• 40% of the entire continent of South America drains into the Amazon Basin
• The river, at its narrowest, is 1.6KM (1 mile) wide
• The flow of the Amazon is greater than the next 7 largest rivers COMBINED
• For perspective on the last fact, by my math (may be flawed) the Amazon could fill Lake Michigan in 17 seconds!
• 1/3 of all animal species on the face of the planet are found in the Amazon Basin
• The Amazon accounts for 20% of the world’s river flow

These facts do little to reveal the true scope of the Amazon and its drainage basin. I am quite simply, awestruck, after realizing that I was in constant motion for 4 days and only saw a sliver of this massive ecosystem.

The journey WAS the destination

I feel quite fortunate that this is my life. Imagine, sitting around the house one day and simply deciding to go! With no real plan we left the next Tuesday. Transport in Peru can be somewhat challenging, long bus rides cover vast distances at a fairly slow pace. Bus rides are quite commonly nine hours at a minimum. We decided that we would get a bus from Trujillo to Chacapoyas and from there make our way to Tarapoto and finally Yurimaquas where we would arrange passage on the river to Iquitos. It ended up working out surprisingly well.

15 hours on a bus got us to our first stop. Chachapoyas turned out to be an incredible place with many natural wonders and archaeological sites on offer. The area is best known for the ancient ruins of Kuelap, but we opted instead to visit the Sarcophagi of Karajía(click to embiggen).

We also did a bit of spelunking ‘ghetto style’ where our guide was equipped with a car battery in a backpack which was connected to a homemade lamp with a couple strands of discarded baling wire.

From Chachapoyas we backtracked a little bit to the crossroads town of Pedro Ruiz to catch a bus onward to Tarapoto. At the bus terminal, a lady had called the police to report the theft of her cell phone. She was pointing fingers, making accusations and demanded that the police do something. Eventually they gave in and started searching all of the males for the cell phone. As people were done being searched and boarded the bus, someone came back from the bus with her cell phone that they had found in her seat. This incident set the tone for the next eight hours on the bus.

We overnighted in Tarapoto and the next morning arranged transport to Yurimaguas. We knew that the boat trips between Yurimaguas and Iquitos are fairly spartan, so we knew that we would need to be gathering supplies. We had originally planned on spending the night in Yurimaguas so that we would have time to procure everything we would need (hammocks, rain gear, eating utensils, water and wine) but that proved to be unnecessary as out moto-taxi driver was more than willing to earn a commission by taking us to a local outfitter. The few soles extra that we spent by going with him was well worth it!

Everything that we had read indicated that this trip would likely take three to five days, so with our supplies purchased and passage booked we settled in for the cruise. We left Yurimaguas at sunset and hadn’t even pulled out of port yet before our first river dolphin sighting.

We ended up only taking two days to get to Iquitos, but it was a very interesting two days with many stops made to load and unload cargo at remote Amazonian villages along the river. By mid-morning on the second day we had made it to the confluence of the rivers Marañón and Ucayali which come together to officially start the Amazon. From there it was only a few hours to Iquitos.

The largest city in the world inaccessible by road

Iquitos turned out to be very interesting. It’s quite a scene, to say the least. We were surprised by the expat community there with an English language newspaper! We met a very interesting character who happened to be the proprietor of a floating bar/restaurant/hostel. I visited the shantytown of Belen, and we HAD to visit Casa Fitzcarralldo (which turned out to be somewhat disappointing). All in all a very rewarding trip!

Support local business owners!

Iquitos is fairly heavily touristed. One thing that has always bothered me about places that get a lot of tourist traffic is the number of foreign business that spring up to cater to these tourists. Travel agencies, booking offices, tour companies, hotels and restaurants are nearly all foreign owned so the locals end up benefiting very little. Whenever possible, I prefer to support locals who are often freelancers. While in Iquitos, we happened to meet a jungle guide from a nearby village. He spoke very good English and was quite friendly and comes highly recommended by past clients. His name is Pedro, but he’s known as “Wolf”. If you ever need a jungle guide in Iquitos, and especially if you don’t want to take some pre-packaged tour, you should get in contact with Pedro. He can be reached by email at pedro_wildlife AT hotmail DOT com or on facebook (Pedro Peña) in Iquitos, Peru. Seriously, this guy can set you up with whatever, whether it’s an ayahuasca ceremony, hallucenogenic toad licking or remote wildlife viewing, he’s your guy.

