Welcome

I guess you are here because you have discovered one of my books and enjoyed it enough to find out more about the author, me. Either that or you’re a potential employer who is investigating me to see if I would be a good fit for your organization. In which case, surprise, I write books as well as teach. Some might look at that as a bad thing, and if so, please explain to me how.

For whoever finds my site, I want to welcome you, and also allow you the opportunity to follow me on a regular basis. Anybody is welcome as long as you keep your posts appropriate, and respect the other followers to this site. As long as everybody follows those two simple rules, I won’t have to kick anybody off. Let the friendly banter begin.

I am hoping to create an interactive site that everybody can enjoy. Of course, I will keep you up to date on the latest writings coming out of my head, and I will also let you know when and where I will be in the world, so someday you might be able to meet me in person. Most people regret that decision, but who knows, maybe you’ll be in the minority.

I will also tell you about my world-wide travels as this is something I do on a regular basis. I’ll show you pictures from places I have been (this one is from Dubrovnik, better known to fans of The Song of Ice and Fire as King’s Landing), and tell you the exciting stories that happen to me along the way. You are also welcome to ask me any questions you may have about the place I have been, and I will try to answer them in a timely manner.

I know it all sounds amazing, and I can see you wondering why you haven’t been a part of this fantastic experience so far, but let me tell you about the most exciting part of following this site – the interactive part.  You were probably wondering when I would get to that part I had promised you earlier. Well, I plan to create a list every month, and I want you to participate in its formation. I do love countdowns, but I am always disappointed in them. So I have decided to take matters into my own hands. You will be able to post your top ten of each monthly list and at the end of each month, I will comprise the total list to give you the countdown for that subject. Look for each new subject on the first day of each month, and the final list of the previous month by the fifteenth.

Otherwise, it is very nice to have you a part of this experience, and I look forward to all of our future posts together.

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Thank you for your response. ✨

Mirador Cuentos – Torres del Paine, Chile – Without the W or the O Part 5

One of the things that they do not show you in the pictures of Torres del Paine is the weather. Well, they do show you the weather, but only one those days when it is perfect. The sun is shining. There is a slight breeze. People might even be walking around wearing shorts. This is the ideal, and I get why they show these pictures. This is the best way to sell a vacation to this part of the world. The reality of the situation is that Torres del Paine is on the tip of South America where the weather is unpredictable and though those beautiful days do exist, there are just as many rainy, cold, and windy days, even in the middle of the summer, so the hikes do not always go as planned.

We had this problem with one of the hikes that we had planned to go on to, Mirador Cuernos. This is a very popular hike with the tour groups. It starts off at a cafateria just a little down the road from the Hotel Pehoe, and after a leisurley twenty minute stroll it takes people to a big waterfall that many people stop at to take pictures and watch large portions of water dive over a cliff. But if you take this hike another three kilometers away, the crowds start to die down, and you are rewarded with some of the more impressive views of the mountains in the area. This is the reason to come out and take this hike.

The hike basically follows the lake that feeds into the waterfall that most of the people stop at. It is on a well-groomed path that is wide and basically flat. There are a couple of rises on it, but it is nothing to strenuous and most people should be able to complete the hike without any problem. In fact, I saw many people on the hike that did not even bother to bring water or any additional equipment with them, and treated the hike as a lovely Sunday stroll. But do not be deceived; that could be the worst thing that you do if you take this hike.

Like I said earlier, the weather in Torres del Paine is unpredictable. A beautiful sunny day that you see in most of the pictures of the area can turn on you really quick, and you might find yourself out in the middle of nowhere as a storm blows in over the mountains. And let me tell you that when I storm blows in, it is not at all a pleasant experience. The winds out there can be extreme. We experienced one such day where we struggled to walk and after certain gusts, even continue to stand. Even though, the path is flat and wide, the weather can add a new diificulty to the hike. There are even times when they will shut down the path if the winds are too strong which happened to us the first time we attempted to make this hike.

