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Alaska Cruise

April 8, 2016 by Notourguideneeded 4 Comments

Alaska.

Just go.  Don’t even think about it.  I hesitated and it is by far one of the best trips I have taken.   It seems to be best seen, at least for your first trip, by cruise so you can experience it all.  If you are not one for cold weather (me!) the cruise is great because you go out and do excursions and then you hop into your room, or the thermal spa.

Yes, I said thermal spa.  If you are an experienced cruiser, you know what I am talking about and you are smiling right now thinking of the warm benches or the sea salt baths.  BUT, if you are new to cruising like I was, you have no idea what is in store.  I will write another post specifically about thermal spas, but let me just say it is a must.  Especially in freezing Alaska.

Now, the hubs and I like to spend our money wisely and we weren’t too sure if we would like a cruise (we did) or Alaska (we did).  Norwegian Cruises had a special where we could be in a balcony room for something really cheap.  We decided to give it a try.  We left for Alaska the first week of May.  The bears weren’t even out yet it was so cold.

 

Getting there and logistics

There are many options for this cruise. You can start or stop in Vancouver, Seattle, or many other places.  We opted for the most variety and chose to get to Vancouver a few days early, enjoy ourselves, and then return via Seattle with a day to see that city.

I would not go on this cruise in anything less than a balcony room.  The view is amazing but one of the best parts of the trip was watching the whales from our balcony.  The captain would announce which side of the ship the whales were on and we saw plenty.  If you splurge in any area, it is this.  It is worth giving up any excursion.  Plus you are at sea for a few days and you still have great views.

We thought (maybe like you are now) that we could get an inside cabin and then just go to the main area.  One, that is what everyone else thinks too.  Two, there isn’t enough room for everyone to see.  Three, it is probably going to be cold.  In our case it was very cold.  So, having the balcony, I could wrap myself in a blanket and sit outside fine.

 

Different ships and ports do things different, so keep that in mind.

 

Excursions

You have to remember that you are going to small towns.  Depending on what time of year you go, there may not be many options of things to do.  That might be okay with you and maybe not.  I’m listing below things we did, and wish we did.  However, Alaska is so pretty that I am not sure you could go wrong with anything if you had the right attitude.

 

Vancouver

I had always heard that Vancouver was fun, but it is on my list of places that I would like to return to someday.  A few places that you should probably check out:

  • The Capilano Suspension Bridge is super cool.  I wasn’t that familiar and I wish we had planned to spend more time there.  I could have spent a full day walking around and we only budgeted about 4 hours.  (4 hours is enough, I was just greedy :)).  Check out the link above and if you don’t do anything else go there. There are lots of tree houses and tons of interactive things.  Get the passport if they still have them and play the game of getting stamps.  You are on vacation, you can be a child too!
  • I know that some people really dig the whales, but you are about to go to the middle of the sea, where you will most likely see whales for free.  Choose wisely.  If you must see whales, go for it.  If you are thinking that is just something neat, make sure you have done the bridge before you spend the money on the whales.
  • The Olympic Cauldron.  It’s there.  Take a photo.  Move along.
  • Stanley Park is great if the weather is good.  We drove around it but it was much to cold for us to enjoy the park.

 

Juneau

This little town of 33,000 is only reachable by boat or plane.  It is a popular spot for vacation because it does have a lot to offer.   The main one is the dog sledding that will put you back several hundred dollars.  I wanted to go but was torn to pay that kind of money.  The universe decided for me, as it was a late Spring and everything was still frozen.  We opted to take a photography whale watching excursion and a stop over at the glacier.  Not disappointed with either of these.

First, we stopped off at the glacier.

Mendenhall Glacier

and then we saw it…

 

The guide said it was one mile from where we were standing. That is how big the glacier is!!
The guide said it was one mile from where we were standing. That is how big the glacier is!!

You can read more about the glacier from the visitor center, and I highly recommend you check it out.

One thing I do wish we had time for was to walk on the glacier.  I thought it was kind of a dumb idea sitting in my kitchen researching excursions.  “Walk on a chunk of ice.. who wants to do that?” I thought.  Well, now I do.  After seeing the glacier in all its glory, I wanted to walk on that sucker.  It’s not like you can just walk up to it either, so one for next time!  (Plus, we saw a lot of whales off our balcony, but there was no guarantee of that).

