Koncocoo

Best Ecuador & Galapagos Islands Travel

Lonely Planet Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands (Travel Guide)
Full-color maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - including customs, history, music, politics, landscapes, and wildlife Over 61 local maps Covers Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca, Otavalo, Banos, Montanita, Vilcabamba, Mindo, Canoa, Isla de la Plata, the Quilatoa Loop, Papallacta, Isla Santa Cruz, Isla San Salvador, and more. Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews Add notes to personalize your guidebook experience Seamlessly flip between pages Bookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash Embedded links to recommendations' websites Zoom-in maps and images Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing. Looking for more extensive coverage?
Reviews
"The Lonely Planet Guide is superior to other guide books..it always has some hints on less travelled or frequented spots as well as the traditional highlights."
"Book has been worth EVERY penny, have gotten many ideas for our trip from it."
"Easy to read, excellent index and great maps."
"This book is awesome!"
"Thorough and helpful with lots of side notes of interesting aspects of the land and culture to be aware of."
"The pictures and descriptions in the book were clear and detailed and made us excited about this trip."
Find Best Price at Amazon
Floreana: A Woman's Pilgrimage to the Galapagos
The remarkable first-hand account of. In 1932, when Wittmer (then pregnant), her husband, Heinz, and his son, Harry--Germans in search of an Edenesque environment--arrived on Floreana, a remote island in the Galapagos, they first dwelled in caves once inhabited by pirates, the "roads" were tracks made by wild donkeys and their only neighbors were a misanthropic back-to-nature theorist and his disciple. In 1932, Margaret Wittmer leaves Germany with her husband and step-son and travels to Floreana, a small, almost unpopulated island in the Galapagos chain, where they settle, clear land, and, after five months of living in old pirates' caves, move into the house they finish just in time for Margaret to have a baby.
Reviews
"I read this book by Margaret Wittmer in hopes of getting insights into that mystery."
"At the end they prevailed, and now their descendants are living and working on Floreana and the surrounding islands."
"This family went from city life in Cologne before WWII to primitive subsistence farming, while at first living in a cave where Margret delivered her first baby."
"Written first-person by the wife, Margaret Wittmer, it covers in detail nearly everything that ever happened in their lives."
"This book is very informative and interesting."
"She and her husband were required to work incredibly hard in order to survive in such treacherous circumstances, which to be frank, one might wonder what they were thinking at first."
"From literally nothing, the couple built a plantation with their own labor, raising 3 children, and managed to feed and entertain boat loads of people."
"I recently visited Floreana Island (one of the Galapagos islands) and I purchased this book to learn about the first settlers on the island."
Find Best Price at Amazon
100 Points to Consider Before Moving or Retiring in Ecuador
As a long-time resident of Ecuador, I can say with certainty that you won’t find a book like this with profound cultural insights, Do's and Don’ts, as well as invaluable ‘must-know’ information on what to expect when setting up residence in Ecuador. Margaret Goodhart – Ali Shungu Mountaintop Lodge - Otavalo, Ecuador. -------------. This book is not a sugar-laden milkshake of feel-good, fuzzy dribble telling you what a paradise Ecuador is for expatriates. And, the author also provides relevant inside secrets of living in Ecuador from an infamous and often misunderstood Ecuadorian, "Don Nadie" who tells you the way it is in Ecuador. If you dream of moving to Ecuador to open a business, this book will disclose some of the critical pitfalls of operating an enterprise in Ecuador.
Reviews
"My husband and I have been living in Ecuador for over 4 years and it was refreshing to read a book that is honest about the culture differences. My husband advised me not to read the book since it validated my intuition of Ecuador and Ecuadorians in a very short period of time after moving here. However, reading this book before making a permanent move is highly recommended!"
"There must be thousands of wonderful things in and about Ecuador and than there are 100 things that people, who consider visiting or moving to Ecuador, should absolutely know about. I bet there are hundreds of positive things going for any country and I am also sure there are 100 points to consider about any country as well."
"I am happy that this plus every other page of data I have read (at least 1000) from many sources better prepare me to assess this beautiful country as a new home, thanks Nick for the work that went into thus."
"Since I've been living in Ecuador for nearly 4 years, I felt it would have to go a long way in filling me in on the unknown details of interest (to me)."
"I have been expatriated to Ecuador for seven years."
"This guy has lived in Ecuador for many years, speaks the language and really tells the reader what to expect, whether they are novice or an experienced traveler to third-world countries...this is a must-read book for anyone considering moving to Ecuador...he lays it all out...some of it is depressing, but he does re-iterate that one should visit before moving there...I found it extremely honest, non-partisan and extremely helpful, and even though he's married to an Ecuadorian "Princess", he's lived there for 30 years, so it can't be that bad....I liked the book very much but as I said, some things are quite depressing to read."
"The book may even cause some to take Ecuador off their list, but that is okay, because it is far better to get a good look at the warts before you make the move. The purpose of the book is not to dissuade folks from moving or visiting but to give an honest overview of all there is to experience in this complicated little country."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Ecuadoran History

