I was having dinner at a little pizzeria just around the corner from my accommodation (NaturAle Cusco Pizza & Coffee, the Calzone was huge and delicious) when a cat chose me. A black cat. He came, he looked at me, jumped on my lap and fell asleep. He did not ask for food. He simply … Continue reading Cusco Before the Trail: Cats, Sacred Pumas, and Market Juices
Visiting the Sacred Valley and wondering about stones
When in Cusco, there is barely a day when you get a lie in. Most tours start early as driving hours through the mountains can be long. On my second day, I was going to give my body some relief from the altitude with a tour of the Sacred Valley. The pick up was at … Continue reading Visiting the Sacred Valley and wondering about stones
Peru: notes from the Beginning of a Journey to the Andes
Beautiful view of the Andes from Cusco In Portuguese, Peru means turkey (the bird), which in turn is peru in Portuguese. And Turkey, the country, is Turquia in Portuguese. I always found this a curious one. And before finally making it to Peru, after years of dreaming about getting there, I decided to investigate. Turkey, … Continue reading Peru: notes from the Beginning of a Journey to the Andes
Chasing the sun to Siracusa: the End of my Sicilian Journey
Only one day left in Sicily. I had started my journey in Palermo, where the weather was for the most part overcast, touching on cold temperatures, with some rain here and there. Cefalu welcomed me with blue skies, but it only lasted for this day - my time in Taormina had been grey and wet. … Continue reading Chasing the sun to Siracusa: the End of my Sicilian Journey
Climbing the Tallest Active Volcano in Europe: Etna in the snow
I never quite expected that my first experience in an actual active volcano would be surrounded by snow. But that's what the faiths had in mind for me, even though it was already the beginning of April in Sicily. I got picked up at my hotel in Catania at 7:30am. It was Easter Sunday, the … Continue reading Climbing the Tallest Active Volcano in Europe: Etna in the snow




