Getting Our Poop In a Group, Part Three: Finishing the Compost BinsGTuesday, May 14th, 2013 With Spring officially here, we were able to spend a day finishing the compost bins we started last winter. We decided to put them against the east side of our clearing, next to where the gardens will be. This is the first real structure we've bui...
Cleaning the DriveGSunday, May 12th, 2013 Today, we spent nearly ten hours clearing logs along the edge of our driveway. We've worked at this project on many occasions, but today we were armed with Rick's dump-trailer, and it made a world of difference. Once we had the wood chainsawed in...
Building SitesGSaturday, May 11th, 2013 So, I've been meaning to write an exhaustive journal outlining all the pros and cons of various foundation styles, why we've chosen to build frost-protected slabs for both our workshop and cottage, what they are, how they work, why we chose EPS foa...
Permitting Our ProjectsGThursday, May 9th, 2013 This season, we're starting four structures: an 18'x24' timber frame workshop, a 12'x16' timber frame cottage, a small shed to house batteries and electronics for a future solar array, and another small shed to enclose our wellhead and water storag...
Getting Our Poop In a Group, Part One: Our Composting ToiletGWednesday, May 8th, 2013 Last year, Tyler and I read The Humanure Handbook, a fantastically eye-opening book about how to safely compost your own waste and return it to the soil as fertilizer. The simple system this book describes uses sawdust toilets (a receptacle with a ...
Off Grid Cable Internet Access w/ Power Over EthernetGWednesday, May 8th, 2013 I am thrilled to say that I am posting this journal entry from a high speed cable internet connection, on our land, nestled in the Green Mountains of Vermont! Today was a triumphant day, and at the moment, I couldn't be happier. It feels as thoug...
The Poultry SwapGSunday, May 5th, 2013 When our phone alarm sounds at 5:00AM this morning, the sun is already up, and a chorus of birds is cheerily chirping in our newly leafed-out woods. Excited about what lay in store for the day, we throw off the covers: it's time for the Poultry Swa...
Ticked OffGSaturday, May 4th, 2013 Today was rough. All morning and afternoon, I found myself teetering along an emotional knife-edge, often slipping into full-on freak-out mode. Instead of being thrilled to be on our land, or completely enamored by the fact that we're living our D...
Back to Vermont for Keeps: Part TwoGThursday, May 2nd, 2013 The last two weeks in Illinois were wonderful. Our days were filled with cooking projects, restaurant-going, game nights with friends, ambitious cleaning efforts in my parents' basement, long chats at the dinner table, and many quiet afternoons on ...
Back to Vermont for Keeps: Part OneGFriday, April 19th, 2013 Last week, I finished the massive task of sanding and staining all of the wood for our timber frame cottage. Meanwhile, Tyler completed a major work project that will hopefully pay for the cost of the gravel driveway we'll be putting on our land. ...
Truck UpgradesGThursday, April 18th, 2013 With just a week before Tara and I move to Vermont officially, my brother-in-law Paul helped me install several important upgrades for our work truck. Among them were a snow plow mount with quick releases for the hydraulics, some handy auxiliary fl...
Timber Framing Course: Norwegian Grindbygg "Trestle Frame" GWednesday, April 3rd, 2013 This August, join us with master timber framer Peter Henrikson to hand-craft and raise a one-of-a-kind Norwegian Grindbygg workshop in Arlington, Vermont. This unique style of roundwood construction is the oldest known building technique in Norway...
Timber Framing at Going Slowly HQGTuesday, April 2nd, 2013 Last summer, Tara and I fell in love with timber framing, thanks to a fantastic course offered by North House Folk School in Grand Marais, Minnesota. There, in an idyllic workshop on the shore of Lake Superior, under the instruction of Peter Henri...
This is KarinaGThursday, March 21st, 2013 Tara is one of my best and oldest friends, so it should come as no surprise that, for years now, I've been following her and Tyler’s worldly adventures with a ravenous appetite. The story I'm about to share is an improbable, synchronicity-filled ta...
What We're Up ToGSunday, March 17th, 2013 We're in Minnesota again! Our last days in Vermont this winter were busy, a whirlwind of cleaning and packing and readying our camper for two months without human inhabitants. The day before we left, we were treated with a snowstorm which deposit...
Don't Believe What You See on TVGFriday, March 15th, 2013 I think I'm in shock after watching 20/20 this evening. The whole show was an absolute joke. I was literally repulsed from start to finish by its over-produced, over-dramatized, highly sensationalized "news" stories. All I gleaned from the exper...
20/20 UpdateGFriday, March 15th, 2013 Booo! ABC's 20/20 cut us at the last minute from the show they're airing tonight! Here is the email we recieved this morning from the producer: Hi Tyler…just writing to let you know the segment is airing tonight, however I’m so sorry to tell...
A Visit from Kyle the ForesterGThursday, March 7th, 2013 Yesterday, as snow fell softly, we met with our local county forester, Kyle. After he pulled on his hiking boots and donned a warm hat, he joined us on a hike around our land, happy to escape the drudgery of office-work in favor of being in the wo...
Maple Hill MapleGWednesday, March 6th, 2013 A few days ago, we received an email through our website from Greer and Rick, a local couple who happen to be our neighbors—they live just a few minutes down the road from our land. They kindly invited to watch their maple sugaring operation, "Map...
The Kids of Common Sense FarmGMonday, March 4th, 2013 One of my favorite parts of our Common Sense Farm tour was getting to see all the BABY GOATS! We had warm bottles of their mama's milk to give them, which whipped them into a frenzy of excitement. It was the most adorable pandemonium I've ever se...
Farmwomen's ApprenticeGMonday, March 4th, 2013 Today, Tyler and I went back to Cold Antler Farm once more. I wanted to be there in case Bonita and Francis decided to have their babies, and I was eager to help welcome two twelve-week-old pigs that Jenna had purchased. So, while Tyler programme...
A Morning with Patty & MarkGSunday, March 3rd, 2013 This morning, as I stood, hands warming by the woodstove, peeking out the window of Jenna's farmhouse, I was utterly content. The world outside was white, covered in delicate snow falling softly and amply from the sky. It was idyllic, a scene str...
Waiting for KidsGSaturday, March 2nd, 2013 Around 8:30PM, just as we were finishing our supper, we received news we'd been hoping to hear for the past few days: Jenna's pregnant goat, Francis, was showing her first signs of labor! We threw on our warmest work clothes, grabbed the camera, a...
20/20 InterviewGThursday, February 28th, 2013 This morning we were interviewed for ABC's 20/20! The whole experience, from the big black suburban rolling up, to the final "walking up the driveway" shot, was over in a flash—the Q&A itself lasted all of ten minutes. We have no idea which p...
Breaking NewsGWednesday, February 27th, 2013 Three years ago, we drove across Russia in a 1991 Toyota Corolla. Last week, we got an email from a producer at ABC News, asking if we'd be interested in interviewing about the experience for their primetime show, 20/20! They are doing a piece ab...
Winter VisitorsGTuesday, February 26th, 2013 A little over a week ago, my parents flew into Hartford, Connecticut, for a seven day workshop in macrobiotic cooking at the Kushi Institute. We met them at the airport hotel, and spent a wonderful day and a half together before strapping their su...
Feeling SettledGSaturday, February 23rd, 2013 With over a month of camper-living under our belts, all of our concerns about buying a travel trailer have vanished. We've worked out the kinks, adapted to its challenges, and are now certain that we made an excellent decision. In retrospect, our...
Winter WonderlandGWednesday, February 20th, 2013 Last night, our hill was pelted with a storm of icy sleet and snow. This morning, we awoke to find ourselves in this magical, wintery wonderland! ...
Waking EarlyGTuesday, February 19th, 2013 We've been waking early these days, aiming to find balance between laboring on our land and typing in our camper, eyes glued to our computers. If we get outside at first light and do some work with our hands, we seem to be happier and more product...
Informed DecisionsGFriday, February 15th, 2013 Over the past few days, I've become increasingly uneasy about our woods cleaning project. I'm not wild about having a big, hulking excavator here, and I feel like we're "wasting" perfectly good wood in our burn piles. So far, I've rationalized aw...
SunriseGThursday, February 14th, 2013 This morning, as Tyler and I tend to our woodland by a smoky fire, I look up towards the eastern sky in reverence and expectation of the rising sun. I wait in silence, watching the skies grow pale, and then lo! It arrives! Just a warm glow at fir...
Cleaning Our Woods: Part FiveGWednesday, February 13th, 2013 Tyler: Rick and his dog Oliver arrive late this morning, ready for another round of clearing downed trees. At first, I'm not thinking there will be much news to report. I'm expecting another long day with more of the same: pulling downed trees ...
Weathering the StormGFriday, February 8th, 2013 All morning long, we've received text messages, phone calls, and emails of concern about the blizzard headed our way. While I'm sure there is dramatic, worrisome news all over the TV and radio announcing the impending "snowpocalypse," here in our ...
Fixing Our Stihl MS-271 ChainsawGFriday, February 8th, 2013 Today, Allan over at Arlington's Stihl dealership called to let me know that the parts arrived to fix our chainsaw. It turns out that the handle I broke on our MS-271 is part of the same housing as the fuel tank, which makes the repair pretty exte...
Cleaning Our Woods: Part FourGThursday, February 7th, 2013 Today, while Tyler was busy programming, I was outside in my work jacket and chaps, tackling the massive cleanup operation in our woods. I spent most of the morning dragging smallish logs and dead treetops out of the woods with our truck. I ...
Cleaning Our Woods: Part ThreeGWednesday, February 6th, 2013 This morning, as I chat with Rick about what we want to accomplish with his excavator, I'm feeling overwhelmed by the scale of what Tara and I have set out to do with this homesteading project. When I look closely at our land, the work to be done ...
Hiking Glacier National Park's "Skyline Experience"GWednesday, February 6th, 2013 Last summer, my good friend Alex asked if I'd like to join him on his annual adventure in Montana's Glacier National Park. I immediately agreed, and happily consented to hike any trail in the park. He picked something called The Skyline Experienc...
Cleaning Our Woods: Part TwoGTuesday, February 5th, 2013 Today, Rick showed up with his excavator. It's flipping huge. Tomorrow, we'll get to work. I can't wait! ...
Cleaning Our Woods: Part OneGSunday, February 3rd, 2013 We're not sure how long it has been since our land was inhabited, but we do know that the woods haven't been managed in many years. For every ten trees standing, there are probably one or two laying dead. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if we ...
An Evening at Cold Antler FarmGFriday, February 1st, 2013 For the past few years, I have been following Jenna over at Cold Antler Farm, occasionally checking in on her animal-filled adventures. Her posts always kept me inspired when we were hunting for land and dreaming of starting our homestead. Now t...
In The WindGThursday, January 31st, 2013 The wind came down from mountains cold, And like a tide it roared and rolled. The branches groaned, the forest moaned, And leaves were laid upon the mould. J.R.R. Tolkein The wind up here is intense. All day long it’s been roaring, c...
Installing a "Simple Pump" Well Pump: Part TwoGSunday, January 27th, 2013 After our friends have gone home, I head out into the darkness to put our tools away. Outside, the cleanup operation is quickly cut short when I survey the back of our truck. We're just four little screws away from fresh mountain water—with so li...
Dinner in the CamperGSunday, January 27th, 2013 While Tyler, Jeremy and Hercilia wrap up the last of our Simple Pump installation, I'm inside our camper, cooking supper for everyone. With two frozen pizzas, and some frozen chocolate chip cookie dough I made earlier, there will be plenty for eve...
Installing a "Simple Pump" Well Pump: Part OneGSunday, January 27th, 2013 Today, with the help of our new friends Jeremy & Hercilia, we're going to install a hand-powered Simple Pump in our well. This will be the first time any of us has ever worked on a well, and it will also be the first time I've ever read and fo...
About Our WellGSunday, January 27th, 2013 Our property was one of the only potential sites we visited during our land hunt which already had a drilled well. Its standard 6" casing was a whopping 400ft deep, it had a static level of 80ft, and a measured recovery rate of 2 gallons per minut...
Birthday Sled Dog Surprise!GSaturday, January 26th, 2013 I've always been fascinated by the art of mushing. A few years ago, Tyler took me on a surprise Christmas outing to see his friend's sled dog team. After meeting all the pups and getting to ride across the snow, pulled by a team of happy, furry r...
29th BirthdayGFriday, January 25th, 2013 Today is my 29th birthday. I wish I had something deep and important to say about life and the passing of years, but I don't. Today was simply a good day, filled with yummy food and great company. We even managed to check a few things off our to...
HeatGThursday, January 24th, 2013 It's 4 AM and the camper is freezing. Tara and I are cuddled together under our down comforter, a minuscule bundle of tenuous warmth atop a freezing hill, flanked on either side by the frigid Green Mountains. Our camper furnace is running, but it...
Meeting the NeighborsGWednesday, January 23rd, 2013 This afternoon, Tyler and I hiked down our driveway and walked the four hundred and eighty feet separating us from our closest neighbor. Holding another loaf of homemade, ribbon-bedecked banana bread as a friendship offering, we rang the doorbell,...
We Have a Mailbox!GWednesday, January 23rd, 2013 While we were in Vermont with my family this past October, we managed to complete one of our first goals in the creation of our homestead: obtaining an address. This turned out to be a simple matter of measuring the distance from the center of our...
Character BuildingGTuesday, January 22nd, 2013 It's January in Vermont, and we're smack dab in the middle of a major learning curve. Once again, we're settling into a more rustic lifestyle, and once again, the transition is more intense than we anticipated. Emotions run high, silly little thi...
Adventure ModeGTuesday, January 22nd, 2013 On our bicycle tour, Tyler and I were living in what we've now dubbed "Adventure Mode." That is to say, every day was an epic journey unto itself, containing within it the highest highs I've ever felt, along with the lowest lows (and enough cramme...
Clearing the ClearingGSaturday, January 19th, 2013 We had planned to spend the afternoon working at a coffeeshop in Bennington today, but we never made it off our land. Early in the morning, Tyler went outside to see if he could get a burn pile going to clear up some of the brush that's been litte...
Our Side of the MountainGThursday, January 17th, 2013 Tyler: Last night, as we pulled into our drive after a day of running errands, the snowpack was too slippery for us to make it in. Half-way up the steepest portion of our driveway, we lost traction and began drifting slowly backwards. Unable to...
A Snow DayGWednesday, January 16th, 2013 As if to welcome us to our new home, Nature decorated our woods with a snowy white blanket last night. Fat, wet flakes continue to fall throughout this morning, filling us with childlike joy and excitement. We bundle up and head outside for a wal...
Up the Drive We Go!GTuesday, January 15th, 2013 Now that Tim is gone, Tyler and I have a little chat to decide what we want to do next. Though we're touched by Rick's offer to let us park on his land, we're both eager to be settled, once and for all, in our very own woods. It was muddy here ye...
Home at LastGTuesday, January 15th, 2013 After last night's drama, we drove non-stop, straight into this morning. We're exhausted, but we have an appointment to make: Tim Schmalz of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture is coming to inspect our land, to make sure it won't be susceptible to ...
Reed Collecting for Thatching with Deanne BednarGMonday, January 14th, 2013 It's time for our reed-collecting workshop at last! With tools in hand, we enter a waving sea of phragmites reeds via a thin tunnel that Deanne has already cleared. As we make our way to the secluded collection area, I'm struck by how tall and be...
Checking InGSunday, January 13th, 2013 After a fantastic night's sleep in our cozy little camper, we're our way to Michigan for a yet-again-postponed reed-collecting workshop. With a grey sky ahead of us, and a sour mood beginning to foul the journey, I declare that "everything is grum...
Black IceGSaturday, January 12th, 2013 We planned on driving through the night in order to reach Deanne's place in time for our postponed reed-collecting workshop tomorrow morning. Unfortunately, there is no way that is going to happen. Just a few hours into our road trip east, our me...
UnpassableGSaturday, January 12th, 2013 Last October, during a vacation in Vermont with Tara's family, we all stayed at a beautiful house in rural Bennington. When it came time to leave, we serendipitously crossed paths with its caretaker and builder, Rick Carroll. We hit it off immed...
The Trailer & Truck Saga: Part TenGFriday, January 11th, 2013 Mike was short and to the point: half of our camper's roof was suffering from wet rot. The only lasting solution was to replace it, at a cost no less than $5,000. The other option was to ignore the underlying problem, plug the hole, and fix a few...
The Trailer & Truck Saga: Part NineGFriday, January 11th, 2013 This morning, still awake from the day prior, just as we were depositing the very last box of our belongings into the camper, Tara turned to me, her face crumpled like a deflated balloon. I was confused until I saw what she was pointing at: a pie-...
The Trailer & Truck Saga: Part EightGThursday, January 10th, 2013 Tyler: While it would be nice to end the evening on such a celebratory note, our job is far from complete. We've committed to attending a reed-collecting workshop for our thatched roof in Michigan in two days time. All of our worldly possession...
The Trailer & Truck Saga: Part SevenGThursday, January 10th, 2013 The alarm goes off at the crack of dawn. As soon as the covers are flung off, it's game on, and there will be no stopping until tonight. "Are you ready for this?" I ask Tyler. He smiles and shakes his head, no. "Are you sure you don't just want ...
The Trailer & Truck Saga: Part SixGWednesday, January 9th, 2013 The living room was a whirlwind of activity today; it looked as though a tornado had blasted through JoAnne fabrics, leaving spools of thread, tangled measuring tapes, and fraying scraps of cotton canvas in its wake. In the midst of the mess, Tyle...
The Trailer & Truck Saga: Part FiveGTuesday, January 8th, 2013 I'm having loads of fun with our HGTV-style camper makeover, but I'm also completely exhausted. For some reason, it always takes me by surprise when Tyler and I mobilize a spontaneous plan. It feels as though I've inadvertently stepped onto a hi...
The Trailer & Truck Saga: Part FourGMonday, January 7th, 2013 It's pitch black when the alarm sounds at 2:30 AM, a mere three and a half hours since we fell into bed last night. I throw on a hoodie and the new down booties I got for Christmas (thanks, Jodi!) and make sure Tyler is groggily getting up as well...
The Trailer & Truck Saga: Part ThreeGSunday, January 6th, 2013 The ride home is going well, albeit very slowly. A few hours in, we decide to take a break. Just off the highway, we stop at a mattress store to see if we can find a replacement for our small, oddly-shaped camper bed. Before heading in, I walk b...
The Trailer & Truck Saga: Part TwoGSunday, January 6th, 2013 It's 8AM and the camper is freezing. As we get up, shivering, I am filled with doubt. The reality that I don't know anything about travel trailers is rapidly sinking in. There is no way we're going to be able to live here if this thing can't make ...
The Trailer & Truck Saga: Part OneGSaturday, January 5th, 2013 With winter upon us, we're feeling pressed for time—if we want to thatch the roof on our timber frame cottage this summer, we'll have to collect reeds for it soon. The harvest needs to happen sometime between December and Feburary, and we've made...
The Year in ReviewGTuesday, January 1st, 2013 With the new year upon us, I've been revisiting our journal, trying to remind myself of what we've been up to for the past three hundred and sixty five days. When I began writing this, I felt like most of our year had been filled with mundane rout...
Reed Collecting Tools: Sickles and ScythesGSunday, December 16th, 2012 As our departure date to collect reeds for a thatched roof draws near, I've been researching the tools we'll need to complete the job. Namely, sickles and scythes. For centuries, marshmen (such as the one featured in the video below) have used thes...
Thinking about ThatchGSaturday, December 15th, 2012 This past October, on the way to our family vacation in Vermont, Tyler and I stopped at Deanne Bednar's Strawbale Studio. While we were there, we discovered an important detail about thatched roofing: reeds need to be harvested in the wintertime. ...
Mission AccomplishedGFriday, November 2nd, 2012 It is 12:41 AM on November the 3rd. The year is 2012. Tara is snuggled up next to me, fast asleep. I am awake and programming, busy overhauling the internals of our website in preparation for the upcoming release of Tara's first book: Bike. Cam...
"The Hay House" in Old Saybrook, ConnecticutGSaturday, October 20th, 2012 Our Vermont vacation has come to a close. Our family has flown home, and all that remains of the previous week is a wealth of memories and photos. Tara and I are back in the car, headed west. Before we return to Minnesota, we have one last natur...
A Family Visit to our LandGSunday, October 14th, 2012 Brimming with anticipation, we wend our way through rural southwestern Vermont, passing scenic farms with red barns nestled at the feet of breathtaking mountains. As we draw near to our land, fiery-colored trees line either side of the road, creat...
An Alan Family VacationGSunday, October 14th, 2012 A few months ago, my grandmother mentioned wanting to see Vermont again. Years ago, she and my grandfather went on vacations to New England, taking trains to see the fall color. She wanted to go again, and to see Tyler and my land in person. So,...
Second Thoughts in VermontGFriday, October 5th, 2012 Burrs and sweat clinging to our clothes, we bid our land goodbye and head into town for a bite to eat. As we drive together in silence, evening falls, smothering the landscape in a misty blackness. For reasons unspoken, our triumphant mood is dar...
Clearing the DriveGFriday, October 5th, 2012 After a three day cross-country road-trip, we've finally arrived at our land! As we pull up the drive, I hop out of the passenger's seat to open the gate. There is a palpable gravity in the moment as part of me realizes, perhaps for the first tim...
Off Grid Power: Tim Sefton's Stirling EngineGThursday, October 4th, 2012 One of our homesteading goals is to generate all the electricity we need right on our own property. During spring, summer and fall, it looks like we'll be able to accomplish that with solar panels and a battery array. For winter, however, when th...
Thatching Research: Deanne Bednar's Strawbale StudioGThursday, October 4th, 2012 The second stop on our roadtrip to Vermont is to see a woman named Deanne, a natural builder, and the illustrator for several cob-related books such as The Hand-Sculpted House and The Cobber's Companion. Her land is home to the Strawbale Studio, ...
1/12th Scale Timber Frame Model HouseGMonday, October 1st, 2012 Awhile back, I found Tyler crouched on the floor, with a determined look on his face, scissors, tape, and cardboard strewn about him. Much to my delight, he was painstakingly constructing a scale model of our timberframe cottage! Using Peter's bl...
September, 2012 in PhotosGSunday, September 30th, 2012 10 Acres in Vermont Land Payoff Status: 91% ...
Earthen Oven Pizza PartyGMonday, September 17th, 2012 Though we still haven't finished our oven (it needs an insulative outer layer and a protective coat of lime plaster), that hasn't stopped us from using it. Tonight, we invited some friends over for a pizza party! I made the dough and assembled so...
Building an Earthen Oven: Part TwoGSaturday, September 1st, 2012 With the foundation complete, we set about building the base of our oven. We started by using glass bottles to create a "bowl" to hold the hearth floor. This insulative layer is meant to create an air gap under the oven, hopefully preventing the ...
Building an Earthen Oven: Part OneGSaturday, September 1st, 2012 This summer, using Kiko Denzer and Hannah Field's book, Build Your Own Earth Oven, Tara and I constructed our first cob structure: a pizza oven. We began the project by digging for clay in the woods behind my mother's house. This task was surpris...
Switching to Strawbale, Part TwoGWednesday, August 22nd, 2012 When we arrived at Hap and Lin's cob cottage in Fairfield, Iowa, we were greeted by a barefoot woman happily pottering around her outdoor kitchen. After shaking our hands in warm greeting, Lin told us she was putting the finishing touches on suppe...
Switching to Strawbale: Part OneGWednesday, August 22nd, 2012 A few years ago, when we learned about cob houses (see the comments section), we were enamored by the idea of building one. Reading The Hand-Sculpted House was truly a revelation—it's no wonder the book is practically scripture in the natural bui...
Designing Our House: Things I KnowGMonday, August 13th, 2012 I have been designing my ideal home for literally as long as I can remember. As a young girl, I daydreamed about living in a rustic log cabin, deep in the woods, or in an old farmhouse, complete with wrap-around porches and rocking chairs. As a t...
Hedstrom Lumber Mill TourGMonday, July 23rd, 2012 Before leaving Grand Marais this morning, we went on a tour of Hedstrom Lumber Mill. The wood for our timber frame was cut there (white pine harvested from northern Minnesota). I really had no idea what to expect, and consequently, I was complete...
North House Timber Framing Workshop: Day NineGSunday, July 22nd, 2012 Today was our last day in the shop, and we spent most of it adding flourishes to our wall plates and rafters. Since they were too long for Tara (our designated bandsaw baller) to cut on her own, I played a supporting role in the effort. First, we...
North House Timber Framing Workshop: Day EightGSaturday, July 21st, 2012 Today, I took a break from doing layout to make the knee-braces for our house. The tenons were quick and easy, just a few 45° cuts on the chop saw. Shaping the curves that Tyler and Peter had drawn on them was serious business, though. One false...
North House Timber Framing Workshop: Day SevenGFriday, July 20th, 2012 It's a typical morning at the Folk School. About an hour before class is slated to begin, we leave camp and head for the wood shop, idly chatting about the work we're planning to complete when we get there. As usual, we're the first to arrive. O...
North House Timber Framing Workshop: Day SixGThursday, July 19th, 2012 We had an optional half day at the shop today, and it came at just the right time. I started getting grumpy this morning about some difficult cutting on our primary posts, and Tara was cranky about having to redo her timber markings three times to...
A Kayaking Surprise on Lake SuperiorGWednesday, July 18th, 2012 This afternoon, Tyler announced that he had a surprise for me, and that it would "happen" this evening! Eeee! I am a total sucker for surprises large and small, getting wide-eyed and giddy with excitement and anticipation. After his announcement,...
North House Timber Framing Workshop: Day FiveGWednesday, July 18th, 2012 It is so rewarding to be making something tangible for our homesteading project. For the past eight months, the only thing we've done to pursue our goal of moving to Vermont is continually drain our bank account in an effort to pay off our land. ...
North House Timber Framing Workshop: Day FourGTuesday, July 17th, 2012 It feels so good to be building a home for ourselves, and to know that our future life as homesteaders is just around the corner. Today's woodworking session was another round of lakeside, house-building paradise. We spent most of the day working...
North House Timber Framing Workshop: Day ThreeGMonday, July 16th, 2012 During the past two sessions, I felt like I was barely treading water in a sea of new information. Without so much as a single high school shop class under my woodworking belt, I just couldn't visualize what I was doing or why. Even though I was ...
North House Timber Framing Workshop: Day TwoGSunday, July 15th, 2012 Today, I will be facing two fears I have been harboring about building our house ever since the idea started approaching reality. One, my inability to make a straight cut in anything, free-hand or otherwise, and two, the fact that I consistently m...
North House Timber Framing Workshop: Day OneGSaturday, July 14th, 2012 Before class this morning, we talked with our instructor, Peter, and negotiated some changes to our little house to make it more livable—a slightly taller loft area, longer gables and eaves to protect our intended straw bale walls, and two feet of ...
To North House Folk SchoolGFriday, July 13th, 2012 I was poking around on the internet about a week ago when I randomly discovered the North House Folk School in Grand Marais, Minnesota. As I was paging through their tempting list of classes (stuff like birch bark weaving, black ash basketry and k...
