Cuba Tour: Havana, Topes de Collantes, Trinidad, Playa Ancon

March 28-April 4th 2014

In March 2014, I went on a 1 week walking holiday of Cuba with a group of friends. We explored the stunning architecture of Havana, touched on the revolution at Santa Clara led by Che Guevera, visited the UNESCO world heritage site of Trinidad, hiked in the protected national park of Topes de Collantes, spent some time by serene Lake Hanabanilla, and of course had some lazy moments at the most beautiful beaches. We traversed pictured hills, valleys and villages and along the way met the most wonderful people of the land. Everywhere we went we experienced great Cuban music, ate at the most quaint restaurants, sipped on some Mojitos and even smoked some Cuban cigars...when in Rome!

Here are some pictures from this fabulous holiday.



San Francisco de la Habana Basilica, Old Havana



Plaza Vieja, Old Havana

 

Pedestrian street in Old Havana

 

Havana

 

Santa Clara

Santa Clara

 

View of Lake Hanabanilla from my hotel room at sunrise

View of Lake Hanabanilla, Paisaje Natural Protegeo Hanabanilla

 

Star fruit and rum drink....tasty and refreshing

 

 

Hiking on the Sendero Caburni trail to waterfall and swimming hole in Topes de Collantes.

Topes de Collante is a nature reserve located in the Escambray Mountains around 3 hours south of Havana. It features caves, rivers, waterfalls, canyons and swimming holes. Another hike we did was Centinelas del Rio Melodioso.

 

We stopped here at a beautiful swimming hole for a refreshing swim

The following are pictures from Trinidad.

Trinidad is a well preserved city of Spanish colonial architecture and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Museo Nacional de la Lucha Contra Bandidos with it's distinctive bell tower.

Cathedral Iglesia Parroquial de la Santisima



While a lot of the buildings in Trinidad have been restored, many are on the verge of decay.



Street musicians in Trinidad

Azores Island Hopping, Portugal

June 2013

In June 2013 I took a 2 week trip to the Azores. It was a walking tour through Explore Worldwide that visited 5 of the 9 volcanic islands that make up the Azores. The Azores belong to Portugal and are situated in the North Atlantic around 1360 kms of its coast. On this trip I visited the islands of Sao Miguel, Terceira, Sao Jorge, Pico and Faial. I spent my days discovering crater lakes, thermal springs, deep gorges, craggy coastlines, small fishing villages, caves, UNESCO heritage sites, incredible Azorean cuisine and spotting whales. 

Day 1- 4 Landed in Ponta Delgado on the island of Sao Miguel after a 5.5 hour flight from Toronto

Ponta Delgado is the largest city in the Azores situated on the largest island, Sao Miguel. It’s a charming city with narrow cobbled street and interesting buildings. Ponta Delgado was our base for 3 days as we visited the islands dramatic landscapes and main attractions. One of the highlights was a crater hike around Sete Citades.  Sete Citades is the name of a village as well as a crater. The walls of the crater rise around 400 metres and is composed of two lakes (one is blue and the other is green) which are separated by a bridge. The rim of the crater is dotted with hydrangeas which bloom in June/July. Some of the best views on the island can be seen from a popular lookout point at Vista do Rei.

Ponta Delgado, Sao Miguel

Sete Citades, Sao Miguel

Another spectacular view point is Lagoa de Fogo(the islands highest crater lake). It is easily reached by car.

Lagoa de Fogo

Among other spots that we visited was the Furnas Valley. The Furnas Valley is a highly volcanic area where volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools. Here we took a short walk along the shores of the Lagoa das Furnas  to the natural ovens where a traditional Cozido(blend of vegetables and meats) is cooked in the volcanic fumeroles. We later got to sample the Cozido for our lunch. In Furnas, there are some beautiful Botanical Gardens which feature a thermal hot pool where you can bathe. This is a must do, just be sure to bring an old bathing suit as the water has a high concentration of sulphur and might stain it..

We also toured a tea plantation where they produce the some incredible organic teas and a pineapple farm to taste the sweet variety that the island is known for.

