Family Afar: Summary and Stats

Dex and Kylie with circus performers near Siem Reap, Cambodia

-- TRIP VIDEOS --
- Europe
- Africa
- India
- Nepal
- Southeast Asia
- Australia/New Zealand
- South America
- US Bike Ride
- Pfyffers & Hoornaerts

-- TRIP SUMMARY --
I printed up a little survey the other night and asked Meg, Dex, and Kylie to fill it out before we went through the responses together.  It’s pretty hard to reduce hundreds of experiences into just a few, but here’s our best attempt.

-- Favorite Countries --

- Dean: Nepal, S. Africa, Argentina (Patagonia)

   - Meg: Cambodia, New Zealand (S. Island), Nepal

   - Dex: Nepal, S. Africa, Switzerland

   - Kylie: Ecuador (Galapagos), Namibia, Cambodia

Nepal was clearly a big hit for all of us, especially coming on the heels of a month in India where the constant noise, chaos, dirt, and smog definitely wore us down after a while.  We did manage to reach the Everest Base Camp, with our packs, which I think we were all pretty proud of.  We enjoyed stunning scenery, sunny weather, and, for much of the hike, enjoyed the company of good friends Craig and Kevin. The sore muscles, cold nights, non- existent showers, limited menu, and lack of oxygen were minor inconveniences in the big picture of Nepal.

At the top of Cho La pass near Everest

For wildlife, South Africa and Namibia were hard to beat. Animal parks in both countries offered self-drive safaris, which is a great way to see the scenery and animals while keeping expenses in line. We had also hoped to visit Botswana, but our lack of advanced planning made that a non-starter. The Galapagos, on the other hand, offered no “self-drive” options and put a big hit on the budget. Nevertheless, it offered a rugged and stark landscape and encounters with incredibly accessible and one-of-a-kind wildlife.

Elephant in Namibia

Blue Footed Boobie, Sally Light Foot Crab and our tour Catamaran in the distance

Finally, the beautiful mountain scenery of Patagonia, (Southern Argentina), the south island of New Zealand, and Switzerland definitely contributed to their being on the favorites list, while the two weeks we spent lazing around on beautiful beaches with the Pffyfers in Cambodia, plus time at the ancient temple cities of Ankgor Wat, explains its inclusion.

Us on the beach on the island of Ko Rong, Cambodia

Fishing village on Ko Rong, Cambodia

Bayon temple near Angkor Watt, Cambodia

-- Countries with the Best Food --

- Dean: India, Thailand, Italy

- Meg: India, Vietnam, Italy

- Dex: India, Thailand, Italy

- Kylie: India, Thailand, Vietnam

Apparently, we are all pretty much in agreement when it comes to food.  Indian and Thai food is definitely some of the tastiest we had, and it can also be quite affordable. In many of the more expensive countries, particularly if we had a camper van with cooking amenities, we tended not to eat out much (S. Africa, Australia, New Zealand).

Ideal restaurant in Mumbai, India

Roof top restaurant in Udaipur, India

-- Best Individual Meals --

Dean:

- Pinch of Spice (Indian), Agra, India

- Third Eye (Indian), Kathmandu, Nepal
- Gustu (Bolivian), La Paz, Bolivia
Meg:

- Pinch of Spice (Indian), Agra, India
- Third Eye (Indian), Kathmandu, Nepal
- Gustu (Bolivian), La Paz, Bolivia
Dex:

- Third Eye (Indian), Kathmandu, Nepal
- Gustu (Bolivian), La Paz, Bolivia
- Cherng Doi (Thai), Chiang Mai, Thailand
Kylie:

- Ideal (Indian), Mumbai, India
- Third Eye (Indian), Kathmandu, Nepal
- Cherng Doi (Thai), Chiang Mai, Thailand

I figure we easily ate in at least 700 restaurants during the trip -- that was part of the fun.  In Europe, we biked without a stove to save weight and, in Asia, we never stayed anywhere where we could actually have cooked, even if we had wanted to.There were a dozen times when we were unexpectedly surprised by a fabulous meal.  Stumbling upon Gustu in La Paz, started by famed restaurateur Claus Meyer of Denmark, was one of those times.  We enjoyed a five-star meal for a two-star price.  Other honorable mentions are Mafana Zen, a trendy restaurant / bar in Six Fours, France or Yenu in the small, out-of-the-way town of El Calafate, Argentina, the jumping off point for hikes to the Fitz Roy Range.

