Exploring the Galapagos Islands

Hello Friends,

At the time of our last blog entry James was about to join us at the animal rescue centre here in Ecuador. Following detailed directions he walked up the path at Merazonia into our happy arms right on schedule!

Saying goodbye at Merazonia

After two weeks of hard work at the animal rescue centre we took off from Quito for 3 weeks on the Galapagos Islands. After crossing the 1000 kms from the coast of Ecuador, we couldn’t believe that we were actually about to arrive in this mystical land that we’d read so much about and seen in documentaries.

In order to protect the islands, travellers to the Galapagos who have not pre-arranged boat tours must be based out of three towns.  So immediately after our plane landed in what we had pictured as an untouched natural paradise, we ended up in a town of 30,000 people. Even having read about this before hand, it was a shock to see so much habitation. As much as 97% of the Galapagos is a National Park.  Access to the islands is highly controlled, and visits anywhere within the National Park can only be done as part of group with a Guide.

Marine Iguanas basking on lava rocks

On our second day, a two hour roller coaster ride in a boat took us to a quieter town of 3,000 on another island. As we settled into our great little room looking out over the intensly blue water, we eased into Galapagos time. The thrill of walking down the beach and seeing our first Marine Iguanas basking on the lava rocks, watching the amazing Blue Footed Boobies torpedo into the water at 130 km/hr. and Black Tip sharks circling schools of fish, made us feel that we’d really arrived.

Sun bathing with baby sea lion

There is something wonderful about gathering snorkel gear and heading down to the warf to swim among tiny penguins (35 cm) and sea lions who still have only curiosity about humans and no fear. What really surprised us was how much of the animal life we saw was in the sea. Snorkeling was as much a part of our day as going for walks. Swimming with sea lions, giant sea turtles, sharks, marine iguanas feeding under water, and a myriad of tropical fish is as beautiful in real life as in those BBC documentaries!

Chatting with giant Land Tortoises

On our walks we visited a few sites where giant land tortoises still survive in the wild. This wonderous, lumbering animal was almost driven to extinction by sailors who took them on board as food for long sea voyages. It wasn’t until they were almost eliminated that the Charles Darwin Research Centre and the Galapagos National Park mounted an intense captive breeding program in order to replenish their numbers.

Blue Footed Boobies (Courting)

Looking at the geology of these young volcanic islands, identifying the flora and fauna as we moved from place to place, was a big thrill. One of the highlights of our time on the Galapagos was a four day boat tour we took to the southern islands. Because there are no predators, many birds have their nests right on the ground. We watched the courtship dances of Albatross, and the Blue Footed Boobies from a few feet away, with the birds completely undisturbed by our presence.

Pancho the Sea Lion waiting for a hand-out at the fish market

The experience of the Galapagos Islands as a pristine natural paradise, as well as spending time in towns really gave us a sense of two different worlds. Walking down to the fisherman’s warf to buy our Albacore tuna or Wahoo fish for supper, we’d arrive to find sea lions standing on their back flippers waiting for a fish treat and pelicans and marine iguanas sharing space with the fisherman. Only on the Galapagos!

Locals, who have lived on the islands for several generations, told us stories of a time in the not too distant past (35 years ago) when the only contact with the outside world was a supply ship which would arrive every 6 months from the mainland. The few residents on the islands where mostly self sufficient. Today there are 5 jets a day that bring tourists and supplies. The Ecuadorian government and people are caught in the difficult place of trying to manage growth in a way that protects this amazing and unique environment.

This will be our last blog. We’ll be back in Vancouver in less than a week and can’t wait to see all of you again!

Ecuador: Volunteering at Animal Rescue Centres

Dear Family and Friends

Just over a week ago, we arrived in Quito, Ecuador after a quick one hour flight from Cali. For both safety and comfort reasons, I decided not to do the 20 hour bus journey through this very mountainous region. Not only had we had been told we shouldn’t travel the road  at night because of bandits, mountain roads pose quite a challenge to those of us prone to motion sickness. We’d already had the experience of a much shorter trip through the mountains in Colombia in which I had my head in a plastic bag vomiting, Philip-Maynard turned various shades of green and Emilia, with eyes closed, sang every song she knew to herself to keep her mind off the nausea. You can imagine their vote when we were deciding whether to fly or take the bus!

