Trekking the Planet

The Best of Trekking the Planet Wallpaper

Darren and Sandy — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 14:46:37 +0000

Our 'Best of' Trekking the Planet wallpaper features 54 of our favorite photos from the 14 series that we released during our journey! The photos in this theme will automatically be rotated every 30 minutes. To download this wallpaper series, follow the instructions below.

Instructions: If you run Windows 7, you can download and install the latest Trekking the Planet theme. Right-click on the icon for the themepack above and then select either Save Link As... or Save Target As... (depends on your browser). If all else fails, you can always select a single photo from the list below (see next paragraph). If you don't have Windows 7 or are having trouble with the instructions above, you can still select one of the wallpapers below. If you need help setting your Desktop Background, you can find instructions here.

A Culinary Journey: Trekking the Planet Food Articles

Darren and Sandy — Fri, 31 May 2013 14:51:51 +0000

One of the great pleasures of traveling is the culinary journey taken in trying food from the places you visit. While on our expedition, we wrote several articles about our food experiences. Read all six stories here!

May 2012: Food in Asia - The Good, the Bad and the Not So Appealing

[caption id="attachment_7106" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Night market stall - Malaysia"][/caption] One first food article was about our experiences in Southeast Asia. We highlighted the good and bad in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Laos. In Singapore, we ate dinner one night in a parking lot underneath a sea of 50 + story buildings. A series of satay stalls are set up each night. As you walk into the area vendors from each stall call out to try to get your business. There are about 15 stalls, all numbered, but with some type of adjective in front to differentiate one place from another. For instance, we passed by Great Satay #1, Best Satay #3, World’s Best Satay #6. Read more here.

July 2012: Our Continued Food Adventures in Asia

[caption id="attachment_7106" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Borscht for Breakfast – Kyrgyzstan"][/caption] The second part of our food highlights in Asia summarized our experiences in Nepal, Tibet / China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. In Tibet, we ordered several yak items that we found on menus. This included yak cheese pizza and yak burgers. Darren especially liked yak meat and even ordered yak pepper steak one night! Read more about our adventures here.

September 2012: A Food Journey through Europe - Part 1

[caption id="attachment_7106" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Struklji (dessert) - Slovenia"][/caption] Our first European food summary focused on the culinary highlights of Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Slovenia. In Finland, game, such as moose, reindeer and deer, are meal options. Berries can be picked throughout the country. After choosing a restaurant, we enjoyed reindeer stroganoff, served atop mashed potatoes, which were accompanied by delicious lingonberries. For dessert, we had a piece of cheesecake served with locally-grown raspberries. Read about our European journey here.

November 2012: Our European Food Experiences - Part II

[caption id="attachment_7106" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Baklava - Serbia"][/caption] The countries of Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Italy were highlighted in the second part of our food experiences in Europe. In northeastern Romania, we ate a variety of local food in the small town of Gura Humorului, where we stayed for three days. One of our favorite meals was a stuffed cabbage that came in the form of a pie. Read more here.

December 2012: Exploring Food in Africa and the Middle East

[caption id="attachment_7106" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Baking abud bread over an open fire - Jordan"][/caption] While spending two months in this fascinating part of the world, we looked back at our food experiences in Ethiopia and Jordan. In Ethiopia the staple food is called injera. Injera is made with teff flour and ferments for several days, making it taste somewhat lemony when eaten alone. However, it is usually served with one or more stews, some of which are very spicy. Darren’s favorite was tibs, which is a dish of sautéed meat. Read more about food in Ethiopia and Jordan here.

March 2013: A Taste of Argentina – Food Highlights

[caption id="attachment_7106" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Arroz con pollo dish - Argentina"][/caption] Our last food review was in the continent of South America. We spent most of our time in the country of Argentina and concentrated our food highlights there. The food of this country has an unique blend of influences from its Italian and Spanish immigrants and from the large number of cow and sheep herds. Meat is definitely one of the national dishes of Argentina and nothing is better than enjoying an asado or barbecue. On several occasions we ate wonderful barbecue steaks that were tender and favorable. Read more about Argentina's food here.

Read our Matador Network Interview!

