Author Archives: Amy

Hello Mom! We had an awesome time in Japan with Sally and Harry for Harry’s milestone birthday celebration! More trip details to come from our time in Tokyo and Kyoto. We’re almost home now; experiencing a slight delay on our connecting flight out of Minny. As we sit here with “the great unwashed”, as John would say, I am still basking in the glow of our final hotel room in Japan. We got the superstar treatment from our friends at CIRE Travel and Aman Tokyo. I fear we are absolutely ruined for all future hotel stays!

Corner suite

Enjoy the video and see you soon!

WE’RE BACK!

Here are the answers to all of the questions you sent us over the last two weeks:

You’re taking a cruise back to the USA?

JOHN: Yeah, we decided to pamper ourselves on the final leg of the journey, and come home a bit more relaxed after 420 days on the road. No jetlag, no airport madness, and our parents with us as well, which was an added bonus. Amy has more to say about this…

AMY: We knew John’s parents were joining us but then my mom surprised us! She just showed up at dinner the first night on the ship. I was speechless. It’s been an amazing 7-day, trans-Atlantic journey with our parents on the QM2!

How many countries did you visit? What were they?

AMY: We visited 42 countries plus Hong Kong (which John thinks should count as a separate country, but it’s not…it’s China). The countries were (in order): Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, New Zealand, Australia, India, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, France, Monaco, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and Northern Ireland.

JOHN: We were only in North Korea for a few minutes, during our DMZ tour, but we’re counting that. Our visit to Slovenia consisted of lunch, and Monaco was a day trip. Everywhere else we actually spent a night, a week, or a month…

‪No visits to Russia, Turkey, Egypt, Dubai, Scandinavia, Morocco, Iceland, Cuba, Maldives, et cetera? Trip #2 somewhere in the future?‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

JOHN: This is a question we get all the time – why didn’t you go to (fill-in-the-blank)? There’s just too much world, unfortunately, and we had some event deadlines to meet, so time was a limiting factor as well. Those are all places we’d like to go, but they didn’t fit into our plans this time around. I’ve actually been to Russia, Turkey, Egypt, and Morocco before, and Amy and I spent nine days in Scandanavia in early 2013. As far as Trip #2 – sometime, we hope, but it wouldn’t be on the same scale, and certainly not very soon.

AMY: We might go to Russia for the 2018 World Cup!

How come you didn’t go to Greece?

JOHN: We’re going to Greece! My parents had a home in Greece, and I actually went to grade school and high school in Greece. So the day after Thanksgiving, we’re heading to Greece to see some of my high school buddies. Greece is awesome!

AMY: Greece, New York, that is. Right near Lima, New York and not far from Rome, New York. Very exotic.

Does it feel weird to be coming home?

AMY: Not yet. I’m really excited to be coming home. But ask me again after a week…it might feel weird then.

JOHN: It seems a little weird that everything’s coming to an end, but I’m more excited to get home.

Where will you be laying your heads upon your return?

AMY: We’ll be bouncing around between NYC, New Jersey, Rochester and Philly for the holidays. Staying with family until Christmas, at least.

Are you going to bask in family for the holidays?

JOHN: Absolutely. We’re both close with our families, and we’re looking forward to the holidays and seeing everyone after a year away.

What are your plans when you get back?

JOHN: Well, this is the big question. We’re both starting to look for jobs, and things sort-of depend on what kind of work we can find, and where those jobs might be located. Either we’ll make a move based on a job offer, or we’ll just settle somewhere and get jobs locally. Right now we’re leaning towards Maine, likely Portland.

AMY: Plans for when we get back… Well, the ship pulled into the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal early this morning (Wednesday). We’re seeing my sisters for lunch, then we have to go to the Verizon store and get phones. We have 4pm dentist appointments. After, we’ll have drinks and dinner at our favorite neighborhood spots. And I’m getting my hair done on Thursday. Very excited for that! And drinks with all of you Friday night at the Galway Pub, right?

I’m guessing you must be somewhat looking forward to “sitting still” for a while when you’re back…

AMY: Well, we can’t sit still for too long…we need to find jobs! And we’ve been relaxing on the ship this past week. It’s been the perfect way to end the trip. I’m actually ready to hit the ground running when we get home. In addition to the job search and the house hunt, we have a ton of doctors appointments and a ton of friends to see!

When does the pretirement officially end? Are you giving yourselves some R&R on native soil until after the holidays?

JOHN: Pre-tirement “officially” ends when we get back to work. But yes, we’ll likely be relaxing in between the job hunt, the holiday visits, doctors appointments, and getting our affairs in order after a year away.

Once you’ve settled a bit what is the first thing you want to do in terms of relaxation American-style?

AMY: Sit on a sofa on Sunday afternoon and watch football in my pajamas with a cold beer and good snacks!

JOHN: I want a nice hot shower in a regulation-sized bathroom, followed by binge-watching all the TV shows we missed.

What is one thing that you missed so much and are dying to do in NYC when you return?

AMY: See above. I really miss lazing around on the weekends and doing nothing.

JOHN: Sushi at our favorite neighborhood place, and a beer with our favorite bartender at our corner bar.

What do you want to eat first when you’re back?

AMY: Sushi at Japonica on 12th & University.

JOHN: Tacos. Two “Chipotle Guaco-Locos” from San Loco in NYC.

What would be on your menu of choice for your homecoming given all the exotic stuff you have eaten?

AMY: I’m just excited for some home-cooking! With lots of fresh veggies…we couldn’t eat them in Asia and you can barely find them in the UK; it’s all potatoes (fried, mashed, and otherwise).

JOHN: Those tacos. Two “Chipotle Guaco-Locos” from San Loco in NYC. [Editor’s Note: it turned out to be a lunch of three Carne Asada Tacos at Los Tacos.]

Amy, first thing you want to bake? Do you even miss it?

AMY: I really miss baking! We could cook once in a while at various apartments we rented, but we couldn’t bake (too many specialized ingredients, pans, et cetera). The first thing I will most likely bake is my grandmom’s chocolate cake with orange icing. It’s an easy recipe (gotta start slow…get my sea legs again) and it brings back lots of memories of home and family. I also told my sister-in-law Beth that I’d make some desserts for Thanksgiving, so maybe a pie or two.

JOHN: And I miss eating them.

Will you completely retire all clothing items from the duffel bag upon return?

AMY: Most of them, yes. I want to set them on fire, but John says we should donate them. Some of them have holes and stains that won’t come out though, so I don’t know. I have a shirt that literally has a bat-shit stain on it from Mumbai.

JOHN: I’ll likely donate a few things, but most of my stuff is just fine, and I just want to give them a good American-style power-washing with a gallon of Tide.

