TRAVEL BLOG

El Valle de los Volcanes - Arequipa

noreply@blogger.com (Guillermo Knell) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:38:00 +0000

On February of the current year (2012), I was invited to visit a very unique place located in southern Peru, in the city of Arequipa. The Volcanoes Valley, a little-known place, is located at the feet of the Coropuna, the highest volcano in Peru (6,415msnm).

Its impressive geography makes it unique and different compared to other volcanic areas that are visited around the world. This is mainly because of the amount of midget volcanoes (36) and domes (67) that go from 10 to 300 meters.

The Volcanoes Valley is between 300 to 800 thousand years old and is a part of the attractions located around it. The valley is a special place that we should visit and that institutions such as CESEM-Arequipa, Buenaventura Mine, with the help and vision of Mauricio de Romaña, have been supporting and working on to turn this place into a National Park in the future.

The invitation I received had as an objective to get to know the attractions and design a training workshop for future and interested local guides. With this visit, Peru shows me once again that there is still much left to know and explore.

Healing Journey 2010 - Koyokuk River - Alaska

noreply@blogger.com (Guillermo Knell) — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 17:13:00 +0000

On mid-June of this year, I had the great opportunity to visit another corner of the world that was included in my list of "wish trips". I was invited by an organization that works with native communities on the basin of the Yukon River in Alaska. This organization makes annual canoe trips through the different tributary rivers on this basin in order to get to know and learn from the river and the people that live by it. This way, they share and communicate their experiences with other cultures.

The invitation I received for this trip was so that I could have a first hand look at the work the organization does on the river and on nearby communities, understand the message and then try to replicate this type of work with native communities in the Peruvian jungle.

This time, the trip was made on the Koyukuk River, a tributary of the Yukon. The journey started at Coldfoot and ended at the mouth of the Koyukuk River, five hundred and seventy miles away. The team was made up of 10 people: volunteers, natives of the region and only one foreigner of PERUVIAN origin.

My participation lasted two weeks. During this time, we visited three communities: Bettles, Allakaket and Hughes. We shared pleasant moments with the inhabitants and organized some recreational activities in each community. The trips on the river were long, from 2 to 3 days between each town. However, with 24 hours of daylight and lots of energy, these journeys in canoes were, to me, the most gratifying due to the incredible landscapes and fauna that went along with us during the entire trip. An unforgettable experience in my list of travels, without a doubt.

Amazon River Cruise aboard the Clelia II

noreply@blogger.com (Guillermo Knell) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 22:17:00 +0000

Once again, after three years, I was offered the opportunity to navigate the Amazon River. The journey started at Belem in Brazil and finish at Iquitos-Peru. This trip lasted 28 days in total, 14 going and 14 coming back. This time I was on board the Clelia II, which is an exploration cruise ship operated by TDI (Travel Dynamics International). The company was making its second trip to this side of the continent.

Just like in previous years, my position was to be a naturalist guide and I had the opportunity to share this trip with many people of different nationalities and interests. This time I was in charge of the group of people that were interested in birdwatching and I also complemented their experiences with general information about ecology.

During the journey we visited small towns and communities along the riverside in order to meet and have direct contact with the villagers, to see what their lives are like living there and to learn about their traditions and economical activities. We also visited important cities like Manaus in Brazil, Leticia in Colombia, Belem and Iquitos.

In addition to all of this, we also had excursions on “zodiacs” which are inflatable boats ideal for these types of exploration tourism trips. With these special crafts you can navigate among lakes, small rivers, narrow streams and hard access zones, allowing you to have a better view of nature and a closer interaction with its fauna.

These excursions are organized during the entire trip and, depending on the place to visit, can offer different activities like: general exploration, fishing, wildlife photography and birdwatching.

With these firsthand experiences and the information obtained through brilliant lectures on board, the visitor takes with him or her a travel experience that they will never forget.

