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Spotted African Hyenas

Last week, I wrote about wild dogs, and some of the observations I've made about them while on safari. This week, my focus turns to hyenas. Many people understandably do not realize that there is a difference between the two, but there absolutely is! Wild dogs have faces that remind me of German Shepherds with massive satellite ears. Hyenas have a unique appearance all their own.

Female spotted hyena, Uganda

Hyena cubs are playful little creatures! We got to observe these two siblings playing with each other and jumping on their mom during a quiet morning in rural Uganda. We loved watching them and they were so curious about their surroundings!

Playful spotted hyena cubs with their mother, Uganda

One of the strangest behaviors of spotted hyenas such as these, has to do with siblings. When more than 1 hyena of the same gender is born, oftentimes one of the same gender cubs will kill the other cub within the first month of life! This is especially true of female hyena cubs. Young cubs are born with very dark fur. As they age, the fur gets spots and they start to resemble adults in appearance.

Young spotted hyena cub. Kruger National Park, South Africa

Until next week,

Marisa

#hyena #hyenacub #safari #wildlife #safariwildlife #Africa #Africanwildlife #wildlifetravel #wildlifephotograph #spottedhyena #hyenacubs #hyenavideo #cutehyenas #playfulhyenas #cutewildlife

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Wild Dogs of Africa

Did you know that among other wildlife, Africa is also home to wild dogs, also known as painted dogs! They are on the endangered species list, and definitely not a guaranteed sighting.

Two wild dogs on alert

Wild dogs live in packs, often with 10 or more members, and there have been family groups of 40+ members. The best chance to see wild dogs in Africa is in South Africa, Botswana, and parts of Tanzania.

Walking around near the den

One pack of wild dogs can have a territory that stretches over a hundred square miles! At their top running speed, these dogs can run up to 44 miles per hour (70 km/h). Wild dogs are very family oriented and take good care of their young, and of their elder members.

Resting in the early morning

Wild dogs are not the same as hyenas. We will focus our attention on hyenas next week!

Until next week,

Marisa

#wilddogs #wilddog #africa #wildlife #African #Africanwildlife #safari #safariwildlife #travelwithus #travel #vacation #uniquewildlife #offthegrid #wildlifephotography

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Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania

Zanzibar Island has a lot of interesting and unique areas worthy of visiting. If you're a fan of the band Queen, in fact, lead singer Freddie Mercury was born in Stone Town, and there's even a small museum there today!

Freddie Mercury's birthplace, on the left

Stone Town has some very historical buildings, dating back from the colonial period. This fort, for example, was constructed around 1699 and is still in remarkably good shape today. It has been used as a garrison and prison in the past.

Old Fort in Stone Town, Zanzibar, dates to 1699

Stone Town also has some very dark links with the past. It is believed that during the height of the slave trade, for several hundred years, that up to 50,000 slaves passed through Stone Town on their way to horrific lives overseas. There is a memorial in Stone Town, and you can see some of the barracks and horrific living conditions faced by these innocent people. It broke my heart; may we never forget, and never repeat these cruel, inhumane, deplorable actions.

Memorial to the hundreds and thousands of slaves who went through Zanzibar

Stone Town has a lot of unique architecture; it's enjoyable just walking through the streets and looking all around at the buildings.

Interesting architecture throughout Stone Town

As you can see, Zanzibar Island has so many interesting places just waiting for you to explore and learn. I'm happy to make a visit to Zanzibar Island an unforgettable experience for you! 

Until next week,

Marisa

#Zanzibar #Zanzibarisland #Stonetown #stonetownzanzibar #Tanzania #slavery #slavehistory #slavememorial #neverforget #alwaysremember #architecture #architecturephotography #oldfort #oldfortzanzibar #freddiemercury #Queen

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Zanzibar / Kirk’s Red Colobus Monkey

You've heard of Zanzibar Island, also known as a “spice island,” a short distance from the coast of Tanzania. Aside from spices and beautiful beaches, did you know that Zanzibar is also home to a rare species of monkey?

