Peter Illetschko

Austrian-born Peter "Pirata" Illetschko is a global citizen with a fine eye for your cultural idiosyncrasies, and a cudgel of a pen to share his insights with. He’s been to over 50 countries and will take you to the interesting nooks and crannies of most major cities without a map.

Long before Capoeira, or riding his bicycle to Brazil, he was a bar tender in a red-light district in Tokyo, a florist in an orchid shop in Los Angeles, and a program manager at Microsoft. Peter has called Austria, Finland, Australia, Japan, Hawaii, the USA, and Brazil home.

His earth-shattering conclusion: "I like heat better than cold."

After years of adventure he found himself working for various soulless high-tech firms, a financially stabilizing and intellectually stimulating, but unfortunately, also adventure-numbing experience for the hitherto committed Gypsy.

All that should have been enough for Peter to call it a day behind a nice picket fence, living the good family life with 1.8 kids and a happy marriage. But of course, the opportunity to ride bicycle from Berkeley to Brazil with the Bruce Lee of Capoeira, Mestre Acordeon, was too good an opportunity for insane adventures to pass up. And so, Peter quit his respectable tech job to dive right back into the road less traveled.

​Over the course of this richly, some might say chaotically, experienced life, Peter was fortunate to practice various arts: The most impactful one turned out to be Capoeira - the Brazilian Martial Art. He also spends his time reading, writing, outdoors, playing with his daughter, volunteering and mentoring. He apparently also likes to ride bicycle, take undue risks, pay the price, and live to tell the story.

That being said, he insists he dislikes clichés and will go a long way to learn a new fact about your culture.

Peter also plays flute. For sunsets & kids, in churches, and on Zocalos around the world.

He hopes to catch you there.