I had signed up for the U.S. State Department Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) in 2019 in preparation for the aborted 2020 European holiday. It’s a worthwhile program that provides information on current topics and alerts regarding safety and security concerns for U.S. citizens traveling abroad, including relevant non-security issues like road closures. I updated my profile after I returned from Europe, and almost immediately was emailed information about political unrest in Peru. I haven’t explored any of the emails in depth as I decided that if the situation was treacherous, the ship’s captain would bypass Lima altogether or I would just remain on the ship. I had learned that the President of Peru was impeached and that strikes have shut down inland railroads, amongst other morsels, but I adopted a wait-and-see posture. Well, the wait ... read more

Our first destination on the original itinerary for Holland America’s 75-day Grand South America and Antarctica Voyage aboard the MS Volendam had been Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands but had been changed to Ocho Rios, Jamaica a week or two before the cruise began. I had not yet signed up for the Dolphin Encounter & Cayman Turtle Centre shore excursion offered in Grand Cayman but was planning to do so after I had had a peek at the weather forecast. Instead, our first port of call was now Ocho Rios, Jamaica. I had been to Runaway Bay, Jamaica (less than twenty miles from Ocho Rios) twice before and had seen most of the area’s tourist destinations, so I had decided to save my “shore excursion dollars” for something new and different. Cruise Day 2, ... read more

The Iceland Discovery tour by Intrepid Travel came to an official end with checking out of the hotel on Monday, 03 OCT 2022. I had previously booked a stay at the Reykjavik Downtown Hotel for before and after the tour, but, after spending one pre-tour night there, I cancelled that post-tour reservation and made a reservation for the tour contracted hotel, Fosshotel Barón, Reykjavik. Shopping and dining opportunities in the neighborhood are much greater, and I didn’t have to use my bed as a desk! With a checkout time of 1130, I took my time packing my belongings in anticipation of being assigned a different room. Lesson learned, ask first and act later. The desk clerk left me in the same room as I had while under contract with Intrepid Travel. Back up to Room 318 ... read more

SAT, 01 OCT 2022 – Day 6: Akureyri/Snaefellsnes Peninsula - Situated at the head of Iceland's longest fjord, Akureyri is the nation's second-largest city. Embark on a short walking tour of the town, taking in the striking church and other local sights. If you’re travelling between May and December, you might have the option to partake in a whale watching excursion. Ask your leader for details. Later, continue to Snaefellsnes Peninsula, home to the magnificent Snaefellsjokull Glacier, which played a starring role in Jules Verne's 1864 novel Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Next up is Lysuholslaug, where you can bathe in thermal pools (depending on the season) or check out the Icelandic horses grazing in the fields. Look forward to an included home-cooked dinner this evening. If you are up for it, you can ... read more

THU, 29 SEP 2022 – Day 4: East Fjords/Modrudalur Valley - Start the day by returning to the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon. Cruise between jagged icebergs in an included boat tour. Then take a scenic drive along the rugged coast of the East Fjords. Enjoy spectacular views of high mountains, deep fjords, spectacular waterfalls, glaciers and quaint fishing villages. Make stops along the way at small but notable towns like Djupivogur, which became a member of the cittaslow movement in 2013 and is aiming to be the Happiest Town in Iceland, and drop by Egilsstadir, home to the mythic Lagarfljot Wyrm. Continue along mountain roads into the highland to the farm village of Modrudalur. At 469 metres (1539 feet) above sea level, Modrudalur is the highest inhabited place in Iceland, and snow can be seen almost year-round. ... read more