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What it’s like to live in Puerto Cayo, Ecuador

You’ve probably never heard of Puerto Cayo.

Don’t feel bad, most people haven’t. Puerto Cayo is a sleepy fishing village on the Pacific coast that doesn’t have much more to offer than long stretches of sandy beach spotted with seashells and colourful pebbles. Yet, it’s where we chose to settle down for the largest chunk of our 4 month stay in Ecuador earlier this year. We loved our calm beach life and even though there was absolutely nothing going on, we were sad to leave. . Living in Puerto Cayo was a unique experience. It was life at it’s simplest.

So what is it like to live in an Ecuadorian beach village as a digital nomad?

As usual, we rented in a furnished house – Pasatiempo del Sur. This time, it was a beautiful apartment by the beach with a pool, a garden and a killer view over the sun setting in the ocean.

on the bottom floor, our beautiful apartment/house with shared pool, garden and pets

A typical day would look like this:

WAKE UP SLOW – coffee and breakfast on the terrace

What I love and miss most about living in the tropics, is how early the days start. Your biorhythm adjusts to the sun, which rises and sets at approximately the same hour every day. There was no need for an alarm, we’d just wake up naturally around 7AM every morning as the sun brightened the sky. I would get out of bed with enough energy to make a fruit salad for breakfast to accompany our morning coffee/tea.

WORK-WORK-WORK

As the mornings are the coolest time of the day in Ecuador, we’d try to get as much work done as possible before temperatures would rise to their maximums.

Douglas ‘slaving away’ in the morning.

LUNCH BREAK + SIESTA

By 11 AM the sun would burn so intensely, it was impossible to get anything done. The entire village would be deserted. Not just for lunch breaks but to escape the heat of the equatorial sun. We’d have a simple lunch at home or take a motor taxi to one of the many restaurants -if I can call them that- on the beach. But truthfully only a mad dog would be out and about around noon.

After lunch comes… siesta time! We would not actually sleep (although that happened a few times) but unwind, digest and escape the burning heat outside.

reading in the hammock

BACK TO WORK + BEACH BREAK

By 3PM, it’s still steaming hot outside but more tolerable already. We’d stay inside and get some more work done. Once it started to cool down around 4 or 5 PM, we’d take a break to go for a splash in the ocean. How could you not, when you have a beach all to yourself?! We’d paddle in the waves and swim for about half an hour before returning to our work day.

Splashing around, jumping and screaming like kids. As far as the eye can see, not a soul in sight

After our swim, we would work outside; Douglas on his laptop and I cleaning the pool, watering the plants or doing some housework.

while cleaning the pool I would find these crabs, drifted off from the ocean

APERO WHILE WATCHING THE SUNSET

We’d end our work day by pouring ourselves an “apero” (a drink before dinner) at sunset. Time to sit back and relax. The fact that there was nothing else to do, helped us appreciate nature’s spectacle. Whether we’d be home or in one of the fish shacks on the beach, we never missed the show!

The sunset in Puerto Cayo was different every evening. I was amazed at how beautiful and -in a way- exciting life can be without entertainment, bars, friends… Just peace and quiet

DINNER

Sometimes we’d cook our own dinner, other times we would go to one of the few restaurants in town. Options on their menus were limited to fish, fish, seafood or fish. Meat is a scarce commodity in Puerto Cayo.

The food shacks on the beach during the day offering fish, fish or fish

During the weekends we would laze around the pool, take long strolls on the beach, play with the dogs, go out for brunch or visit a neighbouring town. We learned to be content with uneventful weekends and enjoyed the low-keyed weeks as they drifted by.

Fancy and delicious brunch in restaurant ‘El Alebrije’ on a sunday morning. Eggs Benedict and Bloody Mary.

Since our lifestyle doesn’t allow us to have pets, we were thrilled to have our landlord’s dogs running around the grounds. Temporary pets to play with!

We learned all about the “no-alcohol-on-sundays” policy… On a sunday…

Living in Puerto Cayo was a perfect way to get lots of work done and to save some money, as there were no distractions. We took it easy and truly lived in the moment which was a marvellous experience. We laughed and played like unconstrained children. We created our own joy and excitement. We let go of our worries and returned home with renewed energy and a new sense of serenity. In a way, living in Puerto Cayo was like going on one of those “find yourself” retreats. Another enrichment in our lives.

Could you see yourself living in a tiny town where there is nothing to do? Do you think you could find happiness in a place like Puerto Cayo?

The post “what it’s like to live in Puerto Cayo, Ecuador” first appeared on Travel Cake.

November 1, 2015
100 Essential Travel Experiences, Part III

As a tribute to carefree traveling, I’m listing my most memorable travel experiences so far. You can read the first 20 items and the next 20 in the previous posts.

