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 infrastructure simply did not exist …

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 village just a few hours …

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 Peru for two months, I …

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, widely claimed to be one …

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 From Above I have lived in …

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 mountains take up so much …

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, I love to make rice …

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 by fast-paced activities such as …

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 Ollantaytambo, I found myself with …

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 Mindo Chocolate. I was so …