 

Cozido lunch at Furnas

Thermal hot pool at botanical gardens in Furnas

Day 5-6- Flight to Terceira

We said our goodbyes to Sao Miguel and took a short inter- island flight to Terceira. Our base for 2 days was the small harbour settlement of Praia da Victoria. Here we explored the UNESCO World Heritage site of Angra do Heroismo. The town is made up of distinctive architecture, cathedrals, museums, forts and urban parks. It is one of the finest examples of Renaissance planning and was the Azores’ seat of government until the early 19th century. There’s a really nice walk up to the fort which offers great views of the town.

We did a really nice walk from Quatro Ribeiras to Biscoitos. The 3 hour walk followed the contours of the coast and provided us with nice views out to sea. In Biscoitos we swam and relaxed in the lava rock pools. 

It just so happened while we were staying in Terceira they were having a Running of the Bulls Festival. This definitely was a highlight. Our group was invited into a locals home to view the event. From the second floor balcony we watched as the event took place.

Angra do Heroismo

View of Angra do Heroismo

Lava rock pools at Biscoitos

 Day 7-9- Flight to Sao Jorge

We said our goodbyes to Terceira and took a short inter- island flight to Sao Jorge. Our base was a cute little hotel perched high overlooking the town of Velas. When we arrived we were treated to wine and some delicious cheeses. Sao Jorge produces some of the best cheeses. The island is rather elongated  some 56 km long and 8 kms wide It was created by a series of linear volcanic eruptions.

Some of the best hiking and views can be found on this island due to its precipitous cliffs, narrow valleys and tiny coves. My favourite walk was the  Caldeira de Cima. The walk begins on from a 700m ridge and descends through a beautiful gorge down to the coast. Our walk then followed a rocky coastline through Fajas which are small plains at the foot of the steep coastal cliffs which are dotted with hamlets and orchards.

View of cliffs and ocean on the Caldeira de Cima hiking trail

Velas, Sao Jorge

Velas, Sao Jorge

Day 10-11- Ferry to Pico Island (Madalena)

In the morning we took a ferry to Madalena, Pico. The ride is a round 1.5 hours and offers incredible views of Mount Pico from the water.On Pico we did a series of walks past UNESCO vineyards and visited a lava tunnel (Grota do Torres). We walked to the village of Lajes and visited the small whaling museum. Another walk had us exploring the numerous volcanic cones on the slopes of Pico Alto as well as some small caves which were created by past lava flows.

Mount Pico, on the island of Pico, is the highest point in Portugal, at 2,351 m (7,713 ft).

Mount Pico

Day 12-14 Ferry to Faial Island (Horta)

We took a short 30 minute ferry ride to Faial. This would be my base until I departed back to Canada.

The island is very small and can be easily toured in one day.The main attractions on the island are Capelinhos Volcano and the town of Horta. Most sailors on their transatlantic voyage usually make a stop here. Within the town is a nice sandy beach at Porto Pim and for beautiful views of Horta and the Caldeira do Inferno an easy walk up Monte da Guia should be on everyone's list.

Porto Pim beach

Caldeira do Inferno

View of Horta from Monte da Guia

Niagara Whirlpool Jet Boat Tour

July 2011

The Whirlpool Jet Boat Tour is a top rated adventure in the Niagara area. It is a must do and definitely belongs on everyone’s bucket list. Each year, thousands of visitors embark on specialized jet boats to witness one of the world’s top whitewater rapids on the Niagara River.

 

The Niagara Whirlpool and the Hamilton 360 are some of the top highlights of this 1 hour plus tour. The boat tour departs from three different departure locations, two on the Canadian side of the Niagara River (Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON & Niagara Falls, ON) and 1 from the United States (Lewiston, NY). The jet boat makes its way along the scenic Niagara River towards the ultimate whitewater experience in the narrow Niagara Gorge. This is where the action takes place.

