Exploring The Dark Side Of Banos, Ecuador, Through Graffiti

by Jessica Festa on

Not only is Banos, Ecuador, home to pristine waterfalls, active volcanoes, adventure sports and delicious candy, it’s also got some impressive graffiti art. What’s interesting is that while the city itself gives off an optimistic and happy vibe through its natural beauty, cozy coffee shops and locals twisting and shaping pounds of sugar cane into colorful taffy, the graffiti takes on a dark and sometimes morbid edge.

The art has a very contrasting feel, not only to the city itself, but also to the usual political graffiti you see in many places, such as in the street art in Buenos Aires. Instead, these unworldly, cartoon-like depictions will have you perplexed, disturbed and amazed at the same time.

I took these shots while walking around the main part of the city and was really impressed with the creativity. For a better idea of street art in Banos, check out the gallery below.

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20 Of The World’s Weirdest Beaches

by Jessica Festa on

Recently we told you about Expedia’s Flip Flop Report and let you know the lowdown on beach behavior from around the world. We learned that the average beach vacation lasts 7.7 days, Germans are the most likely to sunbathe nude and Indians think it’s important to find new locations for beach destinations.

So how about those travelers looking to enjoy the beach in a truly unique beach destination? While you’ve probably seen pristine white beaches with azure waters and picture-perfect surroundings, what about a beach made of glass? Or the world’s largest indoor beach? How about a beach littered with mysterious indigenous rock carvings? These are just a few of the many unusual beaches you’ll find in the gallery below.

[image via Ekem]

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Visiting The Devil’s Tooth In La Paz, Bolivia

by Jessica Festa on

When loud, traffic-heavy, protest-passionate La Paz gets to be too much, one way to escape while not even leaving the city is to visit the Devil’s Tooth, or Muela del Diablo. While this may sound scarier than ingesting smog and crazy drivers, seeing the site on horseback is actually quite serene.

Devil’s Tooth is an inactive volcano that is approximately 492 feet high. According to our guide, it got its name because indigenous people believed it looked like the tooth of Satan. The journey also allowed us to take in sweeping city views and Moon Valley, or Valle de la Luna. The valley gets its name from its unusual rock formations.

What I really loved about the area was how much culture there was. Along with stunning landscapes, there are indigenous women wearing traditional bowler hats working outside, children herding sheep and playing soccer, and small schools and homes residing on the hills. The trip really allowed for a glimpse into local life in Bolivia.

In the middle of the tour – once you get to the best lookout point of the trip – the group stops for an included lunch of fruit, a ham and cheese sandwich, and chocolate and flavored milk. The guides are Spanish speaking, but usually speak a little bit of English, too. Either way, talking isn’t necessary to enjoy this trip. You can book through most travel agencies in La Paz. Expect to pay about $50.

For a more visual idea of the experience, check out the gallery below.

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Exploring The Most Colorful Mountains In The World In Purmamarca, Argentina

by Jessica Festa on

For backpackers traveling through Argentina, a unique day trip is from Salta and San Salvador de Jujuy. Located in the province of Jujuy, the small pueblo of Purmamarca not only offers the chance to browse an expansive handicraft market and sample the local delicacy of llama meat, but also surround yourself with seven colors of mountains.

While many landscapes feature various greens, browns and yellows blending together in beautiful patterns, the mountains of Purmamarca, one of which is aptly named the Seven Colors Mountain, hold strikingly vibrant and contrasting colors and landscapes. A bright purple hillside, lush with vegetation, could be sitting inches away from a slope of orange fairy-chimneys and cacti. What’s more, the shades seem to radiate from the mountains into the air, making you feel like you’re wearing rainbow-tinted glasses. It’s one of the most surreal hikes I’ve ever done.

According to the area’s informational board, the Seven Colors Mountain is an outcropping of rocks from different time periods. The variety of colors come from the accumulation of sediments from when the area was underwater, 600 million years ago. In fact, the mountain has the oldest maritime sediments in the province of Juyuy. For a visual idea of the experience, check out the gallery below.

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Love Camping And Biking? Try Kamp-Rite’s Midget Bushtrekka

by Jessica Festa on

For those interested in ecotourism as well as the great outdoors, here is a piece of gear that is perfect for you. Kamp-Rite has introduced a unique kind of bike trailer that allows campers to set up a special Kamp-Rite Oversize Tentcot tent on top of the trailer. While this may sound like you’d be sleeping on unsteady ground, the company insists that the product’s fully adjustable leveling jacks ensure a comfortably horizontal sleep on any terrain.

The Midget Bushtrekka also features a pivoting wheel set, which the website explains makes it excellent for off-roading.

“By utilizing two wheels under each side of the trailer, harnessed to a pivoting rocker frame, the trailer can easily absorb most of the uneven terrain in its environment,” says the Kamp-Rite website.

These “midget” contraptions are actually quite large, weighing 56 pounds with 41 gallons of storage capability. The tent itself is comfortable for one person, and a tight-squeeze for two, at 90 inches in length, 32 inches in width and 40 inches in height. While at $899.99 the product is pricey, though it does include the tent.

For a better idea of this innovative product, check out the gallery below.

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