Program: South America Explorer Location: Peru, Ecuador Duration: 4, 7 or 8 weeks Travel in South America comes with a guarantee of adventure, and part of the magic comes from encountering the unexpected sights, sounds and sources of excitement. That being said, whether you’re a first time traveller or a seasoned explorer, it can be useful to find out … Read More
5 Benefits of Volunteering at an Animal Rescue Center
5 Benefits of Volunteering at an Animal Rescue Center Calling all wildlife lovers! Head into the Amazon to help care for rescued animals. YanaCocha is a non-profit organization on the edge of the Amazon rainforest. Every year, this center receives animals that have been confiscated from illegal trafficking, or donated from their owners. The animals are provided with medical care … Read More
Money, we can print it. Land, we can’t create once it’s gone
Money, we can print it. Land, we can’t create once it’s gone We seem to have lost the wisdom of the indigenous people, which dictated that in any major decision, the first consideration was “How will this decision we’re making today affect our people in the future?” These days, decisions are made based on the bottom line- Jane Goodall While … Read More
The Aftermath of Our Machu Picchu Trek
Stay up-to-date with this summary of the third week in South America, courtesy of the legendary Klara in Cuenca. This week we spent our last couple of days in Peru in a small town called Mancora along the northern beaches, very close to the border to Ecuador. We arrived Monday morning after an 18 hour bus ride from Lima with bags full … Read More
The Challenges of the Inca Toilets
Stay up-to-date with this summary of the second week in South America for our gap year travellers. On Jan 22 2017 we began our trek through the Andes towards Machu Picchu. A faint sense of apprehension hung in the air as we neared the mouth of our trail. The challenges ahead were all that were mentioned at breakfast, particularly that of the … Read More
Adapting to Excitement in Cusco
Everybody arrived in Cusco after a long journey. Although we all felt really tired we still were super excited to be here. 18 Gapforcers from 5 different countries ready to explore South America. We all were…
The Week We Climbed Machu Picchu
We woke up at 5am to pack and embark on the Salkantay Trek with our guide Omar. The first day was the shortest; we hiked for about two hours winding through the towering Andes. We arrived at the campsite, straw huts nestled into the valley. We hiked up to Humantay Lake – a crystal…
We’re Going To Miss Waking Up In The Jungle
After a fun weekend saying goodbye to Raul in Puyo, we headed back into the jungle for our final week, but this time staying with Estaban and his family in the Shuar Tribe.
On the first night we were given our Shuar names, I am now Shakap…
The Cheapest Cocktails In Happy Hour
With Machu Picchu done and dusted, we headed for the capital. 21 hours on a bus with ultra reclining seats was more than welcome so we could catch up on all the sleep we’d lost over our gruelling 5 day Machu trek. When we arrived, we instantly noticed a difference, slightly wishing we could be back in…
On The Fifth Day We Made It To Machu Picchu
It started at 4, on a cold Sunday morning. Sprits were high, people were excited.
It was then a 3 hour bus journey and an English breakfast without bacon: spirits were lower.
We then started walking up a hill. Spirits were non existent.
But…
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