"All you've got to do is decide to go and the hardest part is over"

After 3 flights and spending the night in the Miami airport I arrived at one of the highest airports in the world. I began my South American adventure in La Paz, Bolivia.  Determined to fight both tiredness and altitude sickness I checked into my hostel, showered, and headed out on the free walking tour of the city.  We saw food markets, the witches' market (sells llama fetuses, dried frogs, magical formulas, etc), learned a little about the politics and government buildings, churches and other historical places.  Later I went back to the giant market with floors upon floors of tiny kitchens and cafes.  I had the most delicious hot drink called api made with purple corn flour, cinnamon sticks, cloves, orange rind, pineapple juice and sugar that came with an empanada.  After that I sought out api at any chance I could! It was so good! I sat with some locals and had the opportunity to practice my rusty Spanish!  Also in the market they had amazing chorizo sandwiches, and cream horns.  I ate there often!

The following day I went on a day trip to Chacaltaya (a mountain in the Andes of about 18,000 ft) said to have the world's highest ski area and the world's oldest ski lift. Later in the day journeyed to el valle de la luna (moon valley).  The ride up to the mountain was quite memorable.  In a minibus we wound up the rugged uneven dirt roads that rapidly became blanketed by snow.  A tad bit scary, as the edge of the road didn't seem too far away and the cliffs and overlooks became higher and higher.

Later the snow ceased and gave way to stunning views in every direction. As we drove up it was completely gray passing through the clouds so before then the scenery was completely hidden.

Valle de la luna was pretty wild to see and to venture through. It was formed by erosion wearing away mountains of clay creating spires. There's so much variance in color because of the mineral content of the mountains

The following day I experienced an eventful bus ride to Copacabana (the original one which lends its name to Rio).  I'll just say we waited in traffic for over an hour while there was a massive fire in the middle of the road as well as tons and tons of people. We also had a quick boat ride separate from our bus which floated across on a barge, very weird to witness.   We finally arrived to this small town located on the Bolivian side of the shared (w/Peru), Lake Titicaca.  This is the largest lake in South America not counting the lake in Venezuela which is connected to the sea.  "Formerly the foundations of the most influential pre-Hispanic cultures of the Andean region...as well as many independent kingdoms from the 9th century up until the 15th when they were conquered by the Incas."   

The next morning I hopped on a boat to Isla del Sol (island of the sun) an ancient holy site of the Incas.They believe the god who created the universe emerged from the lake and created the sun there.With Inca ruins and gorgeous views in all directions, it made for such an enjoyable hike.

After my trip to the island I headed back to La Paz to take a lengthy overnight bus to a small town, Tupiza, very near the border of Argentina.  It was a nice place to walk around and spend a day or two before I left on my trip to the Salar de Uyuni the world's largest salt flats!  The area looked similar to the American southwest. I even went on a horseback riding trip for a few hours through the canyons which was beautiful and quite an experience since I hadn't been on a horse since I was about 9 or 10!

one of the mant lagoons

The terrain I saw within those few days was seriously out of this world.  It was like nothing I'd ever seen before...looking completely like another planet.

    

                                                                                          

The days leading up to the salt flats we saw white, green, yellow, blue  and pink lagoons, flamingos, llamas, alpacas, vicunas, volcanoes, geysers, hot springs, deserts, and mountains.

                                                  

It was insane! The wind was relentless out there and the temperatures frigid--our highest elevation reaching over 16,000 ft! The final morning we woke while it was still dark in order to arrive to the salt flats to see the sunrise. So worth it!

We also went to the isla de los pescados (fish island) where there were 1000 year old cacti and all the coral is fossilized which is so weird to be on an island that's not surrounded by water.

Before we ended the trip we stopped at an old train cemetery filled with wrecked old steam locomotives.

The whole experience of seeing everything and all the strange and fascinating landscapes was just incredible!

