Ecuador- Cuenca and nearby historical areas.
Cuenca was our last big city stop in Ecuador before we crossed the border to Peru. The some small ruins that are attributed to the Inca mark the area around […]
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Ecuador- Daily life and history combined.
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 […]
Ecuador- The Baños area
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 […]
Ecuador- The volcanic Andes
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 […]
Ecuador- The line that passes through!
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 […]
Colombia- Villa de Leyva, a Spanish colonial city with much to offer
The city of Villa de Leyva is known for many unique features. We stayed there long enough to fully explore the city and many of the surrounding villages as well […]
Colombia- fossils, glaciers and soccer balls!
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 […]
Antigua, Guatemala
Antigua means, “antique” in Spanish. The city of Antigua is truly an antique, a relic of the past. This city was once the bustling business and religious capital of the […]
Guatemala- Tikal
El Remate was the gateway village to visit the ruins of Tikal. This Mayan architecture is notable for its size and some unique building features. The most visible unique feature […]
Guatemala- arrival
After nearly 30 days of exploring this small country, we found that leaving Belize was a fairly simple procedure. The Belize side requires a few fees and stamps upon exit. […]
Belize- week one
We received an email telling us that the animal import permit was ready, so we packed up and headed for the border. As soon as we arrived a “border helper” […]
Three more Mexican states: Villahermosa, Campeche and Yucatan
After the blockades, rough highways and jungle ruins of Chiapas, we were ready to head for the touristic coastline. We arrived into the still, humidity of the city of Villahermosa […]
Pan-American Highway to Palenque
We waited out the roadblock in Ocosingo (see our previous post). It was an interesting experience and we never felt unsafe at all. When it cleared and we were done […]
San Cristobal to Palenque – Roadblock! You can’t pass by here today!
While we were visiting San Cristobal de las Casas we took our first trip with a tour guide! We paid for a van ride and boat tour of Sumidero Canyon. […]
San Cristobal de las Casas, Agua Azul and silly roadblocks!
After the low valleys and ocean roads of Chiapas, we were thrilled to climb into the mountains and experience San Cristobal de las Casas. This gorgeous mountain town is was […]
Chiapas state- A few nights in the capital, Tuxtla!
Chiapas made us feel nervous. I will not lie about this fact. When we traveled across Mexico many years ago, Chiapas was the only state where we encountered a roadblock, […]
Visiting an “orphanage” in Mexico- Hogar Infantil
Hogar means home. Infantil means children. Hogar Infantil is a children’s home with an excellent record of success. It is not really an orphanage, as many of the children have […]
Ancient ruins and water frozen in time! Oaxaca part two.
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. […]
Oaxaca City, Oaxaca.
This city is in an ideal climate zone. It is surrounded by lush green mountains that send gentle breezes through. It blessed with a light afternoon rain almost daily and […]
Mountain village scenes (Veracruz and Oaxaca)
Somewhere in the jungly mountains of Mexico lies the line between the states of Veracruz and Oaxaca. I suppose there is a sign on a highway somewhere that marks that […]