Via Verde Volume 5 Issue 2

May 2024 Volume 5, Issue 2

Via Verde Student Travel Magazine

IN THIS ISSUE Sightseeing in Singapore Bustling Boston Summer in Mozambique

WANT TO PLACE AN AD WITH US? Contact viaverdemagazine1@gmail.com

FOOTHILLS, CALIFORNIA Photo by Naama Green

PUBLICATION POLICY Operating under California Education Code 48907, Via Verde, a student travel magazine published by students at Palo Alto High School, is a designated limited open forum for student expression and discussion of issues of concern to its readership.

ADVERTISING The staff published advertisements with signed contracts providing they are not deemed by the staff inappropriate for the magazine’s audience. For more information about advertising with Via Verde, please email us at viaverdemagazine1@gmail.com.

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS The staff welcomes letter to the editors but reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar, libel, invasion of privacy and obscenity. Send all letters to viaverdemagazine1@gmail.com or to 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301.

PRINTING & DISTRIBUTION Via Verde is printed by aPrintis in Pleasanton, California. The Via Verde staff will distribute copies at no cost around the Palo Alto High School campus. All previous Via Verde work is available at issuu.com/viaverdemag.

VIA VERDE Palo Alto High School’s Travel Magazine

MISSION STATEMENT Via Verde aims to be a travel magazine that uses the power of the student press and desktop publishing to pursue the values of the Palo Alto Unified School District, Palo Alto High School and scholastic journalism. More specifically, the mission of the Via Verde is to provide: The Paly community with information on travel issues from student perspectives; a forum for students to submit and publish their experiences related to travel; and an independent journalistic magazine that models integrity and creativity seeking to educate its readers on local and international cultures; The larger scholastic journalism community with a role model publication that embodies the best of scholastic journalism and for future student-created magazines; and, The magazine’s student staff with journalistic and leadership opportunities that increase their ability and desire to participate meaningfully in our society and global community; and skills to become leaders within future endeavors.

APRIL 2025 VOLUME 5 ISSUE 2 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Anika Nair MANAGING EDITOR Chiara Martin STAFF WRITERS Amani Fossati-Moiane Cailey Quita William Xue ADVISER Paul Kandell

CONNECT @viaverde.mag issuu.com/viaverdemag

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Welcome aboard to Via Verde! We are delighted to have you travel around the world through a Paly student lens.

Via Verde, Paly’s unique student travel magazine is back for its second issue in Volume 5. Via Verde serves as a space where students are encouraged to broaden their perspectives on local and international travels with the discovery of new cultures.

In this issue, staff writer Amani Fossati-Moiane takes us on a journey to Mozambique while Cailey Quita shares her experience visiting Singapore. We then fly to Boston where William Xue shares his favorite parts of the city.

Additionally, I share a couple of local spots where seniors can take day trips during the weekend with their friends or family to bask in their last moments in Palo Alto before graduating.

Via Verde can’t wait to share this new journey with you, traversing the globe, together.

Bon Voyage!

ON THE COVER Gliding through the shimmering waves of the Halong Bay, tourists marvel at the breathtaking scenery of the bright blue water and limestone pillars.

Photo by Arjun Jindal

Anika Nair

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IN THIS ISSUE

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METROPOLIS OF ARGOLIS, GREECE Photo by Nathalia Arias

INSIDE: 6 Mozambique 8 Singapore 10 California 12 Boston 14 Gallery

A Summer in Mozambique Exploring the southern provinces

M

ozambique, a Portuguese speaking country on the South-Eastern side of Africa is a sub-tropical wonderland of savannas, shrublands and rainforests. I’ve spent much of my life living in Mozambique, and spent time in national parks and resorts. Every year I visit, I see family and travel to beaches, national parks, and resorts. This past summer I explored the elephant reserve. Whenever I share these experiences and photos, people are truly amazed, however for me, passing by elephants, red duikers, and coconut sculptures was common.

