I went to Liberdade expecting an Asian escape in the middle of South America.You step out of the metro station directly into a sensory rush that tricks your brain into believing you’ve teleported thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean. Bright red torii-style street lamps frame the concrete avenues, the air thickens with the scent… Continue reading Under the Red Lanterns and the Gallows: Liberdade
Tag: Travel
The Pacific Came To Me: Sharks, Ducks, and a Parrot Named Trust
There is a line on a map, and then there is a border you feel. It's the half-second where a wild animal decides you are not a threat, or that you are lunch, or that you have cookies. On this loop through the South Pacific, I crossed that border three times. 1. FIJI: The Moment… Continue reading The Pacific Came To Me: Sharks, Ducks, and a Parrot Named Trust
The Borders of Faith: Understanding Medina’s Green Dome
I went to Medina expecting to find an edge, and I did find one. What I did not expect was that it would be soft — that it would thin out rather than stop, the way a shoreline does, and that I would be able to stand in the shallows for as long as I… Continue reading The Borders of Faith: Understanding Medina’s Green Dome
Tracing Democracy’s Roots: From Philadelphia to Runnymede
There’s something truly electric about standing on ground where the world changed forever. Looking back at the timeline of my own life, I realize I’ve been tracing the heartbeat of democracy in reverse. My journey began in the bustling, history-heavy streets of Philadelphia back in October 2003, and it led me, twenty-three years later, to… Continue reading Tracing Democracy’s Roots: From Philadelphia to Runnymede
Rio de Janeiro: The Candelária Massacre of the Innocent
Rio de Janeiro is a city of impossible contrasts, where the "Marvelous City" glamour often sits shoulder-to-shoulder with a complex, sometimes heavy history. Nowhere is this more palpable than at the Igreja da Candelária. To the casual observer, it is an architectural triumph. To the local, it is a site of profound remembrance. A Masterpiece… Continue reading Rio de Janeiro: The Candelária Massacre of the Innocent
Ollantaytambo: A Key Incan Fortress in Peru’s Sacred Valley
The town of Ollantaytambo was established during the Reign of Pachacútec (1418–1471). While there were buildings here before that, the town grew dramatically under the rule of the Incas. At that time, Ollantaytambo was used as a checkpoint to control access to the Sacred Valley. This was also where maize was first domesticated before being… Continue reading Ollantaytambo: A Key Incan Fortress in Peru’s Sacred Valley
