Tag: south-america

The Museo of Pablo Fierro – Puerto Varas, Chile

In a small vacation resort town among the volcanoes of Chile right next to the lake district, and wine country, the architecture reminds one of a small German town in the Black Forest. Among these beautiful buildings, there is one that sticks out more than all of the others, and draws visitors to it. The building is hard to miss. People will take a stroll along the beachfront and come across this building, and wonder what it is they are looking at. It is the strange museum of one of Chile’s most known artists, Pablo Fierro, and it is the main attraction in the small town of Puerto Varas.

What exactly in the Museo Pablo Fierro? Well, that is hard to describe, and the pictures do not do it justice either. It is definitely something that people need to experience. Basically it is the studio of Pablo Fierro and he opens it up to the public from 9:30 to 1, and 3 to 8 everyday but Sunday. You can wander around the place, look at the art, and interact with the way he has put together the house.

The museum reminds me of Meow Wolf, and could easily have been the inspiration for it considering that it predates that museum by almost twenty years. There are random things that are place all over the house, and at times you will find yourself in an old boat, a cuckoo clock or school bus. Everything is interactive, and there is a lot of strange things placed in weird location, but there also seems to be some kind of logic concerning how things are palced.

The surprises are endless and you do have to play around with what you see because sometimes what you think is a wardrobe turns into an entrance to another room, or a door will open to a beautiful sight that you had not expected.

My favorites were what I called the ghosts that we hanging out in various places in the house. They were men that were put together in an origami fashion from large pieces of cardboard. They looked a little out of place, especially with the first one that I found, but in an odd way, they also looked like they belonged to this living museum.

And that is the best way to describe what Pablo Fierro has and continues to create. It is a living piece of art that grows and builds upon itself based on the whim of its creator. It is a work that you have to walk through in order to experience it the way that it is meant to, and it is impossible to walk away from when you first come across it. The museum is the must see sight in Puerto Varas, and I think that goes for every time you come here because you do not know how it will evolve the next time you come out this way.

Until next time, look for those crazy places in the towns you visit. That weird location may be the best thing you see on your travels.

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.

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.

Happy New Year from Machu Picchu

It is one of the most recognizable sights in the world. People have put it on their bucket list as one of the things that they want to see in their lifetimes. It is the center of one of the most mysterious and intriguing cultures of the world. Lots have already been written about it, from its discoveries, to its conflict with the Spanish conquistadors, to the way people make a pilgrimage out of it in the modern day. There has already been a lot written about Machu Picchu, so I will not try to cover the same material and will give you my wandering thoughts about the place because I cannot visit a place like this without writing about it.

To start off, I have been holding off on visiting this place because I knew any visitor I had in Peru would want to make a stop there, so there was no reason to go out of my way to visit if I knew that I was going to go there anyway. I had made this mistake with Petra in Jordan and by the time I left after four years, I was starting to become an expert with that sight. Even with this wait, I still made my first visit to Machu Picchu within six months of moving to Peru. It just shows you how willing people were to jump on that chance to visit this sight that I was taking the trek during my first big break in the region.

I also went during a slower season. There are many paths that are opened to guests to travel through the sight so they are not just running any direction that they want and threatening to damage the beauty of this location. It was during the rainy season or Peru’s summer. Not all of the paths were open at this time because some of the more adventurous ones are too dangerous tonight travel on. Also, most people avoid this time because Machu Picchu can be covered in clouds, making it hard to see, especially in the morning. We were exceptionally lucky in this regard. We had scheduled a hike through the complex during the late afternoon, and another hike around the outside of the complex during the morning. On both occasions, we avoided the weather, and the clouds, but I am told that this is not the norm during this time of the year. I will have to come back during the high tourist season to see what the difference actually is.

There are two paths connected with the sight, one that I knew about, the other I didn’t, that I really want to do. The first is the Inka Trail. It is a four day trek that takes you over the ridge that gives you the iconic picture of Machu Picchu that everybody has seen. The other is a steep hike up the mountain that sits in the background of the iconic photo that takes people to a more obscure collection of buildings where the high shaman used to live. It is supposed to be a tough hike, but the views from that place have to be amazing.

There are also guides that sit outside of the sight and are willing to take you in and give you more context of what you are seeing. If you are doing route 3, I would highly recommend hiring one of them. They are very knowledgeable and ours was a great photographer as well, getting us pictures with everybody in it. Our guide was able to point out a lot of the subtleties of the buildings while giving us a perspective of the Inka culture that we would have missed without them. It was also nice having that knowledge with us as we did route 2 without a guide because we could now look at things with a different perspective and still know what we were looking at. At the time this post is being written, the going rate was 70 soles for person which translates to about 15 dollars. Totally worth it, though I am sure that if I go back enough, I will be able to supply the information without the guide.

