How to celebrate Cinco de Mayo – eat!
It’s been 150 years since the Battle of Puebla and, like any great David vs. Goliath story, it’s time to celebrate. Cinco de Mayo recognizes the triumph of the Mexican militia’s 1862 victory over the French army during the Franco-Mexican War. Although Puebla is the main party hub, May 5th is an opportunity for communities across North America to celebrate everything Mexican– from mariachi music to pinatas. There’s no better way to celebrate than to tuck into one of the traditional dishes of Puebla. Here’s what to eat on Cinco de Mayo: 1)...
Read MoreGetting kinky in Coral Gables, Miami
“Are you here for the book signing?” asked the concierge. I was in the lobby of the venerable Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Miami and the buzz was all about E.L. James’s erotic novel “Fifty Shades of Grey.” The book launch was happening at the hotel. The Miami Herald had featured the book launch on the front page of its Saturday edition and the book signing at The Biltmore, hosted by Books & Books, had sold-out in a flash. A second event at the bookstore itself had been added for April 29, 2012. “We’re expecting 700 people,” said...
Read MoreMaya waterfall hike in Chiapas, Mexico
Mayan legend say the God of the Underworld torments those who die tragically by forcing their souls to wander the earth for four years. Each morning, their spirits turn into butterflies and at sundown they return to the Land of the Dead. Rainbows are signs of these lost souls. If that’s true, I’m in big trouble. Hiking a jungle trail, I’ve lost sight of my companions and am alone in the mist. Around me flashes a cloud of butterflies – some canary yellow and others with black polka dots–and rainbows arch from one side of the river to the next. I’m hiking El...
Read MoreMeal of the Gods in Tikal, Guatemala
Most people go to Tikal to soak up the atmosphere and history of one of the world’s largest Mayan archeological sites. I went for a plate of chicken. In all fairness, it wasn’t an ordinary chicken dinner, but Subanik, a ceremonial Kaqchiquel Maya dish that relies on wild turkey, ancho and guaque chiles to impart its unique flavour. Although we’d been going to Guatemala for decades, we’d never once visited the mighty ruins. They were a 7 hour drive from San Vicente which meant it might as well have been in Winnipeg, as our family rarely leaves the village. There...
Read MorePilgrimage for perogies, Paska and pork hocks
In Ukraine, the spring rituals of my ancestors included decorating eggs with artistic designs, taking Easter bread to be blessed by the priest and an unusual dance in which young maidens were doused with water by village swains. I was keen to revive all three traditions but could only manage to convince Javier to participate in one. So, earlier in the week I contacted Natalie’s Kitchen, a Ukrainian catering company located in The Huculuk Centre in Etobicoke and placed an order for Paska, the round-shaped Easter bread my mother used to make. She’d bake it in coffee cans and...
Read MoreSwimming with the stars in Oaxaca’s bioluminescent lagoon
No-one told me the Fountain of Youth was located in a Mexican swamp. I was floating in a boat in the middle of a lagoon under an ink-black night sky when I heard a large splash. Someone in our group had jumped into the water. We were participating in a Phosphorescence Excursion with Lalo Ecotours, an experience offered at special times of the year, when a unique alchemy of ocean currents and water temperature draw dinoflagellate plankton into Manialtepec Lagoon, a deep lagoon located 20 minutes outside Puerto Escondido. Much like fireflies of the north, the half-plant half-animal...
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Amazing Instagram photo by @sethstafford of Oahu's Sean Moody taking on the Mexican Pipeline
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Mercado Global's innovative approach to fighting poverty and empowering indigenous women in Guatemala’s highlands connects their artisan cooperatives to sales opportunities in the U.S. on an unprecedented scale.
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Beautiful Semuc Champey in Guatemala
In 2003, I left the corporate world to try my hand at travel writing. Now, I travel the world, writing about people, places and cuisine. My writing has appeared in over 100 publications and anthologies. 
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