06/28/14 - 07/08/14: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
While flying over the United Arab Emirates I was mesmerized by its endless waves of sand. Not a hint of life appeared over miles upon miles of golden desert. Then, as if coming upon a picnic blanket laid upon an arid field, the city of Dubai appeared; a glittering oasis of steel and fantasy. We couldn’t have picked a more different place to visit after India.
06/24/14 - 6/28/14: Varansi, Uttar Pradesh, India
It was 2am and people were strewn about the train platform sleeping in various positions. Delays had fouled up everyone’s itinerary and people were catnapping where they could. Our group hunkered down on a platform overpass, some lying against their luggage, others nodding off on one another. Aura paced and waited and made sure strangers left us alone. As usual, even at 2am, a series of Indian men had slowly gathered at the top of the stairs to observe us.
06/22/14 - 6/24/14: Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
Agra is destination #1 for nearly every tourist in India. Not because the city is impressive or unique (on the contrary, it seemed much like everywhere else we’d visited), but because it is home to one of the most breathtaking structures in the world, the Taj Mahal. We were enthusiastic about finally witnessing this world wonder in person.
06/20/14 - 6/21/14: Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Jaipur is the capital city of Rajasthan, and when Aura pulled us into the heart of the city we found it flowing with the endless energy of all who inhabit it. We climbed to the top of a Hindu temple and watched the wheel of life whirling below us; a hectic rotary spanning our view hosting cars, buses, tuk-tuks, motorcycles, bicycles, push carts, camels, and the occasional elephant. It was organized chaos. Everything seemed to work in spite of the odds.
06/16/14 - 6/20/14: Udaipur to Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
Udaipur is known as the “City of Lakes” which is why I noticed a touch of dampness to the normally desiccated air when we arrived. The numerous man-made lakes surrounding the city create a more mediterranean feel, which may be why Udaipur is also known as the most romantic city in India. Well, it’s either that or the gorgeous City Palace that graces the city’s skyline. Either way, I was definitely enjoying a new, refreshing feeling as Aura led us toward the palace lights.
06/15/14 - 6/16/14: Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
Katie and I arrived in the lobby the next morning at 4:47am. The wobbly concept of time I’d witnessed in India meant I didn’t think twice about being two minutes late for our meet-up. Well, I was dead wrong! Aura gave everyone a talking-to about the importance of punctuality later that day and we made sure to be early to everything from that point forward.
06/13/14 - 6/14/14: Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India
We’d expected hot, dusty, packed and uncomfortable for our train ride to Jaisalmer. It actually turned out to be an unexpectedly pleasant ride. Sure, it wasn't air conditioned, but with every window open we were able to stay decently cool because of the constant air flow. It was also far from packed, allowing us to spread out and move around. The trip went by quickly because we kept ourselves entertained with memory games, card games, and Aura did a few magic tricks for us.
06/11/14 - 6/12/14: Bikaner, Rajasthan, India
The layout of a sleeper train car is very economical. During the day an area for six passengers has two benches facing one another with a padded backrest. Overhead there’s a rack to put your bags on. When night falls the backrest swings up to become a bed and the upper rack, which is also padded, becomes a third bed. And just like that you’ve got six “bunk beds” ready for a good night’s sleep.
06/08/14 - 6/11/14: Delhi, India
Our flight from Hanoi to Delhi was delayed for many hours. I spent that time snacking on free mini samosas and mentally preparing for India. By all accounts, India is a country of extremes. Everything we’d experienced in South East Asia was about to be amped up to 11. The heat. The poverty. The food and water safety. The culture shock. As one acquaintance put it, India will be the hardest trip of your life, and possibly the most rewarding. We were about to find out.
5/27/14 - 6/08/14: Hanoi, Vietnam
Cat Ba Island sits off the coast of Northern Vietnam and is a beloved destination for both international and domestic travelers. It supplies ocean views, beachfront fun, and picturesque rocky islets that weave their way through surrounding Ha Long Bay. We decided to take part in this traveler's paradise to enjoy a bit of nature, which we were sorely missing. But first, we had to get there...
5/20/14 - 5/27/14: Hoi An, Vietnam
Of all the South East Asian cuisines I think Vietnamese food is my favorite. At least, it was while I was in Vietnam. It’s fresh and flavorful with unexpected spices and tangs that delight my palate. And there was no better way to explore those flavors than in Hoi An.
