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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 David McClellan
 US Office Manager
 david@peruforless.com

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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 Janjoris van Diepen
 General Manager
 jan@peruforless.com

Janjoris graduated in 2004 from the University of Twente in the Netherlands with a Masters in Mechanical Engineering. He stands 196 cm tall and is often called ‘the giant' in the streets of Lima. Before moving to Peru, Janjoris roamed the slums of New Delhi in India, researching urban and solid waste management in order to obtain a minor in Sustainable Development in a North-South Perspective. After returning from India he was bitten by the travel bug once more and it wasn't long before he found himself in Latin America. Following an internship in a quiet little city in the Peruvian Andes, Janjoris traversed the entire country falling head over heals in love with both Peru and its people. A girl from Cuzco in particular caught his eye (and love), and after graduating he came back to Peru to live with her. Before joining Peru For Less, Janjoris worked as a Tour Leader and got deeply in touch with the tourism industry. Joining the company was a logical step for him, and he instantly found himself at home. Although being an uncompromising supporter of the PSV football team in Holland, Janjoris claims to be terrible at the sport. Instead he prefers biking and playing squash. In the evenings you can find him in one of the many cinemas in Lima or just at home reading, trying to improve his Spanish.

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 Richard Leon
 General Supervisor & Sales Manager
 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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 JP Salcedo
 Travel Advisor
 jp@peruforless.com

Juan Pablo (aka JP at the office) graduated from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana in 2004 with a bachelors degree in Economics and a double minor in mathematics and management. When his time came to choose where to obtain his bachelors degree he immediately chose to study in the US and particularly at Purdue since it has one of the largest populations of international students among US schools, continuing his studies abroad at the University of Mannheim in Germany in 2002. His international experiences not only helped him to understand better the world dynamics, but also increase his love and appreciation of Peru and all this beautiful country has to offer. Always ready to return to travel, visit with friends and family, and enjoy the endless variety of dishes.especially ceviche!!! For him the best time of the year is the summer, when he can just wear shorts, enjoy the sun and read a nice book peacefully in the beach with the soothing sound of the waves breaking in the background. His favorite sport is soccer (of course!), but he enjoys playing just about anything, from tennis to snowboarding. Oddly enough, one of the passions he developed while in the states was the love for Salsa music. Unfortunately he is a terrible dancer, but he is always willing to try his best, improve and have a good time. He's our technical guy that gets you through your travels squeaky clean.

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 Susana Alegre
 Travel Advisor
 susana@peruforless.com

As a lovely limeña, Susana's work allows her to share not only her love of travel, but also her love for her country. Indeed, these two loves were combined in her studies at the Catholic University of Peru, where she majored in Communication for Social Development. Putting her degree into practice following graduation, Susana worked in the communications department of an environmental NGO, travelling extensively throughout Peru – most notably to isolated communities and national parks, especially in the Amazon jungle. Her first hand knowledge of her country and its people, and her desire to apply her knowledge to assist in their social development were further developed in Denmark where she worked at the EUC Nordvestsjalland Business School as the International Marketing Assistant Professor for the 2003 – 2004 Semester. In Denmark, Susana had the opportunity of sharing Peru's rich culture and history with students from all over the world. During her studies she travelled to Paris – ostensibly to study French for five months – and here she uncovered her passion for history, art, meeting people from different cultures, and travelling. Susana is a Cinema going die-hard and goes to the movies at least twice a week. She enjoys playing tennis and relaxing on the southern beaches of Lima during her summer holidays.

