Backpacking Diplomacy by Andy A blog dedicated to sharing world culture, travel tips and building community.

La Isla del Encanto The Island of Enchantment Puerto Rico for me has been a long time coming. I have had vested interest in it because I’ve got family here somewhere and I am fascinated to learn more about both Caribbean history and island-culture. Before leaving for Puerto Rico, I had a lot of mixed emotions and thoughts about what …

Beating Barcelona’s Notorious Thieves How to beat them: A few true stories of pickpockets in Barcelona I have been asked many times in my travel about questions of safety or similar causes. In some cities in particular, especially the more visited ones, safety is a primary concern of many people. One of these cities is Barcelona. In my experience, Barcelona …

A Reflection on the Current State of Spain With Some Thoughts of Optimism As many of you know, I spent the better half of this past summer in Spain. I have been to Spain some in the past so this was not my first introduction to Spanish culture. It was however a unique experience. This trip was not only unique …

Travel video improvement tips I was asked by a reader to write a post on how to improve your travel videos. I should mention first that I am no expert. I do think that I have improved, but I still have a long way to go. If you look at some of my first attempts at creating travel videos, you’ll …

Teaching English Abroad with Olly Introductions: I recently caught up with Olly Richards from the UK on his experiences teaching English in Japan and Qatar. Olly is a linguist, lover of Crossfit and Cuban Salsa dancing, as well as food junky. He speaks 7 languages and is looking for more. His website helps to teach people about how to learn …

Segovia, España Segovia is a small city, which is about an hour outside of Madrid. It is located in the region of Castile and León. The city is interesting for many reasons, but mainly because it has some of the best Roman ruins in Europe. Segovia, typically an afternoon stopover for many tourists, has much more than meets the eye. …

Muslim for a Day The day I visited a mosque during Ramadan One of the things that I love so much about traveling is the opportunity to throw away past prejudices and assumptions and learn about other’s points of views in real-time for myself. When we do this as travelers, we are able to humanize people and reduce the extreme …

International Marketing Done Right! I am happy to share that Hostelling International’s Big Blog Exchange won 1st place in the WYSE Travel Confederation’s Global Youth Travel Awards for marketing innovation. It was wonderful to take part in something that was so well organized and thought out, and I think that they were aptly rewarded for their efforts. Their campaign was global …

Richard Arthur Book I of the Sun I of the Sun: A young man travels on a one-way ticket to Southeast Asia to find out, in search of freedom and everything that comes with it. Free from responsibility, free from others, free from himself. He discovers paradise islands and electric cities, and gets hooked on crazy liquor, cheap pills, loose women …

A Quick Tour of Southern Louisiana This was an eventful weekend in Louisiana. One that I will certainly remember for some time now. The weekend actually started on Thursday for me. There was a party and celebration that turned out to be a birthday celebration for me. We shared food and spirits, and danced the night away to a variety …

Dave’s Travel Pages Recently completing a cycling trip from Alaska to Argentina, Dave is a travel enthusiast with over 20 years of experience. Since he started traveling Dave’s curiosity has driven him to the four corners of the globe. Intrigued by his cycling experiences, I recently caught up with Dave for a little Q & A. Here is the result. …

A new learning experience… Well, last Sunday I went to a local mercado in Lafayette to take part in a celebration of Mexican Independence. Before going, I knew very little of what the independence was about or what the significance of this particular day, which was September 15th. I asked a few people, but most just said it was Mexican …

Barcelona Neighborhoods Barcelona is a city of eccentric people, lively energy, and a multitude of beautiful places. The city is the capital of the Catalunya region and is in many ways the epicenter of Catalan pride. It is home to locals, immigrants, foreigners, students, and receives larger number of visitors annually in comparison to many other European cities. It is …

Antique Market in Louisiana One of the great things about living in a small-historically rich state called Louisiana is the abundance of relics and cultural legacies that are left behind for generations. Traditionally, the modern history of the United States is a relatively young one. Therefore, finding antiques in the United States can be a real treat as the majority …

