Archive for the ‘Culture & Food’ Category

Sustainable social initiatives change lives forever and the visionary people who create these incredible projects that grow and impact the fortune of an existing community are who inspire me the most. There isn’t a more perfect example of this than what the Proyecto Horizonte organization is developing in the small town of Ushpa-Ushpa just outside the city of Cochabamba, Bolivia. Thanks to a connection made by friend and fellow traveler, Kiersten, we had the opportunity to visit Ushpa-Ushpa and work with Proyecto Horizonte for a few days to learn about all the amazing things they were providing for this community. Home to approximately 1,500 families, Ushpa-Ushpa was established by former miners in August of 2001 who migrated to Cochabamba in search of brighter prospects. Beginning as an illegal settlement outside Cochabamba, the community eventually grew to be recognized as part of the neighboring city even though it lacked any infrastructure …

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Okay so maybe Mars wasn’t in the cards, but the next best thing was Salar de Uyuni in Southwest Bolivia. The incredible scenery, diverse landscapes and remote surroundings make you question what planet you’re really on! Last month, Kiersten and I decided to leave the world we knew behind to venture off on a 4-day, 4×4 tour in and around the famous salt flats of Bolivia. The trip was absolutely mind blowing as we crossed rugged deserts, cut through epic volcano-lined mountain ranges and admired breathtaking multi-colored lagoons along the way. There were flamingos, llamas and more photo ops than a Victoria Secret Fashion show. I’ll give you a little information along the way, but words really don’t compare to the photos, so go ahead and come along with me on a visual ride through 4 days of Mother Nature’s greatest Bolivian creation… Salar de Uyuni! Day 1: Tupiza-To-Paradise The …

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Sucre, Bolivia is the third place I’ve called home over the past two and a half years of living in South America. While the lifestyle here is much different from the bustling Buenos Aires and seductive Medellin, it has been an amazing place to experience life like a local. Sucre is Bolivia’s judicial capital and is nicknamed la blanca (the white) because of all the beautiful Spanish-style, whitewashed buildings that canvas the city skyline.  It’s home to just over a quarter of a million people, which makes Sucre feel more like a small town than a major metropolis. The weather is beautiful all year round, the people are humble and friendly and your money goes a long way. The food is basic, the streets are hilly and travelers don’t venture far from the main square. There isn’t much tourist hype or famous attractions in Sucre – it’s just a peaceful, …

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It’s a 2-hour bus ride from the city of Sucre to the village of Morado K’asa where BiblioWorks has established one of their eight libraries. This has been my home away from home, away from home for the last few months as I’ve spent three days a week working in the library to develop and facilitate literacy programs. It’s a 2-hour journey that transcends me to a place that remains virtually untouched by the outside world and it takes a while to readjust each time I arrive. It’s a place that gets very few visitors for visiting sake. I stay with the same family every week, which consists of the boss, Doña Justina, her husband Don Teadoro, their niece Carolina and their four children, Nelson, Nicole, Melony and Margot. The kids go to school in the morning and then Nelson helps Don Teadoro work in the fields while the girls help Doña …

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I’m writing this post from 35,000 feet in the air on my way from Santa Cruz, Bolivia to Cancun, Mexico. As I squeeze into the middle-row seat on a 6-hour flight between 2 layovers and an overnight bus ride, nothing can push me off the feeling I have at this moment. The feeling is of complete warmth. One that rushes through your body when something you’ve been working so hard for finally comes to fruition. It’s like that sensation you get on a Friday afternoon when the sun hits your face as you leave the office. This is the feeling I crave and one that constantly drives me. Last Saturday, the BiblioWorks staff, myself and nine other volunteers put on the first ever book fair in Sucre, Bolivia and it went off without a hitch. We had 15 educational institutions participating, 11 corporate sponsors and hundreds of children and adults …

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We’re officially 10 days away from the first ever book fair here in Sucre, Bolivia and the BiblioWorks squad has been running around like crazy to ensure the event’s success. La Feria de la Lectura (the literature fair) will be held on Saturday, April 14th in downtown Sucre right next to the central market in Plazuela San Francisco. At this point we have almost every major educational institution in town participating at the fair with educational games and information, as well as 11 sponsors, including Tigo (telecom), AeroSur (airline) and Coca-Cola (you know). Over the past 2 weeks (and continuing up until the day of) we’ve been covering the streets of Sucre with posters and flyers, and announcing the big event on all the major radio and TV stations. We’ve invited every school in the district and even provided their transportation funds. Like planning any major event, there will always …

