Registry for Mike Dawson & Ansley Swartz

Mike Dawson & Ansley Swartz

Well hello there! You've successfully navigated your way to our honeymoon registry!

So what is this?!? We know that it is traditional to register for home furnishings and appliances for your wedding. However, we live in a small Toronto apartment where space is rapidly dwindling as Mike brings home more and more CDs. Because we don't plan on moving to a house any time soon (at least, we don't think so!), and because we LOVE to travel, we have made our wedding registry a travel registry to help us take our dream honeymoon; a 2 week trip to South America! We are planning to travel to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands (where Darwin finalized his Theory of Evolution), then heading to Peru to see Machu Picchu and the Amazon Jungle before heading home.

Below you'll find an assortment of activities from our travel itinerary. If you'd like to give us a gift for our wedding, we'd love it if you'd contribute to an activity/item of your choice. (Please note that all purchases made through this website are in United States Dollars (USD) currency.)

Not only will we be beginning our married lives together in some of the most beautiful places in the world, we'll know that it's our friends and families who helped us get there.

We're excited to see you all in July!

Destination

Galapagos, Machu Picchu, Amazon Jungle

Dates

07/11/09 - 07/24/09

Gifts are welcome!
The value will be used
toward trip expenses.

We are going to be taking a trip with GAP Adventures that will take us on a 2 week whirlwind tour of 3 ecosystems of South America - the Galapagos Islands, the Andes Mountains and Machu Picchu, and the Tambopata Region of the Amazon Rainforest. After this unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime trip, we really will need to come home for a rest!

It starts off with flying in to Quito, Ecuador, where we will meet up with our tour group. We will be touring and staying overnight in Quito. The next morning, we will be taking an early flight out to the Galapagos Islands, located about 1000 km (620 miles) off the Pacific coast of Ecuador. We will be boarding the GAP Adventurer I, a boat which will be our home for the next 3 nights! Over the course of 4 days we will be visiting various islands in the Galapagos and learning all about the unique ecosystem that served as a living laboratory for Charles Darwin, the renowned evolution theorist.

On day 5 of our trip, we will be flying back to the mainland and staying overnight in Quito, Ecuador. From there we will be flying from Quito to Lima, Peru and then to the city of Cuzco, Peru. This fascinating city is the continent's oldest continuously inhabited city, and features Inca-built stone walls lining most of the central streets! Visitng Cuzco will offer us a chance to experience an age-old culture very different from our 20th century way of life. We will be taking a train that winds through the spectacular Urubamba Valley to the end of the line: the village of Aguas Calientes, a frontier town nestled in the hills beneath Machu Picchu. The next morning we will be taking a sunrise tour of the 'Lost City of the Incas' - Machu Picchu. After hiking around the ruins, we in the afternoon we return to Cuzco by train, arriving in the evening.

On day 11, we fly from Cuzco, high in the Andes, to Puerto Maldonado, deep in the lowlands of the Amazon jungle. We will then travel by motorized canoe down the Tambopata River to our lodge in the Tambopata Rainforest Area. This area holds the world record for the most bird sightings in one area! We will stay 2 nights at the rainforest lodge while we learn all about this area.

On day 13 we fly back to Lima for a final night out with our new friends! Day 14 is the end of our trip, and we start the loooong trip back home.

No one loves a guidebook like Ansley. Planning is half the fun, right? Ansley swears by the Lonely Planet Guidebooks - they've never led us astray!

Cost Each	$40.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

New backpacks - because we don't want to haul our stuff around South America in plastic bags!

Cost Each	$150.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

There's lots of walking on this trip - we need good hiking boots! We'll be hiking around the Galapagos Islands, the Andes mountains and trails of the Tambopata region of the Amazon Rainforest.

Cost Each	$125.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

We'll be in the water constantly, so we'll need new bathing suits to keep looking good! Don't worry, we'll be sure to show your our tans when we get back (tee hee)!

