Blog - Go Backpacking

Exploring Kandy, Sri Lanka

Situated in the central part of the island, surrounded by rolling green foothills is Kandy, the ancient royal capital of Sri Lanka.

Kandy is considered one of Sri Lanka's major tourist areas with plenty of attractions, great scenery and cooler temperatures than Colombo.

The center of Kandy is pleasant, a neatly laid out town of colonial buildings, shops, and delicious restaurants.

The bus station is just a short 10-minute walk from downtown and you can get most places by foot, local bus or rickshaw.

One of Kandy's biggest draws for both local Sri Lankan's and foreigners is the Temple of the Tooth, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The story of the tooth relic is extremely complex and after reading the story a few times, I still don't begin to fully understand.

The temple is believed to house a tooth of the Buddha - but it's not that easy.

Over the years the tooth has passed through many hands, been fought over and been crushed.

Some believe the tooth is authentic, while others believe the tooth may not really be from Buddha at all.

Despite the story of the drama behind the tooth, this temple in Kandy is one of the most visited attractions in town.

I had a great time visiting the local Kandy market.

There was an abundance of delicious fresh fruit, vegetables, fish and piles of fragrant spices.

The action and the sensory excitement of the market was fantastic.

I purchased a few bags of spices and a bunch of tasty wood apples (a very popular and stinky fruit in Sri Lanka)!

In the afternoon when the sun dies down, it's a great little physical work out to climb to the top of the Bahiravokanda Vihara Buddha statue situated on top of the hill to have a look around and enjoy the gorgeous panoramic view of Kandy.

One of the coolest things about the statue is that you can actually climb the staircase going up the Buddha's back for an even better view of the city!

Kandy has plenty of dining options and no trip would be the same without a few meals of scrumptious Sri Lankan food.

Anywhere I travel, if I happen to notice a big crowd of locals waiting for food, I get in line - no matter how full or hungry I may be.

Walking around one day in Kandy, I noticed an excited crowd standing while eating ice cream cones and snacks.

I didn't know at the time, but it was Kandy's vegetarian soy center.

I ordered something that looked exactly like a burrito, really a Sri Lankan roti protein.

It was insanely delicious - I could honestly not believe that it wasn't Mexican pork chorizo and eggs - but it was vegetarian!

Kandy Lake is one of the more iconic landmarks of the city.

The front face of the lake borders the central part of town and if you choose to walk around the lake, you'll pass the Temple of the Tooth and eventually come to the Kandy tourism art center that host's daily cultural dance performances.

In the evenings, a number of vendors or mobile souvenir sellers set up around the lake and you may also see an occasional cobra snake charmer.

Though I ran out of time without getting to visit the Royal Botanical Gardens, many Sri Lankan's told me that I missed out.

So if you visit Kandy, I'm sure the botanical gardens are a wonderful attraction as well.

Traveling in Sri Lanka is an incredible experience, and Kandy is a lovely town to visit as well as a great central jumping off point to travel to other destinations around the island.

5 Outdoor Things To Do in Myrtle Beach

Located in South Carolina on the East Coast of the United States, the small town of Myrtle Beach is a huge American vacation destination. Whether a family with kids or a party-goer with friends, you'll have a blast spending time at Myrtle Beach.

Grand Strand, Myrtle Beach (photo: Curtis and Eric)

Here are five fun outdoor activities for those seeking to enjoy the gorgeous weather and mild temperatures!

Myrtle Beach Attractions

1. Go Horseback Riding

One of the most entertaining ways to tour Myrtle Beach is from the back of a horse. The horses are well-trained, so you don't need any riding experience. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

The trail leads through the nearby forest and onto the beach, where you can direct your horse to the ocean for a splash in the waves. Exploring Myrtle Beach by horseback is an activity the entire family will love.

2. Play Golf

Playing golf at Myrtle Beach (photo: bradleypjohnson)

Myrtle Beach is one of the most well-known golfing destinations in the United States. There are so many Myrtle Beach golf courses to choose from that you'll want to research before getting there.

Be sure to think about the criteria of the course you choose. Are you looking for beautiful scenery? For a challenge? Or do you want to play at a less challenging golf course for beginners?

Even if participating in a round of golf is not your thing, you may be interested in watching a live tournament to see the best of the best swing their clubs.

Be sure to check the list of golf tournament dates to find out precisely who will be playing and when. Myrtle Beach has several entertaining miniature golf courses and professional golf courses.

3. Go Fishing

Fishing off the coast of Myrtle Beach is a great way to spend a day on vacation. If you want to join a fishing boat or charter an entire private yacht for your party, your requests will be granted.

The further out to sea, the better chance you'll have to hook a larger variety of fish. Look for king mackerel, barracuda, snapper, marlin, sailfish, and triggerfish.

4. Enjoy the Beach and Water Sports

As a beach destination, you can bet lots of fun activities are dedicated to water enthusiasts. Does parasailing, riding a jet ski, or learning to scuba dive sound fun?

Myrtle Beach has about every water sport, from calm paddle boat rides to thrilling banana boat rides.

5. Stay at a Campground

Instead of staying at a luxury hotel, why not pitch a tent or rent a camper truck for your stay at Myrtle Beach? Some campgrounds cater specifically to families, while others are set up for RV-style camping.

Choose a campsite in the maritime forest shade away from the beach, or even better, camp steps from the Grand Strand beachfront with an ocean view.

Waking up with the soft rays of the morning sunshine paired with the sound of gentle waves is the perfect way to begin your day at Myrtle Beach.

Myrtle Beach is a fantastic destination, especially when you enjoy the incredible outdoors.

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This post was written by Mark and brought to you by Golf Now and The Golf Channel.

Malaria Prevention Tips

Mosquito netting on Koh Phi Phi (Thailand)

Contracting malaria remains one of the biggest travel fears of globetrotting backpackers.

A little over four years ago, before leaving on my trip around the world, I researched malaria prevention tips to educate myself further.

I'd taken a few different anti malaria tablets on short, two-week vacations to Costa Rica and Belize/Guatemala, however, I was preparing to embark on a 12+ month journey across multiple continents, including Africa.

Malaria prevention is a multi-step process.

Education

Before visiting any new country, do some quick online queries to determine the risk for malaria.

The United States' Center for Disease Control (CDC) website is an excellent resource and offers detailed information for every country, organized nicely in the form of charts and maps.

Additionally, as I did, you can make an appointment with your local travel clinic (or family doctor).

Remember, just because a country is known to have malaria doesn't mean every region of that country has it too.

Often, malaria doesn't exist in large urban areas, such as capital cities, or at higher altitudes.

The degree of risk can also vary significantly by season. Mosquitoes are more prevalent in the wet seasons; thus, your risk of getting bitten will be higher at those times.

Preventing Mosquito Bites

Once you've arrived in an area known to have malaria, these are the basic steps you can take to minimize your risk of being bitten:

Stay inside at night, when the mosquitoes are most active. If you don't have windows, make sure you've got screens. If you have neither, make sure you're using a mosquito net over your bed or hammock.
Wear protective clothing, such as long-sleeve shirts, pants, socks, and shoes. Some brands of travel clothing are pre-treated with Permethrin, a chemical insect repellent. Alternatively, you can also buy the chemical and treat clothes yourself.
Use insect repellent, preferably containing DEET, on your exposed skin. Repellent is available in strengths as high as 100% DEET; however, I feel more comfortable with lower concentrations (around 30%).

Anecdotally, it always seems as though one person amongst a group will get bitten more than the rest.

If you're known to attract mosquitoes more than your friends, it's even more vital that you take protective measures seriously.

Medications to Prevent Malaria

[Disclaimer: I'm a backpacker, not a pharmacist. Consult a medical professional for assistance in deciding which medicine is right for you.]

The third and final step to preventing malaria is to take prophylaxis.

While there's still no vaccine for malaria, there are several preventive options available that can reduce your risk of contracting the disease.

The medication you choose will depend on a variety of factors, including the region you're visiting, pre-existing conditions and other medications being taken, potential side effects, cost, and likelihood that you'll comply with instructions for taking the drug.

Some medications need to be taken daily, while others are weekly.

Chloroquine - taken weekly. Starts one to two weeks before travel and continues for four weeks after you've left the risk area.
Doxycycline - taken daily. Starts two days before entry into the affected region and continues for 30 days after you've left. This is the cheapest and most widely available option. It also has amongst the most benign side effects, including digestive problems and increased risk for sunburn.
Malarone - taken daily. Starts one to two days before travel and continues for seven days after you've left the risk area. This is a more expensive drug than Doxycycline, and therefore better for shorter trips.
Lariam - taken weekly. Potential side effects involve the nervous system and include reports of extremely vivid (bad) dreams and psychosis.

Once I hit the road, I found that many of my fears about malaria fell by the wayside.

There's a worldwide effort to eradicate malaria, and large swaths of many countries have freed themselves of the disease.

Even traveling within those countries still at risk, many of the most popular tourist areas are now safe.

As long as you educate yourself, and take the necessary steps to protect yourself, fear of malaria should not be a reason in and of itself to keep you from exploring new destinations.

_____

I wrote this story in partnership with Lloyds Pharmacy.

5 Incredibly Relaxing Destinations in Southeast Asia

For all the wild, action-packed mega cities Southeast Asia is so famous for, there's an equally opposite number of places that are quiet, nature-oriented, and extremely relaxing.

Here are 5 destinations I recently visited where relaxation is the local way of life.

1. Sangkhlaburi, Thailand

Waking up at 5 am is something you'll love doing when you're in Sangkhlaburi.

Why?

Because there's nothing more enjoyable, or more relaxing, than beginning the day with a stroll over Thailand's largest handmade wooden bridge.

After crossing the bridge, make sure to visit the Burmese market on the other side. The low key market includes lots of betel nut chewing vendors, and a number of delicious snacks.

Sangkhlaburi, in my opinion, is one of the most relaxing places to visit in Thailand. The lifestyle is laid back, no one seems to be in a hurry, and the scenery is extremely beautiful.

2. Yangshuo, China

Although China would not normally be considered part of Southeast Asia, since Yangshuo is just north of Vietnam, I'm including it.

If the gorgeous scenery of Yangshuo isn't enough to thrust your body into a state of immediate relaxation, sipping on a cold lotus nut beverage while reclining on a small Chinese chair in the middle of a lotus patch will surely do the trick.

Sometimes it's not only sitting or laying down that's relaxing, but also doing physical activity in a location that includes fresh air, unspoiled natural landscapes and is filled with sounds of nature instead of honks and smog.

Go on just a short bicycle ride from the center of Yangshuo, and you'll be cycling down rice farm trails, taking dips in the clear Yulong River and enjoying tremendous views of the mountains.

3. 4,000 Islands, Laos

While at times the amount of backpacking tourists can be overwhelming, there are plenty of opportunities to sneak away from the crowds to discover the beautiful and relaxing side of the 4000 Islands in the south of Laos.

If lounging in a hammock strung on the balcony of your wooden bungalow overlooking the lazy Mekong River while reading a book with a cold Beer Laos in hand is your idea of a relaxing paradise, you'll end up spending a lot of time at 4000 Islands!

If you happen to get an overdose of relaxation and want some adventure, be sure to take a hike, bike to the waterfall, or take a boat to see the Irrawaddy dolphins.

4. Lake Toba, Indonesia

Encircled by sharp jagged mountains, Lake Toba is a deep volcanic lake on the lush green tropical mega-island of Sumatra, Indonesia.

To get there by local Indonesian transportation will hardly be relaxing, but as soon as the road dips into the cauldron and the glassy lake appears, your body will calm itself into a zen-like state of relaxation.

Stay in a local style Batak bungalow overlooking the lake, or pay a dollar more and you can get a hut where you can jump right out the window into the warm water of Lake Toba!

5. Batad, Philippines

Of the many incredible and relaxing places to visit in the Philippines, it's hard to beat chilling in the sleepy rice terrace village of Batad.

With over 116 man made terraces of rice that steeply creep up the side of the mountain, the beauty of the Batad rice terraces will blow your mind.

Staying in a local style hut at the base of the terraces is a sure recipe for relaxation and a way to escape the hassles of city life.

Jus a short 20 minute trek through the terraces, up a steep ridge and through some thick vegetation, is a booming waterfall that offers an opportunity to take a dip or to just sit back and listen to the sound of crashing water echoing off the sides of the mountain.

Introducing the Indie Travel Manifesto

The following is a guest post from Adam Seper of BootsnAll.

Backpacking in Thailand (photo: David Lee)

[W]e all travel differently. Some enjoy an all-inclusive resort with easy food and drink access. Some like going the B&B route.

Others have their favorite hotel chains that they always stay in. Many prefer staying in a dorm room in a hostel eating ramen and drinking the cheapest local beer.

No matter what your preference, there is no right or wrong way to travel. There's only what you prefer.

At BootsnAll, we like to refer to ourselves as the One-Stop Indie Travel Guide. But what exactly does Indie Travel mean? What makes an indie traveler?

Over the past several months, we came together as a company and really tried to put a definition to it. We wanted to define what our priorities were as indie travelers, not as a way to portray our travel preference as best, but to make connections with others who feel the same way about travel that we do.

It all starts with our core values. As a company, we came up with several core values that drive the content we produce and the services we offer. Those four core values are:

Embrace change
Love learning
Make meaningful connections
Work & play with passion

Not only do we do our jobs based on these four core values, but we all live our lives and travel by the same ideals. These core values are at the root of what we feel makes an indie traveler. But we are a small company, so we want to get the input of other travelers.

So we teamed up with travel writer Rolf Potts, a long time contributor to BootsnAll, and we created the Indie Travel Manifesto.

This is not meant to encourage everyone to travel like we do. We know that this only appeals to a certain sector of the travel world, so we hope to reach out to all the indie travelers out there and share this manifesto.

The spirit of this site, Go Backpacking, encompasses perfectly how we feel about indie travel. Dave gives you all the tools necessary to get out there and have an indie travel experience.

We want our fellow indie travelers to take action with the manifesto. We want you to be a part of it.

We'd love you to read it. Vote on it. Discuss it. Sign it. And share it.

There are 24 statements on the manifesto that we think defines what an indie traveler is.

Do you agree?

How to Prepare for a Cross-Country Train Trip in Australia

indian pacific red class — Indian Pacific Train - Red Class

One of the most memorable adventures I have had in Australia until now was when I traversed the entire country by train.

This epic trip on the Indian Pacific train, named after the two oceans that the line connects, took me from Sydney all the way to the far reaches of the country -- to the WA capital city of Perth.

For three nights, I gazed out the window at the changing scenery as we went past city suburbs, green desert from an unusual amount of rain, vast nothingness associated with the Nullarbor Plain, and ghost towns.

Each night, I was lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of the rails, and each morning, I was awoken by the voice of the conductor telling us breakfast would be served in the dining car soon.

It was a journey of 2,698 miles (4,352 kilometers), with several stops to get out and stretch, and plenty of time for introspection.

But, how does one exactly prepare for such an epic train adventure in Australia?

Here are my personal tips for getting ready for the trip of a lifetime.

indian pacific red day nighter — Red Daynighter Seats - through the window

Book Discount Tickets

Since we're writing about this journey on a backpacking site, the majority of people reading this will most likely be going for the Red Daynighter seats when booking the trip.

These seats are more budget-friendly, and instead of a private cabin, they provide big, comfy chairs that recline.

A one-way ticket in the Red Daynighter seats from Sydney to Perth runs just $759, but you can get a discount by using a backpacker, student, or YHA card, bringing the total down to just $368, which is quite affordable.

Be sure to book in advance, as these seats are the busiest of all the sections.

pack lightly for the train — Remember you're on a train, so pack lightly for limited space

Pack a Carry-on Bag

On the train, you are only allowed a carry-on sized bag. All other bags will have to be checked.

When packing your carry-on, be sure to include some flip-flops for the shower, a towel (unless traveling in Red Sleeper Cabin or higher class), a couple changes of clothes, sleeping masks or earplugs, and any entertainment (iPad, Kindle, books, playing cards, etc.).

There is a shared shower facility in the Red Daynighter section, which I suggest using daily to make yourself both feel nice, and please the passengers around you.

Just be sure to hold on to something at all times since you never know when you'll hit a rough bump.

Pack a Bag of Snacks

There is a dining car on the train, but you might find the trip getting quite pricey if you use it for all your meals.

When I rode, the dining car included croissants, toasted sandwiches and eggs for breakfast, and full-blown roast meals for dinners.

There is a steady supply of beverages, including alcohol, for sale.

Snacks and meal supplements, however, are strongly suggested. You can bring nuts and muesli, instant noodles, peanut butter, and bread, and other safe-keeping snacks for the journey.

The ability to replenish your stocks is possible when at one of the local stops (Adelaide, Broken Hill, and Kalgoorlie).

Some of the morning scenery. — Morning scenery

Bring a Camera

I found the scenery to be some of the most peaceful and beautiful scenery in the world.

The red dirt hits in stark contrast to the clear blue sky for most of the journey.

Sunsets and sunrises fill the sky with a rainbow of colors every morning and night.

Camels and kangaroos run amuck in random sections, and it is fun to play "spot the animal" with other passengers to pass the time.

In other words, you will not want to forget your camera.

Not only will the scenery be photo-worthy, but the whistle stops will give you time to explore new cities and towns.

Don't worry about running down your battery.

The dining car and Red Gum Lounge (worth the daily upgrade) contained several outlets that passengers used to recharge.

