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Sean Plamondon
Sean Plamondon

Sean Plamondon

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  • Sean PlamondonBrazil and Latin AmericaSean Plamondon

    Mariana

    6 июля 2022 г., Бразилия ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    The goal to start the day was to drive to the tiny village of Lavras Novas and hike to a canyon. The drive there had dramatic scenery with lots of red rock and high up in the mountains. I read that a specific hotel in the village is helpful with hiking maps so i popped in there and got some directions and off i went

    The trail was very rocky and lead me up and over a mountain. It didn't seem like the right direction for a canyon hike but there were trail markers every so often, so i assumed i was on the right path. The trail took me far down the other side of a mountain and eventually to a fence that said private property. So i re-traced my steps all the way back to my car.

    The lady at the hotel said it would take about 2 hours and thats exactly how long it took me. So either i was on the wrong trail that coincidentally took 2 hours, or the hotel lady and i had a miscommunication and i ended up exactly where i was supposed to go :) It was really scenic, just not what i was aiming to do.

    The hike back was extremely difficult and i was exhausted. I was planning to drive back to ouro preto but i decided i needed to sit down somewhere for a beverage and relax for a bit. Shortly after sitting down, a very nice couple Antonio and Cleide from Sao Paulo asked me where i was from and this kicked off a really nice conversation about all our travels and brazillian life. Amazingly, Antonio once drove from brazil to alaska and back, driving both coasts of north america and all across canada too. An unbelievable task that Antonio says is only possible because he is mentally disabled to try such a thing haha

    They had ordered some local food and asked me join them and try it, and i happily accepted. Very tasty pork stew (i think). They are such nice, warm people. It was so wonderful to meet them and especially after my frustrating hike. I stayed far longer than i had planned because it was such a nice conversation with great people. But it was about an hour before sundown and i had an hour's drive to get to mariana so i had to get going too. I try very hard to not be driving anywhere at night.

    Got to mariana just before sundown. Quickly found a hotel in the old town and made my way to a local brewery in the central square. Then had a nice salmon liguine at an italian restaurant nearby. Met a very nice local there named Mirian and we chatted over a few drinks. And home early as i had a 6.5 hour drive back to Rio in the morning.    Читать далее

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  • Sean PlamondonBrazil and Latin AmericaSean Plamondon
    1

    Ouro Preto - Day 2

    5 июля 2022 г., Бразилия ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Started the day driving the insane vertical streets of ouro preto to see some more of its famous churches. Which got me lost in many different places. Its incredibly confusing, and the hills make it really difficult to read the map. But its a fun type of being lost because every street is full of beautiful old european style buildings.

    Then started making my way to the nearby town of Mariana. Just before reaching Mariana, i stopped at an old gold mine that is only used for tourists now and also for divers in the subterranean lake down there. They converted and old mining cart into seats and we were lowered down 315 meters down the tracks into the mine. Unfortunately the tour guide didn't speak english but it was still a neat trip into a mine. The underground lake was a striking blue color.

    From there, continued to Mariana. Smaller, more quaint version of Ouro Preto. I walked around for a while and realized very few places were open because it was a tuesday. Decided to head back to ouro preto and maybe return to Mariana on Wednesday instead as i could see thats when most businesses were re-opening

    Got lost again on the way back. Nothing new here haha.

    I found a nice outdoor patio near my hotel and met Iuri and Maira. Iuri eventually had to leave so maira and i went to another spot for food and a few more drinks before ending the night relatively early.    Читать далее

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  • Sean PlamondonBrazil and Latin AmericaSean Plamondon

    Ouro Preto - Day 1

    4 июля 2022 г., Бразилия ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Leaving Rio area today and driving 6 hours into the interior mountains. Which turned into a 7 hour drive because i made one small wrong turn. The highways and roads are so complicated in Rio and impossible to know which ramp is the right one sometimes as there will be several lanes all exiting at once to different roads. My gps will say exit right and there are 4 options to the right haha. And then finding a way back to where i need to be is even worse. Very challenging!

    Once outside of Rio, it was smooth sailing. Very good roads through the mountains and almost always a divided highway. Finally reached Ouro Preto which is a gorgeous town built on the top and steep sides of a mountain. All narrow steep cobblestone streets, and quaint European buildings. And lots of huge ornate churches.

