• Caribbean

    What to Expect When You Arrive in Aruba

    You’re planning your trip to Aruba and can already imagine your arrival. The anticipation of getting your Aruban passport stamp, being whisked away on a lush drive with views of palm trees and pregaming for some wild beach nights with the locals. Well, that imagery wouldn’t be accurate. How about scanning your passport through a self-serve kiosk and stepping out onto a bumpy terrain of cactuses? Aruba isn’t like any other island I have visited thus far. It is a laid-back desert island that is fitting for adventurous travelers. Here’s what you should know before visiting Aruba. Immigration To ensure a smooth visit to Aruba, complete Aruba’s Official Embarkation-Disembarkation card…

  • North America

    Mel Fisher Maritime Museum: Exploring the Maritime History of Florida and the Caribbean

    Key West’s present day is decorated with bars, restaurants, street performers, and tourists worldwide. But it wasn’t always this paradise that snowbirds flock to. It was once plagued with slavery, and colonizers during the Colonial period. Being closer to the Caribbean Islands, it endured piracy that plagued nearby islands such as The Bahamas and Jamaica. Throughout this historical time slavery, plantation economy, and piracy were interconnected through attacks on treasure ships and ports. Centuries later Florida maintains a connection to the Caribbean as natives seek refuge from political instability and poverty. A visit to the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum presents these tumultuous times through exhibits of treasure, ships, slavery, and…

  • Caribbean

    Ninety Miles South of Florida

    In July 2021 protests erupted as Cubans reached a boiling point of government neglect while in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. This article reveals my Cuban mother's and my thoughts on the matter as I reminisced on my Havana visit just a few years before. In 2023 Cuba currently faces trial in London over unpaid debt. The future of Cuba is unpromising as it resembles the Special Period of the nineties.