tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33432363500098898832024-03-12T20:39:09.314-07:00Welcome to Isabelle's BlogAbout travel with 3 young kids, shopping & moreIsabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08025278178385995795noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343236350009889883.post-62490271157979968302020-12-24T17:19:00.004-08:002020-12-29T21:14:04.255-08:00Merry Christmas & Yule log ("Buche") review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Merry Christmas Everyone!</div><div><br /></div><div>Wishing you wonderful Christmas celebrations.</div><div>Since we were not able to travel this year, due to covid, we couldn't enjoy the typical French Christmas dinner, and we miss the typical dessert, the delicious "buche". So we brought the buche to us. Thankfully we have a few bakeries around town who now offer it as part of their standard holiday offering. Here is our review. We tried: Draegers, La Baguette, Woodside Bakery and Mademoiselle Colette.</div><div><br /></div><div>Enjoy! And please let us know in the comments if you have tried any other yule logs.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/494534448" title="vimeo-player" width="640"></iframe><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MmjDtwXti7I/X-VQuzE9UYI/AAAAAAAAA24/u5DV1rZSoGsGzo6KRRB2FwiRN-9LqBvFQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/image.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MmjDtwXti7I/X-VQuzE9UYI/AAAAAAAAA24/u5DV1rZSoGsGzo6KRRB2FwiRN-9LqBvFQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/image.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08025278178385995795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343236350009889883.post-68921221789360910842020-12-02T18:39:00.048-08:002020-12-24T19:09:36.290-08:00Alisal Ranch review and round up of California ranchesWe just came back from our latest visit of a California ranch. As I mentioned earlier, we have been visiting <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2020/10/dude-ranches-in-california-visiting.html" target="_blank">several dude ranches in California</a> over the last few months and we have enjoyed them all. With the weather getting colder, many ranches have closed for the winter, but <a href="https://alisal.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Alisal</a> in South California remains open all year. This is where we decided to spend Thanksgiving and we were not disappointed. It was the perfect time to visit the Alisal and we had a wonderful time.<div><br /></div><div>To be honest, I was a little skeptical first. The ranch is very expensive and I was not impressed by the initial contact I had had with them. I was told we had to book rides in advance because space was limited; and the back and forth was quite painful. I thought it was disappointing for such a high-end resort. But I learned later on that they were short-staffed because of Covid, and that horseback riding was not necessarily the primary activity for the resort so they were juggling a lot of priorities.</div><div><br /></div><div>But once we arrived, everything sent very smoothly. The weather really played in our favor and the rides were amazing. The surroundings are amazing and seeing the Santa Ynez mountains with their fall colors was such a great experience. One morning, we participated in the morning ride to the "adobe" to have breakfast in a grove in the forest. It was a cold and early morning, but it was still worth it. My daughter, advanced rider, was allowed to participate in the loping rides, and she loved it! Outside of riding, we enjoyed the pool, the fun petting zoo, and the evening activities. We also were impressed with the food. The buffets were spectacular and varied. Accommodation was OK, but overall the resort is nice and welcoming.<div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_qvVKUApgWY/X-VR8By9KoI/AAAAAAAAA3I/VXfnY-iDAwYrp3e9gH4dpBIUY1RE0-RXACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_0495_original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_qvVKUApgWY/X-VR8By9KoI/AAAAAAAAA3I/VXfnY-iDAwYrp3e9gH4dpBIUY1RE0-RXACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_0495_original.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>If you have been following the blog, you know that we have now visited 4 different ranches. If you are trying to decide what's right for you, this recap might be helpful. Let us know in the comments if you ever decide to visit any of these ranches.<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DIw39BW8lRc/X-VRpe62FBI/AAAAAAAAA3A/R-IWACtQ0jcymZHoDWW1V8dvDddejrOAACLcBGAsYHQ/s1540/ranch%2Bcomparison.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="942" data-original-width="1540" height="350" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DIw39BW8lRc/X-VRpe62FBI/AAAAAAAAA3A/R-IWACtQ0jcymZHoDWW1V8dvDddejrOAACLcBGAsYHQ/w571-h350/ranch%2Bcomparison.png" width="571" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div></div></div></div>Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08025278178385995795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343236350009889883.post-26708765256424150432020-10-13T18:44:00.009-07:002020-12-24T19:10:30.624-08:00Dude ranches in California, visiting with kids and advanced ridersWith the pandemic happening this year, we have had to cancel our big oversea trips. While we were all quite disappointed it, we ended up coming up with other ideas to getaway. With our daughter being so interested in riding, we found out early in the summer that visiting dude ranches was a good way to get out while staying safe (being on a horse all day guarantees social distancing in the outdoors). As it turns out, we were able to fill in some summer weekends to visiting dude ranches and we have had the chance to visit 3 (and since then, <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2020/12/alisal-ranch-review-and-round-up-of.html" target="_blank">another ranch called Alisal</a>) ranches over the course of this year. Below is what we learned about dude ranches.<div><br /></div><div>First, they are all amazing in their own way and we met people who had been coming to these ranches for years and have enjoyed every minute of it. If you like horses and the outdoors you can't go wrong with any of these. All of these ranches offer daily rides (usually morning and afternoons) for different levels. Once or twice a week the ride goes to a creek or nice area in nature for BBQ lunch or dinner. A nice way to participate in a longer trail ride and enjoy nature.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://greenhornranch.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Greenhorn ranch</a>:</div><div style="text-align: left;">This is my daughter's favorite; she came to the ranch for horseback riding and she was not disappointed. Long rides mornings and afternoons, beautiful scenery. She thought that the advanced rides were interesting and exciting. I took the beginner rides and thought they were nice, but didn't offer as much variety. I guess that you get access to more trails with a higher level.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3ONLwt6OOTY/X4udjYtSZlI/AAAAAAAAAnA/AdNp4k3LV7kaMKtm_x0BrLS0gYJzEREpQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_0067_original.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3ONLwt6OOTY/X4udjYtSZlI/AAAAAAAAAnA/AdNp4k3LV7kaMKtm_x0BrLS0gYJzEREpQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_0067_original.jpg" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><br /></div><div>Besides riding, Greenhorn ranch offers plenty of other activities. They have a dedicated staff member for non-riding activities and they offer skeet shooting, archery, mountain biking, etc... (although most activities are for 12+ years old). The ranch itself has a pool, a pond for fishing, lawn games, a kids teepee with games and stuffed animals and a gold panning area, which turned out to become my 7-year old's favorite activity of all. They also have a little playground outside of the main lawn.</div><div><br /></div><div>The ranch typically offers an evening program, which includes karaoke, line dancing, stories by the fireplace, etc... but they had to cancel this year for safety reasons.</div><div><br /></div><div>Accommodations are nice and food was good.</div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><a href="https://www.hunewillranch.com/index.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hunewill ranch</a>:</div><div>This is my 7 year old's favorite and it's easy to know why. They teach trotting and loping (cantering) to the beginner group on day 2 and he loved being able to canter in the meadows! The horses are very well trained and you get to ride - and feed- the same horse throughout your stay so you really get to know your horse. We also got to participate in a cattle ride, which was a big highlight for the kids as well.</div><div>Hunewill offers stays for specific dates only and all the guests arrive and leave at the same time. This allows for the same riding progression throughout the week, and for guests to enjoy introductions at the same time. That said, this also adds more constraints to trip planning.</div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2LftDXJ3LSM/X4udUa9VuAI/AAAAAAAAAm4/CfDj9uAD1AAmQkZSCrSNv_j5ywzrHtyKACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_0212_original.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2LftDXJ3LSM/X4udUa9VuAI/AAAAAAAAAm4/CfDj9uAD1AAmQkZSCrSNv_j5ywzrHtyKACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_0212_original.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The scenery of wide plains surrounded by beautiful mountains is exceptional and I really enjoyed the views there.</div><div><br /></div><div>The ranch doesn't offer many activities outside of riding, although there is a small playground, lawn games and a fun evening program (talent show, bingo, etc...) when all the riding is done.</div><div><br /></div><div>Accommodations are nice and food was good.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.rankinranch.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rankin ranch</a>:</div><div>This is my favorite when I think of the scenery and the overall experience. I personally enjoyed the riding because the surroundings are beautiful (plains and beautiful hills) and the trails offer a variety of experiences and viewpoints. The rides are short (1 hour max) and you can not trot or lope in the afternoon rides because the horses are tired (they do multiple rides with multiple riders throughout the day). For my advanced daughter, it felt like the riding experience was too limited.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GtDnK9N5PNY/X4uduiio_II/AAAAAAAAAnI/7vBtgYYpfeE-TNFhVWsvjoXRJOZuqEecgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_0278_original.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GtDnK9N5PNY/X4uduiio_II/AAAAAAAAAnI/7vBtgYYpfeE-TNFhVWsvjoXRJOZuqEecgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_0278_original.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>But Rankin Ranch makes up for the limited riding with a fantastic overall experience.When not riding, kids have many options to be busy: a farm/petting zoo, pool, lawn games, creek. There is a kids program with counselors dedicated to the kids most of the summer. This was a big plus for the kids.</div><div>The evening program was also fun, with games and prizes offered every night.</div><div><br /></div><div>One thing to note for busy people is that the wifi is limited to 2 hours/day (3-5pm) and only by the office. While I understand the benefit of reconnecting with nature, it seems quite limited especially when the time spent riding is so short.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Accommodations are very comfortable (although spread out over a large area) and food was truly amazing.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you have riders in your family and are considering visiting a Dude Ranch, I hope you will find these tips useful.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div>Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08025278178385995795noreply@blogger.com0California, USA36.778261 -119.41793248.4680271638211551 -154.57418239999998 65.088494836178853 -84.2616824tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343236350009889883.post-44942517470734805952020-03-25T10:58:00.057-07:002020-10-27T18:24:37.561-07:00Beautiful Indian Wedding WhirlwindIt sounded like a crazy idea. We had been invited to a dear friend's wedding in India, and we had realized that this might be our only/last chance to ever attend a wedding in India. The prospect of visiting India and witnessing an amazing wedding sounded very attractive. However, this was in the middle of the school year and we would need our little explorers to take a trip around the world for a few days of wedding delight, to just turn around and catch up on school right away. It felt a little crazy.<div><br /></div><div>But then again the idea of giving them the chance to experience the Indian culture at a young age made up for all the school they would miss.</div><div><br /></div><div>We RSVP-ed to the wedding and so it started. </div><div><br /></div><div>After reviewing the schedule, our itinerary was as follows:</div><div>Left the Bay Area on a Tuesday night, via red eye to Delhi. With the time change, arrived around midnight Wednesday night in Delhi. We spent a short night at an airport hotel.</div><div>After a nice, tasty breakfast the next morning (Thursday) we drove to our final destination, Jaipur, which took the most part of the day. We arrived in mid-afternoon, just in time for a refreshing swim by the pool. Right after that, the wedding festivities started (part I). We had a beautiful event with dinner and music. By then, the kids had finally succumbed to exhaustion and 2 of them fell asleep during dinner, but not before enjoying the Indian pop-up shops around the pool and learning new local instruments.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uj7VtUTYxFA/X5eLbJZS4fI/AAAAAAAAAxI/Z5j8dOak0ToHRL2oFaKz8pIylabx-7I6ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_1576_original.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uj7VtUTYxFA/X5eLbJZS4fI/AAAAAAAAAxI/Z5j8dOak0ToHRL2oFaKz8pIylabx-7I6ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_1576_original.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Set-up for wedding, part I</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VFPh72-1qxI/X5eLhltyLJI/AAAAAAAAAxM/ApBrTdHH-hYMfNQ6n8-QuW4DojKpbKU9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_1578_original.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VFPh72-1qxI/X5eLhltyLJI/AAAAAAAAAxM/ApBrTdHH-hYMfNQ6n8-QuW4DojKpbKU9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_1578_original.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Learning new instruments</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>After a good night rest, we were ready for some sightseeing the next morning (Friday), and we went to visit the Pink City and the City Palace. It was a great introduction to the history and the beauty of the city.</div><div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CQq8Ikie2qg/X5eLsZzkUrI/AAAAAAAAAxU/5NhPgNWz_qwr0V354ZnIEVfWou3tDbmJgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_1598_original.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CQq8Ikie2qg/X5eLsZzkUrI/AAAAAAAAAxU/5NhPgNWz_qwr0V354ZnIEVfWou3tDbmJgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_1598_original.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">With the guards at the City Palace</span></div><div><br /></div><div>We had lunch in a nice garden, next to a workshop where we could learn to print on fabrics. What a neat experience. We headed back to the hotel in the afternoon to get ready for wedding festivities, part 2.</div><div><br /></div><div>Again, beautiful evening, this time with beautiful flower arrangements, henna, turbans, etc... It was magical; and the kids were fit the entire evening. By then, we knew it had been worth it.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next day (Saturday) was spent visiting Amber Fort, which was beautiful and very interesting. We also got to see elephants closeby, which was a highlight for the kids. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4XJSWvZ1bgI/X5eL0_aeI-I/AAAAAAAAAxY/O4PkP1ha9msSy8WbeRhuTxs3SOyvJDw7ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSC_2229.jpg_original.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4XJSWvZ1bgI/X5eL0_aeI-I/AAAAAAAAAxY/O4PkP1ha9msSy8WbeRhuTxs3SOyvJDw7ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/DSC_2229.jpg_original.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Amber Fort from across the lake</span></div><div><br /></div><div>In that afternoon we got to participate in the main part of the wedding, with all the music/dancing/fun that Indian weddings are known for. So much fun! It concluded with an amazing firework. This was definitely a wedding to remember - and to fly around the world for.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aXw6hsDJE6g/X5eMBFvyb_I/AAAAAAAAAxg/NQbGKH_WrHondWg18u-ds-NBbV_qENanwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_1728_original.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aXw6hsDJE6g/X5eMBFvyb_I/AAAAAAAAAxg/NQbGKH_WrHondWg18u-ds-NBbV_qENanwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_1728_original.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Indian dancers + California boy who loves to dance</span></div><div><br /></div><div>After such a beautiful event, we spent the next day (Sunday) taking it slow, and driving from Jaipur to Agra, where the Taj Mahal is located. This was a good recovery day.</div><div><br /></div><div>For our last day in India (Monday), we visited the unavoidable Taj Mahal. It was somewhat crowded but didn't disappoint. In the afternoon, we visited the Jahangir Palace, which was a nice walk (albeit it was hot!) and offers good views from the Taj Mahal from the other side of the valley. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JNJnKwfc0MU/X5eMOh1HjoI/AAAAAAAAAxo/xFSUbWZ4q4kxC6wdYBBN0--Fee8n9iDgACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSC_2617.jpg_original.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JNJnKwfc0MU/X5eMOh1HjoI/AAAAAAAAAxo/xFSUbWZ4q4kxC6wdYBBN0--Fee8n9iDgACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/DSC_2617.jpg_original.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Must-have Taj Mahal photo</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pd3wVsgbnNo/X5eMUg3SqxI/AAAAAAAAAxw/ohQW8zZhG8YqEjE9u1pGECGgbtMfk3LWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_1795_original.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pd3wVsgbnNo/X5eMUg3SqxI/AAAAAAAAAxw/ohQW8zZhG8YqEjE9u1pGECGgbtMfk3LWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_1795_original.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Jahangir Palace overlooking Taj Mahal</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>We returned to the hotel for a last, refreshing swim, before our 3-hour drive to Delhi, to catch our midnight flight. By then Monday had started in California. We landed at 6am on Tuesday in San Francisco, just in time to send the kids back to school that morning. (Yes, we are these parents). And guess, what? They are so used to managing jetlag that they powered through the day. They had only missed a few days of school (and to his credit, our 12-year old kept up with homework even while we were in India, so he really didn't miss a beat!).</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, it will be a forever memory we will have for the rest of our lives. It was a whirlwind but we used all the time we had to enjoy the highlights of Indian weddings and sightseeing. We couldn't have hoped for a better trip before the world shut down to travel because of covid-19.</div>Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08025278178385995795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343236350009889883.post-17151477116130929782020-01-17T19:56:00.008-08:002020-10-27T18:30:36.553-07:00Central America top picks<div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;">I was recently talking to a friend about places to go in Central America, one of our favorite regions to visit. She was primarily interested in Costa Rica, which is a wonderful place, no doubt. But as I was about to write to her, I decided to do a round up of our trips in Central America. You can't go wrong with any of these destinations. They are all wonderful in their own ways, but below are our favorites to date.