Travis Rupp

My Summer 2026 course offerings are set and registration is open at CU Boulder! Looking forward to these deep dives into Ancient Sports, Rise and Fall of Ancient Rome, Ancient Food and Alcohol, and Pompeii and the Cities of Vesuvius.

2069 years ago today, Julius Caesar was assassinated. History shows that there are consequences for those who seek to be king where it's not wanted.

After day 6 in Peru and day 1 at Machu Picchu, I ventured out into Aguas Calientes on my own in search of chicha de jora (aqua in Quechua) at a chicharia. These are usually unlicensed back room establishments for the locals to socialize and in a place like Aguas Calientes to get away from all the tourists (hence the red flag sticking out at the entrance). It marks that chicha is on tap, but it’s somewhat of a secret code amongst the locals. Chicha de jora is a corn (maize) beer made my chewing the corn before fermentation. I was unsure how I would be received but they were so excited a gr**go walked through the door! They put my Spanish to the test, but I really enjoyed drinking and conversing with them. It was actually hard to leave because they wanted me to stay and drink more chicha while watching fútbol! Once they realized Zoë and Sara were waiting for me for to go to dinner, they understood my departure. What an amazing experience!!! 😁