Latin America

Photo Friday – A Sky That Glows – Puka Pukara, Cusco, Peru

May 18, 2012

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Yauya, Peru – Extremely Rural Life Deep In The Andes

May 17, 2012

When I started The Happy Nomad Tour, I endeavored to find opportunities far off the beaten path. Yauya is the epitome of this goal. It’s not even in Google Maps. Yauya is in the province of Carlos Fermin Fitzcarrald and is 3250m/2 miles above sea level. An awesome friend of mine told me about the [...]

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Willkawain – Pre-Incan Ruinas, A Four-Year-Old Businessman, And My Life Being Threatened

May 16, 2012

While staying in Huaraz I went on a two-hour hike by myself to the nearby Incan ruins of Willkawain. I was given a ski pole before I left and I thought it was so I’d have a walking stick. But no, she told me I’d need it to protect myself against the dogs. So far, [...]

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Huaraz, Peru – Easter Week, Mountains, And Eating Guinea Pig

May 15, 2012

Huaraz is a city 3200m/2miles above sea level. It was my introduction to the Peruvian Andes. I ended up here by default. I had nowhere to be for Semana Santa (Easter Week) and I had to depart for my next stop from Huaraz. It’s hard to believe I spent a week in Huaraz as it [...]

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Labeling People – The Happy “Pakistani” Nomad

May 12, 2012

People often rely on stereotypes and preconceived notions to judge and classify people. It makes this complicated world easier. Maybe it’s partly biological, a survival mechanism left over from hunter-gatherer days. Below is a conversation I have had hundreds of times on my trip. New person: “Where are you from?” Me: “The U.S.” New person: [...]

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Photo Friday – Pre-Incan Salt Ponds – Maras, Peru

May 11, 2012

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Que Caro Es Ser Pobre – Ignorance Is Agony, Not Bliss

May 9, 2012

When I was volunteering at Maya Pedal in Guatemala there was a sign on the wall that said “Que Caro Es Ser Pobre”. It means “How expensive it is to be poor.” As I travel through many of the world’s “poor” countries, I am writing a series of articles about how expensive it is to be poor. [...]

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Tortugas Beach – Casma’s Rocky Beach Surrounded By Sand And Desert

May 8, 2012

When I got to Casma, everyone told me I had to visit Tortugas, the beach, and Sechin, the ancient ruins. Both are just outside of town. On my first weekend I visited Tortugas. It was small, as expected, but there was no sand! It just seems unjust that a place surrounded by desert has no [...]

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Volunteering At Fiore Peru – Teaching English And Teaching Myself How To Teach

May 7, 2012

My volunteering opportunity in Casma was to teach introductory English to a class of kids between 11 and 15 years old, and give private lessons to a 15-year-old and 21-year-old who have a more advanced level. Man, it was hard! One of the passions I identified as part of The Happiness Plunge process was teaching. [...]

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