 Over the last 12,000 years, a spectacular 7 mile long canyon gorge has been carved out of the escarpment by the turbulent currents of this river creating towering waves and swirling cross-currents making for amazing whitewater rapids. The best time to go is on a hot summer day in the wet jet with the purpose of getting completely soaked…and you will get soaked especially if you sit in the front row. The Whirlpool Jet provides an incredible adrenaline rush that will have you coming back for more.

These are some photos taken from a camera mounted on the boat as we surfed the rapids.

 

Here are some photos of the jet boat taken at different times and locations while hiking in the gorge on the Canadian side (Niagara Glen Nature Centre) and  US Side (Whirlpool State Park)
 

For more information visit their website at www.whirlpooljet.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Costa Rica 15 Day Adventure

February 2011

In February 2011 I set out to explore Costa Rica with (Gap) G Adventures. The tour that I took was the 16 day Costa Rica Adventure out of San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. What I liked about the tour firstly it is a small group of people from around the world, secondly, the tour visited the Caribbean Coast, Pacific Coast and the Central Mountainous region of the country hitting upon all of the main attractions that I wanted to visit.

The trip began in San Jose where in the evening we met the other tour members and our guide who explained to us the logistics and what to expect from the trip. The next day we set off to the Caribbean village of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. Before arriving there, we first stopped en route for one of the highlights of the trip, a Rafting Trip down the Pacuare River which is rated as one of the top ten whitewater rafting trips in the world, not so much because of the technical difficulty(we rafted Class III and IV rapids) but because of the incredible scenery and locale. After our exciting half day white water adventure,we arrived in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca where we would spend the next 2 nights. The village has a very different feel to it relative to other Costa Rican places. It is a centre of vibrant Afro-Caribbean culture which is very popular with surfers. It has nice beaches and great restaurants where you can sample the catch of the day.

After relaxing in Puerto Viejo then it was off to our next destination,Tortuguero National Park. Our journey started on a short bus ride to the port city of Puerto Limon. Once at Puerto Limon we took a 3-4 hr river boat ride along the canals which would take us to our river lodge in Tortuguero. Along the way we spotted spectacular wildlife like sloths, howler monkeys, caymans, crocodiles and all sort of exotic birds. Tortuguero National Park is a seasonal nesting ground for green and leatherback turtles. We spent the next day exploring the park and went on a hike to the highest point in the park which offered beautiful views of the canals and Atlantic Ocean.



River boat cruising the canals of Tortuguero National Park

Then it was off for a completely out of this world experience, 2 nights stay at Rara Avis where getting there is an adventure in itself. We boarded a tractor for a long and bumpy muddy ride that took 4 hours to reach our remote jungle destination. Rara Avis is located just outside of Braulio Carillo National Park where at 700m (2000 feet) above sea level the climate is generally moderate year round. Here we explored the jungle with a naturalist guide, visited a butterfly enclosure, went for a dip at the base of a beautiful tropical waterfall and even had an impromptu soccer match in the mud.



Rara Avis

Our next stop was La Fortuna where I went on a Canyoneering Adventure, soaked in the hot springs at Baldi Spa, visited a wildlife rehabilitation centre, and went for a swim at La Fortuna Waterfall.

 

 

After La Fortuna our next destination was Monteverde. To get there we took a boat across Lake Arenal which offered great views of Arenal Volcano. After a 2-3 hours bus ride we arrived in the mountainous region of Monteverde. We went zip-lining where we swung like Tarzan and flew like Superman , visited a coffee plantation, visited Santa Elena Cloud Forest, visited a butterfly centre, and had dinner in a tree house restaurant.

Santa Elena Cloud Foest in Monteverde

Santa Elena Cloud ForesOur final destination was Quepos and Manual Antonio National Park on the Pacific Coast. We arrived late in the afternoon checked into our hotel then went on a sunset catamaran cruise. The following day I spent at Manuel Antonio Park soaking up the sunshine and relaxing on the beach. Then it was back to San Jose where in the evening we had our farewell dinner. The next day we all went our separate ways. My amazing Costa Rica vacation was over. What an amazing trip!

Catamaran cruise around Manuel Antonio National Park and Quepos