As we are having vehicle troubles (what's new!), Matt contacted the VW Club in Granada, Nicaragua to see if he could get some recommendations on parts or mechanics. And what a friendly bunch they were!

Not only did we get a recommendation on a mechanic in Managua, but we also got an invitation to a VW meetup in Granada itself and lunch in the town square.

Unfortunately we couldn't make their afternoon plans to visit the lake for a second photo shoot due to work commitments, but we had a whole lot of fun checking out some other VW vehicles.

And of course we just had to share this group photo taken by Nahum Nicaragua. What a classic shot!

We spent an enjoyable boat ride cruising on the waterways in Tamarindo, Costa Rica. We saw birds, manta rays, monkeys and even a crocodile.

Sometimes you visit a place that makes you feel like a child again. Today we found such a place in Boquete, Panama. We weren't sure what to make of this little whimsical garden called El Explorador at first, however, we can definitely say it grew on us. Here is our essay in pictures.

Travelling with kids around countries like Ecuador and Colombia is not the norm, not by any stretch of the imagination. But the longer we are on the road, the more travelling families we meet. While it may not be the norm at present; the tide is turning and more and more families are taking the plunge, moving out of their comfort zone and exploring the beauty this amazing world has to offer.

Termed world schooling, we are giving our kids (Emilia 10 and Matthew 5) an alternative education, an opportunity to learn from the world around them. They can learn about Ecuador from a book or they can experience the diverse backdrops the country has to offer. They can read about the troubles of Colombia or they can come to the country to understand that it is a beautiful country, worth visiting despite its colourful history.
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We choose to partake in slow travel – we spend a number of months or even years in some cases in a country to understand what makes it tick, and each of these countries we visit becomes our home for a limited period. We have ‘settled’ in countries such as China, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia and our journey is not over yet. In a few weeks, we will cross over to Central America and start the slow return to Canada, our home for as long as we choose to stay.

And again we are not alone. We enjoy catching up with other travelling families on the road, as few and far between that might be. More common in well-known countries like Peru, we are yet to meet other travelling families in Colombia, but I have no doubt they are here somewhere. The people we meet on our travel journey is what, in reality, enriches our travel.

As a ghostwriter, I choose to write for clients on the road and earn money as we travel. To save on accommodation, we offer our services as a volunteer which creates many new travel experiences. Today we are managing a hostel just on the outskirts of San Gil, Colombia; one month ago we were helping set up a permaculture and eco-hostel in the heart of the coffee district in Colombia; in a month who knows where we will end up. That is all part of the journey too.

Not everything has gone according to plan on our trip. We have broken down on numerous occasions, been ‘robbed’ by mechanics charging through the nose for shoddy work and even had all four of our tyres slashed. But we persevere as that too is all part of the experience.

Long term travel is not easy; in fact, some days it is more difficult than we would like to imagine. But the rewards are worth the heartache and the hard work that needs to be done to make it happen. We aren’t on a permanent holiday as many would like to believe; we are just living our lives like everyone else. We just choose to do it out of the confines of a traditional lifestyle. We might not do it forever, but at the moment it suits us.

​“What will you do once you get back to Canada?” is a common question asked of us. Our response is always the same; we have no idea. That too is part of the fun – the not knowing. That space provides much room for adventure and we like that a lot.

(Originally published on Helium Whale.)

Leaving Puerto Cayo, we had a rough plan. We would drive to Quito and visit with another world schooling family for a few days while we regrouped and then head to Pereira in Colombia for our next Workaway. So that's what we did.

After a celebratory pizza and drink or two at Bamboo in Puerto Cayo, a beautiful sunset and a crazy caterpillar train ride, we set off bright and early to see what Quito had in store for us.

Day 1: Puerto Cayo, Ecuador to Quito, Ecuador

We enjoyed a leisurely drive to Quito, however encountered some difficulty with our vehicle. She decided that she was not liking any hills today and we took it very slowly, at some points not getting over 20km per hour. At our final destination we struggled with the hill to park our van but after a bit of a rest, she got us there in the end. We had the great pleasure of meeting up with Jessica, Will, Avalar and Largo from Goodie Goodie Gumdrop, fellow travellers and world schoolers.

Day 2: Quito, Ecuador

We left Emilia to get creative with Avalon while Matt, Matthew and I headed into Quito to see what we could find. Purchasing a couple of pairs of shoes were high on the list as Matthew's feet had grown since our last shop as was a haircut for Matt. We explored the old city and enjoyed a snack or two in the process.

Day 3: Quito, Ecuador

Did someone say bagels? We enjoyed an early breakfast of bagels (we had actually not eaten a bagel in over two years) and coffee and hung out with Jessica and Avalar to give Emilia and Avalar more time to work on their video. A beautiful day to sit and relax in the park.

