Audacious Freedom Live anywhere. Travel everywhere.

Sometimes on a cold, wet and windy winter’s day it is good to be reminded of summer’s warmth and colour. Every spring, to celebrate the warming weather, the Wellington Botanical garden plants tulips of every shape, size and colour. The garden’s beauty causes the rushed to slow down, the stressed to take a deep breath and those feeling low to have their spirits lifted. The aroma and colours flood the senses, requiring the spectator to yield to its charm.

For some reason the blooming tulips bring out a playful side to people. While I was there I watched adults and children alike, lying on the ground next to the tulips, sitting in the middle of flower beds, twirl around and skip. There was one couple (in their late 50′s)  that “oo’ed and ah’ed ” and then fell on the grass laughing. Those of us watching their pure delight couldn’t stop the belly laughter from rumbling out of us. It is in moments like those where there is total abandonment and pure enjoyment that healing, freshness and energy fills the body. It makes life seem special, exciting and an adventure worth having.

Tons and tons of ice moving, creaking, melting, changing. Franz Joseph glacier facinated me. The ice that I could see was old, stretching like a cats paw into the temperate forest. The information board showed how men in top hats and women in long dresses were rowed around the ice bergs to see the glacier. I was now standing in T-shirt and shorts in the same spot that photo was taken.  A women who visited the glacier in 1972 said the glacier had receded so far back that it could only be seen from the air. Yet I could look straight into its mouth and watch it spitting out old melted ice.

How things change! And how disconterting that change can be. What was, isn’t anymore; and what is, will change again.

Taking my camera for a walk while staying in Castle Point, New Zealand (on what turned out to be a great photography weekend) I came across this campsite. At first I didn’t think anything of it and was just about to skirt around when the ‘No Camping’ sign caught my eye. I wonder if the camper could have got any closer to the sign? Did the person not see it – or did they just not care? This raised an interesting question for me – what are our responsiblities towards our enviroment, especially as travellers in a host country? This campsite wasa innocent enough – they were two travellers following the surf and having a great time without annoying anybody.

But just a little way away, there was a sign ‘Do not fish from this rock’. In the name of fun and the hope of not going hungry we (four guys and three ladies) climbed onto the rock to fish. The ladies sat in a cozy group enjoying the sun and chatting. Mean while the guys were getting into the ‘fishing zone’. A wave came up, suddenly and aggressively. Grabbing on for life, we watched the wave wash the fishing box and tackle into the sea. Thankfully, no one was hurt but it was close.  It was a scary lesson!

What do you look for when you look for holiday accommodation? Location, safety, hot water, cleanliness, price, tourist activities?

Amaru Hostal II

This restored colonial house is located 5 blocks from the Plaza de Armas (Main Square), but be warned that the uphill walk back is strenuous while acclimatising. San Blas Plaza was an easy 10 min walk with a couple of really good restaurants and cafes. I liked the charm of the San Blas area even though website reviews said it was unsafe. We didn’t experience any problems and walked everywhere.

The staff were amazingly friendly and helpful, with nothing being too much hassle. Everyone in reception spoke English, there was free ‘mate de coca’ tea available and breakfast was included in the price. The lady serving breakfast only spoke Spanish. However, through charades we learnt new words and got a delicious breakfast of fruit with yoghurt, fresh bread with jam, eggs and orange juice. [Coffee and tea were also available.]

Because of our itinerary we stayed in 2 different rooms (experienced a total of four rooms between us) which were en-suites, clean, comfortable with plenty of hot water. The ground level rooms were smaller with either a double bed or twin beds and darker inside than the rooms on the top floor which were larger and lighter. There was an extra toilet near the sun room.

Please not that there is also a hotel called Amaru Hostal I which is part of the group but located in a different area. We never saw this hotel so cannot comment on it.

Amaru Valle Hotel

As the taxi twisted through the narrow streets of Urubamba my heart dropped. Finally we stopped in a tiny dirt road, outside huge solid gates where someone was patiently waiting for us. As I stepped inside the gates, my heart lifted. The gardens were beautiful, even more beautiful against the Andean mountain backdrop. The purpose built accommodation reminded me a bit of a Swiss ski villa, with beautiful golden wooden stair cases.

The staff were very welcoming, taking our bags, showing us around, sorting out drinks for us and introducing us to the dogs. They were quiet but passionate people, making us feel like we were ‘home’.