    Arrived later than i wanted. Sun down is at 5:30pm here so i quickly picked a hotel that i had just drove past and set off exploring before it got too dark. Walked around the main plaza and tried to find a nice restaurant but almost everything was closed. Seems most things are closed on mondays. But then stumbled across a really nice cellar gastro pub with a hobbit sized door :) And made this my home for most of the evening before getting a good night's rest from a long day.    Читать далее

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  • Sean PlamondonBrazil and Latin AmericaSean Plamondon

    Niteroi

    3 июля 2022 г., Бразилия ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Today i picked up my rental car and i was planning to drive to some pretty villages in the interior mountains. But my friend Daniela who i met on my first day in Rio offered to give me a tour along the Niteroi coast, across the bay from Rio. A personal tour from a local is pretty amazing; i gladly accepted. And she is excellent company.

    First we stopped at a few beaches and a museum in the city. And we drove down the coastline of endless beaches and stunning views of the Rio mountains across the bay.

    Stopped at a beach restaurant for a late lunch of fried shrimp and a beverage. And then drove up a mountain to a viewing platform to see the dramatic sunset unfold. Insane colors and very dramatic backdrop of Rio and its mountains.

    And finally back to the town of Niteroi for supper. After that we also went to a place that specializes in craft beers. So far i am very impressed with brazil's craft beer scene and i haven't really sought out places as much as i usually do. I will have to correct that issue this week 😁    Читать далее

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  • Sean PlamondonBrazil and Latin AmericaSean Plamondon

    Rio - Day 3

    2 июля 2022 г., Бразилия ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Had another lazy morning, getting up late. But ambitious plans to hike a local iconic mountain called sugarloaf or in brazilian, pao acucar. Actually, you can only hike up mt urca and you need a cable car ride to get you rest of the way.

    As i started on the path, i came across a sign warning about venomous snakes ! Ok haha. And shortly after, a came across a big family of adorable marmosets. They look a lot like lemurs but different i think too. Cool vid in the pics.

    The hike to the top of mt urca was steep but only about 30 minutes huffing and puffing hard. I was proud of myself; 50 year old on a busy, hard trail, and i passed many younger, fit people and no one passed me. Perhaps i am just more stubborn haha.

    The views from there were fantastic but there was still a cable car ride higher to the top of famous sugarloaf mountain. And what a view. Worth every penny. I hung out there for a few hours taking pictures and writing a blog entry over a beverage. Incredibly inspiring and magical.

    I eventually came back down the mountain, and got myself to a cool beach bar near my hotel in copacabana with live music as the sun went down. Went to a nice restaurant across the street for some food and met more locals who invited me over and i hung out with for a few hours before calling it a night. I feel very blessed by all the friendly souls here. Its such a loving vibe. I am quickly realizing Rio is a very very special place on this planet.    Читать далее

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  • Sean PlamondonBrazil and Latin AmericaSean Plamondon

    Rio - Day 2

    1 июля 2022 г., Бразилия ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    I was so tired from such a long trip and stayed in bed until noon. Went for a walk down very picturesque copacabana beach and then taxi'd to hilly santa teresa area for food and wandering around. Eventually took another taxi out of there to Botafogo beach. Gorgeous area. I was hoping to walk to the hotel from there but the sun dropped around 5:30pm and i didn't want to be walking that sort of distance at night here and found another taxi to the hotel

    Had an awesome siesta for 3 hours. Word to the wise, never buy a drink from the girls walking around with trays of drinks. on copacabana beach. Aye carumba that had a lot of kick to it.

    I had heard about a brazillian festival happening downtown, so after my nap, i took an uber there to check it out. Tons of people and food stalls and lots of dancing. Met some really nice brazillians at a shared table and spent the night with them. Janaina, Janderson and i forget the other's name.. something really complex. And back to the hotel, which by the way is Hotel Canada haha

    Happy Canadá day 🇨🇦    Читать далее

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  • Sean PlamondonBrazil and Latin AmericaSean Plamondon

    Rio - the hard way

    1 июля 2022 г., Бразилия ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Landed in Sao Paulo 3 hours late and missed my connection to Rio while we were still in the air. When i bought my airfare back in april to Rio, it was only 80 dollars. But when i checked for a flight today, the cheapest was 450. Yikes

    A taxi driver told me the terminal for that airline was a bit far. I figured the chances of getting on a new flight without paying the difference was low and asked him to take me to the bus station instead and salvage the lost day maybe without getting into a brazillian argument with no recourse. Sometimes you gotta weigh the battles vs the greater good. This felt low on the greater good scale and time was ticking to make the trek and arrive relatively early in Rio

    My taxi driver also gave me awesome intel. Its not like back home with one bus company and one type of seat. There were 50 different bus companies and I had to know which one did express routes plus comfort levels. I learned this lesson in colombia years ago.

