Entries Posted in April, 2010
April 30th, 2010
I Was Interviewed by James Martell
Since I met he and his wife in 2006, James Martell and his wife Arlene, have been two of my business heroes.
In addition to raising a family with 4 kids, they’ve built a large affiliate marketing business, and they do a great job teaching others to do the same.
I’ve learned a lot from their ideas around affiliate marketing, things which I put into play in our business on an almost daily basis.
So it was a pleasant surprise to me when one of my business heroes emailed to say that they would like to do an interview with me about what Carrie and I are doing… traveling the world on the income we earn from the various sites we’ve built as affiliate marketers, as well as income from various other interests.
James said “They are a classy example of what you can do as an affiliate.”
That’s really cool to get that kind of compliment from one of your mentors.
They mention us and what we’re doing in one audio, and then James interviews me for the second interview.
http://jamesmartell.com/affiliate-buzz/why-you-must-succeed-with-affiliate-programs/
http://jamesmartell.com/coffee-talk/jonathan-kraft-affiliate-lifestyle/
It was really cool to have this experience, and I look forward to having the opportunity to spend more time with James and Arlene (where they live) in Canada, or somewhere else in the world.
James also has a book called “Online Success for Non-Techies.”
You might want to check it out if that title appeals to you. I tend to think of myself as a non-techie (even though I’m probably not), so I read the book and found some great advice in it… tips and advice I use on a daily basis.
Popularity: 1% [?]
April 29th, 2010
Cajamarca, Peru Was Caxamarca & Other Lessons Learned At the Sillas de los Incas
In Cajamarca, from the Plaza de Las Armas (where Atahualpa was captured), it is possible to see and walk to the mirador de la Ciudad… which is a hill, a garden, and a church overlooking the city. Carrie and I decided to walk there, up the steps which take you to the church, which seems to be near the top.
It’s quite a few steps (maybe 150 or so, plus an uphill walk before that) but there are little shops and artisan markets all along the way to stop at. There are also fun statues all the way up.
The view from the church is absolutely worth it.
Even more worth it are the gardens, which cost 1 Sole (about 35 cents) to enter.
Edwin, a boy there, asked us if we wanted a tour and a bit of the history of the in exchange for a “pequena propina” (small tip).
Why not, we decided.
Edwin the tour guide is AWESOME (if you understand Spanish). He’s 12 years old and has been giving tours since he was 7 years old. He gave us a 30 minute tour of the gardens, which have even better views of the city of Cajamarca than the mirador.
He also told us an amazing amount of history about Cajamarca, the slaughter of the Incans, the tribal wars that took place between the last kings of the Incans, and lots of interesting factoids. Before the Incans inhabited this area, the Caxamarca (a name of a different group of people) lived here. At the top of the hill is a rock with three sillas (Pronounced: See-jyahs or see-yuhs) “seats” which face different directions and are named the “seats of the Incas”.
However, they were actually made by the Caxamarca as a lookout for invaders as well as a marking of where the sun rose during different times of the year.
The Incans just adopted them when they conquered the Caxamarca.
You can’t get really close to the rock with the three sillas, but you can get close to a rock with 2 sillas, where you can sit and have your picture taken.
It felt pretty crazy to sit on a rock which was carved by the Caxamarca about 4,000 years before we got there.
We enjoyed our half hour tour quite a bit and at the end tipped 10 soles (about $3.30), which is a pretty good wage considering Edwin is 12 and also considering we’re in Cajamarca, Peru, where a 10 minute taxi or tuk-tuk ride costs 2-5 soles (if the driver is charging a fair price).
After the Sillas de los Incas, we went to the Museo de la San Francisco.
Popularity: 2% [?]
April 28th, 2010
Overnight Bus From Chiclayo, Peru, to Cajamarca, Peru: Turismo Dias Bus Company
I don’t know why the seats and bus we booked with Turismo Dias got switched, but the bus we ended up on with Turismo Dias had no AC.
It was pretty hot until the guy in front of me went to sleep and I could open the window.
The Turismo Dias bus was (I guess) comfortable enough (the seats did recline quite a bit).
But Turismo Dias was relatively squishy compared to
Popularity: 5% [?]
Continue reading "Overnight Bus From Chiclayo, Peru, to Cajamarca, Peru: Turismo Dias Bus Company" »
April 25th, 2010
Cajamarca, Peru: Ceramics
While staying with Vicky at Casa Mirita (homestay in Cajamarca, Peru), she took us on a brief tour of her neighborhood.
Today was Sunday, and the power was turned off (city-wide in a conservation effort).
That didn’t stop us though.
Vicky took us around and showed us the ceramic workshops of some of her neighbors. At the first stop, they make “piggy-banks”. But these banks are in all different shapes.