Get a Telstra SIM Card

Telstra is the network that provides the largest range of access in Australia, and I found this to be a blessing on my trip.

Sure, there were areas where the signal cut out completely for hours, but for 3 days, I found I could keep in touch with my boyfriend and get on the Internet just by having a Telstra SIM card in my phone.

I know that's not the point of the train trip -- to have Internet and connectivity -- but for those who think this will make the trip easier, I suggest picking up a new SIM before starting the journey.

ghost town Cook — Explore the old ghost town of Cook on a whistle-stop tour

Choose Your Whistle Stop Tours

Along the way to Perth (or vice versa), the train will stop for short periods of time in Broken Hill, Adelaide, Cook, and Kalgoorlie.

You have the option of signing up for train-sponsored whistle-stop tours in each of these locations, so it is wise to have a read of the literature upon entering the train to know which ones might actually interest you.

Otherwise, you can prepare some whistle-stop tours of your own.

Mentally Prepare

Sitting on a train for 3 days is a big change from normal life, so it is best to prepare for the trip mentally.

Yes, you can walk around, move from your seat to the dining car (or upgrade to being able to sit in the Red Gum Lounge), and get off for whistle-stop tours, but... you have no control over the trip at hand.

Putting yourself in "holiday mode" or "camping mode" right from the moment you step onboard will alleviate any anxious stress.

Riding the Indian Pacific train is a memorable Australia attraction, and if you're thinking of doing this, I suggest following this list to prepare.

When Dreams Become Reality

View from atop El Penol, a monolith in Antioquia, Colombia

[F]or the first time in 10 years, I'm a man without a dream.

I came to this realization last month, which was also my 5-year blogiversary (blogging anniversary), and it has thrown me for a loop.

On any given day, for an entire decade, I could close my eyes and envision where I wanted to see myself in X years.

Now when I close my eyes, there's nothing.

How did I get here? And more importantly, what next?

Both are questions I've been pondering lately.

Dream #1 - Take a 'Round the World Trip

In March 2002, I was part of a massive layoff at CareerBuilder.com. This unceremonious termination became the catalyst for my decision to take a trip around the world.

For the following 5 ½ years, I worked in the call center of a health insurance company. I found purpose in my work at the time, but always knew it was just a stepping stone toward making my travel dream a reality.

In November 2007, I submitted my resignation, enjoyed a few farewell happy hour drinks, and boarded an Air Tahiti Nui flight to French Polynesia.

The cool part about taking a trip around the world is how long it lasts. I felt lucky to be living my dream every day for 18 months.

Dream #2 - Achieve Location Independence

By the time I ran out of money in July 2009, I'd already fallen in love with Medellin.

All I could think about was getting to the point where I could support myself from my blogs so I could go back.

As my RTW trip concluded, location independence became my new dream.

After 11 months of living with my parents (thanks again Mom and Dad!) working on the blogs, launching a new travel blogging community, and networking my butt off, I reached the point where I was ready to move back to Medellin.

My leap of faith paid off, and my monthly earnings continued to grow. I reached my goal of averaging $3,000 per month in 2010.

This was the figure I felt I needed to reach to be able to live just about anywhere in the world I wanted.

In 2011, I earned 20% more, which further solidified my ability to live and work wherever I want. My dream had been about ascertaining a certain lifestyle, not bucketloads of cash.

I left Colombia to begin seeing the rest of South America, starting with Ecuador and Peru. In March, I'll be visiting Argentina and Chile for the first time with G Adventures.

When I was a kid, my dreams involved exotic cars, like this Lamborghini (Tampa Bay, FL)

Dream #3 - ?

The funny thing about achieving your dreams is how quickly your new reality can become normal.

You may envision where you want to be for years.

You daydream at work. You write about it. You fantasize.

And then when you finally get there, it (hopefully) is as awesome as you imagined. Yet, inevitably, that appreciation for what you've achieved starts to fade with time.

Perhaps it's human nature. Been there, done that, what's next?

I'm exactly where I want to be, and this is not to say I'm not grateful for that, but after 4 years of traveling and living freely, I'm ready for a new challenge.

Of course I want to continue traveling, living abroad, and blogging about it (that's not something I see changing in the near future), but I also want to have a new dream to chase.

I want to have a grand vision again. I want to see myself achieving something awesome when I close my eyes.

Now if I can just figure out what that is.

Astrid and Gastón: The High Art of Peruvian Cuisine

In 2011, Lima's Astrid & Gastón was ranked #42 on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list. It was one of only three restaurants in Latin America to make the illustrious list, with the majority being located in Europe and the United States.

Even if I had been planning to travel to these regions, I knew such restaurants would likely be cost-prohibitive.

But since I was already on the verge of visiting Peru in South America, where the U.S. dollar is worth more, the chance to dine at Astrid & Gastón immediately made my shortlist.

[Note: Since I wrote this, Astrid y Gastón restaurant moved to a new location at La Casa Moreyra, a restored colonial mansion in Lima's San Isidro district.]

Five types of fresh bread at Astrid and Gastón in Lima, Peru — Five types of fresh bread

Traditional Peruvian cuisine is currently enjoying its time in the limelight, the benefactor of positive press in publications from Food & Wine to The New York Times.

Chef Gastón Acurio is one of the leaders of this movement to bring Peruvian food to the forefront, so what better place to explore Peruvian gastronomy than his flagship restaurant.

Acurio runs the eponymous restaurant with his wife, Astrid Gutsche, an accomplished pastry chef.

By the time I reached Lima, I'd already been in Peru for a month, having zig-zagged my way down the country, trying to enjoy the mountains and the coast.

Toppings for the bread: regular butter, melted butter, and a chimichurri sauce

Along the way, I'd slowly begun to discover typical dishes such as cebiche and causa.

I then spent several weeks in Lima, both before and after my trip to Cusco and Machu Picchu. I dined at Gaston Acurio's other restaurants, including Panchita and Tanta.

I continued to eat all around Astrid & Gastón, even though it was just a few blocks from the apartment I was renting.

I knew I wanted to have the 11-course tasting menu (170 Soles or $63), which, according to the website, would require three hours of my time.

I was excited by the food I'd get to try and petrified of being bored out of my gourd eating alone for so long.

The Restaurant

The day before I was due to fly back to Florida for Christmas, I made a determined walk over to Astrid & Gastón at 12:30 p.m., just as the restaurant was opening for lunch.

Located on a nondescript side street a few blocks from Avenida Larco and Parque Kennedy, a doorman outside welcomed me in, and the adventure began.

I was greeted by a cheerful woman standing behind a large reception desk. It felt more like I was walking into a home than a restaurant.

I asked if the tasting menu was available, and she said yes. Then I was ushered to a table directly in front of the kitchen. It appeared as though I was one of the first diners to be seated that afternoon.

In addition to the main room, which featured a view into the busy kitchen, there was a smaller, more private wine room and a bar area that would be perfect for sampling cocktails and finger food.

View of the kitchen, I was seated at the table seen in the left corner

The Peruvian Food

I cracked open the oversized menu and flipped through the options, even though I already knew what I would order. Foie gras, duck, tuna, sea urchin, cuy. And those were just the appetizers.

An interesting note featured prominently above the first page, indicating that as part of the dining experience, for 14 Soles ($5), you'd receive fresh bread and three sauces, a tray with three appetizers, and a box of 10 sweets at the end.

[Though I didn't say anything, I was soon presented with the bread, so these extras are provided unless you state otherwise.]

To celebrate the dining experience, I ordered a maracuya sour, which I enjoyed much more than standard pisco sour.

Sea snail from Arequipa with broth, seaweed, and foam of a tuber grown in the Andes

The first plate immediately challenged me with a sea snail. I liked the presentation, but I was unsure how to get the meat out of the shell. Thankfully, when I poked my fork inside, the snail slipped out with great ease.

The snail meat lacked flavor, and I found it rather tough to chew. However, the rich brown broth saved the overall dish.

See also: How Anthony Bourdain Inspired Me

Tubers with shredded almonds, served with mustard sauce — Tubers with shredded almonds served with mustard sauce

Tubers in a bed of shredded almonds — A closer look at the presentation of the tubers

Next, I was presented with a wooden lacquer box. Inside, Andean tubers, herbs, and fresh flowers were delivered on a bed of shredded almonds.

I LOVED the presentation-colorful, playful, and fun. But there's no getting around the fact that the tubers look like turds.

Not only that, but they were also tough to cut with the regular knife I was using.

A serrated steak knife should've been offered unless the tubers were that tough because they were either under or overcooked.

Again, I appreciated this dish more for its novelty factor and presentation than the actual flavors. The mustard sauce was appreciated.

Lobster with mashed potatoes, foam, and capers

The lobster dish was a welcome change-lots of flavor with a sophisticated presentation. This was one of my favorites.

The cuy taco was a fun way to pay homage to the all-important guinea pig, which is typical of Andean cuisine. I'd eaten it twice in Ecuador before arriving in Peru.

I rolled up the little taco, and it was gone in a few bites. Spicy, crunchy, delicious.

Chicken liver with corn and heart of palm

Course #5 was a little bit of chicken liver mixed with corn. Peruvians love their big white corn kernels, but I prefer the yellow corn I grew up on in the USA. Still, it works fine for me in small doses, as presented here.

I'm a fan of the occasional foie gras (duck liver); however, this was the first time I'd eaten chicken liver, and it was cooked perfectly, melting in my mouth.

White fish in ojo de tigre (cebiche sauce) with corriander and lakeweed — Whitefish in Ojo de Tigre (cebiche sauce) with coriander and lakeweed

In dish #6, presentation once again plays a key role. Ojo de Tigre is the term for the seafood juices of cebiche, and in this case, the cebiche was presented with a rich and creamy Ojo de Tigre.

Like the liver before it, the white fish melted in my mouth.

Cebiche (fish, scallop, octopus, sea snail) with ojo de tigre, and 3 shots of peper sauce — Cebiche (fish, scallop, octopus, sea snail) with Ojo de Tigre and three shots of pepper sauce

Dish #7 was the main event for cebiche lovers, featuring fish, scallops, octopus, and another sea snail. It was the most colorful dish, as well.

Three shot glasses of pepper sauce were also presented, and if I understood the instructions correctly, I was to take the shooters after finishing the cebiche.

Cebiche in Peru is typically spicy, and I was already feeling the heat. I then started taking the very flavorful shots of pepper sauce until my mouth was on fire. I couldn't finish them.

By this point, two hours into lunch, I felt full from the excellent food and sleepy. Part of me wanted to tap out and go home so I could lie down.

But I was in this for the long run, and besides, I couldn't leave before the desserts arrived.

Time for the protein dishes, like a perfectly cooked lamb in light and yummy broth. I would've enjoyed this dish alone as the main course.

Wagyu beef with raspberry sauce, and 3 types of potatoes — Wagyu beef with raspberry sauce and three types of potatoes

Dish #9 was another one of my favorites from the lunch because of the sweet raspberry sauce and how three different varieties of potatoes were incorporated.

When it comes to desserts, I'm a simple guy. A slice of decadent chocolate cake or rich chocolate mousse, and I'm happy. The keyword is chocolate.

The highlight of the first dessert, course #10, was the spicy aji ice cream. To the right of it was a small square of apple crumble.

The 11th and final dish was a dessert incorporating bananas and vanilla ice cream.

There's more to it than that, as you can tell from the sugar-based shell that contains something else, but I couldn't keep up with the waiter's explanations.

Bite size sweets: macaroons, chocolate truffles and more — Bite-size sweets: macaroons, chocolate truffles, and more

And just when I thought I'd crossed the finish line, I was presented with a box of 10 sweets, just as the note on the menu had promised.

Chocolate truffles. Bite-sized macaroons and another sweet I didn't try-the nails of sugar in my coffin.

Service

Overall, the service was fantastic, as you'd expect at one of Peru's and the world's best restaurants.

I appreciated that they sat me at a prominent table right by the front of the kitchen. Being exposed to an open kitchen is one way to keep yourself occupied when eating alone.

While things got off to a little of a slow start, dishes were soon coming out at a consistent pace, and the whole lunch lasted three hours as expected.

At one point, a Peruvian couple with a baby sat down at the table next to me.

The mother held the sleeping baby in her chair when their waiter brought over another and created a little bed out of two empty chairs.

He put a napkin down on the chairs and placed another on top of the baby like a blanket, and it was so cute.

Atmosphere

As more and more diners arrived, the room filled with chatter. The background music was loud enough for me to identify a favorite song, Kothbiro by Ayub Ogada, featured in The Constant Gardener.

Cost

The final bill for the 11-course tasting menu, including cocktail, tax, and tip, was $95-a real deal by U.S. standards.

Final Thoughts

The menu challenged me. I wouldn't say I liked every course, but I don't think that's the point. If it were, I'd have ordered a single entrée instead.

The lobster, cuy, and lamb were highlights, and I won't be bothered if I never see another Andean tuber again.

Spending an afternoon exploring Peruvian ingredients at Astrid & Gastón, from the common to the exotic, was an absolute pleasure.

Astrid y Gastón: Av. Paz Soldan 290, San Isidro 15073, Peru, astridygaston.com

Alpacas: Cute, Soft, and Delicious

An alpaca wandering freely around Cusco — Alpaca in Cusco

A is for Alpaca. The most versatile, delicious, and nutritious creature in Peru.

I became enamored with these soft and friendly, llama-like creatures during my stay in Cusco.

For thousands of years, alpacas have been raised in Peru for two primary purposes: fiber and meat.

Alpaca Fibers

Alpaca fiber is used for knitting blankets and clothes.

The finest fibers are referred to as baby alpaca, which come from the back of the animal.

The term has nothing to do with the age of the alpaca.

Baby alpaca is akin to other luxury fibers, such as cashmere and pashmina (from goats).

Very few visitors leave Cusco, let alone Peru, without buying either an alpaca scarf or sweater as a souvenir.

Alpaca scarves, gloves, sweaters, and hats are widely available in shops around the country. However, just because an item is labeled as baby alpaca doesn't mean it's woven of 100% baby alpaca fibers.

In fact, on one scarf I checked, these fine fibers only made up 15% of the garment.

If you're on a budget, you'll be able to pick up hats and gloves for about $3 each, a scarf for $5, and a sweater for $10 (depending on your bargaining skills).

If you're willing to pay Western prices, step into a boutique store like Kuna and pick up a 100% baby alpaca scarf for about $45. You'll feel the difference.

Alpaca Mignon a la Parisienne -- filet of alpaca with bacon in a white wine mushroom sauce

Alpaca Meat

Alpacas would be just another cute animal like llamas and goats, except that they also happen to be delicious.

During my second night in Cusco, I noticed a sign outside the Macondo Restaurant advertising alpaca.

I thought this restaurant was offering something unique, as it was the first time I'd seen the animal on a menu.

Out of curiosity, I stepped inside the artsy place and ordered their most popular dish, the Alpaca Mignon a la Parisienne.

I had no idea what to expect and could barely see my food in the dimly lit restaurant, but it tasted wonderful.

The creamy white wine sauce may have provided all the flavor, but I could tell the meat was lean, and I'd be trying it again.

Rosemary Grilled Alpaca in an anticuchera sauce with a creamy mushroom sauce and aji amarillo quinotto

As I began eating at more restaurants the next day, I noticed alpaca was on almost every menu in some shape or form.

My infatuation with the animal only increased with each new preparation.

Alpaca with red wine sauce.

Rosemary grilled alpaca.

In Cusco, the possibilities were endless, and I made the most of them.

____________

Dave's 160-page, all-original Lima Travel Guide is now available for Kindle.

5 Things I Wish I'd Known Before Becoming an Expat in Australia

In March, Sydney will be my home for three years. Three years is a very long time for a person like me to call one place their home, but I'm beginning to feel that the true meaning of "home" will never be applied to my life in Australia.

Brooke near sydney opera house — Near the Sydney Opera House in 2009

As stated in my introductory post, I met my wonderful Australian boyfriend while traveling in the Baltics in 2008. Because of him, I decided to try my hand at a working holiday in the land down under and see where the relationship went.

Obviously, the relationship has gone well, and we are now tied together with the de facto partner visa, which allows me to stay in this gorgeous country to live, work, and travel freely.

Australia isn't called the "lucky country" for nothing. The people and nature can't be beat! Still, visiting a place and planning to call the place home are two very different things.

Although my situation was more play-it-by-ear, and I could see what happened, a number of things really caught me off guard. Knowing some of these things in advance may have influenced my decision to come.

Okay... definitely not. I was too focused on chasing love to really care about anything else, but perhaps knowing some of these things could have helped lessen the shock after arriving.

1. Australia will be an expensive place to live

Beach on bondi to bronte walk — A beach near Sydney on the Bondi to Bronte walk

When I was younger and planning where I wanted to go for university, California was at the top of my list. However, after researching the fees and the cost of living for the places I wanted to attend, the idea quickly disappeared from my list.

Although I hated Midwestern Winters, the fact is that you pay good money to live in mild and warm climates. The same goes for Australia.

In my book, you pay for nice weather, and even if it is not the case, you do pay to live in Australia. Luckily, the minimum wage is relatively high, and hourly wages represent the higher cost of living.

Just be aware that the money can go quickly even then, especially if planning to travel in the country.

2. Christmas will never feel like Christmas

Kangaroo Santa — Christmas in Australia takes place in the Summer

I've now had the pleasure of participating in three Christmas holidays in Australia. So why do I not feel like I've had a Christmas since about 2007?