How Forests Think: Toward an Anthropology Beyond the Human
Can forests think? The semiotics in this well-wrought book are technical, worked, demanding, tuned to form and modality, alert to emergent properties, multinaturally and ethnographically precise. Besides all that, this book is a powerfully good read, one that changed my dreams and reworked my settled habits of interpretation, even the multispecies ones.” -- Donna Haraway, UC Santa Cruz. “I can only call this thought-leaping in the most creative sense. “A remarkable aspect of [this book] is the complex – and often beautifully written – intermingling of subtle theoretical propositions with an even subtler ethnography.” — Philippe Descola, Collège de France.
Reviews
"Not a book to be read quickly."
"This work reaches beyond the limitations of language and dominant frameworks of thought."
"Dense, but amazing if you make the effort of really understanding his argument."
"In this study, ethnography is not an object, but a medium to comprehend multiple ontologies; hence, it is much different from traditional anthropological works, which mostly focus on cultural representations. Without giving up being “human,” the writer discloses how our “selves” are interwoven with other “beings.” In this sense, he offers us to approach the human and non-human as active agents in our thinking of anthropological study. Rather, Kohn criticizes human-centric approach of the Western anthropology by focusing on other-than-human beings, and he proves us the importance of studying human within a relationship with its surroundings. Therefore, he draws our attention to the revolutionary potentials and scholarly possibilities of studying another type of anthropology, in which we open up ourselves to various "selves." His study converts Redfieldian notion of “worldviews” into different “worlds” of non-human beings. Focusing on the potentials of thinking beyond human in anthropology, he provides alternative ways of thinking within scholarly language and unconventional ways of using ethnography. Is there any relationship between their colonial history and their hesitation to use power upon other beings in their surrounding? Yes, the language is tough, and it necessitates from the reader to have some background information on semiotics, ontology, and epistemology to the extent of postmodernism and posthuman critics. I do not think that the book is for the general reader, but inevitably an innovative contribution to anthropology with its writing performance. Among the non-textual ways of communication with the reader, the writer’s use of photography perfectly fits with the philosophical profundity of the text. Although his book is not considered as a traditional ethnography for the reasons that I mentioned above, since he opens up the scholarly work into dialogic epistemologies and provides multiplicity of experiences from an unconventional inter-species analysis of subject-object relationships, it must be considered one of the finest examples of critical ethnography."
"In 'How Forests Think,' the author, Eduardo Kohn, has undertaken an ambitious project, challenging anthropology to be inclusive of non-human life. To carry out this project, Mr. Kohn has employed 4 perspectives; ecology, colonial history, semiotics, and the Runa, an indigenous group in the Amazon rain forest of Ecuador. Yet, we do need to subscribe to a view that sees life as inherently symbolic, sentient, and made up of a multitude of selves that an anthropology beyond the human needs to recognize. He also seems to be saying that we need to recognize that life has some type of animating presence propelling it forward, whether we recognize this animating presence as spirit informing matter or some kind of intrinsic geometric sign system is up to us, but an anthropology beyond the human cannot move forward without adopting a viewpoint similar to this, because an anthropology beyond the human would have to honor life in all of its diverse aspects. As a reader it is challenging to mine the gems that are in this book and it may take more than one reading and some reflection to understand everything that Mr. Kohn says, since there is so much set on the feast table."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Chile & Easter Island Travel

