Meet Our Staff

 Bernard Schleien
 Director and Founder
 bernard@peruforless.com

Bernard attended Southwestern University at Georgetown, TX, one of the leading liberal arts colleges in the USA. After graduating with a major in history, he founded Peru For Less in 1998 and has ever since devoted his professional life to building memories of Peru for all. He has learned that there is much more to life than the ever so constant work day, and is one of seven founding members of Peru Futbol - a Peruvian NGO that aims to bring thousands of Peruvian children out of poverty, while instilling values through the teachings of soccer. Bernard has a love for Peru (especially Cusco), like so many, and finds it extremely gratifying at the end of each day that he is able to sell something he truly believes in. He has lived in Cusco for 6 months, and goes there at least 3 times a year. Other interesting factoids about Bernard: Seinfeld fanatic, Cienciano del Cuzco soccer club team rooter, independent rock music appreciator, bicycle rider, creative writer, gourmand, and skilled micro brewed beer sampler (he says he just likes the taste).

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 Richard Leon
 Director
 richard@latinamericaforless.com

Richard attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, one of the best schools of music in the world. He has lived in both the USA and Peru, as his family tended to move from one country to another due to job reasons. After 4 years of traveling back and forth from Boston and his home town of Lima, Peru, he graduated with a Bachelor degree in Music Business and Management. He has a passion for travel, drums, music, surfing, and the financial markets where he has been day trading for several years. He can never say no to food, especially if it is Pizza Day at the office which is, to his fortune, once per month. He loves playing with his band called Pan con Tamal and also simply grabbing his backpack and walking into unknown territory to find beautiful destinations. Luckily for the rest of us he always shares new discoveries with all his friends. As an avid traveler he has explored many countries in South America and experienced how travel can broaden his horizons by meeting new people, new cultures, and most importantly new rhythms for his drum set. Helping people is one of his passions and Richard truly believes that what goes around comes around and we all have to do our part to make our small space in the universe the best place it can be.

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 Elizabeth Nicknam-Retana
 General Manager
 elizabeth@latinamericaforless.com

Elizabeth was born in the Midwest, but moved to the San Francisco Bay Area as a child and considers herself a Californian at heart. She received her Master's in Business Administration (MBA) from Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley in 2008, with an emphasis in marketing and business strategy. She also studied international business strategy and fashion retail management while on MBA exchange in Milan, Italy in 2007 at the SDA Bocconi. Elizabeth spent her undergraduate years in the beautiful forests at the University of California, Santa Cruz and has a double major in business management economics and legal studies. Before coming to Latin America For Less, Elizabeth spent 8 years in the heart of Silicon Valley working for Intel in commodity management, managing accounts, supply chain programs and negotiating contracts for the worldwide factories.

She also built a consulting business, working with companies around the world to develop solid business strategies, marketing programs, and effective advertising campaigns. Outside of work, Elizabeth enjoys exploring the world with her husband, Mark. From big cities to beautiful natural scenery, Elizabeth loves to see new places and is always ready to get out and explore, so much so that her friends and family think she's crazy – but they are no longer surprised when she says she is off on another adventure! Her most memorable trip to date was when she went on an expedition to Antarctica, which included wildlife encounters, snow hiking, kayaking, and even a polar plunge! She is looking forward to expanding her travels in Latin America and learning to speak Spanish fluently. You can catch Elizabeth rollerblading, playing basketball, listening to music, watching the crashing ocean waves or out exploring the town in her free time.

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 Crystal Logan
 Assistant General Manager

Crystal hails from the countryside on the outskirts of the historic town of Oxford, England. Brought up in a very large and very loud Anglo-American family, she has spent much time in the States; however her hometown is Oxford and she is an avid supporter of England in football matches, loves roast dinners and English tea. She leaves behind in England a number of animals including horses, dogs and cats.

She is a graduate of Hospitality and Tourism Management Studies from Oxford Brookes University. There she focused strongly on issues of intercultural management, sustainable tourism and destination management. Her thesis focused on the issues and impacts of tourism, with a case study of Cusco, Peru, and the impact of tourism on vulnerable communities is one of her interest areas. She is studying for a Masters in Development and Emergency Practice, which focuses on the issues in developing countries. It has enabled her to look at how tourism can be approached in the future to benefit local communities.

Crystal has traveled to every continent apart from Antarctica and has a particular passion for Latin America, especially Peru and Argentina. She loves to get off the beaten track, seek out new destinations and try new experiences. She is a foodie and will never say no to trying new delicacies in the countries she visits.

Crystal supports a number of charities in her free time and volunteered throughout her university years at a homeless shelter in Oxford. She is looking forward to getting involved with charities and voluntary organizations here in Peru.

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 Doug Emeott
 Project Manager

Born and raised in the “Great Lake State” of Michigan, Doug is proud to be a Midwesterner who fancies vibrantly colorful autumns and insanely cold winters. A devout fan of the University of Michigan since childhood, it was destiny that Doug attended this top-notch institution that boasts world-renowned programs in liberal arts, medicine, law, and public policy. In between dedicating the majority of his time following the university’s rich sporting traditions such as football, basketball, and hockey, Doug graduated with studies in Economics and Political Science.

Since finishing his undergraduate studies, he has been exploring life and career opportunities in international development anywhere from Washington D.C. to Costa Rica. With a deep-seeded motivation to help others, Doug has worked with many exciting programs such as teaching English to schoolchildren in Costa Rica and guiding volunteer groups for Habitat for Humanity to build houses throughout Guatemala. Drawn in by the friendliness of the Costa Rican ticos and the interesting Mayan-Spanish customs of the Guatemalan chapines, Doug has found a second home in Latin America; hungry to explore more of the foods, sights, and people that await him in countries yet unexplored.

In Doug’s spare time, you will find him enjoying the outdoors anywhere from a quaint, quiet spot to himself among the trees or in the center of the hustle and bustle of a town’s park for some extreme people watching. A self-proclaimed “foodie,” Doug doesn’t actually know what that term means, but rather finds it fitting because he loves to eat anything and everything. He especially loves trying new dishes and exploring new places to eat in town, forever in search of a stromboli that rivals that prepared by his own mother.

