dvarmazi

I think this would be a good place to get a good overview of the kind of plants that grow here.

People come to Verona to see Juliet’s balcony, but it’s covered in gum and graffiti and, frankly, not worth it.

But while you’re here… check out Il Giardino Giusti. It has one of the finest examples of Italian topiary around, and there are several overlooks where you can peer down at the hedge mazes and spires of cypress. Good place for a romantic stroll.

The main draw here is the Roman Catholic church in the town center. The colors are some of the most vibrant I’ve ever seen. I’ve been told that the locals still perform ceremonies of the original indigenous religions in the hills overlooking the town, and that may be true, but the church is physical proof of the melding of local traditions with Roman Catholicism here.

I biked here from Quetzaltenango. It took a few hours, and the trip yielded some nice views too… but my shocks were shot and the road was bumpy. Don’t repeat my mistake or you may not be able to have kids. Just sayin’.

Go with Quetzaltrekkers. They’ll take you to breakfast in nearby San Marcos. Then, you’ll bus up to 9000 feet. (You’ll end up just at the foot of it, you won’t miss much.) You ascend the first day to an oxbow between the two ‘peaks.’ On the early morning of the second day, you climb to the top and see the sunrise on Central American’s highest point. (The climb up in the pitch dark is harrowing and the rocks are wet so bring a flashlight!) It’s absolutely beautiful. Look for clumps of strange looking flowers at base camp; they’re orchids.

Columbia’s got a small town mentality with big city traffic, Upcountry is way too religious for me, Charleston is nice but in an airbrushed way, but the Low Country hits the spot.

Backroads in the swamp, abandoned shacks, Evangelical churches in the middle of nowhere, roadside stands selling kudzu blossom jam. Good stuff, as long as you avoid Hilton Head.

...to Beijing at all. Just a big commercial area in a big Chinese city. Lots of girls trying to get you to buy paintings, lots of shops selling knock-off knick-knacks to laowai.

If you really want to experience the maelstrom of a no-holds-barred consumerist warren the way only the Chinese can do it, go to Kowloon in Hong Kong instead.

Military discounts on everything, really. The museum on the base is worth a look, but it’s really small and won’t take more than an hour or two. Other than that, this is a really run-down town. Unless you’re in uniform, keep driving.

...this place is not for you. It is an overgrown gas station, basically.

I did camp here one year in college. The next morning, management had to remove a giant rat snake from the campgrounds. It had apparently eaten something recently and was really lethargic, but still. Ew.

If you’ve been in Italy for a little while, your eyes may get tired of looking at churches and palaces that, as opulent and beautiful as they are, begin to blend together.

Cinque Terre will rejuvenate you, and the path between the villages is accommodating, though at times it narrows to almost single file.

Pink sand between your toes.