Monthly Archives: April 2014

Hello Mom! Greetings from Cape Town! After several long, hot showers, I think I finally got the stink of camping for 2 weeks in the African bush off of me. We had a blast, though. South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana…Victoria Falls…the Big Five…more details to come in a future post (and I know we still need to catch you up on India). But in the meantime, here is a quick video of our digs. It’s a little dark (sorry!) and the tent was actually about 6’x 6′, not 4’x 4′ as stated in the video. And we were at the Khama Rhino Sanctuary in Botswana, an amazing place!

A brighter shot of the interior:

Added bonus! Our “facilities” for two nights when we were “wild camping” in the Okavango Delta. Sweet!

Good morning friends! Greetings from Johannesburg, South Africa! It’s approaching 6:30am local time and we’re having a quick breakfast before we depart on our 16-day camping safari. We’re visiting South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. We hope to see some fantastic animals and experience the amazing culture and natural beauty of this part of the world.

That said, who knows how connected we’ll be over the course of the next few weeks. There might be a few times we find the chance to pop up on social media or the blog, but those opportunities are likely limited.

So bye for now – we’ll hopefully get a chance to check in soon, and we’ll report back in for sure in a few weeks, when we’re back in Johannesburg on April 27th.

Until then, Amy and John, over-and-out.

Hello friends! Thanks to everyone who submitted questions. We love the Q&A! Hope you do, too!

1. Where are you going next?

Amy: Africa! We’re actually cooling our heels at the Mumbai airport right now on a 12 hour layover! We were supposed to go to Nepal and/or Bhutan but we couldn’t get our act together. John found this awesome 2 week camping safari in South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe. That’s right, I said camping. And not luxury campervan camping…real tent camping. And me. In the African bush. I’m not worried…

2. Any regrets?

Amy: I regret that we didn’t make it to Nepal and Bhutan. But my 50th birthday isn’t that far away (ugh). Who’s with me?!

John: I was looking forward to seeing Central Africa. I’ve been to North and South Africa, but never the middle. But cost restrictions, limited airline connections, rainy season, and civil unrest prevented us from going to Kenya, Tanzania, and Ghana. But the safari is a really good alternative for us, we’re looking forward to it.

3. Are you tired of John yet? (No offense to John, I think I would be tired of anyone I spent so much time with.)

Amy: Not yet! ☺ We have a great time together. He’s such a great travel partner. He may have even surpassed GA as best vacation partner ever! (Sorry, GA!) And don’t forget, I get 2 hours alone every month when I get my hair did!

John: I don’t mean to get mushy, but I honestly think this trip has strengthened our relationship. The intensity of it all has really given us a chance to talk in-depth about different things and learn more about each other. And on a trip like this, you have to be honest about things, you rely on each other’s strengths, and there’s little modesty at times – it’s all out there, and that’s been a good thing for us.

4. Best meal?

Amy: Tough one but off the top of my head I would say Picchu in Sapporo, Japan. It was an Italian/Japanese fusion place. Awesome!

John: We’ve discussed this many times because it’s a question that people ask a lot, and we both agree that was likely our favorite meal. Not the fanciest or most exotic, but just delicious and unexpected. Certainly memorable.

5. Worst meal?

Amy: The one that made me barf for 2 days in Myanmar. It was chicken biryani with a dash of E-coli. The worst!

John: We’ve had a bunch of crappy meals along the way. Bad sandwiches, bland dishes, poor menu choices, some pathetic airport food…a percentage of what you eat on the road is simply…meh…

6. One place we should all visit…only one.

Amy: This is a REALLY hard question. But if I had to pick one place that I think EVERYONE would enjoy, I would have to pick Japan. Great food (even if you don’t eat sushi). Great sites. Lovely people. Clean, clean, clean! And exotic…very different from Europe, the Caribbean, Mexico/Central America & Hawaii (where I think most Americans vacation).

