What We Did
Blakely Downs
Palau: A Scuba Fantasy

Palau.  Where we swam with a mob of jellyfish, free dove to hidden lagoons, Kayaked caves, and had the best scuba diving we’ve ever done.

 

Palau: A Scuba Fantasy
What We Did
Blakely Downs
Bolivia - Our Quest to the Salt Flats
Bolivia - Our Quest to the Salt Flats
What We Did
Blakely Downs
The Holy Sites of the Old City
The Holy Sites of the Old City
What We Did
Blakely Downs
Jerusalem
Jerusalem
What We Did
Blakely Downs
The Christian Sites of Galilee
The Christian Sites of Galilee

The World Trip Poem

The World Trip

We reigned among steel giants made on gold,

A Neverland, as rough as it is fair.

Then dared to test in what legend foretold,

That we could leave and make it anywhere.

Inadequate in all but choice to go,

We gave up all in order to explore.

Nothing but questions, yet a peace to know:

The hearts we leave behind will weigh much more.

Such mysteries unraveled over land;

That bravery and fear would come as one.

And being strong, so long as we held hands,

We set off on our dream to chase the sun.

We dove with dinosaurs, showered with bees,

And swam across the thunder where smoke furls.

Held death defying orphans on our knees.

Their lives will revolutionize our world.

We read the language only gods could know,

And chased the purples through our year of Spring.

Slept under palaces and scorpio,

and bowed to peasants after hunting kings.

We kissed in ancient tombs where camels graze,

And felt insane on board the untamed train.

We marveled holy giants in a blaze,

And grieved on through the quartered town of pain.

And then, the rose gold city (please undo).

Where I, your hero. You, my champion.

And ancient wrongs battled our tribe of two.

Our heart’s blood shed to aid a war not won.

But through these tales, too numerous to name,

The miles, clicks, eons of our grand world tour,

They shant tell where our true adventure lay.

And none compare my heart’s journey in yours.

In that, more wonder, passion, history

Than where the swastikas and stars align.

More beauty, danger, heat and mystery,

Than where the dust holds animals divine.

Though home, I can’t see where we started from.

We face adventures, dangers yet unseen.

I’ll rest in this: When I’m with you, I’m home.

Beside you is the only place I’d be.

He Said, She Said. Part III

“People traveling here are either searching for something or running from something.”

-Ryan Millar, our friend in Laos, on SE Asia backpackers

“I want to be sick of massages by the time we leave Asia.”

-Ryan. We were successful!

“The problem with staying in a beach hut is that if you’re inside and can’t see the beach, you’re just staying in a hut.”

-Blakely

“I think the bus drivers and masseuses are in business together.

-Ryan

“There is nothing better than being believed in.”

-Blakely, after her first Huffington Post article was published

“Hush your mouth, and give me Park Avenue.”

-Blakely, angry with Ryan when he started saying ways Singapore is better than New York

“I hope there’s a bathtub at the Taj Mahal Palace. We need to wash some clothes.”

-Ryan

“Enjoy your Tour of Pakistan!”

-The head of Damodra Camp being sarcastic as we drove off for our dune tour

“No. Yoga is trying to get your pants on, while wearing flip flops, in the shower, without letting a pant leg or your feet hit the floor.”

-Blakely on skills acquired on our meditation/yoga trek up to ABC

“To make a Nepali child sleep by themselves is punishment.”

-Anka (our 3rd hiking member), who volunteered at an orphanage in Nepal before trekking with us

“Don’t hurry. But be quick.”

-What our Nepali guide Chandra would always say when he wanted to get us moving

“I’d like to think I’m a reasonable feminist. For instance: I don’t mind when a man we’re talking to won’t speak to me. I’m an exceptionally beautiful woman. I’d be scared to speak to me too.”

-Blakely

“I won’t pretend that wasn’t a blow.”

-Us whenever something bad happened

Japan, We Love You

When handing out awards, Japan is the dark horse of our trip. We didn’t know much about the country or culture, nor did we know many people who’d visited. We’d traveled through 11 countries in Asia at this point. We’d been through Africa, the Middle East, and South America and had traveled constantly for the past 9 months. We got comfortable and felt that nothing could surprise us. And as usual, the world proved us wrong.

