When my mosquito bite count reached one hundred and my laptop’s cooling fan started making noises as if it was trying to tell me ‘I can’t deal with this heat anymore’, I decided that it was time to get away from the beaches for a while and give both my laptop and my itching limbs a break.
The beach had been nice, but I needed to get somewhere high enough for the mosquitoes to not get there. And so I headed to Cuenca, at 8,370 ft (2,550 meters) too high for mosquitoes to continue to feast on me and cool enough for my laptop not to overheat.
Cuenca is a popular expat destination, with 5,000 mainly North American expats living there, and it is easy to see why. Life in Cuenca is pleasant, cheap and tranquil. Mountains surround the city, and you can walk everywhere in the center.
Cuenca has 52 churches and the best preserved colonial architecture in Ecuador, so much so that UNESCO declared the city center a World Heritage site. It was a city that I liked immediately – the first time I had this feeling during my time in Ecuador!
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lesbian travel
Beach Sunset In Montañita, Ecuador – Globetrotter Girls
After my week in hot and sticky Guayaquil I couldn’t wait to get to the beach for a fresh ocean breeze. I had heard great things about Montañita, a small village on the Santa Elena Peninsula on Ecuador’s Pacific Coast. Montañita is the country’s number one surf spot, and, as I learned when I arrived there, a prime party destination for people from all over South America.
Think South America’s answer to Ibiza, only with less mega clubs, but with loud music right on the beach instead, blasting from several discos right along the shore.
The problem with that? I was just not in the mood for a mega party, and I had also been warned about walking around town at night by myself. A couple of backpacking girls from Argentina were brutally murdered in Montañita less than a year ago, and I didn’t get a good vibe from the village. The beach was okay, but nothing special, and the waves were so insanely high that there was a red flag on the beach every day, warning people that the surf was intense and the current was strong.
By Dani – Full Story at Globetrotter Girls
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A Date With Ayahuasca – Globetrotter Girls
I held the little bamboo cup with both hands and quickly gulped down the thick, dark liquid – Ayahuasca. The bitter taste in my mouth was repellent, and I tried to wash it down with some water as soon as I sat back down on the wooden floor of the ceremonial hut in the Colombian Amazon.
“You should be feeling the effect of the ayahuasca in about twenty minutes,” the shaman named William told us in Spanish. “If you don’t feel anything then, I’ll give you some more.”
He then pointed to my left, where on one side of the hut, the wooden wall was only chest high, above that it was open until the ceiling, like a window, but without glass.
“You’re very likely to throw up when the ‘medicine’ begins to work. If you feel it coming, throw up out the window.”
He then turned his headlamp off, the only source of light in the hut, and the four of us were suddenly sitting in the pitch black dark, cross-legged, waiting for Ayahuasca, the ‘medicine’, as William called it, to work.
By Dani – Full Story at Globetrotter Girls
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Santa Rosa and Sonoma Wine Country – Globetrotter Girls
Sonoma Wine Country is a popular couples’ weekend getaway, but what about LGBT couples? The LGBT hot spot of the West Coast, San Francisco, is only 55 miles (just over an hour) away, which makes Sonoma, and its largest city, Santa Rosa, perfect for a romantic weekend break.
In fact, Sonoma County was named as one of the top 20 tourist destinations for LGBT travelers in the entire U.S., and Huffington Post included it in its Top 10 LGBT Honeymoon Destinations.
I went to Santa Rosa and Guerneville to find out what Sonoma Wine Country has in store for queer travelers, from LGBT-friendly places to stay, things to do and which events are worth a trip.
This region of Northern California is primarily known for its many vineyards and wine tastings, but there’s a lot more to Sonoma County than just that: the Pacific Coast Highway, Redwood forests, river adventures, quaint little towns and beautiful beaches.
By Dani – Full Story at Globetrotter Girls
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Guayaquil, Ecuador – Globetrotter Girls
After cruising around the Galapagos Islands, I was in urgent need of a break to catch up on work projects and to deal with the hundreds of emails that had piled up in my inbox while I was on the boat (I get so many emails these days, I can barely handle the volume anymore!).
I decided to stay in Guayaquil, the city where I’d flown to the Galapagos from, which happens to be Ecuador’s largest city, and one of the largest sea ports in all of South America. Beyond that, there’s not all that much to do and see for tourists though. A newly revamped river walk, the Malecon 2000, made for a great running track in the mornings, and for some good entertainment in the evenings (people watching, and an IMAX cinema that showed LaLa Land).