John: New Zealand. It’s simply beautiful. Incredible scenery, nice folks, easy to navigate, and all the modern conveniences, plus delicious meat pies and craft beer everywhere.

7. The New Zealand camper trip looked awesome. How would you rate that leg of the trip compared to the rest?

Amy: Amazing! And so different from all the hotel stays and apartment rentals. It was really great to be independent and in control of what we did each day. We had a kitchen and fridge which means we didn’t have to go out for every meal. And we had a TV with satellite and a DVD player! It was so much fun in that camper…our little home on wheels. We met lots of lovely people, too.

John: It was different, absolutely a vacation from our vacation. As Amy says, we were totally independent and free to roam, but we still had all our stuff with us all the time. It was pretty liberating, to be honest, being able to move freely every day, yet not worry about schedules and baggage and such.

8. When you joined your friends on that trip was it pure heaven to be able to socialize with familiar peeps?

Amy: YES! We need more visitors, though. When/where are you coming to visit?!

John: It’s been great meeting folks along the way and socializing, but hanging out with good friends for a week was a lot of fun, for sure. It just feels comfortable, like you don’t have to work at it.

9. It’s been 6 months now; are you still getting along great and clicking?

Amy: Yes. We are still happily married. ☺ Don’t get me wrong, we bicker like everyone else, but I’m so grateful to have this time with John. So many of our friends have already been married for 10 or 20 years. For us, it’s just 2.5. It’s really special to have this time together. It’s like a crash course in becoming an old, married couple (which is what we aspire to be!).

John: As I said above, it’s been a great experience for us. You can’t help but have disagreements along the way, but you learn quickly how to navigate through those moments and move on. It’s key to survival. And it’s made us that much closer.

10. How informed are you on the Malaysia Airlines flight? Are you following big stories like that it or are you staying unplugged?

Amy: Too plugged in. It freaked me out a little to be honest. The day after the flight went missing, we flew from Melbourne to Mumbai. Three flights over 24 hours. I’m not afraid to fly but I have to say I was not looking forward to that day. We didn’t tell anyone either because we didn’t want you all to worry needlessly. Just one of my sisters knew…just in case.

John: I think a story like that freaks you out whether you’re traveling or not. It resonates a little more with us perhaps because of the frequency of our air travel, and the part of the world we’re in, but it’s sad and creepy no matter where you sit. We flew on Malaysian Air twice, makes you think sometimes…

11. Did you bring a years worth of tampons?

Amy: Ha! No. The only place the guidebooks say you can’t find them is in India, so I bought a stash in Australia.

12. What about toothpaste?

Amy: Toothpaste and teeth brushing is universal, thank goodness. Unfortunately, hand washing is not.

John: Toothpaste is widely available. The flavors are a bit exotic sometimes, like the pine-flavored toothpaste in Korea, but no problems with dental hygiene…just dental work.

13. I know Christmas found you a little nostalgic for home; any other weak moments?

Amy: I feel like I’m actually getting better as we go as far as homesickness goes. Around two months in I was exhausted. I felt like I needed a vacation (ha!). But I recovered. Since then, we’ve been building in “breaks.” A week in Bali with nothing to do except sit by the pool was heaven. And our friends coming to visit in NZ really helped. Now, as we approach summer and South America and Europe (where friends/family are meeting up with us), I’m getting really excited! Skyping with my family helps a lot, too.

John: Christmas was tough for me, yes, but since then I haven’t really had any homesickness. But I will tell you this – I have come to APPRECIATE home so much more. This last month in India, in particular, makes you value the everyday things that much more – tap water, indoor plumbing, stoplights, even the TSA. You can’t believe how lucky our “inconveniences” are…

14. What has been the most amazing culinary treat this far?

Amy: So much amazing food! I feel like we have already talked ad nauseum about Japan. The fresh fruit in Bali was delicious. And the EGGS! Fresh, fresh, fresh eggs. I had them for breakfast every day for a week.