Darren and Sandy — Tue, 28 May 2013 13:33:01 +0000

Our journey has been featured on Matador Network! Trekking the Planet: Teaching Geography from a Travelers Perspective is the title of our interview in which we discuss why we believe it is important for students to care about geography. We also highlight a politically sensitive situation that we found ourselves in while traveling and discuss sustainability. Read the interview to learn more.

MatadorNetwork.com is the largest independent travel publisher online and reaches over two million unique monthly visitors.

More Travel ‘Horror’ Stories

Darren and Sandy — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:02:29 +0000

Sandy features more travel ‘horror’ stories that we have experienced during our journey. Back in October we published a set of our own travel horror stories. They are not really ‘horror’ stories, but are more like situations that we have had where there were hang-ups, lack of information or things just got really uncomfortable. As we end our journey, here are another set of stories where things did not quite go to plan. If you missed the first set, click to read our travel ‘horror’ stories.

The Overflowing Matatu

[caption id="attachment_7439" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Inside the matatu from our back seat"][/caption] In October we spent a week in the Samburu region of north central Kenya. It is located about 230 miles north of Nairobi and it is a day’s journey to get there. To travel long distances in Kenya, locals take matatus or mini-buses. These are vans that have up to 14 seats. The first leg of our journey took us five hours in a matatu to the city of Isiolo. When we arrived there we asked around to find the second matatu that would take us the final 20 miles (35 kilometers) to our destination of Archer’s Post. Two men offered to walk us a couple of blocks to where those matatus departed. There was a vehicle getting ready to leave and we jumped in to sit in the last vacant seats in the back of the van. As all the luggage space was full we had to put our bags on our laps. We thought we would leave shortly since we took the last two seats, but people kept piling on and we soon had 19 passengers crammed inside the vehicle. It was midday and very hot so we pried open the window next to us to get some air. We still were not close to leaving because the driver was now outside haggling about his payment with the man who had collected everyone’s money. [caption id="attachment_7440" align="alignright" width="250" caption="Sandy squeezing into the matatu"][/caption]I tried not to think about the situation we were in at this point. We were crammed in the back of a van, bags on our laps, could not move and were getting very hot. If something happened there was no way we would be getting out very quickly, if at all. I closed my eyes and took deep breaths and tried not to panic. Looking at Darren I could see he was having similar thoughts. Neither of us are claustrophobic, but this situation was not feeling good to either one of us. SEE ALSO: A Samburu Sojourn Finally the driver squeezed into the van and we were off. I guessed that it would take about 30 minutes to travel the 20 miles. With my face at the open window I kept a gaze outside, taking in the fresh air and looking at the scenery. I tried to block out where we were and did not look inside the van at all. My legs were now numb because of the weight of the bags on top of them. I looked at my watch. Twenty minutes gone. It can’t be that much further now. Darren and I made some small talk and tried to joke about the situation. I think we were both surprised that neither one of us was panicking. Finally, I could see the town ahead, down at the bottom of the hill. It ended up taking about 40 minutes, with the final few moments, as everyone slowly exited the van, being the most anxious. We both were very happy to leave the vehicle. We ensured that the other matatu trips we took were on vans that were not overloaded, which cost a little extra, but gave us more peace of mind!

The Van in the Mud

[caption id="attachment_7441" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="The muddy street in Debark, Ethiopia"][/caption] While journeying in the northern part of Ethiopia during November, we traveled along the so-called Historical Circuit, driving on almost 900 miles (1,450 kilometers) of roads, with significant stretches on rough dirt tracks. One of our longest days was a 160 mile (260 kilometer) drive, from Debark to Axum, with about 120 miles (200 kilometers) of it on dirt roads. Knowing that it was going to take all day, our guide wanted us to leave no later than 6:45 am. It had rained hard the night before and looking out at the dirt road running through Debark, we could see that it was very muddy. We were using a minivan (not a four wheel drive) to travel through Northern Ethiopia, something that our guide had suggested to save us some money. We could see that our driver, Alex, was a little nervous, but we all got in the van and started off. Right away we could tell that it was not going to be easy to get down the main dirt (now mud) street. The van began to slip and slide uncontrollably right away. We inched our way slowly down the street. At the end of town the road went up a steep hill. When we reached the bottom of the hill it became obvious that there was no way we could drive up that road with it being so muddy. Even as we tried to inch forward our tires where already spinning. The minivan was sinking in the mud, and so was our confidence, as we were in real danger of getting seriously stuck. Just ahead of us, a four wheel drive vehicle was having trouble on the hill and was now stopped as well. All we could do was wait. SEE ALSO: Seeking History and Religion in Northern Ethiopia There were large tractors along the side of the road that were doing road construction. When those workers showed up to begin their day, the line of cars waiting to go up and over the hill was keeping them from doing their work. So a tractor began towing cars, one by one, up the muddy road and over the hill. Our turn came after we had waited for about 90 minutes. The road out of town was much better so we were finally on our way. It took us about 10 hours to cover the 160 mile distance on one of the roughest roads we traveled on throughout our entire journey. Part of the reason for the slow going was continual road construction. Several times we had to wait to have the road cleared before we could continue.

