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On the non-descript, busy corner of Bucareli and Morelos streets in Mexico City is a café with a famous history: Fidel Castro and Che Guevarra met here at Café La Habana several times, chain smoking and drinking strong coffee, to plan the Cuban Revolution. Nowadays, you can still get excellent coffee—and pretty good food—while you plan something a little less dramatic (but more enjoyable), like your vacation itinerary. Old journalists and businessmen congregate here for hours on end while salt-of-the-earth, slightly surly waitresses take your order and bring you your food and drink. Come for breakfast and order their chilaquiles, motuleños, or molletes, and wash it down with an espresso or café americano.

Might be one of the most beautiful train stations in the World, Sao Bento Railway Station was opened to the public in 1916 and is well known for its walls covered with 20,000 splendid azulejo ceramic tiles which describe the History of Portugal. It took Jorge Colaço, the artist, 11 years to complete this building. The railway station is located in the Almeida Garret Square, in the centre of the city. I happened to be there on a Saturday rainy morning, while I was looking for a place to hide from the heavy rain. It was quite interesting watching the people’s dynamics, which might look the same in every major Railway station, despite its location. This place is beautiful all year around and probably most hours of the day. Indulge in this beauty and pay attention to the little details.

I could have spent days at Camden Market! There’s loads to see and something for everyone. My favourite find from Camden is an awesome nautical style rockabilly dress (which I saved £10 on :). I also ate the most epic burrito of my life in Camden. It was heavenly.

The tree limbs were heavy with freshly fallen snow, providing a peaceful backdrop to this entirely eerie place. I had made my way outside Berlin, to the little community of Beelitz on this snowy Easter weekend, to photograph Beelitz Heilstätten, a sanatorium for tuberculosis treatment methods in the early 20th century. I took the photo tour to the women’s section of the sanatorium, and we were able to walk around the snowy grounds and inside three main buildings and photograph to our heart’s content. I love these tours, since they are a great setting to practice with lighting and composition. The tour information was provided only in German, but there were enough people there to translate for me. And honestly, I was there to do photography, so I didn’t need much guidance. The leader simply gives an overview of the history, buildings, and things to be careful of, or special things to see; he hands you a blueprint layout of the buildings; and then you are own your own for 4-5 hours to explore! The ultimate photography tour, if you ask me! More information: http://www.ottsworld.com/blogs/berlin-photo-tours/

With two hiking trails ascending 1,280 feet to its peak, Camelback Mountain is a great option for nature-fiends who like a challenge. Both the Echo Canyon and Cholla trails exceed a mile in length and are accented with steep grades. Average hiking times range from 1.5 to 3 hours round-trip, so pack accordingly and bring enough water.

I’m generally more of a details guy, but now and again there’s a place for a high-level, 30,000 foot view of a place (and cheesy sociology jargon). Kota Bharu’s massive central market is not for the feint of heart - or the vegetarian. The central section, depicted here, is generally where you’ll find standard fruits and veggies. If you wander deeper into the bowels of the complex, you’ll find a rather intense wet market (men chopping beef flanks like a lumberjack would fell an oak, pig intestines hung like festive garlands, and unscrupulous vendors hawking sea turtle eggs). We visited with a few travel friends, and I think I was the only one from the group who could handle the sensory assault. I found parts of this market particularly disturbing (just a whole lot of things going on I’m not used to seeing anyplace else), but as a travel experience - whoa, yeah. I’ll never forget this one. I must have shot more than 400 photos in the couple of hours I dragged our party through this complex. I’ll focus on the details in a future post.

Reporting live from Upper Mustang: We’ve successfully hiked in and out of this remote, inaccessible region in north-central Nepal over terrain that was variously bleak and spectacular. We traversed rocky, sandy trails (I use that word loosely) through shale and limestone cliffs with only the occasional, teasing glimpse of a snow-covered peak. On the 7th day of walking 6-7 hours per day, the weather turned against us and we battled howling winds and freezing rain for the better part of an afternoon. Over the past week your faithful reporter has endured blisters, sunburn, intestinal parasites, an upper respiratory infection and a mild concussion (damn monastery door frames built for short people). Despite the aforementioned maladies there were some really bright moments along the way and the Tibetan/Nepali families we stayed with welcomed us into their humble kitchens and homes. I return to modern city life with a renewed appreciation for the simple comforts of indoor plumbing and reliable electricity. [Pictured: a herd of goats grazes at 4010 meters over Nyi La Pass - the highest point in the Kingdom of Mustang.]

OK, there may be better cafes. You may have alternative preferences. But I absolutely adored the Dad Cafe in Miera Street. I came across it at just the right moment - a long morning of walking had left me desperate for an even longer sit, and this place is the kind where no one will mind if you nurse a hot drink for a couple of hours. Not only does it feel like an old-fashioned tearoom, but they actually serve Earl Grey tea, for which I could have kissed them. They also make a home made quiche so delicious that I ordered a second piece as soon as I had finished my first. Chintzy furniture, artfully distressed, lots of lovely women sitting around chatting intellectually (they looked intellectual anyway, I suppose they could have been talking about Jersey Shore). I started a conversation with a drama student who was writing an essay on site-specific performance and we ended up having the most fascinating chat about how theatre is currently the most popular art form among the young in Latvia. Couldn’t have asked for more.