Anything you look forward to buying for your wardrobe once you hit the States?

AMY: Yes, everything! All of our clothes are in storage along with our furniture, so we might not get it for a while. I’ll probably need to buy some job interview clothes pretty soon…

JOHN: Not really. I’m fine with what I’ve got, believe it or not.

Did you get anything on the trip that you’ll be sad you can’t get at home?

AMY: We discovered these little tea cakes in Edinburgh that we couldn’t stop buying/eating. They’re like Mallowmars but better. It’s probably a good thing that we won’t be able to get them in the States!

JOHN: Tunnock’s Tea Cakes are awesome. And I love Mos Burger in Japan, a great fast food place.

Did you ever run out of money? And, did you bring it all with you or use your ATM card? Are there still traveler’s checks?

JOHN: It was pretty easy, actually. We used ATMs everywhere, and credit cards when possible, which was in a lot of places.

Best weather/worst weather?

AMY: Worst=Beijing. It was FREEZING!

JOHN: Best weather was in Australia, Spain, and the south of France. Bright, sunny, and warm.

Any brushes with the law?

JOHN: Not technically. We did get “detained” at Immigration in New Zealand, but only because we didn’t have a ticket out of the country. They made us fire up our laptops and buy a ticket while being held in Customs no-man’s-land. That’s as bad as it got.

Did you find keeping the blog a pleasure or burden or a little of both?

JOHN: There were times we put pressure on ourselves to get something posted (if it had been some time), but I wouldn’t call it a burden. It’s been fun, and a good creative outlet. I enjoyed writing, and Amy enjoyed sorting through the photos. And we loved getting feedback, and looking at the stats and seeing just how many people were following us on this journey. That was the real reward.

If you could revisit only three places in your lifetime, where would you go?

JOHN: Japan for the culture, Cambodia for the beach, and Botswana for the animals. All very different, and all very different from the USA.

AMY: Spain because it has everything: Beautiful beaches, bucolic countryside, vibrant cities and amazing food. Japan because it’s awesome. And New Zealand because it’s like no other place I’ve seen…absolutely breath-taking. And Botswana. Sorry, I picked four.

JOHN: Ooh. Spain. Put that on my list as well. That’s my fourth.

If you could go back to anywhere you’ve been for only one day, where would it be?

JOHN: Since it’s only one day, I’d go to San Sebastian and go pintxo hopping and drink Rioja and txacoli. Other places I’d want more time. I mean, I’d want more time in San Sebastian as well, but given a day, I’ll take it.

AMY: Ditto. Plus, there’s a beach in San Sebastian, too!

If you could give me best day of your journey, the best place you stayed, the best meal, and best activity what would it be? It can all be from one location or many different!

AMY: Best Place We Stayed: In our campervan, Chuck, in the South Island of New Zealand. Best Breakfast: The hotel in Bali with the freshest eggs I ever had. And delicious Balinese coffee, too! Lunch: Martin Baserategui in Spain. Dinner: Tapas hopping in San Sebastian or finding this hidden Japanese/Italian fusion restaurant in Sapporo, Picchu. Best Activity: Game Walk in Botswana or the Palio in Siena.

JOHN: Best stay: the Bali hotel. Best meal: Pintxo hopping in San Sebastian, particularly Cuchara de San Telmo. Best Activity: Running with the bulls in Pamplona, or the safari game drive in Botswana.

What was the most boring place you visited?

AMY: Kuala Lumpur.

JOHN: Yeah, we found it kind of dull, other than the Petronas Towers. It did have a really cool bird sanctuary, though, and Georgetown (in the north of Malaysia) was pretty interesting.

Where was the best hair root touch-up (for Amy)?

AMY: Japan. My NYC colorist found this salon for me since she’s Japanese and Tokyo was our first stop. The salon was lovely and everyone was so nice and they did an excellent job. Also, I have a fear of hair dye being left on my neck or in my ears. In Japanese, “pretty” and “clean” are the same word, so cleanliness is literally considered beautiful. I had no worries if all the dye was rinsed off…I knew it was!

Have you talked about what travel will be like for you in the future?

AMY: A little. I know that I don’t need to stay in fancy hotels anymore. I am a huge fan of and convert to AirBnB. And I’ll pack lighter.

JOHN: Besides the AirBnB thing, I also think we’d stay in places a bit longer and really soak them in. Towards the end of the trip, we were really just scratching the surface, not really immersing ourselves as much and kind of rushing from place to place.

Are you already planning your next adventure and where would you go?

JOHN: We won’t do anything right away, but we’ve discussed exploring our own backyard, seeing more of the USA and Canada. I’d like to see Alaska.

AMY: John has been to 49 US states. Alaska will be number 50. We’ll definitely be going to Alaska within the next year or two. But our next trip will be to Jamaica next summer…John’s nephew is having a destination wedding.

If you both had to pick only one picture from your adventure that has the most meaning, which would it be?

JOHN: That’s a good question. For me, I suppose it would be the picture of us with our bags at JFK, ready to fly away. There’s also a sort of artsy-fartsy shot I took of our two travel jackets hanging together, like a deconstructed “American Gothic,” all beat up towards the end of the trip, and ready to be packed in Japanese dry-cleaner bags from nearly a year earlier. That says a lot to me.

AMY: I love this picture of John and Mr. Ox in Cambodia. Mr. Ox is John’s same exact age but his life couldn’t be more different: He lives in this remote, beachside village with his wife, mother-in-law and FIVE KIDS. They have limited access to everything. He fought against the Khmer Rouge in the 90s. But he and John became friends and really made a connection. We still email with Ox.

I can’t believe how long you were gone – I HAVE to believe that somewhere along the way of that long journey you were just done? Were you ever like – this is too long?!

AMY: I thought it was too long from the beginning. When I travelled solo in 2008, I was gone for just over 100 days and that was perfect. But John had his heart set on a year-long trip so that’s what we planned. Then, we extended by 2 months for a couple reasons. I hit the wall somewhere in southeast Asia and was in a funk for a few days…just exhausted and burned out. But I got over it pretty quickly and settled into a groove for the rest of the trip.

JOHN: I got tired along the way, that’s for sure, but I was still excited to finish the journey as we’d planned it.

At any point did you consider cutting the adventure short and heading home earlier than planned?

AMY: Despite my above answer, no, we never considered coming home early.

JOHN: When we were living in a tent in Zimbabwe, I learned my grandmother had passed away. I would have flown home, but by the time we heard the news and made some phone calls, it was already the day of the funeral, so going home would have been a waste. But if I had gone, I would have returned to Africa and finished the trip.

