Peru: Country #50
In 2023, I hit a milestone in my travels. North Macedonia ended up becoming the 40th country that I’ve been able to visit, before I turned 40 years old. This year, thanks to a South American trip, I got to 50 countries a decade before I turned the same age.
Peru actually was not included in my itinerary; I planned only for Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile. However, while I was buying my ticket, an option for a 13-hour layover in Lima presented itself. It was an easy decision, I have to say.
I signed up for a two-hour walking tour of downtown followed by lunch, and finally a nice soak at a Turkish bath and sauna. The second I boarded my flight from Peru to Atlanta, I was fast asleep.
Selfie Studios
Popular in South Korea and Japan, selfie studios are fully equipped studios that allow you to take as many pro-quality photos within a 15- to 20-minute period. Think of photo booths but instead of just taking shots of your upper body, it’s a full experience—there’s a DSLR, a studio flash, a colored backdrop, and props for your use.
In Seoul, I went to odt.mode (pronounced oddity). In Japan, I went to Nove Studio in Osaka and Studio Selfia in Tokyo.
Carne Asada
Argentina is renowned all over the world for its excellent steaks, and when I was there last June, I could see—or rather, taste—why. I ate a lot, often, and well. Plus, thanks to the favorable exchange rate, each meal complete with a starter, couple glasses of wine, dessert, and propina (tip) was no more than $35.
All About the R&R
Since that trip to Iceland three years ago, I’ve sought out destinations that have baths where I can soak for hours and not worry about a thing in the world. Although there are Korean Jjimjilbangs and Russian bath houses where I live, there’s not a single thermal bath within a six-hour drive, so whenever I visit a city that has one, I make it a point to go.
This year, I took time out of my travels to relax at baths in Lyon, Szaflary (a ski town about an hour’s drive from Krakow), Nice, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Lima, Fukuoka, Osaka, Tokyo, and Seoul. I wanted to go to Las Grutas Tolantongo from México City, but it was a three-hour bus ride each way. Next time!
Balmain Jacket
One of the winningest purchases from my (online) thrifting is this Balmain jacket. I remember when H&M collaborated with Olivier Rousteing—I fell in line three hours before the store was to open, only to have the first few people who were there clean up the aisles for reselling. Ugh. I was so ready to pay $300 for the cotton moto-style jacket!
Anyway, this thrifted jacket is not from that collaboration, and I feel a lot happier that I not only got this for a much lower price, but it’s also a real-deal Balmain Paris.
Louis Vuitton’s Free Monogramming
I’ve had my passport wallet from Louis Vuitton for 16 years now, and I’ve never had it monogrammed until this year. For the longest time, I assumed that you can only sign up for the service at the store where you bought the leather good. Now, while this is true for Japan, the USA, France, and South Korea (and I’m sure a handful of other countries) will hot stamp your initials free of charge. I did not make an appointment for this, although I imagine it would be a better idea that you do it.
The Most Magical Place on Earth & The Kingdom of Dreams and Magic
I may not be as much of a Disney geek compared to my sister-in-law, but I wouldn’t pass up the chance to visit these theme parks.
The last time I was at the Magic Kingdom was in 2008. A lot has changed since, but the magic while you’re in the bubble is doubtless there still. The heat was on another level though—the Florida weather was not kidding! A moisture-wicking T-shirt and a large refillable water bottle became my best friends while at the park.
I visited Tokyo Disneyland in the beginning of December, last time being 2019, and the weather was wonderfully cold. I paid 2000 yen to ride the park’s jewel: The Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast. Somebody cried in our teacup vehicle, and I will neither confirm nor deny that it was me.
And although I was in France in the spring, I opted not to go to Disney Paris.
Water Filters
I covered this quite extensively throughout the year, but I love the amount of options that are in the market for filtering and purifying the water that you drink. I’ve road-tested Vitaloop’s water filtration bottle, LifeStraw’s Go (and the Sip), Philips’s GoZero, and Platypus’s Quickdraw, and each of them pass with flying colors (as evidenced by the fact that I never had the runs while traveling).
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