But hey, I made it through a sailing trip to the British Virgin Islands (sans prescription medicine, nonetheless), and got thru some extremely bumpy roads in Bhutan with the patch. I really thought I was home free…as long as I had the patch on.

So, off we go to the Galapagos. We learned how to tip over and right our kayaks on the first day, which I strongly feel is by far the easiest part of kayaking. Maybe that’s because I would rather be in the water than in a kayak any day of the week…

I’m doing great on the boat, and hopping in the kayaks seems like a fun way to spend our second afternoon. Except the fact that there were whitecaps. And the sea was rough enough that they were considering cancelling the kayak excursion for the afternoon. Eh, we decided to go for it, even though we were by far the most inexperienced kayakers. I mean, the panga goes with you in case you need any help, and really, what can go wrong? We fall in? See my comment above–we both were far more comfortable in the water than in the kayak anyway.

Let me cut to the chase…we didn’t fall in, we weren’t that horrible at paddling, but I was green as a sea turtle and barely made it back to the boat before the projectile vomiting set in. Fun stuff. Dear husband was both irritated with me for not paddling (hard to paddle when 100% of my attention was to trying not to throw up), and also kept telling me to turn around so he could take pictures.

Do you know how it feels to turn around in huge swells when you already feel awful? Yea. There were a lot of bad words. See? I can put on a happy face when I am anything but (this is the second day and there weren’t even large swells).

Because this decision wasn’t bad enough, I decided that I should go kayaking again the next morning. Awesome idea Heather! You are so (stupidly) optimistic.

Sure, the scenery is gorgeous. We saw quite a few turtles and rays while we were kayaking too. But the second kayak ended up much the same way as the first…on the upside, DH figured out how to balance the kayak while I threw up over one side! How’s that for teamwork? We thought it was impressive.

After kayak-fun time numero dos, I was done. I was tired of throwing up, and I was there to enjoy and explore. Not curled up on the boat deck cushions. So there came the end of my kayaking experience in the Galapagos. Fortunately, there was another person on the boat that DH had a great time double kayaking with, so he didn’t miss out on anything due to my inner-ear fails. He turned into a really great paddler by the end of the trip.

I don’t really feel like I missed much in terms of wildlife (which was my priority), but I did learn that I will not be signing up for any more kayaking trips. Ever.  For what it’s worth, if you like kayaking, our trip was run by Natural Habitat and it was amazing.

I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been too preoccupied with triathlon stuff (training and literally, stuff…tri shorts are a little too weird and hard to fit for my liking), or because I’m still tired from the Galapagos, or because I’d just rather do something else.

I don’t really feel like writing. In part, I think it’s because I can’t really explain how cool the Galapagos Islands are. And it’s hard going back to your every day life realizing there is something THAT cool out there. Sort of like the first time I went to Africa and realized how much I really love animals.

Because…I mean….look at THIS fellow. I stared at him for about 20 minutes. He stared back. He was trying to attract a mate. I’m sure I was interrupting. He let me watch him select a stick and wave his feet anyway.

Ten days later, instead of staring at curious creatures and amazing landscapes, I was walking home from the metro…from the airport…and DH and I were having a serious discussion of what made up *that* horrible, awful, pee-ish smell on U Street. DH claimed that some of it was despair, and I laughed, sadly. True, but unfortunate.

Don’t get me wrong, I do love the city, but….that was a smack back into reality. That + the Trump and Cruz’s election absurdity made me really miss the natural world. Devoid of (most) humans.

Anyhow, I have tons of stories and photos to post. We’ll get there eventually. I have taken more of a liking to Instagram, though, so find me there for anecdotes and photos! I mean, really, the Galapagos is best explored/explained/blogged just through photos. Because it is truly an amazing place.

We are headed to the Galapagos in just about a month! The Galapagos really blends two things DH and I both love–water/snorkeling and animals. We are excited about spending some time in the highlands in Ecuador as well.

We’ll be in a hotel for about 3 nights, on a ship for 6, and in a safari-style lodge for a single night. I’m not a huge fan of boats, so while I know many travelers like longer trips, I’m quite happy with 6 days on a ship.

