Laguna Quilatoa

So, it was my last day in Ecuador.  I had my flight to Brazil 6am on the 28th so I travelled 5 hours by bus to Latacunga and then onto Quilatoa arriving at 7:30pm. In Latacunga I asked directions for the bus to la laguna and a man told me to quickly jump on one and it turns out there’s another barrio in the city called La laguna so I spent 40 minutes on a random city tour on a local bus by accident! The real bus to la laguna Quilatoa was jam packed with local people who live in the mountains. Mainly indigneous Quechua people in their smart outfits with hats and shawls.

I arrived in thick cloud and couldn’t see a metre in front of me. Luckily someone came out of the mist and led me to a hostel that served quinoa soup for dinner. It was absolutely freezing cold there and I had 7 blankets on my bed!

I woke up on the 27th and had a very big breakfast with 2 American girls, 1 German guy called Enekco,  a Brazilian called Fabricio and a Canadian called Taylor. We all decided to walk round the lagoon crater edge which is 5.2km of ups and downs. The clouds had cleared and the view was absolutely stunning. I felt very grateful to see the lagoon on my last day in Ecuador.  The laguna is a volcano crater and the water inside reflected the sky. There were lots of little colourful mountain flowers and the sun shone for us all day. I struggled with the walk due to the altitude but it was worth it!

After we had a big lunch and jumped on the bus to Quito, Fabricio telling me what to expect from Brazil on the way! I arrived in Quito at 7pm and waited for the airport bus. At the airport reception I found a a reasonable hotel with transport to and from airport for $28 which I decided was better than a night at the airport although turned out to be a total waste as I didn’t sleep a wink!

Baños

Despite being named ‘toilets’, Baños is a really pretty place in the mountains surrounded by waterfalls! I woke up in the morning to this fantastic view:

I went down for breakfast and enquired about white water rafting. The hostel owner asked me if I was ready and I replied yes thinking she meant are you finished eating? Next thing I knew I was getting knocks on the door saying I was late for the rafting that i didn’t even know I was doing! I’d only asked about it but she seemed to think that meant I definitly wanted to do it right NOW!!

I threw my bikini in a bag, shoved some clothes on and left on the bus, no idea on where I was going, the grade of the river or which company I was with! A bit shell-shocked! We drove for about 40 minutes and then got out and had a short safety demonstration, donned wetsuits and we were off!

It had rained all night before so the river was high and graded a 3 -4 river with one grade 5 rapid. I went with a spanish speaking group and it was the guides last day so he was really going for it! While everyone else went round the calm looking way, he’d take us straight into the danger and then run and dive into big waves off the front of the raft screaming! At one point both our guides had fallen off, leaving us alone! There were no rescue kayaks and saftey definitly wasn’t the priority! Fun, however, was the number one aim!  The river was very interesting wiIh meanders and rapids all along.

Athe end I began to feel really sick and couldn’t eat lunch. I had to spend the rest of the day in bed shivering then burning up.

Luckily the next day I felt a bit better and decided to be sensible and not push myself too much with bike ride so I went to see all the waterfalls by chiva bus. I was glad of that decision when it started pouring with rain and the cyclists I passed looked miserable! We went to various waterfalls, crossing over one in a cable car.  Amazing scenery.

In the afternoon the weather was dismal so I jumped on a bus to Latacunga and Quilatoa, not before quickly trying the local speciality of banana and chocolate empanada! Yum!

Wisdom forest, Tena

Straight from arriving back to Quito airport from the Galapagos islands I decided to head to The Amazon!! A lifetime dream! I had heard a volunteer project in the jungle called Wisdom forest in Tena. I got the airport bus direct to the south bus terminal and a really sweet old man directed me to the best bus for Tena which takes about 4-5 hours. I arrived at 1am with no accomodation and every taxi driver had no idea where the hostel I’d written down was. I decided to look for another on foot and was soon spotted by local police who insisted on taking me to a hostel they knew.  I gratefully accepted the offer!

