Bocas Del Toro, Panama

Sunset view from our outdoor kitchen…representing the end of our trip

 

 

 

Day 99

 

Here we sit. We’ve enjoyed the last day of complete freedom before jumping on the planes toward Minneapolis tomorrow. Fittingly, the day consisted of a lot of sun and perfect weather. The trip started with 2 weeks of consecutive days of sun in Europe and it feels right to have it end that way. We even got 7 of 8 days in Ireland without rain. Lucky we are.

 

In fact, we arrived to Panama last week Wednesday evening and Thursday rained all day. We looked at the 10 day weather forecast. It said rain for the next 10 days. 95% chance every, single day. It is now Tuesday. It hasn’t rained since the 1^st Thursday. We are lucky.

 

The other day we took one of the many boat taxis to the beach (all transportation here is via boat taxi). We had debated between going to the beach or taking an all day excursion to go see dolphins. We decided on the beach. Halfway to the beach we saw 5 dolphins in the water for a free show. Lucky we are.

 

We have eaten food in 14 different countries in 99 days. No food poisoning. We are lucky.

We have spent breakfast, lunch and dinner together for 99 straight days. We still love each other. Lucky we are.

We have been able to do what we’ve done. We are lucky.

 

Not many words can describe how we feel.

Thank you to those that have followed us on this amazing journey. It was very fun and helpful hearing from friends and family all along the way. It is now time to come home.

 

Off to Minneapolis…

 

  

 

Ecuador

Picture 1: with the Greisels on our walk to find the bridge in Banos

Picture 2: bittersweet on our last bus ride of the trip

 

Quito: the capital of Ecuador.  With an airport situated smack dab in the middle of the city, the flight into town was a unique experience on its own as there is not much room for error with regards to either landing on the runway or on top of someone’s house. We stayed in the historical part of the city and enjoyed walking and checking out its many plazas as it seemed to have more than any other city we’ve been in. The capital also offers great food and we happily encountered BBQ and Mexican while there.

 

Banos: a small town tucked in a lush river valley, we stayed here twice. Once on the way to Riobamba and once on the way back to Quito. A person could do an assortment of activities like bungee jumping, white water rafting, hiking and more. All of which we passed on due to laziness and recovery from Machu Picchu. Meeting up with our St. Stephen friends, “the Greisel’s,” we took a walk to find a bridge that looked over the Banos River. We found it!

 

Riobamba: home of Rosio Greisel and her generous, beautiful family. We spent 3 nights at Tia Gina y Sobrina Daniella’s house. Last summer Daniella spent time with the St. Stephen Youth Group while she stayed the summer at the Greisels in Bloomington. During our stay, we enjoyed hiking on the Chimborazo volcano, taking in their large market, and sharing in a fiesta at Gina’s. It was a unique and special experience getting to know and spend time with Rocio’s whole family.

 

Can’t believe our next stop is our last, but we look forward to a week of relaxing before we head home.

 

Off to Panama…

Machu Picchu

Picture 1: On top of the world at 3 miles high

Picture 2: Machu Picchu. Waynapicchu is tall peak in back on right side

 

After hanging out in Cusco for a few days, the time had finally come to begin the journey toward Machu Picchu. The trip started with a 4:30am wake up call and a bus ride to the mountain valley. This was to be a 4 day/3 night tour with the 2 nights staying up around 12,000 feet in tents.

 

Day 1: We started at about 10,000 feet and hiked 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours after lunch. Lunch (and all meals for that matter) turned out to be extreme high quality. Somehow the chefs were able to whip up gourmet meals at 2 and 3 miles high without a kitchen on the side of a mountain. It was amazing! After 6 hours of very difficult hiking while we acclimated to the altitude, we reached our campsite for the night. It was a little higher than 2.5 miles or 13k+ feet above sea level and freezing.