5/13/14 – 5/20/14: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
When we arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam it was nighttime. Our taxi drove us to a busy square and dropped us off on the opposite side of the road to our hostel. We spent the next ten minutes trying to cross the street like scared squirrels. Giant buses and tiny mopeds bared down on us with equal enthusiasm, not a crosswalk or stoplight in sight. We managed to scurry across during an extremely brief gap in traffic.
5/7/14 – 5/13/14: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
The Cambodia Landmine Museum was a disturbing eye-opener to the inherited trauma of war. The devastation imprinted upon the land by the Khmer Rouge, but also rained down by the bombing campaigns of the United States, left silent assassins below the earth’s surface. Undetonated mines and bombs still terrorize generations of Cambodians every day.
4/29/14 – 5/7/14: Siem Reap, Cambodia
Siem Reap feels like someone took a bite out of Bangkok and spat it into a jungle. It’s got the same frenzy with none of the structure. Tuk-tuk drivers line the streets hunting for fares outside rows of restaurants and souvenir shops filling city blocks. It was in one of these shops where we learned what sets the city apart: It’s modest. It doesn’t like to gloat. As demonstrated by this slogan we read on a t-shirt: “Cambodia – Probably the best temples in the world.” You see what I mean? Probably the best. Well, we were about to find out.
4/22/14 – 4/28/14: Koh Phangan, Thailand
Ah, the island life. It’s a pleasant combination of relaxation and lack of motivation. When we arrived in Koh Phangan, Thailand, I hadn’t yet realized that’s exactly what we needed: a vacation pit-stop after six months of non-stop travel. Oh yes. Pity us poor and weary travelers. Such difficult lives we lead…
4/14/14 – 4/20/14: Elephant Nature Park, Thailand
Did you know elephants roar like lions? Squeak like mice? That you should never stand directly in front of an elephant because that’s their blind spot? That when we say elephants never forget it’s not hyperbole? I never knew these things. I never knew I wanted to know these things. But now I do, thanks to Elephant Nature Park.
4/12/14 – 4/14/14: Chiang Mai
I didn’t know what Chiang Mai would be like, but I can tell you I never imagined walking its streets soaked from head to toe. But when you arrive during Songkran, Thailand’s New Year’s festival, it’s bound to happen, so it’s best to embrace the onslaught of water being thrown in your face.
3/31/14 – 4/11/14: Bangkok
Bangkok is overwhelming. Heat and humidity coat the city like a long wet tongue. It mingles with the smell of fried food, the din of traffic, the sticky sweat clinging to your clothes. History and modernism press together like two long legs squeezing into a tight pair of pants. They fit (just) but that doesn’t make them comfortable.
3/27/14 – 3/31/14: Singapore
Singapore delighted us soon as we entered the airport and walked by a dazzling sculpture called “Kinetic Rain.” Hundreds of copper covered raindrops slid up and down invisible strings, floating through the air in magical waves. We would’ve stood there for an hour if not for the fact that we had very little sleep and were very hungry.
3/19/14 – 3/22/14: Yogyakarta to Jakarta, Indonesia
Our flight from Bali to Yogyakarta (pronounced “jo-ja-cart-a”) was a spiritual one. We knew we’d soon be visiting the largest Hindu site in Indonesia, as well as the largest Buddhist temple in the entire world, but in the midst of contemplating these holy places we weren’t expecting the sudden contemplation on our own fragile mortality. Specifically, Katie’s very real fear of her bladder bursting.
3/13/14 – 3/19/14: Bali, Indonesia
After spending roughly four months in western worlds, traveling through Australia and New Zealand, we were suddenly thrust into much-needed culture shock when we landed in Bali, Indonesia.
3/3/14 – 3/8/14: Bethells Beach, New Zealand
Pretty much everyone who knows Katie and me knows that we love the show Xena: Warrior Princess. In fact, we met because of that show over 19 years ago. So when the opening narrator says “her courage will change the world” I can definitively say that it changed mine for the better.
