Well, it's over.
Since the last update we explored Egypt pretty thoroughly. We went all the way south to the border with Sudan and saw temples, engravings, pylons and pyramids. We went shopping for gifts and souveniers, rode trains, buses and camels, and had amazing (and often hilarious) interactions with the locals. Overall we really enjoyed our time in Egypt. Now that we're back, it's really... what's the best word... weird?
We've been back in the U.S. now for 2 days. We arrived in Rochester, NY (where my parents live) at about 8pm the day before yesterday. Walking through the airport parking lot with my parents was our first exercise in sanity, and itself an odd experience. The silence was deafening. We could hear birds chirping. The cars were going out of their way not to hit us. It was 75 degrees, and the sky was cloudy (and not from smog!); all of this was a drastic departure from where we were less than 24 hours prior.
I think I can speak for both Michelle and I when I say that being back is, first and foremost, a weird experience. Actually, I'm positive I can speak for her because she is going to proofread this before it gets posted. But anyway, I don't think either of us are suffering from culture shock, per se... but we are absolutly both overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of indulgences available (especially at my parents house) and by the realization that the trip we planned for years has actually come to an end. We can both so vividly remember being in our first hotel room in Ho Chi Minh City and feeling euphoric at the freedom we had. We can easily go back to so many events that happened thereafter -motorbike crashes, certain hikes, sicknesses, fights with locals, meeting friends- and everything feels like it just happened. The last 9 months have undoubtedly been the fastest of our lives, and I'm sure that's in large part because of the sheer number of events that have happened to us in such a short period of time. That change -from a life where everyday is a complete adventure into the unknown, to a life where the rules are much more defined and easy to follow- is going to be one of the first challenges we have to tackle. It's a matter of slowing down, both mentally and physically, and while it's an odd adjustment to have to make, so far it feels pretty good. (note: this blog is being written on a screened in porch, on a comfortable wrap around couch that I am sharing with Michelle as we sit listening and watching rain- talk about slowing down!)
I know this post is quite vague and may not be exactly what people were hoping for as far as what it's like to be home, but I think the fact that it is so vague is probably the best way to describe how we feel. At this point, it's all a bit blurry. We know what we've done, although we can't quite process it all. We know what we've learned and some skills that we've acquired, although we haven't yet entered a situation in which to really use it all. We know what we have to accomplish now that we're back, but we don't have a defined plan on how were going to do it. And how could we? Condensing a lifetime worth of experiences into 9 months makes a 'quick review' of those 9 months virtually impossible, as our 2500 pictures in need of sorting attest. The changes those 9 months have created within us are even more difficult to discern, especially on a short timescale. And perhaps most of all, we are essentially starting our adult lives over at 25; new city, new home, new school, new jobs, new cars, new friends. Redoing all of the things we had accomplished up until this trip started -and redoing them in the next 2 months- is overwhelming, so trying to tackle it all at once just won't work.
So I think, for now, I'm going to leave it at that. I'm sure we'll make some more posts as new things come up, so feel free to continue to check this blog sometimes. All of our pictures aren't quite up yet, including the pictures of our camel rides at the pyramids, but we'll try to get those up shortly. We'll also be updating our 'stats' post from a few months ago with our final figures; total miles covered, etc. So yeah, this blog has a bit of life in it yet. Stick around!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Our Last Country!
We have completed our final border crossing and are in Egypt! We spent just under a week in Israel, and probably couldn't have afforded to spend much more. It is by far the most expensive place we've visited, and the value is quite low for what you pay. We started out in Jerusalem and were able to stay within the walls of the Old City in a lively part of town. We spent a few days seeing some of the holy sights for Christians, Jews, and Muslims, including the Wailing Wall, Dome of the Rock, the places they think Jesus may have been killed, the Mount of Olives, and some beautiful churches. We also saw a few cemeteries, including Oskar Schindler's grave. It was fascinating to see how the different religions interacted (or clashed) through the city, each having its own section.
We happened to be there on the day of Shavuot, a Jewish holiday celebrating the day God gave the Torah to the Israelites. We went to the Wailing Wall that evening and the whole area was packed with Jewish men (and some women) in traditional dress singing, dancing, and praying at the wall. It was amazing to see!! We took a lot of pictures that are posted, and a video that we will try to post at some point. Our last stop in Jerusalem was Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum. As you can imagine it was very thorough and an excellent exhibit--we spent 5 hours there and could have spent more! It included multiple memorials including a unique and haunting children's memorial, and also had a comprehensive history museum about the Holocaust. It was certainly interesting to see it from the Jewish perspective as opposed to an outside view...there were a few subtle differences.
