Machu Picchu on Your Own

Posted on April 16, 2010 in: How to, Machu Picchu, Peru, Travel Guide, Uncategorized

Machu Picchu is on many people’s list of places to go while in South America-and it should be. It’s an absolutely stunning site with an immense amount of ancient history.

Most travelers start their journey to Machu Picchu in Cuzco, Peru. Cuzco is a charming, rustic-feeling town and offers many options for travelers. There is an immense number of tour agencies that off everything from Inca trail treks, alternative treks, and treks or tours of Machu Picchu. The only thing negative about this abundance of services is that it’s really quite hard to determine which tour company is reputable.

The Peruvian government has recently made it mandatory for people that want to go hiking on the Inca trail to go with a guide. This is the government’s way of restricting the amount of travelers and what they do there in an effort to keep the Inca trail pristine.

Unfortunately, I do not have a list of reputable tour companies. When I asked at the hostel we stayed at, we were told that many companies earn a bad reputation through bad business practices and selling tourists an all-inclusive tour (as the price implies because many are quite high) but then they fail to follow through in providing everything. One girl we ran into was supposed to be on an all-inclusive 3 day tour if the Inca trail and Machu Picchu, but was instead given a tent to sleep in and only 1 meal a day.

One of the main issues with this is that tourists learn which tour companies are bad and quit using them. So the tour office closes down and reopens a few days later in a new location, under a new name. There are so good companies and guides, but do some research before going with one. Generally, the cheapest tour packages are not going to be good, many fail to provide equipment, lodging or meals, while the expensive agencies may not be all that much better.

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Ecuadorian Markets

Posted on March 26, 2010 in: Ecuador, Food, Living Abroad, Travel Guide

Ecuadorian food markets are very different from the touristy artisan markets that many travelers will find.

The food markets are from a long Ecuadorian tradition of vendors gathering to sell their goods. They are generally open, but still in the same building each day. They have many entrances and stores all along the outside, but also a large open area with vendors inside.

In the food markets, obviously, generally food is found. There are many, many types of fruits, vegetables, cuts of meat, fish, cheese, milk, eggs, spices, and teas. There are generally more options of fruits and vegetables in the outdoor markets, as well as more cuts of meat available.

For example, I like to buy different kinds of nuts and bring them around with me so I have a snack or little lunch whenever I need it. I live by both a grocery store and outdoor market, so it’s pretty easy to compare the two. The grocery store has 3 types of nuts: peanuts, almonds and walnuts. As nuts are in the U.S., these are all fairly expensive. A really little bag of walnuts usually runs to about $4.00. In contrast, at the outdoor market there are many, many more choices of nuts, including peanuts, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, hickory nuts and sunflower seeds, and these go for a lower price. The walnuts are around $2.80 or $3.00 at the most for a larger bag. Some Ecuadorians question the quality found in markets, but I have not gotten sick from them. Overall, the outdoor food markets generally have more variety for a lower price.

Restaurants are also a part of most Ecuadorian food markets. Almuerzo (lunch) restaurants are especially popular as it is the largest meal of the day. Generally restaurants sell a set lunch for under $3.00, unless this is a touristy and upscale restaurant, where it will obviously be more. There is a wall of restaurants in the market I frequent and they have signs out describing what the set lunch is. This is not uncommon in outdoor markets, nor is it uncommon to find an ice cream place. Ecuadorians seem to love ice cream, so it is sold absolutely everywhere-including on the bus.

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Quito’s Bus System

Posted on March 19, 2010 in: Travel Guide

At first glance, the bus system of Quito may seem intimidating and confusing. Or at least, for someone who has never lived in a city nor taken a city bus, it was. As myself and a few of my friends took a lot of time to figure out the bus system, I would like to give some explanation.

There are three main bus lines that run from north to south through Quito. These busses run parallel each other through the city, but end up in different places. Then there are two main bus terminals at the north and south of the city, which have busses that go either north or south of Quito.

Ecovia: This bus line starts as station Rio Coca and goes to many of the main parts of Quito. It stops as La mariscal (has a great night life), Quicentro (a shopping mall) and Old Town Quito. The stations are green, and there is usually just one Ecovia station with one side of it for busses that run north and the other side for those that run south.

Trolebus: This line I frequently use as I live very close. It gets packed just like any other bus line and goes to many of the major stops as well, but the walk from the Trolebus stop is generally longer than from the Ecovia stops. The Trolebus line is in the middle of the Ecovia and Metrobus lines, the three are parallel. The stations are green, and there are generally two of them: one station for busses running north and the other running south.

There is a bus that connects the Trolebus line to the Ecovia line. This bus leaves from Estaci?n Norte o La Y (it goes by both names) and to use this bus, follow the signs that say Integracion Trole. They are red signs and the platform is a little bit removed in both the Estacion Norte and Rio Coca stations; also, the bus only goes 4 times an hour, so if you miss it you’re out of luck for the next 15 minutes.

Metrobus: This line I take the least often, but it runs to north to south as the other two do through Quito. The stations for the Metrobus are one long gray station with one side for busses running north and the other station (they are connected, but look like two stations) going south. They always say which way they are running on the doorway in.

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