The Aymara people of the Bolivian Andes have a word that describes Ivar Mendez’s nature as a traveller: sariri. A sariri is one who travels not only to visit new places but to explore and seek new knowledge—a pilgrim on a spiritual quest, a traveller in search of new horizons, adventures, and cultures.

"As a sariri, I have wandered on foot through remote regions of the Andes and navigated splendid Amazonian waterways surrounded by lush biodiversity. I have immersed myself in Indigenous communities whose traditions and rituals remain unchanged from pre-Columbian times. I have also witnessed extreme poverty, especially in regions far from urban centres, that profoundly impacts children, the most vulnerable population.

"The twenty essays presented in this book represent an individual perspective on the moments and places that caught my attention and stimulated my imagination."