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 David McClellan
 US Office Manager

David is a medical social worker who attained Psychology and Philosophy degrees at Southwestern University at Georgetown, TX; a leading liberal arts college in the USA. He worked in a senior living community in Austin after college, and after traveling to South America and meeting up with his old college buddy, Bernard, he became the US Office Manager for Peru For Less. David's laid back attitude and warm character have always drawn him towards Latin America. He is a 'seize the moment' type of guy with an ambition to collect as many valuable experiences as possible. He collected many such experiences during his enchanting travels through Peru, from the zenith experience of Machu Picchu to the Taoist exploration of the Amazon waters. David plays football in recreational leagues and also sings Bass in professional choirs that perform everywhere from small venues in Texas to a sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall, New York City. In his spare time David plays guitar and cries the Mississippi delta blues or bangs on bongos. He also enjoys motorcycle-riding through the Texas hill country. David brings to bear his passion for experience, compassion for the unlucky, and faith in each person's liberty to create his or her own living Heaven in preparation for what lies beyond. These principles of the human spirit align David with the Peru For Less philosophy of rejuvenation, sensory stimulation and collection of experiences, as well as the cultural good.

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 Rylee McGowan
 Travel Advisor
 rylee@latinamericaforless.com

Rylee is a photographer and musician originally from San Francisco. It was here that she studied Film Production at the State University and worked diligently through school at the Exploratorium Science Museum as an audiovisual technician and freelance photographer.

After graduation, Rylee had an urge to travel and explore the rest of the world, her camera at her side, and so spent time in Haiti, Mexico, South East Asia and Western Europe. She found the Caribbean and Latin American countries particularly visually exciting, although on one occasion, in Haiti, a voodoo curse was put on her by a lady worried that Rylee’s camera had captured part of her soul.

Her first experience of South America was when she traveled through Argentina and then to Peru … but she liked it so much she stayed! She realizes that traveling is always going to be an important part of her life, but for the time being, she is happily settled in Lima, where she continues to take photos, play her piano, enjoy the local music scene, and is learning how to cook Peruvian-style.

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 Kristina Rudge
 Travel Advisor
 kristina@latinamericaforless.com

Kristina’s interest in South America goes back to her childhood and has sometimes led her to wonder if she was born on the wrong continent. She studied Latin American history and literature at the Warwick University and spent a year at the University of Puebla, Mexico, before studying International Development at the London School of Economics.

Combining her passion for travel with a belief that travelers should be socially and environmentally responsible, Kristina worked on Tourism Studies at a British education provider before leaving England behind to participate in an adventurous volunteer project in the Argentinean Patagonia, helping biologists study the Andean condor and other endangered species. The striking impression left on her by the wild beauty of Patagonia led her to head off the beaten track as often as she could as she traveled through Bolivia to Peru.

Following an awe-inspiring trek in the Cusco highlands, Kristina spent a month in Pisco helping to rebuild homes in districts affected by the 2007 earthquake. She left feeling indebted to the families she met, for their unfaltering, extraordinary generosity in the face of crisis. She arrived in Lima expecting a short visit and was charmed into staying by the warmth and open-hearted nature of the limeños.  She was quickly introduced to the capital city’s gastronomic delights and all the opportunities offered by its proximity to the mountains and the sea. On weekends she can be found eating ceviche, lomo saltado or chaufa and visiting one of the beaches or archaeological sites close to Lima. She loves to read and go to the movies and enjoys listening to salsa and classic rock, although her lack of dancing ability is one factor that will surely mark her as a gringa, however long she stays.

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 Matt Greenberg
 Travel Advisor
 mattg@latinamericaforless.com

Matthew comes to us from the suburbs of Chicago where he was born and raised. He graduated from the University of Tampa in Florida with a major in writing and a minor in English. During his college years, Matthew spent a year teaching English in Costa Rica, where he fell in love with Latin America and fostered a desire to write about its culture. Fascinated by the warm and gentle pura vida attitudes of the ticos, he was struck by a sense of beauty and serenity he had never before encountered. In Costa Rica, Matthew was bit by the travel bug; this took him to venture throughout Central America and Europe. He now indulges in the rich and foreign treasures South America has to offer.

Matthew came to Peru to instruct English and quickly found the country had much to teach him. In his reports home, Matthew sings the praises of the best food he has ever had “except maybe for Chicago deep dish pizza.” Even more than the delicious cuisine, it was the warmth of the people, the beauty of the countryside, and the bustle of Lima that captured his heart and imagination. He travels as much as his time permits and has become known as the “Tango King” in certain corners of Buenos Aires. Friend to the penguins of Puerto Madryn, the gauchos’ cattle of the Argentine pampas, and the llama of Peru, Matthew cherishes the sacred and vibrant wildlife that can be found all over South America. In his free time, Matthew can be found writing, reading, or catching the latest movies. While Matthew does not miss the harsh Midwest winters, he does long for basketball and cheering on his beloved Boston Red Sox, a family inherited obsession. Nevertheless, Matthew has happily found a new home in Latin America.

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 Kelly Chrystal
 Travel Advisor
 kelly@latinamericaforless.com

Kelly comes from a big and crazy Midwestern family in Illinois, which will always be home no matter where she finds herself. After high school she went to Spain where she immersed herself in language studies, met people from all over the world, and made sure to see the best of various European cities.

A sucker for a challenge, Kelly then went on to pursue a BA at the New York University in Manhattan’s eclectic Greenwich Village, double majoring in Spanish and Social and Cultural Analysis. As someone with a passion to work for positive change, during her years at NYU, Kelly volunteered and interned with non-profit organizations, spending time in New Orleans, the mountains of Colorado and different neighborhoods around New York City. With its endless cultural activities and live music scene, New York treated Kelly very well and by the end of four years she was a true New Yorker, a vegetarian living in Brooklyn.

An avid traveler and adventure-seeker, she found herself returning to Peru where she had spent a semester as an exchange student at Lima’s Pontificia Universidad Catolica in 2008. The warmth of the Peruvian people, its agreeable climate, colorful culture and dynamic landscape all drew Kelly back to work in this country she had gotten to know well enough to be fascinated. She loves to read, run, and listen to music and podcasts – a newly discovered interest – while not working on the endless project of improving her Spanish.

