Meet Our Staff

 Bernard Schleien
 Director
 info@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 Cuzco), like so many, and finds it extremely gratifying at the end of each day that he is able to sell something that he truly believes in. He has lived in Cuzco 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, biking, creative writing, cooking and eating out, microbrewed beer (he says he just likes the taste.).

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 Richard Leon
 Director
 richard@peruforless.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 in the USA and Peru, back and forth, 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 as he is 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 to simply grab his backpack and start walking into unknown territory to explore and find beautiful destinations which later he can share with all his friends. As an avid traveler he has been all over many countries in South America and experienced how travel can open your horizons by meeting new people, new cultures, new places and especially new rhythms for his drum set. Helping people is one of his passions as he truly believes that what goes around comes around and we all have to do our best to make our small space in the universe the best place to be.

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 David McClellan
 US Office Manager
 

David is a medical social worker and he attained Psychology and Philosophy degrees at Southwestern University at Georgetown, TX; a leading liberal arts college in the USA. He started working 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 from Texas tours to a sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall, New York City. In his spare time David plays guitar and cries the Missisippi 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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 Elizabeth Nicknam-Retana
 General Manager
 elizabeth@peruforless.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 Masters 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 on her travels in Latin America and to learn 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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 Nick Stanziano
 Operations and Destination Manager
 nick@peruforless.com

Nick was born in Kealakekua, Hawaii the place of death of the Hawaiian explorer Captain James Cook. Hawaii was also the birthplace of Hiram Bingham the great Peruvian explorer. In the tradition of both these Hawaiian and Peruvian explorers, Nick has himself been bitten by the need to go beyond the horizon to discover new places.

In 2009 Nick earned an MBA at Saint Mary’s College of California with a Global emphasis. While earning his MBA Nick studied both in Europe and Asia and consulted for the IFMR trust on investment strategies for rural supply chains. Nick completed his undergraduate in Global and International Studies with an emphasis in Latin America while on the beach at the University of California Santa Barbara. As an undergraduate Nick studied in Florence, Italy and Malaga, Spain, which both early ventures shaped his passion for exploring the world.

Nick spent 3 years with Sysco in Sacramento, California in marketing and business development with a focus on Latin markets in the United States. In 2005 Nick worked in Ollantaytambo, Peru for a Non-Profit venture helping mitigate the effects of increased tourism in the Sacred Valley. While in Peru, Nick secured his fate in the great and wonderous country of Peru when he met his Peruvian wife in Cuzco. Nick has a three year old daughter who consistently reminds him to smile and give thanks for all this life has to offer.

Nick has been to nearly 30 countries of which everyone has done its part to shape his perspective. He is a fanatic about Weber barbeques and has yet to find anything he cannot grill, bake, steam or smoke with it. Nick has a dream to one day discover a major archeological ruin. There will be more discoveries and Nick would like to be there when it happens.

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 Rylee McGowan
 Travel Advisor
 rylee@peruforless.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 as a 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 she was capturing part of her soul.

Her first experience of South America was last year 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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 Jennifer Raske
 Travel Advisor
 jennifer@peruforless.com

Jennifer was born and raised in south Texas and is proud of it. Although not everyone from Texas grows up around or on a horse, Jennifer does fit in with this Hollywood image of Texas. She attended the University of Texas at Austin where she devoted her free time to her clarinet and the marching band (free football tickets!). Jennifer received her degrees in Art History and Anthropology and specialized in Latin American culture. Specifically, she was enamored by the beauty of Aztec, Mayan and Toltec art and architecture and can talk about the intricate relationship between mythology and human sacrifice for hours. As part of her studies she participated in an archaeological field school in Belize, where she proudly uncovered a gorgeous plaster floor and discovered that obsidian blades are still sharp even after hundreds of years. During Jennifer’s time in the field school she was able to travel through Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. She climbed volcanoes, went scuba diving and began a mission to see all archaeological sites in Latin America. And so began her addiction to living life from a backpack.

