The plan for today was fairly simple: a morning hike at Espinoza Point followed by snorkeling at Espinoza Point, followed by more snorkeling at Albemarle Point. We were both surprised at the amount of snorkeling offered on this itinerary. I think some of the other passengers were as well, especially the two who didn’t know […]
The daily schedule is always displayed on the screen in the lounge. The days are pretty packed with activities. Today included a walk followed by snorkeling from the beach at Urbina Bay, more snorkeling at Tagus Cove, and then a hike to Darwin lake. We stayed at the anchorage until around 5 a.m., which meant […]
Overnight, the boat moved from Puerto Ayora to the west coast of Isabela Island. The ride was a little bumpy at times, but nothing too uncomfortable. We didn’t take any seasickness medication or use bands and felt fine by morning. Our first stop of the day was Moreno Point, a lava field coastline on Isabela […]
Ever wondered who stays at airport hotels, other than people who’ve missed a flight? It’s now us. Our trip to Akaroa, New Zealand for wildlife experiences on the Banks Peninsula, started the night before. We live about two hours from the airport. For a 9am international flight, that would mean leaving home around 4:30am. And […]
A Rainy Morning and a Change of Plans Because of the beluga stop on the way back from Fireweed Island, we did not return to the lodge until close to 10 p.m. Our schedule originally had us kayaking the next morning, but with the late night and stormy weather forecast, the plan was switched to […]
Heading Out on the Churchill River After a hearty breakfast, we loaded into the van for a short drive to the marina on the Churchill River. The weather was slightly overcast, and I have to admit, I was a little anxious. Would we see bears? And if we did, would they be close enough that […]
How Many Polar Bear are there in Churchill? Churchill is known as the “polar bear capitol of the world.” The Churchill region is home to an estimated 900 to 1,100 polar bears. Regarding the status of the population, the way it was explained to us is that this is considered the number the local […]
Back to Nanaimo and Ferry to Horseshoe Bay After four days in Tofino, we made our way back to Nanaimo for another night at the Courtyard by Marriott. Another upgraded room, another glamorous view of the car park. The bonus this time was fast internet and, more importantly, a working phone. The stars aligned and […]
Though disappointed by the cancellation of the astrophotography workshop in Lake Tekapo, we remained optimistic about coming back at some point given New Zealand’s proximity to Sydney. The next leg of our journey was a drive estimated at about five hours to Kaikoura, with a planned stop in Christchurch to break up the trip. Christchurch […]
How to spend a perfect week in the Cook Islands In late October, I found myself staring at a massively selfish problem: I was 200 credits short of retaining my platinum status on Qantas. With our 25th wedding anniversary just weeks away, it hit me—why not turn this milestone celebration into a status run? Two […]