 

Then we were off to check out the whales!

Now, I had never been on a whale watching tour before.  What do they do to get the whales?  Do they feed them? Well, they have spotters.  And the whales are pretty habitual so the boat drivers talk to each other and then they follow the whales around.  You don’t want to get too close because the boats are small and the whales are huge.  It was freezing and raining, but it was super cool to be outside with the nature and seeing the whales.

Whale

 

Whale

 

 

DSC_0184-7

 

Then we did something I wasn’t expecting.  We went to see eagles.  Now, after being in Alaska for a few days, I learned that eagles are everywhere, but early on the trip this was just amazing.  (there are many eagle watching tours.  think about this when booking one.  there is no guarantee that you will see an eagle on your own, but based on what we saw, I’d be surprised).

DSC_0322-9

 

Ketchikan

We stopped in at the Totem Heritage center.  It’s a good stop and very interesting history. Not long but a good deal to see.

There is lots of shopping and little craft stores.  I bought myself a wooden owl there.

The big thing is to go fishing, but if you aren’t into that, the city gives enough to do just walking around.

The city has a lot of history and it is well documented.  It was once the seen of a red-light district and you can take a very cheesy, but good tour of the house.

Ketchikan River

 

Skagway

Skagway is a VERY small town.  Unlike Ketchikan, there weren’t that many shops.  Most people took the train up to the Yukon to see the beautiful scenery.  Not us.  We did it like they did during the gold rush – we rode horses!

They are very accommodating and even if you have never been on a horse, you will be okay.  They do not let you go free with the horse and there is always someone around to help.   I highly recommend this tour!

 

There were many muddy parts but the horses didn't mind!
There were many muddy parts but the horses didn’t mind!

Skagway Train

 

The Town of Skagway

 

 

 

Glacier Bay

As I said earlier, get yourself a balcony room if you can.  For the main part of glacier bay, we did go to the outside of the ship because the ice was calfing (why can’t they just say dropping??).

NCL Cruise Glacier Bay

 

Seattle

We only had a day in Seattle, but we got to see the highlights.

This is the famous public market. It was impressive!
This is the famous public market. It was impressive!

 

Seattle

 

The big thing at the public market is the flowers. They are beautiful and everywhere to buy!
The big thing at the public market is the flowers. They are beautiful and everywhere to buy!

 

Again, the trip was great, and I would go again if other people were going too.  Or maybe if there was a sale.  Or to see the bears, because it was too cold when we were there. Or maybe to so salmon fishing..

 

Check out some other blogs that talk about Alaska and the parts that I didn’t go:

  • Nerd’s Eye View – Alaska
  • Alaska Blog Network
  • Alaska Attitude

 

Filed Under: Adventures, Cruise, Favorite Places, History, United States Tagged With: Adventure, Nature, Snow, Whales

Being left in the jungle…

March 22, 2016 by Notourguideneeded 2 Comments

A view from the plane as we flew from Canaima to Ciudad Bolivar.

I am assuming you have read my bit on Angel Falls.

We had spent the last several days trying to get to the falls and then we finally made it.  It was really amazing and I have said this over and over, but if you can make it, go.  I will always cherish this experience.

 

Getting off the boat…

I was so sunburned and dirty and we had a flight to catch back to the city.  We are heading upstream in our canoe and all of a sudden the guide tells us we need to change canoes.  What??  Why, we ask.  Now, there is a little inappropriate cultural insensitive joke I have with my Venezuelan husband that whenever you ask a Venezuelan a question (not just him, but anyone I have ever met) they do not answer the question directly.  “how is the weather?” is answered with “we need to go to the store after school”.  Nothing is ever clear.  And while I love my Venezuelan family, I am german heritage where questions are answered directly with as little words as possible.

So – we are on the boat, the guide pulls us over.  We stand on the rocky shore for a bit and then another canoe shows up.  Okay.. we change and head down.

Then we had someone on our tour that became ill.  I am not sure she had eaten the whole time we were there or if she was dehydrated or what.  BUT, she became ill about the same time we needed to… change canoes again?!?  Why you ask?  Who knows!  I was told a story about the tide and the way the water changes.  But I would swear to you that we got back into the original canoe we were in to begin with.