We pack lightly, but the Galapagos will require some new/different gear. My mom went to the Galapagos less than 2 years ago, and also provided us some suggestions of things we needed, along with the guidance we received from our operator (Natural Habitat).

Here are five things I’m definitely packing for the Galapagos that I don’t always take with me on other trips:

1. A shorty wet-suit: I’m like the biggest water wimp pretty much ever. I get cold in the Caribbean, and last about an hour without shivering violently. I’m no penguin. Yes, they do provide these on the boat but if you know me, you know I’m a germaphobe and wearing a stranger’s wetsuit just isn’t happenin’.  Mine is a Patagonia R1 Spring Jane.
2. Lots of spray sunscreen: I never ever have spray sunscreen, but when you are wet all the time, it’s significantly easier to apply. In travel size, obviously. Still not checking a bag! As always, Amazon is my go to for sunscreen — but check the expiration when it arrives.
3. Swim tights: I’ve been warned of jelly fish, plus they’ll help to keep me warm and ensure that I worry less about the sun while in the water or on a kayak for extended periods. UPF 50 should be great around the equator! I’ll of course have my normal rashguard for snorkeling as well. These are from Athleta, because their return policy (any time, any reason) is the best. Similar here (on sale!).
4. Dry bags: really necessary for wet landings where you have to hop into the water to reach the shore. Don’t want a wet camera when there are boobies (red and blue, of course) to be seen! I was gifted a set of various sizes, perfect for my camera and equipment.  Check out Amazon, REI, or any outdoor store, similar here.
5. Water-appropriate shoes: for wet landings in water, sometimes there is lava, not sand, so bare feet just don’t cut it. I’m taking Tevas, but DH found some awesome draining sneakers from Adidas that will do the job (and he can walk/hike for a bit in them, too)! Amazon, again. These are the original Tevas, and mine were a whopping $23 when I found them on Amazon.

And of course my own snorkel will be coming with me (see earlier germaphobe reference).

It is likely to be a bit cool in the highlands, so I’ll probably need a lite layer/coat–plus, planes are like freezer boxes anyway, so I’ll definitely have something warm even though it will be hot in the islands.

Not only am I excited for the Galapagos, I’m in need of a solid vacation, too, though I always miss the dog. I’ll post my packing list as the trip gets closer!

Have you been to the Galapagos? Anything you definitely wished you had brought with you and didn’t have?

I don’t know many travelers who don’t have the Galapagos Islands on their “must see” list. If you like wildlife (errr….”like” may be a bit of an understatement for me), the Galapagos are an obvious choice for a trip.  And my mom’s photo just makes me even MORE excited to go!

But, if you’ve ever planned for the Galapagos, you know the incredibly wide and seemingly endless amount of options that exist. Ship-based? Land-based? Big ship? Small ship? Catamaran? Sailing vessel? Luxury? Simple? Focus of trip?  How much do you want to spend? I swear, you could spend years just doing research on how to get there and who to go with.

When we first started looking at the Galapagos, I already knew that we wanted a sea-based trip, so we could see more things in a shorter period of time. We also were looking for a small boat (no more than 36 people and preferably less), a focus on wildlife and activity (lots of opportunities for snorkeling, hiking, etc.), a nice ship, with a reputable company. That narrows down the options pretty darn fast.

We settled with a company that we used before–Natural Habitat (they coordinated our recent safari in Kenya, too, though Galapagos is obviously with a group). Even Natural Habitat has a plethora of Galapagos options…three different boats, all catering to different types of travelers. Natural Habitat also partners with the World Wildlife Fund.

Useless side note of the day: World Wildlife Fund has the cutest stuffed animals, including a blue-footed booby! Just in case you needed one for your house…

While the Athala (with its luxurious cabins and hot tub) had me at hello, we ultimately opted for the Nemo III (a new ship), the trip with the fewest people, more snorkeling, and special kayaking permits. The group is limited to a small 14 people and includes an awesome night in a safari-style camp overlooking the giant tortoises! The focus on being active and doing lots of snorkeling is pretty obvious–we love to snorkel, and having at least one opportunity if not more per day to hop in the water sounds amazing (albeit cold).

