Lists

Places we’ve been sick or hurt

Alex Twisted ankle in Delphi, Greece
Alex Carsick Leonidio, Greece
Emma Puking in Purros, Namibia
Andrew Puking in Jo-burg, South Africa
Greg Fever to Botswana
Emma Airsick to Sarara, Kenya
Alex Tropical skin ulcers in Sinai, Egypt
Emma Puking down Mt. Sinai
Reis Puking/squirting Abu Simbel and Nile, Egypt
Greg Captain von Trapp joins Friedrich’s squirts in Luxor, Egypt
Greg Gout attack Jerusalem to Quito
Reis Car sick on way to Chillca in Upper Andes, Peru
Dana Altitude sick after wrestling alpaca in Upper Andes
Alex Puking nachos/strawberries in Quito airport
Alex Puking corn flakes/fruit salad in Torres del Paine, Chile
Greg Evacuated from Antarctica
Andrew Seasick in Roaring 40s
Reis Seasick in Roaring 40s
Reis Puking in Bali
Emma Abdominal Bali-belly
Reis Coughing in Cambodia
Greg Fever and gout in Hanoi
Alex Carsick in Himalayas, India x 5
Emma Carsick in Himalayas, India x 2
Andrew Carsick in Himalayas, India
Emma Squished finger in door, Rohet, India
Andrew Burned toe on mosquito coil in Narlai, India
Alex 36-hour bug with 103.9 fever in Amanbagh, India
Reis Puking on Day 2 Druk Path Trek (Bhutan) but rallied
Reis Puking at palace, Tang, Bhutan
Alex, Andrew, Reis all puking in Mt. Hagen, PNG
Emma sore throat and cold, Ambua, PNG
Emma puking green minty ice cream on road to Tongariro, NZ
Emma puked on rough crossing to the Society Islands…too much coconut
Alex puked on another crossing…too much Nutella

Modes of Transportation

Planes (single engine, turbo prop and jet)
Trains (including sleeper train)
Automobiles (rented and private)
Taxis
Buses (public and private)
Subway
Boats (all kinds (see other list))
Golf cart
Bicycle
Helicopter
Tuk Tuk/auto rickshaw
Motorbike/scooter
Cyclo/rickshaw
Cable car
Tram
Hot air balloon
Ox cart
Camel
Horse/pony
Elephant
Foot
Stretcher sled
Parachute
Luge
Chairlift
Zorb

Floating craft

Iceland: kayak, whitewater raft
Sweden: ferry, Dave’s friend’s motor boat
Namibia: catamaran
South Africa: ferry to Robben Island
Botswana: power boat, mokoro
Zimbabwe: whitewater raft on Zambezi River
Zambia: pontoon cable ferry, small gas boat, power boat
Egypt: Nady boats, Nile River houseboat
Ecuador: National Geographic Endeavor and zodiacs
Peru: Amazon River houseboat and expedition skiffs
Argentina: ferry to Uruguay
Chile: glacial-lake ferries, glacier-viewing boat, high-speed zodiac, power catamaran
Antarctica: Russian ice breaker KapitanKhlebnikov and zodiacs
Australia: Tasmania power-cat, Manly ferry, Great Barrier Reef dive boat, Daintree River cable ferry
Bali: whitewater raft, 60-foot ketch, banana boat
Cambodia: Fast passenger ferry (aka the death sausage), Ton Le Sap River cruise
Vietnam: Ha Long Bay junk, kayaks, Hoi An River eco-fishing boat and basket boats, Mekong River cruising boat
Hong Kong: Star Ferry
India: Udaipur lake cruising boat
Bhutan: whitewater rafting
Borneo: klotok river boat and speed boats
Singapore: Jurassic Park river ride raft
PNG: dive boats, island ferries, long dugout canoes
New Zealand: motor yacht to White Island volcano
Tuamotus and Polynesia: Catamaran Jambo

Places we went swimming

Dana, Alex, Emma and Reis have vowed to swim in every country we explore. In almost all places, we found a natural option; only three times did we need to rely on the hotel pool. Here’s the list of our dips so far:

