Start From The Beginning: Hiking in Argentina We arrived in El Calafate a bit beat up from two days of hiking in El Chalten. My blisters had blisters, all my hiking socks were dirty and torn, and my supposedly waterproof brand-new hiking shoes were very much soaked through. But none […]
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Hiking Into the Sky, Patagonia, Argentina
Start with Part I of Argentina Travels to figure out who Ayala is and who we are. “First hike in El Chalten,” Victor said, “Is twenty-six kilometers. Next day, we’ll take it easy and do nineteen. The following day, we get to El Calafate and hike up a glacier.” “When […]
Read MoreWelcome to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the Coffee Capital of the United States
For many people, Milwaukee is and has always been the U.S. beer capital. The stereotype is understandable given the city’s history, but a little bit outdated. Milwaukee’s breweries thrived in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and for a time, the city was home to the four largest breweries in […]
Read MoreJamaica: The World’s Highest Coffee
Last month, we did something irresponsible. Are you ready? We paid $15 for a cup of coffee. Yes, frugal backpackers who run this blog did that. Before you judge us for the splurge, all I can say is that we did it in the fancy, four-story Starbucks on Chicago’s Magnificent […]
Read MoreWondering About Chichen Itza
Every time I visit a place that is universally considered to be a “must-see” or a “wonder of the world”, I quietly prepare myself to be disappointed. Mass popularity often brings visitors (including us) to totally overrated places. Mount Rushmore, Stonehenge, the peeing boy statue – my personal list of […]
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