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Published: August 24th 2007
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Figuring it all out
Mornings like these gave me time to reflect on years gone by and the world as I saw it. 406 days in the rear view mirror
South America (Jan 12-April 26)/ Africa (April 26-May 25)/ Turkey (May 26-June 10)/ Europe (June 10-Sept 15)/ Asia (Sept 15-Jan 15)/ Australia (Jan 15-Feb 23)
As I look into the rear view mirror on the 406 days on the road during the past year, it’s an amazing kaleidoscope of memories, dramas, feelings and experiences that blur past my thoughts as I put it all in perspective some days after arriving back home. In some senses, it seems like yesterday when I boarded the SFO flight to Buenos Aires to meet Amy and hunker down into our apartment in Pallermo Soho; at other times, there are so many tales and rich days as I traversed over 50 countries on 6 continents. In this final blog, I want to share some final thoughts on it.
What is your favorite place?
• Buenos Aires, Argentina- the chic capital of South America where I got to live the porteno lifestyle
• Namibia (Southern Africa)- skydiving, quad biking and climbing the amber dunes in the world’s oldest dessert was more interesting than words can describe
• Mykonos, Greece- European stylish summer haven bathed in the
On the road.. again
Another one of those days schlepping my bags on a train, plane, bus, tuk-tuk, border crossing, or other mode of transport. white and blues of the Meditteranean
• Istanbul, Turkey- the crossroads of the world, rich with history, culture and religious symbolism
• Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia- this hippy enclave, lined with pristine beaches, has a bit of everything and more than enough to lure the passerby for months
• Thailand- southern beaches, northern mountains, and the capital city of Southeast Asia has plenty of everything for a negotiated price
When were you most scared?
• Running after dusk in Africa, seeing animal droppings and realizing I may be eaten alive by a lion unless I found the right path back
• Favela party in Rio- more than a little intimidating to go into the urban ghetto of south America with 50 gringos who all stand out like sore thumbs
• Okavango Delta, Botswana- hippos, the world’s most dangerous animal (who can run 30 k/hr), greeted us on their territory and watched at our campground the way wolves watch lambs
• Seeing 6 tall lady-boys blocking the entrance to my hotel in Phuket, Thailand. Imagine how embarrassed I would be to tell my brothers I had my ass kicked by a couple chics!
Most exciting/ adrenaline-filled
European summer at Mykonos
The enchanting island of Mykonos was one of the many highlights of Europe in the summer. moments
• Mountain biking down the world’s most dangerous road in La Paz, Bolivia.. awesome and scary all at the same time
• Jumping out of an airplane over the dessert in Namibia. They say the most exciting thing you can do with your clothes on.
• The Brazil v Australia soccer match during the World Cup. Think hot brazilian women samba dancing and Australian partying! (Too bad the US couldn’t come up big here)
• Hiking Wynapichu from Machu Pichu, feeling like you are standing on top of the world looking down upon it
• Bungee- jumping off the world’s highest bungee in Victoria Falls, Mozambique
• Scuba diving in Cairns, North Queensland, Australia
Amazing sights
• Angkor Wat, Cambodia
• Machu Pichu/ Waynapichu
• Vertigo Bar, top of the highest building in Bangkok
• Dune 45, Namibia
• Rolling Stones on Copacabana Beach, Rio
• Don Phi Phi Island, Thailand
• Lausanne, Switzerland
• Hagia Sophia, Istanbul
• Philosophers Walk, Kyoto
• Boracay Beach, Philippines
• Roppongi Hills Tower, Tokyo
• Whitsundays, Queensland, Australia
Spiritual moments
• Dawn at Angkor Wat, Cambodia
• Following the footsteps of my dad in Calinog, provincial Philippines,
The splendor of Kyoto
Walking through such places as Philosophers Walk in Kyoto in fall was a measure of beauty in raw form. some 40 years after he had walked these same steps
• Staring at the Sistine Chapel, Rome
• The Inca Trail, Machu Pichu, Peru
• A true life Vietnamese story in Saigon
• Listening to the guy next to me in Bangkok on Skype talk about his undying belief in Jesus Chris and how he is spreading the gospel (ugh).. in Thailand, home of Buddhism?
Underrated and really cool places
• Krakow, Poland- huge town square, lots of neat cafes and tons of nightlife.. and fun Polish people
• Chiang Mai, Thailand- the northern mountainous region is filled with authentic Thai culture
• Gili Trawangan, Indonesia- this small island is the perfect retreat for diving and relaxing
• Bogota, Colombia- very welcoming, great nightlife and not nearly as dangerous as advertised
• Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic- small medieval town is quaint and authentic, great getaway from Prague
• Mendoza, Argentina- wine country and mountain region, this large college town has a bit of everything
• Kyoto, Japan- I was blown away by the beauty of this old cultural capital of Japan
• Byron Bay, Australia- now don’t let the secret out, but this may be the highlight of
Exhilarating moments
I tried things I never had before this year, like bungee-jumping in Victoria Falls, mountain biking the world's most dangerous road and trekking with elephants. Oz
• Manila, Philippines- great live music, grinning Filipinos, adobo, what more could you want?
Just plain funny
• The road trip of a lifetime with my college bud, Chris- watching him hit an emu, try to figure out driving over there and explaining $%)()$%*)
• 8 gringos singing to African tribal members in the delta. Thank god none of that made it to Youtube
• Chinese opera in Beijing, listening to these guys sing Chinese and make animal noises
•
Tense:
• Worrying about being robbed at the gas station in Rio
• Immigration in Moscow, from where they had deported me the first time
•
The best times
• 5 guys in an RV over 14 days through Germany for the World Cup. How did I survive?
• Breaking the train curfew in Tokyo (12 midnight) and staying the night out in Roppongi
• Mykonos: dinner at 11 and drinks until dawn
• Digging my toes in the sand during dinner, Boracay Beach, Philippines, bantering with my Tita Guia, mom and brothers.. and then hitting the town with my brothers
• The days of fear of hippos, nights of drinking with
Incredible sights only dreamt of
Going to places like the Great Wall of China are places I that fascinated me in textbooks as a child, but where I thought I would never be able to go. Aussies and Brits and the safari through Africa
• The final night of our Machu Pichu tour was spent bar hopping with our troop of 12 in Cusco, Peru.. what a night!
• Hanging with Chris and Beth in Byron Bay
• Living the porteno life in Bueons Aires with Amy, testing my liver, trying to learn tango and speaking Spanglish
• Laughing about our cultural gaffes with Frank in Russia and China
• Getting together with old friends and new, in bars, cafes, apartments, sidewalks, boats, beaches, houses, park benches, camp fires, trucks, restaurants in places from Vinha Del Mar (Chile) to Capetown to Dubai, Slovenia and Moscow to Hong Kong and Boracay, and Pingyao to
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Cadillac
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Inspiration to the living!
Rick, It was great keeping up with your trip vicariously, and participating in Argentina (briefly) and fully in Germany...(that damn RV!) Both of those trips, a collective 25 days, had a huge impact on me and expanded my view of the world, so I can only imagine what 400 days must have done to your soul! Congrats on taking a journey most only dream about taking!