Visitors to Peru’s great Inca ruin Machu Picchu have been left stranded by torrential rain, flooding and landslides that have hit the area.

The train line connecting Machu Picchu pueblo to Cusco was hit by a landslide, blocking the line, and travelers had to stay on the train overnight. One traveler said, “The authorities were so poorly prepared for what happened. I was on the train with my family and we were stuck on the train. We had to sleep there. There were no blankets and there was no food.”

Conditions have been deteriorating in the region for several days, with Cusco experiencing its worst rains for decades. Access to several other of the region’s attractions, such as Maras has also been prevented by landslides. Flights out of the city have been experiencing significant delays.

But the worst affected attraction has been Machu Picchu, with almost 2000 travelers reported to have been stranded, and one tourist and a guide killed. The province has declared a state of emergency for 60 days, and travelers are being evacuated from Machu Picchu.

“Last night (Monday) I was finally airlifted out of there with my son in a helicopter, but I had to leave my wife behind. They were letting children go first. We’re really sick, it was cold at that altitude and in those conditions. Now I have to figure out how to get my wife out of there.”

In Cusco itself other tourists reported that their tours were being cancelled, with no refunds from the tour operators. Groups of travelers were trying to get the police to intervene to get their money back, with limited success.

Peru Rail is working to clear the line and service is currently suspended. Travelers are advised to check with their operator before traveling.

Let’s shout it loud from the rooftops of the great Latin American cities: Free! Free!! Indeed, budget travelers, these metropoli bulge with free things to go check out. From architecture to culture, you can pack your days with tons of things to do. All totally GRATIS, except perhaps for the occasional trolley fare.

The most obvious free attraction is the churches. From white-washed colonial chapels to towering neo-Gothic temples, these monuments are a fascinating window onto the merging of indigenous and Spanish cultures. On the façades of some, native craftsmen slipped symbols from their own religion. Interiors are decorated with naïve wood carvings and elaborate gilded altar screens. In cathedrals are buried the city’s most famous citizens.

Another Eiffel creation: the steel cathedral in Arica, Chile. Photo by Lorraine Caputo

Unfortunately, many of Quito’s finest churches charge an entry fee to non-mass attenders, though La Compañía does offer free tours once a month. Parts of Latin America are yet very conservative about church attire: no shorts, tanktops or minis. In small towns, women commonly cover their heads when entering a holy place. And men, please take the ball cap off.

Catholics aren’t the only ones to open their spectacular spaces. In Panama City is the brilliantly white Bahai’i temple, a dome perched atop Motaña del Dulce Canto. Mosques in Maicao, Colombia, and Tacna, Peru, also welcome visitors.

The merging of cultures and styles are also reflected in secular architecture. Glance up while strolling through Buenos Aires. Some Presidential Palaces have free guided tours (take your passport). While in Buenos Aires, check out the Casa Rosada and in Quito Carondolet, also known as the Palacio del Gobierno.

While the politicos are wheeling and dealing in the Palaces, the common folk are doing their trade of daily life out in the markets. Even in large cities the sound of folks haggling prices mixes with the colors and smells of the typical village mercado – only on a mega-scale. Bucaramanga’s four-story-tall Plaza Central is said to be Colombia’s largest public market. For its sheer size, nothing can beat Mexico City’s Mercado de la Merced. The few blocks on the southern edge of this market are dedicated to traditional shamanic necessities. Such traditions are limited to just Mexico, though. On La Paz’ steep streets is the fascinating Witches’ Market.

Major Latin American cities have centro cultural hosting free exhibits, concerts, films, theater and other events. In many burgs are foreign centers, like France’s Alianza Francesa and Germany’s Instituto Goethe. Keep an eye out for art openings (inauguración), an assured visual and gastronomic treat. (Yes, often hors d’ouvres and drinks are served.) These and literary readings also offer you an opportunity to meet the local artist community. My favorite centers are Quito’s Centro Cultural Metropolitano, which has monthly art openings, and the Alianza Francesa in Santa Marta, Colombia, which has not only good art shows, but shows great movies every week.

Exquisite architecture and culture isn’t just for the living. Latin American cemeteries are where you’ll find the famous and poor lying side by side. While in Buenos Aires, drop by to see Eva Perón Duarte in La Recoleta and Carlos Gardel in La Chacarita. Santiago de Chile’s Cementerio General hosts most of that nation’s Presidents, Victor Jara and victims of the military dictatorship’s repression. A small fee is charged to enter Havana’s impressive Necrópolis Cristóbal Colón. Here rest writers Alejo Carpentier and Nicolás Guillén, Buena Vista Social Club singer Ibrahim Ferrer, and Cuban Revolutionaries Celia Sánchez and Haydée Santamaría. A free graveyard in this city is San Yu Chun Wa, or the Cementerio General Chino.

