Flashback Friday- Costa Rica 2017

This one is going back in time a bit, this trip would have been planned shortly after I got my first big full time job.  So this was my first big excursion trip with my own funding.  I chose Costa Rica, a bit at random, I’d heard good things about it, but didn’t have a big reason to go there.  Just sounded nice.

This was my first big trip travelling Solo, so I opted to go on a tour.  I generally travel with G Adventures on my tours, they are a good Canadian company and I have had a lot of luck with them.  For this trip, it started and finished in San Jose.  I decided to fly in a day ahead to have some time to explore and make sure I wasn’t late due to any travel snafus.

The hotel we were at was nice, in the morning of my first day I got some instructions on taking the bus into San Jose.  There was a nice broadway to walk along, with lovely old buildings and a museum of local history.  I had lunch in town, and just walked down the Main Street.  I had decided to take a taxi back to the hotel instead of trying the buses again on my own.  Making small talk and lots of “um hmmmms” in my incredibly basic Spanish to try and seem less like a tourist to be taken advantage.  Not sure if he bought it, but I was dropped at my hotel without a full unnecessary tour of the city. 

That evening the group got together for the first time and introduced with the guide.  I was pleased as it looked like I would have my own room, which is a treat.  Unfortunately it was just a miscommunication. My roommate had travel issues and I met her when I was woken up in the middle of the night to someone else coming in my room!  That small hiccup aside, she was a great companion for the trip. 

As I recall, the group mostly knew each other, there was one other single man on the trip, the rest was a friends group, a pair of couples, and a father with his teenage daughters.  Our guide was an amazing local woman, she was just fantastic. 

The first full day of the tour we drove up to the town of La Fortuna which is at the base of the Arenal volcano.  They didn’t actually know volcano was still alive till the 60’s.  The first clue was the local river ran hot.  Then it exploded.  Sadly a fair number of people were killed, and three villages were destroyed.  The government took advantage of the sad situation, instead of rebuilding they relocated the surviving villagers and then built a dam that had been previously considered that flooded the land the old villages had been on.

Along the way we stopped at a coffee plantation, where we got a tour of everything from the plants growing to how they roast and prep the beans.  I am not a fan of coffee, but the others in the group said it was delicious.  When we arrived in La Fortuna the group went out on a Canyoneering expedition, where we climbed and jumped along trails along a river running along a canyon.  That evening the tour all went to a local hotel that uses the local hot springs to make some delight full swimming pools.

The town of La Fortuna is thriving at the base of the volcano, which has slowed down in the last 15 years. Our guide was from the area, and on a free night in town she took us to the local river that still runs hot. The locals had built up rock walls to make pools in the river, and it was a lovely temperature for relaxing in.  She had organized coolers for us and everyone had bought drinks and snacks to enjoy.  Sadly the local spot was being discovered and as we were heading out a couple coach buses were arriving.

The next day I chose to do a similar waterfall jumping trip, it was a smaller group of other tourists.  It was amazing as it started with a 60ft rappel along side a small water fall.  It ended with jumping off a 6ft cliff into a deep pool.  I attempted a flip.  It didn’t go well, I didn’t quite get the rotation.  But was still a ton of fun! At the end of the trip the snack for everyone was some fresh pineapple.  I was a little disappointed as I don’t care for pineapple.  Then I learned what I don’t care for is the imported pineapple we get in Canada.  Fresh pineapple is AMAZING.

After two days in La Fortuna we took a boat ride across the reservoir and then a long drive into the cloud forest and the town of Monte Verde in the mountains. 

Alex's Advice - Hostels for Solo Travellers

Lots of people can be quite nervous travelling alone, and travelling on a budget doesn’t help.  I started my solo travelling late in life so my concerns are not quite the same as young women.  I am just hoping to share some of my personal experiences.

When I did my epic trip, I spent the first two months in Europe.  As I had a long journey ahead of me, I chose to stay in hostels most of the time.  With the exception of one hostel in Dublin that used a headache inducing cleaner in the bathroom, I managed quite well.

One concern was that I was going to be the old lady at the hostel even at the ancient age of 38.  While most backpackers were of a different generation than me, a few were of an unexpected direction.  My first hostel in York there were several senior citizens staying there.  It helped me feel more comfortable immediately.  Also most of the younger people couldn’t care less, in Venice I hung out in the bar a few nights and chatted with a variety of people.  While I never chose to join the pub crawls, everyone seemed happy to meet anyone passing by.  