</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div style="font-size: medium; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2020/10/roatan-best-hidden-gem-in-central.html" target="_blank">Roatan</a></b></span></div><div style="font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;">I think the big gem of Latin America is Roatan (island in Honduras). We had the best time there: great beach, warm water, amazing snorkeling, jungle access. Flight there was convenient and affordable (red eye through El Salvador). I can’t think of any Con at this point. We are hoping to go back to Roatan later this year (which is very unusual for us to go to the same place twice, so this says something!)</div><div style="font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h2bZ3-Yhp2M/X5jJs_TaYzI/AAAAAAAAAyw/sCObYWVjK3ko84HAd0rSxdsV7uGXT3YDgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_9429_hq.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h2bZ3-Yhp2M/X5jJs_TaYzI/AAAAAAAAAyw/sCObYWVjK3ko84HAd0rSxdsV7uGXT3YDgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_9429_hq.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div style="text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2012/10/the-caribbean-side-of-costa-rica-during.html" target="_blank">Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica</a></b></span></div><div style="font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;">Even during the rainy season, this was a highlight for us. Tortuguero is<b> </b>Wow! Amazing! Great jungle; turtles (at the right time of year). </div><div style="font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;">When we went there, we added 2 days in the South East part of Costa Rica (beach is OK; we visited a cute rescue center; which they now have across the country). We also went to Monteverde Cloud Forest, where you can walk in the tall bridges in the middle of the rainforest. It was not my favorite though.</div><div style="font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;">All these regions are somewhat easy to reach from San Jose (a few hours drive). To go to Tortuguero, you have to drive all the way to the dock (via bumpy road) and then take the boat. It’s an adventure in itself.</div><div style="font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div style="text-size-adjust: auto;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-size-adjust: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">3. <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2015/05/the-caribbean-side-of-central-america.html" target="_blank">Belize and Guatemala</a></span></b></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;">A great mix of sea shore with great snorkeling and diving, jungle and history (Tikal). Despite the travel involved from the coast to Tikal and back it felt like one of the most relaxing vacations we had.</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2018/12/panama-getaway-recommending-bocas-del.html" target="_blank">Panama</a></b></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;">While we didn't stay in Panama very long - and we know there is a lot more to explore, we had a great time exploring the sea shore and adventuring in the jungle. We also enjoyed visiting Panama City and the very famous canal, which made for a one-of-a-kind trip.</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2014/01/the-yucatan-peninsula-exploring-mayan.html" target="_blank">Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico</a></b></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;">This region offers a great mix of history, cenotes (caves to swim in), sea shore and amazing food. When you can avoiid the crowds, it's amazing. However, the most popular attraction can be pretty packed.</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>6. <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2020/01/back-from-costa-rica-part-ii.html" target="_blank">South West Coast of </a></b></span><b style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2020/01/back-from-costa-rica-part-ii.html" target="_blank">Costa Rica</a>.</span></b></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;">Pros: Nature; Wild life; Weather. The Osa Peninsula is beautiful and still very much untapped. You can find a mix of activities, beetween the jungle and the sea side.</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;">Cons: Travel (no direct flight from SFO; connections are not great. Once you are in San Jose, there is still some driving involved to go to the good destinations). Beaches are not always great for swimming (I think there are some great beaches, though, but not the ones we went to. If you go to the places with great nature, the beach might not be the best).</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;">Again, you can't go wrong with any of these destinations. As we visit more areas in Central America, we will add to the list. Will the ranking change?</div>Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08025278178385995795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343236350009889883.post-19982605916800639532020-01-05T20:49:00.007-08:002020-10-27T18:25:21.818-07:00Back from Costa Rica, Part II<div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">After a 7-year break, we went back to Costa Rica during the holiday season and we had a wonderful time. After visiting the <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2012/10/the-caribbean-side-of-costa-rica-during.html" target="_blank">Caribbean side</a> in 2012, we decided to try the Pacific coast this time, more precisely the less travelled Osa Peninsula.</span><span style="font-size: 13px;"> </span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">We wanted to visit Corcovado which I believe is the biggest and least visited National Park. There are 2 ways to get into the park itself: from Carate in the South (walking 3 miles into it) or from Drake Bay (via boat). We ended splitting and staying at both ends: </span><a href="https://lunalodge.com/" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">Luna Lodge</a><span style="font-size: 13px;"> in the South and </span><a href="https://www.piratecovecostarica.com/" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">Pirate Cove</a> <span style="font-size: 13px;">at Drake Bay. </span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">The logistics of the overall trip was tricky. It’s 6-ish hours drive from San Jose to Carate. On the way there (post red eye), we stopped at Ballena Beach for a night. Ballena Beach is on a lot of guide books, although I personally didn't feel it was worth a stop. But we thought we would need a break by then, so it was as good a place to spend the night as any other. Unfortunately, given the short time we had at Ballena beach, we couldn't even see the famous view and visit the tide pools as low tide didn't align with our schedule. In hindsight, we could have avoided it all and looked into flying through Panama (there is a convenient <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2018/12/panama-getaway-recommending-bocas-del.html" target="_blank">red eye from Copa to Panama City + morning flight to David</a>; then I think it’s only a few hours drive to Carate.)</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Once in Carate though, it was all worth it. The hotel is in the middle of the jungle and we felt that we had been away from busy life for a long time, from the minute we arrived. We enjoyed a variety of activities, from a wildlife safari to horseback riding on the beach, to the occasional swim in the pool, to looking for baby sea turtles hatching from their nests at night (so cute, although the experience was quite </span><span style="font-size: 13px;">eerie). The hotel also offers yoga on a beautiful platform above the trees, although we were too busy to participate. </span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">The highlight was visiting Corcovado from Carate, which involves a really nice - but long- hike and several wildlife encounters. The most memorable one was monkeys chasing after us because our 6-year old was carrying fresh pieces of coconut and the monkeys thought they would just steal them from him.</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><div style="text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div style="text-size-adjust: auto;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ozas-XBeytA/X4usvw8RyNI/AAAAAAAAAoA/RI3WqEwO7Lgnt7XeGiNMbCKzWk_tmCjaACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_1385_original.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ozas-XBeytA/X4usvw8RyNI/AAAAAAAAAoA/RI3WqEwO7Lgnt7XeGiNMbCKzWk_tmCjaACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_1385_original.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Corcovado National Park</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">After this wonderful stay in Carate, we had to track back on our steps to go to Drake Bay (driving via Puerto Jimenez) as the 2 places don’t connect through the park. It was a long drive on bumpy roads. </span><span style="font-size: 13px;"> We took advantage of our stop at Puerto Jimenez to take a boat tour in the Golfo Dulce. Keyword there was dolphins! We saw so many dolphins up close. This was fascinating even for us who had recently been in Hawaii and had seen dolphins already. We also got to visit a rescue center (there are a lot of them now in Costa Rica), which was very nice for the kids as well.</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Er1mBl7I8pc/X4-0q5Kl0YI/AAAAAAAAAtk/Xzkrad-gInowi256lH689swptXWVlEbCwCLcBGAsYHQ/s5472/SAM_2204_original.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Er1mBl7I8pc/X4-0q5Kl0YI/AAAAAAAAAtk/Xzkrad-gInowi256lH689swptXWVlEbCwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/SAM_2204_original.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Some of the many dolphins we saw in Golfo Dulce</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Once we arrived in Drake Bay, our focus shifted to water activities. </span><span style="font-size: 13px;">We could also have reached Corcovado from Drake Bay (which involves a boat trip), but we ended up not going back. We chose to go snorkeling to Cano Island itself (not great; it wasn’t worth it). We also enjoyed a nice mangrove tour where we saw sloths, and some more relaxing time by the pool.</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k7sur1UXya4/X4us4-6cZ2I/AAAAAAAAAoI/iF3aVsod4XMIM8G4Pf40Zut2fn_cvFV0QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_1424_original.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k7sur1UXya4/X4us4-6cZ2I/AAAAAAAAAoI/iF3aVsod4XMIM8G4Pf40Zut2fn_cvFV0QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_1424_original.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The Beach by Pirate Cove Hotel</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fgWVPGvkBbU/X4us9eTuP2I/AAAAAAAAAoQ/8ekUh3YFBl8TNCT12msj_-FeJeo2Fd04ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_1430_original.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fgWVPGvkBbU/X4us9eTuP2I/AAAAAAAAAoQ/8ekUh3YFBl8TNCT12msj_-FeJeo2Fd04ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_1430_original.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">View from Pirate Cove Hotel</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Quickly our week was over, and we headed back to San Jose via the crocodile bridge. It's a location where crocodiles love to hang out. It was fun to see these crocodiles although the bridge and its surroundings were quite crowded.</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">It was overall a good trip and we loved the places where we stayed. But if we had to do it again, we probably would have tried to minimize our time driving. We would have just stayed at Drake Bay, taken the boat to Corcovado and stayed inside the park at Sirena for 1-2 nights. It’s supposed to be a basic lodge, but in the middle of the most beautiful jungle for sure.</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;">That said, if you don’t mind the drive, Luna Lodge is amazing; it’s just very remote in the jungle (which comes with pros and cons).</div>Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08025278178385995795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343236350009889883.post-39559359727059827292018-12-23T17:38:00.006-08:002020-10-27T18:25:36.789-07:00Panama Getaway. Recommending Bocas Del ToroOver the last few years, we have been lucky for the kids to have the week of Thanksgiving off and we have taken advantage of the break to go to a warm place as temperatures cool down in California. We often leave at the beginning of that week, returning on Thanksgiving day, when fares are cheaper.<div>After a few years visiting Hawaii, we found out that going to Central America is a great idea. Flights are convenient (red eyes), time differences are 1 or 2 hours max, and the ocean temperature on the Caribbean side is much warmer.</div><div>After a successful trip to <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2020/10/roatan-best-hidden-gem-in-central.html" rel="" target="_blank">Roatan, Honduras</a> in 2017, we decided to try Panama in 2018.</div><div><br /></div><div>We picked a nice hotel, <a href="https://www.redfrogbeach.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Red Frog Beach resort,</a> on a small island in the Bocas del Toro province. We had picked this region for the weather, the combination of jungle in the island and proximity to the ocean for snorkeling and diving, and the promise of a nice little fishing village. We were not disappointed. </div><div><br /></div><div>The resort was nice, with individual villas and bungalows, a nice accessible beach, a central pool and an excellent restaurant. The kids found a lot of activities just at our front door. The hotel also helped us organize a ziplining tour on the island (which was quite nerve-wracking; there was some steep climbing involved and I stressed out a lot for our 5-year old; although he did brilliantly).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4OzaZl5c22A/X4zmdRQAoUI/AAAAAAAAAqA/Q_iUc0Wnly8TFmRNuykIunATVT5NYWUJACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_3614_original.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4OzaZl5c22A/X4zmdRQAoUI/AAAAAAAAAqA/Q_iUc0Wnly8TFmRNuykIunATVT5NYWUJACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_3614_original.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">5-year old ziplining; he wasn't as scared as I was!</span></div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K6tjFydS4rY/X4zmpQAwvsI/AAAAAAAAAqE/BK2Tx7LD9ZsXenHt06EUBQfJpEfnc6mYQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_3664_original.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K6tjFydS4rY/X4zmpQAwvsI/AAAAAAAAAqE/BK2Tx7LD9ZsXenHt06EUBQfJpEfnc6mYQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_3664_original.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The beach in front of our villa</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Outside of the resort, we had easy access to diving trips (dive shops from the main city could come and pick us up at the resort). We also went on a day tour to visit a bat cave at the end of a cool mangrove forest. It was a dark tunnel with an underground river and bats hanging on the ceiling. A real-life Halloween experience, and quite an adventure. </span></div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KFSY9Aw0y7E/X4zm1FBk7zI/AAAAAAAAAqM/As_IGObkaig8hxpbtBKn18z3jISaZB3vQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Pan16_original.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KFSY9Aw0y7E/X4zm1FBk7zI/AAAAAAAAAqM/As_IGObkaig8hxpbtBKn18z3jISaZB3vQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Pan16_original.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Coming back from the bat cave</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">We also enjoyed a one-day boat tour where we saw dolphins and visited the famous Starfish beach (Guess what it is famous for?).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tDg5mGSDwiM/X4znpv3l52I/AAAAAAAAAqY/V1DS5ig4d4MawaKFbOgxdDkufQZ_0NUtwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Pa5_original.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tDg5mGSDwiM/X4znpv3l52I/AAAAAAAAAqY/V1DS5ig4d4MawaKFbOgxdDkufQZ_0NUtwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Pa5_original.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Starfish!</span></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>The one drawback of picking Bocas Del Toro as a destination is the transfer from Panama City. We looked into direct flights to the Bocas Del Toro airport; however we read very discouraging reviews about the only airline that serviced this destination. We didn't want to jeopardize our quick trip by having unexpected flight delays. So we ended up deciding to fly to David inland (reliable and comfortable) and take a van + boat to the hotel. While it was a longer route, it allowed us to appreciate the geography of Panama and the mountain range that separates the Pacific from the Caribbean side. We got to see life in rural Panama. And we enjoyed the nice long boat ride from Almirante.</div><div><br /></div><div>Before our return home, we spent one day doing a tour of Panama City. While it was short, it was a big highlight for us. We started with a tour of the canal in a small motor boat. It was impressive to hang out next to the big boats. We also found out that the canal is still home to a lot of jungle wildlife in the many islands in the bay leading to the canal. This was a real treat! We also got to visit the bridge that separates North from South America (great geography lesson for the kids) and the old neighborhood of Panama City, with all its history and local culture. It was a packed but exciting day, before we relaxed and fell asleep in the red eye back home.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xRQB-o6h6x0/X4znwZHBFfI/AAAAAAAAAqc/N-S3ePS0PrIE4zKiHZz4vrXLBPaAriTPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Pan18_original.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xRQB-o6h6x0/X4znwZHBFfI/AAAAAAAAAqc/N-S3ePS0PrIE4zKiHZz4vrXLBPaAriTPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Pan18_original.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">In a small boat in front of the big boat</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4mxV6m41FHI/X4zn-4sEhwI/AAAAAAAAAqk/9TyiYW9xFf4KfcoRSUjrQMarZWW16Ng-gCLcBGAsYHQ/s5472/SAM_1995_original.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4mxV6m41FHI/X4zn-4sEhwI/AAAAAAAAAqk/9TyiYW9xFf4KfcoRSUjrQMarZWW16Ng-gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/SAM_1995_original.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Feeding monkeys in the Panama Canal</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We would definitely recommend visiting Panama in your next adventure.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br />Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08025278178385995795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343236350009889883.post-80000410289623689372018-08-25T10:56:00.190-07:002020-11-02T20:44:18.882-08:00Italy and Malta with kids2018 was the year when we finally went back to Italy after a 10-year break. We were so excited to show Italy to the kids. We spent a good part of the last few months telling the kids about Italy and getting them very excited! (I was concerned they might get disappointed after we had built so much anticipation!)<div>But we had a great time, visiting old buildings, learning about history and eating our way through Italy.</div><div><br /></div><div>We had planned to visit Italy from North to South (mostly traveling by train), with a final stretch to Malta, which was a new and interesting destination for us adults.</div><div><br /></div><div>We started out in Venice, where we had planned to spend the first 3 days, to recover from the trip and enjoy and easy transition to the more active part of our stay. It worked out pretty well because our flight to Frankfurt got delayed and we missed our connection... so we lost 1/2 day on the way there (although we enjoyed a nice evening in Frankfurt too). </div><div><br /></div><div>In Venice, we kept activities pretty low key. When we were not recovering from jetlag, we did quite a bit of walking around the city. The only planned activity we had organized in advance was visiting the Palazio de Doge (you have to book tickets early). Other than that, we enjoyed watching the boats go up and down the canals, going up the St. Mark's Campanile and visiting the different parts of the city and enjoying amazing food. It was wonderful; it doesn't take much to enjoy Venice.