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Entries Rated: G

Getting Our Poop In a Group, Part Three: Finishing the Compost Bins

Tuesday, 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 Drive

Sunday, 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 Sites

Saturday, 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 Projects

Thursday, 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 Toilet

Wednesday, 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 Ethernet

Wednesday, 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 Swap

Sunday, 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 Off

Saturday, 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...

We're Home!

Friday, May 3rd, 2013

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Back to Vermont for Keeps: Part Two

Thursday, 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 ...

April, 2013 in Photos

Tuesday, April 30th, 2013

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Back to Vermont for Keeps: Part One

Friday, 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 Upgrades

Thursday, 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"

Wednesday, 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 HQ

Tuesday, 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...

March, 2013 in Photos

Sunday, March 31st, 2013

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This is Karina

Thursday, 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 To

Sunday, 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 TV

Friday, 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 Update

Friday, 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 Forester

Thursday, 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 Maple

Wednesday, 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 Farm

Monday, 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 Apprentice

Monday, 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 & Mark

Sunday, 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 Kids

Saturday, 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 Interview

Thursday, 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...

February, 2013 in Photos

Thursday, February 28th, 2013

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Breaking News

Wednesday, 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 Visitors

Tuesday, 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 Settled

Saturday, 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 Wonderland

Wednesday, 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 Early

Tuesday, 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 Decisions

Friday, 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...

Sunrise

Thursday, 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 Five

Wednesday, 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 Storm

Friday, 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 Chainsaw

Friday, 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 Four

Thursday, 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 Three

Wednesday, 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"

Wednesday, 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 Two

Tuesday, 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 One

Sunday, 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 Farm

Friday, 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 Wind

Thursday, 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...

January, 2013 in Photos

Thursday, January 31st, 2013

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Installing a "Simple Pump" Well Pump: Part Two

Sunday, 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 Camper

Sunday, 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 One

Sunday, 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 Well

Sunday, 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!

Saturday, 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 Birthday

Friday, 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...

Heat

Thursday, 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 Neighbors

Wednesday, 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!

Wednesday, 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 Building

Tuesday, 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 Mode

Tuesday, 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 Clearing

Saturday, 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 Mountain

Thursday, 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 Day

Wednesday, 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!

Tuesday, 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 Last

Tuesday, 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 Bednar

Monday, 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 In

Sunday, 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 Ice

Saturday, 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...

Unpassable

Saturday, 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 Ten

Friday, 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 Nine

Friday, 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 Eight

Thursday, 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 Seven

Thursday, 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 Six

Wednesday, 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 Five

Tuesday, 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 Four

Monday, 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 Three

Sunday, 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 Two

Sunday, 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 One

Saturday, 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 Review

Tuesday, 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...

December, 2012 in Photos

Monday, December 31st, 2012

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Reed Collecting Tools: Sickles and Scythes

Sunday, 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 Thatch

Saturday, 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. ...

November, 2012 in Photos

Friday, November 30th, 2012

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Mission Accomplished

Friday, 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...

October, 2012 in Photos

Tuesday, October 30th, 2012

10 Acres in Vermont Land Payoff Status: 91% ...

"The Hay House" in Old Saybrook, Connecticut

Saturday, 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 Land

Sunday, 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 Vacation

Sunday, 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 Vermont

Friday, 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 Drive

Friday, 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 Engine

Thursday, 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 Studio

Thursday, 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 House

Monday, 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 Photos

Sunday, September 30th, 2012

10 Acres in Vermont Land Payoff Status: 91% ...

Earthen Oven Pizza Party

Monday, 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 Two

Saturday, 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 One

Saturday, 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...

August, 2012 in Photos

Friday, August 31st, 2012

10 Acres in Vermont Land Payoff Status: 83% ...

Switching to Strawbale, Part Two

Wednesday, 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 One

Wednesday, 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 Know

Monday, 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...

