Bug Bitten Couple

It has been one year being Bug Bitten Couple!!! A year full of adventure and creating great memories!!
We are so grateful to have been blessed with the opportunities that we have had and the many people that we’ve met along the way. We didn’t just make friends, we chose extended family!
We are planning to continue our adventures.

Photo in Costa Rica

5 years ago today we said I do and committed ourselves to each other forever!
Where did the time go??
We’ve been having a blast living our best lives!
Cheers to many more years, with many more adventures!🥂❤️
wedding photo courtesy of

https://youtu.be/1t4w430VrFw This is the Airbnb we stayed at in Cusco, Peru

Wasicleta in Cusco, Peru 🇵🇪 - Restaurant, Cafe, Artisanal Eco shop, Bike rentals and Guided Tours 🚴 Welcome to Wasicleta - a place to gather and socialize, grab a bite to eat or rent a bicycle to explore the area. There's also an artisanal eco shop plus 2 s...

We are now home in Canada!!
Thank you everyone for your support on our travels
We will keep updates for Chapter 2 as we progress

On our travels we got thinking about how many things we've done and seen so far that were for the first time. Some of the things aren't firsts for both of us.

💥 Night Hike
💥 Superman Zip lining
💥 Staying at Hostels
💥 Workaway (working on a boat)
💥 Surfing
💥 Horse and Carriage ride
💥 Foreign Country hospital visit
💥 Hand Feeding Monkeys
💥 Close to Volcano
💥 Swimming in Hot Springs
💥 Mountain Climbing
💥 Being in Southern Hemisphere
💥 Tour of one of the 7 wonders of the
world
💥 Being in South America
💥 Longest time spent out of Canada
💥 Seeing and being close to an alpaca
💥 Being in the Andes

We would love to know your travel firsts!!
Please drop us a line in the comments👇
😁

PERU:
We highly recommend everyone to visit this gorgeous country.

Cusco: filled with activities and sites.

Beyond anything we ever imagined, the beauty of Peru is stunning.
Flying from Lima into Cusco we shot the views of the landscape
( video posted on our fb page)

If you decide to visit Peru, it is suggested to wait a couple of days to explore the mountains, Machu Picchu etc. because the elevation takes time to get used to.

The people are friendly and helpful.
There is lots of restaurants and shopping.
We stayed in an Airbnb which had entertainment almost everyday and into the evening.

Where did you visit that made an exceptional impression????

UPDATE:

We are currently in Michigan, USA visiting family!!! ❤

We took a bike ride through this breathtaking view of Sacred Valley! Perfect time of year to go to Peru! Not too hot.
@ Sacred Valley, Peru

PERU: Maras Salt Terraces

This is a cool site to visit. We didn't realize how huge it is! It was interesting how they harvest their world class salt!

Definitely worth a visit while in Peru!!
@ Cusco, Peru

https://youtu.be/WBj6hbciLpw Watch our latest video in Cartagena, Colombia!

Cartagena 🇨🇴 History, Touring, Shopping and a Hospital visit. After a couple of months in Panama trying our first Workaway (volunteer program) we decided to move on to Colombia. Cartagena stuck out as a destination, so ...

PERU: Rainbow Mountain

The hardest hike we have ever done but so worth it!
Have never seen anything like this! An experience of a lifetime!!

@ Rainbow Mountain, Peru

PERU: Machu Picchu
The Andes
One of the 7 wonders of the world
(our first) 🌍💎😍
They say you can see the face of the king in the mountains
Definitely a bucket list tour!
Who else has been to this magnificent place??

@ Cusco, Peru

Peru:
Strolling through the city enjoying the views. We are taking our time adapting to the elevation change and the cooler temperatures.
🌍🌬❤

@ Cusco, Peru

Our very warm welcome to Peru from a store owner that we patronized! They dressed and posed us for this photo. So fun!

We have said goodbye to Colombia!
We are currently in our 4th country Peru!!
We are following Peru's restrictions and soon we will be on tour!
Thank you to all of you who are following, commenting and sharing. We really appreciate all of your support as we "take a bite of the world!!"
Keep in mind we are also on Instagram and YouTube!