Because Christmas down under is just not the same. Yeah, sure, I despise Winter weather and prefer to live in a warmer climate, but where's the holiday build-up?

Where are the cold nights, drinking hot cocoa while watching Christmas movies playing on TV? Instead, the big day falls in the middle of the Aussie summer, so forget your red wine and traditional roast dinners-it's too hot!

Aussies, tourists (and even Santa) head to the beach for a relaxing day in the sun, which is not a bad thing, but when it is all said and done, you kind of wonder where Christmas actually went.

3. Visiting home in America will become more of an ordeal.

It was easy for me to think that home was only a flight (or two) away, but the price and length of flights from Australia to the USA have made it more of an ordeal than I initially expected.

Maybe the problem is more of a problem for individuals with wanderlust. I'm constantly torn between spending the $1,500 to fly to Illinois and spending that money, or way less, on a trip to somewhere more unfamiliar.

I love my family and miss seeing them at times, but booking that rather pricey ticket home when the inner travel demon inside me is spouting off lists of destinations I could be traveling to makes it very hard.

4. There will be culture shock

beach lounging — Beach lounging -- an integral part of the Aussie culture

Australians speak English, so that culture shock won't exist. Wrong. Australians have a culture of their own, albeit subtle in differences, but still something worth mentioning.

One of the main attributes of the culture I despise is the laid-back attitude. For my anxious little mind, I love the idea of not being in a rush to do things, having loads of holiday time, and just being able to brush stuff off my shoulders.

On the other hand, when you need something done -- like in the evening, on the weekend, or during the holidays -- you can forget about it.

Of course, there are other bits of culture shock, like adjusting to holidays in the opposite seasons (and how locals prepare and celebrate), deciphering the way people talk (both in word choice and the way they talk to each other), and dealing with the popular Aussie meet-and-greet of cheek-kissing (I like my personal space).

Although all of these examples are small, they add up to a point on this list since prolonged exposure can emphasize even minor details.

5. Taxes will become complicated

I can't talk for other expats, not from America, but taxes are a complete pain.

If you continue to keep your citizenship, you will have to file taxes in the USA forever, claim income made overseas, and deal with special rules and regulations (that hopefully keep you from having to pay).

I'm no accountant, and I don't want to steer anyone wrong, but you will want the advice of a trained individual so you don't get burned down the road.

[Editor's note: If you spend 330+ days per year outside the USA, check out the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion.]

These are just five of the things I wish I'd known before becoming an expat in Australia-some of which can be applied to expats in other locations around the world. Living in Australia is a dream come true for me, but that doesn't mean it can't be difficult at times.

Melbourne Skyline

Every year, Melbourne plays host to the Australian Open tennis tournament.

In 2008, I arrived just in time to buy a grounds pass so I could watch the men's final from a jumbo screen right outside Rod Laver Arena.

5 Must See Floating Markets in Thailand

A floating market is a market that is located next to a body of water, and vendors sell things directly out of their boats.

Though some of the main waterways have since been filled in to make way for roads, Bangkok was once known as the Venice of Asia due to its extensive network of canals.

Many people got around by boat or even went to the market to sell their goods directly from their boat.

What was once a traditional way of life, floating markets throughout Bangkok have become a novelty form of entertainment.

Floating markets are located throughout Bangkok and the surrounding provinces, and they are trendy to visit on the weekends for both locals and foreigners.

Nowadays, the biggest attraction to a floating market in Thailand is the food that is cooked and served directly from a boat floating in the canal.

The markets also offer plenty of random trinket shopping and are just good places to walk around. If you wish, you almost always have the option of navigating the market on a personal boat tour as well.

Visiting a floating market on the weekend has become of the most popular things to do in Thailand. Here are five markets worth your time:

1. Amphawa

Easily the most popular market with Thai locals, Amphawa is an entire neighborhood community that turns into a Disneyland-like floating market on the weekends.

Tons of people escape Bangkok for the day, browse around the little stores, and dine on the delicious food served from boats.

I was genuinely impressed by the parking lot of boats on the canal and how they rapidly served food to all the demanding orders!

Don't miss out on the grilled squid and the roasted shrimp!

Thailand Market — Damnoen Sduak Floating Market

2. Damnoen Saduak

Located about one and a half hours from Bangkok, Damnoen Saduak is Thailand's most popular tourist floating market.

Over the weekend, hordes of foreigners flood the market on organized tours.

Due to the massive crowds and the overabundance of souvenirs, this is one of my least favorite floating markets.

However, if you hop in a canal boat, you can still manage to escape most of the traffic and reach some beautiful tree-covered canal areas.

Do it yourself, or book a half-day tour.

3. Khlong Lat Mayom

Located in southern Bangkok, Khlong Lat Mayom is probably one of my favorite markets in Bangkok.

It's like a garden oasis, full of green trees, cool shade, and it is in a much more relaxed environment than the two mentioned above.

Though there are plenty of shops and countless options for food, the market remains calm and low-key.

It's a great place to unwind and partake in a lovely meal on the edge of the canal.

4. Taling Chan

Taling Chan is famous for its fresh selection of roasted seafood.

If you show up on Saturday morning, you'll see a bunch of tables filled with people devouring crab legs, huge roasted prawns, and the all-famous roasted snakehead fish.

5. Bang Nam Phueng

Since floating markets are so popular throughout Bangkok, a few have been recently set up to cater to the rising demand of people looking for leisure on the weekends.

Bang Nam Phueng is located in an area of Bangkok known as Phra Pradaeng.

It is a relatively new market, yet another paradise for food lovers, and a relaxing place to walk around, take a boat, or sit and enjoy the lush ambiance.

When you visit Bangkok, be sure to visit a floating market for the day!

Need more itinerary ideas? Click here for all G Adventures trips to Thailand.

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Exploring Changuu, Zanzibar's Prison Island in Tanzania

What is now a tiny, beautiful tropical island off the coast of Zanzibar was once not a pleasant place. At first, Changuu Island (known more commonly as Prison Island) was where enslaved people were detained and held until they were transported to locations in the Middle East or Europe.

After that, the island was transformed into a quarantine center where people with deadly diseases were left so they wouldn't spread their illnesses to the healthy. Today, the island is a nature reserve and a beautiful place to spend the day when you visit Stone Town, Zanzibar.

Getting to the island takes about 30 minutes by motorboat and should cost around $30 - $40 per boat (there and back), each of which can accommodate up to 10 people.

If you don't want to deal with the boat owners themselves, or if you don't have ten people to rent the entire boat, you can easily book a day trip to Prison Island at one of the many tourist offices in the central part of Stone Town. Just be sure to negotiate a deal before you go.

The Indian Ocean can be pretty choppy, so be forewarned if you are prone to seasickness. Once you arrive in the shallower waters of the island, the water becomes calm, and the color turns to that beautiful shade of turquoise blue.

One of the island's famous activities is taking a cool dip and snorkeling around the island. The water wasn't overly clear when I visited, so I couldn't see much while snorkeling, but the swimming was fantastic.

A gift from the Seychelles, on one side of the island is a colony of giant tortoises, one of the highlights of Prison Island these days. Some are gentle goliaths, creeping around silently while munching everything green in sight.

Though it is not permitted to ride them anymore (as it was a few years ago), you can still feed and touch them. They do look and act just like dinosaurs.

About a 5-minute walk away are the former ruins that once functioned as the prison. The structure has aged and weathered into an interesting combination of concrete and overgrown vegetation, offering a lovely view of the water below. Another iconic symbol of Zanzibar's Prison Island is the rickety wooden bridge that stretches from dry land to about 50 meters into the water.

Related: World Famous Prisons

With every wave, the bridge shakes a little, and apart from being a decent place for locals to go fishing, it doesn't serve much another purpose. Most people visit Prison Island as a day trip on their busy schedules in Zanzibar, but if you choose to spend the night, there is one pricey private island resort where you can stay.

I think it's not worth staying on Prison Island as there are more beautiful beaches around Zanzibar. Still, the island's beauty, history (and the tortoise colony) are worth a day trip from Stone Town.

7 Reasons to Visit Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia

krygyz money — Travel is cheap in Kyrgyzstan

Ever dream of wandering through Kyrgyzstan, eating laghman noodles for dinner and drinking kumiz with the nomadic locals while sleeping in a yurt?

Most people haven't. Actually, the predominant response I get when I mention to anyone that I have spent time in the country is the fact that they have never even heard of it (if they don't ask, "Isn't that where Borat is from?" first).

For me, however, after spending a summer there in 2008, returning for a month in 2011, and planning another return in 2012, I can tell you that Kyrgyzstan -- a small country composed of 94% mountains and tucked away in the middle of Central Asia -- is a travel destination that the world will soon start to recognize.

Why? I'm so glad you asked:

1. Please the Money Belt

In other words: Kyrgyzstan is a budget-friendly destination, so you won't find yourself taking out extravagant amounts of money for your travels.

I will say that the price of travel in this country has increased over the past three years, but I still found my 4 weeks this past November to be a complete bargain -- once you get there of course.

Flights can be the real downer when it comes to price. Your best bet is to add the trip onto a larger journey, or stay put in Kyrgyzstan for as long as possible to get the most bang for your buck.

kyrgyz countryside — The Kyrgyz countryside

2. Step into Kyrgyzstan's Unknown

The fun about visiting Kyrgyzstan would be the feeling of stepping into the unknown.

Unlike places like Australia and Thailand that have been heavily traveled and heavily documented in travel magazines and travel blogs, there is still the feeling of visiting a place that has been fairly untouched by the Western world.

One of Bishkek's large shopping centers, Tash Rabat

3. See History in the Making

While in the shadow of the Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan was pretty much a mystery to the rest of the world, and since the Soviet Union's fall, it has continued to remain that way until more recent years.

Just in the time since my first visit to the country in 2008, I have seen changes in the capital city of Bishkek.

The city has been modernizing at a rapid rate while the cost of living and standard of living has increased.

In addition, the politics is especially interesting as they have had some riots in the past, ousting a long-term leader and are now adjusting to a newly elected leader.

4. Enjoy a Mouth-Watering Mix of Food

As someone who would classify herself as a picky eater, I find the food in Kyrgyzstan to be a delightful mix.

With influences from Russia, Turkey and Asia, you can choose just about any style of food to please the taste buds.

Choose from Korean BBQ, Kyrgyz laghman, Turkish pide or Russian borscht when heading out to dinner in Bishkek.

After entering, get around with ease using a marshrutka

5. Enter with Ease

The citizens of several countries of the Western world can get a month-long visa to Kyrgyzstan on arrival at the Manas International Airport -- without any letter of invitation.

Considering the hoops many have to jump through to go to Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and even Kazakhstan, this ease of entry makes visiting Kyrgyzstan much more appealing.

In fact, many people choose to enter Kyrgyzstan and hang around for a bit as they get their other Central Asian visas in order.

yurt on issyk kul — Sleep in a yurt on Lake Issyk-Kul

6. Spend the Night in a Yurt

Like Mongolia, the Kyrgyz people are originally a nomadic bunch, wandering from place to place, herding sheep and living in a yurt (like a ger).

For an authentic experience, you can spend a night (or nights) sleeping in a yurt in the Kyrgyz countryside.

CBT (Community Based Tourism) is a company that can help set up your stays and get your meals sorted when doing so.

I highly recommend a yurt stay, especially since you'll have access to some of the best night sky views while in the country.

7. Learn Russian for Cheap in Bishkek

I have partaken in Russian language lessons twice in Kyrgyzstan for two main reasons: 1) I want to learn Russian, and 2) it is dirt cheap.

Kyrgyzstan is a bilingual country, officially speaking both Russian and Kyrgyz (although many of the village-residing Kyrgyz will solely speak Kyrgyz).

At my go-to language school in Bishkek, you can get one-on-one Russian language lessons at around $4 per hour. [gbicon]

Now I don't know about you, but I am definitely wishing I were back in Kyrgyzstan right about now!

Adventures in Egypt's Siwa Oasis

One of the absolute coolest things to do in Egypt is to visit an oasis, and one of the most easily accessible is the Siwa Oasis.

To get there you either have to drive yourself or take an eight-hour bus ride from Alexandria.

The buses departs at night and when you wake up, you are in a completely different world - a quiet place with fresh air in the middle of nowhere.

The feeling of life on the oasis really felt like I was on a tiny private island and even the people were laid back and relaxed just as anyone would be on any Caribbean or Asian island.

I felt as though I could retire, riding around on a donkey cart and munching dates while lounging about in my awesomely comfortable Egyptian jellabiya and puffing on fruity sheesha.

It was fantastic!

There are a number of modes of transportation to get around Siwa Oasis: donkey cart, bicycle, motorcycle and foot.

I chose the donkey cart!

Just like throughout the rest of Egypt, the city of Siwa was also anciently inhabited and is home to a number of historical ruins that include the Temple of the Oracle of Amun and the last standing wall of the Temple of Umm Ubayda.

The ruins were extremely interesting to see, as were the Egyptian hieroglyphics on the walls, and a number of tombs in the area.

In the main part of Siwa town is the impressive mud city ruins of Shali.

Waking up early in the morning and hiking to the top viewpoint of the ancient city was incredible.

Most of the mud city itself is not functionally used today, but there are a few shops, restaurants and a fancy boutique hotel that are built and blend right into the mud city.

An overnight desert safari was the highlight of my visit to Siwa.

After loading up the four-wheel-drive Toyota Land Cruisers we headed out into the real desert and the surrounding Egyptian sea of sand.

The dunes and the barren bone dry landscapes were impressive.

We stopped at one area in the middle of absolute nowhere, where the ground was filled with star-etched seashells originating from the time when the area was underwater.

After deflating the truck’s tires to cater to the soft sand, our driver zoomed through the never-ending dunes at high speeds for a thrilling roller coaster ride.

Eventually, we arrived at a seemingly impossible lake in the middle of the desert - an icy cold reservoir of water in the middle of the sand.

Though it was way too cold, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to take a dip in the Sahara.

When evening arrived, we drove to our tented Bedouin style camp to enjoy dinner and eventually sleep for the night.

We were served an excellent meal of grilled meat, rice, and Arabic bread, and then spent the remaining hours of the night sitting around a campfire and dancing to the rhythmic beats of local Siwan instruments that pierced the silence of the desert.

Sunsets in the desert are almost always impressive, and they were no different in Siwa.

Every evening the sun became a ball of fire and with it came every shade of orange, yellow and red imaginable.

Sunset Point, about 5 kilometers from the central town of Siwa, is one of the most spectacular viewpoints as the colors reflect off the swampy lake.

Of all the fun attractions in Eygpt, visiting the Siwa Oasis was one of my most memorable.

11 Quick Ways to Feel Feminine on the Road

You've just finished trekking in Nepal for a week or riding trains across Russia for two.

Your wardrobe has consisted of heavy Keen hikers, cargo pants and the same fleece pullover the entire trip -- now the attire in every photo taken thus far.

In the short-term, this setup puts little strain on the female psyche, but after a while, a girl can start to feel a little drab and unfeminine.

When times like those arise, it only takes one small action to get perked up and feel like a cute girl again, which can do wonders for an otherwise stale mood.

1. Apply Nail Polish

A bottle of nail polish takes up virtually no space in a backpack, yet can seriously help you feel all sparkly and pretty in a matter of minutes.

I like to use toe nail polish in locations where I'm wearing sandals and doing lots of walking, as it helps to cover up any dirt that might get trapped before the next shower.

Plus, the act of taking off and applying a fresh coat can be a relaxing, meditative experience in itself.

An alternative: Some women may prefer to pack a simple nail kit as taking the time to clean and file nails is also therapeutic.

2. Tie on a Scarf

A scarf is my number one quick and easy feminine accessory.

The right scarf can take a normal outfit and add pizazz, turning a simple black t-shirt and pants into an outfit ready for a night out. A scarf around the neck also puts the focus on the face, bringing out feminine features.

An alternative: A scarf can act as a substitute for several items, such as a belt, a towel or a headband, in a pinch.

3. Dab on Perfume

A quick splash of sweet-smelling perfume is great for feeling feminine. Smelling good makes us feel fresh and confident immediately.

An alternative: Baby powder can serve many purposes while traveling. Direct a couple of squirts in walking shoes or socks and do a quick rub-down for an overall fresh smell.

4. Put on Jewelry

bangles — Add a few bold pieces of jewelry to your travel wardrobe

Although I don't recommend carrying around handfuls of gold jewelry in your backpacks (or having it on your person), I do think that a few key pieces of fun jewelry are necessary to keep you looking and feeling cute on the road.

Just like a scarf, putting on a flashy pair of earrings or a bold necklace makes your "blah" outfits fit for a lunch on the marina.

An alternative: Accessorize in other ways. If you just bought a cute bag at the markets, make that your flashy accessory, for example.

5. Apply a Tinted Lip Gloss

I find that the smallest additions can have the biggest effect on feeling feminine. One of my favorite additions is a simple tinted lip gloss, even one with a fruity flavor.

An alternative: You might prefer the simple make-up act of applying mascara or curling your eyelashes. Find out the easiest task that makes you feel/look good and plan for that on the road.

6. Change Up Your Hair

If your hair has been laying flat, or been tied back day after day, a new 'do' can make a difference in the way you look, the way you look at yourself and the way you feel.

Pack a couple of hair pins and add some twists for fun -- it's a great way to make the most of greasy hair.

An alternative: A headband also helps to take the focus off of greasy hair.