The Zanzibar Red Colobus Monkey, also known as the Kirk's Red Colobus Monkey, is a species of less than 6,000 individuals that live on Zanzibar's main island and a couple of secondary islands in the archipelago.

Zanzibar Red Colobus Monkey eating a leaf

This species of monkey is vegetarian, and they spend most of their lives in trees and thick tree canopy areas. They're active during daylight hours.

Red Colobus Monkey foraging for food

Very little is actually known about the lifespan of these unusual monkeys. They are under threat of survival from deforestation. They have a couple of predators, including chimpanzees and hawks. Their full adult weight is under 25 pounds (12 kg). 

Mature Red Colobus Monkey Once they reach adulthood, in about 4 years, the monkeys achieve their trademark reddish-brown coloring. Juveniles and young monkeys are black and white in color.  Next time you think about visiting Zanzibar Island, let me know; I'm happy to help you get the most out of the experience and to see these beautiful creatures!

Until next week,

Marisa

#Zanzibar #ZanzibarIsland #RedColobus #Redcolobusmonkey #Kirksredcolobus #Zanzibarredcolobus #monkey #primate #wildlife #Africanwildlife #endangered #endangeredspecies #herbivore #vegetarian #cutewildlife

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Listen to your instinct while traveling

Have you ever had a a feeling or sudden thought that catches you off guard? Something that tells you to “pay attention” because you may be in a dangerous situation? This thought / feeling is your intuition or “gut instinct”, and it's something we often ignore, but we shouldn't! It could save your life, while at home or while traveling. I've had these “gut instincts” while traveling several times, and I believe that listening to them has kept me out of danger. I'll give you a few examples. One time that my instinct may have saved me from a bad situation was on Isabela Island, Galapagos Islands. I had paid a local company to take a tour to a volcano. However, the company failed to tell me that it would be an 8 mile walk through terrible mud. It was so slippery that I nearly fell several times within the first half mile. I knew this had a lot of potential to end badly - with a trip to the hospital and broken bones. Though disappointed, I cut the trip short, went back to my hotel, and spent more time on the beach that day, observing other wildlife like ghost crabs!

Ghost crab on the beach in the Galapagos Islands

On another occasion, I had the opportunity to swim with a pod of wild dolphins off of Zanzibar Island during a dolphin watching excursion. “No big deal, sounds like fun,” I thought. But, as we got further from the calm waves at the beach shore, the waves started getting very big and rough. These weren't tiny swells, and they were fast and erratic. Though swimming with the dolphins would have been fun,  my gut told me that bad things were more likely to happen (such as swallowing a huge amount of sea water and maybe needing to see a doctor, or worse). I know nature is much stronger than me, so I opted to stay safe on the boat and take pictures from there. A couple of people attempted to swim, but not for long.  I have no regrets that I did not. There will be other opportunities!

Dolphin off the shores of Zanzibar Island

On a third occasion, I started to doubt myself. I was in Rwanda, hiking in the Virunga Mountains to see the gorillas. The hike was getting difficult; I'm not used to high altitudes, and we were getting very high and the air was becoming more thin. I was gasping and stopping a lot to catch my breath. There were several times when I thought about quitting the hike and turning back. However, I kept hearing my friend's voice in my head saying, “You are exactly where you are meant to be at this moment in time.” I had a good guide with me and an excellent porter helping me with the hike. I decided to persevere and was eventually rewarded when we reached our gorilla group at the top of the mountain range!

An exhausting hike made worthwhile when we got to the gorillas

Remember: That inner voice is there to help you out. Be sure to listen to it as it will seldom if ever steer you the wrong way.

Until next week,

Marisa

#instinct #Zanzibar #Tanzania #gorilla #gorillahike #gorillatrek #gorillatrekking #Rwanda #Virunga #mountains #dolphin #crab #Ghostcrab #Galapagos #Galapagosislands

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Cartago, Costa Rica

The city of Cartago, Costa Rica is in the Central Valley, about 15 miles from the capital of San Jose. What makes Cartago so special? A relic at the church that dates from the 1600s.

