Be a Traveler, Not a Tourist
Country: Cuba Cities Visited: Havana and Trinidad Type of Travel: Solo Travel Language: Spanish Money: CUC and CUP Getting There: By Plane Getting Around: Collective taxi and city buses are the cheapest ways to get around, both in the city and between cities. To get from Miramar to Old Havana it is about 1 CUC […]
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Havana, Part II, was better than I could have possibly imagined. In large part, this was due to the host family that I stayed in a lovely house in Miramar. They were so welcoming and made me feel right at home (p.s. the food was also amazing!). During my second stay in Havana, I got […]
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It was a long ride to Trinidad – longer than I thought. It was a little over five hours in total. I went via collective taxi. For those that don’t know what this it, it is exactly as the name implies: a shared taxi. This makes long distance travel cheaper, and a little less lonely. […]
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There is no way to describe that distinct smell of a new country; it is something everyone must experience for themselves. It is all at once the same as the others, and yet unique. From the moment you step off the plane and onto the tarmac, blasted with heat and humidity, you can smell the […]
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One of the things I always try to be mindful of when I travel (especially when I am traveling to do volunteer work/humanitarian aid work) is that I am cautious of activities that might push me into the realm of Voluntourism. When I give lectures about the work I do (hoping to inspire the next […]
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The countdown to my next adventure has begun! In T minus 23 days, I will embark on my next grand voyage: CUBA! That’s right! In less than a month I will be on my way to Cuba for 14 days of fun, sun, rum, and adventure. Cuba has long been on my travel bucket list […]
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If you grew up in southern Oregon, then chances are you have fond memories of going on many amazing outdoor field trips. Every year since I was in pre-K, my class climbed either the lower or upper Table Rocks. I looked forward to these trips every year. A chance to see the valley from a […]
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Haiti was an amazing experience. I traveled there with an amazing group called Volunteers for Peace. In the three weeks I was there I was able to participate in cultural immersion activities as well as work on a clean water project. While living conditions were very modest, the hosts we stayed with welcomed us into our […]
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I was happy when I headed for LaVallee, a small community in the mountains about 4 hours from the capital. LaVallee was like a little slice of paradise to me. The temperature was a lot cooler and the people were warm, welcoming, and treated you like family. There were always children around, which always warmed […]
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My birthday is always a hard one to plan around. Most of my friends are gone on Christmas Eve to be with their families for the holidays. This year I wanted to do something special, as it was my 21st birthday. Not being a party person, Vegas was out of the question. I decided I would […]
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