Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Country 44 - Turkey





17th - 27th April 2019

Image may contain: 8 people, including Ryan Leslie, Caleb Rybalka and Teneale Rybalka, people smiling, people standing and outdoorWe landed at Turkey's brand new airport terminal, which only opened 2 weeks ago, before starting the hour long journey to Istanbul. We had a couple of hours to get settled before meeting up with our new group at a 7pm briefing. The reason we picked this specific tour is to celebrate ANZAC day at Gallipoli. For those reading who are not familiar with ANZAC day, we mourn the fallen who landed at the shores of Gallipoli during WWI on 25th April 1915. ANZAC, meaning Australia & New Zealand Army Corps, is a term we use to honor those who fought for us and now celebrate the 25th April as a national day of remembrance. Unsurprisingly the tour group was mostly Aussies with one German family whose Dad was from Australia and wanted his family to experience this part of their heritage. So we all gathered at 7pm for a quick hello and an itinerary overview before calling it a night.

Image may contain: outdoorThe next day we gathered in the bus and set off for our 700km drive east towards Cappadocia. All we knew of Cappadocia was the fact the region is famous for it's hot air balloons. Boy were we about to get an interesting history lesson. It was an all day drive with many naps along the way and gave us time to start to break the ice with our fellow travellers. To our surprise Turkey was unseasonably cold and we found ourselves with heavy snowfall which meant the hot air balloons were not flying. The following morning our first stop was to visit the underground city of Kaymakli. Carved directly into the mountains over the centuries, Kaymakli is a labyrinth of underground passageways, storage rooms and staircases dating back to the 7th century BC. It was expanded many times over the centuries and finally opened to the public in 1964.

Image may contain: cloud, sky, outdoor and natureWe finished off our day at the snow covered pigeon valley & the beautiful Goreme National Park.  The valley is a small valley were small holes have been excavated on the rock so pigeons would go there to lay their eggs. People would eat the eggs and use the poop for fertiliser. Today the pigeons have the run of things and flock to the parking lot to get fed by the tourists. Home to the Fairy Chimney rock formations, Goreme National Park's first known inhabitants date back to 1200 BC.The site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985. That evening we enjoyed a Turkish dinner and show in an underground cave restaurant complete with traditional dancers, including some belly dancers, and quite a few Raki's (the local firewater).

Image may contain: table and indoorThe next day was a travel day heading towards Pamukkale. We spent the afternoon in Konya at the Mevlana museum, also known as the Green Mausoleum, which was the Mausoleum of a 13th century Sultan and his family. Our last stop before reaching our final destination was an authentic pottery workshop where replica Ottoman pottery is made. We got a live action view of how a sugar bowl was made which highlighted the mastery and precision that goes into such works. We arrived in Pamukkale that evening and our hotel had a natural hot spring outside. A lot of the group braved the cooler weather to don their swimmers and jump into the 40 degree hot pool which was heaven.

Image may contain: sky, outdoor, nature and waterThe following day we visited the famous calcium terraces which are surrounded by Roman ruins. Unfortunately due to the lack of water at this time of year, not all the terraces were filled which left a lot of the natural pools dry and barren. From the hilltop we had uninterrupted views of the valley and all the hot air balloons as the floated in the air. I rolled up my jeans and walked into one of the hot springs with the clay between my toes while other visitors opted to take a dip in one of the pools. We ventured inland towards the ruins and found remnants of a roman theatre and parts of the town. It was here on this mountain we saw our first poppies blooming in the fields.

Image may contain: people standing, sky and outdoorWe spent the afternoon at the legendary ruins of Ephesus. Originally built by the Ancient Greeks in 1000 BC the Temple of Artemis, one of the 7 ancient wonders of the world, was built (and completely destroyed) here. The Romans took over the city in 129 BC rebuilding to the stage where it was named the Capital of the Eastern Roman empire, before the Goths destroyed the city in the 3rd century and Constantinople took over as the capital. The city was abandoned in the 15th century and then rediscovered and excavated from 1869 until today. At it's peak nearly 250,000 people lived here and famous figures like Mark Antony and Cleopatra visited her streets. Nowadays its just an incredible reminder of the beauty and brilliance of the classical civilizations.