Looks like you had a ton of friends on your very last leg. I’m sure it was so awesome to get to see everyone. Were you missing all that alone time you had? Or were you so ready for some good company?

AMY: We’ve had plenty of time together these past 14 months. We were both really excited to see our friends and hear someone else’s stories for a change!

JOHN: Seeing friends and family was always great, and felt like a little slice of home. We had plenty of time alone together.

I remember when we did our study-abroad 25 years ago that one of the pleasures of traveling was being disconnected from the rest of the world. Things are different now…email, blog, cell phones. Is it better or worse now? Did you miss being disconnected?

JOHN: It’s great to have the choice. With our laptops and wifi, staying in touch and doing planning work was very easy. But neither of us had cell service, so staying disconnected was easy as well. It was our choice. I’d say it’s better because it’s easier to get information.

Now that you are heading home, what will you MISS about being on the road around the world?

AMY: That’s hard to answer right now. Ask me again in a few weeks. If I had to guess, I think I’ll miss trying different foods and just the adventure of it all.

JOHN: I think you learn a lot on the road – a lot of about history, culture, stupid things like TV shows overseas you enjoyed, different foods… I’ll miss discovering new things wherever we’ve been. It’s a big world.

Could you write a different haiku for each country you visited?

AMY: Hmmm…let me work on it.

JOHN: No.

Did you say ‘Big Ben, Parliament’ when in London? (ode to European Vacation)

AMY: Never saw that movie.

JOHN: Yes, I said it once or twice. But mostly I’d sing songs in my head, like “Waterloo Sunset” or “Guns of Brixton.”

Do you now need to purchase a car and will it be Cleo-clone (since they don’t sell them in US)?

JOHN: We will buy a car soon, but it won’t be a Renault Clio. It will likely be a sensible used car with more trunk space than a Renault Clio.

What would you do differently knowing what you know now? (This could be helpful for those of us who aspire to traveling the world.)

AMY: Pack less. Bring a better flashlight. Let my hair go grey so I don’t have to deal with dying it.

JOHN: Pack less. Exercise more. Spend more time in less places.

Everyone’s burning question, I’m sure – What’s next? You were done with New York before you left. You were thinking perhaps small town, Maine, et cetera. Now that you have been gone for so long, did you romanticize NYC at all? Miss it enough to return for good? If not, still thinking small town?

AMY: I have to admit, as we pulled into New York Harbor this morning, I got a little teary. It’s hard not to romanticize New York when the Freedom Tower and Lady Liberty are there to welcome you home. But we’re ready for a change. I really want a little house with a front porch and a yard. That’s hard to find in Manhattan!

JOHN: As I said earlier, we’re leaning towards Maine and finding jobs there, still thinking smaller-town, settling down, getting a nice little house with a yard. There is absolutely no question that I’ll miss New York, and I’ll get nostalgic for sure. I love New York, and it’s been a huge part of my life. But we both made the decision that we wanted to slow down and get some space. It’s very easy to visit New York.

What have you learned about mankind?

JOHN: Well, we met so many friendly people everywhere we went, and had so many great discussions. I’d say that despite our differences, everybody’s basically the same – they want to live peacefully, provide for their families, and have a good laugh. It makes you realize you don’t need much to be happy.

AMY: I agree with what John said. Even though we may look different, wear different clothes, speak a different language, worship a different god…people from around the world are more similar than they are different.

Hi Mom! That’s right…we’re coming home! Just 3 weeks from today, we’ll be pulling into the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. I can’t believe our epic journey is coming to an end. But we’ve had an amazing last 2.5 weeks in the UK filled with castles, pubs, and footy!

CASTLES

PUBS

FOOTY

And we’ve had lots of visitors, too! It’s been amazing just how many people we’ve seen since September: Sue & Garrett in Germany; Jodi & Matt in Belgium; Sal, La & Ando in Paris; Craig, Dick, Lisa, Alyssa, Trevor, Katie and Jen in London; Mark & Paul in Manchester; and Ben & Eva in Edinburgh. After being on our own for so long, it’s been great to have so many familiar faces around. Shout outs all around!

As you know, today is also our 3rd wedding anniversary and I’m happy to report that all is quiet on the Scottish front! For those of you who don’t know the recent history of October 29th, here’s a quick catch up:

But today we had a lovely, quiet day…so far! I probably shouldn’t jinx it so I’ll just shut up about it now.

With just a few weeks till we return, John and I thought we’d ask everyone to start submitting their questions for our last Q&A. Please send us all your burning questions and we’ll answer them all and post the answers the day we arrive back home, Wednesday, November 19th. If anyone is interested, here are the two previous Q&A posts we did:

From January: https://werefinemom.com/2014/01/11/asked-answered/
From April: https://werefinemom.com/2014/04/10/twenty-questions-plus-3/

Can’t wait to see you, Mom, and everyone! OK…off to a (hopefully) quiet 3rd anniversary dinner in Edinburgh!

Hi Mom! I’m sure you’ve heard many of the stories by now…and seen some pics on Facebook…but here is the entire, detailed tale of Sally’s 50th birthday adventure in Paris. John and I are in London now (still trying to recover). Enjoy!

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BY SALLY & LAURIE, WFM GUEST BLOGGERS, PARIS, FRANCE

Too Much Foie Gras? Too Much Vin Rouge? Too Much Pastry? Too Much Fromage? Too Much Duck? Alors, Too Little Paris!!!

Hello loyal followers of “WereFineMom”! The (slightly) older sisters finally found time to leave the USA and visit the world-traveling Amy and John in spectacular Paris. We had grand illusions of hitting places like the Musee d’Orsay, the Centre Pompidou and Hermes. While we achieved none of these traditional Parisian things, we did manage to have a superb time with the crew of Sally the birthday girl, Andy the enfant terrible, Laurie the Metro commandant, John-Yves of the gingham rouge and Aimee the fabulous! As those of you who have been to Paris know, that city is incapable of taking a bad picture. It is absolutely gorgeous – rain, shine, night or day. So are the damn Parisians, by the way – even the sanitation workers wear red lipstick! So, instead of boring you with incessant shots of iconic views, we thought we’d intersperse some original depictions of our trip just to keep you entertained as you near the end of Amy and John’s adventures. Here goes!

Wednesday

First off, we used airbnb.com to find a smashing little apartment in the 14th arrondissement. It was absolutely perfect…well with a few minor exceptions which will be noted later. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a great living area, washing machine (no dryer), nice kitchen…all the trappings (well, sort of). We were steps away from the Metro, half a block from the boulangerie, 1 block to the supermarche, and just a tad longer to the most generous fromagerie known to man. We arrived with predictions of dreary days every day but only on our arrival did we experience the rain. The Parisian sun smiled upon us virtually every day, but no matter how warm it got we refused to remove our scarves! Oh, and by the way, we thought Sally had shrunk with age but determined that Laurie is probably still growing.