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 Staci Steele
 Travel Advisor
 staci@latinamericaforless.com

Staci, though a native of Austin, Texas, spent much of her childhood in sunny San Diego, California before settling in her home state. The heartbreaking separation from the beach as a child compelled Staci to study the ocean. Following high school graduation, Staci began her Bachelor of Science degree in Marine and Freshwater Sciences which helped shape her passion for protecting the environment. That’s also when she decided to be a vegetarian and commit herself to fighting for environmental issues.

She also earned her scuba diving certification, and following graduation, ran off to indulge in numerous underwater adventures throughout Thailand, The Great Barrier Reef, and Fiji, and was ecstatic when she stumbled upon the opportunity to swim with a whale shark. She was really bitten by the travel bug during her semester abroad studying at the University of Tasmania, Australia, where she fell in love with the quaint town of Hobart. Not stopping there, Staci went on to explore another 14 countries.

Staci most recently completed a 4-month backpacking trip throughout Peru, Chile, Argentina and Southern Brazil. Among her best memories are climbing the steps of Machu Picchu, floating in the salt lagoons of San Pedro in the Atacama Desert, hiking the rugged terrains of Patagonia, sampling the cultural diversity of Buenos Aires, and relaxing on the beautiful Brazilian beaches. She says that she has always dreamt of coming to South America, where she could experience the colorful cultures, dance to the lively music, and achieve fluency in Spanish. Now she has fallen in love with Lima and is here to stay. In Staci’s free time, you can most likely find her playing with paints, jogging to the beats of whatever is on her iPod, reading a book, cooking something new, or enjoying Mother Nature on yet another outdoor exploration.

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 Aleksandar Jankovic
 Travel Advisor
 aleks@latinamericaforless.com

Aleks was born and raised in Belgrade, Serbia and spent his life alternating between Serbia and Qatar for work and education. No matter where he is, he always finds the time to hit the road, either for the sake of cultural exploration, catching music festivals, or just to chill out on a remote island. Aleks received his Hospitality Management diploma from the American Hotel & Lodging Association and for some time curiously worked at a chewing gum factory. Having had enough of the 9 to 5 routine, he packed his bags and left for places unknown. His next few months were spent discovering the diverse regions of Argentina, Chile, Peru and Bolivia getting to know the charms of South America, but more importantly its people as well. The whole experience affected Aleks deeply and he promised himself to return again to this spectacular continent.

Upon reflecting on his travels, Aleks decided to make tourism his career and to mix business with pleasure, helping people achieve the same sort of experiences he enjoys so much on his travels. He spent the next few years studying at the Stenden University in Qatar, where he received his bachelor degree in International Tourism Management. At the moment, Aleks has settled down in Lima where he guides eager travelers down the same roads he has visited on his journeys. When not on the road, he enjoys mimicking the sounds of music and daily life on his drum kit, playing basketball or looking for the next best place to pull off a bungee. He is also known to enjoy a fine glass of vino tinto, of which South America is never in short supply!

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 Jennie Duong
 Travel Advisor
 jennie@latinamericaforless.com

Jennie is a tourism graduate, born and raised in the bright and bustling town of Birkenhead, England. While studying at the University of Chester, she got her first taste for traveling. Jennie was most affected by her trip to the Dominican Republic, where she took part in a 3 month voluntary project working on private beaches and conservation projects. This very lucky girl not only got to work in the gorgeous Caribbean sun every day but also got to witness the refreshing and fruitful Caribbean life. After this experience she found herself determined to travel back to the Americas, and so she returned, living in Cusco for one year, where she finally achieved one of her lifelong goals of completing the Inca Trail among other things, before moving to Lima.

Jennie loves life and finds her amazing friends in England (who she has known since she was 2 years old) to be a true inspiration. She believes they have contributed to make her who she is today. Jennie loves adventures, exercising, and music, and is always willing to try new things. In her free time, you can find Jennie trying out new dishes either in her kitchen or in a local restaurant. Although, it must be said that she does miss her mums cooking!

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 Silvana Zavala
 Travel Advisor
 silvana@latinamericaforless.com

Silvana was born in Lima, Peru and as a child was lucky to enjoy traveling all around South America. After traveling and working in the United States for over a year, Silvana attended Southern New Hampshire University and graduated with a major in Hospitality Management. She had the chance to work for JW Marriott Hotels in Orlando and other renowned hotel in the United States. Upon reflecting about what she loves most in life, Silvana decided to turn to tourism as a career, realizing her true passion for traveling was revealed a long time ago when she was a 10 year-old girl.

Traveling never left her to-do-list and Silvana spends most of her free time visiting new cities, but always seems to return to Peru for her family and the amazing Peruvian Lomo Saltado. She enjoys everything involving a great trip from planning – she is considered the designated travel planner by her friends and family – to nightlife, dancing, eating out, shopping, sightseeing, taking pictures, and learning new languages. She is currently learning Mandarin, her fourth language so far.

Silvana has a dedicated passion for chocolate, red wine, and recently Pisco. Although not much of a cook, she loves watching cooking TV shows and trying new restaurants. When she is not traveling, you can catch her reading, swimming, playing tennis, hanging out with friends, or watching a Seinfeld episode from her most precious collection. Silvana dreams of one day backpacking for months in Asia and Europe, continents that she hasn’t explored…yet.

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 Spencer Reely
 Travel Advisor
 spencer@latinamericaforless.com

Spencer recently graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor’s in Political Science. Like so many other recent graduates she found herself working in a menial job which, given the economy, she felt lucky to have. Fortunately, she woke up one day and decided it was high time to trade routine and stability for travel and adventure. In 2007 Spencer interned with a sustainable tourism company in Santiago, Chile where she developed a passion for South America, spent countless hours traveling the country via autobús, and learned about the importance of Fair Trade practices and sustainable tourism. As an undergrad, Spencer also studied abroad in Valencia, Spain and Arezzo, Italy, but numerous classes on Latin American politics and history have steered her back to South America. When she’s not working Spencer loves cooking (and eating!), reading, taking photos, drinking wine, going to music festivals, and making up silly jokes that no one else thinks are funny.

