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Dobbs Away II
Dobbs Away II

Dobbs Away II

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  • Dobbs Away IIDobbs Without JobsDobbs Away II
    Cheers to a new chapter
    1Local beerOur new home cityOur neigborhoodSunrise from our apartment1All Blacks game

    Wellington

    April 2, 2019 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    DOBBS WITH JOBS!
    We’ve been settling in to our new lives in New Zealand and reconnecting with family and friends. We’ve both started work again and are slowly getting back into a routine.

    After reflecting on our incredible time away, here are some of our most memorable experiences:

    BEST WILDLIFE:
    Too many to choose from! From the tiny pygmy chameleons in Madagascar to the huge humpback whales in Antarctica - we loved it all!
    But, some standout memories for us are:
    - Whales feeding in Antarctica using the bubble net technique where they trap fish in a ring of bubbles and then swim through the center with mouths open to feed
    - The gorillas in both Rwanda and Uganda. AMAZING!
    - Seeing African painted dogs 5 different times – especially the time they killed an impala in our campsite
    - The ridiculously cute lemurs in Madagascar
    - The cheetah brothers hunting wildebeest in Masai Mara

    BEST LANDSCAPES:
    - Antarctica’s icebergs, glaciers and surreal landscapes
    - Moai statues on Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
    - Forests in Bandhavgarh National Park in India – the place that inspired Kipling’s Jungle Book
    - The beauty of Patagonia – especially Torres del Paine
    - Machu Pichu in the fog
    - Madagascar’s Tsingy (the sharp rock formations) and amazing baobab trees

    FAVORITE ACCOMODATION:
    - The luxurious ship we took to Antarctica that always had amazing views out the windows
    - Mara Triangle Campsite on a hill overlooking the iconic Mara river in Kenya which we had all to ourselves (except all of the wildlife wandering through)
    - Camping on the Nile River in Jinja, Uganda with an amazing waterfall and river view
    - Sunflower House in Catalonia, Spain because it had amazing views that we shared with our dear friend Cindy
    - Our hotel in Chile with stunning views of Torres del Paine

    MOST NERVOUS MOMENTS:
    - The creepy “policeman” in rural Zambia that wanted us to give him a ride
    - Capsizing our canoe in the rapids of Guyana – 11 hours from a hospital
    - The huge scorpions and spiders in the lake house in Guatemala
    - The occasional grumpy elephant in Botswana
    - The black plague outbreak in Madagscar

    MOST EMOTIONAL:
    - The genocide memorial church in Rwanda
    - Encountering gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda
    - Heartbreaking poverty in Madagascar
    - Experiencing the generosity of strangers everywhere
    - The gratitude we felt for being able to travel for two years to places like Antarctica

    MOST EMBARASSING/STUPID:
    - John getting sick in Rwanda and throwing up in someone’s front yard with a village as his audience
    - Difficulty starting fires in South Africa where not being able to start a fire is about the worst thing you could do
    - Running after wild dogs on foot in a campsite that regularly has lions, hyena and other critters passing through

    MOST SURPRISING:
    - The beauty of ice/snow in Antarctica
    - That Japan was cheaper than most of South America
    - Lack of tourists in Guyana
    - Deforestation in Malawi and Madagascar
    - Beauty of India’s jungle
    - How good the food was in Bolivia

    WHERE WE CAN’T WAIT TO RETURN:
    - Antarctica – it costs more than a car, but we would happily work an entire year just for 3 weeks in this magical place
    - Japan – a place we’ll always feel at home
    - Botswana – some of our best wildlife sightings have been here and it’s one of the most inspiring countries on a troubled continent
    - South Luangwa National Park in Zambia – some of the friendliest park rangers and best leopard and lion sightings imaginable
    - Mara Triangle in Kenya – iconic African wildlife in a small area
    - Cozumel – our favorite place to dive – especially with Casey & Marisa
    - Catalonia, Spain – because $5 cava, natural beauty and Barcelona beckon
    - Rajasthan, India – such a vibrant and colorful place rich in history and incredible architecture, food and art    Read more

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    Foggy Big Sur
    Elephant sealsSunny Santa CruzLunch with Christy's mom and MarcoHiking with Uncle Richard, cousin Katie and Rod1Honey the leopard gecko

