Bonjour mes amis,
I know...no news from me, nor Gail, for quite a while. What do they say....no news is good news?! a combination of factors has made it difficult to keep you updated...being largely outside of cities where internet service is not as readily available, and being quite busy, too busy to stop and write!
Anyways, our trip is rapidly coming to an end. We are flying home this Saturday, and we are all excited. the kids especially have been looking forward to sleep in their own bed! I too am looking forward to not having to share small, two double bed rooms with 3 other people!
the last 6 weeks in France and Italy have been very different than our time in Latin America. We rented a car, and rented 4 different farm houses in southern france--one in Provence near Avignon, one on the Meditarean coast near Marseilles, one en Dordogne, and one near Nice. the gites were great because we were not moving around so much, and we could finally cook our own meals. Yes, we missed that luxury--big time! It was nice to not feel the obligation to get up and do something, see something etc. the boys started reading a lot more; sometimes spending a whole day reading, and sometimes rereqding, Harry Potter! Dylan stqrted to take a lot of enjoyment writing in his journal! surprising, yes; I know! I think he got a lot of pleasure reflecting back on earlier parts of the trip. Being forced to write about it...forced in the sense that it was our carrot to later take him to Euro Disney in Paris...forced him to try and remember details, and the pleasure lay in the details.
For my part, I really enjoyed going back to places in Southern France that I had first discovered in my early tzenties when I spend a year studying in Toulouse. It was fun to see the same places through different; hopefully wiser; eyes, and being able to share the experiences with Gail and the boys. Little things, like living in a traditional French farm house, with the huge windows; tall ceiling, shutters etc all left a mark on me. I want to come back again, and again!
We are in Paris at the moment, after spending last week in Italy. the highlight in Italy was hiking in Cinque Terre..;spelling? just south of Genoa. In Paris,, the highlights have been renting the cities municipal bicycles....an environmental initiative to get Parisiens out of their cars; and using thousands of bikes placed aroung the city to travel on..;to disover Paris on two wheels. We went to the tour Eiffel, and the Louvre, and walked around the Maris, and went to Euro Disney, and walked, and walked....until we hqve got so tired that we want to get on the plane, and come home.
It has been a reat trip, but it is time to savour that sweeeeeeeeeet feeling of coming home! e llok forward to seeing you soon.
Best wishes,
Mike
ps excuse the typos;;;I have been warned that i have to sent this now, or i will be cut off!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Monday, June 2, 2008
This week has found us exploring the beautiful city of Nice...
This week has found us exploring the beautiful city of Nice, strolling the 8km promenade along the beach and discovering so many interesting shops, restaurants and heritage cites in the old town, I was "forced" by my kids to take my "life into my hands" on rollerblades one afternoon with the kids and managed to avoid a faceplant on the pavement, dodged numerous bikes , strollers and pedestrians, although the speed bump was a scary moment, We even hit the movies-- a fitting movie--Into the Wild. The movie showed an exteme escape from a mundane life but it still instilled our appreciation for taking some risk, stepping out of routines, and seeing beyond our neighbourhoods, The kids really reflected upon the many travellers we have met along our journey and recognized that people travel for a wide variety of reasons and people grow in many ways because of their travels. They also thought that Alex from Into the Wild was too "far out there" in his adventurous , foolhardy spirit.The kids also wore themselves out at an adventure ropes course for a day. They were drenched in sweat with many scrapes, bruises and tired muscles yet grinning ear to ear when we picked them up after the 5 hour adventure.
We have even dodged some rain storms to get us climatized to the lovely Vancouver weather we have missed. We are kown as the crazy Canadians who swim laps most mornings in the freezing cold unheated pools we have had. The real reason that we can bear the elements is the extra layers of insulation we have from all the gelato, chocolate croissants and the wine! We are getting used to the typically French idiocyncracies, ie, 130 km per hour on the auto routes and make sure you have lots of euro coins ready for all the tolls, countless roundabouts which is nice when you aren't sure which way to turn---you just go around as many times as you need to figure it out; most people smoke but luckily no longer in restaurantst; most have small dogs that are welcome everywhere and definitely welcome to leave their marks whereever it drops---no walking barefoot; some of the best parts are the great coffee, wine, and the way the French shut down everything except the retaurants from 12 to 3 to savour a midday meal. They do not believe on eating on the run. Food is to be enjoyed and it is very important that meals are shared with family and friends. There are virtually no overwight French people either so maybe taking time with very good food at set meal time and eliminating junk food has merit. It is also very rare to buy takeout coffee so no takeout garbage littering the streets. We have also been so impressed with all the help we have been given to find routes, accom, food etc.
We left Nice and headed along the Ligurian coast of Italy, We settled into nice little beach town of Loano. Much better gelato, terrific pasta and we love the animated Italan conversations, It is a national holiday this weekend so it was wonderful hanging out with the locals and using our best sign language to communicate----not too much english in this town but for once even Mike doesn't know the language. We were heading to Turino but fierce storms and slides have dictated a new route---not sure where. Hope the school year is winding down well and you have some good summer plans to keep you going. Gail
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Well, time seems to be flying...
Well, time seems to be flying as we continue to explore the Dordogne , Provence , and the Cotes d Azure of France. We will have stayed in gites for 4 weeks in beautiful places close enough to the historical tourist sites but far enough away that we don't have to be stressed out driving, with quiet, relaxing places to sleep, and small villages nearby to explore and buy our groceries. We are finishing our week near Marseilles. We are a few steps from the bright blue Mediterranian----disappointed that it is a very cool 17 degrees but so beautiful. There is a hking trail along the calanques (fiords) all the 42 km to Marseilles---we did a 3 hour hike which was superb. Kids are kind of home bodies some days and have taken a couple days to lounge around, swim, read or just play cards and explore the beach. Mike and I , regretfully left them behind (celebrated?) on our own excursions to Avignon, hiking through the roman arena, exploring the markets etc; and then yesterday we took the train to Marseilles for the day. Today we drove to Arles and will be exploring the salt flats in Camargue with a large flamingo, wild horse and boar population. Tonite is the new Indiana Jones movie in french.
A highlight for the kids this week was of course Marineland in Antibes. Killer whales, dolphins etc brought them back to their love of the Galapagos. I always wonder about the educational value versus the removal of these magnificent creatures from their habitat.
The Cannes film fest and the Nice Grand Prix is on now so we were lucky to get a place for next week near Nice. We will be exploring the Grand Canyon of France -- the Canyon du Verdun, and driving into the mountains too.
For the first time on our trip we have no firm plans for the first week of June. We are heading to Italy along the Italian riviera and then into the Italian Alps--hopefully we will find some English speakers because Mike cannot bail us out there. Flight home has been booked ----- June 14th is the end of our adventures abroad but never the end of adventuring.... Gail
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Perpignon, then Narbonne to pick up our Volkswagon Passat hatchback, deisel,,,thank goodness with the price of gas $1.65 for gas and $1.32 for deisel. We then spent three nights in a hostel inside the castle of Carcasonne. It was a very basic accom but we could cook our own meals and there were three different school groups from France and Spain staying there for the kids to interact with. They are trying out more and more of their french as we travel and they understand a lot of what they hear in the markets, cafes; hostels etc.It was great exploring the castle with its medeival feel, drawbridge, cemetary and all the innovations to repel all attackers; We visited the museum of torture, ---- Dylan was our tour guide describing each form of torture which was realistically displayed and used during the Inquisition____ he remembered the models from his SS 8 and the real torture devices were as fascinating as they were horrific. We all had the same question --- who could inflict those tortures to another human being! We cycled one day down the canal and beside all the locks used by the river boats------ Justin was not impressed with a 3 hour bike ride to celebrate his 12th birthday----again he picked the wrong parents ! We did cook lasagna and choc cake so he went to bed less miffed. Next stop was Toulousse where Mike studied for one year at the U of Toulousse 30 years ago. Such a beautiful big city. Very pedestrian friendly, and bike rentals for 1 euro for the day! Bottle of wine, a baguette, cheese, couple of salads and you are set to sit by the river at night with the locals and tourists and enjoy a picnic or wander through the main square to listen to great music and check out the market for a wide variety of ocal produce or wares from morrocco.
We then headed to Les Ezies in the Dordogne region. We had a beautifully restored 2 bedroom farmhouse gite for a week complete with a huge grass field for petangue and a pool. It is by fqr the cheapest and the most comfortable way to stay in France. We easily settled into cooking all our meals and packing picnics for each of our day trips to the local caves, museums and castles. This is the region where the skeleton of Cro magnen man was discovered and also hundreds of original caveman drawings and artifacts dating back to Cro magnen times. The caves were large enough to travel 6 km by tiny train then to walk or go deep underground by boat. The more we saw, the more questions and fascination we had with the history of man and with the many inhabitants of the castles. Kids gravitated to the mammoth and giant rhino skeletons They are hooked on anything involving wildlife. The castles had many of the historical replicas of the weapons including great catapults, armour, etc.
