Gadling

Cheesey Street Foods Of Latin America

Laurel Miller — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arts and Culture, Learning, Festivals and Events, Food and Drink, North America, South America, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Budget Travel, Central America

With the possible exception of Argentina, most people don't associate Central or South America with cheese. Like all of Latin America, these countries are a mix of indigenous cultures, colonizing forces, immigrant influences, and varied terroir, climatic extremes, and levels of industrialization. They possess some of the most biologically and geographically diverse habitats on earth. As a result, the cuisine and agricultural practices of each country have developed accordingly.

The use of dairy may not be particularly diverse in this part of the world, especially when it comes to styles of cheese, but it's an important source of nutrition and income in rural areas, and a part of nearly every meal.

While writing a book on cheese during the course of this past year, I tapped into my rather obsessive love of both street food and South America for inspiration. As I learned during my research, the sheer variety of cheesey street snacks from Mexico to Tierra del Fuego are as varied as the ethnic influences responsible for their creation. Read on for a tasty tribute to queso.

Arepas: These flat little corn or flour cakes from Colombia, Venezuela and Panama may be grilled, baked, boiled, or fried. They're usually stuffed or topped with a melting cheese, but may also feature meat, chicken, seafood, egg, or vegetables.

Anafres: Essentially Honduran nachos, composed of giant tortilla chips, refried beans and melted cheese. Named for an anafre, the coal-fired clay pot the dish is served in.

Pupusas: This Salvadorean staple is similar to an arepa: a thick, griddled corn cake stuffed with meat, cheese-usually a mild melting variety known as quesillo-chicarrones (pork cracklings), or queso con loroco (cheese with the buds or flowers of a vine native to Central America).

Continue reading Cheesey Street Foods Of Latin America

Cheesey Street Foods Of Latin America originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Archaeologists explore "Pompeiis" in Bulgaria and El Salvador

Sean McLachlan — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arts and Culture, History, Learning, Europe, Bulgaria, Italy, El Salvador, Central America

Pompeii is an archaeological wonder, an entire Roman town preserved by a volcanic eruption. Now archaeologists are investigating two other "Pompeiis" to learn more about the past.

In El Salvador, a team has discovered a village dating to c. 630 AD that was covered in volcanic ash. Joya de Ceren was sealed up so well that archaeologists have been able to examine corn cobs, the logs used to build homes, and even the paths leading through the village and how crops were planted.

Archaeology is generally biased towards big sites, both because they're easier to find and because it's easier to get funding to excavate them. Finding a small village that was inhabited by only 100-200 commoners helps us understand how the other half lived. The village has been declared a World Heritage Site.

At the Roman city of Nikopolis ad Istrum in Bulgaria, an archaeological team is working on another "Pompeii". This Roman city was never buried in a volcanic eruption but it's so well preserved, scientists make the comparison anyway. An archaeological team is exploring a temple to Cybele, a mother goddess.

I've been to Nikopolis ad Istrum and was very impressed. The city was founded by the Emperor Trajan around 101-106 AD. It was a major center of trade and culture until Attila the Hun trashed it in 447 AD. So it goes. Attila wasn't very thorough and the town soon flourished again under the Byzantines. Today you can walk the streets, see the foundations of many buildings and even spot some of their decoration. You can even trace the sewers, which are a lot less stinky than they used to be.

[Photo courtesy Klearchos Kapoutsis]

Archaeologists explore "Pompeiis" in Bulgaria and El Salvador originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 10 Jul 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Latin America on a budget: Suchitoto, El Salvador

Alex Robertson Textor — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: El Salvador, Central America

We launched Gadling's Latin America on a budget series last week with a post on Antigua, Guatemala. This week, we check out the impressive budget-friendly credentials of Suchitoto, El Salvador. Suchitoto is a well-preserved colonial town overlooking a scenic reservoir, situated about thirty miles from San Salvador. Suchitoto is a peaceful town that moves at its own quiet pace. It's beautiful, charming, friendly, and absolutely picturesque, and should have a much higher profile as a tourist destination. The fact that it isn't well known can be ascribed to El Salvador's unfortunately poor reputation as a country for tourism.

