nature – Roaming About

Tag: nature (page 1 of 3)

Volcanos and Waterfalls in Central Ecuador – Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, Quilotoa, and Baños

After Mark, Maya, and I finished our car projects and left the comfortable and safe haven of friend Graham’s driveway in Ibarra, we only had four weeks left to explore the central and southern part of Ecuador, before our three-month visas expired. We hadn’t gotten very far yet, after two months!

Our visited sites in Central Ecuador

Cotopaxi Volcano

We drove a bunch to pick up our trail from a month prior, south of Quito, the country’s capital. Our first stop was the impressive Cotopaxi volcano, which is often hiding in the frequent clouds at this altitude.

Cloudy arrival at our camp spot

Thanks to our free iOverlander app, we found a peaceful wild camping spot near the national park. We failed to see the mountain, but we persevered, spending two nights at 12,000ft (3,650m) without internet, walking Maya in the paramo, meeting wild horses, running our heater at night, and waiting for a glimpse.

Pretty horse

More wild horses

Morning walk with Maya

Small waterfall during our explorations

On our second evening, after the sun set, we spotted Cotopaxi’s snowy top. The light was not ideal for optimal viewing or photography. We crossed our fingers for a clear morning the following day as, unfortunately, we couldn’t stay longer due to the lack of cell service.

Waiting for a glimpse of Cotopaxi’s top

The volcano appeared in the last light of the day.

And, look what we woke up to on day three! Time for photo shoots – and to drive into the national park for an up-close view and feel of Cotopaxi!

Early morning glimpse of Cotopaxi

A joyful walk

The moment to take selfies

The same small waterfall, now with the volcano in the background

Another family portrait attempt

Since dogs are technically not allowed in Ecuadorian national parks (which are free), Maya stayed in the car and camper during our visit. We first drove to a small lake with decent views.

National Park entrance

Hand-drawn map of the park

Driving into the National Park

Getting closer to the active volcano

Not too much snow left

A detour to the lake

A mellow day

Then, our heavy vehicle managed to climb the volcano itself, to the parking lot at 15,000ft (4,570m), from where visitors can ascend the mountain to a glacier and refugio (shelter/restaurant). It is possible to climb further to the top with a guide. As you can imagine, the air was thin here and putting one foot in front of the other laborious. Mark made it “up there,” but I had to turn around when dizziness and a serious headache threatened.

Slowly climbing to 15,000ft with Thirsty Bella

Approaching the road up Cotopaxi

Ready to ascend the mountain on foot to the “refugio” (building up ahead)

View from the climb up, before I turned around

When we drove back down the volcano around 11am, it was already shrouded in clouds again.

Quilotoa Lagoon

Quilotoa has been a highlight for many visitors to Ecuador, so we had to check it out. The road to the small town with the same name was paved and pretty, but realizing that hundreds of homeless, starving dogs are being dumped and now linger along this “highway” was heart-breaking.

Stray dog in the gutter

Waiting for food

I really hope someone picks a dog up once in a while

Another pretty, abandoned dog

Not a lot of indigenous people have cars.

The Tatacoa Desert – A Unique & Peaceful Ecosystem in Colombia

May 24, 2023 / Liesbet / 29 Comments

Despite its famed high temperatures, Mark and I were looking forward to visiting the Tatacoa Desert after leaving Bogota. This off-road adventure promised to bring us peace, beauty, and remoteness. The only problem: our recently punctured and fixed tire. Would it hold up on the bumpy, challenging roads?

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Toll booth heading south

Construction

Police check

No way to go by this truck in town

Narrow, dirt roads and oncoming traffic

Heading towards the desert on narrow roads – luckily, it was quiet

Getting to the start of the desert loop was exciting in itself. After a couple of toll roads, road construction delays, another landslide hold-up, a police checkup, a small town, and narrow dirt roads, Thirsty Bella had to cross a narrow, 100-year-old railroad bridge and traverse two windy, one-way tunnels where opposing traffic was not visible. We kept our fingers crossed when entering these dark, water-filled passageways and, once inside, honked and flickered our headlights for good measure. We made it okay! It took us an entire day to drive from Silvania to Tatacoa.