The Final Yard

[caption id="attachment_7441" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Climbing along the ledge on the way to Petra, Jordan"][/caption] We were drawn to trek in Jordan because it offered a unique and off the beaten path way to get to the ancient city of Petra. For four days we would be making our way to Petra along the mountains on old Bedouin trails. I can hike all day on well-established trails. When the trails are rocky or faint I have more trouble. And I don’t do well with heights and sheer drop-offs. The trek had aspects of all these things that were challenging for me. On the second day, there was even some climbing involved, as we were each helped up the side of a cliff by our guide. The fourth and final day we hiked towards Petra. We were excited to reach this ancient city; I was looking forward to completing the trek and the accomplishment of achieving all the challenges presented by the trail. [caption id="attachment_7451" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="The trail through the rocks with large drop offs on the right"][/caption]We entered Petra from the west side, walking along a nice path with newly manicured steps. We climbed up and had fantastic views of the mountains all around us. As we continued hiking, the trail seemed to end and turn to rock. It went up and around a ledge with a large drop-off below. My heart sank, but I kept moving. All of a sudden the trail looked impassible; all I saw was a giant rock ahead. There was no apparent way to get around it. Our guide had moved ahead of us and was standing at the edge of the rock, ready to help us move across it. There was a small ledge underneath it that I could not see, along with hand holds on the top of rock. Below was a drop off of several hundred feet. One at a time, we made our way across the ledge. Since the ledge was out of view and about the width of my hiking boot, I jammed my feet in and slowly slided them across, holding on to the rock hand holds. As I felt my way with my feet, our guide stayed next to me, spotting me in case I slipped and fell. I had to concentrate on what I was doing to not lose my nerve while negotiating this treacherous portion of the trail. After what seemed like forever, I was finally across the rock and back on firm soil. My knees were shaking as I took a moment to collect myself. SEE ALSO: Discovering Jordan Off the Beaten Path [caption id="attachment_7450" align="alignright" width="250" caption="First views of Petra\'s Monastery"][/caption]I was starting to wonder if this back entrance to Petra was worth the trouble. A few minutes later we turned another corner and couldn’t believe our eyes as we were face to face with The Monastery which looked like a structure from another world. The Monastery, the largest building in Petra, is 154 feet (47 meters) wide and 167 feet (51 meters) tall. Located at the other end of Petra from the iconic Treasury, The Monastery is a building that few people have time to see. Being there with no crowds was an experience that I will never forget.