At 2800 meters, Quito is the second highest capital in the world.  So after the tropical heat of the Colombian coast, we were back in “tierra fria” (cold country). The amazing thing about climate  near the equator is that it’s all altitude-based. Sea level is always hot, and things cool down as the elevation increases. I remember when I was a child living in Bogota, we would sometimes go to “tierra caliente” (hot country) to spend a day near a river. We’d drive down the mountain for a couple of hours and suddenly be in an area that was sweltering hot. At the end of the day we would drive back up to cold country.

We had fun painting new signs with some very artistic volunteers from Australia and Argentina

After a few days in Quito, we traveled five hours south to the edge of the Amazon Basin where we have been working at two animal rescue centers. Our first week was at Centro de Rescate Los Monos, a rescue center that takes in animals which have been illegally removed from the wild, some having been kept as house pets. When we arrived, we were quickly surrounded by Woolly, Spider and Squirrel monkeys. Most of these monkeys live outdoors in the trees and do not leave, as they’re fed there.

Arms full of Spider and Squirrel Monkey!

Paulita the orphaned Wooley Monkey

It was amazing to have the chance to be so close to creatures that are so much like us. Because these monkeys have been habituated to humans they can never be released back into the wild.

Feeding time!

At 8 in the morning we gathered with other volunteers to start chopping cases of papayas, watermelon, pineapple and veggies. The tropical fruit diet of these monkeys left us northerners envious! It was quite a sight when the fruit and vegetable delivery for the monkeys arrived. The monkeys would run out, jump onto the pick-up truck and start feasting on their favorite fruit. We had to load wheel barrows and try to get the supplies indoors while peeling monkeys off ourselves and the fruit. Other chores are less pleasant, such as scooping up monkey poop and washing the floors of the monkey house (which used to be a human house), from top to bottom.

Adam the baby river otter

Although the center’s main focus is monkeys, they do have other animals. A couple of months ago a baby river otter was brought in. It requires almost the full-time attention of a volunteer to keep this little guy happy and well nourished. Philip-Maynard and Emilia took on the responsibility of his care for the week we were there. This included taking Adam the otter down to the river three times a day for a long swim and fish feed. He would then trot back up the trail behind them to get his warm bottle.

On Sunday we started work at Merazonia, an animal rescue and rehabilitation center. Because the goal at this center is to return animals to the wild if possible, we have a totally hands off approach with them. It’s a well run center and good animal habitats are a priority. The past two days we have felt like Indiana Jones as we slog our way through the dense tropical rain forest, knee deep in muck swinging a machete. Our mission is to come back with small trees and branches to “decorate” the cages  in order to provide the animals with a more stimulating living space.

Volcán Tungurahua

We work from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM. and these first three days have felt a little like Boot Camp. Building a new enclosure for a howler monkey, lugging rocks up from the river, and tree cutting excursions are very different than the monkey cuddling volunteering of last week. No complaints from Emilia and Philip-Maynard, though, other than a comment last night when we took our socks off that they smelled worse than a dead animal!

As we came into town this evening to write this blog post, we saw a big cloud of ash being spewed out of Volcan Tungurahua, which is about one hour from us.  Apparently this volcano periodically rumbles back to life, though the locals tell us that there is nothing to worry about.

We’re counting down the days to May 2nd, when James comes to join us!

Return to Cali

Hi Friends,

The house I grew up in has been turned into a computer training centre

Time didn’t stand still in Cali in the past 25 years. In fact so much has changed that all the places of my youth are pretty much unrecognizable. My old neighbourhood has changed from residential to commercial, so it’s no longer a place where people stroll about in the evening and chat with their neighbours. The house I lived in has been turned into a computer training center, and the only thing that’s the same at my old school is the soccer field and the basketball court. Everything else has been rebuilt.