A dark hole!

Inside the tunnel

Popping out on the other side

Tricky plates on the old bridge

View of the river – they are often muddy in Colombia

Ready to cross the old railroad bridge

Continuing our trip towards the desert

Crossing a few rivers in the process

This desert area in Colombia is relatively small, yet, we hoped to stay a handful of days because we craved peace, solitude, and relaxation.

Sign at the beginning of the loop (north side)

Discoveries in New Mexico – Gila National Forest

December 16, 2021 / Liesbet / 70 Comments

We had heard good things about it – hot springs, hiking, off the beaten track. We had seen the green blot on maps – including the words “cliff dwellings” in small print. We’d driven south of it multiple times, crossing the country, not having time for a detour, thinking it would take ages on dirt roads to get there.

Gila National Forest

Until this fall. When we left Massachusetts in our new set-up, Mark wanted to stop in the Badlands of South Dakota and I was finally going to find Gila National Forest’s treasures in New Mexico. We made it happen in early November of this year. Unfortunately, we only had three nights to spare in this expansive area. Fortunately, we have the means to return.

(As always, hover over or click on the photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Unexpected and fabulous viewpoint when we climb the roads of Gila National Forest

On top of the world

In true Liesbet and Mark fashion, we had no idea what to expect. There were the recommendations of friends and the attraction of the map, but that was the extent of our knowledge about Gila. We didn’t research and we didn’t look at photos ahead of time. This way, we are open-minded and malleable. It allows for genuine surprises and discovering new-to-us treasures. It avoids expectations and disappointments.

Welcome to New Mexico!

Cebolla Mesa

When we entered New Mexico, right across the border from Colorado, we stopped at a remote but free campground on Cebolla Mesa for a couple of nights. To our shock, we found ourselves on the edge of a deep canyon, carved out by the Rio Grande. Mark and Maya braved the steep 2.6 mile R/T descend and ascent (770ft elevation gain). I turned back after a few switchbacks, fearing a massive headache from the exertion.

Maya looks out into the Rio Grande valley

Well above the Rio Grande

Campground view

Not a bad spot – peaceful and pretty

Mark and Maya enjoying the sunshine along the edge of the canyon

Tiny campfire, just for the atmosphere

Mark and Maya hiked all the way down there (and back up).

Mark and Maya setting off to the bottom of the canyon

Five Days in the Badlands of South Dakota – A Photo Story of Spectacular Scenery & Wandering Wildlife (& a Daring Dog)

October 27, 2021 / Liesbet / 59 Comments

Day One

We approach Badlands National Park mid-afternoon, after crossing the width of South Dakota. The burning question: do we buy the $80 annual National Park pass (what we usually have) or a 7-day ticket for $30? We’ve been doing without a pass for over a year. We are leaving the country soon. It’s nice to be covered “everywhere” and sometimes get discounts on camping, though. But, we usually camp for free anyway. If we have to spend another summer in the US (instead of heading to South America in 2022), we will need and use the pass… “We either lose $50 or we lose $30,” Mark says, “Your choice.” Life has become very expensive on the road. Eighty dollars is a lot of money. We buy the week-long entrance ticket.

That’s when we realize we didn’t even check the pet rules… A quick search online reveals that dogs are not allowed on ANY trails. As a matter of fact, they aren’t even allowed at the look-outs. Pets are only welcome to walk around in campgrounds and parking lots. Great! Did we just waste $30?

I go for a short walk. Mark is annoyed and takes Maya around the parking lot. We drive through a small part of the park to our first free campsite for the night, in Buffalo Gaps National Grassland. Much more dog-friendly!