John: Amy raves about a fried chicken she ate in Taipei. I really liked a crab bowl we ate in Japan, and a fruit-ice dish in Tainan, Taiwan. We’ve eaten lots of great food everywhere, I wish we could remember it all.

15. How are the roots doing, Amy? Love when you do the salon pics!

Amy: Pretty good! The tough part is keeping up with them. I got my roots done every 3 weeks in NYC. I’m averaging every 5 weeks on this trip. I keep telling John he’s going to have to Photoshop out my “skunk strip” in all the iconic photos (Taj Mahal, et al).

16. Dying to know if you have had any clarity during your travels about where you will go when you return and what you will do; still thinking about Maine?

Amy: Yes, still thinking Maine. When John and I aren’t sightseeing, playing cards or blogging, we’re planning our perfect house in Maine. It’s going to have a rockin’ basement bar!

John: Still leaning towards Maine, ideally, but the dialogue continues. Jobs trump location, ultimately. We have to find the right jobs before we can settle somewhere for good… But we do keep taking notes about our dream house, which at this point will be a “small bungalow” with all the luxuries of a large, modern hotel. We’ll call it “Oxymoron Acres.”

17. We will be in Italy 6/27 – 7/5, will you? (from our friend, Andrew)

John: We won’t, unfortunately. We’ll likely have just arrived on the Iberian Peninsula, working our way through Portugal and Spain before arriving in Pamplona on July 6th for the Running of the Bulls. And yes, we intend on running.

Amy: Bargh! I’m so bummed we’ll miss you guys. Please extend your trip and come meet us in Pamplona! We may need a good doctor, Andrew…

18. When are you climbing Kilimanjaro?

John: That was in the plans at the outset of the trip, but as mentioned earlier, it’s no longer happening – Kenya isn’t the safest place right now, and it’s rainy season there and in Tanzania. But some day.

Amy: I don’t have an official “Bucket List” but if I wrote one up, Kilimanjaro would be on it. I’m so bummed. But we wanted to be in India for Holi (March) and we have tickets to the World Cup in Brazil (June). April is rainy season in Kenya/Tanzania and climbing is difficult/tours are limited. We couldn’t cool our heels in this part of the world for another month to wait it out. Maybe for my 50th if I don’t do Nepal/Bhutan?

19. What are you looking forward to at this stage of your journey?

John: I’m looking forward to the World Cup in Brazil, and we’re in the initial stages of planning to meet family in Spain/France in late July. Really excited about that prospect.

Amy: Ditto what he said. But I’m really looking forward to every leg coming up…Africa is going to be awesome! After safari, we’re doing a week in Cape Town. Hello wineries! And then South America and the World Cup. The 2010 World Cup was so amazing…I can’t wait for this one! And Europe…so many friends and family are talking about meeting up with us. It would be so fantastic and fun and special. I really can’t wait for all of it!

20. What have you learned that has been most meaningful so far?

John: For me, without question, it’s been a shift from being upset about what’s lacking, and instead appreciating what I’ve got. I know it sounds corny, but I’ve realized we’re very fortunate to have these lives, and live where we live, and never have to worry about the most basic of things, like clean water, a few decent meals a day, and a roof over our heads. Not to be preachy, it just resonates when you find yourself surrounded by people whose everyday lives are missing those things we take for granted.

Amy: I too have learned that I need to be more grateful. Every day. And I have learned that I need to help others in need. Every day. John put it so well above. We are so very, very fortunate. Not just me and John…all of us…all of you. I follow Pope Francis on Twitter (don’t laugh, he’s awesome…check him out.) He tweeted this the other day: “How good it is for us when the Lord unsettles our lukewarm and superficial lives.” (Just insert the words of your choice for “the Lord”…the Universe, Mother Nature, Allah, Buddha, G-d, you pick.) We were in India when he tweeted this and of all the places we’ve been, India has been the hardest. Very, very unsettling. I won’t get too graphic here, but just let me know if you want me to unsettle your lukewarm life. I’ll tell you some stories of the things we saw in India.

