Cumbia

Hey I know you, I’ve seen you on TV, you are Beyoncé (sometimes Rihanna) right? Hey ‘Chocolate Face’, how are you? Can I have your number? These are the type of comments I got while in Istanbul, Turkey. Sometimes I loved it and sometimes it irritated me. Visiting Istanbul was a huge transition for me since the countries I’ve visited in the past were always in West Africa, Latin America or the Caribbean. Therefore, for the first time in my life, I couldn’t speak the language of the country I was visiting. L But I survived my 7 days’ vacation. Although Istanbul is not the capital of Turkey, it has the largest population in Turkey – about 13million people. Let me tell you 5 reasons why you should visit Istanbul: 1. Good Food: Turkey ... read more

Uruguay was my last stop in the 6 weeks tour of South America. I wasn’t expecting too much here but was inspired by the lovely people of Uruguay. I took the ferry from Buenos Aires to Colonial, Uruguay. It was an hour ride; I used Colonial Express ferry service instead of the Busquebus ferry service. Colonial express was half the price of Busquebus. I spent about four hours exploring Colonial – it would be such a nice city in the summer. Then I took the 2.5hours bus to Montevideo. Immediately, I fell in love with Montevideo. The city is not fancy or big like Buenos Aires but it is pretty in its own way. The people are much nicer as well. I stayed in a really great hostel – Impeccable Hostel- very close (2 blocks) to ... read more

I arrived in San Pedro de Atacama tired but eager to find out what Chile holds for me. The little town is different, there is something about it that I can’t pin point. The buildings are rusty looking; pictures cannot capture this town- you simply have to see it yourself. It is a very small town so it is possible to run into people you met while in Bolivia. That’s exactly what I happened to me, I ran into a few of the folks I met during my 3 days tour of the Salt Lake in Uyuni, Bolivia. It was great to see familiar faces, so we hung out for dinner and drinks before going our separate ways the next day. The weather is okay in Atacama, during the day it’s sunny but pretty cold at ... read more

Since Machu Pichu had been on my bucket list for a very long time, it comes as no surprise that I put Peru on my itinerary this summer. Lima was my first stop and I loved every minute of it. I originally planned on staying for 3 days but ended up staying for 6 days and even then I was hesitant to leave. Something about big cities just makes me happy. In Lima, I stayed with two different couchsurfers – both were pleasant experiences. One of the things that made my stay in Lima amazing was the varieties of Afro-Peruvian activities. June is the month of Afro-Peruvian heritage in Peru. So I attended various events organized by the Ministry of Culture and the Afro-Peruvian museum. There I met amazing folks from feminists to poets to actors ... read more

Like everyone else, I imagined PR to be just like the US (whatever that means). I’ve been told by folks who have been to PR that PR is very modern and at the same time underdeveloped.Well this is my opinion of San Juan, PR. To a certain extent, it can be compared to Miami. However, to me it is very comparable to any Caribbean country or the Caribbean coast of any Latin American country. Comparable in terms of the developed infrastructure in place for tourists, the vibe, the old town/colonial zone and so on. I stayed in the Old San Juan and I loved it. I am easily charmed by Old towns/Colonial zones. The architecture is amazing, people watching, shopping, good food, insightful museums and local attractions were all worthwhile. The architecture of the walls-castle-morro surrounding ... read more