World Recap 7/8/12 - 4/29/13

Recap of Texans in Transit's World Trip:

Time traveling:  10 months (July 8, 2012 - April 29, 2013)

Money spent: $20,700 USD each.  Includes pre-trip costs such as vaccinations, storage costs for 11 months, netbook, etc. as well as ALL of our costs while we were gone!  Not too bad given that we estimated a budget of $20,000 each....even if that budget was for 11-12 months ;-).  

Food:
This was definitely one of our favorite parts about the whole trip (well, food and meeting people).  If we had to choose favorite places for food, we'd say Thailand was at the top, and the Argentine beef (and wine) was a close second.  Here is a jumbled collection of dishes we had around the world:

Grilled fish, fried fish, rice, beans, salads, "meat sticks", cinnabon, arepa con queso, sausages, guinea pig, llama steaks, various potatoes, pastas, great pizza, good pizza, very bad pizza, churascarrias, steaks (various cuts), empanadas, chimchurri sauce, choripan, McD's, fried chicken, BBQ chicken, griled chicken, lamb, pastries, bread, wines, beer, meat pies, kangaroo steak, fish 'n chips, gummy shark, sushi, dumplings, oysters, soups, noodles, ramen, pancit bihon, dosai, naan, red curry, green curry, yellow curry, papaya salad, roti, satay, laksa, pad thai, mee goreng, fried rice, banana pancakes, ice cream, coconut rice, shrimp, pork, avacados, crackers, trail mix, egg noodles, spring rolls, pho, coffee, tea, cocoa leaves, salami, cheese, warm yogurt, passion fruit, watermelon, mangoes, pineapples, thai tea, fruit smoothies, salads (only in NZ), fresh coffee, etc.

Of course, BEER:Aguila, Bogota Brewery, Poker, Pilsen, Club Colombia, Pilsener, Cusquena, Cristal, Pacena, Skol, Bavaria, Antarctica, Brahma, Bohemia, Quilmes, Andes, Patagonia, Victoria Bitter, Cooper's, Carlton, Speights, Tui, Monteith's, micro brews, Tiger, Anchor, Singha, Chang, Leo, San Miguel, Red Horse, Beerlao, Angkor, Klang, Saigon, Hanoi, home-made, etc.

Countries Visited (in order):  Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and then back home to TEXAS!

Random Thoughts:
Transportation: Planes, trains, automobiles...AND bicycles, LOTS of walking, hiking, tuk-tuks, "tuk-truck", moto-taxis, motorbikes, taxis, scooters, busses, pangas, boats, ferries, jeepneys, kayaks, speed boats, go-kart buggies.

Landscapes: Waterfalls, beaches, palm trees, jungles, forests, caves, coral reefs, oceans, bays, lakes, rivers, salt flat, islands, mountains, glaciers, fjords, canyons, hills, farms, country side, cities, cliffs, karsts, valleys

Animals: Tigers, kangaroos, koalas, llamas, yacare caiman (Brazillian crocodiles), sea turtles, starfish, angel fish, trigger fish, king fish, clown fish, barracuda, golden dorado, parrot fish, eels, sea snakes, pink dolphins, whale sharks, red deer, sheep, wallabees, seals, nurse sharks, elephants, monkeys, rabbits, cattle, blue footed boobies, humpback whales, penguins, toucans, parrots, rats, lots of stray dogs, cats, roaches, goats, chickens, pigs, and of course we couldn't forget the roosters that woke us up bright and early in many countries.

Lodging: Hostels, guest-houses, hammocks, campgrounds, holiday parks, friends' homes, trains, buses, planes, airports, hotels, tents

Activities: Scuba diving, snorkeling, hiking, bike tours, self-guided tours, museums, city tours, markets, jumping off bridges, river sledging, island hopping boat tours, dune buggies, hot springs, kayaking, swimming, biking, zorbing, food/cooking classes, zoo, shopping, talking, eating, drinking, researching, relaxing with friends, and although there's more we're leaving out...last but not least, pictures and BLOGGING!

Nationalities of friends we made along the way: British, Australian (Aussie), American, Swiss, German, Swedish, Dutch, New Zealander (Kiwi), Italian, Israeli, South African, Brazilian, Canadian, Singaporean, Filipino, Malaysian, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, French, and Irish.


In addition to the "random thought" lists, we thought we'd throw in a couple of the most commonly asked questions once we returned.

"What was your favorite place?"
It was way too hard for us to choose one favorite place because of the many various factors to consider such as food, weather, people we were with, activities, etc.  Having said that, Colombia, Argentina, Thailand, and New Zealand were a few of our favorites because of the amazing scenery in those countries and delicious food in Thailand and Argentina!

"Besides family and friends, what did you miss the most?"
Matt: Barbeque, mexican food, and quality micro-brewed beers
Kristin: Salads, fresh vegetables, cooking, taking showers without flip-flops on, and clean sheets

"Where will your next trip be?"
Most likely, a road trip to the mountains of our very own American West.  Sure, it's a place we have been and know, but there are still plenty of new places to see and perhaps there is a quaint village with our name on it that takes us back to memories of Patagonia and/or the South Island of NZ.

"What did you learn or take-away from your trip?"
We've learned so much about ourselves, each other, the world, and life, that it's hard to put it into words.  A few key things though: 

Keep life simple and enjoy each and every day you can with people you love; before you know it, it'll be gone.  
Be thankful and aware of all that you have, materially speaking it is way more than most.  
Love is the universal language: treat others as you want to be treated.  Respect everyone.  
Get outside your comfort zone and experience new things! 

Travel is the only thing you can buy that will make you richer!!

We apologize for being so delayed in writing this post.  We got caught up with life once we got back.  Thanks for being patient!  We have one more post, so stay tuned....