My second to last stop in Bolivia was Sucre, an UNESCO World Heritage Site, known as "the white city."  It was beautiful small city that reminded me a lot of Spain with the architecture and feel.  It had a really great food market where I ate every day and lots of places to walk to and just a nice place to walk around.  My final destination was Santa Cruz. I spent the day there before flying out to Ecuador!

"Somewhere between the start of the trail and the end is the mystery why we choose to walk"

On the way to Nepal we were lucky to have another day in Thailand! Once we arrived at the Bangkok airport for the third time, we stored our backpacks and headed into the city.  It was so wonderful to have another day in this country we both liked so much! It worked out well since we previously didn't have much time in the city.  We walked the entire day, checking out China Town as well as the backpacker area.  We were excited to have more Thai food, street treats, and a chance to see a couple more sights! Once back at the airport, we boarded our flight and after a brief layover in India we arrived in Nepal!

Flying into Kathmandu we were able to see the snowy mountain tops peeking through the clouds. After landing, we were greeted outside by one of the guys from our trekking company where he then loaded our bags into and onto the taxi.  Arriving to Kathmandu with little to no sleep was a whirlwind.  The scenes through the taxi windows were wild: monkeys jumping from rooftops to branches to power lines. cows meandering here and there, overflowing piles of trash, and tons of people out and about on the streets.  After checking into our place we sorted out some of the details of our trekking expedition that would begin in a few days.  We were ascending to Annapurna Base Camp at almost 14,000 feet. The summit of Annapurna 1 is the 10th highest summit in the world at over 26,000 feet and there are a few other peaks around as well to be absolutely amazed and impressed by.  "Annapurna is a Sanskrit which means literally "full of food or grain" which is translated as Goddess of the Harvests."

Wandering around the neighborhood outside our place, Thamel,  was quite a sight!  The experience was that of a maze, the winding and curving little streets and alleyways!  Rickshaws and taxis were squeezing through the people and endless streets of shops.  Sights from books to prayer flags, outdoor clothes and gear, spices, tea, incense, yak and sheep wool goods, and pashmina scarves could be seen everywhere we glanced.  There were countless places to browse and wander through. We enjoyed some vegetable curry, momo (Tibetan dumplings), some bakery items, and other deliciousness.  It's always so exciting trying food in a new country, especially since it differed somewhat to other countries in South East Asia we had visited.

Prior to beginning our expedition, it turned out to be quite an excursion just getting to the starting point for our trek. With the assistance of our guide we headed to the bus station where we undeniably took the wildest bus ride! It was incredibly bumpy, curvy, and at times felt like a roller coaster with the steep hills and overlooks a little too close to the road.  Smushed into the seat and crushed behind the one in front, it was a bit hard to find a place to hold on.  What an adventure it was! We stopped in Pokhara for the night, a city that is the jumping off point for most treks to the Annapurna area.  It was a lot different from Kathmandu and was much easier to get around.  There was a main street with grocery shops, outdoor stores, restaurants, and souvenir shops which was enjoyable to stroll about.  Before leaving the next morning we were up on the roof eating breakfast when we caught our first glimpse of the majestic mountains in the distance, we knew we would soon get to know up close and personal.  That morning we endured another bus ride (not as dramatic as the day before) until we could go no farther in this tiny town with blocked streets.  It was there that we began our walk.  The first day wasn't a long hike. We stopped for lunch; it was our first taste of dal bhat the traditional Nepali trekking dish of a lentil soup, vegetables, and rice.  It is known as "dal bhat power 24 hour." After a few hours of uphill climbing we reached our place for the night. Leading up to the tea house (lodge/restaurant in villages along the way) the views were unbelievably picturesque.  The bright colored houses, stone steps, and green vistas provided the perfect view for our first stop.

