Latitude: THE Travel Podcast (EP-1)

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Topic 1: Brief Introduction of Hosts. Where we’ve been. What we’ve shot. Why we love travel photography.

Explain what Latitude is about. A podcast for passport passionate photographers. We’ll talk about:

1. Tips for the journey
2. Travel news, what it means for photographers
3. Interviews with photographers who have been here, there and everywhere. Big names, and “unknowns.”
4. Anything else?

Topic 2: Brian – Packing and traveling light

Topic 3: Travelogues by Brent and Brian diving into the details of the places they’ve been. Sharing the experience and inspiring others to get out there and experience the same kind of traveling bliss.

1. Mini Destination Report: BRENT. Ecuador.
   1. Guayaquil, largest city on the coast, though it’s really somewhat inland.
   2. Santa Anna Hill, a small church and a stubby lighthouse. Great views. The walk up the hill is well guarded as is the whole Malecon. Located on the very north part of the Malecon. Generally safe for tourists. The rest of the Malecon is well manicured and always has a fairly heavy police presence.
   3. Quito: Capital city up in the Andean foothills. Official elevation is 2,850 meters. That’s about 1.7 miles above sea level.
      Top sites: El Panecillo with a sculpture of the virgin Mary. It’s on a hilltop that juts up in the middle of the city. If you visit in the evening be sure to take a cab off the hill.
      National Basilica: A great Neo-Gothic church with two bell towers and a steeple that you can easily climb. Costs about $2 last time I was there anyway. The steeple visit involves climbing up several narrow and steep stairways. You’ll also cross over the interior domes that makes up the ceiling, but you’re sandwiched between the metal exterior roof and the ceiling. The walkway is literally just about a foot wide, maybe 18 inches. The bell towers can be climbed easily and when I was there a few years ago it was easy to take a look outside and get great shots of the city. Being almost 2 miles ASL, you’ll likely get winded.
      TeleferiQo, a cable car that takes you up to the mountains just a little bit west of town. Drops you off at about 3,945 meters ASL (almost 2.5 miles up!!) It’s cool up there and the sites are beautiful. There’s a trail that you can walk on up further. Locals abound for horseback rides.
      Mitad del Mundo, center of the earth. A great place that tourists just “have” to go to, even though the big monument is on an equator that’s slightly (240 meters) south of the actual equator. But it was measured in 1735, so to be that close with ancient equipment, that’s pretty close. They even have a series of “scientific tests” on the real equator, such as the water going down the drain test. It’s silly, but still fun to participate in.
      SMALLER TOWNS, Ecuador has brilliant locations off the beaten path. I’ve been able to visit markets in small towns, villages in the jungle up in the andes mountains, just “this side” of the amazon rain forest. Beautiful light, gorgeous subject matter, it’s difficult to be bored with the photographic possibilities.
   4. Ecuador Facts:
      A democratic republic.
      Uses the US dollar, so no currency exchange
      Includes the Galapagos Islands
      Nationals from the nations such as China, Cuba, Panama, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Iraq, North Korea and others need a visa. The total fee to get a visa is $450 for all non-immigrant visas!!
      US and most other nationals do not need a visa for tourist visits up to 90 days in a calendar year.
      You just need a valid passport, return ticket and proof of means to support yourself while you’re in the country.
      OFFICIAL restrictions: May bring two (2) of the following: photographic camera, video camera, mobile telephone, and other electronics. Though most of the time you won’t have trouble, bring proof of ownership to help with any issues you may encounter.

Dream Destination of the week

Brian – Zhangye Danxia Geopark

Brent – Sikkim, a region in India squeezed between Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet. Reasons for wanting to go? Wildflowers while trekking alpine meadows as you travel from one hilltop monastery or village to the next. My Indian Visa expires in 2019, so I need to get over there soon! Maybe someone wants to go on a photo trek to Sikkim?