By Stephen Bugno I had intended on blowing right past Sal Gil on my way to some colonial villages to the north of Bogota. But I’m so glad I did not. San Gil has emerged […]
Adventure Sports in San Gil, Colombia Read More »
I snapped this photo at the market in San Gil, Colombia. San Gil has recently emerged as the adventure sports hub of Colombia, but it is a fine small city to visit on its own.
Photo from the Road: Fruit Vendor at the Market, Colombia Read More »
By Stephen Bugno I’m sitting on the balcony of my small hotel room in Giron and it’s raining again. It’s rained almost every day I’ve been in Colombia, about 3 ½ weeks straight. The sky
Colombian Colonial Towns: Giron Read More »
Tayrona National Park, Colombia. The guidebooks hype this place as what we should expect from a tropical paradise: “Thick jungle teeming with wildlife spilling over onto golden sand beaches with pounding surf.” And for
Visiting Tayrona National Park, Colombia Read More »
I found this stencil graffiti just outside of Cartegena University. The graffiti artist poses an interesting question. Is the graffiti around this stencil art or not? Which graffiti is street art and which is just
By Stephen Bugno When a city has the reputation that Cartagena has, it takes a few days to absorb the city to see if it lives up to its hype. So I spent the first
Cartagena: Living up to Expectations or Not? Read More »
After walking all around the old city for a few hours, I stopped for some grilled chorizo that this guy was cooking up. Colombia is a good place for street food: lots of fresh fruits like
Cartagena Street Vendor Read More »
By Stephen Bugno I’m going to dedicate this post solely to Colombian bus rides, focusing on one ride in particular. How does an 80 km (50 mile), 4-hour bus ride turn into a 10-hour trip?
The Wheels on the Colombian bus go… Read More »
One weapon less is many more lives. One technique Medellin, Colombia has implemented to improve safety was by installing this large bin to get knives off the street. To prevent the urge to pull your
Photo from the Road: Medellin Knife Drop Read More »
After Pablo Escobar, Medellin, Colombia’s most famous son is Fernando Botero. He is perhaps South America’s most beloved artist. You might recognize his art as those characterized by the use of distorted proportions, or more
Fernando Botero Sculptures in Medellin Read More »
By Stephen Bugno I have come to Colombia for two reasons. Noel, a good friend of mine lives in Medellin and after lingering for almost a year here, was encouraging me to visit before he
Arrival in Colombia, First Stop Medellin Read More »
By Stephen Bugno Colombia is in the news again as The Expeditioner has out. And for good reasons, the Financial Times and the New York Times are talking about tourism in Santa Marta. This country
Yes, Mother, I’m Going to Colombia Read More »
By Stephen Bugno Over-crowded, polluted, dangerous. These were some of the misconceptions I had about Mexico City. Strolling the quiet, tree-lined neighborhoods of Coyoacon, the one-time neighborhood of Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and Leon Trotsky,
Misconceptions about Mexico City Read More »
I was so impressed by the architecture and interior design of Mexico City’s most elegant buildings: the Palacio de Bellas Artes, Torre Latinoamericana, Museo Nacional de Arte. One of my favorites was this: the interior
Photo from the Road: Correo Central, Mexico City Read More »
By Stephen Bugno Well, not exactly. But the house of Trotsky has definitely been a highlight. You can’t actually see the ice axe that was used to assassinate him, but if you’re into a moderate
I went to Mexico City to See an Ice Axe Read More »
Walking off the plane I meet Gonzalo. He has black hair slicked to the side, is dressed stylish and caries a guitar. He asks me if this is the correct line for buying bus
Coming into Mexico City Read More »
By Stephen Bugno Because of the situation in Juarez, I thought it would be a better idea to cross the border at one of the smallest and quietest border crossings into one of the safest
Across the Rio Grande to Chihuahua Read More »
Successful mine owner Dom Manuel Gameros built this gorgeous mansion in Chihuahua, Mexico in 1910 as a replica of a posh Parisian home. It was a belle epoque showcase and an ostentatious display of
Chihuahua Museo Quinta Gameros Read More »
By Stephen Bugno “It used to be a great place to party. Everybody would go over there from El Paso. Now El Paso is where everybody comes to party.” I’m hanging out for the afternoon
Contemplating Juarez Read More »
Remember that Time We Camped in Death Valley in the Middle of Summer I don’t know why I thought it would be a good idea to visit Death Valley in the middle of the
Camping in Death Valley in the Summer Read More »
By Stephen Bugno 1:43 am. St. George, Utah. At Denny’s refueling. The only place in town that’s open. Two cups of coffee down. Two hours to Vegas to go. We’re getting wired for the
Loathing Las Vegas Read More »
By Stephen Bugno We camped the night before on BLM land up on the Devil’s Backbone Road, the original road from Boulder to Escalante, close to the last place in the continental US to be
Across Slickrock and through Narrow Canyons Read More »
The Best National Park You’ve Never Heard of Leaving Winter Park on our way south we would cross the Continental Divide three times before day’s end. A few miles before Vail we exit I-70
The Best National Park You’ve Never Heard of Read More »
We had just visited Canyonlands National Park Needles District after camping the night before at the base of the Abajo Mountains in Manti-La Sal National Forest above Monticello, UT when we were driving back through
Photo from the Road: Monticello Tractor Pull Read More »