The following day consisted of conquering over 2,000 stairs.  We arrived at our next village where we warmed up and walked around a little bit. Upon awaking the next morning at around 4:30 we trekked up to Poon Hill to watch the sunrise over the peaks.  It was seriously breath-taking.  The panorama of snowy white peaks was astounding.  After a quick breakfast we continued on.  It was just remarkable to be hiking this terrain with its astounding views. Throughout the next few days we hiked both up and down hundreds of stairs, and hills, through forests, as well as along side rice terraces and rivers.  Our guide gave us insight into the Nepali people, Hinduism and Buddhism, as well as other info.  We questioned him about the lives of the guides, sherpas and porters.  We carried our own backpacks but had the chance to hang out with porters...playing cards with them and joking around.  Spending the nights in the villages was enjoyable--from meeting other trekkers, guides, going for walks, soaking up the astonishing views, to drinking endless amounts of tea and hot chocolate (in hopes of keeping warm), and sampling different foods at each guest house restaurant.

During our final ascent to the base camp we began to see a lot of snow.  It was such a wonderful feeling and sense of accomplishment to make it to the top.  There were piles of snow and later that afternoon it was really coming down.  We climbed up past the camp to where we were surrounded by the mountain peaks. Standing there at the edge of a crevasse we could actually hear the glacier moving which was just about the most bizarre thing ever.
Also, looking around at the mountains we'd sometimes see little
mini avalanches tumbling down the faces.  It was seriously incredible.  The following morning we awoke early in order to view the sunrise.  The way the light glowed over the peaks and on the faces of the snowy mountain was just absolutely stunning.  That day we began our descent back down which consisted of running down the hills.  It's what the porters do when carry heavy loads, apparently is better on the legs than normal walking down.  It was an experience! First flying through the snow, then mud, down rocks, it was intense! We continued onward tackling hundreds and hundreds of stairs to the point of that it literally did not seem possible to have so many stairs--EVER--in the world.  Wow what a workout! But definitely always worth it!  The gorgeous scenery, the impressive landscapes, the magnificent mountains, everything was beautiful. Truly unforgettable!

After returning to civilization we had a couple days in Pokhara and Kathmandu again then it was time to say goodbye to Asia and this crazy, epic, extraordinary adventure!

"Travel is the healthiest addiction"

Vietnam was an interesting place to travel.  We began our journey in the crazy capital city of Hanoi. The amount of motorbikes was insane! It was bizarre to watch the busyness and rapid pace of the city with the infinite bikes and overflowing sidewalks.  The city was a bit of a challenge to walk. Outside of restaurants and coffee shops there were little tables and seats set up on the sidewalk, goods for sale, and motor bikes parked.  Filled with winding, tight alleyways it was fun to meander our way through the city.  Following a walking path routed on a map we made our way through the madness.

In the city there was a nice lake to walk around and other walkable places throughout the city to visit.
We had a perfect authentic pho eating experience as we found a delicious spot and sat with the locals out on the sidewalk.  It was too good.  Also, we sought out the primo spot for coffee filled with locals and the best coffee.  Vietnamese coffee is so tasty!  Also, something unique to Vietnam, are the water puppet shows that date back to the 11th century. Live musicians play as Vietnamese folk tales are performed in the water with wooden character puppets.  They danced and splashed around as stories are told.(pictures of the show)

We got away from the city for a couple great excursions.  The first was to Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Now you can't go to Vietnam without going to Ha Long Bay, Ha Long meaning "bay of descending dragons" was a beautiful sight. Filled with islands and rocks jutting straight out of the sea (representing the bodies of dragons).  We kayaked while admiring the sunset, adventured through a cave, hiked up to the top of an island to have a grand look over the bay, and got to meet some cool people from our boat.

