We said goodbye to the relatives with tearful embraces, boarded a ferry in Brindisi and headed to Greece.  There we were scheduled to meet up with friends from Boston.  Before entering these weeks of our trip, Annie and I were a little apprehensive about how dramatic our shift in travel style would be.  As expected going from the coast of Africa to Europe, and to emphasize the fact Roma, was shock enough to our senses and our wallets, but to add to it a vacation style travel plan was going from 0 to 100 mph on the racetrack of luxury.  Hey, you gotta roll with it, right?

Greece is in financial crisis, but their tourism industry seems to be doing alright and everything is so damn expensive...so what gives, where's all that cash going Grecia!?  We did the "Greece in a week" iterineray with JD and Jenn...Athens, Santorini, Crete, Delphi and Athens again.  Wow, that shit is beautiful and friggin' old.  On crete we walked through Knossos, center of the Minoan civilization dating back to 6000 BC or before..... yeah, that there be one of the oldest civiliations known to man. Crazy.  And yes of course there was classical period of ancient Greece, with the likes of the Acropolis' Parthenon and Delphi's Sanctuary of Apollo and Athena... gulp.  It felt like these guys were doing things before Christ was born that folks in central Africa have yet to figure out (or afford).  Hm, strange how civiliations progress at such amazingly different paces.


The week went by too quickly.  We laughed... a lot, drank, ate, played lots of cards, relaxed and just caught up on all things back home Boston. It was great and really good to see and spend time with familiar faces that we hadn't seen in a while.  Although we all agreed that it didn't feel like 8 months had gone by....

So after a short delay on their return flight (some bs about volcanic ash in the atmosphere or sumthin?!) Jenn and Johnny were off and Annie and I were headed towards Italy again. This time north, to pick up my parents for a week in northern Croatia.  We had a one night stopover in a Greek hilltown, beautiful spring meadows anchored sweeping mountains dotted with sheep (I didn't think Greece looked like this) then we got on a two night, thirty-six hour ferry ride to Trieste.  We got deck tickets which means pulling out our sleeping pads and sleeping bags and searching the ship for a quiet place to cleep.  First night OK, second night... BRUTAL (for me atleast) due to a nice mix of a gently rocking boat and two liters of squeeze bottle vino rosso.  Ugh.


It was great to see the parental units, obviously there was lots of anticipation and a tear was shed on arrival.  8 months is a long time not to see people that you love - so darn it, make it a point to visit your loved ones!  We jumped in the car and headed to our base for the week, Rovinj, Croatia, just over the Italian, then Slovenian boarder in the peninusla of Istria.  I recommend this place bar none as a week or longer destination.  Rovinj itself is a charming town, centered around an old city, which was once an island, but has now been connected.  Istria is famous seafood, wine, blue water coasts, a fairland type interior with hilltop towns scattered about and truffles.  Is this paradise?  Pretty close.  Much like our time in Greece this week was magic.  We enjoyed all that Rovinj had to offer, we spent some time inland, had to sober up at the end of the week and get stitches due to all of the laughing.  We had a great time and most importantly to me it got my folks out to see another part of the world.  My hope is that this trend for them of exploring new  continues... and that Cancun, becomes less frequented.



Our 20 European vacation came to a close at the first of May.  Our time reminded us of the great life and community we had before we left and what we'll come back to later this year.  We saw some amazing things, but most importantly we spent quality time with some of our closest people in beautiful parts of the world.

So.... I've written and rewritten this post several times, never be satisfied that the words did the experience, that we had in Puglia, justice. So if it doesn't come out properly, let it be said here... Annie and I were overwhelmed by the generosity, interest and the degree of unconditional love that the Rendinis and Caliandros showed us during the week we spent with them. We want to say thank you and my hope is that soon, we will again be in your wonderful presence.

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So from the coast of Africa, Europe ... first stop Italia. We flew in and spent a few days in one of our all-time favorite cities, Roma, then headed south, to visit "the Italian relatives". Seeing how this was THE reason that Italy was included in the itinerary, we were super excited. I mean really, how many people get to meet their mother's mother's father's brother's daughter and her family?

So, a little background. My mother, uncle, cousin and their significant others tracked down our distance relatives from southern Italy a few years ago and actually visited them as part of a trip to Italy in 2008. They only stayed two days, but created a lifetime of memories with the Caliandros and Rendinis in that short period of time. We had heard so much about their visit, from the welcome at the train station, the garden walks in the country, to all of the historical towns, and the banquet held in their honor with over 50 guests...overly gracious hosts, overly moved travelers, to the point of tears. It was amazing to listen to the stories, so we wanted to deliver a thank you to the family in person and spend some time with these obviously amazing souls.

We weren't prepared for the experience to come - not even close. From Roma we took an overnight half bus, half train ride down to Ostuni (Puglia, the heal of the "boot" if you will) 15 minutes drive from Casalini - home of my great grandfather's relatives. We were met first by Maria Caliandro and her husband Giuseppe. I met eyes with Maria, we recognized each other... she let out a short gasp, then began the run/brisk walk towards each other, ya know like movie stuff ... a few kisses, a few ciaos, a few hugs, lots of smiles and lots of cryptic Italian... ok, out to the parking lot, where we were greeted by more people (Leonardo, Mariantonietta a.k.a. Mari), a few more ciaos, kisses, hugs, and smiles later we were off to Nino and Dora Rendini's (Mari's parents) cafe/bar, located in a campground on the Adriatic. Guess what ensued? Ciaos, kisses, hugs and smiles. This type of behavior didn't end... for 7 straight days. Annie and I felt like diplomats, ambassadors, being treated to every important luxury afforded in Puglia. We visited every single local town - Ostuni, Cisternino, Alberbello and others further a field - Matera, Otranto, Santa Maria de Leuca (sourthern most point of Italy), we visited farms, churches and castles, we walked the country gardens, groves and vineyards of the families, visited a famous local cave, and we even went on a car safari, to the metro zoo, and saw a dolphin show (all done at a local amusement park). WWhewff... aren't you whipped just reading that?!



However, for us the most enjoyable part of the entire time was mealtime - we sat down together, always being served homemade, traditional food, with loads of local products always on the table (I mean stuff made by them like olive oil, wine, limoncello!) and it all just kept coming (don't ask me to count the courses we ate over the week)... and of course it was all accompanied by broken English, even worse Italian and lots of hand waving. So, Annie and I know exactly how our elder generation felt... and we are so so lucky to have these relatives in our lives. It was also very special to be able to celebrate Mari's brithday with her and members of Dora's family...even taking part in making part of the meal - the pizza! So fun... Nino's got quite a knack for the food stuffs.... Bravo!

