Detour's Last Minute Specials to the Galapagos

Detour, The Adventure Travel Marketplace announces its updated Last Minute Specials to the Galapagos.

It's not too late to get a great deal on a great trip in 2006. Check out our Last Minute Specials! From time to time travel providers contact us to let us know about special deals on last minute availabilities, and this is where you can find the best deals. Check the Last Minute Specials page regularly to get the latest on our special deals.

Currently we have specials on Galapagos trips in November, December, 2006, and January 2007. Very few spaces are still available for Galapagos trips in 2006, so if one of these dates fits your schedule give us a call or send an email right away to reserve one of these trips.

Current Galapagos Specials
S/S Mary Anne, regular price $2880.00 per person
2 spaces available Nov-29-Dec 6, 2006 for $1900.00 pp
1 space available Dec 13-20, 2006 for $2500.00 pp
10 spaces available Jan 10-17, 2007 for $2600.00 pp
10 spaces available Jan 24-31, 2007 for $2600.00 pp

S/S Sagitta, regular price $2743.00 pp
2 spaces available Nov 29-Dec 6, 2006 for $19000.00

M/S Diamante, regular price $2264.00
1 space available Nov 29-Dec 6, 2006 for $1900.00
10 spaces available Sep 21-26, 2007 (6 day) for $1650.00

M/S Sea Cloud, regular price $2070.00 in 2006 and $2170.00 in 2007
1 space available Dec 16-23, 2006 for $1900.00
6 spaces available Jan 13-20, 2007 for $2000.00
8 spaces available Jan 20-27, 2007 for $2000.00

M/V Samba, regular price $1670.00
13 spaces available Dec 8-12, 2006 for a 5-day trip for $1500.00

M/S The Beagle, regular price $2435.00
1 space available Dec 5-12, 2006 for $1900.00
1 space available Dec 12-19, 2006 for $2100.00

10% off at Backcountry.com with Detour Trips!

Detour, The Adventure Travel Marketplace, customers can save 10% on outdoor clothing and equipment needed for their trips at backcountry.com.

Customers who purchase international adventure trips from Detour can now save money on the clothing and equipment they need for their travels with 10% off at backcountry.com, the leading online retailer of outdoor equipment and clothing.

"Backcountry.com is dedicated to being the best online retailer of the best built outdoor and backcountry gear on the planet. From the start our founders were intent on selling quality gear over the Web and what they found was that if the content is good and the products of the finest quality that people will come. If you’re as intense about your gear as you are about your adventures then you’re in the right store.

Our buyers have been intense about scouring the planet for the top gear you demand. In our store, you’ll find the best gear from top brands like The North Face, Black Diamond, Petzl, Mountain Hardware, Arc Teryx, Salomon, and more. With over 250 brands and nearly 5000 products, Backcountry.com offers a wide array of the absolute best made gear including backpacking, camping, skiing, snowboarding, rock climbing, kayaking, mountaineering gear and more, all at competitive prices. If you can’t find a piece of gear on Backcountry.com, it’s likely not a piece of gear you really need.

The type of gear found on Backcountry.com is indicative of the types of employees we have and attract. This passion for climbing, skiing, snowboarding, trail running, and a list of other outdoor sports crosses over to our desire to excel and succeed as a company team. It’s evident in all we do and has translated to our continued success."

Visit Backcountry.com

Visiting the Galapagos Islands in November

November is one of the prettiest months of the year in the Galapagos. It’s transition time, as little by little we are seeing fewer of the overcast, drizzly days, or garua, as the days are becoming sunnier the and sky bluer. Days are getting hot, but nights tend to be cooler because the South-east trade winds have picked up. Average air temperature ranges between 28º and 21º C (82º F and 70ºF). We recommend you bring a waterproof windbreaker and use sun protection daily, even if the day is overcast.

The water temperatures are around 23º C (73ºF) , although the water temperatures vary from site to site due to ocean currents (water is colder in Western islands, such as Isabela and Fernandina Islands). It is advisable to in case you want to snorkel. Snorkeling is fantastic this time of year, but we suggest you use a wet suit so you can stay in the water longer.

In terms of wildlife, there is a lot of activity in November. At Espanola, Waved Albatross are taking care of their young, and Nazca Boobies are nesting. Frigate-birds continue breeding at North Seymour, and there are male marine iguanas head-bobbing all over the place to establish and defend their territories prior to mating.

Galapagos Update from Angermeyer Cruises, owners/operators of Galapagos vessels the M/S Sea Cloud, the M/Y Samba, the M/S The Beagle, the M/S Diamante, the S/S Sagitta, and the S/S Mary Anne.

Detour's Last Minute Specials to the Galapagos

Detour, The Adventure Travel Marketplace announces its updated Last Minute Specials to the Galapagos.

It's not too late to get a great deal on a great trip in 2006. Check out our Last Minute Specials! From time to time travel providers contact us to let us know about special deals on last minute availabilities, and this is where you can find the best deals. Check the Last Minute Specials page regularly to get the latest on our special deals.

