This is one of our first ever blog posts about our time paddling on the Horton River in Northern Canada in 2012. It has been edited to make it easier to read and images have been added. We still talk about this adventure and we sure hope you enjoy reading it as much as we …
Here Fishy, Fishy, Fishy
Whale sharks are large fish that are neither whales nor sharks. They are plankton feeders. When I say large I mean really, really, really big! We have always “just” missed the opportunity to swim with the creatures, and always swore we wouldn’t let the opportunity pass in the future. Imagine our excitement when our Lonely …
Highway to Hell: The Danikil Depression Ethiopia
I was flipping through our Lonely Planet guidebook on Ethiopia and read about an interesting location in the NE of the country: The Danakil Depression. Perhaps what caught my eye was the statement: this is probably what Hell looks like! We both thought this sounded like an adventure and were lucky enough to join in …
Alia the Camel has 10 humps
Or just one hump and a really bad temper? Not sure. I don’t think I really did anything to piss her off but she made lots of noise and was somewhat ill tempered. But I do know she only had 1 hump…one uncomfortable hump. I will share more about Alia the camel a little further …
Going out to dinner in Amman Jordan
To set the stage: Jordan is a Muslim country which means beer is hard to come by. Amman was in the middle of protesting increased gas prices so we stuck close to our hostel in downtown..which oddly is where all the protests were. Matt and I were at the same establishment, and this post is …
Matt’s take on: “Pilgrimming”
“To Pilgrim” – A journey in search of a higher plane. Our pilgrimage was the Camino De Santiago, a 650km trip from St. Jean Pied de Port in southern France to Santiago in Spain. We completed 250km over 10 days. We were told on our first night that every pilgramage should include some suffering. We …
I’m singin in the rain (hail)
Romania! What another gem of a country. We went in search of Dracula’s castle and found some great hiking, old school villages, and a new friend from Australia! Transylvania has all the tourist trappings you would expect from the location that inspired the famous Dracula character. Matt constantly did his best Count Dracula impression from …
The Ukraine
After we left Poland we headed to the Ukraine which turned into another surprisingly great destination. We actually ended up staying for about 10 days and we would both highly suggest everyone should visit if they have the chance. The highlights for us were: public transportation, Chernobyl, and the Crimea. The Chernobyl tour was pretty …
Aushwitz-Birkenau
I think I will continue to process the experience we had at Aushwitz-Birkenau, and will likely never fully grasp the enormity of it. The tour we did will likely not be a highlight of our 10-12 months but it could be one of the most important. My experience with WWII has been quite distant. Sure, …
Take a Hike
Europe redefines Old. Every city we have been in has an Old Town, maybe an Old Castle, and certainly Old Ruins. When I say Old… I mean 12th -13th century Old. This place makes Calgary’s historical buildings look like diaper clad children! We have climbed Old town hall’s, and marveled at the architecture of Old …
“I Want to Ride My Bicycle…
I want to ride it where I like…Bicycle! Bicycle!” (Any chance to quote Freddy should always be taken.) We certainly rode our bicycles..for 10 straight days. We rode over paved roads, on gravel roads, on a major highway, in sun, rain, and wind. It was the absolute PERFECT way to gain a great sense of …
Matt’s Take on: The ordinary
“Hunny, would you like breakfast?” Ordinarily, at home, most breakfasts include cornflakes (or fruit loops or some other nasty sugar filled cereal for those under 14), maybe some toast, orange juice and coffee. When we got out for brunch, an ordinary order is likely bacon and eggs or pancakes. This is pretty universal at home …
Oh those Russians!
Russia has had some “great” (?) rulers for the last 3-400 years or so, and it would seem that our romp through St. Petersburg (Pietr) gave us a chance to get up close and personal with a few! To get you into the right mood to read this post, I strongly suggest digging out your …