Without further ado, here are the next 15 travel experiences in no particular order:

60. Bicycling amongst the ancient temples of Bagan (Myanmar)

We rented some bicycles to explore the temples and pagodas of Bagan in Myanmar. To get the best light and avoid the crowds we left just after dawn and got a taste of what finding these masterpieces must have been like for western explorers back in the days.

59. Wandering and climbing around Petra

Instead of sticking to Petra’s main tourist route to see its remains, we drifted off and climbed ourselves to the “outskirts” of the Pink City. With no other visitors in sight for miles, we experienced ultimate freedom (to goof off).

Of course we also visited the famous sites, like “The Treasury”.

58. Learning to drink vodka in Poland

Our Polish friend intrduced us to the fine art of vodka drinking. It’s not as straight forward as you would think! Click on the title to read about the rules of drinking vodka.

57. Camping in the African Savannah

After the safari, we pitched a tent in the savannah. Though it was an official campsite, we were still in the middle of the bush. Some hungry hippos came by at night and the hyena’s were laughing behind our tents.

56. Having a naked hamam experience somewhere in Turkey

Umm, I don’t have a picture of this… But unless you’re a bit of a prude, I do recommend going to a hammam in Turkey! Yes, you’re expected to be naked…

55. Tasting local rum mixes on the beaches of Guadeloupe

Not only does Guadeloupe produce some fine rum, they also have tasty homemade infusions like this one: lemon, honey and cinnamon rum. Can you imagine spending the day on a caribbean beach sipping on this?! Paradise!

54. Finding inner peace in Bali

I wasn’t consciously looking for it but living in Bali for a year helped me find a certain peace of mind. There is something in the air on that island.

53. Having traditional Shabbat dinner in Jerusalem

We were surprised by an Orthodox Jewish man blowing a horn on Friday afternoon in a market in Jerusalem. Shabbat was starting; according to this man’s faith, everyone needed to drop everything and close their shops immediately. He was yelling at the non-Orthodox shopkeepers, blowing the horn in their faces. It was quite an absurd sight to us, which we discussed in detail during the Shabbat dinner we were invited to.

52. Swimming with wild dolphins in Zanzibar

We spotted some dolphins near the wooden fishing boat we were sailing on. I tried to capture them on photo but it was so much more fun to jump in and swim along with them. I had no idea dolphins were so big, bigger than me it seemed!

51. Backpacking through Central America

From Guatemala to Panama with a backpack and a small budget. Honduras and Nicaragua were my favourite countries of the region.

50. Intermingling with the madness of Thaipusam in Malaysia

Looking back, I can’t believe I made my way through this crowd without fainting.

Thaipusam is an intense pilgrimage in Malaysia which involves hooks, chains, lemons and milk to name a few. Read all about the madness of Thaipusam by clicking on the title.

49. Sleeping under the Saharan star spangled sky

I rode a camel to an isolated spot in the Tunisian Sahara where our group camped and danced around a bonfire to the beat of the djembe. Though we had pitched some Bedouin tents, most of us fell a sleep in open air while gazing at the the countless stars.

48. Quite literally rolling in foreign money

OK, this one may need some explaining… I’ve often traveled to countries with strongly devaluated currency. In these cases, I’ve had to lug around lots of cash just to buy a a simple loaf of bread. Quite a hassle, for sure but on the other hand, it has allowed me to live out a childhood dream: rolling around in money like they do in the cartoons! *hello DuckTales* Cheers to living your childhood dreams!

47. Cheering around a “midget-boxing arena” in Manila

Another absurd and oh-so memorable night… Midget boxing in the red light district of Manila. Click on the title to read more about the quirky things we did in Manila.

46. Jetting off to Italy for a few days with the sole purpose of tasting every possible regional specialty

The food in Bologna is incredible; simple, fresh and local. A real foodie paradise! Click on the title to read about my foodie weekend in Bologna, Eataly!

Fresh Italian produce

Continue reading Part 4 , Part 5 and Part 6! Missed Part 1 and Part 2?

Are any of these items on your bucket list?

The post “100 Essential Travel Experiences, part III” first appeared on Travel Cake.

October 22, 2015
100 Essential Travel Experiences, Part II

As a tribute to carefree traveling, I’m listing my most memorable travel experiences so far. You can read the first 20 items in the previous post.

Without further ado, here are the next 20 travel experiences in no particular order:

80. Bathing in Budapest’s public baths in the snow

There is something incredibly ‘exotic’ to bathing in the outdoors with outside temperatures of -3°C . Add a stunning architectural backdrop and a blanket of snow and the picture is complete! At Széchenyi Thermal Baths

79. Indulging in a dim sum fest in Hong Kong

We tracked down the restaurants serving Michelin starred dim sum. “If I don’t like those, I can officially say I don’t like dim sum.” As it turns out, I do like dim sum! Click on title to read about surprising Hong Kong.