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PTvEp4SV6Fg/X6Dd-VofrwI/AAAAAAAAAzw/2oggwN692sEcBcoQZc4rwsF5WOhq6A6SQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/SAM_1286_hq.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PTvEp4SV6Fg/X6Dd-VofrwI/AAAAAAAAAzw/2oggwN692sEcBcoQZc4rwsF5WOhq6A6SQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/SAM_1286_hq.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">View from the St. Mark's Campanile</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VoUE79gQvO0/X6DeGkoJvaI/AAAAAAAAAz0/_sUjtj80myoq12lIPwq2vMIv36AwyXhigCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/SAM_1251_hq.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VoUE79gQvO0/X6DeGkoJvaI/AAAAAAAAAz0/_sUjtj80myoq12lIPwq2vMIv36AwyXhigCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/SAM_1251_hq.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Discovering the hidden canals in Venice</div></span></div><div><br /></div><div>After 3 relaxing days, we made our way to our next stop, Florence, a quick 2-hour train ride away. Florence was also quite fun and we were staying right by the city center, the busy Piazza de la Signoria, which was a nice starting off point. We spent a day visiting Florence (also had to book tickets in advance for the Accademia). The next day was a nice one-day adventure. We rented a car and made our way to the country side of Tuscany. Our first stop was a favorite of ours, San Gimignano. We loved visiting the high tower, overlooking the city and the beautiful hills around it. We enjoyed a lovely lunch in one of the side streets, with a perfect view of Tuscany landscapes. The food was amazing. It was a perfect time. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_wsXR43oi0k/X6DeSJVfmfI/AAAAAAAAAz4/HW2ukbSdzKsA2nk-9WNkCiIancYKb966gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/retouched2-0609_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_wsXR43oi0k/X6DeSJVfmfI/AAAAAAAAAz4/HW2ukbSdzKsA2nk-9WNkCiIancYKb966gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/retouched2-0609_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Tuscany, from the top of San Gimignano</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wdHh2-DsQOk/X6Deq6sr6GI/AAAAAAAAA0I/DKCXdfADVIUF4xeP4N095nUq-QUvtogpQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-0495_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wdHh2-DsQOk/X6Deq6sr6GI/AAAAAAAAA0I/DKCXdfADVIUF4xeP4N095nUq-QUvtogpQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-0495_hq.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The most perfect lunch with view</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">In the afternoon, we made our way to Pisa, which the kids were excited to finally see in person. It didn't disappoint. We had time to go around the other beautiful buildings of the piazza before our time was up to go on the tower. While our 5-year old was not allowed on the tower (minimum age is 6), he got to watch videos about the work that was being done to secure the tower and this was a perfect activity given his interest in engineering. It was a hot day, and we were glad we were visiting in late afternoon. We even appreciated that we were there when the sprinklers started and we felt a little bit of the drizzle coming from them. A welcome refreshment. It was late when we drove back to Florence, but everyone was happy and we enjoyed a nice dinner at candlelight. A nice end to a wonderful day.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QADSQ6EL_MY/X6DeaXYwcdI/AAAAAAAAA0A/dxnGi_ccrjE0n6rBh0dMptX6e-OuNFkLQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSC_0676_hq.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QADSQ6EL_MY/X6DeaXYwcdI/AAAAAAAAA0A/dxnGi_ccrjE0n6rBh0dMptX6e-OuNFkLQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/DSC_0676_hq.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Mandatory Pisa shot (note the wet T-shirt from enjoying the sprinklers a little too much!)</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Our next stop after Florence was Rome, which we also reached by train. In Rome, we visited the usual sights but the highlight for the kids was watching a gladiator show, where they got to experience Rome in the old days... and become gladiators for the night. This seemed to teach them about Rome history a lot more than visiting old rocks.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rILUWRIjf1I/X6De0UfD62I/AAAAAAAAA0M/_PkAl72bA-oCtd2deS0NrZJgzS8Q6_rLgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSC_0727_hq.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rILUWRIjf1I/X6De0UfD62I/AAAAAAAAA0M/_PkAl72bA-oCtd2deS0NrZJgzS8Q6_rLgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/DSC_0727_hq.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Gladiator for a day</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Our next destination took us further South, to the beautiful coastal village of Positano. We took the train to Naples and then rented a car to make it to our destination. Positano is a cute little village perched on the hillsides by the coast. The roads are curved and narrow, and traffic goes slow. But once we found our accommodation (an AirBnB we had to book quite early; Positano sells out quickly!), our walks on foot were wonderful. We walked to the see front, had a wonderful walk about the beach and a nice seafood dinner. We had gone back and forth about whether we wanted to add this stop to our itinerary, and we knew we had made the right decision.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MMgUkgSIKAo/X6De7VxtYYI/AAAAAAAAA0U/na5KwVupw1o3uBi_QtyUbtJbG7IDUsCygCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSC_0738_hq.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MMgUkgSIKAo/X6De7VxtYYI/AAAAAAAAA0U/na5KwVupw1o3uBi_QtyUbtJbG7IDUsCygCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/DSC_0738_hq.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Positano from the ferry to Capri</span></div><div><br /></div><div>On the next day, we took a day trip to Capri, via ferry. We had hired a guide for the day in Capri, and we got to visit a lot of the island in the time we had allocated, from the nature and the views at the back of the island in Anacapri, to the Blue Grotto (a long wait but a fun adventure when going into the boats) to the main city area by the harbor. Side note: My husband and 10-year old son did this "long" hike to the ancient site of Villa Jovis. Our guide had recommended against it as she thought it would be too long and tiring. But it ended up being a quick and easy hike, even for the 10-year old.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sMCWaFfJ9xY/X6DfB1FB3iI/AAAAAAAAA0Y/ez2GxYinGa8EJSguyC0rDreN4qR2DtM2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/SAM_1614_hq.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sMCWaFfJ9xY/X6DfB1FB3iI/AAAAAAAAA0Y/ez2GxYinGa8EJSguyC0rDreN4qR2DtM2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/SAM_1614_hq.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Going up, up, up to the top in Capri</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">The end of our Italy trip was approaching, and it was time to head back to Naples, where we would fly to Malta. On the way back from Positano, we spent one night in Pompeii, which allowed us to visit the site that afternoon. Pompeii was also a nice highlight and the kids thought it was quite interesting. The site is well preserved and they could really imagine life in the city. With a 5-year old in tow, we didn't stay too long (although he was an active visitor throughout) but the 10-year old would have easily spent a few more hours and he asked us to buy him more books about Pompeii. Win!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pkuWuVNVZ10/X6DfOhaAFPI/AAAAAAAAA0k/WgmHMycCi809u4TBtGFj_vNyJYARG4O-gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/SAM_1702_hq.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pkuWuVNVZ10/X6DfOhaAFPI/AAAAAAAAA0k/WgmHMycCi809u4TBtGFj_vNyJYARG4O-gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/SAM_1702_hq.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Pretending to be merchants in Pompeii</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">The next morning, we said Good Bye to Italy and made our way to Malta. Our first afternoon in Malta was spent walking around Mdina and learning about the history of Malta (the museums have nice interactive videos to learn about the island's history; it seems that the Malta tourist organizations are the masters of 4D story-telling as we saw across a variety of museums). On our next day, we did a full-day tour of the island, which included the historical and sea shore portion of Valletta, a nice lunch at the fishing village of Marsaxlokk, visiting the Mosta Dome and its history.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o8gv9NwM_z0/X6DfhlJ1NOI/AAAAAAAAA0w/I6x_ydyjAR8ok6c5I8Er7WHiChH8c6kPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSC_0922_hq.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o8gv9NwM_z0/X6DfhlJ1NOI/AAAAAAAAA0w/I6x_ydyjAR8ok6c5I8Er7WHiChH8c6kPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/DSC_0922_hq.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">View from the Valletta Harbor</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a3r5Ymcfex4/X6DfqkMRNZI/AAAAAAAAA00/AFACJjH8MbsNvzUq745m1czpUBIwjGG1ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSC_0890_hq.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a3r5Ymcfex4/X6DfqkMRNZI/AAAAAAAAA00/AFACJjH8MbsNvzUq745m1czpUBIwjGG1ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/DSC_0890_hq.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Marsaxlokk village</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>We used the following morning before our afternoon flight to visit another portion of the island: the old temples of Hagar Qim and Tarxien (quite impressive and definitely worth it) and the Blue Grotto of Malta.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was once again a packed itinerary but we enjoyed every minute of it. The kids learned a lot about different phases of European history. And while I am sure it will take them some time to sort through all the memories, I know they will continue too appreciate what history has to teach us (not to mention the wonderful hospitality of our contemporary hosts in Italy and Malta, who made for a wonderful trip).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We can't wait to visit again!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br style="text-align: left;" /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08025278178385995795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343236350009889883.post-82904719694425921002017-11-18T19:37:00.002-08:002020-10-26T20:00:34.561-07:00Roatan - the best hidden Gem in Central America<div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;">We had the most wonderful trip in Roatan. In the last few years, we had spent Thanksgiving in Hawaii and we enjoyed the quick getaway to warmer weather and beach. However, this year, we decided to try something new after researching the best beaches to be in Central America. The reviews were correct and we were not disappointed.</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;">We had the best time there: great beach, warm water, amazing snorkeling, jungle access. Flight there was convenient and affordable (red eye through El Salvador). You leave home one evening on a cold rainy night and by mid-morning the next day, you are in paradise. So convenient!</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;">We stayed at the <a href="https://www.grandroatanresort.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Grand Roatan Resort</a>, which was very convenient for snorkeling. We went to a natural park closeby for a day, where we hung out with parrots, monkeys and enjoyed a nice and beautiful ziplining tour. For another afternoon, we went to a rescue center on the other side of the island where we hung out with sloths. It was a good opportunity to see the rest of the island and we found out that the locals put a big deal of emphasis on Black Friday, which was going to take place a few days later.</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;">For most of the time though, we stayed close to the hotel and we went snorkeling or enjoyed the pool. There was so much to see right at our fingertips and the water was sooooo warm (big contrast to Hawaii). The snorkeling just in front of the hotel was amazing; the 4-year old didn't even have to swim a bit! The bigger kids got their bubblemaker certificates right off the shore from our hotel. (first step for diving, when you are too young to get your official diving license). </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iJPvXDNrwOQ/X4usJ1bNvOI/AAAAAAAAAnY/8nCsxbFAI1sjsxbGAh6WZbg2zMwjwoLpgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_9378_hq.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iJPvXDNrwOQ/X4usJ1bNvOI/AAAAAAAAAnY/8nCsxbFAI1sjsxbGAh6WZbg2zMwjwoLpgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_9378_hq.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Hotel pool</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NZC3I_f-mQc/X4usSXe4ovI/AAAAAAAAAng/fLDY7RocGwguJZRyKRJlIICc74MLitc9ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_1562_hq.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NZC3I_f-mQc/X4usSXe4ovI/AAAAAAAAAng/fLDY7RocGwguJZRyKRJlIICc74MLitc9ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_1562_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Ocean in front of the hotel</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MSZKD2_nKh8/X4z7nSRkfBI/AAAAAAAAAq4/J6PX6xLdQP4W_tXJcJUHfre_y6BOOUFlQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_9464_hq.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MSZKD2_nKh8/X4z7nSRkfBI/AAAAAAAAAq4/J6PX6xLdQP4W_tXJcJUHfre_y6BOOUFlQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_9464_hq.JPG" /></a></div><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Who doesn't like hanging out with sloths?</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RPoPOluiGlo/X4usV_kHvhI/AAAAAAAAAnk/tIF03WflVqw7nHEXBoOIE_R8Epm-AstzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1870/DSC_0054_hq.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="1870" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RPoPOluiGlo/X4usV_kHvhI/AAAAAAAAAnk/tIF03WflVqw7nHEXBoOIE_R8Epm-AstzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/DSC_0054_hq.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Zip Lining in the jungle</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;">On the way back, we had a long layover in San Salvador and we did a day tour to see some old settlements and enjoy the local specialty (pupusas). It was also a lot of fun. Now we just have to go to Panama and Nicaragua and we will have visited all countries in South America. I am sure we will come back soon. We love it here!</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y2E0UQKNPW4/X4usOaxMG5I/AAAAAAAAAnc/0_f7BNW1wrUR03Fo9HXHRAy7DX9r7evPQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_1582_hq.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y2E0UQKNPW4/X4usOaxMG5I/AAAAAAAAAnc/0_f7BNW1wrUR03Fo9HXHRAy7DX9r7evPQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_1582_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Old settlements by San Salvador</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IsdRA3ARYQA/X4z7d5dJL8I/AAAAAAAAAq0/0n5dEuJhXiAYIFFRg6o4NDxdq381kcZJgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_1585_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IsdRA3ARYQA/X4z7d5dJL8I/AAAAAAAAAq0/0n5dEuJhXiAYIFFRg6o4NDxdq381kcZJgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_1585_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Pupusas!<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08025278178385995795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343236350009889883.post-67892660278321682512017-09-27T20:01:00.027-07:002020-10-27T20:28:16.960-07:00Victoria Fall, Zimbabwe: an unexpected but awesome destinationAt the tail end of our <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2017/09/south-african-trip-summer-2017-ie.html" target="_blank">trip to South Africa</a>, we spent 3 days in Zimbabwe, visiting Victoria Falls and surroundings. We had heard of Victoria Falls for a long time, and we figured that we wouldn't come back to Africa for a while, so it was now or never.<div><br /></div><div>The flight from Johannesburg was quite convenient, so we were able to tag on a few days at the end of our trip. Victoria Falls didn't disappoint. Actually, after a somewhat <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2017/09/south-african-trip-summer-2017-ie.html" target="_blank">disappointing safari </a>experience in South Africa, we loved seeing the wild life in Zimbabwe.</div><div><br /></div><div>We stayed at the beautiful hotel <a href="https://victoria-falls-safari-lodge.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Victoria Falls Safari Lodge</a>. It was Amazing! The hotel has a beautiful view of the savanna below it, with a nice water hole, and you could spend all day watching the wild animals coming and going to the water hole. It was such a nice show right in front of us.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d0p48PMWZWg/X5jkX3zJeEI/AAAAAAAAAy8/vtltw0Hp_w0BT3uEncXeyET8JgwXVHoIACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_0663_hq%2B%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d0p48PMWZWg/X5jkX3zJeEI/AAAAAAAAAy8/vtltw0Hp_w0BT3uEncXeyET8JgwXVHoIACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_0663_hq%2B%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">View form the terrace at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge</span></div><div><br /></div><div>The lodge also organized a very traditional evening of local food and dances. It was interesting to say the least. We got to try the local delicacies that included meat dishes based on game meat and Mopani worms. Yes, we ate grilled worms, even the 4-year old (note: I am glad I did it once; but I will not miss this dish at all!). The dance demonstrations were fun and we enjoyed beating the beat with the different drums they distributed to the audience. It was a nice event!</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g-Hv1lah-aE/X5jk1fNX25I/AAAAAAAAAzM/VAB7s4YokhQkkVuD_iwZwun3JUaE3JN_QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_4316_hq.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g-Hv1lah-aE/X5jk1fNX25I/AAAAAAAAAzM/VAB7s4YokhQkkVuD_iwZwun3JUaE3JN_QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_4316_hq.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Learning to drum the beat before the show</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H7YzLYjdVD8/X5jk_HHyP2I/AAAAAAAAAzQ/O1i4h307gm4KAa_zpWrDYboosDOdztA-QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_0670_hq%2B%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H7YzLYjdVD8/X5jk_HHyP2I/AAAAAAAAAzQ/O1i4h307gm4KAa_zpWrDYboosDOdztA-QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_0670_hq%2B%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mopani Worms</div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The following day, we went to visit the cute little town of Victoria Falls (the hotel is a little bit of a drive away) and the Falls themselves. The falls are impressive and worth the long hike. It was so cool to see Zambia from the other side of the falls, so close, yet so hard to reach. Be warned that you will get soaked as you get closer. We didn't take seriously the merchants that were selling rain gear along the way as it was a beautiful warm weather. But we came back wet and shivering; after rushing on the way back (which means we didn't enjoy the hike as much as we should have). Other than that, it was a beautiful place.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jQZ31YnDuqQ/X5jlGd7_RKI/AAAAAAAAAzY/R0wf1E4hXA0GiuOblZeA7__n4zVCctiJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_8541_hq.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jQZ31YnDuqQ/X5jlGd7_RKI/AAAAAAAAAzY/R0wf1E4hXA0GiuOblZeA7__n4zVCctiJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_8541_hq.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Beautiful Victoria Falls</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>We spent the evening on sunset cruise on the Zambia river, and saw wild life plus a beautiful sunset. We finally felt that we were enjoying a nice, relaxed vacation.