Oh, the Places We'll Go

La Paz is intense – in a good way. You can’t help but be blown away before even getting off the bus because you enter the city from above and wind your way down into the massive valley where the heart of the city is located, underneath the shadow of the 21,122 ft. Illimani Volcano.

Before you arrive, the guidebooks and a few travelers scare you with stories of complex scams (fake tourist police demanding to see/steal your passport), nasty distractions (someone spilling ketchup or spitting on you and then relieving you of your wallet as you clean yourself up), and corrupt taxi drivers (picking up additional passengers and then “kidnapping” you to an ATM and demanding you remove money). Needless to say, we were a little cautious when we arrived into the craziness that is La Paz.

I’m convinced that no one from La Paz would be overwhelmed by downtown Manhattan because the semi-organized chaos of La Paz’s streets and sidewalks would have them more than prepared. You constantly have to watch where you are going so as not to run down an old woman or get hit by a car or step in a hole in the sidewalk. But at the same time you want to look anywhere and everywhere all at once. There are people on the side of the streets selling anything from spices, to children’s bath toys, to toilet seats (which are pathetically underused in this country). There are markets that take up blocks and blocks that include practical items such a clothes as well as a witch’s market where you can buy an alpaca fetus, among other items to bring you luck or others harm.

Not only is the city a buzzing and fascinating place, it is surprisingly walkable. We spent several days exploring on foot and could have easily wandered more. We were also looking forward to doing some day trips and trekking in the nearby mountains, but our plans were foiled! One of the most popular day trips to do out of La Paz is to mountain bike the “world’s most dangerous road”. However, when we inquired about the trip in a travel office on our first day in the city, we learn that the access road to both the bike trip and other popular trekking was currently blocked by protesting coca farmers. The government had made an unpopular decision and the result was a road block for an interminable amount of time. Well then!

As it turns out, we had several contacts and friends of friends to look up in La Paz. Estefania is our friend who lives in Denver and as she is Bolivian, she has lots of friends and family that live here. She put us in touch with her cousin Ale who was an amazing and generous host. Ted and I got to explore parts of the city that folks don’t always venture off to see and we were even invited to brunch with Ale (and Estefania’s) extended family and friends to celebrate her younger sister’s first communion.

Ale and Estafania’s mom (via helpful emails!) also recommended we go see a pena in the city. Penas feature traditional dances and music from local Andean culture. The performance was vibrant and interactive, with the dancers pulling us up on stage, and musicians playing songs from the home country of each visitor (we got an Elvis tune sung for us). Though there were definitely other tourists there, I was surprised that nearly half was room was people from La Paz who had come to see the show.

A huge thanks to Estefania for the introduction, to Ale for taking the time to show us around La Paz and to her family for making us feel welcome!

Valle de la Luna, or Valley of the Moon. Just outside the borders of the Bolivian capital, La Paz.  Crazy landscape!

Similar to Lake Titicaca, Copacabana is one of those place names that just sounds fun and that you look forward to visiting. Not to be confused with the famous Brazilian city with the same name, Bolivia’s Copacabana is a small little tourist town just across the border from Peru and also on the shores of Lake Titicaca.

Just as it is popular to visit the lake’s islands from the Peru side, it is equally popular from the Bolivia side as well. As we had already spent a good amount of time on and around the lake, we opted for a day trip out to the much talked about Isla del Sol.

After a hilariously slow ride out to the island, we were free to explore. There are several impressive intact ruins from the Incas that were cool to check out, however we were most blown away with the impressive scenery. We were dropped at the north end of the island and chose to walk the length of it to the south end where our boat picked us up later in the day before returning back to Copacabana.

Beyond on our day trip to the island, the highlight of the Copacabana area included amazingly delicious fresh-caught trucha (trout) served in lakeside fish stands with salad and potatoes for less than $3, where we ate several times.

Many folks cross the border from Peru and bypass Copacabana completely, opting to head straight for La Paz. However, it’s a neat little stop and we were happy to have a few more days on the water before moving on.