Long driving day from Les Ezies to Avignon. We are in another gites. This time our one week stay is in a 500 year old former flour mill currently owned by a baron. Another place with so much character yet modern comforts too. We spent our first day travelling to the famous Roman aqueduct built in 54 AD called Pont De Gard. What an incredible engineering feat that still proudly stands over the Gardom river. It transported water to the Roman city of Nimes 30 miles away by dropping 1 inch every 350 feet.
No return ticket yet but still lots to do....... Bye for now Gail
Sunday, April 27, 2008
15 day Transatlantic cruise to Barcelona Spain...
We left Lima Peru and all the wonderful people, food, scenery,adventures (and reasonable prices for everything) and flew to Miami then bused to Fort lauderdale for 3 relaxing days on the beach before we boarded the Caribean Navigator of the Seas for a 15 day Transatlantic cruise to Barcelona Spain, It is one of the repositioning cruises where the ships move from the Caribean to Europe for the summer, It was not much more expensive than a flight and we thought we would see what it was like to be pampered yet see some other cities at our Ports of Call (Bermuda, Azorye Islands and Lisbon in Portugal, then Seville, Cadiz and Barcelona in Spain),
We had a few "cruise suitable" clothes sent to Miami, and sent our Inca trail woolies home but could not compete with the groups of cruisers who dressed to impress in a different set of clothing for every meal, event and even at the pool, It took Mike and I a few days to relax and enjoy not having to pack and figure out travel plans, meals, etc and to fit in with the majority of passengers (most over 65 who have cruised 10 or more times and expect to be constantly waited on), Luckily first impressions changed and we met some great people, We also had a tough time adjusting to going from being together as a family 24/7 to losing our kids to the full schedule of organized teen activities and seeing them at 1:00 am (teen curfew on the boat) and then again at 6:00 pm for dinner in the luxurious dining room (Justin most nights; Dylan 3 times and maybe for an occasional mini golf game or to shoot a few baskets on the bball court together: They have never stayed up until 1:00 before and would you let your kids be gone for 15 hours per day zith kids you don't know and whose parent you never do meet? If you zant to enjoy yourself on a vacation and not worry about your kids; a cruise is definitely the place to be, Once we realized that it was kind of nice having time without them, we made our own routine, We'd walk the track then go to the terrific gym every morning; read by the pool; play scrabble; and we enjoyed terrific music and shows every night without worrying about them, we loved it: We dragged them out as we passezd through the straights of Gibralter and clearly saw the Rock of Gibralter and Portugal on the left of the boat and Morroco; Africa on the other side---my first thought was that if Africa is that close; we should go to the harbour and see if we can get a boat across! Mike sensibly said----we have enough on our plate to see,,,maybe another trip:
Unfortunately in Barcelona the boat had a mechanical problem that they tried to fix in Lisbon, Beccause of the problem, the only stop in Europe was Lisbon before we finished the trip in Barcelona: We received compensation but people were very upset, The kids really bonded with about 10 other kids: They all had a long cry on the last night and did not want the trip to end: Lots of sports including rock cliimbing; ice skating in line skating; basketball; dodgeball; texas holdem; and wiii tourneys etc---hard to believe the variety of things to do on a ship:
The Euro is sure different than the value of an American dollar in S America, We spent more on public transit in Lisbon qnd Barcelona for short bus rides than it would cost to go across Ecuador! We were so spoilt there, Europe however is a very exciting place, Beautiful old castles, cathedrals squares in Lisbon then very Cosmopolitan Barcelona with the wide pedestrian sidewalk and the live statues dressed in very realistic costumes all along the street, We spent a full day in Barcelona then took the train to Perpignon France, What beautiful countyside along the Mediterranean, First breakfast,,,fresh strawberries; croissants, expresso! We pick up a car in Narbonne tomorrow then drive to Carcassone for a couple of days, It has been great to hear the kids speak french and for them to understand the conversations on the train and on the streets, although Dylan keeps switching from habit to spanich,
Bye for now
Gail (another new type of keyboard here so lots of errors:::sorry
We had a few "cruise suitable" clothes sent to Miami, and sent our Inca trail woolies home but could not compete with the groups of cruisers who dressed to impress in a different set of clothing for every meal, event and even at the pool, It took Mike and I a few days to relax and enjoy not having to pack and figure out travel plans, meals, etc and to fit in with the majority of passengers (most over 65 who have cruised 10 or more times and expect to be constantly waited on), Luckily first impressions changed and we met some great people, We also had a tough time adjusting to going from being together as a family 24/7 to losing our kids to the full schedule of organized teen activities and seeing them at 1:00 am (teen curfew on the boat) and then again at 6:00 pm for dinner in the luxurious dining room (Justin most nights; Dylan 3 times and maybe for an occasional mini golf game or to shoot a few baskets on the bball court together: They have never stayed up until 1:00 before and would you let your kids be gone for 15 hours per day zith kids you don't know and whose parent you never do meet? If you zant to enjoy yourself on a vacation and not worry about your kids; a cruise is definitely the place to be, Once we realized that it was kind of nice having time without them, we made our own routine, We'd walk the track then go to the terrific gym every morning; read by the pool; play scrabble; and we enjoyed terrific music and shows every night without worrying about them, we loved it: We dragged them out as we passezd through the straights of Gibralter and clearly saw the Rock of Gibralter and Portugal on the left of the boat and Morroco; Africa on the other side---my first thought was that if Africa is that close; we should go to the harbour and see if we can get a boat across! Mike sensibly said----we have enough on our plate to see,,,maybe another trip:
Unfortunately in Barcelona the boat had a mechanical problem that they tried to fix in Lisbon, Beccause of the problem, the only stop in Europe was Lisbon before we finished the trip in Barcelona: We received compensation but people were very upset, The kids really bonded with about 10 other kids: They all had a long cry on the last night and did not want the trip to end: Lots of sports including rock cliimbing; ice skating in line skating; basketball; dodgeball; texas holdem; and wiii tourneys etc---hard to believe the variety of things to do on a ship:
The Euro is sure different than the value of an American dollar in S America, We spent more on public transit in Lisbon qnd Barcelona for short bus rides than it would cost to go across Ecuador! We were so spoilt there, Europe however is a very exciting place, Beautiful old castles, cathedrals squares in Lisbon then very Cosmopolitan Barcelona with the wide pedestrian sidewalk and the live statues dressed in very realistic costumes all along the street, We spent a full day in Barcelona then took the train to Perpignon France, What beautiful countyside along the Mediterranean, First breakfast,,,fresh strawberries; croissants, expresso! We pick up a car in Narbonne tomorrow then drive to Carcassone for a couple of days, It has been great to hear the kids speak french and for them to understand the conversations on the train and on the streets, although Dylan keeps switching from habit to spanich,
Bye for now
Gail (another new type of keyboard here so lots of errors:::sorry
Thursday, April 10, 2008
We all finished the Inca Trail!
April 2-5 Inca trail hike to Matchu Pichu dept. early morning
We all finished the Inca Trail! The kids are proudly wearing the shirts I packed for the four day trek¨"I survived the Inca Trail" . It really was a tough 4 days which made the finish in Machu Picchu even more special.
We started the trek Apr. 2 with a 5 am pickup at our hostel in Cuzco. We hopped on a bus with 12 other people--quite intimidating being either the oldies (Mike and I) or the very young (Justin and Dylan). There were 2 - 18 yr. old elite rugby players from England, a 16 and 18 year old national champ swimmers from Wisconson and 4 other 25 year olds from Wales who looked fit too. Justin felt sick over the 2 hour bus ride--fear of being last! We started at km 82 of the trail. An elaborate registration and sign in at the trailhead and then we were off with our 2 guides and 21 porters. We each had a pack with our personal belongings but the porters had all the food, tents, sleeping bags etc.- 35 kg for each porter. We had a relatively easy first day. 10 km of undulating hills through 4 villages of mountain people and past some beautiful ruins. Because the porters basically run, our camp was all set up when we arrived including a cook tent and a dining tent with camp stools, along a long table. Tea, popcorn and grilled cheese sandwiches awaited us for a snack then a 4 course dinner somehow cooked on a two burner propane stove for dinner!