Day 4: Quito, Ecuador to Pasto, Colombia

After some more bagels (how could we resist?), we visited the centre of the Earth and tried to make a smooth getaway from Quito. However it wasn't quite as simple as that. We made the executive decision to continue on with our journey despite the fact hills were a struggle. We made it to the border, waited approximately 5 hours to cross, got held up in traffic for an hour on the way to Pasto and finally collapsed in a heap at our hostel in the late evening. Better late than never, right?

Day 5: Pasto, Colombia to Popayan, Colombia

With a definite high soldier presence, we drove through the beautiful countryside of Colombia. Yes we broke down but we took it slow and steady so we did not do any long term damage to the van. She did us proud arriving in Popayan in the early afternoon. We enjoyed a lovely Mexican meal before retiring for the evening.

Day 6: Popayan, Colombia to Pereira, Colombia

Well what a day! The drive was beautiful, the scenery picturesque and we took it slow to give the van a rest. What we weren't prepared for however was the size of the hills in Pereira. It was easy to get in but not so easy to get out. The kindness of strangers really made itself known as strangers tried to help us out of the city to our end destination. While we didn't quite make it, some locals let us park our van in their driveway until we came up with a plan.

Day 7: Pereira, Colombia

We woke up to the beauty of the Colombia coffee district and took the time to settle into our new surroundings. For the next month we call Anukara home as we help owners Ivan and Angela and their two young boys, Manu and Gio, create their dream of an eco permaculture hostel and yoga retreat. And of course we will look to find a mechanic in the city and see if we can get the van repaired before we drive to La Pacha in mid-February.

We had the pleasure of meeting with Intiwawa on our last day in Arequipa and getting a tour of their non-profit organisation. And what great work they do!

Intiwawa is a dynamic organisation that fights poverty in the slums in Arequipa, the second largest city in Peru. Founded in Peru and Germany in 2007, today their network consists of multiple teams in Holland, France, England and Hong Kong. Their main focus is in a small settlement on the outskirts of Arequipa called San Isidro.

We dropped off our donations and got to meet some of the kids. Thanks to our amazing supporters, our GlobeDrop was larger than normal and our donations consisted of notepads and pens, cereal (both hot and cold), sewing needles and threads, toothpaste, toothbrushes, safety pins, soap, water paint and balls.

Intiwawa are always looking for volunteers and donations. You can visit their website at www.intiwawa.org. Alternatively, if you would like to participate in your own GlobeDrop, you can visit GlobeDrop's website at www.globedrop.org.

Any donation, no matter how big or small, is worthwhile.

Travel often - travel meaningfully!

Now that we are safely in Ecuador and thinking about all the wonderful things we want to explore here, it got me reminiscing about all the things we wanted to see in Peru before we left for our life changing trip.

Machu Picchu was always at the top of my bucket list and our whole family had the chance to see it. We got to explore Cusco, experience the culture, taste the delicious food and visit amazing places like Lake Titicaca and Nazca; however I can still recall the excitement before we left to go on our trip.

I remember counting down the days to our big adventure.

I remember doing Google searches with the kids to find pictures of parks in Peru so they could share in some of the excitement.

I remember looking at the pictures of the Nazca Lines, the historic city of Cusco and the Uros Islands, dreaming off what lie ahead in our future.

And the best part, all of this happened and much more besides.

But of course, it's not just me who generates a high level of anticipation before a big trip.

Chatting with Adonis from Always Wanderlust, he kindly shared his reasons for why he wants to visit Peru. And even more exciting, he is due to visit following his upcoming Argentina and Chile trip. You can join along in his adventures here.

I want to visit Peru because of rich history spanning thousands of years.  I’ve always been fascinated by the ancient Inca ruins, the mysteries surrounding them, and the people that built them.  There are some that are seemingly built by methods so advanced for its time that some consider the technology be extraterrestrial in origin!  The Nazca lines, for example, they appear to be designed to be seen in the sky and airplanes wouldn’t even exist for another thousand years.

Aside from the sights, there’s the Peruvian cuisine I want to indulge in.  I’m into spicy and heavy food.  I’ve tried dishes like Peruvian Rotisserie chicken and Ceviche in restaurants, but I want to try other dishes that you can only find in Peru. 

I also want to immerse in the culture.  Many Peruvians have direct ties to their ancestors, the Inca.  Seeing how they live and sharing experiences with them would make an awesome experience.

​Simone from The Aussie Flashpacker had the chance to visit Peru and like me, Machu Picchu was also at the top of her bucket list. Here are here personal reasons for wanting to visit Peru (you can check out her Facebook page for more exciting adventures). 

Hiking the Inca Trail and visiting Machu Picchu has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. I have memories of gazing in awe at pictures of the magnificent ruins in the jungle in Peru from when I was a child. Studying Incan and Mayan art and architecture in my High School Art classes only intensified this dream.

