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Asia 2017
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Asia 2017

MitchaRu tarafından 84 günlük bir macera Okumaya devam et
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  • Gezinin başlangıcı
    24 Aralık 2016
    MitchaRuAsia 2017MitchaRu

    Montvale, New Jersey

    23 Aralık 2016, Amerika Birleşik Devletleri ⋅ ☀️ 6 °C

    We're all packed and ready to go for MitchaRu round 2! This time it was definitely a lot easier to prepare for this trip than the last; perhaps because we're seasoned backpackers now!

    We anticipate this trip to be about 2 months again however it'll be a totally different experience as we start in Egypt and continue on to India and Southeast Asia. Stay tuned for more on our adventures...Okumaya devam et

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    The Great Pyramids of Giza

    26 Aralık 2016, Mısır ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    After an almost 24 hour journey, we made it to Egypt to take part in a 9 day tour of this ancient world! We knew we couldn't and probably shouldn't take on the task of navigating through this country like we had done in our past trip so a guided tour was the best option.

    We started in Cairo which is a very busy and dirty city but quickly found our way to the surrounding areas of Saqqara and Giza to see the great pyramids! At Saqqara we saw the first ever pyramid to be built as a burial site for one of Egypt's kings in 2,740 BC, almost 5,000 years ago!! Not only did we get to see this engineering marvel from outside but as well got a glimpse of the pyramids from the inside as well.

    If that wasn't enough our next stop was the most popular site of pyramids at Giza where the Egyptians perfected the pyramid shape taking 23 years to build using around 2.2 million bricks with weights ranging from 2 tons to 20 tons for the Great Pyramid alone! We got some magnificent views of one of the seven wonders in the world on our camel ride where we definitely popped out the selfie stick to capture the moment!

    Our last stop was to see the Spinx which was carved out of one rock and represented the depiction of the king in the eternal afterlife which impressed us as well.

    After the first day we knew we'd be in for a treat on this trip as we make stops across Egypt admiring and trying to wrap our minds around this ancient civilization that put thought, meaning and scale into everything they created!    Okumaya devam et

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    Luxor

    27 Aralık 2016, Mısır ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Luxor was our next stop on our Egyptian adventure. Although it took 10 hours by bus to reach the old capital from Cairo there were many things to see once we arrived since Luxor is claimed to hold 1/4 of the world's monuments.

    The Valley of the Kings was the main attraction which is the burial site of many of Egypt's kings. This site was chosen for its mountainous terrain which made it difficult for tomb raiders to access. The most famous pharaoh whose tomb was discovered in 1920 was King Tut. We ventured deep inside his underground tomb where he still lays mummified. It was a pretty amazing experience standing next to the body of King Tut and being in his tomb where they found him adorned with all his valuable possessions and lots of gold ornaments. Unfortunately pictures were not allowed!

    We also visited Hatchepsut Temple made for Egypt's first female pharaoh along with Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple. All of these places were equally impressive due to their massive size, carvings, and details that went into creating these temples that were made to honor the ruling King of Egypt at the time they were built since the Kings in Egypt were considered to be descendent of god.

    If it wasn't enough to see Luxor at eye level, we took a hot air balloon ride over this beautiful city to see it from up to!    Okumaya devam et

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  • MitchaRuAsia 2017MitchaRu

    Abu Simbel

    30 Aralık 2016, Mısır ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We took an optional trip to Abu Simbel the site of King Ramesses II's temples. The bigger of the two temples was dedicated to himself and the second smaller temple was made for his wife Queen Nefertari, with 4 out of the 6 statues depicting himself instead of his wife. King Ramesses II ruled Egypt for 67 years and was probably the most influential, arrogant and self-centered ruler in Egyptian history.

    The site of Abu Simbel, close to the boarder of Sudan, was actually not the original site of the temples. The original temples which were carved into mountainous rock were threatened to be flooded due to a large dam being built and were physically moved to where they sit now in a valley which was excavated to relocate the temples in 1968. This was the most impressive part as its hard to imagine with the scale and massive size of the temples how they were originally built in the 13th century BC and then moved with most of its original architecture intact.    Okumaya devam et

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  • MitchaRuAsia 2017MitchaRu

    Felucca on the Nile

    30 Aralık 2016, Mısır ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    This was one of our more adventurous trips of the year - 2 nights on a traditional Egyptian sail boat. It was fairly primitive but a great experience!