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 Dave Murphy
 Travel Advisor
 dave@peruforless.com

David is the first Englishman in his entire family history, making him the black sheep in the Irish flock. He studied Law at the University of Sheffield in England before doing an MBA at the University of Liverpool. From there he worked briefly as a manager for footballers (the real football, played using feet), and after that for General Electric as a financial consultant. It was at that point, thanklessly working for a soulless American super-company that he realised he was thoroughly miserable and it was time to leave the country and disappear to the other side of the world. He shunned the usual South East Asia and Australia route in favour of a year in South America, starting in Caracas and moving in an anticlockwise direction to Rio de Janeiro. After that trip he lasted 6 months back in England before moving to Lima and buying Murphy’s Irish Pub in Miraflores, the tourist center of Lima. His favourite sport is football, both watching and playing, and his favourite animal is the badger. His other hobbies include traveling, reading, and enjoying a cold beer. Or several cold beers. He has “enjoyed” several tempestuous relationships with fiery tempered Peruvian girls, but never learns his lesson and continues to blunder on until he finds the right one. He joined Peru For Less in July 2007, while a manager looks after his pub, where he can still be found on occasions, but these days on the correct side of the bar.  

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 Aimee Reeves
 Travel Advisor
 aimee@peruforless.com

Aimee, a Chicago native, loves the laid-back Midwest, but simply cannot fight her desire to see the world. A graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with degrees in Political Science and Spanish Language and Literature, she also spent six months studying international politics at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile in Santiago. After receiving her undergraduate degree, Aimee worked with an environmental law firm, where she developed a great passion for environmental issues. Nevertheless, her studies and fascination with Peru led her to take a position with an NGO in Lima. She’s traveled throughout Chile, Peru, and Argentina, and one day hopes to move to Buenos Aires where she will be able to indulge on delicious Malbec whenever she wants.

When not at the Peru For Life office, Aimee enjoys discovering new independent musicians, playing soccer, running, and challenging her English coworkers to duels. She also spends time with her dog, who was abandoned after the earthquake in August of 2007.  

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 Abby Winship
 Travel Advisor
 abby@peruforless.com

Abby graduated from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA in 2007 with a Bachelor’s degree in Latin American Studies.  Within weeks of finishing her coursework she ran off to Peru to be with the man and the country that she fell in love with during studies abroad in 2005.  Her friends like to say that she’s more Peruvian than the potato because she’s explored so much of the country and is deeply in touch with its culture.  And speaking of potatoes, she is always willing to try one of the thousand typical dishes that comprise Peru’s greatest treasure, its cuisine.  She is intrigued by the varied flora and fauna of Peru and you might ask to see her impression of a vicuña, the precious Andean camelid whose fleece makes some very fine sweaters.  She leaves Lima at every opportunity to seek out these animals as well as to catch some fresh air.  She has seen dolphins from the beach, llamas at Machu Picchu, and river otters in the Amazon, all without ever setting foot off of Peruvian soil.  Her idols are her big sister and Shakira pre-Oral Fixation, who populates her extensive music collection along with Bob Dylan, Jack Johnson, Stevie Wonder, and the best of Latin Rock, Folk and Pop.  If she’s not working or talking to her boyfriend, she’s probably reading, writing, compensating for Peru’s high-starch diet (i.e. exercising), or contemplating the waves that she will one day be able to surf.

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 Diego Garcia Santa Maria
 Travel Advisor
 diego@peruforless.com

Born in Brazil and raised in Peru, Diego loves South America and everything it has to offer. At an early age he showed a deep interest in filmmaking, and later chose to study communications at the University of Lima, where he majored in Advertising and Marketing and graduated first in his class! During his last year in college he found a new passion for traveling; he lived in California for a while, and spent his last semester of college studying at Diego Portales University in Chile. That same year he got deeply involved in the world of advertising when he was invited to become part of the first class of the Cannes Lions Academy, which he attended during the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. Diego was also fortunate enough to study advertising and marketing at the prestigious Agulla & Baccetti Foundation (now known as Esponjario) in Argentina. His passion for filmmaking led him to work on the executive production of his first feature film: The Watercolorist, an ironic dark comedy about the ease with which we evade the defense of our dreams and with which we give the control of our lives to others. Although Diego loves the world of filmmaking, his passion for travel led him to join the Peru For Less team. He says that the cultural diversity and the good vibe of the PFL team members is what he most enjoys around the office. He now combines his work with making frequent visits to movie theatres, enjoying delicious Peruvian food, learning Portuguese, and hoping that he will have the opportunity to return soon to his motherland: Brazil.

