Since my last blog post I have traveled from Arequipa to Puno, Peru, and then onto La Paz and Sucre, Bolivia (see map). Over the last 4 weeks I have been in Sucre studying Spanish. Fall rains in the Andes highlands have put a stop to much of my backcountry wandering, but I have had some fun urban adventures, met some new friends, learned a little Spanish, and managed a short trek in the Cordillera de Los Frailes just west of Sucre. I arrived in Puno just in time for All Souls Day - sort of like our Memorial Day, only more colorful and festive. On this day, much of the populace heads to their local cemetery to honor, decorate, and bless their ancestors´ gravesites. But there is also music, food, and much socializing. At the
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