I hear someone yelling in Spanish, but I don’t know what they’re saying.  “Danny, what’s going on?” I ask my guide.  “What’s he yelling about?”  “There’s a tarantula.  A big one,” he says excitedly.  “Do you want to see it?”  “Yes, of course.”  We pick up the pace of our hike along the bank of […]

“Oh this is going to be great,” I say to Danny, my naturalist and interpreter.  “I love to visit villages in foreign countries and see how different people live.”  “Well, I think you will like this one.  It is very small and has only thirteen families living here,” We walk into the village, and we’re […]

It’s my last morning here on the Amazon, and I’m excited to be in a skiff headed to the small community of Nauta for their weekly market day.  There’s a slight mist in the air, but it feels refreshing to me after the past few days of intense heat and humidity.  I’ve been warned that […]

I lie in bed listening to the rain hit the hotel rooftop and hope it will stop soon.  I glance at the clock…  3:17 a.m.  I have to be up in two hours…  I roll over and snuggle into the covers hoping this downpour will pass so I can photograph Machu Picchu in the early morning […]

As I travel through Peru, I note how the women here dress and accessorize simply with hats and hair braiding.  Every country is different, so I find it fascinating to see the beauty routines that have been passed down for generations and become characteristic of the culture.  When I was in Ethiopia in January, I […]

What has surprised me most about Peru is the incredible food.  No one told me about this hidden gem in the country.  Each day I fall more in love with its aromas and flavors, and I’m not even a “foodie”.  I am, however, someone who travels to many countries where the food sometimes challenges my palate.  […]