The Joy of a Walking Holiday
A holiday can take any number of different forms, from location to activities undertaken once there. One popular holiday activity is that of walking or trekking.Walking holidays in Europe have taken off in recent years, especially as an extension of family holidays in Europe. Since then, they have steadily expanded to other parts of the globe, allowing people to see new countries in a completely new way. Walkers can delve into exotic landscapes and witness first hand new cultures and new places and what better way to see the world than on foot?

Ecuadorean Adventure
From islands to jungle to snowy mountain tops, Ecuador’s landscapes offer it all. Located in the northern reaches of South America, Ecuador is a tiny nation in comparison to its neighbours but with some of the most varied and beautiful terrain.

Ecuador’s mountainous Andes terrain makes an excellent platform for any walking holiday, with varied scenery that can be taken at a leisurely pace to more challenging treks. Ecuador is home to some of the world’s highest volcanoes, many of them active to this day. Cotopaxi, the second highest summit in the country, is especially renowned. From the summit of Cotopaxi trekkers can gaze for miles over the steaming volcano crater and to the neighbouring volcanoes in the chain, stretching beyond the Ecuadorean border into Colombia and all the way to the lowlands to the west.

Walks in these areas present more of a challenge, requiring experienced guides and acclimatisation to the higher altitudes they are set in. However, in the lower regions less experienced walkers can explore subtropical forest filled with towering hardwoods and exotic orchids and take the chance to glimpse rare indigenous animal species.

Ecuador’s capital, Quito, is the highest capital city in the world. Located on the volcano highlands on the slopes of the Andes it has a cosmopolitan feel which sits in pleasant contrast to its isolated setting. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its fantastically preserved historic centre with over 100 monumental buildings to be seen in the capital.

Other market towns, such as Otovalo, sit tucked amongst the hills make a nice break and are an ideal stop off point for a bit of wining and dining amidst the rural setting and a chance to see people who still practice traditional ways of living to this day.

The Galapagos
A trip to Ecuador is not complete without a trip to the famed Galapagos Islands and many holiday tours encompass this as a result. Often seen as one of the world’s ‘dream destinations’, the Islands make up Ecuador’s most renowned national park. Strictly protected, visitor numbers are extremely limited to ensure the wildlife remains as untouched as possible, ensuring that anyone lucky enough to visit is greeted with sights unequalled anywhere else in the world. With dramatic surroundings and wildlife found nowhere else on earth, any visit is an unforgettable one.

An unusual destination, take a step beyond more traditional tourist treks and discover the hidden beauties of Ecuador. Even those with little trekking experience will find something that breaks the mould in an Ecuador walking holiday. As such, it offers something for everyone in the way of outdoor activities and trails. From the volcanoes of the Andes to forest treks, it is the perfect setting for adventure.

AUTHOR BIO
Shannen Doherty writes regularly for a number of travel websites and blogs. She specialises in family holidays in Europe, but after recent Walking holidays in Europe she has extended her travel to encompass exploration of a number of South American trails.

For almost 25 years, my company, DFA Intercultural Global Solutions (www.deanfosterassociates.com) has been providing intercultural training programs and products for our corporate clients: this means providing companies with the information they need about the culture in which they might be working.  We provide information about all major cultures, how they work, make decisions, run meetings, negotiate, etc.  We thought that we could take this information and put it into app formats, making it available for all travelers, not just our corporate clients.  This way, even independent frequent business travelers, as well as leisure travelers, can have all the important cultural “do’s and don’t’s” right at their fingertips whenever they travel.  Other travel guides tell you what to see and where to go…only our CultureGuides© tell you how to get along when you get there.

I chose Brazil because as you may know, I love the country and can easily relate to it. If you haven’t been there yet, maybe you can consider heading there for the world cup in 2014. And if you can’t make it, there is always the olympics in 2016

So what did I think about this travel app? The app is a great introduction to Brazil. It provides lots of useful information, such as the history, people, language, general etiquette, food and more. For someone who has no background on a country, this app will provide the fundamentals. It’s easy to read and straight to the point. My suggestion was to take the tool further and add a section about the different regions in Brazil. Although the app provides good basic info on Brazil as a whole, it can improve on providing specific info on regions. This is especially useful when a backpacker is planning a trip and not sure where to start looking.

