Hello, from the comforts of our own homes! Where we can drink water from the tap, throw our toilet paper in the toilet (as opposed to the wastebasket), and sleep in a bed that doesn't put gaping holes in our back from the spring coils. It feels great to be back but we're not done blogging yet, people! Teedo and I still have three days in Hanoi, the capital city and one day in Mai Chau, a sleepy village surrounded by mountains to tell you about.
Read MoreI think we're still in awe with what we just witnessed. Halong Bay has been on my bucket list for a few years and I was so nervous pulling up in our shuttle at the bay with hopes that it would live up to my expectations and dreams. But little did I know, it was one million times better than what I had imagined. My eyes were not prepared for what I was about to see (yep, I had my holy-crap-I'm-here-and-I'm-crying moment within the first 10 minutes of being on the boat)! Don't go skipping ahead to the photos just yet...I only took 200 so no need to worry.
Read MoreWe’re back already to bother you with another post? Time flies when you're having fun! Actually, I'm used to writing a blog post every few weeks instead of every few days so to make it more fun (for me!) I'm going to switch it up and have you follow us along in picture-book style instead. So grab yourself a warm drink (or cold one...), sit back, relax and come along with us on our amazing journey through Hoi An Ancient Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. So, what are you waiting for...click on the first picture to get started and we'll give you more information next to the photo...
Read MoreGood Morning, Vietnam! I had to say it - But this time we've spoken these words in the actual country while soaking up the culture, eating the food, almost getting run over by the insane motorbikes that congest the streets, and sweating our butts off in 100 degree (humid) heat. Teedo and I are in Vietnam, people (Yes, I call my mom Teedo. Long story, ask me about it sometime) and we are loving it! We're both ready to embark on a 16 day journey I'd like to call Lindsay and Teedo's Epic Vietnam Adventure. Original, I know :)
Read MoreXin Chao! Thanks for joining us again as we travel south to Can Tho (pronounced 'Tau'), the epicenter of the Mekong Delta and "rice bowl" of the world. Here life slows down quite a bit (which we craved after 2 days in Ho Chi Minh City) and it's flat and hot. Living along countless rivers and canals that populate this region, locals generally get around by boat (some villages are only accessible by water), visiting restaurants and floating markets to buy their produce and other items. Families live in small shacks built up along the river and are backed by an abundance of greenery. It has been a fascinating area to visit, especially with the contrast to Ho Chi Minh City.
Read MoreIronically, within the first month of living in New Zealand we began planning an island getaway for sometime in March. People thought we were nuts saying 'why are you planning a trip when you're on a trip?!' But we knew it was unlikely we would ever be this close to the South Pacific Islands so we began researching destinations. Our ideal island must haves: beaches for snorkeling and relaxing, mountains for hiking, hot weather and cool beverages. When I read the following description for Rarotonga in the Cook Islands I said SIGN US UP: "If you've ever fantasized about escaping to a remote island, far from the hustle and hum of the modern world, then look no further than the Cook Islands, where you'll find a thousand years of Polynesian culture sitting side by side with some of the most spectacular natural scenery in the South Pacific. The jewel in the crown is Rarotonga, the largest island - a bewitching blend of craggy mountains, dense jungle and glorious bone-white beaches." Sounds perfect to me, am I right?!
Read MoreWhen we last wrote, we had officially traveled 186 miles from Whistler to Kamloops and landed in Nick and Erika's place in the late afternoon. It was definitely one of the bigger cities we've seen while being in Canada so we figured a night on the town would be great. For dinner, we located the main drag and asked a local where she recommended we eat. Her three choices... 1) "This sushi place" - she pointed to an empty restaurant behind her, 2) Denny's (really? Denny's), 3) She couldn't think of a third so I think she defaulted to the Mexican place across the street. So we ate at Qdoba. When in doubt, eat a burrito.
Read MoreWe got our first taste of road tripping on our hour and a half long drive from Vancouver to Whistler. It was clear we were all very excited (to be traveling by mini-van, of course) and to explore a new area of Canada because we were singing, laughing, and screaming almost the whole way. I think Chauffeur Chip was a little worried for our upcoming (5 hour long) trip we would be taking in 4 days. We joked on our drive, saying wouldn't it be funny if by the end of the trip we were all sick of each other and the car was conversationless. Don't worry...it doesn't happen. It's hard not to mention the drive from Vancouver to Whistler. Stunning, really. We followed the ocean much of the way, going up and over mountain passes.
Read MoreChip and I were overcome with joy to be heading to Canada...and for many reasons! First, we've always wanted to explore Canada. We thought it was a little odd to be saying we were from the US but had never actually step foot into Canada (driving across the border when you're 19 to get booze doesn't count. And neither does seeing Niagara Falls from the Canadian side). Second, we wanted to run the half marathon in Vancouver. Third, and most exciting, we were reuniting with our awesome friends that we met a year earlier in New Zealand. There is Nick and Erika, our Canadian roommates that lived with us in Queenstown, and the Kennedy's, our favorite family of 5 who welcomed us while living in their home country. The plan for the trip was to all meet up in Vancouver, run either the half or full marathon (Jeff was the only one who had the guts to run the full), and then take off via mini-van with the Kennedy's for a week-long road trip from Vancouver to Whistler then Kamloops to Banff.
Read MoreWe write to you from the soils of Germany where we've just spent an eventful time exploring the southern countryside. As I mentioned in the last blog, we decided to rent a car from Holland and make our way down to the southern edge of Germany with the preferred mode of transportation being the German autobahn. If you haven't heard of the autobahn, it's Germany's network of highways with the biggest differences from the American highway system being the quantity of BMWs and lack of a speed limit. Driving on the autobahn has been on Chip's bucket list since he visited 10 years ago (and who wouldn't want to cruise at 180 kph (that's 111 mph) legally)? So we belted up in our rental Ford Fiesta and took to the open road at times clocking 180 kph...which is about what it will go, flat out. If that didn't feel fast enough, we'd actually have people in Mercedes, BMWs, and Audis flying past us at that speed like we were standing still. It was awesome!
Read MoreWelcome back to our Costa Rican honeymoon!
While our drive from Arenal to Samara was a scenic one, it definitely required patience from us and high-clearance maneuvering from our car. Google maps assured us that we would arrive in 3 1/2 hours however we ended up rolling in roughly 5 hours later because the roads were so bumpy and curvy. But we made it in one piece and were as happy as clams that we decided to stay in the quaint town of Samara over one of the other popular touristy beach towns along the coastline. The town itself consisted of a 3 km long crescent-shaped beach scattered with a few beach-side restaurants, one main surf school, and backed by palm trees and thick green foliage. We could tell at this point Samara hadn't hit the tourist map but we were afraid it was on the verge of it. Only one concrete structure loomed amongst the lush tropical town, sticking out like a sore thumb. Who would build that? And why would you ruin this paradise with that eye-sore?
Our honeymoon officially began when we flew over Costa Rica at 6 in the morning and admired the beautiful sunrise with lush green rainforests below. Once we landed in San Jose and grabbed our rental car, we immediately hit the (extremely) bumpy roads to Arenal Volcano National Park where we would be spending the following three nights. We were still an hour away but as we crested the hills, we spotted glimpses of the prominent Volcano ahead. The perfect start to our Costa Rican honeymoon!
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