    Bonny Doon

    March 18, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    We drove up Highway 1 through Big Sur hoping to enjoy spectacular coastal views, but the fog meant it was hard to see much of anything. Still beautiful.
    Our final weeks in the US were spent catching up with family and organizing ourselves for the big move to New Zealand. We’ll miss this side of the family SOOOO much! Love you guys.Read more

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    Chica Jenny
    Chica's sweet dog, Bayley

    San Diego

    March 14, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We drove to San Diego in our rental car to catch up with Jenny, Aaron, Brandon & Carolyn. A beautiful few days hanging out with these lifelong friends and super cool (and ridiculously smart) kids!

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    2A lion or a dog?
    Transamerica- our favorite SF building

    San Francisco

    March 5, 2019 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    It was wonderful to be back in the Bay Area and to catch up with family and friends. Thanks to everyone for such great hospitality and company!

  • Dobbs Away IIDobbs Without JobsDobbs Away II
    Spectacular scenery on our trip with Christy's dad
    John admiring the view1Christy's dadArches NPMoab area

    Green River

    March 2, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 0 °C

    A flight to Salt Lake City, then a 3 hour drive took us to Green River, Utah. We met Christy’s dad here and spent a few days visiting spectacular Moab, Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. Such a beautiful part of the world!Read more

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    Obama's portrait
    30th Street stationAfrican American MuseumNative American headdressWright brother's plane1Orchid exhibitJackie Robinson's jersey

    Washington DC

    February 27, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 2 °C

    A ride on Amtrak allowed us to admire the beautiful architecture at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia and Union Station in DC. We visited the National Museum of African American History & Culture, The National Museum of the American Indian, The Air & Space Museum, The Portrait Gallery and the American History Museum.Read more

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    Lil Chap
    Our former house in Philly

    Philadelphia

    February 23, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 4 °C

    A brief visit in Philadelphia allowed us to catch up with our dear friend, Cindy, and to enjoy her fabulous cocktail party. We also met our former neighbor, Alice, for lunch and played with her tiny dog, Little Chap.Read more

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    Tarragona amphitheater
    Tarragona's Roman circusUnderground at Tarragona's Roman circusTarragona rooftopsTarragona new and oldTarragona's Roman walls and roadCalafell beachSpanish love affair with hamCastle of Santa OlivaSanta Oliva village

    Santa Oliva

    February 10, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Our last stop in Spain and the end of our explorations of new places was in the tiny village of Santa Oliva located in the heart of cava country and just an hour south of Barcelona.
    We stayed in a beautifully restored 17th century apartment and enjoyed a daytrip to Tarragona – a world heritage site known for its impressively preserved Roman ruins.
    Most of our time here was spent cooking in, trying new cavas and savoring
    the final week of our travels before we return to the US and begin a farewell tour across the country. It’s been a wonderful time in Spain and we will be back!    Read more

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    More charming stairways
    The CathedralGirona wallsGirona buildingsArab bathsOnyar RiverBesalu's bridgeLake BanyolesMedieval streets of BesaluBesalu church

    Girona

    February 8, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Girona is a beautiful city steeped in history having been ruled by Rome, the Visigoths, Moors, Charlemagne, and others. Wandering through the medieval streets showing layers of consecutive inhabitants, it’s a wonderful place to visit. You can still walk much of the city’s original walls and its cathedral has the second largest nave after Rome.
    We also visited some neighboring villages including Banyoles for a walk around its scenic lake, and Besalu which is one of the cutest little towns we’ve visited so far with a beautiful bridge as the highlight.    Read more

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    Cadaques rooftops
    Cadaques rocky beachTiny car1Tiny lanes1Inside bell towerMonastery's towerFoggy day out1View from monastery1View to Pyrenees from Roses

    Cadaques

    February 4, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    After saying farewell to Cindy until we meet her again in Philadelphia in a few weeks, we drove the narrow mountain road to Cadaques. We rented a Fiat 500 and are so glad to have such a tiny car on these very tiny roads. Sometimes, even the tiny Fiat barely fit down the little lanes.
    While it must be insanely busy during summer, it was wonderfully quiet during our visit. We spent our time wandering the narrow, medieval streets, walking along the shoreline and visiting the impressive Rodes Monastery with expansive views of the coast. Salvador Dali had a home here and did many paintings of the area - unfortunately his house, which is now a museum, was closed for winter.    Read more

