August 10, 2019 – August 19, 2019
One of the best things about travelling the way that we were was the flexibility and freedom we had….if we liked a place, we would stay an extra day or two, if we didn’t like a place, we would move on. Plans were never written in stone, and we had altered our route many times on the trip in order to avoid areas where there might be a bit of civil unrest, or to take a detour to see something of interest that was previously unknown to us.
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July 9, 2019 – July 20, 2019
The ferry arrived to the island of Newfoundland just as the sun was rising. It had been a long night, neither of us really sleeping much on the ferry despite the ample leg room and comfortable, semi-reclining chairs. We had originally thought that we would get a campsite close to the ferry for the day and then head the next morning to Stephenville in order to take Piper to the vet, but as we drove off the ferry, Derek said he felt pretty good, so we drove the 165 km to Stephenville.
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July 4th, 2019 – July 8, 2019
Note: We have been home now for about 2 weeks. It was hard to blog as we drove across Canada due to remote camping locations and the long driving days. I have read many blogs that just suddenly ended, and they left me wondering about the return home and the final parts of the trip and it just kind of bothered me, but now I understand….the return home is a busy time, seeing family and friends, getting the hot tub operational again (prioritizing at a time like this is essential), getting your home and life back in order,etc. I am determined however to see this blog though to our return home, and hope to do so within the next few weeks.
We boarded the boat operated by Bird Island Boat Tours and motored out to Bird Island for a “3 hour tour” (…..key theme song from Gilligan’s Island…). We were promised that we would get to see puffins, among many others, and I was excited to see these little clown like birds (friendly clown, not scary clown).
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June 14, 2019 – June 16, 2019
We headed for a quick two day visit to Prince Edward Island (PEI). There are two options for getting to PEI from the mainland…you can take a ferry, or you can take the bridge. We were close to the bridge and so opted for that option. Both are free to get to the island, but to get off of the island you have to pay.
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March 3, 2019 – March 5, 2019
Since we quit our jobs, we rarely set an alarm to wake us in the morning. I love letting my body decide when it is ready to get out of bed, of slowly waking up without any annoying, demanding “beep, beep, beep”…who doesn’t? But, there are a times that are worthy of setting an alarm…..to go skiing, to go hiking, to go to the airport…..and now we can add, to go and see the parrots on the cliffs at Balneario el Cóndor as the sun rises.
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July 23, 2018 – July 25, 2018
We knew we wouldn’t make it all the way to Puerto Lopez after leaving Laguna Quilotoa, but we headed west to see how far we could get before dark. We drove downhill almost all the way, through winding, mountain highway, rainforest on either side and views for miles. We started high above the clouds, drove through a layer of cloudy mist to great views under overcast skies, then through one more layer of cloud as we neared the coast.
May 4, 2018 – May 8, 2018
Bocas del Toro is the name of a province in Panama, it is the name for a set of islands that are part of that province, and Bocas del Toro (known as Bocas Town to avoid at least SOME confusion) is also the name of the capital of the province. We hadn’t planned on visiting the islands of Bocas del Toro (translates to Mouths of the Bull), but when we saw how close we were to them, we decided we had to go.
April 24, 2018 – May 4, 2018
One more beach camp on the Nicoya Peninsula, this time near the town of Malpais. And again, heavenly. We walked down the beach one night for a drink and some ceviche as we watched the sun set. On one afternoon, we walked to the nearby town to a little store, then returned to our camp by the beach, not seeing another person until we neared our campsite. Riders on horseback would occasionally wander past between us and the shore. It was beautiful and peaceful and so, if you are not tired of seeing them yet, here are some more beach and sunset pictures.
April 21 – 24
So what does your perfect beach look like? A crescent bay with wide flat sand? Warm, gentle waves that occasionally ramp it up for a bit of fun? Backed by rainforest where howler monkeys play? Maybe a few nice restaurants near by? Shady camping? What about throwing in a few wild horses and their colts that occasionally make their way past your camp along the sand?
April 14 – April 16, 2018
We were nearing the border of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, and decided we needed one more beach stop before we crossed. We headed towards San Juan del Sur, a touristy beach town, and, as it turns out, also a cruise ship port.