A few years back my Kiwi friend Dan and I were on our maiden voyage around South America. It wasn’t our first quest as travelling companions, as we had previously conquered the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, but it was certainly our most ambitious to date.

“Merhaba! Nasilsiniz? Ne içmek istersin?” “Hum… yes, well… hum…Do you speak English by any chance?” This was my first conversation in Turkish, shortly after I arrived in Istanbul. After more than three hours spent on a plane and a quick stop at the hotel, my two girlfriends and I decided to head down to a bar to taste the famous Turkish coffee.

Last month saw Barack Obama inaugurated as the 49th president of the United States, taking the reins from George W. Bush. While many are celebrating new president’s historic victory, some are surely lamenting the departure of Bush, and his famous slips of the tongue. The Argentina Independent looks back at some classic Bushisms.

As midnight strikes, the sounds of screeching fireworks pierce the Nicaraguan night as they explode in sporadic flashes above. Myself and a group of fellow gringos take leave of a Christmas Eve family party, sufficiently fuelled by cuba libres, in search of nightlife and an opportunity to prolong the festivities.