They do everything by hand. Even making their own clay.
Popularity: 3% [?]
April 24th, 2010
Cumbe Mayo, near Cajamarca, Peru
You’ve probably never heard of Cumbe Mayo before. I hadn’t either. Not until we were in Cajamarca and everyone started talking about it.
So, we decided to schedule a tour. We took a ½ day tour, leaving at 9:30am, and returning at 2:00pm.
To be honest, we didn’t know a whole lot about where we were going until we got there.
What we did know was that there were some pretty cool rock formations, and the oldest man-made aqueduct (and possibly structure) in the Americas.
But, I wasn’t expecting to have one of the best days of our trip.
The national park is massive. There are trails that go all through the park and around the formations. Our tour also included a guide (Spanish speaking).
Having the guide was really helpful. He pointed out these amazing channels in the rocks (that are man-made) to help catch the water and guide it where they needed.
(These are massive. I have no idea how long it took someone in the year 1000 BC to carve these.)
He also pointed out petro-glyphs and explained their possible meanings.
He showed us rocks in the shapes of: a monk, a turtle, a guinea pig, a man and woman, and much more.
Monk:
Face:
And Santa Clause!
We hiked and climbed through the formations. It was fantastic.
There are also indigenous people still living inside the park. They keep sheep and turn their wool into yarn. That’s what this young girl is doing.
Then we were on to the main attraction: the aqueduct. But to get there, we first had to climb through a tunnel.
The tunnel was really small and narrow. We had to turn sideways to get through. And, there was a small part that was completely dark with absolutely no light.
It was an easy tunnel to get through. I think our guide made it sound worse than it actually was.
The people living here (in northern Peru) in 1000 BC needed water on a more regular basis. So, they went looking.
They found it. On the other side of the continental divide. They then decided to find a way to divert the water over to the other side of the mountains where they needed it.
How’d they do that? By building an aqueduct through the rocks. They used the aqueduct to channel the water from one side of the continental divide to the other.
3000 years ago, you can probably imagine that they didn’t have much in the way of tools. But, just look at this precision!
They even devised a way to make the water flow up-hill, and a filtration system. The filtration happens by flowing through this series of 90 degree angles. The sand sinks to the bottom, letting the pure water continue flowing.
There is also a rock (big rock) where the people used to make sacrifices. There is no evidence that they performed human sacrifices. Only animals.
They would kill the animal on top of this rock, and then let the blood flow into the water (and aqueduct) below. The blood of the animal would purify the water, and therefore, the people and the crops as well.
I loved the time we spent in Cumbe Mayo. I wish we could have spent longer walking the trails and climbing the boulders.
But, we were off on another adventure in the afternoon: The Ventanillas de Otuzco.
Popularity: 4% [?]
April 22nd, 2010
Sunset in Ecuador, Sunrise in Peru
AKA – How to travel by bus from Cuenca, Ecuador to Chiclayo, Peru.
One of our homework assignments while learning Spanish was to read about Atahualpa (the Incan King who “surrendered” to the Spanish).
This happened near Cajamarca, Peru. (Stay tuned for more on Atahualpa and Cajamarca.)
When we were looking into traveling from Cuenca, Ecuador to Lima, Peru (by bus – about 30 hours), we wanted a way to break up the trip a bit. Cajamarca was our answer. So, we did this instead:
(FYI – in trying to plan our route we found no one who told us the name of the bus companies… so this post is to help others find their way.)
The bus from Cuenca to Machala, Ecuador:
Pullman Sucre is the name of the company, and their office is inside the Cuenca bus terminal (Terminal Terrestre). In Machala, we switched buses (and bus companies) to CIFA International.
But, the tickets for both buses were purchased in Cuenca through Pullman Sucre.
This bus took us from Machala, across the border of Ecuador, and into Peru.
The border crossing at Tumbes was pretty basic and relatively easy as far as land crossings go.
However, the “no-man’s land” was huge! I would not have wanted to be on my own to find the two in/out offices.
The CIFA International bus was pretty nice. It was much better than Pullman Sucre’s.
It wasn’t the best, but it was good enough.
Through Pullman Sucre, the tickets from Cuenca, Ecuador to Piura, Peru were $15 each.
Cuenca to Piura took 11 hours (with a 30 minute stopover in Machala for the bus change).
In case you didn’t know…it’s a desert in northern Peru.
Here’s the view.
Travel by night if you can.
When we arrived in Piura, Peru (where CIFA ended their route), we had to change buses and bus companies.
We took a taxi (because a Peruvian woman traveling the same route as us told us to).
And, Jonathan forgot what the exchange rate was… either that or he wasn’t awake yet.