The app also displays a map of Brazil which is a good start. In time, I suggested they add a localization feature where the phone would locate a user’s location and give them the ability to give them directions to a given destination (just like google maps but via the tool). I think this tool will be extremely useful for travelers when abroad and will remove the need to carry a map. Maps always turn out to get lost or wet anyway, right?

Overall, I think it’s worth taking a look at the app if you want to learn more about a given country. You can download it on your iPhone or Android device for $9.99. If you’re looking for an app that provides tools rather than knowledge when traveling, you may have to wait until the app comes out with a second release.

Patagonia, Argentina

The huge area designated as “Patagonia” stretches from mid-Argentina, into Chile, and all the way to the Southern tip of Ushuaia. The area is home to absolutely stunning glaciers, all of which are suprisingly dissimilar. Frozen landscapes extending up into and through the mountains are one of the main attractions here, although there are many cultural and more populated areas in between the major destinations too, making Patagonia a favorite destination for backpackers. This destination is a popular spot for vocational tourism, an enviable profession to be sure. In fact, many people decide to study for tourism degrees after making their own trips to Patagonia.

San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

Deserts, high skies, and stars are the main attraction in this village midpoint between Chile and Bolivia. This spot is a popular destination for those traveling from Northern Argentina as well. The village is quiet and relatively uneventful (keep in mind its in the middle of a dry, desert landscape). Bikes are always available for rent, and of course two legs and a backpack are always a viable option. Head out in any direction and get some amazing photos from the many desert vistas, but keep in mind that you are likely to not find any other humans there (which is part of this spot’s allure).

Machu Picchu, Peru

You have heard of this spot and for good reason. Nestled within the imposing Peruvian mountains, it is definitely one of the must-see spots in the world. What could be better than backpacking through rolling mountains and discovering ancient ruins? Take the Lares Trek–it will not disappoint, but be sure to search Global Travel Blogs for more details on this backpacking Mecca.

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

Home to more than 10,000 square kilometers of salt, Salar de Uyuni is one of the most popular destinations in the world for backpackers. The area can be visited from Uyuni in southern Bolivia on a day trip involving trips to the various salty sights. We recommend traveling through the deserts of San Pedro de Atacama in Chile in a Jeep in order to see more of this amazing spot.

Cuenca, Ecuador

So far, most of the recommended destinations suggested have been more remote destinations. Ceunca, Ecuador provides a different appeal for backpackers: a very affordable spot with plenty of nice towns in and on the way. This area is not necessarily known for vibrant nightlife (this is backpacking after all); however, the food is cheap and amazing. Eating well for cheap makes any backpacking trip much better, agreed?

Iguazu Falls, Brazil/Argentina

This place is great for waterfall enthusiasts. You are a waterfall enthusiast just like everyone else because waterfalls are undeniably worthy of everyone’s enthusiasm. This destination brings together everything that makes backpacking great: affordability, world-class sights, and a new destination every day. There is also an abundance of hostels competing for your business, as this area is a popular destination for travelers of all kinds.

South America has no shortage of great spots for backpackers of all experience levels. This list is, however, hardly comprehensive, so check out the following resources for more great reviews and ideas for backpacking South America.

Backpacking South America – this website takes a destination-by-destination approach and provides travelers of all kinds with great information on South America.

A day after seeing Machu Picchu, we headed towards the world’s highest navigable lake. Lake Titicaca, at 3,860m above sea level, on the Peruvian Altiplano. We decided to book seats on a bus from Cusco to Puno on Lake Titicaca knowing that Puno is the largest city in the Southeastern region of Peru. We also thought it was the best destination to see the two key attractions, the floating Reed islands of the Uros, and Isla Taquile.

Floating Reed islands of the Uros

 We took an organized tour that was arranged by the city to see the Uros islands and also Isla Taquile. Our first stop was experiencing the 40 floating reed islands that were all man-made, and unique from one another. Every island has their own president and at least four to five families on one. It was fascinating to learn their history and to know how they have survived on these islands for thousands of years only depending on the lake. As we went further away from the Uros Islands, the water became crystal blue – greenish, breath-taking.

