We are embarking on an eleven month adventure from September 2022 to August 2023. Travelling to Ecuador, Galapagos, Colombia and various other destinations (which we haven't quite ironed out yet) and ending in New York.

The aim of this website is to be a link for us to share with our nearest and dearest where we are and what we are doing.

If anyone else stumbles across this then you are very welcome.

Our very nice airbnb host treated us to a day out on Saturday. Ramiro works for one of the big tour companies and his ship was in port, so he invited us to join his groups' day trip to the highlands.

Hilariously our first stop was Trapiche Ecológico, which, if you remember, we only visited on Sunday. However, this was serendipitous as we had run out of aguardiente and sugar cane juice the night before, so we were able to restock.

We were then treated to a very salubrious lunch at Manzanilla Ranch (free food and drinks). The most exciting bit was not the free beer and wine, but the free coke cola, 3 types of meat, fish and olives!! We even had pudding.

After lunch Isabella and I went off for a tour of the grounds so we could get our giant tortoises fix while Posy and Charlotte had a nap (Charlotte vigorously denies napping, but she was in a hammock for well over an hour and we all know how comfy they are). Anyway, Isabella and I had a lovely time learning yet more interesting facts about giant tortoises.

And, because it seems to be the thing to do here after you have visited giant tortoises, then Isabella and I descended into another lava tube (although this was very underwhelming as it was short and squat).

It was also fascinating to meet boat-people: tourists who do the ship thing; an interesting bunch indeed!

Lastly we went to Trapiche Ecológico a finca where they grow coffee, bananas, cocoa and sugar cane, amongst other things. They also produce lots of artisan products, like chocolate, coffee, sugar and aguardiente (alcohol made from sugar cane juice), to name but a few. Once we had a couple of shots of the aguardiente we were ready to buy some of their products. The owner is called Adriano Cabrera (pictured opposite) who moved to Galapagos in 1968 from the mainland. We had a great time!

We decided to take a stroll along the front of Puerto Villamil on Thursday morning, mostly to try to distract ourselves from the impending boat journey back to Santa Cruz. It gave us a chance to say goodbye to Isabela Island. Puerto Villamil is much quieter and more tranquil than Puerto Ayora. The beach being easily accessible from the town makes it a wonderful place to be and the kids loved playing in the sand and pools. If you can stomach the boat journey then Isabela Island is well worth a visit.

On Wednesday morning we went on a boat tour (the fools we seem to be) of the Tintoreras Islands. These are small islands formed of volcanic rocks in the bay near the port. Lucky for us the water is very calm here as the islands create a very sheltered 'harbour' so it was lovely to be on the boat.

It was a good opportunity to see the local wildlife: seals, frigate birds, marine iguanas, white tipped sharks and blue footed boobies. We were also hoping to be able to see some Humboldt penguins, but alas they were not to be seen (turns out there are only 2 or 3 and they are elusive to say the least).

Photos: top left, a blue footed boobie; top-centre left, seal breeding area (if you zoom in you may be able to spot the seal in the tree line); bottom-centre left, white tipped sharks basking in the shallows; bottom left, Charlotte and Isabella taking a dip in the sea (Posy and I joined them shortly after).

After Posy's nap we went back down to the lagoons to spot more flamingos. The boardwalk was very long, but once committed we had to see it through to the end!

We decided to venture further afield and so went over to Isabela Island on Tuesday morning. The boat journey was not a pleasant experience as it was very bumpy, which caused Isabella to be sick, which in turn caused me to be sick as she had covered me in her vomit. Anyway once we got to our hotel and had showered and cleaned our clothes it was all very funny to look back on.

On Tuesday afternoon we went to an Eco-lodge called Campo Duro in the highlands of the island, they grow a variety of fruits and care for giant tortoises from 1 years old till they are ready to breed at around 15 years old. It was a great way to spend the afternoon and reminded us of our time at Santa Lucia.

In the evening we went to the lagoon closest to the town to try to spot some flamingos; we saw only two. We then went down to the beach of Puerto Villamil.

Photos: Top left, Isabella and Isabela; middle left, us at Campo Duro (can you spot the tortoise?); bottom left, Charlotte and Posy on the boat as we are leaving Puerto Ayora - you can see the trepidation on their faces, although they got through the journey relatively unscathed.

On Tuesday morning we ventured to Darwin Research Station to see the giant tortoise breeding centre - I was very excited as I have wanted to see this place and the tortoises since I was a child. Isabella, however, took some convincing.

We have had to put Isabella on a special program to help with her mule-withdrawal. It entails us visiting 'Mama Negra' at the park each day. So far it is working well and she hasn't quite noticed the lack of hair or animation.

