A weekend of camping

My friends Jo and Steve planned a camping trip out East of San Diego and up in the mountains. There were 12 of us there and we had a great time. We hiked, played badmitten, had a campfire and ate a lot. Fun times!

Game night!

Some of Scott's friends had a game night party and it was so much fun. I love games! Taboo was the big favorite.

Jackson Hole and Mount Shasta

We next went to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to meet another of Scott's friends, Beck. That is such a beautiful area of the country! I had seen it in the winter, but the fall is definitely the time to be there. The beauty of the Tetons with the pine trees, the Golden Aspens and the clear blue sky was amazing! We actually have just ordered a 20x30 of a picture we took there because it is so great. Beck took us floating down the river in his boat and taught us to fly fish. They were both laughing at my new girl techique.




We next went to Mount Shasta to visit Mark (or Moose, his new nickname). He was my stepdad for a short time when I was very young, but we have been back in contact over the last few years and I love hanging out with he and his wife, Anne. There were some beautiful views in this area too. Scott and I want to go back and climb Mount Shasta when we get into good shape again.

Up to Wisconsin

Scott and I drove up to Wisconsin to visit his friends and family and had a great time. In Milwaukee, we hung out with his parents and other family and lots of friends from high school and college. We went out one night to a German Beer Hall and had great beer in huge mugs. The guys also played a game where you had to see who could get a metal pin into crate in the least number of hits.

He also took me to his college in Madison and I saw the beautiful campus. It's right on a lake and has beautiful views. It was a really nice time of year to visit Wisconsin with great weather.

On our next long drive, we were on a back road in Wyoming and came upon a whole slew of cattle in the middle of the road. They were all running down the road right alongside cars! No one was around, but it looked like they had escaped. It was pretty funny.

More Friends and Family

In Atlanta (with more wonderful game-playing family), I was very fortunate to see my Grammy and other family who were all in town at the same time as me. We had a great time catching up and playing my favorite, charades. Also shown here is the beautiful sunset view from my Grammy's apartment of Atlanta.


Back in Nashville, I visited KT and baby boy. Isn't she such a precious pregnant gal!? The guy beside her in the second picture is not baby boy - that's Mark, the Mr. KT. :D

Scott came and picked me up in Nashville and I was able to show him around my old stomping grounds. We also went into the Parthenon which is in Centenial Park right across from the Vandy campus. This is a replica of what the Parthenon in Greece is expected to have looked like back in its hayday. It had been under construction through most of my college days, so it was nice to see it all finished.

FRIENDS!

It was really great to be back in the US to visit friends and family. Scott went our separate ways for a couple of weeks to save time and I got to catch up with my peeps. Here I am in San Diego for a welcome back dinner - thanks guys!


I drove down to Louisiana to visit my Papa and other family and it was really great to see them all. It's a different world out there in the country and felt good to be in a place where people know how to relax. I had huge culture shock after the Latin America trip coming back to US cities where everyone is so busy and always seem stressed out. This was a good break from that.


I of course got to see Nancy and Jackie in Chattanooga and even played Rook with Nancy's mom one night. I love having game-playing families!


I also visited with Jennifer and her 4 cuties. Here you can see her with Toby and Casia. Look how much Casia is growing - she looks just like her mom!


I drove out to Charleston to see Tara and her new home. She is doing so much work with it - I was totally impressed! She took me on a little tour of Charleston and I just fell in love with it - old houses are incredible! You can see rainbow row here, which is the longest cluster of intact Georgian row houses in the US. The earliest structures here were built before 1680, but because of fire many had to be rebuilt. They were rebuilt in the 1700's and are a beautiful site to see.

More Book Reviews

The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
When I first started reading this book, I knew that it was going to be a mindless read. But I couldn't put it down! I didn't learn anything about life or myself or the world around me reading this book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it to just read and escape from whatever was around me. I can't wait to see the movie that is coming out soon! Not recommended for males. Great, quick read for females.

Good Harbor by Anita Diamant
I had read Anita Diamante's 'The Red Tent' and really loved it, so decided to pick up this book along my travels. It was pretty good, but not near as good as 'The Red Tent'. It's also a woman only book and is a good book for middle-aged women or older women with families.

