Inverness

I will have to keep this fairly brief as I feel I could go on and on. I will do my best and use pictures to sullplement so I can keep my words few(er).

We flew from Amsterdam to Inverness and spent three nights in a great little hostel there. We spent our first day walking around the city, familiarizing ourselves and enjoying the river that runs through town. We explored a cemetery and climbed a hill for what would have been a view of the city if there weren't so many trees in the way.

The room we stayed in the first night was at the back of the hostel with a separate entrance. There were only three rooms back there and we had our own kitchen to use so it was a delightful little secluded area just for us. And our room had a view of both the river and the castle - yes please.

On day two we made our way to Drumnadrochit for the day. We went to Urquhart Castle which is situated on Loch Ness. We sadly did not see Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster, but the castle was lovely and the Loch was stunning. We decided to walk back to Drumnadrochit from Urquhart as it was a two mile walk that winded along the Loch. The clouds were clearing and the sun started shining just as we ventured off and it made for an absolutely lovely stroll. Along the way we happened upon an Equestrian... Farm? We walked on up and ended up booking an ride for the next morning. Then we were going to head to some exhibit in town but saw a sign for a footpath to some waterfalls just three miles out of town. The sun was shining and warming our bones putting us in exceptionally jovial moods so we decided to follow said path. I am so glad we did as it was incredible. It took us up the hillside, through fields, along deserted roads, into forests, and to the falls. The falling water itself wasn't impressive, but the icicles certainly were. There were icicles clinging to the rockface behind and around the falls. It was beautiful.

On day three we started the day with a horseback ride. It was more like horseback skating as the ground was incredibly icy. The lady taking us riding kept apologizing saying she didn't realize how icy it was. My horse, Florry, was particularly prone to slipping for some reason. We didn't make it very far as we had to move so slowly. It was a little disappointing, but I am still glad went. After our horse adventure we made our way back to Inverness and there we waited for the bus to take us to Stirling.

Ok, that went way different than I anticipated. I am far too lazy to edit or shorten so this will remain as is. Sorry about that... The rest, if they are written, will be less wordy. Well, maybe not less wordy, but less like a " and then we went here, then here, then here, then here." You know??

Yup, it is great.

Well hello there. I am currently sitting in the living room of some lovely friends shivering ever so slightly, but enjoying a hot cup of tea.

Scotland has been amazing. Not a single day has gone by that I haven't been overwhelmed with the beauty around me. I was very much looking forward to Scotland and it has been better than I anticipated. I don't want to jinx it, but the sun has been shining every day. Yes, it is cloudy a lot, but the sun has managed to fight its way through the clouds for at least a few hours each day. We also had a morning of snow, but we have yet to experience the delightful Scotland rain. I am sure it is inevitable so I am thanking God each day I wake up to something other than rain.

The weather, though it definitely makes exploring more inviting, is not the reason I have fallen in love with this beautiful country. As with all of Europe, Scotland is so full of history. With every step you take you are breathing in the rich history that is everywhere. Now, I am no history buff by any means, but I do love hearing the stories and seeing the sites. My skill for retaining such knowledge is unimpressive at best and embarrassing at worst, but I like to appreciate it while it is being delivered to my ever-welcoming ears.

The highlights of our time here, aside from seeing our dear friends, have been the unplanned and spontaneous adventures we have been on. The planned things are wonderful too, but it is the unexpected detours that have charmed me. For example, we were making our way to an exhibit at Loch Ness and we chose to follow a foot path on a three hour walk through the countryside to a wee waterfall. We had no idea the walk would take that long, but in the moment we decided it sounded intriguing so off we went.

Today we are planning on walking the Royal Mile here in Edinburgh. I am excited for that in itself, but I am interested to see what adventures we unexpectedly find ourselves on. The sun is shining and beckoning me outside even though I know I will be met with a bitter cold. I hope you are all asleep in your beds dreaming pleasant dreams.

Much Love,

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday Ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Wishing you a cozy weekend!

*** *** ***

Scotland: We Have Arrived

This castle is right outside my window. I snapped this picture yesterday while searching for our hostel. I had a pack on my back and a bag on my front as I quickly snapped this en route. If this is what Scotland is going to be like then we are going to get along fine. Just fine.

A Day in Amsterdam

We only had a day to spend in Amsterdam. One day was certainly not enough!! Amsterdam was absolutely lovely. It was breath-taking both in beauty and temperature. I wore every single article of clothing I brought along. It was freeeeeeeeeeeezing!

