The Trans Salvador bus to Santa Cruz de la Sierra left Calama at 11 PM. I had 31 hours ahead of me, which made it the longest bus ride I had ever been on. I prepared two books, lots of wool to knit and my PC to full battery. Still, Continue Reading
The Driest Desert in the World
There is one place on Earth where sunsets are pinker and stars are brighter. It is a village in the middle of the Chilean desert that lies a few hours between Bolivia and Peru. Its dusty streets twist between small and simple houses made of adobe. It is dry, extremely dry. Continue Reading
Quien Puede Puede, y Quien no Puede Aplaude? – Traveling on a Shoestring
If there was anything that spoiled my Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu, was a heated discussion with my guide, Edgar, because of some little extras we had to pay on the hike that the agency had not mentioned at the time of booking. Peanuts, you might think, which translate though into a Continue Reading
Living with the Hare Krishna
Of them, I had a vague memory from ten years ago. It was the summer of 2007, and I had moved to London for a couple of months, hoping to find some temporary job before starting my Erasmus in Barcelona. During my fruitless searches in the touristy streets of the Continue Reading
Arequipa and the Colca Canyon
My hiking boots stomp heavy on the deserted Plaza de Armas in Cabanaconde. A couple of stray dogs are sniffing around: they are my only company in this cold night. It’s only 9 PM, but everyone in my dorm is fast asleep, gaining their forces for tomorrow’s hike. Cabanaconde is Continue Reading
Lake Titicaca
A seagull is quietly floating on the dark blue waters, when it suddenly catches flight. Women are working the fields and it seems that the heat doesn’t affect them under their elaborated and colorful clothes. All around is green and quiet: there are no cars here, not even dogs. Lake Continue Reading
Cusco and the Sacred Valley
Both Peruvians and travelers had been enumerating the beauties of Cusco at annoying levels, so that I had quite lost my interest in reaching the heart of Gringoland. After all these months traveling off the beaten path, finding myself surrounded by loud tourists and their selfie sticks was not an Continue Reading
The Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu
Going there had been in my bucket list since I first landed in Peru, five months ago. Reaching it after hiking 74 km in the Salkantay Trek is what made it memorable. Machu Picchu is what everyone says it is: magical. But what makes it even more magical is the way Continue Reading
Landslides, Visionary Art and a Piece of Europe: Pucallpa to Tarma
The six hour journey from Tingo María to Pucallpa was concerning me a little: according to my Lonely Planet, rapes and robberies at gunpoint have been reported. The area is one of the last bastions of the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path), and even though the risk is currently very low, Continue Reading
When Saudade Surprises You
For months, I’d been reading travel blogs and I’d been envying all those people who quit their jobs to travel. For months, I’d spent evenings watching travel movies and entire week-ends reading travel books. For months, I’d been dreaming about exotic lands and fantastic adventures. Then, finally the day came Continue Reading