Why Are You Doing This?

“So, why are you doing this?” Someone asks me. I take a deep breath. My eyes scan around for some visual clues and get hooked on a giant LED screen with bold blue letters “Welcome to Facebook!”   It is a hot day. I am rolling a motorcycle tyre in the street of Layyah. A … Read more

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

Today is the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples! When the European colonizers arrived in the Americas, the indigenous population was diminished by 80–90% within the first few centuries mainly due to epidemic diseases the new settlers had brought with them. The colonizers destroyed indigenous empires and butchered natives to capture gold and land. … Read more

Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia

Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia at above 3600 m elevation is the world’s largest salt flat (12,106 square km). It is so vast and perfectly flat that the space satellites use it to calibrate their altimeters. Underneath the thick salt crust is a lake of brine containing over 50% of the world’s lithium deposits, a mineral … Read more

A Letter To Bolivia

Dear Bolivia, You were my third country on the way to Alaska! I remember you for your vast landscape. Your high plateau reminds me of another country in Central Asia. For me, you will aways be the Tajikistan of South America. Your grand vistas are from another planet. The eyes are too small to capture … Read more

Death Road Bolivia

Was this the best ride of my entire Argentina to Alaska trip? “El Camino de la Muerte” or “The Death Road” in Bolivia is dubbed as one of the world’s most dangerous road. It runs between La Paz and Coroico. A 2006 study estimated that 200-300 people were killed on this road every year. About … Read more

The Resilient Fighting Cholitas

A woman dressed in a heavy multi-layered skirt delivers a series of overpowering slaps to her opponent before dragging her across the ring by her long braids. She then spits water on her face before smashing the bottle on her head. The audience boos and jeers, while the referee intentionally looks away. Suddenly, the victim … Read more