Iceland: Natural hot springs, icy-cold glacial river (while rafting), Blue Lagoon
Sweden: Baltic Sea around Stockholm
Greece: Aegean Sea
Namibia: natural rock pool, camp plunge pools
South Africa: Atlantic Ocean (Cape Town), Indian Ocean (Plett Bay)
Botswana: Okavango River Delta
Zimbabwe: Zambezi River (while rafting)
Zambia: Zambezi River, house pools, Chongwe River falls
Kenya: Sarara natural granite pool
Egypt: Red Sea, houseboat Jacuzzi
Jordan: Dead Sea, Wadi Mujab River and waterfall pools
Israel: hotel pool
Ecuador: Galapagos Pacific Ocean
Peru: Amazon River (Rios YanaYacu and Pucate)
Argentina: Rio Plata
Chile: natural hot spring
Antarctica: Polar Plunge @ Cape Adaire, KK ship pool
Australia: Coles Bay Tasmania, Tasman Sea Bay of Fire, Manly Beach, Daintree pond, Great Barrier Reef
Bali: Indian Ocean/Badung Strait, Ayung River (while rafting), Nusa Lambogan
Cambodia: hotel pools
Vietnam: Ha Long Bay (South China Sea), Hoi An China Beach
Hong Kong: YMCA Kowloon
India: 8 different hotel pools
Bhutan: Mo Chu River (while rafting)
Borneo: Simpang Kanan river with crocodiles (see video)
Singapore: airport hotel pool
PNG: New Ireland beach
New Zealand: Kerosene Creek and Hot Water Beach
Tuamotus: everywhere!

Our world NOT delivered

Places where AT&T International Data Plan did NOT work

Iceland
South Africa
Namibia
Botswana
Zimbabwe
Kenya
Israel (on-and-off)
Antarctica
Cambodia
Vietnam
Bhutan
Papua New Guinea
French Polynesia

Funny Stuff

Logan Airport June 30, 2010: As Andrew was briefing us on expected weather conditions in Iceland, Alexandra is busted for not paying attention and asked by Dad, “what is Summer like in Iceland?” Without missing a beat she spurts: “flowers with bays and PONIES!”

Iceland July 2, 2010: On loading into the Land Rover Defender for the first time (lovingly dubbed the Dork Mobile by the kids), Alexandra, embarrassed: “why do you hate me, Dad?”

Iceland July 8, 2010: After informing Andrew that he was getting an F for the day since he had not done enough Rosetta Stone work or answered any of the quiz questions about the recently visited geothermal plant correctly, after some contemplation, in an optimistic tone, “well, I ate a whole paper towel on the way here.”

Athens July 16, 2010: Discussing kids’ possible majors and college choices, Andrew: ” I want to major in chemistry or software engineering at Harvard…or maybe musical theater, where is good for that?” Reis: “Musical theater, definitely Leotard!” He was later informed that Juilliard might be a better choice.

Serra Cafema, Namibia, August 6, 2010: Fausto: “water is the currency of life. Look what happens when there isn’t any. Think about this when you shower or brush your teeth.” Andrew (immediately): “THAT’S WHY I DON’T BRUSH MY TEETH!!”

Ongava, Namibia, August 9, 2010: Fausto: “know how to tell the difference between a rabbit and a hare? Rabbits give birth under ground and hare give birth above ground.” Andrew: “so if you want to tell them apart ask them to give birth?”

Pick n’ Pay, Cape Town, August 12, 2010:

mmm, mmmm....

Outside Jack’s Camp, Botswana, August 2010: Dana had spoken to Himba people in Namibia about their age. They did not knw as they don’t keep track of time on calendars. When we were walking with Cobra, an old San Bushman gentleman (the one who cleaned the scorpion in his mouth), she asked him his approximate age. He quickly responded “60.” “How do you know…do you count the moons?” she asked. “No. I was born in 1950.”