We did have a slow start as we had to find some things to do before our host Frederic arrived with the necessities. These included insufficient toilet paper and moist bath towels. But more about that later. We left our luggage in his lobby (!) and roamed the streets in search of a good cup of coffee (found in ten seconds) and a good cup of tea for Sally – not so easy. She first got offered green tea and then black tea with some odd fruit flavor. This was CERTAINLY not a reflection on her accent. Also, we were unable to figure out the WiFi (pronounced Wee-Fee) password at the cafe even though several people told us the word about 7 times. Again, this was NOT a statement on our French. We are very conversant. Sally clearly stated “Je suis stupide” and finally the waiter simply typed it into her phone.

Back to our host Frederic. He was charming and also a doctor. He informed us to contact him with any medical emergency (you know what all that cheese can do to your system!) and advised us not to use the local hospital if we needed assistance. He did provide us with recently washed bath towels which, unbeknownst to us he put into the closet wet. Later Andy discovered the problem and we did what Parisians do – hung them to dry. We were very cautious about hanging them on Frederic’s fine furniture so we investigated other spots. Note to self, do not hang moist laundry on things in the hallway that turn out to be lighting fixtures:

After Amy doused a flaming towel in the kitchen sink, we thought it important to celebrate with some cheese and wine. So we sisters went off on a walk to find the local cheesemonger. We thought we might have trouble on our second foray into French-dom but we found the most delightful shop and the charming Fromagerie Didot. What we were most fascinated by was the size of the cheese tastes he was willing to offer us. We later learned (when we took our semester – I mean class – on cheese that shop owners do want to make sure their cheese is sold at the exact maturity so perhaps he was simply an expert making sure to offer us the perfect ripeness!

Speaking of ripeness, it was now about time for many of us to shower up in prep for dinner and to get that potential airplane Ebola off us. One feature which made us choose Frederic’s spot was the fact that it had two actual showers. As it turned out, one of them had some issues. It had one of those lovely rain shower heads up top and an additional handheld piece to help with rinsing. Seemed like a great option when the other shower only had a handheld. Unfortunately the rain showerhead delivered only very hot water and the handheld only cold:

Alors, we perservered! That evening we saved enough room in our bellies to tackle a local dinner. At 8 o’clock we were the first and loudest to arrive. As you do. Despite the empty tables, the waiter/host/donkey (Pierre-Francois) was not exactly warm and inviting. What is the opposite of attraction? Andy and Pierre-Francois had that – a non-magnetic distaste for one another right away. Opposites detract. Despite the fact that Laurie ordered the bottle of wine for us to drink, PF decided that Andy should taste it. Andy deliberately swilled the taste of wine with an American flourish in a large swift gulp and determined it “Fine.” Game on. They danced around each other for the the entire meal which culminated in something like this:

Ando 1, French 0 (much more interesting than a soccer match)

Thursday

The youthful birthday sister had arranged for us to meet a “Paris Greeter” on the morning of our first full day. After stuffing ourselves with pastry from the local patisserie/boulangerie…

…we trekked off to the Metro to meet up with our guide. That pastry sketch is an abomination because every darn pastry in Paris is a work of art worthy of the Louvre. But just deal with it. Anyhoo, we all sported our comfy yet fashionable shoes and set off. I believe we took about three different metros that morning. It’s hard to keep track in a city where each metro is about 1.5 miles long. I guess we could convert that to kilometers but we are so over that. Not doing it. Suffice it to say it takes 3-5 different metro lines to get anywhere. We covered a lot of metros. But fortunately we took the right staircase over by the Bois de Boulogne and met the lovely Christine:

She is a retired cosmetics executive who was well-traveled, more than articulate in English and (regrettably) a Nordic hiker! Mon Dieu that woman put us through the paces. Apparently Sally had told her a few lies. One – we are interested in architecture. Two – we are sportif. After too many beautiful homes lived in by Edith Piaf, Brigitte Bardot and countless French people you have NEVER heard of Laurie finally had to announce that she had come to Paris to sit her butt down on a proper chair for a proper lunch with a proper glass of wine. About an hour later she did get her wish. Some steak, some frites, some salade and we were instantly revived. Whew! After leaving Christine to her next 4 hour power walk we took the metro to the Tour Eiffel. The sun was shining brightly and we took a break on the grass by the cannons. We stayed til they shot about 8 trillion gallons (2 liters, I think) of water, so we had to go lest we ruin our hair.

We decided to muscle through the day before taking 8 metro lines back to the 14th. So we strolled to Rue Cler – probably the most charming street in Paris. We have tons of pix of vegetables, shellfish, mushrooms and other epicurean delights you can buy there. But we took the opportunity to relax at a cafe and take in the sunset. Glorious.

Apres cafe we strolled to an epicerie where Ando came to life. The shops there truly specialize and because of that the products are top notch. This store had the most OCD arranged bins of spices one could ever imagine. Andy was literally lifting the lids off of the tamarind and curry bins and sticking his nose in to test the merchandise. This was the first time the merchant was impressed rather than offended – I think they enjoy it when you truly appreciate specialization and quality. So fantastique!

Hunger pangs dragged us to the Cafe Constant – a spot our b-day girl had enjoyed before. It’s apparently in all of the Asian guidebooks because the bar and outdoor areas were bustling with visitors. Nonetheless Sally dragged her 95 lbs and 5 feet of power up to the hostess and secured a table for a bit later. The wait (alleviated by bubbly) was worth it. Traditional and tasty dishes sent us home to the 14th satisfied. Walking briskly from metro to metro to metro on the way certainly peeled off those calories:

Friday

Much to Amy and John’s chagrin, we had scheduled another early morning. Shockingly, our world travelers often sleep til nine and take days off. Off to Versailles! Only two metro transfers and a regional rail/metro north-type train later we arrive at the home of the Sun King. We are all (especially John) fans and followers of the Europe travel expert Rick Steves. Rick said to exit train and follow the crowds to the entrance.

Versailles is spectacular and the hall of mirrors was a highlight once there was a lull in the mass of Chinese tourists taking selfies. According to the European Federation of Chinese Tourism, Paris is the No. 1 destination in Europe for China’s burgeoning middle class and growing legion of millionaires, Another surprise! http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/21/world/europe/chinese-tourists-are-disillusioned-after-visiting-paris.html?_r=0

After a rejuvenating coffee/wine/beer it was back on the train/metro to our 3:30 Cheese and Wine Workshop. Workshop was the correct word, this was no mere tasting. This was a solid college level course in the back of a Japanese knife shop on the naming, terroir, production, aging, etc., etc. of cheese. For wine and cheese lovers like us, it was Nirvana. And some of the cheeses really did taste like teen spirit. Our Professor Meg could not have been nicer and more knowledgeable.

