2019: The Year That Was

Perhaps a little later than I should have done, I wanted to sit down and take a break from chronicling my adventures to reflect upon the past year, where I’m at now, and what I am hoping for in 2020.

I left my job in June 2018, so 2019 was my first full-year on the road. So what did life on the road look like for me? It was a busy year. I was on five continents: North America, South America, Antarctica, Asia, and Australia, including two I had never been to before 2019 (Oz and the Great White One).

In Antarctica

In South America

In North America

In Asia

In Australia

I trekked my way through 15 countries, 11 of them new to me in 2019 as well: USA, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Australia, and New Zealand. And if you count countries where I did not spend the night or Antarctic bases (which I don’t), you can add in Myanmar, China, and the UK.

In a new country: Thailand

And in a beloved country I had been to before: Chile

To get to all these places, I took a total of 27 flights (that’s counting legs, not individual flights – so a flight leg with a stop over counts as one). Staggeringly, that added up to 298 nights away from my beloved homeland of Virginia.

Where I’m at right now: Queenstown, New Zealand. Where I’m at emotionally right now: tired. Traveling all the time sounds like the dream to many, but honestly the life of a nomad is a tough one. I am tired of living out of a suitcase and wearing the same shirts all the time. I am tired of having the same conversations with people I meet in hostels. I am tired. I am tired of constantly being on the move, figuring out what I am going to do, where I am going to sleep, and how I am going to get there every day.

Although I’m tired, it’s hard not to see the beauty here

I honestly did not think I would get to this point. I thought for sure the money would run out before the energy did (and let me tell you, it’s close)! But this is quite a common sentiment among travelers, and I thought it was worth mentioning here. It isn’t all wonderful experiences and glamour. Homesickness is real and there are pros to comfort and stability. Every day is a struggle to get out of my head and live in the moment. But I’m doing it (the abundant natural beauty of New Zealand certainly does help).

While I may be starting to feel like settling back down, that doesn’t mean I don’t have a wanderlust bucket list that is constantly in development. Returning to Chile, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, and Australia are definitely in the running, and I am overdue for a Eurotrip for sure. But here are my top 3 travel bucket list items as of right now:

1. Go on safari in Africa. As my last remaining continent, getting to some place in Africa tops the list – and what better way to do it than to go on a classic game drive hunting the perfect pic of the big five.
2. Cross the Arctic Circle: Well, I’ve been down across the Antarctic Circle, so it just seems natural to want to get to the northern side. The wildlife will be totally different (polar bears!), but big ice is usually what thrills me most.
3. Go on a SCUBA focused trip: Now that I am a certified PADI diver, I’d like to put those skills to use. While Indonesia and Malaysia were spoken very highly of by divers I met in Asia, I’d be fine with going somewhere in the Americas.

Here’s to hoping I can check off at least one (or more!) in 2020. Happy travels.

Have PADI cert, will travel

Advertisement

What I Missed

I have officially been home for over a month, and apparently I came home just in time for all hell to break lose. The shadow of coronavirus has followed me across the Pacific and is now infiltrating my home state. Hand sanitizer is flying off the shelves, toilet paper is running scarce, and everyone is starting to realize those doomsday preppers maybe weren’t so crazy after all. Although, I am not sure if CV has made it to Orange County …I don’t think Virginia’s OC is exciting enough to participate in a pandemic.

Back when the coronavirus was just a vague threat

Things got worse last week, so we are mostly hunkering down and practicing our social distancing. Which, really, thanks to Mom’s injury and ensuing recovery is what we have been doing all along. Mom is doing much better these days. I’ve been getting her out on walks around the ‘hood everyday, and this past week saw the first TWO non-medical related outings. To get food, obvi. She has even discovered she can Swiffer! The woman is unstoppable. We’ve also spent a lot of time catching up on Netflix/Prime and have run through: The Crown, Broadchurch, Grace and Frankie, The Marvelous Mrs. Maizel, and solid chunks of Psych and Father Brown. Do let us know if you have any recs!

The champ out for her walk

Swiffering fun

Bro and Dad built a firepit, which we inaugurated this past weekend with weenies and s’mores. Bro has been hanging around a good bit and really, it is nice when we are all together! It has been a long while since we have all hung out together regularly, and gosh darn it, I missed it! It’s funny how sometimes you need a trip over hundreds of days and thousands of miles to remind you that the place you needed/wanted to be was where you started. After all, isn’t that what the Alchemist is about too?