A Companion To Easter Island (Guide To Rapa Nui)
The essential guidebook to this mysterious and enigmatic island, and the only book about Easter Island written by someone who lives there. He now runs his own private touring company, Easter Island Spirit, and is also the British Honorary Consul on the island.
Reviews
"If you are only going to be on the island for a few days (I arrived on a Friday and left on a Monday), then I highly suggest going around on your own and using this book to plan your itinerary as I did; there was nothing advertised on any of the tours that wasn't discussed in this book and you don't lose much if anything on island culture and history by forgoing guides."
"This is the best resource I found for background and navigational tips for visiting Easter Island."
"Wonderful book for self-guided tours."
"Enormously helpful for our two weeks exploring the island."
"Great details, history, and local color."
"A must have guide to read before visiting Easter Island and to have on hand while visiting."
"easy to read ( I read it in the plane From Santiago to Easter Island)."
"Just back from Easter Island."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Brazil Travel

The Unconquered: In Search of the Amazon's Last Uncontacted Tribes
In this gripping first-person account of adventure and survival, author Scott Wallace chronicles an expedition into the Amazon’s uncharted depths, discovering the rainforest’s secrets while moving ever closer to a possible encounter with one such tribe—the mysterious flecheiros, or “People of the Arrow,” seldom-glimpsed warriors known to repulse all intruders with showers of deadly arrows. Along the way, Wallace uncovers clues as to who the Arrow People might be, how they have managed to endure as one of the last unconquered tribes, and why so much about them must remain shrouded in mystery if they are to survive. On the one hand, The Unconquered is the account of a nightmarish three-month expedition into the Amazon jungle in 2002 led by the irascible Brazilian wilderness explorer Sydney Possuelo, a legendary defender of the region's last uncontacted Indians. Rife through with moments of danger, loneliness, and hunger, as well as the testosterone-fuelled dramas that seem peculiar to groups of men undergoing hard times together, The Unconquered makes a spellbinding tale of real-life high-adventure. In this book, Wallace, who renders memorable portraits of his fellow expeditionaries (the cook, Mauro, haunted by nightmares about monkeys who castrate him; Soldado the backwoods scout, who refuses to return home and see his aging mother) is also brutally honest about himself. Some years before Wallace met him, Possuelo, Brazil's best-known sertanista , or "agent of contact" with the Amazon's isolated indigenous people, had undergone a crisis of conscience about the destruction wrought by his life's work. As Possuelo explained it to Wallace, he wished to gather vital information about the flecheiros and to ascertain their wellbeing, but could only do so by penetrating their sanctuary on foot and by dugout canoe with a band of armed men, while at the same time seeking to avoid contact with them. During the journey itself, the inescapable Catch-22 of Possuelo's logic became more and more apparent until the moment, retold dramatically by Wallace, when the expeditionaries blundered inevitably through a flecheiro settlement, spreading panic as they went. An editor from National Geographic asked journalist Scott Wallace to join an expedition into the deepest wilds of the Amazon jungle to find the mysterious ‘People of the Arrow.'. While the experience was pretty much a nightmare, it’s a blessing for readers of Wallace's fascinating book.” — Associated Press “Echoing Amazonia’s earliest European explorers, Wallace crafts a tale that is part gripping adventure story, part window into the unexpected complexities of a developing country where uncontacted tribes stand between a resource-hungry economy and an area abounding in natural wealth.” – Indian Country Today “Rife with poachers, drug smugglers, illegal gold miners and violent tribes already acquainted with the dangers of modern life…Wallace describes the trek in vivid, if unsettling, terms.” – Maclean’s “Wallace joins the tribe of jungle-besotted literary types led by Redmond O'Hanlon and David Grann and presents a credibly incredible tale about his voyage past the edge of modernity.” – Huffington Post "A gripping tale of adventure." “While it’s hard to imagine that ‘stone-age’ tribes still persist in a world of cell phones, satellites and social media, it’s even harder to understand how difficult it is to police these isolated regions, to keep them free of outsiders who could endanger a way of life that has nearly disappeared…Wallace’s narrative is apt and penetrating.” – SEJournal.
Reviews
"Contrary to what you might expect, the goal of the mission wasn't to actually contact the tribes; rather, the expedition sought to identify where the tribes lived so that the Brazilian government could later track the the tribe's movements and population by air. Interspersed throughout the jungle tale is a history of the white man's contact with indigenous Amazonian tribes, a history of the department of Isolated Indians, and a history of the evolving theories on how to approach indigenous tribes. Where previously the government sought to "tame" wild Indians, the policy is now to avoid contact, since contact with the white man inevitably brings about loss of native culture and crippling epidemics of disease."
"I learned so much, saw the interesting landscape and culture through his eyes, and now feel like Sydney Possuelo and I are old friends. This is truly a must-read for all of us armchair adventurers who would not be able to endure snakes that jump out of trees, biting ants or not being able to take a hot shower for all that time."
"Some people make tremendous sacrifices for others, such as myself, to read of the primitive conditions and arduous conditions to hike into the heart of the Amazon to find undiscovered tribes."
"Possuelo's mission is to successfully cordon off civilization, preventing modern society from reaching "uncontacted" tribes living in the Amazon forest. Think about that for a minute or two: his mission is to prevent modernity from reaching people who are living behind a veil of ignorance, in what can only be described as a primitive state. The argument for protecting them is that contact with modernity (characterized by greed where the white man is the devil) introduces disease, makes the indios bravos dependent on modern contrivances, causes them to turn their backs on ancestral ways and leaves them in a state of poverty. Set aside the disease problem (it is a problem, but it's incidental, solvable with enough effort) and look at the often tragic history of these contacted tribes: they become dependent on modern contrivances, they leave their traditional ways and they are ill-adapted to succeeding in the modern world, leaving them poverty-stricken."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Argentina Travel