Several tour operators in Suchitoto ply tourists with brochures hawking volcano hikes, kayaking expeditions, beach trips, and archaeological adventures across El Salvador. Though the town itself does not come with a long checklist of activities and specific attractions, there are several places and points of interest that shouldn't escape the attention of visitors. And happily for our purposes here, just about every activity in Suchitoto can be sampled for $5, tops.

Continue reading Latin America on a budget: Suchitoto, El Salvador

Latin America on a budget: Suchitoto, El Salvador originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Latin America on a budget: How to plan a budget-friendly adventure

Alex Robertson Textor — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia, Central America

Latin America is one of the world's most budget-friendly regions for visitors. There are very cheap places to stay across the region--most notably across Central America--where a few dollars will get you a bed for the night and dinner.

But in a budget-friendly region like Latin America there are also huge divides in terms of quality. How do you do your research to make sure that you come up with decent accommodations and an itinerary that delivers the best value for your money?

There's a big difference between a guesthouse that's cheap, clean, and cheerful and one that's filthy and barely fit for a hedgehog. There's a big difference between good cheap restaurants and bad cheap grub, too. How do you make the right planning decisions to make sure that you end up pinching pennies in a manner that's both high-value and high-quality?

In the video below I discuss how I planned my budget-friendly adventure to Antigua, Guatemala.

Check back tomorrow for my story and video on Antigua, Guatemala. On April 12 I'll extend the same treatment to Suchitoto, El Salvador. All my videos were shot by Gadling's own Stephen Greenwood. On April 19 Jeremy Kressmann will apply the Latin American budget magic to Bogotá, Colombia.

Latin America on a Budget is proudly sponsored by Delta Air Lines.

Latin America on a budget: How to plan a budget-friendly adventure originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

El Salvador: No visa required

Alex Robertson Textor — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: El Salvador, Central America

Last week, on assignment in Guatemala and El Salvador, I took a luxury bus between Guatemala City and San Salvador. The bus company in question, Pullmantur, operates a fantastic service.

$35 got me transportation in a comfortable seat, along with breakfast (eggs, refried beans, and delicious, sweet fried plantains, as well as juice) and coffee later in the morning. There is a wi-fi connection on board as well, although during my trip this particular feature was not functioning. (Pullmantur also operates a more luxurious class of travel between Guatemala City and San Salvador for $52 per person, with a more extensive meal service.)

Yet one question remained unanswered as the bus lumbered toward the border. What precisely were the entrance requirements for US citizens entering El Salvador?

On the subject of entry and exit requirements, the US Department of State's Travel.State.Gov site has the following to say:

To enter the country, U.S. citizens must present a current U.S. passport and either a Salvadoran visa or a one-entry tourist card. The tourist card may be obtained from immigration officials for a ten-dollar fee upon arrival in country.

Later in the description, we learn about the existence, since 2006, of the Central America Border Control Agreement, which covers El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. This agreement allows citizens of these four countries to cross borders within the region without having to complete "entry and exit formalities at immigration checkpoints" and goes on to state:

In isolated cases, the lack of clarity in the implementing details of the CA-4 Border Control Agreement has caused temporary inconvenience to some travelers and has resulted in others being fined more than one hundred dollars or detained in custody for 72 hours or longer.

Continue reading El Salvador: No visa required

El Salvador: No visa required originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Photo of the Day: Three friends in El Salvador

Mike Barish — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: El Salvador, Photo of the Day, Central America

No matter where you go in the world, some things are universal. It's those things that help keep us grounded and comfortable no matter how far from home we may be. For me, I always cherish the smiles on kids' faces. Kids are almost the same everywhere in the world. Boys are rambunctious and girls like to whisper and giggle. That's why, even on the streets of El Salvador, you can find comfort in the smiles of two kids just walking by.