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 Kelly Hurst
 Travel Advisor
 kellyh@latinamericaforless.com

Kelly was born in North Carolina, and after living in Maryland, Colorado, and Kentucky, ended up back in North Carolina. She studied Spanish and Latin American studies at the University of South Carolina. To enrich her degree, she decided to study abroad in Costa Rica. While she had an amazing stay and the Ticos couldn’t have been friendlier, many of them spoke such great English that it was hard to practice Spanish! After graduating, she decided to perfect the language while helping the world at the same time as a volunteer English teacher at a public school in rural Chile. She loved Chile, her gracious host family, and her hundreds of students who were adorable despite their attempts to turn her classes into chaos. After that incredible experience she returned home, but Latin America was already tugging at her heartstrings and she decided to return south and ended up living and working in beautiful Buenos Aires for 7 months. She returned home just in time for her fifth consecutive winter.

Kelly is a cowgirl at heart and makes it a point to ride in each new place she visits. She has explored beaches, jungles, deserts, pampas, and the Andes foothills on horseback, and doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon! She also enjoys food, wine, salsa dancing, hiking, and reading. She is thrilled to continue exploring Latin America from Lima and to learn everything that this new city has to offer!

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 Dana Goble
 Travel Advisor
 dana@latinamericaforless.com

Dana grew up in Holland, Michigan - the city of tulips in the Great Lake state. After traveling to Peru with a high school group in 2006, she discovered her passion for Latin America and decided to pursue a degree that would allow her to travel and see more of the world she lived in. She attended Valparaiso University, a small liberal-arts college located an hour outside of Chicago, and recently graduated with a double major in International Business and Spanish. During her sophomore year, Dana spent a semester abroad studying at La Universidad de Las Americas in Puebla, Mexico, which further fueled her desire to work in international travel and tourism. Six months later she was then chosen as one of six students to participate in a summer internship program at the YMCA in Valparaiso, Chile, where she taught English to underprivileged children and worked with the local community's drug and alcohol counseling program.

When not working at the University's study abroad office, or fantasizing about her next trip abroad, Dana was the Volunteer Coordinator at the local soup kitchen responsible for organizing the service of over 300 meals each week to those in need. She was also the president of her school's chapter of Collegiate DECA and was a national finalist in the Travel and Tourism simulation. Dana is definitely not sad to leave behind the cold Michigan winters as she returns to Peru to help others discover more of Latin and South America.

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 Nikoline Andersen
 Travel Advisor
 nikoline@latinamericaforless.com

Nikoline grew up in a small town in Denmark, but was introduced to the world at an early age by her fun loving parents. As soon as she finished High School, she spent a year traveling the world, where she fell hardly in love with South America at first sight. After temporarily fulfilling her travel desire, Nikoline studied International Business Communication at Copenhagen Business School, but returned to Latin America every chance she got. After University she spent a year and a half on and off in her favorite destination, Peru, where she enjoyed perfecting her Spanish skills, exploring the charming chaos of Lima and really getting to know the joyful and warm Peruvian people.

Her greatest memories of traveling in South America have been hiking to the magical Machu Picchu, experiencing the mindboggling lives of the Uro people living on floating islands on Lake Titicaca, trekking through the amazing and dramatic scenery of Torres del Paine in Southern Chile, being welcomed with open arms and curiosity by complete strangers in Trujillo, and of course practicing salsa and exploring the many different tastes that local cuisine has to offer. Besides being head over heels for pisco sour and ceviche, Nikoline is addicted to Peruvian chocolate and , and can often be found in one of Lima´s many parks enjoying a crema volteada.

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 Chad Russell
 Travel Advisor
 chad@latinamericaforless.com

Chad Russell comes from the dairy state of Wisconsin where he grew up in a big family with a small farm. While studying psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he got his first taste of Latin America when he took an unforgettable spring break trip with some friends to Honduras. With fresh memories of exotic foods, beautiful beaches, amazing jungle adventures, and friendly laid back locals he had met, Chad started plans to study abroad as soon as he got home. A few semesters later, Chad landed in Lima for a semester abroad at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru, and a few months after that, the language, culture, and food had him hooked and he began sending emails to request a second semester in Peru. Eventually, he returned to Wisconsin for his final semester of coursework, but his love for the people, food, and endless travel opportunities kept him wondering if his home was meant to be south of the equator. Living in Lima today, Chad still can't seem to get enough of the agreeable climate, pick-up soccer games, market shopping/bargaining, or discoteca dancing that comes with life here in Lima.

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 Daniel Smith
 Travel Advisor
 daniel@latinamericaforless.com

Daniel was born in Denver, Colorado to an American father and Peruvian mother. Throughout his childhood, he had the privilege to live and study in both countries while also traveling and learning about the dynamic cultures of Peru’s coast, highlands, and jungle. He attended the University of San Francisco, where he received a B.A. in English writing, during which he also did an independent study in Toulouse, France where he completed a sociological project on North Africa immigrant populations and their integration into French society. Having had so many various opportunities to travel and learn about new cultures, traditions, and ways of life, Daniel gained a strong passion for community work, social service, and development. He went on to provide community development with African and Eastern European refugees in the United States, and also with rural communities in the Madre de Dios region of Peru. His ability to fluently speak English, Spanish, and French is what has allowed him to work directly with these communities.

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 Kate Uhler
 Travel Advisor
 kate@latinamericaforless.com

Kate comes from a large family in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, where she grew up climbing trees and building forts in her backyard with the rest of the children in her neighborhood. After high school, she attended Gordon College, a small liberal arts school on the North Shore of Boston, and she graduated in 2009 with a degree in Spanish Language and Literature. She has always been fascinated by language, and had her first really meaningful experience with Spanish when she began volunteering teaching English to Latino immigrants at a night school during her first year in college. After that year, Kate knew that her heart was in Latin America and that she had found a way to combine her love of Spanish with her passion for social service. She sought opportunities to interact with other Latin Americans in her environment and when she traveled to Lima, Peru as a student in 2008, she knew that she had arrived to the experience that she had waited for her whole life. After graduating from college, Kate returned to Peru for a short period of time before taking a job with as a client advocate in a social services program for pregnant women and infants that served a mostly Latino clientele. Peru was calling, however, and after almost 2 years Kate, has found her way back to Lima as a Travel Advisor for Latin America For Less. Kate’s favorite activities are learning, exploring, and meeting new people, as well as spending time with the old ones who she loves dearly. In her free time, you can usually find her either running down by the malecon (the parks that run along the oceanside in Lima), chatting with a friend in her favorite limeño coffee shop, or trying her hand at a new recipe.