Wowsa, where do we begin? Peru knocked our socks off. We loved it there and I am pretty darn sure we’ll be back again someday. Check out what we loved, what we didn’t, and of course, what we ate!

Top Ten

1. The Salkantay Trek with the Mountain Lodges of Peru (MLP) – Pretty much the best trip we’ve ever done. Amazing scenery, great people, fabulous food, fancy lodges and spectacular hiking. What else can we say?
2. Machu Picchu – Though technically part of our MLP trip, it deserves its own designation because it was just as good as we hoped it would be, and better.
3. Getting to see and stay with family – What a treat to have a cousin living in Lima, Peru that was wonderful enough to host us and treat us like, well, family!
4. Swimming in the Amazon River – There were a lot of amazing parts about our jungle lodge adventure that we loved, but getting to jump in the water and escape the jungle heat for just a few minutes was truly priceless.
5. The Colca Canyon and the end-of-the-hike oasis – Just when you are getting hot, dusty and tired of walking, the blue-green pools of the Colca Canyon oasis are there to reward your amazing day of trekking with a refreshing soak.
6. Kayaking around Isla Suasi
7. The food (see below)
8. Hot tubs on MLP trip – See, we can’t stop talking about this trip.
9. Mountain biking in the Sacred Valley – Yep, that was a good day.
10. Rooftop views of Arequipa sunsets against the surrounding volcanoes

Bottom Five

1. The protests changing our plans in Cusco – Read Ted’s post about the protest delays. Not a big deal, but obviously not ideal.
2. The jungle was HOT, too hot – We must sound like big whiners.
3. Our grumpy host mom in Amantani – Sadly our ‘cultural tourism’ experience was a bit tarnished because we weren’t in the market for any local handicrafts.
4. Uros floating islands – Tourism exploitation at its worst.
5. Leaving the country – Could have easily stayed longer. That’s why I know we’ll be back!

Food and Drink – Favorite meals, dishes and drinks

This is really tough. Peru’s food is over-the-top. They are apparently in the middle of a culinary revolution down there. Nearly all the food was excellent – both in taste and presentation. I tell you, I think we need to start seeing some more Peruvian restaurants at home.

1. Lomo Saltado – What I’d call the ‘national’ dish and served in nearly every restaurant serving traditional food, lomo saltado is strips of beef, served with onions and bell pepper in a delicious sauce/gravy over rice and/or french fries.
2. Pisco Sours – The national drink. Made from grapes, Pisco is an alcohol that both Peru and Chile claimed to have created. The Peruvian version is made with sugar, simple syrup, sour mix, ice, and blended with egg white.
3. Ceviche – When ceviche is good, it is really good.
4. Pretty much all our meals on the Mountain Lodges of Peru Trip – We’ve never taken so many pictures of food in our lives.
5. Amazing seafood restaurant with Ryan and Angela – One of the Lima food scene’s many gems. We were craving seafood and no one was disappointed!
6. Eating Amazonian piranha that Ted caught earlier that afternoon.
7. Set-menu lunches – We were served gigantic portions of delicious food and it cost us less than $2 a piece. Definitely a winner for those of us on a traveler’s budget.
8. Machu Pizza – Well the name is cheesy but that didn’t stop us from going back again. Probably the best pizza and garlic bread we’ve had on our trip and served with dipping sauces made them even better.

The next installment of my posts for World Nomads.  The original can be found here, or copied below

Peru: Empowering Women Through Tourism

Women and the Impact of Tourism

Women in developing countries have it pretty tough.  Sometimes very tough.  Often viewed as 2nd-class citizens, commonly marginalized to very limited activities and privileges, some women struggle to earn even very basic rights.  One of the biggest challenges preventing women from rising to equal status is  dependence on their husbands, as men are the traditional breadwinners.  Particularly in rural communities, the only paying work available is manual labor, leaving women unable to earn even the smallest wages.  It’s an unfair cycle – no work, no money, no power, no decision making, no work, no money,…

For all the negative impacts tourism is blamed for (environmental degradation, cultural exploitation, economic dependence, etc), the empowerment of women is one of the industry’s most consistent and commendable positive influences.  Granted, many of the most common jobs for women in tourism are low-skilled, low-paying positions that may actually reinforce existing gender stereotypes.  But, when approached with cultural sensitivity and commitment to the community, responsible tourism can provide opportunities beyond some womens’ wildest dreams.

