Category: South America

Holy smokes! It has been only a little over two weeks, and what an adventure it has been so far. From the busy city of Lima straight into the jungle, all while traveling in style – a 30-hour bus ride, crammed combis (vans) on windy roads, and a three day ride on a shipping boat down the Amazon River.  

After spending a few nights in Miraflores and absolutely falling in love with the charm and passion of this city,  Landon and I walked down to the lighthouse overlooking the water and wrote this song.

On one of our last nights at Kausay Punku, we had “community day” with the community of Maska. All of us staying at the farm went up to the local soccer field to play with the kids. First we played a soccer game against them, then we watched them play each other.

Holy smokes! It’s been only a little over two weeks and what an adventure it’s been so far. From the busy city of Lima to straight into the jungle, all while traveling in style: a 30-hour bus ride, crammed combis (vans) on windy roads, and a three-day ride on a shipping boat down the Amazon River.

Our Bolivia: Lands & Livelihoods team created a ‘zine together, filled with little gems like this list filled with wildly differing opinions. Backpacking makes us consider some things we would never have thought possible… 

What an incredible two days. Yesterday we left at 6 am for Challa Apacheta with Agua Sostentable; the drive took about four hours. Our driver Enrique was really nice, and we made a couple stops. The first stop was to check out the cacti that bloom every 10 years called Puyas in a town called Comanche; massive, incredible plant life.

It was a helluva time bidding farewell to my home and family in Peru. As goodbyes began, so did my process of learning to reconcile life in Peru with life in the States.

Arriving to wooden cabins facing a beautiful, still lake, surrounded by mountains, all while being greeted by the neighbouring community: Welcome to Chahuay! A beautiful, surreal place with many adventurous opportunities!

It’s not every day you get to experience something utterly surreal. For me, surreal was spending three nights on a boat meandering down the Amazon River, sleeping in a hammock under the stars while watching fireflies dance among the treetops, to eventually arrive at our temporary home that was tucked away in the jungle.

Our journey from Cusco to great ruins of Machu Picchu could be compared to the Andes around us – full of highs and lows, mountain peaks and valleys. The seven-hour bus ride to Hydroelectrico gave us our first glimpses into the unending beauty of the Sacred Valley. Along the way, we reached an altitude of 4,200m, which is mighty high up into the clouds for a sea-level Hostonian.

Here are a few things you learn your first few days in Cusco:

1) Walking uphill is terrible, especially at 3500m above sea level.

2) Peruvian food is delicious (potatoes and rice? Okay!), and Peruvian liquor is even better (I’m not sure if they sell Pisco in North America but I intend to find out).

3) The temperature drop at nighttime is no joke. You will need the Alpaca wool sweater, mittens, and toque that Gordon and Meg suggested you buy.

Cultural exchange allows tourists to connect with their native host in a significant and meaningful way. Exploring Peru and its multiple cultures has been both challenging and rewarding. As an observant Jew, keeping kosher in Peru has been challenging.

You drink coffee. Or the person sitting next to you in the cafe does. Maybe it’s a morning ritual, maybe it accompanies your dessert, maybe you’re in college and it’s essential to your sanity.