July, 2012 in Photos

Tuesday, July 31st, 2012

10 Acres in Vermont Land Payoff Status: 72% ...

Hedstrom Lumber Mill Tour

Monday, 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 Nine

Sunday, 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 Eight

Saturday, 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 Seven

Friday, 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 Six

Thursday, 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 Superior

Wednesday, 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 Five

Wednesday, 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 Four

Tuesday, 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 Three

Monday, 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 Two

Sunday, 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 One

Saturday, 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 School

Friday, 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...

June, 2012 in Photos

Saturday, June 30th, 2012

10 Acres in Vermont Land Payoff Status: 67% ...

May, 2012 in Photos

Thursday, May 31st, 2012

10 Acres in Vermont Land Payoff Status: 58% ...

Mud Girls Natural Building Cob Workshop

Saturday, 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 Island

Monday, 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 Highway

Sunday, 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 & Wine

Saturday, 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 Park

Friday, 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 Move

Thursday, 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 Road

Wednesday, 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 ...

April, 2012 in Photos

Monday, April 30th, 2012

10 Acres in Vermont Land Payoff Status: 54% ...

Presentation in Wisconsin

Saturday, 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 Life

Friday, 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 Wanderlust

Tuesday, 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...

March, 2012 in Photos

Saturday, March 31st, 2012

10 Acres in Vermont Land Payoff Status: 35% ...

Winter Wonderland

Tuesday, 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 Igloo

Sunday, 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 Igloo

Saturday, 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 Photos

Wednesday, February 29th, 2012

10 Acres in Vermont Land Payoff Status: 35% ...

Starting a Homestead: Our List

Wednesday, 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 Away

Monday, 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 On

Friday, 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—...

January, 2012 in Photos

Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

10 Acres in Vermont Land Payoff Status: 23% ...

Where is the Snow?

Friday, 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 Things

Tuesday, 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 Year

Thursday, 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 Forge

Wednesday, 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 Stuff

Saturday, 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 Grandparents

Thursday, 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 Inspiration

Sunday, 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 Stars

Tuesday, 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 Home

Monday, 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 Outside

Sunday, 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 Series

Sunday, 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 Beauty

Wednesday, 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 Seasons

Friday, 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!

Saturday, 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 Vermont

Friday, 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 Offer

Friday, 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 Survey

Friday, 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 Vermont

Thursday, 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-Engaging

Wednesday, 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-Landed

Wednesday, 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 Vermont

Tuesday, 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 Out

Saturday, 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 Two

Friday, 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 One

Friday, 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 Offer

Wednesday, 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 Routines

Tuesday, 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 Bikes

Wednesday, 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 Ohio

Monday, 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 Country

Sunday, 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?

Saturday, 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 House

Friday, 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 Vermont

Thursday, 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 Plan

Thursday, 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 Learn

Thursday, 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 Vermont

Thursday, 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 Again

Wednesday, 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 Life

Wednesday, 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 Two

Tuesday, 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 One

Tuesday, 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 Life

Monday, 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 Maine

Saturday, 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 Hopping

Friday, 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 Maine

Monday, 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 Two

Friday, 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 Two

Sunday, 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 One

Sunday, 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 Minnesota

Saturday, 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 Library

Sunday, 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 & Fire

Friday, 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 Farm

Tuesday, 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 Mulberries

Friday, 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: Tara

Tuesday, 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 Kansas

Monday, 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 Jamie

Sunday, 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 Colorado

Saturday, 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 Two

Friday, 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 One

Friday, 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 Road

Thursday, 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 Begins

Thursday, 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 One

Wednesday, 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 Panisse

Wednesday, 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 Wiggle

Tuesday, 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 Away

Monday, 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 One

Monday, 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 Two

Sunday, 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 One

Sunday, 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 Bay

Thursday, 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' Home

Thursday, 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 End

Thursday, 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 Jesse

Wednesday, 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 Airports

Tuesday, 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 Go

Tuesday, 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 Found

Sunday, 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 Lost

Sunday, 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 Asia

Saturday, 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 Bangkok

Friday, 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 Up

Tuesday, 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 Writers

Tuesday, 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 Love

Wednesday, 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 Bangkok

Monday, 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 School

Thursday, 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!

