tales of wander
food
Driven to distraction…
November 25, 2022 5am. We awake for the morning plant medicine, which will continue to be ajo sacha for the next few days. I stumble to the maloca in the pre-dawn light, go up to the altar, and gulp down my glass of garlic juice. The first drink is the most concentrated, then water is … Continue reading
A jungle Thanksgiving…
November 24, 2022 Today is Thanksgiving, the one holiday I actually like and feel sad to miss in the US. However, in a way, it’s appropriate that I’m here on this day. Last night’s gentle ceremony (The Bat notwithstanding) helped me to overcome some of the anxieties that I arrived with. In particular, I was … Continue reading
It’s all about the little things…
As I mentioned in my previous post, I’ve had a rough start to this trip, health-wise. However, things are starting to look up: my cold is finally gone (Longest. Cold. EVER.) and now all that remains is a raging case of allergies, courtesy of all the springtime pollinators—such as the Platano tree, which is busy … Continue reading
Trekking the Torres del Paine… (subtitle: The Goldilocks Trek)
I’m not gonna lie: my last few treks have been hard. I’m not just talking about the physical part either, which was challenging enough on its own, but within my range of ability. What made the last two treks difficult was everything else that goes with any outdoor activity—the stuff that you can plan for, … Continue reading
Vitis vinifera…
Life in Chile has been chugging along at a leisurely pace, with me working during the week and thoroughly enjoying my weekends. Recently, I had a welcome bit of excitement in an otherwise mundane work week when I discovered my boss was in town. He knew I was working abroad, but didn’t know where, and … Continue reading
Feeling the Dieciocho vibe…
After all the activity of the ski portion of our trip, I was ready to relax a bit, and Valparaiso is perfectly suited for slowing down and taking things in. Valparaiso, a port city, is considered the “cultural capitol” of Chile for good reason. It’s made up of a flat part along the port, then … Continue reading
The mountains are calling…
Up until now, I’ve used my weekends to play tourist, eagerly leaving the big, cacophonous city to encounter something quieter and more laid back. “Cacophony” in a large South American city is not like what you’d hear in a similarly sized city back home. Here, it’s the multilayered din of grid-locked cars honking because they … Continue reading
Shei shei, lovely Taiwan
It’s been about eight years since I’ve traveled to a country as developed as Taiwan. From the first day, I felt like a child on her first trip to Disneyland—I oohed and ahhed over the smallest of things, many of which you just don’t find in countries that are less developed, such as clean, wide … Continue reading
Taiwan’s Horn of Plenty
Several years ago I was in Thailand and had high hopes that I would experience it by unhinging my jaw and inviting all the food to jump in and have a party. I was sorely disappointed when I found myself with very little appetite—a side effect of the oppressive heat and humidity. Here in Taiwan … Continue reading
Tips for traveling in Bali
Our routine while we’ve been in Benoa has been embarrassingly decadent. This is our week for playing at the beach, so we’ve been doing just that. I’d hoped we’d be able to tour the island on bikes because I read Bali is a good place for that, but I honestly can’t imagine how it’s done … Continue reading
tales of wander 