Marty McBride

MMworldtravel

Marty McBride

M n' M stands for Monica and Marty. LK 02 56 is the plate insignia on our truck. Unique in a way I will soon explain. Monica is a semi-retired restaurant consultant. I am a retired high school teacher. We met nine years ago and agreed to a ten year contract together. A sort of Mexican marriage so to speak. We will see what awaits us next year.?? One of the main chapters in the so-called contract entitled 'getting together', was an agreement to give up our homes, live in a trailer for half the year, and travel the world the other half, seeking adventure and knowledge and, maybe, finding that new home - that paradise - together. In short, we succeeded. We have backpacked throughout Central and South America, and made four separate excursions to Asia. And we have found that paradise home on tiny Gabriola Island off the coast of British Columbia which brings me back to our plates. Monica wondered how we would ever remember our new B.C. plates. Easy. 'LK' is for 'lucky' which, to have each other, we definitely are. The pair of us is a simple enough explanation for '02'. And the '56'? Well, Monica is in her fifties and was born in the sixties, while I was born in the fifties and am now in my sixties.



South America January 28th 2024

We had two full days in Valparaiso getting used to the steepness of the constant ascension and descension. Wandering through a market area, we came upon a stairwell leading up to a hillside restaurant. It had 3 levels one could stop at but we continued climbing the dozens of stairs up to the top floor. We grabbed a window table that overlooked the city and gave us a fantastic view. We spent the afternoon up there having lunch and drinking sangrias. Monica said it was the best sangria she had ever tasted and its potency was also top notch. We had plans to return to the El Terrod the next day but they were closed. I am not sure how we made it back down the stairs and back to our hotel - we had some ... read more

South America » Chile » Santiago Region January 21st 2024

The last few days of the cruise were relatively uneventful - as we headed north among the fjords on the Chilean coast, the weather steadily warmed to a comfortable 20C which allowed everyone to lounge outside in the sun and fresh air. The sea conditions were somewhat rough with some large swells but by now we were used to it. The one change due to the higher than usual waves was that we could not port at San Antonio and, instead, headed for Valparaiso. I will start with a short review of the cruise itself. The boat itself, the Sapphire Princess, is a large and fairly modern ship. The rooms were relatively large compared to other cruise ships and comfortable. We did not have a balcony, however, it was really not necessary. We were only one ... read more

South America » Argentina » Tierra del Fuego January 18th 2024

As we sail north away from Antartica I will make a mention of the many research stations located here. The first permanent bases were established by the British during WWII. The Germans dropped swastika markers from planes making a symbolic claim on the Antarctic and that, coupled with Argentina's apparent sympathy towards the Nazis, prompted the English to set up a number of military bases. Today these bases, along with many others have been converted into research stations. In 1959, fifty five countries signed a treaty protecting the region and allowing research stations to be constructed. These hundreds of stations fall into 3 categories - permanent, seasonal and discontinued. One of the largest is the Amundsen-Scott base located directly on the South Pole by the US. Most of the bases are located on the coast. In ... read more

Antarctica January 16th 2024

We left the Falklands with 4 days in a row on board as we head south towards Antarctica. Don and I decided to spend the first day bar hopping - starting in Good Spirits and proceeding to the Wheelhouse, Crooners, The Explorer, Fusion and finally to Skywalker way up on the 16th deck. Our timing was not good as we were caught up in the Drake Passage with waves and swells ranging from ten to fifteen feet. Don and I were not sure whether it was the rocking of the boat or the number of martinis we had that contributed more to our rough feeling. Following the map, our first stop was Elephant Island. We left the Falklands at a latitude of 52S and were planning on reaching 65S. The weather dropped to around freezing as ... read more

South America » Falkland Islands January 12th 2024

We packed up before noon on the 4th and taxied to the port area in Buenos Aires. A storm had hit the area only a few days before and damaged our port of departure. Fortunately, Monica had been notified and she redirected our driver to the new site. The cruise itself, aboard the Sapphire Princess, lasts 16 days travelling south along the coast of Argentina, slowly exploring Antarctica south of the cape before turning north on the Pacific side and heading up to Santiago Chile. We joined a long snake like line of travellers and slowly crawled our way forward in what looked like a giant airport hangar. More than one boat was loading so the scene was crowded and chaotic. Eventually, we were relieved of our luggage and then presented with a necklace like medallion. ... read more

