Last week we challenged ourselves to sit down and write a few of our favorite little moments from the past year. Some have been shared here before and many are new. Here’s a small glimpse into some of the moments from last year.
When my parents came to meet up with us in Ecuador, we took them to El Museo del Sol, where the true equator is. They do all sorts of demos and experiments there to show how the equator affects things like balance. I will never forget my parents participating in these tests, especially my mom giggling while trying to walk a straight line with her eyes closed. ~Kat
Most everyone knows we like to take pictures of people taking pictures with their iPads. It’s just a funny thing that we like to do. One of my favorite iPad photo photos is of 2 young Buddhist monks. We were in Ayutthaya, Thiland, exploring one of the many temple ruins, when we turned a corner and saw one monk taking an iPad photo of another monk as he posed in front of one of the chedis. Not what we were expecting to see. I whipped out my camera and managed to get a shot of it all. The first of many “monks doing odd but normal things” photos. ~Kyle
Our first night camping at Milford Sound there was a huge thunderstorm and it caused a huge rockfall. The rockfall blocked the tunnel so we were all stranded in Milford. People were freaking out about being trapped (FYI, there are little to no amenities in Milford) and losing days of their vacations. We didn’t care as we were scheduled to stay there for several days anyway. It was interesting to watch people rapidly devolve, demanding that they open the road, that it was all a conspiracy, or that they needed to hire a helicopter to fly them out. But it was also really cool to watch so much camaraderie grow amongst the group. Somehow we all ended up hanging out in this huge lounge, playing games and chatting. In a way, we were all in this together and it was fun to be part of that community for a few days. ~Kat
Hobbitton! What can I say but WOW! This was one of the stops on our NZ trip that was a must. Arriving early in order to beat the crowd was a great idea. We didn’t anticipate having the kind of access to Hobbitton that we did. Still a guided tour, but being able to walk the same paths the actors did and seeing all the details that went into making it so lifelike was amazing. We’ve all had times when we’ve had expectations about a place or a movie or a concert and it just doesn’t cut it. For us, Hobbitton far exceeded our expectations. We even considered going back towards the end of our NZ time. ~Kyle
We were so excited to go to Hobbitton that on the big day we woke up at the crack of dawn and were on the first tour of the day. I remember just being delighted at how real it all was and how much attention to detail there was. Little half burned candlesticks in the window. A tiny set of woodworking tools. I half expected Bilbo to come strolling out of Bag End and down the path at any moment. And to have such access to it all…to be able to sit on the doorsteps and wander the same paths was just magical. We were giddy little kids that whole day. It was like Christmas morning for us, finished off with a huge second breakfast. ~Kat
Machu Picchu can be described or photographed, but there is nothing like climbing to the Sun Gate after 4 days of trekking through the Andes. After we completed the 42 km hike and finally watched the sun rise over the city, we were left in awe. It is such a physical, mental, and spiritual journey that is worth every bit of time and energy you devote to it. It left us physically spent & mentally drained, but spiritually uplifted. ~Kyle
The final morning of the Inca Trail trek is all adrenaline. Up at 3 am and in line at the checkpoint in the dark, followed by a mad dash the final 5 kilometers to the Sun Gate. I was so happy and emotionally overwhelmed when we got there and I finally glimpsed Machu Picchu. We paused for a bit to take it all in and take a few photos. Then I turned to walk back up the steps to the Sun Gate, tripped on a step, and went sprawling across the floor of the gate in front of everyone. 42 km of hiking and not one fall. And then I biffed it at the last possible second of the hike, ripping my pants at the knee. I couldn’t stop laughing at the absurdity of it all. Then the sun started to come up, its rays traveling across the mountaintops to illuminate Machu Picchu. And I forgot all about my skinned knee. ~Kat
While staying in the Kauri National Forest, we took part in a night hike to try and see a Kiwi in the wild. Alas, no kiwi that night. But we had a great time tromping around in the dark and seeing other cool things like nocturnal eels. So we signed up to go again the next night. As it turns out, not a lot of people go on this walk a second time. They were so delighted that we had signed up for a second night, that they refunded us the cost of the second night’s walk. Luck was on our side that day. First the refund and then a kiwi sighting. Kathy spotted the bird first and let out an excited little squeak. Some of the other walkers were so busy trying to get photos that they missed the kiwi altogether. But we just stood there, watched, and enjoyed. One elusive animal sighting down, many more to come. ~Kyle
