Valparaiso, how absurd you are… you haven’t combed your hair, you’ve never had time to get dressed, life has always surprised you. This paraphrased (and translated) piece of Pablo Neruda’s famous poem Oda a Valparaiso (well I assume it’s famous, I saw it in Lonely Planet) sums up the city pretty well, although I don’t … Read more
The Ma Pi Leng Pass is a part of the 22 km stretch of road connecting the towns of Dong Van and Meo Vac in Ha Giang Province, Vietnam. Most people hire a motorbike and ride the pass as part of the “Extreme Northern Loop”, but since I can’t ride a motorbike (and the winding roads … Read more
A very warm (and possibly fake) Columbia jacket An alpaca wool hat bought from an old woman in a market in La Paz, Bolivia An alpaca wool jersey bought from the same woman A thermal top (which I carried with me for over a year and never wore) After reading that little list you must … Read more
I watched Jurassic World recently and two things struck me: How did that too stupid to be funny guy from Parks and Recreation become a Hollywood star, and are ordinary, “real” dinosaurs not good enough anymore? (they created genetically enhanced “mutants” in the movie because people were getting bored of plain old dinosaurs). What does … Read more
You already know about the Incas and their impressive citadel of Machu Picchu, but have you heard of the Chimú and Moche civilizations? The Moche came first, building and then abandoning their grand city in the desert. The Moche civilization declined, which eventually led to the founding of Chan Chan, the capital of the Chimú empire and once the biggest … Read more
I should mention straight away that the trip from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales isn’t your typical cruise. There are no swimming pools, tennis courts, spas, fancy meals or alcohol. There is plenty of stunning scenery though, and at $300 for a 3 night trip it’s great value (we went in low season; it’s a lot … Read more
Warm (ish) sunny days, thin crowds and low prices…why wouldn’t you want to see Spain and Portugal in winter!? Here’s a quick guide on what to expect in the winter months, and also a rundown of the places we visited during our two week trip (this post is based on Portugal and the south of Spain, … Read more
The sacred valley is packed with fascinating Inca ruins — if you think Machu Picchu is the only site worth visiting then you are very much mistaken. Pisac is a sprawling ancient city located less than an hour away from Cusco. It makes for a great day trip and is, in my opinion, the other must-see … Read more