In the morning I found myself im the not very pretty amd quite spread out jungle town of Tena. I walked through the pouring rain to take the local bus to Talag and asked to be dropped off by ‘el mono’ as instructed.  I fell asleep for the whole journey and luckily the lady next to me woke me up when we got to the monkey sign! I found myself on the roadside and walked up the path to the left. I walked through the jungle and found a beautoful wooden house with lots of people in a circle eating a delicious meal and drinking lemongrass tea. After joining them for food I was welcomed by Julie who showed me round and told me some farm rules:
☆ The finca is completely vegan…no meat, fish or diary allowed.
☆ The toilets are ‘dry’.I.e. used for composting.
☆ The finca is hare krishna. Food needs to be offered to krishna first and chanting happens twice a day. Optional to join in.
☆ Volunteers work in the mornings for free accomodation and pay $10 a day for 3 vegan meals.
☆ Work involves farming, spreading vegan message to locals, working qith local school, building to improve farm, cleaning and cooking.
☆ There are afternoon workshops depending on who wants to offer them.
☆ There’s yoga offered before breakfast every morning.
☆ There is an outdoor swimming pool and sweat lodge.

View from yoga platform.

The house

The first day we made chocolate from cacao beans grown on the farm. Bertie gave us a lesson where we mixed coco butter and coco beans and put them through a grinder. Then we mixed in natural melted pañela (sugar cane) or you could use honey. After we mixed it with various flavours such as mint leaves and orange rind and put it in the dridge in moulds to set.

I was surprised to hear my name when Jess and Jaya I’d met in colombia turned up! Before each meal they sing a song or say some words to acknowledge thanks for the food and each others’ company. “Estamos aqui, juntos con los manos..”

There was a tarantula on the roof and a big lizard with big eyes above my bed but I surprisingly slept very well. The next day I woke up to chanting and drumming and then we did yoga. After breakfast of porridge and fruits and homemade bread with mango inside, we divided up jobs. I worked in the garden, clearing papa china plants (a type of potato) to make way for different varieties of food in the garden using machetes and forks. Sometimes we would come across giant jungle snails and the ocassional potato!

Soon lunch was ready. In the afternoon I decided to go the lagoon with a few other volunteers. We didnt quite make it due to time but went to some pretty jungle waterfalls instead where it was extremely peaceful and luckily we got a lift back before dark. There are no headlights on the jungle road and it would be pitch black.

The next day our task was to prepare food to give out in Tena town to the community, promoting veganism as an option and general awareness about what you choose to eat. The locals loved it probably as they didn’t need to buy or make lunch that day and we got a positive reponse. After I went with sophoe to collect my washing and use the internet.  (There’s none on the farm).At the evening meal we celebrated the shabbat by breaking bread with Dana.

The next day was a weekend and the only work to do was clean the house which didn’t take long when we all chipped in. Then we were lucky wnough to have a meditation teacher volunteering and he gave us a meditation class which was very interesting.  After I went with some volunteers to Mishualli which is where 2 rivers meet in the jungle.  There were lots of monkeys aroubd. One was cracking open a fruit wuth a stone…very clever. After a dip in the river it began to rain, a lot, and we headed off back to Tena.

Shaman sheltering in a tourist shop from the rain.

On our return I was reunuted with Eliza I had met in Colombia but I had decided to head off on a night bus to see Baños on my way back to Quito for my flight.

Wisdom forest had a special atmosphere where everyone was caring and kind. I learnt so much there from  the farm and from the other volunteers.  I hope I have the opportunity to go back in the future.

Things I learnt:
★how to meditate.
★that you can make a type of cheese/yoghurt from fermenting oats.
★how to make organic natural chocolate.
★ about the beliefs of hare krishna.
★many cultures and languages including Icelandic.
★basil can grow on a bush.
★ how to cut banas leaves to use as plates.
★ how to cut ginger and chilli properly by rolling the knife (thank you Pralada!)
★the existence of steria (a natural plabt sweetner)
★oil pulling to remove toxins from the body.
★ many other interesting gems of wisdom from the volunteers!  Thanks everyone! 