Patzcuaro’s Day of the Dead celebration may be the most renowned, but the local cemetery in any small Peruvian, Bolivian and Mexican city is the place to be on Día de los Muertos, or Día de los Difuntos. Join in on the feting with the spirits of the dearly departed on these days when the fabric between the worlds of the living and dead opens. Food, drink and live music are all part of the party, which often lasts all-night long, or even for several days.

Clowning around in Villavicencio, Colombia. Photo by Lorraine Caputo

Of course, public plazas are THE place to peoplewatch (and if you have sixth sense, perhaps even spirit watch). Take time off your walking tours of the metropli, rest the doggies and have a flavored ice. The vendors will be giving their schticks on whatever product they’re selling, the kids will be chasing soap bubbles catching rainbows from the sun and clowns performing street theater.

Here in our Quito offices, we are celebrating VIVA Travel Guides’ victory in the 2009 Mashable Open Web Awards! VIVA was the big winner in the Mobile Travel Site or Application of the Year category, besting a number of famous competitors to claim the coveted distinction.

VIVA won the award by receiving the most votes from visitors to the technology website Mashable.com, during a month-long competition that ended on December 13^th.

The victory is a testament to the size and passion of the community that VIVA has constructed since it began operations three years ago. For VIVA, making a book has always been a massively collaborative effort, with hundreds of people writing up hotels, reviewing restaurants, submitting photos and providing feedback through VIVA’s website, Facebook page and Twitter account.

VIVA used Facebook and Twitter to tap into this community of readers, writers, local experts and alumni from its travel-writing Boot Camps (link). “At VIVA, we’ve always used a number of methods, including social networking tools, to keep in touch with our friends, former employees and former students. It’s so important to maintain those relationships and foster a real community,” said editor-in-chief Paula Newton.

All of us at VIVA would like to thank our collaborators, readers and friends for providing wonderful content over the last three years, voting for us and helping us to achieve this victory.

These are at exciting times at VIVA Travel Guides, as the staff, contributors and readers anxiously await Wednesday’s announcement of the winners in the 2009 Mashable Open Web Awards. VIVA is one of five finalists in the Mobile Travel Site or Application of the Year category.

The Open Web Awards competition consisted of a month-long voting period, in which visitors to the site Mashable.com cast votes in fifty categories, including Mobile Travel Site or Application of the Year. Mashable is a hugely-influential technology website, with one of the highest readership levels among all blogs, and the award is one of the most prestigious ones granted to websites in the travel industry.

A victory would mark a milestone for VIVA Travel Guides and its innovative approach to helping travelers. VIVA was founded three years ago in Quito, Ecuador and publishes the most up-to-date guidebooks on Latin America. Its methods for collecting and distributing information are unique in the guidebook industry.

“We asked the question: ‘What would the travel guidebook look like if it was invented from the ground-up today, in the era of Facebook and Google?’ We concluded that the key is the community of travelers, professional travel writers, local experts and knowledgeable editors collaborating together on the web, then to export this up-to-the-minute knowledge into the reader’s mobile device of choice, be it an iPhone, Kindle, or good old fashioned paper guidebook,” says founder and CEO Jason Halberstadt.

Rather than relying on just a few people to put together a book, VIVA uses the input of hundreds of writers, local experts and travelers to generate reviews, provide feedback and update information. It uses social media tools like Facebook, Twitter and its own website to connect this vast web of contributors.

Once it has generated that content, VIVA makes it available to readers across a number of platforms. VIVA publishes continually-updated guidebooks to the many countries in the region, and all of its content is also available online at its website, www.vivatravelguides.com. VIVA has also begun publishing its book chapters as e-book files, which can be purchased and downloaded onto mobile devices.

In this regard, VIVA is the ideal guidebook for the digital age. It has taken the old guidebook model, so reliant on the expertise of a few writers, and added the collective wisdom of the travel community to it. Further, it provides readers with a number of ways to access that information. No longer are travelers tied down to one medium; a visitor can plan his trip to Peru on VIVA’s website, check out restaurant reviews on his iPhone while sitting in the back of a cab in Lima, and then read the book while sitting in his tent on the Inca Trail. In this day and age, people expect to have the right tool for the job at every moment, and VIVA gives travelers just that.

