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Sean Plamondon
Sean Plamondon

Sean Plamondon

traveled in 90 countries Read more🇨🇦Ottawa
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  • Sean PlamondonEl SalvadorSean Plamondon

    Santa Ana

    April 14, 2022 in El Salvador ⋅ ⛅ 34 °C

    Decided to walk in the morning to the rental car location from my hotel. Zona Rosa is super duper safe so i left early to walk around a bit and see some different streets and maybe scout a good place for supper another night. Despite being a bit after 9am, it was sweltering hot. This country is maybe the hottest i have experienced. No joke.

    I was a bit leery about driving through san salvador to get out to other areas because i noticed some really different traffic light situations where its a red light but also a flashing yellow forward arrow next to it. Confusing. But i didn't encounter any of that fortunately.

    The drive to suchitoto was really nice. Very jungly once i got out of the city. Got behind a big tuk tuk jam again in some tiny town but that was the only issue.

    Suchitoto is probably the cutest colonial town i have ever visited. Super colourful, cute terraces, cobblestone, beautiful plaza and cathedral. Very small and walkable and a huge artisan market in the plaza. I was told to visit a certain restaurant for great food and amazing views high above the lake but the lineup was out the door and down the street. The secret is out!! But i managed to convince them to let me enter and take some pics. They really didn't want to but somehow they let me in there, snapped a few pics and ran away.

    Then drove down lakeside to a cool restaurant location packed with locals. I ordered a soup and got served a side of chicken and salad. I think my spanish revealed a few chinks in the armour there somewhere haha. Also got a beer and smoothie for a grand total of 12 bucks. Life is easy street here.

    Then drove to santa ana through the mountains. Always a mountain backdrop or actually on top of a mountain during the drive. And the roads were great! I was expecting Guatemala quality roads and was pleasantly surprised. But just before entering santa ana, the road was closed. I studied the map for a while and concluded my only route was to drive through a cemetary. No joke. And there were detour signs in there, so my conclusion was right, but i felt so weird driving by people mourning their loved ones. Also there's a serious lack of manhole covers in this country. I drove over or near 12 of them today with no manhole cover!!! Yikes!

    My hostal in santa ana is super nice. I think i have the best room in the place with the only balcony. Walked to the very pretty main plaza and cathedral and via endless outdoor markets on the way there. Its like our version of a department store but outdoors. Found an awesome pub overlooking the cathedral. Met up with some friends i made in san salvador but forgot to take a group pic, silly me. Hit up one more pub en route to the hotel and thats a thursday wrap :) Great day.    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonEl SalvadorSean Plamondon

    San Salvador - Day 2

    April 13, 2022 in El Salvador ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Today i wanted to see some sights of the city before heading into the countryside of el salvador. Had lunch near my hotel and then took an uber downtown. There were a few nice buildings like the cathedral, the theatre and the palace, but otherwise all of downtown is completely consumed by street markets everywhere. And i mean everywhere. And most buildings were in really rough shape.

    After walking around in the heat, i wanted to find a restaurant to sit down and have a cold beverage and eventually use the wifi to get an uber back. But i literally couldn't find one. I came across a couple of really rough looking places but thats it. So i walked about an hour towards my hotel until i found something decent. My hotel area has endless awesome restaurants and bars but centro area is completely devoid of it. So weird. And oh boy was it hot.

    Ubered back my hotel around 4, grabbed a couple of things and then took another uber to a nice restaurant up on the side of a volcano with awesome views of the city. 35 minute drive but my uber cost 5 dollars haha. Its ridiculously cheap for transportation in this country.

    Once i got dropped off it occured to me it might be hard to find other uber drivers on the volcano haha... and the wifi at that restaurant wasnt working. Slight problem. so i walked down the mountain about 15 minutes to another really nice restaurant, sat down for a beer and watched the sun set over san salvador and another nearby volcano in the distance. And began the long process of trying to summon a driver to get me back to the city.

