Planning For South America
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Well we finally got all our plane tickets sorted for our trip to Ecuador and Peru this summer. We start in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, to Toronto, Canada, to Atlanta, Georgia, USA, to Quito, Ecuador. Then take a plane to the Galapagos Islands. After 10 days there we fly back to Quito and hop onto a plane for Lima, Peru. Lots of planes on this trip, but it should be an amazing adventure.
In Bayonne, France
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We had a fun last hike in Innsbruck before leaving on the train that night for Bayonne to visit my sister, brother-in-law, niece & nephew.
The last hike took us all the way down the Brenner highway, then branched off into a small, steep side valley just inside the Austria / Italy border. Our hike started at the very end of this side valley, and we slowly climbed up one of the valley walls, switchbacking up 830 m. to a hut in the bowl between two mountain ranges at the foot of the reminenets of a glacier. It was nice to have the cooling effect of the glacier in the heat of the day.
Last Day In Bratislava
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We made it to the castle today. It is an interesting mix of the history of Bratislava. The fortress walls and buildings inside them show the scars of constant occupation and renovation from 900AD. The gate you enter the castle ground by has the reminents of an old draw bridge right beside a machine gun turret from WWII. The view of Bratislava from the castle is a shocking reminder of the Communist industry past of Slovakia. There are miles and miles of concrete, rectangular utilitarian apartment blocks for as far as you can see, then the smoke stacks of factories rising on the horizon behind them.
Hike To Sliezsky Dom
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Hey! we didn’t get lost once today; nor did we accidentally hike back over the Polish border (a concern here, as the trails on the mountain run across borders, and our Polish passport Visa is used up). We had a great hike today – the weather held and we found ourselves wandering in the fresh air in forest that looks a lot like Pukaskwa Park at home – except there’s mountains instead of a lake, and the bugs in the forest don’t bite! Of course, as you gain elevation, the trees get smaller, then turn into scrub, then turn into rocks (much like the rock screes in Sleeping Giant at the foot of the chimney). The real difference comes when you get to the peaks and find yourself at the foot of a waterfall tumbling from the peaks into a crystal clear lake. I know we have scenery like this in Canada, but the trail system makes the access to the Tatras National Park a joy to navigate – hey! we did it…
Arrived In Zakopane
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We’re in Zakopane, and it seems to be the equivalent of Banff in Canada – the mountain tourist mekka. It’s beautiful, but full of local tourists. There seems to be a few odd local food specialties – smoked sheep cheese (in a variety of decorative shapes and sizes – ie: smoked Pope), Belgian waffles with fruit, glazed dough nuts (I’m afraid of what they’re stuffed with), and they have a fantastic goulash. They also have a town mascot – a special breed of dog that looks like a Great Pyranese – it’s on all the post cards.