After Jerusalem we rented a car for 3 days to see the rest of Israel. We drove north and spent a night at the Sea of Galilee, then drove through the Golan Heights and saw the borders with Syria and Lebanon. We also drove through Nazareth, which is actually the largest Muslim city in Israel. The Golan Heights was a beautiful area, but we could definitely see remnants of wars there, including bombed out buildings and large areas with warnings of land mines. We also drove to Tel Aviv which was quite different from the rest of Israel. Renting the car helped save us money because we slept in it for a few nights, but gas was $9/gallon! I suppose that's what happens when you are surrounded by countries full of oil that don't like you. We ended our time in Israel by driving all the way south to the Egyptian border at Eilat. We could actually see Aqaba in Jordan from where we were, and we had been there a few weeks ago. The two sides are very different!
The day before we entered Israel, Noam Chomsky was denied entry at the border we went through. When we were there we actually got to see an interview with him on an Israeli newsstation, and it was fascinating. It gave a bit of insight into the Israeli mindset and why they have been unable to achieve peace in the region. The reporter interviewing him was a young and passionate woman who asked Chomsky why he put Israel and Palestine at the top of his agenda when there are worse human rights violations occuring in Darfur and Afghanistan. She actually asked him where Israel ranked with those, and which country was worse. I couldn't believe she even put Israel in the same field as those! Clearly if that's the case Israel needs to step back and look at what they're doing to the Palestinians. She mentioned Israeli security many times which is a big concern, but it just seems so obvious that by reconciling with the Palestinians, Syrians, and Lebanese, their security would improve tremendously. We heard that talks are supposed to being again in July...I'm skeptical based on the slow progress made over the last 60 years, but perhaps these will at least lead to and end of violations of the Palestinian's rights. It will also be interesting to see what direction the US takes in its involvement in the situation, and whether we will continue to support and fund the Israelis as heavily as we are now.
So now we are in Egypt! We had planned to head straight to Cairo, but got side tracked at the beach in the Sinai peninsula. We are staying at a lovely hotel with a loft that is right on the beach. We considered staying today as well, but unfortunately need to get moving. We are catching the late bus to Cairo and will spend the end of our trip exploring Egyptian ruins at Abu Simbel, Luxor, and Cairo. And in 10 days we will be home! We are both a bit sad the trip is ending, but so excited to get home! We have talked about how much we appreciate the U.S. and that even though there are many things we disagree with, we wouldn't want to be from anywhere else! There's my "I love America" statement in honor of Memorial Day :) Check out the Israel pictures in the link on the right, and we'll try to update again before heading home!
We happened to be there on the day of Shavuot, a Jewish holiday celebrating the day God gave the Torah to the Israelites. We went to the Wailing Wall that evening and the whole area was packed with Jewish men (and some women) in traditional dress singing, dancing, and praying at the wall. It was amazing to see!! We took a lot of pictures that are posted, and a video that we will try to post at some point. Our last stop in Jerusalem was Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum. As you can imagine it was very thorough and an excellent exhibit--we spent 5 hours there and could have spent more! It included multiple memorials including a unique and haunting children's memorial, and also had a comprehensive history museum about the Holocaust. It was certainly interesting to see it from the Jewish perspective as opposed to an outside view...there were a few subtle differences.
After Jerusalem we rented a car for 3 days to see the rest of Israel. We drove north and spent a night at the Sea of Galilee, then drove through the Golan Heights and saw the borders with Syria and Lebanon. We also drove through Nazareth, which is actually the largest Muslim city in Israel. The Golan Heights was a beautiful area, but we could definitely see remnants of wars there, including bombed out buildings and large areas with warnings of land mines. We also drove to Tel Aviv which was quite different from the rest of Israel. Renting the car helped save us money because we slept in it for a few nights, but gas was $9/gallon! I suppose that's what happens when you are surrounded by countries full of oil that don't like you. We ended our time in Israel by driving all the way south to the Egyptian border at Eilat. We could actually see Aqaba in Jordan from where we were, and we had been there a few weeks ago. The two sides are very different!
