I arrived at La Paloma yesterday. The hostel is great, across the street from the beach. Yesterday was St. Patrick's day and a couple from Ireland made Sheppard's pie for everyone. A bonfire in front of the deck was the focus point for travelers from Australia, Ireland, Canada, Germany, Sweden and the U.S. The staff here are wonderful, making the fire, running the bar, passing out cake at midnight. It felt as if we were on an all inclusive holiday package at a resort, rather than a group of weary travelers. The chatter around the fire was filled with travel tales, politics, weather and 'best moments' on the road. There were three Australians traveling along the coast in a rented car. They were going to Coba Polinio the next day and offered to take me. 'Hippie ... read more

I woke up today not sure where I was going to be staying. It was up to current hotel, if they had a space for tonight I would stay, if not I would catch a bus to Montevideo. I am happy with either possibility, or anything new. Life is wonderfully slow in Colonia and I am the most relaxed I've been on this trip so far. Uruguay is a fascinating country, or at least the one historical town that I visited. Some restaurants have Swiss food, others have Italian, and more have barbequed beef. The local cheese is quite good. Everyone seems mellow and quietly friendly. There is absolutely no pressure on tourists. Most of us walk around the historic town taking photos (that was yesterday). Today I am going for a walk on the beach. ... read more

I´m at an Internet Cafe with very slow computers. I will start this blog and finish it a few days later when I can upload pictures. ... read more

Who knew air could feel so heavy?! I am back in Lima and for the first few hours I felt like my half-empty water bottle....slightly crushed by the air pressure at sea level. When I was sitting in the cab it felt as if there was pressure on my eyelids, making me want to close my eyes. All of my body was slumping, in a dozy way, as if I had taken strong tranquilizers. The feeling wasn´t bad, perhaps because it was accompanied with that tropical heat sensation when you get off the plane and feel the humid hot air and you can´t wait to peel off the jeans, socks, sneakers and fleece vest. My skin loves the moisture and heat in Lima. The mountain air was dry, so much so that my legs and arms ... read more

The Isla del Sol, an island in the middle of Lake Titicaca, on the Bolivian side, is a popular tourist spot. I have met many travelers who recommended going there to see the sunsets. There is a lot more to this island than glorious setting suns. The island is already setting itself up to gain from tourism, so go quick before it becomes another trap! Luck was with me once I landed and got to the hostel. By the way, that is an olympic feat in itself, walking up the Inca stairs on a hell of an incline up a mighty big hill/mountain. It is worth it. No matter what hotel or hostel that you book into you will have a glorius view (and your heart and lungs will have had a great workout). I did ... read more