Gustu in La Paz, Bolivia

-- Favorite / Most Memorable Experiences --

Dean:
- Zip lining and staying in tree house near Huay Xia, Laos
- Visiting the Wild Wadi water park in Dubai
- Watching elephants wander around at the White Lady camp in Namibia
Meg:
- Avoiding a storm and finding the San Lorenzo Hotel in Italy
- Arriving in Lukla by prop plane in Nepal
- Watching dolphins leap in front of the boat in Milford Sound, New Zealand
Dex:
- Snorkeling and exploring the Galapagos Islands
- Sandboarding and driving ATVs in Swakopmund, Namibia
- Watching the Perito Moreno Glacier calve in the far south of Argentina
Kylie:
- Seeing the Pfyffers and playing on the beach in Koh Rong, Cambodia
- Jumping off the high dive into the Fjord near Oslo, Norway
- Dancing at Sally and Rob’s anniversary party

There were so many great experiences that it is really hard to choose.  (I’ll add our full list at the end of this blog.)  A few days after we got to India, I asked everyone, for the first time, to think of the most memorable, enjoyable, amazing experiences we had had up to that point. As everyone was shouted out different things -- the Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona, Europa Park in Germany, amazing animals in Namibia and S. Africa, the Burj Kalifa in Dubai -- a German tourist next to us, finally had to interrupt and ask how it was that we had been to so many places.

High dive into the fjord near Oslo, Norway

Square dancing in the field below Heath Cottage, Shortwood, England

Watching elephants near the Brandenburg Mtns in Namibia

Jumping dophins in Milford Sound, New Zealand

Zip lining from the tree house near Huay Xia, Laos

-- Least Favorite Countries --

This is really hard.  India was one of the most difficult places to travel, but I don’t think any of us would have skipped it -- there’s nothing like it!  If we had to skip a country, perhaps that would be Chile, but only because our main reason for going was to hike in the Torres Del Paine, which we (due to lack of advanced planning) were unable to do.

Overnight train from Alleppey, India

Late at night, in the Jaipur train station, India

-- Scariest Experiences --

Dean:
- Riding narrow, busy roads -- particularly along the California coast
- Jumping off of high dives in Norway and New Zealand
Meg:
- Biking through bike-unfriendly Marseille.
- Biking on Hwy 1 in California.
- Hiking down loose rocks on Cho La Pass in Nepal
Dex:
- Running from drunken soccer fans in Marseille.
- Getting too close to Cape Buffalo in South Africa.
- Crossing glaciers for the first time in Nepal.
Kylie:
- Crossing long suspension bridges in Nepal.
- Avoiding running yaks in Nepal.
- Being launched from air pillow “catapult” in Cambodia.

-- Most Difficult Part of the Trip --

Dean:
- Long days on the bike in the US, headwinds and hills.
- Long distance train and bus travel in India.
- Steep climbs at altitude in Nepal.
Meg:
- Having to miss get-togethers with family and friends.
- Temporarily saying goodbye to Dean and Dex in Jordan, Montana.
- Headwinds in North Dakota and Montana.
Dex:
- Biking over the Great St. Bernard Pass in Italy.
- Long, steep climb into Namche Bazaar, Nepal.
- Biking through North Dakota and eastern Montana.
Kylie:
- Biking through North Dakota.
- Hiking in Nepal.
- Missing friends and family.

Not happy in St. Mark's Square, Venice, Italy

Climbing the alps near St. Oyen, Italy

Everest trail outside of Namche Bazaar, Nepal

Fighting headwinds between Glendive and Circle, North Dakota

-- What Would We Do Differently? --

Dean:
- Spend more time in Africa and South East Asia (Skip Chile, less time in New Zealand.)
- Plan more time for US bike ride and start later in the season (School start drove the schedule.)
Meg:
- See fewer countries, stay longer in each.
Dex:
- Arrange reservations ahead of time for Botswana and Torres Del Paine, Chile.
Kylie:
- Spend more time in Thailand and Switzerland.
- Visit colder places.

