tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38845760034370954132024-02-19T17:01:11.207-08:00Broke TravelersTravel around the world with or without kids for less than $15 a dayWorld Traveling Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04458393221408512915noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884576003437095413.post-23304730560911743312020-09-10T04:40:00.008-07:002020-09-10T04:42:38.161-07:00The Ugly Face of Tourism<p> A Journal Entry written while traveling in Peru </p><p> <span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-size: 14px;">(Ollantaytambo, Peru)</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px;">It's so sad looking around me... the little old lady with her sidewalk stand selling little cheese sandwiches, mate, coffee, etc honestly for one sole. Smiling at passerby's. All around are numerous restaurants catering to tourists, large signs written in English, "American Breakfast". These restaurants selling the same little cheese sandwiches and coffee, yet on nicer plates and fancier chairs, for ten times the price. And the mindless tourists looking for the comfort of home. Those tourists who travel for the sites yet never look at the culture and beauty that lies right around those sites. Those who balk at the "uncleanliness" of local food. At the little lady that washes our coffee cups with her little bucket of hot water on the side of her little sidewalk stand instead of in a large commercial mass produced dishwasher. The tourists keep flocking in like sheep to their massive tourists restaurants eating and drinking for ten times the price, throwing their crisp bills at these money hungry tourist restaurants, surrounded by other gringos and closing their eyes to all that surrounds their closed little perfect world within mass tourism. All the while the little old lady catering kindly, honestly, and patiently to anyone that wants to stop and share a story or two or listen to a few tales while eating their cheese sandwiches and drinking hot coffee. Locals and tourists alike, treating all the same, complaining about the cold, scolding us like a sweet grandmother for not finishing the last drop of our "pachi" (hot mashed bean drink) because the last part has all the vitamins... honestly and kindly with her worn and torn shoes, constantly with a honest, sweet smile on her face.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px;">Please share similar experiences below! </p>World Traveling Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04458393221408512915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884576003437095413.post-91400975475075453672020-09-01T04:34:00.000-07:002020-09-01T04:34:07.249-07:00Why you should travel with a baby<p>We have now taken Leila our 20-month-old to 11 countries
traveling with us. She has been on 28 planes, couchsurfed, hitchhiked,
countless trains, buses, taxis and motorcycles, played with children in
villages, been passed around during traditional ceremonies, celebrated Ramadan,
blessed by a Hindi holy man, and much more. She will not remember it so why
take her?</p><p class="Standard"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard"><o:p> </o:p>Before we had a child, everyone said, “just wait, once you
have a baby you won’t be able to continue traveling like you do”, “kids are
expensive”, “kids are difficult”. So other than just wanting to show people that
yes, it is possible and yes you can enjoy it we also want to continue
experiencing the world its sites, nature and people so why wouldn’t we bring
her with us?</p><p class="Standard"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="Standard">Here are just a few reasons to travel with a baby:</p>
<p class="Standard">1) It does not cost more. Under 2s are almost always free.
They do not cost that much extra especially if they are breast feeding.
Transportation they are usually free or way cheaper, they do not have to pay
entry fees or need an extra hotel bed and they really do not eat much,<o:p></o:p></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDksxa7jcwYRsPUOdT3Y8lsT-G_c42wLQjxW77JLi_3-cfkkVIAeH2f4xE5CS8dZPEMGOGUi8ITcfy20QmkGwfwDwIDF6_daxwY1A4_laTZ8-bz3BteU0uN1dtcO0hsJhXtzoUp8pYes/s960/baby+travel+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDksxa7jcwYRsPUOdT3Y8lsT-G_c42wLQjxW77JLi_3-cfkkVIAeH2f4xE5CS8dZPEMGOGUi8ITcfy20QmkGwfwDwIDF6_daxwY1A4_laTZ8-bz3BteU0uN1dtcO0hsJhXtzoUp8pYes/s640/baby+travel+2.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">International plane rides are almost free just pay taxes and fees and usually people will accommodate you to have an entire row! <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="Standard"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="Standard">2) You are less likely to get ripped off. People love babies
and toddlers and are more likely to help, give up their seat, etc. and very rarely
going to charge you more.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="Standard">3) You will make friends with locals. When you have a baby,
people are curious. They want to say, “hi”. Having a child with you removes a
barrier and automatically gives people a reason to come chat. If kids are
around your child will automatically be drawn to them thus throwing you in with
the locals. If you, like us, want to travel to understand the culture and life
of locals this makes it so much easier.<o:p></o:p></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAU6uM-Db57ti12Co43S4n5NaaKltWtQpjzSOkcm0pk3JBC-a0PV5ufzRJ9vG8SUXjFU3pz-zHPNBeZ9id7mGadr2LfoBrhhqQNBJW1dcJQvH0todB5LPe0LQiVf9PdwN8oR1-VKZ3hI/s640/baby+tra+vel+3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not only are babies free in transportation but you get lots of free babysitters (aka locals super excited to play with the baby)</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="Standard"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="Standard">4) You will see things differently. You do things you would
not normally do- stop at playgrounds, stop so a local can tickle your baby,
stop at zoos. You see things through their eyes and your joy also comes from
seeing their joy.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard"><o:p> </o:p><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SUjo6m3V8yevu9AVCVf1be9zyLJDFnKruNkRMrtXQoOio7eRAQgBcE9PHQb9ZRKqlzCt99YWdPK5x77ubgoEbp7oL-mE32zfTM31xTc9udMJxS2fBR6rBZF6XLx-xsIIjtDp8rn4ik8/s640/Baby+travel+1.jpg" width="640" /></p>
<p class="Standard">5) You will take it slow. With a baby you slow down, look at
the little cat or flower, stop for naps, etc. You will also get more time to
enjoy your little one.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="Standard">If you want to travel with you kid(s) do not let the
naysayers convince you otherwise. It is possible and it is worth it!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Only negative part of traveling with a baby: It's harder to take pictures and hold a baby" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8IO_0UoeE0ORrU7yNaky8RM93q-bJYEQDrXPI90RzHzUMAMiwzVb8CA8XKAa8p1sf365qXB7svON1Lwp2Z0JP6qgi9ucM568q636-4LQy-gUoSsrrVlNXcXi1RwBXo4UuVci_dQjPrU/w640-h480/baby+travel+4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only negative part of traveling with a baby: It's more difficult to take pictures while holding a baby<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="Standard"><o:p> </o:p></p>World Traveling Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04458393221408512915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884576003437095413.post-3627228063317070012020-08-24T10:11:00.004-07:002020-09-01T04:06:16.536-07:00Somoto, Nicaragua (With a baby)<div class="separator"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjarl0SrOpFjuGE4eQVnJZI5IL9M5jEBfmrd1NhNQDrGQaw7x1IGzexRSgkIGlIvxRigjA13uXsjLGPUCjgPZdcQibnDFacFuFmU5tjopP3jscdbE6qWBcau8XEvEMsQNVettQTWTi4348/s206/Pic+Somoto+7.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjarl0SrOpFjuGE4eQVnJZI5IL9M5jEBfmrd1NhNQDrGQaw7x1IGzexRSgkIGlIvxRigjA13uXsjLGPUCjgPZdcQibnDFacFuFmU5tjopP3jscdbE6qWBcau8XEvEMsQNVettQTWTi4348/s0/Pic+Somoto+7.jpg" /></a></div><p class="Standard">We had not planned to stop here at all but after hating
Esteli plus all the hotels being full we had to find some place not too far
away. At the end we were super glad that the misfortune of Esteli gave us the
fortune that was Somoto.</p>
<p class="Standard">Somoto is most famous for the nearby Somoto Canyon which was
discovered I believe by Czech and Nicaraguan scientists and has only recently
become a visited sight. We originally decided not to come here thinking it
would be heard to reach, expensive and not possible to visit with a baby, but
boy were we wrong. Not only did it take less than 1.5 hours to arrive from
Esteli but we were able to visit the canyon with a baby too!</p><p class="Standard"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAtE1XpnOmJnMBcIYHg7Ih6CRyG9HbdjU5tn2ZGiYeTbwl_Y5PHkJa8O_OISpzueIScB43ejUhQ0h7gzf8R6mDfRIOo6pVwc2vR40xlIXXQAViq1LZN0ThKXAs9wI0y6AHgChbBcKXTrk/s255/Pic+Somoto+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="214" data-original-width="255" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAtE1XpnOmJnMBcIYHg7Ih6CRyG9HbdjU5tn2ZGiYeTbwl_Y5PHkJa8O_OISpzueIScB43ejUhQ0h7gzf8R6mDfRIOo6pVwc2vR40xlIXXQAViq1LZN0ThKXAs9wI0y6AHgChbBcKXTrk/w204-h171/Pic+Somoto+1.jpg" width="204" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhpXIUEvLMaqbUtjQoLlgxI5wPbiqH3JQttYIeqJ5REMN4yet3rF-CihBFaFDTRKDo1c7JWci3vrWp-iFRAb52ojOMHu0G5UWLc_eZqqt1ZoL7X4VYVRWHBQhSnmnAKd2MvopC34hOtFE/s206/PIc+Somoto+8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhpXIUEvLMaqbUtjQoLlgxI5wPbiqH3JQttYIeqJ5REMN4yet3rF-CihBFaFDTRKDo1c7JWci3vrWp-iFRAb52ojOMHu0G5UWLc_eZqqt1ZoL7X4VYVRWHBQhSnmnAKd2MvopC34hOtFE/s0/PIc+Somoto+8.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDX7KvM-Cd8FP7PYa3ca7pwtb_fuY8voxaTjdL5NrSiVpfMMUiz5MeXZPg-FtLrD5EBkC3MDqtZJWaQi37wsL78g-0qa-Qv1MtCEa1yXNcPDL_bQnu6euvQnfDHCWG7OnsGcIuTx9E8o/s960/Pic+Somoto+2.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDX7KvM-Cd8FP7PYa3ca7pwtb_fuY8voxaTjdL5NrSiVpfMMUiz5MeXZPg-FtLrD5EBkC3MDqtZJWaQi37wsL78g-0qa-Qv1MtCEa1yXNcPDL_bQnu6euvQnfDHCWG7OnsGcIuTx9E8o/w158-h210/Pic+Somoto+2.jpg" width="158" /></a></p><p class="Standard"><br /></p>
<p class="Standard">We loved Somoto from the moment we arrived. It was small,
cute, and friendly. Plus, we only saw a handful of other tourists the whole
time. There was a small local place that was always packed that made specialty. </p><p></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="206" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLMIQh31phRmmhDWy6tJ91KUgaouXtypY6kvZTEHC8iUtFUzhE4tyBvQu3VyCNgxAQEmmI3kEWD5fZwLSeMFkM0nrn4Gvhyphenhypheneo9_n6XWD5YZ8H-bBg3K5WhlF02hdITO7-XRLwZtOCV04/w200-h200/Pic+Somot+9.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Beer on the balcony" width="200" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beer on the balcony<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="Standard">Where to stay: We literally checked out EVERY hotel in town
(to husband's chagrin, and wife's usual on a mission to find the cheapest and
the best). As often happens we settled on the first hotel we visited (after
visiting 20 more haha and returning to the first). Take a left out of the bus
station and it is directly on the left. It was 400 cordobas per night that we
negotiated down to 700 cordobas for two nights in a country extra hard and not
so the norm to negotiate this made bargainer wife happy and merited a short eye
roll from annoyed after walking 10 km to find a hotel only to return to the
original one husband. In Nicaragua we learned most hotels would rather lose $15
per night instead of $2 by a simple negotiation. Anyway, the room we ended up
with was HUGE with a private bathroom and even a nice sitting are on the second
floor. It was brand new.</p><br />
<p class="Standard">We did some early research on this <a href="http://somotocanyontours.blogspot.com/p/tours.html" target="_blank">website</a><span color="" style="color: windowtext; text-decoration-line: none;"> </span>and found out that the easy tour with a 6 km walk would be
possible for us. When we did the tour not only was it beautiful, not only was
it only a 6 km walk which is better with the baby but our guide used blow up
rafts that are provided and literally pulled us through the water and we just
walked the difficult parts so that we were actually floating through the
canyon. I think it was $30 or $40 for the two of us but it was definitely,
definitely worth it, amazing and awesome to do for kids or with babies! Leila
loved it too.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfy_2SAR8d7lO0DtmlCpQVgLtmpdca6gsMyQO8JzBuXGD8HN_F5u6JoXPV2MdEN_UDKgeffLO4XaHNoOStwaGfgDnAz1AA_kwVsmLhXhbZ0TLWfMIvd1g43vOqFnA6geqcYZhuyTN450/s206/Pic+Somoto+4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfy_2SAR8d7lO0DtmlCpQVgLtmpdca6gsMyQO8JzBuXGD8HN_F5u6JoXPV2MdEN_UDKgeffLO4XaHNoOStwaGfgDnAz1AA_kwVsmLhXhbZ0TLWfMIvd1g43vOqFnA6geqcYZhuyTN450/s0/Pic+Somoto+4.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<p class="Standard"><o:p></o:p></p><p>Verdict: Don't miss Somoto and bring the little ones there. Read about Nicaragua with kids <a href="http://www.broketravelers.com/2020/06/a-baby-and-backpack-nicaragua.html#.X0Ps336SnIU" target="_blank">here.</a></p><p>Have you been to Nicaragua? What was your favorite place? We hope to go back again soon so would love any new places we may have missed! :)</p><p></p>World Traveling Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04458393221408512915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884576003437095413.post-26464025025703884372020-08-17T10:02:00.000-07:002020-08-17T10:02:45.581-07:00Traveling During Covid-19<p> Empty airports, face masks, and social distancing</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Very few people are traveling now. There’s a world-wide
pandemic of a fast spreading corona virus. But greater than the virus itself is
the new world-wide fear. Thanks to an unlimited access to media including TV,
social media, etc the fear has spread everywhere, as if the actual fear was the
virus itself. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Our arrival to Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport we were
in shock at how empty the airport was compared to what we expected. There were
no lines and hardly a soul walking around. It was almost like we stepped into
some dystopian film. Our flights were less empty though probably at 30%
capacity. We first flew to Amsterdam an 8-hour flight approximately, an 8-hour
layover there, and then a second approximately 9-hour flight to Dar Es Salaam. On
our first flight things were a little lax. Masks were not really enforced, and
food service was limited but we got two hot meals and snacks. No alcohol
unfortunately. On our second flight we were given a bag of awful sugary snacks
and Diet Coke and masks were enforced. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At Atlanta Airport, most people and employees wore masks,
though not everyone did. In Amsterdam on the other hand, all passengers wore
masks, and signs everywhere told us to wear masks, but almost zero employees
wore masks which was odd to us. Luckily, in our lounge where we spent our 8
hours most people didn’t wear masks and we felt comfortable. We get to have unlimited
lounge passes thanks to my Chase Sapphire Reserve Card’s Priority Pass, which I
fortunately learned about when we spend $200 for a 24 hour lounge pass when we
came a day early for our flight one day accidentally and a guy gave us
information on a whole new world especially for people who fly super often with
cheapo tickets and many long layovers. So, I realize our view isn’t the same as
everyone’s when it comes to mask freedom. We respect the rules and wear our
masks when required and if masks aren’t required AND most people aren’t wearing
a mask we won’t.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRhZScc4MD5kCgttniXHBbemz9y574aIlJQPp8wyq4X3YvufPu0MqcvlcpMLIo8Mta9dsVZlFxHuaoXr1updTCIZnf79B5srlBSZOlcG5oEJkVzuy6xCljveYDhX3igXN9kIHLSBsOxE/s2048/Pic+Tanzania+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRhZScc4MD5kCgttniXHBbemz9y574aIlJQPp8wyq4X3YvufPu0MqcvlcpMLIo8Mta9dsVZlFxHuaoXr1updTCIZnf79B5srlBSZOlcG5oEJkVzuy6xCljveYDhX3igXN9kIHLSBsOxE/s640/Pic+Tanzania+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div> <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Once we arrived in Tanzania the Covid-19 requirements were
so strange and almost felt like a show. Enforced 1.5 meter social distancing, employees
checking that everyone had their masks securely, mandatory usage of hand
sanitizer, and temperature checking. The show part was that there were a large
handful of maybe employees filming and taking pictures of this. Totally seemed
like a photo op to show how well Tanzania is responding to the Corona Virus.
But as soon as we passed the doors to the arrival hall we did not see a single
mask! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMZNMtjRkAIK2hsikQNq1yIxWgXfJ23E2M9KKNmIV3ds8JcEOeW8hhsutbOVv3WLJ16gN1GA-iOZZaGwD6h_gR-D6QDeU-gTdX5vTRNbdjjuhWF-5Obe22iRPzfm2GBjxPqvaJS6F8Ng0/s2048/Pic+Tanzania+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMZNMtjRkAIK2hsikQNq1yIxWgXfJ23E2M9KKNmIV3ds8JcEOeW8hhsutbOVv3WLJ16gN1GA-iOZZaGwD6h_gR-D6QDeU-gTdX5vTRNbdjjuhWF-5Obe22iRPzfm2GBjxPqvaJS6F8Ng0/s640/Pic+Tanzania+1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tanzania is one of the few, maybe the only country that never
closed its borders, businesses, or prevent tourists from entering. In banks and
public institutions masks are suggested and there’s a temperature check at the
front door and hand sanitizing station but other than the occasional person you
will not see anyone with aa mask or social distancing or distancing at all
haha. So as each month brought our dreams of an annual summer backpacking
adventure to an end, some vigorous research later we found a super cheap flight
to a country we always hoped to visit and one that would allow us to do so during
a time when so few feel safe to venture past their front door.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>World Traveling Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04458393221408512915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884576003437095413.post-28833857535790737612020-08-14T03:32:00.000-07:002020-08-14T03:32:28.729-07:0011 reasons to travel Ethiopia<p> </p><p class="Standard">Ethiopia is on one hand one of the best countries to travel
and on the other hand at least for those who want to get off the beaten path
one of the more difficult ones.</p>
<p class="Standard">First why you would want to visit Ethiopia:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->It is SUPER cheap. 30-50 cents for a large beer
even in the fancy places, 15-30 cents for the most amazing coffee prepared
right in front of you, less than a dollar for an amazing meal, shared taxis
across town less than 10 cents and hotel rooms for less than $10 and all of this
without another tourist in sight.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->The food- not only is it super cheap but it is
so amazing, varied and delicious. Forgot about the daily rice and beans of
Central and South America the Ethiopian cuisine for the price is on par with
our favorite foods of South East Asia and India. There is so much variety from
vegetarians to meat lovers you can find something to excite your palate. Each
meal you can try something different and never get bored. Also, we loved
feeling like we were getting so much healthy nutrition with each meal as there
was such a variety of vegetables and legumes. When you want meat it is taken
off the goat, lamb or chicken in the entry of the restaurant (I guess to prove
its freshness) and cooked directly in front of you or in some instances put in
a stone bowl on the table with herbs and spices. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdU0AnqudDwYgQI9AFsBQ6g4RpKNpKz8PrkaUP06eelJHctEf5cJAJ3ZDwDTux8hoqh6TdNzZWhfTqV0LmDNb9X2elmcN8Jl7oHmVLdIao7tD99Hl7DVOdCTldA0lqYM2gkb9fkpTvnB4/s960/Pic+Ethiopia+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdU0AnqudDwYgQI9AFsBQ6g4RpKNpKz8PrkaUP06eelJHctEf5cJAJ3ZDwDTux8hoqh6TdNzZWhfTqV0LmDNb9X2elmcN8Jl7oHmVLdIao7tD99Hl7DVOdCTldA0lqYM2gkb9fkpTvnB4/s640/Pic+Ethiopia+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3)<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->The coffee. I do not care where you've had
coffee in the world, but you haven't experienced coffee until you've had true
Ethiopian coffee. It is the best coffee in the world that we've tried from the
famous Sumatran coffee, to the Honduran coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Lebanese,
Turkish, Italian, nothing compares. The green coffee bean is roasted fresh each
time they make a cup of coffee. It's roasted in a special pan until the beans
become perfectly roasted with a coat of oil. They are then hand ground and then
prepared with a special coffee urn and hot water. Oh and the macchiatos- the
super strong coffee with a touch of milk are also perfection. And all this at a
few pennies. Also, each time the traditional coffee is made incense is burned
at the same time and popcorn popped fresh because popcorn and coffee honestly
two of my favorite things why not enjoy them together? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wnDxV365FaLBkqMQeldO1P3NmWwEX5rXJmVAuI6k_WebuBB2fw-3hHTfacjmLGdR4qt9-DsEucWZ-6BCXzfCzBnlIdgpovVFuGnmphM6_7ea_frBj7xKqVQdV0E9DSl7okpzMvd0_0Y/s960/Pic+Ethiopia+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wnDxV365FaLBkqMQeldO1P3NmWwEX5rXJmVAuI6k_WebuBB2fw-3hHTfacjmLGdR4qt9-DsEucWZ-6BCXzfCzBnlIdgpovVFuGnmphM6_7ea_frBj7xKqVQdV0E9DSl7okpzMvd0_0Y/s640/Pic+Ethiopia+6.jpg" /></a></div><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4)<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Beer- Do you like beer? We LOVE beer. The beer
here is not only mega cheap from 15 to 50 cents even in a fancy place but decent
too and with a range of selection from their quite delicious lager to a nice
dark beer. Also, people are always out drinking with their families, little
ones, and friends so we enjoyed being able to go out for a beer feeling
comfortable and not getting the “’Oh, you bad parents’ stink eye”. And unlike
in many Asian countries the women drank as much as men often going out just
women which was a bonus for me.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3otf1LGA2KWFH2gG6yG_K0sXBMioc89I95Jc3DbZUciuEQ2vkgwsdagU6Pfo_mEVIWZzRgYA4wB8WV_yuiZdIOyYHn-4UACfR2KUbfcqF3NE_mHh2ZfgSXrZ4jNgitXisc3KMshEgURo/s960/Pic+Ethiopia+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3otf1LGA2KWFH2gG6yG_K0sXBMioc89I95Jc3DbZUciuEQ2vkgwsdagU6Pfo_mEVIWZzRgYA4wB8WV_yuiZdIOyYHn-4UACfR2KUbfcqF3NE_mHh2ZfgSXrZ4jNgitXisc3KMshEgURo/s640/Pic+Ethiopia+7.jpg" /></a></div><p class="Standard" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></p>
<p class="Standard" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5) The fresh juice and smoothies! Fruits are plentiful here and for less than 50 cents you can get a huge glass of fresh juice. Papaya, mango, avocado and more! </span></span></p><p class="Standard" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifsrXN8QSc8J32dx-5UdfI580QKiAExZy77I0ib7TNxSBO1zu2ahQ2Dg0k9XLxKdq381iQf2pHMiLkRxZncb4VMfVqEDcax-omv5noIATA9ET6E1N4Fwbb2T-39ypZC02zdlTl20worak/s960/Pic+Ethiopia+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifsrXN8QSc8J32dx-5UdfI580QKiAExZy77I0ib7TNxSBO1zu2ahQ2Dg0k9XLxKdq381iQf2pHMiLkRxZncb4VMfVqEDcax-omv5noIATA9ET6E1N4Fwbb2T-39ypZC02zdlTl20worak/s640/Pic+Ethiopia+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div><p></p><p class="Standard" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6)<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Wherever we go as obvious foreigners there are
people who try to rip us off, charge us a bit more and as super frugal
backpackers our main goal is to avoid it at all costs. In Ethiopia NO ONE
(except one random lady at a coffee stand who charged us 15 cents instead of 7
cents) tried to rip us off. Hotels, transportation, restaurants, shops event
though we did not speak the language or look like a local we were always
charged the same as locals and no one even assumed it would be otherwise. Now
we visited the southern less touristy part of the country so we will have to
return and explore the touristy north to see if the same holds true there.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7)<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->The history! Ethiopia has such a unique history
with being the cradle of civilization, the connection between the Arab and
African world, and having such a tolerance and mix of religions and peoples.