Women’s Empowerment Project in Peru

I recently visited with a phenomenal example of a women-supported tourism project in rural Peru.  The  Yanapana Foundation is a local NGO dedicated to supporting the communities along the Salkantay Trek through sustainable social programs and income-generating projects.  While the empowerment of women is not cited as part of the organization’s mission, many of its projects are focused on small business development for women-run cooperatives.

A bit of background: The Salkantay Trek is a stunning 4-6 day hike, beginning in the town of Mollepata, and culminating with a visit to Machu Picchu.  With many travelers looking for an alternative to the heavily trekked and regulated Inca Trail, the Salkantay has experienced a significant boom in recent years (and having recently finished a trip along the trek, I can personally vouch that you should absolutely choose the Salkantay over the Inca trail).  While traditionally trekked with tented camp accommodations, the Mountain Lodges of Peru (MLP) has pioneered a lodge-to-lodge version of the trek.  Before their first lodge was even built, MLP established the Yanapana Foundation, understanding that the well-being of their guests was tied directly to the well-being of the local communities.

The Impact

Ok, so what’s really happening to support women along the Salkantay?  Yanapana has helped to establish a cooperative of women weavers and garment makers.  Previously only making garments for family members, these women are now earning fair wages for creating clothing and blankets that are being sold to MLP guests and other trekkers on the Salkantay.  Yanapana has helped to create and build a women-owned and operated jam making business that supplies all of MLP’s lodges as well as local grocery stores.  Yanapana has also worked to provide language and professional training for women along the trek to assist them in obtaining jobs at MLP lodges.  Oh yeah, and then there are all the other community projects facilitated by the organization, including providing free health care to local communities, gathering clothes for children in need, cleaning up the trail, providing health services and school supplies in rural schools, and teaching sustainable farming techniques.

So this is an impressive list of projects, and surely the organization’s impact is substantial.  But what really moved me about the work of Yanapana was talking to the women who have been supported by its projects.  To look into Maria’s eyes while she tells me that her husband now treats her with respect and dignity, and that she feels empowered to be contributing to the family’s finances is a moving experience.  And to hear from Mercedes, the Yanapana Director (also a woman), that in 3 short years, they have transformed the lives of dozens of women along the Salkantay Trek, with grand plans to expand their impact, is inspiring to say the least.

This is all possible thanks to a responsible travel company who recognizes that its success is tied directly to the success of those in the communities that support it.  Whether MLP’s guests are purchasing goods made by the Yanapana cooperatives or not, simply by using MLP’s services, guests are supporting the empowerment of women and the well-being of local communities.  As a traveler, your choices of operators or hosts truly make a difference.  Do what you can to seek out providers that have a similar commitment to the people in your host communities, and if you can, give a little extra to support their work.  Your choice may have a bigger impact that you realize.

About the Author: Ted Martens

Ted’s journey into the travel and tourism industry started the summer after a two-month backpacking trip throughout Europe ignited a life-long passion for international travel. With a master’s degree in Tourism Development, Ted has focused his efforts on helping non-profit Sustainable Travel International promote responsible tourism across the globe as their Director of Outreach & Development. After working too hard for the past 5 years, he is on the road again, escaping the office for some field research… is the responsible travel movement taking seed across the globe, or not?

Through a connection that we made on the Mountain Lodges of Peru trip to Machu Picchu, Ted was able to arrange a fabulous 3 day/2 night stay on the private island of Isla Suasi.

Isla Suasi is an incredibly small, yet spectacularly beautiful island on the northeast end of Lake Titicaca. The hotel is the only building on the island besides the island owner’s private residence. It is exclusive, it is luxurious, and it was a treat!