We learned many things about cheese. For example, you may not be aware that “Hung Meat” and “Rancid Nut Oil” are valid ways to describe cheese. Also, you may not be aware that Spider Mites are effective for reducing harmful bacteria on your cheese. Perhaps this explains why we can’t get the “good” French cheeses by the FDA. For wine-people, you will be glad to know that several of the funky, hip wines of the Jura were featured in the seminar. We urge you to check out http://www.parisbymouth.com when you are planning your next trip to Paris! We showed our appreciation to Meg and the knife shop by pilfering a few of rolls of toilet paper as we were running low at Frederic’s.

Armed with our PhD in fromage and Meg’s suggestion for a happening bar, we were off to Le Baron Rouge for wine from a cask and drinking in the street. While the tiny bar was charming, it did not have a proper toilet. Luckily Amy was proficient in reliving herself in the hole in the floor thanks to her experience in Southeast Asia. There was another bar visited, some frites eaten, drunken facebooking thanks to free Wee Fee with an easy password, and a stumble home (via 4 metro lines). All and all an excellent 50th birthday.

Saturday

The rest of the crew learned their lesson and we slept in. Sally, now a regular at the patisserie, picked up the morning goodies and we showered up. While we had many things on our itinerary, we chose to attend the Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre, which is a harvest festival with over 100 food and wine stalls. In the blink of an eye Laurie and Andy had a glass of champagne in one hand and a baguette stuffed with Foie Gras in another. Sally and Amy were over at the Brouilly tent jamming to the BeeGees. John was searching for beer (according to Andy). This festival takes place right at the beautiful and imposing Sacre Coeur from where you can see all of Paris. We enjoyed various sights and treats on a fantastic autumn day. Before we left Laurie & Andy bought a giant tower of canned foie gras, Amy & John, not do be outdone, purchased the deluxe set. Parisian problems – we had not enjoyed any escargots yet! Laurie and Andy made a mad dash through the ample crowd using refined New York techniques and were able to secure a plate of 12 garlicky delights just in time to depart. After a quick stop at a cafe (because you need a glass of wine after attending a wine festival) it was home to prepare for our final night out!

The plan was to get dolled up and metro (2 transfers) over the George V Four Seasons hotel for a pre-dinner drink. John looked dapper in his crisp blue blazer, red Euro pants and the flat, packing, dress shoes…or dress black flat packing shoes….or something like that. Amy was griping about her $20 Old Navy dress when we reminded her that she had dressed it up with her $500 Gucci shoes. “But they’re flats!” she exclaimed. Speaking of shoes, Laurie had finally changed out of her overly comfy Skechers and finally her silk track pants look a tad more fabulous. Here’s a pic of her and John’s odd shoes:

We arrive at the George V and the paparazzi was lined up outside. No, it wasn’t for Sally’s birthday – friggin Arnold Schwarzenegger was staying there. Anyhoo, he screwed up the plan because we could not get in to the bar! However, we did see our new friends from the cheese class (guess everyone but us stays at the Georges V!) AND, the most wonderful surprise guests…our dear old friends Frank, Julie and Bethany who took the train from London to Paris for the weekend!!! Screw you paparazzi! We knew everyone who was anyone in the George V. We marched our stilettos and fat black buckle marching shoes and Gucci flats right next door to the Prince de Galles to toast to birthdays and good friends. Le Prince de Galles had a snazzy bar, a DJ and some rockin cocktails. Julie got a mojito that was oddly served in a heavy stout tea pot. The waitress attempted to pour the drink, spilled it and advised that the spout was clogged with basil and Julie should just wait for the ice to melt some. Andy, Laurie and Frank ordered something called a corpse reviver, and Bethany took the prize with “The Secret” served with a side of champagne and some iced fruit. Wait til the Chinese discover this place!

After drinking and mopping up drinks, we headed off to a to a fantastic dinner at Maceo. Thankfully, Andy got on well with our servers and the food was delicious. Another stumble home, a listen to a few good songs on the French radio station Nostalgique, an attempt to polish off the wine and off to bed. With the following songs stuck in our heads (and hopefully now in yours!) “What’s Going On” and “Hey Big Spender”, we hit the sack.

Sunday

The whirlwind ends with a last stop at the patisserie and goodbyes to Amy and John. The final pastry was filled with what Amy described as “cookie dough.” A great note on which to leave! We used our last bits of French on the charming taxi driver and headed to the airport. We used our last Euros on small bottles of wine and delicious mini-baguette sandwiches to smuggle onto the plane so we could avoid re-Americanization via crappy airline food. Landed safely in Newark (the opposite of the City of Lights) and jumped in our “spacetube” to Bradley Beach.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: I thought you might enjoy seeing some actual photos to compare to Sal & La’s descriptions/sketches above…)

Hello Mom! Greetings from Opatija, Croatia! We drove here yesterday from Venice, Italy. Venice was amazing. It was even better than I thought it would be. Absolutely gorgeous! And before that, we were in Siena for the Palio. Also amazing! More to come on those in a future blog post…

During the drive yesterday we stopped in Slovenia for lunch. (You have to drive through a very small stretch of that country to get to Croatia.) We drove past no less than 6 places that had the same type of outdoor “advertising.” By the last one, I insisted that John pull in so we could have a delicious lunch!

Awesome!

Now we’re having some much needed R&R at the beach. Here’s a quick video of our digs.

Doviðenja from Croatia!

Hi Mom! I know you’re anxiously awaiting the Pamplona post…it’s coming! John is finishing it up today and we should have it done and posted tomorrow complete with photos, videos and news coverage (yes, we made the papers!). But in the meantime, here’s a little “appetizer” for you. We had dinner on Wednesday night at Mugaritz in San Sebastian. Three Michelin Stars of deliciousness! And this gem. Enjoy!

Check back tomorrow for the complete tale of our Running with the Bulls!

Hey there, friends, followers, visitors, and the merely curious! I realize we’re waaaaaaay behind with a blog post, so I thought I’d update you on our last several weeks. Truth is, we’ve been on the move a great deal, and the radio silence happened because we just haven’t found much time to sit back and write a lengthy recap of our activities. If you’re one of our Facebook friends you’ve seen small doses, but here’s what we’ve been up to:

Santiago, Chile

We spent a week in Santiago, but unfortunately a few things made it less-than-perfect. First off, it rained almost the entire time. We did get to see a bunch of sights, but we weren’t able to get to wine country as planned, and we actually spent one day in a mall (though it allowed us to go bowling on yet another continent).

