We took in some utterly breathtaking views along South Africa’s famous Garden Route up the coast from Cape Town. Although our two-night stay in the town which we have difficulty pronouncing correctly, Knysna (nize-nuh), proved to be charming and picturesque, the highlight of this three day adventure was definitely the spectacular Robberg Nature Reserve in Plettenberg Bay. This location is truly a hiker’s paradise and should not be missed if traveling along the garden route. Offering three walking/hiking trails to choose from (easy, moderate, hard), magnificent views along the paths, and the sound of the ocean, there is no question about why this walk is rated amongst the best in the world. Nature at its finest! See for yourself…
Visit our photo gallery (click here), click on South Africa and scroll down to Plettenberg Bay to see incredible photos from Robberg and the island.
One of South America’s most stunning places and home to the refreshing caipirinha, endless churrasquerías, white-sand beaches, immaculate rain forests and of course, the undeniably beautiful sun kissed bodies. Like most who have not yet visited the country of Brazil, we were eager at the mere thought of having this on our agenda. This is, after all, the exotically attractive destination of which we all spot in travel magazines, see in movies and perhaps even dream about (for those of us who do that sort of thing). For us, there was also a sense of curiosity because we had been mistaken for Brazilians ever since we started our travels. For the record, neither of us speaks nor understands Portuguese. Luckily for us, Spanish and English are accepted equally.
We arrived in the country at about midnight and like most first timers, were a bit skeptical about taking a taxi this late given the safety issues we were warned about prior to our visit. In fact, we had heard horrible things about Rio and the truth is, most are true. So, the trick is to take care of your belongings, don’t carry too many valuables and be mindful of your surroundings at all times. It’s obviously not rocket science and should be a practice everywhere you go. For us world travelers, we don’t carry much, never look flashy and hardly ever go looking for trouble. Thankfully, we have no incidents to comment on thus far and truthfully, we found the locals to be rather friendly and helpful. Our goal is to go with the flow of the people and in this country it’s all about making the most of each day and living the good life.
Our days in Rio were relaxing and normally began with a large Açaí Tigela (Acai bowl) from the nearby and popular restaurant BIBI. In addition to the famous Brazilian steakhouses, which we found to be better in Argentina, the deep purple blueberry type frozen acai bowl is a traditional Brazilian phenomenon. The bowl is usually topped with banana and granola and definitely deserves all the hype, as it is absolutely delicious. After a fully satisfied appetite on a particular Sunday morning, there was not much left for the imagination as we walked out of the restaurant and strolled the streets of Copacabana. People lying half naked on the beach, Futevôlei (combination of beach volleyball and soccer) that is worth watching, beach bars serving fresh drinks and walks on the beach with incredible sand sculptures and views of sugarloaf mountain. Inspired by this vibrant city full of life in color, we began to check off some bucket list items. Once, the world’s largest soccer stadium with record-breaking standing capacity, and currently the most iconic stadium in South America, Maracanã abides in the center of Rio de Janeiro. For safety reasons, the stadium is now a sitting venue but still remains the mecca for soccer in Brazil. Our Maracanã experience was nothing less than impressive. Getting there from Copacabana was simple thanks to the city’s top of the line Subway which stops directly in front of the stadium. We started with a tour of the locker rooms where jerseys from different players of the 2014 World Cup were displayed. We continued towards the tunnel leading to the magnificent field where breathing becomes heavy after thinking of all the legends that dribbled a soccer ball in that same stadium. Legends like Garrincha, Zico, and Pele. To stand here, imagining the crowd cheering with relentless passion for the sport that represents the country of Brazil and so many others worldwide is just surreal. Weather a soccer fan or not, this stop is a must.
Another memorable experience consisted of visiting the obvious tourist attractions: Christ the Redeemer Statue, Sugar Loaf Mountain and the Sambódromo (carnival parade stadium in Brazil where samba schools parade competitively each year). As we made our way to these world wonders, it was impossible to ignore the colorful hillside Favelas (a slum or shanty town in Brazil; predominantly in Rio and São Paolo). Perhaps just as famous as some of the city’s top tourist attractions, Favelas are becoming more attractive because they provide a completely different perspective to the cultural reality of Brazil. Although we did not visit a favela, we are interested to learn more about these developments and compare with what we have seen and will continue to see in other countries. We hope to share some insight in future blog posts.
