CoroicoGetting to Coroico involved taking a taxi to a little suburb and then catching a collectivio from there. Collectivios are mini vans that have a destination posted in the windshield and they park and wait for all seats to fill before departing. Jos and I got out of the taxi from downtown and immediately were swarmed by seat sellers – they were so aggressive they just swarmed us, grabbing our bags and trying to outshout each other to get us to come t...

Semana Santa – La Paz After continuous Easter processions throughout an empty LaPaz – the Easter weekend affords most Bolivians their only days off all year –nearly all businesses were closed, the market folks left their market stallsuninhabited and the streets were strangely vacant. It made for an eerie feeling in the crumbling city. We walked around, gazing at the beautiful intricate colonial facades, wondering how long it had been since Bo...

Cuzco, or Cusco – both spellings used. Small, intimate, safe, charming and completely walkable. But chilly – especially for me as I apparently have become quite soft after 5 months in the warmth. Our first Hotel was freezing – even with a heater in the room so we whined to our tour guide…gotta love all this personalized, easy peasy stuff, and she found us a much nicer place with a betterlocation, just two blocks from the center square &...

  Machu Picchu – wow. I guess there is a reason it is always one of the undisputed wonders of the world – up there with the Great Wall of China and the Pyramids and without question it did not disappoint. The value of travelling around Peru on a tour, with guides, is that we learned a whole lot about the Incas and about the many ancient civilizations and most importantly about who came when. It is these timelines that always confuse me – I b...

  Loved this town. Not far from the base of Machu Picchu - this town has it all. Really diverse ethnic groups - all who come into town to the thriving market - a kaleidoscope of colors and hat styles. The old girls sat outside the market entrance brewing up corn beer and selling it in massive ( 1 litre) sized glasses. Want a shnort? Hand over a few cents, the glass is dipped into the fermenting pot, and presto - you are on your way to a solid buzz. Have a ...