Cost Each	$50.00
Still Need	2
Give

Quick-zip, quick-dry, quick-everything pants that can become shorts in seconds! The perfect practical attire for our South American excursion.

Cost Each	$90.00
Still Need	2
Give

New water bottles for all our hiking and trekking! We'll definitely need these to carry our own water supply - we can't drink any of the local water without getting sick!

Cost Each	$30.00
Still Need	2
Give

It's a long flight! Help us make it go by quickly with some books for the plane. Mike will probably be reading a great literary classic while Ansley reads something hilarious (and she will regularly interrupt Mike's reading to share something funny)!

Cost Each	$50.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

A new 35-200mm Nikon lens for our camera, so we can take pictures that do justice to this incredible trip! With this lens, Mike will be able to capture vast panoramic views while Ansley can get close-ups of the exotic insects she can't wait to see!

Cost Each	$80.00
Still Need	9
Give

Money for internet cafes to let our friends and family know we're having fun. We'll try not to make anyone jealous...but we can't make any promises!

Cost Each	$30.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

Our flight from Toronto to South America! It's a long one, but it's going to be totally worth it! Can't wait to get there ...

Cost Each	$75.00
Still Need	20
Give

Romantic Dinner on our first night of our honeymoon in Quito, Ecuador. We hope to make it really special! There are many great restaurants in Quito to choose from - and many with fabulous city views.

Cost Each	$80.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

Drinks during dinner for our first night in Quito, Ecuador. It's our honeymoon - it's time to celebrate! We'll be sure to enjoy one (okay, maybe two) "Pilsener" beers - the national beer of Ecuador! Cheers!

Cost Each	$30.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

A healthy "desayuno" (breakfast) to start each day off right! We'll be sure to try a traditional ecuadorian breakfast at least once, which usually consists of chicken and lentils.

Cost Each	$20.00
Still Need	19
Give

Hotel for our first night on our South American Honeymoon - ooh la la!

Cost Each	$125.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

Flight from Quito to the Galapagos Islands, located about 1000 km (620 miles) off the Pacific coast of South America. We are so excited to visit these isolated islands, which are home to some of the strangest and most wonderful wildlife imaginable!

Cost Each	$70.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

Welcome aboard! The small yacht, "GAP Adventurer I" will be our home base for our 4 days exploring the incredible Galapagos Islands!

Cost Each	$250.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

A private naturalist guide for our entire time in the Galapagos Islands. Extremely isolated, the islands are home to some of the strangest and most wonderful wildlife imaginable, including the giant Galapagos tortoises for which the islands were named.

Cost Each	$100.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

We will have many, many opportunities to interact with marine wildlife in the Galapagos Islands. Help us make the most of it with SCUBA lessons!

Cost Each	$100.00
Still Need	1
Give

Visitor fee to the Galapagos National Park, located about 1000 km (620 miles) off the coast of Ecuador. The islands served as a living laboratory for Charles Darwin, the renowned evolution theorist. We will be exploring the islands for 4 days!

Cost Each	$100.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

First day in the Galapagos: Outing to Bachas Beach on Isla Santa Cruz for some "vegging out". We'll relax, swim and take in our gorgeous surroundings!

Cost Each	$50.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

Second day in the Galapagos: Bartolom� Island. A hike through the wild and "unearthly" looking lava landscape to the summit of the island to see a gorgeous panoramic view of the volcanic origins of the islands!

Cost Each	$80.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

Second day in the Galapagos: Bartolome Island. An afternoon on Bartolome Beach to relax and explore! There is great snorkelling among the submerged volcanic rock. This is one of the spots where we might see the rare Galapagos penguins!

Cost Each	$60.00
Still Need	1
Give

Ansley's dream experience - diving with Sharks! If the conditions are right, we will be diving with live sharks in a cove on the coast of Bartolome Island, in the Galapagos Islands!