This can all be seen and easily discovered while exploring this unique country.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8)<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->The people- friendly, lively, and interesting.
We were never hassled or hustled. When we went out we were not given so much
attention as in Asia. People pretty much ignored us or were just super
friendly. We were left at peace in public places without the usual gawkers, not
that we have a problem with that it was just a nice change especially when we
were in places that obviously weren't used to tourists we were still treated
equally. They are also so beautiful and unique in appearance with subtle but
amazing differences between regions.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWlRWqya66rZCN27Ps-djgPmXx2B_E9-uKqEfLBDKOc5KYcjFmlvBMuOd-JwDggvJsOyTCl1B_hogkOUo-KFBzPLM2eaOW_n1DSttx3ozi8W6xbZ8BIxxYmX6YOthr1KY3B-yUl2dOWVM/s960/Pic+Ethiopia+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWlRWqya66rZCN27Ps-djgPmXx2B_E9-uKqEfLBDKOc5KYcjFmlvBMuOd-JwDggvJsOyTCl1B_hogkOUo-KFBzPLM2eaOW_n1DSttx3ozi8W6xbZ8BIxxYmX6YOthr1KY3B-yUl2dOWVM/s640/Pic+Ethiopia+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p class="Standard" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></p>
<p class="Standard" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9)<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Unique culture: As the only African country not
colonized by European powers (minus a brief 5-year stint with Italy- thanks for
the Macchiatos?) their culture remains their own. The languages, the writing,
even the way of thought is more Ethiopian than influenced by the outside world.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10)<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Safety- probably one of the safest country in Africa.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">11)<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Transportation-
Cheap, easy, and effective.</p>
<p class="Standard">Though for the most part Ethiopia is one of the best places to visit there are some things making it difficult, especially for budget travelers. As off the beaten track travelers there is
not much to see or do without a guide or a lot of money and the tourist
infrastructure just isn't there. Also, tourist sites are few and crazy
expensive considering the prices of the county. As a side note, we didn't visit the more touristy north so there it may be a bit different.<br /><br /></p><p class="Standard">We do highly recommend visiting Ethiopia and think no one would be diappointed!</p>World Traveling Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04458393221408512915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884576003437095413.post-48233282809628055092020-06-19T04:40:00.001-07:002020-09-01T04:07:48.955-07:00A baby and a backpack: Nicaragua<p class="Standard" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">TRIP 2: A BABY AND A BACKPACK IN NICARAGUA<o:p></o:p></p><p class="Standard" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="Standard" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">After a trip to France and Italy when Leila was 2-4 months old and continually being on the road for work in the states a backpacking trip to Nicaragua with the little one seemed like a piece of cake.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="Standard" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="Standard" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Best Product Brought: Lillebaby Airflow Complete<o:p></o:p></p><p class="Standard" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Since we were always on the move my favorite baby carrier (I have like 7) came in handy. It's mesh so very breathable. Extra comfy for baby and lots of padding for us. The mesh head cover is great for naps on the go or to protect from the sun and the front zippered pocket is a great place to stick money and phone.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="Standard" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="Standard" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Product we should have left at home: KidCo Peapod<o:p></o:p></p><p class="Standard" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Though we do love this quick popup tent since we were always moving we only used it once. It also took up half of our backpack space. This would be more useful for a beach trip where outdoor naps would be more common.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="Standard" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="Standard" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Product we wish we brought: Mountain Buggy Highchair<o:p></o:p></p><p class="Standard" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">We ate out 2-3 meals per day. Restaurants don't have highchairs unless you go to fancy places so holding the squirt with one hand while trying to eat wasn't always easy. Luckily there were lots of friendly helping hands around but the seat would have made it easier.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="Standard" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br />Itinerary: Managua-Masaya-Ometepe-Leon-Matagalpa-Esteli-Somoto-Poneloya-Managua<o:p></o:p></p><p class="Standard" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="Standard" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Traveling with a baby in Nicaragua<o:p></o:p></p><p class="Standard" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">As our first true backpacking experience with Leila, aka Leilita, Nicaragua is a super easy country to travel in general but even more so with a baby. Everyone REALLY loves babies here and everywhere we went she was quickly plucked out of our hands, passed around and played with. For parents carrying a baby around 24/7 this is a very welcomed respite. If on the other hand you find yourself to be prudish parents that freak every time someone glances at your child: stay home. In full buses someone always quickly gave up their seat for mom (or dad) and baby and every walk down a street every shopkeeper and passerby happily smiled at us and looked into the baby carrier exclaiming “que linda!”, “la preciosa”, and more endearing phrases.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxQfZVXNh1bB3_6QDX_tP5Z8HHlltoAJT6nvSwYNNTXzN6AVDevvUjEJmuLlFlFZml38zfCA56Gx7smC98xg4S01inIMS1vdmQI6oMNRw2VYYoVum2hyphenhyphenyfjqbBD9anSn9H_Iy-xQRsnk/s720/221179EA-EE66-4CB6-8C09-825F221BCA5F.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="407" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxQfZVXNh1bB3_6QDX_tP5Z8HHlltoAJT6nvSwYNNTXzN6AVDevvUjEJmuLlFlFZml38zfCA56Gx7smC98xg4S01inIMS1vdmQI6oMNRw2VYYoVum2hyphenhyphenyfjqbBD9anSn9H_Iy-xQRsnk/s320/221179EA-EE66-4CB6-8C09-825F221BCA5F.jpeg" /></a></div><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="Standard" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="Standard" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Budget: For the16 days we had we planned a budget of $640 which was $40 per day or $20 per person per day. We ended up spending exactly $600 which was $18.75 per day. We did not couchsurf and as it was our first real backpacking trip with Leila we took it easy not really hitchhiking either and we definitely enjoyed our fair share of beers and activities. We could have easily spent less or more but this is an easy backpacking budget.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="Standard" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="Standard" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Sleeping: Lodging was way more expensive than we were used to in our previous Asia and South America trips at around 10-20$ (300-600 Cordobas) per night. This is with us searching the entire town to find the absolute cheapest place and negotiating on top of that. Without doing hardcore searching you can find hotels on the lower end at $15-$20 per night. The guesthouses we stayed at were usually run by a very friendly family or staff with a bathroom, fan and lots of windows.</p><p class="Standard" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG4Y6BnjtMqu8bWCfZIn-Le9WpSxiZIoYBQqwEcpt15QsA9dNX-dDSnUBKG79NIqNgHkLGC97f6WiCf9o5jGsFIsejlGABjAf3EGC228R3XmV1srmRYduddpuKz1-Cc_wWykIVqj8ht_0/s2448/15410D73-9B77-4F11-8027-C59F274FF74C.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG4Y6BnjtMqu8bWCfZIn-Le9WpSxiZIoYBQqwEcpt15QsA9dNX-dDSnUBKG79NIqNgHkLGC97f6WiCf9o5jGsFIsejlGABjAf3EGC228R3XmV1srmRYduddpuKz1-Cc_wWykIVqj8ht_0/s320/15410D73-9B77-4F11-8027-C59F274FF74C.jpeg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLPJx5D8TSYBrEp6T1G5m7wiiW7YuV4p_P_gisLAjb4g1tVF0D8MYGJjLalpbL6QSaGVpkR-Km-fGuLsD1HWMS9hkH2qIWER-8l2ITeuty391egLDFIgnVkYBHS23EJS4BdFLxcorXVuU/s2048/A0C5A862-6F8E-483F-B4D2-23684090848D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLPJx5D8TSYBrEp6T1G5m7wiiW7YuV4p_P_gisLAjb4g1tVF0D8MYGJjLalpbL6QSaGVpkR-Km-fGuLsD1HWMS9hkH2qIWER-8l2ITeuty391egLDFIgnVkYBHS23EJS4BdFLxcorXVuU/s320/A0C5A862-6F8E-483F-B4D2-23684090848D.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="Standard" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Food: Though Nicaraguan food probably won't be winning any awards it's cheap, and satisfying. We loved finding markets where we could pick exactly what we wanted for about $1 for a vegetarian meal of fried eggs, beans, avocado, cheese and tortillas.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="Standard" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="Standard" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Verdict: Amazing place to travel with kids</p>World Traveling Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04458393221408512915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884576003437095413.post-7064622005439730372020-06-18T17:27:00.000-07:002020-06-18T17:27:05.041-07:00A Baby and a Backpack in Masaya, Nicaragua<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Masaya, along with Matagalpa, Somoto,
and Poneloya one of our favorite cities in Nicaragua. There's a
plethora of things to see and do nearby plus its super close to
Managua yet very few tourists. Masaya has everything we love about a
town: few tourists, lots to do, cheap, friendly people, and very
lively.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Getting There: We arrived at Managua
International Airport and crossed the street to the mainroad where
after enquiring with a few locals we hopped on a bus written
“Huembes” to go to Managua's main bus terminal which serves most
southern destinations. Terminal Israel serves the northern locations
and UCA has minibuses (around the same prices as the large buses)
that go to Lyon, Granada, etc. The local bus from the airport to
Huembes cost 2.5 cordobas. At the terminal we quickly found the bus
for Masaya (final destination “RIVAS”) which cost 15 cordobas per
person. Buses that don't end there or go to the terminal will drop
you off on the highway really close to the city center.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikB5gLtkpGmBXs4pc4qGICIgxdxUAsQ4wrGQcudGN81C9yqpZrWbPT7JBykQ6qsVhKTenuULlFw18VNH0tyJz_tBtdUjOjP63FW4u-vMFuaVzCVlG3T9xC2pgbzWzrOujSUPzZM0Vprh4/s3264/CC19DB31-472C-404F-8578-A2D5696BCE84.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikB5gLtkpGmBXs4pc4qGICIgxdxUAsQ4wrGQcudGN81C9yqpZrWbPT7JBykQ6qsVhKTenuULlFw18VNH0tyJz_tBtdUjOjP63FW4u-vMFuaVzCVlG3T9xC2pgbzWzrOujSUPzZM0Vprh4/s320/CC19DB31-472C-404F-8578-A2D5696BCE84.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sleeping in Masaya: After hours of
walking around enquiring at several hotels, hostales and hospedajes
we found HOTEL CENTRALE which funny enough we had looked at before
arriving on booking.com and airbnb.com. The super friendly young guy
that runs the place and his sweet family immediately made us feel
welcome and showed us a clean room with a window and private bathroom
for $12 per night. We happily accepted and immediately washed off
under a cold shower and laid down under the fan and took a nice long
nap after the long journey of plane rides, sleeping in airports, bus
rides and hotel searching.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The guy that runs the hotel has plenty
of information on what to do in the area and speaks decent English.
He will happily help with anything, let you boil water, use the
fridge, etc. His mom loved Leila and we pretty much had a permanent
babysitter there as she pulled out all her old baby stuff from the
attic.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
What to Do:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Laguna Apoyo (Crater Lake): 13 Cordobas on the bus from Masaya. Bus says “Laguna Apoyo” on it specifiy
“la baja” as not all go to the bottom of the crater. There are
two buses per day. One at 7:30am and one at 10:30 am and one back at
4:30 pm but ask to make certain while you're there.
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
After a long windy road with killer
views down the crater the bus arrives at the bottom of the crater and
the road forks where the bus will continue left. We got off there
(there is also a cheap tienda there if you need snacks, drinks, etc)
and walked to Apoyo Resort where I wanted to spend my birthday. There
is no entry fee but guests must spend a minimum of 200 cordobas each.
Beware they charge around 20% for taxes and tips on top of the high
prices! Food is super expensive but beer isn't too high. We split a
nacho appetizer which was enough food for two people and had a few
beers. At Apoyo Resort there's a small pool and a nice beach area.
It's not bad. The pool stunk of chlorine and I'm sure we could easily
find a free beach by walking around but we wanted a nice place to
relax. A nice bonus was this resort doesn't really cater to
foreigners so we were the only foreigners there- all the better for
us!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The other place we knew of was Monkey
Hut where foreigners go to party- not our scene- there's a $7 entry
fee which includes kayak usage for an hour and free coffee.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our Kidco Peapod came in handy here and
luckily they had a highchair.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Nachos plus 5 beers- 488 cordobas (a little less than $15). </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEKiljm6x8Qb0z7jS6f_rm2zaB45Ny_AJajsJ_eNFmBv32RJpZ84Vc0zg7EZBmFTaMyg6HxMHQFK5BBjy177TwAR7kC-X1IOqbeXT0xxjgwn-iyjHBq9Y1jyp88lKc9xmV-mxkt7n5qeA/s3264/AD08E62E-76C9-4591-B762-CAEAA1E68CB2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEKiljm6x8Qb0z7jS6f_rm2zaB45Ny_AJajsJ_eNFmBv32RJpZ84Vc0zg7EZBmFTaMyg6HxMHQFK5BBjy177TwAR7kC-X1IOqbeXT0xxjgwn-iyjHBq9Y1jyp88lKc9xmV-mxkt7n5qeA/s320/AD08E62E-76C9-4591-B762-CAEAA1E68CB2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our table at Apoyo</td></tr></tbody></table></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
On our way back we ended up hitching a
ride with three cool guys from Managua as we went to the bus stop at
3:30 and the bus doesn't come til 4:30 (we didn't ask ahead of time).
It was a great experience meeting these three guys and it was Leila's
first time hitchhiking plus we made it all the way back to our hotel
in Masaya super quick and free. Happy Birthday to me :)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Verdict: Laguna de Apollo: Don't miss
it.</div>
<br /></div>
World Traveling Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04458393221408512915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884576003437095413.post-33713008117471508432016-04-08T13:55:00.003-07:002016-04-08T13:55:43.983-07:00China: Trip Summary<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Our trip to China was interesting, eye opening, and we had a lot of wonderful experiences, but it was definitely one of our most difficult. Of course having a five month pregnant girl in tow makes it a little less comfortable, but their were many other factors. First of all it was winter, we decided to visit in January and February which definitely made it a little more difficult to travel and limited our options of where to go. Second of all, China is not as cheap as its neighboring countries and prices can be extreme for certain things. For example, you can easily get a nice meal for less than $2 but an entry to a site can cost over $30. Also train and bus travel are not cheap and as distances are long that needs to be budgeted in as well. Third, very few people almost none outside of very large cities in China speak English (or any other language), nor use or can understand roman letters. Plus, Chinese is very difficult to even try to learn making communication more difficult than normal.<br />
<br />
Budget: $15 per day per person. What we spent (including a week in Hong Kong): $13/day/person.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyuYeNzJS-U7Md1hD8JEPzemQGuiunlAuFzT-pSHvkhss1GyO8QhHDFjufqOnTm4PpvzgpAgLC-EJipj9h5CQDQiZRPwH7vz_i6C21ed02opRV_Af-HVbalGuJ7hqDQYYhaU9bEMUZck/s1600/IMG_7671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyuYeNzJS-U7Md1hD8JEPzemQGuiunlAuFzT-pSHvkhss1GyO8QhHDFjufqOnTm4PpvzgpAgLC-EJipj9h5CQDQiZRPwH7vz_i6C21ed02opRV_Af-HVbalGuJ7hqDQYYhaU9bEMUZck/s320/IMG_7671.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A delicious hotpot in Xiamen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Food: Food was actually not as easy for us to find and definitely not as easy to order compared to South East Asia. We were usually couchsurfing and had dinner with our hosts and several hosts showed us around and we would order together which made it easier as they could translate. Plus with others we could taste many of the delicious traditional hotpots! When alone we would point and ask the price (in Chinese) and often succeed. As a side note, the more expensive restaurants ($3 and up per person) usually has menus with pictures. We usually ended up eating Baoxi which is a steamed bun filled with meat, vegetables, or sweet bean pastes never knowing what would be inside, but was almost always delicious, warm, and cheap at 2 yuan or less (30 cents). We often ate noodle soup at 7 yuan (1 dollar) or if we were lucky found these sort of food stands where you could choose some meat or veggie items with rice and soup for 10 yuan ($1.50). The food is not as good as nearby South East Asia, Korea, or Japan, but is not bad. We found the food to be quite oily and often bland. Of course the regions we visited and places we went surely had an effect on the kind of food we ate.<br />
<br />
Flight: We found a flight for $673 round trip per person from Atlanta to Shanghai on Air Canada.<br />
<br />
Itinerary: We changed our plans and itinerary several times as we were traveling but here was our final route: Shanghai- Ningbo- Quanzhou- Xiamen- Guangzhou- Kunming- Kaiyuan- Yuanyang Rice Terraces- Mengzi- Tonghai- Kunming- Hongkong- Shanghai<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1gQXHyA8p7rnsUfx1lmY_HvXoJk5ApP979ISTwPbU6MYzKEjIC3stkMMXoJu0hBYc6bfhenXggjPB8WicP_G_1AWR1VC2_hdnNx3qhmdXJavBV86QEtzT9o5wB8MXSeDoRLexREAAWg/s1600/IMG_7815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1gQXHyA8p7rnsUfx1lmY_HvXoJk5ApP979ISTwPbU6MYzKEjIC3stkMMXoJu0hBYc6bfhenXggjPB8WicP_G_1AWR1VC2_hdnNx3qhmdXJavBV86QEtzT9o5wB8MXSeDoRLexREAAWg/s320/IMG_7815.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yuanyang Rice Terraces</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Lodging: We exclusively couchsurfed minus<br />
<br />
two occasions, the first being the Yuanyang Rice Terraces (of which hopefully I will have a second article exclusively on this wonderful place) where we stayed at a guest house for 60 yuan ($10) per night for a room with a private bathroom. Secondly, as we had to stay one night in Shanghai after returning from Hong Kong we decided to just book a hotel by the airport which cost 139 yuan ($22) for a room with breakfast and a private bathroom.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBp1kbWUsFqXomOfWN0WdTGalhGXo5J3qop5CS-Wh_s3JbG18wbHyLS0z2jPX6MgOi-52MVW0D7I7Yh0ceq6GcM3oTVrnAHNbqZtN0obhy-Hd8kChmt-HyZ6qmxnG7kFJuD1bjcrNw7A/s1600/IMG_8064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBp1kbWUsFqXomOfWN0WdTGalhGXo5J3qop5CS-Wh_s3JbG18wbHyLS0z2jPX6MgOi-52MVW0D7I7Yh0ceq6GcM3oTVrnAHNbqZtN0obhy-Hd8kChmt-HyZ6qmxnG7kFJuD1bjcrNw7A/s320/IMG_8064.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With our couchsurfing host and her old classmates</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
People: The people we met were all a lot more friendly that I anticipated. Of course our couchsurfing hosts were amazing always going above and beyond to make us feel comfortable. People in the streets did not go out of their way to talk to us or smile at us but were always kind if we tried to ask a question or get directions. People were curious more than anything we were constantly stared at.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Square dancing: Square dancing happens in every large city and every tiny village. Locals (mostly older women) gather in a square and there is usually a teacher with a big sound system and they have synchronized dances. We finally joined in on one towards the end of our trip in Kunming with our couchsurifng host and her mom and it was one of the highlights of our trip for sure!</div>
World Traveling Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04458393221408512915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884576003437095413.post-74784773310637914752014-08-20T07:44:00.000-07:002014-08-20T07:44:32.676-07:00Charles Schwab, the Traveler's Dream Bank<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="en-US">Charles Schwab may just seem like another financial institution, but if you look a little closer you may be surprised at what they offer. First off, it's helpful to keep a separate bank account for traveling as you can see exactly what you are spending on your trip and keeps your travel funds organized. While traveling a few years ago, we met a couple who mentioned a bank in their country that with a minor fee per month they could withdraw an unlimited amount of money and be reimbursed for the fees incurred, which made us look for a similar option in a US bank. Then after some research we found Charles Schwab.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPdiPv6dKfmPEsn78nU3BWECKfad1qzAZpkuQQ2WhcwzA0BAFi8e5qsgS7HWHKVfSwT9t8trsJ7YYtpt0gpnNEfi3t0lrIUvzoAtaoIk_e01DqqX4PqgkyX4EXWBg7KuVS0NWBGQMs47Y/s1600/charlesschwab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPdiPv6dKfmPEsn78nU3BWECKfad1qzAZpkuQQ2WhcwzA0BAFi8e5qsgS7HWHKVfSwT9t8trsJ7YYtpt0gpnNEfi3t0lrIUvzoAtaoIk_e01DqqX4PqgkyX4EXWBg7KuVS0NWBGQMs47Y/s1600/charlesschwab.jpg" height="63" width="320" /></a></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Why we love it:</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>It’s Free</b></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There is no cost for
setting up the account. No annual fees. No fees for transferring from
one bank account to another.</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Reimburse ATM Fees</b></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It’s true. All ATM fees.