A great day in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique is spent at the bay. The long stretches of beaches are filled with small prickly pines from trees and playing volleyball with friends on the beach courts.

While on the beach I love sipping fresh drinks sold from vendors such as fresh coconut water straight out the coconut or cane juice, freshly milled through a hand

crank with a bit of ginger or lime. They are fresh and sweet and taste like a day at the beach.

Later we may walk down to the fish market, buy some Garoupa, a local grouper, and bring it to any one of the small restaurants adjacent to the market and have the chefs cook the fish according to their menu. Usually they would cook it into a stew with spices, coconut milk and lemon.

After lunch, I would go up to the Mercado Central (the central market) where vendors sell colorful clothing made of capulana—a traditional Mozambican fabric, earrings and necklaces made out of a variety of beads and cow horns, hair extensions, fruits and vegetables.

The vendors are open for price negotiations especially for tourists. But tourists beware! — the price that is first offered to you may be quite a bit higher than the price offered to locals. Make sure your negotiation skills are sharp.

The next day, I would take a two hour road trip to White Pearl resort through the amazing Maputo Special Reserve, a.k.a the Elephant Reserve. Along the way giraffes, pangolins, red squirrels, impalas, kudus, crocodiles, hippopotami, nyalas, red duikers, sunis, vervet monkeys, reedbucks and, of course, elephants are freely roaming the park. The reserve is 104,000 hectares, which is around 257,000 acres, and is composed of multiple biomes: coastal dunes, savannas, mangrove swamps, woodland, and lakes.

White Pearl is a luxurious resort that is indeed draped in all white and has a dining room that doubles as a wine cellar with a full sand floor. On the beach there is a juice bar with an adjacent infinity pool.

All guests have their own house with their own plunge pool.

During the day, you can take a boat out to the Indian Ocean and check out the manta rays, jellyfish, whales and dolphins.

In the evening, guests may take a

Text and photos by AMANI FOSSATI-MOIANE

night walk along the beach to scout turtles, which may be laying up to 90 eggs during the season within a 1,000-foot walk from the resort. Guests are taught to give the turtles some distance; it is also important not to shine any white light on the turtle, but to use red light instead.

After taking a one-hour car ride through the elephant reserve, you’ll reach Anvil Bay Resort. Anvil Bay is quite the opposite of White Pearl. There are no buildings on the beach besides a standalone bar and some dining tables beside it. The houses are set back into the coastal forest. The beautiful accommodations are open air and made from local wood. A short walk inland from the resort brings you to a quiet lake for simple boat rides.

The resort encourages environmentally sound practices and is completely powered by solar energy.

Tourists can certainly enjoy all of the above.

Local musicians play a wide variety of

genres and different instruments, including the timbila, a wood xylophone that comes in various sizes and is often played multiple at a time.

Mozambique, a sub-tropical land of beaches, fashion and tourism, protects its animals and culture. I highly recommend visiting with family and friends to enjoy a slice of paradise.

Kamili, Ema, Kapanda and Ruben play spikeball at the beach as waves crash just a few feet away. (LEFT) The sun falls on the horizon of Machangulu Beach. (RIGHT) A charcuterie board prepared for us and beers for the parents. (BOTTOM)

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Sightseeing in Singapore A DAY IN THE LIFE IN THE LION CITY Text and photos by: CAILEY LILLY QUITA

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Sightseeing in Singapore A DAY IN THE LIFE: EXPLORING THE HEART OF THE LION CITY

I

Text and photo by: CAILEY LILLY QUITA

woke up to the sound of birds chirping and the Singaporean sun shining on my face – the best alarm anyone could ask for. It was finally winter break, a time to relax and escape the stresses of junior year.

Instead of dressing in a hoodie and jeans to stay warm on the cloudy, sixty-degree Palo Alto mornings, I happily wore a a breathable black dress to cope with the island's humidity.