The day before we entered Israel, Noam Chomsky was denied entry at the border we went through. When we were there we actually got to see an interview with him on an Israeli newsstation, and it was fascinating. It gave a bit of insight into the Israeli mindset and why they have been unable to achieve peace in the region. The reporter interviewing him was a young and passionate woman who asked Chomsky why he put Israel and Palestine at the top of his agenda when there are worse human rights violations occuring in Darfur and Afghanistan. She actually asked him where Israel ranked with those, and which country was worse. I couldn't believe she even put Israel in the same field as those! Clearly if that's the case Israel needs to step back and look at what they're doing to the Palestinians. She mentioned Israeli security many times which is a big concern, but it just seems so obvious that by reconciling with the Palestinians, Syrians, and Lebanese, their security would improve tremendously. We heard that talks are supposed to being again in July...I'm skeptical based on the slow progress made over the last 60 years, but perhaps these will at least lead to and end of violations of the Palestinian's rights. It will also be interesting to see what direction the US takes in its involvement in the situation, and whether we will continue to support and fund the Israelis as heavily as we are now.
So now we are in Egypt! We had planned to head straight to Cairo, but got side tracked at the beach in the Sinai peninsula. We are staying at a lovely hotel with a loft that is right on the beach. We considered staying today as well, but unfortunately need to get moving. We are catching the late bus to Cairo and will spend the end of our trip exploring Egyptian ruins at Abu Simbel, Luxor, and Cairo. And in 10 days we will be home! We are both a bit sad the trip is ending, but so excited to get home! We have talked about how much we appreciate the U.S. and that even though there are many things we disagree with, we wouldn't want to be from anywhere else! There's my "I love America" statement in honor of Memorial Day :) Check out the Israel pictures in the link on the right, and we'll try to update again before heading home!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Getting Petra-fied
Wow, it's been awhile since we updated this!
Last update was in Oman. Since that time we've done a good amount of moving around. We first spent 3 days in Dubai, which was great. It was rich, semi-modern (ultra-modern in some parts, ultra-not in others) and overall a lot of fun to be in. We ate Taco Bell 4 times in 3 days, visited the top of the world's largest building, saw the world's fanciest hotel, walked around in the 1st and 2nd largest malls on Earth, watched the world's largest fountain show, and swam in our rooftop hotel pool; overall not a bad way to spend 3 days. The pictures are a far better way to see what I'm talking about, so just check out the U.A.E. Pictures if you'd like.
After Dubai we flew to Amman, the capital of Jordan. This place is the center of the Middle East geographically, and is a world away from the Gulf States we had been in previously. Culturally, it's much more in line with the traditional view of the Mideast, and after dealing with 100 degree heat in Oman and Dubai for awhile, we were pleasantly surprised to get off the plane and find that it was 66 degrees. Amman has a Euro-tinted feel to it... it’s distinctly Middle Eastern, but the layout feels like a European town (meaning there isn't really a layout), the police cars are all Audi A6's and it feels quite safe. Police officers and soldiers carrying heavy weaponry are omnipresent due to the Palestinian situation just to the west, but they are professional, friendly, and in no way imposing (as opposed to India, where the soldiers seemed like gun-toting buffoons.
After Amman we went south to the Gulf of Aqaba. We spent about 3 days in a hotel there because there was nothing to do; the resorts all charged ridiculous sums for using their beach and the public beach was so full of locals you could barely get to the water. That's OK though, because after that we visited Petra, which has undoubtedly been one of the highlights of the entire trip. Petra is a large city that was literally carved into the side of cliffs starting in about 300 BCE. I’m not talking about carvings like the Native Americans did in New Mexico or Colorado. The Nabateans (the people who lived in Petra) carved massive, incredibly intricate designs upwards of 150ft in the cliff sides. Equally impressive, there isn’t much rain in the area, so in an effort to control the drought/flash flood tendencies of the canyons they created some of the first large scale dams and water channel systems in the world. This allowed them to successfully guide water from the surrounding hills down a few miles into reservoirs and to keep floods from wiping out their homes. We found it ironic that 2000 years ago the Nabateans were the first real hydrological engineers, and their modern descendants in nearby Wadi Musa can’t seem to put the drain in the bathroom floor in the right spot (hint: it’s not the highest point of the floor).
But again, the pictures are a better illustration of what I’m talking about (Petra, not the drain). The landscape itself looks very similar to our beloved southern Utah, so seeing something so unique done to it was really an experience, and we enjoyed all 3 days of it.
