Traveling in the Amazon Region of Colombia




Leticia, Colombia, May 27, 2011—There’s something about the jungle that both thrills and scares me. The first time I saw a rain forest in Honduras, I was awestruck by the sounds and smells. The ability to spot animals that I’ve only previously seen on TV or in zoos is an experience so amazing that I feel like a child every time I venture into the jungle.

But, being enveloped by its wildness also means getting closer to animals that, frankly, freak me out—like snakes.

Luckily, I haven’t yet had a bad experience with jungle-dwelling serpents.

Everyday transportation along the Amazon River (Photo: Jill K. Robinson)

Colombia’s Amacayacu National Natural Park is in the extreme southern corner of the country. Capital city Leticia gave me a beach town vibe, until I showed up on the malecon and got a look at the Amazon River. The chocolate-colored water stretched out in front of me—all the way to Peru.

“See? The bank over there is in Peru. And if you go just a short distance in the other direction, you’re in Brazil,” said my guide, Elvis Cueva, from Colombian Amazon Expedition.

A local legend says that the Amazon River was created from the broad branch of a ceiba tree when it fell to the ground. The ceiba, a colossal tree with huge buttress roots and a spreading canopy, is one of the largest trees in the rain forest. As we traveled by boat along the river, I could tell which trees were ceibas. The wide, umbrella-like canopies stretched above all the other trees.

Just focusing on a small piece of this region is difficult to do in only a couple of days, especially since seeing wildlife doesn’t happen on a schedule. If you plan a trip here, make sure you spend the time to truly relax and disappear into the forest.

My first morning, after waking to a chorus of birds far different than those I hear at home, I paddled in a dugout canoe with Elvis among the flooded rain forest that surrounded my lodge, the Yewae Visitor Center. It was the rainy season, so the trails around the center were under nearly 10 feet of water. Our leaf-shaped paddle blades quietly dipped in the water as we moved silently through the trees.

The excursion allowed us to get close to the trees and animals—especially the broad buttress roots of the gigantic ceibas and a slender green vine snake that hung motionless from a small branch. Flocks of parrots chattered overhead as we moved past flotillas of water hyacinths and bushes that would have been over our heads in the dry season.

Later on, in a different kind of boat (one we didn’t have to paddle), we explored more of the Amazon River and its tributaries. While it’s possible to go deeper into the jungle and get away from the convenient towns of Leticia and Puerto Nariño, it’s also easy to feel lost with less effort by venturing up the Rio Amacayacu (which translates to “River of Hammocks”) and visiting the Ticuna community of San Martín.

Victor Angel Pereira, head of the village of 496 residents, sat with me in the malocca (a community house) and taught me the word for good morning in the Ticuna language: numai. Afterward, I viewed some of the community’s crafts—from arm bands made of chambira (fibers from a palm tree) to beautiful carved wood statues of dolphins.

As we left the community to get a glimpse of some of the living versions of those statues, village children played in the water—jumping off the dock to make kid-size splashes that irritated nearby mothers who were washing clothes.

A short distance from San Martín is Lago Tarapoto—home to Amazon river dolphins. I’d hoped that one of the highlights of my trip would be seeing a pink river dolphin, but instead, I was greeted by a small group of gray river dolphins. It was impossible to be disappointed, however, when the dolphins leaped and twisted in the air all around the boat. It was hard to know which way to turn to spy them, when—splash—there they’d be behind me.

The search for pink wasn’t lost. On the way back to the lodge that night, we stopped the boat in the middle of the river—within view of a stunning pink and red sunset. The only sounds were a breeze on the water and the calls from thousands of birds finding treetop homes for the night.

Want to take an Amazon expedition in Colombia? Contact Colombian Amazon Expedition in Leticia and let Elvis (elcuma@yahoo.com) be your guide.

300 tourists stranded at Bolivian border because of mining protests




About 300 tourists, mostly Europeans and Japanese, are stranded at the border between Peru and Bolivia because of the strike against the mining concessions in the department of Puno, warned the National Chamber of Tourism (Canatur), reports Perú.21.

The head of the agency, Carlos Canales, said that foreign visitors had evaded the road blocks by traveling via Lake Titicaca, but yesterday the port was taken by the demonstrators.

Previously, Canatur announced in a statement that the sector has lost S/. 100 million since the protests that began 16 days ago in the southern highland region. He stressed that the strike damages the image of the country and caused the cancellation of hundreds of tour packages.

