The magic of Taquile, where time seems suspended
Awesome Little Girl in Taquile, Photo by Simon
When I stepped on Taquile Island, I felt as if time had stopped. No, it was even more than that. It was as if time was suspended and this contributed to the magic of the island.
The walk leading to the town is beautiful and my eyes wandered along the deep blue of Titicaca Lake, the awesome island scenery, the children in their colored costumes strolling with their sheep and the colorful laundry leaned on the houses roofs or the grass.
Taquile Terraces, Photo by Simon
Everywhere, men knitting hats with beautiful and complicated patterns and lots of colors, a way to distinguish single from married men. Taquileños are well-known for their fine hand-woven textiles, among the most awesome handicrafts in Peru. There a lots of wonderful textiles to buy and it’s additionally a good way to support the community. As it happens in many other places in Peru, Taquileños wear their traditional costumes. A mix of peasant clothing, adopted from the Spanish, and Andean-style garments: colorful ponchos, belts, mantles and other accessories.
I still remember the magic of this little island and have one regret. I should have stayed longer, a couple of nights, sleeping in the local guest houses to discover more of this incredible people, some of which maybe never left the island.
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New name, new layout, same passion…
eXplorer has moved and is now named ‘Wild About Travel‘. I hope you’ll continue to follow me @ www.wild-about-travel.com
A Brand New Blog: ‘Wild About Travel’
I’ve been thinking for a long time at improving my blog, but didn’t really know how I should have done it. Blogging started as a temporary hobby while I was unemployed but I soon got passionate. After a while, I just realized that I did everything wrong from the very beginning and was a great example of “what not to do when starting a blog”. 🙂
It took me long hours and hard work, but in the end… I did it! New name, new design and the same passion.
I would like to thank the GlobalBloggersNetwork, because without the amazing webinars and insights from expert bloggers – not to say the fantastic support of Janice and Keith – I wouldn’t have made it! And I’m also sending a big hug to Lynne and Ciki for their advice and enthusiasm!
I hope you’ll enjoy ‘Wild About Travel‘ and continue to follow me 🙂
People and costumes of Peru: A Photo Essay
Peru, Young Musicians. Photo by Simon
Peru is an amazing country for culture, variety, colors, handicrafts and people. I was so fascinated by their traditional costumes, an important part of Peruvian culture as they mark the differences between regional areas and how influences melted over time.
Peru, Women in Costume at Market. Photo by Simon
The market is one of the most interesting place for observing people. Here my eyes were caught by the lovely big hats and the awesome decorations on the sleeves.
Peru, Dancers. Photo by Simon
In the Colca Valley, I stepped in this group of dancers wearing amazing traditional costumes with wonderful colorful embroideries.
Peru, Portrait of dancer. Photo by Simon
Despite being a poor country, Peru distinguishes itself for its fine handicrafts, first of all textiles.
Peru, Lovely Little Dancer. Photo by Simon
A lovely little dancer waiving at me…
Landmarks: are they really a must-see?
India, Taj Mahal at sunset. Photo by National Geographic
The question might sound provocative, I know. But over the years I’ve been increasingly asking myself what is really worth to be visited and what not. I guess the question mark started arising because year after year I began to realize how many amazing places and monuments I still haven’t seen. And since life won’t be long enough, I know that I have to choose.
I live in Italy, probably the country that has the highest amount of landmarks. I’m amazed by seeing so many places greatly harmed and having lost a great part of their nature and characteristics. I think at Venice, full of made in China or Taiwan horrible souvenirs, at the countryside around Siena that long ago became known as the ‘Chiantishire’, at Rome and the ridiculous people dressed as Roman gladiators to please tourists willing to go back home with an ‘original’ photo.
Rome, Coliseum. Photo by Simon
Obviously this happens almost everywhere. When I visited Mexico I remember the planning to avoid the buses letting off hundreds of tourists shouting and waving. The only way to find a little peace to enjoy the archaeological sites as Tehotihuacan or Palenque was getting up before dawn or arriving at noon, when the sun (and the heat) is at its peak!I’m not quite sure landmarks are a priority any more. I’ve never visited the Taj Mahal in India, the Great Wall in China, Abu Simbel temples in Egypt and lots of other historical places considered a ‘must’ by most people.