    Eventually got one and arrived back at the hotel around 8pm. Finished the evening at a really nice lounge spot. Super tired as i think all the travel and heat caught up with me. And needed a good sleep to be fresh for driving around the country tomorrow.    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonEl SalvadorSean Plamondon

    San Salvador - Day 1

    April 12, 2022 in El Salvador ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Mostly a long travel day. But not uneventful either. Not always for the right reasons :)

    I let my cat outside the night prior to my flight, and when i got up at 5:45am, he wasn't anywhere to be found. Usually he's at the front door. But i had to pack still and leave by 615, so priorities shifted unfortunately. Luckily just as my uber pulled up, so did my cat. Phew!

    Had a long layover in Toronto and met a nice American at the barstool next to me. Chatted for a bit and eventually learned she is from el salvador. What are the odds? Apparently not bad haha.

    On the houston flight, i had the chattiest 86 year old ever next to me. Incredibly interesting guy from moncton but he also feels ukraine is equally part of the problem so we weren't exactly simpatico. Once we got past that awkwardness, it was just both of us spewing travel stories over and over for 4 hours.

    At a pub in Houston, met a nice guy named Colin who does emissions testing all over the US... which made me laugh a lot .. cuz yknow... trump, Republicans, etc. If i didn't have a quick connection, we would chatted forever.

    And finally arrived in el salvador. The airport is literally next to the ocean and san salvador is waaaay up in the mountains. So, that was a very long drive into the city. The equivalent to Ottawa having its airport in Cornwall. Weird. I asked for a taxi and got a 15 seat van to myself for an hour ride for $35. I'm sure there were cheaper options but i noticed most people were riding in the back of pickups! 35 is fine, thank you!!

    Settled in, showered, and went across the street to the Cadejo brewery (perhaps not coincidence). San salvador has a lot of unsavory areas but zona rosa is a giant safe area and my hotel is amazing. I can't believe its a third world country hotel because its pretty swank. Nicest place i have stayed in, for years.

    Live band at the brewery and everybody bouncing off their seats (my vid unfortunately is not depicting it). Surprising for a Tuesday. Then went across the street again to a very lively outdoor establishment. Feels like a Saturday.. fun vibe.

    Fun day, despite a million airport hours logged. I traveled a gazillion miles and as soon as i arrive, 50 feet is my boundaries somehow, apparently haha. Everything fun is literally right here. Perfect for a late arrival. Tomorrow, i explore.    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonEl SalvadorSean Plamondon

    All aboard

    April 12, 2022 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C

    Three flights today and i should find myself in San Salvador... here we go again :) 2022 is shaping up to be the year of the backpack! :)

  • Guatemala

    Ottawa

    March 24, 2022 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 3 °C

    One last flight to get home to Ottawa. Reunited with Abdel and family at the airport in Washington one last time. Alexa and Abdel both got randomly selected for a covid test upon landing which was fast, and then finally home.

    We saw just about all of Guatemala on this trip (except the northwest volcanic region) and drove over 1600km on some really crazy roads that we will never forget. Its an incredibly underrated country that has a bit of everything for any traveller. Jaw dropping beauty at every turn. And a wonderful mayan curltural presence all over. Not much english is spoken in this country so some spanish knowledge and an offline translator are pretty important. A trip that got delayed for 2 years because of covid but would return in a heartbeat.    Read more

  • Guatemala

    Washington

    March 23, 2022 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

    Long travel day to get most of the way home. 5 hour layover in Houston and overnight in Washington. The 5 hour layover was kind of nice actually. It took a while to get through customs and security and we didn't have to stress about it. Then found a restaurant for a meal and a game of catan. Abdel and family had a different flight to Washington, so it was
    just the 3 of us. Apparently their day was very stressful with a tight layover and lots of security issues and bag searches.    Read more

  • Guatemala

    Guatemala City

    March 22, 2022 in Guatemala ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Very uneventful day. Drove 3 hours back to Guatemala city. Went to a clinic/lab to get our pcr tests done. Then dropped off the rental cars, which took forever. And finally got back to the hotel around 7pm and we all went out for a nice dinner at a nearby place.

    Rush hour traffic in this city is insane. And it was a bit frustrating watching the car rental guy wash both our cars before letting us go haha. Thats a new one.

    Test results came back negative for all of us. Wooo.    Read more

  • Guatemala

    Monterrico - Day 3

    March 21, 2022 in Guatemala ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    Another lazy morning here in monterrico. Slept in again. Then eventually got going and drove 20 minutes south to a resort called Maya Jade where we were told there was no undertow and surf boards and boogie boards could be rented.