Giraffe Manor, Kenya, September 10, 2010. Fausto: “Giraffes are ruminant; they regurgitate and chew their cud. Why is it called ruminant?” Alexandra: “so they can make room for more food!”

Hanoi, Viet Nam, where traffic laws just suggestions. Andrew, while trying to cross a very busy street: “I hate this, I hate this, I like getting a green sign that lets me go, not getting hit by a bus!”

In Viet Nam, on a skype call with Greg’s Dad. Emma explains that we will be spending the day as peasants complete with traditional clothes, including the classic conical hats: “and guess what? We will get some of those special comical hats!”

In Delhi, on discussing the next night’s overnight sleeper car train from Old Delhi to Kathgodam, a ten-year-old pipsqueak innocently asks, “are the bathrooms en suite?”

In Delhi, watching the cricket World Cup as a Sikh player making a play in the field and after Greg tells her that Sikhs do not cut their hair, Alexandra asks “how long does their hair get?” Greg: “Not sure, ask a Sikh.” Alexandra: “who is Casiq?”

In Bangalore airport sports bar, waiter approaches Greg and asks, “would you like to Mobius?” Greg replies: “to Mobius?” “Yes, two mo(re) Bius (beers)”

Things we’ve lost (so far)

Alexandra left her beanie baby cat, “Henry”, on the plane to Reykjavik
Emma left her headphones on the plane to Reykjavik (then found them in Athens)
Alexandra lost her charm on the bus from Reykjavik airport to Reykjavik
Andrew lost his raincoat in a lava field on the road to Kirkjubaejarklaustur, then found it two days later
Dana lost the lens cap taking a bad picture of lava fields
Andrew lost his goggles at the Blue Lagoon
Emma lost one flip flop in a mud sink hole on Grinda Island, Sweden
“Someone” lost Dana’s swim goggles in Nafplion, Greece
Reis lost his beloved stuffed buffalo, Cody, in Greece
Reis my fleece beanie on loan to him in Swakopmund, Namibia
Emma lost “her cookies” by the side of the road on her birthday in Seisfontein, Namibia
Alexandra lost her sunglasses in Botswana (then found them in Zimbabwe)
Reis lost his orange vest in Mfuwe, Zambia
Andrew and Reis lost many malaria pills in Zambia when a monkey came into our house and stole the bag
Reis lost his bracelet on the plane from Lusaka to Nairobi
Either Emma or Greg lost Greg’s blue shirt somewhere between Planet Baobab and the Okavango Delta
Dana lost her second lens cap somewhere between the camel and the Great Pyramid of Cheops
Alexandra lost BOTH her bathing suits at the Dead Sea hotel in Jordan
Andrew lost his sunglasses and Staniel Cay YC hat somewhere
Dana left all the passports in the hotel safe in Atacama but recovered them later that day at the airport
Emma lost her special Phyllis scarf in the wind at Torres Del Paines then, miraculously, got it from a park ranger two days later
We lost Greg for four weeks in Antarctica
Dana lost her second iphone (the first was stolen in Peru) in Singapore
Alexandra lost her brand new Balinese red shirt somewhere between Bali and Cambodia
We lost Andrew on the trail between Camp 1 and Camp 2 on the Druk Path (we found him eventually)
Emma lost her favorite dress off the balcony and into the sea in Kavieng, PNG
Emma’s dress was found the next day in floating seaweed
Dana lost her Balinese sarong in the same place
Emma lost her headband left in a tree on a deserted island
Emma lost her sunglasses there too. Tough karma.
Andrew’s stuffed chipmunk, Chip, was MOB (Munk Over Board) in Tuamotus, recovered
Alexandra’s dive mask was swept off the dive platform by a big wave
Alexandra’s flip flops were swept off the beach by a big wave

Our Favorite Countries (so far)

Reis: Antarctica, Cambodia, Kenya
Andrew: Antarctica, Cambodia, Namibia
Emma: Antarctica, Kenya, Cambodia
Alexandra: Kenya, Antarctica, Cambodia
Dana: Antarctica, Kenya, Peru
Greg: Namibia, Antarctica, Iceland