Sara Travel Blog

As you can probably make out this is a very scenic place. One photo I couldnt get was of the smoking volcano that sits behind the city. The top of the volcano was covered in clouds while we were there. A couple that left later than us took a photo of it, and you could see a plume of smoke. The last eruption this one including lava was in 2002. The last I heard they had to start evacuating people again a few weeks after left there due to seismologists predicting another eruption. I went on this trip with 5 Swiss who I met at school. They was great lovers of the outdoors but also appeared to have the passion to run up mountains so to speak. We decided on a bike trip to Puyo the largest jungle town of the Oriente and 61km from Banos. Most people make it to the large waterfall which was 25km away. The 25km was spectacular cycling usually sharing the roads with buses and cars, and then veering off when a tunnel appears. This is where you see some interesting sites including a brid...

These are some more photos around Saquisili and one of Quito city itself. Cuy or guniee pig are well known food in Ecuador and Peru, but they are also used for cleansing rituals. They are considered to be a sensitive animal so when a person wants to ensure that a child does not have bad spirits surrounding them they have a ritual with a cuy. The Ecuadorians are usually superstitious as well as being religious. The photo of Quito was taken at hotel Quito which became a regular little haunt to have mojitos, which was our own cleansing ritual.

Guide books detail what it is like landing in Quito, however no matter how may books you read it never quite prepares you for when you land in the middle of the city which sits in a valley surrounded by volcanos, and the runway actually passes peoples backyards. First impressions of Quito. It smells a mixture of popcorn and diesel fumes. A little tease as you smell the sweet aroma you almost go to take a deep breath when your throat starts to sting from a nearby blue bus spewing out fumes. There are two main parts that most visitors will see which is Centro Historico (Old Town) and New Town (New Town). Old town is very colonial and very beautiful, the photos of the buildings are in Old town. New Town you may as well be anywhere, apartment blocks, shops, large pavements and huge shopping malls. Part of New Town called the Mariscal Sucre or affectionately known to the locals as gringolandia. Pretty much dedicated to the traveller, though the resources I later...

I landed in Valparaiso which as you can see is a very beautiful city. The town itself is home to naval ships which are the life-sized version of my battleship game still collecting dust somewhere. Tourists are shuffled off to one section of this town which is indeed beautiful in its own right. Brightly coloured houses and murials next to dilapidated buildings and run down roads not used. Outside of this are much more run down areas. I stayed at a place called Hostal Sonrisa which was awesome and where I had my first conversation in English in a little over a week (yep big stretch) with a Dutch girl. We swapped stories about learning Spanish. Most people learning languages will start off by translating back to their first language – well so I thought. This was a lesson for me how influential the language of English is. It is common when learning Spanish here to speak in English when required ie to make sure a concept is understood. This girl purchased a Spanish dictionary for ...

A very important word to learn in Spanish which is also very important to the locals in South America “Cubanas” or better known as The Mullet. Do not think of the general cubana population of Australia or England that have yet to get out of the 80`s but more to the "belleza" of the football field. My observations of this master hair piece is that it can look somewhat funky being closer to a cropped mowhawk with an extra bit at the back. Though in the world of curly hair it has become affectionetely known as the woody woodpecker, thanks to Dolly and her detailed description of a bit of gaff of hair popped on top of someones head like a woody woodpecker. The Santiago version is usually, blunt fringe short side and what is supposedly for partying at the back is a mass of long straight hair that would struggle to get an invite to a bingo night. I have been a week in Santiago. On the positive note I am doing well in classes and have learnt past tense (important for conversat...