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| Allie and Nelson on the romantic French Riviera!
Ahhh! The south of France! The beautiful blue waters, the fresh air, the amazing food! The south of France was incredible. We had such a blast, especially since we met up with Allie's family. Allie's brother and his girlfriend came from Arizona and her parents were gracious enough to rent a house for us all in the small town of Vence overlooking the Cote d'Azur. We traveled to Nice, Monaco, Antibes, and St. Tropez. We snapped photos with some amazing views, some amazing eats, and some amazing family! Thank you for coming out to meet us in France! We built some amazing memories in our week long stay on the Riveria! Next up, we road trip it to Italia where we met with more family and ate more amazing food. :)
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France Pt. 3: The French Riviera!
France Pt.2: Time with family in Central France!
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| Allie and Nelson with family in Central France
We had a beautiful time spent with family in central France. Nelson's godmother, Mary and her husband Girard were gracious enough to open their beautiful homes in St. Etienne, just outside of Lyon, and their country home in a small town of Chateauneuf to us for a week. We also met Mami and Papi, Girard's loving parents. With a lot of translation, many bottles of wine, and more cheese and bread than we had ever eaten, we had a priceless week with them. We created memories that will truly last a lifetime! Enjoy pictures from our time living like the French!
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Switzerland: Beautiful architecture, the best chocolate, and gnomes!
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| If you notice Allie and Nelson wearing the same jackets and scarves in every picture its because we are! Its cold and we have limited cold weather resources! |
Welcome to Switzerland! Unique architecture and amazing chocolate. We traveled through Zurich and Lucerne on this brief stop over in Switzerland. Allie was able to see her Dad for the first time in 5 months. We sampled tasty chocolates and Allie got her gnome fix (she's slightly obsessed!) Next we train it back to France where we spent an amazing week in Central France with family and had an amazing experience living like locals!
France Pt. 1: Ahhh, Paris!!!
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| Stealing a French Kiss |
What can one say about Paris!? Nelson had visited Paris before but it was a first for Allie. Wow, did we have a blast! We also had other visitor, Allie's Mom who gave us the royal tour of the city of lights. How romantic it was. Allie's high school french lessons came in handy, enough to get by. We took a day trip to Versailles and also met up with our dear friend James who lives in Paris! A brief trip, but an excellent one! J'adore Paris!!! Next up, we travel to Switzerland but train where we checked out Zurich and Lucerne and also met yet another visitor, Allie's Dad!
UK: Our cold, wet, stop over in London!
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| Nelson and Allie checking out the sights on their brief stay in London! |
Hello from London! We had about 24 hours between our flight from Tokyo to our flight to Paris to take in the sights of London. Clearly not enough time to explore this city. We were very jet lagged but still made an effort to see what we could in this cool city. It had a great vibe and British culture is awesome. We saw Parliament, Big Ben, the palace, and of course tried some fish and chips. We walked away from London knowing we must return to do it the right way! Next we head south to France where we spent one whole delicious month!
Japan: The wild world of Japanese culture!
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| Nelson and Allie with the beautiful blossoms in Ueno |
Tokyo! The world of electronics, Japanese baseball, sushi, and very interesting and unique culture! We loved Japan and have vowed to come back and explore more. Their culture is extremely unique. The Japanese are very orderly, respectful, and very willing to help. Although there was a large language barrier, as they hardly speak any English, we found the Japanese to be very friendly. We were lucky enough to be there during the annual sakura, which is Japanese for Cherry Blossom Viewing. The beautiful cherry blossoms were in full bloom. We visited a fresh fish market, saw fascinating temples, and ate some amazingly fresh sushi! We found the city to be very clean and extremely modern with a complex metro system that made our head spin! Enjoy our journey through Tokyo. Next, we leave Asia and head for our final continent, Europe!
Cambodia Pt.3: A day with Cambodian children
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| Nelson playing with the kids |
When we arrived in Cambodia we were taken back by the poverty, we wanted to help in anyway we could. Although a very small act of volunteer work, we chose a worthy charity and signed up for a day with the children. CHOICE Cambodia is a charity that primarily provides clean drinking water to villages outside of the main city. They also have a small school set up an hour from Phnom Penh. Every other Sunday 4 local villages send their children to the school where we volunteered. The organization provides arts and crafts, games, english lessons, and a hearty meal for all the children. This getaway from their daily lives every other week is sometimes the only way for them to obtain such attention and have a bit of fun. We helped with arts and crafts for the day. We couldn't help but notice that these children were so incredibly happy! They were full of energy, playing catching, hitting mangoes down from the tree and practicing English. They also listened to directions very well and were able to focus on their drawings. The experience was very well worth it and we encourage anyone who is interested to check out CHOICE's website here CHOICE
Our time in Cambodia and as we traveled throughout the world, made us truly appreciate our lives and what we have. We are truly blessed and we feel we are in a position to help others. If you feel the same, we encourage you to help out in your own communities. There is always someone who could use your help.