Basilica of Our Lady of Angels, Cartago, Costa Rica

As the story goes, a local girl found the black stone statue of the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus in 1635 on top of a boulder. She thought it was a lovely doll, and brought it home. The next morning, the statue was gone.  The girl went back to the boulder and found the statue there. She brought it home again. Once more, the statue disappeared the following day and was once again atop the boulder.

Interior of Basilica of Our Lady of Angels

This time, the girl told her priest what happened. He took the statue for the night and the same thing happened. It was then decided that the statue was meant to stay on the boulder, and a church was constructed at that very spot. The church was built in 1635 but was partially destroyed by an earthquake. Today’s church is a mix of styles from the original and Byzantine styles.

Another angle of this beautiful, historic church

Pilgrims from all around Costa Rica visit the church every August 2nd to commemorate this event. Want to make a stop at Cartago on your next Costa Rica visit? I'm happy to make it a reality for you!

Until next week,

Marisa

#CostaRica #Cartago #visitCostaRica #church #holyplace #Catholic #relic #basilica #religious #pilgrimage #Catholicpilgrimage #CostaRicapilgrimage #August2

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Happy Holidays & Happy 2021!

This week, I’m celebrating Christmas, so I want to take this opportunity to wish you and your family happy holidays, no matter what you celebrate! There are wonderful festivals and holidays throughout the year, celebrated around the world. I also want to take this opportunity to celebrate you! Thank you for following my blog journey and WorldwideXplorer virtual photo and video tours around the world. Have a safe and happy holiday season! I usually post on Fridays, and next week Friday is new year’s day. My next new post will resume on Friday, January 8th. In the meantime, happy new year as well - may 2021 be your best year yet!

Sincerely always,

Marisa

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Ancient Cuzco, Peru

Do you like traveling to ancient places? The ancient city of Cuzco, Peru, is at an altitude of about 11,000 feet in the Andes Mountains. The city has been continuously inhabited for more than 3,000 years and served as the capital of the Inca empire for several centuries. Spanish conquistadors overtook the city and constructed many buildings on top of the original Inca construction (still visible today).

The ancient city of Cuzco, Peru

You can walk through the city and visit some of the historic sites such as Qorikancha - originally constructed by the Incas to honor their sun god, and overtaken and partly demolished by the Spanish and turned into a church.

Qorikancha - Inca and conquistador historic building

In the hillside just a short distance from Cuzco, lies the site called Sacsayhuamán, constructed around 1100AD by people who preceded the Incas. It was taken over and expanded by the Incas a few centuries later. Looking at the massive megaliths, it still remains a mystery how any civilization so long ago could have transported such massive stones, and then fit them together so precisely Without using any mortar, that not even a thin sheet of paper would fit between them.

Sarat and Marisa at Sacsayhuamán, an amazing sight to behold

Cuzco also affords the opportunity to learn about modern day Peruvian culture through cooking classes, dance, and more. Be sure to enjoy a performance when you’re in the area. 

Until next week,

Marisa

#Peru #dance #dancing #culturaldance #culture #inca #sacsayhuaman #Sacsayhuamán #Qorikancha #Peruvian #Peruvianculture #Andes #AndesMountains #Cuzco #Cusco

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All About Zebras

Zebras are some of the graceful animals you’ll see when you go on a wildlife viewing / photography safari in Africa. Here are some fun facts about zebras and their stripes:

Question 1: Why do zebras have stripes?

Answer 1: Stripes confuse predators, especially when zebras roam close together in herds. Look at the picture below; it’s almost difficult to tell where one animal ends and the next begins! Many predators are also colorblind, so the stripes can mimic the look of tall grasses.

Q2: Why do some zebras have stripes on their legs that are very distinct and close together while others have very faded/indistinct stripes?

A2: It is believed that the density of stripes, especially on the lower legs, has to do with biting flies. Here’s an example: The top zebra below has very faint leg stripes and lives in Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana. We didn’t encounter any biting flies while traveling there. The bottom zebras below are from Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Notice how dense the leg stripes are on the bottom zebras. We were bitten by many tse tse flies in this region. (Tse tse flies remind me most of horse flies: both are big and bite!)