    The boat had one flat and padded area for the 12 of us to sleep on "sardine style". The boat had 4 crew members, but no motor or bathroom. The cook had a small stove top, and somehow managed to make some of the best food of the entire Egypt trip on it.

    We really got to know the rest of our tour group much better after living together on the boat. There wasn't much to do other than relaxing and gaze into the sunny horizon, but the time passed quickly eating, drinking, swimming, playing games, and building a campfire on the shore where we docked for the night.

    Certainly a memorable experience on the Nile!    Okumaya devam et

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  • MitchaRuAsia 2017MitchaRu

    Cairo

    31 Aralık 2016, Mısır ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    At last we're back in Cairo after exploring the East and West Banks of the Nile River where we also rang in 2017! We saw a lot of amazing history dating back to one of the first civilizations on this planet and witnessed the magnificent temples, pyramids and tombs first hand. Unfortunately modern day Egypt didn't keep up with the progress made by the ancient people. Cairo now the capital of the country is actually pretty dirty and congested. There are many abandoned buildings, half built apartments that would have their ancient relatives rolling in their tombs, piles of trash on every street, and 9.1 million people struggling to make a decent living off of the hurting tourism industry.

    Looking past all that, while in Cairo we visited the Egyptian Museum which houses thousands and thousands of artifacts that gave us an even deeper looking into this civilization. We got to explore the mummy exhibit where we stood in front of many of Egypt's past Kings and Queens. Many still had their hair, teeth, and nails! It was a cool experience that left you feeling a bit chilly! In the museum we also visited the King Tut exhibit that holds many of the gold treasures found in his tomb. The most impressive was the solid gold face mask that covered the King which is the most iconic image of ancient Egypt. It is said that if tomb raiders hadn't robbed the tombs of many kings over the years, then Egypt would have been the wealthiest nation in the world today!

    Lastly, attached are a few pictures of various temples we visited along the way that we haven't posted about yet, at Edfu and Philae Temple. Overall, Egypt was a great experience and we're glad we could visit before there is even more uncertainty in this region of the world! We'd recommend it if you have an open mind about safety concerns and take a well known organized tour!    Okumaya devam et

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    The Grand Mosque

    1 Ocak 2017, Birleşik Arap Emirlikleri ⋅ 🌫 19 °C

    Our visit to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates was a quick one but that's because we were primarily there to visit The Grand Mosque formally known as Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. This mosque as in its name is nothing short of grand! The late king of Abu Dhabi wanted to create a mosque that portrayed Islam as it should be known; a peaceful religion. This beautiful structure is made of marble and decorated with precise detail. Luckily we got to see the mosque while the sun was setting and when it was lit up after dark; both were equally impressive.Okumaya devam et

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    Dubai

    2 Ocak 2017, Birleşik Arap Emirlikleri ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Dubai is the metropolitan hub of UAE. It's nothing short of a city dominated by a skyline full of unique looking skyscrapers, malls full of the world's classiest brand name stores and highways full of very expensive cars.

    You can see the wealth from being an oil producing country everywhere you go. It was an expensive 24 hours spent in Dubai which was full of many tourists but we couldn't miss seeing the Burj Al Arab from the beach at sunset; an iconic five star hotel recognized from a distance by it's shape of a sailboat (where a standard room would cost you nearly $2,000/night) or going up to the viewing deck on the 124th floor of the world's tallest building Burj Khalifa.    Okumaya devam et

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    Muscat, Oman

    4 Ocak 2017, Umman ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Although Oman wasn't initially in our travel plans we added it in to make a pitstop to visit our friend Mohamed who lives there. Mohamed and Rupal met in Poland when Rupal was living there and have kept in touch over the last four years.

    Mohamed welcomed us openly to visit his hometown of Muscat and had many activities planned for us. Our favorite was visiting Wadi Shab a valley within the mountainous terrain about 2 hours outside of Muscat. The scenery there was beautiful and the water cave we walked for an hour to was well worth it! We had fun swimming and cliff jumping in the cave where the reflecting light made the water so clear and blue. We didn't realize Oman had such natural beauty and can't wait to go back to explore more!

    We also enjoyed the hospitality of Mohamed and his friends who made us feel at home while we were there. We had a fun BBQ on the beach where we drank beers and grilled meat and fish to eat with pita and hummus; it was delicious!

