PORTUGAL: OBIDOS, ALCOBACA, FATIMA, NAZARE, PORTO
MADRID, SPAIN
BRAZIL: RIO DE JANEIRO, RECIFE, NATAL, PIPA
SANTIAGO, CHILE
-
- Welcome to Chile
-
- The Andes
-
- The Market
-
- Delicious dinner here
-
- Little ladies making…
-
- The best sandwiches…
-
- Ever!
-
- Just look at this!
-
- 5 continent bowler
-
- 6 continent bowler!
MENDOZA, ARGENTINA
NORTHWEST ARGENTINA: MOLINAS, CACHI, JUJUY, PURMAMARCA & TILCARA
CAFAYATE, ARGENTINA
IGUAZU FALLS, ARGENTINA
-
- Welcome!
-
- Look out for coaties!
-
- Look out for these guys, too. (What are these?)
-
- These guys seem friendly.
-
- Wild guinea pigs?
-
- Eek!
-
- Turkey buzzards
-
- Look at his head!
-
- A coatie!!
-
- Friendly iguana.
-
- Friendly butterfly!
-
- Stay in your own lane, snake!
URUGUAY: COLONIA DEL SACRAMENTO & MONTEVIDEO
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
-
- A pinguino of vino!
-
- Dinner with Dani
-
- Outside La Bombonera
-
- Dog in prime location: sunny spot in a steak house
-
- The Pink House
-
- Famous steak house
-
- Yum!
-
- You can’t tell, but he’s cutting the steak with a spoon!
-
- Some of the best pizza I’ve ever had!
-
- You have to be a member…
-
- Madness inside La Bombanera
-
- Check out these cheerleading “uniforms”
-
- The crowd goes wild.
-
- Selfi at Boca Juniors match.
-
- Last lunch with Dani
AFRICA: SOUTH AFRICA, ZIMBABWE, BOTSWANA
INDIA: MUMBAI, UDAIPUR, JODHPUR, JAIPUR, AGRA, DELHI, LAKSHMAN JULA, VARANASI
-
- Welcome to Mumbai
-
- Cricket in the park
-
- Happy Holi!
-
- Getting clean in Udaipur
-
- Shaving in the river
-
- Cows everywhere
-
- Sit or stand…your choice!
-
- The palace in Udaipur
-
- Ranakpur Jain Temple
-
- Naughty monkeys everywhere
-
- Street vendors in Jodhpur
-
- Textile shopping
-
- Henna
-
- Jaipur
-
- Turbans for sale
-
- We ate here
-
- Elephants on parade
-
- Amber Fort in Jaipur
-
- The Taj
-
- Illegal photo from inside the Taj
-
- back of the Taj
-
- Getting ready for the train ride to Rishikesh
-
- This was before the train got crowded
-
- School bus?
-
- Political speeches in Delhi
-
- Traffic jam because of political speeches
-
- Contemplating the Ganges in Lakshman Jula
-
- I tried to convince John to enroll
-
- Cow shopping
-
- Almost…
-
- Sin free!
-
- A secret beer in Lakshman Jula, a dry town!
-
- Doing laundry in Varanasi
-
- Stacks of wood for the Burning Ghat
-
- So long, India! (Our poor porters…)
AUSTRALIA: MELBOURNE & THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD
NORTH ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND
-
- Hot Water Beach!
-
- Ersters!
-
- Our sweet wheels on the North Island.
-
- Getting ready to climb
-
- At the top!
-
- The best pie ever!
-
- Getting ready to jump…
-
- It’s a loooong way down.
-
- Here we go!
-
- Wine tasting
-
- Nice!
SOUTH ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND
-
- The awesome Moreaki Boulders!
-
- Penguin!
-
- Lounging seals…
-
- Staring sheep.
-
- Romantic sea lions
-
- What are you looking at?!
-
- Sheep crossing.
-
- Milford Sound (socked in).
-
- Yay!
-
- Awesome concert.
-
- Awesome setting.
-
- Rockin’ with Skynyrd, Starship & 10CC!
-
- Ready for Franz Josef…
-
- Our ride’s here!
-
- Cold water from the glacier
-
- Cheers!
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND
-
- Hello Wellington!
-
- So excited for the Sevens!