Tuesday, 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 Bangkok

Wednesday, 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 California

Tuesday, 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 Unit

Monday, 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 Savannakhet

Sunday, 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 Ride

Saturday, 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 End

Friday, 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 Smoothies

Thursday, 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...

Thakek

Wednesday, 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 Sun

Tuesday, 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!

Monday, 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 Cars

Sunday, 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 & Quiet

Saturday, 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 Granted

Friday, 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 Four

Thursday, 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 Three

Wednesday, 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 Two

Tuesday, 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!

Monday, 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 One

Sunday, 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 Vientiane

Saturday, 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 Vientiane

Friday, 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 Village

Wednesday, 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 Vieng

Tuesday, 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 Way

Monday, 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

Monday, 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 Out

Sunday, 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 & Repair

Saturday, 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 Three

Friday, 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 Two

Friday, 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 One

Friday, 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 Prep

Thursday, 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 Kitty

Wednesday, 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 Review

Tuesday, 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 Photos

Monday, 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 Road

Sunday, 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 Side

Saturday, 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 Machetes

Saturday, 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 Jars

Saturday, 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 Laos

Friday, 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 Villages

Thursday, 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 Indochina

Thursday, 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 River

Wednesday, 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!

Tuesday, 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 Ngoi

Tuesday, 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 Ngoi

Tuesday, 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 Start

Monday, 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 Shack

Sunday, 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 Friends

Sunday, 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 Nowhere

Sunday, 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, Again

Sunday, 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 Of

Saturday, 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 & Petang

Friday, 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 Feast

Friday, 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 Game

Friday, 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 Four

Thursday, 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 Three

Thursday, 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 Two

Thursday, 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 One

Wednesday, 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!

Tuesday, 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 Waffling

Tuesday, 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 Weary

Monday, 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 Again

Sunday, 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 Huế

Saturday, 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?

Friday, 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 Day

Thursday, 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 Pass

Wednesday, 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 Silk

Tuesday, 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 Tea

Tuesday, 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 Two

Monday, 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 One

Monday, 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...

Tailored

Sunday, 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 City

Saturday, 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 Rain

Saturday, 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 An

Saturday, 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 An

Friday, 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 Town

Thursday, 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 An

Thursday, 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 Bus

Wednesday, 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 Italy

Tuesday, 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 Mountain

Monday, 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 Village

Monday, 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 Night

Sunday, 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 Again

Sunday, 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 Here

Sunday, 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 Falls

Saturday, 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 Betel

Friday, 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 House

Friday, 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 Fun

Thursday, 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 Photos

Wednesday, 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 Lat

Tuesday, 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 Lat

Monday, 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 Country

Sunday, 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 Year

Saturday, 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 Eve

Friday, 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 Wrong

Friday, 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 & Nature

Thursday, 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 & Brothels

Wednesday, 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 Coffee

Tuesday, 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 Funeral

Sunday, 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 Festival

Sunday, 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 City

Sunday, 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 Christmas

Saturday, 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 Surprise

Saturday, 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 Adventure

Saturday, 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 Tracks

Friday, 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 GSDB

Thursday, 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 Luang

Wednesday, 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 Down

Tuesday, 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 Alleys

Monday, 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 City

Sunday, 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 Paddies

Saturday, 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 Chicken

Friday, 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 Paths

Friday, 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 Morning

Friday, 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 Dec

Wednesday, 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 Shock

Tuesday, 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 One

Monday, 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 Asia

Sunday, 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 Fishing

Saturday, 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 Deauville

Friday, 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 Quốc

Friday, 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 Sauce

Thursday, 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 Paradise

Thursday, 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 Light

Wednesday, 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 Quốc

Tuesday, 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 Food

Sunday, 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 Vietnam

Saturday, 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 Cambodia

Saturday, 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 & Crab

Friday, 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 Ride

Thursday, 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 Cruising

Wednesday, 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 Kampot

Tuesday, 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, ...