The Galapagos Islands

I made a last minute decision to go to the Galapagos islands and booked a flight for $465 to Isla Baltra on the 11th January.  I flew with Tame at 6:30am from Quito, stopping in Guayaquil for 40 minutes so I took a taxi at 4am to the airport and was very tired.

As we arrived I got my first glimpse of the islands which looked like another planet. One island was completely flat the next was a volcano crater.  On entry I had to pay the $100 entrance tax which goes to conservation and the local people.  The nearest town is on island Santa Cruz you need to take a bus 20 minutes to the short ferry boat and then another 30 minute bus to santa cruz. The scenery was so dramtic, dried trees with random green cactus trees everywhere and very flat.  Then the bext minute it was wet and green cloud forest covered in moss.

After finding a cheap hotel to stay in witj Cassie and having a delcious almuerzo with lobster soup and ceviche for$3.50,  we went to visit Las Grietas. This is a small fresh water canyon great for a refreshing swim. On the way back we saw giabt marine iguanas staying very still and spitting if you came too close! They were like ancient monsters!

These are 3 main islands that are inhabited: Santa Cruz, Isabella and San Cristobal.  We decided to spend 3 days on each. The $30 ferries leave twice a day. One in the morning about 7am and the afternoon at around 3:30pm. They take about 2 hours and you have to go back to Santa Cruz each time. At the ferry terminal in Santa Cruz you have to take a 50c taxi boat to the ferry. As we did so much, here is a summary of each island.

Santa Cruz
Las Grietas – fresh water canyon you can swim in.
We hitchhiked to Los Gemelos (2 twin craters, one with a lagoon inside).
Tortoise protected where you can see the very old and big giant tortoises.(Rancho ??)
Lava tunnel – an amazing underground lava formed tunnel you can walk right through under the ground.
Darwin centre and surrounding beaches with colonies of marine iguanas.
Tortuga Bay – walkable from Santa Cruz or $10 by lancha.It is a really beautiful walk along a stunning beach where marine iguanas are sunbathing and swimming. It was funny when I realised that a strange print on the beach was iguana footprints with the tail print dragging along in the middle! I went for a swim in a natural pool and was surprised to see an iguana sqim past me using its’ tail as a propeller!  When we arrived we looked round the cliff and straight away saw 3 Blue-footed booby birds and a marine iguana. We sat and watched them and their bright blue feet for ages. Tortugua bay is a peaceful, calm beach surrounded by cliff and mangroves with pelicans dropping out of the sky to catch fish. We met Galo, a local who gave us a liftback on his boat.

Isabella

On the boat to Isabella I sat with the captain at the top and we saw lots of dolhpins playing in the waves. You arrive to conchas y Perlas port where sealions, birds, fish and penguins can be spotted.  I found a nice little guesthouse to stay in called Terro Real for $15 a night.

One day we rented bicycles and cycled on path and sand all the way to Muro de Lagrimas (wall of tears) where a colony of prisoners were forced to build to imprison themselves under terrible conditions. It had quite a creepy feeling. Then on the way back we stopped (and we needed to stop as it was so hot!) at cerros (hills) for viewspoints, pozos (waterholes) where we saw many birds including flamingoes. We saw giant tortoises along the way, mangroves, tunnel de estaneria  which is a lava tunnel with sea water inside.

After lunch we went to Perla y concha to swim with sealions and I even saw  little penguin on a rock. You could see where the different water currents were as when the cold and warm currents met, it went all hazy.

We fnished the day by watching a beutiful sunset on the beach.

The next day on Isabella I went on a boat trip to Los tunneles which are rock formations that are less like tunnels and more like arches. First we stopped at a snorkeling spot and I saw white tipped sharks and Galapagos sharks, seahorses and swam next to beautiful giant green sea turtles. Then we went on to los tunneles which were very interesting with many birds to see.

After a delicious lunch of fish encocoada we went back to concha y perla wih a decent snorkel and I saw sealions swim past underwater and a giant manta ray. Sealions were everywhere sunbathing!