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 Gavin Breeze
 Travel Advisor
 gavin@peruforless.com

Growing up in northern England, it was many years before Gavin realized that the ‘sun’ wasn’t just an object worshipped by ancient cultures. After this startling discovery, he was often found spending rainy days with his head buried in an atlas, plotting his future voyage to discover this mythical sunshine. After graduating from Notttingham University, with a degree in Geography and English, it wasn’t long before he set off to find the sunshine for himself. The new landscapes and cultures he encountered truly awoke his passion for travel, and what was originally a 3 month trip turned into an 18 month journey across 3 continents. On returning to England he studied to become a geography teacher in order to share his passion with others, but it wasn’t too long before the travel bug bit again. This time he headed off to South America- from the Caribbean shores of Venezuela to the glacier-clad regions of Patagonia- where he marveled at the breathtaking scenery and the warmth of the local people. After returning to London for 2 years, he realized he had left his heart in South America and moved to Lima, intent on learning a new language and experiencing a different way of life. Apart from his love of travel, Gavin is an avid sports fan, both as a spectator and a competitor. He particularly enjoys football (he hates when people call it “soccer”) and most outdoor activities. He also lists amongst his hobbies; reading, writing, sharing cultures, and like all true Englishmen, sharing a drink or two with friends. His biggest passion however is baking cakes when he has the time. His favourite is the Black Forest Gateau. He also bakes a mean pie.

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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 poorer 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 travelled through Argentina and then to Peru … but she liked it so much she stayed! She realizes that travelling 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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 Chris Mahoney
 Travel Advisor
 chris@peruforless.com

Born and raised 'Down Under' in Sydney, Australia, Chris attended Martin College where he studied Graphic Design and Marketing. While living in Sydney, he contracted Latin Fever from his encounters with Peruvians there, especially his best friend from Lima, and yearned to know the Latin American continent. After traveling through the South Pacific, Southeast Asia and Europe, he packed his Maracas and Peter Allan music and headed for the other side of the Pacific Ocean to satisfy his gnawing curiosity for Latin America.

Traveling through Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Chile, Chris finally arrived in Peru where he found the country lovely and the people amiable, true to his expectations so he decided to settle in Lima for awhile.

Chris has a background as an Art Director and has experience working with fashion shots, magazines and corporate identity. He feels the warm and passionate people, the vibrant colors and the agreeable ambience in Peru give him all the inspiration he needs.

His favorite animal is the Toad and he also boasts to making the finest Pisco Sour in all of Lima. On the weekends you can find Chris playing cricket and surfing in Caballeros Beach near Lima where the waves can reach a height of 3 meters!

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 Daniel Sacilotto de la Puente
 Travel Advisor
 daniels@argentinaforless.com

Born cross-eyed in Virginia, Daniel moved to Peru with his mother at the tender age of two. He began his tertiary education as a Law student at the Catholic University of Peru before undergoing his very own paradigm-shift and transferring abroad to study Philosophy at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

After successfully completing his B.A, Daniel returned to Lima in the hope of finding that all those thousand-page books could eventually inspire him into doing something useful: he initially spent some rewarding months doing volunteer work for the homeless in Peruvian shanty-towns, while continuing with his obscure philosophical investigations, learning German, and having more fun than he probably should have.

Daniel’s ambition is to be the world’s most prolific philosopher, and to see as much of the world as his budget allows, in the company of an as-yet-unfound but spectacular girl. Meanwhile, back in the real world, he will be bringing his philosophical mind to bear on creating mind-expanding journeys to Argentina. And he will continue to relax with a nice glass of ale, a copy of Heidigger and obscure, horrific, Heavy Metal.