Image may contain: people standing, mountain, sky, outdoor and natureWe travelled onto the Ancient Greek city of Pergamon built on a massive mountain that today requires a 2 hour hike or a gondola ride to reach. Luckily our guide bought us tickets for the gondola. Complete with an impressive hillside amphitheatre, the city centres around a 335m high acropolis. Germans began excavating the site in 1864 and have rebuilt the city to what it is today. Far in the distance, we could see the satellite city of Asklepeieon of Pergamon located 10 miles away which we had visited earlier in the day. The ancient city was a religious centre with temples, a hospital and of course a theatre.

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As we began the tail end of our tour we visited the iconic city of Troy. Once believed to be a myth, the city itself went through 9 iterations and rebuilt at least 47 times. It was founded in 3000 BC and finally abandoned in 500 BC. The ruins were found in 1822 and excavation started in the 1860s by the Germans. Troy #6 is believed to be the famous city from the Illiad, the story of the Trojan wars and it's outline can be seen by the number 6 markings around the area. The ruins themselves have very little left so imagination is needed when walking around the grounds but the stories that surround them are mind blowing. A giant trojan horse welcomes you at the entrance and is the finishing touch on a great experience.

Image may contain: sky and outdoorThat night we were driven out to ANZAC cove to begin our check in process for the dawn service. We arrived at 10pm and walked up to the cove as our bus and Turkish tour guide were not permitted entry. We were met with many Aussie and Kiwi volunteers who talked to the crowd as the security wait times grew but eventually we cleared security and made it to the cove at 1am. The group found a spot on the hill and we laid out our sleeping bags to try and get some sleep. There was a giant screen where documentaries were played during the night so sleep alluded some of us. At 3.45am we got a wake up call and told to prepare for the dawn service.

No photo description available.This was the reason we were in Turkey. This was the reason we were on this tour. The event that we were most excited about for this trip was finally here. The ceremony was one of the most moving experiences of our lives. There were many dignitaries from both countries as well as Turkey on hand to pay their respects to the fallen and read first hand accounts of a couple of ANZACs from their hand written letters sent to family members back home. With heavy hearts, the sun rose as The Last Post was played.



Image may contain: ocean, sky, mountain, outdoor, nature and waterAfter the official ceremony finished, we hiked up towards Lone Pine cemetery stopping at multiple memorials and small cemeteries along the route. We made it to Lone Pine in time for the 11am Australian forces ceremony and then hiked a further 3.5km uphill to Chunuk Bair, the site of the New Zealand memorial and ceremony, the highest point of the range and the spot of land that was the target of the ANZACs during the 8 month campaign. There was a lookout along the way to see the spit of land where the ANZACs were meant to land which would have changed the course of the ANZAC legend. The hike was long and hard but absolutely nothing compared to what our boys went through

Image may contain: outdoorWith very little sleep we all boarded the bus and made the 5.5 hour drive back to our starting point. Most of us don't remember it as we all passed out as soon the bus left. We all had an early night for the last early start of the tour. In the morning we took a cruise on the Bosphorus Straight before hitting up the Blue Mosque, Hippodrome area, Topkai Palace, Underground Cistern and the 6th century Hagia Sofia. It was a busy busy day but so glad we got to see the highlights of Istanbul. We finished our day at an incredible spice market. At 6pm we arrived back at our hotel and said our goodbyes to our group.

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Thursday, May 2, 2019

Country 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43 - Balkans Tour




6th - 17th April 2019

After a quick stress free flight from Manchester we arrived into Sofia early afternoon and prepared ourselves for the next 6 weeks of back to back touring. The Balkans tour was a last minute change to our itinerary as unfortunately we had a 6* Scenic cruise cancel on us as their boat hadn't been built on time. Fitting with the dates we now had free, this tour not only fit perfectly it also gave us an opportunity to tick a few more countries off our list. Not having heard of this tour company before, and considering it is a UK based company, we were expecting a majority of British or Europeans on the bus. Well to our surprise the majority were Aussies living in London on a work visa working as teachers. I kid you not, we couldn't believe it. Well at least we knew it should be a fun tour.

Sofia, Bulgaria
On arrival we were met at the airport and whisked off to our downtown hotel in central Sofia. There we were met with our guide Bojan, a local Serbian who would be a source of information and laughs in the days to come. We all gathered in a meeting room at our hotel to meet our guide, discuss the itinerary and hopefully do a quick meet and greet to start to break the ice with some of the strangers in the room. A group dinner was optional and had in the main city area before calling it a night before the real fun began.

