Costa Rica, 2006

Teri and I with Janet and Herb.

The Arenal Volcano.

The waterfalls at the Arenal Volcano Gardens.

Ziplining through the rainforest.

Having a cleansing mud scrub and bath.

The resort as seen from the hill we hiked up.

Maybe I don't want to swim in that river.

Whale watching.

Sunday. August 6, 2006

After returning from our motorcycle trip to Quebec, Terri and I booked flights and flew to Liberia, Costa Rica, where we caught a bus to the resort on Papagayo Bay.

We did the usual resort activities but also took a few trips into the rainforest and out onto the ocean.

On the first day we met and became friendly with Herb and Janet from Brampton, who were traveling with their two daughters. We all took a cab into Coco Beach to visit the local town.

We took a tour into the interior. We stopped en route to see a troop of howler monkeys and some kudamundis (similar to raccoons). We stopped at the EcoLodge where we took a guided walk through the rainforest which was beautiful, quiet and wet. Then we drove past the man made Lake Arenal to views of the volcano. We stopped at a hot springs and spa which had beautiful gardens and a series of hot water pools and waterfalls, the hottest of which was 110F. After dinner there we went back to Arenal to see it erupt at night, that way you can see the red rocks rolling down the slope. Then the drive back to the resort.

The next day we went on another tour for a day of activities at Bienevesta Lodge. We went on a canopy ziplining tour, then change into our swimmers for a 400 metre waterslide through the rainforest, then lunch followed by a horseback ride to another hot springs. Here we went into steam rooms to open the pores and then smeer volcanic mud all over us, stand and let it dry before going into the springs.

The next day Terri and I climbed a large hill beside our resort where we got excellent views of the resort and the bay. A security guard came up to see who was there and then met us at the bottom when we climbed down to make sure we were okay.

The next day we took a river cruise with Herb and Janet. We saw iguanas, crocs, howler monkeys, long nose bats, Amazon kingfishers, tiger herons, spoonbills, woodstorks, kisskedees, and a coatimundi sleeping in a tree (looks similar to a raccoon). Back at the resort we met up with another couple from Toronto, Kike and Joanna.

When we went snorkeling we saw lots of beautiful fish and coral and a couple of seahorses. Then we took a tour boat around the bay. We saw a humpback whale and calf. 

Then it was time to fly home.

Quebec Province

Montmorency Falls, just east of Quebec City.

Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre Cathedral.

Whale watching at Tadoussac.

Hotels in Tadoussac.

The hotel with the communal toilet.

As dry as possible.

July 27-August 4, 2006

We spent the night in Tadoussac at the Maison Clamphi, a small bed and breakfast style hotel. During the night I had to get up and use the communal toilet. As I left dressed only in a towel, I heard my door click behind me. When I returned the door to our room was locked. I knocked softly trying to get Terri's attention, but she was asleep. I tried a bit louder and then just sat on the stairs for a bit trying to think what to do. Then another patron came up the stairs and saw me sitting there in a towel, can't imagine what he thought... Finally, by knocking loudly I managed to wake Terri up and probably a host of other sleepers too.

Driving along the highway I passed a car and then saw a police car coming towards us. He turned around and followed me and then pulled me over. He was really young and I think he thought that maybe I was a young punk, until I pulled off my helmet. He actually looked surprised that I was an older guy. He explained that he had pulled me over because I had failed to complete my pass before the solid no passing line returned. We talked for a bit and I managed to talk my way out of the ticket.

We went whale watching at Tadoussac. This is where the fresh water of the St. Lawrence and the Saguenay River combine with the salt water of the Atlantic tides and the mingling of the nutrient rich waters attracts all types of whales. We saw White Sided Atlantic Dolphins, Minke whales, Humpbacks, a North Atlantic Right whale and a blue whale!

On the ride home we took a different route to avoid driving back along the 401. We headed inland along the Saguenay River. We ran into some rain particularly around Mt. Tremblant and pulled over a couple of times to wait it out. When we crossed into Ontario again, we stayed at Renfrew. When we woke up in the morning it was pouring and promising to do so all day. Luckily there was a Canadian Tire next door. We went there and bought Terri a yellow rain suit and some plastic bags and tape to put around our feet. Then we headed out. We couldn't afford to stay longer as we had to get back to Toronto in time to fly south to Costa Rica. For a while we were driving along the highway and we could see the thunderstorms just north of us, but unfortunately the road finally turned right into them. The drive wasn't much fun with the driving rain. We stopped at a Tim Horton's and I saw another very wet biker, so I asked him which way he was travelling and he said the opposite from us. So I asked what the weather was like ahead of us and he said "Well I almost drown about 50 kms back!"