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 Carola Solis
 Travel Advisor
 carola@argentinaforless.com

A graduate of the Universidad del Centro located in Huancayo, the capital city of the Junin province, Carola has a passion for travel, social work and art. In Peru, she has worked closely with indigenous communities to promote consumption of native locally-grown cereals.  She has also worked for NGOs such as the Red Cross and Amnesty International in England, always with a focus on education and nutrition for development in Latin America.  

A passionate traveler, Carola has traveled extensively in South America and visited countries including Argentina, Colombia and Chile.  She enjoys each travel experience, especially interacting with the locals of the places she visits.

Enthusiasm for learning has taken Carola to England, where she studied photography at the University of Bath and felt right at home. An indispensable companion for her travels, Carola’s camera never leaves her side while she composes portraits and landscape photography.  In her free time, she keeps in shape by jogging, taking walks on the beach and doing yoga.  If she is not reading, listening to music (especially chill out and electronic), painting, or talking with friends, you’ll find her snapping away with her camera. Carola is currently pursing a Masters degree in Anthropology at the Catholic University of Peru and hopes to continue traveling the world and working to make the world a better place.

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 Carolina Miyagui
 Quality Control Manager
 carolina@peruforless.com

Carolina´s passion for travelling started when she was given a scholarship to attend one of the United World Colleges. She packed her bags and went to the cosmopolitan city of Hong Kong where she spent two magical years sharing her life with students from over 60 countries, all avid to discover new lands and to get to know other cultures. This passion only grew as years went by and has taken her across the seas, from Norway to Easter Island, from India to Venezuela, from the Philippines to Italy. In 2004, she graduated from St. Andrews University in Scotland with a joint degree in Social Anthropology and International Relations and has worked with indigenous communities in the south of Peru, promoting the conservation of biodiversity and the protection of indigenous rights.  

Carolina strongly believes in each one’s capacity and responsibility to improve our common existence, thinking that no matter what we have, there is always something we can give or do. She has been a volunteer for Caritas and a microfinance organization which convinced her that microfinance is the way to “make poverty history”.  Carolina is a keen language learner and speaks fluent English, Spanish and Italian with further studies in French, German and Quechua. Carolina´s life has been marked by dancing since an early age; dance being more of a philosophy of life for her. She has been a semi-professional dancer, teaching and performing in public events, the most memorable of which was in front of an ambassador and a foreign affairs minister (from the people she could recognize!). When she is not shimmying her way through life, she can be found playing volleyball at the Japanese club, reading under the sun, watching old films or chatting with friends about the ills of the world.

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 Liz Boyd
 Travel Coordinator
 liz@peruforless.com

Liz’s love affair with the Hispanic world first began when she was eighteen, after she spent eight months living with a family in a tiny village in Spain. Overwhelmed by the warmth of the sun and the culture, she was drawn to the vibrant continent that lay on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, South America.

Her studies at Sheffield University, as a student of Hispanic Studies, gave her the opportunity to live and work in Venezuela for a year where she taught English at the University de los Andes, and had her first taste in the tourism industry as a guide at the spectacular Angel Falls. And that was it. She fell in love with this wild, beautiful, bright and colourful land.

Upon graduating, she followed her desire to travel through South America and got a job as a tour leader for Tucan Travel, leading groups by overland truck through Peru and Bolivia. There, she found the loves of her life, Peru and a particular Peruvian.

Now that Liz is working at Peru For Less, she intends to share her knowledge and love of Peru with those who are interested, so they too can enjoy all that the country has to offer. She is the only staff member who can speak fluent Japanese, and in all probability, the only one who can touch the tip of her nose with her tongue!