2/21/14 – 3/3/14: Cape Reinga / Kaitaia, New Zealand
Seashells crunched below our tour bus as it barreled down Ninety Mile Beach toward Cape Reinga, the northern tip of New Zealand. Katie and I were on a day-tour that consisted of sand dune sledding and lunch at Tapotupotu Bay, but it was the beach cruising that had lured us in. There something about speeding headlong down a sandy beach in a gigantic bus that felt…unique. Our juggernaut got us to Cape Reinga in record time.
2/17/14: Hobbiton - Matamata, New Zealand
After principal photography for The Lord of the Rings trilogy ended in 2000, the sets were quickly dismantled, leaving the New Zealand countryside as the filmmakers had found it. Understandable, since you don't want travelers stumbling upon broken down, two-sided castle facades while traipsing through the mountains. What Kiwis didn't realize was that Peter Jackson's films would become the cornerstone of their tourist trade.
2/6/14 – 2/15/14: Wellington to Tongariro Northern Circuit, New Zealand
Hiking Kepler Track was a sweet conclusion to the South Island of New Zealand. I wish I could say the North Island gave us a warm welcome, but apparently we did something to piss it off.
01/31/14 – 02/02/14: Kepler Track, Te Anau, New Zealand
Finding ourselves alone once more, without the distraction of parental guidance, Katie and I buckled down for a week’s worth of RTW trip planning. With year-long travel it’s impossible to map out everything ahead of time, you need to make room for research along the way. With this in mind, we rented an airbnb outside of Christchurch for a week-long sequestering, nothing but the internet and a fridge full of groceries to sustain us.
01/02/14 – 01/21/14: Queenstown to Nelson, South Island, New Zealand
As you know, our trip to New Zealand in 2011 beguiled us to no end. We told anyone who'd listen about the country's welcoming people, adventurous spirit, and extraordinary beauty. You can't turn your head without seeing another sublime vista or mountain begging to be climbed! It truly is a remarkable place. (No, New Zealand isn't paying us to be ambassadors of their country, though they should!)
12/24/13 – 12/28/13: Routeburn / Caples Track, Glenorchy, New Zealand
When Katie and I decided to go on a RTW trip we had no idea where we’d be traveling. The options were limitless. How would we narrow it down? An easy way to start narrowing it down would be to immediately rule out places we’d visited before. For instance, New Zealand, where we’d experienced 9 weeks of nirvana back in 2011. It was, literally, the perfect vacation. Based on that perfection, it was hard to resist the opportunity to return…
12/10/13 – 12/17/13: Great Ocean Road to Melbourne, New South Wales, Australia
The Great Ocean Road is one of the most highlighted tourist trails in Australia. Unlike Kangaroo Island, everyone's heard of GOR! (Yes, that’s what it’s commonly known as. Not the most appealing of acronyms.)
12/05/13 - 12/10/13: Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Australia
Every time someone asked, “What’s next for you in Australia?” I’d reply, “Kangaroo Island,” and be met with a confused expression. “What are you going there for?” was the typical response. We didn’t have a good answer other than our guidebook highly recommended it. Considering the shared reaction to Kangaroo Island, it’s a wonder anyone lived there let alone heard of it. (And, in truth, several hadn’t.)
12/5/13: Cairns, Queensland, Australia
On our final day in Koah, Katie and I decided that a trip to Cairns Tropical Zoo would be a fitting way to end our time in Queensland, Australia. Not only did it allow us to see even more of Australia's native animals, but we were able to interact with them too! Some were more friendly than others...I'm looking at you, crocodiles!
11/30/13 - 12/4/13: Koah & Undara Volcanic National Park, Queensland, Australia
The night was black as pitch but for our headlights beaming into the dark. Two living creatures forced us to swerve: a snake, with its body coiled and head raised; and a toad, which we believed to be an infamous Cane toad that ravaged Australia’s countryside (in which case we shouldn’t have swerved). Either way, no animals were harmed in the making of our way to Koah, Queensland, Australia.
11/30/13: Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia
When you hear the word Australia you think of kangaroos, the Outback, the Sydney Opera House, and the Great Barrier Reef. There was no way we were going down under without, you know, going down under. The surface, that is. The Great Barrier Reef was a must. One of the 7 natural wonders of the world? Who can resist that? Not us. And that’s why we did what every adventure-seeking tourist with no diving skills and limited funds does: we signed up for a tour.
