We’re featuring some of the brightest Instagram storytellers in the Passion Passport community with our Instagram Spotlight series.
Hi! I’m Lucero – a Peruvian Swede, a food and film fiend, and a writer in half of the five languages that I speak (it’s complicated). I’m universally out of place, but fortunate to be able to travel and even call a handful of places around the world home. You’ll find part of my collection of things that make me smile on Instagram. Mostly delicious meals, good music, small and grand adventures, as well as magical moments courtesy of Mother Nature. Follow along at @LuceroViktoria!
Dali, Yunnan, China
From snowy mountain tops to spotting a tropical lizard in the bathroom ceiling whilst brushing my teeth, traveling around Yunnan is one of my favorite adventures to date. We hiked the Tiger Leaping Gorge, met the sweetest street food vendors in Xishuangbanna, and lead a breezy life in beautiful Dali. The latter is also where I got to enjoy the most delicious rendition of my standard Lánzhōu lāmiàn order: tomato egg fried noodles.
Oakland, CA, USA
My fiancé is from Oakland, so we try to visit whenever we can. For some reason, each and every time we go I suffer from the most persistent jet lag. The ultimate cure? At least one midnight ride with friends to Colonial Donuts for fresh blueberry cake and maple old fashioned donuts.
Budapest, Hungary
Our weekend in Budapest was a treat covered in beautifully crisp and cool late fall weather. We took in most of the city and its grand buildings by foot, running mainly on hearty Hungarian meals and mulled wine. Naturally, we had to reward ourselves with a visit to one of the city’s famed thermal baths on our last day. See my mom Viking-ing through 6°C to get to the hot outdoor pool, which is really the only place to be on any chilly afternoon.
Chiang Mai, Thailand
A 30-baht serving of Pad Thai from a smiling street food vendor made Chiang Mai love at first bite. The meals that followed didn’t disappoint. Khao Man Gai, Som Tam, Moo Yang. Chiang Mai even served me what is possibly my favorite sandwich ever (a Cubano, of all things)! Unsurprisingly, one of my fondest memories from this awesome city is also one of my favorite meals. A feast with friends in a hut on this beautiful lake where we sat for hours – eating, talking, enjoying serenity. Sabai sabai. It couldn’t have been any better.
Rome, Italy
As someone who constantly ends up in conversations about food, for years I would get “you’ve never been to Italy?!” from fellow food lovers. Well, I finally went to Rome for my birthday weekend this past December. And yes, my life will never be the same, thank you.
