As the sole survivor of the first month of volunteers and the only one left to tell the tale, I feel it is my duty to write a blog about our week-long Inca Trail adventure. The grandeur and beauty of Machu Picchu is world renown  but can sometimes be overwritten about and in many accounts lacks the challenges of the journey which are all too important and often overlooked. From my own personal experience I have learned that the journey is far more noteworthy and important than the destination itself. Yes, this is the biggest cliché of all time but in a world of clichés we lose focus of their messages and their messages are just as important today as when they were first said. So here is my account of our journey to Machu Picchu and the challenging yet rewarding experience it was. [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...]

With the start of this week came the realization that my stay volunteering for the Karikuy program was coming to an end. I decided to spend it hanging out in Lima to focus all my attention onPerupedia. Traveling through Peru has been a great experience but I have really grown to love Lima and all it has to offer. From walking around in Miraflores to shopping at the Jirón de la Unión in Cercado de Lima it has really been a whirlwind of experiences. Spending my final weeks locally in Lima enjoying the spender of the city just seemed right.

The words “Give me freedom, give me fire, give me reason, take me higher” are very much branded in my mind after a long week of glorious World Cup soccer. The K’naan/David Bisbal lyrics can be heard bellowing from the mouths of enthusiastic fans and echoing throughout any area of Lima screening a game. Like most of my fellow avid soccer fans I have my team – team England, the team that will win the World Cup and claim victory once and for all! Ok, maybe not. But still, I can have hope and I will no doubt be watching every single one of their games. Atmosphere is sometimes crucial for watching a great game and there are many factors that come into play when choosing that perfect venue. After exploring the soccer [Continue reading...]

If there is one thing I loathe about travelling, which obviously is next to nothing,  it would be the dreaded concept of a guided tour. I have never been one to follow the beaten path nor do I admire the idea of being herded like cattle through rooms of antiques by someone who is reciting a script. Nevertheless, today I swallowed my pride and inhibitions and followed the cargo-pant-tourist-train to the Monasterio de San Francisco. I have to admit the tour did not disappoint as my fellow volunteers and I perused our way through a series of dusty crypts and corridors lined with countless creepy pits of sorted human remains and mounds of skulls echoing with the memory of the past. In other words… I highly recommend this tour. [Continue reading...]