My final day on Isabella I decided to go and see the world’s 2nd largest volcano crater which is Vulcan Sierra Negra and it’s sister crater Vulcan Chico. With the height it was covered in cloud and raining and I was very unprepared so the guide gave me his big raincoat. He also appointed me translator for the day as I was the only one who could speak both English and Spanish. The colours of the volcanoes and the rock formations were amazing. The last eruption was in 2005 and you ciuld see the difference between the old and new lava. Luckily 2 geologists were on their honeymoon and told us all about the rock formations… very interesting. Cold and wet we rushed back to catch the ferry to Santa Cruz.

San Cristobal

San Cristobal is the capital of the Galapigos islands but is strangely u developed and almost like a ghost town with vert little facilities. We found a hotel on the front called Hostal Albatross for $15. Contrary to most towns the cheapest accomodation is o n the front by the port. Trying to find decent food in the town is a nightmare but for some reason there are an abundance of bakeries with yummy cakes!

We went on a tour of the island by bargaining down a taxi to take us and the driver explained a lot about the island too which was great. We went to a tortoise conservation centre where we foubd out that each island had it’s own breed of tortoise. There used to be 14 brreds altogether but 4 have become extinct. Then we went to Puerto Chino which is a beautiful wild beach. A sealion had a piece of plastic in his mouth so some locals bravely approached him to remove it. Then we went to the only fresh water source on the islands Laguna Junco. On the way back I asked the driver to drop us at La Loberia where marine iguanas and sealion colonies are. The volcanic rock formations are beautiful there and we stayed until sunset snorkeling with turtles.

The next day we went early to La Loberia and walked along the cliff where I spotted many birds and turtles from above. Then we swam with sealions and turtles and tropical fish. After lunch I walked to Cerro Tijeretas where I saw the frigate birds with the male beautiful red chests that they inflate as a mating ritual. The scenary was like another world again and you could see Leon Dormido in  the distance.

On the way back we stopped to snorkel in Darwin bay which a local man told us used to be called Tijeretas point and he used to come down at night to catch blue lobsters for his wife before it was banned. I saw a spotty eel popping its’ head from out of a rock.

The next stop was Carola beach which was absolutely stunning with a lighthouse at the end of the rocks and sealions all over the beach. I sat and watxhed 3 baby sealions play together until the sun went down. On the way back we stopped at Mann beach where the swalions were very active as they cooled down from the hot sun during the day.

At night you could hear the sealions growl and call to each other loudly as a large colony lives by the port. In the morning we went for a walk and saw a baby sealion with plastic round its neck and  another playing ith a plastic bag. We reported it to the marine police butthey had to wait for the conservation people. You can’t 5ouch a baby sealion or it may be rejected by the mother but I wanted to prevent  any damage from the plastic bag so the policeman let me jump over the port fence and dodge the hundreds of sealions and get down to the babies with the bag. They thought I’d come to play and darted around throwing the bag. I waited for my chance and grabbed it and ran away!

The final day was amazing. I went on a trip ro Leon Dormido whixh is a giant rock coming straight out the sea and going straight down 40000km into the sea bed. In between 2 rocks is a 6 metre channel where a wealth of wildlife live or feed. The snorklelling was amazing. Groups of sharks everywhere: white tips, black fin, Galapagos and the biggest of all the Hammerhead shark famous for having a head shaped like a hammer! There were also many types of fish, turtles and sealions just darting in and out fishing or playing in the deep water. One swam directly underneath me really close.  So graceful!

Afterwards we went to the most beautiful, deserted beach with powder white sand to walk around and relax. in the afternoon I went back to Carola beach to end a perfect day. There was 3 sealions sitting in the rocks in front of the lighthouse with a marine iguana. The sealion got very close and the iguana shook its head in warning and the sealion bopped it on the head back! So funny!  Anither sealion groaned everytime someone attempted to climb the lighthouse and I watched as the frigate birds tried to steal the sealions catch for the babies. Fascinating.