Just north of the Malecon sits Las Peñas, the city’s oldest neighborhood, where colorful little houses are built into the side of a hill, Cerro Santa Ana. The neighborhood used to be a slum, but a regeneration project transformed it into the tourist attraction that it is today. 432 stairs lead up to the top of the hill, each one numbered, so that with each step, you are painfully reminded you how many more stairs you still have to climb.
By Dani – Full Story at Globetrotter Girls
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Colombia's Lost City – Globetrotter Girls
The first time I heard about the ruins of the Ciudad Perdida, an ancient city hidden deep in the jungles of northern Colombia that is only accessible on foot on a strenuous four-day hike through the mountains, was in 2010, during my first visit to Latin America.
“You have to do this trek,” a fellow traveler who was making his way north towards Mexico as I was making my way down towards Colombia through Central America, urged me, “it’s an adventure of a lifetime.” Back then I was skeptical, even though I was intrigued by this Indiana Jones-like adventure. But I had never done a multi-day trek, let alone in the jungle, let alone in the Colombian jungle. I didn’t even know if I could walk that far: a 32-mile (52-kilometer) round-trip.
Fast forward six years and I found myself walking on a dusty unpaved road, braving the 90% humidity and heat of the Caribbean coast a few miles north of the starting point of the trek to the Ciudad Perdida, the Lost City. A mere fifteen minutes after leaving the village where we started the trek, we made our first river crossing – the first of about twenty river crossings along the way. Luckily I wasn’t doing the trek during rainy season, when the water can reach up to your waist. One hour into the hike, as I felt the sweat running down my arms, my stomach and my back, I was already regretting my decision.
Even though now, a few years later, I had a few multi-day treks under my belt, I still wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to make it all the way to the ancient city. The river we were walking next to looked inviting, and just as I was fantasizing about jumping in for a refreshing dip, our guide announced “We’re stopping here for a quick swim break. After this, the real hike starts.” All of us stripped down immediately and jumped into the water, slowly starting to get to know each other while cooling off.
By Dani – Full Story at Globetrotter Girls
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Camp Earth Connection – Freeville, New York
Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay:
Description: Camp Earth Connection is a Natural Campground and Retreat Center located in Freeville, 12 miles east of Ithaca, NY (home of the Gorges, Cornell University and Ithaca College.) The campground offers a relaxing stay with a variety of camping options including Log Cabins, Rustic Cabins, Adirondack Lean-To’s and Tent-Sites. Each site has privacy, picnic tables and grills or fire pits.
Setting: Camp Earth Connection is an alcohol & drug free facility, offering guests the opportunity to connect with nature and each other in a serene and beautiful natural setting. The Camp is adjacent to the Hammond Hill State Forest with 20 miles of hiking, mountain biking, and cross-country skiing trails. The trails connect to the 950 mile Finger Lakes Trail system. Wildlife is abundant in the area. It’s common to hear the Coyotes and Owls throughout the day. In addition, Mink, Fishers, Bald Eagles, Turkey Buzzards, Porcupines, Racoons, Skunks, Wild Turkeys, Ravens, Grouse, Red and Grey Fox and an occasional Black Bear are some of the inhabitants of the local forest.
Values: Camp Earth Connection values Diversity, Acceptance and Community. It is more than just a campground, it is an experience that can be life-changing. Guests enjoy making meaningful connections with hosts, guests, family & friends. In addition they experience the beauty and healing that is provided by this sacred natural environment. Camp Earth Connection is open to everyone and provides an accepting and safe space for folks who can’t always count on that, including the LGBTQ community, People of Color and other culturally diverse individuals, families and groups.
Facilities: Facilities includes hot showers, compost toilets, a small camp store selling local products such as Pastured Chicken Eggs, Home Grown Veggies and Natural Root Beer & Ginger Beer from the Ithaca Soda company. In addition there is the Red Eft Cafe, a community outdoor kitchen with two cooking fire pits and grills. The Main Pavilion is a gathering space for community fires when it rains, as well as weekend activities & workshops including nature crafts, primitive skills, etc. Sports equipment is available for guests to use. The Helianthus Room is a small greenhouse where guests are welcome to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea or conversation. Mountain Bikes and a Paddle boat are available to rent.