South America » Argentina » Buenos Aires January 11th 2024

Argentina is a larger country than one might suspect - larger than Mexico and Texas put together. Independence was established in 1809 when Napoleon weakened the colonial hold by causing a civil war in Spain. Argentina was the first South American country to seek independence and was ruled by a central government in Buenos Aires. By 1825, several regions broke away becoming Bolivia, Uruguay and Paraguay. Argenta means silver and this was the initial resource. Today, grain, cattle, wine and a limited amount of oil make up the majority of their exports. Their government has always been in constant turmoil, swinging wildly from far right dictators, to labour oriented regimes labeled radicals, to strict military rule. Although, the basis for a strong economy has always been there, no government has ever been able to control inflation. ... read more

South America » Argentina » Buenos Aires January 6th 2024

It has been a long while between trips and, hence, blogs. Covid put everything on hold but now Monica and I are off again. The goal of this trip is a cruise around the southern tip of South America. We will start in Buenos Aires Argentina and finish in Santiago Chile. But it is going to take us two days of travel just to get there. On the 30th of December, we jumped aboard the 9:00 AM ferry from Gabriola to Nanaimo. Patty and Don are our travel companions and the four of us starting walking towards the Hullo ferry that would take us across to Vancouver. Our bags are pretty heavily packed what with both summer and winter clothes so we were fortunate that the shuttle bus stopped to pick us up. The 11:00 ferry ... read more

Europe » Italy February 10th 2020

Hail Caesar!! A quick outline to start our trip. It will begin with a few days in Rome followed by three weeks on a cruise ship and ending with a few days in Dubai. We left Gabriola early Wednesday, taking a ferry to Nanaimo, followed by a half hour cab ride to Duke Point. From there we boarded the larger ferry for a two hour ride to Vancouver followed by a bus ride and sky train to the airport. After all this, hauling two suit cases and a backpack, we awaited for our shuttle to La Quinta hotel. It never arrived. The weather was dark and grey and wet and the people at the airport seemed depressed and subdued. Monica finally phoned the hotel and we were told the shuttle had broken down and to just ... read more
Beautiful Statues
confession booth
San Paulo

Europe » Iceland » Southwest » Reykjavík September 9th 2018

THE REAL VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY CONSISTS NOT IN SEEKING NEW LANDSCAPES, BUT IN HAVING NEW EYES. PROVOST The summer has been hot and sweltering in Southern Ontario so it seemed symbolic that our last day before leaving for Iceland was cool, dark and rainy. We even had our first bonfire in the morning before spending the afternoon packing and preparing. This trip will be different from our other excursions. First of all, this will a short trip - only ten days - as Iceland is just too expensive and Monica and I have family commitments in October. Secondly, Monica has arranged and planned our entire trip ahead of time. Usually we simply fly to a new land and then wing it in a spontaneous manner. However, Iceland is just too expensive and lodging is too limited. ... read more
The lagoon itself is all that remains of a chemical factory
White robes and lunch

Africa » Tanzania » Zanzibar » Zanzibar City February 24th 2018

One could foresee that our journey was coming to its conclusion. On our last day in Nungwi, at Makofi's, I actually shaved. I had not shaved since mid November, a week or so before we embarked. Oh I had trimmed my beard once every couple of weeks, but standing outside the shower area, ankle deep in white sand with the temperature hovering in the mid to high thirties, I pulled out my trusty Mac 3 and proceeded to prepare myself for a return to... what? I do not want to call it 'civilization' as Africa has its own form of civilization that, in just as many ways that we perceive it as behind us, it has also leapt far ahead of us as well. It was simply a sign that change was in the offing.... we ... read more
Bar, restaurant, reception at Kae Funk
Eulogy for my sandals?
Bar signs - Kae Funk




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