Night by Elie Wiesel
This is a very explicit book about the Holocaust. It won a Pulitzer Prize, so I expected a lot from reading the book. Scott has already reviewed this book on the blog site back in June, but I have since read it and wanted to add my thoughts. It is worth reading, but I did not think it was really much different from any of the other Holocaust books or movies that I have seen. I would recommend the book, but don't expect to see much else if you have done much reading on the Holocaust previously.

I, Rigoberta Menchu, an Indian Woman in Guatemala
This book was very interesting to me since I had just visited Guatemala. It is not well written, especially in English, but it has a wealth of information to learn about Guatemala and its past. The way that Rigoberta Menchu grew up and the things she experienced will be very interesting to anyone who likes to learn about different cultures. Don't expect a wonderful literary read, but do expect a great informational and emotional read.

The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh
This was a really though-provoking book to read. It is by a Buddhist Monk and gives you some very simple, but worthwhile things to think about in your daily life. For example, he tell you to not waste any moments of you life, but to be mindfull in every moment. Even when washing the dishes, you should concentrate on the fact that you are washing the dishes. Do not think about being finished with this activity or think about what you are going to do next, but concentrate on what you are doing in the present moment. Otherwise, you are wasting your moments by thinking of what you will be doing next. I have been able to put a lot of the practices in this book to work and feel that I have a much more peaceful life because of it.

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Scott has also already reviewed this book, but I wanted to add my thoughts here as well. This was a really excellent book. Especially if you have seen the movie Capote, this book is a good one to read to see the work that was created from the story told in the movie. It is a great read for all ages and sexes. I expected it to be more boring and difficult to read because Capote is so artsy, but it was quite interesting and easy to read. I definitely recommend this for just about anyone.

Dry by Augusten Burroughs
Augusten Burroughs is one of my new favorite authors. I had read his Running with Scissors and enjoyed it, but I enjoyed Dry even a lot more. His writing style is so fun to read and makes you laugh, but also feel emotionally involved in his book. This book is about his struggle with alcohol and getting over it. Whether you drink or not, this is a great read. I'm looking forward to reading more and more by this author.

Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Scott will add more thoughts on this book, but I wanted to add that it is an interesting one to read. Whatever your profession, be it marketing, teaching, research, etc., this book can give you new ideas for how to get things done in work and in your life. It speaks of the factors that go into giving the turning point, or tipping point, for huge epidemics, be they sicknesses, social epidemics, marketing successes, etc. It's a short book and a fun and educational read.

Collapse by Jared Diamond
Scott will also give a better review of this one, but I am currently reading it and am really enjoying all of the information that I'm learning. The reading is a bit difficult because it deals with so much information, but I will know a lot more about the world around me by the time I am finished. The book deals with collapses of societies in the past and present and talks about the reasons, including social and environmental factors. I think everyone in the world should become more educated on these things so that we can learn to conserve our resources for a better future.

Hotels in Guatemala, Ecuador, and Peru

I never did give hotels review in any of the countries other than Costa Rica, so I thought I would add that on for anyone reading this and visiting similar places.

Guatemala
Guatemala City
Hotel Aeropuerto Guesthouse - we were arriving pretty late and did not think we could get to Antigua, so decided to stay a night in Guatemala City. It turns out, you can get a ride to Antigua from the airport at just about any hour, so it's not really necessary to stay in the city. This guesthouse was nice and quiet and was a good place to stay for a night. It's right by the airport, but make sure to get instructions from them on how to get the free transport because a taxi will be very expensive even though you will only go a few blocks.
Antigua
Posada Juma Ocag - we really liked this place. It is right in the center of everything you need in Antigua and is very secure. The rooms are nice and it is a great price. When we came back to Antigua, it was full, so you might want to make a reservation before going. They have the most beautiful blankets - handmade! We stayed at another place a couple of doors down from here when this one was full, but it was not very nice. Stick with this place.
Panajachel
I can't remember the place we stayed here, but this is a very loud city, so expect to hear a lot of noise. We didn't sleep at all. It was a place on one of the main streets and there was a party going on in the street every night. Try to find a place that is off one of the main streets if you stay here.
San Pedro
Hotel San Francisco - there are actually a few Hotel San Francisco's and they are all right next to each other and somehow compete with each other. They are all pretty much the same and are extremely cheap. The place isn't very nice, but it does have a nice view of the lake. If you are looking for something really really cheap, this would be an okay place to stop.
Families - staying with families is definitely what I recommend if you go to San Pedro. You learn so much more about the culture to do it this way.
Tikal
Tikal Inn - This was a very nice place - much nicer than the places we usually stay. However, this was included in a tour that we purchased. All of the 3 hotels right by the park are pretty similar, but we did really like the Tikal Inn.