Meanwhile, all activities in the city of Puno remain paralyzed and 20,000 Aymara are participating in the anti-mining protests. The leaders of the province Chucuito-Juli, Walter Aduviri, and Yunguyo, Helmer Bazán, went to the Francisco Bolognesi headquarters in Juliaca to meet with the High Commission and other leaders of the strike. The meeting was scheduled for 4:00 p.m. Wednesday

LAN will add more flights to Cusco once airport adds nighttime lighting





LAN Peru will deploy new flights to Cusco once Velasco Astete International Airport adds lights to make night flights possible. The airline will extend its operation beyond 4:30 p.m., said general manager Jorge Vilches.

"Extending the time we could certainly create more flights and better connectivity with Cusco, consider that Cusco is the belly button of the ancient world, but now, after 4:30 p.m. it is inaccessible by plane," Vilches said.

LAN has a total of 17 daily flights to Cusco and accounts for 60 percent of the market share of passengers traveling to the city, reports Andina.

"We now have little room for expansion of our operations, but extending operation hours would be the best way we can, between all operators, bring more tourism to Cusco," Vilches said.

The remodeling work being done by the Peruvian Corporation of Airports and Commercial Aviation (Corpac) includes the installation of lighting systems to receive night flights.

"We understand that there is a plan in this regard, but it will depend on what the authorities decide in Cusco and, if they want to extend the operating hours. I have understood that is why Corpac considered these renovations," he added.

He said that LAN is willing to support the arrival of more tourists to Cusco and as proof of this the airline is offering a promotional fare of $79, which will run until May 26, a value that is below the normal rate of $119.

"We continuously launch promotions and since last year we have had offers from $49 for the campaign Cusco Pone, and since then we have launched aggressive promotions to bring more Peruvians to Cusco," he said.

He also said that between 900,000 and a million passengers will be transported by LAN Peru this year and expects significant growth in the participation of Peruvian tourists.

"We are transporting about 1,200 Peruvian tourists per day to Cusco. That's the number we have estimated in LAN flights," said Vilches.

"Before Cusco was a unique destination for foreign tourists and it was an expensive destination, but we are increasingly looking to offer (flights) to bring Cusco and Machu Picchu closer to Peruvian tourists through low fares," he said.

Finally he added that LAN Peru hopes to implement more flights between Lima and the Caribbean in the second half of the year.

Top five things to look for in a travel doctor, and why you should have one




Despite writing about food and adventure travel for a living, I used to be somewhat blasé about the concept of travel medicine. Multiple incidents of Giardia/dysentery/traveler's diarrhea/full-body outbreaks of mosquito and sand fly bites just taught me to carry a serious stash of antibiotics in my first-aid kit. At least I've always been conscientious about travel immunizations and educating myself about the primary diseases indigenous to my destination.

When you're young and healthy, it seems silly to have a travel medicine specialist. Although this article is primarily directed at adventure travelers, odds are, the worst thing you'll come home with is a backpack full of crappy souvenirs. But no one's invincible, and should you require a specialist for something not responding to conventional treatment or with progressive symptoms, time is of the essence. Many "exotic" diseases progress rapidly, and can cause irreversible damage or death if not properly diagnosed and treated. Even with incurable diseases, the earlier you catch them, the easier it will be to manage symptoms and prevent them for worsening.

No, I'm not a doctor, although I come from a medical family. But I got seriously schooled after visiting Ecuador two years ago. After a fantastic month of adventure activities in remote parts of the Andes and Amazon Basin, I fell seriously ill the last day my trip. Two years of at-times crippling symptoms, 10 CT scans, five medical facilities, dozens of specialists, four surgical procedures, two surgeries, one cancer diagnosis, and near-medical bankruptcy later, I've become an expert at being my own advocate.



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PROMPERU Perù sigue posicionándose como destino turístico a nivel mundial





El 3 de mayo TripAdvisor, sitio web de viajes con operaciones en 29 países, más de 50 millones de visitantes al mes y 20 millones de miembros, dio a conocer la relación de los ganadores de su concurso “Travelers Choice Destination Awards”, en el que la ciudadela Inca de Machupicchu destaca en el tercer puesto entre los 25 mejores destinos en el mundo para visitar. La elección de los ganadores se hizo a través de un análisis exhaustivo de aquellos destinos preferidos por los viajeros y la popularidad de los mismos a través de iniciativas de publicidad, de modo que la votación fuese lo más objetiva posible.

Por otro lado, National Geographic Traveler ha incluido a Machu Picchu y la Amazonía Peruana en su prestigiosa lista: National Geographic Traveler's "50 Places of a Lifetime" la cual estará disponible mediante una aplicación desarrollada para los productos de Apple (Iphone, Ipods, Ipads y demás) en Itunes Store. Los destinos integrantes de esta lista han sido escogidos por un selecto grupo de escritores, fotógrafos, exploradores y editores. Además, la revista otorgó a Promperú una insignia de reconocimiento que podrá ser usada en los materiales promocionales.