Japan’s culture is unlike any other in Asia, which is a good (incredibly clean) and bad (incredibly expensive) thing. Incredibly conservative and polite, there is a huge emphasis on respect, manners, and honor. We learned some of our favorite customs here. For instance, one never turns their back on a customer. So when a conductor travels through one of the high speed bullet trains and must turn his back in order to walk down the aisle, he turns around at the end of every train, takes his hat off and does a very deep bow. This is at the end of EVERY single car.

Or, there is absolutely no tipping. So when you accidentally leave money on the table, one of the waiters will chase after you to return it!

And then there’s the food. Another surprise. Japan is a foodie paradise with an incredibly wide range of traditional dishes and you’re sure to find one you’ll love. From sushi to ramen, you could eat a traditional dish every night for a month and not repeat. We’ll recount some of our favorites as we go through our itinerary.

We started in Tokyo at Anne Hostel. Unfortunately, Japan is more expensive than other places on our itinerary, so we kept accommodations simple so we could splurge on experiences. We immediately set to work seeing the sights.

First on our list was the famous Tsukiji Fish Market. About 2,000 tons of seafood are traded here daily, but the most sought after sight is the Tuna Auction held in the VERY early morning. We got up at a casual 3AM in order to earn the privilege to watch this auction in action. Experts from the best restaurants in the country review these gigantic tuna brought into the port in the past night, and then a Japanese man spouts off prices until the highest bidder is found. We’d seen a lot by now, but this experience was bizarre.

Tsukiji Fish Market Line
Tsukiji Fish Market Auction

The next day we continued to hit Japan hard. We headed to the Meiji Shrine, which is located on a park of 170 gorgeous green acres. The shrine is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meihi and his wife Empress Shoken to commemorate his role in the Meiji Restoration. (Pssst the Meiji Restoration was in 1868, when Japan realized how behind it was from the West, it opened up its doors to foreign trade and technology. This was further done after WWII, and is the reason the country is so changed from our grandparent’s generation to ours). The shine and park were beautiful and wonderfully peaceful.

Meiji Shrine Park
Meiji Shrine

On the walk home, we experienced Tokyo’s fashionable district and soaked up the glamorous beauty that is Tokyo. We. Love. Cities.

Tokyo Night Skyline
Tokyo Shopping District

Next we headed to the Imperial Palace, which is the primary residence of the Emperor of Japan. The grounds and architecture were gorgeous.

Japan Imperial Palace

Next, we took advantage of our incredible luck to be in Japan during the Sumo Wrestling Championship! The Japanese absolutely LOVE sports (more on that later). Sumo is their national sport and indicative of their deep heritage. It is a ritualistic form of wresting from ancient times involving two overweight men clothed in loin cloths with their hair in topknots (like hipster man buns) battling out their strength to try to force their opponent out of the circular ring or into falling to the ground. Though that is the technical explanation, there is much more to it than that.

Sumo wresting isn’t just a sport, it is literally a way of life. As usual with the Japanese, they go all in. The wrestlers are required to live in a heya where they train and live. Their diet and lifestyle is heavily regulated. These guys may look fat, but in real life you can see they are HUGE mountains of muscle and disarmingly flexible. These mountains crashing together was a sight we’ll never forget.

After the sports, we needed to support the arts! We did so by visiting one of the largest art museums in the world: The Tokyo National Museum. Located inside a beautiful Ueno park, the museum is dedicated to art works and archaeological objects of Asia with a particular focus on Japan. We finished off the day with a walk through Otaku, Tokyo’s anime or gaming district (Japan is OBSESSED) with skyscrapers covered in neon lights and anime characters dancing around us!

Tokyo National Museum
Tokyo National Museum
Japan Anime District

All of this touring made us hungry and we visited one of our favorites (that we even came back to later!). Kikanbo Spicy Ramen. The craving returns just by typing the name!

Kikanbo Spicy Ramen

After Tokyo we headed to Kyoto, which is considered the cultural capital of Japan due to its rich history of the Imperial time. The city holds the vast majority of Japan’s National Treasures and UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is obviously a must if you travel to Japan. Even the Japanese citizens go here to learn more about their own heritage.

