hiking — Page 5

Photo: Colca’s Mules

August 1, 2011 By Jillian

We got up before dawn to hike Peru’s Colca Canyon. With a shortened time frame, we had only one day to hike the two day circuit. Fortunately we spoke to someone in Arequipa who lead groups through the Canyon and he recommended a few things to help us complete it in one day- like getting up before dawn. By the time we walked out of town and to the start of the trail the sun was quickly rising. The sun had yet to reach the villages nestled deep inside the canyon and it was as though we were on the outside looking in. We started our trek in silence, enjoying the peace and quiet that only morning can bring.

As the switchbacks became steeper, we could see mule trains heading up the canyon. We watched them snake up towards us as we snaked down towards them. Eventually we met, and with a short “Buenos Dias” to the cowboy we were back on our way. Not until we reached the second village did we see other hikers hitting the trail.

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo of the day series.

IF YOU GO: The Colca Canyon is beautiful and we were thankful to take the trip from Arequipa to stretch our legs and hike. It’s nearly a full-day journey by bus from Arequipa, and you’ll have to buy a tourist ticket on board. If you don’t get off at the Condor Overlook you can buy the less expensive ticket, but you’ll really have to negotiate for it. Buses leave Arequipa and Cobanaconde (the town where the trail starts) very early in the morning, so be prepared for a long morning. There are small shops inside the canyon, but remember everything is brought there by mule so the prices are reflect that. Make sure you pack your trash out, don’t leave it down there- it will be burned. There’s an oasis at the bottom of the uphill hike. Stay there for a few hours relaxing before you head up the hill. If you’re legs give out on you, the last mule train going back to Cobanaconde leaves the Oasis around 3pm. As around as soon as you get there and remember to negotiate your rate.

Photo: Salkantay’s Peak

July 26, 2011 By Jillian

Having experienced it, I still can’t say if this was a good site to see upon waking up on the second day of our Salkantay Trek. Sure it’s stunning, but remember to have a view like this you have to be high, as in nearly 4000m in altitude or 15,000 feet. That’s an altitude at which the air has less oxygen, which as you can imagine starts to affect everything.

We were lucky enough to have our friend Leah come visit us in Peru, and even luckier that she was up for a multi-day hike to Machu Picchu. I’m not sure that she’ll ever want to do one of these with us again, but she certainly got to see an authentic side of Peru, if an exhausting one! I think the title of the Salkantay Trek post says it all- and then we began to walk, and walk, want walk…

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo of the day series.

IF YOU GO: Salkantay Peak is approximately 4600 meters, so be prepared for altitude. You should plan to eat and drink frequently while hiking and pay close attention to the way your body feels. At those altitudes, taking a few steps feels like an incredible effort and you’ll have to fight the desire to sit down and rest. Salkantay was our second time hiking at high altitude, and it does in fact get easier. If you book a hike with a tour group, double check the included equipment and the experience of the staff. Sometimes you get what you pay for. Then again, you can always skip the hiking and take a relaxing beach holidays to barbados.

Photo: Attention Danger

July 25, 2011 By Jillian

The biblical Mt. Sinai does exist, and not surprisingly, it is in Egypt. Clearly we had no choice but to climb the famed mountain. Popular for sunrise, we chose to watch sunset from the peak, assuming it would be warmer (it was) and less crowded (it was).

Small booths with snacks, water and bathrooms lined the winding path towards the mountain top. Some even sold souvenirs, although I’m not sure who would want to carry something further up the mountain. As you near the top you start to see these wonderful little signs along the path, alerting you to the obvious. This was one of my favorites.

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo of the day series.

IF YOU GO: Mt. Sinai, not surprisingly, is on the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. Although you can take tours, including hiking trips from Dahab or Sharm el Sheik, it’s a long drive. We recommend stay in St. Catherine’s, the village closest to Mt. Sinai. We walked from St. Catherine’s to and from Mt. Sinai. The village is small and during the day a bit touristy. At night it’s much more authentically local and we were glad to spend the night there in a Bedouin run hostel. The arabian peninsula is full of great hiking opportunities, remember it’s the desert and bring plenty of water and food. There are companies that will take you on hiking holidays to Dubai or Egypt.