After the initial shock of the changed house, I was fortunate to find that one of our old next-door neighbours still lives there and remembers our family. Big hugs and quite a few tears were shed as we stood on the street. We were invited in and had a wonderful time getting caught up on each others lives. Given that the row houses were all pretty much identical, I got to show Emilia and Philip Maynard around, using a substitute house. It’s hard to go back and find everything different. Though the pictures that were frozen in time have now been updated, I wonder if the old images that were crystal clear will now get blurred.

My childhood friend Nydia and her family

When we arrived at the airport I had no trouble recognizing my friend Nydia. Emilia and Philip Maynard were expecting to see a 20 year old waiting for us, perhaps because they knew that is the age I was when I last visited Cali. I think Nydia and I have gotten used to the older versions of each other. It’s been great to get to know her husband Diego and 11 year old daughter Maria Juliana.

Given that Nydia’s family is busy with work and school during the day, Emilia, Philip Maynard and I head out to explore the city. A highlight has been our visits to an animal rescue centre. Years ago a woman who loves animals started taking in homeless dogs and cats. Over time, her efforts grew into the Paraiso de la Mascota (Pet’s Paradise), a shelter that houses about 450 rescued dogs and cats and a few horses.

Dog Heaven - cuddling Canelita!

The human climbing tree!

When we arrived, the din of 300 barking dogs was almost deafening. I asked one of the staff about how the neighbours respond to all the noise. There are lots of complaints, he said, but they reached a compromise; no visitors on Sundays, which reduces the amount of barking. Most of the dogs settled down once we went into one of the enclosures, though. With these four legged “kids” bounding up to us and begging to be played with, Emilia, Philip-Maynard and I settled into an afternoon of dog and cat heaven.

Large groups of dogs generally get on well together

At one point, a fight broke out between two dogs just as I stepped into an enclosure. In the confusion, one of the fighting dogs sunk his teeth into my leg. When I showed the somewhat nasty gash to one of the staff, his response was, “Hmm… that’s unusual, people go into those enclosures regularly and the dogs don’t bite them.”

While I wasn’t too worried, since all the dogs were vaccinated against rabies, I was struck by how casual his response was. Given that there was still a risk of an infection, we carefully cleaned off the wound and I relocated to an area where the dogs weren’t fighting.

A couple of days have passed, and I’m relieved that the bite is healing well. Our only real concern now is how we’re going to get back to Canada without one very cute little brown dog named Canelita (Little Cinnamon) that Emilia has fallen in love with!

As our month in Colombia wraps up, I think about the complexity and many layers in this country. During a taxi ride here in Cali, we observed to the driver that very few people use seat belts, even though they’re mandatory. Well, this hit a nerve.  “The government doesn’t give a damn if I live or die,” he said. “The only reason for seat belt laws is to line the pockets of government officials”. The driver then reiterated what I’ve heard over and over since arriving here. The Colombian government is one of the most corrupt in Latin America.

We came across an example of this in our travels. A woman in one of the hostels we were staying at was riding in a taxi that was in a head-on collision with a drunk driver. When she saw the other car speeding towards them, our friend threw herself behind the seat for protection. Both she and the driver escaped with minor injuries.

Later, lying on a stretcher in Emergency with a broken nose and many bruises, a police officer came by. He started out trying to flirt with her. When that failed, he got really close to her face and quietly said, “you know, the family of the driver will come to talk to you. They’ll want to make things right.” Our friend had learned that the drunk driver came from a well-known family. After repeating this ominous statement a couple of times, the police officer left.

The next day, our friend went to the police station to get a copy of the accident report for her insurance company. The police told her that unfortunately all the records from the accident had been lost. As she told us these details, she said it made her nervous to know that the police had already been paid off, and that she could be entangled with a powerful family that would do whatever it took to get their son off.

When I told this story to our taxi driver, he said “she’s lucky to be alive”. I asked if he meant because of the accident, and he said “No, she’s lucky that the family didn’t have her killed.”

Although this seems extreme, this wasn’t the first time we’ve heard this kind of thing. I’ve been told that over the years, people from all walks of life, including judges, lawyers, union leaders, and politicians have been murdered or “disappeared” after publicly challenging corruption, or working to bring about change.