  • Dobbs Away IIDobbs Without JobsDobbs Away II
    Sunflower House
    1Our beautiful viewAnother great dinner togetherCape Mitja trailBeautiful day out hikingCadaquesCadaques narrow streetsDali museum ceiling mural1Cindy's party trick

    El Port de la Selva

    January 26, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    We splurged on a beautifully designed house overlooking the sea and rugged, rocky coast and spent much of our time cooking together, enjoying gin & tonics and cava while admiring the view.
    We did manage to visit the Dali museum, do a little hiking and explore Cadaques together as well.Read more

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    Gaudi's Guell Park
    Gaudi's lizardGaudi's Casa BatlloGaudi's Sagrada FamiliaMini football fanSpain's ubiquitous hamBarcelona's Born neighborhood

    Barcelona, Spain

    January 24, 2019 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 6 °C

    Barcelona – why did we wait so long to visit you?
    Such a beautiful, grand city packed with wonderful restaurants, cafes, shops and remarkable architecture. There was a taxi strike happening for many of the days we were here, but the city is so walkable and the metro so excellent that we didn’t miss the taxis at all.
    Our dear friend Cindy met us here (she also met us in South Africa and Peru making this our 3rd meet-up!) and it was wonderful to catch up and explore the city together.    Read more

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    Oaxaca

    January 14, 2019 in Mexico ⋅ 🌫 22 °C

    Mexico City was great, but Oaxaca is even better!
    After a short flight here, we got a taxi to our Airbnb in the Colonia Reforma neighborhood. It’s a bit out of the center of town, but a cute suburb with lots of restaurants. On our first night, we had the best mole of our lives (better than Pujol!) cooked by several older ladies who run a restaurant out of their garage. Every meal we’ve eaten since has also been delicious. No wonder every Mexican we met who we told we were coming to Oaxaca got starry-eyed when raving about how wonderful it is. The area is also known for producing most of the country’s mescal, so we did a tasting one night to learn about this strong, smoky alcohol made from agave. It’s interesting, but we prefer our Mezcal in cocktails vs. straight. We’ve enjoyed walking through the town’s historic center, doing a little shopping (Oaxaca is famous for wood carving, weaving, pottery and other crafts) and visiting some impressive churches.
    Oaxaca has become our favorite town in Mexico – a great way to finish off our time in Latin America. We would definitely have spent longer here had we known how great it is.    Read more

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    Rooftop dining near Santo Domingo Church
    Oaxaca's streetsMezcal tasting1Shrimp tacoArtista who made a monkey we boughtOaxaca's majestic treesCourtyard cactiFestive ceiling at Origin restaurantAztec crossing art installation2Parade

    Oaxaca

    January 14, 2019 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Mexico City was great, but Oaxaca is even better!
    After a short flight here, we got a taxi to our Airbnb in the Colonia Reforma neighborhood. It’s a bit out of the center of town, but a cute suburb with lots of restaurants. On our first night, we had the best mole of our lives (better than Pujol!) cooked by several older ladies who run a restaurant out of their garage. Every meal we’ve eaten since has also been delicious. No wonder every Mexican we met who we told we were coming to Oaxaca got starry-eyed when raving about how wonderful it is. The area is also known for producing most of the country’s mescal, so we did a tasting one night to learn about this strong, smoky alcohol made from agave. It’s interesting, but we prefer our Mezcal in cocktails vs. straight. We’ve enjoyed walking through the town’s historic center, doing a little shopping (Oaxaca is famous for wood carving, weaving, pottery and other crafts) and visiting some impressive churches. Oaxaca has become our favorite town in Mexico – a great way to finish off our time in Latin America. We would definitely have spent longer here had we known how wonderful it is.Read more

  • Dobbs Away IIDobbs Without JobsDobbs Away II
    Pushkin square
    Roma Norte buildingTiffany glass ceiling in Gran Hotel de CiudadPalace of Fine ArtsHistoric center of Mexico near where Cortes overthrew MontezumaMosaic tiled buildingMajestic old building1Softshell crab at Pujol (YUM!!!)Teotihuacan view from Pyramid of the MoonPyramid of the Sun

