center of workshops open to the public. Perhaps this will be Silva’s greatest feat yet.
As Los Cabos is faced with the challenges of over-tourism, over-development, and climate change, Silva remains the only farm-to-table restaurant and property that is fully Mexican-owned and positioned to keep culture alive and protect the environment. To combat climate change, Silva is changing the future of farming in the community as he moves from sustainable to regenerative agriculture over the coming years. The fall opening of Silva’s new community center (6 specialized workshops hosting classes and shops) will continue to cement Silva’s focus on community and keeping long-held traditions, culture, and knowledge alive.
Chef Enrique Silva of Los Tamarindos at his farm-to-table restaurant in Los Cabos, Mexico
Towards the end of my trip in Bhutan, we made a stop on the way back to Paro in Thimphu to visit a traditional dezo (paper-making) factory called the Jungshi Handmade Paper Factory.
Bhutan takes immense pride in its culture, history and traditions and the government has tried hard to keep the Kingdom’s artistic heritage alive through its art schools and community programs offering education in the centuries-old traditions of painting, weaving, woodwork and paper making. A visit to a workshop or factory producing these amazing handicrafts is a must for any traveler to Bhutan.
Never would I have imagined that I would have to have a total hip replacement at age 51. Nor would I realize how hard a hip replacement was and what to really expect after having a total hip replacement. I had experienced on-and-off pain for over nine years on my right side but never attributed it to needing a new hip. Instead, I thought everything was related to a tear in my labrum, a thin piece of cartilage that goes around the hip. While I avoided surgery then, it never fully disappeared.
My hip replacement story
It took a year of physical therapy to get rid of the pain and I was back at running again, hiking, biking, skiing, and living my normally active lifestyle. Yet last summer I did a workout that was truly the straw that broke the camel’s back. I did a series of squats and twists with weights and the next day my right IT band was on fire. I thought it was just a sore muscle until it did not go away for weeks and only got worse. That is when I went back to my doctor and they did the X-ray that provided the surprising news. I had nothing left, was bone on bone, and could try PT but eventually would need a full hip replacement. I was truly stunned.
Once the news let out, the questions began. Everyone asked me, “Does it run in your family?“. No. My dad is 80 and still runs and never had a hip replacement. “Did you do something to make this happen to you?”. No, not really. I just lived my life. The questions stressed me out more than the news itself so I simply quit telling people.
51-year-old me at the Dochula Pass, Bhutan
I have been active all my life. Growing up, I was a dancer for 15 years, and a competitive swimmer for five years. I was a runner for 30 years. I downhill ski, Nordic ski, bike, and hike. But when I asked my surgeon why it happened to me so young, he simply said “Bad luck“.
On July 29, our family of four took our first trip out of the country since before the pandemic to the magical, surreal landscape of Iceland. I had first visited Iceland back in 2008 with my father and was spellbound by her unearthly beauty and astonishing mystique. While I had wanted to return to this phenomenal country and explore it more, the idea quite frankly did not pop back into my head until late in the Spring when our family had all been fully vaccinated and heard the news that Iceland with its small population of roughly 368,792 hearty souls was welcoming back vaccinated tourists. As someone who follows travel news closely, Iceland’s clever tourism pitch got my attention.
Icelandair has long had direct flights from Minneapolis to Keflavík, and to meet the increase in demand, Delta Airlines also launched a non-stop flight from my home town airport as well. The flight to Iceland from Minneapolis is roughly six hours. The only downfall is that the flight is too short to really get any sleep and the time change is a difficult five hours ahead meaning jet lag was going to be an issue that first day. The good news is we would have nine full days to adjust.
The route from Minneapolis to Iceland takes you directly over Greenland. The view was jaw-dropping!
It is hard to believe that it has almost been a year since that fateful late spring day in May on the corner of Cup Foods, roughly three miles away from my house. For the past eleven months, like most Minneapolitans we have struggled to understand the trauma that has happened in our beloved city. And now here we are once again, with our stores boarded up, police and National Guard patrolling our city, awaiting in anxiety over what the verdict will be. While we pray for justice and peace, we wonder what will become of our city. Minneapolis is not a bad place. Yes, it has many problems but so does so many other places around the world. Racism exists everywhere and always has. Dismantling such a powerful system will take generations and generations of hard, relentless work. While I have so many opinions about what is going on and wish I felt that I could share them, I also have hope. Hope in our children who understand a lot more than I ever did at that age. So, as we await the verdict we will pray for a better future for all.
While many of these incredibly powerful murals have disappeared, their messages still remain strong.
George Floyd Mural at Cup Foods (38th and Chicago in Minneapolis).
It started as a cough. At first, we thought nothing of it except that it was our 15-year old son’s normal fall cold. He gets a bad cold every single year and it always starts with a cough and then a stuffy nose. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary except that this cold was about a month earlier.
Besides the cough, our son was fine and continued to get up to do his online school. Over the weekend, we hosted our usual small “bubble” of friends at our house, one of my daughter’s friends and our neighbor, the small group who we have been hanging out with since the pandemic began. We told them about Max’s cough but honestly thought nothing of it. We live in a city of a million people and out of everyone we knew, only one person in our circle of friends had tested positive for COVID. It still felt like something we only read about every day in the newspaper but that hadn’t truly reached us.