Mud Girls Natural Building Cob WorkshopGSaturday, May 12th, 2012 For the last five days we've been camping in the woods on a piece of land near the coast of Salt Spring Island, attending a workshop put on by the Mud Girls Natural Building Collective. The week ran a mere $185 dollars per person, and included thr...
Arriving on Salt Spring IslandGMonday, May 7th, 2012 After a series of unexpectedly expensive ferries, we've made it to Salt Spring Island. Our tent is now pitched in a sun-dappled, fern-filled woods, and we're getting to know our fellow workshop participants. The worksite is a thousand times more ...
Sea to Sky HighwayGSunday, May 6th, 2012 Despite all of the spectacular scenery on the Highway 99 today, we've been driving so much that we are both beginning to grow weary of it. Mainly, we wish we were going slower. Shocking, eh? Our ideal road trip stretches on for months, includes ...
Snow & WineGSaturday, May 5th, 2012 The sloped topography of our tent placement last night had us constantly seeping downwards, like a puddle of molasses. Frequently, after we found ourselves crumpled in the fetal position at the foot of our sleeping bag, we'd press our feet against...
Jasper National ParkGFriday, May 4th, 2012 When we near the snow-capped peaks of Jasper National Park, the sun burns off the drizzle, welcoming us with great expanses of clear blue skies and white, cotton-candy clouds. A quick stop to pay the entrance fee, and we're ushered into what is re...
Working on the MoveGThursday, May 3rd, 2012 Today was a long day of driving. Most of it was spent with Tara behind the wheel, piloting us across Manitoba. Meanwhile, I was stationed behind my computer screen, busily programming. Apart from the fact that I was sitting in a car instead of a...
Hittin' the RoadGWednesday, May 2nd, 2012 We have enough snacks to feed an army packed in the cooler, our suitcase is stuffed with worn-out marino wool "work clothes", and our iPod is jam-packed with new music. As we put the final pieces of our car-packing-puzzle in place, we hug Tyler's ...
Presentation in WisconsinGSaturday, April 28th, 2012 It's Friday afternoon and school's out! We've just given our presentation to 150 or so high schoolers, and it went really well. We were both a little nervous at first, but when kids began filing in in the auditorium, our jitters were replaced wit...
Remnants of Another LifeGFriday, April 27th, 2012 Nearly two years ago, when we were on our trip, we received an email from a high school teacher and fellow cycle tourist in Wisconsin, asking us if we'd be willing to speak to his students. We said we'd be happy to set a date once we were settled ...
Springtime WanderlustGTuesday, April 10th, 2012 Not long after we slept in our igloo, Minnesota gave up its half-hearted attempt at winter, moving right into springtime. Practically overnight, birds began chirping, and our icy abode was nothing more than a patch of muddy grass. In Illinois, sp...
Winter WonderlandGTuesday, March 6th, 2012 We crawled out of our (chilly) igloo around 7am this morning, reluctant like crinkly-faced moles emerging from their dark, underground tunnels. Rubbing the sleep out of our eyes, we were utterly delighted to find that, while we were hibernating in...
Sleeping in an IglooGSunday, March 4th, 2012 We're feeling giddy as we get ready for bed, like a pair of kids about to spend the night inside a brand new couch-cushion fort. We're headed outside, so Tyler and I bundle up in our coziest clothes, layering on our merino wool, hoodies and scarve...
Building an IglooGSaturday, March 3rd, 2012 All winter long, we'd been pining away for a snowstorm, waiting expectantly in semi-patient disbelief as the season flew by. With February behind us and March beginning, it was finally starting to sink in that a traditional midwest winter-wonderla...
February, 2012 in PhotosGWednesday, February 29th, 2012 10 Acres in Vermont Land Payoff Status: 35% ...
Starting a Homestead: Our ListGWednesday, February 22nd, 2012 With a twinge of nervousness akin to the moment we purchased our tickets to Scotland, we've declared a moving date. On April 1st, 2013 (exactly four years after we began our round-the-world bicycle tour), we'll bid our friends and families in the ...
Passing AwayGMonday, February 20th, 2012 We recently received a phone call that my grandfather (my mother's father) passed away. His death did not come as a surprise, for he's been ready to go for quite some time now. The news came with a mixture of sadness and a bit of relief—we're all...
Hanging OnGFriday, February 17th, 2012 About a month ago, when the adventure of moving my mother's parents into assisted living and clearing out their house was finally nearing its end, we received a call from my dad's brother, informing us that my other grandmother was in the hospital—...
Where is the Snow?GFriday, January 13th, 2012 Tara and I were both looking forward to our first real winter after two years avoiding it abroad. So far, it has only snowed twice, and neither storm deposited enough to do anything fun in, except take a few photos. By this time last year, our fr...
Things Things ThingsGTuesday, January 10th, 2012 Before we left on our cycling adventure, we pared down our possessions significantly. It was difficult at first, to let go of so many things, but we eventually came to relish the freedom that treading lightly on this earth provided. When we retur...
New Project for a New YearGThursday, January 5th, 2012 After most of my college pals dispersed from our New Years gathering, we headed with Jess and Nick to Natasha's family cabin. There, we whiled away a quiet afternoon driking our friend Tremain's wine and learning how to play a board game called Se...
New Years in Pigeon ForgeGWednesday, January 4th, 2012 As December came to a close, we drove to Tennessee for a spring-like New Year's weekend, joining some of my college friends for what has become an annual reunion. I was worried that it might be weird since I haven't seen most of them since well be...
Stuff Stuff StuffGSaturday, December 10th, 2011 With my grandparents settled in their new home, we've moved on to the task of cleaning out their old one, and it's been an eye-opening process. As we sift through the accumulation of sixty years in living, we are reminded of when we went through a...
With GrandparentsGThursday, December 8th, 2011 During the month of November, Tyler and I spent most of our time in southern Illinois with my mom and dad, taking care of my grandparents. My 92 year old grandfather had been in the hospital for major abdominal surgery. It was touch and go at tim...
Homebuilding InspirationGSunday, November 20th, 2011 I'm getting used to it. Chronically being on the receiving end of dubious looks, that is. Almost everyone we talk with these days seems to find our aspirations rather odd (building a house of mud, clay and straw, living in a canvas tent while we ...
Sleeping Under the StarsGTuesday, November 8th, 2011 We've been sleeping outside every night for over a week now, and we have no intention of stopping anytime soon. Usually, around 10PM, we bundle up, grab our books and headlamps, and say goodnight to Tyler's mom, Jodi. Invariably she'll exclaim so...
Modeling Our HomeGMonday, November 7th, 2011 With our land purchase in Vermont complete, we've been busy researching as much as we can about building cob and strawbale houses. We're starting to realize that a big part of this process is going to involve wrangling our murky, idealistic dreams...
Sleeping OutsideGSunday, October 30th, 2011 It started about a week ago—an unsettling restlessness around bedtime, a silent tossing and turning, a nagging sensation that something wasn't right. It was taking forever to fall asleep in our big, warm, comfortable bed. At first, neither of us ...
Hiking With Friends, A Photo SeriesGSunday, October 9th, 2011 This weekend, we drove down to Tennessee for what we've decided will be our first annual-autumn-weekend-hangout with our friends Pete, Natasha, Jess and Nick. Shortly after our arrival, we hit the road from Knoxville for a two-hour drive to Big So...
Withering Autumn BeautyGWednesday, September 28th, 2011 Be empty. Be still. Just watch everything come and go. This is the way of Nature. Lao Tzu Zoë Keating - Lost ...
Cycling SeasonsGFriday, September 23rd, 2011 All summer and autumn, we’ve been riding our home-built road bikes several times a week. These excursions have usually taken the form of early morning rides—a refreshingly familiar way to start the day, and a good excuse to pick up our little-used...
Land Hunting, Part Fourteen: We Did It!GSaturday, September 17th, 2011 I'm fast asleep in the passenger's seat. We're somewhere in Ohio, and Tara is nudging me. Without a word, she hands me the phone with a smile, and continues driving. I'm groggy and confused, blinking away a hazy veil that has been drawn over my ...
Making Friends in VermontGFriday, September 16th, 2011 With light hearts, we're heading north towards the Middlebury area to meet our kayaking friend, Sue. The drive is a pleasure; the sun is out, the landscape is verdant and hilly pastureland, and the views are unmarred by billboards and advertisemen...
Land Hunting, Part Thirteen: Our Final OfferGFriday, September 16th, 2011 We've decided to go for it! We just made another offer on the Maple Hill Road property, and this one is five thousand dollars less than the last. We're hoping the difference will be enough to cover the septic permitting process. Bonnie (the real...
Land Hunting, Part Twelve: A Solar SurveyGFriday, September 16th, 2011 For the last few weeks, Tyler has been in contact with Solar Pro, a solar hot water heating company in town. Last night, he called to see if they had time for a last minute appointment, and our contact, Karen, agreed to meet us at 10:00 AM! We've...
Land Hunting, Part Eleven: A Rainy Day in VermontGThursday, September 15th, 2011 Tyler: The sun is hiding behind a sheath of steel blue skies this morning. A damp chill hangs in the air, leaving the world without any measure of doubt: fall is here. As we lay in our tent, listening to the rapidly escalating sound of raindrop...
Land Hunting, Part Ten: Re-EngagingGWednesday, September 14th, 2011 As the sun sinks toward the horizon, we pull off the road, wheels crunching over the rutted dirt drive of a lakeside "Fish and Wildlife Area," hoping to find a secluded place to sleep. There's a truck parked near the shore, so we sit for a few min...
Land Hunting, Part Nine: Empty-LandedGWednesday, September 14th, 2011 I'm having second thoughts about our spur-of-the-moment road trip this morning; it's clear that dropping everything to drive out here again was not a sensible decision. The thirty acre property which inspired our impromptu departure was a let-down...
Land Hunting, Part Eight: Back to VermontGTuesday, September 13th, 2011 Before the proverbial ink has dried on our contract cancellation, we've scoured the internet once more, and found a promising 30 acre property—it's just a few miles from the one on Maple Hill road! (How did we miss it the first time through?) Wit...
Land Hunting, Part Seven: Backing OutGSaturday, September 10th, 2011 In 1998, twelve test pits were dug on the Maple Hill Road property. Results indicated that the soil was definitely unsuitable for a relatively inexpensive leach field system. If we were able to get permitting at all, it would be for a mound-based...
Septic Systems: Part TwoGFriday, September 9th, 2011 So far, the quotes we're getting from engineers to take an undeveloped piece of land through the process of soil investigation, percolation testing, land surveying, septic system design and finally, state permitting, have ranged anywhere from three...
Septic Systems: Part OneGFriday, September 9th, 2011 For the past few weeks, we've been waiting to hear if the land we're hoping to buy will support a legally permitted septic system. Mostly, this has entailed waiting around for an engineer in Vermont to make an assessment for us. In the meantime, ...
Land Hunting, Part Six: Making an OfferGWednesday, August 17th, 2011 After much deliberation, we decided to jump in head-first and make an offer on the land we found Vermont. The sellers were asking $69,000, so we offered $50,000. A day later, they countered with $63,000, and we countered their counter-offer with ...
New Morning RoutinesGTuesday, August 16th, 2011 Tyler: I started researching road bikes long before we came home, inspired by the idea of taking daily rides on bicycles that weighed about a fifth what our loaded touring rigs do. I ordered the first parts for our build almost three months ago...
Building Road BikesGWednesday, August 10th, 2011 When Tyler started talking about getting road bikes, I was dubious. We already have nice bicycles, I pointed out, unsure why exactly we needed two more. Undeterred by my doubt, he promised that we most certainly did need them, and after just one ...
Morning Mist on the Hills of OhioGMonday, August 1st, 2011 When my eyes flutter open, it's 5am, and a foggy, billowing mist has enveloped our tent. We haven't begun the day like this since Romania! With some pestering, Tyler eventually joins me in wakefulness, and with a bit more prodding, I convince him...
Ingrid & Yves in Amish CountryGSunday, July 31st, 2011 We've driven all night and all morning. Gone are the cool days of green New England, exchanged for the heat and rolling hills of rural Ohio. Windows open, driving westwards, it feels like like we're in a convection oven (our car does not have air...
Land Hunting, Part Five: The One?GSaturday, July 30th, 2011 Today is our last round of land-hunting; it is another hours-long marathon of calling realtors for information, punching distant addresses into our GPS, driving up and down winding dirt roads, and ultimately, finding disappointment. We've been to ...
Sheila, Kai, & Their Tiny HouseGFriday, July 29th, 2011 After land-hunting our way through most of western Vermont, we ended in the state's largest city, Burlington, at the home of Sheila and Kai, the thoughtful, socially-aware, and environmentally-conscious couple behind the website, 2cycle2gether. We'...
Land Hunting, Part Four: Scouring VermontGThursday, July 28th, 2011 Waving goodbye to Mike and Eliza, we take to the road with gleeful anticipation. As we drive over the Green Mountains, bound for the western valley of Vermont, I'm busy plotting a circuitous route to connect the many properties we're planning to v...
Land Hunting, Part Three: Another Map, and a PlanGThursday, July 28th, 2011 When we weren't working, leaping into rivers, sailing, or berry-picking while cat-sitting at Mike and Eliza's house, we were poring over another map, this one of a single state: Vermont. With some land-hunting experience under our belts, and our p...
Land Hunting, Part Two: Much to LearnGThursday, July 28th, 2011 It was in Ray's office that our romanticized, starry-eyed plan began it's transformation to concrete, complicated reality. In spite of all our reading and research, the list of things we didn't know about how to purchase a piece of land was still ...
Land Hunting, Part One: Finding VermontGThursday, July 28th, 2011 Earlier this month, we packed the car and hit the highway heading east on a road trip across the country. Bound for a two week stint of cat-sitting in Maine, we left nearly a week before we were scheduled to arrive. Our intent was to travel slowl...
Getting Out the Map AgainGWednesday, July 27th, 2011 If a self-sufficient lifestyle was the only goal for our next project, we could probably make do on a quarter acre of land just about anywhere. What we're really yearning for, however, is a quiet spot in the woods—a place where we can be intimatel...
Dreaming of Our New LifeGWednesday, July 27th, 2011 For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to lead a self-sufficient life. As a child, I was inspired by children's book author and illustrator Tasha Tudor. I wanted to follow in her footsteps, living off the land, growing lush gardens and caring...
Summer Day with Eliza & Mike: Part TwoGTuesday, July 26th, 2011 Hours after walking in the woods, when our berry-picking snack had worn off, we were all hungry for dinner. Tyler and I wanted to visit one of Maine's quintessential eating establishments for our final excursion, a seaside lobster shack. We'd alr...
Summer Day with Eliza & Mike: Part OneGTuesday, July 26th, 2011 Yesterday, we picked up Mike and Eliza from the Portland bus station and met our internet-friends for the first time in real life! This morning, Eliza prepared a massive breakfast of waffles and garlicy kale quiche for all of us. She'd missed bei...
The Good LifeGMonday, July 18th, 2011 Today, we were on a mission to do two things. First, check out the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, and second, visit Helen and Scott Nearing's homestead in Harborside, Maine. But before we did any of that, we rescued a very slow little turtle ...
Sailing in MaineGSaturday, July 16th, 2011 Back in February of 2009, while Tara and I were preparing to leave the country, our friend Kit was seriously considering quitting her job to enroll in a boat-building apprenticeship. While we were off pursuing our own "crazy" dreams, she abandoned...
Farm HoppingGFriday, July 15th, 2011 So far, the highlight of house-sitting in Maine has undoubtedly been our daily excursions into the surrounding countryside to buy food. There are literally a dozen (maybe more) small farms and homesteads selling fresh groceries within a few miles ...
House-Sitting in MaineGMonday, July 11th, 2011 A month or so before we returned to the US, we learned that our friends Mike and Eliza were looking for someone to take care of their cat while they went on vacation. We immediately jumped at the chance, offering to take a two week stint at the en...
Thoughts on Returning: Part TwoGFriday, July 8th, 2011 Tara: A nighttime storm is approaching and the air hangs heavy against my chest like a lead-filled x-ray apron. We're heading to town for some late-night grocery shopping. In the garage, I open the car door and squeeze behind the wheel as Tyle...
Our First Garden: Part TwoGSunday, July 3rd, 2011 After countless hours of pulling tendril after tendril of thick, white, quack grass roots from the ground, it was finally time to plant. Beginning a garden a full week after the very latest recommended planting date probably wasn't the greatest id...
Our First Garden: Part OneGSunday, July 3rd, 2011 When we arrived in Minnesota last month, we spent most of our free time in my mother's giant garden. She wasn't going to plant much of anything this year, until Tara and I offered to help. Ever since, we've been tagging along, following her lead,...
In MinnesotaGSaturday, July 2nd, 2011 I wish I could say that our homecoming in Minnesota was as wonderful as our joyful return to Illinois, but in reality, it has been extremely difficult. In fact, there is an enormous, gaping hole in my homecoming experience. For the past few month...
Speaking at the Champaign Public LibraryGSunday, June 19th, 2011 A few days ago, we cycled over to the Champaign Public Library to give a talk about our bicycle tour. Most of our preparation for the event was sorting through the photos we took during our trip. We managed to weed through something like 9,0...
Smoke & FireGFriday, June 17th, 2011 This summer, the smell of cut grass and fresh peas plucked straight from the vine has been infused with the scent of smoke. There have been quick dinners of vegetable kebabs, hot off the grill, made of the freshest possible ingredients prepared as...
Prairie Fruits FarmGTuesday, June 14th, 2011 It is unseasonably cool today, breaking a string of typically-sweltering Midwest summer afternoons. We've decided to take advantage of the inviting weather with a short bike ride. Cycling out of town, we are overcome by a familiar, contented peac...
Foraging for MulberriesGFriday, June 10th, 2011 My dad, thoughtful guy that he is, came home from a bike ride yesterday with a sketch of our neighborhood, outlining a route to the exact locations of four nearby mulberry trees, which he knew to be heavily laden with berries. Proudly presenting u...
Coming Home: TaraGTuesday, May 17th, 2011 A misty Missouri sunrise begins the last day of our journey home. We cross the Mississippi river, into my home state of Illinois, and I smile in the knowledge that we're so close. We're almost there! Everything is familiar now, as normal as it a...
There's a Whole Lotta KansasGMonday, May 16th, 2011 The only thing remotely exciting in eastern Colorado comes in the form of scraggly, twiggy tumbleweeds that roll in the wind, blowing across the plains. Once the initial thrill of them fades, we're left with wide skies, dusty little towns, and our...
Meeting Sarah and JamieGSunday, May 15th, 2011 Back when we were in a long distance relationship, when our expedition was just taking shape, and when we didn't know bicycle touring was a thing that real people did for fun, we would read touring journals aloud to each other over the phone. At t...
Morning Adventure in ColoradoGSaturday, May 14th, 2011 We've been driving in darkness for a few hours now, on the freeway towards Fort Collins. We both have the sense that we're missing out on some truly extraordinary landscapes, but if we continue at our former pace, we'll never make it home. Alongs...
Into the Wild West: Part TwoGFriday, May 13th, 2011 Back on the road, further into Utah, the Loneliest Highway is showing signs of population. Already, I'm missing the wide open spaces of Nevada. Still, the drive is scenic in its own right; the green fields have morphed into wind-sculpted cliffs a...
Into the Wild West: Part OneGFriday, May 13th, 2011 The skies are purple this morning; the world is softly lit in a dull, silvery light. I was too exhausted last night to notice, but I parked right in front of an old red barn. It is home to a lone, stubbly donkey, who is munching away in his pastu...
Nevada's Loneliest RoadGThursday, May 12th, 2011 The Nevada portion of [US-50], dubbed "The Loneliest Road in America" by travel writers and tourist boards, is one of the most compelling long-distance drives in the country—provided you find miles and miles of little more than mountains, sagebru...
Homecoming Roadtrip BeginsGThursday, May 12th, 2011 Tyler: I'm cruising down the freeway in our new car, a 2000 Honda Civic Hatchback; the windows are down, and Tara is sitting in the passenger's seat by my side, practically vibrating with excitement. She has yet to see the places through which w...
Thoughts on Returning: Part OneGWednesday, May 11th, 2011 Today marks one week since our return to America. Unsurprisingly, we're still wading through a gamut of conflicting emotions about our re-entry. At the moment, we're regularly vacillating between a feeling of being perfectly at home, and a sense ...
Tara at Chez PanisseGWednesday, May 11th, 2011 When I was little, I had a colorful children's cookbook called Fanny at Chez Panisse. It tells the story of Fanny, a seven year old girl growing up in the restaurant of her mother (renown chef and slow food activist, Alice Waters), playing in the ...
Doin' the WiggleGTuesday, May 10th, 2011 Apparently there's a way to get from Manjula's apartment in the Mission, all the way up to Golden Gate Park without having to climb a single one of San Francisco's iconically steep hills. And that way, as Manjula showed us, is a signed bicycle rou...
You Say Take AwayGMonday, May 9th, 2011 Tara's brother, Lian, is a union organizer. Today, Tara and I joined him during one of his outings: a quick visit to a neighboring union's strike. On a corner across the street from their hospital, a group of nursing professionals calmly held sig...
Highway OneGMonday, May 9th, 2011 My brother has taken the day off so we can spend the afternoon driving up the California coast on scenic Highway One. We definitely aren't used to traveling at more than a snail's pace yet— Tyler and I are both reeling, feeling heavy, head-achy an...
Sunday Streets in San Francisco: Part TwoGSunday, May 8th, 2011 Now sporting quite the entourage, we meandered around a corner and stumbled upon a collection of tricked-out low-riders, decked out with all kinds of hydraulics and air bags! On a nearby stoop, a stereo connected to a long extension cord was belti...
Sunday Streets in San Francisco: Part OneGSunday, May 8th, 2011 On a bright Sunday morning, we headed across the Bay to San Francisco's Mission District for brunch with Lian's friends, Max and Manjula. Though we'd never officially met them, we'd been in contact for quite awhile (and felt like long-lost pals af...
A Day in The BayGThursday, May 5th, 2011 The blindingly bright sun shines as we zoom down the freeway, out of the airport and into the world. It feels like we're traveling at light speed, but a quick glance at the speedometer indicates that my brother is actually traveling about 50mph as...
California I'm Comin' HomeGThursday, May 5th, 2011 Tara: Tyler is asleep next to me, and next to him, a man snoozes, his head against a plane window sparkling with lacy ice crystals. In the aisle to my right, perfectly coiffed flight attendants in their smart uniforms are beginning to rustle aro...
The EndGThursday, May 5th, 2011 As we snuggle in darkness, on a plane, somewhere high above the ocean, the enormity of what lies ahead is just beginning to sink in. When we awaken tomorrow morning and descend into San Francisco, our two-person "Going Slowly" bubble will burst. ...
This is JesseGWednesday, May 4th, 2011 Jesse: It was a funny moment when I realized that Tara and Tyler would start their journey back to the States on the same flight as me. Their two-plus years traveling together has taken them through experiences and landscapes I have only glimps...
Music for AirportsGTuesday, May 3rd, 2011 As I sit here in the florescent, mechanized, automized hub of all things coming and going, Tyler sleeps on a cold metal bench, the tips of his toes brushing against my legs. Waiting for the check-in desk to open, I plug in my headphones, put my mp...
Packed Up, Ready to GoGTuesday, May 3rd, 2011 Yesterday, Tyler disassembled the bikes in the lobby of our guest-house (with a cute little audience) and then joined me to clean the parts in the alleyway between Shanti Lodge and the next building over. It took several hours and most of the gaso...
Passport FoundGSunday, May 1st, 2011 Tyler is Skyping with his mom when we receive a knock on the door. Strange, who in the world could that be? I open it up, and our guest turns out to be one of the meek and smiley women who works here. She beckons me downstairs with a bow and a "...
Passport LostGSunday, May 1st, 2011 11:30 AM / Tyler We're checking in at the reception desk of a dermatologist's office (an appointment to have some questionable moles evaluated—healthcare is cheap in Bangkok), and I am happy in the knowledge that this is the last major errand of ...
The Neither Authoritative Nor Concise Guide to Riding Bikes in Southeast AsiaGSaturday, April 30th, 2011 A few weeks ago, Tara and I had the pleasure of meeting Melanie Swanson, a cycle tourist from Washington on a one-year, 'round-the-world bicycle tour. When we met in the lobby of our guesthouse, she had just completed a loop of Southeast Asia, d...
Being Social in BangkokGFriday, April 29th, 2011 When we decided to spend two months in Bangkok finishing our journals, we imagined we'd be holed up like a pair of recluses for the duration. That has been the case for the majority of our stay, but we haven't been nearly as isolated as we thought...
Cooped UpGTuesday, April 19th, 2011 We're entering our sixth week of 80+ hour-a-week writing. These days our bed (where we do most of our work) feels more like a life-raft trapped in the middle of the ocean than a place to sleep. Our daily routine is slowly driving us crazy—it feel...
Eccentric WritersGTuesday, April 5th, 2011 We're starting to learn where the stereotype for the eccentric writer comes from. After typing non-stop every day for nearly a month, we have begun to develop a very idiosyncratic schedule in order to keep the words flowing. Everything must be "j...
Jim Thompson's House with Katy LoveGWednesday, March 23rd, 2011 After Guy and Freddie hit the road, a dear friend, one of my brother's best pals from high school, found herself in Bangkok on an intensive training session for her job as a natural disaster first responder. With indoor courses from morning till n...
Writing in BangkokGMonday, March 21st, 2011 As light filters through our windows, and roosters crow over the sound of scooters buzzing past our little dead-end road—another day of our new life has begun. We are no longer concerned about when check-out is, or how long we'll have to pack our ...
May Kaidee's Cooking SchoolGThursday, March 17th, 2011 When Freddie mentioned she was hoping to register for a vegetarian/vegan Thai cooking class at the well-known (in the tourist world) May Kaidee Cooking School, it took approximately two milliseconds for me to decide I wanted to come with. So, Fred...
Surprise: It's Freddie and Guy!GTuesday, March 15th, 2011 The morning we arrived in Bangkok, we spent most of the day "tending to the chaos", busily writing and editing photos in Shanti Lodge's restaurant while we waited to check into our hotel room (it was occupied until check-out time). In the midst o...
Bussing to BangkokGWednesday, March 9th, 2011 Before heading out of town this morning, we stop at Natalie's Kitchen to have one last meal with Unit and Lemon. After breakfast and snuggling session with a warm, sleepy, sweet-smelling, brown-eyed baby boy, it's time to go. Bidding the pair goo...
Updates from CaliforniaGTuesday, March 8th, 2011 We landed in San Francisco a few days ago, and have been hanging out with Tara's brother Lian ever since. Everything is a little overwhelming at the moment, and we're definitely experiencing culture shock, but we're also having loads of fun with f...
Lemon and UnitGMonday, March 7th, 2011 For the last few months, we've been eschewing some of our culinary exploration in favor of the comfort and normalcy of a routine. When we take more than one or two rest days in a row, we tend to find a restaurant we like, and then eat there for mo...
