It was 3pm on the third day of the Inca Trail when we arrived at Phuyu Pata Marka, the highest stop point of today’s part of the Inca Trail (though we had been higher just 30 minutes earlier but without Inca Ruins to stop at). As far as I can recall, this was the longest Read more about Inca Trail Day 3 Part 5: Phuyu Pata Marka[…]
It has forever confused me as to what people mean when they say “old town” and “new town” about the same town – almost as if they are dividing a city into two parts based solely on age. I don’t do it with football shirts or girlfriends, it feels a bit odd to do it Read more about Backpacking in Ecuador: New Town Quito[…]
The very words “Finn McCool’s Irish Pub” will linger forever in my own memory and those of 5 other Northern Ireland fans. The reason being that back in 2005 we launched the glamorous and innovative South of England Northern Ireland Supporters Club in a bar of that very name in the seaside town of Weymouth Read more about Thirsty Thursdays: Finn McCool’s Irish Pub – Quito![…]
Arriving in Ecuador was at a substantial extra cost for me. Just 2 nights before my flight to Ecuador (“the equator country”) I had booked 2 flights – on TACA’s website with help and advice from an American guy sharing in the same room at Pariwana hostel, who similarly to me had done the whole Read more about In The Door Of Ecuador[…]
Well, yes this is the Real Inca Trail and not of of those fake Inca Trails I warned you all about, but one thing to note is that apparently the only official bit from the original Inca Trail starts halfway through day 3. But this particular part of the Inca Trail is where it got Read more about Inca Trail Day 3 Part 4: The “Real Inca Trail” Begins[…]
It’s a funny feeling when you stand in the middle of the world. Apparently you even weigh less on the Equator. Something to do with forces. But it had been well over a year since I was last in the Northern Hemisphere – that was in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in October 2009 (in fact it’s Read more about Equator Trip Part 1: Ciudad Mitad Del Mundo, Ecuador – Journey To The Middle Of The World[…]
I am forever grateful to the wonderful people we meet when we travel. On arrival in Quito, I met Erin, from the USA. Erin works at Colonial House Hostel and has lived in Quito for a while. I ask her where the best places to go are on my first afternoon and evening in the Read more about Backpacking in Ecuador: Quito Playing Games With My Heart[…]
The third day of the Inca Trail in the morning had been the wettest to date on my South American adventure, meaning we were all drenched to the skin at lunch time and it was still bucketing down when we arrived at the low down and open spaced campsite of Chaquiqocha. This proved to be Read more about Inca Trail Day 3 Part 3: Wet Lunch at Chaquiqocha[…]
We headed downwards through the mist and rain past a high lagoon. It was a bit slippy and very wet, but somehow my shoes coped and it was mid morning when we reached the Inca Settlement of Sayaqmarca. Sayaqmarca was almost like a castle on a hill. At Sayaqmarca we were initially meant to get Read more about Inca Trail Day 3 Part 2: Sayaqmarca and the Downpours[…]
Day 3 was meant to be an easy one. So let’s start at 5 am where we were awoken in our campsite at Paqaymayu. An early start with a fresh cup of hot Coca Tea was just the tonic to start the day. The weirdest thing of all for me on this particular day was Read more about Inca Trail Day 3 Part 1: Morning Ascent to Runkurakay[…]