 Isla Taguile

 This island gave me a small perspective in how a simple life with traditions is what really makes people/families very happy. Everyone on this island has followed tradition after tradition for generations and over the years it has carved a wonderful culture that remains on the island. One tradition that stood out to me was men hats and women skirt colours. The hats represent a symbol. If a man wears the top part of his hat white he is stated as single, but if he wears his hat all red that means he is married. As for women, the more colours on her skirt, the more a man will recognize that she is married. A very simple tradition, but amazing.

I found that Lake Titicaca is a time capsule of wonderful preserved Peruvian cultures. It was amazing to experience culture, love, happiness, and joy throughout the Puno region on Lake Titicaca.

Today was the day that I have always dreamed of, seeing Machu Picchu! I was so excited that waking up at 5am felt like nothing. All I wanted to do was get up to the site and start exploring.

Konrad and I already booked everything prior to this day since we knew getting tickets for Machu Picchu in the village of Aguas Calientes would be trouble. Once we reached the site, our climb to reach Machu Picchu was about 20 minutes long. But once we reached the top, the two of us were mesmerized, by how incredible beautiful Machu Picchu was. It took us about a minute to actually say a word since staring over white fluffy clouds and bright green rainforest mountains in the background was breathtaking.

I booked the ticket to Machu Picchu that included an extra fee for climbing the Huayna Picchu or Wayna Picchu. Only 200 people are allowed to climb this mountain during certain time slots. I booked our time-slot between 7 and 8am. So as far as I knew, we started to climb one of the mountains, not realizing that it was the wrong one. About an hour into the climb I decided to stop, because the only thing you could see was white fluffy clouds. Konrad looked a little worried, which at the time I didn’t know why. But we decided to turn back and see what other mountains we could climb. As we continued to explore the sites of the ruins, we finally made it to the other end of the park. There was a small gate, which happened to be the entrance of Wayna Picchu. I couldn’t believe we were lucky enough to stop climbing the other one since it was the wrong one, Machu Picchu Mountain. The park guides told us we were two hours late, since our time slot was supposed to be at 7am. But with a strike of luck, they happened to let us in.  Once we started the climb of 1400 steps vertically high, the rain started to pour heavily. I was thankful I brought my gore-tex jacket, but at the same time the steps were so narrow that climbing on wet, small steps made it even more of a challenge. Although, Konrad kept saying to me, “this is going to be a life changing experience.” “Ya”, was all I could say, “Yes it will be if I fall!” Once we reached the top, the clouds were starting to disappear, which was lovely. The view of Machu Picchu became clearer as time passed. I was so excited to see Machu Picchu from such a height that I couldn’t stop taking pictures. It wasn’t until I realized how cold I was, that I immediately wanted to go back down. But as I was mentioning how freezing I was to Konrad, he suddenly went down on one knee and asked me to marry him! I was in shock, so of course no words came out of my mouth for that second, but as I saw the ring I knew I was not in a dream! I said “YES of course” and was so happy that the remaining of the day spend seeing Machu Picchu was even more exciting than seeing it for the first time!!

Our first step was to figure out how to reach the village of Ollantaytambo, since this was the town we were to catch our train to Aguas Calientes. I knew we had tons of time to get to Ollantaytambo considering that our train was scheduled at 6pm that evening, but at the same time I wanted to tour around the village and explore a bit of the Sacred Valley. So I planned to arrive in the village of Ollantaytambo around noon.

Around 10am in the morning we ended up taking a semi-private taxi from Cusco to Ollantaytambo, which ended up to be a journey of two hours. By semi-private, I mean there were other locals in the taxi. The drive was uncomfortable and slightly scary given that our driver was gliding around tight corners and missing on coming traffic by just inches. Though at the same time it was a thrill to experience how it actually feels to be driven by a true local Peruvian. As we drove within the Andes, the beauty surrounding us was astonishing. With its patterned farm fields and vast terrain the region’s agriculture was magnificent. We couldn’t stop taking pictures and staring. But as soon as we arrived in Ollantaytambo, the view got even better. Located in the western end of the Sacred Valley and built on top of original Inca foundations, the village was breathtaking. It was so incredible, that I wanted to get exploring right away. 

There were two main tourist attractions in the village, the Fortress and the market. The site of the fortress was lovely, with its several ancient burial sites and stone steps that were cut out so perfectly. Both Konrad and I were scrambling around with our cameras for a few hours. But as we came to the market, our eyes were fixed on many different small handcraft items. I quickly knew I would be purchasing tons of souvenirs during this trip considering how cute they all were.

