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FOTO FRIDAY: Circuito Magico del Agua
El Circuito Magico del Agua (The Magic Water Circuit) was one of the highlights from Lima, Peru. I took a date one evening to checkout all the water works and it made for a grand time. We watched the main “El Circuito Magico del Agua” show, messed around with shadow photos and even took a little kids train ride around the park. If you’re traveling to Lima, Peru this is definitely a much see. Enjoy the photos, have a great weekend.
Colca Visuals: Deep Canyons sin Condors
A 3:30am wake-up call for a 2-day guided tour doesn’t get me excited. I pulled myself up into the crowded tour bus and stumbled my way to the back where I took a quick survey of the talent pool before passing out for the next 2 hours. Still not excited. It was a long ride from downtown Arequipa to the Colca region, but around 7am we arrived at our first stop, “The Condor Observatory.” We spent an hour squinting at little black dots along the canyon ridge. No condors in sight. Even less excited now. We piled back into the tourist mobile and drove another hour before we stopped again. This time my flaccid demeanor started to perk up. It was finally time to be set free! Our Peruvian tour guide jumped out and signaled for the big Kiwi, the bearded Uruayan, the swiss girl and myself to file out. …
Sambo’s Monkeymentary
**Watch in HD** On day 1 of volunteering at Paseo Los Monos Monkey Rescue Center in Puyo, Ecuador my camera was confiscated by Sambo, the alpha woolly monkey. He told me I could have it back at the end of the week, but not before he put together this short video explaining his life at “the Monkey Ranch”. If you notice any shaky footage you need to understand that monkeys don’t use tripods. Read all about my experience at Paseo Los Monos Monkey Rescue Center. Special thanks to all animals and volunteers who made this week one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Also, thanks to Nick Greco for translating Sambo’s dialog. Having trouble loading the video? Try watching it on the T2T Youtube Channel
FOTO FRIDAY: CHAN CHAN RUINS
While sunburning my way through Northern Peru, I had the opportunity to stop by the famous archaeological site of Chan Chan located just a few miles outside the city of Trujillo. Built by the kingdom of Chimú around 850 AD, Chan Chan was the largest Pre-Columbian city in South America before being conquered by the Inca Empire in 1570 AD. It was the imperial capital of the Chimor and was home to an estimated 30,000 people. There are 4 main archaeological sites around Trujillo relating to the city of Chan Chan and the Chimú empire, but the most interesting was definitely the principal complex, known as the Tschudi Palace. The adobe grounds were said to house 500 to 1,000 noble people and came complete with a huge courtyard, incredibly detailed wall designs, ceremonial tombs, guard posts and an impressive irrigation system. Despite cheap tours running all the time, I just …
Life in Lima: Erotic Art, Pisco Sours & Dead Bodies
As the 5th largest city in South America you’d think Lima would get a little more respect. Before arriving in Peru’s capital, all I heard was that Lima is a boring pass-through metropolis that you could experience in 4 days on your way to Machu Picchu. Not one to listen to other’s travel reviews, I decided to spend 3 weeks in the city to scratch the surface on my Peruvian townie mission: Learn to cook like a Peruvian chef. While searching for cooking classes in Lima, I spent my time enjoying the coastline in Miraflores, scavenging through the massive street markets downtown, devouring traditional Peruvian dishes and I even taking the time to check out some pretty impressive historical stuff. After almost a month in Lima, I can say with confidence that this is a city that I’d definitely like to spend more time in. The people are friendly, the …
New Year’s Eve in Cusco, Peru
I think the video explains all the chaos and excitement of the New Year’s celebration in Cusco, Peru better than I ever could in words. Cusco is one of the two most popular places to celebrate New Years in Peru (the other being Mancora) and it definitely didn’t disappoint. The city grew in anticipation from before christmas leading up to the big night. Tourists from all over Peru, Argentina and the world flooded Cusco and filled up the hostels and hotels. So much so that I had to walk the streets of Cusco on the 30th to find a place to sleep after finding the hotel I booked a reservation through boarded up and shut down, no notice necessary I guess. Street vendors lined the streets, while natives came in from outside the city to sell their wares and experience the festivities. As mentioned in the video, one of the …
