Occasionally referred to as a hobo, Petrina happily sleeps on cardboard boxes at petrol stations, digs through bins for food, and can go without showering for days, when necessary. She has terrible sense of direction but believes that getting lost can be pretty fun too.

Letters From Latin America: Pachijal Forest, Ecuador

By , 20 May 2020

My previous host, Tanya, told me about this riverside paradise in Quito, Ecuador, owned by her parents-in-law and said if I wanted to camp there, she could hook me up. I thought, why not? In my mind, ...

Letters From Latin America: COVID-19 Quarantine In A Colombian Jungle

By , 27 April 2020

Even when COVID-19 started making headlines, I didn’t take it too seriously. Until it reached the city I was in. And as with every unexpected major change in life, I went through several phases befo...

Letters From Latin America: Baños, Ecuador

By , 9 March 2020

I’m here in Baños, Ecuador and I’ve only heard rave reviews about it and its outdoorsy stuff. The thing about these sort of activities – it’s more fun in a group. Now I’m back on my own, an...

Letters From Latin America: Montanita, Ecuador

By , 27 February 2020

I’ve been volunteering at the same place, Hostel Esperanto, for over a month. Purposely so because I wanted to be in a familiar place with familiar faces over Christmas and New Years.

Letters From Latin America: Guayaquil, Ecuador

By , 18 February 2020

"There’s really not that much to do in Guayaquil. I probably would’ve been a bit bored being here by myself for a week. It’s the most populous city in Ecuador, but travellers usually only come h...

Letters From Latin America: Cusco, Peru (Part 2)

By , 30 January 2020

Cusco has grown into familiar territory. I wander the streets without checking my maps for directions, wave hello to storekeepers I pass by every day, and bump into friendly faces pretty much every ti...

Letters From Latin America: Cusco, Peru

By , 2 January 2020

If you ever come to Cusco, Peru, don't make the same mistakes I made.

Letters From Latin America: Riberalta, Bolivia

By , 26 November 2019

The worst is always when I enter the cabin only to have my heart stop for a second because I see a tarantula chilling on the wall somewhere or on the clothes that I hung up.

Letters From Latin America: La Paz, Bolivia

By , 17 October 2019

I think it’s official. I’m allergic to water. Me, who drinks water from the taps in India and doesn’t get diarrhoea. Now, my body swells up when I touch the water in Madidi. I wash my hands and ...

Letters From Latin America: Madidi National Park, Bolivia

By , 2 October 2019

Did you know that, instead of trains, the metro system in La Paz is cable cars? So cute. Naturally, I got lost. The people have been really helpful too in taking their time to explain what is where.