So the story must go on... Vermont folks are chomping at the bit to get back over to Casalini to help with the olive and grape harvest, Casalini folks would love to get to America....and they would be hosted like the Kings and Queens that they are. I know that the hosts in Vermont would at least try their best to come within shoutin' distance providing the hospitality shown to them while in Italy.

Hospitality means different things to different people. It could mean anything from answering someones question, to letting someone use your phone, to hosting a dinner for twenty, to any number of other things. In Italy, when you are the host, hospitality is taken very very seriously and I really cannot imagine anyone taking it more seriously than our relatives in Casalini. There was never a question... Annie and I were going to be treated very well, special, because we were guests and that's hospitality. A new standard, that I'd like to live up to.

So it's difficult to put into words for me. From my parent's visit in 2008, I had heard so many things about the "italian relatives", but could all of these glowing blah blahs be true? Hells yeah! And more, beyond your wildest dreams....really...

I'm also so thankful to the crew that made the trip over in 2008. It is hard to believe, but if they had not broken ground with the family in Casalini back then, who knows if the relationship would exist now and if Annie and I would have made the trip. Boy are we lucky.

Grazie mille to the Familia di Casalini! See...still working on the Italian...

We landed in Europe just over a month ago, haven't had more than 2 days to ourselves and it's been great.  After two days in Roma, awh Rome you hold a special place in my heart, we headed south to meet "The Relatives"... in Puglia region.  We spent a week meeting, greeting, eating, kissing (as part of the greeting that is), drinking, eating, eating and being merry with the most gracious family in the World - seriously, we feel like the luckiest people in the world to know, let along be realted to the Caliandro's and Rendini's of Casallini, Italia.  More on them and our time there later.

We then ferried over to Greece to meet friends from Boston - Johnny Divincenzo and Jenn "You" Nunes.  We spent the next week bouncing around the Greek isles...you heard me, just bouncing around the Greek f-ing isles.  We hit Santorini and Crete, combined with some time in Athens and then a side trip to Delphi ... wow - how old is this stuff?  And how delicious is their ho-hum day-to-day food?.. olives, feta, oil, gyros, moussaka.  We sadly said goodbye to JD and Jenn after a great week and were on our own.  For a couple days at least... we headed to the interior to the mountains for a day in Kalabrita - felt more like Tyrol austria - lush green rolling hills, rocky outcroppings, sheep, hearty farmers and husky waitresses.... the good life.


It was short lived as we had plans to meet my folks in Northern Italy, before heading to the Istrian peninsula of Croatia for a week.  Another ferry ride (I think we'd be able to navigate the Adriatic with a spoon, some tinfoil, the wind and the stars at this point) had us in Venice, hopped a train to Trieste and picked the folks up.  We spent a great week with my favorite parents (I mean people) based out of Rovingo, Croatia.  Have you been?  Go!  It's beautiful, old, on the water, near mountains, has great wine, olive oil, fresh seafood, and is supposedly the world's capital of truffles - but my view may be skewed by the company we kept.  More and more and more to write...but now again Annie and I sit here... after dropping of my folks at the airport this AM, on our own.  We're used to it, but it's been different this past month... so now we have to getting planning again!  Doesn't take us too long...

We're now trying to piece together a 25 day itinerary, since at the end of May we're scheduled to meet Annie's aunt and uncle back in venice... so for starters ...we've just booked travel to vienna to catch a band from the Boston we like and to check out one of the most ornate cities in the world, sooooo that should be nice..then we THINK we'll do 10 days of wwoofing (farming) in northern Italia and 15 days of hiking/biking from the Dolomites down to venice... that's the current plan, but hey...who knows.  what do you think?

The Swahili coast has been magnetic as we work our way up the coast line one island at a time.  We started in Mafia Island and fell in love with island life, the people are a little more relaxed and less likely to try and sell you a safari package.  Our initial draw to Mafia was the prospect of fulfilling  Ryan’s long time obsession with whale sharks.  So the story goes Gramma Sullivan had only two truly good books at her house one was Mike Mulligan and the Steamshovel and the other was Sharks, Sharks, Sharks.  The obsession started early with these plankton eating fish that are the size of whales.  When we heard it might be our luck that these beautiful animals were in our neck of the woods so B-line for the small undisturbed island of Mafia.  Flying as first mate in our twelve seater from Dar es Salam Ryan started his search from 5500ft but it wasn’t until we were inches away swimming next to these massive fish that the obsession became a reality.  Really where do you go from here??

  …Zanzibar of course.  Our initial thought was that the more popular island, Unguja would be too touristy and may have lost its local charm.  But we quick found that if you hide away in the narrow streets of Zanzibar town (Stonetown) long enough you can’t escape into the charm of this multi-cultural neighborhood.  The Swahili coast has an interesting mix of cultures brought from Africa, Arabia and India and nowhere is that more apparent than the faces, architecture, food, and attire of Stonetown.  After absorbing some of Stonetown’s charisma we headed to the islands true draw- its beaches.  The sand is so fine it squeaks beneath your toes.  At high or low tide you’ve got long spans which extend into crystal waters that you feel you could float in for days.  The only ocean we know back home has always been chilling to the bone, this is more like bath water, sometimes even boiling from the mid-day sun.

  We thought we must be on to something with this island hopping so why end a good thing?  Jumping on the first night ferry north we landed in Pemba at sunrise.  Pemba is the answer to anyone’s off-the-beaten-path island hopping dream- sign us up.  We instantly felt a part of the small community of Mkwoani, hanging out in the shade of the market and joining a local basketball team for an afternoon game.  We found our second home on the island after a random ride with new Italian friends up to the northern part of the island.  After going by a makeshift sign on our way back from the beach we made a quick decision to let them carry on without us, while we pitched a tent on the shores of Verani Beach a.k.a. paradise…think breezy nights, evening swims and fresh grilled fish…it all made us question why we would ever leave.