We arrived in the Galapagos on Saturday after a bit of long travelling day. We felt like Charlie Boorman in By Any Means as we travelled by taxi, then by plane (which had a stop off in Guayaquil), then a bus, then a boat and then another taxi (4x4 this time) to get to our apartment.

However, it was totally worth it. We have seen a lot of programmes about this place and so had high expectations and so far it has not disappointed. We spotted all the big four (although the giant tortoise was out of the window of the last taxi and Kevin was the only one who saw it) in the first 24 hours just walking to the market to get our weekly shop.

This week we finished off as much as we could of the wiring of the Lodge. Needless to say Noé was very pleased with the work we have carried out.

On Tuesday a film crew from an Ecuadorean TV challenge popped up the mountain to do a piece on Santa Lucia. They ended up interviewing me and then filming the whole family tending the garden, it was very random.

However this is not the most random thing that happened that day; the appearance of a chihuahua running around the grounds of the Lodge was most disconcerting. No one had any idea how it got there considering it is a 2 hour hike up from the car park and the car park is about 30 minute drive from Nanegal. We named it Pequeno Perro.

On Wednesday Isabella got another ride on Kevincito, but this time I was in control of the reins.

Finally the moment you have all been waiting for, here is our appearance on Ecuadorean television. And before you ask, I didn't realise they were filming me walking out of the lodge - I was doing my catwalk walk.

This week we have been putting new light circuits in the Lodge. We are wiring the new lighting ring from the power stored by the solar panels. Not sure why Noé thought we would be good at this, however his faith in us was well deserved as we have done a pretty good job (although it wouldn't pass building regs).

After a very underwhelming weekend spent at the Santa Lucia offices, taking trips into Nanegal to get biscuits, we headed back up to the lodge.

Isabella walked about three quarters of the way up, with Kevin only having to piggy back her for the last bit.

We spent the rest of the day reacquainting ourselves with lodge-life and watching the Queen's funeral via photos sent from Patricia.

In the evening there was a fiesta to celebrate the last night of Lincoln University's stay. With songs, dancing and cervezas.

Santa Lucia got a new mule on Tuesday and she (yes she) has been named Kevincito. I feel very honoured!

I have been reassured many times that this is not them making of me. However, if you are a Spanish speaker and this isn't the case then please email me at the address below!

Sorry for the lack of content over the past week, we have been properly off the grid up here in Santa Lucia. But wow what a week we have had. I have been working with the guys up here and Charlotte has been spending time exploring the lodge with the girls.

The walk up here last Monday was not as bad as we remembered, no more arduous than a walk in the Lakes with the Bandles (except that we are at 2,000 meters).

It took us about an hour and a half to walk up the 2.5 km track to the top of the mountain. Charlotte carried Posy and Isabella walked most of the way under her own steam. Noé helped her for the last bit by giving her a piggy back ride (I was carrying a VERY heavy rucksack at the time).

We arrived in the morning and spent the rest of the time before lunch settling in to our new digs.

In the afternoon I helped Noé try to work out why his electric fence wasn't working properly. He put the fence in around the Santa Lucia sugar plantation to deter a spectacled bear from eating their crop (anyway more about that later).

It was just us and the guys from the lodge up here last week. They were getting the place ready for an influx of students from The University of Lincoln who arrived on Saturday (10th). It was so tranquil and idyllic.

We arrived at the offices of Santa Lucia Community Conservation yesterday after a 2(ish) hour car drive from Quito, with our resident taxi driver Walter. The offices are located in the village of Nanegal.

We spent today and yesterday with Graciela and her family. We had lunch there yesterday, after her explanation of what we will be doing and today we went to the local swimming pool.

Tomorrow we embark on the 2 hour hike up the mountain to the Santa Lucia lodge, where we will spend the next five days.

We had our first encounters of the wildlife of the area last night: a massive spider (see below) and a bat that decided to fly into Charlotte and my room (I was on the top bunk and could feel the breeze created from it's wings!).

After a gruelling day of travel on the 1st September, we finally arrived in Quito safe and sound. The kids were amazing (especially Isabella who managed to become best friends with the man sat next to her on the plane to Miami) dealing with the 23 hours of constant travel.

We spent our first morning exploring the Casco Historico (Historic Centre) of Quito and getting used to being at 2,821 meters above sea level. I found it particularly difficult to walk, up a hill, while talking to Isabella. We then had lunch at a cafe in the square where the Presidential Palace is located (see photo opposite). We then went to poo poo park in the afternoon. Where, despite the abundance of dog poo and general rubbish, the rusty playground equipment entertained the family for a good hour or so.

One of the central ideas behind our hiatus is to be able to enjoy different types of experiences. We want to be able to instil into our girls a sense of adventure, to broaden their horizons and to be able to give back in some way. With this in mind we decided that we would return to Santa Lucia, which is situated in the Ecuadorian cloud forest, where we will volunteer; working on projects varying in nature.