</div><div><br /></div><div>On our last day, we got up early to go ride on elephants, which was a highlight for the kids. We also learned a lot from our guide about the local culture and some of the challenges of Zimbabwe, hidden behind the Victoria Falls touristy display. </div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KoO6Jhl1qIA/X5jkpvF7AsI/AAAAAAAAAzE/E04730qHmC8FNDu5l1C5n2SGiSMf536sACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_0603_hq.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KoO6Jhl1qIA/X5jkpvF7AsI/AAAAAAAAAzE/E04730qHmC8FNDu5l1C5n2SGiSMf536sACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_0603_hq.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Treats for the elephant after a nice morning ride</span></div><div><br /></div><div>This was our last adventure in Africa for a while. In the afternoon, we flew back to Johannesburg, and started our long trip back home with a red eye. The last 3 days of our trip, added a little haphazardly turned out to be the best. We really loved it at Victoria Falls and felt really welcome. </div>Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08025278178385995795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343236350009889883.post-79600973221178161442017-09-25T10:56:00.002-07:002020-10-27T20:29:49.706-07:00South African trip - Summer 2017 (i.e. Winter in Cape Town)We had been remembering fondly our safari in Tanzania in 2005, and had just been talking about going back there with the kids, discussing when our youngest would be old enough to enjoy a safari. Right at that moment, the opportunity came to us in the form of an auction, where we won a 5-day stay at a beautiful safari lodge in South Africa. The deal was sealed: we were going to go to South Africa, with a 9, 7 and 4 years old. Gulp!<div><br /></div><div><div>We figured that, if we wanted to make it worth it flying around the world, we should stay in South Africa for longer than just 5 days of Safari, so we included a few stops along the way and an extension of our trip into Zimbabwe (Victoria Falls), which was a very nice surprise and exceeded our expectations.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>The below is our itinerary and experience. A few tips for anyone interested in visiting South Africa.</div><div>1. Summer in the Northern Hemisphere means winter in South Africa. While this wasn't an issue for the safari portion of the trip (the days were short and it was somewhat cold in the mornings/evenings during safari time), it impacted our visit of Cape Town. We had to cancel most of the program we had planned for due to bad weather concerns.</div><div>2. Safaris don't allow open roofs for kids under 6. The covered vans made it harder to see and enjoy the safari.</div><div>3. The luxury lodges are typically not in the National Parks themselves, but in private reserves. As a matter of fact, the lodge we were at was around Kruger, but not in Kruger itself. There are pros and cons to the luxury lodges:</div><div><i>Pros</i>: High comfort and amazing experience at the lodge, the wildlife population is very well managed on the private reserve, the guides know the animals' habits very well and you have a high chance to see the Big 5. There is also less restrictions as to where the safari vehicles are allowed to go, so you can more easily go after animals even if they move away from the main road.</div><div>For us, we were able to see 3 rhinos within a few hours of each other.... but we noticed after 2 days that we had only seen 1 zebra. This seemed out of balance. Which brings me to the Cons.</div><div><i>Cons</i>: The reserve doesn't represent the actual variety of wild life in the national park. It also didn't have the plains full of animal herds that are expected in safaris (and that we had enjoyed visiting so much in Tanzania). After a few days, we definitely felt that we were missing the real safari experience. So we left the private reserve early to go to a -not so beautiful- lodge in the middle of Kruger National Park. But the lodge made up for the lack of luxury by being in the right location.</div><div><br /></div><div>Itinerary</div><div>Days 1-3: We spent in Cape Town, where we were planning on taking the cable car to see thee tabletop and visiting Mandela's prison. Because of weather, both the cable car and the boat to go to Robben Island had to close. We ended up visiting the aquarium instead (nice, but not so unique) and doing a bus tour of the city.</div><div>One of our best experiences was visiting the Cape of Good Hope and seeing the penguins that live on the shore of South Africa. While it was windy and cold, it was fun to be in the unique geographic location.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ei8n1ON-_Bw/X5eW-MeKkiI/AAAAAAAAAyA/iNWG9oC6eDUWAhkhjr8v56z_Yskm03f6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/SouthAfrica2017-6364_hq.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ei8n1ON-_Bw/X5eW-MeKkiI/AAAAAAAAAyA/iNWG9oC6eDUWAhkhjr8v56z_Yskm03f6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/SouthAfrica2017-6364_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Penguin colonies</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-imt05paRMII/X5eXE68-Z8I/AAAAAAAAAyE/Drn6rW0i1pEJhXPCQ4WKR9asyKO8754jwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-6515_hq.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-imt05paRMII/X5eXE68-Z8I/AAAAAAAAAyE/Drn6rW0i1pEJhXPCQ4WKR9asyKO8754jwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-6515_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Windy Cape of Good Hope</span></div><div><br /></div><div>On our last day, as the weather was improving, we did a tour of the local region, visiting cute local towns, wineries, a goat farm, a chocolate factory, and an animal rescue center where we got to met cheetahs! This was exciting.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZH_MyKGL_y8/X5eXNXXUh2I/AAAAAAAAAyI/PXVSGC9ok5kBDwBGe7acIINTKeGjDlszwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_0492_hq.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZH_MyKGL_y8/X5eXNXXUh2I/AAAAAAAAAyI/PXVSGC9ok5kBDwBGe7acIINTKeGjDlszwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_0492_hq.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Getting to know the cheetah upclose</span></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Our next destination was the East of South Africa, where we would first stop by Hoedspruit (quick flight from Cape Town), where we spent the night at the Moholo Rehab Center. The kids enjoyed learning about the animals, especially the famous escape artist honey badger. We also did a quick safari in the surroundings, which was a nice intro to our upcoming safari experience.</div><div><br /></div><div>After one night, we left the rehab center to do a one-day tour of Blyde Canyon (beautiful views! and the opportunity to see South African villages along the way, and a lonely but amazing restaurant by a creek). </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eAtfdKREfgo/X5eXcI48sGI/AAAAAAAAAyY/JnZrNldxZ5ErZKwTBDa2iAmWEv9wBHoOQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_4245_hq.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eAtfdKREfgo/X5eXcI48sGI/AAAAAAAAAyY/JnZrNldxZ5ErZKwTBDa2iAmWEv9wBHoOQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_4245_hq.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Blyde Canyon</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EVWqTGDBRIA/X5eXXV9fZ2I/AAAAAAAAAyU/FMrPOSt0pBQiVBKYt1mStIdn9066u561gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_0667_hq.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EVWqTGDBRIA/X5eXXV9fZ2I/AAAAAAAAAyU/FMrPOSt0pBQiVBKYt1mStIdn9066u561gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_0667_hq.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Amazing kitchen in the middle of nowhere with local cuisine</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rzDE1E11nag/X5eXsrioXCI/AAAAAAAAAyk/qMDBqkBFsoYE10ahRz_TGVU4bHNfU8INgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_4243_hq.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rzDE1E11nag/X5eXsrioXCI/AAAAAAAAAyk/qMDBqkBFsoYE10ahRz_TGVU4bHNfU8INgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_4243_hq.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">More Blyde Canyon</span></div><div><br /></div><div>We finished the day tour at our luxury safari lodge. As I mentioned earlier, it was a beautiful lodge and we felt welcome right away. The surroundings were beautiful; the food amazing. The guides went out of their ways to find animals for us to see. However, we were not impressed by the landscape and the wildlife in the private reserve. Instead of staying 5 days, we ended up leaving after 3 days and organizing transportation to go into proper Kruger national park. It was a stressful but worthwhile decision. In the park, we got to see the herds of zebras, gazelles, etc... that we had always imagined. We saw a variety of animals (our 4-year old was very well entertained by keeping track of all the animals we were seeing, and the list grew quickly once we entered the park).</div><div><br /></div><div>The end of our South African trip ended in Johannesburg where we spent our last afternoon. It was meant to be a relaxed afternoon before our next flight to Zimbabwe. We spent it at the botanical gardens, which was a good decision, since we had spent so much time sitting in safari vehicles in the last few days. Click <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2017/09/victoria-fall-zimbabwe-unexpected-but.html" target="_blank">here</a> to get the details of our <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2017/09/victoria-fall-zimbabwe-unexpected-but.html" target="_blank">trip to Zimbabwe</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13px;"></span><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08025278178385995795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343236350009889883.post-29654010262702759852017-03-25T09:26:00.151-07:002020-10-26T20:00:56.612-07:00South East Asia trip: Singapore, Malaysia, ThailandWe had been talking about visiting South East Asia for a while; my husband had amazing memories of visiting some 20-odd years back. We finally found a week where the timing was perfect and we had the most amazing week discovering Singapore, the Malaysian jungle and Bangkok. It was definitely a short trip and I found out I loved Bangkok, so we hope we will come back soon and continue our exploration of Thailand.<div><br /></div><div>After an overnight flight with layover in Taipei, we landing in Singapore in the early afternoon. We were tired but excited; and happy to have left the cold winter weather behind to find warm temperatures. We checked into our hotel, the <a href="https://www.marinabaysands.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Marina Bay Sands</a>, which was nicely located right by the Gardens by the Bay, an attraction we had planned to visit. (By the way, the view of the gardens from the hotel at night is amazing!) We changed to shorts and t-shirts, and went out for our first sight-seeing of the trip. We enjoyed the Gardens a lot. It was a good first introduction to tropical nature.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TQFHPH6KOgg/X5Wq0vrtmzI/AAAAAAAAAvg/CcdlB5HpeFgDmLm_SC8Vhl0kWTuWtdr0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled--7_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TQFHPH6KOgg/X5Wq0vrtmzI/AAAAAAAAAvg/CcdlB5HpeFgDmLm_SC8Vhl0kWTuWtdr0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled--7_hq.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Gardens by the Bay</span></div><div><br /></div>After our fun walk, we came back to the hotel and had to check out the rooftop pool. The hotel is famous for the high pool and thee beautiful views, so we had to take a mandatory swim. It was nice and refreshing and I was impressed that the kids still had so much energy for swimming after such a long day. However, the swim wore them out quite a bit. By the time we met up with friends for dinner by the nearby market, they were exhausted. They still had enough energy to check out the different stands of local foods and enjoy the variety of yummy juices. But by the time real food came, 2 of the 3 kids had fallen asleep. Oh well. They had made the best out of a first day in Singapore.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H6XrPT1zcCU/X5Wu0a_oCoI/AAAAAAAAAvs/FUTHXMBk9t4qbgYdSv6r5B7d1dLKQQ8YACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-5868_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H6XrPT1zcCU/X5Wu0a_oCoI/AAAAAAAAAvs/FUTHXMBk9t4qbgYdSv6r5B7d1dLKQQ8YACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-5868_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Loving the refreshing juices... before falling asleep during dinner</span></div><br /><div>The next morning, we woke up early (Thank you jetlag), which was convenient because we had made an appointment to go have breakfast with the orang-utans at the zoo. We enjoyed a nice buffet of Eastern and Western food, an educative lesson about orang-utans that culminated in a photo opp closeby. Needless to say the kids were excited.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9sO1uh0NaCo/X5Wvn7-92fI/AAAAAAAAAv0/Y9hTewKr6Wo2zRAZwlbC6E8n-35Y7KD1gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_4204_hq.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9sO1uh0NaCo/X5Wvn7-92fI/AAAAAAAAAv0/Y9hTewKr6Wo2zRAZwlbC6E8n-35Y7KD1gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_4204_hq.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo opp with the orang-utans</span></div><br /><div>We spent the rest of the day visiting the zoo and the nearby River Safari. It was a nice introduction to wildlife, in preparation for our upcoming trip to the jungle. By late afternoon, we headed into the airport to say Good Bye to Singapore and head into Malaysia. We flew into Kuala Lumpur (quick flight) but didn't spend much time there. We took a van that drove us to the entrance of the Taman Negara National Park, where we would spend the next few days. While the drive was 3-hour long (we arrived in late evening), we were able to get some good rest in the car and we enjoyed seeing the jungle for the first time at night. The temperature was cool and we could hear the jungle noise as crossed the Tembelling River to our hotel by boat. What an interesting welcome.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next few days were spent exploring the jungle by foot and by boat. Without going very far around the hotel, we enjoyed watching monkeys (some of them liked to steal the food at the restaurant) and the resident toucan. We hiked to the top of the peak Bukit Teriset, which involved hanging bridges and a decent altitude change... in the heat. But it was fun to be at the top of the jungle!</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N0ShQIYFxL0/X5W12WVBJ7I/AAAAAAAAAwA/lVLFCqQKKMYeX0_Dr3wP56wJPTI0tv3mACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-6013_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N0ShQIYFxL0/X5W12WVBJ7I/AAAAAAAAAwA/lVLFCqQKKMYeX0_Dr3wP56wJPTI0tv3mACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-6013_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Hanging bridges</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4CMhP9picjA/X5W2iaXF4UI/AAAAAAAAAwI/UTU9Da-OyWoHATYWIndUSLKcQZN-WIvtgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-6045_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4CMhP9picjA/X5W2iaXF4UI/AAAAAAAAAwI/UTU9Da-OyWoHATYWIndUSLKcQZN-WIvtgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-6045_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Climbing up in the jungle</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>We also enjoyed taking the boat up and down the Tembelling River, with its "rapids" and access to a nice swimming hole. <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VDBS7MZmFwA/X5W3B13lMYI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/3QAyXk4h7egYZHal1HLYKLIXh6eJc-RxgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-6200_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VDBS7MZmFwA/X5W3B13lMYI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/3QAyXk4h7egYZHal1HLYKLIXh6eJc-RxgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-6200_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Enjoying the "rapids" on the Tembelling River</span></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>On our last night, we enjoyed a night hike, which allowed us to see a lot of night critters upclose.</div><div>We spent the next day essentially transiting from Taman Negara to Bangkok. This included returning to Kuapa Lumpur by car and a 2-hour flight to Bangkok (+ a pretty long line for passport control at our arrival in Bangkok). But once we arrived, all the travel exhaustion was forgotten. Bangkok was so welcoming and interesting, and warm but not too warm. We felt at home right away. We enjoyed a nice dinner at a restaurant by the Chao Phraya River and couldn't get enough of Thai food.</div><div><br /></div><div>On our first full day in Bangkok, we had to start with the obligatory sightseeing tour of the Grand Palace, which was nice although a little crowded. We got there by boat, which was a great way to discover the banks of the city. After visiting the Grand Palace, we walked back to our hotel, and this was another great way to interact with the locals. We visited a temple where you can feed turtles bananas on sticks. Kids loved it!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lQlvNRVQy2U/X5W5K69qKVI/AAAAAAAAAwk/sL-1sCEn3mkfFf5h8EcmQJZdTRty4TBFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled--75_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lQlvNRVQy2U/X5W5K69qKVI/AAAAAAAAAwk/sL-1sCEn3mkfFf5h8EcmQJZdTRty4TBFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled--75_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Grand Palace</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_uDD4rVQehA/X5W4rKSuJuI/AAAAAAAAAwc/OY9F0hisJVYbJP9kkBPpEd5V0z3UlM6RwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-6249_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_uDD4rVQehA/X5W4rKSuJuI/AAAAAAAAAwc/OY9F0hisJVYbJP9kkBPpEd5V0z3UlM6RwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-6249_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Feeding turtles bananas</span></div><div><br /></div><div>As we walked, locals seemed to enjoy seeing a cute, 3-year old blond boy walking through their neighborhoods. He got so many high fives and some hugs; and he didn't quite understand his newly found popularity!</div><div><br /></div><div>When we came back to the hotel, we took a few hours break (which meant snacks and smoothies by the pool while the kids swam and played, with their endless energy). Right before dinner, we went for a short walk again to visit the flower market, very typical for Thailand, and enjoy another wonderful dinner.</div><div><br /></div><div>The following day was our last full day before heading back. We spent the day visiting the Ayutthaya Historical Park, which was really enjoyable. The grounds are vast and expensive and it was not as crowded as the Grand Palace. We got to see a variety of temples and sculptures and get some exercise before the long place ride home.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gwFTw-dA3mc/X5W6skUu4SI/AAAAAAAAAww/Tjw87wWyiuMsz7ayxyRZSq7oqv-rMAWLQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-6312_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gwFTw-dA3mc/X5W6skUu4SI/AAAAAAAAAww/Tjw87wWyiuMsz7ayxyRZSq7oqv-rMAWLQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-6312_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Ayutthaya Historical Park</span></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ywMrc5xvtc0/X5W66llffuI/AAAAAAAAAw4/rUxmVCsLTRcdrAgbDwgOGGXhYvJxmZVDACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled--128_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ywMrc5xvtc0/X5W66llffuI/AAAAAAAAAw4/rUxmVCsLTRcdrAgbDwgOGGXhYvJxmZVDACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled--128_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Last look at Thailand's wonders</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div>We wrapped up our visit with a nice leisurely lunch by the river (same river as in Bangkok but a lot less crowded with transportation!), and started heading back to the airport. Later that afternoon, we were checking in for our flight that would bring us home. We changed back into our warm weather clothes and took a last meal of Thai food at the airport before saying "See you soon." We didn't want it to be Good Bye and we certainly hope we will come back again soon.