Capture the Color in Photos First off, I’d like to send a special thanks to Aryn from Driftwood and Daydreams for nominating me for the Capture the Color contest. I’ve been following Aryn for some time now and she has a really great site. She’s a polyglot with a sense of adventure for enjoying life. I admire her ability to …

Expressions of Love From the streets of Córdoba, España The Spanish are typically known for being some of the more warm and romantic people. I especially noted that when talking about aspects of Spanish hospitality. Outside of that though, Spanish tend to be very expressive when it comes to love and passion. They can be dramatic at times, but would …

My Second Hitchhiking Experience It has been almost a year since my first hitchhiking experience in Morocco. I am still new to the art of hitchhiking, and to be totally honest, I am still not always comfortable reaching out. That being said, I have become increasingly more comfortable with my two experiences as both have been positive and can be …

Deltebre Catalunya and the local culture of the Catalan people Recently on an excursion throughout Spain, I visited the Deltebre region of southern Catalunya. There I met an interestingly similar culture, which was in some ways like southwest Louisiana to me. Here is a video that I made about this trip. It includes footage from local dancing rituals, cooking, fishing, …

A Cup of Tea Can Change Your Life The other day I stopped at a local café to have a tea. I had been frequenting this café for a few days and somewhat befriended the owner. A young Turkish man not much older than myself. He is a hard-worker and a very knowledgeable individual, speaking nearly 6 languages. On this …

Rubboards, Zydeco Beats and Louisiana Flair The Heart and Soul of the Cajun Culture In my travels, I have been amazed by the fact that so many people know about Louisiana music. Before leaving home, I never knew the impact that the music had on different people from around the world. Typically, people know mostly of Louisiana Jazz music and …

Couchsurfing: Is it legit? An overview, some tragic stories, happy moments, and my experiences with it When asking such a general question with such a large organization, it becomes difficult to answer such a question. Truthfully, Couchsurfing, like other forms of social media, has the propensity to attract an array of people both good and bad. There are inevitably some …

New Video Remembering España A highlight from my recent trip around Spain, plus a look at some not so well-known aspects of Spanish culture. Be sure to check out Delta del Ebre also! I used some new tips in this video. Thanks to a friend who is a professional in making videos. He  gave me some editing tips for improving …

Hello readers! I would just like to personally take this opportunity to thank you all for being so supportive in my journey to create this travel blog and website. The last few months have been really exciting for me as a blogger. I have received many new followers and readers, and it is great to have you all on board! …

Aragon, España A road trip to me is always one of the greatest signs of freedom. Road trips are a great way to explore any place as you get to make more stops and detours than you would with any regular bus or train route. In fact, sometimes it is necessary to have a car to make it to some …

Learning about Aragon A stay in Zaragoza, Aragon’s primate city Nestled between Spain’s northern coastal region Basque country and the infamous Catalunya, is a region called Aragon. The name Aragon, commonly associated in pop culture with fictional tales such as the Lord of the Rings, is a region of superior significance to Spain and its establishment as a sovereign nation. …

Barcelona: How to explore like a local Insider tips Barcelona: From free WiFi to partying like a local Barcelona is one of my favorite European cities. It is one of the most visited cities in Europe for a reason, but I think that most people never find its true beauty. The majority of Barcelona’s tourists come looking for one of …

More than just tourism Learning the land from a Master in Deltebre La Cava The delta for the Ebro river is a region of southern Catalunya, which is of significant economic, cultural, and traditional importance to the Catalan people. The local folklore and musical traditions trace their roots back hundreds of years to many of the historical tales of the …

Kayak Catalunya For my final destination in Catalunya I recently visited the city of Deltebre in southern Catalunya. Deltebre is a word that derives its name from the words delta and l’ebre. Delta meaning exactly that, the delta of a river, and l’ebre being the Catalan name for the river Ebro. The Ebro river runs from northern Spain to Deltebre where …

Un pueblo de La Ruta del Ferro, Alberg Ruta del Ferro, El Monestario, y Count Arnau Sant Joan de les Abadesses Sant Joan es un pueblo que está muy cerca de la ciudad Ripoll. Hay cuentos que dicen que Sant Joan es un nucleo de las origéns de la cultura Catalana.  El monasterio en Sant Joan es un de las …