11/26/13 - 11/29/13: Cairns, Queensland, Australia
We celebrated Thanksgiving in an igloo by the sea in 100 degree heat with crocodiles swimming off shore. This sounds like the ravings of a lunatic, but I can assure you that it’s all true.
11/21/13 - 11/26/13: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
I arrived in Sydney, Australia nursing a cold. It was my third of our RTW trip and I was getting mighty tired of being under the weather. The good news is my waning illness didn't stop us from seeing the sights. On the contrary, we managed to accomplish 4 action-packed days in Sydney enjoying our own self-guided "A&K Sydney Walking Tours"®
11/09/13 - 11/15/13: Buenos Aires, Argentina
The best way to know a city is to walk its streets. The sights, the smells, the sounds – all creating a rhythm that pounds against you like a beating heart. Its pace can be dangerous, timid, exciting, or even downright painful. Buenos Aires’ heart beats strong and passionate; you feel intensity with every step, your blood buzzing with excitement. Then again, maybe that’s just the 5th cup of coffee vibrating through your veins.
11/04/13 - 11/08/13: Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina
After five full days of hiking the W we decided it was time for…wait for it…more hiking. (There’s not much else to do in Patagonia). And, in the wake of our luxurious trek that included catered meals and refugios with warm beds, we figured why put a stop to our decadence in the mountains? So, when we caught our bus to El Chaltén to visit Los Glaciares National Park, we weren’t destined for some cheap hostel, we were bound for the best Bed & Breakfast in the entire world – El Pilar.
10/28/13 - 11/2/13: Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
We arrived in Puerto Natales, Chile just in time to check into our hostel and hasten over to Erratic Rock. This company owns a hostel, a restaurant, rents outdoor gear, and lures you in with an ingenious marketing scheme: they offer a free seminar about the most popular activity in Patagonia – The W Trek.
10/01/13 - 10/05/13 ; 10/11/13 - 10/15/13 ; 10/21/13 - 10/25/13: Cusco, Peru
While in Peru, we spent many scattered days in Cusco: just prior to our Salkantay trek, before we left for Sacred Valley, and our final days leading up to departure. It's one of the most fascinating cities I've ever visited; culture and commerce immersed together in a landscape steeped in history.
10/16/13 - 10/20/17: Urubamba, Peru
Recovery from the Salkantay trek was slow. Progress was stunted by an unfortunate incident where, on a rare excursion outside just two days after returning to Cusco, I tripped on the sidewalk and fell full force onto my knees. Yes, my aching, creaking knees hammered on stone like two bent nails. The pain was excruciating and I found myself on the ground screaming “Why, God? Why??!!” OK, that last part didn’t happen, but it could’ve happened if I didn’t have self respect.
10/10/13: Machu Picchu, Peru
I was broken when we reached Aguas Calientes. My knees revolted as I limped my way up the long stretch of road that led to our hostel, Kernos. I’m not exaggerating when I say I was taking a step every second; that’s how slow I was moving. That may sound fast in theory, but try it out. Stand up, look at a clock, and take a step for every second that ticks by and see if you don’t feel like a zombie would beat you in a foot race.
10/06/13 - 10/09/13: Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu, Peru
“I feel really awful,” Katie confessed to me just before we started hiking. It was our second day on the Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu and Katie was suffering from Montezuma’s Revenge, or should I say Pachacutec’s Revenge? (We were in Peru, after all.) That was the bad news. The even worse news was that we were at 12,795 feet and about to climb to over 15,000 feet. What was it they tell you when counteracting altitude sickness? Oh yeah, stay hydrated. Uh-oh…
09/11/13 - 09/12/13; 09/17/13 - 09/18/13: Quito, Ecuador
We were nervous about going to Quito. It was our first destination on our RTW trip and we’d read horror story after horror story about how we were going to get conned or robbed. One traveler even wrote: “In Quito it is PROBABLE that you WILL be robbed within your first three days.” (Capitalizations supplied by the author). Add in a few tales of false taxis that deliver you to armed muggers, and the warning bells start going off in your head.
9/23/13 - 9/27/13: Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
When you’re suffering from a cold and you wake up at 2:30 in the morning to catch a 3:00am van ride for two hours, only to spend another two hours waiting at an airport before spending several hours flying, landing, and flying again, then add another hour moving like cattle onto a bus so that you can ride a dinghy across rough seas and end up on a small cruise ship that’s slowly rocking back and forth on an incessant ocean… Well, you don’t feel great. That was how our Galapagos journey began.