7. Use Dry Shampoo

On those days when you can't get to a shower, dry shampoo can help take away the greasy look of your hair.

Hair generally tends to be greasier on the top of the scalp, while the rest of the hair can seem clean. Applying dry shampoo in key spots of the hair can be treat when washing the hair isn't an option.

An alternative: An alternative for lighter-haired girls is to dab on a little bit of talcum powder to the greasy sections of the hair and brush through.

8. Use a Face Wipe for a Quick "Bath" and Freshener

When I've been on a plane for a day or can't get to a shower quick enough, my go-to substitution is to use one of those wet wipe facial cloths as a "bath in a bag".

I pop into a restroom and do a quick wipe-down, and magically feel like a human being again.

An alternative: A rub-down of talcum powder can quickly remove the sticky feeling from your body while making you smell nice.

9. Toss on a Skirt

A skirt screams feminine, so if you have one packed, toss it on! Dressing feminine doesn't only have to happen when you're going out on the town.

Feeling good about the way you look lifts spirits on gloomy days or days when you're feeling homesick or down.

An alternative: Kick off your heavy walking shoes and toss on your sandals or a pair of cute ballet flats.

10. Try on Stylish Clothes at Famous Shops

changing room outfit — Try on stylish clothes for the afternoon

For those that don't have room to pack super-feminine clothes, take the time to head to famous shopping malls and stores for some fitting sessions.

Trying on nice clothes doesn't mean that you have to buy them, and when you see yourself in a mirror looking flashy in trendy clothing, then you'll quickly feel like a woman again.

Be sure to also take photos while in the changing room to remember the fun!

An alternative: Participate in a clothes swap at your hostel. Mix and match your pieces with other traveling females for a fun and new look.

11. Ask a Guy Out

Fancy a bloke in your hostel? Spot a hot local guy at the bar or club? Asking a guy out on a date will make you excited and possibly get you doing most of the other feminine-feeling tasks on this list. Be adventurous!

An alternative: If you're traveling with your significant other, plan a date night for which you need to get dressed up.

This list is full of ways that you can start to feel feminine again while traveling in just a few short minutes.

If you want to go all out, then some other options for getting back in touch with your woman side can include:

Going to a spa
Getting a relaxing massage
Getting your hair cut, or a body wax

If you have access to an actual bath tub, a long soak can have rejuvenating results.

As a backpacker, these sorts of tasks will probably not need to be done very often, but there are those days -- and I think other female travelers can agree -- where you get tired, flustered and feel super gross from wearing your dirty shirt for a third time and just need to take a moment to feel pretty and clean.

___________

Photo credit: 1 - philliecasablanca; 2 - quinnanya; 3 - teducation; 4 - quinnanya; 5 - idhren.

Run DMZ: A Visit to the Most Dangerous Place on Earth

Military briefing by North Korean soldier at the DMZ. — Military briefing by North Korean soldier at the DMZ

The Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea has been called “the most dangerous place on Earth.”

Times have changed, and that title could more appropriately be claimed by other places, Baghdad or Kabul come to mind.

But the DMZ would still make anyone’s top five; on either side of the border sits the largest concentration of soldiers and weapons on the planet.

We left our Pyongyang hotel early for the 120-kilometer drive to the DMZ.

As we neared the border, the bus passed through a series of checkpoints that were a few miles apart. These weren’t that intimidating, just a guard shack by the side of the road with a swinging gate out front.

But as we approached each checkpoint, the mood on the bus got a bit tense.

It was one thing to be in North Korea; it was quite another to be scrutinized by army personnel, particularly when carrying an American passport.

GB Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il at DMZ — Portraits of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il are everywhere in North Korea

After the final checkpoint, the bus pulled up to a large concrete wall where we disembarked.

We were led into a building that contained a gift shop at the DMZ of all places, offering a wide range of ginseng products and books by the Great Leader, Kim Il Sung.

We soon learned that ginseng was available for purchase wherever we stopped in the DPRK.

We were led into a room that contained a ten-foot-high overview map of the area.

A North Korean soldier, wooden pointer in hand, proceeded to provide a military briefing on the DMZ.

Like all rooms in North Korea, it had pictures of the Great Leader, Kim Il Sung, and the Dear Leader, Kim Jong Il, beaming down on the proceedings.

After the brief pep talk, we proceeded to the actual border, which was delineated by a concrete curb that even a child could step over.

A series of small buildings the size of mobile homes straddle the border.

GB DMZ from North Korea — Looking at the DMZ from the North Korean side

We noticed that there was also a tour group lined up on the South Korean side.

So while the North and South Korean soldiers stared off against each other to see who would blink first, we had our own stare down with the tourists, likely from the same countries as us, on the other side.

We were permitted to enter one of the small buildings that straddle the border, which is used as a conference room when there are disputes between the two Koreas.

Through the small windows of the building, we could see the South Korean guards about twenty feet away standing in battle-ready positions, their arms hanging tensely at their sides with their fists cocked.

As we strolled around the room, we walked in and out of both Koreas, so technically, we were in South Korea at one point.

On the bus ride back, that was a matter of some discussion among our group as to whether we get credit for going to South Korea based on our brief foray.

After we arrived back in Pyongyang, there was a sense of relief that we had survived our visit to the most dangerous place on Earth.

Then reality set in, and we realized we were still in Pyongyang, the capital city of the most isolated nation in the world.

GB Rocky DMZ — Yo, we're from Philly, so we're bringing Little Rocky around the world

With the recent death of Kim Jong Il, travel arrangements to North Korea are uncertain.

The isolated country does not allow independent travel, and two minders escort all groups.

But if you are interested in visiting a fascinating country that is like no place else you've ever been, we highly recommend going there.

The best place to start is with Koryo Tours. The British-run company has been leading tours to North Korea since 1993.

_______

About the Author: Larissa and Michael Milne are traveling around the world for a year with a miniature Rocky statue. You can follow their journey at http://www.changesinlongitude.com/ and on Facebook. They are also writing about their adventures for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

10 Delicious Food Photos from a Tasty Year of Travel

Spending about three-quarters of 2011 in Thailand, I was able to explore further the glorious realm of delicious Thai food.

#1. Pictured above is a dish known as khao kluk kaphi that is made of shrimp flavored fried rice covered in a rainbow of tasty ingredients!

#2. Khao moo daeng, or red barbecued pork and rice, is a pork lovers dream come true.

This is a very common dish in Thailand, but after seeing the crowds at this particular restaurant, I decided to give it a try - and it was the best one I've ever had!

#3. I'm a huge lover of all Thai food, but nothing gets me more excited than southern Thai food and its wonderful blend of spicy curries.

Shrimp fried with string beans and something known as "stink beans" was one of the dishes that I couldn't get enough of in 2011.

#4. When I saw these fish waiting to be grilled on the street side of Yangon, Myanmar, there was nothing I could do but immediately order one.

Covered in chili paste and stuffed with fragrant herbs, it was possibly the best-grilled fish I ate the entire year.

#5. No trip to Laos would be the same without spicy green papaya salad, known as som tam.

A combination of shredded crisp green papaya, chopped string beans, tomatoes, dried shrimp and peanuts dressed in fish sauce and lime and served with sticky rice is hard to beat.

#6. Along with the ever-present and always delicious plates of rice and curry that make up the realm of Sri Lankan food is another popular dish known as "hoppers."

They are made from a pancake like batter, flavored with coconut milk, cooked with an egg on top, and served with delicious onion and chili sauce.

#7. Malaysian food is so good that I'm willing to make a trip to the country exclusively for a feast.

This plate of nasi campur, rice with mixed toppings, is one of my favorites. The intense flavors and chilies were absolutely delightful.

#8. As a half Chinese American myself, I grew up eating Chinese food on the daily and there's no other form of cuisine that is more comforting to my taste buds.

This plate of eggplant with pork and chilies was outstanding!

#9. Now I'm typically an every-meal-rice man, but when noodles are covered with this array of gorgeous toppings, they can be irresistible.

I enjoyed every slurp of this bowl of noodles in Yangshuo, China.

#10. The ultimate meal that changed my life for the better in 2011 was this Chinese hot pot of white meat fish smothered in a seemingly infinite amount of garlic, dried chilies, and Sichuan mouth-numbing peppercorns.

With a few bowls of rice, this was probably my most memorable meal of the year!

Let's Go Backpacking in Patagonia

I'm excited to announce that I will be going backpacking in Patagonia on March 3, 2012, in partnership with G Adventures!

Departing from Buenos Aires, the 15-day End of the Earth tour encompasses the best of Patagonia, in both Chile and Argentina.

Hiking in the mountains of Patagonia, and standing in awe of its glaciers, has been a travel dream of mine for almost a decade.

Last year, I approached G Adventures about working together at some point during my journey through South America, and this trip is the result.

End of the Earth Itinerary

G Adventures offers a range of Patagonia trips, and frankly, they all look amazing.

The End of the Earth trip starts and ends in Buenos Aires, and includes the following highlights:

Full-day hike in Glacier National Park
Visit the massive Perito Moreno Glacier
Two and a half days of hiking in Torres del Paine National Park
Visit a penguin colony at Otway Sound in Punta Arenas
Visit Ushuaia, the southernmost city in South America, and possibly the world (as well as the most popular jumping-off point for cruises to Antarctica)
Boat cruise on the Beagle Channel

End of the Earth Tour: Discover South America's most amazing scenery, including majestic mountains and massive glaciers. Click here for the full itinerary.

Why G Adventures?

First and foremost, we share a common value -- inspiring people to change their lives through travel.

Also, G Adventures earned my admiration as I watched them embrace social media, and build relationships with travel bloggers years before it was cool to do so.

For example, Bruce Poon Tip (the company's founder) and I had started following one another on Twitter back in 2009.

The following year, we were drinking beers together at a bar in Washington, DC because he had wanted to attend one of the monthly DC Travel Tweetups I'd been co-hosting.

I'm also a huge fan of the Wanderers in Residence program that G Adventures launched in late 2010, which features several of my peers, such as Gary Arndt of Everything Everywhere and Dan and Audrey of Uncornered Market.

The trips they've taken with G Adventures have served to inspire me, and now it's my turn to do the same for you.

What to Expect

It will be business as usual here on Go Backpacking.

I'll be traveling with all my standard gear, and providing real-time updates and photos via Twitter (follow the unique #RTWGADV hashtag), Facebook, and Instagram.

After the trip concludes in Buenos Aires, I'll shack up and get to work editing photos and writing blog posts to keep you motivated toward a journey of your own.

I'll be sharing my experiences on both Go Backpacking, as well as the G Adventures' blog.

But Wait, What About the Wildfire?

You may have seen that a wildfire broke out last Tuesday in Chile's Torres del Paine National Park. Visitors were evacuated, and the park was closed.

Since then, progress has since been made in getting the fires under control.

G Adventures maintains a page dedicated to safety updates from around the world, and how they may be affecting tours to specific regions.

According to the latest advisory for Torres del Paine (dated January 4, 2012), the rain dances being performed by G Adventures' staff are paying off, and part of the park is expected to re-open any day now. Excellent.

I am super excited to have the opportunity to experience all that Patagonia has to offer, and finally, see what it's like to go backpacking with G Adventures.

Join me on March 3, 2012, for one of South America's greatest adventures!

___________

Disclosure: This Patagonia tour is in partnership with G Adventures. I am paying for transportation to/from Buenos Aires, all meals except when camping, optional activities, and any incidentals. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Machu Picchu in Pictures: My First Trek to the Lost City

When I met up with the others from the Salkantay trek at 4:20 AM, the streets of Aguas Calientes were dark and empty. Together, we began the 20-minute walk down the road to the main entrance of Machu Picchu. We arrived at 4:45 AM, just as the entrance was opened, and couldn't wait to take our first pictures of Machu Picchu.

This is the same entrance used by the buses that shuttle people up and down the mountain, but we didn't just trek for four days to hop on a bus at the last minute. No, we banded together and, through peer pressure, walked up the approximately 1,600 stone steps that lead to South America's most popular tourist attraction.

The walk took me 50 minutes, and when I reached the top, I was sweating like a stuck pig. The final gate doesn't open until 6 AM, so the early risers were all sitting around, catching their breath.

Kathy, the Australian from my group who'd visited Machu Picchu three times before, suggested I sit at the top of the stairs, right near the four turnstiles through which visitors pass. Even though I wasn't the first person to reach the top, sitting on the top stair didn't seem inappropriate.

Visitors must bring their original passport to enter Machu Picchu. A commemorative stamp is available immediately inside the gate, on the left, but you must ask for it.

While I was there, two American women spoke of how they'd been waiting for an hour. (Warning: If you're a cute foreign person thinking of trying to sneak into Machu Picchu early, you'll only get so far.)

At 6 AM, I aligned myself with one of the turnstiles as the line behind me began to take shape. I was one of the first four people inside that day.

Once Kathy got in, she started running. I followed, and she led me to a lookout point. We had a few minutes to enjoy Machu Picchu at sunrise before the rest of the day's 2,500 visitors showed up.

My first view of Machu Picchu, without a single other person in the photo — My first view of Machu Picchu, without another person in the photo

Terraces used for farming — Terraces were constructed for farming

Can you imagine the amount of manual labor required to move all those rocks? Me either! — Can you imagine the manual labor required to move all those rocks?

The rock quarry at Machu Picchu — Here, you can see the quarry, the pile of large uncut rocks that seem to be falling down the right side of the complex. Machu Picchu was never finished. When the Spanish arrived, the Incas abandoned it.

The Incas were masterful stoneworkers. They were so skilled at carving rocks and fitting them together that they didn't need to use mortar.

The Incas even took into account earthquakes when they were designing and building Machu Picchu.

Meet Huayna Picchu. Only 400 visitors are allowed to climb it every day, so you need to arrange your $10 ticket at least 5 days in advance (from Cusco) — Meet Huayna Picchu. Only 400 visitors can climb it daily, so you need to arrange your $10 ticket at least five days in advance (from Cusco).

After the initial rush of seeing the Inca citadel wore off and we'd gotten some photos, it was time for our tour of Machu Picchu. Led by Daniel, our guide from the Salkantay trek, we walked around the complex for about two hours.

While I appreciated the information he was relaying, it was a huge buzzkill, as I wanted to explore on my own. But you can't have it both ways, at least not on a group tour.

View of Machu Picchu from atop Huayna Picchu

At 10:30 AM, after refueling on snacks outside the main gate, it was time to climb Huayna Picchu for a birdseye view of Machu Picchu. When I first saw Huayna Picchu, I had no idea how I'd get up. I'd heard there were ropes on the steep sections (actually, they are steel cables), but from below, it looked impossibly steep.

But believe it or not, a trail winds up the mountain face, and it only took me about 40 minutes to get up. As usual, walking down the steep trail caused the most pain.

A wider view of Machu Picchu from atop Huayna Picchu. The road used by the buses to take visitors up and down (the easy way) can be seen on the left — One of my Machu Picchu pictures from Huayna Picchu. The road the buses use to take visitors up and down (the easy way) can be seen on the left. Trekkers who take the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu arrive along the trail, which can be seen cutting across the upper left side of the mountain.

I took it extra slow, heartened by a grandmother who was also hobbled by knee pain but kept trucking. If it was 40 minutes to get up, and I spent 20 minutes at the top taking pictures, then it took me 60 minutes to get down, as I checked out 2 hours after I entered.

For safety reasons, there are two timed entrances to Huayna Picchu daily, 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM. Only 200 tickets are sold for each time slot (400 daily).

____________

Dave's 160-page, all-original Lima Travel Guide is available for Kindle.

Getting to Know Brooke Schoenman

From Dave: I'm excited to announce Brooke Schoenman will be joining the Go Backpacking family as of this month, and will henceforth be contributing on a weekly basis. I began following Brooke way back in 2007, as we both (publicly) planned our future travel adventures. Please join me in offering her a warm welcome!

brooke writing — Brooke blogging in the park.

I am writing this article while sitting passenger in a car destined for the Mid-north Coast of New South Wales.

The sun is shining so bright that I just had to reapply sunscreen to keep from getting that nice car sunburn that only graces one side of the body.

Oh, the joys of road trips in Australia in the summer.

The first thing you should know about me is that I'm an American living as an expat in Australia, quickly coming up on 3 years in the land down under.

And, since I'll be writing here on GoBackpacking.com on a regular basis, now is probably a good time to make my introduction so you can get to know me even better. Here goes!

About Yours Truly

I was excited to get the offer to share my travel stories and tips here on this site because I am a backpacker to the core with the love of blogging flowing through my veins.

My personal travel journey started back in late 2007 after about 1.5 years of planning and saving.

I finally set off for a few shorter adventures -- a month-long archaeological dig in Spain and a two-month excursion to Central America -- before setting off again for the trip that would eventually evolve into the now.

During that time, I've been able to hack on a list of life experiences that include:

Spending about 5 months traveling
Living and studying Russian in Central Asia
Teaching English in Kiev, Ukraine
Wandering around the Baltic countries for 6 weeks and meeting the Aussie love of my life
Moving down under to be with said love of my life by signing up for a work and holiday visa before applying for the defacto partner visa

To discover the full extent of my travels and experiences, I suggest having a look at my personal travel blog: Brooke vs. the World.

My Favorite Places in the World

Another thing you should know about me is that I have an obsession with the countries of the former Soviet Union.

After spending a significant amount of time in the Central Asian countries of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, and further teaching English in Ukraine, I've been set on visiting as many of them as possible.

