In May 2017 I travelled overland through spectacular Andes mountain scenery from Peru to Ecuador, the next country on my journey around South America. Below are some of my favourite photos and videos from continental Ecuador. My Galapagos Islands visit will be blogged separately.
I spent my first few Ecuadorian days in and around the idyllic Hosteria Izhcayluma and nearby Vilcabamba.
Mosquito with extremely long legs at Rumi Wilco Nature Reserve, Vilcabamba, Ecuador
Nazca and Ica are popular tourist destinations in southern Peru and for good reasons!
I visited Nazca and Ica in April 2017, travelling north from Arequipa. Following are some favourite photos and videos from the trip.
Nazca is famous for its ancient, world heritage-listed Nazca Lines. The best way to see these desert designs is via a light plane tour from nearby Maria Reiche Neuman Airport (April 2017: USD$70 / 238 soles + 30 sol departure tax).
In aeroplane awaiting take-off at Nazca’s Maria Reiche Neuman Airport
The Hummingbird Nazca line as viewed from aeroplane
Alli, me and Heather in Cotahuasi Canyon (photo: Alli)
Between 2,500 and 3,500 metres from floor to rim, southern Peru’s Cotahuasi is one of the world’s deepest canyons. With amazing landscapes, waterfalls, natural hot springs and ancient terraces, the Cotahuasi Canyon is a hidden treasure that receives few tourists.
Cotahuasi is in Arequipa Region’s La Unión Province.
In April 2017 Cotahuasi Canyon seemed a distant, mysterious place off the beaten track. Upon hearing fellow Yes! Arequipa hostel guests Alli and Heather were going, I asked to join. Soon after, I was at Arequipa’s bus station buying a ticket to Cotahuasi Town, the La Unión Province capital and canyon gateway.
Cotahuasi Canyon map excerpt featuring places visited on the trip including Cotahuasi, Luicho, Alca, Tompepampa, Sipia Waterfalls (Catarata de Sipia), Charcana and Quechualla
From November 2016 to January 2017 Rocío and I experienced an unbelievable trip to Cuba. This post summarises the holiday and includes links to many stories and highlights.
The aptly named book Cuba: The Land of Miracles by Stephen Smith; although from an earlier time, Cuba’s essence remained as described in the book
From reading about Cuba beforehand I had some idea what it would be like. I knew there would be limited supplies available and that the country had two currencies and a bad reputation for food. In the weeks before leaving I repeatedly advised Rocío that Cuba was different, so much so, I almost felt like a broken record. However, it was important that we were prepared as well as we could be. After all, we planned to be there for almost two months! Continue reading
I love bromeliads. Members of the Bromeliaceae family, they impress me with their range of leaves and flowers. The different environments they are found also fascinate including on trees, rocks and even wires. Cuba’s tropical climate and varying environments ensure it has many bromeliads, both wild and in gardens. Cuba also grows the most commercial and famous bromeliad: the pineapple.
Two of the best gardens to see bromeliads in Cuba are Artemisa’s Orquideario Soroa Botanic Garden and Santiago de Cuba’s Jardin de los Helechos. For wild bromeliads, visit nature reserves and national parks. Often seemingly random trees also have bromeliads.
With international travel limited due to COVID-19, seeing Cuba’s bromeliads in the environment is impossible for most. The next best thing is to check out the bromeliads in my video:
Cuba’s capital Havana is one of the world’s great cities. Its combination of history, architecture, transport, economics, culture and climate can’t be copied.
Back in 2016-17 I was lucky enough to visit this unique place including for new year’s eve. Coincidentally, also in Havana I saw Placido Domingo, was there when Fidel Castro died and bumped into Enrique Iglesias’ Subeme La Radio video shoot.
This video provides a taste of Havana’s streets:
Following are snapshots of Havana from the trip. Continue reading
Posting letters into the Correos de Cuba box outside Nuevitas Post Office
The Cuban postal system (Correos de Cuba) is both a cheap way for locals to communicate and a source of foreign revenue. See, Cuba produces two sets of postcards and two corresponding postage rates:
Truck with plain, brand-less bags of water crackers in Pinar del Río
Post-Revolution, Cuba has been run as a totalitarian state with the government controlling all production and distribution. With no competition, such a system has little place for advertising or branding. In addition, Cuba’s mass media is all state-owned and commercial-free. Indeed, Cuba’s marketing expertise lies in propaganda. Interestingly, propaganda in Spanish translates as advertising.
Only recently have Cubans had self-employment options, planting tiny capitalistic seeds and increasing branding and advertising’s importance. Now many Cubans run their own restaurants, guest-houses, transport and other businesses. Below are selected advertisements, signs and brands from Rocío and my visit. Continue reading