Highlights from Chapter MMXI
After 3 months of traveling through Ecuador and Peru, I’ve arrived in Sucre, Bolivia where I will begin my next townie mission. As I get settled here in Sucre, I finally have a chance to catch my breath and reflect on what the hell happened this year. 2011 served up an overdose of adventure, uncertainty and personal growth. It showed me what true love looks like and what heartbreak feels like. It tugged at my self-conscious and developed my self-awareness. I spent half the year traveling the States on a Great American Road Trip and the other half, traveling deeper in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. I’d say it was a pretty damn good year. Here’s a look back at the adventures of Tourist 2 Townie in 2012: - ENERO - I witnessed the sun come up on twenty eleven from a random apartment in Bogota, Colombia and watched the sun …
Top 10 Hottest Women of Ecuador
After a month and a half in Ecuador it’s time to head south to Peru, but I wouldn’t feel right about leaving without giving you the other side of Ecuadorian beauty, beyond the country’s incredible landscape, culture and cuisine. The “Hottest People” posts have become one of my favorite features on the T2T site, not only because of the obvious benefit I get from “researching” pop culture, but because of how the lists are created. I ask locals who their favorite celebrities are and their ranking opinion. For this list I received “insight” from our cooks at the Monkey Rescue Center, computer technicians at the Mac store, Ecuadorian friends in Quito, Baños and Cuenca and even a few bartenders, waitresses and hostel workers along the way. While Ecuadorian women didn’t provide the same neck-whipping-double-takes on the streets as often as the ladies of Colombia and Argentina, there were a few …
FOTO FRIDAY: View from the Bell Tower
On my last day in Huanchaco, Peru I decided to take my typical sunset stroll around town to snap some picks and enjoy the cool evening breeze. There was a small church that sat back above the city, so I cruised up to get a better view of the ocean below. I was walking around the beautiful old Spanish-style church when a voice from above yelled down (in Spanish) “Hey, would you like to come up here”? At first I thought oh man not yet, but when I looked up there was an old man with his head poking out the church bell tower waving me to climb the stairs and join him for a better view. I looked around to confirm he was talking to me and then I shot up the small, dark stairwell with excitement. We talked about life in the US and Peru as he rang …
Tainted Love in Cuenca
I wanted to love you. I wanted you to be like people said you would. I was tired of running around and ready for a relationship. You introduced me around town and fed me well. Your tranquility was comforting and at night your face lit up when I went downtown. You seduced me with your charm. I was into you. As our relationship developed however, I noticed a flaw I couldn’t overcome. Trust became an issue and when that fades, everything goes. It started in the computer store where we talked everyday for almost two weeks. We spoke about one laptop in particular and all the details that came with it. We agreed on a price and the programs included. However, when the day came to make the purchase you told me you didn’t carry that model. You told me it would take 20 days to arrive and then tried …
Eyeball Treats from Mancora, Peru
Like being greeted with glass of champagne, Peru welcomed me to Mancora with sand and sunshine. Something I accepted gratefully after weeks of gray skies and rain in Cuenca, Ecuador (especially in El Cajas). As mentioned in the November Update, I was so excited about soaking in the sun and devouring Peruvian ceviche that I may have climaxed a little too quickly. The traveler’s diarrea was bearable, but my first ever armpit sunburn was not okay. I walked around for the next two days with my arms half cocked like I was on steroids. I promised people at the hostel I wasn’t a meat head, just an idiot. The small beach town of Mancora is a popular surfer and backpacker stop as well as a vacation hotspot for Peruvians. I was told people flock to the beach all year round, especially on weekends in the summer (Dec-Apr) and Mancora’s biggest …
November Update: Penetrating Peru
