Getting 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 MoreInspired by colour in San Miguel
I didn’t expect to learn to love the colour orange when I went for a spa treatment at the Rosewood San Miguel de Allende but as the weeks have passed since the Writers Conference, I’ve found myself returning to my photos wondering how I can incorporate some of the colourful magic of this UNESCO World Heritage site into my new home in Mexico. Much of my inspiration comes from an afternoon spent at the newly-opened Rosewood San Miguel de Allende. Rising from the skyline of colonial villas and church spires of the historic centre, it offers 67 beautifully appointed suites and a...
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Wandering CarolLatest Pins on Pinterest
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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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