Author Archives: kurczy

The bet was this, made by the Jamaican guide of my bicycle tour of the Brazilian island of Florianópolis: That I couldn’t traverse the island’s most steep and difficult trail, which normally takes four to five hours roundtrip, plus return by bicycle to … Continue reading →

One of Brazil’s best-kept secrets might be its craft beer. When I lived in Paraná’s capital city Curitiba in September/October 2014, I met a lot of good people, including many craft brewers making some very creative and tasty beers. Among those brewers are Mário … Continue reading →

Yesterday, Americas Quarterly published my story (with lots of good photos!) about Mila Marlina, the tiniest and unlikeliest climber on Aconcagua in December: 4’9” and 82 pounds, the 42-year-old Indonesian mom was skipping her daughter’s birthday and her family’s Christmas to disappear … Continue reading →

The New Yorker yesterday published my story about the mountain runner Kílian Jornet Burgada, who I met in December while he was setting a new speed ascent-descent on Aconcagua, the tallest summit in the Americas. Kílian was previously profiled in The … Continue reading →

“It’s incredible,” I said. “I’ve never seen a bigger dam.” “Neither have I,” replied the Brazilian chief of staff for Itaipu Dam, which was for decades the world’s No. 1 energy-generating hydropower plant (a few weeks ago, it was surpassed … Continue reading →

Would you say this waterfall is ótimo or excelente? The answer might depend on what side of the falls you’re standing. That’s because this waterfall is known by the Portuguese moniker Cataratas do Iguaçu in Brazil and the Spanish name Cataratas … Continue reading →

When Eva Perón died at age 32, her body was embalmed and put on display. Millions of Argentinians flocked to Buenos Aires to see the corpse, and they still come today to visit its grave in La Recoleta Cemetery. So I went, … Continue reading →

It was Saturday afternoon and I’d just finished a walking tour through Montevideo’s old city, a peninsula of narrow streets and old colonial buildings with quaint shops, restaurants, book stores, museums, churches, and the delicious-smelling Mercado del Puerto with its … Continue reading →

I could have eaten chivitos every day in Uruguay. I only didn’t because of the cost of living on a travel budget. Still, in three weeks I enjoyed one chivito platter and two chivito sandwiches. Each time, I immediately wanted another chivito. … Continue reading →

“Stephen!” a muffled voice yelled. I groggily looked up and saw two strange men staring at me as I lay in my underwear. “Stephen!” one of the men exclaimed again. I took out my earplugs and said, “Yeah?” They said they’d come … Continue reading →

Had a few stories recently that I was pleased with. One was an analysis for Americas Quarterly of Brazil’s election through the lens of a pair of hipster glasses that Dilma Rousseff’s presidential campaign embraced in an effort to win … Continue reading →

Hop aboard! We’re taking a tour bus around Curitiba, the state capital of Paraná. This city arguably has the best public transportation in all Brazil so the ride should be moving fast as we see lots of public parks and cultural … Continue reading →

This past weekend I climbed Pico Paraná, the tallest point in southern Brazil and the 11th tallest peak in the entire nation. At 1,877 meters (6,158 feet) it’s about the same height as Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. I was the only foreigner … Continue reading →

The Amazon has taken up a lot of my writing time this past week. The Monitor published my article on what the big Brazil election means for future destruction of the Amazon, while Americas Quarterly and Zócalo Public Square both gave me generous space for a long … Continue reading →

Owning a cottage sounds fun. But at what point do you realize you’re in over your head in renovating up a run-down lake bungalow in northeastern Connecticut? When I peeled up layers of carpet, linoleum, and asbestos tile to find a mostly rotted subfloor? When my roofer failed … Continue reading →