Closed to visitors since 21 January, one of the world’s most famous archeological sites has finally reopened. On 15 February, Machu Picchu reopened to tourists. Having been constructed around 1450, the UNESCO site — which means “old mountain” or “old peak” in the native Quechua language — is located around 7972 feet above sea level […]
South America
Are Visas Required for United States Citizens to Enter Paraguay?
Chungking Mansions was part of a weekly ritual for me when I lived in Hong Kong, and to a lesser extent Shenzhen, right across the border. Chungking Mansions was a world unto itself, filled with West African “member’s only” restaurants, Turkish and Indian restaurants, Pakistani and Bengali phone vendors, and octogenarian tenants, either in cramped […]
A Tale of Six Ceviche (in Mexico, Ecuador, and Peru)
Ceviche (seh-VEE-chay) — or, is it cebiche? — is one of Peru’s most famous culinary exports, although its origins are indeed a mystery. It might have stemmed from the Incas, who discovered that chicha, or fermented maize, could help preserve seafood. Perhaps it was the Spanish conquistadors from Andalusia, who introduced different citruses such as […]
Chinatowns Around the World
As a child, I used to think that the Manhattan Chinatown was one of the coolest neighborhoods to wander around, be puzzled by the Chinese characters written all over the place, and to visit a vastly different culture without needing to hop on a plane. But how would it compare with other Chinatowns around the […]
Argentina and the Fifty Peso Note
Time to create a word: inflatuation. Meaning? (Tourist with a) fondness for countries suffering from superlatively high inflation. Venezuela might be the reigning regional champ, but this issue isn’t new to Argentina either. While your country is grappling with excessive inflation, you might as well instruct your state bank to try to instill some nationalist […]
COVID-19 Update: Chile Reopens All Land Borders as of 1 May
According to France24, after having been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic since 17 March 2020, the government of Chile has finally reopened all of its land borders to all visitors, as of yesterday, 1 May. This decision was due in part to steadily declining cases throughout Chile, but also that the Chilean government recognizes […]