78. Floating in the dead sea in Israel

It’s a strange feeling to be almost completely weightless. Unlike anything else!

77. Relaxing with a thousand little birds around Lake Bunyonyi

Swimming, eating, relaxing with cool beers, waking up to the chirp of little birds… That’s what our time in Bunyonyi was all about. Click on the title to read more about Lake Bunyonyi.

76. Crashing a grand Indian engagement party

The night I arrived in Delhi, my host took me to a party. Once there I realised it was a huge engagement party with incredible food, an open bar and blasting Bollywood music. Though totally underdressed and tired from my flight, I was warmly welcomed by my new friends.

75. Pick-nicking in the Summer Palace in St-Petersburg

As it was my travel mate’s birthday, we took the opportunity to indulge in a blini and caviar pick-nick with the Summer Palace as a backdrop. I don’t even like caviar but it seemed like the most appropriate thing to eat.

74. Spending 24 hours in Qatar with people I had never met before

A midnight drive around, shisha in the souq, Lebanese brunch and shopping in a recreation of Venice… Thanks to local expats who took me under their wings for 24 hours, I really enjoyed the city of Doha in Qatar.

73. Discovering the bizarre ghost towns of Western Sahara

Western Sahara is a peculiar country. The town seems deserted and overrun by desert sand, yet there is a certain mystique in the air… Notice this woman shovelling sand from her front door. The Saharan winds bring the dunes right into people’s homes…

72. Hummingbirds, waterfalls and chocolate in Magical Mindo

The hummingbirds of Mindo touched my soul and brought back some inner peace . Click on the title to read more about magical Mindo.

71. Road tripping the Irish countryside

I was stunned by the natural beauty of the Irish country side. Stopping for a pint of Guiness and a minced meat pie in a local pub made the experience all the more memorable. A road trip not to be missed!

70. Drinking Margaritas on white sand beaches in the Philippines

My most “beach-perfect” destination so far, has to be Palawan. Click on the title to see more pictures of Palawan.

69. Hitch hiking to Copenhagen

The rain doesn’t take hitchhikers into account… We hitched rides from Belgium to Denmark through The Netherlands and Germany. Even though we had it relatively easy being two women asking for a ride, hitch hiking turned out to be hard work! The exciting and fun kind of hard work. Click on the title to read about doing Copenhagen on the cheap.

68. Getting pampered with fantastic massages in Southeast Asia

Incredible how a luxury service in the West can be such an ordinary one in the East. Long live affordable massages and the soothing tea’s that follow!

67. Finding evidence of the slave trade in Ghana

Behind the walls of this fort, lie the dungeons where Ghanian men and women were held captive to be sold as slaves and shipped off in those parts of the world. You can actually still smell the human distress in the dungeons. very confronting…

66. Meeting the Garifuna tribe in Honduras

The Garifuna are descendants of the West African people living on the Central American Caribbean coast. They speak their own language and live in communities which reminded me very much of the African villages. Even their food and music have obvious African influences. It felt a little like home after having spent some time in Latin America.

65. Hiking to the top of Mt. Sinai to see the sunrise

The hike started in the middle of the night, following a trail of candle holding pilgrims. Once at the top we had just enough time to catch our breaths before the first rays of light made their appearance. Being surrounded by pilgrims singing, praying, crying and admiring the sun, it was almost a religious experience.

64. Fishing in South India

Though I didn’t work quite as hard as the fisherman, taking part of their daily activity and sharing the (slim) catch was nothing short of enriching.

20 years earlier, I was doing the exact same thing (yes, that little girl in the bathing suit is me)
Photo by A. Van Den Daele

63. Transforming into a Burmese lady in Myanmar

In a beauty parlour of small town in Myanmar, I found out the techniques Burmese ladies and ladyboys use to achieve their beauty ideal. Lightening the skin is just one of them. Here is the Burmese version of me and my talented make-up artist.

62. Snorkelling with manta rays

They’re so much bigger than I could have imagined, I was frightened. These majestic creatures slide under the surface of the ocean, not slightly fearing the clumsy “human fish”. Photo by Shawn Heinrichs

61. Going on spontaneous trips

There’s nothing more exciting than deciding to take a trip on a whim. Decide today, leave tomorrow… That’s how I ended up in Warsaw, Denmark, Paris, Kosovo, Brunei, Amsterdam, Cuba…

Continue reading part 3, part 4, part 5 and part 6! If you’ve mist the part 1, catch up here… I’ll be posting the rest of the list every other Thursday!

Are any of these experiences on your “been there done that” list?

The post “100 Essential Experiences, part II” first appeared on Travel Cake.

