T’s Birthday Hike to Machu Picchu!

March 5 - We were originally scheduled to hike The Inca Trail all the way to Machu Picchu from March 6-March 9. Every year, I like to travel somewhere if I can for my birthday, and since this year we are traveling full time, I wanted to choose something especially memorable, but also challenging. Since I'm turning 30, I want to ensure my 30's can stand up to my 20's. 

Peru's rainiest months are January and February, so the earliest you can safely hike The Inca Trail is early March. Late February was particularly rainy this year, and it caused landslides, one of which completely covered part of the trail, making it impassible. The government wisely chose to deny entry to all groups on the trail. Fortunately, as we learned, there are over 20,000 miles of Inca Trail from all the way up in Ecuador down to Chile. Guiding Peru, the company we were doing this through, promptly contacted me to see if we had any flexibility in changing our dates. Since they had to rebook everyone, we would have a higher chance of getting both permits into Machu Picchu and to climb the mountain overlooking it, Wayna Pikchu, if we could change it. We were able to push it forward one day to begin on the 5th. 

Originally the plan was to hike all day and camp every night until we arrived at Machu Picchu. The new plan was a bit of an upgrade, though not quite as challenging. We would still go on hikes every day but not for as long, and we would get to stay with a local for the first night then in a hotel every night.

Today we woke up around 8:00, ate breakfast, packed our bags, and were picked up by 9:15. Our group was much smaller than anticipated, but we prefer smaller tours so we were happy about it. It was just us and a Norweigan couple who also changed their dates, our guide, driver, and two porters. We drove about an hour and a half to the start of our new trail, Huchuy Qosqo Trek. The scenic drive took us across multiple mountains and farms. We even had to wait for sheep to pass a few times. 

The trek still proved to be challenging. During the initial ascent, a part of the trail was about the width of my foot and consisted of loose gravel. The dropoff would've been deadly, and I thought to myself "maybe I won't see 30" as I cautiously made my way across it. The rest of the trek wasn't nearly as dangerous. The views were absolutely stunning. It seemed like each turn we rounded we were in someplace even more beautiful. It was easy to see why the area is considered sacred. 

The peaks and valleys were dramatic with defined ridges, lush with green grass and speckled with bright yellow wildflowers. After about an hour and a half of hiking, we made it to the official start of the trail, marked by a large, ancient stone Incan doorway, which symbolized we were entering a sacred place. We had hiked up and down and around mountains and now we found ourselves in a canyon with stonier cliffs on each side and a river running through the middle. After making our way through the canyon, we walked straight up for another 45 minutes or so to a lookout point over a town in the valley well below us, and ate lunch. The mountains were green again and the flowers were back.

After lunch we continued for another two hours or so until we made it to one of many ancient cities in the area. We passed through the gatekeeper's room, which was still intact except for the roof, walked down a hill to a large field. From the field, we could see a few different terraces with many buildings constructed with interlocking reddish stone. Our guide explained the history of the area, we walked around for a few minutes, then hiked for another 15 or 20 minutes to our homestay. 

While we were rounding our final corner, we looked back at the ruins, and only then did we realize just how impressive the terraces and constructions were from far away. When you're in the area or approaching from the other side, you can't see how many gridlike terraces there are and the scale of them. After admiring it, we continued up the mountain, though some gardens, and then to the property. Gardens were everywhere, small white stone buildings were scattered around, and we were greeted by our hostess, Irena, who blew a sheep's horn as a welcome to us all while we entered her property and she escorted us into the main house.

We sat around the kitchen table and drank mint tea while Irena prepared corn on the cob with fresh cheese. Coming from Nebraska, we thought we knew a thing or two about corn on the cob, but we discovered Peru has been doing it right this whole time. Their corn kernels are about 3 times the size of ours, and because of that, nothing gets stuck in your teeth! We ate our snack and an affectionate orange and white Tabby cat accompanied us. 

After we ate the corn, we had about 2 hours to wander around the property before dinner. We were shown to our rooms to put our stuff away. The other couple and G and I had our own little one-room huts, a white stone house-shaped structure with a thatched roof and dirt floor, decorations on the walls and a colorful comforter on the bed. We relaxed for a while; G was so moved by the beauty and simplicity of the place that he wrote this short poem:

To be fully alive and find in the world all that is secret and beautiful.

Secret only because it must be sought out by those willing to dare and risk danger and pain.

For those, this beauty opens itself fully and grants life, momentously, terrifyingly sweet.

So precious for it cannot be captured.

A hidden kingdom within the toils of life.

A world that only exists for the curious wandering soul that drinks fully all the marvels of each passing moment. 

After G wrote this, we wandered around, found the cows, a pig, and pet the cat again, then went back to the main house. Dinner was quinoa soup, rice, chicken, and vegetables. We all chatted for a while after dinner then retired early because we had an early morning ahead of us and a new decade waiting for me.

March 6 - Whenever we know we need to wake up early, one or both of us will wake up earlier than needed. This morning was no different. Around 5:30, I was awakened by a half-asleep G who sweetly wished me "happy birthday" then drifted back off to sleep. We woke an hour later, packed our bags, and met the rest of the group in the kitchen for a breakfast of veggie omelets, roasted corn, coffee, tea, and toast. After we finished breakfast, Irena escorted us out and blew the sheep horn again to wish us luck on our travels. 

What goes up must come down. Today was all downhill. After about 2 hours, and G's toenail hanging on after he stubbed it pretty badly, we made it back down to the valley where the van and some bikes were waiting for us. There was a small field of orange coneflowers filled with a dozen or more florescent green hummingbirds flitting around. We all ate a snack, put on a safety vest, helmet, and biked away on the dirt road. The path was adjacent to the river with the mountains on each side. G and I biked for about 45 minutes where we all stopped at a small town. We could either continue biking for another hour and a half or stay in the van. Since we didn't pack cooler clothes to change into in our day pack, G and I opted to chill in the van. 

After the bike ride, we drove to an Andean bar in the middle of nowhere to try a local specialty, corn beer. After playing a game of trying to throw coins into a small metal frog's mouth (only our bus driver succeeded) we went into the bar area that had large clay pots on one side of the room, a table on the other, and the back wall had a boiling pot and a guinea pig house next to it, full of over a dozen guinea pigs running around awaiting their fate. We learned how to make the beer. Soak the corn until it sprouts, boil it for about 40 minutes, then strain it and leave it for 30 hours. We tried the regular corn beer and the strawberry-infused. I let everyone know it was my birthday. We clinked glasses and drank a little more corn beer. It wasn't bad. 

Then we drove about 15 minutes to a restaurant for a buffet lunch. After eating, we drove a couple of hours to our next small town we were going to stay in. It was still only the afternoon so we had a little while 'til dinner. Since we hadn't showered in a few days, we seized that opportunity. We did a little laundry, I did a pushup circuit workout, and eventually, it was dinner time. At dinner, it was just us and the Norweigan couple. We ate a delightful meal prepared by the hotel. I had a salad, trout, risotto, and vegetables, and a type of cream cannoli for dessert, and G ate potato soup, beet ravioli stuffed with mushrooms, and chocolate cake for dessert. After dinner, we and our new friends ventured out to the small town square and had a couple birthday drinks, walked around town, then went back to the hotel. It was a lovely way to end my 30th birthday.

March 7 - With our new trek schedule, we didn't have to leave until 10:00, so G and I slept in until 9:00, packed, ate breakfast, then headed out with the group. Our porters left us after our bigger hike. We drove for about 45 minutes up the mountains up to some other ruins. We climbed a large hill to the empty, unkempt, deserted ruins. Our guide explained that Machu Picchu is the best-taken care of ruins, but there are old cities everywhere, and the one we were at was likely built even before the Incan rule. We wandered around the old city, which took up a big portion of the hillside, and we appreciated that we were the only group there. We were going to go back to the van then drive to another path, but the van was gone, so our guide had to improvise. 

He said we'd need to make it up to a wide path on the side of the mountain, take it around, then down to the van. However, he was unfamiliar with this area, and that's not what happened. We stumbled through a farm, walked through bushes (realizing today wasn't a good day to wear shorts), and eventually found the road, but it didn't take us where we thought it would. We did, however, gain a new hiker, a farm dog. We ended up spending a few hours hiking through other farms. At one point, we lost the group and had to wait for the guide to come back because we weren't sure which way they went since we hadn't been staying on a path the whole time. Once we met up again we had a stop a couple other times for our guide to try to figure out where to go. Eventually, we found a very, very tall, overgrown, Inca stairwell, that had probably around 1,000 stairs. Our driver managed to find us and was waiting at the bottom of the hill. After we descended the stairs, we made our way to the van and said goodbye to the dog who had stuck with us through it all. 

We drove back to the town where we ate lunch then were dropped off at the train station, where we would board a train destined for Machu Picchu. While waiting, we listened to an extremely talented local musician play a pan flute and recorder to some music in the background. 

The train took about 2 hours to get to Machu Picchu. About halfway through we could easily see the elevation drop by the thick jungle that appeared. Once we arrived, we checked in to our hotel then met with our guide for dinner. We set plans to leave the hotel at 7:00 the next morning and went back to the hotel for the night. 

March 8 - The time had come to finally visit the one, the only, Machu Picchu. We awoke at 6:00, packed, ate breakfast quickly, then met our guide in the lobby and left after leaving our packs with the hotel luggage room. We walked down to the bus station where we waited in line for about 20 minutes. Then we took a bus about 30 minutes straight up to the world wonder. Until this point, we had not seen Machu Picchu. It's truly a hidden gem in the mountains.

