Latest Update (as of 6-1-08) Please see the months full page for details and photos.  Note:  we will try to update our website once a month, so keep checking!

We had an incredible five weeks in Peru full of lots of adventures!  What an amazing country.  We hit all of the main attractions (Lima, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, Arequipa, Colca Canyon, Andean Condors...).  We had an e-ticket border crossing into Bolivia, saw amazing sites and views, the Ice Princess (a frozen mummy), inquisition museum, catacombs full of bones, cathedrals, monasteries, museums... Speaking of Ice Princess, we were all pretty cold most of the time.  Almost everywhere we were was at very high altitudes and really, really cold.  For much of the trip, we had all of the clothes that we brought on our bodies!  Now we will be settling back on the boat to life as usual for us.  After doing the next five week segment of school, we may take off and do a short trip to see some sites in Ecuador. 

Past Update (as of 4-30-08) Please see the months full page for details and photos.  Note:  we will try to update our website once a month, so keep checking!

We are checked into Ecuador and loving living here.  This is a beautiful, lovely country with wonderful people and great food and prices.  We are settling into our new home anchorage and preparing to do a major inland trip to Peru where the expected highlights of the trip will be visiting Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca.  We anticipate traveling for about five weeks in Peru before we return to the boat for another twenty lessons of school before we take off for some more explorations of Ecuador itself.

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ORIGINAL '03 PLAN:  We are just beginning an open ended sailing journey and possibly a circumnavigation.  Our initial plan is to stay in Mexico for one year, possibly two.  After Mexico, we will sail down the coast of Central America before visiting the Galapagos on our way to the South Pacific.  Our first stop there will be Pitcairn Island to visit the home of Fletcher's namesake.  After that we shall see.

JUNE '04 PLAN:  Now that we are several months into our journey, we are thinking along different lines, and our plans may be changing.  That is one of the great things about this lifestyle.  As of mid '04, we are now planning to spend next year on the Pacific coast of Central America before going through the Panama Canal.  The following year we will spend exploring the Caribbean side of Central America before crossing the Caribbean.  We will then spend one or two seasons going up and down the east coast of the United States in the summer and into the Caribbean islands in the winters.  Possibly after that we will cross over to the Mediterranean for a year of European exploration and education.  Eventually we do want to cruise the South Pacific, but it will probably be a few years and maybe even on a different boat.  But, who knows what the future may bring?! 

JUNE '05, SAILING INTERRUPTED:  After much thought and consideration, the crew of Desiderata decided that it would be a good thing to take a break from sailing for awhile.  Mike and Nancy picked the north shore of Lake Tahoe as the place to settle.  For two years we fully enjoyed the mountains and all that they have to offer.  We enjoyed skiing, snowboarding, cross country skiing, camping, backpacking, mountain biking and living in such a clean and pristine environment with great people.