As destiny should have it, her best friend from the field school is Peruvian and invited Jennifer to come to see her country. So before having too many responsibilities, Jennifer packed her bags and headed for Peru. What was a three month stay became seven months after she fell in love not just with Peru, but a Peruvian who she first saw on a horse. After returning to Peru twice and traveling through Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay, Jennifer is now living in Peru and trying to plan a wedding. In her free time you will find her looking for opportunities to be on or around horses (she did get to ride a Peruvian Paso Fino at an exhibition in Trujillo - a dream come true), visiting archaeological sites (and possible crying because of their beauty) or running to her obsession of Peruvian cumbia music and the music of Juanes (from Colombia) in order to compensate for her other obsessions for mamay, Inca Kola, humitas, and vast quantities of aji.

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 Kristina Rudge
 Travel Advisor
 kristina@argentinaforless.com

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

Combining a passion for travel with a belief that travelers should be socially and environmentally responsible, Kristina worked on Tourism Studies at a UK education provider before leaving England behind to undergo an adventurous volunteer project in Argentine Patagonia, helping biologists in their studies of the Andean condor and other endangered species. The impression left on her by the wild beauty of Patagonia led her to head off the beaten track several times as she traveled through Bolivia to Peru, seeking low-impact ways of visiting other pristine areas and archaeological sites that retain their sense of mystery.

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

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 Matt Greenberg
 Travel Advisor
 matt@argentinaforless.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@peruforless.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 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 vegetarian living in Brooklyn.

An avid traveler and adventure-seeker, she found herself returning to Peru after spending 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 studied and gotten to know well enough to fascinate her. 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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 Riva Bacquet
 Travel Advisor
 riva@argentinaforless.com

After extensive backpacking trips throughout Europe, Central and South America, Riva finally found her home in Lima, Peru, a city she believes provides the perfect blend of delicious exotic flavors, sunny ocean-breeze weather, and a rich, even mystifying, culture. She is a native of San Diego, California, and a graduate of the Claremont Colleges where she received her double degree in International/Intercultural Studies and Political Studies, and a minor in Spanish. During her time at university she worked with several non-profit organizations, striving to build a stronger community and encourage greater cultural understanding by assisting refugees and immigrants adapt to a new life in the USA. Her lifelong fascination with the Spanish language and Latin America led her to study abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she completed her thesis on the nation’s social and political reaction to their 2001 economic crisis. Upon graduation she moved to northern Argentina where she spent one busy year teaching English to all ages and skill levels. During her free time, she was able to experience and enjoy the wonders of a more traditional way of life in Argentina, complete with colonial architecture, breathtaking green mountains, rugged gauchos and a daily dose of yerba mate. Now well versed in the charms of Latin America, Riva is pursuing a career in tourism to help others experience the beauty of travel. She is an avid believer in the benefits of tourism, healthy living, and social and environmental consciousness. Here in Lima you will most likely find her running on the beach, reading in a local café, dining with friends and family, playing with her camera or taking out visitors to explore the myriad cultural and exciting hotspots of the city.

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 Alex Seeger
 Travel Advisor
 alex@peruforless.com

Though he was born in Lima, Alex lived most of his life away from the country of his birth. After living in Germany, Uruguay, the Netherlands and the United States, Alex is excited at the prospect of returning home. He is an avid believer that studying the language and culture of different places contributes to a better understanding of the world in which we live.

Alex just graduated from Davidson College in North Carolina with a major in history and a minor in German. He was able to study British history and literature from 1780 to 1850 at the Corpus Christi College of Cambridge University. During his junior year of college, he spent a semester in Cape Town, South Africa where he studied multiculturalism and social change, lived with host families and practiced his isiXhosa language skills. After touring Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana, Alex hopes to one day be able to explore more of Africa, preferably in a Safari vehicle with his camera. He also spent a semester in the Albert-Ludwigs University –Freiburg in Germany where he fine-tuned his German, enjoyed the country’s cuisine and used Europe’s train system to explore France, Italy, England and the Czech Republic.

While Alex can complain about Lima’s traffic, he believes, probably not impartially, that Lima is one of the world’s most enchanting cities. He loves the combinations of the mountains and the ocean. Alex hopes to start playing tennis again after a hiatus of several years and plans to take cooking classes so that he can replicate the fine country’s fine cuisine at home. Alex can often be seen walking his old English sheep dog, Maia, through the parks of Miraflores.

