冒險之旅:拉丁美洲與加勒比(多頁多圖)
Adventure holidays and trips for 2014: Latin America and the Caribbean
2014冒險之旅：拉丁美洲與加勒比
Trek on a Caribbean island, chase lightning or swim with whales … There's no shortage of adventure in this part of the world
跋涉加勒比小島，追逐閃電或是與鯨共泳······世界的這一角落永不缺少冒險。
Chasing lightning in Venezuela 追逐閃電，委內瑞拉
Photograph: Alasdair Baverstock 攝影：阿拉斯代爾 巴夫斯托克
Between April and November, on any given night at Lake Maracaibo – a large brackish bay connected to the Gulf of Venezuela – lightning bolts, appearing 200 to a minute, draw great cracks across the sky illuminating the night. The lightning here is so intense and frequent that it has just won a place in The Guinness Book of World Records. You can travel here from Mérida, itself something of an adventure destination where thrillseekers will be able to experience the world's highest cable car when it opens later this year.
四月到十一月之間，任選一個夜晚到馬拉開波湖 —— 一個與委內瑞拉海灣相連的鹹水灣——閃電每分鐘出現200多次，劃破天空，照亮黑夜。這個地區閃電出現得如此頻繁以至於它在吉尼斯世界記錄大全上佔有一席之地。你可以從梅里達州遊至此地。梅里達州本身就是一個冒險之地，年底通車之後，尋求刺激的遊客能在這裏乘坐到世上最高的纜車。
From the historic town, tourists go north through the Sierra La Culata national park to catch a speedboat to the lake-top fishing communities at the heart of nature's own plasma ball. This untouched land is remote enough to retain a wilderness feel, even without the lightning, and is home to jaguars, alligators, boa constrictors and monkeys, all of which retreat as the storms draw closer in the small hours. And when the lightning arrives – caused by heat, humidity and Andean winds, and accompanied by roaring thunder – it explodes in all directions burning jagged bolts into your retina. A unique Central American experience.
從歷史悠久的小鎮出發，北經委內瑞拉國家公園，搭乘快艇至位於大自然等離子球中心的湖巔釣魚羣落。這塊無人問津的土地所在偏遠，即使沒有閃電，仍保留了原始荒原之感。 這裏也是美洲豹、短吻鱷、大蟒蛇和猴子的家園，它們會在凌晨風暴來臨前撤回。當閃電出現的時候——由熱度、溼度和安第斯風引起，伴隨着咆哮的奔雷——它向四面八方爆裂，參差不齊的閃電直劈到你的眼睛裏。這是獨一無二的中美洲體驗。
Town and country, Colombia 城鎮與鄉村， 哥倫比亞
Colombia is an intriguing mixture of modern cities and remote wilderness, and on this trip you can experience both. It takes in the multicultural city of Bogotá, before heading north to the Caribbean coast and then plunging into the jungles of the Sierra Nevada mountains for a challenging five-day hike to the lost city of Teyuna, the last stage being a climb up 1,200 stone steps. From there it's on to the Amazon Rainforest, on the border with Peru and Brazil, and a camp sited on a tree-top platform from which you can kayak to see caiman, monkeys and sloth.
哥倫比亞是現代城市與偏遠荒原的美麗碰撞，一段路途，兩種體驗。徜徉於多元文化的波哥大，北遊加勒比海岸，再深入濃密的內華達山脈叢林，徒步五天後抵達遺失的城市特俞那，最後再爬上1200級階梯。亞馬遜雨林從那裏開始——祕魯和巴西的邊界。在樹頂平臺上安營紮寨，你可以乘獨木舟觀賞到凱門鱷，猴子和樹懶。
Sky train, Ecuador 空中列車，厄瓜多爾
Photograph: Amar Grover 攝影：艾馬爾 格魯佛
Ecuador's Trans-Andean railway reopened last year after several years out of action. Although the famous Tren Crucero was created for trade purposes, it now operates at a leisurely speed for tourists wanting to see banana plantations, active volcanoes and plenty of wildlife on a four-day trip. With a maximum height of nearly 3,000 metres, getting back down again, via a nerve-inducing series of switchbacks (the aptly named Devil's Nose) is a memorable white-knuckle experience.
厄瓜多爾跨安第斯鐵路在多年停運之後於去年重新通車。雖然著名的空中列車最初因商業目的而創建，它現在常以一種悠閒的速度運行，以讓遊客們的四天的旅途中盡情觀賞香蕉樹，活火山和大批的野生動物。最高海拔將近3000米，高低起伏，一系列讓人捏汗的曲折迴環（被合適地稱作“魔鬼的鼻樑”）組成了難忘的驚險之旅。
Trekking, Brazil 徒步旅行，巴西
Photograph: Alamy 攝影：阿拉米
The Chapada Diamantina national park in the state of Bahia is a beautiful area of dramatic flat-topped mountains, waterfalls, sparkling blue pools and lush rainforest. In the 1840s diamond prospecters flocked here but now it is a protected area and very peaceful. The six-day trek goes deep into the park, passing waterfalls – plenty of swimming opportunities – and spectacular rock formations with homestay accommodation. The walk starts and finishes in the pretty colonial town of Lençóis, then you will visit Salavador and Rio for a couple of nights' recuperation.