Anywhere in the world! Seriously. For those of you who have traveled
using a debit card you know those fees add up. Especially if you have
a small budget. The fees can add up to around 10 percent per
withdrawal. That can be around ten dollars or almost one whole day of
travel per each $100 you withdraw. Charles Schwab charges you no fees
at all and then the fees the other bank, or the ATM charges you,
which you still have to pay are reimbursed by sweet Charles at the
end of the month. What a guy! I’ve searched and searched and it
seems that is one of the only banks that offers you that without any
fees on top of it!</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But that’s not all...</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a>
<br />
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Exact Exchange Rate</b></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our favorite bank also
charges no commission and uses the exact exchange rate.
</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>All Online</b></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Everything can be done
online and done so quickly and easily. In just two days your account
can be setup, and with a quick connection to another bank account or
by writing yourself a check you can put your money in your new
account in just a few seconds without leaving your couch. Statements,
information, everything is online and very easy to access.</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Great Customer Service</b></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Really awesome customer
service. In general, some guy or gal, usually from Colorado, answers
the phone in a few seconds no push 1 then hold, then another push
this button for that, then hold again, then enter in some
information. None of that, almost no hold time, and this nice person
answers all questions, and helps you out right away. It feels like
your talking to that sweet aunt or uncle that you never see.</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
To add to the above we had
a card stolen, okay really it was lost, but saying it was stolen
makes it seem a lot less stupid, in the Philippines the day before
our flight to Singapore. Anyway a phone call with some awful free
phone service (we won’t mention the name) thanks to Singapore’s
lovely free airport wifi. Singapore has definitely one of the best
airports, we will actually spend a lovely night there in a few days.
Anyway, after a call with fuzzy and horrid service, the lovely lady
at Charles Schwab canceled the card and offered to have one send
right away internationally for no charge. I only had to send an
e-mail with permission to send the card to said destination.
</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you are taking a trip
set up an account with Charles Schwab, the god of banks for
travelers, the extra money in your pocket will be thanking you. </div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
What other banks offer invaluable service to low budget travelers?</div>
</div>
World Traveling Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04458393221408512915noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884576003437095413.post-59766644985937051072014-08-13T04:48:00.001-07:002014-08-13T04:51:03.305-07:00Pyay: A Special Place in Myanmar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Reading our article on <a href="http://broketravelers.blogspot.com/2014/08/myanmar-land-of-spectacular-people.html#.U-tOVuOSzo9" target="_blank">Myanmar’s people</a>, you can see how that can be one of the main draws in coming to Myanmar. Not to sit and gawk and take pictures of the people, but to befriend them and learn a type of honest generosity and friendliness that exists very rarely in the world, Pyay is one of those places where we went and though the sites we saw were unimpressive we left with one of the best experiences and the happiest of memories.<br />
<br />
The story begins in Bago where Aurelien met an old university friend who ended up suggesting for us to go to Pangabar Guesthouse as they were friendly, cheap, and had the best breakfast possible. Pyay would make a convenient stop between Yangon and Mandalay (or Bagan) and of course we are always eager to discover places not really on the tourist map.<br />
<br />
Leaving Bago we went to Yangon, spent two days and then went to the bus station to get our tickets for Pyay. Waiting for the bus we had a few hours to kill so we decided to hang out in the conveniently located Beer Garden to try our first Myanmar draught beer. Drinking our beer we ended up chatting with a super friendly local who ended up giving us his card as he turned out to be the manager of the guesthouse we were already planning to visit. As he handed us his card I pulled out the card that our friend had already given us and we had a few laughs and he bought us a round of beers and some snacks.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
We arrived in Pyay around 2 am but had thought we would arrive at 5am and as usual decided to kill some time or sleep somewhere to save a night’s hotel. While waiting around the bus station after a few tries to give us a ride a bus (maybe also motorcycle taxi) driver ended up showing us to his “office” (“office”- a counter and a few benches outside by his bus company), kicked his brother off the bench where he was sleeping and told us we could sleep there safely.<br />
<br />
Around 5 am we then began the 30 minute walk to the guesthouse where we were greeted by the sleepy but friendly owner and allowed to check in at 5am (6 hours early).<br />
<br />
We slept in until 11am and were met downstairs by the friendly owner, the manager, and several other family members, who immediately prepared us a huge breakfast, after some interesting conversation and a few hours of wifi we decided to watch the sunset at the famous temple, Shwesandaw Paya Pagoda, and then check out the night market. Leaving the night market we were greeted by a young couple who said they were taking English classes and if they could invite us to a tea shop for some tea. It was such a great experience sharing our cultures, stories, and hearing about the way of life in Myanmar. They later dropped us off at our guesthouse on their motorbikes and we planned to go visit a few sites with them and go visit some of their friends the following day.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5IcT3bxg4QbPX1SRi8Jfs0AobCWQ2f2KYh8FeP3tpo61Wy18u2u4CuHVTQBpn6fOhUrhIK28l7cOKwTCrO3kWtOnFQt8qJTBovQ2JCzZrHr68-uGPQbOp1IJK0gn-VLucZC8Vq9vImI/s1600/IMGP5445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5IcT3bxg4QbPX1SRi8Jfs0AobCWQ2f2KYh8FeP3tpo61Wy18u2u4CuHVTQBpn6fOhUrhIK28l7cOKwTCrO3kWtOnFQt8qJTBovQ2JCzZrHr68-uGPQbOp1IJK0gn-VLucZC8Vq9vImI/s1600/IMGP5445.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going out for a teas with our new friends.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Pyay is known for an ancient site Sri Ksetra, but as the entry fee was a steep $5 for foreigners, the pictures didin’t seem too interesting unless archaeology is your thing, and we were quite templed out after almost a year in Asia, so we were happy with the prospect to hang out with our new friends instead of another day of site seeing. We spent the day checking out the market, riding on the back of the young couple’s and the guy’s younger brother’s motorbikes to visit some ancient temples on the way to a nice hotel where the guy was tutoring the hotel owner in English, had a delicious lunch of chan noodles, spoke with the couple’s English teacher of the political problems in Myanmar and watched the sunset over the river. For dinner we were invited to one of the girl’s student’s (she is a high school teacher) home. There we had one of the most amazing meals of coconut rice, chicken dishes, lamb dishes, and so much more. As we ate we were surrounded by the student’s adorable little brother, extremely welcoming mother, and kind grandmother.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdnMOF2unv1mZL5XKuqwWCstLmmuIJSmhWPnQ1g-eB7_iFimzHlrenqfkRuIEacnTR6u3Cw7wsbdAmPJba3OfsaJzxWRCFtQ5rPp7tGHBF8S_tigurjmZq8R7neogpef6n1S8uPWkvLwY/s1600/IMG_4599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdnMOF2unv1mZL5XKuqwWCstLmmuIJSmhWPnQ1g-eB7_iFimzHlrenqfkRuIEacnTR6u3Cw7wsbdAmPJba3OfsaJzxWRCFtQ5rPp7tGHBF8S_tigurjmZq8R7neogpef6n1S8uPWkvLwY/s1600/IMG_4599.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With the family and friends, Muslim and Buddhist alike.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXRe4-BllnmhqFLWRiCfEAC1krd1henfq6TtOiGbWJPnLk1syzJI87Xi3reBXsO2uEQogUBhcyBXnUTQQBj_EyfoBAmrNFa3Jf5ELwk9-LVhpG5uGhIeKK0dBimvVP8lIzc6bdmyEqKg/s1600/IMGP5478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXRe4-BllnmhqFLWRiCfEAC1krd1henfq6TtOiGbWJPnLk1syzJI87Xi3reBXsO2uEQogUBhcyBXnUTQQBj_EyfoBAmrNFa3Jf5ELwk9-LVhpG5uGhIeKK0dBimvVP8lIzc6bdmyEqKg/s1600/IMGP5478.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pure deliciousness coconut rice and plenty of tasty dishes.</td></tr>
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The next evening we reluctantly left as our time was limited in Myanmar, but our memories of Pyay and the people there made our impression of Myanmar even better than it already was. Sometimes a place is more than the sites there, and Pyay was definitely one of those places.<br />
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World Traveling Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04458393221408512915noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884576003437095413.post-74529496109685672602014-08-13T04:35:00.000-07:002014-08-13T04:49:03.595-07:00Myanmar: A Land of Spectacular People<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When people recommend a place to visit it is usually based on its beauty, or sites, but Myanmar has other reasons for visiting. Myanmar is a country of vast natural beauty, and a plethora of temples and religious sites, but the main reason for visiting is the people. <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
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Myanmar’s people have suffered a lot under a series of unjust governments and continues to do so today, but this seems to have only made the people friendly and happy though with unevenly spread wealth and little options in life. People in Myanmar are called Burmese. But the Burmese only refers to one of the several tribes that make up Myanmar so I refrain from using that term.<br />
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Myanmar’s people are very traditional even in the most modern of cities almost every man and woman will be wearing the traditional longgyi, which is similar to a long sarong. Different tribes or regions have different sarongs and people can be identified by their longgyi. In Myanmar everyone should try going to a local market and buying a longgyi with the help (ask for it) of surrounding locals as tying the longgyi takes a special technique.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1hhQgXCJSxOLFUJl-g9-KoalDR6HprzqulkWyo9_nlKy7elZue73zigZAyuhok9APllfrhFeOQS4fksJXHFK3aUSBHAX9psS6lTzLonqqKWRtrBkT37T4tywrdyeRLF2dGRXKvlA9V4/s1600/SAM_2952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1hhQgXCJSxOLFUJl-g9-KoalDR6HprzqulkWyo9_nlKy7elZue73zigZAyuhok9APllfrhFeOQS4fksJXHFK3aUSBHAX9psS6lTzLonqqKWRtrBkT37T4tywrdyeRLF2dGRXKvlA9V4/s1600/SAM_2952.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Four women with their beautiful longgyis.</td></tr>
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People traditionally also take showers with their longgyis. Behind houses or in small villages there is a huge cement water bin or well. People all take showers together wearing their longgyis, soaping around and under, and then change into a dry longgyi, but never really being naked. The children all run around naked splashing each other and giggling. In small villages it is normal to see several families taking their showers together and a communal shower is a fun experience (if you’ve grasped the technique of tying your longgyi).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizJUr7gfWOpdcFbsLF8ubVWKE4mvgieuQBUbnOsl4A6WJsH-3bBkQeu25FPsYoBOXs41PIvkXY-YF-b9MpxdIZwNXm1fnGi2JXbSObb6wZyAcBs9j16o5vESsAUN67vnC06rVR2_0-NgE/s1600/SAM_2938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizJUr7gfWOpdcFbsLF8ubVWKE4mvgieuQBUbnOsl4A6WJsH-3bBkQeu25FPsYoBOXs41PIvkXY-YF-b9MpxdIZwNXm1fnGi2JXbSObb6wZyAcBs9j16o5vESsAUN67vnC06rVR2_0-NgE/s1600/SAM_2938.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting help tying my longgyi.</td></tr>
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In addition to longgyis most women and children wear a cream white paste, or Thanaka, on their faces. Thanaka is made with a special wood and ground into a paste on stone slabs. Usually big white circles are seen on all faces and little circles on the noses. Decorations are made such as stripes or even little drawings on the children’s faces. For women, asking a local woman to help you put on the paste is a beautiful experience.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AxGRcVDr8Pl_pKr-qYAkf2bxzJQNaW_ZkxkSoR1fKv8goN_yMmvC6h2l9FQSEJZUzhWgM4XA83zWtwslEShUKned3AU9_sWZv7tYlPFloyFFi84yY7mzyheHvOublVINus851k_kCtE/s1600/IMGP5721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AxGRcVDr8Pl_pKr-qYAkf2bxzJQNaW_ZkxkSoR1fKv8goN_yMmvC6h2l9FQSEJZUzhWgM4XA83zWtwslEShUKned3AU9_sWZv7tYlPFloyFFi84yY7mzyheHvOublVINus851k_kCtE/s1600/IMGP5721.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three little boys at a traditional festival.</td></tr>
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Though very traditional most people are very open and also very happy and curious to meet foreigners. Most people upon entering Myanmar are immediately impressed by how friendly the people are. Almost everywhere tourists are greeted by huge welcoming smiles, invited to eat or have a drink with a local, and of course encouraged to play with the babies (sometimes people jokingly try to give you their baby to keep, so don’t really try to keep it). People are genuinely happy to meet the lucky traveler and by not rushing to see your next site, many special bonds can be made. It’s very rare a tourist will get ripped off for basic buys like clothes and food even though for trains and hotels foreigners are charged quite a bit more than locals by the government or based on high fees for hotels licensed to accommodate foreigners.<br />
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Many people are happy to now be able to discuss the political situation and as bad as the situation has been and is, people still are able to talk about it openly but as always with a small joke or smile behind it. A guy we met talked about how an official paid one million dollars to play golf with Tiger Woods, the same amount spent in one year for food, education, etc for refugees in the country. Then he laughed about it, at how silly it was. <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitTf56XUEjqDuirFly4J9TzhAk2KD_AEnXbPB4ULtx3ifOwXuMlpLtChqZGRH4pyA6aQCfsFbkGBBTw7oc4QexCvdCCcuJGPF2i-L-pjgblmdgMl8Bb4NjPQjta08gXqfsFmMwafSXbz4/s1600/IMGP5307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitTf56XUEjqDuirFly4J9TzhAk2KD_AEnXbPB4ULtx3ifOwXuMlpLtChqZGRH4pyA6aQCfsFbkGBBTw7oc4QexCvdCCcuJGPF2i-L-pjgblmdgMl8Bb4NjPQjta08gXqfsFmMwafSXbz4/s1600/IMGP5307.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monks visiting a temple who asked us to take a picture with them.</td></tr>
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People often talk about the new capital, Naypyidaw. It was basically nothing just a small village, and for some reason the government decided Yangon should no longer be the capital, but instead a small village should be turned into a model city. Apparently it is quite creepy because there are huge roads, building, and side walks, but everything is empty, as only the government employees live and work there. They also made a replica of the famous Shwe Pagoda in Yangon. It is interesting to talk to locals about what’s happening in their country and with a few questions you usually get a very excited person eager to talk all about their country and its problems.<br />
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To truly experience the beauty of Myanmar one must first discover the people. Read about one of our experiences <a href="http://broketravelers.blogspot.fr/2014/08/pyay-special-place-in-myanmar.html#.U-tQluOSzo8" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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World Traveling Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04458393221408512915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884576003437095413.post-31986459635142814062014-04-25T22:27:00.001-07:002014-04-26T03:51:30.003-07:00Fly on the Cheap: Low Cost Airlines<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There are many websites and airlines that allow us to fly for a very low price within a region, country, or continent, of course our normal go-to website is Skyscanner (<a href="http://broketravelers.blogspot.in/2013/10/skyscanner-flight-god.html#" target="_blank">read our previous article</a>), which compares many of those sites, but often by going directly to the airline’s site, better deals can be found. Here are our favorite discount airlines:<br />
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<b><span style="color: #073763;">Asia</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.airasia.com/" target="_blank">Air Asia</a> (flies almost everywhere)<br />
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<a href="https://www.tigerair.com/" target="_blank">Tiger Air</a> (mostly flights which pass through Singapore and thus a chance to experience the most awesome airport Changi - check our upcoming article)<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitHn2N1-tcKTDikPUwgPxk1PCvL-wepA6fcIiPvK-riMnIrGRn0fJ635Y3z09wVPKKI2JUoikGMOiRlnfWgEU3kJ_efZPH78qwtqo9qmRbxG46IU7bfCf7bFASrNRuTdiYQQ_ARt6ZENs/s1600/firefly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitHn2N1-tcKTDikPUwgPxk1PCvL-wepA6fcIiPvK-riMnIrGRn0fJ635Y3z09wVPKKI2JUoikGMOiRlnfWgEU3kJ_efZPH78qwtqo9qmRbxG46IU7bfCf7bFASrNRuTdiYQQ_ARt6ZENs/s1600/firefly.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flypeach.com/home.aspx" target="_blank">Peach</a> (mostly within and in or out of Japan)<br />
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<a href="http://www.fireflyz.com.my/" target="_blank">Firefly</a> (within and in or out of Malaysia)<br />
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<a href="http://www2.lionair.co.id/" target="_blank">Lion Air</a> (within and in or out of Indonesia)<br />
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<a href="https://book.goindigo.in/" target="_blank">Indigo</a> (within and in or out of India)<br />
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<b><span style="color: #073763;">Europe</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.easyjet.com/" target="_blank">Easy Jet</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.ryanair.com/" target="_blank">Ryan Air</a> (watch out for out of the way airports and hidden fees)<br />
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<b><span style="color: #073763;">Americas</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.jetblue.com/" target="_blank">Jet Blue</a> (within the US)<br />
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<a href="http://www.spirit.com/" target="_blank">Spirit</a> (within the US and to and from Latin America)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0-GCvHAHppyApgJc9QvCcrqwIAJXW2b2hsc4JfSIhhziKgh27k8VndUlCWEXh4EcnFlZeK2m0qZZxpP4YRGcZPdsyZAgaY-TZrS74D1Yv74ahPLwNM90Aq7oTO-4dm1hPhrAvVj88AI/s1600/peach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0-GCvHAHppyApgJc9QvCcrqwIAJXW2b2hsc4JfSIhhziKgh27k8VndUlCWEXh4EcnFlZeK2m0qZZxpP4YRGcZPdsyZAgaY-TZrS74D1Yv74ahPLwNM90Aq7oTO-4dm1hPhrAvVj88AI/s1600/peach.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><a href="https://www.flyfrontier.com/" target="_blank">Frontier</a> (within the US)<br />
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<b><span style="color: #073763;">Africa/ Middle East</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.airarabia.com/en" target="_blank">Air Arabia</a> (North Africa and Middle East)<br />
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Now of course if time isn’t a limit, traveling by land is always preferable, but for the times you need a flight, the distances or to far, or an ocean just happens to be separating you from your destination here are some sites we recommend a majority of which we have tested. We hope to share this as we always have trouble finding a conclusive list online of good budget airlines and it can often be a pain finding them. Of course there are several more country specific airlines but since land transport is usually preferable for the budget or culture curious travel, we mostly mention those that also have international destinations.<br />
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Please, if you have any other sites or airlines to add, share them with us and we will also edit this as we travel more and find new airlines!<br />
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World Traveling Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04458393221408512915noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884576003437095413.post-56793729246579826202014-04-15T21:10:00.002-07:002014-04-15T21:10:24.824-07:00Couchsurfing: A "How To"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1krWcZIp9YdnCHPha9DayZqqJAQ_vxFAtnE3GsA_PePsYr8Cnzk2pUV4yXT4ObdrX_3EawFuI7vnkzriL3_IFlR5CtEIA_xQTiwJG9Vd0rWyYZmqpZTPppM-POlQPw1YfheBGRphnE_A/s1600/Couchsurfing_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1krWcZIp9YdnCHPha9DayZqqJAQ_vxFAtnE3GsA_PePsYr8Cnzk2pUV4yXT4ObdrX_3EawFuI7vnkzriL3_IFlR5CtEIA_xQTiwJG9Vd0rWyYZmqpZTPppM-POlQPw1YfheBGRphnE_A/s1600/Couchsurfing_logo.png" height="136" width="320" /></a></div>
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Couchsurfing is one of those things that will revolutionize the way you travel and even change your life and perspectives. When traveling, not being a tourist on vacation, but really traveling we often try to find out more about those places we pass through or linger in for awhile. We hope to find out more about the culture, history, sites, food, and most importantly people. We count on those small interactions at the market, getting invited to a beer or coffee with a friendly guy at a restaurant, playing with some children in the train, those small interactions make one’s experience. Couchsurfing, check out our <a href="http://broketravelers.blogspot.com/2013/10/couchsurfing.html" target="_blank">article</a>, gives us the chance to get a sort of full immersion in the culture even feeling a part of it, living, eating, and so much more as a local. If you have an open mind and hope to discover this side of a city, country, or culture then go ahead open up a new tab and set up your account.<br /><br />If you don’t have a <a href="http://couchsurfing.org/" target="_blank">couchsurfing</a> account, here’s how to set one up, and if you already have one, but have never used it you might want to check out this “How to” for some tips in guaranteeing you’ll get accepted when you write your next couch request!<a name='more'></a><br /><span style="color: #20124d; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #20124d; font-size: large;"><b>Making a Profile</b></span><br />