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 Nicola Kopp
 Travel Coordinator
 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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 Leah Li
 Marketing & Online Development Manager
 leah@peruforless.com

Born in China and raised in the U.S., Leah found Peru to be a perfect hybrid of her native homeland and adopted country. Identifying with two (and now three) very different cultures has instilled a love of cultural exchanges and travel. She graduated from the University of Virginia in January 2007, but not before she spent a semester abroad studying at the Catholic University in Lima and it was while exploring the Peruvian coast that she discovered ‘paradise on earth’ in the beach town of Zorritos, about 17 hours north of Lima, which made her determined to return to Peru.

After graduation she moved to New York City to study the labor movement at the Murphy Institute of Labor Studies. An education in neoclassical economics left her seeking alternative economic models that factored in environmental and social factors into the economic equation. A semester of writing and photographing for the Carpenters Union left her with not only a greater understanding of the important role labor unions play in the economy of a country but also an appreciation of the strength and power a group of united workers have in changing society for the better. Four months of working at a financial software company near Washington, DC made it clear to her that she had left her heart behind in Peru. She visited family and traveled in China after happily quitting her job and quickly returned to Lima to continue the life she missed – the vibrancy; the rich, cultural history; the warm people; the food; and, perhaps most of all, the national cocktail, the Pisco Sour!

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 Angel Seron
 Web Designer
 angel@peruforless.com

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@peruforless.com

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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 Juan Miguel Mifflin
 Web Designer
 juanmiguel@peruforless.com

A native of Lima, Juan Miguel knows the coast of Peru like the back of his hand. When he was still in school and had vacations (which he hasn’t had in two years), he traveled the entire coast with his father, a merchant seaman. In 2005, he graduated from the Catholic University of Peru as a Communications major. Curiosity, not the same curiosity that killed the cat, but an intelligent curiosity combined with a sense of wonder, is in his view, necessary for enjoying life. It has created in him eclectic tastes: from his preferences in music (his favorite groups right now are The Strokes and Justice, a French electronica band); film (The Royal Tenenbaums); to books (currently reading the Italian novel, El Baron Rampante), his choices are dictated by nothing more than his mood. His love of literature brought him to writing short-stories with a fantastical twist, several of which were selected for publication by his university. Along with a friend, Juan Miguel has recently written a screenplay for a film that is being screened in Peru, Spain and the U.S.

As eclectic as are his tastes, Juan Miguel’s work experiences show that a healthy dose of curiosity serves to enrich a person’s experiences. He’s worked as a web designer for artists and musicians and recently at the national newspaper Trome. With all that said (and written), his love of design, and most of all, in multimedia and animation, are what rock his boat.

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 Stephanie Byrd
 Web Content Writer
 stephanie@peruforless.com

Stephanie graduated from Kennesaw State University in Georgia with a BA in Modern Language and Culture. While fulfilling her university foreign language requirements, Stephanie discovered her knack for the Spanish language and decided to further her language and culture skills with a study abroad opportunity in San Jose, Costa Rica. It was there that she fell in love with Latin America and its intense beauty and tranquility. Stephanie’s enthusiasm and adventurous spirit have also taken her on business trips to Mexico and Lima. However, she insists that it was the extremely rich Peruvian culture that won her over. Stephanie is convinced that what Costa Rica (her first love) possesses in excessive physical beauty and biodiversity, Peru delivers and intensifies with a deep and resonant cultural experience. Upon the completion of her first visit to Peru, Stephanie knew that she had to get back and share her passion with others. Combining an extensive background in the Hospitality Industry with a love of travel, Latin America, and the Spanish language…she found PFL and the rest was history! When not chattering away with the locals at the market, Stephanie can be found swimming in Punta Hermosa, sandboarding in Ica, visiting ruins throughout Peru or just sipping on wine and enjoying a nice meal in Larcomar while watching the sun set over the South Pacific.       