PromPerú ha lanzado una campaña publicitaria tanto en el mercado anglosajón como en el europeo que comenzó el 15 de marzo y culminará a fines de julio, la cual consiste en lanzar publicidad a través de distintos medios como revistas, las principales webs especializadas, canales de televisión en cable, publicidad en exteriores y a través de la compra de publicidad en la plataforma de Google.

Entre las iniciativas más llamativas resaltan la contratación de una pantalla LED a full color en Times Square que estuvo emitiendo el spot Perú Vive la Leyenda en el corazón de Manhattan en marzo y abril, y los dos buses en Paris que llevan la Marca País por los distritos más importantes de dicha ciudad. De igual manera, PromPerú ha logrado el patrocinio del prestigioso canal National Geographic que estará emitiendo el spot Vive La Leyenda e incluirá el logo de Machu Picchu por los 100 años durante su programación.

Por su parte, el 5 de mayo, el Ministro de Comercio Exterior y Turismo, Eduardo Ferreyros Küppers, presentó la campaña publicitaria de la Marca Perú acompañado por distintas celebridades y embajadores de la marca. El lanzamiento del primer documental de la marca tuvo una gran acogida batiendo records de visualizaciones en youtube, y la campaña de publicidad resultó en un aumento significativo del tráfico hacia la web de peru.travel, el cual ha alcanzado una cifra record desde su lanzamiento con 601,609 visitas solo en el mes de abril.

Seven Geographically Inaccurate Travel and Adventure Movies (VIDEO)




We've taken a look at historical spots from the movies, but what about when filmmakers get it completely wrong? In travel, adventure or escapade films, directors are often compelled to capture the most scenic or photogenic spots in a particular city – even if it comes at the cost of logic or even accuracy.

Whether they totally misrepresent, invent, or goof up the locations where scenes, some favorite movies can make people familiar with a particular destination laugh at the misinformation that's portrayed on screen.

Here are some examples of gaping errors from films, in terms of geography or location-specific details.

Of course, there are countless other errors out there. Share your favorite geography goofs in the comments below.

1. 'Bird on a Wire'
This 1990 chase film stars Goldie Hawn and Mel Gibson on the run in the Detroit-Wisconsin area, and features more than a few geographical and destination-specific mistakes. According to IMDB, "Rick and Marianne take a ferry boat clearly labeled 'DETROIT-RACINE FERRY.' Detroit is on the east side of Michigan. Racine, Wisconsin is across Lake Michigan on the west side of Michigan. Such a ferry would have to take a 2-3 day voyage around the entirety of Michigan.

Seven Geographically Inaccurate Travel and Adventure Movies (VIDEO)




We've taken a look at historical spots from the movies, but what about when filmmakers get it completely wrong? In travel, adventure or escapade films, directors are often compelled to capture the most scenic or photogenic spots in a particular city – even if it comes at the cost of logic or even accuracy.

Whether they totally misrepresent, invent, or goof up the locations where scenes, some favorite movies can make people familiar with a particular destination laugh at the misinformation that's portrayed on screen.

Here are some examples of gaping errors from films, in terms of geography or location-specific details.

Of course, there are countless other errors out there. Share your favorite geography goofs in the comments below.

1. 'Bird on a Wire'
This 1990 chase film stars Goldie Hawn and Mel Gibson on the run in the Detroit-Wisconsin area, and features more than a few geographical and destination-specific mistakes. According to IMDB, "Rick and Marianne take a ferry boat clearly labeled 'DETROIT-RACINE FERRY.' Detroit is on the east side of Michigan. Racine, Wisconsin is across Lake Michigan on the west side of Michigan. Such a ferry would have to take a 2-3 day voyage around the entirety of Michigan.

Seven Geographically Inaccurate Travel and Adventure Movies (VIDEO)




We've taken a look at historical spots from the movies, but what about when filmmakers get it completely wrong? In travel, adventure or escapade films, directors are often compelled to capture the most scenic or photogenic spots in a particular city – even if it comes at the cost of logic or even accuracy.

Whether they totally misrepresent, invent, or goof up the locations where scenes, some favorite movies can make people familiar with a particular destination laugh at the misinformation that's portrayed on screen.

Here are some examples of gaping errors from films, in terms of geography or location-specific details.

Of course, there are countless other errors out there. Share your favorite geography goofs in the comments below.