A challenging dayhike with a glacial-lake view at the end, and then Bratwurst-und-Bier for dinner: a perfect summer’s day in Washington State’s central Cascades! Take Icicle Creek Road from the town of Leavenworth to Eight Mile Road, then turn left and follow it up to where it ends at the trailhead to Lakes Stuart and Colchuck. This is a forested granite peaks wonderland. The switchbacks are shaded and crisscross streams; waterfalls will replenish your canteen...At 5800' you arrive at Lake Colchuck, glacially-colored beneath Dragon Tail Peak and Aasgard Pass (The NW’s Nordic heritage is evident here.) You might be gasping for adjectives, but you’ll understand why this area is called “The Enchantments.” Back down in civilization, feed your post-9-mile-hike-appetite with hearty Teutonic fare; Leavenworth is a mining-town-cum-Bavarian-hamlet--faux, but well-done. The pseudo-German architecture hosts many eateries, including München Haus--with its outdoor Biergarten, it will welcome even sweaty hikers. Several kinds of Wurst are available, served with local microbrews. Slake your thirst and savor the scenery... (About 2 1/2 hours from Seattle.)

Waikiki and the North Shore get most of the attention on the island of Oahu, and for good reason. Oahu is the surfing capital of the world and has something to offer every skill level, but hiking on the island of Oahu is one of its best-kept secrets! One of my favorite hikes is the Lanipo Trail. It is a a strenuous 7.5 mile (12 km) hike that can take 4 to 6 hours depending on conditions (I would not recommend doing this hike when it’s wet), but the scenery and experience offered by this hike is definitely worth the effort! The hike along the Mauna Lani Heights ridge, above the neighborhood of Kaimuki, offers breathtaking views of the island and Honolulu. The terrain is diverse, and at times you are hiking on steep boulders, and others navigating thick jungle. There is one section of the trail that carves through tall bamboo that clank together when the wind blows—like a natural wind chime. You will not be disappointed with the summit and the sense of accomplishment that you feel when you get there!

Well worth the effort it takes to locate this tiny establishment, Flower Gin is a hybrid gin bar and flower shop that feels as though you’ve stumbled into a bygone speakeasy, yet smells like an English country garden. The space is decorated with Alice in Wonderland-esque images, and serves six different cocktails, all created with cucumber-infused Hendrick’s gin. Opt for the classic G&T, or get fancy with an Elderflower Collins or Hot Gun Punch. All are picturesque and served with a delicate pink rose on top. Be sure to say hi to Coco the Boston Terrier, the little mascot that happily greets patrons who are lucky enough make their way in. Kyungnidan 684, Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul

When it opened in 2015, this museum drew headlines for its extensive contemporary art collection and Diller Scofidio + Renfro–designed building, which resembles a futuristic honeycomb. Then a single exhibition catapulted it into fame: artist Yayoi Kusama’s installation of thousands of twinkling LED lights called Infinity Mirrored Room—The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away. (The artist’s follow-up, Longing for Eternity, opened in 2017.)


There’s plenty to be dazzled by in this museum founded by philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad. Hundreds of skylights illuminate the column-free third floor’s permanent galleries—featuring the Broads’ considerable collection of pieces by Kara Walker, Barbara Kruger, Jasper Johns, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Insiders know to visit on weekdays for the most relaxed experience or around major holidays and occasions such as Halloween and International Women’s Day for engaging and sometimes provocative tours. Pro tip:

Though general admission tickets are free, it’s wise to book tickets online ahead when they’re released on the first of each month for the following month, especially if you’re taking a date or going with a group (the same goes for Kusama’s rooms). At least two weeks out, request a before- or after-hours guided group tour of one hour, not including the Infinity Mirrored Room.

And make sure to also book reservations at Otium, the trendsetting restaurant by Chef Timothy Hollingsworth located next to the Broad.

My guide, Paco, a.k.a. Francisco de Santiago, 46, is a full time tour guide, and also a former child chess champion and bullfighter (“that was many kilos ago”), orders a flight of artisanal mezcal samples at our first mezcalería of the evening, and instructs me on the proper way to taste the purest of agave drinks. “You spread the mescal on top of your hand, like this, then wait for the alcohol to evaporate, then smell it for citric, floral, or smoky tones.” After smelling, a sip, then another for good measure, you take a bite of orange slice dipped in crushed maguey worms and sea salt. After that, we dive into the city’s tacos and street food, beginning our night with two cups of esquite—boiled corn kernels mixed with lime, chili pepper, and mayonnaise, which we bought from a father-son team who have been working the same street corner for 22 years. I booked my 4-hour “late-night taco and mezcal tour” with Eat Mexico Culinary Tours. Francisco de Santiago of Mexico also runs Every Angle Tours ([email protected], tel. 55-2086-0851, $85–145 per person, depending on tour, includes food, beverage, transport, guide); all kinds of specialty culinary tours, or an all-day Frida Kahlo tour of the city.)

Wonderful catamarans that you can rent right off the beach.

Film fans may remember the scene in Out of Africa when Denys Finch Hatton’s little yellow gypsy plane swooped above the pink flamingo–filled waters of Lake Nakuru to the sound of the John Barry soundtrack. The lake is indeed known for the thousands of flamingos that nest along its shores, attracted to the lake’s vast quantities of tasty algae. (Recent rising water levels have resulted in many of the birds moving their nests elsewhere, but naturalists believe they’ll return when the waters recede.) In 1961, the lake and its surrounding land were named Lake Nakuru National Park, now protecting the black and southern white rhinos, warthogs, lions, baboons, and other wildlife that live here. The lake is a roughly three-hour drive from Nairobi.