The marimba band filled the breezy space with a rippling rhythm, a tropical river of notes and glissandos, bird-light tunes. Sancho responded to the music from home with a roll of the hips and shy smil... read more

It was the scorpion in the amber that fascinated Linda most, at first. A four-inch, brownish nodule of Mexican amber from the great limestone flats in Chiapas, it lay on a bed of still bright marigold ... read more

There is a sense of permanence in so much change. "Travel is like peeling an onion, at least one layer will make you cry." I don't recall who wrote that line, but it holds true. My trek started in th... read more