And now, the photos:

The Panama Island Tour organized by Boquete Outdoor Adventures turned out to be a great way to spend a day. I’m a bit of a sucker for quintessential tropical island settings, you know, the idyllic beach that looks like sugar, the water that reflects and intensifies the vibrant blue of the sky overhead, and the palm trees gently swaying in the breeze and not a soul in sight. To me, this type of setting represents “getting away from it all”.

The trip began with a morning departure from Boquete, Panama and a pleasant drive through mountainous tropical rain-forest. We followed the road until it dead-ended in the tiny village of Boca Chica. Boca Chica is the jumping-off point for exploring the Golfo De Chiriqui Marine Reserve. From the dock there, we boarded a small boat and cruised through gentle waters passing several small islands en-route to our destination. I made some comment about one island in particular, and how beautiful its beaches were. I was told that those beaches were our destination, but before we went there, we were going to see if we could spot any whales. Not seconds after that exchange our boat captain spotted the first whale of the day, we proceeded slowly in the direction of the whale sighting and then the captain cut the engines and we floated for only a few seconds before right in front of us, the whale surfaced. We were so close to the whales (it turned out to be a mother and calf) that we could almost reach out and touch them. It was truly spectacular. I feel fortunate to have been visiting during the humpback migration, but apparently this trip alternatively explores the nearby mangroves during the part of the year that the humpbacks aren’t migrating.

We made our way to our private island and disembarked from the boat. Our boat captain and the guide set to work putting up hammocks in the palm trees and preparing lunch. We were free to explore our private paradise, snorkel around the nearby reef or simply relax in the utopian beauty . It wasn’t long after the group was more or less settled on the beach that the whales decided to give us a show. There must have been at least a half-dozen whales in the distance frolicking and making a splash. The site of this left me awestruck at the sheer power, beauty and grace of these animals.

Lunch consisted of a simple yet flavorful selection of local fresh fruit & vegetables and meat, cheese and condiments as well as cold drinks (including cold beer…yes, beer is INCLUDED on this tour). There was plenty for everybody and something to suit everyone’s taste. For everything that was included in this day-trip, I think it is very economically priced and a great way to simply relax and enjoy your vacation.

Click on the thumbnails to embiggen:

Someone shared these in my google+ circles (I have google+ invites if you need one)

Take a few minutes and enjoy these with your Saturday late morning coffee:

Move:

Eat:

Learn:

Mancora is well located on the coast of northern Peru. The beach is actually quite nice, has great surf and predictable afternoon breezes that

photo: Theodore Scott on flickr

So, why do I think Mancora is so horrible, and what about this hideous hostel experience? First, the beach in Mancora isn’t open and accessible without going through either a hotel or a restaurant, it’s like trying to get out of a casino.

And the hostel…so, here’s the deal: I had made the mistake of booking a Loki hostel ahead of my arrival in Mancora. Booking ahead meant that the money was already spent…always a risk, I know, but the pictures looked nice, so I went for it. Loki hostels are a chain operating in Bolivia and Peru. They’re foreign owned, operate in a handful of already over-touristed destinations and add to the ugliness of tourism.

Upon checking in, I was immediately adorned with a wrist band that I would need to get in and out of the gate. Now, I can understand that maybe management thinks that this practice is in my best interest – you know, keeping the “bad” people out, but in reality, the wrist bands are about branding for Loki. This presents two problems. 1) I can be immediately identified by thieves and other ne’er do wells as a patron of Loki and marked as someone who must be an absolute sucker. 2) I’m forced now to be a walking advertisement for what amounts to be a corporate franchise. A bit ironic, methinks.

So, having been marked with the Loki brand, I was now free to roam the dusty streets of Mancora. I like beer. I like to drink beer poolside. Loki has a pool but their beer selection is limited and the prices are hyper-inflated. I did what any logical person would do and purchased some beer at the bodega outside the gate. I wasn’t allowed to take the beer back inside the hallowed Loki grounds.

The folks at Loki claim:

We are a group of backpackers
who met in Lima, Peru and over a
number of nights out decided to build
a hostel

I wonder if they, as a “group of backpackers” would like to be treated the way they treat their customers?

Not to judge, not to condemn no condone but merely to observe

Travel is more about experiences and people. You meet the most interesting people while you’re traveling. Not that you don’t meet interesting people at home, but when you’re surrounded by the familiar, I believe you’re less likely to be open to the unfamiliar. My own story has become irreversibly entwined with the stories of others. Here’s a short list of some of the most interesting people I have met on the road.

• Guy

Airport and hotel bars are consistently good for meeting interesting people. A bar in a hotel that’s at the airport (I don’t always sleep in the terminal) is a veritable Petri dish full of interesting people. It was at the DFW Hyatt that I met a DEA agent named Guy.