Photos from SavannakhetGSunday, March 6th, 2011 Savannakhet is a sleepy city, with a historic center of crumbling old French Colonial buildings. There isn't much to it really; the place feels a bit vacant, but we're enjoying walking around, admiring the picturesque oldness of it all, meeting th...
The Last RideGSaturday, March 5th, 2011 We leave our bungalow this morning, at peace with the fact that we're embarking on the last real riding day of this adventure. Though I've already learned my lesson, I still find myself thinking that today should be special somehow, infused with s...
Happily Nearing the EndGFriday, March 4th, 2011 I'm feeling quiet and introspective as we prepare to leave, on this, our second-to-last day of cycling. It is a morning like any other, filled with tasks we've performed hundreds of times. As I mentally run through our morning checklist without e...
Lao Fruit SmoothiesGThursday, March 3rd, 2011 Tara is obsessed with juice. Here in Laos, her addiction has taken the form of blended ice-and-fruit(flavored)-smoothies. In every village we pass through, no matter what the size, she usually manages to spy the telltale signs of her next fix. A...
ThakekGWednesday, March 2nd, 2011 We're taking a rest day in Thakek. While the pictures don't really convey it, this town has a weird, almost haunted air about it. We thought it was all in our heads, until we read our guidebook's entry about the village—the author mentions the sa...
Race Against the SunGTuesday, March 1st, 2011 The world is cloaked in quiet darkness as we roll out of bed at 4AM. I haven't been up this early since my bakery days! While the rest of humanity sleeps, we wheel our bikes into the entryway of our motel; florescent bulbs flicker, illuminating t...
It Burns Us!GMonday, February 28th, 2011 Tyler: In order to avoid the overpowering, all-consuming Southeast Asian heat, we've taken to rising much earlier. It's 7AM when we pedal out of our hotel this morning—the sun is beginning to rise in a red, smoky way that evokes memories of our ...
Fishy Snacks & Bumper CarsGSunday, February 27th, 2011 Tara: The sun is back this morning as we take to the road, following the Mekong along the sleepy roads of Laos. Though the fiery orb overhead is out in full force today, our ride is breezy, flat, and considerably more scenic than yesterday. Bri...
Flat & QuietGSaturday, February 26th, 2011 Cool grey skies greet us this early morning in Vientiane. It is five thirty AM and all is quiet save for the occasional person on the street sweeping, or preparing their food stall for business. For the last few weeks, the weather has been positi...
Taking it for GrantedGFriday, February 25th, 2011 A couple of days ago, our friends left Laos, heading back to Thailand to prepare for their journey home. Today, an email arrived in our inboxes from Natasha, telling us how much they miss it here. They're finding the busy, touristed streets of Ba...
Homeward Bound: Part FourGThursday, February 24th, 2011 I used to imagine the end of this trip would have some kind of finish line, some banner that read "The End!" When we crossed under it, I would feel elated, ecstatic and prouder than I've ever felt. Our families would be there cheering, we'd get s...
Homeward Bound: Part ThreeGWednesday, February 23rd, 2011 As we reflect on recent weeks, we've come to realize that (except during our time with Pete and Natasha), our overwhelming sensation has been one of fatigue. We've found it telling to recall that, quite often, we've been more invigorated by the di...
Homeward Bound: Part TwoGTuesday, February 22nd, 2011 For the last several years, both as we prepared and traveled, when we felt down or wanted to quit, we've been encouraged by one of Tyler's favorite mottos: Life is not about what you want now, it is about what you said you would do. Really, if we ...
Happy Twenty Seventh Birthday, Tyler!GMonday, February 21st, 2011 I know you don't give a rat's arse about your own birthday, so I'll make this short and sweet. I love you! ...
Homeward Bound: Part OneGSunday, February 20th, 2011 It seems that the nearer we draw to the close of this trip, the harder we're finding it to stay positive about the normal ebb and flow of traveling. We are aware of our shortening patience, so we've been making a concerted effort (even more than u...
Life in VientianeGSaturday, February 19th, 2011 Vientiane feels more like a slightly large and modern village than a nation's capital. In spite of it's sizable (relatively speaking, here) population of two hundred some thousand inhabitants, the city retains that pleasant, poky vibe we've come t...
To VientianeGFriday, February 18th, 2011 It's a flat day of riding, a quick and easy 70 kilometer jaunt to the capital of Laos. Gone are the mountains that once stood in our way, but unfortunately so too are the little villages that beguiled us so. Here, in the mighty Mekong river valle...
It Takes a VillageGWednesday, February 16th, 2011 Below are excerpts of our friend Natasha's heartwarming journal entry about meeting Lao children. I feel as though I am missing that maternalistic gene that most women my age seem to possess. I do adore my niece and nephew. I have a few clo...
Working in Vang ViengGTuesday, February 15th, 2011 Today, we watched a guy fall out of a tuk-tuk because he was so high and/or wasted he couldn't control his body. Then, some of his friends (in a similar stupor) staggeringly dragged him and themselves across the street to their hotel. Elsewhere i...
Downhill All the WayGMonday, February 14th, 2011 Tyler: As we exuberantly freewheel down the mountain we've spent the last two days climbing, we spot a cyclist on the other side of the road, huffing and puffing his way up in the opposite direction. As always, we stop to chat, sharing informat...
Misty Morning GMonday, February 14th, 2011 A chill wind whips through the streets this morning, carrying with it a white mist that swirls and eddies about our feet like the slinking of a cat. Overnight, the dusty market town of Phou Koun has been cloaked in a thick fog that is so dense in ...
Up, Up and OutGSunday, February 13th, 2011 After a fried rice and fried noodle breakfast this morning, during which a very pregnant mama kitty yowls non-stop at us for food (we obliged), we hop on our bikes to ride out of town. Just like it was the day before yesterday, this road, dubbed b...
Samson Zoom H4n: Review & RepairGSaturday, February 12th, 2011 In January of 2010, I bought my first sound recorder: a Samson Zoom H4n. At the time, I knew essentially nothing about field recording—I selected the device based on the recommendation of several musician friends. I didn't think of it at the time...
The Big Climb: Part ThreeGFriday, February 11th, 2011 7:30 PM / Tara » 73km ridden » 1955m climbed » 1325m elevation The velvet black sky above us is strewn liberally with stars, all twinkling and dancing like diamonds around a brilliant crescent moon. The cool darkness of night is the ultimate com...
The Big Climb: Part TwoGFriday, February 11th, 2011 3:00 PM / Tara » 60km ridden » 1230m climbed » 600m elevation Every second of this climb is full and rich with experience. My emotions swing wildly from pure joy at the slightest breeze, to complete hopelessness and despair at the screams coming...
The Big Climb: Part OneGFriday, February 11th, 2011 4:30 AM / Tyler » 0km ridden » 0m climbed » 300m elevation The alarm sounds, it's shrill, infernal beeps rending my cocoon of sleep asunder. As the pitch black of early morning seeps into my consciousness, I am disoriented and confused. I only ...
Climbing PrepGThursday, February 10th, 2011 A few days ago, we rode motorcycles north from Phou Khoun to Luang Prabang. The mountainous north/south highway we took is also on our cycling route. Tomorrow, we'll be retracing some of our steps, as we head south on the same road towards Vienti...
Morning KittyGWednesday, February 9th, 2011 Yesterday, we said goodbye to Pete and Natasha; but not forever. As it should happen, they'll arrive in Vientiane around the same time we do. We have one more rendezvous left! In their absence, they've asked us to feed the cat who has visited th...
Satellite Internet: BGAN Explorer 110 ReviewGTuesday, February 8th, 2011 Background Before we left on this adventure, I made a commitment to my clients that their level of support wouldn't change while I was abroad. I bought our BGAN Explorer 110 from Globalcom in October of 2009, just before we went to Tunisia, thin...
Luang Prabang, A Few PhotosGMonday, February 7th, 2011 Back in Luang Prabang after a whirlwind week of motorcycling, we're spending some time resting, journaling, and hanging out with Pete & Natasha before we part ways. Here are some from photos from our time in "second largest city of Laos", one ...
The End of the RoadGSunday, February 6th, 2011 Today, as we pack our motorcycle one last time, ready to embark on a final day of adventuring with Pete and Natasha, I'm feeling quiet and introspective. As we ride, I'm appreciating the beautiful mountain scenery, grateful for the adventure we're...
Dinner on the Wild SideGSaturday, February 5th, 2011 It is much later in the evening when we venture into town for dinner. It seems we've waited a bit too long, as everything is closed—except one dimly lit wooden shack. While inspecting the buffet dishes outside, I notice the plate of deep fried ra...
Riding With Flags & Walking With MachetesGSaturday, February 5th, 2011 When I was a kid, we would go on camping trips every summer with my Dad. We'd leave for a week or two at a time, and we'd pull our kit on an over-loaded snowmobile trailer behind a maroon Nissan Maxima. My Dad was really proud of his increasingly...
Big Old JarsGSaturday, February 5th, 2011 After my riding lesson yesterday, Tyler took the helm, and we kicked it down all the way to the large-ish town of Phonsavan, which is famous for its Plain of Jars. If the description in our guidebook's list of "things not to miss" is right, the at...
Learning to Ride a Motorcycle in LaosGFriday, February 4th, 2011 With a twist of the wrist, I jolt suddenly backwards, certain that the motorcycle beneath me is about to go screaming forward, throwing me off like a bucking bronco. Terrified, I release the throttle and come to a jarring halt, lurching forward, h...
A Thousand VillagesGThursday, February 3rd, 2011 The longer we spend in the cool, verdant mountains of northern Laos, the more deeply in love with them I fall. I relish the twists of the curvy mountain roads, and I savor the feel of my body hugged against Tyler's back as we lean in sync, in harm...
Riding on the Rooftops of IndochinaGThursday, February 3rd, 2011 If I only had one week to spend in Southeast Asia, it would be here, in the mountains of northern Laos on a motorcycle. If someone asked me a month ago what I thought about riding here, I wouldn't have had much to say beyond "sounds fun!" Now, I ...
Down the RiverGWednesday, February 2nd, 2011 A cacophony of cock-a-doodle-doos rouse me from my slumber at 7AM this morning. While everyone else is sleeping through the racket, I throw on some clothes to go for a walk, heading towards the pier to ask what time the boat leaves. As I stroll a...
Cave Hunting Again: Success!GTuesday, February 1st, 2011 While Natasha and Tara are hanging out in town, Pete and I have walked to the end of the village's only dirt road, and turned off into the the fields in search of a nearby cave. After numerous failed attemps at cave-hunting, my hopes aren't very h...
Afternoon in Muang NgoiGTuesday, February 1st, 2011 After lazing in our hammocks and editing photos for a few hours, we're all hungry, ready to set off down Muang Ngoi's lone dirt road in search of food. There are plenty of options, as it turns out the village is sort of touristy—we decide on an In...
Boat To Muang NgoiGTuesday, February 1st, 2011 Bisected by a clear blue river and a smattering of colorful boats, flanked on either size by resplendent emerald mountains, Nong Khiaw boasts some of the most striking landscapes we've seen anywhere. It is hard to believe, but we're told the scene...
Cold StartGMonday, January 31st, 2011 Tyler gently shakes me awake when the skies are light enough to ride by. He and Pete have been up tending to our fire—without which sleeping would have been impossible. It's bright and early, six thirty to be exact, and it's time to hit the road....
Freezing in a Bamboo ShackGSunday, January 30th, 2011 Tara: "Tyler," I whisper, trying not to wake our friends. "I can't feel my toes. Let me in!" I'm trying to squirm my way under his legs for warmth, but he's enviably asleep and his leaden body refuses to budge. I let out a huge sigh and stare...
Wild Camping With FriendsGSunday, January 30th, 2011 A golden sun is sinking fast behind the mountains, urging us onwards in our futile attempt to reach the highway before dark. At the crossroads we're looking for, where dirt meets pavement, there is sure to be a guest-house. But the road ahead is ...
Dirt Tracks to NowhereGSunday, January 30th, 2011 Tara: Brilliant blue skies stretch out above us, more heavenly than any magnificent cathedral's dome. The scent of woodsmoke (one of my favorite smells) drifts through the air, and I am filled with happiness, hugging Tyler as he pilots our moto...
Motorized, AgainGSunday, January 30th, 2011 I had trouble falling asleep last night. I must have lain in bed for three hours staring at the ceiling, thinking about riding motorcycles, feeling for all the world like a kid on Christmas Eve. I don't remember when I finally drifted off, but it...
Resting in Luang Prabang, Sort OfGSaturday, January 29th, 2011 The last three days have been intense. They kicked off with a truly awful ride through Hanoi, which lead directly into a nauseating and exhausting twenty-eight hour bus trek through the mountains of Vietnam and Laos. Immediately after, ready to...
Welcome to Laos, Part Three: Music & PetangGFriday, January 28th, 2011 Tyler: After the goat feast, the festivities continue with music and games. Behind our table is a long strip of dirt where men gather for a petang match, one of Lao's favorite past-times. It's a holdover from French colonization, known there as...
Welcome to Laos, Part Two: The Goat FeastGFriday, January 28th, 2011 When the soccer game is over, it's time for the feast! This party is special because our hosts are serving numerous traditional but rarely eaten dishes, all made from a single, freshly-slaughtered goat. We're honored to be included in the festivi...
Welcome to Laos, Part One: A Soccer GameGFriday, January 28th, 2011 Tyler: Bleary eyed and delirious with fatigue, after a full day (and then some) of bus riding, with barely a night's sleep between us, we carve ourselves out of bed this morning to join our friends. As we stumble around, fumbling to find shoes a...
A Very Long Bus Ride: Part FourGThursday, January 27th, 2011 4:45 PM / Tara I feel like Frankenstein's monster, stumbling around groaning as I leave the bus during one of our many rest stops. My brain hurts and my stomach feels like death, but I find hope in the fact that we're almost there. While stopp...
A Very Long Bus Ride: Part ThreeGThursday, January 27th, 2011 10:00 AM Our trek through Laos begins with a stop at a roadside restaurant for a noodle soup breakfast. Back in the open kitchen where we place our order, a woman and a girl dish bowls of the de-facto meal, while a mama cat and her scraggly kit...
A Very Long Bus Ride: Part TwoGThursday, January 27th, 2011 7:00 AM A dull light hits my eyelids, rousing me from my restless sleep. One night down, one day to go. Outside, the world is all steely grey skies and foggy mountain villages. For a brief moment, I regret taking the bus just a little. This ...
A Very Long Bus Ride: Part OneGWednesday, January 26th, 2011 We've hardly been on the road an hour when our bus executes a wide left turn into a roadside restaurant parking lot. Lit up like a beacon in the night, the place has drawn a herd of giant coaches just like ours. They've all stopped here to fuel t...
Surprise!GTuesday, January 25th, 2011 I have a present for you! I think you're going to like it. Do you how I know? Because it's awesome and dorky, just like you! Can you guess what it is? No? That's okay. Are you ready to open it? Here it is: psst: you h...
Done WafflingGTuesday, January 25th, 2011 With one week left on our visa, the question of what to do with the last of our time in Vietnam is looming. Normally, we stay in a country as long as we can, soaking up as much as possible. The thought of leaving early and "wasting" an entire wee...
Bus-Lagged and WearyGMonday, January 24th, 2011 I feel like a zombie this morning, bus-lagged and altogether weary. I've been drained by Vietnam's non-stop barrage of stimuli, and now find myself overwhelmed by the prospect of exploring her sprawling capital. We've just ridden eight hours to r...
On the Bus AgainGSunday, January 23rd, 2011 Tyler: After some long discussions and lots of hypothetical mapping, we've decided to catch another bus. This time, we're headed all the way to Hanoi. While we could likely ride there before our visas run out, it wouldn't leave us much time to ...
A Walk in HuếGSaturday, January 22nd, 2011 It's another somber day in Huế, a perpetual dusk of sinister silver skies and drenching rain that comes in fits and starts. During a brief lull in the foggy drizzle, we leave our cozy hotel room and start a sightseeing tour, walking towards the hi...
Where to?GFriday, January 21st, 2011 It's another grey day; rain pelts at the windows, and outside on our little balcony, all of the gritty, dirty clothes we hung out to dry are no doubt soaked through. Neither of us can be bothered to look, much less deal with them. We're staying i...
Mizzle-y DayGThursday, January 20th, 2011 Mizzle is a term used in Devon and Cornwall for a combination of fine drenching drizzle… …it is known for being capable of soaking you in a matter of minutes, and the feeling is best described as if one would stand under a Fire Brigade fine n...
Hai Van PassGWednesday, January 19th, 2011 Tara: On this trip, we've observed more times than we can count that hungry cyclists are two year olds, who cannot be trusted to make good choices. In a prime example of this truth, Tyler rejects the idea of turning around to find food after our...
A Puppy On A Bed of SilkGTuesday, January 18th, 2011 I met a puppy today, curled up in the arms of a little Vietnamese girl. They were stationed at the entrance of a grand Chinese meeting house, ready to welcome guests inside. The hall itself was okay, but by the time I got there, I was over t...
Art TeaGTuesday, January 18th, 2011 With Tyler hard at work in our hotel room, I've bundled up for an afternoon of solo sightseeing. It's my favorite kind of weather for photographing old, aging places: grey and cloudy, not quite raining, but with a slight dreariness that throws int...
Hội An Lantern Festival: Part TwoGMonday, January 17th, 2011 In a small cobbled park, situated between a pair of buildings in Hoi An's old town, a crowd has gathered. People shout and laugh raucously, while a man announces something in Vietnamese through a car-battery-powered PA. As we work our way through...
Hội An Lantern Festival: Part OneGMonday, January 17th, 2011 Every fourteenth day of the lunar calendar, Hoi An puts the complications of modern life to rest in favor of a romantic, nostalgic celebration of a quieter era. Once a month, instead of playing host to noisy scooters, the old quarter is reserved f...
TailoredGSunday, January 16th, 2011 There is only one thing more ubiquitous than the colorful lanterns hanging everywhere in Hội An: tailors. Every second building in the old town is a shop overflowing with fabric, just waiting to be hand-crafted into a one-of-a-kind garment. In fr...
Nightfall in Lantern CityGSaturday, January 15th, 2011 From its famous Japanese covered bridge: …to the smattering of lanterns everywhere: …and candle-lit food stalls overlooking the river: This town is almost too quaint and colorful to be real. Hội An is like some kind of Disney v...
Street Food in the RainGSaturday, January 15th, 2011 Under heavy gray skies, a steady drizzle bounces off the conical rice hat of a roadside chef—she is sitting in front of a cauldronful of embers and ash, tending to an array of pork skewers. As we take a seat next to her, she turns them one by one,...
Sightseeing in Historic Hội AnGSaturday, January 15th, 2011 It is grey, drizzly and downright cold outside this morning, but the weather suits me just fine; the somber mood it brings about lends even more character to the ambiance of this already atmospheric town. In order to explore the history-steep...
All Alone in Hội AnGFriday, January 14th, 2011 For the last two years, every time we've made friends with anyone, we've had to part ways almost immediately afterwards. In fact, before Pete and Natasha, we'd only twice had the good fortune of being able to spend more time with the cool people we...
My Kind of TownGThursday, January 13th, 2011 As we stroll around town, talking, laughing with our friends, and getting caught up on the last few days since we hung out in Da Lat, it is quickly becoming apparent to me that I am going to feel right at home in Hội An. It's my kind of town, seem...
Arriving in Hội AnGThursday, January 13th, 2011 Gritty and dim, under an overcast early morning sky, we've arrived at just the right time to witness this historical town coming to life. On narrow streets filled with dark wooden homes, we cycle into the heart of Hội An; a living, breathing relic...
A Night on the Space BusGWednesday, January 12th, 2011 A few days ago, we came to the realization that cycling the entire length of Vietnam was not only unappealing to us, thanks to the non-stop traffic, but also infeasible due to the duration of our visas. So, having made it to the coast as planned, ...
I Want to Go ItalyGTuesday, January 11th, 2011 When we were in Tunisia, barreling down the road towards Douz in a louage, we shared our van with a cute pair of Italian guys who had flown over for a week's vacation on a whim. Lorenzo and Giovanni, fresh off the plane from Milano, knew little to...
Down the Misty MountainGMonday, January 10th, 2011 Tyler: As we round the bend of our last (uphill) switchback this morning, we're greeted by an ethereal vision in the distance: a swirl of fast-moving white fog drifting across the road. As we approach the hanging mist, the chill clouds rush arou...
Morning in a Mountain VillageGMonday, January 10th, 2011 I'm not sure how early it is, but I'm ready to go. As I clumsily dislodge myself from the hammock, all knees and elbows, I leave Tara curled up like a burrito in the netting, dead to the world. After I've padded around camp gathering twigs for a ...
A Long Cold NightGSunday, January 9th, 2011 As the sun sinks into the horizon, coloring the sky a rusty shady of red, the temperature plummets with alarming speed. Crap. Why oh why did we send home our tent, and why oh why did I just send home our long underwear as well? Just a few days a...
Free Camping AgainGSunday, January 9th, 2011 Pedaling away from the tiny mountain shop, we round yet another bend, revealing a foreboding indication of more climbing: there is another wide, sweeping curve of a switchback before us. Well, I guess that little village wasn't at the top after al...
It's All Downhill From HereGSunday, January 9th, 2011 We're mentally prepared for an easy day of coasting, excited to reap the rewards of our labor. But as we cycle out of town, a freakishly steep hill looms before us, and I am caught off guard. I thought we were leaving the mountains—why are we sti...
Motorbike to the FallsGSaturday, January 8th, 2011 At the behest of Pete and Natasha, we've rented a motorbike this afternoon. They did a loop in the mountains around Da Lat a few days ago, and hearing their story convinced us we should head out for an adventure of our own. This will be the secon...
Trying BetelGFriday, January 7th, 2011 In Vietnamese there is a saying that "the betel begins the conversation", referring to the practice of people chewing betel in formal occasions or "to break the ice" in awkward situations. Wikipedia, Betel Before we arrived in Bangkok to...
Hằng Nga Hotel: Da Lat's Crazy HouseGFriday, January 7th, 2011 Hằng Nga guest-house, more affectionately known as Da Lat's "Crazy House" is a totally bizarro hotel designed by the Vietnamese architect Dang Viet Nga. She built it after receiving her PhD from the University of Moscow, and being heavily influenc...
Da Lat Market FunGThursday, January 6th, 2011 This morning, in a slumberous daze, my flickering eyelids open, and I find myself face to face with a stunning view. A raging sky of fiery orange and bruised purple obliterates the last remnants of my sleepiness, luring me out of bed and onto our ...
Our Process: Automation: Journal PhotosGWednesday, January 5th, 2011 This entry is part of an ongoing series about how we've documented our adventure. As of this writing, our journal contains approximately eight thousand photos, distributed over eight hundred and five published entries. We store this ever gro...
Working in Da LatGTuesday, January 4th, 2011 Yesterday, after a windy ride up our eight hundred meter climb into Da Lat, we were spared a long, drawn out hunt for accommodation. Just a few minutes after arriving in the city, we hit the lodging jackpot: Le Phoung Hotel, a new construction rig...
Climbing to Da LatGMonday, January 3rd, 2011 Stepping out of our guest-house, the chill bite of an early morning wind blows in our faces, sending up an army of goosebumps. Our exhaled breath is white like cigarette smoke, and this means one thing: we've finally left early enough so to have s...
Coffee CountryGSunday, January 2nd, 2011 The ride out of Bao Loc this morning is a lovely one. Instead of starting the day with switchbacky mountain climbs, the early part of our route is full of easy rolling hills. As we pedal through the winding picturesque scenery of coffee plantatio...
Happy New YearGSaturday, January 1st, 2011 I love ringing in the New Year. Not so much for the booze and parties, but more as a set time to reflect on my life, and make sure I'm heading in a direction that is meaningful to me. Tyler, on the other hand, is pretty irreverent about holidays ...
Climbing to New Year's EveGFriday, December 31st, 2010 Figuring out what the problem is, and making a plan to do something about it helps a lot, but at the moment, there's not much we can do to execute our solution. For the time being, we'll just muscle on, grinning and bearing it, even as we're passe...
What's WrongGFriday, December 31st, 2010 If we were toddlers, we would be dragging our feet, whining "I don't WANNA!" this morning. Since we're all grown up, we seethe quietly instead, and force ourselves out for another ride. As the day progresses, our inner toddlers win out just a lit...
On Noise & NatureGThursday, December 30th, 2010 Being on the road today felt more like a chore than a grand adventure. Keeping my sour mood in check was a grim mental battle, and it was a fight which I found myself losing for the majority of our ride. I feel like a broken record complaining ab...
Armpits & BrothelsGWednesday, December 29th, 2010 Visa extensions in hand, we're finally ready to leave Ho Chi Minh City. After nine days of waiting, we're feeling fresh and ready to explore once more. Unfortunately, very little about this day turns out to be enjoyable, as Vietnam boasts the mos...
Day One Without CoffeeGTuesday, December 28th, 2010 Before this trip, neither of us liked coffee all that much. Actually, we had a mild disdain for the stuff, mostly centered around the fear of becoming dependent on a substance for something as basic as waking up in the morning. In spite of oursel...
Vietnamese FuneralGSunday, December 26th, 2010 It sounds like a brass band is playing inside our room. The horn section is so eye-poppingly loud that the musicians could very well be hiding in our mini fridge, or playing from the shower stall. A flick of the curtains reveals a band on the all...
Ho Chi Minh City's Taste of the World FestivalGSunday, December 26th, 2010 Exhausted from our Củ Chi tunnel adventure (mostly tired out from the ride there and back), we're enjoying some peace and quiet in our hotel room. By the time night falls, the noise of a party outside is clearly audible in our room. We're not ...
Riding a Motorbike in Ho Chi Minh CityGSunday, December 26th, 2010 Our destination for today is the Củ Chi tunnels, an elaborate network of underground Vietcong hideouts, used heavily in the War of American Aggression. There are two sites open to visitors: the first is about 50km north of the city, easily accessi...
A Skype ChristmasGSaturday, December 25th, 2010 Pleasantly full from dinner, and feeling joyful about our unexpected visitors, we come home to our hotel room with a renewed sense of peace. At last, it's late enough for our families to be awake (we're twelve hours apart). Now we can call them o...
A Christmas Dinner SurpriseGSaturday, December 25th, 2010 Back in our quiet, sterile hotel room, we're feeling positively alone and bleak about the state of the world. As we're busy entertaining comforting fantasies of flying home to be with family, imagining ourselves knocking at our parents' doors, sho...
On Family: The Cost of AdventureGSaturday, December 25th, 2010 There is a price to be paid for following our dreams. This morning, while our loved ones halfway around the world are tucked into their beds, sleeping on the night before Christmas, a quiet melancholy has swept over our little hotel room. Righ...
