Experiential 14 Day Ecuador Tour — TOUR CODE: EC11 Experiential 14 Day Ecuador Tour
TOUR CODE: EC11
In his latest blog post, Dale Dunlop, The Maritime Explorer, fulfills a childhood ambition to travel the Galapagos Islands, he starts his travels at San Cristobal - Where Evolution was Born. If you are interested in what Adventures Abroad has to offer, please check out our Small Group Tours to Ecuador.
I've been waiting almost my entire life to visit the Galapagos Islands and today that is finally going to happen. I know I'm dating myself, but my fascination with this unique archipelago goes all the way back to the 1960s when the CBC (that's Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for those who aren't Canucks) aired a five part series on the new science program The Nature of Things. Believe it or not, this iconic show was not always hosted by David Suzuki, but rather by the much more circumspect and reasonable Lister Sinclair. The expedition to what was then a rarely visited place was a big deal and even included the legendary Roger Tory Peterson. It was the first time most people, myself included, had ever seen colour footage of the remarkable wildlife on the Galapagos and it was sensational. The CBC even put out a book to accompany the series, Darwin and the Galapagos and I still have it today. In this first post, we'll visit the island of San Cristobal which is where Charles Darwin first stepped foot on the Galapagos and spent time observing the many endemic species to be found there. It is not an exaggeration to say that the Theory of Evolution had its birthplace on this remote island.
Lucerne - Switzerland’s Nicest City?
13 Day Switzerland Tour — TOUR CODE: XSW 13 Day Switzerland Tour
TOUR CODE: XSW
In his latest blog post, Dale Dunlop, The Maritime Explorer, has much much to wonder about after visiting the various places in Switzerland and he tries to decide if Lucerne - Switzerland’s Nicest City? If you are interested in what Adventures Abroad has to offer, please check out our Small Group Tours to Switzerland.
Since landing in Geneva over two weeks ago, Alison and I have been blown away by the efficiency of the Swiss transportation system and even more so by the absolute liveability and beauty of its cities, towns and villages. It is very difficult to choose a favourite among the major cities of Geneva, Basel and Zurich and even harder between the smaller places like St. Moritz, Zermatt, Interlaken and Wengen. The combination of modern and medieval is definitely a winner. I honestly thought the places we had already visited could not be topped and then along came Lucerne. In this post, we'll take a walking tour of the city. In the next, I'll visit some other places not on the walking tour and between the two I'll try to explain why Lucerne is one of the nicest cities I've ever visited.
Death in the Afternoon
21 Day Uganda Tour, Rwanda & Kenya — TOUR CODE: UG2 21 Day Uganda Tour, Rwanda & Kenya
TOUR CODE: UG2
Rick and Debbie Boyd live in Kelowna, BC. They have always enjoyed traveling, consider themselves lucky to be able to do it, and never return home without being very grateful that they live in such a wonderful country as Canada! This travel post features their experience on Adventures Abroad's tour to Uganda, Rwanda & Kenya (Tour Code: UG2). It is their third trip to Africa and their second trip with Adventures Abroad.
On Safari In East Africa
Cruising along game trails on Kenya’s Maasai Mara, our vehicle approached a small herd of gazelles just as two jackals made their move. We watched intently as they burst from the savannah grass towards their target: a baby gazelle and its mother. They moved with deadly speed and accuracy. One seized the baby by the neck; the other flew at the mother. Desperate for her fawn, mama dodged back and forth to rescue it, but the guard jackal blocked her with slashing fangs. The struggle was over in seconds….mama circled helplessly, clearly in distress, while the jackals devoured the fawn. We watched from our vehicle, stunned.
Hacienda Zuleta - Where the Condors Are
Experiential 14 Day Ecuador Tour — TOUR CODE: EC11 Experiential 14 Day Ecuador Tour
TOUR CODE: EC11
In his latest blog post, Dale Dunlop, The Maritime Explorer, experiences a modern-day hacienda and the grandeur of the Andean Condor at the Hacienda Zuleta - Where the Condors Are. If you are interested in what Adventures Abroad has to offer, please check out our Small Group Tours to Ecuador.
Hacienda is one of those words that just slips off your tongue and evokes images of bygone romance in colonial Latin America. I first fell in love with it as a kid watching the great Guy Williams as Zorro in the series set in pre-independence from Spain southern California. His father owned a large hacienda and brought his son back from Spain to fight injustices imposed upon the poor people by the 'authorities'. Thus my first impression of hacienda owners and haciendas, in general, was that they were good things. Later in life, I learned that the opposite was the case. Haciendas were for the most part instruments for squeezing as much out of the land as possible at the expense of the common people, usually Indigenous or Mestizo. If Zorro had been reality based, it would have been the hacienda owners using the authorities to support their oppressive regime, not the other way around. There are exceptions to the rule and in those posts from my recent trip to Ecuador with Adventures Abroad, we will visit Hacienda Zuleta where the Lasso family has for over a century been a benevolent force for both the local people and endangered Andean wildlife. It should be an eye-opening experience.
Jungfraujoch - The Top of Europe
13 Day Switzerland Tour — TOUR CODE: XSW 13 Day Switzerland Tour
TOUR CODE: XSW
In his latest blog post, Dale Dunlop, The Maritime Explorer, will be at 11,782 feet above sea level at Jungfraujoch - The Top of Europe. If you are interested in what Adventures Abroad has to offer, please check out our Small Group Tours to Switzerland.
In my last post from a June 2022 trip to Switzerland with Canadian tour company Adventures Abroad, our group took a gondola up from Grindelwald to First where we did an alpine hike to Bachalpsee and experienced the Cliff Walk. In keeping with the one day on one day off hiking schedule of this tour, today our tour leader Victor Romagnoli will take us to the highest elevation most of us have ever been, the 3,571 (11,782 feet) summit of the Jungfraujoch. Amazingly we won't be getting there by tram or cable car as you might expect, but on a train that will take us to the highest rail station in Europe. This is something I have been looking forward to since signing up for this trip. It should be a blast so I hope you'll come along for the ride.
Grindelwald - First Gondola to the Cliff Walk
13 Day Switzerland Tour — TOUR CODE: XSW 13 Day Switzerland Tour
TOUR CODE: XSW
In his latest blog post, Dale Dunlop, The Maritime Explorer, has an exceptional hiking day as he experiences Grindelwald - First Gondola to the Cliff Walk. If you are interested in what Adventures Abroad has to offer, please check out our Small Group Tours to Switzerland.
In the last post from this Adventures Abroad tour of Switzerland led by veteran tour leader Victor Romagnoli our group transitioned from Zermatt to Wengen by way of the very interesting small city of Interlaken. As I noted in that post, the itinerary initially had us staying in Grindelwald for three nights, but instead, we went to the much smaller village of Wengen and I think that was a wise decision. While Grindelwald is definitely the hub for all types of excursions into the Bernese Alps, it is also pretty crowded and noisy. Wengen is the opposite, with no motorized vehicles and a small pedestrian main street that is lined with interesting shops and restaurants. This is some of our group walking toward our hotel after arriving, but I'll backtrack a bit.