Top zebra: faded leg strips, lives in an area with few biting flies

Bottom zebras: vivid leg stripes, lives in an area with many biting flies

Q3: Do all zebras have the same stripe pattern?

A3: No, they do not. Just like human finger prints, no two zebras have the exact same stripe pattern! They really are fascinating creatures.

Until next week,

Marisa

#zebra #zebras #wildlife #Africawildlife #photography #naturephotography #stripes #zebrafacts

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Hiking Huayna Picchu - is it worthwhile?

Last week, I told you about and showed you some of the remarkable beauty at the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in the Andes Mountains of Peru. When you visit Machu Picchu, did you know that it's also possible to hike even higher and visit Huayna Picchu (also spelled Wayna Picchu)? Huayna Picchu is the tip of the background mountain when you view the citadel:

The first question you should ask is: SHOULD I hike Huayna Picchu? When I visited with my husband and our two friends, we relied on the advice of several local people who said it would take maybe 2 hours up and 1.5 hours to come back down and that it wasn't too difficult. It sounded easy enough and the view sounded like it would be worthwhile. When we first started hiking, it wasn't too bad. The initial slope and steps were quite gradual. However, once we started really gaining altitude, it gradually became more difficult.

Initial part of the Huayna Picchu climb

By the time we were about 1.5 hours into the hike, it became a lot more difficult. It had rained that morning, and the steps were getting wet and slippery. There were also times when two of the steps might be 3 feet (1 meter) apart on a very steep slope! And there were no ropes or safety equipment of any kind to grab if you started to slip; we were surrounded by steep mountains on every side! The only reason we persevered is because we figured that we must be close since we'd been climbing for close to 2 hours at that point. Boy were we wrong! It took another 1.5 miserable hours of grueling hiking to finally reach the top!

Dreamy view from the top of Huayna Picchu looking down at Machu Picchu

When we did finally reach the top, after the most dangerous and scary part of the hike, we were certainly relieved and rewarded with an amazing view. It looked like we were viewing Machu Picchu and the surrounding area from a plane! However, we were seated on a makeshift ledge, literally 5 feet (less than 2 meters) from the cliff's edge. One wrong move off the edge, and we'd fall thousands of feet below. I sat on that ledge, literally terrified, for more than half an hour before I could even bring myself to take out my camera and take the photo above! And it took another half an hour before I was willing to stand up long enough to have my photo taken with my husband in this photo below!

Marisa and Sarat, somehow still alive after a truly terrifying hike

I kept saying that I would stay up there until a helicopter could be sent to rescue me! Knowing that I had to take the exact hike back down that I had to take on the way up didn't help calm my nerves. Somehow, we did make it down and clearly, we survived. But, SHOULD we have done the hike? Knowing what I know now, I would not do it again. Unless they fix the terrifyingly dangerous conditions, it is simply not worth risking your life. We climbed up the original steps used by the Inca people - 600 years ago - and it seemed none of the steps had been repaired or replaced since those times! Before you hike up, park rangers have you sign a guest log (and sign again when you come back down). I'm sure they do this so they know how many people they lose per day. And those statistics are not published anywhere. The point of my story is this: I've traveled to all of these places that I tell you about each week. I experience as much as I can on each journey so that I can advise you not just about things that "sound" interesting, but things that I've experienced myself. I will always be honest about my experiences because I want to guide you to make the right choice for yourself. When you work with WorldwideXplorer, you work directly with me. You simply can't get that kind of advice or information from most travel companies or most travel agents.

Until next week,

Marisa

#huaynapicchu #machupicchu #hiking #hike #Peru #Andes #AndesMountains #dangeroushike #dangerous #inca #historichike #Peruvian #scaryhike

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Peru’s Machu Picchu

When you think of traveling to unique destinations, does Peru come to mind? If not, it should. From the Andes Mountains to the Amazon Rainforest and everything in between, you will not run out of areas to explore and things to do. 

One of the most iconic places to visit in Peru is Machu Picchu, the historic Inca city that was constructed over 600 years ago, and abandoned seemingly overnight. The jungle had reclaimed the land until it was rediscovered about a hundred years ago. There are two options to get to these historic ruins: Take one of the multi-day hikes (you must be a hiker and conditioned to very high altitudes), or take one of the train and bus combos. I did the train and bus myself.