    The resort was really nice, much bigger than the place we are staying at. But they only had one boogie board and many surf boards. So i decided to give surfing another go. Which didn't go all that great. I got up on the board a few times but couldn't maintain my balance to ride it into the beach. And fighting the waves with my long board to get deep enough to the bigger waves completely tired me out. And the kids played in the waves near the shore.

    Ron and Rachel stayed back at the resort and relaxed in the pool all afternoon and when we returned they had already made friends with some new guests that arrived. We all hung out by the pool and at dinner we put a bunch of tables together and all ate as one big family. I can't recall ever having a meal with all the guests of a hotel together like that haha. Really fun evening. And the last night in monterrico sadly. Will really miss the owners Cecelio and Cecelia who treated us like family.    Read more

  • Guatemala

    Monterrico - Day 2

    March 20, 2022 in Guatemala ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    Had a lazy morning in bed, which was a nice change from several early mornings. Alexa and I decided to head north up the coast to a surf town called El Paredon. And everyone else stayed back at the Monterrico resort.

    The drive took 2 hours and with our late start we didn't have a ton of time. Found a hotel/surf shop near the beach, rented some boogie boards and jumped into the ocean. Nice big rolling waves here and no undertow. Rode waves for about 90 minutes and then went back to that hotel and had some food and relaxed for a while.

    My plan to leave at 4:30pm to get us back before dark didn't quite work out as i hoped. Being a sunday, the roads were full of cars heading back to Guatemala city, which slowed us down quite a bit. And we got a little bit lost driving through Ixtapa. And once the sun went down, spotting speed bumps, pedestrians, dogs, and bicycles became really difficult. Most roads have very little shoulder and towns rarely have sidewalks so there's a lot to watch for in the streets. Including chickens, dogs, cats, pigs and the odd cow.

    Once we finally got back, played with the newborn kittens here, had an awesome paella for supper, and played cards with the kids.    Read more

  • Guatemala

    Monterrico - Day 1

    March 19, 2022 in Guatemala ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    In the morning, Alexa still wasn't feeling well, so i let her sleep until 11am while i did a bit more shopping in antigua before the drive to the pacific coast. Abdel and family decided to stay in antigua for lunch and we would meet them in monterrico later that day.

    The roads south were not mountainous at all and much easier to navigate. A nice change. We were 10km from monterrico when we got stuck in a huge lineup of cars for about 20 minutes. I drove up to the front of the line to find out what was going on... road work and at least another 30 minute wait. So we crashed a nearby resort and had some food and beverages rather than waiting in the car.

    Eventually got to monterrico and followed google's directions and ended up at a run down property with a pool and nobody was there. We were all so dejected. But after a while i decided to ask a local across the street and we were in the wrong spot.

    Finally arrived at the correct spot and its another slice of heaven. Lovely property, pool and huge beach. The sand here is volcanic black sand... very different than anywhere else i have been. There is a big undertow here so we just played at the water's edge. Then dinner and drinks, plus a few with the owner too. Everyone is so nice here.    Read more

  • Guatemala

    Antigua

    March 18, 2022 in Guatemala ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    We debated heavily whether to drive the highway route through Guatemala city to reach antigua. Or to take smaller roads through the mountains. Opted for the latter and it was a very scenic drive zigzagging up and down mountains. Long drives have never neen so enjoyable.

    Eventually reached the very rough cobblestone streets of Antigua and its massive volcano looming over it. Antigua is all colonial style buildings and with a very large mayan population selling their wares in every shop, on every street corner, and in every park.

    Had lunch at the rooftop patio of the Antigua brewery and then wandered the streets, for some photos and a bit of shopping here and there. Very fun city to just wander around.

    Got back to the hotel to rest up before dinner for a bit. Just before heading out for food, alexa wasn't feeling well, so her and I stayed back at the hotel and called it a night. Something didn't agree with her and she had a rough evening. Hopefully all out of the system now.

    Off to a beach town next...    Read more

  • Guatemala

    Salama

    March 17, 2022 in Guatemala ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Today we visited the gorgeous waterfalls and pools of Semuc Champey. It was a 45 minute drive but the road was again extremely rough terrain most of the way. On the way there, our drive was interrupted by some sort of mayan ceremony going on, and the streets of Lanquin were filled with mayans to the point we could not drive forward for quite a while.

