This morning we woke up to monsoon type rain so our plans for taking a water taxi to West End may have to change, oh well.

We have definitely been catching up on some well deserved rest these past few days which has been nice.  Our B&B is awesome, the pool is very clean and we have the place entirely to ourselves.  This is a bonus as the beach is very busy on Tues, Wed and Thurs with the cruise ship people.  Friday through Monday are quiet so on Thursday we took a hike around the tip of the island

 This is the view from the top of the island looking north.

The east side of the island is very rocky.  It looks like the coral that makes up the reef.  There are no beaches or sea access on this side as the water is usually very rough.  .

We found two look out points one of which had an inlet with water rushing in as the waves came in and out








On Thursday afternoon after the cruise ships left we tried our first snorkel off the beach.  It was very cool. We started out right next to the rocks which meant you were snorkeling through large coral like an underwater pathway.  The water was very shallow except in between each coral formation.  It was a little intimidating so we moved out into more open water.  The fish are very plentiful and lots of different kinds. Bill is having problems with his mask.  It is not sealing so we didn't last too long.

Last night we learned that ordering a Cesar identifies you as a Canadian just as much as the word eh.  I wasn't feeling well so we opted for pizza for dinner at the coffee/wine bar called Java Vine.  The minute Bill spoke about their authentic Cesar the owner asked us where in Canada we were from.  Turned out they were from Edmonton and had been living here full time for 3 years.

West Bay is very laid back and for the most part a quiet little community.  It's  definitely not a party spot.  We have been in bed by 9 and have been sleeping until 7.

If the rain stops we hope to take the water taxi to West End to see about a new mask for Bill and do some shopping.  Then tonight we have reservations at Kismet a restaurant on the point of the island.  We walked by it on our hike but walking there and back in the dark could prove tricky so they offer a shuttle service to and from the B&B.  They have live entertainment so maybe we will make it to 10 pm tonight.

Well we made it!  We left Kelowna on Sunday afternoon in the middle of the worst snow storm the interior has seen in a very long time.  The flight from Seattle that was to arrive just before we left was turned back and was unable to land.  This was a tad worrisome as the plane we were flying out on was coming in from San Francisco about 20 minutes later.  Luckily our plane landed, however we were 1.5 hours delayed as they had to plow the runway and de-ice the plane.  Normally this wouldn't be a big deal however we had a connecting flight to catch with a short turn around.  Needless to say we missed our flight because clearing US customs took about another 1.5 hours.

United Air was able to get us on the next flight to Houston at about 11 pm that night.  This was all good until about 5 minutes after boarding the plane the Captain came on and said they were having mechanical difficulties with the plane.  About 30 min later we were de-boarding the plane and hoping they could find a replacement.  Finally about 2 hours later we were on another plane headed for Houston.  So much for our nights sleep in a hotel.  We arrived in Houston in time for breakfast and our next connecting flight to Roatan.
This fight was uneventful and on time.  Bill was beginning to wonder if this was going to be the vacation from hell given the rough start.  I assured him things would get better, I don't know why he doubts my travel picks.

We arrived safely, our luggage arrived with us and our driver was there to meet us.  Things were looking up.  We stopped and picked up our necessities like beer, wine, snacks etc and headed to our B&B.  When we arrived I sighed a big sigh of relief.  Our B&B called Rumors was better than expected.  Erna and Larry are wonderful hosts.  We unpacked and then joined them for a rum punch on the pool deck.  They then took us for a tour of the beach and pointed out the restaurants they recommended.

Monday was Lobster Tail special night at Beachers so that's where we decided to have dinner.  I have to say that was the BEST Lobster dinner we have ever had, the bonus was it was only $18 per plate for 3 lobster tails done island style.    With no sleep the night before and very full bellies we were in bed by 9 pm and  slept until 8 this morning.

Today has been a rest day as there are 3 cruise ships in port today so the beach is full of people. Erna served a wonderful Honduras style breakfast pool side this morning after we enjoyed coffee on the deck. The freshly picked bananas were right off their tree and the pineapple was from the mainland. Then we took a short walk down the beach but decided our private pool was where we needed to be.  We have the place to ourselves until Sunday when another couple comes and rents the second room for a week.

So far we have had two different Ceviche dishes, one was made with Conch shell fish which is like squid and the second one was made with Lion fish.  Both were very good but we both liked the Conch shell fish the best.  Local beer is good and cold and I was able to find Chilean red wine so life is good.

Tomorrow is another busy cruise ship day so Bill has a message booked and I am going for a pedicure.  Larry and Erna did a dive today so it will be interesting to hear their stories.  Once the cruise ships leave and we are rested we will head out snorkeling.  There is a big bay that you can walk right off shore and snorkel all around.  Maybe we can convince Larry to give us a short tour.

The hummingbirds are entertaining.  Bill is using a coke can as an ashtray and this is really confusing them as it must still have a sweet smell until they get up close.  They fly right in on the deck about 18 inches from me if I sit really still.  They are much smaller than in Costa Rica but very colorful.

Roatan Honduras 2015

ROATAN, HONDURAS

2015

The adventure begins again!  It's been two years since we were traveling abroad due to a very busy year of house renovations.  But in three weeks we are off to a small island off the coast of Honduras called Roatan.

We have decided that a little R&R is in order this trip so we will be staying in the above cabana for the entire time we are there.  It is a B&B called Rumors and is run by a couple from Calgary.  Hopefully Bill will relax for a few days and then we can do day trips exploring the island when he is tired of sitting by the pool.

Roatan is known for it's beautiful beaches, snorkeling and diving.

So we will hopefully get some snorkeling and beach time in.