Molly

Monday, 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 Beach

Sunday, 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 Friends

Saturday, 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...

Threaded

Thursday, 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 Sihanoukville

Wednesday, 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 Resort

Tuesday, 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 Countryside

Tuesday, 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 & Tragedy

Monday, 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 Penh

Sunday, 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 Museum

Sunday, 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)

Saturday, 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 Calendars

Friday, 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 Cambodia

Wednesday, 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 Three

Tuesday, 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 Two

Tuesday, 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 One

Tuesday, 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 Cambodia

Monday, 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 Song

Sunday, 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 Pictures

Saturday, 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 Three

Thursday, 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 Two

Thursday, 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 One

Thursday, 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 Museum

Wednesday, 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 Seven

Tuesday, 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 Wat

Tuesday, 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 Afternoon

Monday, 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 Prohm

Monday, 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 Puppets

Sunday, 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 Srei

Saturday, 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 Bayon

Saturday, 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 Paths

Friday, 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 Farm

Friday, 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, Sir

Thursday, 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 Cambodia

Wednesday, 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 Three

Tuesday, 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 Two

Tuesday, 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 One

Tuesday, 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 Write

Monday, 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 Cambodia

Sunday, 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 Harmony

Saturday, 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 Going

Friday, 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 Workflow

Thursday, 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 Lek

Wednesday, 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 Journal

Tuesday, 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 Again

Monday, 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 Waterfalls

Sunday, 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 Wear

Saturday, 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 Two

Friday, 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 One

Friday, 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 Bungalow

Thursday, 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 Bungalow

Wednesday, 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 Bualuang

Tuesday, 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 Monkeys

Monday, 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 Ad

Sunday, 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 Lopburi

Sunday, 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 Kitchen

Saturday, 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 Feast

Friday, 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 Uncle

Thursday, 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 2011

Thursday, 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 Ayutthaya

Wednesday, 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 Ayutthaya

Tuesday, 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 Break

Monday, 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 Tour

Saturday, 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 Riding

Friday, 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 Pho

Friday, 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 Bangkok

Thursday, 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 Bangkok

Wednesday, 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 Change

Tuesday, 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 Bangkok

Monday, 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 & Rob

Sunday, 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 Ensemble

Saturday, 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 Last

Friday, 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 Boxes

Thursday, 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 Monastery

Thursday, 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 Boxes

Wednesday, 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 Load

Tuesday, 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 Missed

Monday, 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 Basics

Monday, 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 Six

Monday, 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 Five

Monday, 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 Four

Monday, 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 Market

Sunday, 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 Three

Sunday, 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 Out

Saturday, 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 Two

Saturday, 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 Ten

Thursday, 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 Nine

Wednesday, 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 Tarmac

Wednesday, 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 Eight

Wednesday, 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 Seven

Tuesday, 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 Rising

Tuesday, 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...

Obstacles

Tuesday, 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 One

Monday, 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 Swift

Monday, 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 Surgery

Sunday, 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 Again

Saturday, 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 History

Friday, 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 Three

Thursday, 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 Two

Thursday, 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 One

Thursday, 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 Learn

Wednesday, 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 Altai

Tuesday, 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 Altai

Monday, 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 Six

Monday, 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 Early

Monday, 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 Five

Sunday, 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 Cars

Sunday, 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 Tumbler

Saturday, 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 Dusty

Friday, 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 Hovd

Wednesday, 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 Ölgii

Monday, 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 Hospitality

Sunday, 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 Doblò

Sunday, 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 Start

Sunday, 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 Border

Saturday, 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 Together

Friday, 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 Land

Friday, 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 Edge

Friday, 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 One

Thursday, 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 Track

Wednesday, 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 Teletskoye

Tuesday, 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 Cabin

Monday, 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...

