Cusco Historical Heritage & Best Tourist Destination

by Adrienne Wilson on

You’ll have to pardon me as my mind is in wanderlust hypo-drive. This is the result of attending a
Tony Robbins
motivational training for work all weekend at the Tampa Airport Marriott
and returning home only to watch the Motorcycle Diaries on DVD. I feel
as if I can conquer the world right now! All revved up with no place to go except the Internet (at least at the time
being) so as an advance warning these next couple of posts maybe be centered around South America and all the
countries plus some!  

First being Peru. I actually fell in love with Peru many years ago as a little girl when my uncle returned from his
journey there. He came bearing unique Peruvian handicrafts as gifts and stories of both smiling people and
llama’s. I could feel the magic of Peru and the legendary Inca empire filling me up and preparing me for
trips pf my own. Though I haven’t embarked on my own special trek through the country or the famous
Machu Picchu trail, I can guarantee those of you planning your own have much to look forward to.

Start with Cusco. I say this because the city ranks tops amongst most tourists and was even voted best tourist
destination in Wanderlust’s 2005 poll. Stroll the
ancient roads nestled inside the southeastern Andes passing people dressed in colorful costumes and rosy faced
Madonna’s. Rest your limbs for a while by sitting down for a serving of
ceviche, pachamanca, or
juane. After indulging in some of South America’s finest cuisines check out a hot spring, plan a day of bird
watching, or even another hike. The options are many and experiences plenty.

Let’s go Peru!

Budapest Blog

by Adrienne Wilson on

Budapest is either a city you fall in love with instantly and count the reasons why or a city you fall in love with and have no real explanation other than “because.” It’s a beautiful city located on the Danube bursting with history and rich cultural experiences waiting to happen. Oldmate provides his detailed tales in the city on Travel Blog, a place for free travel inspiration from globe trotters like you and me. In his account Oldmate clearly states his attraction to Hungarian women playing a key role in his love for the city (not one of my own key interests), but furthers the passion behind the city. From the eclectic mixture and style of architecture to the many adjoining bridges (which he provides great historical background on), he proclaims it a must-see destination.

Accompanied by some nice pics of the Chain Bridge, Royal Palace, Fisherman’s Bastion, Hero’s Square and the Parliament building it’s a nice blog to read if you plan on heading that way anytime soon. Another recommendation is the popular Pestiside blog full of news, culture, gossip, and other useful bits of information on cosmopolitan Budapest.

Siya!

Heading to Armenia

by Erik Olsen on

Hey folks, tonight I board a plane to Munich that will then take me on to Yerevan, Armenia,
where I hope to do some blogging on the life and culture of this fascinating little country in the Caucuses.

 

I’m bringing along my Nikon D70 and audio equipment, and so hope to shoot ample photos and do some podcasting while
I’m there. Should be a great trip, so stay tuned.

Bruce Feiler’s Journeys

by Kelly Amabile on

Bruce Feiler’s latest book,
Where God Was Born: A Journey by Land to the Roots of
Religion, was released this week. It follows his journeys through ancient civilizations to explore biblical places
and ancient sacred events. He travels 10,000 miles through the Middle East — Israel, Iraq, and Iran — discussing the
Bible with locals and revealing little known details about Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Many of Feiler’s books are part travelogue, part commentary on history, current events or religion. But not all his
writing is exclusively religious — he’s also penned books about
teaching in rural Japan,
living in Oxford and Cambridge, and his stints as a
clown and a
country music roadie. Two of his more recent books,
Walking the Bible, A Photographic Journey and
Abraham, are companion guides to upcoming PBS mini-series
about his epic travels.

Lost City of Z: New Yorker

by Erik Olsen on

Once again I must express my frustration with the
New Yorker for failing to Webify one of the best stories I’ve
read in the magazine in a while. While the story is not online, the September 19 issue contains a lengthy (even by New
Yorker standards) story by David Grann on the
century-old effort to locate the British explorer Colonel Percy Harrison
Fawcett, who disappeared in the Amazon jungle in 1925 with his son and a companion. I stayed up until late last
night — after eating a plate of sausages and turning pages as quickly as I could with greasy fingers — to get to the
end.

Grann himself ventures into the dense jungle to find out what happened to Fawcett, whose disappearance is one of the
great unsolved mysteries of the century. It’s a marvelous tale weaving together the history of Amazonian exploration,
the story of Fawcett’s likely demise and the current state of affairs in the Amazon, where rampant deforestation has
utterly changed the state of the forest (certain areas explored by Fawcett that were once thick forest are now clear
and smooth as a baby’s bottom). Grann encounters several of the same tribes Fawcett met, one of whom may have killed
him, and tells the story so well (it is the New Yorker, after all) that you’ll immediately be tempted (as I was) to do
a bunch of Fawcett research of your own.

Once again, I beseech the New Yorker folks (David, come on, man! I’ll be happy to help if you need it.) to do more
with your Web site.

Anyway, pick up the issue and read the piece if you are able.