A VOLUNTEERING VACATION IN COLORADO

Before re-joining the real world back in Washington DC, we stopped off in Colorado for a few weeks. 

After 30,000+ miles, we needed a vacation (seriously!), plus we got to see Liz's parents and hike in the valley where we got engaged, American Basin. And of course, we volunteered. 

The hiking was simply spectacular, particularly the trail up to Mount Garfield in the Bookcliffs in Grand Junction (hi, Liz!).

We even got to experience some very curious local wildlife on the Liz's parent's back porch. Thanks, Mark and Sheila. 

And then there were all the volunteer activities. 

First up, we hit the local library. Did you know you could volunteer at many public libraries? Volunteers fill a critical need, as budget cuts are affecting libraries all over the country.

The friendly folks at the Mesa County Library System taught us the joys of sorting books, shipping books, and shelving books all in the same day. Two local newspapers even wrote a story about our time at the library.


Read the full stories online here & here




Even better, we found out later that Liz's mom and others became regular volunteers after our visit. As we've often experienced in our travels, volunteering is seriously contagious!

Next stop, we were invited to talk to two service learning classes at a Grand Junction high school about the places we've experienced and why we think volunteering is so important. We also talked about the importance of being engaged in your local community whether it's in Colorado or Cambodia. 

Then, after sharing a few of our favorite photos, we helped the students work through some of the incredible ideas they were developing to improve their school. These guys were so far ahead of us when we were their ages. In addition to going to school and working, this group was figuring out how to get approval and funding to paint educational murals on buildings and to add hand-decorated trash cans to increase proper litter disposal. A big thanks to the students and their fantastic teacher, Ms. McGuire -- keep up the great work...and keep inspiring! 

Next up, we headed back to the spot where it all started more than two years ago...cleaning up the Continental Divide. This time, we came prepared with granola, water, and of course, our ever-present trash bags, which we never hike without anymore. 

Like the last time, we did what anyone could do -- we cleaned things up a bit. It wasn't hard, and it didn't take long. And just like before, we felt really good when we were through, and the area looked a lot better, too. 

It was a special moment for us -- for the better part of two years, we have been traveling, volunteering at least one day each week no matter where we went.

We have seen and done so many things we before only dreamed about. But there is more to be done. More trash to be picked up. More books to shelve. More students, travelers and fellow humans to talk to about making giving back a part of their lives...at least one day each week. 

TOP 10 EL SALVADOR HIGHLIGHTS

A rocky beach shines in the afternoon sun near El Tunco.

For being the smallest country in Central America--about the same size as Massachusetts--El Salvador serves up some quality adventures.

For more than a month, we were never short on things to do, plus, the country's size makes it perfectly accessible for fairly comfortable bus travel. A welcome change from the 12-hour marathon bus journeys of Madagascar, Tanzania and Myanmar.

And so, as we bid farewell to Central America's hidden gem, below is our Top 10 list of favorite things and places, in no particular order.

El Tunco--Surf, sand, soft tacos and sunsets make this beach town an hour from San Salvador a must see. Even Men's Journal loves it!

• Eat tacos at Taco Guanaco, burritos at Burritos El Chef, and the chicken platter at the corner restaurant by the parking lot (you'll see it). You can't go wrong
• If you're on a budget, stay at the Hotel Papaya--good rooms for $20 for two
• Want to learn Spanish? Take a lesson (or 10) with Nelson. $10/hour
• Visit the waterfalls of Tamanique, a short bus ride from El Tunco

Olocuilta--No matter what, stop here for the famed Salvadorean pupusa. Located on the road between the airport and San Salvador, Olocuilta is the country's pupusa capital and is home to countless roadside stands selling the unofficial national food. Enjoy one filled with beans, cheese, chicken or fish...and don't skimp on the slaw.

Suchitoto--Just a one-hour bus ride from the capital, Suchitoto is a world away. Beautiful cobblestone streets and a traditional plaza and cathedral sit perched on the edge of lake Suchitlan. 

• Go on a birding tour with "El Gringo" to see the Torogoz, Toucanet, Long-Tailed Manakin and others
• Follow the stream to the waterfall for a swim and a few jumps
• Eat and stay at Villa Balanza, with the best views in the city

San Salvador--Sure, it's still rough around the edges, but safety's improved immensely and there's lots to do!

• Eat some killer tacos at Lips Tacos...the restaurant across the street from Lips "dance boutique"; your cab driver will know what you're talking about
• Volunteer with Glasswing International
• Make the trek up to El Boqueron volcano
• Sing karaoke and eat street food at the fun bars and restaurants of Paseo el Carmen in Santa Tecla
• Visit the Iglesia El Rosario for its stained glass and artistic stations of the cross
• See a movie and eat sushi at the Gran Via mall. If it's been a while since you've seen either, you won't be disappointed

Colorful art from an Ataco market.

Ataco--Beautiful city of murals on Ruta de las Flores. 

• Eat at the new Italian restaurant up the hill from Meson de San Fernando-they had incredible salad!

Juayua--Also on the Ruta de las Flores

• Eat numerous grilled meats (pork, beef, rabbit, chorizo), corn, yucca and other heavenly concoctions at the weekend food festival
• Hike down to the waterfalls and have a swim.

El Pital--Spend an afternoon hiking El Salvador's highest peak, and get some great views of the border with Honduras.

• Stay the night in one of the many mountain guest houses like Posada del Cielo, take in the view and enjoy being cold, for the first time in El Salvador

El Salvador...a country of murals. 

