Two days seemed like an eternity. To sit in complete silence. In my own thoughts. With no conversation with the outside world. This is the girl that can’t sit still (or quiet) for very long. I wasn’t confident I could pass a meditation retreat in Thailand. But we were committed. In Chiang Mai, Dan and I decided […]
Off the Beaten Path
Homprang and her Thai Walking Massage
“I left school when I was 11. I made and used shampoo from butterfly pea flowers and I learned to walk on top of my grandmother.” I was invited me into Homprang’s home in Tawangtan Saraphi just outside of Chiang Mai. She smiled as her mind drifted back to her childhood. “I never learned to read or write. But I […]
Cuba’s Revolution in Food
In Cuba, an organic food movement is growing. During “the Special Period” in the 1990s, the country was on the brink of starvation. Lack of imports, farming tools like pesticides, and food shortages meant ordinary Cubans had to change the way they live, and eat Cuban food. People started growing their own crops in backyards and […]
Benito and Smoking Cuban Cigars
Benito could very well be famous. He is the man behind Cohiba, Habana, Cubana. All names of the finest, prestigious Cuban cigars you can find. They happen to be the most sought-after exports in the world. Cuba has the second largest area of tobacco plantations worldwide and Benito is tasked with keeping this globally-praised tradition well intact. We took […]