COLOMBIA ARTICLE ON WE SAID GO TRAVEL

Bogota, Colombia

 

Thank you to We Said Go Travel for publishing my article, "Captivated In Bogota, Colombia" on their website!

Travelling to Colombia was a great experience and I am happy I went by myself, although next time I would like to go longer than 5 days and see more areas.  There was one moment in particular that resonated deep in my soul and where I realized that Bogota was after my heart.  I did my best to convey this moment and feeling in my article even though a part of me felt it was indescribable.  Click on the below link to one of the videos I took trying to capture at least the visual portion, and I hope you also have a moment to read my article.

Video of Bogota, Colombia

By Naomi Fino

"One of the byproducts of not planning a trip is that expectations drop to ambiguous media tidbits and scattered commentary from friends or fellow travelers, as was the case of Bogota, Colombia.  It was the last stop of 3 months of travels through Central and South America, and was a close contender with Peru, Chile and Ecuador.  After much vacillating, Colombia won out, partially due to its dangerous reputation that appealed to my illogical sense of adventure despite concerns of being a woman travelling alone.

The US embassy websites did nothing to assuage my concerns but further piqued my interest. While securing travelers insurance in the U.S., a kind woman on the phone explained my benefits should there be an emergency abroad. I perversely, and nervously, wanted to know, 'Does it cover kidnappings in Colombia?'"

 

To read the full article, click on the link below.

We Said Go Travel - "Captivated In Bogota, Colombia"

 

MALTA ARTICLE ON WE SAID GO TRAVEL

MALTA – FREEDOM FAIRY TALES

 

Thank you to We Said Go Travel for publishing my article “Freedom Fairy Tales – Malta” on their website!

By Naomi Fino

I visited Malta back around 2003 as part of a 2 week family trip in honor of my grandma Violet who had recently passed away.  Even if you love and have fun with them the majority of the time, travelling with family can be highly annoying and you can reach points of exasperation where you say things like, “I am never travelling with my entire family again!”  There is another more beautiful side to this; one where memories are created that couldn’t have existed if it weren’t for these exasperating loved ones.  There is also the beauty of experiencing a place not only rich in ancient history, but rich in personal history.  Seeing firsthand with your mother, sisters and brother the site of what was once just a family story told around a dinner table has a profound impact: it will not only last a lifetime but it may even make you weep.

“In the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, slightly below Sicily, rests Malta, the largest island in the Maltese archipelago. Valletta, the capital of Malta, is a fortified city built on Mount Sceberras between two harbors with defense in mind during the architectural planning.

Walking through the entrance is like being magically transported back in time and the steady flow of people through the gates is reminiscent of the Renaissance. An enchanted feeling descends as if you are in a fairy tale. A myriad of shops, vendors, and restaurants can be found by wandering the uneven streets or traversing the famous steps of Valletta, built for the Knights walking with heavy armor as these were pre-spandex times; the very steps bemoaned by Lord Byron for their non-conformity.”

To read the full article, please click here: WE SAID GO TRAVEL

Article Published On We Said Go Travel Website

This was an article I entered in a writing contest back in February to We Said Go Travel.  You can view it by clicking on the following link http://www.wesaidgotravel.com/to-costa-rica-with-love or by reading it below.

Photograph by Dolores Fino (used with permission)

To Costa Rica With Love

15 years ago, I fell passionately in love, not with a person, but with a place.  On my last night in Costa Rica, while sitting on the balcony of a hostel in San Jose surrounded by my sister and friends, my heart surged with the resistance one feels when parting with a loved one and I broke down in tears and cried.  There have been many return visits since that first trip, sometimes with family members, sometimes with friends, and often as of late, by myself.   This is the last week of a 6 week visit to Costa Rica, and the familiar feel of heartbreak has descended, like the first spattering of rain that falls, gathering force until it becomes a torrential downpour, so deafening and fierce, that it is impossible to hold a conversation without shouting.