Iceland, Westmann Islands. Photo http://www.icelandictravelmarket.is/
Maybe I’m just becoming old, but I tend to avoid historical landmarks more and more. I’m increasingly attracted by the nature and its wonders. I feel far more attracted by the volcanoes in Iceland, the wilderness in Canada, the amazing landscapes in Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. Coming back to Italy and its countless landmarks and wonders… True, Dolomites have been recently declared a natural heritage of the UNESCO. But if you like to walk just a little, you can admire and enjoy the mountains in all their beauty, in silence and solitude.
I’d love to know your view!
5 tips to fully enjoy skiing in La Thuile
La Thuile Panorama - Photo by http://www.lathuile.net
La Thuile is one of my favorite places for skiing in the Italian alps for a lot of reasons, but first because thanks to its peculiar position snow is great even in spring.
However, like any place La Thuile has lots of pros and a few cons. So here are a few tips to fully enjoy skiing in this awesome resort.
- Best snow: usually powder snow – even in March/April – can be found at Belvedere, San Bernardino and Fourclaz
- Great slopes for expert skiers: La Thuile is one of the few ski resort I visited so far offering a good number of ‘black‘ slopes for expert skiers. My favorites are: N. 3 Franco Berthod, N. 2 Diretta and N. 25 Belvedere, where I usually have great fun!
- Facing weather conditions: La Thuile is often cold (that’s the price to pay for good snow conditions :-)) and can occasionally be very windy. Thus, no matter the sun and the temperature in the valley, my advice is ‘always keep what you need to feel warm’. If you’re not planning suicide, better always taking with you hat, scarf and good gloves! Chair lift over a windy day could simply kill you!
- Good food and pleasant rest: Skiing is not only about suffering, isn’t it? For a great lunch and a little rest on a lovely deck chair, my favorites are: Restaurant Lo Riondet along slope N. 7, where you can find great food and an intimate ambiance and Lo Chalet de Cantamont offering awesome traditional dishes such as ‘Polenta with deer’…
- Enjoying the day even if part of the resort is closed due to strong wind: it’s not frequent, but it may happen. In most cases, the chair lifts that are more likely to be affected are the ones at a higher altitude, first of all the lifts ‘Belvedere’, ‘San Bernardino’ and ‘Fourclaz’. However, you can still enjoy the slopes at a lower altitudes, some of which are absolutely awesome. Otherwise, you can get enticed by good food and relax. In this case, don’t miss the Restaurant Copapan. Intimate, lovely food and a wonderful way to enjoy the day even if not skiing!
Polenta pot
The Top 5 Adventure Travels on my wish list
I wrote a lot about the places I visited over the years, trying to share wonderful memories. However, I’m not only thinking to the past journeys and I spend a lot of time traveling with my imagination, looking at the world map and wondering “where should I go next?”.
World is too big and life too short, so I tried to figure out the most desirable destinations to fix on my wish list. Check out the 5 top adventure trips I dream of, and what attracts me!
Allée des baobabs - Photo by Visoterra.com
Madagascar: amazing landscapes and incredibly various, wonderful and mostly untouched nature, culture and traditions. But a few things really struck my imagination: the tsingys, baobabs, lemurs and the Mitsio archipelago. Despite appalling, out of control deforestation, I believe Madagascar still managed to preserve a great lot of its beauty: as far as I know, tourist flow is still limited, thus also the potential negative impact on environment and secular traditions.
Pakistan - Moonlight over the mountains
Pakistan: I started to think at Pakistan thanks to Mirza Ali, a lovely friend I got in touch with through Facebook. Mirza has a great experience and an incredible knowledge of his country. Some time ago he launched Ket and started organizing amazing trips, often related to local Festivals. A great way to discover both gorgeous landscapes and local culture. And I dream to admire Hindukush and Karakorum some day…
Painted Ethiopians Boys. Photo by National Geographic
Ethiopia: Africa is overall fascinating, and I fear that Ethiopia is one of those countries that a traveler should visit very soon, before it loses its cultural roots and traditions. I dream of visiting the Omo valley, discovering the rituals of the local tribes, admiring the wonderful decorations created to celebrate traditional ceremonies. It’s a piece of world that risks to be rapidly destroyed and I hope that I’ll be able to admire it while it’s still alive.
