Vamos Travel Blog

Fernando de Noronha, Natural Wonderland

Post author:heatherr1
Post published:May 5, 2021
Post category:Brazil
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UNESCO recognition This stunning archipelago of 21 islands lies in the Atlantic Ocean, 350 km (271 miles) off Brazil’s northeast coast, 3 degrees south of the equator. Fernando de Noronha…

Sweating and Swimming in Tayrona Park, Colombia

Post author:heatherr1
Post published:April 21, 2021
Post category:Colombia
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Sweat Panting, sweating, occasionally swearing, we follow a meandering up and down jungle trail in Tayrona Park --- on the outskirts of Santa Marta --- to Colombia’s Caribbean coast. To…

Sangre de Drago (Dragon's Blood) which we purchased at a local health/traditional supplement/herb store. Cost ~$2. Take 3 - 5 drops in some water once per day. This is purified sap from the tree - no additives. apparently it is also available in North America.

Dragon’s Blood in An Eco Park

Post author:heatherr1
Post published:November 25, 2020
Post category:Colombia
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Map of Colombia showing Medellín Where? High above the city of Medellín in Colombia sits a large Eco Park with dragon's blood. Forgotten Parque Arví is rediscovered. Once a forgotten…

The Amazon Then and Now

Post author:heatherr1
Post published:July 8, 2020
Post category:Peru
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Then---1977 Iquitos It is sunstroke hot and dripping wet humid when we touch down in the jungle town of Iquitos, Peru. Iquitos is as far from the Atlantic coast, 3000…

Welcome to the Galapagos Islands. "not too close please"... "I SAID NOT TOO CLOSE!!!"

Eco Etiquette in the Galápagos

Post author:heatherr1
Post published:May 13, 2020
Post category:Ecuador
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Our experience travelling in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. We see many unique species of birds, land and sea life. A lesson in eco etiquette.

Botero's 'Woman with Mirror'. "I fatten my characters to give them sensuality", he says.

Legendary Women of Colombia

Post author:heatherr1
Post published:April 15, 2020
Post category:Colombia
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Legendary Women of Colombia At least three monuments immortalize the prominent presence of legendary women in Colombia’s past. Two are erected in Santa Fe de Antioquia, near Medellin, a city…

Cuyes roasting over an open fire, Jack Frost...

How To Eat a Guinea Pig

Post author:heatherr1
Post published:February 19, 2020
Post category:Ecuador
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guinea pigs roasting on a spit

Panama Hat - originated in Ecuador as Montecristi hats, named after the town where the Toquilla plant is grown. The leaves are dried and the fibers separated and used to make hats. The Spanish recognized the quality and exported them via Panama to Europe. Since they came from "Panama" they got the name Panama hats. Also the workers digging the Panama Canal used these light and very durable hats to protect themselves from the sun.

How to Buy the Perfect Panama Hat

Post author:heatherr1
Post published:March 20, 2019
Post category:Ecuador
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What do actresses Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow and celebrities like Miss Ecuador have in common? And when they were alive, President Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Humphrey Bogart and Gary Cooper…

heatherr1 on Ecolodging in Panama
arlene turner on Ecolodging in Panama
heatherr1 on Ecolodging in Panama
Arlene on Ecolodging in Panama
heatherr1 on Ali Part 1

Fernando de Noronha, Natural Wonderland
UNESCO recognition This stunning archipelago of 21 islands lies in the Atlantic Ocean, 350 km (271 miles) off Brazil’s northeast coast, 3 degrees south of the equator. The islands have never been connected to the South American mainland. Thus, all endemic species of the archipelago have colonized the islands by flight or rafting over the […]
Sweating and Swimming in Tayrona Park, Colombia
Sweat Panting, sweating, occasionally swearing, we follow a meandering up and down jungle trail in Tayrona Park — on the outskirts of Santa Marta — to Colombia’s Caribbean coast. To our chagrin, insects and heat are constant companions. Tourism Tayrona Park. Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta This area lies near the foothills of the Sierra […]
What do the Chapel of Bones, Cork Trees, and Megaliths Have in Common?
All are located in or near the UNESCO heritage site of Évora, Portugal. Taste of the Past Évora, beautiful walled city of about 60,000 citizens, lies 1.5 hours east of Lisbon by bus or train. Its beginnings provide a taste of the past in Portuguese history. Tourist information here. Influenced by the Moors and […]
Ecolodging in Panama
More than Panama hats Indeed, the famous Panama hat is actually made in Ecuador. You can read about this phenomenon in a previous Vamostravelblog. On this trip, however, we experience more of Panama’s natural world at Los Quetzales, a mountain ecolodge in Guadalupe village not far from the border with Costa Rica. Cloud Forest […]
Singapore-The Trip That Never Happened
One year ago this month, we planned to fly to Singapore. Then COVID restrictions appeared, we cancelled, and now we drool over the sights, sounds, and tastes of the trip that never happened. Singapore Singapore is a republic, a sovereign island city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It is about the same size as Bahrain. Singapore […]
The Secret War in Laos
Secret War After a visit to the local night market in Luang Prabang, Laos, we learned about The Secret War. Backgounder. Landlocked Country A communist country, Laos is landlocked, almost hidden in southeast Asia. ‘Simply Beautiful’ Luang Prabang We were in Luang Prabang, Laos. Described in travel brochures as ‘Simply Beautiful’, this former Royal capital […]
Eats ‘n Treats in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Street Food, Fine Food in Northern Thailand From the Cowboy Hat Lady cook in a street stall to a more refined Northern Thailand restaurant, your tastebuds will find delicious rewards in Chiang Mai. Spicier Northern Thai food is known for its more fiery, hotter taste than its southern counterpart. You are often invited to order […]
Petra – One of the Seven Wonders of the World
Why a Wonder of the World? The ancient city of Petra in Jordan became one of the 7 New Wonders of the World when it was chosen in 2007 by a vote of 100 million people. Petra was the capital of the Nabatean Empire, an ancient Arab state that grew rich due to its […]
Casanova and the Bridge of Sighs
Venice, Italy The Lover, the Bridge and the Doge The great lover, Giacomo Girolamo Casanova, once crossed the Bridge of Sighs on his way to prison in a dingy, dark, small cell. Known as the Leads, these dreaded cells were in the attic of the Doge’s Palace in Venice. Casanova was only 30 and had […]
Hoi An, Vietnam – Falling in Love
Falling in Love in the Rain The year is 2006. We are touring Vietnam from Hanoi in the north to Ho Chi Minh City in the south. On a rainy, misty night we arrive in Hoi An. Located on the South China Sea, the city lies in the middle of the country, about 30 km […]

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