Living in our Spaceship campervan for 8 weeks was one of my most favorite times EVER with Kyle. Driving through the spectacularly beautiful scenery of New Zealand just about everyday, tunes on the stereo, my best friend sitting next to me. Tucked in all cozy at night on our little couchette & sipping cocktails. Most couples would kill each other if they were in such a small space for such a long time, but we relished every moment. I’d totally live in a minivan with my husband again. ~Kat
We were sitting in our spaceship in the Rainforest Camper Park in Franz Josef, New Zealand. Kat and I kept seeing the same Apollo campervan drive past us in circles over and over looking for their site. The sites being VERY clearly marked made this quite funny. They must have passed by at least a dozen times. ~Kyle
We went Black Water Rafting in Waitomo Caves on the recommendation of friends. I was terrified to go because it required jumping off waterfalls and I am afraid of heights. But I decided to be brave and so we went. And then it turned out that you have to jump off those waterfalls while facing backwards and in the dark. I did it anyway. Hey, who am I to back down off that challenge – especially after getting all suited up? There was lots of nervous “I’m amazed and delighted that I didn’t just die” laughter that day. All that fear and courage was worth it. The caves were breathtaking, as we floated in the darkness with constellations and galaxies overhead made up of the twinkling of glowworms. Such a beautiful and empowering day. ~Kat
While camping at a DOC site near Cape Reinga, we were approached by our neighbors: two Frenchmen. They had lost their only van key in the river while fishing and asked if we had any kind of tool they might use to “jimmy” the lock. All we could offer was a wine corkscrew. Moments later, we heard a huge “woop!” as one of them managed to open the door with the corkscrew. The next morning, they stopped by to tell us that they had somehow found their key in the sand that morning. They were both relieved and, even more, shocked at their find. ~Kyle
We were hiking way out at the end of Farewell Spit, on the South Island of New Zealand, when we came across some aggressive and vocal Oystercatcher birds. We had unknowingly gotten too close to a few nests. One of the Oystercatcher Mamas didn’t like our proximity, or my big straw sunhat, and divebombed me – then flew away, hoping to distract us from her nest. I stood there and watched her, waiting to see what she would do next. Apparently, I waited a little too long for her liking. She took off and flew right at me. I turned tail and ran but that image of an angry Oystercatcher flying right at my face with her huge long orange beak, shrieking the whole way, is permanently burned into my memory. ~Kat
The three weeks we spent in Siem Reap were wonderful, with Angkor, new friends, and good food. But there was also this one little myna bird that tickled me to no end. At various times of the day you could hear him outside our bathroom window. Mynas are very good at mimicking all kinds of sounds, and this one had mastered so many of the sounds of the neighborhood. With all these sounds strung together to form a unique symphony of cackles, hoots, honks, shrills, beeps, chirps, and whistles, I couldn’t help but giggle every time. I miss that myna bird. ~Kyle
It was our first week in Fiji and we had just had the worst day. Diving was a disaster and we finally decided to not continue with it, calling off our dive certification classes. Feeling down, we went to dinner in the hostel restaurant and ended up chatting with a really cool group of Aussies. We finished the night with a limbo contest, everyone drinking and dancing and singing as we took turns limboing under the big stick. The camaraderie of the road healing us once again. ~Kat
The Angkor Archaeological Park is huge. There are more sites to visit that anyone should attempt in less than a week. We opted for the 7 day pass and we made the correct decision. Nothing prepared us for the array of architecture, masonry, and carvings that await you. I can’t tell you how many times, upon arriving at a new site, that I said, “Oh my god, this is amazing!” After a while, our photo guide, Kimleng, would just look at me with a simple smile and nod. “In love with” only scratches the surface of my feelings for this place. Very few places have ever had this kind of effect on me. ~Kyle
