Home At Last

Tower of London

Well, we're back.  How is it possible that it could go by so quickly?  We've enjoyed our journey immensely and have even more ideas for future trips.  We ended up in some pretty amazing places which weren't even on the itinerary;  London, England being a prime  example. Turns out it's now one of our favorite cities!  The spontaneity is the best part about open-ended travel.     

Of course, there have been some adjustments, such as the temperature change.  From +33 degrees in Bangkok to -36 in Calgary, factoring in the wind chill.  But who's complaining? We've lived here all our lives; we know the drill!
 

Some things we'll miss:

the Swiss countryside

*the excitement of exploring a new place, especially one we hadn't planned, like Switzerland.  

Moules Frites, France

*trying new cuisines.  But that doesn't have to stop just because we're home. We found out about a new Sri Lankan restaurant that we'll have to check out one of these days.

*fresh fish and seafood, the fruit and smoothies.  I ate a piece of mango today that was bland and tasteless (sigh). Yet, I've been told there are some excellent blueberries in the grocery store right now... 

*tropical rainstorms.  They're just plain fun; even getting stuck in them.  

gecko in the Philippines

*the geckos.  We could watch them chase moths for hours.


*the flowers: orchids, bougainvillea, frangipani, hibiscus...  

*pedicures for the equivalent of five dollars and manicures for three. Including a generous tip. 

*the beach.  I guess that's an obvious one.

*the humidity - once you get somewhat used to it, say goodbye to chapped lips and dry skin.

a woman setting out offerings on the beach in Bali

*meeting people whose life or ideology is so drastically different from ours.    Fellow travelers, locals, whatever... just chatting with such people has brought perspective or shifted our outlooks, even in the smallest of ways.  From England to Italy to Indonesia to Laos - there are such interesting people in the world.  But they're here in Calgary too, it's just a matter of being open to such a chance encounter.

But the number one thing we'll miss:  

sidewalk food vendor in Bangkok

*street stalls, motorcycle vendors, pushcarts, back alley cafes - seriously, the best food you'll ever find, for dirt cheap.  I know most of them look sketchy.  And yes, the system for washing dishes is reminiscent of a 7 year old's lemonade stand, but we didn't get sick once.  Not once.

Things we won't miss:

*touts.  Though I think I may have finally learned how to say "no" without guilt!

*living out of a backpack, uncomfortable beds, brushing our teeth with bottled water...

*pollution & garbage.  We have both, it's true.  But in many places, even in Europe, the air is thick with smoke, exhaust fumes and who knows what else.  There are often piles of unsightly trash on the side of the road, which brings a repulsive smell, coupled with the open sewer system (Asia only).  In some places there is a garbage pick up, but in others...  In Bali, they would bury plastic bottles on the beach.  Disturbing.

*rats and cockroaches.  We are so lucky here in Alberta.

where there are chickens, there will be roosters

*roosters.  Four in the morning, two in the morning, three in the afternoon - they're always crowing and the sound permeates industrial-strength earplugs.  After a while, they're not so cute.    

*motorcycles and crazy traffic.  The constant whine of engines, and danger involved in simply crossing the street.  Pedestrians DO NOT have the right of way.  Ever.

*being so far away from family and friends.  We love you guys!

the Canadian Rockies

When it's all said and done, it's good to be home.  Our second day back, we watched the sunset at Weaselhead Park, and you know what?  It was just as beautiful as anywhere else. Canada is a magnificent country to live in. We are blessed.

Deep fried crickets on the very left

P.S. My blog was, in a lot of ways, a food blog.  And I would be remiss if I didn't tell you about our last foray into "extreme cuisine".  There was a pushcart vendor in Bangkok selling deep fried insects, and on our last weekend, we took the plunge.  After much debate, we agreed on crickets; I refused to eat a beetle (look at the size of them, bottom right) and Kevin wouldn't do the maggots (bottom middle)...  But believe it or not, once the vendor added some spices and flavorings you could hardly tell that you were eating bugs.  Once we got past the mental block, we found them to be very dry and crispy and they actually went well with a pint of Chang beer!