Capri: Hiking and Handbags

Wondering where you can find spectacular day hiking and overpriced designer handbags? Look no further.

The island of Capri features a surfeit of luxury goods: hordes of tourists arrive each day in search of all that glitters. Also popular: limone gelato, and the world-famous Blue Grotto. Not all that exciting, except perhaps the gelato.

Much less widely known, however, is that Capri features spectacular day hiking. A three-dimensional island landscape covered in wildflowers, walking atop cliffs which plunge thousands of feet into the turquoise sea below. The Amalfi coast, seemingly a stone's throw away, provides background scenery. Photos here.


The trails we found were poorly marked on most maps. As a result, we met exactly two people on a four-hour walk, which probably would have gone faster if we could stop gawking at the views. Lucky for you, this map and this map cover our favorite hike fairly well. Starting in Anacapri, near Villa San Michele, ask around or follow the signs for Monte Solaro. You should find a dirt road leading steeply up in switchbacks, eventually adjacent to the chairlift. At the fork in the road, on a saddle near Monte Capello, divert left from the Monte Solaro path and walk across the flats toward the hermitage of Cetrella.

The hermitage, often completely deserted, has a lovely view of Capri and Marina Piccola, especially from the back patio. From here, continue westward up and along the edge of the cliff tops: the trail from here up to Monte Solaro is occasionally hard to follow.

The summit of Monte Solaro, destination of the chairlift, is an unfortunately large complex. It's challenging to find the continuation of the cliff top trail. The most obvious trail down from the buildings takes you back down to Villa San Michele: take this trail just a short way, and then cut left under the chairlift to make a counter-clockwise circle of the complex and return to the island's southern edge, eventually continuing west in the direction you were walking previously.

The trail continues along the cliff, easy to follow at this point, eventually descending and returning to civilization near the western end of Via Migliera. Which, conveniently, is a great place for a late lunch: check out Da Gelsomina.

Como se llama, llama?

There are many beautiful places to hike in the world, and many famous trails. But Peru's classic Inca Trail is arguably the world's most famous hike involving llamas: quite the claim to fame.

Yes, it's full of tourists. You must travel with a guide, cook, and porters, having applied for a permit far in advance. You can purchase Gatorade and beer along the way. The meals provided by many groups are impressive: our group feasted on three-course hot lunches each day. This is nothing like traditional backpacking.

Despite these caveats, hiking the Inca Trail is a fabulous experience. The high alpine scenery, tropical rainforest, and ancient ruins are captivating. Early on the final morning, we explored the ruins of Wiñay Huayna alone in silence, apart from the sounds of the jungle and the Urubamba river far below. Then, entering the Lost City through the Sun Gate (Intipunku), we watched the rays of sun strike the city below, a fitting end to our journey.

The enormous crowds at Machu Picchu can feel overwhelming after a few days on the trail. The best time to explore is late in the day, before sunset, when the tour buses and day trippers will have already departed. In the morning, head straight for Waynu Picchu, the loaf-shaped mountain in all of the postcards. Only a certain number of visitors are permitted to ascend each day, and the trail is crowded and steep, but the views and exposure are tremendous: we descended an ancient stairway made of stone logs jutting out from a high wall, suspended in mid-air. Definitely a no-fall zone.

Cusco, at an elevation of 3,300 meters, is the traditional acclimatization spot for tourists; high-end hotels will pump extra oxygen into your room for a fee. Contrary to expectations, it's actually significantly higher than Machu Pichu (2,400m). The city itself is relatively approachable and fun to explore on foot; ruins in the surrounding area, including those at Pisac and Sacsayhuaman, are worth a visit too.

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming...

As loyal readers will have noted, it's been Quite Some Time since new photography was added to the dogmouth collections. The Management regrets any inconvenience this may have caused. Certain technical difficulties (including, but not limited to, sheer laziness) have made it challenging to keep the site regularly updated.

But have no fear: we're back in business, and ready to deliver a steady stream of exciting photography and miscellaneous ramblings, with a few small upgrades that will enhance your photo-viewing experience throughout the site. En guete miteinand!

Belize: Paddling in a Giant Bathtub

I generally try to avoid countries in which the US Dollar is a widely accepted form of currency, as well as those with 4 daily non-stop flights to Texas. Nevertheless, I headed down to Belize with Kristin for a weeklong vacation, hoping to find more local adventures than yokels with dentures.

Our journey began in Dangriga. Though its population of 9,000 makes it the largest town in southern Belize, Frommers correctly observed that "there are no good beaches" and "the town can feel stifling hot and desolate on most days". Dirt roads and collapsed buildings outnumbered the few tourists passing through.

We met Captain Buck as he stumbled out of the Riverside Cafe. He quickly ushered us and another couple into his old, run-down skiff, stashing our bags next to a large supply of raw meat. We pushed off as he grabbed a wooden bench from the dock: this was to become our seat for the 9 mile ride out to the island of Tobacco Caye.

Most guidebooks advise travelers to make this crossing in the morning, as afternoons can be gusty. So naturally we planned a 5:30pm departure, and soon found our little vessel slammed around by white-capped swells on an open sea. Our bench toppled over within minutes, and we scrambled to hang on before the next massive drop. Another passenger confided that Buck had been enjoying a few beers before our departure. Kristin, a maritime SAR expert, awarded Buck points for attacking the waves at a 45-degree angle, while I suggested that we should have traded the raw meat for a few life jackets back at the dock.

In any event, Tobacco Caye proved to be an excellent backpackers' hideaway, with perhaps 50 rooms and as many hammocks scattered around the tiny island. Simple lodging and food, but very relaxing. The cabanas on the water at Paradise Lodge are among the nicest on the island.

We later hopped on a larger boat and spent the next few days kayaking at Glover's Reef, a remote atoll with hundreds of patch reefs in a tranquil lagoon. It's basically a giant outdoor bathtub, though apparently soap and rubber duckies are discouraged. You can watch stingrays swimming gracefully beneath your kayak, and it's easy to disembark near a shallow patch reef for snorkeling among the colorful little fishies.

As you might expect when 30 miles offshore on a sandbar, you don't have to worry about hordes of tourists. However, sleeping at the reef is not cheap. If you can handle an organized group camping trip with lots of Americans and coconut squirrels, one relatively affordable option is the 3-day Glovers Getaway on Southwest Caye. Otherwise, try the more expensive cabanas at Isla Marisol (also on Southwest Caye), or for longer stays, the bunks at the research station on Middle Caye.