Our Process: Google Maps & GPS TracksGFriday, December 24th, 2010 This entry is part of an ongoing series about how we've documented our adventure. Throughout our trip, I have saved our GPS tracks nightly. My plan to maintain one unbroken line, showing every road we've ridden for the entirety of our advent...
Our Process: Automation & the GSDBGThursday, December 23rd, 2010 This entry is part of an ongoing series about how we've documented our adventure. When we left on this trip, neither of us had an inkling that we'd be documenting our adventure in such exhaustive detail. The original idea was simple: a flick...
Hein and LuangGWednesday, December 22nd, 2010 We've been loving the variety of Western food available in the city. Our favorite for the last few days has been a red-and-white decorated pizza and salad bar buffet, called Pepperonis. There is bad pop music pumping into the bright and cheery es...
Slowing DownGTuesday, December 21st, 2010 Early in our adventure, a break for more than a day or two gave us cabin fever. We traveled slowly but consistently, with a momentum to "get there" to keep us going. But these days, we're feeling like we "got there", we've arrived, and if we like...
Saigon's AlleysGMonday, December 20th, 2010 There is a second city hidden inside District 1 of Saigon; it is an extensive network of back alleys, twisting narrowly behind and between the borough's buildings. This sprawling microcosm is home to hundreds of people, businesses, and restaurants...
Into Ho Chi Minh CityGSunday, December 19th, 2010 Today, we'll be cycling into the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, and this morning, we'll have to face the grating music: it's highway time. The traffic-free rice paddy paths we've enjoyed for the last two days can't get us there. Procrastinating the i...
Riding in Rice PaddiesGSaturday, December 18th, 2010 Tyler: Along the highways in the Mekong Delta, often less than a hundred meters from the road, there are peaceful dirt and gravel paths carving through the quiet villages of Southern Vietnam. Winding through tranquil palm forests, striking rice ...
Language Lessons & Boiled ChickenGFriday, December 17th, 2010 Finding food at the late hour of 9PM is proving to be difficult in this small, Mekong Delta town (of which we don't even know the name). After a thrilling day of engaging cycling, we are overtired and very hungry, trudging around town, searching f...
Mekong Delta Bike PathsGFriday, December 17th, 2010 Bolstered by a colorful market experience, and a steady succession of friendly smiles from local cyclists, we're having a spectacular morning. But, after less than twenty kilometers on the road, the excruciating off-key symphony of Vietnam's horn-...
Vietnamese Market MorningGFriday, December 17th, 2010 Tyler: This morning, determined to keep a positive attitude, we take to the teeming roads of Vietnam once more. Now mentally prepared to let the chaos wash over us, the constant dance of dodging people and oncoming traffic is actually pretty fun...
Working in Sa DecGWednesday, December 15th, 2010 We wake up this morning with zero desire to travel. A peek outside reveals a grey sky with 100% chance of heavy showers. On a more positive note, we really like our hotel room, and the great restraunt across the street. Since we're having such a...
Culture ShockGTuesday, December 14th, 2010 Tyler: It is 8AM. We are in the middle of packing our panniers and ferrying them to the lobby, when two women march through the door of our room. One of them, carrying a cleaning bucket and looking annoyed, waves a hand in Tara's face, fanning ...
Far From Home: Part OneGMonday, December 13th, 2010 Tyler: The day begins with an early morning departure from our beachside bungalow, and a speedy ride across the island to the port. The ferry back is mercifully smoother and faster than the one in, and we are grateful to avoid another bout of se...
The Food Game: Fruits of Southeast AsiaGSunday, December 12th, 2010 Yesterday evening, after our squid fishing excursion, we walked home by way of the night market. On display were the heaps and heaps of colorful fresh fruit that we've come to know and expect in Southeast Asia. I realized, as I bought a red ...
Squid FishingGSaturday, December 11th, 2010 Fishing boats are a ubiquitous sight on the beaches of Phú Quốc. During the day, they're either anchored just off shore, or packed in the harbor. The rag-tag fleet of colorful, hand-built vessels take to the water almost every night. In the proc...
Dinner at Le DeauvilleGFriday, December 10th, 2010 Hours after our island ride comes to an end, after several journals are written, we're beginning to feel the pangs of hunger. So, in a totally cliché romantic move, we go for a long walk on the beach which ends at Le Deauville restaurant. We'...
Peaceful Ride on Phú QuốcGFriday, December 10th, 2010 Tyler: The sound of waves lapping against the shore rings in another sleepy morning at our beach side bungalow. As the sun rises, we slowly rouse ourselves from a deep slumber, gently awakened by the warm light filtering in through the bamboo sl...
Phú Quốc Fish SauceGThursday, December 9th, 2010 We've heard that Phú Quốc island produces the highest quality fish sauce in the world, so we've decided to pay a visit to the nearby Hung Thinh fermentation plant. Our maps of the surrounding area are very poor, and we're not sure exactly where it...
Postcards from ParadiseGThursday, December 9th, 2010 This is the first entry in a series of e-postcards for our friends and family. Hovering on the cards makes them flip over, showing the picture on the other side. It'll work, but it won't look cool in Internet Explorer (the worst browser ever), so...
Morning LightGWednesday, December 8th, 2010 As if the quiet, empty beaches, and crystal blue water of Phú Quốc aren't captivating enough, we awaken to find that our simple bungalow and the mosquito net around our bed have been transformed into this: Good morning, magical fairy land! ...
Ferry to Phú QuốcGTuesday, December 7th, 2010 "Your passports, your passports!" the man shouts, speeding over to us on his scooter. We're loading our bikes on the ferry to Phú Quốc, heaving them over a railing at the front of the boat, but I turn around to see him approach, lifting his helmet...
Vietnamese FoodGSunday, December 5th, 2010 I had inkings that Vietnam might deliver some stellar eating, especially after we spent a few days with my friend Tony's Vietnamese grandmother in Berlin. Last night, Tara's barbecued pork was easily the most flavorful dish either of us could reca...
Hello VietnamGSaturday, December 4th, 2010 According to my GPS, we've arrived at the road leading to Vietnam: it is a dusty red track with no signage whatsoever. Feeling dubious about this intersection leading to an international border, we ask a nearby food seller for directions. I'm exp...
Farewell CambodiaGSaturday, December 4th, 2010 This morning, as we leave to embark on our final ride in Cambodia, a fierce wind is gusting in from the east. Exchanging grimaces, we fight to build momentum on the colonial-house-lined coastal road leading to the border. Thanks to the strongest ...
Pepper & CrabGFriday, December 3rd, 2010 Kep, a quiet fishing town on the southern coast of Cambodia, sprawls out lazily along the shore over a few kilometers, nestled in the low places between steep green hills. The town's seawater is a little murky, and the beach isn't terribly invitin...
Pete & Natasha's First RideGThursday, December 2nd, 2010 Natasha: Every time we take a long bus ride to get to a new tourist destination, we gaze longingly out of our tinted windows as we pass the things we really want to see – stuff like small villages bustling with activity, and roadsides full of Cam...
Kampot CruisingGWednesday, December 1st, 2010 Yesterday, we cycled over one hundred kilometers on less than four hours of sleep. As a result, we were so exhausted by the time we made it to Kampot that we fell fast asleep at the early hour of 7PM, practically nodding off in our dinner of fried...
The Long Ride to KampotGTuesday, November 30th, 2010 Tara: Having been on the road for so long, it's easy to lose perspective about why we travel the way we do. Or maybe it's just a string of really long cycling days that has me a little less than enthusiastic about pedaling lately. In any case, ...
MollyGMonday, November 29th, 2010 The salespeople in Cambodia are generally cute and sweet, and they use it to their advantage. They are often so friendly and warm that it's a pleasure to buy from them, even when you're not looking for anything. Somehow, I find myself saying yes ...
Day at the BeachGSunday, November 28th, 2010 Though we've spent several relaxing days in Sihanoukville, we haven't really done it's famous sandy shores justice. We usually get bored at the beach, losing interest soon after our swim in the ocean is over. Today, Pete, Natasha, Maggie and Trav...
Meeting FriendsGSaturday, November 27th, 2010 Tara: Back in college, I had the best roommate in the whole world: Jess. It was nearing the end of my freshman year when we decided on a whim to room together during the upcoming fall term. At the time, we didn't really know one another that we...
ThreadedGThursday, November 25th, 2010 Tyler is busy working at the hotel, when I don my bathing suit cycling gear and head out for a short, two-minute walk to the beach. I've barely set foot on the sand when I feel a skinny arm wrapping around my shoulder, guiding me over to a reclini...
Hilly Day to SihanoukvilleGWednesday, November 24th, 2010 6:00 AM Mist is hanging, draped over our bungalow-studded hill like a spider web. The early-morning cool beckons us out of bed, and gets us moving. We have yet another near-100 kilometer day ahead of us, and we want to most of the riding before...
Picnic ResortGTuesday, November 23rd, 2010 After ninety five kilometers, we stop at what looks to be the only place halfway between Kampong Spoe and Sihanoukville: a tattered array of rustic bungalows on a hillside, entitled Picnic Resort. We're exhausted, in the middle of nowhere, and it'...
Riding in the Cambodian CountrysideGTuesday, November 23rd, 2010 The skies are overcast this morning; the refreshingly brisk weather is a welcome respite from the likes of yesterday's steamy ride. As we cycle into the countryside, further from the dust clouds of Phnomn Penh's dirty sprawl, the roadsides are tee...
Heat & TragedyGMonday, November 22nd, 2010 A fur-lined hoodie. Seriously? A freaking fur-lined HOODIE?! As I shout to Tyler, my voice barely audible over the noise of the traffic, I can barely reconcile what I'm seeing with reality. Here I am, cycling out of Phnom Penh, sweating my sw...
Street Food in Phnom PenhGSunday, November 21st, 2010 The evening after our visit at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, we hit the streets, on the hunt for some good food. We settle on this place: I love how sanitary and hygienic the whole operation is! I wonder what a food safety inspection from...
Cambodia's Tuol Sleng Genocide MuseumGSunday, November 21st, 2010 This afternoon, we are going to learn about Cambodian history – specifically the horrific genocide led by Pol Pot in the late seventies. As we roll up to the entrance of Tuol Sleng (Strychnine Hill or Hill of the Poisonous Tree), the Khmer Rouge's...
Cambodia's Bon Om Thook... (Or Not)GSaturday, November 20th, 2010 We're feeling quiet, ready for an evening inside, when we see fireworks light up the night sky from our hotel window. It's the opening night of Phnom Penh's Bon Om Thook, Cambodia's annual Water Festival, celebrating the end of the rainy season. ...
Making CalendarsGFriday, November 19th, 2010 I've been busy making our 2011 Photo Calendars this afternoon. In the process of looking at the thousands of photographs we've taken, I find myself pleasantly side-tracked, suddenly steeped in our stories, awash in the rich memories evoked by each...
Buying Food in CambodiaGWednesday, November 17th, 2010 I have one mission for the afternoon: find food. Preferably, a meal which isn't comprised of rice, noodles, or mystery meat. While Tyler is hard at work in our hotel, I ride off in search of a market. On the way, I stop at each intersection to p...
Cambodia's Bamboo Railway: Part ThreeGTuesday, November 16th, 2010 We slow to a stop in a small village; everyone but us has departed already. As the conductor helps us safely lower our bikes from the platform, we're a bit confused. We're certainly not in Kompong Chnang, and our GPS shows that we have a long, lo...
Cambodia's Bamboo Railway: Part TwoGTuesday, November 16th, 2010 Tyler is standing behind me, next to the conductor, holding our bikes upright – I'm scrunched on the platform in front of them, trying to maneuver myself off the broken slats and onto some of the strong-looking wooden beams beside me. With so litt...
Cambodia's Bamboo Railway: Part OneGTuesday, November 16th, 2010 Our captain is a bronzed, lithe, shirtless Khmer man in a loosely fitting baseball cap. We are crammed together on his dilapidated locomotive, with dozens of other passengers, our huge bikes, and a heavy crate of frozen fish. Sporting a proud, ra...
Electricity in Rural CambodiaGMonday, November 15th, 2010 Less than 20% of rural households have access to grid-quality electricity services. Almost all people in rural areas use firewood for cooking, kerosene for lighting, and lead-acid rechargable batteries for household appliances. Energy use is in...
The Water Buffalo SongGSunday, November 14th, 2010 Dear children of Cambodia, You are all so frigging cute! Thank you for your smiles and ceaseless hellos, they make our long riding days so much better. As we bike by you, and your families' water buffalo… We can't help but think o...
Riding in Cambodia: A Day in PicturesGSaturday, November 13th, 2010 While we are really enjoying our time in Cambodia, there is one thing we would change: the long distances between accomodation. With no tent, we're regularly cycling much further than we'd like (100-120km) in a single day. This morning, we have a...
Slow Boat to Battambang: Part ThreeGThursday, November 11th, 2010 Tyler: I am digging through our backpack for some food, when our friend Genevieve stops by. She's excited to inform me that there is an enormous praying mantis on the railing at the back of the boat. As if I didn't think Genevieve was cool enou...
Slow Boat to Battambang: Part TwoGThursday, November 11th, 2010 Tara: After a nail-biting ride through the streets of Siem Reap, we make it twelve kilometers to the ferry port, bikes fully intact. As soon as I emerge from the truck, it's show time – women carrying baskets full of food and water descend upon ...
Slow Boat to Battambang: Part OneGThursday, November 11th, 2010 Tyler: It's another 5AM morning, but we're not cycling to the temples for a change. Instead, we're sitting on the front step of our hotel, waiting. We could have easily ridden to our destination, the boat dock for our sailing to Battambang, but...
Aki Ra's Cambodia Landmine MuseumGWednesday, November 10th, 2010 On our ride home from Banteay Srei a few days ago, we took a break from our idyllic pastoral surroundings, and paid a visit to the Cambodian Landmine Museum, founded by a former Khmer Rouge child solider, Aki Ra. An estimated four to six milli...
Temples of Angkor: Stall Number SevenGTuesday, November 9th, 2010 Off we go, past Bayon, and then Chao Say Devoda and then Ta Keo, until we reach our favorite temple, Ta Prohm. It's fairly busy at the moment, but we're happy to cycle by all the people, and breeze past all of the hawkers wanting to sell us things...
Temples of Angkor: Angkor WatGTuesday, November 9th, 2010 Today is the last of our three-day entry ticket to the Temples of Angkor. We're biking in later than normal, hoping to see Angkor Wat without the crowds. Since most tourists come here for sunrise or sunset, we're told it should be quiet under the...
Temples of Angkor: Sleepy AfternoonGMonday, November 8th, 2010 Back on the trails, we find this tiny little out of the way temple that isn't even on our map! There, we succumb to the inevitable and take a nap. It becomes apparent a bit later that we weren't the only ones dozing off! The rest of...
Temples of Angkor: Ta ProhmGMonday, November 8th, 2010 Khmer architecture is, in a word, epic! This morning we drag ourselves out of bed at 5AM and race to Ta Prohm, passing up food stalls and another sunrise at Angkor Wat. Hoping to get there before the crowds, we pedal hard. By the time we arri...
Apsara & Shadow PuppetsGSunday, November 7th, 2010 For as long as I can remember, I've been fascinated by puppetry. I even worked for a short time making massive props and puppets in London at Emergency Exit Arts when I was in college. So, when we were first planning our adventure, I was naturall...
Temples of Angkor: The Road to Banteay SreiGSaturday, November 6th, 2010 Tyler: After exploring Bayon temple, we cycle northwards in the Angkor Thom city complex, passing the enigmatic Prasat Suor Prat towers. There are twelve of them, mostly identical, and nobody knows what they are used for. As well, they don't sh...
Temples of Angkor: Sunrise at BayonGSaturday, November 6th, 2010 It's 4:45 AM as we cycle away from our hotel into the darkness and the invigoratingly cool pre-dawn air. Though we're still groggy, fighting to keep our eyes open and our legs spinning, the rest of the world is remarkably active. Many Cambodia...
Crossing PathsGFriday, November 5th, 2010 For as much time as we choose to spend out in the world interacting with people, and as public as we make our lives, we've both found ourselves steadily growing more and more introverted as the weeks and months of this adventure fly by. As a resul...
Artisans d'Angkor Silk FarmGFriday, November 5th, 2010 Saving the temples of Angkor for tomorrow, we backtrack sixteen kilometers out of town in order to see the free Artisans d'Angkor silk farm and workshop. I love most anything that involves crafts and textiles, especially when it's a behind-the-sce...
Hello, SirGThursday, November 4th, 2010 We're taking a day off, letting our aching muscles recover from a long day yesterday. Tomorrow, we start our three day tour at the temples of Angkor. In the meantime, we're checking out the city on our unloaded bikes. I can already tell th...
Collecting CambodiaGWednesday, November 3rd, 2010 The first few days in a new country, we grab every English speaking native we meet and beg them to teach us some basic phrases in their language. Though we have a phrasebook, there is no substitute for hearing a word first-hand. Then, we experien...
Crossing to Cambodia: Part ThreeGTuesday, November 2nd, 2010 When we're not completely blown away, our hearts bursting from our overwhelming welcome into Cambodia, we're doing more mundane things, like getting our internet situation sorted. When we pass a mobile store, I run inside for a game of charades wh...
Crossing to Cambodia: Part TwoGTuesday, November 2nd, 2010 A sculpted stone archway overhead bids us welcome to the Kingdom of Cambodia. As we pass under its imposing grey carvings, we are keenly aware that we've entered a very different place. Poipet feels old and scruffy, worn down and rough around the...
Crossing to Cambodia: Part OneGTuesday, November 2nd, 2010 We enjoy border crossings – the crowds of people, the incomprehensible mix of languages we barely understand, the resulting confusion, and even, the waiting in line. All tied up in the excited chaos is the knowledge that after the crossing, someho...
Our Process: Why We WriteGMonday, November 1st, 2010 This entry is part of an ongoing series about how we've documented our adventure. Why do we write? We write to capture our lives, to record our adventures, to share with our family and friends, and maybe, to leave a legacy for our children. ...
Making for CambodiaGSunday, October 31st, 2010 We're heading east, making our way towards Cambodia this afternoon. Before we take to the highway, we stop at the local market so I can satisfy my budding smoothie obsession. Today, it is a neon-green, melon-flavored concoction, with orange and y...
Four Part HarmonyGSaturday, October 30th, 2010 Any time we go out to eat in Thailand, whether at a street vendor or somewhere a bit fancier, we can count on there being four containers at our table, each with their own little spoons. When we paid a visit to my Thai Uncle, this was one of the f...
Slowly GoingGFriday, October 29th, 2010 Thailand is lulling us into a comfortable laziness. Our desire to see the world has somewhat been put on hold, not because we don't want to explore, but simply because life is so great right here. Yes, of course we could leave, but why would we w...
Our Process: Photography WorkflowGThursday, October 28th, 2010 This entry is part of an ongoing series about how we've documented our adventure. One of our favorite places to be while traveling is behind the lens of our camera, capturing the people we meet and the colorful landscapes we ride through. Ne...
Working in Dong Khi LekGWednesday, October 27th, 2010 Stopped for a few days, we're enjoying the peace and quiet around the palm-lined property of our hotel. There's a temple nearby whose meditative music drifts in on the breeze, giving us a pleasant soundtrack as we work on our various projects. ...
Our Process: The Evolution of Our JournalGTuesday, October 26th, 2010 This essay is the first in a series of "behind the scenes" entries in which we will detail the daily processes involved in producing our journal. In addition to being a record of our gradual progression as documentarians, we hope these entries may...
Rainy Ride & Comfort AgainGMonday, October 25th, 2010 This morning, I inspect the door of our rented camo tent for the final time, scanning for any awful bloodthirsty creatures that might be lying in wait. Deeming the exit safe, I jump out of our musty accommodations and immediately begin a check to ...
Chasing WaterfallsGSunday, October 24th, 2010 Tara: It is with immense relief that we cycle away from our second dingy bungalow, heading towards the Park's exit. First, we're going to see some waterfalls, and then, we're outta here. However, when we arrive at "Orchid campsite" where the tr...
A Little Worse for WearGSaturday, October 23rd, 2010 Tyler: Tara's first order of business this morning is running down to the visitor's center to buy breakfast, iced coffee, and most importantly, muslin leech booties. With new protective armor, we're going on our first-ever hike in the jungle tod...
Into the Jungle: Part TwoGFriday, October 22nd, 2010 Tyler: At the entrance of Khao Yai Park, we fork over a whopping 400 baht ($13 US) each. Normally, there is fee for bicycles too, but the guards waive it for us with a wink, a friendly smile, and a bemused look about our choice of transport. It...
Into the Jungle: Part OneGFriday, October 22nd, 2010 Tara: Under the ugly flickering fluorescent lights of our dingy National Park barracks, I gingerly take a seat on the questionably clean bedsheets, and survey our home for the night. These overpriced accommodations are a complete dump, but I am ...
Relaxing at our BungalowGThursday, October 21st, 2010 We spent a quiet day in Nakhon Nayok checking out the markets, drinking iced coffees, and eating tasty street food. We're really enjoying the relaxed pace of life here in Thailand. It is almost too easy! Tomorrow, we'll either co...
To the BungalowGWednesday, October 20th, 2010 Without the constant mental mantra of find water, find food, find a free-camp running through my mind, I find I am more relaxed. Here in Thailand, there is abundance. Food is plentiful, in the form of vendors and markets generally only a few step...
Leaving BualuangGTuesday, October 19th, 2010 After a dry night, the main thoroughfares in and around Lopburi are fairly passable – much of the flood water is now well on its way to Bangkok. Many of the secondary roads in the area are still pretty wet, though, and our chosen route out of town...
Lopburi's MonkeysGMonday, October 18th, 2010 During a lull in the rain this morning (it has been pouring non-stop since we got here), we rode to the center of Lopburi to see what the town is most famous for: wild monkeys living a life of luxury in the middle of the city: They roam the ...
Apple Pie for AdGSunday, October 17th, 2010 Dad, it's like those things in the freezer!" Boss exclaims, after watching us prepare a homemade apple pie. "Nah man," Ad replies, "this is the real deal!" It has been years since Ad was able to enjoy a real apple pie. So long, in fact, ...
Flooding in LopburiGSunday, October 17th, 2010 Thailand is currently in the midst of the worst flooding the country has seen in decades. Ever since we arrived, the rain in Lopburi has been unrelenting. Thankfully, both our hotel and Bualuang are on high enough ground not to be affected (so fa...
Bualuang Restaurant KitchenGSaturday, October 16th, 2010 In a bright, airy room, with windows overlooking the garden, the family gathers for lunch. Normally, everyone eats separately, but today is special; it's Sansanee's father's birthday. While her Dad, the The Four Star General, is busy celebrating ...
Thai Food FeastGFriday, October 15th, 2010 Being waited on hand-and-foot gracefully is not our strongest suit. Invariably, it involves numerous rounds of awkward back and forth – us reflexively insisting on doing everything for ourselves, then relenting when we realize that we're spurning ...
My Thai UncleGThursday, October 14th, 2010 So, I have this Thai uncle. His name is Ad. Over the years, I've asked numerous times how some guy from Thailand became a part of my grandparents' funny Jewish family in central Illinois. Each time, I've been met with a jumble of unclear st...
Photo Calendars for 2011GThursday, October 14th, 2010 It's that time again – we just spent a pleasant couple of days sorting through old and new photos to compile these five calendars with some of our favorites. Here we go! A Bicycle Calendar buy now Bicycles, bike parts, bicyclists… from Ger...
A Day in AyutthayaGWednesday, October 13th, 2010 What a luxury it is, to sleep in a wide, clean bed, and to wake up tangled in a pair of warm, floppy arms. This is what I think as I extricate myself from Tyler's embrace, now padding to the window, bare feet creaking on wood, listening to the sou...
Sprinting to AyutthayaGTuesday, October 12th, 2010 Our first real cycling day in Southeast Asia begins with a farewell breakfast from our favorite local vendor. Every time we returned from sightseeing this past week, he waved us in like we were a fighter jet, and he was the flight deck crew. Thes...
Lunch BreakGMonday, October 11th, 2010 Sometimes, when we're working, we forget about eating. After several hours of writing and editing, I'm usually the first to notice my stomach making strange sensations. Tyler, though, hardly notices when I grab our wallet and slip out the door of...
Bangkok Canals: Long-Tail Boat TourGSaturday, October 9th, 2010 Tyler: At our friend Neisha's suggestion, we've booked a trip on the rivers and canals around Bangkok. Normally, our guide leads twenty or more people on this tour, but for reasons unknown, we are the only people with a booking for this particu...
Night RidingGFriday, October 8th, 2010 Leaving the tranquil Wat Pho, we return to cycling in Bangkok's bustling city traffic. As we make our way towards the hippy/backpacker ghetto of Khaosan Road, I get a little disoriented. We've been told getting lost in Bangkok is a top number one...
Wat PhoGFriday, October 8th, 2010 Swinging a leg over my bike, I am instantly awash in a joyous feeling that permeates our rides in Bangkok. Biking in this city is fun! This morning, under the benevolent gaze of Thailand's dweeby-looking royalty, observing us from their huge, dec...
Errands in BangkokGThursday, October 7th, 2010 Tyler: One, two, three upshift, four, five, six, upshift, seven, eight, nine pedal strokes and I am passing cars already. My unladen touring bicycle is a featherlight rocket, powered by calves delivering torque meant for a machine well more than...
Riding to BangkokGWednesday, October 6th, 2010 We're cycling again, feeling carefree and happy as we pedal out of our airport hotel, heading to a more centrally located hostel in downtown Bangkok. We're in a new place that smells of flowers and frying garlic, with foodstalls on every corner se...
A Welcome ChangeGTuesday, October 5th, 2010 Together, we rip into our bicycle boxes like they're giant Christmas presents, throwing scraps of cardboard and tape and plastic wrap in a big pile in the corner of the room. Tyler spends the morning re-building our machines, while I reorganize ou...
Flying to BangkokGMonday, October 4th, 2010 We're groggy and tired, bouncing around in a taxi that feels like it could be a louage. Our driver hums along to the radio, while every joint in the body of his rickety van creaks and squeaks and complains about its old age and neglect. Out of th...
Neisha & RobGSunday, October 3rd, 2010 Every so often, we have the good fortune of meeting people with whom we connect immediately. Try as we might, we've thus far been unable to ascertain exactly what is required to bring about this experience, but when it does, it is unmistakable. A...
Tumen Ekh: Mongolian National Song and Dance EnsembleGSaturday, October 2nd, 2010 This evening marks the third time we've set off with Neisha and Rob to find the theater where Tumen Ekh performs. Jake, one of the Mongol Ralliers that gave our cycling friends a lift in the steppe, has all but demanded that we see the show. He i...
Rest at LastGFriday, October 1st, 2010 It took five days of non-stop activity, but we've managed to sort through everything! Our car has been donated to the Mongolian government, our tickets to Bangkok are booked, and our bicycles are packed and ready to go. With all of the logistics ...
Making BoxesGThursday, September 30th, 2010 Looking at Air China's website this morning, we learn that the total linear measurement of our bike boxes (length + width + height) must be equal to or less than 180cm. Not quite sure what to make of this, Tyler grabs our tape measure and starts r...
