Amerasian

Sadly, we left our month long Bolivian home behind to find literally greener pastures. The road from the Salar led us into San Pedro de Atacama, Chile whereby we stayed one night. San Pedro is an oasis created to cater to transiting tourist. The town is attractive, resembling New Mexico with low slung adobe homes and dusty streets. Unfortunately it's overpriced and touristy but serves its purpose as a rest stop before moving on to Argentina or points further south in Chile. We bought our bus tickets to Salta, Argentina, an 11 hour journey for $63 per person and looked forward to Argentine wines, beef and tango culture. The bus ride from San Pedro to Salta is simply spectacular. The road descends thousands of feet, winding its way from the arid altiplano through fog shrouded steep ... read more

My good friend Dr. Kathlyn Ignacio issued stern orders from 5000 miles away, get some rest and recuperate or else she would do something that I can't print. Rather than risk her wrath when I return to the States, Amei and I agreed it was time to pull off the road and decamp for a month in one place. Our choice was just right. Sucre is a wonderful relaxing college town filled with revolutionary history, white washed walls, indigenous markets, friendly folks, fine food, comfortable lodgings and a temperate climate. Its where Simon Bolivar declared independence from Spain and Che Guevara stayed nights at the Grand Hotel. Sucre is unlike a lot of Bolivia, with obvious wealth displayed throughout its colonial buildings, many churches and fine universities. Students are well dressed, hanging out nightly in the ... read more

Puno to Copacabana entails a border crossing, the required passport paperwork that keeps most travelers anxious until your bestowed a requisite visa. We arrived after a comfortable two hour bus ride down Lake Titicaca's shores to the end of the Peruvian road and where Bolivia's begins. In between we obtained our Peruvian exit stamps from a bored customs agent, exchanged some dollars into Bolivianos from an elderly Indian woman in a bowler hat, and walked past Indian textile vendors and roadside lunch stands deep frying pork in pots brimming with oil. Passing under an dilapidated archway, we were directed by unsmiling border guards to a well worn immigration office. An officer at the door divided US citizens from other foreigners, primarily because US nationals are required to pay $135 while others are not. Ouch. But anyway ... read more

Our first impressions of Peru along the bleak barren coast were now a ten hour overnight bus ride behind us. And what a contrast. Where as a dusty desert defined our last few days, now snowy spiraling peaks and picturesque mountain villages predominated our new Peru. Arriving in Huaraz at 4:00 A.M., we hopped a taxi to the Casablanca Hostel ($15 a night including continental breakfast ) and were surprisingly given early morning check in at no extra cost. We promptly crashed. Huaraz is the place to go for trekking and serious mountain climbers. Just outside town are many towering peaks poking the sky at 20,000 feet and higher. These granite gifts from God seduce you to get outdoors, sign up for treks and spend time wondering how insignificant man is beneath these behemoths. Wasting no ... read more