Travel with Tobey and Sue

Travel with Tobey and Sue
Tobey and Sue in Africa

Friday, December 30, 2011

Mexico 2012 - un viaje mas grande - Day 4 December 30, Eagle Pass, TX to Satillo, Mexico

After what seemed like a short night (the roosters next door started crowing at 3:45) and a quick stop at McDonalds to access WIFI, we were on our way. 

When you are traveling in an RV you need to remember YOU ARE A TRUCK at border crossings! We crossed the border at Piedras Negras.  Bridge One is for cars and the lanes are VERY narrow. Bridge Two is for trucks and the lanes are wider. We were “lucky” enough to be chosen for closer inspection so we had to pull over while the immigration folks went through the RV checking things out.

We went south on the cuota (toll road) 57 and about 35KM later we arrived at Allende, where we got our tourist visas and vehicle permits. $700USD in vehicle deposits and $100USD in tourist visa fees and 2 hours later we were “lucky” enough to be chosen AGAIN for further inspection! This fellow looked in EVERY drawer and cabinet, as well as under our mattress!  By 11:15 we were FINALLY on the road!

























We were careful to observe the speed limits, even though most of the Mexicans sped by us like we were standing still!  The Mexicans do have an interesting method for passing you on the highway – you move over onto the shoulder and they whiz by you straddling the center line! Effective and everyone seems to be okay with it. Past Monclova we went through some beautiful mountainous areas. This is some of the area.
 South of Monclova

South of Monclova 3



We arrived in Saltillo about 4 pm and checked out the Hotel Imperial RV park first but they were too pricey – $350 pesos a night – about $25USD. We also tried to find a TEL-CEL store and spent over an hour hunting that down but would have to wait in line another hour to get served! Then to add insult to injury, we learned of another Mexican custom, we had to pay to park in the shopping mall parking lot! On to our second choice RV Park – La Fuente Hotel. We got here at 7 pm and it was only $150 pesos and very nice people! 

25.42921°N, 100.94967°W
If you want to see our nightly check-in spots you can click on this link. http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0Zke2Wv2aNUaveSGdFV6k62uEZN55P7s1

Mexico 2012 – un viaje mas grande Day 3 December 29 Marathon to Eagle Pass, TX

We experienced our first (and hopefully the worst) mishap last night. Against our better judgment we did not unhook our water hose to the RV (the campground host said it wouldn’t freeze).  We left the water drip inside but it wasn’t enough to prevent the hose from freezing when the outside temperature dropped to 30. Fortunately, the hose didn’t burst. We unhooked it and carefully carried it inside to warm up – with the assistance of my hair dryer! Once thawed, we reattached it to ensure everything was in working order and we were on our way.

There is a lot of desert between Marathon (#9 on the map) and Eagle Pass (#12)! We saw a couple of roadrunners along the way – but no Wiley Coyote. Between Quemado and Normandy we passed several pecan groves with lots of stands where you could buy pecans. We debated it, but decided we didn’t want to have to figure out how to shell them!

We stopped in Del Rio to resupply at Walmart and had our tires checked. One of the rear inside tires was very low, so we need to keep an eye on it. We rechecked it at the Walmart in Eagle Pass and it was okay. Who knows what is going on!

We camped at the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino (28.61325°N, 100.43906°W). It wasn’t lucky for me - I lost $10 in the slot machines! I am such a big gambler! Tobey played poker and was up $80, he should have quit as he went back and ended up even – guess that isn’t so bad for an evening’s entertainment. 

Today we drove 241 miles. Tonight I am double checking all of our paperwork since tomorrow we cross into Mexico! Adios until we post again.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Mexico 2012 – un viaje mas grande – Day 2 (December 28, 2011) Marfa, TX to Marathon, TX