Image may contain: indoorBelgrade, Serbia
With a nice and early start we hopped aboard the bus and headed to Belgrade. Now our guide, being from Serbia, was our local guide for the day and shared with us a little history of the city and showed us around the main spots. We visited the permanently under construction Temple of Saint Sava, the 2nd biggest Orthodox cathedral in the world, outside of Helsinki. Our next stop was the Belgrade Fortress that sits on a major hilltop overlooking the whole city. We also drove past remnants from the NATO bombing campaign at the end of the Balkans war in the 1990s. The Serbians refuse to repair the damage from the strikes on the military buildings as a reminder to it's people and visitors.

Image may contain: outdoorSarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Wow this city is gorgeous and what we expected Eastern Europe to be like. I can't explain just how special this place is or what it has been through. WWI was started here and by proxy WWII due to the fallout. Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated in front of the pink building in this picture. In the 1990s, when the Serbs attacked, the city was completely surrounded and remained under siege for 3 years & 10 months. The longest siege in the history of modern warfare. In spite of all this, Muslim, Christian and Jewish people still live side by side in peace as they have done for centuries. The old town has been rebuilt and outside of that still bears the scars of the 500+ daily mortar strikes they suffered. And to top it off they have a Nikola Tesla themed pub, who is a Serbian national hero, which we went to for an afternoon drink of course. Just shows how the country continues to move forward.

Image may contain: mountain, sky, outdoor, nature and waterMostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Another incredible old city made into a major trading gateway by the Ottomans. The 24m high stone bridge was one of the few river crossings available to traders in the Balkans during those times. Today it is a popular jump site the locals use for fun or if they are paid by the tourists. The bridge and surrounding city were destroyed during the war, so while Old Town has been completely rebuilt, the surrounding streets still show a few scars.

Image may contain: mountain, sky, outdoor, nature and waterDubrovnik, Croatia
Today was a big day. We drove in and out of Dubrovnik in one day as its one of the most expensive cities in the Balkans to stay in. So with a 12+ hour day ahead of us we set off for 'King's Landing' to see what all the hype was about. The weather gods were not kind to us today and let the heavens open for most of the day. We wouldn't let that stop us from exploring the old walled city of Dubrovnik and its sea front. Made even more famous by the TV show Game of Thrones, we took part in a GOT city tour at the end of the day and visited film sites such as the Red Keep, Blackwater Bay and the Walk of Shame. We even got to sit on 1 of only 6 Iron Thrones around the globe and I must admit it was scary to see how at home Caleb was on the throne.

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Kotor, Montenegro
Best city (rivals Sarajevo) of the entire trip. Built on the end of a 60km fiord in from the Adriatic Sea, the old town is 800 years old with a fortress wall built strategically up into the hillside. Monasteries were also built into the cliff face giving the city an awe inspiring sky line that seems to go on forever. Some in the group dared climb the city walls but we opted to explore the nooks and crannies each cobblestone walkway presented. In the summer this place is a cruiseship haven so we were very thankful we missed the crowds and could enjoy this slice of heaven relatively by ourselves.

Image may contain: cloud, sky and outdoorTirana, Albania
We both agree Albania is a weird country. It felt like it had been left behind in the 80s more than the other Balkan countries we've visited except for maybe Bulgaria. We had a local guide show us around the main areas which included the main square complete with a marble floor and large erected murals and statues to celebrate their history. Where we were in the city centre was nice, but overall it has a strange feeling to it. As we drove in and out of town, seeing poverty and the state of disrepair the city is in not 2 minutes from downtown was pretty confronting.

Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia
Image may contain: sky, house, cloud and outdoorOur first stop was the St. Nahum monastery high on the mountain next to Lake Ohrid which shares the Albania/North Macedonia border. A very well preserved monastery which has resident peacocks roaming the grounds has beautiful views of the lake and well manicured grounds. We then ventured into the township of Ohrid which is the birthplace of the Cyrillic alphabet and Europe's first University, 20 years before Bologna. Another masterfully maintained medieval town that most people have never heard of that is definitely worth a visit.

Image may contain: cloud, sky and outdoorSkopje, North Macedonia
This city surprised us the most on this trip. The government is spending an absolute fortune transforming the city with brand new statues, fountains, monuments and museums. Due to the long standing disagreements with Greece, the statues that are very obviously of Alexander the Great and his family, are officially referred to simply as General or Warrior, but our local guide was kind enough to unofficially call them what they were. The locals are friendly and the beer is cheap so this city is worth a visit. It would be interesting to visit in 5-10 years time once the city has been completed to witness the opulence on show some of which we could see while we were there.

