We awoke early in the morning to discover that the storm had passed. Birds sang their morning songs and the fresh smell of post rain jungle filled the air. We fixed some oatmeal for breakfast then headed off to the ruins. Trekking through he lush jungle we scaned the trees for monkeys and tropical birds. When we reached the first ruins we noticed that they were much more overgrown than the ones at Palenque. Moss covers the stone walls and trees jut out of the decaying buildings. It gives it a much more ancient feeling which I like. Calakmul is less [View Full Entry]

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Flash, followed but a roaring, billowing BOOM. The lightning is close, very close. The sky is a constant flicker of light as sparks jump through the clouds. A heavy rain pitter patters on the aluminum roof of the truck. We just cooked a vegetable pasta dinner in the most extreme cooking conditions of my life. We were able to get the stove started on the tail gate just before the storm hit. instantly everything became dark as the thick storm clouds blocked the setting sun. Intense rain descended and we were soaked to the core in a matter of seconds. There [View Full Entry]

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The tranquil roar of rushing rapids over limestone fills my ears and penetrates deep into my core, washing away my worries and letting some calming peace flow in. Fireflies dance in the night sky as Orion creeps out from behind the jungle canopy. It's safe to say that this is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. With our hammocks strung between a couple rocks near the river, we relax, enjoying the luxury of our remote campsite at Agua Azul. Situated where the clear, turquoise river comes rushing out of a narrow steep limestone canyon, we went as far [View Full Entry]

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TICLA As we descended a windy mountain road along the coast, we spotted a long stretch of beach with what appeared to be large, surfable waves. A bill board with a surfer riding a wave corroborated that we could surf at playa Ticla, so we turned off the highway and headed for the beach. We pulled into a palm fron, beach front palapa where we were told we could stay for 30 pesos a night ($3). We threw on some board shorts, grabbed our surf boards and headed for the waves. Large waves, moderate wind and a strong rip current combined [View Full Entry]

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Continuing our journey, we drove south through the resort town of Puerto Vallarta. Along the coast to the south we saw some signs for a waterfall and turned left following the signs. We stopped in a small town for a free tequila tasting and a tour on the process of how tequila is made. The tour guide said his boss wasn't there and offered us the house tequila for half price out the back door. We purchased a few bottles and continued toward the waterfalls. The falls ended up being on the set where they filmed the movie predator, deep in [View Full Entry]

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Rocking out on duel keyboards, the solo mariachi sways his knee back and forth to keep the beat as he sings. The sound of festive Latin music fills the air conditioned cabin as we steadily cross the sea of Cortez, from La Paz to Topolobampo. The truck (Jesus El Diablo Negro, a name given to it by a friend) rides safely stored in the hull below, packed like sardines with other mainland bound vehicles. We were on our way to La Vetaña to meet up with Bryan and Linda, a Canadian couple we me at Todos Santos to check out the [View Full Entry]

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Sitting on a deserted beach, I listen to the waves lap agianst the sandy shore as I contemplate our journey thus far. We've traveled several hundred miles to a beach 12 miles south or Loreto in Baja California. The trip is going smoothly so far, we ususally knock off a few hundred miles on driving days and when not driving have been doing a lot of reading, playing chess, playing horsehoes, skim boarding, surfing, spearfishing, relaxing and cooking beans and rice. The first night we camped beside a dirt road a few miles off HWY 1. The environment was suprisingly lush [View Full Entry]

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Relaxing around the campfire, the aroma of boiling beans wafts from the cast iron pot. Crushed red peppers, italian seasoning, black pepper, Lawry's seasoning salt and ample amounts of garlic combined with pinto beans, slow cooked over a camp fire to mexican perfection. I made a solar cooker today to enable us to utilize the sun's rays to cook our simple meals. It cooked the beans to an edible softenss, but we decided to finish them off on the camp fire. I think the solar cooker has the potential to do a thorough bean cooking if we soak the beans over [View Full Entry]

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The Galapagos is truly a unique and inspiring chain of islands. Originally named Las Islas Encantadas, they still enchant, inspire and amaze visitors fortunate enough to experience such a magical place. Every island is a unique collage of diversity, full of wonders around every corner. A sanctuary for the strange and peculiar, most of the oddball cast of characters that inhabit these islands are found nowhere else in the world. While the land can often appear to be a barren, desolate wasteland of lava fields and cacti deserts, sparsely populated by only the most resilient plants, it hold [View Full Entry]

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Emptying my bladder on the side of the trail, I contemplate my current situation while watching the steam rise. At 1400 ft elevation, engulfed in clouds, the approaching roar of thunder is somewhat concerning being the tallest thing in sight. A wet hail begins and I decide to abandon my goal of climbing to the top of Rucu Pichincha, one of the volcanic peaks around Quito. "Another day perhaps." I head back down the trail to Roana and Monica, back to the shelter of a solid roof and the comfort of a warm cup of tea. I may not have reached [View Full Entry]

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