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 Bianca Crousillat
 Travel Advisor
 bianca@latinamericaforless.com

Bianca was born in Lima, Peru and moved to the Washington D.C. area just before her 5th birthday. After graduating from the University of Toronto with a double major with honors in Anthropology and Comparative Religion, she took to traveling the world in search of culture, adventure, and eccentrics. She traveled extensively throughout Southeast Asia and South America, including time rebuilding communities afflicted by natural disasters in Southern Thailand and Southern Peru. After exploring diverse cultures and traditions throughout the world, she decided that her heart and her future were back in her homeland of Peru.

Since 2009, Bianca has been working in Cusco and the Sacred Valley as a tour conductor, travel writer, translator, and whatever ever else came her way. Passionate about international development and education, she co-founded the Sacred Valley Project in 2009, an educational non-profit that provides access to education for indigenous girls from rural communities of Peru’s Andes mountains.

When she’s not working, Bianca is in constant search of the best coffee and ceviche in Peru, and if you’re willing to listen, she will talk your ear off about all of the potential candidates. She thrives in the mountains, hopes to spend stints of her lifetime scaling them in Huaraz and the Southern Andes, and sometimes even toils with the idea of being the first Peruvian woman to summit Everest.

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 Daloma Phillips
 Travel Advisor
 daloma@latinamericaforless.com

Although raised in sunny Santa Cruz California, Daloma has spent the majority of her summers traveling and adventuring throughout Peru visiting family. While acquiring a degree in Public Relations and Spanish language from San Jose State University, Daloma took the opportunity to study abroad in Montevideo, Uruguay. She explains that her fascination with the small country comes down to two things: their national Fútbol team and their star player Luis Suárez. During the time Daloma lived in Montevideo, she visited historical Santiago, Chile, exquisite Argentina, the waterfalls of Iguazu as well as the pristine beaches of central Brazil. Other incredible countries she has traveled to include Spain, England, France, Italy and Mexico.

Daloma has always felt torn between her love for Peru and her life in the United States. With a middle name like “Sumacruru” she says it is nearly impossible to feel unattached from her Quechua roots. Upon graduating in 2011, she decided the time had finally come to make the move to Lima where she could be closer to her family and experience a life in Peru. It could have been the food; her favorite is lomo saltado, perhaps the dancing, or simply the hustle and bustle on the morning streets of Lima that made her long to live in Peru. However, all that is important now, is that she can finally call Lima home.

In her spare time Daloma enjoys traveling, trying new foods, hiking, dancing, attending concerts, and working to improve her surfing skills. 

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 Katie Lee
 Travel Advisor
 katie@latinamericaforless.com

Katie first came to Peru as a Peace Corps volunteer working in community health promotion projects for two years in a small village in the northern Andes of Cajamarca. While in Cajamarca, she implemented an Improved Cooking Stove project, raised the funds, and completed the task with a group of 30 mothers to help eradicate respiratory infection.  She made great friends and learned how to dance traditional huayno!  She has traveled to over ten departments in Peru and readily admits to enjoying the traditional dish of the sierra, Cuy (guinea pig), and finding adventure trips that are off the beaten track. Born in Ireland, Katie has lived in Manchester, England, as well as Atlanta and Utah, USA, before coming to Peru, where she now feels very much at home.

She earned a degree in History and International Relations at the University of Utah and prior to her Peace Corps Service she worked as an Interpreter Coordinator with the International Rescue Committee, an NGO that resettles refugees. Apart from the wonderful two years she spent as a Cajamarquina in her Peace Corps community, her favorite trips in Peru include visits to the beach in Mancora, camping at the base of Huascaran (Peru’s highest mountain), enjoying ceviche in Chiclayo, spending Easter week enjoying beautiful processions in Ayacucho, and finding hidden waterfalls and exotic birds near the remote German colony of Oxapampa.

She has been fortunate enough to visit beautiful Machu Picchu twice, and amongst her favorite memories is being at the Sun Gate at dawn. She loves strolling through artisan stalls and shops, chatting to the vendors and finding unique local textiles and jewelry. She enjoys a Pisco Sour or two, traditional Peruvian music and dance, and reading her favorite author, Gabriel Garcia Marquez.  After living in rural Cajamarca, Katie enjoys the big city energy of Lima, taking strolls along the Malecon boardwalk by the ocean, and learning (slowly!) to cook Peru-style!

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 Karina Moran
 Operations Manager

Karina studied to be a Tourism Guide at CENFOTUR the Centro de Formación en Turismo, one of the best schools of tourism in her home town Lima. After high school she worked for a travel agency and a museum before deciding to move to the Amazon to work as a jungle specialist and guide. She loves animals, especially monkeys, and enjoys trekking, swimming and dancing.  Still, travel is her passion. She thinks Peru is a wonderful country, with fascinating cities and places that are yet to be discovered and explored. One of her goals is to help more people experience Peru and enjoy everything the country has to offer. In her free time she likes to go out with her little nephew and her mom.

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 Ricardo Lopez
 Operations Project Manager

Ricardo was born in Lima and is currently finishing his degree in the Administration of Tourist Companies at the National University of Federico Villarreal. His expertise in both Operations and Administration, and his kind character, have been warmly welcomed at Peru For Less. Ricardo has a love of Peru and has spent a large amount of time traveling through the Amazon in the North and East of the country. He has previously worked for such companies as E. Wong and Banc de Credito (BCP), valuable experience that taught Ricardo about the inner workings of companies and customer satisfaction. In his spare time Ricardo enjoys reading, writing, listening to music, and going to the cinema. Like many at Peru For Less, Ricardo happens to be a fanatical football supporter – his team is Alianza Lima, regardless of what others may say. In his spare time, Ricardo enjoys swimming, camping and trekking – he often wishes he had more free time to pursue his outdoor passions though! Over the weekends he is often found with his friends in some of Lima's more animated night clubs where he enjoys a little rum. He dreams of getting to know all the provinces within Peru.

