Travel & Culture

In Buenos Aires, This Band of Drummers Is a Hit with Both Locals and Tourists

The lights went out, and my new friends and I fell silent. We and the rest of the crowd were standing in a courtyard with brightly painted, graffiti-covered walls, and the anticipation was palpable. The curtains rose to reveal the words “La Bomba de Tiempo” lit up on a screen, as well as a band of 14 drummers in red boiler suits being led by a conductor. Suddenly: an explosion of rhythms unlike anything I had ever heard. The only thing I knew when I arrived at Ciudad Cultural Konex in Buenos Air

Houston Chronicle

Can a U.S. metropolitan city adopt the siesta? Experts, expats and Houstonians weigh in

When I moved to Europe, I learned the Swiss charge for wine by the deciliter, making indulging in American-sized portions financially impractical. Becoming a beer drinker felt like the biggest challenge I’d face — that is, until I arrived in Spain and learned that doing errands in the afternoon is against the law (well, not quite, but it feels that way).

‘You could feel the energy like an earthquake’: Argentina’s World Cup win offers welcome optimism for visitors

During the World Cup, you could hear the screams of Argentines from every block in Buenos Aires on match days. You didn’t need to watch Argentina play to keep track of the score.

I am not a sports person – what felt to me like mob mentality, rooting for your colour, has never appealed. But my Porteño (Buenos Aires local) friends threatened to exile me if I didn’t participate in what I hadn’t grasped was history in the making.

The first time Argentina were declared World Champions was in 1978 o

How to say ‘Hasta mañana, Medellín!’ with a day trip to Guatapé – Colombia’s most colorful town

There are multiple ways to arrive at Guatape, an Andean resort town located in Antioquia, Colombia, that bridges upscale luxury with unabashed local culture. If you can’t handle worlds and social classes colliding, then maybe just roam within the compound of one of its surrounding 5-star hotels.

For travelers and ex-pats making the journey from Poblado, Medellin: rent a car or hire a driver. During weekends, plan for traffic.

Contracting a local driver obviously comes with the perks of Dolce F

Fodor's Travel Guide

Bar Crawl Through Buenos Aires’ Dazzling Speakeasies

I wouldn’t notice Frank’s, tucked away on an ordinary block at Arévalo 1445, if I didn’t immediately recognize the bouncer, who is always dressed more dapper than anyone waiting to enter the club. He’s the handsome gatekeeper to a splendid evening, and you will find the passcode to enter via the bar’s Instagram or Facebook, which earns you a numeric code to get through the secret passageway inside. I walk through a hallway, opening a set of doors that leads to a phone booth in the distance. Maki

This Dairy Queen Item Was One of My Childhood's Greatest Joys

As a kid, my personality could be summed up with two indulgences: Sour Skittles and the legendary Oreo Brownie Earthquake from Dairy Queen. Sour Skittles were my reward for enduring errands with Mom while the Oreo Brownie Earthquake—a sundae built with hot fudge, chunks of brownie, and Oreo cookie crumbles—happened on special occasions.

But let's be clear—my Dairy Queen rendezvous had nothing to do with celebrations or emotional solace. I seized the moment whenever the opportunity presented its

Business Insider

Being a third wheel is actually so much fun that I followed my best friend and her boyfriend to Colombia for the summer.

I have always dreamed about traveling the world with the love of my life. Unfortunately, he hasn't yet appeared, so now I'm doing it with my best friend, Camila. OK, to be honest, she had been living her best Julia Roberts "Eat, Pray, Love," expat-style life in Medellín, Colombia, for four months already with her boyfriend, Tyler. But when she suggested I join them in July for the remainder of the summer, I pounced at the opportunity.

Rekindle your queer flame with a sexy tropical getaway in Puerto Rico

Queer couples need more than a threesome to keep their spark alive. Or, perhaps, a rendezvous with Puerto Rico is precisely what will reinvigorate their relationship. Travel is the viagra of love, and this Caribbean island is a unique destination in the US because you don’t need a passport to be transported to this sexy tropical getaway.

San Juan is obviously the face of the island, and people typically pay the city respect by drinking rum cocktails and dancing the night away (our pick to stay

Business Insider

I stayed at an Airbnb with a pet pig and realized I liked dogs better

Last summer, after a month of living alone in Medellin, Colombia, I decided I wanted to try to make local friends and booked my second month there with a roommate.
I had been third-wheeling my best friend and her boyfriend, also expats, and I realized I needed pals who weren't madly in love. I was beginning to feel like a golden retriever, always waiting for them to play.

Where the daring and fabulous partied during New York Fashion Week

New York City becomes a tornado of socializing in the name of NYFW during September, queerness and heterosexuality swirling in a whirlwind of runway shows, extravagant dinners, and after-parties.

But you don’t have to be in the industry to experience New York Fashion Week’s glamour.

The reality is that the fabulosity belongs to Manhattan. So that means you don’t have to wait until next year for the fun.

GayCities knows the city’s gayest secrets – it’s kind of our thing – and there wasn’t a pa

Being in Buenos Aires for the 2022 FIFA World Cup redefined my sense of community

The first time I experienced the phenomenon of soccer was when I was 13 years old, visiting my father for the summer in Bogotá, Colombia. Long story short (if that’s ever possible from a 1st-person narrative writer), he’d force me to play against my will with my quadruplet brothers and the local teens and young adults, who’d meet up at the same makeshift concrete field at the same time every day for matches.