What I love even more about this photo from Gadling's own Stephen Greenwood is that it adds yet another constant to the mix: a puppy. Puppies are cute no matter where you go.

For more of Stephen's excellent photography, check out his Flickr page here.

Taken any photos kids with dogs? Or maybe just some fantastic pictures of the people, places and things you've encountered on your travels? Why not add them to our Gadling group on Flickr? We might just pick one of yours as our Photo of the Day.

Photo of the Day: Three friends in El Salvador originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 17 Jan 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Trade Mocked

Andrew Evans — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business, Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America, Algeria, Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Morocco, South Africa, Zambia, Bangladesh, Iran, Israel, Malaysia, Maldives, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Turkey, United Arab, Emirates, Vietnam, Albania, Andorra, Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Monaco, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, Jamaica, United States, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Internet Tools, Middle East, Central America, Caribbean, French Polynesia

You were a cheerleader, you dated a cheerleader, or you hated the cheerleaders. As I recall, that's how high school worked.

Thanks to travel PR, that same primeval paradigm lives on long after graduation. That miniskirts-shouting-slogans thing still works, whether you're a used car salesman, Miley Cyrus on VH1 or the tourist board of a small Balkan nation. When it comes to selling your destination in today's busy world of busy people, a country's name just isn't enough--just like school spirit, you need colors, a pep band, a mascot, a brand and most important--a cheer.

It's tragic but true: tourist boards don't trust their country's name to inspire appropriate thoughts in your brain. Toponyms are too open-ended and too untrustworthy--also, way too obvious. For example, what's the first thing that pops into your head when I say . . . Monte Carlo? How about Australia? The Bahamas? Kuwait? The Gambia?

Whatever you're thinking, it's not enough. Tourist boards want you to choose their destination over all others, then allocate all of your vacation days to them and then come spend your money on very specific things--like miniature golf by the sea or hot air balloon rides across the prairie. In short, they want your school spirit so much they're churning out cheers to fill up all the Swiss cheese holes in your mental map of the world.

Like a good cheer, a good destination slogan is simple and so memorable it sticks in your head like two-sided tape. Sex sells, but then so does love: "Virginia is for Lovers", Hungary offers visitors "A Love for Life", Albania promises "A New Mediterranean Love", while the highlighted "I feel Slovenia" spells out sweetly "I Feel Love". Meanwhile, Bosnia & Herzegovina call themselves "the Heart Shaped Land" and Denmark's logo is a red heart with a white cross. Colombia and Dubai have red hearts in their logo. Everybody else uses sunshine.

Continue reading Trade Mocked

Trade Mocked originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 10 Apr 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Photo of the Day (2.5.2010)

Aaron Hotfelder — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: El Salvador, Photo of the Day, Central America

Flickr user Adal-Honduras took this shot of El Salvador's Lake Suchitlan, a popular weekend getaway for many Salvadorans. Located near the beautiful, colonial town of Suchitoto, Lake Suchitlan is one of the most gorgeous spots in perhaps the Western Hemisphere's most underrated country.

Got some photos you want us to consider for Gadling's Photo of the Day? Submit your best shots here.

Photo of the Day (2.5.2010) originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Gadlinks for Friday 9.25.09

Brenda Yun — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Surfing, Photos, El Salvador, Video, Central America

Talk about good luck! I arrived home on Wednesday and promptly hit the water for a surf with my buddies. Then yesterday a decent southern swell came through and, more importantly, the first significant swell of the season also made its way to the North Shore. My excitement alone has me thinking and dreaming of waves. In honor of the great sport of surfing, here are some pretty sweet surf travel reads for you this Friday.

Two brave chicks are proving how they can surf just as good as the men, and some crazies surf the Arctic Circle (video) [via Nat Geo Adventure]
I love water photos. These one of the waves of the world are pretty spectacular. [via Been-Seen]
Ever wonder what it feels like to tuck into a tube and see the light of day? This new IMAX movie that was filmed in Tahiti will be the first peek into the surfing experience. [via Jaunted]
What is the newest surfing destination? El Salvador. [via NYTimes]

'Til Monday, have a great weekend!