The Vampire Bat

[caption id="attachment_7445" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Rows of hammocks set up for the night"][/caption] When planning the Amazon portion of our journey, Darren wanted to really get away and find a remote place to stay. During his research he found such a place, an overnight boat journey each way and over 200 miles from any city. It looked to be pristine and have many opportunities to trek and see wildlife. So we decided to go. Getting there was quite a journey we had to buy hammocks for the 17 hour overnight trip on a public ferry. Even though we got there four hours before departure it was already full and we hung our hammocks on what seemed to be the last two spots. It was hot and the engine rumbled so it was hard to sleep in the thick humid air but somehow we managed to get a few hours of rest. By the time we arrived at Xixuau in the late afternoon on the next day, we were pretty tired. Our room had a comfortable bed and mosquito net. At dinner several of us who had just arrived asked about the net and the bug situation at night. We were told that the net was not necessary to protect us from mosquitoes but from vampire bats! We were instructed to be sure and use the net to keep them out. It was still very hot when we went to sleep so I slept with on top of the sheets with the mosquito net securely around the bed. I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. When I turned on my headlamp I was shocked to see blood covering the bottom quarter of the bed, as well as all over my foot. Slowly I realized that I must have been bitten by the bats. I felt nothing because we discovered later that the bats have a painkiller in their saliva, as well as an anticoagulant, which is why I bled so much. SEE ALSO: Trekking in the Remote Amazon Rainforest Feeling lightheaded at the sight, I woke up Darren and we decided that I should walk to the bathroom, which was outside and about 20 steps away, to clean up my foot. As I washed off the blood, it struck me how far we were from any medical care. My mind raced as I remembered what I learned about rabies as a child. Was I at risk now from being bitten by this bat? Would the trip be over because I needed to get medical attention? The remainder of the night passed slowly as I could not sleep at all. Later we were able to get a message to our family doctor, using a satellite up link, to obtain his recommendation on treatment. He felt, since we were not in an urban area, that the bats would not likely be carriers of rabies. Therefore the risk of infection was very low. We breathed a little easier but have kept an eye on the calendar until the two to 12 week incubation period is over, which was the first week in April. If you want to see a (warning: rather graphic) bloody picture of my foot, that we took for our doctor, click here.

The ‘Special’ Bus

[caption id="attachment_7443" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Standing room only on the bus with my hiking boot in our faces"][/caption] After we completed our final trek in Torres del Paine we spent the night at a resort hotel deep inside the national park. We had purchased open-ended bus tickets to get back to Puerto Natales, where we had left our luggage and where we needed to go to catch our ferry through the Chilean fjords the next day. The bus to Puerto Natales left everyday at 1:00 pm from the Visitor’s Center; we were told all we needed to do was show up and get on. Our hotel agreed to take us to the Visitor’s Center, about eight miles away. We reached the Visitor’s Center at 12:35 pm. The parking lot was empty except for a tour bus. After about ten minutes another bus pulled up from a rival bus company, indicating a destination of 'Especial' on its front window. It was now 12:50 pm and we were getting a little nervous. I went up to the bus driver from the rival company and showed him our tickets. Between my limited Spanish and his little English, he indicated that we were supposed to go on his bus and he would take us to another location where we would meet our bus at 1:30 pm. On my ticket it indicated that there was a pick-up time for my bus at that very location at 1:30 pm so I figured that this made sense. We put our backpacks in the bus storage and boarded the bus. It was 1:10 pm before we started moving. I looked at my park map and saw that it was a winding dirt road to the location where we needed to be at 1:30 pm, making me anxious about connecting with the bus. Sure enough, the trip was slow going, not only because of the road but because the tour vans in front of us kept stopping for pictures. Since it was a narrow dirt road, we also had to stop (and sometimes back up) to allow oncoming traffic to pass. SEE ALSO: The Final Trek: Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park Finally we arrived at the transfer point at about 1:40 pm. We were relieved to see our bus there but noticed that it was almost entirely full, with more people putting their luggage in the side storage areas. As soon as our bus stopped I jumped out while Darren agreed to retrieve our backpacks. I was able to get the last two seats, about two rows from the back, on the new bus. When Darren finally boarded the bus he had both backpacks with him, as the side storage was full. So we crammed the packs into the area above us, my hiking boot hanging in our faces. The bus was absolutely packed. People were standing in the aisles, from front to back, as we set off again on another twisting dirt road. Most people had just finished trekking and had been camping so it soon became apparent that they had not showered in several days. One person standing in the aisle right above us was especially fragrant, and, with his arm stretched out to hold a bar above him, we got the brunt of the odor. We both leaned toward the open window next to us gasping for as much fresh air as possible. Would it be like this for the entire two hour trip back to Puerto Natales? After about 20 minutes the bus made one more stop in the park which was at its entrance. We saw another bus from our company there and those standing were able to transfer to that vehicle to get back to Puerto Natales. Our trip back was much more comfortable and breathable.