Christ the Redeemer was absolutely stunning! Much bigger than we had imagined and truly a beautiful work of art that overlooks the January River (Rio de Janeiro). There are three ways to reach the statue on Corcovado mountain: train, hike and car. We went up by car and spent some extra time at the café on top, enjoying a bowl of acai and overlooking the man himself. We would say this was the highlight of the trip, but unfortunately the spectacular views from Sugar Loaf Mountain and the cable car experience certainly act as a competitor. Somehow, we managed to make it to Sugarloaf at sunset and spent an evening staring over a beautifully glowing city from the top of the mountain.
Although these top tourist attractions have earned their respective stars on trip advisor and lonely planet, the main highlight during our time in Rio was an 8-hour hike in the Tijuca tropical rain forest and National Park. Sounds absolutely nuts right? Well, it was. The hike itself was not a walk in the park. It was physically challenging and we couldn’t have done it without an expert guide who led us to some of the highest peaks. The Tijuca Forest comprises the largest urban forest in the world and is considered a World Heritage Site. While the forest provides a combination of waterfalls, plants, flowers, birds, viewing platforms, trails, insects, spiders, snakes, exotic wildlife and much more, the panoramic views of the city from up above are absolutely unreal and make the visit that much more memorable.
Rio de Janeiro was a wonderful introduction to the country of Brazil and has left a long lasting impression. We are eager to experience more of this beautiful country and look forward to our return.
Fun fact: Cindy was stung by a bee twice in one day, nearly ended up in a hospital due to an allergic reaction and was two seconds short of being hit by a public bus.
Why hike the Inca Trail when you can take the train to Aguas Calientes and catch the bus to Machu Picchu like most people? Three months ago we were thinking, we have the time so, why not? After all, it is considered one of the most famous treks in South America and is rated quite high worldwide. Now, after completing what we can best describe as the most challenging couple days, we realize there is so much more to the Inca Trail than we ever anticipated. Somehow, in just 27 miles, it manages to combine a magnificent mountain landscape, sub-tropical jungle, dreamlike cloud forests, impressive Inca ruins and an appreciation for existence as we walk in the footsteps of the Inca to the ultimate reward, the magical lost city of Macchu Picchu. This has been, by far, the most physically demanding experience for both of us and yet, the most inspiring!
For safety reasons and reliability, we booked a tour. Side note: tours must be booked well in advance as there are only a certain number of permits allowed per day on the Inca Trail. We were lucky to book only 5 months before and guarantee a spot. This particular tour consisted of a four-day (three night) trek to Machu Picchu and three additional nights exploring nearby cities and ruins. Or, so we thought. During our first team meeting we were told we would be completing the trek in three days, instead of four, because one of the campsites had collapsed due to a landslide. This meant longer days with accelerated trekking, less time acclimating to the high altitude and less recovery time between treks. Let’s just say we were not jumping up and down at the idea.
Despite this setback and rigorous challenge, we were lucky to share this experience with a group of people that we couldn’t have hand picked better ourselves. We quickly became an Allyu (Qechua word meaning family). We were supportive, encouraging, on pitch (for those who were singing throughout the trail) and helped the team remain positive and excited till the end. In addition to the 15 in our Allyu, we had an amazing team of approx. 25 porters who completed the same trail as us except carrying 25 kilos each! Yes, that’s about 50 pounds. Some carried our duffel bags (13 pounds allowed per person including sleeping bag, etc.) others carried tents, kitchen equipment, food and water. We could not have thanked them enough. Watching them pass us up on the trail carrying so much not only motivated us to keep going, but made us respect their job and cheerful attitude despite the circumstances. Of course, it wasn’t very long before Enoc became best friends with all the porters. Ultimately, the people we met and relationships we formed were the true reward on this trail.