21. How have you changed, if at all?

John: I’ve lost some weight, and I have a new front tooth.

Amy: I will do my best to never buy bottled water again. Seriously. John mentioned it above but we are so FORTUNATE to have clean, potable water flowing from spigots in multiple rooms in our homes. If you’ll allow me to be preachy for a moment…please stop buying bottled water.

22. Has John considered letting his hair or beard grow for the entirety of your trip or what is left of it? And if so, did Amy put the kaibash on it? If not, why not?

John: I was growing my hair out at the start of the trip until I tried to get it “cleaned up” in Hanoi. It got “cleaned up” shorter than I liked, and grew in pretty poorly and unevenly. I finally just got it cut short in New Zealand. And while I’m not growing a beard, it’s well known that I’m not very good at shaving. Amy has been supportive of whatever I want to do – I’m the one who gets frustrated with my hair, and I shave when it gets too itchy.

Amy: I have enough problems with my own hair to worry about John’s. I haven’t had my hair cut in 6 months. It’s pretty scraggly. At this point, I’m thinking of hacking it all off!

23. Aren’t you exhausted!?!?!? I’m worn out just looking at all the pictures.

Amy: Yes, we definitely get tired sometimes. When we do, we call for a “weekend” and spend a day in bed watching movies in the hotel. It definitely helps! (And right this minute, I’m completely exhausted! It’s 12:30am local time; our 1:30am flight to Johannesburg takes of in an hour. Then it’s 8 hours on a plane. Pfft.)

John: You do need breaks, you can’t sight-see every day, it gets tiring. Sometimes you just want to lay around and watch tv, catch up on emails and laundry. And you need days off to plan ahead as well. So we plan a few weeks to a month of touring and sight-seeing, and then we’ll plan of week of just taking it easy. New Zealand and Australia helped a lot, but after nearly a month in India, and the upcoming safari, I think the week in Cape Town will be a good refresher.

And with that, we’re done! Thank you for all the great questions. If you’re game, we’ll do it again in 3 months or so. OK…time to board. Africa, here we come!

JUST IMAGINE IT…

After an early four-hour train ride from Boston, you and your wife pull into New York’s Penn Station, get your luggage, and start heading to the taxi stand. It’s August, and about 90 degrees. You’re layered in sweat, tired, and grumpy. A shady man approaches you: “Where are you going?”

“We’re just going to the taxi stand.”
“I have a taxi. Where are you going?”
“We’re going to the taxi stand, thank you.”
“Where do you need to go?”
“We’re going to the taxi stand.”
“Tourist information is over there.”
“Thank you. But we’re going to the taxi stand.”
“I can take you to tourist information.”
“No, thank you.”
“I have a taxi. Do you need a hotel room? Where are you going?”
“No, thank you.”

Another man approaches you, and looks your wife up and down. “Do you need a taxi?”
“Thank you, but we’re just going to use the taxi stand.”
“The taxi stand is closed today. Where are you going?”
“Thank you, but we’re going to the taxi stand.”
“The taxi stand burnt down. Come with me.”
“No!”
“I have a taxi. Come with me.”
“No!”

Another man approaches you.
“Where are you going? Train tickets are available across the street, I can take you there.”
“No, thank you, we’re going to the taxi stand.”
“The tourist ticket window is across the street, two blocks from this station.”
“No it’s not, there’s a sign for it right there – I can see it – and we don’t need tickets, we’re going to the taxi stand.”
“That window is not for tourists.”
“So why does it say ‘TOURIST TICKET WINDOW?’”
“I have a taxi. Where are you going?”
“Get away from me.”

