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A Life Less Ordinary

Category: Animals (page 1 of 4)

Two Otherworldly Highlights in Bolivia – Salar de Uyuni & Valle de las Rocas

February 25, 2024 / / 27 Comments

Salar & Valle de las Rocas in Bolivia

Salar de Uyuni

Salar de Uyuni – or Salar de Tunupa (the local Quechua people prefer to call the area by its original name) – is located 20 minutes north of Uyuni and is the largest salt flat in the world. It measures 12,000 km2, which, to put it in perspective, is a bit over 1/3 the size of Belgium and four times the surface of Luxembourg. For Americans, Rhode Island fits three times into this Salar and Delaware twice – and New Jersey is twice as big.

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

Salt, salt, and salt
Mark and “our” Land Cruiser on the Salar
Cool textures
Salt, as far as you can see

Many overlanders prefer to drive and camp on this white, vast surface, usually stopping when they can’t see anything but salt around them. A trip on the salt flat with your own vehicle offers a lot of freedom, solitude, and fun, but it also requires protecting the undercarriage from all that destructive salt and giving it a detailed and thorough cleaning in the end. In the dry season. Once the wet season has started in Bolivia, taking your own home on wheels is a bad idea, because the (wet) salt will get anywhere and destroy everything it touches, over time. Plus, some parts of this area are closed when (too) wet.

Reflection pool on the salt flat

With that in mind, Mark, Maya, and I booked a tour for the day. Even better, we arranged a private excursion for our little family to give Maya (who was recovering from a nasty dog bite) enough comfort and space, and to allow us the privacy and freedom of a trip tailored to just the three of us. We could tell our guide wherever we wanted to go on the Salar, what to skip or limit, and whenever we wanted to move on. And, to be honest, at twice the price of a group tour ($120 for the three of us instead of $60), we believed it was worth the splurge. 😊

Eusevio eating coca leaves to stay alert
Prepping for lunch
Maya had a lot of space during the drives
Driving on the salt flat

Our tour started at 10:30am, would finish after sunset, around 8pm, and included lunch and drinks. We decided to skip stop one (the Train Cemetery where we had been living, exploring, and photographing for four days already) and made stop two (salt processing tour and artisanal markets) shorter, for an earlier start on the Salar. A massive rain storm was threatening, so I wanted to stay ahead of that!

Salt block from the Salar
Packaging the salt for consumers

Once on the salt flat, the fun could begin! We stopped by the Ojos de Agua, which our Spanish-speaking guide, Eusevio, called the “breath” of the Salar. Water bubbled up from below, as if something was breathing under the surface.

Bubbles in the Salar
Ojos de Agua

He encouraged us to employ a local guy to take “forced perspective” photos of us and Maya. Since that was affordable, we obliged.

Big Maya, tiny Mark
Posing on a bottle of rum
We love Flor de Cana rum
Monster Maya
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Arequipa and Colca Canyon – Exploring Southern Peru in a Truck Camper

January 8, 2024 / / 22 Comments

After our crazy, stressful, and unexpected three-day “border run” to Bolivia, hoping to receive sixty extra days as a tourist in Peru (and eventually succeeding), Mark and I needed a quiet place to recover. Our next destination was Arequipa, but we were not in a rush.

Southern Peru
Visited Sites Southern Peru

First, we drove the three hours from the Kasani border to Puno, where we stocked up on groceries. Then, we continued for another two hours to a peaceful, remote lake, Laguna Sara Cocha, to rest and catch up on internet chores. Because the elevation was still quite high, at 13,800ft (4,200m), the nights were cold, so we couldn’t linger too long.

Welcome to Puno
Driving by Puno and its Lake Titicaca
Laguna Sara Cocha

Laguna Sara Cocha

When our trio arrived at the lake, we were happy to find a pretty, free camping spot, surrounded by alpacas and llamas. Perfect!