Roasted weenies!

The firemaster, stoking his flames

Other things, besides my family, that I missed while I was away:

• Showers: It seems nowhere else in the world can you reliably get the trifecta of hot water, water pressure, and enough space to move around. Sometimes you can get two. You definitely can end up with zero. My shower at my parent’s house has it all!
• Pay at the Pump: Why is this not more common elsewhere? Man, it was annoying having to go in to every gas station in New Zealand to pay. Sometimes it was just a matter of reader error on our foreign cards, but so many pumps did not even have the pay at the pump option. It’s 2020.
• Food variety: Even out here in what can only be described as the middle of nowhere (Locust Grove) we have solid Chinese, Japanese, Italian, and Mexican food. Fredericksburg, hardly a bustling metropolis, has cuisine from around the world. Outside of some truly cosmopolitan cities (London, Singapore, Buenos Aires) I have yet to find anything that compares to the abundance of options we have here.
• Free refills and endless water: I don’t drink soda, but I’m a thirsty girl. I love that you can have all the water you want here FOR FREESIES – and if the service is on point, they’ll bring it to you without even asking and refill it before you’ve noticed it’s gone. It’s wild. And you can drink tap water! Mind blown.

But more than any one thing specifically, it is just great to come home – to the familiar, to the comfortable. It’s really true what they say – there is no place like home.

They Say “You Can’t Go Home Again,” But…

I came back home two weeks ago, after I finished up my jaunt in Vietnam. Honestly, I had been ready to come home for awhile. The energy ran out and the bank account was skint. But I couldn’t live with myself if I went all the way to the other side of the world without going to Vietnam.

I am really glad I went, but I am also happy to be home. Coming home when I did allowed me to surprise my dad with not only my homecoming, but we also threw a surprise party for him for his 65th birthday. The party was a hit, and was celebrated a few days before Dad’s birthday on the actual birthday of my brother who turned 31 this year. It sucks when you have to tell people your younger brother is 31! We are all old.

The fam – including broken mom

Surprise birthday party!

Speaking of old, the number one worry of old people is starting to plague my family: slips and falls. Mom fell while out walking with Bro and Dad just a few days before I got back and managed to break both her wrists. She had to have surgery and stitches and two casts and everything. She can’t really use her hands well, so she’s become pretty useless. But at least she’s not in pain, and she is being quite the trooper. There is no good time to break both your arms, but mom timed it well with me coming home anyway.

The lake looks cold and grey

Cheers to friends!

Beautiful Alexandria

So here I am, finally at home, enjoying “beautiful” February in Locust Grove, VA, hanging with the ‘rents, visiting friends up near DC, and reminiscing about my adventures over the last year and a half plus. I’ve had plenty of time on my hands to practice Spanish, so I have been making sure to schedule time with my tutors almost every day. And I have been experimenting with some off the cooking skills I have learned – I am already tried out two Thai dishes that came out pretty well! So I am still keeping it pretty international around here.

Taaaaacos

Poke

The Thai soup I made!

I have some trips I want to do, of course, but my goals for this year look a lot different than they did a year ago. I am starting to apply for jobs, which is everyone’s favorite activity. So hopefully in a matter of months I’ll be an employed, productive, maybe even home-owning member of society once again! Cross your fingers for me!

Incredible, Intrepid Vietnam

When I originally set out on my journey, I told people that I would keep traveling until the money runs out or the energy runs out. I said it a little jokingly, since I did not think it was possible for my travel energy to run out but guess what… it did. The heat and humidity of SE Asia sucked it right out of me, and my Asia-Pacific adventure had be moving at quite a rapid pace. Changing accommodations every night or two is a grueling pace – and very different from my leisurely jaunt around South America. So I was feeling pretty exhausted (poor me!) and definitely tired of living out of a suitcase – I swear if I ever see that turquoise fleece again I’ll scream.