The hotel is located four blocks from Urubamba main square. However, we never visited it. After a full day of exploring, all we wanted to do was relax and soak up the evening atmosphere. Both evenings we ate in the hotel restaurant. The simple but tasty food was a mix of traditional and modern local cuisine. Food needs to be ordered before 6pm and is usually served at 7pm unless you have made other arrangements.

Two things to note:

• There are two big dogs. Both dogs are friendly; however, if you are scared of dogs you will need to let the manager know. Some reviews of this hotel mentioned neighbourhood dogs barking. We never experienced this – both evenings were quiet and peaceful.
• The second thing is the hotel is up a narrow, uneven dirt road that has no lighting, which means if you go out at night you will need a torch.

Decisions, decisions! Which hotel to stay at? What location is the best? Do you stay in one place the whole time or is it better to only book one night?

Amaru Hostal Group

After deciding on a rough itinerary I contacted a number of hotels to see if they could help me organise the trip. The Amaru Hostal Group came back with a proposed itinerary which was within our budget, was exactly what we wanted and they would do all the organising.

The advantages of booking through the Amaru Hostal Group:

• The cost to stay in both the Cusco and Sacred Valley hotels were the same price.
• Transport to Amaru Valle Hotel was organised through them as part of the Sacred Valley tour.
• They organised pick up, drop off, train tickets and tour guide for Machu Picchu.
• We only needed to travel with the minimum we needed for our two nights in the Sacred Valley – all our other items, bags and valuables were securely locked up in the Cusco Hotel safe.

Language barrier misunderstandings

I was unsure about booking onto a tour. I didn’t want to be shepherded around and be kept to someone else’s tight schedule. But because of our limited time available booking onto a tour seemed to be the most sensible thing to do.

My biggest lesson through this booking experience is to double check what is or isn’t included. Because of the language barrier it is easy for things to get lost in translation. For example I thought that because I had booked a tour that it included the return journey from Urubamba to Cusco. It turned out that, if after our guided tour of Machu Picchu we had travelled by train all the way back to Cusco inst ead of staying a second night in the Sacred Valley then the return journey would have been included. However, because we had opted to stay two nights in Urubamba we had to pay for our own transport back to Cusco.

In other words what I had booked:

• Day trip to Sacred Valley including lunch.
• Drop off in Urubamba and taxi pick up
• Two nights’ accommodation in Urubamba, Sacred Valley
• Taxi pick up and drop off at Ollantaytamba train station
• Entrance and tour of Machu Picchu
• Taxi pick up and drop off from Ollantaytamba train station to Urubamba

I needed to:

• Provide my own lunch for Machu Picchu (knew this)
• Provide my own transport back to Cusco

Once the staff at Amaru Valle (in Urubamba) realised that we had misunderstood, they organised everything for us. The manager even travelled with us to the bus depot to ensure that we got in the right vehicle and that the driver knew exactly where we needed to get off. He also organised with our destination hotel to have a taxi waiting for us at our bus stop in Cusco.

Booking through Amaru Hostal II took the hassle out of organising our own transport, making sure we were going to the right places and gave us the freedom to explore at our own pace. We were being looked after without being shepherded around on a hectic tour schedule. It was a satisfying combination of being independent and experiencing the best of the Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley.

Read my review on Amaru Accommodation

Hidden in the Andean Mountains is this unique Inca city. Preserved under dense vegetation for about 500 visitors, protected by its remoteness from being destroyed, tourists can now experience this magical city with panoramic views. For me and my travel companions standing looking down at this old citadel was a dream come true. Because words cannot sufficiently describe the beauty I decided to try and show its beauty through photographs.

After a long climb up we are rewarded with our first views of the city.

Through the doorway and into the centre, surrounded by history.

Sitting in front of the women’s quaters.

The men’s quarters

Built at an angle to reduce dangers of an earthquake

Inside what would have been a meeting room.

Climbing aboard the backpackers train, I wandered if we had made a mistake. All the reviews I had read had said that it was crowded and uncomfortable. Yet here we were boarding a train that had skylights enabling the enjoyment of the mountain tops, two comfortable armchairs with a centre table and space to stand up or walk around in.

When we boarded the train we were experiencing torrential rain but as we passed from mountain valley to mountain valley the weather became brighter and sunnier. By the time we arrived at Machu Picchu we had beautiful weather.

