http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Brendan H/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Brendan H en-us Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:29:55 UTC Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:29:55 UTC Current LocationBanos EcuadorHere are a few pictures of Banos and the surrounding valley. http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Banos/blog-237166.html Current Location Banos Ecuador3.5 US got me onto a comfortable four hour bus ride from Quito to the Gateway to the Amazon Banos. I was warned in Quito to not expect much from Banos these days to expect that it would be an abandoned outpost sitting directly in the path of near by Tungurahua Volcano. very active these daysreally only a matter of time before it blows But despite the warning http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Banos/blog-236846.html Current Location Quito EcuadorYesterday I and several friends that I met here in Quito made the hour trip to La Mitad del Mundo the middle of the world. Its been said that everyone who comes to Ecuador makes the trip to the equator and I believe it. I havent seen so many gringos in one place since stepping onto the plance in Houston. It is a complete tourist trap an entire town devoted co http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/North/Mitad-del-Mundo/blog-234957.html Current Location Cuenca EcuadorHey brendan no longer in Montanita because of health problems with my dad. Headed to canada back at the end of the month. Sorry about the change open invitation when ever your bac in Mont. This is the message I found on the bullitin board outside the Montazuma hostel in Montanitas where I was going to be working for the next month. Put there by Cole the Engli http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/South/Cuenca/blog-233732.html As hard as it was to leave Huanchaco and believe me it was hard I had to go. It was time. I was missing the traveling. For what ever reason I was even missing the long cramped hot bus rides. My feet were itching for some new ground and my eyes were becoming bored of the daily sites of nothing but sand and surf. Although every nowandagain rejuvinated by a passing chica Living on the beach http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/blog-232883.html Current Location Still in Huanchaco Peru. And getting harder to leave every day. Im now here until new years day at which point I will be forced to make the dash for Ecuador.Ive been doing a lot of reading the past few weeks. The selection is limited but constantly changes as travelers bring in new books and take out the old. Mostly the books have been painfullydull forgettable mystery nov http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Peru/La-Libertad/Huanchaco/blog-230873.html Current Location Huanchaco Beach 15km outside Trujillo PeruIf there has been one citytown in Peru that I have really fallen in love with it would have to be Huanchaco Beach. So far my travels have taken me to many places but as of yet I have not come across a more enjoyable and friendly community. And the weather is hard to beat The past few days have been all sunshine. It is actually get http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Peru/La-Libertad/Huanchaco/blog-229157.html Current Location Trujillo PeruThe Colca Cross in Colca Canyon is the best spot in Peru to view and photo the great Andean Condor. That is unless you happened to arrive on the day that I was in the Canyon and all of the condors seemed to be missing.Our group scanned the canyon for atleast two hours to no avail. There was a little excitment when someone thought they saw a small spec miles away http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Peru/Arequipa/blog-227825.html I know I have been a little slow on putting up pictures it can be tough to find an adequate connection. Here are a few from Copacabana La Paz and Arequipa. A short update. President Evo Morales of Bolivia is working to redraft Bolivias constitution so that it would allow for presidential candidates to be reelected indefinitely. Protests and riots have been ongoing throughout the country fo http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Bolivia/blog-225678.html Ive made it. Im in Bolivia.I crossed the boarder a few days ago into the town of Copacabana which sits nestled on the shore of Lake Titicaca. Its whitewashed walls and bustling market are backdropped by one of the most amazing lakes I have ever seen. Lake Titicaca is VAST. It is the highest navigable lake in the world and standing on its shore I could only just make out the distant mountains http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/La-Paz/blog-224277.html Current Location Cusco Peru. Soon to be Puno PeruIts hard to put into words what Machu Picchu is like so I will simply say that it is astonishing. Even with seeing it on virtually every Peru travelmag cover ever made I still was not prepared for the awesomeness of the site. After exploring the ruins and climbing Huaynapicchu it struck me that the crumbling buildings and the terraces are not http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/blog-222822.html Current Location Cusco PeruMy time in Huaraz went by much faster than I would have liked. I was only in the city a day before I found my self drinking beer with a local trekking guide Edgar planning out a hurried two day trek through the Ishinca Valley with the ultimate goal of summiting Mt. Urus. Urus stands at just under 17800 ft and while it is not considered a technical climb Edgar was q http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Peru/Cusco/Cusco/blog-220697.html Current Location HuarazThe last few days have been to say the least absolutly miserable. After leaving Huanchaco beach I headed into Trujillo with a couple of guys from Sweden Ireland Cant remember exactly where. The beach had left us all sunburned and had somehow filled my backpack with about a pound of sand weird considering it had never left the safety of the hostel. Huanchaco was great b http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Peru/blog-219299.html Current Location Trujillo Huanchaco PeruHuanchaco is a small fishing village just to the north of Trujillo famous for its reed boats Caballitos de Tortora which local fishermen still use to help bring in their catches. I really ended up in Huanchaco by chance. Four days ago while still in Montanita Ecuador I met up with an Irish bloke and together we set off on a mad three day bustaxi http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/West/Montanita/blog-217501.html Still havent been able to upload any pictures onto my site I will try again when I next have a fast internet connection. Its pretty slow here on the coast.In the span of four days I have found my way from Quito to Manta and then to the town of Mantanita about 90 miles farther South. This place is amazing. Accept for the weather it has been cloudy and cold so far this small town has everythin http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/blog-215882.html For the past month I have been in the Amazon jungle and out of range of the internet for any of you who have been wondering about my long absense. I actually arrived back in Quito more than a week ago but for the past six days I have been bed ridden in the State hospital of Quito. It seems that during my time in the jungle I contacted a fairly serious infection in the heel of my right foot comp http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/blog-214762.html Today is my third full day in Quito and I am alreadybeginning to get itchy feet for a change of scenery. Luckily I have been assured by Jascivan that by Tuesday I will be in an entirely new world. I will be leaving Quito monday on a redeye four hour bus ride to the city of Coca. From all that I have heard about Coca it is not a very nice place to spend your time. Its economy is entirely based a http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-204870.html Its finally hear. Tomorrow I head down to Ecuador and the Amazon rain forest. For the next two months I will be working with an organization called tropiceco mapping out an area of land for conservation. The project will be in cooperation with the local Huaorani tribe so that both the ecolodge and the tribe can benefit from the land.I will be in Quito until Mondaywhere I will meet up with the http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/blog-203785.html