Asia Video Series Part 4

Check out part 4 of our video series as we finish our time in Cambodia, and visit Thailand and Malaysia.  Cities include Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, Bangkok, Phuket, Penang, and Kuala Lumpur.

Ode to Johanna

On our 1 year wedding anniversary, I wanted to take a look back at my wonderful wife Johanna.

Roswell, NM - # 1 in Alien Abductions

After our visit to the Carlsbad Caverns, we made a quick stop to check out some aliens in Roswell, New Mexico.

Asia Video Series Part 3

Check out part 3 of our video series as we visit the legendary temples of Angkor in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Carlsbad Caverns

After stopping in Mesa Verde, we ventured on into New Mexico.  Numerous hours later, we finally arrived at the legendary Carlsbad Caverns.

Asia Video Part 2

Part 2 of our video series from South East Asia.  In this video, we finish out our time in Vietnam with Hanoi and Halong Bay.  Then we move on to Laos, with stops in Vientiane, Buddha Park, Pakse, Don Det, and our amazing motobike trip on "The Loop" from Thakhek to Konglor Cave, and Lak Sao.

Mesa Verde

After arriving back in the US, we rested for a week, then decided to hit the road again and drive across the country.  First stop, Mesa Verde National Park.

Asia Video Series: Part 1

Check out part 1 of our video series from our travels in Asia.  This video is all about Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh (Saigon), Mui Ne, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hue, and Hanoi.

Observations about travel in Asia

Some of the things we've noticed that are different...

Mathematical!

Over the past three months in Southeast Asia, we've kept track of our costs for each country, as well as the number of times we rode trains, buses, etc.

Kuala Lumpur - Part 2

More fun in KL! Now with extra rain!

Kuala Lumpur - Part 1

We spend a lot of time exploring Kuala Lumpur.

Penang, Malaysia - Toys and Forts and even Toy Forts

We find a surprising amount of history combined with modern sensibility in Malaysia...

Phuket and Hat Yai - Rainy season begins

After leaving Bangkok, we headed to Phuket, where we were greeted by monsoon weather.

Bangkok

Welcome to Bangkok

Sihanoukville, Cambodia - Beach bums, old weirdos, and motorcycles

Sokha Beach

We head to the beach for some much needed relaxing in the sun.

Phnom Penh - The most depressing post ever

We visit the killing fields and other atrocities of the Khmer Rouge.

Siem Reap, Cambodia and the temples of Angkor

We explore the largest temple complex in the world.

Wat Phu, Pakse, and Don Det - Ancient ruins and tubing the Mekong in Laos

Moto Trip Laos: Wild Hogs 2 - Caves, Mud Pits, and the open road in Thakhek

We formed a motobike gang to conquer "the loop".

Vientiane, Laos - Buddhas and Wats

Damn that's big

Our bus ride to Vientiane was supposed to take 18 hours.  It took 23.

Halong Bay and exotic street food - Hanoi, Vietnam Part 2

 

A four hour bus ride from Hanoi brought us to the legendary Halong Bay.

Formaldehyde and Water Puppets - Hanoi, Vietnam Part 1

After a bus ride that took far longer than advertised, we made it to Hanoi.

Getting Historical in Hoi An/Hue, Vietnam

After an overnight bus ride that included dehyration, a fainting spell, and a skinned knee (perilous journey!); we finally made it to Hoi An.

Nha Trang, Vietnam - "Don't be lazy, be crazy"

Ponagar Cham Towers

Our next stop on the trip is Nha Trang, a city that feels like a mix of Saigon and Mui Ne.

Fun in the Sun in Mui Ne, Vietnam

Sleeper bus to Mui Ne

 We left at about 7:30 am to meet our sleeper bus, which would take us on a five hour drive to Mui Ne, on the South-Eastern coast of Vietnam.

Arrival In Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

On top of the Reunification Palace in Ho Chi Minh City.  Yes those are clip-on sunglasses.  Deal with it.

We made it to Vietnam.  Finally...

Almost there...

In our last week here we've been trying to tie up all our loose ends, and see as many friends as we can before we leave.  We moved out of our house and stored or donated all of our possessions.  We also did as many "American" activities as we could, including going to a baseball game, and eating tons of American food like burgers, BBQ, and our favorite, Blackjack Pizza.

Geekery ensues

We’re only two weeks from flying out and I can hardly contain my excitement. We’ve given our resignation letters to our employers, contacted our credit card companies, and we’ve moved almost everything out of our apartment. So close! The only thing that helps with the waiting are the cool things we get to do on the weekend. For example: this weekend we went to Starfest 2012, which was pretty much the geekiest thing to do in Denver. Our good friend Lauren came out from Austin with her new boyfriend Stephen and we had an awesome time walking around in spandex and taking tons of photos.  Check out some below:

Lauren and Stephen suiting up

The science of packing

We're now less than a month from leaving.  Over the course of the last several months, I've managed to pack what I hope is everything necessary for this trip.  I'm sure there's something I forgot, but I plan to return to this post either during the trip or at the end, and evaluate what was useful and what was a waste, hopefully as a resource for others who wish to take a similar journey.  I'm taking two bags on this trip, the main one being a DaKine Heli Pro pack that I've owned for years, and has held up well through numerous backcountry ski trips, including some small slides, and tumbling off cliffs.  The other pack I'm taking is a small sling bag I picked up from an army surplus store, perfect for day trips when I don't want to carry my large bag.  I pulled everything out of my packs to give an idea of how much can fit in them.

This month is going to go really slow.

It’s almost here.  Every day that thought echoes even louder through my subconscious.  The day we get on a plane and leave the country for unknown adventures.  There have been many days when it seemed like it would never get here, but now with a month left, I find myself constantly remembering some small detail that I either forgot or suddenly decided was vitally important to take care of before it’s too late.  Inevitably, there will be some things that I will forget.  Whatever they are, once we’re out there I doubt they will seem to matter as much. 

When we got engaged in June 2011, we laid out a simple plan that we would get married in December, and within a year, quit our jobs and travel.  At the time some people questioned our sanity, while most questioned our resolve to see it through.  We had good jobs and lived downtown in a great city, why would we give that up?  We had no real answer beyond the belief that there has to be more to life than earning money and getting saddled with car and house payments. 

While we initially focused on budgeting for our pending nuptials (which we managed to pay for completely on our own), there was always the concern in the back of our minds about saving enough money to make this trip work.  In the fall we began selling off our possessions: the extra car, the motorcycle, almost all of our recreational equipment such as skis, etc.  To save on gas, we rarely drove anywhere unless it was absolutely necessary (and still do; its good practice for our upcoming travels).