Cost Each	$210.00
Still Need	2
Give

Third day in the Galapagos: Rabida Island. We will be seeing lots of wildlife on this day - including a large sea lion colony! We will be visiting Rabida Island's red beach where we can see flamingos and pelicans.

Cost Each	$80.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

Special scuba outing in the Galapagos to swim with sea turtles! It's the only place in the world where the Pacific green sea turtle breeds. They can reach up to 150kg in weight and 1metre in length!

Cost Each	$75.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

Fourth day in the Galapagos: Santa Cruz Island. We will be visiting the Charles Darwin Research Station, which features displays on the evolutionary history of the Galapagos Islands. We will also see a nursery for endangered Galapagos Tortoises.

Cost Each	$150.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

Airfare back to the Quito on the mainland - time to say goodbye to the Galapagos Islands, and hello to the mountians and rainforest!

Cost Each	$70.00
Still Need	3
Give

Back on dry land! Time to celebrate surviving our trip to the Galapagos with dinner and drinks in Quito, Ecuador. Bring on the "Pilsener" Ecuadorian beer!

Cost Each	$80.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

Hotel for our first evening back on the mainland in Quito, Ecuador. It sure will be nice to sleep on solid steady ground after 4 nights on a boat!

Cost Each	$95.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

Tour of Old Quito, founded in 1534. We will be taking a trolley to a hill in the middle of Old Quito called El Panecillo or 'the Little Bread Loaf'. From here there are marvellous panoramic views of the entire city and surrounding volcanoes.

Cost Each	$50.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

A quick jaunt the the centre of the world! The equator passes through Ecuador only a 30 minute drive north of Quito - and we want to stand on it! In Spanish it is called "Mitad del Mundo".

Cost Each	$50.00
Still Need	0
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Entrance fee for the Museo del Banco Central in Quito, Ecuador. It has a vast display of archeology discovered in the area, including pottery, gold ornaments, skulls showing deformities and early surgical methods, and a mummy!

Cost Each	$20.00
Still Need	0
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An evening partying in Quito's world famous salsa clubs and "penas" (authentic casual bars where locals hang out). Can't you imagine us discovering our latin heat?!?

Cost Each	$50.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

Flight from Quito, Ecuador to Lima, Peru. Known as the City of Kings, Peru's capital city Lima was founded in 1535. Now it is the 5th largest city in South America with a population of over 3 million people!

Cost Each	$250.00
Still Need	2
Give

Guided tour of Lima, Peru to visit many of the city's highlights! This will allow us to see great examples of Spanish-colonial architecture. We hope to see the changing of the Palace Guard at the Archbishop's Palace in the Plaza de Armas.

Cost Each	$45.00
Still Need	0
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"When in Rome..." No wait! I mean "When in LIMA!" We have to try a few of the popular local drink called "Pisco Sour". It's a drink containing regional brandy called Pisco, lemon juice, egg whites, simple syrup, and regiona

Cost Each	$35.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

Hotel for our single night in Lima, Peru. We sure will need a good rest after the flight from Quito - and we have another flight to Cuzco tomorrow! Nighty night!

Cost Each	$90.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

Flight from Lima to Cuzco, Peru. Cuzco is the continent's oldest continuously inhabited city, and the hub of the South American travel network - Inca-built stone walls line most of the central streets.

Cost Each	$125.00
Still Need	1
Give

Guided tour of Cuzco's incredible Cathedral, begun in 1559 and completed over 100 years later!

Cost Each	$12.00
Still Need	0
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Cuzco is world famous for an incredible market. Help us decorate our apartment with memories of our trip with local art and handicrafts!

Cost Each	$100.00
Still Need	2
Give

A once-in-a-lifetime whitewater rafting trip down the Urubamba River through the Sacred Valley of the Incas! Depending on the water levels, we will most likely be running the Ollantaytambo Class III rapids.

Cost Each	$200.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

Hotel for a night in Cuzco, Peru. This town city has a fascinating mix of old and new architecture - it even has some remaining Incan ruins in the downtown area! I'm pretty sure that our hotel will be a little more modern...