<br />You’re profile is a large part of what makes your potential host hit either the Accept or the Deny button. <div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqK8KXzqhySBLTibP5qUBzmmzS5pvay0yTb12Ob9FfA-qut5dFQpIh4-Zmbhv3FTejen3jer2hQ5IvUT-7Zwvwai0IZ-XND7LavchTMhVPEpCxY97zmLlYXPe2G5Wj39E8flIHACWxTmc/s1600/editprofile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqK8KXzqhySBLTibP5qUBzmmzS5pvay0yTb12Ob9FfA-qut5dFQpIh4-Zmbhv3FTejen3jer2hQ5IvUT-7Zwvwai0IZ-XND7LavchTMhVPEpCxY97zmLlYXPe2G5Wj39E8flIHACWxTmc/s1600/editprofile.jpg" height="166" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edit your profile anytime you want, even after you set up your account</td></tr>
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<br /><b><span style="color: #073763;">The Picture</span></b><br />
<br />Of course its always better to have a complete profile. Post several pictures, preferably of you looking like a normal yet interesting person. You want your picture to say “I’m a fun and happy person”, a person someone would want to invite in their house. Travel pictures are always a hit, and usually work better than a bedroom selfie or a drunken party picture.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #073763;">The Information</span></b><br />
<br />It is important to fill out each part of your couchsurfing profile. Include your interests so people can get an idea about what kind of a person you are. Having interests or statements that make you stand out as a person always helps out. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKmzeHMXumj9ReFH0i40cQbF83d-hXOlhEyDZ67a81LIj7IzZx44KNCoj8n0YmAqoshak6g4XS8WVPCoN8ErRJKgyBGJOk3gI67wCn8gVzk0wZKJF7OeQt9fzLecECL3qBO74rnmzkT0/s1600/description.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKmzeHMXumj9ReFH0i40cQbF83d-hXOlhEyDZ67a81LIj7IzZx44KNCoj8n0YmAqoshak6g4XS8WVPCoN8ErRJKgyBGJOk3gI67wCn8gVzk0wZKJF7OeQt9fzLecECL3qBO74rnmzkT0/s1600/description.jpg" height="166" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't forget to click on the tabs to make sure you fill up every information</td></tr>
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<br /><b><span style="color: #073763;">References</span></b><br />
<br />Sadly when you start couchsurfing you won’t have any references and rare are those who want to host a surfer or surf with a host who has no references. If you know anyone, anyone at all who has couchsurfing find them, send them a reference and they will do the same for you. If you know absolutely no one you can find a couchsurf meeting, go there, meet people, and from that meeting you will be able to make a few friends and thus a few references. If though you know no one on couchsurfing, there are no couchsurfing meetings near you, make sure that you include in your next couchsurfing request something about you being new to couchsurfing. Of course a “full” profile helps your potential host overlook that.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhedMnLZ9QVrd1E79SXWdGUuf3lKLDM0B9TmEimG2GYPDMFGKdsmhGzaD_ubpZRmX48iJV0eHRJzWA5vnI5_XoMByNAC-t6ofljTpwJ_oGX7yyIQ_OjRXLp6k3Bh9Li9_kp8kFbTH6FyW4/s1600/references.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhedMnLZ9QVrd1E79SXWdGUuf3lKLDM0B9TmEimG2GYPDMFGKdsmhGzaD_ubpZRmX48iJV0eHRJzWA5vnI5_XoMByNAC-t6ofljTpwJ_oGX7yyIQ_OjRXLp6k3Bh9Li9_kp8kFbTH6FyW4/s1600/references.jpg" height="166" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">References are visible at the bottom of any profile</td></tr>
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<br /><span style="color: #20124d; font-size: large;"><b>Searching for a Couch</b></span><br />
<br /><b><span style="color: #073763;">Searching</span></b><br />
<br />The mobile application for couchsurfing is way better (in our opinion) and easier to use than the website, especially for searching for a couch. On the mobile application as well as the website you can do the search by a map. On the mobile application dots on the map (larger for more hosts, smaller for less) indicate in which cities there are hosts. This is very handy if you are traveling around a country and hoping to stay somewhere in the country side or in a certain are as you don’t have to search each individual city, but can possibly find some awesome off the track destination where one person happens to be hosting. These often turn out to be some of the best experiences as well. On the website you can type in the name of the city where you would like to stay. You also have the option to search in the proximity of that city which is helpful if you are traveling in a touristic destination or small town. In addition, you can adjust the parameters. For example, if you are a solo woman you may want to only search hosts who are female or if you are in your forties or fifties you may not want to stay with a twenty year old college kid, and may want to search for hosts older than 30. Searching for a host is quite easy and you will quickly get the hang of it.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiluCWY9zrH-bL8YZdr3O3vLly_k8wPmT4Ae0wSPpMbwgyigErAkmy5e6bgEAOXpx0xV2WAEvdyCb9v47Cc0uY77PZ4b_mLN9hwVqzXWHNtEWtItaKL4zsYFNINLoiF1eD-sCmtqd6ZwNU/s1600/couchsearch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiluCWY9zrH-bL8YZdr3O3vLly_k8wPmT4Ae0wSPpMbwgyigErAkmy5e6bgEAOXpx0xV2WAEvdyCb9v47Cc0uY77PZ4b_mLN9hwVqzXWHNtEWtItaKL4zsYFNINLoiF1eD-sCmtqd6ZwNU/s1600/couchsearch.jpg" height="166" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click the "Surf" button and start looking for hosts by typing the name of a city</td></tr>
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<br /><span style="color: #073763;"><b>Profiling</b></span><br />
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Once you have a location and are looking at the list of potential hosts make sure you read their profiles well. Find out what kind of person they are, some profiles mention certain conditions that you should be aware of, such as a vegetarian that doesn’t allow meat products in their house, or someone who will offer to drive you around but expects you to contribute to gas, or someone who can only host on weekends. Also there is a small logo which shows if their couch is available or if there is a coffee logo they are only available to meet up, show you around, or go out for a coffee, drink, or a bite to eat. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GDql_oOX9Q250BqkUlEz-LgpmvLxQZazqHGkIlNo02BxI6Oq109Ze6G8o3P5-yijRf2ySZvU-s1k4tzBT7ydUr9bZtGZNfkUBo4wXDdjLbPZxe_PadcHK4XVLzh94e2SD4PGF5jD7nM/s1600/couchlist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GDql_oOX9Q250BqkUlEz-LgpmvLxQZazqHGkIlNo02BxI6Oq109Ze6G8o3P5-yijRf2ySZvU-s1k4tzBT7ydUr9bZtGZNfkUBo4wXDdjLbPZxe_PadcHK4XVLzh94e2SD4PGF5jD7nM/s1600/couchlist.jpg" height="166" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Once you get a list of potential hosts you can filter and sort the profiles<br /></td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: #073763;">Timing</span></b><br />
<br />A request is usually best if written around 5 days in advance. This gives the potential host enough time to arrange for you to come and also not too much time that they will forget or have to change their plans around later. <br /><br /><b><span style="color: #20124d; font-size: large;">Sending a Request</span></b><br />
<br />It’s always better to choose only a few hosts that you would really like to stay with and feel that you would connect with and writing them very good, personalized requests that witing twenty cut and paste requests (you can save those for the last minute day before requests).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoUXM_PI4NG96u07-9ZWOEKKcZD0X5oDkCQo5-kxaVnBidPgKt1-617cIixsxZFRhhjGG62O9x8QhuuDjOdsmF2jTXikPGsxn0mtSbwmZDt3Fgea9L8-qkku2bKveI-pPNrt1giPsi70I/s1600/sendrequest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoUXM_PI4NG96u07-9ZWOEKKcZD0X5oDkCQo5-kxaVnBidPgKt1-617cIixsxZFRhhjGG62O9x8QhuuDjOdsmF2jTXikPGsxn0mtSbwmZDt3Fgea9L8-qkku2bKveI-pPNrt1giPsi70I/s1600/sendrequest.jpg" height="166" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hit the "Send CouchRequest" button on any profile to be able to write them a message, <br />then fill up all the details</td></tr>
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<br /><span style="color: #073763;"><b>Who you are</b></span><br />
<br />You should first introduce yourself. Explain why your traveling, where, and how long. Mention something funny or interesting about yourself that’s not in your profile.<br /><br /><span style="color: #073763;"><b>Why you’re going there</b></span><br />
<br />What makes there city special? Why do you want to go there? Make sure you mention how excited you are to visit their city.<br /><br /><span style="color: #073763;"><b>Why you’re sending them a request</b></span><br />
<br />Why them and not one of the other twenty hosts? Mention something you have in common, or just something interesting about them that you noticed in their profile.</div>
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<br /><b><span style="color: #073763;">Duration of Stay</span></b><br />
<br />You should not request too long a period usually four or five days maximum. We always try to stay three days as shorter doesn’t give you enough time to get to know and spend time with your host. Also too short of a period is also not recommended. When you request only one night, it doesn’t give you any time to get to know the person or even really explore the city, but it can be done, and even in one day you can often have a wonderful time and really get along often getting invited or asking to stay a day more. If you hope to stay for a longer period of time it’s often better to ask once you get to know the host as rarely will someone be accepted for an entire week.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #073763;">Length</span></b><br /><br />In addition to including all this information your request shouldn’t be so long. You don’t want to bore them or for them to stop for a coffee break while reading your request but you want to include all the previous information.<br /><br />I hope these tips will help someone in embarking on their couchsurfing adventure. Try it out go ahead. Once you do you will be addicted and will not want to travel any other way. Also try it a few times not just one because each experience is completely different. Please look for our upcoming post about the Meeting!</div>
World Traveling Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04458393221408512915noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884576003437095413.post-69340497061232406122014-04-08T03:58:00.000-07:002014-04-08T18:58:28.474-07:00Vietnam to Lao: The Road Less Taken (Na Meo)It’s no secret that Southeast Asia is a backpacker’s favorite due to its numerous sites as well as affordable food, accommodation and transportation. One of the best things about traveling around Southeast Asia is that the most popular countries Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand can all be crossed by land quite easily for the most part. We decided to make our first of these crossings from Vietnam to Laos. After an epic month of couchsurfing, hitchhiking, teaching and a little too much drinking in Vietnam, Laos was calling our names from afar. That’s when started analyzing maps, and going through blogs to find out the best way to enter Laos, trying as usual to find the cheapest, and least traveled route.<br />
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At the end of our Vietnamese odyssey we were in Hanoi, the capital, which happens to be inconveniently located in regards to the available border crossings in to Laos. We thought our choices were limited to either taking a direct bus to Vientiane, the Laotian capital or taking a bus to Dien Bien Phu in the north, known for its importance during the war for independence, and also a frequented and prone to scams crossing. A bus to Dien Bien Phu costs a rough 300,000 dongs, approximately $15, our maximum daily budget, plus it is not even located on the border, that would have implied more money to spend on taking motorcycle taxis to the actual border and our other option, the direct bus to Vientiane would have changed our expected itinerary going from the center to the north and then back south again towards Cambodia, on top of costing $20. A little hopeless and with our visas ending soon, we noticed that another crossing closer to us existed, but how to get there. Very little information could be found online, but by chance we found this <a href="http://mattbrowntown.wordpress.com/2012/12/24/two-mad-days-of-travel-from-mai-chau-vietnam-to-sam-neua-laos/" target="_blank">blog</a>.<br />
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Excited as usual to find the road less taken we followed their steps. We got up early the next day, said goodbye to our friendly couchsurfing host Cuong and took a public bus from his place to My Dinh station, Hanoi’s biggest bus station. From there we hopped on a bus to Mai Chau. Getting to Mai Chau is quite easy, the bus ride takes about three hours and costs 70,000 dongs ($3.50), we enjoyed some beautiful scenery on the way as we drove though a mountain pass.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCDywuvRQ9-LQUd9vOyd1blNHI2XMRQuMqeZMer1_SAPpIfrJ7hBItR6tyEGFpQYnMeOicZyMS6MG6EzCXq1c0KffFhZQFEc4fwFqJxxkgJAZfD7qGBzTpERW4jWuWsVTA6kgS3JXeOUU/s1600/VietnamtoLaos+(9).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="walking in laos" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCDywuvRQ9-LQUd9vOyd1blNHI2XMRQuMqeZMer1_SAPpIfrJ7hBItR6tyEGFpQYnMeOicZyMS6MG6EzCXq1c0KffFhZQFEc4fwFqJxxkgJAZfD7qGBzTpERW4jWuWsVTA6kgS3JXeOUU/s1600/VietnamtoLaos+(9).jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">The adventure begins!</td></tr>
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Arriving in Mai Chau at 10 am, we asked around to find out when we could catch the next bus to Quan Hoa, our next destination. A lady working at the market told us the bus would pass by at 11 am so we had an hour free. As our stomachs were already grumbling we decided to try a delicious noodle soup at the helpful and friendly lady’s food stall. After finishing our meals we then sat on the side of the road waiting for the bus explaining to the hoards of persistent motorcycle taxis that we were sure we wanted to take the bus. Once they were sure that we wouldn’t need their services they were very helpful drawing us a useful little map with bus prices on how to continue our journey.<br />
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Luckily, we hopped on the right bus going to Quan Hoa, and paid the 50,000 dong ($2.50). About an hour or so later, the bus dropped us off in Quan Hoa and before getting out we asked the driver where to catch a bus to Dong Tam, the next destination, and he pointed to a parked bus. We followed his advice and headed to the bus, which was empty except for the driver who was taking a nap. After tapping on the window for a few minutes he finally woke up but wouldn’t let us ask him a question, waving his hands in the air epileptically. If you travel to Vietnam, you will see this kind of reaction more than anywhere else in South East Asia, some people refuse to listen to your question, you don’t even have time to open your mouth before they runaway from you waving their hands. We don’t know if it is due to an irrepressible fear of foreigners or the trauma of having to answer to someone that speaks a different language but it would certainly make a nice case study for sociologists.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEXDzXXFZyakHorp_ZfBQ7oZEEAy_mzGmvF9AB8cRCAQEVxJ0ntury9Bw1P7BLWMpKhZqJpWFmpJ6CqmM4n3U3bRNkePL3Z90x7PKhh3DTtTMN60ZELgCNX6z75-Whlww23eKqm6pvduY/s1600/VietnamtoLaos+(11).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="traditional house laos" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEXDzXXFZyakHorp_ZfBQ7oZEEAy_mzGmvF9AB8cRCAQEVxJ0ntury9Bw1P7BLWMpKhZqJpWFmpJ6CqmM4n3U3bRNkePL3Z90x7PKhh3DTtTMN60ZELgCNX6z75-Whlww23eKqm6pvduY/s1600/VietnamtoLaos+(11).jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A traditional house on the way to Laos</td></tr>
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Not able to get any answer from our Vietnamese Rain man and not wanting to pay for a motorcycle taxi to get to our next destination, we decided to hitchhike to Dong Tam, which was only a few kilometers away. Hitchhiking in Vietnam is not the easiest thing but if you are persistent enough, you will eventually get a ride. Keeping that in mind, we walked about 2 kilometers, escorted by apparently all the kids of Quan Hoa, excited to see foreigners pass through their town, when finally a van stopped for us. It was full of people but they kindly made room for us. At first we thought it was some sort of chartered minivan and that we would have to pay for the trip but it turned out they were just helping us and did take us to Dong Tam for free. Cheerful and happy we were able to save a little money and meet some friendly people, we decided we could possibly finish the whole trip hitchhiking.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lVo00A9hIJD0paST3JN3Ez6WhoZt8qKF26eJ8YvQ3u2_Emu91NbdmIvn0jiLj9wGrxwBRmMJ5xBbm1i5j_p5QF8vcKtyq1hNBTLLvOFQW6g44VNhrh_u-U_SW7zkCDQ2ebnIkAMPVEw/s1600/VietnamtoLaos+(12).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="walking in lao village" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lVo00A9hIJD0paST3JN3Ez6WhoZt8qKF26eJ8YvQ3u2_Emu91NbdmIvn0jiLj9wGrxwBRmMJ5xBbm1i5j_p5QF8vcKtyq1hNBTLLvOFQW6g44VNhrh_u-U_SW7zkCDQ2ebnIkAMPVEw/s1600/VietnamtoLaos+(12).jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking through hill tribe villages hoping to get a ride</td></tr>
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After making sure that it would not be more convenient to take a bus to Quan Son, the next village on our “step by step journey”, we stuck our thumbs out on the side of a deserted road, hoping someone would go this way. The public bus from Dong Tam to Quan Son costs 50,000 dongs, which is not that expensive but it was leaving an hour later, so we decided to take advantage of that extra hour to advance towards Na Meo. Luckily after 5 minutes a truck stopped for us, simple, easy, perfect. Only when we got in we realized how long it would take to make the 35 kilometers to Quan Son. From Dong Tam to Quan Son, it is all uphill, and the old truck was barely climbing the hill at 10 kilometers per hour, the driver even stopped a few times to fix the trailer apparently even letting off some of his load. Finally, what we feared happened. After only 10 kilometers, the truck broke down and with a sad expression on his face, the driver made us understand we would have to find some other rusty truck to finish the trip .<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZgd75C1kumk1b6P6yFkRYV2oKOW_Ys_Mc7iEDELlddYGiktbgkFHe-Ei1V1VspI14i_sfsfxvYX2wKBFHoqMUM3qxbj2dhDu6nJouCG0_5Qz8gZFwdaZFxTsivVhkBeOJTyJbkxLnBqU/s1600/VietnamtoLaos+(4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="aurelien hitchhiking vietnam" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZgd75C1kumk1b6P6yFkRYV2oKOW_Ys_Mc7iEDELlddYGiktbgkFHe-Ei1V1VspI14i_sfsfxvYX2wKBFHoqMUM3qxbj2dhDu6nJouCG0_5Qz8gZFwdaZFxTsivVhkBeOJTyJbkxLnBqU/s1600/VietnamtoLaos+(4).jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pick-up trucks, the best chance to hitch a ride</td></tr>
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Stuck in the middle of nowhere, we started to walk towards Quan Son. A few trucks passed but none of them would stop. We even saw the bus that we refused to wait for in the first place pass, so we started to think we would have to spend the night in Quan Son, if we were lucky enough to get there before the next morning. Knowing there was little we could do about our situation, we actually enjoyed our walk, we passed through tribal villages where everybody greeted us, both excited and shocked to see foreigners walking around their villages, all the kids were welcoming us with a cute “Hello Sintxiao” before they would start running to hide from us, too shy to approach us. These were really amazing, heart touching moments as whole villages celebrated our arrival, old folks smiling at us, waving their hands, stopping what they were doing just to say hello and the kids running around barefoot playing “hide and seek” with us. Most people in traditional dress living in traditional wooden houses on stilts surrounded by goats, dogs, and buffalo. Until eventually we got back to real life, a car stopped.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCWFghkNOG-BV6xDlDR_y6SnaFr9QFwEUpSwyYRRi_F2Qtuls2oBaP_KXgIYlAcOi0ovllDRVVdLvn7g0v4-_kqUpvFb6w8Xb3HyTI5CvUIppoPkPDAE0oB9UvAJPb9L4biF2wYCj2Fg/s1600/VietnamtoLaos+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="lao kids running" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCWFghkNOG-BV6xDlDR_y6SnaFr9QFwEUpSwyYRRi_F2Qtuls2oBaP_KXgIYlAcOi0ovllDRVVdLvn7g0v4-_kqUpvFb6w8Xb3HyTI5CvUIppoPkPDAE0oB9UvAJPb9L4biF2wYCj2Fg/s1600/VietnamtoLaos+(2).jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Watch out for the funny looking foreigners!"</td></tr>