More Gadlinks HERE.

Gadlinks for Friday 9.25.09 originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Gadling Take FIVE -- March 14-March 20

Jamie Rhein — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 19:15:00 EST

Filed under: Arts and Culture, Hiking, Learning, El Salvador

Happy first day of spring! This week we're having a book give-a-way. Pico Iyer's book The Open Road: Global Travels of the 14th Dalai Lama can be yours. All you have to do is leave a comment about a place that captured your attention at the end Iyer's Talking Travel interview. Two winners will be picked in a random drawing.

Mike just came back from his awesome trip to New Zealand and Australia. He's promised to give us the highlights of his travels. Here's his first missive. Then there's Kent who is racing about Europe with his wife. They're in the Competitours Race competition, an Amazing Race style contest that is keeping them hopping and us entertained.

Here are five other posts on subjects that range from eats to hikes and worldwide events.

Did you know that tomorrow is World Water Day? Brenda's post gives the scoop about the occasion and a link to events.
Karen's post on the top 20 list of the most bizarre holiday grievances includes something having to do with the size of an elephant.
Annie is continuing to taste test jerky. This week she dove into buffalo jerky and presented her take in a flavorful post.
Because we have friends who are moving to El Salvador, Tom's post on green travel in El Salvador caught my eye.
This week, one of Kraig's posts gave the rundown on ten great unknown treks.

Gadling Take FIVE -- March 14-March 20 originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 20 Mar 2009 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Go Green in El Salvador

Tom Johansmeyer — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: South America, El Salvador, News, Central America

Latin America is becoming a hot spot for green travel, but most adventure-seekers look to Honduras and Nicaragua ... rather than El Salvador, with which they share a border. With the country's civil war in the past, a destination marketing campaign has been launched, and a new web portal can give prospective travelers a place to start.

Art and anthropology museums and other cultural venues dot the country's capital, San Salvador. If you want to get off the map, check out Izalco, which has the largest indigenous community in the area. Also stop by the ruins of Joya de Ceren, considered to be the Pompeii of the Maya world, where village remains include a fully preserved Shaman's hut.

This is your chance to truly get off the tourist grid. Scrap your conventional plans this year and try El Salvador. Different is definitely better.

Go Green in El Salvador originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Knitting public art

Jamie Rhein — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Activism, Arts and Culture, Stories, China, France, El Salvador, United States, News

I don't knit. I've tried, but even when I've attempted a scarf, it ends up weird shaped. Anna knits. She's waxed poetic about it in a post about the pleasures of knitting and travel. Here's another reason to grab some knitting needles and yarn.

While leafing through a back copy of Reader's Digest at my in-laws this weekend, I saw a snippet on women in Houston, Texas who are turning their scraps of unfinished scarves and other knitted items into public art. They are wrapping park benches, fire hydrants, bike racks--anything that can use a bit of color and dressing up. The group is called Knitta and has been doing their thing since 2005.

They aren't the only ones. Knitters in the Midwest are also prettying up the world with their craft. There's a woman in Yellow Springs, Ohio, one of those incredibly artsy, literary towns that I adore, who has dressed a tree with help from others. With as gloomy as Ohio can look in the winter, what a great idea for making folks smile.

If you happen to pass by some knitted art, and you might--the women in Houston have knitted art in El Salvador, Paris and at the Great Wall of China-- maybe you'll get some inspiration to knit some art yourself.

Knitting public art originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Any of you East or West Coasters want to go to El Salvador?

Grant Martin — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: El Salvador, Budget Travel

Delta just launched a fare sale from Washington, New York and San Francisco to the Central American capitol of El Salvador, San Salvador. For just over two hundred bucks, you can get away from the torrential rains of the early spring for a long weekend on the Pacific.

