Mamitas Photogs in Playa del Carmen
I popped in on old photog friends who work at Mamitas Beach, right in the heart of the seaside action in Playa del Carmen, MX. Marco and Joakin are both excellent photographers who have beautiful spirits. Both of them are like dear brothers to me. We tease. We play. We all share a passion for [...]
Charmed in Playa del Carmen
When I arrived in Playa del Carmen, America and Pauloko greeted me at the local bus station right on 5th avenue. We swung by America’s apartment to drop off my things before heading toward a hostel to help prep for the birthday celebration of one of America’s friends. So much familiarity, yet so much change. [...]
Sunbathing Topless in Cancun…
I grew up in the conservative, land-locked Midwest, so thong bikinis and sunbathing topless are more than risque… for many Midwestern folk these notions are considered vulgar and even sinful or immoral. But, for the natives of tropical seaside environments where the days are spent in a natural sauna, the locals barely give a second [...]
Back to Paradise
05.03.11 At the airport in Cancun, I made friends with a Virgin American crew member and a fellow traveler from Norway… perhaps we’ll be in touch. I took a shuttle from the airport to the bus station in the center of town. I felt so “at home” again, yet felt my spirit hadn’t quite released [...]
At One
By Laura Rico I am at one with the energy here my spirit opens my soul sings the silent trance calms me… beneath the quiet a glorious celestial choir bursting forth from love… the wind tickles my skin the tropical air warm and moist fluttering fronds of a palm sweetly caressing my face shivers of [...]
Insatiable Wanderlust
I laugh at myself. On the move yet again. Back to Mexico and Guatemala. Just about an hour until I take off from LAX… I could no longer bear how much I missed my friends, so Riveria Maya and La Antigua here I come! I’ll spend about two weeks on the Yucatan Peninsula before I [...]
Flying Through the Caribbean Breeze
A little video of me clinging to some sort of wind swing thing that whips me around like a rag doll off the coast of the Riviera Maya (Cancun, MX, spring 2010): Here’s one where we cruised around the inlets in little toy speedboats before spilling out into the sea and jumping overboard to snorkel:
The Itch, The Fever Call It What You May But I’ve Got to Go Far and Away & The Truth About L.A.
Yesterday marked my 6th month anniversary in Los Angeles… already? That was fast… I woke today with a familiar energy; eyes popping wide open. I’ve been logging deep sleep but not long hours. Too much buzz coursing through my body. In fact, the past three mornings have been the same. Getting to bed around 1 [...]
Foto Flashback: Glowing Tides and Seaspray
The sea absolutely enchants me. I think these photos from my visit to Monterrey, CA in July of 2008 do more than words to illustrate why…
Foto Flashback: The Ancient Artists of Angkor Wat
Daybreak at the Angkor Wat ruins. Awe. The shifting hues of morning silhouetting an ancient world. The Khmer reigned this exotic kingdom 1700 years ago. Can you fathom that? As the light slowly crept into the intricate crevices of this ancient realm, sweet memories of childhood came flooding back to me. Sea. Sand. Beach. Drizzly [...]
Mindscraps: The Dizzy Donkey Dance
Lately, I feel as if I’m caught up in a never-ending game of pin the tail on the donkey… The nearly non-existent trickle of income is my blindfold. Short on funds, the hunt for a decent wage is a constant distraction from my true goals. I can’t seem to see past the “no cash” dilemma. [...]
Mindscraps: Mourning for the Maya
Hector Tobar of the L.A. Times just published For Maya, A Paradise Lost. After reading the article, I’m left with a strong desire to help do something for these immigrants. Having lived 8 months in Guatemala, the country and its Mayan people hold a most special place in my heart. I’m not sure what I [...]
Foto Flashback: Vietnamese Monk
I was just browsing through my Flickr account and musing over the collection of photos I’ve managed to gather throughout my years of travel… which led me to a thought: why not start regularly posting a random photo from the past? Hence the birth of Foto Flashback. This photo is a portrait of a Vietnamese [...]
MindScraps: From Backpacking to Flashpacking
“Transition” has been the word on my lips for the past several months. “I’m ready for a transition,” I say. “I DO NOT want to stop traveling but I’m ready to graduate to the next level. I loved my five years of budget backpacking – the experiences I’ve had, the people I’ve encountered, the life [...]
Mind Scraps: A Bittersweet Farewell to My Dear Playa…
Before, thanks to my almost uncontainable excitement for the next step of my journey, I always managed to subdue the melancholy of a “goodbye.” But these past few life transitions these past couple of years have left me red-eyed and profoundly touched. I had to say goodbye to some truly remarkable people during my last [...]
Live It Up! L.A.
Landmarks Hollywood Sign 6342 Mulholland Highway, L.A. Hollywood & Highland Hollywood Boulevard, between Highland Avenue and Orange Drive Kodak Theatre 6801 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, 323-308-6300 Level One of the Hollywood & Highland Center Home of the Academy Awards and Cirque du Soleil 2011 Grauman’s Chinese Theatre Hollywood & Highland Center El Capitan Theatre Hollywood & [...]
Friendship Poem
For my birthday, a dear friend I met through Couchsurfing in Cancun wrote me the following: Lamneto mucho no estar hoy contigo en este dia tan especial…. Tu cumpleaños! So much I lament not being abel to be with you on this special day… your birthday! Aveces siento que eres un angel que vino a [...]
Mind Scraps: Frogs and Turtles, Princes and Princesses
“Do you have a notebook I could use,” I asked my friend Benny – Biologist Benny we call him. “Mine’s about filled up.” That’s when he offered me The Blue Day Notebook. He had just started using it, but insisted on giving it to me. It’s a cute little blue book with a cute little [...]
Power Kite in Cancun
Just a few shots of my friend Benny who proves we can fly… Power Kite Flickr Album
Life of Luxe
Just an fyi: these beds are strewn about the beaches and restaurants here in the city I’m beginning to call home… Playa del Carmen. Jealous? Playa Del Carmen Flickr Album
Mind Scraps: Give Drink to the Thirsty
Flashback… During my first few days in the barrancas in Chihuahua, MX I was like Alice in wonderland, marveling at the fish-eye night sky, the majestic rock cathedrals and the exotic Rarámuri – who in their neon-colored blouses, loin-cloth like skirts and biblical sandals seemed to be from a prehistoric epoch. In my eagerness to [...]
Al Cielo with Del Sol Photography
Just wanted to share a compelling video of Al Cielo that Wonder Boy and Photog Beauty put together to give a clearer idea about my magical experience with this extremely talented and inspiring couple:
Mind Scraps: Night Runs Along the Surf
Just a quick note about my magical moment today: I walk out of my apartment door and turn down the hallway until I reach the ramp that leads to one of my complexes three pools. Weaving between the shadowy palm umbrellas, I arrive at the gate that opens onto the beach. When my feet hit [...]
Mind Scraps: UFOs over the Riviera Maya
The first night at my new beachfront abode… suddenly the five young men I would be calling my roommates for the next two months all became excited little boys. “Come out and look! Quick!” They were on the outside terrace where one can relax and drink in the stunning view of the gem-shaded Caribbean sea. [...]
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