Ulaan Baatar's Gandan MonasteryGThursday, September 30th, 2010 I was pretty disappointed by Ulaan Baatar's Gandan monastery. Between the hawkers trying to sell us cheap crap, the strong warning in our guidebook about pickpockets, and the monks texting and talking on their cellphones during the chants, I spent...
Finding BoxesGWednesday, September 29th, 2010 My goal for the day is a deceptively simple one: find cardboard boxes. We've already failed at this once. Yesterday, we asked at the local outdoor supply shop, a camping outlet, and the huge State Department Store, all in vain. If I can't find c...
Lightening Our LoadGTuesday, September 28th, 2010 We've just noticed that our tickets to Bangkok with Air China allow a maximum of 20 kilograms in checked luggage per person. After calling around, we've definitively confirmed that the overage fee per kilo is $20. With bicycles that weigh in exce...
Decisions Made & Friends MissedGMonday, September 27th, 2010 Stumbling out of the restaurant and into the darkness, bellies stuffed with delicious stir-fry, we are more than a little relieved we decided not to backtrack our entire journey to the UK. If we had, we'd be leaving in an hour, driving through the...
Back to BasicsGMonday, September 27th, 2010 Back to at the car park, Tara is busy journaling. Striding in to meet her, I can hardly believe we've done it! Cheering, high-fives and a recounting of the last few hours ensues. Then, as much as I want to collapse and call it a day, I get to wo...
Turning in the Keys, The Fate of LRC: Part SixGMonday, September 27th, 2010 Pulling into a parking space at the customs building, I feel like I am fourteen years old again, taking our beloved but very sick family cat to the Humane Society to be put down. Walking into the brick building, I am holding out hope that the hard...
Farewell, The Fate of LRC: Part FiveGMonday, September 27th, 2010 We have less than two hours to get back to our hotel, fully unload our car, and drive the LRC back through the busy traffic to the custom's office. We race outside to hail a cab. Just seconds later, a car screeches to a halt and tells us to get i...
Mongolian Customs, The Fate of LRC: Part FourGMonday, September 27th, 2010 It is Monday morning, and we're about to see if we can give our car to Mongolia. Tom from the Adventurists has told us to go to the customs office, so that's where we're headed. "Okay, get psyched up", I say to myself. It's going to be one of th...
The Black MarketGSunday, September 26th, 2010 Tara: After our morning meeting with Tom, it's pretty clear there is nothing we can do with our car at the moment. It's Sunday, and all the offices we need to visit are closed. What we can do is take some time to relax. Sitting inside with a h...
Options, The Fate of LRC: Part ThreeGSunday, September 26th, 2010 Tyler: This morning, we head to Ulaan Baatar's backpacker hangout, Café Amsterdam, to meet with Tom, the founder of the Adventurists. He lives in Mongolia organizing the Mongol Rally six months out of every year, and when it comes to dealing wit...
Rocking OutGSaturday, September 25th, 2010 Now that we have some semblance of a plan involving our car, we're able to enjoy ourselves a little. The team is holding a beard competition! After the elimination stages, only two members remain. The final round will be put to a group vote. ...
False Start, The Fate of LRC: Part TwoGSaturday, September 25th, 2010 Now that we've reached Ulaan Bataar, we have a daunting list of logistical issues to solve. Though it would be nice to celebrate the end of our Mongolian road trip, get back to journaling, and regain some semblance of a "normal" routine, it doesn'...
The Loving Hut, The Jimny Saga: Part TenGThursday, September 23rd, 2010 Eeveryone sleeps in today after the triumphant party celebrating the success of the Jimny. Nearing noon, we all pack up and head into town to pay the local mechanic a visit. Unfortunately, when we arrive, we realize that Richie and Freddie have f...
A Guitar String, The Jimny Saga: Part NineGWednesday, September 22nd, 2010 Over dinner we discussed options. We're not going to leave Richie and Freddie out there in the desert, but the question of what to do for them still remains. For now, we're thinking that one of the teams could go pick them up tomorrow, or at leas...
Back to TarmacGWednesday, September 22nd, 2010 We've heard reports that a paved highway begins four hundred kilometers from the capital. Some say its smooth all the way to Ulaan Bataar, while others say the surface is patchy, potholed, and intermittent at best. We're not sure which of the rum...
Absurd, The Jimny Saga: Part EightGWednesday, September 22nd, 2010 Knowing they'll have to travel extremely slowly, Richie and Freddie set off a good three hours before the rest of us today, hoping they can make some headway before we catch up to them. In the meantime, we start the day as usual: a leisurely paced...
Wheels Falling Off, The Jimny Saga: Part SevenGTuesday, September 21st, 2010 We've been killing time waiting for the Jimny to arrive, but eventually we have to face facts. They are not coming. What in the world has happened to them? Someone suggests we take the motorcycle to find them. Wanting to get the show on the roa...
Bad Moon RisingGTuesday, September 21st, 2010 With the Saxo's exhaust repaired, we're back on the road. Before us, a spaghetti-like sprawl of dirt tracks stretch out as far as the eye can see. Behind us, a billowing cloud of dust obscures the air. Each member of the convoy has arbitrarily p...
ObstaclesGTuesday, September 21st, 2010 When we started thinking about buying a car and driving it across Siberia, we had a rough time getting reliable reports as to the conditions of the roads. It seems silly, but back then we weren't even sure if crossing Russia was possible without a...
Uncertain, The Fate of LRC: Part OneGMonday, September 20th, 2010 Each day closer to Ulaan Baatar brings us nearer to a potentially difficult decision we'd really like to continue ignoring: what to do about our car. We're currently weighing the pros and cons for a bevy of less-than-ideal options, because at the ...
Farewell to the SwiftGMonday, September 20th, 2010 Matt and Tom gave it their best shot this morning, but the Swift's bent connecting rods couldn't be repaired. When they went to make arrangements to leave their car with the Mongol Rally, they discovered another Suzuki Swift at the drop point. If...
Exploratory SurgeryGSunday, September 19th, 2010 None of us are deterred by the fact that we have no idea what we're doing. Today, we're going to tear apart the Suzuki Swift's tiny three cylinder engine. Maybe, just maybe we can repair it, or find the parts we need to get it running. If not, a...
Together AgainGSaturday, September 18th, 2010 We need cash to pay for another night at our cozy hotel. So, I leave Tyler hard at work in our room, and head outside to search for an ATM. I seem to recall seeing a bank nearby, but I can't figure out where it is. My solution to this problem, w...
Recreating HistoryGFriday, September 17th, 2010 The majority of our day was spent in bed, uploading and sorting a month's worth of photos. When we weren't busy with that, we were slowly recreating history, digging ourselves out of a twenty-four journal backlog. We're going to be feeling the ef...
Into the Great Wide Open: Part ThreeGThursday, September 16th, 2010 We spent a lot of time mucking about in sand this afternoon. Even if the rest of the drive goes smoothly, making it to Bayankhongor today is going to be difficult. Tara calculates that I have to keep our pace safely between 60 and 80 kilometers p...
Into the Great Wide Open: Part TwoGThursday, September 16th, 2010 Being free of this sand pit lasted roughly five minutes. While we were able to maintain humor and perspective the first time, this is too much for both of us. Composure is lost. Curses fly. We are exhausted and upset but it doesn't matter. The...
Into the Great Wide Open: Part OneGThursday, September 16th, 2010 Our life has become a Choose Your Own Adventure book. This morning, as we flip to a new chapter, the one where we drive across part of Mongolia alone, a twinge of sadness overcomes me. Waving goodbye to the early risers of the team, I think about...
Something to LearnGWednesday, September 15th, 2010 We start the day making apple-almond rice pudding, and cinnamon French toast for our friends. The morning feast is a huge success! As Tom (a saint) washes a mountain of dirty dishes, we receive our morning Mongolian visitor. He is on horseback, ...
Leaving AltaiGTuesday, September 14th, 2010 Tara: I've read that there is a market in Altai, right next to our hotel. As a visitor, I can't see how you'd ever discover this without being told. The only telltale sign is an incomprehensible voice yelling over a distant loudspeaker outside ...
Repairs in AltaiGMonday, September 13th, 2010 With the Jimny dealt with, Tara and I go driving in search of a hotel. She is feeling the aches and fatigue of impending illness, while I need a quiet place in which to work. We eventually stumble upon a nice clean hotel on the outskirts of town,...
Showdown, The Jimny Saga: Part SixGMonday, September 13th, 2010 It has already been a trying day for Richie, Freddie, Charlie, and Tim. But, the drama isn't over yet. Thankfully, getting the Jimny off the truck proves much easier than loading it had been. As the guys shell out a whopping $270 for the twelve ...
Leaving EarlyGMonday, September 13th, 2010 Tyler: A glimpse of our "old life" appears this morning when we leave camp alone, headed to Altai before most of the team wakes up. I've been leaving my work unattended for the last week – I need a day or two to catch up with the jobs that have ...
Loading in the Night: The Jimny Saga, Part FiveGSunday, September 12th, 2010 Tara: Matt has agreed to stay behind with Freddie. We are driving back to camp, feeling like a pair of medieval horse messengers, carrying news from one village to the next. As we rush to reach home before the sun slips below the horizon, Tyler...
On CarsGSunday, September 12th, 2010 Tara: I've never been the least bit interested in learning about the inner workings of a car. In fact, they always seemed mysterious and scary to me. Until recently, fixing them was certainly outside my realm of possibility – that's something s...
The Rock TumblerGSaturday, September 11th, 2010 Tyler and I have talked many times about how this trip has been one gigantic exercise in personal growth. All of our silly idiosyncrasies, the many niggling things we do to get in our own way, and a multitude of habits which we could improve upon…...
Dry and DustyGFriday, September 10th, 2010 I'm not entirely sure where the boundary begins, but I'm pretty sure we're in the Gobi desert. What started as intense mountain scenery has transformed into flat, rocky desert, complete with sharp, pokey shrubs, and numerous full skeletons of the ...
To HovdGWednesday, September 8th, 2010 Tyler: We awaken with joy this frosty morning, overcome by an intense sensation of relief. We're still incredulous about the bizarre circumstances which reunited us – it will be well into the evening before we're through exchanging wide-eyed loo...
Back to ÖlgiiGMonday, September 6th, 2010 Glorious morning views are waiting to greet us as we reluctantly crawl out of our warm sleeping bag today. Yellowing fields stretch far and wide around us, hugged by a series of awe-inspiring mountains. Our camp is nestled near the lake in this s...
Mongolian HospitalityGSunday, September 5th, 2010 Light is fading fast as we drive off-road, over green fields towards our host's ger. Pulling up next to the round white homes, we are welcomed enthusiastically by a man we've never seen before. Perhaps he is the brother of our host? He has two a...
Dead DoblòGSunday, September 5th, 2010 The roads of Mongolia have claimed another victim. Just a few minutes ago, Mette's red Doblò had a collision similar to our own—some unseen obstacle smashed into the underside of her van. The exhaust system survived, but it seems the motor didn't...
Slow StartGSunday, September 5th, 2010 Nobody is in a hurry to get moving this morning. In fact, when I rouse myself from a comfortable night's sleep around 9AM, everyone is still cocooned under their down comforters, or wrapped up like pupa in their mummy-style sleeping bags. I le...
Morning at the BorderGSaturday, September 4th, 2010 My nose feels like an ice-cube this morning. The rest of my cramped body is, thankfully, much more inhabitable – safely wrapped in numerous layers of clothing and sleeping bags. It was a group effort last night, staying warm and comfortable. If ...
Rallying TogetherGFriday, September 3rd, 2010 Well, it looks like we'll be spending the night at the border. Locked in on both sides, with no real identification, now in the dark of night and a swirling blizzard, what else is there to do? Luckily, we're among friends. As all we pile in...
Border Crossing & Blizzard in No-Man's LandGFriday, September 3rd, 2010 The wind is blustery and wintery, whipping through the mountains and flying across the plains as we head closer to Mongolia. It smells like snow. As Tyler drives, I realize I've missed this particular seasonal odor and the chilly expectations tha...
Towards the EdgeGFriday, September 3rd, 2010 Our breath hangs in the air like clouds this morning as we emerge from our tent and notice the white horse still quietly sharing our camp, munching away on grass now laced with frost. There is something almost mystical about him, something unearth...
Number OneGThursday, September 2nd, 2010 We've seen some truly incredible landscapes on this adventure. Over the last year and some months, Mother Nature has served up wonders like the Amalfi Coast, the fjords of Norway, the Swiss Alps, the Italian lake district, France's Verdon Gorge an...
Back on TrackGWednesday, September 1st, 2010 With a reluctant squeeze, we left our little puppy friend to frolic in the flowers and sleep in the shade. We packed our LRC, and headed back the way we'd come, driving past the same scenery for the fourth time at least. This time, though, we rea...
Working at Lake TeletskoyeGTuesday, August 31st, 2010 We started our day looking for information about Uchar Waterfall. Our investigation turned up some interesting news: the falls are very young, just a few hundred years old, and they were only discovered about twenty years ago! Also among the fact...
To the CabinGMonday, August 30th, 2010 Back when we were planning our trip, Russia was this mammoth lumbering place I wasn't excited about visiting. Tyler always wanted to go, but I saw the vast landmass as something to "get through" in order to travel from my comfort zone of the roman...
BacktrackingGSunday, August 29th, 2010 This morning, we continued our drive through the Altay Mountains, enjoying the scenery of Chuisky Trakt for a second time. After passing the spot where we turned around yesterday, we felt a bit better. Even though we've been behind the wheel for ...
Camping on the KatunGSaturday, August 28th, 2010 This morning, our car caught the fallen evidence of changing seasons – it is getting more autumny here in Russia by the day! Amidst orange leaves drifting softly to the ground, we left our farm field free-camp, and pointed our trusty LRC in the di...
The Way to MongoliaGFriday, August 27th, 2010 As Tyler journaled this morning, I began doing some research about the next phase of our road trip: the Altay region of Siberia. As I did so, I noticed that Chuisky Trakt, billed as one of the most beautiful roads in Russia, winds through the stun...
Stuck in the WoodsGThursday, August 26th, 2010 Tyler: We'll, it was bound to happen eventually. Off-roading through the forests and fields of Russia in a tiny hatchback isn't exactly the most prudent plan (but it sure is fun). While piloting our LRC on a muddy road through the woods this mo...
Morning ChaiGWednesday, August 25th, 2010 It is a chilly grey morning. Heavy clouds hang overhead, threatening rain. Even so, we pack our camp at a leisurely pace, paying no mind to the potential deluge. Once everything is in order, I direct Tyler through our field of car-high grasses, ...
Things We Don't KnowGMonday, August 23rd, 2010 Two years ago, the sheer number of unknowns regarding this adventure were mind blowing. We had no first-hand knowledge, no experience, and honestly, for all of our preparation, no idea what we were doing. Instead of letting this get in the way of...
MobilityPass: Global Internet & Cellular ServiceGSunday, August 22nd, 2010 MobilityPass claims to offer cellular phone and internet access with a single SIM card in more than 100 countries– they also advertise free incoming calls for many of them. Wanting to provide the best possible support for my clients, they were one...
In Search of RestGSaturday, August 21st, 2010 Tyler: Our goal this morning is simple: get to Omsk and check into a hotel. We've had enough excitement in the last 24 hours to last a month (okay, not a month, but at least a few days!). It has been eight nights since our last shower, and we a...
Fire on the BorderGFriday, August 20th, 2010 I messed up when publishing our previous entry, Racing Through Russia's Heartland. It is fixed now! Tyler: While making our way back to the highway leading into Omsk, we spot a grey plume of smoke in the distance. I'm excited, because Russ...
Racing Through Russia's HeartlandGFriday, August 20th, 2010 It is a sleepy day in Siberia. A recent series of several time-zone crossings have disoriented me a bit, and I find myself battling odd patterns of sleep and wakefulness. This, combined with a quiet emptiness about the land we're driving through,...
Are We There Yet?GThursday, August 19th, 2010 Last night, another pesky cop pulled us over. During the time we'd normally spend searching for a safe place to sleep, we were patiently doling out our paperwork, tapping our feet surreptitiously, and waiting for him to surrender. As he fumbled a...
YekaterinburgGWednesday, August 18th, 2010 We're on a major road in the outskirts of Yekaterinburg. The main highway has morphed into speeding city traffic – Tara is navigating as we make our way to the city center. "Okay," she instructs, "You're going to turn left in two hundred meters… ...
We're In ASIA!GWednesday, August 18th, 2010 I'm driving to Yekaterinburg while Tara sits in the passenger's seat, reading to me about the busy city from our Trans-Siberian Railway guide. Even though we aren't on the train, we're inordinately pleased to be using the book every time we pick i...
Home in the WoodsGTuesday, August 17th, 2010 Yesterday, we left the Kungur Ice Cave and headed eastwards, driving until dusk. When we spied what looked like a tractor's path snaking into the hills nearby, we pulled off the main road with high hopes that we'd find a good place to call home fo...
Kungur Ice CaveGMonday, August 16th, 2010 Destination: Kungur Ice Cave. With an epic-sounding name, and the mystique of being located in what one would think is the middle of nowhere, we spent the morning entertaining fantasies of arriving to explore the vast, icy reaches of a publicly ac...
DistractionsGSunday, August 15th, 2010 Tyler: I possess a strange affinity for taking unassuming vehicles to places where they might not belong. For reasons I can't really articulate, I was ecstatic about driving off-road in our trusty little econobox this morning. Maybe it is an ad...
Friendly RussiaGSaturday, August 14th, 2010 It seems that anyone who has traveled far and wide eventually comes to the conclusion that no matter where you roam, people are very much the same. Having heard variations of this idea my entire life, I had some vague inkling of its merit before w...
VIGILANCE!GFriday, August 13th, 2010 We milked our expensive hotel stay for all it was worth, working in the lobby on their wireless internet connection for most of the morning. After we published a few entries, we struck up conversation with an Indonesian journalist. She was here r...
A Brief Walk in KazanGFriday, August 13th, 2010 We woke early today, and headed into the city for some sight-seeing. Off to the Kremlin we walked, along a canal and past several churches. Tyler was excited when we saw an onion dome which was only partially constructed; he wondered if this was ...
Parental ControlsGThursday, August 12th, 2010 This feature was removed during website upgrades on November 8th, 2012. If you are a parent or teacher who would like to use it, please contact me and I would be happy to re-implement it. If you are a parent or teacher who is sharing Going S...
Into KazanGWednesday, August 11th, 2010 More and more, Russia is reminding me of Romania. In both countries, back-aching manual labor in the fields is the norm, and yet old and young alike seem to spend much of their days quietly resting on benches, watching the world crawl by. They bo...
Down for the CountGTuesday, August 10th, 2010 When I am writing, I sometimes imagine that we are talking to our families, to our friends, or maybe even to ourselves in twenty years. Occasionally, I like to pretend that our future offspring will read this one day and think, "Mom and Dad are so...
Russia's Golden Ring: SuzdalGMonday, August 9th, 2010 The tiny town of Suzdal is purportedly the home of more than one hundred architectural monuments (and fifteen monasteries too). We're still a little unclear on what actually constitutes a monument, but all of them are packed into the space of a fe...
To the Swimming HoleGSunday, August 8th, 2010 We start our morning by returning to Hundertwasser: Coffee & Blah Blah Blah to enjoy a few more cappuccinos. Not exactly eager leave our climate controlled surroundings, we procrastinate, putting off our departure into the scorching day. Inst...
Camped on the VolgaGSaturday, August 7th, 2010 We slept in this morning, awakening when Russia's heat wave gathered enough steam to smother us inside our tent. After yesterday's accidental twelve hour marathon of sight-seeing, we wanted to take it easy. The plan was to drive to Kostroma, our ...
Russia's Beautiful HomesGSaturday, August 7th, 2010 Before coming to Russia, I really had no idea what to expect outside of some vague notions of Soviet apartment buildings, lots of blocky concrete structures and the endless steppe of Siberia. I was wholly unprepared for the beauty we see here on a...
Russia's Golden Ring: YaroslavlGFriday, August 6th, 2010 We leave the Kremlin of Rostov, and hop in our LRC for some more driving. The next stop in our Golden Ring tour, turns out to be too big a city for our tastes. To do it justice, we'll have to spend a few days exploring it all. This means finding ...
Russia's Golden Ring: Pereslavl-ZalesskyGFriday, August 6th, 2010 In spite of the difficulty, getting out of Moscow last night was an excellent plan. We're told the smoke, smog and heat (caused by the forest fires covering Western Russia) escalated to new levels of awful today. Apparently the haze is so thick n...
AbsurdGThursday, August 5th, 2010 We dismiss Evgeniy's wise warning about traffic, and our own rule about not rushing, and leave Moscow at precisely the wrong time. We've stayed in the city until five o'clock, and are now running around to drop off Evgeniy's key, buy groceries, an...
This is ElizabethGWednesday, August 4th, 2010 When Tyler and Tara pulled up in their red Corolla, I was glad to see them, and impressed that they'd navigated their way through crazy Moscow traffic to my husband and my apartment. I didn't know Tyler that well. We're distantly related – I thin...
A Day in MoscowGTuesday, August 3rd, 2010 This morning, Elizabeth taught me how to make syrniki, or sweet cheese fritters, for breakfast. She learned the recipe from her Russian in-laws, and as a fellow cooking lover, she was excited to share it with me. First, you open a block of...
Americans in RussiaGMonday, August 2nd, 2010 Tyler's cousin, an ex-pat working as a journalist and English teacher in Moscow, lives less than a kilometer from Evgeniy. They haven't seen each other since they were twelve, and we're all going to meet here in Russia! Unsurprisingly, a series o...
Objectification 101GMonday, August 2nd, 2010 This morning, while Tyler showers, our host Evgeniy begins earnestly instructing me on the merits of various breast shapes and sizes. As he scrolls through an online forum where Russian women regularly compete for prizes by posting photos of thems...
TGI Friday's on SundayGSunday, August 1st, 2010 This morning, Evgeniy came up with a brilliant idea. He suggested we buy a fishing pole to take advantage of all the lakes and rivers in Siberia! He and his wife Svetlana were planning on going shopping anyway, so it worked out nicely. Early thi...
Special DayGSaturday, July 31st, 2010 Here we are, in Red Square, in Moscow. We can hardly believe it! The first thing we notice is not the giant statue of Lenin or the colorful oniony domes of St. Basil's Cathedral, however, but some of the tallest, skinniest woman we've ever seen, ...
Wild West: Moscow Bound, Part ThreeGThursday, July 29th, 2010 We're on the M10, the only major thoroughfare between St. Petersburg and Moscow. Night is slowly descending. We've decided to cover another hundred kilometers or so before stopping to find our first Russian free-camp. We want to make our drive t...
Breaking the Law: Moscow Bound, Part TwoGThursday, July 29th, 2010 Back at the car, a crushing front of heat pours from either side when we open its doors. Cringing a bit, we roll down the driver and passenger windows, crank open the moon roof, and crack the rear windows as far as they will allow. None of it is ...
Palaces and Kremlins: Moscow Bound, Part OneGThursday, July 29th, 2010 It is another sunny, smoggy day in Russia. We pack up and leave Aleksandr's apartment in the morning as he's heading out for work. We shake hands and thank him for having us, and he wishes us all the best on our journey before walking towards the...
Photos from St. PetersburgGTuesday, July 27th, 2010 Tara and I are both grappling with a bit of Russian culture shock at the moment. Figuring out the most healthy manner in which to approach the shockingly overt misogyny and racism we've encountered here is proving to be a little difficult. It has...
Heat WaveGMonday, July 26th, 2010 St. Petersburg is currently setting all-time records for heat. We're not enthusiastic about going out this morning, but we need to get our visas registered. Though we have three business days to complete this required task, we've decided we're no...
Russian Border CrossingGSunday, July 25th, 2010 I had butterflies in my stomach as we left our free-camp this morning. As Tyler drove, I made doubly sure that we had every thing in order. Passports, drivers licenses (international and US), car registration and insurance, all accounted for! ...
Long Time ComingGSaturday, July 24th, 2010 This afternoon, we cleaned and packed the car while Matias and Mia and prepared the family for a wedding. Once everyone was in their Sunday best, we bid them farewell. Yet again, we've made some great new friends, and once more, we are leaving them...
Hanging Out With the Hannus FamilyGFriday, July 23rd, 2010 Our host Matias has a habit of signing up completely unprepared for long distance races. He isn't in them to win, just to prove to himself that he can do it! A year or two ago, it was a lengthy cross-country skiing event where he triumphantly too...
To Matias and Mia'sGWednesday, July 21st, 2010 Two weeks ago, our our wallet was stolen in Estonia. In thinking about the experience now, I can't help but shake my head about the events which preceded it. Just a day prior, I had griped about how our adventure had become too easy! The crushin...
Wallet UpdateGTuesday, July 20th, 2010 Not much happened today, since we spent most of it sitting at Hesburger planning for Russia and working. We did get some exciting news though. Our driver's licenses, debit cards, and credit card are well on there way to meet us in Finland. Accor...
Christmas in JulyGMonday, July 19th, 2010 Santa's Village in Roveniemi, Finland was our big attraction for the day. Apparently, it rests right on the line where the Arctic circle begins. At first we were pretty disappointed, it was mostly shops selling cheap souvenirs and jewelery. ...
Time LapseGSunday, July 18th, 2010 Last night, we taped our camera to the top of the car and set it up to take a time lapse series of the midnight sun. Around 4AM, I drifted just far enough into consciousness to remember our project. Excited, I promptly crawled out of the tent to ...
Coastal Drive to NorwayGFriday, July 16th, 2010 In an effort to duplicate Swedish Pancakes from one of my favorite breakfast places in Champaign, I made crepes this morning, served with Lingonberries. My results were much smaller than the restaurant's due to the size of our saucepan. They were...
Saami MuseumGThursday, July 15th, 2010 We stayed at our hotel late into the morning, sleeping restfully in the novel darkness afforded by closed curtains. When we finally roused ourselves around 10AM, our overpriced, stingy hotel redeemed itself somewhat by providing a multi-buffet fea...
Amethyst MiningGWednesday, July 14th, 2010 We're falling into a nice routine with Finland. It goes something like this: swim in the morning, tear down camp, drive through beautiful pine forests, swim before lakeside lunch, enjoy said lunch, drive some more, set up camp, swim before dinner,...
Roadside OdditiesGTuesday, July 13th, 2010 Here we are, just drivin' through Finland, when we come to an abrupt halt because we've officially reached reindeer territory. There are loads of them, just milling about on the highway. Here they are, calmly oblivious to the incessant honking di...
Up at the CabinGMonday, July 12th, 2010 The sun is intense in Finland this time of year. The flaming orb never leaves the sky, even at night. At our current latitude, sunset sort of occurs around 12AM, but it never actually gets dark. Then, around 3AM, the murky pink skies brighten ag...
