In a little town in the heart of Mexico, a long time ago a lightning bolt hit an agave plant. It cooked the plant and later the local people found that the cooked fermented plant produced a sweet juice that made them feel good. Ages later that little town was named Tequila and the drink was too. When we visited this little gem, we thought it would just be a simple fun time learning about how the world famous liquor was made at the main headquarters in Mexico, but what we did not realize is that the drink, and the town have an incredibly rich history and culture. The visit to the town turned into a truly memorable experience after we spent the day on the VIP
Category Archives: History
Valdez, Pronounced Valdeez
July 27, 2009 – 12:01 am
The Richardson Highway that we took down to Valdez, Alaska is one long, meandering curve after another. Barely a stretch of straight road created awe-inspiring vistas that seemed to just spring-up of nowhere. One second we were driving along the road with tall trees and colorful wildflowers by our sides, the next second our eyes were popping out of our heads trying to comprehend the magnificence of a stunning sight of sun beams bathing massive, jagged snow-covered peaks that somehow just appeared in front of us. That stretch of highway was made for the gods, I do believe.
Real World Classroom
March 31, 2009 – 7:28 am
At a minimum, I would like to think that my grasp of world geography has received a nice shot in the arm as a result of our expedition. I can not even begin to estimate the number of hours I have spent over the last two years studying maps, guidebooks, and web pages as we planned
Photo of the Week: La Quebrada
March 30, 2009 – 12:01 am
In Acapulco we made sure to stop and see the famous cliff divers at La Quebrada. It was an impressive sight to behold.
Photo of the Mid-Week: Las Ruinas
March 11, 2009 – 12:01 am
Lately, there have been too many good photos to only choose one for the week. This is the largest structure amongst the Mayan Ruins of Caracol. From this viewpoint you can’t even see the final climb as there are three more pyramids on top of this one. The Mayans must have been in very good shape cause we were all huffing and puffing at the top of the steps. But at the top the view is priceless.
Forgotten Disputes
March 5, 2009 – 12:28 am
I am pretty sure that most people have no idea that there is a pretty heated border dispute going on between Belize and Guatemala. I had no idea. No one in the crew had any idea. But while the world moves on and focuses on other more pressing conflicts, the problems between Belize and Guatemala continue, sometimes with violent ramifications.
Leaving Ecuador and stumbling upon the greatest party in the world!
January 9, 2009 – 12:57 pm
Although leaving Ecuador was a 4 hour nightmare, the happenstance of arriving in Colombia on January 6th, however was a giddy dream come true!
We had been warned about a potential delay at the border, but for whatever reason we had somewhat dismissed those warnings until, in line, after a full hour we hadn’t moved one inch. The best part was that we were waiting outside, in the sun, just miles from the equator. There were actually two lines on each side of the immigration building; one for those leaving Ecuador and one for those arriving. The lines merged not so gracefully together at the guarded front door, and 4 hours later we were in (albeit at the back of another line), only to come face to face with 3 unimpressed immigration employees behind the only three desks. Business as usual, I suppose.
Lost World
January 4, 2009 – 6:10 pm
Machu Picchu, The Lost City of the Incas, one of the seven wonders of the world. The name Machu Picchu alone conjures up romantic images of exploration and historical discovery. Unfortunately for me, Machu Picchu only aroused a mild level of excitement, mostly due to its aforementioned notoriety.
The miner’s party pack.
December 15, 2008 – 6:35 pm
“Okay, mas rapido por favor,” Melissa said jokingly to the group. The guide turned and said, “Do you have somewhere you need to be this afternoon?” At this point we were already 5 levels deep in a Bolivian mine at 13,500 ft.
Roadside Shrines
November 2, 2008 – 10:08 pm
Having your own mode of transportation has a lot of benefits. We have said countless times that there is no substitute for having the ability to explore a country free of the constraints of public transportation and on your own schedule. When you have your own transportation, I believe you become a lot more aware of your surroundings, especially the small details that might blur by the window of a bus or a train. One thing that I have noticed a lot of here in South America are roadside shires. If you ask any of the other members on the expedition, they might actually go as far as suggesting that I have become obsessed by these roadside tributes, especially when I slam on the brakes to go and take a closer look at them.