When the alarm went off at 6:45 this morning neither of us wanted to climb out of bed. It was toasty warm under the covers and the outside temperature had dropped to 29 overnight! (57 in the RV) We drove back to Marfa to find a WIFI hotspot and were able to post Day 1. Marfa is a pretty little town with lots of churches and some interesting looking historic buildings. Tobey read that it has become an active arts community. We may have to return this way another time!
Today we traveled from Marfa to Marathon – normally a 55 mile journey. We, however, took the scenic route to scout out Big Bend National Park. Our route was 231 miles in the RV, plus 18 on the scooter.
Day 2 Mexico map
“Crowned with a sky so wide that it threatens to define infinity, the Big Bend region of Texas is situated roughly west of San Antonio, east of El Paso, and north of the mythic Rio Grande river. It remains one of the last true frontiers in the Lower 48, a landscape unique in the world.”  Taken from Road Trip: The Borderlands of Texas From National Geographic's Drives of a Lifetime Series.  http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/road-trips/borderlands-texas-road-trip/
IMG_4533We headed south from Marfa on Hwy. 67 to Presidio. We passed through Shafter which has many abandoned buildings and ruins from the Presidio Mining Company heyday in the 1880s. Once we turned onto Hwy. 170 we followed the Rio Grande along the U.S./ Mexico border. We noticed lots of border patrol trucks and went through several check points. This is definitely a desolate part of our country!
Near Terlingua, we passed by the quicksilver mining area. Most of the mines in this region went bankrupt in the 1940s when cheaper sources of mercury were found in Spain.
We continued on to Big Bend National Park. The park is over 800,000 acres. We opted for the quick tour on the main road through the park – not really a good exploration, but enough for us today. When we got to the Panther Visitor Center, we unhooked the scooter and drove up the Chisos Basin Trail. It was a curvy 6 mile road, but fun.
Views on the Chisos Basin trail in Big Bend.
We arrived at our campground, the Marathon Motel and RV Park, and plan to relax tonight. We are hooked up to water and looking forward to hot showers and dinner.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Mexico 2012 – un viaje mas grande – Day 1 (Dec. 27, 2011) Scottsdale, AZ to Marfa, TX

After a busy week in the Valley of the Sun (Phoenix area) with our families, we are once again on the road – without our dog. We decided to leave Penny with our moms rather than subject her to the 7600 mile journey on which we are embarking (not including our drive from Colorado to Arizona!).

Over the last couple of days we had some work to do on the RV. Tobey had the tires checked again and found they were not inflated properly and got that corrected. We filled with gas, got propane, reloaded the scooter, and installed a locking gas cap. We are opting to wait to add water as the forecasted temperatures for our first couple of nights are below freezing. Guess that means no showers tomorrow! Tobey and Tyler also installed new carpet on the steps with the assistance of my sister’s handy grommet tool. Thanks, Bette.

We got on the road at 6:15 and promptly took off on the wrong route. We neglected to look at our Streets and Trips map and headed out on I-10 through Tucson instead of following Hwy. 60 to Hwy. 70 through Superior, Arizona. After a 29 mile addition to our trip, we reconnected to our intended route near Lordsburg, NM.

Just east of Bowie, AZ we were surprised to see patches of snow along the road – not like our Colorado snow, but scattered patches nestled in the shadows of the Joshua trees and scrub cactus. We hoped it will be the last snow that we see this year, but there was scattered snow all across southern New Mexico. snow in southern New MexicoWe spotted several hawks in the trees along the road, which was fun. We also passed pecan and walnut groves. Near Lordsburg, NM we saw wild javelins along the road.

Driving through El Paso was an experience. Tobey said he could see the fence between the U.S. and Mexico. There was a lot of traffic but we managed to sail on through. Between Valentine and Marfa we were treated to a beautiful sunset.IMG_4519

We camped at the Marfa Lights Viewing Area just outside of Marfa, TX. (GPS 30.27539N 103.88400W) As early as 1883 a cowboy reported seeing strange lights in the sky in this area. There are several theories about what causes it,  but the “atmospheric conditions” must not have been right, because we didn’t see anything.

We drove 643 miles today and averaged 10 miles per gallon.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

We’re on our way!

It is amazing how fast the last two weeks have gone. We were in the hunter-and-gatherer mode with piles in several rooms of the house and finally got everything loaded into the RV on Saturday afternoon. In addition to the things needed for the Mexico trip, we needed to have everything for Christmas ready to go with us. At the last minute, Tobey decided to take the RV in to have the tires checked and they reminded him that he was past due for a tire rotation … so three hours later he was home. (I guess he wanted me to have time to finish cleaning house before we left!)

