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  • Andreas and Whitney
  • Andreas and Whitney

World Adventure

From New Zealand to San Diego in a year. The adventure of a lifetime. En savoir plus
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  • Andreas and WhitneyWorld AdventureAndreas and Whitney
    2

    Koh Rong, Cambodia

    12 août 2017, Cambodge ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Fluffy white sand beaches, lush jungle, turquoise waters... this island has everything. As it is a less developed island, we traveled to it without a booking and walked place to place until we found suitable accommodation. I loved our daily $1 fruit breakfast plates. We spent one day lounging at the beach and swimming in the clear warm water where my goggles came in handy! Paul and Arnetia, fresh from a NZ winter, got badly sunburnt, turning a distinct tomato red all over. We spent our evening eating barbecued fish on the beach.

    On one day we decided to 'splurge' on an eight hour boat trip that cost us $10 a piece. We went to a great snorkeling spot and fished like the locals with a hand reel (although we didn't catch anything). Our boat trip took us to Long Beach where we played a soccer game with a group of locals (soccer is definitely a universal language). We then had drinks in the waste deep warm water while we watched the sun set over the ocean. Next, the boat drivers cooked us a barbecue on the boat. When it got dark we swam with the bioluminescent plankton. It looked like the stars were underwater as people swam past us. It was an amazing experience we will never forget, and definitely worth the $10.

    Sadly, this was our last tropical island for a while. Next stop, the riverside town on Kampot.    En savoir plus

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  • Andreas and WhitneyWorld AdventureAndreas and Whitney

    Kampot, Cambodia

    17 août 2017, Cambodge ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Our group loved our time in Kampot. Kampot is a small city sitting next to a large river near the southern coast of Cambodia. We ate at a number of restaurants dotted along the river front. My highlight was a place called 'The Rusty Keyhole' which legitimately boasts Cambodia's best spare ribs on their menu. Needless to say, Paul and I demolished a huge portion of these at this fine establishment (not sure what the girls ate).

    We rented scooters on two of our days in Kampot. On one of these days, we travelled on dirt roads through rural villages to a series of large caves housing a small shrine. Even in this remote area, we had to fend off village children offering to give us unnecessary tours for money. On our other scooter day, we rode into the nearby mountains to an abandoned casino. It started to rain while up in the mountains giving the entire place an eerie feel. On our way back down, Whitney and my scooter got a flat tire. Being in the middle of nowhere without a usable cellphone, we loaded Whit onto Paul and Arnetia's scooter (like the the locals do) and slowly descended for 30 minutes to a roadside mechanic who spoke no English. Luckily I'm excellent at charades. All part of the adventure I guess.

    Paul and Arnetia now fly back to New Zealand while Whit and I head to Singapore to see our soon-to-be-wed friends from New Zealand, Brook and Jess.    En savoir plus

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  • Andreas and WhitneyWorld AdventureAndreas and Whitney

    Singapore

    21 août 2017, Singapour ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    We flew back to Singapore to visit our friends Jess and Brook from New Zealand. They moved to Singapore last month after Jess was offered a job there. It was so nice being in someone's home; unlimited body wash, face creams, hair masks, and makeup. We spent our first day exploring the huge Singapore aquarium; our favorite part was seeing the giant manta rays and hammerhead sharks. It was fun seeing Andreas and Brook together because it is always a nonstop stream of political and historical debates. That night we all went out for dinner and drinks. We attempted to go to karaoke, but it cost $300 to rent a room!!!

    The next day we went on a 10km hike through a forest and across a swing bridge. Our old travel companions Alli and TJ happened to be in town so they joined us. The highlight was that after an hour of me carrying a banana on the walk, I looked up to see a monkey charging me. I tried to hide my banana in my shirt but the monkey kept coming. I tried to stuff it down Andreas' shirt but he wasn't too happy about that; this monkey was pretty aggressive. In the end we had to sacrifice the banana and run away. The monkey looked pretty pleased with himself as he munched on my banana.

    That night we went swimming at Jess and Brook's pool and headed out to see NZ vs the Aussies in a rugby game. NZ dominated.