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 Darío Meneses
 Operations

A native of Cusco, Darío takes pride in being a highlander. While never having seen a single Indiana Jones film in his life, his interest in archaeology started at an early age when he became enthralled with the study of ancient peoples, the way they lived, and what they believed in. Darío’s burning desire and acute curiosity to discover all that can be explained without using math (his nemesis) has been satisfied while obtaining his Archaeology degree at The Catholic University of Peru. However, true to his inquisitive nature, he has emerging plans for a second degree in Bibliotecology and Information Sciences. Darío is also a firm believer that everyone has something to teach and something to learn. Apart from feeding his insatiable curiosity with new discoveries and teachings, Darío enjoys relaxing at coffee shops with friends while exchanging ironic jokes and odd comments on almost any subject. An avid reader and traveler, he dreams of someday roving around the world to the Buenos Aires of Borges, the Lisbon of Saramago, and the Barcelona of Gaudí (fortunately, he has already been to the Seville and the Madrid of Pérez Reverte).

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 Clara Peña
 Operations

Clara had a unique introduction to Peru: She came to the country in 2007 as an ethnographer to work on an archaeological project in Peru’s northern Andes. During this experience, she fell in love with both the country and a Peruvian, who is now her husband. Though Peru is her current home, Clara was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia, where she studied history and philosophy at Los Andes University. She has also lived in Ecuador and the United States and traveled extensively across Latin America. As a Colombian, Clara loves to dance salsa and cannot live without a cup of good Colombian coffee. In her free time, she enjoys reading Greek literature and ancient philosophical works and chowing down on bocaditos chinos, her favorite Peruvian-Chinese fusion food.

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 Jose Nunura
 Operations

Jose is currently a Hotel and Restaurant Administration atudent at Le Cordon Bleu Peru, a world renowned hospitality institute with numerous campuses worldwide. This is where Jose discovered his passion for traveling. After 15 years of living in the United States, Jose recently moved back to his birthplace of Lima, Peru to pursue his dreams and start a career in tourism. After a year in Lima, Jose fell in love with the city, the food, the music, and the different regional cultures that continue to fascinate him. He hopes one day to travel within all of Peru, South America, and Europe.

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 Elizabeth Paola Sifuentes Alfaro
 Operations

Paola is a graduate of Tourism and Hotel Management from the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration of the Universidad Ricardo Palma, with studies and experience in International Commerce. She enjoys speaking different languages and can communicate in English, French, Italian, and would also like to learn Mandarin in the near future.

Paola is always willing to learn and makes the most of every experience. She would like to travel around the world and visit different places to learn more about others cultures.

Paola is very spontaneous, friendly, and enthusiastic. She likes meeting new people, is very talkative, and is always smiling. She loves reading, especially Paulo Coelho books, and considers herself a very romantic person. Paola loves chocolates, desserts, and green tea. She likes watching movies and tries to go to the gym often, as she enjoys spinning.

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 Lacey Nutting
 Operations

Lacey completed her undergraduate studies at her hometown university, Boise State, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish with an emphasis in Latin American Studies. Her childhood in Boise, Idaho provided her with many opportunities to enjoy the splendor of the Idaho mountains and its many beautiful forests. Early experiences camping in the summertime and making family trips to California and New Mexico left her with an insatiable hunger for further travel. She finally achieved her lifelong goal of international travel by participating in a study abroad program in Lima, Peru. The amazing people and moments she experienced on that first South American journey inspired her to return to Lima to teach English and continue to explore.

Far from satisfying her desire to travel and learn more about the world, Peru became the catalyst for a new goal that includes traveling to every country in South and Central America. Her passions in life include any kind of music or cultural festival, taking long bus or road trips to explore new cities, and volunteer work. A self-proclaimed book nerd who also loves to dance, you can find Lacey anywhere that includes people, music, and good food!

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 Brynna Burguard
 Cusco Office Manager

Originally from Michigan, Brynna studied Spanish and sociology at Grand Valley State University when, during a year-long study abroad program in Costa Rica, she officially caught the travel bug. She quickly found a way to combine her love of travel and complete her major, by coming to Puno, Peru to complete an internship toward her sociology degree. At first Puno and its high altitude were a shock to the system after tropical Costa Rica, but Brynna quickly fell in love with the culture, landscape and history of the high Andes and decided to make Peru her home away from home. After graduation she returned to Puno to teach English as a second language, taking advantage of long weekends and holidays to explore parts of Bolivia, Cusco, Arequipa, and of course the enchanting peninsulas and beaches of Lake Titicaca. During her stay in Puno she also found time to support various Puno-based NGOs, learning about the realities and social problems faced by the people of the community, and attempting, albeit unsuccessfully, to learn to knit from local artisans.

While living on the shores of Lake Titicaca reminded her of Lake Michigan back at home, she ultimately felt a call to move to a bigger city, and decided to relocate to Cusco in 2010. Entranced by the slightly lower altitude (and better climate) she now calls the Capital of the Incan Empire her home- enjoying the Cusco city scene, almost as much as her weekend trips into the nearby countryside and Sacred Valley. Her next goal is to tackle some of the world renowned treks of the Cusco region, such as Salkantay and Choquequirao, and is starting the process by training on some of the less imposing mountains outside of Cusco. Having mastered Spanish, she is now looking forward to taking on a new language, and is considering studying French, or possibly even tackling Quechua.

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 Kathleen Sharkey
 Cusco Guest Relations
 

Originating from a town characterized best by its dreadful heat and annual cow tipping contests, Kathleen successfully escaped her hometown of Fresno, California and comes to us from the sunny beaches of Orange County. As a fresh graduate of the University of California, Irvine, she arrived in Lima on a one-way flight with a B.A. in Global Cultures & Spanish, a stuffed backpack, and her trustee pocket dictionary on the crazed impulse that Peru, regardless of invitation, would be welcoming her as one among their newest residents.