Alegria--The Suchitoto of the East with it's small town square

• Visit on the weekend for the street fair
• Have a coffee and try the homemade chocolate with coffee beans at Cafe Entre Piedras

Playa El Cuco--El Salvador's beautiful Eastern beach town. 

• Take a short ride to Las Flores and watch surfers ride one of the hemisphere's top point breaks
• Stay the night at La Tortuga Verde (double room for $20), right on the beach in El Esteron. If you stay two weeks, the next two weeks are free!
• Walk the endless beach and look for sand dollars, and admire the cows
• Eat at one of the great restaurants over the water in El Cuco

Golfo de Fonseca--the body of water surrounded by El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua.

• Take a boat tour cruising the islands with Mario of Tours Panoramico (golfo_fonseca@hotmail.com) stopping at Meanguera Island for lunch
• Take the boat to Potosi in Nicaragua, skipping the border crossing with Honduras all together

PHOTO FRIDAY: SERENGETI SUNSET

An old Landrover, an acacia tree and the sun setting over the Serengeti. Sometimes life brings good things together. 

After spending hours taking photos from the back seat while listening to our guide tell us about all the things that could kill us if we left the vehicle (lions, leopards, snakes, hippos, rhinos, etc), Josef finally let us out to snap a quick shot at the scenic overview above. One of the best days and most beautiful sunsets of the trip.

FUNNY MONDAY: LEMURS HAVE IT TOUGH

For an animal as adorable and cuddly as the lemur, life's gotta be tough. 

Never a moment of peace and quiet thanks to the constant sounds of footsteps from nosy tourists, the grating "ooh-ing" and "ahhh-ing" of countless visitors, not to mention the never-ending shutter-snapping of wanna-be paparrazzi. 

What's a furry primate to do? 

Feign complete boredom, for one.

"Dahling, you bore me. Please move along."

Or try some Kung-Fu Panda.

Heeeee-YA!!!

And if all else fails, give the people what they want.

HANGING WITH ORANGUTANS

A baby orangutan hangs high above the ground in Semenggoh Nature Reserve.

Ever wanted to see an orangutan in the jungle? If so, Borneo's the place to do it.

Home to more than 90 percent of the world's orangutan population, Borneo is the only spot, other than the Indonesian island of Sumatra, where the ginger-colored apes live in the wild.
Since Kip often acts like a big ape, at least according to his lovely wife, he really wanted to see one, perhaps to look for behavioral similarities, perhaps to learn a few new circus tricks for his ever-growing repertoire. We also felt it would be a fitting tribute to the species itself, since Duchess, the oldest Bornean orangutan in North America, died just the week before in the Phoenix Zoo (from cancer at the age of 52).

From Kuching, we hopped a bus to the Semenggoh Wildlife Center less than an hour south. Since 1975, the Center has taken in orangutans and other animals that have either been orphaned, found injured in the forest, or were previously kept as illegal pets. It's now one of the best places on the planet to get up close and personal with wild orangutans.

Feeding time in Borneo's Semenggoh Nature Reserve. Kip has since tried, quite unsuccessfully, to eat like this.

There are no cages or fences, so wildlife sightings aren't guaranteed. However, regular feeding times provide fairly predictable wildlife viewing opportunities while ensuring the orangutans have the food they need until they're able to fend for themselves in the Semmengoh Nature Reserve, which conveniently surrounds the Center. We got extremely lucky during our visit when a female walked slowly out of the trees carrying her recently-born baby on her back. As Mom ate, the curious baby climbed down and, after a few glances up at his mother to make sure he was OK, started playing like a little kid at his first visit to a playground. 

Fun times.

IN JACQUES COUSTEAU'S PLAYGROUND

The playground is open, at least for Liz!

Sipadan is on the must see list of divers around the world. Ever since Jacques Cousteau in 1980 said, "I have seen other places like Sipadan...45 years ago, but now no more. Now we have found an untouched piece of art." 

He was right. This truly is an incredible place.

Two nudibranchs looking for lunch.

Just off the coast of Borneo, Sipidan has had its problems. Long disputed territory between Malaysia and Indonesia, this island was also the site of the Sipadan Abu Sayyaf hostage crisis, where divers and resort workers were kidnapped by a terrorist group in 2000.


Since then, all the resorts have been demolished, as ordered by the government, and the island has returned to its (almost) natural state. Only 120 people each day are allowed in the area, with divers and snorkelers required to sign in at the jetty, with a heavy armed military presence.

That may sound extreme, but it's comforting to know that the Malaysian government is serious about protecting what is one of the best dive sites in the world, surrounded by a sheer reef wall that drops down more than 2000 feet just off shore. It truly did not disappoint.


With massive schools of Jacks, Giant Trevally, Giant Barracuda, more turtles than we could count, Nudibranchs, Black and White Tip Reef Sharks, beautiful hard and soft corals, and numerous other reef fish we don't know the names of. And with dive sites such as Drop Off, Barracuda Point and Turtle Cave, we were in scuba diving heaven. 

A beautiful sea anemone. 

Sleeping shark...Liz hopes. He was.

Schools of barracuda circle Sipadan constantly.

We literally got lost swimming in the clouds of jackfish that frequent Sipadan's reef.

Heading into the jungle for a few days. Hoping to see lots of birds, monkeys, orangutans, and maybe even the endangered pygmy elephant. 


We also have a fun volunteer project lined up that we hope to write about later this week when we're back in civilization.