The South China Morning Post reports that, starting 15 May, passengers will finally be able to take the MTR East Rail line to Hong Kong Island. Of course, due to COVID-19, it’s more practical to say that Hong Kong residents living in Sha Tin and Tai Wai in the New Territories will at last, have […]
COVID-19 Update: Chile Reopens All Land Borders as of 1 May
According to France24, after having been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic since 17 March 2020, the government of Chile has finally reopened all of its land borders to all visitors, as of yesterday, 1 May. This decision was due in part to steadily declining cases throughout Chile, but also that the Chilean government recognizes […]
Gardening at Istanbul’s Ancient Belgrade Gate
For this particular lengthy city walk, I was in Istanbul, Turkey, making my way from the tourist hotspot of Taksim, all the way to the unofficial Uyghur capital of Zeytinburnu. As is typical with my city walks, I rarely have a desired route in mind, instead letting the five senses take me down a given […]
My Top Tastes of Twenty-Twenty One (Sorry, 2021)
We’re nearing end of the Ugo Boncompagni calendar, which means I will be sharing my favorite meals of the 2021. Though 2020 understandably didn’t get much love in terms of culinary travel, 2021 flipped that pandemic fear around a full 180°. Without further ado, let’s go eating around the world – fine, two continents – […]
2021 Pandemic Travel, from Mexico to Mexico (with a Brief Border Crossing Guide)
During a stint in Chicago a few years ago, I found that Frontier Airlines offered some really good deals to/from Harlingen, Texas (airport code HRL), close to the Mexican border cities of Reynosa and Matamoros. Then, from one of those cities, it’s a cheap flight to where ever else in Mexico. Yes, why not escape those […]
Moscow’s Quirky Vending Machines
The freshest in my recent stroll through trip photos is the unexpected amusement found in the form of Moscow vending machines…and here I thought Japan had already cornered the market on this stuff. Without further ado, let’s take a gander at a few surprising – and one not so surprising – souvenirs: Now you too […]
Unforgettable Breakfasts in Sapporo, Japan
We have both been duped by today’s title. I wish I could say that my breakfasts in Sapporo, Japan were unforgettable in the positive sense – then again, I did have control over what was to be eaten – but to be fair, it was only one day’s selections that were unique. I was drawn […]
If Food Had Passports: Guatemalan Cardamom
Ever since I started raiding the breath freshener (and carminative) trays at Indian restaurants, I’ve been curious about cardamom. Whereas my usual reason for diving into those trays was for the candy-coated fennel seeds, the inimitable aggressive and unique flavor of cardamom always stood out. When else could I find the expensive pods in my […]