    8 hours later, i arrived in Rio. Ugh. But I had a bed to sleep in on the bus... yes!! Still my day got wiped out but at least i was there.

    Found a local restaurant near my hotel and met a nice local Daniela who spoke great english and ordered a crazy cold drink that was smoking and bubbling - so weird. After a few drinks she went home and i moved onto another nearby spot my lonely planet book recommended and met carlos and his friend who insisted on refilling my beer glass repeatedly despite my lack of portuguese language. It really is remarkable how people can communicate sometimes with minimal common words. People everywhere are awesome. Seriously.

    Then finished the night at a copacabana beach bar which despite being super quiet, i felt was really apt. So anxious to see things in daylight tomorrow!! Actual brazil pics coming soon!! Stay tuned.

    Edit: As I type this, the nice people two tables over invited me to join them. Even as i try to take advantage of a quiet moment to write this blog, i make new friends haha. Loving brazil 🇧🇷 already    Читать далее

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  • Sean PlamondonBrazil and Latin AmericaSean Plamondon

    Montreal

    29 июня 2022 г., Канада ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    All aboard :)

    This very long trip starts with a train to Montreal. Then a 13 hour flight to Sao Paulo.

    Montreal airport is insane today. Fortunately I was able to skip the massive checkin lineup and the even crazier security line up because of my business class ticket. Without hyperbole, it might have taken 4 hours to get through all that. Took me 90 minutes even with all my line skipping! Crazy. Even the maple leaf lounge had a 20 minute wait. Not complaining haha, just observations :) I have it verrrry good. Most of my points are gone now, gotta enjoy this last bit of luxury transportation/status while i have it. Tomorrow morning, my pod turns into a pumpkin :)

    First new experience... I am sitting at a barstool and all the walk up orders are right next to me. This young guy ordered a red wine and coke. Both in one glass together haha. After a brief chat and laugh i had to order one too, just to see (helps that its all free). It's definitely sacrilegious to the wine and maybe to the coke too but not as wretched as I expected :) cheers !

    Flight got delayed 3 times. Instead of 9:30pm takeoff its probably midnight now. Definitely missing my rio flight tomorrow :( But i ran into the same red wine and coke guys at the bar near the gate and the invited me to stay with them in Sao Paulo. Or i might take a bus to rio as soon as I arrive. We will see how things look in the morning. Also met a couple of others at the bar, Emily going to Spain and Gabriel going to Senegal for his father's sudden funeral. He was handling it well. Super nice guy. And Tas going to England via Qatar... thats messed up. I laughed at his flight plan a whole lot.    Читать далее

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  • Sean PlamondonEl SalvadorSean Plamondon

    San Salvador / Airport

    20 апреля 2022 г., Сальвадор ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Drove back to san salvador and dropped off the rental car. My flight home is at 1am, so i booked a hotel for the day so i had a place for my luggage and also so i could lie down too. I found a covid testing service that comes to your hotel room and does the test there and provides the results within minutes. Thankfully, it came back negative.

    Went to a nearby artisan market and then spent my afternoon and evening at a couple of breweries near my hotel. Sonia joined me and drank out of baby beer glasses compared to my full pint sized ones haha. I'm really impressed with the quality of beers at Cadejo and Squirrel Eye. At the latter i asked if they had any merchandise and they said its all at the new location in El Tunco. Darn, i literally just spent 2 days there and never saw it. But i did manage to bribe them to part with a few nice beer glasses :)

    Nice relaxing day to finish off another busy, but fun trip. Found a driver to take me to the airport 45 minutes away for 13 dollars! Crazy. My driver Hugo was super chatty with great english and we shared a lot of laughs as we raced through the mountain roads to the airport. Quick goodbye and that was the end of my el salvador 🇸🇻 adventure.    Читать далее

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  • Sean PlamondonEl SalvadorSean Plamondon

    El Tunco - Day 2

    19 апреля 2022 г., Сальвадор ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Got up at a reasonable hour and drove 25 minutes to the town of Taminique up in the mountains. I found the central park and started inquiring to an officer about hiring a guide to take me to the nearby waterfall. The officer called over a guy standing nearby and off mario and i went.

