Work Hard. Travel Harder
After four amazing weeks in Pisaq, the grand finale as intern group leaders for the STRIVE program was hiking the famous Salkantay trail to Machu Picchu. Marissa and I had dreamed about seeing Machu Picchu in person for years. The ruins were constructed by the Incas in the 15th century, abandoned when the Spanish arrived, […]
I’m standing next to the roped off area of Cusco’s airport parking lot as travelers stream out, the intense heat of the sun beating down on my face. It’s hot today. I’m patiently waiting, looking for guys and girls to walk out who fit the build of college athletes that are looking for someone. I […]
Bolivia is one of my favorite countries. Though it is the poorest and one of only two landlocked countries in South America, it is filled with stunning, untouched landscapes that took our breath away each day we were there. It’s well known for its incredibly distinct geographical areas: the high plateau of the Andes (altiplano), […]
Tarabuco There are 21 of us slammed in here like sardines. There are babies, kids, parents, travelers, and old men chewing coca leaves like they are going out of style. Nobody is comfortable yet nobody seems annoyed. Is this normal everyday life in central Bolivia, I wondered? The van that we are traveling in is […]
April 25, 2015 – May 24, 2015 Wow it’s hard to believe it’s already been nine months! A big milestone for us, being that we originally planned our trip to last eight months. Yet here we are lugging our packs through South America through countries we didn’t originally plan on going to. The more we […]
It was mid afternoon and we were making good time. We had been hiking just over two hours and were blessed with another day of unusually clear skies and sunshine. As we looked ahead on the path we could see our final destination, Laguna Torre in the Fitz Roy Mountains. We rounded a sharp corner […]
March 25, 2015 – April 24, 2015 This was a month of intense walking. Our cross-trainers we’d been wearing every day for the last seven months finally kicked the bucket, and after many blisters in New Zealand, we were happy to ditch these suckers! We finally broke down and bought legitimate hiking shoes, which could […]
We left New Zealand on April Fools Day, and the joke was definitely on us. We were headed to the other side of the world, just about as far south as you could get, to Punta Arenas, Chile. We were traveling backwards in time, making April 1st last for two days. Our flight pattern was […]
A Workaway in Waiheke We had just picked up Mikeo from his ‘kindie’ (kindergarten) class and walked toward the house. As we looked up, we noticed a chicken clucking at us from the balcony high above. Simona let out a sigh and muttered “Ugh, not again”. The chicken had snuck into the house while we […]
Rotorua, Whangamata and Coromandel Peninsula After the Alpine Crossing Hike we slept like babies. The next morning we packed our bags and covered some serious ground. We drove north, stopping at several interesting spots along the way. We went to Rotorua first, which is well known for its geothermal activity. The attractions consist mainly of […]