At first, Guy sounded like a bit of a self-aggrandizing blowhard, someone who probably watched too many Mexican Narco films. Guy soon proved to be a wealth of knowledge on the drug trade in Mexico, how it works and what is being done. I couldn’t pull myself away from the conversation. My hunger for knowledge on a topic that seems so important, yet gets hardly any press coverage took over and I found myself asking questions, the answers to which prompted even more questions. It turned into a late night before an early flight, but was worth it for a free education on issues that matter.

• Bionic Russ

The Big Bend region of Texas is full of characters. It’s worth a trip to Terlingua just to meet the eccentric people who seem to gravitate there. Bionic Russ is a character among characters. I met Russ in a motel in Alpine, Texas. He and his wife had moved there to escape the cold of Wyoming winters. See, Russ had had knee replacement surgery. The way Russ told the story, one cold morning he was out feeding his cattle and his new titanium knees froze from the cold. His knees locked up and he was unable to walk. He crawled through the snow for more than a 1/4 mile. When he got to the house, he knocked on the door only to have his wife open the door and look right over him. He told her to look down, and rather than immediately help him in out of the cold, she demanded an explanation of what the hell he was doing. Russ added quite a bit of animation to the story, so it was much better to hear first hand than to read about second hand, but you get the idea.

• Jordan

Jordan was a would-be bone smuggler, and taught me that slowing down and not being in any particular hurry can pay huge dividends in friendship and camaraderie. She was carrying some turtle shells she had collected on a beach in Ecuador. On her trip south, Peruvian customs hadn’t given her any grief at all about them so she figured Chile would be as easy. She figured wrong. I shared a combi with Jordan (and three other people) from Tacna, Peru across the Chilean border to Arica, Chile. When Chilean customs shook her down because of the turtle shells, our combi driver wanted to leave her. At that point, Jordan’s problem wasn’t my problem and I wasn’t keen on waiting out the customs ordeal in the hot Atacama desert sun. For a brief moment, I considered acquiescing to the driver’s demands to get in the car and go, but then I applied a little bit of compassion to the situation. Having had my fair share of customs shake-downs over the years, it was easy to take a stand for what was right. The driver was willing to give up one fare, but not two, so he waited for Jordan. Jordan and I instantly became great friends, and this encounter, however brief is one of my most fond travel memories.

• Honorable mentions:

Elyse – my favorite bar tender in all of Taiwan. Your smile and lively spirit will be with me, always.
Bily – Formerly a Cruise ship bar tender, now bar owner in Huanchaco – your story is an inspiration!
Choco – A passionate and entertaining tour guide. Book him for your tour of any of the archaeological sites in Northern Peru.

• Roy boldly goes where lots of people have probably gone before and writes about it on Cruisesurfingz

On May 15th, 2004, I left NZ for three months to go work on a special needs summer camp in USA. I’ve basically been traveling ever since.

I really like the site design and the writing. Humorous and informative. Check it out!

• Jack and Jill go around the world.

Volunteering and discovering along the way. Short story is they quit their jobs, liberated themselves of their material things and set off to explore the world around them. Great information.

• Another couple with no possessions & no plan take off to explore the world. They can be found at Hecktic Travels.

They have gotten some really cool house-sitting gigs which allows them to save money and remain in a place long enough to really get to know it.

• Kaitlin and Brian Travel Adventurously at Two Backpacks, One World

Outdoor educators turned world travelers. Always searching for adventure, inspiration, and a deeper understanding of our world. We both love adventuring off the beaten path, camping, seeing live music, exploring cities, meeting new people, and experiencing different cultures. We are trying to stay as open to whatever comes our way as we can.

photo: feline_dacat

Long term travel and saving money aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive, but depending on your situation, you may need to accept or adapt to being less comfortable than you would at home.

Something that’s definitely worth considering is sleeping at the airport from time to time.  Let’s face it, there are a few good reasons for doing this only one of which is saving money.

Early flights are the worst!  Any departure before 10AM is going to require waking up at some ungodly hour of the day just to get to the airport, get checked in, get through security and deal with any of the other hassles that crop up when traveling.  Buses and other public transport don’t tend to operate in the early hours of the morning, meaning if you have an early flight, you’ll probably be forced to hand over your beer money to a surly cab driver for the privilege of being scared half to death by his crazy antics while being assaulted by his odor.  That’s not something I’m prepared to deal with before my first gallon of coffee.