Camped for a couple of nights by Laguna Sara Cocha
Greeted by alpacas
This is llama and alpaca territory
Curious llamas and alpacas
Flamingos live at high elevations as well!

Imagine our surprise, when at 6am the next morning, a Sunday, we woke up to the sound of hundreds of cars driving by. If we wouldn’t know any better, we’d think we were parked next to a gravel highway! We were baffled by the commotion and brainstormed reasons as to why traffic had picked up so much. Did the inhabitants of the little hamlet nearby all go to church – in their own cars – in Puno? Nope. The cars were driving in the opposite direction, towards no-man’s land. A massive party in the middle of nowhere?

When vehicles surrounded Thirsty Bella and people got comfortable on blankets and in chairs near us, I inquired. Apparently, the annual car rally around the lake took place that day and spectators drove in early to pick good “podium seats”! Unbelievable. Our peace and rest would have to wait until the following day.

Camped close to the action
A car race in session

We embraced this unusual event and reveled in the families having fun on a Sunday morning and afternoon. By the end of the day, only garbage remained.

Laguna de Salinas

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The Sacred Valley in Peru – As Overlanders

November 6, 2023 / / 29 Comments

After two weeks in Cusco, doing camper projects, running errands, being sick, and exploring the historic center, our plans turned a bit tricky. My cousin and her husband, perfect guests who visited us frequently when we sailed in the tropics, had booked plane tickets to join us in the Cusco area for two weeks, towards the end of November, following a two-week bus tour through Southern Peru. Nothing tricky about that, except for the fact that our immigration stamps expired the end of October…

Based on accounts from other overlanders, we believed we had a good chance to obtain another sixty days in Peru, at the border with Bolivia; an ordeal we’d have to figure out later and something I worried about for over a month. It was mid-October now and we had two weeks left in the country.

We expected to visit the Sacred Valley with my family, but what if we wouldn’t be allowed back into Peru? Were we willing to miss out on this country’s highlights, like Machu Picchu, Arequipa, and the villages and archeological sites in the Valle Segrado?

Mark and I opted for an in-between solution: we skipped famous Machu Picchu (expensive and a hassle to get to) – for now – and bought a two-day tourist ticket for 70 soles/$20 each to visit the highlights of the Sacred Valley. This would be a different way of traveling for us, who usually take it slowly, camping wherever it looks attractive. We had two days to explore five sites and two historic villages!

Location Sacred Valley in Peru
Highlights of the Sacred Valley

Pisac archeological site

From the Cusco campground, we headed uphill, past the trio of ruins we’d checked out previously, via a viewpoint that offered potable water from a spigot, to a pull-out along a quiet road for the night. The following morning, we descended into the valley and spotted the famous terraced hills of Pisac.

Getting potable water at a viewpoint
The terraces of Pisac, seen from the viewpoint
Incredible stonework and paths!

Traveling with a camper makes it easy to leave our dog behind, in a cool and shady environment with plenty of water. Mark and I braved the long climb to the citadel, breathing heavily in the thin air and taking many breaks.

The Pisac archeological site is a large Incan complex of agricultural terraces, residences, guard posts, watchtowers, and a ceremonial center along a mountain ridge above the town of the same name. It was built around 1440.

Fort-like structure when entering Pisac
Buildings at a lower level
View into the valley and over the switchback road to the ruins
Structures higher on the hill, a serious climb away
Meandering through the old fort

Little is known about the site’s actual purpose. Researchers believe that old Pisac defended the southern entrance to the Sacred Valley and was an observatory and religious site.

Famous terraces of Pisac
Walking over the top terrace to get to another side of the grounds
Well-maintained Inca wall
The terraces and valley seen from the other side
Climbing up and among the buildings of the upper part of the site
Remnants of the old Inca village of Pisac

The best way to explore this destination is by taking a taxi or minibus to the entrance, climbing the hill, and then following a path down to Pisac town. Since we had our vehicle with us, we only visited the top part of this impressive site.