Still, we did not let this deter us, and we came back another day when the weather was perfect. It wasn’t shorts weather, but it was just crisp enough to make for the perfect conditions to make a hike. We packed layers just in case the weather changed on us, and we brought a small lunch to enjoy at the beach we came across on the shore of the lake. And when we finally made it to the viewpoint, it was worth the wait. The views were stunning, and the sun shining on the peaks made for the perfect conditions to take pictures. It was a great hike to take that gets you close to the same places on the W loop and it only takes a couple hours to do, easily worth the time for those that are not doing the bigger loops.

Thank you for following me on this exploration of places to go in Torres del Paine besides the W and O loops, and I hope it gives you some ideas for your trip out to this area.

Lago Grey – Torres del Paine, Chile – Without the W or the O – Part 4

While doing the loops in Torres del Paine, there are opportunities the visit the vast fields of glacial ice that are there. It gives the hikers the opportunity to take kayaks and row up to the glaciers, or to even put on crampons and walk on the ice. But for those of us who have not gotten the tickets needed to get on the W or O loops, there is another way to get out to the glaciers and experience what they have to offer, the Lago Grey ferry.

The Lago Grey ferry is a boat that leaves from the Hotel Lago Grey three times a day to take about 100 guests out to the three faces of the Grey Glacier and to return them safely back to the park. The whole experience takes about three hours from check-in to return back to your car, and it is a great way to see the glaciers while visiting Torres del Paine.

Check in takes place at Hotel Lago Grey, but this is not actually where people hop on to the boat. You receive your ticket there, and then are asked to drive your car five minutes down the road to another parking lot for a cafeteria that you will have to walk past to get to the boat. It is not a simple walk either to get to the boat. It takes anywhere from thirty to forty-five minutes, and winds its way through a forest, and over a bridge even before you are able to see the boat that will take you out to the glacier.

This is where the hike really begins. There is a long stretch of pebble-filled beach that you will have to cross. It is not easy to walk over and it is not handicap accessible in any capacity. The weather does not help to make this part of the hike any better. You are exposed to the elements when making the trek, and we were battered by wind and biting rain, so it is important to bring rain resistant gear and layers for this voyage to stay dry. Also understand that the weather changes in an instant in this part of the world. It was really cold while making the trek, but then it was sunny and beautiful when we were out by the glaciers.

Also understand that the ferry company will cancel the trip if the weather gets too bad. Torres del Paine is notorious about the wind that can come whipping down the mountain, and if it gets too windy, it is no longer safe to take even the large ferry the twelve kilometers out to the glaciers. At first I did not believe that the wind could be that strong, but we experienced it on other days, and I would not want to be out there on the boat if the wind was as strong as we felt it on a certain day.

But on those nice days, the ferry will get you really close to the glacier, and then it is a wonderful way to see it. The ticket does come with a drink coupon that will get you either a pisco sour or a calafate sour. If you have never tried either of these drinks, this is a good opportunity to try one though they are not the best versions of these drinks I have ever had. I would recommend trying them somewhere else where they make each drink special, and they are not mass produced for quick consumption.

The boat also has two viewing decks from which to look at the glaciers. There is one on the front of the boat, and another on the top. Kids are not allowed to be on the one on the front of the boat, but they can still see the glaciers well from the top deck. You are once again exposed to the elements while on these decks, and all of the people crowd on to them to get pictures, but I was surprised at how well they held all of these people. I never felt like it was too crowded and we were able to find our places on the decks to take amazing pictures of the glacier, and enjoy the scenery. We were also there on a beautiful day so it was not too cold on the decks, but I can see this changing if the weather is not as great.

You might not get as close to the glacier this way as you would if you hiked right up to it, or paddled there in a kayak, but then again you do not need to exert yourself as much to enjoy them still the same. The hike out to the boat and back is a little bit of a workout, but most people should be able to make it without too much difficulty, and there is not a time crunch when leaving the boat and they gave you plenty of time to get out to the boat. So if you want to see some glaciers while out in Torres del Paine, and you are not on either of the loops, this is a great way to do it.