Camp Activities & Workshops: Guests are welcomed to join the Director on weekend mornings for a complimentary cup of coffee or tea and oatmeal or pancakes cooked over the fire. Weekend programming may include a production of The Lorax by our local staff and volunteers, a Tree Walk to meet some of the ancient and sacred trees in the forest, an Animal Tracking Expedition or an Introduction to Zen Archery. Guided trail walks are available including: A short camp hike that leads to a small pond, and through a beautiful forest; A 2-mile round-trip hike to the Roy Park Preserve wetlands, a wonderful place to Bird Watch and observe wildlife; Or a hike on the Hammond Hill State Forest trails.
See the Camp Earth Connection Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here
Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals in the Finger Lakes Region
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Gaucho Gal for a Day
“Don’t worry”, Federico said, “We will find the perfect horse for each one of you.”
I quickly moved to the back of our group. We were a motley assortment of tourists from different counties—Finland, England, Australia, Tobago Trinidad and the United States—some singles, some couples, of different ages ranging from 28 to 75.
Like me, most were both excited and nervous about the upcoming horse back ride across the expansive grounds of this Argentinean estancia on the outskirts of Bariloche.
Out of our 13 member group, Chris was the only avid horse back rider. She actually owns a horse back in England. So she was the first one to get a horse, and her horse was probably younger and more spirited than the others. Next up was her husband, Roger, who was the only other person in our party to have significant riding experience, although he doesn’t love riding the way that Chris does.
I think the last time that I had been on a horse was probably 20 years ago at a Club Med.
“We will give the rest of you horses that have been specially trained for inexperienced riders,” Federico reassured us.
Two gauchos were helping out. As a gaucho brought a horse forward, he pointed to the person that he felt was a good match. I was relieved to see that the gauchos also helped the selected person to mount the horse.
By Janet Bein – Full Story at Tango Diva
Argentina Gay Travel Resources
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Isla Mujeres – The Island of Women
Cancun gets all the attention in Mexico. She’s the sophisticated older cousin with the glitziest hotels, name-brand malls and an over-abundance of casinos. Isla Mujeres is quieter, less mature when it comes to glitz but older and wiser when it comes to gracious hospitality. She’s more like your best girlfriend who loves spending time with you, sharing meals that stretch on for hours, strolling and Isla Mujeres, Cancun, Mexico
Isla Mujeres, Cancun, Mexico
The island is 8 miles (13 kilometers) off the northeast coast of Cancun, serviced every half hour by ferries from pre-dawn to midnight. The Spanish graced it Isla Mujeres – Island of Women –because of the many goddess images left there by the Mayans who viewed the island as the sacred home of Ixchel, goddess off childbirth and medicine. Coincidently, it’s also the shape of a mermaid.
To the east of the island lies the Caribbean sea, rough and windy and the best place to view consistently spectacular sunrises. To the west is Cancun, which can be seen clearly on good-weather days. For visitors to Cancun, it’s the perfect day trip. For those who want to escape the glitz and see and be seen atmosphere of Cancun, it offers charming hotels, delish restaurants and exquisite beaches.
By Julia Rosien – Full Story at Go Girlfrend
Quintana Roo Gay Travel Resources
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Cruising the Galapagos Islands – Globetrotter Girls
This week I went on a trip of a lifetime: a 4-day cruise around the Galapagos Islands. This archipelago of 20 islands, 42 islets, and over 250 rocks in the ocean, a 2-hour flight of the coast off mainland Ecuador, is a nature and wildlife lover’s paradise! For four days, we cruised around some of the islands, with frequent snorkeling stops and island explorations.
The boat would anchor in the ocean, and our dinghies would bring us to the shore. With the exception of one island, Santa Cruz, we never encountered any other people, it always felt like we were the only ones out there. Even when the boat was cruising in between islands, we often didn’t see another boat for hours.
The snorkeling stops were my favorite part – we swam with penguins, sharks, rays, seals and turtles. Something I never tire of! On land, we watched Giant Tortoises mating, eating and just being, we watched sea lions take over the ports of the two towns we stopped in, and we watched hundreds of colorful Sally Lightfoot Crabs crawling around the rocks near the shore. I photographed iguanas, blue-footed boobies and other birds, I got up for a sunrise snorkeling session near a rock in the middle of the ocean which was a popular spot with hammerhead sharks, and I sunbathed on a dreamy, secluded, tropical beach.
By Dani – Full Story at Globetrotter Girls
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