Quito

I was pleasantly surprised by Ecuador’s capital city Quito
1) Everyone said is was freezing cold due to it’s high altitude. It was a bit chilly at night and hot in the day due to sunny weather.
2) Everyone said it was very dangerous. I disagree. The old town was quite safe and I had no problems.
3) Everyone said it wasn’t that nice.  Rubbish! It’s a UNESCO world heritage site and it is a really lovely city for the most part!

I stayed in the old town at a great hostel called Huasi. I spent the first morning on a free walking tour of the city which included churches, plazas, markets and the palace. The president has decided not to live in the palace as so many previous presidents have been murdered leaving there. Instead he opens it up for the public to see for free…wise decision!

Then I went to the mercado central (market) to get a local seabass dish which had many components. After I got the bus to Mitad del mundo (middle of the earth) which was about an hour away. This is on the equator line, latitude 0″,0′,0′.  There is a big monument and line where a French scientist said was the exact point but actually its slightly out and the indigneous people had found that out years before so there is another line for the real one!

At the real one there is a museum where you learn about indigneous culture including the head shrinking process which luckily doesn’t still happen today! You also do experiments lke balancing an egg and watchg water go down a sink different directions for the different hemispheres!

The next day I went to San Francisco cathedral where you can climb up on ladders into the clock towers and get a great view of the city. Then I found a vegetarian restaurant called Govindas and had a delicious lunch. After lunch I went back to the hostel and met a guy called Ricky. We decided to go on a wander which turned out to be a productive great few hours! We first went to the cathedral with lots of gold instead and got in free as there was a service, we stumbled across a convent, saw a bride walk down the aisle in another fancy church and then went up to the top of the hill where the angel statue is for another great view and a warming canelazo with aguardiente!  We were told not walk up or down from the viewpoint as muggings have occured so we jumped on a bus down which took us right round the back of the city a nice market area and we found the old town from there!

I met Cassie in the evening to discuss our trip to the Galapagos islands the next day over a delicious Italian meal at Cafe San Blas and then tried to get a couple of hours sleep before waking up at 3:45 for the flight.

Otavalo

My first stop in Ecuador was a brief visit to Otavalo, an indigenous market town.  I stayed in the Tuquerres indigenous family home in Lluman just outside Otavalo. The daughter Angie welcomed me and I felt very at home.  Her parents work at the town craft market selling handmade jewellery mainly made from beads. My friend Noel was also staying there and explained a few things to me.  The grandmother was in her 90s and did not speak Spanish but was very friendly.  The indigenous language is Quechua. The parents came back home and made some dinner for us all.  We chatted about many interesting topics around the table including how the family had taken ideas for living and eating from their international guests such as not putting sugar in herbal tea. All of their food is natural or home grown. They have chickens and grow their own vegetables. We also talked about the local use of shaman in their culture especially as Noel had a cleansing ceremony that week where the shaman spat at him and drew out bad spirits using an egg. The next morning I woke up to this view: Wow!

Grandma was making soup and Noel made me breakfast.

Grandma chopping yuca.

Living room.

Angie in traditional clothes.

Noel and I went into town and looked around the market.  I chose the most beautiful beaded necklace and Noel bought it for me when I wasn’t looking as a present which was very sweet. The mother in the family made it by hand.

Otavalo is a small market town with a great atmosphere and very friendly people. I tried the local dish which is bean ceviche and was delicious! After a few purchases and some warm goodbyes I set off to Quito on the bus.

Ecuador!

The queue to cross the border from Colombia to Ecuador was very long due to Colombian holidays and Ecuadorians returning after the fiestas in Pasto. I crossed by foot, carrying out all the usual immigration checks but there were no security checks until we were 10 minutes down the road by bus.  Getting transport from the border to the nearest town was a nightmare! People were literally fighting each other for a place in a collectivo and noone had heard of queuing! Eventually I jumped in a cab with some locals who felt sorry for me waiting as long as they did!