Spent a few hours down at the beach today in Cartagena with the most beautiful woman in the world. ❤ Can't wait for our next adventure.

Wander the Walled City

This holds most of Cartegena's history
Popular for weddings
Horse and Carriage Rides ( we ❤'d)
Restaurants, Hotels and Shopping
Has an amazing night life

🇨🇴 @ Cartagena, Colombia

Palace of the Inquisition

A beautiful building, however, it was actually a little unsettling to walk through.

Here we learned about the judicial process provided for administration of torture to yield a confession and then to be publicly hanged or beheaded (2,3).


🇨🇴 @ Cartagena, Colombia

San Felipe de Barajas Castle.
It actually looks more like a fortress.
Just a few highlights of this historical site:
💥Stands in Cartagena as one of the more popular tourist attractions.
💥First built in 1536 and was originally named San Lazaro Castle.
💥Renamed after Philip IV of Spain after undergoing an expansion in 1657.
💥Was invaded by pirates.

We toured this castle/fortress with a guide which we highly recommend.

For all the history buffs out there!!🤗 Learning new things daily!!❤😁

What are your fav/most interesting historical sites you've visited??
We would ❤ to add to our list!!
Comment👇👇


@ Cartagena, Colombia

The Clock Tower Monument.
Puerta del Reloj. A walled city full of history in Cartegena.
You can probably tell by now, history is one of our main draws to a destination. We have grown an appreciation for the old cities.
Architecture along with the history is especially fascinating to us. ( we didn't learn about other countries like this in school). This walled city is packed with museums. We are not done here yet.

What is your criteria when looking for your vacation destinations ???🌴🐾🥂🏛🌍
Let us know in the comments










🇨🇴



@ Cartagena, Colombia

The advantage of slow travel is some days being able to take the time to sit and soak everything in. People watch ( a pastime really) no worries, just be present and in the moment. Pool and beach days are also good for the soul.
Self reflection is something we are firm believers in.
We have learned a lot on our travels and it hasn't always been perfect.
For example:
* Language barrier has been a challenge. Each country has it's own Spanish dialect and we have had difficulty
* We had to purge our luggage 😂 ( way too much stuff)
* Shawn hurt his foot kayaking( better now)
* Wendy indigestion issues
* Got our rental car stuck in the mud
* Got ripped off a few times by taxis
* Airport confiscated our nail clippers and tweezers😒 🤷‍♀️
* 1 adjusted flight
* 1 cancelled flight (still waiting on compensation)
* Not great sleeping conditions
Overall, so far so good, these have been minor hiccups compared to other horror stories out there. ( this is not a pity party post)
We have been surely blessed and we are thankful and grateful to have been healthy and able to do this! We have met some amazing people along the way and are grateful to them as well!! Things happen and we get through them together! Take it all in stride, learn and laugh!

There is so much to explore in Colombia. It doesn't get the advertisement that it should. There is a whole lot of history! This is a definite place to put on your bucket list!!
Anyone out there agree???🙌🙌
Anywhere else you feel the same???

Date night in Cartagena, Colombia.

Check out our latest blog on our journey https://www.bugbittencouple.com/the-journey/costa-rica/monteverde/monteverde-and-the-cloud-forest/

Monteverde and The Cloud Forest Beautiful Monteverde nestled in The Cloud Forest of central Costa Rica. Ideal for a 4 day visit to take in some adventure parks and great hiking.

Check out our **NEW** YOUTUBE VIDEO in Panama City, Panama! Please Like, Share and Subscribe! Thank you!https://youtu.be/-oXg9Oyz7zo

We explored Casco Viejo in Panama. This is the historical part of the city. A completely different vibe than the modern part. Taken back in time in minutes. Cool!

The brown pelican is a common bird in Panama.
We loved watching these birds dive to catch their dinner. They would only dive if the water wasn't too wavy.
These birds are actually very graceful. They glide along the water close enough the tips of their wings are almost touching the water. It was fascinating to watch.