Sounds great huh? The best part is that El Salvador hasn't really gotten up to speed on the whole tourist thing yet. With the whole civil war back in the eighties and a perennially slow economy, you're going to find a fair amount of peace and quiet, free from the spring break crowd and throngs of cruise-bound tourists. It could be that perfect long weekend away from the office and your statistical analysis software that you've been fighting with.

Use a flex search on Kayak or Delta.com to find availability. Minimum stay is three days (so you'll have to take off Monday) and availability only seems to go through late May early June. Be patient an flexible and you'll find something -- I just brought up several dates in sample bookings. Your total price should be about 231$.

Check out the Lonely Planet guide to the country if you want some inspiration, although take it with a grain of salt. LP could make Somalia look rustic, off the beaten path and hip.

Any of you East or West Coasters want to go to El Salvador? originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 08 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

El Salvador: a Diving Destination

Jamie Rhein — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 13:20:00 EST

Filed under: Learning, Scuba Diving, North America, El Salvador

If you think about El Salvador perhaps images of civil war come to mind. The civil war ended in 1992. Now there are other things for El Salvador to become well known for--scuba diving, for example.

You can open water dive to explore a wrecked boat and volcanic rock reefs and swim in the midst of schools of fish. Or, you can dive in Coatepeque Lake or Lake Ilopango, two craters surrounded by volcanoes. Night diving is also possible. Both lakes are El Salvadoran vacation get-away spots that have beachfront hotels and other water sport options.

Along with excellent diving locations, El Salvador is equipped with dive shops and places to take lessons for PADI certification. At Punta Mango Surf Trips's website you can find information about scuba diving opportunities and how to combine diving with cultural tours. Also, check out Yamelith Coreas's website . A native of El Salvaldo, Coreas has rounded up his favorite spots to promote tourism and Salvadoran culture. He lists Coatepeque Lake as one of his favorite destinations. The photo is of Coatepeque Lake posted on Flickr by traveling addict. In case the idea of traveling in El Salvador still makes you a little nervous, here is information from the U.S. Department of State.

El Salvador: a Diving Destination originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 09 Mar 2007 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Doctor is Out

Iva Skoch — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Stories, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Tunisia, India, Turkey, Czech Republic, El Salvador, United States

Thailand used to be a destination for exotic travel, perhaps even for sex travel. Now, it is a well-established member of the ever-increasing ranks of surgery destinations. Yes, travel is not just for the well or even the well-heeled, now it's for the wellness-seeking. too. It's not just cosmetic surgery, either. While cosmetic surgery comprises about 80% of the travel, laser eye surgery and fertility treatments make up reasons to travel, too.

A while back, our own Erik Olsen blogged about a crazy offer to get extra frequent flyer miles to get your eyes done, and also posted an article by Casey Kittrell about medical tourism. Then, earlier this year, I wrote an article about growing cosmetic surgery tourism to the Czech Republic. Since then, the pace of this traffic has exploded, and the places have gotten even more exotic. So much so, it's worth revisiting this issue: according to the National Coalition on Health Care, over half a million Americans left the country last year for medical or dental work. A recent article even noted a man sent by his North Carolina company to New Delhi, for gall bladder and rotator cuff surgery, to save $50,000!

Tired of travelocity? A host of surgery-tourism companies have set up shop all over the internet. Costmeticsurgerytravel.com squatted on a good web address, offering "medical travel concierge" service, as well as assurance that the doctors in foreign lands are "appropriate for your procedure or treatment." Prague a little to run-of-the-mill for you? Try Tunisia, for example, through Cosmeticatravel.com. Or Turkey or El Salvador, through Medretreat.com. Or Brazil, through Medicaltourism.com. A quick google search turns up a page-topping, paid ad for medical tourism to "Bumrungrad" hospital. Is that where you get that hemorrhoid treatment done?

Follow up: The NY Times just posted an article on the same topic.

The Doctor is Out originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 09 Oct 2006 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments