Colca Canyon literally breathtaking scenery at 3.500m altitude
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just a glimpse, stay tuned for more to explore · MilesAstray unfolds in retrospect. I was living these stories full time, now I’m penning them down. Head over to the countries page for the latest places/stories.
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a glimpse
glimpse: CHANGE | Seeing it from our tiny and perishable human dimension, earth seems immutable. Rock-solid cliffs look like they always have been and always will be. Yet, the face of the earth is changing as it ages, just like ours, just a little slower. Future generations will have to redraw the physical map as erosion, climate change and tectonic movements will have their say. And tectonic change is bound to happen on that political map too, as society gets its way, pushing or erasing arbitrary borders with pencils or tanks. We’ll all be moved by this constant and inevitable change, one way or another, literally and figuratively. Those, desperately clinging on to the known, might frown and tremble. Those, welcoming the unkown might find beauty and comfort in the embrace of change.
glimpse: AT HER MERCY | She calls us back with a roar. No matter if we meet her with joy, awe or even fear, she draws us near. And when we immerse ourselves in the element that birthed us, we trust her. We trust her surf will carry us, not crush us. We trust her with our life because we know she is benevolent and giving, even though her capricious side can toss us around in the tide. We are, after all, at her mercy.
My eyes didn't linger on Machu Picchu, but drifted to the limestone formations all around, where playful rays now surged the air between them.
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Machu Picchu
Lima Everybody said she was ugly. And maybe the low expectations were part of it, but I fell for Lima right away, despite being utterly broke. There were limeños who helped me with free accommodation and jobs from day one.

this blue
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Laguna 69, Huaraz
I had never associated the desert with South America.
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Huacachina Oasis

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places / stories
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Arequipa / Couchsurfing Gratitude & Commitment
yet to be written
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Colca Canyon / On the Hike-Run
yet to be written
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Cusco / The Crux of DIY
yet to be written
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Huacachina Oasis / “This is Huaca-Fucking-China”
yet to be written
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Huanchaco / These Waves
yet to be written
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Huaraz / Altitude Sickness, Magic Pills & Twist Endings
yet to be written
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Lima / Broke
yet to be written
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Machu Picchu / Attraction Trap
yet to be written
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Paracas / My Beloved Solitude & My Beloved People
yet to be written
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Picapiedra / Of Heroes & Villains
yet to be written
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Trujillo / Time Warps
yet to be written
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related
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photos | landscapes
Americas
wilderness heart
Raw Patagonian horizons stretching all the way to rough coastlines in Newfoundland and an abundance of wilderness wonders in-between: from azure glaciers, psychedelic lagoons and altitude canyons to ash-spewing volcanoes, jungle greens and soaring falls. see more
reads | travel
Must I Really Though?
when musts outnumber wants in your wanderlust soles
...strapped into our backpacks, to declare guerrilla war on bleak society regimes with Mondays? Every child is more of a rebel, when Mom allots musts... read more
reads | travel
Who Is That White Savior With the Complex?
Are Westerners trying to save the world on their terms?
...development assistance can be viable; unless it feeds into an individual or systemic White Savior Complex that results in the idea of one side helping the other and distracts people from the underlying issues and inequities. read more