“Not all those who wander are lost” is a classic quote coined by J.R.R. Tolkien and is the adopted motto of many wanderlusters as they journey across the world. I’ve seen the quote splashed across Facebook cover photos and tweeted out on social media countless times. A perpetual favorite of travelers, the quote glamorizes those who […]
Observations
12 Surprising things I learned in Amsterdam
Amsterdam is a city most well known for its tolerance and its canals… And although I had been there 15 years ago, there were things that caught me by surprise this time going there as an adult! 1. Public Male Toilets. Like… Really public! To combat public urination into the canals, the Amsterdam city government […]
Ten surprising things I learned in London
I had never been to the UK until last weekend. Even though I had chances to in the past, I was never very interested in visiting the country because I thought it’d be similar to America (after all, we all speak English and we were a British colony, right?). Boy was I wrong!!! 1. The […]
What it was like to be at the World Cup in Brazil
The World Cup is arguably the most important sporting event in the world, and by the number of Cups it has won, Brazil is arguably the most important football nation in the world. Finally, no one will argue with the fact that Brazilians love to have fun and know how to throw a party! I was […]
- Chile
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No reciprocal visa fee for US citizens entering Chile!!!
Upon learning that the US has worked out a deal with Chile to waive the $160 visa fee from May 1st, 2014 onwards, I took it as a sign to visit Santiago in late May. When I flew in from Brazil to Santiago, it gave me infinite satisfaction to see the sign of the Entry […]
Little Taiwan in Ciudad del Este
I’ve traveled enough to not be surprised anymore when I see a Chinatown in every major city that I’ve been to. I usually try to visit these “Chinatown” areas to see how Asian immigrants live in other countries. Usually, the community consists of Chinese, Japanese, or Korean immigrants. Therefore, it was VERY surprising to find […]
Tokyo Subway Rule of Thumb
“Corner seats are gold” says my friend as he informs me that it is odd of me to go for a middle seat as I enter an empty subway car. He explains to me that sitting in a corner seat allows the Japanese to: 1) Lean on the board to take a snooze – precious […]
Clubbing Etiquette Brazil: The Unspoken Rules of a Brazilian Nightclub
Scenario: Brazilian girl dances on the dance floor of the club with a couple of her friends. Guy approaches her and starts talking to her. Guy offers to buy her a drink, girl throws him a look and skeptically says no thanks. Guy stays with the girl the rest of the night dancing and talking. […]
Another beautiful day in Floripa!
…just kidding, the clouds kind of give it away, it was cold and windy. We are going into Autumn here now in the South of Brazil! Residents for Florianópolis said to me though that in May, it will actually be warmer than April (so called phenomenon Veranico de Maio; little summer of May), before getting […]