Welcome to Trujillo, the city of everlasting spring. 32ºC, it feels like the hottest of summers here. The bus from Naranjos arrived at 11 AM after making a stop in Chiclayo. My nostrils got impregnated with the smell of salt and fish: finally, the ocean. I was supposed to spend Continue Reading
Lying in my hammock, I look at two kids swinging in theirs. He’s just a toddler and is wearing a funny overall; his older sister’s long black pony tails are moving following the rhythm of the song she’s singing. They’re playing and laughing: they’re full of life. External spectator to Continue Reading
I thought I had come to Yurimaguas only to spend a night before catching the boat to Iquitos and, again, I was wrong. We made a cool group here. Maruan, Edera and Leonardo from Italy, Sergio and Patricio from Argentina, and Dave from Canada. Together, we booked a tour to Continue Reading
The department of San Martín welcomed me with muggy weather. There is a sudden change you can’t help but notice when traveling from sierra (the mountains) to selva (the jungle), and it’s not only the weather. As the temperatures get higher, trousers get tighter and shorter, and necklines get lower. The streets Continue Reading
The cricket sang last night. They say it’s a sign of departure, and here I am, getting ready to leave. Ready to wear my backpack again, and to leave the region of Cajamarca after five weeks. It’s been one month since I landed in Peruvian soil. Five weeks of pure Continue Reading
Waiting for the already half an hour late 8.30 AM combi from Celendín to Leymebamba, I was feeling sorry for the three chickens unmercifully zipped inside a bag and placed on the roof of the bus. This was, until I started to feel sorry (and afraid) for myself, and think that they Continue Reading
Here comes that time of the year when my Facebook home page starts to get filled with pictures of Christmas trees, red Santa hats, and the first snow. I see you’re all flying back home to spend the holidays with your families and loved ones, I see the events you’ll be attending Continue Reading
With the Land Reform Act of 1969, the Peruvian government sought to transform the country’s land-tenure structure by redistributing the rural land. The Decree Law 17716 by General Juan Velasco Alvarado established that the land belongs to those who work it. The land was therefore redistributed to the farmers organized Continue Reading
The colectivo from Cajamarca to Chachapoyas plays a movie starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, “The Bucket List”. Sitting next to me, Chris asks what I have in my bucket list. I couldn’t think of anything, and I suddenly realized that I AM doing what I had in my bucket list. Continue Reading
Yesterday I accompanied the volunteers on a trip to Cumbemayo. 3550 MASL and 20 km Southwest of Cajamarca, Cumbemayo is thought to be one of the oldest man-made structures in South America. Its name, from the quechua kumpi mayu, means thin river, and the place dates back to 1500 BC and Continue Reading