We crest a little hill and pick a flat spot among smaller badland humps. Because of the underground (sticky clay and sand), you don’t want to park here during rain. Many cars and campers have gotten stuck here, doing just that. But, there is no rain in the forecast, so we should be fine!

We take Maya for a walk and then this happens…

Spectacular Sunsets on the Water – A Photo Blog

June 23, 2021 / Liesbet / 82 Comments

The following photos are my favorite sunset shots, taken on our eight-year sailing journey (2007-2015) in the Caribbean and South Pacific, aboard our 35ft catamaran Irie. These photos are shown in their “original” form. No editing has occurred, except for adding my watermark. The sun can really be this bright and colorful. 🙂

My travels and experiences (and then some) on Irie have been memorialized in my recently published travel memoir Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary. You can find more information about this compelling, “refreshingly honest,” well-received book here.

Caribbean Sunsets

Sunset in Puerto Rico

Caribbean sunset at anchor

Sunset in the Grenadines

On the Hunt – #WordlessWednesday

July 8, 2020 / Liesbet / 58 Comments

We spotted a groundhog in the back yard.

Keeping an eye on her flock.

A family with five adolescents… and more individuals in the front yard. So cute!

Maya smells the groundhogs. They hide in tunnels behind the rocks of the retaining walls.

Wildlife Encounters in Florida

April 29, 2020 / Liesbet / 42 Comments

A couple of weeks ago, I shared some of our human encounters in Florida this past winter. Mark and I (and Maya) enjoy meeting old and new friends, but when it comes to my personal happiness level, animal observations and interactions – especially in the wild – always make me smile! Here are some of the creatures we came across on our walks.

Gopher tortoise

Jellyfish on the beach in Marineland

Pelican at rest

Snowy egret waiting for a fish hand-out

This heron was a fisherman’s best friends

Resting osprey

Osprey in flight

My “lucky” osprey shot

Our 2019 in Review & Happy Holidays!

December 29, 2019 / Liesbet / 45 Comments

If you are a regular reader, you will probably remember most of our journey through 2019. If you are new to our site, I invite you to browse and click around a bit for stories and photos about our past adventures. The links in this post give you a glimpse into some of those experiences.

Driving part of historic route 66, AZ

January

Mark and I explored the Borrego Springs area in the California desert, flew to Newburyport, Massachusetts to see doctors, friends, and family, and did a short repeat house sit in San Diego.

Metal art in the desert of Anza-Borrego

It’s cold in Newburyport, MA in the winter!

With the twin nieces at our home base in Massachusetts

Repeat house and pet sit for the Italian Greyhounds Elvis and Frida

San Diego skyline

Our neighborhood on Point Loma, San Diego

Truth or Consequences – A 5-Day Road Trip

March 21, 2018 / Liesbet / 50 Comments

No Plans

Up until our last week of house and pet sitting in San Diego, Mark and I had no concrete idea of what was next. Because the unpredictable condition of my mother-in-law in New England earlier this year, we had not booked another sit, in case we’d have to fly back. Flexibility has been an important part of our lifestyle. Luckily, the situation back east was stable, mid-February, so we could remain “out west”. Since we had no house sit to get to, and we own this amazing little camper van, our plan was to bridge the seven-week gap between sits in the desert, being warm. Baja California in Mexico was dismissed, after we discovered our favorite beach spot there has no cell service, so we mentally aimed for four different boondocking areas in Arizona to split our time and work from the van. It would be tricky.

Free camping in the Sonoran Desert

A New Plan

Wordless Wednesday – Joshua Tree National Park

January 31, 2018 / Liesbet / 45 Comments

It has been a long time since I posted a Wordless Wednesday blog; since the spring of last year to be precise. I frequently used Wednesdays to showcase a gallery of colorful mementos, collected during our travels on water and on land, in an “almost wordless” fashion. The weekly Daily Post photo challenge acted as a theme. This week, I am joining those ranks once again.