Around 6pm we boarded the train to Aguas Calientes. The train was filled with tourists, just like us. But what was so incredible, was the feeling knowing that we were off to see one of the 7 wonders of the world – Machu Picchu. You could even feel how much excitement was in the atmosphere on the train. Although, the bad part about the train was it was just as scary as the taxi journey over to Ollantaytambo. With the train swinging side to side and feeling a little off balance I kind of wanted to get to Aguas Calientes pretty quickly. Plus, since it was pitch dark outside, and not being able to see anything, it was even a little more nerve racking. After the two hours of a train ride, we finally made it to the city of where the Machu Picchu journey would begin! I was so happy to reach our hostel, have some food and to just sleep. We went to bed fairly early since we wanted to wake up at 5am to be at Machu Picchu for 6am. But sleeping was so difficult, for I was way to excited, for the next day! MACHU PICCHU day!!! 

A few weeks ago, my fiancé and I took a journey over to the jungle area of Puerto Maldonado, Peru. We had no idea what to expect, but once we reached the riverside of Madre De Dios we were mesmerized by how vast, magical, and colourful the region appeared. We passed by indigenous communities, palm-thatched huts, and dozens of local food stands. We were so amazed that as we continued up river and deeper into the forest by bus, we knew that this was going to be an extraordinary experience.

The place we stayed at was called Anaconda Lodge. It is located fairly close to all the major tourist attractions in Puerto Maldonado, and they arranged our kayaking trip into the jungle. We wanted a jungle tour that would offer us the ultimate experience of seeing various wildlife and giving us the chance to indulge ourselves in an outdoor adventure. We found out that the Anaconda lodge offered just that with its experienced expeditions that focused towards independent guided tours to several of the best parts of the jungle within the Puerto Maldonado region. The kayaking tour contained an all-inclusive package that contained two guided tour leaders, two nights of accommodation (one camping and the other in the eco-lodge), all meals and transportation to and from the airport.

When we started our guided kayak trip onto the river, we both were a bit nervous since it was our first real wildlife outdoor adventure. The tour leaders were so amazingly helpful and skilled, that within an hour of kayaking we felt so lucky to have been led into the JUNGLE! We were spotting caiman, monkeys, and flocks of parrots, parakeets and macaws. Sitting in our kayaks, we were soaking up the sounds of the wildlife which was one of the best feelings I have ever experienced on my travels. As we paddled for a few more hours, the tour leaders finally found a great spot to pitch the tents for the night. It was an island made up of mostly sand and a few rocks. We were located right in the middle of the river. The plan was to

have the camp set up before sunset at 6pm and then later in the evening go back out on the kayaks to spot more caimans, since caimans usually come out during the night. But before camp set up, we decided to try a bit of fishing. I found it difficult to catch anything, but it was fun to go fishing in the jungle. And as the evening came around, we went out searching for caimans. It was such a thrill, that all my nerves disappeared and as the evening came to an end, we both knew that the adventure was already one of the best! The next morning the tour leaders woke us with hot coffee, and a great little breakfast to get us started for our journey back into the city. But once we started our journey down the river, we couldn’t believe how fast the river was moving. It felt like we were gliding across the water. It was only once we looked at the shore, did we realize how relatively fast we were traveling. We did stop a few times to parrot watch and listen to the jungle sounds. It was incredible how many parrots there are in the jungle and each of them are so colourful.

The kayak journey down stream didn’t take us very long and by the time it was lunch we were back in the city limits. Our guides took us back to the lodge and as we arrived our lunch was ready for us. It was amazing how friendly, nice, and quick the staff was at the Anaconda lodge. The staff was always there to help you with any needs or anything at all. It was great to feel so welcomed and relaxed. Once we finished lunch the staff generously helped us carry our bags over to our private lodge. “WOW”, was my first impression when I saw the private lodge. It was gorgeous. Not only did it include our own balcony with hammocks, but also a private tiled very clean bathroom. Everything was exquisite and comfortable. The mosquito net engulfing the bed also made it very relaxing to fall asleep. Every time I went to explore the lodge and its surroundings, I was renewed in my feelings of relaxation with nature.