A Stroll Along the Boardwalk – Torres del Paine – Without the W or the O Part 3

We had an hour to kill in the afternoon and the weather was beautiful so we decided to take a leisurely stroll down the road to the Explora Hotel where we heard that there was an easy boardwalk stroll to see a waterfall next to the hotel. What we did not realize was that the boardwalk was actually a maze of paths set up by the hotel that did not always go directly to the viewpoint of the waterfall. In fact, what we thought would be a twenty minute stroll to see a waterfall turned into an hour and half of wandering over old wooden paths, always hearing the waterfall, but taking a long time to finally get to the spot that we had heard about.

We traveled from Campground Pehoe by turning right out of the parking lot from the restaurant and walking fifteen minutes to the Explora Hotel. The boardwalk was hard to miss when looking from the right side of the road, but this was the back part of the boardwalk, and we made a few mistakes from this point. When wer got to our first four-way intersection on the boardwalk, we thought taking a right would be the logical choice because this led to the lake and we could hear the waterfall coming from this direction. But this was incorrect. This took down to a dock where a large boat was parked, and we could see the rapids that were formed at the top of the waterfall, but could not see the waterfall itself. It was still okay because we had some beautiful views of the mountains in the distance and the whole lake, but we knew there was a better view, and we just needed to find it. 

We backtracked and took the left turn this time because if we had gone straight from our original position, this would have taken us to the hotel. This part of the boardwalk seemed promising even though it was taking us down to the hotel’s spa. Still, there was another fork in the boardwalk that went right and took us down by the lake on the other side of the hotel. This followed the shore of the lake and its calm demeanor. We were able to get nice views from here as well, and there were even a couple of ducks sitting on the side of the lake that were there to greet us. Just to warn you, the boardwalk was at its most dangerous here with many of the board rotted and ready to break at any moment, but we took it slowly and were able to get to the other side without any problem.

This is where we were rewarded with the waterfall. We had to climb up a series of rickety wooden stairs to get to it, but once again we took it slowly and we made it up without a problem. Lo and behold, there was a waterfall there. It was a great spot to get some great photos and we were still able to talk over the roar. Even though it turned into a much longer hike than we were anticipating, it still made for a fun outing, and we were able to find some other nice viewpoints along the way.

Going back we found the last of the boardwalks that took us straight to the hotel’s parking lot. It took us a lot longer than we expected but eventually we found the path that we were originally supposed to take to make this a twenty minute stroll instead of the afternoon adventure that we had. Still, I am glad that we did it the way that we did because I think we got more out of the experience. It is a great way to spend some time if you have a lovely afternoon and you really do not have anything better to do.

Campground Pehoe – Torres del Paine, Chile – Without the W or the O Part 2

When hiking the W loop or the O loop in Torres del Paine in Chilean part of Patagonia, one of the benefits of it is having a place to stay each night while out there. Anybody who has looked into staying out in this national park has discovered that the price of lodging is through the roof. Some people find it so expensive that they decide to do day trips from Puerto Natalis instead, but doing that means that you are missing half of the fun that can be found in this park. I have enjoyed staying in the park, but I will admit that it was expensive to do so, but I did not go for the hotel option. Instead, we stayed at the Campground Pehoe. It is situated in between to of the bigger hotels in the park, and it is considerably more affordable than the hotels.

Now keep in mind that affordablity is a relative term. Campground Pehoe is easily the most expensive campground that I have ever stayed at, and the benefits to staying at this place do not necessarily match with some less expensive campgrounds I have stayed at around the world. We stayed in one of the canvas domes that are on the edge of the campground. They do offer some amazing views of the mountains over the lake, and we did not have to set up camp, but we were still paying over $130 a night in U.S. currency. This did not come with any great ammenities such as electricity or heat. It was a basic room with a couple pieces of furniture, a bed, and a hardwood floor. It stayed cool during the day, but I could see if the sun came out that the tent would get extremely hot. Fortunately, we were in Patagonia where the weather rarely gets that hot, so it always stayed at a comfortable temperature.