Okay, so sick lady has rested, we are in a canoe, and we are heading back.  It was about 10am and I tell our guide that our flight back is at 11am.  He assures me that nothing in Venezuela is on time (I agree) and that there are only like 6 people on the plane, they know where we are, blah blah blah, sit back and it will be okay.

 

Incidents at the Camp….

We get back to the camp and he tells us that he needs to do something and we should take a shower.  I don’t want a shower.  It is now 10:50 and I want to go get on the plane. Plus the shower isn’t really a shower.. more of what you see when you go camping so I am not sure I am going to get really clean anyway.

Now I am sunburned, hot, dirty, tired, and all I want to do is get to civilization.  Don’t get me wrong, I loved the jungle.  For a couple days.  I clearly am not Jane.  Tarzan would have to move to the big city to be with me.

As we finally convince Juan our guide (who was super cool btw), to get us to the, um airport?, we are driving through the jungle.  And then I see it. Our plane. Taxiing.  Then taking off without us!!

Nothing in Venezuela is ever on time except for the little plane in Canaima.

We are quiet and hope that it is a different plane.  Juan hops out of the truck and he starts talking to people frantically.  Picture this in your mind.. it is an open field.  Lots of little planes.  One grassy runway.  The ‘airport’ is litterally a hut.  There are people selling stuff they made there.  Maybe a spot for pilots to get food.  But it is basically and in-and-out place.  There is a guy walking around as a ‘local’ in a loin clothe.  I am not sure if that was advertizing or if he was for real.

So Juan is talking to people and then my husband starts in on the situation.  We called the tour company and they had to call another company that said that wasn’t their fault.  Apparently we were not on the flight manifest so that is why they didn’t wait for us.  But then the first company blamed the next company etc etc etc.  I am sitting on a bench with some pilots.  The frantic talking starts to be yelling.  They suggest we spend another night in the jungle.  We have connecting flights and need to get out to the city.

Finally after what felt like all day, I had enough.  I announce that I am calling the US embassy to find me a way out of there.  Now, I know. they could care less.  But I was scared and wanted to motivate them to get me out of there now.  Well, as crazy as that sounds, it worked.  One of the pilots overheard me and said “oh miss, there is no need for that.  I need to go to the city anyway so I will take you”.

Rides from strangers…

Didn’t my mom teach me not to take rides from strangers??? What do we do?  and then my husband reminds me – Kidnapping Americans would require great organization.  There is no way this was not safe to do.

We approach the very very nice gentleman’s plane.  It’s a Cessna.  No problem.  Andres hops in the back and me in the front.  I am all freaked out.  Then we start to go.  Now, I can sleep anywhere that has an engine.  So, all that fear – gone.  Best nap of my life.  Really.

The flight we needed to take was in Puerto Ordaz, but the pilot could only take us to Ciudad Bolivar, about 100 kilometers away.  Apparently the tour company arranged to have a guy (a boy really) take us from one airport to another.   The pilot tells us we have several hours and we should take the time to explore Ciudad Bolivar.  I really don’t want to.  I really just want to get to the city, freshen up and relax.  The pilot goes on and on about the museum and we must see the museum.  Reminder:  I haven’t showered in days, I am sunburned, all my personal items are in a makeshift purse of a gallon ziplock bag to prevent them from getting wet in the canoe, so, going to a museum is not on my agenda.

We get off the plane, we thank him for saving our lives and I run into the bathroom to take a shower in the sink.  I come out and the hubs is talking to a kid, maybe 15, probably 13.  This is our driver.  He is very proud of Cuidad Bolivar.  He says we have plenty of time and if he just takes us to the airport there is nothing to do and we will be bored.  He also says we must see the museum.  Now we are curious.

We get in his older but very well kept compact car and head out.  He takes us on a tour of the city and we stop at his favorite arepa cart/table/stand.  Excellent arepas.  I am still holding my ziplock bag purse.  We eat our food and get back in the car.  The kid insists that we must see the museum (is he getting commissions).  We agree and head over to the museum.  We walk in and the front desk guy tells me I must check my purse.  It is a ziplock bag.  I tell him “no” and he says, “okay” (note to self: rules are usually just guidelines).

Then we understand what the commotion about the museum was.  This was not an ordinary museum. We are in a very small city in the middle of Venezuela.  There are only about 300,000 people that live there and the main jobs are farming.  We are not in NYC or Paris.  I was not expecting this.

