November 09th, 2020

One more Adventure before the end of the year!

The Journey Continues.

The election, encouraging news on a vaccine, and (hopefully) the end of the hurricane season.  All these things have resulted in at least some clarity moving ahead. We've all needed that one way or another, because it spells light at the end of a tunnel. 

Back In April before hitting the road, I made a few purchases in airline tickets, knowing that I'd never know the time and place I'd be able to use them. I knew it was a risk, but one I couldn't pass up. I bought tickets to Costa Rica, Peru, Ecuador, and Chile all for around $100 round trip from Miami. Costa Rica and Ecuador had to be used before the end of this month or they would be converted into travel vouchers worth the original amount I paid. I think not!! 

The small investment in Costa Rica resulted in a huge wealth of knowledge and experience. I'm so glad I went. The lovely lady in the picture is named Sabine, and of all the people I met she's become a good friend. One I hope will last a lifetime. The result of the visit are the first two trips to Costa Rica in January and February of 2021, with more to follow. I hope you have a moment to check them out, and join us.

So that leads me to Ecuador. This is the first real fly by the seat of my pants trip. It was scheduled by Avianca, in business for over 100 years, and one of the most vulnerable airlines at the moment financially. As I write this I've been on hold with them for over 7 hours, which as you can imagine makes me a little unsettled. I do have a few contacts there, and with some valuable help, just finished the plan. I'll spend time in Quito, do the Quilatoa Loop, visit the Cotopaxi Volcano and perhaps stop at Chimborazo Mountain, the tallest mountain in the world when measured from the center of the earth! 

I'll be taking a backpack with me, filled with just the essentials, and my camera. Hiking will be for 4 days, a biking trip at Chimborazo and some sightseeing tours as well. It's exciting, but to be honest I'm a little unsettled because of how rapidly this has come up on me. We just got back from a great and safe tour to Key West, only to prepare about 2 days for this journey. I've enjoyed winging it but this is going to be the highest example of just that. I hope you decide to follow along, and if you haven't liked the Facebook page please do, its www.facebook.com/myxoadventures. 

If Its anything like Costa Rica, I'll feel safe. Costa Rica had wash stations at every establishment, hand sanitizer, temperature tests and a person watching to make sure you completed all the steps. They even had wet mats with some kind of solution that you had to step through before entering. If not, well, I'll be outdoors and spend little time if any in the city. I'd like to stay healthy and come home safely. 

Lastly, I just wanted to say that it's my 6th test for COVID yesterday. This one was by far the easiest. It was free, and a drive through offered in Sarasota County. The wait was 20 minutes, and the results came in 15 minutes much to my surprise. It seems like testing is getting better and better each day. If you haven't been tested I encourage you to do so now. If you do decide to travel for the holiday, it's a must. Please be careful and do what you can to keep this thing under control while we wait for the virus. While it's true that I'm all over the world, I am taking every measure possible to be COVID free and I hope I stay that way. Check with your local county resources for free COVID testing, and BTW they don't touch your brain with the swabs. Yes it tickles and tingles but it's not the end of the world!

Stay safe, please join along with me on the travels and I hope to see you on Havana Heartbeat, Costa Rica Exotica or the Mighty Five in Utah next year!

XOXO

Daniel 

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