Living with the Machiguengas

noreply@blogger.com (Guillermo Knell) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 01:07:00 +0000

Three months and a half is not enough time to get to know a native Amazonian culture in a thorough and deep manner. However, it may be enough to be able to understand and experience the every day life of a traditional human group and to create friendship and trusting bonds with them.

At the beginning of June 2008, I embarked on a new adventure and challenge, which was to organize the logistics for 100 days of filming in a remote area of the jungle in Cusco, at Machiguenga territory and inside the buffer zone of the Megantoni National Sanctuary. The project was for Discovery Channel and lead by the English production company CICADA Films, who directed the documentary through the skillful eyes of four directors that visited the area during this period of time. In Lima, the NGO CEDIA (centro para el desarrollo del indígena amazónico) who has been working with Machiguenga communities for over 25 years, was without a doubt the best counterpart for the project and cooperated with the team during the whole process.

The result: an 8 episode documentary where the main protagonists, Mark Anstice and Oliver Steeds, two foreigners from Europe, worked together with the local machiguengas from Korankorato, a small human settlement at the border of the Ticumpinia River. Together and with a dose of creativity, they brought this documentary to life, illustrating and showing us the life of a traditional native culture that is interrupted by the arrival of these two young adventurers that wish to live with them for some time and learn about their culture and cosmovision.

Without a doubt, this has been a unique experience for all of us who collaborated to bring the project to life in the best way possible. Our most sincere gratitude goes to our machiguengas friends from the native communities of Korankorato, Sababantiari and Timpia for their patience, collaboration and dedication. Thank you, and until next time!

Tres Cañones - Cusco

noreply@blogger.com (Guillermo Knell) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 04:04:00 +0000

During the month of January 2008, I was lucky enough to visit a very singular and, due to its dimensions and beautiful scenery, unique place very near Espinar (also known as Yauri), at the southeast of Cusco. This amazing natural monument is called "Tres cañones" (Three Canyons) and is located almost equidistantly between the provinces of Cusco and Arequipa, on the Apurímac river.

The "Tres cañones" are formed by the union of the Callumani, Apurímac and Cerritambo rivers, which are protected by these impressive volcanic walls. Geologically speaking, these formations are known as "lava columnar formations". Their shape, structure and texture reveal how and when they were formed. Details about this are explained more thoroughly by geologists (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basalt).

What is for sure is that this colossal structure has a tourist potential that should be much more exploited. For this to be possible, it is necessary that it is combined with other attractions nearby, like arqueological sites and the Polylepis (Queñuales) forest, which is ideal for bird watching activities and bird tourism. These products, if well managed, can increase and vary the tourist options of the region.

For those who love road trips, Tres Cañones is an obligated stop when traveling the south of the country, even more so since it is located five hours leaving from Arequipa to Cusco and viceversa.

Visit to Punta San Fernando - January 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Guillermo Knell) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 19:06:00 +0000

Punta San Fernando is one of the best preserved marine shelters found at our coastal line. Not only were we astonished by the beauty of the landscape, but we were also surprised by the significant species diversity guarded in this tiny coastal paradise formed by a beautiful bay.

Punta San Fernando is located at the Marcona district on the Ica region. In order to get there, the visitor must take a detour which is found 20km south of Nazca. It is vital to have a 4x4 SUV and an adequate guide to follow the road.

Once the visitor leaves the highway, the individual should drive 50km to cross one of the most arid coastal deserts in the world. It is important to remark that the surface area of this location is similar to the moon's landscapes. After an hour and a half, the passenger should luckily arrive to a group of hills with vegetation patches that change the dry appearance of the desert. If the visitor is fortunate enough to find them, he or she can have the opportunity (according to the fishermen in the vicinity) to observe Guanacos. According to our tourist guide, eight members of the Guanaco species have been seen. We were fortunate to see four of them.

After taking several photos of the Guanacos, we began to descend to the coast. During our journey, we could observe part of the bay and its ends that projected towards the ocean. The first individual that welcomed and flew above us was the Andean Condor.