After a month in Ecuador, I was ready to take my relationship with South America to the next level and head south to Peru. Sunny beaches and Peruvian cuisine were what I desired most and I jumped into both with reckless abandonment. A wicked sunburn and traveler’s diarrhea were the inevitable conclusion. After moderating my sun and seafood intake, I was ready to travel deeper. Here’s a quick recap of T2T in November… NOVEMBER RECAP I left Cuenca, Ecuador and headed south on a night bus through no-man’s land (aka the Peru-Ecuador border) via Tumbes, Peru*. Arrived in Mancora, Peru around 6am and setup shop at the kick-ass Kokopelli hostel. I spent 5 days at the beach in Mancora crushing ceviche and hanging with some interesting people. One of which was an ex-drug dealer from England who now travels around the world researching all-things marijuana while writing for a prevalent weed …
FOTO FRIDAY: El Cajas National Park
This week’s Foto Friday is brought to you by El Cajas National Park and T2T Travel Tip #123: You can’t win them all. Located 30 km west of Cuenca, Ecuador, El Cajas National Park is known for it’s 270 lakes and lagoons scattered throughout the 285 square kilometer (177 sq. miles). El Cajas is supposed to be a beautiful area to view unique plants and animals (including my favorite, the Peregrine Falcon) but on this day, the tourism gods weren’t having it. A local friend and I left a sunny Sunday morning in Cuenca and jumped on a bus in hopes of swimming around the Lagoons of El Cajas. However, as we approached the national park cold rain set in and we knew it wasn’t going to be the picnic we expected. The bus driver pulled over and said “El Cajas” and as we disembarked he mentioned that they may …
Volunteering at the Monkey Rescue Center in Puyo, Ecuador
The trip to Paseos Los Monos almost never happened. I was enjoying my time in Baños and questioned if the hour bus trip to Puyo for a typical, over-staged monkey photo was worth it. I was also a bit hesitant to see how tourists and staff interacted with the monkeys, seeing too much poor treatment with animals here in South America. Reluctantly, my curiosity and fascination for animals won out. By the time I arrived at Paseos Los Monos the predictable afternoon rain picked up and the morning crowd had come and gone. Aside from a large group of Ecuadorian tourists, the grounds were quiet and the staff seemed lethargic. I was greeted by a young Spanish guy (Yago) who collected my $2 entrance fee and explained the do’s and don’ts of the center. I listened momentarily but my attention was inevitably drawn towards the scene beyond the main gate. …
FOTO FRIDAY: Devouring Guinea Pig (Cuy)
Cuenca was the final stop on my Ecuador adventure and I had yet to experience the most famous of Ecuadorian cuisine, the guinea pig or cuy. I had the opportunity to taste these little bastards on numerous occasions from street stalls and restaurants around Ecuador but had managed to dodge them until this point. On one of my last days in Cuenca, I told a local friend I was ready to devour my sister’s childhood pet so she took me to “the best” cuy restaurant in the city – the Guajibamba Restaurant. The traditional preparation was butterflied and grilled with sides of hot salsas, potatoes and mote hervido (corn cooked in water). The taste was salty and a bit gamey, almost like a pork-rabbit blend and the skin was my favorite part (although it felt weird enjoying it so much). It was crispy and fatty like the skin on well …
Visual Highlights from Baños, Ecuador
Tucked under the shadow of Ecuador’s largest volcano, high up in the Ecuadorian Andes lies the beautiful town of Baños. Baños is named for the Church of the Virgin of the Holy Water, Nuestra Señora del Agua Santa and features an incredible Basilica in the middle of town that was built from volcanic rock after an eruption of the Tungurahua volcano in 1999, which forced an evacuation of the entire town. Tourists both foreign and domestic come to Baños to give thanks to the Virgin as well as enjoy the famous hot springs and exciting outdoor activities. One of the greatest aspects of exploring Baños is that you can kick your own ass all day and then apologize with a $20, 90-minute full body massage (not full service) or hot springs bath afterwards. I went white water rafting, mountain biking, jumped off a bridge, swam in waterfalls with Spaniards, hiked to the Tungurahua volcano viewpoint …
Travel Guru: A Guide to Health and Travel Gear Insurance
