Ken Bruner's South America Travel Blog

Galapagos Island & Inca Trail Slideshow

2006-08-22T10:42:00.001-05:00

View a slide show of our trip. It's 16 minutes. You might need broadband internet to view.

The Story of Lonely George at the Charles Darwin Research Station

2006-02-21T20:26:00.001-06:00

This is our guide Gabriel in the Galapagos Islands. He was always imparting his great knowledge of these islands with his much appreciated humor. Here he is telling the story of Lonely George the Tortoise and the Charles Darwin Research Station's effort to find him a mate and continue the bloodline of his species.

Memorable night at Rincon La Ronda Restaurant

2006-02-21T20:00:00.001-06:00

This was our last night in Quito, Ecuador after our Galapagos Island Cruise. We got caught in the rain on a wild goose chase looking for a restaurant we couldn't find. 6 of us squeezed into a cab and stumbled into this great restaurant. The dancing was exciting and there was more excitement that only our fellow travellers know about. What happens in Quito, stays in Quito!

Dance Video #1 (my favorite)

Dance Video #2

Dance Video #3

Sea Lion Sound Bytes from the Galapagos

2006-02-21T19:25:00.001-06:00

Sea lions everywhere!!! You can not get away from sea lions anywhere you go in the Galapagos Islands. They are so cute, but the Beach Masters can be intimidating and people have been know to get their noses bit off when tourists get too close. Gabriel told us when we are on a beach with sea lions that the Beach Masters always get the right-of-way. We saw this in action when they were chasing other bulls out of their closely guarded harems.

Sound byte number one.

Sound byte number two

Dead Woman's Pass and Ken is nowhere to be seen!!

2006-02-19T21:40:00.000-06:00

"Where in the heck is Ken???" Well, I wasn't there. so this is not my picture. This is Lisa Corti's great photo at Dead Woman's pass of my fellow trek mates with their snack from Margaret. Apparently Chupa Chup Suckers. I didn't get one because I got the "Hell out of Dodge" to quote Karen. I had to publish this pic for Karen. I didn't get the picture of our high altitude pass on the trek. She was so thrilled to make it to the pass. I was so cold, so out of breath and SOOOOO over the romance of the trek that I asked Emma if she saw anyone go down and which way did they go in the fog from the cloud we were in. No photo opportunity for Ken. "not interested, unconcerned, don't care" I was the last one into Dead Woman's Pass and first one out.....See the entry below to see the happy look on my face to be DOWN.........

Albatross Drop Off Point.....Take Flight>>>>>>>>>>>

2006-02-18T20:59:00.000-06:00

These are the cliffs that the Waved Albatross take flight from. Our Scottish travel mates said this scenery reminded them of Scotland

Albatross, Walking, Walking, walking....

2006-02-18T14:14:00.002-06:00

This is a Waved Albatross in The Galapagos Islands walking around. We were visiting an Albatross "landing strip". They would fly around and around waiting for the perfect spot to land. They had to be careful not to break a wing on landing because of the volcanic rocks. When they took flight they could not run on these rocks, therefore they just waddled over to the edge of the cliff and dropped off the side. Gabriel said that sometimes these birds would fly away and stay out on the ocean 5 years before returning.

Relaxing in Camp on the Inca Trail

2006-02-18T11:52:00.000-06:00

This photograph was taken by fellow traveller Mark Corti on our last evening on the Inca Trail. This camp was Karen's favorite as it was perched right on the side of the mountain. Our tents barely had room enough on for us to walk in front of. The mountains went up straight behind. We had to walk out of this camp in pitch black darkness at 3:40am to walk to Machu Picchu for dawn. We never saw dawn because of the driving rain. Please visit Mark Corti's fantastic photography at the link on my sidebar for more of his beautiful pictures from our trip.

Galapagos Island Yacht "Pelikano"

2005-11-14T21:48:00.000-06:00

This is our home away from home in the Galapagos Islands, the Pelikano. We are visiting our first landing in the Galapagos Islands, Wolf Island. Something for all your senses. Sand in your toes, rainbows on the breaking waves, seal lion poo (almost overwhelming aroma), barking sea lions, crashing waves. I think to myself "wait, I smell food" "is it sea lion shit?" I am too embarrassed to tell my yacht mates something smells good. I keep those thoughts to myself. We get back on board and find that the crew had popped up a giant batch of popcorn for our afternoon snack. Boy was I glad that it was the aroma floating over to us on the island and not sea lion poo making my mouth water.

Giant Tortoises & Pickup Trucks

2005-11-14T21:31:00.000-06:00

Karen hunkers down with tortoises at the Charles Darwin Research Station. The tortoises were amazing ....however, all my yacht mates LOVED it when we got to the harbor and piled into the back of pickup trucks to zoom us up to the research station to see the famous giant tortoises.

On the way down

2005-11-14T21:09:00.000-06:00

I am almost smiling on the way down from Dead Woman's Pass on the Inca Trail. Little did I know that the downhill can be harder on the body than going uphill. The scenery was so beautiful, but you had to watch your footing on every step. It was an awesome feeling to know that if you did not walk for days on the Inca Trail that you could not enjoy this scenery.