Day 2 started with a wake up call at 6 am with tea served at our tent then we started hiking at 7 am for a 15 km day including 1800 meters of elevation gain. We were all worried about how we would do. Dylan fell into a group with the couple from Wales and talked and snacked through his day. Justin was amazing and hiked all day with me and the 18 year old rugby guys. I loved the challenge of the steep inca stairs , the altitude ---4800 meters at the Dead Womens Pass yet the phenomenal mountain vistas. Our breathing was laboured all day and the heart was working at the max but we sure had a sense of accomplishment when we arrived at camp 2. The porters were lined up and they all clapped when each of us arrived at camp--the support was so genuine and welcomed. Most of us napped before dinner to get ready for day 3 and 15 km including 4000 steps of down hill after 3 more mountain passes. Another great dinner then early to bed with all our clothes on because of the high altitude of camp 2 and the minus 5 temperature.. I wore fleece jacket, pants, toque, gloves and wool socks and was just warm enough in the sleeping bag!
Day 3 was the toughest for Mike and I but the most fun for the kids. They took off with the rugby guys and did a longer detour to some elaborate ruins then ran down the 4000 stairs to camp 3. I was glad I wasn´t with them to think of the consequences of a misstep or a trip and they paid the price yesterday with seized up calf muscles. Mike and I had very sore knees half way down but still hobbled into camp proudly behind the kids. The entire trail today was the original inca trail and there were intact ruins every 2 or three hours to give us the excuse of a break! Everyone in our group made it to camp by 4 pm except 2 "dreamers " from Los Angeles who kept the second guide out past dark at 7:00 pm! Camp 3 is only 3 hours from Machu Picchu so any doubts we had about completing the trail were over- we knew we could all drag our butts for 3 hours after all the elevation we had climbed and descended. At camp 3 there was an old building with showers, and a little common room with old rock and roll blasting and cold drinks! Our whole group went for the showers then a couple of beer----coke for the kids! Lots of toasts to all the challenges we had overcome then more beers after dinner.
Day 4 was a 4 am wakeup, breakfast ---pancakes with a M and P written in caramel.... then 5 am at the last check point on the trail before a 2 hour climb up and down the inca staircases to Machu Picchu in drizzling rain. We were disappointed to reach the Sun Gate where we had hoped to see machu Picchu at sunrise to see only misty clouds and a mere glimpse of the terraces of Machu Picchu. However, when we arrived at Machu Picchu, the clouds quickly moved away as if to welcome us to this sacred site and we had 2 hours with our guide to take in all the important areas of the site. At one point the kids looked too tired and maybe bored with the guide talking so Mike offered them the chance to go down to the exit and buy a drink and wait for us. Justin was insulted and said "Ya right......I am going to go get a coke instead of learning about one of the wonders of the world"- Sometimes you just never know what is going through their heads and you can be pleasantly surprised ! A few insights--- all of the buildings face east and west to maximize the amt. of light and to keep in the heat in the cold nights. All buildings are built on levels so there are no shadows cast on the buildings. They had an agricultural side, a religious, worshipping area in the middle and an industrial side where things were built, designed and produced for the good of all. Most of Machu Picchu is original b ecause the spaniards never found this city.
We took the bus down about 50 switchbacks to the nei bouring town of Aguas Calientes had lunch with our group and said goodbye to all the wonderful porters and the guides then walked up to the hot springs to try to get rid of 4 days worth of stiff muscles. 4 pools of natural hotsprings with sandy bottoms. It was so nice hanging out with all the people in our group. It is amazing how you can be a group of 16 strangers then 4 days later be exchanging emails, invites to visit, etc. Justin and dylan were really disappointed that we had decided to stay one night in Aqua Calientes instead of heading back to Cuzco with the rest of the group. We celebrated our Inca Trail completion last night by enjoying a supper of french fries, nachos, chocolate cake with 2 scoops of ice cream each, non alcoholic strawberry daquiris (kids) and pisco sours--peruvian tequila drinks (mike and I) without a hint of guilt! I would recommend to any of you who have thought about this hike to do it. You really feel like you have accomplished something special and the scenery, history and the people make the journey feel like a once in a lifetime experience.
We slept 11 hours last night and feel refreshed yet we have continued to spoil ourselves with expresso, pizza, and more chocolate cake-----back to healthy peruvian fare tonite. I have not tried the peruvian special cuy (guinea pig) and have told the kids I am trying it tonite ---I will convince myself that they are not pets in peru. Dylan said if I order it, he will be a vegetarian from now on---- we will see. Back to Cuzco tonite on the train (4 hours) .
Bye for now Gail
April 2 - April 5 Aguas CalientesWirachocha Inn
April 6 day hike to waterfalls from Riupa Was Hotel
April 6 train evening Aguas calientes to CuzcoHotel –Ninos Hotel
April 7 Lan Peru Cuzco to Lima 11:35 am
April 7 and 8 Hostal Mamipanchita
We all finished the Inca Trail! The kids are proudly wearing the shirts I packed for the four day trek¨"I survived the Inca Trail" . It really was a tough 4 days which made the finish in Machu Picchu even more special.
We started the trek Apr. 2 with a 5 am pickup at our hostel in Cuzco. We hopped on a bus with 12 other people--quite intimidating being either the oldies (Mike and I) or the very young (Justin and Dylan). There were 2 - 18 yr. old elite rugby players from England, a 16 and 18 year old national champ swimmers from Wisconson and 4 other 25 year olds from Wales who looked fit too. Justin felt sick over the 2 hour bus ride--fear of being last! We started at km 82 of the trail. An elaborate registration and sign in at the trailhead and then we were off with our 2 guides and 21 porters. We each had a pack with our personal belongings but the porters had all the food, tents, sleeping bags etc.- 35 kg for each porter. We had a relatively easy first day. 10 km of undulating hills through 4 villages of mountain people and past some beautiful ruins. Because the porters basically run, our camp was all set up when we arrived including a cook tent and a dining tent with camp stools, along a long table. Tea, popcorn and grilled cheese sandwiches awaited us for a snack then a 4 course dinner somehow cooked on a two burner propane stove for dinner!
Day 2 started with a wake up call at 6 am with tea served at our tent then we started hiking at 7 am for a 15 km day including 1800 meters of elevation gain. We were all worried about how we would do. Dylan fell into a group with the couple from Wales and talked and snacked through his day. Justin was amazing and hiked all day with me and the 18 year old rugby guys. I loved the challenge of the steep inca stairs , the altitude ---4800 meters at the Dead Womens Pass yet the phenomenal mountain vistas. Our breathing was laboured all day and the heart was working at the max but we sure had a sense of accomplishment when we arrived at camp 2. The porters were lined up and they all clapped when each of us arrived at camp--the support was so genuine and welcomed. Most of us napped before dinner to get ready for day 3 and 15 km including 4000 steps of down hill after 3 more mountain passes. Another great dinner then early to bed with all our clothes on because of the high altitude of camp 2 and the minus 5 temperature.. I wore fleece jacket, pants, toque, gloves and wool socks and was just warm enough in the sleeping bag!
Day 3 was the toughest for Mike and I but the most fun for the kids. They took off with the rugby guys and did a longer detour to some elaborate ruins then ran down the 4000 stairs to camp 3. I was glad I wasn´t with them to think of the consequences of a misstep or a trip and they paid the price yesterday with seized up calf muscles. Mike and I had very sore knees half way down but still hobbled into camp proudly behind the kids. The entire trail today was the original inca trail and there were intact ruins every 2 or three hours to give us the excuse of a break! Everyone in our group made it to camp by 4 pm except 2 "dreamers " from Los Angeles who kept the second guide out past dark at 7:00 pm! Camp 3 is only 3 hours from Machu Picchu so any doubts we had about completing the trail were over- we knew we could all drag our butts for 3 hours after all the elevation we had climbed and descended. At camp 3 there was an old building with showers, and a little common room with old rock and roll blasting and cold drinks! Our whole group went for the showers then a couple of beer----coke for the kids! Lots of toasts to all the challenges we had overcome then more beers after dinner.
Day 4 was a 4 am wakeup, breakfast ---pancakes with a M and P written in caramel.... then 5 am at the last check point on the trail before a 2 hour climb up and down the inca staircases to Machu Picchu in drizzling rain. We were disappointed to reach the Sun Gate where we had hoped to see machu Picchu at sunrise to see only misty clouds and a mere glimpse of the terraces of Machu Picchu. However, when we arrived at Machu Picchu, the clouds quickly moved away as if to welcome us to this sacred site and we had 2 hours with our guide to take in all the important areas of the site. At one point the kids looked too tired and maybe bored with the guide talking so Mike offered them the chance to go down to the exit and buy a drink and wait for us. Justin was insulted and said "Ya right......I am going to go get a coke instead of learning about one of the wonders of the world"- Sometimes you just never know what is going through their heads and you can be pleasantly surprised ! A few insights--- all of the buildings face east and west to maximize the amt. of light and to keep in the heat in the cold nights. All buildings are built on levels so there are no shadows cast on the buildings. They had an agricultural side, a religious, worshipping area in the middle and an industrial side where things were built, designed and produced for the good of all. Most of Machu Picchu is original b ecause the spaniards never found this city.