</div><div> </div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div>Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08025278178385995795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343236350009889883.post-22387852316169415682016-08-25T10:57:00.145-07:002020-11-04T22:23:05.557-08:00National Parks in the Western USIf you have been following our travels, you know that we love to travel internationally, with our recent trips in <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2014/07/morocco-gilbraltar-spain-overland.html" target="_blank">Morocco</a> and <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2014/07/morocco-gilbraltar-spain-overland-part-2.html" target="_blank">Spain</a>, or <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2012/10/the-caribbean-side-of-costa-rica-during.html" target="_blank">Costa Rica</a>. However, this summer we stayed "close" and went to visit the wonderful National Parks in the West of the United States.<div><br /></div><div>It was a pretty good adventure as we rented a Sprinter to visit the parks, which allowed us to move quickly between parks and enjoy some active outdoor time throughout. It was busy but we loved it. Note that many of the National Park campgrounds book out early, especially for key summer dates, so it's important to plan early.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our itinerary was as follows:</div><div>Day 1: Fly into Las Vegas; get a hold of the Sprinter and drive toward Zion. We stayed at a cute campground called Zion River Resort.</div><div><br /></div><div>Day 2: We had an amazing day of visiting Zion, which included several hikes throughout the park. The highlight was hiking/swimming! through the Narrows, a canyon that is overflown by water when it gets too narrow. We finished the day at thee Watchman campground inside the park.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oenVaazf75w/X6OWjijjRoI/AAAAAAAAA1E/wen5i8u1LlgZnhwmCk3PzgdOqduoCFzbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-4669_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oenVaazf75w/X6OWjijjRoI/AAAAAAAAA1E/wen5i8u1LlgZnhwmCk3PzgdOqduoCFzbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-4669_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Hiking the Narrows in Zion National Park</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Day 3: We left Zion for a scenic drive toward Bryce Canyon. We had planned to be at Bryce Canyon early to get spots at the campground, which is a first-come, first-serve basis. (we had also made a back up reservation at a campground nearby, but we were lucky to get one of the last few spots at the campground inside the park). After setting up, we then proceeded to drive around the beautiful park, to see the various sights along the way. Our on-foot visit of the most famous part of Bryce Canyon would be for the following morning, when we were all refreshed and the weather was cool. That said, we enjoyed a beautiful sunset at the top of Sunset Point.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6ONsJ2SEN_0/X6OWq0GZvhI/AAAAAAAAA1I/4efXB__BDGEKAbRDlP568yGpcaEV070cACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-4749_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6ONsJ2SEN_0/X6OWq0GZvhI/AAAAAAAAA1I/4efXB__BDGEKAbRDlP568yGpcaEV070cACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-4749_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Scenic view of Bryce Canyon</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Day 4: And we did as expected, hiking the main loop of Bryce Canyon, which is absolutely beautiful! We were sad to leave Bryce Canyon, but excited to continue visiting the beautiful area of Utah. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cf8zCkWRzFM/X6OW4yJsJ4I/AAAAAAAAA1Q/DYx8Uec1JBAq46WA5ew_rcKGu1xc6lUVgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-4934_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cf8zCkWRzFM/X6OW4yJsJ4I/AAAAAAAAA1Q/DYx8Uec1JBAq46WA5ew_rcKGu1xc6lUVgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-4934_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Hiking Bryce Canyon</span></div><br /><div>Our next stop was by Escalante Petrified Forest. We stayed by the State Park campground, which offered a nice little reservoir and the opportunity to enjoy water sports like kayaking and hiking up the hill nearby.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C6BkgsXzMIQ/X6OXA6OqiTI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/xtLI69oweGYzGVT6JRzk-7s10KRgmiP1gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_3281_hq.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C6BkgsXzMIQ/X6OXA6OqiTI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/xtLI69oweGYzGVT6JRzk-7s10KRgmiP1gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_3281_hq.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Kayaking fun</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Day 5: We had a wonderful hike at Escalante National Park, going to visit Calf Creek Falls. The destination was a good reward, where we could all enjoy the water and the kids could slide into the pond form the sleep slides of the cliffs surrounding the waterfall. It was fun! After driving through Capitol Reef National Park (a little disappointing in our mind, after all these other places), we spent the night at Thousand Lakes RV Park, which was a nice set-up with nice view of cliffs and "wildlife" (aka bunnies that kids loved).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uOmZ8kJRYEs/X6OXPcG_YYI/AAAAAAAAA1g/1RmDl8HHBbANPu3EvqM7Ka9MZDt0z5wxwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-5053_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uOmZ8kJRYEs/X6OXPcG_YYI/AAAAAAAAA1g/1RmDl8HHBbANPu3EvqM7Ka9MZDt0z5wxwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-5053_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Calf Creek Falls</span></div><div><br /></div>Day 6: After a quick recovery from our previous hike, we embarked on our hardest hike on the trip: A 6-mile slot canyon hike at Grand Staircase Escalante. The hike is beautiful, but it's an adventure. You have to climb on the canyon walls from time to time, to avoid the water (which was often waist-deep for our 3-year old). There were a couple of tricky parts where we had to climb down cliffs and manage the rocks and water conditions. But everyone was so excited about the adventure, and they will be able to remember it for ever!<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P7no4YwrRek/X6OXV0QKSXI/AAAAAAAAA1o/CfaV1nyJAWIVdYIHf2YSOnOXBbURYPbAgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-5201_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P7no4YwrRek/X6OXV0QKSXI/AAAAAAAAA1o/CfaV1nyJAWIVdYIHf2YSOnOXBbURYPbAgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-5201_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Climbing up and down the canyon</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-241k6LWMdTI/X6OXh-_lH5I/AAAAAAAAA1s/nAV1b5CGIwoygBFr2IWDGc9k1nHWlVHAgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-5260_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-241k6LWMdTI/X6OXh-_lH5I/AAAAAAAAA1s/nAV1b5CGIwoygBFr2IWDGc9k1nHWlVHAgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-5260_hq.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">More climbing down</span></div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lJ8inN8t33Y/X6OXqRS3UvI/AAAAAAAAA10/LUdSD3dBue0T47wdKPTugSQY2FHQyZZpwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-5252_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lJ8inN8t33Y/X6OXqRS3UvI/AAAAAAAAA10/LUdSD3dBue0T47wdKPTugSQY2FHQyZZpwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-5252_hq.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Walls left and right... and water in the middle</span></div><div><br /></div><div>In the afternoon, we drove further East toward our furthest destination, Arches National Park. It was a long drive and we arrived by sunset, and a little exhausted from the recent hiking.</div><div><br /></div><div>Day 7: On the next day, we took it pretty easy and visited Arches National Park, slowly but surely. It was beautiful, but by then we had had our fair share of cliffs and rocks and we were getting ready for the 2nd part of our trip, which would be a little more varied.</div><div><br /></div><div>As it turns out, we were supposed to overnight by Monument Valley as we slowly made our way back West toward Lake Powell. However, we decided that Monument Valley was not worth spending more than a few minutes to take photos, and the RV park we had picked for the night didn't look very exciting. After taking the mandatory Monument Valley photos, we ended up driving all the way to Page by Lake Powell, where we "splurge" on a motel for a night. Ah, the comfort of a real bed and a warm shower!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U_x-5IkN-DI/X6OZN_U1TYI/AAAAAAAAA2E/tqv5zqX9T780U-72ozQEvw-Bi4_wsG6bgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-5514_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U_x-5IkN-DI/X6OZN_U1TYI/AAAAAAAAA2E/tqv5zqX9T780U-72ozQEvw-Bi4_wsG6bgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-5514_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Monument Valley</span></div><div><br /></div><div>For the remaining 3 days of our trip, we had planned to settle ourselves by Lake Powell (the Wahweap Campground) and doing day tours from there. We loved this area and enjoyed the various activities we could access, after being focused on hiking and national parks. Highlights included:</div><div>* Renting a boat on Lake Powell for a day</div><div>* Horseback riding in the nearby hills by Big Water</div><div>* Visiting the impressive dam at Lake Powell</div><div>* Swimming in the Lake right by our campground</div><div>* Enjoying the views at Horseshoe Bend</div><div>* Last but not least, visiting Antelope Canyon with its beautiful light (it's recommended to reserve in advance)</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-juaEeUT2GDE/X6OZVhUMg7I/AAAAAAAAA2I/IxC5z5nbvFINlfi64Mj-q4-zNRpxFxEkwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_5693-2_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-juaEeUT2GDE/X6OZVhUMg7I/AAAAAAAAA2I/IxC5z5nbvFINlfi64Mj-q4-zNRpxFxEkwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_5693-2_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Boating at Lake Powell</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ij3rUhD-2DU/X6OZc4-olaI/AAAAAAAAA2M/_W5Jnwwk6GMYKyedJtLtnU_-jhlw0jS7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-5683_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ij3rUhD-2DU/X6OZc4-olaI/AAAAAAAAA2M/_W5Jnwwk6GMYKyedJtLtnU_-jhlw0jS7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-5683_hq.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Antelope Canyon</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>On our final day, we made our way back to Las Vegas, where we took our flight home. We were sad that this portion of the trip was over so soon as we felt that there was still a lot we could have explored. But we hope we will come back again.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the end, we had a great time discovering this section of the Western United States and we enjoyed the flexibility of having a Sprinter to allow for a daily change of scenery. Below is the tally of the driving.</div><div>Las Vegas - Zion River Resort (Virgin): 150 Miles</div><div>Zion River Resort - Bryce Canyon: 100 Miles</div><div>Bryce Canyon - Escalante Petrified Forest: 50 Miles</div><div>Escalante Petrified Forest - Thousand Lakes RV Park (Torrey): 70 Miles</div><div>Torrey - Arches National Park: 220 Miles</div><div>Arches National Park - Page: 280 Miles</div><div>Page - Las Vegas: 280 Miles</div><div>Total: 1,150 Miles</div><div><br /></div><div>In hindsight, the extra driving to visit Arches National Park might not have been worth it. It was a lot of extra time spent in the car, and after the exciting adventures of the prior days, Arches National Park was a little underwhelming. But we are still glad we did it. I hope this can give you some ideas if you ever want to go visit the beautiful National Parks in Utah.</div></div><br />Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08025278178385995795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343236350009889883.post-77281054198110148482015-05-18T19:39:00.002-07:002020-10-26T20:01:17.177-07:00The Caribbean side of Central America: Belize and GuatemalaAs I wrote before, we have had the chance to visit Central America a few times over the last few years and we love it. While we love Costa Rica and Mexico, we also had a great time visiting the Caribbean side of Central America during our trip to Belize and Guatemala. It was a quick 6-day trip but we packed a lot during that time. As we often do, we moved a few times in these 6 days, visiting 2 countries and a total of 3 hotels.<div><br /></div><div>Our itinerary was as follows.</div><div><b>Belize, sea side</b></div><div>Red eye from Los Angeles to Belize airport. Right after breakfast by the dock in Belize City, pick up by boat and day-trip around the Cayes on the way to our first destination, <a href="https://ramons.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ramon's Village Resort</a> on the little island of San Pedro. During the tour, we got to look for (and find) manatees, visited a beautiful island with perfect white sand for lunch, swam/snorkeled with sharks and enjoyed a full day of bumpy boat ride. Nothing better to keep us awake after the red eye! That said, we were glad when we arrived at the hotel and got to enjoyed a beautiful evening at the resort.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6lEeV7kPxC4/X4u4MelngWI/AAAAAAAAAoo/N7KR_ExzE3EhTcvGxfeNgfxWdhgSFFD_gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_3824_hq.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6lEeV7kPxC4/X4u4MelngWI/AAAAAAAAAoo/N7KR_ExzE3EhTcvGxfeNgfxWdhgSFFD_gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_3824_hq.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Bumpy boat ride</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U7qGmBa3ohw/X4u4TB9RvRI/AAAAAAAAAos/gY91Ze-XJMIAKoILSm6SsAehGriZxSjdACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-2479_hq.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U7qGmBa3ohw/X4u4TB9RvRI/AAAAAAAAAos/gY91Ze-XJMIAKoILSm6SsAehGriZxSjdACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-2479_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">One of the sharks we snorkeled with</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Day 2 was spent at the resort for the most part. Between pool, beach and a short walk to the island center for snack, we had plenty to do. The divers in our group got to enjoy a dive at the Blue Lagoon which offers fantastic diving.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qPWiU5jOoUM/X4u4f66RpKI/AAAAAAAAAo4/vsj7c6XRcfUN85gAt3jGt5RAX1CgIOdeQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_3908_hq.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qPWiU5jOoUM/X4u4f66RpKI/AAAAAAAAAo4/vsj7c6XRcfUN85gAt3jGt5RAX1CgIOdeQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_3908_hq.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Enjoying the pool</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Guatemala, Tikal</b></div><div>On Day 3, we left our hotel on the way to Tikal, Guatemala. We were eager to visit this well known Maya center and archaeological site. While it was a long trip, we had felt that we couldn't miss being so close to it and not visiting... and it was all worth it. The journey was a combination of boat and bus ride with a few stops in nice, country-side villages. When we arrived at the beautiful <a href="https://tikalinn.com/en/">hotel</a> in the middle of the jungle, we were glad to stretch our legs and get some fresh air. We enjoyed a quick swim at the pool during sunset and our 2-year old loved seeing the capuchin monkeys visiting us from the trees nearby. What a fantastic Welcome!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WRWyYJnhoyo/X4u4vGbV7FI/AAAAAAAAApE/cBQIgx2kja4OBIDWLFOreDw6UOiwuNBMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_3016_hq.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WRWyYJnhoyo/X4u4vGbV7FI/AAAAAAAAApE/cBQIgx2kja4OBIDWLFOreDw6UOiwuNBMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_3016_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The beginning of the journey</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NMVKG2QLzAE/X4u4nsqn30I/AAAAAAAAApA/WhE0kt2n_64qme2tCQT510PrgVt5HDD1QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-3148_hq.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NMVKG2QLzAE/X4u4nsqn30I/AAAAAAAAApA/WhE0kt2n_64qme2tCQT510PrgVt5HDD1QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-3148_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The destination</span></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>On Day 4, we visited the majestic Tikal, which is still impressive after all these years (and on my 2nd visit). The kids enjoyed discovering another type of monkeys, the howler monkeys, which seem to be the kings of the jungle at Tikal. In the afternoon, we made our way to our final destination, back to Belize, but this time in the jungle. Our hotel of choice was <a href="https://www.blackrocklodge.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Black Rock Lodge</a>, which is beautiful and surrounded by amazing jungle. But a long bumpy drive away from the main road.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HEvP2qdHczI/X4u4451h_BI/AAAAAAAAApQ/GOtSpJdMAD8Iv_yQLS5pRKXNiwVbBjTKACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-3240_hq.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HEvP2qdHczI/X4u4451h_BI/AAAAAAAAApQ/GOtSpJdMAD8Iv_yQLS5pRKXNiwVbBjTKACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-3240_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Visiting Tikal</span></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><b>Belize, jungle</b></div><div>On Day 5, we got to visit the surroundings, with a fun experience canoeing in a dark cave (nice way to enjoy an hour in the shade) and a butterfly farm. At night, we got to do a night walk to discover the creepy crawlies around us. Daniel loved it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sqxrqs7IUvE/X4u5AcpVtGI/AAAAAAAAApY/eCKuzSqWeyofQAllrsvPe4gmdpHerO72ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-3297_hq.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sqxrqs7IUvE/X4u5AcpVtGI/AAAAAAAAApY/eCKuzSqWeyofQAllrsvPe4gmdpHerO72ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-3297_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Entering the cave</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T-vBeHupxtg/X4u5IR1LJ2I/AAAAAAAAApg/wLx8pry4aak87WC-la7JnGQQx_w_njU4QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_3998_hq.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T-vBeHupxtg/X4u5IR1LJ2I/AAAAAAAAApg/wLx8pry4aak87WC-la7JnGQQx_w_njU4QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_3998_hq.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Butterfly farm</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gAd7ujgVgsw/X4u5iDpX-GI/AAAAAAAAAp0/T_Q3NTvjGfYpD2T9D5gDSeVcYVdWIdO0QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_3034_hq.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gAd7ujgVgsw/X4u5iDpX-GI/AAAAAAAAAp0/T_Q3NTvjGfYpD2T9D5gDSeVcYVdWIdO0QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_3034_hq.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Night walk</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>On Day 6, we visited the local zoo and enjoyed the jungle around the hotel. There is nothing better on a warm day to jump off a rope into the river. What a great end of a packed but amazing trip.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xZx6-JAneqE/X4u5RW9ZvYI/AAAAAAAAApo/djV6QSTGEqYghChWUrlZYBo2hqDU_oR-QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG1960_hq.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xZx6-JAneqE/X4u5RW9ZvYI/AAAAAAAAApo/djV6QSTGEqYghChWUrlZYBo2hqDU_oR-QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG1960_hq.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The best entertainment in the jungle</span></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div></div>Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08025278178385995795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343236350009889883.post-30637883255203679562014-07-22T21:54:00.028-07:002020-10-26T20:01:32.877-07:00Morocco-Gilbraltar-Spain overland, part 2<div>This is part 2 of our epic trip from Morocco to Barcelona via Gibraltar and Andalusia.