Getting to entrance

On the platform were tour guides with various flag colours. Our last instructions before leaving the hotel were to find the tour guide with the green flag. Though the green flag turned out to be closer to yellow we still spotted our guide with ease. After gathering everyone belonging to this tour he introduced himself and his helper then divided us up into Spanish and English speakers. He would be leading the Spanish group and his helper would be delivering the tour to us in English.

While leading us through markets and shopping areas to the bus that would take us to the gate entrance, we were given the opportunity to buy last minute lunch items. The bus takes half an hour to wind its way to the top given us spectacular view of the mountains and valley.

Four hours till the next toilet!

At the entrance don’t miss the opportunity to go to the toilet, no matter how chaotic everything seems, even if you have to catch up, make sure you go because once you are through the gates there is no toilet till you return to the bus depot. And it does get chaotic with confirming your presence, filling in entrance cards, being given instructions on catching the bus back in order to make sure you catch the right train, off loading unnecessary equipment and bags before being led through the security check point.

Climbing Machu Picchu

I am not sure what I expected other than I knew it would be stunning, but my first glimpse of the Inca city took my breath away and I couldn’t help letting my jaw drop. I was stunned at their engineering ability; the sheer feat of building a city on a mountain top was incredible. And they couldn’t have chosen a more spectacular place. Everywhere I looked, every new corner, every new angle brought another involuntary ‘wow’ out my mouth. Half an hour into the guided walk I had run out of words to describe the beauty and was left only with the ability to absorb it and experience it. This was a unique experience forcing me to be present in the now instead of rushing to see what was next.

This was an amazing experience. Every time I thought it couldn’t get more spectacular, it did! On Machu Picchu time stands still giving you the opportunity to become completely absorbed in this world.

Needing a break to indulge in the luxuries of cafe life, art galleys and to treat ourselves to the Monteith’s Brewery we decided to head up to Greymouth for a day. Greymouth is the largest town on the West coast with an estimated population of 10 000 and accounts for about 42% of the west coasts inhabitants.

Monteith’s Brewery

After humble beginings in the 1800s the famous Monteith’s Brewery is still operational. This facility is run by about 11 people and it is amazing to see how efficiently they operate.

They run 5 tours a day with the option of a tour and beer tasting or a tour and meal. We opted for the standard tour and beer tasting. The tour round the facility included tasting the hops (interesting!), peering into open fermenters and explanations of the various pipes, rooms and electronics. Ending with the highlight of taste testing 8 different beers from a shandy type beer to black beer.

They serve generous amounts per person with the total combined adding up to just over a pint of beer. So bikers beware that you don’t inadvertently go over the drink limit while enthusiastically tasting the types of beer!

Floodwall Walk

If you need to do something a bit lighter on the purse then there are interesting historical walks taking you back into Greymouths history. Stop off at the tourist information to find out where the walks are and what is suitable for you.

We decided to do part of the Floodwall Walk. The Great Wall of Greymouth protects the town from the potential flooding of the Greymouth River and has become something of an icon. The Floodwall path provides insight into  the river’s historical value and commercial involvement. We walked from the famous Clock tower to the wharf, reading the various information boards and exploring the Walk’s exhibits (art, statues, old trains).

Though you can wander along, it is better to have a map. The walk goes through a built up industrial area and it took two wrong turns before we figured out how to get through the area and back onto the path. We only walked as far as wharf but you can continue on to the lagoon.

Instead we turned round to find a coffee shop, enjoy the sunshine and re-fuel with a scrumptish piece of chocolate cake.

Other places of interest in and around Greymouth that you might enjoy:

Shanty Town: a restored replica of an 1880′s West Coast gold mining town. This town is also a living monument to the pioneers who overcame obstacles living in rugged enviroments in search of their fortunes.

Model Village at ‘On ye bikes’: it is built on an acre of ground dedicated to replicating 3 coastal towns. Walk through these village scenes which are built both indoors and outdoors for an interesting and memorable lesson in history. If you are adventurous then join in one of their quad biking, go-karting or the weird Haglund ride.

With wide eyed wonder I listened to Miko’s story. He is Samoan, a tsunami survivor and tour guide. He invited us to join him for a day and learn about plants, herbs, natural medicines, preparing and cooking local food and family life. With sadness he told us his story of leaving his son at home while he went to Apia, Samoa’s capital city, without knowing it would be the last time he saw him. En-route to the path leading to his house we passed 6 little graves – his neighbour’s children.