Though once in Edinburgh a pack of high schoolers on a trip were slamming doors as they chased each other through the halls.  I actually did channel my inner old woman and went to ask them to be quiet. Chagrinned they swore they would go to bed.  I had to laugh and said I didn’t care if they went to bed - just pick a room and stay there!

Still, there are safety concerns.  Many hostels do offer women’s only dorms.  I never really minded if I was in a co-ed or not.  I did notice however if Women only was available and I chose mixed, usually to be in a room with less beds, I would end up being the only woman.  I never had issues, but it is a consideration especially for young women travelling alone.  If there was an option, I started picked the women’s dorm.  

For privacy, it can be good to look at pictures of the rooms and see if there are curtains that come with the bunks.  If it’s not an option, I had planned ahead.  Most people are going to be traveling with a lightweight towel that can work as a curtain, or a sarong wrap works too.  Buy a clothes line from a camping store, these often come with attached clips.  Ask for a bottom or lower bunk, and you can wrap the line around the posts of the bed, attach your towel and get a little extra privacy.  It also works for longer travels to have something to hang clothes to dry.   

Be sure to also pack a lock, not just the one on your luggage, but a combination lock for a locker.  Try and look for hostels that have locker space in the rooms.  It’s a lot more comfortable leaving things behind if you know you can secure them.  I never liked carrying my passport out and about, but I was also never going to leave it unsecured.  In the same way, I also travelled with cash and back up bank cards.  I split them up into separate envelopes or wallets and hid one in various bags.  If something got stolen I should always have back ups. 

As for booking hostels, there are lots of websites out there, I usually would browse a few of them, the main hotel ones and also Hostelworld.  It can help to read a variety of reviews from different sites to be sure a location has what you want, and too see if complaints are dealt with or ignored based on responses on the big sites. 

I enjoyed staying in hostels, it was definitely a different experience and took me back to my younger days of travelling.  But if you aren’t planning to spend a lot of time at your accommodations it’s a great way to save money. You can meet people to hang out with if you are feeling a little lonely, or pick a place with a bar if you aren’t up for exploring your city alone after dark.

Be sure to have some headphones, both so you don’t disturb others or to help fall asleep when others are being loud.  And even in hostels - you do get what you pay for.  At the $20 pod hostel in Singapore you definitely got your moneys worth and not a cent more! 

Flashback Fridays - Machu Picchu 2019

The final day of the hike luckily did not have near as much hiking.  My group all voted for an early start, we wanted to be at the front of the back and we managed it quite well.  We had to be out of camp early to allow the porters time to pack up and catch their train home, so we were in line about 90 min before the gates open for Machu Picchu at 5:30. (Times are approximate. This was six years ago!) Our group was the second or third in line, so we were pleased.  Everyone had to be checked in to enter grounds as a ticket is required.

We hiked for about an hour towards the Sun Gate entrance, which included the Gringo Killer steps, which barely qualify as steps, more like a ladder.  I think they were also called the Monkey Steps as they were so steep you could use your hand for balance.  Luckily, there were not too many of them.  We made it to the Sun Gate in about an hour.  This is a spot where you can watch the sun rise over the epic old city. Of course this was the view we had. 

Still, we had a little break in the gorgeous old ruins before starting the hike down into the city itself.  When we arrived at the main city, tourists who’d come in on the train were in the city as well, though it was obvious we had arrived via the multi day trek as we had hiking poles and large packs which were not allowed in the city.  It was fun as we got a lot of cheers and people shouting their congratulations at us.  

The next stop was the classic Instagram Lookout for some obligatory photos posing with the ruins behind us.  Luckily it was not too over crowded so everyone was able to get some amazing shots.  After his the tour group actually filed out of the city, we were to leave all our gear at the buses waiting to take us back to civilization and re-enter for the proper tour.  There was an option to get a stamp in your passport (which i think we had had to carry to match our ticket into Machu Picchu) and then left in a cafe to wait for the guide to arrange things.  Everyone ordered something to drink, a few of us went for alcohol.  Someone pointed out we were drinking beer at 8:30am.  I was shocked for a second, then pointed out we had been awake and moving for the last five hours.  Not quite as bad!

Eventually we headed back into the city for a proper tour.  I could have stayed all day taking pictures and had to keep rushing to find my group after getting distracted.  There are lots of llama’s still wandering around, they actually are the previous pack animals that were just abandoned when the ban on hooved creatures on the Trail was set up.  Don’t worry though, they are cared for by those caring for Machu Picchu and are useful lawn mowers. 