    But we eventually got there and were amazed by the teal coloured waters at the falls. Several tiers of pools to swim in, and waterfalls connecting all the different tiers. So we jumped in and swam the different pools and climbed a bunch of the waterfalls. Perhaps one of the prettiest places i have ever been. Was very hard to leave. Could have easily spent the whole day here. Definitely a number of places where i wish we had more time to explore.

    But we had another drive and had no idea what kind of roads lay ahead. Fortunately the roads this time were in great shape and the drive over a number of mountain ranges were just spectacular (as usual here). This country is just so gorgeous at every turn.

    Arrived at our hotel and the hotel said they weren't expecting us until tomorrow. And they had no rooms left for today. Uh oh. So angry Abdel made an appearance and after a lot of back and forth, somehow they found 2 room for us haha. Phew.

    The hotel was nice but ultimately just a stopping point en route to Antigua. Not much of interest here. But a very nice spot to relax the evening away.    Read more

  • Guatemala

    Lanquin

    March 16, 2022 in Guatemala ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Google maps said our trip to lanquin was 3 hours to travel 84km. Which we immediately figured had to be a crazy road through the mountains. I cannot describe how insane that drive was. But i guess I will try. It was up and down a number of mountains over the craziest terrain imaginable. I would not have thought a vehicle could do such a thing.

    Literally driving over huge rocks at 5-10 km an hour for 4 hours on treacherous roads. And another hour on a beautifully paved highway to arrive at our hotel in 5 hours instead of 3. We also got stuck in a small town completely full of tuk tuks and no one could move anywhere for a really long time. It was surreal as well. No way we could have done this with out 4WD jeeps.

    But once we arrived, we laughed at what we just went through and started unwinding at another gorgeous hotel spot. This one has cabins on a hill and two restaurants overlooking the river.

    We saw some people floating by on inner tubes in the small rapids next to our hotel. We inquired within and 20 minutes later we were in a truck taking us to a river launch spot in our own tubes. The funny thing about tubes... they don't follow the river. They want to go in a straight line but the river winds all over. So you have to paddle with your arms vigorously to keep yourself away from the branches and rocks near both shorelines and keep yourself centered in the rapids. They also gave us beer to enjoy as we floated downstream for 4km for 40 minutes. What a great way to release the stress of that bonkers drive.

    Then went to the lanquin caves to see the thousands of bats that fly out every evening at sundown. Insane how many bats kept streaming out of that cave. I am attaching a pretty crazy video of bats flying right at alexa and i while inside the cave.

    Finished with beer, food and more catan. Had the most amazing seafood ceviche ever as well!! What a day.    Read more

  • Guatemala

    Raxruha

    March 15, 2022 in Guatemala ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Had a lazy morning and didn't hit the road until 11am. Was a 3 hour drive to the Raxruha area. And the last 20 minutes of it we descended into a really tight valley in lush jungle mountains. Our hotel is a huge gorgeous estate in the middle of nowhere/jungle. And we are the only ones here.

    After settling in, we went to the caves a couple of km away and that was easily the craziest road i ever drove on. Rough, uneven dirt road winding up and down steep descents, one car wide with dense jungle on both sides. So happy i rented a jeep!!

    At the caves we had the option to walk 1.5 hours through one cave or do a river tube through another cave, also 1.5 hours. Abdel wasn't feeling great and the kids wanted to do the inner tubes, so it became an easy decision.

    We created a link between all of us in our tubes by wrapping our feet under the next person's tube. Sounds awkward, but was easy and worked well. This cave system had several "windows" where there were openings and sunlight would shine through. I counted 7 of them. We had to portage our tubes several times to avoid small rapids inside the cave. And finished our tour walking our tubes back through a mayan village.

    The kitchen back at the hotel closed at 7pm and we had to be out by 9, so it was a very early night. Completed the night falling asleep to the roar of howler monkeys in the nearby jungle.    Read more

  • Guatemala

    Flores

    March 14, 2022 in Guatemala ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    It rained all night and the next morning so we had a lazy morning lounging in our cabin and an extended breakfast. Saw a toucan fly by while lying in bed too. Such a simple thing brought a huge smile to my face.

