Home again, I’m still struggling a little to fall asleep at a decent hour. Anyhow, there are so many things to think about – the what’s next of life – that sleeping is difficult. I never stop wondering at the way time really does fly by. What a trip. Six months of travel seems to have blinked by as fast as night turns to day. But it wasn’t a dream! I’ve got the photos to prove it, they’re all there, I’ve gone through them, and I’ll post a “best of” somewhere on-line in a week or two.
Here’s a quick recap of my journey.
10 Best Sights:
1. Machu Picchu, Peru
2. Perito Moreno Glacier, Patagonia, Argentina
3. Bamboo Island, Southern Thailand (no photo of Bamboo Island – this is the island next door)
4. Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
5. Iguazu Falls, Argentina
6. Fitz Roy Mountain in Patagonia, Argentina
7. Angkor Wat, Cambodia
8. Palenque, Mexico
9. Lake Titicaca, Bolivia and Peru
10. Colca Canyon, Peru
10 Most Annoying Experiences:
1. Getting ripped off by a Mexican self-proclaimed tour guide
2. Waking up to find credit cards and money missing from my backpack on the night bus in Thailand
3. Having food poisoning and being sick for 2 and a half days in Peru
4. Hiking and camping in the pouring rain for 2 days and a night in Patagonia
5. Feeling harassed by tuk-tuk drivers and being cheated out of money by the exchange in Cambodia
6. Waiting for tourist buses in Thailand, taking days to travel a few hundred kilometers
7. Slipping on a rock in the river in Thailand and getting an infection on my foot
8. Pushing the bus that was stuck in the mud on the way to Machu Picchu, Peru
9. Fighting off mosquitoes
10. Walking with my huge backpack in the sweltering heat, Mexico, Argentina, Thailand, Cambodia
Best Food:
1. Green Curry, Thailand
2. Chicken Coconut Lemongrass Soup, Thailand
3. Steak, Argentina
4. Coconut Lobster, Mexico
5. Beans, eggs and tortillas for breakfast, Mexico
6. Kimchi, South Korea
7. Roadside tacos, Mexico
8. Coconut banana shakes, Thailand
9. Mango and sticky rice dessert, Thailand
10. Garlic trout, Lake Titicaca, Peru
I technically traveled through 12 countries:
Mexico
Argentina
(Paraguay)
(Brazil)
Bolivia
Peru
Ecuador
Spain
France
Thailand
Cambodia
(South Korea)
Though I only spent a day or two in the countries in parentheses, I also technically went around the world, always flying east. So I’ve done it! I’ve been around the world, though there are so many places I still want to see (like India and Africa). What’s next? I don’t know. Here’s what I figure… life is so much more fun when you fill it with things that interest you, things that draw you out and make you take risks. If you’ve dreamed it up and you find that you can do it, then do it. So what will I do? Where will life lead me? I guess I’ll follow my heart – it hasn’t led me astray yet.
