Thanks for reading.  -Charlie

Everyone has their favorite part of the world. Mine happens to be Latin America, which includes Mexico, Central and South America. I realize that certain cities have characteristics that may be appealing to me, but not to others. Since this is a list of MY top 5 Latin Cities, I will point out what I like about each one, and hope some of those things may appeal to you as well.  – Steve Barrymore

Buenos Aires, Argentina:  “BA” has many times been referred to as the “Paris of Latin America” which we certainly found to be true. There is a definite European influence in this city. 

There are plenty of things to do; from trying to dodge traffic on the 12-lane Avenida 9 de Julio, to just hanging out in the sidewalk cafes while watching the people of BA hurry by. While it is a large city, it is also great walking city. On the streets you get a sense of that “flirty, romantic” Latin flair. I suppose the influence of the Tango may have something to do with that feeling. 

BA has plenty of chic shopping areas such as Avenida Florida and the Recoleta neighborhood. It also enjoys a “Broadway connection” because of the famous story of Eva Peron in “Evita.” Her grave in Recoleta Cemetery happens to be a very popular tourist site. 

BA has great restaurants. If you enjoy beef, then this is the place for you. If you enjoy any other type of food, then this is still the place for you.

If you want to escape the hustle-bustle of the city, the sleepy little town of Colonia, Uruguay, is just an hour or so boat ride across the Rio de la Plata.

If you want Europe without the time difference then Buenos Aires may very well be a great place for you to visit.

Twitter, hotel review sites, travel guides, blogs, Travel Channel shows and the like, Lindberg’s article struck home with me because I have completely embraced the information explosion. A planner by nature, I have visited places for the first time and felt as if I had already been there. Not because it was similar to somewhere else, but because I had done so much research beforehand that the place seemed familiar, often times disappointingly so.

“Part of the thrill of travel is in the mystery it entails, the buzz that comes from trying to imagine what this strange new place will even look like.”

When I travel to a new city, state, country or continent I want it to feel new. I want Lindberg’s mystery and buzz. The challenge will be fighting my tendency to over-plan and research every angle.

As of Saturday, I can now call myself an “award-winning” freelance writer. You read it correctly. Someone actually gave me an award - and not just one, but three. They came from a legitimate journalism organization too.

The folks here at TravelBlur.com (that’s really just me) brought home two first place and one second place writing awards from the Oklahoma Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. Seriously, we won.

My lovely wife and I took home a first place award in the Leisure Writing category for Newspaper Division B (circulation 7,000 to 25,000) for a collaborative effort headlined The Splendor and Rich Heritage of Copenhagen  which appeared in Edmond Life and Leisure.

In the Newspaper Division C (circulation less than 7,000) Leisure Writing category, this writer captured first place with a story titled Giant Buddha Rules Kamakura  and second for a Halloween piece called Prague’s Creepy Gothic Church of All Saints. Both stories published in The Journal Record.

While honors and awards are a welcome validation, the true joy of writing comes not from the accolades, but from a quality turn of phrase. I like writing, I like crafting a narrative and, honestly, I like winning awards too.

I always wondered what it must be like to look down that long ramp, and I had the chance to find out when I visited the Holmenkollen Ski Jump above Oslo, Norway.

The 2010 Winter Olympics kick off today in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. So here’s my travel guide on the host city’s good and bad tourist sites.

Don’t Miss: Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden

An authentic representation of a Ming Dynasty scholar’s residence, the garden is a calming oasis in the midst of the city’s hustle and bustle. Read the article I wrote about the garden in The Journal Record.

Dismiss: Gastown

Vancouver’s historic center, Gastown is mostly a collection of tourist shops and restaurants. The architecture is somewhat interesting, and the old steam clock is so-so. Just don’t venture outside Gastown’s core area, as we found the surrounding streets a bit rough to say the least.

Don’t Miss: Museum of Anthropology

Located on the campus of the University of British Columbia, the Museum of Anthropology’s authentic totem poles and sculptures are only a small part of its interesting collection of art and artifacts examining the area’s coastal Native American heritage.

Dismiss: Granville Island

If you’ve never before visited a big public market then stop by Granville Island. Otherwise, it’s just another market.

Don’t Miss: Japa Dog and Tojo’s

Unique and tasty grub is one of the best parts of travel to a foreign destination. Two Japanese-inspired, but very different Vancouver options should not be missed. For lunch, stop in at the Japa Dog stand (see my earlier Japa Dog post here). For dinner, grab some sushi at Tojo’s. Fresh ingredients and a modern flare make Tojo’s the best sushi I’ve eaten outside Japan.

My lovely wife and I fly light – it’s carry-on only for us – so bumping to an earlier flight is a strategy we’ve employed quite successfully on several occasions. But now, if it’s going to cost us $50 each, we’ll probably just wait on our scheduled flight.

Sports fans who travel to British Columbia should take the opportunity to check out a unique and tasty bite of Vancouver that would surely grab the gold in any street food culinary competition.

If you’re too good to eat at a hot dog stand, stop reading now. But if an outstanding hot dog with a Japanese flair turns you on, then Japa Dog  is your place.

More than a hot dog, Japa Dog offers turkey, beef, pork and veggie sausages covered with creative and crazy combinations of Oriental garnishes like seaweed, Teriyaki and soy sauces, grated raddish, bonito flakes, fried cabbage, plum sauce, edamame and Japanese mayo.

It may seem strange to be in Canada standing in line for a Japanese take on an American icon, but it’s worth the wait. You can find the Japa Dog stand on the corner of Burrand and Smithe Streets in downtown Vancouver.

In this month’s Reader Tips, Anita from Washington suggests exchanging emergency information with your travel partners. She suggests that everyone in the group enter the full name, date of birth and emergency contacts of every member into their cell phones. A good tip.

There’s also a helpful little article highlighting three hotel comparison sites.

Very near the old city and just a short walk to the water, the little accommodation is clean and convenient. There’s a handy, but expensive, parking garage nearby and the tourist information office is only a few blocks away. The owner, (I think her name is Clara,) was on hand every day during our visit. The hostal also rents beach towels and chairs.

We ate breakfast on the rooftop terrace one morning during our stay, but found the fare to be a bit simple for the price. I thought 6 € was a tad much for bread, jam, orange juice and tea, but the views of the sea and the rooftops of Nerja were nice.

A great place to soak up some sun, Nerja has plenty of sand, restaurants and clubs to keep any beachcomber happy, and the Don Peque sits right in the middle of it all.

First was an interesting piece comparing different methods for learning a foreign language, a skill I have never quite mastered. Oh, I can stumble along with the typical pleasantries in one or two foreign tongues, but stumble is the best I can do. You don’t have to be out of the country for long to figure out that speaking the local language would come in handy when you travel to a foreign land. According to the article, only nine percent of Americans are bilingual but more than half of Europeans speak two or more languages.

Next was a short piece on surviving an airplane accident. The article, which claims “nearly 96 percent of passengers in U.S. plane crashes survive,” has several tips that can help readers avoid that fatal four percent.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find links to these articles on NatGeo’s website, so you’ll have to grab a copy of the magazine for yourself