The adventure continued with a return trip this November to Kyrgyzstan, and upcoming travels on the Trans-Mongolian train will ensure that I finally make it to Russia.

Kyrgyzstan

young kyrgyz men on horse with eagle — A Kyrgyz Eagle Hunter

Kyrgyzstan is a little known country that has a special place in my heart, and take it from me: This place is going to be a big travel destination in the future.

Still shaking off that sheltered upbringing brought on by the USSR, Kyrgyzstan is finally starting to draw interest from backpackers and adventure travel seekers.

I find the country intriguing and surprisingly comfortable given its developing surrounds.

Bishkek, the capital city, is modernizing at a rapid rate, yet small villages of rustic, and even some nomadic yurt-living, Kyrgyz dominate the countryside. I'm excited to be able to share this destination with you.

Australia

roos at habitat — Kangaroos are in abundance in Australia.

Australia is not a travel secret, as many backpackers head down under to live out a year or two of their lives thanks to the working holiday visa. However, Australia is surprising.

Being such a gigantic and sparse country, there are definitely locations in Australia where you can visit and feel like you are the only person on Earth.

Let's not forget about the extreme natural beauty, the quirky and iconic wildlife and hundreds if not thousands of beaches.

I love Australia as a travel destination because there is so much on offer. You can have your big city, shopping-filled getaway, eating in trendy cafes and restaurants before seeing a show.

Or, you can get back to nature, camping in the outback or hiking to waterfalls. From secluded islands to dense tropical rainforest, the choice of environments for your holiday is yours!

cottesloe sunset — The famous Cottesloe sunset, Western Australia.

My Writing Topics

Over the coming months, I'll be sharing posts that cover a number of topics ranging from female travel to working abroad.

I'll divulge insights into a life living as an expat in Australia, tips for foreign language speaking wannabes, and alternative holiday ideas.

You can also be sure to get several posts on some of my favorite countries in the world: Kyrgyzstan and Australia.

It should be an interesting mix, and if you think so too, be sure to stick around.

Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu: A Daily Account

The highlight of the 4-day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu is the opportunity to walk in the shadow of the snow-capped Salkantay Mountain (6,264 meters). Unlike the classic 3-day Inca Trail trek, which requires you to book a spot at least five to six weeks in advance (in the low season), the Salkantay Trek can be booked in Cusco upon arrival.

Trail at the start of the Salkantay Trek — The trail at the start of the Salkantay Trek

And it can be done for less than half the cost. I'll be writing more about how to book the trek and what to pack in future posts. But first, I want to take you through the journey day by day, as it was an authentic outdoor adventure that tested both my mental and physical resolve.

Day 1 - Cusco to Soraypampa

Begin: Mollepata 2,900 meters / 9,514 feet; End: Soraypampa 3,900 meters / 12,795 feet.
Change in Elevation: 1,000 meters / 3,281 feet.
Time walking: 5 hours 15 minutes

Pick-up

Awake at 4 AM, I wiped the sleep from my eyes, rolled out of bed, and moved my bags to the hostel reception. As expected, the minivan didn't arrive until 4:30 - 4:40 AM. Under the cover of darkness, we drove around, picking up additional trekkers. Our group for the next five days was slowly forming.

Abhishek, a young British doctor. A young German doctor. Two Dutch girls. Nicole (Canada). Two Malaysian women in their 40's. A young Japanese guy. And Kathy, an older Australian woman who had just completed the Inca Trail the day before (she did the two treks back to back).

Breakfast

As we drove from Cusco to Mollepata, a small pueblo, the sky began to brighten. We had a simple breakfast of bread and eggs with mate de coca (coca tea). Afterward, we were led to a large truck and hitched a ride for several kilometers up a steep, muddy road.

Our guide would say it saved us a few hours of walking, but nobody protested. Once the truck dropped us off, we began our walk straight up the mountainside.

Related: How To Get To Machu Picchu

Camp #1 is at the base of Umantay (5,459 meters), which is visible in the lower right of this photo.

I had given myself five nights to acclimate in Cusco, which is 3,300 meters above sea level, but I had failed to exercise then. My heart was pounding within the first few minutes.

One of the Malaysian women, both of whom had been to Everest Base Camp and successfully climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro two years earlier, complained of a headache. I knew if she felt bad at 3,100 meters before we'd even started, it wouldn't bode well for her that night or on Day 2, the most challenging day.

The sun was beating down and hotter than I'd expected. Covered in a familiar layer of suntan spray and mosquito repellent, I tried to settle into a comfortable walking rhythm. Over three years had passed since my last high-altitude trek to Indrahar Pass in northern India, and I hadn't realized it'd been so long since I'd given myself a good physical challenge.

Doubts began creeping into my head. They were familiar ones about my health at high altitudes and physical stamina. I recognized them from my Annapurna Sanctuary trek in Nepal, during which I didn't reach Base Camp, an experience that took me months to reconcile.

Lunch

After two and a half hours of walking, we stopped for lunch: soup and a rustic version of lomo saltado (beef, vegetables, and rice). Despite knowing that food is energy, I barely finished half my plate and needed as much as possible. Instead, I relied on chocolate and copious amounts of water.

I probably drank two to three times more water throughout the trek and pissed two to three times more often than anyone else in our group.

Sitting at the table, mind filled with doubts about whether I was fit for this trek, one of the Dutch girls said something that snapped me back into reality. Paraphrasing, she said any of us could do this trek if we wanted it. And I wanted it badly.

From that point forward, I walked with renewed vigor-as if I'd been asleep at the wheel those first few hours and was suddenly awake. Instead of allowing my thoughts to run wild with fear, I took control of my mind, and thus, my body followed suit.

Camp #1 at Soraypampa — Our tents were pitched within a rustic encampment to protect us from the cold night.

Campsite

After lunch, we looked up the valley to see the glacier-covered Umantay. Unlike some trekkers, I gain energy by seeing the next camp -- the next destination. Almost two hours later, I walked into our campsite for the night.

We helped the cook and horseman pitch the tents in an area protected by a sheet metal roof and plastic tarp walls. It wasn't much, but it'd help keep the wind out and keep us dry if it rained. It was my first time sleeping at an altitude as high as 3,900 meters (12,795 feet).

Salkantay Mountain (6,264 meters) at sunset

We all scarfed down the popcorn served as an appetizer. I forgot the main course, but it was much better than lunch, as was the case with the meals on the remainder of the trek. By 10 PM, we were all in our sleeping bags. Day 2 would be the longest and most challenging trekking day, and we'd be getting an early start.

I woke up once in the middle of the night to pee. On the walk back to the tented area, I stopped and turned off my headlamp-total darkness. I craned my neck and looked at the star-filled sky-the bright stars you only see when you physically remove yourself from the modern world.

Day 2 - Soraypampa to Chaullay

Begin: 3,900 meters / 12,795 feet; High Point: 4,650 m / 15,256 ft; End: 2,900 m / 9,514 ft.
Change in Elevation: +750 m / +2,461 ft uphill, followed by -1,750 m / 5,741 ft downhill.
Time walking: 8 hours 15 minutes

Daniel, our guide, briefs the group before we begin trekking on Day 2

Day 2 started with a 5 AM wake-up call and a cup of coca tea. By the time we'd eaten breakfast, the sun was already reflecting brightly off the glaciers around us. Our guide, Daniel, took a few minutes to introduce the support crew, including a cook, assistant cook, and horseman who managed the horses that carried our camping equipment, food, gas, and supplies.

I had a relatively good night's sleep. It wasn't the most comfortable, as the sleeping mat was paper-thin, but my rented sleeping bag was sufficiently warm, which mattered most. I bought some extra chocolate and water. I think I walked out of camp with 3.25 liters of water in my bag, if not a little more.

Ascent

We began going up the valley toward Salkantay Mountain, which would remain partly shrouded in clouds the whole morning. The day before, we got a glimpse of the peak both on the drive to Mollepata and from Camp 1, which was enough to satisfy me, given we were there in the off-season.

Kathy, the Australian woman, shared some coca leaves with us and a natural "accelerator" that speeds up the effects when combined with the leaves. Within a minute or two of chewing on the leaves, the right side of my tongue went numb. Spitting out the juices, as if I were chewing on tobacco, was less than appealing, so eventually, I spit out the whole wad of masticated leaves.

Horses carry the food, gas and camping gear — Horses carry food, gas, and camping gear.

Refocusing on the trail, the views continued to get prettier and prettier as our hearts beat harder and harder. But I loved every minute. It was as if I was running on pure adrenaline that morning. I've never felt so healthy and vital. I attributed this feeling to drinking tons of water and snarfing Snickers bars.

The Japanese guy outpaced us all, and we eventually lost sight of him. Meanwhile, the Malaysian woman with the headache from the day before had rented a horse to ride up the mountain pass that morning.

She had only spent two nights in Cusco before starting the trek, so her body had not had enough time to acclimatize. I don't blame her for renting the horse; I would've done the same if I felt it was in the best interest of my health. However, hearing at least one other person in the group make disparaging remarks annoyed me.

The High Point

The closer we got to the 4,650-meter mountain pass, the more energized I felt. I surprised myself in the best possible way. The landscape had changed dramatically in the 750 meters we'd climbed in elevation. Gone were the green grasses, replaced by the rocky, moon-like landscapes often seen above 4,000 meters.

On Day 1, we practically had the trail to ourselves aside from a couple trekking with a guide. On Day 2, we shared the trail with that couple and another small group of trekkers. The lack of other people was a surprise and a clear benefit to trekking in the low season.

Salkantay pass — The Salkantay mountain pass at 4,600 meters. The 3.5 hours it took to get up was the easy part. The 5 hours of going down killed my knees.

Euphoria struck us all as we posed by the sign marking the trail's high point. It was a new personal high for me in trekking at high altitudes, though I'd previously been as high as 5,000 meters during the visit to Pastoruri Glacier.

Maybe it was the thin air, but I felt I had the energy to go even higher. After three and a half hours of walking to the pass, I knew I could've gone even higher that day. But the most challenging part of the day wasn't going up; it was the following five hours it took to descend 1,750 meters in elevation.

Descent

After about 20 minutes of rest and picture-taking at the pass, we began our descent. Driven to reach a lower elevation to negate the ill effects of the altitude, I walked as quickly as my body would take me. My knees didn't appreciate that approach, and within a few hours, I started feeling sharp pangs of pain.

Lunch on Day 2 was in Huayracpampa, small encampment in this beautiful valley — Lunch on Day 2 was in Huayracpampa, a small encampment in this beautiful valley.

At an elevation of 4,000 meters in a verdant green valley, we stopped for a spaghetti lunch at the small village of Huayracpampa. Here, we found the Japanese guy sleeping on our bags, which had been unloaded from the horses upon arrival (ahead of us).

The last three hours of walking were the killer. Physically, they were the most challenging part of the trek for me. I slowed my pace and adjusted my walking style on the steeper bits. The whole trail was scree and loose rock, like a dry riverbed. I wanted nothing more than to get to Camp 2 to lay down and rest.

I began repeating a mantra, "You can walk slowly, but you must keep walking."

Blisters

When we finally arrived in Chaullay, and I removed my shoes and socks, I was greeted by four to five painful blisters on each foot. I usually carry a sewing needle to drain them, but I'd forgotten. Luckily, the German girl had one to spare. Dinner was a relaxed affair, and I went straight to sleep after it was over.

Day 3 - Chaullay to Santa Teresa

Begin: 2,900 m / 9,514 ft; End: 1,900 m / 6,234 ft.
Change in Elevation: -1,000 m / 3,281 ft.
Time walking: 4 hours 15 minutes

Breakfast on Day 3: vegetable omelet, bread and jam, hot porridge, and coca tea

It rained at some point during our second night as we awoke to wet tents. However, I slept like a log. Even though we were 1,000 meters lower than the first night, the temperatures were far warmer than we'd experienced at Camp 1.

Rising around 6 AM to coca tea delivered to our tents, we had a filling breakfast, said goodbye to our horseman and horses, and walked along a dirt road that follows the Lluskamayu River. A recent landslide had taken out a section of the regular hiking trail, which runs on the opposite side of the river, so we took a detour for safety reasons.

We walked on the road vs the trail to bypass this landslide — We walked on the road vs. the trail to bypass this landslide

Setting the Pace

Reinvigorated after a whole night's rest, I lead the pack. Compared to the first two days of walking, Day 3 was a breeze. We followed the river for the entire day's walk. As we descended in elevation and the sun rose higher in the sky, it became very hot and humid.

I walked quickly simply because I wanted to reach our camp for the night and escape the heat. It didn't take long for my knees to reject this strategy. Once again, I was feeling sharp, at times crippling, pains in my knees.

Landslides

The Dutch girls approach a section of trail recently wiped away by a landslide.

We could detour around one massive landslide that affected the trail, but others still required us to pass them. It helps if you don't look down. A little over four hours after we started, we reached the trail's end.

A minivan was waiting to take us the short distance to the village of Sahuayacu (elev: 2,520 meters), where we had a gigantic lunch of soup, fried rice, and vegetables. We then hopped back into the van to drive to nearby Santa Teresa, where we would spend our third night.

The reward for getting this far was a dip in the hot springs outside Santa Teresa. They're situated in a scenic spot alongside the river, and we arrived before the other groups doing the Inca Trail and Inca Jungle treks. For 10-15 minutes, aside from a few locals, we had the pools to ourselves.

That night, we were to have a campfire. However, heavy rain washed those plans away. Instead, we drank beer and played a few rounds of a card game (called asshole) after dinner.

Day 4 - Santa Teresa to Aguas Calientes

Begin: 1,900 m / 6,562 ft End: 2,000 m / ft.
Change in Elevation: -100 m / 328 ft.
Time walking: 3 hours

Our map for Day 4, from the hydroelectric plant to Aguas Calientes

On the fourth morning, the group split up. I wanted to head straight for Aguas Calientes, as did Nicole (Canada), while the rest of the group wanted to pay about $30 to ride what's billed as South America's biggest zipline. Daniel drew Nicole and me a map from the Hydroelectric plant to Aguas Calientes. It was as if we were in Stand by Me.

Walking the Train Tracks

Walking along the railroad tracks was like a scene out of Stand By Me.

Nicole and I took a 30-minute taxi, along with an Argentinian trekker, to the start of the railway that runs from the Hydroelectric plant through Aguas Calientes and Ollantaytambo to Cusco. There were still sections where we had to walk on the loose rock of the railroad tracks. However, it was a flat walk through the valley behind Machu Picchu. Along the way, a dog began to follow us. Daniel informed us that the trains pass every hour or two, and sure enough, we had to step aside for one during the 3-hour walk.

Aguas Calientes

When we reached the entrance to Machu Picchu, near the train tracks, Nicole and I posed for pictures since we'd get up before dawn the next day to hike up. With excitement and relief, we finally walked up to the road from Machu Picchu's main entrance to the town of Aguas Calientes. Situated along the river, with the train tracks running straight through the center, it's a tourist town in the strictest sense of the term.

Peru Rail train pulls through Aguas Calientes.

Upon finding our hostel for the night, I showered and treated myself to a one-hour massage, followed by coffee and a piece of rich chocolate cake. Dear civilization, I missed you! That night, we had a group dinner at one of the restaurants. We all ordered the trucha (trout), a dish I've come to relish when up in the Andes.

After dinner, a few of us went for a cocktail - five for one caipirinha, which drew us in the door. Unfortunately, they were the tiniest cocktails I'd ever been served. And we forgot about the inevitable tax and service charge they'd tack on.

Small drinks aside, it was nice to spend a little time bonding before we set off for our final destination, Machu Picchu and Wayna Picchu, before dawn the following day.

***

Dave's 160-page, all-original Lima Travel Guide is available for Kindle.

Go Backpacking: The Most Popular Posts of 2011

Beach in Zanzibar, Tanzania (photo: Mark Wiens)

'Tis the season for retrospective blog posts.

Putting together these list brings back a lot of memories, not just of writing my own stories, but of reading those contributed by Mark Wiens, and others throughout the year.

My Travel and Business Year in Review

This year passed in the blink of an eye. Or at least that's how it feels looking back.

I'm lucky enough to say I've done exactly what I wanted to do and had a great time doing it.

This year had its share of low points, too; however, they only served to make me stronger.

If you're a new reader, this post is a great way to catch up!

Japan

On February 1, about a month before the earthquake and tsunami struck, I flew from Newark to Tokyo to kick off my first trip to Japan.

I packed ultra light, only carrying a daypack for the 11-day Winter trip.

Tokyo

I couchsurfed in Tokyo, re-enacted scenes from Lost in Translation at the Park Hyatt, got kicked out of the Tsukiji Fish Market, and took a day trip to visit the snow monkeys of Nagano.

Kyoto

I then hopped a bullet train to Kyoto, where I got a hazy view of Mt. Fuji in the distance.

On my first night in Kyoto, I walked into a random restaurant and had the best sushi of my life.

Despite the cold air outside, the salmon belly would melt in my mouth, and I couldn't get enough of it.

I also tried several regional cuisines in Kyoto, including Kushikatsu and Kaiseki.

I visited the tranquil Golden Temple and then stepped WAY out of my comfort zone with a bare naked visit to a traditional Japanese onsen.

Hiroshima

The food discoveries continued with massive, fresh oysters and okonomiyaki in Hiroshima, a city that I visited as a day trip from Kyoto to see the iconic A-Bomb Dome and Peace Park first hand.