Upon arriving by boat, we were served an amazing Andean barbeque lunch overlooking the beautiful blue water. That afternoon, and in fact throughout the stay, you could do as much or as little as you wanted. Activities options included: walking to the highest point of the island to watch the sunset, visiting the eucalyptus steam room, drinking wine and reading a book, kayaking around the island, taking a tour of the island’s owner’s home/museum, star-gazing, etc.

Ted and I took the opportunity to kayak around the island and we had such a great time doing it that we decided to do it again the next day! In general we relaxed, enjoyed the incredibly delicious food and the wonderfully helpful staff, and slept well in a our fantastic room.

The contrast between our homestay on the island of Amantani(where Ted had to show me how to “flush” a toilet with a bucket of water), and the five-star treatment and facilities that we experienced on Isla Suasi was certainly striking. However, as both types experiences are exceptions to our normal way of traveling, it reminds us to be thankful for what we normally may take for granted as well as to appreciate good fortune when we have the opportunity!

People in the Andes hate to break big bills (or even medium sized bills, for that matter). Never in my life have I been in such constant pursuit of small bills and change. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that most ATMs don’t dispense small bills. Every purchase must be considered – can this person break a 50 Sole note? Can this restaurant accept a $20 bill? If there is even a small chance that a retailer might take a larger bill, you must try! Even though you may have decent change in your pocket right now, likely that won’t last for long.

And what happens when you don’t have smaller bills? You don’t get to buy what you want to buy. That’s right, on multiple occasions, I have been told that a store owner would rather not sell me a product than give me the change required for the bills I am presenting. A small example – along the Ecuadorian coast, I was thirsty for a Coke. I walked in to a small store where a 500ml (20oz) bottle of coke was for sale for US$0.50 (Ecuador’s currency is the US dollar). I had no change and no single bills, so I handed her a US$5 (not a $50, or a $20, or even a $10, but a $5!). Nope, no change, no Coke for me. This is not uncommon.

And the kicker…THEY HAVE THE CHANGE (most of the time) – they just don’t want to jeopardize their ability to make change in the future! Well, two can play at this game. It’s most fun to force the change out of your service providers. This works best when you have already consumed the products they are selling. I’ve had hotels tell me they don’t have change for my bigger bills, but since I’ve already stayed at their property, miraculously, change for my 100 Soles appears from the drawer after denying its existence just minutes prior. I’ve also gotten quite good at denying my ability to make change, even when I have it. Often time a store will request small change on top of your bill so they can give you a bigger bill back. For instance, if my lunch costs 56 Bolivianos, and I pay with a 100, they’ll ask for 6 Bs so they can give me a 50 back. Little do they know that I have 56 Bs exactly, but I am using a 100 so I can hold on to that precious 6 in change (and to make more change to be used later). AND, since I already ate their food, they somehow or other find a way to break that 100 after all.

Who would have thought that a $1 could be more valuable than a $10 bill, when you need the change?

Lake Titicaca (like Timbuktu and Kathmandu) is one of those names you hear in your life but are never quite sure if it is an actual place. We were pleasantly pleased to confirm that it is and we enjoyed spending nearly 10 days in and around the lake both on the Peruvian and Bolivian side.

The access city to the lake from Peru is called Puno. Puno is an intense and busy place for its smaller size, but we quite liked the buzz and as it is a popular tourist town, there were many great restaurants (our favorite being Machu Pizza!) and affordable hostels.

The most popular thing to do out of Puno is visit a few of the nearby islands, either on a day-trip or by doing an overnight homestay. We opted for the 2 day/1 night option which allowed us to stay on one of the islands with a family.

Upon departing Puno, nearly all the tourist boats first stop at the Uros floating islands. These islands are both fascinating and sad. Fascinating because they are literally floating through a combination of reeds and reed beds and sad because they are sustained only through mass tourism at this point. In the 1500s, people built and moved to these islands to avoid hostel neighbors and the Spanish invasion that was occurring throughout the region. At one point, these were living and breathing cultures that supported themselves by fishing and trading. However, now the society is a shadow of its former self, with only a small percentage of “islanders” actually living on the islands in huts made of reeds. Their only source of income is through the tourists that are dropped off each day for 30 minutes, and pressure to purchase their handicrafts or take a ride in one of their traditional boats is overt, and somewhat uncomfortable.