Our driver repeated a number of times that if the police or military knew that he talked openly about this, his life would be in danger. It felt like the flood gates had opened for him as he spoke out with so much emotion. As our ride came to an end, he gave me a list of books that I could read if I want to learn more.

Today, I went searching for the books, and was told, “Oh… we had those books briefly but they were banned by the government. We’re not allowed to sell them here. If you want them, you have to get them on street.”

Life is difficult for a majority of Colombians, while at the same time, others live very well. Peace is tenuous, and yet,  amidst all of the challenges, we’ve experienced warmth and generosity everywhere we’ve gone. It hasn’t always been easy for me, but it was good to come back.

Today we say goodbye to Colombia and move on to Ecuador.

From Santa Marta on to Cartagena

Having fun hanging out!

Hello Friends,

Although our last post provided a glimpse into one very chaotic day at Mariposas Amarillas, we are happy to report that subsequent days were much calmer! We had been asked to do our art projects in three different locations where volunteers work with kids. It turned out that the other two locations were far less wild!

T-Shirts drying on the sidewalk

 

Our volunteer time turned out to be a wonderfully rewarding experience, and in the end, our two weeks in Santa Marta flew by. Afternoons of t-shirt painting, wire sculpting and papier machè  kept us busy and very happy as we saw how much the kids were enjoying themselves. The teacher volunteers who up to that point had not considered doing art with the kids, are now keen to do more. We’ve left them with lots of supplies, and they’ve promised to let us know how things go.

After many goodbyes, we headed off by bus along the coast to Cartagena. For several hundred years this city was the gateway to South America for the Spaniards. It was also the place they stored all their looted and pillaged gold and silver before putting it on galleons bound for Spain. With such a strategic location and so much treasure, the Spaniards were constantly fighting off other colonial powers, including the British, Dutch and French. Sir Francis Drake, a British sea captain, was a particularly hated (and effective) pirate in this part of the world.

Checking out Castillo San Felipe

To protect Cartegena from falling into hostile hands, the Spaniards built a wall around the city as well as a massive fortress called Castillo de San Felipe. Late in the day, a cool breeze comes up from the sea, and it’s lovely to walk on top of the wall looking out at the ocean on the outside, and the beautiful colonial architecture on the inside.

Plaza Trinidad our favorite place to hang out in the evening

In the evening we make our way to Plazuela de la Santísima Trinidad, a small square that is the center of  the action in our neighbourhood.  Philip-Maynard was invited by some boys to join a soccer game there, but he declined, feeling a little too intimidated by their fancy footwork. In the end, the local kids and Emilia and Philip-Maynard broke the ice by playing a game that involved chasing each other around the square and poking each other in the ribs.

Of course street vendors with a good selection of food and fresh fruit drinks are always present. We’ve discovered a delicious new dish called Patacón Pisado (literal translation: stepped on fried plantain). The whole plantain is flattened to the size of a large pancake and then deep fried. A mixture of sauteed chicken, cheese and veggies is put on top with a little tarter sauce drizzled over everything.  Yum!

Lodo Terapia (mud therapy) at Volcán Totumo!

Yesterday, we went on a totally enjoyable trip to the mud baths at Volcán Totumo. To get up to the top of the “volcano”, we had to climb a rickety old wooden staircase that looked like something out of a Dr. Seuss story. Once in the baths, it seemed that the laws of gravity had been suspended. We were floating upright in what was literally in a bottomless pit of mud; we couldn’t sink no matter how hard we tried. We were told to lie on our backs and, with a push to our feet, we would glide effortlessly across the surface like some kind of human boat. As we lay there, covered from head to toe with this lovely glop, huge gas bubbles would burble up around us. That did give us momentary pause to hope that it wasn’t actually an active volcano!

Afterward, as we traipsed down to a lake to rinse off, Emilia and Philip-Maynard decided that, with our bodies completely caked with mud, we looked an awful lot like Orks from The Lord of the Rings. It took a few long swims in these deliciously warm Caribbean waters to finally get all the mud off!

