Borinquen: A Hot Springs That’s Truly Volcanic
I’m having a surreal moment. I’m standing, covered head to feet in slick, graphite-colored volcanic mud, when suddenly the deep guttural honk of a howler monkey reverberates almost directly overhead. I walk gingerly up the slatted wooden walkway that traverses the boiling hot river, craning my neck for a glimpse of the monkeys and at [...]
The Sound of Inner Silence in the Costa Rican Cloud Forest
Since arriving at El Silencio Lodge, an über-private nature retreat in Costa Rica’s high volcanic mountains, I’ve been contemplating the meaning of silence. Because silence, at least here in the jungle during the early days of the rainy season, is anything but quiet. Let’s start with the cicadas, which sound like buzz saws about ten [...]
Traveling Solo: Overcoming Fear with Tips from the Pros
Does this sound familiar? You hear about a cute beach town, a quirky national landmark, a hike with views to die for — and you’re ready to hit the highway. But wait — you’ve got no one to go with. Do you forego your wanderlust? No, say a host of travel writers and bloggers, who [...]
Microbreweries Make News: Pints to Sample in SF
At brand new Social Kitchen and Microbrewery, which opened in the Inner Sunset neighborhood of San Francisco last week, the concept of handcrafted microbrewed beer is getting a dose of “slow food” style refinement. Owner and brewmaster Rich Higgins is chief of the San Francisco Brewing Guild and takes the art of locally made and [...]