Meteora, Greece
Image may contain: mountain, outdoor and natureThis morning we said goodbye to our happy go lucky guide Bojan and said hello to our guide for the last few days of our tour in Greece. His name was George and he was from Australia. No joke. A dual national, George has lived in Athens since he was 21 but still has his strong Aussie accent which was a delight to the bus. For the remainder of our tour the weather gods weren't kind and we constantly flipped between heavy fog and rain. But that wouldn't stop us from our first stop on Greek soil. The famous cliff top monasteries of Meteora have well over 20 catholic monasteries on these cliffs, 6 of which are still in operation. The first monasteries were built in the 1300s and access used to only be via rope bridges and ladders that would break in bad weather. Thankfully 100 years ago they built roads, bridges and carved stairs into the mountains for much easier access.

Delphi, Greece
Image may contain: mountain, sky, cloud, outdoor and natureThe Oracle of Delphi housed the Oracle from 700BC onwards which saw the Kings of Greece travel from all over to consult. This site was also the first site for the Panhellenic games which would eventually become the Ancient Olympics. It's status as a religious home made it a target for many invading armies with many Greek city states warring over control of the Oracle before the Romans took over, then the Ottomans, before Greece gained it's independence. Considering it's age, the site is in good condition with restoration works really helping keep the 'town' in tact.

Athens, Greece
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With a stop in the seaside town of Thessaloniki, our city tour was cut short due to a down pour of rain so our poor bus driver and guide had to try and navigate the old town with the big bus to show us around. It couldn't be helped but as a result we have no photos of the town. We arrived in Athens that afternoon and enjoyed an authentic Greek dinner with live music and dancing as a group before saying our goodbyes to each other. The next day we caught up with our friends from Manchester who just so happen to be in Athens the same time as us. Having just seen them a week before in England it was so much fun having lunch and hearing about their Greek experiences so far. After many laughs and lots of great food we ventured out on our own to visit the world famous Acropolis. Sadly the building is covered in scaffolding which I swear was there when I last visited back in 2011. We got some amazing photos of the city of Athens as we had a birds eye view from the top. Before long the heavens opened again so we called it a wrap of our Balkans adventure and headed back to our hotel before flying to Turkey for our next adventure.

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Friday, April 26, 2019

Country 34 & 35 - England and Wales

25th March - 6th April 2019





Image may contain: sky, tree, cloud and outdoorWe said goodbye to North America and were keen for some warmer weather. We flew overnight from Toronto to London in business class with British Airways and sadly it was not as enjoyable as we've known business class to be. The flight was uneventful, I was able to catch up on some new release movies but the seating is the worst which meant no sleep on the red eye flight we chose for that exact reason. Nonetheless we finally arrived, jumped on the tube and made our way to the iconic Paddington station. We were staying in the city for 6 days so after fighting off jetlag for the first 2 days we were finally starting to get on the local schedule.

Image may contain: outdoorWe got ourselves Oyster cards for the underground rail and by our first day running all over town we had it down pat. Lucky for us we were staying close to Hyde Park so we made that our first stop as the weather was unusually glorious as we walked through among the trees looking for Princess Diana's memorial. It wasn't where google maps said it would be so after a good 40 min walk we ended up at the other end of the park at the lovely water memorial. We walked back past lakes with swans and the locals walking their dogs to get to Kensington Palace - the current home of William and Harry. We purchased a tour that gave us access to the 2 floors and a well set up gallery showcasing the lives of the royals who have lived in the Palace since the building was built. They had 3 tiaras on display in the jewel room and they are more spectacular than they appear on TV and I'm guessing these are the 'lower' ranked ones to not be used that often.

Image may contain: one or more people, sky, cloud and outdoorWe made our way into central London to Buckingham Palace and it was just as awe inspiring as the last time I was there. With the sun shining & the crowds not too big we were able to walk around the grounds with some ease. The royal flag wasn't flying which meant the old girl wasn't on the premise but the changing of the guard went ahead anyway and we were keen to just see the palace and it did not disappoint.





