WHY I LOVE PERU

Peru was the first country I ever had the opportunity to explore. It captivated my heart with it's rich culture, traditions and more importantly the food! Lima is claimed as the new mecca of gastronomy in the world, and here are a few reasons why.

Ceviche mixta (Mixed fish)

Ceviche with Avocado

Conchita a la parmesana (Parmesan scallops 

Tacu Tacu with mixed seafood

Jaela mixta (Mixed fried seafood)

Cause Rellena

Coca leaf tea  *Extracted leaves are the base of cocaine)

Pisco Sour (National drink)

Those are only a few dishes that will undeniably make you fall in love with the local food of Peru. Even though some of the traditions are sustained for tourism you can still feel the authentic nature shining through. Such as visiting the Islands of Uros on Lake Titicaca in Puno, Peru.

The city of Puno and Lake Titicaca

I visited the island of Titino, its roughly an hour boat ride from Puno. Generations have built and sustained these little islands made up of reeds. The people of this land literally live off the land and lake which they use for their homes, transportation and food. The Titino people are new to accepting tourism because most of the islands don't allow tourist access so they are able to maintain tradition and cultural integrity.

A traditional boat made up of reeds

A mother with child selling hand woven tapestries

A child eating the reed

A traditional house of the Titino people

A view of Lake Titicaca

Peru has so much diversity in landscape you can find yourself lost in adventure.

From the lake to the coast

View from Lacomar in Miraflores district in Lima.

Off the coast of Paracas near Islas Ballestas

Islas Ballestas

Sunset in Paracas

Sandboard in a desert oasis

Huacachina

Sandboarding in Huacachina

Sand dunes of Huacachina.

Feel lost in time in the city

Main square of Cusco

Views of Cusco

Admire natural beauty

The salt flats of Maras just outside Cusco

Trek through the jungle

Inca jungle trek

Bridge crossing the Urbamba River

A hot springs in Santa Theresa

To get to this

Machu Picchu

The ruins

Journey through the Amazon

Underneath the trees of the Amazon

Cruise down the Amazon River

To play with nature

Monkey business in the Amazon

Or party like the locals!

Virgin de Candeleria Festival Puno, Peru 2014

The beautiful ladies of the Festival

Devilish costumes

 Angels with ice cream

Family fiesta

Brahma Girls

There is no party like a South American party. There are a variety of festivals through out the year, but South Americans' never need an excuse to party. It can be a Wednesday night and the bars could be packed with locals and tourist partying until 6 a.m. Since most festivals are cultural traditions, they always happen around the same time of year. So plan ahead to do Cajamarca for Carnival, or see Puno come alive for the Virgin de Candeleria Festival and eat at Mistura Food Festival in the Costa Verde of Magdalena del mar in Lima. 

Pablo Amaringo Painting

There is also a bit of mystery about Peru that I haven't quite figured out. A level of spiritual connection with nature and humanity. I've always known Peruvian people to be nothing but nice, hard working, and very passionate about their beliefs. Being able to dive into their vast array of traditional ceremonies and practices is fascinating. How their underlying value of what they believe is connectedness and unconditional love. They have been exploring ancient practices, rituals, and ceremonies to help further their connection to Pachamama (Mother Earth). Shamans treat the patient not the disease and have a genuine care and concern about your wellness. Offering healing and safe places of sanctuary to explore other space and dimensions. Peru is one of the only places in the world you are able to dive into other spiritual dimensions legally. 

There is so much that Peru has to offer to any traveler on a journey. Which is an amazing reality considering how inexpensive everything is. Keep in mind $1.00 USD = $2.82 Peruvian soles. A travel destination where your money actually has real value. So it's not necessary to save thousands of dollars to see and do everything Peru has to offer. The average hostel ranges from $8-$15 USD per night depending on what level of luxury you require.

Local buses and transportation are extremely affordable and almost always offer overnight options. Which eliminates a hostel cost for a night and you most likely get food, snacks and a drink. If you know what dates you are traveling, book your bus/train in advance to also save more. But to save big in Peru you must bargain! Especially if you are traveling with a group you almost always get cheaper rates. Wait to book your tours, so you have the opportunity to check out the local tour companies and options that are not always on the internet.

So NO more excuses! Book a ticket and change your life forever. Start living your adventure instead of just dreaming about it. Travel is always a tangible reality if it's living you choose.

WHY NOT TRAVEL?

Travel is almost always on every one's to-do list in life, but based on my experiences of traveling through over 15 countries I didn't meet many fellow Americans along the way. I discovered that roughly only one third of Americans own a passport and apparently not many use them. The most frequently said countries on my travel list were Australia, Canada and Europe. So, why didn't more fellow Americans explore the world? Coming back to the reality of the U.S. I always understand why.

Traveling the way I do is a lifestyle. It requires patience, humility and intrigue into exploring all things unknown. My passion is to experience the world from local prospective and see not just the highlights, but to live for the beauty of everything in between. I choose to be a smart journeyer that lives simple and explores adventurously. 

Most Americans want to live the dream of building an empire of material status and then travel. However, wealth and status is never guaranteed, even if you work your entire life. So, if the end result is always traveling, then why not travel, why wait? I didn't want to be 50 years old climbing Machu Picchu, so why not now? Even though my financial status almost laughed at the idea to travel, anything is possible. I just had to change my prospective on the how.

I originate from Los Angeles, California, the land of the Hollywood dreams. Every travel series/magazine currently available highlights only luxury travel but never the lifestyle of backpackers' and the long-term journey. So I never knew how realistic traveling was until I stepped outside of my comfort zone into unknown territory. Everything is almost always cheaper than America, so cheap that I could live the lifestyle I wanted but couldn't afford in the U.S. Why didn't more people know about this? Traveling long term is a commitment and lifestyle but rich with life and experience vs. rich with material possessions. 

I wanted to share my experiences of how easy and affordable it is to travel the world. I give you the behind the scenes look at the life of a backpacker. Expose the daily grind of long term traveling and show it's reality in a Hollywood way. With that being said, this is my journey to celebrate the wanderlusters', hippies and lost souls that travel to find themselves. Traveling is a movement to inspire life of freedom and exploration enriched by culture. With a guarantee to entertain at the pursuit of making travel my life. 

To be Culture Rich:

TOP 5 RULES WHEN STAYING AT A HOSTEL

Kokopelli Hostel Paracas, Peru Image courtesy of Hostelworld

Rule #1. Shut the eff up! If you are bunking in a dorm room and come back to your room during the night (regardless of your sobriety levels) please have respect for others that are trying to sleep. Don't start going through your bag or trying to whisper to your friends. Go outside with that noise and allow fellow travelers a peaceful nights' rest.

Rule #2. Don't occupy the bathroom for getting ready. After you use the restroom and or shower get dressed and vacate the bathroom so other people have access to use it. There is always limited bathrooms in hostels, so please be courteous of other travelers with different travel schedules and needs.

Rule #3. Please don't have sex in dorm rooms. I mean, really? It is the most disgusting thing to hear and witness someone else having sex. Get a private room or be creative...go take a shower or something. It is a hostel, not a brothel. Get it together!

Rule #4. Don't clutter the entire room with all the contents of your backpack. Reorganize your life on your bed. A dorm room is a SHARED room so don't be messy and disgusting. Leave the common areas clean and clutter free, please and thank you.

Rule #5. It is more of a request than a rule. I understand you can't necessarily control your snoring but at least try to not fall asleep on your back, or be mad if your woken up for excessive snoring. I know it's not your fault but try not to be the most hated person in the room.