The Facts, and Only The Facts

A few of you have asked just how destinations of the past year and a half have stacked up... Here goes -


Number of Countries Visited?
10

Average number of Nights per City?
5

Longest Time in any One City?
1 week in Casa Granda, Arizona; 1 week in Ann Arbor, Michigan; 1-2 weeks each in Barcelona, Valencia + Zarautz, Spain; 1 week in Paris, France; 2 weeks in Amsterdam, The Netherlands; 4 weeks in Varanasi, India; 2 weeks each in Rishikesh, Leh + Delhi, India; 4 weeks in Kathmandu, Nepal; 1-2 weeks each in Bangkok + Koh Mak Island, Thailand; 1-2 weeks each in Phnom Penh + Siem Reap, Cambodia; 1-2 weeks each in Vientianne + Luang Prabang, Laos; 1-2 weeks each in Kunming + Xijiang, China; 3 weeks in Hanoi, Vietnam

Number of Friends that have Visited Us Abroad?
7 - Ken Phelps (x2), Rich Janda, Johan Hamberg (Germany), Mark Dobbrow, Tish Hendershot, Joerg + Corinna (Germany)

Number of Friends + Family We have Visited while on the Road?
37 - Chris + Mari, Steve (Cheese) + Shelly (Squeeze), Scott + Tami, Marvel + Bob, Todd + Christy, Frank + Patricia, Tanya + Amanda, Charlie + Sachiko, Vinnie, Lori, Tom + Jo, Tom Hey, Jackie + Denny, Carrie, Marc + Sveta, Molly, Rich, Sharon + Kenny Ray, Nick, Tracy, Sherry, Maribel + Inaki (Spain), Karo (Amsterdam), Steve Goodman (Phnom Penh)

Average Daily Spending in Asia (2 people, including ground transportation + visa costs)?
$30 - Typical Accommodations $4-8, Meals $1-3/each. If not moving around and self-catering and/or eating at locals food stalls you can comfortably get by on $10 per person, per day.

Most Pleasant Surprise Destination + Why?
New Mexico - An underexplored gem of the American Southwest; Annapurna Circuit - We'd heard stories of this trek being overtouristed, but what we found FAR exceeded our highest expectations; China - The friendliness + curiosity of the people and beautiful nature, both natural + cultivated; Vietnam - I wasn't sure any one country could provide the perfect blend of modern comforts, freaky sights, good food, cheap living, spectacular scenery + engaging people, but this one does.

Most Disappointing Destination + Why?
Laos - The divide between locals + tourists and destruction of nature. We're STILL a bit perplexed why fellow travelers rate this one so high.

Most Spiritial Destinations?
Tabo Monastery - Spiti Valley, India; Varanasi, India; Boudhha - Kathmandu, Nepal

Least Spiritual Destinations?
China (too many years of religious suppression)

Most Chill Destinations?
Koh Mak Island, Thailand; Spiti Valley + Orchha, India; Don Det, Laos; Xijiang - Guizhou, China; Quan Lan Island, Vietnam

Noisiest Cities?
Kathmandu, Nepal; Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) + Hanoi, Vietnam

Wierdest Cities?
Varanasi + Haridwar, India

Cleanest Country?
U.S., Holland (for Europe) + China (for Asia)

Dirtiest Country?
India

Number of Modes of Transportation?
22 - Pick-up (self-driven), plane, car taxi, a/c bus, train, subway, bicycle, cycle-rickshaw, moto-rickshaw, chicken bus, shikara, walking (for 30 days), tuk-tuk, moto taxi, cyclo, row boat, samlor, sawngthaew, motor boat, moto (self-driven), hitchhiking

Worst Smokers?
Spanish + Chinese, followed by the Vietnamese

Most Scenic Farming Area?
Tulip Bloom, The Netherlands; Ladakh, India; Annapurna, Nepal; Doc Let, Vietnam; Southern Guizhou Province, China

Most Scenic Natural Wonders?
Saguaro Ntl. Monument + Monument Valley, Arizona; Canyonlands, Utah; White Sands, New Mexico; Las Alpujaras - Granada, Spain; Spiti Valley, Nubra Valley + Aru, India; Annapurna, Nepal; Yangshuo - Guangxi, China; Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Best Water Culture?
Tonle Sap Delta, Cambodia; Mekong Delta + Mui Ne, Vietnam; Kashmir, India

Best Biking/2-wheeled Culture?
Holland + Vietnam

Best Nightlife?
New York; Spain; Phnom Penh + Sihanoukville, Cambodia

Best Festival?
Las Fallas - Valencia, Spain + Queen's Day, Amsterdam

Gnarliest Festival?
Durga Puja - Nepal

Best Architecture?
Las Vegas, New Mexico; New Harmony + Columbus, Indiana; Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia, Cuenca, Granada + Cordoba, Spain; Paris, France; Amsterdam; Agra, Rishikesh + Ladakh, India; Kathmandu Valley, Nepal; Hoi An, Vietnam; Luang Prabang, Laos

Best Ruins?
Mesa Verde, Colorado; Chaco Canyon, New Mexico; Angkor, Cambodia; Orchha + Fatehpur Sikri, India

Best Buddhas?
Gwalior, India; Ladakh, India; Ayutthaya, Thailand

Best Place to Shop?
Bangkok's Weekend Market (for everything); Kathmandu, Nepal (for outdoor gear); Luang Prabang, Laos (for gifts + home accessories)

Best Room/Accommodation Value for your Money?
China + Vietnam; The American Southwest in Winter

Best Food for Vegetarians?
California; Yunnan, China; India; Vietnam; Thailand if Self-Catering

Best Food Overall?
Thailand + California (and France if you can live off of bread, cheese + wine)

Best Outdoor Dining Culture?
Spain, China + Vietnam

Best Bread + Baked Goods?
France + California, followed by Nepal + Vietnam (maybe)

Best Domestic Wine?
California, France + Spain, followed by, believe it our not... Yunnan, China

Best Domestic Beer?
U.S. (for microbrews that are some of THE best in the World), Vietnam (for super-cheap draft "cool beer") + Laos, which has only one beer - Beer Lao (for the COLDEST beer on a super-hot day, making the most memorable + satisfying beer-drinking experience of the trip)

Best Coffee?
Vietnam, followed by France + Spain

Best Dressed Women?
India (the Sari); Southern Vietnam (the Ao Dai); Guizhou, China (Miao tribalwear)

Best Dressed Men?
Spain (tight-fitting modern fashion); Southern China (eclectic fashion by the old men)

Worst Dressed?
Vietnam - Many women wear pajamas as clothes while men go for the white-trash look with a white wife-beater, baggy shorts, slouchy socks + plastic slippers, a big gold ring and long pinky nails to boot - Hideous!

Best Hair?
Southern China (you've never SEEN so many salon's, and the guys go for highlights + alternative cuts just as much as the girls.)

Worst Hair?
Spain (the mullet was never flattering and never WILL be, even on a woman) + Chinese (not ALL the alternative cuts are good, and they've got a things for 80's-era do's)

Best Abs?
Vietnamese fishermen (Even in their 50's!)

Best Arms?
Vietnamese farming women (You don't even KNOW what hard work is!)

Nicest People?
Ladakhi's, India; Southern China; Samut Songkhram, Thailand; Thakli people - Annapurna, Nepal

Most Difficult People?
Kashmiri's, then Vietnamese (though sometimes they will break your heart with sweetness too)

Least Engaging/Friendly People?
Laotians + the Spanish (it was our only disappointment with Spain)

Best smiles?
Khmer's (Cambodia), Thai's + Southern Chinese


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