The government has done an excellent job regulating the number of visitors to prevent overcrowding. Only a certain number of people are allowed in every two hours. Our tour began at 8:00. We checked in, and raced about 5-10 minutes to one of the best viewpoints, and since we were some of the first ones there, the views were spectacular. Situated on the middle of a mountain, surrounded by other mountains, some with glaciers on top, were the remnants of the historic city of Machu Picchu. We understood what our guide had meant when he said it was the best-taken care of. We took some photos then toured through the ruins, taking in everything as we went. It does live up to its hype.

Since we also had tickets to climb Wayna Pikchu, we needed to exit the site, then re-enter with our other tickets. We had to be at the mountain by 11:00 and we ended our tour late so we raced through the site to be there by 10:45. The way up only took about 40 minutes but the elevation climb was intense. Toward the top, it was more or less a ladder and requires strength and coordination. The views were incredible. I didn't think Machu Picchu would look so small from the top of that mountain, it didn't seem like it was that far away from below. But, we could see the entire site and all the mountains surrounding it and the river below. After taking in the views and spending some time at the top with our Norweigan friends, we rushed to descend and then exit the site again because we needed to catch our train by 2:30, and G and I still had our packs at the hotel.

We played "sneaking", as dubbed by one of our Norweigan friends, AKA: sneaking by as many people as possible, and I've got to say, we did pass dozens of tourists and probably took the bus much earlier than we otherwise would have. During our bus ride, the clouds began to roll in. We were very lucky with the weather. The entire night before it had rained, and once we left, it rained again.

We made it to the train station on time, ate some snacks, and boarded the train. G and I passed out for the majority of the ride back. When we arrived back at the small town, we were surprised to see our guide. He was supposed to leave on an earlier train, but it had been cancelled. So, he walked with us to the van and rode with us on the hour and a half ride back to Cusco where we were dropped off away from our hostel. G and I were a little frustrated when our guide said "it's around the corner" but wouldn't tell us which one. We found it without issues though. The papa rellena stand was in the same spot, so, of course, we had to eat one. This time an egg was in the middle, which was really good.

We weren't ready to say goodbye to our new friends so we agreed to get dinner together at an Indian restaurant. We had a lovely time eating great food and talking for a while. Then it was time to say goodbye. Hopefully we will see them when we go to Norway. G and I walked back to our hostel and went to sleep early.

-T

Adios Bolivia, Hola Peru!

March 2 - We arrived an hour late in La Paz at the main bus terminal. This was due to a stop of the bus on the highway around 1 am. Our bus had stopped due to another bus having been broken down and in need of assistance. After about an hour fiddling around with the workings of the other bus, it was abandoned and its passengers loaded onto our bus. These passengers were dispensed at various stops along the way to our destination. I didn't sleep as well as T who was asleep for the entirety of the event and as a result, I reached La Paz in a somewhat grumpy state. 

We called an Uber from the terminal and waited...and waited some more... and finally gave up on the Uber drivers and resolved to walk the 20-minute distance to our Hostel. Upon entering the hostel we were at once relieved. From the outside is was merely a grey stone wall, uninteresting at best, with a set of large wooden doors one of which was left ajar to allow entry. 

Inside, the space transformed, a small entryway granted access to a room off to the right, the reception.  Marble floors fine fixtures and comfortable velvet furniture composed a fine reception hall. We were greeted by the receptionist and after a brief check-in, we were informed that though we were extremely early for check-in our room was ready for us. 

Leading us to a covered courtyard which allowed light to pour gracefully into the double balconies above us and gave life to the various hanging plants which rained down along the supporting columns of the balconies our receptionist ascended a magnificent stairwell to the third floor. Here she showed us our room and handed over a set of keys. 

Still tired from the overnight trip, T suggested I nap due to the slight grumpiness which had resulted from the lack of sleep. I obliged her happily. 

Waking some hours later I felt much refreshed and a bit hungry. The hostel held the solution to this as well in the form of a large dining room and restaurant on the second floor. Large windows reached from the floor up to a finely decorated ceiling. The floor was of various hardwoods laid out in a herringbone pattern and each of the windows held a large plant of some sort. This combination of formal European style mixed with the green plantlife mingled with the smells of cooking food granted the space a unique atmosphere. 

We happily ordered and at our food and after some time, noticing it had begun to rain outside, returned to our room for the evening. 

March 3 - Awaking at six o'clock in the morning, we quickly gathered our packs and descended to the reception hall to await our bus to Peru. The bus company T had found to best suit our needs was Bolivia Hop. They sent a representative with a checklist to retrieve us from our hostel and guide us to the bus which was parked a block or two away. It was around 6:45 am when we boarded the bus, which after collecting a few other passengers in La Paz, set off to Copacabana, Bolivia which rests on the shore of Lake Titicaca. 

The journey progressed without issue and after a few hours and short ferry ride we arrived in Copacabana around noon. Here we were set to visit Isla del Sol at one o'clock. The boat ride to Isla del Sol took about an hour. Once there we hiked an ancient trail which passed Inca ruins of a temple dedicated to the Sun where sacrifices, both humans and llamas alike, had occurred for thousands of years. The temple now in shambles whispered about just how much had changed since its construction, but as it still held some lesser sacrificial items within its failing walls and weakening ceiling, also spoke of the act of Sun worship which had endured time.   

The rest of the hike was relatively uneventful though the local people were warm and greeted us kindly whether they were selling something or not. At the end of our hike, we descended a set of stone stairs that were accompanied by a clean spring water stream. The stream danced merrily down the side of the hill and provided life to the flowers which lined both sides of the stairs. 

At the base of these stairs lay a little harbor and dock where our ferry waited to return us to Copacabana. As we boarded the ferry, we spied a boat completely crafted from reeds. We snapped a photo of it, a reminder that tomorrow morning we were set to visit the floating reed islands built and inhabited by the native peoples of Peru. A visit that tragically would not come to pass.

Once returned to Copacabana, around 5 o'clock, we boarded our Bolivia Hop bus and headed to the border of Bolivia and Peru. After passing through the border immigration control, we were met by the Peru Hop guide who directed us to our new bus. This bus was very comfortable and bore us swiftly to Puno. In Puno, Peru Hop had arranged for smaller vans to drop passengers off at their requested accommodations. 

The daylight had long vanished over Lake Titicaca by the time we arrived at our hostel. This place felt more like a hostel from my youth, it was a little worn down, and the room was a bit rough around the edges. Not the cleanest of places, there were still bits of wrappers laying on the floor behind the door which the cleaners had missed and a few of the blankets displayed stains of their past abuses. None-the-less the accommodation was acceptable and we made the best of things, requesting clean blankets, which were provided without question we snuggled into the twin bed and quickly fell asleep. 

March 4 - We again woke at six o'clock to grab a hasty breakfast before our arranged tour of the floating islands which was to begin at six-thirty. T had noticed the previous evening that though our bus to Cusco was scheduled for 10 am, our tour time had been set for the afternoon. She had made several attempts to contact the tour company to ensure this was simply an error and that we would still be picked up at six-thirty, but she had received no response. Time passed and it became apparent that the company had made an error and we had missed the floating islands. 

This dampened our spirits some, as we had looked forward to seeing and experiencing one of the most quirky living accommodations on the planet, but it will simply give us cause to return for another visit in the future. At 10 am, a Peru Hop representative arrived at the hostel to take us to Cusco. He led us first to a van with a Peru Hop sign on the dashboard. This was unsurprising initially as we assumed it would simply take us to a larger bus where the streets were more navigable; the streets of Puno are quite narrow making it unreasonable for a large bus to use them. 

However, we grew a little suspicious as it became more and more obvious we were leaving the town of Puno all together and entering the countryside. Not caring to be left out on our destination, we questioned the guide as to where exactly we were off to. Fortunately, we were relieved to learn that due to difficulties with one of their buses the previous day, we were being taken to another town along the route to Cusco where we would meet up with a different bus. All went exactly as the guide had explained. 

Once on the actual bus, we spent much of the day observing the highland countryside of Peru. The desert landscapes of Bolivia faded and were replaced by the dramatic peaks of the Andes which slowly greened as we moved west. Along the streams or in the valleys we could spot the study structures built be they highland peoples of Peru. The homes were built of thick mud bricks with thatched or corrugated tin roofs. 

Though simple, they seemed honest and welcoming, closer to the earth they were made of. The towns lacked the same number of walls which we observed in other countries and most of the walls which were present did not bear the spikes, razor wire, or shards of glass on the top so common elsewhere making it hard to believe the violence of Peru's past we would come to learn of later in our time there. 

After stopping for a late lunch and a few additional hours on the bus, we arrived, in Cusco. Peru Hop had arranged for taxis to drop us off at our accommodations again. Before we knew it we arrived at Gaia House Hostel. We met briefly with our GuidingPeru guide who laid out what our itinerary for the Huchuy Qosqo Inca Trail to Machu Picchu would look like. Then after check-in and tossing our bags into a very nice room, we went off in search of an ATM and (since T's stomach was beginning to rumble) some street food. 

We found both in rapid succession. The main square in Cusco provided a well lit private ATM and a small stand on the way gave us our first experience with papa rellena. Papa rellena is basically a potato that has been mashed, then stuffed with carrots, onions, meat (usually ground beef), and sometimes an egg which is then fried to a golden brown. For those familiar with what a Runza is, it is basically a runza with potato instead of bread for the exterior. Usually, T and I remain fairly vegetarian based, as a matter of preference, but for these and local international food, we sometimes make exceptions. These are one of those. They are freaking delicious!