Also, the llamas rule the sight. We were told that there were sixteen of them on the ground with the newest one just having been born. They make for some great pictures and they are used to the tourists who go up to them to get that snapshot. They serve another purpose because they graze on the grass that grows on the terraces, keeping it relatively short. I know they are not the most majestic of animals, but in this environment, they look regal.

It was a great first trip to this sight, and I know I will come back again to try a different experience there. I can’t wait for those moments just as could not wait for this one, but I will because I know I will eventually have more visitors and I will get to see the sight through their eyes the next time around.

Until next time, look forward to those adventures you have always wanted to take and get excited when you eventually get to take them.

A Thanksgiving Weekend Getaway

I have been really grateful about the move we have made to Peru. I really have loved living in Lima, and the drastic change in cultural experiences. I have loved the food that I have been able to enjoy since I have moved here. I have loved the dog-friendly environment that has allowed my dog to transition into this new lifestyle. I have not loved the long schedules in-between breaks that have pushed me and my students to really struggle towards the end of the long stretches. I have not loved the few opportunities to go out and see more of the country. So when I have an opportunity to get out there and see more of it, I have taken that chance.

It has only been my second trip out of Lima out of the five months I have lived here, and this time, it was only for the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend. No, Peru does not celebrate this very American holiday, but when you work at an American school, they observe this holiday. The nice thing about this is that many of the places out there do not have that many guests staying at it because it is right before the big tourist season, and most of the people who live in the country have to work on Thursday and Friday. This means that we get to have a relatively quiet getaway in what would be an otherwise crowded location of Peru.

We hired a driver to take us south of Lima to the city of Ica where the desert of the country meets the more fertile land of the Andes mountains. It is the perfect climate to grow grapes, so it is here where the wine country of Peru resides, and there is a winery where you can rent a room on their grounds. They do have a big hotel with many things to do to keep me occupied during this long weekend, but the main thing I am going to do is relax and enjoy the holiday.

It will not be like a traditional Thanksgiving that I would find back in the States, but I think it will do. As of right now, there are not many plans of leaving the grounds until I have to head back to Lima on Sunday, but I will still explore all the little nooks and crannies of this location to get you a lowdown on what this place as to offer while I am here. Please join me in the next couple of days while I explain what this little paradise on the foot of the Andes has to offer.

High in the Andes: My First Outing in Peru

I moved to Lima three months ago, and I have been able to enjoy it quite a bit, but it was time for me to get away from the gloomy skies of the city and see what the mountains just outside of town had to offer. It was Spring Break, so I packed my bags and headed to the second biggest city in Peru, Arequipa. It was not only quite the change in landscape, but also a change in attitude as well. Both places are big tourist destinations, but for different reasons, and it was fun being a tourist in the Andes Mountains rather than living a day to day existence off the coast of the Pacific Ocean. It made me excited for all I was going to see as I learned to live and explore this part of the world.

First of all, Peru is the story of the clash of two long-standing cultures, the Spanish colonialists that sailed over the sea in search of new lands and riches, and the Inca culture at the height of its power as it spread its influence over much of the western part of South America, specifically in the mountainous regions of the Andes. Despite the fact that these conflicts happened centuries ago, the influences of both cultures are present all over this part of Peru.

The ruins of the old civilizations can be found in the mountains still well preserved though nobody has lived in them for a long time. It takes a bit of a hike to get to them, but once there they are worth the visit. You can see the old roads that used to take people from one place to another combined by the stone construction of their homes, walls, and aqueducts. Some of the sights even predate the Inca culture, such as this abandoned town near Yanque which was once the Oyu Oyu village before conquistadors from Toledo came and removed the people to move them over to the now present town of Yanque.

If the small towns and ruins of the Andes are not enough, there are always the bigs city lights of Arequipa that is just over the ridge of the Andes Mountains. Arequipa is the second largest city in Peru, and has about 1 million citizens living there. Though it is a ways off the Pacific coast, it was one of the first place that the Spanish settled when they first arrive, and there influence is all over the older part of the city. You can see it in the plaza in the middle of the city to the large cathedral that looms over that square. The cobblestone streets do allow traffic to drive through them, but at the same time it feels completely walkable as you look at various alpaca shops, restaurants, and souvenir places selling cheese ice-cream. It is not just the language of Peru that was influenced by the Spanish, but there whole towns as well.

