Lola

Most days I set out to visit ancient Mayan sites and haciendas, but I was able to visit a few of the area’s Pueblos Magicos including the second-largest city in the Yucatán State, Valladolid. There’s so much to do here including swimming in cenotes, shopping at local markets and in high-end local boutiques, admiring the architecture, and enjoying the gastronomy. I didn’t have enough time to visit Valladolid’s cenotes as I was only in town for a day trip and wanted to drive back to Mérida before dark. Most cenotes require bathers to shower before entering and only allow guests to use reef-friendly sunscreen in order to help preserve the cenote’s fragile ecosystem.

So, if you’re looking for a responsible option of getting to Machu Picchu and haven’t planned out a hike, the bus is your best option. This makes Cusco the best place to not only acclimate safely but also to support local businesses such as the numerous restaurants that fill the town center that offer only the best Peruvian delights. A short stroll through the town will take you through its extensive artisanal marketplace, historical town center, and eventually crossing the river through Aguas Calientes to get to a small park overlooking the stream below. There’s also a passport stamping booth at the exit where you can keep a small memento in your passport from your trip if you’re willing to take up the precious space on your passport page.

Late last year Collins Dictionary declared climate strike the 2019 word of the year after finding the use of the word had increased by over 100% on websites, newspapers, magazines, and social media. Global warming wasn’t even officially added to Collins Dictionary until 2008 and it’s already become a useless term— the world’s weather Urgent problems caused by changes in the world’s weather Climate genocide, wildlife collapse, climate-related security risk, ecological collapse. The new word is often used as a derogative term by climate crisis deniers.

The park rangers won’t let you get close to the dragons but they also don’t allow any weapons on the island. The initial visit to the park is at Komodo Island but Rinca, Padar, and other small islands are also part of the National Park. We’re guided by a ranger who is native to the island and says there are 3,000 Komodo Dragons within the park with the largest population in Komodo Island with 1,300 lizards. It’s a bit hard to conceptualize how such deadly dragons share an island that is also home to a pastel pink beach.