Full and happy, we returned to Gaia House. The hostel itself deserves some description. It had a charming little courtyard which greeted travelers once they had passed through the iron gate. From the street, it was a rather unremarkable place, simply a set of large wooden doors, lit by lanterns on either side. The doors were oversized, so the door on the left had a smaller human-sized door which during the day was left open to allow guests to enter the short corridor which sloped up to stop at a green iron gate. From this vantage point, the receptionist had a clear view from across the courtyard to the gate where they could allow the iron gate to open. Alternatively, there was a buzzer that could be used if they were temporarily away. 

Stepping through the gate, we were already standing in the courtyard. Straight forward and on the right wall a stone staircase led up to the second floor which had a balcony that shot out to the left and then wrapped around the courtyard ending above where the entrance corridor was. This balcony granted access to the living quarters of the nuns, now converted into private rooms or dormitories. Grey granite columns wrapped in vines held up the balcony. The courtyard itself was of grey stone and held two large round tables made from wood. The grey of the stone met whitewashed walls accented with turquoise trim at the edges of the courtyard. The effect was altogether charming. It was a pleasant place to rest for the evening, our private bedroom with attached bathroom was more than sufficient and we looked forward to returning to it after our 4-day trek. 

- G

The Largest Salt Flats in the World and then Some.

February 28 - We arrived 45 minutes early to Uyuni, at about 5:45 AM. G and I stumbled out of the bus, and found a woman waiting for us, holding a sign with my name written on it. I was glad I e-mailed Andes Salt Expeditions asking them to have someone pick us up from the bus station because we would have had a difficult time finding the place. Even though it was only a few blocks away, there were a lot of turns involved getting there. She brought us to a breakfast place with free wifi a couple doors down from the company and let us know our tour wouldn't leave 'til after 10:00 AM. We filled up on coffee and omelets, and spent about three hours there. Then we signed in for our tour, left our bags in the luggage room, and walked around the small town of Uyuni. 

There wasn't much to see, so we sat on a bench for a little while then spent the rest of our time waiting in the company's small building. We met a woman from Alaska who scheduled a tour with another company, but their building was locked, so she found a spot with us. Our group was small, us, the woman from Alaska, a couple from Alaska (we had never met anyone else from Alaska  before so it was strange to meet three people), a woman from Germany, and our guide.

We all hopped into the tan Toyota Landcruiser, and took off for our first destination, a train graveyard right outside of town. There were dozens of 1800's steam trains lined up. Most of them were completely rusted and brown, but some of them had sadly been covered in graffiti. The place was really neat, remnants of what was. However, there were so many tour groups there at once that some of the allure was taken down a few notches.

Then we went back into town to pick up our food for the three-day tour. Once the food was stored, we drove about 45 minutes to a small town situated just outside the salt flats, for a quick stop to learn how the salt was collected and processed. This place was also crowded with tour groups, and I was beginning to feel a little nervous the whole tour would be congested. Fortunately, that was not the case. 

After we left the town, we drove for about an hour to the largest salt flats in the world, Salar de Uyuni. It didn't take long to realize just how vast this place is. The dozens of other tours that were around drove off in different directions and faded away. We stopped to snap some photos in a place that had a good variety of dry and wet salt.

We stopped for lunch then we drove another 30-45 minutes to an area of pure white salt for miles and miles that looked like snow and ice. Our guide had a lot of experience taking funny pictures that manipulate distance perspective. He helped us take photos with a toy T-Rex and other photos that could only be taken in that kind of element (see below).

After our photo shoot, we drove in search of the mirror effect. We drove for a long time and finally found a decent spot. It wasn't quite the "mirror of the world" I had imagined, but it was still spectacular.

We did another photoshoot then left to chase one of the most beautiful sunsets I've seen. After the sun went down, we drove for about an hour and a half to our hotel. This hotel was made entirely out of salt. After we ate dinner, it was about 9:00 PM, so we showered then went to sleep.

February 29 - 2020 gave me an extra day in my 20's on February 29th. The salt flats were just a small portion of this tour. I didn't realize just how much of the countryside of Bolivia we would get to see. On this day we drove for the entire day, stopping multiple times to see multiple volcanoes, high deserts, a wind-sculpted rock in the shape of a tree surrounded with large boulders scattered around, and at least four lagoons, all of which had wild flamingos grazing about.

We saw flamingos, llamas, alpacas, vicunas (kind of like wild llamas), ostriches, viscachas (desert rodents that look like a big, brown rabbit with a long, curly tail), a desert fox, and other wild dogs. One of the lagoons was red, but only when the sun was hitting it at the right angle, and we were lucky to see it at the right time. 

After a day packed full of as much natural beauty as we could possibly see, we made it to our hotel in the middle of a desert. G and I played a fun dice game with the group (I was really close to winning). Then we ate dinner, and since we had an early start at 4:00 AM the next morning, we retired early.

March 1 - We ate breakfast at 4:00 AM then left to drive up to 5,000 meters (about 16,400 feet) to see the sunrise over some geysers. One of the geysers was cold enough you could jump through it. After wandering through the plateau and watching the sunrise, we got in the car and drove about an hour to another lagoon that had hot springs. We all opted to swim, which was very relaxing and the scenery was beautiful. I watched a few flamingos wade through the water nearby.

After the swim, we drove to the Salvador Dali Desert, named after the painter because the sand looked as though it was melting.

Then we drove to another lagoon, which was close to the Chilean border, where the rest of the group would get out to continue into the Atacama Desert. Before noon, we let them go and said our goodbyes. 

The rest of the day may as well have been a private tour as we headed back to Uyuni. We stopped in a town full of farms with llamas to eat lunch. On the first day, I had asked Eduardo, our guide, where his favorite place in Bolivia was. He surprised us and took us there. There was a dark lagoon surrounded with tall rocks and cliffs, carved by the wind, and a few lush grassy patches for llamas to graze. It was quiet, and not many people knew about it. We could see why this was his favorite place, and we were honored he shared it with us.

We also stopped a rock valley that reminded G and I of Monuments Valley in the U.S.

Our last stop was Anaconda River, which is a curvy river at the bottom of a canyon. We stood out on a rock ledge overlooking the canyon.

Eduardo made a few other stops for us when we wanted to take pictures, once to capture a colorful quinoa field in front of mountains. The quinoa field looked like a flower field in full bloom.

We stopped another time to see some curious llamas. As we were approaching Uyuni, G asked Eduardo if we could stop by the train cemetery again, in hopes that there wouldn't be as many people there this time. He happily obliged and we were thrilled only about three other people were there. We snapped some photos we wanted to snap the first time, then made our way back to Andes Salt Expeditions' building.

We thanked Eduardo, took a selfie with him, and said goodbye. We didn't have too long to wait for our bus. We got directions to the correct bus stop from another guide, picked up some snacks, and boarded the bus at 9:00 PM. This bus wasn't quite as comfy as the first one, but it did the job.

- T

Rain, Planes, & Buses

February 25 - We slept late due to the pattering of rain and the fact that we had already visited the places we had intended to go during our stay in the area. Once we did get up, we strolled under the shelter of the umbrella to the main dining area located in a separate building. Being on a budget, we made the most of free breakfast and after eating returned to our little cottage like lodging. 

We spent the duration of this very rainy day (rain in a rainforest, shocking I know) reviewing where we had been, sorting photos, writing, and planning our next steps. We did break during part of the afternoon when the rain lifted a little to walk the trail which encompassed the property. It was lovely and ran through a little chunk of pure rainforest and a planted fruit forest, from which we could freely eat. 

Here it was we discovered the Acerola or more commonly known as the Barbados Cherry tree. Between those and a few giant avocados, we munched happily along the trail back to our cottage just as the rain returned. 

February 26 - We woke a bit earlier, around 7 am, and once again enjoyed a hearty breakfast. With the sun having returned it was a beautiful morning. After breakfast, we returned for the last time to our little cottage and packed our belongings up once again. Check out was at noon, but our flight was not scheduled until 8 pm. This gave us ample time to wait on the small but comfortable couch by reception.

As so often happens in travel, it is a series of hurry-up-and-wait situations. The time was passed pleasantly enough by chatting with the receptionists, Rodrigo and Santiago (who had advised us so well on the first day). With Rodrigo we spoke a great deal about music, which is his passion, and shared our preferred artists. With Santiago we spoke extensively about much of his life and things held dear to him. I personally felt a deeply satisfying similarity between his experiences and aspirations and my own. A life simply lived in closeness with nature, helping those around us, and taking care to do as much good as possible.

As the sun began to hang lower in the sky achieving that golden hue that foretells of its setting, our Uber arrived to bear us once again to the airport. We boarded our first plane of the night.

February 27 - We were still very much awake when the 26th turned to the 27th and around 1 in the morning boarded our second plane which landed in La Paz, Bolivia at 3:30 am. We found, to our displeasure, all the suitable seats for sleeping had been occupied. 

So, lacking better accommodation, laid down on a fortunately very clean white tile floor, to doze and wait for seats to open. After 2 hours or so, a spot large enough for us had opened. We slept in shifts on airport chairs until 10:45 in the morning. Finally, feeling we had achieved a satisfactory amount of rest, we made our way to the central bus terminal in La Paz to wait for our night bus to Uyuni (a 9 hour drive). 