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 Anyela Saldaña
 Financial Manager
 anyela@peruforless.com

Anyela studied accounting at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP), one of Peru’s top universities. She belonged to the PUCP Federation of Students, as well as to the Organization of Business and Accounting Students at the PUCP. She describes herself as responsable, very friendly, and simple- all qualities, she believes, that allowed her to grow professionally. Before joining the PFL team, Anyela had worked for the Maple Gas Corporation, KPMG, and Telefonica del Peru, which allowed her to put her education into practice. In her free time, Anyela likes to go to the movies, play sports, listen to music, and read. She has traveled several times to northern Peru (one of her favorite places) where she loves going to the beach, exploring the diversity of ancient and contemporary cultures, spending time with the famously friendly people, and most importantly- the wonderful food northern Peru has to offer!

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 Marcos Wolff
 Argentine Operations
 marcos@peruforless.com

Born and raised in Argentina, Marcos' passion for travel - and for tourists - started as a child. Fascinated by the "big groups of Americans and Germans" drinking beer and cappuccinos in his Argentine neighborhood, he began (at 8 years old) to engage these curious foreigners in stilted conversations. By the age of 12, aided by the example of a beautiful, knowledgeable travel guide, Marcos decided "this is what I want to do." His education at Salvador University in Buenos Aires , where he graduated with a degree in Tourism, was merely an expression of this childhood passion. A travel agent and guide since the age of 18, Marcos' ability to speak Spanish, English, French, and Portuguese (with Japanese on the way) further assists him in his work. His own love for nature and travel brought him to live in Patagonia for several years where he was able to spend plenty of time outdoors. It was there that he began trekking and rock climbing - two hobbies which he continues to enjoy during his spare time. His other interests are writing, reading, having friends over for excellent barbeques, and cooking up wonderful Mediterranean dishes.  Above all else, he loves be able to share his passion for travel and his knowledge of South America - especially Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Uruguay and Brazil - with all the people who encounter him on their way.

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 Ricardo Lopez
 Lima Operations Supervisor
 ricardo@peruforless.com

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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 Deysi Becerra
 Operations
 deysi@peruforless.com

Deysi, born and raised in Lima, graduated with a degree in Tourism Administration from the Federico Villarreal National University in 2005. Before joining the PFL team, she had an internship as an administrative assistant in Hoteles de Tarapoto. Later, she worked as Reservations Manager for a travel agency in Lima. She was very excited about making the move to PFL because she feels that here she has more of a chance to learn more about the ins and outs of the travel industry, and she is also more able to put her education to use. Deysi’s philosophy is that every day there is something new to learn! She is also currently studying English at the Britanico Institute. When not working or studying, she enjoys traveling, reading, talking with friends, listening to music, going shopping, and spending time enjoying nature. Deysi has had the chance to travel around Peru to experience the country’s cultural and geographic diversity. Her favorite thing about Peru is how friendly the people are, and how willing they are to share their customs. Deysi, while traveling, was once told, “If you want to enjoy a place, don’t compare it to another- just ENJOY IT!” It has since become Deysi’s personal travel slogan.

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 Daniel Fernando Espinoza
 Operations
 daniel@peruforless.com

Born in the Jesus Maria district of Lima, Daniel is in his last year of studying Tourism Administration at the Federico Villarreal National University. Previous to his joining PFL, Daniel worked for the Banco Continental, and as a coorporate executive for AFP Horizonte. He also worked for the city of Lima, administrating the city’s vehicular fleet. Despite this previous work experience, Daniel feels that coming to PFL was the best decision he could make, as travel is his passion and his job at PFL allows him to apply his studies to his work. Daniel first developed his passion for travel as a child when he traveled along Peru’s northern coast. Some of his more memorable childhood trips included visiting Chiclayo, Pisco/ Paracas, Arequipa, Puno, Tacna, La Paz (Bolivia), Santiago del Estero (Argentina), and Chile. Through travel Daniel has had the chance to enjoy the diversity of cultures and landscapes that Peru and South America have to offer. Despite his interest in visiting other countries, Daniel maintains that Peru is truly his favorite place on earth. When not traveling he enjoys playing Playstation 2 and Massive Role Playing Games online, and while he says he is not any good at sports, he still likes to play them and he is a huge fan of Sporting Cristal. Daniel no longer watches TV, but he loves music, and was even lead guitarrist of a band called Treva (they made a record, but they never became well known... maybe someday).