In any case, he paid our taxi driver $7 for a 3 block ride. (That should have cost about $1-$2.)
We didn’t need a taxi… Transportes Chiclayo’s terminal is located (as said) basically just 2-3 blocks from CIFA International.
We took Transportes Chiclayo from Piura to Chiclayo.
(3 hours, $6 each for the “Bus Cama” (nicer) seats)
The bus was really nice!
We arrived, finally, in Chiclayo at about 10:00am.
This time, when we got a taxi, the driver first took us to get our tickets to Cajamarca.
Tonight, we will be traveling with Tourismo Dias on a night bus to Cajamarca (approx. 10 hours, $12 each).
Now, we’re in Chiclayo at a restaurant with internet our taxi driver recommended. It’s great!
It’s called Hebron, and they’re really nice and the food is good, and the internet is fast!
Check it out the next time you’re in Chiclayo.
Popularity: 11% [?]
April 22nd, 2010
Hebron Restaurant and Grill in Chiclayo, Peru
The day of April 22nd, 2010, will go down in our memories as the day we spent the entire day sitting in a restaurant and working.
The ENTIRE DAY.
We arrived in Chiclayo at 9:45 AM. The taxi driver took us to Turismo Dias to get our bus tickets from Chiclayo to Cajamarcas.
Popularity: 3% [?]
Continue reading "Hebron Restaurant and Grill in Chiclayo, Peru" »
April 22nd, 2010
Testimonials and Videos from (a few of the) Places We Have Stayed
Apartment in Quito, Ecuador
(March, 2010)
Since you stayed at the apartment (I have in Quito) last month, I have gotten a lot more bookings. I’m booked through the end of the summer, (2010).
It’s been really great… having you stay with me was more like having someone working for me because with the video you made and pictures you took while you were here, I have had MANY people want to book the apartment… I wasn’t sure at first since I gave you the discount to stay here, but having you stay at the apartment was one of the smartest things I think I could have done for future rentals.
Pablo Proaño
Quito, Ecuador
Casita in Boquete, Panama
(November, 2009)
We loved having you guys stay in one of our casitas. Our favorite experience with any renter we’ve ever had was the night when you made us the most delicious Italian dinner of eggplant parmesean I’ve ever had. (And we were super impressed you offered to cook for us while you were renting from us)!
We were so happy too that we invited you to house-sit for us while we went to Florida in January 2010. During those two weeks in January, it was so nice to know that we didn’t have to worry about anything while we were in Florida. Thank-you for taking great care of our home, taking care of the challenges and repairs at the casita rentals, and for getting messages to the neighbors for us.
Since you made the video of our casita “B”, we’ve had a nearly full booking schedule.
You guys are the best renters we’ve had… From our perspective, you guys being here felt like having family stay with us, but getting paid for the visit. Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!
David and Cora Kent
Boquete, Panama
El Cid Hotel (near Cancun, Mexico)
(Over 9,240 views on YouTube (so far) – more on other sites as well)
Terrazas Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina
(April, 2008)
Kookaburra Cafe in Cuenca, Ecuador
(April, 2010)
Hi Carrie and Jonathan!
Thought I would let you know we just had a month-long booking come in from someone who watched the video you made of Kookaburra.
Thanks so much for your interest in Kookaburra and its success. We had noticed the networking you did on our behalf and so, although this note comes just a little belated and with prompting (since it resulted in this rental), it comes nonetheless with our genuine gratitude.
Chris and I hope your travels are still wildly satisfying and endlessly awe-inspiring. Take care of each other!
Warm wishes,
Jenny
Popularity: 8% [?]
Continue reading "Testimonials and Videos from (a few of the) Places We Have Stayed" »
April 21st, 2010
Hostal Casa Del Rio in Cuenca, Ecuador
A Review of Hostal Casa Del Rio in Cuenca, Ecuador
As you might expect with the name Hostal Casa Del Rio (House of/by the river), the hostal sits next to one of Cuenca’s main rivers. This means that from many of the rooms at Hostal Casa Del Rio, you actually do have a view of the river. You also get the sounds of the river at night.
The Casa Del Rio has hot showers, quiet spaces, cable TV (which we never turned on) and is very clean. Most of the rooms are $25/night… ours was a little bigger and had two windows looking at the river, so we paid $30/night.
We stayed for three nights here in Cuenca.
We stayed in Room 201, and liked our room. It was very comfortable. The owner of the hotel, Eugenio, was very nice and almost always on-hand to offer advice or helpful tips.
Those are the things we liked about the Hostal Casa Del Rio.
What we didn’t like:
The water pressure for the hot water is basically a trickle. You can get super-hot water, but if you want to take a shower with any kind of water pressure, you’ll have to turn on the cold faucet and take a warm shower.