Lake HoppingGSunday, July 11th, 2010 Today, we are making ourselves at home in Finland. We've ditched the itineraries we found online, and are simply winging it as we head north towards the Arctic Circle. Feeling as free as we did on our bicycles, we poke along, likely to the annoya...
Sandcastles and LakesGSaturday, July 10th, 2010 Today, we left Helsinki and headed into the Finnish countryside. It was a relief to leave the expensive city behind, watching metallic cityscapes transition into woods and forest. For our route, Tyler found several driving itineraries from a Scan...
Picnic by the LakeGFriday, July 9th, 2010 We'd planned on spending some time exploring downtown Helsinki today. Mostly, we wanted to sift through the flea markets Tara had discovered during her research last night. We had no intention of buying anything, it just sounded like fun. So, th...
Back in BusinessGThursday, July 8th, 2010 …continued from Where is the Wallet!? By now, the worst is over. Thanks to all of our parents, what could have been a massive ordeal has become just a small bump in the road. We pack up our things, feeling relieved, and head out to the car. Th...
Where is the Wallet!?GThursday, July 8th, 2010 Why, do you think someone is going to leap in through our window while we sleep? That was Tyler's response to my concern about opening our street-level hostel window last night. I eyed the two-foot-deep window sill dubiously, and, with the sligh...
Exaggerated for EffectGTuesday, July 6th, 2010 This morning, we left our quiet beach-side haven and hit the road north towards Cape Kolka. We'd read that violent storms of "biblical proportions" in 2007 had uprooted numerous giant trees and sent them scattering like matchsticks along the beach...
PāvilostaGMonday, July 5th, 2010 I can think of few better places to spend a holiday than Pāvilosta, Latvia. It is quiet. There are only about eight blocks of houses in town, and most of them dead-end right into the sea. While Tyler spends the day programming, I leave to buy gr...
Working in LatviaGSunday, July 4th, 2010 Most of today we spent working and writing. Once we got caught up (woo hoo!), we went for a walk on the beach. Right as we were leaving, my parents called. It was so nice talking to you guys! As I said on the phone, I have a feeling you wou...
Baltic Amber RoadGSaturday, July 3rd, 2010 I wake up at 7:00 AM to stifling sun, blaring techno, and a very grumpy Tyler. Hoo boy, is he cranky after a night of no sleep. We get to work packing immediately. Thankfully there is little but the tent to take down. As we remove the rain-f...
Hill of CrossesGFriday, July 2nd, 2010 When we arrived at Tomas and Jurgita's two days ago, one of the first things we inquired about was if there were any distinctly Lithuanian sites we shouldn't miss during our stay. After much hmmmm-ing deliberation (nobody thinks their own country ...
Another AdventureGFriday, July 2nd, 2010 This morning, Jurgita didn't go to work. Tomorrow, her husband Tomas will finish the last day at his forestry job. Why? Next week, they will pedal out of their driveway, heading south from their home in Lithuania towards Turkey, a trip two years...
Heaven on EarthGThursday, July 1st, 2010 After a day of working, our hosts Jurgita and Tomas pack their car with food, bottled water and picnic supplies. Then, we all ride together, fourteen kilometers down the road to Tomas' parents' weekend cabin. As we step out of the car, we enter a...
Over the River and Through the WoodsGWednesday, June 30th, 2010 Tyler: Stopping to take photos is definitely easier when you're on a bicycle. But, we don't let that deter us. When there is no shoulder, we just hang our camera (or, if you are me, yourself) out of the car window to snap pictures as the scener...
In the MapGTuesday, June 29th, 2010 Tyler: We leave Janka's apartment this morning, supplied with two big boxes of Polish chocolates, ham and cheese sandwiches, heartfelt hugs, and enthusiastic well wishes. As we pull away, waving wildly, Tara and I feel simultaneously overwhelmed...
Warsaw with JankaGMonday, June 28th, 2010 Yesterday, we received a nice comment from a Polish woman named Janka who lives in Warsaw. Though she wasn't sure if we would be passing through her hometown, she generously took the time to offer us a place to stay, just in case. Conveniently, w...
A Walk in WarsawGSunday, June 27th, 2010 By the time I woke up this morning, Tara had already gone running, tidied the hotel room, and planned our day of sightseeing in Warsaw. Wow! She picked a museum about Marie Curie, the old town, and a park where we might hear free classical music ...
On Running, Rest & RoutinesGSunday, June 27th, 2010 What started as a simple desire to move my body, is slowly transforming into something much larger. I've decided that I want to love running. More to the point: I want it to be one enjoyable part of my now active lifestyle. While reading abou...
Running StartGSaturday, June 26th, 2010 Last night, I told Tyler that I was feeling like a schlub. Our adventure has really changed how I feel about exercise; over the course of a year, I've grown used to lots and lots of physical activity! Since we started driving, I've missed moving ...
On DrivingGFriday, June 25th, 2010 After more than a year spent living out of a bicycle (and writing about the experience nearly every day) many aspects of my worldview have changed so dramatically that I often find it difficult to relate to the motives of my younger self. The most...
A Walk in KolobrzegGThursday, June 24th, 2010 One of the most enjoyable parts of this trip (for me) is traveling to places I have absolutely no preconceived notions about. Poland is definitely one of those locales. Just as it was with Macedonia, Serbia, and Romania, I feel the same intangibl...
Working in PolandGWednesday, June 23rd, 2010 We spent the majority of our day cozied up in the tent, pleasantly overwhelmed by what has become our typical rest/work day routine: responding to a zillion emails, writing, and programming. While Tara tapped out a few journal entries and responde...
Why Are You in a Car?GMonday, June 21st, 2010 The shortest answer to this question is: to drive across Russia! Here is the long answer: In the broadest terms, our plan for this adventure was to travel from Scotland to Malaysia by land and sea. As we plotted our route (originally intended...
Road Trip Begins!GMonday, June 21st, 2010 We spent our last day with Nadine and Felix checking off the final items from our to-do list. These were mostly our shopping-related chores. Namely, finding them fun T-shirts, and finding us the things we'd need for our little red car. The co...
Berlin with Friends: Day ThreeGSunday, June 20th, 2010 It has been my desire for quite some time now, to have a relaxing, fun-filled Sunday like we would at home. Today, with the best company a woman could ask for, I got my wish. First things first, we rented bikes from our hostel. After driving aro...
Berlin with Friends: Day TwoGSaturday, June 19th, 2010 We started the morning off with yet another excellent cappuccino from Felix and Nadine. Then, we all drove into Berlin for a day of sightseeing. Today, Nadine had a Plan. This was really nice; it feels like we're constantly organizing what to se...
Berlin with Friends: Day OneGFriday, June 18th, 2010 Guess who came to Berlin to visit us? Our dear friends, Nadine and Felix! They drove six hours north from Munich in their big green VW Transporter to hang out with us for a few days in the city. Following a series of molasses-like traffi...
Driving Around TownGThursday, June 17th, 2010 We said a heartfelt goodbye to ba noi today (little did she know she would be whisked off to the airport soon after we left, as a surprise birthday trip to Paris!) and hopped in our little red car. Our plan for afternoon was to find a nice cof...
Berlin with AnnGWednesday, June 16th, 2010 We were hot and tired when we finished packing our bicycles into the trunk of our new car. Back inside, we enjoyed glasses of cold water, and chatted with our friend Tony's aunt, uncle, and cousin who had stopped by to see us off. Before everyone...
Roadtrip ReadyGWednesday, June 16th, 2010 This morning, we left ba noi's house bright and early, heading in the direction of the car dealership. This was it! We were about to get a car! It is hard to believe that this entire chain of events stemmed from a seemingly innocuous comment mad...
Goodbye, BloggerGTuesday, June 15th, 2010 Goodbye, blogger! I have officially migrated all five hundred and twenty of our journal entries, and nearly two thousand comments to our own server. This journal is now stored in our database, and displayed with my new, written-from-scratch publi...
Puppet MuseumGMonday, June 14th, 2010 We're saving most of our Berlin sightseeing for when Nadine and Felix come to visit in a few days. In the meantime, we're working (a lot), sorting out car logistics, and very occasionally venturing out into the city. Today, we took trip to see a ...
Working in BerlinGSunday, June 13th, 2010 Today, we spent some time designing a new website for our road trip. It is going really well! As was the case when we made Going Slowly, there were some frustrating bits where we stared at the screen cringing. It's especially difficult for me, b...
Buying a Car in GermanyGSaturday, June 12th, 2010 Last night, after some hunting on mobile.de, we found a candidate car for our Siberian roadtrip: a 1991 Toyota Corolla from a single (retired) owner with 60,000km (37,000 miles). The asking price? A paltry €1,300! We promptly called the dealersh...
Cooking with Ba NoiGFriday, June 11th, 2010 Life with ba noi is good. She is a kind-hearted grandmother who enjoys growing orchids and pedaling away on her miniature stationary bicycle, among many other things. She also loves to watch Korean soap operas (dubbed in Vietnamese). Occasion...
Crank World Cycling Blog Honors: 2010GFriday, June 11th, 2010 We won Cranklisted's Favorite Commuter/Travel Biking Blog for 2010! Thank you so much to everyone who voted for us! To see the winners in all of the categories, check out this post by Darryl, the friendly guy behind Loving the Bike and Cranklist...
To BerlinGThursday, June 10th, 2010 Normally, when we take any transport faster than a bicycle, we feel like we're missing out. Today, we were happy to watch the world go by without having to pedal through it. As we hurtled across the German landscape, we weren't pining away for an...
Just a Bike RideGWednesday, June 9th, 2010 For the last few days, we've been taking some much needed rest. For us, this means cooking less, eating out more, "staying in", and leaving the camera behind when we go out. This welcome change of pace is definitely having the intended effect of ...
Dresden ThunderstormGTuesday, June 8th, 2010 It rained on and off all day. Nice, warm, summer rain. This evening, we enjoyed our most dramatic thunderstorm yet! ...
Train to DresdenGMonday, June 7th, 2010 After a thoroughly enjoyable break in Bamberg, it was time to move on to our next destination: Dresden. So, this morning we packed up one last time from our three-night river-side free-camp, and rode back into town. When we reached the station...
Home from WorkGSunday, June 6th, 2010 After a relaxing day of working, eating ice cream sundaes, and enjoying delicious, cheap Chinese food, we cycle back to our riverside free-camp along a string of nice bike paths on the outskirts of Bamberg. It is a nice change of pace to arri...
Spargel!GSaturday, June 5th, 2010 This morning we packed up from our free-camp, commuted into town along smooth, shaded bike paths, and headed straight to McDonald's for work and lots of ice cream sundaes. When we're done, we'll scope out a promising Chinese restaurant for dinner ...
Sunny SneezefestGFriday, June 4th, 2010 At long last, the day dawned bright and sunny. The inside of our tent was hot this morning! Off came our knitted hats, along with our tent's bone-dry rain-fly, but not before we donned our sorely neglected spandex riding shorts. If someone had t...
This is Nadine & FelixGWednesday, June 2nd, 2010 We have decided to meet up with Tara and Tyler in Nürnberg. We have been missing them since they left Munich, and with a holiday coming up we will make good use of this possibility. They will be cycling from Rothenburg towards Nürnberg today, and...
Into the WoodsGTuesday, June 1st, 2010 Before leaving our pension this morning, I decide to visit one last thing before we leave Rothenburg—The Craftsman' House. This is the oldest building in town, dating back to 1270(!) and is now filled with antique goods, appearing as if it belonge...
Rainy Day in RothenburgGMonday, May 31st, 2010 Surprise, surprise… more rain! Most of the day was spent warm and dry, under the covers in our big bed at Gastehaus Raidel. We did get up to go to breakfast though! When we descended the first set of stairs, we found ourselves in the awesome sit...
ManicGSunday, May 30th, 2010 Today was one of those days when the weather was so manic it was almost baffling. One moment it was sunny, and we were happily riding through quaint small towns… (…while eating really delicious cake from the only shop open on a Sunday. ...
Altmühltal Cycle RouteGSaturday, May 29th, 2010 Like every other night in recent memory, it rained heavily. This morning, our well-shaded forest free-camp was very chilly and very wet. Thanks to a perfectly timed downpour last night (which caught us unprepared, and lasted juuust long enough fo...
Fields of GreenGFriday, May 28th, 2010 We packed up after eating a breakfast of hearty meusli, and hit the road at the late hour of 12:30. Our string of late departure times for the last few days continues. On the road, everything felt distinctly German. You know you're in Germany wh...
Leaving DachauGThursday, May 27th, 2010 We biked away from Dachau, once again at the late hour of 2PM. Feeling saddened from all we'd seen, we took to the German bicycle path leaving the site for a quiet, grey afternoon of meditative cycling. We wound our way through green fields,...
LeavingGWednesday, May 26th, 2010 It was difficult, and a little sad leaving Felix and Nadine's cozy apartment. I wonder if it will ever be easy to pick up and go again once we've settled in somewhere for a few days? Along with being bummed about leaving our new friends, we were ...
Working in MunichGTuesday, May 25th, 2010 This morning, we groggily shared a round of excellent coffee with our new friends Felix and Nadine. With a bit of caffeine to carve through the haze, Nadine departed to Däerr (an outdoors store in Munich), Felix to another day of government bureau...
Hiking in the Bavarian AlpsGMonday, May 24th, 2010 After drinking some of the best coffee I've had in recent memory (hand ground by Felix, brewed in a shiny silver cafetiere, and finally dolloped with foam frothed in a French press) we made our way to the train station. At one of the station's bak...
A Ride in MunichGSunday, May 23rd, 2010 This morning we met Felix and Nadine at the "Rathaus Glockenspiel", a famous attraction in downtown Munich. Every day at 11AM and 5PM, the clock tower in the town hall comes to life with bells, chimes and animatronics. As we watched old...
New FriendsGSaturday, May 22nd, 2010 When we got back from our resupply mission yesterday, we had an email waiting for us from Nadine, a really nice cashier at one of the outdoors stores we visited. Before we made it back to our hotel, she'd visited our website and invited us to a ba...
Resupply MissionGFriday, May 21st, 2010 This morning we picked up some new supplies for our upcoming trek through Siberia. It was a freeing feeling, strolling around sports and expedition shops, having easy access to all manner of supplies. Our jaws dropped when we saw Ortlieb kit in s...
Vienna Vagabonds: A Train Story, Part ThreeGThursday, May 20th, 2010 12:00 AM After trying to change our tickets to a middle-of-the-night train so we can sleep on the way, hopefully avoiding homelessness for the night, we find that the ticket office is closed. Looks like we're stuck with our 9:50 AM departure. W...
Come and Gone: A Train Story, Part OneGTuesday, May 18th, 2010 4:30 PM / Tara After a long, cold, wet, hilly day of cycling, we arrive in Sighişoara and head directly to the train station. Tyler goes in to ask about tickets to Munich, while I stay outside to guard the bikes. I am soaked and shivering, cupp...
Farewell, Rainy RomaniaGTuesday, May 18th, 2010 With cartoon clouds, pixels as raindrops, and yellow, zig-zag bolts of lightning featuring heavily on the internet's forecast all week, we were less than enthusiastic about visiting the UNESCO World Heritage city of Sighişoara, our destination for ...
Sounds of SibiuGSunday, May 16th, 2010 I was roused this morning around 7AM by a raucous, twittering racket just outside our tent. The early birds in the trees surrounding us were tweeting and chirping so loudly they may as well have been in our tent. I felt like my eight year old sel...
120 Kilometer DayGSaturday, May 15th, 2010 As we were eating breakfast this morning (a heartier, double portion of yesterday's delicious sausage and egg feast), Lily informed us that today's weather was supposed to be "crazy". According to the forecast, thunderstorms and record rainfall wo...
A Walk in BraşovGFriday, May 14th, 2010 We started the morning off with a delicious breakfast cooked by Lily, the woman who owns Casa Timar. Along with her husband and grown son, she runs their family's cozy pensiune. This morning we exchanged stories about Italian travel while we enjo...
Braşov in the RainGThursday, May 13th, 2010 It was an easy ride into Braşov this morning, only 25km! Once again, we made sure to appreciate having a very short day. Rolling into town just an hour after we'd left camp, it felt like we'd been out for a normal-person bike ride. We'd intended...
Bowling in BranGWednesday, May 12th, 2010 We decided to take advantage of our cheap, electricity- and internet-providing accommodations this morning, opting to spend the day working rather than packing up for our next destination, the nearby town of Braşov. I had expected it wou...
SheepGTuesday, May 11th, 2010 What a beautiful day in the Carpathian mountains! As if the sunny skies, verdant vistas, and homey horse-drawn carts galloping alongside us weren't enough, our route was almost entirely downhill. …which was good, because we left our hotel at...
Working in BuşteniGMonday, May 10th, 2010 The plan for today was to take a cable car from Buşteni up to a series of mountain-top rock sculptures "Sfinxul and Babele", formed slowly over years and years of heavy blowing winds. Upon learning that the ride would cost over $50 USD, we had sec...
Pedaling UpstreamGSunday, May 9th, 2010 With everything we needed to thrive at our hard-to-reach Romanian forest free-camp, we almost decided to stay another day. Instead, we packed up, said hello to some horses grazing in a nearby pasture, and set off on our 30 minute trek back to the ...
Draculas & GypsiesGSaturday, May 8th, 2010 We awaken to the sound of horse's hooves clip-clopping outside our tent. Smashed together in a furrow of a field, our sleeping mats in a comical V shape, we're genuinely surprised by the restful night of sleep it provided. I groggily poke my head...
Ridges & TroughsGFriday, May 7th, 2010 As he has every morning during our stay in Bucharest, Rob made us a delicious breakfast and gently rebuffed all offers of help. He even made us two extra breakfast sandwiches and packed them carefully in tinfoil so we could have them for lunch! W...
Read Our Journal in 50+ Languages!GThursday, May 6th, 2010 This feature is currently missing on our new design, but may return eventually! Spurred by several conversations we've had over the last year with non-english speakers who have expressed a desire to follow our journey in more than photos, you c...
Russian LogisticsGWednesday, May 5th, 2010 A few months ago, Tara's brother Lian jokingly mentioned we should drive across Russia. His idea was in response to a logistical problem we've known about for some time: we don't have the six months it would likely take us to cross Siberia on our ...
Instant GratificationGTuesday, May 4th, 2010 Day two of Rob's guided tour Bucharest didn't go exactly as planned. We didn't go to the museum or the park we had intended to visit, but we did do something else: we got exactly what we wanted. Before we left, Tyler and Rob searched online ...
Exploring BucharestGMonday, May 3rd, 2010 After sleeping in, and enjoying the morning with music playing the background (something of a revelation to us after so long on the road), Robert cooked us breakfast. He refused any help and told us the plan for the day while we ate. He had creat...
Bucharest BoundGSunday, May 2nd, 2010 Like yesterday, today was restfully easy: a flat, uneventful ride towards Bucharest. The highlight of our morning was finally using one of the many wells we've seen dotting the roadsides over the last few weeks! Tyler lowered the ancient chai...
Lazy SaturdayGSaturday, May 1st, 2010 Let's just face facts. We never get on the road before 10:00 AM. Okay, not never, but rarely. Even in the sweltering hot summertime, when it is prudent to get moving early to save ourselves from the brutal afternoon sun, we still stay up late wo...
Navigation: Garmin GPSMAP 60CSxGFriday, April 30th, 2010 The Garmin 60 series has been on the market since 2004. My very first GPS was the now discontinued 60CS model. I used it with great success for many years on road trips in the USA, both in a car and mounted to the handlebars of a motorcycle. The...
Extra! Extra! Read All About It!GThursday, April 29th, 2010 Last Sunday, Tyler and I were featured in my hometown newspaper, Champaign/Urbana's News Gazette. A big thank you to Meg Thilmony for interviewing us about our first year of living on the road! You can read the article here ...
Precious CargoGWednesday, April 28th, 2010 For the really important decisions in life I've found that no list of "pros and cons" will help. Logic doesn't really apply, nor does rationality. There's simply a knowing, a gut feeling that what we've chosen is the right thing to do, and it req...
A Chance EncounterGTuesday, April 27th, 2010 This morning, while I was securing our camera to the back of my bike, Tara announced, "here comes a flock of sheep!" A shepherd and his menagerie were approaching, complete with several barking dogs. The sheep didn't seem to mind us, they must've...
A Life Less OrdinaryGMonday, April 26th, 2010 The first day back on the road after a brief interlude of buffet breakfasts and silky sheets can be a little difficult, especially when it looks like rain. As we wheeled out of the Hotel Anna parking lot Tara was more than a little wistful. I was...
A Walk in Târgu JiuGSunday, April 25th, 2010 Considering that I have a degree in Sculpture, I should probably have heard of "the father of modern sculpture," Constantin Brancusi, but I had not. It took a trip around the world and a stop in Târgu Jiu, Romania, to discover him! Thanks to Silv...
Hotel AnnaGSaturday, April 24th, 2010 The first hotel we tried when we arrived in Târgu Jiu was pretty blah: on the outside it looked tacky, on the inside it was overly fancy, and the prices were exorbitant. The reception area was also filled with a group of sharply-dressed business p...
Tismana MonasteryGFriday, April 23rd, 2010 Before leaving our riverside free-camp, we breakfasted on Valentina-Carmen's bread and very salty homemade cheese. While we dusted off our mud-splattered clothing, she was probably attending to the permanent appointment she holds with every sunris...
The Universe ProvidesGThursday, April 22nd, 2010 There are times on this trip when I question my abilities. Am I really capable of doing this? What are we even doing here? Why am I doing this? What is the value of this? These thoughts generally make a pronounced appearance when we are somewh...
Cave HuntingGWednesday, April 21st, 2010 A few weeks ago, we received a contact through our website from a Romanian who lives in Tara's hometown. He was excited to tell us all about the country he grew up in, and the things we shouldn't miss while we are here. Having no guidebook for Ro...
Ivana the TerribleGTuesday, April 20th, 2010 For the most part, the steely glares we've been warned to expect here in Romania have proven to be nonexistent. In fact, everywhere we've been, people have almost universally been friendly and welcoming, especially when given a smile or hello to w...
Site UpdatesGMonday, April 19th, 2010 We've received several reports over the last few months that the search feature on our journal was pretty awful. In response, I've just implemented a new google-based search. The results aren't pretty-looking yet, but they are a lot more relevan...
TypicalGSunday, April 18th, 2010 Today was a typical day. We woke up, and hoped that when we unzipped our tent, it would reveal a nice day. It did, though by the time we were done with breakfast, dark clouds had rolled in, threatening a cold rain. We bundled up, grabbed ou...
To the DanubeGSaturday, April 17th, 2010 As I unzip the vestibule of our tent this morning, I let out a small gasp of delight and rouse Tyler to take a peek with me. Our free-camp is enveloped in a thick, billowing white mist! A nearby church looms in the fog, and the atmosphere is so d...
Into RomaniaGFriday, April 16th, 2010 With a good attitude, relatively clean bikes, and the excitement that comes from approaching a new country, we breakfasted on our new staple of bread, butter, and honey, and set off towards a better day. Under sunny skies, over flat, blessedly ...
MudGThursday, April 15th, 2010 I spent the bulk of the morning giving our bikes a rare and thorough cleaning. The muddy excuse for a bicycle path we'd pushed and ridden along yesterday had left them several pounds heavier, comprehensively caked with gloopy dirt which had dried ...
Rainy Riverside RideGWednesday, April 14th, 2010 Getting out of large cities can sometimes be a pain. Thankfully, that was not the case today. After a quick, easy exit from Belgrade, we were back on the road once more. It felt so good to leave, extricating ourselves from the blocky concrete bu...
Sleeping Mat SuccessGTuesday, April 13th, 2010 We picked up our replacement Therm-a-Rest ToughSkin sleeping mat today. As per usual, no shipments actually get delivered here in Europe. We had to fax a written letter (in Serbian), copies of our passports, our police registration and a bunch of...
The Finisher FinishesGTuesday, April 13th, 2010 While we've been waiting in Belgrade for our replacement sleeping mat, I've been working on a baby hoodie for our new little nephew, Elijah. Tyler, as usual, has been programming for his clients. When we weren't totally engrossed in our projects,...
The Food Game: Serbia EditionGMonday, April 12th, 2010 Unfortunately, the really good stuff we've had here, we have no photos of. There was Pljeskavica (grilled meat sandwich with many salads, slaws, and toppings), Ćevapčići (ground meat sticks, grilled), Urnebes (a salad made of feta cheese and hot p...
Therm-a-Rest ToughSkin FailureGSunday, April 11th, 2010 About a week ago, one of our Therm-a-Rest Toughskin sleeping mats started failing. The outer fabric began to delaminate, pulling away from the foam inside creating a bulbous air pocket. When you lay on the mat, the added pressure causes the fabri...
Nikola Tesla MuseumGSaturday, April 10th, 2010 I've long been a fan of Nikola Tesla. When we were planning our route and I realized that it passed through his home country of Serbia, I was excited to learn there was a museum dedicated to his work there. So, today, nearly two years after we st...
Bad Day to BelgradeGFriday, April 9th, 2010 While Tyler was completely zonkered out this morning, I cooked breakfast. It was a last-resort sort of meal, using the remains of an age-old bag of rice. While I cooked the white grains, he slept peacefully. As I stirred in vanilla, butter, hone...
StrawberriesGThursday, April 8th, 2010 Today was one of those days that went on a little too long. Though we enjoyed our flat ride, we were ready to be done after 60 kilometers (we are slow). Unfortunately, no good free-camps were presenting themselves. So we continued, waffling be...
HomesickGWednesday, April 7th, 2010 It being a sleepy, rainy morning, we almost succumbed to the desire to stay put for one more day. Thinking better of it, we slowly pushed ourselves to motion, dutifully packing our things in a half-awake and hungry daze. It took some time, but on...
Welcome to the World!GTuesday, April 6th, 2010 Our thoughts are with Amanda and Paul (Tyler's older sister and her husband) today as we celebrate the birth of Elijah Paul Noskowiak. We wish we could be there with you! All our love from Serbia, Uncle Tyler and Auntie Tara ...
Sticky and RainyGMonday, April 5th, 2010 Rain this morning. We muttered something along the lines of "pshhh… forget this", rolled over, and slept through it. Around 11:30 the downpour let up and we roused ourselves from sleep feeling very well rested, but slightly annoyed at ourselves f...
Serbian HospitalityGSaturday, April 3rd, 2010 Before we left, we received numerous warnings that Eastern Europe would be a dangerous, depressing, soul-suck full of steely thousand yard glares and ferocious dogs. So far, these stereotypes couldn't be further from the truth. The genuine kindne...
OneGFriday, April 2nd, 2010 Wow. I cannot believe we have been gone a year! This time last year we were just arriving in Scotland, and I remember thinking to myself as we put our bicycles together in the airport, "what the hell have I gotten myself into?!" A little lat...
Hello SerbiaGThursday, April 1st, 2010 Three hundred and sixty five days of travel. Nine countries and fifteen thousand kilometers covered by bicycle, foot, ferry, train, mobylette and camel. More than four hundred journal entries. Fast approaching one hundred free-camps. I wanted a...
