16 Month Epic Adventures All Must Come to an End

Well, we have checked out of our hotel, eaten our final Pad Thai, and are just waiting to be picked up for the airport. It's going to be a 26 hour adventure going home, from when we leave Bangkok today (on Thursday) to when we arrive in Toronto (on Friday - we go back in time), but since we have taken bus rides that long, this should be a piece of cake!


And now, in no particular order...


The Best of South East Asia

Best Beaches: Malaysia
Best Value Accommodation: Cambodia
Best Food: Thailand
Friendliest People: Cambodia
Best Beer: Black Panther - Cambodia
Best Cities: Hoi An (Vietnam), Dalat (Vietnam), Nong Kiaw (Laos), Kota Bharu (Malaysia), Penang (Malaysia), Kampot (Cambodia)
Best Diving/Snorkelling: Malaysia
Best Dessert: ABC - Malaysia (Craig), Streetside Rotis - Thailand (Andrea)
Cheapest Beer: Vietnam
Craziest Streets to Cross: Hanoi (Vietnam)
Best Market: Chatuchuk Weekend Market (Bangkok, Thailand)



Average Daily Spending

Calculated by adding up how much we spent in a country (food, accommodation, transport, etc.), and dividing it by the number of days we spent there.

India: $36
Malaysia: $42
Thailand: $44 (diving), $38 (no diving)
Laos: $43
Vietnam: $43
Cambodia: $33




Travelling By the Numbers

How much time we spent, in 16 months, in each type of transport. Imagine!

Camel: 18 hours = 0.75 days
Airplane: 73 hours = 3 days
Train: 142 hours = 6 days
Boat: 56 hours = 2.5 days
Bus: 422.5 hours = 17.5 days

That totals 30 days of travel time out of a 16 month trip, not including time spent driving around New Zealand in our campervan!




Types of Transportation We've Taken

- plane
- train
- camel
- bus
- campervan
- boat
- scooter
- human-pulled rickshaw
- cycle rickshaw
- tuk-tuk/motorized rickshaw
- bicycle
- car
- subway
- boat
- elephant
- shared pick-up truck




Odd Food We've Seen (and sometimes tried)

- cricket
- spider
- frog
- dog
- horse
- eel
- scorpion
- beetle
- worm
- maggot
- rat
- bat
- goat
- ant




Memorable Experiences, Country by Country

New Zealand
Standing eye-to-udder with 200+ cows while they pee and poo on us, while trying to milk them. Then wrangling 60 naughty calves in order to ensure each one feeds... twice a day. Climbing various peaks above snow-capped mountains and glacier-fed lakes (Roy's Peak, especially). Sitting on a beach reading when a wild seal popped out of the ocean and challenged us to a game of tag.

India
Riding a camel for three days through the desert near the Pakistan border and sleeping on a blanket in the dunes under the stars. Getting a private cooking lesson from an Indian matriarch, in her kitchen, and then sharing the meal with her and her family. Being (paid) to be extras in a Bollywood movie (No Problem, starring Anil Kapoor and Sushmita Sen).

Malaysia
Snorkelling in the Perehentian Islands with a giant turtle, stingrays, sharks, and a school of giant groupers. Eating the cheapest street food in South East Asia. Arriving in clean, organized Kuala Lumpur after spending three months in India and feeling like we were finally back in a modern country.

Thailand
Visiting the monkey temple in Lopburi where Craig was attacked by three baby monkeys (luckily with no teeth). Riding on an elephant through the jungle in Koh Chang and being allowed to ride on the neck and "steer". Sharing the best curries in Thailand on Koh Phan-gan with new friends, and Full Moon Partying two different times.

Laos
Experiencing a 12-hour, but only 380 km, hilly, windy bus rides and being puked on by kids. Feeling the most off the beaten track, visiting northern towns where no one speaks English. Tubing in Vang Vieng, complete with riverside bars, slides of death, and muddy tug-of-war.

Vietnam
Drinking the cheapest beer in South East Asia (20 cents/glass) with travellers and locals alike at sidewalk bia hois all over the country. Surviving multiple scams (ask Andrea for full details). Finding our favourite cities in South East Asia, with amazing food and friendly people (Hoi An, Dalat).

Cambodia
Crossing the border on the Mekong River from Vietnam in a longtail boat, being greeted by smiling, waving children along the banks. Visiting the Temples of Angkor in Siem Reap and standing in awe of their size and beauty. Feeling like locals in Kampot, where we stayed long enough to know restauranteurs, locals, the dumpling lady, the baker, etc.



And Now...

... we go home. Thanks to everyone who followed this blog; even though the comments weren't always numerous, according to our counter our 87 posts got over 10,000 hits! Our hard drive and camera were on the fritz near the end, so we weren't able to share as many pictures as we'd hoped. Invite us out and we'll bring some pictures (once everything is sorted) and talk your ear off about the last 16 months... if you want!

If you or anyone you know would like any advice about an of the countries we've visited, please don't hesitate to contact us. We're always happy to help!

See you in Canada!