Wild Horses, Vacas, and True Beauty Recounting Valle de Nùria Spain and the highest hostel in Europe When I think of reasons to get off the beaten path in Spain I can think of few more places to recommend than the Valle de Nuria in Catalunya. Nùria is one of those places that mesmerizes you with its beauty. Everywhere you look nature …

Learning about Girona I have passed through Girona a few times in the past as it is a popular airport for people on their way to Barcelona. Even though I have heard good things about it, I never got the opportunity to actually visit the city until now. Getting to know Girona has been pleasant as I really had no …

Excursion in Costa Brava: Kayaking and Snorkeling in Costa Brava Llança (Catalunya) In the past when I have visited Spain and Catalunya, I have always wanted to go on a nature excursion. Recently while traveling in Catalunya, I decided to head up to a small coastal town called Llança to fulfill this desire. Llança, as I found, is a peaceful little town …

Llança Espanya A good spot for resting After completing my quick but dense pass through Barcelona, I have now moved on to my first new city in Catalunya. Llança is officially the first city outside of Barcelona in Catalunya that I have visited. The culture and language of Catalunya is very interesting to me and I look forward to seeing …

Checking out different Barcelona Hostels I first arrived in Barcelona just a few days ago. It is a city that I hold to a very high esteem as I have so many fond memories in. During the summer, there is no Mediterranean city I’d rather visit. People come from all over Europe, and the world for that matter, to visit …

O Barcelona Everytime I come to Barcelona there is something new to see. That is one of the reasons that I love this city so much. There is an energy about this city that you cannot find in every city. Barcelona is a very artistic city in the heart of the region of Catalunya. It has an ability to appeal …

What is Benicássim like? When I first heard about Benicássim, I like most outsiders thought it to be a strange fitting name to be so close to Valencia. In fact, I did not know about the city until a friend sent me a link about a huge music festival there called FIB. Benicássim turned out to be a surprising little …

Good Memories Are challenging to repeat As a traveler, we are often left reflecting on the memories of the many places that we have been or the variety of people that we have met. The good times, the tired times, the incredible even, but one never knows what it will be like to return to a city especially after leaving …

Valencia, España O Espanya, diria jo. I am currently wrapping up my tour through Valencia. It seems that even though I just entered the region that I am already exiting it. I have seen so many wonderful places as they seem to be endless in Spain. Every region offers similar Spanish culture, yet distinctly different regional tendencies and in some …

Reflecting on the Big Blog Exchange As part of the Big Blog Exchange project, I was asked to put together a Manifesto of my experiences. So I thought that a nice way to piece together this article would be to do a bit of a reflection and recounting of my Exchange period. I was sent to Spain as an exchange …

Remembering Andalucia A few highlights plus a look at the organization that hosted me Continuing in my current tour of Spain with REAJ, I have finally arrived in the Community of Valencia. Reflecting over my last few weeks, my thoughts instantly drive me to some great experiences all over the beautiful region of Andalucia, also known as Al Andalus. Andalucia …

Moraira Spain I just left the city of Moraira yesterday. Moraira is a Spanish coastal city that is slightly of the traditional path. It is located in the region of Valencia, just outside the city of Teulada. Moraira is a popular destination for ex-pats (mainly English, German, & Russian) who have played a major part in the construction of the …

Alhambra الحمراء Deriving its name from an Arabic word, meaning “the red“, Granada’s Alhambra is a mystic beauty of an Arabian palace. The palace is situated on a hill, which overlooks the city. Alhambra’s name comes from the reddish tint that is clearly visible on the stones that were used to build the palace. Its perfection in everything from architecture …

Murcia Spain A Few Thoughts on Murcia Spain and Quick Guide One of the nice things about staying in Spain for two months is the fact that I get to visit some places that are not normally visited. In fact, that is one of the interesting things about staying in any country longer. People typically go to a country with …

All-terrain Travel Shoe An unsponsored review of Merrell’s Chameleon 4 Stretch Shoe and why I have chosen them as my current travel shoe. Plus, a few tips on how to choose your pair of travel shoes. I have been a big fan of Merrell’s shoe products for a while now. I have not used any of their other products yet, …