We left home at 6:00 a.m. Sunday morning (to our friends, Phil and Marcia – we CAN get on the road early!) We stopped to pick up our son, Tyler, and were on the highway by 6:30 a.m.

Tobey took the first driving shift. Traffic was light and the roads clear. Just south of Raton, NM I took over driving. We weren’t sure we could make it to Albuquerque for gas so we stopped at Santo Domingo Pueblo to get 5 gallons then cruised on into Albuquerque to fill up 50 gallons at the Costco – only $2.62/gallon! I drove past Grants, NM then Tyler took over.

We made a stop at the WalMart in Gallup for an electrical cord for the IPod and thought we were making great time … and then the rain started. It poured rain from Gallup to Holbrook, AZ, then it turned to snow. We stopped in Holbrook to assess the situation.

Tyler, armed with coffee and Red Bull, continued on. We took AZ Hwy. 377 then Hwy. 277 from Holbrook to Heber. It was near white-out conditions, but Tyler is a very  careful driver, thank goodness! Fortunately there isn’t a lot of traffic, but when the big trucks went by in the opposite direction, the splash back was horrible!  At Heber we picked up Hwy. 260 to Payson. It’s about 60 miles and the roads were wet and slushy, but the snow did change mostly to rain. When the rain finally stopped, the fog settled in.Tyler commented that he ALWAYS gets this lousy stretch of road and bad weather!  When we reached Payson we turned south on Hwy. 87 and had pretty smooth driving into Scottsdale.

We only passed one car in the ditch, but help was already there to pull them out. Arrival at mom’s was midnight – 18 hours after pulling out – about two hours later than anticipated.

Tired, but relieved to be here, we said quick hellos to mom and all went to bed for some much needed sleep. Even Penny was happy to be here!

Saturday, December 3, 2011

15 days and counting …

It is hard to believe that we will be leaving home in just two weeks from tomorrow! We will head to Arizona to spend Christmas with our families before we take off on our Mexican adventure.

I would be kidding if I said that I will miss our Colorado winter weather. Last week we were enjoying 60+ degree weather – this week we have had two snow storms and we are working hard to get temperatures in the 30s! Sunny days and beaches, here we come!

Penny, on the other hand, loves the snow! Friday’s storm brought 8 inches of snow, last night’s about 5 inches. Penny tried her hardest to help us shovel the driveway. She had a ball! Check out her youtube video!           https://youtu.be/soqLffQTORQ

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Despite the weather, preparations are ongoing to get this show on the road. Tobey has been busy charting our route. He is using Microsoft’s Streets and Trips, along with Mike and Terri Church’s book, Traveler’s Guide to Mexican Camping. He has the first 60 or so days mapped out with ideas for campgrounds entered into the program. We plan to generally follow the route, but want to be flexible how long we stay in any one location. Right now we plan to enter Mexico at Eagle Pass, Texas, just east of Big Bend National Park. We’ll keep you posted as the trip goes on.

Mexico 2012 rev cHe is also busy getting our music loaded into the I-pod for our listening enjoyment. I think we have enough music to listen 24-7 for about six months so far! It should be fun. He researched Mexican insurance for the motorhome and scooter and made sure our license plates will be up to date. Tobey is one busy guy!

My office is the “staging” area for all the things we need to pack into the motorhome – for the trip and for Christmas! My checklist keeps growing – first aid kit, prescription refills, reading material, clothes, and games. I’ll start gathering food supplies next week.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

A Tale of Two Cities …

This last week Tobey decided to fly to Phoenix to surprise his mom for her birthday. It was a great plan and one that came off without a hitch. My mom only lives three houses away so she was in on the surprise. He flew from our little regional airport to the Mesa/Scottsdale airport and my mom and another neighbor picked him up. Ruthellen was definitely surprised when Tobey arrived on her doorstep because she was expecting a conference call from him.


They had a good week together. Tobey helped with some chores around the house, chauffeured to some appointments, and accompanied her to play Bingo and cards. Ruthellen even won bingo on her birthday! YAHOO!  Temperatures in Phoenix were a balmy 90 degrees and sunshine. Lucky them!

I, on the other hand, had a little different week. Beautiful weather in Colorado on Monday gave way to a front on Tuesday bringing freezing temperatures and snow! While my sweetheart was wearing shorts and flip-flops, I was bundled up shoveling 8 inches of snow! That wouldn’t have been so bad, but I was substitute teaching all week so I had no choice but to go out in the mess!