Picture yourself here!

If you haven't been to Machu Picchu yet, you may not realize that it is actually a very large area and is spread out. You can spend a lot of time exploring the various areas. A guided tour is the best way to really appreciate the citadel and learn about its use, history, and most important features.

Certain areas of the Machu Picchu complex are quite steep

At an altitude of nearly 8,000 feet (2,430 meters), it can take time to adjust if you're not used to higher altitudes. I always recommend staying in the Sacred Valley (9,000 feet elevation) for a few days first to help acclimate. It will make walking through the area easier and therefore more enjoyable since you'll have more energy. When you're at Machu Picchu, if you're lucky, you might even get to meet some of the locals who live there!

I met one of the cool locals who hangs out at the ruins

Until next week,

Marisa

#Peru #inca #AndesMountains #Andes #mountains #ancient #cityadel #civilization #history #ancienthistory #machupicchu #llama #hiking #historic #Peruvian #mystical

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Seeing Sloths in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a lovely travel destination to consider if you enjoy ecotourism, tranquillity, and the chance to explore nature. One of the iconic animals that comes to mind when people think of Costa Rica is the sloth!

I photographed this 3 toed sloth in Manuel Antonio National Park

As you probably know, sloths tend to be slow creatures that spend a lot of their time sleeping. When they do go from place to place, they sometimes stray into more urban areas and cross roads. Many sloths wind up orphaned due to tragic accidents involving vehicles. The luckier orphans and injured sloths wind up at the Sloth Sanctuary, a rehabilitation center for sloths!

Baby two toed sloth at the Sloth Sanctuary

At the sanctuary, which is located near Puerto Limon on the Eastern Coast, you can take a tour and see some of the sloths that currently reside on site. They even offer a river boat ride on site that allows you to see other wildlife in the area, such as howler monkeys.

Howler monkeys make a lot of noise despite being small

If you love sloths, a visit to the sanctuary may be something to add to your bucket list!

Until next week,

Marisa

#sloth #slothsanctuary #monkey #howlermonkey #CostaRica #CentralAmerica #three toed sloth #babysloth #slothbaby #cutesloth #wildsloth #captivesloth

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Land Tours in the Galapagos Islands

Last week, I told you a little bit about taking a cruise through the Galapagos Islands. This week, we'll look at the other option, which is to stay on one island (or more) and take day trips to other islands.

Flamingo on Isabela Island. I followed a footpath and saw a lot of wildlife.

Some of the advantages of staying on land versus taking a cruise include:

You can get to know one of the islands  more thoroughly by staying for multiple days.

You can explore your home base island at your speed without feeling the need to rush.

You are free to book the activities and day trips that interest you.

You're not on a boat overnight, which could be an advantage for anyone in your group that gets sea sick easily.

You have the chance to get to know some of the local people on the islands.

You get a little taste of what it's like to live in a really remote location.

You have time to explore beaches at your own pace!

Villamil Town, Isabela Island. All roads are sand, street signs are wooden.

However, there are a few potential disadvantages that you miss out on if you are not including a cruise, at least for part of the tour. Aside from the benefits outlined last week, it's important to be aware of the following:

You'll want to make sure that you research your day trip options carefully; local island-based travel companies are often willing to sell you whatever you want to pay for, regardless of whether it's a good time to take the day trip or not.

When you venture between islands, it takes around 2 hours or more to travel by boat to get to the next nearest island, each way. These boat rides are often wet and very bumpy (full of lots of large waves).

When booking by yourself, you won't necessarily have a certified naturalist guide leading the tour. You may wind up with a great guide(s), or you may not.

When booking by yourself, you cannot guarantee that the guide(s) you have will speak English well, if you need an English speaking guide.

Don't get stuck in the mud like this; book with a travel professional like me instead!