</div><div><br /></div><div>After 3 busy days, trekking through <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2014/07/morocco-gilbraltar-spain-overland.html" target="_blank">Morocco and Gibraltar</a> our next destination was Granada, which did not disappoint. We were so happy to enjoy the wonderful Spanish tapas and the ice cream shops. We let the kids enjoy several ice creams on that day for all the great traveling and walking they had done (although they had all napped in the car on the way to Granada; we found during the trip that car rides were nice breaks for them). We spent the first evening just enjoying walking around the city.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next morning, we had tickets to go visit the Alhambra (book tickets in advance!). It was busy but the ticket scheduled helped a lot. We enjoyed the tour and the kids had fun observing all the decorations. By the afternoon, we were ready to move to our next destination, Cordoba. When we arrived in Cordoba, we all felt exhausted (parents didn't get to nap in the car!) and it was really hot, so we decided to take it easy and take one of these open bus tours to visit the city. It was nice to get a sense of the map of the city and seeing the buildings from a tall bus as opposed to the ground. By night time, the temperatures were still very hot and the highlight was that the kids found water fountains to play in after dinner. The fountains attracted a lot of crowds and it felt like a big party. The kids loved it more than visiting all castles!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q2ZT39j20ug/X5JkaIp5hKI/AAAAAAAAAt0/Tz0Nwe3c-ZQ28BiiZKfoDoVabjgSxw1jwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_1308_hq.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q2ZT39j20ug/X5JkaIp5hKI/AAAAAAAAAt0/Tz0Nwe3c-ZQ28BiiZKfoDoVabjgSxw1jwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_1308_hq.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Best part of the day!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0M8DaHMO3Xo/X5JkiWPqTMI/AAAAAAAAAt8/3S8rSF2dYsMOrmWI-_OvKKLY8lJnxhsNACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Summer2014-2534_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0M8DaHMO3Xo/X5JkiWPqTMI/AAAAAAAAAt8/3S8rSF2dYsMOrmWI-_OvKKLY8lJnxhsNACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Summer2014-2534_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Soaked!</div></span></div><div><br /></div><div>In the next morning, we visited Cordoba on foot. It was nice to get lost in the little streets leading to the main churches and the Alcazar. We all enjoyed the visit and before we knew it, it was our last lunch in Cordoba (tapas again!). We then made our way to our last Andalusia destination: Sevilla. We hadn't planned very much program for that afternoon, like we had done in prior days. But we got somehow carried away when we realized it was so much fun walking in the streets (and enjoying a few too many ice creams along the way, which kept us going). We ended up visiting the Alcazar that same evening and doing a nice tour of the city in a horse carriage. We continued on until dinner, and enjoyed a nice sunset over the Guadalquivir, the river that flows across Sevilla. By now, Gibraltar felt like a long time ago, even though it had only been 3 days.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PzILApzPjU8/X5JkO0G8xcI/AAAAAAAAAtw/2P5O-jSJycQ4u4KO2la--ohreD8jpZkUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Summer2014-2653_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PzILApzPjU8/X5JkO0G8xcI/AAAAAAAAAtw/2P5O-jSJycQ4u4KO2la--ohreD8jpZkUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Summer2014-2653_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Sunset in Sevilla, at the end of a fun week of sightseeing</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>This ended up being our last activity in Sevilla. The next morning we slept in, enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in a local courtyard (nothing fancy, but the food was once again amazing), took our time packing, and headed to the airport for our final destination, Barcelona. It wasn't until then that we realized how much we had packed in a week of travel. We had all these great memories, but were quite exhausted. By the time we arrived in Barcelona and met with family (they had arrived a few hours before us and had had a short flight), the cousins were eager to go to the pool. While our kids usually take advantage of any opportunity to swim, the 4-year old stayed bundled on a lounge chair the entire time. That's when we knew the 150km walked on foot in the last week had been enough for her. No wonder.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thankfully, the program in Barcelona has been meant to be pretty light, to allow for reconnecting with family. We had a few planned group dinners, and besides that, we spent a lot of time enjoying the hotel and the beach nearby. We ventured out to visit the aquarium, which was a hit with the kids, and we took the funicular to visit the hills and miradors nearby. By then, the kids had had the chance to recover somewhat.</div><div><br /></div><div>We left Barcelona by train to visit family in Paris for a few days. All in all it had been a busy trip and we ended up staying home for most of the following 3 days, as none of us had much energy to do anything (yes, we ended up passing on some of the must-do Paris attractions but we still got the Eiffel Tower where the 6-year old lost his tooth at the very top of the tower). </div><div><br /></div><div>But we had had the chance to visit the places we had dreamed of for so long and we hope that the kids will still remember some of them for a long time. Who can forget riding on camels, hanging out with wild monkeys at the top of a massive rock after hiking to the top, eating tons of yummy ice cream, or losing a tooth at the top of Paris?</div><div><br /></div><div>Here are the final stats:</div><div><div>4 countries, 2 continents</div><div>11 hotels</div><div>1800 km by train</div><div>1800 km by car</div><div>35 km by boat</div><div>150 km on foot</div><div>1 km on camel</div><div>Countless servings of ice cream, jamon iberico and croissants</div><div>3 amazing explorers-in-the-making</div><div>1 happy family</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Would we do it again? Oh, yay (and next time, kids would be bigger, that's a plus). Where do I sign up?</div>Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08025278178385995795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343236350009889883.post-23174258928775127222014-07-20T20:37:00.010-07:002020-10-26T20:01:54.052-07:00Morocco-Gilbraltar-Spain overland, part 1July 10, 2014 was our 10th wedding anniversary, and we were eager to celebrate this big milestone with our family. As we had wonderful memories of the city we met at (Barcelona) and our families would have to travel from parts of France and Germany for the gathering anyways, we decided to celebrate the big day in Barcelona.<div><br /><div>Once this was settled, the next question was: how do we get from California to Barcelona and what else could we visit in the area, to make it worth the trip? We had talked about visiting Andalusia for a while, and this seemed close enough to our final destination. So we quickly decided to add Andalusia to the trip. However, we found out soon that the journey to get from SFO to Sevilla was not that simple. It required at least 2 layovers, and significant time on the road. By the time we would reach our final destination we would have spent 2 days in transit! That's when we looked at the map once more and realized that we could fly into Casablanca (much more time efficient connections) and make our way North quite easily while adding one - and soon 2- new countries to our itinerary. And so started our crazy Morocco-Gibraltar-Spain overland adventure with 3 kids under 6. We figured we were not going to get a relaxing vacation anyways, so we might as well enjoy some sightseeing in the process.</div><div><br /></div><div>And so our trip started.</div><div>We flew into Casablanca and arrived late at night (and jetlagged) and headed straight to our hotel for the night. Somehow we were able to rest in the few hours left in the night, and we were up by breakfast time. After a nice breakfast - and quite a bit of coffee, we made our way to visit the key sites in Casablanca, which included the impressive Hassan II Mosque and the Medina, and drive through the cosmopolitan and modern city center. While it was a short visit, we thought it was a good introduction to Morocco and a chance for the kids to learn about religion and lifestyles.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hcjgTHwMCW0/X5JmvndPVGI/AAAAAAAAAvI/REEB0fiwaI8M1k1BArko2HqQaVRjNucewCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-2069_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hcjgTHwMCW0/X5JmvndPVGI/AAAAAAAAAvI/REEB0fiwaI8M1k1BArko2HqQaVRjNucewCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-2069_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">First day in Casablanca</span></div><div><br /></div><div>After a quick bite, we drove to Marrakech for a short 2-day visit. We loved Marrakech! There was so much activity and so many new experiences to witness. The market looked very different than our Western markets, we saw vendors with cobras dancing to the flute, and the medina was an interesting labyrinth to explore. We felt at home very quickly.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DVgyOlr2TB0/X5JnC3s9YJI/AAAAAAAAAvU/k8QUJt2D9kwIB7FRJsuq69ligCzo1zjtQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-1942_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DVgyOlr2TB0/X5JnC3s9YJI/AAAAAAAAAvU/k8QUJt2D9kwIB7FRJsuq69ligCzo1zjtQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-1942_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Snakes at the market.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>The next day would bring us one step closer to the Sahara desert as we did a day tour over the Atlas toward the next, dry valley. It started with a long, windy road (not ideal when still fighting jetlag) and it was really cold at the top of the Atlas, but the adventure was all worth it when we got to the other side. We first got to ride on camels, which the kids LOVED!. Then, we visited this really interesting site called Ait Benhaddou (it's an old labyrinth village perched on a hill), and we finished at Ouarzazate, which is considered the beginning of the Sahara desert and has a nice historical fortress.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9EhulxchTu4/X5Jmb3QDHYI/AAAAAAAAAu8/la-JFYhJsTQA-nneM12UxpgjOxxEWSQnACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-2219_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9EhulxchTu4/X5Jmb3QDHYI/AAAAAAAAAu8/la-JFYhJsTQA-nneM12UxpgjOxxEWSQnACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-2219_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Cold and windy Col du Tichka</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KApqhtf_qdw/X5Jmk0Nvg-I/AAAAAAAAAvA/cJUeD1zGO-kfufFuEob9Vn3XQkTurYkEwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-2285_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KApqhtf_qdw/X5Jmk0Nvg-I/AAAAAAAAAvA/cJUeD1zGO-kfufFuEob9Vn3XQkTurYkEwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-2285_hq.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The other side of the Atlas: desert and camels<br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wbmperssmDo/X5JmTU_RZeI/AAAAAAAAAu4/mnca67sCHC4QQIHVSXwoVWamg53SFcybgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-2363_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wbmperssmDo/X5JmTU_RZeI/AAAAAAAAAu4/mnca67sCHC4QQIHVSXwoVWamg53SFcybgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-2363_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Ait Benhaddou</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Once we reached the end of this tour, our interesting overland journey back to Spain started. We first had to head back to Marrakech. From there, we were supposed to take a night train to Tangier (ferry harbor in the North), but somehow the train got cancelled a week before our visit We ended up driving back to Casablanca by car late at night, sleeping for a few hours at a hotel by the train station and grabbing the first train to Tangier the next morning. In Tangier, we took the ferry to Tarifa across the Strait of Gibraltar, and we continued by car to Gibraltar. All in all, it took us about 22 hours from our furthest destination in Ouarszazate to our hotel in Gibraltar, but we got to observe a lot of the local views from the car, the train and the boat. It was definitely a trip to remember. And despite all of this travel, the first thing the kids wanted to do when we arrived at the hotel is jump into the pool (a well deserved break, which we all enjoyed).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DI61xhBbixo/X5Jl57lR9vI/AAAAAAAAAus/_VD5PgxMygwN_oiNC_1P_Uo3TJV6EccPQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-2342_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DI61xhBbixo/X5Jl57lR9vI/AAAAAAAAAus/_VD5PgxMygwN_oiNC_1P_Uo3TJV6EccPQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-2342_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Train transfer</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R6tFwwDyW9g/X5Jlu9MUMzI/AAAAAAAAAuk/nXoTKWj4Z0AIKRXuQUMu_qde1nIm5xoFACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-2343_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R6tFwwDyW9g/X5Jlu9MUMzI/AAAAAAAAAuk/nXoTKWj4Z0AIKRXuQUMu_qde1nIm5xoFACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-2343_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Ferry transfer</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dXXsasAOM5w/X5JljblPSwI/AAAAAAAAAuc/WL72EH12Qmkama_4BZaaisImF85wkS8JQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-2344_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dXXsasAOM5w/X5JljblPSwI/AAAAAAAAAuc/WL72EH12Qmkama_4BZaaisImF85wkS8JQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-2344_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Definitely not in Morocco anymore. Pub in Gibraltar</span></div><div><br /></div><div>After a nice stroll into the British-looking city center and a nice chicken pot-pie for dinner, we made it back to our hotel for the night. The next morning, we wanted to take the cable car to visit the famous Rock of Gibraltar. After a nice breakfast and a 10-minute walk to the cable car, we found out that it was closed for the day due to strong winds. Changes of plans again! We ended up taking a taxi half way up the hill (up until taxis are allowed to go) and walking up the rest of the path, with breaks for sight-seeing along the way. Good that we had a backpack to carry the 1-year old and that the 4 and 6-year olds were very fit. It was a lot of hiking on a hot and windy day. But when we arrived at the top, we were greeted by thee famous monkeys, which were also very popular with the kids and made them forget their exhaustion. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NKdJMPS_1dM/X5JlbEWn_KI/AAAAAAAAAuU/wLNUOKgrh7ozeA9XFF9VBrQWtn9kZBfmgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Summer2014-2411_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NKdJMPS_1dM/X5JlbEWn_KI/AAAAAAAAAuU/wLNUOKgrh7ozeA9XFF9VBrQWtn9kZBfmgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Summer2014-2411_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Break half way up the hill</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e3cmVGfFWE8/X5JlS4yOcjI/AAAAAAAAAuM/MzyRkIzL9Qo5YsudKUgu05kOqHRnZpxUgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Summer2014-2432_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e3cmVGfFWE8/X5JlS4yOcjI/AAAAAAAAAuM/MzyRkIzL9Qo5YsudKUgu05kOqHRnZpxUgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Summer2014-2432_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Made it to the top!</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZuxQ8RyQmsI/X5JlILY0M1I/AAAAAAAAAuI/3mqTY8YNggENkiwVnP-kvKS8_JBRLmMNQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Summer2014-2439_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZuxQ8RyQmsI/X5JlILY0M1I/AAAAAAAAAuI/3mqTY8YNggENkiwVnP-kvKS8_JBRLmMNQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Summer2014-2439_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Surprise visitors at the top of the Rock!</span></div><br /><div>On the way downhill, we stopped for well-deserved popsicles at a shop and visited St Michael's cave, which is a nice natural cave with large chambers and stalactites. It's quite well done and an easy visit with kids.</div><div><br /></div><div>By the time we can back downhill, it was time to check out from our hotel and head to our rental car, which we would use to explore <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2014/07/morocco-gilbraltar-spain-overland-part-2.html" target="_blank">Andalusia</a> for the next few days. Check out the rest of our trip <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2014/07/morocco-gilbraltar-spain-overland-part-2.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div></div>Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08025278178385995795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343236350009889883.post-84700262079327978442014-01-10T19:44:00.078-08:002020-10-26T20:02:12.055-07:00The Yucatan Peninsula- Exploring Mayan ruins and cenotesWe spent a week of our Christmas holidays (and a few days due to unexpected flight cancellations!) in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. We had a great time, although we encountered some lousy weather toward the end of our trip. It was one of these trips where we had to improvise! As typical for us, we moved around a few times during the week and got to enjoy different sights of the Yucatan Peninsula.<div><br /><div>We started in Cancun, where we arrived on a late afternoon. We spent the night at a standard beach hotel called <a href="https://www.hotelcalypsocancun.com/en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hotel Calypso</a> which was OK for one night. It had the benefit of being easy access to a local Mexican restaurant, nice for late dinner. In the next morning, after waking up early because of jetlag, we were able to enjoy a quick walk to the beach and a swim in the hotel pool. Kids were happy to test their new snorkel gear in preparation for the cenotes.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>By mid-day, we made our way to Tulum. We had booked late in the season, so we couldn't find good accommodation in the beach hotels, but we stayed at a nice remote small hotel called <a href="https://pyktulum.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Posada Yum Kim</a>.We liked the traditional accommodations and the fact that we were not surrounded by tourists. We had to walk to town to get dinner and mingle with the locals.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the next day, our sightseeing really started. We first visited the unavoidable site of Tulum. The location is amazing, and that's what makes it so popular. However, we didn't enjoy it as much because it was so crowded. That afternoon, we went to visit Cenote Dos Ojos and it was amazing. Cenotes are these underground water caves that offer a refreshing swim and a fun experience for the kids. What a great way to escape the crowds.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-USvmOnkc1Z8/X40Ki0Q6HYI/AAAAAAAAArI/B-ne0EKOuSAMMTZg5bdYBku0YFuiUM7hQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG0699_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-USvmOnkc1Z8/X40Ki0Q6HYI/AAAAAAAAArI/B-ne0EKOuSAMMTZg5bdYBku0YFuiUM7hQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG0699_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Rare view of Tulum without tourists</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NIVFOCHaLRI/X40Kn6r12ZI/AAAAAAAAArM/9If9h_ocb30pNe9dEbii7iozsd9s2OsSQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Yucatan-1200_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NIVFOCHaLRI/X40Kn6r12ZI/AAAAAAAAArM/9If9h_ocb30pNe9dEbii7iozsd9s2OsSQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Yucatan-1200_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">3-year old swimming in the cenote</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kv99t6tUuCU/X40KrppT-YI/AAAAAAAAArQ/MZAtYIbEXhEWU_FpJx12L6TX4FczX6gyACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Yucatan-1178_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kv99t6tUuCU/X40KrppT-YI/AAAAAAAAArQ/MZAtYIbEXhEWU_FpJx12L6TX4FczX6gyACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Yucatan-1178_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Fun in the cenote</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Our biggest adventure day was the following day. We had a packed schedule, visiting the cenote complex of Tamcah-Ha, Choo-Ha and Multum-Ha<strong style="background-color: white; color: #161616; font-family: "Crimson Text", serif; font-size: 16px;">,</strong> the Mayan site of Coba and the well known site off Chichen Itza (which we squeezed in last minute in our program by sunset but ended up visiting with very few tourists!). With the New Year's holiday approaching, we had wanted to be safe and made sure to visit these places while they were open. We enjoyed the entire day. The cenotes were amazing. Coba stood out with its tall pyramids and Chichen Itza just looked so perfect. A nice way to learn about the Mayan history in a concentrated way.