Getting Into Quito Stride: Cathedrals, Art Galleries & a Movie

View of Quito through a round window of the Basilica del Voto Nacional.

Ended up making friends with some German guys named Felix and Jan and spent the day with them yesterday, which was useful since it helped me a lot with getting into Quito stride. They brought me to Gringolandia (the tourist centre), where I spent far too much money on lunch and perused the shelves of the largest English […]

Arriving in Quito: Overcoming Language Barriers

View of the Basilica del Voto Nacional from the bell tower at Monestario de Santa Catalina, Quito.

Quito: The colonial Spanish buildings lining the narrow, steep streets are absolutely beautiful, but not in good repair. The cobbled streets are uneven, sometimes there are sidewalks, rarely can a trash can be found… Around every bend, there’s another breathtaking view of the city beyond. While the mountainsides are covered in forests, the city itself boasts of few […]

A Walk in Scanlan Creek, Simcoe County

Walk in Scanlan Creek to see this quaint wooden bridge.

Got wheels? If so, Scanlon Creek Park, part of the Simcoe Region Conservation program near Newmarket, is a great place to walk or hike. The park is pretty big: there are various trails to follow, so a half-day can be planned. From the parking lot, the trails leading to the lake—the main attraction—are neat and wide, well-kept, easy […]

Bushing It Through the Don Valley: A Hike in the Heart of Toronto

Lower Don River scenery

A week after my Northern bush excursion, I decided to try a longer walk, minus my heavy pack (I brought a day pack only). I set off from Toronto’s Beaches and walked to the access point of the Don Valley recreational trail along the Lakeshore. To my surprise, it was closed for construction. Deciding that I would skirt […]

Secret Trilliums: A Wild Backyard Bush Garden in French River

Fungus growing on a tree trunk

May long weekend, my brother and I went bushing (it really can’t be called hiking) on my parents’ property in the French River area. I loaded my pack for trek training, weighing in at 40 lbs., and we set off through the dense Northern Ontario underbrush. My brother taught me how to use a compass and guide myself […]

Archive Navigation (Numbered Page List)