Two Backpackers

7 Waterfalls Tour El Salvador – Ep 11

| by Aracely | 16 Comments » | Central America, El Salvador, Travel Videos

When we decided to begin our journey in Central America, El Salvador was the country we decided to avoid. The decision was not based on any specific reason, we simply preferred a more direct route south and planned to travel from Guatemala to Honduras to Nicaragua and onwards. However, with Honduras’ political instability, which was causing some border issues, we decided to take a detour through El Salvador instead. (more…)

Backpacking the Grand Canyon

| by Jason | 16 Comments » | Adventures, North America, United States

Backpacking Classmates

We were looking for a challenging outdoor adventure, but we knew we didn’t exactly have the experience to do it safely on our own.  Once we decided on our destination, the Grand Canyon, we began researching guided hikes and camping.

The Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is a World Heritage Site which encompasses 1,218,375 acres and lies on the Colorado Plateau in northwestern Arizona.  Our goal was to experience the Canyon to the fullest; that can only be done by hiking to the very bottom.

The Grand Canyon National Park offers a variety of choices to experience the inside of the Canyon; guided tours, mule trips, river trips, hiking and camping.  If you are interested in backpacking and camping on your own, you must acquire a backcountry permit.  The permits are very challenging to obtain due to the volume of requests, but the organizations conducting the guided hikes all have access to those permits. (more…)

Hiking Ciudad Perdida (Lost City) in Colombia

| by Kristin | 11 Comments » | Colombia, Guest Post, South America

Main Terraces of Ciudad Perdida

Within one month of my decision to move to Cali, Colombia, I knew I wanted to hike to Ciudad Perdida.  I found a friend who wanted to do the 5 night, 6 day jungle trek with me, we planned a trip for January 2024, and I started looking for flights to the nearby city of Santa Marta.

After she arrived to Cali, we prepared to leave for Santa Marta.  We packed our backpacks full of “just the essentials”.  Then we took a lap around my apartment.  Suddenly, I didn’t feel so confident in our survival skills for 6 days – honestly I questioned our ability to make it through day one with these backpacks on our shoulders.

However, we did make it, and emerged with a stunningly unique and memorable experience that I will never forget.  Yes, 6 days is a big commitment for the consistently on-the-move traveler, but this is one experience you cannot afford to miss. (more…)

Photo of the Day: Volcano Cerro Negro in Leon

| by Jason | 1 Comment » | Photo of the Day

Cerro Negro is a volcano in the Cordillera de los Maribios mountain range in Nicaragua, about 10 km from the village of Malpaisillo. It is a very new volcano, the youngest in Central America, having first appeared in April 1850. It consists of a gravelly basaltic cinder cone, which contrasts greatly with the surrounding verdant hillsides, and gives rise to its name, which means Black Hill.

Cerro Negro has erupted frequently since its first eruption. One unusual aspect of several eruptions has been the emission of ash from the top of the cone, while lava erupts from fractures at the base. – Wikipedia

Trekking to Volcano Cerro Negro in Nicaragua

Photo of the Day: Grand Canyon Arizona USA

| by Aracely | No Comments » | Photo of the Day

In commemoration of the 4th of July, today’s Photo of the Day is of an American natural wonder, The Grand Canyon.  Happy 4th of July to all our friends and family back home.

View Of Grand Canyon

Hiking With Condortrekkers In Sucre Bolivia

| by Aracely | 4 Comments » | Adventures, Bolivia, Photo Essays, South America

We joined a 3-day trek with Condortrekkers, a non-profit tour company based out of Sucre, Bolivia.  Our tour included walking on an Inca Trail, visiting the crater town of Maragua and seeing ancient fossilized dinosaur footprints.

On day one we took a microbus from Sucre to a nearby small town where our group of 7 hopped into a “camion,” the only local transportation available to the town of Chataquila where we began our hike.

Packing in the Camion, Our Local Transportation

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Photo of the Day: Most Beautiful Sunrise at Torres del Paine

| by Aracely | 3 Comments » | Photo of the Day

The last day of our trek we hiked from Campamento Torres up to the Torres Lookout Point in the darkness to watch the sun come up and illuminate the towers. We were rewarded with the most beautiful sunrise we have every seen. It even beat any sunset we have ever seen. The colors were amazing it was surreal. It was the perfect ending to our nine day adventure at Torres del Paine National Park.

Sunsrise at Torres del Paine Lookout Point