Creative urban gardeners always looking for more places to grow things have embarked on the next obvious space: the walls. In the style of graffiti and mural art, building have become the new blank canvas, begging the artist for creative input. I’m enjoying this growing trend of urban greenery in American cities, and during our […]
Author Archives: Damon
Qatar Airport
Brand new and so big there are trams to gates, escalators to various floors, large 3 story sculptures, speedy mechanical walkways and golf carts with passengers driving by. We went through security even though we were transfering from one Qatar Airways flight to another Qatar Airways flight for the Singapore leg of our journey. There […]
Bolivian Museum of Ethnography and Folklore
The many birds of Bolivia and the uses of their colorful feathers. Spears, nets, and hunting tools. Musical instruments map of use. They were often buried with their favorite instruments. Pottery Masks Gold and Dioramas Signs of a battle and editions of the Bolivian flag.
Coffee in Cartagena
Colombia is known worldwide for its quality coffee. One organization, the Juan Valdez (cartel), is in charge of the country’s industry from requiring buying their variety of arabica plant starts to paying them to remove the fruit hull layer and grade the beans. They will not allow the export of smaller beans, which can be […]
Pablo Escobar Tour
We did the Lonely Planet recommended tour of multiple sites including buildings that got bombed to where Pablo was killed to his grave site. The tour guide concluded with that there is more business now than during Colombia’s 50 years violence when 100s of thousands of people were killed every year. The seat of global […]
Medellin, Colombia
Despite our Medellin hosts not having hot shower water, slow Internet, and the public toilets not having the lids I’ve been accustomed to my entire life, I enjoyed Colombia’s beautiful landscape, access to the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans combined with traditional grazing and abundant tropical fruits plus extremely favorable exchange rates. Restaurants, movies, and travel […]
The Teleferico in La Paz, Bolivia
Cable cars for public transportation started in 2014. There are three lines currently working and six more lines planned. This was a most wonderful way to get an aerial view of the La Paz Recoleta Cemetery and the city, with panoramic views of the mountains.
Museum of Musical Instruments of Bolivia
Bolivia is the size of which U.S. State?
Bolivia, named in 1825 after General Simon Bolivar who helped free South America from Spain, is larger than the size of Texas. Bolivia, founded in 1852, is nearly as large as Alaska, and about three times the size of Montana. ##
Chilean Currency – Pesos vs USD
Chilean pesos are pretty. A different color and different length for each denomination. The exchange rate varies daily, and the ATM charges fees on both ends, but it’s still quite good. Even a 20,000 peso bill (in January of 2016) is about 30 bucks. Use a Capital One Venture card at restaurants so you don’t […]