Discover Grenada

June 12, 2011 By Guest Blogger

Grenada is often an over looked island in the Caribbean, but it couldn’t be a better place for the holiday of a lifetime! Packed with strange, exciting and unforgettable things to see and do – it is a great place to explore and a brilliant alternative to the usual holiday package. Pack an underwater camera and some walking boots to go with that bikini and save plenty of room to bring back some of the islands specialties.

We’ve all done the obligatory museum visits on holiday to make ourselves feel less guilty about ignoring the local culture and lying on the beach with our eyes closed, but in Grenada you’ll find a sculpture museum definitely worth leaving your sun lounger for! In fact, it’s even on a beach, so you can still enjoy the sand between your toes.

Grenada’s underwater sculpture park in Moilinere Bay is filled with 65 sculptures ranging from figures based on the island’s men and women to typewriters, kitchen utensil and bicycles which were designed to create an artificial reef to attract sea life to the bay. You can visit the eerie yet unforgettable scenes either by snorkelling, scuba diving or taking a trip in a glass-bottom boat and there are plenty of guides to take you down if you prefer.

Lively tourists will love Grenada because once you’ve acclimatised to the gorgeous weather you can begin exploring some of this Caribbean Islands hidden gems. Don your walking boots (or comfortable sandals) and lather on the sun cream for a hike through the rainforest of Grand Etang National Forest. Treks can last from 15 minutes to 5 or 6 hours, so there is something to suit everyone! Head to the beautiful Grand Etang Lake to cool off or take a dip under the Seven Sisters Waterfalls a little further on.

For those of us who need a few days off after a day of hiking up Grenada’s mountains and waterfalls, (or who need to load up on energy beforehand), a leisurely visit to the Grenada Chocolate Company is a must. See how the cocoa is grown, how the beans are fermented and how the chocolate is finally made – and buy some to take home!

Grenada is also famous for its rum so make sure you leave time for a visit to the rum distillery at River Antoine on the north east coast. The way they make rum here hasn’t changed for generations so not only will you be amazed by their techniques, the people and the scenery, but you’ll also get the chance to sample a cheeky taste of rum too.

Make your camera work harder this summer and have an unforgettable adventure in Grenada!

Author: James is a keen travel writer who writes about the Caribbean and other exotic destinations.

Photo credit: #1-The Grenada Collection, #2 and 3- ishouldlogoff!

Thanks to James for today’s guest post. If you’re interested in guest blogging for IShouldLogOff, email us at info [at] ishouldlogoff.com. Thank!

Photo: Fin del Camino

May 27, 2011 By Jillian

We’ve been hiking a lot over the years, but never had we seen a sign announcing the end of the road quite like this. Sure it was late spring in Bariloche, Argentina, but did we expect to see so much snow? Not on your life. Planning our hike from the hiking club’s information center we were surprised when they told us some of the refugios (refuges) were closed. It was November, just weeks before summer began- and they were closed for SNOW. So we planned a day hike. Needless to say after several hours of climbing uphill it started to snow. Maybe a mile further up we came to piles of snow and pretty soon there was significant accumulation.

This was the end of our road. We hiked a bit further, but soon it was clear that without snow shoes we were never going to make it to the top of the mountain. And so we did what anyone would do in those circumstances…we played in the snow. Snowballs, snowmen, the whole nine yards.

So since it’s nearing summer here in North America, we dedicate this photo to Summer. Hope you find your fin del camino this summer!

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo of the day series.

We loved Argentina and still consider Bariloche to be one of the best places on our whole trip. If we could give an award for “place most likely we would want to live” it would be Bariloche. From delicious chocolate to beautiful mountains, a big lake and great seasons, we loved everything about Bariloche. If you’re heading to Argentina or just want some food for thought, check out our Independent Travelers Guide to Argentina and keep an eye on those late holidays deals on discount travel sites!

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Photo: Colca’s Mules

Photo: Salkantay’s Peak

Photo: Attention Danger

Discover Grenada

Photo: Fin del Camino

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