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Saying a car stopped seems like nothing special when hitchhikers are telling a story, but in Vietnam when a car stops for a hitchhiker, it is like Christmas, for somehow only trucks would stop for us so far. The car was a grey Toyota, some sort of pick-up, and inside were two guys who looked like officials, haircut, suits and all, we guessed they were officials because not everybody can afford a car in Vietnam and also because we didn’t speak enough of Vietnamese to ask them. But we did try to ask them anyway, wrong idea! We started with the usual conversation, or they started it to be fair, “Where are you from?” “How old are you” “How long have you stayed in Vietnam?”, the whole dialogue in Vietnamese it sounded more like a “Me happy, Vietnam Good, blabla, hand signs”. Eventually after one of these long and awkward silences, we try to ask what they were doing in life and where they were living. The problem was we didn’t know how to ask those kinds of questions and the only way we had to ask where they were living was using one word we knew, the word for house in Vietnamese, “nhà”. That’s when they stopped the car in the middle of nowhere and asked us kindly to get out. We didn’t try to stay in the car and we waved at them as they were leaving us a walkable 10 kilometers from Quan Son. We then decided to never again ask drivers where they were from.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibW6W0Kyhj9cuJ63n88vrYuqTWq2hZS92Eh9VXQt3y7w51ASkOGx6TRQhCuMztX3PCOFdER5t5h79RTWBfaybsh0NdL6-bPYGhE0bip9O0AdM19fTJl9xgsUwZAlr8HFBtsVN9dmrK_VQ/s1600/VietnamtoLaos+(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="jacqueline hitchhiking laos" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibW6W0Kyhj9cuJ63n88vrYuqTWq2hZS92Eh9VXQt3y7w51ASkOGx6TRQhCuMztX3PCOFdER5t5h79RTWBfaybsh0NdL6-bPYGhE0bip9O0AdM19fTJl9xgsUwZAlr8HFBtsVN9dmrK_VQ/s1600/VietnamtoLaos+(3).jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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The sun was slowly falling into the mountains, as we started our walk to Quan Son, we only had those 10 kilometers to walk, so we were assured to arrive there at night, have a good night of sleep and then continue our journey to the border the next day, our last legal day in Vietnam, according to our visas. In effort to make it quicker and not really wanting to walk those last 10 kilometers we tried to hitchhike again, and Hallelujah! a big yellow truck stopped. The driver smiled with a mostly toothless grin asking in broken english “You go Quan Son?” We happily said yes and hopped in the truck where we met another guy who was sitting on the bed in the back of the cabin. “We try to go Na Meo (the border)” we said when the driver replied with a big smile on his face “Me go Na Meo!”<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQouAwH7D_wob9Qt24g334Kn-OSmgaDgYcvo4CwrIArM1kLwNFDrlMdq-nvwH5h5AWqKmgr9SynAz8RwHOTvjplQvzt_7lcPF5op8iJQpP-o_tdsj53nQFPiClqOBOUQVzIyJn4SCS1PA/s1600/VietnamtoLaos+(10).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="traditional house vietnam" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQouAwH7D_wob9Qt24g334Kn-OSmgaDgYcvo4CwrIArM1kLwNFDrlMdq-nvwH5h5AWqKmgr9SynAz8RwHOTvjplQvzt_7lcPF5op8iJQpP-o_tdsj53nQFPiClqOBOUQVzIyJn4SCS1PA/s1600/VietnamtoLaos+(10).jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaVc4ZzVzCHes_hu9wrFKIzk2MMfRL6Ibo99Ju-xdsvQraAjUNnN_cex625kQr4XXNwYiyU_Yfdz6of5N3CdYcHw_46ITQS54F15bnzVU2cnAXyQ41DONGVgB4AyB1XshiGyqdFbTk8hA/s1600/VietnamtoLaos+(7).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="hitchhiking truck vietnam" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaVc4ZzVzCHes_hu9wrFKIzk2MMfRL6Ibo99Ju-xdsvQraAjUNnN_cex625kQr4XXNwYiyU_Yfdz6of5N3CdYcHw_46ITQS54F15bnzVU2cnAXyQ41DONGVgB4AyB1XshiGyqdFbTk8hA/s1600/VietnamtoLaos+(7).jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting comfy in our 18 wheeler </td></tr>
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Alright! That was it! The end of our trip from Hanoi to Laos, a 200 kilometers journey all done in one day! We continued with the truck through the night to the village of Na Meo which is not easy to reach, especially with a heavy-weight truck. The road after Quan Son slowly faded away to turn into dirt and rocks. The driver had to maneuver the truck around sharp curves bordered with ravins or literally fight with another driver who wouldn’t back up to let us pass, providing us a good entertainment, only pop corn was missing. It was 11 pm when we arrived, we found a cheap guesthouse thanks to the driver and his colleague right on the border and the only thing we would have to do the next morning would be to wake up and walk across the line dividing what was now the familiar to new territory, a new language, and a new people. The next morning waving goodbye to beautiful Vietnam which gave us such amazing experiences as we met so many friendly people, made some great friends, tried some of the best food, and of course discovered the beautiful landscape we were ready for a new journey to begin.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQExlAOEDF_0bnoXgv3hE6OlYJ4RlQXreaqi0m-Xd9_g3-Dykh4ybX5Z-PAxosGono9gZ_foVB7Y3NDEkIaakvyEbIkE0u4md7vBDF0FkStleZoZk0ZNsuBPUwEHEhh3NZXEeeXuvbws/s1600/VietnamtoLaos+(8).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="vietnamese border" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQExlAOEDF_0bnoXgv3hE6OlYJ4RlQXreaqi0m-Xd9_g3-Dykh4ybX5Z-PAxosGono9gZ_foVB7Y3NDEkIaakvyEbIkE0u4md7vBDF0FkStleZoZk0ZNsuBPUwEHEhh3NZXEeeXuvbws/s1600/VietnamtoLaos+(8).jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vietnamese Immigration Office in Na Meo</td></tr>
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Crossing the border was a breeze, especially after some men invited us to drink beer with them at 9 in the morning. Vietnamese customs were very friendly as well as the Laotians. It took around 30 minutes for the whole process of getting out of Vietnam and getting inside Laos. The visa cost us around $30 ($30 for French citizens and $35 for Americans) granting us a month in Laos. We had to walk from time to time, again through tribal villages with kids greeting us with a cute “Hello-Sabaidee”, but a few trucks and a van later we reached the city of Sam Neua, where we could start to enjoy the beauty of this mountainous country!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvuHlnSyYeQR_T5qEHW9j5VHoM84bYZpA07VGpYLUy3_CZbV_DD055MOs8jbtFNCUnkvQyoZxe23GzB9oPH7wsvf2vDh4j1M11oLFCzgBvrkJE1KQTX8yGg5ie7_uGG0_eS_ifNdfMjFI/s1600/VietnamtoLaos+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="lao kids out of school" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvuHlnSyYeQR_T5qEHW9j5VHoM84bYZpA07VGpYLUy3_CZbV_DD055MOs8jbtFNCUnkvQyoZxe23GzB9oPH7wsvf2vDh4j1M11oLFCzgBvrkJE1KQTX8yGg5ie7_uGG0_eS_ifNdfMjFI/s1600/VietnamtoLaos+(1).jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laotian kids running out of school to greet us</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoNDN8DlySWHwzNKq-F6gtxtewhBYesQt5QSbIP-q0EzdmTvUE9Gn2XUo8ukGh2n9uhm3yuopkH3RDKNnnEZbOFcpfyINKzxc9Z0i2y8-EvhRLkfpuQ7eTYhDHlRKYqU-e-MMS8d5m51Q/s1600/VietnamtoLaos+(5).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="lao officials van" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoNDN8DlySWHwzNKq-F6gtxtewhBYesQt5QSbIP-q0EzdmTvUE9Gn2XUo8ukGh2n9uhm3yuopkH3RDKNnnEZbOFcpfyINKzxc9Z0i2y8-EvhRLkfpuQ7eTYhDHlRKYqU-e-MMS8d5m51Q/s1600/VietnamtoLaos+(5).jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hitching a ride with Lao officials</td></tr>
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As we found out from that interesting journey though you never know what to expect going off the beaten track is always a more unique, interesting, and memorable experience. It brought us back to a quote we occasionally forget: “It’s not the destination, but the journey that counts”.<br />
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World Traveling Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04458393221408512915noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884576003437095413.post-45536163520788781672014-04-07T03:12:00.001-07:002014-04-07T03:54:17.238-07:00Onsens in Japan, or better known as ParadiseOnsens in Japan are what the Greeks must have imagined life to be like for the gods on Mount Olympus, paradise. Imagine a room full of jacuzzis some boiling, some medicinal, some ice cold, giant pools, steam rooms, relaxation rooms with comfortable longe chairs, soothing music, and refreshments. The Japanese consider this relaxation time an integral part of their culture and we see why. Of course that is once you get over the fact that your walking around and taking a bath with nothing but a towel on your head with several Japanese none who find this odd at all and have no concern to look at anyone else as they are more concerned with their own relaxation time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first "rural" onsen in Hokkaido</td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: #073763;">What exactly is an onsen?</span></b><br />
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Onsens, or hotsprings, are an integral part of Japanese culture and as Japan is volcanically active they are usually found everywhere. The word “onsen” is usually used in reference to a bathing facility. Now there are many types of onsens: indoor, outdoor, public, private, big, small, in a commercial building, in a random hut in the country side, and even in hotels. Many of the “baths” contain herbs, sulfur, etc usually with a health benefit attached. Some are very simple with only three or four baths while some are luxurious with many baths, saunas, relaxation rooms, massages, and much more.<br />
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Onsens were traditionally outdoors in the countryside, but today, as implied above, they are found everywhere.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #073763;">Why do people go to onsens?</span></b><br />
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Other than being an incredibly relaxing and peaceful place, onsens are believed to have healing powers derived from the minerals in the water. The benefits include healing aches and pains, curing certain diseases, especially chronic skin diseases, aiding in diabetes, improving circulation, aiding constipation, increasing blood flow, and much more. In addition, these facilities are very clean and there has never been a proven case of passing diseases in these facilities... In case you were wondering.<br />
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<span style="color: #073763;"><b>Mixed or single sex onsens?</b></span><br />
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Traditionally, onsens were mixed and some still are, but only in very rural areas. In general mixed onsens in large cities require a bathing suit, and in places where there are mixed onsens there is usually also men-only and women-only facilities for those not wishing to share their nakedness with both sexes. As for the little ones, children, regardless of sex can go into either the male or the female baths.<br />
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<span style="color: #073763;"><b>Costs?</b></span><br />
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The price can range from a few dollars up to one hundred dollars, depending on the type of onsen, the facilities, etc. We once paid thirty dollars for an onsen in an airport with sleeping facilities, personal televisions, a library, free drinks, and the best breakfast buffet, and it was worth it instead of getting a much more expensive hotel room by the airport waiting for our flight! Other than that, for the typical onsen you can usually count on paying five dollars.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #073763;">Why do we love it?</span></b><br />
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Onsens are basically just for relaxing, in the complete sense of the word. Not much noise, no distractions, just complete bliss and peace. It’s one of those things that can’t be explained only experienced. If you do go to Japan and you don’t go to an onsen you are not only missing a large part of Japanese culture but also one of the most pleasant experiences. Before we oversell the idea, the second time is better than the first as you know what to expect and thus are more at ease.<br />
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As a side note, the “jimjibang” in Korea is quite similar and our biggest regret in Korea is not experimenting one.<br />
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Now don’t be like us and spend your first time staring at naked bodies trying to figure out what to do and check out our tips in Onsens: A How To (Upcoming Article).<br />
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Here are the pictures from only one of the onsens we visited as there were almost no other people there, but since the majority of onsens are full of people it didn't seem appropriate to be snapping pictures, but a simple google image search can give those who have never experiences an onsen a better idea.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCRLNVzpX9UYsx266IJR58j0GXvEkKQcTSyH-b8y2vBWheoCP8tbLmPh-0zXjXVWKX8pwxqJ5Is_3FMV2lxYkZAu7E3A_W9wrpUKAc1cjxwc5CA5k1njRPUPa2EN3THAdxAyElYTbWJyM/s1600/onsenjapan+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCRLNVzpX9UYsx266IJR58j0GXvEkKQcTSyH-b8y2vBWheoCP8tbLmPh-0zXjXVWKX8pwxqJ5Is_3FMV2lxYkZAu7E3A_W9wrpUKAc1cjxwc5CA5k1njRPUPa2EN3THAdxAyElYTbWJyM/s1600/onsenjapan+(2).jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The outside baths of this simple countryside onsen in Hokkaido</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9lkZBHfpFe0yGllotzsVA_vxtCG4qkcjDDGaG1_Hhel5U4HsI7q46f9hBo6t_XI9Q-cUkfjFn42pTgA9PaQ_UkWDg1hLmxNgXH6Ke6nf8ZDcr42VCMADOT8xsk3HYU5imt5YG_MDYDw/s1600/onsenjapan+(4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9lkZBHfpFe0yGllotzsVA_vxtCG4qkcjDDGaG1_Hhel5U4HsI7q46f9hBo6t_XI9Q-cUkfjFn42pTgA9PaQ_UkWDg1hLmxNgXH6Ke6nf8ZDcr42VCMADOT8xsk3HYU5imt5YG_MDYDw/s1600/onsenjapan+(4).jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With our couchsurfing host Yoshi-san who took us to this typical Hokkaido onsen</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the inside baths on the men's side of the onsen</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #073763;">Have you been to an onsen? If you haven’t been would you? Also have you been to both a jimjibang and an onsen and if so how do they compare?</span><br />
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World Traveling Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04458393221408512915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884576003437095413.post-66884846659475049302014-02-23T20:15:00.000-08:002014-03-08T06:46:09.219-08:00Video of the Week #4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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While volunteering at a small primary school in rural Thailand we were lucky enough to live at the school along with a few other teachers. This is one of the teacher's daughter who is in Pre-k and would sing this song on a daily basis, mostly due to us prompting her as we thought it was possibly the cutest thing we have seen. Basically the song is about killing a chicken to grill it. </div>
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World Traveling Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04458393221408512915noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884576003437095413.post-92009094384696439372014-02-04T16:07:00.000-08:002014-02-04T17:36:42.996-08:00Video of the Week #3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Video of the Week is back today and for the first time it features a music video. Mocca Garden, a Ska/Reggae band is on top of the Thai billboard with the song "I love Thailand". Fun, pop and refreshing, the song actually talks about "Falang", or westerners in Thai, and why they love to visit this country of South East Asia. The music video shows well-known areas of Bangkok and could be used by a tourism agency to promote Thailand. We don't know if the band is making fun of tourists but the song will stay stuck in your head for a while.<br />
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<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/WXsV_ZKHcm4/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/WXsV_ZKHcm4&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/WXsV_ZKHcm4&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
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For those of you who like karaoke or just want to understand the song, here are the lyrics transposed into our alphabet and translated in English:<br />
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<span style="color: #073763;">ผมรักเมืองไทย ล่ะมาอยู่เมืองไทยหลายปี ๆ<br />pǒm rák munag Thai là maa yùu munag Thai lǎai pbee lǎai pbee<br />I love Thailand and I’m living here for many years.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br /> ผมรักเมืองไทย ล่ะมาอยู่เมืองไทย ล่ะก้อตั้งนานหลายปี<br />pǒm rák munag Thai là maa yùu munag Thai là gôr dtâng naan lǎai pbee<br />I love Thailand and I’m living here for many years now.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763;">ติดอกชอบใจสาว ๆ เมืองไทยน่ะก้อดูสวยดี<br />dtìd oòk chôb jai sǎw sǎw muang Thai nà gôr duu sǔay dii<br />I like Thai girls, they look pretty.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763;"> พอไปเที่ยวพัทยา เดินไปเดินมาเจอแต่ของดี ดี<br />por pbai tîew Pattaya dern pbai dern maa jer dtàe khǒng dii dii<br />When I go to Pattaya, walking around and see a lot of nice things.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763;">ไทยแลนด์ แลนด์อ๊อฟสมาย ฝรั่งชอบใจเวรี่แฮปปี้<br />Thailand land of smile fà-ràng chôb jai very happy<br />Thailand land of smile the foreigners are very happy.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br />ชอบตุ๊ก ๆ ชอบเที่ยววัด ติดใจแร้วครับไม่อยากกลับแร้วสิ<br />chôb Tuk-Tuk chôb tîew wát dtìd jai léaw kráp mâi yàak glàb léaw sìi<br />(I) like Tuk-Tuk, (I) like to visit temples. I’m hooked now and don’t want to go back.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br />ชอบตุ๊ก ๆ ชอบเที่ยววัด ติดใจแร้วครับไม่อยากกลับแร้วสิ …โย้ว<br />chôb Tuk-Tuk chôb tîew wát dtìd jai léaw kráp mâi yàak glàb léaw sìi….yôo<br />(I) like Tuk-tuk, (I) like to visit temples. I’m hooked now and don’t want to go back…Yoo!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br /> ฉันล่ะมาอยู่เมืองไทย ล่ะสนุกสุขขี ล่ะมาอยู่เมืองไทย<br />chǎn là maa yùu muang Thai là sà-nòok sòok khǐi là maa yùu muang Thai<br />I’m living in Thailand, I’m so happy to live here.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br /> ฉันล่ะมาอยู่เมืองไทย ล่ะสนุกสุขขี ล่ะมาอยู่เมืองไทย<br />chǎn là maa yùu muang Thai là sà-nòok sòok khǐi là maa yùu muang Thai<br />I’m living in Thailand, I’m so happy to live here.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;">ฉันล่ะมาอยู่เมืองไทย ล่ะสนุกสุขขี ล่ะมาอยู่เมืองไทย<br />chǎn là maa yùu muang Thai là sà-nòok sòok khǐi là maa yùu muang Thai<br />I’m living in Thailand, I’m so happy to live here.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br /> ฉันล่ะมาอยู่เมืองไทย ล่ะสนุกสุขขี ล่ะมาอยู่เมืองไทย<br />chǎn là maa yùu muang Thai là sà-nòok sòok khǐi là maa yùu muang Thai<br />I’m living in Thailand, I’m so happy to live here.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br />ผมรักเมืองไทย ล่ะมาอยู่เมืองไทยหลายปี ๆ<br />pǒm rák munag Thai là maa yùu munag Thai lǎai pbee lǎai pbee<br />I love Thailand and I’m living here for many years.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br /> ผมรักเมืองไทย ล่ะมาอยู่เมืองไทยล่ะก้อตั้งนานหลายปี<br />pǒm rák munag Thai là maa yùu munag Thai là gôr dtâng naan lǎai pbee<br />I love Thailand and I’m living here for many years now.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br />เช้านี้นึกครึ้มใจ อยากเช่ามอไซด์ล่ะไปเที่ยวกระบี่<br />cháao níi néuk kréum jai yàak chòa mor-sai pbai tíew gra-bi<br />This morning, (I’m in such) high spirits and want to a rent motorbike and go to Krabi</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br /> อันดามันล่ะช่างน่าสนใจ ฝรั่งบอกอยากไป ไอว้อนทูซี<br />Andaman là châang nâa son-jai fà-ràng yàak pbai I want to see<br />Andaman sea seems very interesting, foreigners want to go say ” I want to see”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br />พอมาถึงฝรั่งตกใจ เฮ้ย ส้มตำไทยล่ะมันแซ่บอีหลี<br />por maa thěung fà-ràng dtòk jai hóie sôm-dtum Thai là man sáb e-lěe<br />When foreigners arrived they were surprised HEY! Thai papaya salad it’s so tasty.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br /> ฝรั่งบอกสบายไม่พรือ ไม่พรื้อ ไม่พรือ หร้อยดี ๆ<br />fà-ràng bòk sà-baai mâi preu mâi préu mâi preu rôi dii rôi dii<br />Foreigners say, it’s fine! It’s not spicy and very delicious.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br />ชอบเกาะหงัน ชอบลันตา ชาวเรือดีว่ารางบอกเขาที<br />chôb kòr ngǎn chôk lan dta chôb reau dii wâa rang bòk kǎo tii<br />Like Ngaan island, Lanta island and like</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br /> ชอบเกาะหงัน ชอบลันตา ชาวเรือดีว่ารางบอกเขาที … โย้ว<br />chôb kòr ngǎn chôk lan dta chôb reau dii wâa rang bòk kǎo tii…yoo!<br />Like Ngaan island, Lanta island and like</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br />ชอบเกาะหงัน ชอบลันตา ชาวเรือดีว่ารางบอกเขาที<br />chôb kòr ngǎn chôk lan dta chôb reau dii wâa rang bòk kǎo tii<br />Like Ngaan island, Lanta island and like</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br />ชอบเกาะหงัน ชอบลันตา ชาวเรือดีว่ารางบอกเขาที<br />chôb kòr ngǎn chôk lan dta chôb reau dii wâa rang bòk kǎo tii<br />Like Ngaan island, Lanta island and like</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br />แจ๋วเรยนี่แหละครับเมืองไทย ฝรั่งบอกถูกใจ แขกบอกสบาย ๆ<br />jǎew leoi nîi làe kráb muang Thai fà-ràng bòk tòok jai kàek bòk sà-baai sà-baai<br />so cool! this is Thailand, foreigners say they like. Indian say it’s chill chill.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br /> แจ๋วเรยนี่แหล่ะครับเมืองกรุง ถ้าเด็กชอบร็อคลุง ลุงบอกจะทำยังไง<br />jǎew leoi nîi làe kráb muang krung tǎa dèk chôb rock lung lung bòk jàa taam yang ngai<br />so cool! this is Bangkok if children like rock(music) uncle said “what should I do?”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br />เที่ยวเรยเสรีดีจัง ขนาดผมไม่มีกระตังค์ ยังช็อปกระจุยกระจาย<br />tiew leoi sǎy-ree dii jang kà-nàad mâi mee dtang yang shop gra-jui gra-jai<br />freedom traveling is good even though I don’t have money but still shopping like crazy.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br />แจ๋วเรย ๆ มาอยู่เมืองไทยแจ๋วเรย<br />jǎew leoi jǎew leoi maa yùu muang Thai jǎew leoi<br />so cool, come to live in Thailand is so cool.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br />งานเข้าฝรั่งแร่ะซี พาสปอร์ตที่มี เฮ้ยมันหายไปไหน<br />ngaan kâo fà-ràng lâe sìi passport tîi mee hóie man hǎai pbai nǎi<br />A foreigner is in trouble now, passport I have hey !! it’s disappear!!.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br />โปลิสไทยล่ะเค้าว่าใจดี ตามคืนให้ทีได้ไหม<br />pbo-lise Thai là káo wàa jai dii dtam keun hâi tii dâi mǎi<br />Thai police they say is helpful please bring it back, can you?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br />ไม่เกิน 3 วัน 7 วัน พาสปอร์ตใบนั้นกลับมาได้ไง<br />mâi gern sǎam wan jèd wan passport bai nán glab maa dâi ngai<br />no longer than 3-7 days, how can the passport returned?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br /> คนไทยเค้าว่าสุดยอด เมืองไทยล่ะเค้าว่าสุดยอด<br />kon Thai káo wâa sòod yôd muang Thai là káo wâa sòod yôd<br />They say Thai people are amazing, they say Thailand is also amazing.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br />จะเข้าจะออกล่ะรุ้สึกปลอดภัย … โย้ว<br />jà kâo jà oòk là róo-sèuk pbròd-pai..yoo!<br />whether coming or going (I’m) feeling safe.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br />ฉันล่ะมาอยู่เมืองไทย ล่ะสนุกสุขขี ล่ะมาอยู่เมืองไทย<br />chǎn là maa yùu muang Thai là sà-nòok sòok khǐi là maa yùu muang Thai<br />I’m living in Thailand, I’m so happy to live here.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br /> ฉันล่ะมาอยู่เมืองไทย ล่ะสนุกสุขขี ล่ะมาอยู่เมืองไทย<br />chǎn là maa yùu muang Thai là sà-nòok sòok khǐi là maa yùu muang Thai<br />I’m living in Thailand, I’m so happy to live here.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br />ฉันล่ะมาอยู่เมืองไทย ล่ะสนุกสุขขี ล่ะมาอยู่เมืองไทย<br />chǎn là maa yùu muang Thai là sà-nòok sòok khǐi là maa yùu muang Thai<br />I’m living in Thailand, I’m so happy to live here.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br /> ฉันล่ะมาอยู่เมืองไทย ล่ะสนุกสุขขี ล่ะมาอยู่เมืองไทย<br />chǎn là maa yùu muang Thai là sà-nòok sòok khǐi là maa yùu muang Thai<br />I’m living in Thailand, I’m so happy to live here.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br />เวลคัมทู ไทยแลนด์สู่ดินแดนสุขขี หลายเชื้อหลายชาติ<br />welcome to Thailand sòo din dan sòok khǐi lǎai chéu lǎai châd<br />welcome to Thailand, to the happy land with a lot of race and country.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br /> นี่แหละดินแดนเสรี ไม่ว่ามีหรือไม่มี ล่ะมาเที่ยวกันได้<br />nîi làe din dan sǎy-ree mâi wâa mii rěu mâi mii là maa tîew gan dâi<br />This is the free land, no matter rich or poor they can travel here.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br />อะไรก้อได้ อะไรก้อได้ นี่แหละเมืองไทย อี้เย่ ๆ<br />à-rai gôr dâi à-rai gôr dâi nîi làe muang Thai eé yâe eé yâe<br />whatever whatever, this is Thailand.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br />ผมรักเมืองไทย ล่ะมาอยู่เมืองไทยหลายปี ๆ<br />pǒm rák munag Thai là maa yùu munag Thai lǎai pbee lǎai pbee<br />I love Thailand and I’m living here for many years now.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br /> ผมรักเมืองไทย ล่ะมาอยู่เมืองไทยล่ะก้อตั้งนานหลายปี<br />pǒm rák munag Thai là maa yùu munag Thai là gôr dtâng naan lǎai pbee<br />I love Thailand and I’m living here for many years now.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br />ผมรักเมืองไทย ล่ะมาอยู่เมืองไทยหลายปี ๆ<br />pǒm rák munag Thai là maa yùu munag Thai lǎai pbee lǎai pbee<br />I love Thailand and I’m living here for many years now.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br /> ผมรักเมืองไทย ล่ะมาอยู่เมืองไทยล่ะก้อตั้งนานหลายปี…โย้ว<br />pǒm rák munag Thai là maa yùu munag Thai là gôr dtâng naan lǎai pbee..yoo!<br />I love Thailand and I’m living here for many years now.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br />อยู่ยาว ยาว ไปเรย<br />yùu yaaw yaaw pbai leoi<br />Let’s stay for long long time.</span></div>