Why Trekking the Planet Focused on Geography

Darren and Sandy — Mon, 13 May 2013 13:58:36 +0000

[caption id="attachment_8142" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Darren in Narvik, Norway - July 2012"][/caption]In early 2011 when we began planning Trekking the Planet, we decided we wanted to travel with a purpose. Doing something involving children was an initial thought for both of us. The 4 1/2 month, around-the-world journey we took with our daughters in 2003-2004 was a motivating factor, as we saw first-hand the affect travel had on them, as well as the classmates at their school. We also both have a passion for working with kids and have volunteered to work with non-profit children's groups in the past.

Geography Survey Results

It was about this time that we came upon some surveys about American knowledge of geography and were somewhat surprised by the results. Back in February 2011 we wrote a story about these surveys. A National Geographic-Roper Public Affairs 2006 Geographic Literacy Study that surveyed young Americans showed:

Nearly three-quarters incorrectly named English as the most widely spoken native language in the world.
Forty-seven percent could not find the Indian subcontinent on a map of Asia.
20% of young Americans think Sudan is in Asia. It's one of the largest countries in Africa.
Half of young Americans can't find New York on a map.

To learn more, click the CCN story.

Geography Definitions

Astonished by these survey results, we wanted to learn exactly what geography is and why it is important. In researching this we came across several interesting sources. Among these were two definitions of geography. The first, from the UK Royal Geographical Society, states that:

Geography is unique in bridging the social sciences (human geography) with the natural sciences (physical geography). Human geography concerns the understanding of the dynamics of cultures, societies and economies, and physical geography concerns the understanding of the dynamics of physical landscapes and the environment."

In another definition, Keith M. Bell, Associate Professor of Geography at Vol State Community College (Tennessee), writes:

Geography should stand alone on the scientific pedestal, joined only with its one educational equal, the study of the human spirit in English language and literature. Geography is queen of the sciences, parent to chemistry, geology, physics and biology, parent also to history and economics."

Geography Videos and Articles

With these definitions in hand, we searched for other information about geography. We came across a three minute video, created by Google Earth, that provides some insight into what geography is and its relevance today through the eyes of students. In March 2011, we published a link to the video. Watch it below.
SEE ALSO: National Geographic GeoBee: What You Can Do with Geography [Video]
We also discovered an article by recent geography graduate student Christina Salas. Called Making the Case for Geography in our Schools: A Commentary on the State of Geographic Education, it reviews the lack of geography education in schools, especially at the secondary level. Christina views geography as multi-dimensional, taking into account subjects, such as economics and sociology, into an integrated view of the world. Click below to access our post, published in March 2011, to view additional quotes and read Christina's full article. SEE ALSO: Making the Case for Geography in our Schools – One Viewpoint

Conclusion

These sources all contributed to the decision to use our Trekking the Planet journey to bring geography to life for students and help them to discover the cultural and natural significance of the world.

Trekking the Planet Recap Videos

Darren and Sandy — Fri, 03 May 2013 14:48:20 +0000

Here are all eight of the Trekking the Planet recap videos, filmed throughout our journey, in one place!

April 2012: Trekking the Planet: Day 67 Update Video

Our first video was produced as we sailed on the Ocean Princess between Sydney, Australia and Singapore. In this video we asked each other a series of questions in one take, meaning it is unedited, unrehearsed and unscripted.

May 2012: Trekking the Planet: Day 100 Update Video

Our day 100 update video reviewed our time in Southeast Asia. This entire video was recorded in one take from Lumphini Park in Bangkok, Thailand.

July 2012: Farewell to Asia Video

We summarized our time in Asia while in Uzbekistan. In this video we discussed our personal highlights as well as challenges that we faced... and overcame while spending over three months in Asia. We also highlighted our plans for the next few months.

July 2012: Update from Riga, Latvia Video

In this video, Sandy provided her first impressions of Europe and our plans for the next few weeks.

September 2012: Uncut - Africa Overview

We filmed this video while in Castelrotto, Italy. Here, we reviewed our time in Europe and discussed our upcoming trip to Kenya and Ethiopia in Africa.

December 2012: Africa Recap Video

This video looked back at our time in Africa and the Middle East. We highlighted the Great Migration in Maasai Mara National Reserve, the Gelada Baboons in Simien Mountains National Park and the rock-hewn churches of Tigray region of Ethiopia. Lastly, we gazed on the Treasury in Petra, Jordan. We discussed some of our impressions from the two months we spent in this fascinating region of the world.