We didn't want to stress ourselves out and try pack too much into a day so we took it easy. We walked downtown, escaping into every open shop to warm up along the way. We quickly found toques and mitts to purchase as I was nearing tears. I hardly took photos as my fingers were far too cold to be exposed.

Amsterdam is beautiful! It felt strange seeing a shopping mall or McDonalds in such lovely, historic buildings. I felt that every building should be a cute shop or a museum. I loved the canals, the bikes, the blue skies (yes, they were blue!), the scones, the cobblestone, the history and everything else.

The highlight of my day was definitely visiting the Anne Frank House. It was an incredibly humbling and touching experience. I had started writing a bit about here, but it got a bit out of hand so I will give it a separate post.

We spent most of our day walking the streets, moseying along the canals, and ducking into shops to keep warm. We did splurge and go on a candlelight cruise from 20:00 until 22:00. We sipped on wine and snacked on cheese while drifting through through Amsterdam's canals. It was lovely.

And then we walked the 30 minutes back to our hostel and went to bed. It sounds like we didn't do much, but it was a wonderful and relaxing day.

It's Been A While.

I have decided that I am not very good at blogging while traveling. There are just so many other things to do! Some people's priorities, eh? When I am so "behind" in updates I like just throwing a list at ya. I hope that is acceptable as it is so conventient. Here goes.

• I never mentioned that we visited the equator on our way back Mindo. Maybe I did, but I don't recall doing so. We visited the Equator and it was fabulous. We balanced an egg on a nail, tried to walk in a straight line with our eyes closed, watched water drain from a basin both directly over and on either side of the equator, saw a sundial in action, and did a strenght/gravity test (or something). All simple little tricks, but very entertaining and amazing. Really, it was awesome. 
• We spent the last two weeks in Canoa, Ecuador. Two whole weeks. We were planning on staying for a few days, but we got stuck. The main reason for our long visit was that last weekend was Carnival here in South America. Apparently it is a continental party that lasts five days. It invovles flour, eggs, paint, and foam being thrown at everyone and anyone. We were encouraged to settle in as we wouldn't be able to find a hostel at the next town we were hoping to visit. So, two weeks it was. Thankfully Canoa's Carnival was the tamest it has ever been. I only had paint thrown on me once and foam sprayed a couple times. We also stayed just down the beach from town so we could escape the blaring music and sleep. 
• I don't regret a moment in Canoa. It was a little beach town and it was great! Erik surfed every day. He had only tried surfing a couple times before this trip and after a week he is actually quite good. I'm impressed, at least.
• I tried surfing. I had a lesson and actually managed to stand more often than not. Sometimes I would stand for a few feet, sometimes a few meters, and sometimes for many meters. I would say my longest "ride" was 75 meters (though it felt like 1000). I just played in the white wash, I didn't actually try any real big waves. I told the instructor that I was afraid of waves before we started. We didn't go past our necks so I wasn't too too scared, but I am terrified of the power of the waves so it was a big step for me. I tried one other time, with Erik, but was feeling exceptionally weak that day so I only got up once. I only tried three times actually, but I just didn't have it in me to push myself up. I am weak. It's embarrassing. 
• I'm a little ashamed to admit, but we ate at the same restaurant almost every day in Canoa. The reason I am ashamed is because it was run by Americans... no local food sadly. But, the employees were all Ecuadorian so we were supporting the local economy still. It was definitely gringoland in Canoa though. It was delicious, however, and there were plenty of vegetables to be had. We ate burgers, pizza, fish tacos, salads, and sandwiches. It was Yummmmmm. We started off sharing one meal betweenn the two of us to stay on our rigid budget, but the food was so good that we soon started ordering our own meals. Woops. 
• Erik volunteered at this local establishment (the delicious restaurant) so we started getting 30% off. That helped immensely both because we loved the discount and he was needing a challenege. He was getting bored doing "nothing". 
• We ate so much that we both gained whatever weight we lost since leaving Canada.
• There was another restaurant that opened when we arrived. It had a buffet breakfast for $5 per person. It had fruit, granola, yogurt, lemon loaf, toast, meat, cheese, crepes, waffles, eggs, and cereal. It was delicious as well. Again, it was a bit expensive for our budget, but we ate there because we could finally control the nutrients coming into our body. It was such a relief to know you were getting what you needed.
• Oh, we also only eat two meals a day. Just thought you should know. We aren't ridiculous gluttons all the time. That's also how we can afford to spend so much on each meal... at times. 
• In Canoa our days revolved around the beach and food. 
• Our days usually only revolve around food so it was nice to have a bit of a distraction. 
• We ran into these two Irish girls that we had met briefly in Quito while in Canoa. They arrived about a week after us and we spent every waking moment with them for our second week there. Erik and Karen rented the surfboard together and Elisa and I held down the fort on the beach. They were easily the most lovely people we have met traveling. I absolutely adore them and it was a tearful goodbye yesterday. They are flight attendants so I am trying to convince them to meet us in Scotland for a day. 
• Internet was the pits in Canoa so I feel very out of touch with the world. It was both wonderful and painful. I enjoy mini check-ins with family and friends. 
• I did get to skype with a few families from church on Sunday. It felt like I was having tea and cookies right alongside them. It is nice to stay connected like taht. 
• We traveled from Canoa to Guayaquil and then from Guayaquil straight through to Lima, Peru. A six hour bus ride followed by a 31 hour bus ride. I miss Ecuador already. Erik and I are reminded of why and how much we don't like Lima.
  