-
- Madness!
-
- Rugby action…
-
- There was a contest to tackle this burger on the pitch. I just wanted to hug it.
-
- Awesome costume
-
- Scary!
-
- Love the martinis!
-
- And the scrubbies!
-
- This is what the Kiwis think of us. Ugh.
-
- The All Blacks!
-
- The US cheering section
-
- Hi Chris!
-
- Not in costume!
-
- Love how the reporter is so serious.
-
- After the US team won their match, they circled the stadium and shook hands with fans. Cool!
-
- Nice.
-
- Last day in Wellington…JB says goodbye to his ancient backpack. So long, old friend.
BALI, INDONESIA
-
- Our awesome hotel pool in Ubud, where I spent most of my time.
-
- Except for when we were with monkeys!
-
- Who doesn’t love monkeys?
-
- This little guy was adorable!
-
- This lady was nuts.
-
- This is the closest I got to those cheeky monkeys.
-
- They stick their tongues out at you and steal your snacks.
-
- And look at those choppers!
-
- This dude was working’ hard.
-
- John was chewing the fat with this dude.
-
- This old guy wanted none of the shenanigans.
-
- For example…
-
- Exhibit B.
-
- Another baby monkey!
-
- But this was really a temple. These folks are just leaving after prayer.
-
- So gorgeous.
-
- Not sure if this was an offering or a scare crow.
-
- A temple near our hotel with holy water.
-
- And kids having fun.
-
- John in a skirt!
-
- The ancient UNESCO rice paddies. Awesome.
-
- Another temple in Bali.
-
- John in another skirt.
SINGAPORE
-
- It was Chinese New Year when we were in Singapore. Cool street decorations.
-
- For the Year of the Horse!
-
- Nice!
-
- Cool view of botanical garden that we didn’t visit.
-
- More cool views from the top of the Marina Bay Sands.
-
- Windy!
-
- Cheers!
-
- I so wanted to swim in this pool!
-
- Crazy, right?!
GEORGE TOWN, PENANG, MALAYSIA
-
- The small city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia.
-
- Awesome colonial architecture!
-
- And Asian, too.
-
- Mosques…
-
- And fire houses!
-
- And amazing street art.
-
- Temples, too, of course.
-
- And a little seaside village/encampment built on docks right on the water.
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
-
- The Petronas Towers (Kuala Lumpur’s one and only sight)
-
- This fountain was kind of interesting
-
- And their metro was pretty clean
-
- The highlight, however, was KL’s bird aviary…one of the largest
-
- This guy decided to strut his stuff! Check out the back of the feathers…like bones, almost.
-
- Sweet!
-
- Posing!
-
- I loved the amazing colors in this shot.
-
- John and I call this bird Phyllis Diller.
-
- And this one is Rasta Bird.
-
- Check out this color!
-
- Creepy eye.
-
- Hey, how’d this guy get in here?!
BAGAN, MYANMAR
-
- We happened upon a parade/festival our first day in Bagan
-
- Our wheels!
-
- Lots of kids and teens in traditional dress
-
- Women washing and brushing in the Irrawaddy River
-
- ???
-
- On day 2, I convinced John we needed mopeds. (This was pre-crash…)
-
- Mural inside one of the temples
-
- Waiting for sunset.
-
- Worth the wait!
-
- My new friends!
YANGON, MYANMAR
-
- Welcome to Yangon! Shot of Sule Paya in downtown Yangon.
-
- Sule Paya at night
-
- Bevving al fresco in Burma
-
- One of our first meals…delicious!
-
- Traditional market
-
- Colonial architecture
-
- Strawberry lassi!
-
- Welcome to the famous and beautiful Swegadon Paya!
-
- Each day of the week has a special prayer area
-
- You go to the day of the week you were born to worship
-
- I was born on Tuesday…
-
- John was born on Friday
-
- Little girls with traditional Thanaka on their cheeks…for beauty and sun protection!
-
- Just in case…
KOH SAMET, THAILAND
-
- Who eats horse shoe crab??
-
- Nice trunks, guy.
BANGKOK, THAILAND
-
- We salute you, dear readers!
-
- Bevving in Pat Pong
-
- Tuk tuk ride home
-
- Drinking and …
-
- Karaoke!
