An experienced tour guide is crucial for certain destinations.  In 2009 we toured Cambodia with a guide named Mono.  He picked us up early, helped us choose sites to tour, and even helped retrieve my brother The Freak from the airport.  During our first press trip, Marco from Italy led us to a local winery, translated the honey making process as we gazed at swarms of bees, and later served us homemade pizzas at La Tavola Marche.  Most recently, Alberto in Montevideo broke down history, architecture, and provided us with nostalgic feelings for New York.  Alberto left his native Long Island to pave his own destiny in Chile and Uruguay.

We went snorkeling almost every day when we toured the Galápagos Islands with Quasar.

At the moment Melissa and I are sitting on an airplane.  We are headed home after eight months of exploration in South America.  Over the course of this leg of our two year journey around the world we have lived in four distinct cities and toured parts of six diverse countries.  My personal highlights have included viewing mammoth cascades at Iguazu Falls National Park, tracing indigenous history at Peruvian ruins including Kuelap, interacting with musicians in Ecuador and Argentina, and volunteering at The Bib in Baños de Santa Agua and Aldea Yanapay in Cusco.

Swimming with sharks in the Pacific Ocean

However, my ultimate highlight has to be the time we spent on the Galápagos Islands led by tour guide extraordinaire Rafael Pesantes.  We began the South America leg of our multi-continent adventure at the end of August 2011.  Melissa had secured us a press trip to the Galápagos Islands, so we  began in Ecuador living on a ship called the M/V Evolution for over a week.  Our guide through the Galápagos was born and raised on the archipelago.  He is fluent in several languages, a trained expert in various fields of natural science, and has led tours in dozens of countries.  He is even hired as a private guide for celebrities.

Penguins are fast swimmers and they like to sun bathe on rocks in the Galápagos.

During our exploits out in the Pacific Ocean with Quasar Tours, Melissa and I had the opportunity to snorkel five separate times.  We were happy to have recently purchased a Sony camera.  The Sony DSC-TX10 has underwater capabilities and we utilized it to snap shots and collect video footage of species including penguins, sea lions, sharks, and sea turtles.  Rafael was so enamored by our camera that he borrowed it and swam to the sea floor to capture amazing footage for us.  He wasn’t wearing a life preserver or wetsuit, and was not hounded by buoyancy.  Gliding under the surface of the water he was able to free dive and follow schools of fish and reef sharks and get up close to seahorses and starfish.

By the end of our 8-day cruise on the M/V Evolution we had seen tons of marine animals.

Rafael took some of the photos featured in today’s Photo Friday.  As our eight months in South America come to a close we are headed to New York/New Jersey to spend time with our families and friends.  While there, we will plan out the Europe, South East Asia, and North Asia segments of our trip.  I want to thank Rafael, Sergio, the captain, and the crew of the M/V Evolution for starting our sojourn at a perfect pitch.  To everyone else we’ve met along the way, from Otavalo, Ecuador to Mendoza, Argentina, locals and travelers alike we appreciate all the memories you’ve helped us forge and we look forward to seeing many of you again, on one continent or another.  Keep winding the world and it will keep spinning.

I swam above this huge sea turtle taking photos and filming video.

Visit the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador for adventure and excitement.

Schools of fish floated by searching for food in the ocean.

Rafael Pesantes was our guide in his native country and on his native islands.

On a hike through the countryside north of Otavalo, our friend Lisa joined us for a day.  We trekked up roads paved with broken rocks, crossed paths with a woman herding sheep, and found our way to Parque Condor.

Always follow the rangers' advice when visiting Parque Condor.

A narrow road diverges from the main thoroughfare and winds its way across a flat prairie.  Visitors to Parque

Side trips from Otavalo include Parque Condor, Peguche Falls, and visits to artisans' workshops.

Condor usually arrive by car but if you stay in Otavalo you can hike there.  The tourist center in Otavalo offers a decent map that will lead you through fantastic vistas on your way to the bird sanctuary.

What To Do at the Condor Park

For a few dollars, you get entrance to the park and a full day of events.  Paths are marked, guiding visitors through several areas reserved for hawks, owls, eagles, and of course condors.  In one area, I walked through a stone archway and nearly turned around and ran.  Eight large hawks stared at me from beyond a flowerbed.  They looked ready to launch into the air.  But I settled down once I saw the that a thin rope tethered each bird to a steel line allowing them to go back and forth between little houses and pedestals.  A children’s playground sits right beside a café where you can relax with hot chocolate and coffee.  But for the best thrill of the park, inquire about free flight demonstrations.

