World Adventure

May 2017 - June 2024
From New Zealand to San Diego in a year. The adventure of a lifetime. Read more
Currently traveling
  • 111footprints
  • 28countries
  • 2,596days
  • 690photos
  • 3videos
  • 73.7kkilometers
  • 54.1kkilometers
  • Day 115

    Fukuoka, Japan

    September 5, 2017 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    We headed back to Fukuoka and turned in our rental car. We were lucky enough to have Edwin's friends act as local tour guides while visiting this city. They took us to an island 20 minutes off the coast of Fukuoka and we explored its stunning flower fields and historical village. Another day we visited an old temple town and attempted to play some traditional music in the Kyushu national museum.Read more

  • Day 120

    Tokyo, Japan

    September 10, 2017 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    We could not travel to Japan without visiting Tokyo! We spent five days exploring its various city districts including the Shibuya crossing, Shinjuku red light district, and sumo centre of Ryogoku. At Whitney's firm encouragement, we dined on candy salad at the 'Monster Cafe' while watching the Japanese hostesses dressed in anime dance to strange techno music; only in Japan! On one evening, I managed to convince several new friends from our hostel to attend an all-night, all-you-can-drink, karaoke evening. It was everything I dreamed it would be.

    Our next stop is Chiang Mai in northern Thailand continuing the South East Asian leg of adventure.
    Read more

  • Day 124

    Chiang Mai, Thailand

    September 14, 2017 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Cooking class, elephants, and lady boys! We spent one day in Chiang Mai in the country at an organic farm for a cooking class. After a visit to a local market, we had all the supplies we needed. Our cheery instructor led us through a day of cooking and eating. Andreas and I made curry paste, Pad Thai, basil chicken, green and red curry, and a coconut banana desert. It was fun to learn about the different foods of Thailand that we have been eating. They gave us a recipe book so hopefully we can recreate some of these dishes for you.

    Our second day we woke up early to go to the Dumbo Elephant Spa (we did our research and it is an ethical elephant sanctuary). They had six elephants including a 500kg 'baby'. We spent the day feeding them bananas and sugarcane, getting hugs and wet kisses, giving them mud baths, and washing them off in a nearby river. The elephants absolutely loved playing and rolling around in the water. This was a day Andreas and I will never forget.

    That night we went out to a cabaret show. We knew nothing about the show before hand. When we got there we realized it was all ladyboys! These were no ordinary ladyboys, they were drop dead gorgeous, complete with breast implants, dance moves, and great costumes. It was a fun evening of singing and dancing.
    Read more

  • Day 127

    Pai, Thailand

    September 17, 2017 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    After a three hour bus trip through the mountains we arrived at the hippy wonderland of Pai. Whitney was over the moon with the organic vege-based cuisine served all over the place here. Her favourite was a vegan Buddha bowl, full of fresh greens hand picked from a farm surrounding the restaurant (a big contrast to the meat and rice dishes of Japan).

    Our activities included hiking up and down the narrow tracks of Pai canyon and cooling off afterwards in a jungle waterfall. Another traveller lost their Go-Pro while swimming in the waterfall and I dived under to help him find it. After pulling something from the murky depths, I surfaced to discover that it was a waterproof camera lost by a different tourist in July this year (it turned on and still worked!). I then headed back underwater and also found the lost Go-Pro. While it would be nice to own a rigorously tested waterproof camera, Whit and I are hoping to get it back to its rightful owner if possible.
    Read more

  • Day 128

    Chiang Rai, Thailand

    September 18, 2017 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Waiting out rainstorms in makeshift bus stops, visiting the unique white temple, eating delicious Italian meals, and relaxing in our hotel room. Although we are currently traveling in the rainy season, Andreas and I don't mind it. The rain brings a welcome break to the heat and the thunder and lightning provide great entertainment. This was our last stop in Thailand. Next we take a bus east to Laos!Read more

  • Day 130

    The Gibbon Experience, Laos

    September 20, 2017 in Laos ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Does zip lining through the jungle and sleeping overnight in a tree house sound like fun? If so, welcome to Laos and the Gibbon Experience! Whitney was told to do this adventure by a family friend and we are so happy we splurged and decided to do it.