For now, we’re back in Amman. It’s cheap, the internet is convenient, we just found a place with fried chicken around the corner (score!) and we’re waiting to try and link our schedule with a friend of mine in Israel. Eran and I met in Nicaragua a couple years ago and have been in touch since then, so hopefully we’ll be able to solidify a meeting before Michelle and I make the journey across the Palestinian Territories (West Bank) and into Jerusalem. There isn’t much time on this trip left, but we’re definitely going to make the most of it.
All pictures are updated- have a look!
Last update was in Oman. Since that time we've done a good amount of moving around. We first spent 3 days in Dubai, which was great. It was rich, semi-modern (ultra-modern in some parts, ultra-not in others) and overall a lot of fun to be in. We ate Taco Bell 4 times in 3 days, visited the top of the world's largest building, saw the world's fanciest hotel, walked around in the 1st and 2nd largest malls on Earth, watched the world's largest fountain show, and swam in our rooftop hotel pool; overall not a bad way to spend 3 days. The pictures are a far better way to see what I'm talking about, so just check out the U.A.E. Pictures if you'd like.
After Dubai we flew to Amman, the capital of Jordan. This place is the center of the Middle East geographically, and is a world away from the Gulf States we had been in previously. Culturally, it's much more in line with the traditional view of the Mideast, and after dealing with 100 degree heat in Oman and Dubai for awhile, we were pleasantly surprised to get off the plane and find that it was 66 degrees. Amman has a Euro-tinted feel to it... it’s distinctly Middle Eastern, but the layout feels like a European town (meaning there isn't really a layout), the police cars are all Audi A6's and it feels quite safe. Police officers and soldiers carrying heavy weaponry are omnipresent due to the Palestinian situation just to the west, but they are professional, friendly, and in no way imposing (as opposed to India, where the soldiers seemed like gun-toting buffoons.
After Amman we went south to the Gulf of Aqaba. We spent about 3 days in a hotel there because there was nothing to do; the resorts all charged ridiculous sums for using their beach and the public beach was so full of locals you could barely get to the water. That's OK though, because after that we visited Petra, which has undoubtedly been one of the highlights of the entire trip. Petra is a large city that was literally carved into the side of cliffs starting in about 300 BCE. I’m not talking about carvings like the Native Americans did in New Mexico or Colorado. The Nabateans (the people who lived in Petra) carved massive, incredibly intricate designs upwards of 150ft in the cliff sides. Equally impressive, there isn’t much rain in the area, so in an effort to control the drought/flash flood tendencies of the canyons they created some of the first large scale dams and water channel systems in the world. This allowed them to successfully guide water from the surrounding hills down a few miles into reservoirs and to keep floods from wiping out their homes. We found it ironic that 2000 years ago the Nabateans were the first real hydrological engineers, and their modern descendants in nearby Wadi Musa can’t seem to put the drain in the bathroom floor in the right spot (hint: it’s not the highest point of the floor).
But again, the pictures are a better illustration of what I’m talking about (Petra, not the drain). The landscape itself looks very similar to our beloved southern Utah, so seeing something so unique done to it was really an experience, and we enjoyed all 3 days of it.
For now, we’re back in Amman. It’s cheap, the internet is convenient, we just found a place with fried chicken around the corner (score!) and we’re waiting to try and link our schedule with a friend of mine in Israel. Eran and I met in Nicaragua a couple years ago and have been in touch since then, so hopefully we’ll be able to solidify a meeting before Michelle and I make the journey across the Palestinian Territories (West Bank) and into Jerusalem. There isn’t much time on this trip left, but we’re definitely going to make the most of it.
All pictures are updated- have a look!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Intro to the Middle East
Today is our last day in Oman, and our introduction to the Middle East has been a fascinating one. We've actually felt safer here than in SE Asia which I think most people would be surprised by. Oman is full of the nicest people, but is a bit bizarre and full of contradictions. For example, the malls have stores like the Gap and H & M, but almost all of the women wear burkas and are completely covered all of the time. In other areas we'd see rows of shops with identical plain black burkas lining the store windows. In Muscat all of the buildings are white which gives the city a sterile feel, but the people present a potent culture. Muscat is also full of western fast food chains and other modern amenities, but it all feels a bit forced, like the city has been artificially modernized. In many ways it has. With oil money and a competent Sultan, the infrastructure of the country has only recently sprouted up. Of course most of the country is still a vast, uninhabited desert. We got to make the 11 hour drive between Muscat and Salalah, and I've never seen so much nothing! We drove for hours seeing only sand, dirt, and lots of camels. Driving through the Empty Quarter was great though, it was awesome knowing that whatever direction you went there would just be more desert until you hit the ocean or Saudi Arabia.
