Iceland Day #9

We wrapped up our circle around the peninsula this morning and headed back to Reykjavik. We had some time to kill, so we picked up a few souvenirs in the shopping district: sea salt for me and a coffee mug for Wes. Keagan finally got his long-awaited crepes. Sadly, he wasn’t thrilled with his lemon/chocolate combo, but my apple/maple syrup combo was delicious! I’m glad it was my last day in country, or I would have been tempted to eat it every day.

With only a few minutes to spare, we drove the hour to the airport. What a memorable trip! 

Top 5 of Iceland:

• The Waterfalls - each unique and beautiful
• The Wildflowers - lupine, mountain avas, hare bell, and buttercups line every field, highway, yard
• The Animals - sheep, horses, seals, whales, birds, and of course, the cows
• Skyr - thick, creamy Icelandic yogurt with a high protein content
• The Color Green - Maybe we had too many holidays in the West surrounded by rocks, but the bright green color of the grass will forever be painted in my memories. 

I’m eager to drink a diet Dr Pepper, take a shower in water without the sulphur smell, sleep in my bed with the fan on high, go to the gym, and soak up the summer sun. 

Home, sweet home, is only seven hours away!

Amazon Rain Forest

We were up early this morning to fly from Cusco to Lima and then to Puerto Maldonado for our outdoor adventures in the rain forest. While driving through the biggest city on the outskirts of the rain forest, it appeared we had taken a trip back in time. It was not modern or city like by our standards by any means. Our open air bus dropped us off at this dock. 

We caught a sixty minute boat ride to Tambopata, an ecological resort in the Amazon. This was our boat. Not gonna lie. I found it a bit sketchy taking such a boat through caiman infested waters. 

Upon arrival, we were served a special meal “Juanee” to celebrate St. John the Baptist day. It was basically chicken paella steamed and served in palm leaves. 

Then we took a quick boat ride across the river into the rain forest on a hike to Monkey Island. This is a reserve for injured monkeys that have been rehabilitated to live in the wild but they are still “domesticated” to some extent. We hand fed them bananas and had the best time being entertained by the three different species. 

Back at the shore, we had some fun with the guide’s machete. 

We took the boat back to the resort and spotted our first caiman. 



Our resort has no wi-if, no television, no AC, and electricity is available if the sun shines. Luckily we are in the dry season and have had a lot of sun. In between meals and scheduled tours, and with no phones, no tv, and no communication with the outside world, the boys have played pool in the lobby with their Spanish teacher. 

Tonight is the NBA draft, the annual June must see/must watch event, and the boys have no idea who has been drafted or what is going on back home, and yet, they’ve handled it with lots of patience. I’m making do with the lack of technology and AC with drinks from the bar. 

Celebration Cusco

This week is Cuzco’s week of celebrations. Every night this week the city will host a parade with a theme. We made our way to La Plaza de Armas to catch parade number 1 in the series. Tonight’s parade was a dance off among young people from various districts. The dances include traditional costumes and props. 

And I got my picture taken with an Incan warrior.