100 Things I Love about Travel
It all started back in October during #TNI. For those who don’t know what #TNI is, it’s called Traveler’s Night In on Twitter, and it happens every Thursday at 3:30pm Eastern Standard Time. A series of 10 questions are asked in 10 minute increments, and everyone takes part. It’s a blast, and if you haven’t already, you should join in on the fun.
One week the topic was wonders of the world. I listed a few wonders for one of my answers, and someone commented on how awesome it was that I had been to all those places. So I thought and pondered and reflected, realizing that I was indeed very lucky to have experienced so many amazing things. It got me thinking about all the things I love about travel, and before long, I was starting a list. The list took on a life of its own. It was going to start with 10, then it quickly got to 20, then 35, then 50, so I thought, “What the hell?” Let’s do 100.
For the last 3 months, every Friday I have posted 10 of the 100, with the culmination of the list coming last week. So this Friday, I thought I’d officially end it by putting them all together in one post. So here it is.
100 Things I Love about Travel
100. Street Food
From the Bangkok weekend market, the biggest and best market I've ever been
From the Bangkok weekend market, the biggest and best market I've ever been
99. Alligators
It's no coincidence this guy had a huge scare on his arm...from being bitten by an alligator
98. Cute Kids
I really wanted to take him home with us
97. Piranhas
Catching, then eating, piranhas...Ah, Bolivia
96. Fresh Fish
Straight out of the Gulf of Thailand
95. Mullets
I'm gonna let you guys caption this one in the comments below
94. History
A history like no other--Machu Picchu
A history like no other--Machu Picchu
93. Monkeys
Thai monkeys-cool, cute, friendly. Indian monkeys-not so much
92. Mountains
The Himalayas - 'Nuff said
The Himalayas - 'Nuff said
91. Fried Bugs
Yep, I'm about to eat this here bug...
...I'm about to put a bug in my mouth...
..and there it is, I'm chewing on a fried bug, YUM!
90. Markets
I could mosey around markets all day long
And because pictures simply can’t capture it, here’s a bonus video
Ridiculous Traffic
89. Snakes
What better snake to see than the largest in the world? The anaconda!
88. Beaches
One of the best tropical getaways-Tayrona National Park in Colombia
87. Beer
Beer-you can get it (almost) anywhere in the world
86. Cooking classes
Nothing like an authentic Thai cooking class-YUM!
85. Crystal clear water
We could have stayed here forever-Taganga, Colombia
84. Elephants
The friendly elephants caught Megan off guard
83. Playing Futbol
Nothing like a pickup game in the jungles of Bolivia
82. Sunsets
Watching a sunset from a Thai island never gets old
81. Way too many people on a motorbike
The record we saw was five, but we didn't get the camera out in time
80. Shady runways
Ahhhh, Bolivia
79. Storms
Watching this storm roll in on a Thai beach was simply amazing
78. Thai Buckets
It's a rough life
77. Thai food you made yourself
Cooking a new cuisine for the first time is always rewarding, provided it doesn't suck. This did not suck.
Cooking a new cuisine for the first time is always rewarding, provided it doesn't suck. This did not suck.
76. Zip Lines
Acting like a kid is always fun
75. Doner Kabob
I could seriously eat a freshly made doner kabob from the street every single day
74. Familiar Drinks
South America's not known for their beer, so finding something familiar was exciting!
73. Hilarious signs
One of many hilarious signs--stay tuned for a future hilarious signs post
72. Love
What says love better than building your wife something that will become one of the world's great sites?
71. Lakes
From Bariloche, Argentina, this has continuously been voted one of the world's great views
From Bariloche, Argentina, this has continuously been voted one of the world's great views
70. Rivers
The view from our hut in Pai, one of our favorite little Thai towns
The following video comes from Abel Tasman National Park on New Zealand’s south island.
Friendly Seals
69. Canyons
Canyons from the bottom are pretty cool.
68. Male tank tops
I'm determined to bring the male tank top back the US
67. Waterfalls
One of the world's great wonders, Iguazu Falls
66. Local Public Transport
Nothing like a local bus in SE Asia
65. Time to Reflect
Travel gives you plenty of time to reflect
64. Giant Prawns
We got used to eating prawns the size of our heads
63. Sunrises
You just can't beat the sunrise at a place like Angkor Wa
62. Tango
The elegance of the tango in Argentina
61. Rice Paddies
There's a certain beauty to a countryside filled with rice paddies
60. Vietnamese Iced Coffee
Nothing like the super strong, sweetened-condensed-milk-laden Vietnamese iced coffee
The following video is a part of Iguazu Falls that wasn’t even near the picture of Iguazu from #67.
59. Late nights
Staying out late our first night in Argentina, which became a habit there
58. Early mornings
Early mornings aren't too bad when your next destination is Machu Picchu.
57. Inviting locals
A major trip highlight-being invited to lunch by a local in Jodhpur
56. Visiting family
Another highlight, having my mom and sister visit us in Thailand
55. Smiling kids
Amazing children from the Pure for Kids orphanage in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
54. Kayaking
The kayaking portion of our Halong Bay trip was stunning
53. Hiking
A mecca for hiking-Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia
52. Glaciers
Perito Moreno-for scale purposes, check out the boat, 100+ feet long, on the right side of the picture
51. Saving Llamas
Rescuing a llama stuck in the mud on our Salt Flats tour
50. Inappropriate baby clothing store name
Um, yeah
The next video comes from #52 on the list, Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentine Patagonia. An absolutely amazing place. We were lucky enough to be running video and catch a massive iceberg falling off the face of the glacier, which was amazing. All day long, whenever this would happen, cheers could be heard from the various trails and lookout points. Unbelievable experience.
