Blogs from South America - page 5249

Hello from Santo Domingo, Ecuador’s largest town without any particular attractions, apart from speedy internet access and Supermaxi (Ecuador’s equivalent of Tesco, and surprisingly similar). Ecuador is such a country of contrasts that it wouldn’t be complete without somewhere that can only boast vistas of half-finished concrete houses, pot-hole ridden roads, streets teeming with people and cars, and the odd lonely palm tree feeling sorry for himself on a street corner. In fact, there’s not a cloud forest, rainforest, volcano or beach in sight, which means there’s a distinct lack of tourists here. If you want to see the everyday goings on of an average Ecuadorian town, without gringo ‘attractions’ this is the place to be. You too can sit for hours in a chair on the pavement and chat with the friendly locals that pass ... read more

Just a few photos from rafting in Mendoza... not alot of need for description!! ... read more

Here are some pictures from over the past couple of weeks.... I will update the writing when I have time!! In Cuzco now, all set to do the Inca Trail on Tuesday.... read more

It was one of the most wonderful trips I have taken so far, the most difficult hike, part of it because I was not in a very good shape. But otherwise also a very fun trip. If I get a chance, I would definately do this again, but its a short life and that is not going to happen. But I am not going to write a lot here. I wrote my diary while on the trip, something new I tried. And memories are fading now, names are slipping. So here are some anecdotes. The hostel where we stayed in Cusco : Samay Wasi http://www.samaywasiperu.com/ I picked this hotel because the name was very Indian, time resident or something like that. The hostel was ok, no complains, nothing special also. Though the bed was really small, ... read more

He stopped like a bird dog on the prowl. His left leg frozen in a bent, half-way-there position. His ears perked and his head cocked slightly to the side. We had learned after days of following him though the jungle that whatever movement he made, we were to do the same, and so, we froze. For three days we followed our fearless Amazon leader, Orlando, like children playing a game of “Follow the Leader”. If one of us failed to do as Orlando, we were in a very grown-up way, considered to be “out”…out of luck that is. We followed this stranger as if we had known and trusted him for years, fully aware that if he were to leave our side, we would be lost for a long, long, time. Knowing what we wanted to ... read more