One of seventeen species of macaws, the Scarlet Macaw is becoming increasingly rare. In Costa Rica, Central America, we visited the Natuwa Macaw Sanctuary where they rescue, breed, and release the Scarlet Macaw. I was very excited at the thought of seeing macaws. When...
Adventure 2019
The Adorable Sloth
Before our visit to Costa Rica, my knowledge of sloths was limited to the Ice Age cartoons. I thought of sloths as adorable and a little clumsy but with a great deal of charm. The Natuwa Macaw Sanctuary is a refuge for other animals as well as the Red Macaw, and this...
Hobbiton, Part Two
This is a continuation of my post about my visit to Hobbiton in Matamata. Part one is here. I was busy taking photos of Hobbit holes and my surroundings and saw something moving. It took me a moment to realize the pheasant was real and it was busy feasting on the...
The Waitakere Ranges Regional Park, New Zealand
Whenever we have friends visiting from overseas, we take them to the Waitakere Regional Park. A short drive from the inner city and you're in the middle of nature. The views from the visitor center are gorgeous, and it's an interesting place for kids of all ages! This...
Exploring Ponsonby, Auckland
This week, I decided to do my writing session in a different place. I ended up in Ponsonby. Ponsonby is an inner-city suburb, around 2 kilometers from the city center of Auckland. The origins of the name Ponsonby are a bit murky, and my search didn’t produce a...
Cruising Through the Panama Canal
Although I’ve visited Panama before via land (around thirty years ago) and peered at the canal from the shore, I was looking forward to actually sailing through. A small part of me wondered if I might get bored—I mean, an entire day of canals then lake then more...
Cooking Class in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico #Adventure2019
Our cuisine in New Zealand is a fusion of European, Asian and Pacific influences with an emphasis on our fresh produce and seafood. We don’t get much in the way of Mexican food in New Zealand, and Mr. Munro and I decided to attend a cooking class when our cruise ship...