1. 'Bird on a Wire'
This 1990 chase film stars Goldie Hawn and Mel Gibson on the run in the Detroit-Wisconsin area, and features more than a few geographical and destination-specific mistakes. According to IMDB, "Rick and Marianne take a ferry boat clearly labeled 'DETROIT-RACINE FERRY.' Detroit is on the east side of Michigan. Racine, Wisconsin is across Lake Michigan on the west side of Michigan. Such a ferry would have to take a 2-3 day voyage around the entirety of Michigan.

Seven Geographically Inaccurate Travel and Adventure Movies (VIDEO)




We've taken a look at historical spots from the movies, but what about when filmmakers get it completely wrong? In travel, adventure or escapade films, directors are often compelled to capture the most scenic or photogenic spots in a particular city – even if it comes at the cost of logic or even accuracy.

Whether they totally misrepresent, invent, or goof up the locations where scenes, some favorite movies can make people familiar with a particular destination laugh at the misinformation that's portrayed on screen.

Here are some examples of gaping errors from films, in terms of geography or location-specific details.

Of course, there are countless other errors out there. Share your favorite geography goofs in the comments below.

1. 'Bird on a Wire'
This 1990 chase film stars Goldie Hawn and Mel Gibson on the run in the Detroit-Wisconsin area, and features more than a few geographical and destination-specific mistakes. According to IMDB, "Rick and Marianne take a ferry boat clearly labeled 'DETROIT-RACINE FERRY.' Detroit is on the east side of Michigan. Racine, Wisconsin is across Lake Michigan on the west side of Michigan. Such a ferry would have to take a 2-3 day voyage around the entirety of Michigan.

Seven Geographically Inaccurate Travel and Adventure Movies (VIDEO)

We've taken a look at historical spots from the movies, but what about when filmmakers get it completely wrong? In travel, adventure or escapade films, directors are often compelled to capture the most scenic or photogenic spots in a particular city – even if it comes at the cost of logic or even accuracy.

Whether they totally misrepresent, invent, or goof up the locations where scenes, some favorite movies can make people familiar with a particular destination laugh at the misinformation that's portrayed on screen.

Here are some examples of gaping errors from films, in terms of geography or location-specific details.

Of course, there are countless other errors out there. Share your favorite geography goofs in the comments below.

1. 'Bird on a Wire'
This 1990 chase film stars Goldie Hawn and Mel Gibson on the run in the Detroit-Wisconsin area, and features more than a few geographical and destination-specific mistakes. According to IMDB, "Rick and Marianne take a ferry boat clearly labeled 'DETROIT-RACINE FERRY.' Detroit is on the east side of Michigan. Racine, Wisconsin is across Lake Michigan on the west side of Michigan. Such a ferry would have to take a 2-3 day voyage around the entirety of Michigan.

Single Mom Traveling With Four Children Has Impacted Thousands of Lives Around the World Only Six Months Into Year-Long Volunteerism Journey

Boston resident and single mom, Teresa Keller, along with her three school-age children and best friend’s daughter – ages 12, 13, 17 and 18 – are halfway through their year-long journey traveling to 24 countries around the world helping communities in need with financial and hands-on support. Prior to leaving the U.S., the family sold their home, car and most of their possessions to cover their own costs. Through social media and word-of-mouth, the family is engaging others to follow along, and are hoping to show families and children how donating even $5 can dramatically impact lives.

Teresa created the non-profit organization, Round the World with Us, to raise awareness of global issues, promote social justice and fund non-for-profit projects to increase the quality of life for those in need.

“Our goal is to experience different ways of living, and to provide tools that empower communities to help themselves,” said Teresa. “We want to learn as much as we can from the amazing people and cultures that we’ve had the opportunity to visit, and want to share in their challenges, joys and hope for the future. It is extremely rewarding to see the impact that even a few dollars can make in the lives of others.”

In addition to regular blog posts, videos and social media interaction, Teresa and her family also send a personalized postcard to every donor thanking them for their generosity. The postcards each have a recent photo of the children and families that were helped by the donation.

“We started sending postcards as a special thank you, as well as to make a personal connection and provide an opportunity for parents to share the picture with their children to show the importance of helping others, and the impact that we can all have,” said Teresa.

The Keller family began their journey on August 1, 2009, and are covering all of their own travel expenses and personal needs so that 100 percent of all donations go directly to support community projects. So far they have raised $114,000 and through partnerships with reputable NGO’s such as Children International and Room to Read, Round the World with Us has helped lead numerous projects including:

Providing a kitchen and source of income for a safe home for abused children in Peru.
Building a water well for a Nyumbani village that cares for HIV positive children and elders who lost their relatives to AIDS. The well allows the village to grow their own food.
Providing building materials for a village day care and community kitchen in Ica.

