alilou's Adventures in Wonderland 2 - all over the map

[Alilou]

Thanks so much @alilou. You're definitely right about an adventurous life. Most everything on my bucket list has been fulfilled including a few surprises along the way. I can't be as adventurous now with my disability, but that hasn't stopped me completely. My life has become a little more interesting with each year that passes and I'll soon be celebrating another birthday. That to me alone makes me smile proving my doctors wrong. My life didn't stop in April of 2011, and I celebrated another birthday on 09/10/11. You know, that month, day and year will never happen again and I lived to celebrate that special day. Wow! I'll be 59 in September ... one year away from the 60's, and I'm going to love it!! You know, I cherish each and every moment that I've been blessed with for the past 6 years, and I'd also like to share a poem I wrote in January of 1982. Time certainly does fly by, and that will always be part of life until it ends.

Fantasize

If we could capture
The seconds of time
Not allowing them to escape ...

And soar
Through the air
Like leaves
Fluttering in the breeze,
Blowing in the wind ...

Then, perhaps,
For the first time
One could see time
And appreciate
Its real beauty.

alilou, I believe this is why I love to read your blog so much. You have been able to capture those precious moments of time through writing and the beautiful photos of all those wonderful places. In a way, you've made those adventures timeless. <3

I love your poem! And thank you so much for what you said about the blog. It's a great compliment.
I think you didn't die when the illness came because you were/are meant to be a living example of positivity, optimism, and resilience in the face of great hardship. You're an example to us all Angie.
Hope you get to the end of your bucket list!
I too have a birthday coming up - I think we must be fellow Virgos. xox

 

[Alilou]

Glad your settling in! When I last moved, I felt really disorientated. It takes time to get everything in the right place and to settle into the new routines. But once I had finally got that sorted out and had been here for around 6 months, it finally felt like "home".

Thanks @Maofan7. I think you're right - getting everything in the right place, and getting used to new routines takes time. I'm slowly settling in. Each day it feels a little more like home.

What a lovely poem!

My brother passed away unexpectedly last May. Really hammered home a quote from Steve Jobs that I once came across: "If you live each day as it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right. Every morning I looked in the mirror and asked myself: If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I do today? And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something." Never take life for granted, make the most of each day, and as you say: "cherish each and every moment". It certainly sounds like you have done just that with your adventurous life and I hope you get to complete your bucket list.

So sorry to hear about your brother. I have three sisters and I can't even imagine how hard that must have been. I love the Steve Jobs quote. I try to live that way as much as I can.

 

[Alilou]

A bunch of recent FB photos: down by the river near where we live.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...1139070203030.447479.705378029&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...1139070203030.447479.705378029&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...1139070203030.447479.705378029&type=3&theater

 

[Alilou]

A new blog post at last. I lost my laptop for a few days - new screen, battery and operating system. It's like I have a new computer but it put me behind a bit.

Anyway here it is - a post about the beautiful Viñales area of Cuba. Old style farming, huge caves, candy-coloured "doll" houses, and a lush but slightly creepy botanical garden.

Tobacco Road – Viñales, Cuba. Part 1

 

[skatesindreams]

Thanks for sharing your portrait, in words/pictures of Cuba, beyond the usual tourist areas.
Looking forward to Part 2.

 

[Alilou]

Thanks @skatesindreams. My pleasure

 

[Alilou]

A couple of FB photos plus a map of all the countries I've been to

https://www.adventureally.com/my-ma...59b38f17a52807.98054825#.WbOPNRJhBrM.facebook - map

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...1139070203030.447479.705378029&type=3&theater - sunset on the river

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154912942308030&set=pcb.10154912943973030&type=3&theater - beautiful countryside in a park near home

Being lazy about writing blog posts but a new one coming in the next few days.

 

[Alilou]

I just published a new blog post. This one is about the famous tobacco farming of Cuba. We spent a little time in the Viñales Valley and trotted around the farms in a horse and cart. Stunning scenery.

Tobacco Road – Viñales, Cuba. Part 2

 

[Alilou]

A new blog post: What it feels like to have a home again, and how travel has changed us. Yeah, it's pretty much the same as anyone who's travelled a lot would say but it's our take on it.