The kayaking thing is a little bit laughable–apparently you need to know how to right your kayak and have some skill at paddling. While dear husband and I can certainly get from point A to point B (we kayaked quite a bit in Belize), it’s never been in truly open ocean, and we spend a lot of time arguing over direction. Of which I say DH can’t steer (and to which he says I have no sense of direction). They give us some skill lessons at the beginning, so here’s to hoping we aren’t the village kayaking idiots.

I’m excited to see what the Galapagos will bring! As long as I have my motion sickness patch, that is.

Have you been to the Galapagos? What was your favorite experience?

We actually weren’t planning to walk to the Sun Gate on our free morning at Machu Picchu. Most trekkers come in through the Sun Gate, as it is the end of the Inca Trail. But for those of us who didn’t trek, the Sun Gate is about a mile up from the main site of Machu Picchu.

In August, the sun rises at about 7am, and the line into Machu Picchu was no joke either the afternoon we arrived or the next morning. In order to get to the top of the Sun Gate, we would have had to line up well before 6am in order to hopefully get in the gate as quickly as possible and make it to the Sun Gate. Instead, we decided to hike to one of the upper points of the ruins, and enjoyed the sunrise from there.  We were concerned that the Sun Gate would be really crowded, and that we might not make it up to the Sun Gate anyway, because the line just to get in was really long. The view from here was fantastic, and most visitors stay farther below so it wasn’t crowded at all.  After watching the sunrise, we decided that it would be fun to walk to the Sun Gate anyway, so off we went!

Sun Creeping Over Machu Picchu

How long it takes you to hike to the Sun Gate depends on two things: how fit you are (and how you handle altitude) as well as how much time you spend on the way up taking pictures of the beautiful view below.  Most guides suggest that it will take 1 to 1.5 hours up and about 40 minutes on the way down. It took us about 1.5 hours or a little bit more roundtrip and we spent probably 20 minutes or so at the top. If you have problems with altitude, it will definitely take longer–we passed many people who were having a really hard time walking uphill at 9,000 feet.

View On The Trail to the Sungate

The Sun Gate was to be the main entrance for the Incas to Machu Picchu, and does provide a stunning view of the entire site. But as our guides said, if you are looking for the “best view ever” you might be disappointed–Machu Picchu does look really small from there.  If you are just interested in getting a fun hike in and some good views, the Sun Gate is absolutely worth it.

That said, I think whether or not you walk to the Sun Gate really depends on how much time you have at the site: if you are there just for a few hours or half-day in the morning, I’m not really sure–that unless you just want a fun hike–that the Sun Gate is worth it. Because we were able to spend the entire afternoon prior exploring the site, until Machu Picchu closed, the next day there wasn’t a ton more that we really wanted to see, and the extra bit of exercise definitely sounded nice (marathon training, remember?).

Overall, here is my verdict on the Sun Gate:

Hike: Uphill, but easy path with some stairs.

Length: 45 minutes up if you are fit/not having altitude issues; 1.5 hours if you are having a hard time.

View: Excellent, just to take in the expanse of Machu Picchu and the surrounding areas, but there are lots of fantastic views throughout the site as well. Can be hazy/foggy, and depending on you camera and skills, lighting can be tough. So if you are going up just to get a good photo, you may be disappointed.

Overall: If you have time and want exercise, it’s definitely a fun hike. If you are doing it just to say you did (come on, we all know people like that), or for the one and only perfect shot of Machu Picchu, well, you might be disappointed.

Machu Picchu Nestled into the Andes, from the Sun Gate

Every summer, on every Friday, there is a parade at the Marine Barracks in Washington DC. Located not far from the Eastern Market Metro, the Marine Barracks are beautiful. The parades only go from May 1 to August 28, and you have to request tickets in advance (here). There is actually general admission also, but it’s worth getting a ticket to know you have a seat and not have to stand in line longer.