I mention these things not to scare you, but because I've experienced a bad situation like this myself. When I was on Isabela Island, I stopped by a local travel store in Villamil town and booked a tour to the main volcano on the island. However, the agent failed to inform me that it was a very rainy time of year at the volcano, and that we'd have to hike through 8 miles of very slippery mud - see the picture above! I wound up giving up after about a mile of terrible hiking, fearing that I'd slip, fall, and break a bone. I'm glad I cut the day trip short. I don't want something like this to happen to you! That's exactly where my expertise comes in: I can help you navigate around such pitfalls and save your vacation from going sideways!

As with all islands, Isabela has some gorgeous beaches!

Until next week,

Marisa

#Galapagos #GalapagosIslands #landtours #travel #Ecuador #SouthAmerica #Villamil #flamingo #GalapagosFlamingo #Isabela #IsabelaIsland #mud #stuckinthemud #beach

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Traveling the Galapagos Islands by Cruise

Last week, I told you a little bit about the lovely Galapagos Islands, one of my favorite places to really get up close and personal with some unique wildlife. This week, I'm going to focus on visiting the Galapagos Islands via cruise ship.

One of the largest cruise ships in the Galapagos Islands

Cruising the Galapagos Islands is a lot different than cruising in the Caribbean or elsewhere. The ships in the Galapagos Islands are generally limited to not more than 100 passengers on any ship, and some are much smaller. The waters of the Galapagos Islands can be rather turbulent, and you will definitely feel it aboard a ship. I'm sometimes prone to sea sickness myself and I was mostly fine on the cruise. But, I did bring along sea sickness medication and it helped on a couple of occasions early into the 4 day cruise that I experienced.

Nesting albatrosses; I wouldn't have seen them unless I took a cruise

Some of the things I absolutely love about a cruise through the Galapagos Islands:

The cruise ships have already planned the itinerary for you.

The naturalist guides who accompany you know the islands and animals very well

Your food and beverage needs are taken care of (and they can accommodate special dietary needs if you let them know in advance)

Shipboard activities are already pre-planned; no need to worry that you will get bored during "down time."

Transportation between islands is easy and included (you're already on the boat!)

No need to switch hotels just because you move onto a different island.

No cleaning up after yourself - the ship is your floating hotel.

You can visit islands that are completely free of human populations!

Groups are small in size; you'll never feel "lost" in a big crowd.

You can cruise anywhere from 3 days up to several weeks.

Cruises are a great option for families, individuals, couples, friend groups, and more.

Sea lions on a beach on one of the islands that has no human inhabitants

Next week, I will discuss the option of island hopping and how it differs from cruising in the Galapagos Islands.

Until next week,

Marisa

#Galapagos #GalapagosCruise #sealions #beach #nature #wildlife #wildlifetravel #SouthAmerica #Ecuador #GalapagosIslands #Islands #islandtravel #offthegrid #albatross #albatrosses

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Introduction to the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

This week's travel inspiration takes us to the Galapagos Islands! Have you ever wanted to travel to a place where wildlife does not have much fear of humans? Where you can see species that exist nowhere else on earth? Where plants and animals have adapted over thousands of years, such that there are even species differences between individual islands? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, then the Galapagos Islands is a great place to put on your bucket list!

Crystal clear waters in the Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands are located about 600 miles from mainland Ecuador in northern South America (in fact, one of the islands crosses the equator), and they are part of the country of Ecuador. This is where Charles Darwin came up with his theory of Evolution in the 1800s, when he saw differences in the same animal species between the islands.

Marine iguanas sunbathing in the Galapagos Islands

Some of the most common animals you'll see include marine iguanas, other lizards, sea lions, many birds, turtles and tortoises. If you're into snorkeling and/or diving, you'll have a chance to see an amazing and colorful variety of fish as well.

Blue-Chin Parrot Fish in the shallow Galapagos waters

You can visit the Galapagos Islands as part of a cruise between islands, or by making your home base on one of the islands and traveling to other islands from there. The options are limitless. The more time you have to spend here, the more you can explore on your own time. I'll give you more Galapagos information coming up in a few more weeks; there's just too much to pack into one email. Hopefully this information is enough to get you interested in seeing all that the Galapagos Islands can deliver.

