How'd That Happen?

Thanks for following along with the blog. I apologize for not writing too many individual e-mails or phoning and skyping people. I have been very busy and haven't had enough time. Keeping the blog up to date takes a lot of my computer time.

However, I am thinking of all of you, family, friends, work mates et al. I love hearing from you, but can't always respond individually. This blog is my way of reaching out and contacting all of you at once. I hope you are okay with that.

I miss all of you and hope you are all well.

Nomadic Joe

I'd been doing some thinking about how I was going to get to Lima from Quito. I was going to take a bus, but I've heard some funny things about the border by bus, and I wanted to stay in Quito to do a few more things so.....

When I came back from Cotopaxi I went straight to the travel agent I used to book the volcano trip. I asked her advice about flight vs bus and about going to the Cloud Forest. I think I talked myself into flying. So, she sent me across the room to another agent who does flights and after asking rates and times, I booked a flight to Lima for Friday morning. She told me that I when I go to Lima I should have dinner at a special very romantic restaurant. I told her I was traveling alone and asked her if she wanted to come... While I was doing that another man came in and was asking the first agent about tours in the area. I heard them talking about the cloud forest. After I paid for my flight I wandered over and eavesdropped while I waited my turn. I was thinking about a day trip, but she was pitching him an overnight stay which offered more options of things to do while there. She asked him who he was traveling with and when he said he was alone, she said that's too bad because you will have to pay the single supplement. So guess what happened?

That's right, I went up to him and asked him if he wanted to share with me.

Well this 41 year old man named Nickolas, from Hong Kong, and I decided to share a room and stay overnight at the cloud forest. That way we both save some money. Surprising how fast it happened and how he was agreeable, but when traveling you have to be open to new ideas, right?

So, the package we paid for includes pickup from our hostels, a two hour drive there and return, five meals, overnight accommodation, minimum of three hikes through the cloud forest with a naturalist guide and all the beautiful scenery we can handle. So away we go....