(Over to RyBoy)

Alas… our desire for progress, as it often does, pulled us away.  What would we do with our last couple of weeks in Africa? TBD, but we knew the first step would be to get back to the mainland.  How to do this was the big question.  Backtrack to Unguja, Dar then up the coast to Kenya?  If you know us you may know that we hate hate hate backtracking, so that option was out almost immediately.  There were two other options - passenger ferry to Tanga Tanzania, then a bus north to the Kenyan boarder OR - talk to local dhow captains headed to southern Kenya and hitch a ride.  The dhow is a traditional sailing vessel long used to move cargo around the Indian Ocean… it is the maritime symbol of the Swahili Coast…nowadays dhows come in various shapes, sizes and levels of safety.  Can’t you see it now?  Annie and I with eye patches fixed, smelling of cloves, cinnamon and ginger.. saying things like “darrrr”, “land ho!” and “matey!”,  pulling fish from the sea and gnawing them raw, having the other grisly Tanzanian sailors telling us jokes in Swahili and laughing heartily and slapping each other joyously as we understand every word… well stop picturing that immediately, the actual scene is quite different (but no less of a tale).…. Annie and I sitting atop scrap metal, working to keep all exposed skin out of the sun, trying to drink enough water to stay hydrated, yet holding in pee as the stern shows the only prospect of a toilet, not understanding any conversation although something must‘ve been funny, ‘cause there was plenty of laughin‘, and feeling bad about eating anything we had picked up at the market that morning because no one else seemed to have any food (there wasn’t enough to share among everyone)… and that was the happs.. for SEVEN hours.  But did I mention that we saved $20!  Score!

Truth be told the trip was ACE (thanks for that Sir Alex) - blue water, dolphins, flying fish, lots of smiles if not good conversation from our mates - and an unforgettable trip which would have been uneventful comfortable and boring otherwise.  That’s how you make memories… proactively.

With a week left before our flight out of Nairobi we sat in Mombasa contemplating our next and final move in Africa ….a few more days with animals, some hiking in Kenya, back to city life in Nairobbery or finish what we started on the Swahili Coast? We both decided to finish with a little more island time… off to Lamu.  Lamu is a group of islands on the northern coast of Kenya, kilometers away from Somalia.

(back to AO)

We finished our Swahili tour in Lamu, taking in as many white sand beaches, turquoise waters and friendly mixed culture faces as we could in a week.  It was great to be in one place for a week and get into the maze of narrow streets at a different level.  On our way out of town we ran into a couple we had meet two months earlier on our flight into Nairobi, a interesting cross of paths, they were also leaving Lamu but they had been there SINCE they left Nairobi.  They had rented a house and enjoyed the relaxation of staying put, getting to know a place and being able to cook their own food.  In that same period of time we had climbed Kilimanjaro, seen the big 5, swam with whale sharks, visited over 5 different islands, traveled by bus, boat, plane, land cruiser and donkey, hiked an active volcano, shook hands with Masaai, and smoked with the Hadzabe… wheeewf… I think we both realized that although we had an amazing time in Africa, perhaps it was time to slow things down a bit.  Goooooood luck with that!

guest blogger: Christie Sumner

After our day into, and night overlooking Ngorongoro Crater, we loaded up the “cruiser” with tents, mattresses, pots and pans, and our packs, etc and headed to our next adventure, walking and camping with Good Earth across the Ngorongoro highlands. After setting up camp in a small village of Nanokanoka, meeting our cook, Othman (my personal favorite of all personnel), we were introduced to “our” ranger, Adrian, who took us for a warm-up hike to see Olmoti crater, lake and waterfall. Once he cocked his rifle, we understood we were still in wild territory. On foot, we encountered our first interested village kids, who tag along, but who want money or any other thing we might unload upon them, particularly if we want to take their picture. A few made the entire few hour trek with us and we “got to know” them a bit. First night camping, we settled in, found the outhouse with the hole in it, organized gear, and had a great dinner. Another group arrived and set up as well, and enjoyed a late night (!) in their cook tent. In the morning, after fruit, eggs, toast and peanut butter, we packed up and headed out with Adrian across meadows and through Massai villages, following cattle tracks and, for many hours in the sun, down and across the Embulbul Depression. We came upon a resting group of teenagers from a local village, on their way to Nanokanoka. Several were dressed in the Massai red check wraps, one in modern dress and leather jacket but wrapped in his red check and one just modern dress. Most had cell phones. The two were home on break from secondary school in Arusha. After much discussion regarding their studies, Ryan exchanged email addresses and we all pushed off in our respective directions. We could see our yellow tents set up and six hours later we arrive at a widely spread Massai village, where some children walk up to 12 kilometers to school, carrying a milk-filled calabash or a plastic jug of water. A recess “football” game incorporating most of the 600 students was in full swing when we arrived. Ryan jumped right in and ended up as the spire in the middle of a screaming group of brown heads. Annie got her turn as she lay on the ground in a circle of children showing her their “pretty healthy” teeth! Ryan walked partway with the excited kids after school. As we were in the highlands, it was cool at night, so out came the hats and extra layers. Othman figured out that “Mama” likes her tea at 4pm, so that became the norm, along with popcorn. More great meals followed. Next morning, after a quick stop at the primary school (we hadn’t planned on bringing a monetary donation, and “Mama’s” bag of goodies was left behind, so we didn’t have “comfortable” access) where 600 kids are taught by 2 teachers, we headed out with Adrian and his gun, once again following the cattle tracks over hill and dale, beautiful enormous landscape, to our next campsite. Annie, Ryan and Adrian hiked down to Embakaai Crater Lake. We traveled over dirt road the next day to Naiyobi village. On this trek, we passed several groups of girls/women, who wanted to sell us their crafts. We also happened upon Freddy, about 8 years old, in tattered brown. He was very shy, but turned back and followed us about 3 kilometers to the village. Ryan was able to break him out a bit. As we reached the village, another boy joined us and his name was also Freddy. As a matter of fact, by the time we got to our tents, we’d met about five Freddys. Freddy I hung around that afternoon, and came back in the morning, the only thing changed was the order of his sweater/t-shirt layering. We finally “had” him when we started sharing our pictures and letting the kids take pictures with our cameras. That was, in the end, the way we came to an understanding with the Massai people, by sharing our time: through photography, play, sharing our crafts (knitting) and talents (singing, whistling, drumming). We finally saw them smile, laugh and embrace us.