The other issue is that Amy was sick for most of our stay in Santiago, so we spent a few days holed up in our AirBnB apartment, which was pretty nice, actually. We got it through a company called “Chile4Rent,” and that was also the wifi name. So every time we logged into the wifi, we would sing “CHILE FOR RENT!” to the tune of “Baby Come Back!” (Sing it with me: “Chile For Rent!”) The problem with spending two days holed up in the apartment was that we only had one English-speaking channel other than CNN, so we watched about 20 episodes of “Two-and-a-Half Men” in those 48 hours (mathematically that’s fifty men in 48 hours, or just over a man-per-hour). Jon Cryer does not get funnier when subtitled in Spanish. And if you work in cable TV, you know programming – you repeat the same episodes several times every day. So we saw the same fart jokes two to three times a day while eating some half-decent take-out pizza.

Side note: we also saw the same promo for an upcoming One Direction concert movie in just about commercial break. “That’s what makes you beautiful!…let’s go CRAZY, CRAZY, CRAZY til we see the sun! – you’ve got that…ONE THING!” I love One Direction now (or as I call them, “1D”). Harry Styles is the cutest, but they’re all very talented in their own right, and super-cute, and oh-my-god, I just can’t…

Speaking of Chilean food (like half-decent take-out pizza) – we did have a few great meals, including one at a place named Borago, which according to the good folks at the San Pellegrino list, is ranked #91 globally, and the 8th best restaurant in Latin America. And as the best restaurant in Santiago, Amy and I decided to get reservations. Borago is known for using locally foraged ingredients, and it has a 12-course “endemic” tasting menu that makes the most of some uniquely Chilean ingredients. Here’s a few of the courses:

This is “Tartar of Guanaco from Tierra del Fuego.” What’s guanaco? It’s basically llama. Check it out – llama tartar! And to answer your question, yes, it was very good.

This is “Quail Egg in the Nest with Mushrooms.” To me it looks like the Charlie Brown Christmas tree, but the quail egg was fantastic. Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!!

If there was ever a dish that is evil incarnate, this was it. “Veal and its Milk.” I know some people don’t like eating veal. Now imagine the veal is prepared in “its milk.” The irony of this did not escape me. It was crazy. And it was crazy delicious.

(A side note: did you know that almost all veal is male? I learned this from my father, who befriended a number of farmers living in the rural area by my parents’ lake house. All farmers need is a lot of ladies for milking, and one very lucky bull. The young male calves: not so lucky…)

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present, the “Frozen Glacier.” Yeah, it looks like we’re making kissy-face lips. We’re not. We’re blowing sweet, cold, minty smoke into the air. Not tobacco smoke, but literally some kind of super-cooled dessert that looks and tastes like a freeze-dried Mento, and you blow out the cold air like when it’s freezing outside. It was totally cool, and I wish the picture did justice to the novelty of it all.

It was a great meal.

Brazil and the World Cup

You read a bit about this in our friend Mark’s previous post. We first spent two quick days walking along the beach in Rio de Janiero. It was great, and the city had World Cup fever. All sorts of television crews and people from around the globe. The highlight was the opening match between Brazil and Croatia. We watched the first half on TV, and then we had to get to the airport for our flight to Recife. We got to the airport in record time – the streets were completely empty because everyone was watching the game. It was seriously post-apocalyptic. If there’s ever some sort of virus that kills everyone off, it will be great for your commute, trust me.

Recife and Natal were fun beach towns in the north, and I can honestly say other than going to the games in each town, our time there was uneventful. We’d go see a match, or sit at an outdoor café/bar and watch another match. It was pretty relaxing, and we had a lot of fun with Mark, it was great having him around.

Going to the games was great as well, even if it wasn’t a USA match. There are so many people in great costumes, and the passion and pageantry are catchy.

One match of note, however: Mexico vs. Croatia. The Mexican fans are very passionate, and they had some pretty nasty words they called their opponents, in unison, regularly. It’s like the whole stadium had Tourette’s on cue. And as the match went on, and no one was scoring, the tequila-fueled mob (seriously – we’ve got photos) got restless. They started throwing cups and getting more angry. And when the breakthrough goal came, so did the mayhem. In the first half, a security guard gave Amy grief for putting her feet up on the chairs. By the second half, however, it was beyone control – he was overlooking the flying cups, flying beer, flying garbage, and the unruly nature of the Mexican fans. Fights erupted in various sections of the stands, and riot police (seriously!) came into one section.

With the Mexicans well ahead in the 85th minute, Amy requested we leave early to avoid whatever celebratory violence might occur at the final whistle. By the end of added time, we were on a bus headed back. Like Lot and Lot’s wife, I told Amy not to look back at the orgy of destruction, and fortunately, she did not, and thus did not turn into a pillar of salt. Otherwise she would have been used to make thousands of margaritas.

And before we leave South America, a note about death and loss. They say these often come in threes, and in this case, we lost three things very near to us during our stay in Brazil.

First, Amy’s favorite travel umbrella was confiscated by the security folks at the USA vs. Ghana match. Apparently you can carry a mock assault rifle to go with your Rambo costume, but no umbrellas, please. You could block someone’s view.

Second, please say a silent prayer for my blue button-down shirt. You’ve seen it in a hundred pictures until now. It had a big rip in the back near the bottom which happened about two months into the trip in Asia, a few paints spots from when I sat on a freshly-painted bench in India, and a greasy oil stain from some steak dinner in Argentina. And it was always wrinkled. But it was lightweight, and it served me well. And when we got into our cab to go to the airport (and Europe), I asked Amy if she had seen my shirt. And she hadn’t, because I left it perched on a nearby bicycle while I loaded the bags into the cab. You can’t see my eyes getting misty right now, but please, look away — I don’t want you to see me like this.

Lastly, and most painfully, while sitting at the gate waiting to board our flight to Europe, I dropped my watch on the tile floor of the airport. The face cracked, badly, all the way from 11 o’clock to 5 o’clock. I think this might be repairable, and if anyone out there knows anything about this, let me know. I’ve worn that watch every day for close to 10 years, and it’s traveled the globe with me several times, and they don’t make them anymore. So…any ideas?

Flight to Europe

Our flight to Europe was uneventful, but one thing was memorable. We flew the German discount airline Condor to Frankfurt, and it was like any other transcontinental flight, but we ate what was probably the most delicious coach airline meal we’ve ever had! I don’t know what the secret was, but it was some kind of chicken and rice dish that was… well…amazing! It was really fantastic. Sure, it came in the whole microwave/tinfoil dish thing, but I could have eaten two more of them. Kudos, Condor.

