Our schedule labeled this day as a cultural-experience day, though I saw its main purpose as a chance to decompress from five days in poverty. It allowed me to start reflecting, and to realize that a well-dressed touristy facade or rich business district can hide extreme poverty just a few blocks away. We had hopedContinue reading “Peru with Compassion Day 6”
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Peru with Compassion Day 5
Janet and I welcomed the one-hour ride in a comfortable coach to our first stop of the day. We were both feeling emotionally exhausted, with this trip building on top of our daughter’s wedding two days before we left. Our first stop was to pick up one of Cynthia’s sponsored girls, and we were advisedContinue reading “Peru with Compassion Day 5”
Peru with Compassion Day 4
Today was lighter, yet still full. We headed out at 9:45 because the church, Lily of the Valley, was close to our hotel. The area is known as Banos del Inca as it is around the hot springs by the hotel. It is quite touristy, but the more affluent facade hides poverty one or twoContinue reading “Peru with Compassion Day 4”
Peru with Compassion Day 3
After two amazingly full days, we were happy to have a late start at 9:45, but the rest of the day made up for it in a remarkable way! I made the most of the late start to check out our hotel grounds. We are staying at a hotel in central Cajamarca at the siteContinue reading “Peru with Compassion Day 3”
Peru with Compassion Day 2
We met at 6:15am to catch our 1.5-hour internal flight from Lima to Cajamarca, and then drive straight to one of Compassion’s church partners in the city. The city is at 8600 ft and we could feel the altitude. On arrival at the church, we were greeted by the church staff and participants in Compassion’sContinue reading “Peru with Compassion Day 2”
Me and Four Thousand Retrievers: Goldens in Golden
Wednesday I knew that something was up. The humans had packed those hard-sided bags. I was either going on a trip or staying with someone fun like Kylie or Bailey or Debbie and Bryan or Ashlynn and Brooke. The uncertainty made me restless all night which made my male human a bit grumpy in theContinue reading “Me and Four Thousand Retrievers: Goldens in Golden”
Risen from Its Ashes: Bastrop State Park
In 2011, a major wildfire consumed most of Bastrop State Park and Texas’s Lost Pines Forest. We checked out how it had recovered when staying there in our motorhome while visiting with our friend Doug. The trip also allowed me to check out a 150-600mm camera lens that I had rented to evaluate. It wasContinue reading “Risen from Its Ashes: Bastrop State Park”
The Ask
For several months, Samuel had been reflecting about where to propose to Kylie. Having been dating since high school, Samuel’s two and a half years at university in Colorado had cemented their love of mountains with Kylie’s visits to Samuel in Golden. Visiting Banff was already on our bucket lists, and a visit during Samuel’sContinue reading “The Ask”
Four Days in Banff
This was the first time that scenery has overwhelmed me. The Rocky Mountains beckon as one drives along the Trans-Canada highway from Calgary towards Banff, but distance dulls the effect. I have been around higher mountains, but these slopes rose abruptly from the Bow Valley. Each morning, I renewed my awe, remarking that they wereContinue reading “Four Days in Banff”
Refrigerator Gulch from Goose Creek Trailhead in Colorado’s Lost Creek Wilderness
There is always something special about heading into the wilderness. In the US, wilderness areas are public lands with special protections that prohibit motorized and mechanized equipment, helping ensure that visit are natural experiences. When I heard that Samuel was craving a good backpacking trip, I focused on the Lost Creek Wilderness as it wasContinue reading “Refrigerator Gulch from Goose Creek Trailhead in Colorado’s Lost Creek Wilderness”
The Thames Path: Epilogue in London
We had two days in London to wrap up our nine-day adventure along the Thames. Walking nearly one hundred miles from Reading to Woolwich had given us a new perspective on London and it was fun to spend a couple of days in the capital doing more activities that we had not previously done. WeContinue reading “The Thames Path: Epilogue in London”
The Thames Path Day 9: Tower Bridge to Woolwich
Our final day’s walk was enhanced with a visit to the Crown Jewels and disrupted with a thunderstorm. We walked under the Thames from London’s new financial district to its historical naval centre: Greenwich. It was fun starting the day right next to Tower Bridge. We started by checking out the Crown Jewels in TheContinue reading “The Thames Path Day 9: Tower Bridge to Woolwich”
The Thames Path Day 8: Barnes to Tower Bridge
It was fascinating to walk this section of the river and see so many sights in one day. We were surprised by the number of open green spaces and how the character changed as we passed each bridge. The forecast had been rainy all day but we caught only a couple of showers that wereContinue reading “The Thames Path Day 8: Barnes to Tower Bridge”
The Thames Path Day 7: Kingston upon Thames to Barnes
I had expected this to be very similar to the previous day but it was surprisingly different. On the downside, a collapsed path by Kew Gardens forced a detour on the north bank which added a mile, making it about a 13-mile day. On the plus side, the impact of tides on the the ThamesContinue reading “The Thames Path Day 7: Kingston upon Thames to Barnes”
The Thames Path Day 6: Chertsey to Kingston upon Thames
A day without the big headlines was still a great day of enjoying the river and a detour. Most of the day was a gentle stroll alongside the peaceful river as it continued on its eastward journey. Some more deer sightings were a highlight, and we took the smallest ferry across the river. We hadContinue reading “The Thames Path Day 6: Chertsey to Kingston upon Thames”
The Thames Path Day 5: Windsor to Chertsey
What a full day this was! Our sixteen-mile walk started at Windsor Castle, and our stroll along the Long Walk through Windsor Great Park took us past many mature deer. We were reminded how small we are by the Air Force Memorial, the acre of land gifted to the US after JFK’s assassination, and theContinue reading “The Thames Path Day 5: Windsor to Chertsey”
The Thames Path Day 4: Cookham to Windsor
It was always going to be difficult for day 4 to beat day 3. The weather was fine but not quite as sunny. It was peaceful walking along the river, albeit in somewhat of a green tunnel at times. Then we popped out of the tunnel in Eton, and there was Windsor Castle right inContinue reading “The Thames Path Day 4: Cookham to Windsor”
The Thames Path Day 3: Aston to Cookham
Everything came together well to make this our best day on the Thames so far. The weather was great and the scenery was better. Highlights included a herd of hundreds of deer and fantastic reflections off the early-morning Thames. We were on the trail before 8am. The hotel’s breakfast was pricey and not available early,Continue reading “The Thames Path Day 3: Aston to Cookham”
The Thames Path Day 2: Reading to Aston
We enjoyed a fine day along the river, sampling the quaintness of Sonning and the history of Henley, with a few light rain showers separated by sunny spells. The Thames was cool, from a swan’s runway to the biggest weir I’ve ever seen. A couple of diversions contributed to the 14.3 mile day but addedContinue reading “The Thames Path Day 2: Reading to Aston”
The Thames Path Day 1: Pangbourne to Reading
Day 1 of our hike along the eastern half of The Thames Way from Pangbourne to Reading.
The Adventures of the Cajunlimeys 