The Arashiyama Bamboo Forrest is a gorgeous must, and it transports you to another planet. A quieter planet. Be sure to get there early as it is a (rightly so) popular spot.

Bamboo Forrest
Bamboo Forrest

Another must is Fushimi Inari-taisha, which is the mountain shrine that holds the pathway with the thousands of iconic orange gates. We were grateful to have each other on the two hour walk, as once you get lost in the pathways, the sound disperses and it becomes eerily quiet and isolating. Though it is technically one shrine, it holds as many as 32,000 sub-shrines.

Now, it is time for a confession. After the sumo wresting match, we went to dinner with an Australian couple who sheepishly asked us if we liked Harry Potter. Blakely tried to play calm and casually said yes. They then proceed to tell us about the UNBELIEVABLE Harry Potter World located at Universal Osaka. Even though the couple weren’t fans themselves, they were impressed. Again, Blakely tried to act casual, but Ryan received multiple kicks under the table which communicated that their plans were set.

If you get the opportunity, the Japanese culture is made for theme parks. The impeccable cleanliness, unwavering respect to strangers, and relentless cheerful demeanor make them the perfect hosts in this imaginary land. Plus, they’ve got the funds and the following to invest in these ventures, and the Harry Potter world alone received an investment of over $400 MILLION. We couldn’t help but be taken in, and were grinning madly from the moment we got in line.

Universal Osaka

OF COURSE, Harry Potter world was the first place we went. We’ll let pictures describe the utter joy that filled Blakely’s being. It was complete system overload. While standing in line for a ride (The Flight of the Hippogriff, thank you for asking), Blakely asked Ryan urgently for 5,000 yen (about $50). This was A LOT for our world trip daily budget, and far more than the souvenir department ever requested on a whim. She offered no explanation but Ryan handed it over. 10 minutes later, Blakely came back with her very own Harry Potter wand. Yes, these wands perform magic in the park (she hasn’t tried since leaving because she’s worried about breaking the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy).

Universal Osaka Harry Potter
Universal Osaka Harry Potter

We went on to enjoy TONS of rides and calls to our childhood like Jaws and Jurassic Park. We consumed cheesburgers and huge cokes with tons of ice. We walked down the streets of “New York” and ended the day at TGIFridays. Then almost fell asleep in utter exhaustion on the ride home. It was a wonderful day.

Universal Osaka Jurassic Park

And the treats weren’t over, because next we headed to a Glamping.com assignment in Miyama with some of the most charming people we’d ever encountered. Read about the amazing experience in our gorgeous thatch roof hut here.

Glamping Japan

Of course, another must is to view the ruins in Osaka, where the US dropped one of two atomic bombs during World War II. We were there for the historic visit from President Obama, and it was an honor to be present as our two countries met to continue the healing from that horrible time.

Lastly, we headed to the mountains for a little relaxation. It’s a fairly well kept secret that Japan has some of the best skiing in the world. While we were there during off season, we still got to enjoy amazing hiking.

Japan mountain hike

Another mountain must was a Japanese tradition and a Blakely delight: The onsen.

An onsen is a Japanese hot spring with spas, inns, and bathing facilities built around them. Since Japan is volcanically active, thousands of onsens are scattered throughout the country.

We were very skeptical. Firstly, it’s intimidating because, like many traditional Japanese activities, onsen bathing is seeped in etiquette. We shouldn’t have been hesitant, because also like other traditional Japanese activities, the rules are clearly explained and (even better) make sense!

So the onsen ritual is essentially bathing in a hot spring. This used to happen with both men and women, but since the Meiji Restoration the bathing has been separate.

The main etiquette for onsen bathing is ensuring cleanliness before you get into the bath. There are showers with toiletries, and you are expected to clean yourself THOROUGHLY and rinse off absolutely all traces of soap before entering the onsen. Love this rule.

Bathing suits are normally not permitted, and towels and wash clothes are normally not allowed to be dipped into the bath. This is all to preserve cleanliness.

Onsen bathing was absolutely one of the most relaxing things we’ve ever done. The only regret is not finding one in every city!

We ended our Japanese adventure back in Tokyo where we experienced entertainment unlike ANY other in the world. A Japanese baseball game.

