When we organized our Oaxacan hiking trip, we arranged to spend a night living with a Mexican family. At the time, it seemed like a good idea. However, as we…
It turns out our great sleep may have been drug-induced. Quite possibly, the tea we drank before bed was te limon, made by stashing a knot of semi-dried stems that…
When I left off yesterday, we were having a love affair with our cabana in Llano Grande (literally Large Plain). Next test was the hiking itself, and our guide. William…
Getting Over the Jitters At about 9:30am on Sunday, February 14, Valentine's Day, we arrived in the small hill town of Llano Grande. We feared we might have made made…
When my internet search uncovered a 7-day hiking trip that involved walking from Zapateco village to Zapateco vilage in the Sierra Norte in central Oaxaca, I thought: This I…
I knew the Tule Tree was the widest tree in the world before I visited it yesterday evening. But nothing prepared me for a tree that is over 14 meters…
After too long walking on cobblestones in the graceful old colonial city of Oaxaca in the south of Mexico, I was pleased to feel warm sand between my toes…
As some of you know, Alex and I spend winters in warmer climes. Since Alex’s lodge – The Lodge at Pine Cove – is closed for winter, and winter hiking…
Hiking in La Gomera Our first day, when we woke up to the sun climbing over the ridge, we explored our temporary home. Later in the day, we set…
La Gomera -- La GoWherea? When we arrived in La Gomera on January 5, it was about 10pm and we’d been up since 3:45am. We’d caught a cab in London…