The final six hour push to Lake Natron involved 3 donkeys piled with our packs and camping gear, 3 Massai men, Othman and us in a caravan through cattle, sheep and goat herds, down from the ash-strewn (from 2007 eruption of Lengai volcano) highlands, where we met our new guide/driver, Joseph, and sorted out the men and donkeys (all Massai and donkeys were turned back for another six hour trek home!).

At this point, “Mama” considered her options: to climb Lengai or not. Heck, we had about six hours to rest before starting up at midnight! There was a full moon. It was billed as a “strenuous” hike, but with the “possibility” of an amazing sunrise! Hmmm. When Elie taps on your tent at 11pm, you really should have made a decision; but barring that, you’re awake, so you might as well go. With full moon, clear night, we rarely needed our headlamps at all. The gradual uphill climb on fairly hard surface was a real fooler for things to come, as the surface became ash/pumice and the grade went quickly from gradual to steep, then steeper. It was pretty much like climbing a sand dune for 4 hours, polle polle (slowly, slowly). We fell into a line with Ryan stamping up sideways, crossing over to make “steps” for Annie and “Mama.” And, “Mama” muttering from time to time: “How are we going to get down?” “Why are we doing this?” After Elie announced that he often takes Americans, and that Chicagoans make it to the top, but San Franciscans usually turn around half-way, well, the challenge was laid down for Vermonters, so the muttering continued, “We are really being stubborn!” At some point, we realized the moon was no longer with us, and, then, about 45 minutes from the top we heard the rain. When it arrived we hunkered down under Elie’s poncho for about 10 minutes, but I guess he knew the trip was over and it was time to get off the volcano as quickly as possible. How are we going to get down? Run! We could hear the rushing water filling the gullies on each side of us (“This is something you don’t tell your mother!”). Headlamps and glasses were of little use in the clouds, fog and rain. Just stay close and follow the person ahead. Sopping wet, back in the cruiser, we still had to cross now-swollen riverbeds. The black water surged as the hikers crashed for about an hour, waiting for a break. Having just heard a story of a guide being swept away in his vehicle and drowning, did not evoke confidence. But, we made it across and back to camp and one of Othman’s great breakfasts. Finding something dry to put on was a challenge, but we did, loaded the cruiser and headed toward our next adventure at Lake Eyasi.

Guest Blogger: Christie "Mama" Sumner

CIA-type investigation at kilimanjaro airport comes up empty as mama-traveller goes undercover to arusha with the u.n. envoy.  all were reunited in a tearful, ecstatic gathering, in anticipation of "things to come."  first, striking out in 4-wheel drive to tarangire to find the big game. find it we did: elephants, baboons, giraffes, zebras, thomson gazelles, smaller types, and to amazement of our guide, aaron, a lion in a tree, not generally found in tarangire. next, off to serengeti, which gave us more of the above, and many lions, both male and female, and some very sickly year old cubs, giving us a first look at natural survival.  we saw our first leapord and then a very grisly stop at three cheetahs on a wildebeest kill (another first for our guide, the wildebeest kill by cheetahs) which we watched for an hour, as they took turns feasting and resting, as the scavenger storks, vultures, etc were at bay at some distance, waiting their turn with the 'beest! pictures and video to follow. by now, we are totally engrossed in the safari experience, appreciating the experience of our guide, if not his gregariousness despite ryan's best efforts.  the landscape is different from any. the animals drawing our attention on a fairly regular basis. okay, so what about this wildebeest? look it up online, as a matter of fact the wildebeest migration should show up on youtube, and we came up right in the middle of it as we crested a hill on our way to ndutu, southern serengeti. think buffalo herds in early america.  we are utterly entranced.  the wildebeest, along with zebra, migrate in a clockwise pattern following the feed as the rainy season circles the serengeti.  we continue through the herd where we can go off road and they are all around us, making their way across the rivers.  our first "tented camp" is right "out of africa."  we have two nights there, with game drives during the day.  the second day, we are treated to another exciting event.  we have observed a couple of very lazy male lions in the dry riverbed and soon realize there are a couple of females in the grass, not far away.  we go back and forth, watching each group, when the males struggle forth and saunter toward the females who also have a kill of some sort. as the males come closer at one point about 2 feet away, one of the females strikes out at them.  they are easily cowed, and back off, at which point the female struts out her three 3-week old cubs directly in our view, about 10 feet from the jeep.  our next area is ngorongoro crater, one of the largest volcanic craters in the world and home to many animals, some of which are a first for us: flamingos and black rhinos. we get up close and personal with annie's favorites, the elephants, as well as a pool of "laughing" hippos.  our accommodation for the night is on the crater rim with a view, a long view, of the whole panorama. after 7 days of riding and game viewing from our 4-wheel, it is time to stretch out and start the walking and camping portion of this 14-day journey.

A year ago we sat in our Brookline apartment staring at a map of the world and plotted our extreme adventure of what we’ve now learned to call a ‘gap year’.  Being a big picture thinker this was the only way I could even grasp what we were about to set out to do.  Each night placing another push pin into a new exotic place we learned about during the day we came up with a rough itinerary.  One place that always made the top of my list was Africa.  I’ve always been drawn to uncharted territory and Africa presented itself with a world of unknown to me.  After having been here for six weeks it has over exceeded expectations of variety and we’ve only explored one country, Tanzania.  We’ve spent time in the hills (Mt. Kilimanjaro and Lengai), the highlands (and depressions of volcanic craters), the expansive sky of the Serengeti and pristine beaches of the Swahili coast. 
  One of the highlights of this portion of our trip was to be able to spend a month with my mother and we kicked off that time with a two week safari.  The animal’s performed as expected,  exceptionally well - to be able to join their world without iinfringing on their lives was truly amazing.  You just don’t see giraffes walking down Comm Ave.  It’s hard to imagine this becoming a bore for someone that’s lived here their whole life as we order our guide to stop the truck at the first sighting of zebras and impalas.  It’s a little clique to say our safari was a dream come true but it’s the only way to describe my stunned expression that lasted the entire two weeks.
  In comparison our trip up Kilimanjaro wasn’t even a desire until the morning we reached its summit.  I’m always willing and normally able for a new adventure but climbing Kilimanjaro wasn’t ever a life long dream or goal.  The enormity did however shock me as I witnessed the sun slowly shed light on all of Africa after climbing straight up hill for six and half hours in the darkness of this mountain.  Ryan’s most memorable quote from the journey came from the depths of altitude disorientation with such clarity, “how could they ever have thought the world was flat?”   We’d decided on a route and a guide in Arusha two days before we left and set out on the biggest mental test of our lives without ever questioning our gear, physical ability, or purpose.
  After safari my mother wouldn’t stop hounding us for a little beach time (easiest to blame it on her) so we followed up game drives and a rather grueling attempt at summiting an active volcano in the pouring rain, with one of Tanzania’s best kept secrets, Mafia Island.  I have a wise older brother that has pointed out the strong similarities between my mother and I and one that I’ve seriously developed is my draw to the water.  The water of the Swahili coast is the color of glacier ice but the temperature of a warm bath, wouldn’t you be drawn as well? 
  Having hit the tri-fecta of Tanzania we again realize that we haven’t really seen Africa but rather tasted a fragment of something much bigger and need to return.