    Although our time was short, we also managed to visit the The Royal Opera House of Oman which is a beautiful made building with precise detail carved in wood and marble, got to stroll the marina where we walked through the old souk and saw the king's 2 massive yachts and even enjoyed a pretty sunset on the beach.

    Just like many people we didn't know much about Oman but thanks to Mohamed we were introduced to a gem of a country that we know we'll visit again in the future!    Okumaya devam et

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  • MitchaRuAsia 2017MitchaRu

    Jaisalmer

    8 Ocak 2017, Hindistan ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    We made it to India! 🇮🇳

    Coming to India played a large part of our second trip's itinerary as this is Mitch's first time here. Although Mitch has been immersed in the Indian culture over the years, seeing it first hand was definitely an experience we couldn't miss. We landed in Ahmedabad and got one day to recover from the busy Egypt, UAE and Oman schedule at my uncle's house where we'll spend some time later, however first we chose to do some sightseeing in the state of Rajasthan with my parents who decided to come to India as well.

    Our first stop was Jaisalmer a city close to the boarder of Pakistan known for its desert scenery and its position on the Silk Road. Merchants of the city traded spices, opium, nuts and much more to become very wealthy. One merchant in particular dominated the city's trading business and spent his money to create such detailed homes with hand crafted balconies typical to that region for him and his sons also known as a havelies. These were impressive to see for their beauty and unique architecture.

    Jaisalmer is also known for its fort like many other cities in India which were ruled by regional kings. This fort however is different in that it's still inhabited but not by the king! The city has given the fort to the local people to live in and it's occupied by homes, hotels, restaurants and shops. We got to walk around which was fun seeing a glimpse into the daily life of these people.

    However all this aside the most fascinating thing we learned about Jaisalmer was that it was only developed with electricity, water and roads in 1965! Although progress has been made since then there is a lot of work to be done in the city to bring it to modern times. Driving through small villages was interesting and eye opening to see how people still live in the year 2017. Many of these village people were definitely fascinated by Mitch as was Mitch of their roaming cows and sheep!    Okumaya devam et

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    Jodhpur

    9 Ocak 2017, Hindistan ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    Our next stop was the Blue City of Jodphur. The main attractions were the Mehrangarh Fort built in 1460 situated 410 feet above the city which offered pretty views of houses painted in blue, Umaid Bhavna Palace where the current king of Jodphur resides and Jaswant Thada a mausoleum built out of marble to honor the royal family of Marwar which is the region which the family ruled over in Rajasthan.

    Have a look at the pictures, they speak for themselves and truly represent the nature of the kingdoms that ruled in India over the centuries.

    We also stopped at Ranakpur Jain Temple on the way to our next stop which was really amazingly carved out of marble as seen in the last picture.    Okumaya devam et

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  • MitchaRuAsia 2017MitchaRu

    Udaipur

    11 Ocak 2017, Hindistan ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Coming to Udaipur was a sight we won't forget. With all the natural beauty that surrounds this city it was a nice break from all the noise and crowds of a typical Indian city.

    The highlight of our visit to Udaipur was our stay at Fatheghar, a hotel situated up in the hills overlooking Lake Pichola. The sunrise we saw from on top the hills was also worth the early wake up call and the sunset was pretty too!

    Aside from the beauty, Udaipur is known for the lavish City Palace of King Udai Singh built in 1559 which was nice to see especially the peacock mosaics that surrounded the courtyard!

    Udaipur was our last stop on this side trip around Rajasthan. It was nice to see another State aside from Gujarat where we'll be spending a week with family as all States in India have their own history and culture!

    And as a side note, we couldn't help but resist to stop on the side of the highway to pick up fresh vegetables as we drove back to Ahmedabad.    Okumaya devam et

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  • MitchaRuAsia 2017MitchaRu

    Ahmedabad, India

    12 Ocak 2017, Hindistan ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    After being forewarned by Rupal and her family how different India is compared to the US, I was still somewhat surprised by how different it really is from anywhere I've traveled. Besides the Gandhi Ashram which was impactful and well done, Gujarat's largest city is not on the typical India tour route so it was an authentic experience in a busy Indian city where I stood out quite a bit more than at typical tourist destinations. Some of the unique experiences that I really enjoyed were a moped ride to the city center, a rickshaw ride weaving through traffic, the kite festival called Uttrayan with every rooftop in the city filled with people flying and cutting kites, and getting to meet and spend time with family members, some of which I hadn't met before.