Yes. The Japanese absolutely love baseball. While the game resembles its American cousin, it has been Japan-i-fied with choreographed cheers, multiple life-size mascots, and skimpily dressed beer girls. Our seat neighbors promptly lent us gear in the proper colors once they realized we didn’t have any team paraphernalia, and the stadium was perfectly clean when we left. Such a cool experience.

As we said at the top, Japan was the dark horse of our trip. No place delighted us more, surprised us more, or welcomed us more. We can’t recommend it highly enough, nor wait to go back.

Bali Paradise

Bali, a name that is synonymous with Paradise, couldn’t possibly live up to that reputation.  Incorrect.  Bali is the single most relaxing place we’ve ever been.  Enough activities so you don’t get bored, cheap enough that you never feel stressed, easy enough so you never feel strained, and small enough that you never feel rushed.  We are HUGE Bali fans.

Of course, it’s also an incredibly romantic place, which was perfect because it was over our anniversary, and hilarious because Blakely’s little sister tagged along!  Thankfully, she’s the perfect travel partner who was up for anything and demanded nothing.

Bali sister trip

We started in the main city Semenyak.  Blakely booked our accommodations beforehand, and they were suspiciously underpriced for such good reviews.  The group was a little skeptical as we headed down a dirt driveway with cement walls and shacks on either side.  But then, the walls opening up to a gorgeous lawn and pool with a small boutique hotel and outside eating area.  We’d arrived at Kubu Cempaka and we were home.

Of course the first thing we needed to do was get our bearings and head to the beach. Thankfully, there are restaurants all along the beach so our dinner option was easy!  We soon found out that eating in Bali is spectacular because ex-pats from all over the world move to Bali because it is such a wonderful place to live. They set up restaurants from their native lands so the foreign fare is as authentic as it could be!  Add that to local delicious seafood and you’re set! 

Bali beach

Soon we formulated our plan. We decided to do a small loop which included Bali and neighboring island of Lombok.  After Seminyak we took a ferry to Lembogan, then to Gili Air and lastly Ubud.  Here are our highlights.

Yoga.  Bali is arguably the capital of modern yoga and you should take FULL advantage (while also paying attention to the types you don’t like. For example, we aren’t big Hatha fans. Too much breathing, too little action). By far, our favorite yoga place and a highlight from the ENTIRE world trip is the Yoga Barn in Ubud.  People travel to Bali solely for the opportunity to go to the Yoga Barn and we don’t blame them.  World-class teachers in a gorgeous open air studio, this place has a culture completely onto itself.  We started plotting our return before we left.

Photo from https://thenorthernboy.com/yoga-barn-ubud

While on the subject of activities, you should also find time to do some surfing and scuba diving. We surfed in Seminyak and loved it, but the opportunities are endless.  Talk to your hotel whenever you are near the ocean.  

Massages.  Take advantage of the incredibly inexpensive massages ($5 for 90 minutes.  Seriously.) on every block in every city.  Get a recommendation from your hotel or poke your head into a few to find your favorite.  Ryan is quoted as saying he wanted to be sick of massages before he left SE Asia, and in Bali he did his best!  In addition to full body, we recommend simply getting a foot massage every night, just because you can!

Bali Massage

Motor Bikes.  So fun.  We rented bikes in Lembogan and it was such a great way to spend the day and explore.  We went over to Le Pirate for pool time and fabulous drinks, and then Mamma Mia for delicious lunch!

Bali Motorbike

Beachside Drinks. Speaking of drinks, we absolutely loved the fresh fruit smoothies (we recommend the watermelon mint delight!) while looking out on the water.  For a more club-ish scene, we liked Ku de Ta in Semenyak, Le Piarate in Lembogan, and Deus ex Machina in Canggu.  One of our favorite tricks was to get everything mocktail.  We know it sounds lame, but this way you don’t have to limit yourself! And, as you can see, we didn’t limit ourselves!

Bali+beachside+drinks
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Lastly, the Art in Ubud is some of the widest variety that we’ve ever seen in one place.  Take advantage of the vast array of artists on all mediums and of all subjects to pick some pieces that can transport you back to Bali when you get home. 

Bali was the perfect recovery for our wild ride around China, and we couldn’t recommend it more highly. The people, sights, activities, food, and energy facilitate an atmosphere that will be the greatest memory of your time there.  We can’t wait to go back.

