As my year of travel has now ended I have a few thoughts to share with all of you. How do you wrap a year of traveling up into a single blog post? Sounds impossible, and it probably is, but I'm going to try it. I hope you enjoy!
Stats:
- Countires Visited outside of the US: 14 - in order of visit: Uganda, Rwanda, England, Canada, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Thailand, Burma, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia
- World Heritage Sites Visited: 10
- Air miles traveled: roughly 56,939 mi
- Currencies used: 8 - USD, Ugandan Shilling, Rwandan Franc, Canadian Dollar, Euro, Thai Baht, Vietnamese Dong, Cambodian Riel
Food:
- Best fast food: Rolex - Ugandan delicacy of fried egg rolled up in a chapati for the bargain price of $0.40
- Best regional food: Thailand hands down!
- Worst regional food: Uganda - matooke, g-nut sauce, and jackfruit...a deadly trio
- Strangest foods: There were too many to limit this category to just one - fried grasshoppers (Uganda), omelet filled with ant and bee eggs (Thailand), & tiger penis soaked whiskey (Laos)
- Cheapest meal: Posho and beans in Uganda
- Most expensive meal: Anywhere in Europe
Transportation:
- Best airline: British Airways - decent food, ample leg room and free alcohol on international flights
- Worst airline: It was a tight race between Malév Hungarian Airlines and Jetstar Airlines, but in the end Jetstar came out on top - a combination of absolutely no leg room (my knees were literally pressed into the back of the seat in front of me), the toilet that did not flush, and almost dying because we flew through a thunderstorm.
- Cheapest public transit: Songthaew - $0.50 for a 25 min ride in or out of town
- Most expensive public transit: The subway in either London or Vienna - can't remember which one cost more
- Best way to travel: The sleeper train in Vietnam - what is better than falling asleep in a bed with air-con and waking up at your destination!
- Worst way to travel: Public bus in Africa - hot, cramped, and dusty
General Observations:
- Favorite Country: Uganda - the friendliest people in the world, the beauty of crater lakes, the insanity of the taxi park...I love everything about that country!
- Most beautiful place: Halong Bay, Vietnam - the most beautiful place I have ever been
- Least beautiful place: Downtown Kampala - smelly and dirty...but man I love it there
- Most memorable experience: Bike trip through the crater lakes in southwestern Uganda
- Worst experience: Throwing up for a day and night in a small rural Ugandan home - sugar cane and jackfruit are a deadly combination
Peace and love.
