We said goodbye to Ecuador on January 5th, and said a big hello to Colombia! It was an interesting time, to say the least, at the border. La fiesta de Blancos y Negros was happening in Pasto which is just a few hours from the border. Everyone was covered in paint, flour, and whatever else they could find to throw at each other. The line for the Ecuadorian border was crazy. It seemed like a lot of Ecuadorians had left the country for a few days to participate in this festival. After waiting 6 hours, we finally left Ecuador, walked into Colombia, waited 25 minutes got our stamp and headed to a hotel in Ipiales. We spent the night close to the bust station and took an early bus to Popayan. Popayan was beautiful, full of old white buildings and parks. We wish we could have had more time to walk around town, but we wanted to get going and try to make it to San Agustin that day. We pulled up to San Agustin and it was a party! Saturday night and the streets were filled with children, teenagers, parents, and grandparents. Apparently San Agustin is the place to go for the holidays. We found a noisy, but cheap hostel for the night, and left as soon as possible the next morning for a quiet campground near Parque Arqueologico. Parque Arqueologico was absolutely amazing! We loved every second of it. Especially at the end when a 3 year old girl became our tour guide. She was amazing! We took an over night bus to Bogota the next night. Smooth and surprisingly fast we awoke in Bogota to people heading to work. The coolest part was the street was split in 3. One section for people headed north, one for people driving south, and the middle street was for everyone who was biking. Sooo cool! Bogota is my kind of city. So hip and cultural. Again, I wish we could have stayed longer. We did manage to make it to the Gold Museum, which I am so glad we didn´t miss. Some of the first pieces of metal work were there, and they had a lot of information on Shamanism which was amazing. The hostel we stayed at was full in the main building, but they just happened to have an extra apartment down the road that we had for the night. So relaxing after a night on a bus. The next night we took another overnight to Santa Marta. Alas, we are here! It was an intense week of travel, but so worth it. It´s amazing. The beach, the motorcycles, the sun!!! We are so happy to be here! We have been working at the hostel for a week now and it´s a lot of fun. We work at night behind the bar and organize events like games, and quiz night. Tonight is Salsa night so I better get going, because I need to learn if I´m going to make it here in Colombia! Haha! Ciao for now!!!
Archive for the ‘Articles’ Category
Merry Christmas and Dinner Madness!
01.14
Christmas Libations!
In Argentina arrangements are started a little bit earlier than European countries. The Christmas trees are decorated with snow balls mostly and white, green, red coloured lace, candles, strings, ornaments, lights, Papa Noel, nicknack and cribs . All racks are full of wreaths and stockings. Children write their 'bad deeds' and favors to pray from Santa Klaus.
In the morning of the 24th, they smile and greet everyone saying “Feliz Navidad” which means Merry Christmas. In the evenings they sing carols, service their missions at church before Christmas and feast with their families and friends. Christmas is celebrated from 24th December to 6th January “Three Kings’ Day”. In the evening of the 24th Christmas Dinner is served in a traditional Hispanic manner consisting of dishes such as roast pork, turkey with spicy vegatables. The most famous is “Ninosenvuettas”. It is made of 3 inch squares of steak stuffed with small meatballs which are a combination of minced meat with onions, hard-boiled eggs and spices. At midnight on 25th December children were given their gifts by Papa Noel and the whole family counted backwards and popped champagne with “Parrillada Tost” that has a variety of fruits, blended with juice, cider and grilled meat. And we continue to the third part of the Christmas dinner with “Turron” a sweet nougat with egg yolks, cream, sugar, praline, chocolate, liquor, etc.. These can be filled or covered with nougat in preparations of confectionery, cakes and candied fruits. ”Pan Dulce” also known as Panettone or Fruit Cake is amazing. I want to share you the recipe, which tastes perfect and is cooked by the sister of hostel owner. Christmas Party!
Ingredients: 1 cup golden raisins, 1/2 cup light Rum, 1/2 cup warm milk, 2 teaspoons sugar, teaspoons active dry yeast (or 2 packets), 3 1/2 cups flour, 3 eggs plus 1 yolk, at room temperature, zest of one lemon, zest of half an orange, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, cut into 8 pieces, plus more for buttering coffee can, 1/2 cup candied orange peel, 1/2 cup candied lemon peel, egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash confectioner's sugar, for dusting,
Sliced almonds, for topping, 34 oz. Tin coffee can, emptied, washed and plastic and paper labels removed.
