Our plans, decisions, and adventures
From Wellington on the North Island, we took a ferry across Cook Strait to Picton, on the South Island. There are two companies that provide transit across Cook Strait: Interislander and Blueridge. We booked on Interislander based on sailing times and availability, but you can select based on ship as well. We had read that... Continue Reading →
After Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos, life in San Miguel de Allende (SMA) settled down to a pleasant pace. We were house sitting in a three-level-plus-rooftop home a short walk from el centro, the historic town center. Our charge was an oh-so-easy-to-care-for meowless (but purrful) senior cat. Other than keeping her well fed and... Continue Reading →
One way to get a different perspective on Penang is to get up to the top of Penang Hill. In past years, getting to the top of the hill, a distance of almost 2 km from the lower station, took about 40 minutes. Since 2012 the trip takes only 4 1/2 minutes aboard a fast,... Continue Reading →
When our visit to the Thai island of Koh Lanta was over, we headed to Langkawi, Malaysia, by ferry. It was an interesting trip and process, and I hope that documenting it might prove useful for others who might be interested in making the same journey. The first part of the trip is the same... Continue Reading →
We had attempted a day trip to Rigi the week before, but missed our bus stop and by then it was too late to get back to the right one so we could board a boat across Lake Lucerne. Fate was with us, though, because at the time we would have been up the mountain... Continue Reading →
Though, as close as the night before, this day trip just about didn't happen (see TripBits, below), we ended up having a lovely time and were so glad we had persevered. As we poured over the map and checked out the towns along the way, trying to decide how far to take the train, we... Continue Reading →
We are hurtling along northbound train tracks at 100mph, heading for Edinburgh, Scotland. We are on a Virgin Train, sitting in first class (see TripBits, below for details) enjoying comfortable, reserved seats, a large table with power, wifi, and food service, (snacks, hot and cold drinks, breakfast or lunch). We chose lunch, but were still... Continue Reading →
We have arrived in Melksham, Wiltshire, UK. We took a direct Vancouver to London flight followed by three trains, and arrived at the Melksham station mid-afternoon the following day. Though we struggled to stay awake to avoid missing our stop, we were delighted to be met with a cheerful smile and big hugs from Barbb,... Continue Reading →
We took a short two-night side trip to Léon, Nicaragua, this week. We were just going to go for one night since I had 2 days free of work, but I squeezed in another night by leaving work a little early on Monday. Ken was already in Managua at the dentist (subject of a future... Continue Reading →
What a beautiful day! We wanted to explore Las Isletas, the 365 islands in the lake right in Granada, using a different mode of transport than kayaks (which we are saving to do when la familia visits us in a couple of weeks (so excited about that!!).We found out about a party-style boat that plies... Continue Reading →
We finally rented a car in Pedasí so we could explore around the peninsula. At $69USD/day, it's not an inexpensive choice for getting around, but we were excited about the freedom that having our own car offered us. We made a quick stop at Playa Venao (we had already been there as part of our waterfall... Continue Reading →
Just left: Port Townsend, Washington, USA
Now: Birch Bay, Washington, USA
Up next: Maple Bay, British Columbia, Canada
Life: Phase Next 