On a motorbike, in the damn fleece

Rocking the fleece I never want to see again

And yet, I couldn’t leave that side of the world without going to Vietnam, which was probably the Asian country I had most wanted to see. I am not usually an organized tour kinda gal, but I just did not have the emotional and mental fortitude to navigate another SE Asian country where I didn’t speak the language. I had heard good things about Intrepid, especially when it comes to reasonably priced single supplements, and they were having a sale around black Friday. So I scooped up a headache-free Vietnam Express Southbound tour.

The whole thing, including the single supplement, cost $1,263 for a “10” (really, 8 as day 1 is arrival and day 10 is departure) day tour. Could I have done it for cheaper? Assuredly. Would I try to do it for cheaper? I would love to go back to Vietnam and do a self-guided/solo trip someday, but honestly – I found myself really enjoying the group trip. Much to my surprise!

My fellow youngsters

Enjoying the delights of Saigon

Our fab guide, Huyen!

It was nice after coming off three weeks of full solo travel in NZ to travel with others, and I think we lucked out with our group. We all got along well, even though the age range had a wide spread. There were a couple other youngsters I could hang with though. Plus, Intrepid max group size is 16, which is much more manageable than the 40-50 people on Gate1 (my parent’s usual choice of tour operator). And our tour guide, Huyen, was phenomenal!

Ha Long Bay

Train Street in Hanoi

Imperial Citadel Hue

Lanterns of Hoi An

Showing off my rolling skills at cooking class

Experiencing the North Vietnamese Army’s tunnels

She guided us expertly and effortlessly as we whipped around on motorbikes in Hue, visited the imperial lantern city of Hoi An, and got to know the bustling metropolises of Hanoi and Saigon. I went to train street, took a cooking class, learned about the Vietnam War, and ate everything I could get my hands on.

Egg coffee

Bun on the Street

Home cooked meal

Banana Pancake

Saigon Food Market

Banh Mi!

Much like my feelings in Korea, I was surprised at how far Vietnam has come given that up until very recently it was suffering through some extremely tough times. So it seemed like fitting bookends that I started this part of my trip in Korea and ended in Vietnam. Life has a funny way of working out beautifully like that.

To sum up: Vietnam definitely makes the list of countries I would love to go back to (although, there are admittedly few that don’t make that list). And now I’m dying to try out some of my recipes from my Peruvian, Thai, and Vietnamese cooking classes…

South Island Wonders – And How I Saw Them All For Free!

When you think about New Zealand, probably the first thing that comes to mind is spectacular scenery, glaciers, and Lord of the Rings – not necessarily budget travel. And while yes, activities are expensive, a night in a hostel dorm can set you back 20 USD, and gas costs a bit more than I am used to, I found a very economical way to road trip around.

And no, I’m not talking about #vanlife – camper vans, while extremely popular in NZ, are actually not cheap, and neither are the camp sites or the gas to run them.

I am talking about transfercar. Have you ever rented a car one way? It’s quite common and not only does it leave you as the renter with a whopping one-way rental fee, it leaves the rental car company trying to figure out how to get cars where and when they need them.

Enter transfercar, a website in NZ (Australia has it too) where rental car companies can post cars that they need relocated and willing drivers can pick them up and use them for free. Sometimes they even throw in a free tank of gas!

Sick views from my ride

One of my many free rentals

I put 3,417 kilometers (2,123 miles) on different transfer cars across the north and south islands of NZ, trying my best to see all the things. All without paying a rental fee! It felt good to hit the road, have the flexibility to do what I wanted – and learn to drive on the left!

Glacier carved valleys

Mirror lakes

Snow plane trip!

Endless wildflowers

Whale watching – from the air

Seals seals seals!

I spent most of the time on the south island, taking in the wonders of seal colonies, glaciers, whale watching, and misty Milford Sound. Highlights included wine tasting in Marlborough Valley, rafting through a cave under a glow-worm sky, seeing the pancake rocks, and taking a ski plane and helicopter for a snow-covered glacier landing. And Abel Tasman National Park is a can’t miss.

Misty Milford Sound

WINE!

Speed demon luge-riding

Mount Cook

Pedal kayak in Kaikoura

However, if I am being honest, I didn’t love the south island as much as everyone seems to. Maybe it is just an issue I have in managing expectations with reality, but I did not find it to come to the level of what Patagonia has to offer.