Our second trip was to Sapa,  After an overnight train, and a winding minibus ride, we arrived at a small city where we met with our group for the trek to the village in the mountains.  We were so close to the border of China, there was just a mountain separating us. There were rice terraces as far as the eye could see. Throughout our hike we crossed through villages, lived on the edge as we put one foot in front of the other as to not fall into the rice paddies (there was about a five foot drop in some places), and saw views that were extraordinary. After an excellent trek we arrived at our home-stay. It was such an opportunity to just be able to experience a taste of their life, be able to ask questions about their culture and lifestyle, and be able to enjoy the company of fellow travelers and an authentic delicious home cooked meal.  Surrounding the house there were narrow paths weaving through the rice paddies which provided a great opportunity for further exploring and gorgeous vistas of mountains and layered rice terraces.  The following morning we continued our trek through terraces and bamboo forests and made our way back to the small town of Sapa.  After the journey back to Hanoi we flew to Ho Chi Mihn where we took a lengthy bus ride to Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Traveling by bus we were able to have a glimpse of the countryside of Cambodia as well as a brief view of Phnom Penh where we had a rest stop. We were on our way to Siem Reap to view the Angkor Archaeological Park containing "the magnificent remains of several capitals of the Khmer Empire of the 9th to the 15th centuries, including the largest pre-industrial city in the world."  Journeying by tuk-tuk we climbed through multiple temples where we hiked through forests and explored the ancient places.

The largest religious monuments in the world, these were originally built as Hindu temples.  Later, a new successor came along and started building Buddhist structures.  Then finally the one after him altered them to be Hindu again.  We spent a couple days in the Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider-like temples where we crawled over ruins, ingrown trees, broken rocks and wicked steep steps.  Rising before sunrise the second day, we hopped in a tuk-tuk and arrived to see the sun coming up over Angkor Wat.
                          

There was a gigantic night market in town which was fun to search for souvenirs and just browse around as it took over several streets.  Also, I ate a couple of the main dishes of Cambodia which were not as good as the food in Thailand but still quite enjoyable to try! These countries were incredible and wonderful to experience, next we were off to our final country, Nepal!!

"To those who can dream, there's no such place as far away"

Laos was filled with incredible natural beauty.  The landscapes were gorgeous. Spending many hours on a mini-bus winding through the ridiculous roads with with crazy turns and endless bumps provided quite an experience, but more importantly a perfect view of the country on our rides! Starting in the capital, Vientiane, we spent a couple days there and saw some impressive markets, enjoyed some good non-Asian food, and saw a few temples.  Laos, formerly part of a French colony Indochine, definitely had that European feel which you could witness in some of the architecture as well as the restaurants.

Headed a bit north we went Vang Vieng, a little outdoorsy/backpacker town. The town itself wasn't very impressive but the surrounding scenery was; jagged cliff mountains, caves and lagoons, as well as the river that surrounded the town.  We rented some bikes which brought us closer to some epicness. We ventured into a spectacular cave with only our headlamps to guide us.  We wandered around climbing over rocks and crawling and squeezing through some tight spaces.  What was so wicked about this cave was that it was just a free for all that we were able to explore at our own risk. Every other cave I've ever been in had a specific trail to walk with lights usually. What a thrilling experience!  Following the bike ride and cave exploration I enjoyed the refreshing coolness of the blue lagoon.  With its swings and a rope to plunge into the water, it was so fun!  We had some amazing pancakes (peanut butter and chocolate), fresh fruit drinks, and traditional food as well.  After a couple of days we left and rode a few more hours north with more rough, uneven and twisting roads, we arrived at our final destination in Laos, Luang Prabang.

This was a smaller city that was a bit less touristy than the backpacker town and an UNESCO World Heritage Site.  It was cool to see the Buddhist monks walking around in their bright orange robes, and to take in a little bit more of their culture.  Another cultural aspect we noticed was the long sarong skirts the majority of women wore.  I learned later that Lao law dictates that women must wear this called a phaa sin.  It's not as strict anymore but it seems as if the majority of women were wearing it. Also, it's still required inside government buildings.  We had the chance to see some more temples up close.  Laos has been referred to as the most Buddhist of nations, so it's enjoyable to see that aspect of it in more detail. At night there was a massive market that we roamed through and I even made a few purchases!  Surrounded 2 rivers that granted beautiful views and an incredibly sketchy bamboo bridge leading to another village to discover.  During our time in town we went to this place where we learned about many different Lao textiles such as weaving and dyeing, how it's done, where the supplies come from, and about their philosophy of women empowerment and fair trade which was pretty interesting.  We climbed the main hill and religious site in the center of town called Phou Si.  At the top there is a view of the city and surrounding area, as well as Buddhist temples and shrines. The town itself was nice to stroll around, especially the neighborhoods filled with both traditional Lao houses as well as those with European flairs.  After a couple days there we were off to our next country, Vietnam! 

