We visited a lot of cathedrals and monasteries in South America, but this one seemed like it was equal parts spa and prison. To read the story, click here.
Stories from the field
The Long, Labored Birth of a Tech-Inspired Love Story
Freelance journalists will tell you that they are always on the lookout for a good story. But sometimes the best stories throw themselves at your feet. That was the case with this story, which includes space-age technology, territorial conflict, and old-fashioned romance. How a downed internet balloon produced an unlikely love story I stumbled across…
Adventures in Contraception: Argentine Edition
Like many woman with unruly lady parts, I use birth control to keep things – well – under control. For me, the Depo Provera shot works better than any of the numerous other options I have tried, including contraceptive pills and the NuvaRing. In the US, I would just drop by my local Kaiser Permanente…
Chaos and Quarantine: Our Return to the USA
Utter chaos might be the best way to describe conditions at Miami International Airport on May 20, when Scott and I returned to the US after two months of lockdown in Argentina. We and 200 other passengers disembarked from a fully-packed Eastern Airlines repatriation flight that left Buenos Aires four hours late. Two more full…
Four Surprises from a Year of Traveling in South America
During the last 12 months, Renée and I traveled through Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Uruguay. People nearly everywhere have been heartbreakingly generous, welcoming, and patient with us. And while we tried to travel with open minds and hearts, I apparently arrived here with a backpack full of misconceptions, because I’ve encountered…
Deep Southern Hospitality
As a Florida-born Navy brat who was raised in North Carolina, I have been steeped in southern hospitality since birth. Now that Scott and I have found ourselves stranded in Argentina during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have gotten a taste of South American hospitality that is just as sweet as the iced tea I was…
How to Save Humankind Now While Sheltering in Place
Though we are sheltering in place far from home in Buenos Aires, Argentina, we are following the news from home very closely. It is heartbreaking to see the exponential spread of the COVID-19 virus throughout the country, infecting hundreds of thousands of our fellow Americans, killing tens of thousands, and bringing the economy to its…
Seven of the Most Famous Jesus Statues in Latin America
If you travel around Latin America long enough, you’ll eventually come to Jesus. It seems like every time you draw back the curtains to enjoy the view from your hotel room, there’s a gigantic statue of Jesus Christ topping a nearby hill, arms outstretched in the I-love-you-this-much position. There are dozens of these towering statues…
How to Make Lexington Style BBQ
I come from North Carolina, a state with more pigs than people. As far as we’re concerned, if we don’t eat them, they’ll take over. Perhaps that is why we have developed two different styles of pulled pork to fight over. When a restaurant advertises North Carolina-style barbeque, we have to ask, “Which one? Eastern…