In Tongariro

The colors and rising steam in the geothermal area are absolutely ridiculous

Looks more like Mt. Doom from this angle

Enjoying the thermal features

Lovely Auckland

The NORTH island, however, is underrated as far as I am concerned. The thermally active area around Rotorua is super cool (or super hot, rather?) Tongariro National Park was easily the most spectacular place I saw in all of NZ. Wellington and Auckland are lovely cities, you can visit Hobbiton, and I got to get my ZORB on! I gave a hard pass to bungee jumping though (you’re welcome, Mom). 

In the end, NZ left me wanting more – so I am definitely adding it to the list of places to return to.

New Year, New Zealand

I was originally going to come home for the holidays. I had never been away from home during Christmas before, and traveling solo during this time just seemed too sad. But then some dear Kiwi friends of mine helped me to see how silly it was to spend money to go home after SE Asia and then come back to explore Oz and NZ. They invited me to stay with them instead, and I said yes! So I got to enjoy Kiwi Christmas and ring in 2020 before pretty much anyone else in the world.

In some ways Kiwi Christmas is very similar to that in the US – focused on big meals and spending time with family. However, there are some key differences. It involves a lot more cream. Kiwi dip and cream based desserts, like ambrosia and pavlovas, are the standard fare (love it!) They tend to not be big on showy light displays or gaudy decorations. And, of course, it’s summer here! So you aren’t freezing to death and can actually play outside or even hit the beach.

Presents under the tree

Dessert time, featuring pavlova

One of the spreads

Another Christmas spread

Jess decorating some desserts

I feel so blessed that my friends and their lovely families welcomed me so fully into their homes. It was really special to have this opportunity to meet so many wonderful people, including two other Christmas refugees from Jersey. It means more than words can ever say, and I thank Jess and Matt from the very bottom of my heart.

Christmas walk with the pupper

Viola! Brunch!

Christmas refugee gang

During Christmas week, we went camping which is pure Kiwi holiday style. Or so I’m told. I hadn’t been camping in a good long while, so I was unsure how I would feel about it. But I really enjoyed it! We stayed in a holiday park right on the beach, went tubing (or biscuiting, as they call it in NZ), and took in views of the recently erupted White Island. We also went camping up on the Coromandel peninsula and hit up a concert by NZ hit saxophone band Drax Project. I really liked their music, and can’t get Woke Up Late out of my head (and even cooler, they did a version in the Maori language Te Reo).

The girls with the Drax Project frontman

Jess and Jess at Drax Project

The gang’s morning stroll on the beach

Beachside campsite

On the road around

Other highlights of the week were taking in majestic views of Hawkes Bay and Gisbourne, as well as eating an award winning potato-topped pie which converted me into a bit of a junkie. For New Year’s Eve we were in art deco haven Napier, at a concert on the top of a mountain. After a day of literally doing nothing but ordering pizza and watching movies, it was time to hit the road and explore this magnificent country.

Potato-topped pie on the beach

NYE view

NYE concert

Art Deco Napier

Classic car in Napier

The Emerald Cities of Oz

It is impossible to talk about a trip to Australia without mentioning their fabulous cities, the jewels in the crown of a truly wondrous land down under. As a city girl, FINALLY visiting these cities that I have heard about forever was the juicy cherry on top of a gigantic sundae.

First stop for us was Melbourne. For seven years, the world’s most livable city until recently dethroned (by Vienna). It isn’t difficult to see why. Downtown is compact and walkable, their public tram system is fantastic, and there is plenty to see and do. Museums? They’ve got it. Rowing on the river? They do it. Spending all afternoon doing nothing but drinking in a pub? Yes, let’s! (We did that). I hear tell they even have a beach… with penguins. There are great museums, theaters, and parks too. For me, this is what *makes* a city. Looking back, mostly I remember just how pleasant it was.

Mom and dad enjoying the trolley ride

Mom liked the cafe breakfast scene

Outside the Australian art museum

Sitting riverside, taking in the skyline

Australian bush art

Melbourne is the capital of the state of Victoria

Next up: Canberra. Did you know it is the capital of Australia? No one would blame you if you didn’t. It doesn’t make a lot of must-see lists, but it is a good stopping point on the road between Melbourne and Sydney. It didn’t feel much like a city. In fact, it felt like a sprawling suburb for a city that was never built. Now this doesn’t sound particularly charming… but it kind of grew on me. The days were sunny, there was never any traffic, and we stumbled upon some good eats and drinks. If I had more time to explore, I feel like I would have uncovered some hidden gems for sure. It is well worth a visit just to see the Parliament and National Museum.

