So . . . these past few weeks I've found myself pretty exhausted.  It feels like I need a break or something to get out of a rut.  I haven't been out of town in a few weeks and I think that is what is bringing me down a bit.  The solution is easy.  This coming weekend I'd like to head to Cuenca to enjoy the cool weather and just to "get away".  I find myself thinking constantly of the summer plans of travel.  It's almost like an obsession.  Here are the plans:

I'll head to La Paz, Bolivia on June 12th.  I'll be traveling solo, so I'll get to do what I want and when I want (mmm . . . that sounds a bit selfish).  Anyway, I'll travel to southern Bolivia by bus and train.  Tupiza is a town where I'll spend some time hiking and exploring.  It is badlands country.  Extremely beautiful, from what I've seen in pictures.  I'll also head to Salar de Uyuni (the salt flats of Bolivia).  After that, I'll head back to La Paz and explore a bit.  Then it is off to Lake Titicaca.  I'll hike and explore the lake on the Bolivian and Peruvian side.  In Peru, I'll go to Arequipa.  There are tons of hiking opportunities there.  Really close, there are two canyons.  One is the deepest canyon in the world, and both are twice as deep as the Grand Canyon.  After exploring a bit, it's off to Nazca where the Nazca lines are and then on to Lima.  My friends will be meeting me in Lima.  We'll head to Cusco and hike the Inca Trail to get to Machu Picchu.  Can't wait for the trip to begin!!!

This past weekend, I went to the Rubén Blades concert with friends.  It was a great time!  Even though I only knew a three or four of the songs, it was easy to realize their talent.  All the musicians were amazing!  A good word to describe the venue is HOT!  It was like watching an amazing concert in a sauna.  It was definitely worth all the sweat.  Here are some pictures and a few videos I took.

Here are a few videos I took: