Home at Last

Well, we're home safely, and despite falling behind whilst we were away, our updates will continue.

Feel free to ask about our travels and experiences, either through comments or email (though I suppose we can talk in person, too.... How old fashioned)...

Now, I just have to remember how to drive...


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Location:35 Ave SW,Calgary,Canada

Cambodian Details... Crocks, Stilt Houses, & Markets

As mentioned previously, Matt and I are starting to think that south east Asian people aren't able to sell anything to tourists during the day since they ALWAYS seem to have a night market… maybe because its too hot for the tourists to come out during the day???

Welcome to Cambodia!

Matthew and I almost felt like fugitives during the morning of our boarder crossing from Thailand to Cambodia. We had to be up and away from the hotel by 5 am and drive in the dark out of Bangkok for three hours to the overland boarder of Poi Pet. We took a taxi, which was a scary adventure in its self that compared to driving in India except that we were now the people in the little car rather than the people in the sizable bus!

Filling in the Gaps..

Naturally we saw many other things during our week in Thailand, and most of the rest wasn't just big cities, but ruins, water falls, and the infamous Death Railway from the second World War…

I am just having troubles catching up on the blog!!

Chang Mai

Whenever people heard that we were going to Thailand, they always seem to ask if we were going to Chang Mai (Northern Thailand) – it was obviously quite a few peoples favourite locale… and Matt and I were able to agree whole heartedly!

Bangkok, Thailand

Welcome to Thailand!

We finally got to arrive in style, first class plane tickets!
(It was a booking fluke on Expedia during a seat sale, I think???)

Bangkok, for all of its reputation of being a city to experience, we found it a little tame. Perhaps it was because we did the whole city with a G Adventures tour?? By day, the temples are shining in the sunlight, painted gold and decorated with mosaic glass/mirrors to add even more shine and glimmer…. the chimes ring in the wind, sweating tourists run from shady spot to shady spot.. and the air is heavy with musky incense.. or was it body odor?

Hong Kong - King Kong of Asia

Welcome to Hong Kong –  Please mind the Gap.. and don't trip over anyone since they're practically on top of each other!

Hong Kong is my favourite Asian city outside of Japan; and before someone leaves a comment that it isn't really a true Asian city.. yes, I know. I think that is one reason why I like it so much! It is like an Asian-lite city – it keeps all of the fun Chinese customs and rules, and pairs it with a progressive, modern attitude that has kept it as one of the leading cities in South East Asia.. so whatever you want to call it, it's a city that works!

Shanghai - City of the East Moving West

Shanghai is likely China's most recognizable cities.. almost known as the modern gateway to Asia just as Yokohama was the gateway to Japan in the early 20th century.. it seems that everything “west” flows through this place and as a result, it begins to take on a hybrid existence…

We're Back!

..and not quite from outer space... although, it JUST so HAPPENED that Matt was REQUIRED to go visiting to Akihabara to get supplies... perhaps it wasn't just bad luck???

Watch for new posts!

Matt's luck

Well, Matt's luck regarding electronics has followed us even to the other side of the world... The netbook has died on us. We'll not be able to post entries with photos embedded from Flickr unless we can get it fixed somehow, and now we get to use the phone instead, so be prepared for short and picture less posts.

More to come (we hope) from Malaysia!

M & M


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Location:street no.08,Siemreab,Cambodia

Sailing, Sailing, on the Yangtze Green.......

In order to continue onto the next few days of sailing down the Yangtze, our ship had to traverse the five stage ship locks to get through the Three Gorges Dam. We did this at night, so it made for some cool shots!

Three Gorges Dam

After the Three Gorges Dam Project was completed, the water level among the famous lesser gorges was increased by approximately 137m. This increase in water height had robbed this area of it's once hauntingly beautiful mist shrouded peaks and while it is still pretty, it has lost a little mystery...

The Magnificent Three Gorges

Cruising the Three Gorges was something I've wanted to do since grade school (yeah, we're hitting A LOT of bucket list items this trip) and while the scenery is different from my textbooks (I'm definitely older than the dam) - it was still worthy of the title: Magnificent!

Pagoda to Heaven

Our first stop along the Yangtze is the small town of Shibaozhai

The town is a relocation town where most of the residents are relocated farmers or original town peoples who were forced to move during the building of the three gorges dam project… but what is the main attraction is a Pagoda which goes to Heaven, and if you're especially limber – Super Heaven!

Chongqing

This town is where we got onto the river boat which would take us along the Yangze River for 4 days and 5 nights… Just a few pictures of a "small" Chinese city....

Terracotta Soldiers (Xian, China)

We have been just knocking off things from my bucket list this week!

If Archaeologists had a crown.. and if there was a jewel in it – The area around Xian would be it! Not only does it have the Terracotta Soldiers and all of the treasures hidden away that come with it, but they also have a fair number of Ming Dynasty tombs which are in the area as well…

Great Wall of China

Apparently being able to see the Great Wall of China from space is a myth... the Chinese sent astronauts up there and confirmed that they really couldn't see it. So, I guess that means we'll all have to go to China to see it rather than outer space...

Peking Opera

The real highlight of our first day in Beijing was the Peking Opera...

Beijing - City of Old & New

So, the first thing we did was visit the Forbidden City – which could be considered, by some, as the Chinese crown jewel… We then moved on to the Summer Palace

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Beijing is both new and old in the sense that they kept the older history of the forbidden city but much of the rest of the city has been demolished to make way for the 2008 Summer Olympics buildings and space requirements and the rest to build large modern skyscrapers to help keep up with the growing housing demand as China becomes more urbanized. This means that really, the areas of Beijing are either very old, or really quite new...

The Forbidden City:

Well, it was pretty cool… our tour included the Tiananmen Square which was interesting… it had all of the trims and trappings of a usual state monument except that there was a lot of armed guards around. And sure military presences isn't unusual, what was unusual was that they were really only watching or checking the Chinese groups – as white tourists we were free to roam un-watched around the square and even skip the security checks at almost ALL famous landmarks etc. throughout China.

Us, looking especially touristy!

One of the Guards (He was pretty much just for looks...)

More Military, and Chairman Mao!

The city is beautiful, but I found it more closed in than I would have though. There are tons of courtyards after courtyards.. hidden gardens and small passageways… and lots of little details!

Detail around a jade ring sitting within the living quarters (outside)

Apparently the Dragon had 9 sons.. and the little dragons on the end of a roof symbolize the importance of the building. The more mini dragons (up to 9) the more important the building - this one has 9 and was the throne area for the Emperor and therefore was considered VERY important!

Little Balcony overlooking a rock garden... reminded me of an Chinese Romeo & Julie scene!

Summer Palace:

The summer palace was a gift from an Emperor to his Mother on the occasion of her 60th birthday. The Palace sits overlooking a lake (which, random fact, the Emperor used to also train his navy on) with a beautiful arched bridge leading to a lonely island in the middle of the lake. We rode a “dragon boat” which was a motorized ferry done up like a dragon to see 'the longest corridor in the world' which I really thought was kind of a cheat since it really resembles more of a covered walk way – however it didn't rob the spot of it's beauty!

Yeeeeeeah, it's pretty touristy - but the locals ride it too!

Half Marble Boat (it really is floating apparently!)

Detail in a Pagoda (hand painted)

Picture of a section of the longest corridor in the world
It's all outside along a park/lake shore

Welcome to China

Welcome to China.. first impressions are generally important right? Well, one of our first impressions of China was a man trying to scam us into paying six, yes, SIX times as much for a taxi to our hotel.. luckily, we had the forethought to look up around what it is supposed to cost!

Final Thoughts...

Well, that was the main highlights of our time in India… we may have glazed over the IB, the dripping sweat, the blowing dust, the chaos and the poverty which many people live in, but it was an experience which Matt and I will always remember. It may not be a place to say that you “ Just Love India” like many people love Mexico or Thailand – but India has it's own special something which I am sure will keep going along.

So, with these final thoughts, we are off to China!Matt & Miranda

Varanasi - The Spiritual Center of India

Varanasi has several things which make it interesting.. aside from being the business hub for silks and embroidery, it is also the holy city for the Hindu religion... put this with the fact that Varanasi is the longest continuously inhabited city on Earth, and it makes for a deep rich city with so much history you're practically choking on it along with the dust!

Breaking news!

We interrupt your regularly scheduled... Late... Blog post to bring you.... The weather! From Thailand.





Yes, that's right.... Feels like 48 degrees.

And now, back to the latest coverage of India.


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Location:ถนนโรจนะ,Phai Ling,Thailand

Welcome to an India Safari

We went on a Safari looking for Tigers... but well, they're shy... but we saw some other interesting stuff!

Khajuraho Temples

Otherwise known as the Kama Sutra Temples... need I say more??


In Hindu religion there are various disciplines which are designed to engage your inner energy points and connect you with the spiritual world. Meditation is one example, however there is also Tantra...

DISCLAIMER: WARNING THE FOLLOWING IMAGES ARE OF A SEXUAL NATURE AND ARE NOT INTENDED FOR THOSE WHO MAY BE OFFENDED (No, they aren't really THAT bad... but I don't want to get sued)

Orchha - Palaces, Relics & Tents

When we did escape from the hectic Agra city and managed to get back into the smaller rural towns we found ourselves in a little village named Orchha.. famous for there ornate palaces (one of which was only lived in for one night!), the Hindu relic which is housed in an old palace kitchen, and we stayed in a tent!

And the rest of Agra....

So yes, we saw more in Agra than just the Taj Mahal… it was very hot this day – maybe you can tell???

India's Crown Jewel...

Have you ever been to a world class heritage site or natural wonder and gotten there and said “Oh, this is it?” – well this wasn't one of those times… If anything, this beat my expectations and really was something to take in. We went at dawn just catching the golden red sunrise as it swept over the Taj Mahal...

Abhaneri Stepwell

Water in India is either scarce or plentiful… this makes it a challenge to find water for not only agriculture, but people as well. This isn't a new problem in India, it is centuries old and they have found ways to help find, control, and utilize their water sources to the max… Abhaneri Stepwell is just one example…

Namaste!

Greetings from Tordi Sagar – Rural India!

The area we are in is Rajasthan in Northern India – the land of farming and colourful saris…

Jaipur - The Pink City

Allo Again! The second city on our India trip is the city of Jaipur otherwise known as the 'Pink City'. The story behind this is when Prince Albert of England visited Jaipur - the towns people painted their houses with terracotta in honour of his visit because as the red colour is the colour of hospitality/welcome in India. When Price Albert arrived…

Welcome to India - New New Delhi

Well, we're in India – we've done it. The VISA worked, we got through security, and even made it in one piece to the hotel… but that apparently was the easy part!

The Fast and the Furious - 4x4 Sand Dune Bashing

While in Dubai – Matt and I went on a dessert safari. It started with Sand Dune Bashing in a 4x4 and ended in a “traditional” dessert camp complete with Seesha, Arabic Coffee (discovered to be instant), and hena painting… and dinner. It was fun to just sit and watch the regional dancing under the stars enjoying that the tempture was now closer to 20 degrees instead of 35 degrees!

Welcome to Dubai

Want the largest shopping mall? Or how about the tallest free standing building? Or could you be in the mood for the biggest indoor ski hill? Welcome to Dubai – home to all of the above and more!

DELAYS... Delays... delays...

Sorry everyone for the delays!

Internet was patchy at best in India (something about not having power... ) and while we were in China the blogger was blocked by the government's fire wall.

But WE'RE BACK! :)
Look for a **hopeful** flood of posts coming soon... unless Thailand too has connectivity problems.

M&M

The Golden City

Whether you know Prague as the 'Golden City' or as the 'City of Spires' – or simply one of Europe's cheapest beer locations, it doesn't disappoint! Matthew and I certainly thought that this quiet little “town” was the best of all of the places on our Europe trip – Find out why!

Berlin - A Weird Tourist Town

Welcome to Berlin... city who's vibrant life makes it a place of parties, its tolerant nature a place of protests and rallies - and a city which has being trying to reinvent itself since the fall of the Berlin Wall and all it stood for. This makes it, in my opinion, a weird city to visit as a tourist...

Paris

Paris is another one of those iconic cities - even if you've never been you're more than likely to still recognize the big attractions. We almost felt like we'd seen them before - just in textbooks or post cards - which meant that we were basically only really awed by the fact that the originals, in real life, are much bigger than their pictures!