We found a decent brewery

Lots of open space and highways = Canberra

Inside Parliament

On top of the Parliament building

The super cool, super huge National Museum

Their “national mall” …?

Is a trip to Australia really complete without a visit to Sydney? I don’t think so. With its shawl of fire haze, it maybe wasn’t looking its best, but the thickest smog couldn’t hide all the charm and wonders Sydney has to offer. The harbor is incredible, and setting eyes on the harbor bridge for the first time is so exciting! I could have spent endless days just riding the ferries around, taking in the sites and visiting the different beaches. As evening rolls in, what is better than a trip to the famous opera house. It is gorgeous, and as soon as we took a tour I knew I had to come back and see something, anything, in the cathedral to the arts that is the symphony hall (check).

The harbor bridge from the botanical garden

The concert hall inside Sydney Opera House

Mom and I enjoying bridge views

Maori art installation on the Opera House roof

SOH at night

Enjoying a wine at the club

Super adorable city

Finally, I ended up in a city that I had never really dreamed of going to: Brisbane. It was here that I most felt the Christmas spirit (or, as they would call it, Brismas). Light shows and Christmas spectaculars were the order of the day. But it is also just a really chill city with a great food scene, perfect for stuffing your face or grabbing a pint with a new friend. Brisbane also takes beaching seriously. Surfers can catch the gold coast express to hit the waves not too far from the city. If that’s too far, you can go to the beautiful man-made beach right in the heart of downtown alongside the banks of the river. Serious, Alexandria needs to get on this.

In sunny Brisbane

RIverside manmade beach is the coolest

Aboriginal art in the art musuem

Buds and brews

The oldest building in Brisbane

Celebrating Brismas

Brisbane’s observation wheel all dressed up for Xmas

Could I pick a favorite? It would certainly be hard. Sydney is hard to beat, especially if you are a beach bum of the highest order,… but I think I would give it to Melbourne. It’s chill, with access to spectacular coastline (the Great Ocean Road heads out west from there), good food, good brews, and has all the culture you could ask for.

Water, Water Everywhere

I feel like I really focused on dryness, desert, and fire last post, so I figured I would have a go at another basic element in this one: water. Similar to the US, Australia covers a continent with a long coastline that borders on two oceans. This means there is a lot of spectacular coastal scenery, and probably the first things you think of when you think of Australia are beaches, surfing, and the Great Barrier Reef.

While I haven’t tried my hand at surfing (honestly, I am still working on mastering walking), I did check out a few beaches – some famous even in the States and some that I had never heard of. Probably most famous are the beaches of Sydney, prime among them being Bondi, which I did not go to, and Manly, which I did and loved. What a blessing to live in such a fabulous world class city… yet be able to get to the beach on public transit within an hour. Had me feeling a little jealous of the Sydney dwellers, to be quite honest.

The beach scene at Manly

Manly main drag

Arriving into Manly on the ferry

Surfers in training at Manly

Enjoying the beach

On the ferry to Manly

My folks and I got to explore much of the coastline of Victoria as well, tackling a portion of THE Great Ocean Road, out to the Twelve Apostles (rock formation), before heading up the coast between Melbourne and Sydney. (This is where the fires have gotten way out of hand now, if you are following the news). This is less of a beach bumming kind of beach and more just stunningly beautiful. More Pacific Northwest, less SoCal. I would never get tired of going on drives or walks (and trying unsuccessfully to make the sand squeak) and taking in the scenery here.

12 Apostles

Sunset on the Great Ocean Road

The other group of the 12 Apostles

Mom and I at the chilly beach

Mom and Dad taking a romantic stroll

Although it was too cold for me to go swimming, plenty of animals disagree. This is prime whale watching coast for a good chunk of the year, although we just missed it, and you have to get to the southern coast in Australia if you want to see the penguins. I also saw the largest manta ray I have ever seen in my life, swimming just off the pier in some small town. The road trip took us to plenty of cute little one-horse towns near the coast, where there was one inn, a couple shops and restaurants, and maybe a gas station. My favorites were Tilba, Meeniyan, and Pambula, in case you want to know.