There is a shared restroom not too far away which is great during the daylight hours, but makes for a cool, slow trek at night, especially if the moon is not creating enough light. On the other hand, at night when it is clear, you can see a vast network of stars because you are far enough away from any light pollution to destroy this spectacle for you. There is also a restaurant close by that also acts as a cafateria. It does not have a lot of amenities that you can use, but it does supply hot water in the morning for coffee, and a place to sit during down time or while rain comes blowing in. In other words, even the best of spots in this place offer to simplest of features for you to enjoy your time there.

They do have camp shelters as well. There are plenty of these around, and they still cost more than you would find at a typical campsight in other parts of the world. They do offer you a shelter though for you to set up your tent and to protect you from the wind and rain that come intermittently in this campground. The problem comes with the fact that you need to bring all of your camping gear with you. If you are able to do that this is a bargain, but if not, you can still rent all of the equipment from the campsight, but when you add up all of the costs, it ends up costing almost the same as renting a dome, and then you have to spend a lot of time setting it all up.

They do have a restaurant there where they cook everything over a grill heated up by throwing big logs on to a fire. The selection is not amazing, but after a long day of hiking and exploring the park, the choice between a huge steak or a hunk of grilled salmon is the only thing you really need to think about. The food portions are huge, and they are not fancy, but they are prepared well. I was never disappointed in the food, and when I wanted a snack, they had a selection of quick grocery store bites that could satisfy that hunger during the day. They also had hot water in the morning and throughout the day, so if you were looking for a cup of coffee in the morning, or a cup of instant soup in the afternoon, it was really easy to make. They do turn off the water for dinner which we found out the hard way, but if you plan ahead, it is not a problem.

Overall, it is a great place to stay despite the price. It keeps you warm and dry during the crazy changes in the weather that can be found at Torres del Paine, and when it is gorgeous outside, the campgrounds might have some of the best views in the park. It is the perfect place for those who are looking to spend time in the park but have more of a budget. It isn’t perfect, and if you go in thinking that it is a couple of nights camping, you will be happy with what you get out of it.

Mirador Condor – Torres del Paine, Chile – Without the W or the O Part 1

It is a badge among many hikers to travel all the way down to the southern tip of South America and do the five or six day hikes that are a part of the W loop or O loop in Torres del Paine. Not to take away from the people that are able to accomplish these great feats, but there are many other ways, and many other hikes to take that are just as spectacular in this National Park of Chile. It also does not require you to book the hikes six months in advance to make sure that you have the limited spots that are available on these paths, and if you can find the trailheads, you are welcome to enjoy these hikes on your own time. This short series will explore some of the paths and other things available that I was able to take during my five night stay in the park, and it might help you plan your trip if you were not able to book the W or O loops.

The first one is one of the easiest to find, Mirador Condor. It is a forty-five minute hike out, and forty-five minutes back that takes you to the top of a ridge that will give you some of the more iconic views from the park. The path is groomed well, and for the most part is pretty easy to travel on. It is a little steep on the way up, and there are parts with loose soil that makes footing a little slippery, but if you take it slow on the way up, it is still not too difficult. I would recommend bringing hiking poles as well and this will help give you the balance that you need to reach the top.

The views are not the only reason to take this hike. Just as the name implies, this is also the scrounching grounds for condors, and if you are lucky, you can find them hunting for food. These birds are enormous, and watching their graceful dance as they float over the peaks was one of the highlights of this trip. They are not always out, but they usually hunt in the morning hours when it is not too windy, so if you plan your trip well, it will increase your chances to see them. I know that the picture I included does not make it look like they are that great, but it is hard to take a picture of one of these birds that does it justice. You just have to go out an visit to see how majestic these birds really are. Also, I am told that nine times out of ten when making the hike up to this peak, people will not see condors, so if you do see them, consider yourself extremely lucky.

Another reason that you might want to go earlier in the morning is because of the winds. On the way up, it was not very windy, and I even joked about some of the signs we ran into that warned about the high winds. Right when we summited, the winds came, and apparently heard me joking about them because they came in strong. They were not joking about the wind either. It blows so hard that it feels like it could easily sweep you off of the mountain, and there was a saddleback in between two peaks where the path takes you, and it is here where the wind was at its worst. We ended up walking directly into the wind on the way down in this part, and that might have been the most strenuous part of the whole hike.