With only a little over a week left before we had a flight out of Bangkok we decided to make the most out of our Thailand time. We were able to visit with some family friends, take a Thai cooking class, rent a moto bike for a Pai excursion (one of the most chill places on Earth) but the highlight for this chick was the day we spent as elephant owners. This is no elephant in a zoo or on television, this is your own personal elephant that you get to take care of for the whole day. It's a big job to care for an elephant. The day started with us checking to make sure they were healthy by inspecting their droppings to make sure it was moist enough and they were drinking enough water, their toe nails to make sure they're sweating and checking for dirt on their sides to make sure they laid down to sleep the previous night. Then we took them in the stream to scrub them up, they get baths everyday. After that we climbed up and rode them out to the river where they all took a swim and we jumped in too. It was so amazing! I've always felt that these animals are so large and graceful but also so untouchable, this experience brought us closer to them in an unthinkable way.

Along the southern boarder of Laos, bumping up against northeastern Cambodia there's a group of islands, smack dab in the middle of the Mekong River. The mass is named after the sheer quantity of islands... supposedly 4,000, but I wouldn't know, I stopped counting after 12. Of the 4,000 islands you only hear about three of them and we chose to spend our time on Dong Khon, the southernly most island.


The highlight of the islands is that there is no highlight. It has to be the most relaxed and chilled out place we've encountered on our entire journey (perhaps only usurped by Pai, but we'll get to that later). We spent 4 relaxed days mainly on our bungalow's porch overlooking the Mekong watching life go by, when not catching up on reading and writing (who am I kidding, I didn't write a word) but seriously folks, the place was a small sleepy fishing and farming village, with just enough tourism comforts to be convenient without being tacky or overrun. It was magic... and in addition the people were spectacular! The place we stayed at was a small operation, four bungalows total. Three generations lived on the premasis, which was perfectly set right on the river, as well as being adjacent to the island's only wat (Buddhist Temple).... that's how I spell p-e-a-c-e-f-u-l. Most interesting about the family as well as the majority of households is that tourism is not the main source of income. They're all doing other things in order to make ends-meat... for most the main source was fishing. The fishing market ended up being across from our accommodation. When I say market I mean people congregate with their last night's catch (mostly catfish) on the ground, it's weighed out, people are paid appropriately, some is immediately sold to interested parties, and the rest is stacked into baskets and carried to a boat which is headed to the mainland. On good mornings, I'd get back from a run to see the guys celebrating with the local beverage of choice called laolao, rice whiskey... yeah that's at about 7:30 AM, and of course you can't say no to celebrating Laos gents.

But that was it. We spent time with the family, one night sitting around husking nuts used with betle, which once husked only gets them about $2 per kg.. NOTHING! and spending time with the kids of the family... throwing a cd back and forth was a good one, until we gave the boys a tennis ball, which they loved.

We actually did do one touristy thing... we went to see the fresh water dolphins. There are supposedly under 40 left in the world and this set lives right along the Laos, Cambodian boarder. You take a 30 min long nose boat ride out to the viewing area. We chose to pay the extra $1 to run aground on the Cambodian side of the river have a couple of Beerlao and watch the dolphins from ashore... just as the sun set. It was magic and a great way to start our last evening. We then proceeded to be invited to the boat driver's beach side restaurant for dinner with his family. It ended up being a type of hot pot with fish and vegetables, oh and laolao of course. It was so quinessential Laos, making it difficult for us to leave.

But alas plans called and we had to head north. Luang Prabang was our next stop and our party was about to grow to 4, then 6. We said good-bye to Dong Khone with fond memories and the hope that this fairly unspoilt spot would keep its charm and innocence until our next visit, in a few years.

After spending some quality time in Vietnam we realized if we wanted to taste the other three countries on our itinerary we would have to skip some intricate exploration.  Entering Cambodia we realized right away that we would have to return to get a the full flavor of the lives these people live and decided to make Siem Reap our focus after a brief stop in Phnom Penh. 
  Siem Reap is conveniently set up for tourists and backpackers making their way through Cambodia. So not to get confused they've even labeled a street 'Pub Street' with happy hours from open to late with buy one $.50 draft get a second free.  The town has a carefree Southeast Asia feel to it with night markets selling silk, silver and just about anything you can write Angkor Wat on.  There are many western comforts lining the streets from pizza and hamburgers to massage tables and convenient stores.  The true attraction and often why so many people stop in this town is because less then 10km outside of town lies the lost city of Angkor. 
  What was once a bustling city is now only remnants of the finest artisans in history.  The carvings that remain in the sandstone and plaster describes their lives in amazing detail and tell stories of gods that these people devoted their lives to.  Angkor is the most hands-on experience you will ever have with art from thousands of years ago.  You feel mischievous as you climb over large pieces of sandstone with elephants and buddas carved into them, almost as if you snuck into the museum after hours and crossed the velvet rope.  In the land of Angkor nothing is off limits as you wander through the Khmer world. 
  Although we had an incredible time exploring this piece of Cambodia's past it pains me to look around and realize that everyone my age and older has lived through one of the most horrific periods in our worlds history.  We know that we must return to this beautiful country to get a deeper feeling for the battle these people have had to fight in their lifetime.  There is so much beauty in Cambodia and the people are amazing in their generosity as we travel through a land that is so foreign to us.  It makes me step back and think about how solid the ground is in our country and how shaken it has been for so many to this day.  

We heard a lot of negative things about Vietnam, before, during and after our trip there. Mainly people had an issue with how the Vietnamese prey on tourists.  There's the relentless hassling of touts in every touristic area, then there's the tourist price vs. the local price.  Those two things, added to the fact that Vietnam can easily be a package travel type country seems to have turned a bunch of people off.