Parque Condor rescues and helps rehabilitate Andean birds.

Rehabilitation and Free Flight

Condors, hawks, and falcons are brought to the bird sanctuary and trained for life in the wild.

If nothing else, Parque Condor is a rehab center for birds that have been injured in the wild or mistreated by humans.  At one point in the day, our new friend Lisa and I sat on a cliffside amphitheater.  The wind ripped over the promontory and we could see the Andes Mountains and a deep valley below.

Be careful of untethered birds and stay low during flying demonstrations.

Two rangers walked into the amphitheater, each sporting a hawk on their arm.  Eager to put my camera to use, I stood up to take a photo.  The hawk mistook my excitement as a cue to jump onto my arm.  In an instant, a flurry of feathers and sharp claws were in my face as the bird clutched at my shoulder.   Panicked, I shook my arm free and knocked the hawk away.  It fell and struggled to gain composure.  The ranger helped her back onto his arm and told me grimly: Please sit.

I never ran so fast.

Two handlers at Parque Condor helped these birds stretch their wings in Ecuador.

The second ranger was from Europe and spoke perfect English  He welcomed us to the park and told us to keep low and watch.  He walked to the edge of the cliff with his hawk, a sister to the one who jumped on me.  At the lip of the mountain, he reached his arm back, the hawk flapping its wings.  Next he swung forward with full-strength, slinging the hawk into the cross winds.  She glided high, her shadow sweeping across us as we watched her.  The second ranger did the same and both hawks skimmed back and forth across the mountainside.  Sometimes the birds made it back to the rangers‘ arms by soaring gracefully.  Other times the birds lost their way and crashed down to the turf.  In those cases the rangers had to go and retrieve the injured animal.

Visit Otavalo, Ecuador and see wildlife up close.

The rangers told us that the hawks had been bought as pets.  They’d been fed by humans and coddled like dogs.  So they didn’t know how to fly (or land) and were incapable of hunting.  At Parque Condor, they teach birds what they should have learned in the wild.  Travelers should plan on mid-week visits when the park is virtually empty and park staff work closely with the animals.  Keep alert if rangers are carrying hawks.  You don’t want to be an unsuspecting launchpad for a rehab raptor.  Hours are limited so check ahead to make sure admission is possible.  Parque Condor offers feeding shows and other events so check their website for schedules.

We spent 3 months in Ecuador. Highlights included snorkeling in the Galapagos Islands and seeing hawks soar.

Buenos Aires must be the music capital of South America and maybe the world.  During our 32 days living in three neighborhoods in Argentina’s largest city we’ve heard live sounds oozing from every plaza, corner, subway car, and hole-in-the-wall.  We’ve stumbled over solo musicians and funk outfits on the cobbled sidewalks of San Telmo and recorded live bands at the Paseo de la Resistencia and Peru Bar.

Riding the subway in Buenos Aires is always entertaining.

On three occasions we were entertained during rides on the underground subte (subway).  Once an artist played an acoustic guitar.  Another ride featured a violinist’s reverberated echoes off graffiti covered windows.  The standout was a guy wheeling a bongo drum on a handcart.  He scratched, slapped, tapped, and slammed the drum so fast I started to feel bad for it.  The crowd applauded and doused the baterista (drummer) in metallic and paper pesos.

Thriving live music scene in Buenos Aires

Now that we are in our last days in Buenos Aires we have to choose our final shows.  We can check out live jazz in Recoleta at Notorious or tango shows in various forms throughout the city.  Motörhead is here, Buddy Guy is en route, and for our final night we have to decide between Bob Dylan or Fear Factory at the Vorterix.

A few weeks back our friends Tim and Julie joined us in Buenos Aires and we made sure to schedule shows into their itinerary.  On their first night in town we caught some living legends at Quilmes Rock Nacional.  When darkness fell on their fourth night we watched Jane’s Addiction rock an intimate venue.  We spent their seventh and final evening mingling with locals enjoying Jarabe de Palo.

Charly Garcia was the headline performer at Qulimes Rock Nacional

April 7, 2012 Quilmes Rock Nacional at Estadio River Plate

When Melissa and I first arrived in the San Telmo district in Buenos Aires we paid a visit to the local clubhouse of an organization called South America Explorers.  SAE has four  offices on the continent teeming with information for backpackers and expats.  At the clubhouse we were told to check out livepass.com.ar for details on upcoming concerts.  Later that night as I perused the website I discovered two great leads for shows.  Quilmes Rock Nacional on April 7^th would feature five rock acts from Argentina and Jarabe de Palo is one of our favorite Latin Rock outfits.

