The tip of my nose was icy. It had been the only part of my body uncovered during the night. I had put the clothes for the next day inside my sleeping bag, knowing that these would be freezing cold in the morning. When I said good morning to my roommate, a cloud of steam … Continue reading The Salkantay Pass: beyond the Mountain
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
In the lead up to my trip to Sicily, my lower back had been bothering me. Depending on the days, the pain levels varied. I was worried it would spoil my trip, and made a promise to myself to see a doctor if the pain subsisted. I got myself some Voltarol at the airport Boots, … Continue reading Catania, the proud child of a volcano
Everytime I think about the Valle dei Templi (Valley of the Temples) my mind wants to call it Valley of the Gods, or even Valley of the Giants. I suppose this says a lot about the impression this place had on me. It's relatively easy to get to the Valle dei Templi from Palermo There … Continue reading The Valle dei Templi in Sicily
On my first morning in Palermo, I woke to the song of the seagulls. Lovely, right? That was immediately followed by the aggressive, rhythmic crunch of breaking glass -the true anthem of the Sicilian trash truck. Even in a "quiet" residential area, Palermo cannot help itself; it is a city that lives out loud. That … Continue reading Palermo: the beautiful and unapologetic onion
The Winged Bone 