    The trail was really steep, all downhill for about 40 minutes. And then we arrived at a small gorge with a sizeable waterfall dropping into an inviting pool. We were the only ones there. I jumped in, splashed around, got some pics and thoroughly enjoyed cooling off from the crazy heat of this country.

    Started the grueling hike back up the steep trail and passed by a ton of people heading down to the waterfall. I was very lucky to have it all to myself. I pushed myself really hard to hike all the way back without stopping but i needed 2 quick breaks to catch my breath. I think mario wasn't terribly disappointed as he was huffing and puffing a lot too. We stopped at his friend's restaurant for a beer break and chatted with the owner Vladimir for a bit. Really nice guy with decent English.

    Quickly made my way back to El Tunco to get my stuff together and drove another hour to costa del sol for some really pretty sandy beaches. I paid a resort 20 dollars to gain access and the 20 bucks was used as credit towards food and drink.. very fair deal. Waves were huge here. I got into the big ones but got out of there after seeing the size of them up close.

    Drove back to El Tunco just before sundown. Watched some surfers for a bit and then to a nice restaurant for an awesome fish dinner stuffed with shrimp. Best meal of the trip easily. A few drinks at some local lounges and off to bed.    Читать далее

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  • Sean PlamondonEl SalvadorSean Plamondon

    El Tunco / Surf City

    18 апреля 2022 г., Сальвадор ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Had a very lazy morning, catching up on some sleep. Once i finally got going, drove 30 minutes to El Tunco, also known as Surf City because it hosts surfing competitions every year. And i can see why. Big waves that don't break .. they roll almost all the way to the shore giving surfers a really long ride

    Unfortunately, the shore area is not sandy at all, so its not a beach destination. It really is a surf town and almost everyone walking around is a tourist. Lots of restaurants and bars overlooking the ocean, and cute spots on the narrow streets of the tiny town. My hotel is beachside and is a bunch of small cabins in a treed area with hammocks..

    But this particular day was extremely quiet. The semana santa weekend just ended and most establishments were empty or closed. Monday is definitely not the day to visit. The giant rain clouds in the evening didn't help either.

    I decided to not try surfing this time. The waves are big, and the rocky shore concerned me a bit too. Plus i need to get into better shape because its an incredibly hard sport that requires a lot of strength but also a lot of endurance.

    For a late lunch i finally tried pupusas - salvadoran delicacy. And later had an awesome ceviche by the beach. Sat in an awesome beachside lounge for a bit. And a few beverages at a street side cantina bar before calling it a night.    Читать далее

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  • Sean PlamondonEl SalvadorSean Plamondon

    Ataco / San Salvador

    17 апреля 2022 г., Сальвадор ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Yesterday did not go to plan at all, so today was about rectifying some of yesterday's unlucky events. Set off hoping to see the "seven waterfalls" and Ataco, a part of the rutas de las flores - a group of small colonial towns high up in the mountains and volcanos.

    Sonia had not seen the 7 waterfalls yet, so she tagged along. Didn't depart until 1045, and the mountain roads are slow, so we didn't arrive in Ataco until 1230. Ataco is a gorgeous village filled with artisan markets, nice restaurants and most famous for its brightly coloured murals on many of the houses and buildings. Its quite a wonderful experience no matter what direction you wander. And of course the awesome mountain backdrop in every direction too.

    From there, headed to the 7 waterfalls area just outside of juayua. Had to hire a guide for 10 dollars each and i can see why. It was a complex trek through dense jungle with several different paths forking different directions. The walk itself was not easy. Lots of uphill and steep downhill parts and much of it with a steep drop on one side too.

    Uniquely, the water was coming out of a high rock wall and spread out over a very wide area and then over a cliff edge. We were on top of that cliff edge. Really pretty spot. We had to traverse through the running water to get to the largest part and from there i climbed up the biggest part of the falls. About 45 minutes to get there and another 45 minutes back. And then the 2 hour drive back to san salvador, arriving just as the sun went down.    Читать далее

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  • Sean PlamondonEl SalvadorSean Plamondon

    Juayua / San Salvador

    16 апреля 2022 г., Сальвадор ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Had exciting plans to hike up the santa ana volcano but the sky was totally covered in clouds and looked like it might rain too. Its a 5 hour expedition and didn't want to exert all that effort with bad weather and no views from the summit.

    So i decided to drive to Juayua instead to see the cute town and see more waterfalls. The drive was great winding around and over mountains and volcanoes for 90 minutes.