We then had a seven-hour layover in Frankfurt, and eventually got to Madrid at about 8pm that night. And in Madrid we picked up the newest member of our travel family. Please say a big blog hello to…CLEO!

For the next three months, we’ll be driving around in this brand new 2014 Renault Clio. We did the math and figured this long-term rental would be cheaper than all the trains to all the places we want to go, and the flexibility of it all helps a great deal. The name “Cleo” is pretty obvious, and generally it’s a pretty good vehicle.

But I do have one issue with Cleo. Cleo has a navigation system that clearly wants some attention. Instead of simply saying “stay on the motorway for the next 88 kilometers,” Cleo, at regular intervals, will turn down the radio, and say in her robot voice that sounds like Emma Thompson, “At the next exit, in two-point-five kilometers – go straight on the motorway. Keep left.” Then, “In one kilometer, stay straight.” Then, “In one-hundred meters, keep left…(you go 80 meters)…Keep left…” What?!! Tell me when to get OFF the highway, Cleo. Otherwise just shut up!! One Direction is on the radio!

Madrid

We spent two fantastic days in Madrid. We ate all kinds of great food, including a stop at the Museo Del Jamon – the Museum of Ham!

We also ate pig’s ears at a tapas bar…

We went to the Prado and were overwhelmed by great art.

And we ate at the oldest restaurant in the world, called Restaurant Botin. It was quite good, but it had this line on the bottom of the menu:

I’m hoping that’s just a cultural thing, and not a precursor to antibiotics.

We also visited this really fabulous bullfighting bar. There were all kinds of mounted bulls heads, all former bull greats, famous for battling the greatest matadors. It would be like walking into a bar and having a beer and marinated octopus, while the stuffed heads of Joe Louis, Sonny Liston, and Mike Tyson – if he was dead – looked down on you. (That’s actually not a bad idea for a bar, though I’m not sure it would be up to health code to have the stuffed corpses mingling with the stuffed peppers).

There were also fantastic pictures of bullfighting, some just utterly gruesome. Take a look at this guy – Dios Santo!!

Obidos

From Madrid we drove to Obidos, Portugal, on the recommendation of friends. We booked three nights there, but what the friends didn’t tell us is that Obidos is basically a day-trip. It’s a spectacular medieval walled city, and tourists come en masse to walk the fortress walls. We spent the first day exploring the town, then we watched some World Cup matches at a local bar. But then, at night, they roll up the welcome mats, and the place shuts down by 10pm. It’s eerily silent after dark! Nothing is open. So we went back to our hotel. On the second day, we explored more, met a dog (who we named Simon for no real reason), watched more World Cup, took a nap, went window shopping, and then at 10pm – BOOM BOOM. Out go the lights.

By Day Three we wised up. We hopped into Cleo, and explored some 800-year-old monasteries in a few neighboring towns. We also went to Fatima, the site of a vision of the Virgin Mary nearly 100 years ago. It’s huge, and tens of thousands of pilgrims visit every year to celebrate the miracle. But what I found interesting were the souvenir shops, where you can get a Fatima bucket hat for about 10 euro. There’s also the “Ave Maria” restaurant at the complex. I guess even pilgrims have to eat.

Porto

Our next stop was only a few hours away, in Porto, Portugal. We’d been there before, and really loved it. We arrived a bit after noon, and spent the afternoon exploring the hills of the city, drinking beer and wine down by the Douro River, and having a port wine tasting. I’ll tell you this about the port tasting – our host gave a generous pour. He also gave us four glasses for a three-glass tasting. And these were glasses full of rich syrupy dessert wine. We hadn’t really had that much to eat that day, so by the time we left, we were feeling slightly light-headed.

Later that evening, we walked around trying to find a place to watch the USA-Belgium World Cup match. We were about five minutes from kickoff, and still couldn’t find anywhere that looked full of people excited about the World Cup. And then the syrupy port wine caught up with me. There was a rumble in my stomach that indicated impending disaster. There we were, too far from our hotel, and nowhere near finding a place to watch the match. And if you know Amy, you know she hates to miss the National Anthem. Well, I’m sad to say, Amy tragically missed the Anthem that night. At the twilight’s last gleaming, she gave proof through the night, while I was deep in the bowels of a coffee shop, bombs bursting in air.

We did finally find a place to watch nearby, and it was totally empty, we were the only ones there for most of the first half. It seemed the excitement was lost on the Portuguese. I imagine being out of the tournament already, they couldn’t care less about the possible snooze-fest that was USA vs. Belgium. So we got on the bar’s wifi and searched for something more lively. And we found it. Right in the heart of the tourist area by the river, about a 10-minute walk away, was an Irish bar. This had to be the place. So at halftime, we gathered our things, and sprinted downhill to the bar. And when we walked in – it was dead. There was one Belgian couple, and of course the Flems were drinking Stella and eating frites. Well, you know how the game turned out…

Santiago de Compostela

Which brings us up to date. We’re now in Santiago de Compostela, in the Galician region of Spain. It’s the end of the “Way of Saint James,” in which pilgrims walk from France, along the length of northern Spain, to eventually finish here in Santiago (“Saint Tiago,” or “Saint James”). The remains of the Apostle James are located in the cathedral here, and for over a thousand years, people have been making the pilgrimage, which is believed to forgive you of your sins. It’s pretty cool, actually. The town is full of history, and we’ve enjoyed our two days here: exploring the cathedral and the medieval town, getting a tour of the roof of the cathedral, and generally enjoying sitting at cafes and watching the tired pilgrims finish a month-long walk across the country. Seeing the joy on their faces as they finish, it makes you want to give it a try.

I will also tell you this, though – a lot of them smell funky.

Happy Independence Day, everyone! John is almost done with a loooong blog post which should be perfect reading for your holiday weekend hangover. Check back again tomorrow. But in the meantime…What’s more American than pickled pigs ears?! Wishing you a great holiday from Santiago de Compostela, Spain!

Here’s where we are and where we’ve been: https://werefinemom.com/the-map/

Hi Mom! We survived the Mexico v. Croatia game…hoorah! We leave for Madrid later today (and arrive late tomorrow), so to tide you over until our South America re-cap, here’s our second Guest Blog post on WFM with guest blogger, Mark. Mark and John are old friends through work and fellow futbol fanatics. More on the story of our friendship below. Everything he wrote below is true, so friends, please be gentle with your comments/ridicule. Enjoy!