    Mexico City

    December 28, 2018 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Despite some reports of “road assaults” on tourists, we took a public bus into Mexico City’s Northern Bus Terminal and then hopped into an Uber. We’ve felt safe here and highly recommend visiting Mexico City, despite what bad stuff might be going on in some other parts of the country. The scariest thing we’ve encountered are the almost daily earthquakes. They’ve been small, but unnerving.
    We’ve been very impressed with this ginormous city packed with beautiful, old buildings, distinct neighborhoods, incredible restaurants and cafes, and – most impressively – an amazing cultural scene. Within the city we’ve visited Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul, the Anthropology Museum, Chapultapec Park and Diego Rivera’s mural and sculpture there, the National Palace and more murals from Rivera, The Plaza of Independence, and more.
    One day we took a bus out to Teotihuacan – the impressive pyramids built starting in the first century by unknown people and eventually lived in by the Aztecs starting in the mid-fourteenth century. It’s interesting to see similarities among these great, ancient ruins. These ones reminded us of the pyramids in Egypt because of the incredible size and scale, though they’re a few thousand year’s newer.    Read more

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    Sunset over SMA
    Parish church of San MiguelOld stone wallsHoliday decorChristmas in the squareLavender latteStreets of SMAChristmas dinner1John's trip to hipster barber

    San Miguel de Allende

    December 21, 2018 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    A short flight into Leon, then a few hours by taxi and we arrived in San Miguel de Allende (SMA). SMA is a very charming colonial UNESCO city. It’s very popular with expats and tourists, yet still feels lived in and not overdone.
    We spent our time here walking through the hilly, cobbled streets and admiring the many beautiful old buildings, many of which have been converted into shops and cafes. John also got his haircut at a very hip barbershop where they used lots and lots of products with names like “beard lube” and the barber had tattoos of a barber pole on one side of his neck and a pair of scissors on the other. We had been looking forward to some cooler weather, but were a little surprised how cold it was with nighttime temperatures dipping below freezing. Enjoyed shopping at a local farmers market for Xmas dinner complimented by some Mexican bubbly and catching up on some Netflix (Narcos Mexico – Yikes! - and The Sinner).    Read more

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    Pyramid of the magician
    1No crowds!Similar carving to Chichen ItzaResident iguanaView over UxmalEntry to Mayan courtyardAt home in the ruins

    Merida

    December 19, 2018 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    We drove back to Merida as a base for our visit to Uxmal, a site of more recent (mid-800’s) Mayan ruins just an hour's drive out of the city.
    This UNESCO site was refreshingly empty and the ruins were distinct in that the pyramids and structures were more rounded and you were allowed to climb to the top of some of them, offering fantastic views over the old city and surrounding jungle. Some of the architectural details were maybe more interesting and better preserved than Chichen-Itza. John remarked that it seems crazy that the Star Wars filmmakers had trekked to Tikal, in the middle of a civil war, to film one short scene instead of coming here.Read more

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    1Cenote swim
    1Main pyramidColumns near nunneryLess restored pyramidCarvings everywhereTemple carvingWarriorThe dead

    Piste

    December 18, 2018 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    We’d rented a car so we could overnight near Chichen-Itza and arrive at opening time as the crowds coming in from Cancun and cruise ships are overwhelming by mid-morning.
    On our way to Piste we visited Yokdzonot Cenote - basically a beautiful sinkhole in the jungle where people go to swim. We really enjoyed this experience – the water was pleasant, there were cute tiny fish, not too many mosquitos and even fewer visitors.
    The Mayan ruins of Chichen-Itza, dating from the 600’s, are exactly what you might imagine and are truly iconic in scale and detail. The pyramids are similar to Tikal in Guatemala, but the two sites are very distinct and impressive. What struck us most about Chichen-Itza were the very well preserved carvings visible on many of the structures. It was also easy to imagine what it had looked like when it was a functioning city. We were so happy we had arrived before opening time. When we first pulled up to the site we were complaining to each other that there were 20 or so cars in front of us waiting to get into the parking lot. By the time we left, the large parking lot was completely full, the tour bus parking area was completely full and visitors had to park a 20 minute walk away to get to the gates in the increasing heat and humidity.    Read more

