We’ve only got a little bit left of our travel budget now, a time in our lives that of course coincides with our visit to one of the world’s premier shopping capitals. My current plan is to lock her in a cheap hotel room and throw away the key. I mean, seriously. This is [...]
Simple pleasures, such as eating fresh vegetables and unpeeled fruit, were a staple in my life before this trip. Granted, I didn’t usually give them much thought. Why bother being grateful about eating a freshly washed lettuce leaf or unpeeled carrot? It’s no big thing, right? Well, no, actually it’s a privilege. You see, [...]
Before leaving for this trip I asked Martin what souvenir he most wanted to bring home. Yes, I know it was an unfair question, since he had no idea what we would come across, but there was a method to the madness. I was trying to get him used to the idea of buying things [...]
Carpets are a weak point for me (as seen here and here). It’s not always been that way. Maybe it happened after I hit 30, maybe I just miss having a home to decorate. Either way, I can’t stop imagining our future home filled with beautiful carpets. That being said, we stopped by the [...]
Is it a spider? Is it a hairball we pulled from our shower? No! Can you guess what its used for…
If I were to be completely honest, I’d have to say that wearing anything other than a Muumuu is impractical. The Muumuu, or Muum as I like to call it, is the world’s greatest outfit. You name me one other piece of clothing that you can wear while sleeping, running errands, cooking, throwing [...]
This is me in my own personal heaven. If you’ve been following this blog, you’ll know that I’m a sucker for picking up souvenirs (as shown here and here and here). They’re usually of the small furniture, machete, or unusable carpet variety – bulky and awkward but items I really can’t do without. Well, yesterday [...]
When resources are scant, smart people step up and figure things out. Like here: this Katha shop sells metal ware made out of recycled tins. These funnels and oil dispensers have been hand made from cans of energy drinks and creamed corn. I wish I had the space to buy a ton of it, but [...]
You know that saying, “Everyone’s doing it.” It’s my new favorite souvenir buying tactic. Today’s Martin-convincing-session took place outside a rattan store. The desired item: a basket like all the other Burmese ladies are using. “You know, Martin, I think I really need this basket. I’ll pack my day-pack away and use this. I think [...]
Machetes are a must have, right? Before we leave Myitkyina tomorrow I wanted to pick up a few I saw for sale in the market. These things are the real deal. They weigh a ton, are awkward to carry and will come of little use when we get home. In short, they’re perfect for us. [...]
Following our tradition of buying dumb things on this trip, I have a new souvenir I’m obsessing about. Martin is doing his best to restrain me. Yesterday’s tour of Bagan lead us to a family-operated lacquer ware factory where we were given a tour by the fourth generation owner. I’ve admittedly never given much thought [...]
Feeling that we have stomachs of steel, we’ve been making our way around the street vendors in Bangkok – trying a little bit of everything. That is, except for this thing. Dining is mostly a visual experience and this 10” pile of Evil, covered in stringy bits of Nasty just didn’t pass the test. Does [...]
Diaper Pants! They’re alive and well in SE Asia, too. I know. I know. I’m obsessed with this subject, but I can’t help it. Why on earth would you want to wear something that looks like this? Why? Why? Why?
In celebration of our time together our landlord (pictured) agreed to cook us up some amazing Nepali food before we leave. Not only does he run a tight ship with his rental units, but he also runs a guesthouse, helps to relocate refugees to the US, and was a professional chef for twelve years. The [...]
Without realizing what we’d done, Martin and I just bought the world’s most expensive Guinness bought from a grocery store. The $10/can price tag went unnoticed because we were buying a big load of groceries and just figured it had added up. Um, no. A receipt review at home showed us that our [...]
You know the saying, “to fly by the seat of your pants?” Well, that's been our philosophy for most of our adult lives – before and after meeting, falling in love and marrying. We're now taking that idea on an extended round-the-world trip. Follow us as we share the good, the bad and the downright nasty of life on the road.