The trail head is pretty easy to find. We left from Campground Pehoe. If you are leaving from the parking lot with the restaurant in it, it is to your left. We walked down that way, and we reached where the parking lot for the trailhead was in a couple of minutes. It was really easy to find, and there is even signs that point to where it starts. This is not the only way to the peak. There is another path on the other side of the mountain that you can find by traveling another kilometer and you will be able to find the parking lot right before the bridge that takes you to the hotel on the island in the middle of the lake. We did not take this path, but we talked to some people on top of the peak, and it sounds like it was just as difficult as the one that we took. Either way, you should be able to find your way up to this amazing viewpoint in the middle of Torres del Paine.

Cueva del Milodon Natural Monument – Patagonia, Chile

One of the biggest attractions in Patagonia is the national park, Torres del Paine, and you can find a stream of cars, campers, and tour buses taking the one road out of Puerto Natalis every day during the summer to bring various travelers to this spot to enjoy the scenery, take in the hikes, and snap a few pictures to bring back as momentoes. But there is a stop along the way that many people skip out on and they should take the time to explore this spot, Milodon Ceuvas. This is three natural caves that were formed when the sea levels had reached the lower shelves of the mountains, and dug away the sediment to create these caves.

There are many reasons to make this stop besides the caves. The first is a short hike about an hour long there and back that will take you to the top of a plateau that overlooks the whole valley all the way from Puerto Natalis to the start of Torres del Paine. It is a little bit of a rocky hike up to the top, but with some good hiking boots, and a bottle of water, most people can make it to the top without any trouble. I especially like the hike because when you get there and take a couple of pictures from the right angles, it looks like you accomplished a more difficult hike than you really did.

The other big attraction is the Devil’s Chair. It is a rock formation that sits right off the road and is the first impressive sight that you will see on your way to Torres del Paine. This can be easily reached by hiking along the valley for a kilometer from the visitor’s center, or for those that are not as adventerous, you can open the gate and drive your car down the dirt road to the rock and look at it. If there is one thing to skip on this trip, it is the hike out to the rock. It does not look as impressive up close as it does when you are further away, and there are plenty of views of it as you explore the rest of the area.

The thing to stop for is the caves. The one closest to the visitor’s center is the easiest to get to and has a paved path all of the way up there. The walkway has many signs along the way that talk about the formation of the caves, the various types of animals that used to live in the area over the centuries, and the how the first people in the area used to live. It is also the biggest of the caves, and it looks like most of the time people are allowed to walk all the way around the cave, but the back portion of the cave was closed while I was out there. It is also a very yound cave in terms of what features can be found there. There are only a few stalagtites being formed so far, but most of the ceiling and walls look as smooth as a new canvas waiting for the artist to deliver his paint.

The other two caves are similar and it takes a couple of kilometers to get out to the furthest one. The one in the middle is considered one of the most important finds in all of Patagonia as it had human remains in there that show that this was the oldest place of human habitation in all of the region. The caves are neat, but they do not take much time to explore so if you are not up for a good hike, then they might not be worth the effort. I enjoyed them a lot and would do the hike again, and it does not take more than a couple of hours to do the whole loop.

If you are taking that drive out to Torres del Paine, I would recommend making this stop along the way. It will whet you appetite for the exciting things you will see when you finally make it to the national park.

Kayaking to Moreno Glacier – El Calafate, Argentina


There are two big attractions outside of El Calafate, both of which are for the outdoor enthusiast. The bigger of the two, or the one that I am told is the most visited sight in Patagonia is the Moreno Glacier. There are many ways to experience this glacier. There are treks that will take you out on the ice. One is more of an adventure than the other one, so depending on your hiking level, you find the one more appropriate to you. There is also a ferry like ship that people can book passage on and it will give them a tour of the lake, getting close to the glacier so people can see it calf. Many people load up their cars and drive up to the main visitor center where there is a walkway that will take them to many great viewpoints where they can still hear the rumble of the ice as it falls into the water. And there is the option that we took which is to put on some wetsuits, grab a paddle, and push a kayak off from a sandy shore two kilometers from the base of the glacier.