P.S. Wendy was not a huge fan of birds at all ( fearful) however, she is coming around!!😂🐦

This is The Bridge of the Americas. Photo taken from the anchorage in Panama City, Panama.
It was built by the U.S.A (1959-1962)
It crosses the Pacific side of the Panama Canal
It is a well travelled bridge. Busy all the time!!!

Monkey Island in Panama definitely needs to be on your list of tours. It is a short boat ride along the Panama Canal to the jungle where tourists can hand feed (bananas, grapes) to these wild creatures. This was our first time ever doing this and seeing the Panamanian Tamarin monkey a.k.a mono t**i. The white-faced a.k.a cappuccino monkeys were also on the scene. We had an absolute blast!!
Anyone else have an awesome experience like this ??????😁🐒🌍❤ Please share in the comments!!

@ Panama City, Panama

Another gorgeous day on the Panama Bay. The picture doesn't do it justice AT ALL LOL!! This is the life!!❤

Spending a few days in Panama City. Restrictions are in place and a lot of businesses are closed and restaurants are take out only. However, taking a stroll through the city has been ok because it's not as busy as normal.
We have been spending the last month on a boat in Panama bay and are staying there indefinitely.
Stay safe everyone!
@ Panama City, Panama

A huge thank you to everyone who has supported us on our mid-life gap year journey so far. We really appreciate all the love!!! This holiday was spent in Panama!! Here's to 2021, full of purpose and even more accomplishments!! We wish everyone a safe and Happy New Year! 😗🎉🌍🎆 ❤

Get your massages done in paradise!

1) The Black-Mandibled Toucan eats mainly fruit but does also eat lizards, rodents, smaller birds and insects. The bill's length is approx. 18 cm.
Fun Fact: Did you know that one of the functions if their bill is a cooling system? The more blood to the beak releases body heat and makes them cooler!!

2) The Black Spiny Tailed Iguana have distinctive black keeled scales on their tails. Males can grow up to 4ft in length and the females can grow up to 3ft in length. They eat flowers, leaves, stems and fruits. They will also eat smaller animals, eggs and insects.
Fun Fact: This particular breed of iguana are in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the world 's fastest lizard with a sprint speed of 34.6 km/h.
PS This photo was taken as the male was trying to mate with the female. 😂 I- GUANA LOVE interrupted!!!💕
@ Uvita, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

These are the two gorgeous waterfalls on property. It is a small hike to enjoy a very peaceful spot!! @ Uvita, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

These two wildlife creatures were out in front of our villa ! The first pic is an agouti. These guys are one of my (Wendy) favourite hilarious animals! They look similar to a gopher and are very timid. Any sudden movement or you get too close and they run! They eat fruits and seeds and their main purpose is to disperse seeds.
The second pic is a coati. They are in the raccoon family. This particular one is known as a ring-tailed coati. They eat fruits, tarantula, lizards, small birds and bird's eggs. They are scavengers and will get into garbage as well 😆. @ Uvita, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Zip lined in Monteverde, 🇨🇷 Costa Rica. We also climbed a ficus tree, found a ficus bridge and walked the hanging bridges of Selvatura Park. Had a beautiful stay at a "Hostel" that was more like a hotel and met some new friends. Check out our new video showing Monteverde, Costa Rica.

Monteverde 🇨🇷 Costa Rica, Bug Bitten Couple - Zip lining, Hanging Bridges, Cloud Forest and more!! Bug Bitten Couple travels to Monteverde 🇨🇷 Costa Rica. We went zip lining, took a walk through the Hanging Bridges in the Cloud Forest, went on our first N...

Welcome to the jungle!! in Uvita, Costa Rica! We are back! This is the place that made us fall in love with Costa Rica! This⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐adults only hotel has glass villas set right in the jungle or ocean view option as well. There are 2 waterfalls on the property that are a nice small hike to enjoy. There are different wildlife all over, including howler monkeys, white faced monkeys, toucans, agoutis and coatis just to name a few! If you love nature, you need to experience this unique, relaxing jungle environment!!

Our new blog post is now on our website Travel During Covid https://www.bugbittencouple.com/general/travel-during-covid/