    Around 11am, the skies finally took pity on us and we had sunny weather most of the afternoon as we wandered back into the jungle to see more temples and wildlife. Tikal is 60,000 sq km, so its quite a walk between a lot of the temples and pyramids. And its crazy to know that the mayans first started living here around 600BC.

    Made our way to seldom visited Temple VI and then to the residential palace which had tunnels and small bedrooms throughout. And then to towering Temple V which dramatically appears as you emerge from the jungle. And finished our hike with a climb of the Lost World pyramid and one last view from the top of Temple IV. These things are absolutely massive and jaw dropping views from both the ground or temple tops. And even better is all the wildlife everywhere. More toucans, coati, and today finally saw some monkeys and also could hear the roar of the howler monkeys in the distance.

    Left tikal around 4, stopped at a side stand for empanadas and eventually arrived at the very pretty island town of flores. All the buildings are pastel colors with cobblestone street throughout and views of the lake from many different locations. Stayed at a really unique hostel that is part jungle inside with crazy trees and vines growing in the middle of all the restaurant and lounging areas. And had a fantastic Guatemalan meal lakeside. Finished the evening at the vibrant hostal pub area.    Read more

  • Guatemala

    Tikal

    March 13, 2022 in Guatemala ⋅ 🌧 23 °C

    Forecast was calling for rain all day and night at Tikal which was disappointing as this was one of the biggest highlights of the trip. And the 2.5 hour drive to tikal from poptun was exactly that - non stop rain. Boooo.

    But when we arrived at the park gate, the rain fortunately stopped. Very grey and overcast but much better than the alternative. The park guys didn't accept credit card, nor American dollars (weird!!) which quickly posed a problem to pay for the two day entrance. Fortunately abdel was able to exchange american dollars with one of the nearby shopkeepers, and ron and i pooled our quetzals to make it work. Phew. Its literally jungle plus a few barebone hotels... no atm's. And the nearest town was at least 30 minutes away.

    As soon as we left the hotel and walked toward the entrance gate, the wildlife became abundant. There was a crocodile in the nearby creek. Adorable coati roaming around everywhere. Strange exotic birds too.

    It took about 20 minutes hiking uphill to reach the grand plaza and the astonished look on everyone's faces was priceless as the dramatic temple I and II were towering over us.

    Climbed the stairs to the top of temple II for some amazing views and pics. And those views included a small flock of toucans in a nearby tree. I followed them around for a while trying to get a good photo despite all the grey clouds muting their colors in the camera shots.

    Then made our way to the gigantic temple IV and climbed to the top with views of the tops of the other temples and mist over the jungle canopy. Amazing sights. And even better, a few parrots were flying by us a few times and nesting near the temple top.

    Eventually made our way back to the hotel. Got in a game of catan, and supper before they shut everything down at 9pm. So nice to be back here! Magical spot. Hopefully tomorrow is drier.    Read more

  • Guatemala

    Poptun

    March 12, 2022 in Guatemala ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Chartered the same boat and driver to take us from the atlantic coast back up the river to the interior, saying goodbye to hundreds of pelicans and egrets (cranes). And back into our SUVs to start making our way north.

    Detoured off the main road to a really pretty spot with many small waterfalls called Las Conchas. Perhaps even prettier was the drive there. Dense jungle on both sides of the highway and very mountainous with tall palms everywhere.

    The river seemed to come from several different directions at once and each location had a similar cascading waterfalls with different pools above them. So we all jumped into the river and spent a couple of hours climbing the small waterfalls and exploring the pools above them.

    From there, kept driving north to our hotel just before the town of Poptun. Drove through a wild rainstorm that made it nearly impossible to drive until it slowed down.

    Finca Ixobel isn't really a hotel, but a large estate in the jungle with cabins scattered all around it. Very rural feel to it. Had a nice open air meal at the main building and then donned our headlamps to find our way back to our cabins for an early night under our mosquito nets. Big day tomorrow at Tikal.    Read more

  • Guatemala

    Livingston

    March 11, 2022 in Guatemala ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Woke up to howler monkeys in the treetops making a lot of noise around 6am. Its possibly the best way i can think of to lose sleep :)

    Zero driving today yay. The only way to reach the altantic coast town of livingston is by boat down a river. Abdel managed to hire our own personal boat and driver who also agreed to take us to a waterfall and a nice beach in the Livingston area. Livingston is a garifuna population which is comparable to jamaicans and is the only place in Guatemala with garifunas.

