Less than 2 weeks to go before we leave, which means that it is time to panic. Not enough time to fix the things that need fixing, like passports, but too much time to relax and say “Oh well….”

I THINK I have everything arranged that I need to – places to stay in Lima, Cuszco. Air transport arranged, train tickets purchased. What am I missing? I guess I’ll find out when I get there. You would think that I was going to Mars, gone for years instead of just 2 weeks. Jeez

Too much time spent, time to get going and forget the arrangements.

June 30, 2016

After the day off, we decided to pull out the stops. This part of the world (confluence of Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea) is known for Whale Sharks. We joined a boat tour to “swim with the sharks”. It was awe inspiring and scary. A highlight of the entire trip.

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After the great Whale Shark experience, we deserved a quite dinner on the beach, and a beautiful sunset.

June 30, 2016

Lazy day, hanging out at the beach, riding bicycles into town. It is worth noting that there are no paved streets on the island, also that it is very hot all the time. The temperature was in the 90’s every day and of course being near the ocean, quite humid. One gets use to it, and the solution is just to not move around much, or get into the water at every opportunity. A perfect excuse for vacation life in the islands.

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How we spent most of our time in the Caribbean.

June 28, 2016

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1st full day in Holbox. Decided that a boat trip sounded fun. Chartered a small boat to take us on a 3 hour tour (couldn’t help but think of Gilligan’s Island). Visited a number of locations on the boat, including Passion Island, Fuente de la Juventud, Flamingoes’ wading along the shoreline.

June 27, 2016

We arrived in Isla Holbox (pronounced OL-BOS, in Mayan dialect) after a 2 1/2 hour ride through the jungles of Northern Yucatan. Beautiful, hot, sandy spit of land off the coast of Yucatan, across from Cuba. A short ferry ride across Yalahau Lagoon, put us in the town of Holbox, population 2000. The Seagulls are fighting over dead fish at Raices Restaurant, which is on the beach. Everyday at Sunset, a Mayan who works at the restaurant blows a conch shell to the setting sun.

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Today we arrived in Cancun, our attempt to escape the wilds of the North Country. This time we escape to the wilds of the tropics.

This has been the most ambitious and involved travel outing yet. Seven countries and well over 12,000 miles covered in almost 4 weeks. Quite an accomplishment. I look forward to the next installment.

Finally made it home, 24 hours late. I’m tired and sore from sitting in the “enhanced interrogation” devices that airline seats have become. 6 hours in a middle seat was a test of my physical and mental limits. I felt like I needed to be extracted with a mechanical device by the time the plane landed. To give British Airways credit, they did everything they could to help the Spanish Inquisition be as bearable as possible (note to other airlines – free wine is good).

Well, as happens when one travels, there were problems. Flight from Copenhagen to London was delayed just enough to to miss the connection to Montreal, the last flight of the day.
British Airways, contrite and accommodating, arranged for a free hotel, transportation to said hotel, meal vouchers, and booking on the next available flight. I am struck by the level of customer service between that and the American carriers, who say “you’re on your own, we will book you on another flight if we remember to”. Could be worse, stuck in London for an all expense paid night in a nice hotel. Hope everything goes well for the flight home tomorrow.

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stayed the night in Malmo, had a lovely fish dinner on a small square in the center of the old part of the city. Took the train at noon for Copenhagen.