Getting Out of Guayaquil

When back in Quito trying to secure my last minute Galapagos cruise, I was under a lot of pressure to make my decisions quickly. It felt like a high stakes game, committing to the cost of the cruise without airfare, then trying to nab seats before the airfare went up or sold out. I had only a few minutes to decide what my return destination would be, and when.  I opted to stay in the Galapagos five extra days, thinking the cruise would only leave me wanting more.

That might have been true had I reversed the order and done the land portion first, followed by the cruise. But on the heels of the heavenly cruise, Puerto Ayora felt like hell, or at least Continue reading

Rockin’ Across the Sea of Cortez

When I left La Paz on the Baja Peninsula last year under a cloud of melancholy, I set some intentions declaring aloud, “The next time I come to La Paz, it will be on a boat!”   As is often the case, though, I needed to be a bit more specific.  What I had in mind was a sailboat.  What I manifested instead was a ferry. Continue reading

The Password is “Fresnel”

On my last visit to Mazatlan in 2013, there was one thing I wanted to do, but due to a commitment to meet Don in Oaxaca for New Years, there wasn’t time.    I wanted to climb “El Faro.”   And if you haven’t figured out by now, El Faro stands for
:::(drumroll):::   “The Lighthouse!” 

I knew very little about Mazatlan’s lighthouse….only that it was atop a very large hill at the end of the shipping channel, and was reported to offer spectacular views.   So given that it’s a lighthouse, and I am a self-proclaimed “lighthouse nut,” it was a must-do this visit. Continue reading

Life on the Isla

In picking a path through Mexico this winter, the northbound option had an extra plus in the pro vs con analysis…getting to visit with my friends Contessa and Colin.   I’ve been a follower of Contessa’s blog for years.   She is yet another example of how my life has been enriched by meeting people through blogging.  We first met when I visited the Isla back in 2013, and have kept in touch regularly since, even meeting up in the desert on Continue reading