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 Danielle Lane
 Travel Advisor
 danielle@peruforless.com

Danielle studied Conflict Resolution at The University of Bradford and BAs in International Relations and Music Industry from The University of Southern California. While in Los Angeles, she co-founded the USC Peace and Conflict Scholars and the International Humanitarian Law Academy for the American Red Cross. Most recently she has started her own photography company, Globe Trotter Photography.

Danielle has worked as a Teacher, Academic Advisor, Communications Consultant and as an Actress/Animateur. In between all of this, she has managed to visit over 75 countries for work, research and pleasure. She fell in love with Peru during a family vacation in 2007. As a result she quit her Embassy job in Washington D.C. to relocate. Since then, she has worked off and on in Peru and has finally found a permanent home here at Latin America For Less!

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 Austin Hollar
 Travel Advisor
 austin@latinamericaforless.com

Austin first became interested in Peru when he met his future wife, a native of Lima, while they were both students at UNC Chapel Hill. Wanting to learn more about her country as he got to know her better, he read everything he could about Peruvian history and culture, and annoyed her to no end with his questions. Then, there came the time to meet her family and he traveled to Lima, where he discovered two things: the country itself was more rich and varied than anything he had read, and nothing had prepared him for the food. He was captivated.

After graduating university, Austin moved to Washington DC and found work as a documentary television producer. Over the next few years, he spent much of his time on the road, traveling all over the Americas and Europe. But despite their hectic schedules, he and his wife always found time to take a few weeks off and return to her home, as often as they could. With every visit, his knowledge of the Spanish language and the Peruvian landscape grew.

Then, in 2010, the two decided to pick up stakes and move to Lima, to slow their lives down and spend more time with their new son. Although the move was intimidating, and at times they questioned their sanity, they persevered and are adjusting well to their new home. With his newfound time, Austin hopes to scour the parts of Peru he has yet to visit, and strike out to destinations all over South America, searching for new experiences and of course, the next great meal.

Born and raised among the bustling kitchens of restaurants, from the funky hippie diners of his hometown in Asheville, NC, to the dizzying international cuisine of DC, Austin has always felt most at home with a plate in front of him. In this new land of gastronomic wonders, he hopes to become a true cuchara brava.

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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. Immediately following high school graduation, Staci began her Bachelor of Science degree in Marine and Freshwater Sciences, completing it only four years later.  There she discovered her passion for protecting the environment and decided to be a vegetarian committed to fighting for environmental issues.

She also became scuba certified, 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.  It was during her junior year of college while studying in a semester exchange program at The University of Tasmania, Australia when the travel bug decided to permanently attach itself to her. She had fallen in love with the quaint town of Hobart and not stopping there, Staci continued to explore another 14 countries. 

She most recently completed a 4-month backpacking trip throughout Peru, Chile, Argentina and Southern Brazil. Among a number of other exciting activities, Staci climbed the steps of Machu Picchu, floated the salt lagoons of San Pedro in the Atacama Desert, hiked the rugged terrains of Patagonia, sampled the cultural diversity of Buenos Aires and relaxed 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 variety of books, cooking something new, or enjoying mother nature on a new outdoor exploration.  

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 Nicola Kopp
 Travel Advisor - German
 nicola@peruforless.com

Nicola studied Tourism Management at Munich’s University of Applied Science, one of Germany’s leading Universities, graduating with a Diploma in spring 2007. At this point, she decided to explore Latin America in greater depth, initially taking up a job at an adventure and nature tour operator in Ecuador. However, in a quirk of fate, five weeks before leaving Germany for Quito, she fell in love with a Peruvian guy, and 3 months later, they resolved to come to Peru to live together. She has since developed a passion for Lima, its lovely citizens - ‘limeños’ -, their creole music, food and lifestyle.

In her free time, she loves nothing better than to put on her backpack and explore the vast, natural expanses of the Andes. Her passion for hiking had been fostered as a student walking the famous, Spanish pilgrimage route ‘El Camino de Santiago’: an experience that left such a deep impression that she wrote her university thesis on it. Her enjoyment of the peace, camaraderie and simple pleasures of walking, unencumbered, in beautiful countryside has led her to adopt as her motto ‘less is more’ - which certainly fits in nicely with company philosophy at Peru For Less!

