Arriving in Argentina was inauspicious and, I hoped, not a portent of what was to come. Leaving Paraguay was simple enough, as was passing border control into Argentina. The small city of Posadas is a pleasant enough first stop, but unlike its border twin Encarnacion, there are not constant money change stations. Instead I had… Read More Down and Out in Buenos Aires
The first stop on the solo leg of this trip was Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, that other small, land-locked country in the heart of South America. Unlike Bolivia, Paraguay has the distinct advantage of being relatively low-lying and for me, it was a welcome break to only worry about the pollutants I was inhaling… Read More P is for Paraguay…and Parana
We made it back to Cusco without incident, departing on a jam-packed PeruRail train that is known as one of the most expensive in the world, in terms of cost per distance travelled. It made for a pleasant ride at least through the Sacred Valley and back up to the cradle of hills that contains… Read More Calm Before the Storm
Thank you to Zak for allowing his mother to do a guest blog! After a twenty plus hour plane ride with 4 connections in four countries we landed in La Paz, Bolivia at 1 am. Within 3 hours I had a rip roaring headache which put me to bed for about 20 hours. I rallied… Read More What a long, strange trip it’s been.
The past couple days we’ve set up shop in the opportunistically-renamed town of Machu Picchu Pueblo, nee Aguas Calientes, the final launching point for tourists headed up to the ruins of Machu Picchu. We’d booked two days at the namesake ruins, something I wasn’t sure would be necessary but I find now that I am… Read More Past the Hitching Post of the Sun
First stop after leaving La Paz was a solo jaunt…Mom flew ahead to Cusco to spare herself arduous overland treks. About an hour into the bus ride outside of La Paz, as we chugged slowly through the traffic-choked suburb of El Alto, I thought she had made the better choice. The bus was cheaper, but… Read More Oye Ollanta
I went slowly up the slope, feeling the loose rocks crack beneath each step, counting them off in my head until I reached 60 then stopping. Standing still was always accompanied by a brief sensation of light-headedness, then the pounding of my heart beat through my own head. The peak didn´t look far, but at… Read More The High Ground
Last day in Mexico! And what else would one do than wait out the heat in an internet cafe? To be fair to myself, I made a good go of the morning, getting out early to check out the final set of ruins on my list for the trip: Xochicalco. The guidebook says simply to… Read More Time Stands Still
My last morning in Puebla was a flurry of visiting museums, walking around the colonial centre of the town. It struck me that there is a lot to see in the city; I’d nearly completely neglected the city’s attractions in favour of the surrounding ruins. In truth, the museums are good but not great here.… Read More Off the Shoulder of Orion
I rode out the weekend in Mexico City, patiently taking in museums and seeing sites around the city, doing what was in my power to avoid the voracious weekends crowds that can descend on popular tourist sites. I was saving Teotihuacan, the coup de grace of my time in the city, for Monday, to avoid… Read More Ruinas, Tortas, y Transporte
Zak Abroad 