The John Muir Way - Balloch to Strathblane

The first stage of the John Muir Way landed us in Balloch, a wonderful village on the shores of the largest inland lake (by surface area) in Great Britain. Balloch offers a wonderful selection of restaurants, historic attractions, parks, and outdoor activities. While there, we:

- Hiked to a castle located in a sprawling park
- Watched Scottish dance students demonstrate their craft
- Enjoyed tasty street food (German bratwursts and soft serve ice cream with flake - a crunchy chocolate stick)
- Relaxed on a restaurant balcony imbibing local brews while taking in the sweeping views

We hated to leave, but the open trail beckoned.

The route from Balloch to Strathblane is 18 miles, so we allowed for a stopover in the little hamlet of Croftamie. To get there we walked eight miles on paved but predominantly peaceful country roads. After a nice meal and much needed rest we tackled the slightly longer and more scenic leg from Croftamie to Strathblane. Along the way we witnessed a variety of wildlife, including pheasant, an adorable hedgehog, and the (weasel-like) pine marten.

Our Strathblane lodging is an inn that has been in business since the year 1601, and it offers plenty of charm and character. We anticipate another good night's sleep before tomorrow when we will continue our enjoyable exploration of the Scottish countryside.

The John Muir Way - Helensburgh to Balloch

Our two relaxing days in Helensburgh passed quickly and we were soon bidding the quiet west coast town goodbye. With backpacks hoisted, we set off into the cloud-covered hills on the first leg of our walk across Scotland.

The gradual ascent, an elevation increase of one thousand feet, offered lovely, slightly hazy views of the extensive Loch Lomond. The trail passes through a diverse landscape of spongy wet bogs and lush green woodlands decorated with diverse windflowers and centuries-old stone walls. The mist and light rain contributed to what we perceived as an authentic Scottish experience, but it didn't dampen our spirits or lessen our strides.

As we approached the ninth mile we descended into the welcoming quaintness of Balloch, a tidy loch-side village where we will spend two nights getting to know the area and its people, before continuing our cross-country trek.

A Taal Order – Climbing a Black Sand Path to Crater Lake

Crater Lake on Taal Volcano

We are not typically “tour people”.  In fact, we can count on one hand the number of packaged tours we have taken.  But when researching the Taal Volcano trek we discovered many comments about being nickel and dimed by touts for transportation, passage, and guides fees.  In an effort to ensure a predictable and safe experience we decided to secure an experienced guide from Me’re Travel & Tours.

The tour was private; just us and our guide, Jamie.  During the two hour drive Jamie told us about the different neighborhoods and landmarks.  Close to our destination we stopped at a unique coffee shop where they roast their own beans that… How can we say this delicately? …have passed through the digestive system of the exotic palm civet.  The store owner proudly escorted us to the cat-like creatures and described how the beans are prepared, including the thorough cleansing process.  We sampled the coffee which Matt jokingly described as “a bit nutty”; in reality the coffee was rich with a slightly fruity flavor.

Next we headed to a “resort” to catch a boat to Volcano Island.  At the resort we were joined by Ivan and Susan, a lovely couple from Singapore.  We were offered the option to ride horses up the volcano, but being stubborn Coloradans, we decided to walk.   Describing the trek as dusty would be an understatement, expecting this we brought Japanese Handkerchiefs that our friend Akemi gave us before we left home.  We tied them across our faces like old West bank robbers and began the ascent.

Taal volcano is still active; it’s currently at alert level 2 out of 5.  We hiked past sulfuric vents that demonstrated Mother Nature at work.  There are stunning views on the way to the top, but the prettiest by far is the crater and sulfuric lake.  We encountered a local woman who described the most recent eruptions, noting that the wind direction has a lot to do with who survives.

We rested at the top of the volcano and enjoyed a fresh young coconut before heading down the slope, through the local village, across Taal Lake, and to the resort where we feasted on a delicious lunch of local tilapia, chicken adobo, rice and veggies accompanied by cold San Miguel brews to wash it all down.

Albatross Courtship Dance - Ka'ena Point, Oahu, HI

Our 2.5 mile hike from Yokohama Bay to the Ka'ena Point Nature Area Reserve on the island of Oahu, HI was rewarded when we witnessed the courtship dance of two Laysan Albatrosses.