Wednesday 2-16 to Saturday 2-19 Before taking this trip, everyone warned us that India was going to be the biggest mind blower of them all. It was the most un-Western country we could possibly visit and it’s the one place where we would experience the most culture shock. Apparently, none of these people have ever been to Nepal. Walking through the medieval streets of Kathmandu felt like the most foreign place we’ve been to so far. It was like nothing we’ve ever experienced and it was amazing. Tiny, red-brick alleyways cramped with people, street vendors, store fronts, temples, tikka covered shrines, livestock, beggars, tuk tuks and who knows what else! Thamel and the rest of the old city, was a maze of layer upon layer of buildings from various centuries and cultures all meshed together into ... read more

Sunday 2-6 to Friday 2-11 After the crazy crowds of Phuket, we headed to the quiet, slow-paced beaches of Krabi. Oh my gosh, I’m in love! These are absolutely the most beautiful tropical beaches I have ever seen! (…and I’ve been to the Galapagos!) And Nick fell in love with the laid-back town. Nick got us an adorable boutique hotel in Krabi Town; not on the beach but right along the Krabi River and just outside of the hustle and bustle of town. (And just around the corner from a restaurant that serves THE best Massaman curry I have ever tasted!) Nick’s first order of business, however, was to find a bar that would show the Super Bowl at 6:30am (yup, that’s AM, people). Needless to say, I slept in and just met up with him ... read more

Monday 1-24 to Sunday 1-30 We spent the last week volunteering at an elephant sanctuary called Elephant Nature Park. It’s a private non-profit that’s been working since 1995 to rescue abused and traumatized elephants from their owners, to give them a better home and a non-abusive place to retire. This is an amazing organization that was started by one woman, Lek, who came from a family of mahouts (traditional elephant trainers). She couldn’t stand to see the abusive practices Thais used to break and train wild elephants (a case where traditions should not be preserved): inhumane separation of babies from their moms, using chains and ropes to hinder the movement of the elephants, using hooks and boards with nails to physically punish them. As a result, her family has banished her and the government fights her ... read more

Saturday 1-15 to Tuesday 1-18 After the girls left, we rented bikes and biked around the ruins. We wanted to take a little down time to really sit back and enjoy the place now that we had seen the major sights. We weren’t disappointed; it was a beautiful ride and we got some much needed exercise. But oh my god, these bikes are made for little people! We only paid a dollar for them, so I really shouldn’t complain. Nick Note: Actually we overpaid they were only 50 cents for the day at a place a couple of doors down from our hotel. But my knees were frickin’ killing me half way through! I never felt so giant and tall in my life! A 30 km bike ride was good for us, but I was happy ... read more

Monday 1-10 The bad thing about Phnom Penh is that it appears none of the tuk tuk drivers know where anything is. If you don’t know where you’re going (and good luck with that if you’re a tourist who just came to town), then the tuk tuk driver doesn’t know either and will badger you when you end up at the wrong place because it was your fault you didn’t get the right address. Nice. With a few hours to spare before we got on the bus to Siem Reap, the girls and I checked out the bright yellow, art deco Central Market. A beautiful building and a great place to check out t-shirts for sale with incomprehensible English phrases on them. Here, let me entertain you with a few: • Ape should never kill ape ... read more