I'll admit there are times you get quite sick of saying 'no thank you' or as my cousin Pat's favorite 'Thanks, but I already have one of those', but we didn't let it get to us to the level of having it be the first thing we say about Vietnam.  Often times I took it as an opportunity to have a conversation.  You'd be amazed how quickly the 'touter' can be come the 'touted' if you just respond with a simple question.  How's business this year?  Where's this place? Where is this stuff made?  All different ways to get the focus off of you buying something.

Same thing with the prices.  We accept the fact that tourists will pay more, but like anywhere, if you come into a buying situation with some information about what you're buying, you'll come out alright in Vietnam.  Sure there are always exceptions, like that $15 chopstick set we bought, then saw a local buy for $2 (may or may not have happened), but you grit your teeth, say 'you've won this battle, but the war's not over' and move on.

The level of orgnization around tourism in Vietnam can get overwhelming and slightly annoying for the typical do-it-yourselfer.  It seemed often times you can't get any information about a place without the first thing being 'but we have a tour for that, please look, here.'  But again, diligence can be rewarded here in spades. 

Halong Bay is a good example.  Halong Bay is northeast of Hanoi, in northern Vietnam, absolutely beautiful backdrop of limestone karst mountains jutting out of the ocean.  A 'must-see' for any Vietnam trip.  Most people see Halong Bay through a 2 or 3 day tour with companies out of Hanoi, which includes one night on pretty tacky replica junk boat and often a second night on the largest inhabited island in the area Cat Ba.  But with just a little more effort we heard stories of at least 3 groups finding a ride out to Halong Bay (town) then getting ferried directly over to Cat Ba island - on some pretty local forms of transport - and spending all of their time on the Cat Ba, perhaps not even seeing the "true" Halong Bay, but undoubtedly getting a good view of the surrounding landscape and enjoying everything that Cat Ba had to offer - including day trips into the waters from there, a national park, good cycling and hiking etc.

We actually opted for a tour which included a night on the boat, kayaking for a day and a night on Cat Ba.     The highlights for me were 1) kayaking, 2) the place we stayed on Cat Ba and the sunset that evening 3) the people we met on the boat.  We met Adrian and Barbara, a Dutch couple, there, then again later in the trip and had a really nice time with them.  It never would have happened if we had done the do-it-yourselfer thing... So there you go as is the case always, there's good and not so good in every situation you're in.  It's up to you to make the decision, then make the best of the situation, because in the end everything will turn out alright.

We really enjoyed Vietnam and I can bet that our great experience was in large part due to the fact that we did take our time and 'did the place justice'.  Lovely.

Welcome to the plastic chair society. We've been traveling through Vietnam for about three weeks now and taking in the culture of yet another Asian society. At first glance you see similarities, the ability to fit whole families on motor bikes, the fashionable face masks and the dedication to farming. However, one thing that Vietnam has perfected is its ability to set up a restaurant on any street corner. All you need is a creative heating vessel and a stack of red and blue plastic chairs. You see locals with the whole set up on the back of their bike and then two minutes later they have twenty people sitting at their make shift restaurant eating delicious creations. Don't go looking for a menu though, often times there's only one thing being served and it's usually dependent on the time of day. It makes the ordering process pretty easy, "how many would you like?"
For me Vietnam has always been the name of a war my father fought in and didn't talk much about. I came here expecting to be overwhelmed with signs of the War and to see massive destruction. Instead I found that people have moved on with their lives and the next generation knows a new world. They'll still talk about the "American" war and the pain that it caused their uncles and brothers but as a whole people are much more focused on themselves and their family's future, then holding a grudge towards Americans or any of the other historical occupiers of their lands. Most are now very supportive of the reunification of their country. We've visited some areas that were severely destroyed during the war and tunnels that were someone's only hope at safety but there has been a lot of rebuilding and growth that hides these battle wounds.
My new vision of Vietnam is kids riding double in uniforms on their way to school, communities of farmers all working together on the next phase of cultivation and street corners with blue and red plastic stools waiting for the next "I'll take two."

So, we spent three weeks in China this Fall, broken up by a that month long side trip to Nepal. Annie posted early on in our time here, but we wanted to do at least more more post on our experience in this amazing country. Here goes...

China was tough to love at first. Coming from Japan, an ultra-evolved society, China and specifically Beijing felt like a work in progress. We expected this, but I think we had become quite comfortable with the superbly clean side walks, professional construction sites, western style public bathrooms, and civilized rules of the road. Things in China started off along those same lines, first in the newly constructed international terminal at PEK airport and also as you're whisked into town on the brand-new airport express light rail line. Then you get out of the subway at Fuchungman station and it hits you like a tonna bricks: bikes, buses, construction, vendors... all at dusk. It was slightly overwhelming... especially because I don't think we were all that weathered in developing countries at that point in October.

Our Beijing accommodation was northwest of Tian'amen. Place was cool, and COLD. Google "beijing hutong", look at pictures and you'll get an idea - door off an ally opens to a stone courtyard, lined with bedrooms and dorms. Our place also had a common room, free wifi and a staff - mainly this one lady, Juju who wouldn't quit with the hospitality, which really made the stay worthwhile.

We did the sites in Beijing, slowly becoming accustom to the style. Then we headed to Shanghai on an overnight train. Which, once we got into the Beijing train station - holy shite it felt like the entire city was trying to catch an urgent lift out of town that night - proved to be a very comfortable experience. It included complimentary slippers - which I can't get enough of and a bunk long enough for the tallest of travelers.

Shanghai was very very interesting. We had a great set up at a former colleague's place, who went above and beyond to secure bikes and touristy info for us. We did the biking thing, the pearl thing, a night out which included a twelve dollar, hour long massage at 11:30 PM and we were even able to meet up with a Medullan colleague, in town as part of her own China vacation. So Shanghai had all that going for it, but Annie and I both got a bit into the history of the place - western cultural and architectural influences, role in historical international trade, involvement in the Opium Wars, role in governmental struggles between Nationalists and Communists, its new found position as the economic powerhouse of China and its continued focus on outward perfection as it works to host the 2010 World Expo. The beauty for us was the ability to still walk through its old city and find the noodle shops, fruit, antique and book markets which have stood for centuries. We strolled through parks watching men and women play card, chinese chess and mahjong. Combine these things and you've got an exciting and interesting atmosphere that deserves some time.

