Brandy... thanks it should be a great experience. I'm going ALONE! I will be meeting someone I only know from a forum when I get there. She loves to travel and her DH doesn't... so she goes with her sister and friends. Could work out well for me for the future as I am the last single of my friends...

crazycanuck... thanks! LOL... I'm not sure I'm "back" but I'll get there. I imagine if I had to go ride a century I could... but I'd be whooped!

Brandi... thanks! Good to see you too. I'm sorry for the loss of your friend too. You're right about what THEY would want for us tho... Mac loved it that I was such a go getter about life in general. As to the avatars... I actually remember names better and glance at avatars but don't recognize people by them. I know... I'm weird! LOL

sundial... thank you. Mac would love the Galapagos... he was a Planet Earth junkie!

bmccasland... thank you. I am not taking my bike on this trip... the majority is on a boat going from island to island. However, there is an opportunity in Ecuador (we land in Quito) to do some bicycle down the hill thing like Haleakala in Maui. I had to laugh tho... they warned us if we choose to do that to be sure to check the brakes before we take off Apparently bike maintenance in Ecuador can be iffy at best. I may do a hike of a beach that day. LOL