If you squint, you may be able to see the few dots from my first, last, and only trip to Latin America. I visited Peru in March 2006 for grad school credit. We landed in Lima, paid a quick visit to Cusco and Machu Picchu, then got down and dirty (quite literally) while exploring the rainforest environs of the Tambopata and Madre de Dios Rivers in the country's southeastern frontier. Please read my reflections on this unforgettable journey here.

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Wait, I almost forgot! I spent one day in Mexico in January 2008, as a day trip from San Diego. Wanting to explore beyond the cringeworthy debauchery of Tijuana, we boarded a bus for Ensenada, a city of about 200,000 a bit farther south. We had time to walk around, explore, and of course pick out a souvenir. Now I can say I've been south of the border.