These posts are about the local people we meet, with insider tips we gather from locals, Q&As with locals, as well as great local spots and hidden gems we discover.
The languid Pacific coast town of Manuel Antonio in Costa Rica is hot and humid. Stand still long enough here and you’ll see mould appearing on your body. The locals, however, have standing still down to an art. The laidback Costa Ricans take their time with everything. It’s common sense when just the act of … Read more
I discovered the satirical blog The Gangs of San Miguel de Allende by Richard Lander* while doing research on the Mexican town. It was the first blog that had made me laugh out loud in a long time. It was hilarious but it especially resonated because we were already in San Miguel de Allende and we … Read more
San Miguel de Allende, our second ‘home’ in Mexico, is renowned for its shopping. I was told it was possible to find anything here from anywhere in Mexico, and it seemed to be true. As I did the rounds of the stores, I saw every kind of Mexican handicraft and folk art conceivable, from the … Read more
It was on the Zócalo, the main square of Mexico City, that we met Fernando Revilla on our first trip to Mexico City (gulp) some years ago. We’d been watching, and Terence was photographing, a riotous demonstration by university students on the square. Terence had been getting a little too close for (my) comfort to the burning … Read more
Austin is known as the USA’s live music capital but this arty, laidback city also has a flourishing film scene. In fact, for film-types like myself, it was an indie movie, Richard Linklater‘s Slacker, about a day in the life of 20-something Austin Gen X-ers, that put the city on the map. Successful Austin-based directors include Terrence Malick … Read more