Day 1: Cusco-first team meeting and orientation. Enoc and I had already spent three nights in Cusco getting used to the high
altitude (11,150 ft.) and took the appropriate medication prior to the hike. For the record, altitude sickness is not fun and so many people who visit Cusco suffer from one or more symptoms. The first couple of days it was difficult to complete a sentence due to the low level of oxygen at this altitude. Enoc had the terrible headache that most people experience, but by this day we were ready to go!
Day 2: It was an early wake up call at our hotel, hearty breakfast and off to our starting point at Km 82. We were feeling confident toward the beginning, but did not expect the first trekking day to be so much of an incline and began to worry about soreness for the next day. A total of seven hours on the Inca Trail and 9.1 miles later, we were finally at our first campsite and were prepared to freeze to death as the temperature dropped drastically. This was also where we were introduced to the horrible squat toilets. In the midst of mountains, the porters prepared delicious food and made it extremely difficult to limit consumption. No electricity, but amazing food, ironic! So, yes, squatting was the only option unless you chose the women or men’s bush.
Are you wondering about showers? We practiced the wet wipes showers on the trail. Unless you were seeking to catch pneumonia using freezing cold water in freezing cold weather, you were in your tent wiping down to freshness.
Day 3: Five a.m. wake up call with Inca Trail best practice, coca tea. Drinking coca tea and chewing coca leaves was recommended multiple times per day to help prevent altitude sickness and provide energy. We didn’t sleep very well the first night, but we were ready to face the most difficult day on the trail with a smile on our face. Four hours of combined steps and incline early in the morning leading us to the highest peak on the trail known as Dead Women’s Pass at 13, 800 ft. The last two hours of nothing but steps were brutal. Somehow, we managed to keep a positive attitude and appreciate the incredible scenery on the way up. Besides my nose bleeding throughout the day because of the altitude, we felt great after reaching this high peak. One hundred pictures later, it was time to head downhill for three hours. This was possibly harder than the uphill for many of us.
This day was significant because I had to pee in the bushes for the first time ever in my life. I know, shocking. After a total of 10 hours and 9.1 miles later, we reached our second campsite and nearly kissed the tent. This day was by far the most challenging physically, mentally and every other way. However, the location of the campsite helped us get over it quick. This setting was absolutely breathtaking, but even colder than the first campsite. I think we used everything in our duffel bags that night and layered up.
Day 4: Five thirty a.m. wake up call, coca tea and warm water to wash your face delivered right outside your tent. After a fantastic breakfast and a quick stop at the squat toilets, we were hyped to start this day on the trail knowing we would arrive at the Sun Gate before sunset and catch our first views of the much anticipated Machu Picchu. After about seven hours and nine miles through cloud forest, jungle and too much steep uphill and downhill, the beautiful sight of Machu Picchu amazed us. Some of us were even emotional (totally talking about myself). After this surreal moment and one thousand pictures later, we checked in at a hotel in Aguas Calientes and had a decent shower and most importantly, our kind of toilets.
Day 5: An early morning to enter the lost city for a guided tour and enjoy more exploring on our own. After conquering the Inca Trail, in the midst of clouds, mountains, ruins, llamas and so much history, you can’t help but feel grateful to be standing before such wonder. A magical day indeed. After our visit, we enjoyed a scenic train ride along the beautiful Urubamba River to Ollantaytambo where we stayed for the night.
Day 6: Unfortunately, Enoc and others on our trip suffered from a terrible stomach virus early this morning. In fact, we started dropping like flies later that evening. Still, we managed to push forward and explore the beautiful ruins in the Sacred Valley that were absolutely stunning making it the perfect way to end this adventure.
Day 7: Cusco-dinner and goodbyes. This experience will forever be a memorable one!
e Inca Trail than we ever anticipated. Somehow, in just 27 miles, it manages to combine a magnificent mountain landscape, sub-tropical jungle, dreamlike cloud forests, impressive Inca ruins and an appreciation for existence as we walk in the footsteps of the Inca to the ultimate reward, the magical lost city of Macchu Picchu. This has been, by far, the most physically demanding experience for both of us and yet, the most inspiring!
This is Life in Color 