unlatinoverde

[unlatinoverde]

Covid-19 in Bergamo, Italy: What You Should Know and Learn

Italy has been at the centre of the Covid-19 outbreak in Europe. This is an attempt to present the reality of the situation from the perspective of someone who has lived in the country for most the last decade. FYI, I live in Bergamo, the city that is currently bearing the brunt of this epidemic. By sharing our experience in Italy over the last few weeks, I hope others will avoid our current…

View On WordPress

[unlatinoverde]

Valencia, Spain: A City That's Really Worth A Visit

Valencia, Spain: A City That’s Really Worth A Visit

Poor Valencia! In a country like Spain, it’s easily overlooked. Barcelona has great bone structure and attracts the crowds. Meanwhile, Madrid possesses art and culture in abundance. Valencia, on the other hand, is a bit of a Cinderella. Some bloggers even complain it’s underwhelming. Yet, scratch the surface and Spain’s third city reveals its charms.

An almost unique non-river, markets, history,…

View On WordPress

[unlatinoverde]

Chefchaoen, Morocco - What to Expect (Warts and All)

Chefchaoen, Morocco – What to Expect (Warts and All)

Chefchaoen. As the light fades, I’m listening to children playing outside. The journey from Fès was an eye-opener. In the end, I think I lost count of the donkeys. Solitary donkeys. Families on donkeys. Donkeys everywhere.

Only a hop, skip and a jump from Europe, Morocco can feel like a world apart. As for Chefchaoen, like the nickname ‘the Blue City’ suggests, it’s very, very blue.

It’s this…

View On WordPress

#Morocco #travel tips and advice

[unlatinoverde]

Cool Cafés in Mexico City: Coyoacan and Roma Norte

Cool Cafés in Mexico City: Coyoacan and Roma Norte

Aztecs. Urban sprawl. These are often the things that come to mind when we think about Mexico City. To tell the truth, there is oh so much more! Despite not having the time to fit in half the things I wanted to do, I made sure to dip my toes into the city’s thriving coffee scene.

Coyoacan and Roma Norte are two of Mexico City’s most visitor-friendly districts. As a result, these areas acted as…

View On WordPress

[unlatinoverde]

How To Do A Foodie Tour of San Cristobal de las Casas

How To Do A Foodie Tour of San Cristobal de las Casas

Want to channel your inner foodie in Mexico? Well then, a foodie tour of San Cristobal de las Casas is sure to leave you salivating. The town may be better known for its markets, its churches and its appeal to backpackers. However, those who dig deeper will find a place that really knows how to satisfy their taste buds. Even after a long day trip, there will always be a top class restaurant to…

View On WordPress

[unlatinoverde]

Antigua Guatemala: The Best Base for Travel in Central America

Antigua Guatemala: The Best Base for Travel in Central America

Antigua Guatemala REALLY didn’t impress me at first. As a result, I never imagined I’d be writing a post praising its virtues, never mind suggesting travellers use it as a base for their travels in Central America. However, it’s a city that really grew on me. In fact, it’s one place to which I’d just love to return.

First Impressions of Antigua

Fuego, a local volcano, threw a fit a few weeks…

View On WordPress

[unlatinoverde]

Unmissable City Breaks: A Weekend in Cagliari, Sardinia

Unmissable City Breaks: A Weekend in Cagliari, Sardinia

Qualsiasi idiota può superare una crisi. E la quotidianità che è infernale.

Anton Cechov

Any fool can get over a crisis. It’s daily life that’s hell.

Anton Chekhov

These lines on a wall in via dei Genovesi in the old town sum up Cagliari for me. After all, it’s not every place where even the graffiti has a literary touch. Yet, Sardinia is southern Italy with a dash of sophistication.  This may…

View On WordPress

#best cities #italy

[unlatinoverde]

What to expect on your first Marrakech mini-break

What to expect on your first Marrakech mini-break

Like a guiding light, Marrakech is often the gateway into Africa for travellers. The central square, the Jemaa el-Fna, appears on many an Internet bucket list. Apparently, the Moroccan government even has plans to market the city as the centrepiece in their strategy to develop tourism over the coming decade. Yet, what should you really expect on a trip to Morocco’s most tourist-hungry…

View On WordPress

[unlatinoverde]

Travel Writers' Top Ten Urban Experiences in Latin America

Travel Writers’ Top Ten Urban Experiences in Latin America

Incredible urban experiences abound in Latin America. Whether travellers want to swelter in the steamy Amazon or chill in icy Ushuaia, there’s a city to cater to almost every taste.