The ruins were amazing, the views were breathtaking.  And one doesn’t need to walk the arduous trail to appreciate it.  The journey we were taking home is one that can be done in both directions for people who don’t have the desire, time, money or ability to hike the multi day trail.  After an amazing day exploring the old ruins, we took a bus down to the town of Aguas Calientes where we had lunch before catching the train back.  A few people took advantage of the hot springs that the town is named for, while i normally cannot be kept from soaking in steaming hot water, I just knew I would struggle putting my grimy old clothes back on after getting properly clean.  So I explored the town before lunch, then we took the train back to Ollantaytambo and a bus back to Cuzco to end our journey.  

I flew home the following day after a morning walking around town again as well as having a pint in the Worlds Highest Irish Pub.  It was an incredible experience.  Of course I wish I had a smoother time, but life can be boring if it always goes perfectly!  I had an amazing time on my tour and would recommend it to anyone.  Though as I said, if for what ever reason it isn’t for you, my mom did a similar tour with G, half the group did the hike, the other half continued to explore the area and then met the group for the tour in Machu Picchu.  Don’t miss out if it sounds like a place you want to visit!  

I loved the idea of walking in the footsteps of people who lived 500 years ago.  Canada doesn’t have near as much ancient history that is tangible.  Peoples may have lived here for countless centuries, but they left little evidence of their passing.  I love going anywhere, where I can reach out and touch something that has existed for so long and seen countless generations passing by. And the Inca left a heck of story behind. 

Flashback Friday - Dead Woman’s Pass, Peru 2019

The second morning on the Inca Trail started early.  Three of us opted for an earlier start than the main group, so we had a light breakfast while the others got another hour of sleep.  It was a beautiful morning as we headed up towards the notorious Dead Woman’s Pass.  It is thus named as there is a woman’s figure is visible reclining in the shape of the rocks.  The pass is the highest part of the trail at 4000m or 13,000ft.  So we spent the majority of the day going up. 

Our little group did well, keeping a slow but steady pace through out the morning. Most of the group caught up with us about mid day at a lovely little look out closer to the top of the pass.  This was the last place that we would see any of the local peoples and they took full advantage setting up a little stand with chocolate bars and alcohol for the various tourists.  Inflation is definitely a thing here too.  Yesterday is was $6usd for a bottle of beer, today that same $6 got me a can.  Everyone got various treats for themselves at this stop.  It was just a little snack break.  Lunch was planned for when everyone arrives at camp on the other side of the pass. 

There was still a bit more up for us, the group had discussed a group photo at the top, but myself and one of my early companions took too long so they had continued on by the time we made it.  It was a long slow slog getting up to the pass for me, but I was so thrilled to make it.  The clouds were closing in on the far side, it was so neat to see how they would bump up against the mountains and get stuck.  I decided to save my celebration beer for camp, and after taking the celebratory pictures we headed down the other side.

Physically the down hill was easier than the up of course, and it was all steady stone steps.  That likely was part of the problem for me, I wanted to power through and get to camp.  Not taking as many breaks probably wore me down as I just ran out of energy.  I could have easily given up, but my guide and my companion got me going again and into camp.  It was still early, about 2:00 but as I recall we left about 5am so that is a lot of hiking.  I thought I would be fine with the altitude if I went a few days early to Cuzco to acclimatize, but sometimes it doesn’t matter what shape you are in or if you do it right. Not every physiology can handle it.  I don’t tell this part of the story as a “woe is me” or to discourage you from trying it, but to be honest and give a full perspective.  Look into all the details and all the options, including medications you can bring.

Anyways, that’s enough of the PSA.  As I said, I was feeling rough, but I was well taken care of by the team and by my fellow hikers. It was decided the next day the porters would carry my personal pack and I would just have my water and my camera.  After having a long rest in the afternoon I was up for rejoining the group for dinner and cards in the evening.  A group of Brits taught us a new game, and it turned out one of the porters had played before with previous tours so he was joining us too which was a lot of fun.

The next morning dawned a lot better for me. With some donations of B12 and coca leaves to chew, and a lighter weight literally on my back, I was able to keep up on day three.  I was never going to be at the front of the pack, however I didn’t need a head start this time.  There was a detour to a look out point with some Incan ruins that I skipped, but the entire trail was littered with amazing stone work.  I did the tour in November which is the start of the rainy season, and it did rain.  But I actually ended up taking off my rain gear.  It was lovely and warm and the rain actually was very comfortable on the hike.  