Bali Paradise

Our China Crash Course

Our adventure through China was an absolute whirlwind that covered almost 3,000 miles in 10 days. To see China in that amount of time is like taking a 10 day trip to see New York, D.C., LA, and Seattle. It was absolutely insane.

But we had a good reason for the quickness—Blakely’s family came to join us and they only had a small window. We enjoyed the company (and the upgrade in accommodations!).

This sums up our Chinese invasion!

We started in Hong Kong, which is a great gateway into China since it is much more connected to the outside world. Reminder: the Chinese government significantly limits news flow of its citizens, and this makes them culturally cut off from the rest of society. While Hong Kong technically falls under Chinese jurisdiction, it was a British colony until 1997 when the Brits returned it to China. Hong Kong maintains a separate political and economic system from China, but the mainland significantly influences the legislation. China continues to broker more influence, and unfortunately protests don’t make much difference despite making international news.

Blakely and Ryan arrived 2 days earlier than the rest of the group, which was best as we were VERY dusty from our time in Nepal. We stayed at the Kowloon Shangri-la Hotel, which, as could be expected, were MUCH better accommodations than our norm.

We enjoyed the hotel then headed to explore the city. Of course, a highlight for us was the spectacular architecture. As city folk we really appreciate a good skyscraper, and Hong Kong has plenty of those! Hong Kong has a gorgeous skyline, with more skyscrapers than anywhere in the world, and Victoria Harbor elevates the view further. Ryan’s favorites were the HSBC Building, International Commerce Center, and Bank of China Tower. Then we went to Man Mo temple, which is dedicated to the gods of literature and war. The incense and atmosphere make it a calm and gorgeous stop.

That night, we headed to the fabulous SoHo neighborhood (not to be confused with the SoHo in NYC, this stands for South of Hollywood Road) which has one of our favorite features: escalator sidewalks. First we hit a wine and cheese bar, and then one of our favorite restaurants Little Bao. So fun, so delicious, and everything we needed.

Finally, the rest of the group arrived. We didn’t pause long before taking them on a walking tour the neighborhood. Then for dinner, we headed to the world renowned Din Tai Fung restaurant for delicious dumplings and noodles. Finally, we headed to Temple Street Night Market for a bit of chaos and shopping! Unfortunately the market is MUCH more glitz than glamor, and as many things in China, focused on the shiny quantity over quality!


The next day was a big one. We started on a tram up to Victoria Peak to see the sights. Due to the crazy fog, the view half-way up was better. Then we took a boat tour to see the floating village of Aberdeen and the temples there. Afterwards, a little tea time at the Peninsula hotel, then cocktails while watching the harbor light show.

Honk Kong China
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Next, we jetted off to Guilin and immediately went to the gorgeous Reed Flute cave. In case the natural structure isn’t enough, the gorgeous light displays make the cave even more mystical and impressive (though a few thought they were tacky and preferred the natural landscape!). In Guilin, we stayed at the beautiful Guilin Shangri-la Hotel.

Next on the itinerary was a drive out to Longji, with hiking to see the gorgeous rice paddies. Absolutely worth the hike (to say nothing of needing to work off those dumplings!), this was a trip highlight for all of us.

That night we took a light cruise around the lakes of Guilin. The Chinese LOVE a light show, and we were pretty impressed ourselves!

The next day was a highlight: A boat cruise along the Li River. This site has inspired painters and artists for centuries, and it inspired the artwork on the 20 yuan note today. Blakely couldn’t resist the beauty recreated by a local artist on rice paper, which is now hanging in our house!

After the day’s craziness, we took a flight to Xian and settled into the Wyndham Grand Xian hotel, another fabulous place!

Xian attracts visitors from all over the world with the incredible Terracotta Warriors. Even with all of the hype, they do NOT disappoint. Here’s the skinny:

When the first Emperor of China Qin Shi Huang died around 210 BC, he was buried with an army he commissioned to protect him in the afterlife. There are approximately 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots, 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses. Additionally, there are officials, acrobats, strongmen and musicians. All of the statues are life sized, uniquely carved and painted, and buried in different sized pits. The largest of the pits is housed in the museum for viewing. It is INSANE to see.

