March 2018 – Come Away with Dan

March 14, 2018January 24, 2023

The lessons that I may have learnt

“L’altrove è uno specchio in negativo. Il viaggiatore riconosce il poco che è suo, scoprendo il molto che non ha avuto e non avrà.”
(I. Calvino – Le città invisibili)

“The elsewhere is a negative mirror. The traveler recognise the few he has, discovering the much he never had and will never have.”
(I. Calvino – Invisible Cities)

No, I didn’t had any revelation during my trip to South America. I didn’t got up one day with all the answers. It didn’t changed my life, at least not in a different way in which a life can be changed by a two months long holiday.

So what do I take away with me from this trip? To answer this question I had to come back to Continue reading “The lessons that I may have learnt”

March 9, 2018January 24, 2023

Last stop Lima

Lima, Peru – 24.-28. January 2018

And here we are, for the last stop of the trip. Lima wasn’t exactly a “must visit” location for me, but since I had to take my flight back to Rio from here, I decided to spend here some days, and also to visit Ica, a desertic area on the souther cost of the city.

Unfortunately all the tiredness of the trip hit me hard in Lima. I stayed just four days, but the desire of visiting and discovery had already phaded out. So I came back to my evergreen: going to parks, enjoing the cafes, and this time even getting an hair and beard cut.

It was a good stay. I enjoyed my time there, having both the possibility to Continue reading “Last stop Lima”

March 8, 2018January 24, 2023

And I finally got to meet the Incas

Cusco, Peru – 19.-24. January 2018

There has been always a fixed point while I was planning my trip to South America, and this fixed point was the visit to the Machu Picchu. I have been always fascinated by the history of the pre-colombian civilizations in the Americas. I find the idea of civilizations developing in autonomous ways in the same planet as much fascinating as the idea of civilizations developing in autonomous way in the same galaxy, and it is likewise interesting to guess what happens when these civilizations eventually come in contact.

So coming to Cusco, the door to visit the terrritories of the Inca’s Empire, was a “mandatory” step in my trip. And, as european, I can’t say it was only a pleasure trip. You can’t just walk in Machu Picchu without asking yourself what would have been of that place without the impact of european imperialism. Machu Picchu in particular is a good example of that, since apparently the city has been abandoned by The Incas before it completition in a desperate attempt of defense from the spanish conquerors.

Machu Picchu is world known for being one of the most breathtaking places in the world, and this is a well deserved reputation. Unfortunately Continue reading “And I finally got to meet the Incas”

March 7, 2018January 24, 2023

Bonus Track La Paz

La Paz, Bolivia – 17.-19. January 2018

a Paz is another “bonus track“. I initially didn’t planned to visit the city. Also because of a rescheduled flight I could actually stay for only one day, so unfortunately I don’t have that much to say about this stop.

According to the initial idea, I intended La Paz as a base to visit the Salar de Uyuni and the Titicaca Lake. Because of the limited time, I wasn’t able to visit neither of those. So I spent my only day in La Paz visiting the city. The city is built in a very hilly area, so that you have often to climb up and down to reach the most intersting point.

Beyond of its shape, I can’t say I have been particulary impressed by the city. There are of course some very nice corner, Continue reading “Bonus Track La Paz”