We are currently in: Ciudad de Mexico, DF, Mexico
The star of Bolivia’s famous Southwest Circuit, Salar de Uyuni is, quite simply, the world’s largest salt flat and by far Bolivia’s most important tourist attraction. Located 11,995 feet above sea level, it is over 4,000 square miles of pure flat whiteness, punctuated in only a few places by “islands” of rock and cacti. Formed … Read more
In La Paz… …residents live in the world’s highest de facto capital. At approximately 12,000 feet (the city sits in a bowl, so true altitudes range greatly from 10,500 to 13,500 feet), La Paz is Bolivia’s cultural or people’s capital while Sucre is the legal capital. The city itself has a population of 877,000, but … Read more
As I mentioned briefly in yesterday’s border crossing post, one benefit of our choice of the longer route to La Paz via Copacabana as opposed to the more southern route through Desaguadero was a surprise bridgeless lake crossing. I should begin by introducing this lake, which is notable for a number of reasons. First, it … Read more
We cross borders by land in a CR-V with US passports and our two dogs. We do not carry drugs or weapons or disallowed fruit (usually). These articles are not a definitive guide to crossing borders nor should they be used as a sole source of information. They are our experiences. When, Where, and Which … Read more
Before embarking on this little road trip, we spent countless hours reading and researching about probably every pertinent topic you can think of. One of the recurring themes from other overlanders that we happened upon again and again was how to prepare yourself for, and subsequently wiggle away from, crooked cops and military looking to … Read more
When I sat down to write a summary of our time in Peru, I realized that I had already written something similar to the words that were beginning to come out. This month’s wrap up is a slight adaptation of a portion of an email sent to my dear friend and penpal, Martha Grove. Enjoy … Read more
The simplest way to describe Peruvian chicha is to call it traditional corn beer. There are a number of varieties, including a strawberry version around Cusco called frutillada and many other fermented beverages that all fall in the chicha category, but for the sake of this post, we’re talking about the alcoholic beverage made from … Read more
Long before Ian and I met, we both, separately, dreamed of one day visiting Machu Picchu. For two people with inexhaustible collections of places we’d like to go, things we’d like to see, and activities we’d like to do, this magical spot in the Peruvian Andes for some reason stuck out. I’m not even sure … Read more
The apartment we rented for our four week stay in Cusco, Peru is a one bedroom unit on the fifth floor of a building across the street from a university a few miles east of the city center. It consists of three rooms: a large, bright combination living room/dining room/kitchen space, a long bedroom, and … Read more
Inca Kola is a source of Peruvian national pride and a Peruvian icon. It is intensely bright yellow, and tastes somewhere between bubble gum and cotton candy. Created in 1935 by José Robinson Lindley, Inca Kola has been Peru’s top selling soft drink since 1970, meaning that for nearly thirty years Peru was one of … Read more