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One of the most frequent questions I receive in the T2T inbox is how I meet and befriend locals while traveling and living abroad. The entire concept of this site focuses on that interaction and I base the success of each adventure on the friends I’ve made and authentic moments I’ve shared with locals. I’m not saying you can’t have the same experiences following the backpacker trail or hanging out in tourist bars, but I do think that while traveling, everyone should make some effort to understand a place and culture through the people who define it. The moments I cherish most while traveling and living abroad are those when taking photos seems inappropriate and an explanation of the scene always falls short of the feeling. They are the times when you feel comfortable being part of something completely foreign. It’s for this reason I’ve gone into every South American …

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On one of my first nights in Sucre I had dinner on the balcony of a lovely little restaurant overlooking the city’s main square. As I gazed out across the beautiful gardens and sidewalks that lined the plaza I noticed something really disturbing. A group of young college kids were hurling water balloons across the street at some unsuspecting girls walking by. The poor girls were nailed in the back and face, while the boys laughed and huddled up nonchalantly. I thought this was really messed up. To my surprise, the girls kept walking and nobody stepped in to stop the guys. They carried on with the aerial assault for the next half-hour as I watched girl after girl get soaked, only to walk it off. I didn’t understand. Every time I walked through the plaza on the following nights I witnessed the same thing, so I finally stopped and …

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After being a bit disappointed with the scarcity of eye-candy in Ecuador, I crossed the border into Peru with high expectations. Although there isn’t as much hype around Peruvian beauty like Colombians or Argentines, I was relieved to find that from Mancora down to Arequipa, the women of Peru held their ground against their sexy latina counterparts. Now as I get settled in Bolivia and start my adventure here, I leave you with my heavily researched and overly biased list of the hottest women of Peru. The list is generated from recommendations by Peruvian friends based on hotness, fame and skills. Enjoy responsibly. T2T’s Top 10 Hottest Peruvian Women 10. Alexis Amore – Porn stars are beautiful too! That’s why I’m kicking off the Top 10 hottest Peruvian list with the lovely and sensual mattress actress, Alexis Amore. Born in Lima in 1978, her award-winning work in adult entertainment has made her one of the …

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I arrived in Puno, Peru the day after New Years Eve in Cusco to experience the highest lake in the world. Lake Titicaca beats all other lakes in altitude as well as name, say Lake Titicaca 10 times and try not to laugh. My first stop along the great Lake Titicaca was visiting the floating islands of the Uros tribe, one which pre-dates the Inca civilization. Learning about how the some 40 floating islands are put together with simple reeds and secured with dense mud-like anchors was absolutely fascinating. The islands are constantly being built-on with additional reeds as rotting occurs and although incredibly secure, you can still feel water soaking through as you walk across the land. The Uru people live a very traditional lifestyle with fishing and tourism as their main source of income. Although only a few hundred still live on and maintain the islands. most have moved …

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This experience would have never happened if it wasn’t for friend and fellow traveler Ayngelina from Bacon is Magic. We were having a chat one day while I was in Lima and she told me I had to visit Eco Truly Park, a Hare Krishna community outside Lima. As I began to explain that it wasn’t really my thing, she uttered the few words I can never pass up. She said, “C’mon you should do something different, it will be a very unique type of adventure.” She knew just what to say. I was sold. I left Lima 2 days later and ended up spending almost a week at the Eco Truly Park, volunteering for room and board as I learned about the Hare Krishna religion, ate like a vegetarian and entertained everyone with my terrible yoga ability. I expected to feel completely out of place when I arrived. I …

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One of the greatest things about travel is how the people you meet dictate your decisions and experiences. I strongly believe that individuals are put into your path for a reason and it’s up to you to take advantage of the opportunity and figure out why they’re there. It was Christmas Eve in Cusco and I was eating breakfast alone in the hostel, when 2 lovely ladies walked in and sat down next to me. Of course, my first thought was, a 3-some for Christmas would be great, but I quickly changed focus once we began talking. Turns out, Kiersten and Lindsay are from California and were in Cusco working with Peruvian Hearts, an organization that works to enhance the lives of orphans and other children living in poverty in Peru. I was impressed, and began to explain my literacy project plans for Bolivia. As we chatted a bit more …

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