Flora The Explorer - Page 20 of 28 -

Snorkelling with Sharks at San Cristóbal Island in the Galapagos

Posted on July 5, 2013

“Tiburones! Tiburones abajo!” My heart sank. Only an hour before, I’d learnt that this was the Spanish word for sharks. Plural. And now I was about to swim over a whole school of them. “Los tiburones están aquí!!” I got the distinct impression our snorkelling guide was about to have a heart attack if I didn’t get my masked face into the water that very instant. Despite my imagination playing out a Jaws-esque scenario that could very easily happen, I…

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Volunteering with Children Abroad: the Issues You Should Know

Posted on June 28, 2013

When looking for volunteering projects in foreign countries, one of the first things to catch people’s eye is working with children. There are so many orphaned and impoverished children around the world in need of love, care and affection, and those of us who want to help know that we have the ability to deliver without much prior preparation. So whether it’s teaching English, helping out in an orphanage or working in a daycare centre, the general thought process is…

Challenges Ecuador Galapagos Islands South America

Six Days for $900: How to Visit the Galapagos on a Budget

Posted on June 21, 2013

“Can we really stay in the Galapagos on a budget?” Sherri’s voice carried quickly in the early morning air. A mother walking her son to school looked back over her shoulder at us; along the road, cars filled with diving gear and men in board shorts passed by. We were waiting for our tour guide to arrive: for a man we’d never met who was about to take us to San Cristobal island for a day of snorkelling. Except we happened to…

Challenges Peru South America

The Salcantay Trek: Why I Closed my Eyes at Machu Picchu

Posted on June 14, 2013

This is the final installment of a three part series about my trek to Machu Picchu. Read the first and second installments here! The Incas were blessed with ridiculously small feet. I know this for absolute certain because, while mine are a modest UK size 5.5, I still spent the majority of my time at Machu Picchu certain that these two clumsy things on the end of my ankles were about to be responsible for tripping me over into oblivion.The…

Challenges Peru South America

The Salcantay Trek: What to Do When a Crazed Horse Breaks Your Collarbone

Posted on June 7, 2013

This is the second installment of a three-part series about my trek to Machu Picchu. Read the first installment and the third installment here! The second day of the Salcantay trek was beautiful. We’d had a rather dramatic start to the morning with my bout of altitude sickness at the Salcantay Pass, but eventually we arrived at our lunch spot under crisp blue skies and snowy peaks and took a well-deserved rest. Our planned route for the afternoon was simple…

Challenges Peru South America

The Salcantay Trek: Riding a Horse with Altitude Sickness

Posted on May 29, 2013

This is the first installment of a three-part series about my trek to Machu Picchu. Read the second installment and the third installment here! “Obviously I’m not happy you’re sick, but I’m really glad you’re riding on the horses too. I don’t feel comfortable around them and I think they can sense it…” Me and Fi stood under the shadow of Salcantay mountain in the predawn light, methodically covering every inch of our chilled skin with fleeces, scarves, hoods and…

Challenges Peru South America

Crossing the Ecuador Peru Border on Foot: the Longest 100km of My Life (Updated 2019)

Posted on May 23, 2013

I never thought crossing the Ecuador Peru border at night would be so problematic. In South America, every traveller has heard about the danger of overnight border crossings – but you never quite believe it’s going to happen to you. As budget backpackers, my friends and I were crossing the Ecuador Peru border while trying to get from Cuenca (Ecuador) to Lima (Peru) in the cheapest way possible. That meant a lot of bus travel, the prospect of hours spent…

Ecuador Personal South America

Colour, Chaos and Crazy Graffiti: Travelling the Age Gap

Posted on May 18, 2013

“Do you feel older than us?” asked Mhairi, as we sat in a cosy cafe on a Wednesday afternoon, discussing our travelling plans for the months ahead. I didn’t know how to answer for a minute. It’s a pretty loaded question to be honest, particularly when you’ve chosen to spend six months of your life with people significantly younger than you. The volunteer company I’m working with out here with has a recommended age limit of 25; a limit which,…

Ecuador South America Volunteering

A Fiesta of Fireworks at School Founder’s Day

Posted on May 4, 2013

It’s been two months since I started working at Collegio Miguel Merchan as a voluntary English teacher. In that timeframe, there a few things I’ve become certain of. Firstly, teaching is not as easy as I thought. Secondly, there are elements of the Ecuadorian school system that I can never hope to understand. And finally? I think it’s safe to say that the majority of people who spend their weekday mornings with me at Miguel Merchan are ever so slightly…

Challenges Ecuador Peru South America Travel Plans

Cuenca to Cusco and Back Again: the Pitfalls of Planning a Trip to Peru

Posted on April 26, 2013

I stood in the small office, studiously trying to avoid the unflinching gaze of a prostrate Jesus. Under his crucified frame, a nun was peering at a computer screen, clicking idly through her Facebook page. “So…is it ok if I go to Peru next week?” I shifted uncomfortably as the nun looked me up and down, an unsatisfied expression on her face. For a woman with supposedly unlimited compassion for all creatures, she wasn’t exactly willing to show me any.…

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