Travel Stories

Hamer Girl
Hamer girl, at the Jumping of the Bulls ceremony

Photo Friday: Southern Ethiopia

The theme of this week's Photo Friday is Southern Ethiopia. This is part of my personal effort to convince as many people as possible to visit Africa. After spending several months on the continent, we realized that we had only experienced a drop in the bucket. Africa is so huge and diverse that it would take years to fully understand all of the cultures, history, tragedy, and beauty that this immense land has to offer.

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Tran with Leandro
Tran with Leandro

The Truth About Travel

In July 2010, Matt and Tran of Backpack Forever left their settled lives in Houston, Texas to embark on a five-month journey to Central and South America. Their trip led them through Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, the Guianas, Brazil, and Argentina. They’re back in the U.S. for now and have agreed to share their thoughts on "the truth about travel."

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Towers in Torres del Paine, Patagonia
The Towers in Torres del Paine, Patagonia

Hiking Torres del Paine in Patagonia, Chile

Torres del Paine is a national park in Patagonia, Chile. It is known for some of the most spectacular hiking in the world. I met many people as I hiked the park - people doing it on many different budgets. There was Joe from Chicago who camped and lived on porridge for nine days - surely that’s the cheapest it can be done. There were others who stayed at the Refugios with breakfast, dinner and a box lunch included for the trail. In between there was me: I camped, ate one meal at a Refugio, had drinks at the bar during happy hour (when they were half price) and ate a lot of nuts, dried fruit and other easily portable food.

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Nepalese Girl
Nepalese girl, Manang, along the Annapurna Circuit

Trekking in Nepal

Nepal is mesmerizing and beautiful. It is a land of peaceful mountain people who welcome travelers into their homes and show them the serenity of the land and the friendliness of the nation. During our year-long trip around the world, we spent a month in Nepal. During that time, we spent almost three weeks hiking through the Himalayas, and it was one of the best experiences of our life.

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The Beer Truck
Our truck, undergoing repairs

Beer Truck

When taxi cabs and public buses fail you, try the beer truck instead. We found ourselves stuck in a small town, a mere intersection really, between Lalibela and Dessie, in the African country of Ethiopia. It was in fact a holiday, and buses were scarce.

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Halong Bay
Halong Bay, Vietnam

Photo Friday: Vietnam

In 2006, we spent a month in Vietnam. We crossed the border from China in the north near Sapa, where we spent an amazing few days amongst the Hmong people and their beautifully terraced rice fields. Next we ventured down to Hanoi, and then spent a few days on a boat in the Halong Bay. Afterwards we made our way south, but for now we have plenty of photos to show of Northern Vietnam. If you find yourself wandering around Southeast Asia, don't miss this amazing country, especially Sapa (sometimes spelled "Sa Pa") and the surrounding areas.

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Phil In The Blank

Phil Paoletta is a guy after our own hearts, simply because he willingly chose to go to West Africa. It's an amazing place, and if you read Phil's awesomely named blog, Phil in the Blank, you'll get a sense of what it's like. Don't let his "loose stool count" scare you away. Seriously.

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Lalibela
One of the rock churches of Lalibela

Photo Friday: Ethiopia

Despite what you may have heard, Ethiopia is not starving. It is green, lush, and full of life and culture. It is diverse and amazing. From the highlands in the north to the tribal lands of the south, to the religious and historical sites to the stunning landscapes, Ethiopia offers something for everyone. We spent a month in the country. You should, too.

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