Our basic itinerary was set up specifically to avoid cold weather as much as possible. Since we love to spend time outside, that was important.  Both summers were spent in the Northern Hemisphere, Europe then the US.  The rest of the time was spent either in the Southern Hemisphere or closer to the equator.  During the initial planning phases of the trip, we looked traveling both east and west.  In the end, the trip seemed to work out better, weather-wise, by traveling to the east.  The one exception was the US bike ride. For us, there would be little motivation to fly home after 11 months, then ride away again to the east coast.  The basic plan was:

- Jun, Jul, Aug: Europe

- Sep: Southern Africa

- Oct: India

- Nov: Nepal

- Dec, Jan: South East Asia

- Jan, Feb, Mar: Australia, New Zealand

- Mar, Apr: South America

- May, Jun, Jul: US, Canada

-- What Did We Learn About the World? --

Dean:
- It’s really not so foreign or scary as people think.
- Most people, throughout the world, are good.
- Just because we're use to doing things one way doesn’t mean it’s the only way.
Meg:
- There are wonderful people everywhere.
- Beautiful sights can be found in the least pretty places.
- Plastic is everywhere.
Dex:
- The world is not that scary.
Kylie:
- Not every place is like the US.

With store owner, Mayank in Udaipur, India

Lodge owner in Dingboche, Nepal

New friends on the train from Hampi, India

-- What Did We Learn About Ourselves? --

Dean:
- We don’t give up easily.
- Dex and Kylie are very tough, resilient and independent.
Meg:
- The kids are awesome travelers -- strong curious, brave.
- Deano is a great travel guide.
- I’m good with traveling “off the cuff,” -- limited planning and last minute decisions.
Dex:
- I am more independent and braver than I thought.
Kylie:
- I learned to push myself and try even when things seem impossible.
- I tried things even if they scared me at first.

-- Would We Do It Again? --

Dean: Absolutely, yes.
Meg: Absolutely.
Dex: Yes.
Kylie: Yes.

-- TRIP STATS --
Since I'm an engineer at heart. I like data... and, dammit, I collected it, so I'm going to do something with it. Every time we got on a bus or train or opened our wallets to buy something, I jotted it down. I figured it'd be interesting to look at later. The jury's still out, but here it is anyway.

-- How Did We Get Around? --

Not surprisingly, we used a huge variety of different transportation modes.  And the list below doesn’t include funiculars, overhead cable cars, row boats, ski lifts, ATVs and zip lines.

- 40 airplanes
- 28 trains
- 35 long distance buses
- 43 boats -- ferry’s, fishing boats, speed boats
- 22 city buses
- 42 city metros -- trains, trams
- 140 “taxis” -- cars, trucks, mini vans, tuk tuks

Waiting for the Bergen ferry from Leikanger, Norway

4x4 pickup in Granau, Namibia

Early morning bus arrival in Bangalore, India

Moped action on Cat Ba Island, Vietnam

Island transportation on Ko Rong, Cambodia

Bus station in Cuenca, Ecuador

Making our way back home, near Baker City, Oregon

There were also large portions of the trip where we relied on just single means of travel for an extended period. It breaks down like this:

- By Bike: 120 days (Europe, US/Canada)
- By Rental Car: 90 days (England, S. Africa, Australia, New Zealand)
- On foot: 29 days (Nepal, Argentina, Peru)
- By Boat: 9 days (Vietnam, Ecuador)

-- How Many Miles Did We Travel? --

If anything, the numbers above are low, since they’re only estimates, after the fact, by clicking on Google maps.  Still, all told, we traveled at least 73,000 miles.  Not surprisingly, 2/3rds of the miles were by plane.  That said, we spent far more hours pedaling the bikes than anything else -- 500+ hours... at 12 mph.

-- What Did We Lose or Break? --

We were kind of pathetic.  It seemed like we were always losing something. Certainly, being on the move all the time, and needing to pack and unpack practically every day, made it incredibly easy to leave things behind.  Fortunately, the really, really important stuff -- passports, credit cards, ATM cards, camera, phones -- we held onto.  Well, at least we didn’t permanently lose them.  Three different times Meg or I left a credit or ATM card behind, but managed to recover it in each case.  Once, after crossing the border into Thailand and heading off to our bus, some guy ran up after me holding my ATM card, which I didn’t even know I had lost! Either we were just very lucky, or the average world citizen is much more honest than we give them credit for.

My incomplete list of lost things includes no fewer than 57 items from toothbrushes (2), spoons (5), and pens (8), to hats (5), glasses (8), electrical adapters (4), and water bottles (5), to swiss army knives (4), shoes (3), a sleeping bag (1), and a beloved stuffed animal (1). Then, of course, if we weren’t losing things, we were breaking them. Not surprisingly, the things we did have with us were well used. Every one of us went through at least one watch and even the best socks, pants, shoes and shirts, can only take so much abuse.

