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photo of the week: week fifty

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volcan azufral, colombia

Volcan Azufral, Colombia

 

 

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Filter ____ Before we left on this trip, we did a few Stories showing exactly what we were packing. A big focus was trying to reduce our plastic consumption to the greatest extent possible, which isn't always easy when travelling long-term. Instead of bottles of shampoo + conditioner, we took 'bars' which we carry in silver containers. Gone was the fancy shower gel as we were back to using good old soap. We've got bamboo toothbrushes (the type we've been using for the last 6 months) and toothpaste tablets, instead of the more common plastic versions and reusable fabric pads instead of traditional cotton make up removers. Emily has given the middle finger to the 'tampon tax' and is a convert to the menstrual cup and since discovering how hideously unsustainable baby wipes are, we've gone without. We've used our travel filter water bottle to amazing effect, meaning we've bought less than ten plastic water bottles in 2 months (and that's when dying of thirst at the end of a hike and simply needed to glug); it feels pretty cool to be able to fill up directly from a river, waterfall, or glacier lake. We've got old plastic 'bags for life' to wrap up our dirty hiking boots and laundry gets stored in two cloth bags. For shopping, we've always got our backpack and canvas bag with us and never put fruit and veg in plastic bags. We've said no to straws (a request that isn't always understood or agreed to!) and those ridiculous stirry-things some bar staff just love to put in cocktails. It's not always ideal, it's not always possible, and sometimes it's an absolute pain in the arse, but it's a start. And positive change can only come from lots of people making small starts. This post isn't about us virtue signalling or asking for praise, but rather sharing ideas so that you can also reduce the amount of plastic unnecessarily used on your travels and day-to-day (or inspire someone else to start thinking about it). We've linked to an old post in our bio about various ways to reduce your plastic usage, and some of the products we're using on this trip to support it. Any other suggestions on how to do more are very welcome in the comments. #TheConstantlyCurious
Happiness ____ I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery – air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, “This is what it is to be happy”. My feelings, summed up, once more by Sylvia Plath. I will always love the feeling of sand between my toes, of the sun on my back and an ever-present reggae soundtrack, but the mountains - the mountains are where I will always feel alive. #TheConstantlyCurious #Peru ____ #visitperu #discoverperu #iloveperu #shewhowanders #womenwhoexplore #peoplewhoadventure #letsgoeverywhere #femmetravel #postcardplaces #sheisnotlost #girlsborntotravel #ladiesgoneglobal #womenwhoexplore #girlslovetravel #dametraveler #wearetravelgirls #flashesofdelight #speechlessplaces #theeverygirltravels #globelletravels #mountaingirls #darlingescapes #girlsthatwander #thetravelwomen #nomadgirls #travelgirlsgo #inspiringwanderers
Mina ____ Oh how we wish we were at this beach right now! We're currently in Quito, Ecuador, sitting at a table in our Airbnb working and looking out at bleak, grey skies. It's chilly, and we both look like we're about to summit a mountain rather than type up a blog post - if we had fingerless gloves, they'd be on. Tomorrow we're off to Mindo with every finger crossed that there's a break in the rain. Any tips for what we can't miss there? FYI, if you're planning on hiking the Inca trail this year, you'll be pleased to know that we've hit publish on a few guides to help you out, just follow the link in our bio. #TheConstantlyCurious #TravelDusty #Peru #Paracas ____ #suticasetravels #freshairclub #palepalmcollective #lightzine #thewildnesstonic #goexplore #searchwandercollect #visitperu #ctperu #vitaminsea #postcardplaces #perudestinations #exploorperu #peruadventure #exploreperu #folkscenery #passionpassport #mytinyatlas #whatisee #peoplewhoadventure #folktravel #folkcreative #roamtheplanet #modernoutdoors #forgeyourownpath #thediscoverer