Stay tuned for updates to come in January.  Until then, we hope you have a wonderful Christmas with family and friends.

LIMA

 We arrived in Lima early in the morning on March 9/2013.  We only had one night and two days here so we booked a city tour with a company called Peruvian Local Friend.  A young couple came to pick us up and we spent the day touring around the city.  The tour included the bohemian district in Barranco, the Love Park in Milaflores

The San Francisco Church.  We toured the church including the catacombs in which 25,000 people were buried. Very claustrophobic and kind of creepy.  The church was very beautiful with lots of history.  

Lima's shanty town, where the very poor people live.  The houses were very colourful which made it look cheerful.

 We visited the main square seeing the Government Palace, City Hall, La Cas del Oidor, The Cathedral, the old bronze fountain, ending up in Plaza San Martin.

Very cool buildings on all the streets we walked on.  Some of them had been abandoned due to damages sustained during the earthquakes.  

"Parque de la Reserva"  the biggest fountain park in the world.

Our last day in Lima we spent wondering around the area in Miraflores.  The city is huge however it has a very laid back feel.  Not too many high rise buildings and traffic was not too crazy.  We were not flying out until midnight so we headed to the restaurant district to have one last Pisco Sour and Ceviche before we left this wonderful country.  On our way back to the hotel we ran into Wesley, the young fellow from London who had been our the Inca Trail with us.  Too bad we hadn't run into him earlier we could have had dinner together.  As it was we were running late so we had to cut our visit short.  We arrived at the airport only to find that our flight had been cancelled.  But it all worked out and we flew home with Korean Air with better connections than originally planned.  

Our travels had taken us to amazing places and we had ate and drank the best food and wine yet.  The history and culture was very interesting and exciting to learn.  My Spanish however did not improve very much.  But as I have said before, we are extremely lucky to be Canadian and speak English because we are always treated very well and have been able to get by in foreign countries without speaking their language.  

So for now I will close this chapter by saying Chow South America, it's been a blast.  If I could have found a way to bring cases of wine home I would be in trouble, guess I will just have to return some day.    

MACHU PICCHU

DAY 4

No sunrise of Machu Picchu for us :((.  Oh well it was still very very cool.  Thank God it didn't rain like this during the first 3 days or my husband would have left me on the mountain.  We had rain gear and a poncho on and we were soaked to the bone.  But we had come this far, I was not giving up just yet.  Once we made it down into the site and could see things this place is like nothing I have ever experienced before.  

 The vastness is beyond words.  You could spend at least 8 hours walking around if the weather was nice and you would not see the same place twice.  It is absolutely huge and breath taking.

The fog and the mist just added to mystical features of this very special place.

 It was so cool to see how they built structures utilising the existing rocks.

Each room had space for the inhabitants treasures.  Some of them were even two story buildings.

If you like history and ruins, this is the place to visit. 

Percy told us visiting Machu Picchu was about the journey not the actual site, and I would have to agree.  Taking the train and seeing the end would be something to see however making the trek adds to the experience ten fold.




 We spent a couple of extra hours walking through each section, trying not to have to climb too many extra stairs.  By mid afternoon, the buses of tourist have started to arrive so it was quite busy.  We had been up since 3am so by noon, we were ready to call it a day.  We jumped onto the bus and headed back into Aguas Calientes where our dry clothes were waiting. 

The end of the trek and we still have smiles on our faces!  We experienced another first this day - a passenger train.  We took the easy way home to Cusco at the end of the day.  By this time the sun was shinning and it was a very leisurely ride back.

It certainly was an experience, I can now cross it off our bucket list and move onto the next adventure.  Thanks Honey for all your support and understanding it was a great ride!  Love You!

INCA TRAIL

DAY 3

Percy, looked after us again today, we were both still not feeling great so he arranged for one of the Porters to carry both of our day bags as well as a small pack of his own.  He was only 48! but we were so grateful because the first thing we had to do was climb back up to 3900m.  As we started our day we crossed a creek.  Percy instructed us to each pick up a rock and carry it with us to summit.  The view was like nothing we have ever seen before.  As we came over the summit of Runkuraqay Pass we stopped at the clearing in the picture below.  This is where Percy had us take our rocks out and spend a few minutes reflecting on our journey so far.  He then told us a story of a previous trip where a young man was bringing a rock his Dad had taken years before to place in this specific spot.  His Dad a recently passed away and his dying wish was to have the rock placed back in its original spot.  The Inca trail has changed his life and he was very grateful.  He then told us to place our rock anywhere we wanted and make a wish.  So far my wish is working, my niece Kristie is responding to her cancer treatment and is doing ok.  The Inca's were very spiritual and powerful people so I thought I would tap into healing strength while I had the chance.

  Once we were up at the top the rest of 16km trek was petty cool.

We went through a series of causeways and tunnels which have been there since the 1500's.

These led to some amazing ruins!

The terrain was quite different on this side of the mountain.  It was more like a rain forest with very dense growth.

The rock work was unbelievable as we climbed and descended through many peaks and valleys.

 We stopped for lunch today and Bill was still not feeling up to par, so Percy had the Porters set up a tent complete with a mattress and he lied down to have a rest while the rest of us ate lunch.  The cook created this great cake complete with our team name piped in icing.  "The Crazy Alpaca's"  were a lot of fun.  Bill did manage to come and have a bit of cake before we headed out again.

 We were all in bed early as our wake up call was scheduled for 3am so that we could be the first in line to make it through the check point.  There was only room for about 3 groups under the shelter so if it was raining Percy wanted us to be protected as we were going to have to wait for a couple of hours before the gates opened.  By this time our meds had started to work and we were both feeling much better.