Luck was again on our side since after a day of waiting we boarded a clean and very comfortable bus, complete with wool blankets. We stowed our bags beneath our leg rests and reclined the chairs to a nearly horizontal position. As the drowning of the bus's engine began, we drifted away to sleep. 

- G

Iguazu Falls

February 24 - Our flight to Iguazu Falls was at 7:15, so we woke up at 4:00 and took an Uber to the airport. We ate breakfast in the lounge then boarded the plane. I was very excited to finally see Iguazu Falls; they have been on my bucket list since high school. I've always been drawn to waterfalls and I'm not sure why. It could be because I grew up in Nebraska and the closest waterfall was a 7-hour drive away. Or, maybe it's because the water is in transit, and I'm always thinking about my next destination. I've been to Niagara Falls, Multnomah Falls, and dozens of lesser-known waterfalls. Iguazu always seemed impressive to me.

I slept really well on the plane, and I awoke while we were making our descent, I noted the city of Iguazu Falls was a decent-sized city. I thought it was a small town in the middle of the rainforest, but there was actually a lot of development. After we deplaned, we were happy to learn our lodging was only a 6 minute drive from the airport. We arrived too early for check in, and one of the hotel hosts, Santiago, a friendly man from Argentina, recommended we walk to the bird park nearby. He suggested going to the falls later in the day because they are extremely crowded in the morning and early afternoon, and there's only one trail, so it's best to go right before the park closes.

We took his advice, stored our bags, and walked about 10 minutes to the bird park. It was a big conservation area designed to protect endangered birds in the Atlantic Rainforest. We saw many different kinds of flamingos, parrots, owls, vultures, and we saw toucans, birds we had never heard of, and we found Kevin from Up! Or at least it looked a lot like him (spoiler alert: her). Not all the birds were in cages, and the ones that were had a lot of space. Over half the birds were rescued from injuries or illegal trafficking. We also spotted some small monkeys swinging high in the trees. The park was much bigger than we thought it would be and we became very thirsty after wandering around the hot and humid rainforest, so we bought a fresh coconut to drink the water. After about an hour and a half, we walked back to the hotel.

The place we were staying was very nice. It was situated on a farm, with plenty of animals like horses, cows, pigs, sheep, chickens, ducks, dogs, and cats. There was a fruit forest and a patch of rainforest with a trail that encircled the entire property. We were allowed to pick the fruit if we wanted to and eat it. There were 2 ponds where you could fish. The lodging was a series of spacious duplexes, where we had our own porch, living room, kitchenette, bedroom, bathroom, and garden. I thought our hotel in Rio may have been our favorite given it had a rooftop pool with a beautiful view, but this place was even better.

Our room wasn't ready yet, so we ate a big salad full of carrots, beets, palm hearts, arugula, and cheese, with french fries on the side. I befriended a couple of cats, then our room was ready for us. 

After we settled into our house, it began to storm and we debated whether or not we should go to the falls. The weather forecast showed rain and storms all day the following day so we opted to wait a little while then walk to the falls. The weather began to let up, so we left around 4:00 P.M. The park closed at 5:00 P.M. but people don't need to leave until 6:00 P.M. 

Iguazu Falls National Park was across the street from the bird park, so we arrived to the entrance in about 10-15 minutes. Once we entered the park, we had to take a bus for about 15 minutes to reach the trailhead. On the bus, we learned Iguazu Falls was made up of 86 different waterfalls. Then we began our hike, and after only a few minutes, the line of waterfalls appeared. The entire rest of the hike which was about 20 minutes, waterfalls were everywhere on our right side, to the left was dense rainforest. 

At the end of the hike, there was low walkway over the river that allowed you to get closer to the falls to see the iconic view. I found Iguazu to be even more impressive than Niagara. The sky was only partly cloudy, a magical rainbow appeared in front one of the large waterfalls, it was hot and humid out, but the falls provided a cooling mist. I stood for a few minutes appreciating the view, then for another few minutes with my eyes closed feeling the breezy mist and smelling the rainforest surrounding us.

Santiago was wise in knowing when to visit the park. Other visitors were there but only a few dozen. It was easy to imagine the place packed full of people which would've made the trip less enjoyable. We hiked back to the bus, went back to the entrance, and walked back to the hotel. The experience of visiting Iguazu Falls surpassed my expectations.

We ate dinner at the hotel that night. Since we were on a farm, most of the food is fresh from the garden. We ate beans, rice, grilled veggies, potatoes and veggies in a cheesy sauce, and fruit. 

It was a long day, so we relaxed in our farmhouse for the night and went to sleep early.

- T

Rio de Janeiro

February 21 - I slept very well on the night plane from Quito to Sao Paolo. We arrived on time, around 8:30 A.M. G and I groggily gathered our packs, deplaned, and made our way through customs and security. The Sao Paolo airport was crammed full of people, and our lounge was sadly closed due to a recent storm, so we found our gate that was standing room only. We waited for about half an hour when we realized our gate changed, so we went to the new gate and boarded shortly after to head toward our destination, Rio de Janeiro. I fell asleep again before the plane took off and didn't wake up until we were landing. G wasn't as fortunate, but still slept some. 

As we were landing, I observed Rio did not look as glamorous as I had imagined. Sure, the cloudy weather didn't help, but the water was brown and I could tell from the plane. Once we arrived, we drank some coffee at Starbucks, then found the Uber pick up area. Since we were staying when Carnival was going on, the best hotel we could find was about 30 minutes away located in Niteroi, across the bay from Rio proper.

During our Uber ride, G and I both noticed how everywhere we were driving looked run down, even the areas with beautiful architecture. Most buildings had at least some graffiti on them, and not the pretty kind. Our Uber driver seemed nice. He gave us some helpful tips on places he liked to go and how to stay safe. He also offered to drive us again if we wanted a familiar face and he would offer us a good price, so we saved each other's phone numbers in WhatsApp and we told him we may take him up on it.

We made it to our hotel, H Niteroi, which was very nice, though the area around it seemed as sketchy as everywhere else we saw. So, we decided to explore the hotel and stay there for the rest of the day. We were also still very tired. You can only sleep so well on airplanes, so a long nap was in order. After we woke up, we ate dinner at the hotel, which was really good. We opted for the buffet over the menu, and the buffet had anything you could want. After dinner, we worked on updating social media some, and then went back to sleep.

- T

February 22 - We woke late and having finally caught up on our sleep descended from our room on the 13th floor to the restaurant for breakfast. Once again the food was excellent. The complimentary buffet breakfast was extensive with every variety of breakfast food one could reasonably ask for. After breakfast, we kicked around ideas for what we wished to accomplish during our time in Rio. High on my list was seeing the Samba dancers at the Sambodromo where they perform for Carnaval. 

Now, if you are unaware of exactly what Carnaval is, allow me to clarify. The word Carnaval itself is the combination of two base Latin words (carne vale) which meant "farewell to meat". This farewell was due to the beginning of the Catholic tradition of Lent. Over time, the meat part didn't matter so much and it became more strongly associated with any sort of "sinful desire". Much like Mardi Gras in the United States, the people of Brazil have made an art of exercising all of their "sinful" desires before the period of lent begins. However, instead of a singular day like Fat Tuesday to extinguish these desires, Brazilians must have felt they needed a bit more time. Therefore, Carnaval begins with a pre-Carnaval the Friday before the Wednesday which begins Lent. 

How exactly all of that translated into the amazing artistic performances which occur during this period, you'll have to research on your own. We set out to determine the best way to attend the performances. T kicked into high gear analyzer mode, a definite step below crisis mode, but none the less she began tearing through information search for our best option. A short time later we had purchased a pair of reasonable tickets unfortunately in separate sections of the Sambodromo. These tickets needed to be claimed in person at the Israeli Brazilian Society in Copacabana, a significant distance away. So, once again we called upon Uber. 

The way to the Society afforded us a brief glimpse of the floats for the Sambodromo and our driver happily slowed down enough for us to capture some video of them going by. The rest of the drive was a maze of loops and still more views of buildings that seemed tired at best and downright dangerously ominous at worst. Though buildings are not all telling, they are often a reflection of the state of affairs in a location. At the beginning of our drive a group of six to eight children in an age range of 7-13 years old, made their way in between the cars of stopped traffic at a light. Immediately, our driver locked the doors of the car. 

I watched his eyes quickly take note of the locations of the children and he remained somewhat tense until the light turned green and we were on our way again. The children had used limes to perform juggling acts in front of cars so I asked him why he had reacted in the manner in which he did. His reply was that the area we had been forced to stop in was not altogether very safe (which I had gathered) and that the children could not be trusted. Later that evening I looked further into this and found an article titled Where children rule with guns the article went on to express the tragic state of violence in Rio de Janeiro which while written in 2017 and there has been some "improvement" in the situation since its writing seemed to remain still accurate enough for our Uber driver to react in the manner he did. 

The rest of the drive to Copacabana was without incident, and arriving at the Israeli Brazilian Society we quickly found our way to claim our tickets. The way was a little confusing, but fortunately, the society had posted individuals to guide us. When claiming our tickets the young woman helping us took note of the fact that we were in different sections and stated that she may be able to fix that for us. Miraculously, she was able to change our seating location and we left happy that we would be able to stick together.