Put the golden raisins and the rum with 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes, and then remove from heat and let chill. Drain the raisins and reserve in a bowl.
Fit a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and rinse the bowl with warm water. Add in the warm milk, sugar and yeast and stir together. Let sit for five minutes, until foamy and spongy-looking. Add in 1/2 cup of the flour and mix at low speed until combined. Add in the eggs, yolk, lemon and orange zest, lemon juice, salt, and 2/3 cup sugar and beat until combined. Next, add in the remaining 3 cups of flour 1/2 cup at a time, waiting until each portion has been combined before adding the next one.
On medium-high speed, add in the butter a few pieces at a time, and beat on this speed for about 5 minutes, until the dough is shiny and shaggy. The dough will be extremely sticky and soft. On low speed, add in the raisins, and candied lemon and orange zests and mix until combined.
Remove the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place until it doubles or triples in size, about 3 hours. Meanwhile, generously butter the coffee can and line with parchment paper, using one round piece for the bottom and a rectangle to wrap around the sides. You can use the can to measure approximate sizes. Line the coffee can with the parchment paper, and leave an inch neck of paper coming out of the top of the can.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and shape into a cylinder about the width of the coffee can. I wrapped the parchment paper around the dough to get it into the coffee can, because my first attempt at simply dropping the dough down into the can lined with paper made the paper wrinkle up.
Cover the can with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until the dough is coming out of the top of the can, 2-3 hours. (Or let it rise overnight in the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature 3 hours before baking.)
Put the oven rack in the lower setting in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Beat together the egg yolk and water and brush it over the top of the bread. Bake for 2 hours 20 minutes, or until the bottom of the bread makes a hollow sound when tapped. (After being removed from the can) Remove the bread from the can by thumping firmly on the bottom of the can.
The traditional way to prepare Panettone requires this unusual step: Take two metal skewers and pierce the panettone about 3 inches from the bottom, either in an 'X' shape or parallel. Hang the Panettone upside down for several hours over an empty stock pot to cool.
We let our Panettone cool for about a half hour before serving, which was also just fine.
Dust the top with confectioner's sugar using a fine-mesh sieve. Remove the parchment paper before serving and slice into wedges.
My Hostel Family
My Real Hostel Work
12.21
Jazz with her colleagues at the hostel
My Real Hostel Work by Jazz
It is finally time to experience my REAL HOSTEL WORK placement.YAYYYY I was accepted into the hostel work program with a placement working at the at reception desk in Esquel, Argentina and received a REAL BLOGGERS scholarship. It is an exciting process because of all the options to go to your preferred locations, what kind of hostel work you want to do, and the opportunity to publish your blog at www.realhostelwork.com .
My first step was to think about which cities and countries I wanted to travel to in South America. Yep, I have been in different cities in Argentina as a backpacker, but I have never been in Patagonia. So, I filled in the application form and a letter (consisting of about 250 words) about why I wanted to work in South America. Then I was informed of a job vacancy which matched my location and abilities. I read different reviews of the hostel on different platforms and the content of the job that my advisor sent me, and decided that this was the hostel for me. My REAL advisor, gave me contact information for my possible employer to have an interview. That was very important to understand my new job responsibilities and meet my new colleagues. If you are fluent in speaking English and intermediate level in Spanish, you will have no problem being accepted into the program. The REAL hostel work exchange program was founded by backpackers that you can contact if you need further information about the jobs’ prerequisities, cheaper travel options, and visa and scholarship options. Being backpackers themselves, they understand that we are on the same “travel” boat. The process is really simple after that, you need to choose your destination (there are many available) – job offers. Some of the hostel work positions include hospitality, sports admin, communication, reception, cook, marketing, tourism offers or combination of them which can create your dream position that gives you the chance to work and live with the locals, gain international experience, and practice your conversational Spanish skills and maybe other languages. If you are blogger, photo blogger or V-blogger you should apply for the scholarship program as well basically you are required to blog, vlog and take photos weekly during you program. The REAL scholarship includes program fee and your blog support if you have confusion, how you need to write efficiently at least once a week, and it is fun to do! Me encanta . Working in reception at hostel
It is my first week, I am being hosted in a good atmosphere and learning different abilities to communicate with guests and work with them at the reception desk. I was placed in a perfect position to travel, do sports and speak Spanish more. My hostel is located in the city center of Esquel and includes different options for walking or cycling in the beautiful city, trekking through many areas (including one of the top hikes in the region called “Los Alerces”), rafting and boating, camping, climbing, fly fishing, canopy all year and wintersports on La Hoya in winter. I fell in love with the surrounding nature when I was travelling here by bus. The City of Esquel is the perfect option to go for a walk downtown or expereince true virgin nature, visit an ice tunnel, or take a train ride from the past. Last but not least one I like the hostel. The hostel is owned and managed by young traveller couple, who are friendly colleagues as well! It is really cheap to live here and is safe and beautiful for travelling. We are backpackers so we need to discover cities in cheap and independent ways and Esquel and my host hostel are the perfect place to do so.
