Our plans, decisions, and adventures
Our last post covered four weeks of Den Haag explorations and this one tackles several day trips we took while staying there to places outside the city's boundaries. Delft Our first trip to Delft was on what turned out to be a windy, rainy market day. We arrived just in time to have a coffee... Continue Reading →
Istanbul. A city split over two continents (Asia and Europe). A city with a countable population that is roughly half that of the entire country of Canada. The Turks speak of the country's uncountable population (refugees and their growing families, primarily) as, well, uncountable--nobody knows how many more this adds to the population number--and Istanbul is a... Continue Reading →
We had 2 weeks free after our house sit in Turkey before we needed to be in Istanbul for a flight out of the country. Rather than spend a few days at several spots along the 1,000km route, we planned a (hopefully) quiet week in one coastal town followed by a (likely) crazy week in... Continue Reading →
Our AirBnB was just a few minutes walk into town, so we walked in for dinner, and then spent more time walking about the next day. The city center is small and easy to get around. The Inverness castle, which is right in the city center, is a functioning civic building, so is not open... Continue Reading →
We are staying in a neighborhood called El Congrejo in an all-suites hotel (Hotel Coral Suites). This was not the plan--our AirBnb for Panama City (loft apartment with rooftop pool and view of the ocean!) was cancelled on us about 9 days before our arrival here as it was sold. Surprise! A mad scramble found... Continue Reading →
Another day of transit, leaving Ecuador after almost 3 months, for a short one-city visit to Colombia. Our travel day: Cab from Atacames to Esmeraldas, Ecuador--45 minutes (including a pullover by the police to check license, registration), $25. Flight on Tame from Esmeraldas to Quito, Ecuador--45 minutes. Flight on Viva Colombia from Quito to Bogotá, Colombia--100... Continue Reading →
Beach fun We solved our beach challenges (see Atacames: Tourist beach town) in two ways: We hopped a 10-minute, 30-cent bus to a Súa, a sleepy fishing village with a lovely, quiet bay that is protected from the waves and perfect for swimming. There is a malecón wall at the top of the beach, and... Continue Reading →
Parque la Carolina is a large green space in the center of Quito, roughly 1.5km long and 500m wide. It is a landmark, often used to describe locations (e.g., three blocks west of Carolina). Surrounded by tall buildings, and major roadways that are frequently congested with diesel-smoke-spewing buses, it provides a relatively fresh and peaceful respite from the... Continue Reading →
Ken is off to Spanish school this morning. He looks so cute in his new school clothes with his notebook and pencil tucked under his arm. He will be attending Cristobal Colon Spanish School, which is just a 15-minute walk from our apartment, for the next two weeks, four hours a day, from 9:00am to... Continue Reading →
Today is the first day of our new life, and I am writing this while on a layover in the Dallas-Fort Worth airport. From the next post on, we will be writing about where our adventure takes us, and not how we are preparing for it. But this post is not that. We became homeless on August 21, and... Continue Reading →
I was really looking forward to summer. Summer in Calgary can be fun. Loads of sun, festivals, river rafting/paddling, cycling, and of course the stampede. We live inner city, so can get to most events and activities in under a 30-minute walk. And since I'm working remotely and flexibly, I anticipated lots of extra time with... Continue Reading →
Just left: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Now: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Up next: North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Life: Phase Next 