-
- For Ari
-
- Are these pants not the greatest?!
HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: Part 2
-
- Ready for the New Year’s Eve Vespa food tour
-
- I’m not scared at all…really.
-
- All along the road side were food stalls and vendors…everywhere!
-
- Our first stop. Looks good…
-
- But wait, what’s this?
-
- Jeremiah!
-
- Sorry buddy, but you were delicious.
-
- Everyone agreed.
-
- Our guide, Dep.
-
- Crazy traffic
-
- John had to switch drivers at one point but he still looks cool.
-
- So cool.
-
- Our friends from the Phillipines
-
- Another stop
-
- Delicious!
-
- Mini-grill table-side.
-
- Stopped here for some coffee and live music.
-
- Awesome drivers.
-
- Happy New Year!
HOI AN, VIETNAM
-
- Beautiful, lantern-lit streets in Hoi An
-
- Ladies making the lanterns
-
- John about to have a “rooster-off” with a real, live competitor
-
- We were waiting for this girl to fall in the river during her Facebook profile pic photo shoot
-
- The girls getting ready to sell lanterns
-
- Saying a prayer before setting the candle lanterns in the river
-
- A great dinner!
-
- John riding through the rice paddies
-
- The sea is angry, my friend
-
- Passing on the left…
-
- While SE Asia dogs are very good at crossing the street, water buffaloes are not
-
- But I think they were late for a meeting
-
- These ladies made the best sandwich I ever ate.
-
- Baguettes toasting in a wood box over hot coals
-
- I don’t know all that was in the sandwich, but it was awesome.
-
- Awesome.
-
- Prosperity, Longevity and Happiness (might be in the wrong order)
HANOI, VIETNAM: Including the Christmas Day food tour
-
- The Hanoi Hilton…but not the one McCain stayed in.
-
- Cool beers…
-
- But not the coldest beers.
-
- Hoa Kiem lake
-
- We spent a lot of time trying to get photos of scooters and their awesome cargo.
-
- 4 kegs!
-
- You could buy almost anything from the ladies on the street.
-
- Christmas Eve mass
-
- Christmas Eve dinner at the Metropole.
-
- Christmas Eve Skype with the Scanlans
-
- Christmas Day Skype with the Brueckners
-
- Our food tour guide, Mark
-
- Awesomely skinny coffe shop
-
- This was fried bananas and tapioca…delicious
-
- Hoa Kiem Lake on Christmas night
-
- Laundry day! Love the compact folding!
LUANG PRABANG, LAOS
-
- The monks were everywhere
-
- And the little monks…
-
- I became obsessed with monks’ laundry
-
- These little boys stopped to say a prayer before the climbed all over this funeral boat like hooligans
-
- Monks hangin’ out
-
- Monks on a boat
-
- My wheels in Laos
-
- Monks don’t like sunburn either
-
- Cock fight!
-
- Pasta carbonara that you mixed yourself at the table. Loved the fresh egg yolk in it’s shell. So delicious!
-
- These were tiny birds in tiny cages that they sold at the foot of a hilltop temple in Luang Prabang. They said if you set them free at the top of the mountain, your wish would come true.
-
- It was so sad though…those small cages. I wanted to buy them all.
SIEM REAP: The Temples at Angkor
SIHANOUKVILLE, CAMBODIA
-
- If this picture makes you sad, look no further.
-
- Gorgeous beach view.
-
- Mr. Ox’s kids. My favorite was the little one.
-
- Totally relaxed at Castaways.
-
- Our lovely home for a few days.
-
- One of Ox’s dogs napping under the beach chair.
-
- These ladies would try to pluck, paint or torture you with bad lobster. Just say NO.
-
- We did…
-
- Swimming babies.
-
- Our host…
-
- Our hostess…
PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA
-
- I feel like I haven’t posted enough temple shots.
-
- Wat Phnom
-
- We spent hours watching people on scooters….3 adults on a scooter.
-
- Baby on a scooter…no helmet.
-
- Four on a scooter.
-
- Another 4 on a scooter. We actually created a BINGO card. Scooter Bingo.
-
- We love the tuk tuks!
-
- John on the bus to Sihanoukville.
-
- Lots of wild life to look at on the 6 hour ride.
HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: Part 1
-
- Reunification Palace in HCMC
-
- This is what our living room in Maine will look like.
-
- Hopefully our helipad will not get bombed.
-
- Romantic shot.
-
- Waving to my minions.
-
- The best banh mi…thanks Marni!
-
- Just type “Fall of Saigon” into Wikipedia and you will get a quick history lesson. Or ask John the next time you see him.
-
- An awesome dinner with our friends from Atlanta, Chuck & Heda
-
- Guess where we’re off to next!
HONG KONG, CHINA
-
- Riding the escalator
-
- On Star Ferry
-
- Getting measurements for a fab custom blazer
-
- Tea at the Pen
-
- String quartet during tea
-
- Christmas decorations everywhere
-
- John making me pose for another art shot…clearly P.O.ed.
-
- Me running away from John Brueckner, Paparazzi.
-
- Incense coils at a temple
-
- Off to the races
-
- Hong Kong Jockey Club in Happy Valley
-
- And we are very happy!
-
- So excited for the race. (We did not win, unfortunately.)
-
- Winner’s Circle
-
- View from the track
-
- Even though we didn’t win, we had a blast.
-
- Lama Island day trip
-
- Thanksgiving dinner with Marni
-
- Light show from Kowloon
-
- Cheers!
TAINAN, TAIWAN
-
- Welcome to Tainan…need a ride?
-
- This was a bad idea.
-
- So was this…
-
- 1,000 year old egg.
-
- Ick.
-
- Art shot
-
- Koi going crazy for fish food!
-
- The trash trucks played a little song to let you know they were coming!
-
- So happy with his mango shave ice!
-
- Public art…
-
- The Hello Kitty store!
-
- On the ferry…
-
- Scooters ready to depart the ferry.
-
- John at the Tree House.
-
- Night market in Tainan.
-
- Enourmous!
-
- Locals!
TAIPEI, TAIWAN
-
- Lot’s of Asian people asked to take their picture with us. I felt famous.
-
- Sun Yat-Sen Memorial
-
- The man.
-
- We just happened to catch changing of the guard.
-
- Very cool!
-
- An accupressure path…
-
- John tries it out.
-
- Ouch!
-
- Mini-okonomyaki!
-
- My native costume.
-
- We did not drink the frog egg concoction but it was very popular.
-
- Immaculate subways…just like NYC.
-
- Chiang’s plaza.
-
- Awesome
-
- John loved this picture of Chiang with some kids and a MONKEY! I want a monkey!
-
- Creepy wax figure of Chiang.
-
- Art shot.
-
- John in front of Lama Temple in Taipei. One of my favorite temples.
-
- Very popular with the locals, too.
-
- Awesome market. Do you see the GIANT livers? They’d surely get a fine in California.
-
- Chickens.
-
- Chicken heads and blood cakes. Yum!
-
- Other chicken parts.
-
- Yes, that’s a pig foot.
-
- Waiting for the bus…just like a local.
-
- Me and Lei Lei at Din Tai Fung.
-
- Delicious dumplings! They’re opening one in NYC soon!
-
- This was an entire potato.
-
- Don’t I look happy and excited?
-
- It’s ’cause I was waiting for my new favorite food: giant, juicy fried chicken!
-
- John prepping to catch out dinner.
-
- What are you fishing for?
-
- Shrimps!
-
- After you caught them, they skewered the live shrimps right there with the little fishing pole you used to catch them.
-
- And they went right on the grill.
-
- Yum!
-
- Bevving at the night market.
-
- One of my favorite shots…at a Dutch fort in Tamsui.
-
- This guy was real. And huge. Just tied up outside a shop. Hanging on the sidewalk.
-
- Sunset over the Taiwan Straight.
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA: A crap-load of photos; I just couldn’t bring myself to edit them down. It was awesome!
BEIJING
-
- You heard about this guy from John’s last post…
-
- Trying to perfect the selfie at the Temple of Heaven.
-
- Proper shot.
-
- First beer in China. So happy!
-
- I know this doesn’t look like much but it was delicious. Ribs cooked in tea and other herbs.
-
- The Summer Palace.
-
- Art shot on the bridge.
-
- At all the parks we went to in China, the people love to sing.
-
- Dance…
-
- And play music.
-
- Awesome instrument.
