the pyramids • 22 comments • After our action-packed taxi ride, we were relieved when we finally made it to the gate of the pyramid complex. Online, we had read that you shouldn't give your tickets to anyone before the gate. The gist of the scam is that shady tour guides will take your tickets, under the auspices of "checking them", and then force you on their overpriced, and laughably inaccurate, tour. When we approached the gate a man asked for our tickets. We gave him our tickets and then immediately remembered what we read. We asked for our tickets back, but he withheld them. We grabbed the cheap tickets and moved ahead to the security guards. The security guards didn't seem concerned that we were ignoring him, so it confirmed to us that he was a tour guide, and not legit. After some heated discussion back and forth it seemed he was allegedly authorized to ask for our tickets. It would have been nice if there were some signs to prevent misunderstandings, especially considering there are so many people who are happy to add a premium to tourists. When we finally went through the metal detectors and were leaving the security area the guard said, with a smirk, "Welcome to Egypt". We entered at the Sphinx gate, which meant that once we went through "security", we were right at the feet of the famous statue (or as close as you can get). We worked our way through a steady line of tourists having their photo taken with the mythical lion-man in the background. These were followed by the people using perspective, and their fingers, to take cheesy photos that look as if they're touching the top of the pyramids (same thing happens in Piza, we're told). With each step we took up the hill towards the pyramid, we were offered camel rides or the opportunity to buy "quality" souvenirs at a "fair" price. Eventually we made our way up the hill to the base of the largest of the 3 pyramids, the Great Pyramid of Giza. It seems like an odd thing to say, but it actually seemed a little smaller in person. It stands, a not insignificant, 450ft high, but for some reason it seem a lot larger in our imaginations. The downside of not availing ourselves of either the camel rides or a bus tour, was that we had to walk around in the stifling heat. Couple that with the lack of beverage facilities (we only saw two vendors near the Great Pyramid) and it made for some less than comfortable walking. At least the unrelenting heat of the sun was as we imagined it. We made our way from the Great Pyramid up to an observation plateau. From this vantage point we could see the 3 pyramids against the backdrop of the city of Giza. Since it was hardly the traditional photo we were looking for, we began hiking to the south where the camel rides were heading. This led us on a wide arc that eventually returned us to the side of the Great Pyramid. By this point the sun was setting and the security guards were chasing people out. We exited through the main gate and made our way to the venerable Mena House Oberoi Hotel for a relaxing early dinner. We had heard in advance of touring the site that many other tourists found visiting the pyramids to be an empty experience. Despite this, we both went in with open minds. The Pyramids, like Easter Island or Stonehenge, are things you read about growing up that not only pique your historical curiosity, but also offer limitless possibilities for a child's imagination. In reality, we found the site to be poorly managed/organized/staffed, and there is no appearance of wanting to have visitors be educated or engaged in the history or culture. Sadly, we would not recommend visiting them. The historical sites in Luxor are moderately better organized and make for a much more enjoyable visit, but we felt the pyramid complex was designed in a manner that reduced the experience of visiting the pyramids to a feeling that we were merely crossing them off a list of places to see (and not understand or appreciate).
south africa to egypt • 9 comments • The flight from Johannesburg to Dubai to Cairo was one of the strangest ones we've ever been on. We passed our time in the Dubai airport by amusing ourselves with the foreign McDonalds Menu (i.e. fancy ketchup?!). Having had visited the UAE previously, we decided to relax during our short layover rather than run around the city. A fight broke out on one of the planes between a Russian man and an Egyptian man. They were shouting to each other in Russian and Arabic so we had no idea what they were arguing about. It was predominately men on the flight and they all rushed over like it was a playground scuffle. The female flight attendants were too busy putting on their red lipstick to do anything, so this went on for quite awhile. Finally, some soldiers boarded the plane to remove the men. After a (seemingly needless) prolonged argument, they slowly removed the troublemakers. We still have no idea what happened. We arrived in Cairo on an Emirates flight to be greeted by a wall of muggy heat immediately upon exiting the airplane. That heat didn't let up during the days to come in Egypt. Our time there was interesting, to say the least. We had been to Luxor before, but were definitely surprised by Cairo.
