Sharing a bottle of red wine in the bar in JFK airport on 1st
May, awaiting our flight to Buenos Aires and then beyond, I genuinely do not
think we had any real idea of what lay ahead in the next five, six, seven or
however many months we would be travelling. Yes, of course, we had a rough idea
of some of the countries we would like to enjoy and explore but that is all it
really was at that point – a rough idea. We didn’t even have all the visas and
immunisations needed at that point as it turns out. However, the decision had
been made and at this point, as they say, there was no turning back. With
Veronika by my side, the option of dossing about and lying on a beach for six
months sipping pina coladas was never really a goer. While an element of
spontaneity is always the goal, in reality, no little planning and preparation
is required if you are to really make the best use of your time…and it is here
that watching Veronika in action was like watching a master class in
organisation. Anyone who knows me will know that planning is not really my
forte, and while I like to think I made a solid enough contribution in the
research aspect of our many destinations, I am fully aware of my indebtedness
to Veronika in ultimately seeing and doing much of what we saw and did during
the most unbelievable, and most memorable, of experiences. The following is
just a wee summary (mainly for ourselves) of some of those experiences which we
were fortunate enough to share together.
Amongst many highlights and in no particular order we…….
Walked the Great Wall of China; hiked in the Himalayas to
Mount Everest, Nepal; trekked through Torres Del Paine National park in
Patagonia; climbed up the Dragon Backbone Rice Terraces in Dazhai, Southern
China; meandered along the high tea plantations in Munnar, Southern India; hiked
up glaciers in Patagonia; trekked through the Khao Yai National Park in
Thailand; swam in the Indian ocean; played in the waves of the South China Sea;
slept on the white sands of the beaches in Goa; journeyed through the Chilean
fjords in a cattle ferry; chugged along the Backwaters of Kerala, India in a
houseboat, sailed through the waters of Halong Bay, Vietnam; cruised through
the Beagle Channel in Southern Argentina by the snow-capped mountains, rafted down the river in Yangshuo, China;
drifted past the floating villages of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam; took a Sampan
boat ride through Hong Kong harbour; saw the sun rise over the ancient ruins of
Angor Watt, Cambodia; watched the sun set (while riding a camel)over the sand
dunes of the Thar Desert, India; studied the Terracotta Warriors of Xian,
China; saw the ancient forts and palaces of Rajasthan, India; lazed on the
beaches of Koh Samui, Thailand; sipped Singapore Slings in Singapore; drank
Bombay Saphires in Bombay, India; sampled Malbecs in Mendoza, Argentina; hiked
through dense jungle and tropical rainforest in Dalat, Vietnam; ate snake in
Beijing; enjoyed the glitzy nightlife of Shanghai; studied the carvings of the
Kama Sutra in Khajuraho, India; gazed in
awe at the Perito Moreno Glacier in El Calafate, Argentina; cycled in the
Mekong region, Vietnam; dodged the mopeds in Saigon; saw (from a safe distance)
the ladyboys of Bangkok; ate fish curry in Kerala; enjoyed a tango show in Buenos
Aires; survived rick-shaws and tuk-tuks everywhere; stayed in a penthouse in
Kuala Lumpur; ate in the street markets of Hong Kong; reflected at the temples in
Kathmandu, Nepal; observed the Giant Pandas in Chengdu, China; ate Peking duck
in Peking; flew over the magnificent mountains of the Andes; flew over and all
too near to the peaks of the Himalayas; saw the Big Buddha in Lantau, Hong
Kong, saw the leaning Buddha in Bangkok; saw many more Buddhas here, there and
everywhere; discovered the Forbidden city in Beijing; devoured delicious steak
in Buenos Aires; slept in a beach hut in Whale Island, Vietnam; ambled through
the charming old streets of Hoi’An, Vietnam; worshipped at Pagodas and Temples
all over S.E. Asia; sampled the old colonial style of Panaji, Southern India;
perused in street markets and bazaars from Battambang to Jaipur; witnessed the
Killing Fields of Cambodia; marvelled at the beauty of the Taj Mahal;
Of course, over the course of eight months, there were many
more fantastic experiences, too numerous to mention. Also, as one would expect,
we met some fantastic people along the way and our fair share of dodgy
characters too. We both realise how extremely fortunate we are to have been
able to embark upon this great journey together and, thankfully, this good
fortune, for the most part, followed us throughout the trip. In addition to all
the amazing places we saw, exciting activities that we did and interesting
people we met, it was a fantastic and rewarding experience for us just to
travel together, day and night, for such a long time. Thankfully, all the
laughs and good times heavily outweighed the little squabbles and wee
“arguments” inevitable on such a long journey! It truly was the trip of a
lifetime something we will treasure forever.