As a group of writers and bloggers, we’ve come together to give you our top picks. Read on and follow the links. Then, start planning your next urban vacation.

Latin America may sometimes get a bad rap. However, it’s…

View On WordPress

#best cities #north america #south america

[unlatinoverde]

Copán: The World's Most Underestimated Mayan Ruins

Copán: The World’s Most Underestimated Mayan Ruins

My first reaction on entering the ruins at Copán was one of surprise. I had a sense of deja vu. Like on my arrival in El Salvador a few weeks before, my eyes were met by a wall of greens punctuated by vivid reds. The greens were the natural colour of the vegetation. The reds were the omnipresent flame bottle trees that they call arboles de fuegoin Spanish. The name translates as fire trees and,…

View On WordPress

[unlatinoverde]

Ibarra- A taste of Ecuador without the crowds

Ibarra- A taste of Ecuador without the crowds

Sure, Ibarra can have a workaday feel. Also, although it may be blighted by unsightly electrical wires at times, it has two unforgettable plazas, one of which is just outstanding. Add in some good coffee, and an excellent ice cream parlour and the city becomes more than a quick stopping off point in northern Ecuador. Whether you want to take a break on the way to or coming from Colombia, or you…

View On WordPress

[unlatinoverde]

What to expect on a Moroccan Sahara Desert tour

What to expect on a Moroccan Sahara Desert tour

Sweeping sand dunes form our romantic image of the Sahara Desert. However, reality often confronts visitors with endless rock and scrub. Nevertheless, desert trips act as a powerful draw for travellers to Morocco. Marrakech is more often than not the starting point for such tours.

To help you plan your trip, I’ll first outline the advantages and disadvantages of each type of trip. Then, I’ll…

View On WordPress

#Morocco #travel stories and writing

[unlatinoverde]

16 Unmissable Experiences in Mexico and Central America

16 Unmissable Experiences in Mexico and Central America

Having unmissable experiences rather than simply ‘seeing’ yet another destination is now the goal of many travellers. The region stretching from Mexico in the north to the border with Colombia in the south is just jam-packed with every possible type of travel experience. From dining around town in fashionable Puerto Vallarta to sailing from Panama to Colombia, you might say there’s something…

View On WordPress

#Central America #Mexico

[unlatinoverde]

2 Weeks in South America: Itineraries and Trip Tips

2 Weeks in South America: Itineraries and Trip Tips

Two weeks in South America- it seems an almost impossibly short timeframe. However, a mail from a reader in Indonesia inspired this post. Basically, he wanted to visit South America, but he needed to know how much he could cover in this exact amount of time. This got me thinking. After all, South America is a vast space, so how could you plan a two-week trip?

What do you want to see and…

View On WordPress

#backpacking #travel tips and advice

[unlatinoverde]

Day trip to Palenque from San Cristobal- Is It Insane?

Day trip to Palenque from San Cristobal- Is It Insane?

When I think of my day trip to Palenque, I recall sitting on a wooden bench in the jungle. Water drummed on rocks nearby while I sipped a mug of instant coffee. This wouldn’t usually be something I would particularly appreciate. However, as they say, necessity knows no laws. The vendor had provided me with a Tupperware container of his best Nescafé and some hot water served in a porcelain mug…

View On WordPress

[unlatinoverde]

6 cafés everyone needs to know in Bogota, Colombia

6 cafés everyone needs to know in Bogota, Colombia

Friends and acquaintances know that I like my coffee. Indeed, it no longer surprises them to see me exploring volcanoes in Guatemala or El Salvador in search of a great cup of coffee. Therefore, it was no surprise to most when I announced my intention to visit Colombia. The trip from Milan was long and required a stopover in Madrid (never a hardship). However, as soon as I regained some energy, I…

View On WordPress

#coffee and cafes #Colombia

[unlatinoverde]

Xativa- is it a must-do day trip from Valencia?

Xativa- is it a must-do day trip from Valencia?

Xativa. It’s certainly a memorable day trip from Valencia. However, not going on a strike day would have been even better.

The train journey, once it eventually got under way, was interesting. Beyond the industrial suburbs of Valencia, we crossed a gentle landscape of citrus trees. Further from the city, the red roof tiles and church steeples of successive towns had a touch of rural France…

View On WordPress