Cambodia Pt.2: The amazing temples of Siem Reap!
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| The enormous grounds of Angkor Wat |
Greetings from Siem Reap! We traveled about 6 hours by bus to get from Phnom Penh to its sister city to the north, Siem Reap and it was worth it! The town has some amazing temples to offer its visitors, the main one being Angkor Wat Temple. The temples were constructed as far back as the 1100s! It also had a busy bustling "downtown" with many restaurants and bars. We were able to visit many temples by buying a 1 day pass for around $20 each. They were beautiful. It just happened to be th hottest day we had experienced on our trip. HOT! We could not drink enough water and after our temple tour via tuk tuk, we needed a nap. Enjoy the amazing pictures! Next up, we spend a day helping Cambodian children in need.
Cambodia Pt.1: A land of poverty, sad history, but extremely friendly people.
Welcome to Cambodia. A land of extreme poverty, a very sad history, and some of the nicest people you will meet. Cambodia was quite a shock to us. We have seen poverty in several countries but this was very under developed. The city of Phnom Penh was a bit more developed and had businesses and malls. The city also had a very nice promenade area for walking next to the river with many shops and restaurants that catered to tourists. However the people there were very poor and there were many beggars along the main road, primarily children. It was tough to take it all in, but at the same time the people were so happy and very eager to work. We were in the city during their slow season so many vendors and tuk tuk drivers were trying hard for our business. We visited some historic landmarks including the killing fields of Choeung Ek and the Tuol Sieng Genocide Museum. After Phnom Penh we made our way north to the stunning temples of Siem Reap.
Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City, a world of motorbikes, interesting food, and war history
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| Allie and Nelson at the Reunification Palace |
| Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon) was an interesting place and very unique to other cities we had visited. We wanted to visit the North of Vietnam but just didn't have time in our schedule. Many travelers have said that we did not get a feel for the true Vietnam by only staying in the city of Ho Chi Minh. Nevertheless, we enjoyed our brief stay in Ho Chi Minh and would describe it as very eye-opening, unique, and quite interesting. We visited the Reunification Palace, the War Remnants Museum, and traveled just outside the city to see the Cu Chi tunnels used by the Vietcong during the war. Enjoy our pictures! |
Thailand Pt. 3: Island hopping from Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao!
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| Nelson and Allie on an elephant! |
The islands off the east coast of Thailand... one of our favorite places! We flew into Koh Samui and took a boat to Koh Phangan. We spent a week in this very uninhabited island before heading to an even more remote island of Koh Tao. We truly enjoyed the locals on these islands and it helped us literally get away from it all! We rode an elephant, saw amazing beaches and sunsets, went snorkeling, and checked out this infamous Full Moon Party! Enjoy our pictures of these beautiful islands.
Thailand Pt. 2: Phuket, Krabi, and our first visitor!
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| Nelson, Cynthia, and Allie out touring the islands. |
Welcome to Thailand, Cynthia! We were so happy to welcome Nelson's sister, Cynthia, to Thailand for a week of our journey. We picked her up in Bangkok and headed straight to the beaches of Phuket and Krabi for a fun filled week. We took in the unusual and outrageous sights in Phuket, then traveled east to Krabi where we stayed for several days on Ao Nang beach. We went on an island tour there and went snorkeling. We took in some live reggae music in the relaxed beach town as well. We headed back to Phuket to send Cynthia on her way. Overall it was a delight having her join us and the scenery and beaches couldn't have been better. We travel next to the island of Koh Phagnan where we found much more than just their infamous Full Moon Party.
Thailand Pt. 1: Bangkok, the Grand Palace, grand food, and a grand view!
Allie and Nelson at the top of Red Sky, 55 floors up
Welcome to Thailand! We are exploring quite a bit of this country and we started in the heart of it all, Bangkok! We had a nice 4 nights here and it is quite a unique place. A city where anything goes, the food is cheap, the weather is scorching hot, and everything you heard or have seen of the city is a reality! We met up with a friend of Allie's from graduate school, Ming, who is from Bangkok and she showed us a great time! We visited the grand palace, ordered some custom shirts, and took in the culture. Enjoy our brief tour through Bangkok. Next, we head south to the beautiful beaches!
