We are very happy that Vietnam is the last stop on our adventure. Not because we want it to be over but because it is the perfect place to transition us into our lives back home. While we wouldn’t consider Vietnam a spectacular place it has a charm and beauty that we have thoroughly enjoyed. The centuries old culture still thriving in an increasingly western country. This is truly one of the few places that gets the mixture right. A little old with a little new.

Sure the air is polluted, the beaches aren’t great, the traffic is horrible and the people can be rude and self centered but you quickly forget all of that while wandering down an old ally that looks like it hasn’t changed in the past 60 years. It has that foreign feel that everyone craves when they travel but balances that with western amenities and modern ideals. We love it here and we hope to return some day.

(Check out the Vietnam photo gallery here)

Read the rest of this entry »

We actually enjoyed Lao. Sure, there isn’t much to do and the transportation is expensive and horribly uncomfortable. But the ease of life and the nice pace of things makes it a great place to be for a while. There isn’t much to say good or bad about Lao; we had a good relaxing time. Not much more to it…

(To see the Lao photo gallery click here)

Read the rest of this entry »

Thailand, sweet bastion of sanity in a world of chaos. We came to Thailand after a very trying 3 months in India. We were sick and tired of traveling and needed a place that would reinvigorate our lust for wonderment. Thailand was this and more. We strolled some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, dove with sharks, stuffed ourselves on glorious Asian cuisine, explored endless market stalls, and were visited by a comrade from the west.

We have very little to say about Thailand that is negative; if anything, it is subject to its own beauty. Everywhere is flooded with tourists and not just regular tourists but loads of loud, drunken, and culturally rude tourists. We are not just talking about Khao San road either. The economy is now largely funded by the tourist trade but is the slow prostitution of a people and culture destroying the very thing that has drawn people to the beautiful land for thousands of years? We are already looking forward to returning to Thailand and implore others to visit as well; we just ask that you be mindful of yourself and your actions.

(Click here to see the Thailand Photo Gallery)

Read the rest of this entry »

On a scale of 1 to 10 we would place Cambodia at a firm …. eh. Its ok but didn’t really live up to the hype. Angkor was amazing and Kep was a little slice of paradise but inbetween that is very little besides flat plains that extend forever with only the occational dusty town along the path.

Granted we saw very little of this country and we hear that the north east is beautiful but we just were not feeling it. Its not that we disliked Cambodia it is more that it was rather bland and uninteresting. We really have no idea where all of this praise is coming from when we talk to people who “love” Phnom Pehn or S’ville. It just didnt’t work for us.

(Check out the Cambodia Photo Gallery here)

Read the rest of this entry »

Hmm, what to say about India? Did we like it? Yes. Did we hate it? Yes. Sometimes both in the same day. Did we love it? No. We can both honestly say that, while we may not have thoroughly enjoyed all of our time in India, we are both glad to have gone and experienced it. We both agree that there is no desire to ever return either.
Read the rest of this entry »

We never planned on Nepal really being a destination, it was always more of a quick break between China and India. But we actually had a fun time here. We decided from the beginning not to do much and to just chill out for a little bit before the onslaught of India and Nepal gave us that and more. We Delved into the chaos of Kathmandu, enjoyed the serene views in Phokara, met some of the nicest people, stalked wild rhinos in the jungles of chitwan and ate more dal bhat than is probably healthy.
Read the rest of this entry »

Despite all the garbage Tibetans put up with from China, the people of Tibet are amazingly warm and friendly to outsiders. They will stare at you but just out of curiosity and when you look back at them, they will give you a big genuine smile. They are very poor but also very happy and very religious and seem to take all the unfairness of life in stride. How could you not be happy when you live in such an astonishingly beautiful country!
Read the rest of this entry »

Three questions for China (or the Chinese):

• What do you do with all the photos you take of us, is there a “photo a gringo” contest we are unaware of?

• What is wrong with your respiratory system that requires you to hock, spit, and nearly vomit every 20 seconds?

• What is up with the “coke nail” (one fingernail that is minimum 1 inch long) that nearly every man sports?

Read the rest of this entry »

Originally, we had only planned on Hong Kong being a visa stop, but it turned out to be a really lovely place to spend a couple of weeks. It was insanly useful for taking care of our Chinese visa (twice) and it was also a good “work” location giving us some time to give the website a face lift.

We really enjoyed Hong Kong and while it probably wasn’t very interesting to read about it, provided us with a nice rest before jumping head first into China.

(Hong Kong photos will be included in the China Photo Gallery)

Read the rest of this entry »

Ahh Eastern Europe you beautiful oasis between two foriegn lands. We had a great time in Eastern Europe even though it was shorter than we would have liked and probably longer than our budget can afford. We watched the waves roll in on the beach, climed castle walls, indulged in all things western, walked the streets of Sarajevo, and best of all we were able to spend time with Lindsey’s younger brother.

There really isn’t much that can be said against our time in the region, although I dont think anyone would complain if Croatia either instilled a diet/workout ethic or made some of the beaches a bit more “clothed”…

(Don’t forget to check out the Eastern Europe Photo Gallery here)

Read the rest of this entry »