A llama and an alpaca grazing in the old walls
Trying to leave this touristy site that had gotten much busier by the time we finished exploring
Quechua mother and child on our way down the mountain

Pisac town

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Finishing the Year 2022 in Colombian Small Towns and Nature – Off the Beaten Track in the Department of Santander

March 14, 2023 / / 33 Comments

After our experience in Gramalote over Christmas, Mark, Maya, and I left the department of Norte de Santander and found more touristy areas in Santander; popular destinations for Colombians. We hadn’t seen and still didn’t see gringos for weeks. This made it special for us to meet curious locals and to practice our limited Spanish. Few Colombians speak English.

We split ways with our friends Sheri and Jeff for a few days, as we looked forward to reaching a couple off-the-beaten track places. The less busy, the less fireworks! Our first objective was Chicamocha Canyon and its town along the river, Cepitá. The more you descend in the mountains, the hotter it gets, so we decided to stop for the night at an area near the top of the ravine.

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

You know you are in a cooler region when the locals wear wool ponchos
And you know you’re in the mountains when the GPS route looks like this
Narrow road down Chicamocha Canyon

A bit more on edge since the incident in Gramalote Viejo, we both needed to feel comfortable boondocking (wild camping). Being right off the road meant we were visible for passersby, so we decided to only camp here for one night. The view over the canyon was spectacular and we were visited by goats.

Focusing on the tricky road
Campsite on the edge of the ravine for one peaceful night
Visit from goats – we happened to be parked near their trail down the cliffs
Curious goats on the rocks
Morning tea with a view
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Ten Days at a Pebble Beach in Baja – Friends, Wildlife, Hikes, and Views

March 26, 2022 / / 48 Comments

Our arrival in Baja California, Mexico, was delayed by six weeks, because we decided to work for a month in the Phoenix area (Arizona, USA) after spending more money than anticipated on the cross-country drive from east to west. We also had a few important phone calls requiring unwavering internet and we needed an extra two weeks to prep our camper for the trip.

The majestic Sea of Cortez

Soon after crossing the border in mid-January, we decided Mark should fly back to Massachusetts for a family matter. To accommodate that impromptu trip, we “rushed” south on the peninsula and prepared for his imminent return. Maya and I stayed at a campground in Loreto (Rivera Del Mar) during his ten-day absence.

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

The Malecon in Loreto
Loreto: a cute, historic, and colorful town
The Mission in Loreto

After all those arrangements and adjustements, you can imagine that we were more than ready and excited to take “a break from life” and start our Baja adventures. On February 1st, we filled our truck camper, T&T, with drinking water, propane, and food, emptied our sewage tanks at the campground, and headed south for a beach vacation along the Sea of Cortez. We spent one night at Juncalito Beach to get a decent start the next morning. The road to our destination in the Agua Verde area would be slow, treacherous, and mind blowing; a perfect introduction to Baja’s roughness and beauty.

Camped along the beach in Juncalito
A calm bay at Playa Juncalito

As expected, the single-track dirt road contained sharp turns, potholes, small rocks, and gravel. Some parts were steep and nerves of steel were required. Mark did a great job bringing us down to the coastline, where the track turned into the usual Baja secondary road: washboard, sand, and gravel. The cloudy, drizzly weather was unusual.

The cloudy and drizzly approach to the Agua Verde coastline
Slow and careful drive, back up!
Hopefully nobody is coming from the opposite side!
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Snowy Encounter in Mystic, SD – An Artist’s Sanctuary in the Black Hills

November 24, 2021 / / 31 Comments

When Mark and I met Jon and Gail on a remote, gorgeous beach in Baja California, Mexico, this past spring, we hit it off immediately. Jon Crane is a renowned, accomplished, and outstanding painter and his lovely wife, Gail, had just published her book Mystic Travelers around the same time I released Plunge. The four of us had a lot to share – stories, food, drinks, and art.