The large number of votes for VIVA in the Mashable competition validates this new model for building and distributing a guidebook. It shows that the paper book is not dead, but the old way of creating it is. It shows that travelers appreciate technology, but also appreciate always having the appropriate way to access information when they need it. It shows that today’s readers want a role in shaping the content that they read.

The other finalists for the Mobile Travel Site or Application of the Year Award are:

Deal Base, a website that lists hotel deals in North America;

OnTheRoad.to, an application that allows users to post to their travel blog from smart phones and other mobile devices;

TripIt, a site designed to organize and manage trip itineraries booked from multiple websites; and

Zagat To Go, an application which allows Zagat’s famous restaurant reviews to be accessed from a mobile device.

Living in the Land of Darwin, I’ve evolved to adapt to my surroundings as best I can — and you can, too. Maybe you can’t change your skin color, but you can change out of that heinous Hawaiian print (and set it on fire, perhaps). With a little confidence, a little smarts and a lot of common sense, you can bring your boiling-hot red flag screaming “Fledgling Foreigner!” to a simmering salmon.

How many things can you find wrong with this picture?

1. Crack the Dress Code
Every country, every region, and every city you visit has its own culture and energy, and within that culture lies its dress code. Your goal is to study it, learn it, and apply it to your wardrobe. What colors, fabrics and styles do they wear? Do certain age groups dress differently? Study it before you visit so you can pack accordingly. Once you’re there, watch your demographic, observe their style, and incorporate it into your closet. Of course, there’s no need to take this to extremes, as a foreigner in head-to-toe native wear will look just as ridiculous (and potentially offensive). Moderation is the name of the game here. For example, Ecuadorian women love to wear lots of colorful jewelry and makeup. With some spondylus earrings, a coral bracelet and a touch of turquoise eye shadow, I can apply the style without going overboard (they can keep their skintight leggings with knee-high leather boots).

While each culture varies, there are some clothing items that should forever be retired into the Tourist Hall of Shame (did you burn that Haiwaiian print yet?). Unless you actually enjoy looking like a grade-A gringo, please remove the following items from your wardrobe ASAP:

• Panama hats
• baggy/bright rain jackets
• walking canes (unless you actually need it)
• hiking pants or khaki capris
• white sneakers
• white socks
• sweatshirts that say OHIO STATE or SYRACUSE (or any item proudly plastering your home turf)
• sunburn (nothing screams tourist like a lobster in a bright polo)

Also, it’s probably a good idea to wait until home to show off your souvenir T-shirts from the hotel gift shop or local artisan market. It’s kind of hard to earn local “street cred” while donning a Galapagos-inspired “I Heart Boobies” shirt.

2. Walk Tall (And Carry a Big Smile)
Your body language can be just as important as your body itself when it comes to blending in. Anyone looking lost, looking down or looking nervous is sure to send off “foreigner flares”. Worse, it makes you appear vulnerable and an easy victim to prey on.

Try to adopt a little something I call  “casual alertness”: Walk with confidence, keep your head up, and look straight ahead. Yet, at the same time, try to appear laid-back and comfortable. Introduce a smidgen of swagger into your walk; look like you know the area and have things to do and people to see. Take a wrong turn? Keep going. Turn around at the next corner. Try to never appear lost or confused. If you absolutely need to look at a map to get your bearings, dodge inside a building and figure it out in the solitary confines of a bathroom stall (or the lobby, at the very least).

Now that you can walk the walk, you now must talk the talk. Brush up on the language, and practice it. A lot. Learn the local slang. If you have at least an upper-beginner level of the language, then push yourself to talk. But it’s not just about talking: it’s about your style and tone. Do they speak softly or boldly? Are they serious or more jovial when they talk? If you speak with confidence and without hesitation, people won’t care about the mistakes. After all, even native speakers don’t speak in precisely grammatical terms. When I was mistaken for a Guayaquil gal, it was after I chatted up the store clerk in my broken (but unapologetic) Spanish. I quipped. I smiled. I succeeded.

3. Shake Your Assets (But Watch Yourself)
Take inventory of yourself. What are your cultural strengths? What makes you most blend in? Maybe you have Carrot Top hair but your Spanish is flawless. Great! Then chat, chat, chat your way into the local scene. Don’t speak the language but share the same hair color/skin tone? Then keep your little mouth shut and let your body do the talking. It’s all about using what you’ve got and downplaying what you don’t.