I remember my resentment towards him at first and my surprise when I began to enjoy mys

8 go-to travel essentials to globetrot in style

After globetrotting full-time for the past couple of years, I’ve come to terms with the fact that no hack or secret will fully prepare you for the unexpected nature of travel. But if queer people know anything, it’s how to assimilate to settings outside of their comfort zone and still remain their fabulous selves.

As I fell overboard a boat in Weggis, a small seaside town built on the edge of Lake Lucerne (a quick train ride from Zurich), or scavenged the streets of Grazia in Barcelona for my a

GayCities (Q.Digital)

‘Being gay is being free’ – Buenos Aires marchers share what Pride means to them

Argentinians have an attitude, whether it’s for better or worse. That’s what makes Buenos Aires such a unique city to live in – everyone is a character. At this year’s 2022 Marcha del Orgullo, the community showed up in full force to dance, march, and celebrate all things queer, demonstrating without a doubt that there are no basic bitches here.

The female power at Pride was no joke. Argentinian women came out in droves, so the femme fatale was a presence to be reckoned with. (Though there was

Fodors Travel Guide

Go List 2023: South America

Three airports may lead to Guatapé (the nearest being Medellin Jose Marie Cordova), however, the Andean resort town is a road trip destination to most municipalities within a driving radius. Piedra del Peñol is undoubtedly the face of Colombia’s most colorful town, overlooking meandering lakes and prolific islands. In the pueblo, you’ll find pastel colors for days in the infrastructure and painted blocks—or zocalos—on the side of local family homes embodying their livelihoods or histories. The p

The 14 Best Beaches in Florida

At least 189 'official' beaches reside along Florida's 360 miles of coastline. From serving as a movie-like refuge for wildlife to a respite for tourists hungry for adventure, we've ranked the best and most unique beaches in the Sunshine State.

Florida may be unpredictable in the news cycle, but you can always expect one thing when visiting: to experience some of the best beaches America has to offer. Some of the finest luxuries in life really are free, at least the majority of beaches. However

My mom moved me to the US when I was 7 years old. Now, 21 years later I decided to temporarily move back to Colombia and my quality of life is much better.

• My mom moved me and my fraternal quadruplet brothers to the US when we were 7 years old.
• We landed in Miami, where she wanted us to have better education and quality of life.
• Now at age 28, I've moved back to Colombia, and my life is so much better than it was in the US.

I boarded a plane holding hands with my mother and fraternal quadruplet brothers at 7 years old. She sacrificed her upper-class life in Bogotá, Colombia, venturing into the unknown as a single parent of four and immigrat

GayCities (Q.Digital)

5 NYC coffee shops worthy of remote working & cruising

In New York, square footage is not unlike an endangered species. Working remotely manifests as less glamorous than in other metropolitan cities. It should be called ‘working from bed’ or ‘my one-foot desk in front of a window facing concrete.’ We’re not going to get started on how demoralizing Zoom becomes when you’re unable to hide your income.

Since the inception of the iced latte (for a gay? Groundbreaking, we know.), the coffee shop has served as an escape from working at home for many – wh

GayCities (Q.Digital)

You haven’t experienced drag until watching Rupaul’s Daya Betty perform at the Baltimore Eagle

The first time I saw an episode of Rupaul’s Drag Race, it was Season 14, Episode 10, at a streaming party. Other guests called it the worst game of snatch game ever. It reaffirmed my decision to not participate in the mainstream cultural phenomenon. This was a sign the straights must have gotten to it.

I was raised by the mentality of native Hispanic Catholic liberals who will tell you it’s ok to like men if you don’t act like a girl, genuinely thinking they’re being progressive.

Visiting Balt

GayCities (Q.Digital)

Guadalajara is your sexy undercover gay gem in Mexico

LGBTQ folks are nothing if not creative.

However, it’s easy for us to perpetually choose from the mainstream selection of popular destinations to visit when it comes to travel. Mexico offers two of the most frequented cities for gays: Puerto Vallarta and Mexico City. But the Latin American travel hotspot nestles another secret gem that should not be missed: Guadalajara, Jalisco.

Naturally, queers of Instagram might doubt just how gay Guadalajara is without the ocean scenery.

Chicago Tribune

The 5 most LGBTQ-friendly cities in America

Commissioned by Smarter Travel Media, republished nationally in over twenty-five newspapers, I explore the most LGBTQ-friendly cities across the United States.

Chicago Tribune

Romance away from home: The 6 sexiest cities in America

Commissioned by Smarter Travel Media, republished by the Chicago Tribune, Jamie Valentino reveals the steamiest cities for singles to visit across the US.

5 LGBTQ travel destinations to visit in unexpected states

While LGBTQ rights are being attacked across the country by a GOP stuck in the 1950s, an increasing number of American cities are embracing queer culture like never before. According to Gallup 2022’s poll, a staggering 71% of Americans say they support legal same-sex marriage. So when choosing a domestic travel destination, you might be surprised by the number of options (and the locations) catering to good ol’ gay fun.

GayCities has picked five overlooked American cities that have emerged as L

Google Arts & Culture

6 Places Essential to Egyptian Culture

Using the archives of Google partner institutions, I reveal the six meaningful places in Egypt for their inimitable beauty and unique history.

Let's get social