The Love of Small Things – settling into home after years on the road.

 

[skatesindreams]

Thanks, as always; for providing more great "food for thought".

 

[Alilou]

Thanks, as always; for providing more great "food for thought".

My pleasure SID

 

[manhn]

I loved that blog post SO MUCH!!!

 

[Alilou]

I loved that blog post SO MUCH!!!

Wow, thanks @manhn.
I assume you mean The Love of Small Things? It is good to be home again.

There's a new blog post ready - another from Cuba:

Trinidad de Cuba: for richer, for poorer

It's a hardscrabble town with a beautiful Spanish Colonial centre built on the backs of slaves.

 

[Alilou]

I have a new blog post ready. It's links to all the articles I've been writing for various print and online magazines. Actually paid real money for writing and photographs!

Extracurricular Activities

 

[Japanfan]

A bunch of recent FB photos: down by the river near where we live.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...1139070203030.447479.705378029&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...1139070203030.447479.705378029&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...1139070203030.447479.705378029&type=3&theater

I love walking along the Fraser River. It has a special feel, quite distinct from being at the ocean.

 

[Alilou]

I love walking along the Fraser River. It has a special feel, quite distinct from being at the ocean.

Yes, we do too, and it's really close to where we're living now so we often go down there.

 

[Alilou]

New blog post - a tropical island off the coast of Cuba. It was a day!

Giant Rats and Prehistoric Lizards – The tropical paradise of Cayo Las Iguanas, Cuba.
.

 

[skatesindreams]

Thanks, for introducing me to a place I would never know; if not for you.
Fascinating, as always!

 

[Alilou]

Thanks, for introducing me to a place I would never know; if not for you.
Fascinating, as always!

My pleasure @skatesindreams. The world is full of amazing places. Even after all the travelling we've done it still feels like we've only scratched the surface. I'm glad we went to Iguana Island - it was a pretty special day.

 

[skatesindreams]

Even after all the travelling we've done it still feels like we've only scratched the surface.

I'm sure that's true!

 

[millyskate]

wow @alilou , that pic of the iguanas feeding! Amazing

 

[Alilou]

wow @alilou , that pic of the iguanas feeding! Amazing

Oh it was amazing. I have a pic with even more of them pushing in for food. And there were about six piles of food each surrounded by iguanas. It was quite comical, and I wondered how much sand they ingested!

 

[Alilou]

A new blog post - about pain, aging, healing, and facing the truth.

The Enigma of Pain: a journey towards healing

#brandnewhip

 

[skatesindreams]

Thank you so much for sharing this aspect of your journey.
I'm so happy that you are improving; day by day, and feeling better.

 

[Alilou]

Thank you so much for sharing this aspect of your journey.
I'm so happy that you are improving; day by day, and feeling better.

Thanks SID. Every day a bit better. There's a whole new me in the making #brandnewhip

 

[Alilou]

New blog post - more explorations of Cuba.

Riding the rails and trekking the trails: day trips from Trinidad, Cuba
.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Had to jump the line and post a link to alilou's most recent post on the Festival of Lights at the Van Dusen Gardens in Vancouver,
https://alisonanddon.com/2017/12/16...hristmas-season-at-vandusen-botanical-garden/

which so made my day <3

 

[Alilou]

Had to jump the line and post a link to alilou's most recent post on the Festival of Lights at the Van Dusen Gardens in Vancouver,
https://alisonanddon.com/2017/12/16...hristmas-season-at-vandusen-botanical-garden/

which so made my day <3

Ha! I finally got in here to post the link. Thanks @kwanfan1818. Will you go next time you're in Van? You really should. It's quite spectacular and and

One Million Christmas Lights! Christmas season at VanDusen Botanical Garden.

 

[kwanfan1818]

@alilou December 30

 

[skatesindreams]

Had to jump the line and post a link to alilou's most recent post on the Festival of Lights at the Van Dusen Gardens in Vancouver,
https://alisonanddon.com/2017/12/16...hristmas-season-at-vandusen-botanical-garden/

which so made my day <3

I've made no secret of how much I love Christmas!
This made my day, as well.

I wish I were there to see it in person.
However, your photographs are "the next best thing to being there"!