Until next week,

Marisa

#Galapagos #GalapagosIslands #travelwithus #travel #cruise #Galapagoscruise #parrotfish #photography #Ecuador #wildlifetour #wildlife #unusualwildlife #bluechinparrotfish

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Irazu Volcano, Costa Rica

This week's travel inspiration takes us to the lovely Central America country of Costa Rica!

Why do I personally love and recommend Costa Rica as a travel destination for you?  Plenty of reasons, including:

Friendly people

Environmentally conscious country

Unique wildlife

Lovely beaches

Volcanoes

Pilgrimage sites

Bird watching

Waterfalls

Hiking

Delightful local foods

...and a whole lot more!

One of Irazu’s craters with gorgeous blue water

Costa Rica has many volcano areas to visit. When you're visiting and staying in the Central Valley area, a wonderful day trip to take is a journey to Irazu Volcano. Depending on where you are in the Central Valley, it is likely within 1-3 hours' drive, and the drive up the mountains is slow and peaceful. Irazu sits at an altitude of 11,260 feet (6,100 meters). If you're not used to high altitudes, you may feel a little off as you walk around the area. There are several look over places where you can see the beautiful, otherworldly blue water in some of the crater areas.

Another crater with lovely blue water

The beautiful views on the way up and down the mountain are also worthy of stops for photographs, and to buy some of the local produce.

Gorgeous countryside views after visiting Irazu

Have any questions about Costa Rica? Feel free to contact me; I’d be happy to help you plan your next adventure to this beautiful country!

Until next week,

Marisa

#CostaRica #Irazu #volcano #volcanic #crater #craterlake #mountain #countryside #peacefulviews #CentralAmerica #beautifulscenery #photography

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Several Unique Experiences in Nairobi, Kenya

For this week's travel inspiration, I am going to tell you about a couple of unique attractions you can visit in Nairobi, Kenya, before or after your safari. 

Sheldrick Wildlife Trust & Elephant Orphanage

In my opinion, no visit to Kenya is complete without visiting the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. This amazing organization was started in 1977 by Dame Daphne Sheldrick to honor her late husband, David, who had been a wildlife warden and founder of Tsavo East National Park. One of the main functions of the organization is to rescue and rehabilitate orphaned wildlife, with elephants being the animal most commonly served at the sanctuary. It is also known as the elephant orphanage.

A caretaker feeds an orphan

Many orphans lose their mothers due to human-wildlife conflict. Orphans are often traumatized when they are found. During the earliest and first part of their stay at the sanctuary, the keepers spend literally day and night with the babies, as their mothers would have. The babies also have one another to play with during the daytime. At night, each keeper sleeps with one of the babies, and the keepers rotate frequently so that no baby gets too attached to any one keeper. Elephants are extremely sentient beings and form very strong attachments to their mothers and family groups.

Visitors are allowed to see the orphans for a short time most days of the year.

Once the orphans are old enough, they are returned to the wild where they get to slowly but surely interact with wild-living elephants. Their caretakers stay with them and only gradually do the young elephants start to wander off and explore the world on their own. Mature orphans often return to the site where the caretakers stay when the elephants have babies (to introduce the babies to the caretakers) and just to bid a fond hello!

Here I am at the sanctuary

I visited the sanctuary in 2016 and loved it more than I could have imagined. To be there in person is indescribable!

Giraffe Centre Sanctuary

Another place worth visiting is the Girffe Centre Sanctuary, a short distance from the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust's elephant orphanage. This sanctuary rescues giraffes that have been injured in the wild. As the giraffes are not able to return to the wild, they are habituated to humans, and you can often pose for a picture with them.

I got to feed this friendly giraffe!

Giraffe Manor

After a fulfilling day spent meeting orphaned elephants and friendly giraffes, it's time to kick up your feet and relax in luxury at Giraffe Manor!

This is Giraffe Manor, an exquisite hotel. The same giraffes that roam the Giraffe Centre also graze here as the properties are nearby and the habitat is connected. This is the hotel where giraffes often put their heads in the windows as patrons enjoy breakfast. Imagine getting a personal "good morning" from a giraffe when you stay here! I can make it happen, contact me!

Until next week,

Marisa