Later today we’re off the Cali, where I lived until the age of 14. It’s the place where I have the strongest emotional ties, so I’m very excited to go back and explore the area with Emilia and Philip-Maynard. My childhood friend, whom I haven’t seen in 25 years, will be there with her family to meet us!

Thanks for all your notes. We really love reading them!

Santa Marta: Volunteering and exploring the Caribbean Coast

Taganga, a fishing town and traveler's hangout near Santa Marta.

Hello All!

We’ve arrived in what feels like a completely different world in Colombia – the city of Santa Marta in the region known as La Costa on the Caribbean coast. In contrast to Bogota, which is at a higher altitude and therefore cooler, here we really feel like we’re in the tropics. The weather is much warmer and people are out in the streets in their shorts and tank-tops to stroll about, chat and hang out.

Kids we got to spend time with.

This week we started two weeks of volunteering at a children’s centre called Mariposas Amarillas. The centre consists of 3 rooms of about 9 square meters each, with a couple of tables and a few chairs, and that’s it. It was started about 5 years ago by a Colombian guy with a big heart and lots of ideas. He had grown up on the streets of Cali, and wanted to do something to help children here in Santa Marta.

Strings games are a hit anywhere!

The general feel of Mariposas Amarillas is very chaotic – verging on being out of control. Emilia, Philip-Maynard and I had arrived with our supplies and all sorts of plans for art projects.  But getting those projects underway has been both kind of crazy and fun at the same time. The first couple of days we just spent time reading with the kids.  Another time, when things were so crazy that an art project was out of the question, we pulled out string games, which were predictably very popular. As with all such ventures, we’ve had to go with the flow.

The calm before the storm!

Noise levels in the centre reach a point that make it hard to think. This is aggravated by neighbours, whose response to having a group of noisy kids next door is to bring out their massive boom-boxes (with speakers the size of small bar fridges) and set them up right beside us with the volume turned up full blast.  Yesterday we did our best to do an art project with a group of 3 to 8 year-olds.  But with the walls shaking, sweat pouring down my face, paint everywhere, and kids yelling Seño! Profe! (short for señora and profesora), I was left wondering if this painting idea wasn’t pure madness.

Proudly putting his art work up on the wall!

Later, as the paint dried, the kids proudly held up their works of art to be taped onto the wall. At that point it seemed that we had achieved what we had hoped for; to provide these children with the chance to share their world through art, and to give them the pleasure of working with some new materials. Emilia and Philip-Maynard both agree that even though it’s a wild and crazy place, every day they want to go back.

Matriarch of the neighbourhood; supporter of Maripoasas Amarillas

The neighbourhood around Mariposas Amarillas started about 20  years ago as an Invasión, which means people simply took over the land and started putting up shelters. They now have electricity and running water (sometimes), but no title to their land.

Two taxi services!

For most, owning a car is out of the question, so people get around by walking, on bikes, or by bus or taxi. The streets are filled with little yellow taxis and the even more affordable (50 cents instead of 2 dollars) motorcycle taxis.  On these Moto-Taxis, the driver carries the extra helmet on his arm and wears a reflective vest to identify himself as a taxi driver. Given the frenetic chaos of traffic here, it would feel too much like flirting with danger to get on to one of them, so we stick to walking, buses and four-wheeled taxis!

Exploring Bogota by bicycle!

Starting on our tour!

Hello Family and Friends!

A few days ago we had the good fortune of going on a fantastic guided cycle tour of Bogota. Our guide book said there were no bike rentals available – something two enterprising Colombians who love cycling saw as an opportunity.  Eighteen months ago they opened shop, offering bike tours to travelers. They were conveniently located right around the corner from our hostel.

Making Bogota a more livable place was a goal spearheaded by the Mayor of the city some 16 years ago. He initiated Sunday street closures to get people out biking and walking, and to encourage residents of different neighborhoods to interact with each other. Three major streets in Bogota (approx. 50 km) are closed to traffic and taken over by cyclists and pedestrians every Sunday and holiday from 7 AM until 2 PM. Bogota also has about 350 km of separated bike paths.

Our fantastic guides: Israel and Fernando.