The Internet worked in the lobby area, but wasn’t strong enough to reach to our room.
The Internet wasn’t fast enough to make calls via Skype. (Admittedly, I only tried this once, but I’m pretty sure it’s just not fast enough to make Skype calls.)
The sheets weren’t big enough for the bed. There was plenty of comforter, but we fought over the sheet all night.
All of these things are not a big deal. The hotel is pretty quiet and a good place to stay. They cleaned our room and made the bed every day, and gave us a new bar of soap and a new shampoo daily.
If you want a good, quiet, clean, and relatively inexpensive, (absent of luxuries, but still nice enough) place to stay in Cuenca, Hostal Casa Del Rio is likely a great option for you.
Popularity: 10% [?]
April 21st, 2010
A Great Video About Ecuador
As we wrap up our time in Ecuador, I’m feeling like there’s so much more to see.
That’s a good thing to know and experience when leaving a place.
It’s the feeling of “I want to go back”, and I’m having the feeling before I’ve even left.
I came across this video today from the Ecuador Tourism board, and thought I would share it here.
I don’t regret any of the time we’ve spent here, in Spanish classes, or on quick trips to Mindo, Cotopaxi, Saquisili, the Mitad Del Mundo, Otavalo, or Cuenca.
At the same time, there’s so much more to see.
As the text for the above video says:
Ecuador: Me voy a volver (Ecuador – I’m going to return.)
Popularity: 5% [?]
- February 03, 2012 04:08 AM : Giveaway Friday: Chinese Chopsticks Can Create A Cornucopia of Quality (Free Baskets!)
- January 31, 2012 07:45 AM : Buy My REI Backpack!
- January 27, 2012 01:01 AM : Giveaway Friday: Protecting Your Pictures Is Particularly Painless (How To Watermark Images)
- January 23, 2012 11:32 PM : Miracles of Unparalleled Proportions...
- January 20, 2012 09:55 AM : Giveaway Friday: Impaling Instruments Necessitate Inhibitors (Cutting Boards)
- January 18, 2012 10:56 PM : Visiting IKEA for the first time - In Centennial, Colorado?
- January 15, 2012 09:54 PM : What Are SOPA/PIPA, and Why Should You Care?
- January 13, 2012 06:19 AM : Giveaway Friday: Carrie’s Curious Chai Can Cure
- January 08, 2012 12:11 PM : Funny Improv Video
- January 06, 2012 04:09 AM : Giveaway Friday: The Potter's Hands Picture Poster Is A Perfect Presentation of Pastoral Proclamations
- January 02, 2012 04:19 AM : It's 2012! See What We're Giving Away (For Free!)
- December 30, 2011 11:18 AM : Amazing Video: Native Northerners (Eskimos) Harvesting Mussels
- December 27, 2011 11:26 AM : Poem by Jonathan: Old Smokey
- December 23, 2011 12:18 PM : Getting To Decorate Sugar Cookies With My Cousins and Grandma
- December 21, 2011 10:09 AM : Funny Video! Silent Monks "Sing" The Hallelujah Chorus
- December 14, 2011 12:20 PM : Watching The Lunar Eclipse From Venango, Nebraska
- December 12, 2011 11:00 PM : We’re In The News!
- December 11, 2011 10:48 PM : Touch Screen Everything
- December 09, 2011 10:53 PM : Enjoying Colorado (in Photographs)
- December 07, 2011 10:56 PM : Returning To Snow (And Cold)
- December 05, 2011 07:35 AM : The World in Food
- December 03, 2011 01:34 PM : By The Numbers: How Much Does This Cost?
- November 27, 2011 11:03 PM : In America, Everything Is A Big Deal
- November 27, 2011 09:28 PM : A Farewell to Dustyn Kraft: Someone Who Made Me Laugh
- November 25, 2011 11:28 PM : GET OVER IT!
- November 23, 2011 11:36 PM : Recognizing So Many Complaints
- November 21, 2011 08:36 PM : 101 more places to see
- November 18, 2011 01:50 AM : Would You Give Up The Internet For 1 Million Dollars?
- November 12, 2011 11:46 AM : Internet On-Board Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur Of The Seas
- November 10, 2011 11:40 AM : In Pictures: 3 Americanisms that are now strange
- November 07, 2011 11:45 AM : A Cruise Vs. A Mortgage
- November 07, 2011 11:43 AM : 29 Places I’d Love To Go Back To
- November 01, 2011 11:38 AM : What I found most interesting about Mallorca
- October 30, 2011 11:37 AM : 3 Days in The German Section of Mallorca, Spain
- October 29, 2011 07:47 AM : City Style Apartments, Tallinn Estonia
