Picture of the Day ~ Blue Mosque, Istanbul

Posted on January 7, 2015 by Tim and Joanne Joseph
Blue Mosque interior

Blue Mosque interior from February 2014

Ceiling of the Blue Mosque

Ceiling of the Blue Mosque

Want to find out a little more about our time in Istanbul last year? Check out this blog post to read about our day, or this post to see more pictures.

Gratitude Moment: Today I am grateful for our police force. Many of our men and women in blue have been bashed in the media lately. Some may be justified, however, I appreciate that every day these brave people put on a uniform, leave home and face an unknown adversary. They far too often put their own lives on the line in order to “serve and protect”. My belief is that there are MANY GOOD COPS who routinely make a difference in the lives of others. Thank You!

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South Africa is calling our name

Posted on January 6, 2015 by Tim and Joanne Joseph

Planning a trip is not always done in a straight line. Sometimes the wheels are put in motion by a simple thought, an inspiration, seeing a “too good to pass up” deal on the Internet, getting a phone call from a friend, or in this case receiving an email with an invitation to join a small group that was forming to go to Africa.

We met Ben and Yulia in Turkey on the Gate 1 Tour we took last February. Ben is athletic, a great negotiator, and as Tim quickly learned, has a killer serve on the ping-pong table. Yulia is a tall, blonde beauty that could easily be found walking the runway for a major fashion house. But more importantly, she is kind with a sweetness that immediately puts you at ease in her company.  Continue reading →

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Picture of the day ~ Santa Cruz, Guatemala

Posted on January 5, 2015 by Tim and Joanne Joseph

Happy 2015 Everyone!

Dock at Santa Cruz - Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

Dock at Santa Cruz – Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

I’m slowly getting over a nasty bug that laid me up for the Christmas and New Years Holidays. It is never fun to be sick, but as much as I love to travel (and I do love to travel), it was wonderful to be home in my own bed when feeling less than ideal.

Our 2014 was an amazing year, filled with travel adventures that many can only dream about. But here we are in 2015 and the planning and fun starts all over again.

I just updated our ABOUT page with a recap of last year and an idea or two about what we may get to accomplish this year. I also listed a few things that we found out about ourselves and our travel style that will help mold our future plans.

Wishing each of you a fantastic 2015. May all your dreams come true!

GRATITUDE MOMENT: Today I am grateful for large boxes of kleenex tissue, a VCR that allowed me to record and watch the Twilight Saga for the hundredth time, and a caring husband that cooked home-made soup and cleaned the kitchen afterwards.

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Posted in Central America, Guatemala | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

CUBA – Varadero Beach and Medical Clinic

Posted on December 21, 2014 by Tim and Joanne Joseph

This gallery contains 10 photos.

Originally posted on A Note From Abroad:
Varadero Beach After spending a week in and around Havana, we traveled about 75 miles east to Varadero Beach.  Varadero is a resort town in the province of Matanzas.  It is situated on…

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Cuba – Castro, Cars and Cigars

Posted on December 20, 2014 by Tim and Joanne Joseph

This gallery contains 16 photos.

Originally posted on A Note From Abroad:
Museum of the Revolution Housed in what was the former Presidential Palace up until 1959, the Museum of the Revolution is located in Old Havana, just a short walk from our hotel.  It…

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Cuba – Old Havana (Yes, we did go there legally)

Posted on December 19, 2014 by Tim and Joanne Joseph

This gallery contains 9 photos.

Originally posted on A Note From Abroad:
Havana, Cuba Since it will still be about three months before we do any international traveling, I thought it would be fun to share a few of our more recent trips to give you…

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Guatemala City ~ A wee bit of a tour before our flight back home

Posted on December 18, 2014 by Tim and Joanne Joseph

Thursday, December 11th ~ Drive from Coban to Guatemala City

Our week with Hugo had come to a close. A family of four had arrived the night before from Seattle and were taking our place in the SUV to start their own adventure. We had a wonderful breakfast with the newbies and prepared for our own long drive from Coban to Guatemala City.

We waved goodbye as they started their own adventure

We waved goodbye as they started their own adventure

Our driver for the day was Victor. A former body-guard for Mel Gibson over a period of four years, I’m sure he had many story to tell – that would be if I could understand Spanish better or he spoke more English. As it was, we made do fine with a word here or there, the occasional use of our Google translation app, and a lot of smiles and hand gestures.

When I asked if Mel Gibson spoke Spanish, he indicated that he spoke only a little Spanish but traveled with a masseuse who would translate for him – (at least I think that is what he said).  Continue reading →

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Coban Marketplace and the Quetzal

Posted on December 17, 2014 by Tim and Joanne Joseph

Wednesday December 10th ~ Coban, Guatemala

On the road from Semuc Champey toward Coban

On the road from Semuc Champey toward Coban

Just the three of us loaded up our traveling suitcases and backpacks and pointed the SUV toward Coban. Today we get to see the dirt road we had traveled two nights earlier draped in a thick fog. The countryside is lush, green and how you might picture a rainforest.

The road was still wet, slippery, and we once again dodged rock and mud slides. Several times Hugo needed to put our vehicle into 4 wheel drive to make it up steep inclines.

Broken down in the middle of the road

Broken down in the middle of the road

Coban was our destination with approximately 250,000 residents. The city was founded by Dominican friars in 1543 but did not flourish until a significant German population arrived at the end of the 19th century and developed a healthy coffee growing district.  Continue reading →

Posted in Central America, Guatemala | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Semuc Champey ~ A revisit to one of the most beautiful places on earth

Posted on December 16, 2014 by Tim and Joanne Joseph

Tuesday December 9th ~ Semuc Champey

At Semuc Champey

At Semuc Champey

Arriving after dark on the 8th, we enjoyed a cocktail and our delicious buffet style dinner, but were soon off to our room to get some much-needed sleep. One learns that in the jungle you need a flashlight at night and I travel with a small one in my backpack.

You don’t want to get up in the middle of the night without looking to see what you could potentially be stepping on. In the bathroom I found a centipede and a spider that with legs extended was about 3 inches across. I shivered, avoided them both and went back to bed.  Continue reading →

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Tikal National Park ~ Climbing temples, dodging pigs, and potholes

Posted on December 13, 2014 by Tim and Joanne Joseph

Monday December 8th ~ Tikal National Park

Grand Plaza, Tikal National Park. We had the place all to ourselves. Temple I is on the right, also known as the Temple of the Great Jaguar

Great Plaza, Tikal National Park. We had the place all to ourselves.
Temple I is on the right, also known as the Temple of the Great Jaguar

TIKAL NATIONAL PARK (click to read a more in-depth report of Tikal)

Once again Hugo (our private guide who owns/operates Expeditions Guatemala) managed to sweet talk us into getting an early start, and one more time we were on the road at 5:30 in the morning. He had hired another guide to join us for the morning that was an expert on the history and ruins of Tikal. The park opened at 6:00 and we got to be the first vehicle through the gate.

Located in the rainforest jungle of northern Guatemala, this massive site was the capital of one of the most powerful kingdoms of the ancient Maya. It has been estimated that the area was settled as far back as 900 BC. For the Mayan people, this place is the equivalent to the Great Pyramids of Egypt.  Continue reading →

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