This year’s Quilmes Rock took place over three days with two dates featuring international bands and one day with local legends.  The prices were outrageous for the international shows and the Foo Fighters were headlining both nights.  Melissa loathes the Foo Fighters, and we were unfamiliar with the work of supporting bands such as MGMT, the Arctic Monkeys, and TV on the Radio, so we opted to buy tickets for the national date.  We paid for the tickets through Live Pass, but had to take a subway to the stadium and wait on line to receive the physical tickets.

Tim and Julie arrived on April 7^th and met us at our apartment rental in the Recoleta district.  After a quick dinner that Melissa had whipped up, we hopped in a taxi and arrived at the stadium.  We had missed the opening three bands including Las Pelotas, Catupecu Machu, and Banda de Turistas, but had the opportunity to see Fito Paez and Charly Garcia.

Fito and Charly are legends in Argentina and their careers have spanned decades.  Charly is riding a renewed wave of popularity since he’s cleaned up his life and returned to music.  His show was preceded by a video on a jumbo-tron which showed clips of his songs and music videos.  Quilmes Rock was a great show to kick off our musical themed week.  However, since Quilmes is the country’s largest brewer of beer, it was ironic that the concert was dry.

April 10, 2012 Jane’s Addiction live at the Vorterix

A few years back while I was living in New York and teaching in the Bronx, I got into the habit of borrowing CDs from the New City Library.  For most of my life I had been a metalhead, but since discovering the music of Manu Chao in Thailand, I have expanded my musical tastes.  Now I listen to different types of music and not just tunes that make your ears bleed.  One day at the library I got my hands on a Jane’s Addiction compilation called Cabinet of Curiosities, a 4-disk set that included live tracks and demo songs.

Jane's Addiction played a concert in Buenos Aires after a gig at Lollapalooza in Brazil.

When we first moved to the San Telmo district of Buenos Aires a few months ago, I noticed a huge poster on Avenida Independencia.  The poster announced Jane’s Addiction upcoming show, and I jotted down the information.  The very next day the poster was covered by new posters for a march and protest, but by then I’d already visited Ticketek online to research seats and Tim and Julie said they would be down to see the band from their adopted home state of California.  Jane’s Addiction was only in town because they played a Lollapalooza show in Brazil so we felt very fortunate.

The day of the show Tim discovered that the venue for the concert had changed.  I called up the new venue and used my best telephone Spanish to reiterate details for the performance.  We got some empanadas and hit the subway.  The new location called Vorterix had a long wooden bar, ample balcony space, and a huge chandelier.  The band entered the stage with Pink Floyd music in the background and proceeded to rock the stage with a combination of new songs and older material.  Scantily clad dancers performed an aerial show and gyrated on top of speakers.  The band possessed abundant energy and even played a song with three members side by side on drums.  Julie and Melissa protected our gear and used sharp elbows to keep groupie types from blocking our view.

April 13, 2012 Jarabe de Palo at La Trastienda in San Telmo

The first time I met Karim Martin, originally from Lima, Peru, she gave me some great advice on Latin Rock groups to investigate.  The next time I hit the Palisades Center shopping mall-strocity, I ran to a music shop for some rock en español.  I bought disks by La Ley, Maná, Mago de Oz, and Jarabe de Palo.  Over the years Melissa has found inspiration from this music, making specific playlists for her different writing moods.

Jarabe de Palo from Spain played at La Trastienda in San Telmo.

While living in San Telmo I discovered that Jarabe de Palo would be playing on the final night that Julie and Tim had with us.  We rushed back from an overnight sidetrip to Colonia de Sacramento, a historic town across the bay in Uruguay.  We hurriedly left the ferry terminal and checked into a new hotel in San Telmo.  After a short tailgating session we hoofed it to the club and witnessed Jarabe de Palo from Spain light up the stage with musical precision.

The band was tight and all members had a chance to show off with some solos.  They played a few of our favorite tracks including “Dos Dios en la Vida”, and treated us to three endings to the song “Bonito”.  I was able to squeeze up to the balcony to get a birds-eye-view and snap a few pictures.  We had a chance to mingle with some locals and share stories of the road.  Shortly after the concert there was some gunfire not far from the venue.  We missed that commotion but after three shows in seven days we had our fare share of action.