Switzerland - Cheese, Chocolate, and CERN

Switzerland is a country of delicious cheese (of a bunch of assorted types, not just Swiss… go figure…and expensive), yummy chocolate from the same cows (expensive), and a very VERY large (27 km circumference…also expensive) physics lab that doesn't look like much, but causes Swiss patent clerks with crazy hair (+5 internet/science points if you get the reference) to shiver with excitement in the grave.

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Did I mention Switzerland is expensive?

The Still Leaning Tower of Pisa

While in Florence, Matt and I did the trip out to Pisa to see the tower...

And for anyone worried about the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa - I am pleased to be able to inform you that it is, in fact, still leaning merrily away and hasn't fallen over... how could it with the dozens of tourists an hour holding it up during photo ops? :)

The Renaissance City of Florence

Where Rome is a chaotic city, fully embracing its history and the overwhelming amount of tourists, Florence is still trying to drag itself along – ignoring the tourists when it can… Some people come to Florence to appreciate the fine art and sculptures, while others simply come to appreciate cheap wine… and something tells me it's been that way since the beginning of the Renaissance.

Vienna / Wien

Welcome to Vienna! City of the Arts & Music, and what Matt and I swear must be the museum capital of Europe!
They have museums such as a Silverware/China Museum, Schnapps Museum, and even the Funeral Museum… weird...

The Vatican City

To answer the question which has come up a few times now… no, Matt and I were in Rome when we were still technically 'Pope-less'. They started the day after we left.. and if anyone saw the crowds which the decision drew I think they'd understand why we didn't linger… that and they picked the new Pope rather quickly this time…

The Eternal City

Greetings from Rome.. Roma.. the Eternal City...

I have had to cut down many of the photos Matthew and I (but mostly Matthew... I'm still not sure he's not Japanese) took in Rome. There are simply too many things to take photos of, since you can barely walk a mile without tripping over something of historical significance!

Munich... and a Wild Goose or three (also Beer and Coffee)

Munich - City of Beer (and Starbucks)

Whilst on route to Italy, we stopped for a day in Munich. It was a natural stopping point (Southern Germany) and we spent the day doing errands and enjoying one of the famous Beer Halls along with several Starbucks (warmth with free wi-fi!!)... That it just happens to be a major train hub was somewhat of a bonus...

European Night Trains

We've often heard that Europe and Asia are at the forefront of civilized, modern travel through the use of luxury trains..... See our brief thoughts on the subject:

Marken, Volendam, and Windmills

So.. Matt and I did a trip out of Amsterdam for a morning which did the highlights of the surrounding countryside. For anyone who has already been to Amsterdam and has done a trip out to see everything - you probably did this trip or at least something similar to it!

Amsterdam..

Hello Again!
Welcome to Amsterdam :)

Sorry for the delay in the posts, I've been sick with a cold and had to opt for sleeping over typing. But here I am, on the mend - and here is the next post.

Amsterdam (all of Holland really) seems to have been build around water and the management of water. Apparently, Holland would only be 40% it's present size if the country hadn't been controlling the water levels - in fact, even their main airport is 4 meters below sea level and Holland's highest ground lies a mere 300 meters above sea level.

Layout/Style Update!!

You may have noticed a slight change in our format... we'd had a few complaints about loading time with all of our photos being displayed on the main page, so we've updated long posts with jump breaks. What this means is that you'll have to click the "Read More..." links on each post in order to get the full story.

Hopefully load times will be reduced, but let us know how it works for you!

Matt

Gastronomic Interlude

<Insert vast, epic music here>

If you'd wondered about local food in the places we've been visiting, or even how North American food changes from country to country, check out our food blog: TrippyFood

We've been trying to sample at least one local delicacy or specialty in each country, and hopefully we'll be able to keep it up for the people stuck at home... with the same old food day in and day out... ;-)

We're currently in Rome, following two (rather uncomfortable) night trains and a day spent walking in Munich, where we hope to get our Indian Visas secured (looking good, on that front). We'll update with a full post for Amsterdam, followed by my semi-wild goose chase in Munich, Miranda getting a cold, and finally some tidbits from Rome, before we leave on Monday.

