Central Chile: Chillen in Pichilemu (Part II)

Central Chile: Chillen in Pichilemu (Part II)

Growing up in Southern California, I’ve spent most of my leisurely time as a teenager and adult at the beach, around surfers. Then, I dated one for many years (before marrying him). You would think I could surf. I guess I was more interested in watching and admiring surfers than becoming one. Then in December … Continue reading »

Pisac: Our last stop in Peru

Pisac: Our last stop in Peru

A few days before we went to Machu Picchu, when Brandon and I were cooped up in our Hostal in Cusco recovering from altitude sickness and water-poisoning, we received an email from our friend Miguel. Miguel, who we first met in Canoa, Ecuador, was staying in Pisac (elevation 9,500 feet), a historic Incan village located … Continue reading »

Peru: Is Machu Picchu on your bucket list?

Peru: Is Machu Picchu on your bucket list?

If not, it should. Surrounded by the snow-capped Andean mountain range, deep green river valleys and small villages, Machu Picchu is nestled 7,970-feet (2,430 meters) high above the Urubamba River in the middle of the Peruvian cloud forest – southeast of Lima, hours outside the city of Cusco. Commonly referred to as the “Lost City … Continue reading »

Peru: Lima – Better than we imagined

Peru: Lima – Better than we imagined

Sixty percent of Peru’s population lives in poverty, making it one of the poorest countries in South America. You will never know how poor the people of Peru are by flying directly into Lima, and then taking a hopper flight to Cusco (which most people do to get to Machu Picchu). If you travel through … Continue reading »

Peru: The land of lefts

Peru: The land of lefts

“We have it harder, but on the other hand, we have some things that probably people from the first-country don’t have. We can just go whenever we want. And, sometimes do what we want. Doesn’t mean it’s good.”  — Magoo de la Rosa, 7-time Peruvian national surfing champion, (“Peel: The Peru Project,” 2007). The film, … Continue reading »