Prior to my trip to Brazil last winter, I made a quick stop to the Travel Clinic to get important shots for Yellow Fever, Typhoid and Hepatitis A. The doctor also recommended I take Malaria pills since I was spending 6 days in the Brazilian Amazon. There are several types of Malaria pills: Mefloquine, Malarone, Doxycycline and Fansidar. My doctor recommended the Malarone pills, which I believe are the most ...

I came across another Wavin' Flag (K'naan) video but this time, the theme was the Brazil World Cup 2014. I couldn't help myself but post it. I know we've all heard this song far too much in the last few months but the video really reminded me of my last backpacking trip in Brazil so I just had to! [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DmLMd41VJI&feature=related] ...

[caption id="attachment_1491" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="View of Rio"][/caption] The story behind the name "Rio de Janeiro" Rio de Janeiro stands for the January river. When sailors found the Bay (where Rio de Janeiro is now located) on January 1, 1502, they believed it to be the end of the river.  In honor of the King of Portugal, the name of Sao Sabastiao do Rio de Janeiro was born. Most Fam ...

It's really not that dangerous, I promise! Prior to leaving for a 5-month semester in Monterrey, Mexico, people thought I was crazy. "Mexico is so dangerous", "They'll kidnap you", "Don't go out by yourself", "Don't walk alone when it's dark", "Don't go to Chiapas, it's dangerous", "Don't go to Mexico DF, you'll get mugged" and the list goes on and on and on. And of course, I still went to Mexico. Not only ...

[caption id="attachment_349" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Fitz Roy"][/caption] What better than hiking in the Andes? Beginning your hike from a small backpacking town called El Chaten. For all you backpackers who may sometime feel like no one understands you when you're home, El Chaten will make you feel normal to be a backpacker and a hiker! This small village, a 2.5 hour bus ride from El Calaf ...

 Many people often ask me, what is Europe like? Or how is life in Europe? I’d like to say that it’s an easy question to answer, but unfortunately it isn’t. My personal opinion is that life is more appreciated in the old continent. Sure when you live in America, you are considered spoiled, we have everything they have; the difference is that we don’t pay attention to the details. For example, when we wake up ...

When traveling in Brazil a few months ago, I made a quick 6-day stop in the Amazon. Although there were many highlights of the week I spent there, I'd like to emphasize my experience in a particular amazon village. Wooden houses, fruit plants, soccer fields were all common things one would encounter while walking through the it. But the one thing that really caught my attention were the kids living in that ...

Do you ever get annoyed from friends and family members who always discourage your trips by saying: I hear it's a very dangerous country? or You better watch out I hear they steal organs down there? If that is the case, you are far from being the only one. When travelling Latin America, especially countries such as Colombia, it is important to leave with a clear mind and not think that all these horror stor ...

Most of you have already heard about the earthquake that hit Chili with a magnitude of 8.8 on March 2nd. As most of us were still devastated by the one that hit Haiti, we found ourselves once again, feeling that devastation for Chile. Although this is the type of news we don't want to hear, we need to expect it. Some countries are not as well off as others because of their location on the map. Some are more ...

Just off the coast of Chile, Easter Island is now becoming one of the more popular tourist locations in South America. It’s not only a stunning location to visit but the history behind the Island is very out of the ordinary. It holds one the worlds mysteries; 15 imposing figures that stare off into the distance. Over 1,000 years ago a few Polynesians canoed over to this remote island and created 900 long-fa ...