Flying up to Flores to see the Mayan city of Tikal was such a good trip! This is the second largest city for the Mayans in Mesoamerica. It's actually amazing what they were able to create without modern technology and machinery. The detail! Second and third picture down is what they believe the city looked like when it was still inhabited. Then the Coati/ Pizote- part of the racoon family. Then on to Yaxha the next day. The Howler Monkeys sound crazy! Next- Guatamala City.

What a beautiful country!! I have wanted to explore Guatemala for years and I'm so happy I finally made it happen! I arrived early in the morning, so I opted to start in Lake Atitlan. That's about a 3 hour drive from the airport. So you'll see pics that I took on the way to the lake and then once I got there, around town. Then I went on a tour of 3-4 cities around the lake. There just happened to be a parade in the city that we had to meet for the tour in. The tour was both

Benin-where to start? I think technically it's a West African country in the gulf of Guinee. It's the birthplace of the Vodun (Voodoo) religion and also the home of the former Dohomey Kingdom. Honestly, I found this to be the most difficult country to navigate. It was fine when I was with my local guides, but on my own, it was bad. And heads up- CASH ONLY COUNTRY!!! I found no one that accepted credit cards- not even hotels. I checked a 5 star hotel at $600 per night-still ca

Another road trip! But I really do appreciate the opportunity to really see a country. First stop was the Voodoo market. Kinda freaky. Even though it's not about dark spirits, it was still unsettling. After the market, we started our drive outside of Lome. It really is a beautiful country. Chateau Viale was a private residence. Then the presidential palace for a few years before it was abandoned. Too bad it fell into such disrepair. On the way back to town, we stumbled on an

I almost skipped this country- and I'm so glad I didn't! There is so much to discover in this country- it's not just a knockoff Benin. I truly enjoyed exploring it and learning about the history, seeing the landscape and meeting some really great people. I started in Agbodrafo(House of slaves) and Aneho(Glidji-Kpodji, historic center and mosiac's). My first introduction to Vodun (Voodoo). Remember, they kept them underground, so that's what the hole in the floor is above. Ne

I was so looking forward to visiting Ivory Coast! What I researched, it seemed to be a modern, developed city. A little surprise after getting there...but this is what I discovered. Enjoy! Abidjan is the main city, however Le Peninsula is the government center. These are pictures of my arrival and traveling to my hotel. Then tours and discovering the city. So below we visit the Nelson Mandela Peace park and also the food that's popular in Ivory Coast. Gateau Coco, Croquett

Well I had mixed feelings about this. Part of me knew I needed to go, but I also didn't really want to. So I decided to make it into a road trip(you know how I like those!) and rented a car and drove myself down to the coast. Now I made that decision based on what the roads were like in the city, and it was only 80 Kilometers. As soon as you get outside the city, it's dirt roads that are in horrible conditions. That 80km took me 5 hours!!! I was so on edge by the time I got

Ghana. There was a lot of attention brought to Ghana with the year of return etc. Wonderful country, great people and a lot of history here. I truly enjoyed my time in this country. So, how I spent my time here. Started with a city tour where we went to W.E.B DuBois Center and Mausoleum. Then on to the National Museum. Independence square where a parade was happening-pleasant surprise. Kwame Nkrumah and his push for independence, Makols Market-which was just crazy! And ending

So my next stop in West Africa was Liberia. Beautiful, but small country. Lush green countryside and friendly people. I'm glad I stopped here. I almost bypassed it and I'm so glad I didn't! I hope you enjoy the pictures-I will say the tourism infrastructure is not really there, but I made it through due to my wonderful tour guide, Bassie, again! Now, the border crossing was chaotic! I had an evisa, because I originally planned to fly into the country. Well, they can only ta

So after leaving Freetown and the western peninsula we drove to Mikeny and Bo, where we stopped in a mining village and witnessed them mining for gold and diamonds. Then on to the border and into Liberia. We were supposed to stop in Robertsport, but the roads were washed out due to heavy rain. So we continued on to Monrovia and started the city tour. They are mining gold and diamonds. I had no idea it was so labor intensive. Like the movie Blood Diamonds, artisinal miners. T