 

Day 2: After a long, cold night of no sleeping, we were excited to be greeted at our tents with hot tea and hot water at 5:30am. Today was going to be the toughest hiking day of the three. We ascended another ½ mile almost straight up and through a vast array of mountains on all sides until we finally reached the summit of the whole trek. We maxed out at 4880 meters or just over 3 miles high! We felt very satisfied with our accomplishment and the rest was all down hill. That night at our campsite, the Gringos challenged the locals (porters and tour guides) to a game of soccer. We had fun playing on the countryside with llamas looking on like an audience.

 

Day 3: Again, we woke up early but this was the easy day. It was all down hill and ending in the town of Lares and the hot spring thermal baths for celebration.  That night we got to stay in a hostel and take a hot shower after the 1^st two difficult days.

 

Day 4: We got up early to catch the bus up to Machu Picchu. It was crazy to see how many people were already awake and ready for the day. It turns out the people want to see Machu Picchu. Today justified the early mornings and long hike in high altitude. Machu Picchu is an amazing place with stunning scenery and incredible ruins left by the Incas. They were a very intelligent group and evidence can be seen in the construction of the site and also farming, astronomy, conservation and engineering they have left for many to study. We were fortunate enough to hike up Waynapicchu one of the surrounding peaks. It provided great views.

 

This trip exceeded our expectations and absorbed a lot of energy.

 

Off to Quito, Ecuador…

 

Cusco, Peru

Picture 1: Inca Cola tastes like a sweeter Sprite

Picture 2: The Center

 

Cusco was once the Inca's capital and now is a popular and necessary stop for anyone on their way to Machu Picchu. Walking into the center, it took a double take to remember we were in South America and not Europe. The city has over three major Cathedrals, full of beautiful plazas and the streets are made of cobblestone. With the high volume of visitors, Cusco is full of diverse restaurants, a million tourist agencies and lots of shopping. It was a nice place to relax and prepare for our trek.

 

Off to Machu Picchu...

Lake Titicaca, Bolivia

Picture 1: Feet up after hike on Island of the Sun

Picture 2: Copacabana at dusk

 

After playing with the monkeys, we headed west to Lake Titicaca. We spent the first couple nights in Copacabana and then visited the Island of the Sun. The altitude was around 3800 meters or 12,500 feet. Even though we had become acclimated to the altitude in La Paz and Cochabamba, our visit to Coroico brought us back down to a normal height. Because of this, our 1st night in Copacabana was mas o menos a sleepless night due to lack of breathing, stomach pains and so on. It was worth the pain however as we enjoyed the next 3 days of water and sun.

 

Copacabana is a small, vacation town filled with many unique restaurants and artisan shops. We spent our time relaxing, walking around and taking in the sights while experiencing one of the best sunsets of the trip.

 

Island of the Sun is an island about 2 hours away in a very, very slow ferry and is known as the birthplace of the Inca Sun God.  We made friends with some people from Australia and Sweden and together hiked 3 hours from the north to the south part of the island along an old Inca trail.

 

Off to Cusco, Peru...

 

 

Coroico, Bolivia

Picture 1: Josh with one of the squirrel monkeys

Picture 2: Talking to the family after our coffee plantation tour, lady in purple was our guide

 

With the hope of making it to the Amazon Basin, we headed for Coroico just north of La Paz. We never made it to the Amazon due to time but we did make it to La Senda Verde an animal refuge in the river valley underneath Coroico. It was started by a La Paz couple as an environmental camp for kids.

 

It was like living inside your own zoo with no cages. Squirrel, spider and other types of monkeys roamed the grounds along with loud parrots who spoke Spanish, ducks, geese, dogs, a snake, donkey and an ocelot (looks like a small version of a jaguar). Every morning we woke up to the sound of parrots and on the way to breakfast we’d play with the monkeys. We decided to stay four nights.

 

On the second day we went to check out an organic coffee plantation run by three generations of one family. We had a great time touring their farm and sampling the delicious coffee. Later in our conversation, they asked where we were from and quickly the world got extremely small. The husband of our tour guide was living in Minneapolis for the year. We now have a package with us for him from his family.

