The name of this blog is coming from a song that I am currently listening to: Ripple (2013 remaster) by the Grateful Dead. Ripple came on and I found the name very fitting to the current climate of the world - one small action is spreading waves to every single person on this earth. Lainie and I flew to Brisbane, Australia today and are meant to travel to Bali tomorrow for the last month of our trip. The only problem? Indonesia is about to close their borders to tourists, and the USA may not let us back in in a months' time. We even had to run (literally) to a clinic in Airlie Beach, Australia today - before our flight to Brisbane - in order to get a "clean" bill of health to provide once we arrive in Indonesia, as well as to our volunteer coordinators. Needless to say, we are frantic but still rolling with the punches.
Since my last blog, Lainie and I traveled to Sydney, Australia (which may be one of my favorite destinations thus far). As we began our flight descent, I was gripped with excitement as I stared out the window at the magnificent Sydney Opera House! I'm still not sure why it made me feel such exhilaration, but I almost grabbed my sleeping sister and I had to take a photo - which came out horrible. Maybe because it's so highly regarded/so famous? Anyway, we landed and immediately began exploring the city - earning ourselves about 27,000 steps! On that first day, we saw St. Mary's Cathedral, Hyde Park, and Circular Quay where we took a tour of the opera house. The next couple days were chock-full of the most incredible views from coastal walks (multiple!), and wandering around the city. We visited Taronga Zoo and saw a stand-up comedy show, as well.
Lainie and I were running out of funds - naturally - and decided to take trips to the grocery store for food (protein bars, yogurt, cheese/crackers, fruits and veggies) for breakfasts and dinners. To be quite honest, munching on a homemade charcuterie plate - and some wine - for dinner never got old!
On our last night in Sydney, Lainie and I were fortunate enough to get together with one of our friends from volunteering in Vietnam! It was great to see Neil. Him and I had become great friends while volunteering and have kept in touch ever since. Neil and his mate took Lainie and I bar-hopping in Newtown and we had a blast!
The next day, Lainie and I flew to Airlie Beach, Australia, for a "vacation from our vacation." Airlie is on the mainland but a short boat-ride from the Whitsunday Islands and some breathtaking snorkeling. I usually hate snorkeling, but because we were in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, I pushed myself to go and I do NOT regret it. We took two boat trips devoted to snorkeling and exploring a couple of the Whitsunday Islands. The lookout views were spectacular - especially the swirling sands of Hill Inlet - and the snorkeling was like a neon dream full of colorful fish and live coral. It was extraordinary!
As I mentioned, we flew to Brisbane today and will (hopefully) board for Bali tomorrow. The Bali portion of this adventure is one that Lainie and I have been really looking forward to, so my fingers are crossed that everything works out in our favor. I can't help but feel that we are being selfish with our time because we have not cut our trip short. Is it rude to others that we are still crossing borders, even while we feel healthy? At any rate, beautiful Bali, we are excited to see you!!
Hoping everyone is staying healthy and happy,
Lilly
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Sunday, March 8, 2020
Nomads-R-Us
Yet another week is coming to an end on our adventure, leading us into week 7 - HALF WAY!! I am extremely anxious at the thought of ending our travels in only 6 short weeks, but there is also comfort in knowing that I will be home so soon. Currently, I am walking the fine line of my comfort zone and finding out how hard it is to live the nomadic lifestyle. Naturally, I find myself feeling like we do not belong, or that we are trespassing in people's homes, because we don't have a permanent place to stay - not to mention living out of our suitcases. On top of this, not knowing people in the countries that we are traveling has an isolating effect on Lainie and I. Needless to say, I could never do this without her (or another travel companion). I am very proud of us for leaving our lives behind to go on this adventure, and for thriving as we have been despite the conditions.
We (mom, Lainie, and I) stayed in Bangkok for about 5 days at a colorful hotel that was in the heart of the backpacking hub. We were one street over from Khao San Road, Thailand's backpacker street, but ours was just as crowded with stalls of food and clothes, and lots of people every night. Bangkok was HUGE. The city boasts beautiful temples, but unlike the other cities that we visited in Thailand, it is home to many different districts/neighborhoods full of massive shopping malls and other attractions. We tried to do it all, but I wish we were more prepared in our planning. Some of my favorite parts of Bangkok include the floating market, spending time on Khao San, and seeing a train slowly travel through one of the markets - the market stalls and vendors actually move for the train!