At the end of my first week, I have had really good communication with other backpackers, experience in operating the hostel, and working with some tourism agents. It is a good job to get language abilities in Spanish as well. But it is 3 months program and I am sure I will learn much more and I will continue to write about my experience in Patagonia.
Chau chicos! I want to participate in some laughter-filled Spanish chit-chat with the guests!
Bogota to Buenos Aires by Bus
11.07
Easy and Cheap, a detailed guide to busing it down the West coast of Latin America quickly and cheaply; this is in the hope of giving you a bit of a budget, stops, and list of great hostels in South America.
*You’ll notice as you get further down South the buses and hostel price get more expensive. I suggest you spend more time in Ecuador and Peru if on the real cheap 
.
Backpacking Colombia
Bus advice:
1. The roads in Colombia are winding and hilly- take nausea tablets and be prepared for a bumpy ride!
2. Spend the extra dollar and ask for the most direct route.
3. They are longer than what you expect: they will tell you 2 hours and it can be up to 4 hours….Why? Colombians are very friendly and they will pick up passenger on they way..Therefore it is very common to have many unexpected stops
4. Try to take day buses, especially from Bogota heading to borders. Many ‘dangers’ can be avoided by riding during the day.
Bogota – Cali
Date: 11th-12th of Feb, 2011
Bus: Expresso Boliviano, Time: around 12 hours, Price: $54.000(Col) each
Stayed: Iguana Hostel, Price: $9 (USD) private each
Info: Cali is known for its nightlife, its the Colombian hub for salsa and home to some of the most beautiful women.
Cali-Ipiales
Date: 12-13th
Bus: Trans Ipiales, Time: 12 hours, Price: $40.000(Col) each
Stayed: Hotel don Lucho(breakfast + T.V.) Price: 28.000 (Col) for room
Recommend: Santuario ‘Las Lajas’. One of the craziest cathedrals in Latin America, it is perched on inside a canyon and spans high above a river!
BORDER CROSSING, COLOMBIA TO ECUADOR
Crossing the Border from Colombia to Ecuador
2nd- Walk across bridge
3rd- Enter, Ecuador walk to Ecuador Immigration(get stamped in)
4th- Taxi to Bus terminal $1
Backpacking in Ecuador
Tulcan-Quito
Dates: 14th- 16th
Bus: Flota Imbambura, Time: 4hours, Price: $5 (USD)
Stayed: Aubergue Inn (Excellentent) located between old and new town, $9 each
Recommended Teleferico and hiking
- Equator monument and GPS Equator Interactive Museum
- Museums and old town
-Gringolandia
Quito – Latacunga
Bus advice:
1. It is really cheap to travel by bus, basically $1 an hour
2. Travel times are relatively short as Ecuador is so small
3. Be careful in Ambato bus stop, when you get off and you are grabbing your backpacks people are known to spill water on it, then they ask to help you; during the confusion someone can take off with your bag. Keep an eye out on your backpack, if something is ‘spilled’ on it don’t ask for or accept help; get into a taxi and worry about it when you get to hostel.