    The boat ride to livingston was beautiful. Jungle lining both sides of the river, and mountains as a backdrop. And there were also lots of hidden canals of tiny islands in the river hidden by dense vegetation with homes and cafés popping up behind huge leafy plants everywhere. Also came across a floating store, meaning a couple in a dug out canoe selling jewellery and hand crafted items. Large cranes and pelicans were everywhere too.

    We bypassed Livingston and went to the Seven Alters, which is a series of cascading pools of water feeding into each other in a jungly setting. Climbed a million rocks and jumped in and out of different pools of water, and for quite a while we had it all to ourselves.

    From there we boated to a gorgeous white sand beach with really warm waters. Spent two hours here relaxing by the ocean before backtracking to livingston and finally checking into our hotel. Spent a few more hours lounging by the pool and then took tuk tuks into town for dinner by the ocean. There's no cars in this city, just tuk tuks. I had an insane local soup where i almost expected half of its ingredients to crawl out of the bowl. Then back to the hotel for another hotly contested Catan game.    Read more

  • Guatemala

    Rio Dulce

    March 10, 2022 in Guatemala ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    Today was mostly a travel day to get ourselves to the eastern side of the country. But what a beautiful drive it was. The center portion of Guatemala city has wonderful colonial architecture everywhere and once outside the city, there are endless huge mountains and valleys on both sides.

    But we weren't alone. We had to contend with a littany of truckers coming and going from the eastern port as well. And oh boy, there were a lot. Managed to find a really cool restaurant alongside the highway for a late lunch and then back to battling truckers for the road.

    Along the way, we stopped at the remains of a mayan city called Quirigua dating back to 476AD, which apparently was the commerce center of their world. Not much remains here but lots of massive stone carvings, and stonework from some smaller temples and their grand plaza. A very lush area with banana, mango, and almond trees, and lots of really tall palms, making it very scenic among the ruins. Also found a 200 foot long vine from a crazy tall palm that most of us did a small tarzan swing from.

    Our hotel is situated on the river near the town of Rio Dulce and requires a very wet boat ride to reach it. I think I easily got the most wet out of all of us.

    All the buildings are thatch huts on stilts in the river connected by elevated decking paths. Arrived late, so finished our evening with pizza, beers and a game of Catan.    Read more

  • Guatemala
    1

    Guatemala City

    March 9, 2022 in Guatemala ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Very brief stay in the capital. Arrived at our hotel after midnight. Flight was an hour late. Took about 30 minutes to get through the airport and another hour to get our rental vehicles. And then straight to bed

    Wasn't a very good sleep. There was no insulation from the street noise below. And the church across the street rang its bell at least 100 times around 6am. But its only one night in the capital and then its a number of stays in more jungly environments coming up.

    A quick breakfast here and then hitting the highway towards the Atlantic.    Read more

  • Guatemala

    On the road again

    March 9, 2022 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 1 °C

    The 30 days being travel-free since returning from Argentina was too much to bear, so I'm spreading my wings again haha. This time bringing along Alexa, Ron, Abdel, Rachel, Caleb and Max

    We are renting two vehicles in Guatemala city and going on a huge drive all over the country.. can't wait

    A brief stop in Washington DC, and then straight to Guatemala.    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonArgentinaSean Plamondon

    Home Finally

    February 8, 2022 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ -4 °C

    Made it back to Canada. Fortunately my second covid test came back negative and I only had to wait a week to come home.

    I was a bit surprised nobody in Canadian customs checked my covid test result upon landing in Montreal. Air canada did before I boarded, so perhaps that's the checkpoint. I got flagged for extra questioning - that's ok, I hadn't talked to anyone for 15 hours, so I was happy to discuss my trip, even with a customs agent haha. And also flagged for another covid test at the airport. But aside from that, easy breezy trip home. There was another stop in Sao Paulo again and then getting super comfy in my business class pod.