    Certainly a memorable week! I caught myself staring at the camels, monkeys, peacocks, and elephants on the busy streets and even caught plenty of locals staring at me - an interesting glimpse into quite a different world.

    Thank you to all the family and friends that I was able to meet during my visit. Everyone was very welcoming and I even picked up a few Gujarati words along the way! Special thanks to Sanjay Mama and Darshana Mami for hosting us and helping plan our tour through India!    Okumaya devam et

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    Kelia Vasna, India

    13 Ocak 2017, Hindistan ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Usually I'm a bit unlucky on Friday the thirteenth (2 different car accidents), but this Friday was the complete opposite, reminding me of how lucky and fortunate I really am for a variety of reasons.

    We visited this small village where Rupal's Grandmother grew up. We visited the house she grew up in, the field that Rupal's Dad spent time on in the summers, and also the local school, where Rupal's family recently donated money to, to build a computer room for the school children in honor of her Grandmother. The school visit was quite a touching experience where we were greeted with a band, showered in flowers, and other kind gestures of gratitude. It was also the day before Uttarayan so after our welcome we had a blast flying kites, dancing, and taking pictures with the kids.    Okumaya devam et

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  • MitchaRuAsia 2017MitchaRu

    Jaipur, India

    20 Ocak 2017, Hindistan ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Well we're about 2 weeks behind on our posts, but hopefully about to catch up again. We figured spending our time planning where we would be staying the next night was a higher priority than documenting the past. We're currently in Bangkok planning out a week or two of our SE Asia travels, but back to our Jaipur post...

    While it was similar to many of the other Rajasthan sights, this was probably our favorite since it was well preserved and maintained, and included the impressive astrological instruments at Jantar Mantar, the beautiful Hawa Mahal or wind palace and the City Palace both of which were made of pink sandstone giving Jaipur the name of Pink City.

    The Jantar Mantar in particular was interesting as it was a site full of astrological instruments including the largest stone sundial in the world which is accurate to 2 seconds. Other instruments plotted the current zodiac sign and several other things which were over our heads.    Okumaya devam et

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    Agra, India

    21 Ocak 2017, Hindistan ⋅ ⛅ -1 °C

    On our way to Agra, we stopped at Fatehpur Sikri where Mughul ruler Akbar built the city and fort in the 16th century. We enjoyed the multiple cultures and religions that were incorporated within the same architectural design, such as Muslim, Persian, Hindu, Judaism which shows a very contemporary and open-minded ruler that had many influences in his empire.

    The next day we visited the Taj Mahal one of the seven wonders of the world. I didn't want to get my expectations too high before visiting, but they were certainly met. The inlay of the precious stones set into the white marble were very intricate and impressive, and sourced from all over the world. Also the design details were very well thought out- it is symmetrical from all 4 sides and the 4 towers on the corner actually are angled outward, so that if they were to fall from an earthquake or other reasons they would be less likely to fall on the main Taj Mahal building. There were many other design details that went into creating this masterpiece that took 22 years like the breezeways that helped naturally cool the building but it's hard to write about them all as it's a must see in person!

    Unfortunately they are currently cleaning the entire Taj Mahal one section at a time with a natural clay material, so some of our pictures included scaffolding. Definitely an iconic sight worth seeing as I've never seen anything like it before!    Okumaya devam et

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    New Delhi, India/Taco Bell

    22 Ocak 2017, Hindistan ⋅ 🌫 20 °C

    After Agra, our last stop of the Golden Triangle was New Delhi. Unfortunately we didn't get to see very much since security was escalated for Republic Day that week and our flight left the next morning.

    We made the best of it by finding one of the few Taco Bells located in India. It was quite different from the ones at home: beer, tequila, chicken fingers, and hotter fire sauce but no beef. It was marketed as more of an upscale restaurant but still satisfied our Taco Bell craving after a few weeks traveling outside the US.    Okumaya devam et

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  • MitchaRuAsia 2017MitchaRu

    Negombo

    23 Ocak 2017, Sri Lanka ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    After spending some time in India it was time to see something different so we ventured down to the "tear drop of India" also known as Sri Lanka. We arrived in Negombo fairly late in the evening so we didn't get a chance to look around but from what we could tell the town was fairly small but conveniently located to the airport.