Ecuador
Quito
Friends - we stayed with Scott's friend which was a really wonderful way to enjoy Quito. Thanks, Dan!
Cotopaxi
Tambopaxi - we stayed at this really nice lodge right on the Cotopaxi reserve. It was very isolated and had wonderful views. The horseback ride that we booked through this hotel wasn't the best because our guide was not very good, but this is a great place to go and relax. A lot of people stay here when they are trekking Cotopaxi as well. It's not overly cheap, but there's not much else up here and all of the meals are included.
Galapagos
Beluga - This was our boat and though we really enjoyed it, the boat was a bit older, so I'd probably recommend finding a newer one. See my Galapagos posts for more on the boat.
Amazon Jungle
Dracaena Tours and Lodge - this was a basic camp with mosquito nets laid around and mattresses inside. There were shared bathrooms and great food served. It was a nice place to stay and was not at all expensive. If you want to do the cheap route go here. You will be laying right next to the person in the net next to you because there is not a lot of space in between them all.
Baños
Hostal Plantas y Blanco (Hostal Plant and White) - we really liked this hostel. It was in a good location, had nice rooms, a great breakfast, a book exchange, game room, etc. Also, they have this great morning steam bath that will refresh you for the rest of the day.

Peru
Lima
Manhattan Hotel - This place was way too expensive for what they offered, which wasn't much. We didn't want to pay a high fee to go into town to stay because we had an early flight the next morning. I would recommend going into town if you have time at all because this place was not worth the cost.
Miraflores House Albergue - I HIGHLY recommend this place if you will be in Lima for any amount of time. This is a really nice place to stay and is not expensive at all. You can choose to have private rooms or not with private bathrooms or shared. The man that runs this place is the most friendly and helpful person that we met at a hotel in our travels. There is breakfast included, a movie room, free internet - definitely stay here if you will be in Lima.
Cusco
Qori Inti Hostel - This was a nice place that we got a good deal on through a tour guide who took us here. The cost of places in Cusco is more than many other cities, so expect that before you come. Also, if you go in peak season, try to make a reservation because many places will be full when you get here. We were happy with this place - the rooms were nice and it was quiet, but in a good location.
Lares Trek
SAS Travel - we did the Lares Trek with SAS Travel and absolutely loved it. Our guide was amazing, the food was better than most restaurants, and everything about the trip was just perfect. I think SAS may be more expensive than some other options on the Lares Trek, but we definitely recommend them.
Puno
Hotel Europa - This was a convenient and cheap place, but not extremely nice. Also, when we stored bags there, something leaked and got them all wet. The rooms were okay, but I don't highly recommend this place.
Arequipa
La Casa de Mi Abuela - This place was a little more expensive than we usually paid, but it was so nice that it made it really worth it. The rooms are incredibly nice, the service is great, the breakfast is wonderful, there is a nice pool, restaurant, etc. etc. etc. I would definitely recommend staying here unless you absolutely can't spend more money. Also, if you are looking for a high end hotel, this is a great place.
Huacachina
Casa de Arena II - We stayed here our first night and quickly left the next day. The room smelled, the sheets were not clean, the place was very loud, etc. Casa de Arena I looked a bit nicer, but we didn't try it out. There is a nice atmosphere here with hammocks and a restaurant/bar, but for the same price, you can get nicer rooms.
Hostel Rocha - Although the name may not sound great here, the hostel was a much nicer one. The rooms were much nicer and there was still a nice atmosphere here and a cool outside bar.