(2013) Joanne in the Yucatan, Mexico

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After my not great solo trip to Cuba I was worried about another vacation on my own.  But I loved this trip to the Yucatan. I landed in Cancun and then headed up the Caribbean coast.  I visited Cozumel and Isla Mujares.  I rented a car to head inland and visit some awe inspiring Mayan ruins and view some spectacular birds.  The photos are all drab stone or brilliant plumage. 

(2012) Joanne and Valerie in Ecuador and Galapagos

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Val and I went to Ecuador for the most awesome trip ever (well, tied with Africa and India).  We traveled by train, plane, bus, boat, canoe and foot and saw most of the country.  We visited mountains, beaches, rainforests, jungles, cities, villages and drank a lot of coffee.  We pushed ourselves physically and whined about it but we got to see some amazing sights and do some amazing things (swimming with sharks!, fishing for piranhas!, crossing paths with llamas!).  We were there for a month so the blog is long.

 

(2011) Joanne in Cuba

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I went alone to Cuba on the spur of the moment for one week.  I stayed in Havana in a 'Casa' which is a room in a Cuban family home.  I thought Cuba would be beautiful (it is mostly) and somewhat like Mexico (it is not, not even a bit).  I don't know if it was because I was alone and kind of sick or I just don't like Cuba but I did not enjoy this trip and that is reflected in my blog. 

 

(2010) Joanne and Judy in India

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Judy planned a trip to India and I shamelessly invited myself along.  And it was great.  Judy and I had so much fun with our driver Suresh.  He drove us around South India for a couple of weeks.  He showed us places we never would have found on our own.  Plus we got to ride in his comfy back seat.  Driving in India can be terrifying but Suresh kept us and all of the cows we encountered alive and in one piece.  At the end of our time in India, Judy and I went north to see the Taj Mahal.  Then I was on my own for the last week, which I spent in Goa experiencing Mardi Gras and a few days at Bird Camp.  This is a long one.

(2009) Joanne and Valerie in Thailand

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Val and I went on a much too short jaunt to Thailand.  We only had two weeks so we stayed in the north.  We didn't even see a beach.  But our two weeks were action packed with all sorts of Thai tourist wonders - markets, prison massages, boxing, cooking, zip lining, elephants and a horrible day in a minivan.  The pictures aren't great. I blame the Thai habit of ornately decorating literally everything.  The country is a blur of visual over-stimulation.



(2008) Joanne and Muriel in Tanzania

 

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Mom and I went on the most awesome trip to Tanzania.  Our trip was an organized safari that covered most of the country.  There were a few bumps in the planning, such as a civil war in Kenya, caused some pre-trip issues but once we got there, the trip was beyond fabulous.  This was my first blog so the layout of pictures is not great. But the pictures themselves are pretty impressive.  It is hard to take a bad picture when there is an elephant 10 feet from you.  Lots of birds!