The Marine Barracks parade is from 8:45pm to 10pm, and you can start entering the gates at 7pm. The Marines are both perfectly orderly and wonderfully polite and helpful, and do a pretty good job of entertaining you while you wait for the rest of the guests to be seated. And there are both water and restrooms available.

The Marine Barracks in Washington DC is the oldest, active, Marine Corps post. The performance includes the United States Marine Band (the one that performs for the President), the U.S. Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, and the Color Guard. Of course one of the highlights of the performance is Chesty (I think we are now on #8?) who of course is the official mascot of the barracks…a striking and strutting English bulldog. But one of the biggest reasons to go see the Marine Barracks Parade is truly to marvel at the Silent Drill Platoon. They perform an amazing routine in perfect synchronization with no verbal cues. Between the music, the scenery, the silent drill performance, and Chesty, the Evening Marine Barracks Parade is really one of the best ways to experience something very “DC” on a Friday night.

There are tons of Eastern Market restaurants to grab a bite to eat on your way to the parade, and tickets are free. So whether you are visiting DC, or live here and want to do something a little bit different on a summer Friday, check it out. Just remember, unlike many other DC experiences, the Marines are both exceptionally punctual and organized!

But we received some good reviews about the Center while we were at Leleshwa, and decided to give it a shot.

I actually thought it was a good experience, and yes, I enjoyed petting/feeding a giraffe. They have a single family of giraffes there. They are all Rothschild giraffes, which I had never seen before. Masai giraffes are much more common in the savannas–Rothschild are in Northern Kenya and I think significantly more endangered.

The Center is run by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife, and there isn’t much there besides, well, the giraffes. The giraffes are there to raise awareness and offer educational opportunities about the species. Entry is about $10 US dollars. It’s a non-profit and also has a pretty good gift shop if you are still looking for something to take home from Kenya!

They are funny creatures. Allowed to roam freely, one giraffe would come over for the human feeding and then get tired of the noise and frenzied children, and saunter away. Pretty soon a different giraffe would wander over for a bit of feeding time, as he pleased. They certainly were in no hurry, and clearly came for the food not for the pets. None of them particularly liked the human attention, but those alfalfa pellets were quite attractive.

The tongue of a giraffe is long, like a dog, and scratchy, sort of like a cat but much more glamorous (cats/cat tongues are just weird in general…giraffes are much cooler). It’s also a weird blue/black and very prehensile. Good for eating Acacia trees and avoiding the spikes…also good for enveloping small, unwitting human hands and ensuring they consume the full handful of alfalfa pellets rather than just one at a time! Their fur was much softer than I expected–sort of like an Airedale? It was fun just to watch their mannerisms and annoyance with humans who wanted affection.

If you are on the fence but have some free time, the Giraffe Center is a good cause and all the giraffes seem happy as clams with freedom to roam/eat acacia as they please. I probably won’t ever see a giraffe that closely again, and it is incredible to see the lanky, curious creatures at arms length.

Whoops, was I not supposed to put that on the internet? Whatever. I’m glad at least one of us is romantic.

Star Wars movies are, after some convincing on the part of DH, something I like and we can both agree that we like and will watch together. In fact, Star Wars and the accompanying characters and fanfare is something we really enjoy.

So it took little convincing for us to decide to head to Nationals Park for Star Wars Day…I mean, we love baseball anyway, and the Nats are doing really well this year!!

Unfortunately, Star Wars day seemed to happen on one of the hottest days of the summer so far, with heat indexes ranging upwards of 105.

Fortunately, the awesomeness of Star Wars day overshadowed the heat. First, we arrived early enough to get an awesome possum R2 D2 can cooler. This thing is not only fashionable (Star Wars stuff is fashionable, obviously), it did keep my beer cool on a very hot day.

The Star Wars tune was played every time there was a strike by the National’s pitcher, and all of the Presidents and mascots were dressed up as Star Wars characters! (Are you unfamiliar with the Nationals? They have a President’s race each game, with these five massively large President’s costumes (see here). It’s a big deal, and in a bad season, people care more about Teddy’s race record than the Nat’s horrible closers. Fortunately, that’s not the case this year.)

