Qosqo, Qosqo ombligo del mundo ancient Inca capital red bricks and whitewashed alleys hidden backyards filled with flowers and parked motorcycles the garbage truck’s bell as it bends around the corner the sounds of Radio Felicidad coming through open windows the morning wake-up call of water kettles and «licuadoras» constant honking taxi drivers slowing down…
Half-time
Over seven months have passed since I left. Seven months of departure, traveling, arrival, reunions, encounters, discoveries, living the life I’d mapped out for myself and being surprised by the unforeseen along the way. Now I’ve got approximately seven months left of my South America adventure. Barely two months of volunteering in Cusco and then…
Smuggling water and other stories
Cuba – a country that makes you feel like a time traveler. Vintage cars, neon signs, colonial villas… But also no free Wi-Fi, no iPhones, no credit card machines. Our hosts coordinating the next stay at a «casa particular» by phoning friends at our following destination. Taxi rides without air-conditioning or seat belts (though I’m…
Passers-through
«How long are you staying here for?» – Most people answer «one week», «two weeks», maybe «one month», maximum. When I tell them that I’m staying for more than half a year, I get surprised looks. Cusco is ever-changing. People come, people go. You constantly see new faces, hear new stories. For a brief moment, your path crosses other travellers’…
Walking in my parents’ footsteps
«Hace 24 años…» – South America ’95/’96 I grew up with the tales of my parents’ South America trip. Anecdotes, bedtime stories and photo albums full of memories. My dad telling every taxi driver on our Chile trip that he’d been there 22 years ago… The hammock they brought back from Ecuador, where I like to…
Estado migratorio: residente!
Just a small note to let you know that I finally got my «carné de extranjería», meaning that I’m allowed to stay in Peru for a year now. It was a long, tedious process – even today, when I went to pick up my card, the officer just left to have lunch (45 min before…
Desolation
Today I’d like to talk about a topic that is very important to me. It’s been a while since I’ve wanted to write this article. In fact, ever since our trip to the jungle, the thought of it has been haunting me. Deforestation. To many of us, it’s a vague concept, a crime that should…
Maras, Moray and Ollantay-what?
We just had a few days off over Easter and vacations in May are approaching rapidly – this will give me time to go traveling a bit and explore more of Peru (I’m definitely planning on trekking to Machu Picchu – I mean, even if it is a tourist magnet, it is one of the…
Life beyond the comfort zone
Recently, I pulled out my journal and by chance stumbled over a page where I’d noted some goals I wanted to attain during my gap years. I started reading them and realised that, after just two months of traveling and living in South America, I’d already achieved most of them or at least was on…
Jungle fries
«We’ve arrived in paradise.» Those were my first thoughts upon our arrival in the jungle. Well, a hot, sticky paradise full of mosquitoes, but still… paradise. A couple of days earlier, I’d stumbled upon Novalis by chance (you can find them on Airbnb, too) and was fascinated from the start. Treehouses, in the middle of…