Even cooler: the army is just a portion of the remains left to be discovered. Excavation is ongoing, but ground-penetrating radar detects a larger city resembling the emperor’s imperial palace and court. Next we gobbled down some delicious beef noodle soup!

The next day we had a gorgeous bike ride around Xian’s ancient city walls, which were built in the 14th Century and form one of the best-preserved fortresses in the world. After earning our treat, we had a walk through the Great Tang All Day Mall and celebrated with Popsicles and BBQ. This is a market of which we all approved!

After Xian we flew to Shanghai and got to visit the historic and beautiful Zhujiajiao village. We felt like we stepped back in time! We had a canal cruise, did a little shopping (of course) and went to see a historic mansion with traditional Chinese gardens.

Shanghai was absolutely our favorite city in mainland China, with a gorgeous skyline and metropolitan atmosphere. As discussed, we love cities. We walked along the river and had a fabulous dinner before enjoying one of THE most bizarre and fantastic shows we’d ever seen: The Amazing Acrobats of Shanghai. We will never be able to see another acrobat show again.

The following day the boys and girls separated, and the boys took a tour of the mind blowing Shanghai port. Afterwards we all flew to our last stop (WHEW) Beijing.

The next day was a highlight and it started with Tian’anmen Square. According to our official guide it is “the largest city square in the world” (it is actually only one of the top 10) “and the spiritual heart of China, where the national flag is raised exactly at sunrise every day.” Of course, what isn’t mentioned in the paraphernalia is that this square is infamous for the horrendous massacre of protestors in 1989. Troops with automatic rifles and tanks killed hundreds of demonstrators who were trying to block the military’s advance to the square (where a student protest was happening).

Today, Tian’anmen is a heavily regulated area and indicative of Chinese policy in general. Before entry, visitors and their belongings are searched and IDs checked. Protests are strictly forbidden, and discussion of the massacre nonexistent. Furthermore, in the 70s the square held ginormous portraits of 6 dictators (including Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, and Joseph Stalin), but upon the death of Mao Sedong (founding father of the People’s Republic of China) the other portraits were removed and only his remains. Don’t worry, the other portraits are still brought out in a parade around the square on Labor Day and National Day.

For all its dark past, Tian’anmen Square allows entrance to one of the coolest places in China: The Forbidden City. The Forbidden City is a palace complex in Central Beijing and housed the imperial palace from 1420-1912. Now, it is a Palace Museum and provides an excellent snapshot of gorgeous Chinese architecture, artwork, and artefacts. Our personal favorite was the Hall of Clocks, a display of 200 clocks and watches from the imperial collection.

Forbidden City China

Last stop for the day, we visited the Temple of Heaven, a complex of religious buildings that was visited yearly by emperors to ensure a good harvest.

Ok. Now for the part we’ve all been waiting for. The famous symbol of China, an architectural wonder of the world, stretching 6,700 km and over 2,000 years old: The Great Wall of China.

The wall was constructed over many different dynasties to protect the ever-changing empire borders. The most extensive and modern construction occurred as recently as the 14th Century. Effectiveness of the wall varied, and our guide informed us that bribery decreased the walls success. Unfortunately, with the invention of air invasion, the wall was largely unproductive in modern era. That said, it is magnificent to see.

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You can see some of the family VERY small in this picture!

Though it can’t be seen from the moon (common misconception), it can be seen from space at a low orbit when the conditions are right.

Maybe one of our favorite parts was the ride down. Take a look.

To get to the wall we enjoyed the Sacred Path, which is lined with animals, mystical beasts and officials who serve the emperor in his afterlife. Sitting emperors perform rituals there for the ancestors once a year.

Our last stop in China was one of our favorites: The Summer Palace. This was an imperial summer resort of the Qing Dynasty and it has gorgeous grounds that are the recognized as the most splendid classical gardens of China. The incredible decoration on the buildings made us constantly look up, and we loved finishing our trip with such a gorgeous example of Chinese art. Our only complaint was that we visited on a holiday so we felt like all of China was there with us! One thing is for sure: China has a LOT of people!

So ended our blitz through China, and if you’re tired from reading it you can imagine how tired we were for doing it! The only answer: a blissful vacation to Bali.