Like most of my family and friends, we have spent the past eight months following all the Covid rules and living a pretty boring, isolated life. We wear masks everywhere (thankfully it is a state mandate), my husband works from home, we don’t go out to eat indoors at a restaurant, have not flown anywhere, don’t go to the gym or do anythingconsidered risky. We have hardly socialized with friends except for outside, socially distanced. Since March, we have basically lived a very sheltered, limited life and have only allowed our small bubble inside our home. The only risk we took was allowing both of our teenage kids to play outdoor sports. I had felt as a parent that so much has been taken away from them, and sports was the one thing they had left. The risk was small since they were outdoors but it was there.
Despite all the precautions we took, somehow Covid made it to our house, and when I got the call from our doctor that my son tested positive, I was completely shocked and terrified. Continue reading →
This is a developing story and I will be updating it regularly with new murals as they go up around the city. While not every mural is not of George Floyd, I used the liberty to call them the George Floyd murals because every single one of these murals has been painted since his tragic murder on May 25th. Please check back often and let me know if I am missing any murals. My goal is to document the murals throughout the city over the coming months. I will also interview muralists and artists to learn as much as I can about why them. Therefore, as I receive more information I will update the accuracy of this post. Finally, if you plan on visiting these murals, please do so with humility and respect. There have been many complaints from residents that George Floyd’s memorial site at 38th and Chicago has become a “tourist attraction” which is not at all what it is meant to be. Please be respectful. If you would like to make a donation to one of the many social justice groups in our city, I am including a list at the end of this post. Thank you.
May 25, 2020. A life is tragically taken. A local and then global protest began demanding justice and systemic change. A movement begins. George Floyd is just one of the countless other people who have been a victim of violence, racial injustice, suffering, and pain.
Monday, May 25th is a day that changed my city, Minneapolis, forever. That tragic day, a white Minneapolis Police officer kneeled on George Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds outside of Cup Foods on 38th and Chicago. Following Floyd’s brutal murder, thousands took to the streets of Minneapolis, some peaceful others violent, demanding justice for George Floyd, systemic change, and hope for a better, more just world where black lives not only matter but are treated with equality and respect.
Without diving into all the social justice and moral issues of George Floyd’s death and the immense racial inequalities in our city, our country, and our world, I want to use this space as a living museum to document the incredible art that is going up on the boarded-up businesses around our city. Artists are using their voice to demand social justice, antiracism, systemic change, and hope by painting powerful murals all throughout Minneapolis.
George Floyd Mural at Cub Foods (38th and Chicago in Minneapolis).
What started as a cry of outrage for the brutal death of George Floyd outside of Cup Foods has grown into a citywide movement of representing pain, suffering, tragedy, and hope. It is my commitment to document and share this voice throughout the coming months. I will be updating this post with finished pieces of art and new murals on a regular basis, and I will also be speaking with local communities to learn more about what each piece means and who created it. It is my commitment to myself, my children, and my community that together we can make this city and world a place where all people are treated equally with humility and respect. A country where every single human being is treated with freedom, liberty, and justice for all.
One of the first and now most renowned murals to be painted as a tribute and call to justice for George Floyd was done shortly after he was killed by Good Space Murals artists Niko Alexander, Cadex Herrera, Greta McLain, Xena Goldman, Pablo Helm Hernandez. The artists began painting the mural three days after Floyd was killed on the side of Cup Foods and completed it in less than 12 hours. For the artists, it was a way for them to heal and demand justice for George Floyd. Today, this site continues to have peaceful protesters and those coming to pay their respect often leaving flowers. There are also ways to donate to community initiatives and outreach for those impacted by the protests. Several community groups have set up pop up food shelves and are collecting canned food items and essential supplies. More murals are going up around the Powderhorn neighborhood and I hope to document them soon.
George Floyd Mural at Cup Foods (38th and Chicago in Minneapolis).
The last week has been utterly heartbreaking and traumatic as we’ve watched our city fall apart. My family is all physically safe however our hearts are broken and it will take years and years to rebuild our city. Instead of focusing on all the scary, heart-wrenching news, I wanted to share a post I published two years ago that shares some of the beautiful multicultural street art that paints these very neighborhoods which have been destroyed. As we slowly start to mend and rebuild as a city, I hope that these murals will bring a sense of culture, community and much-needed hope in such dark days of grief, pain, and heartbreak. As soon as things calm down, I will add the new George Flloyd mural that has gone up at 38th and Chicago.
Wow, so much has changed since I penned my last post on the coronavirus. From a major concern to a global pandemic life as many of us know it has indefinitely changed. I would be lying if I wasn’t filled with worry or concern about all of the uncertainties of how this will all play out. So much is unknown. However, I am trying my best to keep calm and carry on. That is all we can do in such unnerving times.
While toilet paper has officially run out at most stores, and life is slowly but inevitably shutting down, it just all feels surreal. As I try to go about my day to day business, I’m constantly reminded even from the pet food supplier of what I need to do to prepare for the dreaded virus. You can’t escape it no matter what you try to do. Turn on your computer and log on to email, it is there. Turn on your car radio, it is there. Schools, gyms, museums and even churches have closed. Offices have advised employees to work from home. Every day something unexpected shuts down. Even going to the grocery store feels odd while shoppers hurriedly rush through the aisles, stocking up on supplies that could last a year, and God forbid, you accidentally cough and then come those accusatory looks of fear that you may have it. I feel like we are living out a bad dream. It is simply not like anything we have collectively ever experienced in our lifetime. Continue reading →
