Christmas Cheer and Greek Penguins

December 25, 2011 by Meghan Johnson

This Christmas, I am the recipient of a new Spanish-English dictionary, another week of life for an old sick cat, memories to cherish, plans to dream about, and love in spades.  I am the giver of many Peruvian hats, a can of Alaskan salmon to the aforementioned dying cat, several strange hand-drawn Christmas cards (see below), and hopefully a fraction of the love I’ve received. Wishing you all a warm, loving, and joyous Christmas this year from a fireplace hearth […]

Categories: Americana, Touchy Feelies

Lost in Buenos Aires

December 22, 2011 by Meghan Johnson

In just a day, I went from this: To this: Buenos Aires.  The Paris of South America.  To me, it was New York City, only more attractive and in Spanish. I spent over two weeks in Bs As (interrupted by a short trip to Iguazu Falls), ate about four cows worth of steak, drank a good deal of Malbec and a little bit of Fernet, and interacted almost exclusively with fellow travelers.  I spent far too much time in hostels […]

Categories: Argentina, Travel

San Pedro de Atacama and Salta

December 17, 2011 by Meghan Johnson

I’m beginning to think I’ve developed Locational Separation Anxiety.  Not exactly a medical term, but as my own self-appointed therapist, this is what I am coining it.  I fall in love with places for the oddest reasons, and then preemptively despise my next destination for pulling me away… that is, until I then fall in love with that place for some eccentricity I find there.  For someone who is a self-described long-term traveler, this is becoming a problem. Despite a rough […]

Categories: Argentina, Chile, Travel

Bolivian Interlude

December 9, 2011 by Meghan Johnson

Driving over rocky terrain in a Jeep for three days lends itself to a good soundtrack.  In fact, it requires one.  My new friends Olly, Sarah, Tom, our always-calm-and-collected driver Marin, and I rotated our iPods hourly to create an eclectic and memorable musical backdrop to the most beautiful scenery in the world.  Here are a few of those songs, and some more pictures.  Enjoy! “Pretender” – Foo Fighters “I’ve Been Everywhere” – Johnny Cash “Fake Empire” – The National […]

Categories: Uncategorized

Potosi Silver Mines: Descent into the Underworld

December 7, 2011 by Meghan Johnson

Before departing Potosi for Uyuni, my fellow travelers and I signed up for a tour of the city’s silver mines.  We were warned that it was an experience worth having but not one we would ever want to repeat.  With that little nugget in the back of our minds, plus the estimation that eight million people have died in these tunnels since their construction in the 16th century, we weren’t exactly chomping at the bit to get into the mountain. Our […]

Categories: Bolivia, Travel