On the Road 170 days.... we blinked and we are back.

I love wrap up blogs...
it allows the blogger to select the highlights and share some travel philosophy. I also am not a gypsy, traveling from place to place for months on end. I prefer a 3 or 4 week trip every year. Then again, I think I could really go for the travel style of nancic123 who spend 18 months in a region renting apartments for 2-3 months in a variety of places. This way they really get to experience life. Not sure Linda would ever agree to do that, however!

lovely summary of your recent trip. loved reading this, made me want to leave work, pack my bags and sneak off somewhere! i agree on a lot of things you said here. i surely hope to see you again someday :)

travel reflections are the best!
I have to go back and re-read your Cuban blogs, Cuba is looming large on our radar at the moment. Thanks for sharing your trip with us, it was very entertaining. Merry, I came across many squaties in rural Italy and Turkey too... I was quite surprised to see them outside Asia :)

In a Rush now....
I'm reading this in a rush but can't put off saying we love having you two here! I'm sure our paths will cross again, kindred spirits we are. This is such a good summary of your RTW (wish I can do that too) that I intend to come back and read this again. Ta Ta...

Great summary
I've been following your trip, and I can't believe six months has flown by already. A great summary on this blog, with so many worthwhile tips and lovely photos. You guys have inspired me to get up to Iceland and Greenland before too long. Thanks, and enjoy settling in back home.

Thank you!
I truly appreciate you sharing your journeys! You've allowed me to travel with you and escape for a while! when are you coming to Pittsburgh for that cup of coffee?

My favorite travelers!
You are my heroes not only for undertaking such lenghty trips but for writing about them. Thank you for taking the time to write and include the beautiful pictures.

Our travels pale into comparison to yours!
'Our wanderlust rejuvenates our soul' - your quote is so true! We feel exactly the same way. I have enjoyed reading your summary of your trip and will read the rest as time allows. Unfortunately our travels have only been at the longest a month at a time, but hopefully in the future when we retire we will have more time (and money!) to travel for longer.

Welcome home
Loved your recap.....if more people would travel abroad there would be less trouble in the world. They would find that most people just want to live their lives peacefully and have much to offer all of us. We just got home ourselves. The the trip was wonderful!! The highlights were the 5 day boat trip up the Mekong from south of Saigon to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and all of Burma. We sailed up the Mekong on a junk and in some places the river or the canals that join the various arms of the river in the delta area were so narrow that you felt apart of the everyday life on shore. We stopped many times to bicycle or walk around villages or wander through markets in the towns we passed. This was our third trip to Vietnam and we have always found the people charming and eager to help. The only place we went in Cambodia this time was Phnom Penh and we spent a good part of our few days there in activities that in some way related to the "killing fields" . Very depressing to learn "up close" of the atrocities that occurred there.....it is beyond my comprehension how people can treat others that way. From there we flew to Yangon and started our Burma adventure. We had a guide, Myo, who was hands down the best local guide we have ever had anywhere. We were in Burma a little over a week and traveled to Yangon, Bagan and Mandalay. Of course, Bagan was the most memorable but Yangon and Mandalay had their high points too. Again, the people were amazingly friendly and helpful. The lacquerware and silk were lovely but we didn't have room to buy much since we were traveling with one carry on sized suitcase each. We didn't make it to Inle Lake which I hear is lovely....next time. The one thing we are always disappointed in while traveling in SE Asia is the smog which after three weeks starts affecting my throat. A small complaint about an otherwise awesome trip. Where are you thinking of settling? Maybe we'll be able to get together in the USA. Love, Sonja

"If we had children we would be sending them to college about now so we’ve decided to spend their college funds on wandering the world…….and maybe their inheritance as well." -- hilarious! It's always wonderful to hear insights from travelers in terms of how they choose a country, how they travel, how long they travel, and all the other many details that go into traveling. I especially loved how you didn't decide on Nepal and rather left it up to a chance picking by your friends. My favorite descriptions were of Bhutan and Nepal. I think this blog is a great example of how there is no right and wrong way to travel and how travelers change their style of travel with each trip. Loved the great connections and warmth you found amongst fellow travelers. Enjoy your rest! Can't wait for the next trip (though I think we'll probably see each other before then)~~ ;)

Love the picture!
There should be a place to put pictures of TB reunions.

