Category: Life (Page 1 of 7)

Lima greeted us with its customary overcast skies and many warm smiles. We found the city to be very friendly, especially for one of its size. The ocean views were hard to beat and we enjoyed abundant fresh produce. Our apartment in the Miraflores neighborhood was close to multiple parks, including one with scores of friendly cats. There are a handful of impressive museums too. We did have air quality problems for about a third of our month-long stay and we found it necessary to alter our normal behavior because of it. But the cloudiness and pollution weren’t enough to completely mar our stay, so overall the silver linings won out. 

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Montevideo is full of unique architecture, palm trees, and ocean breezes. The port city and capital of Uruguay is a pleasant destination, consistently ranked at the top when it comes to quality of life in Latin America. We stayed in the Old Town area, which is very walkable and has a nice pedestrian-only street bisecting it. We spent our time gazing at the interesting buildings, appreciating the locally-focused museums, and strolling along the salt water.

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Buenos Aires is filled with tree-line streets and European-style architecture. The large city has numerous parks and top notch museums. Prior to our visit, it seemed like a place that we would really mesh with. The timing of our visit could not have been worse however, as it coincided with unprecedented and relentless swarms of mosquitoes. These parasites made it basically impossible to enjoy any of the green spaces, and most of the time, it was hard just being outside at all. The indoor activities we found were not nearly enough to offset the otherwise miserable outdoor conditions.  

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Situated close to the foothills of the Andes, Mendoza is Argentina’s top wine producing region. The metro area of 1,000,000 is mostly flat and very green with lots of trees. It’s considered a jumping off point for exploring the nearby mountains. There are a number of separated bike lanes and running paths around the city that we constantly saw being used. But for a relatively large urban area, we didn’t find that much to do.

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On any list of the best street art cities in the world, Valparaíso, Chile ranks near the top. This colorful port city is overflowing with street art and graffiti. Nestled into the steep hills on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, it’s full of old funiculars and great viewpoints. We encountered a ton of  wildlife, which was a pleasant surprise. Several earthquakes and a major wildfire also kept things interesting.

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Santiago is a metropolis nestled into a large valley in the foothills of the Andes. It’s an interesting mix of high rise apartments, neglected old buildings, and fancy new construction. Many of the building facades are filled with graffiti and street art, especially in the downtown. There are a number of pedestrian only streets and the thrift store scene is off the charts. The views are almost universally great with giant mountains in most directions. The tallest of which were still snow-capped despite summer temperatures. 

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It’s hard to overstate just how fantastic Mexico City is. The enormous Mexican capital has so much to offer. There are enough things to see and do that even after staying 9 weeks, we still left without crossing everything off our list. It’s the largest city in North America, but it’s not a concrete jungle. Full of great parks, large trees, abundant museums, historic churches, and distinct neighborhoods, it’s easily one of the best cities we’ve visited. We both fell in love with Mexico City.

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Downtown Querétaro is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the area is made for slow strolling. There are many pedestrian-only streets and multiple squares that are a wealth of activity. Many small-time vendors pack these streets selling a variety of items, most commonly clothing or jewelry during the day and food at night. Old colonial buildings with large courtyards are everywhere and churches are common. Querétaro is one of the most popular tourist destinations in colonial Mexico.

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Guanajuato is a colorful city sandwiched into a narrow valley in the mountains. Most of the houses are painted with bright hues, making it a photographer’s paradise. There are countless winding lanes, city viewpoints, and fun places to climb above the downtown. Despite being a popular tourist destination, Guanajuato still retains its friendliness and charm.

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León is a city of 1,700,000 and the fourth largest in Mexico. But it doesn’t feel that big. There are few high rises and no areas with concentrated population density. Instead, the houses sprawl out along the arid plateau, filling up the space toward the nearby mountains. Situated at 6000 ft above sea level, the elevation helps keep the weather more temperate compared to the coastal areas. León is not a big international tourist destination, but it gets its share of local tourism. Specifically, shoppers in search leather goods, which are the specialty here.

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