We took the bus down about 50 switchbacks to the nei bouring town of Aguas Calientes had lunch with our group and said goodbye to all the wonderful porters and the guides then walked up to the hot springs to try to get rid of 4 days worth of stiff muscles. 4 pools of natural hotsprings with sandy bottoms. It was so nice hanging out with all the people in our group. It is amazing how you can be a group of 16 strangers then 4 days later be exchanging emails, invites to visit, etc. Justin and dylan were really disappointed that we had decided to stay one night in Aqua Calientes instead of heading back to Cuzco with the rest of the group. We celebrated our Inca Trail completion last night by enjoying a supper of french fries, nachos, chocolate cake with 2 scoops of ice cream each, non alcoholic strawberry daquiris (kids) and pisco sours--peruvian tequila drinks (mike and I) without a hint of guilt! I would recommend to any of you who have thought about this hike to do it. You really feel like you have accomplished something special and the scenery, history and the people make the journey feel like a once in a lifetime experience.
We slept 11 hours last night and feel refreshed yet we have continued to spoil ourselves with expresso, pizza, and more chocolate cake-----back to healthy peruvian fare tonite. I have not tried the peruvian special cuy (guinea pig) and have told the kids I am trying it tonite ---I will convince myself that they are not pets in peru. Dylan said if I order it, he will be a vegetarian from now on---- we will see. Back to Cuzco tonite on the train (4 hours) .
Bye for now Gail
April 2 - April 5 Aguas CalientesWirachocha Inn
April 6 day hike to waterfalls from Riupa Was Hotel
April 6 train evening Aguas calientes to CuzcoHotel –Ninos Hotel
April 7 Lan Peru Cuzco to Lima 11:35 am
April 7 and 8 Hostal Mamipanchita
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
A week in Cuzco...
March 27 Arequipa to Cuzco
April 1st, 2008
A week in Cuzco, the center of the Inca Empire! We did a city tour and enjoyed the spanish architecture but were horrified at the destroyed Inca treasures and beautiful buildings taken apart and used for spanish foundations after the spaniards took over the city. When we toured the Sacred Valley , we hiked through the most intact inca city at ollan taytambo.It was one of the only places where the Spanish conquistadors lost a major battle. The 7 sections of the city are high on the mountain with the terraces extending down more than 1 km. To see 6 ton rocks precisely placed to form a wall still intact with no room to even insert a piece of paper between them proudly standing over the valley since 1536 was amazing, even to 2 kids who said they preferred to buy a coke and watch the market rather than hike..... Most of the large polishable rocks were transported from 6 km away. Early civilizations appear very simple at first glance but very sophisticated in other ways. Every Inca house sleeps 8 and has two openings. Each is exactly the same dimension and formed at 24 degrees to allow max. light during the summer solstice and then the winter solstics. A compass in each house will show this fact. We also had a day whitewater rafting. It was the most exciting whitewater we have experienced. Class 3 and4 in glacial water. The guide instilled a strong work ethic during all the challenging sections "paddle like hell and don´t stop unless I say " and we all managed to stay in the boat! At the end of the 4 hour adventure we finished at a rustic lodge on the river with a wood stove heated sauna and a river rock hollow filled with hot water for a jacuzzi ----ahhhh. The kids have mastered enough spanish that we can give them a few soles and tell them to go for lunch or to the internet and we have a couple hours to explore. Dylan pays all the bills, orders our meals and even communicates with taxi drivers now. It is great. Today they are off by themselves (we met the guide first) on a 4 hour historical tour on horseback. A bit uneasy that they may not get transport back to the hostel but it is good for them and mike and i need the time to organize for the inca trail tomorrow. We have heard that a canadian family just finished the 4 day trail with the 7 year old leading each day. Justin says he is looking forward to it now ---says the negative comments we had to put up with were just because he did not know much about it---yay right. We are excited yet nervous. We have been hiking a 400 step steep street before breakfast 3 times each morn ing and altitud e is not an issue any more so ....just go for it.
Gail
April 1st, 2008
A week in Cuzco, the center of the Inca Empire! We did a city tour and enjoyed the spanish architecture but were horrified at the destroyed Inca treasures and beautiful buildings taken apart and used for spanish foundations after the spaniards took over the city. When we toured the Sacred Valley , we hiked through the most intact inca city at ollan taytambo.It was one of the only places where the Spanish conquistadors lost a major battle. The 7 sections of the city are high on the mountain with the terraces extending down more than 1 km. To see 6 ton rocks precisely placed to form a wall still intact with no room to even insert a piece of paper between them proudly standing over the valley since 1536 was amazing, even to 2 kids who said they preferred to buy a coke and watch the market rather than hike..... Most of the large polishable rocks were transported from 6 km away. Early civilizations appear very simple at first glance but very sophisticated in other ways. Every Inca house sleeps 8 and has two openings. Each is exactly the same dimension and formed at 24 degrees to allow max. light during the summer solstice and then the winter solstics. A compass in each house will show this fact. We also had a day whitewater rafting. It was the most exciting whitewater we have experienced. Class 3 and4 in glacial water. The guide instilled a strong work ethic during all the challenging sections "paddle like hell and don´t stop unless I say " and we all managed to stay in the boat! At the end of the 4 hour adventure we finished at a rustic lodge on the river with a wood stove heated sauna and a river rock hollow filled with hot water for a jacuzzi ----ahhhh. The kids have mastered enough spanish that we can give them a few soles and tell them to go for lunch or to the internet and we have a couple hours to explore. Dylan pays all the bills, orders our meals and even communicates with taxi drivers now. It is great. Today they are off by themselves (we met the guide first) on a 4 hour historical tour on horseback. A bit uneasy that they may not get transport back to the hostel but it is good for them and mike and i need the time to organize for the inca trail tomorrow. We have heard that a canadian family just finished the 4 day trail with the 7 year old leading each day. Justin says he is looking forward to it now ---says the negative comments we had to put up with were just because he did not know much about it---yay right. We are excited yet nervous. We have been hiking a 400 step steep street before breakfast 3 times each morn ing and altitud e is not an issue any more so ....just go for it.
Gail
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Educating kids on the road less travelled from Mike
Hola amigos.
Thanks for the replies from many of you regarding our trip.
Many of you have mentioned what a great gift it is to the boys. Others have extended your understanding, indeed sympathy!, for us being with them 24 ...7, and for so many weeks!
Over the last little while, I´ve realized that you are of course both correct. The last 5 weeks of travel have included some of the best moments of parenting that I have ever experienced, as well as some of the most difficult too.
The best moments have often been some of the dinners we have had together...we have had one or two! Sometimes, there have been magical moments when the boys have been totally engaged in our discussions. These talks have been a little like the famous teachable moments of a teacher, those times when we have the students´ complete attention, and interest. The dinner talks with Dylan and Justin at these times have been so sincredible partly because their level of interest has been so vivid, so complete, so different than usual! It has been so satisfying for Gail and I because we feel ...probably incorrectly..at these times that we have more influence in their lives than usual.
I suspect that these moments have presented themselves because the boys have been outside of their normal level of comfort, and of routine, and that the new environments of Peru and Ecuador have stimulated them to think about new questions, and to wonder a little more. Even if I´m wrong about the parental influence, it has been a pleasant change from our habitual norms of our normal patterns of communication with each other!
And yes, there are been moments sharing busses, and one room quadruple hotel rooms, and being with each other so often, where we lose it with each other, and things break down, almost totally. But the positive moments of the trip far outweigh the infighting, and it is all good.
Anyways, enough of my rambling. I´ll ask Gail to send some hard details and photos on our river rafting trip today near Cuzco!
Hope you are well, and have survived the snow.
Best wishes Mike
Thanks for the replies from many of you regarding our trip.
Many of you have mentioned what a great gift it is to the boys. Others have extended your understanding, indeed sympathy!, for us being with them 24 ...7, and for so many weeks!
Over the last little while, I´ve realized that you are of course both correct. The last 5 weeks of travel have included some of the best moments of parenting that I have ever experienced, as well as some of the most difficult too.
