The Lost City of the Incas, or Machu Picchu, is one of the most famous archeological sites in the world and the most sought after destination in South America. Nearly one thousand visitors find their way here every day. Discovered in 1911 by North American Hiram Bingham, this mysterious city is nestled in the Andes Mountains miles from any other form of civilization. It is unknown what exactly this city was used for but most historians agree that it was a vital part of the Inca civilization. The great reign of the Incas lasted for merely 100 years but at [View Full Entry]

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I am in Lima for a couple of days. I feel like I’m back in the States. There is every American fast-food chain restaurant imaginable here from McDonald’s to Pizza Hut - even a Dunkin Donuts and a Payless Shoe Source. If I was missing American food, which I’m not, I would be in heaven. Lima is described as the most modern of all the South American cities. I believe it after walking around this morning. It’s a bittersweet moment for me because while being in a big city has its perks - hot water, wireless connections, cheap, nice hostels [View Full Entry]

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I love the people of Iquitos! They are full of warmth and generosity. I was walking home from dinner in Iquitos one night and a little boy, no more than 9 years old, came running up to me and hugged me so tightly! He looked up at me and said (in Spanish), “You are from India but you live in the United States, right?” I was so surprised and I responded “Yes.” And then he said, “You were here last year, right?” He had mistaken me for another Indian girl from the States but he was so happy that I [View Full Entry]

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I arrived in Iquitos at 7:28 a.m. Before the plane doors opened, I could feel the heat. It was hot, hot and sticky. Iquitos is the main drop-off city for those wanting to enter the Amazon Jungle via Peru. Within 20 minutes of leaving the airport, sweat was dripping down my back. At 9:46 a.m., we set off for the jungle. It’s a 2-hour journey by speedboat along the Amazon River and it’s tributaries to the Muyuna Lodge. The Rio Amazonas is more brown than blue. It’s very still and even though we were in a tiny boat, I hardly [View Full Entry]

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I’m starting to like Quito a bit more these days. The people are all extremely friendly and I find myself sad to be leaving. The last couple of days in Quito I visited el Teleferico and La Basilica. El Teleferico is a spot at about 13,000 ft (4,000 m) in the mountains above Quito. There are little trams that take visitors to the top and all of Quito can be seen from there. It’s a huge city. I didn’t realize how big it was until I was up there. There was also a big hub-bub at el Teleferico because the [View Full Entry]

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The first stop on my trip is Quito, Ecuador. Quito is the capitol of Ecuador, as is evident by all the security guys with big guns on every corner. At first, I thought they were only posted in front of banks and government buildings, which makes sense. But today I saw one in front of a bakery so I’m not sure how it works. Quito is at an altitude of approximately 8,000 ft. The first couple of days I felt a bit dizzy from the altitude and could tell when I hadn’t had enough water to drink. But after a [View Full Entry]

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Hello everyone! I´ve been in Ecuador for 4 days now. I haven´t found a wireless connection yet to upload pictures but thought I would write a bit about what I´ve been doing. I spent 1 day in Quito and then took a 2-hour bus ride north to Otavalo. Otavalo is a beautiful town in the Andes mountains. Our hostel was in the perfect location and it was only $8 a night! It was freezing at night, though. I slept with 4 woolen blankets, 2 regular blankets, a sweater, sweat pants, socks, and a beanie, and I was still cold!! Since I´ve [View Full Entry]

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It’s 10:00 a.m. on a Thursday morning. I’m sitting at SFO waiting for my flight to Quito. The time has finally arrived. I’ve been dreaming about this moment for months, years really. If someone had asked me 5 years ago if I’d be quitting my job and traveling the globe, I likely would have laughed in their face. The past few months have been a blur. I’ve gone through the motions of planning my trip, renting out my condo, putting my furniture in storage … all in preparation for this day. But not until this very moment does it all feel [View Full Entry]

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I had planned a trip to New York but at the last minute decided to drive down Highway 1’s scenic coast to Santa Barbara. For those of you who don’t know, Highway 1 runs all along the coast of California from San Francisco to San Diego along some of the most beautiful coastline in California, through Carmel Valley and Big Sur. Day 1 My first day was quite eventful. It reaffirmed my faith in my karma :) I left in the afternoon and drove along for a few hours stopping periodically along the way to take pictures. It truly is a [View Full Entry]

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I had a week off from work so I decided to escape the wind and fog of San Francisco and get some sun. My lack of planning led me to Mexico City. It's warm, it's cheap, I know a bit of Spanish - what more do I need? I had an amazing time in Mexico City! I met so many fascinating people - let's see if I can remember them all. There was Ivan, who lives in Mexico City. We met up one night for beers and swapping stories. Ivan brought along his German friend (whose name escapes me). This German [View Full Entry]

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