Date: 16th-17th
Bus: time; 2 hours, $1.50
Stayed: Hotel Cotopaxi (excellent comfort, T.V. + Breakfast), $8 each private
Latacunga-Saquisili*
Bus: $0.30, 20min- day trip
*Recommended: The coolest market ever! Thursday morning like 6am…selling live cattle (including llamas) its a mad house! Hitchhiking to Quilotoa, Ecuador
Latacunga – Quilotoa
Date: 18-19th
Bus: 2 hours, $4
Recommend: hike 4 hours around volcano crater
-descend to bottom of volcano, kayak in the deep blue water (it feels like been back in the prehistoric times!)
stayed: Hostel Chosita (a small lodge/house run by local Quechuas, they give you traditional dinner and breakfast-real authentic experience! a must) (high altitude, freezing at night! bring lots of layers)($10)
Latacunga – Ambato – Baños
date: 19th- 21st
bus: 45 min($1) to Ambato (need to go there to get bus to Baños), 1 hour to Banos ($2)
stayed: Hostel Transalvania, has T.V with private bathroom and breakfast ($9)
Recommend: local hot water pools
-rent buggy rides
-alot of adventure sport stuff
Banos – Ambato – Loja
Bus: 1 hour(need to go to Ambato to get bus to Loja, 12 hours ambato Loja ($12) (Santa Bus company)
BORDER CROSSING- ECUADOR TO PERU
Loja (Ecuador) to Piura (Peru)(nothing interesting to see here)
Date: 22nd-23rd
Bus: Trans Loja Internacional, price: $10, time: 7:00am-4pm, 9 hours
Backpacking Peru
Bus info:
1. The buses get better, Sur del cruz is high class, recommend for the long bus rides (15 hours more). Gives you food, drink, and BINGO!
2. Buses are actually ‘direct’ and less winding then their northern neighbors
Piura – Chiclayo
23rd-24th
Bus-Trans Linea, 3 hours, 13 soles ($4 USD)
Stayed: Hotel Tumi de Oro (not very good) private 50 soles ($18).
Recommended: Anacy Tours: anacy_@hotmail.com
1. Museo Tumbas reales de Sipan
2. Museo Brunning
3. Piramides de Tucume
Price: 25 soles
Wating....part of the fun!
Date: 24th-27th
Bus: Linea, time:4 hours, Price: 14-17 soles
-got bus from Trujillo- Huanchaco 10min
Stayed: Mamacoha Hostel (cool little hippie place, owners very welcoming, they sang and played guitar at night) 15 soles private each
Recommend: hanging out at the beach
-surfing
- Chan Chan Ruins
Trujillo – Lima
27-28th
Bus: Linea, Time: 9 hours, Price: 45 soles
Stayed: Pariwana, Miraflores
Lima-Ica- Huanachina( little Desert Oasis)
1st-2nd
Bus: Cruz del Sur, time: 4 hours, price: 30 soles
Huancachina- 10 min taxi ride from Ica
stayed: Huacachina, 30 soles (no matter where you stay, bargain using accommodation, transfers, buggy rides, guides)
Recommended: Buggy through desert + sand boarding, 45 soles
- wine tour, 20 soles
Ica – Tacna
Bus: Cruz del sur, time: 16 hours, price; 102 soles
BORDER CROSSING- PERU TO CHILE (Tacna-Arica)
1st- go to international bus terminal in Tacna
2nd-get an international taxi that crosses the border and takes yo to Arica. This will be 3.000 pesos.
3rd- The taxi driver get you to fill in the exit paper. Basically you drive 30min get to Peru immigration, get out of taxi, get stamped out and then get back in the taxi, drive 5min, get out of taxi, get your stamp in to Chile(make sure to keep the little paper with you entry!!! very important to get out).
4th- Get back in same taxi and head to Arica
Backpacking in Chile
Date: 2nd-4th March
Stayed- Arica Surfhouse- This is where I did my work exchange. It was great to visit Kurt and Nicole again. They looked great! Of course they let me stay with them for free! They became family while I was there.