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    Saintly tributes
    One of Merida's many churchesMassive church doorCrumbling mansionMuseum highlighting life in the good timesWhat a courtyard!Town festival1Nativity scene in main squareMerida's restored gloryCute barbershop

    Merida

    December 11, 2018 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Took a comfortable bus from Tulum to Merida.
    Merida is a large, colonial city that’s home to around 900,000 people. It was once very wealthy and the center for agave twine that was exported around the world in the early 1900’s. The massive scale of the many crumbling (and some restored) mansions lining the main boulevard, hint at the former affluence. In the center of the city, many buildings have been restored to charming homes, cafes, and shops and it felt a safe and pleasant place to walk around. The people were friendly and the food was good, though we’re really looking forward to Mexico City for a more vibrant food scene.Read more

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    Mayan carving
    Tulum's beautiful beachesMayan ruins in spectacular settingMayan buildingsAnother beach overlookMore scenic coastlineOur Airbnb (tiny) poolDelicious tacos to shareCoatis on the loose

    Tulum

    December 6, 2018 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    The ferry crossing from Cozumel to Playa del Carmen was very rough because of heavy winds that were strong enough to shut down the harbor for small boats. Luckily, we didn’t get seasick during the short trip. Once on the mainland, we took a public bus to Tulum, just a few hours down the coast.
    Tulum wasn’t what we expected and it’s one of the few places we wouldn’t go back to if we had it to do over again. While the beaches and Mayan ruins are beautiful, the main town isn’t and we were shocked to see huge, expensive resorts built near shantytowns that housed migrant workers. Exploitation like this is something you never get used to seeing and it’s infuriating that all the tourist money being brought in isn’t filtering down to those who need it most. Also, the city has grown way too fast and lacks any infrastructure - we read that only ~30% of residential properties are connected to sewage systems – most ends up in the ocean. You can smell it in some parts of the city. Greed is gross.
    I’m sure if we’d stayed on the beach in a high-end resort and not ventured into the town, we might not have noticed the other side of this place. We should have heeded JV’s advice and given Tulum a miss.    Read more

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    Our dive boat
    Post-dive

    Cozumel

    December 2, 2018 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    What a culture shock! We love Cozumel and this was our 5th time visiting here to dive, but it’s been an adjustment.
    After getting into the water and seeing all the beautiful fish, coral and lots of turtles, our longing for Japan receded a bit.
    We’ve been lucky to dive many places around the world and Cozumel continues to be somewhere we will re-visit (hopefully with Marisa and Casey). It’s simply incredible under water (not so much above water – it’s truly about the diving here) because of the abundance and variety of critters and the beautiful seascapes of huge coral formations, caves and plunging drop-offs into the deep blue below.    Read more

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    1Mt. Fuji from the plane

    Chicago

    December 1, 2018 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 5 °C

    We had a very tight connection from Japan to Mexico, and as expected, missed our flight. While we contemplated going downtown for the day, the cold, slushy weather and extreme tiredness led us to choose trying to rest in an airport hotel instead.Read more

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    Dotonburi
    Happy ThanksgivingAward-winning pizza chefChristmas monsterSake tastingAward-winning ramen chefCharming Dotonburi bar

    Osaka

    November 21, 2018 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    A quick train ride carried us to Osaka, Japan’s 2nd largest city.
    We checked into our apartment then met our friend, Marisa, who visited us from NY.
    It’s always fun to share experiences with friends during our travels, especially because it was Marisa’s first time to Asia. We were impressed as she bravely took off solo for a quick trip to Tokyo and a few days in Kyoto. The rest of the time we hung out together in Osaka - eating, shopping and enjoying our final days in Japan.
    Visiting Japan has been one of the highlights of our trip. Japan has played a large part in our history - this is where we met and fell in love, so Japan will always be special for us. We have loved seeing places - new and old, enjoyed meeting and talking with the locals, reveled in the incredible hospitality, food, and beauty which are uniquely Japanese.    Read more

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