Bolivia, Piles of Salt Salar de Uyuni. Photo by Luca Galuzzi
Bolivia/Chile: I’ve already visited a few South American countries – Peru, Venezuela, Brazil – and every time I felt fascinated. Latin America is so rich in culture, traditions, amazing landscapes, wilderness, handicrafts, wonderful people. I’d like to see the endless space on the Salar de Uyuni, hike in terrific Torres del Paine park, cross the Atacama desert, enjoy the local markets and go back to the awesome Titicaca Lake.
Djenné Mosque. Photo by Luca Belis
Mali: Another place haunting my imagination. The amazing mudbrick architecture in Djenné, Dogon‘s culture, art and traditions, slow navigation along the Niger river. And colors, music, people, ethnic groups trying to preserve their traditions and beliefs. I feel as Mali is one of the wonders of our planet that might soon disappear and I don’t want to miss such an amazing heritage.
Ehm…
I realize right now there’s a common denominator in my wish list: fear and dread. I feel like I’m having little time. Not only because life is short, but because the world is changing rapidly, too rapidly. Lots of wonders are at risk of disappearing soon and my greatest wish is trying not to miss them.
Dream Beaches: Fernando de Noronha
Fernando de Noronha - Baìa do Sancho, Photo by Simon
Baìa do Sancho is one of the most beautiful beaches of Fernando de Noronha, the amazing island over 500 km away from the Brazilian coast.
The view from the top of the cliff is awesome, especially at sunset. The beach can be reached by boat or from the top of the cliff by ladders fixed in a rock split. This latter is definitely the best way to enjoy Baìa do Sancho and to savor the amazing colors at dusk or at sunset.
If you’re ready for a bit of ‘adventure’ you can have a walk through the stones and discover Prahia dos Porcos, one of the most amazing beaches in Brazil and probably in the world, where the color of the water ranges from blue to turquoise and green. A real dream beach…
A lovely, quirky new friend
Faces of Africa, Thirty Years of Photography by Angela Fisher and Carol Beckwith
I just spent a few days in London, where I really had a great time. It was what I call a ‘spontaneous trip’, decided in a few minutes after having read a very interesting tweet mentioning the Travellers’ Tales Festival. That was a fantastic occasion to meet great travel writers and photographers and to visit London after a long time. And it was also my first full ‘social media experience‘ since I would have met Zoe Dawes, the lovely lady who tweeted about the Festival.
I was thrilled and curious. And so pleased in noticing after only a few minutes how I felt comfortable with Zoe, as if we were long time friends. We talked a lot about blogging and social networks, travel writers (Zoe is fascinated by Jan Morris) and travel philosophy. And inspiration.
A parrott in the pepper tree, by Chris Stewart
Zoe, who is the author of the Quirky Traveller’s Tale blog, explained to me what ‘quirky’ means to her and… well… I’d say that we had a lovely quirky week-end and discovered that we have lots of things in common. It was nice to meet Britt Arnhild, although we could not spend much time together. Britt also was there after having read Zoe tweet to look and hear her favorite travel writer, Dervla Murphy.
The journey in London was absolutely amazing as I could experience most of the things that make a trip special to me. Wandering in the streets (despite horrible weather), visiting exhibitions (Irving Penn photographies at the National Portrait Gallery), enjoying the wonderful Billy Elliot musical (a must-see) and meeting new people. That’s why I love social media, because these awesome journey started at home, with a simple tweet!
The colors of Salvador de Bahia
Salvador de Bahia, Photo by Simon
Awesome city Salvador the Bahia. So colorful and lively, and so different from Rio. In Salvador I felt the real taste of Brazil.
eXplorer 