BY MARK, WFM GUEST BLOGGER, WORLD CUP 2014, BRAZIL

Four years ago I had the extreme privilege of traveling to South Africa for the World Cup with my wife. On our journey we met up with John and Amy, spent a good deal of time with them, and all agreed we would do our best to repeat the trick four years later in Brazil.

Since then John and Amy got married, quit their jobs, and sold their house; and I had two little US soccer fans named Jacob and Zachary. Despite all of the changes, the dream of returning to the World Cup remained. So, there we were, John and Amy somewhere in Asia, and me sitting at home with two little ones. After some begging and pleading with my wife (and the promise of unlimited foot rubs), I secured the green light to go, and planning began. The rest is now history as I sit on American Airlines flight 274 back from Recife to MIA. I know that devoted readers of the blog are eager to get the real scoop on what it’s like to travel with John and Amy…so here goes….

I have no clue how those two have lugged those massive bags around the world for 9 months, but they do so and neither complain. That was my first thought, and then I realized that these two have spent every single day together for almost a year and they seem to still legitimately love each other. Arguments occur….but after all, they ARE married, so that comes with the territory. Amy is fond of calling themselves “the Bickersons”, but I was rather impressed with how little they actually do!

Amy is generally right of course, and occasionally John is “not wrong” about topics ranging from a line in a movie, directions to the beach, or the location of the steps at Arena Pernambuco. I want to give up some great juicy stories, but they just didn’t provide the ammunition! Amy is comfortable with potty humor, and we certainly had ample opportunity with the three of us sharing one bathroom nearly the entire trip. John is OK hearing Amy’s potty humor, and accepting her passion for straightening up the apartment every single time we left. (On one occasion we came back after a hard day of drinking beer and sitting on the beach to find towels made up neatly and pillows placed “just so” on the couch…I was convinced that a maid had come to clean, but John instantly knew better: Amy had been there).

As you know Amy does have a knack for finding every possible moment to update her Facebook status and happenings on FB, while John spends his time counting and measuring floor tiles in every apartment they visit, so he can accurately draw out the floor plan and remember each place. I simply explained that a photo would do just as well, but John stubbornly draws away in his little book (he has already gone through two diaries worth of pages)! It seems a bit ridiculous to Amy (and me), but someday people may look back on these drawings as the work of a genius, like Michaelangelo or Da Vinci….but I doubt it.

Everyone has their hobbies and I learned that it is important to maintain those and keep them personal if you are going to travel around the world with someone (and not want to beat them up every other day).

An interesting quirk of Amy’s which must be mentioned is the methodical hunt for condiments around the world. Amy has been known to carry small bottles of Mayo across continents. When whole countries run out of mayo, mustard and ketchup, I guess I understand, but Amy’s devotion to hanging on to a good packet of Heinz 57 is impressive.

I will say that collectively those two have got guts (I would say “balls” but their parents might read this and that description seems crass). They are going to some great places, some very random ones, trying every food imaginable (ask John about the 1000-year-old egg), running with bulls, trying different languages, and putting up with people like me in a tight apartment for 10 days. So bravo to John and Amy, and thanks for a great World Cup….now I hope they just update their blog more often….get on that John!

We did a “Japan by the numbers” post back at the very beginning of our trip (https://werefinemom.com/2013/10/23/japan-by-the-numbers/) and with just under 6 months remaining, we thought another analysis was in order.

Days on the Road: 255
Days Left of the Trip: 165

Total Miles: 57,209 (equals 2.3 trips around the equator)
Flights: 40
Total Accommodations: 78 (hotels/rentals/campervan/tent/sleeper train)
Modes of Transportation: 32 (including bicycle rickshaw, horse, tuk-tuk, scooter, streetcar, safari jeep, helicopter, dugout canoe, and World’s Fastest Elevator)

Cities Visited: 83
Countries Visited: 23 (including North Korea and Hong Kong)
Continents Visited: 5 (including North America)
McDonald’s Visited: 3 or 4 (Japan, Taipei, Delhi, and one we can’t remember)

Cheapest Beers: Cambodia (pitchers were $4 USD)
Most Expensive Beers: Singapore (paid upwards of $12 USD for the most expensive beer there)

Times we’ve done laundry: 35
Clothing Casualties: numerous, including grey-colored shirt with pinkish bleach stains; bikini with awkward stain from a drying on a rusty nail (never worn again); button down shirt with paint spots, oil stains, and a huge rip in the back (worn regularly); favorite pink and orange shirt that went “missing” at Indian Laundromat; and, of course, John’s beloved Adidas sneakers (RIP)
Times we’ve done dry cleaning: 1

Dentist Visits: 5
Broken Caps: 2
Courses of Antibiotics taken: 3 (Myanmar 2/food-poisoning, Chile 1/sinus-infection)
Moped accident resulting in a stubbed toe: 1 (also Myanmar/Amy)

Average Bag Weight (Amy): 24.02 kilos/52.95 pounds
Average Bag Weight (John): 18.66 kilos/41.13 pounds
Times we’ve paid overweight baggage fees: 3

Pounds Gained (Amy): No comment
Pounds Gained (John): Negligible

Postcards Sent: 202 (20% sent to parents)
Packages Shipped Home: 10

Haircuts: 4 (John 3; Amy 1)
Dye Jobs: 7 (Amy; Tokyo, Taipei, Hanoi, Bangkok, Auckland, Delhi, Cape Town…and one to come very soon in Chile!)

Hottest Temperature: 104 (Varanasi, India)
Coldest Temperature: 33 (Beijing, China)

Sporting Events Attended: 6 (Sumo Finals, Horse Racing, Rugby Sevens, Melbourne Grand Prix, Aussie Rules Football, Boca Juniors Football)

Concert: 1 (Lynryd Skynryd, Starship and 10CC)
Star-sightings (other than above rock stars): 3 (Tom Hanks & Rita Wilson at the Grand Hyatt in Tokyo; John Cleese eating sushi at the food court in Ho Chi Minh City Airport)

Political Demonstration: 1 (Occupy Bangkok)
Appearance on Japanese TV: 1 (unseen)

It’s been an amazing 8 months so far. And with less than six months and only one more continent to go, it feels like we’re in the home stretch. We’ve booked all of our transportation for the rest of the trip including our trip home (with the exception of one round-trip flight from the UK to Ireland). We leave for Brazil and the World Cup madness on Wednesday and then, two weeks later, we’ll be in Europe. I think time is going to go very fast once we get there. We’ll see. I think one of our last posts of the trip will be “Superlatives,” i.e. Best Meal, Favorite Accommodation, Most Harrowing Moment, et cetera. Please start thinking about superlatives you’d like to see and send them to us…we have to start the list now, lest we forget!