    Back in buenos aires, upon checking in, Argentina has a departure declaration app, which wasn't working on my phone. So I got sent to a migration office by the airline to sort it out. Took me a long time to find it and I got shoo'd out of a few offices I should not have been in haha. And when I finally found them, they said it doesn't matter. I asked for a document to give the airline that this obligation has been waived, but the officer just laughed and said to tell them she said it was ok. And surprisingly, it worked.

    What a fantastic trip. Some of the most beautiful spots I have ever seen. Made lots of new friends and even a romance during my forced extended stay in buenos aires. So anxious to see my daughter Alexa but I am definitely sad to leave as well. Back to reality.    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonArgentinaSean Plamondon

    Buenos Aires - Day 5

    January 30, 2022 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Returned to buenos aires a day before my flight home to get the necessary covid test well within the required 72 hours. I got the same hotel I had earlier in the trip but this time upgraded my room which has an awesome view over the famous cemetery.

    Becky, who I met in mendoza on the horseback tour was still in buenos aires because her flight got delayed a few times. So we met up at the airport to get our tests done. And then hung out for a few beers before she had to catch her flight. Americans only need an antigen test that indicates they are no longer contagious. Which I think makes sense. But I am not sure how reliable they are. Canada requires a full pcr test.

    While we had our beers, my result came back. I have covid. I will not being flying home the next day. Full stop. I was ready for that but at the same time, not exactly.

    That created a flurry of thoughts and emotions as you might imagine. Mostly the uncertainty.

    But now that I have contacted everyone I met; and the necessary people back home; and changed my flight; got my insurance claim going, made arrangements at work..... I am in a better place mentally about it all.

    I will take the test again exactly one week from now. If it's positive again, I will be here for a second week. And according to air canada, reentry is allowed once Canadians are beyond 11 days of a positive test result. Knowing this information greatly removes a lot of uncertainty that I had at first. There are cases where people kept testing positive for 90 days. That concerned me the most.. by a lot!!

    Back to logistics.. My covid insurance gives me 200 dollars a day for my hotel and food. It will be very difficult to spend that much in this country. So that's pretty awesome.

    That said, I might not continue the blog this week. Probably won't have a lot to add. I am healthy, I have coverage, I am in a beautiful place, I have sick leave I can use at work - there are far worse situations I could be in.

    I wanted to give two huge shout outs. To mom and dad for funding this amazing expedition. What an incredible 50th birthday gift. Love you so much.

    And to Becky who fronted me 400 American dollars right before hopping in a taxi. That is unbelievably kind. Becky, you are amazing. It's coming back your way and then some as soon as I return.

    It's not that I don't have money, but on the blue market, American dollars get double value in pesos So things that cost 10 bucks, now cost me 5. But I will still get 10 bucks back on my insurance claim haha! I wonder if Manulife is following my blog.    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonArgentinaSean Plamondon

    Iguazu - Day 3

    January 29, 2022 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Got up early to arrive at the park when it opened to do a 7km round trip jungle hike to a waterfall and again with Ramon as my driver. Wildlife is usually much more active in the morning and was hoping to see a lot more. Especially a toucan.

    I got all the way to the waterfall but there was no waterfall. Just a murky green pond where it used to be a swimming hole at the base of the falls. And aside from a deer in my path, I didn't see anything else. But I guess I should be happy.. one guy I talked to said all he saw was a butterfly haha.

    Decided to take all the falls trails and revisit everything one last time, and because it was my second time through, I knew where to bypass all the secondary stuff. I ended up having an incredible stroke of fortune as I found monkeys on every single trail. And most notably one that ran from the forest right up to me and I was sure it was going to jump on me. Also saw two more deer in different spots, one that scared the crap out of as it leapt out of the jungle in front of me, across the path and disappeared into the jungle on the other side. I half expected to see a jaguar chasing it and i took a few steps back and paused for a few minutes just in case. Saw some more exotic birds and some really big spiders. Plus one large coati while I sat down for a quick rest and another large one just as I approached the exit gate. Oh and I may have also seen the most gorgeous waterfalls ever too haha.

