Blog Posts

Run Forest Run

11/8/2014

The calm before the storm for certain. In fact, as Blaster and I head south to equator nirvana, the house will be frosty as a pumpkin! Apparently Mother Nature will be sending off with much fan fan, and this storm while smacking Alaska, will be a frosty front to the our dear Old Line State.

meteorologists believe that this system could become one of the most intense storms to move over the Bering Sea....If the pressure of this storm does drop this low, it will be in contention for becoming one of the most powerful storms to ever develop over the Bering Sea in recorded history

If nothing else, those are some mighty pretty pics of the weather.

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You don't know Jack!

11/6/2014

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I have to admit it's a strange saying. As we had a delightful evening meal a few moons ago, Jack lamented on how why isn't it "You don't Sally" or maybe "You don't know Joe". Every time I have heard the name since then, I've replayed those few sentences.

Imagine our surprise when Marty and Jack announced they would be joining us. We've had a lot of fun taking photos with a mascot on these long trips. For this one, we've decided to bring along "Jack". While he is only a foamy antenna ornament with sticker eyes, I think it will be fun to see him in 9 days from now.

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Chocolate and CloudForests

11/4/2014

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The summer months whirl by. We book our plane flights and lucky for us, United is only landing in Quito at midnight, and coincidentally departing Quito at midnight. However, this has also created 2 extra ride days. Blaster often laments that he wants a stay-cation. Never fear, I can fill every waking minute. With that, we decide to expand the bike rentals for two days.

Really, what's not to love about this little excursion:

You will learn about organic cocoa farming and processing. You will learn how cacao is turned into chocolate from the moment it is picked from the tree to the completed chocolate bars. The Chocolate tour starts every day at 4 PM
Tandayapa Bird Lodge. You can stop here for lunch in their restaurant or just sneak a peak at their amazing balcony and be surrounded by hundreds of hummingbirds in a show that will fascinate you.
astronomical observatories established at the Equator by ancient indigenous cultures. You can also perform some fun and interesting experiments to show you the strange gravitational effects that can only be observed on the Equatorial line.

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The Plan

11/3/2014

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Leaving the table that night, the plan seemed intriguing yet unrelenting at the same time. For one, we were going deep into a new continent, on a one-way bike rental needing to navigate multiple visa requirements. The bigger problem however, Blaster, was still short on work leave thanks to a little 2012 incident that left his foot (and his human) with a few less bones.

Over the coming months, the band of riders meets in Canada again and again. We mull over the options. Our dear friend Marty wants to ride there from Maryland. Our other dear friend Keith, wants to rent bikes and head north for 3 weeks as he had done previously. In the end, it seems that Blaster and I will be going at this alone mostly due to time constraints. To support that end, we chose Ecuador.

Why Ecuador? Well, for one it is very politically stable, it uses the US dollar as currency, and the topography is everything from volcanoes to rain forests. Enter our destination:

There are a myraid of choices they offer. The one that sings to us is a 4 day, self guided tour.

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And So Another Adventure Begins

11/2/2014

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Some might say that our adventure planning to South America started at a small table set for four very near the 55th parallel on during our 2013 Trans Taiga trip. Being 4 days into 16 days, we figure the Trans Tiaga adventure is on cruise control. So, let's add some chaos...where's that map of South America.

Yep, it time to start planning for the next big trip..

They always say, start with the end in mind. I, however, have to personally wonder why on earth someone has a map of another continent in their side bags! Packing by volume, not weight.

It was a lofty goal indeed. The tip of South America--Ushuaia.

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