We continued on and luckily the weather let up a bit and we got patches of rain. When we got to Minden we could see evidence of the storms with overturned trees and hydro poles. A tornado maybe?

We arrived home safely at Terri's apartment after a successful and exciting 300 kilometre trip. Now on to the next adventure.

Quebec City

 Our mode of transport.

The old part of Quebec City, by the river and below the citadel.

Quebec is the only walled city in North America.

It has an old European feel to it.

There was a festival of buskers on at the time.

The Frontenac Hotel on top of the hill.

July, 2006
Terri and I went on a motorcycle trip to Quebec on my 1977 Kawasaki KZ650, that I inherited from my dad. We rode for about 700 kilometres in about 7 hours, stopping only for gas, toilets and food, from Toronto to the city of Trois Rivieres in Quebec, where we stayed for the night. We found a nice little hotel and wandered around the downtown area of the city and along the St. Lawrence River.

In the morning we continued on to the city of Quebec. Again we found a little hotel and spent the next couple of days exploring the city. It is a beautiful city, with a European flavour. It is the only walled city in North America. There was a busker festival going on that week and we spent the evenings watching various acts performing around the old city.

After a couple of days, we rode further east, continued on the next post.

Cozumel, Mexico

The incredibly flat coastline of Cozumel. 

 The Iberostar Cozumel Hotel.

A sinkhole that the Mayans used as a water source. 

Chichen Itza, the Mayan pyramids. 

Local girls with chicks. 

Passing my Padi scuba diving licence. 

Evidence of the recent hurricane.

Great week.

March 11-17, 2006

I decided to go to Mexico for a week by myself. I booked the Iberostar Cozumel Hotel. The trip got off to an interesting start because as we were about to land the plane had to abort and circle around as there was a small plane on the runway!

The resort was beautiful and I had a room on the second floor of a small building. There were lots of activities to do here including tennis, water games, nightly entertainment and a variety of restaurants.

This was an interesting week as I was booked at an all inclusive resort and most of the people there were couples. I talked to a couple from Dallas. The husband was a retired state trooper. We took a Jeep tour of the island. I drove and they were my passengers. We stopped along the coastline for scenic views and at a restaurant where we could play beach volleyball. There I met another young couple. Later in the day when we stopped at a small Mayan village, he asked me to take a video of him on his camera while he proposed to his girlfriend!

I spent the week snorkeling, swimming, running, playing tennis and exploring. I arranged to play tennis with one of the hotel workers. He was a good sport but I beat him handily. He hooked me up with a young American and we played a couple of times. The first day he was rusty and I won, the second time it was no contest, he had found his game and I had lost mine.

I went for a long walk along the beach from the resort. It was obvious the amount of destruction the hurricane had caused earlier in the year. There were wrecked buildings, boats high and dry and fallen trees. 

I wanted to try scuba diving again and found that I would have to pay for the introductory course again (which I had taken already in Cuba), or I could take the course that would get me my Padi licence. Since I had the time, I decided to take the course. The instructor was a good guy and there was a young American woman who took underwater photos as well. I had to study a booklet and take a test and then perform the required elements underwater. I enjoyed the course and the diving. 

I took a tour to Chichen Itza, the Mayan ruins. I had to take a ferry to the mainland and then a long bus ride. On route we stopped at a natural sinkhole. Apparently there are a number of these around the Mayan Pennisula and they were a water source for the Mayan civilization. There were masses of vegetation and vines growing down into the opening to reach the water. We were allowed to swim in it. Beautiful place.

The actual site of Chichen Itza was amazing. This is one of the sites where the Mayans built large pyramids and cities. Most of the city has decayed away as the houses were made of wood, but the stone structures still stand. There was a sports area where the Mayans competed with other cities and the victors of a game got to live and play on while the losers were executed! There was also a tall building where the leaders would sacrifice people to appease the gods. We had a tour guide and he told us lots of interesting information about the civilization.

I enjoyed my week and found that I quite like travelling by myself. I would definitely do it again.