Image may contain: Teneale Rybalka, smiling, bridge, sky, outdoor and waterMuch to Caleb's dismay, I booked us onto a hop on hop off bus for the day to get around town. I love doing this as it's an easy way to get to the hot spots but also some more regional parts of the city you wouldn't normally venture to. We started off at Big Ben but unfortunately it's still under reconstruction so not worth a photo. We crossed the Thames and passed the London Eye to arrive at the famed Tower Bridge. We were pleased see a proper British landmark that wasn't under construction or hidden behind a 15 foot fence. With another clear blue sky day it was a sight to see. We even got a picture of an iconic red double decker bus passing over the bridge to top it off. We decided to walk past the Tower of London back towards Big Ben and stopped by Trafalgar Square for a photo. It felt like being in Monopoly!

Image may contain: one or more people, people standing, crowd and outdoorThe dreaded day had finally arrived - Brexit was here! Well by the time this blog is posted we all know the ridiculous way that turned out and continues to be a shambles. But on the day we made our way down to Westminster Abbey to see there was a pro-Brexit rally in full swing. Average age was 60+ easily and there were probably 4000 people. We walked up Parliament St to check out No 10 Downing Street. Security was heavy as expected but we think just a few more guns were on display due the importance of the day. As Parliament St was closed from Westminster Abbey to Trafalgar Square we came across a peaceful march again demanding to leave the EU. Once again no one was under the age of 45+ but this time there were about 80 people. We really feel for our friends in the country who honestly don't know what will happen next.

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Caleb's birthday had arrived and it was time to head off to the soccer. Funnily enough a couple of guys he met on a trip to Nepal a few years ago live outside of London and took him to a local football derby. The ground had about 4000 people turn up and it only cost 10 pounds for entry. Standing in the terraces with the local diehard fans and the drummer right behind him he was in his element. He had a great day drinking beer and abusing the opposition keeper while I stayed in the city and explored the Thames waterfront and Notting Hill.

Image may contain: sky, outdoor and natureOur time in London came to a quick end so we picked up our hire car and headed south towards Bath where we planned a short stay before heading up towards Manchester. It was Mothers Day so the roads were busy and each stop packed with people. Our first to do item was seeing the famous Stonehenge. With the traffic almost at a standstill in the lead up to the henge, we decided to do our sightseeing fr
om the main road to avoid the crowds. We got a great view and a few great photos before we got back on the road. The next day we drove through Bibury in the Cotswolds. They say that the Cotswolds have some of the most beautiful villages in all of Britain. Whoever 'they' are, they are not wrong. Simply stunning.

Image may contain: one or more people, people walking and outdoorWe headed north to a small village called Mold where our friends Dan & Emma, who we met on our Vietnam tour way back in August, had a spare room, a couch and a TV they didn't mind lending us for a couple of days. It didn't take long for us to catch up and get acquainted with their 2 cats and 2 dogs. One of their dogs was a 20 week old Newfoundland puppy named Victor and he was half the size of Caleb! After we arrived the boys took the dogs out for a walk around the village when it started snowing. We thought we'd seen the last of the snow but apparently not. The puppies loved it, especially Victor, and after returning home he passed out on the lounge room floor and snored louder than I've heard some humans.


Image may contain: 10 people, including Caleb Rybalka and Teneale Rybalka, people smiling, people sitting, table and indoorWhile we were in Wales, we had organised to drive into Manchester for dinner with friends we'd also met on the same Vietnam tour last year. It is so great to have met so many wonderful people who just happen to live within 1 hour of each other. To pay homage to how we all met, we caught up for a lovely Vietnamese dinner in the city for lots of laughs and catch ups. To top it off, one of the families just happened to mention they were off to Athens in a couple of weeks. As luck would have it our dates overlap so we made plans to cross paths once more in sunny Greece.

On our last day in the UK we drove north west to the worlds longest train station name. With the Welsh name Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch it's a bit of a mouth full. Hearing it pronounced by a local is amazing but the English translation is even funnier. Get ready for it - St Mary's Church in the Hollow of the White Hazel near a Rapid Whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio near athe Red Cave. Last but not least, we drove back to our friends place to say goodbye and for Caleb to give the not so little Victor one last cuddle. We headed to Manchester for a night at the airport to get ready for our 6am flight to Bulgaria the following day. Nothing like starting a bus tour with a 4am start!