When not out mountaineering or reading about cultural diversity, she is to be found with her friends in one of Lima’s alternative music bars, listening to Rock, Reggae or Ragga, thus demonstrating her multifaceted character.

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 Margot Russell
 Tour Director – Escorted Tours

After attending Marquette University, Margot worked in the broadcast industry, writing, reporting and delivering news.  She also enjoyed stints as a videographer, producer and editor.  Known for her propensity to always be searching for "something else," she left the news industry to become a certified tour manager and has been happily traipsing around the world ever since.  Of all the places she travels, she enjoys sharing Peru the most, believing that it still offers the traveler the rare opportunity to get lost in an air of mystery and unparalleled charm.  She hopes to follow in her father's footsteps by traveling to 61 countries with a knapsack and a tent.  When she's not on the road, Margot pursues her craft as a writer and is a published author and freelance writer and is most proud of her interviews with Ethel Kennedy and Carly Simon.  She can be found in her kitchen, whipping up dishes from the cuisines of the countries she most recently visited. Margot also enjoys hiking and skiing, and is a collector of books, recipes and wine. 

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 David Rottblatt
 Destination Manager
 

David, originally from Miami, Florida, has been a proud late-stage Californian. He received his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business in 2009. During the program, he helped launch a healthy food service company in Los Angeles, and spent a month in India consulting with a vision entrepreneurship nonprofit. Prior to business school, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech, and worked at AbbottVascular, improving the manufacturing of medical devices. David spends most of his free time with friends, food, and the outdoors.At the early age of 12, David started experimenting with ingredients, and over the past 16 years the product has come a long way. One of his recent favorite activities was teaching cooking classes for teenagers. “It was so cool seeing them proud of their creations and hearing stories about the latest dishes they made for their families. ”David fell in love with the outdoors at age 10 during a family trip to the Swiss Alps. He had an instinct to just start climbing! Over the past few years, David has explored a couple hundred miles of the Sierras in California, and trekked through some of the beautiful mountains of Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. David is particularly proud of sharing his love for the outdoors and helping others overcome barriers to new experiences. In the past year, he set up training programs for 15 friends and guided 3 backpacking trips for first-time campers. David is excited about getting to continue to share beautiful destinations with others through Latin America For Less.

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 Aly Mahan
 Project Manager
 

Aly was born and raised in the beautiful Northwest in the city of Spokane, Washington. Prior to pursuing her undergraduate degree, she spent a summer in Malawi, Africa, with a team of fanatical volunteers building an orphanage for AIDS orphans. This trip ignited a passion for overseas travel which was put on hold while she obtained her undergraduate degree. Aly ran cross-country and track at Gonzaga University while working towards her BBA in Accounting which she earned in 2006.

After graduation, Aly moved to Washington, D.C. where she worked as an Auditor for the Government Accountability Office. During her time at GAO she worked on a variety of audits of the US Government, but her favorite assignment was the Senate Restaurant Audit, where she was in charge of planning and executing a review of the restaurant system on and around Capital Hill.

In 2007 Aly moved to Denver, Colorado where she continued her Accounting career while learning Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in her spare time. In 2009 she left her Accounting job to become a full-time Internet Marketing consultant. It was during the summer of 2009 that Aly visited Lima, Cusco, and Machu Picchu, fell in love with the Peruvian people and culture, and decided she wanted to move to Peru. In her free time Aly likes to practice her Spanish, go on long runs, keep her blog updated, and drink piscos, her favorite drink.

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 Matthew Barker
 Marketing and Website Manager
 mattb@latinamericaforless.com

Matt graduated from the University of Sheffield with a Masters in international politics before moving into the world of public relations at a homelessness charity in England's hard-pressed industrial north. Only able to cope with abandoned factories and perpetual cloud for so long, he decided to seek a more appealing environment elsewhere.

Having lived in Japan and traveled throughout Europe, North America and East Asia, Latin America seemed the next logical step, so Matt and his partner made their way to Peru overland from Central America, working with community projects and doing some freelance writing and photography along the way.

With an independent and inquisitive attitude to travel, he enjoys getting to know a place through its people; a useful excuse for hanging out with the locals in Lima's backstreet watering holes! While not searching for new stories or taking yet more photographs, he is absorbed with travel literature and keeps a meticulously close eye on world news.