Watching the activities around me, it was hard to understand their attitude. They were sad; frustrated at the lack of funds they had received, unsettled and living on someone else’s land. Yet they laughed easily, sang as they worked, spoke with optimism. I complain when my local shop runs out of my favourite rice and I have to walk across the road to another shop to buy it. They walked a mile with energy and purpose to buy stale bread. I get irritated if I have to eat the same meal twice in a row. They were so thankful to have enough coconuts for snacks, drinks and main meals.

Sitting on the rough ground learning how to open coconuts, make traditional food, listening to the family’s story I felt humbled. Here they were building their lives, grateful for their family and starting their own business without complaining, without trying to gain sympathy or feeling sorry for

Responsible Tourism

Another thought that struck me as we talked was how Miko earned an income. He wanted to provide tourists an understanding of the natural environment they were staying in. Tourists descend on island paradises bringing their array of baggage expecting to enjoy the luxuries of home without understanding the impact on the environment by putting unnecessary pressure on fragile ecosystems, wasting precious water and leaving their rubbish to pollute the environment.

Miko was hoping to show tourists another side to island life – local life and share local knowledge. However, he said often his invitation to join him was met with blank stares and a dismissive wave of the hand. He found that most people were only interested in swimming in the sea, eating at the hotels and not putting anything into the local community. Though tourism is an important money earner, sadly not much of it found its way into the local community.

Sitting on the resort deck watching the sunset I examined my own attitude to travel, the environment and local community. It was challenging and I extend the challenge you.

Do you travel lightly, leaving only the imprint of your friendliness or do you leave a more fragile environment filled with your unwanted rubbish?  Do you buy local, eat local and take part in local activities or allow yourself to be cocooned by international tourist operators that rake in the money but don’t spread the wealth locally?

As travellers let’s benefit the land we explore!

Other posts on Samoa that you might like:

What you need to know about Samoa

My take on Samoan road rules

A place to escape to

The only way to truly enjoy an Andean market is to let go of all inhibition, pre-conceived ideas and to take on a playful and explorative attitude. Walking round a market is interesting but visiting a Sacred Valley market can be so much more than ‘just interesting’; it can be engaging, memorable, a highlight, energising and special!

Chicha drink and traditional corn bread

Hidden away just off the main market area is a bakery selling a lot more than just bakery goodies. Through charades I found out that the black stuff in the barrel was Chicha – black corn drink. The owner of the barrel in his own take on charades explained that the best way to drink it was with lime juice. Game to give it a try, much to his giggling delight I experienced my first black corn drink and instantly fell in love with it. After that I wouldn’t drink anything else except Chicha!

While I was savouring the black corn drink the owner showed us how they roasted guinea pigs (which I couldn’t bring myself to try) and how they made traditional corn bread. Even though I am wary of eating street food, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try traditional bread. I figured that I saw them make it using reasonable hygiene precautions and it was baked in a hot oven! Chicha and traditional corn bread go really well together.

The silver jewellery shop

Wandering through the market street we found a silver shop. Escorted to the back of the workshop we were given a demonstration on how they make their silver jewellery. There was a team of 8 people each having their own speciality from spotting faulty silver to cutting and shaping the stones used to decorate the designs. The shop owner bubbled with enthusiasm and pride; showing us how to tell if something is real or fake silver in order to work out its true value.

Bargaining, appreciating and talking

Of course the market is also about buying souvenirs, fashionable items or presents for friends. I really enjoyed the whole process of bargaining with the sellers. I found it a subtle dance of two minds meeting, a graceful dance between what I was willing to pay and what they were willing to accpet. Often the negotiations were done through writing because of the language barrier. Yet somehow, even with a language barrier conversations would spark up. I found that more often than not even just stopping to admire something would start a conversation which would leave us both feeling good. Though they would have preferred to have their wares bought, they also enjoyed it when someone told them how beautiful it was and appreciated the hard work they had put into making it.

I seem to have got addicted to the markets, the people, the colours and the atmosphere. It is not often that I want to spend hours wandering around a market, but I found given a choice I wanted to be at the market. I wanted to be where the locals were buying their stuff, selling their stuff or sitting around in the sun.