49. Wine
Red wine, white wine, Argentine wine, Chilean wine, New Zealand wine, we love it all
48. Temples
Thailand and SE Asia are chock full of beautiful temples
47. Napping
It's hot in SE Asia. Workers need a nap more than us travelers
46. Cows in inappropriate places
Oh, India
45. Giant cities
Big, giant metropolises offer so much for any traveler
44. Getting engaged
What better time to get engaged than while on the road? You may even get lucky like me and get to do it on top of an Irish castle.
43. Dulce de Leche
Oh, you creamy, sugary goodness, how I miss you so...
42. Argentine steaks
When in Argentina, I suggest buying a steak from a local butcher and cooking it yourself
41. A new breakfast dish
It didn't take long to get used to eating like the locals in Vietnam.
40. Picturesque room views
The view from our room at one of our favorite hostels, Pudu, in Bariloche, Argentina
Here’s what Christmas Eve is like in Buenos Aires. Enjoy!
39. Acting like a kid
One of my best memories of our trip was seeing my Mom smiling like a kid while ziplining in Thailand
One of my best memories of our trip was seeing my Mom smiling like a kid while ziplining in Thailand
38. Riding motorbikes
Not only is it fun, you look like a bad ass
37. Spaceships
The best way to get around New Zealand-by SpaceShip
36. Picturesque Bays
A stunning place-Halong Bay, Vietnam
35. Mystical-looking places
A nice place to stay on Koh Chang, the Magic Garden
34. Chico the Dog
Ahh, a sign from the worst hostel we've ever stayed in
33. Haka
Seeing the famous New Zealand dance, the Haka, was very cool and powerful
32. Fondue and Ribs
What goes better with fondue than...........ribs?
31. Beautiful Countryside
There's nothing like driving through the New Zealand countryside
30. Floating river markets
A trip to the floating market on the Mekong is a great way to spend the day
The following video is from our day of tubing in Vang Vieng, Laos. If you know nothing about this, it’s a right of passage of sorts for backpackers in SE Asia, and while a great time, the whole thing is a bit ridiculous. This video was taken at one of the “bars” along the river, and this particular bar had a homemade waterslide. A friend we met, Marcus, and I provide the commentary.
29. Funny looking dogs
Not sure why this dog was perched on this chair, or why his ears are so damn big?
28. Zorbing
An interesting and fun activity in New Zealand, zorbing
27. Putting 16 people in a minibus not meant for 16 people
There are five people, including myself, not in this picture
26. Geothermal Activity
The area around Rotorua, New Zealand is other-worldly feeling
25. Geysers
Lady Knox Geyser in New Zealand
24. Fresh, New Zealand Mussels
I could get used to eating fresh New Zealand mussels on a regular basis
23. Propaganda
You probably won't be put to death for purchasing drugs in Laos, but you will pay a hefty bribe, err, fine
22. Technology
Laotian river boats with much needed satellite dishes
21. Not trusting wily strangers
'Nuff said
20. Colombian juice “bars”
One of my favorite Colombian morning activities-hitting up the fresh juice bars
One of my favorite Colombian morning activities-hitting up the fresh juice bars
The next video is from Rotorua, New Zealand, and is of the famous Haka dance, a cultural dance that has been famous in New Zealand for quite some time. It has gained even more notoriety by the All Blacks Rugby team performing it before each game.
19. Songthaews
I just love experieincing all manners of transportation while traveling
18. Salt Flats
The biggest of them all, the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia
17. Being treated like family on the holidays
One of the coolest experiences of the trip, spending NYE with our new friend's family in Buenos Aires
16. Shady bridges
Lawsuits haven't quite caught on yet in SE Asia
15. Boats
Our "junk" in Halong Bay
14. Balloons
Oh, Vietnam, how I miss you...
13. Fresh Seafood from a Beach Vendor
The squid doesn't get much fresher than this
12. Patagonian Winds
I've never experienced such intense wind than in Patagonia
11. Too Many Drinks on One Table
The next morning was not fun.
10. Bungee Jumping
Hey, it's only 440 feet to the bottom
Hey, it's only 440 feet to the bottom
This "waiting" chair was a bit disconcerting
This "waiting" chair was a bit disconcerting
Approaching the ledge
Getting ready to take the plunge
The adrenaline was running strong afterwards
You’ll notice there are no picture of the actual bungee jump itself as my lovely wife was more nervous than I and didn’t snap any pictures as I was doing it. It was an incredible experience, and even though I had bungeed before, doing it from 400+ feet was insane. Highly recommended if you’re in Queenstown, New Zealand.
9. Strangers handing their babies over
Indians loved to give Megan their babies then take pictures of them.
8. Bike Riding
A favorite activity of ours anywhere in the world.
A favorite activity of ours anywhere in the world.
7. Picnics
Gotta love picnics in Argentina
6. Tombs
Itimad-ud-Daulah's Tomb in Agra, India
5. Saris
The beauty of Indian saris never got old
4. Terremotos
A favorite drink of ours in Chile-White wine, Fernet, and Pineapple Ice Cream-It was strong!
3. Wineries
The wine is nice when visiting wineries, but sometimes the view is better
2. Jumping pillows
Tons of campgrounds in New Zealand let us act like kids again
And finally, our #1 reason for loving travel–meeting new friends! We met tons of great people during our entire trip, and there were some we will be friends with forever.
1. FRIENDS!
Taken the same night as terremoto consumption
Thai buckets make people do stupid things
See, told you
And that does it for my initial list of 100 Things I Love about Travel. I really hope you enjoyed it, and I’d love to see what some of you love about travel. Comment below, or write your own post chronicling your favorite parts of traveling and link it in the comments.