Colombia

Within a few days of returning to Virginia from Japan, I was on a flight back to Medellin, Colombia, where I spent the subsequent six months.

In addition to further delving into the city's ridiculously fun nightlife, I also made an effort to visit some of the top restaurants.

The highlight was a 4-hour dinner at El Cielo, which specializes in molecular gastronomy. I also enjoyed Bijao, which specializes in Nuevo Latino cuisine, and Me Late Chocolate.

Caribbean Coast

My big trip outside Medellin took me to the Caribbean city of Santa Marta, Taganga -- a backpacker favorite, the gorgeous Parque Nacional Tayrona, and Cabo de la Vela, a desolate yet beautiful beach at the northernmost point of the country and continent.

Pueblos

I also made it a point to visit two of Antioquia's most popular pueblos, Jardin, where I went horseback riding, and Santa Fe de Antioquia, where I started writing and compiling my Medellin city guide, an ebook I intended to release early in 2012.

But it wasn't all fun and games.

I got sick (I swear it was more than just traveler's diarrhea) on the ride back to Santa Marta from the La Guajira Peninsula.

Once I felt better and back in Medellin, I was robbed by an armed man while waiting at a stoplight in a taxi.

Ecuador

The recent robbery in Colombia had me on edge for my first visit to Ecuador, but despite all the theft stories I'd heard, I couldn't bring myself to skip a country out of fear alone.

Quito

So I flew to Quito on AeroGal as planned and proceeded to have a fun and theft-free time exploring the historic city center, visiting the Equator, riding the Teleferico for sweeping city views, and mountain biking down Cotopaxi Volcano.

The Galapagos Islands

I booked a last-minute trip to the Galapagos Islands from Quito but ran into trouble early when our yacht broke down the first day!

Luckily, we had a cool guide, and we made the most of the downtime with a visit to Tortuga Bay, where we saw our first sharks and marine iguanas.

The week's highlight for me was swimming with sea lions, followed closely by observing the Blue Footed Boobies.

We saw the famous land tortoises and even a few Galapagos Penguins!

Banos, Guayaquil, Montanita, and More

I went to Ecuador for the Galapagos but soon found much more to the country than the wildlife out at sea.

I went canyoning in Banos, ate cuy (guinea pig), poked around Guayaquil, partied in Montanita, and fell in love with Cuenca. It was also in Cuenca that I had my best meal in Ecuador.

From there, it was on to Vilcabamba in the Valley of Longevity, from where I would start the overland journey into northern Peru.

Peru

Taking the scenic route into Peru entailed a 2-day bus and colectivo adventure to Chachapoyas, where I visited the ancient fortress of Kuelap and the world's 3rd tallest waterfall.

Then it was on to Trujillo, the country's second-largest city, from which I explored colorful Moche ruins and UNESCO-listed Chan Chan.

Continuing the zigging and zagging pattern, my next overnight bus took me to Huaraz at the foot of the Cordillera Blanca.

I toured Huascaran, Peru's tallest mountain, and visited a glacier at 5,000 meters above sea level.

From Huaraz, I landed in Lima, where I'd proceed to eat my way through the city (and put on the extra pounds to prove it).

I'll be writing more about my time in Lima, as well as my trek to Machu Picchu in early January, so stay tuned!

The Business

My goal with building an online income has always been to live and travel abroad freely.

As I devoted the second half of 2010 to living in Colombia, it wasn't until 2011 that I got to spread my wings and fly.

While my income didn't increase as much as I'd anticipated (it grew about 20%), it was enough to allow me a few investments back into the business, including a new 13" MacAir (which may be the best travel laptop ever) and custom blog design.

I also began paying contributors for the first time, which has worked out very well for everyone.

So well that I'll be announcing another addition to the Go Backpacking team in early January.

And most recently, I was honored to be accepted into the Society of American Travel Writers.

Go Backpacking - I started the year searching for a new contributor, which led me to Mark Wiens.

His weekly contributions are amongst the most shared on Go Backpacking.

Visits increased 62% in 2011 over the prior year, with the site breaking 1.2 million page views. I also began creating the Travel Guides section.

Medellin Living - Medellin Living had a breakout year, with almost triple the number of visits in 2011 over 2010.

I also began paying contributors to this site, which is especially important when I'm not in Colombia, as I can't devote as much time to growing the site.

Travel Blog Success - At the start of the year, I doubled the number of lessons and audio interviews.

I also added monthly coaching calls and a private Facebook group to the Premium membership offering.

Over 100 new members joined the TBS community in the last 12 months, bringing the total membership to over 200.

I don't anticipate any significant changes for 2012 and hope to continue helping new bloggers one by one.

The rest of the week will be devoted to sharing the most popular posts of the year.

Thank you for continuing to read, and I look forward to making 2012 our best year yet!

5 Outdoor Adventures Around Guilin, China

Guilin city is an extremely beautiful town located in the northern part of Guangxi Province, China.

After arriving, I asked a local about the population of Guilin. "It's very small, about 6 million," she replied. I guess by Chinese standards that is rather small.

Anyways, don't let the mid-sized city population of Guilin throw you off, there are plenty of cool outdoor adventures in and around the area.

1. Go Hiking

Though there are many hiking destinations around Guilin, one place famous for its scenic views is the hike from Yangdi to Xingping.

It's a long hike, about 25 kilometers, but the views of the Li River and the incredible karst mountains were absolutely breathtaking.

The hike took us about 5 hours to complete but it was worth every step.

The actual small town of Yangshuo, situated about 1.5 hours from Guilin is also surrounded by mountains and offers a wide selection of different hikes.

Try hiking up TV Tower or hike to the top of Moonhill.

2. Bike Riding

A different way to see the scenery around Guilin is to rent a bicycle and take a cruise.

Within the city of Guilin, there are plenty of parks and outdoor public areas that make great areas to bike around.

Outside of Guilin, again in the town of Yangshuo, there are lots of bicycle route options.

Many bike rides are accessible by provided roads that have very little motor traffic, however, if you enjoy off-road biking you can easily pedal down one of the countless rice farming trails.

One of the great things about Yangshuo is that even though there are plenty of tourists, it is still easy to escape the crowds when you are on a bike.

You can either choose a real mountain bike or a Chinese style one-speed bike.

Mountain bikes go for around $5 - $10 per day while one-speed bikes (like the one above) can be rented for just $1 or less per day.

3. Rock Climbing

All the karst cliffs and mountains make the area of Guilin one of the most well-known spots in China for rock climbing enthusiasts.

From organized rock climbing tours put together by official companies to just getting out there and tackling the adventure on your own, if you like rock climbing you will have a blast in Guilin and Yangshuo.

There are possibilities to go rock climbing if you are a highly experienced climber or even if you are just a beginner.

4. Bamboo Rafting

China is probably the most famous country in the world for bamboo.

Bamboo is a wonder plant that produces perfectly round poles that have been used for countless purposes throughout China's lengthy history.

One of those ancient uses was to construct floating riverboats. While there are quite a few fake bamboo rafts made from plastic tubes these days, there are also plenty of real bamboo rafts.

The slow-moving Yulong River near Yangshuo is one of the best places to rent an authentic bamboo raft and enjoy a lazy floating time down the river.

5. Caving

Due to the natural landscapes and abundance of mountainous rock formations, Guilin is home to some amazing scenery below its surface too.

One of the most popular and closest caves to visit in Guilin is the Reed Flute Cave.

As proven by ancient Tang Dynasty rock carvings and etching, the Reed Flute Cave has been enjoyed by Chinese visitors starting over 1200 years ago.

Closer to Yangshuo are even more caves including the Silver Cave, Dragon Water Cave, and the Seven Star Cave. The Crown Cave even includes tours by railroad car and underground riverboat tours.

If you are really looking for an outdoor adventure near Guilin, China, you may want to consider getting married on an authentic bamboo raft...lots of Chinese do!

The Flower-Filled Entrance to Museo Larco

The colorful entrance to Museo Larco in Lima

The Museo Rafael Larco Herrera is a privately owned museum in Lima.

The main collection features Pre-Columbian art, including items from the Moche and Chimu civilizations, which I'd learned about while touring temples outside Trujillo.

A visit to Museo Larco was among the first things I did in Lima, and that's not because it houses a well-known collection of erotic pottery (yes it was).

____________

Dave's 160-page, all-original Lima Travel Guide is available for Kindle.

Sights of Colombo, Sri Lanka

With around 6 million inhabitants, Colombo is not even close to being one of the larger cities in Asia - yet there's no denying that the city is full of vibrant energy and always action-packed!

The streets of central Colombo are characterized by bright colorful signs, streams of rickshaws, tons of pedestrians and rowdy buses that look like they plan to hit anything in their path.

One of the best ways to get in and out of Colombo is by train. The railroad cuts directly through Colombo and goes along the beautiful Sri Lankan coast!

Sri Lankan's are extremely friendly people and they enjoy having a great time. I've never been to a country where so many people actually ask to have their photo taken just for fun (not because they want a tip).

Gangamaraya Buddhist Temple — Gangaramaya Buddhist Temple

Theravada Buddhism is the predominant religion of Sri Lanka.

Gangaramaya Buddhist Temple is one of the most iconic religious places of worship in town.

Fruit of all kinds grows in abundance on the island of Sri Lanka. Mangoes and coconuts, in particular, are everywhere to be seen.

This fruit store at Colombo's Pettah market was stocked with a nice selection of bright yellow (almost overripe) mangoes.

In Colombo make sure to haggle for your fruit, and you'll get some great deals!

Viharamahadevi Park is the central and largest park in Colombo. It makes a fantastic place to spend a day of family time, picnicking and relaxation!

Just as depicted on the Sri Lankan national flag, the Sri Lankan lion is one of the famous symbols of the country. Though it became extinct many many years ago, its legend lives on.

Some of the most delicious Sri Lankan street food is available in the evenings along Colombo's coastline known as Galle Face.

Make sure to sample the rice and fish curry as well as the piping hot roti paratha flatbreads.

Every evening Galle Face comes alive with Colombo residents enjoying outdoor activities like flying kites, taking a walk, playing in the water or just soaking up the cool Indian Ocean breeze.

Sunset at Mt. Lavinia — Sunset at Mount Lavinia

Gorgeous sunsets over the ocean are an everyday occurrence in Colombo.

One of the best places to grab a cool drink and gawk at the beautiful view is from an area of town known as Mount Lavinia.

Holiday Sale: 35% Off Travel Blog Success Memberships

[G]reetings from Lima! I'm about to fly back to the US to spend Christmas with family, but before I go, it's time for the annual TBS holiday sale.

Save 35% off a Premium Membership by joining the Trave Blog Success community this week.

Go to the site now through 7 pm (EST) December 23, 2011 and enter "tbs35" (minus the quotes) to get your lifetime membership at a big discount.

Benefits of joining as a Premium member include:

Private Facebook support group, in addition to the TBS Forum. Myself, and several other full time bloggers are there to help answer questions 24/7.
Monthly Coaching Calls where I'll be able to answer your questions live.
13 audio interviews with top travel bloggers, including Gary Arndt of Everything Everywhere and Benny the Irish Polyglot.

Since launching Travel Blog Success two years ago, over 200 travelers have joined the community.

Here's a small sample of the feedback I've received this year:

"Thanks also for the great info on the site. I'm learning so much." -- Kay

"I wanted to tell you I'm learning a lot from TBS. Really glad I joined." -- Juno

"I'm excited to be joining TBS. After doing some research I realized that enrolling in TBS is a logical step towards improving my chances of monetizing my newly created travel blog." -- Sam

I've got a bunch of great ideas to further grow and improve TBS in 2012.

Lock in your membership today, and you won't have to worry about potential price hikes.

Go to the Travel Blog Success site, enter "tbs35" as the discount code, and lets get this party started!

Happy Holidays,

Dave

[PS - On a personal note, with two weeks left in 2011, I'm on track to earn a healthy $45,000 this year. If you're not already familiar, I publicly report my travel blogging income on a quarterly basis.]

Renting Apartments in Lima, Peru

The kitchen in my Lima apartment — The kitchen in my apartment at Ave. 28 de Julio

I booked my first apartment in Lima through an online, 3rd party service.

The simple, modern 1-bedroom apartment in trendy Miraflores was perfect fit for me, both in terms of size and budget.

It was also perfectly located between the cliffside shopping center of Larcomar, and Parque Kennedy. Plus, across the street were 4 quality restaurants, a pharmacy, and several ATM's.

The check-in process was straightforward. I met up with Giancarlo of Lima 4 Rent in the building's lobby, and we then went up to the apartment together.

Giancarlo whipped out his iPad, and after a quick check of the place, including the Wi-Fi, I paid for my full stay upfront in cash.

[US Dollars are the preference, as markup is added if you pay in Peruvian Soles because he then needs to change them back to Dollars anyways. Luckily, this is easy to do as most ATM's in Lima dispense US Dollars.]

My 8 nights in the apartment went by quickly, and I actually ended up renting a different, 2-bedroom apartment for 4 nights right before leaving for Cusco.

This time, I skipped the 3rd party site and booked direct with Giancarlo.

When I checked in to the second apartment, the Wi-Fi wasn't working, and after some troubleshooting, Giancarlo determined the problem to be with the router.

I was anxious about paying several hundred dollars for an apartment without working Wi-Fi, but he assured me it'd be fixed by the following morning, if not that night.

I paid, and crossed my fingers. True to his word, Giancarlo delivered a new router a few hours later, and I was up and running with Wi-Fi that worked perfectly the rest of my stay.

When it came time for my flight to Cusco, Giancarlo once again made it easy on me.

He offers rides to the airport for $25, which is more than you'll pay a taxi off the street, but I appreciated the added security of a private ride given I was traveling with all my stuff.

And, it's just easier to handle the check-in or check-out process when the person is also transporting you to the airport.

After Cusco, I paid for pick-up at the airport, as I was going to be renting the original apartment for a few weeks before Christmas.

I slipped back into it as if I'd been living there for years. And as I write this, I've already put a deposit down on the apartment for the week after Christmas (through New Year's).

I was really pleased to continue paying the same weekly rate of $360, even though I'd be renting around the holidays.

When all is said and done, I will have rented two apartments for a total of 4 weeks through Giancarlo and Lima 4 Rent, and I'm happy to recommend them to friends visiting the city as well.

Their website lists the available apartments, along with photos and rates to make picking the one that's right for you as easy as possible. Terms and Conditions are clearly listed on the reservations page.

Special Promotion: Pay for an 8-night stay, and you'll get a free night if you rent from them again in the future. The offer is good on the condition that you book at least 5 consecutive nights on your second visit.

Lastly, I want to mention Giancarlo has social media covered.

You can learn more about Lima, as well as the apartments and company, by joining them on Facebook, following the "Info Llama" on Twitter, and/or reading the blog.

If you've got any questions about my experience, or renting in Lima, leave a comment below.

___________

I received 2 complimentary nights in exchange for writing an honest review of my experience.

Dave's 160-page, all-original Lima Travel Guide is available for Kindle.

Pastoruri Glacier: Journey to 5,000 Meters

Puya Raimondi are found in the higher elevations of the Peruvian Andes, and can grow from 4 to 8 meters in height

[P]astoruri Glacier is located a few hours from Huaraz, in Peru's Cordillera Blanca.

Those who have been following me since my 'round the world trip know I've got a fascination with creeping up to higher and higher elevations.

I can still remember when I thought hiking the Tongariro Crossing in New Zealand, which hits 1,800 meters, was a big deal.

Then I trekked in the Annapurna region of Nepal and got above 3,000 meters.

I quickly followed it up with the more treacherous 4-day Indrahar Pass trek in northern India to 4,320 meters.

Mountain biking Cotopaxi Volcano in Ecuador took me to 4,500 meters, but it'd be in Peru that I'd finally crack the 5,000 meter mark.

To be fair, driving to these heights is far, FAR easier than trekking to them, but it's still a thrill to watch the rugged scenery unfold before you.

Take the time to hold a soft baby animal in Peru, whether it be a llama, alpaca or goat

The trip to Pastoruri Glacier started out with an uneventful drive south of Huaraz.

Slowly, but surely, we gained altitude. In total, we'd be going up 1,900 meters before lunchtime.

Once we hit the dirt road leading up the valley to the national park, and glacier, the landscape began to change more dramatically.

Trees and foliage gave way to open, desolate spaces claimed only by grasses, and a few hearty plants, including the Puya Raimondi (Queen of the Andes).

Hail and snow fall over Pastoruri Glacier

The parking lot for Pastoruri Glacier is located at an elevation of 4,800 meters, so the final bit must be walked....unless you opt to hire a horse, as many Peruvians choose to do.

The horses run a path parallel to the stone walkway that leads most of the way up to the glacier.

The immediate view of the glacier from the parking lot is unimpressive.

It looks like two flat fields of snow, however after a heart-thumping 30-40 minute walk uphill, you'll arrive at the foot of the glacier, and be treated to more epic views.

Along the walk up, I heard thunder crack in the distance. The sky grew grey, winds picked up, and hail began to pelt me from above.

I pushed on, reminded that even a 40-minute walk is an adventure at these altitudes.

Pastoruri Glacier is shrinking due to global warming. 5 years ago, I would've been standing on the glacier when taking this picture.

By the time I reached the glacier, it was steadily snowing, and I was getting wet, having left my rain jacket in the van.

With only a few shirts and a fleece to keep me warm, I hurriedly took some photos by the glacier, which is rapidly shrinking due to global warming.