A memorable week of music 

Each band, show, and venue was unique but the commonality was the joy on every performer’s face.  It was clear that each musician appreciated the energy and passion that Porteños pour and expend when enjoying live performances.  Buenos Aires teems with independent music shops so I was able to get my hands on new CDs.  I also bought disks from musicians we met on the streets and in restaurants.

Many people know that I am a big biking fan.  Neil and I have bicycled around Himeji Castle in Japan, Luang Prabang in Laos, and Ayutthaya in

Big inclines means faster speeds on the bike, but of course higher hills to pedal in the Atacama Desert

Thailand.  Any chance I get, I’ll rent a bike and head out to the sites.  Not because I want to conserve energy (though I do) or because I like to save time (I’m all for that).  Really…I like to conserve my own energy while utilizing the least amount of time traveling between sites.  But in the Atacama Desert, the lazy-traveler gods had their revenge on me.

Our friend Danny looking happy. Me: trying not to burst into flames under the Atacama sun

What to Bring when Biking the Atacama Desert

There are deserts and then there is the Atacama, the world’s most arid environment.  Set against the Andes Mountains, this desert which is 4000 meters above sea level sits right underneath the sun.  Light streams in from every angle, burning unprotected skin.  The air is so dry that the ground cracks and salt bleaches at the surface.  As you stand for pictures in front of salt capped dunes, it seems like you could be somewhere in the Alps skiing, if it weren’t for the third degree burns and sweat staines on your shirt at 10am.

When I saw this sign leading to San Pedro to Atacama, it was like the gates of heaven opening up!

So on long rides in the Atacama Desert, bring at least one liter of water each.  Start the ride early and re-apply sunblock every hour or so.  Hats will help.  And if you are like me, scout out the one or two patches of shade in the valley.  About 60 minutes into our ride, Neil and our friend Danny disappeared around the road bend.  At the same moment, I saw a slim meter of shade.  It took every ounce of will-power not to just duck into it for a rest.  I did end up there twenty minutes later, thoroughly defeated by the desert and unashamed to admit it.  A pair of Europeans even took a picture of Neil and I hiding from the sun.

My Atacama theory: The clay got so dry that it curled up like this. Early man picked some up and said "hey, this would make a good beer holder. I'll call this a cup!"

When you arrive at the desert park, stop at the visitor center to pay for admission and check to see which trails are open.  Caves, trekking, and dune climbing are available.  But it’s always advisable to go with a group and follow the rangers’ instructions on which trails are safe.

Bike rentals are between 4000 and 6000 Chilean pesos (US$8-12).  You can rent them for a half day or full day.  Check the tires and ask for air if the tires seem low.  Vendors should also provide you with a spare tube and air-pump in case of emergency.  Helmets are optional.  We declined ours.  They would have made the trip even more warm.  So that investment was a good miss.

Our bike rentals for the Atacama Desert. That seat started to hurt after 3 hours.

Jokes start early on a Death Road Tour outside of La Paz, Bolivia.  Neon-clad guides with spandex under swim trunks lean into tourists, taking pictures so they can “identify the bodies” and asking for multiple signatures on “if I die Solario Bike Company is not culpable for my demise” contract.  But even with the banter, this tour ranks among the best I have ever had in the world.

There is no better investment that you can make than on your equipment. On the Death Road, go double suspension!

Never mind the drop!

What to Expect on the Death Road in Bolivia

The Death Road is comprised of two different terrains ridden through four distinct climates.  The first section is a steep paved road with laughable guard rails and on-coming traffic.  Little white crosses dot the shoulder where vehicles veered off course and plummeted into the ravine below.  On a Death Road tour (aka: Most Dangerous Road Tour), vans bring you to the summit of the road where you will be almost parallel to snow caps.  It will snow or sleet or both.  You will freeze and your gloves will offer little relief as you skim as fast as the cars down switchbacks.  If you are like me (my motto is: last place is the best place!), you can ride the breaks and take your time.  Don’t let anyone rush you.  Remember that you paid money for this tour.  Any guide who tells you to keep pace with the group can bugger off.  While the tour is dangerous, you can keep yourself out of the annual death statistics by going at a pace that suits you.  Our friend and hardcore adventurista Marie-Elyse led the downhill charge, poking fun at the fellows choking on her wheel-splatter.  I told her to enjoy the lead view and that I’d see her at the rest stops as I resumed my position in last place.