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lEqaUhaDX98/X40K8B4dv8I/AAAAAAAAArg/aGUiAB9tB18kfFs0qAEdLOsVtMVXcPUTwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Yucatan-1285_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lEqaUhaDX98/X40K8B4dv8I/AAAAAAAAArg/aGUiAB9tB18kfFs0qAEdLOsVtMVXcPUTwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Yucatan-1285_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Entrance of the cenote</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mXqUvOqBLOw/X40LCe37RCI/AAAAAAAAArk/C580Pdk2ekEUBA2zIO5OQmdbp0zY2pefACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-1340_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1537" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mXqUvOqBLOw/X40LCe37RCI/AAAAAAAAArk/C580Pdk2ekEUBA2zIO5OQmdbp0zY2pefACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-1340_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Cenote magic!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v_G8eqtpm_0/X40LHxacTDI/AAAAAAAAAro/kp9_7TOPNE03VJuUhz_mpibI8AA2mRQ9ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG0743_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v_G8eqtpm_0/X40LHxacTDI/AAAAAAAAAro/kp9_7TOPNE03VJuUhz_mpibI8AA2mRQ9ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG0743_hq.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Coba pyramid</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-orVQM4bKAKU/X40LORmL21I/AAAAAAAAArw/BM63fmRzmJIhl9M9-Pl0Hn9EquekexN9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Yucatan1363_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-orVQM4bKAKU/X40LORmL21I/AAAAAAAAArw/BM63fmRzmJIhl9M9-Pl0Hn9EquekexN9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Yucatan1363_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Majestic Chichen Itza</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>We finished the evening at the amazing <a href="https://www.mayaland.com/en/hotels/chichen-itza/the-lodge-at-chichen-itza" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lodge at Chicken Itza</a>. In hindsight, we regretted spending only a night in this hotel. It is an amazing hotel. The grounds are beautiful; it's surrounded by nature (we heard frogs all night long). The pool is wonderful and the food is fantastic. While we only stayed one night, we made the best of it by enjoying their New Year's Eve party. It was wonderful, even though we were exhausted by then. We had an amazing time!</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B2F7dBxyB8Y/X40LVyud01I/AAAAAAAAAr0/IKBdTnVSVQM5jGtWy4lHGX-NZkJbBMULgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG0818_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B2F7dBxyB8Y/X40LVyud01I/AAAAAAAAAr0/IKBdTnVSVQM5jGtWy4lHGX-NZkJbBMULgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG0818_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">New Year's Eve party!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>The next morning, having already visited Chichen Itza, we ended up using the time to visit a less popular but nevertheless interesting site called Ek Balam. Visiting it on New Year's Day, we pretty much had the site for ourselves. We thought it was definitely worth the visit. We were allowed to come close (and climb) on most pyramids (not like on other sites), and we found some interesting sculptures.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZmSXYlffgmg/X40Linl4DyI/AAAAAAAAAr8/Ec3OpT-U28obL2Wfc3-Uume2rq3QdKCAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled-1414_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZmSXYlffgmg/X40Linl4DyI/AAAAAAAAAr8/Ec3OpT-U28obL2Wfc3-Uume2rq3QdKCAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled-1414_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Ek Balam from the top of a pyramid</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NKMKhV0cfP8/X40LpGCr77I/AAAAAAAAAsA/jdM5NWfbaEoaQgHO4vDGfhT-UXqGuoVSgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG0857_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NKMKhV0cfP8/X40LpGCr77I/AAAAAAAAAsA/jdM5NWfbaEoaQgHO4vDGfhT-UXqGuoVSgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG0857_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Sculpture</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">After a lunch at Valladolid, visiting the city center which represents a more recent history of Mexico, we headed back to the sea shore, with our destination on Isla Mujeres. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BM5dnW0Gpuo/X40Ly93ivpI/AAAAAAAAAsI/dDbSuKcgnUMPi-1Tw3hQkfjH_7sZCaQWQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG0874_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BM5dnW0Gpuo/X40Ly93ivpI/AAAAAAAAAsI/dDbSuKcgnUMPi-1Tw3hQkfjH_7sZCaQWQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG0874_hq.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Valladolid City Center<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">We were planning on spending the last 2 days of our trip relaxing by the beach and enjoying the beach town. However, the weather had a different plan. We had about half a day of amazing beach time before rain settled down on the island, rendering the beach unattractive. With 3 young kids in tow, the prospect of being stuck in a hotel room for 2 days didn't appeal us much (remember this when you read the end of the story). We quickly changed our plans, were able to organize a rental car and spent the afternoon doing a tour of the island in the rain. We stopped by a turtle aquarium, which was a nice break and actually quite informational for the kids.</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ppeoz4sMgMc/X40MCHnfajI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/qgwUkqm_BXYClNS7Cs-KbuccpE54i5sowCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/untitled1373_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ppeoz4sMgMc/X40MCHnfajI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/qgwUkqm_BXYClNS7Cs-KbuccpE54i5sowCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/untitled1373_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Short taste of the beach before the rain</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wEOxF39wxLU/X40MHkc_FgI/AAAAAAAAAsY/NB019rnhLassaWCPaJ53VI7VK0aeJpEjwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG0904_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wEOxF39wxLU/X40MHkc_FgI/AAAAAAAAAsY/NB019rnhLassaWCPaJ53VI7VK0aeJpEjwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG0904_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The Southern tip of Isla Mujeres on a stormy day</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hv12tj8IAag/X40MU8LtwQI/AAAAAAAAAsg/sYdtWGGtIM8UbKZfjYhlOePPg_YKGt-hQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG0918_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hv12tj8IAag/X40MU8LtwQI/AAAAAAAAAsg/sYdtWGGtIM8UbKZfjYhlOePPg_YKGt-hQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG0918_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Learning about marine biology at the turtle center</span></div><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>On our final full day, the rain still hadn't stopped, so we ended up spending the day in Cancun, visiting the main aquarium, and enjoying a bumpy boat right from and to Isla Mujeres.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1NRWddWZE0I/X40Md86HW1I/AAAAAAAAAso/uSmq4qtRULof7Gj0_ERagDfb1xHkL_B0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG0930_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1NRWddWZE0I/X40Md86HW1I/AAAAAAAAAso/uSmq4qtRULof7Gj0_ERagDfb1xHkL_B0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG0930_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">At the Cancun aquarium</span></div><br /><div>By night time, the rain finally stopped and we enjoyed a final nice dinner on the Mexican seashore. We were glad we had been able to make the best out of the rain and get some good memories along the way despite the changes of plans.</div><div><br /></div><div>Little did we know that this wouldn't be the end of our adventure. As we got up the next morning, we found out that our flight out of Cancun had been cancelled, and the next best opportunity for us to get home would be 2 days later. Additionally, the rain had started again, so the delay of our return was not a welcome news. We ended up leaving Isla Mujeres and returning to Cancun proper for 2 days, where we tried to go out occasionally (tried to squeeze in pool time with the kids in the rain). But having to keep up with work and with limited options outdoor, we ended up spending a lot more time than we had planned watching cartoons in Spanish on TV. I guess we could argue this was educational. I am not sure I would ever say this again, but for once, we were glad when it was finally time to leave paradise. </div><div><br /></div><div>That said, we can definitely say we would do it again for all the good memories.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08025278178385995795noreply@blogger.com0Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico21.161908 -86.8515279-7.1483258361788451 -122.0077779 49.472141836178849 -51.695277899999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343236350009889883.post-8667539300401527412012-10-20T19:18:00.140-07:002020-10-26T20:02:25.962-07:00The Caribbean side of Costa Rica during the rainy season<div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;">We had a wonderful trip to Costa Rica and I want to share some of the highlights with you. We visited in late September-early October, which is usually considered to be the rainy season in Costa Rica. After some research, we determined that the East Coast of Costa Rica was going to be our best bet at this time of year. And we were not disappointed.</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;">We arrived in the evening, after a long day of travel, so we decided to spend the first night in the capital, San Jose. While we wanted to visit Costa Rica for the nature, we were glad we got to see the capital and some of the local culture. Before heading to the East coast, we spent our first morning visiting the city center, checking out the old building, watching street musicians and getting our first taste of Costa Rican fauna: the butterfly museum. It was an exciting experience for the kids. So many butterflies!</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;">In the afternoon, we left the city and headed to the South-East corner of Costa Rica, Puerto Viejo. It was a nice first stop of our trip. Puerto Viejo is a relaxed beach/fishing village and we finally were feeling that we were on vacation. As soon as we arrived, we made our way to the beach, which was a good idea, as storm was coming and we ended up witnessing strong rainfall that evening.</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YyQx5XIoWVM/X4-jw_AdseI/AAAAAAAAAs8/k_v_u44Wm_8IaBWvWrZoGBEDRJbb7daMACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Foto-2_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YyQx5XIoWVM/X4-jw_AdseI/AAAAAAAAAs8/k_v_u44Wm_8IaBWvWrZoGBEDRJbb7daMACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Foto-2_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Puerto Viejo beach on a stormy day</span></div><br /><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;">But this didn't dampen our spirits. We loved our cabins at <a href="https://www.lacostadepapito.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">La Costa de Papito</a>, and enjoyed a nice relaxed evening and dinner at the wonderful restaurant.</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;">On the next day, our adventures continued and we got the chance to visit the nearby rescue center. It was a great opportunity for the kids to see the local animals upclose, and to get to know new species like ocelot or sloth. But the big highlight was being able to take care of the baby monkeys. What an experience for our 2 year-old. From stuffed animals to real animals. She had a blast.</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sGNETk3y_LA/X4-j7YxHl4I/AAAAAAAAAtA/h7n7CvPirZITSq7JA0I44qwYyDk9M9ulwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/_MG_8355_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sGNETk3y_LA/X4-j7YxHl4I/AAAAAAAAAtA/h7n7CvPirZITSq7JA0I44qwYyDk9M9ulwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/_MG_8355_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Sloth at the rescue center</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;">After a few days in Puerto Viejo, we made our (long and tricky) way to the highlight of our trip: Tortuguero. The trip included driving on bumpy road for 30 or so minutes (not great when pregnant) and a long but beautiful boat ride. It included a stop at the mangrove village of Tortuguero (incl. tasting a freshly cut coconut!). Our final destination was the <a href="https://www.turtlebeachlodge.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Turtle Beach Lodge</a>, which you can only access via boat. It is not high end luxury, but the location is amazing. We had howler monkeys over our heads the whole time (one dropped a coconut 2 inches away from Daniel’s head; that was a little scary!) </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); clear: both; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AUrtn4lbXTM/X4uscTy4mrI/AAAAAAAAAns/F-lPnhnZfY0xkPIUum0p9BGMBkhDZ6-7QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/_MG_8434_hq.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AUrtn4lbXTM/X4uscTy4mrI/AAAAAAAAAns/F-lPnhnZfY0xkPIUum0p9BGMBkhDZ6-7QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/_MG_8434_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); clear: both; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The "entrance" to Turtle Beach Lodge</span></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); clear: both; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The jungle around it is amazing. Wow! We were able to enjoy it through the various little canals and by foot (Daniel almost stepped on a Fer-De-Lance viper!). We got to see a variety of monkeys, basilisks, iguanas, caymans, frogs, etc...</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;">We also got the chance to see turtles lay their eggs on the beach. What an experience, and great timing that the season coincided with our visit.</div><div style="text-size-adjust: auto;"><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); clear: both; font-family: Helvetica; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lJmDCF-z9Gg/X4-j-2ruNbI/AAAAAAAAAtE/-NriFmjNq9M936JrijYh6VZnMixLAKlrgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/_MG_8568_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lJmDCF-z9Gg/X4-j-2ruNbI/AAAAAAAAAtE/-NriFmjNq9M936JrijYh6VZnMixLAKlrgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/_MG_8568_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Jungle hike by the resort</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p></p><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DCthRNu1SbM/X4-kVTRFbjI/AAAAAAAAAtQ/-H-PqikHhMwMc573GpgQ4BR4L9tKlofrACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/_MG_8509_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DCthRNu1SbM/X4-kVTRFbjI/AAAAAAAAAtQ/-H-PqikHhMwMc573GpgQ4BR4L9tKlofrACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/_MG_8509_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Capuchin monkey watching us paddling in our canoe</span></div><br /><span style="font-size: 13px;">After a few days in paradise, </span><span style="font-size: small; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">we made our way to our final destination, Monteverde. We had read wonderful reviews about the region, but whether it was because of the rainy season or because we were limited by the kids in terms of activities, we didn't enjoy it as much. Our favorite activity was </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">hiking in the tall bridges in the middle of the rainforest. It's definitely an experience although I didn't think we saw very much wildlife in the tour. So it was basically a hike on bridges. </span></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: small; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Exmz1GT6LuE/X4-kgMKTbRI/AAAAAAAAAtU/JfQG3UeOxUYej0V8zWTw5YW_D_eRTlTJACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/_MG_8823_hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Exmz1GT6LuE/X4-kgMKTbRI/AAAAAAAAAtU/JfQG3UeOxUYej0V8zWTw5YW_D_eRTlTJACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/_MG_8823_hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Bridge hike</span></div><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">We spent the remainder of our days visiting a coffee plantation (in the pouring rain), enjoying the pool at our hotel (<a href="https://www.monteverdelodge.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Monteverde lodge and gardens</a>) and by nice weather, walking around in the gardens or into town.</span></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">This rounded up our first (but hopefully not last) trip to Costa Rica. We hope we can visit again soon. </span></span></div><p></p></div></div><br />Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08025278178385995795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343236350009889883.post-28546522463763441272012-09-15T22:26:00.000-07:002012-12-24T22:27:09.759-08:00Lassen Volcanic camping tripAfter our <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2012/07/yosemite-trip.html">fun trip to Yosemite</a>, our second camping trip of the season was at Lassen Volcanic National park, and it was a great end of a fun summer. On our longest camping trip yet (3 days), we had the chance to visit most of the park highlights.<br />
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First, we visited Sulphur Works, with boiling mud pots and geysers. It was a fun and relaxing hike, and a great way to get to know the park.<br />
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On the second day, we <a href="http://www.nps.gov/lavo/planyourvisit/hiking_cinder_cone2.htm">climbed Cedar Cone</a>, an old volcano that offers amazing views from the top. The hike is quite challenging due to the sandy aspect of the climb. But Daniel did great, climbing faster that some of the grown up around us (and despite wearing a shoe that was way too tight, as we discovered later!) The reward as the top is astounding views of the surrounding mountains and lava flows.<br />
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The spent the afternoon after this long hike splashing in the river by the campground, which the kids loved!<br />
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On our last day, we drove all the way to the other end of the park, to Drakesbad Ranch, where we hiked one last time and enjoyed a fun lunch next to horses. It was another rough farewell, where the kids had their share of whining. But it was again a great sign that they really enjoyed this type of trip.<br />
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I see more camping trips in our future!<br />
<span class="fullpost"><br /></span>Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08025278178385995795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343236350009889883.post-20148364925002232982012-07-28T08:47:00.000-07:002012-08-12T09:16:02.847-07:00Yosemite tripLast week, we had another big milestone in our family life. After last year's first quick <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2011/09/redo-of-pinnacles-with-camping.html">camping trip at Pinnacles</a>, we went camping for 2 nights for the first time. And it was a great success.