    Our final day Andreas and Brook stayed in their underwear playing computer games while Jess and I headed to the mall to shop for jewelry for her wedding. It was so nice having a bit of normality and to hang out with our old friends.    En savoir plus

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  • Andreas and WhitneyWorld AdventureAndreas and Whitney

    Hong Kong

    28 août 2017, Hong Kong ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Our week in Hong Kong consisted of some much needed down time and wild weather! We spent time exploring various city districts and dined on the local fare with our guide Edwin (an old friend from Palmerston North). The local cuisine we sampled included chicken porridge, moon cakes (a dense sweet tart with solid egg yolk in the center), and milk-egg pudding. We also attended a Cantonese opera while in Hong Kong. Despite a slight language barrier, Whit and I both enjoyed ourselves attempting to follow a story of war, forbidden love, and deception. It's funny how even in different languages our stories are still so similar.

    Two serious typhoons struck while we were in Hong Kong. The larger of the two, Typhoon Hato, was a signal 10 storm, the maximum rating on this scale. Hato was so wild that it toppled a crane on a building adjacent to Edwin's apartment. Luckily this building was under construction so no one was injured.

    Relaxed and freshed, we now fulfill Whitney's dream of visiting Japan, where we explore Kyushu with Edwin and Tokyo! Arigato!    En savoir plus

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  • Andreas and WhitneyWorld AdventureAndreas and Whitney

    Kyushu, Japan

    2 septembre 2017, Japon ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    We made it to Japan! We rented a car with our friend Edwin and embarked on a road trip around Kyushu, Japan's southern most island. Our first day was very eventful. First, our short flight over was delayed from 3pm until 2:45am (damn you cheap airlines)! After about two hours of sleep, we arrived in Fukuoka. We checked into our hotel for a few more hours of sleep. Waking up about five minutes before our check out time and we had just enough time to throw on some clothes before there was a knock on our door. It was the hotel manager asking us in Japanese to do some sort of interview (we quickly discovered that almost no one speaks English in the south of Japan). We hesitantly consented and found ourselves ambushed by a full news crew with cameras rolling. With bags under our eyes, I think we gave an interview about our opinions on the hotel not serving dinner? It was a very confusing but funny experience.

    That out of the way, we knew Japan was going to be a good time. We spent the next few days in our rental car exploring quaint towns and villages. We enjoyed a gondola ride and an impromptu two hour hike to a temple on a mountain. It is amazing how similar to New Zealand this area of Japan is. We spent one day (Edwin's birthday!) eating our way through a beautiful mountain town and perusing the unique shops full of anime, hello kitty, and chop sticks.

    One of my favorite parts about Japan is the public bath houses. Everywhere we stayed they had these mini spas that are separated based on gender. You shower very thoroughly before you get into the giant hot pool fully naked. Proper etiquette is to not make eye contact or talk to anyone else in the pool. Once bathed, you put on your kimono and take time to relax. I'm told most Japanese people do this twice a day.

    We also spent a day exploring an active volcano, Mt. Aso. We had fun walking through the tall grass, watching the horses play, and taking in Japan's natural beauty.    En savoir plus

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  • Andreas and WhitneyWorld AdventureAndreas and Whitney

    Fukuoka, Japan

    5 septembre 2017, Japon ⋅ ⛅ 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.En savoir plus

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  • Andreas and WhitneyWorld AdventureAndreas and Whitney

    Tokyo, Japan

    10 septembre 2017, Japon ⋅ ⛅ 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.    En savoir plus

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  • Andreas and WhitneyWorld AdventureAndreas and Whitney

    Chiang Mai, Thailand

    14 septembre 2017, Thaïlande ⋅ ☀️ 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.    En savoir plus

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    Pai, Thailand

    17 septembre 2017, Thaïlande ⋅ ⛅ 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.    En savoir plus

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    Chiang Rai, Thailand

    18 septembre 2017, Thaïlande ⋅ ☁️ 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!En savoir plus

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  • Andreas and WhitneyWorld AdventureAndreas and Whitney

    The Gibbon Experience, Laos

    20 septembre 2017, 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).    En savoir plus

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    2

    Luang Prabang, Laos

    24 septembre 2017, 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!    En savoir plus

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  • Andreas and WhitneyWorld AdventureAndreas and Whitney
    1

    Vang Vieng, Laos

    29 septembre 2017, 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.En savoir plus

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    Vientiane, Laos

    30 septembre 2017, 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!En savoir plus

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    Hanoi, Vietnam

    2 octobre 2017, 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.    En savoir plus

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    1

    Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

    6 octobre 2017, Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    We spent two day exploring the famous limestone rocks of Ha Long Bay. Our boat navigated through what seemed like endless miniature islands jutting out of the ocean. We motored past floating fishing villages where we learned that the villagers only went to shore to sell their fish. Most of the children never go to school and instead learn their parents' trade. This didn't stop some of them from having satellite TV.

