Hiking the Sunshine Coast Trail in British Columbia

Mountain and ocean scenery seen on the ferry crossing to Saltery Bay, British Columbia.

While I was backpacking British Columbia, I used CouchSurfing a lot to meet people, join social events, and organize activities. It’s one of the many uses of CouchSurfing! So as I was busy exploring Vancouver, I also planned a trip hiking the Sunshine Coast Trail. A week or two beforehand, our group had met to discuss the trail […]

Exploring Yokji Island: A Break From Mainland Korea

Observed people fishing at sunset one evening while exploring Yokji Island

I’m on a ferry returning to Busan from a weekend exploring Yokji Island, and I feel like I’ve been here before. I guess I have. Sick of the smell, the noise, the lights, the people, the hustle and bustle of Busan, I was looking to get away from the city for the weekend, to spend some time in […]

Hiatus on Titicaca: Rowing Across

Magnificent lake scenery during a hiatus on Titicaca.

Get back to Cuzco late on a Sunday night after hiking el Camino Inca to Machu Picchu. Find out Monday that I have nearly a week to kill before my eighteen-hour bus ride into the jungle. Up at 4:00 on Tuesday morning to catch a beaten-up old bus to Puno at 5:30. Sleep most of the way. My […]

Tambopata to Puerto Maldonado

Senovia in the peki peki on the way down the Tambopata to Puerto Maldonado.

The day I took the Rio Tambopata to Puerto Maldonado did not start off well. In fact, if I moved to Picaflor, I’d have to evict Pico. He left before I did this morning. With no idea where he was, I was ticked off. On Tuesday, the taxi-boat drove right by and we had to chase it down […]

Errands in Puerto Maldonado: Boat Rides, New Hairdo

Peki pekis docked at Puerto Tambopata — shot snapped while running errands in Puerto Maldonado.

My encounter with pacas was last night. I had just returned shortly before dinner from running some errands in Puerto Maldonado over the weekend: Getting some laundry done, since nothing ever properly dries in the rainforest unless it’s sunny for a few days; Stocking up on provisions, since Joel and Elissa and their delicious baked treats are gone […]

Getting to Picaflor Research Centre, Tambopata River

Getting to Picaflor Research Centre on the Tambopata River in a peki peki.

I ended up staying in Cusco one more night, for the simple reason that I mistimed my arrival in Puerto Maldonado. Since getting to Picaflor Research Centre for my volunteer commitment on the day I’d said I’d be there had become impossible, I took a one-way flight to the jungle. I was disappointed, for I was looking forward […]

Lake Titicaca: Getting to Isla del Sol

Fishing nets on Lake Titicaca, close by a lakeside roadway.

Being a bit on the adventurous side (heh heh heh), relaxing in Copacabana may have been my priority at first, but it certainly wasn’t on my agenda yesterday. After hitting the market for lunch and snacks, I set off down the road to Yampupata, from where getting to Isla del Sol by hired boat should be easy to […]