We were lucky to get a reservation at a campground in Yosemite, on a weekend where the weather was perfect, if not a little too hot. We spent a weekend exploring the valley, hiking, looking for wildlife (not very successfully though) and enjoying the outdoors. It was fun!
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Even though Daniel had a short phase of accidents after a long hike to the top of Bernal Fall (bitten by a squirrel - or so he thinks, and a fall leading to a cut gum), he quickly recovered and enjoyed the rest of the trip. A few minutes later, he was again climbing on boulders, running around, and enjoying being outdoors to use his endless energy.
The hardest part was leaving. Everyone was heart-broken, but Daniel had the hardest time. It seems to be a pattern for him lately, and I think this had to do with the age (although he already showed <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2009/07/so-passionate-about-everything-so-many.html">similar behavior at 18 months</a>) . Daniel is so passionate about everything, and he loves new adventures. Even though we keep telling him and finishing an adventure means that a new one will be starting soon, he still has a hard time saying good bye. Fortunately, a few days later, we were on our way to a great trip to Europe. So the Yosemite nostalgia was limited. And we have another camping trip to look forward to in a few weeks, which should be a great way to wrap up the summer.Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08025278178385995795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343236350009889883.post-76787336031972793002012-05-01T23:15:00.000-07:002012-06-16T22:05:19.680-07:00Hawaii trip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We just came back from a short (too short!) but fun trip to Hawaii. Even though it was only 4 days, we needed the break and it turned out to give us a good reason to relax. We went to Kona, to a resort that was very suited for kids, which therefore means easy for the parents. And it was really perfect for the kids:<br />
- several pools with 4 slides, one of them 70 feet high.<br />
- one tram to go from one side of the hotel to the next<br />
- a boat service on an artificial river<br />
- a dolphin show several times a day<br />
- a protected lagune (easy to snorkel, even for a 4-year old) where a variety of fishes and many turtles find their way<br />
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What else could we want?<br />
It was truly paradise on earth for Daniel. He spent a lot of time testing the slides and, after quite a bit of nudging at the beginning, fell in love with snorkeling. He would keep going back to the lagune to look for more turtles, more fish, more new things to experience.<br />
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Charlotte enjoyed jumping in the pool too, although she was also disappointed not to be able to take the slides on her own. It was tough for her to see big brother having so much fun, and not being able to tag along. Hopefully, this will mean great motivation to start swim classes in a year when she turns 3.<br />
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We also spent one day at the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm">Hawaii Volcanoes National Park</a>, which was very interesting (although a long trip for what was supposed to be a relaxing vacation). Daniel loved learning about the lava and the mechanics of volcanoes. He definitely is at the age where he benefits most from all our trips: old enough to comprehend everything, and young enough to be fascinated by what he sees. It's really a great age for travel, and I can't wait for Charlotte to get into this phase too. She will be there soon enough!<br />
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<br />Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08025278178385995795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343236350009889883.post-19189717045713500852011-10-01T21:19:00.000-07:002011-10-01T22:21:16.310-07:00Parents: Beware of Avis... They don't care about the safety of your kidsI had the most frustrating and scary experience with Avis tonight. We are preparing to take a trip to South California at the end of next week, where we will have our 2 young kids (3.5 and 1.5 year olds) with us. My in-laws will be coming with us as well, they were the ones who made the reservation for a car with 2 child safety seats, from Germany. Through the process, someone had suggested that it might be helpful to confirm that the car seats were really going to be available when we come to pick up our car. I thought it seemed a little but unnecessary since the reservation clearly stated that they had reserved - and paid for - 2 car seats. But to appease everyone before the trip, I went ahead and called Avis.<br /><br />OMG - What a scary experience. I talked to 3 people, including the shift manager (Andrew Diaz) and got told that Avis can not guarantee that we will have car seats when we come pick up the car. Even though, it's written in our contract, they might not be able to fulfill their obligations at the end! Apparently their systems can take the reservation, but they don't sync up with their car seat inventory. And, these 3 agents were able to tell this to me in a straight voice, without blinking!? There are so many wrong things with this.<br />1. How hard is it to build a system that tracks car seat inventory? They have to know how many cars they can offer. Can't they do the same for car seats?<br />2. More concerning, they don't seem to care about breaching a contract that they let customers get into!<br />3. And most concerning, they don't care about the implications of not having car seats available for parents who need them to drive away from the airport. When I asked Andrew if I might have to drive my kids without car seats if Avis can't provide them, he couldn't deny that possible scenario. WOW! I see a huge legal liability in Avis' future if this policy gets exposed.<br /><br />Really, Avis, is this what you stand for? Not caring for kids or for the law?<br />Sadly, it seems that it's not the first time that customers have <a href=" http://www.epinions.com/review/trvl-Transportation-Auto_Rental-All-Avis/content_432616738436">horrible experiences with Avis and their ignorance of car seat safety rules</a><br />Is someone in their Legal department aware of this?<br /><br />Sadly, we can't wait for the pending lawsuit to happen. I think we will probably just cancel our reservation (since Avis isn't able to fulfill their side of the contract, this shouldn't be too hard anyways). <br />Does someone know any good rental car agency that is reliable with car seats?<br /><span class="fullpost"><br /></span>Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08025278178385995795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343236350009889883.post-42338601809142511702011-08-20T21:48:00.000-07:002011-08-20T21:53:36.130-07:00Hotel Klopp - CenterHotels: Avoid at any costOn our way back from our <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2011/08/greenland-trip-highlights.html">wonderful Greenland trip</a>, we had to spend a short (aka 5 hour) night in Reykjavik. I had booked the Hotel Klopp from CenterHotel in advance and it turned out to be the biggest disappointment in the entire trip.
<br />The management is incompetent and irresponsible. We were expecting to arrive late at the hotel due to our flight schedule. I had informed over email that we would be late, but this wouldn't be a no show. We needed the room to sleep. even for just a couple of hours, before heading to our next flight. I had received a response that it would be no problem and the reception would be open 24/7. We arrived, with 2 sleepy kids and tired adults and the front desk person told us that there was no room for us! They had "upgraded" us to another hotel of their chain, and we had to take another taxi to get to the other hotel. This, in the middle of the night, during Gay Pride! It took us 20 minutes to even get a hold of a taxi, and by then we were so irritated. They had ripped us of 10% of the sleep we would be able to get that night, the kids were so unhappy, and the front-desk manager just kept saying there was nothing he could do. We ended up asking them to book us into a different hotel, where the location would be more convenient (since we had to find another room anyways). I am still trying to negotiate to get a partial refund for this awful customer service, but without success so far. Not a good track record.
<br />I hope this blog article can be useful to anyone who is looking to book a hotel in Reykjavik. Please avoid Centerhotels in Reykjavik if you want to have a good stay.Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08025278178385995795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343236350009889883.post-90410277343260020962011-08-13T22:10:00.000-07:002020-10-25T18:31:27.166-07:00Traveling with kids in Greenland<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8hEsaUcufMU/TkixWiRN2_I/AAAAAAAAAXE/ep71mBbmJV0/s1600/_MG_6474.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8hEsaUcufMU/TkixWiRN2_I/AAAAAAAAAXE/ep71mBbmJV0/s320/_MG_6474.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640953533995801586" /></a>We recently <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2011/08/greenland-trip-highlights.html">traveled to Greenland</a> for a week with our 3.5 year-old son and our 15-month daughter, for a variety of reasons. We were obviously not necessarily trying to optimize for a kid-friendly destination, and one of my concerns was how the kids would react on a trip with 3 destinations in a short week, plane, helicopter, boat, jeep rides, etc... and a limited amount of entertainment for them.
The good news is that the logistics was much easier than expected, with high quality hotels and restaurants, punctual flights, etc... So we didn't have any issue to deal with on this front. We also got much better weather than expected, which helped with everyone's well-being. That said, emotionally, this trip could have been - and to be fair was at times- overwhelming for the kids. But overall, the kids did really great and I am sure they grew and learned a lot during that time. Charlotte, 15 months, got completely familiarized with the word/concept of "airplane" after flying in 10 of them in a 2-week period. Talk about learning by experience! And the bonus benefit was that the time difference between Greenland and California was only 5 hours, which helped us readjust to our timing after only 2 days. Much better than <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2010/08/europe-trip-update-jet-lag-with-kids.html">dealing with jetlag in Europe</a>.<span class="fullpost">
Daniel, our 3.5 year-old, was required to step up to the task. His baby sister was somewhat uncomfortable with the new environment, and she needed a lot of our attention. She had the benefit of being carried in the baby backpack or in our arms most of the tour, though. So, she had it easy, being able to stay close to us and to sleep whenever she needed. Daniel had to act as a big boy. He had to be self-reliant in a lot of situations and he had to walk everywhere with us, whether it was long and strenuous or right during his nap time. He was a real trooper. He barely complained a few times that he wanted to get more of my attention (this was fair). We never had any issue with him not being up for the physical challenges, and this was a big relief. To these days, he still reminds us proudly how he climbed all the way to the glacier by himself. And he thoroughly enjoyed all the new experiences, whether it was the helicopter ride or seeing the iceberg collapse from the boat.
<span style="font-style:italic;">Explorer at the top of the world</span>
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<span style="font-style:italic;">Made it to the top!</span>
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Evenings were sometimes a little bit tough with him, probably due to exhaustion, the irregular schedule and the fact that our hotel room, which comfortable and clean, didn't have much to offer to an active kid. Also, given that the sun never set down, Daniel was often confused about what time it was (he had to ask for every meal what type of meal it was to reassure himself) and he often questioned whether it was really time to sleep. We ended up having to deal with tantrums and time-outs a lot more than we usually have to at home, which was so disappointing since he was doing so awesome during the day. At our last destination, Ilulissat, we ended up finding a playground where we tried to go every day, so that the kids could enjoy some unstructured, kid-friendly activities.
Charlotte had obviously a different take on our trip. I think for her the main learning was dealing with new surroundings and a variety of experiences she was not prepared for. The first trip in a helicopter was definitely not her favorite, but by the time we flew back, she seemed to have already learned how to cope with it better. Overall, despite being very clingy, she seemed happy overall. She still tried to do her silly jokes at dinner table like she does at home, and she enjoyed the playground. She also learned a lot of new concepts from seeing new objects and hearing new sounds she hadn't been exposed to before. So, I hope that, despite the difficulties in adapting, she got some positive experiences out of this trip. At least, we have great photos from her to remember it!
<span style="font-style:italic;">First helicopter flight</span>
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</span>Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08025278178385995795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343236350009889883.post-71728050053025782192011-08-10T22:46:00.000-07:002011-08-14T22:54:39.654-07:00Greenland Hotel and Restaurant reviewIf anyone following my blog is interested in specific information about our recent <a href="http://www.isabelles.net/2011/08/greenland-trip-highlights.html">trip to Greenland</a>, below are some reviews of the hotels and restaurants we visited. I hope this is helpful.
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Nuuk</span>:
<br /><a href="http://www.soemandshjem.gl/gb/default.htm">Hotel Seamen's Homes</a>. Very clean and friendly. I love the view of the harbor, I think this is a key differentiator for this hotel. Our 3.5 year-old loved seeing the cranes lift the big containers. Also, he was excited to see that the dock workers came to have breakfast at the hotel, this was great entertainment for him! The only caveat is that the hotel is 20-30 minutes walk from the center, not necessarily an issue unless it rains a lot (which happened to us).
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<br />Restaurant: Godthaab Bryghus. In the city center. Great muskox dishes and good service. Kid menu and crayons. Comfortable settings. Unfortunately, I don't drink beer, so I can't speak to this, but I know that my husband ordered several Godthaab Bryghus beers through the rest of our stay, so it has to be OK.<span class="fullpost">
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Kangerlussuaq:</span>
<br /><a href="http://www.wogac.com/accommodation/polar-lodge">Hotel Polar Lodge</a> from World of Greenland: The main benefit of the hotel is that it's walking distance from the airport. It's pretty small: 12 very basic rooms with shared bathroom. (We got the biggest room and with 2 kids, we literally had no room to move!). That said, all buildings in Kangerlussuaq, and the other 3 hotels, look like big containers anyways, so I am not sure if the comfort in other hotels is much different... and they are harder to reach. The hotel was still decent. It was very well heated and we got Nutella and fresh bread for breakfast (what else can we ask for?)
<br />World of Greenland also organizes the expeditions to the Russell Glacier (great, but beware bumpy road), the Muskox safari (not worth it) and others.
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<br />We ate most of our meals at the airport cafeteria, which offers a decent range of food, from light sandwiches to muskox burger and hearty dishes... and endless entertainment for the kids with planes coming in and out.
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<br /><a href="http://www.wogac.com/restaurant-roklubben">Roklubben restaurant</a>: It's located about 5 miles from the center, by the small lake nearby (they pick up patrons with a shuttle). It was good food and a great view to the lake. That said, the service was very slow and rude. They completely frowned at us when we asked for bread because we had been waiting for our food for 20 minutes and the kids were passing out (this was the day of our big hike to the Russell Glacier and Daniel was really starting to feel the effects of his long hike). This made for a grumpy and stressful dinner, which we would certainly have loved to avoid.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Ilulissat</span>
<br /><a href="http://www.hotelhvidefalk.gl/">Hotel Hvide Falk</a>: Good hotel with standard rooms, bright and clean. We enjoyed the fact that the hotel was in central location, which was a big plus considering that we were relying on our 3.5 year-old to walk everywhere with us. The other 2 hotels in Ilulissat are much further away. The hotel service was great. They helped us organize a boat excursion on a somewhat short notice; they extended our check out time, so that we could let the kids nap before starting our journey back to the US.
<br />They also have a good restaurant, which superb views to the sea. Breakfast in decent and dinner menu includes a lot of yummy local food (muskox, reindeer and a variety of fish dishes). They also have a kids menu.
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<br />Restaurant Marmamut: This is a must-try in Ilulissat. The positioning of the restaurant is modern greenlandic cuisine, and it's really excellent. We tried whale carpaccio and various innovative seafood dishes, that we all enjoyed. Even the desserts could have competed with any decent French restaurants. The restaurant is a little bit of a walk from the city center and it's on a hill, and it has great views of the sea. What sealed the deal for us was that they brought a big box of toys for the kids in the middle of dinner (granted we were the only customers left because it was late). This all of a sudden made such a difference in how we enjoyed our 3-couse dinner. The kids hadn't had the chance to play with real toys since the beginning of our trip, so they had a blast with simple cars and dolls. They had started to become impatient and grumpy and this completely distracted them. This was the best meal in our entire trip!
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Reykjavik (Iceland)</span>
<br />Since Greenland can only be reached through Denmark or Iceland, we ended up spending 2 nights in Reykjavik, one at the beginning and one at the end. We stayed in 2 different hotels.
<br /><a href="www.bbkeflavik.com">Keflavik Bed & Breakfast</a>. Despite the name, this is a major operation. The hotel is located in an old military house, and it's big. When we arrived at the airport, the shuttle was waiting for 18 people from the same flight (and it had a trailer to put all the luggage in it!) The hotel is really close to the airport, which is a great advantage, and the operations seem to run smoothly. We were able to check in very quickly. The rooms are very standard but clean and large (probably the largest we had for the 4 of us in our entire trip). There is a fitness room, a pool room and a couple of other services.
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<br /><a href="www.centerhotels.com">Centerhotels</a>. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Avoid at any cost, please</span>. The management is incompetent and irresponsible. We were expecting to arrive late at the hotel due to our flight schedule. I had informed over email that we would be late, but this wouldn't be a no show. We needed the room to sleep. even for just a couple of hours, before heading to our next flight. I had received a response that it would be no problem and the reception would be open 24/7. We arrived, with 2 sleepy kids and tired adults and the front desk person told us that there was no room for us! They had "upgraded" us to another hotel of their chain, and we had to take another taxi to get to the other hotel. This, in the middle of the night, during Gay Pride! It took us 20 minutes to even get a hold of a taxi, and by then we were so irritated. They had ripped us of 10% of the sleep we would be able to get that night, the kids were so unhappy, and the front-desk manager just kept saying there was nothing he could do. We ended up asking them to book us into a different hotel, where the location would be more convenient (since we had to find another room anyways). I am still trying to negotiate to get a partial refund for this awful customer service, but without success so far. Not a good track record. If this blog article can be useful to anyone, I hope this will be about avoiding Centerhotels in Reykjavik.
<br /></span>Isabellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08025278178385995795noreply@blogger.com0