Life comes in circles. Montana marked the closure of three highly personal phases of our trip and of our lives. To begin with, this was Hannah’s first time back in her native state as a visiting adult (she flew back a couple of years ago for a funeral but didn’t spend significant time there). This was also the first time we were able to see our dear friend Leslie Morningstar since the tragic events that brought us together in Cambodia. Finally, besides visiting a few friends and family on the way back to San Diego, this was the end of our [View Full Entry]

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047 - USA - New York 03/25/09 - 04/09/09 New York: A city, a mountain house, and a waterfall New York is one of those truly unique places in the world. The City radiates energy, sometimes good, other times not, that grabs you the moment you step onto that grate-filled sidewalk and get brushed between a high-heeled power suit and an off-duty Pakistani cabbie. Your neck creaks and your eyes absorb the concrete stimulation, while your stomach and $30 drop as you pay for those two martinis at the hidden neighborhood watering hole. It's exhilarating, it's intoxicating, and it's the reas [View Full Entry]

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For all you Elvis fans, here's to Taking Care of Business in Graceland! Enjoy the pics! [View Full Entry]

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045 - USA - Memphis 03/23/09 - 03/25/09 “I'm going to Graceland... Graceland... Memphis, Tennessee...” -Paul Simon Ever wonder how we chose the destinations for our round-the-world trip? It wasn't a scientific process but we did have some selection criteria. First, we wanted to go to places that we've never visited before (except for Greece which was our halfway 'recharge' point). So, as cool as Aussies are, I've been there, so Oz was out and Indonesia in. Next, we chose places that we'd rather not go with a family in tow... so New Zealand out, India in. We didn't wan [View Full Entry]

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045 - USA - Colorado 03/20/09 - 03/23/09 Brother Levi in Colorado Springs Coming back to the States after 13 months of global travel injected some serious patriotism back in us (especially Hannah!). Waiting for our luggage at LAX I saw an older Hispanic lady struggling with her jumbo-bags. Speaking in Spanish, I offered her a hand... then I thought, wait a minute, I bet she speaks English! In fact, everyone here speaks English! I can read the road signs, order food from a menu without being lost with 40% of the choices, and bus numbers aren't in Arabic! Woo-hoo, it's [View Full Entry]

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044 - Peru - Cusco 03/01/09 - 03/13/09 Tourist ready Peru Visiting Machu Picchu is like visiting the pyramids of Egypt or the Acropolis of Athens: hordes of tourists flock the grounds snapping photos, listening to their private tour guide explain the area in their native tongue, while screaming kids and old folks with canes hobble around distracting you from the sites. Still, you gotta do it. It's big, it's impressive, and it's possibly the destination spot for all of South America. After over a year of traveling with a 'Do It Like The Locals' credo, Peru was a tough country [View Full Entry]

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Here are some photos of the amazing children of Oruro. They are primarily of the girls from the Hogar Penny (orphanage for girls) and the underprivileged children at the comedor (soup kitchen) we volunteered at. [View Full Entry]

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043 - Bolivia - Oruro 02/06/09 - 03/01/09 Volunteering in Bolivia: Give a little, receive a lot A wise man once said, 'Give, and give freely, and you will receive tenfold more than that which you gave'. Such was the story of our time in Oruro, Bolivia; volunteering at a soup kitchen for underprivileged children and at a girls orphanage, and ultimately, experiencing a love and affection so pure that it brought both of us to tears upon leaving. We were extremely blessed to have a contact in Oruro. Not just a contact, but the best possible friend you could want [View Full Entry]

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Here are some fun photos from the Salar de Uyuni. All the photos are 100% original, undoctored, and Photoshop-free!! [View Full Entry]

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042 - Bolivia - Tupiza 01/30/09 - 02/06/09 A Bolivian Safari: The most diverse terrain per square mile in the world Imagine driving past a deep-red lake with Mars-like rocks in abundance, through a desert with boulders named after the artist Salvatore Dali, and onto another lake, this one white with yellow streaks from the salt and borax deposits. All this, from the comfort of your Land Cruiser, and seen in less than one hour! Add in a few more days of exploring and you'll see active volcanoes, hot springs, natural geysers, and the largest salt plane in the world. Welcome [View Full Entry]

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