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<rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content"><channel><title>EveryTrail Feed</title><description/><link>http://www.everytrail.com</link><language>en-us</language><lastBuildDate>Thu, 23 May 2013 15:44:22 -0200</lastBuildDate><pubDate>Thu, 23 May 2013 15:44:22 -0200</pubDate><image><url>http://www.everytrail.com/images/everytrail-logo.png</url><title>EveryTrail</title><link>http://www.everytrail.com</link><description>GPS travel community, geotagging, geotagged photos, Google Maps, GPS tracks, waypoints, coordinates</description><width>144</width><height>41</height></image><item><title><![CDATA[Machu Picchu and Wayna Picchu]]></title><description><![CDATA[This is the must see attraction of South America. The view is simply breathtaking, and the vastness and grandeur of the ruins is something you have to see to understand. From a trip I took through Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile early 2010, this is the one thing that I would have not missed anything for. The dawn is a must for anyone who wants to see the transition of the ruins through the day and the beauty of rolling clouds caressing the scenic landscape. The sun breaks over distant mountains, all as majestic as the next and the clouds and mist give way to the breathtaking postcard shot of Wayna Picchu behind the mountain fortress of Machu Picchu. You can choose to wander the ruins or summit Wayna Picchu in the morning, while the temperatures are still low, the latter of the two, Chris and I chose to do. The hike is streneous, and the path is dangerous, but keep your footing all the way t the top and if you haven't already lost it, the view will take your breath away. Stay up at the top for as long as you want and absorb the beautiful scenery. The view from the top down onto the ruins is almost more spectacular than the one looking up at Wayna Picchu, but nevertheless, both are captivating and amazing. I recommend trying to go as far east on the summit of Wayna Picchu, because of the rocky formations, there are less people on that side. We took as many photos as our hearts desired, and then headed down to the temple of the moon, which in my honest opinion, could be skipped. The hike down looses more elevation because the temple is actually lower than the ruins and it tired me out so much that I started feeling incredibly exhausted for the rest of the day. You can easily wander the ruins for a couple days, but we only had the one day, so we explored and explored, dead ends and mazes everywhere with scenic backdrops in every direction. If you have the chance, take two days for this amazing wonder. <br><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1285/4686428333_f7fbc7f694_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4048/4686428587_e9499fb443_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4003/4677066973_5bc497b27a_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4044/4687062828_327281c534_m.jpg"/> ]]></description><guid>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=769351</guid><link>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=769351</link><pubDate>Sat, 21 Aug 2010 17:27:02 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Lake Titicaca Tour]]></title><description><![CDATA[The town of Puno is on the shores of world famous Lake Titicaca and from there, you can arrange tours to the islands. Chris, Tommy and I took one that visited the Uros Floating Islands as well as Taquile Island.We woke up quite early, and unfortunately, I was having trouble with loose motion the night before and wasn't able to eat any breakfast. The lake is very calm and the boats are very small and slow, possibly limited by the government to around 9 mph.The Uros islands are a true tourist trap, but interesting nevertheless. The islands are constructed from the reeds that grow around the area, and at a certain time in the year, the reeds can be separated from the bottom of the lake. The root systems come with the reeds and once on top, float. They then lay reeds on top of the root systems, and tie sections together to form entire islands, as big as 20x40m. Usually 10-16 people live on these islands, self governed and self sustained, albeit supported nowadays heavily by the tour companies. We took a raft to a second floating island and wandered for a bit, and then got back in our lethargic boat. The next stop, 3 hours later, was on Taquile Island where several odd customs live on from hundreds of years ago. The men have a very strict dress code and must make their own hat before they can marry a woman. The woman then presents the man with a sash, which is like a wedding ring, and must be worn at all times. The bags around the men's waists are also hand made and contain coca leaves for trading with other men and chewing. Other than these odd customs, the island is breathtakingly situated in what seems like an ocean, with the only hints that it isn't being the mountains surrounding La Paz (in Bolivia) hundreds of miles off on the horizon. The water is an amazing calm blue, and the island is a little peaceful departure from the hustle bustle of city life. I also had one of the best meals I've had in South America on this island: an amazingly fresh dish of Steamed