Health and fitness became a huge part of my life in the year or two leading up to my South American trip and despite being at my fittest I had ever been, it was still incredibly tough hiking at altitude along the Inca Trail. This made the reward at the end once we reached Machu Picchu even sweeter because we truly felt we had earned the right to be there (through plenty of blood, sweat & tears)!

The three months in spent in South America were some of the favourites from my travels, with the highlight being our time in Peru. It is such a beautiful, unique country with a wonderful culture and the friendliest of people. I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting.

Puerto Cayo is a relatively quiet fishing village bordering Machalilla National Park and at present, our current home: at least for the next 2 and a half months. We will be here working on two adjoining properties, helping them on various tasks in exchange for free accommodation. And so far we like what we see.

We are situated about 5kms outside of town so having the van is extremely handy. We are also very near to Puerto Lopez, Jipijapa, Montanita and of course, Manta and we look forward to exploring and seeing what is around.

We are however already huge fans of the vegetable truck which pulls up twice a week - fresh fruit, vegetables and cheese - yes please!

Our first Workaway assignment took us to the beachside resort of Los Suenos del Mar in Puerto Cayo, Ecuador. It was essentially a run-down resort that would have been at its best back in the 1940s. However with the pristine beach and the pool, we were all happy to relax by the sea and embrace the warm weather that we had been missing on our extended stay in Peru.

Our tasks were varied. Matt was doing construction work to build a new bar and I was responsible for general tidy up, sweeping and room cleaning. The kids were free to roam and enjoy their new surroundings.

Day 1: Peru to Ecuador (Arequipa to Chala)
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We set off early and were very excited when we spied the ocean. The kids were happy to camp at Puerto Inka once again. It was nice to fall asleep to the sound of the waves lapping right at our doorstep!

Day 2: Peru to Ecuador (Chala to Ica)
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We set off relatively early but were held up for 5 hours by a car race. On the way through, the kids picked up their souvenir bracelets in Nazca; we stopped for olives in Yauca and arrived in Ica on dusk.

Day 3: Peru to Ecuador (Ica to Huarmey)
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Stopped early on by a policeman wanting to take a bribe for incomplete paperwork - so what did we do? We made sure our paperwork was up to date in Chincha and bought some wine while we were there. Drove through Lima and stopped by another two policeman late in the evening near Huaco for a totally unrelated issue - $122 in bribes paid altogether at their request. Arrived in Huarmey about 11.30pm.

Day 4: Peru to Ecuador (Huarmey to Trujillo)
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A slightly later start today as we felt a bit tired from our late night of travel. While we did get stuck in the sand at one point, a kind stranger pulled us out preventing us from running behind schedule. We got our photo taken with a large turtle, went through many toll booths on the road and finally checked into our hostel in Trujillo in the early evening. Went for a late night wander around the Plaza de Armas after dinner.

Day 5: Peru to Ecuador (Trujillo)
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A work day for me but we managed to get to the Plaza de Armas, visit the toy museum, go out for coffee and hit the mall for a spot of window shopping. Tomorrow we are back on the road...

Day 6: Peru to Ecuador (Trujillo to Chiclayo)
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A shorter travel day today (approximately 200km) - we arrived at the hotel just after lunch so the kids could enjoy a swim in the pool.

Day 7: Peru to Ecuador (Chiclayo to Mancora)
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We did the dusty drive across the desert from Chiclayo to Mancora. No police fines or bribes; try as they might. We have definitely seen a variety of scenery on our cross-country trip. Ecuador is in our view...

Day 8: Peru to Ecuador (Mancora to La Cruz)
Today was not so much a driving day but a day to search for cheap accommodation for the next couple of days while we regrouped; we found it just past Zorritos in a little campground by the beach. The cost: $10 per night with free internet. The day started in Mancora by the beach and a surfing competition and ended up in La Cruz by the beach. A perfect day all in all!

Day 9: Peru to Ecuador (La Cruz to Tumbes)
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We drove to Tumbes in search of a grocery store or at least something resembling it. We found a small market which did the trick and picked up some supplies. A quiet day hanging out in the campground enjoying the sound of the waves ever constant in the background.

Day 10: Peru to Ecuador (La Cruz to Ecuador Border)
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We drove to the Ecuador border in the morning to familiarise ourselves with the departure process. Our exit date is set for Wednesday so two more days to hang out and relax. We picked up some more supplies in Tumbes to last us the next couple of days and enjoyed some time at the beach this afternoon. Saw some fellow travellers on the road who had made it all the way from Canada to Peru - our journey in reverse.

Day 11: Peru to Ecuador (La Cruz)
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A beautiful day at the campground by the beach. Matt has taken the kids to the beach to play while I do some work. These early campground mornings mean that come 10pm my brain wants to shut down and sleep.

Day 12: Peru to Ecuador (La Cruz, Peru to Guayaquil, Ecuador)
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Tonight we are reporting from Guayaquil, Ecuador. Yes, you heard me right! We crossed safe and sound and will be heading to Puerto Cayo tomorrow.