Typo ____ Hands up if you spend time wandering around a foreign city just salivating over its signs and fonts? Ah, just us then... Typography is particularly geeky passions of ours, and a constant source of consternation about our blog design. We've basically wanted to change its layout and fonts for the last two years, but finding the time to do the overhaul and agree on which font heading 1 should have so that it complements heading 2 whilst not drawing attention away from the body text (and should that body text be serif or sans because that decision says SO SO much to a reader about you blog and whole approach to life) is literally too big a task with everything else we've got going on. See, we told you it was a bit geeky. ps, anyone else notice how many random 'Cheers' bars you come across around the world? Clearly we all want a place where everyone knows our name... #TheConstantlyCurious #Cuenca #Ecuador ____ #discoversouthamerica #visitsouthamerica #thediscoverer #letswander #suitcasetravels #visualscollective #seetheworld #exploretocreate #flashesofdelight #justgoshoot #liveforthestory #visualsoflife #chasing_facades #doortrait #visitecuador #ecuadortravel_ig #ecuadoramalavida #ecuadorisallyouneed #discoverecuador #cuencaecuador #theprettycities #seeyourcity #urbanromantics #iwalkedthisstreet #facadeporn #mydomainetravels #iamatraveler
Rainbow realities ____ This won't be the best photo you'll see of Rainbow Mountain, but that's fine with us. The thing is, this site has blown up in popularity in the last few years because, well, it wasn't actually known about by anyone until 2015. The reason? Climate change. For centuries, the varicoloured seams of red, yellow, orange, and purple lay hidden beneath Andean ice and snow, all of which has now disappeared. Instead of a wonderful new addition to the list of must-sees around Cusco, Rainbow mountain should have been a wake-up call to something more serious. Nevertheless, with a new road carved into the hillside and 500 or so locals who have found an alternative income from tourism, this will likely be Peru's second most popular site for the next decade. But is a visit to Rainbow Mountain really worth it? Yes and no. It's a long old day trip from Cusco by bus, with a start at 4 a.m., and the actual hiking portion is less than two hours. Many people who understandably struggle with the altitude at 5,200 m take horses - the pride of the locals and thankfully in good condition. But, we know that that won't always be the case, as more and more crowds arrive who simply shouldn't be anywhere near such thin air. The main issue however is the heady mix of social media (hello!) and lack of restrictions meaning that 3,000-5,000 people visit PER DAY in high season. Obviously, this footfall is great for the economy but not so great for the experience or the long-term sustainability of the site. We're thankful that we went in low season, which sees about 500 daily visitors, but even that felt way too crowded. Unsurprisingly, every photo you see (including ours) is shot to hide the hundreds of people standing behind and in front, waiting to get their own version. Overtourism is a big, seemingly intractable issue at the moment and the reality is that, in three short years, this place is already peaking. There's definitely a pot of gold at the end of Rainbow Mountain, but much of that treasure is already tarnished. #TheConstantlyCurious #RainbowMountain #Peru
Pigtails ____ If you are ever feeling a little removed from the travel experience in South America, like you haven't visited anything 'authentic' or off the gringo trail, then just wander to the local market on your own and with eyes wide open. Chicken feet and sheep heads sit atop counter tops splashed with red. An endless background sound is created by identi-kit smoothie maker ladies chopping and blending fruits for thirsty traders on a lunch break. Women in full make-up hack away at entrails of animals so recently slaughtered the blood must surely still be warm, whilst others expertly slice a pig carcass with be-ringed fingers and painted nails. Elderly ladies snoozing amongst their piles of produce, freshly picked and plucked from the surrounding hills and carried on the backs of the poor in the early morning. A thousand scenes and dramas play out every day in an enclave of a touristic city which is still undeniably local, undeniably different to our own normal. If you've grown up in place where stuff is usually purchased from a sanitised and strip-lighted supermarket, then this is an experience all in itself for all your senses. Around the world, you will find museums and attractions which often disappoint. Sometimes, simply making time to enjoy the mundane and the routine can provide far more entertainment, and a much deeper cultural understanding of place, than anything else. Money spent here is money well spent. p.s. we're veggie/pescetarian but walking through the butcher section of these markets (whilst not taking a breath) is something we always make a point of doing. It is far closer to the realities of meat consumption than what's presented back home, and also makes for some great photos. #TheConstantlyCurious #Peru #Cusco ____ #perutravels #visitperu #iloveperu #discoversouthamerica #visitsouthamerica #ctperu #thediscoverer #travelperu #letswander #suitcasetravels #visualscollective #seetheworld #exploretocreate #flashesofdelight #justgoshoot #peoplephotography #thephotosociety #lensculture #liveforthestory #visualsoflife #passionpassport #mytinyatlas #worldcaptures #natgeoyourshot #market #igerscusco #eclectic_shots