tunel del amor or: how not to take photos in a cave • 15 comments • The taxis in the Galápagos are unmarked, white, pick-up trucks. After finding one of the guys that drove one to give us ride, we took a 20 minute drive to some lava tunnels that we had read about in a guide book. Do not be fooled by the title, this was no tunnel of love. We arrived at a woman's house, who thought that I was from Ecuador, and gave me a local discount, even after she realized that I wasn't. We followed her as she led us to the tunnels and gave us directions that we didn't understand because she didn't speak English and was speaking far too quickly for us to pick up any Spanish. She pointed at some "stairs" (loose rocks) that we climbed down to get into the tunnel. The tunnel is named after the entrance, which, allegedly, looks like a heart - it doesn't. (Well, maybe, if you squinted and were also drunk). Please excuse the terrible quality of these photos. We were totally unprepared for everything that day. We didn't bring our headlamp, let alone any flashlights or our tripod which is why all the photos are terribly blurry. Also, we walked home in the rain, without an umbrella. Thankfully, the lady there lent us some flashlights. It was a good thing she did too, because 20 minutes into our walk, the lights went out and we had to find out way back in complete darkness. At times we felt we were in a bad horror movie but mostly, we were just bored. Although it was kind of neat to see what a perfect hole the lava made, it wasn't a particularly interesting activity to walk through the tunnel. Walking through a muddy, wet, cave, in the dark is not my idea of fun. Unless you're a lava tunnel enthusiast, we would recommend skipping this spot if you ever head to the Galápagos. - Mina
rivas • 6 comments • To get to Costa Rica from San Juan Del Sur we took a cab ride to Rivas to catch another Tica Bus (this cab ride was much more pleasant than the last one). We’ve used Tica Bus before and normally we embarked and disembarked at proper bus terminals. This time there was no terminal, just an unmarked curb, in the sun, to wait for the bus. Under a tree and near a construction site, we found a pile of bricks to sit on just a few feet from where the other passengers were waiting. Keeping us amused were these unsupervised Nicaraguan children and their dangerous shenanigans (if you can’t tell they’re trying to reach through barbed wire): Next stop: Costa Rica!
pacaya • 25 comments • Climbing a volcano and being within a few inches of streaming hot lava was a thrill. We arrived at Pacaya in the afternoon, not knowing what to expect. There was a violent eruption in 1965 and the lava has been flowing ever since. It has become quite the attraction and we were excited to take advantage of the opportunity. Some indicated that it was, at 8373 feet, a small volcano and therefore easy to climb. Others described the trek as difficult and dangerous. The shuttle pulled up to an area filled with children selling walking sticks. At 5 Quetzales, the walking sticks were a steal and proved to be incredibly useful. The beginning of the hike was scenic and green: Since we are both accustomed to the flatness of the prairies, pretty much anything is considered steep. That combined with the increase in altitude made it quite challenging for me. Alex had a much easier time and I felt like I was slowing him down so I hopped on a horse for a little bit: As the greenery started to disappear, the ascent became more treacherous. We walked through jagged volcanic rock and tried our best not to lose our footing. The higher we climbed, the foggier it got, and we felt as if we were going through clouds. Although the weather was warm in Antigua, it does get quite chilly the higher up you are on the volcano, so the hoodie and the zip-up in our backpack were a necessity. Suddenly, after about 30 minutes of cold winds and numb fingers, we felt a wall of thick, muggy, humid heat. Alex looked down and saw the lava flowing right under his foot. Seeing real live molten lava flowing just inches away from us was one of the most surreal experiences we've ever had. The wind was so strong that, at times, it would feel like it was going to burn you when it blew the heat your way. We were close enough to the lava that it could melt our shoes and no one seemed to be worried about safety. You would definitely not see this sort of thing happen in North America. We didn't even have to sign a waiver! It's a good thing no one fell in - that would have put a damper on the evening. Some guys in our group brought along hot dogs, buns, and mustard to make themselves a celebratory dinner for reaching the lava. Several of the dogs fell in before they were actually able to assemble one. Others were roasting marshmallows and were kind enough to share. We had to hop from one rock to another to get around to see the lava up close. Jumping, coupled with heavy winds and razor-edged surroundings made the conditions comically hazardous, but we made it! ... and just when we thought that the descent might be easier than getting up, the sun had set and we had to forge our way down through the darkness. Luckily, we had our headlamp and a flashlight, but I still fell and cut my hand on the sharp rocks. It was a rough day, but it was worth it for an experience that neither of us will forget any time soon. - Mina
parque méxico • 5 comments • Born out of a dog racing track, the only remnant of this in El Parque México are the dogs. The park has become a trendy place for the residents of Condessa to come and walk their dogs, stroll with their families, grab a snack, or catch whoever is performing at the open-air amphitheater. We went on a Sunday and happened to see a youth performance of the Nutcracker at the amphitheater. As soon as Alex walked by this stand, he immediately had to buy what they were selling. Duritos or chicharrones de harina (we're not 100% sure what they're called in Mexico City) are wheel shaped flour snacks, served with lemon juice and hot sauce. Alex had tried them once as a child and found them years later at a store in Winnipeg (labeled "Fry 'Ems Far Far"). Best 10 pesos spent so far! We're not too sure what was happening here: ...but we're going to conclude that this man spent his week fabricating a dog bone piñata for reasons unknown. The weather is fantastic in Mexico and we've been going out on long walks on a daily basis. Mexico City is very walkable, you need only watch out for uneven pavement and the occasional pocket of foul odor.
homeless • 12 comments • The buyer's possession date for our home was this morning at 9am. We pulled an all-nighter to get all the items into storage, off to charity, or packed for the trip. It was rough - but we got everything out by 8am (cutting it close!) and slept until 2pm. One of our good friends hung out all night with us while we moved. He was so amazing and we can't thank him enough. Our storage unit was packed. So... we did it! Everything (except the car) was either given away, stored or sold. The snow was gone when we came back from LA. We took a look at our multi-coloured yard one last time: Because we still have a vehicle, our plans have changed (again): ROAD TRIP! We'll still fly down to Mexico after we ditch the car, but we're going to see a little more of the U.S. and Canada first. We're tired right now but so incredibly excited about what's to come.