-
- This woman wasn’t having any of it.
-
- Suzhou Street. Built by the emperor to play shop-keeper and pick pocket with his eunuchs and concubines.
-
- Art shot.
-
- Another art shot! In the 789 Art District.
-
- Some really cool art!
-
- These were mini candy apples.
-
- Delicious!
-
- This sort of tasted like a burrito.
-
- Also delicious.
-
- Sally: This is a photo of my first Chinese tea. No lie.
-
- Giant Buddha in Lama Temple.
-
- Food street!
-
- We did not eat these.
-
- We did not eat these.
-
- We definitely did not eat these!
-
- We did eat this guy. Sorry Quackers!
-
- Gratuitous rickshaw shot.
-
- Arial view of the Forbidden City. It is enormous!
-
- Next stop: Taipei! Beep beep!
SEOUL: The Lantern Festival and our last two days
-
- We were lucky to see the Seoul Lantern Festival when we returned from Jeju.
-
- The Cheonggyecheon Stream runs through the middle of the city.
-
- The stream is 5.2 miles long.
-
- More than half of it is filled with lighted lanterns for the annual festival.
-
- Some tell the stories of famous Koreans.
-
- Others are just arty.
-
- Love the fishes!
-
- These guys were very cool.
-
- It was hard to capture a shot that showed the entire view.
-
- Christmas already!?
-
- Yes…now it’s the next day in the shopping district.
-
- This was taken on November 5th.
-
- Never too early to start shopping…
-
- We had dinner that night with our friends from NYC who were in Seoul visiting family. So great seeing friends from home!
-
- Dinner our last night was awesome ribs from this joint. Cooked on the street like all the best Korean food!
-
- John likes me to pose in creepy alleys for art shots. I do not like to do this.
JEJU ISLAND: The Hawaii of Korea
-
- Welcome to Jeju Island!
-
- Beautiful flora…
-
- and fauna!
-
- Delicious (and potent) soju!
-
- Beauty shots…
-
- Gorgeous scenery!
-
- The island is filled with tangerine trees…
-
- And tangerine stands selling big bags and boxes of tangerines.
-
- Tiny island off of Jeju.
-
- View from the top.
-
- The stairs made it easy.
-
- Horses for riding…not for eating!
-
- Art shot of John’s reflection in the lava rock water pools in the cove.
-
- Lady divers sorting their booty.
-
- Yes, we ate one of these.
-
- And one of these! Sorry Babe!
-
- But you were delicious!
-
- We did not eat these.
-
- Jeju is very popular for weddings…
-
- And honeymoons! Honeymooners dress alike in Korea.
-
- John in front of a traditional Jeju hut.
-
- Awesome temple on Jeju.
-
- And the million Buddha statues!
-
- This was on a banner hanging from the altar. They also gave us cards when we left with this printed on it. Love it.
-
- This is entirely made out of colored sand. Those monks are patient!
-
- Lotus lanterns hanging from the ceiling.
-
- Another angle.
-
- There were little signs like this hanging all over the grounds of the temple.
-
- Awesome lava formations.
-
- Look how geometric!
-
- More rocks but this time at Jeju’s Stone Park.
-
- Big rocks!
-
- These guys were all over the island. They are for protection.
-
- We loved being here. Thank you, Jeju!
SEOUL: Part 1
-
- Our first meal in Korea…Jokbal (pig trotter).
-
- John hasn’t had the McSpicy yet but there’s still time.
-
- Bukchon Hanok Village in Seoul
-
- Our food tour friends, Yit from Oz and Elise from New Caledonia.
-
- Leo, our awesome tour guide.
-
- He taught us drinking games!
-
- John lost (multiple times).
-
- The hilarious honey candy men (see previously posted video).
-
- Starbucks in Seoul.
-
- This says “dog soup.” We did not eat here.
-
- Leo showing us the nooks and crannies of Insadong.
-
- Kimchi!
-
- Mini-crab kimchi!
-
- Korean pancakes being made at the night market.
-
- Our awesome O’ngo food tour crew!
-
- Selfie with pagoda.
-
- Korean school kids on a field trip.
-
- Love their traditional dresses.
-
- Confused Yankee fan. Wrong colors, bud!
