Colombia

Garbage Museum
Picking coffee beans

The moment you arrive in Bogota you will smile as it’s a city with tremendous energy and vibe. I was escorted around Bogota and its surroundings in 2016 by Nadja Grote who runs the company AlternativeColumbia.com.

Bogota is absolutely choked by traffic which can challenge any visitor’s patience. Before visiting, its best to decompress and just enjoy, paying no attention to the world’s worst city-wide traffic jam.

I started off my time in Columbia with a bike tour through the central city. Weaving through the city’s streets was both energizing and incredibly informative. We visited many different parts of the city, new and old, learning its history along the way. The following two days I visited a coffee plantation, located about 2 hour outside of Bogota (strongly recommended). I helped some migrant farm workers pick carrots, cut bacon at a carniceria and hauled potatoes at the city market.

One of Bogota’s coolest hidden treasures was the Garbage Museum. Overall, a wonderful place and I am eager to return to see Medellin and the mountain coast.

Bahamas

Have been to the Bahamas more than any other country ... probably 50-75 times! In 1987, I started a travel business specializing in group tours to the Caribbean and Freeport, Bahamas was our primary destination. We contracted with Discovery Cruise Lines and brought...

Hospitality Coin #45 – Pohnpei Surf Club, Federated States of Micronesia

Valentina Permiakova from Kolonia, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia Allois arrived in Pohnpei in 2000’s chasing a wave he has seen on the background of an article in a National Geographic magazine. He started to surf here with friends visiting and eventually it...

Bhutan

Legendary Tiger’s Nest Monastery, 2016 Jim's Perspectives: Bhutan is guided by their Gross National Happiness predicated on these four pillars: The preservation of the environment, which by law 60% of the country must remain forest for future generations The...