After enjoying kaya toast with a poached egg, a traditional Singaporean breakfast, my family and I took a bus to Universal Studios, located less than fifteen minutes away. As a “Wicked” fanatic, I appreciated how they swapped out the New York section of the park for the Emerald City, a change exclusive to Singapore. Walking down the walkway with "Defying Gravity" playing through the speakers, I noticed a stage where Elphaba and Glinda were doing a meet-and-greet. I had the chance to interact with them, take pictures, savor “Wicked”-themed soft serve at a nearby restaurant, and purchase a “Wicked” keychain from a nearby shop.

After a few hours of fun and feeling a bit queasy from the Battlestar Galactica: Human Vs. Cyclon roller coaster, my family and I drove back across the bridge to Marina Bay Sands. We made our way to the 57th floor, where the SkyPark Observation Deck provided panoramic views of the Singapore skyline and Gardens by the Bay, which we planned to visit that evening. After snapping our pictures, we headed back downstairs and boarded a Singapore DUCK Tour.

This one-hour tour was unlike any other city tour, as it used restored military vehicles from the Vietnam War era, which towered above the other cars. We reached the dock, and the vehicle smoothly slid into the bay, splashing my family and me as we were

seated in the front row. It was fascinating to see the harbor view instead of from the observation deck or on foot in the streets.

We felt like we were getting first-class treatment as we watched crowds of people flocking around the famous Merlion statues, but we enjoyed the premium view, getting a close-up look.

Thanks to this sit-down tour, we managed to recharge quite a bit before heading back to Marina Bay Sands to shop. The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands are known for being one of the largest luxury malls in the country. The interior reminded me of Westfield Valley Fair due to the multitude of stores and dining options, but a key difference was the canal in the center featuring a Chinese wooden boat called a Sampan, complete with a live tour guide who offers guests a roundtrip around the mall. However, we didn’t feel the need to ride a boat inside a mall, as it seemed overly touristy.

To conclude the night, my family and I, tired from our travels in one day, decided to end the evening at America’s first and only Michelin-starred Korean barbecue restaurant, COTE Korean Steakhouse, which opened its first international location last January. The interior was sleek and modern, with dim lighting. Our waiter became our chef, cooking every meat we ordered, which was earthy, buttery, and melted in our mouths. The spicy lettuce salad and rice complemented each cut perfectly. She even treated us to complimentary ice cream for dessert as a welcome gift for our first day here. v CITY VIEWS – My mom and I taking in the Singapore skyline from the top of the Marina Bay Sands Observatory Deck, 57 stories tall. It’s a perfect location to view the Gardens of the Bay from a birds eye view.

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Text and photo by: ANIKA NAIR

Exploring A

s senior year comes to a close, many students want to use their weekend to enjoy their last moments with their families and friends. However driving around Palo Alto and visiting the same spots can become boring after four years. So here is a list of places that can be day trips or weekends trips from Palo Alto where you can make final memories.

Mount Tamalpais Mount Tamalpais is a stunning peak that offers breathtaking views of the region. The mountain is coated in long grass, perfect for stretching out under the sun or enjoying a picnic with friends. As the sun sets the sky bursts into an array of colors, a perfect view for photos.

STUNNING VIEWS: as the sun sets, the sky bursts into color

WATCHING THE WATER: The view as you walk along the Santa Cruz pavement.

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Santa Cruz Santa Cruz is one of the most picturesque cities in California.

With views of the ocean and a walkable and welcoming downtown, passing time in this town is easy. Start your day at a cozy cafe, then wander around the cute boutiques and thrift stores before ending your day with a leisurely stroll along the ocean listening to the waves hitting the rocks and watching the sun dip

off the Dolores Park

BATHING IN THE SUN: As Bay Area residents escape their desks and spend the day at Dolores.

While many Bay Area residents spend their weekends at Golden Gate Park, Dolores Park offers an equally stunning view of San Francisco. Nestled in the heart of the vibrant Missions District the park has plenty of space to play frisbee, soak up the sun, or enjoy the city.

