Charles Island - Ecuador

“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.” 
― Charles Darwin

             I'll admit that I rewrote my previous post on Peru, three times. I had so many thoughts, that it was difficult to put it into one blog post. Galapagos post is simple. Go there. I haven't traveled as much as some of my friends, but I'm not sure there's another place in the world quite like it. You're basically island hopping through a zoo/aquarium, with no cages or tanks.

           Jess threw out the idea a few weeks back and I initially shot it down knowing how expensive it is. We ran into another American in Lima and he confirmed what Jess had found through research; A.) It's an amazing place that will only get more expensive/popular. B.) There are cheaper options than just hopping on a cruise, which is mostly what you come across when researching. At this point we're pretty experienced with the tour circuit and I really wasn't looking forward to getting stuck on a boat with a bunch of tourists. People on vacation our a lot different from backpackers like ourselves. However, Jess assured me we could just do day tours, which would give us more flexibility and save us money.

          After spending a few nights in the border town of Mancora, Peru and relaxing on the beach we headed for Guayaquil, Ecuador. While at the border crossing we made friends with others crossing the border. One couple being from Sweden and the other, the U.K. We were all heading the same route and it was refreshing to share notes with people who had a similar journey behind them and ahead. The U.K. couple had actually started their journey back in January a day after us and followed an almost identical route.

View from our room at Semilla Verde.

         We spent two more nights in Guayaquil before taking off on the 13th. We landed in Baltra at an airport that was originally set up by the U.S. back during World War II. Since then, it has been the main airport for visiting tourists. Rather than stay in the popular Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island we chose to stay up in the highlands on a coffee plantation owned by a Brit called Semilla Verde. Although it was out of our normal $30/night per person budget, I wanted to stay somewhere nice for a few nights to wake up to peace and quiet. SV didn't disappoint. Every morning we woke up to birds chirping and ocean views. The breakfast was amazing and our friends we met from the U.K. joined us for two nights.

         Our first day we scoured the town of Puerto Ayora for tours. Jess had brought up scuba diving several times during our trip, but I really never gave it too much thought. Galapagos offers world class diving, and we decided to go with one of the more reputable diving companies in Scuba Iguana. It was my first time scuba diving and Jess' third, but it had been a few years for her. I know it can be a bit dangerous, but I didn't want to give it too much thought and psych myself out, like I did with skydiving a few years back.

        When our dive rolled around Saturday morning I was excited to get in the crystal clear water near North Seymour. I kept trying to block out the chatter of sharks and just focused on my gear being ready to go. Jess seemed calm as well until we hit the water. Thankfully we had a personal scuba guide who helped us every step of the way. That couldn't prevent me from nearly hyper ventilating and Jess accidentally filling up her mask with water within the first 10 minutes, which felt like an hour.

        Once I finally was able to slow my breathing we began to descend into crystal clear ocean waters with fish straight out of Finding Nemo. After a few minutes we reached the floor and let nature put on a show for about 20 minutes. I was still struggling to breath a bit, but didn't want to waste any time at the surface. At this point we were about 30-40 feet below surface and we began seeing White Tip Reef Sharks. Like most Americans who grew up on the coast, I've always been fascinated/terrified of sharks. Shark Week in my house as a kid was like the World Series, Super Bowl and NBA Championship all rolled into one.

       Seeing the first shark didn't even feel real because I was still struggling to breath. I was also trying to keep an eye on Jess and our guide. There was so much going on at once. Every direction you turned there was something new to see. We were experiencing the way things were meant to be. It was liberating. When the 12 foot Manta Ray cruised by us about 20 feet away, I felt a euphoria over my body. A few minutes later a group of hammerheads swam by as well. You could tell they saw us, but didn't care to bother with us.

        If our trip ended after that first dive, I would have been completely content. Our second dive we traveled about 30 minute to another dive spot called Daphne. We were able to see a cave filled with resting White Tip Sharks and playfully circled by a Sea Lion. We had survived our dives, but our Galapagos Adventure wasn't over yet.

       On Monday we headed over to Isabella Island by a 2 hour boat ride. I wasn't feeling so hot after swallowing some water during my initial dive. By the time we got to the island I was pretty wiped out from the 90-100 degree heat and rough boat transfer. We were also greeted with the fact that the island didn't have ATMs or a bank. Our funds were low, but we enjoyed two nights on this quiet island and did a snorkeling tour off the coast with our friends Ben and Robyn.

      Spending a week in a place so rich in wildlife is something I'll never forget. Jess is definitely the bigger animal lover out of the both of us, but this is a place for everyone. You can't help, but be impressed with how these islands have managed to stay so clean and operate so smoothly with locals, wildlife and tourists. We have obviously seen a lot over two months, but this has definitely been the highlight of our trip....so far.

      We then flew to Quito with zero plans and decided to do a tour around Cotopaxi National Park for two days. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't on our side and we weren't able to fully view Cotopaxi Volcano.
We realized that day how fortunate we've been over the past two months in terms of weather. We also realized how diverse Ecuador is. One day we're diving with sharks and sea lions, a few days later we're climbing snow capped volcanoes....not a bad place to visit.
     
      Tomorrow we'll head to Bogota for the last stop of our adventure. We'll then head to the Coffee Triangle and work our way up to Medellin. From there we'll head to the coastal towns of Cartagena and Santa Marta, stopping at some beach towns along the way. Recommendations are always welcomed.

       Thanks for keeping in touch and we'll keep you posted on our Colombia Adventures!

Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick

Hola from Peru

         Before arriving in Peru, I began reading "Conquest of the Incas". I wondered, "How would I feel if someone of a different color, on strange animals showed up in America and murdered our leaders, then forced me to worship a new god?". As someone who doesn't associate with a religion and considers the wilderness his church, it was a bit frustrating to see all the churchs the Spaniards had built, but they're not the first to do this (see: Missions in California). When we began taking tours around/outside Cusco, you begin to realize what an impressive civilization the Incas were. As time went on and we began the Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu, I began to accept that Conquests are just part of civilization.

          The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is a 4 day, 26 mile backpack with the option to have porters carry all your stuff. Tour companies (we joined the Llama Path based on friends recommendations) provide tents, food and guides, who fill you with the history of the trail. Having hiked Patagonia a few months ago, I was confident we wouldn't have a problem. Now that we completed both I'll say Inca Trail is much more difficult than the hike we did in El Chalten, Argentina. Like most challenging hikes, the payoff was big. Amazing views with differing climates/flora and 500+ year old ruins. Hard to beat and there's no wonder Machu Picchu was voted New 7 Wonders of the World.

          Having done a few tours over the last few months, I'll say this is one of the best groups we got stuck with. There were 9 of us, 2 tour guides and 14 porters. Out of the 9 tourists, 2 were from New England, 1 from New York, 1 from Spain, 1 from Italy and 1 from England. A great mix and all within the same age range. Spending 4 days in close quarters isn't easy for anyone and I was impressed with how the group got along. The porters are/were work horses and carried supplies, including the impressive meals we ate for breakfast/lunch/dinner.

You don't have to be female to die at Dead Woman's Pass

         The hike follows a path designed for the Royal Pilgrimage to Machu Picchu where studying was done only by the highest ranking of the regional tribes. On your way you climb up to 14,000 feet at Dead Woman's Pass. From there you sleep next to an impressive Inca Ruin that was enough for me to go home satisfied.
     
       After two days of perfect weather it finally started to rain. Luckily we were done hiking around 1 and our guide instructed us to take a nap and hopefully the rain would pass. Around 5 he came over to our tent asking if we'd like to do a short walk to another ruin. At first we declined, but upon hearing the rest of our group get up we did the same.

       The 9 of us plus our guide trudged through the rain and mud about a 1/4 mile to another impressive ruin. He gave us some information on the site and left us to explore on our own. After some discussions with three llamas we were able to explore the ruin. While doing so(about 15 minutes in) we heard two girls in our group
yelling, who were still high up on the terrace. When we ran over we found an Andean Bear slowing making their way across one of the terraces towards the 3 perched up Llamas.

      Once we returned to our camp all glowing from what we had just seen, we realized how rare it is to see a bear by our guides reaction. Before we saw the bear, I would've said this was the highlight of the trip because we had this perfectly intact ruin all to ourselves(thanks Rain Gods). The bear was just the icing on the cake.

       The following morning we woke up at 2:50AM(not a misprint) and got to the front of the line for the last push. At this point, everyone on the trail meets at the final check point and hikes about an hour to Machu
Picchu. We waited restlessly til 5:30 and raced to Sun Gate to get the first glimpse of Machu Picchu. This last stretch is the longest finish line I've ever experienced. Finally you can stop thinking about how many more miles/gross bathrooms/stairs/stubbed toes/knee issues you have to go and can appreciate what you've come to see.

       There are some of us who have done more difficult and longer treks, but nothing as rewarding as the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Some people we met just took the train straight to Machu Picchu, but if you want to fully appreciate the history of the Incas, I'd highly recommend sacrificing your knees for 4 days and hiking the Inca Trail.

       On our final night in Cusco we had the pleasure of grabbing drinks with one of our Spanish teachers who is originally from Cusco and picking his brain about the current state of Peru. During our stay in Cusco we experienced transportation protests stemming from a gas line and international airport. Without going into great detail, while Peru provides natural gas (through a pipe) to Chile and Mexico at a discounted price, Cusco relies on gas tanks that you find under your BBQ grill at a Premium. As for the airport, the majority of Peru's international tourism heads to Cusco. However, you need to fly into Lima in order to get to Cusco. Add an International Airport to Cusco and that takes Lima out of the equation.

        Peru has issues like any country, but you can see a lot of potential as this great country continues to grow in popularity. The smog in Cusco is the worst I've ever experienced in some areas, but this problem can be fixed by eliminating buses in some of the tighter streets. Inca Trail has only been accessible by tourists the last 30 years and will only continue to experience growth. Hopefully Peru will recognize how important it is to limit the number of people on the trail, rather than trying to squeeze every penny they can out of the trail. I would suggest increasing fees to enter the trail and limiting number of hikers/porters on the trail daily.

        After a quick stop in Lima we headed North to Mancora, a nice 22 hour bus ride. This is a chill beach town we've heard great things about. After being over 11,000 feet elevation the past few weeks, it's nice to be back at sea level again and on a beach. From here we'll head to Galapagos Island for a week starting on March 13th. From there we'll fly to Quito, Ecuador and make our way up to Cartagena in Colombia.

         We're still open to suggestions North of here, so if anyone has any info to share, please do. Also, here's a link to some more photos on Photo Stream: PERU

         As always, thanks for all the encouragement and support!

From the Salt Ponds

Billy the Alpaca Tamer

Cooking/Spanish Class w/Judy

Protests in Cusco

Ruins in Ollantaytambo

Jammin on the 16 string