After another pass, we got to the last set of terraced farms before Machu Picchu.  It was such an incredible view back along the sacred valley, the same valley and the same river we saw on day one of our hike.  And then we finished at an absolutely amazing camp, where all the groups were clustered along terraces over looking the valley.  My tent had a clear view, and since I was under the weather yesterday I still had my can of beer so everyone took turns posing with it that night!

We had a phenomenal full moon rising over the mountains that night, and it was the last night with our porters.  Along with the usual tips I donated a bunch of left over travel snacks I had brought. More popular was the deck of cards left by the Brits, we found one of the porters teaching games to the others and they were having so much fun. 

The next morning we opted for a super early start, we needed to be out of camp in time for the porters to pack up and make the train back to Ollantaytambo, but the gates to Machu Picchu didn’t open till 5:00. The option was no breakfast with a 4am start, or up earlier to give them time to serve us a hot breakfast.  We requested in between- cold breakfast with hot beverages.  With all 250 odd tourists all leaving at the same time, this was the bottleneck.  So we voted for an earlier start to try and be at the front of the line. 

Flashback Friday - Inca Trail 2019

 We woke up in the morning ready to start the hike.  I was a little overly confident.  I was in decent shape, run often and had an active job.  I knew the trail wouldn’t be easy, I didn’t know the altitude would kick my ass.  Still, there are no regrets!  I would 100% recommend this trip, just consider all the precautions if you aren’t used to being so high above sea level!

We started the beginning of the trail with our two guides, the team of porters were well ahead of us.  Everyone carried their own day pack while the porters carried our main packs.  They had limits on how much they could be loaded with, but they were still incredibly impressive, literally running the trail with 25kg of equipment on their backs. There used to be llamas on the trail, but they were banned as the hooves were wearing out the steps.

The trail is a protected area, but the first two days there are villages of local indigenous people who are permitted to continue living in the park as their traditional lands.  The first bit we passed houses and the occasional local on motorcycle or horse back.  As I alluded too, I did struggle. At first I was just surprised that I was out of shape. It was the uphills that really took it out of me.  I never fell too far behind. I never got very long rest breaks though when I caught up with the group!  We had 16 people in our group.  Peru allows only 500 people a day to start the trail, and half of that is easily the employees carrying all our gear, food and tents.  So there are still a fair number of people, but it didn’t feel crowded.  They must be easily practiced at stringing out the groups so we were never too bunched up in one place.

The porters had a tent set up at the first stop for our lunch break.  Full hot meals and comfortable seats.  There are a variety of companies and prices, but they all still do a lot for you!  Even though the same companies use the same sites day after day, they are not allowed to set up permanent structures beyond a few existing toilets at the camp sites.  So they do full tear down and set up, carrying everything to every stop.

So as we carried on the hike, all the various porters sprinted past us with their loads to have camp ready when we arrived.  As we were fairly close to a village a local woman turned up with a bucket of large beers for $6 each.  As alcohol was the one thing not provided we were happy to indulge and toast the end of day one. 

I had a talk with the guides about how I was feeling, I wanted to press on but was warned that tomorrow we pass the point of turning around and the only way out was helicopter evac. Not a fun prospect, but I didn’t feel that bad.  I did however opt for an earlier start.  Myself and two others decided to leave an hour earlier than the main group to have less pressure on the hike. The second day was the big challenge, crossing Dead Woman’s Pass at an elevation of 4,000m or 13,000ft. 

Flashback Fridays - Peru 2019

I really enjoy writing my blog while I travel, and I hope everyone enjoys my stories!  The trouble then becomes that there is long gaps as I scrape my pennies together again for the next trip.  Well, I realized I had some pretty good adventures before I thought to document my travels, so I have decided to add in some Flashback Fridays!

In 2019 I decided it was time to cross a major bucket list item off my list and go to Peru to hike the Inca Trail. I had been fascinated by it for long time, and the idea of walking along a trail that is hundreds of years old. The amount of work it must have taken to build this trail for a hundred miles from Cuzco to Machu Picchu.  The city was “lost” for centuries as well before being “rediscovered” by an explorer in 1911.  I use the quotation marks because the American explorer found it after being told where it was by a local boy and a family was living in the ruins farming the land.

