Category: 3 South America

- TRAVEL DIARY3 South AmericaColombiaDaily NotesRe-living Moments (Video)

Salsa in Cali @La Topa Tolondra, Cali, Colombia, March 29, 2018

It is widely believed that salsa music originated in Cuba. But to confess, I do not enjoy Cuban salsa music much, at least the modern ones – the endlessly cheerful tone wears out my emotional energy reserve within an hour. In contrast, I enjoy Colombian salsa songs – sometimes they may lack musical sophistication but they are rich with common human emotions, although a lot of them are romantic love-related. Back in the US, I saw salsa Cali performances and the style seemed to focus on...
- TRAVEL DIARY3 South AmericaBoliviaDaily NotesWhat I Had Today (Food)

Sajta,@Mirasol, La Paz, Bolivia, May 9, 2018

My initial experiences in Bolivia were not gentle – disgruntled immigration officer, a policeman asking for voluntary contribution, chilly weather and lack of oxygen. But from the day two, I began to encounter more interesting things. Food is one of them but this might just be my personal preference – there seem to be several spicy food or heavy stews options. The chicken in Sajta de Pollo was slightly spicy and it actually tasted similar to a Korean dish(Dak-bokkeum-tang), which is more spicy. The accompanying dried...
- TRAVEL DIARY3 South AmericaDaily NotesPeru

Way to Machu Picchu, Machu Picchu, Peru, April 29, 2018

Here I came to Machu Picchu, where everyone seems to have their profile photos replaced. To get to Cusco, I drove from Puno for about 7 hours and I was already amazed by the scenery of mountains and plains that didn’t even have names. So I was wondering whether Machu Picchu could actually beat the unnamed scenery. Since I do not consider myself a vacation traveler, when I am in a highly touristy place, I feel as if I came to a too much fancy store...
- TRAVEL DIARY3 South AmericaDaily NotesPeru

somewhere 3 hours from Puno, Peru, April 25, 2018

The section from Arequipa to Puno already called my attention weeks ago. Within about an hour of driving, the maximum elevation gain is over 2,000 meters, from around 2,300m to 4,500m. The lack of power of the car, which I experienced in Ecuador, had concerned me about getting ultimately stranded somewhere. But I finally faced the roads today, now armed with a new EGR valve, a bottle of transmission additive, and newly practiced skills on how to use manual gears to minimize stress on the gearbox....
- TRAVEL DIARY3 South AmericaDaily NotesPeruWhat I Had Today (Food)

Ceviche, Lima, Perú, April 20, 2018

I am staying in the Miraflores neighborhood in Lima. While things are well organized and fancy, it was hard to find a restaurant specializing in Ceviche(cevicheria) with a local vibe and more generous portions. When I found myself in a less fancy neighborhood while installing a security film on the windshield, I took a break and visited a nearby Cevicheria. This was my second day of trying to have ceviche everyday in Peru. You can choose the spiciness of the ceviche itself, but the accompanying red...