The water boils. Hierve el agua. And indeed, the water bubbling up from the ground does appear to be boiling, though not from the heat of the day – though it certainly feels hot enough. The aptly-named springs in central Mexico, close to the colonial town and cultural center of Oaxaca, are gorgeous, set against the stunning […]
On the Wrong Side of History: The Story of a Vietnamese Refugee
I met An at a hospital in Alexandria, Virginia of all places, at my son’s bedside during his stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. She was one of his nurses and, like most who are drawn to that profession, treated me with quiet compassion. It was only after weeks of occasional small talk, usually about […]
All Roads Lead to Rome: Annotating Your Tourist Map
Last week I wrote this post on learning to navigate a new city. As promised, here is its sequel – a practical example demonstrating how to apply the principles of navigation and map annotation to one of my favorite cities – Rome. I’ve found that one of the most common fears expressed by travelers, especially solo travelers, is […]