Once we were outfitted with mountain bikes and helmets,  an Aussi and Kiwi couple, our two guides and the kids and I set off.  I was happy to be part of the Sunday bike trek, but I was concerned that in a city of 9 million, there might be so many cyclists on the road that the kids and I could get separated. The guides took their place at the front and back of the group. They were equipped with radios, which came in handy a number of times.

History lesson in Plaza Bolivar

Our tour started out with a history lesson about Colombia’s guerrilla groups. The M-19 and FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) had their origins in the 50’s, with goals to help bring justice and better living conditions for the poor.

Our guides told us that at one point many Colombians were sympathetic to the goals of guerrilla movements.  This support pretty much disappeared as the FARC resorted to kidnapping,  extortion, and heavy involvement in the cocaine trade to raise funds. Over a million Colombians were displaced due to the violence.

President Uribe, who held power for eight years until 2010, waged an all-out war against guerrilla forces. However, he was willing to make a deal with the devil in order to succeed; although the government has since retaken control of most of the country, it was done with the help of mercenaries and paramilitary groups.

There are two strongly held views about this period of Colombian history. On the one hand,  the president is referred to as “Saint Uribe” by Colombians who credit him for bringing the country back from the brink of complete chaos and unchecked violence. On the other hand, there is a growing awareness of the dark side of his government, and many who were in power are now facing charges for government sponsored and sanctioned violence during those years.

Street musicians , wearing "Sombrero Volteado" (turned up hat), playing Vallenato music from the Carribean coast

After the history lesson, our guides took us to a park where street musicians and fruit vendors kept us entertained and energized. This included enjoying a delicious fruit drink called Salpicón, a thick drink made with orange juice, finely chopped papaya, banana, apple, pineapple and mango.

None of us had ever tasted Salpicón before, but before long we were all raving about it. This energizer provided us with a well-needed boost; our 4 hour bike tour was evolving into a 6.5 hour excursion!

Fruit salad and Salpicón

Jumping back onto our bikes, we came upon circular brick building that looked like some sort of coliseum, but no… our next stop turned out to be the Plaza de Toros, the bull ring.  Apparently bull fighting has been outlawed in many parts of Spain, and things are slowly moving in that direction here. But bullfighting is still a big event during the Christmas season.   The bull ring was used for the Davis Cup tennis tournament not long ago, so it’s good to know some other uses for this lovely building have already been found.

Our guides were keen to give us a tour in which we would see a good cross-section of the city, so we made our way north to Barrio Chicó and the Zona Rosa where gourmet restaurants and tree lined streets instantly transported us into a very different Colombian reality. We sat in a coffee shop, and could have been on Robson Street in Vancouver except people were all speaking Spanish.

As we cycled back to our hostel I continued to be amazed that our fantastic day exploring Bogota had all been done safely by bicycle.

Goodbye for now! Our next post will be from Santa Marta on the Caribbean coast.

Exploring Bogota

Hello Friends

Here we are three days after arriving and it feels like the most normal thing to be walking on the streets on Bogota. We´re in the oldest neighbourhood in the city, just a couple of blocks from the historical downtown core, which is also one of the business districts. The 150 year-old colonial  houses are made of adobe.

The Hostal Platypus has been a great place to land. It´s full of backpackers from around the world. While its two-foot (60 cm) thick adobe walls are great for sound and temperature control, they almost completely block Wi Fi signals.  Capturing a signal seems to require that travelers stand with their laptops in doorways or the central courtyard, doing something that looks like a slow-motion snake-charmers dance.  Not only are these gyrations entertaining to watch, they also seem to be successful in attracting a signal to their computers! Since we didn’t pack a laptop, we don’t get to join in – but we do enjoy watching the dance. (Emilia occasionally practices with her Ipod.)

Yesterday we ventured further afield in order to try the rapid transit system. Bogota, a city of 9 million people,  got it´s first rapid transit 10 years ago. The TransMilenio (Trans Millennium) is a bus system that is totally separated from the rest of the traffic. It moves people very efficiently and feels pretty much like an above-ground subway.

Bright red TransMilenio buses. with Monserrate mountain, Bogota´s version of Vancouver's Grouse Grind in the background. Thousands pay penance at Easter by going up to the cathedral at the top on their knees.