    At one point our boat stopped and we all jumped off the top into the warm water and swam to a small beach. We loaded back onto the boat and made our way to our destination. Our tour group had a private bay with rooms on stilts over the water. We spent our time relaxing, playing volleyball, and swimming. However, when we got out of the water we had oil all over our bodies... gross! The last day we woke up and went for a pre-breakfast swim, then the group went kayaking around the giant cliffs. Soon after leaving, a torrential downpour started. It reminded me of the scene from Forest Gump where he said, "Sometimes it felt like it was raining up..." The beauty of those cliffs is something we will never forget.    En savoir plus

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    Hoi An, Vietnam

    8 octobre 2017, Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Whitney and I loved our time in Hoi An, a UNESCO world heritage site. We spent our days here exploring the city by bicycle, enjoying 30cent beer while overlooking a lantern filled river, and gorging ourselves on delicious $1 bahn mi and mango cakes.

    For a change one day, we rented a scooter and did a day trip to the neighbouring city of Da Nang where U.S. soldiers would unwind and surf during the war. From here we drove up the Hai Van pass and admired the beautiful coastal views from atop the mountains.    En savoir plus

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    Ninhvana Resort, Vietnam

    10 octobre 2017, Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 36 °C

    After five months of budget traveling and questionable accommodation, Andreas and I decided that it was time to splurge on a bit of luxury. A fellow traveler told us about an all-inclusive 'backpacker resort' outside the beachside town of Nha Trang and we were sold! For $70 (NZD) per person we were driven to the gorgeous compound in the middle of nowhere (1.5 hours from the nearest city). We received a daily spa treatment, access to stand up paddle boards, kayaks, morning and evening yoga sessions, a 'soccer game with the locals,' volleyball, jungle trekking, a bike tour of the local village, unlimited alcohol, fresh squeezed juice and smoothies, and so much delicious food! The only catch is you stay in bunk beds because it is technically a hostel.

    We had such a great time relaxing and making new friends. It was also great to see that the resort hired and trained their staff from the local village. Normally their only job prospects would be either a fisherman, farmer, or shop owner. It was fun biking around the village and being swamped by children who rarely see white people (the resort only recently opened). They enthusiastically said "HELLLOOOO, MY NAME IS!" (the only English they knew) and shook our hands. Some of the children even followed us on bikes for our whole bike tour showing off their bike riding skills.

    Our time at the resort was a great escape from our usual way of travelling. Now it's time to get back to our budgeting.    En savoir plus

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    Da Lat, Vietnam

    13 octobre 2017, Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Whit and I and our Canadian friends from the Ninhvana resort (Andrea and Shuana), decided that our next stop would be the city of Da Lat in the Vietnamese hills. Spending only one night in Da Lat, we decided to rent scooters and explore the surrounding area. We visited a coffee plantation and toured a silk production factory. We found the process of cultivating silkworms, unstringing the silk from their chrysalis', using an ancient wooden loom to weave the silk into a pattern, and the dying of the fabric fascinating. We also visited a nearby waterfall but were disappointed by the hordes of garbage going over the falls and pooling at the bottom despite paying a 'conservation' entry fee.En savoir plus

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    Ho Chi Mihn, Vietnam

    16 octobre 2017, Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    Our main event in Ho Chi Mihn city was visiting the Vietnam War Remnants museum. It was a very sobering experience seeing the atrocities committed against the Vietnamese people. It was surprising to see Americans portrayed as the villain with pictures to back it up. There are fourth generation children still being deformed by Agent Orange. After the saddening experience of the museum, we cheered ourselves up with a flight of craft beers! Also, check out our passports, they are filling with stamps!

    This was our last stop in Southeast Asia, next stop Nepal.    En savoir plus

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    Kathmandu, Nepal

    19 octobre 2017, Népal ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    We flew into Kathmandu the night before Whitney's birthday. We spent her birthday acquainting ourselves with the dusty city and prepping for our upcoming 14 day trek through the Himalayan mountains. We drank Everest beer and dined on momos (Nepalese dumplings), a rangi changi (colourful) salad, as well as a chocolate soufflé. For a birthday present, Whitney treated herself to a new pair of Solomon hiking boots and we rented a backpack, sleeping bag, superwarm puffer jackets, beanies, hiking socks, and hiking poles. Decked out with our new kit, we are itching to get into the mountains. Here we go!