Health and equipment insurance for travelers is a very important topic and it’s something that I can’t seem to find a whole lot of definitive information about. Like any type of insurance, a decent policy depends on your individual circumstances and finding that is a matter of prying through all the gray matter insurance companies blanket you with. I promised my mother for my current South America trip I’d at least get some type of health insurance to cover my adventurous lifestyle choices and cover me incase of a serious emergency. I also just bought a brand new Mac Book Pro so if that baby gets lost or stolen I want to make sure I’m covered. For my first adventure to Argentina I purchased a 3-month plan from STA insurance for about $275 without incident and never renewed it after that. Turns out, 2 months later I had to get …
FOTO FRIDAY: Penetrating Waterfalls with Spaniards
I know what you said TLC, “Don’t go chasing waterfalls, please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you’re used to.” Well guess what TLC, I bet you girls have never been to Baños, Ecuador because if you have you would know that there are just way too many waterfalls to pass up. Luckily for me, I ran into a great group of Spaniards while mountain biking around the waterfalls on the outskirts of Baños who showed me an amazing spot where we could swim under a giant double-decker waterfall. I had been admiring the top waterfall from a distance when the large group walked passed. One of the girls doubled back and asked in her quick Spaniard Spanish.. estas viajando solo? (are you traveling alone?) I hesitated for a second, assested the girl-to-guy ratio and responded… “si?” She ordered back “Ven con nosotros, vamos a nadar!” (come with us, …
Mind over Splatter & The Elimination of Obstacles
How much do we really know about ourselves until we push past what we currently think is possible and achieve more than what we’re comfortable with doing? When I was 15 years old my dad took my brother, sister and I to an amusement park in the Wisconsin Dells. As we approached the park you could see this massive tower casting an intimidating shadow over the property. Faint screams echoed into the parking lot as miniature figures threw themselves off the tower’s ledge with only a bungee cord securing their future. My brother, 5 years my senior, and sister, 17 at the time, saw the madness as another adventure to conquer. I saw it as another reason to shit my pants. They climbed up the narrow caged in stairwell, tied some rope around their ankles and jumped off. Landing safely on the giant blow-up mat below, both rolled off and …
FOTO FRIDAY: Mitad del Mundo
Welcome to the middle of the world! The Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World) outside Quito, Ecuador is one of those landmarks you have to check off the list while traveling through Quito. This Equatorial Monument (in Spanish called La Mitad del Mundo) above is a representation of the imaginary Equatorial line that is is said to have been built exactly on the latitude line 00 00′ 00.” It takes about 40 minutes by bus to get to the Cuidad Mitad del Mundo and once there, you are engulfed with all the greatness of being at the Spanish-style tourist compound in the middle of the world. There are tons of tourist shops and even a planetarium to enjoy! Wahoooo! However, there is a bit of skepticism with the grand 0 latitude monument. Just 400 meters away from this world famous Equatorial Monument is a museum called “Inty-Nan” where your GPS and gravitational experiments …
From the Blog
FOTO FRIDAY: Circuito Magico del Agua
El Circuito Magico del Agua (The Magic Water Circuit) was one of the highlights from Lima, Peru. I took a date one evening to checkout
Colca Visuals: Deep Canyons sin Condors
A 3:30am wake-up call for a 2-day guided tour doesn’t get me excited. I pulled myself up into the crowded tour bus and stumbled my
**Watch in HD** On day 1 of volunteering at Paseo Los Monos Monkey Rescue Center in Puyo, Ecuador my camera was confiscated by Sambo, the
While sunburning my way through Northern Peru, I had the opportunity to stop by the famous archaeological site of Chan Chan located just a few
Life in Lima: Erotic Art, Pisco Sours & Dead Bodies
As the 5th largest city in South America you’d think Lima would get a little more respect. Before arriving in Peru’s capital, all I heard
About Tourist2Townie.com
It was a late Saturday afternoon in May of 2009 and I was sitting on my porch in San Diego. With a cold beer in hand, I kicked back to watch the sun-kissed hotties jog along Mission Bay as the sun dropped down into the Pacific. From the outside looking in, this was a great life. The only problem was, my mind was too fixed on meeting deadlines and reaching numbers to enjoy it. In one of the liveliest cities in the world, I had never felt so life-less....
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