After Bangkok, my mom, Lainie, and I flew to Phuket, Thailand - happy birthday to me! Phuket is home to GORGEOUS beaches with incredible views, as well as the Phuket Big Buddha that sits atop the Nakkerd Hills. We had three short days to enjoy the beach in Phuket, and they were glorious. Lainie and I got way too burnt on our first day and had to be careful for the next few, but even so, Phuket was the perfect "vacation from our vacation."
Saying goodbye to mom in the Phuket airport was harder than I thought it would be! All three of us had tears in our eyes as we group-hugged before parting ways. It was so nice to have mom here with us to mediate between Lainie and I - we needed it at this point - and to take care of us! While I am trying to become more mature and independent, I definitely needed some "mommy-time."
From Phuket, Lainie and I traveled overnight to Melbourne, Australia, and mom flew home to O'Hare. Melbourne has been a lot of fun to explore! It took Lainie and I a while to get used to understanding the people around us after we had been tuning out the languages that we couldn't understand. It almost overwhelmed us! In the last couple of days, we took tours to the Great Ocean Road and Philip Island. We got to see the Twelve Apostles, Loc Ard Gorge, plenty of Koalas and Kangaroos - and feed them! - and the penguin parade on Philip Island. The koalas, kangaroos, wombats, wallabies, and penguins are ADORABLE!! It's molting season for the penguins so they are chubby and adorable. The weather here has been quite crappy, but we made do and were rewarded with a beautifully sunny day to walk along the river and explore the festivals that the city had going on today. There is never a shortage of things to do here!
Tomorrow Lainie and I are flying to Sydney! I'm excited to explore more of Australia, as well as visit with a friend from volunteering in Vietnam.
Talk soon,
Lilly
We (mom, Lainie, and I) stayed in Bangkok for about 5 days at a colorful hotel that was in the heart of the backpacking hub. We were one street over from Khao San Road, Thailand's backpacker street, but ours was just as crowded with stalls of food and clothes, and lots of people every night. Bangkok was HUGE. The city boasts beautiful temples, but unlike the other cities that we visited in Thailand, it is home to many different districts/neighborhoods full of massive shopping malls and other attractions. We tried to do it all, but I wish we were more prepared in our planning. Some of my favorite parts of Bangkok include the floating market, spending time on Khao San, and seeing a train slowly travel through one of the markets - the market stalls and vendors actually move for the train!
After Bangkok, my mom, Lainie, and I flew to Phuket, Thailand - happy birthday to me! Phuket is home to GORGEOUS beaches with incredible views, as well as the Phuket Big Buddha that sits atop the Nakkerd Hills. We had three short days to enjoy the beach in Phuket, and they were glorious. Lainie and I got way too burnt on our first day and had to be careful for the next few, but even so, Phuket was the perfect "vacation from our vacation."
Saying goodbye to mom in the Phuket airport was harder than I thought it would be! All three of us had tears in our eyes as we group-hugged before parting ways. It was so nice to have mom here with us to mediate between Lainie and I - we needed it at this point - and to take care of us! While I am trying to become more mature and independent, I definitely needed some "mommy-time."
From Phuket, Lainie and I traveled overnight to Melbourne, Australia, and mom flew home to O'Hare. Melbourne has been a lot of fun to explore! It took Lainie and I a while to get used to understanding the people around us after we had been tuning out the languages that we couldn't understand. It almost overwhelmed us! In the last couple of days, we took tours to the Great Ocean Road and Philip Island. We got to see the Twelve Apostles, Loc Ard Gorge, plenty of Koalas and Kangaroos - and feed them! - and the penguin parade on Philip Island. The koalas, kangaroos, wombats, wallabies, and penguins are ADORABLE!! It's molting season for the penguins so they are chubby and adorable. The weather here has been quite crappy, but we made do and were rewarded with a beautifully sunny day to walk along the river and explore the festivals that the city had going on today. There is never a shortage of things to do here!
Tomorrow Lainie and I are flying to Sydney! I'm excited to explore more of Australia, as well as visit with a friend from volunteering in Vietnam.
Talk soon,
Lilly
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