After lounging in the park, you can explore the Mission District and enjoy the amazing food and desserts the neighborhood has to offer.

San Luis Opispo Though farther than the other destinations, San Luis Obispo is worth the drive and an essential stop for nature lovers.

The city is filled with hiking trails up Bishop Peak, canyons, and coastal valleys. No matter where you are, the city offers stunning views of nature. After a morning outdoors you can wind down in the charming downtown area and spend time people watching.

EXPLORING THE TOWN: SLO is perfect destination for everyone, with the challenging hikes and cozy downtown

Text and photos by WILLIAM XUE

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L T I S N U g B

Boston

HIGHLIGHTS FROM BEANTOWN

T

he crisp and chilly Boston air was nothing like sunny California.

This was an interesting way to start my “relaxing” winter break, with temperatures hovering below freezing.

Contrary to my expectations of sightseeing for a few days, being in this new and buzzing city did not mean a relaxing break from school, as this trip included a jam-packed itinerary around the city.

Walking through the jet bridge and waiting at the outdoor ride share pickup location at Boston Logan International Airport was my first reality check of winter on the East Coast. Coming in, I knew the weather would be different, but this sudden drop in temperature — ice on the ground! — was truly insightful and showed me one of the biggest differences from what I was used to.

We started with The Freedom Trail, a walking tour of the city that took us through Boston Commons and many of Boston’s historical landmarks. Although it was a long time spent in the cold snow and listening to the guide talk for around two hours, I found it interesting to connect these places with the events I was learning in my history classes. Since the tour ended in Charlestown, we walked to the nearby historic North End neighborhood and had to stop at the famous Mike’s Pastry. The legendary lobster tail pastry and authentic cannoli made the line that extended out the door very worth it.

Exploring Beacon Hill was one of the most enjoyable parts of the trip. The neighborhood’s cobblestone streets paired with unevenly bricked sidewalks on sloped streets was a charming sight, but navigating through was a challenge with the icy conditions. However, seeing the famous red brick buildings with holiday decorations on every light pole made the experience much more delightful. This area of Boston felt most like Downtown Palo Alto, with many local coffee shops, boutiques and small restaurants

to enjoy. My favorite place was A Sancuary Cafe, a typical small coffee shop that had one unique aspect: Cats. Walking in, felines of all patterns and sizes were sleeping on the chairs, looking out the window and playing with customers.

To my surprise, as someone who usually despises museums, I enjoyed Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts. With exhibits from Asia, Europe, North America and many other countries around the world, it was a breathtaking experience to see all the different artifacts and the culture behind them. From the 13-foot tall “Muse with Head of Juno” solid marble structure, centuries-old jewelry with exquisite craftsmanship and famous paintings from Claude Monet, I loved touring the history of the world.

As I will soon enter my senior year and begin the college application process, we also made an effort to visit the local universities and colleges. Throughout these few days, we toured many schools: Boston University, Boston College, Tufts University, Harvard University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As per usual, each school and tour was unique in its own way, from architecture to educational programs. They were also very different location-wise, whether it was right in the middle of the city or we had to take the trolley outside of the city.

Exhausted but fulfilled, we ended our trip with a warm dinner at Legal Sea Foods.

Indulging in all of Boston’s specialty dishes, from lobster rolls to clam chowder, was a great way to tie together everything the city has to offer. The magic of the historical sites, holiday atmosphere, city streets and college tours left a lasting impression on my family’s Winter Break trip. v CASUAL STROLLS (LEFT) – Red brick, cobblestone and bare winter trees lined the streets of Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood.

PESCADERO, UNITED STATES MUNICH, GERMANY Photo by Anjini Sanchorawala Photo by Nils Schroeder

TOKYO, JAPAN

Photo by Clara Hoffman

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LANDING

A GALLERY OF STUDENT TRAVEL PHOTOS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

TOFINO, CANADA Photo by Tali Lehrer

AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS Photo by Sanjana Adatrao

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA Photo by Riya Kini

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