errabunda

The Incas were not towering giants. They are the ancestors of modern-day Peruvians and thus it stands to reason that they were maybe a bit on the short side, yeah? But you wouldn´t guess it from the height of their steps. The stairs on the left side of the Ollantaytambo ruins are original. All of the other, more-reasonably-sized, steps are the easy creation of modern man. Juan Carlos, my own personal guide to the slightly less visited and one of the best preserved Inca villages in the sacred valley, explained that there is a reason for this. The Incas believed in hard work. And they figured if you were going to be privileged with a visit to a sacred temple, you were damn-well going to earn it. Knowing this, I understand why the Inca trail is ... read more

Alpha Centauri, in the Southern Cross, is the nearest star to Earth at four light years. The next closest is Vega, at 26 light years distance. With all the stars in all the solar systems in the universe it seems impossible that we’re alone, said our French guide to the stars in San Pedro de Atacama. But at four light years, with current technology, it would take more than 40,000 years to travel to Alpha Centauri. "So, while we are not alone, we are alone," the guide explained to a crowd of tourists gathered in a circle around a candle-lit table in the desert. A few days after my enlightening adventure through the cosmos, I proved my French guide wrong. You don’t need 40,000 years or a $40 billion space ship to visit another world. All ... read more

It was one of those mornings-- I felt like I´d been dragged behind a catamaran and beaten with Monkey Puzzle tree branches. Usually when I wake up feeling this way, it´s well-deserved after a very memorable, though mostly forgoten (thankfully) night of raucous fun. However, on the 4th of July, el dia de indepencia de Estades Unides, I awoke feeling that there was no justice in the world. I was being punished for a night of meheim I didn´t have--at least, I´m pretty sure I didn´t. I went over the previous day step by step, trying to uncover the mystery of my outrageous headache. I´d had enough water. I´d only had a mini-size bottle of wine with dinner (really mini). Then it dawned on me--it was the Spanish. My brain was swollen after the work out ... read more

After one week, o uno semana, I´m pretty much a fluent castellano speaker. It´s been a fast-paced, fuzzy-headed vieje so far. But as we rolled into Bariloche on our big delux bus Sunday morning, I was so grateful to be here... and not just because it meant the 22-hour bus ride was over. Bariloche es mui bonito. It makes me think of Alaska, with sky-scraping Dr. Suesse peaks lining a giant blue lake. The air was so crisp and clean and the town feels so comfortable and friendly. I remembered my original plan to study Spanish in Santiago and turned to Guinevere, my Rifle roomate, to thank her for presenting this alternative. Im really excited to spend a month here. As I walked along the lake, snapping photos, Luis approached me. He´s a friendly Argentine man ... read more