Some time ago DH (where the D stands for 'Don't They Speak English') surprised me by announcing that she wanted to learn a second language- apparently this was triggered by some sort of Oprah-type show that announced with great fanfare that learning a second language would help stave off Alzheimers. I'm not sure how true this is, but whatever the Princess wants must be incorporated into our travel adventures post haste. As true maple-syrup Canadia...

Since train arrival times in Canada are apparently something of a guessing game involving wegee boards and a healthy dose of 'blind mans bluff', we decided to overnight in the capital of Manitoba, Winnipeg (home of the windiest street corner in the world- Portage & Main- and it's usually a bone chilling Arctic wind at that!!). DH was positively giddy that not only had we booked into the historic Fort Gary Hotel (previous visits had us in the Lincoln M...

The only stop on our train journey that allowed for any visit much longer than a train-side cigarette break and leg stretch was Thompson, Manitoba. While chatting with some more experienced train riders of the north, DH had discovered that Thompson was home to a solitary and proud Tim Horton's Coffee Shop, and she-who-must-be-obeyed decided that we would be seeking out this beacon of coffee ecstasy even if it were to jeopardize our timely return to the train....

Part II of our current world wanderings is supposed to be a little bit of the 'vida loca' in Central and South America. And what better way to get to Costa Rica than via Churchill, Manitoba. Some of our more loyal viewers might be thinking that DH was somehow in charge of logistics on this leg of the trip, and while it's true that my Princess' navigational skills continue to start and finish with a coin toss, viewing polar bears in their natural e...

Who knew that our short stay in Toronto taking care of a few loose ends would have us empathizing with the squeezed Gobi Desert nomads we stayed with some months ago. The bureaucratic monoliths of modern society do not like nomads without a fixed address. A certified copy of our rental lease was required for a library card (??) and the pup tent in the backyard of Deb & Dave B where we stay as virtual guests has served as our 'primary' address (the lack of...