Anaconda lodge includes great service, an outdoor pool, local monkeys (who are so friendly and who enjoy playing with humans), great Thai food (Actually the best Thai food I have ever experienced), but also one of the best places to get away from the busy and bustle. The lodge accommodation didn’t only offer modern comforts, but with its mosquito netting throughout the private cabins, everything was quite charming. With each private lodge including a private balcony and lovely clean tiled showers it was all above and beyond my expectations. For me it was what I called a real place to have a true holiday. 

After finally reaching our hostel called Pariwana hostel we decided to take a small stroll around the main city’s tourist attractions. Yet, after a few steps going up very small hills, we suddenly felt completely out of breath and exhausted. Forgetting about the altitude of  3,800 meters , we soon got really bad headaches. It never really occurred to us how the high altitude would affect us. It caught us off guard, but with some quick luck we found a semi cure. Cocoa leaves! Eating or drinking cocoa leaf tea helped unbelievably, plus ibuprofen also worked. After getting lots of meds into us, we continued to explore Cusco. Since it was already late in the afternoon we headed towards a well-named pizzeria. It was called Carlos Pizzeria. Oh this place was incredible cute!!! It was a hole in the wall with a small little oven. The kitchen was open to the dinning area that included three small tables, just enough to fit about 8 people. The chef/server made up a home-cooked pizza that tasted extraordinary. It was a restaurant that you just wish every city had, something charming that included yummy food and a great price. After our stomachs were full, we knew it was time for a nap or even bed time for the day, since the 24 hours of traveling to Cusco made us completely exhausted. But we first headed over to the bus station to purchase our bus tickets to Puno. Our plan was to visit after our Machu Picchu adventure, which was in two days. The bus station was an experience in itself. Locals from every angle of the station were running up to us, talking loud in Spanish, and sometimes grabbing us only to encourage us to purchase a ticket with their bus company. We decided very quickly to go where all the other tourists were going to get their tickets too. We purchased our return bus tickets from Cusco to Puno and back for only $40USD in total for the both of us. Very cheap and the buses are actually much better than North American buses. They are double-decker with lazy boy chair styles, very comfortable .

Since the bus tickets were purchased and the plan for tomorrow was already set, our bed time turn out to be 7pm. It was the best feeling, laying on a bed and not experiencing any sort of light-headedness.  We both slept through the night and woke up feeling amazing. Today was the day we were off to start our adventure to the village of Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes. Machu Picchu was only one day away now!!! …. See NEXT post!

Below is a glimpse of what I did to prepare for my 2011 PERU adventure!

First stage of the trip was to find the cheapest, yet quickest way to get from Toronto to Cuzco. The flight was booked about a month ago, but looking for good flights took me about two weeks to find. I scanned through so many different travel sites and I even compared the prices and times with travel agents. I finally found a great flight after lots of research.

Flight

Leaving Toronto with American Airlines on Oct 5 and arrive in JFK in the evening. We leave from JFK with Lan Chile airlines for Lima. Arriving in Lima in the early morning to catch our final flight to Cuzco at 8am. Arriving in Cuzco, October 6 at 9am. (No time change). This flight was one of the best connection flights I found, that also included a reasonable price too. Costing me only $1,100 return.

The second step was to book the train to Machu Picchu.  I knew we wouldn’t have time to hike to the peak, since our trip isn’t overly long. So booking the train and entrance fee for the park was the second most important thing to organize. The train was booked online on Perurail. With only a few spots left (surprising since I booked a month ahead of time), we booked the train that goes from the sacred valley to Cuzco. One way cost us $34USD and the return train ride was $60USD, since we decided to return in “style”. Booking the entrance fee to the park was a bit confusing considering how many different options there were to choose from. I read through many reviews online and recommendations. Many people had different ideas in how to book the entrance fee for the park, however I decided to book where many people opinions were similar. I booked online on the government of Peru website for national parks. It was extremely difficult since the website was all in Spanish (my Spanish isn’t very good). The entrance fee cost me $50USD. Pretty expensive I thought, but totally worth it. We paid a little extra to get the time slot of the sunrise. I really wanted to get on the first bus ride to the park in order to experience the sunrise over the village.