Jon and Gail (who travel with their cat, Cosme) in front of their truck camper
Gail and Jon sign our copy of her book.
“Mystic Travelers” by Gail Crane

The couple spends half a year on the Baja peninsula in their truck camper and the other six months in the Black Hills of South Dakota, where they built an incredible home based on Jon’s vision and skills. Ever since I read about their place in Mystic and saw a photo of their unique house in Gail’s book, I’ve wanted to visit. So, when we found ourselves in the Badlands, two hours east of the Black Hills, we got in touch with our friends. Would they still be home mid-October or had they already left for Baja?

Exploring Badlands National Park with TT
Mark and Liesbet in the Badlands

We were in luck. Jon and Gail were still around for a couple of weeks and more than happy to see and host us. But there was one problem… They live in the middle of nowhere, deep into the black hills, and the first snowfall of the season had arrived when it rained in our neck of the woods. No worries. We’d amuse ourselves for a couple more days and assumed the snow would be melted when we ventured into the hills.

We stopped in Rapid City to do some shopping and say hi to a bunch of presidents.

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

Mark looks for the president route on his phone.
President Barack Obama and one of his daughters
President George W. Bush
President Thomas Jefferson
President Franklin Roosevelt
President Harry Truman
President Martin Van Buren

Then, we left civilization and were greeted by this. Yikes.

Entering the Black Hills
What just happened?

Mark and I are warm-blooded humans. We don’t do well in cold weather and we certainly didn’t plan on seeing any of that white stuff when driving across the country, except, maybe, if and when crossing the mountain passes in Colorado!

The road condition deteriorated the further we drove.

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

October 27, 2021 / / 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…

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Encounters of the Whale Kind

April 5, 2021 / / 44 Comments

The shallow Ojo de Liebre Lagoon (also called Scammon’s Lagoon) and the San Ignacio Lagoon in Baja California, Mexico, are the breeding grounds of the California gray whale, who migrate here every winter. Peak season to watch the adults and babies is from January through March. Ojo de Liebre (“hare eye lagoon”), a coastal lagoon near the town of Guerrero Negro, is a prime location to spot these humongous yet gentle creatures.

Whale and tail

Attempt One: Laguna Ojo de Liebre Campground

Sometime in February, Mark, Maya, and I drove 12 miles down a bumpy, gravel road past a salt mine to reach the departure point for whale watch tours ($50 per person) and set up camp for a few days.

Salt mine
Driving through one of the salt mines
Maya enjoys the scenery

It’s a beautiful location with lots of birds and trails to walk Maya – all for the price of 100 pesos ($5) for however long you’d like to stay. We could watch whale spouts through binoculars all day long. While a tad pricey for us, I decided to sign on for one of the tours, using birthday money from my parents.

Nice and quiet campsite at Ojo de Liebre (as long as it wasn’t too windy)
Maya dug out a shady hole in the dunes to rest
I could sit there and look for whales all day.
Frolicking Maya
Sunset over Ojo de Liebre

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A Dog and a Plane – Two Photo Stories Set in St. Martin

October 14, 2020 / / 52 Comments

Photo courtesy of Axel Busch

This is my photo contribution for #wordlesswednesday, Becky’s #kindasquare challenge, and Cee’s On the Hunt for Joy Challenge, as I combined wordless photos (“let the photos tell the story”) that are square and involve technology. 🙂

Have you ever been this close to a landing plane? Have you ever sailed in or visited St. Martin?

Hitchhikers on an Ocean Crossing – #WordlessWednesday

September 30, 2020 / / 45 Comments

The setting

Sunrise on the open ocean

Sailing in big seas…
…and on calm waters.

Heading into a nasty squall with rain and heavy winds.

 

Chilly but relatively comfortable

Hitchhikers during the day and night

A swallow holding on in strong tailwinds

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