Singapore Pt.1: A long weekend in a retail capital!
Welcome to Singapore! What a way to greet your visitors!
One word kept coming to mind as we strolled the streets of Singapore... impressive! We could not believe the shopping malls! They were giant , modern fortresses! The malls were all connected from one to the other to the other. The streets were immaculate and the people were so diverse! It was a beautiful modern metropolis. We took in the sights and tried some local foods. We are so glad we made this brief trip to Singapore!
Indonesia Pt. 3: Wrapping up Bali
A rice paddy on our hotel property.
10 days- 7 in Seminyak, 3 in Ubud
We had a fantastic time in Bali. The weather was beautiful,
the food was delicious, but best of all the people were amazing! Bali is just
one of several thousand islands that make up Indonesia. It is a very unique place, like nowhere we
had been before. The Hindu religion was very prominent and was clearly visible
in every day life of the people of Bali.
Indonesia Pt. 2: Motorbikes, rice paddies, and cooking class!
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| Nelson and Allie with rice paddies |
Indonesia was absolutely amazing! We loved heading north to the Ubud region. We spent a limited amount of time here but by far was our favorite as it was a tad less touristy but we really felt much more of the Balinese culture. We rented a motorbike and scooted around the area exploring new things. We took a look at rice paddies and temples. Allie took a cooking class while Nelson took a tour of a local village. Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our time here and would book more time up north in our next trip to Bali! Next we wrap up Bali and head north to Singapore, the land of retail shopping and Asian diversity!
Indonesia Pt. 1: Seminyak, temples, and beautiful beaches!
Hello from Bali! Indonesia is an amazing place! Bali is just one of 17,000+ of islands that make up Indonesia. The island is one of two that is Hindu in the entire country. We stayed in south Bali in the beach area of Seminyak for a week. We enjoyed the beautiful resort, the superb service and delicious food and drink! We visited the popular temple of Uluatu, the touristy beach of Nusa Dua, and another temple on our way up to the Ubud area. We really enjoyed our time here. Next we head north to the Ubud area where we were exposed to more of the Bali culture and had a very tranquil time in our bungalow in the middle of nowhere! Enjoy!
Australia Pt. 4: Funny Signs, Great friends, and wrap up!
Dinner out with our wonderful Aussie friends, Nichol and Tim!
One of the wonderful things about travel is the friends you make! Nelson met Tim during a dip in the natural spring baths in Budapest, Hungary on a cold night in 2008. Almost 4 years later we are under Tim's roof, having dinner, and meeting his new family! Tim and Nichol took us in for a few nights during our Down Under Tour and we could not be more thankful! We met their adorable son Aiden and we were able to pick their brains about what to do in our upcoming adventures through southeast Asia. This was our last night in Australia and boy did they show us a great time! Thanks for everything guys! Come to NYC soon so we can return the favor! :)
Now for the interesting Aussie road signs and our thoughts on this huge, beautiful country....
Australia Pt. 3: Exploring the North beaches and life under the sea!
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| Nelson and Allie looking for Nemo in the Great Barrier Reef!
Greetings from under the Coral Sea! We ventured north in Australia to many beautiful beaches along the coast! From Byron Bay to Hervey Bay to Airlie Beach and the Great Barrier reef. It was a lot of driving and the whole north trip took us about 10 days. Snorkeling the reef was our favorite part of the trip north! It was incredible what we saw when we went under. Allie conquered her fear of snorkeling she acquired in Costa Rica and we both had a great time! Check out the pictures! Apologies for the quality of the underwater pictures, haven't used a disposal camera in a long time! :) We also had a land encounter with some interesting birds who really seemed to like Nelson's cereal! Next up, we wrap up our 3+ weeks in Australia with interesting road signs and an Australian to American translation of key words!
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Australia Pt. 2: Melbourne and the Great Ocean Drive!
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| Allie and Nelson checking out the Great Ocean Drive!
What a beautiful country Australia is! We headed south from Sydney to Melbourne where the city was all a buzz with the ongoing Australian Open! We were hooked watching matches almost every night. It was hard not to get into it and choose favorites. Then we ventured down the "Great Ocean Drive" which is a must do in Australia. Luckily we had beautiful weather and stopped at many beautiful beaches along the way! These photos are not doctored in any way! It was actually this blue! How could we not smile?!