    P.S. we are giants here.. at least a head taller than everyone.    En savoir plus

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    Base Camp 4130m

    Annapurna Base Camp, Nepal

    29 octobre 2017, Népal

    Andreas and I have returned from ten days of trekking through the breathtaking landscapes of the Himalayas. We decided to trek without a guide or porters to save the $30+ a day.

    The first day of our trek was the Hindu festival of Diwali. People were dancing and playing music in all of the towns we passed. They even blessed us with a tika (red dot on our foreheads). One group of clever children (encouraged by nearby adults) formed a human chain across the entire path and physically wrapped themselves around trekkers, not letting them go until they got money. We avoided them by running up the side of a hill.

    Our trek took us through beautiful mountain villages with some of the most breathtaking views imaginable. The accommodation was much nicer than expected and cheap too! Private rooms with big blankets, great views, and (most times) HOT showers. The trek was hard with a lot of steep ups and downs but nothing we couldn't handle.

    We were continually amazed by the porters who carried around 100kgs (220lbs) attached by a small strip of fabric on their foreheads.

    It was great to ascend to Annapurna Base Camp at 4130m (13,550ft)! We both felt the altitude and lack of oxygen, however neither of us got altitude sickness. It was fun to see a Nepalese movie being filmed at the base camp. It was freezing at the top, yet watching the sunrise over the mountains was an experience neither of us will forget.    En savoir plus

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    Chitwan National Park, Nepal

    5 novembre 2017, Népal

    Whit and I did a two day jungle safari trek in the Chitwan National Park. The park is teeming with wildlife and almost entirely surrounded by a meandering river sprinkled with large crocodiles on its banks. Our safari group was just Whit and I and two local guides wielding stout bamboo staffs as our sole protection against whatever nature threw at us.

    We entered the park by a lazy hour long canoe ride down the river. During our two day trek we encountered herds of deer, wild boar, elephants from afar, and several rhino (both in groups and alone). We found fresh tiger sign (poop and footprints) and followed this into 5m tall elephant grass hoping for a chance encounter (apparently this is what safari trekkers desire?!). Unfortunately (or maybe fortuitously?), we didn't encounter a tiger but it was surreal and terrifying to hear animals all around you without being able to see or anticipate them. On the second day of our trek, we came across a huge lone male rhino about 20m away from us with nothing but trees between. Our guides quickly spread out, closed the gap (with us in toe), and proceeded to get the rhino's attention. At one point, the rhino started making moves toward us (seriously) and our guides whacked their bamboo sticks on the ground multiple times to scare him off. We followed this magnificent animal for about 15 minutes before, much to Whit's and my relief, going our separate ways.

    We stayed one night in a small village on the opposite side of the park and spent part of the evening listening to the sounds of the jungle and attempting to see animals cross the river by moonlight. Evidently some had crossed without us noticing because at one point there were hundreds of deer grazing in a paddock 50m from our vantage point. The next morning we toured the village bustling with activity. The trek was an amazing, terrifying, and exhilarating experience we recommend everyone does.    En savoir plus

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    Delhi, India

    9 novembre 2017, Inde ⋅ 🌫 27 °C

    The night before we flew to Delhi, we saw a BBC news article titled: "Delhi Panics as 'Deadly Smog' Returns." With everything already booked, we figured experiencing the most polluted place on earth at its worst is all part of the adventure. Upon arrival, it looked as if we had entered a post-apocalyptic world. However, Andreas and I were buzzing because we made it to India! Andreas' dream destination and in our minds, the pinnacle of our trip.

    With our double face masks firmly in place, we experienced a vibrant, exciting, crowded, and sensory-overloaded city. One interesting thing to note is that women have special treatment here. Separate lines for security, special seats on the train, and as one local pointed out to us, women are allowed to go to the front of lines. This proved useful when I cut about 40 men in line to buy metro tickets.

    Despite the thick smog, we decided to go on a free city tour. We went to a beautiful Sikh temple and spent time listening to the hypnotic live music. In all Sikh temples, anyone can eat and stay for free. It is only encouraged that you help out preparing the food (however they never directly ask for donations or volunteering). The whole thing was quite the production. They were cooking the curry in swimming pool-sized pots. We helped by making roti bread with local families. We were then served a delicious all you can eat dinner with vegetable curry and roti. You can even takeaway as much food as you and your family need, no questions asked. The temple we visited feeds about 7,000 people a day for free. However, one temple in India feeds 70,000-100,000+ people a day for free! Somehow, these amazing communities make it work.

    We are happy to leave the thick smog as we head to Agra to see the Taj Mahal.    En savoir plus

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