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 Cristina Daus
 Cuzco Office Manager
 cristina@peruforless.com

Born and raised in Bucharest, Romania, Cristina always had a deep passion for discovering the most beautiful and exotic places in the world. She has also always enjoyed learning about different cultures and lifestyles. After graduating from the Academy of Economic Sciences in Bucharest, she joined the travel business to share her dreams with other people, guiding them through their trips. One day she decided to move to India and her adventure started. Her experiences in Jaipur not only made her fall in love with Asia, but also motivated her to discover more of the world. That’s when she decided to discover the enigmatic and attractive country of Peru. Having only spent 5 months in Peru so far, she has already visited Lima, Nazca, Arequipa, Puno, Lake Titicaca, Cuzco, and Machu Picchu. When she joined the Peru For Less team she felt instantly that she belonged! Because she feels very fortunate to be living in South America, she is determined to make the most of it! She has an adventurous spirit that accompanies her everywhere, whether paragliding off the cliffs above the ocean in the commercial part of Lima, or traveling on the roof of a bus to nowhere! You are always welcome to talk to her in Romanian, English, German, or Spanish (and hopefully in Portuguese soon). Apart from traveling, adventuring, and reading, she dedicates her free time to her friends in Peru, and to talking to her family and friends over the internet.

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 Yuli Arana
 Operations
 yuli@peruforless.com

A Cuzco native, Yuli studied Business Administration in the Business and Tourism College of the San Antonio Abad University of Cuzco. She also held an internship at the university as part of her studies. Yuli started working, as soon as she was old enough, at events like the Cuzqueña Beer Festival in coorporate promotions. She also previously did graphic design work for some companies in Cuzco. In her free time, Yuli likes to paint and make jewelry which she then sells in her family’s store. She loves living in Cuzco, and says she would never live anywhere else, although she would love to travel around the world- but only to visit!.

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 Juan Carlos Abarca Soto
 Operations
 juancarlos@peruforless.com

Although Juan Carlos was born in Lima, he has been living in Cuzco for 5 years now. He chose to move to Cuzco because he has always loved the city; his mother was born there, and she always told him about what a lovely and amazing place it is to visit and live. In 2006 Juan Carlos graduated as a professional tour guide from the Antonio Lorena Institute in Cuzco. He also studied English at the Language Center of the San Martin de Porres University in Lima. Now in Cuzco, he is continuing studying English and is now at the Advanced level. Before joining Peru For Less Juan Carlos held internships with another travel agency where he gained experience in their operations department. He later held an internship with the Ollantaytambo Archaeological Park as a resident guide for 5 months. His favorite thing about working in tourism is constantly meeting new people and exchanging ideas. In his spare time Juan Carlos likes to play soccer, read, take a run in the early morning, and travel. Although he is confident that Peru is one of the most beautiful places in the world, one of Juan Carlos’ goals is to travel to Italy to visit Rome.

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 Brenda Ysabel Huamán Amaya
 Operations
 Brenda@peruforless.com

Brenda was born in the district of Jesús Maria in Lima and graduated in 2006 from the Federico Villarreal National University. Her fascination with foreign languages and their power in promoting cross-cultural understanding led her to learn English and French …with Quechua being next on the list. She feels that it is important for all Peruvians to know at least one of the indigenous languages of the country, especially when it’s spoken by 40% of the population.

Previously, Brenda worked as a tour guide in the San Franciscan Church of Lima, one of the most beautiful churches in the city, leading tours through the monastery and the subterranean crypts where the skulls and bones of 70 thousand people have been housed for centuries.