I know what you’re thinking: “Will I get any sleep at the airport?”.  I’d say: probably not, but will you get any sleep in the dorm room you’re sharing with the snorer, the partier and the overly amorous couple?  Especially considering you’re going to have to wake up at 4AM?  I’m thinking it’s an equal trade, and in fact, depending on the airport, you may actually do pretty well.

My Favorite Airports to Sleep in

I’ve slept in my fair share of airports.  In fact, once upon a time I set up housekeeping at London, Gatwick.  I felt a little bit like Tom Hanks in “Terminal”.  I wasn’t alone, I saw at least a half-dozen other people who spent multiple days at the airport…have you priced rooms in and around London?

1. Geneva Switzerland GVA

This Geneva airport is a great place to spend the night.  Way in the back, right next to the security office is a green sofa that I was able to stretch out on.  The airport closes at around 11PM, they turn out the lights and the annoying P.A. system announcements cease for the night.  Security still roams the airport, and didn’t bother me at all.  At the time, there were computers with free internet access, and in the morning espresso was available.  Sweet!

2. Santiago, Chile SCL

On the second level, back near all of the offices, a dark and silent corner exists.  I slept on the carpeted floor there.  Security did wake me up, but they didn’t run me off.  They just wanted to make sure that I knew to keep my bags secured.  Housekeeping also woke me up, but just so they could vacuum where I was.

Other Great Airports to Sleep in:

• Singapore: I’ve never been to Singapore, but I’ve heard that it’s the absolute world’s best airport, not only for sleeping in, but just the best airport in general.  Apparently there are reclining seats, free internet,  an entertainment deck with movie theater and xbox/Playstation consoles.
• Seoul/Inchon Korea: clean, quiet and comfortable with free wi-fi.
• Hong-Kong: New, clean, big & safe with free wi-fi.
• Amsterdam: Recliners!

What experiences do you have with sleeping at the airport?  Tell me about it in the comments!

1. The People:

My previous experiences traveling in Asia, especially India, had my guard up. You know the deal, thousands of touts & hustlers all descending upon you at once.

People in Taiwan are extremely helpful and friendly with no underlying agenda.

2. The Public Transportation:

Taipei to Kaohsiung in an hour and a half! Love it! Cruising around the city in a CLEAN subway. Love it! Train ride along the scenic east coast. Love it!

3. Taxis:

Am I really saying I love taxis? Absolutely! They’re inexpensive, metered, and almost everywhere. It was often more economical to take a taxi than to pay to park, and without the burden of a car while out on the town you’re free to drink!

4. The Haircuts:

Heavenly. Seems an odd thing to love, but seriously, if you haven’t had a haircut in Taiwan, get your ass on a plane NOW!

5. Technology:

I love my gadgets and they were readily available in Taiwan. I also love to roll my own gadgets and there’s an entire district in Kaohsiung devoted to selling electronic components. It’s as if radio shack has a farm (but you don’t have to give your phone number to buy a resistor).

6. The Liquor Laws:

Eager to get out the door but don’t want to leave your beer? No worries, just take it with you. It’s like Las Vegas in that regard. Want a beer at 7AM on Sunday? No need to drive to the next county or state where the churchies haven’t ruined it for you yet – just go to the store, damn near any store and grab a cold one ANYTIME. Going home from a hard day’s work but don’t



A typical scene at the betlenut girl stand Photo Credit - Tobie Openshaw

want to go through the ordeal of finding parking so you can buy a beer? Just pull over to the betle nut girl stand and a negligee adorned beauty will RUN with a beer to your window. You can do this while stopped for a red light. Awesome!

7. Taroko Gorge:

This is Taiwan’s National Natural treasure. I’ll be writing about it at some point in the future with photos and the whole bit. For now, take my word for it. It’s GORGE-ous!

8. Love Hotels:

This was one of those things I figured I had to experience before I left Taiwan (by ‘I’, I do mean ‘we’ – I didn’t go to the love hotel by myself). Drive-thru check in, parking garage right by your door and ‘Batman’ themed room? How romantic is all of that! Really! I expected it to feel sleazy in that run down hotel on the interstate frontage road kind of way. The place was quite surprisingly classy.

9. 7-11:

Pay your parking (there are no meters in Taiwan – they use a different system), pay your utility bills, buy concert tickets, airline tickets, cassette tapes, scotch, wine, Bailey’s & beer, even get a tea egg or some salty squid bits. Taiwan 7-11 redefines convenience. And they’re everywhere.