Backtracking

Sunday, 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 Katun

Saturday, 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 Mongolia

Friday, 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 Woods

Thursday, 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 Chai

Wednesday, 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 Know

Monday, 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 Service

Sunday, 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 Rest

Saturday, 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 Border

Friday, 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 Heartland

Friday, 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?

Thursday, 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...

Yekaterinburg

Wednesday, 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!

Wednesday, 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 Woods

Tuesday, 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 Cave

Monday, 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...

Distractions

Sunday, 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 Russia

Saturday, 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!

Friday, 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 Kazan

Friday, 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 Controls

Thursday, 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 Kazan

Wednesday, 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 Count

Tuesday, 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: Suzdal

Monday, 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 Hole

Sunday, 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 Volga

Saturday, 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 Homes

Saturday, 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: Yaroslavl

Friday, 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-Zalessky

Friday, 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...

Absurd

Thursday, 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 Elizabeth

Wednesday, 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 Moscow

Tuesday, 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 Russia

Monday, 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 101

Monday, 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 Sunday

Sunday, 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 Day

Saturday, 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 Three

Thursday, 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 Two

Thursday, 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 One

Thursday, 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. Petersburg

Tuesday, 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 Wave

Monday, 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 Crossing

Sunday, 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 Coming

Saturday, 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 Family

Friday, 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's

Wednesday, 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 Update

Tuesday, 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 July

Monday, 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 Lapse

Sunday, 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 Norway

Friday, 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 Museum

Thursday, 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 Mining

Wednesday, 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 Oddities

Tuesday, 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 Cabin

Monday, 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 Hopping

Sunday, 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 Lakes

Saturday, 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 Lake

Friday, 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 Business

Thursday, 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!?

Thursday, 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 Effect

Tuesday, 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...

Pāvilosta

Monday, 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 Latvia

Sunday, 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 Road

Saturday, 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 Crosses

Friday, 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 Adventure

Friday, 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 Earth

Thursday, 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 Woods

Wednesday, 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 Map

Tuesday, 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 Janka

Monday, 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 Warsaw

Sunday, 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 & Routines

Sunday, 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 Start

Saturday, 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 Driving

Friday, 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 Kolobrzeg

Thursday, 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 Poland

Wednesday, 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?

Monday, 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!

Monday, 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 Three

Sunday, 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 Two

Saturday, 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 One

Friday, 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 Town

Thursday, 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 Ann

Wednesday, 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 Ready

Wednesday, 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, Blogger

Tuesday, 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 Museum

Monday, 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 Berlin

Sunday, 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 Germany

Saturday, 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 Noi

Friday, 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: 2010

Friday, 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 Berlin

Thursday, 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 Ride

Wednesday, 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 Thunderstorm

Tuesday, 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 Dresden

Monday, 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 Work

Sunday, 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!

Saturday, 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 Sneezefest

Friday, 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 & Felix

Wednesday, 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 Woods

Tuesday, 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 Rothenburg

Monday, 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...

Manic

Sunday, 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 Route

Saturday, 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 Green

Friday, 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 Dachau

Thursday, 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,...

Leaving

Wednesday, 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 Munich

Tuesday, 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 Alps

Monday, 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 Munich

Sunday, 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 Friends

Saturday, 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 Mission

Friday, 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 Three

Thursday, 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 One

Tuesday, 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 Romania

Tuesday, 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 Sibiu

Sunday, 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 Day

Saturday, 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 Braşov

Friday, 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 Rain

Thursday, 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 Bran

Wednesday, 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...

Sheep

Tuesday, 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 Buşteni

Monday, 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 Upstream

Sunday, 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 & Gypsies

Saturday, 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 & Troughs

Friday, 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!

