Have no fear; eventually we will create all the videos listed below, but for now, I’m very curious to hear which one(s) you’d like to see first:
Which topic would you like to see next in a Postcard Valet video?
The Galapagos Islands
By far, the biggest chunk of media we’ve collected has come from this part of our trip. Definitely enough for more than one episode, but I think the first theme will be something along the lines of “This is how close you can get to the wildlife.”
Diving Kicker Rock in the Galapagos Islands
They weren’t the best dives in the world, but we got a couple shots (sharks schooling overhead, dolphins bow-surfing) that makes me want to put this together.
Cajas National Park
A 7-hour, Christmas-day hike through the high-altitude paramo. We hiked with a guy from St. Petersburg, so the twist here is that the podcast will be presented by Oksana and Kostya… in Russian (with English subtitles)!
Nazca Lines and Aqueducts
We did three different tours in Nazca: A flight over the enigmatic lines, a tour that brought us right to them for an up-close look, and a quick trip to the working aqueducts dug all the way down to the desert water table.
Colca Canyon
Supposedly the steepest canyon in the world. We hiked down into the canyon the first day, spent the night, and climbed back out (ooof!) the next day.
The Boleto Turistico de Cusco
The best way to see the sights in Cusco, Peru, is to buy a tourist ticket that gives you access to 16 different sites. Oksana and I made it our goal to hit each and every one of them!
Machu Picchu
My fourth visit to Machu Picchu was Oksana’s first. We actually didn’t spend as much time exploring the ancient city as I thought. Instead, we climbed Huayna Picchu, Montaña Machu Picchu, and spent some quality time with the llamas. Looking forward to seeing the timelapse footage I recorded for this one…
The Floating Islands of Lake Titicaca
We didn’t spend much time in the Titicaca region, but we couldn’t miss the floating reed islands of Los Uros.
Salar de Uyuni (DONE! Watch the video now!)
One of the most spectacular natural wonders I have seen in this world: An immense salt flat, situated at nearly 12,000ft, and covering over 4,000 square miles.
Product Review: Garmen eTrex Vista HCx
This little GPS device has made it surprisingly easy to update our Google maps page. I thought some people might like to see how easy it is to post a GPS track online.
Mountain Biking Down “The Most Dangerous Road in the World”
We had better weather than we could have hoped for on our mountain bike down this crazily-dangerous road in Bolivia, but that doesn’t mean it was all smooth sailing. Oksana had to conquer her fear whileI had to try not to fiddle with the head-mounted camera while we pedaled over a bumpy dirt road next to some very tall cliffs. Not for the feint of heart! (But don’t worry; “The Most Dangerous Road in the World” is just a name. It’s actually more of a dirt track.)
Also, we capped our ride down to the jungle with an afternoon at an animal shelter. Playing with the monkeys there was arguably cooler than the bike ride itself!
Cal O’rcko
Cal O’rcko, near Sucre, Bolivia, is the home of the longest sets of dinosaur footprints in the world. When a cement factory went about demolishing a mounting, they found the remains of an ancient lake that had be upthrust to an almost vertical orientation. Today, a small park has been built where you can look across at this well-preserved wonder of an ancient world.
Potosí Mine Tour
At over 4000 meters above sea level, Potosí bills itself as the highest city in the world. The reason its there at all is Cerro Rico, the richest mine in the entire history of the world. We paid for a tour deep into the tunnels and saw for ourselves to incredibly difficult and dangerous conditions the miners work under. Afterwards, we purchased a few sticks of dynamite (perfectly legal) and set them off (not at all legal!)
The Taito Geothermic Field
In the desert near San Pedro de Atacama lies the world’s 3rd largest geothermic field (after Yellowstone and Kamchatka.) We arrived just before sunrise (when it was -6 degrees Celsius!) to see the geysers and vents steaming in the cold night air. After a brief tour of the geysers, we stripped down to our swimsuits and sat in one of the geothermic pools… which was not nearly as pleasant as it sounds…
Bikes & Wine in Mendoza
Mendoza, Argentina is wine country and the best thing to do there is visit the wineries and bodegas. The best way to do that is to rent bicycles and pedal from one to the next, taking tours and sampling the wares. This was how we spent a day with our friends Dusty, Wendy, and Anya.
Parque Nacional Quebrada del Condorito
High up in the sierras of the Cordoba province lies the Parque Nacional Quebrada del Condorito. After a short hike through the pampilla, you arrive at the edge of a respectable canyon. If you’re lucky, you can see a bird with the world’s longest wingspan: The Andean Condor.
Tutorial: Subscribing to our Video Podcast
I’ve been meaning to create a tutorial like this for a long time. If you have iTunes, it’s super easy.
Tutorial: Syncing our Video Podcast to your iPhone/iPad/iPod
You could have the newest Postcard Valet episode copied to your “iDevice” every time you sync it with your computer. Just takes a minute to set up!
3 Months Traveling on $100/day: Budget Breakdown
Oksana has an AMAZING spreadsheet that covers every expense we’ve incurred on this trip. Seriously, it’s penny-accurate over three months! See how we’re able to get by on $100 a day (usually less!)
Other…?
Luhán Zoo, Buenos Aires
Think of it as a petting zoo where, instead of being able to pet a goat or maybe a wallaby, you instead get to pet any animal you want. Lion cubs, juvenile brown bears, adult tigers, full-size elephants – very few animals (if any!) were off limits
Is there something I’ve left out? Something you’re dying to hear about from our travels? Fill in the blank for me!
