Homecoming pleasures

Early this year I was asked to write a blog taking a sideways look at one of the destinations we offer for the website of the travel magazine Wanderlust. I wrote about what I like to do when I go back to my home town, La Paz, in Bolivia (You can read it here).

I got a bit of criticism from one of my industry contacts in Bolivia that the blog did not give the kind of impression for visitors to Bolivia they saw as appropriate because I didn’t talk about typical ‘touristic’ sites or activities.

This was certainly true, but that wasn’t what I was asked to write about. The blog was supposed to offer a few ‘insider’ tips from people that have lived and worked in a particular place.

Of course, when I head somewhere new I want to visit many of the attractions on offer.  But I’ve also found that meeting up with a friend or even a personal recommendation can lead to a discovery equally as interesting.

Even if these might not be the most authentic of options, they might offer a glimpse beyond the guidebooks and take you closer to the people who live there.

For any HighLives' destination, we will look to include the cultural or geographical highlights that stand out. But we will also do our best to point out a few things that I think offer visitors an insight into what day-to-day life is like for local people.

One such tip I have would be from my last visit to Lima, the often overlooked capital of Peru. If you’re there on a Sunday, head for the upscale seaside district of Miraflores, and queue with local families for a lunch-time treat of ceviche in one of the neighbourhood restaurants. I wasn’t really a fan of this spicy raw seafood dish before- but I’d never tasted fresher or better than on that lazy Sunday afternoon.

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