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Lyrics found on this cool <a href="http://ressources.learn2speakthai.net/news/%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%9C%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%81%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%B7%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%87%E0%B9%84%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%A2-thai-love-thailand-song/" target="_blank">blog</a></div>
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World Traveling Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04458393221408512915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884576003437095413.post-85027294675289139172014-02-03T16:27:00.000-08:002014-02-04T16:07:54.880-08:009 MonthsWe have now been traveling for nine months, or around 276 days. In that time we could have conceived and birthed a child, made a lot of money, or built a house, but instead we...<br />
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Ate silk worm larvae, partied, sang and dance with old Korean ladies, visited the super secretive North Korean border, were fed the delicacy raw crab by our host’s super eager to please mom at 7am, listened to the soft chants of the monks in countless temples and visited one of the world’s top amusement parks in Korea.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-KjUMXHjGFcGMOTlzy7VkGOmykPx-S1URcHFhrppJa6i0iyrRqu9CpSWY0Y6C-3JL_jJgurlBiimH-mKSY2FQ3bEOHUSqakmfPfBrats3HfC14zeMwcTc6mgGp-I_TwVF75PdvVY1RV0/s1600/silkworm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-KjUMXHjGFcGMOTlzy7VkGOmykPx-S1URcHFhrppJa6i0iyrRqu9CpSWY0Y6C-3JL_jJgurlBiimH-mKSY2FQ3bEOHUSqakmfPfBrats3HfC14zeMwcTc6mgGp-I_TwVF75PdvVY1RV0/s1600/silkworm.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying Silk Worm Larvae in Pohang. </td></tr>
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Bathed naked with hundreds of Japanese in onsens, visited the northernmost sake factory, climbed an active volcano and looked into its steaming center, partied on a rooftop of a snazzy apartment building in Tokyo, and ate at the oldest sushi restaurant in the world in Japan.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgylZu6nl3mulh3ZgyYq8Mk4bTYRkN5Di1UZ6f-Jz_KMNsEgEQYQp-bGV_0arum7zxmL64DoS_igDqbHCRCoKh_tt_0SZJqBj_qYPyo5ygD6HHpSauFIMtzRnRXQPJ3_ZsPThuHYZWscV4/s1600/sushiresto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgylZu6nl3mulh3ZgyYq8Mk4bTYRkN5Di1UZ6f-Jz_KMNsEgEQYQp-bGV_0arum7zxmL64DoS_igDqbHCRCoKh_tt_0SZJqBj_qYPyo5ygD6HHpSauFIMtzRnRXQPJ3_ZsPThuHYZWscV4/s1600/sushiresto.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sushi at the world's oldest sushi restaurant in Tokyo.</td></tr>
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Jumped from cliffs into a crystal clear turquoise river, worked on a farm, hitchhiked around the entire country, ate countless snacks in crowded night markets in Taiwan.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikm-RxrfalodxHS-5yMdplYbPuCXKVc96Cv5fhuM14Y-zEZnfJn41FFd01XTUoGpB-o4H6qGKYTi1fPSwq9_jw9sA_st-XS9yd0cVdBXJW52StwQmPUzO0IUCaXaXST7P6vtFgrtXP9Og/s1600/taroko-gorge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikm-RxrfalodxHS-5yMdplYbPuCXKVc96Cv5fhuM14Y-zEZnfJn41FFd01XTUoGpB-o4H6qGKYTi1fPSwq9_jw9sA_st-XS9yd0cVdBXJW52StwQmPUzO0IUCaXaXST7P6vtFgrtXP9Og/s1600/taroko-gorge.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The crystal clear waters between the cliffs near Taroko Gorge. </td></tr>
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Saw the most paradisiac beaches, made best friends, saw the world's second smallest primate, karaoked all night with our crazy Filipino friends, ate duck embryo and drank too much beer in the Philippines.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShXycS5D7OFH3CZa_VXxLpNpOe6UjNpHhqFr0yzKFZYuVnIhrSbyIXFp1N1zmx5-lUhzQAzaCiydwJ8tMJA7KGIxMmv37BwRI_FL5JhXIJDgq0iRRHTF6bhtTTCiHm72C0eiajdx-Vww/s1600/Philippinebeach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShXycS5D7OFH3CZa_VXxLpNpOe6UjNpHhqFr0yzKFZYuVnIhrSbyIXFp1N1zmx5-lUhzQAzaCiydwJ8tMJA7KGIxMmv37BwRI_FL5JhXIJDgq0iRRHTF6bhtTTCiHm72C0eiajdx-Vww/s1600/Philippinebeach.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful coast of Bantayan, not far from Cebu.</td></tr>
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Visited one of the world’s most advanced cities and experienced Ramadan with our Malay friend’s Muslim family in Singapore.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE6wMILo6xdEjDhw-c_sWhTzYSpXj8Xox3kFNjJzhFNdIkHv4L-dCOp6gSsW3jKzNenMO_YAeunXe8XKss7GmJmzJlnvoNp24BnG9wS4PG2jihJjnvFXp8cEp5e0TrSQbr9lHR6x0PBvQ/s1600/Singapore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE6wMILo6xdEjDhw-c_sWhTzYSpXj8Xox3kFNjJzhFNdIkHv4L-dCOp6gSsW3jKzNenMO_YAeunXe8XKss7GmJmzJlnvoNp24BnG9wS4PG2jihJjnvFXp8cEp5e0TrSQbr9lHR6x0PBvQ/s1600/Singapore.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The modern metropolis of Singapore.</td></tr>
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Saw the most beautiful mix of three cultures, religions, and languages, photographed hundreds of monkeys, got lost in a jungle and attacked by very angry monkeys, and ate a traditional hotpot with a Chinese-Malaysian family in Malaysia.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrvRAIcz8C6xNICx4VXYfVMt_ZqSToFj1q8afp8GyT7MpYJ3GBnyrYkV7YbUovEZKO6Nqw9KG_iUoh_dn6altXvREkP9MrbBGj5WFbCfZf3OKJBBqdj5ZZ5G2lsU6oSPBessQMRxs2s0/s1600/malaysiamonkey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrvRAIcz8C6xNICx4VXYfVMt_ZqSToFj1q8afp8GyT7MpYJ3GBnyrYkV7YbUovEZKO6Nqw9KG_iUoh_dn6altXvREkP9MrbBGj5WFbCfZf3OKJBBqdj5ZZ5G2lsU6oSPBessQMRxs2s0/s1600/malaysiamonkey.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of those attacking monkeys not far from Kuala Lumpur.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Learned how to catch, gut, and cook a fish on an open fire, got invited to stay at random strangers’ houses, learned a lot about Islam, made some amazing friends, got acquainted with one of the most open and welcoming cultures, learned how to really ride a motorbike, snorkeled among incredible reefs and colorful fish, and ate snake in Indonesia.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOn3lT0gQO5899pm3z28bkoYWQKvJBNCH5W2-cxGLfCouxP2QOvp_YX-LvjqeEH-0TN5G2tnfalx3M5ScpwlPyhiLpsg1WHaK0YKj7nF1FAFew4x9ZAbrCZUlLyPwd_pacWIsjLZZKptw/s1600/indonesiafish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOn3lT0gQO5899pm3z28bkoYWQKvJBNCH5W2-cxGLfCouxP2QOvp_YX-LvjqeEH-0TN5G2tnfalx3M5ScpwlPyhiLpsg1WHaK0YKj7nF1FAFew4x9ZAbrCZUlLyPwd_pacWIsjLZZKptw/s1600/indonesiafish.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Learning the real way to catch, gut, and cook fish.</td></tr>
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Ate dog, journeyed into the less traveled north with a motorbike, an inaccurate google maps, and a lot of hope, taught English to both children and the handicapped, drank 8 beers for less than one dollar, got lost in random tribal villages, ate, slept, made friends with and felt like locals for 1 month in Vietnam.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJWUgWoI0uCk48iSyxP3m-VgqXAOa4VeKwOi8AanecGtjEVWl1J5YEsYwUGz0vxbuvamSRMO1BgpSjG78ANSXwCgf3QZthHhN1uB2VFI1ClxY20NqgbNkhGYeIFgHLo0H6Iks18EZ8XI/s1600/Vietnamnorth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJWUgWoI0uCk48iSyxP3m-VgqXAOa4VeKwOi8AanecGtjEVWl1J5YEsYwUGz0vxbuvamSRMO1BgpSjG78ANSXwCgf3QZthHhN1uB2VFI1ClxY20NqgbNkhGYeIFgHLo0H6Iks18EZ8XI/s1600/Vietnamnorth.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lost in traditional Hmong villages in northern Vietnam.</td></tr>
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Saw the rare Irrawaddy dolphin, saw monks with smartphones on vacation, were followed around by an entire village (over 20) of children who had just seen their first foreigner, shared a house and played guitar and sang with Russians, Chinese, an American-Chinese, and Italians, and saw the most traditional of traditional villages in Laos.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pR4BdP0vw6EMW51r4tlPVZ8esaZRYwJ8hoqIb4-oDWmV3oR8uxO2NFNX_O1nhTsE1S-JNtocBiM_eAGGXy1356oTWqQHoP96xCjHwIcaQ1oiS1Z0tppTdsWReY8pmY4B5Vvg6oX2xvA/s1600/LaosMonks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pR4BdP0vw6EMW51r4tlPVZ8esaZRYwJ8hoqIb4-oDWmV3oR8uxO2NFNX_O1nhTsE1S-JNtocBiM_eAGGXy1356oTWqQHoP96xCjHwIcaQ1oiS1Z0tppTdsWReY8pmY4B5Vvg6oX2xvA/s1600/LaosMonks.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monks visiting the Buddha Park near Vientiane.</td></tr>
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Visited the world famous Angkor Wat and surrounding temples, were invited by poor, very rural villagers to share rice whiskey and try dog’s head, and swam in the clearest, bluest sacred lake surrounded by little mostly naked Cambodian children splashing around us in Cambodia.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7Qw_bS_8RqKCWp6g5KAHjNW52zu-NVlwRe70f94Dkuq9fMjm0oZln-5jSirLJrJ-wdI9aYr31KqbfbekexmahARf1rqixNftPEPob3661rX_CWVoVefbVVefD2xWnY1sr8K_jAMeIZ8/s1600/Cambodiagirls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7Qw_bS_8RqKCWp6g5KAHjNW52zu-NVlwRe70f94Dkuq9fMjm0oZln-5jSirLJrJ-wdI9aYr31KqbfbekexmahARf1rqixNftPEPob3661rX_CWVoVefbVVefD2xWnY1sr8K_jAMeIZ8/s1600/Cambodiagirls.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Braiding little "sales"girls hair outside one of the temples around Angkor Wat.</td></tr>
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And finally, stayed one weekend in a Buddhist monastery and spent one month teaching English in a rural village in Northeastern Thailand, learning more of the culture, people, food, and lifestyle than we ever could have visiting all the famous sites and staying in hotels in Thailand.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSQ7-4JCKITI6CwdT2E7qg9JNaNJFPKUvOXaNrjnmxJibFEpnrOl1zuAtMaqxLEhqoBSmCSth89L36n7NZAqPg_Yj6GvboCJBiXz3108H_4hV1VkcgkPC66pn8VKZh_iOhb0LX0em_Ho/s1600/Thailandschool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSQ7-4JCKITI6CwdT2E7qg9JNaNJFPKUvOXaNrjnmxJibFEpnrOl1zuAtMaqxLEhqoBSmCSth89L36n7NZAqPg_Yj6GvboCJBiXz3108H_4hV1VkcgkPC66pn8VKZh_iOhb0LX0em_Ho/s1600/Thailandschool.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first grade students at Klong Bai Phat school.</td></tr>
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Best of all though we got to experience the culture and people of each country through <a href="http://broketravelers.blogspot.com/2013/10/cheap-i-mean-free-transport-hitchhiking.html" target="_blank">hitchhiking</a>, <a href="http://broketravelers.blogspot.com/2013/10/couchsurfing.html" target="_blank">Couchsurfing</a>, and <a href="http://broketravelers.blogspot.com/2013/10/saving-money-and-giving-back.html" target="_blank">HelpX</a>. We ate with, slept, and lived almost like locals.<span id="goog_1071025460"></span><span id="goog_1071025461"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw_Yjfj233-v9iARU7hoFbnmqvsSn2O2yqpdIVxk4_h35q8piRn2BLQWGDn3StNKYKCsZWABcf0yf07XUBL9XFo2xhJTPerSPw6a15WMgtND4GSD66_iC-lMMAPmKeVTHjv85WCL8-lkA/s1600/Taiwanhitchhiking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw_Yjfj233-v9iARU7hoFbnmqvsSn2O2yqpdIVxk4_h35q8piRn2BLQWGDn3StNKYKCsZWABcf0yf07XUBL9XFo2xhJTPerSPw6a15WMgtND4GSD66_iC-lMMAPmKeVTHjv85WCL8-lkA/s1600/Taiwanhitchhiking.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hitchhiking with this sweet family ended up at a restaurant with a huge lunch and their friends.</td></tr>
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Though in nine months we could have accomplished a lot, we have experienced more in each month than we could ever hope to in an entire year at home. This is what we love about traveling each day brings a new surprise and a new discovery, and we never know what to expect of tomorrow.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTRKrpRm7ZuQbxjJHmTck3vsySI70-2VPBplv-FDJxA0GG5humuWKuv8nRj7hT2uVxxxRKNEpe16lvLR3vavzpFFKWUWN4AdT7DoZfI8_hc9PHynh9oNjHEJdHp2vOxyw57ZjQ_JOYm0/s1600/Indonesiacouchsurfing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTRKrpRm7ZuQbxjJHmTck3vsySI70-2VPBplv-FDJxA0GG5humuWKuv8nRj7hT2uVxxxRKNEpe16lvLR3vavzpFFKWUWN4AdT7DoZfI8_hc9PHynh9oNjHEJdHp2vOxyw57ZjQ_JOYm0/s1600/Indonesiacouchsurfing.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Road tripping with our new friends in Sumatra, Indonesia.</td></tr>
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World Traveling Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04458393221408512915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884576003437095413.post-74881507281217807282014-02-01T20:44:00.001-08:002014-02-01T23:17:22.499-08:00Picture of the Week #4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9q8N8vKuTMZB95ad1OpxVGcfkkZsKhufZw7n45hYAr0WVlhGuDzH7MYNF7nyg7CMIrgoFu-GFhWda0WGo3ZSoPMvMdCmQ2HJJ4UdGq-_aQgzq-IKdeARPpeuv8sE-F16peuXpOdV5QMI/s1600/picofweek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9q8N8vKuTMZB95ad1OpxVGcfkkZsKhufZw7n45hYAr0WVlhGuDzH7MYNF7nyg7CMIrgoFu-GFhWda0WGo3ZSoPMvMdCmQ2HJJ4UdGq-_aQgzq-IKdeARPpeuv8sE-F16peuXpOdV5QMI/s1600/picofweek.jpg" height="160" width="400" /></a></div>
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Thanks to <a href="http://broketravelers.blogspot.com/2013/10/saving-money-and-giving-back.html">HelpX</a> we spent an amazing, memorable month volunteering teaching English to primary school students in a not-on-googlemaps village. This village, Klong Bai Phat is around 30 minutes from Wang Nam Khiaw, not far from Nakhon Rathcasima in Northeast Thailand. These are some of the kindergarten children who love to run up to our door in the morning to yell out "Hello teacher!".<a name='more'></a><div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-pKym5TRN27Fr1DL4v_eVrkgbn1jyOqvb_G2-vYGCm6nr3HKf53QBeHiFNSurvl8_VGC9k0pEMQStMsCuY7FjMpi9_mFRyMIReaR8ZsTuTQgWkIVFjC3rU6smXVkagvvWCZLyKC8Y-xI/s1600/children-thailand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-pKym5TRN27Fr1DL4v_eVrkgbn1jyOqvb_G2-vYGCm6nr3HKf53QBeHiFNSurvl8_VGC9k0pEMQStMsCuY7FjMpi9_mFRyMIReaR8ZsTuTQgWkIVFjC3rU6smXVkagvvWCZLyKC8Y-xI/s1600/children-thailand.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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World Traveling Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04458393221408512915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884576003437095413.post-86341701609494616542014-01-26T23:19:00.000-08:002014-01-27T21:32:15.747-08:00Japan or Korea ?Asia is an immense and diverse continent, spreading from Turkey to the end of the world, the far East, where you will find two powerful nations, rivals since the dawn of History yet sharing so many common aspects, Japan and Korea. Japan on one hand, has been a powerful country for ages and thus has fascinated many generations of travelers while Korea, though mysterious, has always been the underdog, even once colonized and enslaved by its neighbor, Japan.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKdQg_CmZkjxPECKBw4oza1aAzMl8uvHWX3Oxf0uQe0maiRVrjWwk-lr1SJ6LGYb56re63Jrkp38Gc-YbYdrYsXgfmQMhrXY4L5c2Zlug5Z2UA-ldTPJ5axkRevBkPfs7QK7JNGXsXnUs/s1600/koreajapan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKdQg_CmZkjxPECKBw4oza1aAzMl8uvHWX3Oxf0uQe0maiRVrjWwk-lr1SJ6LGYb56re63Jrkp38Gc-YbYdrYsXgfmQMhrXY4L5c2Zlug5Z2UA-ldTPJ5axkRevBkPfs7QK7JNGXsXnUs/s1600/koreajapan.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Nowadays, a lot of things have changed. While Japan is still in the mind of many travelers, Korea is finally, though slowly, catching up with its neighbor, becoming a popular destination as well, thanks to a boasting economy and a music and cinema industry spreading Korean culture all over the globe. While most people will chose Japan over South Korea, we will try to give you a more complete comparison of these two Asian dragons.<br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-size: large;"><b>Why comparing those countries ?</b></span><br />
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One cannot deny that Japan and South Korea are often seen as similar countries.The two are the epitome of Oriental creativity and both have their own competing and successful industries. Music, cinema, comics, cars, technology, it’s simple, what Japan does Korea does, but does it mean those Far East countries are similar? In order to make the comparison simple, we came up with a few different categories relating to what a traveler is really looking for when traveling.<br />
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The necessity of comparing Japan and Korea came to us because even though one might see those nations as similar, travelers tend to prefer Japan and sadly skip Korea. You might find in Korea what you where looking for in Japan.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjInHpdZgqLMjr-MrXyGzmT71Q8ODnwXDO3Nh415xYO47hLmxGCRZvaNs5209Rvun0ffvveihO6wI8HTWyrwD_8Xi2vcMk4vwF5usYznjpJvlhcqo6aPZlpom7rAIsdr84B9PolMfqx-Iw/s1600/japan-korea-map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Japan and Korea map" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjInHpdZgqLMjr-MrXyGzmT71Q8ODnwXDO3Nh415xYO47hLmxGCRZvaNs5209Rvun0ffvveihO6wI8HTWyrwD_8Xi2vcMk4vwF5usYznjpJvlhcqo6aPZlpom7rAIsdr84B9PolMfqx-Iw/s1600/japan-korea-map.jpg" height="213" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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*Everything written in this article is based upon our own impressions and knowledge of both countries, information we gathered while traveling not reading a guide book, therefore we encourage anyone to leave comments and add things to our list.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #20124d; font-size: large;">Duration of stay:</span></b><br />
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How long can someone stay in Japan and South Korea? While it is possible to stay for years in countries such as India without even fully discovering the depths of the nation, it is a little bit more easy to stay for a short period of time in Korea or Japan and have quite a good understanding of the culture, sites and people. <br />
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<b><span style="color: #073763;">Why is it so?</span> </b><br />
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Both Korea and Japan are very homogeneous countries, which means there are only minimal differences between the different provinces, hence no matter where someone is traveling, almost any element of culture, food and religion will be identical or at least quite similar. Japan is bigger than South Korea, therefore it offers a wider range of attractions. While one month can be more than enough to experience South Korea, it might require at least 3 months to say that one saw Japan and its four main islands. <br />
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<b><span style="color: #073763;">What if I only have one week or two ?</span></b> <br />
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Chose your destination(s) wisely, remember that both countries are industrialized thus if you are looking for a “traditional” experience picking cities such as Nagoya in Japan or Pohang in South Korea might not leave you with the impression you hoped for. In addition, since the countries are quite close, many budget airlines connect the two destinations daily offering the chance to experience a small part of each country.<br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-size: large;"><b>Sites</b></span><br />
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Sites are what make a country interesting, unique and brings tourists from all over the globe. Japanese sites such as Mount Fuji or the city of Kyoto are well known world wide while Korea still struggles to attract travelers from the West. Once again our reviews below are based on what we felt and saw in both countries and are completely subjective.<br />
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<span style="color: #073763;"><b>Historical</b></span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOIVL6CWOUXlBk3h0oSKFfb0GUpDv4pkM_OI3T6JfSsb1SSJHj6Zezi9iRdZwiyLVgz8a0fWmLsbpjsm7hrXcbVcWcA_ehHhzk5H1smwhdoKCGV1sc3Hw7prvwsC5cSwOjs-_syouJwSc/s1600/gujo-castle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Gujo-Hachiman castle" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOIVL6CWOUXlBk3h0oSKFfb0GUpDv4pkM_OI3T6JfSsb1SSJHj6Zezi9iRdZwiyLVgz8a0fWmLsbpjsm7hrXcbVcWcA_ehHhzk5H1smwhdoKCGV1sc3Hw7prvwsC5cSwOjs-_syouJwSc/s1600/gujo-castle.jpg" height="133" title="" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Castle of Gujo-Hachiman, Japan</td></tr>
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Emperors, Samurais, Shoguns, Ninjas, this is Japan! All over the country, castles are found on top of hills overlooking now well developed cities and even if most of them are reconstitutions, they are worth every penny visiting for they share nothing in common with European Castles, big white wooden structures roofed with metal and gold, it is quite an impressive sight. The cities of Kyoto and Nara, once capitals of the Empire, are open air museums, and will keep many travelers for days wandering inside their arteries.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuXCzcfa3CFu9yudNmQhYN_I9Snu5xswyBfTW3bpfxPMOD7cgjNB5BxE2LztSjtXsOMQzPervTP0MRyY0zk3jMHjiA9-yCwcdJZzWCCto0Bm49Zt6wu4Py61J22FnlNDw-k5Xx8_8I20M/s1600/seoul-palace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Seoul Royal Palace" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuXCzcfa3CFu9yudNmQhYN_I9Snu5xswyBfTW3bpfxPMOD7cgjNB5BxE2LztSjtXsOMQzPervTP0MRyY0zk3jMHjiA9-yCwcdJZzWCCto0Bm49Zt6wu4Py61J22FnlNDw-k5Xx8_8I20M/s1600/seoul-palace.jpg" height="133" title="" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Changgyeonggung Palace, Seoul</td></tr>
