Sara's Americas Page

USA

A big country, as Bill Bryson has described it, too big for me to do it justice here (not least because of my limited experience!). So, I'll stick to the bits I know and like. I think everyone would agree that you can't go wrong with cities like San Francisco, Boston and New York. Apart from the obvious tourist 'must-sees' (Golden Gate Brigdge, Alcatraz, Statue of Liberty etc.) many US cities have great ethnic quarters, which are particularly fun to seek out at meal times. Nearby national parks can also be done in day trips (e.g. Yosemite from SF) but you need several days to do them justice. The south is also fun, and I've had some enjotable trips to New Mexico and Arizona, although mostly for work with not too much time to explore. And then there is Hawaii.

Far more than just a beach destination, Hawaii is a fabulous place for its polynesian culture, hiking, wine-tasting and nature. I have visited Maui, Oahu, Kauai and the Big Island, all quite different. The Big Island's main draw is the Volcanoes National Park with its immense craters and lava flows, which you can sometimes get pretty close to. I'm also a huge snorkel-fan, and the Big ISland has some great spots. The Place of Refuge is my absloute favourite spot to snorkel. Kauai is the oldest of the island chain and a real hikers paradise. In particular the valleys along the Napali coast are lush and pristine. Maui is a good allrounder - some good hiking and volcano action on Haleakala, some top vineyards and nice northen beaches. Oahu is the main tourist hub, and Honolulu beach culture is something to be sampled! An intro surf lesson is a must - they'll get you on your feet by thge end of the lesson or your money back! Other smaller, quieter beaches and the sombre Pearl Harbour are just a short bus ride away, when you tire of the hula shows.

Chile

Click here for a map of Chile, courtesy of Lonely Planet.

I lived in Chile in 2000-2003, so I explored extensively, see my Chile page .

Bolivia

Although just a short physical hop from San Pedro de Atacama in Chile, the south-western alti-plano of Bolivia is in another world both culturally and geographically. Spectacular lakes at over 4000m in a spectrum of different colours depending on the mineral deposits, including opalescent green and deep red are often full of flamingoes. The alti-plano naturally has a wild, remote feeling to it, but a surprising number of small villages seem to survive, mostly by farming the woolly llamas that roam the highlands. Of course, one of the most stunning aspects of this Andean region is the volcanoes which continually split the horizon with their snow-covered peaks. By late afternoon, the snow cones are gleaming whilst the rest of the desert seems to glow eerily in golden light. One result of the high volcanic activity are hot springs and geysers. Whilst the former are wonderful to bathe in, you don't want to get to close to the latter! The Sol de Manana geysers are at almost 5000m above sea-level and spew scalding steam into the chill desert air. All around there are bubbling mud pools and fumoroles venting activity from below in a smelly sulphourous stream. The end of our little sejour took us across the immense salar de Uyuni which, in late May, was under about 10cm of water for all but the rim. Driving across the salar for an entire day was a very surreal experience; the sky melting into the salt lake made it impossible to discern a horizon. Small islands appearing in the distance seemed to float and the numerous volcanoes were turned upside down in reflection.

Mexico

The world has many `interesting' and `beautiful' places to visit, but one of the most `fun' must be Mexico, a country that offers a vibant melee of colour, spice and rhythm. Although now a popular tourist destination with many built up resorts on both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, the towns and cities are big enough to absorb the tourist influx and maintain their character. My visits to Mexico have taken me to the central and southern parts of the country. If you are looking for picturesque towns with plazas, parks and cathedrals then Puebla and Oaxaca are good places to start. Both have many beautiful churches and the old, narrow streets are a pleasure to get lost in. Nearby to Oaxaca is the Zapoteca site of Monte Alban, raised on a hilltop above the city. This is one of the lesser-visited ruins (at least compared with Chitzen Itza, Uxmal or Palenque) but one of the more attractive ones, spread over a high grassy plateau. If jungle ruins are more your thing, then Palenque is a must. Hidden in emerald rain forest, Palenques pyramids are one of Mexico's great cultural attractions. In addition to the ruins themselves, you can enjoy bird-watching in the steamy jungles and might even spot one of the monkeys screeching in the treetops. Chitzen Itza is another must on the tourist-ruin trail, but beware that this place is often even more packed with tourists than the Cancun beaches!