Our other activities in Oman included 3 days of rock climbing, playing in the waves of a deserted beach, visiting Jebel Shams (the Grand Canyon of Oman), and eating lots of good food! We got to climb over the ocean, do some great bolted routes in a small canyon, and explore some unclimbed rock in Salalah. Jason and I spent a day cleaning and setting 3 routes on rock that hadn't been climbed before--it's hard to find that in the U.S.! The canyon was very impressive and different from other canyons I'd seen. There are very few colors so each one seems crisper than if there were many. The distinct shades of brown and gray stand out against the blue sky. All of the Omanis we have met have been so welcoming and helpful! Many speak English so getting around hasn't been difficult, and we've definitely gotten to experience some Arab hospitality.
One of the best parts of Oman has been visiting with our friend Shannon from the U.S. She lives in Salalah and was the most generous hostess! She showed us the best parts of Oman, took us to great meals, and let us stay at her home with her. Thanks for everything Shannon!
Tomorrow we are heading to Dubai for a few days. The Burj Khalifa is one of the things we've been most excited to see along with the other architectural feats the city offers. We will also go to the first Taco Bell of the trip! It feels like it's winding down fast unfortunately, but I think the last 7 weeks in the Mid-East will be great!
Our other activities in Oman included 3 days of rock climbing, playing in the waves of a deserted beach, visiting Jebel Shams (the Grand Canyon of Oman), and eating lots of good food! We got to climb over the ocean, do some great bolted routes in a small canyon, and explore some unclimbed rock in Salalah. Jason and I spent a day cleaning and setting 3 routes on rock that hadn't been climbed before--it's hard to find that in the U.S.! The canyon was very impressive and different from other canyons I'd seen. There are very few colors so each one seems crisper than if there were many. The distinct shades of brown and gray stand out against the blue sky. All of the Omanis we have met have been so welcoming and helpful! Many speak English so getting around hasn't been difficult, and we've definitely gotten to experience some Arab hospitality.
One of the best parts of Oman has been visiting with our friend Shannon from the U.S. She lives in Salalah and was the most generous hostess! She showed us the best parts of Oman, took us to great meals, and let us stay at her home with her. Thanks for everything Shannon!
Tomorrow we are heading to Dubai for a few days. The Burj Khalifa is one of the things we've been most excited to see along with the other architectural feats the city offers. We will also go to the first Taco Bell of the trip! It feels like it's winding down fast unfortunately, but I think the last 7 weeks in the Mid-East will be great!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
A Major Change of Place
As I write this I am enjoying my last day in India. Or, depending on preferences and priorities, my last day in a 5 Star hotel (which might be a more accurate description). In all seriousness, we do wish we could spend more time in India exploring the "small" towns (less than 10 million people, hah) but at this point in the trip I simply don't think Michelle and I have the patience and energy to tackle another country of this size and scope. 6 months ago we'd have dived right in, but now we're content to recharge our batteries in the Grand Hyatt and plan out the rest of the trip. And for the opportunity to do that we are infinitely thankful to my Dad for being able to meet us in this "Godforsaken Country" (his words, not ours)and letting us live the high life for a solid week. Thanks Dad- it's been an awesome week!
In a switch back to semi-normality, we head to Oman tonight. Oman doesn't have cheap backpacker hotels like we're used to (less than $10 a night) so we're going to have to stay in an actual hotel for a couple nights (closer to $70 a night). Yuk. That great news, however, is that we have a friend that currently resides in Oman who will be driving up to meet us in Muscat. We'll have a friendly face around, a means of transportation, and a ride back to the south of the country so we get to see a larger area. Plus, having a free place to stay for a short while never hurts!
Also, as you may notice, we've added yet another map to the right sidebar of this website. The amount of ground we've covered on the trip has gotten to be too large for one map, so we now have a map for everything up to India, and are starting a new one for all of the Middle East.
Well, Michelle wants to eat breakfast (go figure) so I guess this blog post is over. =)
In a switch back to semi-normality, we head to Oman tonight. Oman doesn't have cheap backpacker hotels like we're used to (less than $10 a night) so we're going to have to stay in an actual hotel for a couple nights (closer to $70 a night). Yuk. That great news, however, is that we have a friend that currently resides in Oman who will be driving up to meet us in Muscat. We'll have a friendly face around, a means of transportation, and a ride back to the south of the country so we get to see a larger area. Plus, having a free place to stay for a short while never hurts!