The next project being funded by Round the World with Us is a resource center called the Pillars for Maasai Development in Rombo, Kenya. This project will empower women in the community and help generate income and preserve the Maasai culture in the 21st century (additional details on this project are available on the website.)

An angel donor has committed to contribute 5 cents per web visitor/day to the Round the World with Us mission, so people can help by simply visiting http://www.roundtheworldwithus.org.

For more information on how to can get involved, past and upcoming projects, the Adopt a Project initiative, or to follow the Keller family on their Round the World with Us mission, visit: http://www.roundtheworldwithus.org.

For media inquiries, one-on-one interviews with Teresa and her children and/or to conduct on-site or virtual broadcast segments, contact Wendy at wendy(at)247strategies(dot)com or 206-718-4382.

Baby Carriages on Cobblestones? Trekaroo Makes Family Travel Easy





If you think traveling to Peru with a 4-month-old or to the Bahamas with a gaggle of kids is impossible, you haven't heard of Trekaroo.

A website focused on families sharing their best travel tips with other families, Trekaroo has created a lively nationwide community, helping parents realize that when that first baby comes around, their adventure-filled exploring days aren't over.

“It all started because Brennan and I we were avid travelers before we had kids,” said LiLing Pang, who co-founded the website with her husband, Brennan, and friend, Esther Lee, in Palo Alto. “When we found out we were having our first one, we made a pact and said that we're not going to stop traveling.”

Two months later, the Pang family made their first baby-packed trip out of town—to Houston. When their baby turned 4 months old, they went to Peru and climbed Machu Picchu with him.

That was when “it really hit me how much different life was going to be traveling with kids,” said Pang. “We found ourselves doing a lot more planning. There was a lot more anxiety.”

That's when the three co-founders put their heads together and came up with a solution: Trekaroo. The site launched in August 2009, and today, thousands of users across the United States are sharing family travel tips and answering other users' questions, such as, “How many suitcases does your family take into a hotel on a road trip?” (13 people replied with useful tips within two days).

When you combine kids and travel, you start thinking about strange things, like: Am I going to be able to roll a baby carriage on cobblestones? Or, what can I do in New York City with a 3-year-old?

There are parents out there who have done these things before, and on Trekaroo, you'll find them.

“I use Trekaroo to educate/inspire others. I love writing reviews and including tips that I wish I had known,” wrote Trekaroo user nataliesmom86.

“So many people think travel with babies and toddlers is a disaster waiting to happen, and I enjoy proving them wrong with this website!” (Nataliesmom86 was one of four enthusiastic users who replied to Pang's query, “How are you using Trekaroo?” within hours of her post. To see the continued discussion, click here.)

Aside from the endlessly helpful Trekaroo parent community, the site boasts a few special features, such as the cost and age meters, which allow users doing a destination search to narrow activity results by defining how much they want to spend, or how old their kids are.

Planning a road trip and seeking a fun stopping point? The interactive map allows users to drag the map in the direction they will drive, and destinations along the way—like local zoos or national monuments—will pop up on the map.

Trekaroo is working on iPhone and Android applications for Trekaroo and, in particular, the interactive map. “If you're right in the middle of downtown San Franciso, and you're, like, oh my gosh, I need to find a playground, you can pull out a phone and see playgrounds nearby,” said Pang.

A grassroots effort that was “bootstrapped together," Trekaroo does not receive venture capital funding, but no one is too worried. Advertisers seek out the site for marketing, and new users across the United States are signing up every day (it's free—you just need an email to log in). We're not going international yet, said Pang. The three founders and a few added team members have their hands tied with one country's destinations, alone.

To help expand their reach, designated “destination gurus” help organize reviews of travel destinations in other states. Each month, a few lucky “superoos” get paid vacations to check out travel spots and review them for the site.

“Start-up life is really unique,” said Lee, who first met the Pangs in school at the University of Pennsylvania. "Never in my life have I had a list of things to do that grows faster than I can complete them. I am a travel fanatic, and after having my son, I was totally lost as to where to go. Trekaroo was born out of a selfish need to educate myself with the help of lots of other parents on what fun things are out there for families.”

Lee, who hatched the idea with Pang after they realized that a third of travel is family travel, sees the biggest challenge that lies ahead is getting access to more new parents.

“Every day new parents are being born, and how they find information on family fun is constantly changing as technology evolves,” said Lee, who uses Twitter, Facebook and blogging to market Trekaroo. “We need to make sure that Trekaroo's valuable content is available through the most channels most relevant to parents.”