The third step was to organize the hostels and where we would be staying for each night. I booked the reservations on hostel world. I picked the most convenient and reasonably priced hostels that also included many services like Internet access, lockers, and breakfast. The hostel bookings didn’t take me too long, since I have booked many hostels in previous backpacking trips.

After all this booking and scheduling for a 10 days trip, the small elements started to approach. The small things included, getting travel insurance, travel medication, Peruvian money, clothing (for mild, wet, and hot weather), shoes, and carry on elements.

The travel medication was one of the biggest challenges, since we had to schedule an appointment with a travel doctor, figure out how much the meds would cost or if our work insurance will cover it, and when to take the meds during the trip. The first medication was getting the yellow fever vaccine. We found out, that you can’t enter the country without showing proof that you have the vaccine. The yellow fever shot cost us $150CAD each. It was a little steep. The next medication was the malaria pills and travel diarrhea pills. I was thankfully lucky that my work insurance covered it, since it was total of $175CAD, but my boyfriend wasn’t so lucky. We couldn’t believe how expensive it cost to have these meds, in order to travel sick free. After all this med stuff we had to find waterproof, windproof and bug-proof wear for the Amazon. I usually go to Mountain Equipment Co-op to purchase most of my gear. I did purchase a few pants for the trip that are bug proof. But we also went to the Buffalo to find waterproof – Gore-Tex wear for jackets. Our clothing gear cost about $250 for everything. It wasn’t as expensive as what most outdoor gear could cost.

Once all the small things were done, I decided to layout everything that I am bringing. I was overly surprised in how little I packed. I prefer it this way, since my backpack won’t be overly heavy. So now I only have two more days for any last minute planning and I believe I have nothing left to plan! YAY. It’s just time to get more excited!!!

source: http://backcountrybeacon.com

Only three more weeks until our Peru trip! Getting so excited! Since the trip is slowly creeping on us we decided to do a little shopping spree yesterday. We went over to the states to look for some cheap but good quality out-door wear.

The last few weeks, I have been on the hunt for some waterproof gear. Only because we are leaving for Peru in early October, and the Peru season will be slowly transforming to it’s wet season.

November – April: Wet season

April  – November: Dry season

So since we are going right between the two seasons. I thought it would be best to get some waterproof gear for the Amazon. I have been looking for something breathable but completely waterproof too. I have looked everywhere within Toronto, but all I could find was somewhat waterproof (rain resistant) or jackets that had a price range between $200 – 500 dollars. A little out of my budget for a waterproof jacket, but as it happened to be I had some luck come my way yesterday during our shopping spree in the states.

My boyfriend and I walked into an outdoor store that was having a small sale. This store was pretty expensive, but I thought there was no harm in looking though the sale racks. After a 10 minutes of looking my boyfriend mentioned that he found a Gore-Tex jacket for only $119. My first thought was GET IT and right afterwards I found the same one but in a different colour. I was shocked. I have always wanted a Gore-Tex jacket. They are the best for waterproof and windproof wear. But the problem is they usually cost between $200- 500 dollars. I knew $119 was a great deal!

Anyone who is a big hiking junkie would know that anything created out of Gore-Tex fabric is worth having. It’s a fabric that is created with textiles that are sealed with such high-performance that no water will enter no matter how much rain touches the jacket. Compared to an average rain resistant fabric that is not rain proof. There is actually a waterproof rating system that measures the amount of rain certain fabrics can endure.

For example:

• 0mm – Not waterproof. (Screen doors)
• 0m – 1000mm – rain resistant and not completely waterproof. (Soft-shell clothing)
• 1000mm – 5000mm – rainproof but not waterproof under any pressure. (Walking around in a rain resistant jacket – you will soon be wet)
• 5000mm – 15,000mm – This is completely waterproof but will leak after a few hours of heavy water pressure.  (Sitting in the rain for a while)
• 15,000 – 30,000mm – Is completely waterproof and even under major rainfall. This is where Gore-Tex Fabric fits in.
• 35,000mm – Higher – Solid waterproof. (This would be like a sports water bottle)

So can you can see my shopping spree ended up being very successful after this purchase. I was happy to find it for such a great price. Plus I now feel safe, knowing mosquitoes won’t bite me if I keep this jacket on even though I will be taking the Malaria pills.