Punta San Fernando is the only area on our coast that has a small condor population. It is important to mention that during the reproduction season of sealions, the condors vertically migrate (from the Andes towards the coast) in order to feed themselves with placentas and dead newly born sealions.

According to ecology studies, the Andean condors remain more time in a certain location when its food source is found on that specific area (radius for food search diminishes). The statement mentioned above occurs in San Fernando since the ocean drags along an extraordinary and constant food supply (ex. mammals and dead marine birds) (Wallace y Snyder, 2000).

During our visit to the bay we could see a great diversity of fauna: guanacos, condors, guano sea birds, turkey vultures, Humboldt penguins, Sealions and fur seals.

Punta San Fernando is a unique place that must be respected. We expect that those initiatives and efforts for their protection currently promoted by conservationist group's come into reality very soon. We hope that the attitude of the people in charge help San Fernando gain prestige and the great natural value it deserves.

EXPLORER: A Ship with life experience

noreply@blogger.com (Guillermo Knell) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 23:13:00 +0000

The M/S Explorer, the first exploration cruise in the world, known by everyone that had the opportunity to navigate in it as "the little red ship". The Explorer is, was and will always be the exploration cruise that has experienced the most adventures and has traveled the farthest across the world.

Built in Finland on 1969 with the name of Lindblad Explorer, its owner Eric Lindblad, was the first tour operator that requested its construction. He wanted a cruise especially designed to access remote and hidden places no passenger could reach.

One of the innovations that the cruise had on its first operations was the introduction of inflatable boats or "zodiacs". They not only allowed passengers to land in places where no formal docks existed making the voyage more exciting, but also made it possible for the passenger to enter exotic areas such as the polar region or tropical islands.

All throughout its journeys, the Explorer has accumulated an amazing voyage record. It included visits from Southampton to Madeira or from Canary Islands and Cabo Verde Islands crossing the Atlantic to Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. Its first trips to Antarctica occurred on late 1970's. This voyage included the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, Gough Islands, Tristan da Cunha and other places near Cape Town. It is important to remark that the Explorer was the first passenger ship to land in Tristan da Cunha. On 1971, it culminated five trips to Antarctica -it was the first cruise to ever sail the Polar region.

The visits that the Explorer did to Cape Town were done with the intention of taking the ship to the Indic Ocean. In this journey, the cruise did several trips from Mombassa to the Seychelles islands. On 1972, the Explorer sailed from Cape Town to Antarctica, South Georgia and South Shetland Islands. It was the first cruise that reached the most distant part of the Antarctica Peninsula and gave its passengers an unforgettable experience.

In 1979, it became the first cruise in the occidental world to cross the Jang Tsikiang River and the Chinese coast. In 1984, it also became the first ship to sail and cross the Northeast Passage through the Artic Ocean without assistance of ice-breaking boats.

Abercrombie & Kent, an American tourist agency with luxurious services, bought the Explorer in 1992. The change of status made it travel to other locations such as the Amazon River, la British Islands and Iceland. The Explorer is the first ship of its type that navigated past Manaus (area after Iquitos near the confluence of Marañon and Ucayali Rivers). The cruise continued to sail through the most remote places in the world such as the Artic and the Norwegian fjords to Svalbard, Antarctica Peninsula and South Georgia.

In 2004, the Explorer became property of GAP, a Canadian tour operator that also offers interesting tours and trips across the world. In 2006, as GAP property, the Explorer revisited the Amazon. Then, in April 2007, it began a journey through the west coast of South America (from Ushuaia - Argentina to Panama). This was its last voyage in America.

The "little red ship", with a capacity of only 95 passengers and 65 crew members and a longitude of 72.86 meters, always navigated with few people, but always sailed with a big family. This can be said since every individual that traveled with the Explorer, including myself, felt privileged to live such an outstanding experience.