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Monday, April 15, 2019

Country 33 - Canada

27th February - 24th March 2019

Image may contain: sky, cloud, skyscraper, twilight and outdoorWith a quick stopover back in Seattle we arrived in Canada to the bright lights of Vancouver. It had been 4 years since I left Vancouver, having lived in Canada for 2 years, and it was so good to be back. This city holds a very special place in my heart and I'll tell anyone that asks that I'd move back to Vancouver tomorrow if life would allow it. VanCity is constantly among the top 5 most expensive cities in the world to live in and by the sounds of it nothing has changed since I left. But instead of thinking of the money you get mountains that meet the sea, access to snow sports & water sports on your doorstep and a general laid back vibe from the locals that allowed me fit in very well and make some of the most amazing friends a girl could ask for. I was excited to take Caleb to the country I used to call home and meet some of the people in my life that made my time there so special.

Image may contain: 6 people, including Josh Smith, Caleb Rybalka and Teneale Rybalka, people smiling, indoorAs luck and a little planning would have it I was spending my birthday in my favourite city. I rallied some of the old troops and organised a night out on the town with 4 great friends to celebrate getting another year older. There was so much joy seeing them after all these years we started chatting and drinking like no time had passed at all. We hit up an old stomping ground in Gastown & the boys happily worked on adding to their Untappd beer app. Before long we were all conspiring to organise a few sickies on Monday so we could hang out at some local breweries in Olympic Village. This is why I love them. We had a fantastic night that ended up at our friends apartment with a glass of Moet and belly hurting laughs. 

No photo description available.It took me the next day to recover from the antics of the night before. Unsurprisingly the hangovers get worse as the years roll on. In the hunt for hangover food Caleb found his new favorite dish - Poutine. Once he'd tried it for the first time it was his meal of choice for the rest of our time in Canada. Seriously. We walked down to Canada Place, where the cruise ships come into port, and had a gorgeous view of Stanley Park as we walked further down the pier to FlyOver Canada. This is an absolute must do when in the city and as I had done it before I knew I had to take Caleb to have a look. Lucky for me they have added a new USA feature so I got something new as well. FlyOver Canada is a 4D experience flying over the country with a birds eye view. You're strapped into the chair and as the lights go dark you're moved forward and when the lights come back on you are dangling over the edge with a curved screen in front of you that gives the illusion you are in the sky. As the footage takes you over the provinces of Canada you get a little water in the face as you fly by Niagara Falls and some wind in your hair as we zoomed through the Rocky Mountains. It is such an awesome experience and a great way to get a taste of the country. To my delight the experience was replicated as we flew over the USA including the islands of Hawaii.

Image may contain: bridge, tree, sky, outdoor, nature and waterWe hopped on a bus that took us over the Lion Gates bridge which gave us amazing views of West Vancouver and downtown on the return trip. Within minutes we arrived at Capilano Suspension bridge. Located 70m above the valley, the swing bridge is a popular place to visit. It began snowing of course which made the whole experience that much better. As you walk across (or crawl as some did) and get to the other side there are a few trails you can take that are wooden boardwalks through the tree tops. The scenery here is breathtaking and well worth the trip. The bus transfer is free from Canada place which is an added bonus. 

Image may contain: 3 people, including Caleb Rybalka and Teneale Rybalka, people smiling, eyeglasses and indoorOur last night in town was spent with another good friend of mine. Like everyone I had caught up with in the city, Aarti was one of the best. We started our Starbucks journey at the same time and had stores around the corner from each other. After some wine, laughs, a look around their new house & meeting their 2 kiddos we headed out to dinner for some good food and great company. We were off to Quebec the next day so we called it a night but not before planning to meet up again in a few months in Vegas once we return to the US from Europe. With a happy heart we said goodbye to my second home eager to explore the east.

Image may contain: sky and outdoorArriving into -22 degree weather was a bit of a shock to the system but we found it funny that even our Uber driver was complaining about the cold. If a local tells you that you know it's true. Snow was still feet deep around the city and we enjoyed an average of -15 degree days. We stayed just outside Old Town right next to the Parliament building. During our stay we walked into Old Quebec City and visited the famed Chateau Frontenac, a 130 year old Grand Railway Hotel, built on a cliff overlooking the St Lawrence river. We boarded a half day city tour that showed us around the city and at one river side stop we saw how the locals had transformed a park into their own cross country ski area. We ventured around Old Town at night and experienced the beauty of the city lit up in lights.