Each one of these options allow you to explore the glacier in many different ways but they limit the amount of people that can experience any of the options except for the walkways by the visitor’s center. Because of these limitations, the excursions have a tendency to start to book up, so I would recommend to book them at least a month in advance, or if you are trying to play the weather game to look for a good day to enjoy the glacier, no later than a week earlier. If you do wait until later do understand that some options might not be available. This is what happened to us, and part of the reason that we ended up kayaking instead of doing one of the treks.

This is not to say that kayaking is a bad option. I love kayaking, and though it does not get you as close to the glaciers as the big boat will, it still gets you close, and the perspective you get from being low on the water makes the glacier look the most impressive. It towers over you and a couple of times, we actually felt the waves created by the glacier shedding a cathedral-sized hunk of ice from its edge. My issue was seeing the glacier this way was that I have visited a couple of glaciers by kayak, and I really want to try voyaging over one some time in my lifetime.

Still, the company, Patagonia Chic, we went with supplied us with the perfect day to go out and do this. It did require an early morning as they came by our hotel with a bus to take up into the national park. On the ride up, a guide talked to us about the area and some interesting facts about it. My favorite was where the name of the town, El Calafate comes from. There is a berry that grows on wild bushes in the area that is called calafate. It looks like a tiny blueberry, and people pick them to eat or turn into a jam that you can find all over the town.

After an hour and half ride, they dropped us off with the kayaking company. The company supplied us with wetsuits, kayaks, and two guides. There was a little talk about how to operate a kayak which is always nice to have, especially for those that have never kayaked before, and our guide was so good that he gave me a couple of pointers that I have never heard before making my kayaking experience even better.

We had a beautiful day to go out to see the glacier and explore some of the recently birthed icebergs. The weather was 21 degrees Celsius which I am told eight degrees warmer than the typical temperature during this time of the year. I am also told that they do still go out in adverse weather conditions, but they do go out with two expert guides to educate and help people guide themselves through choppy waters. The also have a Zodiac boat that follows a safe distance away so as to appear as if it is not there at all. This is mainly for those times when some capsizes their boat so they can pull them out of the chilly water as fast as they can. Not that we needed it, but it was nice to know that the company took safety very seriously.

The whole experience on the water lasts for about an hour and a half. Patagonia Chic gave us a couple more hours to enjoy ourselves at the visitor’s center. There is a cafeteria style restaurant for food if you are hungry but you can also bring your own food and enjoy it at one of the park benches close to the walkways. It also gives you plenty of time to explore all of the walkways at a leisurely pace allowing for more pictures of the glacier from many different angles. It makes for a long day, but one that you will not soon forget. I also like the many options that are available to explore the glacier. Though I did not stay out in El Calafate long enough to try another excursion, I now live close enough that I am now thinking about doing a different excursion if I ever find myself out in this area of the world again.

Until next time, I hope you are able to find those experiences that are amazing, no matter how you get to enjoy them.

Laguna Nimez – El Calafate, Argentina

I have made it to the tip of the Americas, and it is here that I have found another frontier that is free of people and big on beauty. It is a big portion of the continent that spreads out over the countries of Argentina and Peru and is known as Patagonia. People do make their way to this part of the world to explore the wonders of nature and enjoy one of the places left where you can feel as if you are not fighting through crowds, traffic, or the annoying barrage of modern society. It presents itself with a calming Zen like atmosphere that I feel I will enjoy as I explore the area over the next couple of weeks.

The people that make their way out here are usually looking for the adventures that the mountains and expanses of wilderness have to offer, and I have made some plans to make sure I participate in this, but I first needed to acclimate myself to the area after a long day of travel to get down here. I wanted to get out and explore the area, but not do anything too strenuous to start off. The obvious choice came from a wetland preserve on the edge of El Calafate called Laguna Nimez.