Currently we have specials on Galapagos trips in November and December 2006. Very few spaces are still available for Galapagos trips in 2006, so if one of these dates fits your schedule give us a call or send an email right away to reserve one of these trips.

Current Galapagos Specials
S/S Mary Anne, regular price $2880.00 per person
12 spaces available Dec 6-13, 2006 for $1900.00 pp
1 space available Dec 13-20, 2006 for $2500.00

S/S Sagitta, regular price $2743.00 pp
1 space available Dec 6-13, 2006 for $2000.00

M/S Diamante, regular price $2264.00
1 space available Nov 29-Dec 6, 2006 for $2000.00
10 spaces available Sep 21-26, 2007 (6 day) for $1650.00

M/S Sea Cloud, regular price $2070.00
1 space available Dec 16-23, 2006 for $1700.00

M/V Samba, regular price $1670.00
1 space available Dec 12-19, 2006 for $1500.00

Patagonia's Torres del Paine and EcoCamp

Patagonia is more than just an outdoor clothing company! It is a magical land at the bottom of the world, made up of the southern portions of both Argentina and Chile. Cascada Expediciones, a world-class Chilean company that specializes in sustainable adventures throughout Chile and Argentina, offers fantastic trekking and wildlife adventures in Patagonia through Detour's Adventure Travel Marketplace.

Southern Patagonia is trekking country, and Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park is a must visit for every mountain lover. There are numerous options for visiting Torres del Paine, but the two classic treks are: 1) The famous “W,” that crosses the front of the Torres massif and penetrates three different valleys (to form a W shape); and 2) The more difficult Circuit that completely circles the Paine Massif. Both offer amazing views of glaciers, granite spires, and turquoise lakes.

Most of Cascada's Torres del Paine trips spend at least one night at the EcoCamp, their proprietary sustainable 4-star lodge. A few years back, Cascada recognized that the Park's infrastructure was not sufficient for the increasing numbers of visitors. They were concerned about how to provide more lodging while minimizing impacts on the Park's fragile environment. Their answer was to build the EcoCamp, a comfortable, sustainable, 4 star lodge modeled after the housing structures of indigenous Patagonians. The EcoCamp is a series of interconnected domes that provide comfortable private bedrooms and spacious dining and lounge facilities on the inside, while blending into the environment from the outside. The EcoCamp is portable, allowing it to be taken down each winter to allow the surrounding area to recover before the next season. Electricity is generated by wind and solar energy, and passive solar designs help to both illuminate and keep the domes warm. Come check out the EcoCamp for yourself on one of Cascada's fantastic Patagonia trips this winter!

Incredible Art Exhibit in Quito until Dec 15th

“Three Great Masters of Spain” is the name of the exhibition at the Cultural Center of the Catholic University of Ecuador’s capital. 339 works by Francisco de Goya, Pablo Picasso and Joan Miro, including engravings, lithography, sculpture and ceramic corresponding to various periods of the three artists will be on display in Quito until December 15.

This impressive art collection belongs to the Metropolitan Foundation, a private art institution from Milano, Italy. If you happen to be in Quito, don’t miss it!

Celebrating Life and Death in Ecuador

Celebrating life and death…

A couple of the most important dates in the indigenous calendar are the 1st and 2nd of November, All Saints Day (Todos los Santos) and Day of the Dead (Dia de los Difuntos, o muertos). The ancient belief is that the soul visits its relatives within these days and should have plenty of food to be fed and continue further on its journey to the after life.

The family gets ready for this visit and among the several specialties that they prepare are the "bread dolls", which have a specific meaning depending on the shape. Horse shaped breads for example means transport. The ritual involves the construction of a tomb that is adorned with the soul's favourite drink and food and over this tomb they place black cloth and the bread dolls together with several other things that are meaningful to the ritual.

Once the Soul arrives and celebrates with its living relatives, all of them celebrate as well with a big glass of Colada Morada (a purple sweet drink). Then, the ceremony is taken to the local cemetery. The ritual is done for up to three years. It is not continued afterwards. The celebration itself is a mixture of ethnic cultures and Catholic customs. At the present times, as everywhere else, most Ecuadorians celebrate "Día de los Difuntos, o muertos" in a different practical way; just visiting their deceased relatives in the cemetery and adorning their tombs with flowers.

Colada Morada :
1 qt. blueberries (or blackberries or raspberries)
1 can crushed pineapple
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cloves
2 c. pineapple juice
1/3 c. cornstarch
Cinnamon sticks (opt.)
Simmer berries in a little (1/4 to 1/2 cup) water. Mash and strain. Put berry liquid in a large 6 quart kettle. Add water (to equal 1/2 water - 1/2 juice). Add pineapple and pineapple juice. Mix well and heat thoroughly. Add sugar and spices (adjust amounts to taste). Stir. When mixture reaches simmer, add cornstarch softened in cold water. Mix well. Serve warm. 6 servings. Optional: Serve with cinnamon sticks.

From Toppsa, a Galapagos and Ecuador Travel Provider