You finally reach the taxi stand, and the first cabbie comes up to you. “Where are you going?”
“We need to go to the Marriott Marquis, in Times Square. Do you know where it is?”
“Yes, get in.”
“You know where it is?”
“Yes, get in.”
“So you know the Marriott Marquis?”
“Yes, get in.”
“How much to get there?”
“For the two of you? One-hundred dollars.”
“One-hundred?! No way! I’ll give you five dollars.”
“Okay, two people, eighty dollars.”
“No, no, no. It’s the same cab, one or two people. You’re ridiculous.”
“Fifty dollars, that’s a good price.”
“I’ll pay seven dollars at most, it’s not that far.”
“Okay, twenty dollars.”
“Ten.”
“Fifteen dollars is a good price.”
“C’mon. Ten dollars. The hotel is only 20 blocks from here.”
“Fifteen.”
“Ten dollars. There’s other cabbies here…”
A brief silence, and then the driver grudgingly waves you into his cab.

After you help the cabbie tie your luggage to the roof of his broken down Dodge Colt, you turn North on to Seventh Avenue. There is no air-conditioning in the cab, the windows only roll down so far, and the constant honking of horns seeps in as you enter traffic – your cab, the surrounding cabs, cars, trucks, scooters, bicycles…anything with wheels is honking its horn regularly. The cabbie turns to you. “Do you have a card for the hotel, with the address?”
[HONK]
“It’s the Marriott Marquis, in Times Square.”
“Marquis?”
[HONK]
“The Marriott Marquis…Times Square!! [HONK] You said you knew where it was!”
“Times Square?”
“YES. [HONK] It’s one of the city’s [HONK] best known [HONK] tourist hotels [HONK] in the biggest [HONK] tourist area [HONK] of the city. The MARY-OTT [HONK] MAR-KEE [HONK] TIMES SQUARE!!”
“Marquis Times Square?”
[HONK] [HONK]
“YES!!”

The driver gets to 34th Street [HONK] and pulls over to a newsstand. He calls the vendor over. [HONK] All you can overhear them say is “Marquis Times Square.” There’s a lot of pointing, [HONK] and hand gestures. A group of people gathers around, [HONK] looking in the windows at you as if you’re a zoo animal. [HONK] Your wife is of particular interest. [HONK] Someone leans in: “Where are you going?” You ignore him. [HONK] Hands indicate left turns, right turns. Nodding. [HONK] The cabbie gets back in.
“Marriott Times Square?”
[HONK]
“YES! The Marriott Marquis Times Square! Jeez Louise!…”

[ed note: you are also trying very hard not to swear, because you gave up swearing for Lent. Even though in this scenario, it’s August… But we digress…]

At the corner of 39th and Seventh, [HONK] the driver pulls over and yells something [HONK] out the window. Another guy comes up and leans in, looks at you, stares at your wife, and then chats with the driver. [HONK] They have a lengthy conversation. [HONK] You’re stopped next to a bus which is blowing its exhaust in your window, and you may never [HONK] get to the hotel. Just as he’s about to pull out, [HONK] the other guy sticks his head back in the window again, [HONK] and they speak for another 30 seconds, without any concern for your presence, [HONK] or care about the delay at your expense. [HONK] Finally you’re on your way. [HONK]

The driver pulls out, [HONK] and continues up 7th Avenue, approaching 42nd Street. “Hey, would you guys like to do some shopping? [HONK] We can stop along the way, [HONK] there’s this great overpriced [HONK] tourist shop ahead, with I LOVE NY t-shirts [HONK] and Statue of Liberty mugs and crap. [HONK] My [HONK] brother-in-law [HONK] owns it [HONK] and I’ll get [HONK] a cut [HONK] if I take you [HONK] there [HONK] and [HONK] you [HONK] buy [HONK] some [HONK] overpriced [HONK] crap.”
“No, just to the hotel please.”
[HONK]
“Or we can go shopping in Brooklyn, there’s a big mall. [HONK] I’ll take you there now, before you go to the hotel.”
“NO!”
[HONK]
“No shopping?”
“No shopping, please – just go to the hotel.”
[HONK]
“You can just take a look, you don’t have to buy anything… Just look…”
[HONK]
“NO!! To the hotel!”

