Giant Game of Where's Waldo...

This was stated by Brok as we were searching for snakes surrounded by every shade of green imaginable: lime, forest, pistachio, kelly green, etc.  The Amazon is home to vipers, bushmasters, and the infamous anaconda; however, on all our hikes we never saw a snake.  However, we were one of the few who did see a giant anaconda.  Luckily, we saw this 5 meter, black, shiny snake basking in the sun digesting god knows what from the safe distance of our canoe.  

Where were we you ask?  We ventured on a motorized canoe down the Napa River for 2 1/2 hours, then hiked 20 minutes to a dugout canoe where a 30 minute boat ride took us to...La Selva Lodge.  After all this travel, yes we were in the middle of the largest rainforest in the world surrounded by a lagoon filled with piranha.  From the bamboo huts to the native guides, we felt as though the lodge fulfilled all we were looking for.  At night we fell asleep to the sound of insects and by morning our ears were filled with the sounds of hundreds of birds.  Our time at La Selva felt longer than three days thanks to 5am wake up calls, at least 5 hours of hiking/day, canopy tours, lagoon rides, and fishing for piranha.  The morning we left was surreal, a moment a camera could never capture, as fog surrounded the lagoon and lodge, howler monkeys called in the distance, and we glided away in a dugout canoe.  It was one of those moments you store away in your memory in hopes of never forgetting.  And although we never got a picture with Ben and his piranha, although he did catch a few, the sights and sounds of the Amazon are unforgettable.

Trip Highlights:
1.  Amazon wildlife:  squirrel monkeys, capuchin monkeys, toucans, parrots, largest moth in the world, owl-eyed butterflies, poison dart frog, tree frog, anaconda, piranha, eyes of a cayman- aka alligator
2.  Incredible flavors:  tropical fresh squeezed fruit juices & ahhh dragonfruit
3.  Our wonderful guide, Paul, who took as much time telling us about the millipede that extracts an almond scent as he did explaining the anaconda's digestion.

Pictures will be added soon!  Check out facebook as Ann added several from our trip.

We're off exploring Europe and the weather is a wee bit different from the hot & humid days in the Amazon.

Happy Thanksgiving to all...next stop, Ireland & Scotland!

Until then....xoxo,

Abby & Ben

2 flights, 6 boat rides, 8 cheva transports & 100 iguanas later....





The rough life of Galapagos animals!



...we say goodbye to the Galapagos.                               

We left Quito behind us on the 11th, a city of 3 million people packed next to the Andes mountains, and we moved towards the ocean with open arms.  We were greeted by the most beautiful color of aqua I have ever seen.  And although the animals are incredible and the scenery amazing, I found myself intrigued by the villagers we past everyday.  From the cement block homes prepped with Christmas tablecloths to the beautiful faces of the children walking the dirt roads, I loved their simple life.  The island populations range from 12,000 people to 120; yet, no matter the size they live in harmony with their surroundings.  



Thanks to Ann and her life dream, we were able to partake in this harmonious world where drivers honk at birds to move and sea lions frolic and play with snorkelers.  

Our trip highlights:

1.  Snorkeling with sea turtles-

Ah-mazing!  (I couldn´t help but think of Finding Nemo)  Also saw...white tipped reef sharks, sting rays, manta rays, sea lions, & schools of fish.

2.  Our (at times) awkward guide who focused often on the sexual habits of Galapagos creatures.  Did you know iguanas masterbate? Yes, we blushed, too. 

3.  Dolphin show!  On our final boat ride we found ourselves in a pod of dolphins.  They raced alongside the boat and playfully jumped as we all cheered. 

4.  Tortoises! These creatures were in our hearts the moment Ann yelled out the window that she saw one.  They weigh up to 700 pounds and the oldest tortoise lived until 165 and was gifted from Darwin to his Aussie friend. 

5. Last but not least, the food...yummm.  Passionfruit, pescado, pineapple...we ate...a lot!

 

I am unaware of who swam the most, saw the most species, or had the most fun, but I do know that Ann's excitement and joy on the islands was contagious and we are extremely thankful for her generosity and thoughtful planning! Next stop....the Amazon.               



Learning the game of Bridge..grandma would be proud.



One week & counting

Wow! In one week, Ben and I take off for our trip.  A trip that's been in the making since the week he proposed.  A trip that will take us to places we've never been & where we don't even know what to expect!  A trip that without a doubt will impact who we are.  And, a trip that we are extremely blessed to embark on. 

We've acquired all we can think of and all that will fit in our small packs to get us through the next 6 months.  I've read every possible packing list, studied multiple travel books, watched many episodes of Anthony Bourdain, No Reservations, and now in a week we will slug our packs over our shoulders and venture out!

So where are we going?  The itinerary below is flexible, but will give you a general idea of what we are getting ourselves into!

Nov. 9-21:             Ecuador & Galapagos Islands with my wonderful mother in-law, Ann & brother in-law, Brok!

Nov. 21-Jan. 9:    Ireland, Scotland, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Croatia,Turkey & Greece

Jan. 9-12th:         Cairo, Egypt

Jan. 13-20:          Mt Kilimanjaro Trek out of Moshi, Tanzania

Jan. 21- Feb. 3:   Tsavo National Park- volunteering in park for 2 weeks

Feb. 4- Feb. 13:   Safari in Tanzania with my parents!

Feb. 14-Mar. 8:   Volunteering in Uganda at orphange, living in Iganga 

Mar. 9- 14:           Zanzibar- possibly?  Leave Dar es Salaam on the 15th

Mar. 15- 25:         India- Delhi, Rajahstan

Mar. 25-May 11  Southeast Asia:  Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore

So there you have it!  This blog is meant to let you, our friends & family, know we are safe & sound & experiencing these places to the fullest.  We will share pictures when we can and crazy stories often.  Thank you for your love and support.  We couldn't be more excited to start this journey....here we come Quito, Ecuador!

Until then....

xoxo
Abby & Ben