On Location Oct 06 – Peru and Ecuador

My five week adventure started in Peru's capital Lima, its ancient cathedral and catacombs contrasting with the cosmopolitan, vibrant district of Miraflores just five minutes from some of the best waves in Peru.

A brief flight over the intriguing, mysterious Nazca lines, I found myself at 4,935 metres on the highest pass en route to the awe-inspiring Colca Canyon. Staying at the sleepy town of Chivay, I visited the thermal springs before wrapping up warm for the chill of the Andean night.

By far my most memorable experience during my time in Peru started when I left Cuzco and boarded the Vistadome train to Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu. Our sunrise departure took us through remote communities whose only contact with the outside world came with the daily passing of the trains. Following the most dramatic train journey of my life, a short bus ride round precipitous hairpins presented me with my first sight of the ruins. The perfect blue sky and luxuriant vegetation combined to provide the backdrop to what must be one of the greatest panoramas on earth. Yet in spite of its many visitors, as I discovered, there are still areas you can explore alone

My journey to Quito, Ecuador, encountered one or two enforced detours due to the eruption of Tungurahua. The next week was spent aboard the M.S. Evolution cruising the enchanted Galapagos Islands. Our days were divided between shore excursions, snorkelling and panga (dinghy) rides. From swimming with Galapagos penguins, sea lions and turtles to sharing rugged volcanic lava fields with giant tortoises and iguanas, a truly magical experience both under water and on land. Where else on earth could you witness a territorial battle between a marine iguana and a fish? Watching flightless cormorants bringing gifts to their partners, the courtship displays of waved albatrosses and the clown-like antics of the blue-footed boobies are just a few of the spectacles, unique to this naturalist's paradise.

Mainland Ecuador's beauty lies in its incredible diversity and relatively small size. A 1 ½ hour drive north of the capital Quito, took me to the market town of Otavalo where locals congregate on a Saturday for it's livestock and handicraft market. The next day, a 30 minute flight took me over the snow-capped, Cayambe volcano to the frontier town of Coca, where I rode on the roof of a typically South American bus to the port. Beyond, lay the vast Ecuadorian Amazon basin.

A 2 ½ motorised canoe trip along the Napo river, followed by a 40 minute walk and short dugout canoe ride across a piranha infested black water lake, brought me to Sacha Lodge. The next two days were spent amidst virgin rainforest surrounded by howler monkeys, tiny pygmy marmosets, poison dart frogs and preying mantis, to name but a few of the many species I encountered during my stay. A 40 metre high suspended canopy walk enables you to access a world unimaginable from the forest floor. The expert guides were on hand to distinguish the calls of some of the 620 recorded species of bird. Whilst on a night walk I encountered one of the most spectacular sunsets over the lake.

Before flying home, I had time for a brief visit to Cotapaxi, Ecuador's most accessible and best known volcano due to the stunning views from Quito's plateau. Snow-capped year round, it provides the perfect backdrop to the horse riding offered by the many local haciendas.

A truly fantastic trip and memorable introduction to South America.