-- What Did We Spend? --

Transportation was the largest part of our expenses. Not counting the US, we visited 28 different countries.  Naturally, the easiest way to have reduce our financial outlay would have been to significantly decrease the number countries visited. Of the sizeable cost for transportation ($54k), plane tickets accounted for one half, while all other forms of transport -- cars, trains, buses, boats, trucks, vans, taxis -- accounted for the other half.  However, an awful lot of the overland transportation costs could reasonably be considered entertainment since getting from place to place was often half the fun.

Food was the next largest expense accounting for a quarter of all expenses. Although we were not particularly extravagant, we did eat out a lot.  With our nomadic lifestyle, restaurants were a welcomed haven, particularly in less developed countries and especially if we didn’t have a campervan to cook in.  Restaurants provided a place to sit down indoors, play cards, and relax for a while.  Over fourteen months, we spent an average of $64 a day for food. The least expensive food was in Africa -- Namibia, then South Africa -- where we spent $35 or $50 per day, respectively.  This was skewed down by the fact that we typically camped, especially in Namibia, and therefore often prepared our own food.  Asia was also relatively cheap -- India, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia ranged from $55 to $65 per day -- while S. America came next.  The most expensive countries should be no surprise: Norway, Sweden, England, and Switzerland.  

Note: Canada and Ecuador are skewed upwards -- Canada, because we had few meals out and one was a fancier meal (prime rib, anyone?) for Kylie’s birthday. Ecuador, because the majority of meals were part of the very expensive Galapagos tour, is also uncharacteristically high.  Finally, meals provided by people we stayed with are not included in the per day estimates, but, of course, did lower our overall average.

The third biggest expense was lodging at 16%.  Once again, costs varied dramatically, but, unfortunately, there were many special circumstances that make it hard to draw firm conclusions.  We spent three weeks hiking in Nepal where mountain lodges cost no more than $2 to $8 for the four of us, which pulled the average cost way down.  Of course, the level of accommodation was also low -- no heat, no running water, and typically one low wattage bulb.  Once again, South East Asia (Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia) was very affordable. The same goes for India and Thailand, but in each case, we splurged for a few nights at a $100/night hotel skewing the average up.  In Switzerland, on the other hand, we exclusively camped or stayed with Warm Shower hosts, so that makes it seem much less expensive than it actually is.  Similarly, we camped all but one night in Namibia taking advantage of our pricey but awesome self-contained, 4x4 pickup, while we more often stayed in hotels in S. Africa. Finally, the three nights at an expensive Marriott hotel in Hong Kong were certainly not representative of Hong Kong costs, as we chose the hotel only so we could spend time with work friends staying there on a business trip.  Finally, $0 for three nights in Indonesia was made possible only by the generosity of friends living on the island of Bali.

Interestingly, the rest of the expenses -- 11.7 % for entertainment (sightseeing, museums, tours)  4.4% for supplies (clothes, toiletries, books, biking/hiking gear), and 3.7% for miscellaneous items (gifts, visa fees, shipping costs, laundry) -- account for only 20% of the total.  

And, that’s it! Everything you ever wanted to know, and lots, lots more!  I hope some of you have enjoyed traveling around with us. Just know, that it’s really not as hard as you might think, and it will all work out! The hardest thing is just to commit to doing it.   

Time now for us to figure out the next big trip.

-- Full List of Favorite Experiences --

1. Spain (5/2416 - 6/3/16)

- Time on Barcelona beaches
- Visiting the Sagrada Familia
- First Warm Shower hosts

2. France (6/416 - 6/1516, 8/2116 - 8/23/16)

- Campground water slides
- Riding through Marseilles
- Climbing the Eiffel Tower at night

3. Italy (6/16/16 - 6/2516)

- Finding the San Lorenzo Hotel
- Meeting Gary and Terri in Venice
- Seeing and hearing the bells of San Marco
- Visiting the Murano glass factory

4. Switzerland (6/26/16 - 7/1/16)

- Riding over the St Bernard Pass
- Bike paths and beautiful roads
- Warm Showers host Julian
- Warm Showers hosts Michael and Ruth

5. Germany (7/2/16 - 7/22/16)

- Staying with Axel & Marion
- Visiting Europa Park
- Seeing the Vunderland trains
- Tons of dedicated bike paths

