Friday, July 23

Hello Travelers,

Ten of us are heading off tomorrow to the cool mountain air of the Canadian Rockies.  I hope you can join us in Banff July next year.  This stunning picture is of Moraine Lake in the Rockies – arguably the most beautiful place on earth!

National Geographic Top 50 Trips of a Lifetime

Summer got away to a great start with Canyon Calling’s New Zealand trip making this prestigious list!  We are especially proud to be the first ever women’s adventure company to be included.  Our 14-day trip each February is the most comprehensive schedule offered by any company leading tours to New Zealand.  We spend a week in each of the North and South Islands – both equal in terms of cultural, scenic and adventure opportunities.  We raft, sea kayak, hike a volcano, sail, walk a glacier and canoe in a land so diverse that it has been called “the world in a shoebox.”  The cultural highlight is undoubtedly our overnight on a Maori marae or homeland.  There is also an unguided two-night optional stay in Fiji - a great way to get rid of jet-lag before the Kiwi adventure begins.

Doing Good .... hmmmm, not so fast!

You may remember the story from an E-Newsletter last summer about our giving hiking sticks to a man in Peru who we found dragging himself along the ground.  With the sticks, he was immediately able to walk despite his deformed foot.  When I returned on this year's tour I took crutches for him, assuming it would make walking even easier. Our local guide Lucrecia (pictured assisting on the left) told me that he didn't use the sticks because tourists gave him more money when he dragged himself on the ground!  This was a great lesson in understanding needs through the eyes of the recipient, not the donor. 

I have just read the book "Half the Sky" and highly recommend it.  It’s all about turning oppression into opportunity for women worldwide.  I was struck by the book's myriad stories in a similar vein to our Peru experience – how billions in aid are squandered because of donor countries and corporations not understanding the needs of the locals or the ramifications of their giving.

Notes from the Trail

Peruvian Andes
Three of our frequent travelers and five ladies new to Canyon Calling assembled in Lima May 14th for our ten day Peruvian Andes trip.  The highlight of most trips to Peru is the view of Machu Picchu as you hike on the Inca Trail in through the Sun Gate.  We were grateful that rail service was restored in time for our trip, as massive rains in January had destroyed part of the line.  It was interesting to discover that some of our travelers found other activities even more memorable than Machu Picchu!  One chose riding Peso horses in the Sacred Valley, two chose the cultural visit to the floating islands of Uros on Lake Titicaca, and a first-time paddler declared rafting the Urambamba River to be her most memorable experience.  If you want to join us next May in Peru its very important to sign up by January 31 as that is the deadline for securing permits to hike the trail.

Best of the West
Right in our backyard, this ten-day exploration of the best of Arizona and Utah in early June is a guide favorite.  Our customers on this essentially desert trip were surprised at how much time we spent in and on the water!  From swimming in Lake Powell to kayaking the Colorado: refreshing steams, creeks, lakes and rivers always seem close by.  We camp for two extra special nights – inside Canyon de Chelly and on Lake Powell.  Miles from city lights, there are more stars than we ever knew.  The beautiful sounds from our Navajo guide’s flute bounce serenely off the canyon walls and the smell of our campfire on Lake Powell takes us back to childhood.  It’s a joy to be outside in the bug-free evenings of the Southwest.

Desert Mountain Escape
Our new schedule was a hit with our one Canadian and four US customers.  Starting and ending in Santa Fe, we traveled through the Land of Enchantment up into the adorable mountain towns of Colorado’s San Juan Mountains.  It was an amazing feeling to climb ladders up into cliff-side homes and down into ceremonial kivas at Bandolier ruins.  We loved looking up from our raft on the Rio Grand at the beautiful bridge spanning the river and we loved the smell of the ponderosas as we rode horses outside of Durango.  Our overnight at Georgia O’Keefe’s Ghost Ranch showered us with stunning sunset photo opportunities and gave us an appreciation of her love for the high desert.  Our fun week ended perfectly with a hot springs soak under the stars after our final dinner.

Check out our schedules: http://canyoncalling.com/pages/schedule.html

Happy Trails,
Cheryl