Mindo
September 11, 2025, Ecuador. This was packing day. I wasn’t looking forward to trying to fit all of my recent purchases into the new duffel bag, but I approached the […]
Category Archives: South America
Back to Otavalo
SSeptember 6 Woke up around nine. The rooster started crowing at four in the morning, as usual, and woke me up for a while before I managed to get back […]
Intag
August 30, 2025, Ecuador. The trip into Intag took far longer than I expected. The road was rough, winding through steep valleys and mountain ridges, and the final stretch seemed […]
Otavalo
August 22, 2025, Ecuador. Thankfully, I was up by 8:45. I needed every minute of the next hour and fifteen minutes to pack, clean, make breakfast, and organize my belongings […]
Quito
August 12, 2025, Ecuador. I woke up at 5 a.m. for what was supposed to be an 8 a.m. flight. Instead, the plane sat on the ground until 9:30 because […]
Bogotá, Medellín, Salento, and Santa Fe de Antioquia
October 7, 2012, Colombia. I ended up making friends with a young Mexican man from Mexico City named Le (short for Alejandro) who worked at the Musicology Hostel. Over the […]
Arequipa
October 4, 2012, Peru. Arequipa is known as the White City for its beautiful colonial architecture built from sillar, a pale volcanic stone that gives the town its signature glow. […]
Iquique and Arica
September 5, 2012, Chile. Claudio and I found a cheap residencial—only $8 USD per person per room. I needed my own room, as I was still really sick. My birthday passed […]
Antofagasta
August 28, 2012, Chile. Antofagasta’s business district, centered around Plaza Colón, was surprisingly pleasant. In the middle of the square stands a clock tower donated by the British in 1911, […]
La Serena
August 23, 2012, Chile. We had planned to skip La Serena, but Claudio’s friend insisted we visit—I’m glad we did. La Serena is the second-oldest city founded in Chile, though […]
Back in Santiago de Chile
August 16, 2012, Chile. After returning to Santiago, I found myself with an unexpected week to enjoy the highlights of its lovely city center. Many of the most important buildings […]
Bariloche to Santiago: the wild ride
August 15, 2012, Argentina. After a warm reunion with Claudio—whom I had missed after two weeks apart—we left Bariloche and headed toward Valdivia. Every time I cross the border between […]
San Martín de los Andes to El Bolsón
August 9, 2012, Argentina. I spent a few more days soaking in the energy of San Martín de los Andes and found myself particularly inspired by La Pastera, a small memorial […]
Bariloche and Villa Angostura
July 28, 2012. I spent five days in Bariloche, doing my best to escape the tourist-laden bustle of town each day. The place felt like a version of Disneyland, polished […]
Chiloé
July 25, 2012. It has been a month since I last posted. Access to a computer has been scarce, and honestly, I haven’t felt much like writing. Sleep has been […]
Valdivia and Puerto Varas
June 28, 2012, Chile. The rain hasn’t let up—falling hard, nearly two inches a day. I haven’t seen the sun in over a week, but at night, the sound of […]
Pucón
June 18, 2012. During the month I spent in Santiago, I met a flautist street musician, and we started spending time together. For the last week or so of my […]
Santiago de Chile
March 1, 2012, Chile. I had planned to fly to Buenos Aires on April 3. Already in early March, I was knee-deep in frantic packing. I’d been looking forward to […]
Lisa Karpinski 