Like any city you will inevitably find there are always the cheats and scammers. In many ways, it pays to stay well out of their way. Recently in Paris we couldn’t resist having a bit of fun with them, and in some cases spoil their fun by warning other tourists of their errant ways.
Never for one minute, back in 2002 when I joined Tear Fund in sponsorship, did I think that I would meet our sponsored child. It was a ‘Small investment for Life’– our sponsored child’s life; and also their families life as well. What a treat this visit has been for us. Unfortunately I am unable, Read More
Ok, so for our hike of the Inca trail, we hire the red army and no, this is not a Japanese army. This is Llama Path – a guide company, and the most amazing team of men I have ever seen. Our Inca trail group is made up of five hikers, a guide and, Read More
Choosing to hike the Inca Trail in Peru is not a decision that should be made without foresight and thinking ahead. It is up to you to ensure that you are fully prepared for what the hike will involve and know what items you need to bring. Here is some advice from those of, Read More
After an exhausting five days spent on my computer researching the places and destinations that we wanted to travel to and see in South America, I was struggling to put an itinerary together from so many different suppliers and travel companies. Given that we had only a short month in South America to tour, Read More
South America is full of gastronomical treats and cultural treasures, and you can experience both in a single cup of coca tea. Arriving in Colonial Quito I look around our accommodation and find a generous supply of Coca tea in tea bag form.
If you are searching the web for information about the four day Inca Trail trek you will find hundreds of travel companies offering this popular experience in Peru. However, many of these companies are acting only as agents for the relatively few specialist trekking companies that actually operate the trek of the Inca Trail to, Read More
Day 3 – Inca Trail Chaquicocha to Winaywayna – Inca Flats Our reward from yesterday’s slog on the Inca Trail is a somewhat more leisurely scenic six hour day on what is called Inca Flats. In reality the “Inca Flats” means up, down, up down, and then there is a long slow drop of 1,200, Read More
Inca Trail – Day 1 Km 82 (2720m) – Ayapata (3300m) The big day has finally arrived. We are actually going to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. There has been little preparation apart from alcohol and coffee abstination, but we are feeling confident. We wake at 3.30am on the morning of the, Read More
After days spent trawling the internet for a suitable cruise ship to travel in the Galapagos, I settled on Athala II at Haugen Cruises. (update 2018 I see it has been renamed Exploration) It met many of my pre-ordained criteria for a cruise and we did have a fantastic time traveling and exploring the, Read More
One of the reasons people go to the Galapagos Islands is the animals never experienced humans as predators. This means you can get up close and personal with them without them being afraid of you. Never in a million years did I think I would get to the Galapagos Islands. Hell I hardly even knew exactly, Read More
“Dear Guests – Prepare for a Wet landing” – What the Heck? I thought this was a luxury cruise? Of course a wet landing just means you get your feet wet…no big deal, but it sounded so funny over the loud speaker on our boat. For our first trip to the Galapagos Islands we chose, Read More