Leaving the edge of the Amazon meant leaving the lush, wet jungle behind us. After that sketchy looking ferry across the river (click HERE to see that story) , the surroundings started to change quickly. We looked ahead on the map and realized we would be crossing the Andes on some rough, desolate dirt roads. … More Peru- The Cordillera Blanca and an amazing blue lake.
This country is rich with indigenous heritage. The various cultures (tribes) are respected and honored with positions in the government and opportunities to improve their communities. Many traditions and practices continue to be a part of their daily lives. Raising, cooking and eating cuy is one of those traditions. Cuy (in the USA we call … More Ecuador- Daily life and history combined.
Baños is a bustling town built in a volcanic valley. The weather is nearly perfect year-round. The main business is tourism, and everything revolves around that income. Good restaurants, thermal pool spas, massage parlors, night clubs, a few parks and a beautiful church. The cathedral is the central point in town, as always. And while … More Ecuador- The Baños area
No visit to Ecuador would be complete without leaving the Andes and heading into the Amazon area. This hot, humid jungle is known world-wide for its variety of species, the life-changing ayahuasca experiences and even for the tribe that produces shrunken heads as a part of their ceremonies! But, fortunately we avoided much of … More Ecuador- Visiting the edge of the Amazon
We came back into Ecuador at the busy little Colombia/Ecuador crossing and quickly secured the necessary paperwork for the three of us and also the truck to stay 21 more days. This was the amount remaining on our original visa. If you want to know more about how that works, please send me a note. … More Ecuador- The volcanic Andes
We returned to Colombia, South America with a lot of luggage and a very tired dog. She was a trooper, but was really happy to be back in the familiar city of Bogota with her dear friend, Julian and his puppy, Catira. We took care of some business in the city before we picked … More Back to Colombia- again!
We really weren’t sure what to expect at the Equator. We have crossed the Tropic of Cancer a couple of times and posed at the sign. One crossing was in the Volkswagen Van during our time in Baja, Mexico. Another crossing was in the camper in mainland, Mexico. But we never saw any signs like … More Ecuador- The line that passes through!
For this round of our explorations we spent time in a wide variety of interesting places. But of course, before starting a rigorous round of exploring, we had to stop and visit this cool cat at a hot springs soaking area. Then we were ready to climb into the hills and look at the amazing … More Colombia- fossils, glaciers and soccer balls!
It was beginning to feel as if we had spent a lot of time in Costa Rica! Perhaps because we did! We arrived in April for the house sitting job (opens new window) and we stayed until July. During our time we explored the country, lived in a jungle cabin, we said goodbye to a dog, we had … More Costa Rica- our final activities and fun!
One of the highlights of Oaxaca City for most visitors is the ruins of the Monte Alban archeological site. This is huge area located on a mountain overlooking the city. There are crowds of visitors there, because it is easy to get to. But most of the structures are closed to climbing and all of … More Ancient ruins and water frozen in time! Oaxaca part two.