Our return journey to the hotel was made in a bumpy little fiat which had been fitted with natural gas power. Our driver, a plump Brazilian man with braces was cheerful enough and in spite of heavy rain and the twisting double backs of the Rio roads saw us safely back to our hotel. We spent a little while eating dinner and preparing for the night's festivities. We called upon the services of our original Uber driver and at 7:23 PM he arrived to take us. 

It took nearly two hours to find an area close to our section of the Sambodromo. We were dropped very near a temporary catwalk which took us into the festival area. Once there we made our way via the posted signs to our section of the Sambodromo. Once through the security metal detector checkpoint, we breathed a sigh of relief. We had made it past more than a few shady characters and muggings at knifepoint we were told are common. So, the relative safety from such an occurrence was a welcomed change. Hearts lightened we found our way to our seats. Less than an hour later the parades began!

As we waited for the performances to begin, people bearing every bizarre outfit imaginable came filing in. One particular favorite of ours was a group wearing off white outfits that had colorful pineapples printed at random directions all over them. Some of them also had bedazzled faces and glitter on them. One particular character of note was an older Brazilian man with blue glittered hair, tall and lanky with a low pouch of a tummy. As the Samba music began (well before the performers started their entrance) our blue-haired character began to dance. Gyrating in ways I was not aware the human body capable of he quickly drew the attention of most, if not all, the people surrounding him. Amid, gleeful cheers he commanded the audience and even earned a free beer from the VIP section above him. It seemed he loved every minute of it and indeed earned every drop of admiration and beer which he received.  As the announcer began to introduce the first Samba school to perform he rejoined the rest of the pineapple brigade to enjoy the show.  

The sheer splendor and magnificence of the costumes, performers, music, and the floats can't be overstated. Beginning at 10:15ish PM it held us in rapture from then until 1:30 AM. I cannot through the medium of writing even attempted to describe all of the marvelous colors and designs. Therefore I will simply refer you to photographs included. At 1:30 AM only the 3rd of 6 schools to perform had completed its performance. It was at this time that we decided to call it a night as the rain, which had been ever-present in one form or another since our arrival in Rio began to return in a heavier manner. 

So, left the dazzling world of performance and light behind us to re-enter the night. After exiting the security area, we passed as quickly and quietly as possible to our prearranged pick up spot by the base of the catwalk we had entered and waited. We waited for much longer than desired or expected but after a half an hour we entered once more the black car by which we had arrived.  At this point, the excitement began to slip away and we found ourselves happy to find our hotel bed waiting for us upon our return. 

- G

February 23 - We awoke quite late, but still in time to catch the tail end of breakfast. After once again consuming a marvelous meal we slipped back to our room for another nap. When we awoke we found the rain still present. 

We had considered taking some time to visit Christ the Redeemer (The Iconic statue of Christ which overlooks Rio de Janeiro) but with the driving rain, we decided it would be unlikely we would be able to see it clearly even standing at its base. Demotivated by the rain, we opted to spend the remaining portion of the day writing and working in our room. 

- G

Why Americans Should Consider Traveling to Ecuador

Ecuador quickly became one of my favorite travel destinations. It has everything to offer: tropical islands with unique wildlife, the Amazon, bustling cities, mountains, volcanoes, glaciers, delicious food, friendly people, vibrant culture, etc. I believe everyone should consider going to Ecuador for a vacation, but it's particularly easy for Americans to go there. Here are five reasons why:

5. Uber is available in the major cities. This one is a perk for all countries that use Uber regularly. If you don't want to deal with figuring out the public transportation system or don't trust taking taxis, you can take Uber. It's usually less than $5 or $6 for a ride up to 20 minutes, and you don't have to tip. If you take an Uber in Ecuador, one person in your group should sit in the front seat. The taxi companies aren't happy about Uber being around, so if someone sits in the front, it just looks like you are carpooling with someone you know. It's safe; we used Uber in Guayaquil and Quito multiple times, and we felt completely safe.

4. In most of the places you'll likely go, a lot of people speak English. If you're working on your Spanish, almost everyone will be happy to let you practice. If they don't speak English, and you try to muster your way through broken Spanish, from my experience, they'll be patient and work on communicating with you until everyone understands what's going on.

3. 9-1-1 is the emergency number. If you ever find yourself in a true emergency, you don't need to think about which number to call.

2. No need to bring outlet converters. The outlets are the same as in the U.S. everywhere in Ecuador. If you were planning a trip to many other English speaking countries, you would need to plan on bringing or buying an outlet adapter for your electronics.

1. The currency is the same. In 2000, Ecuador made the USD its official currency. All of the bills are the same and the coins are a mix of old Ecuadorian change and U.S., but the values are equivalent. This is a massive bonus to people from the U.S. You never have to worry about foreign transaction fees or conversion rates when withdrawing money or trying to remember how much you're paying in your currency.

I've talked with quite a few Americans who are nervous to travel internationally to a country that speaks a different language. In our opinion, Ecuador was actually easier to travel to than the majority of other English speaking countries because of the reasons listed above. I could write on and on and on about all the other reasons I love Ecuador, but that may be for another time. Seriously, if you're from the U.S. and you're looking for a new country to visit, especially if you're nervous to take the leap to go to a non-English speaking country, consider Ecuador.

-T

Hasta Luego, Ecuador

February 20 - We awoke later today, still a little tired from our trip up Cotopaxi, we again enjoyed a full breakfast at the hostel. Then, after packing up our bags and leaving them to be kept with the hostel's owners, we headed off to ascend the Teleforico (or TeleforiQo as they put it). 

Taking an Uber, we arrived at the lift without issue. The exterior of the ticket building displayed a large and beautiful mural and the ride up to the top of the mountain was serine. The top of the mountain offered an astounding view of the sprawling city of Quito which is separated in places by steep mountains and deep valleys. We milled about looking for empanadas for T who had been told there were $0.75 empanadas. Alas, we did not find them and so descended back down the mountain via the cable car. At the bottom of the mountain again, T continued her rigid search for empanadas but without success. We instead resolved to venture to the historic center of Quito.

Once more we called upon Uber. The experience this time was a mixed bag. We were picked up by an older man who requested we also pay the $2.50 toll to exit the Teleforico park. While our previous driver had paid the toll himself, we could see the reason in his request so we opted to give him the $2.50. The toll paid we continued on our way. After chatting pleasantly enough with us, he pulled over on a hilltop stating it was a good view and offering to take photos. We snapped a few photos and were off again. Then our experience took a turn. 

The old man offered to take us to a hilltop with a large angel sculpture for an extra $10.00 (this was an excessive amount for the distance) which we declined. Then rather than taking us to our actual requested destination, the man dropped us off on a side street and told us that we simply needed to walk two blocks to the right to reach our destination. In the man's defense it was a very congested area and truthfully was significantly easier for us to reach on foot. That stated, it was not what we had paid him for, given all potential outcomes it was a minor concern to us and we contented ourselves with wandering around the historic district, T still in search of empanadas.

After a half-hour or so we decided to rely upon the Quito airport lounge to satisfy T's driving desire for empanadas and so returned to claim our bags from the hostel. It was now early in the afternoon, and though our flight was not until 12:15 AM we thought it would be easier to simply wait in comfort at the airport lounge rather than be in a mad scramble to get to the airport later in the day during Quito's rush hour. A 45-minute drive later and we had arrived at the Quito airport. 

Upon preparing to enter the international terminal (boarding passes and passports in hand) we hit an obstacle in the shape of a security guard who disallowed our entry due to the amount of time remaining before our flight and that we would not be able to enter until 7 pm, it was currently 3 pm. So, since starting a mutiny to overthrow the authority of the security guard was not an option, we sat down on a mildly comfortable wooden bench in the waiting area and waited...for three hours. 

It was at this time that the guards changed. Our obstacle was replaced by another security guard who at our second attempt to enter, did not even raise his eyes to give us second glace. So it was that after passing through security and finding the lounge, T was allowed to fully satiate her appetite (as much as it can ever be truly satisfied) at the large buffet within the Quito international lounge. It is worth noting that this lounge was voted the number one lounge in the world in 2019. They earned every vote. It was wonderful. However, T still did not get to enjoy empanadas. As of the writing of this entry, she is still searching for them.

We spent the evening writing and relaxing until the lounge was quite empty aside from ourselves and the staff around 10 pm. Then, as luck would have it, two familiar figures appeared in the doorway of the lounge. The tall lanky frame and the shorter but still slight frame of the American couple we had shared breakfast with before ascending Cotopaxi. The two entered and recognizing each other we cheerfully greeted one another. Happy to see familiar faces in unsuspecting places. Glad of the company, we spent the remaining hour or so before our flight swapping stories and laughing perhaps a little too loud for what is common in an airport lounge. Wishing well in our inevitable parting, we went our separate ways and boarded our flight to Rio de Janeiro.

- G

A New Height

February 19 - Another day trip was planned today, so we woke up early around 6:15. Our meeting spot was the same as when we went to Quilotoa. This time we walked there and we arrived right on time. Today we were going to visit the active volcano, Cotopaxi. Ecuador has 84 volcanoes, 34 of which are active.

Our first stop was about an hour away in a small town near the volcano to eat breakfast. The town only had a few dirt roads. G had pancakes with fruit, yogurt, and granola with some eggs and toast on the side. I had a giant bowl of fruit with yogurt, and plantains with cheese. The group on this trip was more engaging than the one at Quilotoa. We sat at a table with a man from Switzerland who's traveling for a while, a man from Canada, and a couple from the U.S. who spontaneously decided to go to Ecuador 3 days before they left. When we were finished with breakfast, I pet Kita, a fluffy German Shepherd who belongs to the restaurant, then hopped on the bus.