October 8, 2015
Motorcycling India

When I met my husband he charmed me with his vague plan to buy a motorcycle in India with which he’d traverse the country while documenting the journey on film. Ravished as I was, I didn’t really believe he’d pull through. But there I was, ten months later, on a plane to India to join in on the motorcycle adventure. A trip from South to North India on a 1979 Royal Enfield, “Bullet”.

bizarre checkpoint along the way

It would take a short novel to tell you the whole story, so I’ll stick to the most essential parts…

When I arrived in India Douglas and his travel mate had already bought motorcycles, driven through the most insane traffic situations, been severely ill and they’d had a few near death experiences. But worst of all, they’d just been robbed of thousands of dollars worth of filming equipment and the stories they had captured on film. That’s how we got acquainted with India’s police and red tape. I’ve blacked out the details, it really was that horrible.

The silver lining was that robbery happened in Varkala, a popular backpacker beach hangout perched on a steep cliff full of restaurants, bars and shopping stalls. So while we spent days at the police station fighting for paperwork to come through, we’d spend the rest of the time stuffing our faces with banana pancakes, drinking cool beers, joining spontaneous sing-alongs around the campfire and skinny dipping under the full moon with new found Scandinavian friends. You know, the usual backpacker’s stuff.

Varkala beach at sunset

not a bad way to wait for paperwork to come through…

After a week of frustration, we finally got the paperwork out of the way and were ready to leave the tourist Shangri-La to dig into the “real” India.

let’s go!

With our backpacks strapped securely to the back of our motorcycle, we crossed the palm fringed Kerala. We parked “The Bullet” for a few days to spend some time gliding the backwaters on a houseboat.

view from our houseboat

We continued our trip passing through gorgeous landscapes and majestic cities…

Udaipur

…but also rather dull ones.

the hardest stretches were the ones with boring landscapes

We would drive all day, taking lots of breaks…

dancing with some school kids during the pee/stretch break in the middle of nowhere

…and we’d look for a place to stay once the sun started to set. If we were lucky we’d find a quaint little room with a view but more often than not, we’d have to take whatever was available. Thus we got our fair share of bedroom cockroach encounters, rat dropping surprises and malfunctioning fans in temperatures of 40 C° at night. Or even worse: nosy staff showing up unannounced in our room at night under pretext they’d “need something” from inside… WTF?!

cockroach-free room with a view…

The Bullet tagged along with us where ever we went, giving us the freedom to stop anywhere we wanted.

we took The Bullet on a passenger ferry to cross a river. In india everything is possible, all you need to do is ask.

The Bullet got butchered on a a train ride…

Our motorcycle broke down often. We’d have it repaired if we happened to be near a town. If not, we’d fix it ourselves. With tape and rope. Yep, that works sometimes.

in cases of emergency, there is a mechanic in all of us

But usually there were more than enough people spontaneously getting involved, trying everything they could to get The Bullet running.

bystanders always got involved. Whether we’d want it or not.

Traffic in and near cities was absolute madness. You never know what you’ll encounter while driving. Anything goes.

dodging cows became a daily activity

traffic was always interesting

elephants: part of every-day encounters on the road…

We met some interesting characters along the way.

talking to fascinating characters like this made our breaks extra compelling. I was drawn by his fabulous top.

We ate where the locals do.

street food

We tried to understand the essence of India. We were far from the tourist path and as close to life in small town India as possible. Even so, we knew we would never be able to truly make sense of things in this country. We are outsiders to the culture and always will be, no matter how hard we tried. To us, that’s the beauty of traveling in India.

beach in Kerala

My part of the journey ended in Delhi after having crossed the States of Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan. Douglas continued further north through the Himalayas to Manali on his own.

having our own set of wheels allowed us to discover forgotten temples and ruins along the way

As you can imagine, insane things happened on this three month trip but as I mentioned earlier, it would take a novel to tell the full story. I would definitely rank this trip under the category “hardcore travel”.

Here are a few tips if you want to motorcycle through India:

1. Don’t. It’s dangerous. But if you really really must…

2. Travel in India without a motorcycle first. That way you’ll get to know the Indian way before taking on the responsibility of having to drive, deal with mechanics and cultural differnces, finding your way in sprawling cities… Only when you find that you can handle the Indian chaos, should you start to consider driving the motorcycle.

3. Upgrade your motorcycle’s horn. Make sure it’s loud enough to overpower the other horns. On Indian roads, it’s survival of the loudest.

4. Pack light, very light. It’s so much easier and more comfortable to drive with a light backseat. You may have noticed I’m wearing the same outfits in almost all of the pictures in this post. Do bring along some tape and rope, they always comes in handy!

5. Avoid cities and crowds. They’re complete mayhem.

6. If you are pressed with time, chose North India as your destination. The mountainous area north of New Delhi is far more laid back to drive through.

6. Finally and most importantly: Go with the flow. You can’t control most of what happens on the road. The sooner you accept that reality and let go, the sooner you’ll start enjoying the experience.

