http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Jason-and-Tracey-Louis/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Jason and Tracey Louis en-us Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:34:14 +0000 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:34:14 +0000 Wersquove been back in the U.S. for about 5 weeks now started Occupancy Builders and as you can see are very behind in writing our final travel blog entry. We hope it will not be the last of our journeys rather just the beginning but for the time being we will be back in our native land.We relished our final days in Phuket. We did much lounging around indulging in our favorite food fare a http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Texas/blog-271985.html VISIT THIS LINK TO SEE UPLOADED VIDEO CLIPS OF OUR TRAVELShttpwww.youtube.comresultssearchquerylouistravelssearchtypeAfter Egypt we headed to Phuket Thailand our final destination. Yup sadly the adventure is coming to a close. For various reasons we cut our travel time and destinations short and wersquoll be back in the U.S. the last week of March. Rather than try to see a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South-West-Thailand/Phuket/blog-254553.html We decided that it would be a huge shame to miss out on the Giza pyramids especially when flights to Thailand were much cheaper from Egypt than from Greece. So we flew from Athens to Cairo on February 1st excited to see the famous pyramids but also bracing ourselves for the aggressiveness of the people pushing to sell their products and services trust us we learned our lesson in Morocco.It http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Lower-Egypt/Cairo/blog-250139.html At a tourist office in Patra the city our ferry landed we asked the girl helping us if she could recommend a restful quiet place to stay for a few days. She thought about and told us we should go to the Sarconic islands a short boat ride from Athens and in particular mentioned Hydra a small little island with no cars only donkeys for transporting goods. Perfect So we zoomed off to Athe http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/blog-246859.html When Mary and Bobbi were visiting us we found we loved Italy so much that we decided to return on our way back from Poland. We decided to save our selves and our rear ends two solid days of sitting in a train and fly from Krakow Poland to Milan Italy. The plan was to see Rapallo where Traceyrsquos great great great grandfather came from Florence and then Venice during carnival. 1st st http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/blog-246840.html Our travels have taken us as far East in Europe as we will go to Krakow Poland and the site of the largest death camp built by the Nazi's. Our words can in no way describe this place where an estimated 2.25 million people were murdered so we will not even try. With all the suffering pain and torture inflicted here it is the most sadistic place a person can imagine. Suffice it to say that th http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Lesser-Poland/Auschwitz/blog-238153.html We just spent the last 5 days in Eastern Germany. Wersquore still on our WWII journey although we didnrsquot manage to make to Bastogne Belgium after all. This time of year many of the outdoor sites are closed and that combined with our lingering flu just made it seem like a bad idea to go tramping around the forest in Belgium in the dead of winter to see the Battle of the Bulge site. H http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/blog-236883.html Note We have caught up on the blog so you can see additional posts before this one.A lifetime of waiting has finally brought Jason to Normandy the region in France where the Dday landings codenamed Operation Overlord took place and the subsequent Battle of Normandy. Without a doubt this has been one of the most amazing experiences we have ever had. Not just because Tracey's grandfather wa http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Lower-Normandy/Bayeux/blog-235020.html We didnrsquot think wersquod ever be able to say that wersquod had breakfast in Tuscany and dinner in the French Riviera We had to take a train to Nice France in order to stand a chance of catching a connecting train to Paris so off we went. After a really pleasant train ride one of the nicest so far this time first class actually did mean something including nice large bathrooms an http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/blog-234695.html Our Rome adventure started out as a true adventure Mary been the prepared planner that she is made sure she got directions from the airport to the hotel. The hotel staff nicely gave her instructions on how to catch the train what stop to get off on etc. So the four of us set out from the Rome airport caught the train into town and waited for our stophellip.only when our stop came we c http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/blog-234694.html Once again a huge delayhellipsorry folks But internet access has been really hard. Internet cafrsquos arenrsquot nearly as common as South America and when you can find a wireless signal they charge you a prime rate as much as 12 an hour. So important emails and banking have had to take priority when wersquove had access but we havenrsquot forgotten about keeping friends and f http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/blog-234684.html Sorry this took so long everyone...yes we are alive and internet has been a pain especially when it comes to uploading pictures. We now have our laptop thanks to Jason's mom hauling it all the way across the Atlantic for her European Christmas visit so we will try to catch this blog up to date soon. We'll start with Morocco...our first visit to an Islamic country.We arrived in Morocco via fer http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Morocco/F-s-Boulemane/Fes/blog-226562.html Well we confirmed the rumors. There is definitely rain in the Amazonian Rain Forest. Our trek began with a short bike ride on which the British traveler who was with us crashed into a tunnel wall for the record it was pitch black in the tunnel while we were going through it. He broke his finger and started going into shock. Jason had to administer first aid until the ambulance arrived and http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Banos/blog-222988.html We just spent a very relaxing four days in Vilcambamba known as the Valley of Longevity. We didnt really find out the secret but the local residents are known for their inability to kick the bucket living very long lives. Considering that they have their very own spring water that is heavily marketed with a pretty old man as the poster child we assume the secret is the water although weve http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/South/Vilcabamba/blog-220727.html No photos here....just tried to get the heck out of this place as fast as we could and it wasnt fast enough. So fellow travelers beware and be very prepared if you must cross the PeruvianEcuadorian border here.We decided to cross here because we thought it would be the fastest way to get from Peru to Vilcambamba Ecuador even though other border crossings arent as notorious. Unfortunately http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/South/Huaquillas/blog-220153.html We did it We conquered the Inca Trail and made it some of the most beautiful ruins we have ever seen at Machu Pichu a lost Incan city built around 1450. The trek was a difficult four days long. Although the ruins were truly incredible we really feel that the four day journey to the ruins was the most impressive part. When people call this a very spiritual journey they are surely referring http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Machu-Picchu/blog-218567.html Well Bolivia was a blur...for a number of reasons Time constraints was the first limitation because we had to be in Cusco Peru in time to pay for our trek to Macchu Picchu so we only had about 9 days for Bolivia. It was a shame to have such little time because it is such an affordable place in addition to having amazing scenery and good hearty food Since we didn't have much time we h http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/Potosi-Department/Uyuni/blog-216674.html We left El Calafate on the 22nd. Before we left though we had the chance to go on a less advertised tour. It was probably the single most enjoyable day weve had so far because we got away from the crowds and really got to see some neat things in nature. We went into the Patagonian step which is arid desert region and the views of the mountains and glacial lakes were pretty amazing. There http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Jujuy/blog-214081.html We arrived a couple of days ago in El Calafate. A note to all nonArgentines...avoid Aerolineas Argentinas Argentinas national airline. They have fabulous planes and service and while they give citizens great fares they are inflated tremendously for everyone else If you can take LADE airlines uniform prices for all but limited routes and dates.Yesterday we went to Perito Moreno Glacier. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Santa-Cruz/El-Calafate/blog-212863.html We spent a few days in Puerto Madryn. We got to seeing nesting Magellan Penguins and Right Whales with their calves right from the shore. Its pretty amazing to be that up close to nature in their environment. You feel very much like an imposter at times. We found a pretty amazing overlook near the whales...beautiful water and a great view of the whales. We hope you enjoy the photo....it cost http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Chubut/Puerto-Madryn/blog-212860.html