They're here!

The 7 adorable swan babies have arrived to the world with Peace and Love!!

Naperville, IL

June 5, 2024

 

How???

Here is how the sausages were made...

Hope you can find me in attachment 3 -:))

Southern Utah

May 2024

 

Utah Trails

Not sure why I didn't make the effort to document the trails I covered last year in Colorado and the Canadian Rockies. But I'm devoting this entire entry to the trails we covered in Utah.

Utah is not unfamiliar to me -- I've been there countless times over the past 12 years. However, this is the first time I've seriously hiked in the area and truly experienced the breathtaking rock formations up close and personal. Haven't had a chance to process the photos... Let's just do the hiking trails today!

 

Attachment 1 is a clip of most of the hiking trails. A few of them didn't make the cut because of the size limits for the video.

Attachment 2 is the hiking trail under the harsh sunlight around noon with 88F. Only one word ran through my head over and over during the hike -- Endurance.

Escalante and Capitol Reef, Utah

May 2024

 

Supper Bloom of 2024

I'm not pretending to be a of desert wildflower lover. However, since it was supposed to be a camping trip, the whole thing became more enticing!

The plan was to leave on Saturday, drive to Anza Borrego, camp in the desert overnight, then go see the wildflowers on Sunday -- how perfect!! More importantly, this was supposed to be my FIRST camping trip in life -- sleeping in the desert under the stars -- how exciting!!!

Friday afternoon, we received weather alerts about strong winds in the desert, gusting 30mph... Saturday morning, checked the weather again, still with strong wind advisory!! We had to cancel the camping trip at the last minute -- even after everything was perfectly packed (Picture 1 = camping foods).

Sunday morning, we decided to drive to Anza Borrego -- we must see the wildflowers!! It rained on and off the whole way, winds were strong, flowers were blowing violently... But still, we captured a few pictures of the super bloom of 2024.

Anza Borrego State Park, CA

March 24, 2024 

 

Our Lunch

Our Lunch on the massive salt flat in Bolivia.

Salar de Uyuni, amid the Andes in southwest Bolivia, is the world’s largest salt flat. It’s the legacy of a prehistoric lake that went dry, leaving behind a desert-like, nearly 11,000-sq.-km. landscape of bright-white salt, rock formations and cacti-studded islands. Its otherworldly expanse can be observed from central Incahuasi Island.

We hiked all the way up to the top of the Incahuasi Island.

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

February 3, 2024

 

Salar de Uyuni

Salar de Uyuni of Bolivia is often dubbed the “Mirror of the Sky.” 

It is so boundless and bright white that Neil Armstrong is said to have mistaken it for an enormous glacier seen from space. 

Dotted with volcanic isles and home to curious wildlife, the huge salt flats boast otherworldly landscape and a mesmerizing experience. A total area of 10,582 square kilometers makes it the world's largest salt flat. During the raining seasons (January-February), the thin layer of water transforms the flats into a dazzling reflection of the sky. On top of that, it also contains 50-70 percent of the world's known lithium reserves.

Uyuni, Bolivia

February 2024

 

Welcome to La Paz

With an altitude of 11,975 feet, La Paz is the highest capital city in the world.

Have you ever seen a city so intertwined with mountains and canyons? Welcome to La Paz!!

The city is nestled in a canyon created by the Choqueyapu River and is surrounded by towering mountains, including the snow-capped Illimani peak.

Witches' Market (Mercado de las Brujas) is an unique market in La Paz selling traditional medicines, ritual artifacts, and items used in Andean spiritual practices. It offers a fascinating glimpse into Bolivia's indigenous beliefs.

La Paz, Bolivia

February 1, 2024