I rise early for a day of adventures, beginning with an amazing fruit plate - pineapple, papaya, bananas - for breakfast. If only fruit were this good in the states. First on the agenda for Reda (new Moroccan friend), Jael and I is canyoning, or rappelling down waterfalls. With harnesses (always attractive) and helmets, we venture out into the rain forest. The excursion consists of 4 rappels, the first of which is quite elementary but also serves as a chance fo...

Last night, Jael and I met at the San Jose airport. Although customs was a breeze, convincing the ATM to give us collones proved to be a more arduous task. Finally, with collones in hand, we hailed a death cab to the hostel. This experience only cemented my thankfulness for the decision to forego a vehicle rental. I do not want to be behind the wheel with these crazies. This morning, I was jolted into reality in my first Central American bathroom experience. T...

Our final day in Yangshuo had to start with a hike to the top of Moon Hill, followed by a bike ride. We enjoyed lunch by the river, which included a sampling of some locally grown chilis as well as a Chinese Coke (it's more like sweet tea). The kids were very eager explore a cave. Consequently, we toured Silver Cave, a karst formation with three divisions: upper cave, grand hall and ground cave. The tour is 2,000 meters long and features a very impressive array ...

Rock climbing was our activity for the morning. I had never done it before, but found that I really enjoyed it. Our instructor was surprised that it was my first time. I must have a bit of Spiderman in my blood, although I somehow managed to get bruises all over my legs from the climbing activity. We ventured out on a different biking route for the afternoon. Our path led us through some rough terrain and across the river, a strong test of balance. The kids then...

The Griffith family - minus Brian, plus Jodie - joined us today. Since Lance and I had had a few days to scope out the area, we played tour guides for them. We started our morning with another hike on Moon Hill. This time, an army of Chinese women tagged along in hopes of selling us water. Unfortunately, I did not see my old friend, Tiger Lady. I think she was getting her pet tiger!!! After the hike, we took them through the Yangshuo countryside on bikes, which ...