The Lists

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:43:47 -0500

Thanks to everyone who joined us on our journey.
Here are some of our highlights from this crazy adventure...
(Underlined items are live links to the blog posts)

Our Favorite Places
Ubud, Bali
Sa Pa, Vietnam
Glacier National Park

Best Flavors
• Farmer's pancake + abalone soup in Junin, China
• Mantis prawns with fried garlic in Hong Kong
• Braised pork in Shanghai and pork belly in tea from Suzhou, China
• Vietnamese iced coffee and Cha Ca La Vong fish with coriander in Hanoi
• Steamed clams, nem nuong rice paper rolls, dumplings and Cao Lau noodles, in Hoi An, Vietnam
• Ribs at Naughty Nuri's in Ubud, Bali
• Maine seafood
• Moose Drool Beer
• Argentine steak at La Cabrera and Pulenta Estates wine

Most Exotic Experiences
• Bali - cleansing ceremony at Pura Titra Empul, wedding and tooth-filing ceremony, cock-fighting and festival at the Penestanan temple, meeting Ketut Liyer (from Eat, Pray, Love) and a meditation ceremony at the mother temple, Pura Besakih
• Drinking snake-wine and eating fried crickets in Bar 6 in Hanoi, Vietnam; walking thru Old Town (and not getting hit by motorbikes)
• Visiting a bamboo house in Ban Ho Village, near Sa Pa Vietnam after stepping over a giant rattle snake
• Joining the pilgrimage to Mt. Taishan, the highest point in Eastern China
• Buying live mantis prawns in the fishing village of Tai O in Hong Kong and having them cooked at a very local restaurant

Most Fun
• Drinking Erguotou with our friends on an overnight train to Xi’an, China
• Playing Bones on the roof of a boat in Halong Bay, Vietnam
• Whitewater rafting in Bali
• La Bomba de Tiempo, Buenos Aires
• Del Roio wedding in Vancouver
• Cocktails at Ku De Ta in Seminyak, Bali
• Les Franco Folies de Montreal music festival
• Kingston Mines blues club in Chicago
• Quiz night at Fly Cafe in Bali

Most Romantic Experiences
• Beach illuminated with lanterns in Hoi An
• Star gazing during a blackout in Munduk, Bali
• Watching the sunset over the volcanoes in Gili Trawangan, Lombok
• Camping under the giant trees in Mount Rainier
• Walking the lantern-lit streets at night along the canal in Suzhou, China
• Sleeping in a 3-walled beach front hut at Jungle Beach in Vietnam
• Watching tango while sipping wine Sunday evenings in San Telmo, BA

Best Entertainment
• La Bomba de Tiempo, Buenos Aires
• Portman Acrobatic show, Shanghai
• Modern dance + traditional monkey dance in Bali (both with fire)
• Peña del Colorado, traditional folklore music in Buenos Aires
• Performance in Guilin when Drew got picked to join the wedding dance

Best Vistas
• Glacier National Park, especially the Grinnell Glacier hike
• Sa Pa, Vietnam area, highlighted by hiking to Cat Cat Village
• Almost anywhere in Bali, including the rice terraces at Jatiluwih
• Iguazu Falls
• Ruta de los Siete Lagos – Bariloche to San Martin De Los Andes, Argentina
• View of the Andes from Mendoza vineyards
• Li River cruise and Yangshou, China
• Mount Ranier
• Hong Kong skyline
• Sunset at Grand Teton National Park
• Giant sand dune in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Lake Superior

Most Interesting Wildlife
• Orcas in the San Juan Islands
• Terrifying fanged monkeys in Bali
• Mountain goats, hoary marmots and grizzly bears in Montana
• Penguins and right whales in Puerto Madryn, Argentina
• Buffalo herds in North Dakota and Wyoming
• Water buffalo in Vietnam and Southern China

Best Purchases
• Lacquer painting and handmade tapestry from Sa Pa, Vietnam
• Wooden statues, Suki’s daughter painting and tapestry from Bali
• Leather bags and designer clothing from Argentina
• Moonstone necklace from Hong Kong
• Custom-made clothes from Hoi An, Vietnam
• Cobra snake wine in Saigon (that we smuggled back to the US)

Best Values
• $12 camping on the beach on San Juan Island, Washington
• $1 Beer in Vietnam
• $40 room with A/C and TV in a deluxe hostel at Iguazu Falls
• $20 per person five-star private banquet in China
• $500 per month house in the rice fields in Ubud, Bali
• $10 steaks (and wine and champagne) in Argentina
• Most things in Vietnam at 16,000 dong to $1 USD

Most Memorable Transportation
• Rickshaws in Vietnam
• Domestic flights in China with giggling Chinese flying for the first time
• Sleeper trains in China and Vietnam
• Overnight bus rides in Argentina
• Bemos - horse-drawn taxis in Gili Trawangan
• Russian jeep ride in Sa Pa Vietnam
• Driving the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier NP

Some Interesting People We Met Along the Way

Our Favorites

The Lists