Farsighted Fly Girl

I try to travel to a different part of Mexico at least once a year so I'm excited to visit San Jose Del Cabo for the first time this week. Located on the Southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula, it's quieter and more relaxed than the party haven of Cabo San Lucas. I'll be hosted by  Paradisus Los Cabos,   a stylish new resort that just opened in December.  Surrounded by mountains and sparkling views of the Sea of Cortez, this expansive property features one of the only swimmable beaches in the area as well as seven restaurants , with the standout being  the Basque-French cuisine of Gastro Bar, helmed by Michelin star rated chef Martin Berasategui. I'll also be checking out the famous Los Cabos coastline and view the majestic El Arco   rock formations, hopefully along with a few whales and sea lions during a cruise on the Sea of Cortez. Please stay tuned for details!

Havana is super charming. It's really difficult to step foot into this energetic, multi-layered city and not be swept away by its appeal. Music flows from every surface, the locals are warm and gracious and the streets are crammed with striking images. There's a lot to see and what you capture depends on how you look and what you're looking for. The colorful buildings of Old Havana are every visitor's fave but I was also taken by the modern structures. El Capitolo , pictured above, resembles the American capitol building but was actually modeled after the Pantheon in Paris. It's interesting that you don't see photos of this lovely building half as much as you see images of the old,classic cars. Notice that there are modern cars rolling down the street in front of El Capitolo. Plaza de la Revolucion is another popular pic but the iconic portrait of Che' Guevara is almost always highlighted. I discovered that Camilo Cienfuegos , a revolutionary who l...

I can barely contain the joy and excitement that's bubbling through me. This week, I'm finally visiting the place that's topped my bucket list for years-- Cuba! My love of Cuban music has connected me to the culture for a long time and I feel like I'll be entering a vaguely familiar place, even though I've never been. As an American, visiting Cuba requires a few hoops to jump but it's not a big deal when compared with the reward. Except for an essential visit to the Tropicana Cabaret,  I won't be doing many touristy excursions in Havana.  I'll be mingling and living with locals as I am celebrating the engagement of my talented friend Ugochi and her fiancee, Juan Miguel. I will  be supplying posts from a local perspective as well as tips on how to experience the vibrant Cuban culture when I return, so please be on the look out!

Photo courtesy of Bahamas Tourism It's that time again. No matter the destination, I never turn down the chance to participate in the joyful celebration of carnival. This weekend, I'm headed to Nassau for the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival.   I was in Nassau three years ago when plans for the inaugural event  were kicking off and I'm excited to be able to experience the festivities in person. Junkanoo is a series of concerts, costumes, competitions and street parties that incorporate Bahamian cultural elements like rake n scrape folk music. One of my best Bahamian memories was hearing rake n- scrape for the first time at the iconic Elvina's on Eleuthera.  I can't wait to hear it in another setting and learn about the history Junkanoo traditions as well as possibly participating in the Road Fever  parade, so stay tuned!