Arica – Santiago
Date: 4th-6th
Bus: Tur bus, about 30 hours, Price: $27.700 ($55)
This is extremely long!! If you are good with sleeping in buses you can do it. If not break it up. I recommend La Serena or Iquique.
Or buy a flight with TAM Airlines for around $100(USD)
Stayed: Bellavista Hostel, dorm of 4 ($17USD)
BORDER CROSSING- CHILE TO ARGENTINA
The crossing is one of the easiest! You get off and get stamped out and in at the same time, while customs deals with your bag. Easy! But sometimes there is a whole line of buses and a lot of people crossing through.
Santiago – Mendoza Winding Road Between Chile and Argentina
Date: 6th- 7th
Bus: CATA Internacional, time 8-10 hours (this depends on the month, if it is in winter it can be delayed even longer or the crossing can be closed because it is snowed in) The plus for land travel is that you don’t have to pay the visa of $100 dollars when you fly in!. Price: 380 ARG pesos ($94 USD).
Stayed: Trotamundos, price: $12 (dorm 4)
Mendoza – Buenos Aires
Date: 7th-9th
Bus: Andesmar, time: 14 hours, Price: about 400Arg ($100 USD)
Alcohol
10.20
Do you know how to say alcohol in Spanish? Its alcohol. Now theres a friendly cognate!
Your Guide to the Best Booze in Latin America
Colombia: Aguardiente.
Aguardiente translates both literally and physically to burn water. The anis essence liquor is best enjoyed ice cold and rarely mixed but rather taken as (several) shots. Each departamento (state) in Colombia produces its own brand of Aguardiente and its been said the taxes levied go directly to public school funding. So grab a shot glass and cheers to public education!
Ecuador: Canelazo
Ecuadorians also like their sugar cane Aguardiente, however with a bit of a twist. Winter can get quite chilly high in the Andes but stay warm with mug of Aguardiente, hot cinnamon infused water, and panela- unrefined sugar cane.
Peru: Pisco
This quebranto grape brandy packs a punch! Peruvians are Pisco connesiuers and have developed several varieties and blends. You cant go wrong with a Pisco Sour, which is Pisco, lime juice, sugar water shaken with ice and topped with nutmeg!
Chile: Jote, Fanschop, Piscola, Terremoto
Chileans have unique palates, especially when it comes to intoxication!
Jote is a mix of wine and coke (sometimes strawberries are added to the blend).
Fanschop is a summery blend of Fanta and beer; and Piscola is Pisco with coke. If you would like to: A. Have an interesting conversation, then ask about the origins of Pisco; or B. Get into a bar fight, then claim that Pisco is soley Peruvian. Finally the Terremoto is white wine and Fernet (see below) poured over pineapple ice cream.
Argentina: Fernet
When in Argentina do as the…Romans? Fernet is an Italian liquor popularized in Argentina by Italian immigrants. The aromatic digestive is a mix of herbs (anise, nutmeg, aloe, azafran,etc) and grape liqueur; and is best when mixed with coke.
Uruguay: Gancia
This strong white wine distillation is served with lemon zest on the beaches of Montevideo, or warmed and mixed with bees honey in the campo.
Bolivia: Chicha
The elixir of the Incas is a fermentation of corn juice and is only slightly alcoholic, so dont go looking for a buzz. Sold in bottles as well as plastic bags on the street!
Top 5 Hikes in South America
10.16
South America is a hikers paradise.
With over 3.5 million square kilometers of national parks throughout the continent, extreme topography, striking landscapes, and an amazing array of ecosystems hardened hikers, first time backpackers and everyone in between will find a trail suitable for exploration. The Andes run from the wind swept tundra of Patagonia, through the icy peak of Aconcagua (tallest mountain in South America), they split the deserts of Chile and Argentina, and plane out creating the altiplano of Bolivia and Peru, before tearing through the surface in the form of volcanoes throughout Ecuador, and finally the Andes Mountains turn to rainforest as they meet the sea in Colombia
El Chalten, Patagonia, Argentina
The village of El Chalten is a little
enclave of hikers, climbers, and nature lovers. Protected from the
Patagonian winds by the surrounding cliffs the village's lodges,
hostels, restaurants and gear outfitters create a perfect base camp
community.