I may look like a daredevil but I leave that accolade to my friend Marie-Elyse. She was all adrenaline on the Death Road.

Part two takes you off road on a path that hugs the mountain and varies in width.  Sometimes three or four riders can fit across.  Other segments shrink to a roadway only two meters wide.  No guard rail here.  The mist and fog rise out of the the valley and meet to form a white shroud where the road drops off.  It’s nerve racking at times especially when we learned that trucks still use this part of the road and that it is customary for bikers to ride on the cliffside of the road!  Stay to the left, the guides reminded us.  I’d suggest middle left not far left.  Chunks of rocks kick up against your shins here and people who invested in double suspension bikes and full helmets (like us) will be rewarded with less sore butt-cheeks.  One budget backpacker had a cheaper priced bike that looked like a jacked up Schwin.  By the second hour, she looked ready to cry from her pain and weariness.  On the rock and rubble path, landslides are common during the rainy season.  Streams swell as you ride through them and waterfalls crash down from above.  You get soaked as you move from the spring-like mists of the middle mountains to a suffocating jungle humidity of the lower range.

Dave the Freak and Neil giving him a head noogie on the Death Road in Bolivia

During the 63 KM tour which could last up to five hours, the group will stop at check points.  Here you can take a break, stretch your legs, and find a bathroom.  I counted two.  Before resuming the run, the guides will tell you about the next leg: if there are any turns to be concerned about, if you should stay to the right or left, and if there has been any landslide activity.

It was just a little landslide... perfectly normal during the rainy season on the most dangerous road in Bolivia

What to Bring on the Death Road Tour

On the Most Dangerous Road tour you will be freezing and sweating at the same time as green vines hang above your head and snowstorms gather on mountain peaks nearby.  On this Death Road, splurge for the better gear.  Bring water proof cameras and a set of clothes to change into.  Flip flops are imperative if you want to dry out your feet or take a shower at the end of the day.  Tours end at a basic “hotel” for a late lunch and a rest.  But facilities can be… rustic.  Sunglasses are important even if it isn’t sunny.  They will shield your eyes from all the junk that kicks up into your face during the ride.  If you have moist towelettes, bring a few to wipe down your hands and face.  You will be soaked from head to toe and your sneakers will be wet for a day. At the end of the day, I was glad we had a hot shower and comfy bed at Hotel Nuevo Sol in La Paz.  They even put our shoes on the roof so they dried fast.

Tips on Surviving the Most Dangerous Road in Bolivia

On extremely rocky sections of the road, get your balance by raising your rear off the seat.  Strip your layers and put them on the bus at each check point.  As you head further down the death road, it will get warmer.  You start the day with at least three or four layers.  By the end, they will cling to you if you don’t peel them off. Both David the Freak and I broke out in a heat rash at the end.  As soon as possible, wash your eyes of any road gunk.  I woke up the next day, thinking I had pink eye when in reality my eyes were trying to get rid of dust and dirt from the descent.  Finally, proceed at your own pace.  Big tours will break off into fast, medium, and slow riders.  Don’t be ashamed.  Go at your own speed.  A guide will wait at the rear no matter how slowly you pedal.  Since US citizens require a re-entry visa to Bolivia, they can enjoy the Death Road more than once And let us know how it went!

Overview of UNESCO and World Heritage Sites

UNESCO is an international organization dedicated to promoting peace throughout the world.  Some of the organizational goals and activities of UNESCO include reducing world poverty, promoting human rights, and increasing awareness for sustainable development.  Education, scientific research, and cultural exploration are vehicles used for promoting peace and obtaining an international dialogue between member countries.  The organization is headquartered in Paris and there are 50 field offices scattered throughout the world.  The acronym UNESCO stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.

Our pal Yousuke led us up to view the resting place of the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

UNESCO world heritage sites are locations listed by the organization as having important global significance.  The list can be specific to a site or encompass an entire historic district.  Both geographical locations like the Grand Canyon and entire cities may be included.  Being named a World Heritage SIte can bring money and attention to a specific location, but many argue that there are negative aspects to inclusion.

We marveled at the rain-soaked ruins at Angkor Wat, a UNESCO site in Cambodia.

Ferries float visitors toward Miyajima Island to check out iconic Itsukushima Shrine.

