Our 20 Most Memorable Moments of 2014
(from a Trip Around the World)
In August, 2014, my wife and I packed up our belongings, sold our cars, rented out the house, and embarked on a year-long trip around the world with our two daughters. Four months in, we’ve had a lot of new experiences, some good and some bad, but these are the 20 things we remember — and talk about — the most.
1. Meeting Banano
Banano is a scarlet macaw that lives at Essence Arenal. He’s wild (so we were told), but knows a good thing when he sees it. So he often comes down from his tree to eat nuts from the hands of the people staying at the hostel.
2. Jumping off a Waterfall in Panama
Sure, we saw the Panama Canal, and it was pretty great. But we had a lot more fun on Captain Carl’s Jungleland Tour where we got to jump off a waterfall in a Panamanian Jungle.
3. Visting Easter Island
I’ve always wanted to go to Easter Island, and a trip around the world was a great time to make that happen. It was as fantastic as I’d hoped it would be.
4. Driving a Giant Campervan Through New Zealand
We spent two weeks driving a giant camper van where we encountered many unique towns like Ohakune, Bulls, and Oamaru. We also learned about the amazing jumping pillows.
5. The Melbourne Coffee Scene
Someone told us that Melbourne had the best coffee in the world. A bold claim, and we were quite skeptical. Although we haven’t yet had coffee in all the places in the world yet, we can say that Melbourne’s was fantastic. We miss it something fierce.
6. WWOOFing
We spent eight days working on an organic wheat farm in Western Australia. It was memorable.
7. Tim Tams
Our friend Gillan in Melbourne introduced us to Tim Tams. We haven’t been the same since. We met someone else from Melbourne on a boat in Vietnam, and she gave us her last Tim Tam that was stashed in her coat. We like those Melbournians.
8. Riding on a Scooter in Bali
One of my youngest daughter’s most memorable moments was riding on a scooter. There’s nothing quite as nerve-wracking as watching your youngest daughter speed away on a scooter in a foreign land. Except maybe realizing your wallet has just been stolen. Or that the [monkeys surrounding you have suddenly become angry].
9. Soccer in Sai Kung
When we were in Hong Kong, our oldest daughter was invited to play soccer in Sai Kung with kids from around the world. She had a great night playing soccer for more than two hours and when it was over, she even got props from the coach.
10. Our First Trip to Shanghai
A visit to China was on the itinerary, but we accidentally ended up there sooner than we planned. It turned out to be a crazy 29 hours.
11. Ra.a.g.f: The Bunny Café
Yes it is a café. With bunnies.
12. Hello Kitty Apartment
In Osaka, we stayed in a Hello Kitty-themed apartment. It was fabulous and oh so kawaii.
13. Hiroshima
We didn’t know what to expect when we got off the train in Hiroshima. But it turned out to be one of our favorite cities, filled with moments of emotional TK about the atomic bomb and serene reflection on Miyajima Island. What an experience.
14. Tsukunejima
We heard this small tempura restaurant was fabulous, so we hunted it down. It took us a while to find it, and we almost gave up. But we’re a stubborn foursome, and we were rewarded for our efforts. It was one of the best meals we’ve ever had.
15. Ghibli Museum
Our kids and many of their friends were raised on movies from the imagination of Hayao Miyazaki. Missing a visit to this museum was not an option, even if getting tickets to the place were a little tricky. But it was worth it.
16. Seoul City Wall
One of the most surprising things we learned in Korea, purely by accident, was that the entire city of Seoul was surrounded by a wall almost 19 kilometers long. Much of it is still there, and there’s a museum to called the Seoul City Wall Museum.
17. Great Wall of China
It lived up to its billing.
18. Crossing the Street in Vietnam
Street traffic in Vietnam is the stuff of travel legend. We got pretty good at crossing the street in Hanoi, but that was just training for Ho Chi Minh City. And just when we thought we’d mastered it, we had to cross the streets of Saigon on New Year’s Eve.
19. Excessively Long Travel
We’ve spent some long periods of time on large vehicles.
- 15 Hours on a Bus (Costa Rica to Panama, with a bonus night-time border crossing)
- 16 Hours on a Plane (Chile to New Zealand)
- 12 Hours on a Train (Sydney to Melbourne)
- 11 Hours on a Train (Beijing to Xi’an)
- 32 Hours on a Train (Yes, the train from Hanoi to Saigon is 32 hours)
We may be done with trains.
20. The Kindness of New Friends
In addition to being taken care of by old friends like Wendy and family members like Kendra & Fred (and their children), we’ve been pleasantly surprised and grateful to people who have invited us into their homes for meals and even a place to stay. So we owe a huge debt of gratitude to our new friends Jon & Tanya (and their children), Gillian, Joe & Rebecca, Sarah (and her children), and Jason (and his family). You all gave us wonderful respites from the loneliness of long-distance travel. For that, we thank you.
Bonus! Our Youngest’s Only Flight on Jetstar
Maybe you heard. Our daughter really hates Jetstar.
So 2014 is in the books, but we’ve still got eight months to go — plenty of time for a whole new set of experiences. We hope you’ll follow along and enjoy them with us.
