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David Paul Appell's Blog (85)

A Pithy Paean to Puerto Vallarta

Normally I tend to shy away from places you might term "tourist traps." And Puerto Vallarta has certainly had its bread plenty buttered by tourism -- in fact, it seems that half the city is geared toward freespending gringos. And yet... there's no doubt that PV is one of Mexico’smost popular…

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Added by David Paul Appell on November 18, 2011 at 5:30pm — 1 Comment

A Short Ode to Mexico's Modest Mérida

More than a few vacationers staying at coastal resorts on the Riviera Maya or Cancun do venture into the interior of the Yucatan peninsula, but for the most part it’s on day trips or overnighters to world-famous Maya ruins such as…

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Added by David Paul Appell on November 5, 2011 at 4:00pm — No Comments

MacArthur Causeway: A Tale of South Beach

Once again, Diego was right. Actually, Jake thought blearily, these days Diego seemed elevated to frickin' oracle. Who knew? When they were at NYU together, the doofus was far less into books than pranks, from cute-but-harmless to dangerously dumbass. Like the time - a decade…

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Added by David Paul Appell on November 2, 2011 at 3:00pm — No Comments

Apple Cider, the Pride of Asturias, Spain

It's apple harvest time, and it's another crisp Saturday night on Calle Gascona (below right) in downtown Oviedo, an old university city that's the genteel, postcard-pretty capital of emerald-green Asturias in north Spain, with happy-faced…

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Added by David Paul Appell on October 15, 2011 at 4:30pm — No Comments

Blood Money: A Funny Little Scam in Cartagena, Colombia

Hola, I just got back yesterday from a lovely repeat visit to this gorgeous UNESCO World Heritage city, and the previous night, although on my various travels I’ve been hit up (and once literally stuck up) for cash, this one took the cake (the flan?). …

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Added by David Paul Appell on October 9, 2011 at 1:30pm — 1 Comment

In Mexico, You Can't Say No to Cenotes

If you’re vacationing in Cancun, on the Mayan Riviera, the Costa Maya, or elsewhere on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, coast or the majestic Maya archaeological ruins of the interior…

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Added by David Paul Appell on September 22, 2011 at 1:30pm — 1 Comment

My Dinner With Paul (Bocuse)

Recently I came across a slightly dated item about master chef Paul Bocuse; seems this past spring, the Culinary Institute of America declared the Lion of Lyon "Chef of the Century" as part of its…

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Added by David Paul Appell on September 20, 2011 at 6:39am — 2 Comments

9/11 and Travel, Ten Years On

On the lovely morning of September 11, 2001, I was working as usual in my 7th Avenue Manhattan office as executive editor of Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, when thanks to somebody over on the publishing side with a dinky in-office TV came word that a plane had hit the north…

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Added by David Paul Appell on September 11, 2011 at 12:30pm — 1 Comment

Santo Domingo's Columbus Lighthouse Is Quite a Sight

Due at least in part, no doubt, to the modest size of most Caribbean islands, “mega” structures are fairly few and far between. But one of them is here on the eastern outskirts of the Dominican…

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Added by David Paul Appell on August 23, 2011 at 11:05am — 2 Comments

Top Bananas: Plantains in the Spanish-Speaking Caribbean

On your visit to the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, or Cuba, at some point soon you’re likely to find on your plate one of the locals’ favorite starchy staples: cooked plátanos (plantains -- and not just these three countries, by the…

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Added by David Paul Appell on August 15, 2011 at 9:30am — 3 Comments

Mariachi, Mexico's Quintessential Music

¡Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay! Guitars, violins, colorful spangled costumes and big mariachi hats have become an indelible symbol of Mexico throughout the world (believe it or not, I once even spotted mariachi hats on sale at souvenir stands right outside Italy’s Leaning Tower of Pisa).

There are conflicting stories about the origin of this distinctive form of music and performance – one pegs it to the brief 1860s reign of Emperor Maximiliano (yes, Mexico had exactly one post-Aztec… Continue

Added by David Paul Appell on August 3, 2011 at 9:08pm — 1 Comment

Mole Poblano, Mexico's Saucy Splendor

If you’re a true fan of the complexities of Mexican cuisine (as in, beyond Taco Bell and “pass the Old El Paso”) I’m sure you’ve come across one of this country’s most sophisticated contributions to world cuisine, as well as its quintessential “special…

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Added by David Paul Appell on July 27, 2011 at 12:00pm — 2 Comments

Dominican Baseball Hits a 'Jonrón'

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Added by David Paul Appell on July 16, 2011 at 1:48pm — 1 Comment

South Sudan Tourism: What Are Its Prospects?

In East Africa, bordered not just by Sudan to its north but also the Central African Republic, the Congo (the one that used to be Zaire), Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda, this continent’s newly born 54th country and the world’s 258th is admittedly a hard case. A largely black land of traditional religions, and some degree of Christianity, embroiled…

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Added by David Paul Appell on July 9, 2011 at 5:01pm — 2 Comments

Boutique Eats & Sleeps in ... Cornwall?

Those who know anything about this ancient corner of southwest England love its craggy, traditional flavor -- with twee villages like Boscastle, medieval castles and ruins like Tintagel, and ubiquitous pasties (turnovers). Oh, and let's not forget The Pirates of Penzance, Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, Cornish game hens and clotted cream. But eco-friendly designer hotels? Over in Watergate Bay, just up the hill from Jamie Oliver's… Continue

Added by David Paul Appell on June 26, 2011 at 1:14pm — No Comments

Helsinki's "Pub Tram": A Streetcar Named … Hic!

I can tell you from experience that the good folks of …

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Added by David Paul Appell on June 5, 2011 at 10:01pm — 2 Comments

Marking the Rapture With Baked Alaska in Steamy Florida

Yesterday was a special occasion for me – no, not so much the Rapture but a relationship anniversary – though I will admit that in a bizarre way all that ruckus had made me feel like flying up to my old and still occasional New York City stomping grounds to camp it up with Harold…

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Added by David Paul Appell on May 22, 2011 at 4:30pm — 1 Comment

Helsinki and South Finland's Luminous Summer

In various parts of the world — and nowhere more than in northern Europe — summertime’s fondly considered a bright and cheery idyll, tailor-made for vacations and good vibrations in general. It’d been a long time since I’d been to Scandinavia in summer, and on my recent visit to Finland, I… Continue

Added by David Paul Appell on May 17, 2011 at 7:30am — No Comments

Sightseeing in Detroit? Revelations of an Unexpected Layover

I have a travel-editor friend whose open enthusiasm for Detroit I’ve always found hard to comprehend. Sure, it’s got a good cultural and arts scene and a vigorous melting pot going for it. But the larger picture overshadowing it all has always seemed to me that notorious blight, the derelict buildings, the stench of what to many is practically a failed city.…

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Added by David Paul Appell on April 26, 2011 at 2:00pm — 2 Comments