Bike Journey in Portugal

Wade and I went to Portugal for a bike adventure. We bought Bikes in Lisbon and rode off into the sunset along the coast. For more on this adevnture visit Wanderjahr Jill's Bicycle Adventure



This is our basic camping set-up in Portugal. One tarp on the bottom, one tarp on the top, and sleeping bags in between.


This is a photo of a beach outside of Setubal; where we stopped to spend the day sun bathing and relaxing.



This is a photo of the highway that we rode on along the coast of Portugal. There are not many cars, so it is a safe choice for bike riding.

The many rivers along the coastline of Portugal require many ferry crossings.



This is a photo of another ferry boat in Portugal.

This is a photo of my bicycle before I started out. It is all packed and ready, but I soon found out it was entirely too heavy and wobbly to ride. I made panniers out of a couple of bags, and used an old milk crate for a basket.


Wade is excited about heading out!


Wade is carrying less stuff, but it was still too heavy of a load.



Bald on the ferry.


Taking a break at a Miradoura in Portugal.

Photographs of The Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador

These are more images of my trip to the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador.

These are my friends from Friends World/ Global College on the river boat in the Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador.

This is a view of the river from our boat. The traditional indigenous boats are dug out canoes.

There have been modification on these boats from the original dug-out canoes. Now they drive motor boats to haul tourists around the river. Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador.

This is my cabin in the jungle. It had running water, but no electricity. The indigenous do not have access to electricity so far into the jungle, Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador.

This is the frame structure for another indigenous hut in the jungle, Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador.

This is our indigenous guide walking through the jungle in the Amazon rainforest, Ecuador. He showed us many herbs and plants with medicinal value, as well as indigenous food sources. We also saw monkeys, bullet ants, and other wildlife.

Gandoca, Costa Rica

I spent about a month in this little town called Gandoca. It is on the border of Panama and in a national park. I had an internship with MINAE, The Ministry of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica. I hung out with the park ranger, saved the forest, and was involved in a project to save marine sea turtles. Mostly these were Leather backs, but Green Ridley sea turtles also came to nest.

The turtle nesting beach at Gandoca

The turtle egg hatchery
The eggs would be transfered from the nests on the beach into the hatchery so that they were protected from animals and potential poachers.

Another volunteer and our boyfriend Adonis

Surf!

This is the school in Gandoca where I would occasionally give English language lessons.

This is the MINAE office where I lived. Beautiful, eh?

This is the one dirt road that leads in and out of Gandoca.
Sometimes it would get so flooded that the whole town would not be able to move.

Mincho! The coolest guy in Gandoca. He has a tough shell but his heart is gold.

This is my bunk in the MINAE office. I am a mess! Notice my thin, summer sleeping bag, and the mosquito net. A mosquito net will save your life in tropical climates!

These are my English language students from the highschool. They are performing a song in English. This was at a ceremony for the Azul Playa Clean Beach award.

These are signs that I made to put on the beach. "Do not leave more than your footprints," "Please leave this place equal or better than how you found it," " Do not throw trash."

An absolutely insane german traveller who was also volunteering for the turtle project. He was nuts, and I seemed to be the only person who befriended him. He showed up on my doorstep one night in the pitch darkness and I had to walk him through the town, and through the jungle to his bungalow without a flashlight. All lights are out at night to protect the turtles nesting.

A big squashed bug in the street. It was as large as my palm.

Rasta surfers from Gandoca!

Agujas, Costa Rica

Erik and I took off for the weekend to find a little madness.....

We ended up in Agujas, sleeping under my small mosquito net in our sleeping bags on the sandy shores or the Pacific. Escaping a weird man, sleeping on his floor, and hitching home were all part of the excitement!