-
- Bad photo of me on the Cheonggye Stream.
-
- John trying not to panic in the crowds of the Saturday market.
-
- Our first bibimbap of the trip.
-
- Changdeokgung Palace
-
- Lots of beautiful smaller buildings in the palace.
-
- Many of the Korean locals dress like this on the weekend. Full-on hiking gear.
-
- Yes, we did.
-
- Bowling in Seoul!
-
- Busy street by our apartment
-
- These “Seoul Fries” were AWESOME! From Grill 5 Taco…
-
- Little tents right on the street where people eat dinner and drink.
-
- John is taller than your average North Korean soldier.
-
- People leaving messages for loved ones on a fence right near the DMZ.
-
- Korean Coke!
TOKYO: The last days…
-
- Delicious lunch that looks like art.
-
- The Colonel is everywhere in Japan. He’s very popular.
-
- Loved all the individual flags to identify the oysters. Unfortunately, we couldn’t read them.
-
- Perhaps, but not the King of beers. Or the champagne of beers, for that matter.
-
- A delicious cocktail spotlighted at the Imperial Hotel. Just behind is our friend Emi and her friend. Emi has been a regular at the Imperial for years.
-
- Dinner with Bec and James…awesome!
-
- The East Garden of the Imperial Palace…I think. Lovely.
-
- John rockin’ out on Isao’s drum set.
-
- Ako, John, Isao and me after a wonderful dinner!
-
- More food art but an airplane meal if you can believe it.
-
- Menu description of previous meal.
HOKKAIDO: A compilation of Noboribetsu, Niseko, Otaru & Sapporo…the Japanese version of our Pacific Northwest.
OSAKA: Scenes from Dontonbori Dori…the Times Square of Osaka.
-
- Welcome to Dotonbori Dori!
-
- We also did some sight-seeing!
KYOTO: Good food, good times, good friends!
TOKYO: The first 5 days…
-
- Welcome to Tsukiji!
-
- Inside the fish market. You can’t tell from this pic, but it was mayhem!
-
- Big fish!
-
- Funny sign on the metro.
-
- Crowds entering Sumo stadium.
-
- Awesome souvenirs!
-
- Inside the stadium.
-
- The big guys parading in.
-
- Getting ready to fight! (We have a video, too.)
-
- At the Meiji Shrine.
-
- John writing down our prayer for the trip.
-
- Drinks at Two Rooms…thanks for the rec, Jamie!
-
- Senso-Ji Shrine
-
- John purifying himself. Insert joke here.
-
- Our Kaiseki lunch.
-
- We both ate it! It was very crunchy. Not too fishy, though.
-
- Our servers playing traditional Japanese Tsugaru Shamisen (string instruments). They rocked!
-
- John drinking Denki Bran, a drink that dates back to the Meiji Era, at Kamiya Bar.
-
- The ground floor of most malls/department stores have huge food halls. This shot doesn’t do it justice.
-
- This food hall even had a Junior’s Cheesecake store!
-
- You could also get a bottle of Dom! For only $954 bucks!
-
- Domo Tokyo!
THE LAST 4 YEARS
This first photo gallery is a brief history of some of the places we’ve traveled together already. On our first date, we both shared stories of the places we’ve been and all the places we wanted to go. This shared love of travel was part of what brought us together and the impetus for this year-long travel sabbatical. We’re so excited to add more stamps to our passports!
-
- Bilbao, Spain 2009
-
- Porto, Portugal 2009
-
- South Africa on safari 2010
-
- South Africa at the World Cup 2010
-
- Paris, France 2010
-
- Hana, Hawaii 2011
-
- Machu Picchu, Peru 2011
-
- Buenos Aires, Argentina 2011
-
- Brussels, Belgium 2012
-
- Bruges, Belgium 2012
-
- Amsterdam, Netherlands 2012
-
- Niagara Falls, Canada 2012
-
- Panama Canal, Panama 2013
-
- Copenhagen, Denmark 2013
-
- Oslo, Norway 2013
-
- Stockholm, Sweden 2013
-
- NASCAR race in Sonoma, California 2013
-
- Kennebunkport, Maine…possibly our future home town!
werefinemom.com 
hi great pictures
we love them. hope you are having a fun time
ellie c
Looks awesome already & love the photos!