Even just a few years ago, local Peruvians would learn to ski and snowboard on Pastoruri, however those days are long gone. [gbicon]

Visitors are no longer allowed to walk on the glacier, however you're still allowed to take a bite out of it (literally)

GPS puts me at 5,020 meters (16,467 feet) above sea level

_______

What You Need to Know

Visiting Pastoruri Glacier is an easy way to start the acclimatization process if you're planning to do any trekking or climbing in the region.

How Much: $22.50 + tip ($15 for transport/guide, $2 for park entrance, $5.50 for lunch)

Difficulty: Moderate

Where to Book: Tours are easy to arrange through any of the hostels, or offices located around Huaraz’s main plaza.

What to Bring: Camera, sunglasses, warm hat, and sunscreen. Dress in layers, and bring a waterproof jacket. Bring the jacket on your walk up to the glacier, even if the weather is clear when you arrive at the parking lot, as conditions can change quickly.

____________

Dave's 160-page, all-original Lima Travel Guide is now available for Kindle and PDF.

A "Day of the Dead" Visit to Huascaran, Peru's Tallest Mountain

Huascaran, as seen from my hostel in Huaraz

I arrived in Huaraz (elev: 3,100 meters), at the foot of Peru's Cordillera Blanca, just as the rainy season was getting underway.

I didn't care.

This was the gateway to Peru's tallest mountains, including Huascaran at 6,768 meters (22,205 feet), and I wasn't going to miss it on my first visit to the country.

After all, it was here in the Huayhuash region that Joe Simpson's Touching the Void, a legendary tale of mountaineering and survival, took place.

It was the early morning, and despite catching a few hours' sleep on the overnight bus from Trujillo, I immediately closed the curtains and crashed on my bed in Hatun Wasi Hostel.

The following morning, I opened the curtains to a spectacular view of Huascaran looming on the distant horizon. I had to get closer.

Memorial / gravesite in Yungay — The memorial/gravesite for the thousands who died in Yungay and Ranrahirca after the 1970 earthquake, and the resulting avalanche

At 3:23 PM on May 31, 1970, an undersea earthquake off the coast of Peru rattled the region for 45 seconds.

The force was strong enough to destabilize a large section of rock and glacial ice on the north face of Huascaran.

The resulting avalanche and landslide, traveling at approximately 300 kilometers per hour, buried Yungay and Ranrahirca in the valley below.

In Yungay alone, an estimated 20,000 people were killed. The Peruvian government later declared the original site of Yungay a national cemetery.

Peruvian women in traditional dress pay their respects on the Day of the Dead

Day of the Dead, or Día de Muertos, is a religious holiday that originated in Mexico and is now celebrated throughout Latin America and the world every on the first and second day of every November.

The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to remember loved ones who've passed away.

As fate would have it, I booked my day trip to Huascaran for November 1.

Old Yungay's cemetery was essentially a large, round series of several terraces, like a layer cake.

Built into each terrace were what appeared to be graves marked by small alcoves where flowers could be placed.

I was enamored with the dress of the local women. I'd already been exposed to it on the streets of Huaraz, but it seemed more fitting in the countryside.

View of Huascaran from the old Yungay — View of Huascaran from Yungay's old city center, which was destroyed by the 1970 avalanche

A mangled bus was left as a memorial to those who died

The location of the old Yungay is now a memorial. A somber space filled with colorful rose gardens.

Walking around, it's hard not to take your eyes off the omnipresent Huascaran.

In the shadow of Huascaran mountain — In the shadow of Huascaran

After the "sad" part of the tour, as our guide put it, we loaded up the minivan and zoomed toward the valley running along the east side of Huascaran.

The tour is billed as a visit to Laguna Chinacocha (elev: 4,420 meters), so the visit to Yungay had been a surprise.

After a short, off-road drive up the valley adjacent to Huascaran, we were deposited on the shores of the blue lagoon.

As I learned in New Zealand, mineral-rich, glacial lakes, lagoons, and rivers often have an otherworldly color.

Shades of blues and greens you won't find in other bodies of water.

What You Need to Know

You can visit old Yungay and Laguna Chinacocha independently or more easily as part of a group tour.

How Much: $20 + tip ($13 for transport/guide, $0.75 for old Yungay entrance, $1.75 for Huascaran park, $4.50 for lunch)

Difficulty: Easy

Where to Book: Tours are easy to arrange through any hostels or offices located around Huaraz's central plaza. If you're not fluent in Spanish, make sure you're getting an English-speaking guide.

What to Bring: Camera, sunglasses, hat, and sunscreen. There are plenty of vendors from which to buy snacks and water along the way.

***

Dave's 160-page, all-original Lima Travel Guide is available for Kindle.

10 Famous Beer Breweries to Visit Around the World

There’s a saying amongst travelers that if you want to get to know the locals, get to know their beer first.

Beer is the third most popular beverage in the world, beaten only by tea and water.

With this in mind, a great idea when traveling abroad is to work your way around some of the best cities in the world to visit that special place where the finest brews are made.

Germany

Perhaps the best place to start is a country famous for its beer, Germany.

Indeed, it is here that you will find some of the best breweries in the world among the 1,300 in operation, the highest number in any one country bar in the United States. The choices are, therefore, numerous.

Perhaps the Benedictine Abbey Weihenstephan Brewery in Freising, North Munich, is the most exciting place to start.

Established in 725, this is said to be the oldest brewery in the world.

Among its many favorite brews is Oettinger, which in 2004 surpassed Krombacher and became the best selling beer in the country.

Situated on the Holy Mountain that guards Lake Ammersee, the Andechs Monastery in Bavaria must come a close second for historical interest.

Indeed, this brewery has been something of a place of pilgrimage for beer culture enthusiasts since the Middle Ages.

For a small price, you can take the fascinating tour of the brewery and learn about the full history of the brewing process that has operated here for centuries.

You’ll also be able to see the state of the art facilities that have since replaced the previously used brewing equipment.

On a worldwide scale, however, perhaps the best known German beer is Becks.

Brewed on the riverbanks of Bremen, Becks, and its local counterpart, Haake Becks, have been created here since 1879.

Explore the whole process in a behind the scenes tour that will guide you through the brewing rooms to the fermentation tanks and malt silos, leaving you all the wiser as to how this beer has gained its worldwide reputation.

The Netherlands

Another country that is notorious for its love of beers is the Netherlands.

Heineken continues to dominate the scene throughout the country, and in Amsterdam, you have the opportunity to live the Heineken experience literally.

A historic brewery and visitor center, Amsterdam's Heineken Experience is open all year round.

Home to Heineken's operations since 1867, this brewery remained the beer's primary facility until 1988, when it was replaced by a modernized version built on the city's outskirts.

The Czech Republic

Neither of the above countries, however, can legitimately lay claim to inventing the stuff; this accolade rightfully goes to the Czech Republic.

The beer here is unbeatable throughout the country and is perhaps the reason why beer is consumed here more per capita than in other countries in the world.

For the best of the breweries here, visit Pilsen, where you can find the legendary homes of two of the world's most excellent beers, Pilsner Urquell and Gambrinus.

Denmark

For something a little different, try the Koenhavn brewpub in the heart of Copenhagen.

In essence, a 'microbrewery,' is also a popular restaurant and bar that is ideal for sampling the on-site brew in the relaxing atmosphere of the bar's beer garden.

The entire workings are housed in a 17th-century historic building.

Tours are available, but you may find you spend most of the time getting more acquainted with the brewery's 11 different beers available on tap.

Scotland

Alternatively, take off for Scotland, where you can enjoy the local brew in one of the most unique and notorious settings around the Loch Ness.

The area had lacked any brewing facilities until recently when two brothers, Allan and Stephen Crossland, decided to set up their brewery in the nearby Benleva Hotel.

Choose from aptly named, unique brews such as LightNESS, HappyNESS, WilderNESS, MildNESS or new additions DarkNESS and RedNESS - just don't overdo it, or you will be going home with tales of strange monsters lurking in the waters of this famous Loch.

The United States

Let's face it. You can't compile any list on a worldwide scale without including the USA.

Home to more breweries than anywhere else on the planet, it is not easy to choose which ones are the most worthy of a visit.

However, the home of the famous Budweiser brand is an excellent place to start and, of course, in the Coors Brewery, the Americans have the biggest brewery in the world, naturally.

The Anheuser-Busch Merrimack brewery, situated in the fabulous scenic countryside of New England, remains a favorite among brewery enthusiasts.

Visit the home of the infamous Budweiser Clydesdales, Clydesdale Hamlet, and take the tour of Brew Hall to find out how using only the highest quality ingredients make this beer one of the world's most favorite brews.

Special events are held at the Merrimack Tour Center throughout the year.

So to the biggest brewery, the famous Coors Brewery in Golden, Denver is capable of brewing a staggering 22 million barrels a year. Tours around the brewery are free and take about 30 minutes.

Included in the tour are the brewhouse and malthouse in addition to the mind-blowingly sophisticated packaging center.

Here you can witness how over 100 work teams are employed to produce this brew, one of the most popular in the world.

Ireland

Finally, many beer lovers the world over would agree that we have saved the best until last.

St. James Gate Brewery in Dublin was established in 1759 by Arthur Guinness and has been the home of 'the black stuff' ever since.

Fortunately, the site was leased for 9,000 years by Mr. Guinness, so there is no sign that this brewery will relinquish its title of the largest brewer of stout worldwide just yet.

Indeed, covering some 64 acres, the home of Guinness was the largest of all breweries until 1914.

Throughout the 19th century and early 20th, the brewery incorporated most of the surrounding buildings into its operations, making this one of the most extensive brewery tours you are ever likely to make.

Just don't forget to collect your free pint.

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This post was written in partnership with and brought to you by TravelSupermarket.com.

Joining the Society of American Travel Writers

Today I'm excited to share that I've been accepted into the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW).

The SATW is a professional association of North American travel writers, editors, photographers, publishers, and PR pros.

When I first came across the SATW a few years ago, it seemed only relevant to traditional print journalists and professional photographers.

Over this past Summer, however, I was encouraged to apply as the organization looked to attract bloggers into the fold.

The Society of American Travel Writers' mission is to promote responsible journalism, provide professional development for its members and encourage the conservation and preservation of travel resources worldwide.

Things are going swimmingly for me, so why did I go through the effort and cost to join?

It has been a little over 4 years since I left the highly structured corporate world to pursue my travels, and while I'm happy with how my self-development and life has evolved since then, I continue to look for ways to solidify this dream job as a pro travel blogger into a sustainable lifestyle and business.

The kind that can one day support not just me and my wanderings, but a family.

Or at least a spouse and a cute dog.

A few of the biggest benefits I saw to joining the Society of American Travel Writers include:

Increased credibility
Networking opportunities
Chance to further my development as a travel writer
Ability to help other members who are new to the world of blogging

Special thanks to Chris Gray Faust and Kara Williams for sponsoring me.

I first met Chris at a World Hum happy hour over two years ago in Washington, DC, when she was still working as the Travel Editor at USA Today. And I hope to meet Kara one day soon.

The SATW's tagline is Travel's Most Trusted Voices, and I'm proud to be their newest member. [gbicon]

Chan Chan: The Largest, Most Boring Pre-Columbian City in South America

Restored ruins in one of the palaces of Chan Chan

Covering some 20 square kilometers of desert between Trujillo and the Pacific Ocean, the adobe city of Chan Chan was constructed by the Chimor civilization starting around 850 AD.

This was about the same time the Moche civilization, which created Huaca de la Luna and Huaca del Sol, went into decline.

Chan Chan was inhabited until 1470 AD when it was conquered by the Incas.

One of the typically bleak and bland views within Chan Chan

Chan Chan in Peru — Restored adobe walls in Chan Chan mimic the look of distant mountains

While Chan Chan may hold the coveted UNESCO World Heritage Site status, I found it to be far less interesting than the mountaintop ruins of Kuelap, and colorful Huaca de la Luna.

That said, the sheer scale of the city does leave one in awe.

During my tour, we walked around the Tschudi Complex. It was immense in and of itself, yet it is just one of a dozen palaces within the entire city.

This natural reservoir was the only spot of color during my visit to Chan Chan

What You Need to Know

You can visit Chan Chan as a ½ day trip, or like me, bundle it with a visit to Huaca de la Luna y Huaca del Sol in the morning. The pricing below is based on the full day trip.

How Much: $30 + tip ($16.50 for transport/guide, $1 for museum entrance, $3.50 for ticket to ruins, $5.50 for lunch, $3.50 for entrance to Chan Chan)

Difficulty: Easy

Where to Book: Tours are easy to arrange through any of the offices located around Trujillo’s main plaza. If you’re not fluent in Spanish, make sure you’re getting an English-speaking guide.

What to Bring: Camera, sunglasses, hat, and sunscreen. There are plenty of vendors from which to buy snacks and water along the way.

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Dave's 160-page, all-original Lima Travel Guide is available for Kindle.

Moche Ruins: Huaca de la Luna y Huaca del Sol

[F]ollowing in the footsteps of my friends Jack and Jill, I departed Chachapoyas in the mountains of northern Peru for Trujillo further south along the coast.

As an aside, I took an overnight bus, which was far more comfortable, modern, and efficient than any bus I've taken in Colombia or Ecuador (or heck, even the USA and Europe for that matter).

Despite the comfort of fully reclining seats, I still found the first few hours of mountain roads to be nauseating.

Since leaving Colombia, I've been traveling without a guidebook for the first time in my entire life.

It has been a liberating experience, and far easier than I imagined. The result, though, is I'll often end up in a new city with only the vaguest idea of what do there. Hardly a bad thing if you've got the time to explore at a relaxed pace.

In Trujillo, I quickly discovered the main tourist attractions are the adobe ruins of two temples, Huaca de la Luna (Temple of the Moon) and Huaca del Sol (Temple of the Sun).

Both part of the former capital city of the Moche people, a civilization that ran from 100 AD to 800 AD, and was based at the foot of Cerro Blanco (White Mountain).

Huaca de la Sol is situated at the base of Cerro Blanco (White Mountain)

All group tours begin with a visit to the museum located near the ruins. Inside, you'll be able to see artifacts recovered the site, as well as learn about the Moche people and their practices. Information is presented in both English and Spanish.

From the museum, you'll also be able to get a good look and feel for how closely Huaca de la Luna was located to Cerro Blanco, a mountain which was clearly of significant spiritual importance to the Moche people.

View of Huaca de Sol from Huaca de la Luna. In between the two temples was the capital city of the Moche.

While Huaca del Sol may be bigger than Huaca de la Luna, it is not nearly as well preserved, nor as colorful as the latter.

It is also not hollow, so visitors are only able to walk around it, not through it. Composed of an estimated 130 million adobe bricks, archaeologists estimate it's the largest pre-Columbian adobe structure in the Americas.

In between the two temples lay the capital city of the Moche people. Today, due to erosion and limited restoration, only vague outlines of some city structures can be seen.

Restoration work is an ongoing process inside Huaca de la Luna

Restored frescoes inside Huaca de la Luna

The colorful, restored religious reliefs within Huaca de la Luna were an unexpected surprise.

Without the color, the ruins would've felt like a big pile of mud and sand. Hardly appealing to all but the most die hard archaeological fans.

Human sacrifices are known to have been a regular part of the Moche civilization. Why, you may wonder?

As I found upon arrival in Trujillo by bus, the coast of Peru (if not all of South America) is one long desert. Water is essential to life, and weather patterns such as El Nino may have exacerbated already dry conditions.

The Moche solution was to sacrifice people, which was considered a privilege at the time, to appease the Gods.

An exterior view of Huaca de la Luna, showcasing its growth (in layers) over time

Huaca de la Luna is like a layer cake. The initial temple was just one layer tall. Eventually, that layer was used for graves, and the Moche people built a second layer on top of it.

This process continued up until the 6th or 7th layer. The various layers can be clearly delineated by the different images depicted on the exterior walls in the photo above. The giant hole punched in the middle of this exterior wall was due to looters.

The first layer shows a series of people connected by a rope or wooden structure at their shoulders. They were probably the laborers building the temple.

The fifth layer up from the ground reflects the form of a snake, an animal which would've had a certain religious significance to the Moche.

Between manmade damage from looters and erosion due to natural causes, Huaca de la Luna y Huaca del Sol have taken a beating over the centuries. But, they are still well worth the trip if you'll be passing through Trujillo.

What You Need to Know

You can visit Huaca de la Luna y Huaca del Sol as a ½ day trip, or like me, bundle it with a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Chan Chan in the afternoon. The pricing below is based on the full day trip.

How Much: $30 + tip ($16.50 for transport/guide, $1 for museum entrance, $3.50 for ticket to ruins, $5.50 for lunch, $3.50 for entrance to Chan Chan)

Difficulty: Easy

Where to Book: Tours are easy to arrange through any of the offices located around Trujillo's main plaza. If you’re not fluent in Spanish, make sure you’re getting an English-speaking guide.

What to Bring: Camera, sunglasses, hat, and sunscreen. There are plenty of vendors from which to buy snacks and water along the way.

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Dave's 160-page, all-original Lima Travel Guide is now available for Kindle and PDF.

Hiking the Longsheng Rice Terraces of China

Eager and excited to do some hiking and view some incredible mountain scenery, I boarded a bus from Guilin to Longsheng in Guangxi Province, China.

The bus driver chose to use his foghorn instead of his breaks as our public mini-bus screeched around mountain switchbacks, over tiny bridges and around completely blind turns.

