- MarExplora
Photo Credit: Jesse van Kalmthout : : Fotografie
Chances are you’ve never heard of the Statia blue beads…have you? No worries, for sure you’re not the only one out there who hasn’t. In fact, if it weren’t because my good friends Marlies and Sybolt decided to get married in St Eustatius, I would have never made it there or heard about these particular blue beads...
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About a month ago I spent a week in the Dominican Republic, on a work-related trip. This may easily have been my 10th visit to this wonderful island, so I have to admit I am a fortunate person indeed. As in every previous stay, I really enjoyed my time there, even though I was on work mode for the most part and despite the fact that I came down with a terrible flu a couple of days after arriving, which I blame on my crazy travel and all those hours spent among airports, airplanes and hotels.
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Throughout my life I’ve traveled so much, for both work and pleasure, that I’ve developed this strange love-hate relationship with airports and airplanes. I mainly think they’re a necessary evil…they’re the gateway to the world, although often times they’re simply not fun. I, however, liked focusing on the positive they bring to people’s lives…not only they have made the world a much smaller place but they have helped us connect on a much deeper level. That, by itself, is just remarkable.
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Yes, indeed! It all started with my first visit to Brazil back in the middle of summer 1985. My parents decided to take me on a trip to this wonderful country, as a present for my 15th birthday, in lieu of having a Quinceañero (the traditional party for girls turning 15, in Peru and in most Latin American countries). Although I was very excited and intrigued about what I’d find on this adventure, I never anticipated this trip would become a turning point in my life.
Read MoreI’ve been meaning to write this piece for a couple of weeks but being the procrastinator I am Thanksgiving Day had to arrive, along with all the respective Facebook posts as reminders, for me to finally take the time to do it. No excuses for extra delays, this post was definitely past due!
Read MoreNo, I’m not going to talk about Frank Sinatra or about the TV reality show that bears that name. Instead, I am dedicating this space to one of the most distinctive characteristics that definitely make me who I am: my one and only voice! I must start saying that for most of my life I’ve had a love-hate relationship with my voice and although generally speaking I’ve come to terms with it, even nowadays at times I’m totally fine with it but at other times I can’t deal with it…
Read MoreOne of the rewarding things about traveling to unknown places is that you’ll always be surprised in unexpected ways by what you’ll encounter along the journey. The surprising factor can be anything unique to a place from a peculiar scent to a colorful landscape to the flavors of typical dishes. Yet, the one factor that always brings a smile to my face and a very particular feeling of joy is people’s acts of kindness, especially when they happen randomly, when you don’t see them coming.
Read MoreI haven’t been fortunate enough to see Peru play in a World Cup as an adult, since the last time our national team made it thus far was Spain 82. That's right, 32 years and 8 World cups, including this one, have gone by. It is very disappointing indeed, but I won’t get into why it has become one of the worst teams in the always competitive, soccer-loving South America. Instead, I’d like to talk about why I enjoy so much following the World Cup, even though by no means I’m an expert in this sport.
Read MoreA couple of months ago on a Saturday morning, a few friends and I drove from Atlanta, Georgia to Birmingham, Alabama. It was a short but enjoyable trip. We arrived around lunch time so after a bite, our hosting friends took us around to do some sightseeing.
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