Banteay Srei, my favorite temple among the huge complex of Angkor Wat. Built in the 10th century and made primarily of red sandstone, the carvings are of a smaller and more elaborate detail than any of the other temples, lending to a belief that it might have been mainly carved by women. Dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, it is absolutely engrossing and we could have spent many more hours exploring the site.
We love markets, regardless of the country, and one of my favorite countries for strolling the local vendors was Vietnam. Whether it be a vegetable market or a store featuring colorful lanterns, we just couldn’t get enough.
As we worked our way from the East coast of South Island New Zealand to the West coast, our thoughts were on one thing. Getting to Franz Josef to do some heli-hiking on the Glacier. Check one off the bucket list.
New Zealand is one of our favorite countries, a place we would love to live one day. While there we were fascinated by penguins. At one viewing spot, near Omaru, we were told to be very quiet, turn off cell phones, don’t make any quick movements because they were shy birds. What a laugh we all had when, after 45minutes of fruitless scanning the brush for a sighting, someone pointed out that the penguin was hanging out right next to the viewing platform…NOT hiding in the bush!
Some places call to you, fill a place in your soul, and make you feel like you’ve come home; sometimes even if it’s the first time you’ve been there. I’ve had several of those experiences over the years; Vernazza, Italy on the Cinque Terre, Istanbul, Turkey, and Chiang Mai, Thailand, but the one place we’ve been to more than anywhere else in the world, and the place we keep finding ourselves going back to, is Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
We ended up spending more time in Vientiane, Laos than planned due to an Indian visa snafu. What we found was an extremely pleasant capital city, teeming with Buddhist temples and some fantastic architecture.
Africa has always been a dream destination, one for the bucket list. Romanticized in such movies as Out of Africa and I Dreamed of Africa, a land of adventure and amazement. A decade ago, the tour company I work for, Grand European Tours, first started selling a trip to South Africa and lucky us, we were one of the first in the company to get to go on tour and check it out!
One early morning sand boarding in Mui Ne, Vietnam, I turned my head and spotted this lone sole in the dunes, soaking in the sunrise.
We started February off with our first camping trip of 2013. We needed to get away, clear our heads, and remind ourselves of all the things in our life to be grateful for. A forecast of mid-50’s and sunny didn’t hurt, but we were determined to make our escape no matter what.
While camping in the Carnia Gorge area of Australia, we got the chance to help feed these amazingly colorful birds.
