Our break in the Caribbean is over and we have started the last leg of our journey. We have spent this past week in Vienna where once again we are surprised that the reality is better than the expectation. The center of the city rivals Paris with it's architecture, entertainment and cultural venues. We visited galleries, the Museums Quarter, Hofburg and Belvedere Palaces and the Vienna State Opera. Once you go beyond the inner ring many expansive parks and gardens can be found, several along the Danube. Walk down a sidestreet here and you find yourself in a quiet residential area, still within a park-like setting. The very first thing that we noticed was how quiet it was. Even in the city center, sounds seem muted. Something that all visitors to Vienna must do is to visit a "Heuriger", where the local fresh wine can be sampled along with the local schnitzel. The schnitzel mit salat is fantastic! But don't think you can eat the whole portion. You'll need help. A pine sprig above the entranceway lets you know that the tavern is open. And don't forget to ride the giant ferris wheel built in 1897. Vienna is unrivalled in it's contributions to music, opera and ballet, yet within this elegant atmosphere a down to earth and friendly feeling prevails. It is a true "people place".

Vieques is a small island located off the east coast of Puerto Rico. The United States Navy used this island as a training and testing facility until they were removed by the Bill Clinton administration and the lands that they occupied (approximately half of Vieques) were designated a nature preserve. This unique history results in an undiscovered, unspoiled Caribbean treasure. There are dozens of beaches surrounding the island ranging from small secluded coves, to strands that stretch as far as the eye can see. Red Beach has individual picnic gazebos. Navio Beach has caves. Green Beach reminded us of Gilligan's Island. Secret Beach is dreamy and romantic with great snorkeling. Although a lot of the deserted military lands are off limits, many abandoned bunkers can be found when exploring the areas that are open to the public. The military is long gone yet there is a peculiar feeling when you walk among the things that they left behind. Rumour has it that some of those things include unexploded ordnance. But we didn't see any evidence of that. The many piers that stretch out into the Atlantic and Caribbean oceans provide excellent fishing. It was not unusual to catch two fish on the same line at the same time. I've saved the best for last. Vieques has two bioluminescent bays in which you can swim at night. The microscopic creatures living in them emit light when disturbed, yet are not harmed by the contact. If you stay still it looks like you have little twinkling stars all over your body. If you move, you are surrounded in a bright neon glow. It was unbelievable. Thanks to brother Kerry for putting us up in Humacao and to Juergen for the breezy hilltop in Vieques. Listen to the coquis (tiny tree frogs) by clicking here.

We've been relaxing in the Caribbean for the past month and it's now time to get back to work and post some trip updates. We were happy to have friends meet up with us from Georgetown, Ontario, excited about exploring this island. Puerto Rico is truly Caribbean. The pace of life is slow here, yet we managed to do a respectable job of sharing some of the local highlights in the seven days that they were here. You could spend a week in El Yunque rainforest and still leave sights unseen. But in the few hours that we spent there we were awed by the atmosphere, the flora and the fauna. Puerto Rico has 5 "Blue Flag Beaches". These are beaches that meet tough standards set by the Blue flag organization of Denmark. La Monserrate, the one we visited, looked like the biggest swimming pool ever. There are numerous sailing charters that leave the town of Fajardo for offshore beachcombing and snorkeling adventures. One of our most memorable moments was snorkeling over a living reef while anchored aside a small island. On the north coast and surrounded by fortifications built in the 1500's, Old San Juan perches high above the sea. We roamed the streets of this old Spanish colony inspired by the colonial architecture and shady courtyards. We shopped for souvenirs until we came across the "Barrachina", the location where the Pina Colada was created. Puerto Rico, although being a commonwealth of the United States, has maintained a unique cultural identity dating back to the Spanish-American war.

For those of you who don't know, we've had a slight change of plan. We have decided to wait out the cold weather in Europe , and return there in mid April to finish our trip. I guess being away from Canada for so long has spoiled us. We hear it is REALLY cold there. Also, my parents will be in Europe at that time so we'll have the opportunity to hook up with them for a while. In the meantime we have set up our headquarters for the Caribbean in Puerto Rico. We've spent about a week at the beach, and are now ready to continue planning our time here as well as in Europe. On the right you see a map of the places we have been on this trip. Here are some numbers to go with the map. 37 flights so far, 26 brands of beer sampled (all good), 23 types of transportation used other than planes (Elephants included), 82 places visited (actual towns, cities, etc.), 192 days away from home (so far).

To see the places that we were in during the Month of February click here.