• Sanctuary of Monserrate dates back to 1640

  • One of the many exquisite pieces in the Gold Museum

  • Enjoy the funicular ride up to Monserrate

  • Meet the locals playing chess in Bogata

  • Courtyard of the Botero Museum

  • The best gold museum in the world

  • Beautiful imagery at the Botero Museum

24 Hours in Bogota

Posted on by Joanne Coughlan

After three days enjoying Colombia tourism, I expected more tropical weather in Bogota but the first thing I notice on arrival is the temperature. No … it’s not blistering hot

  • Galapagos land iguana

  • Coming aboard

  • The famous blue-footed booby - not to be confused with the red-footed equivalent!

  • Sally Lightfoot crabs everywhere

  • Easy does it for this old tortoise - who could be a century old!

  • Fabulous views from above

  • Hard to resist taking their photo

  • Cruising around in the zodiacs

  • Told you the red-footed booby was different from the blue-footed one!

  • How cute am I?

The Galapagos Islands – one of the foremost wildlife experiences on the planet

Posted on by Joanne Coughlan

All the documentaries I’d seen on the Galapagos Islands inferred that it’s one of the foremost wildlife experiences on the planet. Friends and family members who had travelled there only

  • Colourful costumes in Cartagena

  • Colourful and inviting street cafés abound

  • Courtyard at Convento de la Popa

  • Get your fruit here

  • Castillo San Felipe in Cartagena

  • Tour the mangroves in a simple boat

  • Cartagena's vibrant streetscape

  • Meet the locals

Cartagena’s Old City – an up and coming destination

Posted on by Joanne Coughlan

I’d heard and read a lot about Cartagena, Colombia’s UNESCO-listed old capital on the Caribbean coast. My travel friends kept telling me I had to travel to Columbia and when

  • Travelling through the locks

  • The train runs alongside the canal between Colon and Panama City

  • The new enormous bridge under construction near San Lorenzo National Park

  • Ships passing through the locks

  • Three locks over the canal's 80kms lift ships up or down about 26 metres

  • The biggest of ships can fit comfortably through the canal

  • Ships take about 8 hours to navigate the length of Panama Canal

The Panama Canal

Posted on by Joanne Coughlan

Since I was a small kid, I’d always wanted to visit Panama and see the Panama Canal.  The notion of watching huge cargo ships glide through the nearly 80km of

  • Welcome to Guatemala

  • Making tortias at the Chichicastenango markets

  • Something is wrong with this picture?

  • Atitlan volcano

  • Guatemalan masks

  • Meet the local cowboys

  • Local Antigua women selling colourful items

Guatemala – A lesser travelled gem of Central America

Posted on by Joanne Coughlan

We all travel for different kinds of reasons. Some people like ancient history, others prefer more recent colonial history. Some folks love to photograph wildlife, while some would rather eat

  • Panama City bus

  • UNESCO old town cathedral

  • Portobelo Spanish Fort

  • Frank Gehry designed Natural History Museum

  • UNESCO site Society of Jesus, Casco Viejo

  • Black Jesus in Portobelo

Panama City – a cultural cocktail of contrasts

Posted on by Joanne Coughlan

After a three-day visit to Panama City, I can confirm that Panama is not just about the Canal!  Panama City is the most cosmopolitan capital in Central America where many

  • Local fishing boats

  • Dried fish at the market

  • Colourful sign

  • Fresh produce at the markets

  • Beautiful old wooden buildings

  • Beautifully restored building

  • Locals going to work

Paramaribo, Suriname

Posted on by Joanne Coughlan

I’m on a research trip with my wife Kate, doing our homework for a tour to what is collectively knows as The Guianas. We travel from Guyana to Suriname, flying into the

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