Archive for April, 2010

April29

Images: Cemeteries of New Orleans, Louisiana

By: JoAnna

All the guidebooks we read about New Orleans advised readers not to visit the city’s cemeteries without a tour group. Apparently New Orleans’ cemeteries are a hot spot for unsavory activity, which I suppose makes sense given the pseudo-spooky, maze-like nature of these above-ground spaces.

We discovered, however, that the cemeteries are actually quite crowded throughout the day with tour groups and other interested folks, so we felt perfectly safe wandering through both St. Louis Cemetery #1 (located right outside the French Quarter) and Lafayette Cemetery #1 (located in the Garden District). The raised burial plots and tombs were beautiful and sorrowful, perfect for taking photographs.

Images: Cemeteries of New Orleans, Louisiana

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Posted in: Photos2 comments

April26

Food of Huatulco | Oaxaca, Mexico

By: JoAnna

No trip to Oaxaca, Mexico, is complete without a tour of the area’s food. I’m not normally a foodie at home, but when I travel, I love to taste the local flavor, and Mexico is no exception. Spices, sauces and seafood, all served up with extra care and attention.

Here were some of the highlights of my culinary exploration:

Food of Huatulco | Oaxaca, Mexico

Seafood: It only makes sense that seafood is a main staple on menus around Huatulco. Although I didn’t see any fishing boats while I was in the area, there was seafood available at every meal. This particular platter had shrimp, lobster, crab and a couple types of fish. One of the more unusual things I got to taste while I was in Huatulco was shark, which came in a samosa-type of appetizer. I’m not a big meat fan, but I do like seafood, and, except for the standard pieces of fish, I really enjoyed the freshness and flavor of the seafood I ate.

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Posted in: Eat10 comments

April22

Algiers Point Jazz Walking Tour | New Orleans, Louisiana

By: JoAnna

Algiers Point Jazz Walking Tour | New Orleans, LouisianaFrom the French Quarter in New Orleans, Algiers Point looks like just a spot of land across the murky Mississippi River. But a five-minute, free ferry ride across the water reveals a place remarkably different than the quaint buildings with the gaslight lamps packed into the famous French Quarter.

With the ease of travel from one side of the river to the next, it’s surprising, really, that the New Orleans that everyone knows and loves hasn’t spilled beyond the French Market and Riverwalk over to this more obscure piece of land.

But it hasn’t, and, instead, Algiers Point has had a different history develop over the years.

At the New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park building, hidden behind the French Market just down the way from Café du Monde, we picked up a glossy National Park brochure for a jazz walk of fame on Algiers Point. Next to it was the only copy of a hand-folded, photographed brochure with tiny print and fuzzy gray photos printed by the Algiers Historical Society for the Algiers Jazz Tour No. 2, also on the opposite bank.

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Posted in: Do3 comments

April19

How the Other Half Lives

By: JoAnna

How the Other Half LivesWe rolled into El Paso just as the sun was rising over the city. For several minutes, the train passed within mere feet of the oversized fence placed between Texas and Juarez, Mexico, on the other side. The two cities were dusty and dry, hot in the morning sun. On both sides of the fence, people dressed in worn slacks and button-up shirts walked to work.

People frequently talk about Mexico with an underlying tone that highlights its diminished financial status in comparison to the United States, as if such poverty doesn’t exist on “our side” of the fence. The fence is a mechanism to keep the haves from the have-nots, to separate us from them.

We were on the Sunset Limited, which had left the day before from Los Angeles and would reach New Orleans the following afternoon. Along the way, we were encouraged to relax and enjoy the view from the large windows in the observation car. Indeed, the countryside in Southern California and across Texas was beautiful, miles away from the closest road and deep into the fields where wildlife roamed. But it was between these expanses of isolated space that proved to be the most eye-opening.

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Posted in: Contemplation20 comments

April15

100 Ways Travel Has Changed My Life

By: JoAnna

100 Ways Travel Has Changed My LifeWould you believe that Kaleidoscopic Wandering is 100 posts old? It’s still a baby in travel blog terms, but in even 100 short posts its tripped around the world, provided advice, been honest and grown more than I ever could have imagined even a few short months ago.

In honor of this 100th post, I wanted to share 100 ways travel has changed my life.

  1. I’ve learned how to speak Swahili.
  2. I don’t mind getting dirty.
  3. I respect hard work.
  4. I have met several travel bloggers who have inspired me to go further and see more.
  5. I quit my Corporate America life knowing there was something better.
  6. I appreciate what it means to have a home.
  7. I recycle more.
  8. I drink tap water knowing many people around the world can’t.
  9. I know how to do laundry by hand.
  10. I’ve proven I can hike high altitudes.

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Posted in: Contemplation81 comments

April12

Swimming Hole Fun | Llano Grande, Mexico

By: JoAnna

Swimming Hole Fun | Llano Grande, MexicoI’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the most courageous person in the world, but when it comes to trying new things, I can usually get over my fears for the sake of adventure. So when we stopped at the swimming hole located in the community of Llano Grande about an hour and a half outside of Huatulco, Mexico, I was quick to jump in and splash around. But climb into a tree and jump off a 20-foot platform to swing on a rope so I can drop into the water below? Well …

The swimming hole sits below a large waterfall, which cascades down yet another waterfall into the river below. It is appropriately named Cascadas de Llano Grande, and though the water was a bit cold due to the overshadowing trees, it sits in the humid heart of Oaxaca, so it didn’t take long to feel comfortable.

Located in the municipality of San Miguel del Puerto at the foothills of the Sierra Madre del Sur, the Cascadas de Llano Grande is owned by the local community and isn’t part of a local or national park. And it’s hard to get to: From Huatulco, we bounced over rough, unpaved roads, then hiked about a mile and a half down a rugged path to find it. Most people generally reach the water as part of a guided tour group, but visitors could rent a taxi or car for the day. If you go on your own, you’ll notice there are no street signs, so you’ll have to stop a lot to ask directions.

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Posted in: Do, Go6 comments

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