-
Travels with a new friend
Switzerland is expensive. Like image a thing, say, a bottle of water, now imagine a crazy expensive cost for that thing, say, $5. Now double it. That’s Switzerland in a nutshell. It’s a beautiful place, but I don’t understand how anyone can afford to live there. That said, there comes a point where, if you’re going to spend time there, you need to just buy what you need and not look at the numbers. After my failed attempt to go for the gold, I took the train to Basel to reunite with an old friend – Miranda. Basel was… sleepy and German – Unsurprisingly. Many shops were closed, but that…
-
Always go for the gold!
So I’m not the world champion. At least not of Saboteur the card game by Frederic Moyersoen. But I came relatively close! It’s been a fun trip so far with friends! We stayed with Gord and David in London, who both make excellent coffee, despite their warnings. Wine was consumed, dogs were petted, foxes were spotted. What else could you ask for? Perhaps a little warmer weather, because that was one hell of a cold snap! But otherwise it was great, as usual, catching up and spending time. Miranda going for a walk on the Thames Unpictured is us freezing in a pub with Mike and Helene for lunch and…
-
That time we almost died…
So traveling is always risky, and I can recall a number of times when I thought to myself “I could die right now and literally no one would know what happened to me”. Some of those times are more calculated, like taking a flight, or signing up for a walk on a live volcano. Some are a little more random like encouraging a venomous snake on walk or getting to your Airbnb and only then realizing that it has no cell service and no wifi! On this trip we’ve definitely had our share of deathly scenarios. In Peru the most dangerous activity that stands out to me was Hyuana Picchu…
-
Are there any Condors on your Condor tour?
**SPOILER ALERT** The answer is yes! Cusco was nice for some downtime and shopping, and less nice for constantly being harassed about getting a massage, taking a tour of Machu Picchu and fraudulent banking machines. Pretty place though. My journey for beer continued in Arequipa! We took in the local culture and saw some sites. It’s very cool here. AND we did a trek into the mountains to see the aforementioned Condors… We were also promised some Vicunia viewing! These are the finest of the cameloid family! If you want one of their sweaters, they’ll charge you no less than $5,000USD! These guys are cute, but really hard bargainers! Needless…
-
The Incans have been defeated, long live the Incans!
Peru has a rich history of ancient civilizations and colonization. It’s very interesting, very sad and full of wonder! NERD ALERT: This post is going to boring unless you like a history lessen. I won’t be offended if you skip it, but I really enjoyed learning about it so I’m documenting it with words, and photos. Also, if anything is wrong or otherwise misinformed, you can blame the various tour guides we experienced. Now, read on, if you dare. #TLDR I have always been fascinated with history and architecture and I have learned so much on this trip about how the Incans pre-Incan civilizations truly figured out how to thrive…
-
Can’t get you off my mind…
This trip has been unforgettable. So many highlights it’s hard to keep up, but I’m gonna try… I got a taste of “the precious” in Toronto during a food tour of Kensington and, while available, Inca Cola is harder to find and pricey back home and it’s literally everywhere here. I am super tempted to get a full head to toe track suit of the gear that’s sold here, but may settle for just a hat we’ll see. Stay tuned. On the subject of beverages and things Miranda has been a good sport as I take our travels only slightly off course to hit pretty much every brewery I can…
-
You can’t spell Peru without Canada!
Ok well logistically I guess you can spell Peru without the letters in Canada, but Peru, or Lima at least feels like home in many ways. Firstly, the Peruvian flag is the Canadian flag minus the maple leaf. That said, they do offer really maple syrup #downwithfructose Beyond that they have Turkey vultures, just like home. So. Many. Turkey. Vultures. The craft beer scene is growing but still early days. Perhaps behind Canada, but I’ve had some decent brews so far. #notabeertrip Just like Toronto they have a transit system but I’d say that they are ahead (not that it’s a race!). Their busses have fully dedicated lanes with second…
-
Berber Bazaar Buying Guide
Shopping in the Souk’s of Morocco can be tricky at best, and extremely high pressure rip offs at worst. I’m not talking about malls, restaurants or other such “reputable” establishments with employees, listed prices and proper doors. I’m talking about the independently run shops of the Medina, with their crammed shelves, walls, floors and roofs, their “inviting” calls (“Excuse me, excuse me, please look at my shop, where are you from?…”). These “artisans” have practiced methods, honed over generations, perfected to attract and trap unwitting customers. The process starts out in the Beckoning phase of the sale with phrases including: There are some general rules you should follow during this…
-
Morocco: Eat for the temperature you want to be
They say “Dress for the job you want”. Well it’s been 33 – 38 degrees since we arrived in Morocco so I’ve adopted a new approach (see title of this post). As a result I’ve had a lot of iced beverages (this is not so new for me), but also had Gazpacho for dinner, that was a first, and it was delicious! Also yogurt. Any hot meal with a yogurt-based sauce is both instantly cooler, and immediately delicious. I definitely need to find and make more such things! Related to the temperature and trying not to sweat out of new places on my body, there’s been a lot of “shade…
-
Planet Yukon
It’s hard to believe that Yukon is a part of Canada because it feels like another planet – or at least a place that should be somewhere far far away on the other side of the planet. Let’s explore the things and review some numbers from Mission: Yukon. We were on the ground in Yukon for 9 days. During that time we toured 7 “places” and surrounding areas: Whitehorse Haines Junction (+ Kathleen Lake + Silver City) Kluane park (pronounced “clue-a-nee”) Skagway (Alaska) Carcross (Caribou Crossing OMG – though we didn’t see any there) Dawson City (home of the gold rush) Tombstone park We went on 6(ish) hikes: Miles Canyon…