位於巴伊亞州的巴西國家公園是一塊美麗的土地，擁有引人注目的平頂山、瀑布、波光粼粼的藍色泳池和茂盛的雨林。十九世紀四十年代，鑽石勘探者們蜂擁而至，而今這裏受到保護，十分安靜。六天的跋涉會帶你深入公園內部，經過瀑布——游泳的大好機會——和壯觀的岩石，還能寄宿當地人家裏。旅途起止點都是美麗的殖民城市倫索伊斯，之後再遊覽薩爾瓦多和里約以恢復體力。
Tour of Patagonia 巴塔哥尼亞之旅
Puerto Natales is the gateway to Torres del Paine national park. Photograph: Alamy
納塔萊斯港是通向智利百內國家公園的門戶。攝影：阿拉米
On this tour through Argentinian and Chilean Patagonia you'll experience the wonder and scale of one of the wildest places on the planet, and see everything from whales and penguins to glaciers and Andean peaks. The trip will explore the Beagle Channel by boat, spotting birdlife and whales en route to Estancia Haberton, one of the first settlements on Tierra del Fuego. From there the expedition heads to the Patagonian ice field and the Perito Moreno glacier. Other activities include horse-riding through the stunning El Calafate and trekking in the Torres del Paine national park. Accommodation includes a traditional wood cabin near Bariloche with a log fire and home-cooked meals.
在這次穿越阿根廷和智利巴塔哥尼亞的旅途中，你會體會到星球上最原始的土地獨有的魅力和規模，並觀賞到鯨魚、企鵝和安第斯山峯等等。這次旅程中游客將乘船通過比格爾海峽，在去哈伯頓牧場的路上觀察鳥類和鯨魚，那是火地山上出現的最早的聚落之一，再從牧場出發往巴塔哥尼亞冰原和莫雷諾冰川。其他的活動還包括在絕美的卡拉法特冰原上騎馬，穿越智利百內國家公園。住宿包括臨近巴里洛切的傳統木屋，內有壁爐和自制晚餐。
Trek across Dominica 穿越多米尼加島
Photograph: Kevin Rushby 攝影：凱文 羅什比
The Waitukubuli Trail is a 115-mile trek across a landscape filled with deep jungle, precipitous ridges and huge waterfalls. Along the way are a few tiny settlements and isolated farms that retain the pace of the old Caribbean. The trail follows old runaway slave paths high into the rainforested interior and takes in beaches and dramatic gorges.
韋圖卡布裏小徑是一條115英里長的行山線，穿過叢林深處、險峻的山峯和巨型瀑布。一路上分佈着小型的聚落和單獨的農場，保留着古老加勒比獨特的節奏。這條小徑循着舊時奴隸逃亡的線路，引向雨林深處，經過沙灘和動人心魄的峽谷。
Swim with Humpbacks, Dominican Republic 與座頭鯨共泳， 多明尼加共和國
Every year thousands of humpback whales head to a limestone reef 70 miles north of the Dominican Republic for the breeding season. In this adventure, you sail to the Silver Bank in a liveaboard dive ship then, twice a day, move out on small boats to locate the whales. Once in the water you wait for them to approach, which they do, sometimes with their young. You will hear whale song and see them breech and nurse their babies – who themselves are often very curious about humans.
每年繁殖季節，上千只座頭鯨遊向多明尼加共和國北70英里的石灰岩礁。在這次旅途中，你在可供住宿的潛水船上航向銀色淺灘，然後一天兩次劃出小船尋找鯨魚。只要你靜靜地等着他們靠近，有時它們真的會這樣，甚至還帶上他們的小寶貝，那麼你會聽到鯨魚的歌，看到它們分娩以及照料鯨魚寶寶。小鯨魚總是對人類充滿好奇。
Sailing, Belize 起航， 伯利茲城
Belize has the world's second largest offshore reef, a fabulous place to explore by boat. Take Doris along and the exploration becomes hugely exciting, and also extremely comfortable. She is a 50ft catamaran equipped with sea kayaks, fishing and snorkelling gear plus a well-stocked bar, and a chef. Head out to Goff's Caye, a palm-fringed tropical atoll then island hop to Tobacco Caye where, on the right night, there is magical bioluminescence. With luck you'll also spot giant rays, turtles and manatees.
伯利茲城有面積世界第二的濱外礁，這是一個船上探險極好的去處。帶上“桃瑞絲”，讓這次探險變得十分興奮、十分舒適。“桃瑞絲”是一艘50英尺的雙體船，配備皮筏艇、漁具和浮潛裝置，再加上存貨豐富的酒吧和一名大廚。朝戈夫小島駛出，經過棕櫚密佈的環礁，然後引向菸草小島，如果你在對的時候抵達那裏，會在夜晚看到奇幻的發光生物體。如果再幸運一些，你將會看到巨大的鰩形目魚、海龜和海牛。
Mountain trekking, Peru 徒步山野，祕魯
One of the greatest adventure stories of recent years must be Joe Simpson's Touching the Void and this trip takes you around the 30km long cordillera of Peru's Huayhuash mountains where that epic story unfolded. Travelling with donkeys, you trek over several high passes and camp in emerald green meadows beside glacial lakes surrounded by snow-capped peaks. You need to be fit and strong but there are three days of acclimatisation before you go to just over 5,000 metres.
喬·辛普森的“攀越冰峯”可謂近年來最偉大的探險之一。這次探險帶你走過長達30千米的安第斯山峯，故事就在那裏展開。驢上騎行，你跋涉過高高的棧道，在冰湖邊碧綠的草地上露營，周圍是積雪覆蓋的山峯。你需要強健的體魄來完成這次旅行，但在那之前會在海拔5000米的地方給你一個適應期。
