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”
Tag Archives: travel
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”
Peru with Compassion Day 1
Janet and I are visiting Peru with Compassion International on a Vision Trip to learn about their front line operations. Compassion’s mission is “Releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name.” In the US, we had primarily just seen their efforts to get families to sponsor one of their children. The goal of the trip isContinue reading “Peru with Compassion Day 1”
Backpacking the Four C
There is a twenty-mile National Recreation Trail about two hours north of Houston in the Davy Crockett National Forest, starting at Ratcliff between Crockett and Lufkin. It is named after the Central Coal and Coke Company (Four C), which operated the largest sawmill west of the Mississippi there from 1902 to 1918. I finally completedContinue reading “Backpacking the Four C”
A Guide to the Four C National Recreation Trail
My research in preparation for hiking this trail led to apparently contradictory data. Official websites mentioned broken bridges and an impassable section, while a recent YouTuber thru-hiked with what looked like no difficulties. I hiked the length of the trail over two days in April 2026 and had a fantastic time! Below, I share whatContinue reading “A Guide to the Four C National Recreation Trail”
A Week on Cayman Brac
It had been two years since Samuel and I had last dived (in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty). It was also his penultimate Spring Break before college graduation and marriage. Cayman Brac had been on Janet’s bucket list for a long time as she had visited on a mission trip while in college and hadContinue reading “A Week on Cayman Brac”
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”
Six Days in Prague
A window of opportunity opened for me to take Janet to Europe for some Christmas markets. Fortuitously, Prague had recently joined our wish list. After finding a good flight, booking two Hyatt hotels with points, and lots of planning, we were heading to the Czech Republic! Day 1: Strahov Library and Petrin HillA Brief HistoryContinue reading “Six Days in Prague”
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”
Revisiting the Trail Between The Lakes
It had been just six months since my last hike on Sabine County’s Trail Between the Lakes, and nine months since my first thruhike of it in January. The milder temperatures during this late October hike meant that I did not wake up to frozen shoes, as I had in January, but I was amazedContinue reading “Revisiting the Trail Between The Lakes”
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”
Lessons Learned from Attempting a Ring (Anillo) of the Picos de Europa
In September 2025, my buddy James and I set off to hike independently the Anillo de Picos, aiming to hike the largest ring, also known as the Anillo de 3 Macizos (Ring of the 3 Massifs). Our goal was to camp, eat some meals in refuges, and resupply in a village. I had struggled toContinue reading “Lessons Learned from Attempting a Ring (Anillo) of the Picos de Europa”
Trekking Spain’s Picos de Europa
What an adventure! Spain’s Picos de Europa is relatively unknown outside of the country. It became Spain’s first national park in 1918. The rugged limestone mountains offer fantastic hiking and climbing opportunities against a backdrop of cowbells throughout the verdant valleys and the resulting local scrumptious cheeses and meats. Below is the story of ourContinue reading “Trekking Spain’s Picos de Europa”
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 Adventures of the Cajunlimeys 