Mike and I traveled for 217 days from Oct 1, 2011 until May 4, 2012 to 12 countries. Now we are shopping for a pick up truck with a 5th wheel. Our next blog will be Liz and Mike loose in an RV http://loose-in-an-rv.blogspot.com/
We spents the most time in Thailand because Mike loved Thailand when he served there in the US Army in 1968. He speaks enough Thai to negotiate a meal, a room, and tuk-tuk ride. We both loved the people and the environment inspite of the haze and burning.
43 days - Thailand (Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Pai and River Kwai)
38 days - Hawaii (Oahu - 13, Bie state Island - 14, Maui - 9, Kauai - 4)
30 days - Australia (From Sydney down around New Sotuh Wales to Melboure to Adelaide then Alice Springs, thru Uluru and the a brief stop in Cairnes)
20 days - India in the southern states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala
19 days - Celebrity Century Cruise Ship with 4 stops in French Polynesia
14 days - New Zealand north to South on a terrific bus service.
12 days - Malaysia (Melaka, Kuala Lumpur, Caeron Highlands, Penang
12 days - Vietnam ( Saigon, Da Lat, Hoi An, Hue, Hanoi, Halong)
6 days - Indonesia (Bali)
6 days - Cambodia (Siem Reap and Phom Phen)
5 days - Singapore
4 days - Laos (Luang Prabang)
4 days - The Netherlands in Amsterdam, Holland
4 days - Las Vegas (Zion Canyon)
Mike and I were in no way world travelers when we began this trip. Mike does not relax in a place until he has a map in his hands. When he knows where he is and can find his way around he is confident.
Outside of the rarified environs of the cruise ship we met just a few travelers our age and fewer yet who were our age and Americans.
We were very fortunate early on to meet Canadians, Carolann and Dan climbing Diamond Head. Their blog is The Mature Traveler and it is linked to ours. They leased out their house and traveled about as long as we did. They went to amazing places like Bhutan and all over India. They gave us good warnings about booking ahead during Christmas and Chinese New Years. Last minute Asian accomodations are the norm except during peak travel seasons. Easter is not an issue in Asia.
When we arrived in Detroit we visited our dear friend Liz Boss and were glad to see that she is recovering nicely from 11/11/11 back surgery. She took us to the Verizon store and Mike replaced a lost cell phone. We just filed our travel insurance claim for my 10 stitch cut on lava on the 2-step beach near Kona in Hawaii and the stolen netbook taken by Jet Star baggage handlers in Bali.
We cannot express enough gratitude to Mike's brother Fred for managing our mail and doing our taxes while we were away. He threw out our 3rd class mail so we did not have much mail to weed through. Fred's wife set me up with an optician in Lansing since I left my better eyeglasses in a glove box in a rental car in Melbourne. The price of glasses with transition lenses is the same as in Bangkok or anywhere else so we may as well buy American.
Mike Here:
It's very easy to travel in Southeast Asia quite cheaply. If you're willing to spend the time and accept the inconvenience, it can be the next thing to free on buses and trains. Accomodations are the same thing, though a little more money can mean a big step up in luxury and convenience. At no time did we leave established tourist areas. It seems there was always someone around who understood English and could help us along.
Everywhere we went, we had access to ATM's. A couple of cards is advisable, as there can be communication problems with a certain institution. The only real trouble I had was in Europe, which has leapfrogged us technologically. WiFi is ubiquitous in Southeast Asia. Even the cheapest flophouses proudly advertise this. India, Australia, New Zealand, not so much. There are enough internet cafe's available where one could probably get along without a computer. Personally, I was delighted to bring along a netbook, if only for keeping pictures arranged and keeping notes for the blog.
Southeast Asian street food (restaurants, roadside food stands, etc.) is generally safe, not to mention delicious. Just be sure it's been freshly cooked. Avoid fruits you can't peel, salads and any water but bottled. India is something else; just be sure to keep Immodium AD handy and accept the occasional intestinal distress.The food is worth it. Vegetarian food will cut down on the worry a bit.
Was it all worth the trouble? You betcha! We met all manner of interesting people, saw things to boggle the mind, absorbed world culture in a way not to be matched by just watching the tube. Checked the hell out of the bucket list. One person has asked "What is the most beautiful thing you saw?". I just can't answer that. Too many choices. I can't even tell what the most interesting thing was. But I can set you down and fill your ear with what we did see and experience. Or you can take the easy route and start this blog from the beginning and watch a couple of world travelers develop.
