Ireland Leads the Way in Europe–More Babies
Reading the New York Times on Cindy’s patio, I found a story about the fast growing population of The Republic of Ireland. It’s Europe’s Number one country for population growth–a mean feat on a continent with such stagnating growth rate that no one knows who will change the sheets and […]
Are You A Member of the Dunkin’ Tribe?
Do you really wanna be? Dunkin’ Donuts, now owned by Thomas H. Lee Partners, Bain Capital Partners and the Carlyle Group, is big on market research to keep up its torrid growth rate. A story in the WSJ a few weeks ago discussed how they decide which new cities to […]
These Photos Make You Wanna Eat!
At the end of the day I decided to jazz up our GoNOMAD Cafe Myspace page. Click the image to get a mouth-watering close-up!So we added a whole new photo gallery by Manager and photographer Liz Bagley. They make the food look very good. Hat tip to my son-in-law Francisco […]
Gibberish…But Relevant, Valuable Gibberish, to Us
Web Pro News is the Bible when it comes to trying to understand the vast web with its many secret rules and algorithms. Often, one of the big decisions a website editor makes is who to link to. Every day emails are received from someone seeking a link. And it’s […]
A Biker Regrets the Bawdy Women Tattooed on his Legs
After our 3:30 am wake-up call in Medellin, we’re finally on the last leg of our long voyage home, aboard a 737 bound for Hartford from Miami. In the seat pocket of the jet I picked up a copy of Mountain Biker and read about a tattooed biker who regretted […]
From Santa Domingo, Looking Out at a New World
The people in the Santa Domingo barrio, at the very top of a mountain overlooking the city, live in a teeming and crowded world, with every street going nearly up and down or squiggling sideways. This area has been reborn with steadfast determination of city officials who realized that part […]
Getting a Cheap Suit in Medellin
Last night we had a farewell dinner with our Latin American friends, who were meeting in the lobby for a 3:30 am departure. Ugh! Our host was the General Manager of the InterContinental in Medellin, Tony Ruiz. As he began his little speech to us in Spanish, he looked over […]
Romance in Medellin’s Santa Domingo Neighborhood
We passed this kissing couple on our way up the cable car, sneaking a moment away from little brother, who was climbing a tree around the corner and no doubt was just about to disturb them.
Chatting on a Rented Cell by the Minute
CThis is one way poor entrepreneurs make money in Colombia–Minuto Celular. Just take a phone, put up an orange sign, and your neighbors or passers by can make cell phone calls on your phone for some pesos. We’ve seen these as high as 400 pesos, or as low as 200 […]
Meeting the Mayor and Hearing His Story
Today was a busy day with our busload of South American journalists, we covered a lot of ground in and around Medellin. The most interesting part of the day was when we went to Medellin’s city hall, and met the mayor of the city. After passing through the metal detectors, […]
Eating Criolla in Plaza Major, Medellin Center
We had lunch yesterday in the Plaza Major…while the PA announcers repeatedly tested the mikes booming out over the squares, in preparation for the 50th anniversary of the Feria de las Flores, a huge flower parade. The group was seated at a very long table…with TV crews and journalists from […]
Viva Medellin! Viva Antioque! A Heartfelt Cheer Here
I’ve spent a whole day and night in this mysterious and misunderstood country. And I love it already! Colombia truly has gotten a bad rap, and over and over again, we got a chance by meeting friendly people and seeing wonderful sights to prove that it deserves a second look. […]
Down, Down, Down, into the Valley of Medellin
I am lying on a very hard bed at the Intercontinental Hotel in Medellin. We landed at about 9:30 pm and were met by Alejandra, a 20-something young woman with a lovely smile and a shapely figure. One of the first things that she told us was that this city […]
South Beach Is Further from the Airport by Bus
We are in South Beach, Miami, at Jerry’s Famous Deli. I was happy to find a WiFi signal and we have such a long layover, there was no way we were going to stay in the airport for five hours. But Paul the nervous nellie was right about one thing–taking […]
Saturday Night, I’ll be at the Intercontinental in Medellin
The hotel is in Medellin’s El Poblado residential area, the Intercontinental rests on a hillside, overlooking the valley. Paul Shoul and I should arrive there around 9 pm. Will keep you as posted as I can!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Bella Goes Under the Bed
BOOM! BOOM! That’s how Robin Jaffin punctuated her letter to the Amherst MA board of selectmen when she complained about her neighbor the farmer. In order to keep away unwanted birds, he’s been shooting off a propane-powered gun that makes a boom boom noise in frequent intervals all day long. […]
Uneasy is the Head that Is Denied the Crown
I remember once telling a woman acquaintance who had just begun a fundraising job at a local college to pursue the richest woman in Massachusetts–Abigail Johnson. She’s the scion of the Johnsons who run Fidelity, the world’s largest mutual fund. But at 45, she’s already been passed over by dad […]
Movin’ On Up–To the New York Times Travel Show
Once more, GoNOMAD reaches high and scores! We have been exhibiting at a major New York Tradeshow for four years, and every year we have gotten more out of it. While we’ve loved our January shows at the Adventure Expo, the time has come to move up. So I’m proud […]