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Even if South Korea has a long dynasty of kings, truth is ancient historical sites are not as numerous as Japanese ones. Only a few palaces dot the country, a major site being the town of Gyeongju whose royal tombs, surrounding sites, and quaint old town atmosphere can keep visitors for a few days longer than they expected. Though there aren’t many historical sites in Korea, those that are there are well preserved and provide good information about what life used to be like in this mysterious land in the middle ages.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHykgvV0MLbdGK6qKd44QZVTUUwYmSgaznl50xQTp1viILpEXN6iwCZbAK2bjuU3Yd3ugzeO1I8XHugPZuYkm6nCH02n98IG8QstzpAiLIy12AQkw9J9GJPCVwvDYk2sKOmP70H-O3sgw/s1600/korea-DMZ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="DMZ South Korea" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHykgvV0MLbdGK6qKd44QZVTUUwYmSgaznl50xQTp1viILpEXN6iwCZbAK2bjuU3Yd3ugzeO1I8XHugPZuYkm6nCH02n98IG8QstzpAiLIy12AQkw9J9GJPCVwvDYk2sKOmP70H-O3sgw/s1600/korea-DMZ.jpg" height="133" title="" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A soldier guarding the DMZ</td></tr>
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Now South Korea has an historical attraction Japan will hopefully never have. Korea, divided between the North and the South is still writing a page of modern history, therefore many travelers go to the country of the morning calm to visit the DMZ or Demilitarized Zone. This area splits the two enemies like a scar, a harsh reminder that brothers too can fight against each other. A trip to the DMZ is better than a visit to any museum of war, because the tension is palpable, it is real. Japan moved on after WWII, and even the cities of Hiroshima and Nagazaki were reconstructed, therefore only a few traces of this period are visible, left only in museums for the most part.</div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><b>Natural</b></span><br />
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Both Japan and Korea are mountainous lands but an overlook at a map shows you something, Japan is way bigger than South Korea. Some might think it means Japan has more to offer than Korea, but surprisingly South Korea stands proudly next to Japan when it comes to natural attractions.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg344LdQx3TheI8Rk07bKLURQd30qnnSqoXOxhqonwiJm-HAfYUImCGeLedk89FL5DumrH91HVLoyb65SmqwPeDt0VtZj1n0rhefEN8Z88ruqIrWqEMQPHK96KzC-LEgKtIR8mE7FI0_5Q/s1600/hokkaido-volcano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Hokkaido volcano" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg344LdQx3TheI8Rk07bKLURQd30qnnSqoXOxhqonwiJm-HAfYUImCGeLedk89FL5DumrH91HVLoyb65SmqwPeDt0VtZj1n0rhefEN8Z88ruqIrWqEMQPHK96KzC-LEgKtIR8mE7FI0_5Q/s1600/hokkaido-volcano.jpg" height="133" title="" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On top of a volcano, Japan</td></tr>
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Let’s start with what the archipelago is known for, volcanoes! Volcanoes are everywhere in Japan, active and extinct. There are too many to give an actual count. Hiking on top of a volcano is an incredible experience and will blow your mind, sadly South Korea can not match Japan in these interesting geological formations, including a multitude of hotsprings, crater lakes, and more.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4z-3VeaB92zwcsjlatnvMJj8fAvt0Mb9ADEeRmMOl-0d7VmqHOtuwXZ5W2mqIO44QNd9koZN9mhlev3p7s1BX7wJLWmXVyRDwLjk2IRnT3lDbuBHTEHYkCgkOHWWd6N4DuyWm9-H4Bg/s1600/busan-mountain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Mountains of Busan" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4z-3VeaB92zwcsjlatnvMJj8fAvt0Mb9ADEeRmMOl-0d7VmqHOtuwXZ5W2mqIO44QNd9koZN9mhlev3p7s1BX7wJLWmXVyRDwLjk2IRnT3lDbuBHTEHYkCgkOHWWd6N4DuyWm9-H4Bg/s1600/busan-mountain.jpg" height="133" title="" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountains outside of Busan, Korea</td></tr>
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But apart from that, those two dragons share a pretty much similar range of natural sites. From exotic islands like Okinawa for Japan or Jeju-Do for Korea to ski resorts like Nagano or Pyeongchang, both countries will give you endless options for outdoors adventures. Here the fact that South Korea is smaller might be an advantage for short time travelers as it is easier to sample all the various landscapes in less time. One last important thing, National Parks are free to visit in both lands.</div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><b>Religious </b></span><br />
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Temples are always popular attractions all over Asia. When it comes to Japan and Korea religious sites are like the ying and the yang. First it is important to say that both countries are Buddhist, even though Christianity is pretty present in South Korea, due to the arrival of missionaries during the Korean War. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeXOzAY-wz0ffp6R0X0wtn4LGa2rrq5VgDjWOjCSXeL0aFjdr3VKVDGhC6lh0pFqAgel-fhRLoX3o8vvsY3Kfg6bToORhTrYb1vn6GZrFu2ghxx5B70sjUymAYXj6VUQGeUfRxfg2yns/s1600/nara-temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeXOzAY-wz0ffp6R0X0wtn4LGa2rrq5VgDjWOjCSXeL0aFjdr3VKVDGhC6lh0pFqAgel-fhRLoX3o8vvsY3Kfg6bToORhTrYb1vn6GZrFu2ghxx5B70sjUymAYXj6VUQGeUfRxfg2yns/s1600/nara-temple.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gate of Todaiji, Nara, Japan</td></tr>
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Anyone knows that Japan has a culture of minimalism, “less is more” could have been a Japanese proverb. Japanese Buddhist temples are often black and white or simple wooden structures, they are not glittering or gaudy, their architecture is quite simple but very unique. Buddhist believes are also blended with Shinto, Japan’s original animist religion. Shinto shrines are somehow similar to Buddhist temples, or it might be the other way around, but are also pretty interesting as you can find this religion only in Japan. Temples and shrines are found in any city and are sometimes stuck right between modern buildings which kind of break the general atmosphere, for a better experience one might find temples in the countryside.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFRZDMi7YABU5jzWNx7bSZGdhEz3AZvaiZ7NNU79VSFXSxyIkOyx0CuK7kckNTgtXslhtnRm_y4CoSZcpc9_mCrK9acVgk9ebaG5EdMnbisqH75bI6fERt7cMfP3fWORXTxRLrIpTtlU/s1600/pohang-temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="temple outside Pohang" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFRZDMi7YABU5jzWNx7bSZGdhEz3AZvaiZ7NNU79VSFXSxyIkOyx0CuK7kckNTgtXslhtnRm_y4CoSZcpc9_mCrK9acVgk9ebaG5EdMnbisqH75bI6fERt7cMfP3fWORXTxRLrIpTtlU/s1600/pohang-temple.jpg" height="133" title="" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bogyeongsa, a hidden temple in Korea</td></tr>
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On the opposite, Korean temples are colorful and decorated with dragons and flowers, let’s say they are more lively aesthetically. They are usually not found inside big cities but rather on a mountain or in the countryside which means one must usually hike to reach them, it can be a real challenge but it is more than rewarding. In addition even the largest cities have temples hidden on hills only a few minutes away, and they always make a nice day of hiking right near the city, like Beomeosa outside of Busan. Many temples in Korea offer temple stays as well, which gives anyone the opportunity to live like a monk for a weekend for example.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #20124d; font-size: large;">Capitals</span></b><br />
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Capitals are prime destinations in any countries of the world but it doesn’t mean they actually represent the rest of the country. Tokyo and Seoul do not break this rule but if one wants or has to stay in those metropolises, here’s a little review.<br />
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<span style="color: #073763;"><b>Tokyo</b></span><br />
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It is the biggest city in the world yet it doesn’t feel like it. Despite the fact that the Nippon capital host some 32 millions souls, walking in Tokyo is a breeze, it is pretty clean, you will hardly see any overcrowded streets and the city is full of parks that will make you forget you are in the largest metropolitan area in the world. The nightlife offers endless possibilities, from tiny traditional bars to huge clubs, Tokyo is a lot of fun to explore after dark, especially Shinjuku district, glazed with neon lights and full of life. Surprisingly the Japanese capital is incredibly safe night and day. However the real pain is when it comes to taking public transportation, best avoided during rush hours unless you like to be squeezed like sardines in a tin box. In general the transportation system is quite well organized.<br />
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Tokyo is also a city of art and fashion, visit Harajuku for a good glimpse at the excentric teenagers wearing steampunk and dolls clothes or visit Studio Ghibli, where the famous anime director Hayao Miyasaki brings his colorful characters to life. Tokyo has also a huge fish market and some of the best sushi made in the country are found there, in tiny traditional restaurants. Tokyo is somehow a fairly good impression of Japanese society and remains an attractive destination in Japan.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyWmk9nehj-l-LVaBlpTuPzz1hdPB9LOKJPEg3wuGf7fmsaqK4VJawo90Wu3r6cfERLe65J4Ld3kbhh2iIxlHQk3B-D940wS0TA8RXAppQHG9YlBrNdQjHFA4sNVyN_-dfv8QULj0K7Ys/s1600/tokyo-park-japan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Yooyogi Park tokyo" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyWmk9nehj-l-LVaBlpTuPzz1hdPB9LOKJPEg3wuGf7fmsaqK4VJawo90Wu3r6cfERLe65J4Ld3kbhh2iIxlHQk3B-D940wS0TA8RXAppQHG9YlBrNdQjHFA4sNVyN_-dfv8QULj0K7Ys/s1600/tokyo-park-japan.jpg" height="213" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes we are in Tokyo, the world's largest urban area</td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: #073763;">Seoul</span></b><br />
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It is not the biggest city in the world, but compared to Tokyo, it really feels like a large metropolitan area. Opposed to its Japanese sister, Seoul is not so meticulously clean and has a lot fewer attractions. But it doesn’t mean that it is not an interesting city, Seoul has bustling, traditional markets, which is kind of missing in Tokyo. In these markets you can buy souvenirs, try delicious Korean specialties and moreover experience Korea at its best. In Seoul, the new meets the old, the modern architecture of the Korean capital is incredible and gives an interesting futuristic look to the city.<br />
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As far as nightlife, Seoul has nothing to envy to Tokyo, great adventures await travelers as the Korean megacity is a party mecca, clubs here will keep you up all night but if you prefer a quieter atmosphere Seoul also has its range of traditional bars and restaurants. If you love fashion, Seoul is the new world capital of fashion, go down to Gangnam and sample the jet set life of rich Koreans. Sadly, it is hard to compare Seoul to the rest of South Korea, a quite rural country and you won’t have a full Korean experience if you only stay in Seoul.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0eFGAMRuX3yaegQt3JisYuxEi_2vuZLThkv-LhMqq_93dOzqvZz0LLlWZEXnh9fBhTqbjZSY58XHEaip97IjDyghKadDCNSWmt96D74df-zYYpFd-pK9zaYELu1D31h0DdXvusS5xNRI/s1600/seoul-city-hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="City hall of Seoul" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0eFGAMRuX3yaegQt3JisYuxEi_2vuZLThkv-LhMqq_93dOzqvZz0LLlWZEXnh9fBhTqbjZSY58XHEaip97IjDyghKadDCNSWmt96D74df-zYYpFd-pK9zaYELu1D31h0DdXvusS5xNRI/s1600/seoul-city-hall.jpg" height="213" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seoul city hall, South Korea</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-size: large;"><b>Budget</b></span><br />
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Traveling in those two technology meccas can be quite expensive but one country is truly more expensive than the other, Japan. If you are traveling on a tight budget be ready to couchsurf and hitchhike in Japan as it is one of the most expensive countries to travel into. You can expect a daily budget of at least $60 (accomodation, transportation, etc) in the archipelago while it is possible to travel quite a bit cheaper in Korea.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW1uKHs4xxrpnPKmaxHyesrF94_1FyOxEKyaP_hlYyR5PTL9BsX5YMKs9drk4sKWciigUrENzg0oi7S4SBsVcKrgjuMGAe71zT7I5EavB__UKBtyiy8oaGx5YRFwnH6M0QC3NyQxFiAjo/s1600/won-yen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="japanese and korean currencies" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW1uKHs4xxrpnPKmaxHyesrF94_1FyOxEKyaP_hlYyR5PTL9BsX5YMKs9drk4sKWciigUrENzg0oi7S4SBsVcKrgjuMGAe71zT7I5EavB__UKBtyiy8oaGx5YRFwnH6M0QC3NyQxFiAjo/s1600/won-yen.jpg" height="213" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Japanese Yen and Korean Won</td></tr>
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While food is fairly cheap in the country of the morning calm, someone traveling on a budget might have to eat instant noodles in the land of the rising sun to save money. As far as transportation, South Korea is also cheaper and an hour of bus costs approximately $4 while it is more around $10 to $20 in Japan. Finally if you prefer to stay in hotels, South Korea is once again cheaper than Japan, a room for two persons in Seoul will cost around $30, expect to pay at least $45 in Tokyo for a cubicle. <br />
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<b><span style="color: #20124d; font-size: large;">Food</span></b><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYmYLZjE7y3UdCjr2w6a-R-wrKRhuEZn_ADqxaKxJkIBni59ERCWsHoi_SywpG7-Qd9u3QqEPzMYnN9OJ0D4GJ6XTeNS0hcvf0ngSDuoimaW2XNPkGxF32hTUJx-ED0hPewSUGJvoAJ8/s1600/japan-sushi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="fake plastic sushis" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYmYLZjE7y3UdCjr2w6a-R-wrKRhuEZn_ADqxaKxJkIBni59ERCWsHoi_SywpG7-Qd9u3QqEPzMYnN9OJ0D4GJ6XTeNS0hcvf0ngSDuoimaW2XNPkGxF32hTUJx-ED0hPewSUGJvoAJ8/s1600/japan-sushi.jpg" height="133" title="" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fake food, an odd japanese fetish</td></tr>
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Japanese cuisine is celebrated all over the world and is often considered one of the finest, on par with French and Italian. Sushi and sashimi are no secret to any Asian food lover but is it really what Japanese food is all about? Surprisingly, if you’ve been to a Japanese restaurant in your own country, you will rarely find something that you haven’t tried before. The food is incredibly good, everything is well presented on the plate, cooked to perfection, it literally melts in your mouth. Japanese cuisine allows no imperfections! Try the delicious soba soups ordering from a machine and paying with a scan of your smart phone or try the world famous Kobe beef. Japanese minimalist culture breeds perfection, when Korean hot temper generates a culinary explosion.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6bIhqOBlcne_sFvMfZ4f3bL9s1WWmCvfz4Gj3RGpbJG5xHN7I9D8EYbSZ-ZBoUaRadpW6TFF_RaxjwnGBPgXV4ks9Cr2QSaDKKFDR4dgCwBW526LTFlsP_2pTfRADop8TyUZdcx_-HE/s1600/pohang-restaurant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="korean restaurant" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6bIhqOBlcne_sFvMfZ4f3bL9s1WWmCvfz4Gj3RGpbJG5xHN7I9D8EYbSZ-ZBoUaRadpW6TFF_RaxjwnGBPgXV4ks9Cr2QSaDKKFDR4dgCwBW526LTFlsP_2pTfRADop8TyUZdcx_-HE/s1600/pohang-restaurant.jpg" height="133" title="" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying Mulhoe, a Korean fish dish</td></tr>
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Korean food is colorful, lively and overall SPICY! Though not as popular as Japanese food, Korean food is surprising, everything is mixed, it doesn’t follow any codes, raw and cooked sit at the same table, food is picked with hands, chopsticks, spoons, spices burn your mouth while lettuce is bitter and prickly. Korean food brings you away and makes you realize how far you really are from home just because it has no regards for western mouths. This is a foodie’s paradise! South Korea is also a country of street food, exciting and enticing as it gives you a chance to sample many different things at a reasonable price.<br />
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Note: Both countries provide a good range of foreign restaurants, fast food chains and supermarkets if one is not too keen on Asian food.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #20124d; font-size: large;">Impact of the western world</span></b><br />
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Japan and Korea are the kind of countries that are exporting their culture more than they are importing foreign influences, those are the advantages of two strong cultural industries. But let’s be honest, globalization has not disregarded the two nations, and you may occasionally get the impression that you are in the United States every now and then.<br />
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While 7-Elevens, German cars, iPhones and American pop music are fairly present in every corner of Japan, South Korea somehow tends to maintain some “Koreaness” in the country. Except in Seoul and Busan, the second largest city, it seems that everybody uses Korean products, drives Korean cars, listens to Korean music and watches Korean movies. You will rarely see a Korean use a Japanese product but it also works the other way around. Even more interesting you can still find old style shops in the country side of Korea while it seems those types of traditional shops are only reserved for tourists in Japan. Great bonus for some travelers as well, there are also far less western tourists in South Korea which can be pleasant at times.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #20124d; font-size: large;">Language Barrier</span></b><br />
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Unfortunately English is barely spoken in Japan and South Korea, so the interaction with locals can be quite limited, hand signs and simple words will be your best shots to communicate. Though if you cannot speak in English, you can still try to learn Hangeul (Korean) or Nihongo (Japanese). <br />
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Basics of these languages can be learn quickly for they are not tonal languages like Chinese or Vietamese and the construction of sentences are not too complex. You can learn how to say Hello, How much? Where is? in a day and can be understood fairly well. The hardest part is reading because neither Korea nor Japan use the Latin alphabet. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18H19GvDJ82yQZE-7bvW5L5DsB_gMdPKnilODM_CsFFQ9N67a8CTfflzEM4nVIpI6-5V_NyW_B6YImQzqmnzpwCEXSF3CcHwBFW3AHUQbOboMBzFFOahnwQtifk5xrJqvcCh7v9w8fCA/s1600/sticker-japan-tokyo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="i love tokyo sticker" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18H19GvDJ82yQZE-7bvW5L5DsB_gMdPKnilODM_CsFFQ9N67a8CTfflzEM4nVIpI6-5V_NyW_B6YImQzqmnzpwCEXSF3CcHwBFW3AHUQbOboMBzFFOahnwQtifk5xrJqvcCh7v9w8fCA/s1600/sticker-japan-tokyo.jpg" height="133" title="" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tokyo (left) written in Japanese Kanji</td></tr>
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Latin alphabet is rarely used so sometimes you’ll have to figure out what is written in bus or train stations. Japanese use a complex writing system that also mixes Chinese characters called Kanji, those are ideograms and cannot be read unless you know the meaning and pronunciation. Japanese also use two other types of alphabets Hiragana, used to write words that don’t have Kanjis and Katakana, used to write foreign words like country names for example. The last two can be learned easily by foreigners because characters represent sounds but unfortunately those two systems contain an added total of 96 characters, 48 each, that is to say one must really want to learn how to read! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our names written in Korean</td></tr>
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Hangul on the other hand is a simple alphabet, some even say the most intelligent alphabet ever created. Korean writing system uses only 24 characters, even less than our alphabet and can be learned in no more than 2 days for some people. Also based on sounds, knowing how to read Korean is a great asset if you are trying to find the name of a city in a bus station or an item on a restaurant menu. Hanja, or Korean Chinese characters are only used in temples nowadays so you’ll never have to read it.<br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-size: large;"><b>What they really have in common</b></span><br />
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As two developed countries, you can expect good road conditions, an excellent network of public and private transportation, airports lead pretty much to any destination domestic and international, hospitals and pharmacies are found anywhere, there are no extreme diseases even though some say there is malaria in a tiny area of South Korea which is in the middle of a forest, meaning there is no real threat. Both countries are also extremely safe and a foreigner represents more of a danger for locals than the other way around. <br />
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Finally eccentricity is what makes Japan and South Korea fun. You will definitely be out of your element in both countries. <br />
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Karaoke in Japan and Norebang in Korea are national hobbies and you cannot pretend you’ve been in this part of Asia if you don’t go sing your heart out with locals. <br />
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When Japanese go to Onsens (hot springs), Koreans go to Jimjilbangs, and both cultures agreed that one is to be naked to fully enjoy the virtues of a steaming hot bath.<br />
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Sushi is from Japan but did you know Koreans make Gimbap, a simpler, less raw version of sushi?<br />