The best moments have often been some of the dinners we have had together...we have had one or two! Sometimes, there have been magical moments when the boys have been totally engaged in our discussions. These talks have been a little like the famous teachable moments of a teacher, those times when we have the students´ complete attention, and interest. The dinner talks with Dylan and Justin at these times have been so sincredible partly because their level of interest has been so vivid, so complete, so different than usual! It has been so satisfying for Gail and I because we feel ...probably incorrectly..at these times that we have more influence in their lives than usual.
I suspect that these moments have presented themselves because the boys have been outside of their normal level of comfort, and of routine, and that the new environments of Peru and Ecuador have stimulated them to think about new questions, and to wonder a little more. Even if I´m wrong about the parental influence, it has been a pleasant change from our habitual norms of our normal patterns of communication with each other!
And yes, there are been moments sharing busses, and one room quadruple hotel rooms, and being with each other so often, where we lose it with each other, and things break down, almost totally. But the positive moments of the trip far outweigh the infighting, and it is all good.
Anyways, enough of my rambling. I´ll ask Gail to send some hard details and photos on our river rafting trip today near Cuzco!
Hope you are well, and have survived the snow.
Best wishes Mike
Friday, March 28, 2008
Chapter One - And the journey begins...
Many people have been asking about how Gail and her family are doing on their adventure. I suggested to 'blog' their experience through the emails I get from them. I hope you enjoy their experiences and if you want to send them your wishes, you can email Gail @
gsayers@sd43.bc.ca
Feb. 13, 2008 Travel to Seattle from Coquitlam Arrival next day San Jose Costa Rica 6:30 am
Feb. 15 travel San Jose to Cahita (Carribean coast) by bus
Feb. 19 travel from Cahita to Puerto Viejo Carribean coast
Feb 22 travel from Puerto Viejo to Turrialba
Feb 23 River rafting Rio Pacuare
Feb 24 travael from Turrialba to Arsenal La Fortuna, through San Jose
February 24th, 2008
11 days in paradise. 1 day San Jose, 7 days on the Caribean coast, with surfing, boogie boarding, biking and hiking. lots of great food and Reggae. We travelled Cahuita to almost the \panama border then bussed it toTurriable, the rafting center. Did a terrific rafting trip. 30 km with 35 sections of class 3 and 4 rapids. \justin flipped out once and mike once but in kind of fun sections so no problem. Beautiful wilderness terrain all the way down with canyons, deep rain forest and through indiginous peoples lands. 10 hour trip including lunch with 5 hours of it in the raft for a bargain $35 each. We just walked around town and worked our own deal. We are now in Fortuna and staying in a hostel. \Not what you would expect in a hostel. We have our own beautiful room with hot showers, air cond. and big pool, free internet and shuttles to most atractions for $65 per night. We may get breakfast included too. We are going to hike the Arenal volcano trail tomorrow then do the zip lines and end at these natural hot springs. So many tour groups so we are trying to work out something on our own so we can stay as long as we want at each place. Not so humid here which is nice. Kids have loved all the wildlife we see each day and we are half way through checking off our wildlife guide we bought. One yellow palm pit viper is enough though. We are here for 3 days then jeep,paddlejeep to the monteverde national park and will stay for at least 4 days there. Lots of great travellers we have met. nothing planned for our last week which is fine. It is awesome having backpacks and not having to check baggage for plane, bus etc. Bye for now Gail Feb 27 travel from La Fortuna to Santa Elena—taxi boat taxi February 29, 2008 Hi gang, Lots of exciting events in Costa Rica. We re on our last days ....4 nites here in Santa Elena in the CLoud forest then bus to SanJose on Sunday then flight to Ecuador on MOnday. CAn't believe how quick it has gone. We loved La Fortuna, the pool, ziplines, food, and the unimpeded view of the Arenal volcano with steam on our last morning. We left at 2:30 pm on Wed for a jeep, boat, jeep trip (3 hours) to Monteverde region. Arrived to a unique hostel named Pensiona Santa Elena--filled with travellers from all over. Nice to be in a cooler climate and a small town. Great communl kitchen where everyone is very friendly. Great for the kids to see young people travelling for long periods of time and listening to their stories. Justin said when he is older he may not travel a lot because he thinks it might be too expensive but Dylan has already said he will come back but he will stay in one area for a month at a time and maybe go to Nicaragua ( lots of travellers are raving about that country- cheap, safe, and beautiful. It is great to give the kids a broader perspective. We did Extremo Ziplines yesterday (Mike did the coffee tour ). The platforms were at the top of the trees, some were 45 meters up and the ziplines were 100 to 900 meters long! It was awesome but a challenge to step off the platforms and whiz so high up for 1 min or more at a time. We did a long rappel too and a tarzan swing 100meters long swing. We also spent 2 hours at a frog center and had a guided tour. It was so educational. We went back at night and used our flashlight to find the frogs in action. Today we hiked in the Santa Elena Cloud Forest reserve and spotted many birds, 4 kinds of hummingbirds, coati, agouti and a canopy of trees like you have never seen. The kids said they didn't care if we saw animals because they loved the forest so much. We spent an easy 3 hours hiking. We are going to the snake center for a tour this afternoon. All the centers have science students guide all the guests so it is wonderful for the kids. We feel like the stars have b een lined up--all of us are healthy and enjoying travelling and looking forward to many more adventures.
Bye for now Gail
March 2 travel day from Santa Elena to San Jose
March 3 San Jose – Quito March 4th morning Collect plane ticket Coca –Quito for March 10 flight
March 4-6 Tena
March 5 River rafting? River People
March 6 travel to Coca 3-4 hours
March 6th, 2008
In COCO today awaiting 4 hours boat trip down the tributory of the Amazon tomorrow. Great hotel with 3 pool on the river! What a treat after our 5 hour bus ride. mike and I swam laps to get rid of the travel body and the kids did multiple trips down the water slide. Cant believe that this place is $40! We then had a buffet dinner for $4! The kids loved the place as soon as we arrived.......4 spider monkeys climbed up their leg and sat on their back packs and patted their heads. They then noticed the 2 baby coatis and then the 2 parrots started talking. Now to back track. We were sad to leave Costa Rica but so far Ecuador has me thinking that our stay is going to be way too short here. Terrific people, beautiful country and great food and half the price of Costa Rica. The people are beautiful and so healthy and strong looking. Few speak English and we have not been around many tourists on buses and walking around town in Quito, and Tena but we feel very welcome and comfortable. The altitude of Quito hit us after our 12 hour travel day from Costa Rica but it is a gorgous city and we enjoyed hiking around the town and all the way up 40 flights of stairs, and ladders to reach the top of tower in the Catholic Cathedral. What a view in a spectacular building. We stayed in a old hostel in old town Quito. Most buildings were built in the 1500´s. The hostel had a roof top deck which held the restaurant. They had one menu for each meal and you could get beer or wine for $3. The best part were all the other travellers and their stories. We will be returning to Quito later in our trip so after 2 days we left for Tena. A storm and a tight schedule, made us decide to go for a hike and not river raft. It worked out well. The bus ride was 7 hours due to construction, washouts and the fact that the Express Bus picks up people anywhere that they flag the driver down and drops off anywhere too and in any towns he lets 5 or 6 venders circle through the bus too. No hard sellers and lots of beautifully prepared food but it sure lengthened the trip. We had a huge hairy black spider climb onto mikes shoe and a 4 inch beetle on justins sandal within 30 min of our arrival---apparently harmless. Every day is such a fascinating adventure.
