Ollantaytambo After hiking over 40 miles in three days, we were all about the naps and gourmet breakfasts of Ollantaytambo. Stumbling into Munay Punku Bed and Breakfast was never part of the original itinerary, but we couldn’t break away and indulged in an extra night. Day Five The Argentines continued on to Cusco while the… Read More
Machu Picchu: The Big Day Watching months of anticipation, uncertainty, and planning pay itself off was dreamy. I’ll certainly look back to this day for the rest of my life. The following is the narrative component to the information outlined in my first Peru post. Day Four 4:00am I was more than ready to jump out of bed after… Read More
Urubamba to Aguascalientes Rather than take the outrageously priced train, we reached the town at the base of Machu Picchu via busses, taxis, and a little hiking. At all points of the journey, many other backpackers had the same intentions. For less stories and more facts, read this post. Day Three After eliminating the spider that had… Read More
Salinas and Urubamba I had never encountered a site quite like the chunky terraces of brown, gold, and white Incan salt pans. This striking mountainside is located right outside the town of Maras, and currently produces cattle salt licks and souvenirs. We then hiked downhill to Urubamba, but I recommend spending the night in Ollantaytambo. Day Two (cont.) For $3 a person… Read More
Chinchero: The Right Amount Of Touristy It seemed like everywhere I turned tourism agencies had overtaken the Sacred Valley. Chinchero was one of my favorite stops because it’s skipped by most yet offers the same activities as other villages. This means it’s more budget friendly, but more importantly, Chinchero had a superior market and less crowded ruins. I had stayed up all night attending yoga… Read More
Machu Picchu 2016: A Guide For Low Budgets A few internet searches quickly discourages a cheap backpacker or financially challenged college student from bothering to visit this Wonder of the World. My goal here is to provide updated information so you don’t have to miss out on an unforgettable hike, regretting it until you one day return, something that is never guaranteed and always… Read More
Lava-licious León We joined the throngs of backpackers funneling in for volcano boarding because I insisted we squeeze it into our itinerary that was already bursting at the seams. In addition to being the main launch point for this cheesy idea, León was a refreshing change from the more artificial aesthetic of Granada. Day Three… Read More
Granada Everyone goes. I was told even though I wouldn’t like it, I had to go. Despite the notable amount of harassment to buy crap and even straight up just hand over a dollar, being a tourist in Granada was a good time. It was 95 degrees. Alex had a fever and I wasn’t feeling… Read More
Isla de Ometepe Exactly a year later from my first in-and-out international dip, I’ve chased more adventures than I can remember. I’ve learned so much about solo backpacking and testing my limits. This time, I led my own trip for the MLK 2016 holiday. First stop: the beautiful volcanic island in Nicaragua’s largest lake. Day One… Read More
Kilimanjaro Killing Me Kicked my butt. Beat the crap out of me. Whatever you want to call it, apply it to this handful of days. In an effort to see the top of Africa, I have since felt I’ve come back from the dead. What You Need To Understand At this point, summiting Kili is very… Read More