Page 3 of Firefly Travel Blog Posts



Hello all, and apologies for taking so long to post this. I´ll recap a bit, with La Paz, a city beyond the description of words, so i´ll let the pics do the talking. After a day delay, I took a tiny plane to Rurrenebaque, in the Bolivian jungle for a 3 day tour of the pampas. Highlights included crocodile spotting by canoe at night, pirahna fishing, and swimming with pink river dolpins (along with the pirahna and the crocs!). Got to see capybaras in the wild, which was so cool, after seeing them in cages at Amazoonico. Got ravaged by mosquitos and bed bugs! Onward to Villa Tunari, a completely unispiring spot, home to Inti Wari Yassi, the animal sanctuary i was to be at for a month. Where to begin?? The first hostal i stayed ... read more
La Paz
La Paz
La Paz


Hey folks, just a quick update to my awesome fan base! I am at Inta Wari Yassi, an animal sanctuary in the Bolivian jungle. I got my wish and am working with monkeys- cappuchins, to be exact. As usual, the animals are great, it´s the humans that i am having trouble relating to. maybe i should´ve been born another species? We all stay at different hostals, and my first hostal was much more like a refugee camp for prisoner´s of war than a hotel, so i upgraded to another. We aren´t allowed to bring a camera for the first week, so i will post a proper blog next week. If you want to check out the organization, this is their website. http://www.intiwarayassi.org/home_eng.shtml Love to all, and usual , thanks for the comments. Holly and monster, thanks ... read more

South America » Peru » Puno October 25th 2006

So i spent the last week or so around Lake Titicaca. Copacabana, on the Bolivia side was a really nice place where I got to splash out in some luxury. Altho recommended, i found the Isla del Sol tour to be quite a waste of money. But i also took a 2 day island tour on the Peru side, from Puno, which i loved. We saw the reed islands, which is like nothing else i´ve ever seen - people living on these islands made of reeds. Then onto Isla Amanti, where we stayed with a family. The house was built of mud clay, wooden or concrete floors, a kitchen table made of a slab of rock. It was like something out of the year 1500 how these people lived. No electricity or running water, the older ... read more
Uros Floating Islands
Uros Islands, Peru
Uros Islands, Peru

South America » Peru » Cusco » Machu Picchu October 21st 2006

I am gonna let the pictures do most of the talking on this one. Cusco I found to be quite the shopper paradise- lots of textiles. I fell in love with this one type of scarf, as you will see from the pictures. Took a tour through the Sacred Valley, visiting the cute town of Ollyantaytambo before ending up at Aquas Calientes, at the base of Macchu Picchu. Had no idea i would love Aquas. Towering forested mountains with a river flowing through. I see a pattern here. Give me warm, humid, rainforest mountains and a river, and i am in heaven! Cute place and great vibe, except for the insane prices to be expected. And then onto Macchu Picchu, where i climbed up at 5 am in time to see the mist disappating to that ... read more
Cusco
Cusco
Cusco

South America » Peru » Lima October 12th 2006

So we last left our little gypsy happily in Lima. The 2nd day there, i watched the changing of the guard in the plaza de armas. Way cool! Then revisited some plazas and discovered China town, took a tour of an old cathedral, and dipped in for a few minutes to watch the mass. Another delightful day. Day 3 caught up to me tho. Caught the bus to Miraflores to revisit the American shops and Starbucks. Couldn't help but end up at Chillis where the nachos delivered me my 2nd bought of food poisoning. Couldn't believe it! Up all night with bowel drama, i had to stay yet a 4th day in Lima. By 3pm the next day, still feeling wretched, i schlepped to the pharmacy where you can get drugs sans prescription here! A nice ... read more
Lima
Lima
Lima

South America » Peru » Ancash » Huaraz October 2nd 2006

So after 2 weeks at Amazoonico, carrying ridiculously heavy buckets of food and fruit on my back and being dirtier than you can imagine, i headed to Vilcabamba, Ecuador, on my way south to Peru. I had planned to spend one night in Vilcabamba and then move on. 3 days later, i was still there. Not like i even liked Vilcabamba much. nothing much there. But, can we say SPA? dear god, the hostal had a SAUNA!, jacuzzi, steam room, pool, hammocks and a cute manager who walked around topless- bonus! . And the best yet, there was a massuese down the road who charged $8 for a massage!!!!!! I realized there is a huge difference between vaccationing and backpacking-traveling, the first being relaxing, the 2nd being anything but. I also realized in 3 months of ... read more
Artwork at my hostal
Vilcabamba, Ecuador
Vilcabamba, Ecuador

South America » Ecuador » East » Tena September 19th 2006

So i finished up my time at Amazoonico. I liked it so much that i will try to come back at the end of my trip. Spent my birthday lying in a hammock listening to an Amazonian rainstorm. the best. The experience really defies explanation, so i will just note a few entries from my journal to let you soak it up with me. 9-11-06 Love it here. The work is hard, my knees hurt from carrying the weight of heavy buckets and fruit on my back, the itching from the sandflies is enough to drive anyone mad, but after work and on days off, i just love it here- lying in a hammock, swimming in the river, bathing in the waterfall, hanging out by candelight around the dinner table- perfect! At night you can almost ... read more
Sunset
Sunset
Blue and yellow macaw

South America » Ecuador » East » Tena September 7th 2006

Hey folks, thanks for the comments! So i wrapped up my shivering and my Spanish lessons in Cuenca, and sadly said goodbye to my teacher. Caught a bus to Macas, and once again was just mesmerized by amazing scenery. Lush green, towering mountains, waterfalls, clouds at eye level. the first 6 out of a 9 hour bus ride flew by! Macas was a hole, as was Puyo, so i quickly headed up to Tena, the base for my last volunteer experience, to revel in the heat. From Tena, i took an hour long bus ride and then a 10 minute canoe ride to Amazoonica, an animal sanctuary in the Amazon jungle, run by a swiss lady and her Ecuadorian husband. As i stepped out of the canoe, a monkey greeted me! whooaaah! Turns out, our volunteer ... read more
Cuenca
Family #1 Cuenca
Janeta

South America » Ecuador » South » Cuenca August 24th 2006

So i am in Cuenca, Ecuador now. have been taking Spanish lessons since last tuesday. I was liberated with a clean bill of health on Friday the 11th of August, and hopped immediately on a bus south. Ended up in Banos, where i had planned to stay 2 weeks to study Spanish. i hadn´t booked a hostal ahead because i was told there were plenty. So i arrived in Banos with a few recommendations, my guide book and a very heavy pack. I was turned away by no less than 7 hostals, who refused to rent me a room because i was traveling solo (backpacker hostels, no less!). well, EXCUUUUUEUUUUUSE me for being alone in this world!!! As if i travel alone by choice! (make a mental note, next time i go the store, pick up ... read more
Banos
Banos
Banos

South America » Venezuela » Capital » Caracas August 9th 2006

Well, the truth is, i didn´t want to worry anyone, but for the last 3 weeks, my life has been wrapped up in a medical issue. A year ago i had an abnormal mammogram that the doctors have been watching. On May 30, two weeks before my plane left for SA, i had another mammo. the previous condition was unchanged, but there was an additional nodule. Biopsy recommended. (yes, i know mom and dad, you are going to kill me). Being the lovely inhuman, complicated medical system we have in the USA, they told me they couldn´t possible get one in within the remaining 14 days. unbelievable, no? By the way, that´s UCLA. they suck. So had a huge decision on my hands. I,d already booked a non-refundable plane tik, which i´d already spent $350 on ... read more
Caracas, Venezuela
Caracas, Venezuela
Illiane, my guardian angel




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