Church in San Cristobal Playa del Carmen One destination that has become a more and more popular stop in recent years, especially on the backpacker trail is San Cristobal de las Casas. No one can deny that this is a very pleasant place to visit culturally, but my impression was that the constant flow of visitors has caused some significant friction with the locals, who seem rather resentful of tourists treating them as photographic prizes. Nonetheless, It is a pretty town with excellent craft markets and taking a horse trek across to some of the small hill villages is a lot of fun.

And then there are the beaches! The stretches of white coral Caribbean sand that have attracted so many tourists for decades. It is now hard to find a quiet cabana on an unpopulated bit of coastline, and even the latter day havens such as Tulum and Playa del Carmen are now packed with sunseekers. Nonetheless, the beaches are gorgeous and if you are willing to leave your Lonely Planet at home and seek local advice, you really can find a few deserted spots for a peaceful snorkel...

Ecuador

Sacha Lodge

Jon and I enjoyed a rather decadent honeymoon to Ecuador in 2002. Over 3 weeks we covered everything from highland towns, muggy coastline, Amazon jungle, country haciendas and, of course, the Galapagos islands. These latter were a real travel highlight. We spent a week on small motor yacht with several stops a day at different moorings, covering 9 islands in total, including the rarely visited western islands. The proximity with the animals was truly magical, in the water as well as on land. We snorkeled every day at least once and playing with sea lions and giant turtles was a fabulous highlight.

Doorway in Quito Flocks of diving boobies Another wildlife experience came from a 3 day stay in an Amazonian lodge amongst primary jungle. A very remote spot (getting there required a flight, 2 hour bus ride, 2 hours by motorised canoe, a hike and final stretch by dugout canoe!) were we enjoyed a hot and humid jungle experience! In addition to the animals (plenty of monkeys, colourful birds, cayman and of course millions of screaming insects) we enjoyed learning about the forest from local guides - the medicinal and edible plants and local beliefs. We also sampled several of Ecuador's cities, including Quito and Cuenca and the small highland village of Otavalo. More than anything, these gave us the chance to cool off in between trips to the lowlands! There was also a brief trip to the Cotopaxi national park, but the volcano itself remained mostly swathed in cloud, only lifting her skirts occasionally for a brief glimpse of her snowy flanks. Click here for a complete photo album of our trip to Ecuador

Canada

I first came to Canada for a month as a graduate student in 1998, but have been living here since I moved to UVic as a faculty member in 2003. We have travelled extensively on Vancouver Island, and we also own a house on beautiful Saturna Island (amongst the southern gulf islands). There, we are lucky enough to gaze down to the beach and ocean and be located exactly on the orcas' favourite passage. The whales pass within a few metres from the shoreline and we regularly see them on our visits. The whole island area is great for hiking, skiing (Mt Washington and Mt Cain, plus backcountry adventures in Strathcona National Park) and watersports. Inland in BC, we have enjoyed mostly winter trips, mostly to ski at Whistler, Big White, Silver Star and Sun Peaks, plus an unforgettable helicopter/backcountry trip near Revelstoke.

I also really enjoy visiting other large cities in Canada, particularly Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto. Canada's cities have an unrivalled multiculturalism that leads to lively streetlife and fabulous dining. On the smaller side, Halifax is a lovely city in the Maritimes, and there is some beautiful surrounding countryside for hiking (including the lovely Cape Split near the famous Bay of Fundy).

Of course, I could not describe Canada without mentioning the Rockies, although my experience there is rather limited. I have been to Banff a couple of times, but really only explored the more well known areas of Lake Louise, Peto and Moraine Lakes.

But there is still a lot more to see! I haven't been to any of the 3 northern territories (Yukon, Northwest Territory, Nunavut) and I've also never been to Manitoba, Saskatchewan, PEI, Newfoundland or New Brunswick. But that's OK - Canada is the second largest country in the world, so it's going to take some time...