Springtime in MacedoniaGWednesday, March 31st, 2010 Riding out of hilly Stip was a wonderful thing. Once we left the city limits, we were treated to a ever-so-slight downhill that lasted almost all day. A sky full of puffy clouds vacillated between looking gorgeous and somewhat menacing. ...
Strolling Around StipGTuesday, March 30th, 2010 On our "rest" days, we often make grand plans for sightseeing, and then end up spending most of the day inside. It is astonishingly easy to lose an entire morning, afternoon and evening making route plans, writing journals, responding to emails, m...
The Food Game: Macedonia EditionGTuesday, March 30th, 2010 Back in Minnesota, we used to hang out with our friends Eli and Ashley every week for "food night", which often involved making some kind of Thai curry from scratch, grinding up the spices in a mortar and pestle. Sometimes we'd cook other things, ...
Macedonian MountainsGMonday, March 29th, 2010 The day dawned bright and clear, though the headwinds from yesterday were still blowing fiercely. In spite of the extra work we knew they'd bring, we were in good spirits. With a spring and summer full of adventure laid out before us, we've been ...
Filling in the BlanksGSunday, March 28th, 2010 We awaken to the faint sound of drizzle and the whipping of our rainfly in a hefty wind. Yesterday's brilliant sun and balmy weather have gone, leaving us with rain and a distinct chill in the air. Please let that wind be in our favor, I think as...
Hello MacedoniaGSaturday, March 27th, 2010 Our ride out of Thessaloniki was a non-stop parade of factories and industrial sites for hours. According to Tara, the road was full of "mammoth ferocious dogs bred with grizzly bears". Thankfully they were mostly chained up and we didn't have an...
Thessaloniki by NightGFriday, March 26th, 2010 Tyler spent the entire day staring into his computer screen programming while I ran around town running errands: mailing a package home, picking up yarn for another knitting project, stocking up on food for our departure tomorrow, and generally mak...
Loose Ends in ThessalonikiGThursday, March 25th, 2010 We're staying in Thessaloniki for a few days to make our final preparations for Eastern Europe. Tara is tying up loose ends, sending out postcards and packages, while I'm trying my best to catch up with work. Hopefully we can ride off in a day or...
Dude, Where's My Car?GWednesday, March 24th, 2010 Today we had to decide between taking a busy highway to Thessaloniki, or winding around convoluted back roads which would triple our time in the saddle. We chose the highway, and when we were about 40 kilometers from Thessaloniki, we began to see ...
Boxcar WillieGTuesday, March 23rd, 2010 Today's "ride" featured a lot of pushing and plenty of bleak-looking skies. Thankfully, the dark clouds that loomed overhead for the entire day only threatened to rain, and the terrain we practically dragged our bicycles through was (for the most ...
On a RollGMonday, March 22nd, 2010 Today was our longest on record, 110 kilometers or about 70 miles. This is double the distance we usually plan to cycle in a day. Thanks to gorgeous sunny skies and a gentle downgrade leading to the mouth of the Vale of Tempe, we cruised along ha...
On Finishing ThingsGSunday, March 21st, 2010 For the past few months I've been working on a baby cardigan for Tyler's sister, Amanda. I rarely follow patterns but I decided it would be best to have one for this project if I wanted it to be really nice for the new baby. When I picked the pat...
Nature Hike to MetéoraGSaturday, March 20th, 2010 With the intention of visiting a Metéora monastery or two today, we woke up early and packed a backpack with food, water and our guidebook. We set off on foot saying, "I am thankful for good health and good weather!". Spring is in the air and the...
Flat Roads to KalampakaGFriday, March 19th, 2010 Since we've arrived in Greece, we haven't seen many cyclists. In Athens especially, bikers seem to steer clear of the city, except for a few brave souls who speed around helmet-less amidst the smog and traffic. Today was a pleasant surprise for u...
Macro LoveGThursday, March 18th, 2010 Flowers make me happy. I don't care if it is cliché, they just do! When we got our first camera I was thrilled when I realized I could finally capture the beauty I see in them. When we get home I'm going to grow a massive garden so Tyler and I c...
Snoozin' & Cruisin'GTuesday, March 16th, 2010 We are getting very lax about leaving free-camps bright and early. I used to set the alarm for the crack of dawn, wake up the instant the phone started buzzing, and hurredly wake Tyler so we could be up and going and packed up before any potential...
Out n' AboutGMonday, March 15th, 2010 Somehow, some way, no matter how ho-hum the scenery or the day, there is always something interesting to see, no matter what. Maybe we are easily fascinated, or maybe we just know how to look, but it seems we have a knack for stumbling across intr...
24 Hour RuleGSunday, March 14th, 2010 My parents have a rule that says: If you do something routine-altering for a few days, you get a day afterwards to recover and re-adjust to life at home. It's called "The 24-Hour Rule", but the longer you're away (or significantly routine-altered)...
MaintenanceGSaturday, March 13th, 2010 Today, I replaced the chains on our bikes. According to bicycling community legend Sheldon Brown, you can gauge their level of wear by using a ruler. You're supposed to measure from the center of one rivet, to the center of one twelve links away....
Miwa & SergeiGFriday, March 12th, 2010 For the past two weeks we've been waiting for our Russian visas in Athens. Saving us from the great expense of a hotel have been the kind, generous, and funny, Sergei and Miwa. We connected with them on http://www.warmshowers.org a few weeks befo...
Athens Graffiti & New CameraGWednesday, March 10th, 2010 I was a little overwhelmed by our new camera when we picked it up from Greek customs two days ago. At first glance, it looked like the flight deck of a 767 to me. Even more ridiculous (in the confines of our small apartment) was our gigantic tele...
Greek CustomsGMonday, March 8th, 2010 Wow. I really thought Tunisia would win the award for most inefficient postal service on our trip but today, Greece easily stole the crown. Here is what it took to receive our new camera: Our package arrives in Greece on Thursday but is...
Museums & MadeleineGSunday, March 7th, 2010 There are numerous free museums in Athens and we've been making a point to visit as many of them as we can. Earlier this week, we visited the Museum of Popular Greek Musical Instruments. The collection included Cretan lyres, lutes, pottery dru...
Athens AnimalsGSunday, March 7th, 2010 There are lots of stray cats and dogs running around Athens. Actually, to be more accurate, they are usually loafing around. Here are two such loafers: And then there are other animals… these guys belong to the Museum of Popular Greek ...
Athens MarketsGSaturday, March 6th, 2010 Apart from buying groceries and cooking, we've spent the majority of the last week cooped up in the apartment staring into our respective computer screens, working away. In a welcome change of pace, we decided to put down our projects and head out...
Buskers of Athens: Part #2GFriday, March 5th, 2010 One of the few things Tara and I really like about big cities are the buskers. We love going out for a walk here, if only in the hopes of stumbling upon a good musician. Athens doesn't disappoint! This jazzy duo winked at us when we left coin...
Lemon CakeGThursday, March 4th, 2010 Having a real oven has been fantastic and I've been taking advantage of it as much as possible. So far I've made an almond cake, a chicken pot pie, and this lemon loaf. There are several lemon trees in the courtyard of the apartment we're sta...
Buskers of Athens: Part #1GWednesday, March 3rd, 2010 During our walk around Athens yesterday, we ran into lots of buskers. We only got recordings of two of them, but I think we'll capture a few more over the next week. There were numerous accordion players of varying skill levels wandering arou...
Our Photos: Year OneGTuesday, March 2nd, 2010 When Tara and I left to embark on this adventure, neither of us knew a thing about photography. In fact, we'd planned on bringing a run of the mill point-and-shoot with us until my friend Ian Meyer wisely convinced me to buy a DSLR. Since the...
Annual Bicycle Travel Photo ContestGTuesday, March 2nd, 2010 We recently took second place in Adventure Cycling Association's first annual bicycle touring photo contest! The submission we placed with is below, and here is the story that goes with it. …and here is an article showing the other winning ph...
Mailing Our PassportsGMonday, March 1st, 2010 Traveling abroad in the fluid, flexible way that we do often makes for an exhilirating and rewarding lifestyle. We rarely have to be anywhere at a certain time, and we are free to choose our own itinerary, staying in one place if we like it, or mo...
Arriving in AthensGSunday, February 28th, 2010 We arrived bright and early in Piraeus, exited the ship with ease and head out for a morning ride to Athens. Thankfully it was Sunday, and early enough so that traffic hadn't picked up. We rode past markets of gypsies selling various and sun...
Hania WaterfrontGSaturday, February 27th, 2010 Note: Hania can also be spelled "Chania," (like Hanukkah and Chanukah) because we don't have adequate letters in our Roman alphabet to accurately evoke some Greek sounds. Many towns are spelled numerous ways. Hania's waterfront was just as be...
Short Ride to ChaniaGFriday, February 26th, 2010 It was another bright, clear day on Crete. We awoke sore and tired from yesterday's climbing, glad we had a short day ahead of us. After a grocery/pastry run in a sleepy nearby village, we hit the road, headed to the coast. We made it to Chan...
Climbing in CreteGThursday, February 25th, 2010 I drift in and out of sleep, in a very cozy morning haze. I think I hear a truck crunching over gravel… probably Pietro off to milk his sheep. Before I drift back into unconsciousness, the thought: "so glad that's not me" crosses my mind. I roll...
Pushing Through ParadiseGWednesday, February 24th, 2010 We were thankful for the shelter of our tiki hut this morning when we discovered it had rained in the night. We really and truly no longer take having a roof over our heads for granted! Since the area was rather deserted, and we rarely concern ou...
Donkey DayGTuesday, February 23rd, 2010 Leaving cities is always hard. There is inevitably some navigation difficulty, as well as a handful of surprises like one-way streets, delivery trucks taking entire lanes, people double-parked haphazardly, and often steep, narrow, cobbled roads. ...
Cretan Lyra LoveGMonday, February 22nd, 2010 Here on Crete, lyra music is everywhere and I love it! I haven't been this enamored with a type of music since I was a in middle school and discovered the sounds of Ireland. We danced to Cretan music at a mountain party a few days ago, and today ...
25 Years on EarthGSunday, February 21st, 2010 As of this morning, I am 26 years old. I am now officially exiting my 20s. Wow. How did that happen? We spent a relaxing afternoon at the hostel working, reading, talking to family and cooking. Thank you to everyone who called and wrote! ...
Family RemedyGSaturday, February 20th, 2010 Last night I went to bed with a hurty, swollen feeling on the left side of my neck, but I didn't think much of it. When I awoke this morning, I felt wretched. When I tried to talk, it sounded as if I had a pillow shoved down my throat, and felt l...
Settled in RethymnonGFriday, February 19th, 2010 Our ride yesterday was a quick 20km jaunt into a ferocious headwind. Knowing we only had a short way to go made the wall we were riding into mostly a non-issue. The brief struggle ended, quite pleasantly, at the quaint hostel in the center of the...
Meta MorningGThursday, February 18th, 2010 It was very windy as we broke camp this morning in preparation to head to the nearby city of Rethymnon for a few days of rest. While stuffing our tent into its drybag, I spied a ladybug scurrying across the patch of earth we'd camped on. My immed...
Coasting in CreteGTuesday, February 16th, 2010 We found a thin layer of ice crystals covering everything outside this morning. Thankfully the sun soon melted away the frost, showering the Lasithi Plateau with glorious, warm light. As we packed, Tyler said (as he often does at the start of a n...
Lasithi Plateau and Dikteon Andron CaveGMonday, February 15th, 2010 Last night when I downloaded our GPS tracks I was surprised to find that yesterday was our third biggest climbing day of the trip! The only two rides that topped it were Julierpass in Switzerland and Verdon Gorge in France, two equally stunning da...
Celebrating SundayGSunday, February 14th, 2010 I would never have imagined this to be true, but many of our favorite days involve slowly climbing mountains. As long as we bring copious amounts of food, start the day with a positive attitude, and make sure to take our time, it almost always mak...
Knossos and the CoastGSaturday, February 13th, 2010 Our first stop of the day was the ancient Minoan palace of Knossos, located about 7 kilometers from Iraklion. We got a late start, arriving around 10AM, just in time to meet a group of cycle tourists on a package tour of the area! Everyone was ve...
Heraklion Archeological MuseumGFriday, February 12th, 2010 Tthough most of the day was spent working on our respective projects, Tyler and I did take a break to visit the Heraklion Archeological Museum. While I was in college I took a class called "Greek Myth, Art, and Literature" during which we studied ...
Working in IraklionGThursday, February 11th, 2010 We spent more or less the entire day behind our computer screens. Though I managed to get quite a bit of work done, even more flooded my inbox during the course of the evening (read: business hours in the USA). It looks like we'll be staying an e...
Clean and DryGWednesday, February 10th, 2010 We disembarked groggily from our early ferry arrival in Heraklion around 6AM this morning. Thankfully there were no intensive searches as we left—we just wheeled away into town. It was very refreshing not being cold in the pre-dawn darkness! ...
What Traffic?GTuesday, February 9th, 2010 After one last dirty parade through the lobby of our Corinth hotel, we rode off under grey but mercifully dry skies heading east along the coast. Our destination for the day was Piraeus, the port town of Athens. From there we would catch a ferry ...
Exploring AcrocorinthGMonday, February 8th, 2010 Unlike yesterday, when grey clouds and drizzle made us focus solely on giant potholes in the road and the muddy water that filled them, today the sun shone brightly and we were able to appreciate the beautiful landscape around us. Always excite...
Wet and DirtyGSunday, February 7th, 2010 Wet and dirty is my favorite thing, my favorite thing, my favorite thing! Oooooh wet and dirty is my favorite thiiinng… at least I am not cold! sung jovially by Tara as we packed up camp this morning. Every time we camp near the ocean, Ta...
What MattersGSaturday, February 6th, 2010 We awoke excited about our plans for the day. Last night I'd discovered that just ten kilometers away was a town with a rack and pinion railway leading into the mountains. Our guidebook said it was spectacular and not to be missed, trundling up t...
Exploring AgainGFriday, February 5th, 2010 Panniers full of food from a shopping spree yesterday, we cycled away from Patras under bright blue skies, lazily spinning our legs as we watched the coming and goings of everyday life in Greece. About 8km into our ride, Tara realized we'd left he...
It's All Greek to MeGWednesday, February 3rd, 2010 Tara is unofficially our designated communicator when it comes to foreign languages. That isn't to say that I don't speak; in fact, I try really hard! I'm not shy about using the phrases I know, but sadly, my brain doesn't seem to be wired for le...
Καλημέρα!GTuesday, February 2nd, 2010 After a relatively decent sleep on the thinly carpeted floor of our ferry's reception lounge, I woke up in the early morning hours to the blaring of Greek TV. I needed to stretch my legs so I took a walk around the outside decks. Cold winds blew ...
Ciao Bella!GMonday, February 1st, 2010 Though the day dawned brilliantly, the sun wasn't providing much in the way of warmth. Amidst millions of shimmering dewdrops in our churchyard free-camp, we groggily blew into our chilly hands and dutifully started our morning routine. I rolled ...
CoastingGSunday, January 31st, 2010 According to our database, after ten months on the road we've ascended 108,469 meters and descended 108,215 more. Imperially speaking, that is nearly 70 miles in each direction. We have officially cycled up enough hills to take us into space. Co...
Matera SightseeingGSaturday, January 30th, 2010 We started our day by making french toast with Matera looming in the distance. It was very windy and we were downright cold as I packed up camp while Tara prepared breakfast. Once again, thank you Mark and Lisa for sending maple syrup in our last...
Matera SassiGFriday, January 29th, 2010 "Please don't be raining please don't be raining please don't be raining"… I repeated over and over while waiting for Tyler to come back from a quick trip outside to check the weather this morning. To my relief, he returned with a smile: lots of ...
Sick Day ObservationsGThursday, January 28th, 2010 Though I woke up feeling a lot better than I had last night, Tyler insisted we take a day of rest so I could fully recover. We passed the morning and afternoon laying together in our tiny, smaller-than-twin bed. Tyler spent the time programmin...
Wet and ColdGWednesday, January 27th, 2010 A sickly drizzle of freezing rain patiently waited to receive us this morning. As we stuffed ourselves during our last continental breakfast at the Grand Hotel in Potenza, we were blissfully unaware of this fact. Another detail pleasantly among t...
Just RightGTuesday, January 26th, 2010 We've only been here two nights and two days but Tara and I enthusiastically agree; we think we'd like to live here. The city of Potenza has a particular vibe, a quiet welcoming sort of quality about it which we both immediately noticed when we ar...
Birthday SuccessGMonday, January 25th, 2010 Yesterday, I made a list of all the things I wanted to do on my birthday. While the best parts of the day weren't even on it (an early morning phone call from my brother, Lian, the sweetest voice-mail of Tyler's little brothers and sisters singing...
Rags to RichesGSunday, January 24th, 2010 Walking into the four-star Grande Albergo hotel in Potenza's charming shop-lined cobblestone downtown was quite the experience—a real example of how polar our trip can be at times. There we were, bundled and dirty, without having had a shower sinc...
BrrrrrrrGSaturday, January 23rd, 2010 In an odd change of perspective, every climb was cause for celebration today (and there were plenty of them: 800 meters, or over 2,500 feet in all). In lieu of hopping around madly trying to keep warm as we did while packing up camp, we slowly and...
Journal Interface UpdateGSaturday, January 23rd, 2010 We've received several emails from people saying that they often accidentally click on images and feel it is confusing when they are directed to a Flickr photo page. I've updated our site so that when you click on an image it will display a larger...
Climbing in the ColdGFriday, January 22nd, 2010 The day didn't start out very cold. In fact, the first twenty five kilometers of our trek east were just beautiful; much flatter than I expected they would be too! We cruised through non-stop civilization with huge grins plastered on our faces fo...
Field RecordingGThursday, January 21st, 2010 During yesterday's ride, we enjoyed the Amalfi scenery on our second trip through it's unforgettable coastline. Though it provided spectacular views once more, we'd forgotten how mountainous the area is. Today, we were hoping for something a litt...
Amalfi AgainGWednesday, January 20th, 2010 When Tyler expressed his desire to return what I call "the tunnel from hell" to do some recording, I was torn. On one hand, I was excited that he'd finally be able to capture the bizarrely intense drone noises he was so enamored with, but on the o...
What's NextGTuesday, January 19th, 2010 For some reason we can't quite put our fingers on, we've found stealth camping in Italy to be incredibly easy and rewarding. Last night's location and the views it provided this morning were no exception. We love Italy! After lazily pa...
SalernoGMonday, January 18th, 2010 After a refreshingly hassle-free boarding process last night, we made ourselves at home on the ferry to Salerno. By making a mat on the floor out of the removable seat cushions, we were able to easily fall asleep snuggled together, unimpeded by un...
Pigging Out in PalermoGSunday, January 17th, 2010 We woke up to the morning sun streaming through our smudged ferry windows and were greeted with views of the ruggedly beautiful mountains of the Sicilian coastline. We were almost there! An hour later, we had docked and a mob was already form...
Armed and DangerousGSaturday, January 16th, 2010 It was a drizzly, dreary day in the port suburb of La Goulette, and we were glad we weren't trying to finish a marathon to Tunis this morning. Instead, we were ready for our evening ferry and our kind hotel hosts allowed us to hang out in the lobb...
Hitching a RideGFriday, January 15th, 2010 This morning was day two of our mad dash for Tunis. We were in good spirits, but our muscles were sore as we groggily shuffled down the stairs of our hotel for breakfast. With each step it was becoming increasingly obvious that stringing a series...
Olive Grove AngelsGThursday, January 14th, 2010 Somehow, after nine and a half months on the road, we still wake up excited about a new day of adventuring—even when just the night before, we cursed the skies and wondered why the hell we were out here at all. We just want to ride our bikes, eat,...
SandstormGWednesday, January 13th, 2010 In central Tunisia this morning, it felt like spring was in the air. Tara was excited, snapping photos of the delicate little buds in celebration of the coming season. Here is her first "flower hour" of 2010. Shortly after 2PM, the o...
Back to WorkGTuesday, January 12th, 2010 Very excited about our first day cycling in almost a month, we were packed and ready to go in record time this morning. Before we left, Tyler ran over to Cafe la Corniche to say goodbye to Yousri while I jogged over to the pastry shop to pick up a...
Velocity Rims: Part 3GMonday, January 11th, 2010 Our rims are finally here! Tara and I tore into the boxes at the post office this morning as soon as they opened at 8:30 AM. We could hardly believe what we saw when we removed the cardboard packaging. Velocity has replaced our failing rear rims...
In SummaryGSunday, January 10th, 2010 One month after Velocity sent our replacement rims, their convoluted journey has ended here on our desert island of Kerkennah. The first two weeks featured an information blackout during which they sat, apparently forgotten, in New Jersey. Go US ...
Too WindyGSaturday, January 9th, 2010 We left our hotel bright and early hoping to pick up our wheels from the nearby post office during their brief Saturday morning opening. When we arrived they informed us that our wheels had been sent to the Post Office in Remla a couple of days ag...
Youth Hostiles: Part 2GFriday, January 8th, 2010 …I didn't want to sully our last post about Habib with the following frustrating incident. And so, in its own post, is the conclusion of our day: We arrived at the hostile in Sfax around 6:30PM. As we approached the entrance, the three men o...
Fare Thee Well, HabibGFriday, January 8th, 2010 After much discussion, we've decided to part ways with our Motobecane Mobylette 88, Habib. The appearance of our long awaited bicycle wheels in Sfax played a big role in this decision. Sadly, our separation does not involve sending him home to th...
Motorized: Part 3GThursday, January 7th, 2010 Purchasing a scooter in Tunisia is easily the best decision we've made here. Having a rusting, rattling Mobylette of our own has created a genuine trust not normally found between tourists and locals. Suddenly the fact that we are white and obvio...
Hammama Mia!GWednesday, January 6th, 2010 We took the opportunity to treat ourselves to a hammam (Turkish bath, widely used in Tunisia) today thanks to a generous donation by regular reader, Jeanne Juneau. Thank you so much Jeanne! For our last night at Hotel Pansea, we'd like to thank o...
Hotel Pansea in Ksar GhilaneGTuesday, January 5th, 2010 First, the thank yous. Our luxury tent, complete with bathroom, table and chairs, shelves, blankets, and of course, beds, is a lot nicer than we are used to. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for making our stay here today possible, Mom (J...
Into the DesertGMonday, January 4th, 2010 Yesterday's triumphant team repair and our 70 kilometer ride without a flat finally gave us the confidence we needed to take the plunge. Today, we would ride our 25+ year old Motobecane Mobylette into the desert, 150 kilometers to Ksar Ghilane. L...
Do It YourselfGSunday, January 3rd, 2010 For the last two days we've been unable to travel more than 40km at a stretch on our Mobylette without the rear tire going flat. In every instance there has been a repair shop within walking distance and/or many people determined to help us. This...
Getting NowhereGSaturday, January 2nd, 2010 We stayed at our hotel until nearly 2PM trying to resolve the concerns Tyler raised in his last journal entry. Hotel Pansea in Ksar Ghilane still could not be reached. In an effort to feel like we'd accomplished something, we sent them an email s...
Star Wars @ Ong Ejamel (Mos Espa Set)GThursday, December 31st, 2009 Today we set out with our Motobecane Mobylette 88, Habib, back to Nefta after my mom discovered Ross Pringle's account about a major Star Wars set just hanging out in the desert only a few kilometers further than where we were yesterday. Thanks mo...
The Road to TozeurGTuesday, December 29th, 2009 Backpacks, food, water, camera, and an extra liter and a half of fuel strapped to the newest member of our team, a Motobecane Mobylette, model AV88, we wave farewell to Giovanni and Lorenzo and "speed" away v e r y s l o w l y in the direction ...
Motorized: Part 2GMonday, December 28th, 2009 When I casually suggested we buy one of Tunisia's ubiquitous scooters, Tara couldn't stop laughing. The thought of us zipping down the road in the middle of the desert on a crappy little moped was, in her words, "perfect". Though we've been ab...
Motorized: Part 1GSunday, December 27th, 2009 Yesterday, as we boarded our louage to Douz, it occurred to me that the used, run-down scooters we've seen everywhere in Tunisia couldn't be very expensive. As we sat down for the two hour journey, I jokingly mentioned to Tara that we should buy o...
Festival of the SaharaGSunday, December 27th, 2009 Arriving in Douz under the blistering sun, we leave the louage station and join a whirlwind of activity. As we walk through town it is easy to imagine how colorful and lively this place must have once been when caravans passed through, rejoicing i...
Star Wars @ Sidi Driss HotelGSaturday, December 26th, 2009 My younger brother Gabe is obsessed with Star Wars. George Lucas visited Tunisia before filming the original series and much of the culture and architecture found in the movies was inspired by what he saw. In fact, many parts of the epic series, ...
Christmas in the DesertGFriday, December 25th, 2009 This morning as Christmas snowstorms gathered their strength back home in the Midwest, Tara and I were venturing further into the deserts of Tunisia. While our families slept, we made our way to Chenini, a centuries old Troglodyte village near Tat...
To TataouineGThursday, December 24th, 2009 Louage- nf. def: A Tunisian shared taxi van that drives REALLY fast. It is white with a colored stripe indicating where/how far it goes (yellow=local, blue=county, red=intercity). There is no set timetable; drivers depart when their louage seats...
On HomeGWednesday, December 23rd, 2009 …while going to sleep in our haunted hotel room: Me "Do you miss Kerkennah a little?" Tara "Yeah." Me "Me too." Despite a rough week of feeling cooped up and generally stuck in "waiting mode", we were both ever-so-slightly sad to leave Kerk...
Kerkennah to GabesGWednesday, December 23rd, 2009 This morning a rickety bus carted us the short distance from Remla to the southern tip of the islands, somehow costing more than the hour-long ferry ride it was delivering us to. After boarding the boat, we both put on our headphones and zoned out...
Door Number ThreeGTuesday, December 22nd, 2009 After much deliberation we've chosen option number three. Though we'd like to ride our bicycles, our original route to the western town of Tozeur could easily turn into a month long affair if it involved circling back to Kerkennah. There is still...
Stranded on a Desert IslandGMonday, December 21st, 2009 We just found out our wheels have been sitting in New Jersey for the last twelve days. Nice work US Postal Service. We've now been on Kerkannah for more than two weeks. The first week was very enjoyable; we did lots of sightseeing, and I had a s...
Patience & AioliGSunday, December 20th, 2009 I decided the other day that I would whip up a batch of homemade aioli (garlic mayonnaise) so we could garlic-ify a roasted chicken. This sauce, southern French in origin, is traditionally made in a mortar and pestle, and is often created using a ...
The GatekeeperGSaturday, December 19th, 2009 When we arrived at the hostel in Remla, we were amazed by and appreciative of everyone's kindness. It was such a relief compared to the other hostels we'd been to! We were given a key to our room, in addition to the key to the whole suite which ...
LablabiGFriday, December 18th, 2009 After posting our journal entry about Tunisian food, we've been going out of our way to try new things in the hopes of varying our cuisine. In the process, we've discovered lablabi, which turned out to be my favorite Tunisian dish we've tried thus...