Next, we drove about 30 minutes to a small grocery store just outside of the national park where we bought some cocoa leaves to chew to help with the altitude. Another 15 minutes or so down the road we entered the national park and stopped at a gift shop to buy gloves if we didn't have them. G and I didn't need gloves and the weather was pleasant at Quilotoa so we didn't bring any. Our guide, Gabriel, insisted that the whole group needed them. So, G and I each bought a pair made of alpaca wool for about $5. This turned out to be a good choice. 

The drive up until this point and then the following 45-minute drive to our starting point of the hike was very foggy, so foggy that we couldn't even see any of the volcanoes surrounding us. The higher we ascended, the more intensely the wind howled. Everyone cautiously exited the small tour bus into the cold, wet wind. We were already over 14,500 feet (4,419m) in elevation and we were going to walk up to base camp, which was just under 16,000 feet (4,864m). Since the wind was strong, we had to take the more difficult path with a steeper incline because it's safer during high winds than the other one that's narrower but had less of an incline and more switchbacks. 

We had adjusted more to the elevation than when we hiked at Quilotoa, but the altitude we were reaching today was the highest either one of us had ever been before. Our hike began strong, though it didn't take very long for us to start to slow down. The entire group needed to take frequent breaks. We couldn't see past the edge of the path because the blowing clouds were so dense and we fought off sleet and high winds. I felt overall better than a few days earlier, but toward the top, I started to feel pressure in my chest, fatigue, and according to G, my lips were turning blue. After many breaks and swear words oddly mixed with positive self-talk and encouragement from G, we made it to base camp, where we drank hot chocolate with a couple from Israel who were on their honeymoon, and very much looking forward to their next stop, beaches in Mexico.

20 minutes later we made our descent back to the bus, which was much easier than the ascent, but still proved to be a challenge. The plan was to ride bikes all the way down the volcano, but given the high winds, we had to drive a ways down. Even where we stopped the wind was still violent, but G and I gave biking a shot anyways. My hands were so cold even though I had been wearing gloves that I couldn't brake easily, and the road was extremely bumpy, so I stopped early and took the bus the rest of the way. G braved the conditions, and since he's always warm, even in this weather, his hands didn't cramp when he tried to brake. He wasn't without his own obstacles, though. The chain snapped off his bike about 3/4 of the way to our meeting point, a small lake with a nice view of Cotopaxi. So, he turned his bike into a makeshift scooter/skateboard combo the rest of the way.

When everyone arrived at the lake, the sky began to clear, and the weather was decent. We were fortunate to snap a few good photos of the volcano, then we made our way back to the restaurant where we had breakfast to eat lunch, which consisted of potato soup, and rice with veggies (we had opted to eat vegetarian for multiple meals.) We sat with the man from Switzerland, the man from Canada, and the couple from Israel, and discussed travels and our recent feat. 

After G and I finished eating and socializing, we went outside to pet Kita again, and discovered the restaurant also had a llama named Rafiki! Kita tried to play with Rafiki, but Rafiki wasn't having it, and spit on Kita. I took a glamour shot of Rafiki then we boarded the bus again to head back to Quito.

Over half of the crew was let off at a farm stay located a few minutes from the restaurant, then we continued our drive for about an hour and a half. Everyone else's stop was in the historic district, so G and I were the last to exit the bus. We walked back to our hostel where we stayed for the rest of the evening because the volcano and its elements wore us out.

-T

Mitad del Mundo!

February 17 - If you plan to travel long term, it's important to schedule in some free days so you can do absolutely nothing if you want. We spent the day sleeping in, planning future trips, reviewing logistics, and tried a nearby restaurant.

- T

The yellow line that separates North and South.

February 18 - We awoke just past eight o'clock in the morning to a bright sunny day. It was my birthday and we planned to venture forth and stand in both hemispheres at once!

We moved slow and easy out of our room to catch breakfast in the hostel house. It was a breakfast of eggs, fruit plate, yogurt, and bread. Finishing it off with a cup of coffee was the candle on my cake. We then spent the morning around the hostel enjoying the sunshine. 

Once we had satisfactorily passed much of the morning, we set off to find Mitad del Mundo! (the middle of the world, equator for short). At this point, Quito was becoming a bit more navigable and Carlos had provided us with instructions on which public bus would take us to Mitad del Mundo. So, off we went to find a blue bus on the corner. 

We found the bus, its breaks trumpeted (not unlike the sound of an elephant's trumpet) to a halt before us and we dashed on board. A moment or two later the bus driver's assistant (it is common in other parts of the world) came by to collect the $0.25 cents each for the bus fare. Tricia had asked the bus driver to let us know when we needed to switch buses which turned out to be in our favor. 

We bumped along on the bus through the streets of Quito, taking in the city. It's many stone walls topped with metal spikes or capped with broken bottles and glass shards concreted in place seemed to blend with the various graffiti murals which were occasionally broken up by stupendously beautiful European styled buildings. While lulled into a drowsy state, the bus stopped atop a hill on a busy street, the bus driver's call for us to get off woke us from our daze and without any further instruction, aside from our current driver pointing to the bus directly behind us, we hopped off the bus and proceeded directly to the bus the driver had pointed to. It is at this point, you may recall that we had been given instructions from Carlos. This was nowhere in the instructions.

Naturally, we boarded the bus anyway and were off again a moment later. After a few minutes more, the driver's assistant came by to collect $0.40 cents each. Once again Tricia inquired with the driver regarding our destination which was replied to with a knowing nod from the driver and 30 minutes later our new bus driver shooed us off the bus directly in front of the entrance to Mitad del Mundo. Upon reviewing the instructions from Carlos we found that we had been fortunate enough to somehow skill an entire bus terminal. Well, happy accidents as Bob Ross would say. 

We purchased our tickets for $5.00 each (which felt pretty steep after our bus fare) and entered into the area surrounding the Mitad del Mundo monument. It was an interesting network of shops and restaurants with a church towards the top of the hill facing the monument. It was here that we first noticed the yellow line which indicated the placement of the equator. Following the line up a flight of stairs, we found a large round platform marked with an E to indicate the cardinal direction. 

We paused here to take photos and circle the monument. Among the more impressive aspects of our little expedition was the courtesy with which the visitors treated each other. When traveling, sometimes it's the way people treat each other that hits you more than all the sights and sounds. 

Jetstar the Hemispheres!

After our photos were taken we set off in search of the Chocolate shop. Fortunately, it wasn't far and we enjoyed some of the locally grown and crafted passion fruit filled chocolate along with some fizzy water. After a brief rest, we began to make our way back towards the bus stop. 

The ride back was a bit more of an adventure than our way to Mitad del Mundo. Without many reference points, we ended up at two separate bus terminals and on three buses along the way. The ride was not unpleasant though and if nothing else we were able to see more of the city returning to our hostel right around dinner time. We ate dinner once again at the eclectic Indian restaurant just across from our hostel. Of all the ways I have spent my birthdays, never have I before been so fortunate as to spend one in both hemispheres at once. It was a wonderful way to spend the first day of my thirty-first year.

- G

Quito & Quilotoa.

Quito street art

February 15 - The fifteenth was our first day in Quito, the capital city of Ecuador. We left our hotel in Guayaquil and after a short 35-minute plane ride landed in Quito where we were greeted by Paula (pronounced PawOla). She was, as T put it, a voluptuous woman in her late 40s or early 50s. She knew her business and was about it.

Before long, we stood in front of the tall and narrow gate of our hostel ringing a small buzzer for entry. The latch snapped back and the right door swung slowly and a bit eerily open. Upon entering the gate any notion of concern was dispelled. In front of us stood a tall set of stone stairs lined with flowers, with another more decorative and less formidable gate at the top which was wide open. Still more comforting was the kind smile of the bespectacled Ecuadorian man in a polo who stood at the top of the steps. He quickly introduced himself as Carlos and after a few moments guided us to our room which was behind the large house which was the hostel.

The house itself was quite magnificent, with herringbone wooden floors, thick walls brightly colored in blues and yellows and comfortable colonial-style furniture. It held a wonderful living area where one could sit and next to it was a fine breakfast room which in the mornings was bright and cheerful.

Our room was, as previously mentioned, behind the house itself. After exiting the back of the house with Carlos at the lead, we crossed a small lawn to a row of free-standing rooms connected to each other by bathrooms. Our room was a lovely pink colored chamber with a large window in the front, a built-in armoire, small end table, and of course a bed. We spent the evening settling in and getting our bearings of the surrounding area.

-G

Lake Quilotoa

February 16 - We woke up at 6:15 to head out to the meeting spot for our day tour to the volcanic crater lake, Quilotoa. We were expecting to walk about 10 minutes to our meeting spot but Carlos had arranged for someone to drive us, and we were greeted by a nice man who drove us 8 or so blocks. Once we arrived at the meeting spot, across from a few restaurants, we checked in with our guide, Luis, and settled in our seats on the small tour bus. The majority of the attendees were English speaking, so the entire tour was conducted in English.

