NJMar

Taking a break from talking about what I've seen and done to what I've eaten. With great cheeses and bread, how can you go wrong? Best meal so far...Pain Vin Fromage...a fondue restaurant in the Marias neighborhood : a beautiful cellar like setting with 2 different fondues, bread and potatoes...it was delicious and Kir Royal to wash it down. It was an adventure getting there with clogged roads that caused our Uber driver to tell us to get out and walk, while the others were traveling without wifi to get there. Fortunately the restaurant seated us even though we were an hour late and the meal was totally worth it. Tea in Cafe Lavierve was pretty yummy too. It was in an article in the New York Times '36 Hours in Paris' so Roberta wanted to ... read more

On a pretty last minute spontaneous decision I'm traveling to Paris and Nice with Terry, Roberta, Cheryl, and Naomi. Terry was feeling the need to take a trip this summer and as long as we found a good deal, I was in. After some time looking at Nova Scotia, we heard about the wild fires and couldn't find a good deal, somehow traveling to Paris became an option. Thanks to Travel zoo, which we'll never use again, and Terry's persistent negotiating skills we got the deal we were looking for. 8 days, really 6, air fare hotels and train all for $2000. Terry and I were never in France and the others had but liked the idea of taking the trip together. France was never high on my travel list but seeing the Eiffel Tower and ... read more

I'm back on the grid after 5+ days in the Enchanted Islands without internet. I've been taking notes each day but so that this blog actually gets done I'll put them all together into one or two posts. It may be long but I promise lots of beautiful pictures! How to describe this experience...magical, fun, amazing views of volcanos and blue waters, delicious, mostly healthy food, friendly, helpful crew and very knowledgeable and passionate guide, and most of all the giant tortoises, sea lions, sea turtles, dolphins, iguanas, lizards, colorful fish, boobies and so many other birds. By charter bus, plane, local shuttle, and dinghy ride we traveled from Quito to the Galapagos and boarded the Carina, that was our home for the 7 days at sea. Juana was our leader and naturalist. I had a ... read more

OAT tours always have a cultural immersive experience as part of the tour. Today we visited and had a home hosted lunch with an indigenous Kichwa family and spoke to 2 teachers and met students at 2 different schools along the Napo River. I do love this part of the trip, getting to see how people live their day to day lives. We got around by motorized canoe and walking through the forest to get to the community. One thing that was confirmed for me: Teachers are wonderful giving caring people no matter the language or culture they're teaching. One teacher, Carlos, we met had just 9 students in a one room schoolhouse on the side of the river. The families of these students have no money or way to get their kids to other larger ... read more

Our tour group gathered in the morning with our guide Alfredo. We are only 9 people, all women except for 1 man. . Introductions were made. Everyone has travelled a lot, and had interesting careers. Of course all are retired. Alfredo has lots of experience and seems very friendly and enthusiastic. He did a short orientation, went over plans, and answered questions. Then we set out for the middle of the world..the Inti Nan Museum, which sits on the equator. Along the way Alfredo talked about the political history of Ecuador, especially in the last 40 years, from El loco to the present. Lots of soap opera drama with leaders who steal millions of dollars and still get reelected. The Inti Nan Museum was a place to take the mandatory picture standing on the 00 00 ... read more