Great hikes can be had no matter what your time limits are. I ran the 12 mile basic hike due to time constraints and it was epic!
Guide: A good map is all you really
need. Access to the start of the trail is a bit (oddly) confusing,
but once your on it you can't go wrong!
How to get in: Buses from Calafate
leave for the village of El Chalten daily between October and May
Duration: Variable- from one day to
infinity…however hunting is not permitted!
1-day Itinerary: Early morning wake up
and departure from El Chalten 5 am.
Leg A: El Chalten to Lago Torre (where
you can check out Glacier Grande) ~12 km/4hrs
Leg G: Lago Torre (passing Lago Madre
and Lago Hija) to Poincenot Camping (stop for a quick lunch)
~7km/2hrs
Leg X: Camping Poincenot to Lago de los
Tres to Camping Poincenot (return) ~5 km/2hrs(roundtrip)
Leg C: Camping Poincenot to El Chalten
~ 11 km/4hrs
*Legs are based coincide to a popular
tourist map given to hikers. Leg X does not exist on the map but is
well integrated into the circuit.
Distance: depends on trail selection
Terrain: varies from gentle grassland,
to boulders, deep crevasses, glaciers, steep inclines
Tips: If you plan to tackle the one day
itinerary listed above, double check local sunset times to avoid
getting caught in the dark. If you have to turn back, turn back.
Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Chile
Reverse 'W'
Ifyou have researched this hike you will have definitely heard of the infamous 'W'. The cool people rock the reverse 'W' these days. Why? The normal W circuit takes you up to the “Torres” the first day, which is great; however experiencing “the main event” in the first few hours renders the rest of the trail rather anti-climatic. Instead of walking away from the peaks of the park constantly keep them on the horizon with the reverse 'W'.
Day 1: Catch the bus out of Puerto Natales and make sure you ask to be dropped of at Rio Serrano (its the last stop the bus makes)
Your first day you will head through the grassy pampa-like fields that surround the park. Its the perfect opportunity to get your legs warmed up for the next couple of days and test your gear. Day 1 is by no means a rigorous hike, but if you find yourself pushing on into the night be alert, this is where puma's can be spotted (a friend of mine had an encounter here and I found a llama corpse that had been gnawed on).
~7.5km
Campsite: Carretas
Day2: Glacier GreyThis grueling hike ranks high on the 'hardest day of my life' list. You can actually split it in two sections over two days which might make it a bit more enjoyable. Besides being a long distance to cover, the final push has you leaping through a boulder field. Before finally catching your first glimps of Glacier Grey.
~25km
Campsite: Paso or Guardas Camping near Glacier Grey
Day 3: Glacier Grey
Sleeping next to a calving glacier is a unique experience as you can hear the creeks and groans of the ice mass throughout the night. On this leg of the hike you will basically be retracing your steps to form the left side of the W loop.
~15km
Campsite: Lago
Pehoe
Day 4: Valle
Frances
The ascension into the valley is spectacular. You are engulfed by mountains on either side, trickling creeks wind through the woods, and a view to die for. After the last trail marker head up the gravel side towards the gap between the mountains on the right for a spectacular view.
~11.5km
Campsite:
Campamiento Italiano
Day 5: Los Cuernos
Flanked by towering Los Cuernos to the left and the blue waters of Lago Nordenskjold, where you will even encounter a section of trail that goes along the sandy shores, to the right; this easy hike is full of amazing sights. Keep an eye out for the shortcut to the left to avoid hitting Hosteria de Los Torres.
~21.5km
Campsite:
Campamiento Chileno
Day 6: Los Torres
Your big day might often appear ruined by inclement weather; but if the previous days have taught you anything at all you will know that the day can drastically change in a matter of minutes. If the day looks like it might be bad, begin by heading to Campamiento Japones and bypassing the torres. After you check out the hardcore climbers' digs go back to the Torres del Paine and give it a shot in the afternoon. If they day starts out great boogie up to the Torres del Paine ASAP and leave later hikes for the afternoon. *Be extremely cautious and stick to the (sometimes badly) marked trail as you climb up the rock slide towards the Torres. These huge boulders are unstead and should not be hopped on.
