Stewpac

This weekend we will travel to Washington, D.C. to visit Tori's family and procure visas. We've figured out our route across the country and are trying to meet up with friends and family when possible and camp out for the rest of the nights. Right now we're looking at the last month of work before we quit our jobs, move out of our apartment, and hit the trail. Expect more updates in the future, particularly once we actually leave. EDIT: Please use http://stewandtorisexcellentadventure.blogspot.com/ for future posts. ... read more

Nicaragua: Ok, it’s been a really long time since I’ve updated my blog because we only had one day in between each country for the last three, which has given me no free time and lots of exhaustion. Anyway, here is Nicaragua: The first day we went to the small city of Leon which is the stronghold of Daniel Ortega because it is very poor and has been ravaged by war and natural disasters, never fully recovering. We stayed at Big Foot Hostel on the recommendation of Seth’s sister who spent last semester in Nicaragua working at a women’s health clinic. It was 3.50 a night and had a swimming pool and a pool table. We walked around the city and saw the local market, and then came back to our hostel to hang out and ... read more

The first day in Chile I went on a wine tour at Veramonte and Casablanca Vineyards, both of which were amazing. All of the wine was very inexpensive and delicious, living up to their reputation. We had lunch at this tiny horse ranch where they served us pisco sours and a spectacular feast. That night we went to a salsa club with some Chilean students where I failed to learn how to dance, once again. I guess I’m stuck with the moves my dad taught me…it seems to be enough. The next day Seth woke me up very early to go on a Faculty Directed Practicum to meet the Chilean electro-acoustic computer music community (that’s right, they’re organized and have a special group that meets to compare songs). Seth and I split a sampler plate at ... read more

Ecuador is the greatest country in the world. I had an amazing time in Guayaquil (the port where we anchored) and in the Galapagos (a two hour flight away). The first day in Guayaquil we pretty much just wandered around the city based on the advice of the assistant dean with who we’ve become friends. We went to an artisan’s market where I bought a bunch of paintings and some other presents for you all (Shannon and Dad: I got you fucking amazing birthday presents, so get stoked). I also got this sweet Ecuadorian style linen shirt that is super light and comfortable with embroidering on the chest. We left and went to Malecon, which means something along the lines of river-front/boardwalk. There’s a gorgeous park, a brick path, restaurants, etc and some statues. I bought ... read more

Panama City: The first day in Panama City was Seth’s roommate’s birthday, and I guess this is an appropriate time for me to point out that Seth and I are not in fact roommates. Anyway, it’s Joe’s 23rd birthday. The way the port works in Panama City is that you anchor off the coast and have to take life boats in whenever you want to get off the ship. When we were trying to get off, the waves were huge and it was incredibly difficult to get to shore, so we had to wait 5 or 6 hours, which sucked. Once on shore, we decide that we don’t want to deal with “tendering,” as it is referred to, and that we should get a hotel. We’re starving and want some Panamanian food, but are unable to ... read more