10. The Low Crime Rate:

Ever left something in a taxi? When it happens, you usually figure you didn’t need it that bad anyhow, or you figure that you’re never going to get it back so why bother. Lost cause right? I left an iPhone in a taxi in Taiwan. I got it back – took a couple of days of tracking it down, but I got it back. We had another phone – one of those $10 throw-away phones pretty much. It also got left in a cab. Got that one back too – from the bar where we had caught the taxi from.

Violent crime is almost unheard of in Taiwan.

The parking garage in the 'Batman' themed room

A room in a Taiwan Love Hotel

So that’s the short list. There’s so much more to say about my life in Taiwan – Use one of the follow along buttons below to keep up with what’s new.

It’s a common travel question and I certainly understand why people ask it, but at the same time, it’s doesn’t seem very well thought out to me. Seriously, I was traveling in New Zealand and was asked this question by a local: “Aren’t you scared?” In New Zealand of all places? I was stymied.

Where Does This Mentality Come From?

I can’t say for sure, but I think a few different factors feed in to the thinking that travel is somehow inherently dangerous.

• Media Sensationalism

Imagine if the mainstream media reported on every traveler who didn’t get mugged or robbed. That wouldn’t make for very good headlines, but the fact is, plenty of people travel the world without incident and the incidents we hear are few and far between when compared to the shear number of people who travel.

• State Department Warnings

Nobody reports their experiences with not getting robbed, mugged or scammed to their embassy. If nothing awful happens to a traveler, the embassy probably doesn’t even know they exist. State Department advisories and warnings have their place, and I’ll get to that later.

• Unfamiliarity

There’s a good chance that you could be robbed, mugged or scammed while in your home country or hometown. But it probably doesn’t happen because you know how things work there. You know which areas to avoid. You understand what situations to avoid. You hang out with familiar people who you know and trust.

Are You Saying Travel is Completely Safe Then?

No, of course not. There are many factors that make a place more or less dangerous than another. Local laws and law enforcement (or the lack of) will shape what kinds of crime exist and what sort of risks criminals will take. For instance, in Romania, violent crime is dealt with very harshly, while pick-pocketing is not, so of course, pickpocketing is very common but in the case of Romania, you’re not going to be targeted simply because you are a traveler. Criminals there are equal opportunists.

Local economics also play a huge role in the types of crimes and scams that might be common in the area. If people are poor, hungry, desperate and have no hope of earning an honest living they may very well resort to scams or crime. It isn’t personal but as a traveler, you could be targeted specifically because you are seen to have more.

All of that said, let’s not lose sight of the one common denominator here: People. People, no matter where you go in the world, want to live a peaceful existence. They want to raise their families. They want the same basic things that you or I want. People aren’t evil by nature, no matter where they live.

How to Minimize Your Risk

I’ve been to some dodgy places. Kashmir comes to mind. Everybody there had a gun but me. I’ve been in parts of Mexico at the beginning of an uprising. I’ve been in some extremely safe places that are relatively crime-free. In Taiwan, for example, I once left my iPhone in a taxi cab. I actually got it back. I’m not sure that would have happened anywhere else in the world. I’ve only ever had something stolen once, and while that was a bummer, I think that considering the amount of time I’ve put in traveling, it’s pretty good odds.

Here are some handy tips for minimizing your risk:
• Common Sense

I know what “they” say. Common sense ain’t so common and that is evidenced by the fact that many people become victims by taking risks that they shouldn’t have.

1. Moderation in Drinking

The temptation to get caught up in having a good time with fellow travelers is strong. Go ahead, have a good time but don’t overdo it. You should know your own limits and you should stick to them. If you’re incapacitated by drinking your judgement will become diminished, your reaction time will be slowed. You will become more likely to make mistakes.

2. Avoid areas that aren’t well lit.

Especially if you’re in an unfamiliar area.

3. Try not to be alone

I’m not suggesting that you shouldn’t travel solo, but if you are alone, try to stick to areas where there are other people.

4. Be aware

I call this “paying attention to my spidey-senses”. Be vigilant, pay attention to your surroundings. Listen to your own intuition, and if something doesn’t feel right, get out.

5. Know the risks

Having knowledge of what kinds of crimes are common in the area where you are traveling will help you spot a scam or a dangerous situation. That’s where State Department travel information comes in handy. Some scams or diversion tactics have the same elements worldwide, some are more regional or local. Know what you’re likely to encounter so that you can recognize it for what it is early.

So my answer to “Isn’t it dangerous?” is no, not really, at least not so much that I’m going to let that notion keep me from exploring the world around me.