Arts & Culture

A deep brown carajillo cocktail with coffee beans floating in the pale froth on top, resting on a table at Casa Antonieta's rooftop cafe.

What is a carajillo?

by Mark
December 12, 2022December 27, 2022
Arts & Culture, Food

The carajillo was having a moment in Oaxaca this past summer when your Guide visited. It was the signature cocktail served at Criollo when our street food tour dropped by. It was one of the… Read More »What is a carajillo?

The archeological site of Qenqo, a mass of dark rock carved with many ledges and holes, one of the key Incan archeological sites around Cusco, Peru

What is Qenqo in Cusco?

by Mark
October 28, 2022October 28, 2022
Arts & Culture, Travel

There are so many incredible archeological sites around Cusco, Peru, that tourists rarely make it to them all. Did you know there’s a Temple of the Moon up on the hill behind San Blas? It… Read More »What is Qenqo in Cusco?

A tiliche figure on a wall in Oaxaca. There is a tall hat with a folded up, rectangular brim, a face made with natural fibers that look like the entire face is a beard, out of which sticks a pointy red nose, there are two black eyes set in the fibers, and the body is made up entirely of colorful rectangular strips of fabric, around 2 inches wide and five or six inches long, flapping in the breeze along the street

What are the scarecrows in big hats and rainbow rags around Oaxaca?

by Mark
September 5, 2022September 5, 2022
Arts & Culture, Travel

While I was in Oaxaca recently, around the time of the Gueleguetza, I noticed all of these figures around town that I hadn’t seen before on previous visits. They looked like scarecrows in big hats… Read More »What are the scarecrows in big hats and rainbow rags around Oaxaca?

Salkantay Mountain, Peru, covered in snow and ice, still shining in the sunlight against a blue sky, even though its foothills are no dark in shadow

Salkantay Mountain is a good mountain

by Mark
July 28, 2022July 25, 2022
Arts & Culture, Hiking

Salkantay Mountain is one of the tallest mountains in Peru. Close to Cusco, the historical center of the Incan empire (and the universe), the mountain is steeped in mythology and practical importance to the region’s… Read More »Salkantay Mountain is a good mountain

Bandeja Paisa, the traditional food of Medellin, served here at restaurant Hato Viejo. On a large oval platter, there is a long chunk of deep fried pork belly that stretches two-thirds of the platter. There's ground beef with a fried egg on top. There's a plantain, an arepa, a quarter of an avocado, blood sausage, regular sausage, brown beans, and a mound of rice in the middle, with a tiny sprig of parsley.

What is the traditional dish of Medellin?

by Mark
July 26, 2022July 25, 2022
Arts & Culture, Food

The traditional dish of Medellin might surprise you. The city is so lush and green, the tropical fruits are falling on your head. It’s the city of Eternal Spring. Spring makes me think of fresh… Read More »What is the traditional dish of Medellin?

Close up view of two decorated bull statues over a front entrance. They're Pucara Bulls.

What are the bulls on Cusco rooftops?

by Mark
July 25, 2022July 25, 2022
Arts & Culture, Travel

If you’re walking around Cusco, Peru, you’ll soon notice something curious perched on the tiled rooves of houses: bulls. They’ll come in pairs. They’re usually not large, maybe twice the size of your hand. They’ll… Read More »What are the bulls on Cusco rooftops?

Illustration demonstrating how to write about travel. There is a feather fountain pen with an ink bottle, a sticky note that says "mezcal" and another that says "nature", and then a pad of paper with the following written on it: "What is most important to you on this trip?"

You can add the Guide on Bloglovin

by Mark
July 12, 2022October 5, 2022
Arts & Culture

If you’re using Bloglovin to organize your blog feeds, you can click here to follow the Mindful Field Guide with Bloglovin and if you arrived on this page because you’re trying to find out how to… Read More »You can add the Guide on Bloglovin

Botero Museum, Bogota, Colombia - Botero's "Naturaleza muerta con helado"

Bogota’s Botero Museum is an art feast!

by Mark
June 26, 2022July 15, 2022
Arts & Culture

Along with the Museo del Oro, Bogota’s Museo Botero is my other favorite that I’d recommend making time for. It’s a short walk from Hotel Casa Deco or the Museum of Gold, it’s free, and… Read More »Bogota’s Botero Museum is an art feast!

Bogota’s Gold Museum will help you understand all the other museums.

by Mark
June 1, 2022June 1, 2022
Arts & Culture, Travel

After the Colombian National Museum and the Botero Museum, your Guide stopped by the Museo del Oro only because it was by an arepa shop I wanted to eat at. I thought the museum sounded… Read More »Bogota’s Gold Museum will help you understand all the other museums.

The face of an indigenous person painted on a wall stares back at the viewer, on a street art tour of Bogota's Candelaria neighbourhood

Make time for a street art walk in Bogota

by Mark
May 25, 2022May 25, 2022
Arts & Culture

If you arrive by plane to Bogota during the daytime, then make your way to the Candelaria or Chapinero neighborhoods, along that drive, you’ll notice that Bogota has a uniquely impressive collection of graffiti and… Read More »Make time for a street art walk in Bogota