We then spent 3 days in what's described as Shanghai's beach weekend getaway, a group of islands southeast of the city called Zhoushan. Unremarkable. Best part of the 3 days would have to be the food. Fish and other sea creatures sit in tanks, you point, negotiatevprice... once you're settled on your choice, it's pulled out of the tank, if necessary it's batted over the head a couple times, then steamed, poached, fried or grilled to perfection..add a vegetable, some rice and a few beers and you've got a meal. Delic!

Then back to Beijing...throw a failed attempt to get to Xi'an in there and it's back to the same hostel. This second trip was all about getting back to fly to Nepal, and getting to the Great Wall. We did and it was awesome! A lot of the historical significance was lost on us... 7th century BC, unified the sets of fortified walls already built around villages and states, modified, rebuilt, extended for centuries after that, mostly what you see now done done during Ming Dynasty, blah blah blah... What we took away from the day was that the Wall is a work of art and a pretty hefty hike. We walked the 12 km Simatai to Jinshanling section, which was gorgeous with numerous watch towers and a good stretch of natural, unrestored wall. It was surreal to see the wall meander through the hillside as far as the eye could see. Very worth the 3 1/2 hour bus trip out of Beijing.

During those last few days in Beijing we also spent some time in ArtSpace 798. It's blocks of galleries and studios for artists, west of city center. It was something I would have not expected to see in Beijing or China for that matter - a place for artists to express themselves and attempt to make a living from their freedoms of artistic creativity. In that way, Beijing impressed me and made Annie I both feel as though it would be a very interesting place to get to know better.

After a month long intermission in Nepal we made our second touch down in the region this time further south. Flying into Hong Kong just isn't what it was ten years ago when the landing strip was in the middle of the city but when a flight is uneventful I guess that's a good sign. Leaving the land of power shortage and chaotic streets of Nepal we found ourselves in one of the most affluent, lit up, organized cities in the world and right in the middle of the Christmas rush. We found Hong Kong to be beautiful and worth a second visit at some point in our lives but also felt the less populated southern Mainland call our names.

A horrific night bus ride north, left us in the middle of Yongshuo (southern guangxi province) in the middle of the night. Not calculating the trip time perfectly left us on the city's streets at about 4 AM with the only respite being an internet cafe with a dozen teenage dudes, smoking cigarettes, drinking red bull and playing online games . No worries- we know how to kill time online. Our time in Yongshuo was some of the trip's best due to our comfortable accommodations at the Giggling Tree and our love of peddle bikes on flat roads in the country. The landscape is flat farmland except for massive limestone peaks that rise fast and high. Needless to say we stayed longer then we expected.

Our time in China didn't start with love at first sight but it ended with a promise to return and explore further. It was time to move on to Southeast Asia and look under the covers of Vietnam.

Happy Holidays from the Highlands of Vietnam.  We've been enjoying all the local attractions  from the hundreds of personal tailors in Hoi An to our new best friends the Easyriders   We'll spend Christmas this year on the back of their motorcycles as we wind our way through coffee fields and the hills around Dalat.



This whole backpackers concept is much more appealing when you get to strap it on the back of a motorcycle.  We love you all, may this post reach you in good health and in the warm home of friends and family.

I totally agree with Annie's discussion about the people and places we visited while trekking the Annapurnas.  It feels as though you're taken back in time centuries, to when life was simpler, which can mean easier in many ways.  Certainly not in a physical sense - these people work hard!  I do however feel the need to reiterate just how beautiful the landscapes were on this trek and the emotion that invoked.

After 4 months on the road, we've seen some pretty amazing places, but for me, nothing creates awe like white, ice capped peaks - in this case around the Annapurnas.  It's difficult to describe with words, but for me it proves, yet once again how amazing and beautiful our natural world is.  For some reason I always think of seeing snowflakes form under a microscope for the first time and being amazed at its beauty.  Although very tangential, this is yet another (and for me arguably the most beautiful) landscape the natural world can provide...

So the second half of pictures from Nepal focus mainly on the mountains...however there are the other typical things thrown in there, including a few shots from our days after the trek in Pokhara, then our visit from Scotty Rokis, which included a rafting trip (with the Swedes) and a then a trip to an ancient town outside of Kathmandu.

Currently sitting in Hoi An, Vietnam, it's raining - as it typically does here in December, but this place is really neat.  The city was spared from massive destruction of the "American War", so the French and Japanese influence of colonial times lives on.  Oh and you can get a suit tailor made for fifty bucks!

We're now working on where to spend Christmas and the turn of the New Year.  Fun fun!

Updated with Nepal.

Here's where we'll try to capture glimpses of people around us throughout our travels. We're both fascinated with what everyday life is for folks in different parts of the world. How different is it from ours, what themes and similarities we find between them? We see faces, expressions and body language as universal truths which tell an individual's tale, no matter who or where you are. We really enjoy this, hope you do to.


Nepal


Alaska and Japan

The best way to see Nepal is with a little elevation. The Himalayan mountains run the length of this tiny country and make up a good deal of its hot spots. We were able to spend some quality time in the heart of them while circumnavigating the Annapurna mountains and then making our way into base camp surrounded on three sides by some of the highest peaks in the world. The beginning of this trip started with some careful planning in Kathmandu to determine a route and most importantly a suitable guide. After interviewing four guides, we're very thorough you know, we found our match and were feeling good about a twenty two day time frame. Now we just had to do it.

Pradip became our third, crucial, wheel for the next few weeks, a local Nepalese man that has taken a number of groups into the mountains and claims that they have all returned safely. He became our best friend and best local knowledge as we blindly jumped into the world of trekking and up to elevations that our bodies have never experienced. One of the other beautiful things about Pradip was that he carried some our belongings. We did try to keep it to a minimum but when you put Ryan's 80 ltr backpack onto a five foot Nepalese man it looks unproportionally large.... try telling that to other trekkers carrying all of their own stuff! (Brian, Graham, Jen, and a host of others quickly called us out on the trail)

The two greatest aspects of the Annapurna Circuit are 1) hiking through some very old traditional Nepali towns and 2) meeting the people that inhabit them. Every town has its own distinct character and community feel. The building style changes from timber to stone as you get closer to the Tibetan boarder and rise in elevation and the farming style changes
depending on the climate and terrain. We passed through warmer valley regions with lush vegetation and mountain sides of rice terraces, fields of fruit trees. But as we gained elevation the land turned dry and desert like, the vegetables became scarce and hearty yaks took over the countryside. It was neat to watch this climate change in such a short amount of time and how people of these diverse areas lived. Everyone makes the most of what they have. The houses are very minimal with kitchen, bedroom, living space all being in one small area and all generations of families living together. By our societal standards you'd say they are poor and needy but, everyone had a smile on their face and time to look up and say "Namaste." The children seemed to have the best imaginations. When you don't have outside stimulation to rely on, the little things are what keep you entertained. Sometimes a plastic bag full of plastic bags turned into a hacky sack or rocks and marbles make for hours of fun.