A snow storm swept through Northern Colorado, Wednesday, October 26, 2011. The storm caused massive tree damage in the area and left thousands of residents without power. Luckily, not me!

The sun returned on Thursday and Tobey returned on Friday. The streets are clear now and the snow is melting, but we have a big job ahead cleaning up broken tree limbs and raking the leaves once the snow is gone.

Tobey is not looking forward to any of it and is thinking we should become snowbirds. It is definitely something to consider!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Camp Cheerio

It’s really great when I can combine two of my favorite activities at one time, quilting and traveling. I got to do just that when I attended a quilting retreat at Camp Cheerio, a YMCA camp near Sparta, North Carolina.

I belong to an online forum and some of the women have organized a wonderful retreat at the YMCA camp for the last five years. This year I FINALLY got to go!  The big dilemma was whether to fly or drive. If I drove, I could pack my sewing machine, loads of fabrics and quilts to work on, and stop to see friends along the way. If I flew, I would be there the same day and not need to plan two plus weeks for the four day retreat.

After checking to see if I could redeem miles for my flight, the question was resolved. I would fly to Charlotte and carpool up to camp with three other quilters who were flying in for the event. Since my ticket only cost $10 (airline taxes), I checked one suitcase with my clothes and fabrics ($25 each way) and carried on a small bag with my sewing machine.

I arrived at the Denver airport and found out that my flight was oversold. Would I be willing to give up my seat and be rebooked on another flight? They were offering $250 credit and would put me on a non-stop flight that actually arrived before my connecting flight would get there. Seemed like a no-brainer to me! Once they got everyone checked in for the flight, they told me they were upping the offer to $300 and would give me a meal voucher to use in Charlotte when I arrived because I would have to wait the two hours for my checked bag to arrive. It still seemed like a good deal to me!

After arriving in Charlotte, I had a nice lunch (compliments of the airline) and waited for my bag to arrive. I met Marsha, one of the other women going to the retreat, and we took the shuttle to our hotel for the night. The third, Linda, arrived later that evening and we had a great time visiting. After breakfast, Fran, our fourth traveling companion came to the hotel and we loaded the rental car and were on our way to camp.

First stop, Mary Jo’s Fabrics in Gastonia, North Carolina.  http://maryjos.reachlocal.net/  It was a sensory delight – but not so good on my credit card. We spent almost two hours savoring the wide variety of fabrics and enjoyed the great prices. I had to remind myself that whatever I bought still had to fit into my suitcase! Linda, on the other hand, had her purchases shipped home! Next stop was Carolina Bar-B-Q in Statesville, NC. http://carolinabar-b-q.com/    The food was yummy and the people were so friendly! A nice little respite before heading on to camp.

We arrived at Camp Cheerio about 2:30 on Thursday afternoon and unloaded our sewing equipment at the Sloan Center. We had a wonderful room set up to accommodate 15 quilters, along with tables for cutting fabric, playing games, and snacks. 

The camp provided three fabulous meals a day – all we had to do was walk down to the dining hall. We all had our own rooms in another building with great internet access.

The camp is located near Roaring Gap, North Carolina in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Some of the gals said I would really notice the elevation – about 4000’. I had to remind them that I live at 4980’ so it was just like being at home.  The colors in North Carolina were JUST beginning to change while we were there. It was pretty, but I’m sure they will be fabulous by the end of the month. (another trip, maybe?)

I had a great time getting to know my online friends in person and get some sewing projects done, as well. I managed to get two quilt tops finished, and two others started. Jennifer taught us how to make these cute origami fabric boxes. 

I am anxious to see how they work making larger ones. We also played a fun dice game – Left, Right, Center. The prize – Fabric squares! I was NOT the winner, but had fun anyway. Theresa taught us a couple fun quilting techniques that I hope I can incorporate into a future quilt. So many ideas … so little time!

On our last night there we were treated to a beautiful sunset.  I had such a great time sewing until midnight or later, meeting new people, and making friendships that I hope last a lifetime! 


Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Fall Colors in Colorado

 


The leaves are turning in Colorado and putting on a beautiful display!

