I wake up groggy-eyed and heavy-headed in my tent, neck stiff from sleeping on my backpack. I stare blankly at the tarp ceiling, and puff little vapor clouds with my mouth, when I hear a rumble outside. At 3,500 meters, everything outside my cozy sleeping-bag cocoon turns frosty. I desperately don’t want to get out…

We do all have our own ideas on what makes a place beautiful and worth visiting, and on what makes a trip memorable. In my opinion, unexpected adventures to hidden places are the best ones. Therefore, when my university friend Foni invited me to visit his village and its surroundings in the middle of Central…