So, Teddy, Abe, George, Tom and the total misfit, Bill race each game (William Howard Taft, not Clinton. Though I’m sure Clinton will one day have a racing President, never fear.)

Teddy was amazing as Chewbacca! George was Darth Maul. Abe was Darth Vader. Tom was Princess Leia (uh…someone definitely had fun making these assignments, no?). Little Screech was Yoda.

While we fortunately/unfortunately missed out on some awesome Star Wars apparel that we certainly don’t need, we had a great time at the game. Even though the Dodgers won.

There is something so fascinating about elephants, an animal with incredible social dynamics and a memory that most of us would envy.

So I thought Sheldrick’s would be interesting, but I didn’t realize how much I would absolutely, positively, adore watching baby elephants. Sleeping, mostly.

But let’s back up for a moment…

Probably a few years ago, my mom gave me the book on Dame Daphne Sheldrick, entitled Love, Life, and Elephants (I mention it here, too).

It took me probably another year to read it because I’m delinquent, but when I did I was enthralled. Dame Daphne was the first to successfully raise milk-dependent orphan elephants, and also raised a menagerie of other animals, including dik-diks, birds, and rhinos.

Have I mentioned how many dik-diks we saw on this trip?! SO MANY.

Back to Sheldrick’s.

The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is what emerged from all of Dame Daphne (and her husband David’s) work on conservation and raising orphaned animals.

And, you can visit in Nairobi. Public visiting hours are from 11-12 each day, I believe, and if you want to adopt an elephant (or visit an elephant you’ve adopted), you can visit from 5pm-6pm.

(We did not know that this 5pm time slot was for elephant adoptions, we just thought there was a $50 entry fee. Now that we know this $50 fee is not for entry, but actually for the elephant adoption…well, it’s a fantastic hour to stare at sleeping (and interactive) baby elephants and also support a great cause.)

If you are in Nairobi, go. It’s totally worth adopting an elephant, as then you get ridiculous amounts of insanely fun (and sometimes sad) stories of their lives and 10-15 year journey back to reintroduction. And a precious wallet size photo montage of them.

Yes, reintroduction. Sheldrick’s works to send ALL of their elephants back to wild herds, and has been doing so successfully for decades. Which is really impressive.

This won’t be the last I write of Sheldrick’s, but I’ll leave you with a few pictures of the babies. And Maxwell, the genetically blind rhino who resides (forever, since he’s genetically blind) at the Trust. There is something lovable about a rhino that looks cuddly.

Obviously, don’t try to cuddle Maxwell on a visit. Though I guess there are worse ways for loved ones to remember you than “she was just trying to cuddle an orphaned, blind, rhino when it accidentally stepped on her!”

That was a bad joke.

First, I hate margaritas.

Second, I hate weird commercialized things like this.

Third, if it sounds like a tourist trap, if it looks like a tourist trap, if it smells like a….well….

Confession: Margaritaville was a lot of fun, and I didn’t even go in the water.

Ok–Margaritaville is probably as ridiculous as you imagine. But that aside, it definitely is a fun stop. After our snorkeling in Montego Bay Marine Park, the Dreamer catamaran dropped us off for about an hour.

First–the drinks were good and refills are cheap if you buy a glass. We didn’t get as far as a refill…

Second–the water play-things are pretty awesome, and had I been a little less hungry and had a little more energy, I totally would have partaken. But it was fun to see DH and his brothers tumble and fall like cartoons or horrible ninjas on American Ninja Warrior.

Third–the food, while I think overpriced, was delicious and enormous.

Fourth–there is a waterslide. One that looked like it was built in the 1960’s, but a water slide nonetheless. It spit people out at least 10 feet, and looked sort of terrifying. I didn’t try it, and DH banged his elbow up pretty good, so use with caution. It still looked fun.

So I learned not to judge something before experiencing it. Even when it sounds like something I would hate. Margaritaville is definitely worth a look-see in Mobay, especially if you want to practice running across a rolling log or scaling a slippery plastic slide.