Trout. <br><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/4692283506_0cdd945728_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4014/4691653701_0272a7d336_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4692284978_0eb3a256f1_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4691654455_725b4fab9c_m.jpg"/> ]]></description><guid>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=665030</guid><link>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=665030</link><pubDate>Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:59:08 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Colca Canyon Two Day Trek]]></title><description><![CDATA[Tommy and I decided to do a two day trek through the Colca Canyon in Peru. The easiest way to get there and to explore the canyon is a guided tour through one of the numerous tour companies based in Arequipa. The canyon is supposedly twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, however it does not appear as dramatic due to the shape of the walls resembling a valley, as opposed to the shear cliffs at the Grand Canyon.The tour started in Arequipa getting into a 10 person van at 4 am on the first day, long before any light was getting close to the valley. The ride was a fairly long one, since the canyon is over 100 km away from the city. I fell asleep for part of the trip, and since they were to provide breakfast, we had not eaten anything yet. When we reached Chivay, we paid for our park entry tickets and had a little food - a banana, chocolate milk, and a couple cookies. The dawn was approaching and the light began touching down on the mountains surrounding the city.We continued to the Cabanaconde overlook named Mirador Cruz del Condor where you get the first view of the canyon as well a glimpse down into the world of the Andean Condors soaring around the canyon on thermal updrafts. Soon after this spot, we started the trek at the top of the canyon and in the morning sun. The heat was not too bad at the start of the trip, but as we continued on, the midday sun started heating the dusty trail up. Our tour guide, Veronica, was very nice but unfortunately, Tommy and I were not looking to diddle-daddle, and we took off, very far ahead of the other tourists in our group. Veronica stayed with the stragglers and we made it down to the base of the canyon before noon. Since there was shade at the base of the canyon near the river, we waited and relaxed. A watchman at the bridge takes down information of all the tourists passing over the bridge, and Tommy and I filled in our info in the third and fourth spot of the day. As we waited, we were passed by more than 10 people, and finally our group arrived.We continued around the opposite wall, hiking through the almost desert like surroundings to a small village where we ate lunch. Later in the day we crossed a valley that connected with Colca Canyon, passed through another village and their farmlands, and then down the wall of the other side of the canyon to the river again where we stayed the night at the Oasis. The oasis is a tourist area filled with resorts that has a spring supplying the area with nutrients and water. The stay here was nice, and I wish we had more time, but unfortunately we arrived after sunset, and the light faded quickly. The next morning we awoke at 5 am and started up the crazy switchbacks we had seen the day before. Since we were able to leave before sunrise, the sun only hit us late in the day and we stayed moderately cool curing the accent.  We had breakfast at a little shop in the town of Cabanaconde and then caught the van back to Arequipa. On the way, they stopped at another overlook revealing massive terracing work in the canyon floor, and then later stopped at the Mirador de los Andes Volcanoes, a pass at over 4900 meters where several of the volcanoes in the area can be seen, including Cerro Misti. <br><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/4694521223_dcebaf41dc_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4694521313_9ec3f64fc1_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4695155974_946a47bdc8_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4695156382_b2d530be7d_m.jpg"/> ]]></description><guid>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=663692</guid><link>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=663692</link><pubDate>Sun, 13 Jun 2010 20:47:38 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Pisac Ruins]]></title><description><![CDATA[After a nice little almuerzo near the bus stop, we took a taxi to the entrance of the Pisac ruins area. The hike down was quite steep in places, and mostly stairs. This was our (Chris, Tommy, and myself) first stop along the Sacred Valley on our way to Machu Picchu, and what a place to start! The ruins were spectacular, and the hike was a beautiful journey amongst the towering mountains of the Sacred Valley. <br><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4683461625_f5928f9857_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4684091294_77e6776eef_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/4684094446_867e5a04b1_m.jpg"/> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4067/4684100804_d237c1c420_m.jpg"/> ]]></description><guid>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=657968</guid><link>http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=657968</link><pubDate>Wed, 9 Jun 2010 18:39:20 -0500</pubDate></item></channel></rss>
	