Bye for now Gail
March 7 Start of Sani Lodge tour Meeting 12:00 Hotel el Auca Jorge contact or Javier
March 7-10 Sani lodge paid in full
March 10 flight Coca – Quito
March 10 Quito Hotel Secret Garden tell details for March 11, 12, 13
March 10th, 2008
Well Jeff Stromgren and Rene, you are in for an amazing adventure. We just spent four days at the Sani Lodge, found in the Amazon jungle a 4 hour longboat trip from Coca. The boat trip was a beautiful ride down the Coca then the Napo rivers. They are both major tributaries of the Amazon river. Just past where the indigenous people Sani live we switched to a very narrow long boat and travelled 1 hour down a small river, maybe 6 meters across with the jungle canopy covering the sky above. Within 15 min. the Sani guide yells anaconda and the eng. speaking guide at the front spots it sunning itself on a branch just in front of the boat. We slowed the boat and the guya at the front reached into the coil and grabbed it by the head-----lots of wriggling with Dylan and Justin sitting right behind with very large eyes. He then said at 1 meter, it was a baby because they get to 8 meters (mom was probably in the bushes). He said they rarely see them. The kids touched it but it was too strong to hold. He let it go then looked in the trees above and said ¨sloth¨¨. The kids recognized it as a 3 toed sloth because they had seen the 2 toed in Costa Rica. Next there were howler monkeys, mackaws, parrots before we emerged at a beautiful lagoon and saw the palm thatched huts and a dock. I could write 10 pages about the other adventures but I will just tell you a few. Night walk in the black of night to see the nocturnal animals tarantelas, frogs, interesting insects, 6 in. millipedes and the symphony of sounds., fishing with a wooden pole and a piece of meat on a hook and catching 5 pirhannas then eating them for breakfast, birdwatching in early evening in the lagoon from a hand carved cedar canoe and counting over 30 species within an hour with all the colours of the rainbow, going out in that same tippy cedar canoe in the black of night armed only with one guide with a strong flashlight to caiman watch and getting within 1 meter of at least 4 different caiman---as Justin said ¨-- too close for comfort---staring into their huge eyes and admiring their 4 meter long bodies--freaky and surreal that we were really seeing them! We also did jungle hikes, and a hike to a 35 meter tall bird tower to watch the birds from the top of the forest canopy. Our kids learned more about biology, ecology, bugs, plants, animals , other cultures etc in the 4 days with the Sanis than a year of school. Justin was never without a pair of binoculars and he won the blowgun tourney where we wore war paint and fired a 3 meter blowgun (you blow poison arrows at monkeys), at a grapefruit. He hit the target 2 out of 4! The guide said he worked at Sani because he realized that after living in Quito then in Florida for college that he needed to live his life surrounded by nature. The Amazon sure enters your soul. I can see why many never leave and why many tourists continue to come back for more. We have now flown back to Quito for 3 days in a city. First stop laundry, then pizza for the kids, internet, then off to the Galapogas on Friday. Can´t believe how much the kids are learning and how interested they are about everything. When we travelled back to Coca on the longboat we picked up school kids and villagers along the way from tiny jungle shacks-an eyeopener about sc hool for the kids. Bye for now Gail
March 14 Dept. for Galapagos
March 14-March 20 Galapogas cruise (hike, snorkel, explore 6 Islands)
March 17, 2008
Well, we have a half day leave from the 60 ft boat the Yate Darwin. We have had 5 days aboard and it has been amazing. We are walking around town weaving left and right (even before we had the beer with the 3 passengers from Ireland to celebrate St. Patricks day). The seas are calm but 1000 km away from the coast of Ecuador, calm seas on the Galapogas Is. are very rolley, so we do not have land legs right now. The Galapogas Is. are even more spectacular than we imagined and our boat, although small ,has a terrific crew, awesome cook, and a full itinerary on different islands each day. The days always include two hiking excursions on different islands and 1-2 hours snorkling. The other 12 passengers are a great mix of 20 to 79 year olds, all well travelled and filled with so many stories. We have representation from Australia, Germany, Ireland, Poland, USA, Greece, Venezuala and Switzerland. The kids have fit in well too and their enthusiasm and expert ability to spot so much wildlife and marine life has really endeered them to the rest of the gang. They are buying ice cream for 3 people tonight --poker losses and they have learned 5 new card tricks. Just a few highlights so far.......and I am not exaggerating.......Snorkling in clear blue waters and having sea lions jump off the rocks and swim under us, then seeing 2 meter long sharks swim beside us, and following 4 sea turtles for 50 meters, not to mention the bright yellow puffer fish, parrot fish, stingrays, batrays etc., Each night we look at the marine life guide and record a couple dozen new species from our snorkling. Then 2 nights ago, the captain sounded the horn and we went out on deck to look for the dolphins he had spotted. We hoped for a glimpse.....over 500 dolphins jumping and playing all around the boat following us for 2 km and then 30 min later another 200 dolphins from another species. Each island has its own unique ecosystem and unique species of turtles, iguanas, plants and birds. Flamingoes in lagoons,albatross, penquins, and blue footed boobies are so beatiful and most have newly hatched chicks that we have observed up close. We have 3 days left and apparently the snorkling gets better each day---tomorrow marine iguanas, green sea turtles, 7 species of sea stars and then in the afternoon.....hammerhead sharks! We hiked through a 400 meter lava tube under the earth today and looked into 2 volcano craters. We will be sad when the trip ends---what an experience.
Bye for now Gail
March 20 Galopogas – Guayaquil Tame flight in afternoon March 20th, 2008 Sad afternoon in Quayanquil because the Galopagos trip is over. It is nice to be back on land but we really bonded with the 16 people and 5 crew and continued to see amazing vistas, wildlife and sealife. Our last four snorkling trips brought black tipped sharks, another species of sea turtles, marine iguanas eating algae 1 meter below us, 20 penquins diving under us and waddling on the rocks above our heads, and sea lions diving figure 8´s around us. Today we walked on N. Isabella Is. and watched the frigate birds swell their red pouches to entice the females and saw their baby chicks and the biggest land iguanas. We will be leaving tomorrow aft. for Lima Peru. Ecuador is a "must come back" place. So many places we did not get to that we will keep on our list for a return trip.
Bye for now Gail
March 21 Guayaquil to Lima
March 22 Lima to Arequipa
March 23 Bus trip Arequipa – Chivay
March 26 Chivay to Arequipa by bus
March 26, 2008
Well, the fun continues. Some challenges though.....8 days on the Galapagos with minimal sleep,and maximum excursions, then 3 short flights over 3 days then a 3 hour bus trip that took us from 600 meters to 6800 meters in 2 hours and finishing in Chivaz at 3800 meters, ..........we really crashed. I was lucky...the altitude just gave me shortness of breath, and a bit of a headache the first night, Justin...tired, cranky and big headache for a day, Dylan tired, lightheaded and tormenting his brother, and poor Mike got the migraine from hell for 36 hours. Luckily after the first day and a half he felt great and enjoyed the 2 remaining days in the beautiful Andes mountians overlooking the Colca canyon (3800 meters deep at one point) and surrounded by ruins from the Incas, Cardillarons, Aztecs. We stayed in a beautiful hostel at one end of a tiny town, Cabaconda. All the buildings, and the terraced fields down the sides of the canyon were built pre Inca. Because it is at the end of the rainy season, all the fields are in full bloom and green with many different crops. No machinery, only donkeys and alpacas and hard physical labour. The women all wear the brightly coloured traditional clothing and although noone speaks english in town , all smile and return our buenos dias. I love being in the mountains. It is probably the most beautiful location we have visited. Highlights included walking down the old stone paths through the fields with the kids down to the bottom of the canyoun to lie in the natural hot spring mineral pools beside the river then wading into the river to duck into the glacial water before returning to the 35 degree water. We were the only ones at the river but passed lots of farmers along the journey. The 2 hour uphill was a grind. The kids were not impressed and because it was the first morning, none of us could breath well. The kids and I then had a horseback ride through the town and the fields. Small lively horses and a guide that spoke Ketchwa, no spanish or english----kids thought it made the experience even more fun. The guide ran beside us and we weren´t sure what would happen if the horses bolted. Next we walked through parts of the town and met two nine year old boys coming down a steep trail from the mountain leading 5 donkeys piled high with branches. The kids were dirty from their days work. I asked to take their picture--Dylan and Justin really thought about what a day for those boys entailed and the level of responsibility! Their dad took the donkeys back home and I ;charaded¨; that they should wait for a minute...... and I ran back to the room and returned with 2 Canada t-shirts. They lit up. We then saw some girls volleying a old soccer ball on a path and we asked to join. We had fun for about 10 min. We were all laughing and the girls loved it. People are so naturally beautiful, all smiles, a relaxed, caring disposition. Pigs, sheep, dogs, donkeys wander freely but have a home corral at night. Next day, Mike recovered for our 5 am wake up . We hopped on a tour van and had a 7 hour tour of Colco Canyon, Condor la Cruz and a traditional buffet lunch for $10 per person! Condor la Cruz is a spot on the Colco Canyon where the canyon is 2500 meters deep, the snow capped peaks of the Andes tower above steep cliffs and if you are lucky you will see condors. We arrived at 7 am to clear sunny skies and an amazing show from 5 condors effortlessly soaring above our heads for over an hour. They floated to within 10 meters a number of times. Their grace and beauty was breathtaking especially considering a 8 kg , 1 meter tall body and a 3 meter wingspan! We had opportunities to hike along the canyon and to view holes high in the cliffs where mummies were entombed and to continue to see the old ruins from the Incas. What a day! We worried about the 3 hour bus trip back to Arequipa today but apart from the interesting passengers, .... 2 baby alpacas, and a lamb, and the bus hanging on two wheels around a couple of hairpin corners, we arrived without headaches intact. We leave tomorrow for Cuzco---hopefully we have acclimatized and won´t suffer any more altitude sickness. We have 6 days to do some practice hiking so we won´t die on the Inca trail! Found out that the people of the Andes share the churches with the catholics but their beliefs are for the mountains, sun, moon and earth and to live at peace with each of these. I think that that is the spirituality that I always feel when I am in the mountains or in any beautiful natural environment. It soothes the soul and gives comfort. We all love being surrounded by nature and we sure appreciate the beauty and splendor of all we have experienced. Let me know how your spring break was. Hopefully there are signs of spring at home and not more rain.