Sunday Pujili Market

Our first stop was at a market in Pujili, about an hour and a half outside of Quito, that only takes place on Sundays for locals and indigenous people. Not many tourists know about that market. Outside in the town square, under a few metal awnings, was a bustling market with Ecuadorians selling anything from fresh fruit and veggies to live animals to clothing, etc. The indigenous people wore traditional clothing consisting of colorful ponchos or sweaters, fedora-like hats with a peacock feather for the ladies and colorful buttons or stones on the band of the hats for men, brown or black pants for men and plain colored dresses with lace on the sleeves for women with plain black, leather shoes. Women carried babies around on their backs wrapped in large colorful scarves. In this moment, we really felt immersed in the Ecuadorian culture. Some of the stands had people cooking meals or snacks, and G and I delighted ourselves in a scrumptious snack of fried, mashed green plantain stuffed with cheese and onions. Just when I think Central or South Americans don't have anything else to make with plantains, I'm pleasantly surprised. We finished walking through the market maze as we ate and then made our way back to the bus.

Indigenous Host Family

After a 45 minute drive where we continued to climb in elevation through increasingly arid mountainous landscapes, we arrived at our second stop, an indigenous family's farm. This part of the tour was really fascinating. We learned generations of families live on their 80-hectare farms in different nearby thatched houses. All three generations of that family were present and met us with smiles and hospitality. They had dogs, chickens, geese, sheep, and guinea pigs. It's common to eat guinea pigs in parts of Ecuador (not dogs though, don't worry.) The grandparents let us see their one-room home, which had a dirt floor with guinea pigs on the loose, a raised bed, an area for clothes, and not much else. We had the opportunity to take pictures with them outside. This type of tourism is really good for the indigenous community and allows them more chances to sell some of the goods they make to more tourists as well as share their lifestyle. The family we met has been participating for 10 years.

We said our thank-yous and goodbyes and hit the road for another 45 minutes to a breathtaking canyon, Toachi Canyon, close to Lake Quilotoa. The canyon was about 500 feet (150m) deep, and we were able to walk out to multiple edges. At the foot of one of the edges, stood a proud Ecuadorian flag and a terracotta pot. We snapped some photos and got back on the bus to go to our final destination.

Toachi Canyon

About 30 minutes later, we stopped in the town Quilotoa, known for the lake. We parked in a restaurant parking lot where we would later have lunch and walked about 10 minutes to the overlook of the magnificent emerald lake surrounded by jagged volcanic walls.

Now, we had just arrived in Quito the previous day from Guayaquil which is basically at sea level. Quito is the second highest capital in the world, sitting at 9,350 feet (2,850m). Quilotoa is even higher, sitting at 12,850 feet (3,914m). G and I decided it was a good idea to descend 1,312 feet (400m) to the lake and climb back up the more or less vertical, dusty path without being fully acclimated. The way down was a challenge to remain steady due to all the slippery dirt and dust on the steep incline. The way back up, however, had many other challenges. After about 20 steps I would get light-headed, become short of breath even though I took my inhaler, and my muscles felt like they were giving out. We've gone on many hikes before, including climbing mountains, but I learned my lesson as to why acclimatizing is so important. Every 50-100 feet (15-30m) we would stop so I, and sometimes G, could catch my breath. Donkeys were available to take you back up, but I wasn't about that even though their handlers tried to persuade me (the donkeys did not seem to be abused or too hungry or thirsty). I was determined to make it. Halfway up we drank some water and ate a snack. After every rest, I felt great and full of energy until I had to stop again less than 5 minutes later. Eventually, after many breaks and dodging donkeys, and lots encouragement from G and positive self-talk, we made it back to the top where we walked back to the restaurant with our guide.

Only one other person in our group aside from the guide made the trek. We enjoyed a lunch of rice, veggies, soup, fruit, and juice, and socialized with the other travelers. After about 30 minutes we all piled back into the bus and began our journey back to Quito, which took about 3 hours.

After we were dropped off, we walked back to our hostel, cleaned up, then since we earned a big meal, we tried the Indian restaurant down the street, which was really tasty. By this time, it was pretty late, so we returned to the hostel and relaxed.

-T

Valentine’s Day in Guayaquil, Ecuador

View from the top of the lighthouse on Cerro Santa Ana.

Valentine's Day - Our plans to wake up early were disrupted by the lull of heavy rain on our window, so we slept in until about 10:30. Today was our only full day in Guayaquil, and we had decided on checking out Cerro Santa Ana (Santa Ana Hill) and Malecon 2000 based on suggestions from locals. 

We got ready for the day and before we left, our hotel gave us lovely red roses. We ventured out around 11:30 after the rain subsided, taking our first international Uber. I've gotta say, Ubers in Guayaquil are very easy to use and inexpensive. Our 15-minute ride cost us $5, and we chose the comfort option. You can easily take Ubers for $2-3, and tips aren't requested. I wouldn't recommend foreigners take the local transit in Guayaquil. Every bus we saw was crammed full, no matter what time of day it was. All the seats were taken and the aisles were overflowing with people.

Our Uber driver dropped us off right next to both Malecon 2000 and Cerro Santa Ana. Malecon 2000 didn't look like our cup of tea, so we chose to only explore Cerro Santa Ana. If you enjoy shopping and county fair-esque carnival rides, then Malecon 2000 is for you; however, we're trying to travel for the full year, so we're not interested in shopping and spending extra money.

Standing at the base of the Cerro Santa Ana stone staircase aligned with colorful, straight-lined buildings, we could tell we had a long way to go up. Within less than 5 minutes, we were both sweating, not because of the stairs, but because of the heat and humidity. It was about 90 degrees Fahrenheit with 80% humidity. I'm used to being cold most of the time, so I struggle with the heat more than G. He's almost always warm, so this felt typical to him. 

Not long after beginning our ascent, we noticed the stairs were numbered. This helped guide us to the right place because there were multiple places where you could choose which direction to go, sometimes with more staircases. Other directions would take you to different corridors of the neighborhood.

About halfway up, stair number 200 something, we decided to hydrate with some Powerade we bought at a shop. When we were close to the top of the hill, we became distracted by an outdoor naval museum. There were quite a few old canons, remnants of old ships, a mosaic mote, and a pirate bar. We found a spiral staircase in one of the ships that took us to the very top of the hill, so at that point, we didn't know how many stairs there were.

The walk up was worth it. A blue and white striped lighthouse, a pale yellow, small, old fashioned Spanish style church, and a park area were waiting for us. We walked around the park, finished our Powerade, walked in the quaint church, then made our way to the lighthouse where we were able to climb to the top, which offered a spectacular view of all of Guayaquil, including the colorful Santa Ana neighborhood. We took in the views for a while, then decided it was time to go, as we were still sweating.

We made our way down the hill, descending from the steps, learning there were 444 of them. Back at the base of the hill, we were waiting for our next Uber, where a cute gray and white, green-eyed, street cat wanted to be my friend. I wanted to be its friend too, but I also don't want fleas, so at the plea of G, I didn't pet it. It waited with us for our ride though.

Our Uber driver found us, thanks to Google translate which helped us specify our location for him. When we made it back to the hotel, we decided to check out a nearby Colombian restaurant, in hopes of finding Colombian empanadas (if you've eaten them before, you understand. For those of you who haven't had the opportunity, Colombian empanadas are pure golden crispiness on the outside with a cooked delicious inside with choices of cheese and potatoes, meat, meat and potatoes, etc.). We were successful! After eating a late lunch with a side of empanadas, we went back to the hotel and drank some coffee.

After the caffeine kicked in, we spent quite a bit of time planning more of our trip and working on our social media, having a quiet evening at the air-conditioned hotel.

-T

First stop, The Galapagos.

February 10 - We began our journey from Austin, TX. On a rainy afternoon the plane whisked us away and, after a brief stop in Fort Lauderdale, took us to Guayaquil, Ecuador. Arriving around midnight, we had resolved to spend the night there dozing only a little in a secluded waiting area. 

February 11 - Around 6 am things livened up and we went to check into our flight to the Galapagos. There is a common misconception that people can only get to the Galapagos via cruise, we happily busted that myth. There are daily direct flights from Quito and Guayaquil. It is important, however, to be aware of a few things when going to the Galapagos.

First, before you can even get on the plane, you must pass a brief Biosecurity screening at the airport. They have disallowed plastic straws, bags, styrofoam food containers, and plastic single-use bottles to further preserve the environment. They will also check your luggage items during this part of the process. Once passed, you will pay $20.00 (Ecuador uses USD as their currency) per person as a conservation fee. 

Second, once you have passed security, flown, and landed you walk out on the tarmac of the airport to be greeted with another sort of customs for entry. Here they will check that you have the conservation fee paperwork and charge you $100.00 for entrance to the National Parks of Galapagos. 

Third, they will also ask you if you have a ticket for the bus, this ran us $5.00 each but is the best option to transfer you to the ferry. The ferries are small but will take you safely to the main island of Santa Cruz. From there, for an additional $5.00, you can take a bus to the main town of Puerto Ayora where pretty much everything is walking distance. Alternatively, you could take a taxi but they normally run $25.00 - $35.00. We went with the $5.00 option. 

Once we had arrived in Puerto Ayora there was the initial task of orienting ourselves. We managed with the help of Google Maps to find our Hostel a mere 3 blocks away and upon check-in at Galapagos Dreams found there was a research center for the tortoises. So naturally, we dropped our bags in our room and went to investigate. On the way to the tortoises, we found a neat little ceramic garden that stretched its way from the main road to the little bay of Puerto Ayora. It was a fun amalgamation of old broken tiles and dishes, bespeckled with the remnants of mirrors to create a beautiful kaleidoscope of eccentricity. We stopped there for a little while to drink in the details then pressed on to find the research center. 