Still, it is a blending of both the original culture and the Spanish colonialism that gives Peru its charm. The dresses and dances might remind you of flamenco dancing in Seville, but upon closer inspection the dresses have intricate designs that take from the fauna and boldness of the mountain setting that inspired them. The dance comes with a determination and confidence that could only be found among a group of people who conquered these vast wilderness, and do not necessarily have the grace associated with the dances from Spain. It is its own unique thing, and it is wonderful to watch wherever it might spring up.

The blending of cultures to make a new and unique thing is the basis of much of Peruvian culture, especially their food. I am surprised about the amount of people that know so little about Peruvian food, and in many places in the world, it is almost impossible to find at all. Despite its absence on the world stage, it is one of the best cuisines I have ever experienced. From ceviche to lomo saltado, all of the dish are a culinary delight, and if you are in the mood to try something from one of your favorites, they will put their own spin on it to create something even better than the original. I went to a Thai-Peruvian fusion restaurant in Arequipa called Kao that was a traditional Peru dish, tacu-tacu, with Thai flavors that blended so well together I will never forget the dish.

Peru is the land of numerous surprises and I have only started to explore it. I have been in the big city on the coast and a small section of its mountains. I still have to explore its jungles and river area, and I am sure there are other surprises I am not even aware of yet. Still, I got to roam the majestic mountains of Peru and have been higher above sea level than I have ever been in my life. I have enjoyed the hot springs brought on by the rising steam of active volcanoes. I have gotten to see the graceful flight of the condor, the second largest bird in the world.

I have enjoyed my small exploration of this country so far, and I cannot wait to see what else it, and the rest of this region of the world has to offer. I hope you join me in my journey, and hopefully, I can inspire you enough to make it down here yourself. You will be fascinated with what it has to offer.

Until next time, keep exploring the world and see how we all come together to create something new.

The Things We See: Wanderings in Peru

In my move to Peru, I did not expect to see the same kind of things I have seen while traveling around the world. I knew that there would be many new and exciting things that I would get to experience while roaming around the sixth continent I have been to, and it was during this Spring Break that I really got to go out and see them. Of course, the first thing I had to put on the list was an alpaca, either that or a llama. I wouldn’t really be in Peru if I had never come across one of these.

And of course, I came along a lot of them. This is nothing unusual for me because there were many a farm in both Oregon and Colorado where I got to see them running around, but the amount of them is greatly increased in Peru. There are many different kinds of them as well from domesticated ones to ones out in the wild roaming free.

No matter which ones I came across, they were pretty tame, and the domesticated ones will even allow you to come up to them and pet them. There is always the chance that you will anger one of them and they will spit at you, but then again, you can say that about any other domesticated animal.

The biggest difference is the landscape that comes with animals. It is high dessert, and once again, both Oregon and Colorado boast that they are also the same kind of environment. However, there is a lot more sand in the high desert locations of Peru, and it is feels a little more desolate. This might be because the Andes are much higher than anything that can be found in North America. I went on a long road trip from Arequipa to Colca Canyon, and the highest point I reached was well over 16,000 feet and there were still mountains and volcanoes around us that reached even higher. I had to keep an active eye on some of the volcanoes because there were times when smoke would billow out of the top of them because they are still active though none are threatening to explode anytime soon.

All of this comes in a land steeped in history and tradition. In the mountains, I could imagine the people traveling across the vast plains to get from one location to another while carrying all of their good on llamas or alpacas. They would arrive in places in time for the market, and to join in the celebrations that take place annually. These celebrations still take place today. I stumbled upon one of these in my travels as I could to see a whole parade of people preparing to show off the local traditional dance, and it wasn’t just the older generation that did this. There were dancers from the age of five all the way up to the mid-fifties, and each one of them impressed me with their ability to dance.

This is not to say that new traditions are not being formed as well. Peru has built a craft beer scene that could rival any other country. It is seen wherever you travel to as there are a variety of beers and ciders to experience. They are also very proud of the beers that they have crafted as they should because they are great. It is a great way to enjoy an evening after one has wandered around to see all the crazy things that this country has to offer.

It just means that each night I get to crawl into bed to dream about what new and exciting things I will get to see tomorrow. It has been fun moving to this part of the world, and I cannot wait to see what else it has to offer. I have only scratched the surface so far, so I hope you join me over the next couple of years as I explore it further.

Thanks for reading, and until next time, get out there and see what your part of the world has to offer.