D MJ Binkley

We don't want to confuse anyone.... we returned from Panama about two months ago and are behind on publishing this missive. In the beginning, we really did not intend to go to Panama, and we bet that sounds funny. After all, when you are planning your trip, you are busy gathering all the information about where you are going and what you hope to do while you are there. When we were booking our flights to South America on Copa Airlines (which is not a great airline), we discovered Panama City was a hub and they would allow you to stop for up to a week (in Panama, not the airport) without additional cost. Kind of the same deal when you fly Icelandic Air and can stay in Iceland for a while before proceeding to Europe ... read more

Traveling - it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller. Ibn Battuta On the oft chance you missed our previous blog...here's the link. Join us for part two of the Galapagos adventure. Life on a Galápagos cruise offers a great deal of variety. Most of our week was spent taking zodiacs to rather desserted islands for hiking or wandering while observing, enjoying and stalking animals or doing a zodiac coastal exploration of rock formations where the birds, iguanas, and other wildlife enjoyed congregating. It never ceased to amaze us how the animals didn't seem to mind if we came up close. They weren't posing or anything, but there was a sense they had no fear from these weird beings dressed somewhat oddly and so eager to take their photo. Perhaps they simply decided we ... read more

We were excited to arrive in Quito, Ecuador as this is the location where our friend and travel companion would join us. Serious excitement as we were getting the band back together! Past exploits placed us in Jordan, Egypt, Portugal, California, and Florida. We travel very well together and had been planning this one for nearly a year. And now the time had arrived…. On the evening we arrived we noticed the streets were crowded and lots of celebrations were going on. We hadn’t realized we were in the middle of Carnival when we arrived. After dinner we took a short walk to observe some of the parades, dancing and celebrations. All of the locals were having a great time. During Carnival they used to throw water on one another. Over time they realized this was ... read more

As said in Firesign Theatre.... it's the stinking desert! There are those of us who prefer the verdant greens, the lush vegetation, abundant colorful flowers, and a plethora of animal life. While we have come to enjoy these types of venues, we also love to admire the desolate, bleak, stark and wind-swept environs of the desert. This seemingly inhospitable environment possesses its own beauty but displays it differently. Sunrise and sunset are particularly enjoyable. Now, this is one dry desert. Wait….what does that mean? Well, technically by definition a desert is an area of land that receives less than 10 inches (25cm) of rain per year. Pretty dry, yeah? Well, the Atacama is the second driest desert in the world, bested only by a patch of land in Antarctica. The Atacama Desert is the result of ... read more

A relatively short flight took us to Santa Marta, the first Spanish settlement in Columbia and the second oldest in South America, where we were met by our guide for the hour plus drive to our next stop, a lodge just outside Tayrona National Park. Colombia has some 59 national parks, which makes up about 14% of the total area in this diverse country, which is impressive. Of course, you are going to need a fair amount of space to support all the flora and fauna this country has to offer. We arrived after dark and after checking in, made our way across a small pedestrian suspension bridge to our room. Luckily, we had someone take our luggage as the first time you traverse the swinging bridge, it can challenge your sense of balance. The lodge ... read more