~10km
Campsite
Campamiento Chileno
Day 7: Return to
Puerto Natales
This is the most well-traveled section of the hike as day-trippers begin their ascent to the Torres. Even if your tired you will be revitaliezed by the happy faces of people who have just reached the park, oh and its pretty much all downhill! The final push is through a pasture where huge guanacos graze.
~15km
Guide: The great thing about Torres del
Paine is that it has clearly marked trails and guides are not
necessary.
How to get in: The closest town is
Puerto Natales, Chile. Buses leave throughout the day and take about
4 hours to arrive. Stay on the bus until the very last stop, this is
your access point- the end of the trail for most, but just the
beginning for you!
Duration: 5-7 days
Distance: ~105km
Terrain: The topography of Torres del
Paine is as varied and extreme as Patagonia itself. Be prepared for:
a. Flat pastures
b. Easy forested trails
c. Rutted descents
d. Steep muddy climbs
e. Boulder hopping
f. Rock slides
g. Creek crossings
h. Avalanches
I. …and much much more!
Tips: The weather at Torres del Paine
is truly Patagonian, beautiful hot sunny days can suddenly become
horizontal snow showers that tear you from the trail just as easily as blue-bird days can turn into blizzards. Bear this in
mind when packing but remember you have to carry your pack for 7 days, don't go overboard!
Inca Trail (Machu Picchu), Peru
Machu Picchu
Yes, its true you
can hire porters to carry your bag. Yes, its true you don't have to
cook your own food. Yes, its true that tents are pitched and your
camp is made before even arriving to that nights site. What's wrong
with that? Machu Picchu is nothing without experiencing the Inca
Trail. With each step your heart rate increases, adrenaline throbs
thick in your veins, and eager anticipation rises as you draw nearer
and nearer to the mystical ancient city.
Guide: Access to the trail is exclusive
to groups with registered guides. There may or may not be an article
on Wikipedia about a 'clandestine' self guided route… but you
didn't hear it from me…
How to get in: Most tours depart from
Cuzco directly, however they often pick up other hikers along the way
from the village of Ollantaytambo, which looks like a cool little
town to spend some time in.
Most tour companies follow the same
basic itinerary:
Day 1: Depart Cuzco, 3.5hr bus ride to
Km 82 (the trail head). Easy ~12km to the first campsite
Day 2: The hardest day of the hike
begins with a nice warm up through the forest and until you reach
“Dead Woman's Pass” which peaks at about 4,200 meters above sea
level. You essentially have the whole day to complete the pass as you
camp just beyond the descent. Difficult ~11km
Day 3: You start feeling like an Incan
message runner as you pass several sets of ruins, climb thousands of
stairs, and get your first glimpse of Machu Picchu in the distance.
The end of day 3 is the bottle neck where all the hikers from every
company camp in the same area, where there is also a restaurant and
bar where you can share some Pisco with your guides! Medium ~16km
The Final Push to Wayna Picchu
Day 4: 3AM wake up to reach the sungate
for sunrise and then beat the crowds to Machu Picchu and climb Wayna
Picchu, most tours end with a meal in Aguascalientes and a train ride
back to Cuzco. Trail to Machu Picchu easy ~6km. Wayna Picchu, more
difficult climb.
Duration: 4 days
Distance: 45km
Terrain: The most physically daunting
terrain of the Inca Trail are the steps. Thousand upon thousand of
steps- steps going up, steps going down, steps going sideways, steps
going nowhere. You will definitely feel it in the knees.
Tips: Buy a kilo of coca leaves in
Cuzco before leaving. You can buy little baggies or candies along the
way but they are expensive. Coca doesn't get you high, the only
'feeling' you get is a numb mouth, other than that its passive like
caffeine and aspirin. The benefits are that you will have decreased
hunger, more energy, and most importantly the effects of altitude
sickness are dulled way down. Offer passing porters a handful and
they will be grateful! Make your wishes to climb Wayna Picchu known
to your guides, they will work hard for those extra tips! Finally,
shop around for the best priced package- search for companies in
Spanish and contact them via e-mail in Spanish, and don't be afraid
to barter as most prices are not fixed!