    My mom joined us on this trip as well so we were excited for her to get to experience a MitchaRu adventure!    Okumaya devam et

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  • MitchaRuAsia 2017MitchaRu

    Sigiriya & Dambulla

    24 Ocak 2017, Sri Lanka ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    We anticipated a lot of driving in Sri Lanka because we knew it was difficult to get from place to place with the small roads and varied terrain but one thing we didn't expect was rain! Unfortunately our luck wasn't great and the days were full of heavy rain which is unusual for this time of year. However we made the best of it and didn't get too wet while sightseeing!

    Our first stop was to the massive Sigiriya Lion Rock built between the years 477-495 by the ruling King as his capital, fortress and palace. The ancient ruins now are a UNESCO world heritage site and offer amazing views from the steep climb up.

    That night we enjoyed a stay in the jungle and took cover from the elephants and other wildlife there by sleeping in a treehouse! This was a fun experience and relaxing too as we listened to the peaceful sound of the rain and nature. Mitch even took it one step further by enjoying a fish pedicure in the small pond on the property!

    The next day we got back on the road to drive through the scenic tea plantations of Sri Lanka but first made a pit stop at the Dambulla Cave Temples which are the largest set of cave temples found in the country. Prehistoric Sri Lankan remains have been found at this site dating back more than 2,700 years ago long before Buddhist monks came to create the temples as a religious complex with statues and paintings.    Okumaya devam et

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  • MitchaRuAsia 2017MitchaRu

    Nuwara Eliya

    25 Ocak 2017, Sri Lanka ⋅ 🌙 8 °C

    A drive through scenic Sri Lanka would not be complete without seeing the lush greenery of the tea plantations. Ceylon tea is famous around the world and was produced in Sri Lanka by the British who thought the hilly landscape would be ideal to grow tea. It was fun taking a tour through an operating tea factory where we learned a lot about the process and that different types of tea (black, green, etc) are all produced from the same tea plant, just different parts.

    We enjoyed the views but the windy roads and misty weather had us hanging on to our seats!    Okumaya devam et

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  • MitchaRuAsia 2017MitchaRu

    Ella

    26 Ocak 2017, Sri Lanka ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Who knew this sleepy backpacker town would be in the middle of such amazing scenery! But there was one catch; to be able to see the views you had to hike Ella's Rock. We knew it would be difficult but we underestimated how steep the climb would be! In total it took us 6 hours, which was a little longer than expected due to some shortcuts that turned out to be dead ends and light rain that made the terrain slippery. But getting lost was part of the adventure, and part of the locals' creative business venture. They were always willing to give "a" direction, however getting the "right" direction would cost you. And since all the signs and markers put in place by the government were tampered with we embraced the game and wandered through a private tea plantation and 6 foot high grass to catch a group of hikers who seemed to be on the right track.

    Once we got to the top we couldn't stop admiring the views, however we only got to enjoy the clear sky for about 15 minutes before the fog and mist started to roll through. This didn't stop us though from taking some amazing photos as we stood high above literally in the clouds!

    All in all, when we got back down we were very proud of our accomplishment and also very hungry!    Okumaya devam et

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  • MitchaRuAsia 2017MitchaRu

    Colombo

    27 Ocak 2017, Sri Lanka ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Our last stop in Sri Lanka was a quick visit to the capital Colombo. We were surprised how modern and developed the city was compared to the rest of the country. A lot of the British influence is still seen in the architecture of the buildings that remain and the monuments reflect the independence gained from them. We also took a stroll along the beach promenade which wasn't anything special but gave us a look into how the locals pass their time.

    As we prepared to say goodbye to Sri Lanka we made our way back to Negombo to be closer to the airport. We were warned by multiple people and our airlines that we needed to arrive to the airport 5 hours before our flights due to runway construction that was causing major backup. So after a short nap, we took their advice and left for the airport at 2am for our 7am flights. It wasn't that busy when we arrived but luckily we had lounge access to pass our time comfortably and reminisce about our time in this beautiful country.    Okumaya devam et

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  • MitchaRuAsia 2017MitchaRu

    Bangkok, Thailand

    29 Ocak 2017, Tayland ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Our first stop in Southeast Asia did not disappoint. The large city of Bangkok offered a nice mix of both old and new. We ended up spending an extra day or two in a very nice hotel to plan some of our trip and for Mitch to recover from a cold.