    We initially walked for two hours in the lush bush before zip lining eight times to our jungle tree house. The tree house was an immense three story structure 20m off the ground which you can only access by zip line. There is an open air shower with a fantastic view inside the tree house and your meals are zip lined to you (there is a tiny kitchen 10 minutes walk from the tree house).
    Read more

  • Day 134

    Luang Prabang, Laos

    September 24, 2017 in Laos ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    French cafes, candle lit exotic gardens, a lazy pool day, and menthol blue waterfalls... yes please!

    We traveled to Luang Prabang with people we met during The Gibbon Experience. We spent two days traveling there on a slow boat down the Mekong river and it was fantastic seeing little river villages along the way. It was fun seeing the children wave to us as we went past. We had a bit of a hiccup the first day when our boat hit something in the river. Suddenly the captain started running down the length of the boat with a terrified look on his face taking his clothes off. With absolutely no communication from the captain or other staff, we thought we were sinking (I even packed up my stuff to prepare to jump in). After about an hour of yelling, running around, bailing out water, and failed attempts of assistance from nearby boats, we deduced that the propeller had fallen off the boat. Luckily some of the passengers rose to the occasion, jumped in the very polluted Mekong and helped the captain attach a new drive shaft and propeller. Without a word, the captain put on his clothes and away we went. Only in Southeast Asia...

    Once we arrived in Luang Prabang, we enjoyed sampling the multitude of French cafes and walking around the city. We spent one day at the gorgeous Kuang Se Waterfall. It is a giant series of waterfalls with menthol-blue water and khaki colored mud. Being at the waterfall was one of the moments on our trip where both Andreas and I felt the beauty of it was surreal. We spent our final day relaxing by a pool.

    Next we head south to Vang Vieng for river tubing!
    Read more

  • Day 139

    Vang Vieng, Laos

    September 29, 2017 in Laos

    Vang Vieng is a beautiful little town nestled next to a picturesque mountain range. Famous for its tubing, our group spent one epic day floating down the river in an innertube, stopping at various bars along the way. It was very scenic as we floated into the sunset. Most bars and hostels serve free alcohol during happy hour, so our day of tubing continued briefly (we were so tired) into the night. Whit did a few yoga sessions at a nearby resort and because of this we were able to use/sneak into the resort's infinity pool for a much needed chill day.Read more

  • Day 140

    Vientiane, Laos

    September 30, 2017 in Laos ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Andreas is 28! We spent his birthday relaxing in the capital city of Vientiane. Because everyday is like a birthday getaway on our travels, we decided to do no-gift birthdays. We instead have to plan a day of fun for the other. Because we were feeling pretty tired from our last few adventures, Andreas' birthday was spent eating, relaxing, and gaming. We had croissants for breakfast (a Marwick family birthday staple), Indian food for lunch, and a fancy steak house for dinner. Andreas discussed how 27 was a huge year of achievement for him; finishing his thesis, becoming a doctor, and heading off on his life-long dream of traveling. I can't wait to see what 28 has in store for Andreas. Happy birthday!Read more

  • Day 142

    Hanoi, Vietnam

    October 2, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    We made it to Vietnam! The thin and chaotic streets of Hanoi were so fun to explore. We did a walking tour of the city's old quarter. We went to a cafe down a thin lane deep inside a building complex. Here we had a traditional Hanoi coffee made of egg white and condensed milk, whipped to a marshmallow consistency, and dolloped over an espresso shot. We loved it!

    One afternoon we got drenched in a torrential downpour however it made for excellent photo opportunities.

    The food in Hanoi/Vietnam is sooooo good that we can't stop eating! Pho, bahn mi, and bun cha are some of the delicious dishes we have eaten so far. We are excited to continue our food adventure as we travel to the south of Vietnam.
    Read more