For example, I may be blond and blue-eyed, but I’m also barely five feet tall. On a good day. It’s precisely this lack of height that helps me blend in better in Ecuador. Locals assume most Americans and Europeans are tall; therefore, my short stature must mean I have some “Latin” blood in me (and if anyone asks, I do). To accentuate my lack of height, I have ditched my heels and instead wear stylish ballerina flats.

4. Don’t Flash (your Red Flags) in Public

Don't be this guy.

No matter who you are or where you are, there are four items that, when displayed, are like fog horns blaring “foreigner! fresh meat!”:

- Map (particularly the fold-out variety)
- Guidebook
- Camera
- Backpack

You may never actually end up succeeding in looking like a local, but you can at least look like you’ve been there awhile, that you know what’s up. And nothing shouts “I’m new here!” like a big fat travel guide with an indigenous person plastered on the cover or a bulky Nikon with its own matching neck strap.

You hide these personal items as if they were your own incestual child. Cover them in your bag, or ditch them altogether. If you absolutely must carry a guidebook, rip out the pages you need or recover the jacket to make it look like a novel. Keep maps folded and hidden (see Step 2 about when/where to use a map). Resist the urge to be snap-happy on the street, as each shutter release on your camera is also a release of any hope of appearing local. Backpackers will find the last item unavoidable; in this case, stick to the other steps and at least try to pass as a veteran vagabond.

At the end of the day, the simple fact is this: you’re gonna stand out. A lot. People will notice, and people will stare. However, using these tips should help weaken your blip on their radar. So go on now…get lost! (in the crowd, that is) 

Photos courtesy of “Alaskan Dude” from Creative Commons

By Andrea Davoust

Aspiring travel writers, you already know from my first myth-busting post that no-one will offer you as much as a glass of water (let alone free cocktails or, dream on, cruises), as you stagger around sweating like a horse in 35-degrees heat, asking at least five people for the same information because all the answers are going to be different and you need to triangulate. And that is the easy bit. Still not put off? Then let’s bust the biggest myth of all: that it is a real job.

Mother of all myths: you get paid to travel and write.

Unless you are Bill Bryson - and he raised his children on his salary as a sub editor – then you do not actually get paid. At least, not real money, not the kind that turns into a down payment for a car or even just keeps your electricity and phone line from being cut. If you do land yourself an official writing assignment, and once you have completed it, having wrung your credit card bone-dry in the process, then yes, you will probably receive some petty cash at some point. Probably enough, say, to recoup the cost of that last empanada and Sprite in Guatemala City airport. But forget about making a living out of it. And while you are at it, write off any hope of going “all expenses paid” - or if you find an employer who does that, please tell me their name right away. Until then, you are on a budget tighter than Speedo trunks and must fit the travel expenses’ equivalent of an obese bottom into it.

Where travel writers go for coffee

Corollary of the mama-myth: you rough it to the limit.

So you are on a shoestring. Well, so are lots of other travelers, and they don’t whine about it, right? Except they can choose to skip the top (expensive) tours and far-flung (expensive) attractions. You can’t, because you have to cover them for your guidebook. Well then renounce the comfort of a private room for a shared dorm at the Doorslam Hostel! Except that regular (loud) backpackers are not usually on the same schedule as you, who have to crawl out of bed at the crack of dawn to start working. Stretching your meal allowance by grabbing greasy street food would not be so bad either, if you did not have to check out the fancy restaurants in town, drooling over the tempting menu, writing down prices, and walking out. I could go on forever ringing off examples.

Yet in spite of the frustrating wild goose chases, dodgy boat rides, late-night ass-to-chair writing moments, and the many “what the hell?” moments, travel writing is a very rewarding experience. You just need to accept that it will never make you rich. On this zen note, I am off to apply for a position as a sub editor, which may fund my future trips and, who knows, my future bryson-esque fame and success.

V!VA’s Travel Writing Boot Camps

Still interested in the life of a travel writer? Why not join one of V!VA’s Boot Camps: five-day-long travel guidebook writing crash courses.

2010 Boot Camps:

Ecuador: January 4-8
Perú: January 18-22

Students hit the ground running with assignments, learn how to write guidebooks and have their work critiqued by seasoned professionals. This is a great opportunity for aspiring writers to gain hands-on travel writing skills and experience and get paid!