World Winder and UNESCO Sites

Over the last twelve years, Melissa and I have traveled to scores of sights deemed important by UNESCO.  We don’t specifically seek out UNESCO sights because they are on a list, but have nonetheless had the opportunity to enjoy many key sites.  I scaled the pyramid at Chichen Itza in Mexico, but elected not to climb Uluru-Kata in Australia in solidarity with local aboriginal requests.  We have snorkeled the Galapagos Islands and marveled at the Historic Center of Praha (Prague).

We rented bikes with friends and toured the historic city of Ayutthaya, a former capital located near Bangkok, Thailand.

Asia has a hefty percentage of UNESCO Heritage SItes.  During a stint of living in Japan and traveling home slowly we visited many of these remarkable spots.  In 2009, we returned to Asia while traveling with friends form New York.  This allowed us to explore even more UNESCO sites.  Today’s Photo Friday features three sites in Japan including the historic monuments of Kyoto, shrines and temples of Nikko, and Itsukushima Shinto Shrine on Miyajima island.  In addition, we covered three sites in South East Asia.  The town of Luang Prabang in Laos, historic city of Ayutthaya, Thailand, and temple complex at Angkor Wat in Cambodia are all represented.

UNESCO designated Luang Prabang in Laos a World Heritage Site.

Rinse your hands at Heian Shrine. Kyoto Japan has so many landmarks that it's a UNESCO city and was spared during WWII.

Ecuador is a small country with lots to brag about.  In the east, the jungle burgeons with animal-filled canopy.  Down its spine, the Andes Mountains scrape the sky while the shoreline runs through some of the prettiest beaches in South America.  Then, out in the Pacific Ocean, the Galapagos Islands speckle the equator with wildlife and diverse land and seascapes.  But of all these locales, travelers from Quito seem to flock north to Otavalo’s famous Saturday Market.  Whether they are shopping for handmade sweaters, attend a show at the nearby soccer stadium, or just want to check out the hype, visitors will not be disappointed.

Children spend all Saturday helping their parents at the animal market

Just a 10 minute walk beyond Otavalo's town plaza, the animal market is center stage for bargaining and trading.

Animal Market in Otavalo on Saturday

Every day, Otavalenos set up shops and stalls along the streets in this northern town.  Women dressed in traditional garb sell gold necklaces.  Men dust off fruit.  Local musicians tune their instruments. Handwoven textiles pile high next to stalls with other textiles piled high.  Six days out of the week, the fruit and handicrafts markets sit side by side.  On Saturday, they overflow into each other, taking up multiple blocks and edging toward town limits where the animal market hosts local farmers, selling everything from piglets to ducklings.

Roasted pig, mote and rice are cooked in the market. But like everywhere else in Ecuador, be careful with hygiene.

Neil and I loved watching the people move about their business.  One man gave a live info-mercial about his coffee mugs.  Grandmas carved roasted pigs.  And cowboys wrangled with their livestock.  The juxtaposition of people and animals is amazing.  Tourists flock here from around the world with their cameras.  Otavelenos plod along in their traditional garb and farmers’ sons wear high rubber boots through the muck.  White puppies nuzzle up against shaggy sheep and llamas are looking around, thinking: who are these people.  The best animal I saw was the giant hog, hanging out beside a truck.

That hog looked like he ate his entire family!!

Llamas...( or are they alpaca) are on sale too at the Saturday Market in Otavalo

Tips for Visiting the Saturday Animal Market

-Go early.  By 7 am, vendors are up and hawking their wares.  The crowd thins out closer to mid day.  So an early start is best.

-Keep wallets tucked away.  Unfortunately, the animal market’s fame attracts tourists and pickpockets, alike.  Keep valuables at the hotel, locked away.  Wallets should be in a money belt, under your clothes.  Try not to get stuck in the middle of a crowd where everyone is so close you might not realize someone is checking your pockets.

-Wear boots or tuck pant legs into socks.  It’s not always mud you’re going to be walking through.  Neil had to clean our shoes for a half an hour before we went to our favorite restaurant in Otavalo.  Use carabiners and other travel safe necessities.  Long pants dragging through squishy dirt don’t make good memories.

-Browse now, buy later.  If you’re in Otavalo for more than one day, enjoy the sights and excitement on Saturday but come back any day of the week to purchase your souvenirs.  On Sunday through Friday, when crowds are a fraction of the Saturday attendance, prices drop drastically.  Swoop in with your haggling skills and bring home those tapestries.  The creatures in the animal market often wind up on tourist’s plates in Otavalo’s restaurants.  So enjoy the sights and sounds of Otavalo’s animal market on Saturday, then enjoy the tastes of this Andean city all week.