March 2013: South America Recap Video

Our last continent video reviewed our time in South America, as we adventured deep into the Amazon Rainforest and visited the historic cities of Cordoba and Mendoza. Finally, we looked back at our visit to Patagonia in both Argentina and Chile.

March 2013: Trekking the Planet Epilogue Video

In our final video, we reviewed our entire journey, as our daughter Kristen interviewed us. In this video, you will hear about our adventures as we sought to bring geography to life.

Half a Lifetime Teaser [Video]

Darren and Sandy — Wed, 01 May 2013 00:24:15 +0000

On January 28, 2012, Darren and Sandy Van Soye left from San Diego, California on a 424-day journey around the world with the goal of getting kids excited about geography. During their expedition, they visited some of the most remote places on the planet to document their cultural or natural significance. The team’s journey took them over 70,000 miles, visiting 53 countries on the continents of Oceania, Asia, Europe, Africa, North America and South America. In the process, they completed treks in 12 locations including Tasmania, Australia, Laos, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, Sweden, Slovenia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Jordan, Brazil, Argentina and Chile. Before they left on their journey, they spoke to thousands of students about geography. Darren and Sandy continued to speak to classrooms while on the road. This is the teaser for the Half a Lifetime video that will be completed later this summer. Enjoy!

More of Our Top Destinations

Darren and Sandy — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:14:18 +0000

Back in September, we wrote about some of our top journey destinations. In this follow-up story, Darren features more favorite destinations from places we visited during the second half of our trip. The focus of this story is on some of our top destinations. More specifically, we chose places that we liked so much that we would consider returning to them for a longer period of time. Our criteria for selecting these locations are places that were relatively inexpensive, had nice accommodations, a good selection of restaurants, a variety of activities and were safe. These locations are covered in the order that we visited them during the second part of our journey.

Dresden, Germany

Cultural capital set in a beautiful valley
Extensive public transportation
Excellent choice of restaurants

[slickr-flickr tag="dresden" type="gallery" size="large"] Click each photo to view a larger image Dresden is located near the Czech Republic border, along a valley on the Elbe River. It was an important city in the former East Germany and is currently the capital of the German state of Saxony. Dresden has a long history of royal residency for the former Kings of Saxony and today contains a castle and palace in its historic area. The city celebrated its 800 year anniversary in 2006, a year after its iconic church (the Frauenkirche) was rebuilt after being destroyed in World War II. In fact, over 90% of the city center was destroyed during the war and reconstruction continues to this day. When we visited Dresden in August 2012, it coincided with their yearly Stadtfest, a cultural and artistic festival located in the old town area. Various musicians, from rock bands to classical guitar players, performed during certain times of the day. We enjoyed walking around the festival while listening to several of the musicians. We also had a wonderful time eating at several of the great restaurants in the city center. The prices were very reasonable for an European city. SEE ALSO: A Family Reunion in Germany Dresden has a large tramway network totaling about 120 miles (200 kilometers). One day we rode the tram a short distance out of town, into the Elbe Valley, and took a 100 year old cable car to the top of a hill to admire the views. We were the only ones on the viewing platform and seeing the peaceful river and valley was a nice contrast to the city of over 700,000.

Lake Bled, Slovenia

Charming mountain and lake setting
Central European location
Good local food

[slickr-flickr search="sets" set="72157631338190680" type="gallery" size="large"] Slovenia is a small country located between Italy, Austria, Croatia and Hungary. Just over the border from Austria is Lake Bled. It is a glacial lake located in the Julian Alps and adjacent to the town of the same name. In August 2012 we spent two days before our Julian Alps trek and one day after its conclusion in Bled. We were impressed by the lake, with a castle overlooking it on one side and an island in the middle of it. We spent several hours walking around the entire lake and marveling at the beautiful scenery. SEE ALSO: Trekking the Julian Alps, European Style In the town of Bled itself, there were many restaurants and grocery stores with reasonable prices. We stayed in an apartment and enjoyed cooking with local foods and fresh vegetables.

