South America

If you had wandered into the town of Mindo just 15 years ago, you would never have seen advertisements for canyoning or chocolate tours. The …

Pronounced “O-yan-tay-tombo” and called simply “o-YAN-ta” by the locals, I spent two months of my life in this small Peruvian town, this a living Inca …

Peruvian desserts and dishes are becoming world famous for their fusion of native cuisines, European styles, and some ingredients imported from Asia. Living in rural …

While living in the Sacred Valley of Peru, I went on an adventure to see Machu Picchu as a backpacker, and with a backpacker’s budget, …

Wondering what to do in the sacred valley, or in Ollantaytambo, Peru? How about visiting Incan ruins with— wait for it— no other tourists? A Sign …

There are salt mines located about a 10 minute drive from Ollantaytambo, my town in Peru. Technically, the town they’re located in is Maras, but the …

This Peruvian arroz con leche recipe is my favorite food to make at work. My internship is in a chocolate factory, but when I’m there, …

Living in an Incan village is about as quiet at night as you’d expect, but that doesn’t mean that my mornings before work aren’t dominated …

One of my more mundane goals for this year was to memorize a pancake recipe. While working in the kitchen at the Chocolate Museum in …

Last month when I was visiting Mindo, Ecuador, I had the luck of running into José Meza, one half of the chocolate power couple behind …