Quilotoa Loop, Ecuador
The Chugchilan hike is nothing without
the journey getting there! Latacunga is a moderately sized city where
buses depart for the nearby town of Saquisili, whose Thursday market
is a splash of colorful sights, sounds, and smells into the little
village. Returning back to Latacunga you can grab a bus heading
towars Quilotoa. After a stomach turning zig-zagging road which
climbs the mountains you'll (eventually) be told to get off the bus
only to discover that the bus doesn't actually go to Quilotoa, but
rather continues along the 'highway'. You will need to ask a local
for a ride (don't worry they will be waiting for you) and after a 20
minute or so drive along the prairies, picking up other campesinos
along the way, you
will arrive to the 'town' of Quilotoa (make sure you discuss the
price of your trip with your driver before accepting the ride!). From
Quilotoa you can hike into the deep crater lake of the slumbering
volcano and kayak in the huge lagoon- its depth has not been
discovered, so try not to fall in! Another hike is the volcanic cone
circuit which is a sloping 7hr circle providing 360°vistas of the surrounding landscape, the volcanic lake below is your constant companion as its kaleidoscopic blue-green palette of water colors changes with every glint and glimmer of the sun. Finally, the hike from Quilotoa is not to be missed!
Guide: This is a do-it-yourself
adventure!
How to get in: Bus from Latacunga.
Hitchhiking with locals. Burro.
Duration:??? If time is tight you can
cruise through in less than 2 days. There are a lot of great villages
to explore (accessed via hitchhiking with native villagers), and side
trails to explore. If you have the time and the will, you can stay
out here forever….
Distance: Quilotoa to Chugchilan
~7.5miles 4-6hrs
Terrain: Andean (that means up and
down, a lot.)
Tips: The hostels in Quilotoa can get
quite chilly at night so be prepared with appropriate sleep wear.
Mist and fog often move through the area several times a day, but the
sun stays strong- wear sunscreen. The slopes that plunge into the
crater can be very slippery and dangerous, be aware of these hazards
and hike with a companion. Check out the small villages around the
loop such as Pujili, Isinvili, and Zumbahua.
Ciudad Perdida "The Lost City", Colombia
Receiving only as
many visitors in one year as Machu Picchu receives in a day, the path
is a little less beaten than its Peruvian counterpart. Both ancient
and contemporary history influence the culture of the trail as
one-time coca farmers tend banana and coffee plantations next to
neighboring Kogi tribes, the descendants of the Tairona. The trail to
the Lost City has amazing views of the Santa Marta range, whose snowy
peaks descend to the sunny Caribbean sea. From well worn campesino
trails to hardly trodden
traditional pathways the Lost City is hidden amongst dense jungle
whose fluvial arteries must be crossed several times but also offer
the chance to swim amongst waterfalls. The ruins themselves maintain
an ancient mystique as quiet clouds of fog rest on the tree tops and
the green expanse of jungle lays beyond.
Guide: You travel through farmers'
fields, tribal lands, and a military secured zone. Go with a guide.
How to get in: Guides depart from both
Taganga and Santa Marta. A bumpy jeep ride takes you from the highway
to a pothole riddled road to the village where the trail is accessed.
Duration: 5 days
Distance: 50km
Terrain: Varied. Muddy trails, narrow
paths through the woods, river crossings, ancient steps
Tips: Mosquito repellent is a MUST. The
further you venture into the jungle the worse they become. A secret
Colombian recipe that seems to keep skeeters at bay is a soap called
“No Pikex” mixed with menthol alcohol. Chop up the soap and drop
it into the bottle, shake to dissolve, rub all over!
GREAT NEWS!
09.23
As of yesterday, REAL Hostel Work began
collaboration with the great folks at HoLa Hostels, the largest Latin
American hosteling association! REAL Backpackers can now be placed in
HoLa Hostels for the duration of their REAL Work Exchange Program.
We here at REAL are very excited to start this new
venture with HoLa as we share a similar vision and hold the same
values for our hostels: cleanliness, excellent service, and
Eco-friendly policies.
To celebrate we are offering all
registered HoLa members 20% off our REAL Work Exchange Program fee!
So pack your bag, send us an e-mail,
and get to Latin America with REAL Hostel Work and HoLa Hostels!
