Archive for the ‘Hidden Gems’ Category

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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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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Resting high above any good night club, looking down at the shleps who fight for a spot at the bar is the VIP section. A place where the rich and beautiful pop bottles and celebrate life. Back in the day, when Machu Picchu was the most exclusive nightclub in all of the Inca Empire, I imagine Huayna Picchu would have made for the perfect VIP section. Looking down from 1,190 feet above, Huayna Picchu (or Waynapicchu or Wayna Picchu) casts a gigantic shadow over the “lost city of the Incas.” I could only imagine what Inca kings and their constituants did up there during their reign, especially considering it was the residence for the high priest and the local virgins. In this day and age Huayna Picchu still holds the same selective reputation, only allowing 400 people to enter per day. Luckily for me, I knew a guy (my tour guide) who …

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At 4:30am the alarm on my cellphone went off as I laid there staring at it. I hadn’t slept at all. I was just waiting with restless anticipation. The girls and I got dressed quick and met Juan Carlos in the lobby to set out into the darkness. It was day 4 of our trip and this was the final push to Machu Picchu. My adrenaline rushed as we passed a handful of other groups leading up to the trailhead from Aguas Calientes. Within 15 minutes into the hike I found myself alone, flying up the mountain, like I was 13 again, running down the stairs on Christmas morning. Only this time, the stairs were steep, wet, rocks that led straight up and there was over a thousand of them. Sweaty, tired and excited, I reached the main gate just before 5:40am. The doors opened at 6, so I waited impatiently as …

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On my last day in Huanchaco, Peru I decided to take my typical sunset stroll around town to snap some picks and enjoy the cool evening breeze. There was a small church that sat back above the city, so I cruised up to get a better view of the ocean below. I was walking around the beautiful old Spanish-style church when a voice from above yelled down (in Spanish) “Hey, would you like to come up here”? At first I thought oh man not yet, but when I looked up there was an old man with his head poking out the church bell tower waving me to climb the stairs and join him for a better view. I looked around to confirm he was talking to me and then I shot up the small, dark stairwell with excitement. We talked about life in the US and Peru as he rang …

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One of the greatest aspects of living in Colombia (Medellin, Colombia in particular) is the breathtaking countryside and traditional pueblos that lay just beyond the city’s reach. On any given day, you can jump on a bus and trade the hustle and bustle of downtown Medellin for the tranquility of rural landscapes and traditional villages, tucked away within the incredible lush green mountains that confine the city. Last Saturday night I was at the Nacional vs Cali football match in central Medellin and struck up a conversation with a Colombian girl named Jennifer, who was back visiting her hometown from Toronto, Canada. She told me that she was heading to Cisneros in Northeastern Antioquia (province) on Monday to visit family and asked if I wanted to join her. Based on my infatuation with Colombian pueblos and inability to say “no”, I quickly accepted her offer before she could think twice. …

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The very essence of travel is the discovery and exploration of new places, experiencing new things and meeting new people. Some choose the beaten path, the most popular hostels and follow the “top tourist attractions” lists, while others opt for remote locations, gor-tex sleeping bags and Bear Grylls travel tips. No matter what your means of exploration, from weekend pub crawls to cross-country road trips, I wish for you at some point along your journeys that you’ll discover the greatness of hidden gems. Hidden gems are those spots that have yet been discovered or overlooked, even if only by you. They’re the magical places that extract from you certain emotions. You get excited when you find one, like a hidden Italian restaurant in blue-collar Buffalo (Mulberry) or an impressive rooftop terrace in London (The Roof Gardens). There’s a sense of pride you get when you let your buddy in on …

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Rocio & I woke up in beautiful Tilcara at the Malka Hostel and walked down to the Municipal Market for breakfast. From there we hit the road on our wild ride to the secluded village of Iruya. We finished the day in Humahuaca at the Monumento al Indio. Check out all the photos of Iruya Argentina

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As Rocio got ready for Day 3′s adventure, I took a stroll across the Malka Hostel to a viewpoint next to the entrance that overlooked Tilcara. At first glance, Tilcara looks like a different world. Houses are made from the most basic of material, old cars on dirt roads, scavenging dogs and short-women carrying 5 times their body weight. However, as I looked closer it became much more familiar. There was an order to everything and everyone seemed to have a purpose. It was just a regular Tuesday morning in Tilcara and like anywhere else in the world the objective was commerce. Once the lady was ready we headed down to the central market to get some breakfast and a closer look at a day in the life in Tilcara, Argentina. Fueled up and ready for adventure we plotted our days objectives as we drove out of Tilcara. Iruya was …

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The juice was worth the squeeze. That’s really all I can say to justify the 18+ hour micro (bus) ride from Buenos Aires to Salta. Despite the terrible food and awkward choice of man-eating-crocodile flicks, the bus ride itself might have been the most efficient and organized service I’ve experienced here in Argentina. Unlike an airplane ride, the stewardess keeps you on a strict schedule of eating and drinking,  she’ll even wake you up mid-nap to tell you its dinner time.  They also provide you with enough free alcohol to make sure that once its time for bed… you’re kaput. I regained consciousness around 9am as the stewardess came around to wake everybody up for breakfast. We dined on some crackers with dulce de leche and a few small granola bars. I actually traded one of my dulce de leche packets with a lady across from me straight up for an …

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