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Korean Pop (K-Pop) or Japanese Pop (J-Pop), which one is the most fascinating? We don’t have the answer but they do share the throne of the Asian music industry. From romantic ballads to frenetic electronic beats, K-Pop and J-Pop will tickle your music tastes.<br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-size: large;"><b>What we recommend</b></span><br />
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Of course we would like to recommend to everyone to visit both, but not every traveler has time and money, and some will have to make the heartbreaking choice. Rising sun or Morning calm? It is hard to come to a conclusion, after all it’s like comparing France and Italy or Argentina and Chile. <br />
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Well after you read our article we hope you might be able to figure out by yourself which country suits you best. Korea is apparently a better option if you have less time, less money, and if you are seeking a destination less popular, more mysterious. Japan on the other side makes a better destination for long time travelers, as a larger country, you can stay here longer without feeling you are going around in circles, but to fully appreciate this large country of islands, one must have bigger financial means. <br />
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Read our upcoming country summaries on Japan and South Korea for more information on each individual country.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #073763;">Have you been to one of these countries ? or both ? What were your impressions ? If not which one would you pick after reading our article ?</span></b></div>
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World Traveling Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04458393221408512915noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884576003437095413.post-23008124321560307582013-12-19T05:21:00.002-08:002014-02-01T23:20:55.934-08:00Picture of the Week #3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When we went to South America last year, we had in mind to visit the famous Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flat in the world. It is to this day the most beautiful natural site that we have had the chance to discover. After visiting the flat itself, our Jeep driver took us to this beautiful lake, where flamingos hang around...yes flamingos in the mountain! Salar de Uyuni is touristic for sure, but missing something like this is a big mistake...</div>
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World Traveling Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04458393221408512915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884576003437095413.post-42564919009535118122013-12-15T04:36:00.000-08:002013-12-15T08:58:26.436-08:00Banlung, the hidden gem of CambodiaIt was Friday the 13th when we cross the border separating Laos from Cambodia. For some people this particular day brings bad luck so we decided to think unlike the others, that it would bring good luck. We decided to hitchhike from the 4000 islands in the south of Laos to whatever city we could reach before dark in Cambodia, aiming at eventually hitting Phnom Penh since we wanted to skip the north of Cambodia to save time (wait for our upcoming article about how we crossed the border). We actually reached a city in Cambodia around 12pm, that city was Stung Treng, the first big city in the north.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A: Stung Treng, B: Banlung</td></tr>
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Stung Treng is an “important” hub in the north of Cambodia, from there you can reach pretty much any city in the country or at least the big ones and even get a bus to Laos. The problem about Stung Treng is that there is nothing really to keep you there, it’s quite dirty and it’s not pretty, which are not our main concerns but it lacks activities. So after our first Cambodian meal at the market of rice noodles with a delicious yellowish meat-like sauce served with fresh vegetables and oddly enough flowers to add in if desired for a lovely 75 cents a positive change from Laos’ higher prices. We then tried to figure out where to go next. We remembered reading about this town called Ban Lung, in Ratanakiri Province, in the northeast, famous for its ancient and beautiful crater lake, many waterfalls, and few tourists. Looking at the map it seemed fairly close to Stung Treng but knowing it was one of the most remote areas of Cambodia we decided not to hitchhike but to take a bus there. And what a great decision we made! We would soon discover one of the highlights of our trip!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdBthvm6qISmiyQ_MgaZOnR-ChXwygMs0nC83p4xojDCi3W1FLNSKyX6gBqXUuqkggVPbL3ESBgkaxUKFamm3yvivgXZTYxGY3QSKYjskV4PzaUmtRnA_95DlHvVmJcLh849bBu6z0kFc/s1600/banlung-city.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="banlung city center" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdBthvm6qISmiyQ_MgaZOnR-ChXwygMs0nC83p4xojDCi3W1FLNSKyX6gBqXUuqkggVPbL3ESBgkaxUKFamm3yvivgXZTYxGY3QSKYjskV4PzaUmtRnA_95DlHvVmJcLh849bBu6z0kFc/s320/banlung-city.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to Banlung City!</td></tr>
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So we took a minibus, which was apparently the only way to get to Banlung and paid $5 for the 3 hours ride, we were surprised the price was still the same as it was in 2009...yes we have an old version of Lonely Planet...Let’s be honest, the city of Ban Lung itself is no more charming than Stung Treng is, the driver dropped us off at the market in the center of town, it’s dusty and the buildings are not aging nicely, but hey we don’t travel in South East Asia for the beauty of the architecture. We then proceeded with the painful step of finding cheap accommodation after a long and tiring day. Realizing that guesthouses where about $6 anywhere near the market we then decided to follow the advice of our old friend Lonely Planet, maybe because we where exhausted. We arrived at Tribal Guesthouse, a few minutes from the market and got a decent room, a bit away from the noisy and dusty center, for $5, a dollar saved is another meal, entrance fee, or bus ride!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvixC4WOO261Od3kQRZa7CER0_YNIvilKcRRYQzZB3_TiIW9j90RYqCVKe06pnI2wkpyduzpw89NKXbTZyVFZ9ha86565HEtjiL9Ho0Yiu4y_g9S-SGXZQbIazxrv56Jf98BEr7Gwhpo4/s1600/banlung-market.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Banlung market" border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvixC4WOO261Od3kQRZa7CER0_YNIvilKcRRYQzZB3_TiIW9j90RYqCVKe06pnI2wkpyduzpw89NKXbTZyVFZ9ha86565HEtjiL9Ho0Yiu4y_g9S-SGXZQbIazxrv56Jf98BEr7Gwhpo4/s200/banlung-market.jpg" title="" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bustling market of Banlung</td></tr>
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The following day we wanted to go to Yeak Laom Lake, so we set our alarms for 6 am in order to be there before the sun is at its fiercest. Yeak Laom Lake is the main tourist attraction of Banlung and probably the whole Ratanakiri province, other attractions being treks in the “not-fully-explored” jungle full of rare flora and fauna as well as other undiscovered delights, not accessible to the average traveler, and unfortunately for us, even less for the cheap traveler. Yeak Laom Lake is a volcanic crater formed some 4000 years ago and is also a center piece in the beliefs of the indigenous people of this region. The funny fact about the lake is that it’s shaped in a perfect circle and if you add on top of that all the legends derived from the local’s religion, some say a spirit lives in the lake, it is truly a magical place.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBivlPAeQdqGcmMftx5bSUjcP8vFAQa-uIQPRNkz04zYfXuQ93nIuXfMRV_w9q_0nh29K6ghta06GfYaWCt80woGJdZto1oP1s4095B9Rb-fxWY3YcDohD_ofGJBZFQL1jf6vX3qh5So/s1600/banlung-breakfast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="banlung market breakfast" border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBivlPAeQdqGcmMftx5bSUjcP8vFAQa-uIQPRNkz04zYfXuQ93nIuXfMRV_w9q_0nh29K6ghta06GfYaWCt80woGJdZto1oP1s4095B9Rb-fxWY3YcDohD_ofGJBZFQL1jf6vX3qh5So/s200/banlung-breakfast.jpg" title="" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast with the locals</td></tr>
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The lake is located around 4km east of the city and it’s reachable by any motorized vehicle or by foot, it is actually a nice walk. After a good breakfast at the market we headed to the lake about an hour’s walk from town. The first part of the trip is somewhat unpleasant as you have to follow the big road 78 but the last 2km are nice and shaded with only a few motorbikes in the horizon. Once there we had to pay $1.50 to get in, which is written on a big blue sign, while it may seem “expensive” for some budget travelers, it is worth every penny.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jumping off the decks is a lot of fun</td></tr>
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Once inside it was only 8:30 am, we walked down the stairs leading to the lake and a wooden deck where we could admire the beautiful scenery, with only one other Cambodian couple there. The lake is surrounded by a lush dark green jungle and you can hear all the birds chirping and singing continuously, there are also parrots and other exotic birds. We then tried to find a nice place to swim as the first deck is surrounded by little shops and doesn’t give any impression of privacy. Going counter-clockwise around the lake we found another wooden deck, completely secluded surrounded by beautiful trees provided a slight shade around the deck. There we took off our clothes and dipped our pale bodies in the water, we didn’t have the occasion to swim for quite some time. Jumping off the deck was a lot of fun and we really had the impression the lake was ours...until of course the first local family, a dad with his three kids came plunging in beside us at around 10:30 am.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the four decks around the lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The jungle surrounding the lake</td></tr>
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Around 12 pm, our private spot was not private anymore, as kids, old folks and foreigners went on and off successively, either mesmerized by the view or just here to swim too. We then continued the walk counter-clockwise and realized there are four decks in total around the lake and even with all the people inside the two last ones are never used so we decided to take a rest there. When it was time to leave, we decided to finish the circle and at some point the “well-paved” way stops brutally and turns into a small jungle path. That’s the most fun part of the park, we didn’t see anybody else circling around the lake, but we passed through the jungle, had close encounters with huge lizards and small yellow snakes and near the end we even passed through a bamboo forest, it was always a nice rush of adrenaline anytime we heard something crawling next to our feet.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those guys crawl all over the place</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hi there !</td></tr>
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Back at the entrance, we then walked back to Banlung, with big smiles, nice pictures and for sure, unforgettable memories of our trip there even if we missed the waterfalls, another attraction of the town.</div>
World Traveling Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04458393221408512915noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884576003437095413.post-31101867569067052072013-11-29T03:53:00.000-08:002013-11-29T03:53:11.621-08:00Video of the Week #2Some people ask why we travel? Sometimes words just can't answer the question completely. This video created by Clemens Kuger, Vincent Urban, and Stephan Templer helps to answer the "why" by capturing some of those moments that one just can't explain. This video shows a trip in South America in 2012 by Landrover covering Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay and Southern Brazil which immediately brought back beautiful memories of our trip in South America also in 2012. When traveling we often feel like children seeing things for the first time. We explore, question, and sometimes just watch, time becoming just a mere idea.<br />
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World Traveling Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04458393221408512915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884576003437095413.post-14811861207247494022013-11-28T04:55:00.001-08:002013-11-28T04:58:26.686-08:00Unexpected HospitalityWe were embarking on a new journey, which required one of those grueling Indonesian bus rides, a twenty five hour journey from Bengkulu, Sumatra to Jakarta, Java, on the “economy” bus which only cost $18 instead of almost double for the same journey but of course without the adventures of an “economy” bus. Considering hitchhiking is a pain in Sumatra due to the lack of cars, the condition of the roads and the distance between cities, we just thought it was not worth the trouble.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEighSwWcf5arj7v9fkJIaAxVrG2s4nG9R-41fOqHkie66O43gxr6BoIGP4NgDeQEk8z50-05-9ztw5peq4E11eVSQyDag_lu3qgNWPgry4p3qh0ZsXsef6xibw_L0QC4ngfX2pvCmxnSS0/s1600/medan-sumatra-indonesia-bus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bus in sumatra" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEighSwWcf5arj7v9fkJIaAxVrG2s4nG9R-41fOqHkie66O43gxr6BoIGP4NgDeQEk8z50-05-9ztw5peq4E11eVSQyDag_lu3qgNWPgry4p3qh0ZsXsef6xibw_L0QC4ngfX2pvCmxnSS0/s320/medan-sumatra-indonesia-bus.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An economy bus in Indonesia looks like this</td></tr>
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So we opted for the fun bus ride on the type of bus that stops every ten minutes with people getting off and on, loading huge bags to transport merchandise, fruit, fish, vegetables, chickens, etc from Sumatra to Java. Unfortunately it was raining a lot so everyone closed their windows and due to the intense heat we had the lovely impression of being in a large steam room, fully clothed, full of people and interesting odors and best of all smoke. Sorry but this sounds better than being in an air conditioned bus with reclinable seats.<br />
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If you didn’t know, in Indonesia, every man smokes (or almost) and smokes a lot. Every man smokes everywhere. Every man smokes in the bus. If we stop for lunch everyone will get out to eat and will wait to get back on the bus to light up his cigarette. If you’re a smoker and you don’t have cigarettes, help yourself! Breathe! It’s free. Luckily women don’t smoke that much because it is not proper for a woman to smoke in Indonesia, our lungs say thank you to them. Other than that it was a pleasant smoky and steamy journey.<br />
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Thirty plus hours later (originally twenty five) we arrive in Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital, a city with more than 10 million people inside the city and almost 30 million people in its metro area. This is a huge city, the largest in South East Asia and the thirteenth most populous in the world, no need to say there was little to keep us here. We don’t really enjoy mega cities and Jakarta is not known for its architectural appeal nor its cultural interest, it’s mainly large shopping malls and crowded streets so we hightailed it out on a bus to Cianjur.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5QXmaSBm3gZ_Mfu69faDLUF_tAZrfxFmFwRVb_zK2i_TUxYuP4mTRtdU4jt3P_Tf0dwBMUjM0qpjrjBEaUzyUSv2dUsa76Frj2-penG8rcxNczhBBCYJFJQgHBLE6xwqiUcqskodG6A/s1600/Indonesia-Cianjur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="map of indonesia cianjur" border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5QXmaSBm3gZ_Mfu69faDLUF_tAZrfxFmFwRVb_zK2i_TUxYuP4mTRtdU4jt3P_Tf0dwBMUjM0qpjrjBEaUzyUSv2dUsa76Frj2-penG8rcxNczhBBCYJFJQgHBLE6xwqiUcqskodG6A/s320/Indonesia-Cianjur.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's where Cianjur is, South of Jakarta</td></tr>
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Cianjur is a small peaceful town surrounded by beautiful mountains and lush valleys. It sounded more like our type of place so we hoped on the next bus and another five hours later we arrived in the small city.. It was already late at night, we spent forty hours in a row on buses with almost no food, barely any sleep, and probably quite smelly. That’s the kind of trip we enjoy, who wants to arrive in a new city, clean, fresh, and with food in their belly?<br />
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Cianjur is a small city so to find a hotel we start asking around, finding two or three different places but all a little luxe at around $15 per night and above our budget. We couldn’t find a couchsurfing host there so we had to go through this painful process of finding a hotel for less than 10 bucks a night. Strolling around the empty streets of Cianjur with our backpacks we finally come to a guy asking where to find budget hotels in our broken Indonesian and he ends up offering to take us in his car to a friend who speaks english and can help us. Wait! A man we barely know offers us a ride in his car in the middle of the night not even knowing where we were going? Great let’s go! <br />
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We arrived at a cafe greeted by person after person and then we met his friend, who turned out to be the owner of the cafe. At this point we were stinky, tired, disoriented and hungry. Talking a bit with our new friend, he decided to invite us to stay in his house for the night, feeling out of it we were struck by such kindness, even though we didn't know much about him, Yordan, the owner of Fun Fun Milk in Cianjur. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1jgcRwQS19OR-k2yG1u9ZbfYhw3OCrEIgNHLRHw5MgF_-ca3X-M7sbWbYpgjnCej0A5hEgF_h_695Jd-TIU1jEmSZncch0JPwfpanO88yD1QHzVrFMFZJV2g-MaLcbHWKBDsb3Ja7St4/s1600/yordanfamilycianjur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Yordans family in Cianjur" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1jgcRwQS19OR-k2yG1u9ZbfYhw3OCrEIgNHLRHw5MgF_-ca3X-M7sbWbYpgjnCej0A5hEgF_h_695Jd-TIU1jEmSZncch0JPwfpanO88yD1QHzVrFMFZJV2g-MaLcbHWKBDsb3Ja7St4/s320/yordanfamilycianjur.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yordan's beautiful family</td></tr>
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An hour later, our bellies full, we went upstairs and we sat in our temporary bedroom hanging out with our new friend’s mom. With her we had long conversations we learned that Yordan and his brothers have a Christian rock band and have traveled around the United States, Europe, and much more playing music at different events and that Yordan’s wife, Viona is originally from Kalimantan (the Indonesian part of Borneo) and caused a great ruckus in her family as she is Muslim and he is Christian. All this learned with hand signs, gestures, and the few words of Indonesian we knew. We then slept like babies, we could have slept for days if we could have.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLSNjY3BEYcH09Z3xVZJ9Ib_zLZIV-B3ka22nRXu8etKJfuQBJUbUPMHnmNMA8FjJhhdDtzIusoBwMz0sOQaJo820Zh17rj2pkw671sYgGYSou2Hz6v8r4ez2Cdt6eWCtQEmqOIo65wmM/s1600/cianjurviona.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Restaurant cianjur" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLSNjY3BEYcH09Z3xVZJ9Ib_zLZIV-B3ka22nRXu8etKJfuQBJUbUPMHnmNMA8FjJhhdDtzIusoBwMz0sOQaJo820Zh17rj2pkw671sYgGYSou2Hz6v8r4ez2Cdt6eWCtQEmqOIo65wmM/s320/cianjurviona.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having fun at a restaurant in Cianjur</td></tr>
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The next morning we got to know better Yordan and Viona as we shared breakfast together. We had one of these instant connection with them, like we knew them before but forgot about it. Yordan and his wife Viona along with their adorable baby, Apple, ended up opening up the door of their home to us and not just opening up their door but their hearts as well. We spent three days exploring the area, sharing meals with the family, “chatting” with Yordan’s mom, talking, laughing, learning about their lives, and sharing our stories. At night we would talk to their friends as friendly as them, and we managed to have a good fun with them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO0n4YABuUNZlGM2CjQzDOkwM3UXbi1VmP7RjFygHaUd7QJ1hrmCXlHkHvQUSSecF16cnFISOFTsTPCSNKd-YcZxikapisKFylZTsxdtK1aPI8uc85_3TDsPjbrlc48RccS7rn31d39gg/s1600/jacqueline-cibodas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="waterfall in cibodas" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO0n4YABuUNZlGM2CjQzDOkwM3UXbi1VmP7RjFygHaUd7QJ1hrmCXlHkHvQUSSecF16cnFISOFTsTPCSNKd-YcZxikapisKFylZTsxdtK1aPI8uc85_3TDsPjbrlc48RccS7rn31d39gg/s320/jacqueline-cibodas.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exploring Komodo Park in Cibodas, near Cianjur</td></tr>
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After the three days we sadly had to leave to continue our journey. Before leaving we tried to offer Yordan and Viona some money for all the times we tried to pay for the meal and they insisted “later” and for letting us share their home with them but they firmly refused. This was not about money, not for us and not for them, this was just about kindness and friendship.<br />
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We always try to believe in the goodness of people. We try to believe in those who give and share while expecting nothing in return, while trying to do the same. This unexpected hospitality, this random rescue in the middle of the night, this experience in general warmed our hearts. Well this was before we had to hop on another funny bus ride to our next adventure.<br />
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If you get the opportunity to go to Cianjur, make sure to go say hi to Yordan and his family, his beautiful wife, adorable daughter, and hilarious mother at his wonderful budget-friendly cafe, Fun Fun Milk. They have a second baby on the way and they are planning to open a new cafe in Bandung, where they studied, we wish them the best of luck !<br />
<br />World Traveling Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04458393221408512915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3884576003437095413.post-22187666130997723782013-11-14T04:42:00.001-08:002014-02-01T23:27:55.226-08:00Picture of the Week #2<br />
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Two children in Pulau Samosir near the town of Tuk Tuk in Indonsia who were walking barefoot down the street<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> hand in hand and came to a little shop to buy some candy. After buying the candy they sat down to pick through and compare what they had. This was such a simple yet precious moment. </span></div>
World Traveling Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04458393221408512915noreply@blogger.com1