With extensive travels throughout Europe and Central America behind her, Kathleen is a true devotee to all things travel. She spent a year abroad studying in Barcelona, where she dedicated most of her time to weekend adventures lost amidst cobble stoned barrios, and never failed to discover some of Europe's funkiest venues and finest happy hours along the way. Returning to California with a newfound interest in becoming a fluent Spanish speaker, she added Spanish as a major in her last year, and began to plan her next travel to a place that would challenge her studies.

Kathleen spends her free time alternating between crafting jewels from flea markets, catching pick- up basketball games, sipping iced coffees, watching Spanish movies, and spending late hours perfecting her adequately tasting, yet "highly effective" sangria recipes. Kathleen is a self-proclaimed gypsy at heart, who loves nothing more than to spend her days in unknown territory with but her camera to capture, ipod to soundtrack, and curiosity to guide.

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 Anabel Mota
 Cusco Guest Relations

Anabel hails from San Diego, California, city of eternal sunshine and quintessence of all that is laidback. As a daughter of Mexican parents, she was raised on a mixed cultural diet of telenovelas, cartoons, movies dubbed into Spanish, MTV, gangsta rap, and Mexican rancheras from the likes of Vicente Fernández and Rocio Durcal. Her true and early passion, however, was reading. She proudly admits to being a nerd and is the kind of person who buys textbooks. And reads them for fun.

Her love of learning came to fruit with admission to Cornell University, from which she graduated cum laude in history. Anabel went on to USC for a graduate degree, also in history. After working for a period of time in education in Los Angeles, she uprooted herself from the U.S. and moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Here, (although she had previously thought herself fluent) she learned Spanish as a foreign language (i.e., che, boludo, quilombo, chamuyo, etc) and every facial and hand expressions that go along with porteño-speak. Buenos Aires served as a launching pad to travel to other parts of South America including Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. Having had her fill of steak and Malbec, Anabel relocated a second time to Cusco, where the people are warm, the food is quite tasty, and history remains present wherever you go.

When not reading or greeting and guiding travelers, Anabel’s other interests include cooking, eating, beer-connoisseuring, drinking yerba mate, trekking in the mountains, and doing/seeing/living what she has only read about in books.

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 Dunker Torres Escalante
 Accounting Assistant

A Cusco native, Dunker has studied philosophy and theology in the San Antonio de Abad Seminary in Cusco and tourism administration at the Instituto Latinoamericano. Before becoming a guide for Peru for Less, Dunker went to Lima and committed much of his time to public service. He was the administrator for a retirement home and clinic for people with little means, many of whom were suffering with tuberculosis. Additionally, he helped with a rehabilitation center for street kids ages 14 to 19. After experiencing the commotion of the capital city, Dunker left Lima and taught Quechua in the provinces of Espinar and Paruro. He is now happy to be pursuing his passion for alternative tourism at Peru for Less in Cusco.

Dunker believes Peru has much to offer: all one needs to see it is assertiveness and an adventurous spirit. He would be one to ask, as he has traveled through 12 of Peru’s 13 provinces! In his travels, the country’s varied valleys, crisp streams and snow covered mountains have captured his attention. Through these journeys he has come to understand a lamentable consequence of globalization: the gradual loss of his rural brothers’ traditional customs and values. Though he has made it to Guayaquil and Quito, Dunker hopes his next trip to Ecuador will include a stop in the Islands of Galapagos.

As the promoter of a cycling club in Cusco, Dunker spends time on his bike or organizing events for this group. Recently, Dunker has gotten into the habit of making pizza at friends’ or relatives’ houses as a way to unwind and enjoy the weekend.

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 Fabricio Ortiz De Zevallos
 Tour Guide

Fabricio is our official tour guide for Machu Picchu – and he is a great one at that. He is from Cusco and his knowledge of the city, its history, the surrounding area and Machu Picchu is unbelievable. He is in fact a direct descendant of one of the last Inca and is deeply proud of his cultural heritage. Fabricio studied mechanical engineering at the National Univeristy of Engineering in Lima. Engineers don’t often become tour guides but by some stroke of luck Fabricio was given the opportunity, after graduating, of accompanying a few tourists through Peru. He became their defacto guide through his home country and at the end of the tour realized that he had found his true calling. Embarking upon a new stage in his life Fabricio started studying to become a tour guide.

Fabricio is deeply knowledgeable about the Inca Culture and is also very keen to share his wealth of information with anyone who cares to listen. He enjoys river rafting, trekking, mountain biking and is both a guide and an expert in each field. He is bright eyed, charismatic, and aims to give tourists the best possible experiences of Peru imaginable. He dreams of one day being the best Tour Guide in Peru – we at Peru For Less however, know that he already is.

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 Hortense Soulier
 Web Development & Content Manager
 hortense@latinamericaforless.com

Hortense is a recent political studies graduate, born and raised in Paris, France. As an infant her parents took her all over the world and shaped her passion for traveling. She also lived in the United States where she studied at the University of Virginia for one year, and in Pristina, Kosovo, where she worked as an intern for the European Union Representative.

After earning her Master’s degree in International Relations and European Affairs, Hortense started thinking about her next adventure. Curious about this gigantic and fascinating continent, she set her heart on Latin America and decided to move to Peru. Hortense loves traveling and discovering other cultures by meeting new people. She has now started learning Spanish and hopes this will help her when exploring Peru and other countries in Latin America.

Hortense has already visited over 30 countries and hopes to explore many more regions as well as live in many different countries. She enjoys new experiences and is always eager to try something new. You might spot her sometime soon paragliding above Lima! In her spare time there is a good chance you will find her either reading a book at home, wandering the streets of Lima taking pictures, or enjoying some of the hundreds of delicious Peruvian dishes she has yet to try.

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 Connie Lee
 Content Writer

Born in Hong Kong, Connie and her family moved to the United States when she was just 4 years old, to the hearty state of Indiana. There she received all of her education including Purdue University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in business management. But despite the idyllic expanses of green farmland, red barn silos, winding creek beds, and the sweetest corn in the Midwest, Connie has always itched and longed for adventure. Thanks to her enthusiastic high school Spanish teacher who was constantly full of travel stories which Connie listened rapturously like a little girl to fairytales, she enthusiastically accepted the invitation of a jolly friend who invited her to visit his family in Mexico City the summer before her university graduation.

