After a few days of rain on Easter Island followed by hours of travel, it was great to arrive in Pucon and find the sun shining.
A return to the sun in Pucon
The most remote place we’ve ever been
Before we arrived, Easter Island was one of those places that part of me found hard to believe was real. The images of the massive Moai are familiar to many, but to see them in person is something different.
Stray dogs, sopaipillas and a Nobel Laureate
As our third and final Santiago bike tour with La Bicicleta Verda started, we were quickly joined by our third ‘unofficial’ guide Rojo.
Continue reading “Stray dogs, sopaipillas and a Nobel Laureate”
Cruising around a winery
Drinking and biking don’t typically mix all that well, but when done in the safe confines of a vineyard on a beautiful sunny day, it’s hard to see a downside.
Santiago by bus and by bike
Up next on our Santiago itinerary, Latin America’s tallest tower, a bus and a bike ride around town.
First impressions of Santiago
As I sit down here in Santiago, Chile to write this post, it occurs to me just how spoiled we are. Our last international trip, 4 days in Bermuda, didn’t even warrant a post. Short version to get you caught up: still loved it, still not cheap, we’ll be returning. Back to the current trip: We’re in Chile!
This trip did not necessarily get off to the start we had been hoping for. The night before our departure Ella woke up repeatedly in the middle of the night and eventually got sick. I think this was mostly out of excitement to be leaving, but unfortunate nonetheless. By about 4am we had everything cleaned up and were all back to bed but it was a sign of fatigue to come.
JW vs Wyndham: A tale of two sushi restaurants
As you may have read, we didn’t have the best experience with the JW Marriott in Panama. We won’t be going back, but what if you want to stay there? What was the hotel actually like during the time that we were there and how did it compare to the Wyndham Grand, where they sent us for a couple of nights?
If you’re heading to the Farallón region of Panama and you’re deciding between these two resorts, the question you have to ask yourself is, am I a glutton? Oddly enough, that one question will probably put you in the resort that’s right for you. Let’s take a closer look.
Continue reading “JW vs Wyndham: A tale of two sushi restaurants”
3 reasons we won’t stay at a JW Marriott again
We’re in Panama now, but bare with me for a moment while I take you back a couple of days to when we were still in Curacao. One morning, as I was reading and Ella was having a nap, Katy looked up from the computer and said, “we just got kicked out of the JW!”
As you can imagine, this came as a bit of a surprise. I’ve never been pre-emptively kicked out of a hotel before. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever been kicked out of one at all. So what happened? Read on family and friends, read on…
Continue reading “3 reasons we won’t stay at a JW Marriott again”
Three lazy days in Curacao.
When you’ve driven from one end of a country to the other (even if that country is a constituent of a larger kingdom), I think it’s fair to say you’ve earned some rest. So, with three days left in Curacao, our agenda wasn’t exactly packed: beaches, pools, eating, the occasional run, and sleep. Not a bad way to spend a few days if you ask me.
Picanto? More like Pi-Can!
Way back in 2004 Katy and I went to Portugal. It was our first international trip together and we had a great time. Though it took a few years for us to finally accept it, that trip probably proved that we could make a good couple over the long-run. Why? Because we rented a car and that car had a standard transmission. No big deal, except of course that I’d never driven a standard car before. I have a few good stories I could tell, but I’ll save that for another time. Suffice it to say, we nicknamed the car “peely polo” and we haven’t rented a car outside North American since… until now. Fortunately, Katy still married me.
With an area of 444 km2 Curacao’s not a big island, not that much bigger than Malta, and only has a population of around 140,000 so traffic isn’t that bad. Based on our transfer from the airport and our taxi ride to Willemstad, we figured we could handle the driving. Renting a car would also mean a car seat for Ella and that we could set the schedule for the day. Hell, they even had automatic cars. Ours came in the form of a pint sized Picanto. How’d we fair?
192 Reasons 