Tobey and I drove up to Rocky Mountain National Park about a week ago because it is one of my favorite places to view the changing seasons. My goal – drive up Old Fall River Road to the Alpine Visitors’ Center and back Trail Ridge Road with a brief stop at Moraine Park. We packed a picnic lunch and headed out. Needless to say, traffic was heavy on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon!

We stopped for lunch before we arrived at Alluvial Fan and noticed the signs on the road saying that Old Fall River Road was CLOSED! I was really bummed because it didn’t open until the end of July and here it was, the 2nd of October and already closed! Say it ain’t so!

We went on to Alluvial Fan and enjoyed sitting by the water for a while.   Tobey suggested I continue driving and “just see” if the road might be open … and it was! Yippee! I love this drive – a one way, one lane, switchback-filled eleven mile route through some of the most beautiful parts of the park. This is definitely not a road for anyone who is in a hurry!http://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/old_fall_river_road.htm

 The colors were just beginning to change as we headed up  the road.

 

 

 

The further we drove, the more colorful the trees were.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were about nine miles up the road when we noticed the snow nestled in above the aspen grove.

As we got closer and closer to timberline, the colors were starting to show shades of orange.

After a brief stop at the Alpine Visitors’ Center we headed back down Trail Ridge Road to Moraine Park and caught sight of this big elk grazing near the creek. IMG_4176

My day was complete – goals met!

Now as I listen to the wind rustling through the trees and see the leaves piling up on my deck and in the yard I can look back at my Rocky Mountain drive and not mind as much when I need to start raking!

Friday, September 23, 2011

The Last Hurrah …

It’s that time of year in Colorado that one needs to think of winterizing your motorhome. But wait! We had only gone camping one time this year and that’s not fair – so we decided to go one last time before the winterization process began.

Last Saturday we loaded up and headed up the Poudre Canyon to Jack’s Gulch Campground. We had never been there before, but friends, Ann and Gary, told us that it was really nice, so we thought we would give it a try. We camped in the Yarrow Loop without electricity for $18 a night.  Being the end of the season, there were very few campers so we had our pick of sites.

Usually we look for shaded spots, but Tobey wanted to test out his new solar panel so he wanted a sunny spot. We had a hard time finding  one. Most of the sites were fairly level and lots of trees!  We ended up with one that got partial afternoon sun. There is also a nice trail – about a mile - that circles the campground with good views.

http://campincolorado.com/federal/arapaho_roosevelt_nf/jacks_gulch/jacks_gulch.html 

On Sunday, Ann & Gary came up and spent the day with us. After breakfast we drove up the Pinegree Park Road and turned off at Twin Lakes to hike to a 1943 B-17 crash site. The hike is about 4 miles round trip and has about 1000 foot elevation gain! We traveled through beautiful forest areas and noticed the aspen trees are beginning to turn golden yellow.

When we popped out of the trees we were at the crash site. It is amazing to see – 4 engines, the landing gear, and large chunks of the fuselage still there almost 67 years later. On October 18, 1943, just below timberline the B-17 crashed into Stormy Peaks. The night training mission, which originated in Rapid City, S.D., ended in a fiery crash when the plane failed to clear the l2,148 foot mountain peak. There is conflicting information about how many of the crew died – from 4 to 8. At least 4 survived – two hiked out and got rides back to the Fort Collins area to telephone for help. IMG_4046

We did take time to look out at the view from the site – it was amazing! It was a clear day and you can see all the way to Wyoming!

Going down was much easier than the hike up. Penny was one tired dog when we got back to Gary’s truck since she hiked at least 2 miles farther than the rest of us as she raced up the trail and back to make sure we were coming!

After two nights at Jack’s Gulch we weren’t quite ready to head back to town so we decided move to the national forest which borders the camp. We had a beautiful spot with lots of sun to generate electricity (and it was free)! Tobey was happy! 

On Monday, the weather was great so we hiked up Old Flowers Road and took the Beaver Creek Trail down and back. It was a MUCH easier hike than the crash hike – and with the promise of water at the end of it, Penny was a happy dog!IMG_4076

We crossed the creek and hiked another half mile or so when the trail ended – at least the trail we were on! Even though Tobey thought we could bushwhack our way back to camp, he agreed to turn around and retrace our steps back to our camper. This hike was about 4 miles round trip.