The Explorer sunk in November 23 of 2007 in the Antarctic waters, which had seen it cross for the first time in 1970. The innumerable memories will remain frozen in the cold waters of that continent and in the mind of thousands of people who shared magical experiences while navigating through the world.

Expedition to the "Cordillera Azul" National Park (Chapter 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Guillermo Knell) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 23:10:00 +0000

Last October I went to an expedition to the northern area of the Cordillera Azul National Park with members from Sierra Club in order to collaborate in field logistics and to help and give some support as a Naturalist guide. I was summoned due to my vast knowledge of the routes, which I obtained on August 2003 when the evaluations for the potential construction of the park were done.

This is the second time that an expedition with visitors is done in the Park because the route is still on a phase of experimentation and implementation. This experimental period serves to evaluate the possibility to diversify the touristic offers of the region and therefore open the market of tourism.

The trip initiated in the city of Tarapoto. A helicopter picked us from that location and directly took us to the "Laguna del Mundo Perdido", a hidden lagoon completely surrounded by mountains. The lagoon and its landscape are the only ones of its genre and the perfect image of the adventure that is about to begin.

After a short flight around the lagoon, we landed in a heliport that was built years ago to make several studies of the zone. Since that moment we tackled the first one-hour and a half trek that would take us to the shores of the lake. On the afternoon, with the help of the inflatable boats, we explored the lagoon and enjoyed the sunset. At night, a group decided to go for a walk to find snakes, frogs and other nocturnal creatures. Another group went on a boat ride to search and closely observe the most numerous and residential reptiles of the lake: the Spectacled Caimans.

The next morning a helicopter took us to the Jorge Chavez community where we would initiate a 5-hour trek to the Chambirillo Park ranger checkpoint, located on top of a premontane forest 1,200 meters above sea level. We stayed for two days at this site and enjoyed its attractions, especially its very refreshing waterfalls and its spectacular viewing-point.

This viewing-point is strategically located near the borderline of San Martin and Pucallpa states. Its location not only gave us a visual idea of what was still ahead of us to see in order to reach the end of our adventure, but it also showed us the beauty of the jungle which nourished us with energy to continue the voyage. The next morning waited for us: we were about to begin the longest journey by foot to the shores of the Ushpayacu River.

Cruise along the West Coast of the Continent of South America

noreply@blogger.com (Guillermo Knell) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 23:07:00 +0000

I have just returned from a trip that initiated on March 20 at Ushuaia - Argentina and ended on April 18 at Panama. The trip on the M/S Explorer that belongs to GAP Adventures was a month of navigation across the South American coast and a voyage that revolved around the Humboldt Current.

We visited many places such as Cape Horn, Strait of Magellan, The Chilean fjords (which included several glaciers and volcano visits), Puerto Montt, "Las Torres del Paine" National Park, Chiloe Island, Valdivia, Valparaiso, Santiago of Chile and Arica. When we reached Peru, we made a short stop at Nazca in order to fly above the enigmatic Nazca Lines, the Paracas National Reserve, the Ballestas Islands and Lima city.

In Ecuador, we visited Puerto Lopez, the Machalilla National Park and La isla de la Plata Island where the Blue –footed Bobbies and the Magnificent Frigate birds nest. In Panama, we visited la Bahia de las Pinas, the Kunas Islands and several other islands located in the Atlantic where we could snorkel and swim before landing at Colon City.

With regard to the proximity of marine fauna, we were lucky enough to navigate near a group of whales (Fin and Sperm whales) and dolphins (such as austral and bottle-nosed dolphins). Southamerican Sea lions and fur seals were common species in specific parts of our voyage. The most amazing thing to watch was the high diversity of marine and oceanic bird species that could be observed. From sub-Antarctic environments up to the tropical environments in the Ecuador, the birds marked the difference and accompanied us all throughout our journey. They astonished us with their majesty like the Andean Condor in the Fjords and the albatrosses on the high seas.

M/S Explorer

noreply@blogger.com (Guillermo Knell) — Fri, 25 May 2007 18:20:00 +0000