After Uros, the boat continued for another couple hours to the island of Amantani. Upon arriving, Ted and I were assigned to a family (based on a community-organized rotation system). Families look forward to hosting tourists for homestays because it is a significant source of income for small amount of work. Our family was quite lovely, however, our host mother was noticeably offended that Ted and I didn’t wish to purchase any of her homemade hats or scarves that she showed us over lunch. Though I understand that her hope is to sell her items on the few occasions a month that she has the opportunity to host visitors, Ted and I couldn’t help but notice how her attitude towards us after that point changed for the worse. Kinda a bummer.

We managed to entertain ourselves by exploring the small island by foot and visiting the highest sections of the island and capturing some amazing views and the sunset.

The next day we traveled to the island of Taquile which is quite close to Amantani. The people of Taquile are known nationwide for their incredible weavings – everything from hats and belts to bracelets and vests. They have a community-organized coop that pools all the work from various artists around the island and the whole island benefits from the tourism and the purchases. Quite impressive indeed!

After a half-day on Taquile, we headed back to dry land for another night in Puno. Though the islands are just a couple hours away by boat, the contrast between the modernity of Puno and the traditional agricultural and artisanal economies of Amantani and Taquile make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time.

The next installment of my posts for World Nomads.  Original can be found here, or copied below.

Community Tourism – Worth the Dirt?

WORLDWIDE | Monday, 20 September 2010 | Views [342]

Community-based tourism, a now popular buzzword among backpackers and eco-travelers, touts a more “authentic” experience, placing you in lives of local people in rural communities.  In theory, it sounds great – eat, learn, interact, play, work, and live with the people indigenous to the areas you’re exploring (a rare opportunity along the beaten path).  AND, know that your visit is benefiting these communities, often in dire straits for some form of sustainable economic opportunities.  For the intrepid, adventurous, and tolerant traveler, this can all be true.  But for many backpackers, community tourism is dirty, difficult, and down-right uncomfortable.  Sound like something you´d like to try?  Consider the following factors:

• Not all community tourism is the same.  Some communities simply clear out a bedroom for your visit, add another portion to their food preparation, and treat you as one of the family.  Others have built separate living quarters, complete with Westerner amenities like hot water, enclosed roofs, and private bathrooms (often times, these hosts have been instructed on Western culture, norms, and expectations).  Before you dive into a community visit, determine what type of facilities are made available, and ensure that you’re comfortable with what’s being offered.
• Did you like going to summer camp when you were younger?  Community tourism is nothing like summer camp, but if you still dislike the thought of bunk beds in a rustic, dirty, buggy cabin, then you likely won´t enjoy your digs with the host family.  Remember, most of these families live in rural, poor areas, existing on less that US$2/day.  Homes can be very basic, and often living in close contact with nature.  If being dirty still sounds like fun, then keep reading.
• How are your non-verbal communication skills?  Likely, English is not spoken by anyone in these rural areas.  So, unless you speak the local language, you´re going to be signing your way through your request for more chicken or less rice.  For many, this is a welcome challenge – it´s amazing how much can be communicated by pointing and a smile.
• Are you ready to immerse yourself in someone else’s lives?  There are many challenges involved – eating unfamiliar foods, adjusting to the local schedule, living among the chickens and roosters (who, by the way, cock-a-doodle-doo WAY before dawn), walking miles for basic necessities, etc.  However, the rewards can be rich, educational, and inspiring – it’s extremely rare to have such a first-hand view of the lives of people so different than you, culturally, economically, and personally.  My hosts have been among the most generous, hard-working, and genuine people I’ve ever met.

If you dig the idea of connecting closely with local cultures, enjoy placing yourself in challenging situations, and are willing to look past the lack of western-style amenities, I urge you to give it a try.