The preserve is a avian sanctuary where numerous types of birds find themselves at home. There are many types of sparrows, finches, ducks, swans and other birds that hide among the tall vegetation, swim in the lakes, or hunt along the sandy shores. Most people make their way here to see flamingos as they graze in the wetlands, and take pictures of the beautiful landscape along the way.

Though we spent time looking for these colorful birds, we did not find any while we were out there. We were told that they are in town year round, but the prime viewing times happen in the spring or fall months. We were hoping to get lucky, but it just did not happen. Still, we saw many ducks, and other kinds of birds to satisfy our curiosity about the place.

And what we did not see with birds was made up for by the bounty of nature that was blooming all over the location. The fields of wild flowers was just as beautiful to look at as did the landscape of mountains and blue waters that were all over the place. It no longer was about the birds as we strolled through this area. Instead, we just enjoyed the scenery.

The walk was not that difficult either. The whole path is three kilometers long, and basically flat. Most of it follows a wooden boardwalk that they would like you to stay on so that you do not disturb the fauna of the region. Even if you tire out, there are many benches along the way that you can sit down and enjoy the relaxing views while you collect your breath, but that was not necessary for someone who spends a lot of their time outdoors. But for those who struggle with longer walks, this is a great one to take because it is not too strenuous and has a lot to see at the same time.

There is even a place where you can pop out of the wet lands and go to the sandy shore of the lake. It would be a wonderful place to spend an hour or two and the tickets for the location allow for access to the sight for ten days. So if you go down to look at the birds one day, you can come back the next day and enjoy the beach. It is a nice ticket to have if you are spending a couple of days at El Calafate.

There are many things to do in the town of El Calafate and most people spend that time up in the hills and the glaciers, but Laguna Nimez is a nice way to ease yourself into the business that will happen when you start to explore these other places. It is a nice way to get out in nature, and enjoy what this part of Patagonia has to offer. It is definitely worth an afternoon to stroll around the place, enjoy the birds and the scenery.

Six Months in Lima

On a cold, damp winter night six months ago, I landed in my new life in South America, and was driven, tired and worn out to my new apartment that overlooked the Malaecon, a stretch of parks that lines the coast of Lima, Peru. As an international teacher, I get the excitement of moving to new locations around the world and settling into those new places to learn about the cultures of wherever I land. It has been a great way of learning about the world and I get the opportunity to travel and see many of the places centered around these locations.

While I write often about those travel experiences, rarely do I talk about the places where I actually live. I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that when I am at home, and going through my routine, I no longer think about those places as exciting and I do not spend the time to share it with other people. The other thing is that I have never lived in the heart of a place that allowed me to experience it just as the tourists would if they came out to visit. Most of the places where I have landed have been deep in the cities, or skirting the suburbs, and not at the hot spots of the country. My experience so far in Lima has been different. I am in one of the bigger tourist areas of the city, and it is nice to be able to get up every morning and experience the parks, and food that comes with my neighborhood.

The combination of the two has made for a great experience. There are so many great restaurants in my neighborhood and I get to enjoy the Peruvian dishes that have made this cuisine famous around the world. Whether it is eating fresh ceviche, or finding my favorite version of lomo saltado, I am never without a new experience that I can try. Very rarely have I gone to the same restaurant twice, and it is a joy to go out and experience the dining lifestyle that is affordable. It also doesn’t hurt that the views that we get from a lot of these restaurants look out over the beautiful spots that attract people to Lima in the first place.

My dog, Zoey, has also enjoyed the change of pace. The Malecon has been a great place to walk even though we are still working on making her understand that she is not the only dog allowed on the Malecon, and she can make friends with the dogs instead of demanding that they get off her lawn. Despite this occasional energy, she has found many other four legged friends and is eager to go out and explore the areas around our neighborhood. There has also been numerous dog parks around where she could get her run on, and our place has a huge rooftop patio that allows her to lay out in the sun.