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Australia Pt. 1: Sydney, a hike in the Blue Mountains, and Australian critters!
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| Allie and Nelson in front of the Sydney Opera house on a hot sunny day! |
Cheers from the down undah! Sorry for the delay in posting but we are just having too much fun in Australia! Our journey began in Sydney which is just an awesome city. The minute we went into downtown Sydney we felt the closest we had to home since we left (even though we were the farthest we had been from home!) We explored the Sydney Opera house and Harbor bridge. We also visited the Taronga Zoo and Manly beach! We took a day trip to the Blue Mountains and saw the famous "Three sisters" and went for a hike. So far we are enjoying all that Australia has to offer! Next up, we head south to Melbourne for some Australian Open action and the Great Ocean Drive.
New Zealand: The Summary
Days in New Zealand: 21
Days lost traveling to NZ: 1
New Zealand is very unique. Its natural beauty steals the
show, from its amazing mountain ranges, to its pristine beaches and all the
small towns in between, this country has something for everyone. New Zealand is part
of the British commonwealth which we found out is important to some people more
than others. They depend on tourism in many of the smaller towns. New Zealand
is extremely ecofriendly. They have nothing less than 91 octane gasoline. This
helps keep the air clean. They have the
cleanest lakes and rivers and their city streets are immaculate.
New Zealand Pt. 4: Nelson goes to Nelson and lots of fun beaches!
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| Allie and Nelson after kayaking to a far off island from the shore in the Bay of Islands. This was our celebratory picture.
The beaches in New Zealand are truly beautiful. The water is pristine blue and green. The sun is strong. The views were great. We traveled up from Franz Josef Glacier to Nelson! We couldn't miss the town that bears Nelson's name! We saw some nice beaches and a beautiful sunset in the beach town. Then we traveled far up to the northern most part of the North Island to the Bay of Islands for some spectacular views and blue waters. We went kayaking, had great seafood, and enjoyed blue skies by day and starry skies by night! As we bring our time in New Zealand to a close, we head next to Australia!
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New Zealand Pt. 3- Milford Sound and Franz Josef Glacier
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| Spectacular sunset from our hotel room in Te Anau |
New Zealand's breathtaking scenery is in full effect in our Pt. 3 blog post. From Queenstown we continued our Southland tour by visiting the Milford Sound and staying in the small town of Te Anau. The Milford Sound is actually not a sound at all. It is a fjord which is defined as a crater formed by a glacier that has filled up with ocean water. We then traveled north, stopping in Wanaka again, and making our way up the west coast to the Franz Josef Glacier. We did a full day tour of the glacier and experienced quite a workout! Not to mention an extremely wet, rainy, cold, day out on the ice. Luckily our tour included all the necessary rain gear and foot protection. The glacier tour was such a neat experience and unlike anything we had done so far. Enjoy our photos! Next we take you up north again to some beautiful beaches! We felt we really had to thaw out!
New Zealand Pt. 2- NYE in Queenstown and video of Nelson Bungy Jumping 154ft!
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| Allie and Nelson in downtown Queenstown right before midnight on New Year's Eve |
New Zealand Pt. 1- Our Kiwi Christmas, driving on the "wrong" side, and wow, some amazing scenery!
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| Nelson and Allie on the ferry back to Auckland with Waiheke Island in the background. |
Oh, New Zealand! We now understand. Everyone who we have talked to who has visited New Zealand has nothing but great things to say about the country. They ooo and ahh over it like it’s a magical place. On our 13hr flight to Auckland we said, “I don’t really know what to expect, but I’m excited to see what everyone’s been talking about!”… Now we know. This place is amazing! We love it and we can safely say, even though our time here is far from over, we would recommend this place to anyone! The scenery is beautiful, the people are beyond friendly, and did we mention the scenery is beautiful? We arrived in Auckland on Christmas morning and after a few days of getting adjusted to the time we made our way down the North Island to Wellington, the capital. We then took a 3hr ferry with our car to the South Island. We traveled along the west coast stopping at quaint towns along the way. We also spent a night in Wanaka, a beautiful small town fittingly on Lake Wanaka. Enjoy our pictures! Next up, we ring in 2012 with the kiwis in Queenstown and Nelson goes bungy jumping!
Peru: The Summary
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| Plaza de Armas in Arequipa, Peru Days in Peru: 14 (Lima 5, Cusco 3, Puno/Lake Titicaca 2, Arequipa 3, Aguas Calientes 1) |
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