To The Bat Cave

By Allan Brown:

You will typically regret the things you didn’t do more than the stupid things you did do. With this in mind we made another trip to Xcaret Park with the goal of doing the third and last underground river.

We got there early, as the Browns do, jumped in using our floating on our backs with our modified half-assed breast stroke technique and off we went.

Cambodia

By Marla Laine Brown:

I admit we had reservations about visiting Cambodia, a country with a tragic past. The Khmer Rouge 1975-1979 wasn’t that long ago and I felt sorrow with the realization that while I was in high school fretting over my inconsequential adolescence, the Cambodian people were being massacred and an entire culture destroyed.

About Us

By Marla Laine Brown:

After cycling a section of the Spanish Meseta on mountain bikes, we arranged to rent cruising bikes for France. Our next goal? …. To transverse France via the Canal des Deux Mers. This waterway, also known as the Canal of Two Seas, connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea by way of two man made canals. Our adventure will begin in Bordeaux France as we head southeast toward the Mediterranean.

About

By Marla Laine Brown:

Allan and I had just finished our hike on the Portuguese Camino when we decided to explore the Andalusian region of Spain. To do so, we limited our time in Santiago and bought train passes southeast. Our first stop would be Madrid. From there, we would head south to Seville and Malaga, and on a whim, Morocco!

The Way of El Camino Portuguese

By Marla Laine Brown:

The Portuguese Camino is one of many pilgrimage routes that cross through Europe to converge in Santiago de Compostela, the presumed burial site of the Apostle St. James. This Camino traditionally begins in Lisbon which continues north into Spain with a distance of approximately 610 km. Due to limited time we instead began the “Portuguese Way” in Porto where we had a choice of one of two routes, both a distance of approximately 227 km. We decided on the inland path known as the “Central Way” versus hiking along the “Caminho da Costa” on Portugal’s coast. At the time we believed it to be better signed, but after comparing notes with some coastal walkers we learned both routes were well marked and fairly easy hikes.

What is the Camino de Santiago?

By Marla Laine Brown:

El Camino de Santiago or The Way of Saint James is a pilgrimage across northern Spain to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The Camino has existed for well over a thousand years. The Way of Saint James was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during the medieval times. Legend has it that the remains of Saint James lie at the Cathedral in Santiago Spain. There is evidence of a pre-Christian route as well. El Camino de Santiago is now considered a main European cultural route as well as a World Heritage site. Other major pilgrimages include the Via Francigena toward Rome to the Tomb of Saint Peter and the pilgrimage route to Jerusalem which leads to the Holy Sepulcher of Christ.