Morgan and I have been home for a few days, and are recovering from jet lag, unpacking our bags, and getting our lives back in order. We both feel like we are in a whirlwind and have so much to do. It does not feel like we are home yet and it only feels natural that we should be checking into another guesthouse or hopping on another bus. Instead, we are washing clothes, drinking from an actual coffee pot, using a real toilet that flushes, and are able to drink tap water. Overall, we are glad to be home, but there is obviously a sense of closure for us as we move forward.

                For both of us, travel is just a way of life. Most people in this world do not have the opportunity to take large amounts of time off from work, have the finances to travel, or the ability to drop everything and leave the country. We are so grateful for the opportunity to do what we did. We set our minds to the task that we wanted and we stuck to that goal. We picked where we wanted to go, and knew that we could make it happen. We made a financial plan, we saved, and we aligned ourselves in the direction to make this trip a possibility. Seeing the world and experiencing other cultures are invaluable resources for both of us. We saw so much, ate a lot of interesting food, had ups and downs, sweated our tails off in the Asian heat, and most importantly we did everything on “our list.” Also, for the amount of time that we spent overseas, we had very little problems. There were so many things that could have gone wrong, but God watched over us and protected every step of the way.

                Below are our “favorites” of the 6 month long trip, and a few numbers we compiled on our plane home from Dallas:

 

Favorite Capital City

David: Hanoi, Vietnam

Morgan: Singapore, Singapore

 

Favorite Small Town

David: Luang Prabang, Laos

Morgan: Hoi An, Vietnam

 

Favorite Beach

David: Nha Trang, Vietnam

Morgan: Nha Trang, Vietnam

 

Favorite National Park

David: Fiordland NP- New Zealand

Morgan: Mt. Cook NP- New Zealand

 

Favorite Tour

David: War Remnants Museum- Saigon, Vietnam

Morgan: Toul Sleng Genocide Museum-Phnom Penh, Cambodia

 

Favorite Guest House

David: B- Lan Homestay-Hoi An, Vietnam

Morgan: Bee Bee Guesthouse- Vang Vieng, Laos

 

 

Favorite Dish

David: Cao Lau- noodle soup with herbs, meat, crunchy bread

Morgan: Meat Buns- steamed buns filled with meaty deliciousness

 

Favorite Drink

David: Coffee with sweet milk

Morgan: Sugar cane juice

 

Favorite Beer

David: Beerlao- Laos

Morgan: Chang- Thailand

 

Favorite People

David: Laotians

Morgan: Kiwis

 

Best Sunrise

David: Angkor Wat- Siem Reap, Cambodia

Morgan: Angkor Wat- Siem Reap, Cambodia

 

Best Sunset

David: Motueka River- New Zealand

Morgan: Glentanner Valley- New Zealand

 

Best Bus Ride

David: Singapore to Malacca, Malaysia

Morgan: Hoi An to Nha Trang, Vietnam

 

Best Flight

David: Air NZ to Auckland, New Zealand

Morgan: Air NZ to Auckland, New Zealand

 

Best Shopping

David: Hoi An, Vietnam

Morgan: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

 

Favorite Markets

David: Hanoi, Vietnam

Morgan: Phnom Penh, Cambodia

 

Favorite Moment

David: Landing a fish on the upper Buller River- NZ

Morgan: finding our car keys in NZ- 30 miles from the nearest city

 

Number of buses taken: 24

Number of plane flights: 10

Number of countries visited: 7

Number of cties visited in Asia (NZ…too many to list): 27

Hotels stayed in: 30

Liters of water drunk in Asia: 546

 

 

                In conclusion, we are still at a good position in our lives, and we have decided to extend our travels for a little while longer. Therefore, we are leaving July 16th through October 27^th of this year, and will be travelling to Spain, Portugal, Morocco, and various countries in Eastern Europe. The plan is to spend the first 45 days hiking the Camino de Santiago, which will leave us on the western coast of Spain. This pilgrimage route is around 800km long, and I hiked the same route 2 years ago. We will then take our time and tour Portugal, slowly making our way to Gibraltar. There, will cross over into northern Africa and spend some time in Morocco. After this, we will visit southern Spain before we fly to Eastern Europe. In Eastern Europe, we are going to take the train system everywhere, and have not fully committed on the countries we want to visit. The list may include: Turkey, Croatia, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and Germany. In the meantime, we are at home in Memphis taking care of loose ends, hanging out with friends and family, and planning the next stage of our trip.

                Look for the photos of our trip in Asia soon, and any upcoming blog posts!

 

Cheers,

 

David and Morgan