Thursday, 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 Logistics

Wednesday, 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 Gratification

Tuesday, 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 Bucharest

Monday, 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 Bound

Sunday, 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 Saturday

Saturday, 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 60CSx

Friday, 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!

Thursday, 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 Cargo

Wednesday, 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 Encounter

Tuesday, 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 Ordinary

Monday, 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 Jiu

Sunday, 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 Anna

Saturday, 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 Monastery

Friday, 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 Provides

Thursday, 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 Hunting

Wednesday, 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 Terrible

Tuesday, 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 Updates

Monday, 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...

Typical

Sunday, 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 Danube

Saturday, 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 Romania

Friday, 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 ...

Mud

Thursday, 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 Ride

Wednesday, 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 Success

Tuesday, 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 Finishes

Tuesday, 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 Edition

Monday, 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 Failure

Sunday, 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 Museum

Saturday, 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 Belgrade

Friday, 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...

Strawberries

Thursday, 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...

Homesick

Wednesday, 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!

Tuesday, 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 Rainy

Monday, 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 Hospitality

Saturday, 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...

One

Friday, 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 Serbia

Thursday, 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 Macedonia

Wednesday, 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 Stip

Tuesday, 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 Edition

Tuesday, 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 Mountains

Monday, 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 Blanks

Sunday, 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 Macedonia

Saturday, 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 Night

Friday, 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 Thessaloniki

Thursday, 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?

Wednesday, 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 Willie

Tuesday, 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 Roll

Monday, 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 Things

Sunday, 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 Metéora

Saturday, 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 Kalampaka

Friday, 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 Love

Thursday, 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'

Tuesday, 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' About

Monday, 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 Rule

Sunday, 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)...

Maintenance

Saturday, 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 & Sergei

Friday, 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 Camera

Wednesday, 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 Customs

Monday, 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 & Madeleine

Sunday, 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 Animals

Sunday, 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 Markets

Saturday, 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 #2

Friday, 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 Cake

Thursday, 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 #1

Wednesday, 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 One

Tuesday, 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 Contest

Tuesday, 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 Passports

Monday, 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 Athens

Sunday, 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 Waterfront

Saturday, 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 Chania

Friday, 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 Crete

Thursday, 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 Paradise

Wednesday, 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 Day

Tuesday, 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 Love

Monday, 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 Earth

Sunday, 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 Remedy

Saturday, 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 Rethymnon

Friday, 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 Morning

Thursday, 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 Crete

Tuesday, 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 Cave

Monday, 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 Sunday

Sunday, 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 Coast

Saturday, 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 Museum

Friday, 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 Iraklion

Thursday, 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 Dry

Wednesday, 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?

Tuesday, 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 Acrocorinth

Monday, 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 Dirty

Sunday, 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 Matters

Saturday, 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 Again

Friday, 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 Me

Wednesday, 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!

Tuesday, 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!

Monday, 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 ...

Coasting

Sunday, 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 Sightseeing

Saturday, 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 Sassi

Friday, 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 Observations

Thursday, 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 Cold

Wednesday, 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 Right

Tuesday, 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 Success

Monday, 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 Riches

Sunday, 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...

Brrrrrrr

Saturday, 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 Update

Saturday, 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 Cold

Friday, 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 Recording

Thursday, 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 Again

Wednesday, 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 Next

Tuesday, 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...

Salerno

Monday, 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 Palermo

Sunday, 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 Dangerous

Saturday, 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 Ride

Friday, 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 Angels

Thursday, 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,...

Sandstorm

Wednesday, 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 Work

Tuesday, 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 3

Monday, 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 Summary

Sunday, 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 Windy

Saturday, 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 2

Friday, 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, Habib

Friday, 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 3

Thursday, 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!