Motorcycling through India was not a relaxing trip. It was challenging, dangerous and frustrating. At the same time it was unlike anything else and incredibly rewarding. An epic journey for ever in our memories.

dirty, smelly and tired but 100% satisfied

Have you traveled by motorcycle? Where? Would you motorcycle India?

The post “Motorcycling India” first appeared on Travel Cake.

October 4, 2015
An Announcement: The Trip of a Lifetime – 100Essential Travel Experiences

It’s been quiet on Travel Cake these past few months. Some of you have been asking me where I’ve been and what I’ve been up to. Well, I can tell you this much: I haven’t been slacking!

I’ve moved from Ecuador to Belgium where I have been slaving away at a 9 to 5 desk job. Being back in my hometown has been wonderful in terms of reconnecting with friends, family and the city. You may have read the mini luxury guide to Ghent I wrote for travel blog “Hippie in Heels”. You may also have read what I had to say about travel photography in an article for “Voyager for life“.

saying my goodbyes to Ecuador

But most importantly, I’ve been preparing for the trip of a lifetime. A new adventure, greater than any I’ve ever been on before.

Destination?

Motherhood.

That’s right,I said motherhood.

The journey began 10 months ago in Iran and continued in Ecuador and Colombia. It took a turn in the US and passed by the Netherlands. It then continued to Belgium where our daughter was born. Our ‘Mini Travel Cake’ is a sweet and funny baby with a traveller’s spirit. How could it be any different, she is only a month old and has already been to 6 countries!

Does this mean Travel Cake is turning into a mommy blog?

No. Plain and simple. It’s just not my cup of tea. However, I’ll probably publish an article related to kids and travel every once in a while. But in general I plan on publishing the same kind of content as I have so far.

As my pregnancy came to an end, I was stuck indoors with a swollen face hiding from the summer heat. Knowing that my life will never be exactly the same again, I thought about my passed travels. Motherhood is probably the most intense and life changing adventure of them all and I’m THRILLED not to have rushed into it. Thrilled to have taken time to see and experience as much of the world as possible while being relatively carefree. That’s why, as a tribute to carefree travelling, I will be posting a countdown of my 100 most memorable, essential travel experiences.

Here goes part 1, in no particular order:

100. Driving miles and miles on the rooftops of Nepali busses.

A drink, music blasting from your headphones and wind running through your hair… the best seats are in between the luggage on the roof of the bus!

99. 1001 nights in Morocco

Morocco’s riads are so romantic, so sophisticated and worth the occational splurge. I tried looking the part sippin’ on an overpriced martini in one of Morocco’s fancy riads. Click on the title to read about my weekend in Fez, Morocco.

98. Floating through life on a houseboat in the backwaters of Kerala

Waking up on the deck of our houseboat, having breakfast while we glide over the waterways, sigh…

97. Going nuts during Thingyan, Myanmar’s water festival

Water party in a pop-up day club

This is a common street scene in Yangon during the water festival. Click on the title to read about our experiences during Thingyan.

96. Trekking in the Himalayas

Our first and very ill prepared trek at 4300m altitude. Click on the title to read a post related to trekking.

95. Rum cocktails in Castro’s Cuba

Cuba during Castro’s reign was such a bizarre yet unique and enchanting place. At least for visitors. Things may have changed but I’m sure the rum cocktails are still just as delicious!

94. Hiking in Valbona, Albania

After a breathtaking hike, I reached the cabin of an Albanian family who welcomed me for tea and burek. Instant adoption. Click on the title to read about my hike in the Albanian Alps.

93. Spending the night in the garden of Eden in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Watching the sun set after a long walk in what seemed like the garden of Eden. DRC has fantastic nature, I wish I could say the same for the political situation.

92. Seeing Tarsiers in the wild

A childhood dream came true when we spotted these cuties in the jungle of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Click on the title to read more about our time in Sulawesi.

91. Fishing, sunbathing and drinking on a catamaran in Los Roques, Venezuela

My first time on a caribbean beach, I was overwhelmed by the high tropical factor

90. Traveling by train in Russia

I got to know my cabin mates by communicating with signs on a 40 hour train ride to the Russian Arctic

89. Hiking the Cocora valley in Colombia

Another long time travel dream come true! Click on the title to read about our hike in the Cocora Valley.

88. Discovering the architectural jewels of Iran

Feeling tiny amongst Iranian architectural masterpieces

87. Camping on a beach in Oman and finding nestling turtles

Camping on a deserted beach in southern Oman.

We stumbled upon some sea turtles laying their eggs in the sand. Click on the title to read about my road trip to Oman.

86. Learning to scuba dive

Wreck diving in the Philippines, a new world opening up…

My first open water dive in Zanzibar, one of many more to come.

85. Trying to understand the Israeli-Palestinan conflict

The more I talked to local people on both sides of the conflict, the more confused I was on the issues. No matter how much I hung out in the old streets of Jerusalem. Read more about my trip to Israel.

