Your Escape Blueprint

Warning this is not your typical “balanced” review of Trusted House Sitters you see on most travel blogs. You know, the ones focused on getting the reader to click on craftily placed affiliate links promoting Trusted House Sitters.

In fact, this “review” is completely, biased, lopsided, opinionated and extremely snarky. The language used will very likely offend some readers. If you do not like strong language you may want to stop here. You have been forewarned.

Here we go… [continue reading…]

When we arrived in Vancouver in early March, we had no idea how rapidly our plans for the rest of 2020 were going to fall apart. We did of course know of Covid 19, and made a point of sterilizing hands and all around us on our flights. But we naively thought it was all going to blow over. [continue reading…]

Famed for its miles of beaches, and its stunning setting, Rio de Janeiro attracts young and old, especially during Carnival season. So when we were offered a ‘sit’ just across the bay in Niterói in February 2020, we could not refuse. [continue reading…]

After hearing fellow travellers rave about Iguazu Falls we decided that this was a must do this trip to South America.

From Buenos Aries it’s a long bus ride or a short easy flight  into the tiny airport. Here we lucked out and met Leonardo who became our driver into Puerto Iguazu. Taxi and Remise drivers all charge a flat fee of 700 Pesos which is rather pricey, but hey it’s a tourist town. [continue reading…]

What is the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions Argentina?

That answer probably depends on your background, your interests and your age.

For some it might be images of the Falklands conflict in 1982, for others it is the music and drama of tango in the plazas of Buenos Aires.

No not Monarchs as in rulers and royalty. I’m talking about the eastern population of North American Monarch butterflies who overwinter in a dozen or so mountain areas in the States of Mexico and Michoacan from October/November to late March.

Millions of them gather in oyamel fir forests in the mountain hillsides. The elevation, temperature and humidity provide an ideal microclimate for the butterflies, as it assures that they won’t dry out and allows them to conserve their body fat for energy.