Also, as you may notice, we've added yet another map to the right sidebar of this website. The amount of ground we've covered on the trip has gotten to be too large for one map, so we now have a map for everything up to India, and are starting a new one for all of the Middle East.
Well, Michelle wants to eat breakfast (go figure) so I guess this blog post is over. =)
Friday, April 9, 2010
Not fun Stuff
For those of you who haven't heard, we got robbed. Nothing violent, we just had our backpack sitting on the floor between us at an internet cafe and it got snatched... no idea how one of us didn't notice. While it didn't have much money in it, it did have my passport and camera along with a few other small things. Losing the camera is heartbreaking, as it was terribly expensive, but at least we didn't' lose any pictures (they are all backed up on this site).
The fact that the passport was taken has just been a mess. We first had to file a police report. Then we went to the US Embassy and got a new temporary passport issued within a few hours. Then we went back to the Indian Consulate and got a new Indian Visa issued (thankfully it only took 1 day this time, as opposed to 11 like last time). It couldn't just be easy though... after all of the running around and paperwork, we ran into trouble because the Malaysian authorities won't let me leave the country without having an entry stamp (which was in the old passport). I needed to visit the Immigration Headquarters which is in an entirely different city about 30 minutes outside Kuala Lumpur, and because of their office hours, it simply wasn't possible to do it in time for my Friday flight 9am flight. As a result, we've had to change my flight to Saturday (yet again), and Michelle left on Friday (this morning). Since her passport wasn't stolen we would have had to pay to change her flight, but the airline pushed mine back for free, so we decided the best way to do it was to split up for a day. While she flew to India, I traversed the Malaysian Immigration system, which is essentially a nightmare in a building. But it should be done now (knock on wood!) so hopefully we will be rejoined at about this time tomorrow.
The fact that the passport was taken has just been a mess. We first had to file a police report. Then we went to the US Embassy and got a new temporary passport issued within a few hours. Then we went back to the Indian Consulate and got a new Indian Visa issued (thankfully it only took 1 day this time, as opposed to 11 like last time). It couldn't just be easy though... after all of the running around and paperwork, we ran into trouble because the Malaysian authorities won't let me leave the country without having an entry stamp (which was in the old passport). I needed to visit the Immigration Headquarters which is in an entirely different city about 30 minutes outside Kuala Lumpur, and because of their office hours, it simply wasn't possible to do it in time for my Friday flight 9am flight. As a result, we've had to change my flight to Saturday (yet again), and Michelle left on Friday (this morning). Since her passport wasn't stolen we would have had to pay to change her flight, but the airline pushed mine back for free, so we decided the best way to do it was to split up for a day. While she flew to India, I traversed the Malaysian Immigration system, which is essentially a nightmare in a building. But it should be done now (knock on wood!) so hopefully we will be rejoined at about this time tomorrow.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Trip Statisticals
We are still in Kuala Lumpur. Good news is, our Visa situation for India is worked out, my Dad is going to meet us in India for sure, we get to see Sri Lanka for a few hours on our layover, and we are flying out of here on Friday April 9th. Unfortunately we still have to hang around here all week, but we're finding ways to pass the time. For example last night, while we sat around enjoying Paul Blart: Mall Cop on HBO, we decided to compile some statistics on the trip so far. Here's what we've got (per person)
Miles - 23,000 (strait line distances on Google Earth - underestimate)
Flights - 11
Bus Rides - 42
Countries - 8
Hotels - 59
Boats - 15
Trains - 2
Times we've tried to kill each other - 47
Books Read - 20
Games of Rummy - 291 (154 wins for Jason, 137 for Michelle)
Pairs of Sunglasses lost - 5
Trips to Clinics - 11 (motorbike crash, dengue fever, rabies shots, stomach problems)
And there you have it, our trip in a nutshell.
Miles - 23,000 (strait line distances on Google Earth - underestimate)
Flights - 11
Bus Rides - 42
Countries - 8
Hotels - 59
Boats - 15
Trains - 2
Times we've tried to kill each other - 47
Books Read - 20
Games of Rummy - 291 (154 wins for Jason, 137 for Michelle)
Pairs of Sunglasses lost - 5
Trips to Clinics - 11 (motorbike crash, dengue fever, rabies shots, stomach problems)
And there you have it, our trip in a nutshell.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