At 43rd Street, the cabbie pulls over, gets out, and takes a leak, in broad daylight, on a Duane Reade storefront, leaving you stranded in the sweltering Dodge for a minute or so. [HONK] [HONK] [HONK] He gets back in and continues driving. You thank God for the slight breeze.

“So, what are you guys doing tomorrow?”
[HONK]
“We’re not sure, [HONK] we just got in and we’re tired.”
“You gonna go sightseeing, maybe take a tour?”
“We’re not sure, really.”
[HONK]
“I can take you up to Grant’s Tomb, [HONK] down to Wall Street, [HONK] Ground Zero, whatever. Only 500 bucks for the full-day tour.”
“No, thank you, [HONK] just the hotel please.”
“Okay, only 400 bucks, or 200 for a half-day tour. [HONK] That’s a good price. I can take you there. [HONK] So, pick you up tomorrow morning at the Marquis Square?”
“No, just take us to the hotel, please, no tours!”
[HONK]

Turning East on 46th Street, the driver hits the back of an ice cream cart, spilling a half-dozen Strawberry Shortcakes onto the steaming pavement. [HONK] The ice cream vendor comes running over. [HONK] [HONK] The cabbie and the ice cream vendor start yelling at each other, blocking traffic. [HONK] [HONK] [HONK] [HONK] [HONK] [HONK] [HONK] [HONK] A crowd gathers. [HONK] [HONK] [HONK] [HONK] [HONK] [HONK] [HONK] [HONK] A stray dog licks the ice cream. The spat continues, there’s much gesticulating, and finally they back off, [HONK] [HONK] [HONK] [HONK] [HONK] [HONK] yelling at each other and cursing, [HONK] but neither really making a point, or winning the argument. But the scene is fantastic. [HONK] [HONK] [HONK] And now the traffic is worse. [HONK] [HONK] [HONK] [HONK]

Halfway down the block, the cabbie turns back to you. “Whattya say we call it 30 bucks, huh? [HONK] Why don’t you just pay me thirty bucks for the ride? It’s been like five miles already…”
[HONK]
“No it hasn’t – and we agreed on ten dollars.”
“C’mon, make it thirty bucks. [HONK] C’mon, I’m just a cab driver, and you’re an investment banker.”
[HONK]
“What? We said ten bucks.”
[HONK]
“But you’re a fund manager!”
“No, I’m not. And we agreed on ten bucks.”
“C’mon mister…Thirty bucks?”
[HONK]
“No. We said ten.”
[HONK]

At last you reach the Marriott Marquis, and the cabbie cuts off a lane of traffic to pull up to the curb, nearly knocking over an elderly lady with a cart of groceries. [HONK] [HONK] [HONK] You unload all your bags – all six of them, [HONK] including two large duffel bags – onto the curb, [HONK] while the cabbie sits impatiently in his seat, waiting for you to get all the bags out by yourself. You give him a twenty-dollar bill. He looks at you.

“I don’t have any change.”
“For a twenty?! You’re a cabbie, right?!”
“We’ll just call it twenty bucks.”
“No, give me my change!”
“I don’t have any change. Make it twenty dollars, okay?”

You storm inside the hotel and make change at reception, while your wife starts to check in. You head out to the waiting taxi, and approach the driver, handing him a ten-spot.

“Here you go. Thank you.”
“So, pick you up tomorrow? Ground Zero tour?”
“No, no thank you. No tour.”
“What about shopping?”
“No, no shopping. Thank you again.”
“How about my tip?”
“What?!”
“My tip…”

Now add cows to the equation.
WELCOME TO INDIA!!