I almost didn't come to this country-but I am so glad that I did! I had planned to stay for 1 week and then fly on to the next country. Unfortunately it's not that straight forward traveling in Africa. Sometimes you have to fly to Europe just to come back and fly into the neighboring country. I booked a one way ticket to Sierra Leone with the hopes of finding a way to get to Liberia or Ivory Coast from here-and I did! I had the hotel recommend a tour guide for a city tour as

After leaving Senegal, I headed south to The Gambia. What a wonderful little country! It's called the Smiling Coast for good reason. The people are wonderful and the country was just so lush and green. Not a lot to do, but I enjoyed my visit to the country. The highlight of the visit was the cooking class I took. They picked me up and took me to the venue and immediately had me pick out a native dress to change into. I got the entire experience and I absolutely loved it! Afte

The final photo drop from Senegal. I found a nice coffee shop with delicious food and a nice environment. I also went to the Museum of Black Civilization. The westernmost point of mainland Africa, and Sea Plaza-shopping mall right on the Atlantic Ocean. I found an Asia/African fusion restaurant there for some tasty Sushi and delicious cocktail! The coffee shop,(breakfast twice) and Sea Mall below. Westernmost Point of Mainland Africa above. Well my time in Senegal came to an

So I did the city tour and got to the Freedom statue-ironic that it was gifted from North Korea. Let that sink in. Anyway, it's a beautiful city and I enjoyed exploring...not too much going on though. We travelled via Fast Coach- the colorful van pictured below. The highlight of the past week was the jollof rice cooking class. We made the national dish and I swear, it was better than what I got in a restaurant here! I will say it took way longer than I expected- over 4 ho

I've made it back to Africa-west coast this time. First stop-Senegal! As usual I started with a food tour and literally everything I tasted was delicious. Starting with beignets, which are slightly sweet, but very good. Then Fataya(like an empanada) it's filled with meat or fish and a spicy sauce. Gnamakoudji- a ginger drink. Bissap Juice-habiscus juice, really sweet, but refreshing. Bouye Juice- made from the fruit of the baobab tree- not my favorite. Dibi which is lamb ser

My last stop on my ABC tour was Aruba. They call it the happy island with the most beautiful beaches- I would agree! Also with it being only 40 miles from Venezuela and Colombia- there was a lot of Spanish influences on the island. I was pleasantly surprised when I found a really good Colombian restaurant and bakery. I was able to get the Pandebono(cheese bread or small cheese balls). I got them 3 of the 12 days I was on the island! I also visited San Nicolas- which is the st

So as usual, my first day in town I usually take a food tour. Here's what I had. Breakfast is usually a fruit smoothie. Black eyed pea fritters or Kala. Lumpia= deep fried bean sprouts with chicken pieces- nice little snack. Oregano tea and sweet potato pancakes with honey drizzle. Then we went by the floating market to get some fresh fruit. It was all things I have had before, so I didn't take pictures. Then off for a traditional lunch/dinner at the local cafeteria. W

Bonaire is the smallest and least developed of the ABC islands. Not too much going on except for snorkling or diving. But I did find the flamingos, donkeys and a beautiful rainbow! The small white building below on the right is old slave shacks. Then there is Lionfish that are in these waters. Pretty tasty! I also got some Ahi while at the beach-yum! The donkeys roam free all the time and are really friendly.

Laos isn't as developed as the other southeast asian countries, but there is a lot of charm here and the people are very welcoming. The new Laos Chinese Railroad is open which made it very easy to get around the country. I also just took pictures around town to give you an idea of what they look like. And the pickup truck with the covered back is the local taxi. A few of the temples in Luang Prabang as well as the night market and of course food tour. And in VangViang I took

Arrival in Seam Reap and of course my first order of business is a massage and food tour on the first day. Then off to sunrise at Angkor Wat Temple. Next to the Floating Fishing Village where the water during the wet season is up to the top of the stilts. And finally to The Royal Theatre Dinner Show. I absolutely adored this city! First set of pictures is the spa, then floating village. The 2 nicer buildings are the police station and medical clinic(in the middle of the coll