Amanda Kingsmith

yoga teacher. world traveler. writer. podcast host.

Peru

Eating and Saying Goodbye in Lima

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With nearly 10 million people, Lima is easily the biggest city in Peru. Normally a city this big completely intimidates me, but this one I was familiar with from my last trip to Peru. On top of that, Lima has a friendly little tourist district called Miraflores where you can find all sorts of comforts of home, from McDonald’s to Banana Republic (no, I did not visit either of them). One thing that I was no aware of the last time I was in Lima was the amazing food culture there. [Read more…] about Eating and Saying Goodbye in Lima

Welcome to the jungle of Iquitos!

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If there is one thing that I truly love about Peru, it is how different the landscapes are in each place that you go. Ryan and I went from desert sand dunes, to a quick stop on the coast in Lima, and then over to the deep jungle. Iquitos is about as far into the jungle as it gets, only reachable by a very long and unpleasant boat ride, or by plane. Naturally (and because of time), we chose to take a plane. After a pleasant 3 hour journey, we touched down in the jungle, and were blasted by the heat and humidity upon exiting the plane. Within a few minutes I was drenched with sweat. Welcome to the jungle! [Read more…] about Welcome to the jungle of Iquitos!

Nazca Lines & Huacachina

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Since we crossed into Bolivia nearly 6 weeks ago, Ryan and I have been traveling what is known as “the Gringo Trail”. For those of you who have never heard the term “gringo”, it is what the locals refer to the foreigners down here. When I first heard this back in January, I was bit offended, as I consider myself more of a traveller than a tourist, but I have come to accept the term over time. Let’s face it, it’s better to just say it as it is – I am a gringo, and there is no denying that. [Read more…] about Nazca Lines & Huacachina

Arequipa & the Colca Canyon

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After spending nearly 2 weeks in the cusco area, Ryan and were ready to move on and see more of Peru. Although Cusco is a great city to hang out in, the constant harassment around Plaza de Armas is a bit much. We took a night bus from Cusco to Arequipa, leaving at 8:30pm and arriving at 6:30am. We took a luxury tourist bus with a company called Cruz del Sur, and along with a decent meal, we played bingo and had our own TV screen with a wide selection of movies. Unlike most buses in South America, this bus was boiling, and I began peeling off layers one at a time. Nevertheless it wasn’t the worst sleep I’ve had, and the time passed quickly. [Read more…] about Arequipa & the Colca Canyon

Studying Spanish & Playing with Kids!

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After what felt like an extremely long bus ride (7 hours during the day), Ryan and I finally arrived in Cusco. Having been to Peru 2 years ago, I have been to Cusco before, but was looking forward to spending some more time there with Ryan. We had booked an apartment in the San Blas area through Air Bnb for the entire week. Although our apartment is in the house of a family, we head straight upstairs without disturbing them to get to our room, which is made up of 2 beds, a table, a small kitchenette, and our bathroom. It is by no means luxurious, but it has been awesome to have our own space, and a kitchen to ourselves for a few days. [Read more…] about Studying Spanish & Playing with Kids!