I’m no photographer.  I’ve only owned my Canon 60D for a year and I’m still learning all of its functions and capabilites.  During a great class at Rockland Community College in Suffern, NY, a pro-photographer gave us a crash course on lightning and balance.  But while traveling in Cuenca, Ecuador, I received a great piece of travel photography advice from another professional.  He said: Close your eyes and imagine one detail that could sum up an entire place.  Every day as we left our hotel in Cuenca I kept this idea in my mind.

I loved this advice, deciding pretty quickly that I loved the people of Cuenca.  Their work, their clothes, their habits.  It’s fascinating.  People thread back and forth around town, on their way to church or work or lunch.  Colonial architecture loomed behind them as they continued on their way with me staring, mulling over the simple beauty of Ecuador.

The Best Places to People Watch in Cuenca

Reminder: In Ecuador, people work hard. They deliver all the things that keep houses and restaurants open. Gas and water deliveries are a common site in Cuenca.

The Old and New Cathedrals are a great place to hangout on a spring afternoon.  The melange of people is fantastic.  Lawyers and university students cut across the plaza.  Indigenous women stroll with their grandkids and vendors.  Café Austria is also a great bet, especially with its large windows and affordable lunch specials.  On one great walk, Neil, our friend Daniel, and I just sat near a family who were feeding the birds.  We also shot in the early morning before devouring our breakfast at Moliendo Café.

I nearly killed my wife one morning on our honeymoon in Costa Rica.  I realized this fact as we ate dinner later that night while sharing hilarious video footage of her near death experience.  Our waiter thought it was funny too.  It was nothing pre-meditated.  I hadn’t caught her with a gardener.  Nor was I seeking to cash in on an insurance plan considering we had a combined net worth of 0 dollars and 0 cents.

I had to wear my Siena Lacrosse t-shirt for our first three days in Playa Tamarindo.

Our wedding and an odd choice of honeymoon excursions

We knotted my tie and wed on an April morning in 2006 in Somerset, New Jersey.  About a month later we flew from New Jersey to Liberia Airport.  Unfortunately our luggage arrived two days after us, and I must admit my clothes had become nasty from overuse.  But I never tried to suffocate Melissa with a rancid t-shirt.  My only true crime was talking her into a zip-lining tour high above the ground in Monteverde Cloudforest.  I’m not even sure when I had become interested in a canopy tour.  Maybe I had seen zip-lining on a travel program or in a glossy brochure.

Another traveler from California had to be retrieved when she lost her glove. The guide crawled along the steel cables like a superhero.

Gliding though the air on steel cables just seemed like something you do when you visit Costa Rica.  Even as we signed a waiver clearing Aventura of any responsibility for injury or death, it never occurred to us that this was an unwise honeymoon activity.  This fact became clear as I watched Melissa careen into a hulking strangler-fig tree.  Her legs caromed off the trunk and she nearly spun over like a gymnast competing on rings.  At that point I stopped video-recording, helped a guide console her, and wondered why we hadn’t flown to the sandy shores of a Caribbean island.

Why we chose Costa Rica for our honeymoon

By the time we were engaged, Melissa and I were already accomplished world winders.  In fact, less than two weeks after we’d started dating, we embarked on a college road trip through the mid-Atlantic states of the U.S.  A year and a half after graduating from SUNY Albany we moved to Japan to teach English.  On our way back to NY/NJ we traversed SouthEast Asia, Australia, and a small chunk of Europe.

Melissa contemplates her collision with a strangler-fig tree in Monteverde Cloudforest.

Prior to our wedding our most recent trip had been a ten day exploration of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.  Before that we visited an all-inclusive resort in Aruba, a free trip I’d scored as a contestant on Wheel of Fortune.  These two trips gave us a taste of short flights and that’s what we aimed for on our honeymoon.  Costa Rica was an idyllic choice because it offered sand, sun, volcanic hot springs, and adventure.  At the time the Central American nation was experiencing a tourism boom and North Americans were gobbling up properties like hungry hogs.  Of course this was before the world economy burst and now my former president and his bros are the only ones who can afford vacation homes.

We didn’t realize it beforehand, but gastronomy in Costa Rica is varied and exquisite.  Fresh mountain vegetables nourished our bodies.   The country is penned in between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean and seafood is abundant.  The chance to see wildlife up close was a final reason we chose Costa Rica.