Image may contain: sky, tree, snow and outdoorWe decided to rail from Quebec City to Toronto and our first stop on the way was Montreal. We arrived in Montreal to moderate snow fall making our walk to the hotel a tricky one. Once we finally arrived we enjoyed a corner suite view of the city and the unrelenting snow fall. The city is gorgeous and full of history. As we spent our time out and about in Montreal we ventured into Old Town which is home to the stunning Notre-Dame Basilica, old town squares & historical statues. Olympic Park, where the 1976 Olympics were held, was worth the visit and a must do is the city lookout to view the vast span of the city and it's surrounding suburbs.







Image may contain: sky and outdoorBack on the train we railed south west towards Canada's capital. Ottawa is very much a government city but the buildings on Wellington Street are worth the stop. The city isn't that big and is concentrated on one main street. We walked into town past another iconic Fairmont hotel and a frozen river that separates Quebec and Ontario. We arrived at the Canadian Federal Parliament which has the Centennial Flame alight in the centre of the square. The National War Memorial is across the road and has a very beautiful tribute to the fallen soldiers from the World Wars. We enjoyed dinner at a local brewery before packing up for our next journey the following day.

Image may contain: 1 person, smilingToronto was our final stop on our train journey and it was just as I remembered it to be. Once again playing the tour guide I took Caleb to the CN tower to get a birds eye view of this lake side city. With 360 degree views and a glass floor it was a sight to behold. We walked to the Distillery District, an original distillery dating back to 1837 right on the Toronto waterfront. The company, Gooderham & Worts, went bankrupt in 1990 just as the distillery compound was made a historical site. We did an hour long segway history tour through the pedestrian only facility which now houses art, micro breweries and small craft houses. We found a couple of funky breweries for Caleb to add to his uptappd app, saw the Hockey Hall of Fame and walked through St Lawrence market which could easily be described as a collectors dream market. Dating back to 1803 there were so many rare finds and cheap deals we could have spent a small fortune in there.

Image may contain: outdoor and natureAs our time in Canada was quickly coming to an end we got a transfer down to Niagara Falls. We stayed on the Canadian side as in my opinion this is the best side to stay for the views and for entertainment. We stayed right near the border crossing next to the indoor waterpark and casino with a balcony view over the falls. The falls were still partially frozen and the river completely frozen over under the border bridge meant that the boat that would normally take you to the base of the horseshoe falls was not running. So we decided to walk the promenade and head towards the tunnels that are dug in behind the horeshoe falls. Some of the openings were completely frozen over but it was still a hell of an experience.

As all good things must come to an end so must our time in North America. Niagara Falls marked the end of a glorious 3 month stint covering different states and territories and now it was time to head east to London just in time for the dreaded Brexit.

Travelers Tip - The train was a very inexpensive way to travel plus we got the added bonus of seeing the countryside as we went. No journey was more than 4 hours which would be about the same time spent at the airport.

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Friday, April 5, 2019

Country 30 - USA, Alaska

19th - 27th February 2019

Image may contain: sky, cloud, airplane and natureWith a 6am flight we said goodbye to Seattle and made our way north to Anchorage. The flight was non eventful which was great so we could get some rest along the way. As we started to descend the clouds cleared making way for the breathtaking scenery that would be just the tip of the iceberg of what we would see during our time in Alaska. There aren't many ways you can prepare yourself for well below zero temperatures and we didn't but we soon learnt the art of layering.



Image may contain: sky, cloud, mountain, outdoor and natureWe had organised a self guided tour for 10 days in Alaska which meant our itinerary, including hotel, car hire, transfers & tours, were all pre organised leaving us with the freedom of independent travel. We spent our first night in Anchorage to get ourselves set up after a long day of traveling and the following morning we picked up our hire car. We followed the Turnagain Inlet coast line, which is surrounded by ice and snow covered mountains, to a small mountainside village called Girdwood where we stayed at a fabulous 5 star resort built in the 1980s. The Alyeska Resort is just heaven and strategically placed at the base of a ski mountain with chairlift access available inside the resort.