Why We Are HereGThursday, December 17th, 2009 Tara and I recently re-watched Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boormans', Long Way Down. It was both exciting and rewarding to see again. Having now traveled through many of the places they did, we were often exclaiming, "We rode right by that!" as we ...
Scooters of KerkennahGWednesday, December 16th, 2009 The preferred mode of transportation on Kerkennah appears to be a rusty scooter. They are parked in disorganized clusters at every home and place of business on the island, most especially the many repair shops. We pass men every day working on t...
Latkes on the RoadGTuesday, December 15th, 2009 I was not inspired to do anything today. This morning all I wanted was to be on the move, adventuring on our bicycles, or be at home. Our waiting-for-gear limbo was driving me crazy. All I could think were things like: "Why on earth are we sitti...
Notes from the CafeGMonday, December 14th, 2009 During our stay here on Kerkannah, we've spent the majority of our time working at the Salon de Thé (tearoom) called "la Corniche". They have free wi-fi (thankfully or we'd have to return to Sfax to get anything done) and we use it liberally. The...
DSLR Camera Case: ThinkTank Digital Holster 10GSunday, December 13th, 2009 Bringing a digital SLR on our world tour was a last-minute decision. About a month before we left, my friend Ian Meyer convinced me that we'd be fools to leave without one. At the time, my main concern was how we'd carry yet another heavy and exp...
Waiting for WheelsGSaturday, December 12th, 2009 While we wait for our new rear wheels to arrive, we've spent a little more time exploring the Kerkennah Islands. They aren't big. To provide some variety from working every day at the local cafe, we visited the sleepy resort town of Sidi Fredj to...
Going Slowly Photo Calendars!GFriday, December 11th, 2009 We know it's getting down to the wire for Christmas shopping and Hanukkah has already begun, but we've still got a few days left 'till New Years. We're currently stranded on the Kerkennah Islands waiting for replacement wheels so we decided to spe...
Velocity Rims: Part 2GThursday, December 10th, 2009 UPDATE: It turns out our problems had nothing to do with the braking surface at all. The rim was splitting in two right down the middle. I didn't see this until I removed the rim tape. Click here for a continuation of the story. Roughly one...
On the Sea with AbdallahGWednesday, December 9th, 2009 The day dawned clear and beautiful as usual, and we called Abdallah as promised to make sure we were still on for the day. The islands can get notoriously windy, making excursions out to sea very uncomfortable. Finding out that everything was sti...
Borj el-HissarGTuesday, December 8th, 2009 Since Tyler has been busy working for basically every free moment of every day while we wait for my replacement wheel (more on that soon), I've decided to plan little excursions for us so we don't tire of the same routine. I love reading our guide...
Tunisian FoodGMonday, December 7th, 2009 Eating well in Tunisia is proving to be a bit of a challenge. Our normal process of buying groceries and cooking our own meals just doesn't seem to be applicable here. Also, the sun starts setting around 5PM now, usually forcing us to cook in tot...
Soccer & SeafoodGSunday, December 6th, 2009 After spending the entire day working at our favorite coffee-shop (Salon de Thé la Corniche), we were surprised when suddenly the place cleared out and we were the only people left. Normally the patio is filled with men smoking chicha and sipping ...
Remla HostelGSaturday, December 5th, 2009 After a couple days of desert free-camping, we both feel the need for a shower so we're packing up and heading to Remla to check into the youth hostel. The short 6 kilometer ride from our free-camp seems to take forever due to the constant, p...
Sta AliGFriday, December 4th, 2009 Yesterday at the Abassiya museum we asked Madame Fehri if she knew of any fishermen who would be willing to take us out on their boat. Our guide book said this was a common practice, and we were eager to learn more about local way of life. Fishin...
Exploring Kerkennah IslandGThursday, December 3rd, 2009 I'm cozied up in our sleeping bag; Tara has run off to take pictures of the coming sunrise on our little desert island. Before yesterday, my only experience with the desert was sweltering on the seat of a motorcycle with one aim: to get out. This...
Under the SpellGWednesday, December 2nd, 2009 We're not sure what to expect as we purchase tickets for the ferry to the Kerkennah Islands off the coast of Sfax. It doesn't really matter what it's like, though, the total cost is 1 dinar 800! We board the boat, bungee our bikes to the cargo ar...
Sfax Medina & Dar Jellouli MuseumGTuesday, December 1st, 2009 We had a lovely day today wandering around the Sfax medina. It was refreshingly utilitarian—not a tourist shop in sight. Craftspeople calmly turned wood or etched metal while people bustled by on the narrow streets. At a pastry shop, we were dra...
Open School English Language ClassGMonday, November 30th, 2009 After an uneventful day of working (Tyler) and grocery shopping, knitting, and reading (me) we decided to walk to Cafe Jazz for dinner. I had a cheeseburger and Tyler had a chicken pizza. We had finished our meal and were about to leave, when a g...
Youth HostilesGSunday, November 29th, 2009 Since our disturbing encounter with Mohammed, we've been slow to re-enter the free-camping world. Instead, we've been exploring other lodging options. Namely, the Youth Hostel. Neither of us has been to a youth hostel since we were single teenag...
Mixed FeelingsGSaturday, November 28th, 2009 I've been thinking a lot lately about accepting the culture of the areas we travel through, both to better understand them, and at times, simply to stay sane. I was in high spirits as we rode this morning, happy we're adapting well to a myriad of ...
MahdiaGThursday, November 26th, 2009 We left our empty hostel around 10AM for a day of walking around Mahdia, hopeful that we'd witness some of the festivities of Eid al-Adh firsthand. It wasn't long before we found several trails of blood in the streets. They led to more ...
Happy ThanksgivingGThursday, November 26th, 2009 Tara Sometimes it seems odd that we should be out in the world going ever onwards, when my instincts tell me it is time to hole up for the season and hibernate. The coming winter and approaching holidays make me a little nostalgic and homesick. ...
SousseGWednesday, November 25th, 2009 Last night we checked into a hostel, a first in many years for both of us. The simple room was relatively cheap and we both wanted some time to relax so we decided to spend another night. With a cycle-free day in front of us, we whiled away most ...
KairouanGTuesday, November 24th, 2009 We left our hotel this morning after a very long, deep sleep, with a fresh positive attitude about being in Tunisia. Excited to see Kairouan, we spent this morning wandering around the medina. The streets were wider and brighter than other medina...
Out of the Orange GroveGMonday, November 23rd, 2009 I lay awake on "high alert" for most of the night, listening to the surprisingly busy traffic, and keeping my ears perked for any sounds of the gate creaking open. When the alarm went off at 5:00 AM, I immediately sat up and began rousing Tyler so...
Back in the SaddleGSaturday, November 21st, 2009 The man at the reception desk of our hotel wrote a note for us this morning before we ventured off for one last futile attempt at acquiring Libyan visas. The swirly, scribbly Arabic writing said (we hope) "Dear Libyan Embassy, this is our last day...
TouchedGSaturday, November 21st, 2009 Most days the first thing Tyler does is check our email. This normally mundane task of ensuring that nothing has blown up at work has now become the highlight of our morning! As kind words pour in from around the world we've been taking turns rea...
Libyan Visa for AmericansGFriday, November 20th, 2009 The Libyan Embassy has been stringing us along for two weeks. Each time we visit, they tell us to return in increasingly shorter time frames, saying everything is fine and that our visas will be ready soon. First it was five days, then three or f...
Computer GeeksGThursday, November 19th, 2009 Last night I got to spend some time with Carla's 15 year old son Youssef working on the family computers. One of them no longer boots and they had several documents they needed to recover from it. Pleased to be able to do our generous hosts a fav...
Reaching OutGThursday, November 19th, 2009 We had a look at our website traffic yesterday and were completely blown away by what we saw. In the last 30 days we've had over 15,000 hits from more than 50 countries, all coming to a website written on two tiny little laptops in a tent! Kee...
Laundry on the RoadGThursday, November 19th, 2009 At first it was pretty easy. In England and France we'd just use the washers and dryers present at most campsites. After a while though, especially upon entering Switzerland, we weren't willing to shell out the exorbitant sums campsites wanted si...
Libya UpdateGWednesday, November 18th, 2009 Thankfully, Tyler felt better this morning, and we headed off to the Libyan Embassy in Tunis for another round of trying to get our visas. The first time we visited, they said to come back in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 days. When we returned on day five, they...
Sick in TunisiaGTuesday, November 17th, 2009 Two nights ago, Tyler came down with the flu (swine maybe, who knows). After one of at least twenty trips to the bathroom he weakly told me he felt like he'd been hit by a truck. Poor guy! We thought it might be the tap water, so I hauled out ou...
Cookware: GSI Outdoors Pinnacle vs GlacierGMonday, November 16th, 2009 There are a lot of options to choose from when considering what cook-set to bring on a world tour. Stainless steel for "expeditions", aluminum for pretty much everything, titanium for the weight weenies and various teflon coatings for all. Add to...
Sidi Bou SaidGSunday, November 15th, 2009 We walked to nearby Sidi Bou Said today and were surprised by how touristy it is compared with the shady little residential neighborhood where we are staying in La Marsa. Here are some photos from our afternoon excursion! Sidi Bou Said is lov...
Website AdditionsGSaturday, November 14th, 2009 I finally spent some time this weekend working on integrating our Bicycle Touring Database with our website. Most of the changes were to the google map on our home page. Each marker now shows photos and journal entries for the location when you c...
Tunis MedinaGFriday, November 13th, 2009 Shortly after exiting the TGM station called "Tunis Marine", we walk by these flower markets on our way to the center of town. Our first major landmark is the Place du 7 Novembre, with its large clock-tower in the middle and a fountain just be...
Shipments ReceivedGThursday, November 12th, 2009 We've developed a pretty good system for getting things we need while on the road. First, we place orders online and have the items shipped to my parents house. Then, when we are planning to stay somewhere for awhile, they act as our support crew...
Easy TranslationGWednesday, November 11th, 2009 Last year for our anniversary we spent the day getting vaccinated for our trip. This year we spent it in Tunis! Rather than getting jabbed by needles, we used our time preparing as best as we could for our Libyan visa application. We'd read onli...
ResearchingGTuesday, November 10th, 2009 We spent the entire day researching route options for leaving Tunisia. Here are a few more photos of Tunis from yesterday: ...
Dear LibyaGMonday, November 9th, 2009 When I was a kid, I loved adventure games. Growing up, I spent untold hours in front of my Dad's computer playing (and replaying and replaying again) LucasArts classics like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Grim Fandango, The Secret of Monkey I...
Getting AcclimatedGSunday, November 8th, 2009 We spent most of the today researching visas, looking up embassies, and getting to know our hosts. They are fairly private people so we won't post much about them, but here are some photos we took today at their house. Here are two of their pet...
Welcome to AfricaGSaturday, November 7th, 2009 We walk around Palermo this morning, absorbing our last bit of Italian culture before we leave. Our final stop is a pastry shop where we buy four cannoli for our future Tunisian hosts. The man behind the counter takes his time with gift wrapping ...
Time and PressureGFriday, November 6th, 2009 Tyler It is hard to fathom that we're taking a ferry to Africa in less than 24 hours. Every now and then, one of us will turn to the other and say, "Hey guess what? We're going to Tunisia!" Outside of these moments, it hardly seems real. Even...
Safely IndoorsGThursday, November 5th, 2009 Thanks to a very generous donation from fellow touring cyclist we've been corresponding with, Fred Bouwman, we booked a hotel room in Palermo during our trip's worst free-camp last night. We were both giddy about the prospect of not stealth campin...
The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad DayGWednesday, November 4th, 2009 Most of the day wasn't bad. We narrowly escaped some rain while packing our olive grove free-camp and then had a lovely uneventful ride along the coast. Cycling just feet from the crashing waves, we occasionally felt salty spray from particularly...
Autumn in the MountainsGTuesday, November 3rd, 2009 Our frosty free-camp at 1,400m (4,500ft) was so cold we blew off our 5:30am alarm this morning. Cuddled in our toasty warm tent we hoped the sun would come out sooner rather than later. It didn't. When we finally did summon the willpower to get ...
SerendipitousGMonday, November 2nd, 2009 It took a lot of willpower to leave our cozy sleeping bag this morning. Fall doesn't mess around in the mountains. It was cold! We both layered ourselves like onions in the tent before braving the day. Tara even tied one of our homemade bandana...
The Kindness of StrangersGSunday, November 1st, 2009 Last night's campsite was just what we needed. Free camping is fun, but it comes with a slightly tiring set of challenges: lack of bathrooms, showers, sinks, garbage cans, and most importantly: the assurance that we belong there. Hotels are a lit...
Give and TakeGSaturday, October 31st, 2009 Before embarking on our journey, we blithely lived in the land of "everything you could ever need or want, 24 hours a day" and completely took it for granted. While preparing to leave, if I couldn't find an item we needed in one of the six outdoor...
StealthyGFriday, October 30th, 2009 This evening was the most blatantly public free-camp we've ever attempted, easily trumping our most daring nighttime caper so far: sleeping in the middle of a highway. After a breezy fifty kilometers of rolling hills south of Messina, we found our...
Merino WoolGThursday, October 29th, 2009 It keeps you warm when it is cold. It keeps you cool when it is hot. It dries almost instantly. You can sweat in it all day for weeks at a time without washing and still it won't smell. I remember being horrified when Tara informed me that all ...
Sicily at LastGWednesday, October 28th, 2009 We took it slowly this morning, making crepes for the first time in what felt like ages. When we set out, we were hoping against hope for a flat day but of course, it was anything but! Like yesterday, the ride began with a long, slow, 500 meter c...
Southbound AgainGTuesday, October 27th, 2009 We took two trips this morning, both of us pushing one bike at a time up the steep and very slick winding road we'd descended last night to arrive at our seaside free-camp. The climbing didn't end there; we spent the entire morning slogging up cru...
Free Camp FunGMonday, October 26th, 2009 Our first free-camp was on the second night of our trip. We hauled our panniers by hand through the woods to a well hidden clearing and then returned for our bicycles, trudging through the brush in what seems retrospectively, a completely clueless...
Blown AwayGSunday, October 25th, 2009 Tara: Lately, when we have a few days off it takes a bit of mental cajoling to get back into the groove of cycling. Already feeling a little reluctant to leave the comforts of civilization behind, we were not encouraged by the weather that greet...
Hotel ComfortsGSaturday, October 24th, 2009 After our highway stealth camp, Tara's grandparents sent us another donation(!) insisting that we spend a night in a nice hotel! Following an awe-inspiring storm two days ago we decided to take them up on their kind offer. We've gotten used to sl...
Database LiveGSaturday, October 24th, 2009 We started this trip by simply recording our GPS coordinates every night and maintaining a budget in excel. Over the last six months we've added all sorts of features to our website that we didn't originally plan for: saving our daily gps tracks, ...
Epic StormGFriday, October 23rd, 2009 When the alarm went off this morning I could scarcely hear its persistent beeping over the noise outside. A train screamed by, shaking the ground beneath us, and the natural world seemed to be engaged in an epic battle between sea and sky. ...
What Rain?GThursday, October 22nd, 2009 Bring it on nature! When it was time to pack our things in the rain this morning neither of us even flinched. Not soon after we left, the drizzle turned into a fierce downpour that didn't fully let up for the rest of the day. We rode on anyway, ...
Run-InsGWednesday, October 21st, 2009 Our first run-in of the day was with a man in an ANAS van (the Italian highway maintenance service) shortly after leaving our seaside free-camp. He stopped us about 10km into a long ascent and did his best to explain that the road ahead was closed...
Feeling CapableGTuesday, October 20th, 2009 When we groggily awoke to rain pattering on our tent roof, we promptly rolled over, slept in, and let nature run its course. Thankfully by 9AM the gray sheet of clouds had drifted out to sea, taking the rain with it. We swiftly packed our camp un...
Peaceful DayGMonday, October 19th, 2009 From an outsider's perspective, cycle touring may seem like a romantic, leisurely and relaxing way to take a vacation. There's the beautiful scenery, the wind in your hair, the open road, and the freedom of having the whole world at your fingertip...
South for WinterGSunday, October 18th, 2009 We've been contemplating several different routing possibilities to wrap up our tour of Italy for several days now. Today, as we approached the point where the roads diverged and decision-making became imperative, we realized we hadn't fully discu...
Short DayGSaturday, October 17th, 2009 Saying goodbye to Melodie and Alex this morning felt very premature. We would have loved to spend more time with them but unfortunately, we're all headed in opposite directions. Before parting ways we exchanged contact information, well wishes, p...
Fast FriendsGFriday, October 16th, 2009 Surprisingly when our alarm went off at 6:30 this morning, neither of us wanted to budge from our highway free-camp! Our tent had become a cozy, warm little den; a thick carpet of pine needles beneath us provided some extra cushion to our bed and ...
Noisy NaplesGThursday, October 15th, 2009 Tara: Before leaving our volcanic campground we stopped for breakfast at the bar/shop on site. As we ate we noticed there were several cats wandering around (at least seven by our count!). One of them decided to befriend me, hoping to get a tas...
Full of SurprisesGWednesday, October 14th, 2009 We've had our share of interesting rodent encounters on the road but this morning easily topped them all. While groping around for my shoes at 4am to go to the bathroom I felt something… furry? A few months ago this might well have scared the bej...
October's Bright Blue WeatherGTuesday, October 13th, 2009 The warmth and manic weather (repeated bouts of sun alternating with downpours) of the past few days have passed, leaving a distinct drop in temperature and crisp, clear skies. It is the quintessential example of what my grandmother calls "October...
Making JamGMonday, October 12th, 2009 Since today was our day off, I decided to make some jam with an unfortunate batch of fruit: two mealy oranges and three mushy, tasteless prune plums. First I peeled the oranges (roughly, with a knife) and chopped them into pieces along with the...
ChangesGSunday, October 11th, 2009 Since our last really crappy cycling day (on Elba), we have thought and talked a LOT about what we need to ensure our trip stays enjoyable rather than devolving into ceaseless hard work. What it really comes down to is giving ourselves permission ...
Just us ChickensGSaturday, October 10th, 2009 This morning began with a quiet thunder rumbling in the distance. Instead of ignoring the faint percussion, leaving our comfort to chance, I sprang to attention, shook Tyler awake and together we tore down camp in record time as the sun gave way t...
Riding SickerGFriday, October 9th, 2009 Last night, as we were too tired to put our food away properly, Tyler said, "in the REAL wild, we'd have to be a lot more careful about what we do with our food, or animals would come and eat it." We proceeded to talk about various ways of hanging...
Riding SickGThursday, October 8th, 2009 One of the few downsides to free-camping near the ocean is a tent completely covered with dew in the early morning hours before the sun comes up. Our spot was so good last night we opted to sleep with the rain-fly off, enjoying the view of the nig...
Journal UpdateGThursday, October 8th, 2009 We've received several emails over the past few months with people requesting an easy way to read our journal from start to finish rather than hunting through dates on the navigation pane. I've put a new link under the search box (on the left at t...
Taking Care of BusinessGWednesday, October 7th, 2009 I was surprised to find myself enjoying our ride this morning as we made our way out of the tangled mess that is Roman traffic. The shoulder, if you could call it that, was a huge line of haphazardly double-parked cars with their hazard lights fla...
Camp Chair: Walkstool ComfortGTuesday, October 6th, 2009 My dad took our family camping every summer when I was growing up. While researching what gear to bring on our trip I thought about those outings a lot. Planning a nomadic life turned out to be a surprisingly daunting task, and camping with my fa...
Ancient HistoryGMonday, October 5th, 2009 For our second trip into Rome we decided to make it a "short" day, focusing just on the Colosseum, the Roman Forums, and the Palatine. It is a good thing we didn't plan anything else! When we arrived we each plunked down 12 euro for a combined ti...
Resting in RomeGSunday, October 4th, 2009 We spent most of the day in our tent at Seven Hills Campsite in Rome today. Tara is working on a new writing project and I, as usual, had tons of programming to catch up on. ...
Roman HolidayGSaturday, October 3rd, 2009 We left from our tent quickly this morning in hopes that we wouldn't miss the 8:30 shuttle to the nearest train station. When we arrived at the "bus stop" area, it was obvious we hadn't needed to rush. Our driver was busy chatting up the receptio...
Exped DownMat vs Therm-a-Rest ToughSkinGFriday, October 2nd, 2009 UPDATE: One of our ToughSkin sleeping mats de-laminated. Click here for more information. It was clear when we started preparing to cycle around the world that doing so would require giving up countless luxuries. During our research we quic...
Six Months on the RoadGThursday, October 1st, 2009 A lot has changed since our plane landed in Scotland six months ago (in April- what were we thinking?!) We've packed more exciting events into these 184 days than either of us can believe. With each passing day we learn more about ourselves and w...
Ghost TownsGWednesday, September 30th, 2009 Apparently tourist season is over! Just yesterday, each town we passed was bustling with people. Crowds of tourists spent their sunny afternoons eating gelato and milling about little surf shops, purchasing brightly colored beach accessories and ...
Oceanside Free CampGTuesday, September 29th, 2009 Tyler: This morning while we ate breakfast a pack of stray kittens wandered tentatively into our picnic area. They all seemed to be in pretty rough shape so I tossed a piece of bread their way to see if they were hungry enough to eat it. Sure e...
Back to the MainlandGMonday, September 28th, 2009 Since yesterday was our day off, Tyler put off fixing his flat tire (which he acquired riding into Aquaviva Campground) until this morning. In no time at all, he had the tube patched and we were ready to go. All of our panniers were packed and ev...
Doing NothingGSunday, September 27th, 2009 After yesterday's intense ups and downs (literally—we climbed over 1,000 meters!), we decided it was time for a break. Now we're settled in to a nice campground on the north shore of Elba Island taking some time out to relax and enjoy the gorgeous...
Climbing ElbaGSaturday, September 26th, 2009 Elba Island is one part collapsed mountain, one part volcanic remains. The resulting landscape, while stunning, is quite a workout on a fully loaded touring bicycle. Directly out our front door the day began with a steep 350m climb to...
Exploring ElbaGFriday, September 25th, 2009 Packing up our free-camp early this morning, a man ambled into the woods just as we were heading out. He didn't smile or wave, he just adjusted his floppy hat and tightened his grips on the stick he carried in one hand, and the basket he held in t...
Easy Road to ElbaGThursday, September 24th, 2009 Often when we don't have a specific idea of where we are headed next, we choose a city located somewhere in the general direction we're traveling and use it as a waypoint in our GPS. Once the route is calculated, we can meander towards our "destin...
Volterra and the SeaGWednesday, September 23rd, 2009 A brilliant golden light filtered through the trees this morning but I was far too comfy in our tent to get up and take a picture. I will just have to commit the morning splendor to memory. Quickly packing up we made our way back to the road and ...
A Hero's WelcomeGTuesday, September 22nd, 2009 Tara and I were a little overwhelmed last night as we looked at our maps, trying to decide where to go next. Until today we've had a fairly clear plan that defined where we were going, when we would arrive and where we were headed after we got the...
Changing SeasonsGMonday, September 21st, 2009 My family packed up and left today, leaving a quiet hole in their wake. It was wonderful to have them here, and now that they are gone, Tyler and I are suddenly alone for our last night in a now silent and very large-feeling apartment at Agrituris...
This is MarkGSunday, September 20th, 2009 I woke up early expecting to tour the farm, meet Lidia's parents, and participate in making sheep's milk ricotta, the creamy cheese Tara had used to make our tasty ravioli filling. As it turned out, Lidia wasn't able to shepherd us over to the fam...
This is LianGSaturday, September 19th, 2009 Hi all, This is Lian, Tara's brother. I have been enjoying my week with the "Going Slowly Crew" here in Italy. We are having a wonderful time here in the countryside with short trips to the towns. The highlight has of course been seeing Tara and...
This is LisaGFriday, September 18th, 2009 This is Lisa. Im Tara's mom, and I'm filling in today to allow Tara and Tyler a bit of a break from their usual discipline of daily journaling. Their dedication to daily journaling is impressive. To them "daily" absolutely means daily, as in, "...
Florence with FamilyGThursday, September 17th, 2009 The morning began with some harried navigation on busy Italian roads leading into Florence. Traveling by bicycle is definitely easier than by car! After several wrong turns and subsequent complicated GPS/written direction consultations, we finall...
Food All DayGWednesday, September 16th, 2009 Being the only one in our apartment that a) isn't jet-lagged, and b) hasn't been awake all night long fixing and setting up our new HP Mini 5101 laptop, I bound out of bed this morning refreshed, full of energy, and ridiculously happy. Most everyo...
HomecomingGTuesday, September 15th, 2009 As usual when free-camping, we awoke early and began packing while it was still dark out. Though everything was wet, we didn't mind too much since we had only 20 kilometers to cover before we would be in the lap of luxury with the comfort of showe...
FlorenceGSunday, September 13th, 2009 We spent our rest day wandering around the beautiful, bustling city of Florence. Here are some photos and quick thoughts from the excursion: Thanks for the tip about Gelateria Neri, Oanh! We found the small, out-of-the-way shop and very much ...
Trains: A Learning ExperienceGSaturday, September 12th, 2009 The morning started with a paradise-like sunrise which we excitedly photographed before promptly going directly back to sleep. A few hours later we awoke to lazily pack our camp and prepare for another day of easy, flat riding. Our first stop was...
Re del PoGFriday, September 11th, 2009 Tyler often reminds me that we always find a place to sleep. No matter what circumstances present themselves during our day, we have and always will find a place to camp. I held that comforting thought in mind this morning as we packed and left t...
Working in CremonaGThursday, September 10th, 2009 After sneaking out of our trusty canopy-tree-free-camp this morning we headed to Chocolat Café so I could get some work done. With nearly a week off things were really starting to pile up. Most of my day was spent like this: These help...
Cremona MuseumsGWednesday, September 9th, 2009 Packing up this morning, we both decided it would be nice to take a rest day and see the sights of Cremona. Crawling out of our fantastically shady and well hidden free-camp, Tyler announced that he would pack up if I made breakfast. I set up a s...
More Free CampingGTuesday, September 8th, 2009 With each passing day we fall in love with Italy a little more. Maybe it is the cheap, delicious food clouding our judgment but we're almost certain that we'll pass through again on our way to Moscow (we're looping back through Europe after a Nort...
Po River ValleyGMonday, September 7th, 2009 With our late finish yesterday evening, a sleepless worrisome night of listening furtively for possible angry farmers, and a 6:00 AM departure from our not-so-hidden free-camp this morning, I was more than a little sluggish as we packed up and and ...
Amaretto GelatoGSunday, September 6th, 2009 True to his promise, our security guard friend was on patrol this morning. When we rolled out of the tent around 7AM he strolled over to talk with us. We did our best to communicate and this time we picked up on his offer for coffee much more exp...
Lago di ComoGSaturday, September 5th, 2009 Our taste buds are not ready for Italy. Yesterday we had grapes that were so flavorful (and cheap!) they were hard