Our itinerary and things to consider when choosing a zip-line tour

Despite the fact that Melissa dropkicked an innocent tree and could have seriously injured herself, we still had an amazing time in Costa Rica.  We spent time in Playa Tamarindo, experienced the thrills of Monteverde Cloudforest, and braved nightly eruptions while sleeping close to a volcano named Arenal.  The resorts we chose in these locations were perfectly suited for a honeymoon visit.

We booked a two part tour with Aventura. First a stroll high in the cloud forest and later zip-lining from mountain to mountain.

Zip-lining was a highlight for me, and after her scare, Melissa flew in tandem with one of Aventura’s many guides.  No longer in control of her own brakes, my new wife wound up actually enjoying our tour.  Hesitant adventurers who don’t want to hold friends or partners back from adrenaline boosts can consider riding tandem with a guide.  A further alternative is to choose a company which uses zip-lines that don’t require travelers to employ breaks but rather stop based on gravity.  Pay close attention to all instructions and ask questions if the guides speak too quickly.

Machu Picchu is virtually synonymous with Peru travel.  People think of the Incas and then images of the cloud city sprout up like weeds in one’s consciousness, ensnaring travel addicts for the 100 years since its rediscovery.  But if altitude is your bane as well as budget and crowds, then you should consider Machu Picchu’s northern rival: the stone fortress at Kuelap.

Stone walls reach over 6 stories at Kuelap

With few visitors to Kuelap, livestock and wildlife roam free.

Why Kuelap is worth the effort

It’s off the beaten path.  Machu Picchu acts like a funnel, draining off most of the tourist traffic (and dollars) that come through Lima.  This is a core benefit for visiting Kuelap. While most travelers are jockeying for space on hiking tours three months in advance and dishing out hundreds of dollars to explore Cusco, travelers to Kuelap enjoy freedom.  Buses to Chachapoyas (the gateway to Kuelap) run frequently from coastal Peru cities and once in town, you can book a trip to the summit within 24 hours.  At the fortress, guided tours escort visitors through stone buildings and green grounds with very few foreigners around.

Besides this, Kuelap is one of the most peaceful and beautiful places that I have ever seen.  It ranks high alongside the monasteries at Angkor Wat and the red mesas in Monument Valley of Utah.  The Chachapoyans were famed masons and boasted some of the most beautiful women in the region.  Some mummies have even been discovered with blond hair and blue eyes.  They predate the Incans and built their fortress to withstand even aggressive Spanish conquerors.

Round houses perch over the promontories of the Andes Mountain at Kuelap

Bragging Rights in Peru

Not that travel is about showing off.  But Kuelap is a far away destination, separated from Peru’s coast by a matrix of tight-turns through the Andes Mountains.  Getting to Chachapoyas is an adventure in and of itself.  An overnight bus shuttles you from coastal Peru through the switchbacks of the Andean Mountains.  By 7am, the night buses arrive at the bus terminal and weary travelers file off, beelining tp a hostal for food and rest.  After the 14 hour haul, Neil and I stumbled with our gear into our cold room, realizing that we’d just planted ourselves in what Peruvians call the “Eyebrow of the Jungle”.  This small town with few tourists is a cross section of Andean mountain and jungle life.

When you get to Chachapoyas, start planning your excursions.  Waterfalls, hikes, cultural centers, and of course the stone fortress itself can encompass three days of sightseeing.  Some people like the day long hike up to Kuelap.  For Neil and myself, we preferred forking over the S./60 (US$20) for the tour minus the hike.  With my altitude sickness, it was an easy decision.

Even the ride up to Kuelap is an adventure! Get a window seat for the real roller coaster ride!

Great day tour out of Chachapoyas!

At the yellow-stone gates of Kuelap, a big blue sky hangs overhead.  Llamas meander freely and the green grass is spared the trampling feet of tourist hordes.  Many visitors are Peruvian so several groups will have Spanish guides.  The tour includes a walk through immaculate grounds with round, stone houses and ceremonial courtyards.  Some burial chambers are still visible today and the diamond shaped decorations used by ancient Chachapoyans are used in the villages below.

Paths and Signage are well maintained along the way to the fortress outside of Chachapoyas, Peru

Travel is about the journey and moments.  The stories you tell are the crazy tales of getting somewhere and the little details of what life is like there.  With a fraction of the tourists and an abundance of guides, Kuelap Fortress is almost a no-brainer.  For 60 soles (US$20) the stone retreat is one of several historical sights in Northern Peru.