6. Denmark (7/23/16 - 7/27/16)

- Visiting Tivoli Park
- Riding around Copenhagen

7. Sweden (7/28/16 - 8/9/16)

- Finishing the ride at Björn & Annica's
- Crawfish dinner & singing with Björn
- Staying with Bertil & Annika
- Visiting the Vasa Museum

8. Norway (8/10/16 - 8/17/16)

- Blueberry picking with Cam
- High jump into the fjord
- High-speed ferry to Bergen
- Beautiful views of Bergen

9. England (8/18/16 - 8/20/16, 8/24/16 - 8/30/16)

- Seeing Mike, Ely, and Cole
- The London Eye
- The British Museum
- Folk Dancing with Sally & Rob
- Hiking through heather in the moors
- Visiting Margaret & David

10. South Africa (9/1/16 - 9/9/16, 9/21/16 - 9/29/16)

- Cape Town's giant waves
- Hiking to the top of Lion's Head
- Seeing penguins at Boulder Beach
- Dinner with Patsy, John, and Annie
- Watching an elephant / rhino showdown
- Spying lions and leopards in Kruger N.P.

11. Namibia (9/10/16 - 9/20/16)

- Encountering a leopard in Namibia
- Sandboarding in Swakopmund
- Climbing the Sousselvlei sand dunes
- Watching elephants at White Lady camp

12. Dubai (9/30/16 - 10/2/16)

- The Burj Kalifa light and water shows
- Wild Wadi water park

13. India (10/3/16 - 10/30/16)

- Mumbai taxi ride
- Ideal Restaurant

- Hanging out with Andy & Stephen
- The Taj Mahal
- Pinch of Spice restaurant
- Tuk-tuk to Fatepur Sikra

14. Nepal (10/31/16 - 11/28/16)

- Prop plane to Lukla
- Amazing Himalayan views
- Crossing Cho La Pass

15. Thailand (11/29/16 - 12-2/16, 1/9/17 - 1/10/17)

- Dinners with Isabelle
- Bathing elephants in the river

16. Laos (12/3/16 - 12/10/16)

- Zip lining and trekking through the jungle
- Staying in the Gibbon Experience tree house
- Taking the slow boat down the Mekong

17. Vietnam (12/11/16 - 12/15/16, 12/19/16 - 12/22/16)

- Kayaking in Lan Ha Bay
- Hiking through Paradise Cave
- Cooking class in Hoi An

18. Hong Kong (12/16/16 - 12/18/16)

- Seeing Mike Y
- Visiting Ocean Park

19. Cambodia (12/23/16 - 1/8/17)

- Boat rides around Koh Rong
- Flying off the water catapult
- Swimming & playing on Coconut Beach
- Swimming among phosphorescent plankton
- Visiting Angkor Wat temples

20. Bali (1/11/17 - 1/14/17)

- Staying with Amy and Jeff
- Visiting the Denpasar water park

21. Australia (1/15/17 - 2/10/17)

- Spotting Koalas
- Close encounters with colorful bird
- Camping with Helen and Shane
- Visiting Sydney Opera House
- Exploring coastal tide pools
- Body surfing with Cam

22. New Zealand (2/11/17 - 3/15/17)

- Traveling with De Ann
- Viewing dolphins in Milford Sound
- Paragliding over Queenstown
- Jet boating in Skipper's Canyon
- Spending time with the Pfyffer's

23. Chile (3/16/17 - 3/18/17)

24. Argentina (3/19/17 - 3/24/17)

- Watching ice calving off the Perito Moreno Glacier
- Hiking to the Fitz Roy Range

25. Bolivia (3/25/17 - 4/4/17)

- Studying Spanish in La Paz
- Exploring the Salar de Uyuni salt flats

26. Peru (4/5/17 - 4/11/17)

- Hiking to Machu Picchu

27. Ecuador (4/12/17 - 4/25/17)

- Enjoying dinner at Gustu
- Staying on the Tip Top II
- Snorkeling / viewing wildlife in the Galapagos

28. US / Canada Bike Ride (4/26/17 - 7/24/17)

- Meeting wonderful Warm Shower Hosts
- Visiting Niagra Falls
- Seeing family and friends in MI, WI & MN
- Biking with April, Kevin, Kirk, Sue & Bobby
- Beautiful view near Sisters, Oregon
- Riding through the California redwoods
- Getting home!