Jaunted - ec

World's Greatest Train Travel: Pick of the Ecuadorean Hills

egw — 2008-09-09T14:30:24-05:00

This week, we're mapping some of the world's greatest train trips.

Earlier this year, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez declared his intention to string South America together by establishing a transcontinental train. While this type of border-crossing trip is still a matter of navigating the national railways of each country--where they even exist--it also means that hidden gems along the tracks tend to stay (a little more) hidden than the needle threading along the Eurail routes.

But the "Devil's Nose" in Ecuador isn't a train you take to get somewhere: It's pure sightseeing.

The Riobamba-to-Alausí route was so named because of the nearly sheer rock cliff the train was forced to ascend in order to get to the Andean city, a process it accomplishes by... well, watch the video, you might enjoy it. Those of strong stomach might enjoy a platano from a local farmer on the way up on the roof of the train. We'll just be cowering in our seats with one finger on the shutter button.

Related Stories:
· A Train to Cross All South America? [Treehugger]
· Theft and the Devil's Nose [Heldencrow.com]
· Ecuador Field Trip: Escape to Mindo [Jaunted]

Ecuador Field Trip: Escape to Mindo

The Lost Girl — 2008-03-12T14:05:01-05:00

Two of the Lost Girls are sharing their trips with us this week. Amanda just returned from Ecuador while Holly ventured to Antarctica.

One of Quito's greatest selling points? Within less than a day's travel from the city, you can reach the Amazon rainforest, the Andes mountains, the Pacific beaches, active volcanoes and of course, the country's namesake attraction: the equator.

My BF Jeff and I decided to skip out on the big painted stripe at Mitad del Mundo. (It's disappointing, we'd heard, since GPS now indicates that the actual equator is hundreds of feet away from the touristy hooplah.) Instead, we hopped a bus to a town called Mindo.

We'd attended an informal barbecue the day after our arrival and everyone--our hosts Andrew and Lau, their ex-pat friends, backpacker buddies and dozens of local Ecuadorian attendees--had recommended it as one of the best short trips from the city. If you can't make it all the way to the Amazon basin, Mindo will give you all the rainforest you can handle.

Ecuador Field Trip: Quito for Beginners

The Lost Girl — 2008-03-11T12:45:02-05:00

Long-haul travel is tough enough on your body without subjecting it a rock-hard, critter-infested guesthouse mattress. At least, not on your first night in town.

To ensure that my boyfriend Jeff and I would rest and repair in record time, we went the 300-thread count, mint-on-the-pillow route by booking at a weekend's stay at the Marriott Quito. While the room cost us less than $150 online, I later learned that spontaneous types can wander into the hotel and ask for a discounted rate on weekends. (We're talking up to 50 percent off during low season.)

We also liked that the place was a two-minute walk from The Mariscal, a touristy district the locals affectionately refer to as "Gringolandia."

Ecuador Field Trip: Trying to Get off the Ground

The Lost Girl — 2008-03-10T14:00:01-05:00

When I traveled around the world with two girlfriends last year, the three of us often relied on dumb luck and the kindness of strangers to get us from point A to B safely. And if we missed a bus or a flight was delayed? No harm, no foul--after all, we had 12 months to accomplish our globe-lapping mission, right?

But that ease-of-attitude drastically changes when you're planning an eight-day trip to Ecuador with a new boyfriend. My method for making sure everything went right was to carefully plan every detail so that nothing could possibly go wrong. Which, of course, was the fastest way to ensure that everything did.

As dominoes toppled, I struggled to maintain the new girlfriend illusion that I'm a fun, lighthearted traveler--and not a thoroughly seasoned, take-no-bullshit road warrior. In the end, all pretenses went to pot and bitchy won out. My top four travel snafus--and solutions for next time--after the jump.

It's Summer Somewhere: Galapagos Islands

sedona — 2008-02-04T16:15:01-05:00

As the snow falls in our 'hood, we're day dreaming of summer. Heading to the Galapagos in Ecuador, for the annual celebration of "Galapagos Days" is current obsession. Each island has its own parades and all out revelry the second week of February every year.

This month also brings lots of cool things to see there in the animal arena. Marine iguanas and flamingos begin to nest, and white-cheeked pintails start breeding. How would we see it all? Probably on a 7 day cruise on the M/S Alta, a three-masted schooner that has old-world charm and comes with all meals and your very own naturalist aboard for the trip.

True, lots of tourism to the islands has consequences, but if you do your trip right, you'll be able to enjoy the natural wonders without damaging 'em.

Related Stories:
· World's Best National Parks: Galapagos Islands [Jaunted]
· It's Summer Somewhere Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: angela7dreams]

UNESCO Travel: Galapagos Islands "In Danger"

pbb — 2008-01-28T16:00:01-05:00

Meanwhile on the opposite side of the world...

We may think of it as one of the world's best, but the Galapagos National Park is in trouble. A boom in tourism to the islands--145,000 visitors dropped by in 2006 compared to 40,000 in 1990--is putting the delicate ecosystem at risk. That recently earned it a special spot on UNESCO's World Heritage list: as a site "in danger."

What does that mean? Non-native species are being introduced to the islands, big ships are detracting from the natural splendor and sport fishing is having an impact on wildlife below the water. And as more and more people come to the islands, there's a better chance that visitors will overwhelm the delicate balance that makes the islands special.

The president of the Galapagos Conservancy, which supports preservation projects in the islands, says her group isn't trying to discourage tourism but rather promote the area in a responsible way:

We have found that when tourists actually visit the Galapagos, they leave caring about it and wanting to support all conservation efforts.

Related Stories:
· Can Darwin's Lab Survive Success? [NYT]
· World's Best National Parks: Galapagos Islands [Jaunted]
· Green Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: The Lilac Breasted Roller]

Spontaneous Spin to the Equator

amandak — 2007-08-28T09:40:03-05:00

We love a spot of spontaneous travel. You know the kind: grab a guidebook at the last minute, hop on a plane, then make all your travel decisions on the fly. Recently the crew at Budget Travel sent writer Jason Cohen on a bit of a mystery trip so he could log the pros and cons of this kind of spontaneous trip.

He and his wife Susan ended up in southern Ecuador: Guayaquil, to be precise. With no advance knowledge of the attractions, transport or accommodation in southern Ecuador, Jason and Susan stumbled around the country--spending a stack of time in buses--but still experiencing a bit of the real Ecuador.

They made sure not to miss the equator at the Museo de Sitio Inti-ñan, where there are basically trick sinks that show the water draining clockwise and counter-clockwise, depending on which hemisphere you stand in. If that's all they really got to see on their spontaneous trip, we'd still rate that as worth it.

Related Stories:
· We Have No Idea Where We're Going [Budget Travel]
· Hotels in Ecuador [HotelChatter]
· Travel Stories in Ecuador [Jaunted]

[Photo: T-Oh!&Matt]