My patience was put to the test last week when I decided to ride solo to Arequipa for a grand Colca Canyon adventure. The trip began with a very interesting flight, or lack of flight, at the Jorge Chavez International Airport. Who knew you could mess up a 1 hour domestic with an almost 4 hour delay, only then to try and cover it up with mystery meat triangular sandwiches. Well at least they cut the crusts off. [Continue reading...]

When I decided to make the 5 hour bus ride to Ica for the second time this summer I expected to soak up the hot sun of the Huacachina oasis, take a refreshing dip in our flower-trimmed exotic pool after which I would then make my way through the lime green vineyards of the Tacama estate while sipping on a nice semi-seco vino tinto. No where in that itinerary did I expect to add visiting a witch town in the middle of no where. [Continue reading...]

Taking a taxi in Lima is not for the faint-of-heart. You really have to have a thick skin and an affinity for close calls to even get into one without cowering at the surrounding chaos of traffic. The fact that most of the seatbelts in these cabs don’t work or are missing altogether doesn’t help the matter much either. Aside from the unstable and ungoverned condition threatening the safety of traffic in Lima there is an equally pressing reason to take the road seriously in this city – taxi theft. [Continue reading...]

If you are going to live in Peru for a long period of time as a wandering outlander, you better well like it. However the life of a vagabond is not always full of adrenaline-rush-water-rafting-paragliding-mountain-climbing fun. I was warned by many fellow adventurous wayfarers before my Peruvian journey of the notorious traveller’s cycle in which we are eventually entangled into three distinct stages. First we are drawn into the romance of the honeymoon period where the novelty seduces our senses and our exploration of the country is full of endless possibilities. [Continue reading...]

As my time in Lima draws to a close, it’s time to expand a coffee addict’s coffee shop round up. In case you missed the first take, make sure to check out part one here. As Lima begins its slow and steady expansion of its café culture, more coffee gems are bound to pop up. Until then, check out these new noteworthy addititions. [Continue reading...]