Hope all is well from 8 hours in the past, and keep following our blog for more exciting updates! Same M&M Channel, Same M&M ti...me.... no, just whenever we get to it....

Matt (Posted from Roma San Pietro)

"Chunnel"

Greetings Everyone!

So I know the smaller posts might be a little annoying - but unfortunately after sleeping on the train equivalent of a park bench I don't think I am up for a long, and hopefully intelligent sounding post... Luckily, this post is not designed to be a very intelligent post - but just some good old pictures of what Matt and I come up with to entertain ourselves when bored on a train!

Teaser... Amsterdam

A little something about Amsterdam (Coming Soon!):

Roman baths in... Bath...

We had the brilliant plan to take a tour through Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, Lacock, and Bath.... all in one day... yeah, it sounds kinda daft. Guess What! There is a tour company that happens to offer such a tour - convenient right? We thought so...

England's (Newly Named) Golden Circle

Welcome back!

The real highlights for us during our stay in London, was the day that we took the whirlwind bus tour to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, Lacock Village and Bath.

GREETINGS FROM LONDON!

Well, we officially arrived in one of the most recognized cities in the world and we dove right in - trying not to lose any of our touristy momentum.

Iceland's Golden Circle

Hello Again!
Sorry for the delay, internet is dodgy at best and there is only so long you can hole up at a coffee shop in the middle of winter in London.

Going back to our last day in Reykjavik:
Matthew and I decided to do the touristy thing and book a day tour out to see what people refer to as the “Golden Circle” – it contains three of the most popular tourist destinations and the particular tour we booked also included a few extra stops!

Graffiti Art

Miranda and I came across this hidden skateboard park in Reykjavik and while it currently wasn't in use, it certainly grabbed my attention.

The colours were striking and the subject matter was varied and definitely interesting. It even included Felix the Cat and a wolf head complete with a tongue as a ramp.

Photos after the Jump...

Up & Coming Fashion

Gone are the days of polar bear boots, baby seal throws, and arctic fox trimmings (Unless of course, you're Beyonce) and in are days of the new sea leathers! A growing fad within Iceland is apparently the use of sea leather, also known as fish leathers.

Coming in various varieties such as Salmon, Trout, and Wolf-fish it can be used for many applications such as jewelry, purses (accents), clothing (such as vests), and even for surfaces for coffee tables/foot stools. It's an interesting idea, dyed different colours –  sea leather can match any outfit!

Welcome to Reykjavik, Iceland

Greetings from Reykjavik!

Sorry for the delay in getting this next post out! We were laying fairly low the first few days while Matthew was recovering from the Calgary version of Travelers Revenge (aka food poisoning). So, really it's just been the last day and a bit which we've been out exploring the town and surrounding landscapes.

Dukoral.... The part they didn't tell you

Well, might be good for normal travelers diarrhea... But Matt's managed to find a version it doesn't cover..... Before we've even left Calgary. Sad, really.

M & M


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Location:Calgary,Canada

Well... here we go!

So we've managed to not get detained by security for any abnormal substances or items... Now that we're waiting in the departure gate for our big trip, it might finally be sinking in that we're actually doing this.

More to follow from Seattle, assuming the evil empire of fresh roasted cylons doesn't hold us for ransom.

M and M


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Location:T4B 2T4,Calgary,Canada

Oh crap...5 days to go! So much to do!

For those of you asking for the full itinerary... Or at least as much as we have planned... here ya go:

Leave Calgary - Feb 23 12:35pm

Reykjavik Feb 24 - 28

London Feb 28 - Mar 3

Mainland Europe Mar 3 - 29
(Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Zurich, Rome, Florence, Munich, Dresden, Brussels... More?)

Dubai Mar 29 - 31

India Mar 31 - Apr 14

China Apr 14 - 28

Thailand Apr 28 - May 5

Cambodia May 5 - 8

Japan May 8 - 26

Return to Calgary - May 26th ~11:00am



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Location:1 St W,Cochrane,Canada

New Blog!

Testing!

Wooooo new blog!

Europe in T-minus 34 days!


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Location:Valley Ponds Crescent NW,Calgary,Canada