Lonely Planet Argentina (Travel Guide)
Full-colour maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - daily life, music, literature, cinema, outdoor activities, environment, cuisine Free, convenient pull-out Buenos Aires map (included in print version), plus over 80 colour maps Covers Buenos Aires, Bariloche, the Lake District, Cordoba, the Central Sierras, Iguazu Falls, Mendoza, the Central Andes, The Pampas, Patagonia, Salta, Tierra del Fuego and more. Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews Add notes to personalise your guidebook experience Seamlessly flip between pages Bookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash Embedded links to recommendations' websites Zoom-in maps and images Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing. *Source: Nielsen BookScan.
Reviews
"Needs more info for back packers/car campers like super market locations."
"A solid guide."
"Was waiting for it to be published."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Peru Travel

Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time
While history has recast Bingham as a villain who stole both priceless artifacts and credit for finding the great archeological site, Mark Adams set out to retrace the explorer’s perilous path in search of the truth—except he’d written about adventure far more than he’d actually lived it. “[An] engaging and sometimes hilarious book.”— The New York Times Book Review “A serious (and seriously funny) travelogue, a smart and tightly written history, and an investigative report into perhaps the greatest archaeological discovery in the last century.”—NationalGeographic.com. “An engaging, informative guide to all things Inca.”— Entertainment Weekly.
Reviews
"For his first endeavor, he chooses to follow in the footsteps of Hiram Bingham, the American explorer often credited with the discovery of Peru’s “lost city” of Machu Picchu. Interspersed with information about Incan history and Bingham’s expeditions, Adams relates his experiences trekking through the remote regions of Peru with his tough-as-nails Australian guide John Leivers."
"Adams alternates among his present-day experience, Bingham's experience, and the thoughts on the Incas (the builders) in the 1400-1500 times frame to attempt to explain the original purpose of Machu Pichu."
"If you like reading adventure travel stories, are attracted to South American (and Inca) history, and want to be entertained while you are being educated, you will probably enjoy this book."
"This book is a lot more than about Machu Picchu."
"I now know going anywhere other than from Cusco to Machu Picchu requires preparedness and awareness to keep from getting into trouble with vicious plants and stupid mistakes that can wreck things in a hurry."
"Mark Adams' account of his adventure has something for everyone...the middle aged male who shucks the cubicle for adventure, the adventurer who wants an authentic account of exploring the still remote corners of the globe and most...those who have long thought of making the trek to Peru and Machu Picchu."
Find Best Price at Amazon