So now we’re back home and the winterization is almost finished. We’ve done the laundry, cleaned inside and out, blown out the water lines,  and added the antifreeze to the drains. Once we move the RV back into storage we will can start finalizing details and begin gathering up the supplies and documents for the Mexico trip !

Monday, September 12, 2011

Solar - AT LAST!

The new solar panel arrived. Tobey was so anxious to get it installed – the only problem is it takes two people and I don’t do motor home roofs!  Poor Tobey had to wait almost two weeks before Tyler was back home to help finish the installation.

Late Sunday afternoon they climbed up and rolled out the panel which has an adhesive backing – similar to contact paper, and hooked it up. During the installation process they had to keep the panel covered so it wouldn’t start generating electricity and shock them.

After they attached the panel, Tyler helped smooth out all the bubbles underneath. On the first walk through he was really close to the edge of the roof so I made him hold his dad’s arm to make sure he didn’t fall off!


I made a quick trip inside to see if the install was successful – and it was! 

Even with the late afternoon sun  -  6:00 pm - we were generating .4 amps!  A little detail work to complete and in less than two hours they were done! 

At 8:30 this morning Tobey checked and the panel was generating 1.3 amps and by 9:00 a.m. it was up to 1.7 amps. I’m sure he will go out every couple hours to check the progress as the days warms up. His ambitious goal is the panel will generate 20 amps a day to offset the energy drain on the house battery. We’ll see. 

Overall, he is quite pleased with his purchase and their installation. This is how the RV roof and panel looks now.



Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Solar power here we come!

Tobey likes things to be efficient. Tobey is also really good about finding ways to save money and when it comes to operating the RV, he is no different.

Last year he was concerned about our energy consumption, so after MUCH research, he installed a monitoring device a TriMetric TM-2025-RV. http://www.bogartengineering.com/products/TriMetric.

He can now tell how full our battery is and can isolate what devices take the most power. (I’m glad he understands all of this because I sure don’t.)

Another thing he did to conserve power in the RV was to install some LED lights. He found that they only use a fraction of the power normal bulbs use and has been happy with the results.

ANYWAY, he has been talking about adding a solar panel to the RV as another way to conserve energy and replenish our batteries for the last two years. Now that our upcoming trip to Mexico is imminent, he put the solar panel project on the front burner.

He researched and researched. We looked at all kinds of options at the Quartzsite RV show in January. He measured and remeasured.  He talked to the manufacturers. He even discussed the installation with our son, Tyler. Last week Tobey took the plunge. He ordered a Uni-Solar PVL-68 flexible solar panel and the parts necessary for installation.

Unfortunately, for Tobey, when the UPS driver rang the doorbell we were in the middle of a meeting with our financial guy and Tobey couldn’t dive in to see what goodies had arrived! As soon as Todd was out the door, the box was opened and packing paper was flying!

Yesterday, Tobey & Tyler started the installation process. They measured and drilled. They ran wires. They were on the roof and under the RV. They thought they were ready to roll out the panel only to discover the adhesive was not only on the bottom side of the panel, but was on the top, so it will have to be returned for one that isn’t defective.

And so, the wait begins again!

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Ecuador - Part 5 - the “chicken bus” tour

Okay, this is the part of the trip that Tobey liked the best. (I think.) You have to remember that he doesn’t really speak much Spanish (taco, tequila and Hola don’t count) and he thinks my command of the language is much better than it really is! Armed with 2 years of high school Spanish, one semester of college Spanish, and my pocket dictionary we set out!
Chicken bus route 001
We caught a flight to Manta then took a bus south to Puerto Lopez because Effy, our guide at LaSelva, told us a friend of his owned a great restaurant there and it was an up and coming tourist area. We did have dinner at Geos Grill-Bar and the food was great.
100_0824
Puerto Lopez main street
One of the tourist attractions nearby is the Agua Blanca Cultural and Natural Area. They were just starting a new tourist feature – horseback riding to the museum tour. We were the FIRST people to join this adventure and to make it special for us, they brought the horses into town so we could have a LONG ride. We rode these tiny horses 12 km on WOODEN, yes WOODEN saddles to the archeological site. It was hard to remember many details about the ancient city and museum!  After our tour we had to ride another 5km back to the highway to catch a bus back to town (we could have ridden all the way back to town ...)