Kenya

Superb mix of cultural and natural experiences
Unmatched wildlife in parks and reserves
Great interactions with people

[slickr-flickr tag="kenya" type="gallery" size="large"] We are mentioning the overall country of Kenya because we were so surprised and impressed with it while were there. During our three weeks in Kenya in October 2012, we visited several national parks and wildlife reserves, including the Maasai Mara National Reserve and Lake Nakuru National Park. While on safari we not only saw the entire "Big Five" (the black rhinoceros, Cape buffalo, African elephant, leopard and lion) within 24 hours, but also witnessed the Great Migration of over one million animals back to Tanzania. Kenya was definitely one of the highlights of our entire journey! SEE ALSO: In Search of the Big Five in Kenya These natural experiences were rivaled by the cultural interactions that we had while in Kenya. Prior to our national park visits we spent four days trekking with the Maasai during a walking safari. It was fascinating to learn all about their culture and to visit villages and schools along the way. Our time in the northern Samburu region provided us with another perspective on the people of this country. We especially enjoyed our time there because it was in a non-touristy area. The capital city, Nairobi, has a reputation for being a dangerous place, but we took precautions and walked around with no issues.

Punta del Este, Uruguay

Resort city with great restaurants
Beautiful beaches for swimming or walking
Mild climate

[slickr-flickr tag="punta" type="gallery" size="large"] In January we spent a weekend visiting Punta del Este. It is a resort city, sitting at the junction of the Atlantic Ocean and Río de la Plata (River Plate), and located about 87 miles (140 kilometers) east of the capital of Montevideo. The climate is mild, with the temperature in the summer month of January averaging about 71 °F (21.7 °C). We found the temperatures to be quite refreshing after coming from the hot and steamy weather of the Amazon region. SEE ALSO: Hitting the Road in South America Punta del Este was a joy to visit. We enjoyed walking along the two scenic beaches (Brava and Mansa), as well as eating at several diverse restaurants. In fact, we ate at a Mexican Restaurant that had excellent food!

Santiago, Chile

Amazing capital city with a variety of things to do
Lovely green areas and parks
Quiet residential areas

[slickr-flickr tag="santiago" type="gallery" size="large"] Having already been to several of South America’s capital cities during our prior travels, Santiago is now our new favorite. Founded in 1541, Santiago's architecture ranges from 19th century neoclassical, to art deco and neo-gothic. While spending four days in Santiago in March, we had ample time to explore this city of over six million people by both foot and subway. Imposing buildings, such as the main cathedral and Palacio de La Moneda (Presidential Palace), were interesting to visit and photograph. We enjoyed walking along the Mapocho River, which flows through the city, viewing the Andes Mountains and strolling through the shady parks. SEE ALSO: Travels through Chile by Land and Sea For a big city, Santiago felt livable with its quaint neighborhoods and parks. It is another place that has a reputation for crime and pick pocketing so we kept a low profile and maintained a state of high awareness while moving around the city. Overall, we would love to visit Santiago again in the future.

Do you have a favorite destination that you would like to share with others? If so, reply in the comment box below!

Trekking the Planet Panoramic Photos – Series 8

Darren and Sandy — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:41:14 +0000

Here is the next series of panoramic pictures, covering our time in Chile, Nicaragua and Mexico that we have taken with our Sony DSC-HX9V. You can click on the photos to download the full-sized image. If you missed Series 7, you can view it here. [caption id="attachment_8095" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Torres del Paine panorama - Chile"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_8091" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Hiking in Torres del Paine National Park - Torres del Paine National Park"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_8092" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Sailing away from Grey Glacier - Torres del Paine National Park - Chile"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_8094" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Looking into the Mombacho Volcano crater - Nicaragua"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_8090" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cabo San Lucas, Mexico"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_8093" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="View of ship\'s bridge while sailing on the Pacific Ocean"][/caption]

Our Journey is featured on Gadling.com!

Darren and Sandy — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 13:18:55 +0000

Gadling.com is the world's top travel blog, and covers fun, interesting, and relevant travel. It is the source for everything from general travel news to highly specific travel tips, and from budget travel to adventure travel. Gadling has published a story about our entire expedition, detailing the purpose of our journey and some of its highlights. To learn more, read the article.