They had mastered the art of queuing in at the bus station in Tulcan but there were not enough buses for people which caused delays due to many angry customers. In the end I managed to get a ticket to Otavalo and spent my remaining Colombian pesos on snacks for the bus.

Chigonguna warning poster! Would have.been more useful on journey into Colombia!

Las Lajas Sanctuary

After the fiestas in Pasto, it was time to move on to another country: Ecuador!

I made my way to the border town Ipiales and left my bag in the left luggage at the bus station. It was noticeably colder there.  From there I took a collectivo to Las Lajas which is a cathedral built in the mountainside.  The legend is that a local lady and her daughter went for a walk and the girl said to her mother that she could hear God calling to her from the rock, so they built a cathedral there!

On the way I saw the local dish of guinea pig being toasted on a fire, yuck! I walked down to the cathedral and walked around, below and above. Inside it was busy with a service going on. I saw a family donate a plaque to the cathedral by taking out their own cement and doing a DIY job on  the wall.
The cathedral was very impressive but soon it was time to head onto Ecuador!

Hostels

I”ve decided to keep a list of hostels etc I stay at so anyone travelling can use it as a reference: I will keep adding to it as I go along.

COSTA RICA

1) San Jose – Nomadas. In La Sabana area. Quiet. Comfortable rooms  No lockers. Cold water shower outside. $12

2) Monteverde – Sleepers Sleep Cheap Hostel. Very comfortable room, excellent beds Bathroom in room. Hot water shower. Lockers in room.
Centre of town.Helps with tours/info. $8

3) Montezumo- Hostel el Parque.
very basic. Rooms with lockers. Right on beach. Not particularly friendly atmosphere. Cold water shower whichnis actuallly a tap! $10

4) Mal Pais/Santa Teresa – Casa del Mar.
Best atmosphere so far. Chilled and relaxed with many surfer types.Room basic but clean. No lockers in rooms. Very nice bar and restaurant. Hammocks  Cold water shower in room $10.

5)Liberia – Hostel Dodero.
Small family run hostel. Outdoor well equipped kitchen. Cold shower. Very close to bus station. Clean and quiet. $10.

6) Tamarindo – La Botella de Leche.
Chilled hostel with centre pool. Cold shower. Bathroom in room. Nice communal areas. Quite noisy at night due to dorm being close to TV room. $10.

7) Puerto Viejo – La Ruka Hostel
Nice homely atmosphere and rooms. Outdoor kitchen well-equipped. Hot water most of time. Bike rental. Snorkel rental. Helpful staff. Very secure. $10.

NICARAGUA

1) Isla de Ometope – Hospedaje Central Funky decor, Amazing and cheap restaurant. 16 bed dorm, beds uncomfortable but good value. Staff very helpful and friendly. Cold shower. Lockers. $5.

2) Isla de Ometepe – El Zopilote Organic farm and restaurant with hostel beds, rooms and hammocks. Opportunities to help out and activities. Difficult to get to. Cold outdoor showers. Lockers. Beautiful place but theft is a real issue here unfortunately.Free yoga every morning 7am.
Hammocks $4, dorms $7.

3) San Juan del Sur – Hostel Esperanza.
Beach front, bright rooms, 8 bed dorms. Cold shower. Very friendly helpful staff. Free breakfast. Relaxed atmosphere. 24 hour reception. $10.

4) Granada- Hostel Entre Amigos. Small, secure, central location and very clean. Comfortable beds and very quiet. Friendly owner. Free coffee. Cold shower. $5.

5) Granada – Hostel El Momento.
Fantastic hostel. Great communal space. Restaurant. Laundry facilities. Comfortable beds with personal light and fan. Lockers. Secure and clean. Central location. $8

6) Leon – Via Via.
Spacious communal areas. Restaurant/bar in front but not too noisy. Single beds. Bathroom in room. Cold shower. Some staff friendly, some not so much! Lockers. No kitchen. $7.

) Leon – Hostel Guanabaranca.
Small family run hostel on main hostel street. Small dorm rooms with bathroom. Cold shower. Lockers. Basic kitchen. $6.