  And that is that. We fly to Amsterdam tomorrow and then we are off to Scotland soon after that.

Back in Lima

You can't imagine how many blogs I have written in my head. I write them at the beach, on the bus, in bed, and walking down the street. I write them while I am eating, showering, swimming and reminding myself to shave (noted). Sometimes they are witty one-liners, sometimes it is just a story I want to share and sometimes it is pages of droning. I am sometimes impressed with my intelligence and wit, but I am usually humbled by how dull and uninteresting I can be. I have the best of intentions and I thoroughly enjoy blogging, but the wind is taken out of my sails as soon as I open this thing.

I am sitting on the roof of our hostel listening to the city awaken. Lima. It is probably my least favourite city. Definitely not a destination, it is merely the gateway to Peru. We have 36 hours here and I intend to make the most of it (now that I am done complaining... Sorry about that).

I have a friend from nursing school flying into Lima today. Her flight should be landing as I type this. We are staying at the same hostel and I am so very excited to see her. She is not only a friendly and familiar face, but also a peron I love. She may be one of the funniest people I know. Erik and I have prepared for her welcome by foregoing showers for the past five days. Gross.

I have yet to be homesick, but I do get peoplesick. Sometimes the distance feels greater or more real than others. I think about the people I love every single day. This is usually in the form of "Mandi would love to (insert fun activity here)” or "Lindsey would do fine with the twins here" or "Milena would think that (insert object here) was beautiful"... Etc etc. I often wonder how people are doing and what they are doing. I wonder who the little ones are becoming.

Erik is reading up on Scotland. Yes, we are planning ahead a bit....Europe requires it. We only have ten days there which is not nearly enough, but it will have to do.

I think that is about all I have to say right now. Unless you are interested in hearing about my nieces' most recent developments, but I know you aren't. Have a lovely Sunday!

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday Ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Wishing you a restful weekend!

*** *** ***

It is February.

• I cannot believe it is February.
• I will be home in five months! Home in Canada, at least. I haven't quite figured out how I am going to get back to Kelowna.
• This morning I briefly skyped with a friend who just had a baby and I got to "meet" her little fella. He is absolutely perfect and she is looking and sounding fabulous. It was so nice to have a chat with her, no matter how brief. I wanted to hound her with questions, but decided that those can wait. I already emailed her a bunch which she graciously answered. What a gem. 
• We are heading to Canoa tonight. The only available bus was the night bus, which I am dreading. There is no first-class Cruz Del Sur in these parts so we are in for an uncomfortable (and long) ride. Canoa is a coastal town so I am looking forward to sand and sun while Erik can't wait to go surfing. 
• We rented a motorcycle for 24 hours and ventured off through the back country to a sleepy town called Mindo. It poured rain for much of the trip so we were both wet and muddy on arrival at our destination. It was the highlight of Ecuador, even with the puddles that I still found in my shoes the morning after. We visited the Equator on our way back to Quito. That was actually a lot of fun too. 
• Our shoes smell something fierce. So foul. I may have to soak them in vinegar or baking soda. Would that help? If not we could always make little volcanos in cups. That would be fun, at least. 
• It is no secret that I have had baby fever since... well as long as I can remember really. Sadly that baby fever is turning into whatever could be worse than baby fever. It consumes me. Even more sadly, Erik has yet to catch said fever. Four and half years of asking and his answer has never waivered. Apparently we are operating under a renewable five-year-plan. 
• Speaking of babies, Peyton and Avery are six months today! 
• We have had strawberries and cream every day for five days. We share a bowl so I feel about myself. The owners of the little icecream parlour we go to laugh when we walk in. They are very sweet. And I get zero dairy so heavy cream is better than nothing... right?
• Gravol will be my friend on this bus trip we are taking tonight. Yes, I am hung up on it. That is how full of dread I am. 
• I love clean laundry. I love not having to clean my laundry. 
• Our GPS broke while we were on our motorcycle adventure. For some reason it couldn't find the satellite so we had to navigate Quito on our own. That was a little stressful. We had to get the bike back on time and we had only a faint idea of where we were going. We made it though. Quito is huge, in case you didn't know. 
• We have to check out of our hostel so that is all for now. I'm going to get me some strawberries and cream. 

