Heading to the hill tribe villages of Thailand, squeezed into an old pickup truck with our new friend, Dr. David Mar Naw, we were all a little bit on edge. Although we had heard great things about Dr. David’s volunteer medical clinics, details about our living arrangements were hard to come by. We knew that…

Where there are no doctors (WWW.WTINAD.org) Burma, the predominantly Buddhist country famous for rubies, heroin, and fierce fighting during World War II, lies to the west of Thailand and to the south of China. A British colony until the end of WW II, Burma gained independence in 1948 but quickly fell under brutal military rule….

This is a public service announcement directed at anyone who might know the whereabouts of General Tso or his (admittedly delicious) chicken. We have searched tirelessly along the crowded streets of Hong Kong and Kowloon, but try as we have, no luck. We were told that Americanized “Chinese” food was different from the real thing,…

I’ve travelled as far south as I’ll probably ever venture (65°06’S / 063°59’W) unless I join a South Pole expedition team (for which I am totally unsuitable).  I’ve treated patients who live in the equivalent of chicken coops. And I’ve seen my kids grow and mature in front of my eyes. Julia, 9, continues to…

Ushuaia to Boca Raton – not the most common flight path, and not the easiest way to re-enter our “old” lives.  Just after our passage through the infamous Drake Passage and into the calm waters of the Beagle Passage, the news of Blizzard Jonas began to trickle in. It’s been a while since we cared…

We were told that Antarctica would amaze, inspire, and overwhelm us. And yes, it did.  The two day crossing of the notorious Drake Passage had me (and my stomach) ready to turn back to the sheltered waters of Argentina. But then we saw our first iceberg. Next, Humpback whales were spotted diving on the port…

We just spent 12 days traveling around Chilean and Argentinian Patagonia with the Goldsteins. Prior to the trip,  I don’t think any of us knew quite what to expect despite having looked at pictures and reading guide books. Different words my girls used to describe the trip on the way home were “windy, wild, cold,…

-4 tour guides named Darwin –  18 flights taken –  16 boats taken –  3 high Andes crossing –  450 patients seen –  1 backpack lost –  1 backpack found –  3 species of penguin seen –  1 sloth hugged –  6 countries visited –  10 telescopes gazed through –  12 zip lines zipped down…

Closely resembling San Francisco, Valparaiso, a city on the coast of Chile, is rich in history (and full of backpackers). Once Chile’s most popular port city, Valparaiso’s wealth grew with the California gold rush, and the city expanded around the surrounding hills. Each hill (cerro) is lined by steep and narrow streets, though funiculars (ascensors)…

So I love a great thick grass fed steak with a glass of Argentinean Malbec or Chilean Cabernet more than almost anyone I know. I also salivate over Peruvian chicken or lamb grilled al carbon (grilled over charcoal). During our travels I have even been tempted by and have enjoyed alapaca, llama, caiman alligator, and…