Galapagos Island Wet Landing

2005-11-14T20:53:00.000-06:00

This is a typical wet landing in the Galapagos Islands. This sea lion came rushing up to greet me when I stepped out of the zodiac. Everyone was was shocked at how unaffected and fearless the animals were of humans. It was almost beyond our will to not reach down and just pick up and hug the all of the animals.

Inca Trail Finish Line

2005-11-14T20:35:00.000-06:00

This is the prize at the end of the Inca Trail. I have never seen Karen so relaxed and really, really happy (note the bare feet and shit-eating grin). This was her dream trip. We woke up this day at 3:40am to hike to Machu Picchu for sunrise. There was no sunrise. In fact we had to walk in driving rain. We had never been wetter. I have never been rained on harder. We entered the Machu Picchu Sanctuary and were greeted by wet smelly Llamas that some of us were forced to hug by trek mates. Karen and Claire were the lucky llama huggers.

Oh My God!! We are walking where??

2005-11-14T20:18:00.000-06:00

Early morning in our first camp on the Inca Trail, Margaret points out Dead Woman's Pass to Karen. We all looked up into the mountains and a got a deep sinking feeling when she pointed out the pass and told us we were walking there. "What the hell have we gotten ourselves into"

Our amazing porters on the Inca Trail

2005-11-13T01:05:00.000-06:00

These are our amazing 14 porters who carried all our stuff, cooked us wonderful meals and snacks, kept us dry and warm. Hats off to the Sunrise Expeditions porter team.

Camp Sweet Camp

2005-11-13T00:48:00.000-06:00

This is our first nights camp on the Inca Trail. So beautiful and peaceful. It thunderstormed that night so hard that I woke Karen up and told her if she heard screams or the earth shaking to get out of the tent and run. The babbling brook overflowed and ran right through where our tents were pitched. The porters were up in the middle of the night hammering our tent pegs back into the ground. Everyone woke up WET. Mudslides at Machu Picchu stranded tourists there a week later.

Calf Cramping Inca Trail Stairs

2005-11-13T00:24:00.000-06:00

Karen and I are smiling when we actually feel like crying. This is the day after we reached Dead Woman's Pass. It is mostly downhill, but going down 2000 calf cramping Inca Trail steps can be much harder than going up.

Callejones de Cusco

2005-11-13T00:07:00.000-06:00

Cusco, Peru alleyways. This is absolutely one of the prettiest colonial cities in all of the Americas. Our hotel the Libertador was so beautiful and just happened to be the previous residence of the Conquistador that governed Peru, Francisco Pizarro. Pure magic. The walls, the floors, Inca masonry. The show cases in the lobby had Incan artifacts dug right up out of the foundation when they renovated to create the hotel.

Colonial Slendor, Quito, Ecuador

2005-11-12T23:57:00.000-06:00

One of the magical street scenes in the historic downtown colonial district of Quito, Ecuador

Above the Clouds

2005-11-12T23:31:00.000-06:00

These are two of our porters headed up to Dead Woman's Pass on the Inca Trail in Peru. Breathtaking views (literally). This picture is courtesy of fellow trek mate Mark Corti.

Alpacas and embarrassing photo stops

2005-11-12T22:02:00.000-06:00

Karen squats a little standing next to such small cute animals and people in the Sacred Valley of Peru

Lazy Galapagos Island Days

2005-11-12T21:54:00.000-06:00

Karen and Ken relax with the sea lions on a white sand beach in the Galapagos Islands

Iggy Pile in the Galapagos Islands

2005-11-12T21:19:00.000-06:00

This is a giant pile of Iguanas in the Galapagos Islands. Reptiles are cold blooded and pile up together for warmth when the sun goes down. They are just waking up in the early a.m.

Galapagos Island Gang at Post Office Bay

2005-11-12T21:15:00.000-06:00

This is the gang from our cruise to the Galapagos Islands. We are at Post Office Bay dropping of and picking up post cards to be hand delivered. Karen took home a post card to deliver to one of our neighbors on Lasalle St. in Chicago

Fellow Trek Mates on the Inca Trail

2005-11-12T21:06:00.000-06:00

Day 3 of our trek on the Inca Trail having breakfast in our camp with a beautiful view of the mountains. Trek mate Lisa Corti took this photo. Pictured Left to right: Me, Clare(RAF), Karen, Margaret(our guide), Emma, Mark, Clare(the vet.)

Galapagos Islands blue footed boobies

2005-11-12T20:54:00.000-06:00

This is a picture taken by fellow traveller Mark Corti of the cutest damn birds I have ever seen

Karen on the Trek to Machu Picchu

2005-11-12T20:49:00.000-06:00

This is my friend Karen Vorn Kahl looking like a real pro on the Inca Trail with her authentic walking stick. This was the Winay Wayna Ruins near our third camp on the trail

Mountain view on the Inca Trail

2005-11-12T20:36:00.000-06:00

This is a beautiful view of the mountains on our 3rd day of the trek to Machu Picchu

The view from Machu Picchu

2005-11-12T19:38:00.000-06:00

This is the view from Machu Picchu . Nice ending to 4 days on the Inca Trail. My friend Lydia Mangiardi suggested I enter this photo in a contest.