    Got back to my hotel for a siesta, a quick beer and snack at a nearby craft beer place and then off to supper. Maria invited me to her house for a small dinner party with her niece Samanta, and Samanta's husband Galo. And the personal cook Andres joined us too. Maria has an outdoor kitchen (and an indoor one too) with a wood fired oven and I am told it is a very traditional Argentinian way to cook meats. I feel so honored to have been invited to join them. Lots of wine, music and even some dancing. One last day in buenos aires coming up and hopefully a flight to Canada 🤞    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonArgentinaSean Plamondon

    Iguazu - Day 2

    January 28, 2022 in Argentina ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

    Samiah from Vancouver, who I met in mendoza, was flying into Iguazú for the weekend. So we planned to meet and do a jungle hike together.

    So I called up trusty Ramon to pick me up, hit the bank, and then to iguazu national park. When I got to the wicket to purchase my day pass, I realized I didn't have my credit card anymore. I accidentally left it in the ATM. So we raced back to town and Ramon got his friend at the bank to open the machine and pull my card out. I had a backup card, but was an awful feeling for a bit there. In Canada your card gets spit out before the cash. Here it is the opposite. Regardless, was rushing far too much.

    Finally back to the falls. Found Samiah and off to find the jungle hike trail. However, it was closed due to the torrential rain storm we got the previous evening. Then we realized neither of us had done the speedboat to the falls option yet, and new plans were set in motion.

    I want to emphasize it is promoted as "Under the falls". Did this mean you drive behind a wall of water? Samiah and I soon found out that it is quite literally right into the falls in several different areas haha. I felt like I was being waterboarded at times but I couldn't stop laughing. Oh my God it was so insane and so fun at the same time. And I am so thankful I bought a plastic case enclosure for my phone right before doing this!!

    When we weren't being pounded with water, it was also incredibly beautiful. Had a more panoramic view than many other angles I had on considerably drier land. Again, I have so many videos, that I will have to spill over one or two into tomorrow's entry.

    Samiah was staying right in the park, and was doing a helicopter tour on the Brazil side the next day, so we parted ways and I headed back into town. Messaged Maria who I met the evening prior, and she took me to a nice restaurant to cap off a pretty crazy day. It's going to be so weird going back to working everyday from a computer in my bedroom, oh so soon.    Read more

  • Sean PlamondonArgentinaSean Plamondon

    Iguazu - Day 1

    January 27, 2022 in Argentina ⋅ 🌧 29 °C

    Woke up a 5 and got out the door at 530am looking for a taxi on the streets to the airport. Wasn't sure this was the right strategy but was not feeling great about the 15 min estimate from the front desk. Luckily found one quickly and off we go

    My very friendly taxi driver (Ramon) in iguazu spoke perfect English and gave me his whatsapp number in case I wanted to hire him for any other rides. Was able to check in immediately and then got Ramon to pick me up, take me to the ATM and then to the waterfalls.

    The iguazu national park is huge. Several kilometers of trails lead to all sorts of different waterfalls. Some individual ones, some clustered ones, and mostly to the main attraction where there are seemingly an endless string of dramatic waterfalls carrying off into the horizon, or the 270 degree devils throat waterfall area.

    Just the infrastructure put into elevated walkways/catwalks was dizzying. And of course the falls themselves were mind blowing beautiful. I started on the lower paths which took me near the base of some falls, and then made my way up to the higher areas that put me over top of the falls too. I will have to let the pictures paint the scene as it's too surreal to describe. Watch the video because it's hard to capture in a still image.

    After I saw pretty much everything, I was done. Overheating from the super humid jungle temperatures and legs burning from what had to be 10-15km of walking. Earlier I had decided to hike on the jungle path to the furthest falls destination instead of taking the small train like everyone else. Was nice but drained me quite a bit.

    Took the train back and for some reason had an instinct to get off at a halfway station to relax with a beer in the jungle before heading back to town. Hilarious decision as the seating area on the edge of a lot of trees got overrun with coatis and monkeys. The coati were everywhere, especially the baby ones. Under and on top of tables. A number of monkeys showed up as well. Fantastic entertainment while I tried to cool down.

    On my walk out of the park I also saw what I thought was a capybarra but I was told it is a paca paca. Plus lots of lizards all over the park throughout the day.

    Back to town for a nap. And then hit up a nearby restaurant where I met some nice locals who chatted with me for a while and exchanged contact info for possibly meeting up another evening while I am in town. That's very nice (again).

    Edit: I can only attach 2 vids per entry. Will attach more to tomorrow's entry    Read more

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