Tue Sept 13 – : Thu Sept 15 Poznan (D16 – D18) Poznan is a very pretty town, but there is not a whole lot to keep a tourist around for long. It is the 5th largest in Poland and used to be the capital a long time ago. I decided to take it easy and […]

Wed Aug 31 – Fri Sept 2 2001 : Leipzig (D3 – D5) The train journey was extremely comfortable and there were only a handful of people in my compartment. I found Leipzig delightful. Located in eastern europe, it is a bustling tiny city with a famous university (and a few Nobel prize winners in the […]

Frankfurt photos (Sun Aug 28) Mon Aug 29 , 2011 – Day 1 Frankfurt After two weeks of taking a break from travel, I starting to get restless when the day of my flight rolled around. It was a short flight, leaving Calgary at around midnight and getting to Frankfurt at a quarter to five. About […]

Day 334 Wed 3/8 Bus, taxi, boat. Chat with Nic security guard. Arrive in Merida, sunset; read Day 335 Thu 4/8 Altagracia, walk, sunset Day 336 Fri 5/8 Change hotels, el porvenir, Playa domingo, walk, hostel, read IN A lovely garden with amazing views Day 337 Sat 6/8 Transportation all day. 2 hour bus to […]

Day 330 Sat 30/7 Wake up early as has been the norm this trip; head for a walk up some steep roads surrounding the hostel for the views of the green rolling hills around the town; breakfast of gallo pinto and eggs (typical Nica breakfast); walk around town; lovely catedral! back to hostel thanks to […]

Day 327 Wed 27/7 A couple of buses from Granada, I arrive in Leon after about 2.5 hours. The taxi driver who drove me to the hostel spoke to me about Leon, sports and the people. Apparently Leon is the safest town in Nicaragua and there is a strong sense of community, which discourages “delinquencia”. […]

Day 324 Sun 24/7 Another day spent mostly on the road… Left Liberia at 06:30 on a bus to the border (Peñas Blancas). Arrived in Peñas and the border crossing was smooth and the folks extremely efficient and friendly. The cops would carry on conversations while checking your luggage.. Welcome to Nicaragua, but now please […]

Day 323 Sat 23/7 Since I had but barely around 17 or 18 days, I figured I’d rather make it to Nicaragua than spend the time in Costa Rica. The decision made for a long day on the road! Woke up at around 05:30 and left Isla Colon by the boat at 07:30. It was, […]

Day 320 Wed 20/7 – Day 322 Fri 22/7 Left Boquete around 10:00 am and arrived in David at 10:30 and hopped on a bus to Almirante at 10:40. The ride to Almirante lsted about 4 hours and then it was time to hop on a boat to Isla Colon! The folks are friendly on […]

Day 316 Sat 16/7 – Day 319 Tue 19/7 After the 6 comfortable hour bus ride from P City, arrived in David at 06:30, and managed to get the bus at 07:00 to Boquete. Boquete, a small coffee town reminiscent of Salento and Mica in Colombia, offered a bit of respite from the heat and […]

Day 314 Thu 14/7 Left the island at 08:30. I wanted to stay a night more, but it rained most of the night and was still raining when I woke up! Off the island at 08:30, taxi to the city at 09:30 and at my hostel at noon. Shower, chat with folks and off to […]

Day 314 Tue 12/7 The long day started at 04:30. Shower, put bag away in storage, wait for taxi. When the taxis did arrive, they didnt have enough space and since I was the only one not in a group, they asked if I could wait for another taxi. It showed up an hour later. […]

Day 310 Fri 8/7 Last day in Colombia; farewells and off to the airport at 09:30 for the 12:30 flight. The taxi driver was not the best I have had and tried to overcharge me. However, I knew how much it cost, roughly, to get to the airport and managed enough Spanish to tell him […]

Day 308 Wed 7/7 Back in Bogota after saying godbyes to the folk at Villa and a 3 hour bus ride. Yet more beautiful landscape. Rain didnt seem to make the driver slow down much and we made it to Puerta del Norte within 3 hours. TransMilenium over to La Candelaria, check in, and off […]

Day 304 Sat 2/7 – Day 307 Tue 6/7 If the weather in Mompos werent so hot and muggy, I would have stayed there a couple of the nights I spent in Villa. Villa is at 2000+ metres and makes for cool temperatures. It can be quite warm when the sun comes out, but not […]

Day 302 Thu 30/6 Mompos is a lovely, sleepy, colonial town on Rio Magdalena, which was well worth the effort it took me to get there. I left the hostel in Cartagena at 6:00 and got on a collectivo to Magangue that left at 07:30. The rains in Colombia has left the surrounding region in […]

Day 300 Tue 28/6 3 hour ride to get to Tolu; walk around village and beaches; sunset on the beach, dinner and sleep. Tolu is a small town, on the coast, extremely popular with Colombian tourists. 300 days in South America! I wish I could rewind time and start it all over again. It has […]

Photos Day 297 Sat 25/6 A 5 hour luxury trip to Cartagena. Instead of taking a bus, I signed up to take a minivan that picks you up at the hostel and drops you off at a main square in Cartagena. There was no difference in price and it was a much more relaxed way to […]

Day 295 Thu 23/6 After a night in Santa Marta, I thought I would escape the heat by heading to the mountains. Minca is at an altitude of 800m, 45 minutes from Santa Marta and is also famous for its coffee. There are a few nice hikes in the region, but I wasnt quite impressed. […]

Ciudad Perdida Trek photos Day 290 Sat 18/6 I was up and ready way before the time the tour jeep was coming by to pick me up (at 08:30). There were 3 others, one of whom was someone I had met at Villa de Leyva. The Ciudad Perdida trek lasts 4, 5 or 6 days. I […]