I’m sorry, but 17Km on wooden saddles and stirrups that were too short was absolutely horrible! I was black & blue from one knee to the next and Tobey’s buns were bruised and bloody! The next time Tobey every suggests horseback riding he can take his other wife!100_0847
From Puerto Lopez we took a bus to San Vincente. We sat in the back and watched as a drunk near the front of the bus thought he was in an outhouse and urinated on the seat in front of him. Not once, but twice! The bus driver stopped and they tossed him off the bus in the middle of nowhere! Now that’s entertainment!

The next day we headed to Canoa. We couldn’t get seats together, so I chatted with Eduardo and his son about their restaurant in Canoa. (referring to my dictionary when I couldn’t come up with the words I needed!) We found the Hotel Bambu (below) and stayed there. Dinner was at the Oasis Restaurant whose owners are in the Lions club there. We enjoyed dinner and trying to communicate only in Spanish! We did have lunch the following day at Eduardo’s café.
100_0859
On our bus ride from Canoa to Pedernales Tobey FINALLY got his REAL chicken bus! Just north of Jama, a woman and her son got on with chickens. They were squawking and flapping their wings! Later, a woman with 4 children got on (and Tobey & I were not sitting together) and she plopped one of the littlest ones (about 2 years old) down next to me. The little girl fell asleep and I had to put my arm around her because she kept falling off the seat! When the mom & other kids got off the bus she ALMOST left this one with me! I had to call after her to not forget her baby!

We had lunch in Pedernales and discovered that not having a great command of the Spanish language isn’t all bad. I was trying to tell the waiter that we were not very hungry and didn’t want too much for lunch. He thought we didn’t have much money and felt sorry for us, I think. He brought us 2 HUGE bowls of vegetable bean soup, 2 bananas and 2 cokes for $3.00. Maybe that’s the going rate, but I think we got a great deal!

The Ecuadorian people are really gracious. We spent one night in Santo Domingo with the family of an exchange student that I met through CETUSA, an organization that 2 of our exchange students had come through. Joao said we HAD to come see him at his home. (He wasn’t even OUR student!) His family hosted us, took us to dinner and a tour of their ranch outside of Santo Domingo. It was absolutely incredible!

























After leaving the ranch, we took the luxury express bus (no chickens or drunks) back to Quito. Tobey carried all of our things in the backpack for our 5 night bus adventure.100_0895
Reluctantly, we said goodbye to Ecuador and flew home after an incredible 3 week trip. It’s hard to believe that we ALMOST didn’t go!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Ecuador – Part 4 - Amazon Basin

After an incredible week in the Galapagos, Wendy & Amber headed back to the US while Tobey & I ventured on to the Amazon basin. We flew into Coca then took a boat up the Napo River to La Selva Lodge.

http://www.rei.com/adventures/trips/latin/galapagos.html
We arrived at La Selva where we were issued knee-high boots for our hikes through the rain forest. It didn’t rain – thank goodness – but there was deep mud to slog through!  We could participate in as many of the nature-led hikes and talks as we wanted to, or relax at the lodge.
 100_0453 100_0647 Inside our cabin
Our huts had no electricity – and when the sun goes down it gets VERY dark! During dinner every night, however, the staff took a lit kerosene lantern to our huts so we didn’t have to come home to a dark house! Nice!
PiranaTobey enjoyed swimming in the lake and I tried my hand at fishing … I caught 5 piranhas in the same water Tobey was swimming in!
Tobey swimming with the fishes
Gosh they have an ugly kisser (the fish – not Tobey)!     They don’t have much meat on them, but the kitchen staff cooked them up for lunch for us!   100_0737
poison dart frogOn one of our hikes  our guide Effy spotted this poison dart frog among the bushes on the ground! How he saw him is beyond me … then he caught it and held it for all of us to take pictures.
Effy also saw a tree that had a spider web over an opening in the trunk. He took a stick & poked into the hole & the bird-eating spider came out!
Bird-eating spider 
Our other guide, Kuindi, caught an anaconda and Tobey was brave enough to hold it! I was nervous just taking the picture!

























Our 4 night/5 day rainforest trek was over before we knew it, but the memories are still with us!