You must not judge people by their country. In South America, it is always wise to judge people by their altitude.

The monotony of staying in one place is the best thing for writing a novel. Having regular habits, a kind of security, but especially no big surprises, no shocks.

I believe I have a sunny disposition, and am not naturally a grouch. It takes a lot of optimism, after all, to be a traveler.

Bogotá seemed a cruel towering place, like an eagles' nest now inhabited by vultures and their dying prey.

Cooking requires confident guesswork and improvisation-- experimentation and substitution, dealing with failure and uncertainty in a creative way

The conversation, like many others I had with people on trains, derived an easy candour from the shared journey, the comfort of the dining car, and the certain knowledge that neither of us would see each other again.

Airplanes have dulled and desensitized us; we are encumbered, like lovers in a suit of armor.