Our first night at Beqa Lagoon in Fiji, we found ourselves at the “Other Guests” table – 2 of a handful of people who were not part of the larger dive groups at the resort. While being relegated to the “Other Guests” table might have initially seemed like a snub, it turned out to be such a great thing. All of the “other guests” were tremendously fun and interesting and we became fast friends. Many evenings, we ended up laughing so hard or being so boisterous that the other big parties would stop to see what was going on. Two of the couples from the “other guests” group ended up hosting us when we visited Australia. We’ll be “other guests” any day. ~Kat
Kathy and I were sitting at an outdoor bar on the wall of the old fortress in Cartagena drinking Caipirinhas. We were watching a number of people shore fishing about 100 m away. No one was having much success. And then one man manages to haul in a huge fish – maybe about a meter in length. Now, who do you think becomes the instant celebrity? The fisherman? Hell no! It’s the fish, of course. Dozens of other fishers start queuing up to get their picture taken with this fish. The fisherman did get a few pats on the back though. It was an impressive fish, easily visible from our spot a good ways off. ~Kyle
Every single time we would leave our hostel in the Ciudad Amurallada in Cartagena we would get lost. Luckily, our favorite panaderia and jugos place was just across the street. Each morning, we would go in there, jockey for a spot along the counter and the attention of the owner, and order pina jugos and jamon y queso pastries. We probably took 100 bad photos of ourselves in the mirrors at that counter, happily eating and drinking and trying to look at the right spot to have it not look weird in the photo – to no avail. ~Kat
We returned to Cartagena from Santa Marta during a rainstorm, the streets of the old walled city flooded. I was standing in knee deep water with our driver at the back of the minivan, waiting to get our backpacks. He turned the key in the lock of the door and it snapped off in the lock. We both looked at each other with a Homer Simpson dumbfounded look. He then had to crawl over all the other passengers to unlock the door from the inside. ~Kyle
Our friends, Amanda & Gary, (whom we met at the “other guests” table) invited us out to cruise the Whitsundays on their boat, Gratitude. We spent 2 wonderful days and nights with them, and their little dog, Furgie, exploring the different islands and bays and talking about life. One night the stars were incredibly bright. As we sat and watched them, we noticed flashes of green glowing in the water. Bioluminescence. Gary stirred up the sea with his fishing rod and the waters came to life, flashing green. It was like when you write with a sparkler. Such a surprise. ~Kat
Before we were officially stranded in Milford Sound, we witnessed a (sadly, not uncommon) let’s call it a disagreement between a couple attempting to back their camper into the assigned spot. The husband was directing and the wife was driving. What began as a simple task devolved into a series of glares, gestures, heated words, and, finally, a wife walking away for a needed moment away from her husband. Made us appreciate our camaraderie and lack of fighting. ~Kyle
Our friends, Kate & John, took us out on a Sydney Harbour Cruise for Australia Day to watch all the festivities. We sailed under the Harbour Bridge and got our first ever glimpse of the Opera House. Then our boat headed towards the ferry races but got waved off to the side by the harbour police. So we turned back and headed towards the bridge again. I thought we were going to miss everything. Turns out our captain knew what he was doing and we ended up racing right alongside the ferries as they approached the finish line. So exciting! ~Kat
We spent one night at Aoraki/Mt. Cook, New Zealand’s highest mountain, camping in the DOC site. I will never forget the stars that night. I can’t tell you what constellations I saw, but it was the clearest most star-drenched sky I have ever seen. ~Kyle
On our next to last day in South America, we were back in Quito. We went to visit our Spanish professoras one last time, a kind of coming home for us. We dropped in unannounced and it was fun to see people’s faces when they recognized us. Everyone was so excited to see us. It turned out that every one of the teachers at the school had been following our blog and reading it in order to practice reading English. We sat in the lounge and chatted with all of them (practicing our much improved Spanish), about what we had all been up to that summer and we answered all sorts of questions about our adventures since we had last seen them. Break time at the school was well past over when we said our final farewells and headed off. We often call that our first homecoming of the summer. ~Kat
While in Taupo, New Zealand, Kat and I took a nice dinner cruise on an old sloop, The Barnaby. We were offered the seat at the back of the boat, next to Captain Jamey, and we happily accepted. To my surprise, Jamey asked me to take the wheel and left her in my hands for a good portion of the cruise. Nothing like steering a sailboat! This was definitely an unexpected pleasure. I even got to steer her under sail as we headed for home. ~Kyle