Upon successful completion of the course, Boot Camp graduates have the opportunity to stay on assignment as field writers and be compensated. Works will be published in the upcoming guidebooks for each country.

V!VA is looking for a select army of talented and adventurous writers to train out in the field and jump start their travel writing careers.

Learn from the pros what it takes to be a travel writer, start writing, get published and get paid!

Every time you move to a new place, whether it’s a new town in the state you grew up in or a foreign country on the other side of the globe, there is always a process of acclimating yourself to your new home and getting to know the local culture. After living there for a while, you really get comfortable and you can recognize the quirks that make the place what it is. Then you can pass along advice to newcomers about what things to embrace and what to avoid in order to make the most out of your new home.

I have been living in Quito for almost four months now, and I would like to share a few of the lessons I’ve learned while living in this crazy city.

Twelve Things I Have Learned About Living in Quito

1. If you don’t like bread or rice, you’ll need to get over it.

2. Ask the taxi driver for a taximetro, or bargain the price before you get in the vehicle. Don’t be afraid to argue for a lower price, and even lie about how much money you’re carrying so you don’t have to pay as much.

3. Even if your heels are literally hanging outside of the bus you are riding in, don’t worry- chances are good that you’ll survive.

4. Traffic is nearly impossible to cross as a pedestrian, so remember this personal philosophy: the closer you are to the car in front of you, the farther you are from the car coming behind you.

5. For women, just ignore all the men’s comments, noises and looks. None of them have the nerve to try to touch you, and really, it’s a compliment. They are overcome with your good looks.

6. Never underestimate the treasures you will find in a tiny shop, hidden market or rural village. Those are where you buy the most stunning things and meet the most interesting people.

7. In this city, it is perfectly normal to wear long sleeves, pants and a scarf when it is 75 degrees. Oh, and wear sunglasses when the sky is covered with clouds.

8. Claustrophobia and public transportation don’t mix. If you have the slightest tendencies toward claustrophobia, you’ll have to move beyond it or you will be spending lots of money on taxis.

9. Eat lunch at those tiny $2.50 restaurants. It will be better than the more expensive restaurant, and it will give you a cultural experience.

10. If you want to learn to dance, find a local salsa club or discotheque and stand there looking available. You’ll have a partner in under five minutes, and it’ll be a lot more fun than paying for lessons where you just feel embarrassed.

11. If you plan to spend all day out and about, be prepared for blazing heat, pounding rain or freezing cold. All three could occur in one day.

12. No matter how you dress or act, you will always look like a “gringo.” So relax, wear your own clothes and just enjoy experiencing a new culture.

The nice thing about traveling during the holidays, or at least shortly before it, is that the folks back home are easy to please. Some fifty cent piece of cloth that you got from a scary looking lady at the market is bound to delight some loved one with its authenticity and ethnic-ness.

However, if you are a hard-core traveler, figuring out what gifts you want is a bit more complicated. Every ounce is weight that needs to be lugged around, explained at customs, and eventually pawned off in exchange for needed medical supplies. Here at V!VA, we decided to tackle this problem head on. Our crack team of expert travel writers engaged in a careful study, surveying travelers in the field and utilizing a carefully  constructed, scientific website poll. Eventually, a fine database of the best budget holiday items you can pester your friends for emerged.

The database was given to me, but I lost it in a high stakes game of beer-pong to a writer from a rival company. So, in the finest tradition of travel writing, I just pulled out my own Christmas wish list, which I will pass off as the company’s recommendations.

1. A knife. Whether slicing cheese or removing a frost-bitten toe – this is the ultimate travel accessory. My advice—keep it simple, but make sure it has a corkscrew.

2. 

   Lycra - It's lightweight, travels well and is festive any time of the year.

   A travel pillow. Ever decide that the best way to prepare for a 12 hour bus trip that leaves at 6:00 a.m. is to drink until 5:00 a.m.? When you do, you won’t regret having a travel pillow with you. (You might regret giving your phone number to the person of non-descript gender with a lycra fetish, but that is your business. [We miss you, Emma])

3. A water purifier – There are pumps, water bottles, and even disposable straws that do a great job of keeping your water safe. It is a great way to ensure that you see more than just the toilet stalls of a nation. (But keep your eyes open in Morocco – they have great ones.)

4. A headlamp –Perfect for those third world blackouts. They are also handy for when you are trying not to wake up the person of non-descript gender while you search through their lycra for your underwear.

