In just under a month, both Riley and I will leave our jobs, officially move out of our little Seattle apartment, and fly to California, where we will take off to the first stop of our nine-month adventure.
Following a week of Spanish school, I headed to Antigua with the main goal of hiking Acatenango. Some treat this trek with 5,200 feet of elevation gain as a casual excursion, and some finish this hike saying that it was truly the most challenging thing they have ever done. I personally landed somewhere in the
A common university spring break often includes going to the beach, camping, visiting family, road tripping somewhere new – the list goes on and on. An uncommon, but highly recommended spring break is living with a host family and attending Spanish School in Guatemala. Arriving to San Pedro I spent a week on Lake Atitlán
For the ten days Riley and I travelled throughout Perú, we became “hopsters”: the name our local tour guide dubbed all passengers of the Perú Hop buses. What is Perú Hop? Perú Hop is a hop-on/hop-off bus service that caters to tourists hoping to see as much of Perú as possible at their own pace
100% YES!!! Where is Huacachina? Before visiting Huacachina, I had never seen sand dunes so vast, and this small desert oasis boasts some of the tallest dunes in South America. Huacachina is part of the Ica Desert and only a 15-minute drive from the town of Ica. Most people visiting Huacachina will choose to spend
Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, is divided between Peru and Bolivia. When we found out that there was an opportunity to be hosted by the Aymara people on La Isla de Amantaní Island through Perú Hop, we immediately added it to our itinerary. This was a two-day, one-night tour that started
Where is Huaraz Despite being the second-largest city in the Peruvian Andes and the gateway to some of the most pristine alpine lakes, Huaraz has not yet made it onto many tourists’ radar. However, this stunning region is quickly gaining popularity and becoming known as one of the best places in the world for hiking.
Paracas is a coastal town, around a two-hour bus ride south of Lima, and it was our first Perú Hop stop! Paracas is home to Las Islas Ballestas, which are also known as the poor man’s Galapagos, because during the right time of year, you can see penguins, sea lions, and many, many birds. Unfortunately,
Although I am smiling here, don’t be fooled, this was my first hike since arriving in Cusco. I was feeling the altitude! A highlight of my time from university was spending an amazing six months travelling, learning, and eating my way through South America. What started off as three months living in Cusco, Perú, living
