Three Nonstop Days of Trekking and Pre-Colombian Pre-Inca Culture Arriving in Chachapoyas we checked into Hostel Revash and quickly booked a three day package of tours beginning the following morning. Chachapoyas is a quiet colonial town. However, the area was the center of a sophisticated civilization that predates the Incas by 1,000 years! Within a […]
There are at least three or four ways to get from Ecuador to Peru. The most popular is via the Pan American Highway which runs through Quito, Guayaquil and Lima. One can also go by boat through the Amazonian jungle. But when Peter, the owner of Hosteria Izhcayluma in Vilcabamba suggested a backroads way that […]
I just wrapped up a five week stint in Ecuador with a stay at the hosteria Izhcayluma in Vilcabamba. Izhcayluna aptly bills itself as a backpacker resort and was founded by brothers Peter and Dieter in 2001. It sits 2 km up a hill overlooking Vilcabamba and the beautiful Valley of Longevity. My cabin was better than […]
What makes a day special, unique and memorable? Is it seeing some new drop dead gorgeous scenery for the first time? Is it doing something unique within a commonplace situation? Is it meeting someone from a different culture and having a deep heart connection with them as you share your differences despite language and culture […]
Day 3–Santiago Island-Sullivan Bay-Bartholomew Island –214 Photos Taken– 6:00 a.m.-We go on our first expedition of the day to Santiago island where we explore the lava flows and get some education on Galapagos Vulcanology from our guide interpreter, Victor. The patterns in the lava are caused during the cooling process. This is a fairly […]
In the morning, I retrace my steps back to be at the airport by 10 am. There are some glitches. First, no guide until almost 11, but then Victor shows up and I am immediately impressed and charmed. Then we wait for a second plane to come in which is late. All in all, I […]
I have wanted to visit the Galapagos Islands about as long as I can remember. Studying them in geography class they always held a certain almost mystical allure for me. Later, when I read Origin of the Species and studied Biology, my interest increased, although relegated to life’s back burner. When I first decided to […]
I recently spent a day and a night in Cali, Colombia, on my way south to Ecuador. Cali is Colombia’s third largest city with a population only slightly less than Medellin. However, it was Holy Week and the town felt rather emptied out as the locals head to the beaches and mountain towns to vacation. […]
Into the Mountains and Manizales I arrived in Manizales rather late due to rain-related road delays. Fortunately, I was able to get a bed at my residence of choice, Base Camp Hostel. Manizales is a university town in the mountains. About 100,000 of the 400,000 residents attend one of the multiple universities. Manizales has a […]
A very big rock, a beautiful lake and the challenges of traversing a very wet Colombia Did I mention the rain? After three months of no rain, I arrived in Medellin. It was beautiful for three days. After that it rained every day and still does. It rained every afternoon and almost every night. […]