Crossing the horrendous border to Palestine. Click on the title to read more about my findings in Palestine.

84. Motorcycling through India

An epic drive from South to North India on a 30 year old Royal Enfield. Click on the titel to read about out motorcycle trip through India.

83. Unexpectedly ending up in Paris and attending a crazy party in “la Machine du Moulin Rouge”

The evening took an unexpected turn and I found myself in Paris. Wearing pink fur and a white wig…

82. Travelling solo

I find traveling solo extremely liberating and enriching. Everybody should try it at least once in their life! Click on the title to read why I travel solo even when I’m in a relationship.

81. Trying to catch a glimpse of Nessie in Loch Ness in the Scottish highlands

Nessie not found.

So much for part 1 of my favourite travel experiences. Continue reading part 2, part 3, part4, part 5 and part 6!

Which of these experiences would you want to read more about?

The post “An Announcement: The Trip of a Lifetime – 100Essential Travel Experiences” first appeared on Travel Cake.

September 24, 2015
Mindo for the broke, Ecuador

Tucked away in the cloud forest, on the slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes lies the sleepy town of Mindo: the perfect spot for a range of adrenaline sports. Whether it’s tubing, canyoning, mountain biking, canopy flying or hiking, you can do it all in Mindo.

Because I was physically unable to partake in any of these activities, I had a far more mellow “Mindo experience” than most visitors. And yet, Mindo was my favourite place in Ecuador. There is something magical in the air in Mindo.

our cabin in the cloud forest

Since adventure sports were not an option for me, I created what I would call a “Mindo for the broke”-itinerary. Though we weren’t actually broke, I figured this is exactly how I would spend my time if I had run out of money: skipping all the pricier adrenaline activities. Despite that they’re relatively cheap in Ecuador, they’ll still eat away at your budget.

My pseudo ‘Mindo for the broke’ itinerary mainly consisted of…

Eating.

Broke or not, a woman’s got to eat, right?!

The restaurants in Mindo serve excellent food! I had a meal in almost every restaurant and café in town -not very hard considering the small size of Mindo. Every single dish I tried blew my socks off. Admittedly, that might have something to do with the fact that we arrived in Mindo after having lived almost two months in a small isolated beach town with limited food options.

Some of the most impressive dishes were the steak in coffee sauce in El Quetzal, and the Mindo burger slathered in chocolate barbecue sauce in Inti Killa. Incredible!

German inspired plate of finger food in ‘the beehive’

delicious veggie burger. Not the best looking plate of food we’ve had but we attacked the best dishes with such haste, it was impossible to photograph them before eating.

Coffee and cakes.

This is where you can see this is a pseudo budget itinerary. Because let’s face it, coffee and sweets breaks aren’t really a necessity in life… (or are they?)

But I figured, if I can’t have the adrenaline rush, why not indulge in a sugar and caffeine rush?! As it rains quite often in the cloud forest, what better way to wait for the rain to blow away with a warm drink and some carbs? El Quetzal served the best brownie I’ve ever eaten. EVER! I would go back to Mindo just for that brownie!

on a quest to find Mindo’s best brownie. This wasn’t it. But that view though…

carrot cake and a latte while we wait for the rain to stop

Joining a chocolate tour.

From bean to chocolate bar to best brownie ever. After having eaten that amazing brownie, I noticed El Quetzal also offers 6$ chocolate tours. It sounds like a cheesy touristy thing to do -and in a way it was- but I was curious to find out all about the chocolate making process. So I caved and joined an elderly group of tourists on the tour.

raw, fermented cacao beans

Hiking to the waterfalls.

Just outside of town, there’s a series of alluring waterfalls surrounded by lush forest foliage. The hike was mild enough that we were able to really take in the crisp mountain air, chase butterflies and splash our faces with cool spring water. To get to the waterfall trails, we took a ride in a cable car soaring high above the canopy, side by side with the wild toucans. The ride could be considered an adrenaline inducing activity by an acrophobe but to everyone else, it can only be described as a pleasant and stunning short jaunt. The hike is free, the cable car ride costs just a few bucks.

the cable car to get to the waterfalls

an easy trail to follow

dense cloud forest

chasing waterfalls in Mindo

Hummingbird gazing.

My favourite activity in Mindo was relaxing in the hummingbird garden. We paid a dollar or so to enter the garden and had a drink surrounded by hundreds of hungry hummingbirds. I can’t say I’ve ever experienced anything quite like this before. The buzzing sound of their wings flapping at incredible speed, left me tantalised. I could have easily sat there all day just marvelling at nature…

To find the hummingbird garden, walk into any tourist office in town and tell them you want to see the birds. They’ll point you in the right direction.

hungry hummingbirds

And thus ended our 4 relaxing days in Mindo lindo. Full stomachs, no adrenaline, lungs filled with fresh air and a warm and fuzzy feeling when thinking about Magical Mindo.