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday Ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

Wishing you a fabulous weekend!

Look What I Did!

What Do You Call Your In-laws?

I recently read a blog where a lady discussed this "controversial issue". I can't remember where I came across it so I can't provide a link to it. Sorry about that. The blogger wrote that she had been married for five years and had just started calling her in-laws Mom and Dad. 

I started calling Erik's parents Mom and Dad in the receiving line on our wedding day.

I remember it being such a relief to finally know what to call them. I even sent them an email once while we were dating (they live in Washington so I couldn't just pop on by) in which I asked what I should call them. How awkward is that?? They asked me to call them by their first names, but that just felt wrong so I didn't really call them anything. I would just make eye contact before speaking. You know, speak only when spoken to or looked at. I called them Mr. and Mrs. Olson in the beginning, but then I just stopped calling them anything altogether.

Then came our much anticipated wedding day and I finally had an appropriate and comfortable name for them, Mom and Dad.

Seriously, it was a sweet relief.

And it wasn't even weird. Not for me anyway... it may have been strange for them. It was completely comfortable and just rolled nicely off my tongue and out of my mouth.

I even call them just that, mom and dad, when I am talking to my own parents about them (Erik's parents).  I asked my mom if that was weird for her and she just shrugged and said, "nope".

Erik, on the other hand, doesn't call my parents anything. I think he has tested out the big M and D words, but they came out halted and awkwardly. He speaks only when spoken to or looked at.

What about you? What do you call your in-laws?

:: right now ::

Right now, I am...

:: listening to Erik, a Brit, and an Aussie discussing music.

:: smelling three different deodorants, some wickedly strong body wash, and smelly, sleepy boy... I may have a headache.

:: thankful that the Aussie was brilliant enough to open the balcony door as I wrote that last sentence because it smells in here. Thank you, Andrew!

:: hoping it stays sunny today. I love love love the sunshine.

:: planning a trip to the equator. We are hoping to rent a motorcycle -- Erik is pretty pumped about it.

:: laughing at all the boys around me. Staying in dorms is certainly an adventure.

:: enjoying having no responsibility.

:: dreading going back to work... And that is still over five months away.

:: thankful for our iPad. I can text my sister and she sends me photos and videos of my nieces daily. I also get videos and photos from Mandi. I look at them every single day. Over and over. It is wonderful.

:: needing to use the bathroom, but dreading that adventure.

:: uploading photos. I am surprised by how few photos I have taken... I am not big on city photography and Erik is tired of me snapping his picture.

:: loving spending every waking moment with my favourite person. I don't think he would say he same.

:: anticipating parking myself on a beach for a week. Erik is going to surf and I will attempt it for one day, but I plan on reading to my hearts content. That being said I am...

:: shuddering at the very thought of surfing. I kind of have afear of giant waves. This is especially true when I cannot touch the ground. And I am...

:: hoping our hostel has a book exchange and that there are English books to exchange with.

:: thinking I should drink some water. This girl is dehydrated 100% of the time.

:: reading the Bible from start to finish. I am thankful to have made it through Deuteronomy already. That was a wee bit painful.

:: praying that one of my dear friends has had or is having her baby very soon. Also praying that everyone is healthy and happy.

:: wishing you a wonderful Tuesday wherever you are!

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday Ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

Wishing youa lovely weekend!

-- knitting --

I miss knitting.
Like really really really miss it.
I miss it almost as much as I miss the people I love the very most.
Ok, maybe I don't miss it that much.
I do miss it though.
Very much.
Let's be honest... I haven't knit anything since July (I think).
That is my longest drought yet.
And I miss it.
I miss creating.
I miss the softness of the wool in my hands.
I miss seeing the string of wool become a row of little uniform stitches.
And then watching the row become many rows.
And watching the many rows become something.
A sweater.
A scarf.
Wrist warmers.
A blanket.
Anything.
I miss knitting.