5. Waterproof containers— The modern traveler might well have an assortment of portable electronic goods. Most MP3 players, book-readers and smart-phones offer some kind of waterproof carrying container. The best part is that they are also alcohol and body fluid proof.

6. A pack towel—Microfiber towels are lightweight, absorb lots of water, and are useful in all kinds of situations. My favorite – wet tee-shirt contests.

7. A book reader—Sick of lugging around all those fantastic V!VA guidebooks? Keep your eyes open for our new e-chapters, soon to be available for purchase on-line.(Use all that space for a bottle or two of wine instead.)

8. A good first aid kit – This way, you don’t have to pawn off Aunt Matilda’s hand-knit scarf.

Anyone who has spent a lot of time in the outdoors has undoubted heard the saying “Take only photographs, leave only foot prints”.  This saying goes to the heart of something that is both a movement and an ethic: Leave No Trace (LNT).

LNT began as an effort by the National Park Service, Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management back in the 1970s.  At the time, the prevailing ethic was woodcraft.  Supposedly, using natural resources in the backcountry was an effective counterbalance to the encroachment of technology.  To be sure, woodcraft is a great hobby, but researchers soon realized that such activity, even by those who meant well, was hurting the land.

Over time, the ethic shifted to one of having a minimum impact on the land.  People were encouraged to leave wild places in much the same way as they found them. 

Climbing in Cotopaxi National Park - One of South America's Great Wildernesses.

1)      Plan Ahead and Prepare. People who plan ahead and prepare make the right choices.  They bring the proper equipment and avoid situations where they need to need to impact nature. 

2)      Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces. We all know about this.  Stick to the trail and camp in designated sites.  If you can, hike on rock surfaces.   If you need to travel over a less developed area, then spread out.  Don’t create a new trail.

3)      Dispose of Waste Properly. This is sometimes described as “Pack it in. Pack it out.”  This includes food waste, like fruit peels or cheese rinds, which are unsightly and may deter animals from natural food sources.  Bury human waste, as well as soap or detergent in a 6-8 inch hole, and pack out your toilet paper (Ziplock bags are great for this.) 

4)      Leave what you find.  Rocks, plants, leaves and archeological remains all have a place.  Leaving things also allows others to share in the joy and sense of discovery that you are lucky enough to enjoy.  (Obviously, litter is something of an exception to this principle.)

5)      Minimize the Use and Impact of Fire. Use only wood that has fallen from the tree and scatter your ashes so that no one can tell there has been a fire there.

6)      Respect Wildlife. The best part about seeing wildlife is that they are wild.  Keep it that way.  A good general rule of thumb is to keep about 25 yards away from animals – at a minimum.  However, if they show signs of being aware of you (that includes aggression or moving away from you), give them more distance.

7)      Be considerate.  This is the big one.  Think of how you want to enjoy nature and be sure that you let other people have the same experience. 

Most of us come to the outdoors because we love it and care for it.  The best gift we can give to natural place is nothing.  For more information about Leave No Trace, please visit the Center for Outdoor Ethics Webpage.

Travel. Write. Get Paid.

Line up, aspiring travel writers: V!VA Travel Guides is hosting its next Travel Writing Boot Camps in:

• Quito, Ecuador: January 4 -8
• Cusco, Peru: January 18 - 22

V!VA’s camps offer a crash course on all you need to know to become a successful travel writer. We’re looking for an army of talented and adventurous writers to train out on the field. Now’s your chance to travel, write and get paid!

• Gain on-location, hands-on experience from professional travel writers and editors
• Find out what editors want, how to deliver, and how to get paid and published for your work
• Attend an introductory course on producing digital photography for the internet
• Get the inside scoop on today’s travel writing market and how to work with multimedia outlets
• Improve writing skills through daily critiques by peers and pros
• Stay “on assignment” in the host country after the camp and be a contributing author in our upcoming guidebook!

Emily is a former Boot Camp graduate, and is now a paid travel writer in Mexico. Here’s what she had to say about V!VA’s Travel Writing Boot Camps:

“I attended V!VA’s Boot Camp in September of 2008 in Oaxaca, Mexico. I met some cool people and learned a lot. It is a very intensive course that helps you focus on writing skills. I stayed on assignment and earned some extra cash afterwards, and have done other assignments as well. Writing for V!VA is a great way to earn cash to cut down on travel expenses while exploring a new city.”

Ready to hit the ground running as a real travel writer? Enlist here: V!VA’s Travel Writing Boot Camp.