Are you into adventure sports?

The post “Mindo for the broke ” first appeared on Travel Cake.

September 10, 2015
Hiking the Cocora Valley in Colombia

I was never a big hiker until I undertook a multi-day trek in Nepal a few years ago. While I still can’t really claim to be a hardcore hiker, I do take time for hikes a lot more often now. The distances, the physical challenge and the long hours don’t scare me anymore… In fact, it’s now what I’m drawn to!

Ten years ago, when I visited Colombia, I spent the little time I had in the country visiting my local friends instead of visiting the country. Though I never regretted that decision, I was bummed to have missed out on what seemed like one of Colombia’s highlights: the Cocora valley. “I’ll just have to come back one day” I said…

And come back I did! Ten years later, I finally had the chance to visit the Cocora valley in Colombia! What was even better, this time around I was actually into hiking!

This hike was not only a highlight in Colombia for me, it was one of my favourites of all times. Not too long, not too strenuous and full of gorgeous and unique views.

We headed to the town of Salento, the hub for hikes in the valley. I found the town itself to be very touristy but extremely charming. We spent our first day in Salento wandering around, walking in and out of little boutiques, eating tasty dishes and drinking incredible coffee, straight from the source.

Colombian coffee on the side of the road

taking multiple food breaks a day…

The next day we woke up shortly after dawn to start our hike. From the town square, a bunch of jeeps were waiting to bring hikers to the valley. The ride to the valley in itself was absolutely stunning! I would have loved to walk there like some people did, but I figured walking those extra kilometres would be pushing it. Besides, a ride hanging from the back of a willy jeep seemed so much cooler!

the jeep to Cocora

Because it had been raining the days before our arrival, we rented some rubber boots from a kiosk at the beginning of the trail. They turned out not to be necessary but I was happy I could walk freely, jump into mud pools and cross small creeks without a second thought.

getting the most out of my rubber boots

The scenery kept changing as our hike progressed. From farms, to jungle, over hanging bridges, through flower fields…

farmer on his way to his finca

farms

mud puddles in the morning light

in the woods…

over the bridges

high altitude flowers

Finally we arrived in an exotic fairy tale setting…

hello wax palms!

enjoying the unique view

The tall wax palms skyline. Just incredible!

I could have stayed for hours!

I never really understood how it was possible that we didn’t see any of the other hiker during our whole time in the valley. Especially because we started out with so many. We did the somewhat shorter version of the hike, skipping the hummingbird station, Acaime. No regrets here as we saw lots of humming birds on the way.

a dream come true

A word of advice for anyone thinking about doing this hike, leave as early in the morning as possible. You’ll have magical morning light to start your hike with, you’ll be less likely to get caught in the rain (it often comes down pouring the afternoon) and you’ll avoid the crowds. Just check when the first jeeps leave and make sure you catch one. It’s a half day hike so don’t forget to bring water and some snacks!

Did you know about the Cocora Valley? Would you put it on your bucket list?

The post “Hiking the Cocora Valley, Colombia” first appeared on Travel Cake.

August 28, 2015
Backpacking Uganda in Photo’s

As I previously mentioned in my post on backpacking in Africa, travelling in that part of the world can add up to be quite pricey. But with a little imagination and a sense of adventure you can travel/backpack in Africa on a relatively low budget. Of course, it will never be as low as India, Nepal or South East Asia but still cheap enough that anyone could afford it.

One of the African destinations that lends itself perfectly for an interesting, budget friendly Africa vacation is Uganda. I’ve visited the country twice, both times as a backpacker using public transportation.

This is what our budget backpack trip in Uganda looked like:

COUCHSURFING IN KAMPALA

I’ve quite often used Couch Surfing in my “travelling career”; both as the guest and as the host. When I Couch Surf, I usually do so in big cities as they can be quite overwhelming when you first arrive and I prefer experiencing sprawling urban area’s through the eyes of a local or expat instead of following a guide book.

As it usually goes with CS, you don’t always know where you will end up. We were in luck in Kampala and stayed with an awesome expat in one of the city’s fanciest areas, Kololo. Our host took us to his favourite spots in town where we chatted and laughed over some cool beers and fresh tilapia.

spending the night in a stylish loft with a view over Kampala

weekend at one of Kampala’s lake side beaches with beers and new friends

On the second trip, I stayed in a quaint hostel (ICU guesthouse, dorm 15$) on the edge of town where many semi-long term volunteers reside. Alternatively you could stay at Red Chili Hideway, it’s also outside of town but with a swimming pool and a free daily shuttle to the city centre. Red Chili offers a good deal on trips to Murchison Falls as well.