I Love Ecuador

I love Ecuador. I don't know if it is because we have settled into our traveling groove or because Ecuador is more lovely than Peru, but I really love Ecuador. We even spent the better part of a week in a hostel having less-than-enjoyable diarrhea.

Did you know that diarrhea is even worse when you can't flush your toilet paper? And did you know that it is even less pleasant when your wastebasket isn't cleaned daily? Well, I can attest to the fact that it is worse than just plain-old-North-American diarrhea.

Even with the scoots though, Ecuador is lovely. We have been to Guayaquil, Riobamba and Banos and had a good time in all of them.

Guayaquil was a very big city. It is the biggest city and Ecuador and it was... big. We walked along the river, ventured up to a lookout, and met some wonderful people at our hostel. We were only there for a day and a bit, but we will be returning in just under a month as we are catching the bus from Guayaquil to Lima, Peru (a 31 hour bus ride).

In Riobamba we visited a friend and former co-worker of Erik's. His family operates an orphanage in Riobamba so we spent a couple days playing with the kids and helping out where we could. It was wonderful to be in a family-like environment again, even if it was only for a few hours a day. It was also nice to talk to people who spoke English as a first language. Only two of the kids spoke English and none of the employees at the orphanage did so it was an adventure to try to communicate with them. Thankfully babies don't care if you understand them and they don't understand you anyway so I was ok most of the time.

We are currently in Banos and we have enjoyed the zoo, the hotsprings, go-karting down the highway and walking around town umpteen times. The weather has been less than stellar -- we were rained out on the go-karts and had to return earlier than anticipated --  but it is great here. We are surrounded by mountains on all sides. Banos is just a tiny town nestled in a little valley.

Tomorrow we are hoping to make our way to Quito, the capital of Ecuador. Erik tells me it is the second highest capital city in the world. I'm glad he likes fun facts like that because.... I don't. We don't have any plans beyond finding a hostel when we get there.

We have been traveling for just over a month. I can't believe it has been that long! And I can't believe we still have five months left!

Hope you are having a wonderful Tuesday!

Nori Joy's Birth Story: Part Two

I just realized I only wrote the first portion of Nori's birth story. I suppose I could just leave it as it does include her emergence into the world, but I love stories and I love birth so the story continues.

It was very special to see Sam interacting with his newest daughter, but I was even more excited to see Milena reunited with her littlest one. When she came up from PAR she was exhaustedly beaming -- radiating joy, relief and excitement. Sam wheeled Nori Joy in and Milena took her in her arms for the second time.

Little Joy took to the breast instantly and Milena fed her baby as satisfied as could be. Sam and Milena made calls to their families sharing the news of the baby's arrival.

It's been over a month so the exact details fail me, but Sam and Milena called for Mor Mor and Maelle to come meet the baby. I was super pumped because that meant I could almost hold the little one. Sam went down to get Little Miss and to help Milena's mom carry her things up.

Maelle suddenly looked like a giant when she walked in. Doesn't that always happen though? Older siblings seem to grow up the instant the younger one comes along.

Maelle was very excited to meet and hold the baby. She already knew her name and called her Nori Joy (Nowee Jowy). She beamed as she held her little sister and gently kissed her head. Maelle cried when Nori was taken away from her, but the baby needed to be fed and changed. Milena lay in bed with a daughter on either side of her and all was right in the world.

Mor Mor had a snuggle and then it was my turn! At long last I got my hands on that little cherub and I savoured every second. She was so plump, round and perfect. Her dark tuft of hair was delightful and she looked so peaceful and serene resting in my arms. The weight of her little body was wonderful and warm and I loved it!

Erik came to the hospital shortly thereafter and was rewarded with snuggles with Elinor and rough-housing with Maelle. I love seeing Erik with new babies. He is much more experienced and comfortable with them now then he was when Sawyer made her arrival two and a half years ago. He hasn't had much of a choice in the matter.

I went home with Erik and Maelle went home with her Mor Mor leaving Sam, Milena and Nori to get to know each other a little bit better.

The midwives, doctors and nurses were never concerned with Nori's blood sugar even though she was almost 10lbs. Milena had two separate gestational diabetes tests and they both came back negative. This made for a much different hospital experience this time around and Milena wasn't encouraged (read forced) to "top up" Nori after feeds and their new routine-making-process went relatively uninterrupted.

