Guess who was voted the best new band in the world in 2009? Drum-roll, please… Our friends Bomba Estéreo! Yabla met them back when they were the opening act of (the also great and friendly) ChocQuibTown. Since then, Bomba Estéreo have been spreading like fire all over America and Europe.

From the mouth of lead vocalist Liliana "Li" Saumet, salt water sounds like "agua salá" or "agua sala'a". The Caribbean accent is just part of the smooth rounded sound from Colombia known as Bomba Estéreo, a band that blends traditional cumbia with other musical influences.

Talented street artist and portrait painter, Carlos, from Bucaramanga, Colombia, talks to us about his process and passion for his work.

If you’re not hungry before you watch this video, you will be afterward. Matias and Gustavo show you around the artisanal ice cream shop called Cumelen and introduce you to some of their non-traditional flavors.

Vanessa shows you her school in this video. But it’s no ordinary school: here, you learn rock climbing. Martin, a student, has been practicing for several months and gives a little climbing demonstration while Vanessa explains how a student advances.

Richard Díaz, a kiteboarding instructor from Cabarete in the Dominican Republic, explains to us some of the intricacies of the thrilling sport.

Charlie Pérez Acosta, a taxi driver from the Dominican Republic, tells us a bit about his job, his family, and the extremely touristic area, Cabarete Beach, in which he drives.

Meet Francis, an instructor from the famed kite and windsurfing destination, Cabarete, in the Dominican Republic.

Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, a motor cycle driver from Cabarete in the Dominican Republic, gives us a tour of La Loma, a beautiful mountainous area which houses a multitude of interesting plants ranging from poisonous to medicinal.

Marcos, a flying trapeze instructor at the circus school in Cabarete in the Dominican Republic, explains some of the tricks we can learn while on vacation there--along with learning Spanish!

Take a tour of the "La Leyenda" chocolate factory in Quito, Ecuador, where we gain insight into the various stages of chocolate production.

Medio signifies “half,” and so of course mediodía comes around at 12 o’clock noon (“half day”). Café Tacuba’s Rubén Albarrán ponders another perfect sunshine midday and wonders why he is has no one with whom to share it. Live concert video! (See Rubén’s guest appearance in Inspector’s video for the tune "Amnesia".)

Café Tacuba is often compared to British rock luminary Radiohead, and the LA Times has gone so far as to proclaim this fab cuatro "The Mexican Beatles." "Eres", sung by keyboardist Emmanuel de Real, is from the album Cuatro Caminos, which critics have called one of the definitive rock albums of the decade (in any language).

At top of the Mexican Rock’s pyramid is Café Tacuba. Since their breakthrough Re (1994), they have reshaped themselves countless times. Rubén Isaac Albarrán Ortega, their lead singer, has a thing for changing his name. He even puts Diddy to shame! Through the years, he has been known as “Juan,” “Pinche Juan,” “Cosme,” “Masiosare,” “Anónimo,” “Nrü,” “Amparo Tonto Medardo In Lak’ech,” “At Medardo ILK,” “G3,” “Gallo Gasss,” “Élfego Buendía,” “Rita Cantalagua,” “Sizu Yantra,” “Ixaya Mazatzin Tleyótl,” “Ixxi Xoo,” and “Cone Cahuitl.” Enough for an identity crisis!

Our creative friends from Café Tacuba are offering an affordable alternative to expensive vacations. With a little help from our imagination, we can have an special trip without leaving our living room!