Bye for now Gail
gsayers@sd43.bc.ca
Feb. 13, 2008 Travel to Seattle from Coquitlam Arrival next day San Jose Costa Rica 6:30 am
Feb. 15 travel San Jose to Cahita (Carribean coast) by bus
Feb. 19 travel from Cahita to Puerto Viejo Carribean coast
Feb 22 travel from Puerto Viejo to Turrialba
Feb 23 River rafting Rio Pacuare
Feb 24 travael from Turrialba to Arsenal La Fortuna, through San Jose
February 24th, 2008
11 days in paradise. 1 day San Jose, 7 days on the Caribean coast, with surfing, boogie boarding, biking and hiking. lots of great food and Reggae. We travelled Cahuita to almost the \panama border then bussed it toTurriable, the rafting center. Did a terrific rafting trip. 30 km with 35 sections of class 3 and 4 rapids. \justin flipped out once and mike once but in kind of fun sections so no problem. Beautiful wilderness terrain all the way down with canyons, deep rain forest and through indiginous peoples lands. 10 hour trip including lunch with 5 hours of it in the raft for a bargain $35 each. We just walked around town and worked our own deal. We are now in Fortuna and staying in a hostel. \Not what you would expect in a hostel. We have our own beautiful room with hot showers, air cond. and big pool, free internet and shuttles to most atractions for $65 per night. We may get breakfast included too. We are going to hike the Arenal volcano trail tomorrow then do the zip lines and end at these natural hot springs. So many tour groups so we are trying to work out something on our own so we can stay as long as we want at each place. Not so humid here which is nice. Kids have loved all the wildlife we see each day and we are half way through checking off our wildlife guide we bought. One yellow palm pit viper is enough though. We are here for 3 days then jeep,paddlejeep to the monteverde national park and will stay for at least 4 days there. Lots of great travellers we have met. nothing planned for our last week which is fine. It is awesome having backpacks and not having to check baggage for plane, bus etc. Bye for now Gail Feb 27 travel from La Fortuna to Santa Elena—taxi boat taxi February 29, 2008 Hi gang, Lots of exciting events in Costa Rica. We re on our last days ....4 nites here in Santa Elena in the CLoud forest then bus to SanJose on Sunday then flight to Ecuador on MOnday. CAn't believe how quick it has gone. We loved La Fortuna, the pool, ziplines, food, and the unimpeded view of the Arenal volcano with steam on our last morning. We left at 2:30 pm on Wed for a jeep, boat, jeep trip (3 hours) to Monteverde region. Arrived to a unique hostel named Pensiona Santa Elena--filled with travellers from all over. Nice to be in a cooler climate and a small town. Great communl kitchen where everyone is very friendly. Great for the kids to see young people travelling for long periods of time and listening to their stories. Justin said when he is older he may not travel a lot because he thinks it might be too expensive but Dylan has already said he will come back but he will stay in one area for a month at a time and maybe go to Nicaragua ( lots of travellers are raving about that country- cheap, safe, and beautiful. It is great to give the kids a broader perspective. We did Extremo Ziplines yesterday (Mike did the coffee tour ). The platforms were at the top of the trees, some were 45 meters up and the ziplines were 100 to 900 meters long! It was awesome but a challenge to step off the platforms and whiz so high up for 1 min or more at a time. We did a long rappel too and a tarzan swing 100meters long swing. We also spent 2 hours at a frog center and had a guided tour. It was so educational. We went back at night and used our flashlight to find the frogs in action. Today we hiked in the Santa Elena Cloud Forest reserve and spotted many birds, 4 kinds of hummingbirds, coati, agouti and a canopy of trees like you have never seen. The kids said they didn't care if we saw animals because they loved the forest so much. We spent an easy 3 hours hiking. We are going to the snake center for a tour this afternoon. All the centers have science students guide all the guests so it is wonderful for the kids. We feel like the stars have b een lined up--all of us are healthy and enjoying travelling and looking forward to many more adventures.
Bye for now Gail
March 2 travel day from Santa Elena to San Jose
March 3 San Jose – Quito March 4th morning Collect plane ticket Coca –Quito for March 10 flight
March 4-6 Tena
March 5 River rafting? River People
March 6 travel to Coca 3-4 hours
March 6th, 2008
In COCO today awaiting 4 hours boat trip down the tributory of the Amazon tomorrow. Great hotel with 3 pool on the river! What a treat after our 5 hour bus ride. mike and I swam laps to get rid of the travel body and the kids did multiple trips down the water slide. Cant believe that this place is $40! We then had a buffet dinner for $4! The kids loved the place as soon as we arrived.......4 spider monkeys climbed up their leg and sat on their back packs and patted their heads. They then noticed the 2 baby coatis and then the 2 parrots started talking. Now to back track. We were sad to leave Costa Rica but so far Ecuador has me thinking that our stay is going to be way too short here. Terrific people, beautiful country and great food and half the price of Costa Rica. The people are beautiful and so healthy and strong looking. Few speak English and we have not been around many tourists on buses and walking around town in Quito, and Tena but we feel very welcome and comfortable. The altitude of Quito hit us after our 12 hour travel day from Costa Rica but it is a gorgous city and we enjoyed hiking around the town and all the way up 40 flights of stairs, and ladders to reach the top of tower in the Catholic Cathedral. What a view in a spectacular building. We stayed in a old hostel in old town Quito. Most buildings were built in the 1500´s. The hostel had a roof top deck which held the restaurant. They had one menu for each meal and you could get beer or wine for $3. The best part were all the other travellers and their stories. We will be returning to Quito later in our trip so after 2 days we left for Tena. A storm and a tight schedule, made us decide to go for a hike and not river raft. It worked out well. The bus ride was 7 hours due to construction, washouts and the fact that the Express Bus picks up people anywhere that they flag the driver down and drops off anywhere too and in any towns he lets 5 or 6 venders circle through the bus too. No hard sellers and lots of beautifully prepared food but it sure lengthened the trip. We had a huge hairy black spider climb onto mikes shoe and a 4 inch beetle on justins sandal within 30 min of our arrival---apparently harmless. Every day is such a fascinating adventure.
