A little over a year ago, Alison and I threw our stuff into a 5×10 storage unit in Charlotte, NC and boarded a one-way flight to Bangkok, with basically no other plans. It’s been almost two months since we returned from our 12 month round-the-world jaunt and the time at home has afforded some reflective…
Not a single soul in this big old world of ours permanently calls Antarctica home. While I’m not saying that I have what it takes to set up shop down there or that anyone really does, I will say that spending a few weeks traveling to this beautiful, white continent is a worthwhile endeavor. I…
Avoid Mendoza?! Isn’t that where all the malbec is grown that Argentina is famous for? Doesn’t it sit at the base of the beautiful Andes mountains? Are they crazy? Well, yes, we are pretty crazy. But that’s beside the point. There are almost no blogs out there bashing Mendoza and everyone seems to go there.…
Can’t Decide Between El Chalten and Torres del Paine? So you want to do some trekking in southern Patagonia? Maybe you’ve done a little research, maybe you haven’t. You want to see some breathtaking snow-capped mountains, jagged peaks, and stunning glaciers. But you can’t decide between El Chalten, Argentina and Torres del Paine, Chile, the self-proclaimed…
In a prior post we had indicated that there is no best way to travel. Scratch that. If you get a chance to stay with locals wherever you go, definitely take advantage. There is no better way to get to know a place than to live and breathe like a local with the locals. Argentina…
We’ve learned over the last ten months that it’s always more fun when you see, smell, feel, and experience a place for the first time with your very own senses. As a result, we often try to avoid looking at pictures of our next destination prior to our arrival or listen to lengthy descriptions about…
It was the afternoon before we were to arrive at Machu Picchu. We were driving through the Sacred Valley near Cusco, headquarters of the Incas back in the 13-15th centuries. The Sacred Valley is very narrow and the massive mountain ranges on either side form 5,000 foot wall barricades against any intruders to the capital…
Jungle fever? No problem. Peru is 60% jungle and is home to several accessible jungle areas including Iquitos, Manu and Tambopata. Deciding to go to the jungle isn’t the difficult part, it’s deciding which area to go to that can prove challenging. In the end, we opted to go to Tambopata and we have no…
If you like the mountains, add Huaraz to your list. This northern Peru trekking and climbing mecca struck us as a much smaller, better version of Kathmandu. Name a mountain activity and Huaraz has it – climbing, trekking, fishing, mountain biking, camping, glacier-ing, high altitude mountaineering, heli-skiing, the list goes on. And some culture to…
When you think of Peru, you immediately think of Machu Picchu. When you think of Machu Picchu, your next thought is the Inca trail. It’s no secret that Peru’s claim to fame is one of the new wonders of the world, Machu Picchu. Therefore, it’s obvious why your mind wanders to this magical place when you…
Although I’m not very good at it, there are few things in this world that please me more than spending a day on a river with a fly rod trying to trick fish into eating small plastic insects. I had actually planned on carrying a rod with me this entire year. But it turns out…
Nope, it’s not Christ the Redeemer. Okay, so it’s tough to beat the views from the world famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio. You can see the entire city from there and the sheer size of the Jesus statue is remarkable. So even though it’s super touristy, you’d be remiss in not making it…
While you can certainly keep yourself busy visiting the various museums and exploring São Paulo by foot, one thing that we particularly enjoyed during our time in São Paulo was the incredible cuisine. Here are the savory dishes and drinks that topped our list! Churrascaria: For a set price, you can gain access into carnivore…
Nicaragua has 19 volcanoes (of which nine are active) that serve as a beautifully picturesque backdrop up and down the pacific coast of the country. You can’t look away from the ocean without spotting one in your peripheral. But these beauties aren’t just for good pictures, they are also a heck of a lot of…
Beaches & Backpacks 