Ramblin' Randy

Ceuta's in the headlines this week. It's one of those places that almost shouldn't exist... Spain, but physically in Africa. An outpost of Europe perched on the edge of another continent, where two worlds collide every single day. I was lucky enough to ring in New Year's Eve there in 2018, and it's still one of the most fascinating places I've ever visited.

Sending love to my friends in Ceuta this week - I support you!

¡Sonora, hace mucho tiempo!

Three trips to Havana. Six attempts at Coppelia. Six defeats.

No cone. No scoop. Not even a pity spoonful. Never even made it up the spiral staircase.

This is Cuba’s legendary “Cathedral of Ice Cream,” the sprawling 1966 ice cream palace built at the height of revolutionary optimism, when dozens of flavors flowed and Havana lined up beneath the banyan trees for a taste of the future. At its peak, it was one of the largest ice cream parlors on Earth, serving thousands a day.

Today, the lines remain. The mythology remains. The giant flying-saucer architecture remains. But on each of my visits, the ice cream itself has proven as elusive as a Cuban Wi-Fi signal.

Maybe that’s the point. Some places aren’t about what you get. They’re about the chase. And after six failed expeditions to Coppelia, I can confirm one thing: the most difficult thing to find in Havana may not be gasoline or electricity.

It’s a cone at Coppelia.🍦

Ever been to the Travel and Adventure Show??? They are next level.

Come through this weekend in Long Beach. You’ll save some money on future trips. You’ll get inspired. You might even start planning your next escape before you leave the building.

Come by my booth - Slowjamastan. Of course we did!

Heading south ⬇️

Just dropped.

Santiago’s Turn Deja Vú I’d been to Chile once before—ten years back. Nice enough. Iquique had the sea, the sunshine, the breezy, sandblasted charm of a city that minds its own business. But I knew then, quietly and inconveniently, that I hadn’t scratched the surface. Santiago still waited. And now, en route...

An honor to be even mentioned among these trailblazers, not to mention actually be nominated. Thank you, NomadMania!

Voting on NomadMania Travel Awards 2025 The NomadMania Travel Awards is the annual event to celebrate achievements in travel organized since 2021. It meant to celebrate travelling efforts for the past year.

Back in Nogales, Sonora — chasing ghosts and carne asada. There’s a taco stand here, hidden deep in the backstreets, no signs, no tourists, no hype. Just smoke, mesquite, and a line of locals who know exactly what’s good.

Carne asada kissed by open flame, folded into a warm flour tortilla — a squeeze of lime, a touch of pico, nothing more. When the meat’s this perfect, you don’t need to dress it up.

And then there’s Beto. Same smile, same grill, still remembers me after twenty-five years. Maybe that’s what keeps me coming back — not just the tacos, but the feeling that some things, the best things, never change.

📍El Taco Nazo Real: Corner of Calle Aguirre and Ingenieros.

***

De vuelta en Nogales, Sonora, persiguiendo fantasmas y carne asada. Hay un puesto de tacos aquí, escondido en las calles, sin letreros, sin turistas, sin publicidad. Solo humo, mezquite y una fila de lugareños que saben exactamente qué es lo bueno.

Carne asada al fuego, envuelta en una tortilla de harina caliente: un chorrito de limón, un toque de pico de gallo, nada más. Cuando la carne está así de perfecta, no hace falta adornarla.

Y luego está Beto. La misma sonrisa, la misma parrilla, todavía me recuerda después de veinticinco años. Quizás eso es lo que me hace volver: no solo los tacos, sino la sensación de que algunas cosas, las mejores, nunca cambian.

📍El Taco Nazo Real: Esquina de la calle Aguirre e Ingenieros.