We spents the most time in Thailand because Mike loved Thailand when he served there in the US Army in 1968. He speaks enough Thai to negotiate a meal, a room, and tuk-tuk ride. We both loved the people and the environment inspite of the haze and burning.
43 days - Thailand (Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Pai and River Kwai)
38 days - Hawaii (Oahu - 13, Bie state Island - 14, Maui - 9, Kauai - 4)
30 days - Australia (From Sydney down around New Sotuh Wales to Melboure to Adelaide then Alice Springs, thru Uluru and the a brief stop in Cairnes)
20 days - India in the southern states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala
19 days - Celebrity Century Cruise Ship with 4 stops in French Polynesia
14 days - New Zealand north to South on a terrific bus service.
12 days - Malaysia (Melaka, Kuala Lumpur, Caeron Highlands, Penang
12 days - Vietnam ( Saigon, Da Lat, Hoi An, Hue, Hanoi, Halong)
6 days - Indonesia (Bali)
6 days - Cambodia (Siem Reap and Phom Phen)
5 days - Singapore
4 days - Laos (Luang Prabang)
4 days - The Netherlands in Amsterdam, Holland
4 days - Las Vegas (Zion Canyon)
Mike and I were in no way world travelers when we began this trip. Mike does not relax in a place until he has a map in his hands. When he knows where he is and can find his way around he is confident.
Outside of the rarified environs of the cruise ship we met just a few travelers our age and fewer yet who were our age and Americans.
We were very fortunate early on to meet Canadians, Carolann and Dan climbing Diamond Head. Their blog is The Mature Traveler and it is linked to ours. They leased out their house and traveled about as long as we did. They went to amazing places like Bhutan and all over India. They gave us good warnings about booking ahead during Christmas and Chinese New Years. Last minute Asian accomodations are the norm except during peak travel seasons. Easter is not an issue in Asia.
When we arrived in Detroit we visited our dear friend Liz Boss and were glad to see that she is recovering nicely from 11/11/11 back surgery. She took us to the Verizon store and Mike replaced a lost cell phone. We just filed our travel insurance claim for my 10 stitch cut on lava on the 2-step beach near Kona in Hawaii and the stolen netbook taken by Jet Star baggage handlers in Bali.
We cannot express enough gratitude to Mike's brother Fred for managing our mail and doing our taxes while we were away. He threw out our 3rd class mail so we did not have much mail to weed through. Fred's wife set me up with an optician in Lansing since I left my better eyeglasses in a glove box in a rental car in Melbourne. The price of glasses with transition lenses is the same as in Bangkok or anywhere else so we may as well buy American.
Mike Here:
It's very easy to travel in Southeast Asia quite cheaply. If you're willing to spend the time and accept the inconvenience, it can be the next thing to free on buses and trains. Accomodations are the same thing, though a little more money can mean a big step up in luxury and convenience. At no time did we leave established tourist areas. It seems there was always someone around who understood English and could help us along.
Everywhere we went, we had access to ATM's. A couple of cards is advisable, as there can be communication problems with a certain institution. The only real trouble I had was in Europe, which has leapfrogged us technologically. WiFi is ubiquitous in Southeast Asia. Even the cheapest flophouses proudly advertise this. India, Australia, New Zealand, not so much. There are enough internet cafe's available where one could probably get along without a computer. Personally, I was delighted to bring along a netbook, if only for keeping pictures arranged and keeping notes for the blog.
Southeast Asian street food (restaurants, roadside food stands, etc.) is generally safe, not to mention delicious. Just be sure it's been freshly cooked. Avoid fruits you can't peel, salads and any water but bottled. India is something else; just be sure to keep Immodium AD handy and accept the occasional intestinal distress.The food is worth it. Vegetarian food will cut down on the worry a bit.
Was it all worth the trouble? You betcha! We met all manner of interesting people, saw things to boggle the mind, absorbed world culture in a way not to be matched by just watching the tube. Checked the hell out of the bucket list. One person has asked "What is the most beautiful thing you saw?". I just can't answer that. Too many choices. I can't even tell what the most interesting thing was. But I can set you down and fill your ear with what we did see and experience. Or you can take the easy route and start this blog from the beginning and watch a couple of world travelers develop.
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