 

Off to Lake Titicaca…

 

La Paz

Picture 1: View of the city and the housing built all the way up the mountain side

Picture 2: Typical Indigenous dress

 

The highest capital city in the world at just under 12,000 feet, La Paz is a city visited by most travelers in Bolivia. When arriving to the city by bus, the view as you come down from the Altiplano is amazing as the city is nestled in a canyon creating a very unique layout. We both had slight head colds which amplified the effects of the altitude. A short walk, a few steps upstairs or even a drink of water made us feel like we just finished running up the steps in Philadelphia like Rocky finishing an intense workout.

 

We had a good time and if we make it back to Bolivia, we will make it back to La Paz.

 

Off to Coroico…

Who's the Boss?

There never really was any doubt.

 

-Picture taking in Northwest Argentina in the Cactus National Park on the way to Cachi

Cochabamba, Bolivia

Picture 1: Hiking in the Andes   

Picture 2: “The” Saltena

 

Location: Andes Mtns                                      

Weather: Sunshine

Best street snack: Saltenas, a corn shell filled with lots of good stuff

Local Transportation: Truffi                  

Claim to Fame: Best food in Bolivia

The Concha: Biggest market in Bolivia and so far in Europe and South America that we’ve seen; you need it, they got it

The People: Indigenous and colorful in clothing, music and personality

Tiu Rancho: Retreat Center/Educational Center/Sports area and much more for families from the surrounding villages and church groups from Bolivia and other countries and where my uncle and aunt have spent most of the last 20 years.

Reason for stop: Sarah’s uncle and family

 

We have had a great time visiting my family and experiencing the Bolivian people. We were lucky enough to hike in the Andes, go to a concert of local musicians and spend two days at Tiu Rancho where we played volleyball, soccer and baseball with local youth. Other days were spent reading, taking time for a siesta and playing games at the dinner table with a cup of tea. Great stop.

 

Off to La Paz…

Salta, Argentina

Picture 1: On the way from Salta to Cachi

Picture 2: Cactus National Park

 

 

After the 19 hour bus ride to Northwest Argentina and the province of Salta, we found ourselves in a whole new part of the world. The bus ride itself gave us a glimpse of a change in culture ahead. 30 minutes into the ride the bus drivers put in a movie to help pass the time but unlike most movies on public transportation, we did not have the option of listening or not. Instead, they blasted the volume through the loudspeakers demanding the passengers to watch. Unfortunately for us, the movie was absolutely terrible. “Grizzly Bear” was a B horror movie about bears attacking campers. Though this type of flick would not be shown on a bus in Europe or the U.S., it was a sign of the relaxed nature of the people we were to meet ahead.

 

We spent 2 days in Salta, the capital city of the province. We took a hike to the top of the mountain overlooking the city and actually met a student from the U of M in Minneapolis.  After a couple days in the city, we wanted to see more of nothern Argentina. We picked a loop and booked a ride into the countryside with stops in Cachi and Cafeyatte. Cachi is an ancient city that was inhabited by native people before the Incans came and took over. We saw original rock drawings of animals and people, utensils for cooking and weapons for hunting. The drive from Cachi to Cafeyatte was adventureous. The road was the furthest thing from developed, wide enough for only 1 car and cliffs on the left side most of the way. Though the road itself was not the best, the scenery we saw on this excursion was well worth the intense drive. It seemed that we wanted to stop and take a picture at almost every turn. Some of the landscape was similar to that of the Grand Canyon, Red Rocks and Yellowstone rolled into one. Needless to say, we took a million pictures.

 

Off to Cochabamba… 

 

the people you meet

Couldn’t resist showing these great faces of the San Telmo Market in Buenos Aires which only happens on Sundays and was less than 5 minutes from where we stayed.