    The town was consumed with semana santa celebrations (Easter) and had streets barricaded for pedestrians only with lots of food tents and entertainment. Took that in for a little bit and then drove to the waterfalls. Crazy rough road. I came across 2 people standing aside so i rolled down my window and asked how far away the waterfalls are and they told me it was closed right now. Bummer! They were returning from a different hike so i told them to hop in and i would drive them up the hill.

    Went back to the town, got some food and watched the festivities take place around me for a while and then drove back to san salvador. I was invited to hang out later with Mauricio who i hung out with the first night i arrived. And before that, i went to a bar next to my hotel. Made a new friend sonia there, who spoke perfect english (such a rarity here) and we ended up chatting the night away. Such a novelty being able to speak freely to someone without having to translate everything. Never made it to where Mauricio was. Hopefully can meet up with Mauricio another night before i head home.    Читать далее

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  • Sean PlamondonEl SalvadorSean Plamondon

    Lake Coatepeque

    15 апреля 2022 г., Сальвадор ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    The owner of the hotel told me there would be a good friday procession going right in front of the hotel. Thats pretty cool. I know its a big deal here and i wanted to experience some of it. So instead of trying to hike the nearby volcano, i hung around all morning until it arrived. I had the only balcony on the street i think and it was a fantastic cultural experience. I will let the video do the talking

    I was ready to checkout, and started chatting with awesome carlos who owns the casa verde hotel/hostel, and before i knew it, we were chatting over beers by the pool area. Honestly one of my favorite people ever. So nice and incredibly trusting with his honour system for everything too. We talked a lot about temperatures in canada vs el salvador and i laughed immensely when he admitted he didn't even own a sweater haha. This country is so sweltering hot.. its hard to describe beyond that.

    Finally checked out and drove 45 minutes westward to an incredibly beautiful set of waterfalls falling into a gorge. It was gorgeous but the really unique thing was that the water is heated by a volcano and is incredibly hot. Like the water was so hot, it was hard to get into it. Hotter than a hottub. So weird for a waterfall. Splashed around there for an hour and then got going.

    Conscious of the time, i left around 4 to make sure i arrived at lake coatepeque before sundown. Gorgeous volcanic crater lake with volcanos on one side of it. And restaurants dotted all around it. Incredibly pretty. Unfortunately my hotel was on the volcanos side, so my views were less dramatic but my drive in was pretty awesome. And the hotel/hostal is a chaotic mishmash of deck levels - which i can fully appreciate haha.

    Mostly hung out by myself with some food and drinks until a Salvadoran came by and asked me to join his table. I don't remember his name but his friend Katy asked me 100 times how it was possible i could be single because i was so handsome haha. She has a salient point haha !!! Honestly, she was really really drunk (they both were) but they were fun company and it was nice to meet some people here where no one spoke English. This country is highly spanish only and interacting with neighbors in a pub is far more difficult. I've also been sleeping poorly, so my desire has been muted somewhat. But super fun day again. Love it here.    Читать далее

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  • Sean PlamondonEl SalvadorSean Plamondon

    Santa Ana

    14 апреля 2022 г., Сальвадор ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Читать далее

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  • Sean PlamondonEl SalvadorSean Plamondon

    San Salvador - Day 2

    13 апреля 2022 г., Сальвадор ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Читать далее

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  • Sean PlamondonEl SalvadorSean Plamondon

    San Salvador - Day 1

    12 апреля 2022 г., Сальвадор ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Читать далее

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  • Guatemala

    Ottawa

    24 марта 2022 г., Канада ⋅ 🌧 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.    Читать далее

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  • Guatemala

    Washington

    23 марта 2022 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ 🌧 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.    Читать далее

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  • Guatemala

    Guatemala City

    22 марта 2022 г., Гватемала ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Читать далее

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  • Guatemala

    Monterrico - Day 3

    21 марта 2022 г., Гватемала ⋅ ☀️ 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.    Читать далее

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  • Guatemala

    Monterrico - Day 2

    20 марта 2022 г., Гватемала ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Читать далее

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  • Guatemala

    Monterrico - Day 1

    19 марта 2022 г., Гватемала ⋅ ☀️ 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.    Читать далее

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  • Guatemala

    Antigua

    18 марта 2022 г., Гватемала ⋅ ☀️ 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...    Читать далее

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  • Guatemala

    Salama

    17 марта 2022 г., Гватемала ⋅ ☀️ 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.    Читать далее

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