There are 498 blog posts for you to enjoy.
I'm settling in Arequipa, Perú
May 5, 2024
I am now settled into a 2-bedroom apartment in Arequipa, Perú. From both of the bedrooms is a view of Volcán Misti, or Misti Mountain, a dormant volcano. Very close by is the dormant volcano group called Volcán Chachani. Arequipa sits in a valley at an average of 2328 meters (7638 feet) above sea level. The lowest part of the city is 2,041 meters (6,696 ft) above sea level at the western side of the valley in the area called Huayco Uchumayo while the highest is located at 2,810 meters (9,220 ft) above sea level where the urban sprawl extends up the side of Misti. The Chili River splits the city center in half. The Chili River is fed from the nearby volcanos.
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Finishing my journey in Arequipa, Perú
April 29, 2024
On October 30, 2022, I started a backpacking journey from Colombia south to Uruguay and then back north to Colombia. I wrote about it in several parts: part one was on March 25, 2023, part two was on April 24, 2023, part three was on July 26, and finally, on September 29 I summarized the journey. I then spent six months in Colombia before starting another backpacking journey south. But this second time I skipped over Ecuador. The problem was this: the government of Ecuador and the governments of several other countries including the US, Canada, England, and others, all discouraged foreigners from visiting Ecuador due to kidnappings, general crime, and so on. Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa announced a nationwide state of emergency and curfews due to the escaped Jose Adolfo Macias, alias Fito. He is the head of the powerful gang Los Choneros, and was in prison for organized crime, drug trafficking, and murder since 2011. He had been serving a 34-year sentence. So, things are not good in Ecuador these days. When I arrived at Tumbes, at the northern Ecuador/Colombia border, I got on a bus and headed directly to the southern border town of Huaquillas, and went directly into Perú. That was on March 9, 2024. I've been on the road for about two months now and have decided I will stop and look for a place to live here in Arequipa, Perú.
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El Pedregal/Majes, Perú
April 23, 2024
Majes/El Pedregal, Perú, has a population of around 52,000. The city was established in 1999 as a district with the town of El Pedregal as its capital. The metropolitan area is young but there is evidence of the area having been inhabited long before, as in thousands of years ago. There is nothing left of any archeological significance in the area, though.
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Chala, Perú
April 21, 2024
Chala, Perú, has a population of around 10,000. The city was established in 1857 but its founding hasn't been well-documented. and this area has been inhabited much further back, by the Incas. Chala is a busy fishing port, as you can see in the photos in the photo album.
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Nazca, Perú
April 20, 2024
Nazca, Perú, has a population of around 40,000. The city was established by the Spanish in 1591 though it goes back much further. The city is located at the edge of the Atacama Desert and is extremely dry. This was my second visit to Nazca so I only spent one night. I arrived at about 9am and arranged for a room but had to wait until 2pm to actually get into the room, so I spent the five hours walking around town.
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