The roads criss-crossing Panama’s countryside are windy and narrow, climbing precariously through the richly forested Sierra de Veraguas before spiraling down the other side, connecting to the Pacific to the Carribbean in a long, slow, march to the sea. There are no traffic laws to speak of, and little traffic. The cities of Andalucia are different, […]
Adventure
Climb and Punishment: Tips and Tricks for Summiting Kilimanjaro
Just over a year ago, my husband and I summited Mt. Kilimanjaro while on our honeymoon, a three week backpacking trip through Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania. While there’s nothing overtly romantic about sub-zero camping, it’s one of our favorite shared experiences. We had never faced anything like it together, a purely physical challenge. I had […]
Transforming Chaos into Strength in the Villages of Northern Laos
Not enough has been written about northern Laos, its remote villages and imposing kharst mountains stretching skyward between verdant rice paddies. We had spent six days working our way north along a tributary of the Mekong River, first by bus and then, when the roads vanished, by long boat. We stayed in villages perched precariously […]