They didn’t seem cold

Giant freaking pelicans

Tilba

If you are looking for more of a “surf’s up dude” vibe, Noosa fits the bill. It’s one of the best in Australia. The Sunshine and Gold Coasts of always sunny Queensland seem lousy with surfers, although they are literally everywhere in this country. Noosa was the perfect spot to crash for a couple days of vacation and enjoy a beautiful beach, lovely state park, and the cleanest, clearest river I have ever seen. We also did some sitting by the river, watching the fires worsen, with mom and dad’s friends at their vacation place in Little Wobby.

Hitting up beaches in Noosa National Park

Chilling by the Noosa River

With Leah on a sunset cruise

Little Wobby, with a dramatic sky

Enjoying the views at Wobby

And last but not least, as I mentioned I did hit the GBR. I accessed it from Bundaberg, at the southernmost tip. Lady Musgrave island in the reef proved to be a great day trip, although I definitely need to go back and do a multi-day beach hopping and diving reef tour. It was so nice being out on the water all day, snorkeling, watching the sea turtles and dolphins, riding around in the glass bottom boat, and strolling on the island. Bundaberg also ended up being quite the cute little stopover since it had the turtle center I mentioned last post and is home to the best rum in Australia. 

Bundaberg Rum!

An eagle in flight at Lady Musgrave

On Lady Musgrave Island

THE Great Barrier Reef

Sea turtles from the glass bottom boat

The Aussie coast offers so much to see and do – there is really something for everyone. And although we drove for miles and miles, we only covered just a small portion of it! I can’t wait to go back someday.

Do You Come From a Land Down Under?

Ever since watching the classic MK+A movie Our Lips Are Sealed (has anyone else ever seen this?), going to THE land down under has been on the top of my bucket list. I mean, who doesn’t want to go surfing with kangaroos and eat vegemite sandwiches with Men at Work? Even if literally everything in Australia is trying to kill you. So mom and dad and I popped on down. under.

Fortunately I haven’t had too many close calls with the nasty animals (we did see a snake while strolling down our first trail – but we high tailed it outta there and didn’t find out if he was nasty or not). But I DID get to see most of the legendary strange furry Aussie mates. We saw loads of wallabys and kangaroos, even some on a beach (not surfing though). Koalas galore, even one that MOVED, which they practically never do! Saw that kookaburra sittin’ in the old gum tree, an emu, and even a handful of…llamas?

 

SOOO sleepy

Kookaburra in his gum tree

Woke up for like 2 secs

Roadside roos on our road trip

Kangaroos on the beach

While we faced no danger from the native fauna, the flora was going up in flames all over the driest inhabited continent. We saw some pretty serious dark smoke as we were driving by one of the biggest fires in the area, but the smoke is so thick that it is impacting visibility and breathing all over New South Wales. Although not helped by the severe drought across much of Australia, the fires are mostly natural and a necessary part of maintaining the ecosystem here… but those poor koalas didn’t stand a chance.

 

Smoke on the water

Getting nearer to the heart of it

The red smoky sun

The drought has negatively impacted the sea turtles, as I learned on my visit to the Mon Repos turtle center near Bundaburg. The sand is so dry, they sometimes can’t build their nesting burrows and give up in frustration. Also because it has been so hot, most of the turtles are being born female since incubation temperature determines sex. This has biologists concerned about the long-term viability of turtle species, if there are a lack of breeding pairs. Yay global warming. Thank god good ole Bundy produces the most famous rum in Oz… so you can drink away your worries.

 

Turtle egg-laying in action

A ranger giving us the 411

Full moon on the beach

Cheers!

Speaking of hot (check that smooth transition there), I have also been out to the red hot center of Australia. I made the pilgrimage, like many tourists do, out to the middle of nowhere to see Uluru. The sun was sweltering, the flies were miserably annoying… but the desert was spectacular. It was surprisingly green out there, and the colors of sunset and sunrise were incredible. There are actually a few other large monoliths in the area, which I didn’t know – some even bigger and wilder looking than Uluru.

 

Uluru in its glory

Sunrise

Early morning light

Sometimes it’s a waterfall

I reckon Uluru just played a bigger role in the creation myths of the local indigenous folks. It is considered a sacred site (which is why you are no longer allowed to climb it), and like a holy text it tells the story of some of the most important cultural myths and legends. It also served as an important gathering site for the Anangu people, where they would meet to pray, share stories, and instruct the next generation on how to survive in the desert. Cave paintings 5000 years old present the lessons for us to see today.