Connie liked Mexico so much that 6 months later she returned with a one-way ticket and a 40-liter backpack determined to conquer the country east to west independently for two months! After a year of marketing work in Tunisia, North African country known for its Mediterranean beaches and Saharan backyard, she is ecstatic to be back in the Latin world and ready to develop her Spanish.

In her spare time, Connie loves exploring every nook and cranny of the neighborhoods she lives in, watching movies that make her wonder, skating on her longboard, and teaching her friends the art of cooking and eating with chopsticks. After all, despite the travels and adventures, one’s taste in food from the homeland never quite disappears.

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 Angel Seron
 Senior Web Designer

Meet Angel Seron – our web designer and artist - who studied at the Toulouse Lautrec Superior Institute of Communication and Design here in Lima. Angel was born in Puerto San Juan de Marcona, a beach town close to Ica and roughly 8 hours from Lima. Angel lived in this idyllic setting until he was 17 and often reminisces about his childhood, which he describes as the peaceful life of sitting on beaches, swimming in the sea and enjoying the fresh clean sea air. From an early age Angel has been fascinated with art and while he whiled away his time painting and drawing as a child, he never imagined his passion with the arts would accompany him into his career. At University Angel decided to combine his passion for art with another passion of his – computers. Pursuing an education in graphic design, multimedia and web design was an obvious choices and Angel graduated at the top of all his classes. Angel has been an avid football fanatic his entire life. He also enjoys baseball, traveling, is in love with Salsa, and likes to kick back with some Spanish rock. In his spare time Angel enjoys reading and studying to keep in touch with all software innovations. Despite regarding himself as a homey kind of guy, Angel adores going out with his friends and meeting new people.

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 Fernando Ramos
 Web Programmer

Fernando hails from the valley of Huaral, two hours north of Lima, where the fruit is fresh and the people are warm and friendly. As befits a Programmer, he is interested in all matters of information technology, having studied Systems Analysis and Programming at the SISE Institute and Advanced Programming in Web Languages at TECSUP.

But far from being a nerd, Fernando has many outside interests, from strumming the guitar, to cycling, playing football or enjoying the beach in summer. He has also been lucky enough to travel extensively through Peru, climbing as high as 5,557m above sea level to the top of Mount Huaytapallana in the Andes. However, he still has ambitions for further travel, both within and beyond Peru, as well as honing his programming skills.

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 Fernando Chumpitaz
 Tech / Office Technology Support

A native of Lima, Fernando is a systems analyst trained at the Cibertec Institute in Lima. He has also studied as a Systems engineer at the University Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. He has many years of experience in technical support, analysis, and software management, and has developed information systems, made technical network assessments, and conducted computer maintenance for a number of small and medium-sized companies.

Fernando is very passionate about Peru and travels any chance he gets, during which he loves to learn about regional customs. His hobbies include reading, playing football, running in the mornings, and eating well.

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 Linsi Phelps
 Finance Manager

Linsi comes from Northeast Tennessee and decided to stay close to home and obtain her degree in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. After a trip to Europe as a young teen with family, she realized she had caught the travel bug and always wished for more international experiences. She was able to begin to fulfill that dream when she traveled to Bulgaria and Greece on a three-week trip to study Eastern European business practices.

From there, she felt as though South America was calling her name. She had first set her sights on Ecuador through a program sponsored by her university, but when that was cancelled, a friend recommended studying in Peru. Lima soon began to feel like a second home as she settled into her new life. After five months living in Lima, interviewing and researching for her honors thesis entitled Peruvian Female Entrepreneurs and traveling to many Peruvian destinations, she was thankful she had chosen to study in Peru because her new friends, experiences and ideas of the world can never be replaced.

After three trips back to Peru, she once again finds herself in this beautiful, vibrant country. You can find her dancing, roaming around taking pictures, or curled up with a good book. She is never ceased to be amazed and enthralled by all the diversions that Lima has to offer—whether it’s a market in Barranco or a concert of a new Peruvian band. Next on her to-do list: conquering Spanish!

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 Jose Zegarra
 Finance

Jose trained as a tourism guide at Centro de Formación Turística in Peru before moving to Cusco to work as an adventure guide, specializing in long and short trekking and mountain biking routes. He returned to Lima in order to study Portuguese and perfect his English, and joined the accounting team at Latin America For Less where he has enjoyed learning about the tourism industry and helping clients enjoy the many fascinating attractions of his native country. Jose is an avid cyclist and is often spotted hurtling around the streets of Lima on his bike. He also enjoys playing football with his Latin America For Less colleagues, but his greatest passion is to travel until his last dime is spent and his greatest dream is to visit all of the world’s continents. He considers Peru to be the most privileged country in the world and he loves the people and the culture of his homeland.

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 Jenny De la Cruz
 Finance

Jenny De la Cruz graduated from Sofia University, Bulgaria with a Bachelor in Political Science.  As a student she participated in several sociological research projects for which she traveled to Greece, Romania and Bulgaria.  At that time Jenny was interested in creating a student research NGO on the Balkans. Then following her adventurous heart she decided to relocate to the USA. The dice of her destiny rolled and stopped on Las Vegas. She decided to continue her education, getting a Paralegal certificate from UNLV, which gave Jenny valuable knowledge about the USA legal system.  A new adventure of hers was coming to Peru- with its food revolution, new culture to be explored, and the language of many beautiful songs to be learned.

In her free time Jenny likes to read and watch movies. As a way to travel to new places from home she experiments with cooking different cuisines, but she enjoys frequenting restaurants too. Jenny finds eating out so rewarding that she dreams of becoming a food critic one day or opening a restaurant. She is also interested in floral arrangement and glass staining, and imagines that one day she will start oil painting. Now Jenny lives in Lima, Peru with her husband and 3 year old son.

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 Diego Linares
 Office Coordinator

Diego completed his studies in Official Tour Guiding and Tourism Administrator at CENFOTUR in 2007 and 2009 respectively.

In 2007, he entered the NGO, Grupo GEA, working as an assistant in a sustainable tourism area for the project, Vive Pachacamac, related to rural community tourism.

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