Cost Each	$90.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

A train trip to the village of Aguas Calientes, the closest habitation to Machu Picchu. Our trip winds through the spectacular Urubamba Valley and we begin our ascent through the Andes!

Cost Each	$110.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

Time to relax! A treatment in the natural hot springs spa for which the village of "Aguas Calientes" was named.

Cost Each	$60.00
Still Need	2
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Hotel for a night in the frontier town of Aguas Calientes, nestled in the hills beneath Machu Picchu. We need some good sleep tonight - tomorrow we go up to see Machu Picchu itself!

Cost Each	$90.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

Entrance fee to Machu Picchu, the most sacred Inca site in the world! (We've really wanted to see this place ever since we saw it featured on an episode of The Amazing Race.)

Cost Each	$50.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

A sunrise tour of Machu Picchu, the most sacred Incan site in the world! Discovered by Bingham in 1911, Machu Picchu is located deep in the heart of the Andes Mountains, 8,000 feet above sea level, and is a dream destination for Ansley & Mike.

Cost Each	$110.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

Train tickets from Aguas Calientes back to Cuzco through the Urubamba Valley. As we descend down from the Andes, the views are sure to be spectacular!

Cost Each	$110.00
Still Need	2
Give

Hotel for a night of rest in Cuzco, Peru. Tomorrow it's off to the rainforest and more adventure!

Cost Each	$90.00
Still Need	1
Give

We fly from Cuzco, Peru to Puerto Maldonado, deep in the lowlands of the Amazon jungle. Oh man, our ears are going to be popping a lot due to the dramatic altitude change!

Cost Each	$100.00
Still Need	2
Give

Motorized canoe ride down the Tambopata River to our treetop lodge in the Tambopata Rainforest Area. Along the ride, we will see bird species typical of the river edge like Black Skimmers, Pied Lapwings, Capped Herons, and Jabiru Storks.

Cost Each	$80.00
Still Need	2
Give

A donation (no entrance fee is charged, but donations are encouraged) to the Tambopata Rainforest Area, one of the most ecologically bio-diverse areas in the entire world! It holds the world record for the most bird sightings in one area!

Cost Each	$75.00
Still Need	2
Give

Porter welfare is a big issue in Peru, help us contribute to our porters' tips!

Cost Each	$50.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

An unforgettable experience - our first night at our lodge in the Tambopata Region of the Amazon Rainforest! The lodge itself combines native architectural style and materials with low-impact eco-friendly technology. It will be a rustic adventure!

Cost Each	$150.00
Still Need	1
Give

Tour of the Tambopata region of the Amazon Rainforest! Our guides include local community members and a multilingual Naturalist Guide. We will learn all about the rich flora and fauna, and also about how people live deep in the heart of the jungle!

Cost Each	$150.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

Our second and final night at lodge in the rainforest. Local community members make up the majority the lodge staff, so we will try to learn as much as we can from them before we leave!

Cost Each	$150.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

Time to fly out of the jungle back to Lima, Peru. Wow, this trip has a lot of flights! This is the last short flight in our adventure - the next one is the looooong flight home!

Cost Each	$100.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

Our final night in Lima before heading home! A romantic cap to our incredible honeymoon is dinner on one of the acclaimed restaurants along the Lurin River.

Cost Each	$120.00
Still Need	1
Give

Our last night out in South America with our new friends we met on the trip! Our last Pisco Sours in the City of Kings (Lima). Cheers!

Cost Each	$35.00
Still Need	0
Give	*Fulfilled*

Although this trip is going to be incredible, it's also going to be pretty tiring! A couple's RMT massage when we get back to Toronto will truly relax us before we go back to work.

Cost Each	$110.00
Still Need	1
Give

We want to preserve the amazing memories - so we'd like to make a detailed photo album so we can always remember this amazing journey!

Cost Each	$50.00
Still Need	1
Give

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