I recently had the opportunity to visit a variety community tourism projects in northern Ecuador, each unique in its level of comfort, hospitality, and approach to hosting travelers.  In some places, I felt more welcome and appreciated.  In others, I felt like yet another gringo sitting at the dinner table.  In some, I was clean and comfortable, but felt the scenario was a bit staged and not-so-authentic. In others, I was dirty, uncomfortable, but basking in the connections I made with the locals.  A few tips from what I learned from these community based homestays:

• Authenticity is at odds with luxury.  Not that any of the communities was luxurious, but the more amenities and comfort were available, the less of a connection I was able to make with the locals.  Make your choice of community tourism visits based on what’s most important to you.
• Connections don’t happen just because you show up.  At first, locals may be hesitant to talk to you, as they are unfamiliar with your intentions and puzzled by your presence in their community.  Often, it takes a number of days before people are comfortable approaching you.  It’s up to you to initiate conversation.
• Trust is built quicker when you participate in their lives.  You may not be visiting a community to volunteer your time (or perhaps you are), but nothing builds a bridge like helping with the daily work.  Whether that means helping with meals, working in the fields, or teaching English to kids, do what you can to participate in the lives of the people you’re visiting.  That’s why you’re there, isn’t it?
• Ask lots of questions, but be ready to tell stories.  You may be visiting to learn about the lives and cultures of the host community, but they are just as interested in learning about life from your home country.  Show photos, tell stories, and share customs!

Interested in visiting or volunteering at a community tourism project in Ecuador?  Contact Peter Shear and CASA Interamericana at info@casainteram.org

About the Author: Ted Martens

Ted’s journey into the travel and tourism industry started the summer after a two-month backpacking trip throughout Europe ignited a life-long passion for international travel.  With a master’s degree in Tourism Development, Ted has focused his efforts on helping non-profit Sustainable Travel International promote responsible tourism across the globe as their Director of Outreach & Development. After working too hard for the past 5 years, he is on the road again, escaping the office for some field research… is the responsible travel movement taking seed across the globe, or not?

One of the most popular side-trips to do out of Arequipa, Peru is a hike in the Colca Canyon. Many tour operators run 2 or 3 day trips to the area and we did a bit of detective work to determine what we wanted to do and if we wanted to do it ourselves or go with a group. We opted to do it independently and decided upon a 3 day/2 night excursion.

Though we would normally take a local bus to our starting off point, a national election had made bus travel super busy as many people had to return to their home towns to vote locally. So wonderfully, Ted was able to bum us a ride to our starting point with a tour operator that was leaving on a guided trip.

After a fairly sleepy first day in a very small access town, Cabanaconde, we headed down into the canyon. Colca Canyon is advertised as being twice as deep as Arizona’s Grand Canyon and though it is certainly the case, the canyon itself is actual not nearly as grand. The canyon is beautiful but it rather than wide, it is long and skinny. As you would imagine, the first day of walking was all downhill. There are a handful of little towns at the bottom so when we reached the river around lunchtime, we were happy to be met by a young boy that was hoping we’d be customers for lunch at his home. We happily agreed and were treated to quite a delicious midday meal in a tiny little place that also provided overnight accomodation for weary hikers.

After lunch we hiked some rolling hills and just when the heat of the day and the miles of hiking were starting to tire us out, we caught a glimpse of our final destination: the Oasis. We had heard a lot about the Oasis but nothing quite prepares you for the shock of green vegetation and the sparking blue swimming pools seen from above that contrast with the brown hills and desert cactus that we’d been hiking through all day. From above, the oasis is just that. A beautiful, welcoming respite that marks the end of a long day and place to relax and cool off. I couldn’t get there fast enough!

The accomodations were basic to say the least, but we got to take a dip in a pool and were fed a big heaping plate of pasta so no one was complaining.

The hike out the next day started early to avoid the direct sunlight on the pretty demanding hike up. However, after quite a few hikes under our belt already we made it up and out of there without too much trouble. Little did we know that it would be the bumpy, long bus ride back to Arequipa that would prove to be an equally challenging experience for our sore muscles!