Category Archives: Adventure 2012
Sydney
There aren’t many cities in the world that could lure me away from my beloved Austin, TX. Sydney, however, is one. When our short time in Sydney was over, I just didn’t want to leave! Everything about Sydney was compelling … Continue reading
Ocean and Wildlife Adventures in Victoria and Queensland
Before we arrived in Australia, when we were planning how we’d spend our three weeks there, we thought a good way to see a little more of such a huge country would be to rent a car and drive from … Continue reading
On the Mend in Melbourne
We got to Melbourne in a pretty miserable state. About a week into our two-week tour of India, I came down with a nasty cold that lingered for over two weeks. After five or six days of managing to ward … Continue reading
The Money Trail – India
The local currency in India is the rupee. The visage of Mahatma Gandhi is prominently displayed on each bill. Rupees were also difficult to spend, due to the need for small denominations. ATMs would provide 500 and 100 rupee notes. … Continue reading
The Cave Temples at Ajanta and Ellora
Following a recommendation from our good friend Steve from Austin, we persuaded my dad and Anne that it was worth making the trek from northern India down to Aurangabad in the Mumbai region for a visit to the Ajanta and … Continue reading
Sunrise at the Taj Mahal
We rolled out of bed at 5am, threw on our clothes, and headed to the hotel lobby to meet up with my dad, my sister Anne, and our guide for a sunrise tour of the Taj Mahal. We waited in … Continue reading
New Delhi
To begin our tour of India’s capital city, Shelley, Anne, John (the 1st) and I took a bicycle rickshaw ride through the streets of “Old Delhi,” an area within the city that was once the capital of the Mughal Dynasty, … Continue reading
Sikkim
Shelley and Anne’s father, John, arrived in Kolkata a couple days after we did and joined us on the rest of our India adventures. Next stop, Sikkim. Sikkim is a small Indian state in the Himalayas, bordering on Nepal and … Continue reading
On to India
As we waited in baggage claim for our backpacks in the Kolkata airport, we quickly learned that the most popular piece of checked luggage in India is the 42 inch flatscreen TV. Kolkata Baggage Claim Seemingly every person on our … Continue reading
The Money Trail – Laos
The local currency in Laos is the kip. Kip were harder to spend than other currencies because, unlike other places we’ve been, English numbers weren’t consistently placed on the money. 1 USD ~= 8,000 kip