The museum was the Jesús Soto Museum of Modern Art. 

Really???  Soto.  Check out his works here: Soto Museum

Here I am sunburned, stinking with my gallon ziplock bag.  And I am so tired I want to lay on the floor and we apart of his exhibits.

I tried to be a sport and really look at his work.  Since then I have seen his creations in other museums and I terribly regret how tired I was.

Then I turned the corner.. there it was.  Moonwalk, Andy Warhol.  Really?  In the middle of Venezuela.  I have more respect than ever now for this fabulous culture.

And I am glad I listened to the pilot and the kid.  Well, hubs listened to them.  I barely went along with the deal.

Once we were done, we get in the car and head the 100 kilometers to the next airport.  The drive was fantastic but the kid was going so fast, that there was not enough time to take it all in (or get concerned about kidnapping, but that is another story).

We made it out of the the airport and back to Caracas.  My family greeted me with a surprise birthday cake (it was my birthday trip).  And then I took a shower and went to bed.

This was the airport in Caniama
This was the airport in Canaima
Little plane and runway
Planes and runway
A view from the plane as we flew from Canaima to Ciudad Bolivar.
A view from the plane as we flew from Canaima to Ciudad Bolivar.

 

Filed Under: Adventures, Favorite Places, South America, Venezuela Tagged With: Adventure, Angel Falls, Canoe, Mishaps, Nature, Venezuela

Did you know Angel Falls is the tallest free flowing waterfall in the world? And it is an adventure getting to it…

January 24, 2016 by Notourguideneeded 3 Comments

Canaima

I have a list of the wonders of the world.  You know, every travel group seems to have one now.  But, I found one that I had done many things on and what I wanted to do more of.  Angel Falls was on that list.

Now if you aren’t familiar with Angel Falls, watch the cartoon movie “Up”.  The goal is for the husband to get the house up next to the falls.. Angel Falls.  It is also the tallest free drop waterfall in the word.

So in November 2012, the hubs and I pack our bags and first head to Caracas.  I love to research a lot of stuff before we go, but for some reason there is not a lot of good information on Angel Falls.  (well, maybe there is in Spanish, but I am not that fluent yet).  As we normally do, we just decided to wing it.

First we stop off and see my wonderful in-laws and nieces/nephews.  We tell them we want to go to the falls.  (OH, BTW, it was also my birthday).  My sister-in-law calls someone she knows and we go to the travel agency.  They really were not helpful and were trying to get us to take a plane ride over to see the falls.  No, I wanted to experience riding the canoe up and really seeing the falls.  Not from up high.

Now, a few years before that, when we visited Margarita Island, we got most of our travel done by an agent at the American Express shop in Sambil.  I know, it sounds crazy but they are reliable and get us what we wanted.  So, off to Sambil we went.

After a very long wait, the wonderful woman found us tickets to Angel Falls.  However, we couldn’t just fly into where the falls were.  Here is the route:

  • Leave Caracas and go to Puerto Ordaz
  • Leave Puerto Ordaz and go to Aeropuerto Canaima, aka the jungle
  • When you get to Canaima, your tour group picks you up from there and takes you to their camp via a truck/open bus.

Our big mistake was we waited until the last minute.  I would highly recommend you not wing it.  Find a tour group you like and book the trip through them.  The entire park is reserved and you cannot access anything without a tour.

When we left Caracas we only had a ticket to Puerto Ordaz.  The ticket counter in Caracas had spoken to the person in Puerto Ordaz and they would have our ticket.  So, we got on the plane and flew to Puerto Ordaz. At the airport, we went to hotels.com to book a room.  The Howard Johnson was the only chain I was familiar with and we were tired and didn’t want to risk it.  We take a cab from the grocery store across from the airport to the hotel and they do not have our reservation.  That’s okay, they had an open room but we needed to pay in exact money. Sigh..

The room was nice, and I would stay there again.  So we wake up, have a great breakfast, and take a cab over to the mall to get our tickets.

When we got to the mall and found the woman, there was a very long line of people.  Then we had to wait for the woman to return from lunch.  Then the woman was waiting from a fax from another office.  However that office lost electricity and could not fax the form.  And by the way, she was going home at 4pm so if the fax wasn’t there we would have to wait the next day.   OMG!