Bye for now Gail
March 7 Start of Sani Lodge tour Meeting 12:00 Hotel el Auca Jorge contact or Javier
March 7-10 Sani lodge paid in full
March 10 flight Coca – Quito
March 10 Quito Hotel Secret Garden tell details for March 11, 12, 13
March 10th, 2008
Well Jeff Stromgren and Rene, you are in for an amazing adventure. We just spent four days at the Sani Lodge, found in the Amazon jungle a 4 hour longboat trip from Coca. The boat trip was a beautiful ride down the Coca then the Napo rivers. They are both major tributaries of the Amazon river. Just past where the indigenous people Sani live we switched to a very narrow long boat and travelled 1 hour down a small river, maybe 6 meters across with the jungle canopy covering the sky above. Within 15 min. the Sani guide yells anaconda and the eng. speaking guide at the front spots it sunning itself on a branch just in front of the boat. We slowed the boat and the guya at the front reached into the coil and grabbed it by the head-----lots of wriggling with Dylan and Justin sitting right behind with very large eyes. He then said at 1 meter, it was a baby because they get to 8 meters (mom was probably in the bushes). He said they rarely see them. The kids touched it but it was too strong to hold. He let it go then looked in the trees above and said ¨sloth¨¨. The kids recognized it as a 3 toed sloth because they had seen the 2 toed in Costa Rica. Next there were howler monkeys, mackaws, parrots before we emerged at a beautiful lagoon and saw the palm thatched huts and a dock. I could write 10 pages about the other adventures but I will just tell you a few. Night walk in the black of night to see the nocturnal animals tarantelas, frogs, interesting insects, 6 in. millipedes and the symphony of sounds., fishing with a wooden pole and a piece of meat on a hook and catching 5 pirhannas then eating them for breakfast, birdwatching in early evening in the lagoon from a hand carved cedar canoe and counting over 30 species within an hour with all the colours of the rainbow, going out in that same tippy cedar canoe in the black of night armed only with one guide with a strong flashlight to caiman watch and getting within 1 meter of at least 4 different caiman---as Justin said ¨-- too close for comfort---staring into their huge eyes and admiring their 4 meter long bodies--freaky and surreal that we were really seeing them! We also did jungle hikes, and a hike to a 35 meter tall bird tower to watch the birds from the top of the forest canopy. Our kids learned more about biology, ecology, bugs, plants, animals , other cultures etc in the 4 days with the Sanis than a year of school. Justin was never without a pair of binoculars and he won the blowgun tourney where we wore war paint and fired a 3 meter blowgun (you blow poison arrows at monkeys), at a grapefruit. He hit the target 2 out of 4! The guide said he worked at Sani because he realized that after living in Quito then in Florida for college that he needed to live his life surrounded by nature. The Amazon sure enters your soul. I can see why many never leave and why many tourists continue to come back for more. We have now flown back to Quito for 3 days in a city. First stop laundry, then pizza for the kids, internet, then off to the Galapogas on Friday. Can´t believe how much the kids are learning and how interested they are about everything. When we travelled back to Coca on the longboat we picked up school kids and villagers along the way from tiny jungle shacks-an eyeopener about sc hool for the kids. Bye for now Gail
March 14 Dept. for Galapagos
March 14-March 20 Galapogas cruise (hike, snorkel, explore 6 Islands)
March 17, 2008
Well, we have a half day leave from the 60 ft boat the Yate Darwin. We have had 5 days aboard and it has been amazing. We are walking around town weaving left and right (even before we had the beer with the 3 passengers from Ireland to celebrate St. Patricks day). The seas are calm but 1000 km away from the coast of Ecuador, calm seas on the Galapogas Is. are very rolley, so we do not have land legs right now. The Galapogas Is. are even more spectacular than we imagined and our boat, although small ,has a terrific crew, awesome cook, and a full itinerary on different islands each day. The days always include two hiking excursions on different islands and 1-2 hours snorkling. The other 12 passengers are a great mix of 20 to 79 year olds, all well travelled and filled with so many stories. We have representation from Australia, Germany, Ireland, Poland, USA, Greece, Venezuala and Switzerland. The kids have fit in well too and their enthusiasm and expert ability to spot so much wildlife and marine life has really endeered them to the rest of the gang. They are buying ice cream for 3 people tonight --poker losses and they have learned 5 new card tricks. Just a few highlights so far.......and I am not exaggerating.......Snorkling in clear blue waters and having sea lions jump off the rocks and swim under us, then seeing 2 meter long sharks swim beside us, and following 4 sea turtles for 50 meters, not to mention the bright yellow puffer fish, parrot fish, stingrays, batrays etc., Each night we look at the marine life guide and record a couple dozen new species from our snorkling. Then 2 nights ago, the captain sounded the horn and we went out on deck to look for the dolphins he had spotted. We hoped for a glimpse.....over 500 dolphins jumping and playing all around the boat following us for 2 km and then 30 min later another 200 dolphins from another species. Each island has its own unique ecosystem and unique species of turtles, iguanas, plants and birds. Flamingoes in lagoons,albatross, penquins, and blue footed boobies are so beatiful and most have newly hatched chicks that we have observed up close. We have 3 days left and apparently the snorkling gets better each day---tomorrow marine iguanas, green sea turtles, 7 species of sea stars and then in the afternoon.....hammerhead sharks! We hiked through a 400 meter lava tube under the earth today and looked into 2 volcano craters. We will be sad when the trip ends---what an experience.
Bye for now Gail
March 20 Galopogas – Guayaquil Tame flight in afternoon March 20th, 2008 Sad afternoon in Quayanquil because the Galopagos trip is over. It is nice to be back on land but we really bonded with the 16 people and 5 crew and continued to see amazing vistas, wildlife and sealife. Our last four snorkling trips brought black tipped sharks, another species of sea turtles, marine iguanas eating algae 1 meter below us, 20 penquins diving under us and waddling on the rocks above our heads, and sea lions diving figure 8´s around us. Today we walked on N. Isabella Is. and watched the frigate birds swell their red pouches to entice the females and saw their baby chicks and the biggest land iguanas. We will be leaving tomorrow aft. for Lima Peru. Ecuador is a "must come back" place. So many places we did not get to that we will keep on our list for a return trip.
Bye for now Gail
March 21 Guayaquil to Lima
March 22 Lima to Arequipa
March 23 Bus trip Arequipa – Chivay
March 26 Chivay to Arequipa by bus
March 26, 2008
Well, the fun continues. Some challenges though.....8 days on the Galapagos with minimal sleep,and maximum excursions, then 3 short flights over 3 days then a 3 hour bus trip that took us from 600 meters to 6800 meters in 2 hours and finishing in Chivaz at 3800 meters, ..........we really crashed. I was lucky...the altitude just gave me shortness of breath, and a bit of a headache the first night, Justin...tired, cranky and big headache for a day, Dylan tired, lightheaded and tormenting his brother, and poor Mike got the migraine from hell for 36 hours. Luckily after the first day and a half he felt great and enjoyed the 2 remaining days in the beautiful Andes mountians overlooking the Colca canyon (3800 meters deep at one point) and surrounded by ruins from the Incas, Cardillarons, Aztecs. We stayed in a beautiful hostel at one end of a tiny town, Cabaconda. All the buildings, and the terraced fields down the sides of the canyon were built pre Inca. Because it is at the end of the rainy season, all the fields are in full bloom and green with many different crops. No machinery, only donkeys and alpacas and hard physical labour. The women all wear the brightly coloured traditional clothing and although noone speaks english in town , all smile and return our buenos dias. I love being in the mountains. It is probably the most beautiful location we have visited. Highlights included walking down the old stone paths through the fields with the kids down to the bottom of the canyoun to lie in the natural hot spring mineral pools beside the river then wading into the river to duck into the glacial water before returning to the 35 degree water. We were the only ones at the river but passed lots of farmers along the journey. The 2 hour uphill was a grind. The kids were not impressed and because it was the first morning, none of us could breath well. The kids and I then had a horseback ride through the town and the fields. Small lively horses and a guide that spoke Ketchwa, no spanish or english----kids thought it made the experience even more fun. The guide ran beside us and we weren´t sure what would happen if the horses bolted. Next we walked through parts of the town and met two nine year old boys coming down a steep trail from the mountain leading 5 donkeys piled high with branches. The kids were dirty from their days work. I asked to take their picture--Dylan and Justin really thought about what a day for those boys entailed and the level of responsibility! Their dad took the donkeys back home and I ;charaded¨; that they should wait for a minute...... and I ran back to the room and returned with 2 Canada t-shirts. They lit up. We then saw some girls volleying a old soccer ball on a path and we asked to join. We had fun for about 10 min. We were all laughing and the girls loved it. People are so naturally beautiful, all smiles, a relaxed, caring disposition. Pigs, sheep, dogs, donkeys wander freely but have a home corral at night. Next day, Mike recovered for our 5 am wake up . We hopped on a tour van and had a 7 hour tour of Colco Canyon, Condor la Cruz and a traditional buffet lunch for $10 per person! Condor la Cruz is a spot on the Colco Canyon where the canyon is 2500 meters deep, the snow capped peaks of the Andes tower above steep cliffs and if you are lucky you will see condors. We arrived at 7 am to clear sunny skies and an amazing show from 5 condors effortlessly soaring above our heads for over an hour. They floated to within 10 meters a number of times. Their grace and beauty was breathtaking especially considering a 8 kg , 1 meter tall body and a 3 meter wingspan! We had opportunities to hike along the canyon and to view holes high in the cliffs where mummies were entombed and to continue to see the old ruins from the Incas. What a day! We worried about the 3 hour bus trip back to Arequipa today but apart from the interesting passengers, .... 2 baby alpacas, and a lamb, and the bus hanging on two wheels around a couple of hairpin corners, we arrived without headaches intact. We leave tomorrow for Cuzco---hopefully we have acclimatized and won´t suffer any more altitude sickness. We have 6 days to do some practice hiking so we won´t die on the Inca trail! Found out that the people of the Andes share the churches with the catholics but their beliefs are for the mountains, sun, moon and earth and to live at peace with each of these. I think that that is the spirituality that I always feel when I am in the mountains or in any beautiful natural environment. It soothes the soul and gives comfort. We all love being surrounded by nature and we sure appreciate the beauty and splendor of all we have experienced. Let me know how your spring break was. Hopefully there are signs of spring at home and not more rain.
Bye for now Gail
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