For my trip, I flew into Cuzco for a few days ahead to try and acclimatize to the to altitude. Spoiler - it didn’t work. Anyways, I made some friends to explore with.  My flight from Lima to Cuzco had some problems so we were all deplaned and had to wait about an hour to reboard.  My remedial Spanish was enough to understand some of the information so I was “translator” for a lot of the English speaking crowd.  One guy mentioned he was flying in to meet up with several friends so I made plans to explore Cuzco with them.

Cuzco is an amazing city, it has its Incan roots with Spanish colonialism stacked on top.  The quality of the stone work the Incas were capable of is astounding, massive blocks of stone fitted together without mortar so tightly you can’t slide a piece of paper between them. 

Lots of hills too has Cuzco sits in the basin of a valley, with the town centre at the bottom and the sacred temples at the top.  I quite enjoyed trying the local drinks, a Pisco Sour became a quick favourite and the local beer too.  As well we all tried some local delicacies.  I didn’t mind the llama but I found the guinea pig to be pretty greasy.

After a couple days my new friends moved on with their plans, and I joined up with my tour group.  I used G Adventures, and they seem to have a great organization.  We spent the first day driving out along the Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo, which is the town closest to the launching point for the Inca Trail. 

We stopped at a weavers compound that is sponsored by G where local weavers still work in traditional methods.  They showed us their work, and I bought a gorgeous scarf.  

We also stopped for empanadas and to seen the traditional mud brick makers.  In Ollantaytambo there was an option to go on a hike up the cliff sides to old Incan store houses and farm terraces.  As we were about to start a very intense multi day hike, and it was raining, no one took them up on the option and we just explored the town instead.  

We had an early start the next day on the famous Inca Trail, so most of us were happy to have an early night to be ready for the next amazing adventure. 

Another Day in London

My trip was finally coming to an end, for the final leg I was back in London and visiting with my cousin and his family.  Last time I had been to see them their little guy was just 3.  It was amazing to see him growing up and with an adorable little sister added into the mix.  I was thrilled that this lovable pair was just fearless and took to me quickly.  It wasn’t long before I was getting hugs and playing games.  I was also thrilled that one other family member took a shine to me, their cat was just a little love snuggled on the couch with me too.

I arrived on a Thursday, so on Friday everyone was at work and school so I was off on my own for the day.  I headed first to the Tate Britain, which was actually the main reason I had looked at coming to England for this trip.  They were hosting an exhibit on the legendary Lee Miller.  I had only recently learned about her when the movie Lee came out last year.  I had meant to see an exhibit that was in Toronto at the time, but life got in the way.  I recommend seeing the movie and seeing her photos.  Not only was she an incredible photographer, a gorgeous model but she was such a brave woman to fight to stay in the front of WWII and photograph and share the atrocities that needed to be seen, even if people didn’t want to see them. 

Anyways, enough of my pitch on Lee Miller, next I went to the British Museum.  When my aunt and I were talking about archeology, she was reminding me about the amazing exhibit on the Sutton Hoo discovery.  I have been to the museum several times but it is so large I have never gotten to the Saxon section.  Seeing some of the beautiful pieces that have survived over a thousand years was incredible. If I had any patience I’d have been an archeologist.

That was the end of my day so I hurried home for Pizza Night with the kids.  The next day was packed with the kids activities in the morning, and then us playing games in the afternoon.  Saturday was movie night.  Once the youngest was put to bed, the oldest got to watch the second Harry Potter movie.  He’s working his way through the books, and the rule is he can see the movie once he is done a book.  He was very excited and it was quite a test of patience waiting till the little was tucked up in bed.

He didn’t quite make it till the end, falling asleep on the couch.  The grown ups still finished it and he got to watch the rest in the morning.  Which actually worked out well as the clocks had gone back so his parents said he was awake at a ridiculously early hour!

Which brings us to the last day.  It was an easy morning at home, with the kids colouring and playing games.  There was a piano lesson as well which was fun to listen to.  Sadly it was time to go.  I managed to get all the hugs I could before it was time to go.  Then it was back to Heathrow for an uncomfortably long flight home and back to reality.

Thankfully I had gotten the Monday off work.  My original plan was actually to go right back to work.  Every time I say I will plan in some recovery time, and every time I think it’ll be fine and it’s worth it to stay a couple days more!  That is my pro tip, always book a rest day after bigger trip!