In just a few hours I had traveled from the inspirational beauty of Yangshuo, to yet another breathtaking site: the Longsheng Dragon's Backbone rice terraces.

As soon as I stepped foot out the door of the bus, I was surrounded by a host of local Chinese women all trying to get hired to be my personal porter.

Despite the pleads of all the ladies, because I travel light, I opted to carry my backpack myself.

The Longsheng Rice Terraces are accessible only by foot.

After just 10 minutes of walking we arrived at the first small village - a few homes, some newly opened hotels and a slew of restaurants to cater to the growing tourism industry.

From the bottom of the terraces the view was gorgeous, but to get the greatest view I continued hiking up the winding rice trail to get to the top village of Dazhai.

It took about an hour to arrive at the guest house, a nicely designed Chinese equivalent of a wood cabin.

The entire guest house was made of varnished wood and there was a lovely porch with a stunning view over the mountain basin and the rice terraces.

One of the most popular things to do at Longsheng is to wake up early in the morning, hike to the very top viewpoint and watch the magnificent sun break through the clouds and shine on the various levels of rice.

Unfortunately, on the day I went, the clouds were a bit too strong and the sunrise wasn't nearly as amazing as it could have been.

However, I wasn't complaining with the view.

Due to the elevation, the weather at Longsheng was quite cool - so there was nothing that made me happier than returning to the guest house to order up a bowl of piping hot Guilin rice noodles topped with local Dazhai style smoked sausage.

I had heard Chinese people rave about the famous sausage before visiting, so I knew it was something I needed to eat.

The sausage lived up to its expectation, an extremely smokey flavor that delightfully flavored the entire bowl of noodles.

The main trail that winds through the terraces leads through a series of viewpoints - each with a Chinese dramatic dreamy name.

One of my favorite viewpoints while walking around was the "Thousand Layers to the Heavens."

Each viewpoint offered a chance to see the terraces from a different angle or side.

Many of the most beautiful attractions in China are represented by lots and lots of local Chinese tourists.

The Longsheng Rice Terraces were no different, but as I began to stray further and further from the main trails, I was able to lose most of the crowds and discover hidden places where few chose to hike.

Gazing at the neatly manicured steps of rice through the evergreen trees while breathing cool crisp air on the top of mountain ridges was truly a remarkable experience!

If you ever happen to visit Guilin, China, make sure to head over to Longsheng and Dazhai to catch a glimpse of this magnificent natural wonder.

Gocta Cataracts: The World's 3rd Tallest Waterfall

Visiting Gocta Waterfall, which is arguably the world's 3rd tallest at 771 meters (2,530 feet), is an easy day trip from Chachapoyas.

For $18, you can join a tour that includes roundtrip transportation in a minivan. The park entrance fee is another $2, and a fresh trucha (trout) lunch will run $3.50.

The hike from the drop-off point to the base of the waterfall takes an average of 2 hours, and there's a house with water and snacks for sale at the halfway point.

While it can seem like an easy hike, the altitude can slow you down if you haven't had a few nights to acclimatize in Chachapoyas (Elev: 2,300 meters) first.

The volume of water coming over the falls varies greatly based on the time of year.

I visited in October, before the start of the rainy season, so the water that was falling looked more like a cloud of mist than a heavy torrent.

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Dave's 160-page, all-original Lima Travel Guide is available for Kindle.

Kuelap: Fortress Ruins in Northern Peru

One of the many reasons I chose to take the long, scenic route from Ecuador to Peru was so that I'd be in a good position to visit Kuelap, a Pre-Inca, Pre-Colombian, mountaintop fortress built by the Chachapoyans (know as the Cloud Forest people).

Little is known about Kuelap, though we do know through carbon dating that construction began in the 6th century AD, and the location was occupied until the mid 1500's.

Lengthwise, the fortress walls at Kuelap extend 600 meters

To get there, we left Chachapoyas early in the morning, and drove 3 solid hours along steep, unpaved mountain roads until we arrived at the parking lot for the ruins.

From there, we had a short 10-minute walk to reach the fortress, though in total, we'd spend a whopping 3 hours touring the ruins.

One of the entrances to Kuelap fortress — This narrow entrance to Kuelap fortress is either a defensive measure, a symbol of the female genitalia, or both

Kuelap is strategically located atop a mountain 3,000 meters above sea level.

The first thing I noticed up there was the 360-degree, panoramic views.

You'd be hard pressed to build a fortress with a more commanding view of the countryside.

Ruins of one of the 400 structures within the fortress walls

Kuelap complex — View of the surrounding mountains from atop Kuelap

Within the walls of Kuelap are approximately 400 individual structures -- mostly circular in shape.

Within many of the structures, you can still see the smooth, worn stones used to grind food.

Among the more interesting tidbits relayed by our guide was how the Chachapoyans were excellent brain surgeons, and that skeletal evidence existed of the surgeries they'd perform.

At one point, he even moved aside a stone, in what appeared to be a mass tomb, to reveal human bones.

Intricate stonework — Buildings with intricate stonework are thought to be the homes of shaman, or holy men

This stone carving is a combination of 3 different animals, each with their own symbolic meaning

Someone on our tour mentioned just 24,000 people visit Kuelap each year.

Compare that to the 2,500 people that visit Machu Picchu each day, and you'll get a feel for how off the beaten track you'll be by visiting Kuelap in northern Peru.

As I write this entry, having been to Machu Picchu, I'm even more thankful that I had the chance to visit Kuelap first.

Aside from a few other tour groups from Chachapoyas, we had the entire 1,500 year old fortress ruins to ourselves.

The Kuelap ruins can be seen along the right side of the mountain ridge, where there are trees

What You Need to Know

How Much: $28 + tip ($22 for tour, $2 for park entrance, $4 for lunch)

Difficulty: Easy

Where to Book: Most hostels and travel shops in Chachapoyas. I used Andes Tours. If you're not fluent in Spanish, make sure you're getting an English-speaking guide.

What to Bring: A daypack, your own supply of snacks and water (we didn't eat lunch until 4 pm), sunglasses, sunscreen, several layers including a light jacket in case it rains.

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Dave's 160-page, all-original Lima Travel Guide is now available for Kindle and PDF.

Visiting Bangkok's Thrilling Chinatown

Bangkok's Chinatown, known as Yaowarat, is one of the most exciting places in town!

The area is alive and bustling at all hours of the day with busy markets, thriving businesses, and lots of restaurants. Stopping by and spending a little time in Yaowarat is a must when visiting Bangkok.

A Little History of Yaowarat

It was hundreds of years ago when a wave of Chinese migrated to Bangkok looking for new lives and jobs.

Because they weren't permitted to settle inside the walls of the Grand Palace, the Chinese moved just outside the central district on the road known as "Yaowarat."

The Chinese came to Bangkok as poor farmers, searching for a new way to make a living.

With a strict attitude to succeed, paired with the Chinese business savvy mindset, many of the Chinese in Bangkok worked their way into starting large scale businesses. Eventually, Yaowarat became the center of trade in Bangkok.

Today, Bangkok's Chinatown is one of the wealthiest areas of town.

Yaowarat Road is full of gold and jewelry stores, traditional Chinese medicine shops, and high-end food supply distributors.

You'll know exactly when you're in Yaowarat by the giant signs filled with Chinese characters, the flashy neon billboards, the scores of pedestrians, and the smells and sounds.

Street Food

Though Yaowarat does have its share of high-end Chinese Thai restaurants, the area is also known for its abundance and quality of Bangkok street food.

Every day at around 5 pm street vendors begin setting up their tables on the side of the road and preparing for another busy night of hungry customers.

From specialty Kuay Jab (rolled rice noodles) to the freshest seafood, Yaowarat is guaranteed to be stomach pleasing!

Exotic Food in Bangkok's Chinatown — Exotic Food in Bangkok

Exotic Dishes

After eating delicious street food, in my opinion, there's not a lot that's more fun than sampling exotic dishes.

Though it can be slightly pricey, Yaowarat is the place to go for bird's nest soup, durian (available year round), and roasted suckling pig!

Shopping

Though all of Bangkok is well known for its crazy amount of street shopping, the area around Yaowarat takes things to the next level.

The Sampeng Market in particular (a small lane that parallels Yaowarat Road) is a humongous open-air street market that stretches through the alley for a few kilometers.

The market is stuffed with every form of trinket imaginable - be careful of hot flaming snacks coming through the aisle!

Festivals

Anytime there's a Chinese oriented holiday, Yaowarat is the ultimate place to be in Bangkok

On Chinese New Years the streets around Chinatown are blocked from motorized traffic, and the road becomes a walking street filled with hundreds of vendors and thousands of pedestrians.

Though at times it can be overly hectic, there's nothing like being part of a massive crowd out to have a good time and to snack on all kinds of delicious things!

Another popular event in Yaowarat is Thailand's annual vegetarian festival.

Since the Chinese started the tradition, the center of the festival takes place in the heart of Yaowarat.

Every year hundreds of stalls set up serving top of the line vegetarian Thai food.

With so much to do and see (and eat), Yaowarat is one of the most exciting parts of Bangkok!

Travel in Sri Lanka: What To Expect

1. People

Sri Lankan people are extremely friendly. In fact, out of every country I've ever traveled to, Sri Lankans may be the most willing to have a short conversation or just say "hello." While traveling through the island you'll be asked "You are from?," countless times.

I have never been to a country where so many people have come out and asked me to take a photo of themselves - pretty cool!

On top of their friendly positive attitudes, many Sri Lankan are also hospitable. They will strive to take care of you and to make you feel welcomed in their country.

One of the best things about Sri Lanka is that you can just walk down the street and say hello to any random stranger passing by.

2. Food

A plate of rice topped with an array of colorful curries is the most popular meal to eat in Sri Lanka.

Fish and chicken are two curry favorites and daal (lentils) is eaten with almost every meal.

Other dishes include various forms of bread like paratha or roti (both flatbreads).

Kottu is a homegrown speciality made with slices of paratha (similar to a Mexican flour tortilla) stir fried into a Sri Lankan version of Chinese fried rice - but with bread instead of rice!

If you are a lover of all things coconut, you will be in heaven when you arrive in Sri Lanka.

All over the country you can grab a coconut to drink its water straight from the shell or enjoy a plate of freshly made pol sambola (blend of shredded coconut, chili and lime juice).

Sri Lankan's, just as many others around the world, love to eat deep fried snacks. Little snacky things are available in abundance throughout the country.

3. Transportation

Though there are many different kinds of transportation to choose from, if you want personal space and comfort you won't find it in Sri Lanka.

Buses don't drive until all seats are full and the aisle is stuffed to maximum capacity. Drivers proceed to accelerate and brake as fast and as jerky as they can.

If you are standing on a Sri Lankan bus, you better hold on for dear life, or you may go flying through the aisle at the next stop.

Trains can be a good way to travel around the country, but routes are limited and it's rather slow. There are a number of different classes, and you may even get your own seat!

Even though transportation is not the most comfortable, it's really cheap.

Normal buses in Colombo cost less than 30 LKR ($0.30) for a ride, and I took the train from Colombo to Kandy (3 hour ride) for just 105 LKR ($0.95).

4. Places to Visit / Things To See

Even though the island of Sri Lanka may seem small, I soon realized that there is so much to do and so many potential places to visit that it could takes months to see the entire country.

From pristine beaches to mountains and tea fields, the diversity of the country is huge. They say when you travel in Sri Lanka you will enter a new landscape every 30 minutes - and that's really true.

Looking out the window while riding a bus I observed as the flora and fauna changed drastically, then out of nowhere we'd come up on a cliff overlooking a valley or a winding jungle river.

Colombo is Sri Lanka's major city and entrance point, but from there it's easy to get all around the country and begin what is sure to be an amazing trip to Sri Lanka!

Top 3 Architectural Highlights of Rome

Colosseum in Rome — The Colosseum (photo: Heather Cowper)

For a non-religious guy, I became fascinated by religious art in college.

Specifically, I was enamored with Italian Renaissance and medieval art and architecture.

Spending an hour or two per day in a dark classroom, looking at slides of the Virgin Mary, Christ, crucifixions and the churches and cathedrals that housed them made me happy.

When I traveled to Italy after college graduation, suddenly it was as if the pages of all those art books were coming alive.

I was finally able to walk through the naves I'd studied, and admire my favorite altarpieces and frescoes in 3-D.

It almost made me want to go back and look at schools for architecture.

Visiting Rome was a no-brainer for me then, and I'm thinking about a return for 2012.

Without further ado, here are my top three architectural highlights of the Italian capital.

The Colosseum

The Colosseum is the #1 symbol of Rome, if not all of Italy.

Construction on the Roman Empire's largest amphitheater began in 72 AD and was completed within just 8 years, by 80 AD.

Despite earthquakes over the centuries, it has maintained its form, which is a testament to the engineering involved in constructing it.

The ancient stadium was used to host fights between gladiators.

The lack of original flooring allows modern-day visitors to see the maze of hallways that rested underneath the area used for fighting.

In the movie Gladiator, for example, tigers are shown to be released through false doors in the ground.

The Pantheon

While not as well known or recognized as the Colosseum, the Pantheon is another testament to ancient architecture and engineering.

It was commissioned as a temple to the gods of Rome and built around 126 AD by Emperor Hadrian.

The main building is circular, and there's a Greek-style portico attached with 3 rows of 8 Corinthian columns.

The building has been repurposed often over its 2,000-year history.

It currently contains the tombs of famed Renaissance painter Raphael, as well as several Italian kings.

My favorite aspect of the Pantheon is the coffered dome, which has a circular opening at the top that allows a small stream of light to shine in the otherwise dark interior.

The Pantheon's dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome.

St. Peter's Basilica

Technically located within the Vatican City, St. Peter's Basilica has the largest interior space of any Christian church in the world.

And that's what I remember most about walking in the front door -- just how small I felt in comparison to its size and grandeur.

I craned my neck up to see streams of white light shooting down diagonally from the upper windows.

Unfortunately, when I visited in 1998, the entire front facade was covered in scaffolding as restoration work was being done.

Still, the interior is far more fascinating. And every visitor should take the opportunity to climb up the narrow, curved staircase that winds around the dome.

From the upper cupola, visitors are afforded sweeping 360-degree views of the Vatican City and Rome.

Happy Thanksgiving from Peru

Pumpkin soup in Huaraz Peru — Pumpkin soup in Huaraz

[H]appy Thanksgiving from Cusco, heart of the historic Inca Empire.

On major American holidays like Thanksgiving, it feels like I'm living in a parallel universe if I'm anywhere outside the USA.

Yet, wherever find myself, be it traveling overland through South Africa (2008), living in Medellin (2010), or preparing for a trek to Machu Picchu (2011), I can't help but reflect on all the reasons I have to be thankful.

In 2011, I'm Thankful For...

Health

My general good health, which allows me to keep on discovering new cultures and countries in South America, and the world.

Being robbed in Medellin this past June was a terribly frightening experience, and I'm especially thankful that no violence was involved.

I learned losing your passport isn't that big a deal. Sure, it'd be nice to have the stamps, but it was a lesson in letting go.

A few weeks, and a few hundred dollars later, I was holding my new one, a whole booklet of blank pages waiting to be stamped.

Family & Friends

I'm also thankful for the continued good health and support of my parents, brother, aunt, uncles and cousins.

I'm glad I went to my original home town of Pelham to see my cousin Amy get married.

Work

I mentally pinch myself daily that I'm in a position to support myself doing something I'm passionate about -- traveling, eating, writing, sharing, coaching.

It's a dream come true, and not a day goes by that I don't appreciate the opportunity to live and travel freely as a blogger.

Partners & Sponsors

I'm thankful there's no shortage of quality travel companies, sites, and services excited to do business with Go Backpacking.

I have several new partnerships in the works that I'm super excited about. Stay tuned for news on those in the coming months!

Travels

I kicked off the year with my first trip to Japan, and despite the winter chill, I had a wonderful time riding bullet trains around the country, dining on sushi, and spotting Geishas in Kyoto.

I'm thankful to have had another 6 months living and traveling in Colombia, followed by 2 months in Ecuador, including a week long cruise to the Galapagos Islands, and my current adventures in Peru.

Superstar Contributor Mark Wiens

Mark Wiens of Migrationology joined Go Backpacking as a Feature Blogger at the start of the year, and he has been contributing excellent articles weekly ever since. He's also written the Thailand, Kenya, and Egypt travel guides.

The experience has been so positive, that I'll be looking to bring on another blogger in 2012.

YOU -- The Readers

I keep going because of you. Honestly, I woudn't be preparing to enter my 6th year of travel blogging if you didn't continue to read, comment on, and share the stories, photos and videos published here.

And I'm extra thankful for the 2,000 new RSS & email subscribers who've joined us since last Thanksgiving.

In 2011, I'm Giving to...

Passports with Purpose

When you’re feeling appreciative of what you've got, it’s easy to start sharing with others.

Next week, on November 30, the 2011 Passports with Purpose fundraiser will kick off.

I'll be publishing a post to introduce this year's cause, as well as the prize I'm donating

Kiva

Through Kiva you can provide micro-loans for as little as $25 to small business owners in countries around the world.

I believe this is a terrific way to empower people, as well as give back to the countries and cultures I've gotten to know first hand.

And I'm proud to share Go Backpacking's lending team has provided $2,375 in loans so far.

Happy Thanksgiving! [gbicon]

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