"My favorite thing is to go where I've never been."

After a layover in the Singapore airport (seriously the best airport to spend several hours in) we arrived in Bangkok, Thailand! Thailand has been on my list for quite a while!! I couldn't wait to begin exploring!  We were lucky that our hostel was situated in the more authentic part of the city.  With locals all around, street markets and food, and incredible tea!  Later after a speedy boat ride down the canal we were zipping through the packed streets in a tuk tuk.  This provided a unique view of this vast city. After seeing some beautiful Buddhist temples, sampling some more tasty street foods such as dumplings and fried bananas, we boarded the overnight train headed north to Chiang Mai.  This was quite an epic train ride, supposed 12 hours turned into about 19+ hours! Wow! Finally we arrived to the lovely Chiang Mai. There were fresh fruit juices on every other street and numerous exquisite temples to explore, and after a delicious lunch we spoke with the owner about taking a cooking class the following day.  That evening we visited the night bazaar!  Rows and rows of jewelry, souvenirs, shirts, bags, scarves, and much more!  We wove our way through the maze of people, browsing through the goods, as well as enjoyed some scrumptious goodies!

Filled with excitement, we arrived early the following morning to begin our class with a trip to the market, a real treat for the senses!  She enlightened us on the various varieties of fruits, vegetables, rice, noodles, and spices.  We arrived back to her restaurant and set up in her kitchen eager to learn the ways of Thai cooking.  With the breeze from the open windows, the funky music mix in the background, and the heavenly smells and sounds of sizzling, mincing, and chopping it made for such an authentic experience.  We learned several dishes such as panang, green curry, coconut curry, papaya salad, pad Thai, and mango sticky rice.  We recorded all our recipes and instructions in a little notebook which she later decorated with paper and it became our little Thai cook book.  We  had the opportunity to enjoy our creations as well!!

After another extra long train journey we arrived back in Bangkok and had to relocate to a different train station for our trip west.  We boarded our train for our journey to Kanchanaburi where we would be volunteering for a week with elephants with Elephant Nature Park (if you're ever in Thailand totally do it!!)

I have loved elephants since I was little and had been dreaming of an experience like this for so long.  Our area consisted of little cabins, an outdoor kitchen/dining area surrounded by a small village of families, the jungle, and the river.  Our mornings began with feeding the elephants buckets of bananas for breakfast.  It's challenging to describe the true amazingness of being so close to these extraordinary animals.  There were 5 retired elephants there.  It was heartbreaking to think of the work they had been forced to do throughout there life but wonderful to be able to help out with them now that they are free (more info),  It was so wild to feel their strong trunk as they took the bananas from my hand.  It was quite an adventure to be so near to these beautiful and powerful animals.  Throughout the week we chopped sugarcane and grass, built fences out of bamboo, weeded and planted in the garden, and picked up poop.  We prepared treats for the elephants by mixing pineapple leaves, cassava, and a few other ingredients in a giant mortar, as well as some other snacks and whatever else we could do to contribute during our time there.  Each afternoon we bathed the elephants in the river with buckets that ended with us completely wet as well!  Along with the other 2 volunteers we also sometimes worked with the mahouts.  These were younger boys who cared and looked after their individual elephant.  They didn't use hooks or poles to control the elephants but had a very special relationship with them.  It was fascinating to see their bond.  Throughout the week we learned a great deal and it was surely a time I will never forget.  I definitely plan to return to Thailand in the future!