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 Ricardo Lopez
 Lima Operations Supervisor
 

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), and it was within these that Ricardo acquired a lot of experience and knowledge with regard to 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 off and on. 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 on 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 in 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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 Karina Moran
 Operations
 

Karina studied to be a Tourism Guide at CENFOTUR ‘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, enjoys trekking, swimming and dancing but 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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 Melody Cordova
 Operations
 

Melody was born in Trujillo, Peru. She studied business management at Piura Private University before getting interested in hotel management. She enrolled at the CENTOFUR tourism institute before starting work for the JW Marriott chain of hotels. Melody thinks that South America, and especially Peru, have enormous potential as travel destinations, thanks to the region’s unique cultures and diversity. Melody enjoys reading, working out, shopping, listening to music and spending time with her friends. She thinks that making good friends is the way to achieving happiness and believes that ‘a person who has good friends never becomes a failure’.

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 Caitlin Ham
 Cuzco Operations Manager
 caitlin@peruforless.com

After living in bone-chilling Ireland, Russia and Belgium for a total of five years, Caitlin (a native Californian suffering from a mild case of the greener grass syndrome) decided to head to South America as a reward after graduating from Trinity College Dublin with a major in European Studies. Only a few weeks into her trip she had an epiphany-she wanted to stay! Though now at a slight disadvantage with a degree in European History and a distinct preference for South America, Caitlin tries to keep the playing field even by maintaining her rewarding-though expensive-obsession with Belgian microbreweries and rebuilding her collection of Russian literature, which was supremely depleted while at the height of her backpacking phase! As she speaks four languages and is a huge fan of travel, Caitlin fits right into the Peru for Less team in Lima, beginning with writing and web development as her main source of fun(ds). Caitlin can often be found outside working on her mini computer when there’s any chance of possible sunlight, desperately trying to maintain the first tan she’s had in years. As a balance to the beer and burger habits, Caitlin tries to keep moving as much as possible, often trekking, swimming or white-water rafting (she’s a trained guide) so long as there’s sun! Though open to any opportunities that her position at Latin America for Less will lead her, one thing is certain, she’s fallen hard for Peru and the love affair with South America is complete!

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 Allison Monge Carrión
 Cuzco Operations
 

A native Peruvian, Allison studied Tourism at the National University of San Antonio Abad in Cusco which allowed her to travel throughout Peru. She credits her enhanced love for her country and appreciation for the richness of its people to this unique experience. Upon graduation, Allison worked in a NGO, helping underprivileged children who reside in the rural towns on the outskirts of Cusco. Like many proud Peruvians, she claims that cuisine and tradition are her favorite national attributes and she loves to discover the many tales and customs that make Peru such an amazing place. Noticing a correlation between Andean history and myths with those of ancient Egypt and Greece, Allison is an avid reader of these subjects. However, far from a bookworm, Allison is actually quite the adventurous spirit and enjoys a variety of outdoor activities such as trekking, rappelling, and rock climbing. She says that she was ‘hooked’ on adventure at the age of 17 when she whitewater -rafted down the class III+ rapids in Cuzco….without even knowing how to swim!

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 Emily Tully
 Cusco Operations
 

From the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, Emily caught the travel bug before she’d ever left the states. At a young age she enjoyed romping around on the Appalachian Trail with her father and reading adventures of great explorers such as Shackleton, or fantastic tales of hobbits and gunslingers. Intrigued by the possibilities of the Rocky Mountains, she drove across the country at 18 to work for a summer in Yellowstone National Park. Later on, at the University of Vermont she was an active member of the Outing Club and the Juggling Club. After graduating with a B.A. in French and Math and Art minors, she bought a one way ticket to England. Over the next couple of years she worked as a camp counselor and English teacher in England, Ireland, Switzerland, France and the Czech Republic, traveling as much as she could. In July, 2009 Emily joined the U.S. Peace Corps to teach high school math in Guinea in West Africa. Unfortunately due to political unrest in the capital, Peace Corps evacuated after she was there for only four months. Unsure about the future but with a renewed perspective on the world, Emily bought a one-way ticket to Peru to volunteer at an orphanage in Ayacucho. She immediately felt drawn to Latin America and doesn’t want to go anywhere for a while. Emily enjoys making soups, learning the guitar, and collecting post cards from friends all over the world. She loves live music and festivals. She’s often planning an adventure, even if it’s just to stow on the back burner for a later date. On rainy days, she can happily sit at home and read a good book or watch a good movie.