Everywhere we went in Vietnam, we ran into groups of schoolkids eager to practice their English and meet Americans. It would always start off with a bit of shy whispering and then one of 2 brave ones would call out, “Hello!” We would always respond in Vietnamese, which would make them so excited. After that they would rush over and we would be inundated with questions: “How are you? Where are you from? What is your name?” We would always take the time to meet each of them and they loved that we spoke a bit of Vietnamese and had stopped to talk with them. After chatting for a bit, we would always ask if they would like to take a photo with us. The excitement, cheering, and jumping up and down that followed was infectious. We now know what it must like to be Justin Bieber. I wish I could bottle the enthusiasm of those kids for days when I’m feeling down. ~Kat
After our first week in Oz, we were ready to head North to meet up with some good friends, Amanda and Gary. They had suggested we try to see platypus in the wild at Eungella National Park, so we headed there first. As it happens, we were able to see quite a few of these much smaller than we thought creatures. It turns out that most people we have spoken with were not lucky enough to catch a glimpse of these elusive nocturnal creatures. I am so thankful that Amanda and Gary suggested it. And very glad we were lucky! ~Kyle
Our first week on the road, Kyle got a cold and needed a decongestant. So we headed out in search of a pharmacy in our Quito neighborhood. But we didn’t know how to ask for a decongestant in Spanish and that word was not in our dictionaries. We stopped in at the local pharmacy but the pharmacist didn’t speak any English and didn’t understand what we were asking for. He sent his assistant 3 or 4 doors down the street, & she returned with a girl who spoke English and could translate for us. Turns out decongestant is decongestante in Spanish, but this little farmacia didn’t carry it. They not only told us what pharmacy to go to to get it, but also made sure we knew exactly how to get there. Our first experience with total strangers going out of their way to help us. I’ll never forget that day. ~Kat
Team Squashed Grapes. The underdog team on our Rock Tour to the Red Centre. We were the smallest team by far, composed of Marjolein from Holland, Janina from Germany, Kathy, and myself. The idea behind the teams was to help everyone get to know each other and also to occupy the numerous hours of driving time. Our team of four against a team of 5 and two teams of 6. Points were awarded for the different games and/or activities assigned. Some were lot of fun and others were just okay. In the end, we had a very strong bond and came in a very close second, I mean first, no wait, second. (There is still a debate over a few points.) I want to thank all my teammates for some good fun. ~Kyle
My good friend, Gwyneth, met up with us in Vietnam. Her 3rd day there, we headed up to Halong Bay for a 2 day cruise. We had gotten a huge luxury upgrade and ended up on the fanciest boat. I remember standing with her on the back deck talking about how surreal and fantastic it was that we were here together and got to share this experience. We both started crying, and then laughed, stating that, “there is no crying in Vietnam.” Arm in arm, we watched the many rocky islands of Halong Bay pass us by in the mist. ~Kat
Quite possibly my favorite example of meeting a local person happened in Hanoi. Kat, Gwyneth, and I were having dinner at a pretty popular Vietnamese BBQ place in our neighborhood. You cook your own food over a table top grille. We were enjoying ourselves when I noticed a gentleman glancing at me from another table. I gave him a polite little nod hello and thought no more of it. But moments later he approached our table and offered us some fried bread to go with our meal. He explained that he had made them himself earlier that afternoon and that his fried bread was the best. He was right. It was fantastic. With the little bit of Vietnamese I knew and the little bit of English he knew, we chatted as best we could for a minute or two. Next thing I know, he has returned with the bottle of whiskey he had been sharing with his friends and offers us all shots. Kat & Gwyneth gracefully decline, but I decided to have one out of courtesy. A second was quickly poured as he taught us the proper Vietnamese toast. I politely declined a third shot, but thanked him for his generosity. This is the nature of everyone we have met throughout this last year of travel. Kind, generous, helpful, and always accepting. It’s been a year of great food, great people, and great adventure. ~Kyle
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