Crashaboda » travel

Laos

Neil — Thu, 13 May 2010 00:14:42 +0000

March 2010

From the Chinese city of Kunming in Yunnan Province a 32 hour bus ride took us across the desolate border between China and Laos and over the potholed dirt roads of northern Laos to historic Luang Prabang, on the banks of the Mekong River. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the city is a blend of Lao and French provincial architecture where safron robed monks wander through the steamy streets and centuries old monasteries.

Luang Prabang, Laos

Mekong River, Laos

Ban Xang Hai Villiage, Laos

Ban Xang Hai Village, Laos

Pak Ou Caves, Laos

Tat Kuang Si Falls, Laos

Luang Prabang, Laos

China

Neil — Tue, 11 May 2010 14:45:10 +0000

March 2010

Every year Lisa and I try to sneak away for at least one great international trip. Our most recent trip in March 2010 took us to Southern China with stops in amazing cities like Hong Kong and Guangzhou followed by almost never-ending bus and train rides to the beautiful scenery and minority peoples of Guangxi and Yunnan Province. There are many more great images on the way, look for more blog posts and updates to our travel page soon.

Hong Kong Skyline, Hong Kong

Guangzhou, China

Youngshou - Guangxi Province, China

Lijiang - Yunnan Province, China

Peru

Neil — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:06:00 +0000

We spent much of the month of December on the road traveling in the Peruvian Andes and Amazon River Basin.

Our first stop was Cusco, an amazing colonial city tucked high in the Andes Mountains, where we explored centuries old spanish chuches built atop even more ancient Inca foundations and bustling local markets full of colors and traditional clothing.

Plaza de Armas - Cusco

Street Scene - Cusco

La Catedral - Cusco

Inca Stonework - Cusco

Central Market - Cusco

Moto-Taxi - Ollantaytambo

Peru

Neil — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:56:17 +0000

After traveling through the small towns along the Urubamba river, a train ride from Ollantaytambo brought us through the cloud forest to the ruins of Machu Picchu, where we hiked through Inca houses and temples before climbing to the summit of Huayna Picchu, the steep mountain towering behind Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu

Inca Ruins - Machu Picchu

Peru

Neil — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:48:26 +0000

Leaving at 5:30 am we retraced our steps, traveling back by train to Ollantaytambo and cramming into a crowded colectivo for the drive back to Cusco, once there we headed strait to the airport where we caught a flight to our next destination. The mountains dropped away from beneath the plane into what looked like a green ocean of trees and soon we were landing in Puerto Maldonado, deep in the Peruvian Amazon. We met our guide Luís at the airport and after a short drive boarded a longboat and began our journey downstream through the brown water of the Madre de Diós river. Eventually the boat pulled up alongside a trailhead at the entrance to the Tambopata Wildlife Reserve, leaving our boat behind we donned our mud boots and trekked two hours strait into the jungle until we reached our final destination, the glassy calm waters of Sandoval Lake, where we paddled canoes across to our lodge in the forest.

Lago Sandoval - Tambopata Reserve

Boats on Río Madre de Diós - Puerto Maldonado

Amazon Rain Forest - Tambopata Reserve

Gecko, Caiman, Weevil, Tarantula - Tambopata Reserve

Kapoc Tree - Tambopata Reserve

Squirrel Monkey, Yellow Bellied Macaw - Tambopata Reserve

Sunset - Lago Sandoval

Peru

Neil — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:24:31 +0000

From the high plains of Puno we set out by boat on the incredibly blue lake Titicaca, the highest lake in the world at almost 12,500 ft above sea level. After a short visit to the Uros Islands, a strange ‘Disneyland’ of tiny floating islands built out of tortora reeds, we continued on for hours to Amantaní Island where we stayed the night with Anselva, Caisín, and their family in a local island home. From Amantaní Island we continued on to Taquile Island where we hiked through small villages on our way to breath-taking 360 degree views of the lake and the snow-capped Andes Mountains in Bolivia.

Uros Floating Islands

Abuelo - Uros Floating Islands

Niños - Uros Floating Islands

Abuela - Uros Floating Islands

Islanders - Uros Floating Islands

Anselva and Caisín - Amantaní Island

Central Plaza - Tequile Island

Shepard - Taquile Island

Local Child - Tequile Island

Lake Titikaka

Andean Condor - Colca Canyon

Alpacas - Colca Canyon

Central Market - Chivay

Wedding - Puno

Monasterio de Santa Catalina - Arequipa

Monasterio de Santa Catalina