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Category Archives: Travel

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Penguins are real in Tierra del Fuego!
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So we begin with the #AdventureWeekTDF series!
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Today my half of the group started by taking a flight in the morning to Ushuaia to meet the other half. We all boarded a boat to navigate the Beagle canal and learned a little bit about the history of the region by the hand of Ernesto Piana, a recognized archeologist of the region.
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Afterwards, we went to a small refuge in one of the islands for a delicious lunch and followed with a hike that showcased so many amazing views! I can’t wait to share some more of these photos with all of you. Coming soon!
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Finally, we rode a boat to the place they were going to pick us up to take us to Hostería Kaikén, out home for the night, buuut, on the way, our guides from @canal_fun spotted penguins on one of the islands and kindly stopped so we could get off the boat and admire them from up close.
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It’s funny, but until today, I hadn’t quite realized how real they are. It’s kinda dumb, I know, but sometimes these animals feel like unicorns, like something you’d only see in movies or documentaries, but once you see them up close and personal at their own home the experience becomes so much more meaningful and the connection and value they bring to you is truly exhilarating. I can assure you, the reward of working hard to visit your favorite species in their habitat will be much more real and rewarding than you can imagine.

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Curious Quechua kids in the community of Ahuano, Ecuador.
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Ahuano is a small Quechua community located very close to #CasaDelSuizo lodge to the North of Napo river.
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It took us a 15 minute boat ride from the lodge to the entrance of the community. The first to greet you are the local children, who offer you bracelets and figures crafted out of palm leafs in exchange for a few coins.
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The guides then take you into the community, explaining their building techniques and a few general aspects of the Quechua lifestyle. They also show you the use they have for the termite nests you can easily find around the amazon, how they prepare their traditional Chicha drink, and how to shoot their blowguns. At the end you can buy a few crafts such as bracelets, necklaces and toys from the Ahuano artisans.
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While this community in particular has been modernized a bit due to the influence of tourism (such as having a school and modern clothing), they still conserve their culture and traditions and are happy to share that with visitors.
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Most of the people here speak only their native Quechua language, and it is through the guides of the lodge (some of whom are from this community) that you communicate with them. They also remain curious of those things they’re not familiar with, as you can see in this photo of the kids playing with @filmmakermc’s #SunKingLamp, so that’s another tip on how to break the ice with them.

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Mangroves of Espiritu Santo Island
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The archipelago of Espiritu Santo is one of the most magical places in Baja. Its landscapes are as beautiful as they are varied, and the amount of life that you can find here, over 600 species in flora and fauna, make it one of the most impressive places to visit in Baja California Sur.
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For one, it is home to just over 40 species of birds, and one of the most memorable sights you’ll see in this place is the long stretch of mangroves that house thousands of frigate birds, amongst other species.
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For a long time, this was in the first place of my favorite spots in my home state. Now it stands in second, beaten only by Sierra de La Laguna, but I’m a little biased towards the mountains, after all.
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Espiritu Santo, just North of the city of La Paz, is one of those spots I highly recommend to anyone who wants to revel in the natural beauties that Baja California Sur has to offer.

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Planting 5,000 Trees in Costa Rica for a Carbon Neutral #ATWS2016
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Last year I visited Costa Rica along with @adventure.travel_ and @visitanchorage for a very enlightening trip about Carbon Neutrality.
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Rafael Gallo, an amazing guy, one of the top conservation advocates in Costa Rica (if not in the world) and owner of @riostropicales, was our guide through this awesome experience. He was also the one who challenged Visit Anchorage to make their Adventure Travel World Summit the first carbon neutral one, setting in motion a movement that brought this critical subject to the attention of many of the adventure travel industry leaders! Kudos, Rafa!
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With Rafa’s help and under the guidance and supervision of EARTH university (a leading carbon neutrality institution based in Costa Rica), the ATTA and Visit Anchorage gathered over 300 volunteers to plant 5,000 trees which will be cared for by Rafa and his people for about 3 years until they can sustain themselves, and will be kept in the ground for at least 12 years to capture the carbon that was produced to make the Summit happen.
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I encourage you to research this very interesting subject. I hope you’ll be inspired and will inspire others within your reach to take action on this super important matter.

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Elfin Cove, a fishermen’s village in Alaska
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Alaska is truly a land of badass, cool people. They live a simple life, a balance produced from the mixture of modern life and being so in touch with the wild that surrounds them.
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I have to admit that, when I was asked by @visitanchorage to go on this trip instead of the first one I was assigned to (that involved exploring glaciers and wilderness, a chopper ride and all the crazy/fun stuff), I wasn’t sure if commercial fishing was for me; but they spoke so excitedly about it and were so eager to have this documented that I started rubbing off on that and got pretty excited about it.
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Being a commercial fisherman in Alaska is not just a profession, but a lifestyle, it is adventure and excitement at its best. They push themselves to amazing limits to do what they love, so you can imagine the kind of stories you can hear from them.
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Elfin Cove is a hub for this kind of stories. Most of the people you’ll find here are fishermen that are taking a break or spending the night before adventuring out again. The rest are the people who work the village, so they are very in tune with this lifestyle.
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The community they become is amazingly warm. They often stop by to say hi, they’ll help you if you’re struggling with anything, they’ll invite you for a beer and to taste their most recent catch (with an incredible story of the catch included, of course!).
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This adventure may not have had the variety of the other one, but it more than made up with authenticity, and its landscapes and adventure was nothing short of exceptional. It’s not a common thing to go on a tourism oriented trip and find a true, honest connection with the place, its people and its raw, unfiltered culture. Huge kudos to @murklcom and Skipper Geoff for putting together such an amazing and complete experience, and thanks again @visitanchorage and @adventure.travel_ for putting me there!

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