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 Miguel Alonso Celis Sánchez
 Guide
 

A native of Lima, the history-loving Miguel says that there is no place better than Callao, the lively district where he spent most of his life. Due to his incredible passion to know his country’s past, Miguel got his BA in history from the Catholic University of Peru in 2007.

As a history enthusiast, Miguel enjoys exploring old Lima, where he revisits historic buildings, admires the majestic churches and looks at antique books that were of importance during colonial rule. Yet his passion is not only history, as Miguel loves tasting great food, going to the movies and spending time with his friends. In addition, this avid reader can be seen carrying a book most of the time, especially if it is about ancient legends, horror or science fiction. If he is not reading, then you can probably spot him listening to his favorite music on his MP3 player.

While Miguel claims to love Peru more than anything, his traveler’s spirit and curiosity of history make him eager to visit China and Japan. He is fascinated by the prospect of visiting Asia; he hopes to walk on the Great Wall, explore the Terracotta Army and learn more about Japan’s temples and samurai culture.

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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 Cuzco 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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 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 wiled 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. An education in graphic design, multimedia and web design were obvious choices and Angel graduated at the top of all of 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 so as to keep in touch with all software innovations. Despite regarding himself as a homely 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 valleys of Huaral, 2 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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 Jon Hudson
 Content Development & Marketing
 

Jon is originally from the city of Birmingham in the UK, famous for being the home of Cadbury chocolate and its industrial heritage. He graduated from De Montfort University in Leicester where he gained a bachelors degree in International Business and Globalization, including study of Latin America. Learning about the rich culture and history of the region made him want to visit and work here. Jon also spent one year of his four year course at Copenhagen Business School in Denmark where he studied and lived with people from all over the world.

Jon had a interesting time as a teenage rights activist while growing up. At 13 he put Tony Blair on the spot about his commitment to children's rights live on TV and when he was 17 he interviewed Gordon Brown (then the UK chancellor) in Downing Street. When he was 16 he became a Youth Advisor to UNICEF UK and championed the participation and engagement of young people in the work that UNICEF does. These opportunities opened the world for Jon and sparked his passion to do good, travel and learn about other cultures.

Jon has travelled extensively around Europe and Australasia and first arrived in Latin America in January. His favorite place so far was in Rio de Janeiro for the Carnival. He also has visited Ethiopia to see some of the fantastic work that UNICEF does. Before starting with Peru For Less he was living in Buenos Aires, definitely the Paris of South America and can recommend a few good tango shows on request.

Jon always sees the best in people and takes each day as a gift. He is settled for now in Lima and will be looking to study for a Masters in the years to come.

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 Kaitlin Nunn
 Content Development & Marketing
 

Kaitlin graduated from Seattle Pacific University with a double major in history and creative writing and a minor in Latin. After she studied abroad in Spain, her mind was made up: Latin was alright for nerdy poet types, but Spanish was for lovers. And so, while trying to make it as a writer in the cutthroat magazine business, she plotted how best to immerse herself in a Spanish-speaking country – with her heart set on Peru. In Seattle, she was the eyes and ears of Seattle Metropolitan Magazine, where she blogged on the food, music, and art scenes, biking to work and hiking on the weekends. She has done web editing for Image Journal and Seattle Metropolitan, which means she secretly wants to dismantle the entire Internet and only put up webpages that she has proofread. She eventually wants to teach English, but before that she’d like to try her hand at web editing and writing full-time. Her idea of relaxation is reading poetry or The New Yorker.

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 Jose Zegarra
 Accounting Assistant
 

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 to 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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 Dunker Torres Escalante
 Accounting Assistant
 

A Cuzco native, Dunker, has studied philosophy and theology in the San Antonio de Abad Seminary in Cuzco 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 Cuzco.

Dunker believes Peru has so 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 Cuzco, 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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