PANAMA

1) Bocas del Toro – Casa Verde.
Hostel with fantastic dock location. Awful kitchen facilities. Nice atmosphere and chill area. Bike rental. Some friendly and helpful staff. Bar and restaurant. Music loud until 11:30pm. $14.

2)Between Bocas and Boquete – Lost and Found Lodge.
Jungle mountain lodge. Pet Kinkajou. Amazing views Friendly staff and volunteers. Barn style dorm. Hot showers. Free DIY walks. $14.

3) Boquete – Mamallena hostel.
Right on centre square. Friendly and helpful staff. My favourite hostel so far this trip! Free DIY pancake breakfast. Comfortable beds. Hot showers. Very clean. $12.

4) Panama City – Magnolia Inn.
In Casco Viejo. Clean and safe. 24 hour reception. Individual lamps and plug sockets. Air con. Good kitchen Hot water shower.
$15.

5) Panama City -Pan Americana hostel. In casco viejo. Basic rooms and shower. Rood terrace. Kitchen. Looks onto nice square. Friendly staff.Toast breakfast included.
$12.

COLOMBIA

1. Carpugana – La Bohemia.
Super friendly family feel. Along jungle path. Mosquito nets. Kitchen. Cold water shower. Fantastic staff. Lockers. CP 15000.

2 Cartagena – Hotel Espanola.
Basic hotel with kitchen facilities and fan in room. Rooms only. Central location. Safe and clean. CP 50000 for double room.

3 Cartagena – Casa Venecia Hotel. Fantastic hostel. Not too busy. Slightly older crowd. 24 hour reception. Cold shower, big bathroom. Breakfast included . 6 bed spacious dorms. Lockers.
CP 25000 with a/c

4 Playa Blanca – Hugo’s Place.
Basic beach cabanas and hammock option. Good restaurant. Not very friendly feel. Lockers. Snorkel hire available. Hammock CP 10000.

5. Taganga – La Alchemista.
Relaxed hostel with friendly vibe. Outdoor communal area. Middle of town. Cold shower. Free breakfast. Small dorm rooms.
CP. 15000.

6. Santa Marta – Drop Bear hostel
This is a big hostel in an ex-cartel property Large dorms with fan or a/c swimming pool, large cinema room with massive film selection, pool table, bar, kitchen and restaurant 24 hour reception. Very helpful staff. Large bathrooms and cold shower. Everything you need in a hostel is here! CP 22000.

7. Tayrona park. Very basic hammock hut on top of rocks with amazing view.Outdoor shower and toilet facilities The top hammocks are a little chilly due to wind but mosquitos keep away. Ground ones are warmer but mosquitos a plenty and no nets available. CP 25000.

8. Minca – Casa Loma. Excellent wooden hostel on mountainside above Minca. Follow steps behind church. Very steep climb up steps. Amazing sunset view and view of Santa Marta. Vegetarian restaurant. Bring your own water from the village. Various sleeping options of hammocks, privates and dorms. Cold shower. No wifi. CP 25000.

9. San Gil – VIP Sams.
Very modern hostel right on main plaza. Balcony, swimming pool, excellent kitchen. Helpful staff. Hot water shower. Comfortable communal area. Lockers. 4 bed dorms. CP 22000.

10. San Gil – Sam’s Mansion.
Sister hostel to VIP Sams. Lovely colonial building. Restaurant. 6 bed big dorms. Lockers. Wifi doesn’t work but full use of VIP Sams included.
CP 20000.

11. Manizales – Hostal Kaleidoscopio.
Excellent hostel, comfortable, clean and friendly atmosphere. Lockers. Hot showers. CP 22000.

12. Salento – La Floresta Hostel.
Friendly, helpful, rooms with adjoining bathroom, clean, hot showers, central location near main square. CP 22000

13. Medellin – The Wandering Paisa.
In Calle 70 area close to shops and bars. Dorms a bit cramped and not that clean. Hot water. Lockers. CP 25000.

