The Galapagos Islands are a place like no other. We have never experienced interactions with animals the same way anywhere else. Sea lions, fearless will come and frolick with you, Marine Iguanas, although shy – will come and sleep next to you, and even birds will stick around unafraid. It’s … more »
If you’ve been following Backpack ME for a while, you’d know we LOVE road-trips! We’ve cruised around the Western part of the USA in a massive SUV. Visited mountain tops in Northern Thailand on top of a bike. Drove along the olive tree landscapes of Southern Spain. And beach-hopped in … more »
Last year we took the Nariz del Diablo train, a historical train route that was constructed by Jamaican slaves brought to Ecuador back in the 1700s. As the town is at a high altitude, the construction was incredibly challenging. They had to blast the hillside using dynamite to lay down … more »
The Ruta de la Cascadas near Baños in Ecuador is a pretty scenic ride along the mountains. We rented bikes for the day and rode part of the 62km route down to Puyo. They tell you it’s mostly downhill but it’s also uphill for quite a stretch ;) The road however … more »
Life on the Galapagos Islands is tough. After foraging for food all morning it’s time for a nap! This fellow was caught taking a well deserved snooze in our hotel :)
We met this fella in a monkey reserve in the Ecuadorian Amazon. As the cities around the Amazon extended, part of the Amazon was deforested and the animals found their natural habitat destroyed. Furthermore, electrical lines where placed in nearby towns and roads and monkeys didn’t instinctively understand that they … more »
I love the feeling of flying to a new place and getting the aerial view of a new land from from up above! You’d think that after traveling for a while this feeling is not as intense and in those first trips in the earlier days, but the truth is … more »
During a 60Km bike ride attempt in Banos, Ecuador, we came across this orange juice stall that helped us coming back to life! The board on top of the green structure read “Stop suffering! Recharge your energies“. The orange juice man was squeezing away like I have never seen before. … more »
The white sands of Tortuga Bay are pristine and inviting. The blue water is luscious and will lure you in. But be careful, rip tides are present in the area. Spend some time looking at the iguanas lazing on their paradisiacal beach. Marvel at how beautiful and untouched this place is. … more »
We’ve spent two months in Ecuador and that has given me plenty of time to gauge Claro’s 3G performance. I bought a Claro sim-card when I got to Ecuador in March 2012. We had to go to the Claro retailer in Quito to get a micro sim for my iPhone … more »