Wednesday, 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 Ghilane

Tuesday, 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 Desert

Monday, 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 Yourself

Sunday, 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 Nowhere

Saturday, 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)

Thursday, 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 Tozeur

Tuesday, 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 2

Monday, 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 1

Sunday, 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 Sahara

Sunday, 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 Hotel

Saturday, 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 Desert

Friday, 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 Tataouine

Thursday, 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 Home

Wednesday, 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 Gabes

Wednesday, 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 Three

Tuesday, 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 Island

Monday, 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 & Aioli

Sunday, 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 Gatekeeper

Saturday, 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 ...

Lablabi

Friday, 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 Here

Thursday, 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 Kerkennah

Wednesday, 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 Road

Tuesday, 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 Cafe

Monday, 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 10

Sunday, 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 Wheels

Saturday, 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!

Friday, 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 2

Thursday, 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 Abdallah

Wednesday, 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-Hissar

Tuesday, 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 Food

Monday, 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 & Seafood

Sunday, 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 Hostel

Saturday, 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 Ali

Friday, 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 Island

Thursday, 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 Spell

Wednesday, 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 Museum

Tuesday, 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 Class

Monday, 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 Hostiles

Sunday, 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 Feelings

Saturday, 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 ...

Mahdia

Thursday, 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 Thanksgiving

Thursday, 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. ...

Sousse

Wednesday, 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 ...

Kairouan

Tuesday, 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 Grove

Monday, 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 Saddle

Saturday, 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...

Touched

Saturday, 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 Americans

Friday, 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 Geeks

Thursday, 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 Out

Thursday, 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 Road

Thursday, 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 Update

Wednesday, 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 Tunisia

Tuesday, 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 Glacier

Monday, 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 Said

Sunday, 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 Additions

Saturday, 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 Medina

Friday, 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 Received

Thursday, 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 Translation

Wednesday, 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...

Researching

Tuesday, 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 Libya

Monday, 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 Acclimated

Sunday, 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 Africa

Saturday, 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 Pressure

Friday, 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 Indoors

Thursday, 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 Day

Wednesday, 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 Mountains

Tuesday, 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 ...

Serendipitous

Monday, 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 Strangers

Sunday, 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 Take

Saturday, 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...

Stealthy

Friday, 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 Wool

Thursday, 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 Last

Wednesday, 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 Again

Tuesday, 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 Fun

Monday, 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 Away

Sunday, 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 Comforts

Saturday, 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 Live

Saturday, 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 Storm

Friday, 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?

Thursday, 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-Ins

Wednesday, 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 Capable

Tuesday, 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 Day

Monday, 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 Winter

Sunday, 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 Day

Saturday, 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 Friends

Friday, 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 Naples

Thursday, 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 Surprises

Wednesday, 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 Weather

Tuesday, 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 Jam

Monday, 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...

Changes

Sunday, 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 Chickens

Saturday, 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 Sicker

Friday, 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 Sick

Thursday, 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 Update

Thursday, 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 Business

Wednesday, 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 Comfort

Tuesday, 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 History

Monday, 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 Rome

Sunday, 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 Holiday

Saturday, 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 ToughSkin

Friday, 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 Road

Thursday, 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 Towns

Wednesday, 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 Camp

Tuesday, 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 Mainland

Monday, 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 Nothing

Sunday, 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 Elba

Saturday, 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 Elba

Friday, 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 Elba

Thursday, 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 Sea

Wednesday, 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 Welcome

Tuesday, 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 Seasons

Monday, 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 Mark

Sunday, 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 Lian

Saturday, 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 Lisa

Friday, 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, "...

Ravioli Making

Friday, September 18th, 2009

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Florence with Family

Thursday, 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 Day

Wednesday, 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...

Homecoming

Tuesday, 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...

Florence

Sunday, 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 Experience

Saturday, 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 Po

Friday, 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 Cremona

Thursday, 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 Museums

Wednesday, 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 Camping

Tuesday, 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 Valley

Monday, 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 Gelato

Sunday, 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 Como

Saturday, September 5th, 2009

Our taste buds are not ready for Italy. Yesterday we had grapes that were so flavorful (and cheap!) they were hard