    One thing we wanted to see was a traditional Thai kickboxing match, or Muay Thai. It was a lot of fun although the tourist prices were quite a bit higher than the locals gambling in the crowd. It was interesting to see their culture at these fights with warm-up dances prior to each fight and a small band that played a rhythmic beat that the fighters would often move to. The fighters were required to be over 100lbs and 15 years old, although many seemed to barely meet this requirement. Out of the 7 fights we saw, 4 of the fighters were carried off on a stretcher!

    We also went to see some of the Buddhist temples, the 146 meter long reclining Buddha and the Grand Palace, but skipped going inside the palace due to the long lines. The King of Thailand recently passed away 3 months ago after reigning 70 years which explained the huge crowds dressed in black coming to morn him at the Palace and the huge pictures of the King decorated with flowers everywhere we looked in Bangkok.

    Lastly we got a taste of the "Hangover Part 2" with a visit to Soi Cowboy, an entertaining/frightening tuk tuk ride, and a glimpse at a few "lady boys".

    Oh and as much as we liked the city, we could do without the traffic. Our worst Uber ride was less than 9 miles which took an hour and forty minutes!    Okumaya devam et

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  • MitchaRuAsia 2017MitchaRu

    Chiang Mai, Thailand

    2 Şubat 2017, Tayland ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    We took a short flight from Bangkok to northern Thailand and really enjoyed the few days we spent there. It was somewhat touristy like many reviews warned, however there were plenty of chances to avoid the tourist scene and enjoy roaming the laid back streets throughout the town.

    Our first adventure was through a company called Something Different Tours, and it did not disappoint. This was a full day off-road motorbike tour. We were a bit skeptical of the tour at first, but once we picked up our lunch at a local market and got off the paved roads, we really had fun! It was just the two of us on a moped, with a guide in front and a guide in back. There were a few dicey spots where I thought the moped was going to break from the giant holes in the dirt path, a few times the moped couldn't make it up the steep hills in the lowest gear, and a few times Rupal hung on for her life, but it was a successful trip and a memorable one including stops at waterfalls and a hill tribe that live without electricity and cannot come to the main town because they aren't citizens of the country instead migrants from China who live their lives hunting and gathering to survive; yet some how they were very welcoming and seemed happy.

    The next day was just as memorable spent at an elephant orphanage. We learned a lot about Asian vs. African elephants and had a blast feeding them and washing them. We highly recommend this experience, especially at a place that treats the animals well. I would love to rescue an abused elephant, but unfortunately they cost $60k and eat/poop nonstop. There were a total of 3 elephants including a 2 year old baby elephant that was adorable and full of mischievous energy constantly venturing all over the complex, eating planted flowers and giving everyone a good laugh.

    We went back into town and enjoyed an hour massage, costing about $5.50 each that included some traditional Thai massage moves like walking on our backs and stretching us in some crazy wrestling-like moves. Every night there we had some amazing food as well including a few new favorite dishes we hadn't tried before in the US.

    This rounded up a few memorable days in Thailand and look forward to getting back to the islands near the end of our trip.    Okumaya devam et

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  • MitchaRuAsia 2017MitchaRu

    Luang Prabang, Laos

    5 Şubat 2017, Laos ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Luang Prabang is a small quaint town in Laos known to backpackers for years however we didn't know very much about it and wanted to check it out for ourselves.

    Laos was occupied by the French for 50 years up until 1949, which is evident in Luang Prabang through the architecture and modern day relaxed culture. While there were nice restaurants, wine bars and riverside cafes all around town, it didn't quite feel like the authentic Laos we saw traveling, more of a western resort town.

    Although it was nice to have this small town feel we wanted to see a more local side of Laos so we rented a scooter to drive around the outskirts. This is where we saw the true beauty of this country that has rolling mountains and greenery all around. We drove an hour to the Kuang Si waterfall which was even more amazing in person than the pictures we'd seen. It was fun to hike up to the top of the fall where we could walk around in the water and Mitch could show off on the tree swing before accidentally falling in to the watering hole! Thank god it was really really hot so drying off wasn't a problem.

    On the way back from the waterfall we made a few pit stops to enjoy the scenery and to even do some local people watching while taking a break at a roadside eatery where I had to take a picture with the cutest little Laos girl dressed in her traditional clothing. Once we got back to Luang Prabang we enjoyed a beautiful sunset over the river and decided it was time that we take a chance to eat some street food while in Southeast Asia. We scoped out the most popular BBQ stand and enjoyed some pork, chicken and sticky rice. And lucky to say our stomachs were just fine the next day!    Okumaya devam et

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