 

1^st picture: received a priceless wink to end the bartering and agree on a price

 

2^nd picture: “upper left corner” title of the picture we bought from this eccentric fellow

Buenos Aires, Argentina

 

Picture 1: After La Boca futbol game   

Picture 2: La Boca, section of Buenos Aires where Italians settled; famous for its colorful streets and tango shows

 

When leaving Barcelona, we felt it was nice warm up for the South American culture ahead. The past week in “BA” has solidified that feeling. Though it is a city of 13 million people and contains modern amenities, it still offers a glimpse of the history of this part of the world mostly scene through colorful buildings, artwork, jewelry, clothing and food.

 

It has been our longest stay in 1 location (8 days) and we had a fantastic time this week. We stayed at Hostel Ostinatto and here the morning breakfast Z-shaped table almost demands making friends. We arrived early on a Saturday morning, ate breakfast and signed up to go to the final futbol game of the season for La Boca, a local soccer team that is famous for its fans. They literally don’t stop pounding the air or stop singing for the entire length of the game. La Boca won 6-2!

The game was also the start of getting acquainted with some unforgettable people and never ending laughter. The rest of the week we didn’t eat dinner alone. As if the company wasn’t enough to make for a fabulous time, steak (lomo) was consumed at each meal. Argentina is famous for its steak and now we understand why.

 

We are now starting our trek north into some more traditional territories and are excited to see the land. 21 hours on a bus lies ahead!

 

Off to Salta…

 

Madrid y Barcelona

Picture 1: Josh, Barceloneta beach, alligator and artist nearby (red shirt)         Picture 2: “Casa Basllo” by Gaudi, one of his famous modern buildings in Barcelona

 

After a stellar week in Ireland, the clock was ticking on our stay in Europe with 42 days already passed since we left Minneapolis! We decided Spain would be a perfect final stop so we could warm-up for our ventures in S. America. Puedo usar al bano, por favor?

 

Our first stop was the capital city of Madrid where we spent 2 days meandering through the streets and parks and tasting the tapas (the green olives are amazing) while relaxing on the outdoor patio of a local establishment. One of the highlights involved Sarah almost literally being tackled to the ground by an older lady trying to get her to sit down for a 15 minute massage in the park. It was a slight struggle, but eventually Sarah got away unharmed. Muy bien.

 

The reason we cut our stay short in Madrid was because we wanted to get to Barcelona, the city we had heard so much about. We decided this was the city in which to finish our European adventure. It was a good choice. We took in the sights of the many unique buildings since Barcelona is attributed with being one of the major leaders in modern architecture. We also spent an afternoon at the Pablo Picasso museum, walked the famous La Rambla Street (funny costumes, artists’ paintings and markets) and had fun in the sun at the beach. Barcelona is a great spot with both city and beach life in one.

 

After 47 days in Europe it is officially time to move on. We loved our time here and have learned a lot, met loads of interesting people and experienced numerous places we would like to see again!!

 

Off to Buenos Aires…  

Ireland

Picture 1: Our campsite in the Ring of Kerry

Picture 2: A view from halfway up our hike in the Ring of Kerry

 

One of the world’s greenest countries, home of the scone and where a rain jacket is like a good pair of shoes…worth every penny, Ireland is a must see. After the concert and a couple days in Dublin, we rented a car for six days to experience more of the country. We headed straight west on the left hand side of the road, shifting gears lefty and hoping to make it a full day without turning into the wrong lane.

 

Galway was our first stop and we stayed at a little campground on the ocean nearby in Salt Hill. That evening we drove into the city to have a late night snack and ordered nachos. A bowl full of chips with easy cheese on top is not what we had in mind but we finished it to be polite. We headed back excited to hear the waves and smell the sea from our tent again and then woke up early the next morning to run along the boardwalk. 

 

From Galway we headed south along the coast towards the Ring of Kerry. The Ring of Kerry is a circular route and runs along the coast 75 percent of the way. We stayed three nights in two different camp sites both of which were situated on the ocean. It was the contrast of the rock intertwined within the green hills, mountains and pastures that made Ireland unique to other green landscapes. There came a point when we had to retire the camera and just take in the sites because each turn deserved its own shot. We were sad to leave Ireland, the freedom of having a car and our hot, windowless tent.

 

Off to Madrid and Barcelona…