The Peruvian Andes, where the sun shines all day in the clear azure sky, is what Brenda fell in love with on her visit to Ayacucho. It was here that she understood the spiritual attraction of the simple things in life, and, since then, she has filled her house with flowers and plants to enliven the ambience and please the eye. She dreams of having a farm in the countryside with open fields where her two dogs can run freely and where there is space for a garden large enough to keep all her beloved fruit trees and flowers. But for now, she’s happily tending the family garden, where she’s planted fig trees, rosebushes and grapes and where her identical twin, Claudia, sometimes lends a hand.

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 Noelia Delgado Tarazona
 Operations
 noelia@peruforless.com

A native of Lima, Noelia studied business administration at The University of San Martin de Porres. Before coming to Peru for Less, she worked in the area of communications and logistics managing international events such as diplomatic functions.

Noelia’s love of travel has taken her across continents to countries such as Brazil, Italy and Spain, just to name a few. A devoted beach fan and evident in her perennial tan, she heads to the beach every weekend to catch early morning rays and swim in the crisp refreshing sea. She loves the beach for the magic of the sun and the crash of the waves that relax and transport her away from any worries. Whether she is traveling in Peru or the other side of the world, Noelia always makes sure there is time for her favorite outdoor activities such as mountain-biking, canoeing and hiking while also sight-seeing. An active lifestyle has been a part of her upbringing as she played volleyball and swam during her childhood so it is no surprise that when she discovered indoor cycling five years ago, she got hooked! Now she wakes up at the crack of dawn to cycle, attend aerobics class or take a dip in the pool before she comes into work, bubbling with positive energy.

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 Edgar Villegas
 Tour Guide / Post Operations
 edgar@peruforless.com

Born in Lima in the 70’s, Edgar claims Tacneño heritage from his father, a native of Tacna, a city just 40km from Peru’s border with Chile. Edgar’s well-rounded education in law, history and politics resulted from his natural curiosity. After completing his secondary education in the US, Edgar returned to Lima to study law at the Catholic University of Peru. Just a few credits shy of graduating, he had a sudden change of heart when his childhood dream of being a historian was revived. He cracked open his books again and immersed himself in the world of the past. An insatiable learner, Edgar is now completing his second degree in Political Communications.

Summer or winter, as long as it is the weekend you can find Edgar heading to the same beach in Pucusana where he has been going since childhood. Once there, he puts on his snorkeling gear and enters the mysterious world under the sea. He imbibes pisco sours into the night while conversing with his barwoman who also doubles as his psychiatrist. During the day in this idyllic setting, Edgar photographs seabirds in the morning and disappears into the sea during the day.

Years of studying in libraries cultivated in Edgar a love of books; although reading comes only after his two other loves: photography and traveling to the southern mountains of Peru. Whenever he travels, he makes sure to bring along his camera to capture all the sights and faces, each time further away from what he knows to discover new places and experiences.
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 Dohjio Branko Knezvich
 Post Operations
 branko@peruforless.com

A native of Peru, Branko was born in the city of Tarma, often referred to as the ‘Pearl of the Andes’ for its rich history and natural beauty. He began his studies as a law student; however, after some considerable soul searching, he began studying Philosophy in the Catholic University of Peru where he graduated in 2007. A passionate traveler, Branko journeyed throughout Peru as a child and his studies have taken him to Brazil and the US. Branko believes in lending a helping hand and has done social work in communities of Ayacucho as well as volunteer for the Red Cross earthquake relief in Ica and Chincha. With a flair for dishing up Peruvian cuisine, Branko enjoys the gastronomy of his country because it represents regional diversity as well as the cultural exchange of various ethnic groups throughout the centuries. Branko also appreciates Afro-Peruvian music and salsa as well as cinema and ancient Greek literature. Nevertheless, soccer is his core passion and while he has played in almost all positions and was even captain of his philosophy department’s soccer team, he considers himself a terrible player.

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 Fabricio Ortiz De Zevallos
 Tour Guide
 fabricio@peruforless.com

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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