Image may contain: sky, tree, outdoor and natureAfter how much we loved snowmobiling in Lake Tahoe, we were keen to give it another go. We decided to book a standard 3 hour tour and ended up with 2 guides, who were a lovely young couple guiding for the first time on their own, using us as their guinea pigs which we were totally ok with. With the sun out, snow falling and a decent few feet of snow already on the ground, we followed the trails that took us to an open field next to a gorgeous little stream. By popular vote, we decided to cross the stream and found ourselves on trails even the guides hadn't traveled on before and uncovered abandoned cabins & vehicles. After a stop next to a larger creek for a well needed hot chocolate, we followed the forest trails to an open field next to the highway where we were able to see what the machines could really do.

Image may contain: snow, outdoor and natureThen the snow set it. It was absolutely magical. The snow got so heavy that we had a full whiteout. It became nearly impossible to see where the sky met the ground, changes in terrain or simply a few meters in front of you. What a thrill! Towards the end of our tour the whiteout claimed it's first victim and I successfully crashed the mobile when I couldn't see the small ridge I had to climb. Now these machines are approx 200kg so having it fall on you should hurt but luckily I had about 6 feet of snow below me so I simply sunk into the snow and wriggled my way out while the guide had to come over and get her back upright. Struggling to dig myself out of hole I found myself in, I had to use the side of the snowmobile to pull myself up and out. I was back on the machine for less than a minute when I stacked it again so once I climbed back out we decided to call it a day as the snow storm was only getting heavier while the visibility worse. The heat in the truck was a blessing while the guides loaded the snowmobiles onto the trailer and we then headed back into Girdwood.

Image may contain: sky, mountain, outdoor and natureWe spent that evening and the following day exploring the township of Girdwood and enjoying the outdoor fire pit while the snow continued to fall. We headed back to Anchorage, dropped off our hire car before a quiet night in for our early start the next day. Before the sun came up we were dropped off at the train station checking in for our 11 hour rail journey through the remote back country of Alaska. As we boarded the Denali Star, a retro old train, we settled in for our ride to Fairbanks. The journey was long but we were kept entertained with the regular moose sightings and beautiful scenery especially when going through the mountain range near Denali National Park. The train had to stop at one stage of the journey to entice a moose to get off the tracks. It took a good few minutes to get him to move and then it was full steam ahead.

Image may contain: outdoor and natureAfter a long day of travel we spent the night in Fairbanks before getting a transfer to the remote resort of Chena Hot Springs. Built around a permanent thermal hot spring, this unique resort has its own dog sled kennels, airstrip and ice museum complete with an ice bar. The springs are glorious, even if getting out of the water in -20 degrees is a bit painful. We ventured around the grounds and found being nestled in a valley provided a beautiful backdrop from every angle. The resort is isolated from the outside world with Fairbanks approx 1.5 hour drive away. We watched a plane take off, walked around the ice museum and checked out their gift shop. Before we knew it, it was time for dinner and a quick rest before the main reason for us being in Chena Hot Springs began.

Image may contain: night, sky and outdoorAurora Borealis. Bucket list. Done. We did a 5 hour late night tour to see the lights. After a 25 min bumpy drive up the mountain in a snowcat, we finally arrived to the middle of nowhere and were greeted by a giant heated teepee. As we spent most of the next 5 hours outside in -27 degrees searching for the northern lights, with a windchill of -40 degrees, that heated teepee was a god send and helped put feeling back into my fingers and toes. We were lucky to see the lights for the last 2 hours on the mountain. And it was magical. The sky wasn't as clear as it could have been but as both Caleb and myself have wanted to see them for as long as we could remember we were stoked to be able to tick another lifelong goal off the list. They called it a night around 3am so we loaded back into the snowcats and after a nice hot shower back in our room I was alseep before my head hit the pillow.

After a swim in the hot springs, sadly it came time to say goodbye to the Alaskan wilderness. As we took a day long train trip up to Fairbanks, this time around we were back on a plane and headed back to Anchorage for our last night before saying goodbye to the US. We decided to splurge a little and had dinner at Benihana which was conveniently located next door to our hotel With a flick of a raw egg, flames that seemed to touch the ceiling and the mouthwatering seafood, it was the best way to close our American chapter of this epic honeymoon.

Travel tip - we loved the freedom of a self guided itinerary. Everything is organised you just have to stay on schedule! Highly recommend for somewhere like Alaska.

Travel tip - there are many once in a lifetime experiences to be had up here (snowmobiling, arctic circle flight, northern lights, wild animal safaris, dog sledding) so be prepared with a little extra spending money so you can make the most out of your trip as you most likely won't be back

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