 

In Australia

Most recently, I have been kicking it in small-town Oz. Friends of mine I met in Antarctica (seriously, who says that) bought a country tavern and are running a super charming little local bar. It’s all very chummy and Cheers like (there’s even a Norm!). For a couple days I hung out at the bar, had some good food and drink, and took a country bike ride (I can still ride a bike… sorta). We had live music one day and fire action on the mountain the next.

 

Wine and fire slow burning in the background

Out for a bike ride

Out in the countryside

A dig in a pub

It’s been such an amazing couple of weeks, and it was so great hanging with some beloved locals. There have been too many highlights to even count. I’ll keep’em coming in the next one.

The Highs and Lows of the Tour

After Thailand, my parents and I had two more stops in SE Asia on our tour: Luang Prabang, Laos and Siem Reap, Cambodia. Little did we know they would prove to be my favorite and least favorite parts of the journey.

Luang Prabang sits up in the mountains of Laos, so not only does it have beautiful rugged terrain surrounding it, it is also quite a bit cooler than other places I’ve been in SE Asia. Backpackers have made it there, bringing good coffee shops and some more diverse food. But it hasn’t been overrun with tourists, and still feels inherently Laotian. At least for now. A fellow traveler said it reminder her of Chiang Mai… 25 years ago.

Buddhist monks getting their sticky rice at dawn

Temple in Laos

Wonderful mosaics and murals on the temples

A Laotian welcoming ceremony

There are plenty of temples to explore, featuring wonderful mosaics. We strolled through a couple, even though we were starting to feel temple saturation by this point. We even woke up early one morning to participate in the ritual of giving sticky rice to the monks that go around collecting their daily rations. We also went to the cave temples on the outskirts of town, down the Mekong.

Cruising by elephants

Mekong cruise

Cruising along the river for the afternoon was for me the highlight of the trip. It was hard not to enjoy the fresh air and fabulous scenery. In fact, I could easily see myself returning to explore some of the incredible nature around… or sitting in a cafe all day, doing nothing but soaking up the laid back atmosphere of the town.

Action at the market

Beautiful morning market foods

Stunning scenery right in town

Siem Reap is a whole different story. It’s hot. It’s humid. It’s flat, with little of geographic interest. The food doesn’t match up to its neighbor to the west (Thailand). It’s dirty. As you head out of town, it gets dirtier. Roads are bad. Tonle Sap is a disgusting body of water that smells like open sewage. Yes, Angkor Wat is an extremely cool place, and I enjoyed learning about the ancient city and seeing the beautiful temple complexes covered by carvings and jungle. It is impossible not to feel the sense of history here.

Angkor Wat at golden hour

Angkor Wat reflections

Amazing Angkor Wat carvings

Jungle temples

But Siem Reap moves into my #1 position as least favorite place I have ever been. A spot formerly occupied by Cartagena.

Tonle lake community

Living right on the water

Rural Cambodia – ox ride

It did have me wondering, though, about development and the role that recent history, culture, and attitude play in what countries look like today. I can’t help but compare Cambodia with Colombia. Both struggled through really dark times were violence and murder was the norm, the government was completely corrupt, and the people were left behind as power hungry men pursued their own interests.

But to look at Colombia today, you almost wouldn’t know that there were ever any struggles (and the height of their dark days is more recent than in Cambodia). Sure nothing is perfect – the agreement with FARC goes too far for some and not far enough for others, there are parts of the country where instability continues to reign, and thousands still mourn the loss of their loved ones. But whereas Colombia seems determined to pull itself out of the shadows, Cambodia appears resigned to be there.

Maybe it’s just me. Some people I have talked to really love Cambodia. Travel bloggers rave about how “authentic” it is. But authentic doesn’t mean beautiful. Authentic doesn’t mean pleasant or enjoyable. Authentic doesn’t even mean interesting. I am sure it’s not fair to judge Cambodia by this one corner of it, just as it wouldn’t be fair to judge Colombia by Cartagena… But with so many beautiful places in the world to see, I can’t say I am in any rush to go back.