I still cannot believe how greatly you can love someone in an instant. I am always overwhelmed with how much my heart can grow and how fiercely I can love these little babies the moment I meet them. It is truly amazing.

Elinor Alida Joy. I know she has forgotten all about me, but I am confident she will be unable to resist loving me when I come home.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday Ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Happy (belated) Birthday Gus Gus!

Kaden John had his first birthday on January 12. He's one!!! I would have loved to have been there to celebrate with him, but I'm confident he felt loved just the same.

When he was just wee I called nicknamed him Gus. This was for a few reasons. For starters, he looked like a little old man. Secondly, he was a grunty, gassy, and grumpy little fella and what sounds cuter than Grunty Gus, Gassy Gus, and Grumpy Gus? I went with Pukey Pete on occasion because that was another skill of his, but Gus won out. He is now none of those things, but Gus Gus is a name that has stuck for the poor guy.

Little Gus was born at 34 weeks. He was a fighter from the get-go and it's a good thing too because he has a big sister to defend himself against. He absolutely adores Sawyer and she manages to get the best smiles out of him. She calls him Kade, Buddy, Gus, and Handsome. Kaden especially loves wrestling with Sawyer... or at least he did a month ago. I would sometimes worry that she was a little rough with him, but he loves rolling around on the ground with her. I love watching them play together -- they really are best friends.

Kaden is a bit of an untrusting little man and always has a look of suspicion on his face. It is one of my favourite things about him though. He often looks unimpressed so when I get smiles out of him it is extra rewarding.

He is an easy-going little man. He is observant and he loves watching what goes on around him. He is busy -- he loves crawling around and gets into everything, but I would still say he enjoys watching what is going on. He especially loves watching Sawyer.

I can't even explain how charming he is. He is just so... lovable. Erik and I were talking about how fond were of him yesterday and I had a hard time putting my finger on what it was I loved so much about the little guy. He is my little Gus Gus. He is the only boy in my gaggle of tiny human beings. He's my buddy.

So Gus, even though we are far away right now, we love you so much and wish we could be there to toss you in the air and tickle you. Happy Birthday! You are a gem and we can't wait to see you in five and a half months.

Last day in Peru

Well, it is our last day in Peru. It isn't actually our last day as we are flying out of Lima, Peru on February 18, but we are heading to Ecuador tonight. Our bus leaves at the delightful hour of 23:45 and I believe it is a 16 hour busride to Guayaquil. We have absolutely no plans beyond safely arriving in Guayaquil. This provides me with the usual terrified excitement. Having no plans is wonderful, but having plans is wonderful too. I wouldn't mind having at least an idea of how to proceed, but things don't seem to work out when we have them well planned anyway so we have been living by the seat of our pants (did I use that expression correctly?).

Erik and I have been talking a lot (imagine that). We've been talking a bit about the trip and how things are going and have decided that backpacking is not entirely what we expected. We are both thoroughly enjoying ourselves and don't regret a thing, but we feel we'd be more inclined to move somewhere for six months and volunteer or work rather than travel the way we are.

I don't like being a tourist. Every city we go to is overrun with tourists and we are just one of the same. I feel we aren't getting a real picture of the culture. In Ghana I really enjoyed meeting people and having the time to get to know them. We were invited to people's villages and into their homes. We, as travelers, were the odd man out, but South America is full full full of tourists.  

I feel like a bit of a complainy-pants so I want to reiterate that we are loving our trip! It is awesome and fabulous and wonderful! I don't know if Erik feels the same, but I love spending every moment with him. I really enjoy his company and couldn't pick a better travel companion.

Peru is beautiful. I especially love the Andes. There was a moment, or rather there were a few moments, while sitting on a rock at Machu Picchu that I felt transported back to the beautiful coast of British Columbia. There was a thick fog clinging to the mountain, rain threatened to fall and the air smelled so sweet and wet and fresh. It was lovely.

I love how colourful Peru is. Clothing, cloth, buildings, flowers, paintings... everything is colourful. I love the cobblestone streets and the heavy colonial influence. I love the historical buildings. I love the hidden nooks and crannies. I love the hustle and the bustle of the streets. I love the markets. I love the landscape (desert, forest, beachfront, mountain). I love that the sun is there to greet me when I wake up at 5:00am. I love Peru.

And tonight we head to Ecuador. Anyone been there? Have any advice?