I attended the NomadMania conference in Ouro Preto, Brazil. It’s now an annual event where select NomadMania members meet in a rarely visited place to discuss important topics that pertain to organization, while exploring new destinations, catching up with old friends and meeting new travelers. Khadija couldn’t join me as she had upcoming knee surgery (which subsequently has been delayed to September).

Ouro Preto (Black Gold) is Brazil’s emblematic Gold Rush capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The output was immense for about 80 years (1690 to 1770) and at its peak, the region produced over half of the world's gold. The result was extraordinary wealth which funded amazing churches, manors and municipal buildings.

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar is the most gold-heavy church in the city and the second richest in all of Brazil.

The churches and other buildings in Ouro Preto and the surrounding Minas Gerais (General Mining) state feature a distinct blend of Brazilian Baroque and Rococo architecture, characterized by exterior walls of whitewashed stucco or adobe, providing a striking contrast with the doors and windows made of austere, local darkwood. My favorite church was St. Francis of Assisi, pictured below at night.

On my last night, Brazil was playing Morocco in an opening game of the World Cup. On the streets and in bars, restaurants and hotels, Brazilians were eagerly waiting to watch the game to be played in the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (They tied 1:1.)

I met with two of the recipients, Beatriz and Julia, of the NomadMania Scholarship which funds their first travel experience abroad while they work on an approved project. This year, NM coordinated with Ouro Preto University and received over 100 applications. I was part of the committee which evaluated and interviewed the candidates and chose three worthy individuals, as much as our budget would allow.

MEET THE AUTHOR PARTY​

At our home in Harlem, we’ll be having a party on Sunday, July 12 from 1pm to 4pm for Barry Hoffner, a renowned traveler who has visited almost every country in the world. All interested are invited, email me to RSVP.

Barry will discuss how the world has far more depth and complexity than headlines suggest. From warzones to mountaintops, refugee camps to ancient ruins, he met people whose kindness and openness gave meaning to his life. In his book “Belonging to the World”, Barry writes about how travel has helped him after the loss of his wife and travel partner, Jackie, in a sudden tragedy.

UPCOMING TRIPS

Later in the year, we are planning for trips to Ireland, Chicago, Thailand and West Africa. We are hoping to travel to Saint Pierre and Miquelon (French territory at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River) and the Day of the Dead celebration in Oaxaca, Mexico.

RECENT POSTS

​Paraguay –Ethnic Diversity, Agricultural Abundance and Jesuit Ruins​

For those touring South America, it was common to skip Paraguay as it didn't have a single world-famous monument or natural wonder, the cities were generally deteriorated or commercially based, and driving hours through flat farmland wasn’t exciting. Then a funny thing occurred, in 2025 the number of visitors almost doubled! What happened?

A confluence of factors made this landlock country more appealing. The national government finally realized there is money to be had with tourism, started promoting the country as a destination and expanded flight routes and upgraded airport infrastructure to make flying into the capital Asuncion more attractive. Global travelers also woke up and took advantage of Paraguay’s terrific value-for-money. Even though the vast majority are from Argentina and Brazil, visitors from everywhere appreciate its relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

Also see the Paraguay 2026 Photo Gallery.

SUBWAY PHOTOGRAPHY:

My beautifully printed black and white “Station to Station: Exploring the New York City Subway” coffee table book is still available. You can see all photos @nycsubwaybook on Instagram and New York Subway Book on Facebook. Click here or email me for a signed copy, not available anywhere else!

SOCIALS:

My website www.ExploringEd.com with detailed posts on our trips.

FB: @Ed.Hotchkiss.3 and @Exploring Ed Travel | IG: @Exploring.Ed.Travel​

RECENT BOOKS​:

Burmese Days (1934, 288 pages) by George Orwell

The birth name of the famous author of Animal Farm and 1984 is Eric Arthur Blair. "George" was selected because Saint George is the patron saint of England. “Orwell" was taken from the River Orwell in the English county of Suffolk. He chose this pen name to protect his family from embarrassment while publishing his first book, Down and Out in Paris and London, a non-fiction memoir.

Burmese Days is his first novel and a scathing critique of British colonialism, exploring its corrupting influence on both the colonizers and the colonized.

Though undeniably brilliant, he never pursued higher education. Instead at age 19, he became a Police Superintendent in Burma, then part of the Indian Raj and now named Myanmar. He was part of a tiny elite of British officials who sat at the top of a pyramid, delegating nearly all day-to-day control to native bureaucrats. His department of 50 to 100 native police constables and officers were the law enforcement for a population of 200,000. During his five years there, he grew increasingly disillusioned with the realities of British imperialism. He eventually resigned and returned to England to pursue a full-time career as a writer.

DONATE

On June 24, Venezuela experienced 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes which struck in rapid succession. Thousands of people are reported to have died and tens of thousands more have been injured or displaced. Unlike some current emergencies, such as in Sudan, this has been widely reported. I have just donated to the three organizations below and encourage you to also contribute.

​World Central Kitchen’s Relief Team is working with longtime partners in the country to support impacted families after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela, collapsing buildings in the capital of Caracas and sending shockwaves across multiple states. WCK is first to the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises.

Through Save The Children’s Emergency Fund, aid is being distributed to children and families in Venezuela after the devastating aftermath of powerful earthquakes. Many have lost their homes, access to healthcare and clean water and education has been severely disrupted. Right now, donations are being matched 2X.

​Global Empowerment Mission was established in response to the 2010 Haiti Earthquake. Their objective is to deliver the most amount of aid, to the most people in need, in the shortest amount of time and with the least amount of costs to their donors.

Happy Travels🌏… Exploring Ed