14. Medellin – La Galeria.
In Poblado close to posh bars and clubs. Comfortable rooms. Lockers. Active bar that attracts younger crowd. Not enough space in communal areas.
CP 27000.

15. Cali – El Viajero hostel.
In San Antonio area of city. Spacious dorms. Swimming pool and bar. I liked this hostel except they didnt tell me I needed to reserve every day and there wasn’t enough space. Shower not hot. Lockers. CP 32000 (La feria period)

16. Cali – Cameleon Hostel.
Very friendly and helpful staff. Salsa studio. Hot shower. Lockers. Clean. Very safe. Good kitchen. Lovely roof top terrace. San Antonio area. CP 25000.

17. Popayan – Hostel Caracol.
Very quiet hostel. Excellent rooms and dorms like a nice hotel. Good kitchen. Semi-hot showers. CP 24000.

18. Pasto – Hostal Kundur.
25 mins from Pasto.
CP 20000 Camping.

ECUADOR

1. Otavalo. Tuquerres house. Family homestay with local indigneous people. Very friendly and welcoming. Bring warm clothes!

2. Quito

3. The Galapagos. I stayed with a friend in various guesthouses, some with no name.
San Cristobal! Island -Hostel Albatross.

4. Tena – Wisdom forest. Volunteer project in jungle. $10 a day for 3 meals a day. Work in morning and afternoon and weekends free time. Very welcoming and friendly.

5 Baños – Transylvania hostel.A little strange but helpful staff. Breakfast. Two bed dorms. Very cold.

7.. Quito airport –

BRAZIL

1. Recife – Cosmopolitan hostel, Boa Viagem. Lovely staff, clean and secure. Good breakfast. Many Brazilian travellers. R40.

2. Salvador – Barra Guest Hostel, Barra.
Clean and honely with great breakfast. 5 minutes from beach. Lovely staff. R545.

3. Salvador – Laranjerias Hostel, Pelourinho. Busy and hot hostel Great location and breakfast. R50.

4 . Arraial de A’juda – Pousada dou Carlos. Sweet guesthouse. Nice rooms. Outdoor kitchen. Amazing breakfast. R50.
http://www.pousadadocarlos.com.br

5. Trancoso – Woods Hostel. Guillherme is a fantastic host in this new small hostel. Right in the village and 15 mins walk from the beach. R35.
guilhermeflyaway@live.com or 73 91519877.

6. Rio de Janeiro – Casa Zambabem, Santa Teresa. Long term rental. Up many steps. Prices vary for carnaval.
http://www.casazambabem.com Rafael Tavares.

8 Rio de Janeiro – Rioow hostel, Lagoa. Private bed cabins with plugs and lights. Lockers. Breakfast. R35.

10. Rio de Janeiro -Lapa Hostel, Lapa.Great central location. Hot and busy. Rooms with or without aircon. Friendly staff. R40.

11. Angra dos Reis – Lion hostel. Security is not great here. Quiet and comfortable. Very basic breakfast. R50.

12. Ilha Grande – The Mango Tree. Very friwndly hut a little disorganised. Aircon rooms. Good breakfast. Lockers. Relaxed atmosphere. R60.

13. Ilha Grande – Hostal Harmonia. Basic but friendly hostel. Small rooms and quite crowded if using kitchen. R50.

14. Paraty – Recanto de Azul hostel. Famiky run hostel. Quiet and honely but not always clean. Great kitchen. Located in town on quiet street. R40.

13. Paraty – Geko Hostel. Relaxed histel by the beach. Comfortable rooms and great communal space. Breakfast served at beach bar. R45.

14. Ubatuba – Ecotrip Hostel. Quiet hostel with confortable spacious rooms, great kitchen and communal space. Good breakfast friendly staff. R40.

15. Sao Paulo – Hostel Alice, Villa Magladena. Amazing hostel. Fantastic friendly owner Denise. Good breakfast with homemade bread. Comfortable beds with memory foam pillows, personal light and plug socket. Homely atmosphere and amazing kitchen. R45

.