EATING ROLEX AND OTHER STREET FOOD

When on a budget, street food is the way to go. In Uganda, you’ll find grilled kebabs and barbecued bananas/corn -to name a few- sizzling on every street corner. The most popular (and in my opinion most tasty) street side snack are rolex (comes from ‘roll eggs’): a tomato-onion-paprika omelette rolled onto a freshly baked chapati. One would really have to have two left hands to mess this snack up! We’d eat rolex from the street almost every day for lunch and it never disappointed.

getting rolex by the lake, a shocking sight for Ugandans as rolex is considered a snack for the poor. Some find it hard to understand why a “rich” tourist would choose to eat rolex.

the smell of the grilling meat is often much better than the quality of the pieces on your stick, unless you like bouncy, chewy meat …

I know these deep fried grasshoppers don’t look particularly appealing, but they’re delicious! Like a cross between salted nuts and potato crisps. Anyways, they’re much cheaper than the ones you get in trendy restaurants in the West nowadays!

SAFARI’S AND HIKES IN QUEEN ELISABETH NATIONAL PARK

Just having just crossed the border form DRC (that’s a story for another post) we were in desperate need for some luxury and internet. So we threw our budget out of the window (for a day) and checked into a higher end lodge. Considering most lodges in and around the African national parks often have rates starting at €250 per night, this lodge – Kingfisher Lodge Kichwamba- was a bargain at €160 a night, breakfast and dinner included for both of us!

Disclaimer: these were the rates in 2011, converted with an interesting currency exchange from US Dollar to Euro. Today’s rates in Kingfisher Kichwamba start at 205$ for a double room, half board.

R&R in paradise after roughing it in DRC.

It was exactly what we needed: relaxing by the pool, a western meal á la carte, getting some work done, a much needed wifi fix and a view to die for.

infinity pool with endless views over Queen Elisabeth National Park

spotted some elephants from our room’s porch

not a bad way to get some work done!

After soaking in as much as possible from our splurge, we returned to our backpacker’s reality the next day. We hitchhiked to Simba Safari Camp where we stayed in a dorm, talk about contrasts! It’s a great budget place to stay, they also offer private rooms.

hitchhiking on the equator

From there we arranged a boat safari on the Kazinga Channel, bringing along a cold beer to enjoy with the scenery. You don’t need to book a package tour, you can easily arrange transport to the departure point and buy a ticket for the boat trip once you are there. Though I can’t recall the exact price, I can tell you it was definitely less than 30$ per person.

crusing down the channel, spotting wild life and having a cold one… What a chilled out way to spend an afternoon!

Instead of booking a multi-day safari package, we hired a car with driver to take us on a game drive in the national park. Though Queen Elisabeth NP may be far from the most impressive safari I’ve been on, it very well is the cheapest. Perfect for animal lovers on a budget!

crown birds at dawn

crater lake

getting close to some lazy lions

There’s plenty to do in QE National Park like chimp tracking or looking for tree climbing lions but we opted for a more economical activity: hiking in ‘Maramagambo Forest’. Since we already had a car and driver for the day, the only cost left was that of the entrance fee to the forest and a tip for the guide taking you along the trails, pointing out various species of primates, birds and medicinal plants.

Our main reason to hit the forest, was to see the massive python living in a bat cave. Apparently, it doesn’t hunt, it just opens its mouth and waits for one of the thousands of bats to fly in. This is all the python does, all day long. Therefore it has gotten so fat, it can hardly move. We were keen on seeing the spectacle. Unfortunately we missed the freak show as the python had already returned deep inside the cave after its daily suntanning moment, when it drags itself out of the cave.

a beautiful walk through the forest in search of the fat lazy python

now that’s what I call a bat cave!

TOTAL RELAXATION BY LAKE BUNYONYI

Next we headed to Lake Bunyonyi, if you’ve been following this blog for a while, you might have read my post on Lake Bunyonyi, my favourite spot in Africa so far.

Lake Bunyonyi

Both times we stayed in a magical place called Byoona Amagara, definitely the best value lodge I’ve stayed in. For just 15$ per person per night, we had a small geodome with private bathroom and a stunning view over the Ugandan lake. They also provide dorms (7$) if you’re really tight on cash but the beauty of staying here is undoubtedly the geodome experience. There are plenty of other places to stay on Lake Bunyonyi, I haven’t tried any of them as I’m totally hooked on Byoona Amagara…

(clockwise) typical Bunyonyi flowery tree, stretching with my sister on our geodome’s sun deck, boating on the lake, view from the bed in the large geodome

the small geodome, no doors. Just a mosquito net between nature and yourself.

eco-shower with a view

The entire trip in Uganda took us about 10 days, travelling quite slowly, spending enough time at each destination. You could backpack the same trip in fewer days but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. If you have more time, why not add a stop in Jinja and/or a jaunt to Murchison falls to see more animals and a stunning waterfall.

Have you been to Uganda? Would you consider going?

The post “Backpacking Uganda in Photo’s” first appeared on Travel Cake.

April 23, 2015