On our very last night of the trip we ended up being the only guests at a family's guesthouse in their little riverside town of Syauli Bazar. We joined them in their kitchen to observe the preparation of our meal and chat with them about their lives. So although I was initially more excited about the scenery and aesthetic in store for us along our trek, getting that true glimpse, however short, into the lives of the native Nepalese and their homes, was the real rewarding part of this trek for me.

After spending a couple of days in Kathmandu we had settled on a trekking guide and were on our way. Our trek "began" with a 6 hour bus ride from Kathmandu to Besisahar and the Annapurna Circuit trail head. We were booked in a microbus and we were told that although it might be less of an authentic experience, the bus will be more comfortable and take less time to reach our destination. So let's see... our experience included 20 people being fit into 12 seats, more weight on the top of the van than inside the van - as you can guess, raising the vehicle's center of gravity and creating an interest rolling effect, hindi music (the norm) blasting through every speaker, an interesting discussion about muslims, christians and hindus living together in Nepal, a cock finding its way into Annie's lap (a rooster folks!) , a road side lunch consisting of samosas and pakoras, school children climbing up and riding home from school on top at no charge and not surprisingly no less than 4 turns where I felt at least two of the van's wheels lose contact with the asphalt. I'd say we got an authentic experience! An added benefit of our speedy driver was that an uncomfortable 6 1/2 hour trip was completed in 5 1/2 hours.

Great, so were in Besisahar... but our vehicle adventures were not over. We checked in with the trekking officials in town, then walked a km before jumping on to a 4x4 bus, which would bring us the next 5 km or so to Bhulbhule. Here the walking actually began. This bus, was more tank than bus, getting us through what many would consider an impassable road; potholes varied in size from stones to station wagon, and this began, what became a common theme in our trip - our guide Pradip road the entire way... on the roof. That's Pradip's profile on top there to the right.


Our tank topped driver guided the rugged machine, often without looking, or without both hands on the wheel (often fiddling with the tape player, at one point having to flip the tape once the side ran out..haven't seen that done in a while), coming ever so close to the road's edge. We're talking 60-100 ft drop into the river below. Annie couldn't bear it, so wasn't looking, I was checking on Pradip and the other roof riders periodically. Everything turned out fine, just another commute in Nepal.. these guys are professionals. We jumped off the bus, our walk began, and we were all excited to reach our first night's destination - Ngadi Bazaar.

Our first impressions of Nepal came quickly as Annie and I grabbed luggage at the airport and walked out front to grab a cab. I had expectations of the scene, several folks vying for our business, wheeling-and-dealing for a good price. If unprepared this can be your most vulnerable moment - not knowing how far from your accommodation you are, how much it should cost, if this guy is legit, it's all quite an experience. Kathmandu, no different, but I had armed myself with a bit of info so was ready for whatever was coming my way.

I had read stories about taxis taking unsuspecting passengers to "preferred lodges". "Hey Pally, no no strings attached, just come see this lodge, it's very nice!" ... what the dude doesn't tell you is that if you stay at that place, then he gets a hefty commission. I had booked accommodation beforehand and armed myself with some info on average taxi prices into town, so felt pretty good about that. Now, it was just a matter of identifying someone honest....for that you just have to go with your gut.

As we exited the airport we passed the fixed price taxi counter, where "airport officials" try to get you to pay, what we found to be, at least 1.5x the price you could get outside. They insisted their price was fair, but we moved outside, into the lion's den.

Once outside, the onslaught began. These guys LOVE tourists with big packs, especially those that look clueless. Even when I'm well prepared I can give off the impression of being clueless, so it was on like Donkey Kong. No less than 15 people touting their services rushed to our side "Taxi?...Thamel?....You need guesthouse?"

Surrounded, the group looking up at me...I said... "Already have a place, thanks. Need to get to Kathmandu Peace Guesthouse. 400 Rupees" ... some moans "400? No!", some laughs - I got lots of laughs throughout the month in Nepal, but one guy, in the back, looked, pointed and said "400? OK."

Now, once one guy agrees to a price, the rest start to denounce him. "Oh, he's not licensed, he's not official, he's not in the association, he's not in queue" At that time, I didn't know and didn't want to get into a pickle... so I started to ask others. "OK, so who IS official?" Oh boy, what a mistake. I got everthing from driver's licenses, to taxi licenses to Member's Club cards thrown in my face. OK, bad idea, how do I decipher? I didn't have to. Seconds later some dude, in something of an official uniform, perhaps airport police?! came by and told the guys to back off. I asked the uniformed 16 year old with a gun.... "Are any of these guys legit? Can we go with anyone?" He said yes... so I looked back at the first guy, who was still sitting back a ways, not getting up in my face and said "Let's go."

We started walking with intention and the angry mob saw that they had lost the deal, game over ... and we were on our way.

Still a bit shakey we climbed into the van and off we went to Peace Guesthouse.

It was late, it was dark, we passed stray dogs, street side fires and an occasional lit street lamp. We took, what appeared to be back roads, which at the time felt like... roads leading to our impending demise. "Did we get the character call wrong on this guy? are we being brought to that preferred lodge of his?" Not lots of english exchanged, so couldn't get a good read, until 15 minutes later...we arrived, safe and sound at Peace Guest. We were both relieved. We had gotten through the first encounter. I was so relieved that the guy played us straight that I gave him 500 Rupees just cause. He had made our first trip in a new country a good and safe one.

So we checked in and laid down with good thoughts in our heads. Not only were we preparing ourselves the trek we had been looking forward to for months, but we had a good feeling about the people of Nepal... perhaps prematurely, but that's exactly what happens when you start a country off with a good experience.