Locating the bus station was a journey in itself. Finding that we were getting almost as many different directions as people we asked, I had to inquire again at the end of every block.  I was enjoying meandering along though, taking in the sights as we searched. However, at one point, Philip-Maynard blurted out, “Mom, you look like a tourist, walking so slowly, looking around at everything. We have to walk fast so we look like we know where we´re going.” He´s learned well from our previous travels how to avoid being a target for pickpockets. Emilia and I had to practically trot behind him as he led the way every time we got directions. Our man with a mission!

After the new, well oiled TransMilenio system, we transferred to an old rickety bus with one door. We had to squeeze through the turnstile and cram in, hoping that nobody would have to squeeze by to get off. When I asked a fellow passenger where we should get off, a feisty debate broke out among those around us. Finally, one woman took us under her wing, and as we got off, she explained that her choice was based on there being a stoplight where we could cross the street safely, rather than having to dash across four lanes of traffic. When we parted ways she called out, “Que Dios la guarde a usted y sus lindas hijas.” (May God keep you safe, as well as your beautiful daughters.) I received the blessing for all of us – including our lovely son, who´s never phased by people mistaking him for a girl. It´s fairly common to see young men here with long hair, but not boys.

Tree hugging in Bogota's Botanical Garden

Our destination was the Botanical Gardens, an oasis for our green-starved souls. After the din of traffic, and kilometers of concrete sprawl, seeing trees and hearing the sound of water felt like heaven. We were actually quite surprised at the the size of the palm trees  in the gardens, given that Bogota is at 8,000 ft. (2600 m) elevation and can get very chilly.

Street food tasting - a favorite pass-time

Some of my favorite childhood memories in Colombia involve food. We’ve been having a lot of fun re-living them, sampling empanadas, arepas, buñuelos, pan de bono, obleas with arequipe, patacones, and drinking the many tropical fruit juices (guanábana, lulo, curuba, maracuya). So far, Emilia and Philip-Maynard have been pretty good about going with the flow; some days we wander around without a clue what our next meal is going to look like.

Well folks, that’s it for now. Stay tuned – our goal is to add a new post about once a week.

Welcome to our travel blog

The little seed of an idea was planted over four years ago when traveling on a train in Bolivia. As we compared stories with another family that was traveling with their  kids, we heard about how they enjoyed the wonders of the Galapagos Islands. They also told us that their 10 and 12 year old girls were a great age to be able to really appreciate the islands. Emilia and Philip-Maynard, 8 and 6 years old at the time, did the math, and the four year plan was hatched.

Since then, the seed has grown. Philip-Maynard has had the four year countdown going with total confidence that the trip would happen. Emilia made it clear at the end of our year in Latin America that she’d be interested in more travel, but only for a maximum of three months. So the plan evolved, and with lots of research, planning and plotting, the 3 month trip in 4 years has simmered away.

I quickly realized that I could not go to South America without a visit back to Colombia where I grew up. Though it’s been 25 years since I’ve been there, I haven’t considered going back because of the armed conflict and drug related violence. However, in recent years I’ve heard from Colombians that things are getting much safer in many parts of the country, and I’ve been encouraged to consider a visit.  So, with addresses in my pocket, and two kids in tow, I’m returning.

As we pondered other options for this trip, we also considered looking into doing volunteer work. “Working with animals!” was Emilia and Philip-Maynard’s immediate vote.

To date, we’ve arranged to work at two animal refuges in the Amazon Basin in Ecuador (Merazonia and Paseo Los Monos ), as well as at Mariposas Amarillas children’s centre in Colombia. During our three weeks in the Galapagos we will spend half the time exploring the islands, and the other half volunteering at Hacienda Tranquila.

James will join us for the last five weeks of the trip to work at one of the wildlife refuges and go to the Galapagos. He’s being a very good sport about the three of us leaving to start our adventure ahead of him, while he keeps his nose to the grindstone at work!

All of this planning and arranging has felt a little unreal! Once our feet touch the ground in Bogota, I think the kids and I will actually believe that we’re on our way. We look forward to keeping you posted!