At the end of a windy road, we found the Tortuga way, a path that split off to the left. Surrounded by the astoundingly large cactus trees that look like a combination of a pine tree trunk topped with prickly pear cacti, we made our way ever closer to our first contact. Then off the right, there they were, baby tortoises. Each bearing a pink number on the back of their shells, it was obvious we had made it to the research center. These little guys were truly being cared for before they even came out of the shell. A short distance later we found the adult tortoises. They were impressive and seemed to enjoy the attention. The last tortoise we saw for the day was named Super Diego. We learned from a nearby guide that the reason he was so named was due to his having done his part to restore the tortoise population. Diego had been responsible for bringing over 800 little tortoises into the world. They had originally found him on Espanola Island and would be soon returning him there for his retirement. We felt fortunate to have gotten the chance to see the giant tortoise as we walked away from the research center, but before we could fully exit the center we had another surprise in store.

Marine Iguanas, with their salt crested heads, lay bathing in the fading sunlight as we happened to pass by them and as way leads to way, we found that further down a nearby pier one could observe the dance of the waves and bright red crabs. For the second time that day, we paused to drink in the moment. Then our reverie was disturbed by the low growl of our stomachs. So, beckoned by hunger we returned to our Hostel. 

Jonathan, our host, met us at the doorway and made an excellent suggestion for our dinner, El Giardino. We walked there, enjoyed a wonderful dinner and returned to our Hostel to call it an early night.   

February 12 - We woke at 6:30 to catch breakfast before our tour. Upon arriving in the dining area, we learned that despite the time displayed on our phones, the Galapagos is an hour behind, we had awoken at 5:30 in the morning for nothing. Shucks, but fortunately, the upside was plenty of time to prepare for our day and we were the first to eat breakfast. 

After breakfast, we hopped on a bus which after collecting a few other passengers took us back to where we had made our original crossing by ferry to the Island of Santa Cruz. Once there, we jumped into a small boat that took us out to a larger, though still smallish boat. At around 20 people including the crew, it was a full ship. It took us to North Seymour Island. Upon the Island, we found most of what comes to mind when people think about the Galapagos (aside from Charles Darwin, he was nowhere to be found). We found the well known Blue Footed Boobie bird (a funny name for a bird), Great Frigate birds (they have green plumage on their backs), Magnificant Frigate birds (highly similar in appearance except they carry purple plumage on their backs), and large land Iguanas (one of which was named Leonardo after Leonardo DiCaprio). After about an hour, we returned to the boat and headed off to Mosquera to snorkel with sea lions.

Once at Mosquera we quickly plopped into the water snorkel gear at the ready and began searching for the sea lions. Initially, we found only schools of fish which though tropical and beautifully colored did not satisfy our desire to swim with the playful dogs of the sea (as T calls them). As we drew closer to the white sand of the beach they found us. Twisting happily around in the warm shallows, they were magnificent. They made a game of tugging at each other's back flippers and chased each other to and frow. T soon found that she was invited to join in the game when a smaller chap bit onto the rubber of her right flipper and began tugging on it. While surprised, T greatly enjoyed the brief game of tug a fin and rose from the water positively glowing with joy. (Check out some of the footage at https://youtu.be/yvs7zqUimSY )

We stayed with the sea lions a little longer and walked around Mosquera which turned out to be little more than a large lazy white dune that had formed up next to a few rocks which poked out from the sea. Then, once again our tummies growling, we swam back to the ship. We were then fed lunch and returned safely back to Santa Cruz to spend the evening at our Hostel. 

February 13 - We awoke to our alarm and strange Latin music playing somewhere in the distance. Luck was with us for as I picked up my phone, I noticed an alert from Google assistant informing me that my flight for today had been canceled. My trusty Motorola G7, altogether a solid phone, and Google Fi had not let me down, for even though I had not received any notice of the cancellation in my email from the airline further investigation led us to discover that ALL flights from our current airline had been canceled for the day. That's when T snapped into action, every part of her analytical mind was laser-focused on getting us to Guayaquil today. Experience has taught me that when she goes full analyzer crisis mode, it is generally best for me to let her run with it and simply nudge her gently back towards the vital portion of our goal should she get lost in the details of her analysis or simply give her reassurance should she become overwhelmed. 

So, after a rushed breakfast perforated with phone calls to the airlines, our credit card company, and their travel concierge, who offered us a flight for $800.00 (which was ridiculous) T resolved to simply book a new flight with a separate airline. She discovered a flight that allegedly only had one cheap seat left and multiple expensive seats, so she booked the cheap seat, then when she returned to the airline's website they still had one cheap seat left. She then booked this seat as well and we were back on track for $370.00 which, with the return of the points we originally used to book the flight put us right at even. A word of caution, while we were fortunate this little trick worked out in our favor I wouldn't under normal circumstance recommend it.  

With our first major hiccup successfully sidestepped, we jumped into a truck which we had booked to take us to the ferry and a few fun stops along the way. Alex, our driver, spoke very little English which allowed us to practice our Spanish skills. With the assistance of Google translate, to fill in the expressions we struggled with, we had a pleasant conversation. We sped along the highway and then through a natural tree tunneled road towards our first stop, lava tubes and wild giant tortoises. The Lava tubes were a nice cool break from the heat of the day. They were neatly lit and easy to navigate.  After a short walk, we emerged back into the bright green leaves and sweltering sun. The tortoises had found a variety of effective methods to cool themselves. Some hid in the deep shade of the trees, others played in the mud, but the majority had congregated in a small shallow pond with only their nostrils, eyes, and great shells popping up out of the water. 

After enjoying these sightings, we hopped back into the truck with Alex and left for our next stop, the twin craters. The twin craters are, unsurprisingly, exactly what they sound like. Two massive craters, one smaller and deeper 70 meters (about 230 feet) in its depth, and a much broader and shallower one around 50 meters (164 feet) in its depth. We were, however, in a bit of a time pinch, so necessity dictated that we forgo our usual curiosities and return to the truck. After a brief truck, ferry, and bus ride we found ourselves again at the Galapagos airport. As we stood in line to collect our newly purchased tickets, we could see our fellow travelers who had not been so fortunate standing in line for the airline which had canceled all of their flights out of the Galapagos for the day. Earlier we had learned the soonest that the airline could get passengers out would be in four days. We couldn't help but feel sympathy towards them as we have stood in such a line in the past. 

We both breathed a sigh of relief once we had boarded the plane without any further issues. Our new flight was not without pleasant surprises. During our layover, in the Quito Domestic terminal, we found the VIP lounge which was phenomenal. If you're in the market for a great travel card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card grants you the additional benefit of a priority lounge pass among other general travel benefits. We enjoyed a fine dinner of fried plantains, ceviche, and seafood paella. With a little coffee to boost us we hopped on our connecting flight to Guayaquil and after a 35 minute flight, we landed safely and caught a ride with our hotel's pick up service to our accommodation. Happy and full we spent the rest of the evening reviewing our photos and laughing over various details of our trip, especially the photos of the sea lion which played tug o' fin. Our stay in the Galapagos had been brief, perhaps too brief, but the time we did spend there will be warmly remembered for years to come.  

-G

The Decision to Go

February 8, 2020

Travel is a passion for G and I. We’ve been together since high school, well over a decade, and one of the only things to stand the test of time for us both is the love of travel and new experiences. We thought so much more would be certain entering our 30’s, but the reality is, we’re 100% certain we want to see and experience as much as we can while we can.

I majored in Psychology and French in college, originally wanting to become a Child Psychologist who helped children overcome trauma. After finishing my Bachelor’s degrees, I worked with at risk youth for a little over a year, where I realized I would need to make a career change in order to meet our financial goals. G had worked at a wonderful brokerage firm for a couple years and he thought I’d really like it there, so, I gave it a shot.

We paid off our student loans in less than two years, began investing for ourselves, and redefined our future. I had never imagined I would be successful in a corporate setting, let alone in finance; but, I thrived in that environment. I realized I had a high need to learn and develop new skills, and I learned one of the best ways to help other people was to educate and empower them with their money, so my new career had a meaningful purpose.

Year after year, we prioritized travelling somewhere new; and, year after year, we weren’t ready to settle down like we thought we would be. We observed friends and family around our ages buy houses, get pets, have children, but we weren’t ready for any of that like we had planned on. We were happy for those close to us who had began to settle down, yet we just weren’t there, and I can’t stress enough that both are okay and neither are wrong. Our timeline isn’t meant to be the same as someone else’s.

Even though we prioritized travelling somewhere new every year, there were still countless places we wanted to go, and after numerous discussions, we decided the only way to see the majority of places we want to see is to make it the priority for a while. So, we began planning this journey about a year ago, and deciding it in the first place and sticking with this decision have not been easy.

Our employer is likely going to be bought out. We care deeply for the company and the people in it. Had we found this out prior to our planning, we may have waited, but we already had a few months of our adventure booked, and we weren’t in a place where we could cancel.

Then, less than a couple months after that announcement came out, G’s father passed away unexpectedly. Many doubts arose as to if leaving was the right thing or not. We wanted to be there for our family. Our family was supportive with our plans, and we knew G’s father wouldn’t want us to bail on this once in a lifetime opportunity. Plus, one of our top reasons for wanting to go now is we aren’t promised tomorrow, and we don’t know what life after retirement will look like. We only know what we have today.

So, here we are, and we choose to look forward to where we hope to be tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. Thank you for joining us on our journey. We hope it will be enlightening for all of us.

-T