09/19/13 - 09/23/13: The Secret Garden: Cotopaxi, Ecuador
You may not know it, but the highest mountain in the world is in Ecuador. Well, it depends on how you look at it…The Earth isn’t a perfect sphere. It’s slightly oblong, widening ever so slightly along the equator, meaning the equatorial line sits closest to the sun. Mount Chimborazo is Ecuador’s highest mountain, but Cotopaxi is a close second.
09/15/13: Sacha Lodge, Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest
The previous day was unbeatable, as far as I was concerned. What could top dozens of tropical birds, chatting with tamarin monkeys, and discovering hairy tarantulas? Our experiences seemed impossible to improve upon, and our first activity of the day supported my theory.
09/14/13: Sacha Lodge, Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest
We awoke at 5:00 AM for breakfast at 5:30. Upon waking, Katie and I put on our standard jungle armor: rubber boots, long pants, long sleeve shirts, a hat, and copious amounts of sunblock and bug repellent. Precaution is a healthy person’s best friend!
09/13/13: Sacha Lodge, Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon is one of those mythical places you see in pictures, or replicated in films, but never think you’ll actually visit. Knowing that our first stop would be in a country where we didn’t speak the language, we decided to do a tourist-friendly trip to the Amazon in order to ease our transition. It worked like a charm.
09/12/13: Quito, Ecuador
Packing for a year-long trip isn’t a big decision, it’s a hundred little ones; a marathon process of elimination that starts when you choose to travel and ends when you step on the plane. Katie and I have been working our way toward minimal living for a full year now and we’re still struggling with what’s made the cut! Is it too much? Too little? Just right? Only time will tell.
9/1/13: Bedford, MA, USA
I’ve done my research. The majority of travel blogs advocate living life spontaneously while on the road. Don’t plan too much. Keep your options open. It makes sense. The more structured your trip the more choices you’re cutting yourself off from. You should allow yourself the freedom to do whatever feels right. Flexibility is touted as the cornerstone of any enjoyable round the world trip.
8/18/13: Bedford, MA, USA
Katie and I spent a looong time debating whether or not to go on a round the world trip, and perhaps we would’ve taken even longer if not for an unexpected deadline: immunizations.
7/29/13 - 8/2/13: Prosser, WA, USA - Chicago, IL, USA
Our journey has been a family affair with friends sprinkled in. As we cross the U.S.A. we both know this will be the last time we see each person for a long time, so we're soaking up every moment, gathering lasting memories to keep us contented during our year of travel.
07/26/13: Centennial, CO, USA
The moment Katie and I decided we were going on a RTW trip we immediately asked ourselves: “What do we do with all this stuff?” After a quick analysis, we were able to categorize all of our worldly possessions into four categories: Give, Sell, Keep, and Trash.
7/17/13 - Prosser, WA, USA
People have been wondering where we’ll be going on our round-the-world adventure. It hasn’t been easy to decide. Infinite possibilities are difficult to rein in. It’s impossible to go everywhere, and if we tried to travel every place that tickled our fancy we’d go broke and insane. Once I started researching and opinion polling, it wasn’t long before I heard about “The Pillars.”
7/1/13 - 7/7/13: Burbank, CA, USA - Mukilteo, WA, USA
Our time traveling up the coast to visit family and friends before our cross-country road trip was quite eventful. We spent quality time with those we love, soaking up moments until our return a year or more from now. Thanks for the memories. We'll see you again soon(ish)!
And now, a photo blog to remember us by...
6/30/13: Burbank, CA, USA
I’m sitting in our Burbank apartment, lying on our black vinyl couch for the last time. It was bequeathed to me 11 years ago by my father, after he asked if we needed any furniture for our move to California. Emphatically, yes. We didn’t have much money at the time and no jobs on the horizon. All we had were our NYU diplomas and a bit of moxie. Neither of us knew exactly what we wanted to do, we just knew we wanted to work in the movies.
It’s been nearly 10 years since the start of our Round-The-World trip. In many ways, taking so long to write about our journey has been a blessing. It’s kept it alive and well in our minds far longer than we could’ve hoped for. For this reason, I’m grateful for my procrastination.