Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

After our magnificent experience in Yellowstone National Park we got back on the road and headed towards the west coast of USA. The drive, along a long one was stunning at times. The Cascade range in Washington State was particularly beautiful. Seattle was the next major city on the journey. Located right up the top left hand side of mainland US, extremely close to the border of Canada and Vancouver. We only spent a day here but we got a feel for most of the city from the Space needle which gave us a great view of the city. We highly recommend a visit to this 184 metre high tower that has become the symbol of Seattle.

From the beaches of Central America we embarked on something that perhaps is more for the older folks than us but a way to travel that we thought would be so much fun. We hired a Recreational Vehicle (RV) through Cruise America and drove around the US. Below is our home on wheels.

Deciding to indulge in a little more R&R on the beach, we flew from Costa Rica to Cancun, hired a car and made our way to Playa Del Carmen. We hadn’t booked any accommodation on arrival in Cancun but we were quickly advised by the Tourist Helpdesk to look for places that were ‘All Inclusive’. All inclusive is basically a rate that covers accommodation, all meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks) and all drinks (tea, coffee, juices, soft drinks, beers, wines and fabulous cocktails).

After 3 action packed days in Monterverde we decided that another stint at the beach would be ideal. We had heard many travellers along the way talk about a place called Manuel Antonio so we arranged a shuttle to take us there from Montervede. Leaving at 8am, the drive took just under 4 hours.

The drive from Miami to Orlando took about 3 hours, although we headed South first to check Florida Keys. We didnt get to all the keys but we could see why it was such a popular holiday destination. Back on the road to Orlando we knew we had well and truly arrived when we turned onto International Drive and were greeted by huge fun park signs, novelty restaurants, massive shopping outlets and fast food chains.

Flying from Bolivia to Ecuador we touched down in the capital city of Quito. On recommendation we stayed downtown in the Mariscal area which was close to great bars, restaurants and plenty of Travel Agencies (we went with a place called Gulliver’s Travels) where we booked our first activity – a trip to the Amazon.