Greetings and welcome to my new Substack newsletter for subscribers: Travels with Ilyce.
I’ve long been a fan of travel. I think it opens you up to different ways of seeing the world. I think it makes you more empathetic, more aware of how what we do every day impacts our planet.
As I’ve traveled to distant parts of our world over the past dozen years or so, I’ve become much more aware of how climate change is fostering substantial societal changes internationally, which are then impacting our daily lives in the U.S.
Let’s start with Latin America and the immigration issues around our southern border. Part of this problem is caused by crime. But, there’s another part caused by lack of water, higher global temperature and its effect on subsistence farming.
Santiago, Chile’s glaciers are all but gone. In Peru, a chain of glaciers has been reduced to a few peaks, which are expected to be gone within ten years. These, and other glaciers in Latin America, are an important source of water for those whose lives depend on being able to farm a meager plot of land.
I’ve been writing about how it’s raining in Chicago during January. We’re now in Day 5 of a thick fog that’s settled in, even as our rivers are flooding from unusual rainfall.
I’ve just returned from Peru in the rainy season. I think there are farmers in the small mountain towns of the Sacred Valley who would love to have just a fraction of the rain we’re experiencing.
When we were there, in late January, everything was green. But there wasn’t all that much rain. It should have poured every day. It didn’t. We had one hike in a week rained out (at the top of a mountain, starting around 13,000 feet) and by the time we got to Pisco an hour later, the rain had basically stopped. By the afternoon, clear, hot sunshine had warmed the Sacred Valley and dried out the streets.
Travels with Ilyce will be available to my paid subscribers of the Love, Money & Real Estate newsletter. You can sign up monthly or annually, or become a founding member. All are welcome. And, there are discounts available for those who purchase multiple subscriptions.
Because, well, saving money is my thing.
I hope you’ll join me on this adventure. I’ll be putting up some travelogs of other places I’ve been. Watch for links to restaurants, websites that can help you plan a memorable trip, and other ways to save on and savor your experiences.
Thanks for subscribing,
Ilyce