There are so many ways to see a city, on foot, on bicycle, via taxi ride. Some interesting vehicles for hire are pictured in an occasional Taxis around the World series. Here, a three-wheeled vehicle in Pisac, Peru. — Lori…
A little disconcerting to this North American visitor are the colorful effigies hanging from trees and lampposts in southern Peru. The Brawny Sherpa and I are in Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu at the end of February, when…
Contemplating Colonialism, Missionaries, Politics, Priests Fresh from a trip to Peru, I watch The Mission, a 1986 film about missionaries in South America and their efforts to convert indigenous people to Christianity. Starring Jeremy Irons as a nonviolent priest and…
Is True Sustainability Sustainable? I equate striving for sustainability—the practice of not depleting the Earth’s resources—with achieving a certain harmony. On my way to Machu Picchu, I can’t help but observe how the indigenous people in Peru live. The distance…
Experience the tranquility of a session with a shaman in Peru, in praise of pachamama, or Mother Earth
Short on vacation time, the Brawny Sherpa and I opt for a quick trip to Peru. Sure, we’d love to languish in the countryside for a couple of weeks, learn all there is to learn in Lima, gain clarity with…
Overthink, and You May Never See Machu Picchu Is Peru safe for tourists? While sipping some coca tea in a small shop in Pisac, I finally have a moment to rest—having taken two planes and a bus ride to get…
To Peru and Back in Less than Five Days We step out of the Cusco airport—not named anything with the word Cusco in it—and walk into a National Geographic story. The short, old women with the skirts, the knee-length stockings,…
What You Need to Know before Heading to Peru The weather at Machu Picchu is temperamental: cloudy one minute, sunny the next. How to cope? Layer your clothing. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini Fresh from a long weekend spent ascending Machu…