I am also lucky to have landed at a great school. Colegio de Franklin Delanor Roosevelt has been an institution in Lima for almost eighty years, and it has established itself as one of the premiere schools in South America. I am working in an amazing program in the school that combines design, English, and media studies to bring students a new experience about interpreting and understanding the world in which the reside. It has renewed my excitement for being a teacher, and I enjoy most of the days that I have to go into work.

I have also been able to sneak out of Lima from time to time to see the amazing landscape that can be found in Peru. The country is one of the most diverse I have ever experienced. There is desert, high mountains, rain forests, and places that create their own way of life by finding a way to turn what is brown and desolate into green and thriving. After six months, I have only begun to scratch the surface of what this country has to offer, and I cannot wait to explore more of the hidden corners that I know are out there.

Ollantaytambo Ruins, Peru

Many people have Peru on their travel bucket list, and when they think of the country, they think of Machu Picchu, and making the hike to this fabled city high in the Andes. It isn’t until they start looking into the voyage that they realize that the first stop they will need to make before getting there is Ollantaytambo, a small city where the roads end and the real trek begins.

There are two ways to get to Machu Picchu from this town. The more popular of the two is the train. It hugs the sacred valley, and will take people to Aquacalientes, the even smaller town that a series of paths will allow them to reach their destination. For the more adventurous traveler, Ollantaytambo is the start f the Inka Trail, the four day hike that will take them through the same sacred valley, but allow people to feel like the explorers that discovered this destination in the first place. Whether by trek or train, the town of Ollantaytambo is definitely worth a couple of days before going on to Machu Picchu.

The first thing that many people will have to do upon arriving in the area is to make the adjustment to the altitude. Back in my Colorado days, this would not have worried me much because Ollantaytambo is only 9,000 feet above sea level. But since I have moved to Lima, and live only a couple hundred feet above sea level, it took me a couple of days to fully adjust. This is also nice because Machu Picchu is about a thousand feet lower, so when I finally arrive, I should not have to worry about the adjustment at all.

Ollantaytambo is a great town to visit though. There is an old part of the city where old Inca walls have been preserved and new building have been built on top of them. They did not try to continue the aesthetic, but built with a significant difference, so people could notice the old walls, and how far the town spread.

They also have a Spanish feeling plaza that is covered with various vendors, and good Peruvian restaurants. Most of them serve simple meals, but there are a couple that stand out; Amanta and Chuncho had more traditional Peruvian fare, and the later one even brewed its own distilled liquor that they used in all of their cocktails.

The Spanish came in the way that they always did, thinking that they would easily overpower them. What they did not count on was the Inca flooding the valley causing them to retreat. During this retreat, the Inca sent down their most powerful warriors to attack the Spanish and in the process slaughtered many of them. It was a short lived victory though because the Spanish returned with four times the original forces and eventually took over the sight. Still, it was one of the few times that the Spanish suffered a defeat at the hands of the Inca.

The fortress is well-preserved today, and though it might take a couple of stops along the way up to catch your breath, it is easily accessible for most people. It also offers amazing views of the town, and the surrounding valley. It might not have the location view that Machu Picchu does, but it is a great little taster before continuing on to that historic sight.

The other side of the valley has another set of ruins that at the time of writing this entry are free to enter. They do not attract the big crowds that the fortress does, but the ruins are just as impressive. The hike up requires a little more patience because it requires some more difficult terrain, but the sign will guide people as to which way they should go to avoid creating road blocks.

I would suggest going early in the morning because the crowds are almost non-existent at that time, and it makes you feel as if you have the ruins to yourself. It is a little difficult to find the entrance because it is not a big ticket booth like the fortress has, but it is on block south of the plaza. Take the first left and walk down the cobblestone path for a bit. You know you are in the right place because there will be an Inca made aqueduct on your right hand side. If you look to the right you will see the entrance with stairs leading up the mountain on the other side.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in this small town before going on to the main event, and I never thought that an entrance town could be just as exciting as the whole reason I came out to this part of the world in the first place. It has gotten me excited about Machu Picchu by showing me what I should expect when I get out there. I hope this inspires you to take the voyage, and until next time, keep looking for those hidden gems that you know are out there.