Always a pleasure;-)
as we have been traveling now for nearly 18 months it is not always easy to find time for other travel blogs, however yours was always so good that we simply could not take a look;-) Great summary and looking forward to your next adventures B&T

Traveling troopers!
You two really had incredible stamina to visit so many exotic, places in just six months--travel troopers, indeed! I love your traveling style with tours, guides, restaurant visits and $250/day places like Bhutan--I lived the high life vicariously through you--thanks for the wonderful gift! I also so admired how you keep up on your blogs even though you were moving pretty fast--true Travel Bloggers! And are you going to become permanent Californians? Excellent choice!

Breakfast in LAX on the 9th April??
I know, it's too easy! I love your blog, specially the questions you put in place in the begining and the end. I have many answers to my own questions....and than...many answers I simply don't have. Funny you wrote about 170 days...just been back after 120++ days home...and as usual, I found out only a week ago it was already 120 days. Travelling is like the London tube map...it's simply a question of perception...for some it's two stops on the tube...for others it's just jumping above an ocean. At the end of the day, it's all about people....travelling is about people....those we travel with...and those we meet on the way! I always said....Asia is my home, the world is my garden...for these 18 months...we are gardening a lot! Big hi from Leslie and Tiffany...being back to school in Buenos Aires for just over a week for them means sleep-overs and birthday parties...that's there world too. Hope to see you soon....somewhere on our little planet...and yes, Bhutan is still very high on my list!!

Touche!
We totally agree with all that! We have been fortunate in life. We have a lovely home in the forest we can\'t leave for too long these days. We did rent it to the US airforce for three years whilst we travelled Europe and North America by RV when we retired. But it is the memories and learning that are valued along with the friends we collect on the way that make travel so important to us. We\'re presently in Shimla up in the Himalayan foothills - and well behind with the blogs! Home in Suffolk UK in just one week for a rest too! David and Janice

What a wonderful gift!
Hi David and Merry Jo, Thank you for sharing all the fabulous pictures and stories of your travels. It was better than reading a best-selling novel! I wish you the best in the next adventure you have. Cousin Trish

Memories and refrigerator magnets
I love the comment about traveling to collect memories and refrigerator magnets. Guess I didn't even realize that you collect magnets as well...I have a bunch of them on my fridge and get a new one every time I travel somewhere new. It kind of drives Pete crazy, though, I think :) Bet you have a whole lot more than I do (even though I do have a lot)!

Reflections
It's great to look back and let all the experiences sink in - I look back regularly at my journal of my 6 month trip 2 years ago- sometimes in amazement at what i did. Next time if you want more of a home base why not try home or hospitality exchange - I have found it a great way to travel and meet people and as you say you can immerse yourself in a town or region....I have been doing it for more than 20 years. Hope to see you soon on my trip to US. Cheers Lynne

I love your post
I was just too attracted with ur wrap-up post and amazed at the destinations and journeys taken. Inspires me to do more of such in the future as well :) Enjoy ur next RTW travel!

Reflections of a Grand Journey
Discretionary dollars for making memories. Sounds like my philosophy for travelling, though instead of purchasing refrigerator magnets, I purchase small souvenirs, yet in each of them lies a large story. Loved this blog and your approach to travel, hope to meet you on the road one day.

thetaxidriversguidetosanfrancisco.com A taxidrivers blog
Interesting ship but what ship is it and where is it docked

Time Does Fly!
I know what you mean when you say 'we blinked and we are back'! Your travels are so incredible and the pictures - fantastic! I also know what you mean about squatty pottys. I had a meltdown the other day, not sure if it was the heat or that I really had to go. I refused to go in a squatty potty, which made even more difficult on David - poor David!

beautiful shot!