(Third of three parts, jump to part 1, part 2, part 3)

More ports of call

Puerto Limón (Costa Rica)

Limón boasts a population of some 85,000 people, most of whom are of Afro-Caribbean heritage. The town has increased in size steadily since the 1970s and has proven to be a good place for Costa Ricans to settle down. The climate is warm and tropical, the surroundings are beautiful, and a recent influx of tour operators has brought a new focus to the town.

Limón...

(First of three parts, jump to part 1, part 2, part 3)

I never imagined that an episode of the “Larry King Live” show would be the springboard for a winter vacation. This particular evening, Larry’s guest was Sofia Loren. Rather than delving into her eminent film career, the discussion centered on her role as spokesperson for MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) Cruises, whose motto is Premium Class With a True Italian Signature. Although their motto is an apt description of the star...

by Deanna Palic

When I arrived in Peru in mid-September 2005 for the Latin America Travel Mart, Lima was in the last throes of winter. Spring was just one week away and temperatures were in the high 60s day, mid-50s evening.

Limeños boast that rainfall there is “less than a tear a year” and that there isn’t an umbrella factory in the city. Except in summer, Dec. 23-March 23, the city is blanketed in a gray pall, a heavy mist that moves in from the sea. The locals call it garua...