Eventually after much worrying, the fax came, the tickets were there and we were able to get on the plane.   Jungle here we come!

The flight to Caniama was kind of cool, in a very unsafe sort of way.  There was no “turn off your electrical devices and buckle up”.  There were about 12 of us on the plane and when we all got in we just left.

We arrived into a field, that had a very large hut like building.  There was a man walking around in tribal wear, but I think that was more for show.  Eventually our truck arrive and we got to camp.

Here is our room:

This was the first night's bed in Caniama. This was before we took the canoe up to the falls.
This was the first night’s bed in Canaima. This was before we took the canoe up to the falls.
266
This is outside our room at the camp in Canaima. Note the parrot who wrecked havoc on everyone’s stuff.
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This is the Aeropuerto Canaima.

 

This is our canoe.  We went 6 hours upstream and 4 hours downstream in this little boat.

 

And here is where we slept for the second night.  Out in the jungle.  the mighty jungle...

Our tour consisted of the first day at El Sapo and the next Two (there and back) at Angel Falls.  First, let me say that all I researched was Angel Falls.  I did not realize how amazing El Sapo is.  If you have time to visit it, go.  Climb behind the falls and really experience it.    This YouTube video is probably the best illustration of what it is like, the walking the climbing etc.  YouTube Link to El Sapo   When we left, our guide didn’t tell me where we were going and said we were going site seeing. So, I wore sandals.  Worse decision ever.  It was so hot and I thought we were going for a leisurely stroll.  So, always be prepared and I learned my lesson.

Also, do not underestimate how hot in will be.  Carry your water with you at all times.  This is the jungle; they do not have people selling water as you walk in the open fields.  Also, wear more sun screen than you ever thought would be enough and then put a little more on yourself.  The sun is closer to you as you are close to the equator and before  you know it you are fried.  And again, this is the jungle so there are not any places that sell aloe or sun burn help.

So, the next morning we get up and start the journey.  I cannot over state how important ziplock baggies are.  Every trip they have saved my stuff.  To get to the falls, you can only take your bag and they pile them all up in the back of the canoe.  Then all you can do is pray water doesn’t get in them.  Put everything in baggies and you will be okay.

Our particular trip the river was very low.  Our guide prepared us the night before and let us know that we would have to get out of the canoe and push in many places.  I thought he said 2 or 3 spots.  He meant to say 20 or 30 spots.   Oh well.  🙂

The view we saw from the canoe ride was worth every single frustration to get there.   There are many pictures in my smug mug account (My Vacation Photos).

Unless you are short on time, do not forgo the canoe trip for the airplane ride.  You will miss the best part of the trip.  Spending 5-8 hours in a peaceful canoe with the natural beauty is just amazing.  Seriously.  Do it.

So, we arrived at camp and had a delicious meal of poultry cooked over the campfire.  We slept in hammocks and the sound of nature was really cool.  I have camped, but never in the middle of untouched land.  It truly was fantastic.

You spend the night there under the falls.  Depending on which package you get, some people walked to the base of the falls, which was another trek upward.

I did sneak around and look at the other camps.  We were there off season (Nov 22) so many of them were not functioning.  You can choose from many options so I’d spend some time looking if you are able.  However, at the end of the day, everyone sleeps around the same area outside. I wouldn’t spend too much money on accommodations.

Angle Falls from our camp
Angel Falls from our camp
The canoe ride to the falls
The canoe ride to the falls
You cannot experience anything like this anywhere else.
You cannot experience anything like this anywhere else.

 

Going home was an adventure all in its own.  Read about how we got lost, ended up in another town and saw an Andy Warhol here at “Being Left in the Jungle“.

Feel free to reach out to me if you want advice or questions about your upcoming trip.

Here are things to remember:

  • Take lots of sunscreen and use it!
  • Drink lots of water
  • Wear good hiking water shoes.
  • Remember to enjoy the experience and go with the flow.

Some of the people I met on the trip we still talk with today.  Enjoy yourself and you might find little hidden gems of the world you didn’t know existed.

Peace and love.

 

Filed Under: Adventures, Favorite Places, South America, Venezuela Tagged With: Adventure, Angel Falls, Canoe, Venezuela

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