Despite the seven destinations on the itinerary, Month 30 felt like a laid-back breeze compared to the one before it. That probably has to do with the fact that two out of the four weeks were spent in places I’d already been once before, which released me from any pressure to sightsee or play tourist. This […]

 

Welcome to another Peru hostel roundup! Previously I’ve reviewed accommodation options in Iquitos, Lima, and Huacachina, and dedicated another edition entirely to Cusco. This week, I’m introducing my favorite Peruvian party hostel as well as the best hostel breakfast I had in the country. Wild Rovers in Arequipa I may not have been a fan of the […]

 

I’m off taking a real vacation in the only place possible: one without wifi. While I lock away my computer and play on the beach for two days, I asked my dear friend and Peru travel buddy Zoe Norvell to fill in for me. At this point in my life: I can’t be bothered with taking […]

 

WHOA THERE WAIT A SECOND! Phew. I thought you were about to click out of the page there for a minute, because I know from my recent reader survey that these roundups are pretty polarizing — some of you love ’em, some of you hate ’em. I tried to use your feedback to improve this roundup […]

 

When we left off, Dave, Gus, Leah and I were just entering the Colca Canyon. It was 11:30 in the morning — a good four or five hours later than most tour groups start their descent — but we were confident we could make it to Sangalle by sundown. We could see it after all! I […]

 

I’ve had this feeling I just can’t shake since I arrived in Peru, this feeling that I’m playing it too safe. I’ve followed the Gringo Trail with almost laser-like precision, and checked off all the appropriate boxes: Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, check; wore ridiculous outfit on Lake Titicaca, check; complained about Lima weather, check. I’d been […]

 

When planning my Peru itinerary, there was a very special date I had to take into consideration: my twenty-fourth birthday. I still celebrate the anniversary of my birth with all the zeal of a ten year old planning a princess tea party for all her girl scout friends, and being on the road was not going […]

 

I know this isn’t the first time I’ve said this, but it feels like a lot more than seven days have passed since I posted the last Photo of the Week. Since then, Zoe and I said goodbye in Arequipa, I ventured into the Colca Canyon and back, I headed back to Cusco, Anders arrived, I […]

 

I don’t usually set off for a country with a developed itinerary. Sometimes, things are scheduled more or less to the minute, like my eight days in Iceland. Sometime, my plans for five months in Southeast Asia can be summarized as — and I don’t want to overwhelm you here with how detailed this is — […]